Christmas Village

During the holidays, we stayed in Tagaytay and we went to CrossWinds - Swiss Luxury Resort to visit the Christmas Village they are bragging about.  It turned out that you cannot go inside unless you are a property owner.  Since we are not a property owner, we were introduced to a Property Officer who would tour us inside to show us the properties they are selling.

 

The sign to the "Christmas Village" is so inviting that K1 was so insistent to see what is in store for little kids like him and his brother K2.  Look at the bigger than life-sized tin soldiers --

 

 

 

And the gigantic snow globe --

 

We drove inside the Village and after a few ups and downs, literally since the property is hilly, we saw "Santa's House" --

Hubby and I was a bit disappointed since there is really no "Christmas Village" inside but the lone "Santa's House".  When they turned on the lights, K1 and K2 started running like crazy until they were allowed to go inside where they saw lots of toys.  Here are some pictures I managed to take with my phone.  Too bad I forgot to bring my camera.  K1 took the mic and started singing to his heart's desire and to K2's protestations.  He even wore the boxing gloves and claimed that he is Manny Pacquiao.

Santa's Chair! The kiddos were wondering where Santa is

A scale railroad tracks hanging from the ceiling

While it is a disappointment for us adults not to see a "Christmas Village", K1 and K2 were so happy to be inside "Santa's House" where they saw lots of eye candies.  Now, the kiddos think of Santa's House as a haven for toys!  We just have to remind them every so often that they have to be good boys for Santa to send them toys on Christmases to come!

AL and WD's Wedding

Last 1 December 2011, we went to The Transfiguration Chapel, or Caleruega Church as known to many, to attend the wedding of my cousin AL and his fiancee WD.  The attendees were very much excited to see them tie the knot considering that we have known them as a couple for several years already.  I am also excited since K1 would be carrying the wedding rings of the couple.  I know, I am such a stage mom.

Before the couple enters the Chapel, the crowd was entertained by Holly Angel Paraiso with her soothing and heavenly music.  Here she is playing the harp --

A few minutes after, my cousin AL entered the Chapel with my uncle AL and aunt LD -- 

The relatives and friends of the couple were all standing and looking at the main entrance waiting for the moment wherein the bride would come in. Such a beautiful bride -- 

I noticed that the couple chose yellow gold for the members of the entourage and white and cream for their flowers and candles.  The ceremony then started.  

After the ceremony, the couple's first kiss as husband and wife and the signing of their Marriage Contract were witnessed by those in attendance --

Reception followed at Discovery Country Suites where everyone had fun with food, wine, and each others presence.

And here is K1 feeling a bit bored since there were no kids to play with.  K1 asked us to stop taking pictures --

 

We all had fun! Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. AL! 

And welcome to the family Mrs. AL! :)

Gadgets and Senior Citizens

Technology is something which scares and intimidates me.  I do not own any of the products created by Steve Jobs and I cannot relate on the impact he introduced to people's lives.  And while I own a hand-me-down Blackberry, I do not maximize its full potential.  I do not even know how BBM works and I am not willing to pay extra for its subscription, such a cheapskate! Haha!

My case is different with my sisters and my hubby.  They own iPods, iPhones, and iPads and they feel somethings missing when they do not have their gadgets with them.  And while I thought my parents could relate to me, I was mistaken!

My dad couldn't live without the net and his gadgets are his prized possessions! Haha! Here are my dad's gadgets --

Dad's netbook, iPad, and iPhone

Dad's netbook, iPad, and iPhone

Dad uses his gadgets to check the news (which saves us subscription on newspapers), his Facebook, and Yahoo Mail.  He also Googles whatever interests him.  After all, these gadgets and technology continuously educate and entertain him.  No, he is not a tech-savvy but unlike me, he is not afraid of trying and he has a daughter who patiently helps him download Apps and teaches him with everything he needs.  And unlike me, he has the money to burn for his gadgets. Haha!

And, dad does not own a simple iPhone -- it is an iPhone 4S --

 I just hope he could maximize its full potential.  One of these days, I wouldn't be surprised when I see and hear my dad talking to a female sounding call center agent who would be acting as his secretary or companion since his iPhone 4S is equipped with Siri, a witty assistant! I heard my sister commanding Siri -- "Let's talk dirty!" and Siri answered -- "Oh, gravel" and "The carpet needs some vacuuming"!

iPad and iPhone 4S

Let's just leave the gadgets to my family.  After all, I do not feel yet their importance in my life, save for checking my mails and my Facebook, which I could easily do with whatever gadget is available and not in use.  Plus, my bag is already heavy with too much stuff which I cannot leave behind.

Don't say I am just sourgraping. Haha! :)

Who wears it better?

Hubby got a new pair of Adidas shoes which he intends to use for biking.  When we got home, K1 tried it.  Now, the question is WHO WEARS IT BETTER? 

K1?

Or hubby?

K1 claims he wears them better! Teehee! :)

Kindle Fire vs. iPad 2

My sister DM and I are contemplating on getting the Kindle Fire.  Since it is not available in the market yet, we are patiently waiting for reviews to come out before we order ours.

Today is my sister DM's birthday and she woke up to this --

It seems that you will not be needing the Kindle Fire anymore.  Great gift from your hubby and kiddos!  Happy birthday, DM!

Sharing Bag with the Hubby

When I thought I graduated from Coach, I again fell in love with its leather goods after I visited the Men's Outlet, instead of the usual Women's Outlet, near my sister's work.  I was able to get a blue leather messenger bag from the men's section, which I intend to use as my second bag/document bag for work, and a bi-fold wallet, also from men's section, both for myself.

However, a week before I left the US, I saw another big leather bag, now from Michael Kors in Nordstrom, with shoulder strap and handles which is more feminine.  I bought it and decided to return the Coach bag I bought.

When I got back to the Philippines, I regretted returning the bag and blamed myself for it.  The bag must have been very useful for work.  Plus the bag being from the men's section, my hubby could borrow it.  Since I cannot do anything anymore, I just asked my sister MC to check, if she gets the time, and to call me if there are business bags on sale (outlet price less additional discount).

About three weeks ago, I received a call from my sister that she saw a Gray Leather Commuter Bag from the men's section.  MC being a bag-addict, I trusted her judgment and asked her to decide for me.  She send me pictures and I got really excited!

Last weekend, my relatives from the US arrived with my bag!  I opened the package and saw this Men's Coach Pebbled Leather Commuter Gray Bag in Dark Gray --

Front

It is such a classic and useful piece.  Plus the size is perfect for my documents, the size being 16" x 12" x 3".  So much space and lots of pockets!

Back

When my hubby got home, he saw the bag and he is claiming rights over it.  He said it's a man-bag and is too big for me. Tsk tsk! So much to discourage me from using it! I know your tactics.  I see a hidden agenda.

Well, I see the first ever bag we would be sharing. Let's have one week each and  lets decide on who will use it first! Haha! :)

Inutak Local Delicacy

When you see the word "Inutak" in a food bazaar, you will surely look back and wonder if  what you've read is right.  "Inutak", I believe, is from the root word "utak", or brain in English language.  So what is it doing in a food bazaar?  I myself thought of that.

 

I had the chance to meet the people behind "Inutak Local Delicacy", a food booth at Mercato Centrale in The Fort.  "Inutak", according to them, is a local delicacy from Taguig which is a simple rice cake made of glutinous rice, coconut milk, and a bit of sugar.  

This is how they package their product --

They use a  cardboard box with a violet satin ribbon.

And here is the product --

The inside cover of the box has a heating instruction and contact numbers --

 

I was able to finally taste "Inutak" and I find it good with coffee or tea.  I think it was named "Inutak" because of its consistency which is a bit loose compared to other rice cakes or kakanins which are a bit thick, if I describe it right.  I am not a food critique! 

Anyway, the "Inutak" Local  delicacy is not too sweet and is the perfect kakanin to have for the holidays, instead of the usual fruit and rhum cakes.

"Inutak" can be bought at Mercato Centrale and soon in other food bazaars."

BonChon Chicken

I met up my girl friends DC and LA for brunch.  Most of the restaurants along Tomas Morato are closed for All Saints Day and we ended eating at BonChon-Il Terrazo.


It was my first time to try BonChon.  It has a fastfood set-up where you order at the counter but you wait for your food to be served at your table.  We ordered the soy-garlic and hot and spicy chicken and chops plus fries and iced tea!  We then had cake and coffee at the other open resto in the same building, Banapple.  We had a good chat and we ended up not noticing the time.  I forgot that I offered to buy lunch for hubby.

I got home at 3:00 P.M. bringing these for my hubby--

I got him Mixed Chicken Wings, Chapchae, and Iced Tea, the latter, I think, is neither Lipton nor Nestea! :)

Hubby liked its soy-garlic and spicy glaze flavors.  It is good that it remained crisp even after I got home. The downside is while the wings were nicely coated, the insides are a bit bland.  The small size of wings are also a bit-bitin because while there were six pieces, they actually split the wings into two so there were only three pieces of wings. 

The Chapchae or Korean noodles is good but he liked his recipe better, the one with beef sirloin strips in his special sauce.  There were not much toppings for this Chapchae, just plain veggies and a few strips of egg.  I told you, hubby is a wanna-be-chef!

While hubby was enjoying his food, there was a point that he wanted to sip his iced tea.  But it was already with K1.  This is K1 sipping some iced tea! "It has caffeine Kuya, you'll end up being hyper!"

Over-all, despite the some comments from my hubby, we consider BonChon another comfort food.  The chickens are something to nibble while having a nice conversation with family and friends.

Zubuchon

I have been to Cebu and I love the city as well as the islands.  A Cebu vacation would not be complete without bringing home some goodies such their native dried fish, otap, dried mangoes, and the so-called "Cebu Lechon".  When we were in Cebu, the famous lechon was CNT and I bought a couple of kilos for my family and friends.  And even for our office staff who is from Cebu, I always make it a point to ask her to buy me a couple of kilos of CNT Lechon every time she goes home to her province.

That changed when Anthony Bourdain for "No Reservations" went to the Philippines.  Marketman played host and Anthony Bourdain was served with lechon cooked with lemongrass, green onions, siling labuyo, local sea salt, and other herbs and spices.  The lechon was described by Mr. Bourdain as the best pig ever! That episode of "No Reservation" made me want to try Marketmanila's Cebu Lechon!


Recently, Marketman opened two stores of "Zubuchon" in Cebu.  I have been wanting to taste their lechon and everything else on their menu but Cebu is too far from Manila.

Fast forward, a cousin who went to Cebu brought us Zubuchon for pasalubong --

We immediately tried some and we find it perfectly cooked and better than that of CNT.  I love that there was a generous portion of skin.  I heard Zubuchon does not use MSG and artificial flavors and mixes.  Since we can only take so much to avoid having pains on our nape, we set aside about half of it.  The next day, we had it fried and the skin was perfect!

Who's going to Cebu, I want some Zubuchon! :)

Song Do - Korean Restaurant

I developed a taste for Korean dishes and kimchi after my hubby's trip to Korea a couple of years back. He was able to bring home a couple of Korean treats which include the classic kimchi -- a cabbage marinated in a mix of chili, garlic, and other spices that results in a slightly fermented and spicy side dish. 

For our usual Korean meal at home, we prepare Korean noodles and barbeque then pair them with store-bought kimchi, preferably the "homemade" ones from Rustan's or Shopwise.

Today, hubby drove for me and while we were at my office, we decided to have our late lunch at Sing Do, El Pueblo. 

I got excited after seeing the appetizers.  I have a liking for slightly spicy food.  And upon seeing the different kinds of kimchi, I know that nothing store-bought can compare. You could see that hubby can't wait to taste them --

Out of the six kinds of appetizers served before us, the kimchi made of leeks became my instant favorite.  It is amazingly good because the leeks was still very fresh and crisp and while it is spicy, it is not overpowering --

We shared the bibimbap and bulgogi.  The bibimbap was served with sauce on the side.
 

Bibimbap 

I mixed the bibimbap but not all the sauce that comes with it because it might overpower my rice.

And here is our bulgogi -- 

Bulgogi

 We feasted on our food!

The aftermath --

The verdict, we were satisfied with our meal.  Just the right lunch for a day wherein you had to rush back to the office for a couple of meetings.  While our food is good enough, I believe my hubby can out do the bulgogi and bibimbap.  But we are not ready yet with the recipe for the soup and the appetizers.

I can't wait for another Korean meal with my eating partner! :)