DISCOVERING BUTUAN PART 2

/ Inday / Leave a comment

I’ve been in Butuan now for three days now and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, the Butuanons know good food.  I worry that my Travel Poor Diet is a goner here. 

 Day 1 was all about work.  As soon as I arrived we were off to lunch at Café Caliente that the owners hosted for the event production team.  The restaurant is right next door to a car engine shop.  In fact, both businesses are owned by one family.  The restaurant started as a coffee shop that catered to the car shop customers.  But soon it grew into a full restaurant.  Mama Len is the woman behind the tasty dishes at Café Caliente that she runs with her daughter and daughter in law.  At the front of the property is a supermarket also owned by the family.  For lunch, we were treated to a sumptuous buffet that featured among other things a Ham and Potato Fritatta and Roast Chicken.  After devouring our lunch, we had their yummy chocolate chip cookies and coffee.

After lunch, we were off to Pietros for the first of four events that we are organizing here for the Balangay Festival.  This first event was, as Jessica Simpson likes to call it, a two-fer.  It was both the Presentation Night of the Mutya Hong Butuan Candidates as well as a Fashion Design competition for the local designers.  We thought that combining these two in one event would provide guests with a chance not only to see the beauty of the ladies here but also show them the talents of Butuanons.  The judges were Gerry Katigbak, Maxie Cinco and Odelon Simpao, all respected and experienced designers who were very impressed with the workmanship of the entries.  With more experience, the local designers could certainly give our more established designers a run for their money.  The winner was a young designer who used laser cutting technique on his creation.  They were asked to create a modern version of the Manobo attire and they didn’t disappoint.  G Tongi hosted the event that segued into the formal presentation of the candidates for the annual beauty pageant.  The audience was impressed with these 12 statuesque beauties in their swimsuits.  The show was short and sweet, just as we envisioned.  And soon we were off to celebrate at a dinner that featured the best of Butuanon cuisine, sweet, succulent crabs and prawns, lechon (that my colleagues -since I don’t eat pork-swore was better than Cebu’s own!) , grilled fish, pinakbet with the freshest vegetables and of course a bilao of pancit (because no celebration is complete without pancit!) We were exhausted but the delicious dinner made up for the tired and aching bones from the event.

The next day we were back to work for a photo shoot of the candidates that was done at Felomina’s Spa.  It was one of those “so near, yet so far” moments.  There were so many photo spots for Inday, but sadly, we were too busy working.  Thankfully, we were done in time for dinner…

And where was dinner?  At Baron’s.  This Car Wash by day and restaurant by night did not disappoint.  The whole team could barely stand after feasting on Sinuglaw, a mouth-watering combination of inihaw na liempo and kinilaw.  The Spicy Paksiw na Gingaw was another winner.  I’m not a big spicy food fan, but I couldn’t resist the tasty and tender fish chunks.  And what better beverage to wash down all this goodness, a glass of fresh mango juice. 

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THIS IS BARON’S

And we were not yet done.  Dessert and coffee at Margie’s.  This is probably everyone’s favorite stop in Butuan.  Their Cornflakes Meringue are my favorite but I also love their other desserts like the Cheese Cupcake (ordered 2 hehe), Chocolate Cake and Mocha Cake.  The rest of the group sampled their Profiteroles, Mint Chocolate Brownies and Prune Cake.  Those who were leaving the next day wiped out their Brownie Thin supply.

The next day was a long workday which meant spending it at the bar of Almont Inland resort where we could avail of free internet while alternating between Mango and Buko Shake. 

Today, we are still at it.  A return trip to Margie’s for lunch where I feasted on their Basil and Tuyo Pasta plus Cheese Cupcake.  Crispy Tadyang, Pandan Chicken and Kesong Puti Poppers (I think that’s what it was called, too busy enjoying it to make note of the right name) were winners too.  I’m sure I’ll be back for more….

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THE STAFF OF MARGIE’S POSE WITH INDAY

We ended the day with a feast of Chinese food at Rosario’s fresh vegetables, fried chicken and crispy and chewy buchi were on the menu. 

 

I’m writing this entry while enjoying my Caffe Mocha at Bo’s Coffee where you can enjoy your coffee with serving of free internet.  That’s my kind of coffee shop.

I’ll be here for a couple more weeks so I’m sure I’ll be eating more and sharing more…stay tuned!

That’s all for now…bow.

DISCOVERING BUTUAN

/ Inday / Leave a comment

I always told myself that I should see more of the Philippines.  Not just the usual Boracay, Palawan, Batangas, Tagaytay, Cebu visits, but discover more of the not so popular places in our country.

A few years back, my friend invited me to visit her hometown of Butuan City in Agusan del Norte.  I had heard of Butuan from my aunt who grew up there, but I never thought I’d visit.  At that point, all I knew of Butuan was that my favorite Brownie Thins and Cornflakes Meringue came from a coffee shop called Margie’s Kitchen which started in Butuan.

I didn’t really know what to expect and was pleasantly surprised at how modern and developed the city is.   My friend’s family owns a hospital there and her dad proudly showed me around the facilities and it was a truly impressive and modern hospital that could compete with those in Manila.

We visited several local restaurants and coffee shops but of course, we just had to visit Margie’s Kitchen.  The diet was soon thrown out the window because I just had to try the Red Velvet Cake and buy several jars of the Meringue for myself, plus a few for the family.

Of course we just had to go to the beach so my friend’s sister took us to a nearby resort and I was so jealous of the fact that in less than an hour, we arrived at a beach.  In Manila, you’d have to drive at least 2 hours to even see the coastline.  We plopped ourselves down in a cabana and ordered a sumptuous Pinoy meal.  They served us this yummy Pinakbet, which is a big deal to hear from someone who doesn’t always like that dish.  Knowing what a “singer” I am, my hosts asked if I wanted to sing, and I readily said yes and asked where we’d go, they said just stay there.  And soon, they were wheeling a videoke machine to our cabana.  Yes folks, we had our very own machine!  Poor resort guests who had to suffer through my caterwauling.

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YES THAT’S INDAY IN TALISAYAN

The next day, we again drove for an hour or so to eat at a seaside seafood restaurant in Talisayan, Misamis Oriental.  I was treated to the freshest crab and fish feast that made me dread putting on my swimsuit in our next stop, Duka Beach.

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AT DUKA BAY

I really did envy how easily accessible all these places were from Butuan City.  Even Davao, Siargao and Cagayan de Oro are just a few hours away.  Not only was there stuff to do, and Durian to try of course (which I liked, much to my surprise) there was also so many other places to visit.

Butuan really is a fast growing city and in fact has caught the eye of big retailers so much so that Robinsons Place is opening there this year.

We’ll be heading back to Butuan City soon for the Balangay Festival, that’s the big town fiesta that I’ll be attending for the first time.  And since I’ll be there for a while, I’ll tell you more about it soon.

That’s all for now…bow.

OF PET PEEVES AND THINGS THAT MAKE INDAY GO “HUH?!?” PART 1

/ Inday / 6 Comments

Never one to let things go, I walk around and am constantly barraged by things that make me want to scratch my head. So in between the travel tales and travel woes, Inday will share her current list of “WTF!”.  Am sure people will agree or disagree, or agree to disagree…

1.  Why do Filipinos think that adding a vowel to the end of an English word or adding that extra syllable convert it into a Tagalog word?

Example: 

Proteksiyonan.  From the English word protection + nan. This is the official Teleserye speak for protektahan.  I don’t get it!

Sincero. From the English word sincere + O.  Since when?

2. Why do Filipinos stare?  While my friend and I were walking in Greenbelt, a lady was blatantly staring at my friend.  We passed her several times and she stared each time.  She didn’t look familiar at all.  So when we passed her, I asked my friend in voice loud enough for the staring lady to hear, “Do you know her? Why is she staring at you?”  About an hour later, we saw the same lady, who resumed her staring action, and again I said, walking by her, “She’s still at it!”  She didn’t even flinch.  Nor did she reply.  It’s just plain rude!

3.  Why do Pinoys insist on wearing winter clothing in our tropical country? I’ve seen girls wearing sheepskin lined UGG boots in Greenbelt.  And I couldn’t help myself, I went up to her and asked, “Maginaw?” and walked away.  By all means wear boots!  I wear boots.  But not those designed to keep people warm in temperatures that we have never even come close to in this country. 

4.  Why do Pinoys rush to get on board a plane? Are they afraid that their RESERVED seat will be occupied? Do they not realize that no matter how early they board the plane, it’s not going to take off unless everyone’s on board?  And, while I’m on the subject, why do they rush to get off the plane? The plane has barely stopped moving and they’re already out of their seat pulling bags out of the overhead bins.  Meanwhile the cabin crew is still sitting down waiting for the go signal to open the door.  Unless you have a connecting flight to catch or you really, really, really have to go to the bathroom, then there’s no reason to rush.  They’re not going to close the door until everyone’s off the plane, trust me.

5. And, for that matter, why do Pinoys rush to get on elevators? They don’t let the passengers get off first.  Do they also think the elevator will just leave without them? And if it does, do they not realize it’ll come back, eventually? It really does make it difficult to get off the elevator when there are people blocking your way because they are trying to push their way in. 

6.  Why do people say “Humingi ng Sorry” when they are apologizing.  Again, this is a Tagalog Movie/Teleserye habit that really annoys me.  You don’t ask for a sorry, you’re the one at fault, you ask for forgiveness.  And if I’m the injured party, then I will ask for your apology.  In other words, the translation for “ask for an apology” is “Humingi ng tawad.”  This has been used for years and years and years, and it has annoyed me for years and years.

That’s all for now…more to come later, I’m sure….bow.

LONGING FOR THANH LONG!

/ Inday / 1 Comment

For my family, a trip to San Francisco is not complete without dining at Thanh Long.  Their Roast Crab, Royal Garlic Prawns and Garlic Noodles are so mouth-wateringly delicious.  It’s the kind of meal where you just have to dig in and dig through the crab shells for every single morsel of crab meat.  When we first started eating there in the mid-80’s, I’d actually have a whole crab to myself plus maybe 2 bowls of rice.  (now we know why I have a weight problem)

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THE FAMOUS THANH LONG CRABS UP CLOSE

Back then, the crabs were less then $20 each.  These days, one crab can cost more than $50, so usually we just split one between two people. 

For the non-crab eaters like my brother, the garlic prawns served over a bed of garlic noodles were a tasty alternative.  

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PRAWNS ON A BED OF GARLIC NOODLES

This last trip, I decided that, after 20 years, it was time to discover other items on the Thanh Long menu.  After all, even if my dad was footing the bill, I’d still like to stay on the Travel Poor Diet.  Plus, I knew that the My Fitness Pal app would judge me. So, on our two Thanh Long dinners (just 2 days apart) I decided to explore other items on the menu.  And I’m so glad I did.  On the first day, I ordered the Tempura Style Coconut Prawns and a plate of Garlic Noodles.  I figured that way, I’d at least have one of my staples. 

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CRISPY AND DELICIOUS COCONUT PRAWNS

The plate of prawns arrived and they did look yummy.  One bite into the crispy prawns and I realized, “Hey they really do have other good dishes!”  The coconut prawns paired perfectly with the Garlic Noodles.  The family kept asking me why I didn’t just have the prawns but I said I was perfectly happy with my choice.

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MUST-TRY GARLIC NOODLES!  

On the next visit, I decided to try a couple of other dishes on the menu.  My brother and I shared an order of the Dungeness Crab Puffs.  Or as described on the menu, minced Dungeness crab, peanuts & herb cheese wrapped in a light, crispy wonton shell, served with a peanut-mustard dipping sauce.  Sounds good right?  It was yet another good choice.  The creamy cheese was a perfect partner to the crab meat.  After all my two favorites inside crispy wonton? How can that ever go wrong?

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ALMOST FORGOT TO TAKE A PHOTO OF THE CRAB PUFFS BEFORE THEY WERE GONE

Next up was an order of Chicken Satay.  This was a last minute decision.  And another great decision. It was the juiciest Chicken Satay I had ever tried.  It went great with the sweet-garlicky flavors of the Garlic Noodles.

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BEST CHICKEN SATAY EVER! 

Thanh Long is a family-owned Vietnamese restaurant that has been in the same location since it opened.  It’s not the nicest neighborhood in SFO but people have been going there for years.  They now have valet parking, thank God! And have expanded into several restaurants including Crustacean in SFO and in Beverly Hills, Anqi in Costa Mesa and Tiato in Santa Monica.  Each restaurant has it’s own specialty dishes, but the crabs and prawns are always special guests. 

Many restaurants, even here in the Philippines, have claimed to serve Thanh Long crabs but I have yet to try anything that comes even close to the original.  I wish that people would just call them garlic crabs so that you can just enjoy the crabs for their flavors and not be disappointed that they are poor imitations. 

I am so glad I decided to live a little dangerously and try some new items on the Thanh Long menu.  Can’t wait for the next trip to the US to discover even more delicious options.

Hmmm all this food talk is making me hungry.  Is it dinner time yet?

That’s all for now….bow!

 

INDAY IS GOING HOME

/ Inday / Leave a comment

all checked in and ready to go.  yes folks, Inday is headed home.  i’ve been here for over a month, have managed to fill two suitcases, one carry on, one balikbayan box, lost eight pounds, attended my first murder trial, caught up with high school and college friends, and just recharged. after the craziest six months of my life, Inday is back to her old, crazy self.  

so now, i’ve packed my last bag, put away the last load of laundry and am just waiting before heading back to the airport.  it’s been a great stay here in San Francisco, till next time…

that’s all for now…bow

THE PERKS OF BEING A (POOR) TRAVELER

/ Inday / 1 Comment

With all the airline miles I’ve logged thru the years, there’s one souvenir that I value and enjoy more than anything.  Thanks to my limited travel budget, I usually go home a few pounds lighter.   It’s what I call my Travel Poor Diet.

I discovered this diet when I was in New York for a few months some years back.  I stayed longer than expected but had a very limited budget because the plan was to get a temp job to supplement my pocket money.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find a job, so I was stuck with the money I arrived with.  So what I did was to stock up on sandwich fillings and bread and I’d have a sandwich for brunch before leaving my sister’s apartment for that day’s activities.  While I’m out, I’d inevitably get hungry.  The streets of Manhattan are dotted with hotdog and pretzel vendors, so I thought, if I buy a hotdog sandwich, I’d spend $2.00 and I’d still need a soda. The soda, on the other hand, was just $1, and it came in a resealable bottle, which meant I could have a few sips and it’d last me the whole day.  So it was decided, my snack would be Diet Coke and a few cigarettes.  Not healthy, I know.  But hey, after 3 months in New York, I had lost 30 pounds.  Whoohooo!

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FIRST STOP: PARIS, BEFORE THE TRAVEL POOR DIET BEGAN

A few years later, I gifted myself with a trip to Europe.  I had, as usual, a very limited budget, so I had to make a choice.  Eat or see the sights.  Not knowing when I would get the chance to walk the streets of Paris again, I made the choice.  I could eat in Manila, but while I was in Europe, I would splurge on day tours and museum entrance fees.  A friend advised me to bring lots of cup noodles, which I did.  Nissin’s Yakisoba was my traveling companion.  I also brought canned paté, crackers and even disposable plastic containers (for leftovers) and plastic forks.   I knew that eventually, I’d have to actually buy food so I figured, I would just be very wise about how I spent my money.  In the hotels I stayed at that served breakfast, I’d wrap up a sandwich and have that for lunch.  When I’d have to buy food, I’d save half and eat it for dinner later on, I just had to choose dishes that would still be good even if they were cold.  When I was in Italy, I realized it was cheaper to have a scoop of gelato (1 euro) than a slice of pizza (2 euro) so I’d have one with my Diet Coke (notice a pattern here?).  But just because I was scrimping on the food didn’t mean I’d sacrifice the ambience.  In Venice, I’d enjoy my gelato and coke dinner while sitting on a bench in the piazza near my hotel, soaking in the city and the music coming from the street musician at the corner.  In Rome, I’d enjoy my ice cream at one of the benches near the Spanish Steps.  I didn’t really think much of the whole thing until I realized that my pants were getting very loose.  (Problem was I didn’t bring a belt, but pulling up the pants was worth the hassle, believe me!)  And when i got home, I realized I had lost 15 pounds in 3 weeks.  Not bad!

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LAST STOP: BARCELONA, TANNED AND 15 LBS LIGHTER

Traveling poor also means doing a lot of walking.  Why pay for cab or bus fare when you had sooo much time to kill, you can just use your built-in mode of transportation? Your feet!  When I’m in New York, I’d walk at least 10 blocks a day, sometimes I’d go up to 40 blocks.  My sister’s old apartment building was at the downward slope of  a very steep hill, so walking to the subway or bus station meant climbing up that hill, every single day.  And, there only the A train would stop there, so I already memorized all the A Train stops and would take that subway everywhere (I hate transfers and I can’t read subway maps!) and just get off at the stop closest to my destination and walk the rest of the way.  But now she’s moved to nicer neighborhood with no hills! But it’s more centrally located, so maybe I will walk even more and subway less.  When we went to Washington DC, we decided to skip the tour bus and just walk around, and boy did we?

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STOPPING FOR A PHOTO IN WASHINGTON DC

 In Paris, I walked up and down the Champs Elysees twice (that’s 1.18 mi!) before i found a cheap place to eat, and then i walked all the way to the Louvre.  And, after walking around looking for Mona Lisa, I tried to walk to the Metro station but I couldn’t find it so I walked and walked till I did.  When I told the hotel clerk what i had done, he couldn’t believe it.  I looked it up later and realized that I had walked at least 5 miles.  Thank God for comfy ballet flats (Jessica Simpson–winner!!!)

 

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AT&T PARK, AFTER THE GIANTS LOST TO THE A’S IN THE EXHIBITION GAME

When I’m in San Francisco, I don’t get to walk as much and drive my brother’s car so I find other ways to sneak in a bit of exercise.  Thanks to my fear of my brother’s wrath if I do something to his car, I park faaaaar away from the other cars.  So this translates to a bit more walking to and from my destinations.  I am also too lazy to keep moving the car so I park at one spot and then just walk to the different stores in my favorite strip mall (Target at one end and Old Navy at the other, with a Marshall’s, Staples, Sports Authority and Bed Bath & Beyond in between).    I also try to channel my funds towards my shoe and clothing purchases so I still apply the eat at home and drink outside policy. 

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PHOTO STOP IN VEGAS

So far, Dubai and Singapore were the only failures in my Travel Poor Diet.  In Dubai, it was just too hot to walk outside so I stayed in and snacked.  In Singapore, my stay was subsidized and there were other things to worry about so eating became a “hobby” shall we say? 

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MUST STOP FOR PHOTOS BEFORE SHOPPING AT THE MALL OF EMIRATES

But now I’m back in San Francisco, and once again, the diet has paid off.  I’ve lost most of the weight I gained in Singapore, the clothes are fitting well again (smaller muffin top!) and I’ve actually lost 8 pounds and counting.  Not bad when you’re on vacation and people insist on treating you to lunch or dinner every now and then.  

It’s not the healthiest diet, I know.  And, people may say that I’m missing out on good restaurants.  But I’m not.  Thanks to my family and friends who take me to nice places (where they serve chicken, since I don’t eat beef and pork anymore), I’ve been able to enjoy the best of both worlds, just not on my own dime.  

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WAITING FOR THE CRAB AT THANH LONG

Now I just have to figure out how to make this diet work when I’m in Manila.  Hmmm….

That’s all for now….bow.

 

MOTHER NATURE…IS THAT YOU?

/ Inday / Leave a comment

I am Tired, with a capital T talaga!  Inday, the city girl, whose idea of exercise means scouring the malls for sales, went Hiking, with a capital H! 

Instead of our usual lunch in downtown San Francisco, my tita decided to take me to Marin County for a morning hike.  I said, “Sure!” not really knowing what that entailed.  So we made plans to meet in the city, with me taking the Bart and getting off at the Embarcadero stop where she would pick me up and we’d cross the Golden Gate Bridge. 

 

I woke up at 6:30am, had my morning coffee and a cigarette and got ready for my day of adventure.  Everything went according to plan, the bus came at 8:18 and soon I was on my way to the Millbrae Bart Station.  I was feeling efficient so I decided to set aside the $2 for the bus ride.  Big mistake! Because this meant that I didn’t have to open my wallet.  And, when I got off at the Bart Station and was looking for my wallet for the Bart fare, I realized…I LEFT MY WALLET AT HOME! No credit card, no cash in my bag pockets.  Great! Thankfully, my brother was done with his meeting and was kind enough to bring me cash.  I had enough for the ride to the city, which was all I needed because my tita would bring me home. 

And finally, ticket in hand, plus $5 extra dollars for emergency, I was off to the city.  When I got to the Embarcadero station, I was surprised to find that there were two exits.  And I had no idea which one would take me to the Hyatt which is where I’d be picked up.  I closed my eyes and turned right, and as luck would have it, I guessed right.  One cigarette later, my tita arrived and we were off to Marin County.

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We crossed the Golden Gate Bridge and as always, I was in awe of how amazing this bridge was.  In just a few minutes, we had gotten our gear ready and we set off on our hike.  I was worried that I’d have to ask for mini-breaks but surprisingly, the photo stops were enough to keep me going.   And, of course Inday found trees and rocks to pose in front of.  In the distance, I could see the Pacific Ocean.  So near and yet so far…

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There were several forks on the trail and my tita asked me to choose the path we’d follow.  I chose the one that seemed flat and hill-less.  But I was wrong, a few feet away was a hill! In fact, as we went on, there were two hills! Good job, Inday!  But we kept going and before long, we reached our destination, the beach!

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We posed for photos and sat down to eat our snacks. My tita had a banana and some polvoron and I had my Marie biscuits.  A few minutes later, we were hiking back to the car.  From the hill we crossed earlier, I spotted a flat trail that led from the beach so we decided to take that path.  All along the trails, I couldn’t help but be amazed at how beautiful everything was.  Sometimes us city girls do need to take a break from all the malls and buildings and be surrounded by trees and flowers and fresh air. 

When we got to the car, I didn’t even realize that we had walked for almost two hours and had hiked 3.5 miles.  WHooohooo!  And my prize for this triumph? A sumptuous Mexican lunch in Tiburon.  In all the years I lived in San Francisco, I hadn’t taken the time to explore much across the Golden Gate Bridge, and was glad to explore this really pretty city by the Bay.  After devouring my nachos and shrimp tacos, we again took a short walk before getting back in the car for the ride home.

I’m tired, and I’ll probably be sore tomorrow, but it was all worth it. 

That’s all for now…bow.

AN ANGEL (?) IN THE CITY OF ANGELS

/ Inday / Leave a comment

Well actually I was in Orange County, but Orange in Orange County just doesn’t have the same effect. AndI never fancied myself as an orange so I’ll keep the title.

Took a mini-vacation from my vacation to visit old friends and offer support where needed.  Was able to get a great deal on a plane ticket on JetBlue so off to Long Beach I went, bags packed, with clothes for a variety of weather patterns (you never know with SoCal weather) and gifts.  From the airport, the first stop was lunch at a familiar setting, Gerry’s Grill.  Can never say no to a plate of Bangus Sisig.  After filling up on Pinoy classics, we were off to the Santa Ana Courthouse to watch my first ever trial, well in this case, it was just a hearing in the middle of the trial.  After a couple of hours it was time to do what I do best—shop!  And shop I did, I bought 1 pair of shoes. Hmm Marshall’s, Loehmann’s and DSW and all I could find was 1 pair of shoes? I must be losing my touch!

The next day was a free day so we had a yummy Mexican lunch at Javier’s.  Those shrimp tacos were really, really good!!! And, then we were off to do more shopping.  We were supposed to do some sightseeing by the beach but it was too cold and foggy so we decided to go to an island instead, Fashion Island, for some more shopping.  And again, I was a really good girl and only bought a cup of coffee and some madelines.  WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME????

That night, we met up with an old friend from high school and enjoyed an evening of laughter and reminiscing and catching up at Orange Hill, a hilltop restaurant with firepits on the patio that kept us warm and where they let us smoke.  One of the few places around that still did that.  Shared a cheesecake and a cappuccino crème brulee, yummy! We closed the place down and even had to ask them not to turn off the lights so we could take more pictures hehe.

Saturday meant a drive to the Carlsbad outlets for even more shopping.  Not that I minded all the mall visits, I had yet to visit any mall in SFO.  We walked around and tried some stuff but all I got was a bottle of perfume for my mother.  One pasalubong checked off the list.  Whoohoo!  Then it was time for some sightseeing at Old Town San Diego.  Walked around and took photos amidst the old buildings.  It was quite fascinating to see how old town Americana used to look.   As always, I put on my brave face and let go of my dignity and posed for lots of my signature photos.  Like this one….

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After dinner at McDonald’s (no road trip is complete without a fast food stop), we headed home to rest up for the next day.

Sunday meant brunch at Manhattan Beach.  We ate at The Strand which gave us a great view of the beach while savoring mouth watering brunch specials.  I had the Chicken sausage frittata which was really good and which made me want to try to make one again (the last time wasn’t quite so successful) Walked a bit around town and had some yoghurt at the Manhattan Beach Creamery and coffee at Peet’s.  Then it was off for more shopping.  I am proud of myself for only buying a few things at H&M.  hmmm am I growing up and actually learning to budget?

Monday meant going back to the courthouse for the trial.  Was only able to stay for a couple of hours because we had to take my friend’s car to the shop.  Then it was time for dinner at CPK where I was able to spend some quality time with my friend, her husband and their super adorable 4 year old.  When we got home, we hung out a little more then it was time to pack because sadly, my mini-vacay in a vacay was ending the next day.

Got a mid-afternoon flight so we were able to meet up with the girls at the courthouse for a goodbye lunch at the cafeteria and then it was time for the airport.  I must say, the Long Beach airport is one of the prettiest ones I’ve seen.  They have a garden inside with benches and palm trees.  Really nice place to wait for your flight.  So different from NAIA hahaha!  And then I was on board my JetBlue flight back to San Francisco. 

So glad I was able to hang out with my friends, and so sorry that I couldn’t stay longer. 

That’s all for now…bow.

COMING HOME

/ Inday / Leave a comment

ImageI walk out the front door of my brother’s house and immediately feel like I’m back where I belong.  Whenever I visit him, it never feels like I’m visiting, but rather, it’s a coming home.  In 1987, being the obedient daughter that I was, I packed my bags and moved to San Francisco, specifically to Foster City, 10 miles south of San Francisco.  We agreed on one year, but ended up staying almost 10. 

And now, I am back again in Foster City, staying just a block away from our old house and surrounded by very familiar surroundings.  This is truly my home away from home.

People ask me what I do when I’m here, and it’s probably the most boring vacation/travel story ever.  I sleep in, I watch TV-mostly reruns of Vegas, Beverly Hills 90210 (the original series) and One Tree Hill, I go to the supermarket (still the same old Lucky that we used to go to), I cook and do laundry. 

Somedays, I meet up with old friends for coffee.  That usually means a minimum two hour session of chatting and reminiscing, gossiping and laughing.  Somedays, another friend picks me up and drags me to the city for some shopping or just to accompany her on errands.  On days when I’m on my own, I drive to one of the locations in my 3-mile radius and shop.  The next day, I will most likely go back to one of those stores to return what I bought the day before.  And the 3-mile radius really is perfect (no need to go on any freeway!)  I just visit Bridgepoint Shopping Center where there’s a Target, Old Navy, Bed Bath & Beyond, Sports Authority, Staples, Toys R’ Us and a Starbucks!  Then there’s Hillsdale Mall with a big enough H&M, Forever 21, Macy’s, Nordstrom, a big Gap, among other things.  Plus, there’s a DSW across the street.  Who needs to go any further????  When I do, my brother is kind enough to drive me to any place beyond my comfort zone.  Not a bad deal right?

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But this is also what I love about coming here.  I just relax and take things easy, no panic moments, nothing urgent. I look forward to doing my laundry, washing the dishes, and any other household chores I find myself taking on.  (Especially on this trip, when my brother decided to finally convert his office into a den/guest room.  My first few days meant assembling furniture, washing sheets, cleaning out closets and using power tools.  Thankfully, no major injuries occurred!)

And the best part? Everything is so familiar, that you don’t really feel like you’re on vacation.  It really does feel like you’ve come home…

 

 

SLEEPLESS IN SAN FO

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It’s 430am in San Francisco (well actually Foster City) and I am awake. I think I dozed off for 15 minutes around 1am, but that was then, and this is now.  I did debate about taking some of my trusted Advil PM a couple of hours ago, but I think I missed my chance.  And if I take some now, it’d be 6 before I fall asleep and will probably wake up by noon and there goes the rest of the day.  But this trip was supposed to be a vacation, where I would rest and recover and just veg, but I kind of wanted to do most of that awake and enjoying my soap operas, Vegas reruns, Target shopping runs and just inhale the California air.

So what do you do when you can’t sleep? It’s important not to panic.  Panicking will just make it harder to fall asleep.  As an experienced insomniac, my attitude is, I’ll sleep when I sleep.  And so, I already have my tried and tested things to do to pass the time till I fall asleep.  (Though most people might say, after reading this, no wonder she can’t sleep!)

  1. You watch TV.  Or in my case, you watch the shows and movies that you saved on your computer’s hard drive.  I had about 50 episodes of whole bunch of shows to catch up on, not to mention the Inside the Clubhouse episodes about the San Francisco Giants that my brother DVR’d for me before I arrived.
  2. You google.  Google what? Whatever comes to mind.  Sometimes I look for recipes I want to try.  Sometimes I look up actors and see what they’re up to.  Other times, I look for possible variations on the haircut that I’ve been sporting for the last year or so.
  3. You shop or rather you cart.  You don’t have to actually buy anything, you just pick and choose and put them in your shopping cart.  Though since I’m here, I probably will end up buying them and, more often that not, returning them.
  4. You work.  Even if things aren’t due for a few days, if you’re awake and have nothing much to do, then just get them out of the way.  At the very least, you can get the first draft out and just review and revise when the due date is closer.
  5. You eat.  This is probably the worst thing you can do.  (my mom might argue and say it’s #3).  We used to keep snacks in our room, but I’ve tried to avoid that and these days, I just have a glass of water in my room.  The good thing here is that it’s too cold to bother going downstairs just for some potato chips.
  6. You clean.  No not housecleaning.  I just clean my files.  I back-up, I delete, I rearrange files, I create folders.  I sometimes even revise the names of files so that they appear more organized (this sometimes means changing upper case to lower case and vise versa)
  7. You play games.  Words with Friends, Scramble with Friends, SongPop, Draw Something, or my latest obsession, Spider Solitaire.
  8. You read.  I have about 90 ebooks on my iPad that I have yet to read, plus subscriptions to about 6 magazines.  I don’t think I have to worry about running out of things to read.
  9. You make lists.  Of what to wear, what to do. Of what you need to do. Of what lists you have to make.  Of what to pack for that next trip. Of what to buy, of whatever you might want to list.  Of what to do when you can’t sleep.
  10. You blog.  About whatever you can think of, like maybe…what to do when you can’t sleep.

Ok now it’s 5am, and I am still wide awake.  I think this means we go back to #1 and see what happens….