Tag: Digital Scrapbooking

Eating Our Way Through NYC: Dimsum et al

Credits:  Templates by Crystal Wilkerson, Paper by LivEdesigns (SSunFun Deep Sea).

Manhattan’s Chinatown is home to one of the largest concentration of Chinese people in the US, and guess where we went for lunch after our morning walk / run at Central Park?

My friends felt that after running 6 miles around the park, they deserved a scrumptious meal of dim sum at 27 Sunshine —

the popular dim sum place at 46 Bowery.  So packed they were, we had to share a table with (friendly) strangers.  J, before we stopped him, almost feasted on their dumplings!   😀  And they were so kind not to say anything… needless to say, J or maybe we (more than he) were so embarrassed.

Ambling around the area after a hearty lunch, we stumbled on more food on the street.

One interesting stall is Yao’s Dragon Beard Candy.

We were among many curious individuals lined up on his stall figuring out what this guy was making,

which turned out to be a sweet peanut and coconut filling wrapped in cotton candy. Watching the making of the candy was more interesting than it actually tasted (in my opinion).

Mr. Yao — the man behind the beard candy

Not far ahead on the same street was Fong Inn Too.  They serve yummy taho sans the sago (sweet soybean curd sans the tapioca).

Living in the US for some time now, my friends hanker after this sweet soybean dessert so ubiquitous in the Philippines.

Useful Info:

27 Sunshine
46 Bowery
(between Bayard St & Canal St)
New York, NY 10013
Neighborhood: Chinatown
(212) 374-1319

Fong Inn Too
46 Mott St
New York, NY 10013
Neighborhoods: Chinatown, Civic Center

(212) 962-5196

Posted on by Jenn 3

New York, New York

Credits:  All papers and elements from JSprague’s Dig in Deep Lesson 1 supplies

I woke up to the city that doesn’t sleep, the home of Broadway and many fine cuisines.  After a looong and roundabout trip to New York from San Francisco, I woke up to the announcement that we had landed at La Guardia – finally.  This long weekend getaway with my High School buddies may have started with a bump surely ended with a BANG!  We bunked at R & C’s apartment, taking over their living/dining room area,

– watched Green Day’s American Idiot on Broadway,

Yao’s Dragon Beard Candy

– had a feast of all things edible,

– shopped at every Lululemon Athletica we passed just because my friends are work-out addicts!!

47 Wellness Co.

– had a wonderful “Tuina” head and shoulder massage at an unassuming Chinese Qigong Tuina Center found at the basement,

– got introduced to a really good cuppa Joe

– and learned to make scones!

A truly wicked 4 days of fun, laughter and overindulgence… coming up soon.   😉

Useful Info:

Best Massage Ever! (in my humble opinion)

47 Wellness Co.
670 9th Ave., the basement
(between 46th & 47th St)
New York, NY 10036
Tel:  (212)265-2788
Opens from 11am-10pm (Sun-Thur) / 11am-11pm (Fri- Sat)
Posted on by Jenn 2

2010

Credits: Daniela Austen’s In the Meadow Quickpage, LivEdesign’s Best day brush set, LivEdesign’s Sing 4 Spring Button Accent 1 & 2, LivEdesign’s Twill2 delight accent

…has been one amazing year.  There were lots of travels within and outside the country, a bit of adventure and exploration with lots of eating in between.  I hope it was a blast for you too.  I look forward to sharing with you more adventure of all sorts this 2011.  Fresh from a very wet vacation, I wish you all a blessed and grace-filled new year!

Posted on by Jenn 0

Christmas Like A Child

Credits:  Christmas Treasures Bloghop kit.  Papers from PWD, S Lane AT Snow, S Kelly D-Treasure dots;  Elements from Nadi Designs frame, SFj, T Circeo Dicken’s Word Art, Jaki A Red scallop border, C Queen border 02.

Do you ever get side tracked by life in general?  It has been my story lately.  There were too many on my plate – work and the routine of Christmas shopping, get-together etc.  So busy has my life been that I felt that Christmas just came too quickly.  I didn’t get the chance to look forward to it.  I remember when I was a child and I would always enjoy Christmas because of the festivities that goes with it – the parties, the decoration and the gifts, they all culminated into one huge celebration, Christmas dinner and then Nochebuena.  I also remember the excitement going to Cubao would bring.  I  can imagine now how a nightmare it must have been but we’d be with the crowd to witness this splendid, mechanized decoration at the COD department store.  At that time this was huge for us kids when theme parks were practically unheard of and Disneyland is this fantasy far, far away.  This was the next best thing, I guess – this just aged me, I know   :-D.  Because things were simpler than, we were easy to please.  Those were fun times…

I chanced on this Christmas song that describes my thoughts succinctly and I instantly fell in love with it.  Written and performed by my favorite Christian band, Third Day, it is about feeling Christmas like a child and how it used to be.  But more importantly, it reminded me of the baby child born for us.  That baby asleep in the straw is the reason for the celebration and that, my friends, should be the true essence of Christmas.  Honor it in your heart and try to keep the spirit all year round.  Have a joyful Christmas everyone!

Christmas Like a Child

by Third Day

I want to feel Christmas, how it used to be
With all of its wonder falling on me
This season has felt so empty, oh for quite a while
I want to feel Christmas like a child

I want to see snowflakes fall to the ground
My brothers and sisters all gathered around
Singing “Away In A Manager” as we sit by the fire
I want to feel Christmas like a child

It’s been so long now, I can’t say
Just when I lost my way
But I’m going back to how it was
When this day meant everything
And we spent our time remembering
The baby Child born for us

It’s all about Jesus, asleep in the straw
This infant, this King, this Savior for all

So I don’t need bells to be ringing
‘Cause I’ll join with angels singing
Gloria
And I can feel Christmas like a child
I want to feel Christmas like a child…

Posted on by Jenn 2

Sulyap

Credits:  Template by Jen Caputo’s ckapr08; Papers by LivE Designs Sing 4 Spring paper kit (PP4, PP6 and SP6)

A weekend road-trip just before it ended was capped by a wonderful lunch at a café oozing with charm.  Highly recommended by Jorge and Amor Bondad (of Sitio de Amor), we headed to Sulyap Café and Art Gallery before heading home.

The café is a 2 story Spanish colonial house transported from Quezon and restored piece by piece at the Cocoland compound.

Gorgeous ceiling detail

Lovely window details, a trademark of the old Spanish houses — overlooking the gallery.

Did I say charming inside and out?

Clockwise:  Enseladang Pako (Fiddelhead fern salad), Sinigang na Liempo, Banana crepe, Kulawong Puso ng Saging (an original recipe of San Pablo city).

And the food… quite good and could merit a return in the future.

Across the café is the art gallery, which had pieces in various sizes, from furniture to plates and other collectibles.  This building used to be the Cocoland Hotel before proprietor Rommel Empalmado bought the compound.  He also recounted that prior to it being a hotel, it was a South Luzon College, which explained the school-like structure.

He also disclosed that when he was restoring the old house, being a lover of anything old, he’d use to take a peek (sinusulyap – sulyap in Filipino) and admire the unfinish house from a window of the gallery across, hence the name Sulyap.  Quite an endearing story, me thinks.

Rommel is currently building a bigger house in the other part of the compound, this time a bed and breakfast that he hopes to open by December – so watch out for this new lodging alternative in the Viaje del Sol circuit.

Definitely a gratifying end to our weekend getaway.

Getting There:

On the Maharlika Highway coming from Manila on the way to San Pablo, you’ll hit a fork, take the left road (that’s Colago Ave.), which would take you off the highway and lead you to San Pablo proper. You’ll come to an intersection with a stop light (Puregold Supermarket should be on the right corner), turn left on Cosico Ave.  Turn left 2 or 3 streets after (there should be a sign of Sulyap on the right that points to the street where you should turn).  The road will lead to the gate of the Cocoland compound.

Sulyap Cafe and Gallery
Brg. Del Remedio, Cocoland Compound,
San Pablo, Laguna
Tel no:  (049)562-9740 / 582-9735
Posted on by Jenn 5

Fresh from the Tree

Credits:  Papers by LivE Designs – UNR Grassy Sky and Lily Lines from the UNR_Naturally Free kit and PP2 from the Sing4Spring Paper Kit; Elements – Birdoodle, Brad set of 4 and Frame 1 from the Sing4Spring Elements kit.

I am not particularly fond of rambutan, at least not in the same level of fondness I have for lychee and longan – rambutan’s close cousins.  But one glorious day I was given some that was fresh from the tree and it has gained a few notches on my gustatory scale.

This tropical fruit indegenous to Malaysia is a hairy bright red oval fruit about the size of a small hen’s egg.  Inside is a translucent grapelike flesh that is sweet and tastes a lot similar to but slightly acidic than that of the lychee.   The pit is what sometimes turns me off.  It annoys me much if the outer layer of the seed sticks to the flesh.  However after tasting the freshly picked fruit, I found out that a fresh produce does no such thing, and I learned to be less judgmental of the fruit.

July – October is harvest time for these sweet juicy fruit and last August, we were in San Pablo, Laguna for the Rambutan Festival where a kilo can go as low as P20 (US$ 0.50).

On our recent road trip, we checked in at Sitio de Amor, a great place to have fresh rambutans, either by personally picking them from their trees that is sprawled all over their garden or simply have it served right after picking during mealtime.

Our breakfast fare which include scrambled eggs, longganisa (local sausage) and a dried fried fish called Nora Aunor (no kidding!)

Glutinous rice cake topped with cane sugar (panocha) — the best in my opinion.

Sitio de Amor is a sprawling 4.5 hectare landscaped orchard situated near the Maharlika Highway.  Nestled between Mt. San Cristobal and Mt. Banahaw,

traversed by the Balanga River feeding into a lagoon where people can choose to take a dip.

Another option is the infinity pool built by the owners of the resort, Jorge and Amor Bondad.  A weekend home turned resort, the Bondads are very hands-on in expanding and sprucing up this oasis of theirs.  In fact, when in their property, you will chance on Amor working in her garden, claiming the chore to be her stress buster.

Looks like more rooms coming up in the future.

Note: Sitio de Amor is part of the many destinations of Viaje del Sol.

Getting There:

Once you see Jardin de San Vicente along the Maharlika Highway, watch out for a sign that will lead you to the resort.

Sitio de Amor
Km 88.8 Maharlika Highway
Barangay San Antonio
San Pablo, Laguna
For reservations, call:  522-7340 ; 0918-9274346
Email:  sitiodeamor@yahoo.com
Posted on by Jenn 6

Xiao Long Bao: Dumpling of all Dumplings

Credits:  Quickpage by Joanne aka 2girlsand poodle from the You Are Awesome Kit.  Alpha by Scrapmatters.com Life Little Surprises kit.

If you haven’t heard of Xiao Long Bao, it’s about time that you do.  You absolutely must try this at least once in your life. This delectable steamed soup dumpling is named after the small bamboo basket it is steamed in.  Inside the dumpling are pockets of minced meat and gelatinized broth made of chicken, pork or cured ham.  When steamed, the gelatin melts inside the dumpling and the soup bursts into deliciousness in your mouth.

Best with vinegar and ginger slivers

The graceful way I eat this is to bite a small hole into the dumpling and sip out the juice before taking the whole dumpling.  A word of caution… wait a few minutes to cool the dumpling before devouring though – the last thing you want is to ruin the whole experience by burning yourself.

My first encounter with this Shanghainese specialty was in 1991, in Taiwan – the very first branch of Din Tai Fung, I recently learned.   And for a very long time, I could only dream of it.  It took me 10 long years to feast on these babies again, this time in Shanghai.  It took perhaps another 5 years for Xiao Long Bao to make its way to the Philippines.  Eat Well is a favorite and very recently, Crystal Jade opened its doors in Greenhills supposedly offering excellent xiao long baos.  The long line turned me off so I have yet to judge for myself.

Din Tai Fung. Singapore. Packed!

Recently however, I came full circle when a few months ago in Beijing and more recently in Singapore, I saw myself in Din Tai Fung for a treat of my favorite dumpling (and more).  Din Tai Fung has become known for their delectable dumplings for decades and opened up franchises in many Asian countries but sadly not in the Philippines (yet).  I saw that they’ve expanded their dumplings to more than just their signature Xiao Long Bao.  They now have chicken, fish and even a vegetarian dumpling.

Though I was a bit disappointed with the vegetarian dumplings, their signature dish remains to be my favorite and

Clockwise:  Cucumber appetizer, Fried Pork Chops on fried rice, Almond Jelly on crushed ice, xiao long bao with vinegar and ginger slivers.

I so totally enjoyed their pork chops and almond jelly dessert.  So really even if XLB made them what they are today, it isn’t just all about dumplings at Din Tai Fung. If you find yourself in a neighborhood with  Din Tai Fung near you, don’t hesitate at all.  Click here to see where they are around the globe.

Where to get XLB in the Philippines:

Eat Well Delicious Kitchen (sounds tacky but they really serve up delicious meals)

At The Fort
Unit C, Ground Floor, Net Quad Building,
30th-31st St., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
For Reservation and Pickup only: +632 856-9408
At Greenhills
Missouri St. cor. Connecticut St., Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila, Philippines
Phone Number: +632 722-8518

 

Crystal Jade
Unit 117-121 (near Haagen Dazs and Goodwill Bookstore)
V-Mall, Greenhills Shopping Center
Greenhills, San Juan City, Metro Manila

Phone Number: +632 570-6910, 570-6912

 

Posted on by Jenn 4

Beijing Acrobats

Credits:  LivE S4S Stitched Page Overlay, TW Lesson 2 paper, Laurie’s Ornament, KPertiet Storyboard Negatives.

China’s acrobatics are world-renowned and deservedly popular among Beijing’s visitors.  Young students that demonstrate extreme flexibility, dexterity and balance that boggle the mind perform today’s acrobatic shows.  If you have enough time, might as well witness a show.  Expect to “ooh” and “ahh” during the entire show as the young performers show off stunts such as: plate spinning, unicycling, juggling, Chinese yo-yo, etc.

Snippets from the show:

Where to watch:

Chao Yang Theater

Wansheng Theater

Tiandi Theater

 

Posted on by Jenn 3

A Taste of Ancient China

Credits:

Although the Tian An Men (Men meaning gate) Gate was built in 1417 during the Ming Dynasty to compliment the Forbidden City, what first came to mind as I was walking through the humungous complex was the 1989 protest known to the world as the Tiananmen Square Massacre.  This was where the heroic flight of thousands of young men and women played a crucial role in the events that ultimately led to the collapse of communism.

The largest city space in the world at 40,000 square meters the square was packed with people wandering about.  It held the monument of the National Heroes, the Great Hall of the People, the National Museum of China and the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong.  It also is the gate connecting to the Forbidden City, which sits on its north.

The large white marble column seen all around the square was constructed in 1420 as part of the Forbidden City ‘s grand design, which took 14 years to complete.

This Chinese inspired palace is located in the middle of Beijing and now houses the Palace Museum.  For almost 500 years (from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty), it served as the home of emperors and their households.  It likewise was the economic and political center of the Chinese government.  The construction began under the Ming Emperor Yongle in 1406 and is the largest and the most well preserved imperial residence in China today.

Walking through the city gives an idea of the grandiose lifestyle of the former emperors.  During these times, common Chinese were not allowed to enter the city at all, a big contrast to today’s millions of people entering daily.

The entrance of the Palace is through Tiananmen gate and once you reach the Wumen (Meridien Gate),

you enter the heart of the complex where you fall in line or wait for your guide to purchase your ticket.

It was chaotic and it continues to be so until you leave the complex.   The rooms are now off-limits and one can only take a peak from the outside, unlike a decade ago when one could actually enter and have a feel of the old splendor.  The price of commercialization, I guess.

Despite the chaos, a visit to the Forbidden City is a must especially if it is your first time.

Because of the size, allow at least 3 hours to walk the complex, wear comfy walking shoes and best to get those audio guides for a thorough walk through.

Forbidden City
North of Tiananmen Square
Dong Cheng District
Opens from 8:30am – 4pm daily
Price:  ¥ 40-60 / ticket
Posted on by Jenn 2

Beijing at Night

Credits:  Kitschy Digital (You are awesome kit) Chevron and Yellow Houndstooth papers, Knotty girl’s pp1 paper;  Caro 752 Marquee 1 & 2 brushes, KPertiet Grungy clusters and LivE Sing for Spring Page overlay;  LivE TW01 Tag;  K Pertiet Academic Alphas.

A “Snack Street” and a “Bar Street”, both alive till the wee hours of the morning, both swarming with street food – some made me squeamish while some whetted my appetite.  Two popular night scenes not to be missed when in Beijing.

Wangfujing Night Food Market

Just off Wangfujing St., located pretty much in the center of Beijing and a 10-minute walk from where we stayed.

After a hotpot dinner at a nearby mall, we walked along Wangfujing St., a portion of it is off limits to cars and other motor vehicles.

The food market was crowded with people, but they say this is quite normal as it is a famous snack street among locals and foreigners alike.  I was not prepared for what’s to come though.

The first few food stalls had as displays bugs and scorpions on a stick, bizarre foods that would probably delight Andrew Zimmern no end but not me.

Even beautiful sea creatures such as seahorses and starfishes.  I was horrified.  Poor creatures.  I now know that there are foods that I cannot eat, what a revelation!!  But not all food stalls are alike,

Candied fruits

there were others that had me wish we skipped the hotpot meal and went straight here.

Lamb Shawarma

There were wonderful smells of lamb kebabs, shawarmas, grilled meats, roasted chestnuts and many, many more.

A great place for a cheap sumptuous dinner, sans the bizarre foods of course.

Sanlitun Bar Street

One of the best known bar street in Beijing, Sanlitun is located in Eastern Beijing in the Chaoyung District.

Hidden away in the small alleys of Sanlitun are many small bars and cafes.

This has been one of the most popular entertainment area for foreign expats, recounts my brother who used to work in Beijing in the late ‘90s.  What used to be a small street with bars has turned into stretches of bars and trendy restaurants.  Hardly recognizable, he says, as we weave through the streets in search of his favorite hangout spot 12 years ago.

Before taking a cab back to our hotel, we came across this stall selling some sort of a wrap

made up of char siu pork and fried egg with some sort of sweet-savory sauce and lettuce to finish off.

Better then the breakfast offerings at the hotel.

Posted on by Jenn 6