on films, books, food, restaurants, favorite haunts in Metro Manila (and now, Philadelphia)...
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| rants and raves on films, books, food, restaurants, favorite haunts in Metro Manila (and now, Philadelphia)... |
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Tuesday, May 20, 2008 Localized Street Signs  I love how the guy on this "pedestrian" street sign has a Jewish Orthodox-type hat on him. It's always the small cultural differences that are interesting. No time for long blog entries, we're off for a hike and bike ride (and hopefully a camel ride as well) in the desert. I hope we make it back alive, I'm out of shape. We do have a former Olympian and two former US Navy Seals with us on the trip, they'll probably whip us into shape in the middle of the harsh dry desert. Labels: Friends, Random, Travel posted by wys | 12:38 AM 1 commentsSunday, May 18, 2008 St Peter's Fish, Sea of Galilee  We had lunch by the Sea of Galilee yesterday (which isn't really a sea, but more of a freshwater lake). We had the option of having salads and various appetizers for lunch (i.e. pita with hummus, various eggplant spreads, corn, roasted peppers, olives, etc), or salad + some fish or chicken. I have been stuffing myself silly the last few days, but I figured since we were already by the Sea of Galilee I might as well try out some "St Peter's Fish" (i.e. tilapia) since we were right by the source. It was lightly seasoned, deep fried, and tasted deliciously fresh, served with this funky fried rice on the side cooked with noodles and nuts. I realize now how squeamish a lot of Americans are about their food. They're not used to seeing fish served with its head right at the dining table. And when we had dinner in a kibbutz the other night, I was probably the only non-Israeli that tried everything that was served --- chicken hearts, chicken spleen, tongue, etc. Labels: Food, Friends, Restaurants, Travel posted by wys | 11:46 AM 6 commentsSeen in Jerusalem 
posted by wys |
11:44 AM
3 comments
The Miele Guide  Chubby Hubby (who I should probably be reading more closely these days since I'll be spending my summer in Singapore) has launched a new independent restaurant guide called the Miele Guide. From what I've read they plan on featuring the top 20 restaurants in Asia on an annual basis. They came out with an initial shortlist of restaurants from critics from around the region. They'll be going through a few rounds of judging, and in one of the rounds they're tallying votes from the general public. Voters get a chance to wine some prizes too (meals in top restaurants, hotel stays, etc). Just visit their website and vote for your favorite restaurant in the Philippines and get us on Asia's culinary map! You need a Visa credit card to participate (their official credit card sponsor), which is actually a bit of a problem for me because even though I did use to work for a bank, I don't currently have any VISA credit cards (I do have 3 MasterCards though). Cast your vote before end July 2008! Labels: Metro Manila, News, Restaurants posted by wys | 11:41 AM 1 commentsThursday, May 15, 2008 Hello Tomorrow       Photos (L-R, top to bottom): Dencio's Sisig; lukewarm San Miguel Pale with ice; Yamazaki Whiskey from Cyrano; deep fried Cliffhanger sandwich from UCC; Yakitori Rice Plate from UCC; Pancake House's new menu (same stuff, new photos). I got back in Manila last Sunday, and one of first things I did when I got home was unpack Rock Band and set it up for my siblings. What I've been up to the last three days:
M Cafe (+632-757-3000) is located at the Ground Floor of Greenbelt 4, Makati Avenue corner Legaspi Street. Pancake House (+632-633-1487) is at Metrowalk, Ground Level, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City. (My favorite branch). Cyrano (+632-750-2595) is at C Palanca corner Legaspi Street in Salcedo Village, Makati. UCC Coffee Shop (+632-638-6046) is at The Clubhouse, Temple Drive, Corinthian Hills, Quezon City. (My favorite branch). Purple Feet (+632-897-3220) is at 217 Nicanor Garcia Street, Makati (enter the Wine Depot storefront). * * * I'm writing this blog entry from the lobby of my hotel in Tel Aviv. I got here at 5am and my roommate was asleep and I didn't want to bother her with the tap-tap-tapping of mykeyboard in the room. My mother told me to bring a bible so I could read about various places in their biblical context and as when we visit them (i.e. Nazareth, Jerusalem, Galilee). My summer break is just starting, but I think I may already have Travel Fatigue, I was (and still am) feeling very lazy and unexcited about this trip. Labels: Family, Food, Friends, Metro Manila, Restaurants, Travel posted by wys | 11:04 PM 3 commentsTuesday, May 13, 2008 Wieber, Pils, Ale, Stout  I was invited to join a beer club in school and they had their first meeting during "reading week" (we get a week off before the last day of classes and finals week). It was a little strange at first because for the first hour or so I was the only girl in a room of 15 or so guys, but it was all good. They invited a brewmaster from local Pennsylvania brewery Victory Beer, and they told us to expect a lot more "beer tasting" sessions when we returned for the next school year in the Fall because we were the perfect demographic for beermakers --- too young to get fat, but too old to be poor. I tried to keep up with the tasting notes as we went from beer to beer (stuff on hops, varying fermentation processes, adding cinnamon and orange peels to one beer, and a 12% beer that didn't taste dark and malty at all). Labels: Friends, Philadelphia, School posted by wys | 3:23 AM 0 commentsMixed CD - Coachella 2008 For a friend, just because he asked, I made the following "Best of Coachella" mixed CD: Black Kids - I'm Not Gonna Teach You Architecture in Helsinki - Hold You Vampire Weekend - M79 Tegan and Sara - The Con The National - Fake Empire The Raconteurs - Yellow Sun Datarock - Fa Fa Fa The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony MGMT - Kids Hot Chip - Ready For the Floor Rilo Kiley - Breakin' Up Animal Collective - Grass Portishead - Glory Box I'm From Barcelona - We're From Barcelona The Shout Out Louds - But Then Again No Stars - My Favourite Book Metric - Combat Baby My Morning Jacket - Anytime These aren't songs that were all necessarily performed during Coachella 2008, but they are artists that I was able to watch. Now if only I could find a blank CD in my mess of a house ... As a side note, I've heard Vampire Weekend songs in new episodes of Gossip Girl ("Campus") and Grey's Anatomy ("Manford Roof"). You know you've made it big when you're heard on Grey's Anatomy. Labels: Music posted by wys | 3:09 AM 3 commentsWednesday, May 07, 2008 Fruit Salad  I've gone lazy in the kitchen. It's exam week and dishes and laundry have piled up, and I've taken to buying all my meals from outside. A new favorite is this mega-sized container of freshly sliced fruit (melons, cantaloupe, strawberries, kiwi, grapes, watermelon, pineapple) for $7 from the fruit store a block away. And when I do decide to "cook" for myself at home I just boil myself a few eggs (protein packed goodness for long nights of studying!). Two more exams to go ... Labels: Cooking, Food, Life, Philadelphia posted by wys | 9:29 PM 3 commentsMonday, May 05, 2008 Rock Band, Special Edition  To my siblings that are only looking forward to my return next week because I bought Rock Band ... it has arrived! What is Rock Band? Only the most ridiculously fun and addictive game I've played since ... Dance Dance Revolution. I played it for the first time when I was in California last weekend for Coachella and I was hooked. I was telling my cousins how much I enjoyed it when they reminded me that we have a PS3 back in Manila. So I just decided to buy it online and take it back home. Do they sell Rock Band in Manila? I don't know ... but I got mine for $180. And to my brother that is worried I will take it back with me to the US when I leave, perish the thought. I don't have a TV (or the rehearsal space) in my apartment. Man this will be a total pain to pack because the box it came in is 30 inches on one side and the largest piece of luggage I have is 29 inches long. Which means I'll have to take everything out of the box and pack each component separately (guitar, drum legs, drums). Oh the agony. I'll be leaving Philadelphia for 3 months, and am taking a considerable amount of stuff with me. My summer employer has generously given me a shipping allowance, I'll be applying to overweight charges incurred for checking a third piece of luggage. I already have two full size suitcases and in lieu of buying another one (which I don't need or have space for anyway) I got a 20x20x20 box, and bought a snazzy jazzy balikbayan box cover for it. Check it out behind the Rock Band box. Labels: Family, Life, Metro Manila, Travel posted by wys | 2:26 PM 7 commentsAhoy, Matey!  In yet another distraction from preparation for finals, I decided to go sailing last week with the Sailing Club in school. We drove over to Annapolis, the quaint picturesque capital of Maryland two hours from Philadelphia, and spent a good 6 hours a day over two days learning the basics of sailing a 30-foot sailboat with a crew of 4 to 5 people per boat. We learned some basic techniques, as well as some basic sailing terminology like keeling, tacking, jibing, jib, starboard side, port side. Sailing is a lot more tiring than it looks, and while I slept most of the time we weren't sailing, I did manage to get a little bit of studying done in between. There's a bit of romance to be had with sailing around the harbor with the wind blowing in your face, but I didn't quite enjoy the sport so much that I'd definitely do it again in the future. As a side note, I now have that cheesey Christopher Cross "Sailing" song in my head ... posted by wys | 1:58 AM 2 comments |
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