A Taste of Hoi An

... Part 3 ...

I loved Pho Hoa in Manila , and I absolutely LOVED the food we had during my visit to Ho Chi Minh City last year (can't get over it!). And this was probably why I had such high expectations for the Hoi An local cuisine. Di ba dapat mas masarap ang pagkain sa probinsya?

Alright, I guess we ate at touristy spots most of the time , which does not qualify as local. But still... saving grace was this small eatery our cab driver recommended to us :-)

Here are some food highlights!

Hainanese Chicken Rice from the Palm Garden Resort
I was simply famished when we arrived at 3pm during the first day, with only some Skyflakes to fill my always hungry tummy because we didn't have time for lunch. I ordered this Hainan chicken from the hotel, looked good -- but I was disappointed with its bland, bland taste. :-( It was as if they just boiled the chicken and put crushed ginger on the side. Walang personality.



I also had Orange Juice - which was sooo sour. It was pure, warm, with no sugar at all. And because I was not satisfied, I shared a Creme Brulee with Ana. It was... well, a normal Creme Brulee, nothing special. But at least it tasted like what it's supposed to taste like.



That evening, we decided to be adventurous and explored downtown Hoi An - which was about 10-15 minutes away from our resort by cab (cost us around 80,000 Vietnam Dong) I interviewed the driver and asked him where we can get good local food. He drew us a map that brought us to the Wan Lu restaurant in one of the side streets. After struggling with the language, I stuffed myself with an interesting dish called "White Rose" and the tastiest "Yang Chow" fried rice.

An evening downtown. Hoi An is famous for its tailors.
You can make a dress made in under 2 hours (USD 30.00 up)

White Rose, locally known as banh bao vac, is a type of shrimp and pork dumpling made from translucent white dough bunched up to look like a rose.You dip it in a mixture of fish sauce and (i think) vinegar + garlic + sugar. It's not going to be my favorite any time soon (siomai is better) -- but it was... interesting. Sort of like chewing a big glob of bubblegum while waiting to taste the shrimp/pork filling!

White Rose - all dough, hidden shrimp

We also ordered their version of the Yang Chow fried rice, which was so full of sahog - erm, kanin pa lang, ulam na! Tasty and cheap (less than 2 USD for a huge plate good enough for 3-4 pax)

Another interesting find was Banh Phu The , which meant husband and wife cake. Somebody brought it in while we were doing our community service. It tasted a lot like our local sumans, with some strips of dried, shredded coconut inside. It also came with another cake, called Banh Gai (I didn't get the meaning) , which sort of tasted like mochi or buchi (sticky rice with monggo inside?)


After such a tiring day -- I was expecting a feast of a dinner at the nearby Full Moon Resort and Restaurant.. it was such a "twinkling" place straight out of asian movies. Alas, I was disappointed, and I can't even remember what I ate. Each dish was served ONE AT A TIME ... and when another viand came, they took the first one away. It doesn't matter if you didn't get any, or if the dish was untouched. THEY JUST TAKE IT AWAY. Sigh. Even the steamed rice was served last, without any viands to accompany it. Sigh. One of my colleagues said maybe the servers have a quota on how many plates they clear.

Most of the food served that night were tasteless , except for these monstrous prawns . But sadly, we only got to eat one piece each :-( . But I don't believe that food in this region is terrible. I'm guessing we just got unlucky.

That's about it for the food highlights! (The going away buffet at the hotel wasn't much, either) I got myself a familiar cheeseburger from McDonalds as soon as we landed in Manila. Ahh... tastebuds are still alive!

Palm Garden Beach Resort and Spa, Cua Dai Beach

... Part 2 ....

Travel time was around 2 hours something from Manila to Ho Chi Minh City , and another one hour domestic flight to Da Nang, and then another 45 minute drive to Cua Dai Beach. Forty five minutes were really 45 minutes continuous driving - no heavy traffic at all!

The airport was very similar to Bohol's Tagbilaran airport. The scenery was flat and dry, with small sprouts of development here and there. As we approached Cua Dai beach, I saw "Boracay" in the making. There were huge construction sites for resorts everywhere! We were lucky that we visited before the onslaught of these casinos and monster resorts. (According to one website, "If you do not want to see tourists, Hoi An is not the place for you") Sure enough, I saw a lot of tourists during our stay. But still not as crowded as Boracay!

We stayed at a sprawling beach resort called Palm Garden. Upon seeing it, I can't help but recall my favorite game show, the "Price is Right" where people win weekends at Palm Springs :-) Too bad I wasn't able to use any of their facilities (except for room service - a pregnant woman's best friend) -- but the pool looked fab and the Qui Spa looked posh (at U$D 54.00 per massage!! WTF?)

The rooms were either duplexes or stand alone bungalows. I was on a 2nd floor of a duplex type one. It was huge for just one person (our company has this thing with privacy so they always book one person per room) , and I couldn't help but wish that I had family with me :-)






As for the hotel food, I've tasted better. Even for the breakfast buffet, I steered clear of the unique concoctions and stayed with the tried and tested egg omelettes, cereal and bread.. (Food deserves a separate blog entry... ) I also felt that people at the hotel were very impatient people. While eating, you get asked for an average of 3 times ifyou're done so they can get your plate. For room service, they knocked so loud and fast, you'd think there was an emergency!



A good thing about their beach (even if the sand is not powder-white) , is that it's so far away from the resorts! Felt really peaceful :-) The temperature when we arrived was beach-worthy, but it started getting windy (typhoon-like) the next couple of days.

Dark Skies

Overall, I would rate Palm Garden maybe a 7 out of 10. It was beautiful, but the service and the food was forgettable ! And, if I weren't pregnant, I would've stayed another day in Ho Chi Minh (and not at Cua Dai Beach -- the water looked dangerous anyway)


Up next ... FOOD post !

Whirlwind Hoi An

Ok, first of all - Hoi An is a real place and NOT my version of the more famous Vietnamese city, Hanoi. My friend Ave asked me if I was kidding or confused when I was telling him about my Hoi An trip, "Ahh, Hanna, ako naman pupunta sa Kok-Bang." Well.. haha.

Upon our arrival, however-- I started getting confused because this might be a mixed up city after all! Check out the welcome sign for our team:
Sheesh! Maling-malina talaga! Hahaha! The sign guy noticed our laughter and was too shy to show his face :-)

Our huge global office is currently under massive reorganization and the management saw it fit to keep the support team in the loop. The "support team" is this layer of our office which provides administrative and technical support to all the finance and whatever expert bosses that we have. In simpler terms, we are the secretaries, IT support, program/ technical/ executive assistants, office administrators, staff writers, etc, etc. As some of our primaries from Washington DC put it, "the people who do the real work" -- and that our bosses probably missed all of us because all of East Asia support staff were virtually unreachable that week.

I regret that I may be unable to give you a "taste of Hoi An". As stated in a previous blog entry, we hardly had time to explore the city. During the time when we were given a choice between go relax and do community service, my team chose the latter (which, by the way - I don't regret!). And during the time that I was excused from some activities, I was just so dizzy to care!

Overall, it was a fun, tiring, whirlwind week. It was sort of like a sneak preview to an award winning film that I will never get to watch. Let me share with you the best parts ...

to be continued....

Quickie Post

I'll have more time to detail my trip to Hoi An when I get home. I underestimated the schedule they gave us (doesn't seem much, but it's really packed once you've experienced it)

Also, our resort is quite literally in the middle of nowhere - which is good if you're here on a holiday - but not if you want to squeeze in as much experience you can squeeze in a short, 4-day workshop week. All sights and shopping are closed by the time we end our typical day. Oh well, less expenses!!! Ah, but I can't help feell frustrated about not seeing this historical place.

The BEACH looks good though, minus the waves that look dangerous. The shoreline's super long and the setback of the resorts from the actual shore is really far so you can appreciate the natural beauty more.


Yesterday, we traveled for about an hour to a very Rural part of Hoi An, where we spent time with public school students. It was such a great experience, at least for me.. since I felt like some of the people there did not want to be there hehe. Sometimes, it really amazes me how other people have no idea how the grassroots live their lives.

Today we have an in-house meeting and some other socials lasting up to dinner. I thought I could get some extra work done here, but I'm just to exhausted to care. Last night, I skipped a group meeting to crash in my room. Hey, baby's complaining..

Tomorrow, we go home!! Tell you more about it then :-) (p.s I don't know what's wrong but I can't seem to upload photos!!)

Mixed Up Thoughts

Another random post !

1. LTJG came home the other night while I was catching up with old friends in LB. Talagang, "Maghintay ka jan! Gimik muna ako" Hehe. He had chocolate cake waiting for him.

My 9x12 advance birthday chocolate cake because we won't be together on my birthday.

2. Ang itim ni LTJG. Eew. Haha. We also went to the OB for my checkup. The doctor had a hard time chasing the baby around with the doppler. He/She is a very hyper baby. For a moment I panicked because we couldn't find the heartbeat.

3. We brought Mia to the vet for annual vaccinations. She's now so groggy and I feel so sorry for her. A bit quieter around the Laguna house.

4. Reversal of roles tomorrow! I'm leaving LTJG at home to go to Vietnam!

5. It's okay, HE's also going abroad. Inggit din aku!

6. I am so excited to go to Vietnam - the conference venue will be in a city called Hoi An, apparently a UNESCO World Heritage Site! Our company driver, Mang Andy, will be going with us and will be bringing his Nikon D80 SLR Camera (say nyo!!) and agreed to let me be its yaya for 4 days. Yey!

There will be 170+ participants from all over East Asia and we're having a community service day (I'll be reading stories to kids as part of their mobile library project - some will do playground construction, house painting and gardening) , a gala night, and of course, some work involving a review of company plans up to 2013 (but I don't think it's gonna be that hard).

And.. there's going to be a football game with the local teachers ! Argh. I so want to play, but I have to be a good, responsible, pregnant lady. So I'll just cheer :-)

"Juday na Juday"

I stole that term from my friend Kakay, who, upon showing her my ultrasound scan, exclaimed, "Wow, Juday na Juday!"

Hmp. Talk about stealing my limelight! Oh well, I have to admit, I was thrilled as well when I found out that she was pregnant. So showbiz!

Side kwento. When I was in elementary school, "ULA" with the young Judy Ann Santos was quite popular. I have to find a photo but they said I looked like her. I didn't believe them, but maybe there was some truth to it because the yayas in my old school always called me, "Ula! Ula!" Hahah. They always said hello, patted my head and said, "Hello, diba ikaw si Ula?"

Back to the present.

I was so nervous for my scan yesterday. I had my first scan for baby #2 at 6 weeks - and because I'm under close monitoring, my OB told me to have another one done this week. So, I went. Sam was so jealous because he couldn't be there again, but we couldn't hold it off!

First reaction of OB-sonologist "Anlaki na!". Second, "Malikot!" She couldn't get a good angle for the picture! The baby was just tossing and turning. Hah. Yes, he/she was a marshmallowy blob in the photo - but I thought it was cute. (Pagbigyan ang nanay!)

When I got home, I showed the photo to our househelp, who immediately said, "Ay parang kay Juday!"

Hmp. Stolen glory again.

Kikay Stuff

I'm not craving any kind of special food. But I am suddenly craving kikay stuff. Handmade soaps , sweet smelling lotions, yummy body washes that I hardly ever cared for before. Also, I now take time to fix and comb my hair, and I even make time for makeup!

Ngyi. Is that legal? Or am I just using pregnancy as an excuse to be kikay?

Anyway, I'd just like to share with you some of the stuff I'm loving lately. Just in case you want to try :-)I have other kikay stuff but I'll show you these first.

Face

Beauche Beauty Bar (P38.00 - 50.00 , depending on where you buy 'em)

Papaya and other fruit acids

At first glance this soap doesn't say much. I mean, it doesn't look appealing or expensive or "sosyal". Think "chunk of papaya soap" I first heard about it from an officemate who has very nice skin, then by coincidence, a friend of mine asked me to try a bar. I also heard that a lot of PAL flight attendants use it. I experienced tingling during the first few tries, but as promised, I saw the difference "after 7 days". Smoother skin, less visible pores, fewer breakouts! Beauche is usually sold as a "kit" with a toner, a night cream, an exfoliant, and sunblock - but I didn't get the others because they had ingredients that can be harsh to pregnant skin.

The downside (at least for me) is that it whitens so effectively :oP - my mom noticed "parang pumuputi ka??" I don't like to go lighter so I alternate it with....

Human Heart Nature Honey and Cocoa Butter Makeup Remover/ Facial Cleanser
(around P100.00)

This is the only HN face wash that I love. It controls my oil without drying my skin, and you can really feel the softness after you use it. As a makeup remover, it removes stubborn eye makeup without the prickles.

Ellana Premium Blend Mineral Foundation
(loose powder foundation , around P400.00 for a 6 gram pot. Might seem a little but it goes a long way)

Upon the suggestion of the Ellana lady, I got the blend in "Hazelnut Latte" ~ medium light with gold undertones. What's good with loose powder is that it covers well and probably clogs less pores than the liquid/ cream ones (c'mon, anything you put on your face is bound to clog something!) This particular blend also absorbs excess oil = less shine!

Tip 1: Good powder is no good with a bad brush. Good brushes can be expensive so I just bought a small one. Ellana has a portable, cute "baby buki" brush :-) Soft, non irritating bristles.
Tip 2: Recognize real mineral makeup from the fake by tapping some on water. If it floats, it's real. Ellana is available online, but you can also visit the SM Makati booth during weekends (groundfloor, at the tiangge type stalls in the middle)

I am tempted to buy all Ellana stuff and all Ellana brushes. Maybe next time, hehe.

Oki, til the next beauty review! I'm waiting for a batch of handmade soaps to arrive so I'll write about those in the next entry.

Who's to Blame?

Last year, while I was struggling to accept the loss of Baby Sarie - one of our neighbors and her daughter dropped by to visit. We live next to a compound of low-cost houses (I think they're all relatives who inherited the land) , and I was so touched that they brought me some apples though I knew that they did not have that much.

I learned that the daughter miscarried that month as well. But the news came as a complete shock, since her daughter was only 13 years old! Pregnant and miscarried at 13? The girl used to visit our house a lot when Rachelle and Irene were still here (my foster sisters) , they played tag, Barbies, and badminton. As I stared at her thin, barely developed frame, I couldn't help but wonder - what could drive a girl of 13 to "explore" that much and get herself pregnant?

Last night, our long time yaya told me that the now 14-year old girl was pregnant again. By the same 18 year-old jobless out of school youth. It really broke my heart as I envisioned how this would really affect her adolescent years and her psychological state. At 14, I was a junior in high school and worrying about what to wear to prom. At 14 , she would battle morning sickness and the emotional stuff that goes with it.

But at that age, where can one really learn about reproductive health, sex, having babies and its consequences? Who could have warned the girl about how a few moments of release can alter her whole life? How can her young mind handle such a long-term situation? I can only pray that all goes well and that their family can handle these challenges.

Blame the girl? Blame the boy? They wouldn't have understood because of the lack of information (or the quality of available information) out there. Blame the parents? But what if they lack the education as well? Who really teaches family values and interaction? Blame society? School? The Catholic Church?

I hope our society accepts this reality about sex once and for all. So that more and more people (especially the young people!) realize that it is more than just pleasure or pressure or a practice. That one night (or one day, or one hour, or 15 seconds of "heaven") could lead to a long term commitment.

I applaud DOH Secretary Cabral for her spunk and steadfast attitude about RH. The campaign could be improved, yes - to avoid any misunderstanding. But it's a start.

I am a Catholic. But the church, just like everything else - should adapt to the changing times and think of ways on how they can adjust their teachings so that they may be absorbed by the increasingly misinformed and misguided public.

Old-school teachings need to be altered to consider the existence of uncontrollable media.

A Funny Thing Happened at the US Embassy

I have never applied for a US Visa before, and I have to thank my mom for that. I've had one since I was 3 years old and years after that, all you had to do to renew them were to put them in what they called "the dropbox." I was thankfully awarded a 10 year US Visa a little bit before 9/11 which I enjoyed up to this year. My visa expired last week, March 5th. So now that procedures have changed, and I am older - nobody'll have to get a Visa for me but myself. I've heard a lot of horror stories , not to mention thinking about flushing down $131.00 down the drain if I get refused.

So the day my Visa expired was also the day that I got my US Embassy appointment. My mom told me that it will be an average of 2 hours waiting time before I finally get everything done. I joked, "I hope I sit next to a cute boy"

Well, I got the next best thing. I sat next to a cute girl. ;-) I noticed her the first time she walked in the Embassy pavilion, but not until she sat next to me that I realized that she was Bea Alonzo! She was wearing this flowy white top that made her glow, and was carrying a Dolce and Gabbana metallic bag that was reallly nice. I got an autograph for Sam, and learned that she was applying for a tourist visa so she can do a movie premiere in Hawaii. She's not really one of my favorite local actresses but I still got starstruck, she was so pretty with really great skin.

Off to my interview .. the guy infront of me obviuously didn't get his Visa because I could hear him asking for one more chance. He was really bummed.

The consul at the window was a tall, thin guy with a bored look. I handed him my documents and prepared for a barrage of questions. He leaned forward and gave me a calculating look.

Consul: Hi. When was the last time you were in the United States?

Me: July 2007

Consul: And what was the purpose of your visit?

Me: I was touring with the group, Up With People.

To my complete surprise, the guy leans back spreads his arms wide and lets out a laugh.

Me: What? You've heard of them?

Consul: (Obviously not serious) Yeah and I hear they cause trouble.

Me: We do not!

Consul: Tell me again, what does Up With People do?

Me: (Explains)

Consul: Alright then, your visa have been approved ! Have a nice day.

Hmm... he made fun of me but awarded me with a Visa. Fair enough. :oP

But I can't help but notice that the lines and the systems at the US Embassy was so efficient. I don't think it costs a lot to keep up a system like that! I wonder how come the LTO can't emulate?? Hay.

30 Years + La Union

March 1, 1980

March 1, 2010

Sabi ng dad ko, mas kilig daw ang mom ko sa kanya. :-) My dad, however, is sooo different when my mom is not around. He's more serious. But when my mom's around, parang nag se-second childhood. Haha. Happy Anniversary Pepi and Memi! I've always dreamt of throwing you guys one big party for an anniversary, di natuloy nung 25th, at hindi din ngayong 30th! I hope I can afford one soon!

The anniversary weekend was celebrated with a long drive. First to Nueva Ecija to celebrate my father-in-laws 70th birthday (Feb 27) , then we pushed forward to La Union a.k.a Elyu to visit Sam's camp. It was a hot, grueling 8-hour drive! We met a fiesta parade in a Nueva Ecija town (1.5 hour traffic) and asphalt-laying during rush hour in Villasis, Pangasinan (1 hour traffic) - good thing some people pointed out a detour that would bring us to the Magilas road... an alternate route going to Elyu and Baguio.

On the first night, we stayed at the Navy guest house, "The Admiral's Cabin" -- big rooms with airconditioning! It was very similar to Nakar Hall in Baguio (a bit bigger and sunnier!). We shared the whole cabin with some pilots who were set to fly to Baguio the next day. (Ms Anna! Your husband was there..)

The following day we visited nearby San Juan to check out the surfers. I was itching to try it but received a bad look from the husband. Oh well, we'll take the baby surfing in 12 months or so :-) We just had a good time swapping stories with Badz, the surf school operator in the area. I bugged sam about him taking surf lessons on weekends.

By lunchtime, we trooped to the Thunderbird Resort (right beside the camp!) where we were able to get free accommodations, thanks to my dad's fraternity brother. The place was fashioned after Greece's Santorini Island (check out the movie Mamma Mia and the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants 2, and fall in love with the place). I guess this was as close as we can get to Santorini!

The atmosphere was very relaxing - but I just don't like the way the sun shines on you up north. Sobrang init. Make sure to bring your sunscreen and sunglasses - maawa kayo sa skin and sa retina! It was a great place for pictures and I think would be absolutely perfect for weddings! They have a pool, a short stretch of fine-sanded beach, a casino, and a collection of date-worthy restaurants. They have a golf course too (if you can stand the heat,, it was soo dry.)

It was a memorable, picture-perfect weekend for all 4 + 1 in the tummy for us !


More photos here: http://pacua.multiply.com/photos/album/56/La_Union_

Where in the world?

Today I go back to the 'real world' ... hate to leave this behind:

See you in Manila !