Malabon to Escolta

For some reason tonight I feel like blogging. Probably because the net is okay and we seldom get that. Scanning the many photos I have taken in just three months since the beginning of 2015, I can say there definitely is a lot of work to be done.

Early in January, I revisited Malabon, for the third time this time, with a fellow Wiki workshop participant. (Unfortunately he decided not to do anything during the certification period so he didn't become a certified volunteer.) He was willing to accompany me though and I'm happy about that because I would need an architect to help me with determining architectural styles since most houses are tricky.

We met at San Bartolome Church on an early Sunday morning. Since mass had started, I decided to hear mass first before looking for him. Since Malabon is dear to me, I still take a lot of pictures of my favorite finds. What makes my visit then extra special was that we got to enter an ancestral house where we spent some time talking about the windows, the ceilings, the floors made of wooden planks... It's what I love most when traveling, getting to know the local flavor through the people, the food, and the old structures. I wish I can go on doing this.

retablo of San Bartolome Church

Facade of San Bartolome Church

near the wet market

Exaltation of the Holy Cross Parish

drawing on a tile displayed outside a house

interiors of an ancestral mansion

because I rarely get inside an ancestral house: obligatory photo!

After walking around in Malabon, I went straight to Escolta where I was to meet with my family for Sunday lunch. It brought me back to where it all started. Living in Manila during my childhood, I was highly selective on where we hear mass and would only be happy when we heard mass in Binondo Church. Later on during my college days, I took great solace in walking on the streets of Quiapo, Santa Cruz, and Binondo like an annual pilgrimage of sorts. Would you not feel the magnificence of these old buildings which withstood the test of time? Does your heart pound not at the sight of these wondrous architectural styles? They invoke in me a sense of wonder, stirring my soul, inspiring my whole being...

Don Ramon Santos Building (a.k.a. BPI Escolta Building)

Regina Building

UNO Seafood Wharf Restaurant housed on the ground floor of Calvo Building

Read about my first Malabon experience here

My second Malabon experience was just mentioned in passing HERE

Shi Lin 06122013

Another sisterly date was set on Independence Day and after work, we headed to Lucky Chinatown Mall in Binondo to dine at Shi Lin. Earlier, I had purchased a voucher from Cashcashpinoy and I was determined to gather my sisters with me to claim my noodles and dumplings. But because the mall is far from home, it took us a long time before we finalized the trip.

Initially I thought of having only noodles and dumplings but my sisters wanted to try out other offerings so we had jellyfish as appetizer. It's a good thing my sister's stubbornness prevailed. At first I was against the idea since we often eat jellyfish when we dine a la banquet style in Chinese restaurants. I just love the sauce which is a mix of mild spiciness, sweetness, and sourness.

Jellyfish (P105)

We ordered two noodle types: Spicy sesame with peanut sauce noodles and beef noodles. Both boast of QQ noodles and overwhelming flavors. I initially loved the beef noodle soup but later on, I shunned it for fear of MSG overdose.

Beef noodle soup (P268)

Spicy sesame with peanut sauce noodles (P145)

While in the middle of enjoying the noodles, our dumplings and xiao long bao arrived. We all fell instantly in love with the xiao long bao with the not-so-hot-it-can-scald-your-tongue soup inside. (The last time I had xiaolongbao in Manila I was super disappointed to find it's got no soup inside.) For me, it's best eaten without the sauce. (But that's because I don't like ginger. My sisters both loved these with the sauce.)

xiao long bao (P148/ 6 pcs.)

While we all raved about the wonderful xiaolongbao, we found the mushroom and vegetable dumplings a bit dull. Or maybe it wasn't warm enough when we ate it because we were too busy savoring the xiaolongbao?

mushroom and vegetable dumplings (P158/ 6 pcs)

Will I be back? For the xiaolongbao, without a doubt! Truth be told, I am ambivalent toward Shi Lin Restaurant because they do not have free hot tea. One has to shell out P40 for an unlimited pot of House tea (Taiwan oolong tea) which, by the way, is still worth the price as it is surprisingly aromatic and nice. I must admit that I never wanted to leave the establishment and just wanted to stay there and consume tea after a nice dinner. My sisters had to drag me out of the restaurant and go to the mall's stores to shop.

February 2013

February of this year seems to be my busiest month yet. I met up with friends a lot, went to Hong Kong and explored some areas there on my own, flew to Ho Chih Minh, and got physically more active compared to previous months.

I watched 4 out of 6 movies shown during the Spring Film Festival at EDSA Shangrila Mall. I even accompanied an old man who seemed to me to be lonely. I asked about his wife and he said they used to watch movies a lot. It's all different now because his wife has become sickly and weak and so he now watches alone. At first I felt creepy but then I thought of my grandmother, I thought of the many old people left behind by relatives, neglected by their own children, alone, wandering, reminiscing those sweet old days... I thought of maybe in the future I will be like one of them, an old solitary woman, unmarried, with no child, companionless. Maybe it's the last thought that prompted me to stick with this man for one night and be his companion. I talked to him about the old times. Too bad I am not a fan of Elvis Presley, as he seemed enthused of the popular star.

I watched The Life of Pi with a dear friend at a time when I needed to keep my mind off a certain someone. We both agreed that 3D would have been a whole lot better. After the movie, we pigged out on gelato. It had been months since I last ate ice cream. Gelato is still a better alternative.

And with the same friend, I watched DUP's "Collection", a brilliant satiric play by Floy Quintos attacking the hypocrisy, excessive greed, materialism, and vices of the present-day society. This, in contrast with the pure Hermana who was all for the poor and the needy. Of all the plays I've watched in UP so far, this one is the BEST!

More friendly dates with my girl friends kept me happy on days when I was feeling down. I'm happy to be able to hang out with them. They have this amazing power to make me forget about that guy who flirted a lot with me and with whom I got attached to and found hard to detach from. And at present I have accepted that I was nothing more than a game for him. To be fair, I couldn't think of "us" either but still welcomed his flirting with much gusto. To be honest though I "considered" him, but after everything that happened, I know better. In fact, I think I may be committing a grave error. In my diary dated February 6, I wrote, "Upon careful examination, I think maybe I'm just obsessed with love. Or maybe just experiencing a thirst for love.", which, I know, is not fair to the other person concerned. One day in February, I reread his messages to me while on the bus and felt my heart constrict. I realized that he's one of the very few guys who seemed so simple yet who took the risk of being sweet to me, despite me being intimidating and all. Before the month ended though, I finally have gotten over him.

A day before the Chinese New Year, I went to Chinatown and was greeted by LOTS of people. The place has become a tourist spot with all the festivities in the area, made even more lively by the ubiquitous dragon dances with the sound of gongs and drums and firecrackers complimenting the smell of sulfur. Add to that the widely used color combinations of gold and red, lucky colors for the Chinese. I was in no mood that day and was annoyed that Filipinos go there to document rather than to actually engage with the place and the people.

Also this month, I went to Corregidor on a bus tour. It wasn't at all the tour that I wanted. I was expecting lots of walking and hiking. Turned out to be just a boring bus tour. And so I resolved to myself to go back there and explore, as well as to spend the night at the beach. The tourist guide boasts of zero crime rate in the island. I wonder if it's true.

On the last day of February, I flew to Vietnam. Cebu Pacific still has the Valentine Promo. In addition to the two bagtags I won during my Hong Kong trip flights, I won a small netbook sleeve.

Lanzhou Ramen

Last March 22, a friend and I went to Binondo to gather materials for her project. I was finally able to find Lanzhou Ramen with her. I've been looking for it but my search has been unfortunate. I can't seem to find the place when not accompanied by my parents. So last month when I tasted success, I told my friend that we have eat there.

the condiments but the best of these is the chili sauce

dried beef noodles (my family and I can't get enough of this)

 You have a choice when you order the noodles. You can either have it served in soup already or you may ask for the soup to be separated from the noodles. I like the separated one better. Besides it's easier that way when it comes to sharing. An order is big enough for 2-3 persons.

The herbs make the soup wonderful. Just the smell of it makes one's mouth water. The noodles are just the way I want them to be, a bit "elastic". The noodles are handpulled by the way, and I think it's what makes the noodles more delicious.

yummy kuchay dumplings at an affordable price