Richmonde Pasig

... ve had appetizers served either before, during or after the meal. Nachos for dessert? Why not. We've tried to remedy this by ordering the appetizers and then waiting to order dinner. This tends to work but on a recent visit to FGI Fridays we still got the quesedillas at the end of our meal. It's one of those things that leaves you bewildered but adds to the list of cultural ...

... which is very expensive here. We don't pay the electric company though. We pay the condo management company. They held 3 checks and then deposited them all at once that week. Why, I don't know. Maybe they don't need the money? The condo management business must be really good. It all left us scratching our heads as many things do here. While this was going on I also found out that the expense reimbursements that I had submitted way ...

... onion or onion powder in the meat and "Lots" of mayo, it just doesn't meat (pun intended) the criteria. We've tried (Russ) Brother's Burgers which is another chain here but still just doesn't make the grade (good burger but still with the filipino touch). We've tried the burger at Friday's and although it was close, it was actually a bacon cheeseburger but the cheese was not cheddar or american and ...

... I know, the country I just left was both fast and slow, old and new, commercial and spiritual, quiet and noisy. It is a country very much different from my Western colonial background, but very similar, too. Some parts of it reminded me of Binondo, Ongpin, Quiapo, and that old temple I once visited in Cebu. The people brought to my mind old Filipino-Chinese classmates and friends- the Uys, Tans, Kaos, Lims and a bevy of other monosyllabic family names, whose brilliance in numbers I have ...

... this well all along. She likes the air conditioning and daily maid service. She's not "missing" the litter box anymore and I'm wondering if maybe that bad habit was less being freaked out by the move and more a commentary on her former living conditions. We had been worried about Syd because she is 18 and we weren't sure how she would survive the 2 day trip and the drastic change in her surroundings ...

... is another one of the things we take for granted. Driving through Malate really exposes you to the immense amount of poverty that is present here. The shacks and homeless are everywhere and the sheer amount of space that these neighbourhoods cover is what really blows you away. There are 11 million people in Manila, and a significant portion of that 11 million lives in third world conditions ...

... food is everywhere you go here, and it is noticeable that the people here are on average larger in size than the other countries we have visited. On the whole it is very modern - but it is a very American sort of modernity, as soon as you enter a shop or restaurant you are greeted by the sound of "Hi Sir, Hi Maam", like you would in the US. It actually can get a bit too much, to be honest for me it sounds a bit fake and overly cheery. The large amount of malls ...

It was a wide expanse of blue sea against an otherwise gray sky. The churning sound of the motor fills the air, and the waves gently lap against an outrigger boat big enough to fit 25 passengers. There were 15 of us, including the crew. I sit at the back of the boat, drenched from both the sea and the continuing drizzle; still cold even with a sarong draped around me. I taste salt ...

I didn't go to my usual Strabucks to brainstorm. Good thing I did just that because I came up with pretty good insights. I guess a change of atmosphere helps a lot. I followed my desires (again!) and ordered a Grande Hot Mocha. Here's my cup and the barista didn't put any markings because the place was practically empty. It's 12 noon when I ordered. I guess most people are out with their ...