Philippine Adventure: Day 1 - Binatog!!!

Yes, I am back in Manila for 2 weeks. And I sure am looking forward to stuffing myself with the Pinoy foods I've terribly missed, go shopping til I drop, indulge in movie marathons with my Cookie, spending time with family and friends, and of course, get all the sleep I can get. Hehe...

Okay, here goes a quick recap of my Day 1 in Manila.

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Touched down at the NAIA Terminal 3 at around 4 this morning. The so-called shiny and new Terminal 3 is, well, nothing but just a shiny and new terminal. Nothing note-worthy. No shops yet, but the new booths for the Immigrations Officers are quite impressive. Some sections are still closed and seemed unfinished. Inspite of these, the staff are quite pleasant and the experience is truly surprising based on previous observations. I am still in shock as a matter of fact. :)

A stop over at McDonald's in Greenbelt 1 for a dose of my favorite Longganisa Meal. Yum! Last time I had it, it only costed 69.00 PHP (around 2.00 SGD). Now, each serving costs 82.00 PHP. Tsk tsk... The bitter reality of inflation has hit my guilty pleasure.

After the nice breakfast with my Cookie, his Mom, Brother and Sister, we headed for home where my Mom and Brother are anticipating my arrival. At 8:00 a.m., my Sister is still sleeping, and I joined her after unpacking some of the pasalubong.

I was able to catch up on some sleep, and then lunch happened. I missed my Mom's cooking very much. We had mussels, which I haven't had for a long time. After lunch, we watched a Tagalog movie - One More Chance, starring Bea Alonzo and John Lloyd Cruz. Nice movie with a happy ending.

During the movie, I heard that all too familiar sound. Binatog!!! And I just can't help myself but indulge. Here's a snap to remind me of how nice it is when I return back to SG.

It rained a bit in the mid afternoon, and so we just opted to stay home. Hopefully, tomorrow will be more eventful.

Singapore Adventure: Sweets for my Sweet

There is always room for dessert. And recently, I've made it my personal mission to take a snap of the desserts the Cookies partake of. ^_^ So far, these are what we have had.

(Note to self: Keep this a live post by updating with new snaps as they become available)

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New York, New York. Citilink Mall.


Café Cartel. Plaza Singapura.


Häagen-Dazs. The Centerpoint Mall.


Delifrance. Causeway Point.

Singapore Adventure: Sakae Sushi Date

The Cookies love food. We have been to plenty of nice food places around and sampled different kinds of cuisines available here in Singapore. And so far, we are definitely enjoying the food trips. ^_^

Just the weekend before Singapore's National Day, we had our first Sakae Sushi Date at the Citylink Mall. I've been to a Sakae Sushi place near the CPF Building some time last year, but it is the first Sakae Sushi adventure here in Singapore. And so, a photo opp is in order. :))

We had some fried hotate (fried potato balls), tako yaki (octopus balls), yakitori (grilled chicken on stick), ebi tempura (shrimp tempura), and lots of tamago and california maki from the conveyer belt. Yummy!!!

Singapore Adventure: First Carbonara Attempt

Another kitchen experiment. But sadly, this one didn't turn out as I hope it would.

It is my first time to prepare pasta with white sauce. I googled for an easy and simple recipe for Alfredo Sauce. I also sought some white sauce cooking tips from my sister, a chef in the making. All my efforts proved to be futile.

Well, it tasted right, but the texture didn't come out right. It was a bit lumpy. I am thinking it could be the butter, cream, milk, and parmesan cheese proportions that I screwed up. Or probably because I wasn't very patient with the stirring and all.

Anyways, I am a diligent student and this cooking experience cum disaster has taught me lessons. It does not stop here. I am giving this another try and hopefully the second round will turn out nicely.

Singapore Adventure: Paulo Coelho, Back-to-Back

After my NDS Flashcart decided to conk out and bail on me, I am back to reading again. And having some Paulo Coelho books lying in the shelves proved to be a real treat.

And so, it's time for a Paulo Coelho Back-to-Back. ^_^

The Devil and Miss Prym

Set in a small village where the people are content with their everyday lives working the mountains, tending their animals, and living simple lives. And one uneventful day, a stranger - The Devil, comes to present them with a wager through a local girl, Miss Chantal Prym.

Interesting storyline, interesting characters, and an interesting ending. Again, a recipe of a memorable novel.

I enjoyed every page of the book. However, at some point it became a bit predictable for me. But nevertheless, it was still a good story, and a book with so much life lessons to impart - especially about the perpetual battle of good and evil in us.

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The Zahir

A story about obsession. Obsession over chasing for a lost love. Love not only in the romantic sense, but love as an energy that is slowly vanishing amongst people.

The storyteller is a novelist, who remained nameless in the novel, narrating the story of his life after his wife left. He told of quest to finding the love he lost and the journey he undertook that finally led him to her and to "love".

The storyline is a bit too heavy for me. But it is a good read. Made me realize some things about my own experiences. The ending was well-written - it was heartbreaking and it was beautiful.