Regin's Realm

Snapshots around Bacolod

2012-02-15T10:22:00.001+08:00

Going around Bacolod, I took a few photos here and there to have souvenirs of the city. The BlackBerry was very handy for this as I was able to take snapshots while we were on the move (which was all the time!). Following are a few photos taken around Bacolod.

The Visayas is known for their seafood and dried fish is among the best souvenirs or pasalubong that you can get from traveling to cities like Cebu, Iloilo and Bacolod. One of our staff took this photo of me amongst the daing laid out to dry under the sun. A large daing costs 20 pesos from the fisherman while a medium one (shown in the photo) is worth 10 pesos. These easily doubles or even triples once the products reach the market.

Pavements around the city had to be elevated probably due to issue regarding flooding. Unfortunately, the pavements are now higher than the sidewalks. Also, the drains don't seem to be designed to be able to take in rainwater typical from the more intense downpours and typhoons we get these days. You can guess where the water will go and who will be inconvenienced by this - pedestrians.

La Consolacion College of Bacolod is just beside San Sebastian Cathedral and features a main entrance and facade similar to many other similar schools in Manila, Cebu and Iloilo, which are all old cities.

Bacolod is famous for its barbecued chicken. It is called inasal here and the different restaurants and eateries will have their own secret formulas for the marinade or sauce that make their chicken inasal among the best barbecues in the country. Resto or eatery staff will ask you if you prefer native or broiler chicken. Native chicken are free range and are typically smaller and with less meat than the farm-fed/grown broilers but they are much tastier (and therefore more delightful to eat). The photo above doesn't give justice to the native chicken we had for dinner.

We shouldn't forget that Negros Occidental is also well-known for its sugar. There are sugarcane fields all around the province and the entire island of Negros. These were part of vast haciendas and associated with various landlords in a system that mimicked the feudal one in Europe back in the day. One can regularly see very old trucks (bagon that are sometimes of WW2 vintage) overloaded with sugar cane such as the one shown in the photo above.

The Ruins

2012-02-14T12:16:00.000+08:00

The Ruins refer to the remains of a house located in what is now part of Talisay City that was burned during World War II. The story goes that the ancestral home of the Lacsons of Negros Occidental was burned by workers loyal to the family rather than for it and its contents to fall under the invading Japanese forces. What remains of the original structure of the house in the middle of sugarcane fields was developed into a tourist attraction and is accessible through residential roads including a gravel road between a subdivision and the property. The Ruins is a popular tourist attraction is also a venue for photo sessions including pre-nuptial events. The surrounding space and landscaping suggests that the area can accommodate garden weddings.

Pulling into the driveway, the facade of the building greets you along with a booth that manages entries. A meager entrance fee is charged for visitors. The fees go towards maintaining the area.

They say the best time to go to the Ruins was at dusk or during the sunset when the sun's rays play around with the opening throughout the building. I tried my best to get some so-called "artistic" shots with my BlackBerry. Here's a photo of some tables of a restaurant located within the ground floor of the house.

A few framed photos and news items and articles about the Ruins

We climbed to the Second Floor using what remained of what probably was a grand staircase. As there was no flooring, the caretakers installed a canvass on what used to be flooring for this level. I wanted to go to what used to be the main balcony in front of the house but I didn't dare cross over to the balcony, balancing along a concrete beam.

Many houses these days are designed so as to have a cathedral ceiling. I guess cathedral ceilings were also the rave back in the day but then these were probably applicable only to those with large or huge houses like what the Ruins was during its heyday. I can imagine these were palatial structures in the middle of sugarcane fields and a symbol of a medieval set-up in the Philippine countryside.

I like this photo because of the blues and yellows created by the separation of the blue sky and the sunset by the concrete beams and columns of the Ruins. It also helped that the lamps were already on so they contributed to the color scheme in the photo.

From the Ruins, you can see the expanse of the area and a small building that houses a souvenir shop and a restaurant. Diners may be seated inside or al fresco

View of the ruins from the restaurant showing the length of the structure and a side entrance via a stairway. Like many houses of old, there is also a basement to the house, probably used for storage.

Photo showing the ruins with the fountain constructed in the front lawn probably to provide some accent to the area. Visible in the photo is the remains of a tower or obelisk. The top has fallen or crumbled and was replaced by bushes that make it appear as if its just one of those tropical trees.

Door to the souvenir shop cum restaurant

The fountain and the tower as seen past sunset

Fountain with lights on and is a popular photo op spot

Fountain against the Ruins

I would have taken more photos but I only had my BlackBerry with me at the time. Unfortunately, the phone camera is not so dependable during these times of the day when light becomes an issue with photos. There is usually only a slim margin or opportunity to take good enough photos. Also, it was relatively crowded the time we visited so it was difficult to get shots with few or no people in the photos. I will look forward to another time to visit the place when perhaps there will be less people and one could really take in the ambiance of the place.

Balay Negrense

2012-02-13T17:34:00.000+08:00

Among the attractions of the towns of Negros Occidental are the many old house that have been recognized as heritage houses. We were able to go to what is probably the most popular one in Negros located in Silay City - Balay Negrense. It is the ancestral house of Victor Fernandez Gaston recognized by the National Historical Institute in 1994 as a heritage house. It is well-preserved and is visited by a lot of people including school children who get to appreciate history and how people lived back in the day. I guess the house also provides us not only with a sense of history but also ideas regarding architecture that is suitable for our tropical climate.

Following are photos taken during our side trip to Silay City on February Friday in 2012.

A view of the house from the driveway

Historical marker

Ground floor living area/reception area

Antique chairs that seem to be for the patriarch and matriarch of the house

Antique telephone and electric fan

Living area on the second floor located central among the rooms

China and other dinner ware at the kitchen area

Typical altar, tocador and pillow/blanket shelf in the Master's bedroom

Four-post bed at the Master's bedroom

Posing at one of the windows showing the classic shutters that slide into place - (note: some windows of these types of houses have capiz shells or stained glass)

The large windows and the veranda provide adequate ventilation for the house.

An old record player

Other antique items including an old radio and typewriters

Shelf with old books integrated with a writing table near a doorway. All the rooms were accessible through doors going through each along either side of the house.

Typical single bed in one of the rooms on the second floor - the single females' rooms are upstairs while the bachelors' rooms are downstairs.

Posing beside a motorized/pedalized bicycle

Front shot of Balay Negrense from across the street

Another view of the house

Such houses in Silay City remind me of the Heritage City of Vigan in Ilocos Sur. These examples show us that it is possible to preserve such structures for the younger and next generations to have an appreciation of their history and heritage. Sadly, there are many other cities and towns around the country that have yet to act on their own heritage sites, which should be considered treasures. Of course, there is the issue of limited resources for such activities. But then, even small steps and contributions will go a long way to preserve what we have considering the perception that we are a people without a sense of history. That is, perhaps, one of the reasons why we continue to stumble towards the future.

San Sebastian Cathedral

2012-02-12T19:10:00.001+08:00

Whenever I am traveling, I make it a point to look for the main Catholic church or cathedral of places we were visiting or passing through. The Philippines being a country with almost 400 years of history under Spain, there are many old churches spread around the country that represent various architectural influences. Many of these churches are in various states of disrepair due to scarce resources despite all being in active use and with many parishioners and increasing numbers of tourists. It is a good thing that with increased awareness these days, many churches are now being preserved including a few that have been included in a heritage list (e.g., Baclayon in Bohol, San Agustin in Manila, Paoay in Ilocos Norte, Sto. Tomas de Villanueva in Iloilo, etc.).

Bacolod City being and old town, the church is located at the center of the city along one side of the plaza where also located were the old city hall, the police headquarters, a major Catholic school and commercial areas. Following are photos taken using my trusty BlackBerry Bold. My point and shoot was with one of our staff who was taking photos at our survey stations.

The Priory beside the Cathedral looks almost as old as the church.

This photo was a quick one I took while doing recon for traffic surveys we were conducting at an intersection nearby. I like it because it show the Cathedral among the chaos of the present including the electric posts and cables shown in the photo.

The Cathedral has a very long aisle judging from the length of the building structure seen outside. Inside the Cathedral, one gets a better appreciation for this and having their wedding at this church is surely many a bride's dream.

Another look inside the Cathedral, this time a close-up of the main altar. It is interesting to note that the centerpiece features not a crucifix with Christ or an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, but an image of San Sebastian during the defining moment of his life, tied to a post and pierced with arrows. (He was supposed to have miraculously survived this and was later martyred by being clubbed to death.) This is also supposed to be an example of the Catalan style of Catholicism that featured gory or morbid images.

I didn't get another chance to take a photo of the Cathedral during the day time as we had to go around our surveys stations to inspect survey staff. We also had a quick side trip to Silay and Talisay Cities for us to see some heritage houses. We had only a few hours to spare so we had to make the most of it.

The facade of the Cathedral at night - the BlackBerry obviously was not sufficient for such photos but it did well enough to get a good shot despite the glare from street lamps.

Another shot right in across from the church. I shot this in front of the many flower stalls lined up in the plaza across from the Cathedral.

The first images of the Cathedral that I saw were images featured in the book Totus Tuus. The book documented the 1981 visit of Pope John Paul II to the Philippines, which included stops at major Philippine cities like Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legazpi and Bacolod.

Breakfast at Business Inn Hotel

2012-02-11T19:53:00.000+08:00

In Bacolod, our team stayed at the Business Inn Hotel, which we found to be a popular hotel in the city. There were many guests based on the very busy lobby and restaurant. They had the capacity though as my staff was able to get me an early check-in arrangement, which I requested as I arrived at the Bacolod-Silay Airport at 6:00 AM and arrived at the hotel about 30 minutes after deplaning.

We had our breakfasts at the hotel where they had a simple but good Filipino buffet. On our first breakfast, the buffet featured pritong daing na bangus (fried milkfish that was already sliced open) and chicken longanisa (sausages). Instead of orange juice (which was available) we had calamansi juice.

There were many choices for how you wanted your eggs - scrambled with various ingredients or sunny side up

The buffet breakfast this morning featured chicken tocino and beef tapa.

Back in Bacolod

2012-02-10T23:14:00.003+08:00

It's been a long time since my last visit to Bacolod City in Negros Occidental. That was back in 2000 when I attended the wedding of a very good friend, Val Teodoro, who tied the knot with his high school sweetheart Ana Mae Depositario. That was only my second time in Bacolod after also a period of so many years (around 4 years since my first trip in February 1996). That first one was a very short stay as I and my Japanese professor companion arrived from Cebu in the morning and left for Manila in the evening. I still remember us being booked on the last flight out of the old Bacolod Airport and that meant a late arrival in Manila. We tried to catch an early flight and I ended up lining up along the chance passenger counter where I got quite lucky and was able to get tickets to an earlier flight. The Japanese professor was elated at our luck, even reminding me that he was a pretty lucky guy (sunny person was his term).

Since I've lost many photos from those time, I made sure to make up and take a lot this time. In the next few posts, I will be featuring photos of my latest experience of Bacolod including a visit to nearby Silay City, which is where the new airport is located as the old one was closed few years ago. In fact, I was even able to get more than enough photos for my other blog, which deals entirely on transport and traffic - my chosen profession.

Marikina Riverbanks

2012-02-09T20:56:00.000+08:00

Marikina City prides itself as a an environment-friendly city that has made much progress from its old reputation as part of the backwaters of Metro Manila. Part of this transformation that started when Bayani Fernando became mayor in the 1990's was the massive relocation of informal settlers from the Marikina River and the creation of linear parks along the riverbanks. The linear parks also include bikeways, for which Marikina is also known for aside from shoes.

Following are photos taken in March 2009 before Ondoy (Ketsana) ravaged the Marikina Valley particularly areas along the river systems.

Floating bridge (one of many) that is tied at both ends to keep the bridge in place. The bridge is let loose on one end during inclement weather so as to allow for some freedom of movement when the river swells.

The Riverbanks' linear parks are accessible via service road from Bonifacio Avenue as well as from Marcos Highway and the Riverbanks Center

Another floating bridge connecting undeveloped (not yet landscaped) areas that are being used for small-scale agriculture.

The same floating bridge with lush greenery in the background. These areas used to be occupied by informal settlers.

Ampitheather where Marikina holds many events including an annual fireworks display during the city fiesta.

Floating bridge across the Riverbanks Center where there are many restaurants, shops and other establishments (even BPOs).

Swans and fishes decorate the river. That's a Pasig/Marikina River ferry terminal in the background. River ferry services never reached the three stations constructed along the Marikina River. The water depth was never enough and the ferry services were eventually suspended along the Pasig in early 2011 due to very low passenger demand (and revenues). The station shown above was destroyed by Ondoy's waters in September 2009.

One of the columns supporting the LRT Line 2 girders also act as measuring instruments for those monitoring the river. In the background is a suspension bridge for pedestrians, bicycles and pedicabs on the other side of the river, near the Olandes district of Marikina.

The Riverbanks have uplifted the morale of Marikina citizens as it also enhanced the quality of life in the city. It is also an excellent example of what a city can do if its leaders have the political will and clear vision for what a city should be and could have in terms of development particularly along its river systems.

Eco Park

2012-02-08T08:18:00.001+08:00

Another haven for outdoor activity in Quezon City is the La Mesa Eco Park located at the La Mesa Reservoir. It is accessible via Commonwealth Avenue and the streets inside the __ Subdivision. One can take public transport (bus or jeepney) and alight at the corner of Winston or Dunhill Street on the northbound side of Commonwealth. Winston is the street after the Mercury Drug branch, which is across from Puregold.

The Eco Park was opened to the public sometime during early years of the last decade (2003 or 2004) and people immediately flocked to the area that offered a very nice environment for picnics and other activities such as swimming or fishing (there's a large pond stocked with fish for amateur angling). At the time we first went there, there were already many people and it took us a while to find a free spot. Fortunately, most seem to prefer staying near the swimming pool so we settled in an area further on and near the dam where there were much less people. Thus, we could enjoy conversing about life while eating and drinking without the interruptions that we could imagine other people were experiencing in the more crowded areas.

The following photos were taken back in April 16, 2005 and feature most of our barkada from the Clairvoyant's side.

Picnicking at the La Mesa Eco Park

A pond and cottage-for-rent at the Eco-Park

Photo of a lotus flower blooming from the pond

Close-up of the same flower

These days, I hear that the park has expanded to accommodate more people. Also, there are indeed more people coming to the park and it has become crowded even during the weekdays. Peak season (aside from the usual weekends) is during the summer months of April and May when people come for a swim or to just lounge around on the grass. Hopefully, the place doesn't get too crowded and management is able to maintain the environment in the area even as visitors continue to increase.

Open spaces in UP Diliman - The Beta Way

2012-02-07T12:10:00.000+08:00

There are many open spaces at the UP Diliman campus. These include the Sunken Garden, the Track and Field Oval, and the Lagoon areas. The Lagoon actually stretches from the Main Library Building (Gonzalez Hall) to the Administration Building (Quezon Hall). It is bounded by Osmena and Roxas Avenues, which form the Academic Oval.

The identical buildings of what used to be the College of Arts and Sciences or AS (Palma Hall) and the College of Engineering (Melchor Hall) are separated by the lagoon. And to travel between the two at first required one going around the lagoon via either the Main Library road or via Roces Street, which divides the Lagoon area into two. Most people during my time as a student at UP and today would use the Beta Way, a concrete path through the Lagoon that is probably the straightest and most direct path between Palma and Melchor Halls. It is a narrow path that barely accommodates two people passing each other shoulder-to-shoulder. The path's construction was sponsored by a College of Engineering fraternity and it used by mostly Engineering students walking between one side of the campus to the other. Following are a few photos I took one lazy Sunday morning.

Many trees have fallen in the Lagoon area due to the typhoons regularly passing through Metro Manila. Fortunately, there are many tree planting activities that allow for a more rapid replenishment of trees. The saplings on the right side of the Beta Way.

There is a narrow bridge over a culvert along a stream. The stream is actually part of the drainage and sewer system of the campus.

Bamboo growing along a stream at the Lagoon area

Large trees may be found along the Beta Way including some whose root systems can allow people and other creatures to be hidden from view.

The Beta Way has several lamps along its stretch that allow for some illumination. The path, however, is not generally used or avoided at night-time considering security and safety issues in the campus.

This is the view of the Beta Way from the Palma Hall parking lot.

This is the view of the Beta Way from the Melchor Hall steps across the Academic Oval. There is a speed table with red bricks to mark the pedestrian crossing and effectively slow down vehicles.

Tinago Falls

2012-02-06T08:31:00.002+08:00

Tinago Falls is located in Iligan City and Linamon town and is an example of an outdoor attraction that was particularly difficult to access in the past. Access in the form of rural roads have improved a bit and this has translated into more visitors who enjoy the pristine waters of the falls. The following photos were taken back in July 2010 during one of our research trips to the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT). Our hosts took us to the falls after our workshops and meetings were completed.

Tarp sign featuring a photo of the falls covering the old sign. There is also a photo of the mayor of Linamon on the tarp. The falls is more accessible from the Linamon side as the town constructed facilities to provide a safer access to the falls.

Tinago translates to "hidden" and one has to descend towards the location of the falls. Fortunately, the management already constructed these stairs with concrete steps and guiderails. There are also people who accompany you to the falls who will help you get back up (it is a difficult climb for many considering the number of steps and the steep slope)

One will be greeted by a splendid view of Tinago Falls upon reaching the bottom of the stairs

The stream flowing from the falls is cool and crystal clear

The alternate route to Tinago Falls from Iligan City also had steps but is reportedly more treacherous (e.g., slippery and without guiderails) due to years of poor maintenance.

View upstream of the previous photo shows a lot of greenery indicating the forest area is still well-preserved. On the left are a few cottages for excursionists

Fees charged for various activities and amenities at the falls. The facilities are mostly on the Linamon side of the area. There are no such facilities on the Iligan side.

We enjoyed taking photos of the area including the rocks along the stream.

Our group posing in front of Tinago Falls
[Seated L-R: Me, Karl Vergel and Ric Sigua; Standing L-R: Sean Palmiano, Noriel Tiglao and Alorna Abao]
Noriel and Alorna are from Iligan City

Posing before the ascent

Our group ascending the stairs with our local "escorts"

At some point, you just give up because of loss of breath. I was able to reach the top without being carried but I could hear my heart thumping after the climbing effort.

It's indeed more fun in the Philippines!

It's more fun outdoors (park vs. mall, too)

2012-02-05T19:08:00.000+08:00

The Department of Tourism recently launched a campaign with the slogan "It's more fun in the Philippines." Though criticized by many including those who preferred the old slogan of "Wow! Philippines," it is something that captured the imagination of more especially as the slogan provided an inspiration and flexibility to come out with posters and ads to promote the country. Of course, there are those who still insist on the negative but who cares about their negative energy? The country already has more than its fair share of that and we certainly don't need more. Instead, I think people should contribute more to uplifting the country no matter who are in power. Such contribution should include local tourism - tangkilikin natin ang sariling atin!

We have many excellent beaches owing to the Philippines being an archipelago. Yet, there are also so many inland attractions including parks and other destinations easily accessible to most people. There are, of course, the more challenging places that require hiking, mountain climbing or spelunking. There are many other places of interest, however, that the novice tourist should visit. I offer a few more photos for the argument in favor of parks.

The Clairvoyant and I atop one of the tallest hills of Bohol's Chocolate Hills. The hills are a major attraction in the island and is easily accessible via the excellent roads of the province.

Another view of Chocolate Hills - these natural landmarks can be seen from aircraft flying from Cagayan De Oro, Gen Santos or Davao during clear days.

Man-made forest in Bohol - it's sad that many of our natural growths have disappeared due to indiscriminate and irresponsible logging. It's a good thing that some groups and private individuals have taken the challenge to replenish our forests.

Most of the trees appear to be local mahogany. I think it is important that we plant indigenous trees rather than the foreign variety. Many of those trees we only know of from their names that we use for streets or school sections. These include kamagong, yakal, molave, narra, and ipil.

The Loboc River has many small waterfalls and one can experience the clean environment during a river cruise - such views are becoming rarer around the country and towns should scramble to preserve our river systems

I like this photo showing a river cruise station against a backdrop of green. This is for me a picture of what our country looked like in the old times. Development can actually happen while such natural scenes are preserved. Sustainable development, after all, means preservation of such assets for our descendants.

Park or mall?

2012-02-04T12:01:00.000+08:00

I saw a feature on the news last night where one reporter was relating how many of our parks are being neglected since fewer people are going to parks. Many apparently are spending their time in shopping malls; perhaps taking advantage of the air-conditioning to escape the often oppressive climate (too hot or humid for many). Granted, the huge shopping malls provide indoor environments that were designed by their developers and architects to attract people. There are so many activities one can do inside the mall aside from the usual window shopping. But then this is no excuse not to develop and maintain our parks and other open spaces. In fact, people in-charge of parks should look to experiences in other countries where parks are attracting people and not because of gimmickry but because people recognize their value in terms of benefits that can be derived from parks and open spaces.

I still often wonder how we only have few decent parks in our country considering the wealth we still have despite the tremendous degradation of our forests and the failure to secure and develop open spaces. Rizal Park or Luneta is still very much the place to go for a lot of people and it helps that there are other attractions around the park like an aquarium and the national museums (of which I hope to write about soon). Perhaps all cities should be reminded of their responsibilities to their citizens in as far as developing and maintaining parks and open spaces.

Photo taken at Luneta or Rizal Park in Manila in the 1970s - that's the old Department of Finance building in the background on the right

The UP Diliman campus is a haven for outdoor activity 7 days a week and especially during Sundays when is Academic Oval is practically car-free.

The evidence is strong that many people will go to parks and other open spaces if these are provided, maintained and secured (who wants to get held up or robbed while doing R&R?). The case for Luneta and other areas in Metro Manila such as the Parks & Wildlife, the Quezon Memorial Circle and UP Diliman (all in Quezon City) shows us that people would want to be outdoors and enjoy the good environment if such is available to them. The examples mentioned should encourage us to have more parks and perhaps attract people to come out and enjoy the outdoors for a change. Even simple strolls, after all, should grant one substantial health benefits. Matipid pa because there are minimal or no temptations for shopping around you.

Curiosities at Diliman - A Snail

2012-02-03T07:47:00.000+08:00

I was placing the new registration stickers to our car's plates at our office parking lot when I noticed this creature creeping beside me. Creeping seems to be inappropriate for snails as their slow crawl seems quite leisurely enough. I decided to head back into the office to grab my cell phone to take a few photos to capture the slow progress of the snail from the grassy part of the parking lot (where it could have easily been squished by a parking vehicle being unnoticeable to a driver) to the plant box beside the walkway to our building.

One could assume it was a slow morning for me given that I had the time to place the new registration stickers on our car. It was still actually quite early for most people working at the university as I was already checking in at 6:00 AM and waited until around 6:45 to get out to work on the car. 6:00 AM is still pretty dark granted that it is already February. I think its the clouds that seem to have impeded the rays of the rising sun that made it look as if it were only 5:30 AM.

What's for dinner?

2012-02-02T11:22:00.001+08:00

We love seafood and we eat fish more than chicken, beef or pork. We also like mushrooms and so it was only logical that we combine fish and mushrooms to come up with a tasty dish we usually have on our dinner table. The Clairvoyant concocted the dish shown below, one time experimenting on the cream dory (pangasius) fillet that we regularly purchase from the grocery. Cream dory goes very well with shiitake mushrooms and when cooked in oyster sauce produces flavors that would surely satisfy one's gastronomic urges.

Cream dory and shiitake mushrooms in oyster sauce

Cream dory, shiitake mushrooms and rice

Cream dory has become very popular in the Philippines and elsewhere because of its versatility for use in many dishes. We have tried frying it (plain or with onions and pepper) or steaming it. We have combined it with black beans (tausi), chili, pepper, oyster sauce, etc. One particular dish we like to try replicating is the dory dish served by Max's (fish fillet in black bean sauce), ironically a restaurant specializing in fried chicken (they're well known for this!).

February the 40th

2012-02-01T06:41:00.000+08:00

I have written about February being my month. It is, after all, my birth month. Allow me to share a little about part of my life that was imparted to me during my formative years until I graduated from high school. I studied at Lourdes School where the Capuchin Fathers guided us in our Christian education.

I believe that the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi is a very powerful reflection and one that is apt in our everyday lives. It is something that I start my day with upon waking up in the morning. It is something that I never forget to pray especially on days I anticipate to be difficult. The video below is the prayer sung in English by the Philippine Madrigal Singers during one of their recent tours in Europe.

Another prayer is the Canticle of the Creatures or Canticle of the Sun. It is a very beautiful prayer proclaiming appreciation of the things around you. It is something appropriate in these times when our environment has seen so much degradation, when we have failed to appreciate even the most simple things for their deeper and not necessarily commercial value. Below is the Canticle sung by Andrea Bocelli in Italian.

This is probably more familiar in the popular form taught to us in school. The video below is from the film "Brother Sun, Sister Moon" that was shown to us back when we were in grade school. The clip features Sts. Francis and Clare of Assisi discovering God in their own way and proclaiming this through the Canticle.

I am thankful that these prayers or reflections are now available through YouTube. The media should be among the instruments for sharing such material for generations to come who might no longer have the time to meditate about what's happening around us and to us in this electronic age.
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Reconnecting

2012-01-24T21:55:00.001+08:00

Also last Sunday, we had a chance to reconnect with our Tita Poi, Tito Bato and our cousin Bam. Prior to the weekend, the Clairvoyant was already in touch with our cousin and they were talking about getting together for lunch or dinner. It's been quite some time now since we've had the chance to exchange stories. The Clairvoyant last saw them when they visited my mother-in-law (elder sister to Tita Poi) when Mama was recovering from tear duct surgery in late 2010. Our not getting together more frequently is actually an aberration considering our homes are practically in the same area near the border of Cainta and Antipolo.

We finally got to have dinner last Sunday at Eastwood, another place we haven't gone to for years now. The result was a great dinner at Uncle Cheffy at the mall and some shopping on the side as we found some interesting items at some shops there. We found the center mall parking quite okay given the time we arrived at the mall (around 6PM). At that time, there weren't so many people yet at the mall so I guess this is the main reason we didn't have much difficulty finding a slot. Later that evening though, when there was already a lot of people, we returned to our space finding the lot already full with several vehicles loitering for available slots.

Salad - the mix of romaine lettuce, alfalfa sprouts and potatoes were just right

Pizza - the sides are supposed to be "sandwiched" using the thin crust pizza but the pizza was great as a standalone

We look forward to our next get-together and this includes a possible reunion in Zambales during Holy Week in April this year. I'm sure that will be a great thing given the Clairvoyant's uncles who have a lot of stories/tales to talk about.

Ribs!

2012-01-23T08:43:00.000+08:00

We celebrated the Clairvoyant's birthday with her parents last Sunday. After hearing Mass, we decided to eat out and drove to the nearby mall to have an early lunch. It was about 30 minutes before noon but people were just coming in and you could usually get a good table at most restaurants at the time before the noontime/lunchtime rush. When we got to the mall, we quickly decided to go to Racks where we haven't eaten at for quite some time since the Clairvoyant headed to Singapore.

Racks, of course, is well known for their ribs, especially the baby back kind and so we ordered a set that included items that the restaurant specialized in. Like what we usually said, why order seafood in a resto that specialized in ribs? (Or conversely, why order steak at a seafood resto?). I couldn't find their homepage (none?) but was able to get a link to a site showing their menu. Following are a few souvenir photos from yesterday's lunch.

Beef ribs, pork ribs and chicken (the meat was so tender that you didn't need a knife)

Corn on the cob and mashed potatoes (these were the perfect sides to the ribs though the set included a bandehado of rice)

Bolognese with garlic bread (this was supposed to be a substitute to kiddy spaghetti for Angelica)

Souvenir photo for posterity

Racks was quite popular in the 1990's and we even saved some of our allowances during university so we could afford to eat at the restaurant. I remember having my despedida (farewell) dinner at their branch at El Pueblo in Ortigas organized by barkada in 1996 prior to my leaving for Yokohama, Japan for my doctorate studies. Unfortunately, photos from that dinner were lost to Ketsana 2009. Only memories remain of my dinner with blockmates and a special friend. The restaurant's popularity waned in the late 1990's and was almost wiped out before experiencing a renaissance of sort during the latter part of last decade. That was a good thing because Racks certainly provides comfort food and more recent happy memories.

What's for dinner?

2012-01-19T18:29:00.004+08:00

The Clairvoyant and I decided to stay home for dinner last Sunday after dining out the past three days (Men-ichi, Italian-Thai restaurant at Chuan Park clubhouse, Osteria Mozza). The Clairvoyant conjured up a simple meal of fish, noodles and rice that was typical of the quick dinners (read: easy to prepare) we have when we decide to eat in. Following are a couple of photos describing our Sunday night fare.

Our simple dinner of fish, noodles and rice

Stir-fried dory with olives

Indonesian delight

2012-01-18T19:54:00.001+08:00

There is something about the food from the our side of the world, whether at home or in our neighboring countries in ASEAN, that is so interesting and definitely delightful to experience. It is not just the spices nor the ingredients though these are essential elements to the various dishes. It is also the preparation and perhaps the variations found in the different areas that provide the unique flavors or tastes we always long for when we are abroad. Fortunately, "abroad" may mean traveling nearby and thus not missing at all the dishes that we love.

We happened to be at the Funan DigitaLife Mall to pick up luggage that we had brought to be repaired there. It was just before noon and the Clairvoyant and I just came from church, which was a 10-minute walk from the mall. We decided to check out the food court at the 4th floor of the mall and surveyed the stalls for what would catch our fancy. Initially thinking about eating at the Pepper Lunch Express, we were lucky to have spotted a stall serving Indonesian food. Looking at their offerings and what people in line were ordering convinced us to try it out. The photos below show the food we ordered.

Ayam penyak - basically fried marinated chicken on top of lettuce with what appeared and tasted like floss with sambal sauce on the side. The floss definitely was not pork since all the food served were halal. This was part of a set meal with rice and soup.

Nasi kuning set - chicken with a very spicy sauce over it and turmeric rice (not java rice) with sliced veggies on the side

Coconut juice just the way its supposed to be served -fresh and in the shell

Our lunch was quite spicy but definitely good. It's not everyday that we get to eat such spicy fare, which we miss and could only wish we could experience more often. Again, there will be a next time and I already look forward to a trip to Indonesia where I will surely enjoy the food.

Wicked dinner at Osteria Mozza

2012-01-17T21:18:00.000+08:00

The Clairvoyant and I love Italian food and among the best experiences we had was dining at Mozza at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. I wrote about this in a post last year when we tried the appetizers, antipasti and pizza at Pizzeria Mozza.

This time around, we were actually planning to eat an early dinner in time for watching the musical Wicked at the Sands theater. When we tried to reserve a table at the Pizzeria, we were advised to just walk-in as we were told the time we were reserving for was still quite early. When we arrived at the Pizzeria, there was already a long queue of people waiting for a table to open. After inquiring with the Filipino staff about how long we'd have to wait, they asked us if we really wanted to eat pizza since they can get us a table at the Osteria instead. And so we ended up at the Osteria Mozza on the other side, which was the fine dining section of the restaurant (the Pizzeria was for casual dining).

Our waiter was very engaging and asked us if it was our first time to eat at the Osteria. After giving our affirmatives, he proceeded to advise us with combinations by first asking us what we preferred to eat based on the items on the menu. We were quite surprised of his knowledge of the food and followed our feel for trusting his suggestion. We knew somehow that the staff were well-trained and the head chef of Mozza in Singapore was a Filipina so perhaps we would have a good dinner after all. We were also assured that the food will be prepared for us to be able to finish our meals in time for the play.

We were not disappointed with our food and following are a couple of photos that could not quite describe the experience of eating at the Osteria. As usual, these were taken using the camera of my BlackBerry Bold.

Primi: Tagliatelle with oxtail ragu

Secondi: Grilled whole snapper with herbs & extra virgin oil

The Clairvoyant and I shared the "Tagliatelle with Oxtail Ragu," which we were naming kare kare pasta primarily because of the oxtail. The sauce was not at all overwhelming as could probably be expected in other restos. And the serving was just right as an intro to our main meal. The "Grilled Whole Snapper with Herbs & Extra Virgin Oil" was served by the staff with the grilled lemon squeezed and the extra virgin olive oil from Tuscany "sprinkled" unto the fish right before us. The fish was cooked just right and was already de-boned so we didn't have to check for tinik while we were enjoying our meal.

We were so delighted with our meal that we decided to leave an extra tip for our waiter, on top of the service charge on our bill. Again, I can say that we will certainly be returning to Mozza sometime again to try out other items in their menu, whether at the Pizzeria or the Osteria.

Ramen redux

2012-01-16T21:24:00.001+08:00

I have written about eating ramen in Singapore in a previous post. Since then, we have experienced different variations of our favorite noodles from the different regions of Japan from what we take as authentic versions given the way they are prepared and served in Singapore. It is just quite ironic that I can only post on the experiences of eating ramen from the more recent lunches and dinners in Singapore instead of my first-hand experiences more than a decade ago in Japan. The latter experiences are definitely delightful and I was able to sample ramen while dining in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka and other cities I have visited particularly during my 3-year studies from 1996-1999. I have none or lost (due to the Ketsana flood) all photos from those times and so try to relive some of the memories with more recent ones that I could associate with those.

The Clairvoyant and I had the chance to dine again at Men-ichi Japanese Ramen restaurant at the NEX mall at Serangoon last Thursday. We decided to have a light dinner prior to our watching "Sherlock Holmes" at the Shaw Theaters at NEX and easily got a table at the restaurant. Instead of going for our usual char siew and wafu soup to go with our ramen, we opted for chicken ramen and katsu set.

Chicken ramen at Men-ichi

Chicken katsu to go with the ramen

The breaded chicken was fried just right and was not at all oily. The katsu sauce (Bulldog?) went very well as may be expected with chicken. Some people will pour their sauce over katsu but I prefer to squeeze the juice out of the slice of lemon over the katsu and use the sauce for dipping instead. The thinly sliced cabbage complemented the ramen and the chicken katsu.

We definitely enjoy our meals at Men-ichi and will be back for more of their ramen. Perhaps we will try another of the items on their menu the next time and we're sure we won't be disappointed.

Jumbo Seafood

2012-01-14T16:17:00.002+08:00

We had lunch with friends today at Jumbo Seafood Restaurant. It was our first time to eat at this restaurant that is highly recommended by a lot of people who've been to or are residing in Singapore. The branch we ate at was located at Clarke Quay and is in an area where there are lots of other restaurants and bars. I hear the area is one of the places to go not just during lunchtimes or weekends but during nighttime as well. In fact, many establishments open in time for lunch and this Saturday, it was not crowded so one can dine comfortably even with a group. You can see eat inside or al fresco and with a view of the river. Anticipating a good lunch time crowd, however, we decided to make reservations for our group the day before.

The restaurant at Clarke Quay

That's "Spinach Skin Bean Curd with Mushrooms" at left and "Fried Prawns in Cereal" on the right

We also had "Steamed Red Tilapia in Nonya Sauce" and "Seafood Fried Rice." Unfortunately, I was not able to take photos of these delightful items as we were busy exchanging stories with good friends who are also based in Singapore. I must say though that the food was great and definitely up to the hype some people were saying about this restaurant. The service, too, was very good as the staff were attentive and quite efficient. The restaurant also offered great value for money considering the serving sizes (and the corresponding prices). It is one of those places that you will keep coming back for future meals and especially with friends.

Dreams and reality

2012-01-14T16:17:00.000+08:00

The Clairvoyant and I went to the National Museum of Singapore yesterday to view the works featured in the Dreams and Reality exhibit from the Musee D'Orsay Paris. Such works of art include those by such celebrated artists as Pissarro, Degas, Manet, Monet, Renoir, Gauguin, Van Gogh, and Cezanne.

Following are photos of the artwork on display. I will be updating this post quite often as I place captions on each of the photos to identify the work and the artist.

The National Museum building

Venus in Paphos, 1852-1853 (Jean Auguste Dominique INGRES, 1780-1867)

Semiramis Building Babylon (Edgar DEGAS)

Siesta (Hans THOMA)

The Birth of Venus (Alexandre CABANEL)

The Knight of the Flowers, 1892 (Georges ROCHEGROSSE, 1859-1938)

The King's Daughter, 1865-1866 (Sir Edward BURNE-JONES, 1833-1898)

Night, 1897 (Henry FANTIN-LATOUR, 1836-1904)

The Enigma, 1871 (Gustave DORE, 1832-1883)

The Burning of the Tuileries, 1871 (Georges CLARIN, 1843-1919)

The Siege of Paris, 1870-1871 (Ernest MEISSONIER, 1815-1891)

War or The Cavalcade of Discord, c. 1894 (Henri ROSSEAU, 1844-1910)

The Hydrangea or The Two Sisters, 1894 (Berthe MORISOT, 1841-1895)

The Dubourg Family, 1878 (Henri FANTIN-LATOUR, 1836-1904)

A Forge, 1893 (Fernand CORMON, 1845-1924)

In the Black Country, c.1893 (Constantin MEUNIER, 1831-1905)

Stadhouderskade or Going Fishing, 1898-1900 (Piet MONDRIAN, 1872-1900)

The Harvest, 1876 (Camille PISSARRO, 1830-1903)

Young Peasant Girl Lighting a Fire, 1887-1888 (Camille PISSARRO, 1830-1903)

The Harvest or Breton Landscape, 1888 (Emile BERNARD, 1868-1941)

Young Woman on the Beach or Young Woman on the JettyWalberswick, (Suffolk), 1888-1889 (Philip Wilson STEER, 1860-1942)

Boats: Regatta at Argenteuil, 1874 (Claude MONET, 1840-1926)

The Beach at Cabourg at High Tide, 1910 (Rene'-Xavier PRINET, 1861-1946)

The Theatre Box, 1908 (Pierre BONNARD, 1867-1947)

Box at the Opera-Comique, 1887 (Charles COTTET, 1863-1925)

Dancers Climbing a Staircase, 1886-1890 (Edgar DEGAS, 1834-1917)

Three Women with Parasols or The Three Graces, c.1860 (Marie BRAQUEMOND, 1841-1916

The Ball, 1899 (Felix VALLOTTON, 1865-1925)

The Cardplayers, 1890-1895 (Paul CEZANNE, 1839-1906)

Georges Clemenceau, 1879-1880 (Edouard MANET, 1832-1883)

Study of a Figure Outdoors: Woman with a Parasol Looking to the Right, 1886 (Claude MONET, 1840-1926)

The Lady with the Glove, 1869 (CAROLUS-DURAN, 1837-1917)

Young Boy with a Cat, 1868-1869 (Pierre-Auguste RENOIR, 1841-1919)

Portrait of Madame Gaudibert, 1868 (Claude MONET, 1840-1926)

Spring, 1868-1873 (Jean-Francois MILLET, 1814-1875)

The Hunted Roe-Deer on the Alert, Spring, 1867 (Gustave COURBET, 1819-1877)

Variations in Violet and Green, 1871 (James Abbott McNeill WHISTLER, 1834-1903)

Branch of the Seine near Giverny, 1987 (Claude MONET, 1840-1926)

The Gulf of Marseille Seen from L'Estaque, 1878-1879 (Paul CEZANNE, 1839-1906)

Rocks near Caves above the Black Castle, c. 1904 (Paul CEZANNE, 1839-1906)

Pink Landscape, 1882-1883 (Georges SEURAT, 1859-1891)

Sailing Boats and Estuary, 1892-1895 (Theo Van RYSSELBERGHE, 1862-1926)

The Fence, 1890 (Paul SERUSIER, 1864-1927)

The Alyscamps, Aries, 1888 (Paul GAUGUIN, 1848-1903)

Seascape with Cow or On the Edge of the Abyss, 1888 (Paul GAUGUIN, 1848-1903)

Procession Beneath the Trees or The Green Trees, 1893 (Maurice DENIS, 1870-1943)

Purple Waves, 1896-1897 (Georges LACOMBE, 1868-1916)

Summer Night, 1890 (Winslow HOMER, 1836-1910)

Hillside of the Hermitage, Pontoise, 1873 (Camille PISSARRO, 1830-1903)

The Chemine de la Machine, Louveciennes, 1873 (Alfred SISLEY, 1839-1899)

Couer-Volant Hill in Marly under Snow, 1877-1878 (Alfred SISLEY, 1839-1899)

The Railway Bridge at Chatou or The Pink Chestnut Trees, 1881 (Pierre-Auguste RENOIR, 1841-1919)

Spring, Aspens and Acacias, 1889 (Alfred SISLEY, 1839-1899)

The Port of Rouen, Saint Sever, 1896 (Camille PISSARRO, 1830-1903)

(VAN GOGH)

The End of Autumn, 1899 (Eugene LAERMANS, 1864-1940)

The Sick Child, 1885 (Eugene CARRIERE, 1849-1906)

Meditation or Rest, c.1870 (Claude MONET, 1840-1926)

Portrait of Madame Cezanne, 1888-1890 (Paul CEZANNE, 1839-1906)

The National Museum building as seen from across the street

It's more fun in the Philippines! - Beaches

2012-01-10T10:17:00.000+08:00

The Department of Tourism recently launched its slogan after many weeks of strategizing for how to "sell" or market the Philippines to travelers. The target is not at all limited to foreigners but to locals as well considering that many Filipinos have not even considered being tourists in their own land. In this day of budget airlines and promo airfares, many seem to be heading outside the country rather than explore what their motherland had to offer. How many times have we heard people saying they went to this and that place abroad but have not even gone to the province other than in the main cities like Cebu or Davao? And to think that those two cities are already quite near to certain attractions like the beaches in those islands.

In the case of beaches, there are definitely great beaches found in neighboring countries like those, for example, in Indonesia (Bali), Malaysia (Langkawi), Thailand (Koh Samui), and Vietnam (Nha Trang). But have you even tried to go to the Visayas where Boracay and Panglao are among the main attractions? Have you tried the Pearl Farm in Davao or the beaches of Camiguin Island? Closer to Manila, have you experienced swimming (or even dipping or wading) along the beaches in the provinces of Batangas and Zambales?

Following are a few shots I took from the beaches I've been to including popular ones found in Palawan, Sarangani (Mindanao Island), Bohol and Batangas (Luzon Island). These aren't the professional photos one would find in many websites and blogs but regular photos that show just how beautiful our beaches truly are. One can find great shots of Philippine beaches in other sites by searching using keywords such as Lagen Island, Amanpulo, Boracay, Caramoan, Panglao, Malapascua, Pagudpud, etc. The list goes on and perhaps would be endless given the abundance of places developed, relatively unexplored and maybe even uncharted in the archipelago.


Panglao Island, Bohol

Glan, Sarangani

Snake Island, Honda Bay, Palawan

Laiya, Batangas

Car maintenance

2012-01-07T20:40:00.001+08:00

Among the things I've considered as a regular chore is car maintenance. It started when I first was given the responsibility by my father with my first car. He took me to the shop to have me observe how oil changes and tune-ups were done and to introduce me to the mechanics who were his suki. Many of those mechanics eventually left the shop to start their own repair shops elsewhere. One even worked abroad and was said to have been successful and now leads a more prosperous life with his family somewhere in San Mateo. I now have my own sukis and they have been so since the late 1990's. They have maintained all our cars since then and have proven to be trustworthy.

Draining the oil from the car engine - you definitely know it was time to have an oil change based on the color alone. The car is elevated for gravity to help in draining the oil from the car and for easy access to the oil filter that also had to be changed. That filter had to be removed by a special instrument (clamp) as the filter is tightly installed to eliminate the risk of leaks.

Changing the spark plugs of our Mazda 3 requires removing the filter and cover of the engine to get to the engine itself.

Finally getting to the engine, the contacts are removed to access the spark plugs.

The spark plugs are removed with a special instrument after unscrewing it from their slots.

Used spark plugs from the car - I always use Bosch spark plugs; either the Super 4's or the Platinums. I've had the best experience with these compared with the spark plugs of other brands.

After changing the plugs, we have to return the cover and the filter. This part requires some memory to make sure all the clamps and screws are returned.

With the engine cover back, the filter should be returned to the slot in the center of the photo.

That's my dependable mechanic, Rico, who's been maintaining our cars since the 90's, placing the cover to the filter.

The accidental image

2012-01-06T21:24:00.000+08:00

I just have to share this photo I was able to take while crossing the bridge along Dewey Avenue from Olongapo to Subic as the sun began to set. We were returning from inspecting the Olongapo's Driftwood pier and our hosts took us to the lighthouse at the mouth of the river when I looked out from the window of our vehicle and made the gut decision to take a photograph of a dredger! Just when I thought I had a clear photo of the vessel, the picture below came up when I reviewed the photo on the camera screen.


I took a chance by snapping this photo as we crossed the bridge from Olongapo City to the Subic Freeport.

I like how the light affected the images in the photo. Visible at the center is a dredger at the mouth of the river, which is heavily silted. At right one can see the lighthouse partially hidden among the foliage in what could look like an island during high tide. Note the low part of the land where a bridge was built for access to the lighthouse. At left, there are two forms that look like animals. These are actually gantry cranes of the Subic container terminal from across the bay. I suddenly remembered that such cranes were the inspiration for the imperial walkers in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. I also like the way the land and the dredger are reflected on the water with the small ripples giving that blurry effect on the reflections. The funny thing was that I didn't intend for this photo to happen.

Pop dessert

2012-01-04T20:53:00.000+08:00

The Clairvoyant and I enjoy dessert as much as any other person with a sweet tooth. Among our favorites during the summer, which is coming up fast in a few months time, is the halo-halo. Literally translated as "mixed-up" or "mix," it is perhaps the most popular dessert or even snack during the hot summer season. In fact, one will see a lot of local restaurants and eateries offering halo-halo and informal stands sprouting everywhere offering different versions of the popular treat. It seems quite perfect to enjoy a day at the beach alternating between swimming/wading and eating halo-halo aside, of course, to sipping your favorite drink. But even during the rainy season or the colder months from December to February, the halo-halo is very much popular. In fact, halo-halo is on the regular menus of many local restaurants including a popular fast food chain - Chowking.

Regular halo-halo at Chowking

The Clairvoyant enjoying halo-halo at Chowking

As shown in the photos above, it is a mix of many ingredients including ice cream (usually ube, macapuno or vanilla), leche flan (custard), pinipig, sago (tapioca), kaong (?), bananas (saba variety), langka (jack fruit), and various types of beans together with crushed ice and milk. There are many other versions including those with only few ingredients, some even focusing on the sweetest ones.

Me enjoying halo-halo somewhere in Palawan

The popularity of the halo-halo has even reached other countries, including those that have similar desserts like China, Japan and ASEAN countries that have similar treats as the Philippines. In fact, in our recent travel to the US, we chanced upon a shop that offered halo-halo.

Signs on the window of an ice cream shop in San Francisco, CA - note the availability of halo-halo as indicated in one sign on the top right.

I will feature other halo-halo in future posts including the also popular version by Razon's of Pampanga once I get to experiencing these again on some trips during the summer and probably getting a few photos here and there.

"Questions" for the Clairvoyant

2012-01-03T19:12:00.000+08:00

Definitely on my playlist...Bamboo singing "Questions":

A fresh start, a clean slate

2012-01-01T21:06:00.000+08:00

The New Year presents us with an opportunity for a fresh start, a clean slate. The past year is surely another one that we can look back to and say, honestly, that there are things we'd like to do over again and those we are definite should be the same. The New Year allows us to reflect on the year that was and perhaps come up with a plan for what we want to accomplish in the next 365 days (2012 being a leap year).

Some of these plans will surely come to naught and we should realize that not everything is within our control. Are we prepared for such deviations from our plans? Are we open enough to accept that our own ways are not always the best if not the most acceptable? We are often too biased for our sakes that we forget that there will always be others that we are preventing ourselves from learning about and perhaps would have made us better in the process.

I like the homily of our priest in the Mass this morning celebrating not just the New Year but, more importantly, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Our priest posed a question to us where he asked some big "what ifs." What if Mary didn't surrender to God's plan of becoming man through her? What if Joseph rejected Mary? What if the shepherds refused to accept that the Child in the manger was the Savior, and instead looked for a wealthy child instead?

Too often we are burdening ourselves with a lot of things that we should have discarded along our ways. Indeed, if we happen to be containers like cups or glasses, it seems that when we become full we fail to discharge our contents even when these happen to be dirty or contaminated. I would agree with the view that at the end of each year, we are given the opportunity to empty ourselves and prepare to be filled with the graces of the coming year. Too often, we are too full (of ourselves?) that we could not accept things that could have made us better. Perhaps we should learn to unload not just at the end of the year but at every opportunity during the year when we feel burdened and need to be filled with the Spirit for us to experience life.

Happy New Year to all!

Noble rot

2011-12-29T13:20:00.004+08:00

The Clairvoyant and I love sweet wines and there is always a bottle of a dessert wine in our home in Singapore either opened and currently being enjoyed or waiting to be opened even without an occasion to celebrate. While we have tasted wines together and individually in various venues, I think we fell in love with dessert wines after a good friend of my brother-in-law introduced us to Botrytis. He was hosting us one day in his Antipolo home and was relating about their family's vineyard in Australia. They have won many prizes for their wine but he was quick to point out one in particular that he said was quite difficult to produce because it required a certain species of grapes to develop an infection. The infection, termed the Noble Rot, is actually a fungus called Botrytis cinerea and one can read about it here. Our group consumed that bottle of Botrytis in one sitting and it was perfect with the cold cuts and cheese. Since that time, we tried to find Botrytis in Philippine stores but couldn't find a bottle of the Australian product.

It was in Singapore that we finally found a good supply of Botrytis, Botrytis Semillon to be exact. From what we found, two brands carry this sweet wine - De Bortoli and Wolf Blass, both originating from Australia. Below is the photo of a bottle of Noble One from De Bortoli that we usually buy at Changi Airport, where it is significantly cheaper than in Singaporean stores. We take advantage of our frequent trips between Manila and Singapore to get our bottles duty free. The other bottle is a dessert wine produced in Napa Valley, California in the USA. It is a late harvest wine that

De Bortoli's Noble One and Castello di Amorosa's Late Harvest Gewurztraminer

Botrytis Semillon appears conspicuously in the Noble One label and this particular brand is fast selling in Singapore.

We actually have another bottle of the Noble Rot variety at our home in Singapore. After doing a little research, we found that the French produce the sweet wines under the name Sauternes. These are produced in the Bordeaux region of France, which is famous for its excellent wines. I discovered bottles of Sauternes at Changi while shopping for red wine as a gift to a friend back in Manila. It is supposed to be difficult to produce and thus tends to be more expensive. I decided to purchase a bottle upon my return to Singapore and it is still unopened a few months after.

Italianni's: Italian favorite

2011-12-29T12:32:00.000+08:00

Italianni's is among our favorite restaurants in Manila. By its name, it obviously specializes on Italian food and from our quite regular patronage of the restaurant, we can say that one will not be disappointed. For one, they bake their own bread and serve these for starters, which you can enjoy dipping into a mix of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Their menu presents a good selection of starters, salads, pastas and pizzas, as well as drinks and desserts.

A grape shake each and freshly baked bread

Sicilian Chicken salad - this is just half of an order that the Clairvoyant and I split

Fettuccine Tartufo e Prosciutto - again, half of an order that we split

Browsing the menu, one can opt to have either regular, lunch or abbondanza servings for certain dishes depending on how hungry you are. Also, it is highly recommended that one get the discount card of the Bistro Group of Restaurants, which is the mother company of Italianni's. The card avails one of a 20% discount every time the cardholder eats at restaurant of the group. These include Fish and Co., Flapjacks, TGI Friday's, and other relatively newer restos.

Exploring Universal Studios Hollywood

2011-12-27T14:24:00.001+08:00

Another place on our "to-do" list was Universal Studios Hollywood. The anticipation for this actually influenced our decision not to go to the version in Singapore despite Universal Singapore having certain attractions not found in the original Hollywood attraction. Following are some of the photos we took during our trip to Universal Studios Hollywood.

Photo taken by Kuya Boy when after he dropped us off

Another photo along the driveway and still with the fountain in the background

Western/cowboy themed restaurant near the Universal entrance

It was a good thing we brought our tripod so we could get photos even before they opened the gates

Solo shot with the globe and the main entrance

Another solo shot

Red carpet moment c/o a kind fellow from India

Take two at the main entrance

These statues greeted us after entering through the main gate. The one on the right holding unto to camera crane was actually a person who moved when a child came closer to inspect.

Entrance to the King Kong 3D attraction

The way to the Studio Tour

Photo op with a popular family and the Spider Pig

The Simpsons Ride that replaced (updated) the old Back to the Future Ride

Marilyn Monroe reincarnated roaming around on a pink Cadillac

We found this set-up for a law office

And we just had to take this photo beside a law office set-up

I don't ride motorcycles unless my life probably depended on it.

But with a Terminator behind us, what the heck!

Waterworld is a major attraction with the live action performances.

The performances featured Hollywood actors and stuntment.

They even had a plane crash land as part of the performance that wowed the crowd.

Aside from the pyrotechnics and other special effects, certain seats in the outdoor theater were marked where the audience will surely have a wet experience prior to and during the performance.

Dora was there to help say farewell to visitors prior to closing time.

SF Choco: Cocoa Bella

2011-12-26T09:24:00.000+08:00

A trip to San Francisco wouldn't be complete without experience, yes experiencing, its chocolates. Of course, there is the famous Ghirardelli, which deserves a separate post, and Tcho, and Scharffen Berger. Definitely one to try out is Cocoa Bella chocolates, which we enjoyed sampling while walking around the city. We also are thankful to our friends, the Camposes for sharing a box with us. We preserved this for Christmas when we opened the box after a few weeks of procrastination. The Clairvoyant had to go back to Singapore right after we returned to Manila and I made the promise not to open the box until she came home for Christmas and New Year.

A box of Cocoa Bella chocolates from the Camposes was the perfect dessert for dinner on Christmas Day

The box came with a guide to describe the selection as well as others offered by Cocoa Bella.

Gusto kong magpunta ng Disney

2011-12-23T23:30:00.000+08:00

My first experience of Disneyland was in Tokyo in what was Tokyo Disneyland (now Tokyo Disney Resort). I went there back in 1998 with the family of a good friend. Still, I wanted to go to the original Disneyland in Anaheim, CA. It was the Clairvoyant who was first able to go there last 2005 with our cousins. Since then, we sort of plotted when we could go together. Finally, last November, we were able to go together and be kids again for a day. Following are a first batch of photos from our day in Disneyland.

Surrealism with Dali

2011-12-21T07:20:00.001+08:00

Among the things I like about Singapore are her museums. The past year, the Clairvoyant and I have had the opportunity to view and experience masterpieces and other art works that one can only have access to in museums in Europe, the US or Japan. Among our favorites was the exhibition of the works of Salvador Dali, who is well known for surrealism. Following is a first installment of some photos we took during an exhibit last August 2011. Yes, the works can be photographed and you can even take photos of yourself or your group with many of the pieces on exhibit. Just make sure you do not inconvenience others who are also viewing the works. Also, flash photography is strongly discouraged if not prohibited.

The following photos are focused more on the sculptures, furniture and some framed photographs of Dali. For the unitiated, you might be familiar with his signature moustache and his well known use of clocks and symbols often associated with sexuality. I will not pretend to be a good photographer and most of the pictures below are taken with a Blackberry phone.

Castlemania 2 and other photos from Napa

2011-12-20T07:01:00.002+08:00

I'm posting more photos from our adventure at Castello di Amorosa. These were taken by our good friend Norie.

Marian and Norie amongst the wines in the cellar

One can see the plains and the hills beyond from the castle keep

Lower the bridge and open the gates!

A toast to good wine and good health

It is easy to fall in love with Napa with views like this

Posing with the flock of 2

Details on the doorway

Can't have a castle complete without a moat

Framed!

Portrait shot for the anniversary taken at the gardens of Brix

Post castle coffee at Bouchon Bakery a short drive from the Castle with Norie and Aina. One should not miss their chocolate bouchons!

The gardens of Brix

Mushrooms of Muir Woods

2011-12-17T13:16:00.001+08:00

Walking along the paths at Muir Woods, we noticed the variety of mushrooms and fungi growing among the trees and the forest floor. Since there were many branches that have fallen from trees as well as the rotting trunks of fallen trees, there were a lot of opportunities for mushrooms and other fungi to grow and spread in ways they only can in a natural, minimally disturbed environment. We were not experts but could appreciate the variety, their colors and different shapes. Following is a photo journal we compiled from our trip to Muir Woods.

SF Ice Cream

2011-12-16T22:35:00.000+08:00

The best ice cream in San Francisco happens to have Filipino influence. This is the famous Mitchell's Ice Cream is a favorite in San Francisco and a lot of people probably don't know that certain flavors like Mango, Ube (yam) and Macapuno (from coconut) are Filipino favorite. We tasted these and theirs are even better than those in the Philippines, with probably few exceptions like Sebastian's. But that's another story for another post.

We accidentally found the place where we had Mitchell's after getting curious about some signs around the cannery during our walk back to our hotel. We remembered our friends recommending Mitchell's and it was part of our to-do list during that part of our vacation. The small ice cream shop is Norman's, named after its proprietor who happens to be Filipino. He runs the shop with his wife and they seem to have many regulars in their shop by the way they greeted people. We had a good chat with them as we ate our ice cream.

The ice cream shop was located at the Cannery, a huge building that hosted several establishments including our hotel.

Ice cream flavors and other offerings at Norman's who's affiliated with Mitchell's. Notice the "halo-halo" sign?

Norman's is just a couple minutes from our hotel. That's Norman in white cleaning the windows.

Mitchell's is definitely excellent ice cream and Norman's is where to get it when you're in the Fisherman's Wharf area. We hope for them to become fixtures at the Cannery and look forward to our next visit.

Castlemania

2011-12-12T19:12:00.001+08:00

Our trip to Napa Valley wouldn't be complete without the wine tasting experience. After brunch at Brix, we set off for what we thought would be the first among three vineyards that were in the original itinerary - Castello di Amorosa.

The way to the castle set the tone for our wine tasting adventure

The rains that morning brought out the color in the trees

Entrance to the castle grounds

A somewhat modern gate to the main grounds

It was uphill from the gate

Grapevines to the left and right

The view from the parking lot of the surrounding land

What the castle looked like from the parking lot

Sheep taking time out on the lawn

There were also the pheasants in place of the peasants

Photo op along the pathway to the drawbridge

Yup! That's a moat partially hidden by the growth

Perfect photo for printing or Facebook!

Hoping this inspires the Clairvoyant to paint

A moat in defense of the castle

Still on the moat

Gargoyles guarding the castle

Gargoyle solo

The knights were absent during the daytime

Posing at the rectangular table

If only he were our first? :) That's our friend Jane's son posing with us.

King Jopas holding court

Modern knights had to be reminded where the exit was

Enigmatic hallways

Evidence of a forgotten past?

Nice place for a party

What looked like a chapel in the castle grounds based on the cross on top

The kids also had a blast with their own activities while the grown-ups sipped wine

Wine tasting with friends Norie and Aina. That's our host Mr. Constanza on the right.

The Castello had a good wine selection.

Lounging on the lawn

Here's an even better shot of the sheep

Another view of the hallways...from another hallway

Warming up

Take one - too bright!

Take two - The palace grounds seem deserted

Peek-a-boo

No, the clouds weren't threatening

Party venue?

The men and elves probably had a drink while watching out for orcs

Dragon guarding the main door

What's with the basket? So they did take outs back in the day?

Take two - with the basket

Stones and clouds

Trellis

The other sheep mooned us.

This one was content to pose

The path

More sheep!

Grape vines from the parking lot

Lamp post and vines

Group photo!

The Old Trees of Muir Woods

2011-12-11T06:19:00.001+08:00

Prior to our trip to the US, we were already thinking about what to do and where to go. Among those places we listed (which I thought was part of my bucket list) was Yosemite National Park where there was Old Faithful, the famous geyser, and old growth forest featuring the gigantic and centuries old Redwoods and Sequoias we only learned about in school and saw on photos in books. However, due to limited time that we had considering the other places and attractions we wanted to go to while in San Francisco, we had to shelve the Yosemite trip for another time. I thought I wouldn't have the chance to go to an old growth forest until our friend Norie came to the rescue, volunteering to take us to Muir Woods, an old growth forest north of San Francisco near Marin and Sausalito. Thank you Norie for the wonderful trip to experience the calm and environment provided by Muir Woods!

Direction to Muir Woods from the freeway exit

The white tree greeted our arrival at Muir Woods

Entrance to the Muir Woods National Monument cared for by the National Park Service

"You shall not pass" - a section of the woods was closed to the public due to some works being undertaken by the park

Explaining the history of the trees through the growth rings

The clear waters running through the woods provide sustenance to the trees and other life in the woods

Walking ahead

How do Redwoods reproduce? The answer is this lump of sorts called the burl. The souvenir shop has baby redwoods waiting to be planted and cared for elsewhere. I guess the conditions for their survival should be a constraint for many who get the saplings without thinking about how these would survive elsewhere.

We just had to take this photo to get an idea of scale

The trees are quite imposing once you see them and appreciate their size and age.

Looking up at the canopy

Gateway to the "cathedral"

The illusion of holding up a falling tree

The tree was actually prevented from falling by two other trees. They now support each other.

Fungus growing on an old fallen branch - we took a lot of photos of mushrooms that I will feature in a future post

The streams were flowing with clean, cool water.

Two explorers

Souvenir leaf from the expedition?

Photo op at a fork in the road

The forest provides an excellent venue for friends and family to get-together and experience nature first-hand. I was glad there were no sounds of cell phones ringing, only the calm breathe of breeze or wind and the sounds of life in the forest.

Inside one of the trees, it felt as if you were in a cave.

That's me inside the trunk of a redwood the park designated for photo ops.

The last time I explored a forest in a national park was back in 1996. That time, I was just starting my doctoral studies in Japan and was invited along with close friend Karl by a former visiting professor to UP, Dr. Mamoru Nagai of Utsunomiya University to visit his university. Dr. Nagai kindly and generously took us trekking in the Nikko National Park forest where we got to see the clean springs, hidden lakes, waterfalls and various flora and fauna of the preservation. This, of course will be a topic of another post once I am able to scan old photos of that trip.

Stroll at the Gold Gate Park

2011-12-10T21:46:00.001+08:00

The Golden Gate Park is an expansive area that included botanical gardens, museums and other interesting attractions. It is not, as we first thought, part or associated with the Golden Gate Bridge. The name, however, is symbolic of the City of San Francisco being a gateway to America considering it was to Asia and the Pacific what New York was to Europe, Africa and the Atlantic.

Posing among the trees and benches to fend off the jet lag

My turn to pose

Before our short stroll, we explored the De Young Museum

The relaxing environment at the park seem to be a perfect way for Day 1 of a vacation

There weren't much people considering it was a Saturday

The trees were lining up for the photo op

And they even had a nice fountain! That's the California Academy of Sciences in the background.

Battling drowsiness just to get a few photos

Amphitheater where performances are held

This tree piques our curiosity and merited a photo.

A view of the tower of the De Young Museum, which we explored primarily for the Renaissance paintings that were on special exhibit

The Golden Gate Park is a great place to walk or bike. We saw a lot of joggers and cyclists as well as people strolling along. Many even brought their dogs and there were some who weren't on a leash. They seem quite happy and who wouldn't be with a park like this.

San Francisco's Chinatown

2011-12-10T18:16:00.001+08:00

San Francisco's Chinatown is among the must-visit places in the city no matter what people say about other cities having other Chinatowns. I believe each has its own distinctive attractions and character despite having the same name and the expected shops and restaurants. There are many things to see and explore in the area and we weren't even able to walk the entire stretch of its main street (Grant Ave). Following are a few photos from our casual walk with our cousins, Ate Gilda and Kuya Boy.

Photo op with one of the lions at the Chinatown gate

Ate Gilda and Kuya Boy posing with the lion

Old St. Mary's at Chinatown is an historic landmark. It used to be the tallest structure in San Francisco and could be seen from the harbor. It survived the great earthquake but had to be retrofitted so it could withstand future tremors.

Another view of Old St. Mary's with the distinctive lamp posts

Lamp post and pagoda-like structure on a building

Just had to get a good shot of the whole lamp post with the sign indicating "scenic drive"

Plaque at St. Mary's stating part of its history and it being designated as an historical landmark

Colorful lanterns adorn the main street of Chinatown

It was Thanksgiving Day so there were much less cars along the road. At least, most of them were parked and most visitors walked rather than drove.

Wall art on one of the buildings provide an oriental feel

Backtrack: a view of the stretch of the main street towards downtown San Francisco

We became curious of the architecture on the top of some buildings

Lanterns crossing the street

Notre Dame Des Victoires Church where we heard Thanksgiving Mass was along Bush Street and beside the French Consulate General and Goethe Institut

Souvenir shot taken by Kuya Boy

The Chinatown gate was a 5-minute walk from the Notre Dame church

Ate Gilda and Kuya Boy with the SF cable car running along Powell Street in the background

Asian buffet in LA

2011-12-09T13:37:00.001+08:00

We couldn't get out of LA without dining at the popular Asian all-you-can-eat buffet at King Buffet. Based on what we saw and the price, it was a really inexpensive way to dine especially if you were out with family or a group of friends. A hungry large group will surely mean that you can maximize the intake and there's a good variety to choose from including sushi and sashimi. Of course, there will be the snooty ones who will say that the food isn't and would probably state some technicalities like where the seafood was sourced. Well, considering the many people who regularly eat there, I would rather trust them than some person who won't enjoy eating if he's much into technicalities.

Crab legs and oysters

Mushrooms, asparagus, sushi, fish fillet and gyoza

Sushi and sashimi

No frills burgers

2011-12-08T21:45:00.001+08:00

The Clairvoyant told be about IN-N-OUT Burger as we passed its branch along Jefferson Street while walking towards the Powell & Hyde cable car station at the end of the road. It was supposed to have the best burgers in the US, tasting better than what McDonald's or Burger King have to offer. That alone piqued my curiosity and we decided we'll be sampling their burgers during the latter part of our US vacation. A branch of the chain happened to be near our hotel so we decided to pick up a couple of burgers for dinner the day we arrived from the LA leg of our trip. Prior to ordering, we observed what other customers where ordering and checked how big the servings were. After our quick assessment, we decided to order a burger each, confident we could probably finish one each considering we were already starving and want a quick meal that we probably couldn't get except from a fast food joint.

No frills cheese burger at In-n-out - the cheeseburger was surprisingly good. I say surprisingly as I truly expected a bland patty enhanced by the flavor of the fresh lettuce and tomato. Instead, we got a delicious burger that we enjoyed eating in one sitting unlike the previous one we had to consume over 3 meals.

The generous serving of fries - we remembered to order just one serving since everything seems super-sized in the US.

In-n-out access - there are three access points to the IN-N-OUT branch at the Pier area. The main one is along Jefferson, another is a side entrance and the last is via drive through. Again, the menu is very simple so orders are quick, further emphasizing the curious name of the burger chain. That's the IN-N-OUT sign one can get familiar with along with the McDonald's M's.

Scenic cable car journey in San Francisco

2011-12-07T08:46:00.001+08:00

We had a great vacation in California and part of the experience was taking public transportation in San Francisco. The public transportation system in SF is probably among the best considering the layout and character of the city and it prides itself with what they term as "museums on the move." The city's transport system consists of electric trolley buses, hybrid and natural gas buses, LRT's, electric street cars and its most famous cable cars. There is also the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) that passes through the city and connects it with the other cities and counties in the Bay Area. For transport in the SF, it is highly recommended that one take the 3-day or 8-day pass depending on the length of stay. In our case, we purchased a San Francisco City Pass that included unlimited use of municipal public transport (buses, light rail, street cars and cable cars) as well as entrance fees for museums, the California Academy of Science, and a cruise of the bay. Following is a photo journal of one of our many cable car rides.

The photos show a particular journey aboard a Powell & Hyde cable car from Market Street (near Union Square) to Hyde Street (near Argonaut Hotel). The trip takes one through notable spots like Union Square, Chinatown, Nob Hill and Russian Hill, including a stop at Lombard Street that has that famous crooked section popular with tourists and residents alike. There are also breathtaking views of the bay as the cable car descends towards Mason or Hyde Streets, towards the pier.

Swiss precision

2011-12-06T06:36:00.001+08:00

I was thinking about where to have my watch bracelet adjusted as I wanted to remove a link or two so that it would be a perfect fit for me. I usually had my watches serviced at the malls, particularly one near our home with the exception of my Swatches, which I usually take to the Swatch store at another mall near my office. In this case, an idea came to my mind as I was driving last night as I remembered my Swiss knife having a precision instrument tool. I ended up asking myself if that instrument was a match for my Swiss watch. Maybe the Swiss already thought of that when they developed both watch and knife, anticipating the need for handy instruments for their crafts.

And so I took out my Swiss knife and removed the precision tool, and checked if it could unscrew the links from my watch. It turned out to be the perfect tool and I had 2 links removed in seconds.

Swiss knife precision instrument tool and the links I removed from my watch bracelet

Swiss watch + Swiss knife = Swiss genius!

Brunch at the Ferry Building

2011-12-05T11:17:00.001+08:00

During our second stint in San Francisco, we had brunch at the Ferry Building, which is a location for many restaurants and shops selling mainly food and drinks mainly from farms in the area. The building was easily accessible from our hotel via a short walk to the bus stop where we boarded the F Line to our destination. The F Line of San Francisco's Municipal Transport is serviced by electric trolley buses and the historic street car rail transit that are probably among the last of their kind in the world still in full operation as public transportation.

Typical rail vehicles servicing the F Line stopped in front of the SF Railway Museum, which is a stone's throw from the Ferry Building

Facade of the Ferry Building

Ferry Building clock tower

The Clairvoyant already had an idea of where we were to go for brunch and we proceeded to look for the restaurant where she and a close friend had coffee during a previous trip to San Francisco. She couldn't recall the name of the restaurant so we ended up checking out the different establishments hoping she'd remember the place from its looks and menu.

The restaurant turned out to be Boulette's Larder that was located at the end of one of the alleys within the Ferry Building. At the time we got to the place they were already changing the breakfast menu and we quickly made reservations for lunch, which, we were informed, started at 11:30 AM.

Returning to the restaurant at 11:30 AM, we found a line already forming at the door for others who similarly had made reservations for lunch. We were all seated at a long table inside the premises and near the kitchen where one could see the staff working up the different items on the menu for the day. It turns out that their menu changes everyday and so one day's offerings would not necessarily be the same as other days'.

Breads sourced from the Acme Bread Company with sweet organic butter on the side

Pasta with chard stem ragu (I forget exactly what this was that the Clairvoyant ordered as the menu appearing on the restaurant's homepage is also changing regularly.)

Beer braised chicken legs with mustard seeds, radicchio, cabbage and sage

Our brunch was again a very delightful experience considering we were on the homestretch of our US vacation. We enjoyed our meals (we also shared each other's orders so we could taste each dish without the technicality of splitting orders, which is discouraged by the restaurant). The servings were generous without being too much as we have found in other places where we have had lunch or dinner. Boulette's Larder is definitely another place where we won't mind returning to everytime we're in SF.

Dinner at McCormick & Kuleto's SF

2011-12-05T10:44:00.001+08:00

We celebrated our wedding anniversary in San Francisco ahead of the actual date. The Clairvoyant suggested dinner at McCormick & Kuleto's Seafood Restaurant located at Ghirardelli Square, which was a short walk from our hotel. She had dined here before with colleagues during a previous trip to San Francisco. They had an excellent dinner and so it was a must that we tried the restaurant during the last night of our vacation.

As we browsed the menu, we were served with sour dough French bread with butter on the side.

Sour dough bread with butter on the side - the bread probably is sourced from the Boudin Bakery, which is famous for the sour dough bread used for the delicious clam chowders at the pier.

The restaurant has a terrific dinner menu and ingredients for their offerings are sourced mainly from farms and ports from all over the United States. For starters, we had the Smoked Beef Carpaccio. Then we proceeded with our main meals with the Clairvoyant choosing the Alderwood House Smoked Atlantic Salmon. I opted for the Hawaiian Tombo Tuna. Both were highly recommended by our hostess as part of their specialties and popular with their clients.

Smoked Beef Carpaccio with Carmody Cheese, Frisee, Murcott Tangerine Vinaigrette - the

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Alderwood House Smoked Atlantic Salmon with Balsamic Onion Jam, Fricassee of Sweet Pepper, Asparagus, Roasted Garlic, Artichoke Hearts

Hawaiian Tombo Tuna Grilled with Plum Barbecue Sauce, Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, and a Fennel Citrus Salad

The photos won't be able to justify the very tasteful dinner that we had at McCormick & Kuleto's. These were quick ones taken with our BlackBerry phones. Be assured though that their food is great and so is the service. Our hostess and the other staff were very attentive and courteous. We would definitely return to this restaurant should we be in San Francisco sometime in the future.

We decided to pass on the dessert, opting instead to return to our hotel room where we had some fruits and chocolate from our trip to Los Angeles.

First dinner in LA

2011-11-29T04:44:00.001+08:00

When we arrived at our cousins' home in Los Angeles, our other cousins were already there. It was already early evening and it was decided that we would be going out for dinner. Cousin Jean suggested we go to this place called The Boiling Crab in Korea Town along Wilshire Ave. It was only a few minutes drive from the house and our cousins agreed the food was good. Kuya Boy was even joking that his only apprehension is that he won't be able to eat immediately after alluding to the restaurant's name.

Arriving at the restaurant, we discovered a long line of customers waiting to be seated at the restaurant. The Clairvoyant and her cousins already had our group listed and we were something like 10th in line. We had to wait to be seated as we saw the restaurant was packed. Their patrons were a good mix of families and people of all ages who feasted on their seafood offerings. Crab and shrimp were definitely on top of most orders.

We ordered one cup of rice each and were surprised to get a pint each. Mental note: Is everything super-sized here? That's a softdrink (we ordered Cokes and Raspberry iced teas) just between two pints of rice, and it's refillable.

Our order of chicken tenders arrived on top of a very generous serving of french fries. We were provided with plastic bibs to protect clothing against sprinkles and splashes from the scrumptious food.

The main feature of our dinner was what they called "The Whole Shebang." This consisted mainly of prawn and shrimp (more sugpo rather than hipon) and you had no choice but to use your hands. Otherwise, you won't get to maximize enjoyment of the meal.

We also ordered gumbo without rice and sweet potato fries but I wasn't able to take photos of these after I had my hands (and mouth) full of the delicious food that was laid out on our table.The Boiling Crab is definitely a great find and value for money. Be warned though that its popularity generates long queues. But the wait is really worth it. Also, you might want to bring in more family and friends in order to enjoy the generous servings of the food. Eating alone or as a couple would definitely be bitin.