treaty trick over at bo's this halloween

Now, for some coffee-related promo ...

Our friends over at Bo's Coffee are serving up a treat of a trick for you Halloweeners! From October 22 until November 5, every single receipt P250 at Bo's will entitle you to a complimentary spooky cookie for free!

destination roxas city

Quite obviously I'm no travel writer. I tend to gloss over travel details that would make a blog travel entry quite attractive to kaladkarins (people quite easy to convince to travel) and those whose penchant it is to hit the trail or catch the next flight to the next vacation destination.

This is part true of my latest sojourn that involved Desk-work in Iloilo and then in Roxas.

After my one night in Iloilo City, I hightailed it out of the city the earliest possible time I could manage (around 7:30am) to catch the bus to Roxas City, some two hours away, I was told.

I underestimated the traffic from the city proper to Tagbak (which took some 45 minutes, with the cab avoiding horrendous city traffic caused by ongoing road repairs), where the central bus terminal was located, and failed to catch the 8:00 bus for Roxas. The next bus left at a few minutes before 9:00am.

The bus I took was the direct route from Iloilo City to Roxas City but the travel still took about 2 hours and 45 minutes, roughly. Again, because of the numerous road repairs that somehow were simultaneously on-going as if the budget for such tasks were only released earlier that week! It also did a short stop mid-route (forgot the name of the town) but the real time-wasters were the one-laners where the bus had to wait for minutes because there was only one road lane passable.

Forgive me if I don't have the appropriate travel pictures. I'm not much of a photographer and I admit, I don't have the "eye" to spot interesting stuff. When I try to take pictures, they end up bland, plain, un-dramatic, and flat. I can't seem to capture the so-called essence (not unlike my pal, Wendell, or my former colleague Jen -- see the Roving Shutter Bug blog).

Old-style architecture of Presidents Inn

In any case, half of the office contingent were booked at Presidents Inn, a popular hotel in Roxas City.

Just three stories high, the hotel is so-named because Roxas City is the birthplace of Manuel Roxas, the First Philippine Republic President who, according to the hotel's website, was born just a block away. It's obviously Spanish-Filipino in design and architecture and what makes the hotel ideal, at least to us who work at the Desk, it's just a block and a corner away from our Roxas City branch.

I got the Laurel Suite, a full deluxe, which simply blew me away with its simple elegance. In fact, all the suite rooms, I believe, are named after Philippine presidents as I saw a Macapagal room, a Quezon, and an Estrada. It was even better than the room I stayed in the night before in Iloilo.

Laurel Suite -- full deluxe room

My room had a full-size bed that would be comfy enough for two persons but was advertised as just for one. The room was homey and just bordered on the edge of luxury -- not too much but just enough to pamper you. While the bed dominated the space, there was more than ample space to walk around. Cable TV was powered by Sky Cable so it was a treat to be able to watch the History Channel during the down times of my two-day stay in Roxas.

I do wished the room allowed for a white light bulb. Lighting was provided by the two table lamps casting a yellowish light all around even during the day. But other than the lighting, I had no complaints as the room was swell. 

The hotel had free wi-fi but the signal was limited. There was no problem accessing the wi-fi from the resto but in my room, wi-fi signal was at best only at 36% -- and this was when I was standing by the room's door. Moving inwards meant losing the signal. So, feeling sheepish that I was standing by the door trying to position the PSP for better signal reception, I quit and just decided to go downstairs where I could properly sit down.

Being the seafood basket of the Philippines, Roxas City was the place to go to if you want your cholesterol levels to go up. Two eating trips to different restos located at Baybay (bayside) resulted into food binges on crabs, seafood kare-kare, shrimps, kilawing tanigue, fish broth, and Roxas' own diwal or Angel Wing, a mollusc delicacy. Sadly, no photos of the food I consumed as my hands were busy (the tradition is, at least according to our branch manager, you eat with your hands).

A surprise eating establishment however was the resto at Presidents Inn itself. On our second day in Roxas, my colleagues and I decided to just have lunch at the hotel as our presence was needed in the branch for most of the day. The fare was simple -- grilled squid, spicy prawns, and fried chicken -- but they were surprisingly deliciously-cooked.

Across the street from the hotel, I espied a small unassuming shop and with some time to kill, I decided to check it out. Turns out, the small shop was a food shop selling sweet delicacies and pastries. Called "Mamaitas", its signage claimed it offered "old fashioned desserts". Inside were cheesecakes, tarts, pies, and other bite-sized pastries.

Old fashioned but certainly delightful!

Since I did not read of any endorsement online, I wasn't expecting much but was curious enough to try out its delights. So, I bought myself a slice of their home-made cheesecake, a slice of their cassava cake, and two custard tarts. Went back to the hotel, ordered a cup of brew and proceeded to taste-test the cheesecake (saved the cassava and the custards for an evening snack, just in case).

The cheesecake was unlike the usual cheesecake. It was literally a cheesecake -- a moist cake flavored with cheese! And the custard tarts and cakes which I ate as post-midnight snack where equally delicious. Too bad that the store opened at 8am and I had to catch the 7am flight so no chance to bring home some of those goodies.

Cassava cake with 2 custard tarts, taken out

One thing I got addicted to however, during my stay in Roxas, particularly in the Presidents Inn was their hot chocolate. This was native hot choco, a tablea slowly melted down with water and served hot. It was awesome -- not too sweet, just the right hint of bitterness, absolutely savory for a chocolate. It took 15-20 minutes for your order to arrive but it was well-worth the wait.

So, while the seafood was the supposed highlight of anyone's trip to Roxas, I was more delighted with the pastries from Mamaita's and the hotel's hot chocolate. And oh, you can also count on the fried chicken from Presidents Inn as well.

monday mumblings: iloilo trip -- batchoy, brian, and coffee; comics on the reading list

I've not been reading any books of late because I've been rather hooked to reading (backtracking) on the events in DC comics. Right now I'm working on getting through the pre-Infinite Crisis series of books. As can be seen on the right side of this blog, I'm currently reading The Return of Donna Troy, one of the books that tie-in to the whole Infinite Crisis and after this 4-issuer, I'll get on to Villains United before I finally read Infinite Crisis proper and the ensuing 52 (and 52 Aftermath).

When I'm done with 52, I'll be proceeding to Final Crisis.


The unfortunate victim of my sudden turnaround to comics is A Game of Thrones which continues to be unread despite having traveled with me to Iloilo and Roxas City last week.

* * * *

Desk-work brought me back to Iloilo City last Wednesday.

My last visit to the place was I think late 2004 when I went there with the then RP National Basketball team coached by Boycie Zamar and bankrolled by Cebuana Lhuillier, my former desk. We were in Iloilo for the "Try-Outs ng Bayan" along with then the young national players of which I remember only Dennis Madrid, Celino Cruz, Marc Pingris, and Cyrus Baguio.

Last week, work again found me in Iloilo albeit for a quick stay (unlike the 2004 stay which was, if I remember correctly, 5 days). I had to visit our Iloilo branch and see what improvements can be done on the marketing-advertising side. I planed into the city on the noon-time PAL flight and was at the branch by 2:30pm. After an hour and a half and a dozen or so photos of the branch, I then had to kill time before meeting up with my pal, Brian, later that evening.

So, I undertook a mission I had promised to do -- sample the local coffee shops.

I was aiming to sample at least a couple of coffee shops but due to time constraint and the fact that the night plans changed abruptly, I was only able to check out Coffeebreak.

Near the Desk's branch was a branch of Coffeebreak which I promptly went to for a late lunch (I had just realized that I hadn't had a proper lunch as the flight was right smack in the middle of lunch-time).

Hazelnut coffee with passion "brownie"

I ordered their brew-of-the-week which was Hazelnut and also ordered a pastry which CB called Passion.

Passion is a moist choco-cake slice that is more brownie than cake with a choco-layer in between and almonds (or were those walnuts?) on top.

I'm not much a connoisseur of coffee but the CB brew was quite good and brownie was filling. Since I only had enough room for one coffee-type, I didn't have the chance to sample their iced or frapp coffee versions. Next time probably.

Aside from the great coffee and brownie was the free wi-fi at CB. 

Access to wi-fi granted!

I finally got the chance to test out the wi-fi capabilities of the PSP I brought along and after finally getting it configured, I simply asked the barista for wi-fi access and in minutes I was happily surfing away.

Using the PSP to connect to the internet shows one that not all websites have been configured to work on all mobile devices. Maybe the sites would work well on most tablets and smartphones but websites like Yahoo and even this blog did not display properly on the PSP screen. I could not even access the CMS of Blogger.com which made on-site blogging impossible. Fortunately, the mobile website versions of Twitter and FB worked well. Maybe I just need to install another internet OS on the PSP or upgrade it.

Just like any other coffeeshop, Coffeebreak's counter was easy to understand although they were more colorful than your usual green, brown, mocha variant shops.

Aside from passion, there were a lot other pastries and sweet stuff to chose from. Unfortunately, I wasn't there for a sugar-load. The other delicacies will just have to be tested on another occasion.

* * * *

It's always good to see Brian. 

Brian relocated to Iloilo several years back, got married, had kids, and has settled in his home province for good. So, it's quite seldom that we see each other, the last time being on the sad occasion of our friend's death.

Despite my trip to Iloilo being just a one-nighter, I still checked up on him and we agreed to meet later in the evening. He picked me up from my hotel around 9:30pm.

Deciding that coffee was the last thing on his mind that evening, we went instead to a small watering hole just off Loney Bridge (I think) for two bottles. While the videoke was blaring with tunes sung by the other patrons of the bar, we talked about life, careers, future plans, diabetes cares, and other stuff including reminiscing old times. 

After the two bottles and a song each, Brian proceeded to give me a tour of the city. I was surprised that at before 11pm, Iloilo was already relatively quiet, not unlike Cebu which at midnight was still roaring with life.

See you on my next vist, bro.

* * * *

The next day, I got up early, had breakfast at the hotel's resto, packed up my stuff and headed to the bus station for the trip to Roxas City which I'll chronicle on a next post.

* * * *

Everyone knows that Iloilo is famous for La Paz Batchoy. And when it comes to batchoy, the name Ted's easily comes to mind.

Deco's La Paz Batchoy

So, I evaded Ted's even though it was just around the corner and instead tried the La Paz batchoy at Deco's.

I ordered their special which promised a whole lot of extra stuff that would turn-off my doctor. This was dinner, some 30 minutes after I just had my mid-PM/late lunch at Coffeebreak. 

Along with the batchoy, I ordered four pieces of pre-war pandesal. The digit-sized pandesals were more interesting than the batchoy, sadly. These pandesals were bite-sized and were packed. You could use them as pamato if they were flatter. Despite their diminutive size, they were surprisingly filling. And they were baked well -- firm, packed, solid, yet easy to munch on. More like soft biscuits only thicker.

Going back to the batchoy ...

If my tastebuds remain accurate, the batchoy at Ted's was tastier. Although both stores used the same ingredients and are cooked the same, it all boils down to the sabaw or the broth. Ted's sabaw was the more superior one IMHO.

monday mumblings: moron -- not the person, charlie and the choco fact, book to bring on a trip, sicknesses in the family

Alright, I changed my mind over the weekend about reading 52.

I realized I needed to read first Infinite Crisis before hitting 52 and since I don't have a complete copy of IC yet, I have to defer reading 52 then. Makes sense, otherwise I won't understand what was going on when the storyline first emerged in the DC Universe some years back.

Instead, I found an old copy of Roald Dahl's Charlie and The Chocolate Factory sitting in my bookshelf last Friday evening and decided to read it. It's a short read, bound to be done in a few hours (if I get those few hours tonight). 

The book has already spawned a couple of theatrical releases. Initially in 1971 which was entitled Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory which the author disowned as the story focused more on Wonka (played by Gene Wilder) rather than on Charlie Bucket, the protagonist of the tale. In 2005, Johnny Depp took on the Wonka character in the more-properly adapted film, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory which also starred Freddie Highmore as Charlie. I have yet to see the Gene Wilder-starrer but I've partially seen the Johnny Depp and I've liked what I seen. I will have to secure myself a DVD copy of the Tim Burton-directed film version.

Going back to the book, this is probably the youngest book I've ever read (discounting of course the books of my daughters, Ikai and Issa) and in my opinion, is a tad even younger than The Mysterious Benedict Society series.

* * * *

I'll be off on a business road trip this mid-week and while I'm hoping to get some fiction writing done, it'll be somewhat impossible given that I won't be bringing any laptop with me. It'll be back to basics pad and pen style if I do any writing. It's going to be likely more plotting and outlining rather than writing but that still going to be progress especially with a month-end deadline forthcoming.

* * * *

I'll be bringing along for the trip, A Game of Thrones. It's about time I work on this book to see what the fuss was all about and whether the next volumes of the series merit the pesos I'll be shelling out.

Depending on how long I'll be gone, I usually pack one to two books plus I carry a laptop that contains more reading materials, just in case. This time around though, I've got no rig on hand so if the PSP doesn't consume all my free time then GRRM's A Game of Thrones will be my main entertainment.

Of course, there's always cable TV.

But then again, depending on what province you travel or the type of hotel you stay in, there's no 100% guarantee the cable TV will be quite good. Better to have a good book on hand, just in case.

* * * *

Came in late for work today as Ikai had to be brought to the hospital as she's had high fever since yesterday afternoon.

Elvie and I woke up several times during the evening to monitor her temperature which hovered in the 38's. This morning, even though Ikai was singing and dancing around, her temp still hovered in the high 37's so we decided to bring her to the hospital for a check-up.

Of course, dengue is the unspoken fear we hope against the most however, the ER docs said it's quite too early to test her for that. They instead ordered a urinalysis to check whether she has UTI or a viral infection. After finally getting urine sample from Ikai after a couple of hours at the hospital, the doc told us we could take her home and observe her there. If the fever continues until tomorrow, we're bringing her back for a CBC.

Hopefully, she'll get well soon as she has practices to attend for her Twinkler Scout investiture on Friday (alas, I am away and cannot witness the occasion).

* * * *

I was in the hospital last night as well.

My father had flu-like symptoms since last Friday and after much egging, he finally permitted himself to be checked up. Good thing I was in Laguna yesterday evening and I accompanied my folks to a nearby hospital for the check-up.

CBC and urinalysis came out clear so the doc suspected viral infection in the throat area (aka trangkaso) since Papa also had a cold and slight coughing spells.

After an hour or so at the ER, my father was discharged.

* * * *

Moron (pronounced moo-ron not mow-ron) is a native delicacy of several provinces in the Philippines, namely in Leyte and Samar and most recently, I learned from Butuan as well.

It's a suman (rice-cake) made from milled rice, blended with coconut gata (coconut milk), flavored with chocolate, and wrapped in banana leaves and resembles a tamale or corndog in shape. Over the long weekend last week, I was the proponent for the making of moron at Laguna. I helped out of course, helping in stirring the quickly-massing milled rice and coconut (continuous stirring is needed to keep the mixture from sticking to the pan as it becomes a sticky dough-like substance) and in shaping the two dough flavors into small flat cakes for blending later on.

Last time my parents came home from their hometown in Samar, they brought with them commercialized moron which were sold at P75 a dozen -- freakin' robbery considering that the morons were roughly just about four inches long and an inch in diameter. In contrast, the moron we usually make at home are about half-a-ruler in length and somewhere near one and a half inches thick. 

Last night, I went home with lots of moron in a bag :P
Last week when we cooked moron at Laguna, there were still a lot of banana leaves left over. Last Friday, rather than allowing the banana leaves to go to waste, my parents decided to cook another batch of morons so that the banana leaves would become useful. How's that for reasoning? :P

monday mumblings: frustrations at work, jetpack, walk-xercise, unread books, job opening

How long does it take to upload a website page if the website has been existent for eons and the page in question is a mere 23kb? In my experience, no longer than 5 minutes. So, why does it take more than 3 days for people here at the Desk to do it? Up until this writing, the page in question is still not updated. To top it all of, I had to fill in a request form and email the persons concerned but it still this doesn't get done.

I hate to compare but in my previous gig, I was in-charge of updating the websites and when we needed to update a page or an entire website even it didn't take more than an hour to do so. And we did it with less paperwork at that -- helps save the trees even. But here at the Desk, it's a different story altogether and I don't know if the paperwork -- the actual and the virtual -- really works or if they are just exercises in futility.

This is just frustrating. That's why my website project at the Desk isn't taking off.

* * * *

A quick cyber surf yields an interesting bit of news straight out of science-fiction: jetpacks are coming!

Over at Digital-Trends, Ryan Fleming reports that jetpacks may soon be heading out of the sci-fi books and comics and onto consumers' backs as aviation company Martin Aircraft looks to make jetpacks commercially available.

The Martin jetpack doesn't look like the jetpack used in Rocketeer or the one used by Adam Strange of Rann or even Flash Gordon which are all sized as big as your average backpack. The one being developed by Martin looks more like one that Ace McCloud of Centurions fame might don (weighs at least 250 lbs). But heck, it's a jetpack and a working one at that. However, it won't be readily available to the average consumer yet as it's quite pricey at US$100,000 but for sure, as technology advances, this jumbo jetpack will eventually be scaled down to manageable size and the price will surely drop.

Here's an excerpt from Fleming's story:

"Currently Martin Aircraft Company is fulfilling an order for 500 jetpacks to be used by emergency services, as well as four unnamed defense companies. As of right now, the company's focus is to produce jetpacks specifically for governmental purchase, but they are seeking funding to build at least one new factory with the purpose of producing jetpacks for the average (extremely rich) customer.

The Martin jetpack comes in two models. One is pretty much what you would expect a jetpack to be- it is a device that can carry a person to infinity and beyond, assuming that infinity is less than the 8000 feet ceiling or the 31.5 miles distance that travelling at the maximum regulated speed of 63mph will take you. With a full tank of gas, that would last roughly 30 minutes, although Martin Aircraft expects that to improve as the manufacturing process becomes more efficient.

The jetpack operates the way you would imagine it. You strap it on, you fly. The principals aren't all that difficult to comprehend. That might be a little bit of an oversimplification, and possibly a touch insulting to the extremely bright and dedicated engineers that have spent years working on the project, but really, how much convincing do you need that a jetpack is a good thing? You put it on, and suddenly you can fly. Everything else is details.

If you are one of "those" people that absolutely needs to know the specs on the combustion engine that you might one day soon be strapping to your back, the Martin jetpack uses a gasoline powered V4, 2.0 liter engine capable of producing 200 hp. In fact, the name "jetpack" is actually a bit of a misnomer, as there is not jet involved. But "Enginepack" just isn't as sexy. It is a carbon fiber design that weighs around 250lbs before adding safety equipment, and at maximum thrust it can carry more than 600 lbs, so even the bulky NFL player that just signed a multi-million dollar contract extension can get in on the action. Can you honestly see Terrell Owens NOT buying one of these?

The standard equipment for the jetpack is slightly unique. While Ferrari might give you a hat or a lovely keychain when you purchase one of their products, they probably do not include a flight and engine display, a harness, a retractable undercarriage that absorbs energy, or a ballistic parachute. All of which come standard with the Martin Jetpack."

Head on over to Digital Trends to read the entire story or click here.

Photo is a copyright of Martin Aircraft. All rights remain with them.

* * * *

Just had pre-lunch or mid-morning snack (depends on your POV) of home-made tuna sandwich. Breakfast was a mango donut (300 calories!) and a cup of hot choco. I also had 7-11 Vanilla Cupcake gourmet vendo coffee which will probably up my current calories to somewhere around 1,000 and I have a 300 calorie lunch coming up. That leaves around 700 calories for meryenda and dinner as I'm trying to ensure I don't go over 2,000 calories a day.

There are days, of course, that it can't be helped but generally, I've been able to keep myself at below 200 lbs. Credit that to all the walking I've been doing at every possible opportunity. Having a car helps with mobility surely but it has reduced the amount of time I used to allocate to walk-xercises. These days, I try to find time to do this so as to make sure I get enough activity to burn off the fat and the excess sugars.

UPDATE: Just had lunch -- leftover menudo from last night with rice and a banana. Like I said, 300 calories roughly for lunch. Now, need to walk downstairs at least 10 times to lose this!

* * * *

One book that I would like to read (as in read) is Neal Stephenson's Anathem -- unfortunately, I find it hard to get going. I'm still at the opening pages and the book has yet to enthrall me so that I'll keep on reading. It's probably because it's a heavy book -- heavy, meaning you've got to be ready mentally to absorb and think and process and analyze what the book is all about. After 9 or so hours of daily grind, I don't think I have energy left to tackle a book demanding such.

Hence, for easy readings after a hard day's work at the Desk, I'm re-reading Butch Dalisay's Barfly -- a collection of columns that appeared in the defunct Today broadsheet (Today has since merged with Manila Standard) written by Palanca Hall of Famer Jose Dalisay who incidentally was my professor in the basic Creative Writing course I took up as an elective during my junior year in Peyups.

I'm not yet in that state of mind where I'll appreciate a complex storyline from a spec-fic book so aside Barfly, I'm also re-reading Lester Wunderman's Being Direct, which from previous posts I'm sure I said is a source of inspiration for my chosen career path.

And oh yes, I've mentioned I've been reading a lot of comic books of late as well.

When I have the time and the right state of mind, that's when I'll be able to tackle Stephenson's Anathem and other books that still are waiting to be unwrapped like the anthology Extraordinary Engines, The Difference Engine, and Neil Gaiman's Smoke and Mirrors short fiction. I'm sure there are other unread books still waiting to see the light out there in my bookcase and I'm sure I'll continue to add more and more books because -- I don't do drugs but books drug me :P

* * * *

Work is piling up at the Desk. I need help.

We're looking for an Ad & Promo Assistant, preferably with at least a year's experience in either of the following: advertising, marketing, or corporate communications.

The biggest factor is that the person we will hire should be able to write and write well. We're talking about someone who can write ad copy for brochures, flyers, and streamers; and come up with a script or a spiel. He/She should also be able to write news and feature stories as he/she will be an integral part of the company newsletter. Oh, if he/she has web copy experience that would be a plus.

How old? Preferably younger than me as he/she will have the unfortunate luck of being under my auspices. Don't worry. I'm no hard taskmaster but I do expect results to be delivered!

Interested parties may get in touch with me via my Desk email rlragandan(at)veteransbank.com.ph. Be prepared to showcase your writing portfolio and be prepared to take a writing exam to test your skills!

starbucks instant?

Facing declining sales and with shops closing one after the other in the US and worldwide, gourmet coffee giant Starbucks has announced that it will be introducing instant coffee as one of its product offerings.

Egad!!! A SB Instant Coffee??

Inquirer reports that the coffee giant has been brewing this project for more than 20 years. An official statement on the SB site also confirmed that next week, SB will be holding exclusive events in New York to introduce its instant coffee.

The patent-pending technology used in the development of the instant concoction will replicate the Starbucks taste albeit in DIY packets. No need for a barista or a fancy coffee-maker!

And it already has a name -- Via, and that it will be initially sold in packets of threes and twelves for US$2.95 and $9.95, respectively.

Wait a minute! Three packets (or sachets as we fondly call them here in the P.I.) at S$2.95 is PHP138.65. So, that means each sachet of SB Via instant coffee will cost PHP 46.25??!!

Consider the cost analysis ... SB Via will sell (based on the announced price) at almost PHP50 per sachet. One packet of Nestle's regular 3-in-1 is about PHP7 and Nestle's special coffee (the purported healthy ones) sell at about PHP8 a sachet. Kopiko sachets sell at PHP6 while Jim's 5-in-1 Organic Coffee is at the same level. Even the Maxwell sachets sell at the PHP7 range. I don't even know the cost of the other local coffee sellers like Great Taste or Cafe Puro.

And for the same price range as the three-packets-per pack I can already buy one medium-sized bag of Monk's Blend Coffee for use with our coffee maker. I just bought one last Tuesday at PHP144.

So, it would seem that Starbucks would be in a distinct disadvantage if ever their sachets show up on the store shelves one of these days. Whether SB will adopt a different price strategy in the Philippines (if they do decide to intro the product here) remains to be seen.

But re-thinking about it. SB's Via will still have a market in the P.I.

Who you ask?

Well, the same market who actually consumes SB gourmet coffees that sell at the hundred peso range per order, myself included :) Personally, I will most likely buy Via at least once, just for the experience.

wednesday warbles: valencia mocha, crocs, philips DVD theater, starbucks, kfc

valencia mocha
On a recent trip to Robinsons Supermarket, there were Great Taste coffee promodisers hawking GT's new coffee concoctions. And one of the concoctions was a little number they dubbed Valencia Mocha -- a mix of your usual mocha coffee with the twist of a Valencia orange.

Egad!!! I said to myself, somebody finally caught on to my idea of mixing coffee and orange juice together in one cup!!!

Remember my post on orange coffee? Hmmm, one product manager must be a regular of this blog for such a germ of an idea to come out ha ha ha!

crocked again!!!
Weng: Kuya, there's a big holiday season sale here in Dubai Duty Free for all departments except electronics and jewelry
Ram: Wow!
Weng: What do you want me to buy for you?
Ram: Crocs
Weng: Again?!
Ram: Yes, even if it's the same design and same color
Weng: What?!
Ram: Yes, because the ones you sent me last time are now pudpud (worn-out) :)

new noisy thingy
There's a new noisy thingy in the small apartment -- a Philips MCD 139B/98 Micro DVD Home Theater.

Elvie and I saw the little beauty on a steep discount in SM Makati and decided to use the plastic to buy it right away with justification that we were planning to buy a new one anyway this December. From the original price of about PHP11K, they sold it for only PHP5,900 -- almost a 50 off!

It now sits on top of the TV cabinet and its compact size complements the smallness of the apartment. A single-disc player, it is able to play DVD+RW, DVD-Video, Picture CDs, Video CD/SVCD, DivX, DVD, WMA-CD, MP3-CD, most CDs, CD-R and CD-RW. It is however a bit choosy (mapili) and will not sometimes play interactive DVDs of the Captain Hook or Blackbeard type except for actually playing the movie. Nevertheless, its speakers (3" woofers with a passive sub-woofer) are more than enough to rumble the apartment. Its max volume is 40 but by the time your remote hits 15, the neighbors are sure to complain.

Too bad though that it doesn't have a USB port yet nor a microphone jack. But heck, you can't always have everything. But this sound machine is one spiffy addition to the appliance list.

it's christmas time in the city
The first real indication that I had that it's already the Christmas season is waking up on the morn of December 1st rather chilled. Now, that's a Christmas indicator for you -- the mornings now have a tinge of coolness that you that "it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas", so to speak.

The apartment is also now be-decked with some Christmas decors, all for our little Ikai, who will for the first time will most likely remember a teeny,weeny bit of Christmas on her second year. The Christmas wreath now hangs on the front door and two garlands dominate the wall - afilled with Christmas shiny-shinys -- balls, bells, and poinsettias. The highlight of the decors is our four-year old Christmas tree which is about a foot high, again decorated with shiny-shinys and in the evenings dazzling with lights.

Now, need to fix the bulbs of the three sets of Christmas lights that'll be decorating the window.

finger-lickin' good is now worth a "finger"
I just had to have KFC for lunch today.

I usually don't have the patience to wait a long line if the matter on hand is something gastronomic. So, it's really a craving that has caught that has gotten me patiently waiting in line and trying to avoid the rather pesky chub behind me in the line (kept on moving and chit-chatting with her friends and in the process, consistently hitting my back and side with her overly-large hand-bag) and order a two-piece original recipe fried chicken meal.

KFC has raised its prices though. Their Fully Loaded meal (2 piece) is now a mean PHP 185 whereas it was some PHP20 lower the last time I dined in. The meal I ordered which came with a regular-sized drink was PHP 135 which I swear is a price increase of 14%.

Egad!!! I thought fuel prices are going down so doesn't that mean cooking oils and other lards you use to fry KFC chicken with are also going down. LPG, which I assume you use, is going down as well, price-ly speaking. Is there a scarcity of chicken nowadays that you had to raise prices?

starbucks crazy
The cues are once anew a-winding in Starbucks as coffee crazy aficionados of the brand are once again consuming tons of SB stuff to get stickers to hopefully redeem the highly coveted Starbucks Limited Edition 2009 Planner.

In this age of PDAs, portable PCs, hybrid cellphones -- a planner is so, so, so your grandfather. One would think that in this so-called digital and personal consumerist age a thing like a planner will be obsolete and better off being synonymous with dinosaurs. But heck, people are forking over gazillions of pesos at SB to acquire one of these old-fashioned thingies.

Now, don't get me wrong. As I'm much hooked and amused with the idea as well. Currently, my SB card has four stickers on it ... 12 more to go before I get my planner!

But I do get the feeling that we're being led on by this craze and I totally understand it --- it's a brand-thing! It's a full, total brand experience with Starbucks and we're all gloriously hooked. Every time I make a bee line to SB for a cup, there are at least four people in front of me -- and I'm talking about getting coffee at around 8:30am or 2pm, the dead hours. I pass by lunch time or about 9-10am and shucks, the line at the SB counter here at their RCBC Plaza branch is snake-like.

Imagine, each one holding a promo card will need to buy 16 drinks -- 8 of the usual (mine would be Caffe Mocha), and 8 of the Holiday blends (Praline, Toffee Nut, and Dark Cherry Mocha). I made some simple calculations based on what I drink (size and type) and egad ... I will be spending at least PHP 1100 to complete the 16 stickers to collect one friggin' SB-branded planner that would cost somewhere around PHP100 each. Bulk orders mean lesser cost per piece and with the trend of people to go agoo-goo crazy over the SB planners annually, for sure SB will make another killing this season.

Merry Christmas Mr. Schultz.

Now, off to SB for a Dark Cherry Mocha, tall, hot, non-fat, no whip. And yes, another sticker :)

been bad, real, real bad

Another reason for feeling a bit down today is because I checked out rather poorly in my most recent check-up.

My urinalysis came clean and my FBS was within range but unfortunately my bad cholesterol level was high. My Lipid Profile checked out as follows:

Cholesterol Level: 242.02 mg/dL (normal range is 50-200)
Triglycerides: 172.84 mg/dL (normal range is 15-150)
HDL Cholesterol (good cholesterol): 44.11 mg/dL (normal range is 40-60)
ALDL Cholesterol (bad cholesterol): 166.37 mg/dL (normal is 0-100)

The thing that got my doctor yakking was my LDL (low-density lipid) which was bad cholesterol and that recorded figure of 166.37 is interpreted as "high level" by medical standards and definitely "bad". LDL and a high cholesterol level in general is associated with heart disease and at this point in time, that's not what we need with the plans to immigrate being foremost in mind.

Yep, my fault as my venture to a healthy lifestyle got sidetracked this past month or so. I got to eat a little bit more than I should have and consumed foods that I should've avoided. Really, it's my fault and I've got no one to blame but myself and as my wife puts it, no one can help me but me.

So, my doc and I have set a target of an overall cholesterol level of 70 by the time I come back for a check-up two months from now.

While I will moan and mop about this abysmal result for today, there's even more work ahead of me, healthwise. I'd better get crackin'.

phone cam foto sessions 1

The wonders one can do with a phone cam. 

Amateur that I am, I am displaying here some photos I've taken using my handy N6680. From top to bottom: Balut, heaps of it, for sale - sold in front of 7-11 along JP Rizal Street, Makati; a shot of the Kopi Roti branch at The Columns at night; corner Ayala and Buendia traffic scene; and my hardworking Crocs, posed and poised for the cam. More random phone cam photos coming

monday mumblings: dark knight, fare hike, super-hero flicks, vtr, new eats

the dark knight returneth
As I've remarked in my other blog, Elvie and I watched Dark Knight last Saturday (leaving Ikai with her grandperes) at SM Muntinlupa at Cinema 3's first screening (which meant standing up to holler Lupang Hinirang as was the practice for first and last full shows of the day) and had a blast.

It was one helluva good, good movie. The 2.5 hours was worth the ridiculous ticket price the movie fetched. And as fellow blogger and former office-mate mentioned, the movie is indeed two thumbs up.

And a couple of time during the flick, I thought the movie was ending only to find the action picking up again.

Christopher Nolan's take on the Batman-Joker match-up is as gritty and as dark and as sinister as its counterpart in comics (not talking abou the 1950s Batman though when everything was cheesy and tongue-in-cheek). My wife who isn't a particular comics fanatic remarked her surprise and wonder on the depravity of the Joker character and that someone like him could be so evil. I answered, yes, Joker as portrayed in the darker and grittier Batman titles is indeed uber evil.

The Dark Knight is an awesome continuation from Batman Begins two years ago. The first Nolan installment of the Caped Crusader was good with some notable ho-humm and zzz parts. This latest Batman promised more action (indeed more action) and more characterization. In the first Batman, we were treated to the development of the Batman character. In Dark Knight, we were treated to the development of Batman's archnemesis, the Joker and the idea that the Batman-Joker tussle is tantamount to the idea of yin-yang -- that one cannot exist without the other.

In the words of Joker uttered to Batman -- "You complete me!" a reprisal of that famous line from Jerry McGuire in its most despicable application yet.


more superhero movies lined-up
DC and Marvel have stepped up the competition and moving to the new battlefield -- live-action movies.

While superhero movies are not really new, the movies that come out these days have actual substance -- they have good scripts, are becoming more and more loyal to the comics, and are their worth in ticket prices.

We've already seen X-Men, the Incredible Hulk, Batman, the Fantastic Four, and Spiderman grace the silverscreens several times with sequels (Batman being the most recent with its Dark Knight) and more recently, Iron Man has finally come to the big screen plus the resurrection of the last son of Krypton in Superman Returns.

If internet news are to be trusted along with hints and clues of current movies, a long list of superhero flicks are still to be awaited.

Marvel Studios, the TV and movie arm of Marvel Entertainment, has lined up the following sourced from Wikipedia:

Punisher: War Zone (2008) - Marvel's favorite hard-hitting vigilante is back
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) - obviously about Logan's origins
X-Men Origins: Magneto (2009) - explored briefly in X-men 1
Iron Man 2 (2010) - sequel to the highly-successful Robert Downey starrer
Thor (2010) - the Norse God of Thunder comes to the movie screen
The First Avenger: Captain America (2011) - another shot at an ole Stars and Stripes movie
The Avengers (2011) - incredible if they can pull this off
Spider-Man 4 (2011) - the fourth installment with Tobey Maguire in the lead

On the other hand these DC Comics characters, are slated to come out in live-action films although not all of them are produced by Warner Bros., DC's sister movie company:

The Spirit (2008) - the masked vigilante Will Eisner created in comics comes to life under Frank Millers screenplay and direction and slated for a Christmas release
Superman: Man of Steel (2009) - the sequel to Superman Returns with Brandon Routh still donning the blue and red costume
Watchmen (2009) - highly anticipated Alan Moore comics gets a loyal rendition in film
The Flash (2010) - enough with the numerous TV series, DC hopes to get the Flash running in theaters a couple of years from now
Green Lantern (2010) - reports say it's going to be a Hal Jordan story not a Kyle Rayner one nor a John Stewart or Guy Gardner one
Wonder Woman (2011) - no Linda Carter here
Justice League (2011) - after several shelvings, Justice League is finally back on track in development, we hope

Other hero-flicks to watch out for include:

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) - sequel to the 2004 movie starring Ron Perlman
Spawn (said to be 2008) - according to reports, this is a reboot of the character and not a sequel
The Witchblade (2009) - from the Top Cow comics and TV series of the same name
Madman (2009) - the Mike Allred comics


fare hike
During the bus trip to Laguna last Friday evening, I learned from the conductor that bus fares were going up starting supposedly today.

For instance, the one-way fare as of last week from the Buendia-Taft terminal to San Pedro, Laguna is P45. Starting today, Monday, bus fares went up to P60!

Egad!!!

I guess the fare hike was expected anyway because of soaring oil prices. As early as two weeks ago, a new fare matrix was announced for the Laguna-based bus companies plying the EDSA route.

I remember when I was studying in Peyups a decade ago and decided to forego with a dorm life and decide the life of a traveler, the one-way fare from Quezon Ave-EDSA to San Pedro (aircon bus) was P30.In the most recent fare matrix, the fare for the same route is already P97!!!

Back then, my daily baon was roughly P130-150 (about 70 pesos for fare). If I were a student nowadays going home to Laguna daily, my daily baon should be around P350 with about P250 dedicated to fare (bus two-way + tricycle + jeep) and the remaining P100 to be allotted for food and other expenses.

Sheesh! When my daughter grows up, how much will she take to school for baon? A thousand pesos a day??

Hard times, folks, definitely hard times.


vtr
Good news for us excited parents of Rika Antoinette.

Well, actually the entire family from both sides are actually quite excited with the prospect of Ikai appearing in a commercial one of these days.

I've sent the photos to one of the best child handlers in town and she has agreed to take on Ikai under her wing.

She has already asked us to prep Ikai to act (Ikai cry, Ikai laugh, Ikai sing, Ikai dance) and be ready to mingle with semi-strangers as our toddler daughter is to be scheduled for a VTR this coming September!


pilar and petra
Offimate and free spirit Paolo introduced me to Pilar and Petra today, a new eatery located along Urban street at the back of Burgundy Tower.

The place looked classy and pricey with its Minimalist styling but lest you think you're entering a resto ... you're not.

It looked classy enough to be thought of as a fine-dining establishment but much to any cono's disappointment, it's actually a glorified canteen/cafeteria and in the worse possible synonym -- carinderia.

You line up at the counter and choose your viand(s) and order your cups of rice. You are then directed to the cashier where you order your drinks, pay and then get a number.

It still retains its resto-feel not only because of the look but because the food you ordered gets served at your table. Plus, the tables are decked with placemats and they prep it up with your usual implements -- a napkin, a spoon and fork, plus a knife.

In one corner of the resto-canteen is a deli shop selling meats and cold cuts, wines, and some bottled foodstuff (pickles and fermented stuff I believe) which lends to the whole classy feel.

The look kinda reminds you of the former Restaurant 12 that once graced Greenbelt 3.

The food is actually great-tasting and in generous portions, and while not really worth its weight in pesos, it's an ok splurge once in a while.

My lunch -- kalderetang baka (P130), ginataang langka (P45), rice (P20) and Coke Zero (P45).