Just recently, I wrote about my trip to Davao:
While browsing funny cat videos on YouTube (courtesy of T), I saw a Kris TV episode featuring the newly renovated Pearl Farm Resort in Davao.
This video belongs to ABS-CBN.
Crimson Hotel's Cafe Eight.
Jul 20, 2013
Filipinos have this superstition called pagpag where one stops somewhere before going home when coming from a wake. So when T and I paid our respects to a friend's dad, we looked for a place in the Alabang area that was still open late at night.
I was a bit hungry and T wanted a cold beer so a gasoline station was our first option. Then we remembered a hotel called Crimson Hotel that opened recently and decided to check it out.
Nanbantei of Tokyo.
Jul 19, 2013
I've been posting a lot of travel entries lately because of this travel writing class that I took. But I think it's time for more food posts again. What do you think? :)
When on the way to watch a movie in Greenbelt, T and I would always pass this small, almost obscure, but always full Japanese restaurant called Nanbantei of Tokyo.
When on the way to watch a movie in Greenbelt, T and I would always pass this small, almost obscure, but always full Japanese restaurant called Nanbantei of Tokyo.
Dos Palmas (part 4): Snorkeling in Helen's Garden.
Jul 18, 2013
continued from part 3...
Day 3
4 November 2012
It was our last day on the island so T and I woke up bright and early.
Dos Palmas (part 3): The Resort's Beach and Paranarian Spa.
Jul 15, 2013
continued from part 2....
Coming from Islang Puting Buhangin, T and I decided to explore the beach on the main island and find a place where we could have something to eat.
Dos Palmas (part 2): Islang Puting Buhangin.
Jul 14, 2013
continued from part 1...
Day 2
3 November 2012
Dos Palmas owns an island just off the resort called Islang Puting Buhangin (Island of White Sand), access of which is only available to guests who are checked-in the resort. After eating breakfast, T and I freshened up and proceeded to the main dock to catch the boat going to the island.
Dos Palmas (part 1): Welcome to Arreceffi Island.
Jul 12, 2013
continued from the Prelude...
Day 1
2 November 2012
After a little over an hour's flight from Manila, it was a bright sunny day when we landed in Puerto Princesa, the gateway to Dos Palmas resort.
Dos Palmas: Prelude.
Jul 11, 2013
Note: I took a short course in travel writing recently and this was one of my assignments. Hence, the unusual text-heavy blog post :)
My original plan was to go to Puerto Princesa to see the Underground River, which was then recently hailed as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. But weeks before the trip, things became a little hectic for me and what originally was a wish for an adventure-seeking journey suddenly turned into a desire for an R&R vacation.
All
I wanted to do was to lie down on the beach, drink a margarita, and
read a book. So I scrapped the Underground River excursion and booked
ourselves in an upscale resort located on an island that was accessible
from Puerto Princesa. When I mentioned the name of the resort, T got
worried.
“Isn’t that where the kidnappings took place?”, he asked.
In
2001, twenty people were abducted from the resort by terrorists who
call themselves the “Abu Sayyaf”. Among those kidnapped were Martin
and Gracia Burnham, missionaries from the United States who were there
to celebrate their 18th wedding anniversary.
Not
a pretty picture but I thought lightning rarely strikes the same place
twice. Besides, the kidnappings happened more than a decade ago and the
perpetrators have been caught and imprisoned since.
“But isn’t that where Rico Yan died?”, T asked, still not convinced.
The
year after the Abu Sayyaf kidnappings, famous Filipino matinee idol
Rico Yan died in the resort for reasons unknown to all. The doctors say
the actor had a cardiac arrest due to acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis,
or in layman’s terms, he died in his sleep while having a nightmare.
But until now, no one really knows for certain what happened.
But despite these two unfortunate incidents, T and I still pushed through with the trip. And we were so glad that we did.
Kenji Tei in Alabang Town Center.
Jul 10, 2013
Since I've been down with the flu, T and I have been on a ramen spree.
Kenji Tei used to be located along Aguirre Avenue in BF Homes. But they closed shop last year and moved to Alabang Town Center (yay for me and T!).
Bobbito Garcia & Kevin Couliau's "Doin It In The Park".
Jul 8, 2013
Just this weekend, T brought me to the Philippine screening of a basketball documentary by Bobbito Garcia and Kevin Couliau called "Doin It In The Park". Honestly, I didn't know anything about it because I'm alien to the sport nowadays, so I turned to trusty Mr. Google.
"Doin’ It In The Park: Pick-Up Basketball, NYC is an independent documentary directed by Bobbito Garcia and Kevin Couliau. The film explores the history, culture, and social impact of New York’s summer b-ball scene, widely recognized as the worldwide “Mecca” of the sport."
Ramen Yushoken Alabang, Revisited!
Jul 7, 2013
Like I said in my previous post (read my blog post about our first visit), I want to visit Ramen Yushoken again because I didn't get to enjoy my last visit.
According to their menu, Ramen
Yushoken's ramen is derived from "Ramen God" Kazuo Yamagishi, the little
blue statue on their shelves. Yamagshi-san is now is in his eighties
and manages to visit his Taishoken ramen shop in Tokyo from time to
time. They said he is also the most revered ramen personality in Japan
today, as he was the inventor of the widely popular tsukemen or "dipping
ramen".
Their
menu further says that Yamagshi-san's successor Koji Tashiro, fondly
called "son of the ramen god" came to Ramen Yushoken in December 2012 to
train the staff and to ensure that the recipes are at par with his
champion ramen houses in Japan.
Review of Snoe's Shoo-Zit Don't Bother Me.
Jul 6, 2013
Honestly, I don't get to explore much in the beauty department since I've been cursed with ultra sensitive skin. Not even the hypoallergenic seal is a guarantee that I won't be allergic to it.
But locally-made beauty products has been become popular nowadays since it usually is more hiyang to Filipino skin than the most expensive brands in the market. So, I decided to give the brand Snoe (they say it's pronounced Snow-wee) a try.
Happy 4th of July & TGIF!
Jul 5, 2013
To my family and friends in the States, happy 4th of July! To everyone in the Philippines, happy Friday! :)
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