Roamer Anfibio vintage watch

I currently have three Roamers - an automatic Sea Rock, a 1950s manual, and this manual Anfibio. the Anfibio model is one of the most well known for Roamer as they patented a water resistant case for this. Here are some photos for the watch in my collection:

The watch has only 2 hands (no second hand) and a date feature.

Side view showing the signed crown

The other side view

It is amusing to find so much information about patents on the case back

Close-up of the signed crown, which I like because it is my initial 'r'

Gold plating mark on the case

Close-up showing the near mint dial and raised hour markers

The watch is technically no longer 'mine' as it caught the wife's fancy. I don't really mind as this one's a bit on the smaller side, measuring 32mm wide and with 16mm lugs. It is quite dependable and easy to wind. Last time I checked, the watch lasted more than 36 hours on a full wind.

-

Tartufo, The Grove

It's week 2 of the quarantine period imposed to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus. I am basically an introvert so it has little effect on me outside of the typical worry for supplies for our family. Anyhow...the wife and I are already missing dining out (we usually eat out at least once a week - usually our Fridate or date on a Friday). We already have a list of restaurants we want to go back to when this quarantine is over. However, we also realize that things will never be again "normal". Here is one restaurant we would like to eat at again. Hopefully, they will re-open and not hard hit by the quarantine.

We were coming from an event where our daughter tagged along. We were all hungry and decided to have an early dinner before getting a few groceries. Since we were already traveling along C5, we decided to make a stopover at The Grove near the intersection with Ortigas Ave. We used to go there a lot because that's were our daughter went for Kindermusik. One of the previous restaurants there already closed and was replaced by this Italian restaurant - Tartufo.

Restaurant interior

Interesting lighting

There are tables for two (for singles or those on date perhaps?)

The complementary appetizers

A blurred shot of my fresh dalandan juice

They prepare the pastas on a cheese wheel. Our daughter was amused as she watched the staff prepare our carbonara.

Cheezy mushroom ravioli

Creamy Carbonara

We ordered pizza because to have a taste of their take on this Italian classic. We also usually take home what we could not finish. The pizza came with chili flakes, pepper and salt, which we found interesting.

Pizza up close

The food was definitely good and the service was, too. While quality-wise we thought that this is a good restaurant, the quantity - price ratio (if you can call it that) was a bit on the expensive side. We hope to be back and be able to eat there again. But we really do hope they will still be operational after the quarantine period is lifted.

-

Chocolate review: Scharffen Berger Fine Artisan Dark Chocolate

There's this block of dark chocolate that we haven't opened yet. I think this was made not for typical eating but for cooking.

This big bar claims to have 70% cacao content, which I think is just right for either cooking or eating

Details on the chocolate at the back of the box

The notes confirm my perception that this is good for eating or cooking(baking)

Nutrition information about the chocolate

The chocolate is wrapped in foil

I'll let you know with an update if this was a good buy. I would assume so as it is from Scharffen Berger, which has not disappointed so far since we first tasted their chocolates back in 2007.

-

Soup for the day

I went out on a "date" with our daughter one day after school weeks before this quarantine and she told me on the way to the nearby mall that she was hungry. She said she wanted to have some soup after I told her we'll be getting some bread at French Baker. She likes their pandesal and brownies and likes watching the staff working on the breads and pastries while I paid for our purchases. I was actually surprised when she said that she wanted to have the soup that's inside the bread! She remembered the soup in a bread bowl that we had the last time we had lunch at French Baker, which was months ago.

The soup of the day in a bread bowl

The soup of the day then was chicken noodle soup. We shared the soup and the bread and ordered pasta to share. She said she preferred the pumpkin soup but chicken noodle soup was also her favorite. Our 6-year old has developed a somewhat mature and sophisticated taste (she also like sashimi and pesto). She's also not so picky with food (e.g., eating her vegetables) and has a very good appetite.

-

Chocolate review: Choc Stars

There was a curious bar of chocolate in our cache. I recall getting this at a shop while abroad. I don't remember now if this was from a trip to Europe or Australia but is surely from one of the small groceries I've been to to grab a few items for snacking in my hotel room.

The packaging got my attention. Other variants feature other dogs dressed differently

Details at the back include ingredients and nutrition information

The information on the chocolate states this one as having a minimum of 50% cacao. We thought it was a bit on the bitter side of 50% though rather than the sweet side of it. It is good enough but maybe more a novelty than something we'll have several bars of in our cache. Will I buy this or a variant in the future? Maybe, but again more as a novelty and souvenir.

-

Memories of our wedding venue

I had a meeting in the Mall of Asia (MOA) complex in Pasay City a couple of weeks ago. En route to our meeting we passed through the road that used to separate the MOA Arena and SMX building. The road leads directly to the church where we were wed. Obviously, much has changed in the area from 2002 when only the church was there and around it were only grasslands. Now, the church is dwarfed by the gigantic buildings around it.

Church of Jesus, The Truth, The Way and The Light - to the right is the SMX convention center and the left is the Ikea that is under construction

Ikea building under construction - this is supposed to be the largest in the region once completed

Whenever I look at our wedding photos, it seems from very long and we get that feeling of nostalgia. I now understand from first hand experience how it felt to reminisce about bygone days.

-

Dog treat

Our golden retriever Mocha's getting a bit more attention these days after she gave birth last year and had to nurse her puppies. We haven't allowed her as much as we could into the house and she lost a lot of weight after giving birth. Since then, she's regained her weight and restored the sheen on her fur. I now more regularly take her for walks and groom her. Of course, we have our cuddling and scratching time, which I think is mutually beneficial (i.e., science has found this activity to be stress-reducing).

Mocha or Mokey as we fondly call her munching on a bone after her bath

I got this 'bone' from True Value and it lasts longer than the denta sticks she usually chomps in a minute.

-

Chocolate review: Butlers Almond & Orange dark chocolate

We are on break from the office as a precaution vs. the spread of COVID-19. That actually gave me some extra time to work on some backlogs that include tidying up and checking on my collections. Of course, the extra time should also allow me to write more for my blogs. 

The chocolate cache at home included this treat with crushed almonds and orange infused into the chocolate. We also sort of forgot about this chocolate so we decided to eat it after one dinner.

Almond and orange infused in dark chocolate - the photo practically gives you an idea of what to expect. Fortunately, it also delivers on the taste.

Details on the chocolate at the back

This chocolate claims to have 56% minimum cacao

Nutrition information at the lower part of the back of the packaging

This was a satisfying bar of chocolate. It was just the right % of cacao and the sweetness of the chocolate was also just right. We've always enjoyed the mix of chocolate and orange, and the almond was a bonus. The almond added some crunch to the chocolate. This was a gift so I don't know how much a bar costs (didn't Google it but you can). I would very likely purchase one or more bars if I see them on a shop or supermarket shelf.

-

Avocadoria

We've come to enjoy avocados more after we discovered Avocadoria. Our little one wanted to have avocado shake one time we were at a not so near mall along Marcos Highway that we frequent and we chanced upon their stall that already had many customers ordering or waiting for their shakes. We decided to order a shake and after tasting it decided to get a couple more. We consumed our shakes on the car on the way home. A few weeks later, we saw there was an Avocadoria at a nearby mall so now we have one closer to home for our avocado cravings.

Avocado goodies

Their bestsellers - we usually order the Avocado Lover

Avocado ice cream varieties

Details on the avocado fruit - they actually use imported avocados instead of the local variety

Avocadoria is definitely the go to store for your avocado fix!
-

Vintage Citizen alarm watch

I have been looking for a vintage Citizen alarm watch but not the digital one nor one with 4 hands (the 4th being the alarm time indicator). I was looking for one that's designed like my JLC Memovox with the alarm indicator integrated into the dial. This model has been an elusive one and I have seen very few of the model. The opportunity presented itself twice before and in both times I was not able to land the watches. But third time's the charm as they say. And so I finally got one and with a unique feature - a mother-of-pearl dial.

Raised hour marks over the mother-of-pearl dial

Side view showing the two crowns. The crown at 2 o'clock is for the alarm settings while the one at 4 o'clock is for the time settings. Each is also for winding with one for the alarm and the other for the watch to run.

The other side view

Case back showing what looks like a hole but is actually a feature of the alarm

Close-up showing the mother-of-pearl dial and the roughly retouched alarm setting indicator

The obligatory wrist shot

I have observed it several times already since I've acquired it and it doesn't seem to gain or lose significant time over the observation period. It typically runs for about 46 hours on a full wind. Again, not bad for a watch made in the late 1950s. Based on the specs, this one's about 61 years old.

 

[I said farewell to this watch last December 2020. It took only a few minutes before it found a buyer. I decided to sell it cheap and hopefully it'll find more TLC and wrist time with the new owner. 2/11/2021]

-