stranger in a strange land
I’ve made a few posts about the Antipolo dogfight raid, and now I’d like to share some updates on the case, and on the 2 dogs rescued during the raid.
Midnight has gone from this
to this
This is the first ever dogfight case in the Philippines.
THE SECOND ARRAIGNMENT is scheduled for Dec 13, 2007 at the Antipolo City Hall.
I’m not sure if I ever wrote about Tiger, a dog rescued by PAWS after a tricycle ran over her snout, and a drunk man cut the snout off…
Well, its been more than a year since then and I just want to share the story. Don’t worry, it was a happy ending this time.
I just spent a day and a half in Phoenix and I have to tell you that measuring a space that didn’t have the AC on in a building that doesn’t have operable windows at 3pm in the Arizona heat with only 2gulps of water in my flask is not too fun.
My hotel however, was a short walk away from the site, and was way better than the Holiday Armpit hotel of San Diego, and when I entered my room I took a quick shower, got a cold bottle of water and lay on the softsoftbed and watched those cop-detective-fbi tv shows I never get to see at home.
And the next day, the building engineer turned on the AC in the remaining units I needed to survey. I finished 2 hours earlier than scheduled and didn’t miss my flight like I did 2 trips ago. Good seat on the plane, quick shuttle ride from OAK to home. Husband waiting, cat meowing.
Nice.
I’ve been looking for a black coldweather coat to round up my coat collection. “Collection” not really being a collection but my bunch of utilitarian generics — 1 blue raincoat, 1 brown warmer weather/slight-rain coat, and 1 grey coldweather coat.
Now among these my favorite is the brown all-around. I got it on sale (as I do most my clothes) and I just love how the coated cotton deflects raindrops and how the fabric keeps the cold out, and the style is straightforward and well-shaped.
Now ideally my new coat would be a black wool version of this brown coat. But I checked out the A.P.C. website and it wasn’t there — they had 2 coats there but nothing exactly like what I wanted.
So after going through the net, and discarding those I shouldn’t even be looking at because of the price I found some possibles, all really pretty, some a stretch in budget, each missing that thing oompf xfactor thing for me (I was thinking since I dont really intend to coatshop all the time I should get something that will last and that I will like for quite a while).
built by Wendy, pretty but may be too loose for a shortie like me.
JCrew, really cool collar, the pockets just sort of bug me
JCrew, no back pleat I can see
UrbanOutfitters, very Sgt. Pepper no? But can I use this next year? And maybe it is just too hip for me?
Orla Kiely. I love this, look at the detail, I would seriously consider starving for a few months to buy this if it weren’t brown, just like my favorite coat. Someone please buy this and email photos 
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So I thought, ok I guess it’s Nordstrom Rack time, and maybe I’ll pass by my special sale place in SoMa and see if they have any perfect coats at 70% off (haha dreaming), and try on the current A.P.C. coats just so I know how they fit when I watch out for the after season sale.
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As expected, hardly any coats on sale at the SoMa store, just 2 actually — 1 white trench (too thin and I am too madungis) and 1 beige linen trench (too long and too thin). So we went to the non-sale portion and to cut the story short I saw a black wool version of my favoritest coat, and with J’s kind pautang I bought it and now it is hanging in my closet and I’m really pleased.
When I turned 34 (!!! holy frick !!!) two weeks ago J and I celebrated by having dinner at Delfina, a restaurant near the Mission which I had always wanted to visit (in fact “must eat there” was a standard thought everytime I passed on the 33 bus from work to home). It just always looked so damn filled. But heeeey, birthday time seemed like a good time for a first visit, and after ordering and enjoying the food I see why people actually hunch outside in the cold waiting for a table.
I am sorry there are no photos I seem to have been a bit more shy about taking photos while I am out gobbling. J’s got a great camera but it is just too big to take to a restaurant, and mine…well, I chose my camera for looks not for its ability to take photos in the dark…so sometimes all I get is some grainy lightblots.
Anyway, everything was delicious and the server was very friendly and solicitous (she kept checking up on me asking if I needed anything while waiting for J to park — ahhh be warned btw this is a real pain I think it took him 20minutes to get parking). The food was simple, and fresh, and the place was warm and the toilets were pretty.
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We had
Bread with butter and rock salt - I am adding this to the list even if it was a freebie because it was Tartine bread (lovely)
Grilled fresh calamari with warm white bean salad - people say this is one of the best dishes and I do like it, but not for the calamari which was good but well, was justtender grilled fresh calamari, but for the yummy beans drenched in olive oil
Salt cod mantecato with walnut oil and fennel seed flatbread - something like a baked dip with cod flakes. Yummy and I am sure there is a recipe floating on the internet you can find to approximate this dish
Heirloom tomatoes with olives anchovies and peppers in olive oil - surprisingly this simple looking dish was the best appetizer for me (and for J I think). The tomatoes were just so good! To be honest I never thought these organic little fuckers would taste so much better than the grocery variety.
Spaghetti with plum tomatoes, garlic, extra virgin olive oil and peperoncini - nice and light, it was a fat-full week so I decided to go lighter that night
Mint tagliatelle with fresh porcini mushrooms - J’s order, this was delicious, slightly creamy light sauce, that smoky mushroom taste, freshmade pastaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh
Buttermilk panna cotta with caramel and pomegranate - yogurty tasting and pangtanggal umay
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Then, as if that wasn’t enough food, we walked down the street to BiRite Creamery, had some tastes, and took home a pint of the Salted Caramel ice cream which is SO GOOD you will have a hard time stopping yourself from scarfing it down. I also really liked the Malted milk with peanut brittle and chocolate chunks (Eeeee!) which I think I may get next time we are there.
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J got me the nice bag I wanted too 
I think that after quite a while trying and buying (and not liking then giving away) perfumes that I have finally found one that I like enough to buy.
Now I think a lys is a lily. Whatever it is, it is not a “flower flower” scent but maybe a mood scent? floral in a spicy way, warm, and also clean. Not a BIG scent, but it’s got backbone, and it disappears into a faint floweryclean scent at the end of the day.
I could theoretically buy this at Barneys but the markup plus tax is a bit high for my taste, compared to ordering it from France and getting it here so maybe I’ll wait till January when someone can bring it here via the trusted pinoy method of padala…
Besides, I just bought another Audrey Kawasaki print and I am so broke I’m starting to get a bit nervous. I need/want a black coat pa naman.
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