Snoqualmie Casino

I spent my first Christmas in US with my loved ones. I now have a family I can call my own in US, though my family by blood and relatives live in America, I'm never accepted by them anyway. So, this time we went to Snoqualmie Casino, Keith wanted me to meet his friend who works in one of the casino's restaurant. And we drove more than an hour just to see her.

These two don't like pictures

made me her very own special cocktail.

We had rolls, ebi sushi and chinese barbecue then roamed the casino for about an hour

We are no experienced gamblers and didn't know how to pay the slot machines so we left earlier than expected.

Alone in NYC

This was me in New York, alone in my hotel room emotional and teary. Whenever I go for a vacation, I'd make sure I get to meet a close friend or relatives. I was going to meet my high school friend in the city but she was in California this time and won't get to NY until after a couple of days more. Even if I'm used to being alone most of the time, dejection crept in me realising I'm just in NY, my paternal cousins and uncle are just maybe a quick taxi ride away from me and I couldn't and wouldn't meet them, though I want to. Because I was and will never be accepted in the family. 

Indian store

Last time we were out we checked out this Indian store beside Muckle Shoot Casino and they sell blankets with cool Indian prints. Keith has American Indian blood, so that's my Christmas gift to him.

Our First Christmas

Tokyo’s Fluffy Caramel French Toast

Balai Dako Tagaytay

I love taking my visitors and my friends out for a lunch treat. Usually I take them to Pamana which is just beside Eco Hotel Tagaytay, if I have free time it would be Balai Dako by Antonios which is a bit further away from Eco Hotel. Balai Dako is a Visayan word for Big House, my boss the President of the hotel introduced it to me when I was just new in Tagaytay.

But first... coffee!

This time, I was with one of my co managers celebrating her assignment to El Nido. We ordered Pinakbet, caldereta and the best of the bests Balai Dako's Batchoy. I couldn't get enough of their Batchoy, it is my favorite among all other dishes they have. Flavor is rich and the noodles don't sog.
The pinakbet however if compared to Pamana's I should say is bland. 

BANGUS ALA POBRE | 710 (1kg)
Pan-fried milkfish seasoned with crushed black peppercorns
Good for 5-6 persons

My parents know I am not a fan of Milkfish, or the fish known to everyone as Bangus. There's an exemption to my rule though, when I am in a classic Filipino restaurant like this, I try dishes I've always avoided for I know their solid reputation would never fail my taste buds.

Lunch meeting with my bestfriend slash co manager and the company's newly hired IT

A Must Filipino Dip/concoction integral to Pinoy cuisine

Batchoy again! Plus the not so rubbery grilled squid

Just by the entrance right in the middle to the main dining is where they make freshly baked piaya for sale. Also spelled piyaya, this is one of the delicacies of Bacolod. It’s a flaky flat bread with dark muscovado sugar.

BATCHOY
Thei version of the Ilonggo classic. Thick egg noodles, pork meat and pork off al and a rich pork broth

Baby squids in olive oil is also a favorite of mine. It's an appetizer but I like eating it with my rice. The restaurant is usually packed during lunch hours. Almost every dish is affordable and uniquely Filipino. I would love to eat here everytime and not mind the distance and traffic, but the servers are real snobby they can't even smile... I wonder why?

Tagaytay’s Bulalo Ramen at AOZORA

Things conceded to touristiness are fabulous food and spectacular view, and Tagaytay is deservedly famous for both. There are a lot of restaurants serving delish Filipino food in Tagaytay that even locals would be intrigued enough to try. One time I craved for sushi rolls, and found Aozora at Domicillo inn which probably was the only Japanese restaurant in the area, that time.

I came for the sushi and the server suggested we try their famously infamous 'Bulalo Ramen'. A blending of two cuisines with youthful savoir-faire. So why not?

Me and my friend shared and had it split into two bowls. What we had on the table all taste great we didn't have to eat too much to feel full.

I couldn't have cared less what Aozora the name of the restaurant means, belatedly it occurred to me to google and found out that it means 'Blue Sky'.

AOZORA Japanese Cafe + Bistro

Domicillo Hotel, KM 58 Gen. E. Aguinaldo Highway, Tagaytay City, Cavite
Facebook: Aozora Japanese Cafe + BistroOperating Hours: Monday – Sunday: 7:00 am – 10:00 pm

#Walling at Eco Hotel Tagaytay

I believe in smiles... wiping away worries...

Aside from the spectacular view of Taal Volcano from the roof deck, the inside of the hotel is also visually attractive. You'd most likely feel a romantic interest on every corner and begin to catapult #walling for the love of instagram. All you need is a smile and a camera. If you're more artistic than me, you could probably end up #Vogueing.

It is the Unexpected that changes our lives

Cyma at Greenbelt 3

Oppah! I had the best birthday celebration here. The flaming fire was a real entertainment and the melting cheese tasted so heavenly. I also can never forget the watermelon lamb with olives and feta cheese! Not to mention the servers were very attentive and hospitable #yummiez

My dad's birthday gift to me, a gold purse

Never Turn Down a Blessing...

I always get lucky whenever I queue to buy donuts and pastries at a Starbucks inside our church. One time I didn’t have to pay for my donuts since a church-mate paid for all the donuts in advance for the next buyers. And now another church mate offered to pay for whatever I was gonna buy. Not a fluke, it’s a great blessing from God and people sharing love.

American Tinola

It was my birthday away from the motherland, bored and alone I decided to cook TINOLA - a ginger ( used the gari from the sushi i bought 4days ago 😂) and onion based soup with chicken. Best with green papaya (used patatas as alternative) and chili pepper leaves (found lettuce and pepperoncini in the fridge😁) perfect when paired with white rice.

Spread Love Wherever You Go...

Film Photography © Alessandro

If you’re a tourist exploring Baguio, it's very unlikely to be gouged in this city by the locals. The cost of living and condition is reasonable. Gourmet meals you can have anytime without emptying your pocket. Short tours that are worth a taxi ride, for Baguio taxis charge cheap and drivers even give exact change - Sweet!

My stay in Baguio was a memorable series of walwal, in its very positive sense. Before I left the city, my escape mates took me to BenCab Musuem - because I've never been there. A day before, we decided it should also be our photoshoot day!

One of my mates is an extremely enthusiastic taker of pictures and has a special fondness of using film over digital photography. Most millenials would probably think its obsolete. I remember the days when the use of DSLR camera was such a hype, anyone who has it becomes an instant 'pro' photographer. And now anyone could shoot thousands of pictures using a smartphone camera and chimp over the result. A very millenial expediency.

One debatable topic though, they say one can't be a connoisseur in photography if he hasn't learned the methodical and manual approach of achieving the goal and getting it right in the camera using film. And while one cannot totally equate technical abilities with shooting film, it's unarguable that film is the cornerstone of art.

Although film is not time and cost efficient, there are Hollywood films that are still shot on motion picture film. There's no doubt that there are some, particularly in the fine arts world that still shoot film exclusively. Most of Japan's big commercials are still shot on film.

One thing I hate about film is the over exposure. A mistake or technical error would give you the sorrow of not being able to capture the moment.

BenCab would give you a Stendhal syndrome

Film's artform is entirely different. It is romantic. 

The outcome is nostalgic. 

We decided to reconnoiter the outside part of museum to give our lungs a break.

Mistaken as underage Escort Service at Sage bar, Shangri-la

My best friend invited me to Sage bar, in Makati Shangri-la for her much needed beer fix. Cracked us up! 

She goes to slimmer's world then and I waited for her to finish her session. Thereafter we decided to walk all the way from pasay road to Shangri-la which compounded us to look close to a pauper. As if making it to a walkathon's finish line we both were so giggly when we got to the entrance. Then we shut up because holy crap, this was what greeted us...

The lady guard asked my friend to open her gym bag, and she deigned. While looking at us like we're some lost kids, out of nowhere she interjected an unnecessary question, 'Are you meeting a guest tonight?' Such impure thoughts!

Is it now their guard's job to know if someone who walks in the hotel is meeting someone else? I threw a dagger look at her that didn't miss the concierge' eyes, who then signaled the lady guard not to open our bags and let us through.

  Does this guard thinks just because we were wearing sneakers, we can't afford to hang out in that place?

Good call concierge guy, or there would have been tears and blood-hers.


Why should I experience being judged by a door person before gaining entry to a trendy bar, when all I came for was coffee, best friend chat and the vibe.

There is an upside to this jarring situation though: we obviously looked young to her, she probably thought we were underage girls.

The Brat Cat

Dead Bird—

Dead animals may look extremely unappetizing to us, but to our beloved cats, they are highly valued presents. According to animal behavior experts, cats sometimes carry back surprises as a way to train us. Just like how mother cat hunts in front of her of kittens. Another reason, is a way for them to express their gratitude.

NYC's one dollar pizza!

Manhattan is notoriously expensive to live in, no question... so who would have thought that New York City is famous for its 'dollar pizza'. Almost every corner you can see these $1/slice pizzerias, they're ubiquitous! Some are even off by a penny at 99 cents. For a city that never sleeps, consuming and pizza making never stops.

So how's the pizza like? They would not grow ubiquitously if they taste like crap right? Tried it once with my friend, but I couldn't remember the name of the store. Soon as you walk in you'd smell Oregano. Taste was not that bad, a slice was larger than our heads we couldn't finish it. Besides, we were still stuffed with what we've eaten previous to heading to the pizza place. All $1 pizza probably taste the same, key is getting the fresh and hot slices. You be the judge next time your feet land on the city.

What a Famous Hotelier in Ho Chi Minh has taught me

I have always wanted to be like Pho Nguyen- a famous hotelier in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. So even on my darkest moods I try to be as cheerful as possible. 

But even Pho Nguyen has her shortcomings... When I arrived at her hotel, I was excited to engage on a chitchat with her. We checked-in late and I guess she was already tired and done for the day. She was smiling at the white guy who just checked in, when 'twas our turn for registration, I noticed she wasn't smiling at all! I was holding two passports and I only showed one. Her face went sour and in a serious tone demanded, 'I need to see both'. I replied, 'one would do'  and to my horror her Vietnamese 👀  became bigger looking so frantic at me. She was about to say something, which stopped the moment I placed on the desk the thing she was asking for. I was appalled like I literally wanted to cry in disappointment. 

The following day, I noticed how her hotel looked so dusty! I didn't have a good initial encounter with her so I frustrated and focused on the littlest inconvenience and on what I see as less acceptable drawbacks of the hotel. It was huge and there seems to be nobody but us and the Caucasian guest from last night. Even the lobby looked so unwelcoming.

I wondered why every reviews on TripAdvisor about her hotel with special mention of her ofcourse were all remarkably good! 

Days went by, me and my friend  were getting stressed and stretched of Ho Chi Minh taxi drivers looting us with their overpriced taxi rate.

We even got lost in search for this ticketing office for Cambodia tour, nobody we approached for directions speaks good enough english. We had no choice but to 911 Pho Nguyen that day. To my surprise, she sounded cheerful that moment, and told me 'You must be tired, I'll arrange your tour and just pay me soon as you come back'. 

Good Lord!

All my resentment at her disappeared! Thanks for the help!

Back at the hotel, the wifi signal in our room was too weak so we decided to kill some time at the lobby. My friend was browsing the internet questioning why Notre Dame Church looks red on google while the Notre Dame where the cyclo drivers took us to, looked modernly white!. I stupidly blurted, maybe it only looks red on an aerial view. 

She couldn't control  her curiosity and so with her inquisitive mind she approached Pho Nguyen, and our questions were answered. Notre DAMN it! The cyclo drivers shammed us. It was already dark outside to go to the place, but per Pho Nguyen the real one is just near and she could call us a taxi that could take us there and bring us back to the hotel. 

After the quick tour and back to the hotel, we finally got to have a small conversation with her.

You may expect traits such as discretion and attention to details to be the most important when managing a hotel. But if we look beneath the surface... it's so much more than that. It's about HUMILITY and PASSION FOR MAKING OTHER PEOPLE SMILE #