no pen needed

by year 2010, your green philippine passport will no longer be acknowledged even if its not yet expired. so for those who are planning to get a US or Schengen visa (which is usually valid for many years) you may want to have your passports renewed first. 

the new passport looks like this

its now machine-readable and the data are NOT anymore handwritten

applying for the new passport is easy. just go to passport direct website and follow the instructions. you may opt to use their door to door pick-up and delivery service for a hassle free procedure. it will only cost you Php1,300. however, you will still be required to make a personal appearance at DFA once your papers are ready. don't worry, once you applied through the door to door policy, your exact schedule will be announced and you will save a lot of time from waiting in line. 

last wednesday, the whole family was scheduled to appear at the DFA office. since i was still bed resting, i was not able to go... anyway, dave came home with a teeny weeny rant. 

before entering the DFA compound, a vendor approached and told them that they will be needing pens inside. since they did not bring any, the happy vendor was able to make business with them: one pen each. so they went inside, waited for their turn, signed some papers, print their thumb marks and done... the ballpen was not used at all! the funny thing was the ballpen transactions happened in front of a posh-looking guard (those wearing barongs instead of the regular uniforms). that manong gurad did not even bother to shoo-away the vendors and let them fool the people. i bet part of the profit goes to this manong guard. i know its just a pen but the thought of blatantly deceiving other people for money disturbs me. so people, you DO NOT NEED to buy a pen for your appearance. 

SALE Alert!

warehouse sale from Thursday, 11 December 2008 to Sunday, 21 December 2008 

at the Agility Center (Ninoy Aquino Avenue, Paranaque City)

register here

Christmas Kidz Kraze 2008

Up to 80% Off on Branded Toys, Clothes & Shoes

Warehouse Sale @ Libis

Date: November 14-15, 21-22, 28-30, and December 5-7, 12-14, and 19-23, 2008

Time: 9AM to 6PM (Saturday & Sunday), 1pm to 6pm (Weekdays)

Cash Basis Only

Telephone Number: +632 743 1658

Creative Trade Center Compound

#6 Calle Industria St. Bagumbayan, Quezon City

Natori Factory Sale plus bit of Luxury Sale

15 Comet, Bel Air 2, Makati City

Friday, 12 December 2008

2pm to 8pm

Saturday, 13 December 2008 and Sunday, 14 December 2008

10am to 8pm

Shop for: Cocktail Dresses, Lingerie, Evening wear, Bejeweled bags, Leather bags, Reasort wear, Casual wear, Sports wear, Active wear, Shoes, Accessories

Available brands: NATORI, BCBGMax Azaria, Marc Jacobs, Chloe, Diane Von Furstenberg, Max Mara, Miu Miu, Bebe, Burburry, Missoni, Dior, Blu Marine Herve Leger Gucci, Kate Spade Tory Burch, Manolo Blahnik, Prada, Bamboo Path Loungewear, Juicy Couture, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Balenciaga, Valentino and more.

You can contact Carissa for more information at the following numbers, 0917 8588905 / 8443396.

BOOKSALE!!!

Dec. 5-8, 2008. Scholastic Book Fairs Warehouse, #70 C. Raymundo Ave., Rosario, Pasig City. 

Dec. 2-5, 2008. Scholastic-Grolier Head Office, 27F Pacific Star Bldg., Makati Ave. cor. G. Puyat Ave. Makati City

2 Crabs for 2 Years

last week, dave & i celebrated our 2nd year wedding anniversary... since i was still feeling a little sick, we decided to have a simple celebration... we headed to rockwell for crustasia and ordered crabs to our delight! we had 2 crabs, 1 kilo each....

the new roasted garlic crab

our all time fave singaporean black pepper crab

our simot table

Ground Level, R1

Power Plant Mall

Rockwell Drive cor. Estrella St.

Makati, Metro Manila

Phone Number: (63 2) 728-5463, (63 2) 631-3857

after our overeating, we saw twilight...such a great movie! now i really want to read the book!

the suite life of zack & cody

i've been under the weather since last weekend... braving the frequent manila drizzle made it worst. i thought having the flu shot will keep me safe but it was not enough. i still need to be careful so i won't catch the virus. anyway, it did not stop me from getting around last weekend.

dave & i had lunch at pancake house last saturday for zack's christening reception. dining there made me remember how good their tacos are. the shells are crispy but smooth, not the kind that may bruise your gums, and the fillings are refreshing. 

while i still don't have copies of pictures of the christening, here is a picture of the proud kuya/ahya, cody.

i find the names of cody & zack cute... it was inspired by disney's the suite life of zack & cody.  i do not know how popular it is here in manila but i am one of their avid viewers. i like that it's light and funny. 

the suite life of zack & cody aires at disney channel, daily at 10pm asia.

wanders

after camping at cardinal santos yesterday, dave & i went to pagcor to watch wanders. we did not buy tickets, we were invited to see it by doc dave's grateful patient. thank you marichu! we're glad we went to see it. the show was awesome! 

taking of photos were absolutely a no-no

 

so i went to pagcor's website and lifted some of the official photos... 

Every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday

at PAGCOR Grand Theater

Airport Casino

Parañaque City, Metro Manila

Philippines

Ticket prices: Php3000 , Php2500 , Php2000 , Php1500 , Php1200 

Tickets are available at: Ticket World

Ticket Hotline: 891-9999

http://www.ticketworld.com.ph

 Presented by: PAGCOR Casino Filipino

Produced by: Cirque Asia International

i'm going to the rihanna & chris brown concert after all

charchar, who's going with me, is currently having a crash course ... hahahaha

ya-ta!

 follow the tv series heroes. one of the things that amuse me with this show is the character of hiro nakamura, portrayed by masi oka. he happens to remind me of my friend jeff...

if anyone has old pictures of jeff, pls post it here... i think they look more alike when jeff was still wearing his glasses and when he was chubbier...

along came sony ...

jeff came today... with him is his new toy-- a sony cybershot T77. it works like magic! we tried to take tiny mushrooms sprouting from my lawn ... 

i was so amazed at how sharp the image turned out. can you imagine the actual size of this? 

macro mode

we got carried away so we clicked away ... 

we took pictures of my garden which was designed by my childhood friend, jeff. he graduated with a botany major in ust but is a practicing banker. his sidelines include landscaping gardens, painting, and now, photography.

phaleonopsis orchid

grill or be grilled

my weekend was packed but fruitful... 

11.07.08, friday... father's day at ylc. the kids brought their dads along saw a movie at promenade, greenhills cinema. it was the school's way of getting the kids & their dads bond. we had to be at the cinema at 10am to catch the first showing. going to the movie house at mid-morning made me feel nostalgic. dave & i would catch a movie instead of going home when classes get suspended during my early college days... now, we hardly have the energy to hit the movie house at an early time... anyway, we went to see madagascar 2. while we were watching it, i realized the school should've screened the film first before letting it become our official father's day movie. there were many scenes there when the animals would hit an old lady. stealing was also made as a way to solve a problem (i will not mention how and why). it did not look very nice. in fact i think it was rude... i like the 1st madagascar movie...

after the movie, val, joe & i had another trip to pepper steak. this time, joe's sizzling chicken looked like it just went on a diet! meanwhile, i had an ok experience with my peppered beef steak...

after stuffing ourselves, joe & i headed to the warehouse sale of toy kingdom. we were surprised with the amount of people that were shopping. backing out was not on my mind since i was stuffed and i was really determined to finish my toy shopping that day (i started my toy shopping last month!). since there were so much people as determined as us, we had to use large toy boxes (balikbayan sized) as our carts because they ran out! we got so tensed when we saw the marked down prices. i felt like getting all the toys i see & put it all in out cart-ton... how come i never heard of this sale before? the toy kingdom warehouse sale started last year and will continue to run once a year. 

loooooooooooong lines

despite being in line for almost 2 hours... i left megamall terrifically happy with my purchases... 

before going home, i stopped by dave's clinic at makati... picked him up, & went to  joel torre's... again! i noticed they have new dimmed lights and lanterns therefore, making the place appear more cozy and less of a carinderia. as usual, the place was packed, their chicken cooked just right! 

11.08.08, saturday... had some time for my gardening before it started raining. after lunch, i had our christmas decors out already and put up our tree.... decors are not all up yet but i am getting there...

dave & i went to greenbelt to attend the anticipated mass. after receiving communion, i saw tisha silang of the amazing race asia season 3. being an avid fan of the tv show, i so wanted to ask her who won the race (there are 4 teams left now), and if they went out of asia like last year's race. i noticed they have not gone far this time. they have only been to taiwan, thailand, cambodia, idia, and hk-macau so far.... anyway, i was not able to talk to her as i had christ in my mouth that time... waiting for her at the end of the celebration would be too showbiz so there, i controlled myself. hahaha!

thinking that there might be a lot of people watching movies that night (it's a saturday!) we rushed to the ticket counter to get our 007 tickets.... as expected, lines were long...  we were lucky, we were able to get the last 2 seats available which were in the front row!! 

having our insurance to get in the show later that night, we headed for dinner. when we got to 2nd floor greenblet, we got cofused because we could not find cascada. i did not realized marciano's replaced it.  i liked eating at cascada. i was already thinking of getting their beef tenderloin skewer! now i can't have it anymore... huhuhu .... we ended up at oody's. we had seafood tom yum noodle soup, chicken satay and the crab rice. nothing was spectacular except for my thai iced tea.

11.09.08, sunday ... went to my mom's house. since i was coming, they prepared a crustacean lunch menu. yum! i like going home ... i miss home... i miss my parents...

my family & i spent some time malling in the afternoon... my sister & her husband joined us too. since they are expecting anytime soon, we went looking for what else can be bought for the baby. then i saw some toys i bought at the toy sale being sold  at it's regular price at rustan's. yipee!

dinner was fun because it's been years since i went to sakura yakiniku, arnaiz ave. i still have the same qualms about this place. they need to fix the interiors! they also need to change their shabby tables and chairs. if it's not because of the fact that they serve the best yakiniku, i would have put this restaurant in my black list.... seriously, their meat is so tender and it did help me forget about the ambiance. they have set meals for 3 people that includes soup, japanese rice, beef, and dessert. i had the US prime beef set at Php1,700++. the price may be high but i promise you will go to cloud 9 after an experience with their super tender beef. my dad & i were so intense with the grilling that we did not realize we finished the meat for 3 persons!  it's that good you may forget to share!! make sure you're also ready to smell like the steak you just had after dinner!

Sakura Yakiniku, 

02-844-4489, 

1020 Pasay Road, 

Makati City

YAKU at the Podium

sometime last month, i visited the podium & met with two of my  teacher friends. i rarely go there but it was the venue for the painting exhibit of my 2 tutees, Joaquin & Miguel, who are 7 & 5 years old respectively. so there goes my excuse for my little expedition. 

i find it interesting to view paintings made by kids. they are almost always pleasant to the eyes, mostly with innocent inspirations...

6 paintings by Joaquin & Miguel

after viewing the exhibits, we went to YAKU japanese grill. it's our first time to try this restaurant and it was pretty ok. when we first entered the restaurant, we got the expensive vibe because of the dark, cozy ambiance and the wood-y interior. but when we saw their menu, prices were very reasonable. our total bill did not even reach Php1000! the specialty YAKU is the yakitori... but since i got an upset stomach that afternoon, i did not bother to eat anything oily.

the place was pretty packed on a thursday night. 

caramelized dilis for appetizer...

we also had japanese veggie salad... it was not cam worthy so we skipped photographing it. the portion was too little and it had a very plain look. i did not like it.

anyway, a japanese dinner will never be complete without having california maki. i thought it was good. the tobiko were very crunchy. i love it when they use mango instead of avocado... very philipinized...veryy refreshing!

we only had 2 main entree: 

tofu steak- we all agreed that i was a little too buttery

yakiniku beef-it was actually good! the meat was tender, not much litid 

happy customers

substitute for white castle

argh! i'm craving for white castle cheeseburgers!!!

meanwhile, i remember going to the movies at G4 and having mini burgers just like white castle's. it's called slammers. it's probably been around for a long time already but i never get to notice them until a recent visit at the food choices. 

the burgers aren't fab but it's ok... don't forget to ask the vendor not to put the pickles and mustard if you're not a fan -- like me.

on pepper lunch & pepper steak

i finally got to try pepper steak at promenade last week. it was good and cheap. i wanted to refrain from eating rice but my friend who brought me there said that their rice is the best. so i had to try it. she was not lying when she said its good. the rice was topped with generous bits of corn, some special sauce and pepper. it goes really well with their sizzling meat...

hamburger steak rages from Php140-Php160 only

check out anton's flickr for more pix and prices.

although i had a good time and was really satisfied with the food at pepper steak, i think the portions and the meat are more premium at the pepper lunch in rockwell. 

it's a bit on the pricey side for a self service resto but it's worth your money!

a trip to the hospital

last friday, i accompanied my sister to cardinal santos hospital in greenhills. she has to go to her ob-gyne on a weekly basis now because her pregnancy is already at full term. meaning she may already give birth anytime soon.

after her routine check-up, we decided to probe the lamaze room which she will be admitted to once she is in labor. i was really excited because the doctor seemed to have described it to be so pretty & special (she even stressed that only in that room you will have a comfortable rocking chair... ). so off we went to the delivery section of the hospital... upon reaching the restricted doors to the delivery room, a friendly nurse greeted us. we asked if it's possible to see the lamaze room... she was very eager to help and requested us to stay put as she went to ask permission. she came back with a pretty smile on her face. she apologized because we had to put on sterile scrubs, slippers and hair caps to enter the premises. i didn't expect the probing would be so complicated! but the nurse was very pleasant and i had to give it to her for accommodating us in spite the extra work that she needed to do for us.

i got more excited after i put on the outfit. as we were walking the aisle of the delivery section, i noticed how clean it was. it looks like it's newly painted but without the smell.

first stop of our mini field trip was the pink individual labor rooms where you can opt to stay if you're not getting the lamaze room. it's a little cramped but hey, they have tv sets on each room. most of all, it's clean. across the labor rooms is the recovery room. i noticed it had many beds but only one is occupied. many did not want to deliver on halloween eve, i thought. so, that means, you have to share the room with many other mommies just in case it's a "ho-dit" to give birth.

the next room we saw was the lamaze room. ok, this is going to be the first rant of the trip... i was not impressed. maybe the doc exaggerated on how special the room was... or my imagination just gone wild... i expected it to be "baby roomish" with all the fancy stuff but it was not. the room was huge though, clean but very spartan. it has its own toilet, a gym ball, a tv set and the rocking chair... made of wood and is very plain... no cushion or any soft fabric... when you're at labor, you might want to sit comfortably right?! or a mother would not want to sit on a rocking chair at that time anymore... hmmm...i guess they know better! anyway, in the lamaze room is a special bed also. it can be adjusted so the mother-to-be can deliver right there and then whenever the need arises. she does not have to be transfered to the delivery room anymore. i'd say that's very convenient!

after seeing the lamaze room, we were joined by another friendly nurse. who enthusiastically told us whichever rooms we choose, nurses like them will be around at all time to assist the mommies. that cordial service will be given regardless of the room. being so emotional, i had to tell them how nice of them to be so friendly and accommodating. with all those warm people in the hospital, i am sure to get well in no time.

back on the mini tour, we then went to see 2 delivery rooms. one was scary enough for me because of the huge round lights on top of the bed and the other one looks more petrifying. it still has those 2 huge spaceship looking lights on top of the bed but has a lot of machines and wirings near the bed. the nurses said the second delivery room is used for complicated birthing and or CS delivery. i sure don't want to be in that terrifying room...

our tour ended pleasantly. i learned quite a number of things:

• cardinal santos hospital has very clean facilities.
  
• cardinal santos hospital has very very accommodating and friendly people at service.
• you can have anesthesia even at lamaze room.
• cardinal santos has stylish toilets (surprisingly better than those of the malls).

just when i thought mine was the best

waaah! the new macbook is now out in the market! it looks so delicious-o! there's a lot of new features and the new design looks really cool. it is made of alloy and is surprisingly lighter. i am lusting for it now! ... 

coming to my senses, i don't need a new one.... my macbook just had an upgrade a few months ago and i thought that it's functioning great until i saw their website... argh! now my mac looks kawawa next to the new one.

furthermore, i just read from chuvaness about this...

SPAM

ahhh... who doesn't love SPAM?! as a child, i remember having it if i don't like our ulam at home. we made sure we had stocks in the pantry all the time just in case we need some rescuing from the eeky sibut that mom would put in our soup... hehehe

anyway, spam has evolved and has more variety than ever ...

credits to royce william for this spam collection image

SPAMJAM, a manila-based cafe/diner, was once opened (i remember eating there at glorietta 4) they served all sorts of spam -- spam burger, spam spaghetti, spam nuggets, spam salad... but it closed not long after they opened... i think it was too pricey for something that can be created at home.

photo from chotda / K Santos

for those who do not know, cafe bola is also serving spam. they call it the spamwich. i tried to copy it at home by adding honey to my regular spam but i can only come close, still not exactly the same... they must have a secret ingredient i cannot seem to guess... 

happy spamming!

INTERESTING FACT: spam.budwin.net has reviews of how all of these different SPAM® types taste!

http://www.spam.com/

din tai fung

my friends are going to taipei. the only thing that i advised them to do is to eat at din tai fung.  my earliest recollection of eating good xiao long pao would be from this place. 

this place is so popular that it is always packed with a lot of curious tourists and locals alike. 

when dining here, don't forget to try their red bean buns as well. i tried it the first time early this year at seoul and it was delightful. when i had my first bite, i had to keep quiet. i had to savour its yummy taste. i felt like i had to be alone with the taste for awhile... hay! arls bring home some of these for me pls!

 

branches all over the world includes: taipei, seoul, beijing, shenzhen, HK, shanghai, tianjin, tokyo, nagoya, kyoto, osaka, singapore, jakarta, KL, sydney, and even LA.

when will someone bring this to manila???

kiehl's sale

you should try their ultimate strength hand salve

it works perfectly for me since i do a lot of gardening stuff without wearing gloves... but even if you don't do gardening, you will still enjoy using this product since it does make your hands soft and smooth... 

enjoy shopping!

nights in rodanthe

dave & i had a movie date yesterday for my bday... we saw nights in rodanthe. i was excited because it's going to be another nicholas sparks novel turned movie. he has always been very effective and moving when it comes to narrating love stories...  

so we went to powerplant thinking that they still offer discounts on tickets with movies starting before 5pm during weekdays... but it was not like that anymore, at least for yesterday, because our ticket for the 3:45pm showing was on a regular tag. anyway, it didn't bother me paying more because powerplant movie houses have the most comfortable chairs, at least for me...  

going back to the movie, dave expected me to weep during the movie, & i surely didn't let him down. hihi! i was trying to control it but i just couldn't keep my tears from falling. i actually went out of the movie still having a heavy heart. it's like my chest wanted to burst. it's really a nice love movie. it reminded me of how it was to feel in love the first time. the "kilig" moments... it's not that i don't feel loved anymore, i do! it's just it's really different when the feeling was new... 

i enjoyed the story, it was very simple but very real and up to date (even when the book was written many years ago). so to those who have not yet seen the movie, go out and see it. let me remind you though, it's not going to be a feel good movie. in fact it has a tragic ending, (it's nicholas sparks' signature... so i am not spoiling anything here...)but i am sure that you will enjoy the movie.