I am a wife-the wind beneath my husband's wings... A mother-the protective arm around my two dynamos. When I am not being a wife and a mother, I am the woman comfortably nestled in "My Rocking Cradle".
On a trip to Marquee Mall, we had our stomach filled with this huge pizza from Xtremely Xpresso:
You know what made this trip more special? I got to meet the Chic and Sassy Homemaker, Des! Finally! I would love to see her again here in Seoul where she could shop all to her heart’s content.
I still have a New Year’s post, how’s that? lol.
Our New Year’s eve dinner was not one you can easily forget! So, we made sure some photos were taken of the fabulous dishes that were included in the set menu we chose for our family’s last dinner for 2011.
We chose Set A (1) from Choi Palace which included:
All these for P9,800 exclusive of the drinks we got!
Yumminess…
Coldcuts combination
Steamed Lapu-Lapu
Spinach Seafood Soup
The Spinach Seafood Soup was served in a big bowl… just remembered to take pictures of the remaining bowls…
Steamed Crab
Choi Palace Patatim
Peking Duck
Mango Sago
That was a very filling night, indeed! More than enough for the energy we needed to welcome the new year…
Guimaras…
I’ll never tire of going back to the place again and again…
The Raymen Beach Resort is located at Nueva Valencia, Jordan, Guimaras. It is a popular beach destination and has become a good and affordable alternative to Boracay, at least insofar as our family is concerned:-).
From Iloilo, one can take the ferry boat going to Jordan at Ortiz. Upon arrival at the Jordan port, it is easy to transact for a jeepney or a multicab that your group can hire towards Raymen Beach Resort. If you have prior contacts for your transportation, all the better to save time negotiating for the price.
There is a very minimal fee of P20.00 per head on your entrance to the beach resort. Contrary to the notices that they usually hand out, visitors could actually bring in food and they don’t charge corkage for it. For convenience though, you could also just bring yourselves and your swimwears and order your food and drinks from the resort itself. Food isn’t expensive!
The beach is really good for swimming and the short shoreline is a sandy white.
We are definitely going back again and again! Well… we always had:-)
A friend treated me to a snack at Cafe Laguna in SM City, Iloilo. She highly recommended Puto Bumbong:
I love the buttery taste of the sticky rice topped with sugar and grated coconut:-). I never thought it could taste so good with brewed coffee!
My first job with ACCRALAW was supposed to give me a good start in the legal profession, lol! But I am now legal head of my own household, hahahaha. Anyway, that part of my life gave me good memories and good experiences. One of which was the rare opportunity to work with Nick Joaquin (yes! the National Artist) when he was commissioned by ACCRA to write a book.
And one of the unforgettable interviews we went to was his interview with the late Statesman, Doy Laurel. For me, he happens to be the last remaining Statesman of the country. And I am so honored to be bringing home this:
It’s an old book about his life written by Nick Joaquin. I noted down after reading it in 1999 that reading his life story is like reading Philippine history. Who else can claim such a life?
The events in his family’s life happens as Philippine history unfolds… and they are IN it. They play a major role in it. Who else has this kind of family history? GMA, perhaps. The Aquinos, too. They go back generations. But they they are not Statesmen in the level of the late Salvador Laurel. Far… very far.
What made the book extra special for me was this:
Oh yeah! This happens to be one of my most precious book! And I found this again on my little bookshelf in my room in Iloilo.
Wartime President Sotero Laurel had an autograph for Imelda (which Imelda showed Doy when she tried to persuade him not to oppose the Philcag bill) which goes like this:
“To my dear Imelda, at whose home I spent an evening of music and memorable laughter. I hope that someday one of my sons will find you in the same beauty as I see.”
Indirect emotional blackmail that didn’t work:-).
Yay! I know this is such a late New Year’s post. Anyhow, we had a taste of the metro way of greeting the new year… and we chose the Eastwood countdown with a Gary Valenciano concert.
At exactly midight, Eastwood promised to have its Star Drop:
and we were part of this crowd
who cheered and greeted the new year with merriment…
May our new year be full of merry times ahead.
Cheers!
The last time (and the first time) I had eaten Peking Duck was in Beijing… and that was almost four years ago! So, it was a pleasant surprise that the set menu that hubby chose for our New Year’s eve dinner at the Choi Palace in Eastwood included a Peking Duck served 2-ways. The skin was already carved and served in a rolled Chinese pancake.
good thing there are still a few pieces left for my blog's photo:-)
I remember our meal in Beijing where the skin was carved right in front of us and we had to prepare it ourselves - that means hubby had to do it as I 1) didn’t know how to do it, lol and 2) I had the most convenient excuse of always going after our 2-year old Firstborn. The remaining duck meat was served: 
This minced duck was served with lettuce which you could eat burrito-style. 
There was nothing exceptional about the minced duck served with lettuce but I did like the roasted skin:-).
Since this is only the second time I had Peking Duck, I would love to try it again served in 3-ways. I’m curious how the soup would taste. Until then…
Of course, I had been a good girl for the past year!
And my own Santa Claus just proved it:
Thanks, Santa!
The Hilton Hotel chains annually display the different looks of Santa Claus from various countries and the Hilton Hotel in Seoul is not an exception. They have this in their hotel lobby on display:
I immediately looked for a Filipino Santa Claus. How do you think it looks like?
Well, here’s the Filipino Santa Claus in his Barong Tagalog:
Merry Christmas everyone!
