BKK TRIPPING: PART 2 / MAY 21-23,2008 =D

We trooped to the Thaifex soon after breakfast on Day 2. Everyone agreed to complete the rounds of the entire expo that day--even if our feet killed us--so that we can reserve the next day for trade and supermarket visits. Business, business, business. Hay... =)

There were a lot of new product ideas around, but this post really is about the one thing that has always fascinated me about Bangkok: their fruits. It doesn't matter if they're sold off the streets or in some fancy gourmet market within the mall, they never fail to pique my curiosity nor have they ever failed to satisfy my expectations. I don't know what they do with the fruit trees in Thailand, but I have visions of one great farmland of Jack-&-the-Beanstalk magnitude. How can they not have gigantic trees when they all seem to yield gigantic fruits?

The Santol. Well, everyone knows about the santols from Bangkok. When we were kids, I remember one of my titas always harping about how the santol tree in our House Better backyard always yielded fruits that were as sweet as the ones from Bangkok, except that they were not as big. Mother would then offer that when she bought the tree, the vendor claimed that it was a Bangkok santol tree. Maybe. Maybe not. But our House Better santol tree did yield fruits that were as sweet as the ones from Bangkok, except that they were not as big. =)

Mangoes. This one sold for 80 Baht per fruit (around Php 115). That's a pretty steep price to pay for one mango. Except that these are actually the size of medium papayas. Yes. The size of medium papayas. And they're quite sweet too (although not as sweet as our own =)).

These are the green version. Bigger than the dragon fruits (who are all bigger than usual too). Almost as big as grapefruits (which are also bigger than our suha, although NOT as sweet) . I asked if I could buy one of the mangoes to take home (as pasalubong you know, haha!). Apparently, not at the Thaifex. And the sellers claimed they're not yet readily available in the fruit stands either (possibly only in the specialty gourmet markets at this point). They say it's a new variety whose quality was only recently "stabilized". They're going to start introducing it to the world market soon. Sadly, a check with Legal when I got home yielded that we don't have a Fruit MOA with Thailand yet so it may take a while before we see these in Manila.

Grapefruits. Big but tart. Perfect only, I think, for the Thai salads. I still prefer the Davao suha even though they're technically less than half the size. =)

But never mind the grapefruit. Check out the Balimbing! My siblings, my cousins and I spent a good part of our childhood shaking Noni's (my fave grandmother) balimbing tree and snacking on the fruits that fell (careful to catch them before they could splatter on the hard concrete). These ones could eat my childhood balimbings alive. Haha! 'D Yes, they're almost as big as the grapefruit. Unfortunately, these ones I did not get to taste as the exhibitors were not offering any samples on the spot.

Never mind the balimbing. Check out the ginger displayed next to some grapefruit! Now, these are scary....hahaha! =D

In addition to these gigantic fruits (and veggie =)), I was also quite impressed with the seeming million-and-one ways the Thais can process coconut. This was my favorite. They had a machine that automatically took the husks out, leaving only the hard shell. They then used a process that can "freeze" the coconut juice to the consistency of sherbet. Sometime during the processing, they would also make an incision on the shell before shrink-wrapping each coconut. The incision would make it convenient for the consumer to open and eat the contents after they buy it from some convenient store. This one, I did get to taste. It's as natural as any sherbet can get. Yum! ^_^ You can also choose to let it melt and drink it as natural coco juice, but where is the fun in that? =)

Anyway! Here they are. Coco fruits on the left, processed, natural, shrink-wrapped sherbet on the right. =)

I was also looking for fresh sweet tamarind, but there seemed to be none at the expo. I only found a stall that sold the sweet-spicy sampaloc balls that I love. They were selling it at the expo for only 100 Baht for 3 cylinders. I had seen the booth early on, decided I did not want to lug a huge plastic bag of sampaloc around the expo, and consequently made a mental note to just drop by at the end of the day. Unfortunately, by the end of the day, my feet have turned into lead, even as my mind turned into mud. I ended up buying these at the airport duty-free, 15 minutes before boarding. What would have only costed me 100 Baht for 3 cylinders at the expo set me back 150 Baht per cylinder at the airport! Talk about regrets. Hay...=(

Anyway! More in the next post. Got to go to work now. Yes, even at this hour. =(

BKK TRIPPING: PART 1 / MAY 21-23,2008 =D

I arrived in Bangkok in May this year to a city transformed.

It has been 14 years since I last visited (for my parent's 25th anniversary). 1995 was spent jumping from one temple to another with a tour group and posing with all sorts of Buddhas (gold, jade, sitting, reclining, etc... =p) in those ridiculous poses that tourists make. I think we may have also squeezed in a trip to the elephant show. The thing I enjoyed most though was the trip to the floating market where Sister Pusjing and I bought these lovely, flowy blouses for only 200 Baht (much, much lower than the price we would have otherwise paid for in Manila), and where Father and I gorged on food being sold off the boats (noodles, desserts, crispy barquillo-type flat pies with coco creams, etc.). It was a virtual tourist trap, I realize, but we didn't care. At night, we'd sneak out with Father--to the humongous consternation of Mother--to sample the streetfood (more than Bangkok's much fabled nightlife). We'd hop from one food vendor to the next, checking out which had the best tasting noodles, the best tasting buns, the best tasting ihaw-ihaw, etc., etc. Mother feared that we would catch something. (We don't eat streetfood in Manila, do we?!) This was way back when we still lived sheltered lives, hahaha! Her warnings fell on deaf ears. I suppose we all stupidly thought that, heck, it's at least more sosy to say, "Man, I caught a bum stomach trying all the streetfood in Bangkok" than it is to say, "Uh...I ate kase isaw and kwek-kwek in the kanto." Hahaha! 'D We would end the nightly food adventure by dropping by the rows of fruit vendors to buy a kilo or two of Mother's favorite sweet tamarind. The fresh kind. Our peace offering. Haha! =D

Still, I do remember thinking as soon as we landed in the Bangkok airport, and while looking out the van during transfers from the airport to the hotel, "Uh...we travelled four hours to see another version of...uh...downtown Manila?" Haha. I mean, their King (whose portrait was at every corner) even looked like then-President Ramos. The ex-rate was PhP1.00 to Baht 1.00. They all even look like Filipinos, except that they spoke a language none of us could understand.
































Last May (yes, my blog backlog is that bad =)), I took a trip back, this time with officemates, to attend the 2008 Thai Food Expo (Thaifex). I had to stay behind in Manila for last minute meetings and therefore arrived in Bangkok alone. The airport was the first signal that things have changed in Bangkok--that quite sadly, the difference between this-former-mirror-image-of-Manila and Manila has gone far beyond the marked difference in the value of our money. Impressively modern, the new Bangkok airport was more than huge. It was beautiful. It was efficient.

We were billeted at Novotel, Siam which is conveniently located near the major malls via rail or cab or tuktuk (but was quite far from the bargain centers). It was a business hotel. Nothing ostentatious, but very comfortable and cozy. Right below the hotel was some sort of tiangge which I suspect to be a place where "budding designers" plow their wares. I saw a few pieces that were great bargains, but sadly decided not to buy. We had, after all, quite recently started paying amortization for House Royal, and have since decided to think twice about buying "wants" and to, as much as possible, buy only the "needs". Interspersed with the clothing shops are small parlors, small convenience stores and small massage parlors, each offering "authentic Thai massages" for a very, very low price. I laughed, quite amused, to find this one right next to Novotel. ;p

Because of airport delays, I had arrived way past 3:00 p.m., too late to go to the Thai Fex which was a good hour and a half away from the hotel. After a quick very late lunch in one of the small noodle shops, I decided to go back up to wait for my officemates to get back. Some from meetings with suppliers; others from the expo. The view from my window further showed just how much Bangkok has changed since I was there last.


More in the next post. I am actually just taking a break. I have to go back to work now. =)

STREET FOOD: PART 3! =D

Fans of Som's who live in Mandaluyong, rejoice! =)

The much raved-over streetside Thai...uh...eatery, originally located in Rockwell Gilidge (haha) has opened a new branch along the Mandaluyong Rotunda, right in front of the munisipyo.

Just the other night, while driving on my way home after another (!) late night at work, I called up Hubby Sweet and asked if he has had dinner already. "Yup. Corned beef."

I wanted something to help me de-stress, and corned beef just was not it.

"Uh...you want to go to Som's?"

In a heartbeat. Haha! 'D

I was just looking for a tummy filler so I just ordered the standard Chicken Pandan and Bagoong Rice. I had really wanted to order the Green Chicken Curry and fried fish (I forget now what it's called) with steamed rice, but the Hubby had already eaten, so Chicken Pandan and Bagoong Rice it is! I figured, even if I don't finish it, I can just make it baon the following day. (For the record, I loved their Chicken Pandan, but I found their Bagoong Rice too rich. Good, but too rich for my taste.)





































Hubby Sweet took his turn ordering after me. He-Who-Claimed-to-Have-Had-Dinner-And-Would-Therefore-Only-Order-Pica-Pica went crazy!

Spring Rolls. OK....this one I ended up eating with him while waiting for my orders to come out. It was already past 9:00 p.m. and duling na ako sa gutom. Yum! ^_^ I especially loved the sweet chili sauce which suspiciously looked like it could set my tongue on fire, but it was surprisingly wonderfully sweet-sour-spicy. It seemed like it was made from scratch with fresh ingredients (then again, I could be wrong =)). In any case, it sooooo beats all the starchy commercially-produced local chili sauces they pass off at the supermarket shelves these days.



Next, Siomai. Siomai?! In a Thai restaurant?!

"No shrimps, Tweet. You can try them," the Hubby countered. I did not get too, but he seems to swear by it. Oh, well. Maybe next time. =)

I thought he was done. Surveying the laminated menu, he nodded and went, "Tweet, I think I also want to try the mixed noodles." NGYAH! This one I did try. (It looked too good for me not to try it. =)) It reminded me a lot about Pho Bac, except that it had peanuts. I think, this one, Father would love. =)

Unlike in the Rockwell branch, we did not have to wait in line for a table. It may have been the late hour, or it could be that not too many people know about Som's in Mandaluyong yet. Still, the Mandaluyong branch is much, MUCH (!) bigger than the one in Makati so that's a plus. The other great thing about all these is that we only paid P530 for everything we ordered. And since we ordered enough for 3-4 people, there was enough leftover for lunch, merienda AND dinner the following day! Hahaha! 'D

All in all, that's not a bad deal. =)

NESSUN DORMA / OCTOBER 8,2008

I've been a fan of Paul Potts ever since I viewed a You Tube upload of his first-round audition for Britain's Got Talent. Something about the sad-eyed-shabbily-dressed-crooked-toothed man instantly grabbed my heart. He looked every bit like the kid in school everyone loved to pick on. (True enough, in his semi-final interview, he mentioned that singing has always been his sanctuary everytime he gets bullied in school.) He looked every bit like a man from whom no one really expects much from. Even before he could open his mouth, I found myself already rooting for him.

"What are you going to do for us today, Paul?" they asked.

"I'm going to sing opera," he shyly answered.

Pierce looked to Amanda and Simon, his thoughts betrayed by the expression on his face. "Here we go again....just another loony thinking he could sing..."

Then he sang, his voice soaring with every note.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Even before the contest ended, I read somewhere that Simon Cowell already offered him a 2 million dollar (or was it pound?) contract. Quite a bit of money for the lowly car phone salesmane from Bristol. Last Christmas, Sister Pusjing and bro-in-law G-Genius gave Hubby Sweet a Paul Potts CD. It is one of his treasured gifts. Paul Potts is actually the only artist that the Hubby refuses to download from Torrentz. He respects the guy that much, and feels that after everything he's been through, he deserves to get every bit of penny he is entitled to. =)

Last Wednesday, Hubby Sweet and I--with Father, cousin Tiririt and fave-aunt Panet--found ourselves trooping to the PICC to see him in person. He's better dressed now, the shabby, ill-fitting coat had given way to a smart tuxedo. He's better groomed as well, his crooked teeth straightened (although I really think it's a temporary guard =)). But the familiar, unsure gait is still there as he ambled shyly towards the center microphone. Despite everything he's accomplished, his innate shyness is apparent. He's not yet suave, even fumbling through some of his spiels. At certain points, he looks like he still can't believe people would actually pay to see him. Yet, that exactly is where his charm lies. Paul Potts is still raw, yet his innate talent shines through, his voice fluid and easy.

True, Rachelle Gerodias--the Filipina Soprano who alternated with him and dueted with him--got the louder applause at all turns. She with the impeccable pitch and lungs powerful enough to sustain unbelievably long and ridiculously high notes. But she's a trained soprano. Paul Potts is self-taught. He learned opera from watching shows and listening to records. He will learn all the technical aspects (he did run out of air in one song) in due time. In the meantime, both Hubby Sweet and I appreciate the fact that we got to see him live--before he turns all suave and polished. After all, the Paul Potts we saw that night at the PICC is the same Paul Potts we fell in love with in our living room.

His final song of the night was both his audition and winning piece. I've always wondered what Nessun Dorma meant. Father had joked sometime during the evening that the largely Filipino audience applauded Rachelle more because she sang Filipino songs (Mutya ng Pasig, Sa Kabukiran, etc.), while most of Paul's songs required subtitles. Haha!

Nessun Dorma translates to "Nobody Shall Sleep" in English. As Paul narrated before he sang it, it was an aria from an opera about a princess who said she will only marry someone who can successfully do some challenge (I forget now what). Those who fail will have their heads cut off. When this guy finally succeeded, she did not want to marry him, but the King reminded her that she was the one who made the rules and should therefore abide by them. The guy gave her an out. If before daylight, she is able to tell him his name (which I presumed nobody knows), he would gladly let her cut off his head. Otherwise, she would have to marry him. Hearing this, the princess ordered everyone in the kingdom not to rest until someone can give her his name.

Nessun Dorma is the song sung, full of love and hope, before daylight. For Paul Potts, the ending says it all.

Nessun Dorma: the English Translation (from Classical Music, About.com)

Nobody shall sleep!
Nobody shall sleep!
Even you, oh Princess,
In your cold room,
Watch the stars
That tremble with love and with hope,
But my secret is hidden with me,
My name, no one shall know,
No! No!
On your mouth, I will tell it when the light shines.
And my kiss will dissolve the silence that makes you mine!

(No one will know his name, and we must, alas, die.)

Vanish, o night!
Set, stars! Set, stars!
At dawn, I will win! I will win! I will win!

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Here's the link to my original post on Paul Potts: his audition episode on Britain's Got Talent. =)

ZOOBIC SAFARI / MAY 30,2008

Just to get it out the way, I hate the name. I know it's supposed to be witty and all, but still....

For the record, however, the only thing I didn't like about Zoobic Safari is its name. Everything else, I loved! =) Maybe the presence of kids in my life really changed me. The entire time I was walking around, I thought about how Patita, Ray*-B, Woooohhh Cousin GB and Kirstie would have loved the place. See, it's one thing to see camels and porcupines and reindeers in picture books, and another thing entirely to see the real thing. =)

The tour starts with an orientation of sorts, with tigers (healthy ones! =)) surrounding the area. Some are caged. Others tied up by heavy chains. All growling. Roaring. Yikes. =D

The first part is a walking tour. While some animals are enclosed in cages and/or fenced areas, others roam around freely. It is not uncommon to be walking side by side with several ducks, a regal looking goat and potbellied pigs.

















The walking tour goes through different "families" / types of animals, and in the rodent world, I finally saw some of those that I have only previously read about. =)

The Philippine Mouse Deer. Is it a mouse or a deer? It's a deer that looks like a mouse! Ack! Haha. I always knew "theoretically" that it was the smallest deer, but did not realize just how tiny it was. Its spindly legs looked like it could hardly keep its weight up. I was afraid they would crack. The mouse deer is no bigger than a big rock. =)

Other rodents of wonder include the porcupine, the squirrels, etc., etc. Pics follow:

One may choose to feed the animals. (Actually, I don't remember anymore if you can feed the ostrich. The camel, I'm fairly sure you can feed--as I picked up a sliver of grass for it to chew on. The ostrich, I'm fairly sure you CANNOT. Haha! =))













There are so many other animals at Zoobic, but I won't post all of them here. I do have two favorites. The first one is this goat (?) that just walks around and around, oblivious to all the people in the park. It just roams around criss-crossing the path of park visitors with nary a care in the world. =)

The second is the albino buffalo. When I first saw it, I actually squealed! For those of you who are actually old enough to remember the old Gusto Meatloaf cartoon commercial:

Bobby: Sige na, Becky. Sagutin mo na 'ko.
Becky: Ayaw ko sa'yo, Bobby...Baboy ka eh!
Product reveal: Gusto Meatloaf! May pinagsamang sarap ng pork and beef.....

Except that in Zoobic, ang anak ni Bobby at ni Becky, yung Albino Buffalo. Ang kalabaw na mukhang pig. Haha! =D

Further down the walking trail, one will eventually get to the Serpentarium, and maybe I was just lucky, but among all the reptile areas I've entered, in all the zoos I've ever gone to, in all the countries I have ever visited, it was only in Zoobic where I saw snakes that were awake and moving inside their glass cages. Since I don't like snakes (at all!), it made the dark area a bit more creepy. Still, I'm impressed that the snakes were....uh....alert. =D




















After the walking tour, all of us got herded into the tiger train that will take us to the Tiger Safari.


The Tiger Safari is an enclosed area where tigers roam free. Before entering the area, we had to transfer to an "enclosed jeep". When the Tiger Safari first opened, I've been told that they actually let live (yes, LIVE!) chickens hang out from the jeeps to entice the tigers to approach it. These days, for P200 extra per chicken, they now hang only dressed chickens--in deference to the animal rights activists. I remember my officemate Ed telling us about how, back then, his wife screamed in horror when the tiger pounced on the jeep and devoured the live chicken, while his four year old son watched, mesmerized. (Yes, boys will be boys. ;p)


These days, I think the tigers have already gotten used to the routine that they no longer pounce on the jeep. They just amble slowly towards it and eat the dressed chicken to the bone. (I suppose they have already learned that if they don't bite this time, another jeep will come along. =)). The guide advised us that the tigers are rotated so that they can alternately rest in the "Close Encounter" area (where they rest in cages) and exercise in the open Safari area. That said, it is still better to go in the morning. Habang di pa busog ang mga tigers. Haha! 'D

Way past the Tiger Safari is the Animal Muzooeum, but 'am not going to post pics anymore. I actually found it eerie and couldn't wait to get out of there. There is something creepy about walking through stuffed dead animals with bead eyes. Ack! Ngaaahh...=(

There is also a crocodile farm, and for P50, you can buy a dressed chicken to throw into the pit to watch the crocs fight over it. Uh...we did not. Haha. =) We were walking on top of the pit. Yes, I was actually standing on top of these crocs when I took the pics with my cell cam. That said, we did not exactly want to excite the darn crocodiles. Hahaha. =) (Then again, I just realized, dapat pala sa croc area na lang kami bumili ng dressed chicken. Mas mura. Haha! 'D)

Beyond the animals, though, Zoobic also has an area that "pays tribute" to the contribution of the Aetas to the region. One may walk right through the trees and shrubs to arrive at a mini-stage of sorts where some aetas perform their traditional dances. It's not a very long program, but it is interesting. (It even includes pole dancing, haha! =D) After the program, you may have your picture taken with the Aetas if you wish. Again, it's a good way to introduce the kids to our "ancient culture". If my Araling Panlipunan memory serves me right, they were the first Filipinos. Displaced by the Pinatubo eruption, some of the Aetas have since learned to adapt to life in the lowlands. It's good, I suppose, that through this, they are able to keep at least a part of their traditions alive. =)

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It took us half a day to complete the tour. P395 per person. Kids below 4 ft, P295. Kids below 3 ft, free. And if you buy tickets on the day you went for future visits, they will give you a 50% discount for it. I say this NOT because I think Zoobic is the kind of place you would want to go to over and over, but so, if ever you decide to go, and you actually know someone who will go there ahead of you, you can just ask them to buy tickets for you. Haha! =D

BTW, we took the SCTex instead of the old route to Subic. Much faster. No traffic. We got to Subic in no time! The Marketing Group left Shell (along NLEX) past 7:30 a.m. and got to Subic around 9:00 a.m.! Not bad. =D

The SCTex is past the Dau exit in case you decide to try it as well.