Monthly Archive for May, 2005

More seizures for our office kitty

Published
by
mai
on May 31, 2005
in zooropa
. 0 Comments

Ita had a seizure last Friday and spent the night at the vet. I think the vet got a bit peeved because I left some printouts about epilepsy at his office. I truly didn’t mean to offend him and thought that the information was very helpful. Doctor, my apologies.

Ita still had worms and got his deworming treatment (5th!). He was ok to take home the next day.

I was out of the office for most of today, and when I got back I found Ita listless, and panting. It could’ve been the heat because we left him near the window. He didn’t play all day and missed one of his meals.

He had another seizure at 620pm today. I think this was the worst I’ve seen. He was bouncing off the sides of his cage while spasming. Gave him some Nutripet and took him to the vet, where they placed him on oxygen and inserted a catheter for intravenous feeding. Hypoglycemia suspected.

I’m worried and scared and sad. Although the frequency of the seizures is decreasing…the seizures seem more violent. I am enough of a hypochondriac to read up and do my research and realize the vet is taking the right steps, but it is really hard to see such a tiny kitty (or any pet, come to think of it) suffering :(

God please take care of Ita and make him stronger.

Phone Surprise

Published
by
mai
on May 29, 2005
in happiness is a warm gun and stories for boys (and girls)
. 0 Comments

I’ve gotten another letter from Globe. It’s one of the Customer Loyalty Promos which I qualified for because of my embarrassing phone bills. I have 2 excuses though — (1) I work in construction and need to keep in close contact with our guys and contractors, and (2) J is abroad which means long distance charges. So there.

This is interesting because I get to make a choice between (1) a new phone, (2) a rebate, or (3) Globe cash…whatever that is — in the amount of 20,000 bucks.

I’m really not into phones. I’m using an Ericsson T610 and still mourning the demise of my beloved Nokia 6210. Maybe I’ll get a new phone and sell it? Or maybe the rebate nalang? or the G-cash?

My logical self tells me to go for the rebate. But my itchy shopping fingers says G-cash…I think you can use it for shopping. Must research though, because the G-cash may only be good for some dinky stores with crappy teenybop products I have no interest in.
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I still don’t have my passport. DFA, wtf??? It’s been more than a month and I paid for express processing. > : (

Secret Gown

Published
by
mai
on May 26, 2005
in desire
. 0 Comments

I’m usually a jeans and shirt girl. But when I dream of wearing a dress, I dream of this one.

Evening gown, 1954
Madame Grès (French, 1903–1993)
from www.metmuseum.org

Wasabi
excuse the pun but
wa ko masabi

Published
by
mai
on May 26, 2005
in crumbs from your table
. 0 Comments
Vegetable Crudite’s with a Peanut-Soy Sauce

Bonito Shrimp Tempura

Deepfried Breaded Soft Shell Crab with Crab-fat Rice

Bento Box - Miso Soup, Kani Salad, Mixed Maki and Sushi, Grilled Salmon,
Mixed Tempura, Beef Teriyaki, and Pork Tonkatsu


Mango Creme Brulee

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We ordered the Green Tea ice cream too, but gobbled it too quickly and forgot to take photos. Yummy!

Limang Tanong

Published
by
mai
on May 25, 2005
in crumbs from your table and lady with the spinning head
. 0 Comments

I love this meme from Dean. He’s tough though….I spent 2 days thinking about the answers to his questions.

1. It’s a very special dinner party. You can invite anyone living right now to it, but can only have table settings for 3. Who do you invite?

  • Chavit Singson - I see his as our very own Don Vito Corleone, and am both intrigued and repelled by him.
  • Bret Easton Ellis - historian of the excess of the 80’s
  • Anthony Hopkins - seems like an ass, but a smart ass

2. If forced to subsist on exactly one dish for the rest of your life, which would it be?
Gahhhh. You won’t believe this has taken me more than a day to decide on…but I guess the dish would be the Prosciutto, Fig, and Mascarpone Cheese on Tuscan Bread Panini of Cibo - I get my meat, dairy, carb and sweet fix all in one (although on some days I would omit one or two ingredients for variety)

3. What was served at the best wedding reception you’ve ever been to?
I can’t remember the names of the couple, business acquaintances, (bad bad) but can remember the food. The wedding was in Singapore and it was a Chinese Lauriat, complete with steamed fish, abalones, and of course suckling pig. I think I gained 3 pounds that night, and had to waddle out of the place.

4. What was the most expensive dish you’ve ever tasted? Was it worth it (to you or to whoever paid for it)?
Foie Gras that melted in my mouth. It came with green apples and a honey-based sauce drizzled over it. Must have cost a few thousand (I didnt pay, thanks to another business acquaintance). Have been thinking of getting another fix at Lolo Dad’s because they are supposed to have a terrific foie gras dish (will post photos here of course). I hope J and I get to enjoy the real French deal in Paris someday.

5. What meal (or circumstances around that meal) affected your outlook in life profoundly?
When I was about 12 or so our family business did very badly and we were really broke. Normal food for us would be 10 pesos worth of fishballs with extra sauce or 1 order of Karekare from the carinderia diluted with a lot of water and patis (this for a family of 6).

I remember it was my younger sisters birthday and my parents decided to have us all eat out at Burger Machine, and we were allowed to get 2 sandwiches each if we wanted, and a slice of sans rival. I am sure it was because we had not eaten this in a long time….but I can distinctly remember the feeling of excitement while we were dressing up - I kept hopping and singing in delight, and the (almost) tears in my eyes as I bit into the steaming, melty cheesedog, and chewed as slowly as possible to keep the taste in my mouth, and swallowed the food in bits so I could prolong the experience. Hardly anything has ever tasted as good to me. And at 12, knowing how broke we were, I felt how much my parents tried to keep us happy and satisfied.
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1. If you want to participate, leave a comment below saying “interview me.”
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If you don’t have a blog, I will still ask you 5 unique questions and you can post your answers here.

Damn Sweet Tooth

Published
by
mai
on May 24, 2005
in crumbs from your table and stories for boys (and girls)
. 0 Comments

Jeez. I’ve just scanned my posts and what used to be a wedding blog has turned into a food blog. Ayayay. I am starting to show my true piglike colors :P

Because I am nice…and a kunsintidora, I’ve decided to make a list of my favorite candies. These are the ones I have to keep myself from buying everytime I pass the store. Enjoy!

Watsons
Equal brand Hard Caramel Candies - for the hypocrite
Baskin Robbins Hard Candies (Mint Choco Chip and Jamocha Fudge)

Bench / PCX
Meiji chocolates

Candy Corner
Chocolate coated Pretzels
Chocolate coated Blueberry/Strawberry/Cherry/Nectarine Mix
Chocolate coated Coffee Beans
Junior Mints - Dark chocolate coated soft minty heaven
Altoids

DEC
White Rabbit with the Melty Wrapper
Clear Candy with a Champoy inside
Haw Flakes

That Coffee Kiosk inside RCBC’s Eat
Chocolate coated Potato Chips - sounds weird but I love the play of sweet and salty
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Help!
I am in search of Meiji’s Melty Kiss. I know it is available in HK but don’t know of anyone coming to Manila from there. Have you seen it in any store in Manila? Please share your sources :)
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Candy. I’ve always had a love affair with candy.

When I was about 8 or 9 I loved Werther’s Butterscotch Candy and Juicy Two (remember those, God am I dating myself? heeheh). These were fairly large pieces of hard candy that I would pop into my mouth like peanuts.

I was about to take a shower one afternoon after school and took a Juicy Two with me to the bathroom so I could eat my candy while bathing. I flicked the candy in and it went through my mouth and straight into my throat. I fucking could not breathe because the sweet blocked my windpipe. By this time I was naked and under the shower so I tried to be smart and opened my mouth under the spray hoping to melt the candy so it would slide through my esophagus.

No go. After gagging under the shower I was starting to get woozy. I ran out of the bathroom (still naked but too freaked to care) straight to the living room where my sister was studying with her tutor. Both looked at me like I was crazy but all I could do was point at my throat while gasping “Caaaannnndy Akkkkk Choooozzzy Tooooo Akkkk Akkk!” The tutor finally understood.

She started yelling “Bananas Bananas” while I gaped at her in disbelief. WTF? I was choking. She ran to the kitchen and got a banana from the fridge and started mashing it in the bowl. I followed her, still writhing and grunting…until I realized….Stupid Fuck, the dumbass was thinking of placing mashed bananas in my mouth to try to get the candy to slide down my throat. Meanwhile I was dying.

I started hopping and trying to hit my back hoping to dislodge the candy. Tutor finally finishes with the banana and shoves the mush in my mouth. I keep hopping and squealing. Sister just stares.

Finally she gets smart and starts hitting me on the back. Then she starts hitting me on the stomach. I am so surprised about the stomach hitting I throw up and the Juicy Two, smashed Banana - and the remnants of my lunch - land on her shoe.

Pimping Water

Published
by
mai
on May 24, 2005
in crumbs from your table
. 0 Comments

I’m not fond of drinking water, and after having suffered from UTI’s on and off, have resolved to finish 2 bottles of water a day.

Most of the times I cheat - and count coffee and Diet Coke as water, which isn’t too good. But I’ve now got a new favorite - Summit Clear.

This is a sparkling, sugar free, caffeine free, fruit flavored drink my dad found at the grocery. It’s really yummy (flavors I’ve tried are tangerine-lime, apple-pear - my favorite, black cherry, and watermelon-strawberry). It’s like chugging fruit soda without the sin. And at 12.50 for a half-liter bottle, it’s cheaper than a can of Coke.

Love it!

Junior

Published
by
mai
on May 23, 2005
in zooropa
. 0 Comments

Junior is the “tomcat” of the office. My dad picked him up in Marikina and took him here so we could take care of him. He was a whiny kitten, and still has a strangely tiny voice for an adult cat. He loves plants and singlehandedly killed all 4 of our office bonsais. If you look closely at the photo you will see that he’s been neutered. Tough guy, but no balls. Heh heh.

Roger Rabbit, anyone?

Published
by
mai
on May 23, 2005
in stories for boys (and girls)
. 0 Comments

Wow, this makes me remember the hairspray days.

The Blue Frog

Published
by
mai
on May 20, 2005
in crumbs from your table
. 0 Comments

We’ve been going to this little french restaurant in Nakpil St. for the last couple of years. (I know
we’ve been there a lot of times because Sanny, the head waiter, can actually tell if Berts and I have gained / lost weight, or changed our hairstyle hahah.)

I’m not a connosieur of French food, so I’ll do the barbarian’s review.

I can’t help being a bit of a food bore because I get fixations on certain dishes and keep ordering the same thing at restaurants.

At Blue Frog, I always get the Fried Camembert - an entire block of this runny cheese that comes with chopped onions, sliced apples, and a dollop of cranberry preserve.

Berts likes the Roquefort Salad - green salad that comes with grapes, apple slices, walnuts, and a grapeseed oil / roquefort dressing. Really delicious and filling.

Other Yums:

Frogs Legs - they come breaded with a creamy garlic dressing. Nice and tender. Sanny will tell you if they are freshly delivered and good to order so be sure to ask him first.

Potato and Leek Soup - funny because the first time I tried this, they had mistakenly served me the soup by mistake. I had ordered the French Onion soup and was about to complain because it came in cream form. I couldn’t resist a taste though, and decided to forgive them for serving a creamy onion soup. I kept saying “yumm, ahhh, this is goood” to Berts and some people from the next table asked me what I was having. “Onion Soup…its not the typical sort…this is creamy, but delicious” I told them.

Imagine my surprise when the waiter comes over with a bowl of the real onion soup. He apologized for the mistake and told me I would not be charged for the soups because of their error. Heeh, poor table-neighbors, I was having the Potato and Leek Soup pala.

Baked Mussels with Cheese

Mushroom and Spinach in Filo Pastry

Grilled Barramundi - this comes with a creamy sauce and pasta or gratinated potatos on the side. The fish is tender and flaky and the portion is very filling.

Rabbit Stew - haven’t tried it personally because I end up thinking of cute fluffy bunnies, but my friend says it is delicious and not at all tough. The brown sauce is very tasty and mildly spicy and herby.

Lychee Martini - this used to come 2 for 1
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Bread by Candlelight heeheh

I have to make special mention of their Bread. Freshly baked, warm, Crusty on the outside, chewy on the inside. This comes free and is served with butter shortly after you take your seat.
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I think the best buy from Blue Frog would be their Plat du Jour - this is usually a soup, main course, and dessert. Changes daily (hence the name hahah), and you get to try the dishes at a about 100 bucks less than they would normally cost if ordered separately.

We love Sanny because he tailors set meals for us, and allows us to order the meal with a salad instead of soup.
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A bit about Sanny. This guy is an absolute pal. He always greets us warmly when we arrive, makes sure our breadbowl is filled, and asks about how our food is. Sometimes we walk past the restaurant and Sanny sticks his head out the door and says “Maam!! Lumampas na kayo, nandito kami!” Heheheh. One of my favorite waiters, ever.
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The Blue Frog.
614 J Nakpil St, Malate, Manila. Tel 5227364.
Sanny (headwaiter / supervisor)