CAVES AND BEARS

Hindu God, Murugan at the entrance of Batu Caves

SATURDAY MORNING : JANUARY 21, 2012

Our Day 2 of our Kuala Lumpur trip was devoted to explore caves and experience the sight of bears but definitely NOT in one location.  We left our budget hotel in Chinatown at few minutes after 8 in the morning and headed to KL Sentral via taxi cab. At the KTM Komuter train station, we paid one-way-fare of RM 1 (PhP 14) each for adults (Mamy, Tina and me) and 50 sen or RM0.50 (PhP 7) for kids (Gabby); cheap for an almost 40 minute ride en route to Batu Caves.

The KTM Komuter train apparently looks old but still functional nonetheless, and resembles like our local MRT / LRT back home. After 4 to 5 stations, we finally arrived in Batu Caves.

Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur is probably the largest Hindu temple outside of India. It is expected to be packed every Thaipussam, the counterpart of Holy Week amongst us, Catholics. Thaipussam this year is scheduled on the 7th of February, a public holiday in Malaysia; thus expected to have thousands of people particularly from the Tamil community to flock to Batu Caves to venerate.

It is wise to visit this Hindu temple early in the morning; we’re happy to reached it few minutes past 9AM. The sun then was not that scorching hot yet.

Indian shrines like Buddhists’ that are frequently vivid in colors and covered with gold are always a visual feast!

Must have that detail shot…

Our noses led us to these leis for offerings…

Leis made up mainly of Jasmin or Sampaguita (Jasminum sambac) to us Filipinos are also common offerings to the Hindu Gods.

Mamy Tessie who loves and adores flowers so much was delighted to see those leis.  I love my mom’s energy during travels; she never ceases to pose for photo-ops as if she doesn’t feel arthralgia (read: pain in the joints! -she might kill me for this!

My mom was overjoyed and gamely posed even with those pigeons! She so liked it! I know even without telling us, she's imagining she's in Italy or somewhere in Europe, haha!

Must have that souvenir shot…

doing the tourists' thing!

That was our last photo before we ALL conquered the 272 steps of Batu Caves. Yes, even Gabby who was quite hesitant to climb and afraid of heights (who doesn’t?) successfully made it to the top and back down the grounds! He had no choice but to come with us (with no coercion or force, mind you! haha!), otherwise, he’ll be left alone and wait for us (which Tina and I would not do of course).

The facade before the flight of stairs has this fascinating icons…

Then we met our challenge.

The 272 steps!

Here we go.

The steps fell short for my feet.

I wish they constructed the stairs with consideration to those with big foot.

On way up, we saw more interesting sights…

Their faith is inspiring!

…And finally we reached the caves!

Like other tourist spots, vendors of various souvenir items are found present even in a temple like Batu Caves. At least these stalls are far from what’s considered as Holy grounds for the Hindus where they walk barefooted.

I'm no seasoned traveler and not fond of trekking (yet) either; I believe it's my first encounter with stalactites.

If you will look closely at the next photo, you’ll notice another flight of stairs on the left side that takes visitors and faithfuls to the a shrine at the center of the Batu Caves. I died seeing another challenge! I almost yelled “No way! Not again!” while catching my breath.

*panting! gasping!*

Needless to say, we went down few minutes after. Among the four of us, it was Gabby who was so relieved when we got off the caves. He never liked the experience of climbing Batu Caves, neither did I.  It was damn too tiring for all of us! I salute and bow to those who go up with religious loads like this…

or this…

I always find myself clueless each time my son asks questions about other religions. Like, how will you deal when your own kid inquires about this Hindu creature?

Often, I tell Gabby, each religion has their own belief. Safe answer, huh?!  I know he’ll understand it more when he grows older. For now, we’re just grateful that he’s exposed to a lot of diversities around him.

Young Devotion

Reaching the grounds again, we saw lots of fresh coconuts being sold at RM4.00 each (PhP 56) too perfect as refreshments after a tiring climb. However, none of us did sample those coconuts, haha! Guess what we did immediately after going down the caves? We had BUFFET of Indian breakfast (to be posted on a separate entry at the end of this series)!

Then just before lunch time, we hopped in at KTM Komuter train again heading back to KL Sentral.

From KL Sentral, we took a cab and for the first time, we met a taxi driver in KL who offered a metered trip. Usually, we pay RM10-20 (PhP 140-280) for a 5-less than 10 minute cab ride. Thankfully with an honest driver, it only took RM5 (PhP 70) to get to this shopping paradise…

The 147 United Buddy Bears on exhibit at Pavilion Mall in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON : January 21, 2012

Pavilion Mall wasn’t included in the itinerary that my mom prepared  for this KL trip but I insisted we have to pay a visit. Not to burn cash on shopping (we had less budget than you think!) or anything but just to experience the “Rodeo Drive” and “Shibuya or Ginza” of Malaysia.

Upon getting off the cab, I heard wows, sighs and amazement from Tina, Gabby and Mamy. All of us were in awe at the sight of the upscale shopping district in Kuala Lumpur.

Adding to our heightened excitement was an astonishingly beautiful, one-of-a-kind, ongoing exhibit of United Buddy Bears just in front of the Bukit Bintang entrance of Pavilion Mall. We felt so lucky and happy to see them all!

We were only expecting to see dragon and lions because of the Chinese New Year celebration but we got more than that! Pavilion Mall in Bukit Bintang is currently the venue of the first exhibition in Southeast Asia of the 147 United Buddy Bears. They are so adorable!

After a quick glance at Wiki, I found this -

“United Buddy Bears – Worldtour

On 6 November 2002, the bears were moved to new locations, including their respective countries embassies in Berlin, or back to country that they were based on. Some of the bears were auctioned off to raise money for UNICEF.

After the circle of “United Buddy Bears” had been such an overwhelming success in 2002, a new circle was created in 2003. The idea was to send the circle on a global tour.

On their global tour, the “United Buddy Bears” promote peace, love, tolerance and international understanding. The circle changes every time it reaches a new city. This is not only due to the local conditions, but also to their constantly changing order, as the bears are always set up in alphabetic order, following the local language of the host country. This always leads to new and sometimes politically very interesting proximities”  (sourced via Wiki)

So these bears promote peace, love, tolerance and international understanding. We all need that, don’t we?

happiness!

Kidding around the Philippines Bear featuring the Philippine Eagle by Artist, Pierre F. Patricio, sponsored by the Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines in Berlin.

Bear Love!

We can’t get enough of these bears!

Don't you wish to bring home at least one bear? hahaha!

Our fatigue from exploring Batu Caves was gone in a heart beat; thanks to these incredibly FUNtastic United Buddy Bears!

These colorful larger than life buddy bears have gone to countries like Germany, Austria, Hong Kong, Turkey, Japan, Korea, Australia, Egypt, Israel, Poland, Argentina, Uruguay, Kazakshtan, Bulgaria and as mentioned, first in Southeast Asia : Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia!

Now, when will these bears visit 168 Mall in Divisoria, Manila? LOL!

On right photo is the bear from Malaysia!

The quote on the bear states, “Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding.” –Albert Einstein

Walk Like An Egyptian!

Tina, my mom and I were all happy to see Gabby enjoying these bears!

sexy back

Fun to look at with messages that cut through you…

Stay tuned for more posts about our fun moments at KL.

*This blog series includes : Petronas Twin Towers Skybridge Visit

OUR FUN HOMAGE TO MALAYSIA’S MAGNIFICENCE

It was actually love at first sight. She’s so iconic; mesmerized me effortlessly and blew me away the first time I saw her from the foreground back in 2010.  She has an identical twin who’s equally gorgeous; they’re both breathtaking!

21 January 2012, Saturday : The view at EIGHTY SIXTH LEVEL is incredibly STUNNING!

I can’t help but fall in love with Petronas Twin Towers every time I see her. It’s my 4th time to be in Kuala Lumpur, Tina and Gabby’s second and my mom’s first (except she passed by the city with my dad en route to the airport last year). We grabbed the chance to revisit Malaysia’s capital city again to celebrate this year’s long Chinese New Year weekend (we’re on holiday until Tuesday, 24 January 2012) and to accompany my mom (who’s visiting us from UAE) in (re)exploring KL.

Believe it or not, Gabby’s Lola did our itinerary for this trip. My mom surfed the net for top 10 must-visit sites in KL, personally called contact persons of each destinations including our budget hotel concierge to inquire about the whereabouts, transportation and whatnot; after which, she spoke to me of what’s best to do to maximize our 3D2N break et voila! After casual deliberation, our priority’s to experience the Petronas Twin Towers Skybridge Visit.

It was around past 6 in the morning of Saturday, 21 January 2012 when our 5-hour-bus-ride from Butterworth, Penang reached Pudu Sentral (formerly Puduraya) at the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Thank God we slept comfortably on the midnight trip so we headed directly to our budget hotel in Chinatown. Since regular schedule for check in is at 2PM and we arrived early at dawn (sunrise in Malaysia’s later than you expect), we just dropped off our luggage and bags and hurriedly trooped via taxi cab to KLCC-Petronas Twin Towers.

My mom was right. Tickets to the Skybridge Visit should be paid and claimed the earliest possible time, ideally in the morning of the day of your tour. We already saw groups of tourists heading to the basement of KLCC to queue for tickets; we followed suit. I went on queue and asked my family to freshen up at the tandas and grab something for breakfast from the nearby convenience store; we took turns in doing so.

Tandas or toilet at the basement of KLCC : simple and clean. I wish to see the same in NAIA 1 and all terminals in Manila.

The zigzag lines of people grew so fast!!! Look, at half hour past 6AM…

and just before the office opened at 8:30AM…

Despite the many tourists, there was no stampede, no loud noises, discipline was observed. Very good!

When the gate of the office opened and the line moved at a nice pace, photo-ops are limitless…

Team Docgelo

Finally, after almost 2 hours of waiting, we got our tickets for the 9:15AM visit!  I believe they’re making a census out of the number of citizens per country who came to appreciate Malaysia’s iconic towers. I smiled with pride when I saw the name of our country on our tickets!

As of present, the schedules for the Skybridge Visit are as follows : 9AM, 9:15AM (the one we availed), 10AM, 10:15AM, 11AM, 11:15AM, 12PM, 12:15PM, 1PM, 1:15PM, 2PM, 2:15PM, 3PM, 3:15PM, 4PM, 4:15PM, 5PM, 5:15PM, 6PM and 6:15PM.  So the visiting hours stretch from 9AM to 7PM every Tuesday to Sunday and is closed on Mondays. *Phone and advance bookings are not be entertained.

Entrance fees for Malaysian adults and kids are cheaper at RM 25 per pax (PhP 350) than for foreign tourists, RM 50 per adult (PhP 700) and 25 ringgit for kids like Gabby (7-12 y/o, ages younger are free!).

Before 9AM, we noticed the monitors displayed, "All tickets for today are SOLD OUT" a few minutes after we're done with the cashier. The people on queue probably will get tickets for the next day but I doubt, as per brochure, "advance and phone bookings are not allowed."

Soon after we got the tickets, we brought our feet to the Check In area where like any terminals and highly restricted places, all our bags and things were scanned on an X-ray machine; all visitors were subjected to body-check; everyone was provided a color-coded ID, stickers for kids, and those with bags were advised to leave them at the package counter except for valuables.

Adult vistors s are provided with color-coded IDs, kids with stickers.

Then still few steps at the Check In area, the tour commenced with a brief hologram presentation of the history of the Petronas Twin Towers and some few reminders of what to expect and how to move  during the entire visit.

A guide led us to the lift en route to 41st floor where the Skybridge is located. It’s actually a double decked Skybridge–41st and 42nd levels connecting the two towers.

Taken at 7PM of the same day from the front foreground of Petronas Twin Towers

My heart silently pounded for extreme excitement. Like a kid of Gabby’s age or probably younger, I was quietly jumping for joy as we took steps to the Skybridge.

Petronas Twin Towers Skybridge 41st level : 170 meteres above street level

But upon hearing from the staffs that they ONLY allow 15 MINUTE-STAY per 20 visitors, PANIC ran through my veins, became too ANXIOUS in a heart beat; worried of how to capture the moments, the SPECTACULAR VIEW from the Skybridge on such limited time. Do you know how?  Like my mom, who more often than not is tensed with tons of things, I really had no “grace under pressure”, LOL!

I am no engineer nor architect, but my jaw dropped in amazement with such magnificent structure.

Can you spot the fountain at the park in front of the Twin Towers?

I just snapped my cam without a concrete plan in mind how to properly stretch the 15-minute Skybridge visit. I was caught by circumstance and drowned by awe but nonetheless, the moment was so surreal! Definitely one for the books!

The view and everything in sight was definitely spectacular! My photos cannot give justice to the exact beauty that we marvelled about.

The view of the garden at the back of Suria-KLCC Shopping Complex at 170  meters above street level…

While I was so excited taking photos, Tina’s busy capturing almost everything in video via her little gadget (from her dad). Then we meet at the moment to pause and smile for photo-ops, haha!

I love this shot!

One more shot before leaving Level 41 and take the lift to 86th floor…

The floor to the lift has photo-sticker of the image of the fountain and park in front of the towers.

Level 86th is the 2nd observation floor aside from the Skybridge. We were given 20 minutes to savor the amazing view.

“The design of each tower’s floor plan is based on simple Islamic geometric forms of two interlocking squares creating a shape of eight-pointed stars. Architecturally, these forms reflect important Islamic principles of Unity within unity, Harmony, Stability and Rationality.”  -–Sourced via “Petronas Twin Towers A Vision Realised” visitors’ brochure.

"Pinnacles : House the aircraft warning lights and external building maintenance equipment. Features: each of the 2 pinnacles is made up of a spire ring ball, a 23 segmented mast and ring ball (14 rings of varying diameters)."-Sourced via "Petronas Twin Towers A Vision Realised" brochure.

A Masterpiece of Architectural Design : "The exteriors is made of multi-faceted walls, 33,000 pieces of stainless steel and 55,000 pieces of glass panels form the towers' wall cladding. The vision glass panels are laminated light green. To shade the interiors against strong sunlight, stainless steel sun visors shaped like teardrops line the vision glass." -Sourced via "Petronas Twin Towers A Vision Realised" visitors' brochure.

*Quick Facts :

• Number of storeys -88,
• Height of each tower -452 meters above street level
• Length of Skybridge : 58.4 meters
• Height of Skybridge (Level 41 from street level) : 170 meters
• Lifts : 29 double-decker high speed passenger lifts in each tower
• Escalators : 10 in each tower
• Stairs : 765 flights
• Car park : 5,400 parking bays on 5 levels of basement parking
• Steel used : 36,910 tons
• Weight per tower : 300,000 tons
• Usable space : 213,750 sq meters per tower
• Two annexes : 186,000 sq meters of space  *-Sourced via “Petronas Twin Towers A Vision Realised” visitors’ brochure.

*Milestones of the construction of Petronas Twin Towers :

• June 1992 ………………..start of project planning
• Mar 1993………………….start of foundation works
• Apr 1994………………….construction of the superstructure
• Jul 1995…………………..lifting of skybridge
• Jan 1996………………….fitting out of the interiors complete with furniture
• Mar 1996…………………jacking of the spires of Tower 1 and Tower 2
• Jan 1997…………………moving in of the first batch of Petronas’ personnel
• Aug 31, 1999……………official opening by YAB Dato Seri Dr Mahatir Mohamad, the 4th Prime Minister of Malaysia -*-Sourced via “Petronas Twin Towers A Vision Realised” visitors’ brochure.

The 86th level observation area is kid-friendly.  See how Gabby played his ticket lifting the hologram structure of the twin towers. Aliw ang bata!  The other foreigner-visitors waited for Gabby to finish for them to use the monitor to play too!

Our almost half an hour spent at the 86th level of Petronas Twin Towers was definitely unforgettable! It gave us uniquely beautiful kind of high!

High na high!

I would not mind paying the two towers a visit again in the future. And again. and again. Because I love them so.

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*This is a part of a blog series on our 3-day-Chinese New Year holiday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. As of this posting, the family & docgelo have returned to Penang.

 

 

KEK LOK SI TEMPLE REVISITED

In my almost 2 years of being an expat in this part of Malaysia, I haven’t explored the entire Pulau Pinang (Penang Island), much more its neighboring states (with the exception of Kota Bharu in Kelantan that we visited last May 2011 and Kuala Lumpur of course).  There are lots of tourist spots or must-visit places that my family and I have yet to experience. But of all areas that we’ve been to within the island, one of my favorites is Kek Lok Si Buddhist Temple.

Kek Lok Si is the Temple of Supreme Bliss.

Despite its distance from where we live and inspite of the fact that we need to spend at least half of our day whenever we go there to explore and enjoy the scenic spots, not to disregard the travel period and remarkable fatigue we need to endure in walking and reaching its uphill shrines, every visit seems so meaningful when we’re inside the temple.

No, we’re not Buddhists; neither we know much of their religion other than reading the book Siddharta back in my High School days. Nonetheless, the atmosphere inside Buddhist temples like  Kek Lok Si which was dubbed as the biggest in Southeast Asia never fails to bring tranquility, serenity and peace similar whenever we savor the solemnity of a Catholic mass or whenever we have a chance to commune with Mother Nature.

“Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” ~Buddha

To the few but loyal and valued followers of this humble site, you probably are familiar that my family and I only commute to take our feet to work and whatnot. We usually take Rapid Penang bus from our place in Butterworth for about 5 to 10 minute ride to Penang Sentral and Jetty.  There’s a waiting period for buses to pass by of about 30-45 minute-interval but we have learned to go by. From Jetty in Butterworth, we take 12-minute ferry ride that takes us to George Town, the heart of Pulau Pinang.

Ferry from Butterworth, Penang Sentral to George Town and back : roundtrip costs RM1.20 (PhP 16.80) per adult and RM0.60 (PhP 8.40) per "kanak-kanak" or kids like Gabby.

We haven’t tried yet RO-RO (roll-on-roll out?) transportation back home but here in Penang, ferry rides are frequent part of our trips, mostly on weekends when we go to the island. This is how Penang ferries look like – the upper deck is usually alotted for commuter-passengers and the lower deck is for those traveling with vehicles (although some ferries accomodate people and cars at its upper deck too).

A stroll from getting off the ferry brings us immediately to the Rapid Penang Bus station in George Town. Buses are numbered depending on its route. Tina and I use an all-month-pass cards which are definitely cheaper than without particularly for those working people like us.  Bus rates here are still affordable compared to other countries; discounts are provided to senior citizens (like my mom who’s here and my dad who came last year), children (like Gabby’s age pay half) and students.

After bus-ferry-bus-rides, I found myself at the foot of Kek Lok Si Temple again. It was my third time to be there but as mentioned, every visit gives a different experience. Tina was left home because she was nursing her bowel (oops!)   This trip to Kek Lok Si, I brought my mom who’s visiting from UAE and Gabby of course who was so excited to enjoy her Mamita.

First things first -we had to eat. I took them to the hawker restaurant (their version of  our local carinderia or turo-turo) which I’ve tried before located just where we hopped off from the bus.  Our tummy fillers that mid morning were Chinese-Non-Halal toppings : Roasted Pork Rice for me, Barbecued Pork Rice for Mamy, Soyed steamed dumplings and Chicken Rice for Gabby which he liked the most!  We washed down everything with Pure Lemon Iced Tea and Milo-iced for Gabby (yes, they call it here Meelo-ais). 

Entrance to Kek Lok Si is absolutely FREE! After our hearty meals, I led them to its walk way where Mamy and Gabby’s eyes rolled onto the assorted souvenir items being sold by shops left and right. Literally, these stores line up the path en route to the shrines (Kek Lok Si has various temples not just one); they also make the uphill walk less tiring, haha!   Tip : when shopping, haggling should always be observed; make sure you ask for the half of the original price.

The pond filled with turtles greeted us once more. It’s Gabby’s second time here, my third and Mamy’s first. Like his first visit, Gabby asked us to buy him kangkong to feed the turtles. No other feeds are allowed except kangkong sold by the vendor there. Our little-big boy had fun as usual!

Kangkong costs RM1 (satu ringgit or one ringgit, PhP 14)

There are short bridges to get to the central gazebo where they fed these tons of amphibian-reptiles with one bunch of kangkong. More bunches come from other tourists and visitors.

“Chinese tradition believes that a turtle is a symbol of longevity, strength and endurance. It is an act of spiritual liberation when a turtle is captured and set free in this pond.” ~sourced via penangvacation.com

Few minutes after, I was mesmerized again. I brought them first to the main temple where the ceilings are such a visual treat. I spent several minutes of silence as the interiors left me in awe.

Must have that detail shot….beautiful, is it not?

Not that we’re superstititious but we believe there’s no harm in doing few practices of other religions. To each his own. When I told my mom that there’s a Wishing Ribbon Tree inside the main temple, she went there first and chose her ribbons; Gabby and I followed to do the same.

Payment is done with honesty. You just drop the fees at the steel boxes where ribbons are selected.

Without a help from me, Gabby chose these ribbons and well, the kid has global concern this early as he included World Peace!

He followed his Mamita in writing the names of the love ones at the back of each ribbons. Gabby did this to 10 of his wishing ribbons.

Then, Mamy and Gabby hung the ribbons to the tree like what Buddhists do.

There are 3 huge altars inside the main temple at Kek Lok Si; here’s the center most. I find it so grand yet exudes humility.

Offerings at the altar…

Flowers and fruits are usual offerings but can anyone explain about the liter of cooking oil?

Outside the main temple at Kek Lok Si, the colors and architecture are so inspiring! Can you blame me not to be tired of being here?

Every corner is picturesque!

Here’s the pagoda of the ten thousand Buddhas.

The view from the lateral of the main temple. The covered cat walk lined by red and yellow lanterns takes you to the other temples at Kek Lok Si.

Mamy and her apo enjoyed photo-ops at almost every spot.

They had wacky ones at considered “safe” places…

and observed decent poses inside the shrines… :

When my son asked me about those golden Buddhist statues, the clueless me simply replied, “I don’t know, Anak, just keep quiet, and smile for the pictures!” haha!   After browsing the net just before posting this entry, I found out that those 4 (yes, they come in 2 pairs in glass cases) are Buddhists’ Heavenly Kings that bring hope and prosperity.

Amazing how these kyat-kyat (or what do you call these tiny sweet citrus?) were grown (or put) into almost perfect bunches!  They’re reall fruits actually! Funny how some chinky-eyed-perhaps-Korean-or-maybe-Taiwanese tried to test if they’re reall by pinching them several times.

The bursts of colors are incredibly fantastic!

Bottles of water and chilled cans of soda bought from stores in between shrines kept us going.

My mom wanted to see everything of Kek Lok Si or at least most of it; she was in the mood to try even the inclined lift with roundtrip ticket of RM 4 (PhP 56) each….

just to witness the shrine of the Goddess of Mercy overlooking the hill…

the bronze statue of Kuan Yin or the Goddess of Mercy is magnanimous!

The view from the top…

Everything in Kek Lok Si seems to be so fascinating.  I chuckled when I saw these creatures at the grounds. Can anyone confirm if Minnie Mouse is a Buddhist? *just kidding!*

Obviously, my 7-year old boy loved them.

Gabby and his Mamita had photo-ops galore!

If you must know, the temple has these voluminous red and yellow Chinese lanterns not only because of the upcoming Lunar Year of the Dragon but they’re there whole year through. Wonderful, aren’t they?

Then the moment came when I extremely wished I had a professional lessions in basic photography or at least has no mediocre skills in capturing such beauty…

The entire temple is such a visual feast!

Everything on it enhances its grandeur. From the magnificent architecture to the very impressive interiors, to the little details such as these greens. It’s a money plant, isn’t it?

Flowers are adored and least likely to be overlooked when we are with my mom. She so loves colorful and various blooms!

And if you must know, Hibiscus or our local gumamela is one of Malaysia’s National Symbols.

I guess my mom was happy with her first-time visit to Kek Lok Si. I know we’re all tired and fatigued after, but those are nothing  when we think of the little fun memories we had at the temple. Indeed, the Temple of Supreme Bliss is aptly called!

A day spent at Kek Lok Si will never be dull and boring for me. It will always be glorious!

Gong Xi Fa Cai !

 Happy Chinese New Year!

*Kek Lok Si is majestically located on the hills of Air Itam; you can reach it by car or cabs from George Town or by taking Rapid Penang Bus 201, 203, 204.

CHRISTMAS BREAK 2011 FOOD TRIP

Our Christmas Break 2011 Series includes :

• En Route To Pinas
• Day 2 : Ulingan, Tondo
• Day 5 : Malacanang Palace
• Day 5 Part 2 : The Legarda Mansion / La Cocina De Tita Moning
• Day 8 : Bisperas Ng Pasko Sa Ulingan
• Day 11 : Our Students’ Wedding
• Day 12 : We Went To Farmville!
• Day 14 : Our Celestial Weekend at Hotel Celeste
• Day 19 : Our Big Binondo Food Wok

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Foreword : You might need a glass of cold water when you browse this post. You have been warned, haha!   *Most dishes are NON-HALAL too. Obviously, this is another gastronomic entry however, allow me to remind you again that I am not blogging food exclusively, but family and fun too. Go ahead, indulge and feast your eyes!

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The Christmas season in my country is all about family togetherness, friendly celebrations and homecoming particularly to those Filipinos who are residing and working abroad. Yuletide is such a perfect time for all those fun pursuits. It’s such a big blessing for us to be able to come home again after almost 2 year of being an expat-family here in Penang. Our hearts and stomachs remain loyal to the Philippines indubitably.

The following photos with brief descriptions essay some of the fantastic digestive feasts we savored with our families and friends during the entire 21 day-break (including holidays and weekends) we had in Manila.  Don’t ask me about their calories, we’re not counting, haha!

At Via Mare in Greenbelt 3, Tina, Gabby and I enjoyed Filipino dishes….

Crispy Binagoongang Baboy served with Pakbet side dish (Crispy Pork Belly with Shrimp Paste and veggies).

Via Mare's Beef Caldereta was Tina's choice; sarap!

Our late-lunch-heavy-merienda included…

Wild Mushroom Soup for Gabby

Puto Maya : glutinous rice served with panutsa syrup and riped mangoes.

Gabby's personal preference : Shooters-a trio of guinumis, mais con yelo and halo-halo. The kid has his own taste, do you agree?

Via Mare's famous Bibingka : buttery, fluffy and served with salted egg (or kesong puti) delicious!

It’s only every Yuletide season when leaves of poinsettias become vividly red; lovely, aren’t they?

And poinsettias are lovelier at the facade of Manila Peninsula.

…where Gabby was overwhelmed with holiday cheers

…where we dined with one of our good friends of almost 2 decades, LG who also stands as one of Gabby’s dutiful godparents.

At the LOBBY of the Manila Peninsula, dinner included another set of Filipino favorites…

Kare Kare (Ox Tail and Veggies in Peanut Sauce served with Shrimp Paste) : one of my favorites!

Pancit Guisado

Lechon Kawali

And an Oreo-flavored sundae dessert for Gabby

Moving on to our other indulgence, at the Podium in Ortigas, we were treated to a Chinese dinner by my dad-in-law at …

I am proud to belong to a beautiful family…oh yes, that’s something to be proud of!

Must have soup…

then a prawn dish selected  from the menu by my sister-in-law.

And despite no one’s celebrating a birthday (except for Baby Jesus!), must have Birthday Noodles…

Tender slices of beef and mushroom on a bed of broccoli’s always a winner for me.

Hakao or shrimp dumpling cannot be missed.

Our beloved kid ordered Four Seasons to wash down everything. Have I told you he has his own taste?

Gabby and his cousin, Raphael loved the dinner.

Then one lovely weekday afternoon, we found ourselves in the middle of Ayala Triangle in Makati City.

At last, after having a long thread at the inbox in facebook, we finally arranged a meet up with our good blogger-friends around the area of their offices in Makati City.  The lunch was set initially at Banapple, however the place was packed, so we had to look for Plan B : Wee Nam Kee.

It’s our (Tina, Gabby and I)  first time to dine at this Singaporean-inspired food place, where Hainanese Chicken Rice is the bestseller.

Hainanese Chicken cooked two ways : Steamed and Roasted; sarap pareho! And we ordered LARGE! haha

Dyan, one of the most bubbly blog buddy I have suggested we try Cereal Prawns when we visited Singapore last year. However, we didn’t have the chance back then, and luckily, it’s available to sample at Wee Nam Kee. Another yummy!

Here are our pretty lunch dates at Wee Nam Kee :

Tina & Gabby with blog buddies, Marian, Dyan and Grace

And we had another version of Birthday Noodle. Sarap din!

Two days before our flight back to Penang, I attended to the invitation of Ivan Man Dy of Old Manila Walks a personal FREE Big Binondo Food Wok along with other BIG TIME food bloggers (read : For the nth time, this may be a food post but I am not into an exclusive food blogging).  After that almost 4 hours for pigging out at Manila Chinatown, I hurried to meet my family and my sister-in-law with our Med school classmates and great friends, also godparents to Gabby –doc Shiny and doc Mitch at Peking Garden, TriNoma Mall in Quezon City.

At around half hour past 6 in the evening when I arrived, they’ve already ordered and all I had to do is eat. But because I just came from another food trip, I was still satiated and had more appetite in catching up with them and our lost times.

On our table at Peking Garden :

Forgive me, I failed to get the names of the dishes from the menu; as I mentioned, I arrived when there were already food on the table.

Spareribs, obviously. It tasted better than it looks.

Fried chicken that’s nothing special to rave about.

They also selected Yang Chow Fried Rice and yes, Birthday Noodle again. However, if I can call the attention of Peking Garden with this post, or the concerned diners in the TriNoma branch, then I’d like to ask them the reason why their waitresses have to get the used plates from their diners’ table IMMEDIATELY, as in, IN A SNAP, iyong tipong hindi pa tapos kumain, kinukuha na ang plato. Why?  Never do that to your paying customers, okay?  I believe it’s disrespect. Why in a hurry? May lakad kayo? LOL! I swear, of all the food places I’ve featured here on my blog, my family and I will never set foot in Peking Garden TriNoma ever again, seriously.

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There was no lack of excitement in all the moments amidst gastronomic feasts we shared with our families and friends. Our vacation was made complete with such wonderful experiences. We look forward again to another holiday when we can extremely stretch the time to bond with our love ones.

CHRISTMAS BREAK 2011 DAY 5 PART 2 : THE LEGARDA MANSION

Our Christmas Break 2011 Series includes :

• En Route To Pinas
• Day 2 : Ulingan, Tondo
• Day 5 : Malacanang Palace
• Day 8 : Bisperas Ng Pasko Sa Ulingan
• Day 11 : Our Students’ Wedding
• Day 12 : We Went To Farmville!
• Day 14 : Our Celestial Weekend at Hotel Celeste
• Day 19 : Our Big Binondo Food Wok

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There's my dad-in-law who came home for the holidays from Missouri; holding hands while walking with her lovely daughter (the one in black striped shirt; not in pink, ok--no offense meant.

After an engaging and informative Malacanang Palace Tour with Ivan Man Dy, our group of local and foreigner-tourists walked back to where we met that afternoon –the Legarda Mansion that’s turned into La Cocina De Tita Moning, a fine dining restaurant that features Filipino cuisine at its best.

It’s good to see an herb garden within the restaurant itself. It’s so uncommon to spot a food place that partially rely on their own produce.

They grow Tanglad or Lemon Grass among other herbs and leaves for their very refreshing Lemon Grass Iced Tea.

We were ushered to the outdoor dining area where a tasteful and supposed to be a light merienda but was a bit heavy and delicious on the tummy was served.

While eating, Ivan continued to entertain his guests without a hint of fatigue from more than 3-hour tour guiding inside the Malacanang Palace.  I believe it’s his gift more than a talent or skill.

Then the  opportunity presented itself.  Ivan Man Dy asked us if we’re interested in having a brief tour of the Legarda Mansion for free or as a last stop of our Palace, Power and A Shot of Beer Malacanang-San Miguel Walking Tour (remember, we were enjoying our light snack at its outdoor garden and without a reservation, one may have uncertainties to be accomodated inside the Legarda Mansion itself or the La Cocina De Tita Moning restaurant proper).  I immediately replied, “Sure, I read somewhere there’s a medical clinic inside, I want to see it!”  

Because it was almost past 5 in the afternoon, some of the tourists had to bid goodbye. We chose to stay to take a peek inside the ancestral house.  I’m glad that my father-in-law was so courteous enough not to say no to my want despite he seriously lacked sleep and was still struggling with jet lag from his more than 16 hour flight from US to HK then Manila the day prior to the tour.

More than the main dining areas (read: several private rooms to dine) of La Cocina De Tita Moning located at the mansion’s second level….

Rose petals, sculptured crystals and the best china on the dining table.

I am more interested to see the other quarters inside the Legarda Mansion…

The wooden and iron staircase leads to a whole lot of fascination.

Do you like PHOTOGRAPHY?

Antique photography equipments are showcased in one of the rooms as Dr. Alejandro Roces-Legarda was into this beautiful (and expensive) hobby. Visitors, diners and photo-enthusiasts like me have plenty to talk about over this priceless collection.

This was how a camera looked like in Dr. Alejandro Legarda’s years…

Imagine if time didn’t evolve and cameras still appear like this, I think I cannot strap it around my neck to stroll and shoot, haha!

Are you into ARTS?

"La Inocencia"

For the moment, I was left in awe…

How many houses own a Juan Luna?

If owning a priceless masterpiece is close to impossible, then dreaming to have a coffee table book about such art works is the next best thing, haha!

Let me remind you (or myself, haha) that this mansion is the restaurant itself.

Photography. The Arts. If not, perhaps, are we playing in the same field?

Notice the stirrups on the photo? I'm no OB-Gyn but a humble General Practitioner-Educator only however, man, I miss delivering a baby! Just like many Filipino MDs, I had the chance to go on rotation in Fabella Medical Center in Manila where 98 deliveries in a 24 hour shift is considered BENIGN. I also miss my Post-Graduate Medical Internship days at Quirino Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City and my OB-Gyn rotations there. I miss yelling (just to make your voice heard) at women about to deliver, "Ginang, hingang malalim, pigil, ire!" (In that order! --"Mrs., take a deep breath, hold and push")....ah, those were the days!

Can you find a vaginal speculum on the next photo?

Dr. Alejandro Roces-Legarda was an OB-Gyn specialist along with his 3 other siblings who were all MDs.

Like the others, I also believe having a clinic at your own residence gives you the convenience to practice. However, the downside is having your own home and worst, own family being exposed to your clients’ pathogens (microbe-causing diseases ).  To each his own.

We read the same book.

Of course, it’s not an issue to me but would you still have your appetite for fine dining at the sight of a female skeleton? *just asking*

An appetite stimulant or an appetite killer? haha! I won't mind for as long as the spread's delicious!

Other than the medical clinic, the living room upstairs is definitely attention-grabbing.

One of the quarters features the family’s radio transmitter collection.  Another rare and expensive collectibles.

And then, there are some more things to tickle your fancy.

According to Ivan, a fine dining set meal, either lunch or dinner on reservation will cost you around PhP 1,500 to PhP 2,500 and up per pax. With the sample we had at the outdoor garden, I am definite that the menu is as superb if not beyond words.

The Legarda Mansion, a.k.a. La Cocina De Tita Moning extremely reminds me of two of my favorite heritage houses here in Penang,

the PINANG  PERANAKAN MANSION

and

the CHEONG FATT TZE  BLUE MANSION

which both stand with grandeur in George Town, one of UNESCO’s Heritage Sites.

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*Special thanks goes out to Ivan Man Dy for his generous invitations to me and my family.  For readers out there who would like a professional and intelligent and amusing guided walking tours of Manila, visit the website of  OLDMANILAWALKS.COM  for details. Kindly give my regards to Ivan if in case you’ll find time to join his tours. Thank you! 

CHRISTMAS BREAK 2011 DAY 12 : WE WENT TO FARMVILLE

Our Christmas Break 2011 Series includes :

• En Route To Pinas
• Day 2 : Ulingan, Tondo
• Day 5 : Malacanang Palace
• Day 8 : Bisperas Ng Pasko Sa Ulingan
• Day 11 : Our Students’ Wedding
• Day 14 : Our Celestial Weekend at Hotel Celeste
• Day 19 : Our Big Binondo Food Wok

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28 December 2011, Wednesday.  To be honest, I extremely enjoyed our trip to my in-law’s farm!  Our entire day spent there was definitely a breather from the common mall ratting and absolutely far from our usual work-home-routine.  Inhaling fresh air and savoring cool mountain breeze was definitely a fantastic treat for all of us.

The whopping 4.6 hectares of farm of various crops owned by my brother-in-law and his family is located at Boso-Boso, Antipolo Rizal.  A roughly an hour and a half drive from Pasig City and Ortigas took us to this beautiful respite from the hustle and bustle of the urban life.

Meet one of their farm caretakers….

who lives in this paradise…

The place reminded me of  my maternal grandmother’s hometown, Barangay Halayhay, Tanza, Cavite where we used to visit every Summer of our growing up years; where houses were built separately from their toilets (the ones that require you to walk before you pee or poop) and where life is incredibly simple.

Aren’t these puppies, despite the lack of breed (or so called, askal aspin or asong pinoy) and a dumalaga so fit for Tinola, too cute for words?

The farm has a family house too where toilet is much comfortable. (There’s our Tita/Ninang sa Kasal on the photo).

Seeing a white cow grazing in grass doesn’t happen on a daily basis –definitely another treat!

Next photo reveals how my father-in-law who came home for the holidays from Missouri attempted to enjoy fishing.

And our Tito/Ninong sa Kasal became too busy too snapping his camera at this nature’s best. BTW, this is the bahay-kubo where we ate our sumptuous lunch. Very Nice! Cool eh?!

Another shot of that beautiful bahay-kubo…

One of the abundant crops are coconuts. Photo below exhibits Gabby’s amazement on how Kuya Boyet, one of the farm caretakers climbed and tried his best to get us freshest coconuts.

Coke and distilled water were rivaled by delicious coconut juice and pulp. Thirst-quenching!

Sarap ng buco, lalo na libre!

Other than coconuts, rice, some mangoes, there are also grapefruit trees. I’m not sure but it tastes and looks like grapefruit and tastes like pomelo as well.

Abot-kamay ang mga prutas!

Meet Gabby’s cousin, Raphael (left), the heir to this farm.

Look what’s cooking…

Preparation always comes before success. And my sister in law prepared and cooked on the spot a very tasteful Sinigang na buto-buto!  The tender meat almost effortlessly fall off from its bones. The sour broth  and the veggies were just perfect! Sarap! Success!

Here she is, doc bibsy, a.k.a. my former classmate in med school and Tina’s sister; that makes her my sister-in-law who happens to be the haciendera of this vast farm. Sarap ng buco, bibsy!

Tina and Gabby obviously enjoyed it too…

Jun, my brother-in-law and owner of this farm provided one of the best tasting barbecued liempo (pork belly). His recipe –a marinade of mustard, rosemary, salt and pepper.  Imagine, it was my first time to eat liempo sans soy sauce and vinegar. Ang sarap!!!

While the adults were busy cooking, the kiddos were having their own business.

Another addition to our feast that afternoon was 2 kilo-takeaway/takeout by my dad-in-law enroute to the farm; its packaging says, Malutong. Masarap. Masaya!

tadaaaaa…. (nagsebo na kasi malamig sa farm!)

More artery-clogging delights : Crab fat, bagoong, salted eggs. Extra rice, please!

Tina must have her favorite green mangoes that she personally sliced into pieces.

It was Gabby’s first time to eat on banana leaves and it has been a while for me.

The lunch at the farm was surreal.

Shameless display of my plate, err, leaf.

Burp!

Gabby : “Daddy, how do we use this cable car?”

Me. : “CABLE CAR?!!? What cable car?”   Then I looked around and found an old swing. Kids loved it!

To Jun, Bibs and Raphael, Papa Chito, Tito Mars and Tita Emma, thank you so much for that fun afternoon at the farm! Wonderful!

Despite we spent a day WITHOUT mobile signal, NO WIFI, no cable TV because the farm is located uphill the barangay in Antipolo City, the experience was still memorable. Food. Family Bonding. Nature. Surreal!

The 4.6 hectare private farm is on the planning stage of progress, either to keep it as crop-producing farm and/or part of it will be converted to a resort. Regardless, it’s a clear gem from Mother Nature.

CHRISTMAS BREAK 2011 DAY 19 : OUR BIG BINONDO FOOD WOK!

Our Christmas Break 2011 Blog Series includes :

• En Route To Pinas
• Day 2 : Ulingan, Tondo
• Day 5 : Malacanang Palace
• Day 8 : Bisperas Ng Pasko Sa Ulingan
• Day 11 : Our Students’ Wedding
• Day 14 : Our Celestial Weekend at Hotel Celeste

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04th January 2012, Wednesday.  In our last stop of our Binondo food trip inside Sa Lido Panciteria, one of the senior Chinese men seated at the table where I passed by to exit, called my attention and asked me, “Pogi, Pogi, saan ba lalabas iyang piniktyuran nyo, sa ‘NO RESERVATIONS’ ni ANTHONY BOURDAIN?“…..Me : “…po?  …In an instant, Ivan Man Dy approached him and explained that we will do some blog posts about it and not TV.

That moment reminded me that I was fortunate to be one of those who was tour-guided by Ivan Man Dy of Old Manila Walks just like what he did with Anthony Bourdain of No Reservations. I was silently smiling as I walked down the stairs out of that restaurant.

After Tina, my father-in-law (who’s now back in the US) and I attended Ivan’s invitation for him to tour us inside Malacanang Palace last December, he invited me and my family again for his Big Binondo Food Wok which I haven’t tried. Despite I have been to Ongpin Street and the rest of Binondo isn’t new to me, I was thrilled with the idea of going through the laterals of Manila again but this time, on a guided tour by the no-less than the main man himself of Old Manila Walks. He set the date to 4th of January, told me it would be his personal food tour of Binondo for us, and we’ll not be joining the other tourist.

Our vacation days went by and sadly at our last week in Pinas right after New Year, Gabby and I acquired cough manifested with fever . We’ve started on medications but as of this posting, we still have residual signs and symptoms. Because of this plus a handful of clearances that we had to secure from local government offices and our PRC license renewal, I almost turned down Ivan’s Binondo invitation. But things fell into places that I (and Gabby) felt better the night before the scheduled walking tour, and our documents were secured in a day. Thus, I was able to join the group of big time foodies (believe me, ako lang ang small time). I left my VERY OWN “BINONDO GIRL” at home to take care of our son and start packing our luggage back to Penang.

I was the last one to arrived at 1PM meet-up at the lobby of Binondo Church; thank God I was never late. We wasted no time and walked our way towards Carvajal Street….

One of the quintessential laterals of Binondo, Carvajal Street.

With lots of fruits, some carts with veggies, sun dried and smoked fish, some eateries and a bookstore, Carvajal Street is a long and narrow fascinating lateral of Binondo. It was my first time there, actually!

Our first stop was Quick Snack…Lesson: Do not underestimate simplicity of the signboard, food may blow your taste buds away! hehehe.

Ivan mentioned we’re in for 3 of his personal favorite food places in Binondo that he doesn’t include in his usual tours; reason : will eat up time of his walking tour.

At Quick Snack, Ivan stuffed us with what he called appetizers….

This Tofu Dish is SURREAL! ...ang sarap!

My favorite was this tofu dish. I like its crisp and crunchy coating because it’s fried but remained soft inside. The sauce was simple but to die-for.

Also on our table were plateful of kuchay empanada. I’ve tasted kuchay dumplings both steamed and fried from another Binondo eatery, Dong Bei, but never a kuchay empanada. It was interestingly good.

Kuchay Empanada.

Oyster cake is one of the hawker dishes in George Town and the rest of Pulau Pinang however, in my 18 months of living and working here, I haven’t dared try it yet. I never thought that Binondo would give my palate a sample of this seafood delight. It reminded me of Okonomiyaki, a Japanese pie.

Oyster cake

Tsinoy cuisine would not be complete without a noodle dish.

What was told by Ivan as a light merienda cum appetizer turned out to be a heavy one; we’re all stuffed at our first stop!  Then we walked towards the end of Carvajal which is Nueva Street, a spot in Binondo where paper, stationaries or school supplies and uniforms of all colleges and universities are being sold, in retail and in bulk. We entered a hopia place, one that’s familiar to me and my family other than Eng Bee Tin…

What's your flavor? Tell me, what's youf flavor. ... haha!

Inside Holand Hopia, Ivan quickly showed us the different flavors of hopia which are ALL being sampled in his Big Binondo Food Wok. He also featured some other delights that are must-have for the Chinese New Year celebration. Case in point, the tikoy or that glutinous rice cake. Apparently, it symbolizes unity and oneness, but now, tikoy is being brought to the next level with its impressive variant and flavor. Have you ever tried dunking your fork at a tikoy beautifully shaped as a kois? One of our former Tsinoy Nursing student before gifted me and Tina a box of it with a pair of kois-shaped tikoy. It took us days to stare at it and to decide whether to eat or not.

As my fellow bloggers’ eyes roamed around the small food shop, the moment became nostalgic when my eyes spotted those peanut-caoated angpaw. It reminded me of my maternal grandmother who raised us; angpaw was her favorite and I used to buy her a pack as pasalubong before.

Tikoy became so versatile in flavors. There’s that Ube and Mango tikoy. Have you tried these flavors?

Tsinoys or Filipinos in general are naturally innovative. They usually never run out of new ideas to introduce to the market. Inisde Holand Hopia, I first found HOPTIKS, a fusion of hopia and tikoy all in one! How amazing!

After Nueva Street, we found our way to Ongpin. We saw that famous peculiar street sign again at the corner of Salazar and Ongpin. I asked Ivan the reason why the first letter N of Ongpin was inverted, he replied it must be out of carelessness or plain stupidity. Regardless of the reason, it remains to be the most photographed street sign in Metro Manila.

Ivan pointed out to us the original hopia in Ongpin comes from this simple and unassuming bakery…

The old Tsinoy couple gave Ivan sample of their old-school hopia that’s still wrapped in red Japanese paper.

It’s obvious that Binondo is an interesting community at the heart of Manila. There’s food, there’s culture and heritage and there’s history. At a new age building where Sweethearts Balloons (for parties and all) and other establishments are located, this National Historic signage is posted that an ordinary Ongpin-goer would not easily noticed. The sign deserves a second look.

From Salazar and Benavidez Streets, we strolled towards the second restaurant, ROSSO. Here, Ivan wanted all of us to sample a uniquely delicious offering of a hot pot – Sichuan style!

Most of us are familiar with Yakimix, Tong Yang and other Hot Pots in the Metro but having it Sichuan style is totally different.  We began to order two variants –spareribs and chicken.  They were severd in stew. Ivan explained that the difference lies not only on the taste; as Sichuan is known to be spicy, spicier, spiciest, haha! but also on how you eat it. In the usual hot pot even here in Penang, you eat the broth with everything on it. In Rosso’s Sichuan style hot pot, you eat first the stewed meat then a new soup base would be pour before you mix the other ingredients. Quite interesting!

The sparerib stew was so delicious, I preferred it over chicken.

Ivan asked all the members of our group to order ingredients for our hot pot. The unanimous favorite is the cheese ball (a fishball like with melted cheese inside, yummy!).

Deliciously good!

Another Sichuan dish that was served was Sichuan water cooked beef that’s so tender and flavorful…

But if there’s one thing that would make me go back to Binondo and eat at Rosso again, it’s this dish –Sichuan Twice Cooked Pork. This plate made me crave for a double cup of steamed rice!!! It was that good! There’s a burst of flavors in my mouth that pleasantly stimulated everything in my palate. It’s one of the best pork dishes I’ve tasted!

Then as we were almost struggling to eat more, Ivan brought us all to our final stop -Sa Lido Restaurant.

The second floor of that bank promises a coffee-panciteria area perfectly fit for Chinese men discussing their families and businesses with their old time friends.  If Starbucks Coffee didn’t hit Manila by storm, this type of panciteria would be the best option.

As I have surrendered to Rosso’s Sichuan Twice Cooked Pork as the best tasting food for that day, I thought twice when I tried Lido’s Pork Asado.  The slice of meat cooked in wood fire oven effortlessly melted in my mouth and offered its smoky delicious taste. I also considered this as the best Pork Asado in town. You will definitely like it even sans sauce or gravy. Two thumbs up and a must-try!

Ever heard and tasted HOTOTAI? I’ve long heard of this soup dish but never have tried it until last week. Thanks Ivan, it was heavenly!

Hototai’s tasteful until its last drop.

Ivan never forgot to order his favorite siomai.

Asado buns and Camaron rebosado, anyone?

Again, a Chinese cuisine is never complete without anything to represent longevity. Ang sarap ng Lo Mee na to!

Lido serves one of the best coffee in town. I can’t choose between coffee and tea so I had them both.

And what a glorious day of eating Chinese food it was and so perfect to end it sweetly with Lychee and almond dessert. Yummy!

We ended our half day Binondo Food Wok with our gastric pits overflowing. Thank you so much, Ivan Man Dy and Old Manila Walks for that sumptuous treat! We truly enjoyed it.

For the readers and followers out there who would like to experience Binondo in its most colorful and delicious ways, I highly suggest you join Old Manila Walks Big Binondo Food Wok on Chinese New Year. You’ll get a taste and stuffed yourself with Chinese cuisine, stroll with the dancing dragons and lions, and immerse with the diversity of Manila Chinatown has to offer with the best tour guide in town, Ivan Man Dy no less.  Below are the details of what’s in store for you.

the BIG Binondo Food WOK (Chinese New Year Edition):

Nibbling Our Way Through Chinatown

January 21 (Saturday) @ 1:00 PM- 5:30  PM (approx)
January 22 (Sunday) @ 8:00 AM-12: 30 PM (approx)

@: 2:00 PM-6:00 PM (approx)

January 23 (Monday 1st day CNY) @ 8:00 AM-12:30 P.M. (approx)

新年快樂

Happy Lunar Near Year!

恭喜發財

Kiong Hee Huat Tsai!

"Oh yes, its that time of the year again when we BINGE ourselves silly as we welcome the the Lunar New Year with a BIG, BIG BITE! It's the BEST time of the year to do the BIG Binondo Food WOK as the year of the rabbit hops away and we ROAR into the year for the Dragon!

So what are you waiting for? Let us paint the town RED, join in the festivities(while filling up our stomachs!) as we usher in the Lunar New Year in Chinatown!“

Rate: P1,500.00/head (inclusive of tasting menu and lotsa fun and surprises!)
      **Slots limited.Book early!

And if you happen to be participating this wonderful tour and/or would refer this to your friends/relatives, please don’t forget to tell Ivan you read it here on my blog.  Maraming Salamat po!  *wink*

CHRISTMAS BREAK 2011 DAY 14 : HOTEL CELESTE

Our Christmas Break 2011 Blog Series includes :

• En Route To Pinas
• Day 2 : Ulingan, Tondo
• Day 5 : Malacanang Palace
• Day 8 : Bisperas Ng Pasko Sa Ulingan
• Day 11 : Our Students’ Wedding

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*This is not a paid post for Hotel Celeste. The blogger and his family spent for their overnight stay and this blog’s simple review and staff commendation attempts to be honest and fair.

Celeste (pronounced with silent last e) means heavenly. And Hotel Celeste in Makati City is just that. Celestial. Stellar. Heavenly!

30 December 2011, Friday. Exactly 2 weeks after we arrived from Penang, we availed of the deluxe room I reserved a few weeks ago at Hotel Celeste, a European-inspired boutique hotel in the heart of Makati City.  Now, before someone raises his or her eyebrows and comments that we’re spending a fortune on this overnight accomodation, think again. We only availed of the hotel’s promo called CELESTIAL WEEKENDS that I luckily spotted at their website last year. Besides, give us a break, will you? It’s already 2012 and it’s our 8th Wedding Anniversary on Sunday, January 08, 2012, hence this simple indulgence.

I asked first my commander-in-chief’s go signal  (who else but Tina) if I can book a hotel room even for just a night in honor (naks!) of our 8th years of being officially married, 11 years of togetherness and as a part of our Christmas vacation in Pinas.  And man, I was in cloud 9 when I got her nod.

It was already the night of December 8, 2011 when I emailed Hotel Celeste to make a reservation. One night for us (December 30-31) and the other date this January 2012  as gift certificate that we gave as present to our first inaanak sa kasal (sponsored newlyweds, Nicole & Carlo). Tina and I thought it’s a decent wedding present for them more than the classic golden chamber pots (ginintuang arinola) *pun intended*

Incidentally, this is the first time I’ll be acknowledging the names of the people who served us beyond expectations.  The hotel service was excellent!

First to be applauded was the front desk officer, Ryan Lacerna. We never met him but he was the one who promptly replied to my email-request and immediately sent a reservation under my name on my preferred dates on PDF form. Thank you!

Second was the door man/bell boy, Dexter and the couple of guards outside. Mabuhay po kayo! Dexter’s Indigo blue marvelous uniform was perceived by Gabby as those worn with Samurai. (Our son mixed Japanese with Old World European–you know how kids watch so many cartoons these days, haha!).

And of course, the nicest people who man this small but ever efficient reception should be regarded as well.

Thank you to Em and Ethel who smilingly received me when I first personally went there to settle our bills in advance. Believe me, they’re the friendliest front desk ladies I’ve ever encountered.

Thank you to Jiggs Garcia who texted to inform me that the GC that I requested was already ready for pick up.

Not to forget the front desk people who were on duty during our stay, Gracie and the tall male front desk man who’s with her and whose name I forgot to ask, he also didn’t wear his nameplate that time, nontheless, thank you too!

To the Celi’s restaurant wait staff -morning and night shift, hats off to you for being courteous!

All of you made our brief stay so remarkable and memorable! Maraming Salamat!

Honey, lower your eyebrows, please. Umabot ata sa 3rd floor. Why? hehehe! *she'll kill me for this*

Needless to say, Hotel Celeste impressed us –not only the jologs in me who’s easier to pleased but Tina who has more discriminating taste. With only 30 rooms –in Suites and Deluxe that vary in their interiors (I think no room is designed similar), this charming hotel is an absolute respite amidst the hustle and bustle of Makati City and a great competition to the premier hotels around. It’s a few steps away from our favorite malls -Greenbelt and Glorietta. Very accessible too for tourists and balikbayans who likes a nearby accomodation from the airport.

Wacky Gabby posed for Tina while I check in at the counter.

Gracie, the front desk officer on duty didn’t ask anymore for the PhP 2K refundable deposit when I checked in for my family. I don’t know, either she forgot about it or I’d like to think she trusted me because of the 2 letters after my surname (ehem!).  She just requested me to provide an ID; I gave her my passport and after she scanned and returned it to me, I found myself with Tina, Gabby and the bellboy/doorman, Dexter inside the lift. Even the lift was elaborately decorated with DAMASK  TEXTILE and mirrors. Nice!

We’re assigned at level 3, room 305. Here’s the corridor…

The lateral view from the door of our room…

We were welcomed by spotless wooden floors and simple yet amazing fixtures.

I'm happy when my family's happy.

The mini bar isn’t free of course unlike QUINCY HOTEL SINGAPORE but nevertheless provides with complimentary bottled water, coffee and tea making facility.  Personal fridge also available.

The quality of pillows and the size of the bed for me are relatively important whenever slumbering in a hotel.  I want my pillows not too soft but a little firm.  Tina and Gabby like it otherwise.  We all love a king size bed instead of a twin, so much room to cuddle and curl up.  And in Hotel Celeste, we’re grateful that we had one of our restful sleeps. Fantastic!

Tina noticed the wardrobe has a long umbrella for the guests to use. We both think it’s uncommonly provided by most hotels unless you ask for one and Hotel Celeste was thoughtful in doing so even without a request.

The tandas (toilet) at first glance was instantly perceived as covered with wall paper but a closer look revealed it’s beautifully stenciled.  Thank God it’s no floral design but leafy. The Deluxe room has no bath tub but the rainshower dutsa with comforting hot and cold water was good enough.

The banyo may be small but almost sterile. It’s so important to be kept clean.

L'Occitane hair and body wash are provided, must of all, I like it when hotel choose Colgate to include in the box of toothbrush (despite we always bring our own gum needs).

The Celestial Weekend Promo package that we availed comes with a foot and leg massage upon arrival that we failed to enjoy. Tina and I opted to have it in the morning just before checking out however, it’s already late when we learned that the service is only available from 3 to 5 in the afternoon.  Our fault. No worries. But definitely, Gabby and Tina savored the welcome drinks; they chose ripe mango shake and iced chocolate.

vouchers for fee welcome drinks that were handed to us upon check in.

Fast forward to dinner : Most deluxe hotel room packages would only offer buffet breakfast, but Celestial Weekends treats guests to set dinner as well. When we’re almost ready to choose from the set menu, Gabby asked me to accompany him to pee.

This is how the toilet at the lobby looks like…

waiting area just before the toilet at the lobby

the male toilet : I wish I had mural painting of a knight to in our comfort room.

Admittedly, the set dinner may have been better if the servings are a bit bigger. But I’m not complaining; just saying. As mentioned, it doesn’t happen all the time that set dinner is inclusive in a hotel package unless it’s an ALL INCLUSIVE (Read : QUINCY HOTEL SINGAPORE again FTW!).

Inside CELI’s  Restaurant just by the lobby of Hotel Celeste…

There's a male acoustic crooner who's set we adore : love songs from the 80s sang and popularized by male foreign singers. Ang husay!

The view from where we sat…

From the set menu, Tina and I chose, focaccia and another high-fiber bread with buttered spinach and rock salt as starter, then roast chicken for me that’s sadly too salty and so minimal serving (I should’ve ordered the salmon!). Tina had carbonara which we gave a thumbs up but wished for, yes, a larger serving, hehe (note to self : it’s free and included in the package, remember?). She shared some pasta to Gabby but he likes the desserts better. We all love the chocolate ecclairs but the creme brulee’s too sweet for my sweet tooth.

If the set dinner was just OK, we were greatly surprised with the buffet breakfast!

A knock at our door at few hours before we went watching last full show of Gabby’s choice from 2011 MMFF at Greenbelt 3 cinema (guess what movie? haha!),  made me opened it and saw 3 people, wearing white collared shirts and pants (correct me if I’m wrong but they struck me as on OJTs or HRM interns) who handed me 2 sheets of paper to fill out.

It's all in the details.

The paper had the menu for breakfast but it allows the guests/diners to customize their dishes. It’s like tick the ingredient you want in your omelette; tick if you want Belgian waffle, croissants, danish pastries, cinnamon, smoked fish, pork tocino, bacon, chicken frankfurter, eggs benedict, fresh fruits, cereals, yoghurt and a lot more choices with various tea and coffee.

The jologs couple in us were puzzled after reading the instruction on the paper. It simply state tick your preferred dish to be served either in Celi’s restaurant or right inside your room. We’re not dumb or anything but we want to make sure before filling it out and submitting it to the front desk before 11PM.  So Tina called the front desk to clarify. The OC in me followed to verify.

Tina :  “Hello, this is room 305, We just received 2 sheets of paper for us to select our menu for breakfast. So how do we fill it up, will it be, we choose one per dish category or we can select more than one plate?”

Front Desk :  “Maam, you can select all po.”

Tina : “Ah, OK, Thank you.”  …puts down the phone and turned to me, “‘ney, pwede daw lahat? haha! Ikaw nga tumawag!”

To cut the funny story short, I confirmed that it’s like “select-all-that-apply” kind of thing. SARAP!   Alam nyo naman, we have to eat like a KING during breakfast! hehe!

We’re glad to have tasted their SMOKED BONELESS BANGUS… This is one reason why we love Filipino dishes!!!

Admit or deny it, this is how a typical Filipino buffet plate looks like : mix-mix! haha! ...There's that gorgeously delicious Smoked Boneless Bangus (we opted it instead Daing), Omelette, Beef Tapa, Pork Tocino, Hash Browns, Bacon strips, Chicken Frankfurters which we all shared.

Then Tina loved their Eggs Benedict…

And then seriously, while being served with one of our delightful breakfast meals, Gabby began feeling sick (he and I really got sick, NOT because of Hotel Celeste but perhaps of pollution/bacterial/viral exposures or change of weather temperature),  so Tina requested the wait staff if we could have all the food to be served in our room in order for Gabby to have ample and more relaxed time to eat. Et voila!

We didn't finish everything! Ang dami..so we take it home by buying microwavables from Landmark when we went grocery shopping before checking out at 12noon. Sayang naman itapon! haha..

Our stay in Hotel Celeste’s Celestial Weekends only cost us PhP 5,399 nett (the promo runs every weekend until January 15, 2012).  Some may accused us of overspending beyond our means, but hey, it ain’t your money we’re using. So chill. Some may say it’s too much for an overnight stay, well I say it’s a steal from the original deluxe room price of almost PhP 10K+ exclusive of what we enjoyed.  And above all, price for as long as you can afford, shouldn’t be an issue when you spend for family’s happiness and family bonding. Memories are cherished forever. Money can be earned.

I love you honey and Gabby! Cheers to our 8th year and here’s to more traveling, delicious feasts and fun-filled family bonding!

For more details on Hotel Celeste, visit their website at www.hotelceleste.ph

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CHRISTMAS BREAK 2011 DAY 11 : OUR STUDENTS’ WEDDING

Our Christmas Break 2011 Blog Series includes :

• En Route To Pinas
• Day 2 : Ulingan, Tondo
• Day 5 : Malacanang Palace
• Day 8 : Bisperas Ng Pasko Sa Ulingan

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27 December 2011, Tuesday.  This was the day I first stood as one of the Principal Sponsors to the wedding of our 2 former students, Carlo & Nicole. The event was surely one for the books because I became a Ninong sa Kasal for the very first time at the age of 35.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Quezon City

Without hesitation, I accepted their invitation to become one of their godparents because they’re two of our good students. Tina and I became their clinical instructor and lecturer respectively back in the days when they’re still studying Nursing.  They’re remarkable in the sense that they were never late to my classes, didn’t have any failing marks, and were obedient even if I asked them to do a multiple page homework. hehe   Despite my age is considerably younger for the part, i took it as a pleasure as they wanted to regard me as one of their second parents.

You know it's Christmas season in our country when leaves of Poinsettias become red. And it's nice to see them lining one of the longest aisles in the Metro.

I like looking at stained glass windows

Team docgelo was ever present, of course!

My beautiful family wearing Punjabi dresses, steal purchases from Little India, Penang.

To be honest, the wedding could’ve been perfect if not for the uber toxic wedding coordinator who also stood as mass commentator. I’m sorry if she’s a relative of the bride or the groom but in my book, if you chose to assume the job, then you should be the one in control of everything, not the very first person to be anxious.

When the part that the entourage needed to queue, she started reading the names for us to line up.  I asked her, “Miss, saan ako?” without a smile and worst, without looking at me she replied, “Kahit saan na lang po, di na sunod-sunod iyan.” And then the unexpected happened –Everyone has a partner except me.   I was looking for the lady-coordinator but she’s out of sight already. When I was about to walk, I told a man in red shirt (who happened to be one of the choir), that I don’t have a partner. Thankfully to him, he graciously asked one of the couples’ aunt to stand as proxy.

Meet Mrs. Cuchapin, a relative of the couple who came home from Italy. She was so generous to walk with me down the aisle to the altar. Mabuhay po kayo, Maam! At Maraming Salamat!

I was true to my word that I will photograph the bride before she walks down the aisle…

Best wishes, Nicole!

And then there’s that obligatory respect for the parents…

Mano po! FYI, we share the same gesture of respect with Malaysians.

And before the couple became one, my cam was busy snapping at these kiddie fun!

cheers!

This was my "I wish we have a baby girl too-moment."

And then they became one…

Having experienced the same momentous event 8 years ago with Tina, I remember one of the most essential things in coming up with a successful wedding –the church or the wedding venue should be proximal to the reception. And Nicole and Carlo made the right decision in choosing Mount Carmel Church and Oasis, Manila; these 2 areas are just stone throw away.

More photo-ops for Team docgelo at Oasis.

Their 3-tiered deconstructed cake…nice!

I had the honor of sitting at the VIP area…

The program was lively hosted by a lady who could effortlessly pass as a trainer at call center office because of her wonderful pronunciation and a sing-songal diction.  

As the newlyweds became busy with photo-ops with all their guests, and people started lining up the spread….

I also enjoyed the pleasure of being served at our table and didn’t need to queue for the food.  The set from Hizon’s was delicious;  Carlo and Nicole had chosen a great menu to fill our tummies.

(This isn’t Beyond Toxicity without digestive feast!) I liked how a simple salad was served with 2 dressings -Caesar’s and Thousand Island.

Entrees included Fish Fillet with Honey Mustard Sauce, Hawaiian Chicken BBQ, US Roast Beef with Mushroom Gravy, Vegetable Lumpia with Peanut Sauce, Roast Pork with Apple Raisin Sauce and two pasta dishes…

Everything's fine except that Lumpia was served with bean sprouts or togue. I was just surprised. My favorite was Roast Pork with Apple Raisin Sauce; it was to die for!

The disadvantage of sitting at the VIP area : nakakahiya humingi ng second round, LOL!

Desserts were simple yet satisfying.

I loved everything in this set!

Another unexpected thing happened. I mean, despite Nicole requested me to be ready with a speech for her wedding on behalf of the male Principal Sponsors, I didn’t prepare one. I thought, it’d be best to be spontaneous. However, I was caught off guard at the timing! haha! While I just happened to insert a chunk of pineapple covered with luscious chocolate from the fondue served right on our table, my name was called to give a short message to the newlyweds. Of course, I had to swallow everything down in a blink.

The program at the reception got livelier when the host requested some names to be in front with the couple for some photo-op. But lo and behold, it was a pure trap for the single ladies and bachelors. They dished out that old bouquet throwing ceremony and settled to a more modern and quite surprising activities.

For the single men, they were asked to drink a bottle of beer with two straws –one inside and the other outside the bottle making it a bit harder to sip. The one with the less volume drank was declared the winner. He happens to be the groom’s brother.

For the single ladies, they were instructed to insert their right index finger to the mouth of the bottle of beer strategically placed in between the thighs of the groom’s brother. How naughty! Each lady who successfully inserted her finger onto the bottle was spared from the “punishment” este, was eliminated from the game.

Then the host asked the groom to dance his way from the door of the reception to his bride’s leg where he had to remove the garter using his teeth.

Did you find what you're looking for down there, Carlo?

One last photo-op with the newlyweds and the rest of our former students…

Nice to see you again, kids!

To Carlo & Nicole, our best wishes to both of you! Remember that wedding is just a day and marriage takes a lifetime of commitment. No Return No Exchange Policy sana! hehehe!   Whenever you need help or anything, huwag lang siguro financial, hehe, we’re just a message or a call away! Enjoy life’s very best! God bless.

CHRISTMAS BREAK 2011 DAY 5 : MALACANANG PALACE

Our Christmas Break 2011 Blog Series includes :

• En Route To Pinas
• Day 2 : Ulingan, Tondo
• Day 8 : Bisperas Ng Pasko Sa Ulingan

—————————–

*Disclaimer : I try to maintain my blog as an APOLITICAL one so this isn’t about views and opinions about any issue.

 ”How many times have you been inside Malacanang Palace?“  asked by Ivan Man Dy of Old Manila Walks to our group of 14 tourists –a mix of locals, balikbayans and a few foreigners.  One of us replied, “Four!”   …I thought my previous Malacanang experience was absolutely no match because I only answered, “Once“…

Then Ivan continued to ask, “How many times have you been to SM (Shoemart Department Stores)?

I smiled.

Apparently, setting foot inside the grounds where President of the Philippines resides and takes office doesn’t happen on a daily basis.  Needless to say, it’s another EXTRAORDINARY experience for us. Thank you, Ivan for the invites! My wife, my dad-in-law and I definitely enjoyed every bits. Brilliant!

We began The Power, Palace and A Shot of Beer Walking Tour in one of the art-deco huge houses in San Miguel, Manila– the Legarda Mansion, that’s known to others as the fine-dining restaurant, La Cocina de Tita Moning. From there, Ivan escorted  us through a parallel of San Miguel all the way to the stone throw away, Malacanang. The drizzle that Wednesday afternoon wasn’t an issue to get us in the Palace.

these things look amazing to me...

ORGANIZED…  Several days prior, we received an email with reminders of what to expect, where to meet, the how-to-get-there-map, and whatnot on the this walking tour. Our names were collected for submission as guests to the Kalayaan Hall or the Malacanang Palace Museum thus, getting inside was such a breeze (Do you think PSG did a character-investigation prior to the tour? haha, just asking!).  Understandably, since we’re paying the highest office of the land a visit, our bags and bodies were scanned; cameras were labeled with red-orange PSG stickers (I just didn’t get it why PSG asked us-those with cameras to have a test shot with them or point and shoot it first at anything…). Ivan explained everything’s a protocol, of course.

With utmost humility, I got 1.25 (highest of 1.0 and lowest of 5.0) in Philippine History back in my days when I was taking up my pre-medical course at Far Eastern University (who cares, right? even the carebears don’t care, toinks!). Defensively, I am neither a History geek nor a happy-g0-lucky kind of guy. I just don’t know up to now what soul got into me those days that I became so fascinated with Agoncillo’s book on Philippine History and taking essay-type-of-exams in our class wasn’t difficult for me. With more than a decade after, I forgot everything I’ve learned. Haha! Well, almost.

INFORMATIVE…Glad I was one of the participants of this walking tour because A LOT of things that happened in the past were not found on books. And Ivan had refreshed and informed us even of things unfamiliar to many. Case in point are these four men  on a set of painting who contributed to the Philippine History. The only name that rang a bell to my ears was Hernando de Magallanes who toured the globe before he got killed with his Portugese Christian soldiers by a native ruler of Mactan, Cebu–who else but Lapu-lapu. (Iyong iba, di ko ka-facebook, hehehe!)

Apart from history and politics aside, Malacanang Palace as a tangible structure in my humble opinion, is very Filipino or at least represents who we are, how we evolved through the years. Inspite of the fact that the exteriors reminds us of Spanish colonial regime, it boasts of intricate carvings on solid wood inside its vast and countless rooms that  obviously reflect talent, skills, artistry and craftmanship of Filipino people.

Must have that detailed shot…

INTERESTING…wood carving galore!

Can you believe that this served as a luggage used in traveling in the previous era? ...*hebigat*

One can easily tell that those solid wood carvings from  Narra, Kamagong and other finest lumber are symbolic of our resilience amidst adversities, or was it only my interpretation? I hope others won’t perceived it as luxuries in the heart of a third world country (Did I just mentioned this blog would not discuss social and political issues?).

NEVER  BORING… The tour featured almost all corners of the museum and the stories behind them.

Imagine the efforts exerted in making these floor to ceiling wood carvings. One can almost feel the hands that held those chisels. Artistic. Decorative. Beautiful!

Nothing’s overlooked…

even the electric sockets should look authoritative?

NOSTALGIC…Alas, my solitary memory of Malacanang Palace resurfaced from my lazy cerebrum. Upon the sight of the rooms, I remembered Imelda Marcos’ shoes, Ferdinand Marcos’ five libraries with vast collection of books, their gorgeous paintings, Madame’s canopied bed with wooden crown at its top, her toilet boasting of jars of perfumes with actual miniscule faucets and a lot more of Marcos’.

Admit it, they're the most vivid and powerful people who lived in the palace.

COMPELLING… How does a ruler convince his people to follow his lead?

Letras Y Figuras : One of the eye-catching commissioned paintings inside Malacanang has the name of Imelda Romualdez Marcos with scenic and iconic paintings representing her "achievements" per letter of her name.

Si Sir....

at si Madame...

Martial Law may have scarred the many; thus, looking at the same chair and table where it was proclaimed could hyperstimulate your senses or worst, can be disturbing…

ENGAGING with WITS and HUMOR…As a lecturer myself for almost a decade now, I have learned to make my classroom discussion interactive, lively and enticing despite a boring topic.  And the Ivan Man Dy certainly knows to do the same, in fact far better than my limited skills.  He makes Philippine History soft and chewy to absorb by the common tao, much more by the foreigners who most of the time are clueless of our own story.

"How many pairs shoes did Imelda Marcos have?", "Where are her shoes now?" Everyone was enthralled in the charming discussion about everything inside the museum including fellow blogger, Marian of her site, upto6only (wearing black shirt with pink headband and pink belt; yes, it must be pink, right, Marian? hehe!)

Folks, meet the most participative tourist in our group,  Mr. Primo (the one wearing Fedora hat and eyeglasses). He’s the man who made the tour more fascinating. He had the most extensive commentaries.

Ivan's so successful in engaging all of us in his tour.

To me, students who come to my classes so prepared and well-read, are definitely a challenge. And Mr. Primo is similar to such, that with his impressive knowledge on Philippine History, his great discussions with Ivan made me think he could effortlessly pass as a Dean in an academe or simply put, he’s someone who experienced the tales being told.

FANTASTIC... The tour featured the priceless art works of Filipino artists as well as gifts from foreign dignitaries that are all housed inside Kalayaan Hall.

I just had to click my cam on the sculpture of that Greek God, Mercury (right photo); reminds me of a local drugstore's tag line, "Gamot ay Laging Bago" hehe!

There’s something for everyone to be interested with…

With all due respect, Ex-President Joseph Ejercito Estrada's inaugural Barong Tagalog showed he's definitely bigger than I am. *no pun intended*.

She will be forever Tita Cory to me. I was once a child growing up in her presidency.

One of the reasons why this tour's called, "Palace, Power and A Shot of Beer" : San Miguel Brewery back in the old days was located literally beside Malacanang Palace. Don't ask me how it happened. I highly suggest you join the tour of Old Manila Walks.

And of course, there were those photo-op moments…

Special thanks to my father-in-law who snapped this shot.

On way out, I found this sculpture of a family that I wished to have as a takeaway. hehe!

After more than 2 hours, we walked our way out of the Palace and Ivan led us back to the Legarda Mansion (not of  Senator Loren’s but Atty Katrina’s family).

The tour promised a fine-dining merienda, et voila!

How often do you eat with rose petals on the table?

We enjoyed it in an-open-air-dining area within the simple garden of the Legarda’s.  The ambiance was so casual yet the offerings were special.

The sotanghon (vermicelli noodles) dish was a delight. Squeezing a calamansi covered with mesh (similar to how they serve it at the Lobby of the Manila Peninsula --abangan!) over a sauce dish of fish sauce and chili even made the pancit more heavenly.

We were treated to a delicious light snack but absolutely less ordinary…

If my taste buds and memory serve me right, those 2 slices were chicken galantina. One thing is definite, its aroma and fantastic taste was to die for.

However, they made the dessert less sweet (perhaps, they’re considering the diabetic tourists/diners). Sayang, I like it done with more sugar.

Guinataang Bilo-bilo

For the nth time, this tour’s called, Palace, Power and A Shot of Beer.  So other than that refreshing and refillable Tanglad Iced Tea (Lemon Grass Iced Tea) and cold water, here’s that single shot of San Miguel Beer, cheers!

It was so nice to end a tour with a simple feast. But lo and behold, Ivan gave us a plus! After I told him that I read somewhere that the Legarda Mansion houses a doctor’s clinic (the patriarch and his 4 kids were all MDs), without hesitation, he invited all of us for a short but another impressive tour inside La Cocina De Tita Moning.

The experience inside the Legarda Mansion deserves a separate post…Soon!

For interested parties to join Ivan Man Dy’s tours of Manila, contact them via their website at OLDMANILAWALKS.COM

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Manigong Bagong Taon po sa lahat at Maraming Salamat! May the good Lord continuously shower us with His divine grace.

CHRISTMAS BREAK 2011 DAY 8 : BISPERAS NG PASKO SA ULINGAN

Our Christmas Break 2011 Blog Series includes :

• En Route To Pinas
• Day 2 : Ulingan, Tondo

————————–

“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I was once lost but now am found. Was blind, but now I see.“

“T’was Grace that taught my heart to fear.  And Grace, my fears relieved. How precious did that Grace appear;  the hour I first believed”

Even Santa Claus found time to visit the children of Ulingan.

“Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come;  ‘Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far and Grace will lead me home.”

“The Lord has promised good to me. His word my hope secures. He will my shield and portion be, as long as life endures.”

Thank you generous donors, co-volunteers and supporters of Project Pearls!

Bigay ng BreadTalk

“Yeah, when this flesh and heart shall fail,  And mortal life shall cease, I shall possess within the veil,  A life of joy and peace.”

“When we’ve been here ten thousand years. Bright shining as the sun. We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise. Than when we’ve first begun.”

“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,  That saved a wretch like me.   I once was lost but now am found,   Was blind, but now I see.”

Pagpalain Nawa Tayo Ng Maykapal.

*Thank you so much PROJECT PEARLS (through the amazing photojournalist-blogger, Mr. Sidney Snoeck of the award winning blog, MY SARISARI STORE , the generous soul behind  PROJECT PEARLS,  Ms. Melissa Villa, and the rest of my co-volunteers) for sharing with me one of my most unforgettable experience in ULINGAN. Your unselfish efforts to help the children and their families living in Ulingan is awe-inspiring.

*For those of you who would like to contribute, donate, share, volunteer and help, kindly contact and coordinate with PROJECT PEARLS. Thank you and God bless!

*Amazing Grace, the song used in this post was written by John Newton.

CHRISTMAS BREAK 2011 : EN ROUTE TO PINAS

*This blog series includes : Christmas Break 2011 Day 2 : ULINGAN, TONDO

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16 December 2011, Thursday night.  I arranged a pick up from our place in Butterworth to Penang International Airport via SMS with an Indian taxi cab driver whom we frequently call whenever we need a ride prior to departure and arrival.  He came at around 7 in the evening and with the expected rush-hour-traffic jam, we arrived before 8PM at the terminal.  Dropping of our 49 kilo-luggages and bags was such a breeze because I did the online check-in already and had our boarding passes printed from the web days prior to our flight.  And because we’re on a very limited budget and value practicality above something else, we went home via Malaysia’s budget airline, Air Asia (May kamahalan na din ang nakuha naming ticket kumpara sa karaniwan at promo airfares dito –humigit-kumulang PhP 35K kaming tatlo, one way from Pen-KUL, then KUL-CRK).

I set to use my annual work leave in spending Christmas season in Pinas. I didn’t go home or utilized my paid days off else where (read : our breaks in Paris, New York and London *kidding!* I wish but we only went to Kelantan, Malaysia, Singapore and  Hatyai, Thailand this year were all enjoyed during public holidays) but saved it for the yuletide. After all, it is Christmas that Tina, Gabby and I consider as the most wonderful time of the year, the happiest season of all!

Despite Penang is only1545 miles away from the Philippines, there’s no direct flight yet to connect my current work place and our home. So it’s either you fly Singapore or Hong Kong first –which would cost you your arms and legs at this time of the year, or either take the cheaper but longer route by the bus or train or fly from Penang to Kuala Lumpur first that we usually do.

At the Penang International Airport which has on-going renovations (hey look, NAIA 1, terminals outside our country are on the road to improvement, and you?) we had dinner from one of Gabby’s favorite fast foods. It was a simple delight to have twister fries and quarter pounder before a flight.

After dinner, the waiting period began. Our local flight from Pen-KUL was supposedly 11:15PM but was delayed for 30 minutes. What can we do but bear with the waiting game. Are you fond of waiting for your flight/s at the airport?  I do except when it’s not on time. I mean, I maybe impatient at other matters but killing time at the terminals for me is not that bad.

We safely reached KL-LCCT after 45 minute flight. Everything’s fine except the looooong walk from the tarmac to the airport itself. The fatigue and lack of sleep were gone withe the sight of this heavenly food place that we’ve been wanting to try…

The Low Cost Carrier Terminal in Kuala Lumpur may not be one of the best, perhaps not even included in top 10 great terminals in the world and in my opinion has also its share of inconvenience but nontheless has decent choices of food places. We passed on Starbucks Coffee, Mary Brown Fried Chicken (Malaysia’s answer to KFC), and some other few but we failed to resist the charm of Theobroma Chocolate Lounge.

the ambiance is casual and inviting.

Forgive us for indulging chocolates before 2 in the morning. Sinful is it not?

Look, everything looked nice and tasted great too but they served the knife & fork with its tips exposed and the handles wrapped with tissues and before you wrongly judge Theobroma, let me inform you that this is a common practice in restaurants around Malaysia; and frequently, availability of tissues is a rarity in hawkers too! (read: I am not a foodie expert neither have a degree in culinary but my common sense dictates me that it’s best to wrap and cover the  parts you’ll put in your mouth rather than expose and drop it directly on the table. Spell HYGIENE and CLEANLINESS, people!).

Moving on…Tell me, how can you resist Theobroma’s Belgian Waffle with Ice Cream?

Me speaking to the waiter : “What are your bestsellers here? What can you recommend?”

Waiter pointing to the menu he handed us : “Ah, eto po ang masasarap, ok po ito, iyan…”

Me : “Ah, Kabayan! Saan kayo sa atin? Ano ba masarap dito?“

the eyes tell you that they're sleep deprived but hungry. hehe!

Our verdict : The waffle’s tasteful! The strawberry slices rippled with chocolate were divine. And it’s so amazing that the scoop of ice cream took several minutes to melt which made us ask ourselves, is it gelato?

Gabby went to the counter and checked out the cakes. I believe he wanted Oreo chocolate cake but we were served with Orange Chocolate slice. We did not complain; I felt there’s no need to because we also wanted to sample such flavorful combo.

Gabby’s taste buds were a bit purist. When he wants chocolate, he wants nothing else. In fact, our kiddo doesn’t want any nuts when eating anything chocolate. But the cake was a delight for me and Tina. It reminded us of one of Haagen Dazs’.

Tina asked our kabayang-waiters (we talked to 2 of them-one serving us and the other at the counter) their recommendations. One of them highly suggested QUEEN OF ROCK AND ROLL.

Me asking Tina :” ‘ney, design lang ba iyong nasa cup or chocolate ripple talaga? “

Tina : “ano ka ba, chocolate!”  –tapos ngumiti iyong waiter sa clueless moment ko.

We trusted our kabayang-waiter and the suggested cup doesn’t disappoint! Queen of Rock and Roll (left photo below) went to Gabby and he loved it! That chocolatey creamy drink indeed rocks! While Tina opted for a coffee-chocolate blend called MADAME ESKIMO which was beautifully served with a coffee bean on top. My lovely wife, despite sleep deprived was happy!

Thumbs up for Theobroma's blends!

As for me, I needed to have something warm; I settled for FLAT WHITE.

Sarap! Nakakawala ng antok!  Someone should bring home Theobroma Chocolate Lounge to NAIA Terminal 1 please!

The prices are comparable to Starbucks Coffee. Service is efficient. Goodies are yummies!

The Air Asia check in counter didn’t open until it was past 4AM. Maraming PASAWAY sa pila na ibang lahi. SINGIT! I didn’t allow them to get in over my queue. Our international flight from Kuala Lumpur to Clark Field, Pampanga was scheduled at 6:45AM. And so I thought, di ba 4 hours dapat bukas na ang airline counter kapag international flight?

Waiting, waiting and more waiting.  After few bladder and bowel breaks, yikes! (hey, it’s part of morning rituals, right?), we decided to spend our last hour prior to the flight and our few remaining ringgit in OLD TOWN WHITE COFFEE restaurant also in LCCT.

Tina and I had a plate each of this noodle dish that the name slipped my memory.

I may have forgotten its name but the taste was etched on my palate. Sarap! It’s so comforting to eat hot noodle dish in the wee hours of the morning.

I was fortunate enough to avail of our RETURN FLIGHT on the first week of January 2012 last April 2011 at its promo sale. It only costs me PhP 8K nett for the 3 of us with 40 kg check in luggage and I think that’s a steal! However, due to tight budget, I only purchased our airline tickets from Pen-KUL, then KUL-CRK last week of November for our Dec 16-17 flight. Understandably, most of the aircrafts servicing Malaysia-Philippines route are alreay full because of the  holiday season and prices of tickets are expectedly steep than usual. Nonetheless, come hell or high waters, Tina, Gabby and I have to spend Christmas in the country we call HOME.

From the arrival area of Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA), we claimed and paid our reserved bus tickets from the friendly ladies of Philtranco bus liner kiosk located at the lobby. I googled their website and did the reservation via email; a ticket from DMIA to SM Megamall (even up to Pasay City) costs PhP 400/pax.

The trip was only an hour and a half and everything went OK except for the traffic from Balintawak in Caloocan after NLEX to EDSA then Ortigas approaching SM Megamall. But hey, it ain’t home without the traffic! *pun intended*

The next morning, we savored one of our missed breakfast meals…

Nothing spells the Christmas celebrations better than spending it in your home country with your love ones. Walang katulad ang Pasko sa Pilipinas!

From Tina, Gabby and me, Maligayang Pasko po at Manigong Bagong Taon!

CHRISTMAS BREAK 2011 DAY 2 : ULINGAN, TONDO

18 December, 2011. Sunday. 2nd day of our days off from work in Penang. *Arrival and Day 1 to follow.

Prelude : People who have been chronically exposed to coal dust of about 15 to 2o years are at risk to develop COALWORKERS’ PNEUMOCONIOSIS also known as “black lung disease” which is a progressive and incurable disease. Imagine the plight of those babies, children and their families living in Ulingan.

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I tried to win the battle against the alarm of my mobile by curling up in bed a bit longer but my sleepy brain was telling me that I  needed to wake up at 4:15AM with the thought that I shouldn’t be late to my appointment on a very early Sunday morning.  Resistance as they say, is futile.  So after my quick but necessary morning rituals, I kissed my wife and our 7-year old son goodbye while they’re still dreaming and immediately hopped on a tricycle from my relatives’ place in Pasig City and rode a jeepney to LRT 2 Santolan Station. From there, I took the train for less than half an hour to Avenida, Recto Manila. One more jeepney ride and I found myself at the corner of Kalaw Avenue.

Because I left the house with an empty stomach, I felt the urgency to fill it in.  I surrendered to one of my favorite Jollibee breakfast meals -fried rice, egg, corned beef and coffee. Solb!

En route to our meeting place, I walked through Rizal Park (formerly known as Luneta Park back in my childhood). It’s  good to be back here after some time.

Glad to see you again, fellow MD –JPR.

To say that Rizal’s iconic is an understatement. The sight of his monument was so apt to further fire my willingness that day to participate in a medical mission of PROJECT PEARLS in Ulingan, Tondo, Manila. I had a chance to become a manggagamot again just like JPR in joining this worthwhile activity. Thanks to SIDNEY SNOECK  (a Belgian photojournalist whose heart is in the Philippines and thanks to his facebook account and his famous and award-winning blog, MY SARISARI STORE) that I got to know MELISSA VILLA (the soul behind the charitable organization) and PROJECT PEARLS.

I had arranged the schedule with him few days before my family and I left for Pinas.  Sidney and I met up in front of Manila Hotel at around 7AM and together we went to Ulingan in Tondo, Manila.

In my 35 years of existence, I have heard so much poverty in my country commonly personified by people of Smokey Mountain who thrive in rubbish. But it was only last Sunday when I saw and experienced the gospel truth behind issues I’ve read and heard. The sight was terribly haunting.

Sidney : “Doc, I’m sorry I failed to ask you to wear proper footwear. Your shoes will get muddy and dirty.”

Me : “Don’t worry, it’s already muddy even before we got here.” 

I should’ve been prepared to wear rubber boots (the ones worn by fishermen, wet market vendors, and the like) however, I had no hesitation to soak my shoes just to reach (out to) Ulingan.

Unbelievably, a community exists in this part of Manila.

“ULINGAN is a small slum community in Tondo, Manila that sits on a dumpsite and surrounded by charcoal factories that emit toxic smoke; there is no electricity, no access to toilets or sanitation. Children and families have no choice but to live with soot, garbage, mosquitoes, flies all day and all night.  The common meal is “pagpag” (leftover food from fast-food restaurants scavenged from garbage sites). “Pagpag” means to shake away the dirt and maggots in the food.”  -sourced from the website of PROJECT PEARLS.

These are their homes– the abodes where they face life’s challenges, the houses where they build their dreams…

Sidney noticed the potted greens -proof that people of Ulingan still find time to make their surrounding a little pleasant despite and inspite of their condition.

This is their usual food, “pagpag” which is sold at PhP 15 per pack…

This is their common past time…

And this is how they make a living…

Sidney told me that children who work for their families in Ulingan remove the nails from the pieces of wood they collect from else where, then other workers would burn them under an "earth" where smoke is emitted day and night. It takes 2 days before charcoal is ready.

Before a sack of charcoal can be sold to about PhP 320 each….

the end consumer might be clueless that young and small hands were behind those uling...

Imagine breathing the smoke and living with the tons of rubbish day and night. Think of babies born by mothers within Ulingan with only midwife to assist and manage them. Life is unbearable but people here are probably the most resilient to tolerate such difficulties.

The main purpose of my trip to Ulingan began immediately after I was brought to the Project Pearls Learning Center.

Despite my heart was breaking at the sight of everything and everyone in Ulingan, inspite of the fact that my respiratory tract wasn’t getting along well with the polluted atmosphere in that community (I have not puffed a cigarette stick in my entire life but believe me, the feeling was probably worse than chronic smoking. I only spent half day in Ulingan but it also took me another six hours to breathe with less discomfort), I was silently jumping for joy upon seeing these…

Thank you to those who donated medicines for us to prescribe and dispense that day. May God bless us all!

*photo courtesy of ace photojournalist, Sidney Snoeck. Thank you, Sid! Mabuhay ka!

Assessing his frontal mass, apparently an infected wound with a complaint of pain and swelling in his mouth. Because we didn't have sterile instruments, I gave a referral note for surgical consult and management at a nearest hospital.

Do you remember the song, Paraiso sung and recorded by the group, Smokey Mountain and if I’m not mistaken, composed by Ryan Cayabyab?  The lyrics came to my mind when I was in Ulingan…

“Return to a land called paraiso,
A place where a dying river ends.
No birds there fly over paraiso,
No space allows them to endure.
The smoke that screens the air,
The grass that’s never there.And if i could see a single bird, what a joy.
I try to write some words and create
A simple song to be heard
By the rest of the world.“

Their eagerness and enthusiasm to read and learn despite and inspite of everything are inspiring! Hope is alive in their hearts!

His eyes tell so much tales…

but his hands and feet certainly melted my heart…

As a father to our 7-year-old son, I feel so much for these kids. They’ve been exposed to unimaginable severities in life and were robbed of their childhood. Look at their eyes and peek into their souls…

It was a day that I will not forget for as long as I live.  Sidney was repeatedly thanking me before we left Ulingan but I told him the pleasure’s mine. Had it not for him and the organization he’s in, I will not be reminded to make the most of what we have, and MUST THINK BEFORE WE COMPLAIN because we are more blessed than people of Ulingan who certainly know how to SMILE AMIDST ADVERSITIES.

Thank you to all my fellow volunteers…

Thank you, Project Pearls, Ms. Melissa Villa and Mr. Sidney Snoeck for giving me a chance to experience this worthwhile endeavor.

Find me in a sea of unsung heroes. It's an honor to be with them! *photo courtesy of the awe-inspiring photojournalist and award-winning blogger, Sidney Snoeck.

Another wonderful shot by Sidney–this time with Lola Felissa, a 99 year old woman from Ulingan. It’s just amazing she’s still up and about, can still walk and stand straight as if she’s not in her late geriatric years!

One more year and Lola Felissa from Ulingan will be a centenarian! I have not even lived half of the years she enjoyed in life! Mabuhay ka, Lola Felissa! *photo by Sidney Snoeck.

Thank you for these priceless smiles that bid us goodbye…

You can make these children’s lives a little better through your donations and/or by supporting the activities of PROJECT PEARLS; contact the organization via their website at ProjectPearls.Org

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*This is the first of the series of our Christmas vacation in the Philippines; DAY 1 to follow soon.   May our CHRISTmas and holiday celerbations be happy and meaningful.  Let us always count our blessings!  God bless us!

RECYCLED GEMS

Never underestimate things from rubbish for you might find gold in them.  I told Gabby this while we walked our way towards Armenian Street in George Town after alighting the ferry from Jetty. The little-big boy, at first was puzzled until I simplified what it means.

I was surprised when our 7-year-old wonder boy is already familiar with the triple R -recycle, reduce, reuse. Apparently, his mom and teachers have been doing their duties wonderfully. Our casual father-and-son conversation became more meaningful when we spotted several used bath tubs now serving as plant boxes lining the street. Whoever thought of that must have been so environmental-friendly.

As Tina usually wants to spend her Sunday at home whenever possible (for she  thinks and I also agree that she deserves a rest before she begins another work week), it was only Gabby and I who went out to the Island primarily to run some errands (we needed to go to a money changer to have our ringgits changed to pesos as we’re going home to Pinas for the holidays, we also had to buy some ingredients for Tina’s home cooked siomai and a few more pasalubongs for our relatives and lastly, I was asked by my lovely wife to bring her old denims for a change of zippers in a repair shop). However before doing all this, I decided to drop by AMELIE CAFE and grabbed the opportunity to expose my kid to something totally different.

that gem in the mirror

Located in #6 Armenian Street beside a famous tourist spot, Cheah Si Sek Tek Tong that we have yet to explore some other time, AMELIE CAFE is a hole-in-the-wall cafe that serves quality Western food in the heart of George Town.

At  first sight, one would not imagine that this tiny food place can provide a charmingly beautiful gastronomic experience. It actually looks like an ordinary carinderia outside, housed at the ground floor of a pre-war building except that its simple facade was made attractively beautiful by those lavish green potted plants and its unique hand-made sign boards express that there must be more than meets the eye.

Amelie Cafe is open from 10AM daily except Mondays

Having been an expat for more than a year here in Penang, I completely know that this Malaysian state, particularly in one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites, George Town, offers diversities not only in race, religion and color but evidently in culinary department as well. Like mushrooms in the woods, hawker food stalls, restaurants and coffee shops are having healthy competitions despite they thrive side by side.  Food in this part of Asia is more than substantial but a lucrative business too.

With the commercially available kedai kopi like Starbucks Coffee, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf including the popular local kopitiam and the like, AMELIE CAFE, in my honest opinion has greater advantage above all these giants.

It’s edge –the highly creative atmosphere out of recycled materials.

Take a peek at what we had enjoyed inside…

It’s like we entered a hole-in-the-wall eatery-slash-museum-slash-art-gallery. Amazing’s an understatement!

No corner was overlooked; even its humble ceiling deserves a glimpse.

On top of the door were tin plates displayed beneath those water plants (I’ve known them as celia as told by my old relatives; we have some at home in Butterworth cut from the jetty/ferry station) placed in old bottles of various branded fruit jams.

What’s great with all of these decors, I think they’re highly mobile as the owners can move them from one corner to the other making the interiors of Amelie Cafe uniquely different in a snap.

There’s only one ceiling fan without unusual look but nonetheless functional.

Must have that detail shot…

i want to take that dog & cat painting home!

On the left side by the door is a table and this wall…

Who says you cannot create remarkable things out of rubbish?

As we stepped inside Amelie Cafe, we found out that it only has 5 small tables filled with mostly foreigners dining their brunch. Fortune was on our side when we spotted an available table located at the end, just by the kitchen. No worries for Gabby and I because astonishingly, smoke from the frying pan is handled professionally. I didn’t mind being welcomed by the gentle wafting scent of the bacon at late morning; it was so welcoming actually!

The limited 5 tables with 3 to 4 stools each do not come in set. Even their plates, cups and saucers never look alike but when put together they contribute to ones’ fantastic dining experience.

Don't let the simplicity of the table and stools fool you; the total dining experience here is more than you can imagine.

The finish of the walls, floor and ceiling was not made perfect but it added to its enticing appeal.

We were greeted by Yen, one of the owners of Amelie Cafe. It’s only Yen and her husband, Hung run the entire show at their very quaint food place. The wonderful duo serve as wait staff, at the same time, do the preparation of food, do the cooking and tender the cashier counter and if chance permits, entertain their diners.  Fantastic!   I just failed to ask them if they have formal education in culinary or in related fields nevertheless, I think it’s no longer important as they’ve been managing everything at Amelie Cafe smoothly and successfully.

As Gabby and I sat down, Yen handed in the menu…

menu with hand painted cover, made out of cut-out cartons.

She told us, pointing with her thumb (the way Malaysians do it-not the common use of index finger or for us Pinoys, with a pouting lips, hehe!) to the uber artistic dessert menu board beneath the stairs.

After getting our orders, I asked if they have tandas (toilet), Hung pointed towards the back of the kitchen. The kitchen looks like this…

The Kitchen : Everything's prepared and cooked here. Nothing more, nothing less. Isn't it amazing?

These are some of the artworks located above our table. Other than the use of recycled materials, did you notice the recurrent theme?  Mother Nature must be super happy!

Can you spot that solitary little fish inside the jar that was made into its aquarium and a plant vase too?

Humor in recycled art : Old wooden planks nailed side by side painted with fish spines and dog bone noted with “meow” combined with “oof oof !” ….Nice!

I believe the couple also did all those colorful pieces. And it looks like they’re also responsible designing the whimsical interiors of Amelie Cafe. How many businessmen do their work with complete hands-on?

With all those eye-catching things, waiting for our orders to be delivered and boredom inside Amelie Cafe didn’t become an issue. After 15 minutes, Gabby and I were already sharing these…

I gave him the liberty to go over the menu and choose whatever he wants. He selected carbonara, hazelnut chocolate parfait and chocolate banana milkshake. That was pure carbo-glucose fix!

After that candid shot, my boy asked me to dunk my fork and eat all those crispy cut bacon strips from the pasta because he doesn’t eat bacon and seldom he likes ham. Sure, I replied to him; I became easily submissive with his wish.

As Gabby continuously dreams of becoming a chef, a hotelier, restaurateur someday, I told him that putting up a carinderia as gorgeous and attractive as Amelie Cafe would do. Thinking of owning something like this is more than surreal!

Hazelnut parfait was a perfect ending to our mini-brunch. It came with fresh cranberries that Gabby wrongly thought of cherries. The pasta plate was also satisfyingly good, although minimal in serving and less creamy than usual–the taste actually made the difference. And the milkshake?  Refreshingly delicious!

Honestly, the food doesn’t come that cheap compared to what you might expect. The price is comparable to Starbucks Coffee’s. A little more expensive than the common fast food joints. But hey, you don’t get all these visual treats from those commercial food places.

Then the moment of “must sample their coffee” dawn upon me…

The first sip of this cappuccino was for Tina. Yeehaa!   I really wished she’s with us with this (another) extraordinary experience.

The table where we enjoyed everything…

Just before ending our meal at Amelie Cafe, Gabby told me that he liked everything he ate and appreciated all things he saw inside.  Like me, he loved all the artworks, all the delightful clutter including the simple presence of that fish solitarily swimming in that old jar.  The sense of recycling old things and turning them into great use rather than considering them as useless junks was reinstilled in his young mind. The exposure brain-washing, I guess was successful!

HONG KONG

How would you react if and when your weekend morning’s greeted by this message?

yee-haa!

I am a strong believer of the cliche that “best things in life are free!”  And you?

That message simply made my Friday morning. I immediately emailed the sender and noticed her email address and company’s name are both from Malaysia. I got an “out-of-office-automated-reply” but few seconds after that, I received an actual email-response from Ms. Jaclyn. What even delighted me was the fact that she mentioned that the blogger’s wife and 2 kids (I only have Gabby now) will be sponsored too. Ang husay! Tara, let’s go!

If you must know, I have been with famous Filipino bloggers and media people, the lovely couple of hanna and vince whose names were mentioned on the email-invite when we went to (my lone sponsored trip) that Grecian-inspired, lavishly beautiful beach resort in Northern Luzon last year; it was days before I went to Penang (peek at my blog post about Thunderbird Resorts,HERE! ). And after reaching home, I sent a PM to hanna and she confirmed that Ms. Jaclyn is actually her friend and the invite is legit. Now, I am really EXCITED! I hope it pushes through because it’ll be a great treat for GABBY! It’s been 4 years since the 3 of us went to HK Disneyland.

Talking about Hong Kong, I remember we enjoyed an early dinner in a Hong Kong-themed restaurant here in the island of Penang months ago.

With casual but stylish ambiance, CANTON-i in Queensbay Mall is simply charming.

bird cages used as lights adorn the ceiling of Canton-i.

When Chinese, it must be RED! I like the red-painted walls and ceiling infused with those white gorgeous floral and butterfly and dragonfly panels. It definitely draws attraction and makes diners more eager to eat! That auspicious color seems to be so enigmatic!

Appetizer was nutty.

Canton-i has a sister-company, another Shanghainese food place with branch on the same mall called Dragon-i (view our dining experience at Dragon-i HERE!)

My bowl : the photo can't give justice to how good it was.

While Tina shared a wanton-soupy noodle bowl with Gabby…

And apparently, we’re keeping a love affair with dimsum…

One of our favorites : Hakao or shrimp dumplings.

Siomai-mommy!

fish roe-delight on shrimp-pork siomai

Let’s see next year if we’ll take our love for dimsum back to HK….*crossed fingers*

family over Chinese food = simply awesome!

NICOLE & CARLO

I’m not sure if Tina handled them under one of her classes in Nursing Skills Laboratory or perhaps in one of their rotations under her tutelage at the Operating Room but one thing’s definite, I became their lecturer in Medical-Surgical Nursing years ago. I remember tormenting challenging them daily to exert their best with no mediocre exams, surprised recitations, longest quizzes and hardcore homeworks. And guess what?  These kids went beyond my expectations. Their batch was brilliant!

The last time Tina and I were with them was over a sumptuous dinner at Mr. Rockefeller restaurant in Greenbelt 3, Makati where they, together with their closest friends from our class, treated us after their graduation.

Fast forward to few months ago, Nicole and Carlo asked my permission to be one of their Ninongs or to stand as one of their Primary Sponsors in their upcoming post-Christmas wedding. How could you say no to something so special? It’s one of those events that we will attend on our days off in Manila soon!

Two of our best former students will march down the aisle in few weeks time.

It was early last week when Nicole informed me that they have sent their wedding invitation to our home address here in Penang however, it’s too late when I thought of providing our office address instead.  I should have considered it because no one is left in our home to receieve the parcel. I didn’t know that the pack was huge that won’t fit our mailbox and required a proof of receipt.

So after Nicole and I coordinated via fb, after we have both called DHL to change the address where they should deliver the invite, after 4 attempts of DHL in sending it over at our doorstep, I finally got it from our office’s reception desk. 

The wonder boy got his Santa hat and wore it and asked me to photograph him with that huge envelope. *excitement unfolds*

Inside that DHL parcel were the very first Christmas card we received this year and their uber perky pop-up wedding invite.

With great-looking invitation, comes great responsibility.

(In the Philippines) It goes without saying that Primary Sponsors’ role peaks beyond marching the aisle at the wedding rites, giving pieces of advice and a short speech and doing ceremonial toast at the reception, as it entails becoming a second parents to the (soon-to-be) newly weds.  At the age of 35 and with only 8 years (and counting) of marriage, I didn’t expect to assume the part so soon (have you ever heard a ninong or ninang in wedding younger than my age?). I take it as a blessing to be given an opportunity and a privilege to extend our family with theirs. 

one of the coolest invitations we've received!

Good luck sa speech ng Ninong-Doc sa reception ng kasal! (I was handpicked too by the couple to do that requirement and I kiddingly replied,“sana man lang ipina-raffle nila ang names ng Ninong at Ninang to do the part, hehe!). Will this be a precedent to string of similar events? hahaha!

See you soon, mga inaanak!

KAPITAN

There must be something about Little India at the heart of George Town, Penang that irresistibly attracts me. Like most tourists who come here on foot or via riding a trishaw, we all find this spot uniquely charming.  Perhaps,  a thousand and one reasons include that Bollywood music being played in its loudest volume by shops that sell audio CDs.  Seeing little girls and women from the Tamil community, wearing those unstitched and colorful sarees proudly (on a daily basis) like having their tradition and culture on their skin makes an early morning stroll in Little India nothing less than inviting.

Indian-Malaysian women washing their feet prior entering the temple in the morning of Diwali or Deepavali, the festival of lights; taken at Queen Street, George Town, Pulau Pinang.

My eyes usually go on a feast with the sight of various interesting things…

Lantern fascination

And of course, what tops my list is my young love affair with some Indian dishes.

One has an option to enjoy it via hawker food stalls…

or in my case, from Kapitan…

As of the moment, I am partial to Kapitan, an Indian restaurant with branches all over Penang Island; serving the hungry and craving ones for 24 hours, 7 days a week  (read : I rarely eat Indian food here if it’s not from Kapitan. Tina, Gabby and I tried the one in front of our appartment’s building and it’s not worth it).  The one that I frequent is located at the corner of Little India and Lebuh Chulia (Chulia Street which is commonly flocked by foreigners touring Penang).

My Indian Power Breakfast from Kapitan in the morning of Diwali : Tosai Keju (Cheese Tosai) with dips and chutneys, Roti Telur (Egg Prata with curried eggplant dip) and Mango Lassi to wash down; all for only RM 8.60 (USD 2.75 or PhP 120).

Because I had eaten several times in Kapitan and loved it each time, I was raving about it to Tina and Gabby and wished that they would go with me to Little India to try my favorites too. It came true last Saturday as we had our lunch in Kapitan after I bought Tina and Gabby’s choices of Punjabi dress and shirt (no, not a saree) that they will wear in one of the functions that we will attend in our days off in Manila soon.

Our family's love affair for some Indian dishes at Kapitan begins.

Huge servings, quick and attentive service, best of all, English-speaking staff complimented Kapitan’s tasteful dishes.  Those essential qualities in food places are sadly, a rarity in most local restaurants here so one can easily imagine happiness and satisfaction in dining in Kapitan. There’s one wait staff  in Kapitan-Little India who doesn’t forget to offer spoon and fork and table napkins –this little gesture, believe me, doesn’t exist in others even in fast food joints unless you ask for them.

Personal favorite : Chicken Tandoori set comes with cheese naan and a burst of flavors -tamarind dip, green mango+chili chutney, fish head curry served with freshly sliced onions and lime.

We chose to eat in the open-air-beside-the-street dining area rather than Kapitan’s second floor that’s airconditioned. Tina and Gabby browsed the menu but they trusted my recommendations.

Tina sampled my usual order from Kapitan : Chicken Tandoori set that comes with chicken delightfully marinated in yoghurt before grilling it with spices and butter.  She had Garlic Cheese Naan to pair with it.  With my wife’s discriminating-hard-to-please-taste buds, she smiled ear to ear after making the first bite.   Gabby enjoyed the same set but only with Cheese Naan less the garlicy flavor Tina had.

Although I knew it’s a perfect opportunity for me to try other dishes from Kapitan like their Biryani, Mutton and others, I stayed within my comfort zone of having chicken again but this time not a Tandoori but a Chicken Cheese Kebab.

New found love : Chicken Cheese Kebab with double order of Cheese Naan! Sarap!

Tender. Flavorful. Loved it. The waiter suggested for me to have 2 Cheese Naan instead of one. I became submissive as resistance was futile at that time.

We did have spoons and forks, but since an area for handwashing is available, Tina opted to eat it traditionally; Gabby and I followed. Look at those fingers pinching those Naan-goodness…

I was in cloud 9 when I saw my family enjoying their meals at Kapitan. It’s a refreshing breather from our usual fast food and restaurant dining.

it was a lovely lunch!

Because they liked it too, it’s definitely not our last time dining together in Kapitan-Little India.

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Have you tried Indian food?  What’s your favorite?

QUICK POST, BIG THANK YOU!

I am humbled and honored to be one of the 10 finalists under Best Personal Blog Category-National Level in this year’s Philippine Blog Awards.  Maraming Salamat po, PBA and to everyone who follows Beyond Toxicity. Congratulations to whoever will win this Saturday, December 3, 2011.  Win or lose, this is absolutely INSPIRING.

THE WEEKEND THAT WAS

On my IELTS -Speaking Test   last 5th November in George Town, Penang, one of the topics that we randomly talked about was ‘weekends.’  The stunningly beautiful British lady-assessor asked me, “How do you spend your weekends?”  ….”What are your plans on the coming weekend?”

Nothing has changed. My answers remain the same.

Part of the Christmas decorations of Prangin Mall, in Komtar, George Town, Penang. Reminds me of one of our family's favorite movies, the 2009 animated love story of Carl and Ellie and the Wilderness explorer, Russell.

Because my wife and I work from Monday to Friday and our son, Gabby goes to school 5 days a week too, weekends for us are remarkably priceless!

I consider myself  lucky and blessed compared to other expats and OFWs because I have my family with me.  Thus, my weekends are special because I get to celebrate it with Tina and Gabby.

Almost every Friday night, simple things such as dining together and watching TV shows or movies at home define the start of our weekend break.  Restful sleep follows with the thought that there’s no need to wake up as early as 30 minutes before 5 in the morning because there are no clothes to iron, food to prepare and Rapid Penang bus number 601 to catch, all done in a rush (these are true for Tina and Gabby but as for me, I allow them to enjoy sleeping and curl up in bed until late Saturday morning so I designated myself  responsible in going to public market which is a couple of minute-one-bus-ride-away from our place.  And I chose to do it before the clock hits half hour past 6 every weekend morning. No complaints otherwise we won’t have a thing on our table for the next week; besides, it has been a habit).  We always look forward to every weekend because of all this.

After such personal weekend ceremony, we either hit the roads to catch the bus, hop on the ferry to reach George Town and its malls, museums and whatnot, or spend lazy hours at home with food, TV shows, movies to ourselves.

With or without conscious efforts, Tina, Gabby and I usually have varied forms of family bonding during Saturdays and Sundays. And last weekend was another fun…

The most celebrated season is for kids and kids at heart.

Seeing these Christmas-related displays in one of the malls in Pulau Pinang confirmed that there’s no stopping the season. Even a predominantly Muslim Malaysian state respects and allows Christians to celebrate the commemoration of birth of Jesus.

These are the holiday decors of Prangin Mall in George Town. The simple and non-intimidating mall is standing side-by-side with the tallest building in the island, Komtar. How does it look like?  It’s unique but it reminds me of Isettan Recto, Ever, Manuela (Star Mall) back home. In the words of my in-law, “masang-masa!”

Regardless whether Prangin Mall is jologs or not, its Christmas cheers made Gabby excited for a moment and happy!

His happiness continued as we eat lunch in the fast food that he requested…

One of Gabby's simple pleasures : Happy Meal Toy

Although there were hassles in between like, Tina and Gabby forgot to bring their cellphones, so it took me a while to look for them when I went to the ATM machine, and when I tried to remit to my brother in Pinas, I failed to do the transaction via Moneygram for their system was offline at the moment, thankfully still, the family’s main agenda were fulfilled. Last Saturday was all about movies and TV shows. We had movie and TV show-marathons inside a mall and at home.

From McDonald’s Happy Meal toy, the fun went on to First Avenue Mall (across Prangin Mall in George Town) cinemas. First movie was what else but Puss in Boots…

Verdict : Entertaining.  A famous fairytale, Jack and the Beanstalk complete with that gold pooper-duck and her mommy giant duck is incorporated to the story of this animated furry character that sprung from Shrek movie series; Puss in Boots’ heroic and fraternal acts and motherly love are something to watch for.

 With an hour gap, we transferred movie house in the same mall to watch…

Verdict :  OK lah however, I expected more vampire vs wolves encounters but what we got was cheesy honeymoon scenes that made Gabby cover his eyes with his hands without peeping.  We don’t read its books so we’re clueless about the saga. Nonetheless, like Harry Potter movies that stretched to a decade of following from us, and so did Pirates of the Carribean and Narnia chronicles, we felt a little obliged to watch it since it became a part of our movie-going history. The Brazilian paradise-venue for Edward-Bella honeymoon was a refreshing though.

Have you watched these movies? How did they appeal to you?

At home, after that movie date with Tina and Gabby, our eyes were glued to the TV series we follow.

We watched AXN’s  The Kitchen Musical

“A mouth-watering dramatic musical TV series packed with hit songs, delicious recipes and vibrant choreography, set in a fast-paced and cut-throat world of culinary arts. Taking place in The Avilon, a famous restaurant, The Kitchen Musical is a story about Maddie, a rich, young girl straight out of Le Cordon Bleu, Paris, and her journey of self-discovery. Despite being the daughter of the restaurant owner, Maddie chooses to get the support of her colleagues by winning their trust. Featuring Pop Idol and Star In A Million finalist, Christian Bautista, as sous chef Daniel.

The Kitchen Musical is 100% Hot & Spicy!”  text and photo sourced from AXN’s  The Kitchen Musical

It’s a delight for a Filipino family like us living few miles away from Pinas to see Filipino talents on a Pan-Asian musical series (READ : Malaysia’s not covered by TFC (The Filipino Channel) thus we rely only on live streaming websites for TV shows and movies from Pinas).  Although they have varied accents that for some may be disturbing, we consider it part of entertainment. I personally like the genuine artistry of its musical director and arranger, Gerard Salonga who managed tocreatively infused amazing songs from different musical genres to the delicious flavors and fascinating scenes this show have been offering.

Sunday was about Gabby’s cartoons from SpongeBob Squarepants, Little Einstein, Mickey Mouse Playhouse, Mr. Bean and others. And since we only have one LCD TV, we usually take turn in watching our favorites.

Another show that defines our weekend is The Amazing Race. Seldom we catch its primetime screening on weekdays because of preparation for the coming work days, so we make up for its episode reruns every Saturday and Sunday.  The adrenaline rush while traveling and competing makes this reality show a sure hit that’s difficult to miss.

Tina, Gabby and I also follow another reality show but uniquely inclined to culinary. It’s on Asian Food Channel (AFC) by E&O (Eastern & Oriental Hotel in Penang) Next Celebrity Chef where some of its contestants are recruits from the Philippines.

Those shows, movies and a lot more in between had occupied our hours of family bonding last weekend.

There are so much reasons to anticipate and look forward to another weekend!

And (as I write this) did I tell you that we’re still enjoying a long weekend, because today, Monday is a holiday here in Malaysia? 

Gabby and I continue to have fun by playing this simple toy I bought fro less than 2 ringgit (less than PhP 14) in the public market last Saturday…

Pick Up Sticks : Guess who's winning?

How’s your weekend?

THE DAY WE HAD BIGGER APPETITES

A few months back, there was one weekend morning that Tina, Gabby and I woke up with a great drive for eating. You might be thinking that there’s nothing uncommon about it as my family and I truly have passion for dining (READ : Gluttony is far different from being self-declared food enthusiasts or foodies; spelling pa lang po magkaiba na!)  but that day was totally exceptional. We oddly tried two Steamboat and BBQ buffet restaurants in a day.

The marbling of the meat says it all. Tender, moist and flavorful!

Lunch was at Asian BBQ located at Prangin Mall, George Town, Penang. It was less ordinary compared to Yakimix in SM Mall of Asia, Manila, more so with Don K! Yakiniku Buffet in Tokyo  which absolutely earned a spot in my taste buds.

With its price less than 50 ringgit (PhP 700 or USD 15.63), Tina chose a package meal that allowed Gabby to practice his ”cooking expertise” (Consider this part of his chef-wannabe immersion). 

This was our table. Clean and almost spotless however the grill isn’t smokeless.  

But wait, I know we shouldn’t be complaining because grilling and barbecue are 2 different things. Agree? (READ : Muli, spelling pa lang po, magkaiba na!). To those who are still in the dark, allow me to enlighten you a bit (Violent reactions are welcome on the comment thread but you’re too much if you expect a reply…*biro lang!).

If you must know, I read somewhere that if and when there’s use of direct high heat, it’s grilling.  And cooking meat, fish, or anything you fancy over a low heat slowly with a smoke is barbecuing. Ergo, what we had for this lunch was actually barbecue, not to forget the name of the restaurant’s Asian BBQ, hehe!  

Res Ipsi Loquitor : The evidence speaks for itself.  

Smokin' !!!

Despite we smelled like what we chow down, the fambam had fun!

After stuffing ourselves with that Asian BBQ package that came with cups of rice, we burned those calories by strolling inside the mall and another mall across the street and hopped on a bus to spend the rest of the afternoon at a public beach in Tajung Bungah, a coast line 12 km away from George Town.

Sunset signaled us to take dinner somewhere. And because it will take a while before we reach our home here in Penang, Tina gave her green light for us to pay Town’s Steamboat  Buffet Restaurant a visit again. 

A sight of a packed food place is always an indicator that we're in the right venue.

If you’re following this blog for some time now, you should be familiar with this food place in Jalan Macalister (Macalister Road) in George Town where (binge) eating is best just disregard the disturbing presence of those LPG gas tanks beside each table (If you’re suffering from paranoia, you’ll instantly entertain the thought that these tanks might explode while you munch and digest a feast–morbid!).

The fantastic and voluminous spread of this place makes up for its lack of proper ambiance.  Food choices and value-for-money are the things that make us go back here once in a while.

Piping Hot Dimsum and Dumplings : Bottomless and Self-Service. YUM!

Tong tong tong tong pakitong kitong….

 

There are spreads of cooked and raw ingredients. You either barbecue or throw them down and simmer on a hot soup base. We always do both!

 How sweet it is to end a day with sweets!

Not the perfect Portugese egg tarts but nonetheless can satisfy one's craving.

 We never had dessert at lunch that day so I we downed cups of ice cream and ice  drops for Gabby (not in photo).

The strawberry and chocolate flavors were mediocre however the coffee ice cream was excellent!

Food is and will always be a substantial part of our great appetite to engage in family bonding.  

Until our next one!

IT’S HER DAY!

We seriously miss cakes from Red Ribbon, Bizu, Goldilocks and Conti's but Secret Recipe's fill the emptiness somehow, hehe!

Last Sunday afternoon, I traveled and was out for almost 5 hours from home and back just to buy some ingredients and bring home a box of cake.  Despite hassles in the trips via buses and ferry, I was nonetheless successful.

I wrote the spelling of our names correctly of course, before I handed in the small sheet of paper to the Malaysian lady at the counter for her to decorate on the cake. I also checked it before leaving  the shop but perhaps, my eyes really do have error of refraction because when Tina opened the box at home, she instantly noticed Gabby’s name was mispelled as DABBY. It made her laugh though.

Chocolate Indulgence : our favorite from Secret Recipe -bar none!

I made sure that our little surprises for Tina’s big day that fell on a Wednesday were already at hand 3 days prior. We didn’t plan to be absent from work but it happened.  On the morning of her birthday, she didn’t feel well and can’t go up to report to work (blame her Vertigo again). I cannot leave her alone at home thus, I decided not to go to work too (anyway, I had no class schedules); so did Gabby for his school. 

It tastes better than it looks!

Gabby became excited to safely use my favorite kitchen gadget, the peeler with one long carrot. Together, we prepared and cooked our own version of Seafood Marinara with only mushrooms, diced carrots, onions, a kilo of prawns and a kilo of scallops! Sarap!

Tina cooked Pasta Carbonara last September on my birthday, and last October on Gabby's. Now, we had roasted garlic and parmesan tomato-based sauce for our own version of Seafood Marina!

 Thank you for everything, honey and I’m sorry for my shortcoming.  Gabby and I love you so much!

Thank you so much, Lord for giving her to me and Gabby!  She’s one of Your greatest blessings to our family!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

SIMPLE WEEKEND MADE UNFORGETTABLE

Thank God it was another extraordinary weekend! We spent our Saturday night celebrating an event momentous to kids and their parents. Gabby and I attended his school’s Graduation and Rewards Night which was done without formalities, nonetheless with fun, food and more importantly,  values transcending cultural and religious diversities.

An infinity pool at the 5th level of a premium appartment building in Butterworth, Penang served as backdrop of the event.

Gabby arrived at the venue about 2 hours before I came. He was picked up by his Mandarin teacher at around 6PM from our place because they needed to have last minute-rehearsals so he was brought to Seaview Tower, the venue of their program (where his school’s principal and teacher lives).

Neither grand stage nor velvet drapes were at sight. What welcomed me were a casual poolside platform and a group of happy and proud parents with their kids!

It was my first time to attend a poolside Graduation event. Informal yet fun and memorable!

Blame her VERTIGO (read : severe dizziness) that Tina wasn’t able to join.   

Meet the first two people who greeted me at the event.

The Unsung Heroines of Gabby's school : Indian-Malaysian, Mary who impressed me with her English fluency and Ate Josephine, a Kababayan! Both of these women take good care of Gabby and his schoolmates before, after and whenever their teachers declare breaktime and class dismissal.

Few minutes after I arrived, the program began. However, I had to give Ate Josephine’s spread a try so I stayed with her in one corner while I dunk my fork in some of these…hehe!

Parents can’t wait to see their kids perform…

Not long after Ms. Jasmine, their Principal and Gabby’s teacher made her welcome remarks, the little beautiful “ducks” came out dancing, quack, quack, quack! …nice!

Who could not remember this “walang-kamatayang” dance song from those Korean singing sensation, Wonder Girls…

Most kids have musical talents…

There were inspirational performances too! One by one, kids came in front with boxes labeled with Hate, Sorrow, Fear, Greed, Pride, Stress then one of their groupmates introduced them to the Holy Bible, thus their negative boxes were transformed into Love, Joy, Security, Giving, Humility & Peace.

But of course, I am partial to Gabby’s acts.  His first with his friends was a brief drama skit about a King and his Ungrateful Servant. Guess what Gabby portrayed….

Then he sang his heart out with the song, Shepherd of My Soul….

After the song of the choir, must take a bow!

looks more like meeting de avance!

 Certificates were given to those who graduated the Primary School.

I also went on stage after a colleague, Dr. P (on-photo, whose daughter is one of Gabby's schoolmates) gave away honors and certificates to the graduates; I did it too! It was a pleasure sharing the stage with those cute twins who came out in immaculate ballgowns. It was a moment that I wished that Tina and I have little daughter(s) too!

 I was given a simple token for being one of the kids’ presenters…

simple but it's the thought that counts! :)

 The program ended at almost 10 in the evening and we all went home with smiles and stories to share.

our precious one!

10 THINGS I RELEARNED FROM MY FIRST IELTS EXPERIENCE

It might be a simple and petty exam for some but it was an experience for me. I took the International English Language Testing System exam–ACADEMIC (the other type is General Training), offered by the British Council last 5th November in George Town, Penang, Malaysia as per requirement of my present work as a medical lecturer. I took the RISK and defied a famous Chinese philosopher’s quote.

[1] PREPARATION IS KEY TO SUCCESS.  Indubitably, the quote above is true (It’s used in The Amazing Race, Season 19, in their Taiwan-leg recently). Gearing up properly for something will definitely yield positive. As for my case, perhaps, the stars, the moon and lady luck were all on my side when I sat in the exam. Seriously, I owe it much to the good Lord for He is great and merciful. He made it possible for me to pass despite I barely had review! I only spent two days of browsing the review materials that I printed from the web. Like Confucius, I absolutely do not recommend braving a war without a sword.

With Tina and Gabby in tow, I went to the British Council office before 9AM exactly a week prior to my test date. I downloaded and printed IELTS application form from their website and filled it out, brought my passport and 2 identical recent passport photos and the fee (to be reimbursed by our medical university), RM 570 (USD  182 or PhP 7,860; cheaper here compared to Pinas when Tina took it last 2007 it’s PhP 8640 then).

I asked the pleasantly looking Chinese-Malaysian lady staff at the counter who received me  that Saturday morning if November 5th testing date is still open. I got a nod and so I decided not to prolong the agony.  I told myself silently, “Let’s go, let’s do this!”

My IELTS memorabilia : receipt of application form with log-in number to free 30-hour online review which I failed to use, my candidate number and claim stub to my bag, my bag's tag number, official pencil & eraser, and my passport (recognized JPR wearing shades on the cover?)

[2] PUNCTUALITY INDICATES COMMITMENT.  I woke up before 6 in the morning of 5th November, Saturday;  hit the shower, drank my much-needed caffeine dose, filled my tummy a bit with noodles and hurriedly hopped on the bus to Penang Sentral. I waited for few minutes for the ferry and headed to George Town in about 12min-ride. At the jetty in the island, I rode the free shuttle Rapid Penang bus that took me to Cititel Hotel in Jalan Penang (notice my blog header?) or Penang Road.  I fortunately arrived 15 minutes before the 8AM call time for the exam. I would not have forgiven myself if I came late for the test. FYI, I am rarely late on any schedule I commit unless there’s valid reason.  Intentional tardiness doesn’t run in my blood.

[3]  FOCUS ON THE TASK GETS THE JOB DONE RIGHT.   At Level 3 of Cititel Hotel where ballrooms are located, I saw the volume of examinees across all ages and races waiting patiently for any instructions from the British Council invigilators. I instantly noticed a single laminated poster on the wall with directions and labeled illustrations of the Philips wireless headsets to be provided for the LISTENING TEST. I took mental note of its knobs, how to turn it on, how to adjust its volume.   

I greeted with a smile one of my foreign colleagues who was also there for the test (No one from our office knew I was taking the exam few weeks after it was required to all teaching staff). I immediately texted Tina that I have arrived at the venue and kept no interactions with anyone after. Soon, I collected myself and concentrated on the exam ahead.

Few minutes after 8AM, the senior invigilators announced the start of registration. With other IELTS examinees, I queued after 2 bladder trips to the toilet. I needed to empty my bladder to avoid physiological distractions during the exam.  I presented my passport as my ID, got a claim stub and a tag with my candidate number for my bag and long umbrella (part of the instructions was to bring drinking water on a clear and transparent bottle, I followed but chose to keep mine in my bag and did not drink until the first 3 areas were done), and subjected myself for body search before entering the test venue (hotel’s ballroom). 

With only my passport at hand and claim stub for my things, I finally found myself seated at the last desk of the middle column of examinees with the designated desk and my candidate number. I immediately tried the wireless headset and tear the plastic pack of mechanical pencil and eraser provided for the test.

[4] PRAYERS CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS.  Despite the shame that I did not prepare enough, I still silently uttered a short prayer and called for divine intervention. (I disregarded the thought that God the Father, Jesus and His Holy Spirit might be busy on more difficult problems of the world, hehe! Certainly, I know the Lord has time for everyone).

[5] FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS IS AS IMPORTANT AS BREATHING. The tables were turned. The moment came when the examiner became the examinee.  As a very strict educator(thousands of my Filipino students can attest this!), I am definitely aware how crucial it is to follow instructions correctly. And so I became so keen in observing directions as the examination began with the Listening test that required, “Answers should be not more than 2 words, or answers should not be more than a word or a number…”  

An excess word or unecessary answer to what is asked will lead you dead (read : wrong mistakes! haha!)

[6] ALWAYS ASK WHENEVER SKEPTICAL. Asking questions to the official invigilators by raising hand to catch their attention was allowed.  I did that when I had no idea on how to fill out and shade my candidate number on the answer sheet. After I got a response, I was back on track. I tried to be in my best fighting form!

[7] BEING CONSCIOUS OF TIME GIVES YOU A GREAT EDGE. The four components of IELTS -Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking are all time-limited. Each test and subtest has specified duration that ranges from 20 minutes, 40 minutes to maximum of an hour. No extensions are given to whatsoever reason. Time is indeed golden!

[8] BE MINDFUL OF YOUR OBSTACLES. I thank the Lord that despite my rush decision of taking the exam without formal review, I managed to read some materials that somehow introduced me to the test itself.  More so, Tina guided me with her reminders and important inputs about the exam (FYI, she took and passed IELTS twice; first in Auckland, New Zealand where she got overall band score 7.0 back in 2005 with no review too, then she had to retake as it expired 2 years after. Her overall band score was again 7.0).

Instructions are given verbally on microphone heard over our headsets and are also written on the front page of every questionnaire. It is important not to turn the page of the sheets unless told to do so.

The LISTENING TEST is composed of various recorded conversations played (without replays of course).  The examinees answer the questions as the exam progresses. There are total of 40 questions to answer with specified number of words or letter of the answer as some questions provide multiple choices.

The READING TEST comes after Listening test.  In my module, there are three 2-page-articles to read with series of questions. Answers are in the form of words, letters of the answers, or letter of the specific paragraph. Similar to Listening test, there are also 40 blanks on the answer sheet to fill out with correct answers under given time.

The WRITING TEST is the last part of the first session of IELTS exam.  It has two parts and as explained verbally by the invigilator; its second part has more weight (40 minutes allotted) than the first part (20 minute for report or graph interpretation). I also noted the instructions given : “Use the third page for your essay and first and second page for your report.”

With much ease on the topic, I did the essay part first. The topic was like, “There should be more financial investment on teaching Science than in other subjects. Agree or Disagree?”  And being an educator for 8 years now with Medicine degree and BS Biology in my bloodstream, this really seemed like within my comfort zone. Nonetheless, I certainly know the scoring for this part would be subjective. And absoultely, SCORING is SOMETHING NOT IN MY CONTROL. 

The first part was a bar graph with topic on something like ”comparative study on factors that determine success in business from correspondents in USA and EUROPE.”  Just when I was hoping to get a line graph, my exam had bar graph.  The report-interpretation with 20 minute-allotment requires the examinees to have at least 150 word-composition and the second part’s word count should be not less than 250. Again, everything should be accomplished under  specified time.

[9] KEEP IT ORIGINAL AS REPETITION IS LESS GOOD.  In WRITING TEST, keep your brain cells nurtured with tons of SYNONYMS, ADJECTIVES and ADVERBS.  Avoid using the same word more than once and utilize subject-verb agreement with utmost care. Thou shall not observe flight of ideas!  Do not digress! Stay on the topic and make sure to provide an introduction,  body and discussion and lastly, conclusion.

[10]  FLUENCY DOESN’T GUARANTEE SUCCESS, SPONTANEITY DOES! I am astronomically far from being fluent in English as it’s only my second tongue, however, I had no choice but to conquer the last part of the IELTS -the SPEAKING EXAM.  It dawned on me that one may be an expert at something but his expertise may be futile without being consistent and spontaneous.

I was neither fluent nor spontaneous and so I am not content with how I conducted myself during the SPEAKING test.  I never felt so awkward with any questions before!  I tried to be composed with proper hand gestures and facial expressions but everything did not fall into what I expected.

First few minutes of the test was a breeze. I was aksed to describe the CITY in my own country where I lived, then after several descriptive attempts on my end, the British-looking lady-assessor shifted the topic into BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS in childhood and adulthood in my country. We also talked about WEEKENDS (how do I spend my weekends, plan of activities for the next weekend, etc).  Then out of nowhere, she asked me about ANIMALS. Describing domesticated animals versus the wild was easy. I even relayed the importance of having pets at home and compared it with the extinct animals in their natural habitat. I even spoke of PETA, the non-governmental organization that cares for all shapes and sizes of animals (Thank God, I wasn’t asked of the definition of that acronym, LOL!).

Everything went well until we came to the second half of the SPEAKING  TEST. She handed me a manual where 3 questions were written (They were like, “Name an animal peculiar to your country. Describe it and its location where it thrives.” –something like that). 

At that moment, I became uneasy. Probably, because I wanted the whole day to end in a blink.  I initially thought of describing the Philippine monkey-eating eagle however, I believed I can say more about the carabaos or the water buffalos. hahaha! I needed to be like an authority to talk about that animal to salvage my score. And so I started with its physical characteristics.  Imagine me saying, “Carabaos or water buffalos are huge herbivores, black with 2 horns and 4 legs and a tail, LOL! hahaha! While controlling myself to burst into laughter, I continued by saying, “Unlike in Penang where farming is mechanized, these animals in my country are used by farmers in plowing rice fields.  Carabaos are commonly found in most rice-producing provinces in our country. ” I even mentioned the that “there’s a carabao festival in Bulacan (forgive me if it’s not in Bulacan!), a province located at the North of Manila, where these animals are featured kneeling in front of a Catholic Church just before they go on parade and participate in a race.” 

Never it crossed my mind that I will be speaking about CARABAOS on my SPEAKING TEST!  I cringed and wanted to shrink  from my seat, nonetheless after about 20 minutes, I was relieved to complete the entire IELTS exam and it was indeed one for the books!

Here’s how they grade The IELTS 9-band scale

There is no pass or fail in IELTS. Candidates are graded on their performance, using scores from 1 to 9 for each part of the test – Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. The results from the four parts then produce an Overall Band Score.

This unique 9-band system measures scores in a consistent manner – wherever and whenever the test is taken. It is internationally recognised and understood, giving you a reliable international currency. IELTS scores have a recommended validity period of two years.

Each band corresponds to a level of English competence. All parts of the test and the Overall Band Score can be reported in whole and half bands, eg 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0.

Band 9: Expert user: has fully operational command of the language: appropriate, accurate and fluent with complete understanding.

Band 8: Very good user: has fully operational command of the language with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriacies. Misunderstandings may occur in unfamiliar situations. Handles complex detailed argumentation well.

Band 7: Good user: has operational command of the language, though with occasional inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings in some situations. Generally handles complex language well and understands detailed reasoning.

Band 6: Competent user: has generally effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings. Can use and understand fairly complex language, particularly in familiar situations.

Band 5: Modest user: has partial command of the language, coping with overall meaning in most situations, though is likely to make many mistakes. Should be able to handle basic communication in own field.

Band 4: Limited user: basic competence is limited to familiar situations. Has frequent problems in understanding and expression. Is not able to use complex language.

Band 3: Extremely limited user: conveys and understands only general meaning in very familiar situations. Frequent breakdowns in communication occur.

Band 2: Intermittent user: no real communication is possible except for the most basic information using isolated words or short formulae in familiar situations and to meet immediate needs. Has great difficulty understanding spoken and written English.

Band 1: Non-user: essentially has no ability to use the language beyond possibly a few isolated words.

Band 0: Did not attempt the test: No assessable information provided.
Sourced from www.IELTS.org

Fast forward to THIRTEEN DAYS AFTER, the results were out. 

MY PERSONAL POST-RESULT ASSESSMENT : I realized I didn’t compose an arguement on my essay part of the Writing test. The topic was simple and was indeed within my comfort zone however, I just thought that the score could have been higher had I used the phrases, “In contrast…..” “On the otherhand…” or perhaps, “The other side of the coin shows…” Nonetheless, I cannot be thankful enough.

Are erasures and cleanliness parts of the criteria in marking the Writing component of IELTS? Do you have any idea?

Maraming salamat sa kalabaw at naka- 8 po ako sa Speaking test, LOL!

I am now certified fluent in 3 languages, Tagalog, English (kunyari lang!), and Sarcasm! hehe!

Seriously, my family and I are always thankful for all blessings -big and small.  Glory to God! Thank You, Oh LORD!

SOMETHING ABOUT THANK YOU

Feeding the ego or lauding the soul? Either way, I know perception is relative. I’m posting these compiled proofs of GRATITUDE because I’M PROUD not of their praises but of the fact that GRATEFULNESS still EXISTS in this age when almost everything is digital, wireless or remotely controlled.  

Chatty's one of my former Filipino Nursing students, registered and currently enjoying her life in Europe. She's one of my most intelligent students; her class was a gem!

 Appreciation, if freely given makes you happy, definitely!

Eric's also a former Filipino Nursing student, now licensed and is into traveling and photography. He's one of my most responsible and behaved male students (at least on my class); others were notorious.

 In whatever form, expressions of THANK YOU always leave a healthy scar on the heart.

Hannah's one of my Malaysian PreMed students who's now in Galway, Ireland studying Medicine in one of those schools affiliated with my current work place.

 On a much lighter note, even CELEBRITIES know how to say THANK YOU to anonymous soul like me.

Exhibit A : Jim Paredes of the ever famous Filipino singing group APO, replied to my email when I asked him about schedules of his photography class in Patis Tesoro’s garden cafe in Quezon after Christmas (I got a negative response but made me smile ear to ear!)….

Exhibit B :  Immediately after watching The Kitchen Musical on AXN (musical TV series presently being shown all over Asia where Filipino artists are featured with no less than Gerard Salonga as musical director and arranger), I tweeted Karylle Tatlong Hari (the star of the show and daughter of Zsazsa Padilla) and she INSTANTLY sent me DM!  *kilig*

Exhibit C : A simple appreciation of my unsolicited advice in one of CVS’ well-read posts. Those words were short but totally spoke of acknowledgment.

I therefore conclude, GRATITUDE is the BEST ATTITUDE!

When did you last utter the words, THANK YOU? 

What were your most memorable recognition or acts of gratefulness?

Me? The mere fact that my family and I are waking up every morning is more than enough to be thankful for! 

Thank you to those people who are appreciative.  Sana huwag kayo maging extinct!

 

 

ITLOG NA PULA, ATBP

Whenever clock hits few minutes after 5PM on a Monday-to-Friday-basis, Tina and I head to the bus stop just in front of our work place to hurriedly go home. And while on our 30-40 minute ride, we wait for Gabby’s call to inform us that he’s on his way home too via his service-van from school.  During this time, I usually ask Tina what’s on her mind for dinner.   Her answer of course, depends on the contents of our fridge and pantry.

Recently, I’ve been craving for some salted eggs on a bed of chopped fresh tomatoes seasoned with either salt or fish sauce (yes, to make it more salty!) so I made sure I bought some.  I grew up liking this Filipino favorite combo and was so familiar with ready-to-eat-red-coated-salted eggs back home. Imagine our fancy when I brought home these from the public market here in Penang…

Those black and monstrous looking eggs are raw salted eggs and they're edible by the way, LOL!

Apparently, salted eggs here in Penang are traditionally Chinese. Unlike the ones sold in the Philippines that are dyed in red to easily distinguished them from fresh duck eggs, salted eggs here are covered in black sand and soil (in some parts of Asia, I read, in salted charcoal paste).

I paid 8 ringgit (PhP 112 or USD 2.54) for 10 pieces of raw salted eggs from the Chinese-Malay vendor at the public market here in Butterworth; cheaper than my recall to its price from Landmark Supermarket in TriNoma about 2 years ago (How much are they now in Pinas?). 

After throughly washing them one by one under running water, these salted eggs were boiled before peeled to perfection to look like these…

Craving satisfied!    The orange-red yolks are rich in cholesterol, I know. We only eat it once in a blue moon! *defensive* LOL! Meanwhile, Tina was up for something more…

Salted eggs + freshly chopped tomatoes coupled with fried fillet of cream dory and mangoes were part of our meal at home.

Another day, another feast.

Tina's fresh lumpia with sweet peanut sauce + chopped roasted peanuts & minced garlic toppings, steamed prawns, slices of papaya and some bananas.

Regardless of the dishes on our table, wherever we eat, we consider being together the most appetizing part of our dining!

GABBY’S CHRISTMAS TREE

With no imposed obligations from them, I’m trying my best to give back to my parents by doing things to Gabby what they did to me and my brothers. It’s one of the simple ways I know to show gratitude to the people who raised us well.

Before I got married and raised a family of my own, I used to put up a Christmas tree with my mom, siblings and cousins on either the last day of October or after Undas (All Saints and All Souls’ Day).  Like ordinary Filipino family, it has been a tradition for us to welcome and usher the yuletide season in our home by gathering around our living room to assemble one of the most famous holiday symbols, the Christmas tree!

From malls to shops in Divisoria, we usually update our decors almost every 2 to 3 years back then. Once, our mom even brought us to a specific distributor of Christmas decors and novelty items somewhere in San Francisco Del Monte, Quezon City (a company called ‘Unique’ that supplies National Bookstores and some department stores in Pinas). We used to have 6 feet Christmas tree with decors that are older than my nephew and nieces.

While on Tina’s end, my in-laws are also fond of sprucing up the house with holiday cheers. Last year, Tina, Gabby and I unboxed my in-laws’ collection of Christmas village that they have purchased over the years from US. (View them HERE!)

Now that I have Tina and Gabby, it’s more apparent that a simple activity as raising a Christmas tree can foster family bonding.

With only 150-cm- Christmas tree and its decors, he did not contain his happiness! The moment was priceless!

Except for the Christmas lights, Gabby decorated the tree himself, piece by piece…

S & J, a novelty shop in Queensbay Mall, Penang issued their free quarterly ”Bento magazine” to promote their items on sale. For the 3 of us, the most interesting items on the pages are the Christmas tree packages with mostly European themes.

There were a lot to choose from; themes were inspired by the key cities in Europe and few from other parts of the globe. There’s Barcelona, New York, Paris, Moscow, Helsinki, Rome, Edinburgh, and the one we brought that the three of us selected in its medium size (4 feet+) -Black forest (in Germany).  The ‘Black forest’ tree was described in the Bento magazine with phrase, “Mesmerize with fairytale toys of wonderland Germany.”

Not only with their themes, but sizes of these Christmas trees vary from small (120 cm), medium (the one we got at 150 cm) and large (180 cm).

Here are detail shots of our tiny Christmas tree….

We love Christmas balls in any color, in any size!

The Black forest Christmas tree package from S & J was lacking of stocks of two types of Christmas balls so the sales ladies asked us to choose from their shelves. Tina singled out little mirror-balls for our tree.

From Mr. Snowman to Santa Clause and reindeers, the decors are a delight to our eyes! Gabby enjoyed putting them on the tree that’s only a bit taller than him.

Got to believe in.... Santa Clause!

Putting the star on top of the tree is somewhat symbolic. We also wanted Gabby to do it however he told me that he’s already tired so I did the job for him. The boy’s energy was exhausted in our first Christmas activity, hehe!

Et voila….Gabby’s masterpiece!

With no explanations needed, Christmas goes beyond those glittery and sparkling decors. We anticipate more our celebrations of the reason for the season as we do this earthly preparations.

Our Christmas tree heightens our excitement to come home to the Philippines on the 3rd week of December.  We cannot wait to see how Manila and our relatives’ places have been decorated for this season!

SHANGRI-LA’S RASA SAYANG : A BLEEDING WOUND, A THOUGHTFUL STAFF, A DIGESTIVE FEAST PART 2

I have always thought that most of our priceless and happy moments together as a family are commonly shared over a meal. Either at home or whenever we dine out, great tasting foods have been essential in making the three of us more joyous. Most epicurean adventures that we celebrate, be it simple or otherwise have been a constant reminder too, that we’re so blessed on top of life’s challenges. 

On a lighter note, I am a strong believer of my personal beatitude, ‘Blessed are the people who consider food as their kryptonite for they will continuously seek strength to fight cravings for more toothsome dishes!’ LOL! However, I know most, if not all will instantly agree with me that resistance is remarkably futile if the spread includes the following….  

Mont Blanc

 Black Forest never presented this edgy…

Our 7-year-old wonder boy loves cheese and cheese cakes and so are we…

Gabby’s palatal exposure to wide array of digestive stimuli may hopefully contribute in his aspirations to become a chef, a hotelier and a restaurateur someday. So help us, God!  

Paris Brest

Strawberry Flan

Apparently, Chocolate Dome Cake…

Pralinosa Bavaroise…

 

And of course, Tiramisu….

Reservation was done over a phone call a week prior to this dinner-buffet. Spice Market Cafe in Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa in Batu Feringgi, Penang is usually packed even on weekdays, as we’re told, not only because of their on-going promotion (Yes, if it’s not a buy-one-free-one we could have not afford it, haha!) but more logically for their delightful dishes. 

No fresh floral arrangements, neither fancy balloons nor fruits. What could be more appropriate table centerpieces for Spice Market Cafe but mortar and pestle with dried herbs and spices.

Table for 3 please : Tina, Gabby & me

The three of us immediately became busy viewing the spread of the different live-cooking stations that represent a multi-cultural gastronomic feast : Continental, Indian, Japanese, Chinese and Malay.  Even Gabby had several trips to the buffet tables on his own. And after getting our individual preferences, we shared plates generously.

Without a clue, Tina’s scarred wound at the tip of her left ring finger was already bleeding; her table napkin was inevitably stained with drops of blood.

• me: Ano nangyari? Bakit dumugo?  (What happened? Why did it bleed?)
• Tina : Hindi ko napansin e.  (I didn’t notice.)

Then out of nowhere, Norizah, a short-haired pleasant female senior wait staff approached our table with utmost concern. She asked what happened and offered something she can do.

• Tina : (smiling despite bleeding) “My wound is bleeding but I’m OK. Nothing to worry. I am a nurse and my husband is a doctor.”
• me : (smiled and nodded at Norizah)
• Norizah :  “You’re a nurse and he’s a doctor but you are my customers and I worry about you. Would you like me to bring something from the clinic?  I’ll go get some band-aid.”   

Right there and then, I wanted to give Norizah a “Natatanging Waitress Award.” (Outstanding Waitress Award) haha! Seriously, I could have told her that it’s our first time to experience such utmost thoughtfulness from a restaurant staff but Tina and I only thanked her for her impeccable service.

How many hotels, restaurants or any form of food places have thought of providing kids their own plates?  Isn’t this gesture sweet?

Because excitement was difficult to contain, Gabby filled his first plate with chilled scallops that he topped with what else but parmesan and cheese dressing. Cheesy overload on those delicious mollusks. Takaw mata man, Tina and I were there to eat his leftovers. Sarap!

There’s a bar that has various cheese offerings; celery and carrot sticks made available for dipping.

How do you like blue cheese?

Or emmental cheese perhaps?

There’s no wine for obvious reasons but breads made a great combination..

Now, let’s proceed to shameless display of plates :  I started with this few slices of cold cuts– chicken ham and that remarkably delicious smoked salmon, with bread and cheeses. We also enjoyed their thick and creamy corn soup.

Must have that detail shot, haha!

Second of my beatitude, “Blessed are the people who have no hypersensitivity, for theirs the kingdom of seafoods!”

I am a sucker for prawns and proof to this is the fact that I never miss out to buy prawns from the public market here every weekend (read : we’re lucky for it’s a lot cheaper here than in Pinas).  Tina usually cook it either with garlic and butter or just steamed and we’re on cloud 9 already!

Mussels on the otherhand, aren’t as common as shrimps here. If you must know, the sweet taste and humongous size of mussels that we’ve eaten when we were in Auckland, New Zealand back in 2005 for our memorable 7 week family vacation there remains to be unforgettable! We’re fortunate enough that the buffet of Spice Market Cafe has mussels but not as close as what we had in Auckland.

Then there were those another family favorite which Gabby had singled out…

Have you tasted yabbies?

We could have wash our hands and enjoyed them to bits but I for one had no extra room in my gastric pit…some other time, I guess haha!

Here’s my seafood plate…

Pity those who must take anti-histamines when they eat these glorious foods!

Moving on, the Chinese section’s essentials were present like noodle station…

It’s an experience watching the chef make hand-pulled noodles live! The force in kneading that dough as he stretched and slammed it to have less air was already an entertainment while eating!

Noodle soup must have other ingredients…

But where are the dimsum and dumplings? Did we miss it out?

I was silently jumping for bliss when I saw that there’s a Japanese station. It has been months since I’ve last squeezed a sushi between chopsticks.

Although to our dismay there were no ebi and crab tempura which are also Gabby’s favorites, we were happy to have freshest tuna and salmon sashimi, and some sushi…

The little-big boy really had his time…

I can eat this plateful of yummies everyday, haha!

I just recently found my love affair with some Indian foods, so I tried some chicken tandoori (but too spicy for my palates), papadum and roti, and one of the famous local grilled goodies here, chicken satay with peanut sauce…

I like their chicken satay but had an aversion to eat it with fresh onions. Usually, it’s eaten with cucumber and onion slices. Don’t you love these brass wares? I do!!! I wish when the time comes that we need to leave Malaysia, there would be extra money to buy these as souvenirs (O marami nyan sa Divisoria? LOL!)

Do you like lamb? I don’t because of its usual-after-taste that leaves you wanting to gargle non stop, hehe! But the slices of roasted lamb leg from this buffet made me reconsider it!

Beef dishes, as I know it, aren’t easy to prepare. It needs slow cooking for it to become tender and the beef medalions with mushrooms from Rasa Sayang doesn’t disappoint!

Peking Duck and  Char Siew Chicken were also sublime!

tastier and crunchier than it looks on photo!

Most foreigners and tourists would dig the local Malaysian favorites so for the desserts section, they’re offering ais kacang, cendol, ABC and more….(their version of our Filipino Halo-Halo!)

However, we didn’t try their version; perhaps, next time.

We've already tasted those green worm-like jellies made from rice flour and food coloring that are toppings of cendol from a hawker food stall in George Town before and we liked it! Grossly looking but will delight your palates!

Thankful to Gabby, he had the effort of going to the ice cream station to prepare a cup as Tina and I were already full that time.

Ice cream toppings and syrups never looked and tasted this great!

 Chef Gabby’s plating of ice cream…

Local Malaysian desserts were satiatingly good; our own versions we call them in Tagalog, kakanin…

Skewered for dipping…

One of this blog’s valued commenters (convictstock from Australia) mentioned before that their stay and dining in Rasa Sayang was made extraordinary because of their chocolate fondue. I agree but it would not hurt for Shangri-La Penang to double it with white chocolate fountain too! We have lots of hotels in the Philippines who offer it and it’s twice the fun of course!

Melted dark chocolate : so heavenly but wished there was white one too!

Gradually, Gabby’s having big ideas of what his kitchen, hotel and restaurant will all look like in the future as he picks up beautiful things and notes those he must avoid doing by his decent exposures to all this. It’s like (positive) brainwashing 101 or more like an early immersion for our kiddo. Salamat na lang, lagi may promosi! (We’re always grateful for promotions as buffets in hotels are made affordable!).

These FUNtastic looking sculptures out of some ingredients I guess, made Gabby and Tina the happiest people on that dining area that night. My family's addicted to Angry Birds as they left me still enjoying Plants vs Zombies, LOL!

 Thank you, Spice Market Cafe for putting up such dining decors for kids and kid-at-hearts!

Fresh fruits were also on the spread but not the same with fruit juices; you need to pay extra for a glass or two. It’s unlike other premier hotel-buffets we have tried here in Penang where beverages are included in their offering; that’s one little disadvantage for patrons of Rasa Sayang in our humble opinion.  

However, they uplifted our spirits when we learned that coffee is included in the buffet, yahoooo! Tina and I are just simple coffee-lovers!

One week prior to our dinner when I had phoned them to make a reservation, they told me that the 250-sitting capacity of the restaurant is almost filled. I just took the chance in requesting that if and when some guests back out for whatever reason, I’ll appreciate if they can accomodate us in for consideration that I am bringing Gabby and I was surprised on the eve of our indulgence, they did! They allowed us to sit inside the buffet dining area instead outside where they have nipa huts and more tables for diners. 

All in all, our first dining experience in Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa Spice Market Cafe was indeed, less ordinary. Admittedly, I personally had great expectations because of its name and reputation and they exceeded it, bar none! More than great tasting dishes, their friendly service to customers showed how they value their market over their business. And where else can you spot such impressive factors for the price of RM 185 nett (PhP 2,590 or USD 59) for the three of us (at RM 104+ : buy-one-free-one+kid’s half rate)? The cost is such a steal that one will be tempted to go back for more!  Visit their website for more details of their rates and promotions (http://www.shangri-la.com/)

Until our next family bonding moments!

________________________________ 

PART ONE : Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Spice Market Cafe Buffet

SHANGRI-LA’S RASA SAYANG : A BLEEDING WOUND, A THOUGHTFUL STAFF, A DIGESTIVE FEAST

RASA SAYANG, in Bahasa Malaysia when translated to English means A Taste of Love.  And in my vocabulary, Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa here in Penang is aptly called in every sense of the word.

The lobby is so enticing, you’ll fall in love in a heart beat…

Located 12km away from George Town, Penang, Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa is one of the premiere hotels in this part of Malaysia. Other than the lavish amenities and hospitality that Shangri-La Hotels are known for, this branch offers beyond great expectations.

We experienced something extraordinary that cannot be done justice in words or in pictures.

We arrived more than an hour earlier to the dinner-buffet we reserved at 6:30PM. Waiting wasn’t a big deal because appreciation of the hotel’s facilities was more than enough for us to kill time.

Because it was drizzling, Tina and Gabby decided to stay inside the lounge while I, with a huge black umbrella, took the chance to roam around from the lobby to the beachfront…

It reminded me of Shangri-La Mactan, Cebu where the lush green leads you to the waters however less the expansive lobby where you can view the majestic scenery. This one in Penang doesn’t have an elevated lobby like the hotel in Cebu but nonetheless impressive.

Nipa Huts and benches are found along the uniquely shaped swimming pools amidst the enormous trees and tropical plants. I know nothing of architecture but I noticed how creative they were in guiding the raindrops as they fall from huts’ roofs to a massively charming jar that serves as basin. Have you seen one like this in Pinas or elsewhere? (Ang husay ng alulod!). 

I joined my lovely wife and adorable son for some more minutes of waiting. While Gabby became busy taking photographs of the lounge and his parents, a male staff approached and talked to us.

• male staff :  Are you waiting for the dinner-buffet?  Do you have reservations, Sir?
  
• me : Yup! I did a reservation over the phone a week ago.
• male staff : Spice Market Cafe gets packed even on weekdays.
• me : Because of the on-going promotion?
• male staff : Not only that, Sir but because the food is really good. And for its price, it’s more than reasonable and competitive with other hotels’ buffets.
• me : That’s great to know. Thanks!

After few bladder breaks at the spotless tandas (toilet)…

and some more snapshots at the facade of the restaurant…

If jeepneys are the king of the road in the streets of Manila, in George Town, Penang are the trishaws. Most tourists and travelers are seen on this wheels, being driven by a local on a tour of one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites.

Finally, at 6:30PM, I confirmed our reservation at the entrance of Spice Market Cafe, was surprised that beside my name on the guest list was the apposition, “recognized blogger”; I cringed and swallowed my saliva! haha! (read : I am recognized only by my family and a few online friends and being known by some may be purely accidental).

Gabby, Tina and I have been to quite a number of eat-all-you-want-food havens but our experience in Rasa Sayang’s SPICE MARKET CAFE was definitely less ordinary….

Located at the main entrance of Spice Market Cafe is Spice Boutique that showcases an interesting display of varied spices and herbs that were sourced all over Asia .

Our 7-year-old kid who dreams of becoming a chef, a restaurateur and a hotelier someday was again exposed to another ground.  However, his nose wasn’t ready yet to perceive an array of aromas and different smell from those spices…

Perhaps, because of their quaint characteristics of being rustic and old, I was silently jumping for joy upon the sight of these museum-worthy kitchen wares and whatnot. I don’t care whether they’re original and vintage or just a noteworthy reproductions, they all looked attractive to me.

Tina and Gabby had their own fascinations while I found myself mesmerized…

Ais Kachang or their version of the Filipino Halo-Halo needs finely shaved ice, thus the existence of this equipment…

My eyes were also caught by a corner where a long wooden bench holds a row of canisters of locally-cooked chips…

We never dined anywhere before where the entrance of the restaurant creates such impact…

To be continued…

HALLOWEEN IN PENANG, 2011

At two years old, he was dressed as a pumpkin. The following year, as Count Dracula. And with his 3 years in Preschool –Nursery, Kindergarten and Preparatory, he wore ninja, scarecrow and tiger-chef costumes with appropriate face-paint makeups done specially by Tina.

From his school to malls in the Philippines such as our favorites, Greenbelt, TriNoma and Gateway, Gabby enjoyed collecting candies wearing his costumes we fancied every Halloween. He was even awarded as a student with “Most Creative Costume” in their school parties for 2 consecutive years.

Being abroad with limited budget doesn’t deter him from celebrating Halloween with other kids. Despite the fact that his school here and our appartment do not have similar activities, some malls here in Penang also conduct such events that add to priceless childhood happiness.  Although admittedly, it’s still best and more FUN doing all these things in our own country (read : we miss the malls and almost everything in Pinas!).

29 October 2011, Saturday –We arrived 10AM, so early at Queensbay Mall and headed directly to Starbucks Coffee, not only to grab quick morning drinks and bites but to be strategically near to the venue and stage where the Halloween Costume Contest for kids would be held. As I went to the counter to order a couple of ventis of frappuccinos (chocolate for Gabby, and dark mocha shared by Tina and me) and a plate of sausage roll, Tina didn’t waste any second and prepared her stuffs to do Gabby’s face paint.

If you must know, Tina doesn’t have any formal training, whatsoever on doing make ups. In fact, she only began wearing them few weeks after she first met me (she’ll kill me for this!). Apparently, she’s doing great with her face and with Gabby’s, isn’t she? This proves that Tina has many skills and talents. My wife isn’t only a diligent Operating Room nurse, a dedicated mother, a passionate educator herself, but also a creative makeup artist in her own right!  She even managed to work well with the face paint I bought from Toys R Us here despite it was far from the brands she told me to buy (supply of those things is rare in this part of Malaysia).

In character before he ate his lunch!

Gabby requested one of his favorites, Pizza Hut for lunch. We’re delighted with a pitcher of Mountain Dew, a small loaf of garlic bread, soup of the day and a large 7-cheese-pizza!

Pizza Hut's Seven Cheese Pizza : Romano, Monterey Jack, Parmesan, Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Provolone, Mozzarella and Cheddar. So heavenly!

Gabby remains to be a purist when it comes to pizzas so he wants it nothing but cheese.  This new offerring from Pizza Hut was welcoming to him and in fact, we all found it sublime that I am craving for another slice as I write this. 

We finished lunch a few minutes prior to 1:30PM call time for all participants. We went back near Starbucks, confirmed Gabby’s attendance and got his number-tag. He was contestant # 6 out of 33 (or was it 34?) kiddie participants all in all.

His royal blue Chinese-inspired satin tunic was a hand-me-down costume from his eldest cousin, that was worn at our wedding reception almost 8 years ago. We only added a few accessories that Gabby chose himself from a store also in Queensbay Mall for him to look more like a Chinese pirate (uniquely wearing a Beijing Opera mask).

Each contestant was called, asked to walk on the ramp and introduce themselves a little and greet everyone a “Happy Halloween!”. It was the very first time we saw Gabby became shy on stage (read : he doesn’t have stage fright for he had won and placed in several declamation contests in his former school back home).

They paraded on the entire Ground floor before the winners’ names were announced.

He lost but nonetheless, we’re definite that he enjoyed the experience this year. Tina and I had fun too being with these kids! As token of participation, we’ll be issued after a week, a  free 8R picture officially taken by Queensbay Mall photographer during the event.

Honestly, when Tina and I saw her and her props, we knew she deserves to be the contest’s grand winner, but this 10-year old girl geared as a ‘Halloween dinner table’ only bagged second place.

First place went to…

Tina and I told Gabby that he had done a good job on stage and made him feel our very own champion. He is and he’ll always be, of course!:)

Group shot!

One more time!

Gabby had fun, he even retained his face paint and costumes on until we reached home; except the fact that he only got candies and chocolates from the organizers of the event themselves because the shops and stores inside the mall didn’t prepare sweets like the way it’s done back home and else where.

How’s your Halloween?

Because obviously, we cannot visit cemeteries of our departed, we’ll just utter prayers for our late grandparents and relatives. It’s what we practice back home on top of trick or treating.

WHAT HAPPENED IN LOVE LANE

In one of the laterals of Chulia Street in George Town called, Love Lane…

Gabby and I spent an afternoon with this string instrument…

If you think it’s a guitar, look again…

It’s smaller version of guitar, or something like that…

A few Sundays ago, in the company of different nationalities, on a FREE musical workshop conducted by Joshua and his GF, Anne, both musicians from Australia, held in a quaint art gallery owned by Malaysian-Chinese, Clovis & Joey called, Unique Penang Art Gallery located in one charming street, Love Lane, Gabby and I enjoyed something that doesn’t happen on a daily basis.

Can you spot Tina & Gelo

Ukulele.  Have you played one lately or perhaps during your childhood? 

All ukulele were provided (only) during the free workshop session to all attendees which comprised of a group of Asians, Europeans and some other expats and tourists from various countries. We blended in.

Josh showed some ukulele videos before introducing the tiny string instrument to us. His girlfriend, Anne, also sang and played the ukulele with him.

Then he taught some basics of the strings, like how fingers should be placed properly arched on the strings, and instructed the audience (including Gabby & me) to play Bruno Mars’ “Just the way you are” which we instantly learned and found ourselves so cool for trying.  

But then again, just like any other instrument, it takes practice, hard work, time and dedication to master the craft. Josh offered everyone succeeding classes but with fees already, of course.  We took his flyers home and gave to Gabby’s schoolmates.

I for one, and Amanda, my violin are currently on a “cool-off” stage after an engaging in a 5 month-relationship. However, it doesn’t mean I love her less; I just felt the need for some space, haha!  No regrets because I’ve learned the basics, a few simple songs and can absolutely continue learning it whenever I find a chance again (who knows, perhaps soon?). For the time being, my family and I have more important priorities. It’s enough for us to spend special times together and have fun with few extraordinary moments. Playing instruments and paying fees to master it can wait in time.

I had mixed feelings when I saw this unusual instrument. First thing came to mind : a turtle died or perhaps lost its shell for this.

What musical instrument do you play?

FOR THE LOVE OF COFFEE & SNOOPY

As cute and lovely as it gets…

Tina must have been so excited and overwhelmed with all these photos that she borrowed my SD card, copied and  edited them on her laptop, and posted an album on her fb account tagging me and Gabby long before I put watermarks on them and come up with this blog post.  It doesn’t happen usually. And I love her more for doing so, because it affirmed that she appreciates even the little efforts that I do for us to enjoy our days here in Penang.

Gabby's hot chocolate from Charlie Brown Cafe

Apparently it’s not only Tina who became happier when I brought them to Charlie Brown Cafe at Straits Quay but more so, Gabby!

It's the first in Malaysia that opened last April 2011. The second branch will follow soon in Kuala Lumpur as told by one of the staff.

Saturday, 22 October 2011.  We hopped on Rapid Penang Bus 101 from Jetty in George Town and got off at the newly opened Tesco in Tanjung Pinang (a enormous supermarket that opened another branch in the island months ago).  We took a 5-minute walk from the bus stop and easily found Straits Quay.

We’re glad that we didn’t get lost looking for it but we all got a bit homesicked. Straits Quay, tagged as “Penang’s First Seafront Retail Marina” reminded us of a lot of places in Pinas. First thing Gabby uttered was, “Mukhang Eastwood!” (“Looks like Eastwood!”).  Tina thought so too. With its facade and its entire structure, it really looks like those upscale condo units in Eastwood City in Quezon City. I had Serendra, Alabang Town Center and Mall of Asia fused in my memory when I first saw Straits Quay. But its lobby and everything behind it told us otherwise…

I don’t know much but every amazing geometric structures incorporated in the interiors will confirm its uniquely Malaysia… Beautiful, is it not?

It aint a quay without these…

and a magnificent looking lighthouse…

I digress. The reason why we paid Straits Quay a visit over those few malls in Penang that became a part of our weekends was to experienced a cartoon-themed coffee shop called Charlie Brown Cafe…

This dining place is more than a coffee shop not only because it serves entrees and desserts too but it’s so picturesque and an eye-candy particularly to kids like Gabby and kid at hearts like Tina and me!

As Tina was more excited than Gabby and me, I gave her the freedom to decide where to sit. And I bet it wasn’t easy choosing a spot because every corner of this cafe is fascinating if you’re a Snoopy fan! Obviously, we all are!

The three of us were all under these gorgeous lights that made us wish we have them too at home. Imagine looking at those colorful Peanut characters before and after you retire to bed. Fantastic!

I knew Tina was really having blissful moments being inside this cafe for the first time because she even got the camera to shoot several photos of the place herself.  Without spoiling her excitement, I got the menu and asked what they want to try.

Spontaneity, I liked it! Even the menu is animated! ...If only we can try everything at the same time, hahaha!

Are you a Peanut-character fan yourself? Did you also grow up browsing anything with Charlie Brown and Snoopy comic strips?

Are you also fascinated with that beagle named Snoopy who sleeps on top of his doghouse instead inside it? hahaha!

Snoopy loving Woodstock

Follow those dog paw prints to order!

And so Tina had Charlie Brown on her Cappuccino, I had Lucy Van Pelt on my Caffe Latte…

It took us a while before we got our spoons and stir those caffeinated mugs; so wonderfully done you just want to stare at them!

From these chilled display….

yum!

We tried these…

It's so good, i forgot what it's called, hehe!

Gabby wanted a chocolate cupcake with Charlie Brown on top while he enjoyed his mug of hot chocolate drink with Snoopy design.

 Not sure if he’ll able to finish it, Tina requested the wait staff to put it on takeaway cup…

There are a lot of interesting stuffs near the cashier at the counter that will surely catch your eyes and attention and could enticed you more to order, haha!

Everything we tried tasted great! Prices a lot cheaper than other coffee shops. Service was quick, staffs were pleasantly attentive. But to us, the selling point of this cafe over all others around is its entire theme…

Do you play chess? I don’t but I would not mind learning the game with these too-cute-for-words King, Queen, Bishop and Pawns..

This was how Gabby manifested his happiness…

 

We liked the place, we’re glad that we spent our weekend there!

Before leaving Charlie Brown Cafe, we checked out its souvenir shop and got affordable takeaway…

Gabby chose these Snoopy collectibles. Tina and I wanted other versions in various national costumes but just like the chess set, they're not for sale.

Proof that we like Snoopy was this plate that we’re using in our home in Penang; I got a half dozen of this in different theme-countries (Africa, England, Malaysia etc) for FREE from Jusco Supermarket at Queensbay Mall last year.

Even Snoopy barks, "Malaysia, Truly Asia!" hehehe!

It’s definitely not the last time that we’ll be in CBC at Straits Quay! All for the love of coffee and Snoopy, haha!

OF MUZIUM, LITTLE INDIA & DEEPAVALI

“Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” ~Confucius.

This scene greeted me when I passed by one of the laterals of Little India, George Town. The Lord said, it's a beautiful day!

I certainly know that not all people would appreciate museums,  old mansions, historical or touristy streets. Fascination to anything is such a unique trait that even twins don’t share. As everyone puts it, to each his own. A flower to me may appear a weed to you…

Neither watching movies nor spending lazy day inside a mall interest me lately. Are these signs of aging? haha! No, it’s just me.

On a bright and sunny morning, I got off the Rapid Penang Hop On Free Bus that I boarded from Jetty in George Town, a few steps from the most majestic building in Lebuh Farquhar (Farquhar Street), the Muzium Negeri Pulau Pinang or the Penang State Museum…

With just one ringgit entrance fee (PhP 14 or USD 0.30), I was transported back in time on different era when history of this Malaysian state originated.

Although the 2-storey fully airconditioned building is absolutely smaller in scale than our very own Philippine National Museum (I love Juan Luna’s Spolarium!), Penang State Museum doesn’t disappoint with its uniquely impressive display of magnificent history and colorful diversities. The 3 Malaysian races -Chinese, Indians and Malays are greatly featured in each rooms and chambers inside the muzium.

Too bad, photography isn’t allowed but irresistibly, I secretly captured this art creation from colored rice grains called Kolam…

“Kolam, (far from the witchcraft that you’re thinking! haha!) is a traditional sign of invitation placed at the entrance floor to welcome all into the home, not the least of whom is Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of prosperity. The patterns range between geometric and mathematical line drawings around a matrix of dots to free form art work and closed shapes.” (sourced via Wiki) True enough that when I asked one of my Indian-Malaysian students about Kolam, she mentioned it’s intended to bring good fortune to homes.

And so when Kolam becomes apparent decors on the floors of entrances of homes, malls and establishments, one can easily tell a Hindu festival is approaching.

Colored rice grains in delicately designed beautiful patterns, a kolam on display at Prangin Mall, George Town, Penang

Detail shot of the kolam on display at the entrance of one of the groceries here, Carrefour in First Avenue Mall…

It’s entirety is amazing!

On the 26th of this month, Deepavali or the Festival of Light, a celebration of triumph of good over evil will be observed here in Penang, and the rest of Hindu communities worldwide. Deepavali is one of the public holidays here in Malaysia.

Cookies to share to welcome and celebrate Deepavali

I only stayed less than an hour inside Penang State Museum and via few minute bus ride, I found myself mesmerized in Little India…

With my more than a year of working in Penang, it was only recently that I brought my feet to Little India in George Town. And what a perfect day it was because all stalls and streets are geared up for that Hindu holiday. The mood that morning was so festive even the pigeons looked happy and lovely…

With several interesting things to see, I killed time effortlessly on these streets within this Indian community…

The structures in these streets truly reflect the fusion of cultures…

How timely it is to visit Little India days before Deepavali! The blissful atmosphere radiated throughout the shophouses and almost all corners of this market place…

Bollywood music were played to high decibles that made the sights and sound of strolling and shopping more festive!

There are multiple interesting items to see, hear, smell and taste…
Another feast for the senses!

I personally liked these lanterns in various hues. One day, Tina and I will build a house with lanai with all those colorful Indian, Japanese, Vietnamese, Venetian, Moroccan and Turkish lanterns! *wishful thinking*

Having open houses during festivities like Hari Raya for Muslims and Deepavali for Hindus where every visitor is welcomed to eat and partake on the occasion requires offering of traditional delicacies, sweets and cookies…

Amazing colors and patterns…

Ladies may fancy these…

or these perhaps?

Make the garlands and floral leis ready for Deepavali!

Before Mr. Sun hits high noon, I felt the urgency to fill in my tummy.  I walked towards Lebuh Chulia to sit and order from Kapitan…

And to complete the Little India experience, it was a perfect time to eat that platter of Chicken tandoori and cheese naan AGAIN!

At only RM 10 (PhP 140), this Restoran Kapitan’s Chicken Tandoori and Cheese Naan combo is a sure hit for me!

It was more than a year since I’ve first tasted this Indian dish here in Penang. I love Kapitan’s version of the tandoori; the chicken’s very tender with sauces and chutneys that are so flavorful! I asked the wait staff who politely told me about what comes with Chicken tandoori. There’s fish curry sauce, then there’s chili and green mango chutney, veggie sauce served with lime plus onions. These dips and sauces perfectly match my favorite, cheese naan. The wait staffs and other diners were looking at me while I perform my usual ritual of capturing my food before I eat it!  But wait, I just had to take another shot! :D

Ahhhhhh, Kapitan’s Chicken Tandoori and cheese naan –succulent, deliciously marinated, so tasteful!  I washed it down with a mug of Mango shake.

To my students and colleagues and all others celebrating the Festival of Light, have a happy Deepavali!

   ——————————————-

PS : Do you consider all these things on photos a flower or a weed to you?

TROPICAL PLAYGROUND

Few weeks before Gabby turned 7 last 5th October, he candidly told his mom and I that he’d like to have beach toys as birthday gift. I smiled from ear to ear because apparently, it won’t cost me and Tina our arms and legs. He already had a set which he used when he enjoyed the powdery white sand and turquoise crystal waters of Philippines' Island Paradise, BORACAY a couple of years back, but of course, we didn’t bother to bring those to Penang. Then we thought, what’s the use of beach toys without going to proper venue, right? It’s a subtle way for our kid to utter his wish to take him to where he can play his preferred birthday present. How creative!

The 10th floor unit that we’re renting in Butterworth has a priceless sea view, breakwaters actually with white sand too. However, it’s such a “buwis-buhay” (read : life-threatening) to cross the highway (motorway or freeway; whatever suits you!) on foot. Thus, we found time to actually give way to Gabby’s birthday wish.

Glorious sunset view from our living room

8th October 2011, Saturday. Tina, Gabby, my dad and I hopped on Rapid Bus 101 en route to Tajung Bungah from Jetty in George Town. After almost 40 minutes, we got off the bus near Infinity condo building and saw this road sign:

Several steps more from the bus stop via the narrow street, we found the public beach that was recommended by one of my senior colleagues who lives with his family in a nearby condo unit.

PUBLIC BEACH means NO ENTRANCE FEE! One may truly enjoy the sun, the sea breeze, the waters (if you dare swim at your own risk!) without spending a cent other than bus fare and your efforts to go there. Indeed, ‘best things in life are free!’

Those upscale condo units in Penang's premiere location have monthly rental fees that start from 1,300 ringgit or USD 416 (PhP 18K) and can soar as high as 15K ringgit or USD 4,800 (PhP 207K+)!

And the 7-year-old boy became excited for some seashells and sand…
Admittedly, my first impression of the public beach in Batu Ferringhi was unpleasant. Batu Ferringhi has a stretch of beaches that comes after Tajung Bungah. Muddy, dirty, and far from Boracay and Philippine resorts’ qualities. Let me emphasize those initial insights were of public beaches in Batu Ferringhi in 2010. The sand and waters along Penang’s hotels and resorts (Shangri La’s Rasa Sayang, Hard Rock, Flamingo and many more) in Batu Ferrhingi are off topic. Nonetheless, Tajung Bungah public beach, although far from being sublime, is good enough venue to unwind. Tina professed we’re so coming back!

We strolled to look for a spot…
Then the weather became too cloudy that we thought there will be downpour. What’s great about Penang is its strategic location –we’re far from the routes of typhoon, there’s no class-suspension here; no storms yet in my more than a year stay. And so in almost a blink, the strong winds blew these dark clouds away.

A few more steps and we saw people frolicking in the beach, some were having fun on water sports -kayaking and jet skis. I am guessing they’ve availed it from the nearby Flaming hotel…

A closer look…

The place is also perfect for camping; we saw families who managed to bring and set up tents with barbecue grills, tables and other stuffs. No corkage fee here, haha!

Fun with ball games is also a possibility.

And being lazy on the sand until you appreciate the sunset and the stars is also can, can! LOL! (FYI, Malaysians commonly use the phrase, “can, can!” when they want to affirm something).

Finally, Tina removed her rubber shoes and spread our blue blanket…It could’ve been more apt if we brought a plastic mat but we don’t have it, so a soiled fleece did the job before it hits our washing machine.

Gabby followed by dropping his beach toys…

Et voila! Gabby’s masterpiece included Mr. Crab…

We stayed in Tajung Bungah public beach at almost an hour and left the place at 6 in the evening. We headed to a steamboat buffet after, that I will post on a separate entry.

MY 2 HOURS AT PINANG PERANAKAN MANSION

*Please make sure you view the ENTIRE post; it’s a visual feast! Thank you!*

Heritage.

Opulence.

Grandeur.

Heritage…Opulence…Grandeur –all in one roof.
Pinang Peranakan Mansion is impressively stunning!
With just an entrance fee cheaper than a venti of Starbucks Coffee, ten ringgit actually (RM10 =PhP 140 or USD 3.16), I took the chance to spend a couple of hours inside this fantastic place with Chinese carved wooden panels, English floor tiles and Scottish ironworks and a thousand and more fascinating pieces. I freely wandered and marveled inside Pinang Peranakan Mansion at my own pace, without time limit. In an instant, my senses were brought back to the bygone era when the Peranakans, also known as Babas and Nyonyas, reigned as a community of acculturated Chinese unique to this part of the world.


Tucked in the heart of George Town, in Church Street or Lebuh Gereja, the mansion in mint green was beautifully restored to its glory meant to be enjoyed by the present and future generations.

The mansion’s second floor boasts of the Bridal Chamber, Family Hall, Glass room and an enormous display of finest porcelains.
But before your steps take you to these lifestyle galleries, must comply….


An ornately decorated bedroom is transformed into a bridal gallery.

SUNTOK SA BUWAN!

I’m shooting for the moon and the stars, people! I entered my photo below, taken at Klonghae Floating Market in Hat Yai, Southern Thailand to National Geographic Photo Contest 2011 under People Category. Win or Lose, it’s all for the thrill and the experience! USD 10,000 and a trip to Nat Geo main office in Washington DC, USA to attend a Photography Workshop on January 2012 and a spread of the winning photos on Nat Geo issue are at stake! There will be judges to critically select the winning entries per category but your support will be so appreciated!

So if you’re generous to show support to DOCGELO’s entry, kindly click LIKE his photo via this link -> HERE!!!

It’s difficult to resist the unique charm of the rural life reflected by the fascinating vendors of the Klonghae Floating Market in Hat Yai, Southern Thailand. The ambiance simply radiated their passion to live and to boost the local tourism.

UPDATE : SUNTOK SA BUWAN ito pero I want to WIN!
“The First Place winner in each Category will each receive US$2,500, and his/her winning photograph will be published in National Geographic magazine. One Grand Prize winner will receive in addition to the First Place prize, US$7,500 and a trip to the District of Columbia, USA from Jan. 10 to Jan. 13, 2012 to participate in the National Geographic Photography Seminar. Trip includes round-trip coach class air transportation between a major airport near winner’s home and Washington, D.C.; three nights hotel accommodations in Washington; a behind-the-scenes tour of National Geographic headquarters; and access to the all-day Seminar on Jan. 12, where Grand Prize winner’s winning entry will be projected. The Grand Prize is non-transferable and no cash alternative is available.” -sourced from National Geographic

ON GABBY’S SPECIAL DAY

“I love you, Ma, I love you, Daddy!”
These phrases never fail to melt our worries and stress away. And now that Gabby is turning 7 years old this Wednesday, 5th October, Tina and I cannot be grateful enough to the Lord for giving us His greatest blessing; we love our son beyond words.

Because his birthday falls on a weekday (we have work, he has school), we decided to celebrate it in advance last weekend. Tina was suggesting for us to dine at T.G.I.Fridays again but of course, the birthday boy’s wish prevailed.

He has been craving for some bites at an all-cheese-pizza from Pizza Hut so we gave in to his request…

He’s a purist when it comes to pizza as his preference is exclusively partial to 3 to 4-cheese pizza; like he really doesn’t like anything on top.
Gabby also favored calamari and garlic bread from the menu…

I maybe a doctor and an educator but I honestly don’t know everything. I’m not sure if the love for great-tasting food (read : huge appetite) can also be transferred via genetics, can it? Gabby might have been blessed with good genes, don’t you think? LOL!
My choice : Pizza Hut’s Honey Barbecue Chicken Wings –sarap to the bones!

We washed everything down with iced cold water, canned light Pepsi for Gabby (yes, I know sodas are junkie too!), and a tall glass of citrus flavored drink infused with calamansi and champoy at its bottom–uniquely refreshing; an eye candy too!

After that hearty lunch (we didn’t finish everything; we had some slices as takeaway *defensive*), Tina went to the department store and bought Gabby a new shirt while I headed to the mall’s barbershop for that much needed haircut. We met about an hour after, and had some grocery shopping too.
Then the time to blow candles on a birthday cake came; we sat inside Secret Recipe and the rest was momentous…

While waiting for Gabby’s cake, Tina took this photo on a whim. A littly grainy but I just had to post it because Gabby’s too adorable, isn’t he?

Chocolate Indulgence cake landed on our table with a cake slicer and 7 pieces of candles. Our little big-boy didn’t waste time and made his wishes…

The multilayered and richly textured chocolate cake was truly to die for; there’s no other name more apt for it but Chocolate Indulgence. It’s one of our favorites!

At seven, Gabby’s still a baby. He still likes toys a lot! Good thing he knows how to profess what he wanted to receive so we know what to give. Best, it’s afforbale and functional too. Uhm, I think so… hehe..

He could have asked for a remote control aircraft but opted for his second wish. With these, you now have a clue where we’re heading next weekend, if and when weather permits…

We left Queensbay Mall last Saturday with happy faces and full tummies.

The simple celebration continued the next day on our humble abode here in Penang. Tina cooked another irresistible dish – creamy carbonara with lotsa bacon bits on penne, yummy!

We’re joined by my dad whom we picked up from Penang Airport after we spent our entire Saturday at Queensbay Mall. With his Lolo Ben around (who went home 2 months ago to Manila with my mom for some important matters), Gabby will have longer sleeping hours again before he goes to school daily. The birthday boy’s smile reached ear to ear when his Lolo Ben brought out from his luggage a gift imported from Pinas from his Lola Tessie (my mom).

And there was a candle on a birthday cake again; he really enjoyed blowing candles on his cake. There must be something special about it.

What made his birthday preparation this year a bit different from before, he took the initiative and the efforts to pack his simple loot bags for his classmates and teachers on Wednesday (his actual birthday)…

Alone, he segregated candies and packs of chocolate bicuits piece by piece and put them on these loot bags. Such heightened his excitement to share his special day with his Chinese and Indian schoolmates too…

But we made known to him that he’ll only have loot bags as giveaways and no party will be thrown in his school here (read : we’re cutting on expenses, seriously!). Nontheless, it’s fine with him, after all, he understands and loves us so.

Our family life, although far from being perfect has been incredibly special and seems like there’s always an everyday-celebration because we have you, anak! We love you very much, Gabby!

SURPRISE, SURPRISE

Tina and I were astonished this Thursday afternoon upon seeing one of my friends’ posts in my own facebook wall. She shared a video she found uploaded in youtube with our wedding photos (not one, not two but many!) together with some other foreign couples’ pictures over David Pomeranz’s love song! The thing is, we don’t know the person who used our photos and uploaded it on the video-sharing website. We would have appreciated it more if she/he asked permission to use our photos and we would have granted him/her our sweet nod. But I must state, Gabby was happiest to watch that video with his parents’ wedding photos.

View it HERE!

PS : Because some of the photos were not uploaded anywhere, neither in our online wedding album nor on my social networking sites (this blog, fb & twitter), the person who created and uploaded the video must have been so resourceful with a good taste and great sense in choosing our photos among so many other married couples around. hahaha! Thank you but next time, please ask permission. It’s called courtesy and ethics, in case it slipped your mind. *wink*

IN A KEDAI KOPI

As parents of an almost 7-year-old wonder boy, Tina and I always consider Gabby’s preferences whenever we eat out (read: he’s like our big boss). We frequently ask him of what he likes before deciding where to dine. Are you the same when you go out with your own kids or nephews and nieces? Good thing with Gabby, he knows what he wants despite he’s a littly picky when it comes to food but has been keen on his favorites. He’s very particular with what he eats, like he wants his pizza with only cheese and no other toppings (the four-cheese pizza tops his list).

At home, he eats some veggies; he likes kangkong whenever we have sinigang (sour broth) on our table. Gabby eats practically most greens and fruits that we offer him. But whenever we go out, expectedly like kids of his age, he usually craves for fast food meals.

You can just imagine whenever Gabby gives his nod for us to try other food places over Mcdonald’s and Pizza Hut…

Some few months back, while we’re walking at Lebuh Chulia in Georgetown, we found a seemingly ordinary looking Kedai Kopi (coffee shop).

We’re a family who likes Starbucks Coffee and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf but beyond their frappuccinos in venti, we also enjoy some bites from these coffee shops, even from coffee nooks less famous and commercial than those two.

There’s always something special about simplicity; about places where pretentions do not exist, venues that allow you to be as casual as you are.

Inside Trois Canon Cafe, I found a charming painting of Shanghainese woman (kamukha ni Ate Vi, hehe!)…

Good thing I captured the menu on our table, without it I won’t recall the name of this hole-in-the-wall Kedai Kopi.

The menu contained a combo meal that passed Gabby’s taste : a thick buttered toast, oatmeal infused with maple syrup and milk and Milo ais (meelo iced!).

It’s great that this kedai kopi also serves a variety of all-day-breakfast meals; it gave me the chance to load my gastric pit. I picked from their menu something called East meets West combo : Oriental fried rice topped with fried egg, served with pork luncheon meat strips and frankfurter (yes, they’re non-halal).

While my lovely wife was content with her ham sandwich that tasted better than it looks on photo; the buns were slightly toasted with butter that made it different from the usual burger or sandwiches in common fast food joints.

I felt we also must try something that’s soothing; so I also ordered a warm bowl of beef noodle soup.

It was so good and too bad to resist.

The dining experience in a Kedai Kopi like Trois Canon Cafe would not be complete without trying their signature white coffee (actually, it came with my combo meal…)

We indulge once in a while but indubitably, we also like the simplicity in dining space and the delight in eating uncomplicated and affordable foods. And if Gabby says yes to it? It’s always icing on the cake!

NANDO’S

How often do you receive judgment before you eat?

Do you also feel some people easily label you by what you eat or drink? Neither I can blame them nor give importance to what they think. I know my palate so well that their words do not affect my appetite. But I had my widest smile upon receiving my ordered plate in one of our dinners at Nando’s. I almost burst into laughter after reading the label of the Lemon and Herb Chicken with “NOT SO BRAVE” tag. I cannot agree more! I and Tina (and Gabby of course) had developed the aversion to severely spicy food that others prefer. To each his own, I guess.

We had our very first taste of Nando’s from one of their branches near Botany Mall in Auckland, New Zealand when we stayed in that beautiful city with our family and relatives for 7 week-break in 2005. And since then, that flavorful flame-grilled chicken goodness remained a memory for a while until we enjoyed it again here in Penang.

Nando’s became one of our favorites and usually serves as one of our default restaurants whenever we feel like induluging a bit over affordable casual dining particularly when Gabby allows us to skip his fast food preferences.

“Nando’s is a restaurant group originated from South Africa with a Portuguese/Mozambican theme. Founded in 1987, Nando’s operates in thirty countries on five continents. Nando’s specializes in chicken dishes with either lemon and herb, medium, hot, extra hot or extra extra hot Peri-Peri marinades (properly known as Galinha à Africana). In some countries, Nando’s has other flavour options like mango and lime or Mediterranean.” (sourced via Wiki)

“Nando’s specializes in flame-grilled Peri-Peri chicken. Peri-Peri is the Swahili word for the African Bird’s Eye chilli, a chilli indigenous to Africa.”(sourced via Wiki)

Without a word, you know who ordered this plate, and he enjoyed it, i think.

Gabby likes chicken dishes too but he favored those peri-peri flavored processed delights than those grilled ones. He paired it with a plateful of creamy chicken soup…

Now, children, altogether say, E S P E T A D A! 

“Espetada has been a favorite in Portugal for years. In fact, it has been rumored that it was one of Christopher Columbus’ favorite meals! Espetada means, “pierced”, referring to how the meat was pierced onto skewer. Undoubtedly, Espetada is the most famous dish to emerge from the Madeira region.”

It was quite an experience eating Espetada. The presentation was apparently appealing to the senses. I just felt short of its serving.

At Nando’s, there’s always a reason to engage in protein & carbo-loading
(as if we’re diet-conscious, hahaha! *evil laugh*)…

Tina and Gabby love french fries while I will dunk my fork onto potato salad at any given time!

We can’t handle too much spicy foods but that doesn’t mean we wouldn’t try a little…

After all, we can always wash it down with cold beverages. Gabby’s iced Milo (or as they say it here, Milo Ais; pronounced as meelo ice) and iced tea never fail to be refreshing.

And end it with irresistible melt-in-your-mouth-textured-chocolate cake…

Regardless where we eat – be it on our humble dining table, at Nando’s or somewhere else, we make sure our dining experience is always simple yet memorable and less ordinary.

ABOUT LAST WEEKEND

This was how God greeted us last Saturday noon when we viewed Him from our porch…

It was a sunshiny day too perfect to go to the Island.  It was a long weekend, by the way, because last Friday, 16th September, 2011 was Malaysia’s 54th Merdeka or Independence Day! However, Tina and I were actually lazy to go out last Saturday and had psyched ourselves to spend it at home, rest, eat and do Grey’s Anatomy marathon (We loved Season 7 Episode 18 – the Musical episode of that Medical drama).

The plan to be a bum at home didn’t push through. I was too weak to resist Gabby’s wish to accompany him to the Island. OK, fine, I also shared the same thoughts with my kid.   So while Tina had her much deserved-rest at home, Gabby and I hopped on the bus, went to the jetty in Penang Sentral and headed to the Island…

Enroute to Georgetown aboard the ferry…

Round trip Ferry rides from Butterworth to Georgetown jetty cost RM 1.20 per adult (PhP 16.8) and RM 0.60 sen (cents or PhP 8.40) per kid. And you only pay once at Butterworth (so if you’re coming from the Penang airport or anywhere in Georgetown, crossing to Butterworth is always free).

Another very short bus ride took us here at Sweetenham Pier..

Gabby and I had the chance to board a 12,000 ton vessel and the boy was as excited as his dad.

No we didn’t go on a cruise! How we wish, but you certainly know we won’t board a cruise ship without our muse (Tina of course!).

We went to Logos Hope, the world famous floating library that took its maiden voyage to Malaysia this year; docked in Penang since last week of August and will leave for other parts of Malaysia prior to Singapore on 25th September.

“A community of 400 UNPAID VOLUNTEERS from over 45 nationalities lives and works together on board Logos Hope. With over 5,000 book titles bringing knowledge, help and hope to the world…” Absolutely it’s a unique and inspiring experience!

Has Logos Hope visited your country already?  Check it out…

Apparently, it already docked in the Philippine shores too but it took us to become expats in Penang before we get to experience it.

The little kid was so happy on board the floating library…

There’s a book for everyone, even if you’re looking for the most delicious ones…

Since this largest floating book fair travels through so many countries, book titles are priced in units and there are a charts provided that convert the unit prices into local currency…

Titles are so varied and mostly affordable.

Logos Hope has different sections, prior to the main book fair, there’s a “Welcome LifeBoat Theater”. There’s that “Journey of Life” that will surely melt your heart by merely looking at the illustrations on the wall; they tell story even without trying…

Those walls will make you reflect in a blink…It cuts through me.

Then there’s everyone’s favorite part of Logos Hope, the International Cafe where you can have ice cream or coffee or both, depends on how you were inspired by those books, haha!

Volunteers of different colors and hair-dos try to make kids’ visit to Logos Hope more fun and memorable; they even hand away colorful sculpted balloons…

Imagine the passion and dedication these unpaid volunteers have as they serve Logos Hope; truly inspiring…

I know I still have a lot of grains to swallow, but as a young father and a medical educator, I say it’s so easy for any fool to teach anyone to earn a livinlifeg but it takes a ton of passion and skills and dedication to teach anyone how to live a life.

I’m glad I accompanied my son to Logos Hope last Saturday. We both learned beyond books.