Long Hai Restaurant

Dragon Sea Snacks. At least that's what I think the Chinese characters on their menu say. A few weeks back, Gus and I went on a Chinatown adventure. We were supposed to go bargain hunting in Divisoria when I realized the prices were a bit higher, or just equivalent, to that of the products one can find in Greenhills. So instead of shopping, we decided to just enjoy food-tripping in the nearby Chinatown, Binondo.

We literally scoured through the whole of Binondo, trying to look for a new place to eat. A place we wouldn't find elsewhere in the metro, or at least, within the limits of where we both lived. We saw familiar restaurants like Hap Chan, Mang Inasal, Starbucks, MXT, Ling Nam, and some more. I told Gus I wanted to try something new. Something new, but traditional. A place we haven' been to, which serves authentic Chinese dishes. We were getting pretty hopeless since we've been walking (yes, WALKING) for nearly two hours, and nothing seems to fit our lunch qualifications. We did pass by a Chinese fast food, but we were hoping to find something more "uncommercialized." I really wanted to experience China in Manila. 

After nearly two hours of walking around, we were almost decided to head back to that Chinese fast food we first went to, when we came across this little "hole-in-the-wall" type of restaurant. It didn't even look like a restaurant because there were no big, colorful signage anywhere, no attendants outside the door, no smell of food coming out of the place. One would think of it as a shop, since the place was made of glass, and you could see tables inside when you come close enough to it. The only reason we noticed it was because of this one poster on the left side of the store that had pictures of dishes and prices. That's what made us come closer, and notice this small flyer posted on the other side, which had a complete list of all the food items they were offering. A Chinese lady came out when she saw us checking out the menu, and started talking to us in Chinese! She and Gus talked for a while, and then Gus asked if we were good in this restaurant. After looking at their menu again, we decided to give it a try.

Before entering the restaurant, I already told Gus what I wanted, to avoid having the owner talk to me again. Not another nosebleed, please! Hahaha. I decided to get a bowl of Sate Beef Noodles, choosing this over the more common Garlic Chicken Noodles, and kikiam. Gus ordered their Beef Rice dish, and since I felt like eating rice too, I ordered a cup of kiampong.

Gu Ba Mi (Sate Beef Noodles)

P90

for the love of chicken: Kenny Rogers Roasters

Oh, boy. This is one of my most delayed blog entries for the month. Life has been pretty overwhelming that sometimes, my blog entries pile up. I am going to change that today.

A few, or should I say, weeks ago, Gus and I decided to have a simple lunch date in Kenny Rogers. We still haven't changed. It took us a couple of rounds, and a dozen restaurants, before finally deciding to eat at Kenny Rogers. One of the factors that made me choose KRR was my desire to try their version of a famous Chinese dish: the Hainanese Chicken.

We started off with Kenny Rogers's Side Sampler. A side sampler consists of three side dishes and a muffin. We chose the Chicken Noodle Soup, which was really good. It was creamy, and very flavorful, and it had a lot of real chicken chunks, and vegetables; potato salad, and macaroni salad, both of which were good enough to be called potato and macaroni salad, respectively. The last two side dishes didn't give us a WOW moment, but the taste was good enough for us to be able to finish it. It didn't taste bland, like other potato or macaroni salads I've tasted, but I'm still biased towards KFC's macaroni salad, and Gus's mom's potato salad.

 

Chicken Noodle Soup

Happy Time! EH's Happy Teatime Aloe Tea Cleansing Cream

I was never a fan of cleansing creams. My daily skin regimen included a facial wash/soap, and a moisturizer. Sometimes, I use a toner. That's if I remember. But even if I have tons of make-up on, I never really used any make-up remover. Just my facial wash/soap, and clean, running water.

However, during one of my shopping trips this year, I stumbled upon this cleansing cream. I've seen it during my first, few trips to this Korean make-up store I discovered just this year, but I never really came within two feet away from it. I usually just go directly to the make-up, or facial masks section. But after reading a description of its packaging online (yes, it was the packaging that stirred my curiosity), I decided to check it out the next time I visited the store.

The description said that the packaging resembled a porcelain container, especially when it has been emptied already. I wanted to know if a shop would really invest in porcelain containers to sell a product. The end result, however, not just gave me an answer, but a current "favorite." Introducing Etude House's Happy Teatime Aloe Tea Cleansing Cream!

26 September 2006

I got my first ever Apple product on that day. My dad had sent two Macbook laptops for me and my sister. At first, it was amazing, but then. confusion and fear set in. What is an Apple laptop anyway? Apart from hearsay that it doesn't get infected with viruses, there was nothing else we knew, or could say about it. We had no idea how to use it. Even turning it on was a problem.

But that was just an hour or so, of a lifetime relationship that was about to unfold.

It took me just a couple of hours to tinker around my new-found love. After an hour of confusion, hesitation, fear, I was already opening every application, giving it a quick scan, giving myself a short brief on what it is for and what it does. In just a week, I conquered an Apple.

Since then, my life was changed. I fell in love with Apple, with Steve. He was such a genius! Throughout my five years in college, my Macbook was there for me. I typed my first college essay using it, typed my first A college paper in it, kept many memories of my college life in it. It was with me when I felt my first heartbreak, it witnessed my craziest self, partied with me and my friends, trembled with me and my groupmates during class presentations. In short, it witnessed a quarter of my present life now, and helped me endure those years.

Some people may not like Steve Jobs. They may not see what he did to the world. But to some of us who are very grateful for his products, remember that at least one Macbook helped a college student type his thesis, at least one iPod saved an emotional teenager from thinking about ending life by providing him with music to listen to during "those" times, and at least one iPhone made someone smile when he received it as a gift. 

I don't know how else to describe it, or how I can put my thoughts into words. All I can say is, I feel very blessed for being a part of the iGeneration. 

I now have my iTouch with me. Please watch over my Macbook and my first iPod video there. Tell them not to get my iTouch first. It's too early for me to lose another Apple product. 

Thank you for a job well done, Steve Jobs. You changed the world. :)