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September 30, 2009 by ajay
Visiting areas hardly hit by Typhoon Ondoy was a moving and eyeopening experience. Somehow, it’s always shattering when you come face-to-face with the effects of destruction and see it mirrored in the eyes of those who have been affected. The last time I felt this same air of despondency was going up to Baguio after the July 1990 earthquake and seeing buildings crumpled like an accordion. In Baguio as in Marikina as in Cainta, there’s the overwhelming sense of desperation brought about by the thought of starting over again and recovering immense losses. Most serious since the loss involves money and investments people built over a lifetime.
And for the penniless, there’s the challenge of appeasing immediate needs like hunger and a getting a roof over one’s head. You’d certainly feel powerless by the sheer number of those needing help, while the pessimist in you questions how far three cans of sardines, five packs of noodles and two bottles of mineral water will go.
I was touched by the sight of a scavenger happy to find a soiled teddy bear from among the ruins. It might have been dirty as hell but he was probably thinking of how happy his deprived little daughter would be to receive it.Even the most destructive of floods bring blessings : a time for the poor to be noticed and a time to realize that the wrath of God spares no one.
Let us say a prayer today for the wondrous beauty of another day. There’s such a thing as simply enjoying a warm blanket, especially when you think about how other people make do with a cold, hard pavement.
Orphaned Winnie the Pooh by the Marikina Riverbanks.
Bank documents drying out by the roadside. This was a common sight in commercial areas.
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Category storm Ondoy | Tags: Marikina riverbanks,Ondoy aftermath,Ondoy evacuation centers,Ondoy rehabilitation,Provident Village Marikina,typhoon Ondoy | 3 Comments
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September 27, 2009 by ajay
The following pictures are reprinted with permission from Ateneo de Manila graduate student Savann Ouerm who snapped these pictures at 6.am. in Marikina City today (September 27) – a day after Storm Ondoy ravaged Metro Manila. Apart from all the videos and pics that have been uploaded on social networking sites, these images truly moved me. Me and my family managed to stay dry throughout this whole event, but I can never imagine the hardship that everyone in flooded areas had to go through, with the waters threatening to go up their roofs, or even those left to struggle on the roads… and the many who went hungry, thirsty, sleepless, and hanging on to dear life.
In the meantime, there’s a massive drive to help families and victims who continue to suffer from the effects of the typhoon. Please show your support by volunteering, getting in touch with your favorite charity ( contact numbers are at the end of this post) or donating to Barrio Siete’s Bayanihan Fund Drive. God bless the Philippines!
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Category storm Ondoy | Tags: Marikina floods,Ondoy floods,pictures of Storm Ondoy,typhoon Ondoy,where to donate to victims of Typhoon Ondoy | 17 Comments
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September 26, 2009 by ajay
It has been a day of nonstop rains in Manila, and elsewhere. I’ve stayed in bed all morning, with this trusty Mac on my lap – all the while staying glued to the reports of my friends on Plurk and Twitter. Something about brownouts, cancelled flights, floods reaching houses, people moving furniture, people wading in chest-deep waters, high way billboards being stripped down, and cars almost submerged in the floods. A bad day to be out, really. It’s that bad, and somebody even had to mention taking out Noah’s Ark.
Am just glad our little bungalow has been spared from nature’s fury. This is one of those times when we’re thankful to have a garage for the old car, and a cozy roof over our heads. I dread it when the post-storm accounting comes and out comes reports of our brethren drowning or are rendered homeless because they live near dikes, riverbanks, esteros, coastal areas etc. Hope not 
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Category Life & Living | Tags: brownouts due to Ondoy,cancelled flights,floods in Manila,latest weather forecast,Milenyo,Noah's Ark,Ondoy,PAGASA,PAGASA weather forecast,storm Ondoy | 4 Comments
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September 25, 2009 by ajay
I remember how excited I was to see Sentosa – Singapore’s island resort – on this trip, as I haven’t been there before. It was “masterplanned” like all of Singapore. Don’t know if it was because September was no peak season, but I found it too quiet in fact. Far from being the crowded nightmare that was the Hong Kong Disneyland. And certainly far from the “character” of our beach resorts with its barbecues on the beach and ladies selling pearl necklaces by the road.
The most “touristy” thing I did was visit the Underwater World but sadly, our Manila Ocean Park was better (and bigger!), if only because nothing rivals the view of the Manila Bay. Underwater World’s advantage was the moving travellator and the fact that along with the Sing$18 fee came a free ticket to watch a dolphin show in the Dolphin Lagoon. 
They also offered an interesting Dive with the Sharks package.
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Category Road Adventures | Tags: Amara Sanctuary Resort,Dolphin Lagoon,Manila Ocean Park,Resorts World Sentosa,Sentosa,Sentosa resort,Siloso Beach,Singapore,Underwater World,Universal Studios Singapore | 1 Comment
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September 22, 2009 by ajay
This dish mystified me, I simply had to order it.
Is it a pasta, or a dessert? Judge for yourself.
But the fact that it was placed in the cake counter made me think: surely, that is a dessert? The next thing to do was taste it.
Aah, the magic of the pastry bag! It is actually a tart with a spiral shaped cream frosting that tasted like almond and some nut (maybe ginko nut?) Kinda hard to imagine since am not a pastry chef but yes, the magic you can do with the right tools.
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Category Munchin' | Tags: beef lasagna,dessert,overpriced meal,pasta,seafood aglio olio,TCC,TCC Mont Blanc,TCC Singapore,The Coffee Connoisseur | 5 Comments
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September 21, 2009 by ajay
It’s amazing to see how Singapore has changed in a year’s time since I went there. There’s a lot of activity in the landscape, as judged by construction cranes all over the place. Take for example the new mall, ION Orchard, which is beside the Wisma Atria and Takashimaya on Orchard Road. Mostly I went here because some friends of mine were talking about its food court, which is now shadowing the Food Republic in terms of its offerings.
Initial impression: awesome! In a place like Singapore, am quite content not to be eating in hotel and other fining dining places. Why not, when even their fastfood has chandeliers?
And supposing you get tummy ache after digesting all the food (the ION Orchard Food Hall has 80 or so stalls in their location) …. you’d be happy to take a break in their swanky-looking toilets.
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Category Munchin', Road Adventures | Tags: collagen burger,corned beef thick toast,food courts,Food Hall,Food Republic,ION Orchard,ION Orchard Food Hall,Ion Orchard Singapore,laksa,Singapore hawker stall,suckling pig | No Comments
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September 18, 2009 by ajay
The HP Mini 1100 Vivienne Tam Special Edition has been hugely successful that I hear a Version 2 is in the works. Ever since I’ve written about it here before, I’ve been eyeing the netbook as a suitable companion to my aluminum Macbook which I don’t take out of the house too often, due to my tendency to lose things – even the most valuable ones, ahem.
A netbook also appeals to me because it is simply nifty to bring around wherever you go. This probably explains the growing fashion phenomenon of selling laptop bags and sleeves, in different patterns and colors. I like the fact that you can carry the netbook with a firm grip on the handle or close to your chest. Its extreme portability simply means that there’s no reason to leave the house without it.
Anyhoo, HP seems to be setting the trend for tapping well-known designers to design their laptops and the latest to work for them is Dutch-born Tord Boontje. He’s probably not as familiar to us as Vivienne Tam (Vivienne is into fashion, Tord is into product design), but his bio lists him as having made chandeliers for Swarovski and assorted products for Alexander McQueen, among others.
The new HP Mini by Studio Tord Boontje should delight lovers of white. Its pristine, lace-like effect stems from the first-ever three-dimensional PC surface technology called the HP Imprint 3D. This gives the HP Mini an edge over the classic white Macbook or those of other brands.
I do like how the floral pattern extends to the notebook’s palm rest and touchpad. There’s nothing quite like it 
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Category Technews | Tags: 3 cell versus 6 cell battery,features of HP Mini,HP Imprint 3D,HP Mini 1100 Vivienne Tam,HP Mini by Studio Tord Boontje,netbook,prices of HP Mini,specifications of HP Mini by Studio Tord Boontje,Tord Boontje,Vivienne Tam HP Mini,Windows 7,Windows Live Writer | 3 Comments
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September 13, 2009 by ajay
I am quite surprised to learn that Manila’s famous Whistlestop Restaurant has been open since 1977. Oh well, I was still a child then, innocent of all the beguiling ways of food. By the 1980s, it was already an institution, and roaring well into the 90s, until it met an untimely death in 2005, for the reason that its original owners chose to migrate to other shores.
But as most legends go, some nostalgic fellas are bound to save it because they still believe in the name. And so it goes: there’s no stopping Whistlestop. The new owners, young entrepreneurs Lex Ledesma and Dennis Gan, have retained the well-loved dishes in the old menu, and even hired the cook who worked for Whistlestop for decades. They’ve pieced it all together into a restaurant evoking a sentimental feel. Its dark corners are filled with eyecatching conversational pieces like old luggages, an antique manual typewriter, a jar of Chocnut and a giant poster of the Central Station plastered on its wall, to name just a few. Of course, the 80s baby-boomers can’t help but dine in a place they grew up with, and then some.
The resto’s Hainanese Chicken Rice (P250 for boneless) is their classic bestseller, and is a must-try. The rice isn’t as exquisite as the one I tasted in Tao Yuan recently, but there was something in it that was addicting. Maybe it was the tender chicken meat which melted in my mouth, or the teriyaki glaze that went with it. There are not too many places offering Hainanese Chicken Rice in the metro, and Whistlestop should be a reasonable alternative, if you’re hankering for one.
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Category Munchin' | Tags: 24 hour restaurant in Makati,corned beef hash,crispy pancit,Dennis Gan,hainanese chicken rice,hototay,Lex Ledesma,moist chocolate cake,Steamboat Soup,Whistlestop Restaurant,Whistlestop Makati,Whistlestop Makati menu | 8 Comments
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September 12, 2009 by ajay
One of the things am not happy about is the fact that my skin is highly sensitive, and prone to certain types of allergies, like contact dermatitis. Unfortunately, my son inherited this predicament and when allergy strikes, it’s the time for him (or me) to visit the doctor and get the much-needed prescription.
During a recent forum, it was quite enlightening to find that one out of five kids worldwide suffer from a form of skin allergy or another. It seems that children who haven’t been sufficiently breastfed are susceptible. Environmental pollution, allergen levels and dietary changes can encourage the development of allergies. Allergy-causing foods like soy, milk, peanuts, egg and seafood are also a trigger. And so are seemingly innocuous items like the nickel found in buttons, fiberglass toys and common household products like shampoos and detergents.
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Category Shopping Etc. | Tags: causes of skin allergy,Del Fabric Softener,hypoallergenic laundry product,skin allergy | 3 Comments
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September 8, 2009 by ajay
NUKS NUMUN! is a popular phrase I hear from fellow bloggers these days. I figure that in this age of icanhazcheezburger, it’s a variation of the old and jaded Tagalog term of exclamation “naks naman!” (Wow!) As in “NUKS NUMUN! Buhay pa ba ang gumupit ng buhok mo, sis?”
Barely a month after getting the famous Ricky Reyes haircut, I was itching for change again. It was because my natural curls were showing themselves in their full unflattering glory, which made for an uneven field. It didn’t help that the hubby told me he wanted to see me get a perm before he flew home. So off I went to a Korean salon I’ve been eyeing for a long time, but haven’t tried, and conveniently located at the ground floor of the Pan Pacific hotel in Manila. Have to admit that I tried it just for kicks, as it wasn’t as busy as Tony and Jackey a few blocks away. And I really wanted to try a Korean digital perm.
It’s something that I won’t regret doing, as it made the whole process seem effortless. None of the icky smell that we traditionally know of the cold perm. I forgot the step-by-step process now but it did involve the usual procedure of shampooing/rinsing my hair, cutting (if necessary), drying, twirling my hair under curlers or hot rods and placing it under a rectangular heating machine.
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Category Beauty, Life & Living, My Manila | Tags: cost of hair rebonding and digital perm,digital perm,hair rebonding,Korean digital perm,Korean salon in Manila,Ricky Reyes,Tony and Jackey | 13 Comments
