What Else Is There to Do in Sentosa?

If you're tired of the usual tourist-y activities in Singapore (i.e. night safari) and the usual shopping extravagazas that Filipinos are so fond of, consider spending your hard-earned money on the following:

Take a cable car from Vivo City to Sentosa instead of taking the MRT. You'll see the Singapore at a different angle - from the top. The harbor and the gazillion trees are absolutely stunning! This will cost you around $20 (SD) for a two-way trip. Not bad at all.

After walking under the sweltering heat (hotter than Manila I swear), cool down with a scoop or two of ice cream at Movenpick. A scoop costs $4.50. Stop converting to pesos and just enjoy the day!

Double scoops for me :-)

Try biking along the beach from Siloso to Palawan which is on the other end. Bel, Sittie and I rented bikes for $5 for ordinary bikes and $7 for mountain bikes. The rates are on a per hour basis. To our surprise the person manning the bike shop was a kababayan. Although he didn't give us a discount, he didn't charge additional for the extra time. We weren't expecting any discount whatsoever but he was being kind.

Purchase tickets for the Songs of the Sea show then at around 6:30 pm buy the tickets for the Luge to get a discount.

Then take the cable car back to Vivo City and enjoy Singapore's city lights.

It's always helpful to have some lemon oil when in crowded places. Thanks, Sittie.

QIJI's Nasi Lemak and Popiah

Having arrived so late in the evening, we (Bel, Sittie and I) were looking forward to a hefty breakfast. Sittie recommended that we try Qiji which was quite near our hotel (Southeast Asian Hotel - sounds sosyal but it's not) along Rochor Road.

I had a nasi lemak which consisted of rice cooked in coconut, dilis, fried chicken wing. egg omelet and something similar to our local bagoong all for $3.99.*

I have tried better nasi lemak's or something similar in Jakarta so I wasn't too impressed.

What I enjoyed was the popiah. It's similar to our fresh lumpia. It has vegetables, peanuts, chili and a sweet sauce all rolled in a wrapper for something like $2 only. This is what Qiji is known for according to it's website.

It's just too bad that I didn't get to bring some home. I'm sure my folks would have loved this.

Check their website for a list of Qiji outlets in Singapore.
http://www.qiji.com.sg

* 30 pesos to a SNG dollar at the time of writing

What Do You Get on PAL's EconoLite Flights?

Despite the A(H1N1) virus that is currently sweeping the entire world, Bel, Sittie and I had decided to push through with our trip to Singapore last May 28, 2009. Bel purchased PAL's Econolite tickets which cost each of us P7000 roundtrip. Not bad right -considering Singapore Airlines charges around US $700. Well we didn't know what to expect but were happy to save a lot of money from the discounted airfare.

Here's what we got in a nutshell:
1. Allowable baggage of 15 kilos.

2. We were given "choice" seats-- the very last seats in the plane which were 28A, 28B and 28C. Note that you cannot transfer seats even if the plane is not full.

3. Unlimited drinks but no food for the 3 hour flight. The FA's just whizzed by and won't ask if you'd like the chicken or the fish. However, you do get 3 small bags of peanuts and unlimited water.

4. Because we were seated at the very end just beside the toilets, we knew when everyone was "done" with every swishing sound of the toilet flush. Way to go passengers!

Here's a pic of my travel buddies (Sittie and Bel)

Departures - A Must See Movie

Picture from here

I visited Singapore sometime in March 2009 and my highschool buddy, Mitchie highly recommended that we watch a Japanese movie entitled, Departures. Since I was only staying there for a night, we had to squeeze this in. My friend studied film so I surmised she must know what she's talking about. Never mind if we had to catch the movie around midnight.

The film features Daigo, a cellist, who lost his job when the Tokyo symphony orchestra disbanded. Not having the confidence to pursue his dream of becoming an A-class musician, he decided to relocate back to his hometown with his wife in tow in search for a job there.

He took interest in an ad which mentioned "departures", thinking that this job was related to the travel industry. He was hired on the spot with a huge pay check. Little did he know that this job had nothing to do with the travel industry and everything to do with preparing the dead before cremation.

Having been "forced" into accepting a job that is not respectable in society plus dealing with internal struggles from the past, makes Daigo's character vulnerable and human. And yet in the end respectable.

The movie makes the viewer feel a myriad of emotions. It will make you laugh, wonder in amazement, and cry. The music beautifully highlights scenes in the movie which tug at the heart.

It's no wonder it won the best foreign language film in the recent Academy Awards.

Based on the film's official website, Departures has been awarded the following:

Winner 10 Japan Academy Prize Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor
Winner - Grand Prix de Ameriques: 32nd Montreal World Film Festival
Winner - Mercedes Benz Audience Award: Best Feature, Palm Springs International FF
Winner - Golden Rooster Award: Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor (Masahiro Motoki)
Winner - Hawaii International Film festival: Audience Award
Winner - Hochi Film Awards: Best Film
Winner - Nikkan Sports Film Award: Best Film, Best Director
Winner - Kinema Junpo Awards: Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor (Masahiro Motoki)

I am not sure how you can get a copy but check the link below for more details about the film.

http://www.departures-themovie.com/media.html

My Free Empanadas at Julia's

Picture from here

My friend and I decided to hang out at Dupont Circle after work. This was our second try to eat at Dupont Circle because it was raining cats and dogs the previous night and we sort of got stuck at Metro station waiting for the rain to stop. We had no umbrella. Those who know me well know that I don't like waiting. Ok, I admit I'm impatient. But there was no sense in waiting for the rain to stop. It could have taken 15 minutes to forever. So we decided to go back to Bethesda. Hey, but today seemed different because once we got out of the Metro, things were looking good. Since we didn't have any particular restaurant in mind, we decided to check the area and decide where to eat later.

Of course we had plans but well, we saw Filene's Basement and that's that. I ended buying a pair of black comfy rubber shoes (aka pang-travel na sapatos) that actually look good but wasn't too expensive. I actually saw the same pair at Jersey Gardens and didn't buy it because I was trying to save some money. It was cheaper in Jersey but I couldn't help but buy it in DC. I felt that it was fate. My friend on the other hand bought a pair of heels. By the time we got out of the store (it was closing), it started to drizzle. Then the drizzle got stronger and eventually became a downpour. So there we were, no umbrella, trying find someplace to seek shelter. Running into the empanada shop was the best we could do. There was a bar right beside it but I don't think that 2 dishevelled and almost rain-soaked ladies would be attractive. Not cool at all, I know.

Julia's Empanada's a hole-in-the wall type of place was our refuge for the moment. It was warm inside, comforting in a way. I decided to order the Saltenas (chicken, potato, green peas, hard boiled egg, raisins, green olives and onion) empanada and a large coke. I think it's a steal for $3. The dough that holds all those delicious ingredients is thicker and more bread-like compared to the crusty empanadas here in Manila. It's size is similar to a good-sized russet potato. The empanada is stuffed to the brim. This was dinner and I couldn't complain about it. It's really filling. After chowing down every last bit of it and waiting for the rain to stop, Frank, the cashier/owner, motioned me to go to the cashier. I guess he noticed that I was enjoying my empanada so much. He said, "I'm giving you and your friend another empanada for free so choose what you want." Wow, was I surprised. Happily surprised. I chose one of the fruit empanadas. "Hey, do you want more? I can give you more", Frank added. Was I feeling blessed at that moment. Me in DC being given empanadas on a cold and rainy night, this was truly a night to remember. Economists would always say, "There's no such thing as a free lunch". I agree but I did get free empanadas at Julia's.

You'll find Julia's empanadas at
Dupont Circle1221 Connecticut Ave NW Washington, DC 20036

Phone: (202) 861-8828Open Fri-Sat till 4am

***This happened sometime in June 2008 when I visited my beloved Home Office.***

Bouchon Bakery & Cafe - A French Boulangerie in NYC

I ate at the Bouchon Bakery and Cafe about three times, once for lunch and twice for merienda. You'll find this at the Time-Warner Building in front of the Columbus Circle in NYC. It’s basically a boulangerie that specializes in pastries but also serves soups, sandwiches and salads at the cafe area. Located at the leftmost area of the third floor, you can order pastries and sandwiches to go at the bakery. Meanwhile, the cafe area is in the middle, right across the 150 ft. curtain glass wall. Although the bakery has a seating section, it's basically self-service. If you want to be waited upon, try sitting in the cafe (not sure though if the prices at the bakery are the same). You also get a great view of the historical Columbus Circle as passers by and cars go round and round the monument. Named after Christopher Columbus, this is the point at which distances to and from New York City are officially measured.

Anyway, the cafe is always full of people unless you go at an odd hour in the afternoon. The moment you sit down they will serve you some bread and butter which is just perfect for someone tired and looking to chow real food. It keeps you pre-occupied while waiting for your order. My friend and I split the wagyu beef sandwich and the tomato soup which came with a grilled cheese sandwich. The wagyu beef wasn't as tender as I expected it to be. However, I did enjoy the tomato soup. For dessert, I ordered a chocolate chip cookie and vanilla ice cream. Now the vanilla ice cream was the best I've ever tasted. So creamy. Not too sweet. A close inspection of the ice cream will show you the vanilla speckles. Believe me when I tell you it was a great way to end a late lunch. The chocolate chip cookie was not too chewy and not too crunchy. How can you go wrong with that combination?

What I failed to try were the macaroons. I found it to be too expensive as they were selling it at $2 each if I'm not mistaken. Well maybe next time. So far the best macaroons I've tasted was at the Sofitel in Hanoi for .90c each. And they were really heavenly.

Another reason why I frequented Bouchon was that it was only two blocks away from where I was staying. The "ate" of my friend so kindly took me in for five days. Isn't she just wonderful?

Try it if you're around the area and let me know what you think.

Bouchon Bakery New York
Ten Columbus Circle,
Third Floor, Time Warner Building
New York, NY 10019
Phone: 212.823.9366
Fax: 212.823.9399