Life Is A Highway

Alone on the highway. Just me, my tunes, and my thoughts. Been a while...

Wordless: Manila Sky

A picture I took of the Ortigas skyline as Angelo and I were driving through the stretch of C-5.

Wordless: Uhuh, I'll Take 'Ya

Mabuhay ka, Apl.de.ap!

10 On Tuesday: Things I Think Are Cool

I'm very easy to please, so you could imagine how challenging it was for me to narrow down the coolest things in the world to only TEN. Phew. OK, here they are...

1. 24-Hour Food Deliveries. If it's late, it's free!

2. Soap and Dental Floss. You should try them out some time! :)

3. Books. I have nothing against eBooks and audiobooks; I've read/listened to a few. But call me old fashioned; I'd much rather read a book I can actually hold. You know, turning the pages, bookmarking, and all that jazz.

4. Live Concerts. Concert DVDs are alright, but nothing beats live.

5. Frankenstein. Not the monster, but my long pillow (and oldest bed buddy). I call it Franky for short. Angelo has always wanted me to get rid of it. I say to him, "Not yet, Baby. Not yet." lol

6. Anything and Everything Touch-Screen. Swish and slide!

7. The Beach.

8. TV/Computer/Movie Theater/Radio/iPod/Cellphones. Any and all portals of media and communication really.

9. Couch Surfing. Would love to do this someday.

10. Airconditioning. In its most literal sense. If you live in these parts, you'd think it was very cool, too.

10 On Tuesday: Favorite Places To Eat

Oh, wow, I'm excited and I haven't even begun. OK, here we go. In no particular order...

1. The Streets of Bangkok (Thailand). Delish hawker food, spicy sauces, available 24 hours a day. I miss it. Badly.

2. Tong Yang (Philippines). Sizzling hot pot, a spread of awesome raw food, cooked crab and dumplings, their heavenly Tong Yang sauce (oh, man), and unlimited ice cream.

3. Saisaki / Dad's (Philippines). The best buffet in town.

4. Buffalo's Wings N' Things (Philippines). Friday nights, wings, beer, and good company. Great way to kick off the weekend.

5. Burgoo (Philippines). Love, love, LOVE their combo fajitas.

6. IHOP (USA). Chicken Florentine and comfort breakfast food served ALL day.

7. Lucille's BBQ (USA). Meatlovers paradise.

8. Hong Kong Express (USA). This quaint little Chinese take-out place on the corner of Carson and Western in Cali. I ate their food for DAYS!

9. Cocoy's (Q.C., Philippines). Pares, anyone?

10. Dampa (Manila, Philippines). You buy your food at the market you pick out a restaurant, they cook it for you, then you eat with your hands. Chili crab, buttered and/or tempura shrimps, fresh oysters, baked scallops...keep the rice and soda coming...ahhhh. Heaven!

The Great Fall Of China...town

This was where my mom tripped/fell over, hard, in the middle of Chinatown in NYC. One of the cops who responded to the 911 call almost tripped himself! What the!@#$%


Some TLC from the FDNY.

Thanks, boys! (behave, Mother!!! lol)

10 On Tuesday: Things I'd Bring On A Deserted Island

This week's 10 has always come up in past conversations, most of them uttered with drunken abandon. So, I guess they don't count. Now, without further ado, my sober self brings you the official list of things I'd take with me to a deserted island (and let's all pretend I took a big ass boat to this piece of land, alright? Alllrighty then).

1. Guitar. I was going to say "iPod," but come on. Where would I charge it? I could put "portable generator" under #2, "gallons of gasoline" under #3, and "socket" under #4 while I'm at it, but that would be downright cheating. So, yeah, my guitar would have to do.

2. Something to write with/on. I'd hate to make paper from scratch (pardon the pun) and use my own blood ala Wilson's face as ink. A few good boxes of pencils and reams of paper ought to be enough.

3. Cutlery. For gutting and cooking purposes. Oh, and to sharpen my pencils, of course. I'd put "pencil sharpener" under #4, but that would be such a waste.

4. Matches. Quite a lot of those, I think. Yep, definitely a lot.

5. Framed pictures. To make my little hut a bit more homey.

6. Bagful of clothes. All sorts for different kinds of weather. And all adjustable, so when I lose weight they'd still fit me.

7. Feminine products. Surf the crimson wave like we girls are supposed to -- with superior leakage control.

8. Frankenstein. Not the monster, but my pillow Franky. It's traveled the world with me. Why not to this island?!

9. Sunblock. Gallons of gasoline would be ludicrous. Gallons upon gallons of sunblock is just plain smart.


10. Mobile phone with extra batteries and signal boosters. You know, for when I get tired of the castaway life and feel like rejoining the rest of society. "Uh, hello, Mr. Coast Guard, sir? Could you swing by for me later? Thanks."

10 On Tuesday: Favorite Cities

1. Manila.

2. New York.

3. Bangkok.

4. San Francisco.

5. Las Vegas.

6. Puerto Princesa.

7. Dublin.

8. Mystic, CT.

9. Hong Kong.

10. Montreal. I've never really been. But I've heard so much about it, I might as well have. I mean, that could've been me in the picture.

10 On Tuesday: Places To Shop

We're talking apparel here, guys, nothing else. I would have a totally different 10 if we were talking like food or something else. OK, on with the show...

1. Kohl's. Up to 80% off on clearance items LESS my aunt's 15-30% employee's discount LESS the day's additional discount of up to $10 for every $50 spent...just thinking about it gives me goosebumps all over. They carry a bunch of good brands -- Simply Vera by Vera Wang, Gloria Vanderbilt, Sonoma, Elle, Daisy Fuentes, Apt. 9, Chaps. Ahh, retail...my personal brand of heroin.

2. 168 Mall, Divi Mall, and Tutuban Center @ Divisoria. Not everyone will agree with me on this. Not everyone CAN brave the streets and alley ways of Divisoria to find the best retail, wholesale, and overrun deals. It can be a little intimidating; what, with the traffic, the crazy commuters, the not-so-clean streets. But, all that's WORTH IT.

3. Susie's Deals. Every item for $5.99 [plus tax] or LESS! Crazy, no? I think I've been to ALL of the Susie's Deals stores; except the one in Utah. It sort of turned into a mission, actually. AND, I got to meet Susie herself at their factory outlet in Fontana, CA. Got some great deals and extra discounts for the remainder of my US trip. Susie's rocks my socks off.

4. Dorothy Perkins/Topshop. I loooooove their stuff because A) they fit, B) I can wear them to work or out about town or to the next door neighbor's and not look overdressed but still fashionable, and C) they fit. God bless The Queen!

5. Lalai Sap. My absolute favorite piece of shopping heaven in Bangkok. Sure, I also love Suan Lum, the Pat Pong night market strip, Siam Paragon, and the Pratunam market...oooh, Pratunam. But, Lalai Sap will always have a special place in my heart.

6. eBay. Nothing better than buying WHILE selling. You don't feel as cleaned out. lol

7. Greenhills Shopping Center. If I can't get my Divisoria fix, Greenhills is the next best thing. Also a great place to bring friends and family who are visiting from abroad. They'll surely get their $'s worth...and more!

8. Surplus Shop. Where cheap overruns and fabulous treasures await.

9. Landmark Department Stores. They've got really good affordable finds. With some patience and serious shopper's skills, you can bag a complete ensemble with just minimal wallet damage.


10. SM Supermalls Department Stores. Truly, they've got it all. The one that's like 5 minutes away from where I live? It's one of my most favorite places on Earth. SM North EDSA also happens to be the 10th biggest mall in the world, according to Forbes (based on gross leasable area). I read somewhere it's the 6th biggest mall in terms of land area. Not to mention, 2 other SM Supermalls located in Metro Manila are included in the top 10 for both lists. Just its vastness speaks for itself. I've been going to that mall since I was like 5 or 6 years old. No wonder it's been imprinted in my DNA.

Pine Country

OK, we are so not pine country. If anything, I'd say we're coconutville. But, once in a while, we do drive up to the mountains and attempt to simulate the cold of the west. We wear jackets in the presence of the slightest cool breeze. We're pathetic, I know. But we got the beaches, man. Can't really complain.

Here's my brother mocking me (and the rest of the world) during a trip to Tagaytay last weekend...


Oh, oh...a quick shout out to MANNY "PACMAN" PACQUIAO for wowing us this past weekend. You the man, Man! I'll write more about you later. ;)

Pre-Departure Sentiments

So, I'm leaving L.A. for Manila in 1 week. Has it really been 6 months already?!? Time flies so fast, doesn't it.

All in all, I had an awesome time here in the US of A. Was with my aunt during her chemo sessions and only yesterday we found out her bone marrow's clear of cancer (amen!). Been to 10 States -- 5 on each coast -- and they were all fabulous. Got to spend time with family and friends. Rode on the most insane theme park rides, witnessed snow fall for the very first time, touched real snow for the very first time, had my first thanksgiving, went to the site of the first ever thanksgiving, met Ms. Liberty, walked the mall parking lot where they shot Back To The Future, wept at the sight of the Grand Canyon, witnessed Obama make history...so many good memories. 6 months worth of them.

Big thanks to the Sorianos and Dorados for their hospitality and generosity. To my friends, old and new -- I wish I had more time to spend with you. When I come back, I promise you'll be sick of me. :)

Now, I'm off to Vegas to celebrate my pre-birthday send-off. Cheers! ;)

Wordless: Torrance Sky

Brazil! Brazil!

We were supposed to drive to Long Beach last night for the ultimate lobster buffet (@ Khoury's), but the rain was relentless so we didn't want to take our chances on the slippery freeway. What we did was we called and moved our reservations for the 13th. Instead, we opted for the next best thing -- meat, meat, meat.

Ended up having dinner at this Brazilian buffet place called Samba in Redondo Beach.

The Brazilian beef was just exquisitely done. The scallop salad, among other delectable sides, sure helped purge the strong meat after-taste (I kept tasting and tasting anyway haha). So so good.

The lamb, too, was just delish. And the tritip, and the top sirloin, and the...whole freakin' cow, how's that. Even the staff thought so. Just look at that smile. Yummy, too, no? lol

And after dinner...a little samba by my mama. You go shake what grandma gave you!

On Beer, Pureed Food, And The Big Apple

LunaNina says ... and I think ... ?

1. Take :: ...though 'tis better to give.
   
2. 350 :: # of times I fantasized about eating real, solid, yummy food today.
   
3. Stand :: ...By Me circa 1986.
   
4. Raspberry :: ...beer. Ah, beer.
   
5. Turnstile :: Pay as you enter.
   
6. Infomercial :: "But wait, there's more!!!"
   
7. Dejected :: Lost hope.
   
8. What’s the word? :: Sale!!!
   
9. Awestruck :: New York City.
   
10. Smashed :: Perfectly describes the kind of food I've been eating.
    

Wordless: Sea World, San Diego

Wordless: East Side Story

Wordless: Samuel Adams Winter Lager

Wordless: Solvang, San Francisco, Sacramento

My Top 5: Gifts Received On Christmas Day

I got quite a few presents today. Those gift cards and "special envelopes" rocked, for sure, but these are my top five. So far LOL I'm sure I'll be getting more when I fly back home in 2 months ha ha I am so bad...

1. [What seems like a year's supply of] Ferrero Rocher, Raffaello, and Rondnoir (that last one is my fave). Ayayayayay.

2. A picture frame of me and my nephew Aidan (he's just 4 and he wrapped it himself!).

3. Vera Wang handbag.

4. Montreal Canadiens' Captain Saku Koivu #11 jersey (technically, I received it a few days early in the mail, but I did wait 'til Christmas morning before I opened it).

5. Round-trip ticket to Boston.

And on that note...

Wordless: Snow Angel