Big Scoop Ice Cream

Big Scoop ice cream used to be known as Cool Spot, and I can remember buying their ice cream over at their scooping station in Unimart, Greenhills.  This outlet has been operating since the late seventies and is open to this very day, but Cool Spot flavors that time were quite basic--chocolate, vanilla, mango, cheese, ube & strawberry.  Back then, it was a lower priced brand competing in a different category from that of Magnolia, Selecta & Silver Bell, and it main competitor at that time was Neapolitan Ice Cream and Carnival Ice Cream (lower-end brand of Magnolia).  With the disappearance of Presto & Sorbetero and 5-year hiatus of Magnolia, the local ice cream market has radically changed.  The entry of premium boutique ice cream & yoghurt brands (imported brands like Hagen Daas, Bulla, Dippin Dots, Golden Spoon and local brands like Fiorgelato, Fruits in Ice Cream, Sebastian, Cara Mia & BTIC) together with the burgeoning of newer supermarket brands like Arce and El Favorito are factors that have given the Pinoy consumer a wide range of ice creams to choose from.  In response to the business opportunity, the owners of Cool Spot have reformulated, repackaged and renamed Cool Spot into Big Scoop and quite noticeably, so much has improved.  Big Scoop is no longer in the economy shelf; it now competes neck to neck with Selecta, Magnolia & Nestle.  I picked up a half-gallon pack each of their Dark Chocolate and Midnight Cookies & Cream flavors early tonight and I can honestly say that Big Scoop gives a super bang for the buck!  The ice cream is creamy (no air bubbles) and gelato-like, tastes great and is priced quite reasonably.  They also have a wide variety of flavors of ice creams and sherbets to choose from.  My other favorites include pistachio, avocado, coffee, strawberry fields and orange (yes, they have orange ice cream).  The packaging comes in simple white plastic containers, with easy to read labelling.  My only comment is that they haven't implemented a more aggressive marketing campaign, but this is also probably due to the fact that all their produce gets sold out fast (restaurants order in bulk).  Try it out and enjoy!

Lao Chao

I dropped by Kong & Gwammy's place this afternoon, amidst the onslaught of typhoon Falcon (BTW, I passed by New Manila and witnessed the destruction to trees & property caused by a mini tornado, locally known as buhawi or ipo-ipo).  The parents were just reminiscing about our 2 month visit to Taiwan in the summer of 1971 and they were talking about Lao Chao exactly at the time I walked in the door.  Lao Chao was the maintenance man in charge of the house where we stayed in Taipei, and I distinctly remember he would ride a bike to bring our daily ration of distilled water.  Those big 5-gallon containers of distilled drinking water were something new to me in those days, since tap water in Manila was absolutely potable.  I remember the gigantic watermelons we used to buy; Kong, Gwammy, my cousin Manong Peter & I would spend nights feasting on one-giant-half of the super sweet Si Qua and we would stow away the other-giant-half in the refrigerator.  I also remember that one night, the wind was so strong that the kitchen door slammed shut, thereby breaking the skylight to a hundred pieces!  I learned how to ride the bicycle that summer, and we went on to tour various places in Taiwan--riding a cab to the Temple on the Hill during a rainy day (Kong got mad at the driver for his wild driving habits), throwing paper wishes onto Taroko Gorge, losing energy while boating in Sun Moon Lake (reinvigorating myself only when Gwammy bought me a ham & cheese sandwich), riding the hammock in Hua Lian and watching the UP Concert Chorus perform on Taiwanese TV while eating in a Chinese restaurant.  I distinctly remember that because my cousin Gene was with the UP Concert Chorus at that time (Rey Paguio was the conductor.  We went on to visit Hong Kong with Uncle Tom during that summer.  Somehow, it seems just like yesterday...

Big Guy Pizza

There's a small pizza shop at the corner of Ortigas Avenue and Madison St. called Big Guy's Pizza.  They have interestingly large pizzas--their main attraction is a 36" wide monstrosity!  Thomas told us that it takes 2 delivery boys to bring the giant pizza to customers, and that the pizza is cut into 71 slices--now that can feed an army!  After doing the grocery this morning in nearby Unimart, Annella and I ordered two of their medium sized pizzas for lunch (Italian Sausage and Garlic & Cheese) which both Monique & Louise enjoyed.   The pizza sauce was tasteful, slightly spicy but not difficult to eat.  I found the crust to be a bit on the hard side though, and Monique added that she would have preferred a "cheezier" bite.  All in all we spent P700 for a good treat.

The Tooth Fairy

Monique brought out her Disney book "Princess Magic - Words From The Heart" this evening to show her cousin Louise, who is sleeping over tonight.  This book was given to her by the Tooth Fairy when she was six years old, and the story bears a little telling--I used to coax her to brush her teeth by magically "communicating" with the Tooth Fairy via mental telepathy.  I'd hold my hands over my temples to do the telepathy gig and Monique would be convinced that the Tooth Fairy was real!  The belief was so ingrained, to the point that she would be steadfast in defending the existence of the Tooth Fairy with her jaded classmates.  Aside from the book, she also received a flute/recorder, notebooks and other fancy stuff that Vicky & I could think of.  When she finally learned the truth (at a late age of 9), she was totally shattered!  She could just not believe that I had carried on the illusion for so long.  Well my dear--the Tooth Fairy, and Santa for that matter--live on forever in your heart!

Spiderman

I understand that the editors at Marvel comics have approved the story arc concerning the death of humble Peter Parker and smart-talking Spiderman.  Now that's a sad thing, as we have had much fun reading the comic book, and watching the cartoons and the television series (starring Nicholas Hammond, who also appeared in the Sound of Music) throughout the seventies and the eighties.  We most certainly thoroughly enjoyed the 3-part big-screen adaptation starring Toby Mc Guire (come on, we almost wept at the near-death scene!).  We will always remember the wise words of Peter's Uncle Ben, "With great power comes great responsibility."  Thanks Stan Lee, for the great ride...

Battlestar Galactica

Battestar Galactica.  I enjoyed the original 1978 television series starring Lorne Greene, Dirk Benedict & Richard Hatch when I was young.  It tells of the overthrow of the human race by the Cylons, a race of machines initially created by humans, and the subsequent escape of the remaining human race across the galaxy, heading to the "Last Colony" which is Earth.  I found myself watching the series finale of the updated version with Edward James Olmos & Mary McDonnell last night and I especially like the ending in which the trial for the human traitor Gaius Baltar (played by James Callis) comes to a close.  Admiral Adama (Olmos) breaks a 2-2 deadlock vote and chooses to acquit Baltar.  President Roslin (McDonnell) laments the acquittal, to which Adama says "not guilty is not the same as innocent."  In a world where every remaining shred of human dignity is lost, where all civilization no longer has any meaning, where lving is reduced to human survival, the morality of all acts becomes relative, and the only thing that separates man, beast & machine is the way we face life as life goes on.  I've been pretty much a jaded man these days, but sometimes, on rare occassion, I see the spark of humanity still shining through.  Sometimes it takes a fantasy TV series to philosophize and internalize the meaning of life...

Sopa de Ajo

Vicky made a cauldron of good old fashioned garlic soup last night and Monique enjoyed it very much.  I told her that I used to make this recipe since I was in high school (Gwama used to call it her "poor man's instant soup"):

1/4 kilo garlic, chopped
2 chicken buillon cubes (Knorr or Maggi will do)
1/2 loaf of Pan Americana
1 can of evaporated milk (Carnation, Alpine or Alaska)
4 eggs
3 liters of water

Toast the bread in an oven toaster until golden brown, then set aside.  In a pot, brown the garlic in some olive oil.  Add the water and the chicken cubes, bring to a rapid boil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Drop in the eggs, add the toasted bread and pour in the milk.  Easy, no-brainer soup in 30 minutes!

Zesto Dalandan

Had the opportunity to drink Zesto Dalandan soda in Cebu, and I just got reminded how wonderfully refreshing the dalandan fruit is.  While I have tried the soda before, it tasted much better on the road, after a hot day of rush-rush travel.  I like it much better than calamansi, which is on the sour side, or orange, the delicious and flavorful varieties of which are a rarity.  The canned soda is pretty much true to the natural flavor of the fruit; I understand from my friends that Zesto actually uses dalandan fruit juice in the formula of the drink, and that they purchase orchard produce in bulk and in advance to support the production thereof.  The soda brings back memories of childhood summers when relatives would gather and we would enjoy the fruit drink to ease the inconveniences of the sweltering heat.  I'd choose it over the colas, any day, any time!

VLC Video Player

I am convinced that open-sourced programs are the way to go!  After a few weeks of trying to determine how to play MKV videos on my computer, cousin Eddie informed me about VLC Media Player, an open-source program that is free to download ala Open Office.  Now I have tried playing these high-definition videos with Nero, ffd Show, Win Player and DivX, all to no avail (unless I cough up $5 - $14 for additional audio-video codecs).  With VLC, everything just plays... and plays... and plays...

Abaca

Having seen the family oriented Crimson Resort, the feeling I had at the Abaca Resort (also in Mactan Island) was a bit different.  The place was much smaller, more intimate, suitable for honeymooners and couples.  We had to honk our horn for the guard to open the gate, and as we entered, the tranquil Zen-like gardens signaled our minds to "power-down" in order to relax and enjoy.  With only 3 rooms and 6 suites (two of which have its own plunge pools), the resort is known as Mactan's best hidden getaway.  We had no time to have lunch (its cafe was overlooking the sea), but I noticed that set meals were reasonable at around P600 per head.  The hotel's infinity pool was very inviting, and although the seaside area had no sandy beach, the steps into the sea water was well made and I would guess the feeling entering the sea would be akin to stepping into a swimming pool.  Room rates though, were a bit on the high-end (rooms at P12,000 a night, while the suites go up to P21,000 per night).  Well, if the intention is to lock yourselves in the room, isn't that all worth it?  ;-)

Plantation Bay

Plantation Bay is a 5-star resort in Mactan Island which features a sea-water lagoon that wraps around the whole resort.  Went on a tour with some colleagues around this 15-year old property and we noticed that the place has been kept clean and well-maintained.  The colonial setting gives a laid-back feel, and the names of the cottages (marked alphabetically) evokes exotic images of the British Empire, safaris, and travelling during the days of the valise (Louis Vuitton's expertise)--names like Savannah, Xanadu, Kilimanjaro, Valhalla.  We enjoyed an afternoon snack of halo-halo (shaved ice with sweetened beans, topped with ice cream) and lounged around their coffee shop while waiting for our documents to be processed at the Lapu-Lapu City Registry of Deeds.  After the cool break, we had to get back to work--and we dreamily found ourselves wishing that we had more time to spare!  Room rates start at $170, for large groups, we recommend the Quantum Villa (4 cottages and a clubhouse) for only $800.

Radisson Blu

Vicky's nephew Migs has been working for the Radisson group for a few months now, and as I've heard from him a lot of good things about their Blu Hotel in Cebu (Blu is at the top-end of the Radisson's hotel brands), I couldn't resist the chance to take a fast tour around the place, which opened November 2010.  Located in the reclamation area of Cebu, the hotel is easy to find, as the building is well lit, can be seen from far away, and is located right beside the SM Mall.  Yes, the lobby is imposing!  Wide, spacious and clean, one gets a good feeling entering the premises.  The structure was built some 10 years ago by the SM group to the specs of the Sheraton chain, but alas, the opening was frequently delayed as the owners felt the time to launch a second 5-star hotel in Cebu City was not yet at hand (note that the Marco Polo, formerly the Cebu Plaza Hotel, was the first 5-star hotel, while the Waterfront Hotel is a 4-star hotel).  Given the tourist boom, it's about time that the Queen City of the South would have another 5-star hotel for its visitors.  Walking around, we noticed that the coffee shop was also spacious and carried a wide range of buffet specialties.  The rooms were well appointed and tastefully done, and my only negative comment was that the corridors were tight & narrow, reminding me of hotels in Hongkong.  Overall, at starting rates of around P5,400 per room night, the hotel would be well recommended for first-time Cebu visitors.

SuTuKil

Came back from a very fruitful business trip to Cebu.  Our good host in Cebu, Mr. Mendoza, took us to Manna SuTuKil restaurant located right behind the Magellan landmark in Mactan Island for our lunch.  Fresh seafoods galore!  Sutukil or STK, is short-hand for Sinugba, Tinola and Kinilaw which would obviously be the specialties of the restaurant.  While there are a lot of STK outfits around Metro Cebu, this Mactan Island restaurant is pretty much one of the more comfortable ones, right beside the mangrove areas, with air-condition and with a harpist to set the festive and/or romantic mood!  We had tuna sinigang, sauteed tuna roe, steamed crabs, crabs in chili sauce, garlic prawns, lato (seaweeds that have mini grape-like bubbles), sag-ang (conch, which its meat twirling around the inner chambers)!  Very good food.  Together with matching dalandan  (green citrus fruit akin to orange, but with a slightly different more mellow taste) soda, we truly enjoyed ourselves.  Bill came to around P650 per head, which was amazing considering that we were so full.

Take note, however (my brother-in-law Thomas cautioned me yesterday), that one should patronize the more sophisticated STK restos in Cebu, as some of the other establishments lack basic sanitary facilities.  One poor choice can spell the difference between a memorable eating experience and a few nights in the hospital!  Enjoy, but remember to take caution.

Casa Mabini Chicken Stew

Had dinner at Gwammy's last night and she cooked up great chicken stew, the recipe of which, she reminded us, has been in her family since pre-war days when the family lived along Mabini St., in Ermita:

2 chickens, cut up
1 small can garbanzos
1 medium can red pimientos, cut up
3 pieces carrots, diced
8 pieces medium potatoes, diced (you can substitute marble potatoes)
4 pieces chorizo bilbao, sliced (yes, she used the Don Anastacio Alba's chorizo Vicky sent over)
1 medium bottle of olives (green, black--whatever you have in the ref)
2 heads garlic
2 large white onion
1 chicken seasoning cube to taste (take your pick, Knorr or Maggi)

Saute garlic & onion in olive oil.  Pop in chorizo.  Stir-fry for a minute, then turn the heat on high, and add the chicken.  Wait for the sizzle to die down (the chicken will have brown grill marks from the high heat, preventing the juices to run off) and then add the garbanzos, including the brine.  Drop in the olives, excluding the brine.  Put the seasoning cube, then add salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a rapid boil for one minute then bring the heat to low.  After around three minutes put red pimientos and potatoes.  After another 5 minutes, pop in the carrots.  Should be done in around 30 minutes, as soon as the chicken is cooked.

I would have added button mushrooms, but Gwammy says that was never in there version of chicken stew.  I would have also added a little paprika, but Gwammy also says that would already be a variation on the theme.  Definitely this style has no tomato sauce, which would make the dish chicken afritada, hehehe...

Heavenly Fragrances

And the top 10 list of Pour Femme scents that drive me absolutely nuts (in no particular order):


1.     Paco Rabanne Metal
2.    Guerlain Shalimar
3.    Joy
4.    Paul Smith
5.    Le De Givenchy
6.    Chloe
7.    Anais Anais
8.    First (Van Cleef & Arpels)
9.    Hermes Rouge
10.  Nina Ricci Fleur


I wonder--does Dada Cologney agree?

My EDT List (Pour Homme)

While Dada Cologney likes most of the scents that I collect, here we go with my top favorites, in no particular order:


1.    Acqua di Parma
2.    Terre D' Hermes
3.    Floris No. 127
4.    Jacques Fath Green Water
5.    Charles Revson Braggi
6.    Aramis
7.    Paco Rabanne (original)
8.    Emmanuel Ungaro II
9.    Pierre Cardin (original)
10.  Geoffrey Beene Grey Flannel


These scents bring out my smile, make me confident in facing seemingly insurmountable odds, and truly bring back memories of different phases of my life.  My day is not complete without my "shower of power!"

Filifarma

As I was taking my vitamins this morning, I just recalled that time when I used to take Katabios as my daily vitamin.  It was an oblong-shaped tablet, with a hard but sweet silver coating (yes, the only silver tablet that I have ever seen!).  This was a product made by Farmitalia of Italy and distributed locally by Filifarma, operated by Kong, Uncle Tom & Tita Carmen.  I remember some of the brands that they used to carry--there was Garamycin, which was an antibiotic, and Diromo, which Gwammy swears to be the cure-all for stomach aches.  Much later on Filifarma went on to distribute products from Scherer of Australia, and this included Pankrotanon, which was a enzyme to aid in digestion.  I also remember that they were one of the first distribution companies to introduce Ginseng & Royal Jelly capsules into the local markets.  I remember the staff, Mr. Joe Santos who was the accountant, Francis Flores, the driver.

Vehicle List II

Here's the Orion list...

1.    Mitsubishi Lancer EL (silver blue)
2.    Mitsubishi Lancer GL (silver blue)
3.    Mitsubishi Lancer GLXi (dark green, currently in service)
4.    Mercedes Benz MB100 Van (blue, currently in service)
5.    Toyota Innova (red, currently in service)
6.    Toyota Corolla (silver)
7.    Ford Everest (white, currently in service)
8.    Nissan XTrail (silver, currently in service)

Vehicle List I

Rich Street list... Hmmm.... Let's see now....

1.    Chevy II (white)
2.    Holden Mark IV (white)
3.    Holden Premier (blue)
4.    Holden Torana (red)
5.    Opel Rekord (maroon, Opey)
6.    Isuzu Gemini (4-door, red)
7.    Isuzu Gemini (2-door, beige)
8.    Isuzu Gemini (4-door, beige, Kelep)
9.    Isuzu Gemini (4-door, blue, Gringo)
10.  Opel Ascona (4-door, green)
11.  Opel Ascona (4-door, silver)
12.  Isuzu Trooper (4-door, silver)
13.  Isuzu Gemini (4-door, silver, Julep)
14.  Isuzu Gemini (4-door, light blue/silver, Silverado)
15.  Isuzu Gemini (4-door, white, Casper)
16.  Opel Rekord (gold. AT)
17.  Opel Manta (2-door, cream)
18.  Toyota Corolla (4-door, maroon, currently in service)
19.  Isuzu Pick-Up (4-door, maroon, currently in service)
20.  And how can I forget Bratinella (black Dodge of Tita Soly), who was parked for years in the back garage

Ashley Tishdale

I just watched Aliens in the Attic on Cable TV, and realized that Ashely Tishdale appeared as a teen in this movie.  It's strange that I found this lady more exciting to watch in High School Musical than Vanessa Hudgens, who was the star of that show.  I felt that she had funk & pizazz, and her portrayal of the contrabida was interesting and enjoyable.  I understand that this actress is actually a veteran acting hand, having played Cosette in the Korean stage production of Les Miserables when she was a child.  I googled her bio and learned that she posed nude last month for the magazing Allure.  Now that's what I call an alluring photo!

The Chicken Rice Shop

Went malling this afternoon at Robinson's Mall in Ermita with Vicky, Monique & Pipsy, and Vicky gifted me with a Pabder wallet to take the place of my old Hickok wallet (yes, it's Italian, hehehe!)  Went over to have a late lunch at The Chicken Rice Shop, the latest franchise integrated into the Pancake House Group.  It's a place for Singaporean-Malaysian cuisine, with Hainanese Chicken as the touted specialty.  We had a family platter, and Monique raved about the Honey BBQ chicken, and the three-color iced tea, which was very refreshing.  The curry laksa was expectedly spicy and tasty, and it was a shame that the restaurant didn't have the beef stew that I had wanted to try.  Check it out--we spent something like P300 per head.

Eric Baines

Does anybody remember Eric Baines?  We covered this topic in our Saturday dinner at Gwammy's place.  Well he was the dentist who appeared in the Colgate televisions ads in the late seventies to the early eighties.  He used to demonstrate the benefits of brushing your teeth with fluoride-laced Colgate toothpaste.  That was the time when Colgate dominated the market (toothpaste was sometimes referred to as "Colgate" in Philippine households in the seventies, much like refrigerators were referred to as "Frigidaire" in the sixites).  Pepsodent, Crest and Aquafresh were far-away competitors and Close-Up was just launching.  Today, only Close-Up remains active, and other local brands like Hapee and Beam have taken the slack.  Nice to reminisce...

Savory, Thrice Up!

As Eddie was in town, Gwammy ordered food from Savory Chicken last night, for the whole family to feast on.  As usual, the chicken was flavorful, the sauce was unique and the aroma filled the household!  We also ordered sweet sour pork and the ever popular pancit canton which was gone in 30 seconds!  It appears that Savory Chicken house has three incarnations, as the owners have decided to split management three ways in order to avoid family tensions.  We ordered delivery from "Savory Chicken" Ever Commonwealth Branch (this family group I understand has three branches).  I understand that there is "The Original Savory Chicken" group which has several stand-alone restaurants and in the malls, the latest incarnation created by the third generation family members has the brand name "Classic Savory Chicken."  All these restaurants trace their roots to 1950 (the first store is at the foot of Jones Bridge, right at the start of Escolta) and all of these restaurants serve the same chicken recipe that they are known for.  Truly a great way to enjoy chicken.  Just right at an average of P300 per head.

Santol

After eating Thai food last night, my thoughts drift to the Bangkok Santol tree we used to have in Rich Street many many years ago.  May is santol month, when trees just bloom with tons of either the local variety (smaller, darker, slightly sour) or the Bangkok variety (gold, larger and sweeter).  Someone gave Vicky a kilo of the fruit, and tasting them this lunchtime brings back memories of youth, when my sisters and I would brave the swarms of higad (caterpillars that gave off itchy spores) that would inhabit the santol tree just to pick the ripe fruits.  Tree-climbing was fun, and I even remember that Erica almost fell--she stepped on a branch that couldn't hold her weight!  Nice to reminisce...

Thai Dara

Our 4th Order of Pad Thai Noodles!

Eddie was in town for the enrollment of Vina, so we had dinner with the folks & family last night in Thai Dara along Granada St. in New Manila.  This place is operated by Chef James, who on more than one occasion, has given Thai cooking demonstrations in SM Hypermarts.  The place is cozy and seats some 25 people on the ground floor, and maybe another 20 people at the second floor.  We were the first to arrive at 7:30 pm, and place just filled up to capacity in around 20 minutes.  The kids started off enjoying their lemon-mint juice while waiting for the food to arrive.  Vicky & Annella ordered the all-time favorites of Pad Thai noodles (4 orders were gone in a jiffy!), tasty fried lumpia; we also had yellow curry chicken and red curry beef (this was spicy!), sliced chicken & pork sate, and Sassy Fish with green mangoes (fish was fried super crunchy).  This restaurant is a good place to enjoy authentic Thai street food, and with an average spend of P400 per head, we truly had a good night!

ATG

The rainy weather has brought about a melancholy pause today.  As I glanced over the thank you note from the family of my friend J, my thoughts also drifted to my investment banking mentor ATG, who passed away a month ago from a heart attack.  A very cordial fellow, the man was a true idealist who instilled in me the value of being mentally honest.  His first passion--baseball!  His second passion--hobby kits, both planes and tanks!  He had a long banking career in the money market, first with the Bank of America, and then with the foremost local merchant banking consortium, AEADC.  He later went on to grow a consumer marketing business related to his third passion--golf!  As I continue to work on structuring some of our pipeline deals, I will always keep his wise words in mind.  Rest in peace, my good friend, AMDG.

J

Yesterday, I received a beautifully written thank you note from the family of my late friend J, who passed away early this year from pneumonia.  This brought a lot of memories of childhood, as we were batch mates from prep school.  J was an outstanding ultra-marathon runner; he has completed the 100+ km Bataan Death March run as well as numerous other marathons both in the Philippines and abroad.  I understand that last November, he completed the New York marathon and that is probably where he contracted the virus.  He was an outstanding dancer, and I distinctly remember our nights at Where Else? over at the Intercon in the late 70s.  Always at the forefront of the fashion industry, I understand he was the Philippine marketing driver of some of the world's most recognizable apparel brands.  He even worked on a local fashion publication, and whose advice in everyday style was always welcome.  He is survived by his wife and 2 children. Truly a gentle, warm soul, J--we already miss you!

Little Store on the Hill

Being already at Chicken Charlie, I hopped over across the street to the Little Store on the Hill which has been a regular stop-over since around 2005.  This little Oriental deli is filled with goodies from 

China, Taiwan and Thailand.  I ordered their famous Chinese style lumpia, a large stuffed vegetable roll for only P75.  This is what I get whenever I have guilt pangs from over-indulging!  It's just vegetable, yet it's very tasty with a sprinkle of garlic, coriander and hoti (dried Chinese seaweed).  Also got some maki-mi (noodles in thick pork soup), but this was no longer as tasty as I remembered it to be.  The store has a small dine-in section, and one popular marketing gimmick is that counter dishes are sold at a 20% discount after 7pm.  They also have a freezer section, and I noticed that they have beef tendon available for sale.  Now this is hard to come by, and just perfect for kare-kare and callos!  The deli also carries some exquisite and tasty Chinese sausages, which you can fry and eat by itself, or use in cooking for that extra flavorful dish!  This is a bit different from the Macau-style sausages which are thin, hard, dry and sweet.  The deli is open until 8pm, and most often I get there with just a little time to spare!

Chicken Charlie

Dropped by Chicken Charlie which is located on Abad Santos St. very near Wilson St. in San Juan.  I heard about their soy-garlic chicken, got a box of 3 drumsticks and  7 chicken wings which came to P288.  I found the chicken quite tasty, and their unique frying method makes the chicken skin quite crispy.  The place isn't that big though; I counted maybe 6 tables, but you would notice a steady inflow of customers, half of which, including myself, just order take-out.  The chicken cooking style is quite similar to Chicken Bon Chon, and what surprised me is that the chicken wings are cut in exactly the same fashion!  One chicken wing therefore, became counted as 2 chicken wing pieces!  That I found a bit odd and a bit on the borderline of clip-joint practices... Well, tasty food, but you can only expect so much for hole-in-the-walls...

Staple Spaghetti Sauce

This concoction came about because we had to clean out the Taft Avenue refrigerator of Lola:

1/2 bottle of basil pesto sauce (olive oil)
5 cloves of garlic
2 white onions, sliced into bits
1/2 kilo of ground beef (Monterey is good)
2 cubes flavoring (we usually use Knorr beef, sometimes Maggi)
1 stick chorizo Bilbao, sliced thinly (the one we used came from Senor Alba, Purefoods is also okay)
1 bottle of tomato garlic nacho dip (we used Bravo)
1 liter tomato/spaghetti sauce (we used Clara Ole, 3 Cheese flavor, Hunts/Del Monte/Heinz are okay)
1 pack 250g all purpose cream (most of the time we use Alaska, this time we used Nestle)
1 kilo cooked pasta (take your pick, we usually use spaghetti or fettucini)

Saute the garlic & onions in the basil pesto, add in the ground beef and the flavoring cubes.  Stir for around 2 minutes and add the sliced chorizo.  Turn around until golden brown, then lower the heat.  Add in the tomato garlic dip and the tomato/spaghetti sauce.  Add salt & pepper to flavor.  Simmer for a while and pop in the all-purpose cream to get that creamy effect.  Pour over cooked pasta, and top with a sprinkle of grated cheddar (Kraft, Magnolia and Che-Vital are okay, but I'm really a QBB fan) or grated Edam (since Doble Ganza can no longer be found, Pato is okay, but I prefer Marca Pina).

I remember a time when Chorizo Bilbao El Rei (came in large green cans) was my top choice, but because of the high price (I think thats around P2,500 a can), we've been shifting to other chorizo brands which can be bought in smaller quantities.  Hehehe... Vicky has been asking why her supply of Don Anastacio's chorizo has been dwindling over the summer months--the kids just love the darn thing and we've been using it as the regular flavoring!  Hush, hush.... don't tell!

Sebastian's Cold Comfort

Sebastian's ice cream has been a long-time favorite of the kids.  So right after the sweaty grind of the race-track, we all went to nearby SM Mall of Asia to enjoy some super premium ice cream.  We noticed that Sebastian had new surprises, like blue cheese ice cream, Yakult ice cream, Dulce de Leche, Buko and other Filipino flavors.  However, the kids felt they had to stick with their all-time favorites--Chilly Burgers!  Kenneth had midnight truffle, Angela took vanilla caramel while Monique savored her choco-vanilla truffle.  For around P100 each, that was a real treat!

Go-Kart

Took Monique and cousins Angela & Ken to the Boomland Kart Trak where they spent 30 minutes zooming around the track.  They sure looked great with their helmets, overtaking each other in zig-zags and slamming onto the tire divides whenever they would make slight miscalculations.  They've been to this track a few time before, and Mang Ruben, the circuit manager, noticed the improvement in their driving skills.  Well, except for the fact that twice on the approach to the pit stop, Angela slammed onto Ken!  Close...whew!  While Mon was busy with his driving lessons, everyone else was zooming it up on the track.  Way to go, kids!

3 School Rules

Another Message to Monique:

1. Learn Something--it's not necessarily learning the classroom stuff.  There is much to learn in life in and around the classroom.
2. Make Plenty of Friends--it's about living a life, and friends are part of your life.  Life is a race to make plenty of friends.  I mean real friends, not fakers.
3. Enjoy!--life is so precious, every single second is meant to be savored, enjoyed!

As you grow older, your school years will not be judged on the basis of your grades, but on the basis of the afore-mentioned rules.  As the Vulcans say, live long and prosper!

Highest Paid Athletes

And I thought Manny Pacquio (boxing) was in the top 10 on the list of highest paid athletes in the world.  Apparently not, it appears that he's "just" no. 25 on the list, making only $25 million over the past year.  Top on the list is still the struggling Tiger Woods (golf) with $75 million; Kobe Bryant (basketball) and LeBron James (basketball) coming in a far second and third with $53 million and $48 million respectively... Roger Federer (tennis) is no. 4 at $47 million and Phil Mickelson (golf) comes in at no. 5 with $46 million.  Whew!

Intelligence, Smarts & Wisdom

Message to Monique:  Remember our discussion on Intelligence, Smarts & Wisdom?  Let's run through it again-- Intelligence is the inate ability of a person to use mental and emotional tools, often measured as a quotient of mental age over chronological age (IQ) and a quotient of emotional age over chronological age (EQ).  That's like having a sponge--different materials like latex, polyurethane and cloth have different physical characteristics.  Smarts is when the intelligence is placed and utilized in a physical enviroment--different liquids bring out different responses in different sponges, much like people reacting differently in different situations.  Some shine, some act with mediocrity, some just fail.  Finally, wisdom is smarts earned over time--it's the worn sponge that has been used in the sink, the toilet and the countertop.  Been there, done that.  Win some, lose some.  The important thing to remember is that your choices will make you who you are.  Life is about choices, it's not just achieving some goal, but it's really about making choices consistent in the way you define yourself.  It's the journey dear, not the destination.  Wisdom is just the by-product in the pursuit of having a great journey! I love you.

American Pie

I've always been fascinated about Don Mc Lean's timeless song about the 1959 plane crash that led to the death of Richie Valens, Buddy Holly and the Big Bobber.  Subconsciously, I always clench my fists when I hear that portion of the song play!  Now a Michigan town was recently named by some smart-ass expert as one of the dying cities of America, and 5,000 residents turned out to prove the critics wrong.  Don Mc Lean sang a song about death, and of the things that outlive us all.  Check out the video, and be amazed at the unity amidst racial diversity--this is so "American Pie!"  Click right here for the YouTube version-- Grand Rapids Lip Syncs American Pie