Random Detox » Zamboanga

Signal Woes

Flisha — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 11:44:47 +0000

The Globe network is so bad here in my hometown of Zamboanga! Or maybe not exactly the entire city but just my neighborhood. So bad I’m even thinking of getting a wilson booster so I won’t miss or drop calls.

When I am inside my room, the signal indicator on my phone actually disappears! Yes! No signal whatsoever. Whenever I want to call my boyfriend I have to go outside in the yard, ugh, bummer! I get no privacy at all. And when I do get a signal I have to make sure NOT TO MOVE from my location or I could lose the signal.

And you know choppy it gets when the signal is low. I keep having to say, “What? Can you repeat what you said??”. Frustrating to say the least.

Remind me to buy a Smart prepaid kit to use whenever I go home!

Tags: Chatter, Zamboanga

Healing Stones

Flisha — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 19:06:20 +0000

There’s still time for some last-minute shopping as the holidays aren’t over yet, so here are some Ralph Lauren coupons to get you going!

I’m a bad giver like I said a few posts ago. I didn’t have time to do any shopping in Manila, so when I came home to Zamboanga I decided to pass by Lantaka to buy a few trinkets as gifts. I remembered the previous year, there were a lot of cute pearly baubles that were being sold very cheaply. Unfortunately, this time around the wares weren’t that interesting.

I ended up buying some smooth marble-like stones. The seller called them “healing stones”. They were very pretty, smooth to the touch but sparkly and she was selling them at 3 for 100. I don’t know what came over me, but I decided to buy a dozen so I ended up finishing almost all of her stones and forked over Php400! LOL. She was so happy!! She thanked the gods, thanked us, thanked her lucky stars. Hahaha. It was funny how happy she was.

I ended up not giving any of my stones away. It seemed a weird gift, in hindsight. I think I’ll just keep them around. Maybe the more I have, the more healing power I will get. LOL.

Bottomline, I’m just glad that the seller got a sale that day. I hope she and her family had a good Christmas.

Tags: Chatter, Zamboanga

Looking Back

Flisha — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 11:54:01 +0000

I wish I had gold bars for the holidays. As it is I’ve been spending money like water ever since I came home for Christmas! This has more to do with me realizing how cheaper restaurant prices are in my hometown compared to the big city! Thus, I keep eating out. Overall I have been spending so merrily I think in just one week I’ve burnt through my 13th month pay already!!!

Anyway. It’s Christmas! Wow, how the year flew! Nothing much has changed in my life, but a lot certainly has in Gim’s, and somehow I mark the changes this year by the events in his life.

In February of this year, he took the medical boards in Cebu and passed. The week before his exams, he pre-celebrated with me in Manila, and after his exams came back to me and spent a few weeks just bumming around.

He went back to Zamboanga and started working as an on-call GP across the major hospitals, for about a month or so. By April, he had enough time and money to come visit me in Manila. Spent a fun week with me, and went back home. After one day of being back in Zamboanga, he missed me SO much that he decided to be with me for good and so he went back to Manila. Haha. Best decision he ever made this year!

Around this time, I changed teams at work and started working nights to support Europe, North/Latin America and Asian regions due to the global nature of my job. It was tough at first but I got used to it after a few weeks. The one thing I like about it is being able to go shopping early afternoon during weekdays, when there aren’t that many people in the malls.

End of May, Gim landed a job at UP PGH as a researcher. Not his dream job but he craved the idea of belonging to such a prestigious institution. After a few months, he was bummed out because the job was more menial than he thought, he was doing jobs that a PR person might do, and decided that he needed to find a more suitable job (for his degree).

I urged him to enter residency, because I had never liked him joining UP PGH, and did my best to dissuade him from entering corporate medicine. He applied to a wide range of jobs. By September, he was accepted as an ear-nose-throat surgery resident at Ospital ng Maynila, and I was THRILLED for him. He was beyond ecstatic.

Oh, and by this time, another new thing was that we had moved from our shared condo with two college friends, since the lease was up. We decided to get our own place, and rented an old apartment in the residential part of Makati. It was equal parts near his work and mine. Good thing too I got a raise since it was pretty expensive furnishing everything in our two-storey house!

And that’s how my 2011 went. See what I meant by the time being mostly marked by Gim? I didn’t travel much this year, but Gim and I did spend a lot more time together than the past six years. I foresee lesser and lesser travels as Gim’s job keeps him really busy. But it also means I am more available to friends, and I am hoping to be able to make travel plans with my friends, by myself, and not as a buy-one-take-one half of a couple.

A friend of mine once asked on Twitter why some people suddenly become a “we” and seem to lose their individuality once they become a couple. I think that I am one of these people. But I don’t want to be. And maybe in 2012 I can get some of that Flisha-ness back.

Wish me luck.

Tags: Personal, Zamboanga

Flowers, Gim and Me

Flisha — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 21:24:53 +0000

I looove flowers! Gim knows it, too, which is why he gives me flowers on special days. Sometimes, he would even buy me flowers just because I want some! This is usually when we pass winter/spring/summer/Fall flower arrangements stalls. (In the Philippines we only have sunny/rainy but most flowers are imported so it’s like we have seasons too lol.)

I am a sucker for flowers. I love that they’re so pretty, colorful and delicate. And it’s a bonus if they give off a sweet fragrance! I do enjoy roses, but I also like Malaysian mums, and I do love calla lilies.

Around March, the day he left for Zamboanga, Gim left me three red roses in my room. Those were the most bittersweet roses I ever got, because though they were pretty and I wanted to love them, they also reminded me that Gim had left, and that I was all by my lonesome, again.

Thankfully, Gim couldn’t bear the loneliness either!! So, barely a week after he had gone back to Zamboanga, he decided to come back to me and stay for good. Hahaha! I had mixed feelings about that. Because my room is so small, and at the time, I had only one bed, he had to share with me. And trust me when I say I move a lot in my sleep. And whenever I sleep with Gim, I can’t, because obviously there isn’t any space. So… I end up not sleeping much. But of course I wanted Gim with me, first and foremost. So I bore with the limited space, and then we bought a sofa soon after to augment our sleeping area. Hehehe!

For our 9th anniversary a month later, Gim gave me some roses mixed in with carnations. (Yes, 9 years!) And it came with a cake (ok, shared resource!) and a cute little stuffed lion! (Because I’m a Leo!)

Pretty flowers!!

This was Belgian cheesecake from Cheesecake, etc. Sooo rich and creamy and yes, CHEESY! They have the yummiest cheesecakes ever!! Plus, they always cut and arrange the fruits in front of you, so you know they’re fresh – and did you know kiwi goes really well with cheesecake? I loved the combination!

Always happy to receive the pretty blooms!

With my new pet!

Don’t we look good together? Heheheh!

Tags: Personal, Zamboanga

Spending Holy Week in Zamboanga

Flisha — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 09:57:19 +0000

I’m not the type to wear hip hop clothes, but business formal isn’t my thing either. I’m my most comfortable in casual wear. Just a shirt and jeans, or shorts, is me.

So it was a lot of fun being able to go home last Holy Week and just spend leisurely days with my long-time boyfriend, whom I’ve missed so much.

One lazy afternoon we decided to hit the beach and watch the sunset. The tide was pretty low that afternoon, so we were able to sit on the exposed rocks lining the shore.

We drank some beer, sat, reminisced about the old times when we used to do the same thing almost every weekend, and just enjoyed each others presence.

Our main takeaway? We realized our happiest times were the simplest – just being together and enjoying nature. Be it the beach or the river or the mountains, it doesn’t take a whole lot of money to make us happy. For me, it’s just being with Gim. He lights me up, and I do the same for him.

I hope we can be together again really soon. And for good.

Tags: Personal, Zamboanga, Zamboanga

Audioboo: Zamboanga Philippine…

Flisha — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 23:44:54 +0000

Audioboo: Zamboanga Philippines 1982 Female http://boo.fm/b282885 Related posts: Max’s Restaurant Zamboanga Using New Twitter! Heehee. Now… I said, “Zamboanga”. Then aske… zamboanga food in today’s Phil… Cebu Pacific Zamboanga Promo Author Childhood Friends and 3rd Cup Zamboanga MILF Rebels Cause Massive Blackout in Zamboanga Peninsula Philippines Travel | Philippine Airlines ... Related posts:

On the Chavacano language http…

Flisha — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 17:45:13 +0000

On the Chavacano language http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20110211-319759/Zamboanga-City-goes-multilingual Related posts: City Hunter Korean Drama Heartstrings Korean Drama As it should be http://www.sun… cute http://blog.yimmyayo.com/… Paradise Ranch Korean Drama New Tales of the Gisaeng My Princess Korean Drama The Baker King Dream High Korean Drama [Korean Drama] It’s Okay, Daddy’s Girl 괜찮아, 아빠 딸... Related posts:

Nohay Mas (Nuay Mas by Comic Relief) Translation

Flisha — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 12:24:47 +0000

This is a song by Comic Relief, a Zamboanga band. Since Maldita just got a music contract, I am hoping Comic Relief will too. Because they have great songs.

Here is one of my favorites. It’s entitled, “No Hay Mas.” (Okay, well, the band titled it as Nuay Mas but it’s the wrong spelling. So I am just correcting it. Sorry, OC.)

Nuay Mas
Comic Relief

Chords:
Intro: A-C#m-F#m-D-E
Stanza: A-C#m-F#m-D-E
Chorus: A-C#m-F#m-D-E
Bridge: D-E-C#m-F#m-Bm-C#m-D-E
(repeat chorus)

I.
Hinde ba ya abla ya iyo
Didn’t I tell you already?
No quiere mas iyo contigo
I don’t love you anymore
Cuanto beses necesita abla
How many times do I need to say it?
Sum-ut ya yo man bira-bira
I’m sick and tired of running around in circles

Chorus:
No sabe porque
I don’t know why
Hinde tu ta kre/No quiere tu kre
You don’t believe me/You don’t want to believe me
Manada rason
There are so many reasons
Puede ba entende
I wish you would understand
Di mio amor
My love
Hinay ta perde/Bigla ya perde
Is slowly fading/Has suddenly faded
Etu el rason
You are the reason
Mi corazon ta duele
My heart is hurting

II.
Mira derecho na mi ojos
Look me in the eye
No mas estranja si yo tan lejos
Stop worrying if I walk away
Alegre yo cuando kita pa dos
I was happy when we were together
Pensaba yo llega ta años
I thought we would reach years

Bridge:
Donde ya el amor
Where is the love?
Perdido ya pero porque pa necesita porsa
It’s gone but why do we need to force it?
Hace yo sale na mi pecho
I am taking off my chest
El maga sentimiento
All these feelings
Tiempo ya
It’s about time

Cosa yo ya palta
What did I lack?
Para tu ay rabya
For you to be angry?
Todo’l dia comigo etu ta pelya
Everyday, you argued with me
Mas bueno gaha yo ya lang separta
Perhaps it’s better that I leave first
Para nohay mas ya
So that there is no more…
Nohay mas ya kita
…No more “us”

Tags: Comic Relief, Music, Zamboanga

Porque (Maldita) Translation

Flisha — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 16:45:40 +0000

Gim and I were on the taxi on the way to SM Megamall a couple of days ago chattering as usual. The music from the radio seemed very familiar but it didn’t sink in until about halfway through the song, I realized, the song was in Chavacano! It was the song “Porque” by Maldita, a Zamboanga band. I was so elated!

That song was a hit back home but I hadn’t realized it was getting Manila airplays too. Until the taxi ride. And – what a surprise – there was some part sung in Tagalog too! But those parts weren’t that good, the song was more beautiful with Chavacano words.

Porque means “Why” in Chavacano. The single is the first released by Maldita, originally a local Zamboanga band. Vocalists are Francel de Leon and Demz Espinosa.

Other members of the band:
Drums – Mad Nubhan
Guitars – James Collin Medina, Whey Guevarra
Keyboard – Jesser Sison

Here is the translation of Porque by Maldita, if anyone is looking for it.

Solo solo na mi cuarto
All alone in my room
Hende ta puede durmi
Cannot sleep
Bira-bira na cabesa
Back and forth, swirling in my mind
El dolor yo ya cinti
The pain I felt

Porque pa contigo yo ya quiere?
Why did I have to fall for you?
Como bula lang tu ya perde
But like a bubble you just disappeared

Porque contigo yo ya escuji?
Why was it that I chose you?
Ahora mi corazon ta supri
Now my heart is suffering
Bien simple lang iyo ta pidi
What a simple thing to ask
Era cinti tu el cosa yo ya cinti
I hope you feel what I feel
Ta pidi milagro, bira’l tiempo
Asking for a miracle, to turn back time
El mali hace derecho
All the wrong, make right
Na dimio rezo ta pidi yo
In my prayer, I am asking
Era olvida yo contigo
To forget you

Todo-todo yo ya dale
Everything, I gave
Ahora ta aripinti
Now I am regretting
Sobra-sobra el dolencia
The pain is too much
Tormento para vivi
Living is a torment

Porque pa contigo yo ya quiere?
Why did I have to love you?
Como bula lang tu ya perde
Like a bubble you disappeared

Porque contigo yo ya escuji?
Why did I have to choose you?
Ahora mi corazon ta supri
Now my heart is suffering
Bien simple lang iyo ta pidi
What a simple thing to ask
Era cinti tu el cosa yo ya cinti
I hope you feel what I felt
Ta pidi milagro, bira’l tiempo
I am asking for a miracle, to turn back time
El mali hace derecho
Turn the wrong things right
Na dimio rezo ta pidi yo
In my prayers, I ask
Era olvida yo contigo
I hope I forget you

No tu distorba
Don’t you bother me
Y no atraka kay baka palmadia yo contigo
And don’t you come near me, I just might slap you
Nunca accepta
Never will I accept
Si tu ay bira por dolor ya cinti
Your return, for the pain I felt

Na dimio rezo ta pidi yo
In my prayers, I ask
Era olvida yo contigo
I hope I forget you

Ooohh..
Porque contigo yo ya eskuhi?
Why did I have to choose you?
Ahora mi corazon ta supri…
Now my heart is hurting…

Here is the Tagalog version:

Tags: Maldita, Music, Zamboanga

Hearts

Flisha — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 18:27:01 +0000

When I am in Zamboanga I always wish I’d remembered to bring sunglasses (or sun readers if I could). I forget how sunny a day can get especially when you’re driving around in a motorcycle.

On sunny days, Gim and I always go out for joyrides and eats. Lately I’ve been picking up a hobby. Like taking pictures of Gim with his hands like this.

Doesn’t he look sheepish? Haha. I’ve been getting Gim to show me some hearts everywhere we go. LOL. I can’t resist and he can’t resist ME!

Cute! ♥

Tags: Personal, Zamboanga

Max’s Restaurant Zamboanga

Flisha — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 13:42:32 +0000

I love the contemporary furniture the fast foods are sporting nowadays. I noticed when I went back home to Zamboanga last month that Jollibee/Greenwich/Chowking/etc were newly renovated or undergoing renovation. Greenwich is now full of sofas instead of hard chairs! Love! ♥

Check it out – Max’s Restaurant is already in Zamboanga! Yay! It’s about time we got some new family-friendly restaurants in town. Would you categorize Max’s as a fast food restaurant? I think for Zamboanga it would already be considered upscale, since we seriously lack good restaurants back home.

Like, if you were to celebrate the graduation of a family member, where would you go? Off the top of my head I would say Palmeras, Greenfields or Alavar’s. A good place to eat is Aristocrat, however I think the service/ambiance is a bit lousy (same goes for former Sunburst, renamed Zacky’s Chicken, where I prefer take-out). Lantaka is a hit-or-miss (do NOT try their steak!) and the service is really bad. There are many other restaurants in Zamboanga, but I’ve dismissed most of them since I don’t think their food is up to par, or they don’t have enough space to host a big group. Well – correct me if I am wrong, since I haven’t spent that much time home in the last few years already. For example, I heard that Country Chicken has a new owner and already upgraded their menu, but I didn’t know that so I wasn’t able to eat there before I left (next time!). And how about Hai San (not sure if I’m correct), the last time I ate there the food was really good, but I didn’t like the ambiance – too many old men.

Anyway, the point is, Max’s is a welcome and much-awaited addition to Zamboanga! Everytime we passed by there was always a line! The first few days of opening, the line was so long. And it seemed everyone I knew was there. One time, I told Gim we should go somewhere else because I didn’t want to talk to a certain acquaintance, haha. The next time, there was again another acquaintance I didn’t want to chitchat with, but I stayed and bore it because I really wanted to eat at Max’s already! Haha. For such a big city, we have such a small town… it’s next to impossible to not bump into someone you know when you’re out and about. One time I had dessert with friends in Catribo, it seemed my entire high school showed up. Haha!

Ah, but I miss Zamboanga. ♥

© Flisha for Random Detox, 2011. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Alavar, Catribo, Country Chicken, Greenfields, lantaka, Max's Restaurant, Palmeras, Sunburst, Zacky's Chicken, Zamboanga

Tags: Alavar, Catribo, Country Chicken, Greenfields, Homecoming, lantaka, Max's Restaurant, Palmeras, Sunburst, Zacky's Chicken, Zamboanga

Showers

Flisha — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:23:23 +0000

How to treat acne fast? I don’t know, umm, why not live in Manila?!

Gim always tells me, whenever I leave him to go back to Makati, that he’s sending me over to “prettify”. Yeah, those are his words.

Why? Because ever since I came to live in Manila, my skin has gotten a lot fairer and I don’t break out into pimples so much. I attribute that to the chlorine in the water. I can literally feel the chlorine bleaching me everytime I take a bath. How can I tell? It’s the feel of the water, it’s kind of hard. Whereas when I bathe at home in Zamboanga, the water is really soft and just feels a lot less processed.

I don’t mind the chlorine, I just don’t like that I can’t drink from the tap here. I spend so much money on drinking water, it’s crazy!

Speaking of showers, I found a really big one and it’s in Fort Bonifacio! See!!! I want to shower under there! Hahaha!

Isn’t Gim cute?

Tags: Personal, Zamboanga

Christmas in Zamboanga

Flisha — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 07:57:29 +0000

I spent Christmas in Zamboanga, as I always do, because that’s my hometown. ♥

On one of those days I had a dinner with my old debate friends Jeff and Ruth. I wish Chu and Jen were there so it would be complete, but Chu is in Australia and Jen was too effin’ busy (hmp!) so it was just the four of us including Gim of course (whom I met through debate! Double ♥).

We had a nice dinner in Lantaka Hotel, then went to look at the lights in City Hall and then had smoothies in Catribo. Zamboanga is so small, we kept bumping into old friends. We saw Julius, Joey, King, Raul, my old students and so many others. December is truly homecoming month.

I love this picture.

It was taken by Jeff, haha. We had a hard time getting a pic because all the waiters seemed so harried, running from one table to the other. We could hardly keep their attention for more than a minute, and almost all the waiter’s photos were a blurry fail. LOL. So. Sariling sikap, yo! Hahaha.

Here is a photo taken by Ruth of my favorite Lantaka dish. It’s pasta marisco – fettucini swimming in seafood sauce and yummy clams and squid. Mmmm!!! I miss!!!

Here is me and Gim, ooh, parang we just had a dinner date, hahahah!

Here is our fully lighted City Hall. Amazing, yeah? It was even more lighted up than last year, if you can believe that!!

And here are our other pictures, just browse through them all.

© Flisha for Random Detox, 2011. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Christmas 2010, Holidays, Zamboanga

Tags: Christmas 2010, Featured, Holidays, Homecoming, Zamboanga, Zamboanga

Saging Rebosao

Flisha — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 17:24:21 +0000

I had some saging rebosao for my late night dessert tonight. It wasn’t as complicated as I thought it would be. I thought you needed to put the bananas under hand dryers for the sugar to crystallize or something. My mom’s made them for years but I never really bothered to look at how she cooked them, I just ate them, hahaha!

But tonight when I got my craving, my boyfriend offered to cook them for me, and I watched while he cooked so I would know how to make them. Theoretically.

Saging rebosao, or saging rebosado as some people also call them, is caramelized bananas. Super easy to make. Just buy some unripe bananas (if you buy the soft ones they’ll be overly tender and sometimes fall apart during cooking) and peel them. Slice in half vertically. Deep-fry them in hot oil for about 5 minutes, just enough until they’re golden. Take them out and clean the pan. Put a cup of water, and about a cup of sugar too. Stir continuously until the concoction is thick, sticky and syrupy (definitely don’t stop cooking if still watery). Like if you took a spoonful of the mixture, and dropped it back onto the pot, it would fall slowly. If syrupy already, drop the fried bananas into the mix and turn off the fire. Coat the bananas in the mixture repeatedly. Since the syrup will make them stick together, ensure to unstick them with a fork and keep mixing. Until you see the sugar start to crystallize, and when all the sugars are crystallized, you can stop mixing, and start serving!

They’re super yummy, and you can find this delicious dessert only in Zamboanga. I kept looking in Manila, and never saw anything like it. So I’m loading up on them while I’m still home.

Unfortunately I ate them all already, and I forgot to take a picture. Next time, I will surely upload some.

Tags: Foods, Zamboanga

Who is Ikee?

Gim — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 14:14:21 +0000

Well, he’s my brother. And since his birthday is coming up, his girl friend asked me to write a brief message about my bro to post on a multimedia she’s working on. I obliged, and well, I thought I’d share here.

You want to know who Ikee (or Gerardo Luis Condalor Dimaguila) is? Well, a quick Google search will show you that Ikee is a devastating iPhone virus. What the Ikee virus does, is it changes your iPhone’s wall paper image to something else- last I heard, it was of a pop icon in the 1980′s (and messing with your GPS leaving you in dire need of roadside assistance). The real Ikee (who coincidentally, is my brother) is also a virus of sorts. But the similarities end there.

Unlike the software ‘Ikee’ virus (which is very malicious and could steal sensitive info), the real ‘Ikee’ herein referred to as ‘Iks’, is the exact opposite- he changes you in a very good way. His charisma and leadership spreads with the ease of any virus (even your typical Flu variety) but unlike the software virus or the Flu, the ‘Ikee- the person’ or ‘Iks’ bug can leave you feeling inspired and motivated.

I for one, truly admire his love for service and leadership. Although I am older than Ikee by a full six years, he has unknowingly taught me a lot about service. And I am confident that he has consciously or unconsciously, inspired a lot of people too. He has a heart and passion for what he does, and that I think is the most important thing- doing what you love, and the hell with the rest.

So I’ll end this piece with a wish that Ikee (the person) will keep on doing what he’s doing and continue to be an inspiration for a lot of people- In Lucem!. Have a Happy Birthday, Bro!

You want to know who Ikee (or Gerardo Luis Condalor Dimaguila) is? Well, a quick Google search will show you that Ikee is a devastating iPhone virus. What the Ikee virus does, is it changes your iPhone’s wall paper image to something else- last I heard, it was of a pop icon in the 1980′s. The real Ikee (who coincidentally, is my brother) is also a virus of sorts. But the similarities end there.

So I’ll end this piece with a wish that Ikee (the person) will keep on doing what he’s doing and continue to be an inspiration for a lot of people- In Lucem!. have a Happy Birthday, Bro!

————————————————————-

Hi Renz, here’s the piece. I’ve attached a screenshot of the Google search. Thanks a lot!

–
Gim C. Dimaguila, MD, MPH
Ateneo de Zamboanga University
School of Medicine
La Purisima St.,
Zamboanga City
7000 Philippines
+639087003264

Tags: Detoxins, Zamboanga

Do you always tell all passengers that??

Gim — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 02:08:20 +0000

I’ve been visiting my Flishi a lot this year, courtesy of super cheap airfares. It seems that our country’s two major airlines are vying for each other in a sort of price war ever since Cebu Pacific, the major competitor of once dominant Philippine Airlines (PAL) targeted the masses and made airfare soo very affordable. In response, PAL started out Air Phil Express- its cheaper alternative with ticket prices almost matching Cebu Pacific’s (making it all the more easier to travel and find jobs).

Anyways, earlier last month, I took a trip to visit Flisha and since Cebu was all sold out, I took Air Phil. It was the first time I flew on that airline and the first thing I noticed when I climbed aboard was the newness of the aircraft. It was an Airbus A320- a plane I was familiar with as almost all trips to Manila from Zamboanga used the same model. It was sooo new that the seats still had plastic wrapped over them.

However, the pleasant experience ended there. Air Phil, it seems has a snotty crew. This is a far cry from Cebu’s always smiling and pleasant crew. Maybe they had a bad day, I don’t know but the stewardesses on that flight wore stiff smiles and appeared frazzled. They were not helpful in the very least. I found my seat (I always ask for a seat either in front or at least until the emergency exits, the back seats make me uncomf), and settled in for the flight.

As usual, the stewardess in charge of our row came up and advised us passengers seated on the emergency exits if we were willing to assist in case of an emergency. I smiled and mumbled my ok. Then, as she was leaving she suddenly turned to me and told me with a haughty smile;

“Sir, please do not open the emergency door when we land, OK? Those are to be used only in case of an emergency. We have exits at the front and back.” all the while nodding her head as though I were a little child.

This should only be done in an emergency, OK? E-M-E-R-G-E-N-C-Y, wait, I forgot do you even know how to spell?

I was so taken aback that I just blankly stared at her. What did she think I was, a freakin idiot? Of course it’s supposed to be used only in an emergency, that’s why they call it an EMERGENCY exit, right? The nerve!

In retrospect though, it got me thinking, perhaps some passenger misunderstood the stewardesses’ instructions and *did* try to open the emergency exit when the plane landed. :/

Tags: Detoxins, Zamboanga

Chocopeppermint!

Gim — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 01:16:57 +0000

Chocolate + Peppermint + me = HAPPYNESS!

I have always loved chocopeppermint ever since I once bit into a Lindt chocolate with peppermint filling back when I was in the third grade. Since then, I’ve been getting chocopeppermint flavors every chance I get (if you’re conscious about your weight, there are sugar-free varieties that go well with that weight loss program).

I just recently learned though that It’s a pretty popular flavor- especially in ice cream. According to the International Dairy Foods Association, chocopeppermint is the 10th most popular ice cream flavor in the world!

Choco Minty Goodness!

Unfortunately, it seems a lot of my countrymen do not appreciate the wonder that is chocolate and peppermint. You would be hard-pressed to find chocopeppermint flavors here in the Philippines- let alone my tiny, tiny backyard of Zamboanga. I think the common reason why a lot of people I know do not like the flavor is that they associate it with brushing their teeth- which based on their reactions, is such a distasteful chore (on the contrary, I love brushing my teeth! makes me feel clean and refreshed).

So far, I’ve only seen chocopeppermint in Gelatissimo (a gelato shop at Greenbelt 4) and as a Premium flavor for FIC or Fruits in Ice Cream, which has immediately become my fave brand thanks to their chocoppermint flavor (I wonder if I could persuade Fli to bring me home a pint of FIC?). I cannot wait to get me a pint!

In the meantime, I found out that eating dark chocolate AFTER brushing my teeth simulates the taste.

Tags: Detoxins, Zamboanga

Going Authentic

Gim — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 02:12:12 +0000

I’ve never tried authentic Japanese cuisine. Living in Zamboanga, you really don’t have a choice when it comes to finding real cultural cooking. The only ‘authentic’ Japanese restos in Zamboanga are Hanazono and that place in Skypark Hotel; and they aren’t real Japanese cooking in the sense that most of what they serve are ‘Filipinized’ versions of the real deal (Living in Zamboanga is like living in a mattress, really comfy but it gets a little too boring after a while).

So it was a real treat when Fli and I popped into Little Tokyo for a taste of genuine Japanese cooking (Little Tokyo is a tiny strip of Japanese restos along Pasong Tamo Ave., Makati). The place we went to (I forgot the name- eeps!) is owned by a Japanese couple. The ambiance is very homey- with a warm kitchen-ey feel to it, and the staff are very polite and friendly.

And the food! God, it was delish! We ordered Shoyu Ramen (Japanese noodles), Gyoza (steamed dumplings), California maki (rice dumplings with mango, raw fish, and seaweed strips), and Katsudon (fried pork cutlet with eggs). For me, the maki was the best. I even got Fli to finish half of the plate! Unfortch, we didn’t bring a camera so I don’t have any pics to show! Well, maybe next time- ’cause there’s definitely going to be one.

Tags: Detoxins, Japan, Zamboanga

Zamboanga also needs new restos!

Gim — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 02:50:04 +0000

While we’re on the topic of what Zamboanga needs, I’d also like to point out that Zamboanga needs new restos too! Although there are a few exceptions (Mr. Bean’s at the Catribbo Complex, Patio Palmeras along Pasonanca road), most of the restos in the city are old, dilapidated, and with the worst service imaginable (with food spots like these, there’d be no need to browse through that diet pill review).

Again, take for instance Mang Inasal’s, where we had lunch yesterday (see previous post). OK, fine, it’s not actually a resto, more of a fastfood joint, but still- fastfoods are meant to be just that; fast and efficient at feeding hungry people impatient for food. Sadly, the reverse was true yesterday.

Mang Inasal’s was slow, with waiters deliberately ignoring their customers. There was a lack of everything- from water, to utensils and even paper napkins. Paper napkins! Every decent food joint should have at least a pile on each table! And pox on that unlimited rice promo! It is sooo freaking hard to get a refill and when we finally did, the rice was of poor quality- grainy with bits of pebbles and with the distinct smell of molds. What kind of service is that?

The Mang Inasal's here does NOT look like this

Needless to say, I’m not going back there ever again. And I’m sure to spread the word to other poor souls who may be fooled into thinking otherwise.

Tags: Zamboanga, Zamboanga

Zamboanga needs new malls-stat!

Gim — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 02:15:45 +0000

Zamboanga badly needs new shopping centers. The city is literally growing; population-wise, the city grew from 500,000+ residents in 2001 to close to a million this year. That’s double the number of people nine years ago! No wonder the city’s streets are chaotic most of the time (pretty soon the heat, dust and sweat will give us all acne and then we’re going to need acne treatments).

Take yesterday for instance. Me and a couple of friends went off to have lunch after a grueling morning spent answering a pharmacology exam. We went to nearby Southway “Mall” for barbecue at Mang Inasal’s (a local resto that offers unlimited rice refills). When we got there, I was genuinely surprised at the throng of people milling about the sardine can- shaped “mall”.

Sardine-can is the best adjective to describe it. It is a cylindrical, narrow structure of four floors and packed with people from top to bottom. It was nauseating just being there. The smell of sweat, perfume, and food all mingled to form a pungent and unpleasant aroma that stuck to your clothes and made you feel haggard and tired.

A sweat shop made to look like a shopping center

Instead of making me feel refreshed and rested, that lunch all the more made me feel cranky, irritated, and disheveled. This city definitely needs more shopping centers. SM, Gaisano, Robinson’s; where fort art thou?

Tags: Zamboanga, Zamboanga