Fish Curry, My Version

Admittedly, our family eats too much meat. We love our steak, pork sinigang, beef nilaga and puchero, fried pork chop and the list goes on and on. So I am trying to make a conscious effort to include more fish dishes in our menu.

I decided to try my hand in cooking fish curry. It seemed like a winning recipe as I mulled over how to prepare this. Fish, coconut milk, curry and spices - ahh, I could sense a winner here.  Note that I am not a good cook. Ok, maybe I'm a bad one since I've failed a lot in the cooking department.  But you can't fault me for trying which frustrates my brother a bit because he and my dad are ultimately the guinea pigs.

However this time around, I was able to come up with a yummy yet fairly quick meal.  My brother liked it so much that he brought some to his workplace. Because I am not one of those stingy cooks who don't like sharing recipes or cooking techniques, here's the recipe. Not that I'll be sharing a lot of recipes, hahaha. Hoping this will help another trying-hard-wanna-be cook out there like me.

Assorted Bread at Plaza Athenee's Breakfast Buffet

I don't really eat breakfast on ordinary days especially if it's a work day. I know it's not the best or healthiest way to start the day but I just can't seem to eat quickly and head off to the office. I eat terribly slow and eating fast makes me dizzy, hahaha. Usually, it's just a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice if I'm in a rush. My work mates have been telling me to just give them my breakfast coupons since a lot of them are not consumed during my trip. They do have a point, you know. Hey, but weekends are a different story. I do take time to enjoy the breakfast buffet at the hotel.

Check out the variety of bread and pastries available at the Plaza Athenee in Bangkok. Absolutely yummy!

Simple Flower Arrangement #1

Hi friends! During my stay at the Metropole, I chanced upon this very simple flower arrangement. It's beautiful and looks so easy to do. I'm really not the Mertha Stewart type of lady but this arrangement is do-able. A bowl, water, roses and voila- a nice and simple arrangement. Imagine this atop your console at your foyer or even in your powder room.

Happy Wednessday!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

S&R Sale

You know that when the "ber" months start that it is officially the beginning of Christmas season in the Philippines. If you are not from the Philippines, you'd think that it's too early but Filipinos love the Christmas season, all the reunions and parties as well as the gift-giving. If you are like some people (not me, hahaha) who prepare and shop way in advance, I suggest you troop over to the S&R sale. It starts on Sept. 14 and ends on Sept. 18.

The last time I was there, my friends went "Corelle-crazy". It was 50% off so they got at least 2 boxes and some even more.

Another best seller was the steel cabinets that could easily go in the garage or utility room. If you want to have a clutter-free and organized garage, I suggest that you get this.

There are so many, many other stuff so don't waste time because you don't want to choose from the "latak" (what's left over).

What are the items that you shop for at the S&R sale?

P.S. If were to strategize, I would go there a day or two earlier then have items reserved, especially if they are big items.  The steel cabinet goes out really quickly. Also, a shopping list would be good.

Metropole's Lovely Red Bathroom

Look at this red bathroom.  This was taken at the Metropole in Hanoi a few years ago at the hotel's new wing.  Never thought a red bathroom would look gorgeous.

I just love the fact that they didn't paint the entire space red but instead combined it with the gray and white marble.  The color scheme of red, black and white is the same for the rooms.

The mirror also gives the space a larger feel.

If I ever embark on a bathroom makeover, this will be my design peg.

A Thorny Tree, Adulterers Beware!

Back in those days in Cambodia, lovers caught in an adulterous relationship were made to strip down to their birthday suit and climb a tree full of thorns as punishment.

The thorns are not too obvious and look rather small at first glance but if you focus on the right side of the photo, you'll see how nasty these thorns are. Imagine climbing a tree like this. It must have been a bloody affair.

This type of punishment may no longer be practiced but then again it shouldn't take a thorny tree to deter one's actions in doing something that will eventually lead to destruction of one's self, home and work life.

Proverbs 6:32 - But the man who commits adultery is an utter fool, for he destroys himself. (NLT)

Location:Siem Reap, Cambodia

Potugese Feijoada

I've never been to Lisbon or anywhere near Portugal. But I did get to taste a sample of Portugese cuisine while in Timor Leste. My friend D says Portugese cuisine is the best in the world. Wow, was I intrigued. Ok, I definitely had to try it.

Well, it came earlier than expected as I accidentally stumbled upon a place that serves affordable Portugese dishes. It was so far from my hotel, The Discovery Inn, that I had to walk approximately ten steps outside my hotel's main door. Hahaha. The food at the hotel was already getting boring and I needed a change. So there I was next door. Talk about saving on taxi fare.

There weren't many people so I chose a table by the glass window. Surprised to see a menu that wasn't quite familiar, the server suggested I try the special for the day, if I were hungry. Hungry??? I am always hungry. As long as it had rice I'd be a happy camper.  She said the feijoada (pronounced as fey-jwah-duh) was a complete meal. Let's go for it.

When the dish arrived, it looked similar to our fabada served at home. The taste was similar but I think this is a souped-up version of the fabada. It had different meats-pork, beef plus the morcillos and ham- or was it bacon. Let's not forget the white beans, folks. The sauce was thick and tasty. It seemed that it was stewed for quite a while because the meats were tender and the dish was so flavorful. I was so satisfied with the dish that I finished every morsel of rice and 3/4 of the feijoada. That's a lot for me if you know how I eat.

Ahhh, this was a perfect way to end the day. Me and the feijoada. Happy to have been introduced to you. It was definitely not disappointing.

Saude!

I never mentioned it but I did travel to East Timor.  I know, I know.  It may not be in your list of top ten places to see for "typical" Filipinos.  I say "typical" because I am sure there are Pinoys who would travel there...even for vacation, believe me.  I am sure there are many.  At least those who consider themselves the adventurous-type, going agaisnt the grain, swimming against the tide sort of person.  Let's be clear shopping would not be your primary concern when traveling to East Timor.  Hold on, let me correct myself, it's now called Timor Leste.  Apologies.

So in honor of those Pinoys who have been to Timor Leste either for work or R&R, I'd like to raise my glass to you my countrymen, "Saude!".

I'm Back!

Hi people!  After a long hiatus, I'm back to updating this blog.  Not that a million people would jump for joy, I know. Truthfully guys and gals and those in between, I was contemplating on just closing this blog.  I do have another one that chronicles my travels (mostly for work!) but I just can't let this go and end it. Sounds like a relationship that's sort of going sour but with a flicker of hope that it will be ok and things can be worked out.  Let's just say that I'm at that stage where maybe this will work out.  Let's just see where this goes.  Hope you enjoy the ride with me.

Let There Be Light

This is what I want above my dining table.  I saw this on the web and I'm not sure of if I can find one in Manila. Sigh. 

Decorating Ideas from Blogs

I've recently stumbled upon the blog Decorno in search of decorating ideas for the house.  The writer is very opinionated which I like.  She presents very interesting ideas.  She loves white rooms and antiques and writes witty entries.  Sadly, she stopped blogging in April 2010. Sigh. Intersting read though.

Payless Manila is a Bit Shoeless

I hurried to the Payless flagship store at Festival Mall, Alabang just before closing time.  I was looking for silver heels to match my teal jumpsuit for a wedding.  I know a jumpsuit may not exactly be appropriate for a wedding but I styled it a bit to fit the occasion.  So the heels were critical.  To my dismay, Payless didn't have much choices for formal wear.  Most of the styles were for casual wear- flats, sneakers, etc.  Plus the styles available in my size were so few.  I remember seeing more choices back in the US.  Oh well, too much hype and PR.

People are People to the rescue.  They were on sale and had the silver bejewelled heels I was looking for.  I bought them for a steal for P600.  The store was on sale. Goody!  These shoes will definitely be a keeper.

A Belated 37th (Oops, 38th) Birthday Lunch

You must already know what happened during the day of my birthday.  I desperately needed a break during the weekend so Sittie and I went all the way to UP to have lunch at the Persian restaurant Khas.  To my surprise and disbelief, Sittie has never eaten here the entire time she was studying at UP.  To think that it's walking distance from our college.  The first time she set foot at Khas was quite recently so she was really psyched to eat here.  For my part, well, it brings back memories of my graduate years.

As you enter Khas, you'd think nothing has changed.  But I was wrong.  The floor is already tiled and the tables and chairs are more comfortable.  There was a definite upgrade to the place.  What surprised me was the addition of Korean dishes to the menu.

I really don't know why I ordered the ox brain because when it comes to ordering food I'm usually a creature of habit.  Back in the day, I would usually order the keema (ground beef with spices) because it's a complete meal already.  You know how it is when you're a student, you try to get the most bang out of your buck.  Today was different though.  I went with the seafood stir-fry while Sittie ordered the sizzling chicken.  The food didn't impress me that much (note to self- next time order the keema) but the sizzling chicken was ok especially if you consider the prices of the dishes here.  Food costs approximately P80 to P200 a dish.  Not bad at all.  Portions are good for 2 people, if you ask me.  But if you're really famished, you can well finish the entire dish all by yourself.

Overall, it was an enjoyable meal.  The perfect way to end a stressful work week.

Re-evaluating My Friends' List

If there's something I really dislike, it would be people who are sly.  I had first hand experience on my birthday. Well, goodbye to you.  You shall be kept at a distance.  And I thought you were a real friend.  At least I found out sooner than later.

The Manila Staging of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "CATS"

I was able to get 2 tickets to the dress rehearsal of CATS courtesy of my friend Sittie.  It's really good to have friends who are "well-connected".  If I were to purchase those tickets, it would cost me P7000 each.  The show opened with the director explaining what a dress rehearsal is.  He added that there may be some choreography- lifts and stunts- that may not be seen in the show to avoid injuring cast members.  Actually, looking back, it really didn't seem like it. The entire cast seemed to be giving it their all to please the Filipino audience.

I have to be honest.  I am not a fan of this musicale.  If it were not for the discounted tickets, I wouldn't have watched it at all.  Never mind if all the Manilenans and who's -who are watching.  I do laud the actors because they gave it their all.  Bravo to them.  But I didn't find the storyline interesting as the others I've seen.  The stage and costumes were amazing though and so was the choreography.

If you have loads of money to spend go try to catch it.

Belated Birthday Plans

Two days ago was my birthday.  Unfortunately something terribly wrong happened to one of my projects based in Cambodia.  Around 2500 documents were missing and no one knows how that happened.  It started on the eve of my birthday.  I had no recourse but to get help from my home office.   I was burning the skype lines with my boss and coordinating with our systems department to get back-up tapes of the database.  On the day of my birthday, the 28th, I was feeling nauseous the entire day and by the time the afternoon came, my eyes were puffy because of stress.  Upon checking the back-up files, I had to restore approximately 4000 plus documents and not 2500.  The entire process took me the entire day plus I've had to check with my team mate just to make sure I was doing the right thing.  Never thought this would happen to me but it did.  Things happen unexpectedly.  They catch us by surprise and we just have to deal with it- birthday or no birthday.

So for a belated birthday "celebration", this is what I have planned for the weekend:
1.  Go walking around UP (my alma mater),
2.  have lunch at Persian/Indian restaurant in campus,
3.  dessert at Bannapple along Katipunan and
4. go to The Spa at the Fort.

Can't wait for a quieter weekend.  Hope your weekends are going to be relaxing as well!

Cheers!

Cheer Up My Brokenhearted Friends

A few of my friends have broken up with their partners who they now consider as their ex-partners.  This not a great time for you and sometimes it feels like a roller coaster ride.  Sadness hits you when you least expect it.  I'd like to share a verse which I held on to when I was going through a rough time in my life. 

Psalms 34:18 - The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

So to all those whose hearts have been broken and going through a very tough time right now, remember that God knows what you're going through and He hears your cries.  So cry out to Him and seek comfort and refuge from the Lord.  I used to say this verse over and over again just to remind me that I am not alone and that there is an Eternal God who is my Father who will never leave me even during the bad times.

I Like the LV Insolite Wallet PM Fleuri

I am really not into designer stuff but when I saw the Insolite Wallet PM Fleuri two nights ago I wished that someone with a golden heart would buy it for me.  At $325 USD, I would have to think hard if I should part with that amount.  It's the fleuri design inside the wallet that caught my eye, giving it a softer, more feminine appeal but with the classic LV monogram outside.  It's like something old with a twist.  I love the twist.  The fleuri design comes in three colors- vert, rose and violet.  Will check out the LV store at Greenbelt 5 in Makati.  If only I didn't have to buy furniture for the house, I probably wouldn't have to think twice.  A girl can dream, can't she.  *Wink*

Manila Shoe Lovers- Say Hello to Payless

As if Forever 21 wasn't enough, Manila will be home to another well known US brand, Payless.  This is indeed a joyous moment.  Maybe not for the local shoe manufacturers because they have to deal with more competition.  But consumers are clearly the winners here.  The world is indeed getting "smaller" and  there are more choices for every price point you have in mind.

I Am Officially Underweight!

During the Memorial for my mom last Saturday, July 17, 2010, my Tita Edna who is a pediatrician asked me what my weight was.  "Ninety-two, Tita," I replied.  She told me that I was underweight.  Ok, what she actually said was that I was malnourished and that I needed to be at least 100 lbs. I can't tell you how much I've tried.  I don't go on diets and I eat 3 meals a day, even more.  But small portions.  She said I should take multi-vitamins and milk.  Admittedly, I don't take these on a daily basis.  I will try and hopefully when Tita Edna sees me again, I should be at least 95 lbs.