incessant rambling

Firepoi, Year End Party and Luau 2011 So Gold's gym is setting up it's Cebu branch in Mandaue and is actively recruiting people from other gyms to move to their facility. If you don't know who or what Gold's is then it shouldn't matter. On the other hand, a few of my friends are making the move despite the fact that the area is prone to flooding, I guess the extremely attractive price is the come on but one has to consider the distance from where one lives as well as the convenience of the location. year end luau party in Citigym, lovely friends Nikki and Anne! I'm staying put in Citigym for a number of reasons (1) it is very close to where I work (2) the facility is superb and well maintained (3) they provide working sauna, steam rooms and shower with really strong water (4) towels are included (5) access to the pool (6) it is still rather "snobbish" as the price discourages the rather obnoxious crowd (i hate it though when they have the ...

the Cebuano market is very finicky, if you want to see if your dream of pinoy gustatory domination will work then you should try setting up in Cebu City.  a number of restaurants have set up their operations here only to close down or downscale business due to low patronage. yes, we are still enamored by the usual brand thing and most of us would troop to the newest national/gobal brand that opens shop in the City.  if you account for the market that actually goes out to eat, that would give you about a year or a year and a half max to sustain your operations. not enough to cover your return of investment. the only way to survive is to adapt and learn the ubiquitous Sugbuano Rating System when it comes to restuarants. when Cebuanos eat out, the first question that majority asks is "Pila?" (Price?), and if the price is within a certain budget they next ask "Dako?" (Big Portion?) and followed by "Lami?" (Delicious?) which is sadly, the last consid...

"How's the food sir?" I looked up to Vangie's (not her real name) face and started to say the usual polite thing that most of us mutter when asked the same question by people who serve us in restaurants. Then again, i just plopped Php 700 pesos for a meal and that should give me some sort of license to be blunt. Chicken Roll with Cheese "Do you want my honest opinion?" Vangie looked a bit surprised, she obviously thought we were going to go through the standard routine. "I like the portion size, the katsudon curry is huge though my taste is a bit confused with the oriental side salad, the sweet vinaigrette doesn't go well with the japanese curry. need to get more the curry flavor, this one lacked the sizzle. speaking of which, i am used to real curry, this should be spicier... though portion-wise, I gotta say it's a huge slab of pork but where's the fat? Magpakatotoo na tayo, masarap pag may taba di ba?...

With a restaurant named "Everything Yummy Food + Love" certain expectations are set. It was a feature in a local newspaper that got me interested, that and the fact that the proprietor / owner, Hans Congmon, is an acquaintance in the gym where I used to work out. Added to the fact that his family originally owned the Sunburst restaurant/franchise that served very decent food and arguably one of the best fried chicken in town. Grilled Lemon Grass Chicken It took me a couple of months before I took the effort to drive all the way to piazza elisha in Talamban to sample the dishes on their menu array. Homemade Corned Beef, Served as a Meal - this one brings back childhood memories of how my mom prepared her Corned Beef, lots of onions. they should have added tomatoes! Quarter portion of the tender barbecue ribs, can be ordered half and whole - perfectly done and falling off the ribs softness. i'm not such a fan of the sweet glaze sauce though. Ver...

putang ina mo paul! walang hiya ka! ang sakit na ng mga hita, braso, dibdib at pork belly ko! leche ka, balasubas at pinahirapan mo ko sa gym. akala mo ngiti yung nasa mukha ko? sa english grimace yun. hindi ngiti! maswerte ka wala na akong hangin at di na kita masigawan - e naman gusto mo akong tumakbo ng isang oras - ARAW ARAW? tama ba yun? aba, nakaaabot na ata ako ng maynila sa pinagagawa mo sa akin! nakupooooo. wala kang christmas gift, balentayn, graduation, paders and maders day, indepedence day gift mula sa akin! magpapadala lang ako ng pera at bulak kung nasa burol ka na. for my non-native readers - i just said thank you to my wonderful trainer who is doing a great job of motivating me to lose a bit more weight. peace yoh! P.S. I published this sometime in 2009. for the past few days i've gotten myself a personal trainer to combat the food and fat that has been steadily winning the war of the bulge. Palitan na lang natin ang pangalan na Paul na Leo and the same pa ...

Hong Kong is a world renowned gustatory destination with some of the best restaurants that practically offer every known cuisine in the world in a small jampacked island.  spicy chicken feet Be ready to spend, food is not cheap whether you go Rat Alley in Lan Kwai Fong or head out to the glitzy restaurants in any of the posh high rise hotels that dot the hong kong skyline. Even the foodcourt samplers can easily cost you anywhere between Php 400 - Php 600 for a single bowl meal. shrimp toast That aside, if you do go to hong kong, one thing that i would recommend and YOU should never miss is Yum Cha (literally translates to Dimsum + Tea) in Hong Kong. There are famous places in HK for yum cha but my cousin doodle introduced me to Federal Palace in Gateway Aracade, Tung Chung Lantau Island in Hong Kong and for three mornings, i trooped to the same place to grab my fill of Yum Cha to jump start my day. steamed spareribs in black beans Easy favorite of mine ...

the famous skyline! I've been meaning to visit my cousin in Hong Kong for the longest time. The last time we saw each other was sometime in 2004 when i was still based in Sri Lanka and she had a regional flight that landed in Colombo. fast forward to 2011 before i booked myself a flight from Cebu to Hong Kong. The best part of the trip? My cousin who has been in Hong Kong for close to 16 years remarked that she saw more places in Hong Kong that she hasn't even visited if it were not for my trip. Hmm, for those people that say Hong Kong is a cheap place, well I got news for you, it is a bloody EXPENSIVE place if your idea of a trip is to troop to the next outlet store and buy a wardrobe set for the next decade or so. my lovely cousin and personal tour guide! Thanks Doods! here are a few condensed travel tip (1) grab all the MTR and Tourist guidebook in the Airport and actually read them (2) get yourself an Octopus Tourist Travel card (3) Learn how to use the MTR ...