Donuts at the airport

"I like donuts" is somewhat an understatement for me. My favorite are the old-fashioned donuts and usually get them from Wild Flour. I have fond memories of the old fashioned donuts we bought at Greenhills near or at Unimart and the freshly made ones in a bakery near my university in Yokohama that me and my friends frequented in the afternoons when we take a break from our studies.

Old fashioned, freshly made donuts at the Mactan Cebu International Airport Terminal 1

They also have a branch at Terminal 2 where I first discovered them. I got a box of donuts to take home and enjoy.

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Beach watches

We were in Mactan, Cebu a couple of weeks ago. As usual I brought two watches, both of which I can use for swimming. While my 'go to' watch for these trips would be my Mido Ocean Star, I chose to bring my Seiko Eiko, too.

It's the first time I took this watch to Cebu. The Seiko Eiko Limited Edition watch is perfect for swimming or snorkeling.

My very dependable (to me) Mido Ocean Star is perfect for rowing. A highlight of our vacation is being able to try rowing for a dragon boat.

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In memoriam, August 2023

The past few weeks saw a few friends and acquaintances pass away. Two were classmates of mine in Grade School and High School - Mackie Hilvano and Bennet Zerrudo. Another was a High School classmate - Jay Bautista. And another was a former government official whom I had engaged with on different occasions - Benny Reinoso. While two succumbed to serious illnesses, another was victim of a freak accident. One I didn't have much information nor was there shared in our alumni network. It is unfortunate and surely depressing for their families for the loss of these people. One cannot imagine what and how they feel for their loss. We can only pray for the eternal repose of their souls and that those they left behind would be consoled during this period of grieving. Rest in peace my friends!

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Chocolate review: Belgian Dark Chocolate Cranberries

We recently consumed a chocolate bar that I got from last March's trip to Singapore. This dark chocolate is infused with cranberries and claims to be organic (whatever that means nowadays).

The package design is quite nice with the hummingbirds and flowers giving the nature vibes to this chocolate. You also notice the Fair Trade mark on the bottom right of the box.

Detailed information on the chocolate at the back of the package

The chocolate claims to have at least 72.6% (minimum) cacao.

Nutrition facts on this chocolate

This was another very good find and purchase from Singapore. I remember that this also not as expensive as the Venchi and Leonidas chocolates. I will definitely buy a few ones if I see these in a store.

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Parkas and jackets for inclement weather

The recent post I made about rain gear had me eventually looking for my other jackets and parka. I have two that I use when I travel abroad currently in vacuum storage. The maroon one is an EBTek parka I bought in Japan back in late 1997 when I was a student in Yokohama. The black one is a EBTek jacket I purchased in 2012 from the ROX store in BGC.

My gear for wet and cold weather is vacuum-packed to preserve them for the next use. These are quite durable (26-year old parka and 11-year old jacket), and I do take good care of these items.

Close-up of the EBTek and Eddie Bauer stitching on the parka. The parka is actually a shell and you can purchase various 'inner jackets' including the puffy kind to combine with the parka to keep you warm during winter.

Close-up of the Eddie

I have another jacket that folds into a pouch. It is thinner but also durable. I got this jacket in the summer of 1997 for the rainy season in Japan. I usually bring this along whenever I travel during the wet or rainy seasons.

SAC JAC from Eddie Bauer's EBTek line

I also have winter wear in storage at home. These are all in vacuum packs so I can optimize storage space. It also protects the clothes from insects and moisture, which can damage the clothes.

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Weekend watch choices

I often try to wear several of my watches during the weekend. Given them the so-called "wrist time" allows me to check if they are still running and running well. The vintage manual wind watches' mechanisms tend to get stuck when you don't use them as often so I usually just go through many of them and wind them up. The automatic watches need to be shaken up but they require more effort since they require movement to 'charge-up'. I have one watch winder that I use sparingly and with batteries. I didn't want it to be plugged and consuming power, despite it being low voltage. Here's a nice couple of watches from last weekend.

A Tudor small rose tank from the 1930s. This is a classic style that goes well not just for more formal settings but for casual, too. I like the sub-dials of vintage watches like this. They evoke the elegant style of these watches.

A Seiko 6139-6032 Coke Pogue from 1972. This one is a more recent acquisition but my preferred among the watches generally called Pogues. I have a true Pogue that I wear less frequently than this. That one is currently being serviced as the chronograph is not functioning as it should.

More weekend watches soon!

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King Bee Restaurant, SM Masinag

We went to Decathlon Antipolo to pick up some items for our daughter's summer camp. We ended up having an early dinner at the nearby SM Masinag as it was already evening when we finished shopping. We have not been in SM Masinag in a while so we only remember the restaurants that were there months or even more than a year ago. A pleasant surprise is that King Bee, which had a branch along Marcos Highway just outside SM Masinag, was already in the mall. They probably relocated to the mall for convenience and to harness the mall's customers.

Hakaw or steamed shrimp or prawn dumplings

Buko juice or coconut water in the shell

Their version of the classic dish Lemon Chicken is among those we like. It is not so sweet and the chicken is cooked so the meat is tender.

Yang chow fried rice

Salt and pepper squid

Almond and lychee for dessert

The restaurant delivers as a place where you satisfy your cravings for Chinese food or when you want to eat a hearty meal for lunch or dinner. They have an extensive menu and you don't have to wait too long before your food is on the table. It also helps that their prices are very reasonable considering the good quality and quantity per order of the dishes. We'll definitely be back or perhaps order from King Bee in the near future.

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Rain gear made in Vietnam

I have a couple of knock-offs (or are they really overruns?) that I usually wear during the wet season. They perform very well vs. heavy rains. The brand would certainly not be tarnished by the water resistance and breath-ability of the material used in these rain parkas (or jackets as we generally call them in the Philippines). I bought these in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam during a trip in 2017 where we participated in an international conference. I got a few of them for myself, my daughter and my siblings. The wife already had one she bought at an outlet store in the US.

The parka was very useful vs. the almost 2 weeks of rains we had recently. It kept me dry whenever I used it. I even used it for a walk as the weather also affected my morning exercise.

A well known brand you'll find associated with rain gear, winter wear and shoes is Gore-Tex. I assume the materials used for these parkas are the same that goes into the more expensive, branded products.

 

I took some photos of the parkas I bought for myself in Vietnam and saw the date to be September 18, 2017. Here are a couple of the photos.

The softer but water resistant and breathable parka that I usually wear over my clothes on rainy days.

My reliable back-up that I also take on trips. The fabric feels thicker, heavier. All-black means I can wear it over other material even more formal or business attire.

These are 6-year old parkas but they are in great shape even after several washings and dry cleanings over that period. In comparison, the wife's similar branded, and definitely more expensive jackets have deteriorated. It begs the question which should be considered fake when the so-called "knock-offs" are more durable.

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Recognition Rites 2023

It was the first time we were holding the College Recognition Rites face-to-face or in person since the pandemic started. Our college initially set the UP Diliman ampitheater as the venue for the event. However, with the inclement weather and the disastrous University commencement last Sunday, we opted to hold our event in a closed venue, safe from the heavy rains. There were limited options considering less than 48 hours remained before our event. It was a good thing one venue was available - the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.

Graduating batch 2023 were seated on the court

Other graduates from the previous years (2020-2022) joined this batch as they only had online recognition and commencement due to the restrictions of the pandemic. They were seated at the lower boxes of the arena.

The upper boxes and bleachers were assigned to parents, guardians and other guests.

Here's a view of the set-up from the stage.

Here's the view from the stage after we were all seated.

The event was a success. The only inconvenience probably was the traffic and the lack of parking spaces at Cuneta. I learned that many chose to park their vehicles at SM MOA and took a Grab vehicle to and from Cuneta. I would like to think that most if not everyone were satisfied with the change in venue as well as the change in the time of the event. What was supposed to be in the morning became and afternoon event that finished in the evening.

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Lunch delivery from Gino's Brick Oven Pizza

One nice thing about my office is that it's location is strategic and I can order food from various restaurants and cafes in the area as well as those located a bit farther. I posted on being able to order from Wild Flour, for example, which has branches at Greenhills and at Ortigas Center (The Podium). This time around, I wanted to try again the pizza from Gino's Brick Oven Pizza, which has a branch along Katipunan Avenue. I ordered pizza and pasta via Grab.

Margherita pizza - the pizza did not disappoint

Their version of aglio olio is creamy. I was expecting the aglio olio to just be olive oil based like Mama Lou's or Italianni's.

We had a good lunch that day at the office. I'd probably order again soon but perhaps for pizza and another pasta dish. Of course, it might be a better experience if one ate at the restaurant itself.

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