A Beautiful Day

I'm 32 today, and I had a great day.

Finally had the chance to actually dine in Corniche. I have been dreaming to do this since it first opened in December and I am just thrilled to have lunch there with my favorite person in the world.

I've been taking a peek at its interiors every chance I got, and it's undeniably chic. They have a lot of metal fixtures now, serving as dividers to softly delineate one area from the other. The pattern is just delicate, muting the hardness imparted by the shiny steel.

I love the entire modern updated feel of the restaurant, but I also love the fact that they contrast it every now and then with traditional cushioned heavy wooden furniture. There's a little bit of native flair from the wooden panels and bamboo-ish place mats.

The buffet counters go tres chic with convection warmers. Now we don't have to worry about getting food in a way that we won't burn or that the warmer doesn't topple over the side with the unconsumed contents. It's just so convenient and stylish.

Of course, food is still divine and plentifully varied. This and the most courteous and friendly hotel staff in the metro make for a splendid experience. I just wish it wasn't so expensive. =D

Noy wanted a massage so badly, so we headed on to Lotus Spa to try their signature massage. It's a combination of three massage types - lomi lomi, tuina, and one other type - that left us satisfied, as usual. It was nice to come in on a weekday afternoon; we were the only clients and we had everybody's attention.

We heard mass at the Greenbelt Chapel with my brother and his girlfriend. It was my first time to be in church with Seryl, and I think it was high time we spent some time out together. It was really warm as the church isn't air-conditioned, but we all had a lovely time nevertheless.

Finally, we had dinner at Big Buddha Roast Kitchen. We didn't really plan on going there, but since we were all craving for Chinese food it was a runaway winner. Moreover, the place was recently revamped and it definitely looked better inside and out. The menu was decidedly minimalist both in content and presentation. I was a bit sad that they didn't have Birthday Noodles so we got Crispy Noodles instead. We also had Hot and Sour Soup, French Beans with Pork, and Yang Chow Fried Rice. Everything was delicious.

Over sugar free ice blended drinks at Figaro, I thanked everyone for a wonderful day. I don't remember spending a birthday when everything went on as I wanted them to, and for that I think God rewards those who do not complain very much. Life is tough and it gets tougher when you least expect it. But if you let God be with you every single time, it gets better even when you don't ask for it.

Cheers!

My Weekends of March

My weekends this month had just been a lot of fun. I had my first taste of a couple of places, but I also went to those I'm quite familiar with. There wasn't much money spent, but the experience was all so worth it. Best of all, I'm with some of the people I really care about.

It's summer already, so Noy and I went swimming with his family at their favorite place, the Parkridge Clubhouse at Valley Golf. It's so near the house where Noy grew up so it's become a part of his childhood. What I like about it is the fact that there's not many people around; in fact there were days that all three pools were ours to devour, like this particular Sunday.

The following weekend, we headed to Bulacan for an errand. My parents bought a house in San Jose del Monte that we are now leasing to a family who also once lived near us in Tondo. Of course the house has changed a lot on the outside, but that's inevitable. It's nice to know that Mama's mango trees are producing much fruit; we had so much fun eating them when we were kids and went home on weekends.

We stopped at the nearby National Shrine of the Divine Mercy for a visit. It's a popular place to devotees who are looking for solemnity and solace. It's a big church with a vast backyard containing a Rosary Park, Stations of the Cross with life-size statues, and many others. I have great memories of Christmas Eve masses in this open area behind the church - the cold wind, the starry sky, the beautiful singing of Silent Night - I remember being speechless with tears in my eyes.

I had to put my memories aside just like that because we were all hungry, and by some twist of fate we were led to the old Ma Mon Luk in Quezon Avenue. I know it's been there all along, but it really was my first time in a Ma Mon Luk.

I really have nothing to say except "Why haven't we been here before?". I felt sad knowing what I had been missing all along, but then I cannot blame my parents for not bringing us there thinking it might be expensive. I swear this is where I'm taking them to lunch the very next time they're in town. The food is just so good I bet Papa will have a lot of his own memories to tell us over lunch then.

If it's your first time in Ma Mon Luk too then by all means order the mami and siopao. You'll never go wrong.

Of course, the Ma Mon Luk Chicken and Fried Rice are also to die for. Did I mention it's not expensive? If you're not too picky with surroundings (not that it's dirty, but we have to admit the place is old and not air conditioned) then you'll get the best value for your money here.

The service is very efficient, too. Thank you, Manong.

Plus, the place itself is a story. There's a little old something for every one, even old photos of then-celebrities who ate there, like this ancient telephone that took much of our notice. So cool.

Finally, we spent one rainy evening in Tagaytay yesterday. It was SO cold! It definitely brought me back to those Sydney evenings when it was so cold my hipbone hurt with contact on the wall. We'd usually dine al fresco anywhere in Tagaytay, but I couldn't bear the chilly wind this time.

It was pizza and pasta night at Carlo's!

It was our first time at Carlo's so we tried the bestsellers - Pizza Capriccioso and Pesto Cream Penne (I hope I got those names right). The pizza is loaded with familiar goodness and has a homemade vibe to it - i.e., not too commercial. It tastes just right, without the sodium guilt. The pasta had the slightest hint of pesto in it. It's creamy, but not the choking kind. It's delicious and surprisingly light, so I could not ask for more. Another serving perhaps? But I was too full from the pizza. Gotta try their other delights when I come back.

I wish my brother were with us because I'm guessing he hasn't been to Tagaytay for the longest time. But it's great to see Noy and Sat, who took some of the great photos here so happy together. Sat is the reason why we went to Tagaytay yesterday. Here they are outside the Splendido clubhouse after the wedding reception Sat emceed.

Wish I have more weekends just like these.

I know it's just Monday but I'm wishing a great weekend already,

Gerard is Two!

Our dear little Gerard, or Pong, is two years old today. I talk like I'm the mother, but really, it brings tears to my eyes to realize that he's growing up wonderfully.

Since he turned a year old, I've gathered a few of our most favorite pictures of him. I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as we do -

Snacking atop a Sofitel bed. Looking very comfy.

Playing with the curtain at a Sofitel balcony. Everybody loves this picture.


Posing with his Mama and Tata at a Megamall Christmas tree.
He always cranes his neck this way when he knows his picture is being taken.

Very curious at the Symphony of Parols show at the Ayala Triangle Gardens.


Dinner at the Landmark foodcourt. Pong loves soup ("baw").

Enjoying his first toy car ride. We were surprised at how he knew how the thing works.
It was a delight to watch him drive around in delight.

A tender moment with his Tata on a rainy January morning.

This photo is so endearing I wanna hug them both every time I see this.
(photo by Saturn Labanda)

Loving the sands of Jawili Beach.


At the beach eager to help us pick up firewood.
He looks so macho carrying these two coconut tree stalks that are larger than him.
(photo by Saturn Labanda)

Posing before a Nativity scene at the Sampaguita Gardens. So cute with that smile.
(photo by Saturn Labanda)

What I Need Right Now

There are days when I feel bad without me knowing why. There are days when I feel bad AND I absolutely know why. And then there are days when I don't feel bad but I'm not happy either, and usually it happens on a rainy day like this.

Typhoon Juan is slowly moving its way out of the country but it was so hard to get up this morning because it's cold and the bed looks so invitingly warm. This isn't even my bed I'm talking about since I spent Monday nights in the apartment in Tondo where I grew up. Why I do is another blog-worthy subject I'm writing about soon.

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Speaking of Tondo, it's great to reminisce about rainy days when we'd wake up early and wait for the am radio announcer to say that classes have been suspended. Then, my brother and I would hop in my parent's bed, bury ourselves in the thick sheets and go back to sleep. Mama would whip up a breakfast of sardines with misua and daing na bangus. The smell of the frying fish would wake us up so Mama didn't have to call us to eat.

I know it's a weird combination, but it tastes really good anyway that I find myself trying to cook both dishes whenever it rains and I have bangus in the fridge. I like my daing na bangus cooked a little bit more than in the photo here so that it's crispy. I like anything fried crispy for that matter.

The rest of the rainy day was spent in bed still, where we'd play board games or watch a scary movie. It's quite sad that I don't remember Papa in this childhood memory. He worked in a hospital and it didn't matter if Storm Signal Number 3 was hoisted over Metro Manila; he had to go to work. Papa was a hardworking man.

Anyways, he'd usually be home in the afternoon, just in time for Mama to serve either Chicken Sopas or Arroz Caldo or Champorado.

Usually it's Arroz Caldo since it's the easiest to cook in terms of ingredient availability. We like ours a little thin and unadulterated - just chicken and lots of kasubha.


Mama makes the best sopas using native chicken these days. Back when we were kids, it wasn't so bad with regular chicken either. She cooks the shell macaroni in the water where the chicken was boiled in. Mama puts just the right amount of cabbage and carrots, with a little butter, so that the vegetables float in the soup. Each bite and sip was heaven - no chicken cubes attached!

Champorado wasn't always present in our rainy day specials, but when Mama made a pot it was always a delight. She was fond of Ricoa powder, which tastes just as great as the tablea. She didn't serve it with tuyo or dilis so I personally prefer to have my champorado without anything on the side until now. A big swirl of evaporated milk is all it takes to make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.


So today that I'm neither happy or sad, I'm deciding to have any of the above, preferably in Tondo where I grew up, where cold rainy days are embraced by good simple food, smothered by my family's love and care.

photo credits:

http://tigabaluarte.blogspot.com/2010/03/daing-na-bangus.html
http://www.mykitchencooking.com/2008/03/misua-recipe.html
http://www.filipino-food-lovers.com/?p=88
http://www.shaicoggins.com/chicken_sopas_recipe/
http://www.maxschicken.com/index.php?/menus/31

Happy Birthday Gerard!

My apo, Gerard, is turning one today. Can't believe it had been a year since my niece Joyce was rushed to the hospital because she could not detect any uterine contractions for almost a day! We were all so scared, and it had to happen on the same day I was meeting the Pulmonologist at St Luke's to fix the problem I was having with my Australian business visa application then. It still is a problem now, but that's another story. Gerard happened to stick his head to tightly in his mom's pelvic outlet, which prevented him from moving significantly.


That said, we're thankful nothing more serious happened except for the emergency c-section. Gerard's head is nicely shaped, too. We're just wondering where he got his nose from. It's quite... noticeable. =)


Happy birthday dearest Pongpong! We love you so much!

Home, Somehow

The past three weeks have been exhilirating. My folks from the province are in town to boost my brother's morale, who's taking the four-Sunday Bar Exams. They're just in time for their quarterly follow-up with their doctors, too. Along they brought my grandson, Gerard. My niece Gie from my cousin Ging got accidentally pregnant - you know... So here is Gerard, the current apple of our eyes.

Gerard at his Auntie Lulu's third birthday party with his Lola Mammu

Gerard and his Naynay on the way to SM Megamall

Add to Noy, the people I've mentioned above are most dear to me. Ate Ging has been living with my parents since I wasn't even born yet, so I grew up being taken care of by her. When my parents migrated to the US (then to Aklan) she became my second mom. That makes Gie almost my younger sister. We shared everything from toiletries to shoes. We both call her mom Mammu.

When they all chose to stay with me and Noy for this visit, I was literally surrounded by my most loved people in the world. It's like Christmas coming early. Gerard apparently has no business here except to keep us happy. I've never rushed home crazy like this. It's true what they say, all the tiredness goes away with a whiff of the delicately scented hair and the smile on the face of a baby. Especially if it's your baby. Well, he's almost mine. I've volunteered to be called Mama Ice (Gie used to call me Ice when she was a baby herself, and has carried on until now) while Noy is Papa Noy. And we like it.

Gerard and Papa Noy fooling around on the day bed

Gerard with Lolo and Lola at Sbarro

When I was a very new wife, I kept telling Noy how much I missed coming home from school or the hospital to our old apartment in Tondo. Mama always set the table after Ate Ging cooked (their roles interchange every now and then) and the four of us - Papa, Ming, Gie and I - would devour the food and both our stomachs and tired bodies welcomed the comfort so much. Things are quite the same now that everyone's in our house for a while. Except that Papa and Gie aren't THAT tired, and of course Noy is another hungry and tired soul to be satisfied. I'm having a grand time in that I don't have to worry about things like laundry and meals. I just wake up, play with Gerard, got through my morning rituals, eat, go to work, come home, play with Gerard, eat and sleep. How convenient!
Then again, it's more than the convenience. I mean, I can live my own life. But it just would not be the same without people who love me unconditionally. I know, being away from one's family is one big thing to deal with once one gets married. When I was single, I'd book a ticket on a whim and go home to Aklan the next day. Of course I can't just do that now. I definitely do not regret being with my husband, but I definitely miss living with my family too.

Christmas 2005 family photo in Aklan:
Mama was so much bigger while I was a little thinner :P

Since Noy and I got married, these little visits by my family pulls out all the stops - all unimportant businesses are cancelled, work takes a back seat, budgets get tickled to spoil my parents a little - stuff we don't do very often. After all, it's not everyday I can physically show my family that I love them. Living with Noy just made me appreciate my family more. And that's one wonderful thing.