Going back to Hanoi

After having our lunch at Pepper and Peppers, the group maximized the remaining hours to burn what we have eaten (during lunch) before dinner. After that mouth watering experience during lunch, again, we were faced with another gastronomic experience at Hanoi.

It was my second time to visit Hanoi Vietnamese Restaurant, the lunch with Ate Ria was the first.

This time, I came here for the 6th Leg of the Davao Food Trip which was organized by Kuya Blogie and the rest of The Usual Suspects. This second visit is better than the first since we get to try the dishes we weren't able to taste the previous time.

Here are the dishes Kuya Blogie ordered for us.

Cha Nuong

This dish reminded me of a similar Korean dish (beef cuts and rice wrapped with lettuce). The concept is similar. Ground pork barbeque, served with lettuce, basil, rice noodles, and some veggie slice are wrapped with rice paper. The rice paper wrap is dipped in a special vinegar sauce. I was able to finish to servings of this because it's so good.



Fried Spring Rolls

There's nothing special about the spring roll except that it tastes like the way it should taste. But one notable thing about their spring roll is that it has less grease than other spring rolls that I have tried. I always hate grease on supposedly non-greasy food. hihihihihi.





Pomelo and Shrimp Salad

This is my favorite among the choices of appetizers in Hanoi. It's a must try for anyone who wishes to visit Hanoi Vietnamese Restaurant. The addition of vinegar sauce to the salad amplifies the acidic flavor of the pomelo. Also, the basil leaves adds flavor and aroma to the whole dish. I love this dish.

Beef Tenderloin with Tomatoes

This is yet another favorite dish from Hanoi. I love the tomatoes being used in this dish. Also, the sweet and salty flavor of the tender meat is so pleasant to my palate.



Butter and Garlic Crabs

The night was a crab party as we feast with the humongous crabs being served to us. The crabs were prepared with garlic and butter. It has been a while since the last time (when I was in Malaysia) I had a crab on my dinner plate. The garlic flavor of the crab is very distinct in every bit of crab meat I ate.


Visit Hanoi Vietnamese Restaurant at Camus Street, Davao City.

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One is enough, two is gluttony

A lot of bloggers are getting money (moolahs as what Ate Ria Calls it) from blogging, but for me, i getting much food. We ate a lot today. We went to Pepper and Peppers for lunch and Hanoi for Dinner.

Whew! That's what we call gluttony. Batang Yagit is getting MORE healthy these days. I'm exerting some efforts in reducing my weight. But the food trips are irresistible. Can you think of a way where I eat a lot without ever gaining so much weight?

Few weeks ago, I went to my Tita's house which is not far from our house. The first thing she said, "You are getting fat, 'wag kang papasobra."

Ok. I'm gaining weight, getting fat, getting ugly. So what? At least I'm able to eat good food, ehem, a lot of good davao food.

We're still on our 6th leg of the Davao Bloggers Food Trip. There's still more to come, (I guess).

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I love Italian Dish

Beef Salpicao

Last Saturday, we enjoyed another free treat from a good restaurant in town. Salutti is one of the few restaurants in Davao which serves affordable Italian cuisine. This is the fourth restaurant we visited since the Davao Food Trip started.

Salutti is situated at the Habana compound in Rizal Street, Davao City. The place is not big, making it a suitable place for romantic dinners at night, yet, it’s big enough to hold business meetings.

Though the food trip's arrangement was an afternoon snack, Tricie Arcenas, the restaurateur, did not hesitate to generously serve us with both heavy and light meals. Miss Tricie served us almost everything they got from their menu.


The first batch of dishes that was served were Spinach Dip with Crostini, Chicken Fingers with Honey Mustard Dip, and Kani Salad with Japanese Dressing. Among these dishes, I like the Kani Salad with Japanese Dressing the most. The veggies used were fresh and crisp. The Japanese Dressing used was new to my palate yet my tongue seems to love the distinct taste.


The second batch of dishes served was the paninis. Panini is a sandwhich made from an Italian bread called ciabatta. The paninis served were Asian Beef and a side salad with Balsamic Dressing, and the Vegetarian panini and a side salad with Raspberry Dressing. The combination of the sweet and spicy flavor creates an interestingly delicious taste. Our vegetarian friend, Kim, enjoyed her vegetarian Panini a lot.


Of course, Italian restos won’t be complete without the pasta. The third batch of our meal was pasta. We were served Creamy Alfredo with Shitake Mushrooms and Roasted Garlic and Tomato, Garlic and Basil.


Another set of dishes served were Chicken in Mushroom Cream Sauce, Beef Salpicao, and Gambas. The Beef Salpicao was delectably good. The flavor of the ingredients other spices were locked in every slice of juicy and tender meat. The Chicken in Mushroom Cream sauce and the Gambas were as good as the Beef Salpicao.

All in all, my experience in Salutti was great. I love the food, the ambience and their service was definitely great (based on my experience of course). I highly recommend Salutti to those people who have a taste for Italian food.

* * *

For those Filipinos in Italy and Europe, Yes Pinoy offers a new way to send money to the philippines online.

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Belly's Grill - The best grill in town

Davao Food Trip - The Third Leg

The Davao Bloggers are always busy...with food.

Last week, we were treated with free lunch at Belly's Grill in Quirino Avenue. It's a small restaurant equipped with a lot of good food. Yes, GOOD FOOD. I went here with Ate Ria, Miss Miata, Kuya Andrew, Kuya Bboy, Gwing and Tiara. This is the third leg of the Davao Food Trip (2nd - Taj Minar, 1st - Zakoya) which was organized by Kuya Blogie. Unfortunately, Kuya Blogie was not around to taste the delicious foods we had.


The Food. It was my first time to try the ostrich steak (whatever you call an ostrich meat). The taste and the meat's quality is similar to beef, less the distinct taste beef has. I'm not sure how to describe it but I was expecting more of a 'birdish' type of meat but it was good. We were able to try their tuna belly, fried hito, kinilaw, and sisig. All were equally good.


The Owner(s). The restaurant is owned by Miss Celine Sy and her husband (who was very shy to meet us). The place is decorated with photography works of his brother Lito Sy. According to Miss Celine, she first heard about blogging when a friend called her from Japan. This friend came across Kuya Blogie's review about Belly's grill when she searched the internet. She also said that she gets excited when somebody posts good comments about their restaurant.

After having the lunch, I twit about this restaurant. I said, "Belly's Grill is the best. It's 4 times more delicious than Ger*y's Grill at half the price. Davao Food Trip is a lot more better than the Trinoma Food Tour".

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I'm going on another trip, again

I'm getting excited for my next trip to Manila. My flight is scheduled to leave Davao on Saturday afternoon. Am I going for another vacation? No. I'm going to Manila to fix some things.

• Yearbook follow up - this is the official purpose of my trip. I need to follow-up the status of our yearbook in the printing press. We only have two months left for printing and binding and we still lack some materials. I'm going there to supervise the progress of our yearbook.
  
  
• Find lab equipment and materials - This is for my school project. We have not finished it yet because we lack some chips needed in our circuit design. I know a good place in Mandaluyong where I can get the parts needed.
  
  
• Meet my pal, Jehz - Yes...i'm going to meet him. I'm bringing along with me some fans of his friend Jemme
  
  
• Have my iPod earphone fixed - I'm going to Power Mac in Greenbelt and see if the apple people could possible fix my broken iPod headset since it's still covered under the warranty period.

Whew.. I'm going to have a busy weekend. By the way, we're going to Belly's Grill for our lunch. This is still part of the Davao Food Trip organized by Kuya Blogie. I heard that another resto wants to sponsor our next stop. Yummy!

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Taj Minar

I was (again) lucky to avail the free lunch from Taj Minar last December 29, 2007. It was the second leg of the Davao Food Trip organized by Kuya Blogie of Ang Dabawenyo.

Taj Minar, a new fine dining Indian Restaurant, is located at Damosa Gateway. The food monsters present were Ate Ria, Kuya Blogie, Kuya Migs, Kuya Tianx, Kuya Doms, Miss Ria, Miss Maita, Kim and Tiara.

Mr. Zafar Khan, the owner of Taj Minar, seems happy with our presence.

For starters, Mr. Khan served us with Papadam, a taco-shell-like piece of crust with lots of spices. The taste was good but the grease is unforgivable. Mr. Khan said that the grease used is healthy since it's from pure vegetable oil.

Biryani Rice and Vegetable Curry

Mr. Khan served chicken curry, spiced vegatables ang long-grain rice for the main course. I love them all. The vegetable was good. The flavor of the spices were new to me and I love them. I finished two servings of the Chicken Korma (the chicken curry) because Ate Ria was not able to finish hers.

For the dessert, he served us with Carrot Halwa and Chai.

As a conculsion, it is my first time to taste Indian food and I love it. Considering that the restaurant is of fine dining type, the prices are not expensive. The place is also good.

For more information about Taj Minar, you may visit them at Damosa Gateway, Mamay Road, Lanang, Davao City or call them at 303-4320.

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Magpapacontest si Davao's Food Huntress

Magpapacontest nga si DFH sa kanyang blog. Ito ay para sa unang anniversary niya sa blogosphere. Mamimigay siya ng 1,500 worth ng gift certificate galing sa Polo Bistro sa Marco Polo Davao.

Ano ang contest?

Simple lang, hulaan kung ano ang ingredients ng ginawa niyang paella noong nakaraang bagong taon. May 20 ingredients ang paella niya, huhulaan lang at ipopost as comment ang mga hula sa kanyang blog. Ang unang taong makakatama ang makakakuha ng 1500 Gift Certificate.

Para sa karagdagang kaalaman tungkol sa contest, pumunta lamang sa Davao's Food Huntress blog.


Magkakaroon na naman kami ng food trip. Pangatlong leg na ito ng Davao Food Trip. Next week, Friday sa Belly Grill. It's a lunch date then! WohooO!


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Dinner sa Zakoya bukas

Pagkatapos ng food adventures namin sa Lachi's at Hanoi, may nakabook na namang food trip bukas ng gabi. Matagal ko ng gustong sumubok sa Zakoya kaya lang wala akong mga kaibigan na trip ang Japanese cuisine. Excited na ang yagit para sa food trip bukas. Now I have something to look forward to this week, aside from the exams we're going to have.

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Batang Yagit gets free meal at Lachi's

Since the kid joined the Usual Suspects, he started to enjoy the perks that come along with his affiliation.

It was lucky enough that someone saw Ate Ria's wish list in the internet and granted one of her desires, a free meal at Lachi's. (more of the story on how Ate Ria got us the free meal at Lachi's here.)

It was Ate Ria who invited me to join Kuya Drew, Kuya Blogie and her for the free dinner she received at Lachi's last Tuesday. We went there at around 6:30 p.m. Like many other good restaurants in Davao City, it is expected that the place would be full during peak hours. We waited for a while before the we got ourselves a table.

The food was worth the wait. No wonder why a lot of people go to this place. The restaurant is located at Marfori Heights. Even if it's far from the metro,a lot of people still go there on purpose to have a taste of the best food in town.

Here are some photos (courtesy of Kuya Andrew) of our TUS Food trip.



I ordered the Stuffed Chicken with Pineapple Sauce and I love it. The sweet and sour taste of pineapple dances with the salty mixture of flavors of chicken, ham and cheese. I also love the desserts.

OMG, I just realized, i'm not good in describing food at all. Hmm... All I can say is, Lachi's is now on top of my Fave list.

Check out these great articles made by the other "food monsters",

• Lachi’s — only the finest ingredients
• Christmas at Lachi's
• Wish Granted: Free meal at Lachi's
  

How to get there?

Taxi: Just tell the taxi driver you are heading for Marfori Heights, at the old AMA School Building.

Tricycle: From Bangkerohan or F. Torres, take the trike going to Marfori or San Rafael Village. Tell the driver to drop you at the old AMA School Building.

Private Vehicle: From the Circumferential Road, turn right at Ruby Street to the direction of San Rafael Village. It's along the street before the curb to San Rafael.

Lachi's is located at Ruby Street, Marfori Heights Subdivision, Davao City.

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Night outs with Miss Google Earth Philippines

We've been hanging out with Ate Aileen Apolo, Google Country Consultant, for the past two nights. Last night, after her talk at MSITE in NCCC Mall, we went to Fwendz Diner for Kuya Tope's IT Party. Kuya Migs, Kuya Blogie, Kuya Rodney and Kuya Jun, were among those who went with us during the night. We were also able to meet Ted Padova, an Adobe Acrobat specialist and writer, at Fwendz.

Though there were only few IT Professionals present at the venue, a lot of students from UIC and Ateneo responded Kuya Tupe's invitation. One of the highlights of the IT party was the selection of a shirt design for Silicon Gulf.

A blogger girl approached Ate Aileen and asked to take a picture with her. Sikat. Ate Aileen and Kuya Migs also made a little video on the Quesadilla Ate Aileen was eating.

After the food and talks at Fwendz diner, we went to Pops Resto Bar for the Nokia Xpress Music product launch for Nokia 5310 (I might right a review of nokia 5310 at tech-o-rati). The music and the DJ were cool. We took a few photos but never really enjoyed the party (maybe because at this time, we were already sleepy). The drinks were free. But since it's a party sponsored by Nokia, the visit was worth it.

To neutralize some of the alcohol we had, we went to Basti's Brew to have some coffee. We didn't stay long. We exchanged some photos before we left for home.


Second Night

Tonight, after I had my meeting at Cups and Lowercase, I tried to catch Kuya Blogie, Kuya Migs and Ate Aileen who were already at Studio Onnie in Torres. The night was fun. Kuya Blogie insisted that all of us should sing. I had a duet with Ate Aileen. Kuya Blogie sang his Sana'y Wala ng Wakas and Kuya Migs with his I'll Be. Kuya Andrew did not sing (KJ?).

Right after SO, we went to see the Statue of David. We only took some pictures, stayed for a while and eventually left.

Then we went to the City Hall to see the Christmas decorations and lights. One thing I noticed about Ate Aileen is her addiction with lamps. Even though how tipsy she was, she tried to capture a shot from her digital camera of the lamps in the places we've been. She seems good in what she's doing (lamp photography).

One of the lamp pictures Ate Aileen took.

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Another fastfood abroad

Yet another fastfood chain that I've been to in Borneo. This shot was from a Jollibee branch in Gadong, Brunei. I mentioned before that the foods being sold in this Jollibee branch are very expensive, relative to those sold in the Philippines.

If you might be thinking that only Filipinos come to eat in this fast food, well you are wrong. Most of the people that were at the restaurant when I came are Brunei people. (It's awkward to say Bruneian or Bruneese or Brunian. Hehehe.. I don't know which term to address people from Brunei is more appropriate.) Some of the crews are Filipinos, even the manager too.

Some Jollibee restaurants here in Davao offer free wifi access. So i tried my luck on searching for a free hotspot. I noticed most of the available wifi hotspots near the area was similar to that of Globe's globeWiz. Since I'm not interested in paying for my internet, I decided not to push my luck further.

If the food's taste is in question, there's not much difference as to what we have here in the Philippines. Unlike with KFC who remade their chicken recipe to suit their market, Jollibee maintained the original Pinoy taste of their menu.

Notice that the cola (that's how Malays call Coca-Cola) has a different cup. They don't use the plastic cup, instead, they use paper cups. The price, as usual, is more expensive.



By the way, if you have time, please check our friends from Houston nose surgery who sponsored this post.


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My First meal in Malaysia

This is my first meal in Malaysia.
It's a chicken meal in of the KFC Branches in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.
The rice is weird. I'm not sure if they serve plain rice in these fast foods.
The chicken meal is served with coleslaw as its side dish.

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Ayoko nang kumain sa Jollibee Bajada kasi marumi

Isa ako sa mga tao na loyalistang McDonald's. Minsan lang ako napapadpad sa Jollibee. Yung mga minsan na hindi ako ang nagbabayad or kung hindi eh wala akong choice.

Pagkaalis ko ng gym kagabi, pagod at gutom, dumeretso ako ng J.P. Laurel para humanap ng makakainan. Yung unang nasa isip ko, sa Mcdo ako kakain. Pero napag-isip-isip ko rin na medyo nagsasawa na rin ako sa Mcdo. At dahil malapit lang ang Jollibee sa Mcdonald's, napagdesisyunan kong kakain na lang ako ng Burger Steak meal sa Jollibee (Hotdog at Burger Steak lang ang kinakaya kong masikmurang kainin sa Jollibee).

Madali lang yung pag-order ko ng Burger Steak. Hindi natagalan. Hindi na rin nila ako binigyan ng number. At dahil dine-in, stainless steel spoon and fork ang gagamitin. Kumuha ako sa sterilizer nila. Nagtaka ako dahil walang lamang hot water ang sterlizer nila.

Nung makaakyat na ako sa second floor at inumpisahang kumain, bago ko pa nagamit ang tinidor, napansin kong may mga bahid ng kanin ang hinahawakan kong tinidor. What? Hindi ba hinugasan 'to? Hindi ba nila inayos ang paghugas nito?

Nagmadali akong bumaba para humingi ng plastic spoon and fork. I leaned over the counter to catch the crew's attention at pinansin naman nila ako. Naka-smile pa yung babaeng crew at nagtanong kung ano ang kailangan ko. Sabi ko, "Can I have a plastic pair of spoon and fork?". Tas eto ang sagot niya, "Sir, meron naman po tayo dito (sabay turo sa bin ng stainless steel spoon and fork)". Kaya sinagot ko siya, "Uhmm, kumuha na ako kanina kaso marumi yung nakuha ko".

Tiningnan ko ang reaction ng mukha ng crew. Sa mga ganitong sitwasyon, kailangan ang eye contact para malaman nilang you are in authority. Nagbago ang reaksyon ng babaeng crew. Nawala ang smile niya ata napalitan ng simangot sa mukha. Binigyan niya ako ng new pair of plastic spoon and fork. Nag-thank you naman ako pero nakasimangot pa rin siya.

Sa pangyayaring ito, I swear, I won't eat at Jollibee Bajada anymore.


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Food Trip: Tatuts Fastfood

I've seen this restaurant (or more of a fastfood) a couple of times while passing the Ilustre area. TATUTS Fastfood, which is located at Governor Duterte Street and fronting Shakey's Pizza, displays a theme which can make its guests feel at home. The restaurant location used to belong to Abe's where I used to eat hot thai food. Most of dishes served here are Filipino dishes. They also have different varieties of noodle dishes. (Palabok, malabon, canton, etc.)

The restaurant's interiors.

Since I badly need food, I happen to pass by TATUTS and decided to have my dinner here. I was their last customer for the day. Upon entering the restaurant, I saw a spring chicken poster beside their door. Since it was the first thing that I saw, I deliberately ordered a half spring chicken. It was a bit expensive (compared to the other local restaurants in the city) but it was fulfilling. The chicken maintained its tenderness and juiciness. The taste is similar to home-cooked fried chicken.

The Spring Chicken that I ordered. Php 95.00

Aside from the good food they serve, the restaurant is also furnished with decorations your mother would surely love. The decorations and lamps made the place more accommodating and homey.

The restaurant is open from Monday to Saturday from 10am to 10pm. It's a perfect place for lunch, snacks and dinner. Your home away from home.








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Nakakapagod ang araw na ito

Gaya ng sabi ko kahapon, kailangan kong gumising ng maaga para sa Pista Atenista. Akala ko late na ako sa parada, hindi pa pala kasi matagal nag-umpisa ang parade. Nasa bandang huli rin yung pwesto ng Engineering sa parada. Tumagal din ng isang oras ang kabuuan ng parada. Pagod at gutom na kami ng dumating sa school.

Kahit na nakakapagod ang mga pinaggagawa namin ngayong araw na 'to, may mga bagay naman na pwedeng gawing dahilan kung bakit maganda ang araw na ito.

• Birthday ni Baliue
  
  Yeah, it's Baliue's birthday. Pumunta kami sa bahay to surprise her with our cake and gift. Hehehhe. Hindi na nga namin siya na-surprise sa office kaya we decided na puntahan na lang namin siya sa bahay nila. At least we had a taste of her mother's food.
  
  
  
• Approved ang Blog to Profit ko
  
  Kakatanggap ko lang ng e-mail galing kay Ann ng Blot To Profit na nagsasabi na qualified na sumali sa program ang Davao WiFi HotSpots site ko. Natuwa naman ako kasi babayaran nila ako ng Php 150.00 para sa bawat post ko sa HotSpots. Salamat kay Kai.
  
  
• Nilibre kami ng pizza ni Kuya B
  
  As promised, nilibre kami ng isang 18" New York's Finest na Yellow Cab pizza ni Kuya Benj kasi nagkaroon ng increase sa sweldo niya. Pumunta siya ng office kanina at tumambay. I love Yellow Cab's Pizza, promise!
  
  
• www.batangyagit.com na ako!
  
  Naisipan kong panahon na para mag-level-up ang Batang Yagit blog ko, minabuti ko nang bilhin ang batangyagit.com. Naka-host pa rin ang batangyagit.com sa blogspot at gagana pa rin ang yagitnabata.blogspot.com dahil naka-redirect ito sa bago kong domain. Napansin ko rin na malaking percentage sa mga bumibisita sa blog ko ay site referrals. Kakaunti lang ang direct traffic ko. Siguro naman ngayon, mas madali nang tandaan ang URL ng blog ko.
  
  *** Salamat kay Jehzlau sa pagpapagamit ng CC para pambili ng domain na ito
  

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Fruit Trip

Pagkatapos ng klase ko kanina, dumeretso na ako sa Ateneo High School para makipagkita kay Miss Bariga na nang-imbita sa amin na sumama sa bahay ng kaibigan niya sa Calinan (where most of the best fruits in Davao come from). Ayos kasi may fruit farm yung friend niya at tamang-tama namang in-season ang mga Davao fruits ngayon.

Hindi ko alam na banned within the high school campus ang mga college students. Ewan ko pero yun ang sabi ng guard. Binara niya ako nung pumasok na ako sa high school department ng Ateneo. May pinalabas daw na memo na nagbabawal sa mga 'alumni' na pumasok sa high school department. Eh di naman ako alumni eh so ok lang? Pero di pa rin pumayag si Manong Guard kaya tinanong na lang namin siya kung bakit binawal. Ayon kay Manong Guard, may mga students daw galing sa College campus na pumasok at nambugbog ng high school students. Ahhhh...kaya pala. At dahil hindi naman kami mukhang mambubugbog ng studyante (at wala na ring naiwan kasi maagang pinauwi dahil exams), pinapasok na rin kami ni Manong.

Hinintay muna namin ni Kuya Omar na matapos sila Henelsie at Joanna sa kanilang ginagawa before we left the campus. Habang naghihintay ng masasakyan papuntang Calinan, nadaanan kami ni Kuya Blogie na nalito kung high school ba ako or college.

Mga 30-minute ride lang ang Calinan from the city proper. Yun ay kung hindi matraffic or magka-aberya. Nung umalis kami ng city proper, medyo kalmado ang panahon. Walang hint na uulan. Pero nung ilang kilometro na lang kami mula sa aming babaan, biglang bumuhos ang napakalakas na ulan. Halos hindi na makita yung kalsada dahil sa lakas ng ulan. Malas naman kasi wala rin kaming dalang payong, jacket or kahit pamalit na damit. Wala kaming nagawa kundi ang hayaan na lang na mabasa kami ng ulan. At dahil malayu-layo pa ang "habal-habal" ride, at dahil basa na lang din kami, minabuti na lang naming lubus-lubusin ang pagbabasa sa ulan.

Dito ngayon ang exciting experience. Four persons, two laptops, one useless umbrella, one strong rain, five kilometers to travel, one bumpy and rocky road, one driver and one habal-habal. Get the picture? At dahil tatlo lang ang angkas sa likod na kaya ng motorsiklo, at dahil ako ang mas maliit sa amin ni Kuya Omar, ako ang pinaupo ni Mamang Driver sa tangke ng kanyang motorsiklo. Astig! Himala na kung may parte ng katawan ko na hindi mababasa ng malakas na ulan. Sinulong ni Mamang Driver ang kahabaan ng bumabaha at maputik na kalsada habang ako naman ang ginagawa niyang Windshield. Tuwang-tuwa kami sa naging experience namin sa habal-habal.

Pinatuloy kami ni Aubrey (yung friend ni Henelsie) kahit na buong katawan namin ay basang-basa na ng ulan. Binigyan niya rin kami ng pamalit na t-shirt at pamunas. *inaantok na ako at this point while writing this post*. Inabutan namin na sa sala nila ang isang planggana ng fruits na pinahanda niya para sa aming pagdating. Ang saya! May Durian, Marang, Lanzones, Rambutan at Saging. Hindi namin tinantanan ang mga ito hangga't di pa sumasakit ang aming mga tiyan.



Hindi kami nakauwi agad dahil sa tindi ng lakas ng ulan. Inabutan kami ng 9p.m. bago naka-uwi. Weird kasi sa Calinan lang umulan. Nung dumating kami sa downtown, halatang tuyong-tuyo ang kalsada at ang lupa. Halatang hindi umulan. Buti na lang at hindi nagtaka yung mga tao na basang-basa kami. Hindi na rin ako nag-jeep kasi baka walang tumabi sa akin dahil basa ako.

Pumara na lang ako ng taxi pauwi. Weird rin yung driver, purong utang yung kinekwento niya sa akin. Utang niya, utang ng kanyang live-in partner (oo, sinabi ni Kuya Madaldal-na-Driver ang overview ng love life nila ng live-in partner niya. 1 year na sila), 5-6 sa GSIS Village, 5'6 sa Poly Subdivision at kung anu-ano pang mga bagay tungkol sa mga pinagkakautangan niya.


* habal-habal - motorcycle which can accommodate to as much as 5 persons. It is usually used in the rural areas.

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Blogging sa Chowking

Free WiFi kahit saan. Isa ito sa maraming dahilan kung bakit gusto ko ang Davao. Kahit saan ka ata pumunta, may makikita kang hotspot na libre. Hindi lang coffee shops at hotels ang may hotspots dito. Pati fast food chains, malls, at school meron din. Kulang na lang pati mga public transport eh magpapa-wifi na rin.

Nasa isang Chowking branch ako dito sa Bolton Street. Habang naghihintay ng order ko, minabuti ko munang mag-login at mag-blog. Natuwa lang ako na kahit sa mga fast food chain na ito, libre ang wifi. Marahil kakaunti pa lang ang mga taong nakakaalam na hotspot ang Chowking dito sa Bolton (alam ko, WiFi rin ang Chowking sa Bajada).

Kayo, may alam pa ba kayong libreng hotspot dito sa Davao? Ngayong taon lang na ito, ni-launch namin ang Davao HotSpots dot Com kung saan naka-lista ang iba't-ibang WiFi HotSpots dito sa Davao. Kakaunti pa lang ang naipasok ko sa listahan. Hindi ko pa napagtutuunan ng pansin ang pag-update na site. So kung may alam kayong hotspot na wala pa sa listahan ko, magcomment na. Hehehehe.

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Nag-Mall tour po kami

Waw. Ang tagal kong hindi naka-post ng blog entry. Pasensya na po at nabusy ang bata sa unang linggo ng pasukan. Pinagka-abalahan ko rin yung paglipat sa Davao HotSpots sa bago nitong address.

Noong nakaraang linggo po, noong nasa Manila pa po ako, nakitira po ako kina Kuya Jehz. Enjoy kasi mall hopping yung naging trip namin kasama si ate Yna. Ang dami naming adventures na pinagagawa.

Nothing special sa mga nangyari sa unang araw ng pag-Overstay ko sa Manila. May trabaho si Jehzeel kaya ako lang mag-isa. Papauwi na mga kaklase ko sa araw na yun. Sumama na rin ako nung magshopping sila sa Greenhills. Isang oras kong hinanap sila Jeff sa loob ng Greenhills. Magulo kasi ang hindi mo sila makikita not unless na magkasalubong kayo ng dinadaanan. Pagkatapos ng shopping, bago sila pupunta ng airport, sumabay na rin akong maglunch. Medyo masakit ang ulo ko kaya hindi ko gaanong na-enjoy yung pamamasyal. Pagkatapos maglunch, nag-decide akong pumunta ng SM San Lazaro para malapit sa tinitirhan ni Ate Yna at malapit lang din sa pinagtratrabahuan ni Jehzeel. Kaya sumakay ako ng LRT. Binayaran ko lang yung card pagkatapos sumakay na ako. Kung di ba naman tatanga-tanga ang Bata at maling tren ang sinakyan. Naku po! Papuntang EDSA pala yung nasakyan kong tren. Kaya tinext ko na lang si Jehz na sa halip sa San Lazaro magkikita, sa MOA na lang kasi bababa na lang ako ng Buendia.

Hindi kami nagkita ni Ate Ina kasi nasa Divisoria pa sila at nagshoshopping. Di ko rin naman alam ang sakayan papuntang Divisoria kaya inubos ko na lang ang aking oras sa pamamasyal sa loob ng MOA.

Nung pangalawang araw ko naman, medyo problema kasi sumakit ang tiyan ko. Medyo masama yung pakiramdam ko. Kabag ata kasi nakatutok sa akin yung dalawang electric fan. Try nyo.

Nagdecide kaming sa Gateway na lang kakain. Tinext ko na si ate Yna para makasabay siya sa amin. Para na rin mapakilala ko siya ng personal kay Jehzeel. Kasi hindi naman namin alam kung asan yung bahay nila, minabuti na naming mag-antay sa labas ng UST sa Espana kasi raw malapit lang yung bahay nila sa UST. Kulang-kulang isang oras din kaming nag-antay dun bago kami nagkita ni Ate Yna. Kaya ayun pumunta na kami ng Gateway. Kaso, masama pa rin yung pakiramdam ko. Wala akong ganang kumain. Medyo nahihilo ng konti, masakit ang ulo, masakit ang tiyan. Hahay! Di ko kayang ubusin yung 1-piece chicken ko.

Pagkatapos ng 'lunch' namin, dumiretso na kami ng MOA. Pareho naming gustong mag-ICE skating. Kaya ayun, diretso agad sa Ice skate rink. Na-enjoy namin yung 1 hour na skating namin. Ilang beses rin akong kamuntikang matumba. Lalo na si Jehzeel, na first time rin, kasi parating nagmamadali. Basa na nga yung pants nya nung nakaka-kalahating oras pa lang kami. Si Ate Yna naman, medyo mayabang kasi marunong na raw sya kasi second time nya nang mag-Skate sa yelo.

After ng MOA skating adventure namin, we went to glorietta para mag-snack. Sa mga oras na to, medyo ok na yung pakiramdam ko. Nawala ata yung masamang pakiramdam sa pag-ice skate ko. Whoala! Marami ang nakain kong snack. Good enough to last til dinner. Hehehe.

May ibang malls pa kaming pinuntahan. Masyadong mahaba ang araw na ito para sa amin. Ito rin yung last day na namasyal kami ni Ate Yna. Magrereview kasi sya sa Manila kaya medyo matatagalan pa bago kami magkikita. Baka sa Maynila na rin siya magtatrabaho. Umuwi kami ng bahay ng bandang 11 ng gabi. Grabe yung malling namin. 1/3 ata ng Metro Manila yung inikot namin. Mas malaki pa ang ginastos namin sa pamasahe kaysa pagkain. Sana maulit muli.

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Bata goes to Manila (Part 3)

Wow, another post na naman? Medyo tinatamad na ako eh. Summary na lang.

First, pumunta kami ng Power Plant. Inikot lang namin whilst naghihintay ng oras. Sir Jess invited us for lunch so habang naghihintay, inikot muna namin yung Rockwell. After rockwell, we headed to a Korean Resto in Makati. We enjoyed the food. Tas first time ko ring makatikim ng Soju. After eating, we went to MOA to buy our pasalubong. Medyo minamadali kami ni Ate Shiela cause we're running out of time. We have to be at the airport at 2 o'clock. So mga 45 mins lang kami dun sa MOA. Tamang-tama lang yung pagdating namin sa airport. Just in time for the check-in. Kimmy and Mac was left in Manila since they have their own business dun. Kami naman, back to Davao and back to reality.

At Rockwell Power Plant

Lunch at the Korean Resto

MOA. The last time I went here, ginagawa pa tong mall na 'to.


pauwi ng davao

Related Links :

• Bata visits Manila
• Bata goes to Manila (Part 1)
• Bata goes to Manila (Part 2)
• Bata goes to Manila (Part 3)
• Kalasag Photos

Read More......

Bata goes to Manila (Part 2)

The second day was not that bad after all except for the rain showers which made our night wet. Hehehehe. I woke up 8 in the morning. We had trouble sleeping the previous night kasi naman sobrang init. Our bed was position behind a room divider and yung hangin na binubuga ng aircon won't reach our direction, same with the electric fan.

• 8 A.M. We had our breakfast sa baba. We were waiting for Mac and Ate Shiela who went out to get the 'lost' luggage at the airport. Then may sinundo rin sila from Ateneo de Manila. Some conyo ateneans who want to meet us. Lol. Parang artista. hehehe... Ateneans from the South meets Ateneans from the North.
• 11 A.M. Dumating sila Mac and Ate Shie so we started our plant tour. Nagvolunteer si Sir Jess, the owner of the press, to tour us sa buong planta. Astig. Marami na palang pinagbago since the last time i went there. May gym na sila. Tapos na rin ang 3rd floor dormitory nila. May VIP Room na rin sa rooftop equipped with modern home theater system. May kitchen and sauna rin.
• 12 NN We decided to head to tagaytay. Sa Tagaytay daw kami maglulunch. We were anticipating that we would arrive there after an hour. Thanks to the traffic at the toll gates which made our trip even longer. May Jollibee Drive Thru pa na parang hindi Drive Thru kasi you need to wait around 20 mins just to get your order. Nag-dine in na lang sana kami. So it's not good to wait that long just to get a 'pampalipas gutom' meal. (Same experienced happened to me last July at Ilo-ilo City where we waited 40 mins for our Drive Thru order to arrive. This was during our Boracay Escapade) So instead of waiting this long, we decided to wait till we get to Tagaytay. Para naman mapabilis ang travel.
• 2 P.M. It was around this time when we had our 'lunch' in a restaurant in Tagaytay, Maganda yung site kasi sa likod ng resto, makikita yung foggy view ng Taal. Medyo drizzly na rin at this point. Nag-aantay na lang na babagsak ang clouds. This was the second time in Tagaytay. Medyo matagal na rin since the last time I've been there.
• 4 P.M. After having lunch ang taking pics, we decided to head for Sta. Rosa, Laguna. Nagyaya yung mga bata (di ako kasali) na mag-EK raw. So ayun, papunta kaming Enchanted Kingdom tas malakas ang ulan. Parang babagyuhin ata si wizard sa lakas ng ulan. Hehehe.
• 5:30 P.M. EK na sa wakas. Medyo umaambon pero ok lang. Sayang ang opportunity. Hehehe.. (Again, it's not my first time here). Excited lahat. Kaso, nung nasa loob na kami, biglang umulan ng malakas. So we were obliged to buy 'Anti Rain Apparel' from their souvenir shops. Orange Raincoat yung binili ko. That's the only thing I bought from the park. So ayun, enjoy kahit umuulan. (The last time i went there, umulan din)
• 9:00 P.M. We headed back to Manila for our supposed to be gimik. Kaso basa lahat from the wet and wild ride at the rapids. Kahit ako na naka-raincoat na, basa pa rin. Since, all of us were tired (and wet), we decided not to pursue our gimik. We had dinner at the Bacolod Inasal (i think this one is similar with Mang Inasal, they used the same font) in Makati. After nun, we headed back to our place to rest. Pagod na lahat eh.

Related Links :

• Bata visits Manila
• Bata goes to Manila (Part 1)
• Bata goes to Manila (Part 2)
• Bata goes to Manila (Part 3)
• Kalasag Photos

Read More......