A Short Update on Getting Corrections made on One’s Birth Certificates

This morning I had the maid bring supporting documents to the City Hall for my son’s birth certificate. I thought photocopies of my transcript, SSS Personal Record, a Land Bank document would suffice, but the ladies at City Hall refused to sign the same. No wonder my mother-in-law gave up. They want to see the originals although they won’t take these away from you. They just want to look at them. Lucky for a friend, when she brought a title to a property to attest to her name which needed changing (not just a case of Maria being made into Ma or vice versa, not just to attest that its ko rather than Co, not just to attest that it’s Antonia, not Anotia), the lady in charge accepted the same even if it was a mere photocopy. My friend reasoned: I might lose the title if I brought it all the way here. Because I myself have no choice, rather than risk the maid’s losing it to holduppers while in a public conveyance, I’ll hire the Wheelmobile again next week. This is getting very expensive.

Re my own birth certificate, I’ll start acting on it next week to kill two birds with one stone. When I go to City Hall, I’ll pass by NBI in Carriedo to get my clearance. NBI clearancees for change of name may only be obtained in Carriedo and nowhere else. No, not even in their satellite offices.

I was thinking of getting a Philhealth membership card or ID but the office is in Shaw. Then the SSS office that issues SSS cards is in Quezon City. Heavens, I cannot do everything on the same day for at least two reasons: proximity, that is, the lack of, between offices and the waiting time across offices.

So i have to be patient and persevering, my friend said. I’ll try. For my son’s sake, I’ll try.

Birth Certificate Corrections, or making the trivial matter needlessly, or making a mountain out of a molehill

I am almost too exhausted to write this post but I feel obliged to do so in the hope that I’ll be helping someone by sharing my experience.

In a previous post, I mentioned how my City Hall saga began and why: my son’s birth certificate indicated a wrong year of marriage on his parents’ part, ours. I noticed that. Then, I noticed that the last syllable of my maiden name was spelled with a “co” rather than a “ko” in his name but on the same page, the same family name was spelled correctly in my case.

A week ago, my husband and I went to Manila City Hall to see where we should take off, my mother-in-law having started the process but giving up somewhere along the way, near the end, she said. Today, I went to the City Hall with the additional supporting documents the one who attended to us said I should bring this time: my NSO 2008 released birth certificate for one, my son’s driver’s license, Form 137 (transcript of records), my IDs, etc.

Safety at the Malls, or more accurately, the lack of it

Got this email through our egroup. Victims are from Ateneo Grade School. Please read.

Dear All,

Most often our urgent prayers regarding our children are for their protection.  It is hard to think about other aspects of their lives if we are worried sick over their personal safety.  Having to raise my children on my own I had every reason to fear for their safety.  So I pray for the Lord’s protection on a daily basis.  I pray for their protection from violence, molestation, kidnapping and accidents.  “Hide them under the shadow of your wings, from the wicked who oppress them and from the deadly enemies who surround them.”

Though my children have had their share of minor injuries including a couple that required an emergency room and stitches, nothing ever happened to them that came close to being kidnapped, held against their will, or even victims of a hold-up until my son Renzo was involved in one.

Monday afternoon, August 18, Renzo and 3 of his classmates were going to practice at our home.  Their meeting place was Trinoma Mall at 1pm .  Renzo was accompanied by his elder brother till the time that Renzo was with his classmates.  Renzo already with 2 classmates, Ram and Aaron waited for Richard (third classmate), at Olympic Village 4^th floor.

West Side Story on 12 September 2008 at Meralco Theater

Months back, I blogged about QTV shows and happened to mention wishing to watch Karylle in West Side Story which Stages is mounting. Stewie Ong posted the following comment to that post:

We are selling tickets for the September 12 (Friday, 8pm) show of West Side Story Manila(@ the Meralco Theater).

Ticket prices are at:
1,200 (orchestra and loge center)
1,000 (orchestra and loge side)
700 (balcony center)
500 (balcony side)

For ticket inquiries and reservations, you may text (0917-8735412) or email (song1@jnjph.jnj.com).

Reserve now so you can get good seats!

Free delivery in certain areas within Metro Manila.

Log on to: http://www.manilatheater.wordpress.com for more info.

See you there!

***************************

I have since communicated with him, reserved and received 3 orchestra tickets. (he had them delivered) Then last night, I had a Eureka moment! I realized what a big mistake I had made, asking for orchestra tickets when loge would have been more accessible plus loge side cost the same as orchestra side. I also realized belatedly that I should just have bought loge center because they didn’t cost that much more and would have afforded my husband son and myself a better view. Darn, darn, darn.

So last night mismo, I emailed Stewie Ong at song1@jnjph.jnj.com. Anxious as I was

Rapid Ranch Pasta

Following is a recipe I tried today. Got it from this site:

Rapid Ranch Pasta

1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 lb box of angel hair pasta, cooked

1 cup ranch dressing

1 cup parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp butter

1 cup light cream

1 cup frozen peas

Parsley (to garnish)

AJI-NO-MOTO Umami Super Seasoning

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Grill while pasta is cooking. Meanwhile, melt butter in saucepan; add cream and parmesan cheese, heating and stirring until the cheese is melted. Add dressing; heat through. Add AJI-NO-MOTO Umami Super Seasoning. Stir in desired amount of the cooked and drained pasta. Cut the chicken in bite-size pieces and add to the spaghetti mixture; add peas; garnish with parsley.

Followed to the letter it tastes quite good. For the ranch dressing, I used Kraft Sour Cream and Ranch Dressing which is fat-free but one doesn’t notice this becausse the parmesan cheese, cream and butter more than compensate for the dressings fat-freeness. The grocery did not have parsley today so coriander was substituted. It came out a superb dish.

A variation on the same might be to substitute mushrooms for the peas and tuna for the chicken. But as it is, the recipe is very, very good. We paired this with barbecued chicken pizza. What a great lunch!

Manila City Hall and Mall of Asia

The Manila City Hall saga started almost 19 years ago when I gave birth to my son and my husband filled up a form attesting to his birth. It was 1989 and I guess that explains why he wrote 1989 when he indicated the date we got married. Our son was born October 1989, he wrote our marriage date as December 8, 1989. It should have been 1988.

Though we had our son’s birth certificate on hand since, it wasn’t until a few years ago that I noticed the error. I told my husband who told his mom who said it should be corrected. So last year she launched her crusade. And what a crusade it turned out to be, one she left unfinished for reasons unclear to me. Among other things, she had to go to QC Hall to get a certificate of no marriage (CENOMAR) on the part of my husband and me to other parties on that date. She said that was the last crucial step before she would have completed her campaign in MCH. Unfortunately, she gave up and so, my husband and I thought of completing the process. We set the launch of our own version today. Here’s a picture of the monument near where we parked.

And we learned a few things the hard way.

Pepper Lunch yet again

Lest anyone think I am a paid hack of Pepper Lunch, I’m not. I’d show you the receipts if I filed them but I’m not OC so I don’t.

This pm, I asked my son if he wanted to watch Wall-e and he said yes, provided we eat at PL first. So we did. So as not to waste time, we dropped him off at the door to P1 while his dad and I parked. When we saw him at PL he was almost near the door, leaning on the wall tinkering with his I-Touch. One has to be ready to wait, one has to learn to occupy oneself. As my son did.

I wanted to order Shikomuri again but I also wanted to relive my first PL experience: Beef Pepper rice. As I contemplated the menu to the left of the entrance, I saw the teriyaki chicken and wanted to try it too. Awful, no?

Good Samaritans in Power Plant and then some, e.g.Pepper Lunch

Was in Power Plant tonight and the good Samaritans I’m referring to are a lady, a man and his two daughters.

First the lady. It was late, almost 1 a.m. The X Files movie had just finished and my husband and I were looking for a security guard to operate the lift outside the theater so I could go down. There was no security guard in sight so my husband left me to look for one. Meanwhile, I saw this lady and her son looking at the lift. I thought they were merely curious until the lady looked at me and said “Wish I could help you.” I assured her it was all right, that my husband was looking for someone who could operate the lift. She left then. Wasn’t that nice of her? Every time someone does me a good turn, I pray for that person. So I did for blessings for the lady.

Not long after, a man in civvies came and opened the door to the lift. He said he was off-duty na when he saw us. He also said he was the security guard who had operated the lift for us to go up. We thanked him for bothering and then I remembered that I had some pinasugbo from my sister. I gave it to him.

As we wheeled to the elevator we noted the volume of people — a normal phenomenon after a movie finishes. I was telling my husband we should just wait for the next elevator when a father signaled to his daughters to stay back so we could go in. I thanked him and said there was room enough in the elevator for them but he smiled and said they’d just take the next one. What a gentleman. I’m sure his daughters will not forget this gesture of their dad.

To other matters:

We arrived in Power Plant rather late, at 8:05 p.m. We resolutely wheeled to Pepper Lunch, prepared to join the long queue having eaten a few slices of pizza before leaving the house. The pizzas were a deliberate move because we knew we’d not be able to get into PL immediately.

Well, the line was indeed long. We were in line at 8:10 and got a table 30 minutes later and were served 10 minutes later. Not bad really because as usual the food was well worth the wait.

I contemplated on eating what Jeroen had recommended in his comment on a previous post: Shimofuri something. I watched the video on how to cook it while waiting for our turn. Then I saw the beef pepper rice and wondered whether I should settle for it because it was half the price. But in the end, I settled for the more expensive dish. And I didn’t regret it. But that’s getting ahead of the story.

My husband ordered teriyaki salmon. Both our orders came with rice and soft drinks.

When my order came, the service crew asked if I wanted her to prepare it for me. Though I’d seen how it should be done in the video, I accepted her offer. She did as prescribed in the video: rubbed the special butter on top of the meat slices, cooked the meat quickly, then the veggies, after which she put the steak on top of the veggies so the meat would not be overcooked. She asked if I wanted the steak well done or medium. I opted for the latter. She said had I opted for well done, she’d have to heat the hot plate again. She wasn’t complaining, mind you, just offering info. Then she asked which sauce I wanted– the garlic soy sauce or the honey based one. I said a little of both.

Wow, the steak was so good. And so were the vegetables and the rice. My husband let me taste his salmon teriyaki and it didn’t have the fish smell or taste. His order came with corn kernels and Baguio beans. Mine had bean sprouts (togue) and Baguio beans.

I’ve noticed how at PL I don’t feel the urge to drink between taking in the dish, so one order of Coke is just enough for me. My husband, as usual, needed a second glass of Coke Zero.

A few days back, when my sister and I talked about PL, she commented how she leaves the place smelling like PL, that one shouldn’t go there on a romantic date. Maybe so, but I don’t mind smelling like PL after a meal there because the aroma reminds me of what a good meal I just had.

I can’t wait to go back to PL. Maybe next time we’ll order the teriyaki chicken. Sigh… Two trips to PL within a week…

I almost forgot, as I mentioned earlier, we watched X Files the movie. Ok, that’s not the title but who doesn’t know X Files, Scully and Mulder? True, Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny look older but who cares? The chemistry is still there and the story was very interesting if a tad gory. So of course I’d occasionally cover my eyes and ask my husband “tapos na?” whenever the scenes showed various parts of the anatomy cut up or bloodied but really I preferred this movie to Dark Knight. It made a lot more sense somehow. Go see for yourself.

************

Celebrity Sightings: Ehra Madrigal with her mom(?), Isabel Oli and Paolo Contis.

For Ranul: Take Control Ham Roll with Polo ravales and Carlo A (from Quickfire)

Ranul, hi. Sorry but I thought I had posted the recipe you requested for. I can’t seem to find it, so maybe I failed to do so. Here it is.

Take Control Ham Roll with Polo Ravales and Carlo Aquino

Posted by Quickfire - on May 28, ‘08 5:08 PM for everyone

7 thinly sliced deli ham

1 c softened cream cheese

dash Worchestershire sauce

dash garlic powder

dash onion powder

minced chives or chopped fresh parsley for color

Ajinomoto umami super seasoning

1 cup flour

1 egg beaten

1 cup panco bread crumbs

Thousand islands and or sour cream dip

Procedure:

1. Blend cream cheese with all other ingredients except ham, adjusting amounts to taste. Sprinkle with Ajinomoto umami super seasoning.

2. Spread a thin layer of mixture onto each ham slice. Roll up jellyroll-style, secure with tooth picks.

3. Dredge in flour, egg and bread crumbs. Deep fry.

4. Serve with thousand island or sour cream dip.

A suggestion: you may also spread some pizza sauce on the ham for added flavor. So it will resemble the pizza rolls that became popular a few months ago. Adding sweet bell pepper might be a good idea too. Mushrooms as well. Or instead of ham as the wrap, you might want to use bread. Just a thought.

Getting a Birth Certificate, a Marriage Certificate via a Phone Call

Last Sunday, I was looking for documents to bring to the post office where I intended to apply for a postal ID. As I went over my files, I noted that my son and husband no longer had NSO-certified birth certificates and we no longer had an NSO-certified marriage certificate. I know they’re here around the house somewhere because almost a year ago, my son tried to apply for a Philippine passport but didn’t finish the process after he went to the NBI to get a clearance  only to find out he had a namesake with a record. Our NSO-certified stuff are in that envelope with all the passport requirements, somewhere out there.

So, despite it being a Sunday, I dialed 187 which is PLDT’s information line to get the NSO’s delivery hotline: 7371111. I then placed my orders. One certificate costs P330.

The man who took my call was very efficient. Per birth certificate he gave me a reference number. He then instructed me to pay for each certificate at Metrobank. How? get a green payment slip, fill up the Company Name: NSO Helpline; Subscriber Name: My name and Reference Number. Metrobank forms have a slot for Subscriber Number, leave that blank. For followup calls, I could ring 7371112, he said. According to him, once I’ve paid, it would take four days later before I could get the certificates requested. But lo and behold, by the second day (one should start counting the four days a day after one pays), I got the certificates. I was in the wheelmo when the messenger arrived. Luckily, the wheelmo was late because I hadn’t counted on the arrival of the forms yet so did not leave a letter of authorization with the maids nor my ID. Whew. The man I had spoken with had also warned that I would be entitled to two delivery attempts only after which I should get the certificates from their office.

Another thing, he gave me the number for getting a passport via a phone call: 737000, he said. Doing this does not spare one from presenting required documents but Teleserv gets these from one’s house. Then it will schedule a date and time for one to go to the DFA to complete the process through fingerprinting.

I forgot to mention that while teleserv charges P330 per certificate, getting it yourself at NSO costs P140 only plus the hassle of lining up, plus fuel or transpo costs to get there. Someone who got her certificate direct from NSO had to make two trips as there were just too many people lining up.

Francis Magalona

Haven’t had time to watch too much TV, log in to pepnews or read the papers so I was dumbfounded, aghast, saddened to find out just a few minutes ago in Unang Hirit that Francis M has been stricken with leukemia. I seriously and fervently hope he recovers. I find him such a good person, as can be gleaned in my previous blogs about Eat Bulaga hosts. He’s always so nice to everyone, particularly the contestants whom he’d always try to help to win.

Life… oh no, I’m crying. Get well soon, Francis M.

Shopping and getting a postal ID

just got back from Shangrila. Brought along 3 old watches. Two Swatch (more than 5 years old each) and one Carter (yes, Carter, not Cartier — a gift from a Japanese professor). All no longer worked. I presumed their batteries needed replacing.

So I hied off to Swatch (ground floor near National). To save time, I asked the maid to bring the Carter watch to Washington (ground floor, near the entrance). She was back before I was done at Swatch. At Swatch a battery cost P150 per. I asked how much she paid at Washington. Guess? P400. The guy at Swatch looked at the Carter watch and said they had a battery for it (he didn’t know I had had the battery replaced already). When I asked how much, he said P150. I was dismayed but there was nothing I could do, right? I explained why I had the battery of the Carter watch replaced at Washington: years back, when I asked for a battery replacement for my Swatch in a non-Swatch store, I was told I could only get batteries for Swatch watches at Swatch. Working on that same presumption, I thought I couldn’t get a battery for non-Swatch watches in a Swatch shop. Lesson learned. Swatch batteries are of the Renata brand. Washington’s is Maxell.  What an expensive lesson: P250 worth. Darn. I decided to post this so you may be enlightened…

Before proceeding to Shang, I went to the post office. I won’t tell which one to spare any undue embarrassment. Why?

Prior to going to the post office, I called up to ask if they had a lunch break. My Wheelmo wasn’t as early as scheduled and I was worried. I was told their lunch break was at 12 noon. A man took my call at around 11 a.m. Yes, I was still at home.

When we arrived at the post office, I went to the area where they release packages. I was told to go to the back. I asked if there were a way from where I was. No, the lady told me, Exit where you came from and go to the back. Okay. But I was pressed for time. By then it was a quarter to 12.

As we wheeled to the back, a man smiled and asked, where you the one who called? I smiled back and nodded. Then I asked “paano yon, wala ka dun (he appeared to be on his way out)”. He assured me there were people there who’d attend to me.

A short ramp led to the doorway where a lady security officer greeted me good morning and asked why I was there. I explained and she said the office in charge of postal IDs was on the second floor, no elevator. I had learned as much from the man who’d taken my call but who said I could just send someone upstairs so someone could come down to entertain my request. My maid went up and came down soon after with a lady. government corruption personified, if allowed.

Here goes. She brought me a paper to sign and a stamp pad. Then she said (it disgusts/amuses me to recall the exchange) “three days ang processing nito ha. So sa Wednesday next week mo na makukuha kasi walang office sa Monday at Tuesday”. From my earlier posts you must have gleaned by now how persistent (kulit) I am. So I pushed, “Hindi pwede ngayon?” She then amended “pero sige, sa friday tapos na eto. Pwede mo na lang ipakuha sa kanya.”(She pointed to the maid). Still I persisted, “Hindi talaga pwede ngayon?” She looked at her watch, “kasi lunch break na e overtime na eto.” I guess it was around 12:01? She went back up with the maid after I’d signed the card and put my thumbprint on it. Then the maid came back to show me the card which by then had my picture and my name and other details typed on it. She said the lady told her to tell me to check if what she’d typed was correct. I went over it and said it was fine. (Meanwhile I’d been talking to the guard and her daughter. She said “Hintayin mo na, sandali lang yan. Pwede i paliminate mo. Libre naman yan eh”.) [Oh I forgot to mention that the lady who attended to me said the ID cost P175 and the doc stamps P145 when we met.] My maid also said the lady upstairs told her to mention the OT thing/lunchbreak etc. She aslo said, according to the maid, “bahala na kayo” or something to that effect. I told the maid, “Tell her thank you, pwede na ba yon?” Of course I wasn’t born yesterday so I knew what she was leading to. But I can be dense when people want lagay. When my maid came down again with my laminated card, she said the lady asked if she’d delivered the lady’s message. The maid said yes and added that I hadn’t said (or done) anything. The lady personnel didn’t push it. Her officemates had arrived.

Pathetic no?

But like I mentioned earlier, the man who’d taken my call was gracious, the lady guard was also very nice. So there’s hope yet for Philippine government…

Hangad’s Concert

Hangad: Noon at Ngayon

Start:	Aug 30, ‘08 7:00p
Location:	St Stanislaus Chapel of the Ateneo High School Ateneo de Manila University, Katipunan Ave., Loyola Heights QC

“Kung aawit ako nang mag-isa, awit ko’y awitin nga ba?”

Block off your calendars for Hangad: Noon at Ngayon, a 10th anniversary concert for Hangad’s first album titled “Hangad”. The show will feature inspirational and liturgical standards from Hangad’s repertoire — some in their original form, others with fresh new arrangements — such as Panunumpa, Pananatili, and Pag-Ibig Ko.

Moreover, the show features the launch of a commemorative 5-track CD, also titled Hangad: Noon at Ngayon, featuring new arrangements of well-loved songs mostly from Hangad’s first album, plus the first-time release of the upbeat “Walang Ibang Hangad.”

Hangad : Noon at Ngayon will be held at 7 PM on August 30, 31 and September 7, 2008, at the St Stanislaus Chapel of the Ateneo High School, Ateneo de Manila University, Katipunan Ave., Loyola Heights, Quezon City.

Tickets are at Php150, which covers entrance to the show and a copy of
the commemorative CD “Hangad: Noon at Ngayon.” Additional “Hangad: Noon
at Ngayon” CD’s can be purchased at Php100 each.

“Habambuhay iisa ang Hangad: umawit sa “Yo!”

House of Minis at the Shang Food Court

When I feel I need a steak fix but don’t want to spend too much, and if I’m with someone willing to eat in the food court, I order from House of Minis. The last time I did, I had T-bone steak (or is this New York cut) for less than P200. It came with their cream soup (chicken-based, I think), rice or bread, and vegetables: sayote, carrots and potato strips  or anorexic fries. The last time we had it though, the beef didn’t taste very good — it somehow wasn’t beef-tasting enough. I wonder why this is so considering that apparently it is cow beef so why does it lack the beefy taste?

Will I eat at House of Minis again? For old times’ sake, yes. Plus sometimes, the beefy taste is there. really sometimes, it is. Plus they have very good sans rival although it’s not available all the time. They also have macaroni and potato salad.

Some pictures:

Besides, the Shangrila food court has taken on a sunnier look. Its chairs are now yellow, a happy yellow:

TV on a Sunday

Perhaps I was tired but a number of shows on QTV didn’t appeal to me last night. Food to Go especially. Joyce Burton was too talkative for a talk show. Sure, her comments were interesting but if one wanted to learn to cook, then last night’s episode didn’t offer that experience. The guests, all past Binibining Pilipinas title holders were just too chatty: Marina Benipayo, Carlene Aguilar, and Joyce. And one of them (guess who?) seemed to keep teasing the chef about his being single. Was that her way of flirting? I guess she hasn’t come across info that he’s engaged if not married by now. Wilma flirts less seriously.

Hired! was no longer as engrossing as the first episode it had for ballet dancers. Oh well. And the episode seemed shorter than before.

Watched a little of All Star K! Patricia Ysmael was guest. She occasionally sang off-key but so what? She doesn’t claim to be a diva. Thing with the hosts and most FIlipino TV shows is this: suppose one loses before the jackpot question is asked. They stop the game and mention the prize given but before they let the guest go, they let him or her go on to find out if she’d have been able to get the jackpot had she proceeded. Patricia was asked to do just that and she sang up to the point that would have won her P400 k instead of P170k. And I have a funny feeling she could have won the jackpot but she said she no longer knew the lyrics. While singing up to P400 k she seemed to be teary eyed because of what could have been? It was tortuous at the very least because P230k is P230 k. How masochistic could the show get? But All Star K! shares this propensity with so many other shows. I’ve seen a few do the same– Eat Bulaga in the past, though no more. So unlike the “Are you smarter than a FIfth Grader?” -US version that doesn’t bother to ask the questions that could have made the contestant won a bigger prize had she proceeded. I think the show’s local counterpart (kakasa ka ba sa Grade 5 hosted by Janno Gibbs) also went the All Star K! route before. Oh well, that’s us, I guess.

Kaya at the Podium

We first tried out Kaya’s fare in his branch at Power Plant. The bulgogi is good, all variants of it: pork, chicken and beef. We’ve tried its spicy squid, bibimbap (rice with veggies and egg) too. All good. Tempura is all right but not near Kimpura’s or any Jap restaurant for that matter. But again, it’s okay.

Years back, a friend treated our class to dinner at Kaya at the Podium. So since then, we’ve occasionally dropped by this branch.

While Kaya in Power Plant is not enclosed in glass doors being in the food court, at the Podium it is a full-blown resto. Ergo, prices are higher and come in bigger servings. Also, appetizers are generously served. Sometimes they even give seconds without one’s having to ask. Some of the appetizers are as follows: They are candied peanuts (in Bacolod its dried up form would be called bandi, kangkong(?), radish cake(?) and really small fish. Not in picture are pickled radish and kimchi. I think by then my husband had consumed the radish while we didn’t get the kimchi as it’s cabbage and bad for his uric acid.

The other dishes were ordered were kalbi jim , a grilled fish (forgot which kind) , and dolsot bibim bap .

My take on Kaya food, as ordered that night:

the appetizers are truly welcome when one arrives hungry. And they’re generous about refills. Peanuts are very good and so with the rest pictured above. I’m not a radish fan and well, kimchi isn’t allowed in our table though my husband used to devour it. Kalbi jim is not outstanding. In fact, the fast food Kimchi’s version equals it (Kimchi can be found in the foodcourt of Shang – basement). The fish was fleshy, true, but its only flavor seemed to my uneducated taste buds to come only from his freshness and salt. I like my dishes a tad tastier but not too much. The bibimpap is something we always order and it doesn’t disappoint in terms of quantity and quality. I feel healthy eating it because it has veggies (do I deceive myself?) and its spiciness can be controlled by the amount of chili paste one asks to be put in once it’s served on the table. The service personnel asks before stirring the paste into the mixture how much of it one likes.

So why Kaya? Beats lining up which one has to do in a fast foods place but Kimchi would do as well taste wise. And it has bibim bap which Kimchi doesn’t have. Kimchi has one over Kaya in serving bulgogi. Kimchi serves bean sprouts along with the bulgogi. Oh and both establishments serve free soup (broth with green onions, very tasty) with one’s order.

Mamma Mia! The Dark Knight and Smart Bro

Yes, cousin and friend, you read it right. Smart Bro. But that’s getting ahead of the story.

Yesterday, on my way home from the grocery, I saw Mr. DVD/DVD perched atop a bench in front of a neighborhood resto. I asked the maid to call him and she started shouting at him. I said, no, go to him and ask him to come over. See, that stressed me again? Her uncouthness. Anyway…

I asked to see his DVDs and having been advised by my husband, I asked if these were DVD copies rather than filmed from movie houses. He assured me he’d tell me which was which. But he lied 20 percent of the time. I bought 5 DVDs for P200, a concession he gave me   because I got 5. Otherwise each was priced at P50. All the titles, he said, were DVD copies: Mamma Mia, Adam Sandler’s movie, Hancock, Wanted, and I forgot the last one. My first choice was Mamma Mia because people were saying it was a good movie with Abba’s songs. But Mr. DVD/DVD’s promise was 20 percent inaccurate. I had husband test all five and  MM had tilted credits. Also, when it got to the title, what appeared on the screen were the letters MMA MIA! Promise. Rather than get peeved, I let it go at that and watched the movie with my husband and son, snickering when only one eye of the one speaking was visible, smiling indulgently when the one speaking was not visible on the TV screen, etc.

The verdict: I wasn’t too enamored with the movie. I think had I watched it on the big screen, I’d have felt similarly. My husband said there’s a Beatles’ movie or rather a movie made using songs of the Beatles and it’s way better. The stars of said movie, though are unknown. That movie I’m curious about. But I’ll bet it won’t get as much media mileage as Mamma Mia! because it doesn’t have Merryl Streep.

Now to The Dark Knight. Shortly after it opened in Metro Manila theaters, a friend of my son blogged that it was dark. Dark movies do not appeal to me so I wasn’t too keen on watching it. But husband and son were so determined that after a good lunch at Pepper Lunch, I went along.

My verdict: Even if it was dark, Heath Ledger shone. He really was quite the Joker. Pity he’s gone. He’ll be a tough act to follow. But maybe it was the lunch, maybe it was the time of day (1:30 pm screening) but I occasionally dozed off. Oh yes, maybe it’s my age. But I was entertained overall if a bit confused. One scene touched me. It involved two ferry boats: one containing people who were random citizens, another containing prisoners. Watch the movie so you’ll know why I was touched…

Shortly after the movie began, my son said, “ma, isn’t that Morgan Freeman who met an accident?” I said “yes” to which he interjected, “some people say the movie is jinxed: first Heath Ledger dies, then MF”. I enlightened him that MF survived. I didn’t bother to tell him that MF and his wife are divorcing. Not necessarily because of the fact that with him in the car during the accident was a woman not his wife. And she owned the car. His spokesman said the divorce had been planned since December 2007. Oh? Oh well. The straw that broke the camel’s back? whatever…

Anyway, that’s it about TDK.

Now to Smart Bro. SInce Wednesday till this a.m., our DSL has been intermittent. And that’s undesirable for my son and me — he because occasionally, he has to submit homework, projects, etc via email and me because occasionally I get work via email. Then a cousin who hasn’t had DSL for almost a month, and I talked. I was surprised to sense that he didn’t seem flustered by such a predicament. To worsen matters, their phone line was busted as well. His secret for his seeming equanimity? Smart Bro.

Lest you think I’m plugging SB, think not. The company doesn’t know I exist. So I’m not plugging, ok? I paid for the SB unit we got this pm, shortly after watching The Dark Knight. And guess what? It was a special package we got. Now priced at P3800, down P 700 from 3 or so weeks ago, the SB unit comes in the form of a flash drive with, get this, the DK design! Promise. But it also came with a P300 card so instead of shelling out just P3800 which comes with a P100 load, we paid P4100.

We won’t be using the SB unless DSL goes kaput although we’ll be sure to consume the load in it. At least we won’t go crazy if DSL chooses to go the route. We will exhibit the composure my cousin did while he was so deprived. AND BY THE WAY, one day short of a month, his DSL was ok and his phone had a dial tone. Big deal, PLDT. Because of your inefficiency, at least two people have had to buy Smart Bro. Oops, it just occurred to me, you also own Smart Bro. Hmmm.

Just in case some people are wondering why we didn’t get GLobe Visibility, the reason is accessibility. GV is available in SM malls while we were able to get SB at Power Plant.

Pepper Lunch

A few weeks ago, we were at Power Plant, had lunch at Myron’s. Then my son said, “There’s a new restaurant in front of Rustan’s and the line to it is very long.” He said a classmate had told him about Pepper Lunch so we decided to check out the place — how it looked, what it had to offer visually. I was thinking take out for dinner, but my son said he preferred to eat there, another time.

The other time was today. I thought we were early, arriving as it were in Power Plant shortly after 11. But there were a lot of people who got there earlier. Pepper Lunch was full. And the line while not that long meant at least 30 minutes of waiting. Fearing my not too patient husband and son would opt to leave, I said, let’s just wait it out and we did.

The verdict? Pepper Lunch is worth waiting for. Really. For less than P1200 or P400 per head, we had double pepper rice each: chicken for son, pork for husband and beef for me. By double I mean double the serving of meat on the same amount of rice. These were served us on hot plates with temperatures of 260 degrees. Why the high temp? While the rice was pre-cooked, the meat came raw. Rice was littered with black ground pepper and corn kernels, some chives or green onions. We were advised to let the meat cook before putting in the honey-based sauce. we were warned that the garlic sauce was a tad salty so could be avoided. But my son likes garlic and he put a lot of the sauce. It was good, he pronounced and so aside from the honey based sauce, we also put garlic. The meal was so good. Oh yes, we also ordered miso soup at less than P50 per. Yummy, very tasty. Plus molten chocolate cake ala mode. The meals came with a large paper cup of soft drinks but we ordered two refills just in case. Would have been quite difficult to line up for refills all over again.

The electrormagnetic hot plate was so efficient that till the end, the dish was pleasantly warm. Do we go back? Most certainly. In fact, when we bumped into fellow diners after watching The Dark Knight, I teased my husband and son that I was craving for Pepper Lunch food again, prompting my husband to ask me if they also served merienda. In a sense, I guess they do because they have salads, desserts etc. Except that my son had to go home to prepare for a dinner where he’d play the guitar for someone’s lola’s birthday. Another time then, that’s for sure.

(Pictured is my double order beef pepper rice. Husband took the picture when it arrived on the table. See the paper around the plate? That was thoughtfully put so the plate wouldn’t be inadvertently/accidentally touched, and I guess to avoid splatters?

Groceries shopping

After a long hiatus, I went back to Rustan’s in Katipunan today. A number said “tagal niyo na ho di bumalik a.” This after an absence of 3 weeks, I think. I guess I am such a creature of habit that they expect to see me weekly at the supermarket?

So what prevailed on me not to go? Nothing more than the unpredictable rains. So what was it like today?

For one, I saw a couple (batchmates from college) and a coparent from my son’s theater group in high school. It was nice bumping into to them and chatting a little. For another, I saw Julius Babao. As is his and Christine’s wont, he was wearing a baseball(?) cap to conceal his identity, I guess? But that really defeats the purpose because for one, it is rather strange, not to say impolite, to see someone with a cap in a roofed structure, right? So, chances are, people become curious and look who the creature is who’s wearing a cap. Duh. Julius did the groceries. Not too much so maybe it was a trip for buying a few odd things rather than a month’s or even a week’s supply.

I was not too pressed for time and was curious about the fresh produce — would you believe, vegetables? Because when we last ate in Myron’s and I blogged about it, my son ordered a Wagyu burger and ate all of it, meaning meat and veggies. So I asked the girl who attended to us what the lettuce was. I thought it was Romaine. She said it was “dolorosa”. Never heard, but who am I to contest such info when I am no greens connoisseur? Which was why I was taking my time in the fresh produce section and of course I didn’t find said lettuce. I did get the regular kind and some other (I forget what exactly, I checked. Iceberg). I wonder if I’ll be able to use them up before they wilt to death. Anyway, one special reason why I decided to blog about what seemingly was an uneventful trip to the grocery was seeing this dark violet tubes wrapped in saran. They looked vaguely familiar and okay, I was embarrassed that my maid from Cotabato had to enlighten me as to its identity: “tubo (accent on the second syllable) na day”. uh oh. I spent 18 years in Negros and passed by sugarcane fields each time I left the house to go north or south; I spent a number of days munching on La Carlota sugarcane (pang-os ta tubo) and I didn’t recognize the thing 34 years later? Shame on me. So I got one bunch, 3 for P62.75. Purportedly a kilo’s worth. Yummy. I tried and hard to convince my son to take a bite; he refused. I’m peeved. But a city born and bred youth, is I guess just that. My husband took a few pieces which means I’ll gain a kilo within so many days for eating the tubo by my lonesome. Oh, maybe, not really a kilo because its peel must account for most of its weight? Wishful thinking.

I also got Appetite magazine. And as usual, when I got home to look at the contents, I was dismayed. The layout of this magazine makes my head twirl. The font used makes my eyes squint. So why did I get it? There was no other food magazine on hand and I wanted to find new recipes. Oh well, promise that’s the last time I’ll get an Appetite magazine. In the letters to the editor page, the letter senders were swooning about the magazine, so far I’ve not seen any reason to do the same.

Ticketnet at the Podium

Last week, my son told me Al Jarreau and George Benson were coming. I knew that was an almost hint that he wanted to watch them. And this time, I thought he should. He hasn’t watched a foreign act since Holiday on Ice when he was maybe 7 years old and the tickets were free–courtesy of his godfather from Nestle. Foreign acts have come and gone, his friends watched a few, but he never asked for money to watch with them. He knows they’re expensive.

But I guess Al Jarreau and George Benson are a different matter altogether so without telling him, I promptly logged on to ticketnet and ordered two tickets. Upper A for him and his father. Would have wanted to join them but ringside tickets, the only location accessible to anyone on a wheelchair, cost P5k plus. Multiply that by 3 and wow, that’s too much. So Upper A tickets, front row. Great. Where to get them?

The girl I spoke with after I received confirmation of my reservation by email said they could be obtained from the Yellow Gate of Araneta Coliseum or from any SM customer service personnel in SM malls. Wow that made me think. We don’t go to Cubao and neither to SM malls. Just too crowded. I looked at the list of outlets again and eureka! Saw Podium. Aha, so I called SM Appliance in Podium because well, SM, right. The guy who took my call sounded incredulous and said I should call Megamall. They didn’t have it in the appliance center. Oops, I said, so why was Podium listed? Anyway, tried to call megamall, no answer. Called Ticketnet and was told they did have an outlet in Podium. Customer service, ground floor. Ohhhhh. So I called Customer Service at Podium and voila! Yes I could get the tickets from there. They’re situated across Beauty Bar, quite near to Holland Tulips. Great. So we went. I brought my Id and the cash. They printed two tickets that said I shouldn’t put them near heat (fax ink gets erased?. Settled.

Then I saw Philip Stein, a watch place. I was curious but didn’t have the guts to enter. Another time, I thought. And that other time came a few days ago.

Philip Stein watches are unique. All have dual time facilities. Some are big, some are daintily sized. But watch out the really dainty ones with diamonds (?) cost over P100k. Asked what the cheapest model was. P41 k less 30 percent, so that’s P27k plus. They had 6 months, no interest offers plus free strap. I asked if they had it under Citibank and BPI. No, just BDO, HSBC and I forget what else. I said pity. I was so tempted to treat myself to an expensive (by my standards, anyway) watch. After we looked around some more, the girl asked me for my cell number and said they’d find out if ok with BPI. We left. As we were still in Podium, I got a call from her. Ok BPI. But I had had an enlightened moment between their shop and the elevator and I had decided it was an extravagance I didn’t need. So ended my would have been possession of a PHilip Stein watch. Besides, had I gotten one, I’d have opted for a model that my husband could use too, para sulit. But I didn’t actually like it that big. I’d have preferred one for women really – same price. So there. No Philip Stein watch for me, never mind if it promised to improve my mood, well-being etc. Psyching myself usually works anyway, and comes for free. Now if only the one with diamonds were cheaper. Fat chance… A watch is a watch is a watch. All tell the same time. Imagine if they’d had outright said I could have gotten the watch c/o BPI six months, interest-free. I’d be looking at my wrist on which would be a Philip Stein watch, dual time, without diamonds, men’s size. Would I be happier then? Hahaha. Maybe, but poorer too. Besides, I don’t travel so why would I need a dual-time watch? Pray tell.

Shang and Power Plant

At Shang a few weeks ago, saw Basil Valdez eating at Max’s on the basement. When he saw me smile, he smiled back. Nice of him. On the 6th floor at Shang, saw Jamie Rivera. On another occasion, saw Love Anover eating at Sumo Sam. She was animatedly talking, so like her. People around her seemed to be enjoying themselves. never a dull moment with her around, I guess.

Today at Power Plant, we had lunch at Myron’s. The Paolo’s rib eye steak was good, especially with foie gras. But there were two let-downs, both potato-based. My son ordered wagyu burger and I was surprised he barely touched the fries, he who can live on it for days. He said it tasted artificial, very oily and airy. I didn’t bother to try it. My steak came with mashed potato. The mashed po wasn’t the usual melt-in-your-mouth they used to serve. Am not sure if it was the type you buy in boxes in the supermarket: potato flakes to whcih you add water. But for sure, it was different. The rest of the sidings were good, although the wine sauce didn’t quite taste the same. But the mushroom risotto was superb. I could just eat that and nothing else. It had lots of mushrooms and parmesan cheese. Heavenly. My husband ordered the wagyu ribs and my son who tried it said it was tender. On the table next to ours were Gretchen and Tony Boy with several others. Gretchen was very much a lady, though before their order came, I caught her putting lip gloss or something on her lips.

Incidentally, when we first got the bill at Myron’s, I was aghast when I saw that I was charged P700 for the risotto. Earlier I had asked how much it would cost because it wasn’t listed as a separate dish on the menu but as an accompaniment to a scallop dish. The lady who attended to us said P160 so I was surprised when I saw the entry in the invoice. Someone else had prepared the bill. So I called her attention to it and she promptly corrected the same. Lesson learned: always check your bill for accuracy.

Had dessert at the Diamond Hotel’s satellite cafe on the second floor (R2) near National Bookstore. Le Royale, of course. My husband and I shared a slice. I saw a foccacia loaf and said I’d take out one. When the bill came, the price written opposite the foccacia bread was P500. I was about to have it canceled when the waiter said “ay nasobrahan ng zero”. True enough, our total bill was correct; it was just the price beside the bread that was erroneously written.

At Power Plant, a number of establishments have either closed shop or have been renovated. I didn’t see Gingersnaps any longer but Planet Sports looked good. The personnel in the said establishment are very welcoming and efficient.

We had to rush home because my husband was eager to watch the Ateneo UST basketball game. Chris Tiu stood out as usual not in terms of number of shots but in terms of leadership and the type of game he played. He didn’t hog the ball but passed it on as needed. If only for his sake, I hope the team wins the championship this year. He’s graduating so it’s his last chance.

About 2

I doubt very much that anyone will get to read this because I won’t put any tags on it nor categories. I’ve noticed how many click on my “About” which I’ve since abbreviated to the barest minimum. So why write an “About 2″?

I can understand the curiosity of people. I too am curious how one blogger who writes on restos exclusively can eat so much yummy food and still be alive financially and physically. The strain on the pocket must be unimaginable and I wonder where the greater strain is– on the pocket or his health? How nice it must be to get to taste so many different kinds of food without let-up except that I personally wouldn’t be able to handle the same logistically and taste buds-wise. I need an occasional respite from so much beef which I love even. So now to me and who I am.

Last night, I drank an antihistamine for my clogged nose that could be the nasty precursor to an even nastier asthma attack. And I’ve noticed how most times, when I drink antihistamine, I get to sleep really deep and dream mostly happy dreams. Last night I thought it was for real.

In my wheelchair, I was applying to teach and my initiation into it involved my having to teach Pilipino. What a laugh. So though I worried about it, I didn’t exactly prepare for it and completely forgot to do so. Then the day came and I was wondering how to conduct the class. when I finally got to class, the teacher handling it gave me a story book in English about a prince (name of Max Brenner – isn’t that a coffee brand) and a princess. I think there were swans involved. I was imagining how to approach the class, admitting to the teacher the story was unfamiliar. I thought then of asking the class if they liked to read and what. Fairy tales i would tell them were a worthy intro to literature. I also was going to advise them to have a dictionary with them at all times. then I rued, “if this were Math, I could just walk into class and not worry”. Then I woke up.

I found it such a pity that I did because I’d have loved to teach that English class, even if only in my dreams. Should I take another antihistamine tonight and wish the dream would proceed where it left off?

The previous paragraphs should tell you at least three things about me: I am in a wheelchair, I am asthmatic, and it was my childhood dream to be a teacher. I did teach for a year, Algebra and English to high school students. Then I quit because it was lonely in Negros without friends to talk with during weekends, friends meaning people my age. All my good friends and my best were in Manila. So back to Manila I went. And that part of my life proceeds till today.