Its sad how your childhood memories of food don't match up to the reality these days...

Japan-Hop: KIX Arrival

OSAKA, Japan, 2nd of November 2010 - After a somewhat teeth-gritting afternoon (from the long queue at check-in,  to leaving my favorite hand-carried umbrella behind, to work-related stuff), I finally left on time for my flight from Manila, Philippines to Osaka, Japan. I would be landing at KIX.

Note: Kansai International Airport (KIX)  is situated approximately 50 km from the center of Osaka City.


After going through immigration and getting my luggage, there were a few things I had to attend to according to my mental checklist.

Rent a cellphone vs. Buy a phone card

Unless your situation demands that you be reached 24/7 (having your own cellphone with you at all times is a must), I recommend you go for a phone card. 

It is -

1) way cheaper than renting a cellphone;  

2) public phones which accept coins or phone cards are plentiful in Japan, even in towns up in the mountains, as long as you are not in a cave under the earth.

I asked a few cellphone rental companies at the KIX airport and compared prices. And boy was I glad I didn't buy another cellphone compatible with Japan's system. It would have been quite expensive all around if I sum up all that I would have shelled out.

You have the option of renting - 

a mobile unit which has a Japanese number or;

just the SIM card (with Japan number) which you plug into your CDMA cellphone or;

just a phone unit where you can use your own SIM card which has international roaming. 

Lastly, operating the public pay phones is not that difficult.  You have instructions both in the phone cards and on signs on the machines themselves. 

It is good to buy the phone card at the airport itself since its already there and does not cost more than the usual phone card. Tthere is even a card dispenser upon walking from the plane to the train which takes you to the arrival area. You can ask for help from the Information Counter if you aren't sure about the prefix to use with the number you must call.

A useful public pay phone

Contact Amanto Village (the place I would be staying at)

Amanto Village is ideal if you are a backpacker, you don't have much luggage or you are on a budget. 

You can walk to/from JR's Osaka Station in about 20 minutes.It is also near other local train lines in Osaka and is priced at JPY 2000 per night (as of this writing). It is a bargain for its location and your proximity to knowledgeable folks you can ask about the artsy scene in Osaka. For example,  I got help for my Bunraku and other trips from the helfpul people here.

As of the moment though, its a bit difficult to go there unless you've already visited the place. Hence you need someone to meet you at a drop-off point in Osaka City - preferably near Shin Hankyu Hotel.  From there, your contact can take you to the guest house.  Currently, their website does not have a very detailed map you can use if you want to do this part yourself. 

Some photos of the place and people I met there can be seen if you click on this link.

Get the JR Pass activated and have as many JR train reservations confirmed for the town hopping

Unless it is quite late and the JR Ticket office is closed, the first thing you do if you are on a tight schedule is to get this done as soon as possible. ASAP, you hear? 

Proceed to the JR Ticket Office gate (it is up the escalators and near the train terminal). They usually close their KIX JR office around 9 or 9:30 pm so get your voucher changed, then have your train and seat reservations (if applicable) ironed out. 

It took almost an hour to get everything finalized for my whole trip since I would be making more than a dozen train hops in this particular adventurous journey. 

Do check out the schedules on their website for the opening and closing hours of their offices which do JR Pass exchanges.

Lining up for the JR Pass Exchange

Hop on the limousine bus from Kansai International Airport (KIX) to Osaka City

Since the JR Pass is in increments of 7 days validity, I chose not to use it for my first night but to try instead the limousine bus which would take about an hour's drive from KIX to Osaka City. I would be in Japan for about 15 days, while my pass was for 14 days, hence this decision.

Once you leave the International arrivals floor of KIX's Passenger Terminal Building (1st floor) and go out the doors, the bus stops are located on the same level. 

The ticket vending machines (vending machines are so ubiquitous in Japan!) are located very near the bus stops and its easy to get your ticket as you just choose a destination and pop the necessary bill for payment. There is also a ticket counter where you can use if you want to pay using your credit card. This is manned but I think they close at a certain time.

Considering the distance, unless you are rolling in money you want to burn, don't take a taxi if you are going to Central Osaka. The taxi fare will probably be around JPY 18000 for that 1 hour ride. If your JR Pass allows it, of course I recommend to use the pass and try to hop off on the train terminal nearest your lodgings.

** Note: 

The author may not keep this post updated for prices or changes in the situation. What is described here are the circumstances at the time of the trip. 

- Dec 28, '10 10:49 PM 

for Everyone

Latoh with siling colicot, sanduloy, banday-banday nga saging & tortang talong for lunch. Lami-ah gyod kaayo.

Eating at the "Spice Fusion" restaurant in SM Cebu, I was happily clicking away at the food when one of their staff came up to me and told me that taking pictures was prohibited. WTH??

Broccoli with Cooked Ham (or some Prosciutto)

Description:
There's a lot of ham this Christmas, and after I've eaten them plain sliced, in omelettes, in sandwiches, with chips etc. I figured, might as well put them in with some veggies to cut down on my crime :-)

Ingredients:
500 grams broccoli
1 clove garlic
30 grams EVOO
50 grams cooked ham
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Clean the broccoli and cut into small florets. Boil them with garlic and pepper for 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Mince the cooked ham and add the olive oil. Cook over low heat.

3. Add the broccoli to ham mixture, after removing them from the water with its garlic and pepper. Add salt to taste..


* No images as I haven't cooked it as of this posting, only back in Manila when I had a lot of leftover Chinese ham slices.

hmm...try it with different kinds of ham :-)

Strawberry Cloud

Description:
Now that its December, I kind of wish I was in Baguio and gorging myself on strawberries. Anyway, for the next time that I will be able to bring a kilo or more back home, here is what I would like to do to the berries.

Ingredients:
500 grams strawberries
275 gram cream cheese
2 tbsp brown sugar
a couple of drops of vanilla essence
juice of 1/2 lemon


Directions:
1. Remove the skin of the strawberries. Save a few for garnishing.

2. Place cream cheese, sugar, strawberries and lemon juice in a food processor. Process until smooth. Add some vanilla essence according to your taste.

3. Pour in serving glasses and garnish with strawberries. Chill before serving. You can also serve this with whipped cream.

Avocado, Melon and Shrimp Salad

Description:
Just because its Christmas doesn't mean its all unhealthy eating :-)



Ingredients:
2 avocados
1 melon
8 peeled shrimps
lemon
salt

Directions:
1) Cut the melon and avocados in half, lengthwise. Remove the seeds and pulp with a round spoon and try to get at least 8 balls of flesh from each. Leave about 1/4 inch border of flesh on the inside of the melon shell.

2) Meanwhile, place the shrimps in hot water for a few minutes then transfer to a plate and set aside to allow them to cool.

3) Put together the balls of avocado and melon flesh and the shrimp.Toss in lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Divide the mixture between the 2 melon shells. Chill before serving.

Pasta Spirals with Creamy Parsley Sauce

Ingredients:
2 tbsps butter (or margarine)
1 tbsp flour
1 cup milk
9 oz pasta spirals
1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice or tsp vinegar



Directions:
1. Melt butter in pan, then stir in flour. After 1 minute, remove from heat and gradually stir in milk. Return to heat and stir continuously. Boil for 2 minutes

2. Meanwhile cook the pasta spirals in salted, boiling water for 10 minutes (or until tender but still firm). Rinse in cold water and drain.

3. Before serving add parsley and lemon juice to sauce and then pour over pasta. Serve immediately.

Kanin Club: "Filipino favorites with extra flair!"

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Restaurants
Cuisine:	Other
Location:	Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati City, Philippines

CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, MAKATI CITY, Philippines, 13 December 2010 - My tagline says it all!

*goes back to eating*


But seriously, what is there left to say when usually I can wax verbose and almost write a novel about details and my experience when eating at a particular establishment?
Let the action above speak for itself! *grin*

I was late for the dinner, and was supremely relieved when KC (Kanin Club) expert Leila already ordered for the three hungry girls with her that night. Girls who were never far from their food-trip-mode-mindset-thinking.

We had the following familiar-sounding Filipino viands. The pictures in the comments below will show the descriptions as these regular fare were prepared and served with innovative twists.

Itsi-Bitsi
Seafood Kare-kare
Crispy Dinuguan
6 cups of rice (shared by all of us)
Turon KC

I can't blame it on hunger, because even my tongue lashes out fiercely if it is grumpy about the "templa" (how its seasoned). However, I could be seen ecstatically chewing and savoring the viands as if I hadn't had dinner the whole week.
(Well, to be honest, I didn't have have a meal since 11 a.m. that day but even so, the dishes were tempting enough to be eaten even if it meant being off Santa Claus' gift-list).

Due to the season and its soft opening stage, service was a bit slower than what we had wanted it to be.

But the scrumptious dishes and the cheerful servers who were eager to please and appease more than made up for the little bumps on Kanin Club's road to giving other Filipino restaurants a run for their pesos. We have Leila to thank for the service part I think *grins*

Definitely a must if you are ever in the nostalgic mood for good ole Filipino food cooked as if there were no tomorrow :-)

Belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY to groovy LUCY :-) Don't worry, I celebrated for you by eating and stuffing myself silly yesterday...even if back to work pa rin po.

I feel blessed...had 4 invites to eat out today...I can only accept one which does not conflict w/ my work schedule, at least I can see familiar faces of friends! Christmas month is the best!

Pho24: "Posh Pho, although..."

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Restaurants
Cuisine:	Asian
Location:	Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati City, Philippines

I don't know a heap of chilies about Vietnam's national dish. I've eaten it less than a dozen times, but I do like to slurp beef broth once in a while!

An earlier decision to share a meal at the Ayala Triangle Gardens with a friend had me walking briskly there to peruse the different restaurants which also had a lot of people queuing up even if it was a bit late for a Sunday. Usually this area of Makati is a bit bare during weekends, with people flocking to the malls on the other end.

A quick glance, and Pho24 had the shortest queue I could see. So while I was in the mood for some Hainanese chicken rice (never mind if I don't like chicken, its just that I never got to taste this during Singapore visits), I settled for this Asian cuisine instead of the restaurant on its right side.



First impressions -

1 - There are a lot of pho varieties offered by Pho24.
Their menu does not concentrate on the usual beef noodle soup but also offers other meat combinations, as well as chicken.
Which of course, I didn't try *wink*

Pho may be their main attraction but their menu also lists spring rolls (deep fried and fresh ones) and some snack items. Desserts, albeit two only were listed, has also its place.

2 - The restaurant is fancier for what I thought thought of as Vietnam's "street food".
I guess this is also the reason why its pricier here than usual because you are paying for more than the pho on your bowl. Its not 4-star gourmet dining but its not also street stall style.

3 - Soft opening. Maybe that accounts for the little kinks.
If you visit this month and its crowded, once you are seated, do not wait for them to give you the menu or the bill. Call out to the elegant Áo Dài-dressed women servers or the less-snazzily dressed waiters :-)

Now for the food....

I ordered Pho Tai beef noodle (Php 138).
Pandan Agar Pudding (Php 68).
Vietnamese tea with ice (Php 60).

I canceled the prawn skewers as my friend could not make it in time to the resto...I still had this vague notion of having a pie for dessert at Banapple but erred on the side of caution and ordered dessert here too!

* I recommend their Vietnamese tea with ice. There seems to be an elusive taste of honey there somewhere, and I wish they had bottomless offer for this *grin*

Since they served me the dessert before the pho, not that I mind as I never had a problem with eating dessert first - I was happy to see it zooming my way. The other option was white beans pudding...which eerily looked too similar to my vision of mung beans (munggo to us Pinoys and not so exciting). Amusingly, just having a few spoonfuls of the dessert I ordered opened my appetite a bit further!

There are small-sized and regular-sized phos. The former is for kiddies and its really small unless you are in the mood for noodle-cup-broth soups, then I suggest the regular ones.

A plate of colorful chopped chilies, about 1/5 slice of a fresh lemon, aromatic onions, springy bean sprouts, fresh coriander and mint leaves is set before you. You can ask for extra, as I heard another customer do so, am not sure if it costs extra...maybe not.

The table already has the standard hot chili sauce bottle, and a small container of fish paste so you can mix to your palate's preference.

I'm not sure if Pho24 is geared towards the Northern or Southern Vietnam version. The pho is served in a big bowl with what looks to be a generous helping of the broth. The rice noodles were a tasty treat for slurping (no cutting!). The beef slivers were in tender little itty bits.

The broth is fragrant, light and seasoned well.
At first glance it looks alarmingly like there was just too much broth and not enough noodles, but once you mix what was in the condiment plate into your bowl and enthusiastically stir, it actually turns out to be an appropriate ratio.

BUT, (and yes, there is a but).... I still prefer the broth I slurped down like there was no tomorrow at Sen Lek Thai stall. There was just that touch of spice and elusive flavor in that broth in comparison to this one.

I guess, if I were to rank the last 5 phos I had eaten in terms of flavor and repeat visit factor, Pho24's would be at a respectable #3 or...4...
Its almost street food, but cleaned up and marketed as posh version of it...or rather maybe because of the surroundings?

One of these days, I really need to go to Vietnam and taste for myself how the pho on the streets compare to their posh cousins served here in Manila.

However, if you are in the mood for something hot, bracing and light while you are here, do try Pho24.
Beef noodle soup (or chicken or another kind?) is always comfort food when the weather turns cooler.

Banapple: "A banapple a day...."

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Restaurants
Cuisine:	Desserts
Location:	Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati City, Philippines

"...keeps the doctor away...."

That is how I would probably justify visiting this again and again until I sample all their desserts.

I first heard about Banapple from my friend Marie, who loves all things with the tag of "dessert" and "sweet".

It strikes me as amazing how, even with problems with her blood sugar, she daringly still goes after all these sweets which any doctor worth his stethoscope would demand that she forget ever existed! I like her attitude, foolhardy it may be to medical folks and well-meaning friends of hers.

We were on one of our travels last year and she just mentioned it sleepily on the bus. Little did I know that less than 2 years later, a Banapple outlet would open within walking distance from my usual hangout and in December too!

As I had an unsatisfied tummy from a late brunch, I decided to placate it by going next door to Banapple, which was really my goal anyways from the start *grin*

Persistent text recommendations from Marie had me taking her advice. I did not hesitate to order a generous slice of this bakery cafe's Banoffee pie (Php 85) and a cuppa of bracing fragrant cinnamon tea (Php 55). I also bagged for home consumption two muffins - a Banana Nut Muffin and a Burst of Blueberry one. Each muffin costs Php 60.

Cat's verdict: Their banoffee pie is "sulit!".

Translation: it is worth the Php 85 you pay for it - not just for the flavor but the comfort you get from rolling it on your tongue and giving it a work-out. I personally prefer a less sweet pie, and mid-way through had difficulty in finishing it as I had licked the cream already. All that sugar rush courses through your bloodstream quickly.

I am of the opinion that slices of their pie should be shared with good friends and the Sisterhood-of-the-Foodie-Babes ...hahaha!

Banapple's muffins are more straight up my alley of preferences. A bit more expensive if I compare it to their pie...but filling enough for breakfast or a snack. I'd like to go back and try their orange poppy seed muffin..though the two I bought were the recommended ones from the cashier.

Speaking of their people - points to them for patience and smiling through it all. The tables were almost always full and people were queuing up like flies buzzing around sweet pies. Yet they kept the tables clean, the citronella candles lighted (not that it helped with the darn flies who seemed to have immunity to it) and were a good match to such comfort food inspite of it being only a soft opening stage yet.

Banapple has cheesecakes, cake loaves, cookies and savory pies.
Aside from those, their cafe menu offers salads, sandwiches and pasta for other folks who may be going for more than dessert.

This is one bakery cafe, that along with Conti's and Bizu's (two of my other favored eating places for different products) that I will keep coming back to in the future - until I taste all!

*licks cream off paw*

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Kids & Family

There are only a few of the movie adaptations of this series of books that I could say I enjoyed to the fullest. "Prisoner of Azkhaban" was one. I felt touched by the book and the movie itself (ok, I admit, I almost copiously shed tears...in other words "emo").

Taking into account the limitation that movies have in bringing to the screen the nuances and details of the entire story of the Boy Who Lived - I felt that the "magic" had not been wholly captured in its story-telling, not even in the powers of special effects harnessed by the film-makers.

The reason I dilly-dallied in watching this film was the surprising fact that though "Deathly Hallows" was the last book in this story I have been diligently faithful in reading - it wasn't my favorite, and I was dreading looking at its movie and finding the book better in this case.

I was smiling though when I came out of the theater after I stayed up to watch the last credits roll up on screen - I thought maybe there was some extra scene at the very last second.

This time I could swallow the semi-bitter pill of having what would have been crucial scenes in my opinion being left out of the movie mix.

I missed the reformation of Kreacher (foul creature he may be). I probably missed seeing on screen how my imagination had him dolling out food to the trio as they stayed in the OfTP's ex-headquarters.

Development of relationships between the other characters are, I grudgingly admit, not needed in this movie. The scene between Harry and Ginny is probably enough not to shock you as to how they would end up 19 years later in the storyline. There were also some changes in how certain circumstances were presented, entirely different from the book.

But other than that, I could support the idea that the story was edited enough so that non-followers of the books could enjoy it and just leave the rest to be explained by Harry Potter diehards. That thick tome of the last installation is sometimes intimidating even to bookworms like yours truly.

The best and most jaw-dropping part for me was seeing all those beautiful, sweeping landscapes where the trio perched their tent. It was more than how I imagined the scenes to be when I read and wondered worriedly about their perilous trip.

The special effects were as I expected, and I expected no less from their magical skirmishes.

All good things must come to an end.

I'm glad that at least on the first part of the "end", the movie adaptation brought me back to the what I internally defined as the real magical world of Harry Potter.

The picture below is from the internet and is different from the book I have in possession of.
It is the jacket art of the Bloomsbury (UK) edition of DH.



If you haven't seen Harry Potter DH part 1 on the big screen, I recommend you go out and do it now, as seeing it on your tv screen as you hear the dvd player whirring around will not do justice to the sights and action.

Due to a drive in National Bookstore for sending books to disadvantaged children, I revisited "Mga Kwento ni Lola Basyang" (The Stories of Grandma Basyang), specifically the "Plautin ni Periking" (Periking's Flute) story. I chose and paid for this picture book which would be given to a child or shared by said children in Albay. Would you believe I've not even read it it...but I hope it brings joy to the child and encourages his or her imagination!

Chef Laudico's BFAST: "Could be bit better than usual..."

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Restaurants
Cuisine:	Asian
Location:	Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati City, Philippines

MAKATI CITY, PHILIPPINES, 11th December 2010 - I had always been of the opinion that when you get to eat something at the point where you are famished, whatever would pass your mouth and tongue would turn out to be mouthwateringly heavenly, well...98 percent of the time.

I woke up 11:30 am and walked to the Ayala Triangle Gardens to have what you would probably call lunch though officially for me it was breakfast - being my first meal of the day.

Don't get me wrong.

Even though I cannot in all honesty claim that this "All-Day Breakfast Cafe" serves the kind of breakfast to make me wake up just to eat there, I daresay it would be good enough for some folks who are not as picky as I am when it comes to breakfast which I pay my hard-earned money for.

The selections were broad and familiar enough to the Filipino palate - after all the "-logs" (tapsilog, longsilog etc.) were just a part of it, and one for which I opted.

I had chosen a "silog" (Php 148) with the "angusino" (angus-like tocino or angus ba?) as the starring viand (for an additional Php 30), and a regular iced tea (Php 40 since my first choice was out of stock). Total of Php 218.

With that kind of total price, I expect more than the usual.
I expect my palate to be abruptly jerked to awareness and sit up in eager attention, like a dog waving its tail happily, anticipating a meaty bone or something.
I did get a generous helping of rice, achara, lovely vinegar (points for this), and a mixed salad of sliced fresh tomatoes and onions.
But while the flavor of the angusino was good, there were some pieces which were not chewably tender as I had expected something named in honor of the Angus beef to be.

Maybe I got spoiled by eating at Rufo's Famous Tapas and having their less than Php100 "tapsilog" which wasn't marked as anything Angus-like but really was quite tasty and tender. (Tapsilog means = "Tap" for tapa (beef strips), "Si" for Sinangag (fried garlic rice) and "Log" for itlog (egg)).

The service at BFAST is quite good - at the entrance, I was greeted smilingly by probably the overseer. Same with the cashier. Servers were also attentive and courteous and not old hands (people who've waitressed for some time have a different aura).

But, I will still support this cafe, if not for its meals, then for its efforts in conservation and going nature's way.

Somewhere on the photos below you will read their claim of serving natural food - no preservatives, no msg. They also use recycled wood, coffee sacks and old jeans for their furnishings and recyclable materials for their packaging.

Bottom line - my honest opinion is that the taste is not what I would call equivalent in value to the amount I pay for the meal.

But maybe they factored in some other items - hey, going natural, organic, and conservationism these days is more expensive!
The atmosphere and surroundings was also conducive for a breakfast chat with friends.

2010: Manila's "Best Restaurants"

Thanks to Doc Philip's post earlier, sharing with my all my brothers and sisters who love to eat and enjoy good food!


Manila's 'best restaurants' named

abs-cbnNEWS.com, Dec. 3, 2010

MANILA, Philippines--The Manila's Best Kept Restaurant Secrets (MBKRS) awards, inspired by the best-selling book of the same title, recognizes this year's most excellent chefs and best dining spots in the metro.

 

The winners were announced last November 24 in an awarding ceremony at the Enderun Colleges' Culinary Center in Taguig City.

 

This year's list was a combination of old favorites and newcomers--from world-renowned fine dining restaurant Antonio's in Tagaytay and the rustic Galileo Enoteca in Mandaluyong to the newly opened L'Incontro Ristorante Italiano in Makati City.

 

Antonio's Restaurant. Photo from www.antoniosrestaurant.ph.

 

People's Palace in Makati City was, indeed, Manila's favorite culinary destination as it bagged the People's Choice distinction in this year's MBKRS awards.

 

Chef-owner Antonio Escalante (of Antonio's) received the Best Chef award while Margarita Fores (of Cibo and Lusso) was given the Lifetime Achievement Award.

 

Sunshine and Rob Pengson were recognized as MBKRS awards' Best Emerging Talent this year for their restaurant, The Goose Station, which won this year's Newcomer restaurant award.

 

Grilled veal chop from L'Incontro Ristorante Italiano.

 

Below is the full list of winners in this year's MBKRS awards:

 

Best Italian Restaurant: L’Incontro Ristorante Italiano

Best French Restaurant: La Regalade French Bistro

Best Spanish Restaurant: Cirkulo Restaurant

Best Japanese Restaurant: Tsukiji

Best Chinese Restaurant: Peking Garden

Best Continental Cuisine: Antonio’s

Best Thai Restaurant: AzuThai

Best Filipino Restaurant: Café Juanita

Best Middle Eastern Restaurant: Ziggurat Cuisine

Best Korean Restaurant: Korean Garden Restaurant

Best Indian Restaurant: Kashmir

Best Central European Restaurant: Mickey’s Delicatessen

Best Specialty Cuisine: Cyma Greek Taverna

Best Steakhouse: Mamou

Best Bistro: Apartment 1B Gourmet Comfort Food

Best Restaurant/Bar: The Establishment

Best Enoteca: Galileo Enoteca

Best Fusion Cuisine: Kai

Best Wine List: Masseto Wine Bar and Restaurant

Best Burger Joint: Brother’s Burger Bonifacio High Street

Best Dessert, Ice Cream and Cake Shop: Bizu Patisserie

Best Newcomer: The Goose Station

Best Hotel Restaurant: International Buffet: Circles (Makati Shangri-La)

Best Hotel Restaurant: Fine Dining: Cicou (Hotel Céleste)

Best Hotel Restaurant: Specialty Cuisine: Inagiku (Makati Shangri-La)

Best Hotel Bar: Martinis (Mandarin Oriental)

STC (Cebu) High School '86 Holiday Party

Start:	Dec 27, '10 7:00p
Location:	Cebu City, Philippines

I hardly check FB on events, so am putting it here.

Where exactly? mall? resto? house of one of our classmates?

Camiguin Island Hotels & Resorts Accommodation - Camiguin Islands Philippines - Great Philippine Places, Philippine Islands and Philippine Destinations

http://camiguin.islandsphilippines.com/resorts_hotels.php
for future revisiting of Camiguin :-)

its been ages since I've been there, but I remember the first time was during Holy Week...oho..is this a hint?

Holy Week in 2011

Start:	Apr 21, '10
End:	Apr 24, '10
Location:	Philippines

FYI...March 9, 2011 - Ash Wednesday

Marking the Holy Week (Holy Thursday to Good Friday) out as for sure there will be no work and so its good to plan a holiday ...

Ads w/ Hands

I always have great fun with Stormlizard's powerpoint slides which he shares with his network.
Sometimes he puts together amazing pictures with information about places and things w/c I've not encountered before. Sometimes its just plain funny what he comes up with.

Today, with his permission, I grabbed one set w/c I found as good marketing - not only for the product, but for the brand itself of a country when I see the hands and how they've painted them.

I hope you enjoy it as I did - please click on presentation below.

Attachment: Hands on adverts.pps

There's a purpose to things happening. Even if your long-time necklace gets snatched-up on the streets in Quiapo. There's still a couple of good things to consider in exchange for this kind of incident.

8 Seconds of Gratitude

Year 2010 is not yet over, but as I gazing blankly at a display of batteries for sale at a well-known hardware store earlier this afternoon, I was hit by the proverbial bolt of lightning - I got a lot to be thankful for this year!  I don't know why that particular display just plugged that thought in my  mind but there you have it.

2010 isn't what you would lovingly describe as my best year....for one there was not-so-welcome-news about taxes at the workplace, and daily living expenses still increase at an exponentially higher rate than my salary which has not moved in any direction in what feels to be like a zillion years of time-freeze (actually, just since the start of my job)..but there's so much more which could have been worse and I'm still a lucky woman.

With that thought, I had the idea of doing some sort of speed-thanking.
Get it? If there is speed-dating, why not speed-thanking?

As fast as I could and at the top of my head, I tried to cram through in 8 seconds what I ought to be happy and thank my lucky stars for 2010. And...to think that when January 2010 rolled in more than 11 months ago I couldn't be described as doing cartwheels and throwing roses around in celebration.

At random now, because its different when one is thinking furiously fast versus writing it down placidly -

******
I had a trip abroad (figures that the most recent activity is what I could recall). I never thought I would be doing it this year, with the way my finances were squeezed but with some planning, research and some priorities, I survived and traveled into more places to a country I never though I'd visit again.


Aside from gathering eye-candy and taking pictures and memories with me, the most soul-satisfying and heart-pumping part was the feeling of accomplishment after all was said and done.

I myself cannot believe I did all those things by myself even with a slight wrench thrown into the plans.

Could be project management skills, or basic survival skills, but I can be smug about initiating, planning, executing, controlling and closing out this trip - not a lot of folks can claim completing that series of activities and being totally satisfied with what was gained - affirmation of what I understand myself to be with all my beauty spots and warts, knowledge that I can depend on myself if push comes to shove and gaining mental and emotional strength from the once-in-a-lifetime experience.

******


I had the most number of Philippine trips this year, well, the last time I traveled more, domestic-travel-wise,  was back in the late 1990s..and best of all I got to do them with friends I've known for some time (isn't it fulfilling to be with people you know and are comfortable with?)....and how wondrous too was the fact that I saw new faces, made these new friends and parting ways with the certainty that they will also be the kind of friends I could see myself going on a trip with another 10 or 15 years down the road :-)

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For a long time, there was no helper in my parent's home. My parents were by themselves and getting on in years - but thankfully nothing bad has happened to their health - my dad is still as ornery and fussy about food while my mom is still more energetic than I am. He turned 85, she turned 66 and aside from deafness (him) and BP problems (her), they seem to be still better off than parents of my peers.










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I have 2 new cameras for this year. My Olympus may have blinked (but not out of existence) but my GE and Panasonic are  now part of my family of cameras. I try to have one new gadget to give in to my gadget fetish (though its not obvious) and to have double the goal is ...an unexpected bonus...something like an extra pat on the back from your favorite mentor after the you get an award for meritorious services from your peers who acknowledge your good job.






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I get to eat the food I get cravings for when I see them - and I don't feel guilty, worry about weight, cholesterol or any bad effects. I just eat what I want and drink what I want.

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The physical check-up c/o our company's annual schedule has turned out as a "pass" in my test results (except for one part of me which I have to check later) but I honestly am not worried anymore also about that particular area. I shall have to go to the doctor though because I never got a second check-up on it. Considering I lack sleep most of the time, have bad eating habits and eat junk food...well, I give a minuscule smile when every year, one  or another of the medical staff remarks that I look young for my age when they read my chart. I whisper dramatically, "Probably the junk food...." and they wink back but shake their head resignedly.

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I get to indulge in impromptu meet-ups and eating out with friends, in spite of the weird work schedule I have.
If BDO says "we find ways", I could tell charmingly announce to them, "I did it first!".

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I may have bigger taxes, but I still manage to pay my bank loan out of the fruits of my labor and nobody else's help. No family members, boyfriend, husband, lover (paid lover? haha!), friend, acquaintance or whoever that I need to be indebted to, except the steady banking institution earning a fat interest on my housing loan.

Maybe it was some foresight earlier which helped me hit the correct amount to pay off every month, but how lucky is it, that with some adjustments in my lifestyle and spending habits I am not crawling on the floor crying my eyes in a never-ending tantrum out at the lowered stipend I receive?

And...oops...time's up!

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Well.. eight seconds are obviously not enough time..but haven't you noticed?

There are some people out there who can spend those precious eight seconds bemoaning their fate or pointing out negative aspects of their lives.

Which is really a waste - how could they then enjoy the euphoria and give off that aura of compleat happiness upon realizing they actually have so many gifts heaped up in big piles and surrounding them?

....Such a chock-ful of blessings that they forget to see and acknowledge what is presently in their hands... because they look away and focus instead to what they think others possess.

Hey, how about trying it yourself and seeing how cushy a life you actually have?

Share with me, with us.....your network of friends...and we can all bask in that goodwill and joy that people with acknowledged blessings give out....


THANK YOU FOR COMING OVER AND READING THIS, AND BEING A PART OF MY LIFE.

I just noticed that I have had 1234 posts in Multiply (excluding this one), I didn't even know I passed the 1K mark.

Repost from FB and changed for Multiply friends! Join the fight against child abuse! Change your Multiply (originally "FB" was written here) profile picture to a cartoon from your childhood and invite your friends to do the same. Until Monday (Dec 06) there should be no human faces here, but an invasion of memories. This is for violence against children!

You know Christmas is in the air when you find your credit card feeling feverish. Today has been an EXPENSive day. Let us look on the bright side though. Dead people don't spend a cent. At least am here and sighing about buying stuff, things...that I don't need, that I can live without, that I can do without...but...its so liberating buying them until...you receive the billing statement *grin*