One Ghostly Apparition

I saw her silently opening the door, walking airily as she tiptoed to watch my computer monitor. She sigh with disgust as she read what's on the screen.

"You're losing steam, my friend! You have to push that brain of yours to continue writing. You're stagnating. There is nothing but blurry particles coming out of your system. Write...write...write!" she blurted out relentlessly.

I looked at her from the corners of my eye, and saw a pesky apparition that I have battled with a couple of times before. I say to her, "Go away! You disturb my peace." But, to my dismay, she didn't move an inch.

I turned around to angrily confront her. I was stunned, as I watched in horror a mirror image of myself, staring at me with cold and blood-shot eyes! A piercing scream came out from nowhere...and I woke up!

It was just a dream.


+writing
+apparition

Photo credit: pixabay.com

Onli in da Pilipins: A Writer's Journal
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The Philippine CPA Board Examination of October, 2014

Source:  http://www.picpa.com.ph/

The results for the October 2014 CPA Board Examination have been released, and as usual, we have the losers and the winners from among the takers.I feel bad for those who did not make it, since time and money were spent in the 5 month review.

"A journey to hell," are apt words to describe it. Those who survived may have used all survival skills and a streak of luck to go with it.

I took the same exam decades ago, and to tell you frankly, I don't know how I even made it. It just happened and bazoom! I am a CPA.

It is nice signing your name with that 3 letter tag; but, it doesn't really make you a better person than the next fellow. It is just a tag, and what you make of it, would depend on you entirely.

For heaven's sake, I have seen some very rich folks with no college education and still make a good living, despite this handicap.

The bruohaha will die down after a couple of days, until the next CPA Board Examination again. The saga continues, from one batch to another ad infinitum. It's a never ending cycle.


* CPA-Board-Exam
+Certified Public Accountants Examination


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Fruit Slush Drinks-Healthy Eating Habits

Fruit Sluch - Green Mango with Nestle yoghurt (raspberry and apple)

Fruit slush drink, anyone?

I have been doing combinations of fruits for my daily intake of fruit slush drinks. This has become habitual that whenever I go out, I buy fruits that would go into my slush drink whenever I reach home.

However, I noticed that the shelf life of fruits is just around two days. After that, it discolors and the taste is affected. The kiwi fruit can get mushy after two days. Green mango would lose its tang and crispiness after two to three days. Grapes (seedless variety) will hold in the fridge for around five days. Guayabano would have to be eaten within two days of being cut.Apples, papaya, and dragon fruit can hold up to three days.

After several days of mixing my fruit juice, I conclude that any fruit can go well together. It becomes a nice slush drink after mixing it with non-fat milk and a pinch of muscovado sugar. I sometimes have a fruit mixture without ice and drink it straight from out of the blender.It's swell and I get my kick out of it!

My meal at home - Pineapple Juice, Nestle Fruit Yoghurt, and fruits

Really delicious!

Today, I tried green mangoes with Nestle Yogurt (raspberry and apple), without sugar. Wowee! It's sour but yummy! It feels good in the tummy right after gulping a cup of the slush.This I may say, is real food! It's filling and your body doesn't hate it. It's so good that I may try several yoghurt flavors in the next few days in lieu of the non-fat milk.


BOTTOM LINE

I hope to be able to get the right combination of fruits--- and who knows, I might be able to come up with a franchise of  nutritious fruit slush drinks! I'll see if there are still available stalls in Southmall. I might do a test run first, to know what's saleable and voila! I am in business! :D

I'll have a doable project by next year, God willing. Who knows I might be the Fruit Slush Queen, before you know it!  Lololol!

It's a fun, fun day while drinking my favorite slush drink.


+fruit-slush-drink


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Eating Healthy by Using Food Blenders

Blender with fruits

I saw a recent advertisement about food blenders and it gave me an idea about my style of eating. As I am always online and hardly has the time to eat, I planned to do a short-cut of my eating habits.

What seems to be the problem?

I always get sleepy right after eating; most especially, if I have an enormous intake of carbohydrates. Before I knew it, my eyelids droop, then I see my body hit the sack, and before the count of three---I  am oft to dreamland.

This tendency to fall asleep at a drop of a hat, is horribly annoying. I have to pump so much coffee into my bloodstream to waken me up. I have to do something to keep me awake, and at the same time address my hunger pangs.

Guyabano with grapes ---delicious!

What to do?

I have to eat food that will fill me up and not make me sleepy. I can do that by eating fruits. But, eating fruits per se is messy. I end up messing my work and getting my computers and tech paraphernalia dirtied--- by having morsels of food into the word processor.

That's a disaster, and I never like disasters. The saving grace is the blender. What I can do is peel my choice of fruits, and put it in an osterizer or blender. I can then add a little muscovado sugar and low fat milk, and I'm oft to a good start.

My first taste test

I tried mixing a few seedless grapes with green apple, a pinch of sugar and non fat milk. Wow! That's good! I did away with the hunger pangs and was wide awake for a few hours.

What I did next was mix a few seedless grapes with guyabano.Oh boy, superb! It is like tasting a few drops of heaven!

I am going to try to mix dragon fruit with a ripe mango in a little while, and put crushed ice like a slush. I hope the grinder blades don't break since it is not an expensive variety. I only bought the unit for P500 at Southmall the other day.

Grapes and Guyabano inside the blender

Bottom Line

As I am getting picky with my food, I better create the kind of food that suits my lifestyle ---healthy, easy to prepare, fast to eat, and cheap. I am thinking of cooking crispy kankong one of these days as snack alternative.

I have been longing for bulanglang (leafy greens with a dash of fish bagoong) for sometime now, that I may ask the old woman in the barrio, to cook for me this coming weekend on my way to the farm.

Ah, food! Glorious food!  :D

Fruits that I bought for slush juice drink

Onli in da Pilipins: A Writer's Journal

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Mr. Kimbob of Southmall, Las Pinas City - A Food Review

Mr. Kimbob at Southmall, Las Pinas City

A friend inquired why I did a nasty review of this iconic Korean fast food chain, Mr. Kimbob, a few weeks ago.

I said to her that I have been a long-time customer of the now defunct, Kimchi Restaurant and that this stall pales in comparison with Kimchi.

Kimchi did not have many cuisines on its lineup. They have barbeques - chicken, pork, beef, and squid that were cooked in a hot circular iron plate. They have beef kalbichin that I ordered once in a while, and they were great!

Mr. Kimbob has many loyal customers and there is hardly any time of the day when people do not flock to their stall in Southmall. This is confusing to me, as I cannot understand why lots of people would like something that I find ordinary.

I first had their Chicken Mix a few weeks ago, and it tasted like any sweet and sour pork that anyone can buy in Chinese Restaurants.

Mr. KIMBOB Food Stall-Southmall, Las Pinas

The friend told me to try their bestseller, Bibimbop. Who knows, I may turn out to be a convert and change my initial negative review.


Well, that's what I did today- I gave it a second chance. I ordered Beef Bibimbop and paid P99 for the meal.

The result? I still don't like it. It looks like a Chinese fried rice with vegetables and meat. I could have cooked a better version of this meal at half the price.

What is wrong?

Most Korean, Japanese, and Chinese Restaurants have their own spices and condiments, so the taste would mostly differ from one venue to another.

Filipino entrepreneurs, come up with these same names, but do not bother to use those special spices/condiments, thinking that people will not notice it . Well, I did --- and I feel disappointed.

What they did come up with was their own version of these dishes, made a nice presentation of the  meal, and that's just about it!

Bottom Line

If I have to try new kinds of food, I better try it in localized places like those found in `the Ayala-Alabang area. I can never find the right mix and taste by going to fast food stalls like those in Southmall.

Beef Bibimbap at Mr. Kimbob

Probably, I need to check out North Park for Chinese dishes, a Vietnamese Resto along the same route, and Barrio Fiesta for original Filipino cuisine!

It may be more expensive, but I am assured that I will get the pleasure of enjoying my meal.





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The Pizza Hut-Almanza, Las Pinas City

Outside of the subdivision where the family lives, is a Pizza Hut outlet, which has for customers mostly residents of the nearby subdivisions.

As I am not fond of pasta dishes, I was at first hesitant of going to the place. However, the daughter and I took the bait of the large advertisement that was placed prominently along the entryway.

It says, that you get a fully loaded meal for only P549 pesos. So, without much ado and prodding, we went there and ordered the big box to try it out.

It was nothing fancy, just a collection of the  store favorites in small portions --- small pizza, chicken wings, buttered toast, lasagna, and spaghetti.

The order can serve from two to five people, depending on your appetite. In our case, it was good for the two of us, with a little something left for a sister.

If you are in a group, and would want something filling, this can be the order for you. But if you are meticulous with what you eat, then better order something else.

Since we were both hungry, we had our fill, eating all that was served. I like the buttered toast and the cheese spread. All the rest, seemed like ordinary fare to me.

Meaning, that they can still improve on the product. The pizza could have more filling, the lasagna would have been better if there is more bacon/ham, and the spaghetti could have more fillings too and a spicier sauce.

The spicy chicken is tops---just the right mix and spiciness.

It is a good buy for P549 and filling too, if you're hungry and on the run.


Photo credit: Owned by author


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From Australia with Love: The Lure of the Balikbayan Boxes

Balikbayan boxes

One of the occasions that Filipino families look forward to, is the arrival of balikbayan boxes. These are boxes of around 3 x 3 x 3 feet and includes anything that anyone can ever imagine. When we were still kids, living in Southern Philippines, our mother was given a study grant to the University of Hawaii; and that's where I came to know about these boxes.

That was during the early 60's and the boxes were not yet called balikbayan boxes. Those were just boxes that came from abroad where we get to find toys, clothes, Avon soaps shaped like a baseball with an accompanying bat, bath oils, milk, spam, chocolates, books, and knickknacks that I no longer remember.

Those were the good old days, and we looked forward to getting those gifts. But what I remember, is that those boxes, can never replace the absence of our mother. Nonetheless, those were the fun stuff, and we enjoyed playing with the different scented soaps, and drinking the chocos and milk that came in big containers.

More recently, two of the siblings migrated abroad. The youngest is with her Canadian hubby, Gregory; and the only living brother stay in Australia with his Filipino wife, Julia. Both of the siblings send balikbayan boxes regularly, especially around Christmas time.

Flat screen television set

Our brother, Boyong, sent two boxes which arrived the other day--- one was filled with goodies, and the other one is a big television set (3 feet x 4 feet) for a sister and our mom. The television is a flat screen and is good for viewing CD tapes. Mom had the idea of dimming the dining area so we can convert it into a movie house. I said to her, that we should position ourselves far from the screen, so we don't get crossed eyed watching the films.

Kikay set for the 79 year old mother

The other box contained tons of chocolates. By the looks of it, it will take me a year to consume my share of the loot. Two laptops were given - one for me and the other one was for a sister. A samsung android cell phone was for my daughter; and three pairs of sturdy rubber shoes were again given to the sister. Mom got a nice looking jewelry kit consisting of a bracelet, watch, and a necklace. She also got a digital blood pressure machine that she can used by herself.

Tape deck and radio

Our sister was happy to get another Sony tape recorder and radio. Other knick knacks included: watches for the sister, daughter and myself; and several linens that were used to wrap all the things that were sent. I guessed the sister-in-law, may have done the packing since I don't remember my brother being that meticulous since time immemorial.

I got a Fuji digital camera that I can use for my journalistic endeavors. My daughter was happy with her new android cell phone, since the cp that she has now, was on the brink of splitting in the middle. We share this same predicament, having our techie stuffs splitting up --- just like that.

rubber shoes

As most Filipinos, we are happy to get gifts every once in a while from our siblings abroad. The sister is happy tinkering with the television set, dvd, tape recorder, and  new laptop. I am happy too tinkering with my new laptop and digicam. The daughter is arriving tomorrow to get her share of the loot.We cannot thank the brother enough who gave us an early Christmas gift. Nothing can be happier than us, the recipient of the mannah from the country down under.

Samsung phone

three sets of watches

Digital blood pressure monitor

Rubber shoes

 Chocolates

DVD unit for the tv

Another laptop for a sister

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Food Trek at Maginhawa Street, UP-Diliman

Hamburgers at Big Burger in Maginhawa Street

The eating places on Maginhawa Street in UP Diliman have been written about so many times, that people often wonder if there is still anthing new to discover in the nooks and cranny of the place. For somebody who lives south of Manila, my interest gets pique whenever I read about bloggers' food trips in Maginhawa Street, with their down to earth ambiance at half the price, compared to the nearby Makati City.

As my daughter lives near the place, I have no problem discovering these interesting places. The street is easy to find and you can commute by way of a tricycle ride from Philcoa to Maginhawa Street. It takes about 10 minutes to reach the place, depending on which part of the street you want to go. We have started our own food trek previous to this, and I have written an article about it...

Food Trek at Maginhawa Street of UP-Diliman

The daughter and I decided to have another go and try out three other places that we have read about in various reviews. It was another one fabulous dining-out experience for both of us.

Big Burger Logo at store frontage

Big Burgers

This place has been written  in several publications, like in the Rappler and the Inquirer. I insisted that we go to this place first. It is another hole-in-the-wall dine-in area with no other amenities except chairs and tables (3 tables) and no air-conditioning unit. We tried the Big Burger special for P90 plus pesos and their fruit juice for P45.

Big burgers with a generous heaping of mayo and tomato sauce

The burger had a hefty serving of mayo, bacon, and spices. The meat is just the right size as compared to other burger joints. Eating the burger can be messy, as the mayo had the tendency to squeeze out of the bun as you take a bite of it. But the taste is different, and it's good! It has a unique taste that is a far cry from the customary burgers that you buy from either Jollibee, McDo, or Cindys.

The fruit juice is alright, but nothing special. I guess a soda would be the apt partner for the burger as it takes out the spicy taste that lingers long after you've been through eating. There is no ambiance whatsoever, except partaking of a good meal that goes well with your soda.

Empanda Avenue at Maginhawa Street

Empanada Avenue

A stone's throw away from the Big Burger is this small place that sells empanadas with different fillings. As most Filipinos are used to this snack food, I bought two pieces to try it out. It comes cheap at P16 each. It is good, but it tastes just like any other empanadas that you can buy around the metro.

Empanada Avenue Store at Maginhawa Street

Probably, there is a need to differentiate itself from the rest, by coming up with an improvement, like the Vigan empanada that sells for P50 plus in the Ayala-Alabang Malls.They can do it by making the crust crispier, the filling tastier, and improving on the product mix to make it different from the others.

Snow Creme Company Logo

Snow Creme

The daughter wanted something sweet, and Korean. So, oft we went to Snow Creme to taste their Mango Snow. We paid P160 for one big bowl that was presented ingenuously. It looked like an ice cream in a bowl, with mangoes on the sides. However, it tasted differently. It was like a bowl of finely crushed ice with a slight tinge of milk in mango flavor. It was different, but awfully good!

 

Mango creme

The ambiance of the place is nice with small rounded chairs for ease of conversation. It is suited for those who are out on a date, or students who may need a place to study or do their work.

Parillada Grill at Maginhawa Street

Parillada Grill

This place is found on the ground floor of the Snow Cream outlet. It has a nice arrangement of iconic tables and chairs that can serve as a conversation piece. We expected it to be Mexican, but was surprised that what they serve is a variety of Filipino food.
 

Cream of mussels

We ordered Pancit Molo and mussels with two cans of diet coke. Both dishes taste good, except that the mussels are too sweet for comfort. The Pancit Molo, is ok --- nothing extraordinary. Ordering soda to go with these spicy dishes is not advisable. It is best to order mineral water to wash away the lingering spiciness of the dishes.

Pancit Molo at Parillada

BOTTOM LINE

It is nice to have bonding moments with your friends and family on iconic places that you can find around the metro. Tasting the different types of food from these sites can be a rewarding experience that you can cherish for a long time. They say that visiting places soothes the soul. What can be better than trying the things that you find in your own neighborhood.  :D

Parillada Grill at Maginhawa Street

Photo credit: Owned by author


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The Historic Symbols of UP Diliman: UP Carillon

Going to UP Diliman is like taking a walk into its historic past. No other structure can symbolize UP more (other than the Oblation) than the towering 130 feet carillon.

The UP carillon consists of 36 newly installed stationary bells that are sounded off using a computerized mechanism. The sound, marks off each hour of the day and plays music every 5pm.

The initial bell carillon was inaugurated in 1952 by then President Elpidio Quirino. It was built under the supervision of renowned architect and National Artist (1973), Juan Napkil.

Forty six bells were initially installed, with the largest bell weighing five tons. This was recently replaced by thirty six new bells that can be played automatically at pre-set hours.

Recently, I had the chance to visit this historic symbol and noted the changes that were made over the years. It looks better now and the ringing of the bells at 3pm (the time I was there) was uplifting and glorious.

One of the donors, former Mayor Jejomar Binay

There is just one addition  that made us (daughter and I) aware of present realities. At the bottom part of the structure were the spiked adverts of its donors --- one of them was there in bold print, and cast in stone: Jejomar Binay, Mayor of Makati!

Political realities can sometimes be amusing!


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WHAT'S TO EAT AT UP's ANG BAHAY NG ALUMNI?

Ang Bahay ng Alumni at UP, Diliman

Many articles have been written about the quaint little restaurants at the Bahay ng Alumni in UP. My daughter and I though, have not been there, since we always go to the Dilimall to have our choices of cuisine ---either Japanese, Chinese, and Pinoy.

We have no problem with that until recently, when we became more adventurous to try new things. After having our fill from the restos in Masagana Street, we decided to try another eating venue at UP's---Ang Bahay ng Alumni.

There are three restaurants on the site that were all opened at that time (around lunch time). We looked at the place, menu, and the price --- if we can afford it. The prices were affordable: not that high, but not that low either.

The three restos have iconic names: Art Circle Cafe, Chocolate Kiss Cafe, and ROC. We choose the latter, since there were not so many diners as the others, and it looked quaint enough for the daughter and me.

The ROC at the Ang Bahay ng Alumni, UP Diliman

We choose to have their menu for the day: green salad and squash soup. Nothing heavy since we have already dined in two other places in Masagana Street. When our orders arrived, we got surprised with the size of the salad plate. It was good for two to three persons.

Green Salad at ROC

Additionally, the soup too was served in a large bowl that was good enough for both of us.The salad was really fantastic! We like the combination of spices and greens, and with a dash of Olive oil. Notwithstanding, the squash soup, did not taste anything like squash, but of a superb soup concoction that must have been painstakingly put together.

Squash Soup with Spicy Biscuit at ROC

What can I say? It was a marvelous meal! We are tempted to go back some time in the future to partake of that wondrous cuisine again.

 

A bust of the Inang Bayan keeps watch of the place

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Food Trek to Maginhawa Street of UP Diliman

Maginhawa Street, UP Diliman

Food trek to UP Diliman's, Maginhawa Street

Some of the best dishes can be found in the nooks and cranny of the city like the Maginhawa Street of UP Diliman. UP or the University of the Philippines, is the country's premier university, where you can find the best brains in the country. Most public administrators and politicians come from the august halls of this academe.

It has been bruited about that the university has been transformed into an institution for the middle class; that, it is no longer for  indigent and impoverished students, but for those belonging to the middle and upper strata of society. Hence, it is not unusual to see students having their own cars in going to their respective colleges; or living in nearby condominiums and plush residences on Kalayaan Street.

Maginhawa Street, UP Diliman

Among the iconic places that you can find within the campus is in Maginhawa Street, where food choices abound. It is peopled mostly by students and employees from the nearby offices who are always in the lookout for a good treat. The prices are not as cheap as those found in the Dilimall Cafeteria, but not as expensive as those in the high end places, either.

My daughter and I decided to have a food trip in some restaurants found in the area before the onslaught of Typhoon Mario. I am glad that we did, since we were able to partake of a number of delectable dishes that can only be found in those places. Among those are as follows:

Toasted Ravioli at Fruilli Tratoria

FRUILLI TRATORIA

At around noontime, the site was packed with customers. The place can only accommodate from 50 to 70 customers at any given time on the ground floor level. As the name implies, they are more into Italian cuisine. The choices were many, but we decided on trying---Toasted Ravioli and their best seller, Pizza Margheritta.

Best seller, Pizza Margheritta at Fruilli Tratoria

What can I say? The toasted ravioli is really toasted brown and goes well with the lightly seasoned salsa. It has a piquant taste and, I believe, it can go well with a nice cool drink of root beer. The Pizza Margheritta, is thin crusted with a few heapings of cheese and tomatoes. It tastes different than the usual Shakeys and Greenwich Pizza, since it is served simply ---for a purer and distinct Italian taste.

Churros with Chocolate at Sancho Churreria

SANCHO CHURRERIA MANILA

We wanted to try something sweet after having a fill from the Fruilli Tratoria. We decided to have churros dipped in chocos and a slice of their chocolate cake. The churros were nicely fried and not at all oily. The chocolate dipping was rich and full-flavored. I can say that it can be a meal on its own. The slice of chocolate cake is comparable to the ones in Joni's and Goldilocks. Like the Tratoria, the place was likewise filled with people --- mostly from the younger set.

Books galore at BooksUkay at Masagana Street

BOOKSUKAY

Nope, this is not another eating place. It is a hole in the wall store that is filled with books --- from arts to history and architecture. It is near the Tratoria and we scanned the shelves for some good books. It is always a great adventure to go to a small bookstore, where you can find gems at a fraction of a cost. However, since this stall is within the compounds of UP, Diliman --- all noteworthy books cost the kind of money that only the uber-rich can afford. We might have to try other venues that are cheaper than this store.

The University of the Philippines Carrilon

BOTTOM LINE

There are many places of interests that we can all go to. It takes a roving eye and a zest for adventure, for us to find them. It helps greatly if we can go to these places with friends and family. We multiply the fun if we share it with people that we care about.

Savoring something new, every now is then, is what life is all about. As they say, it is not a life's destination which counts, but the various stopovers that we make along the way.

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