Foodie Shots

(If you haven’t had a meal yet, I apologise for this..)

What happens when I get a new set of cooking utensils? Why, this, of course. Plus some happy family members. =)

The culprits who started it all.

My attempt at French Crullers.

I couldn’t resist.. Lol.

With the icing. These tasted like doughnuts.

Sugarfalls.

It deserves another photo. Lol.

Breakfast tea.

Very hot, sip it sloowly.

I stopped the time.

A not-so-good lunch at Super Bowl. Everything was bland.

My version of shepherd’s pie.

Yummy with a glass of red wine.

Leafy greens with mango vinaigrette dressing.

Little pies of sauteed ground pork, melted gouda cheese and mashed potato “crust”.

In all their soft and gloopy goodness.

Baked Italian style spaghetti, mini pie and a scoop of rice(?!). Lol.

Sushi rice, roasted nori sheet, wooden mat.

It actually tastes better than it looks.

My brother’s evil chocolate shake.

You know you want it.

I Have Succumbed..

..to a lot of things this weekend. :s

But before that, some random updates, photos and thoughts.. For instance, how come I never knew that the Fashion Institute of the Philippines was just at the One San Miguel Bldg. in Ortigas when I lived there for a year? I’m thinking of taking lessons there now. While I’m waiting.. It’s onyl for 16 sessions anyway.. won’t take long at all.

Anyway, last Saturday, lunch with hun at Oody’s Greenbelt. Do you guys notice that none of the Oody’s branches ever look the same? The one in Greenbelt looks best while the one in Market! Market! looks the worst. Had tom yum ต้มยำ, fried catfish thaikatsu, lemon grass juice and thai iced tea. The iced tea was great as usual, I had two. The lemon grass juice was not so good. Thaikatsu looks and tastes like the Japanese tonkatsu.. but there’s a different sauce on the side that makes it taste different. The tom yum was really yum and the only dish we finished: the fried catfish.. although it did look like some freak alien from a sci-fi movie:

Before and after, I can’t decide which one looks worse. Haha.

I busted a toe as I was about to go home that night. My right foot’s big toe is in a sorry state. The nail looks all smashed.. like marble with veins of bloody red laced through the pale pink nail polish.. but infinitely more disgusting. It hurt really bad. And I can’t believe how much of a baby I was as my sister tried to clean it up for me. We were in the bathroom for 10 minutes, which consisted of me refusing and dodging the bottle of hydrogen peroxide and even shedding tears at the very end before I let her touch my toe. I really am frightened of physical pain. I mean, if it happens, then it happens but I will never do anything that will cause me physical pain.. like treat my own wound. But at least it’s not infected so that’s something. I have my very persistent sister to thank for that. Haha. =)

Yesterday, Sunday, we went to Chrysler to test drive some cars. Two cars, actually. A Durango and a Commander. We went to one Chrysler and were shuttled to another Chrysler, a bit farther away. We rode a Town and Country on the way there.. which was okay I guess. It’s a mumsy, van-like car. The doors open and close very slowly. Anyway, we got there and drove the two cars around for a bit. The Durango, an SUV, is more spacious. It seats 7 people, with the seats at the very back good, you can stretch your legs properly. It’s a bit bulky outside. The Commander is very cool. Like a mini-Hummer. It’s very very manly looking. There’s a separate a/c system for the last row of seats which the Durango didn’t have. But the same last row of seats didn’t allow for much leg space.. you’d have to indian-sit. But that’s okay I guess, I thought it was cosy. The family’s leaning towards the Commander. There are less than 10 Commanders currently being used in the Philippines. (At least, that’s what the guy said.)

My sister wants that car (2nd picture) for her 18th. It’s a grampa car. Haha. But she likes it anyway. It’s okay, I guess. Let’s see if she’s so lucky. Lol.

Lunch at Haiku, Greenbelt again. The undying katsudon for the three of us, something soba and tempura udon for the dieting parents, tamago sushi and california maki all around. The katsudon is yummy there. Not too wet but very tasty and it has sesame seeds. And as usual, my foodie shots:

Dessert at Max Brenner Chocolate Bar. White chocolate croissant, chocolate muffins, mad max, Marangan chocolate cocktail, a something irish cream frozen cocktail, a something toffee and something espresso choctails.

Aside from the muffins which were crumbly and dry, and served with I think it was sour cream which was strange, everything was yummy. Took me another day closer to the dreaded but inevitable diabetes I will surely suffer later on in life.

And lastly, I have succumbed in a major way: I got a pair of Havaianas slippers. Okay let me just say that I still don’t like this rubber slipper look but I guess for the beach, for random trips to the mall, and as long as you don’t make them the only kind of footwear you wear every day, then I guess they’re all right. We were walking and I was wearing the new pair of platform peeptoes (so my poor toe could breathe) and I was starting to get blisters. My mom saw the area behind my ankles getting pinkish red and almost blistering. We were right in front of Gas then who had slippers on display. So she said I should just go get a pair and well, so I did. And of course I got the ones with a bit of height. Lol. So there it is.. the story of how I succumbed to my first pair of Havaianas. And of course my sister who actually likes these rubber slippers got another pair. Figures.

Goodbye Cebu, Hello Manila

I managed to fit most of my stuff in 4 suitcases. Most. I left some clothes, artwork, books and other things I forget. I’ve been here for 5 days now, almost a week.

The flight back held a surprise. I was expecting and bracing myself for the inevitable rumbling, jittery landing I was so used to experiencing when flying Cebu Pacific. I felt the plane tilt. I felt the landing gear trap open. I felt the wheels go down. But I did not feel the plane land. It was amazing. My mom (who was holding onto the seat infront of her) and I looked at each other in surprise because we were expecting the same thing that didn’t happen. That was a very good pilot so I just had to listen up for the name: Capt. Santa Ana.

Had lunch at Manong’s (former Dencio’s) at Filinvest Alabang. We were the only other group having lunch as it was already 2pm. The traffic was horrible- I had to be reminded just how bad it really is. Crispy tuna, gambas, shellfish, katsudon, gyudon and etc. We were the only people in the indoor part, the tv was tuned to the F1 race going on live at Penang Malaysia. Lol.

Next day was sister day. We went to ATC to watch Sunshine. I’m still undecided about the movie. There were some really surprisingly scary bits about it- the director’d flash a single frame of gory images of someone suffering/burning at one point of the movie. You can’t escape it because it’s only like a flash of lightning- very quick. It was really.. I dunno. Scary.

Nikki and I got stuff to pig out with in the movie. Flossy pork, flossy cheese bread, cheese naan and pizza bread from Bread Talk. We also tried the black forest. It wasn’t that good. Just average. The flossy pork is another matter though. Made the ones over at Leona’s look super tiny in comparison. Drinks and Cheetos.. lol. We hadn’t had the stomach for Sebastian’s ice cream anymore.. Lunch at Ajisen.

Oh and I got to see Igor and Natassja! They are soo cute and hyper. Igor’s got lips.. I think that’s strange for a dawggie.. But really cute. Not black wrinkly lips either, it’s pink and cute. Natassja is funny. Igor’s cool. It’s so weird how they have their own personalities already and they’re less than 3 months old. They don’t smell like puppies either. They smell like babies.. Lol.

Anyway, went to Tagaytay earlier today for some veggies at Gourmet Cafe. Mom and I also visited Chosen Children again. It’s a place for invalid children abandoned as early as babyhood by their parents. There, they are rescued from trash bins and suffering and are being cared for by good people. You may “adopt” a child and act as a sponsor for expenses and schooling and you may also seriously adopt a child to take into your home.

I’ve got to stay up really late tonight because I have to open the door for my sister who’s out on a group study. I keep forgetting her school’s trimestral. I’m finishing up on this theme I’m working on anyway so it’s all good.

Some new pictures I’ve taken:

The Godiva chocolates from Ninang Loy.

Strange flowers in a vase at the hotel lobby.

Bright pink boungainvilleas

Diamond on mom’s ring on mom’s hand.

Pink and yellow mango juice.

At the Cathedral Museum of Cebu.. Peace!

Complete photoalbums Here and Here.

Ginza

I shouldn’t have been surprised, yet I am. Our prof was no-show again today. This is really getting to my nerves. I mean how hard is it to sms at least one of her students to say that she is at the hospital and cannot show up for class? Just one. She doesn’t have to message us all, that one can pass on the message to someone else and then on and on until everyone is notified. I mean Come. On.

Had dinner at Ginza, this Jap resto a while ago for Kuya Manuel who’s going to go back to Singapore soon. It was yummy. It’s so surprisingly cheap I can’t believe my eyes. The place looks like it’s going to be a pretty expensive to eat there but it isn’t. It really isn’t. It’s amazing. Lol. The doorman bangs on this drum thing when a customer approaches so that someone from inside can open the doors for you. They have this huge Zen garden in the middle of the place and outside, too. The place just has a really nice ambiance and the food isn’t bad either. I just think the tofu steak could’ve been better. I thought the texture was too tough on the outside and it’s too bland-tasting on the inside. And as always, I had to check the loo. In my opinion, that place has to be as clean and nice as everywhere else in the restaurant. A restaurant is only as clean as its dirtiest part-which I think is the loo since I very well can’t go in their kitchens to check and still look normal can I? Lol. The loo was fine, they just had one “out-of-order” stall which left only one for all women to use. It was all right I guess.

Lol. It says “wafu salad” if you can’t see.

and lastly, the ceiling at this bakeshop.. they used Salvador Dali’s Persistence of Time and filled it with cakes and pastries.. Heh.