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‘My Manila’ Category

  1. NUKS NUMUN moment: my digital perm at a Korean salon

    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?” :D

    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.

    KOrean digital perm
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  2. Asian Food Museum by Makansutra now open at Manila Ocean Park

    September 5, 2009 by ajay

    Mostly, I like the Manila Ocean Park because it is one of the few places in Manila where you can enjoy the city’s natural beauty without spending much. Ever since Baywalk closed, this is now the place to gaze at the beautiful sunset and watching the panoramic expanse of the Manila Bay while sipping a drink and enjoying the time with your family.

    The best things in life are (almost) free!

    It is good that MOP doesn’t charge an entrance fee just for entering their complex. After offering the mermaid show, the people behind the Makansutra Asian Food Village unveiled yesterday the Asian Food Museum for a peek at Asian food history, culinary cultures and traditions.

    Asian Food Museum

    Asian Food Museum
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  3. Mermaid show at the Manila Ocean Park

    June 15, 2009 by ajay

    Mermaid Show

    The kids and I hang out at the Manila Ocean Park over the weekend, just in time to catch their recently launched Mermaid Show. This is a 30-minute treat where attractive (and should I say, curvaceous) swimmers perform dances, moves and acrobatics underwater. Of course it’s a given, they gotta be professionals to do that!

    Mermaid Show

    Mermaid Show

    I must say it’s a real delight for kids, who must be harboring fantasies about being the next Little Mermaid or even our homegrown Dyesebel. It was fun seeing the women-swimmers in their colorful, alluring costumes, waving and smiling at their audience while grooving to the beat of the music. I took a video but I still have to upload it to YouTube :P
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  4. Eastwood Mall & its state-of-the-art cinema

    June 14, 2009 by ajay

    Faraway Eastwood in Quezon City is one place I’d think twice about going, but when almost-neighbor Sasha offered a treat of free movies at the spanking new Eastwood cinema plus free pick-up in their family car, I had no choice but to say YES!!! :D

    Traffic along C-5 was smooth that day, which made going to Eastwood such a breeze – less than 30 minutes! Arriving there, I couldn’t help but be transported to another world. The new Eastwood Mall was far from crowded and did not look like the populous boxes of concrete in Manila. It looked every inch immaculate and upscale. I also liked nice touches like the man-made water structure and walkway bridge in the outside garden.

    Eastwood Mall

    The high ceiling, escalator and cavernous middle kinda reminded me of Shang-ri La Plaza mall in Mandaluyong, except that Eastwood has better scenery outside. I dig the airy sunroof (if that’s how you call it.)

    Eastwood Mall

    We’ve hardly done a tour of the mall and it was time to catch the 1 p.m. movie. We met up with Tinay of Megaworld who was going to show us the mall’s high-tech theater, with the uber-comfy fully reclining seats.It was heaven and relaxing indeed, plunking down ourselves in the plush chairs which fully reclined just by flicking a side lever.

    Eastwood Mall cinema

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  5. Flores de Mayo 2009 Bellissima Filipina winners

    May 26, 2009 by ajay

    I didn’t stay long enough to catch the announcement of the winners among the beauteous sagalas that graced the Flores de Mayo 2009 last May 24 at the Mall of Asia. So here they are: (via Unilever Philippines)

    Flores de Mayo winners

    Shown (from left) are: Anna Marie Burgos, awarded Miss Cream Silk; Janina San Miguel, crowned La Flor de Manila; Reissa Ileto, bagging the night’s most coveted Rosa Mystica; Andrea Abesamis, as the Reina de las Flores; and Glennifer Perido, as Miss Ponds.
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  6. Manila’s dine-in seafood markets

    April 12, 2009 by ajay

    With a mainly no-meat diet being imposed by Filipino Roman Catholics among themselves this past Holy Week, allow me to talk about seafood markets that have mushroomed in the city. When you’re craving for cooked seafood in these parts, you can think of three major sources: the Filipino restos where you can feast on local specialties like guinataang kuhol (snail), the Chinese restos which have offerings like crispy shrimps or crab with sotanghon (vermicelli), and the open-air markets where you can pick your seafood fresh and have it cooked in the adjoining restaurant of your choice.

    I dined in two of these seafood markets recently and the experience hasn’t been disappointing. A bit on the pricey side, yes, but then again, seafood doesn’t really come cheap, unless you’re in a coastal town or something.

    Dampa sa Libis was quite a revelation. I liked it because it was clean and didn’t suffocate me with the crowds. For someone like me who’s based in the center of Manila, its location in Libis, along C5, was definitely out of my way. It would pay to be here at least once a year, he he, and what’s good is that after eating here, you can take a short five minute drive to Eastwood City and have coffee there. The malls in Eastwood also close late, around midnight or so.

    Dampa sa Libis

    Shrimp in Chili-Garlic Sauce
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  7. Little Tokyo Makati

    April 10, 2009 by ajay

    Fast forward to 2009 and I am happy to find Little Tokyo in Makati. Fellow bloggers have been talking about this place and it was time to see :D It warmed my heart at first sight.

    Little Tokyo, Makati

    Little Tokyo, Makati
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  8. (Another) laptop robbery, this time in S & R Macapagal

    April 9, 2009 by ajay

    I was about to park my car to buy a pair of tires in S & R Macapagal (Aseana Business Park) last night when I chanced upon this angry scene.

    Another SUV broken in

    A group found out too late that their brand new Montero SUV had been broken in, its glass windows smashed. In a relatively well-lit parking lot with security guards. Losses included a brand new Acer laptop and money in six figures.

    The victim (not in picture) was mainly mourning the loss of his laptop, placed in a knapsack, which contained important work records. We learned he’s a vice president of Volvo cars based in Singapore.

    It seems only a few weeks ago when we wrote here the rash of laptop robberies in vehicles. This is the reason why I’d never venture out of the house these days with the Mac, even for the sole reason of “looking good while using wi-fi in a tony coffeeshop.” The prevailing moral lesson is that you should never leave your laptop and other gadgets in your car, even if you just have to pee for five minutes, or less.
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  9. Cosplay, Manila-style

    March 30, 2009 by ajay

    Even though we didn’t mean to be there, it was fun watching a Cosplay Tour now ongoing at the Cyberzone of selected SM malls in Metro Manila. Pics in this post were taken at the Mall of Asia yesterday.

    IMG_4177

    I used to think that cosplay or “costume play” is so NOT my generation, but was surprised to read a Wiki entry that as early as 1975, Caucasian fans dressed the part of their favorite characters in the Rocky Horror Show. Now, cosplay is identified with everything that’s manga, anime or J-pop, although it would also be cool to dress as Hermione in Harry Potter. That is kewl as well.

    Cosplay characters are meant to be photographed. But it’s also interesting to know that they DO take time to conceptualize their costumes and come up with them. Some sew them, and even grapple with materials like foam, rubber and paint. Needless to say, they spend on their get-ups too. The SM tours award prizes to the best-dressed cosplayers.

    On with the gallery:

    "Iron Man" Hulk Buster

    Iron Man, “Hulk Buster”
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  10. Breakfast at Emerald Garden

    March 25, 2009 by ajay

    Am so happy I found a new breakfast hang-out this week. It started when I started bringing my son to school at 7 a.m., two hours ahead of my scheduled work in the office. My sleepy, thirsty- for-coffee self was unknowingly led to Emerald Garden, one of the oldie but goodie restaurants on Roxas Boulevard, just across the US Embassy.

    Emerald Garden is A PAIR of restaurants that’s a few steps away from each other. The first one offers dimsum, the other one does not. I’ve eaten here countless times before, because if you’re based in Manila and don’t know about it, you’re probably hanging out too much in Binondo, hehe. Prices on the menu are reasonable for Chinese food, it’s delivered fast, and they give you Nagaraya nuts while waiting.

    As I found out, the best deal about Emerald Garden is its breakfast. Because you can have a decent, filling meal here for less than a hundred pesos. A definite thumbs up in these times of recession!

    The Great Emerald Siopao

    The Emerald Siopao (P85) should be adjudged one of the best in Manila. It’s big and filling enough to last you till lunch. They definitely didn’t scrimp on the ingredients for this one – egg, Chinese sausage, roast pork, minced meat and others. Highly-recommended for first-time visitors to the place, but be sure to buy this before noon as they run out of stock early.
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