Lunch at Phoenix Court, Bellevue Hotel

Last Christmas, Mel won a minor prize in their department party: a gift certificate for lunch for two at The Phoenix Court in Bellevue Hotel, Alabang. We lost track of that GC until I saw it in my desk at home, among a pile of notes, and realized it was going to expire this June. So off we went to Bellevuer one Saturday for a taste of their "a la carte buffet" (that was what the GC said).

Going to Bellevue Hotel in Alabang wasn't difficult. We got there from Pandacan in 30 minutes, on a Saturday lunch hour. Once you get off the highway and enter the Alabang-Zapote Road, watch out for the Filinvest subdivision entrance in the second or third street on the right. You can reach the hotel through this street.

The Phoenix Court is a Chinese restaurant located in the hotel's Tower Wing. It had an abundant menu of dishes. I was wondering how they could have mixed up a la carte and buffet in one breathe. It turned out, what they meant was eat-all-you-can a la carte. To avail of the a la carte buffet, you simply have to order from the menu whatever you can finish. No sharing, no takeout, no leftovers - those are the rules.

Whoever thought of the label for this GC seems to have forgotten that the main difference between the two styles of food service is the way it is served. Buffet meals are laid out before you, while a la carte is served per order. Nevertheless, despite the confusion over the manner of serving, the taste of the food was good. We were clear on what dishes we liked the most.

One hakao left

Let me start with the appetizers. We ordered Steamed Prawn Dumpling or Hakao, and Deepfried Prawn Dumpling Salad. Both were good, especially the second one. Then I ordered a bowl of Braised Spinach Soup with Seafood, which had that greeny appearance reminiscent of Slimer (from Ghostbusters). It also has a bland taste so you need to spice it up a bit.

Beef Tenderloin with Black Pepper

Cuttlefish with Chili Sauce

Finally, our main courses arrived. Mel ordered Beef Tenderloin with Black Pepper and Cuttlefish with Chili Sauce. The beef is, by far, the best of the set. The tender meat strips seemed to have been marinated in black pepper or a peppercorn sauce, and cooked with its marinade, creating a flavorful dish. The cuttlefish was also delicious, with a taste borrowed from the chili. It was worth the second, third, fourth bites and so on.

Roasted Duck Hong Kong Style

I ordered Roasted Duck Hong Kong Style. If prepared correctly, roast duck will no doubt be promising. This one, however, was, to me, a bit overcooked. It wasn't as tender as I would've wanted it to be, neither was it spectacularly tasty. In other words, it was a bit of a flop, though we eventually cleaned the plate.

Braised Shrimps Ho Fan

The Yang Chow Fried Rice can be ordered by cup, and we got one for Mel. My Braised Shrimps Ho Fan, however - which I chose in place of rice - came in a large platter.

I drowned my spoonfuls with glorious Green Tea Kiwi Smoothie, a blend of green tea, kiwi, yoghurt and honey. Love it! Mel, as usual, sampled a glass of Mapu cabernet sauvignon (a Chilean variety).

Overall, we had a lovely lunch. We like the quiet ambiance of Phoenix Court, even when there were other diners. We're also planning to check out the hotel one of these days. They're offering a promo for Father's Day (up to the end of June only, which is this week), both Bellevue Hotel and its sister establishment, the B Hotel, just on the other side of Filinvest Corporate City in Alabang.

Four Girls and a Dude

The other Saturday, the girls got fed up with the heat at home that they declared a "Girls Day Out". Since they've just completed a short summer remedial program and were holed up at home these past few days, I succumbed to their wish. Of course, Kuya Jules will never allow himself to be left behind (lest he misses out on some cool shopping spots we might pass), so Saturday became technically a "Three Girls and A Boy Day Out" (four, if you count the yaya, Olive; and two boys for half a day, if you count Mel, who ate lunch with us before going to work).

Instead of spending the whole day doing a Star Wars marathon -- as we originally planned -- we began our no-plans-no-direction gimmick in Salcedo Park, where I introduced them to the barbecue and fruit shakes I used to enjoy with my GS friends. (In fact, I suddenly missed everyone who did overtime with me on Saturdays many years back -- Emper, Jason, Melanie, Lynnie, Cecile, Marco, Monch, Rose, Rech, Deepa, etc.) The number of stalls has increased and the parket is now a lot more crowded than it used to be, but I still get excited over hunting for something unique to buy.

Unfortunately, there wasn't time to buy anything as we arrived there about 12:30pm. Just one and a half hour more and the parket will be packing up. So we just decided to have lunch (chicken barbecue, grilled tuna belly and shakes) and go. After some deliberation, we decided to check out the A. Venue Mall in Makati Avenue. Mel drove us to the place and proceeded to his office.

A. Venue is virtually a ghost mall. Have you ever watched that Japanese animated film Spirited Away? That scene when the young lead Chihiro and her parents entered the abandoned recreation park at dusk and the whole place was deserted? That was how we felt when we entered A. Venue. It's as if the mall was meant to thrive at night, but remains "asleep" most of the day. Kinda like that spirit spa in Spirited Away. After visiting the restrooms (which had more people than the mall itself), and buying a cologne each for the girls in Savemore, we left A. Venue and took a cab to Greenbelt 5.

And the fun begins. There isn't really anything you can buy in GB5, you know, so we expected to just roam around and end up in Starbucks Greenbelt 3 later. Then we passed by Timezone and the kid in me led the way. I loaded up my card P200 worth of games; luckily, they have a student discount and I paid only P150 for it. We made the rounds of the games, favoring the basketball and ball-throwing the most. We did several cycles of those. We found the shooting games lame, but the videoke booth witnessed how off-key we could get and that made it the more fun. The girls enjoyed themselves, and so did Kuya Jules.

Finally, we ran out of load. That's when we decided to go to Starbucks. But Starbucks was full in and out, and so was Seattle's Best. So we ended up in Coffee Bean, where the lattes tasted like water with a drop of milk. Too much ice. They didn't like it. But I loved the Pink Guava juice, which the girls finished. As for Kuya, as soon as we settled in Coffee Bean, he ran off to Cotton On and bought two shirts for P800. Cotton On always has a buy-one-take-one promo for that price or higher.

After finishing our "water-like drinks", we went up to exchange the Timezone tickets we won. On the way, we saw Joem Bascon having his picture taken with some girls. We almost had ours taken, too, but we were too slow and he found the chance to duck into Guess before any more camera-bearing starry-eyed lass approaches him. We exchanged our tickets for, ehem, a watermelon sharpener and a glow-in-the-dark room decor (all those effort for only that?!).

Just kidding; the girls didn't mind getting mini prizes, and so didn't I. I had a grand time with the girls and the dude. Looking forward to another day of this kind.

Puerto Princesa 2: Biking, Barbecue and Beer at the Baywalk

Four o'clock in the afternoon isn't exactly the best time to visit the Puerto Princesa City Baywalk. First off, the sun is still high in the sky; not ideal for a leisurely walk. Secondly, there aren't many food stalls open yet. Most of the baywalk sari-sari stores, barbecue stands and street food joints start cooking and setting up tables at 5pm, in preparation for the night crowd.

In front of the famous giant fishes (didn't see the peacock, though)

Nevertheless, we were ready to pump up our appetites for adventure, so, at the advice of our tricycle driver-cum-tour guide Dave, we went straight to the bike rental area and chose our two-wheelers. You can rent a single bike for P25/hour, and a sidecar for P75/hour. My mother, who, as usual, was hiding from the sun, decided to stay in the shade of a tree and watch our bags. My husband Mel, who's not in the mood for biking that day either, on the pretense that he will act as our photographer, also stayed under the same tree. I bet he just didn't want to get tanned that early in the trip.

My son Jules is just starting to learn how to ride a bike. We've taken him out to ride on a few occasions, but his comfort level in bikes remains low. He chose a sidecar so he can drive his two sisters and still keep the balance. Meanwhile, the girls' nanny Olive and I rode around the plaza with gusto. It isn't everyday you get to ride a bike without a car beside you to worry about, you know. Carpe diem!

Sharpening my biking skills

Apparently, the Baywalk had quite an intriguing history, but that will be the topic of another blog. In a more recent history, the Baywalk used to be a stretch of squatter homes that got burned in a fire. The fire trucks had difficulty entering the area as the streets were very narrow and the houses were too close to each other. More than 1,700 families were affected by the fire. The local government decided to have rent-to-own tenement buildings constructed for the families. Each family has to pay P1,000 per month for the unit. After 25 years, the units will belong to them.

When you look at the tenement houses, they're nothing like the ones along South Super Highway in Manila, which were built for similar purposes during the administration of former president Fidel V. Ramos. The ones in Baywalk are a lot cleaner and appeared well-maintained by the tenants themselves. It really takes the right attitude to groom a city like Puerto Princesa; when can that attitude ever rub on the residents of Manila?

Baywalk buddies

There were a few boats in the wharf. According to Dave, when you book a tour for dolphin watching, this is where you board the boat that will take you to the site, which is about 2hrs away. I'm not sure if it's also the takeoff point for the firefly watching tour, but one thing is definite. We won't be taking this tour because it's too expensive. P900/person! We did firefly watching in Bicol last year and it cost us only P1,250/boat of five people. Normally, they don't allow beyond five in the boat, but the boatman allowed my youngest daughter to be the 6th person since she's small anyway. So that means we spent about P208/person. Are the fireflies in Palawan made of gold? I think the tour operators should rethink their prices. They'll be losing clients in the long run.

By 5:30, we've had enough of biking and watching the abundance of sea urchins near the water. Imagine, these sea urchins are being sold for P400+ apiece in Farmer's Market in Cubao. Here, they don't even merit a second glance. If only we could get down there and pick them.... We started drifting toward a barbecue stand that had just brought its grille out -- but not before we caught sight of an ice cream cart and purchased five cones.

Beer and soda to fight the heat

A stick of barbecue cost P10 each, but a stick of regular hotdog cost (what the....?) P25 each! That's what you get for ordering processed meat in a predominantly-fishing community. Both the barbecue and hotdog servings were small. A bottle of San Mig Light was at P50. Not bad. I don't remember how much the 1.5 liter of Coke cost, but I think it was a little more expensive than usual. If you want to enjoy the street food in Baywalk, I suggest you come in the evening when all the food stalls would be open and there would be more options.

Before 6:00, we were on our way back to the hotel to freshen up for dinner. We had a reservation at Ka Lui Restaurant at 6:15pm. Read about our excellent first night dinner at Ka Lui..

Puerto Princesa 1: La Charica Inn & Suites

It's funny that you should find my last entry to be my 2013 New Year's Resolutions, which, as you can see, were never followed to the dot. I did with the salad, the half rice and exercise, but they weren't regular. As for blogging everyday.... oh well, I'm trying.

I think, therefore, that this is the perfect first blog post of the year. Since it's about a place that has always inspired me, may it inspire me to keep on writing here daily.

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Palawan is my favorite tourist destination in the Philippines. I've visited the province a few times before, as a tourism reporter for a newspaper and as a PR account supervisor for the Malampaya natural gas project, and my amazement at the place has never ceased. This year, to celebrate my son's graduation from high school, I decided to bring my family to the spot that has etched a permanent mark in my heart.

There are many parts of Palawan worth visiting, but we decided to start with Puerto Princesa because of the St. Paul Subterranean River, which is now one of the seven new wonders of the world. We arrived in Puerto Princesa on a sunny Wednesday afternoon. The hotel's pickup van arrived almost on the dot—which increased the hotel's points in my book—and we officially began our first day in the city.

We checked in at La Charica Inn and Suites, a boutique hotel in Abad Santos St., just parallel to the Rizal national road. Since some parts of the hotel are under renovation, the facade wasn't that attractive and the view deck wasn't open. The interior of the lobby, however, is adorned with artistic wood furnishings—oddly shaped benches, masks, wall art—that contribute to the homey ambiance of the hotel.

My husband Mel in the entrance, surrounded by wooden artworks

Daughters Fides and Marthe sitting in front of a shell-adorned table

Manager Jam was very accommodating, from the very first e-mail we've exchanged. She arranged for us to get the hotel's promo rate and we chose the dormitory room for 7 for only P3,200/night. That translates to P400/person/night. I had initially booked a Family Room for that price, for six people. But my mom wanted to join and I requested Jam to squeeze in an extra person and to find a room for us seven that would not exceed my budget. She told me she won't be charging the extra person but will be moving us to a Dormitory Room so we can fit comfortably and still have enough space for our things. What's more, for that rate, daily breakfast is included. Great bargain!

Unlike the other hotels I tried to contact (such as One Rover's Place, which replied to my FB message more than a month after), La Charica gave me prompt replies to my e-mail and was willing to do the extra mile for a potential guest. Jam waived the 50% down payment and requested only for a portion of the accommodation and the cost of the Underground River tour so they can book the tour well in advance. They also agreed to help me look for a welcome grad gift that they can present to Jules when we arrive. She chose a black Palawan shirt.

Just arrived

The Dormitory Room was large enough for our group, with individual beds (not double decks) and pull-out beds for larger groups, a cable TV (with all my favorite channels except for Bio and TLC), a small fridge and a dressing table. The beds were comfortable; it was easy to be tempted to stay indoors, if not for the lure of the Underground River and Honda Bay. The aircon was cool enough (in fact, colder at times, we had to adjust the temp).

The toilet and shower looked a bit worn, and the shelf in the lavatory area was of old wood, but the toilet flushes, the bidet squirts water strongly you can use it for massage, and the shower temperature is adjustable. Shampoo and soap are provided. I wouldn't say that this is the downside of the room, as it had all the essential stuff a bathroom and toilet can offer. For P400/night, I have no complaints.

After unpacking, we toured the inn a bit—lots of renovation going on so we couldn't visit the 3rd floor balcony and spa—and then went off on a tricycle to the Puerto Princesa City Baywalk. 

Before we left, Franny of the front desk reminded us that only blue and white tricycles are allowed to transport passengers within Puerto Princesa city. Day fare is P8/person and night rate is P10/person for a given distance. Tricycles may charge higher for longer distances.

(For reservations, you may contact La Charica Inn & Suites through tel (048) 4342088, mobile 0917-8592088 or email reservation@lacharica.com.) 

My new year resolutions for 2013

The same old story, but with renewed willingness and hope. Who knows? I just might have the strength to finally do it this year.

1. Eat more vegetable salads and fresh fruits.
2. Maintain half rice at lunch, or none at all.
3. Exercise more frequently (at least three times a week).
4. Read at least one book a month (this is copied from my friend Jason's personal plan).
5. Finish at least two chapters of my book a week.
6. Try more new recipes.
7. Spend less on food (for myself) and more on clothes.
8. Sleep not later than 11pm on work nights and Sundays, and not later than 12mn on Saturdays.
9. Take kids outdoors more often.
10. Blog daily.

My Favorite Pick-up Lines of 2012

Courtesy of 89.9's pickup line contest every Friday, here are some of the smartest pick-up lines from listeners of the radio station in 2012:



Coke ka ba?
Bakit?
Hindi ka lang sakto, ikaw pa ang happiness ko.


Sana ampalaya ka nalang.
Bakit?
Kasi kahit gaano kapait ang hatid mo sa buhay ko, ikaw pa rin ang nagbigay ng sustansya sa puso ko.

Pag namatay ako, wag kang pupunta sa burol ko ha.
Bakit?
Sige ka, pipintig ulit ang puso ko.

Alam mo ba kung bakit naghihirap ang bansang Pilipinas?
Bakit?
Kasi nagmamahalan tayo.

Si Timothy Bradley ka ba?
Bakit?
Yakap mo pa lang, panalo na.

Pikit ka.
Bakit?
Ganyan kadilim ang buhay ko pag wala ka.

Alam mo magkaiba talaga kami ni Jose Rizal?
Bakit?
Si Rizal tinamaan sa likod. Ako tinamaan sayo.

Sana ang pagibig mo hanggang kinsenas lang.
Bakit?
Para wala nang katapusan.

Is your father an alien?
Why?
Because there's no one like you on planet Earth.

Ikaw ba si Bonifacio?
Bakit?
Kasi gusto kita i-Andres.

Ang pagibig ko sayo parang nasa kabilang section.
Bakit?
Ibang klase.

And the best.....

Tae ka ba?
Bakit?
Bukod sa hindi kita kayang paglaruan, pwede ba kita ilabas mamaya?

=)

Happy new year! Here's to more picking up in 2013!

Weak church

I'm reposting here a comment I made on the wall of my friend Melita Eclavea's FB:
 
Wish the church had shown the same indignance over corruption in GMA's administration as it does now over the RH bill. Sadly, it didn't. The priests appear to be more interested in topics about sex than in topics about good governance; in topics that are really more personal in nature than topics that unite a community. And they didn't care that the country's highest officials stole money from their bosses: the people. All they said at that time was: "Lahat naman nandadaya."

It's true, the church is weak when it comes to issues that affect the whole country--and the government itself. I always remember somebody saying that if the church had been more vigilant, more outspoken and took greater risks at the time the Jews were being hunted, there wouldn't have been a "holocaust." 

I'm a bit torn about this RH bill because the major issues that have to be addressed here are never spoken of in the open. Morality is being highlighted, because that's the only discussion point the church can participate in. What do people who have made vows of celibacy know about marriage challenges and intimacy between two legally married people who don't want to have a big family? Why are we listening to the voices of those who are not considered experts in that topic, anyway?

Never mind. Some people use their power to push their opinions into one's face. It isn't always the truth. But then, when will we ever learn?

Connect

I read the blog of my friend Jason today and found his post on Cloud Atlas and the extended trailer. It was posted days ago, but I read it now -- on 12-12-12, and it struck home. Today, we're supposed to blow up and the world will end. Of course, it didn't happen. But what if it did?

If you knew that it would actually happen? What would you have done during the days and hours leading to that moment? I'd probably have resigned from my current job, asked the kids to take leave from school, spend most of the time with the family doing things we've never done before and visiting places we've always wanted to see, and maybe call friends I haven't talked to for a long time.

Connect. That was the word used in the movie. Each one has a connection. And every single day of our lives, we are presented with multiple opportunities to connect. A chance to give someone who is lost directions to her destination. A chance to listen to a colleague who just needed to say some 56,000 words before the end of day, for reasons only he knows. A chance to give your employee the bonus that he deserves (Incidentally, my colleagues received their 13th month pay today. A little too late compared with other companies, but not too late to make it useful this holiday season. Connect.). A chance to tell your subordinate that he has been doing well in his recent writeups and to keep it going.

One chance in a million -- that's all we get, considering the many situation combinations that can happen 24/7. We need to make the most of that one chance and let it help us connect and inspire.

Talking about one chance, I had a half-surprise this morning. I've been telling Mel that we should have breakfast one time before he brings me to work. Since I've gone back to work, we hadn't had a chance (there's that word again) to eat out alone again. He'd say yes but it never happened, because he'd be sleepy by the time we brought the kids to school, and would have just enough strength to drive me to the office and back home before he has to hit the sack again.

This morning, we had a little argument over me not answering his call to my mobile phone when he had to tell me he was stuck in Nagtahan on his way to fetch us girls. So I was silent the entire trip to St. Scholastica. After the girls disembarked, he asked me if we're going straight to my office or if we're supposed to pass by Mama's. I said no, we're not going to Kalayaan, and we're not going to the office. We're eating. He didn't answer and I was kind of guilty, coz I know he's tired and sleepy, so I said "Joke lang. Bumalik ka nalang ng tulog." Then I started closing my eyes, trying to doze off so I wouldn't have to talk to him again.

I was surprised that he parked by Sinangag Express in Kamagong.
Mel: "Ito yun, di ba?"
Me: "Huh?" looking around.
Mel: "Di ba kakain tayo, sabi mo?"
Me: "Kakain tayo?"
Mel: "Di ba?"
Me: (now wide awake) "Sige, kain tayo!"
Mel: "Ok. Bilisan lang natin ha."

Sure!!! And so our long-planned breakfast happened today, on 12-12-12.

One chance. That's what am saying. Who knows when it's gonna happen again? Maybe after another "minor argument".  Take the chance, before it's too late.

My latest wares

Baby bead bracelets  - red & pink

Baby bead bracelets - colored

Necklace and bracelet set 1

Necklace & bracelet set 2

Kids bracelet with blue crystals

Brown & white bead bracelet

Bead bracelet - sun design 1

Bead bracelet - sun design 2

Adult colored bracelet 1

Adult colored bracelet 2

                          Adult colored bracelet 3

Necklace & bracelet 3

What happened to the UST Salinggawi?

After reading my friend Jason's blog on the 2012 UAAP Cheerdance Competition, I was reminded of my own reactions to the competition last Saturday. Like him, I was a fan of FEU (next to UP, of course), and have always taken note of their routines year after year. I think they're good and they always manage to deliver a cohesive performance, including the theme, music and attire.

This year, I actually believed they had a great advantage. They could have beaten the UP PEP Squad if the latter's performance was anything short of what it did last year. I love their routine. It seemed fairly difficult and smooth and I didn't spot any errors with my untrained amateur eye. I like the tamaraw movements as well and how these gel with the costume and music. The spin landings were solid and the pyramids stable. After the fall of one UP Pep Squad member at the end of the performance, I feared that the Tamaraws will go home with the grand prize.

Needless to say, am happy they didn't. But had they bagged it, I wouldn't be surprised.

What disappointed me most was the performance of the UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe. As my friend Jason said, they had eight championships in their cap before they started their downhill roll, failing to make it to top three in the past few years. Cheerdance squads used to look up to them. What happened?

This year, among all the squads in the competition, their theme was the most potent for creativity. Brazil. Vibrant nation, colorful culture, exciting people. And none of these surfaced in UST's routine. No excitement in the choreography, very segmented flow, delayed introduction of theme highlights. It doesn't even feel like Mardi Gras. The presence of the dark-skinned pretty new dancer did not serve to bring out the best of Brazil. It was a total letdown -- from start to finish, from costume to music to formation.

My son, who is a Judo athlete in UST, earlier said he heard they got a new choreographer, and he was excited to see the group rise to top three at least or win the competition. But he also noted that each time he sees the UST Salinggawi group, they are eating or resting. He rarely sees them rehearsing in full. So when the performance ended, Jules stared wide-eyed at the TV and said, "Yun na yon?"

UST Salinggawi should seriously assess where they're missing out. For a squad that has carried the championship title eight times, there's no fire in them this year.

National University was burning brighter, with their fairy tale royalty theme. They had nice costumes and a cool audio mix. Many other teams had good routines but the errors probably held them down.

Adamson, for one, should find a new set of group stunt participants next year. If I had a heart ailment, I'd probably have an attack just watching that group struggle through their unstable pyramids and lousy catches (at one point they caught the top girl in such a precarious moment that they carried her like an upside down lechon in split position). I was pretty sure someone's gonna land head-on on the floor. Luckily, the group survived.

As usual, Ateneo is a hodge podge of ideas put together that the result is confusing. Is it about the 80s era or just the Voltes V period? And why build a Voltes V prop at the back if there is nothing in the routine that shows "volting in"? The performance was a dart that lacked speed and didn't make it to the board.

DLSU? Still pa-safe and pa-cute. UE had fuel and a chance, but was overshadowed by NU.

Next year will be another exciting competition. I wonder what UP will be up to next. Last year, they had golden crowns, now they are shaven. Next year, would they be entering the arena headless? Let's wait and see.