Random Post

I saw this interesting blog about this guy who took pictures of people taking pictures of his dog.  It seems silly but quite inventive as it became an attraction of some sorts in Chicago.  I guess people do love taking pictures of random dogs and hey why not come up with a post of these people taking these pictures. I guess it was his way of finding out more about these people and how the pictures of his dog would actually turn out.

I decided to email the owner and sent my own special shot.  I don't know if and when I can actually pass by his gallery in Chicago, so in the meantime I took a shot.

On Fasting and Diet (Part 1)

It's been a while since I wrote here.  Haven't had the urge to write for a long time.  But here I am now.

Okay back to my title.

Fasting

First of all, let me tell you the story of what happened during the period where I fasted "social media". It's not the usual thing to hear when it comes to fasting.  When people think of fasting, usually it's food.  But I decided to fast something that I thought I couldn't live without and that is Facebook, Twitter, Multiply, Flickr, YouTube, Tumblr and all other social sites that I visit everyday.  The reason why I did this is because I just wanted to stop for a bit and reflect.  I realized that for the past few months I was getting less resourceful and have been resorting to these sites to escape when I needed to do something.  I often procrastinate on certain tasks and I click away to the wonderful world of news and gossip.  So I decided to fast for two weeks.  And to tell you the truth, it felt very quiet - not really the physical eerie quiet, but my mind was just silent with cricket sounds.  I didn't notice how much I got dependent on knowing news through these social sites.  I honestly didn't know what's happening for that two weeks until someone (an actual physical person - not just a name I follow) shares something.  Uh-huh.  Hmmm....how did we end up in a world where all our information can actually be found in a single site?  And yes, the world wide web was still readily available, you can type news and you can see a lot of links to go to.  But through this step, you have to search the news yourself.  But in social media sites, they push you things, events, and news that are best suited to your needs.  You have already chosen to follow particular users, organisations that you like. The friends you "friend-ed" on FB have already similar backgrounds to yours so they post information that are most likely attuned to the things you follow, news you read, etc.  It's great right? It's all right on your fingertips - easily sorted for your reading pleasure.

My questions are:  Is social media really this powerful? Will it affect how people start utilising these social sites? (Basically, will a barrage of hungry companies and brands start plonking all their ads on these sites until you get a bunch load of spam, and before you know it you now have a big spam folder just like in your email provider?)  And how long will the social media trend last?

Just a reminder to us all:  If you wake up one morning to find out that FB has closed down and you can't seem to grasp the meaning of 0 friends, no updates to refresh, no things to 'like', and no Farmville - it is not the END of the world.  You have a life outside of it, go and live it.  Really. You find that you have a much clearer mind and a lot more time to do things.

But in the meantime, click, click.  I am still posting this on Facebook.  :P

Open Letter To God

Dear Heavenly Father,

Please forgive this heart of mine. Take away the hatred that I’m feeling. I know that everything is for a reason even if I don’t know what it is. You already know what it is. This is for me and not to hurt me. I want to learn how to be a stronger person and not take offenses.  You are the master of my heart, only you have control over me and nothing and no one else.  You know who I am and what I am capable of. The enemy wants to destroy me – he wants to take away my self-worth. I am urging for the Holy Spirit to come inside me and take away this pain that festers in my heart.  

I have taken my work too personally and have affected the way I see things. It affects my productivity. I let it simmer and cook on my whole mind and heart. I see the person who has taken offense against me and I am burdened with such pain and sorrow. I have wanted to lash out against this person.  As much as I want to better myself, I also know that everyone is different.  This is not to berate me – only to make me understand that your children are all different.   Lord, guide the hearts of others to give me the chance. All I ask is a chance and I will do the best that I can. You have already asked me to stay on – to carry out a task which I have yet to understand and fulfill. 

Make me stronger Lord, I want to be that person who trusts in the Lord and let him decide what is best for me. I have not yet learned this and I want to be able to give myself fully to you.  I want to be able to accept things that will come my way, for you alone know what’s best for me. 

I pray for patience. I want to learn how to wait as this is my biggest challenge.  Lord, you who are always waiting for us and who is timeless. You are the greatest teacher of patience – kindly teach me how to gain some of your gift and be able to control my anxiety. 

I have always looked inward and take all the blame onto myself. I want to give myself up and focus on others.  Lord, you are the epitome of selflessness – hearing our prayers every second of every hour of every day. You give so much and asking for little.

Finally, dear Lord, teach me how to let go.

Amen.

2012

The currently fixated number I have on my head as I try to figure out the plan for the rest of my life.  Yes, this is the year I'm going to finally get married.  

A lot of my friends have already asked why the late date.  I wanted a February month for our wedding, I find 2011 date is too soon, hence, my reason for moving it another year.  It seems like a shallow reason but then again, it gave us more time for preparation.  Both RA and I currently reside in Singapore and we are having our wedding in the Philippines.  The planning is gonna be quite tedious. 

RA asked me if I want to move it earlier, but I guess we could but I don't want to put so much pressure on the preparations.  What's the rush if we have the rest of our lives? I'm very fussy anyway, and I know the headache and pain I can put into other people coz of my irkiness over little things.  I'm just hoping for the best. 

The MRT seat dilemma

Okay, I thought about writing this post after seeing a young guy offer the elderly uncle his seat on the middle seating. The uncle suddenly launched into conversation with the guy about the reserved seats and how people don't even follow the signs anymore.  He went on and on about young kids today.  It was actually a 30ish auntie who was currently seating on the reserved seat.  Here in Singapore, the reserved seating has been a bone of contention for most people.  I remember hearing a story of this one time (in band camp! oops sorry, just had to interject this American Pie liner :P) when a girl a matter-of-factly told someone seating on the reserved seating that the woman beside her was pregnant. The guy couldn't distinguish if the girl was just fat and didn't want to offend if maybe she was just sporting a bulging stomach. I mean seriously, it was an honest mistake sometimes but people tend to treat this sign as the holy grail of MRT seating.

Singapore's MRT Reserved Seating Signage on every seat nearest to the doors

I remember when RA first came here in SG.  He got used to giving up his seat in the MRT back home in the Philippines for women.  He is such a gentleman.  So he did so here in SG in the beginning for every woman be it young or old that just fortunately stands in front of his seat until I finally told him not to do it here anymore.  My reasons were first it was not just done here, boo-hoo to me and societal conducts that I tend to follow. Secondly, I didn't know how a local here would react to such a thing.  What if the woman gets offended perhaps it will be mistaken that she looks weakly or getting a differential treatment from others and thus earning a certain distrust over my bf's agenda.  There is no agenda gurl! He is just the perfect gentleman.  Sometimes, I'm worried that I have indeed changed this side of him.  He's the type of guy who gives up his seat, who holds the door open, lets the girl pass by first, and politely helps others if help is needed. I admit that I too have succumbed to the MRT seat dilemma.  The reserved seating sign is a good guide but I find politeness shouldn't only apply to the reserved seats nearest to the doors.  No matter which seat you're in, it's good practice to offer to a person who needs it.  

How to have the almost perfect guy?

Okay, let's face it. No one is perfect, only God is. But that's an entirely different topic.

There are two things that came to mind when I made this guide. It's pretty simple.

1. Let him endure seeing the anguished Edward for the whole of Twilight and still get him to agree to watch the sequel. 

2.  He goes to watch SATC2 knowingly that he has to endure 146 mins of it.  And yes, he also watched SATC1 when I watched it for the uhm...2nd time on DVD.  

Maybe I knew all along just how wonderful RA is.  First of all, this topic popped into my head after watching SATC2 - a grueling 146 mins of his life tortured by scenes of women's fashion, men, gay men (worst), bulging erections (keep going), gay men kissing (so help him!), and woman who gawk at hot studs, and more fashion.  

Side note: RA is your typical conservative guy who likes his robots, games, anything technological and has no interest in fashion whatsoever. He wears comfortably and knows what he like and sticks with it.  

I did tell him that he didn't need to see it with me. I grew up with SATC and I had to have my "Carrie" moments.  But alas, he wanted to make me happy. Okay, pause...and emo moment over. :)

SATC2 Movie Poster: I heart Carrie!

After this movie, I realized that he also endured Twilight with me (Yes, the two movies) and I'm sorry to say even the upcoming Eclipse.  Well, you have to finish the series, or else you'll just be left hanging.   

So I guess, you've got a winner there if you're guy has already done the two things I've mentioned.  You'd probably get it 'perfect' once he endures another Edward - Jacob - Bella movie.  As we all know, there's still the 4th book coming for the freakin finale (if they do the 4th film).  I just wish Pattinson gets acting lessons before this movie. Wishful thinking? :P 

Adventures at Vietnam & Cambodia

This is a post about my Vietnam - Cambodia trip.  Honestly, the trip didn't come out as close to the heart compared to my NY trip. But nonetheless, it was an exciting and eye-opening experience. 

I arrived in Ho Chi Minh and saw a flurry of motorcycles and mopeds on the streets zooming in and out.  It was a jam-packed city of these bikes, more than cars even. 

Parking areas alloted for just bikes; shot taken while crossing the street

Traffic seems bearable (comparing to Jakarta) and the pollution wasn't suffocating (comparing to Manila). Ho Chi Minh city felt slightly like Old Manila mixed with the renovated Roxas Blvd along the coast of Manila Bay. HCM also has this coastal road lined up with hotels on one side and a pedestrian walkway on another side beside the Saigon River. For me, it wasn't a place fantastic enough to visit again once you've been there.  My mom told me prior that the food was fantastic. It was good for me, but I guess coming from Singapore, where you can find all types of food around the region, it was just okay.  The prices here though are cheap so might as well enjoy the good food. The first day was spent alone, so I walked around the HCM city and arrived at the HCM Museum by accident.  I enjoyed a cold coconut drink and walked inside to keep away from the sun for a spell.

 Coconut Drink; Reflection on the Old Cabinet at the HCM Museum

My first Pho Bo (Vietnamese Beef Noodle)

Flaming Shrimp (first, it was heated like in the 1st pic, then the guy will remove the skins and place in the coconut to be heated up with the cocounut soup)

 Loved this dish! (Kuhol/Snails in Coconut sauce)

Fried Fish (forgot what kind it is) & Giant Veggie Omelet

My mom and sister joined me the next day and we especially enjoyed our trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels.  This is part of the history of how the Vietcong eluded the Americans during the Vietnam War. It's different from the usual sightseeing.  It's 45 mins away from HCM but a trip quite worth it to find the ingenious way the Vietcong created this underground abode both for a war base camp and home living.

Going in one of the numerous trap doors; Sister posing by a mock entrance of the Cu Chi Tunnel. 

Took a pic inside the actual Cu Chi Tunnel.  

That's my sister's eerie hand. Told her to stop for a pic, but she just showed her hand to me

Tapioca with mixed peanut & sugar dip (the food the Vietcong ate almost everyday during the war, hence the reason why they're skinny and can fit in the tunnels.) 

Group Pic with the Austrian tour mates, and of course with the wax mannequins

The next stop was at Phnom Pehn, Cambodia.  We (my mom, sister and me) took the bus crossing the border to Cambodia.  It was a grueling 6-hour bus ride.  It was quite an experience which my mom swore she will never ever again take. I did tell her we are cowgirls in this trip and we have to rough it so we can make the most of it.  The trip going to Cambodia had us seeing the countryside, which was very brown and dusty.  I guess it's because of the dry season. I saw a lot of garbage on the streets though, even more so than in the Philippines, I believe.  I checked the books, Cambodia is one of the poorest country in Asia, maybe even the world.  Another bit of trivia, the country considers foreign aid as one of their sources of income.  I guess we now know what Angelina Jolie started when she adopted a kid from this country.

Phnom Pehn seems to me a very small city. You can see the whole place in a day by taking a tuk-tuk. Yes, there are no cabs here and motorised tuk-tuk is the way to go. Be forewarned.

  Sis and me riding the tuk-tuk; Saw an elephant casually walking down the street. Neat-o. 

The first place we stopped by was the Tuol Seng Genocide Museum. It felt very eerie and heart-wrenching to go to this place. If you know the Polpot story, you need to visit this place. If you don't, you will get to learn about this atrocious event in history. The place is a classroom turned torture/jail centre during the Khmer Rouge era. It's quite new because it only happened in the 70s so story and atmosphere is still fresh.  The images posted there were haunting and the story can get disturbing. I have watched a lot of different crime series but this feels too real. Every time I entered a torture chamber with some of the iron beds and iron cuffs still there, the air seems to change.  Honest to goodness, I'm not the type who sees and feels this kind of stuff, but there's definitely a bone chilling feeling that you won't easily forget for a long time.

 Torture & Jail cells

Tuol Seng Genocide Museum Facade (each classroom was turned into either a jail cell or a torture chamber)

Security Regulation during the Khmer Rouge Regime (If this is not inhumane, I don't know what is...)

After this visit, we felt we've had enough depressing moments to last us the whole trip. We visited the Russian Market (which wasn't much) to see some artifacts, souvenir goodies and what-not. Bought a few souvenirs, and then went to eat an authentic Khmer dinner (it wasn't fantastic).  After that, we headed to the Pub Street.  This is where the restos and bars are found.  Here you can find a lot of Europeans eating alfresco and/or drinking beer. Then we just had to try the Happy Pizza. Let's just say, it was a good thing we decided to bring back the pizza to the hotel. 

 The famous Fish Amok from Cambodia

The next day, since we overslept, we only had enough time to visit one place. This was the Royal Palace. For me, it wasn't much. I've seen better palaces but it was still a good tour. The gardens are well-maintained and seeing some of the statues, figurines, royal props etc were interesting too. (I think I couldn't remember much though since I was still buzzed. :P)

The Royal Gardens @ the Royal Palace, Phnom Pehn, Cambodia

White Pagoda; Especially like the intricate design on this gate

Interesting Story of the Fight Between Good and Evil

Then in the afternoon, we've packed our stuff for another 6-hour drive to Siem Reap.  Another groan from my mom who said "not ever again!"  But we did arrive in Siem Reap. Finally! It was already night, so all we did was booked our tours for the next two days. Had a quick dinner, took long baths, hit the sack, and waited for the next day to arrive.

The next day arrived really early. We woke up at 4:30 AM to catch the sunrise at Angkor Wat. With our eyes blurry with sleep and stomachs grumbling from the cold, we headed to Angkor Wat.  There were some tourists who came to see the sunset.  Finding the right spot was a challenge especially since we didn't get a tour guide (we had our own guide book and my mom thought listening to heavily Cambodian accent English will just confuse her even more). So we followed and listened closely to other tour groups on where exactly the sun will be rising.  Good thing my sister read the book prior to coming to Cambodia, so she was able to give us a summarised version of what to expect in certain areas. So here we are 'click, click' at the sun as it rises behind the Angkor Wat cone-shaped temples.  After the sun had fully risen, we headed back to the hotel for our breakfast and then back again to tour the numerous surrounding temples.

Blue Skies at Angkot Wat; Sunrise Silhouette (loved this quiet moment)  

Angkor Wat Walkway

Angkor Wat is the most famous temple here in Siem Reap, which was built I believe in the 13th century. It's the largest temple in the world. There are a lot more different temples and even older ones in the vicinity.  We  visited Ta Phrom, the famous place where Tomb Raider was shot.  Angkor Thom, a temple famous for Buddhist monks to visit as part of the Buddhist pilgrimage. One of the farther temples is Banteay Srei, the pinkish-stoned temple that show the Hindu legends of Vishnu, Shiva and other Hindu gods/goddesses. Another one we visited secluded in the mountains is Kbal Spean.  This is where you will see the Hindu carvings by the stream depicting another legend. There are other various Buddhist altars at different sites. The interesting part of the Khmer Kingdom history is that it revolved around religion. The first king brought Hinduism from India and adapted it to their culture.  Then, there are rulers thereafter who converted to Buddhism, then back to Hinduism, back and forth through the centuries. Hence, there's a mix of different religious artifacts on the temples.  You can see some carvings of Vishnu, while some places have defaced images to make room for Buddhist images and statues. It seemed like a war of sorts on who can make the better temple wherein they can worship their god and/or king.

@ Angkor Thom

Linga (or commonly interpreted as the phallic symbol of the deva-raja - the monarch King of the Khmer Empire); 

Some Hindu carvings at the Elephant Terrace (some are already defaced)

 @ Ta Phrom (the famous place where Tomb Raider was shot)

@ Bakan (uppermost terrace of Angkor Wat). I took a shot from the top window.

Saw a lot of monkeys on our walk going to Angkor Wat

@ Kbal Spean (some of the carvings are already destroyed, perhaps by the gushing stream or harsh weather)

@ Banteay Srei (means Citadel of Women) 

Detailed depictions of Hindu legends @ Banteay Srei 

Not too sure if it's a window or a door, but look how small it is; My sister and I mimicking the traditional Khmer dance @ the hallway of Aspara Dancers 

 Close-up shot of one of the wall carvings @ the Royal Dance Hall 

Buddhist Monks loitering around the temples

Here are some of the queries we had on our trip to the temples:

1. My mother thought of the architecture. She asked how the people built these temples, like where did the big stones come from? How long did it take?

The different temples had different kinds of stones and even mix and match of stones ie. sandstone on top, brick below. 

2. My sister inquired about how the royalty travel from one temple to the other? How did the king go all the way up the temple on top? Did he just walk? Was he carried everywhere we went?

* Had to interject this legend of the king who had to copulate every night with the 7-headed snake who represents their god Shiva atop of a temple.  Can't imagine what that was like...

3. My queries were what kind of people lived back then? What did they look like - height? weight? stature? What kind of life did they lead? Were they subservient or aggressive type of people?

Some of the hallways and door sections seem quite small to walk in normally.  You always have to bend to get to the next area. That's saying a lot of its size coz I have a small stature.  Some of the steps leading to the top were small in width, and we had to step sideways when we climb the steps.

Based on the historical findings, there were not much information left after the glory days of the Khmer Kingdom. The people seemed to just vanished and the temples were swallowed up by the forests until finally a French man discovered it.  But that's another story. :)

The whole Siem Reap experience was very Tomb-Raiderish, there are quite a few legends behind the stones, carvings, and walls of the places we went to. We felt like explorers trying to piece together what really happened. The only sad part was some places are slowly deteriorating.  There are some evidence of modernity trying to keep it altogether. Planks and ropes were in place. Some stone walls are already patched-up work by conservatists who maintain the place.  The centuries are starting to catch up on these places, and before you know it, they'll eventually become dust. Or if not, it will just become a fake patched-up work of the originals and the place will turn into a museum cum amusement centre for tourists to visit and private companies to sell tickets out of.

*Currently, the whole area is indeed being managed by a private company who sells 1-day, 3-days, & 7-days tickets to tour the whole surrounding area. A 1-day ticket will cost you 20 USD. 

 Here are some shots of the areas with ropes and planks holding the structures together; a tree was also cut off coz it was weighing down the structure about to collapse, boohoo on the tree :(

Overall, the trip was tiring. Every place we went to was hot with a capital H. There were drops of rain now and then during our Cambodia trip, but it was still very humid.

For people who are interested to visit, my advise is to make sure you're up to walking, climbing, or even crawling under the heat.  It's also dusty and there are a lot of mosquitoes especially if you're not careful.  Despite all these nuisances, it's a very worthwhile adventure trip.  Like I've mentioned, these places won't last forever especially the temples in Siem Reap, so if you get the chance, hop on that plane and visit these places while you're still young ang agile.  This is subjective coz my mom still have it in her and she's reaching 50 already. :) Of course, never ever forget to bring a camera to take pictures of the wonderful sights. I still have a lot more shots which I haven't sift through but for now, I've placed a few shots here. 

Any questions about the trip, feel free to ask me or make a comment esp. if I have incorrect information.  I apologize in advance. These info are all from top of my head from what I remember from our trip and/or from the guidebook my sister had.

Ranting

I am quite irritated by the different fonts & font size on my blog. It nags me a lot. I do a lot of checking when it comes to fonts especially for ads and what-not, so I can get particular.  But really, I just have anti-HTML, css, code, and what-not virus that I can't seem to get a hang of.  I have learned some basic stuff back in college but I'm clueless. I have numerously tried fixing it but I think I have no patience.  I think I need RA's help.

Letting my Vote Count

Today, I voted for the Philippines elections.  It was quite easy here in SG. You just have to go the Phil Embassy, show your ID, then go the booth assigned (there's AC by the way) where you'll be given the sheet to select your choice/s, shade the choice you picked, insert the sheet on the machine thingy that counts the votes, put a thumbprint beside the name on their list, and get an "ugly" purple ink on your right index finger (this is to prevent double voters).  The steps all under 20 mins tops. I guess we (together with my Filipino colleague) went early in the morning before going to work, thus, not a lot of people were queuing.   

My last experience wasn't this breezy. I remember going inside a very crowded elementary school. My name was listed under a different list on a another different floor from my other family members.  So I had to go up a couple of floors to look for the specific booth indicated.  Other than these steps, all I remember was that it was hot and very stuffy inside the room. It was my first time voting then, and I just shrugged and thought that it was just the way it is.

"Just the way it is!"  This is the kind of attitude I find most Filipinos possess. Ganun talaga eh, wala na tayong magagawa!  I also had this kind of attitude because I grew up accepting that we cannot change the way the system works.  Why bother right?  I know a lot of my friends are not voting because they did not bother to register.  The mentality is that it's just going to be same anyway.

I'm 26 years old and honestly find it disheartening to hear and think that there's no way for the Philippines to improve at all. The country is very rich with resources. The potential is quite big, especially coming from the largest English-speaking country in Asia (I believe).  Filipinos are very adaptable.  See how many OFWs are around the world.  Every place I've been to, there will definitely be at least one Filipino there. Case and point from my recent trip, I walked in the streets of Vietnam, a guy approached me for directions and I find out he's a Filipino working part-time there.  Another Filipina I met was in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia, she was the assistant manager of the hotel we were staying at. Filipinos get jobs just about anywhere because they can adapt quite well to any situation.

If we are the type that have already learned to let go of the past and turned our backs, since we're already in another country, why not help others get the opportunity that we got? Give them a fighting chance back home through stable governance.  These are people we grew up with - the person who served your favorite food at the Siomai place, or the kind manong at the parking place who greeted you every morning before going to school, or the smiling Lola on the street selling sago gulaman during those hot sunny days.  Give them a chance for a better life.  All they ask is a chance, and you have the power to give that.

I feel a bit positive with the emergence of Facebook and Twitter.  Honestly, these 2 platforms helped in making the youth understand politics, and to get them to care.  I see posts from people regarding the campaigns, candidates, political issues and what-not.  Since I'm not in the Philippines, these are my links to finding out who's who and what's what.  Honestly, I didn't care at all at first, but once you see a post, you just can't help but click and find out more.  So here I am, finally making my vote count.  I don't know how much change can be done, but like in any task or journey it starts with a single step. So let's be informed and make the decision.  Your first step is by voting your choice.  And I just hope that others will also see that a vote does count because we carry the potential for the whole country.  We, the Filipino people, are the best resource of the country.

It's a bit blurry, but here's the "blood" of our democracy , as quoted from my Singaporean colleague, which I would like to thank since he insisted that I vote because it's my right, he says. To be reprimanded by someone not even from our own country can be such a kick in the butt (figuratively, of course).  :p

Comments Missing

Gosh! Just realized that my old comments are all missing. Tried googling to find a solution. A lot of people who either changed their URL or template (like me) lost their comments too. Sigh. I'm also getting a headache trying to find a solution by looking at codes and what-not. And to think RA does this everyday? Definitely a headache!

Part 2 of the Story/Food Trippings

It was a short visit but a very fruitful one.  Remember the story of the Rat & the Rock.  Well, this is part 2.  But I will be brief as possible. The first story really isn't an automatic happy ever after.  Movies have sequels, well, life sometimes has them too. This was one of those. The girl already said "yes" and the guy was quite ecstatic.  But they both had to deal with their families - the introduction, the planning, the who's who, and what-nots. It was a good sequel though. It went well. :) 

Moving on to the food trippings...

I will tell my visit through the food trips I had.  And it was quite a bit, food has always been my enjoyment (hence, my increasing belly fat - which I have to work on, sigh*) 

RA (aka the Rat!) and I took Tiger Airways which will land us at Clark, Subic.  We had to take the bus to Manila.  We arrived at SM Megamall where we separated.  I then had a late lunch with my mom and sister (well, I had one and they watched).  I suddenly had an urge to eat Churros since I remember eating them at the mall so we went to Dulcinea that serves mainly Spanish food such as Paella, Gambas, Salpicao, etc.    

Churros Con Chocolate (pronounce as Tso-ko-la-te)

Lengua Estofado (Ox tongue)

For dinner, I had homemade Kare-kare (no pictures though) but it was yummy with bagoong (shrimp paste).  

The next day was the Pamamanhikan. It's a Filipino ritual done when a groom officially asks the hand of the woman he wants to marry. He comes to visit the soon-to-be bride at her parent's place.  Googled it and here's what I got.  We weren't sticklers on tradition. Everything is hip and modern now, so we just a had a simple introduction of our families over some pastries and drinks.  Here are some of the food my mom prepared for the occasion.  

Coffee Cake & Blueberry Cheesecake from Contis

Brownies 

Mini Ensaymada 

Polvoron

That night, we also planned a simple engagement dinner with our close family and friends at Golden Bay Fresh Seafood Restaurant. This was a mini version of what our wedding might be (well, minus the Chinese food.)  here are some pics of the food that we had during the dinner.  

Appetizer Set (with roast meat, maki & sashimi) 

Prawns in Garlic Sauce 

Shell meat & Chicken with Vegetable

Abalone with Fresh Mushroom

Roasted pigeon in 2 ways: 

(crispy skins wrapped in crepe & one minced meat with lettuce) 

Chili crab ala-Singaporean Style  

Steamed Lapu-Lapu

Other dishes include Yang Chow Fried Rice, Stir-fried Misua, Shark's Fin Soup, Taro Dessert, and some tarts and pastries.  Overall, it was such a filling dinner.  Good thing, we had some Karaoke also, to ease the guilt of having to eat a lot of food. Tough luck on that!  

Some other yummy dishes I had for the rest of my stay:  

Rib-eye Steak @ Damaso's Greenbelt 

Paella @ Damaso's Greenbelt

Crispy Suahe @ Fely J's Greenbelt

Salmon Head Sinigang Fely J's-style 

The day of my departure, I had a lovely breakfast prepared by Ate Lisa.  Yum! My fave: Crispy Bacon! (just the way Ate Lisa knows how I like them) & some other stuff (Garlic rice, Sardines, & Fresh Mangoes).   

                          

                        

Before I forget, last but not the least, I also had my balut (duck egg) which I've not eaten for more than a year, I believe.  I know not a lot of people like it, but I do.  I even had two! :P 

Balut (Yum!)