Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Red Plate

As mentioned before, there were several small restos along the main street of our village that popped up like mushrooms. Of course, I had to try them one by one and last night, another got crossed off my bucket list.


The tagline for this place is Persian meets French. I completely forgot my Mom was not adventurous when it comes to food so she wasn't too happy about eating here but indulged my sister and I nevertheless. She rocks that way.

I ordered the Kebab, Shawarma, Keema, Crepe and milk tea for us all. I wanted to have a go of what they had to offer and here's what they served.

Keema Rice (P75)
Shawarma All Meat Rice (P69)
chicken kebab (P75)
beef kebab (P75)
shawarma sandwich (P65)
mango tango crepe (P75)
For the price, the food was pretty good. If you are looking for a quick fix of kebabs and keema, this is a good place to go. In my honest opinion, its actually pretty good but can never compete with Mano's Greek Taverna nor Greko.

The milk tea was also pretty so-so. It still can't beat the likes of Tea Farm or Serenitea. 

Overall, I'd say its a pretty good place to go but not something that would be on top of my list.

the lovely mugs

Since we are moving to a bigger place, my mugs now have a home of their own. Here they are in all their glory.

this is in the dining area
These are located in the family room. What a lovely sight it is!







They are only a few compared to other collectors have (I know a couple who have over 200) but these are my babies and someday, I hope that they will be worth something for B. For now, they make me smile when I see them.

PS. This is my Mom's Starbucks collection funded by me with the help of some friends who donated and gave as gifts. See below.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Food de Sentosa

Since Singapore is still a long way off, this signage immediately grabbed my attention when I saw it.


It doesn't look much and I even mistook it for a fast food place but upon entering, my jaw dropped. It was actually a restaurant and the place was pristine.

My Uncle, sister and I had a hard time ordering because there were so many choices and we wanted to try a lot of things. In the end, we ordered the their specialties and enjoyed the free wi-fi.

My sister pointed out to me that they had milk tea and so of course, this is what I ordered. I forced K to get the rose milk tea so I could also taste it. It was okay. Nothing outstanding but it was fine. 


The server told me that their hainanese chicken was their specialty and I had doubts about this. You see, Wee Nam Kee's version failed to impress me. Still, I gave this one a try and boy am I glad that I did.

The version of Food de Sentosa was exquisitely good. It was tasty, not dry and the hainanese part of it (whatever that is) was just really really good.


We also got some buns which we dipped in condensed milk.


We also ordered their pata tim, mapo tofu, asado and satay and though all were pretty good, these are the ones that stood out of me and this is why I share the photos.

It was a pretty heavy lunch which surprised us because the servings looked pretty average. Again, looks can be deceiving.


Check out this place along Harrison Plaza in Pasay, besides Chowking.

K's short Intramuros trip

After attending the Pasinaya and watching A Fire in the Soul: A Cantata last Sunday, I decided to take K to a short trip in Intramuros. I took here there when she was young but she barely remembers it. This was a short trip since it was already 5pm and we had to be home a certain time.

I gave K a prelude of what Intramuros is like and I think I succeeded in making her more interested in touring the walled city. She saw some of the clothing of Rizal as well as the actual handwritten Mi Ultimo Adios poem of Rizal.








She's never really seen the Pasig River up close so it came as a surprise to her to see that it was already cleaned up. I hope that I get to influence her more to learn to love our country, culture, and our environment.

Overall, this day trip of ours in immersing ourself in arts and culture was a success.

Pasinaya 2012


It is the first I have heard of this event but it seems that this has been an annual thing for 12 years now. The Pasinaya is a celebration of arts and culture that showcases over 150 performances being done simultaneously over the Cultural Center of the Philippines.












The Pasinaya was exactly what I expected it to be. It was an explosion of color, immersion in culture, and appreciation of the arts. We saw the Dinagyang dancers, Ramon Busco's Troupe, and a Harvest Ritual. We didn't have time to go around but what we saw has left me wanting.

Now, I can't wait to attend the Pasinaya 2013.

Monday, February 27, 2012

A Fire in the Soul: A Cantata


I was fortunate enough to have been invited to watch this play and blog about it. As with any new play, I did not check the summary or synopsis because I did not want to be spoiled. I have learned that the element of surprise when watching plays create a bigger impact on me as part of the audience and boy did A Fire in the Soul burned more brightly than any other play I've seen.

This play tells the story of the 41 innocent souls that were claimed during WW2. They were brothers and civilians who was taking refuge inside De La Salle University. They were killed for no reason, without warning, and without provocation.

This is a story of their martyrdom and this is the story of why they died.


the narrators
the other narrators

the visuals showing the bloodshed

It was powerful, moving, and heart wrenching. The songs told of the stories of the martyrs, the actors conveyed the pain, and the visuals used allowed the audience to have a glimpse of events that have passed.

To know more about this, here is their facebook page.

A lot of people watched and it was a sight to see as most of the crowd were dressed up because it said on the ticket that one had to come wearing formal wear. Celebrities also came to lend support to the actors that were part of the cast.

with my ever dearest plus 1, K
K with Ayen Laurel
with Franco Laurel
with Geoff Eigenmann and Carla Abellana (my look alike daw!)
with Jaime Fabregas (one of the best actors of our time)
with Conchita Castillo (an institution)
with Michael de Mesa (the lead brother)
I wish they would do more staging of this play. It is something that not only La Sallians would enjoy but something that other people should watch, learn, and talk about. The martyrdom of the brothers and the civilians during the war should serve as a constant reminder to us that everything happens for a reason.

The martyrdom of the 16 brothers should never be forgotten. They should remain alive ... a fire continuously burning ... a fire, in the soul of each and every one of us.