I've finally entered the 21st century and am on Facebook. A lot of my friends and family have been telling me to join but I've been quite slow to get on the bandwagon! Les, Joce and Jojo have finally talked me into entering the world of social networking. I created my page yesterday (with Jojo's help) and was pleasantly surprised this morning to have made several connections already.
I am a firm believer that the world is a small place and that it is impossible for any one to be completely cut off from everyone else. I also believe in six degrees of separation wherein anyone can somehow be connected to the people in their part of the world through people they are related to, have dated, are friends with, went to school with, have worked with, have hung out with, or just plain know. Browsing through Facebook just confirms all this! It's actually quite amazing =)
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
The F Girls?
My friends Les and Joce were with us (on and off) for the last 2 weeks. They left for Manila last night. That makes me sad =( To cheer myself up I have posted some highlights of their stay:
Here we are walking along Rodeo Drive feeling like "Pretty Woman"! I had dubbed our trio as the "F" girls - (after the F girls, a trio of TV show hosts back in Manila). Only Joce didn't like that thought! Wonder why??? =)
The three of us across Old Town San Diego's Immaculate Conception church (we were paying homage to our alma matter!). Just a little bit of side trivia here: Les, Joce and I were classmates - I met Les in kindergarten, and we met Joce a year later in prep. So I have known both these ladies for almost 30 years! Now this is what I call true girlfriends! =)
Dinner at the Grand Luxe Cafe with Ed right before we watched Jersey Boys. The dinner was good but nothing compared to the show (which you all know by now, I absolutely loved!).
Jojo treated us to a steamed crab dinner at Redondo Beach. We donned our bibs, held on to our mallets and rolled up our sleeves! One of my favorite places for fresh seafood.
Shopping at The Grove and lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. It was Joce's first time there and we were excited to see her reaction to their mouthwatering cheesecakes! BTW, she loved it!
Two places where we literally "lined up for our food" - Pink's hotdogs in Hollywood (where this picture was taken) and Sprinkles cupcakes in Beverly Hills. I have to say those hotdogs and cupcakes were worth the over half hour wait!
Dinner with Atsi and Mark at BCD Tofu House. This is one of our favorite restaurants. Anyone who comes to visit us gets taken to dinner at this place. And everyone that has tried this place, loves it instantly! Joce and Les are two more people we can add to that list!
Walking along the Vegas strip. I think October is the best month to visit Vegas. It's neither too cold nor too hot. And of course, it's always great to visit with Vegas when you're with your friends =)
Joce, Les and I walking along Hollywood. This is a great place to sightsee and go shopping. This is also where Les and Joce were accosted by a sleazy looking Elvis impersonator! I swear that you run into all sorts of characters in Hollyweird!
Lunch at Muriel and Mark's charming home. I love how they fixed up their place =) Muriel made us home-cooked Pinoy food (kare-kare and rellenong bangus). And for dessert, Ed brought us another "Pinoy" favorite: Dunkin Donuts!
Dinner at Lucille's Barbecue at the Del Amo mall with Mark and Gus. Both guys were really entertaining to hang out with! As usual, dinner at Lucille's was really good (they have fabulous baby back and St. Louis ribs!).
In case your eyes are playing tricks on you ... this is not another picture of Les, me and Joce (wow! what a super compliment for Joce if you did think that!) ... it's actually Les, me and Kim Kardashian. We ran into her at the Santa Monica Third Street Promenade parking garage (of all places). She was really gracious and friendly. Take note this picture was taken by one of the many photographers following her. So for a split nanosecond, Les and I got a taste of what it feels like to be photographed by the paparazzi!
Thanks for spending your vacation with us, Les and Joce! I had a great time with you guys and I hope you enjoyed your stay with us too. Now I am going to start planning our upcoming Alaskan cruise for next year - will send you the details when I get them from my travel agent =)
Here we are walking along Rodeo Drive feeling like "Pretty Woman"! I had dubbed our trio as the "F" girls - (after the F girls, a trio of TV show hosts back in Manila). Only Joce didn't like that thought! Wonder why??? =)
The three of us across Old Town San Diego's Immaculate Conception church (we were paying homage to our alma matter!). Just a little bit of side trivia here: Les, Joce and I were classmates - I met Les in kindergarten, and we met Joce a year later in prep. So I have known both these ladies for almost 30 years! Now this is what I call true girlfriends! =)
Dinner at the Grand Luxe Cafe with Ed right before we watched Jersey Boys. The dinner was good but nothing compared to the show (which you all know by now, I absolutely loved!).
Jojo treated us to a steamed crab dinner at Redondo Beach. We donned our bibs, held on to our mallets and rolled up our sleeves! One of my favorite places for fresh seafood.
Shopping at The Grove and lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. It was Joce's first time there and we were excited to see her reaction to their mouthwatering cheesecakes! BTW, she loved it!
Two places where we literally "lined up for our food" - Pink's hotdogs in Hollywood (where this picture was taken) and Sprinkles cupcakes in Beverly Hills. I have to say those hotdogs and cupcakes were worth the over half hour wait!
Dinner with Atsi and Mark at BCD Tofu House. This is one of our favorite restaurants. Anyone who comes to visit us gets taken to dinner at this place. And everyone that has tried this place, loves it instantly! Joce and Les are two more people we can add to that list!
Walking along the Vegas strip. I think October is the best month to visit Vegas. It's neither too cold nor too hot. And of course, it's always great to visit with Vegas when you're with your friends =)
Joce, Les and I walking along Hollywood. This is a great place to sightsee and go shopping. This is also where Les and Joce were accosted by a sleazy looking Elvis impersonator! I swear that you run into all sorts of characters in Hollyweird!
Lunch at Muriel and Mark's charming home. I love how they fixed up their place =) Muriel made us home-cooked Pinoy food (kare-kare and rellenong bangus). And for dessert, Ed brought us another "Pinoy" favorite: Dunkin Donuts!
Dinner at Lucille's Barbecue at the Del Amo mall with Mark and Gus. Both guys were really entertaining to hang out with! As usual, dinner at Lucille's was really good (they have fabulous baby back and St. Louis ribs!).
In case your eyes are playing tricks on you ... this is not another picture of Les, me and Joce (wow! what a super compliment for Joce if you did think that!) ... it's actually Les, me and Kim Kardashian. We ran into her at the Santa Monica Third Street Promenade parking garage (of all places). She was really gracious and friendly. Take note this picture was taken by one of the many photographers following her. So for a split nanosecond, Les and I got a taste of what it feels like to be photographed by the paparazzi!
Thanks for spending your vacation with us, Les and Joce! I had a great time with you guys and I hope you enjoyed your stay with us too. Now I am going to start planning our upcoming Alaskan cruise for next year - will send you the details when I get them from my travel agent =)
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
I Am What I Eat
Jojo left for work while Les and Joce are spending the day at Universal Studios with Gus and Mark (friends from Manila). Since I am scheduled to do volunteer work this afternoon, I opted to stay home this morning and get stuff organized here at home. There are a lot of things to do at home – we have not done any cleaning in the last two weeks, there is a bunch of mail that needs to be sorted, there is laundry to be done, I have errands to run, and there are things that need to be packed in the balikbayan box. But instead of all that, I have decided to spend my morning browsing through several of my favorite food blogs!
I thought I would amuse myself (and waste more time) answering a food questionnaire I came across in one of the blogs I frequent. Since many say, you are what you eat, this questionnaire (which is all about food preferences) will give you a lot of insight about who I am! For those with blogs out there – feel free to answer the same questionnaire – and if you don’t have a blog, you can email me your answers or post them on my comments list (if you like)!
1. Favorite Comfort Food: (My all-time favorite!) Garlic rice, fried eggs, crispy tuyo, chopped tomatoes and salted eggs!
2. Favorite Junkfood: Jack n Jill barbecue flavored Chippy and V-cut (I would take these local favorites over Ruffles and Lays any time.)
3. Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Anything with dark chocolate
4. Favorite Canned Good: Purefoods corned beef (American brands don’t even come close!)
5. Favorite Dessert: Cheesecake, lemon squares, gelato and red velvet cake (who said I had to pick just one?!)
6. Food that you just can’t get enough of: Chicken Inasal - it’s frustrating because there is none available here (even in predominantly Pinoy cities like Carson, Covina, Daly and Cerritos!).
7. Favorite Ethnic Cuisine: Indian food
8. Favorite thing to cook: I like making sinigang because it’s Jojo’s favorite. And if I were having guests over (depending on who's coming to dinner) I would probably make pasta - either shrimp scampi or chicken pesto. I also like making roast pork loin with red potatoes for more special occasions.
9. Favorite Meal of the day: Dinner (it’s when everyone can sit down and enjoy the meal and the company).
10. Favorite Cocktail: I don't really drink alcohol so I'm going to have to say ... Diet coke (Honestly, can you think of any food that does not go well with coke??? My friends and I were just talking about this the other night).
11. Food that you enjoy in private: I’m pretty open about what I eat ... but if I had to pick, it would probably be the spareribs rice meal from Le Ching (in Shoppesville) – we usually have food from there "to go" and eat them at home. Anyone who has been there will know why! =)
12. Favorite dish your mom/lola makes: My mom’s fresh Chinese lumpia with the works!
13. Restaurant dish you have actually made at home: I can come up with a pretty close version of The Cheesecake Factory's Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya.
14. Most memorable meal: There are several and it’s probably not so much the food but the meal itself. Here are a couple off the top of my head:
a. Our wedding reception: We had a winter wedding so our menu consisted of a warm spinach salad with candied walnuts, cranberries and a light raspberry vinaigrette, followed by a tureen of French onion soup topped with melted Gruyere cheese, this was followed by a light citrus sorbet, next was steamed lobster with pureed butter, and a thick cut of prime rib with au jus and creamy horseradish with a side of baby potatoes and buttered vegetables, lastly a decadent chocolate mousse with dark chocolate sauce and fresh berries. I super loved that meal!
b. Also, Xmas dinner 2008 with dad. Mom made everyone's favorite chili crabs, extra garlicky tenderloin tips, (her super yummy!) Caesar salad, spicy gambas, stir-fried asparagus, and garlic rice. We could not stop eating that night!
c. First meal I ever made myself. I served it to my Berkeley friends (Ilkben, Marco and Giacommo) who were over for a study group. It was my mom's recipe for Chinese-style adobo made with rice wine and honey. My friends gave me such awesome compliments that I was inspired to continue cooking!
d. Crystal Jade Peking Duck Lunch with Les, Jogs and Chow. We were in high school and for some reason we wanted to live it up – we over-ordered some pretty expensive stuff and didn’t have enough money to pay for the meal. Everyone had to cough up whatever cash they had. All I had was money my mom gave me to buy a pair of black school shoes and I had to give that up! I was worried about my mom finding out so I ended up using my old pair of shoes for the first few weeks of school. (Mom, if you are reading this just remember this was a LOOONG time ago!). Looking back, it was a delicious meal and even if it did cost me shoes, I still don’t regret it =)
15. Do you “eat to live” or “live to eat”: In case it is not blatantly obvious … I am definitely a LIVE TO EAT person. All my best memories and happiest times revolve around a good meal! And that is something I hope never changes =)
Okay, enough talk about food … I am seriously hungry and have to go get ready for work.
I thought I would amuse myself (and waste more time) answering a food questionnaire I came across in one of the blogs I frequent. Since many say, you are what you eat, this questionnaire (which is all about food preferences) will give you a lot of insight about who I am! For those with blogs out there – feel free to answer the same questionnaire – and if you don’t have a blog, you can email me your answers or post them on my comments list (if you like)!
1. Favorite Comfort Food: (My all-time favorite!) Garlic rice, fried eggs, crispy tuyo, chopped tomatoes and salted eggs!
2. Favorite Junkfood: Jack n Jill barbecue flavored Chippy and V-cut (I would take these local favorites over Ruffles and Lays any time.)
3. Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Anything with dark chocolate
4. Favorite Canned Good: Purefoods corned beef (American brands don’t even come close!)
5. Favorite Dessert: Cheesecake, lemon squares, gelato and red velvet cake (who said I had to pick just one?!)
6. Food that you just can’t get enough of: Chicken Inasal - it’s frustrating because there is none available here (even in predominantly Pinoy cities like Carson, Covina, Daly and Cerritos!).
7. Favorite Ethnic Cuisine: Indian food
8. Favorite thing to cook: I like making sinigang because it’s Jojo’s favorite. And if I were having guests over (depending on who's coming to dinner) I would probably make pasta - either shrimp scampi or chicken pesto. I also like making roast pork loin with red potatoes for more special occasions.
9. Favorite Meal of the day: Dinner (it’s when everyone can sit down and enjoy the meal and the company).
10. Favorite Cocktail: I don't really drink alcohol so I'm going to have to say ... Diet coke (Honestly, can you think of any food that does not go well with coke??? My friends and I were just talking about this the other night).
11. Food that you enjoy in private: I’m pretty open about what I eat ... but if I had to pick, it would probably be the spareribs rice meal from Le Ching (in Shoppesville) – we usually have food from there "to go" and eat them at home. Anyone who has been there will know why! =)
12. Favorite dish your mom/lola makes: My mom’s fresh Chinese lumpia with the works!
13. Restaurant dish you have actually made at home: I can come up with a pretty close version of The Cheesecake Factory's Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya.
14. Most memorable meal: There are several and it’s probably not so much the food but the meal itself. Here are a couple off the top of my head:
a. Our wedding reception: We had a winter wedding so our menu consisted of a warm spinach salad with candied walnuts, cranberries and a light raspberry vinaigrette, followed by a tureen of French onion soup topped with melted Gruyere cheese, this was followed by a light citrus sorbet, next was steamed lobster with pureed butter, and a thick cut of prime rib with au jus and creamy horseradish with a side of baby potatoes and buttered vegetables, lastly a decadent chocolate mousse with dark chocolate sauce and fresh berries. I super loved that meal!
b. Also, Xmas dinner 2008 with dad. Mom made everyone's favorite chili crabs, extra garlicky tenderloin tips, (her super yummy!) Caesar salad, spicy gambas, stir-fried asparagus, and garlic rice. We could not stop eating that night!
c. First meal I ever made myself. I served it to my Berkeley friends (Ilkben, Marco and Giacommo) who were over for a study group. It was my mom's recipe for Chinese-style adobo made with rice wine and honey. My friends gave me such awesome compliments that I was inspired to continue cooking!
d. Crystal Jade Peking Duck Lunch with Les, Jogs and Chow. We were in high school and for some reason we wanted to live it up – we over-ordered some pretty expensive stuff and didn’t have enough money to pay for the meal. Everyone had to cough up whatever cash they had. All I had was money my mom gave me to buy a pair of black school shoes and I had to give that up! I was worried about my mom finding out so I ended up using my old pair of shoes for the first few weeks of school. (Mom, if you are reading this just remember this was a LOOONG time ago!). Looking back, it was a delicious meal and even if it did cost me shoes, I still don’t regret it =)
15. Do you “eat to live” or “live to eat”: In case it is not blatantly obvious … I am definitely a LIVE TO EAT person. All my best memories and happiest times revolve around a good meal! And that is something I hope never changes =)
Okay, enough talk about food … I am seriously hungry and have to go get ready for work.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Fall Fashions
Fall is finally here! You can feel the cool temperatures and the crispness in the air. You can smell wonderful Autumn scents like apple pie, cinnamon, pumpkin spice and gingersnap wherever you go. You can see the gorgeous changing foliage (maybe not as drastic here in California as compared to New England ... but it does happen!). And you notice that the days are more overcast and the breezes much balmier.
Unlike most people who prefer Spring or Summer, Fall is my absolute favorite of all the four seasons! I like Fall because it brings an end to scorching and dry summer weather. It means shorter days, cooler weather, and more time to enjoy indoors. For me, it means going trick or treating, celebrating Thanksgiving and the start of holiday festivities. Fall means enjoying the company of friends and family gathered round the table. It means hearty soups and stews, savory roasts and casseroles, and baked desserts that stick to your ribs. Best of all, Fall means bringing out our winter clothes from storage and bundling up in warm, woolly coats and comforters.
To celebrate the start of the season, I spent some time looking at new Fall outerwear. I honestly don't need a new coat but I figure it can't hurt to look! Here are some styles that I have always liked:
If I were tall and thin enough, I would get this Burberry double-breasted trench coat. I think this looks so classic and put-together.
Same reasons apply as to why I can't get away with wearing a pea coat (like this one from DKNY).
I am fascinated with toggle coats. Came close to buying this Banana Republic coat once but was afraid I couldn't carry the look and may end up looking like an Eskimo! (Joybee, do you remember this coat and how many times I tried it on!?).
I think tweed coats are so smart looking (maybe it's because tweed coats were made famous by Sherlock Holmes!). I like the brown/tan shades (like this coat from Marc Jacobs) more than the black/white ones.
And when you already have all the basic coat colors (black, gray, camel, navy, red and off-white), then it's time to invest in a few other colors. Like this dusty old rose day coat from J Crew.
Don't Fall fashions just get you in the mood to go shopping? =)
Unlike most people who prefer Spring or Summer, Fall is my absolute favorite of all the four seasons! I like Fall because it brings an end to scorching and dry summer weather. It means shorter days, cooler weather, and more time to enjoy indoors. For me, it means going trick or treating, celebrating Thanksgiving and the start of holiday festivities. Fall means enjoying the company of friends and family gathered round the table. It means hearty soups and stews, savory roasts and casseroles, and baked desserts that stick to your ribs. Best of all, Fall means bringing out our winter clothes from storage and bundling up in warm, woolly coats and comforters.
To celebrate the start of the season, I spent some time looking at new Fall outerwear. I honestly don't need a new coat but I figure it can't hurt to look! Here are some styles that I have always liked:
If I were tall and thin enough, I would get this Burberry double-breasted trench coat. I think this looks so classic and put-together.
Same reasons apply as to why I can't get away with wearing a pea coat (like this one from DKNY).
I am fascinated with toggle coats. Came close to buying this Banana Republic coat once but was afraid I couldn't carry the look and may end up looking like an Eskimo! (Joybee, do you remember this coat and how many times I tried it on!?).
I think tweed coats are so smart looking (maybe it's because tweed coats were made famous by Sherlock Holmes!). I like the brown/tan shades (like this coat from Marc Jacobs) more than the black/white ones.
And when you already have all the basic coat colors (black, gray, camel, navy, red and off-white), then it's time to invest in a few other colors. Like this dusty old rose day coat from J Crew.
Don't Fall fashions just get you in the mood to go shopping? =)
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Dental Dilemmas
Yesterday was our annual dental check-up. As part of the procedure, I got a full oral x-ray which led to Dr. Sadri noting that I needed some dental work. Hardly surprising in my case since every time I go in for my annual check-up, there is always something that needs to be done! Is it just me or is this true for everyone else out there???
Anyway, in my case, there are several issues that need to be addressed. I have two small cavities that need filling, a crown that needs to be replaced and a wisdom tooth that needs extracting. None of them are urgent (and by that I mean, none of them are giving me any discomfort or pain). But Dr. Sadri advises that if I am planning to get pregnant soon then I need to get these treatments done before then. Partly because when I become pregnant, most of my body's calcium will go to the baby. That plus hormonal changes can lead to more dental problems. Not only that, there are several procedures that they do not suggest doing while a patient is pregnant since the anesthesia and the trauma are not advisable for a mom-to-be and for the baby too.
So, after thinking about it and discussing it with my sister-in-law (who is also a dentist), I have opted to go in for a series of treatments to get all these taken care of. This means several dental visits - lots of time on the dentist chair, hours of discomfort (hopefully not too much pain!) and more bills to pay (yes, the costs are pretty high up there even with dental insurance!). Whew! I'm not even a mother yet and I am already making such huge sacrifices for my child! Our "future" baby better appreciate this! =)
Anyway, in my case, there are several issues that need to be addressed. I have two small cavities that need filling, a crown that needs to be replaced and a wisdom tooth that needs extracting. None of them are urgent (and by that I mean, none of them are giving me any discomfort or pain). But Dr. Sadri advises that if I am planning to get pregnant soon then I need to get these treatments done before then. Partly because when I become pregnant, most of my body's calcium will go to the baby. That plus hormonal changes can lead to more dental problems. Not only that, there are several procedures that they do not suggest doing while a patient is pregnant since the anesthesia and the trauma are not advisable for a mom-to-be and for the baby too.
So, after thinking about it and discussing it with my sister-in-law (who is also a dentist), I have opted to go in for a series of treatments to get all these taken care of. This means several dental visits - lots of time on the dentist chair, hours of discomfort (hopefully not too much pain!) and more bills to pay (yes, the costs are pretty high up there even with dental insurance!). Whew! I'm not even a mother yet and I am already making such huge sacrifices for my child! Our "future" baby better appreciate this! =)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)