Food for the Profs

(Old graduation photo in 2008)

Imagine sitting for about three hours wearing your graduation toga and listening to the college deans announce the names of the graduates of the university for the previous term. Boring? Yes, sometimes. Sometimes I read a pocket book during the ceremony. Entertaning? Ofcourse, watching the graduates especially the ladies in their fresh make-up, new hairstyle and new shoes climb-up the stage, get their "diploma" and shake hands with Br. President and then get down the stage and pass by infront of you is good enough to pass the time. Well, this is the trimestral ritual that almost the faculty of De La Salle University - Manila experience during the commencement rites at the PICC. For some, it's a torture ... for others, it's a show. Well, whatever, the professors and staff are always rewarded by a sumptuous meal c/o the DLSU administration and the University Registrar's Office.

The Feast for Profs is usually held at the Gloria Maris Restaurant at the CCP Complex. This feast is "free" if you register and have your ID scanned before meals but expensive if you fail to come after registering beforehand. Well, this first term 2011, what did they serve the professors? Here is the list of the food we had last June 25, 2011:

1. Appetizer - cold cuts

2. Shrimps

3. Hot and sour soup

4. Fish fillet

5. Fried Rice

6. Brocolli

7. Peking Duck skin

8. Crabs

9. Peking Duck meat

10. Bread (Cake)

11. Dessert - Gulaman

Food for the Mind? More cholesterol? Healthy food? Well, the answer to this depends on the individual faculty members. Many loved the appetizer. Some like the tasteless shrimp. Others don't like the sour soup. The young ones love the crab and peking duck. The senior faculty and university fellows savored the vegetables and desert. In my case, I enjoyed the company - talking with my colleagues about university and college issues while watching our bosses enjoy the feast. Next term, hopefully it would be a new menu or a new restaurant?

I am 2nd from Left. With Lawrence Lim, & University Fellows - Dr. Alvin Culaba & Dr. Elmer Dadios.

Flores de Mayo: Flower Paintings of Lola Cons

Lola Conching Maglalang aka "Lola Cons" loves painting flowers. I sent her photos of flowers like the sunflower, hibiscus or gumamela, orchids and a rose. After a week, she completed painting the flower photos. Despite her age (88 yrs old), she can easily paint a flower using acrylic or pastel. Most of these paintings were completed just last May 2011. So I dubbed these gallery of flower paintings as "Flores de Mayo."

Paintings of a Sunflower, Rose, Gumamela, Orchids & Butterfly on Flower

Flores de Mayo

Pasto's Thin Pizza and Tasty Pasta

Pasto at Eastwood Mall, Quezon City is one of our favorite Italian restaurants. Their thin pizza Di Carne ("All Meat" Pizza - Italian sausage, smoked ham and pepperoni)  is sooo good. And their pasta which is cooked al dente like Fruiti di Mari (Linguine with assorted seafood in an olive oil-white wine reduction) and Alfredo (Spaghetti with fresh cracked pepper in a creamy parmesan sauce with grilled chicken or grilled shrimps) are delicious. The price range (Pizza from P195.00 to P295.00 / Pasta from P195.00 to P265.00.).

 Pizza Di Carne (P265.00)

Fruiti di Mari Pasta (P265.00)

 Alfredo Pasta (P215.00)

The KL Bird Park by Geof Oreta

 

 One of the best and educational places we visited at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia this summer 2011 was the KL Bird Park. When we went in, we were surprised by the vast number of birds. Because of the diversity of the different species of birds, I took many good pictures with my camera. Along the way, we encountered some egrets and peacocks, The birds were freely walking and flying in the park. We also saw some rare, exotic, and endangered birds. We even saw some eagles!!!  When we -were having a snack, my mom fed some of the birds some kropeck and they enjoyed it. While enjoying the kropeck, one bird started pooping (LOL!). After our snack, we saw the flamingos and an Egyptian bird. Julia played in the playground for a while, and then we went to the bird show. We enjoyed the acts as we saw macaws do the tightrope, ride a bicycle, drive a jeep, and do some Mathematics. Finally, we went to the nursery and saw bird eggs. We also learned different things about birds hatching. My sister’s favourite bird is the Black eagle. Below is the gallery of the pictures that I took:

 

Sunflower by Lola Cons

Lola Conching - The Master Painter

 I like sunflowers. Whenever I see sunflowers like those planted along the University Avenue at UP Diliman every March just before their graduation rites, I remember Vincent Van Gogh's painting of sunflowers (See image at the left).

Remember Lola Cons, my 88 year old auntie who developed a passion for painting just last year? She attended painting lessons at UP with young and not so old classmates. She was the oldest then at 87 years old but come 2011 a much older lola attended the session breaking her record. Well, I sent her a photo of a sunflower (downloaded from the internet) and asked her to paint it. After a few weeks, she completed her painting of the sunflower. Her apo, Peer,  also a painting enthusiast, painted the same photo. Lola's are more expressive. Her painting has the similar rough strokes of Van Gogh which expresses passion and emotion. I love the "Sunflower" painted by Lola Cons. It brightens our house! :-)

Photo of a Sunflower

"Sunflower" by Lola Cons

Lola Cons Painting Displayed on our wall

It's Fun at Universal Studios Singapore by Geof Oreta

One of our best times at Singapore was when we went to Universal Studios on May 5, 2011. After a hearty brunch of burgers and fries, we went to the theatre to watch the Monster Rock Show, a musical live show where monsters like Frankenstein, Dracula, Werewolf and a Mummy sing and dance to rock music like “Nobody Nobody but You!”. We then went to a special effects presentation. It was really breathtaking - literally. Then, we visited Sci-Fi City and took a look around. We took a trip to Ancient Egypt and tried out one of the rides. It was really interesting and fun to see snakes and bugs as you ride around the tracks. I also liked Jurassic Park but sadly, one of the rides we wanted to try had some technical difficulties so my sister, Julia and my Mom just took the “Dinosaur-Round-About. ” I liked Far Far Away the best. The reason was the shows we watched there were unique and interesting. The Shrek 4D was funny and seems real – aside from the 3D images you  feel real wind and water blowing on your face – that’s why it’s called 4D! The Donkey Show was also funny and interactive. We finally watched a special effects show called “Waterworld”. It was exciting and really wet. Our stay at Universal Studios was truly an unforgettable experience. Geof2011:-)

Discovering Science at Singapore by Geoffrey Oreta

Controlling a Chameleon Robot

One of the highlights of our stay at Singapore was visiting the Science Centre on May 6, 2011. The first part we went to was “the mind’s eye”. Here, we saw optical illusions. Then we went to “the atrium”. We saw a makeshift tornado, a  whirlpool, fog rings, and much more. Next, we went to the sound exhibit and saw sound haircuts, metal grass that danced to music, and a foley studio. Then, we went to the DNA lab and saw different kinds of genes and DNA. We then went to the mathematics exhibit and discovered the wonders of math. In the water exhibit, we saw a big aquarium! There were also exhibits about microbes. At the second floor, we saw different kinds of robots and their history. There were replicas of R2D2, an Aibo dog and Wall-E. We also watched a show about the story of flight and learned about Da Vinci and the Wright brothers. My sister Julia liked the “discovery zone” with different kinds of exhibits and contraptions for kids. We also went to the robot zoo and saw a lot of robotic animals. The chameleon robot was even controllable! Finally, we went to i-space. My favourite exhibit was the sound exhibit because it was really interesting and fun. My Dad was disappointed though because the Omni theatre was closed during our visit. But generally, the science centre was awesome! Geof2011JJJJ

Ten Impressions about New Zealand

Eleven days. That's the length of my stay at Auckland, New Zealand. I visited NZ to attend the 9th Pacific Conference on Earthquake Engineering held at the University of Auckland and to visit my sister and brother who are now Kiwis.

Eleven Days at Auckland

During my short stay at Auckland, I observed the lifestyle there and learned a few things about New Zealand. I am sharing 10 impressions and lessons about NZ:

1. I love eating the kiwi fruit especially after meals. The kiwi is just like a banana in NZ.

2. Aside from the kiwi fruit, the Feijoa is another fruit from New Zealand which is so tasty and juicy. Read our blog about the feijoa.

3. Car drivers rarely use their horns. My first time to hear a car driver blow the horn was when I crossed the road without caution.

4. Family parks and beaches are free. You can go to a park or beach and hold a family picnic without any fees.  NZ parks are clean. You won't see garbage cans because you are suppose to bring your trash home after holding your picnic.

5. The NZ people or Kiwis are polite people. When they get-off the bus, they always thank the bus driver. Unlike the Japanese, the Kiwis are more informal. During the conference, I noticed that they will politely tell you to use the mic or speak louder even if you're a keynote speaker.

6. I love their wheat and rye bread. A simple butter and jelly bread satisfies my apetite.

7. Some food (e.g. McDonald's) and books are relatively more expensive in NZ. My estimate is that they are about 40% higher when compared with the Philippines.

8. I learned the rules of Rugby. The Kiwis love Rugby. They have a team called "All Blacks". The World Cup Rugby will be held in NZ this year.

9. College education is not a problem in NZ. A college loan is readily available to pay your fees and allowances. You pay the government when you find a job after you graduate.

10. The population of NZ is less than 5 million but you will see so many cars. Cars in NZ are not fancy ("hindi pang porma").

A Cheesy Blog

Apple enjoyed 6 kinds of cheese today - Holland's Farmer's Cheese (courtesy of Annette) and Gouda cheese, Norwegian's bland cheese and brown cheese, Anchor Colby's creamy cheese from NZ (courtesy of Andy's classmate, Edwin) and milk cheese from France. Life's simple pleasures!!

Julia paints a butterfly on Easter Sunday

Julia loves to draw and color. So come Easter Sunday, we brought her at Landmark's Kiddy's Art Town so she can try painting a figure of her choice. She painted a butterfly, her favorite insect. The butterfly figure was filled with colors and afterwards the painted figure was heated inside an oven. Whoola.. a pink and blue butterfly!.... a symbol of new life this Easter Sunday.

Feijoa - An Autumn Fruit in New Zealand

New Zealand is known for its kiwi fruit. But come autumn, you will find the fruit called feijoa everywhere. Feijoa (pronounced as"Fe-jo-wa"), also called as guavasteen, matures during the autumn season. It's shaped like that of an egg. It has an aromatic smell and a juicy flesh. It has no seeds.

To eat a feijoa, the fruit is cut into half and the flesh is scooped using a spoon just like scooping an egg. yolk The flesh is sweet and seedless. The fruit grows from a small shrub and is usually a garden tree. The fruit drops when ripe.

When we went to the supermarket (April 20, 2011), a kilo of feijoa costs NZ$3.99 which is more expensive than the green kiwi (NZ$ 1.29). Early autumn, a kilo of feijoa, according to my sister who lives in Auckland, costs  about NZ$ 12.00. So the feijoa is really in season now.

I brought home a few pieces of the fruit, so that my family can taste it. From the first scoop of the fruit, Apple had a liking for it. She says, "it tastes like a guava apple."

 Try the feijoa, you'll love it.

We Enjoyed the Play - Isang Alamat

"Isang Alamat" is the stage play presented by the Miriam Child Study Center (CSC). Julia played the role of "ahas" or a snake, one of the bad characters in the story. "Isang Alamat" presents a legend on the origin of our national symbols - narra as national tree, anahaw as the national leaf, carabao as the national animal and the Philippine eagle as the national bird. These symbols were portrayed as heroes in the story together with Mang Jose who rescued Reyna Pinas, the queen of a kingdom called Pulopinas (representing the Philippines) from the bad ones portrayed by dark and fierce creatures like bats, snakes, hawks, gorillias, crocodiles and deadly plants.

It was a marvel to watch the kids from CSC dance, sing and act. Julia enjoyed performing during the play. She danced. She sang. She played with her classmates. All the parents were so proud with their lovely kids. It's an event that parents will cherish and the kids will remember and recall when they become adults.

Baihana

BAIHANA at Conspiracy Bar, QC (Dec. 2010) - Photo by Ruben Samson

Last December 2010, we dropped by at Conspiracy Bar, Visayas Ave., QC to watch Noel Cabangon. My brother-in-law, Ruben and his daughters, Christina and Melissa joined Apple and me. Ruben was a converted fan of Noel - he even bought one CD and asked Noel to sign an autograph on the CD label. Ofcourse we enjoyed Noel's performance of his original songs and renditions of other artists' songs - both in English and Filipino. But what we enjoyed more was the surpirse guest performers that night - Baihana, a group of three young and pretty female singers who have fresh and lovely voices. Their style is similar to that of the Manhattan Transfer's (But according to their Facebook profile, their influences were The Andrews Sisters, The Chordettes, The Puppini Sisters). The trio uses their powerful and harmonious vocal chords to produce a melodius and rythmic jazz and pop music. They interpret both Filipino and Enlgish songs according to their unique style. We are looking forward to the success of this group. It's refreshing to see new Pinoy singing groups emerge after we have been flooded with too many singers who try to be bossa nova and samba singers.

Watch Baihana sing "Mamang Kutsero."

SIDCOR Sunday Market at Centris

Every sunday from 6:00 AM - 2:00 PM, the SIDCOR Sunday Market is held at the Centris Walk beside the MRT Quezon Avenue Station. At the market, you can buy fresh fruits, fresh seafoods, various types of bread and pastries. Our favorite at the market is the pork barbecue. There are also stalls which sell their specialties - menudo, kare-kare, dinuguan, embutido, sinigang and vegetarian dishes. There are tables for you to sit and eat with your family. When you go to this market, you will meet friends and see some personalities - politicians, professors, government officials and celebrities. Shopping at the SIDCOR Sunday Market is enjoyable and fun. You can buy good food at a cheap price.

Syd's Kitchen

We held our regular family get-together with Apple's former classmates at Syd's Kitchen, Banawe, Quezon City. The host of the dinner was Helen and family. Syd's Kitchen menu consists of fusion chinese dishes. We had meatballs on a stick, salted fish rice, pumpkin soup, shrimp (my favorite), steak, pork belly and fish fillet. Our tummies really were really filled to the max. Price ranges from P150-300 per recipe.

Yummy Yema Candies

What can I say about the yema made by Apple and Geof? Hmm sweet and yummy!

What's the recipe? TOP SECRET!

12 Little Things You Can Do

So much have been said and written about the book "12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do to Help Our Country" by Alex Lacson especially during the election campaign period in 2010, but it was only now that we were able to buy the book at an unusual place - at one of the stalls selling gift items at the UP Shopping Center.

Indeed the list of 12 things to do given by Lacson are so simple that if only every Filipino does his/her part, our country, the Philippines will indeed be great again.

The book, however, needs a detailed guide and more information for it to make an impact. Here is my commentary on some of the things to do listed above:

1. Follow traffic rules. Follow the law. Following traffic rules and the law should not only be focused on the driver of private vehicles. PUV/PUJ drivers especially jeepney and bus drivers should be given a list of what they should do to improve the traffic (example: where to load and unload, proper attire, smoke belching, etc.)

A list of things to do for the pedestrian must also be given. For example, cross only along pedestrian crossing, wait for vehicles at the loading and unloading areas, etc.

And the most important, a list of things to do for the traffic enforcers must be highlighted. It is frustrating to folow traffic rules, if the traffic enforcers DO NOT KNOW how to implement them. For example, a right lane which says "for right turns only" should be strictly implemented. Those who block the way should be penalized.

2. Don't buy smuggled goods. Buy Local. Buy Filipino. Lacson emphasized the boost to the local economy if we do this. However, the government has a major role to play to make this program effective. First, the people don't really know which goods are smuggled or not. If we buy an item in a popular supermarket, does it mean you are not buying smuggled goods? There are rumors of big time smugglers operating big supermarkets. Pinoys prefer to buy cheap goods and in most cases these goods are smuggled. The government should stop smuggling altogether.

As for local products vs imported products, a list should be provided on which product to support. Lacson mentioned an example for toothpaste: Happee toothpaste is Filipino, Colgate and Close-up is imported. A list of basic commodities made in the philippines should be provided or may be a label like "Buy Pinoy" should be marked on these local products. Obviously, the foreign companies will complain of the government's bias to local products, but what the heck!

To be continued ....

A Savory Experience

My twin sisters and their families are on vacation during the Christmas break. This is the best time of the year for eating out and bonding. My brother-in-law, Ruben says he misses the Savory chicken at Manila. So during one of our trips, specifically on our way to the Ayala Museum, we dropped by at Savory at Makati Ave. for lunch. Our food orders: Savory chicken, lumpiang shanghai, pancit canton and ampalaya. What's the verdict from the balikbayans? "Ok, pa rin ang Chicken, parang yung original! Masarap yung sauce." "Wow, the best ang ampalaya - hindi mapait!". "Crispy ang lumpia." Over-all, everybody was satisfied. We left with a happy face and a full tummy.

Indeed, eating at Savory is satisfying. The food is good and prices are very reasonable.