Missing Ermita

Back in our college days, Tuesday night is gimmick night since there are no clinics on Wednesdays (for clinicians) and for the pre-clinicals, well, let's just say that our less-stressful classes are held every Wednesdays. Now, according to one of our Endo 31 students, gimmick nights transferred to Fridays nights, though I don't know if the same goes with the clinicians.

Anyway, I've always wanted to try going out in the Malate area once again, for old time's sake. Our inuman venue that time were the Gilligan's Nakpil (in front of that gay bar then later on there were 2 gay bars na, one aptly named "Red Banana"), of course SideBar (where Apo people and Dent people seem to have their own place, and for our no-pera days, there's Kells(?). Tama ba spelling? I know it's somewhere in Malate area too but everytime we go there, we're all too drunk to care where exactly it is.

Last Friday, the Congressman asked if I could wait for him since they have a repossession operation in the Paranaque area. He'd be in Manila to fetch me at 9pm tops DAW. Since it's been a while since I got to explore the new Midtown wing and I've been craving for cerealicious since lunchtime, I happily agreed.

After OM duty, I'm off to revisit my Elena Apartment days haven: Rob Place Manila. First stop: deparment store. Bought this cheap (less than a hundred) flip flops so I can walk for hours without dealing with blisters the next day. Although I have my ever-comfy Melissa shoes on, I love it too much to subject it to the impending feet torture.

Robinson's Malate was a dormer's best friend. Last minute needs are easily addressed since I would only have to cross the street and there's the mall already. Most of the new shops are what you would consider "high-end" and would easily burn a college student's pocket. 

After getting tired of the mall, I went out and walked along Pedro Gil where my eyes met some familiar sights. There I noticed that the Don Henricos Pedro Gil joint moved from near Mabini to just in front of the Pedro Gil mall entrance. This is where we order pizza and buffalo wings, then known as the "pekeng chicken" since it was scientifically altered to produce chicken na puro wings lang. Hmmm, try to imagine a chicken walking without all the other part, just wings all over (freaky!!!!). 

There's Hap Chan where Drenan Uy treated us to a plate of jellyfish. It took me a lot of convincing but it was good....gooey but good.

There's still this night club right next to the former Victory Christian Fellowship site. Grabe, the bad defeated the good for this matter but I'm happy that VCF found a nicer place, a bit far from temptation. Imagine, what their members had to endure with their venue before in Pedro Gil. Right after leaving from service you'd meet these girls with skimpy dress inviting you to come inside their videoke joint. Now that's the ultimate test of faith!

I wanted to go to Emil Joy, our favorite bbq joint in front of Tia Maria's during our school days. They have the best cheap bbq in town! However, the congressman might give me a ring anytime so I opted not to veer far from the UP Manila area. 

One disappointment is finding out that Alda's Kitchen is already closed. Risha Molato introduced me to Alda's and I kept coming back for their 30-peso banana cream pie. It was replaced by Pizza Niro, a pizza joint like Alda's, but known for their gigantic 30" pizzas.

My stomach's grumbling so even if it was an inuman place, I braved to go inside to try their food.

The menu consists mainly of pizza, pasta, calzone and booze. Suddenly, I'm not in the mood for pizza so I got the Spaghetti ala Vercascana (White cream sauce, mixed seafood, asparagus and herbs). At the price of P120, it didn't disappoint this one hungry trekker. I didn't get to take a picture of the food since I was seated near the window/patio and the place is not air-conditioned so I wouldn't want to risk my phone snatched by some a**hole.

I took time in eating my pasta since the congressman told me it'll take him 45minutes pa to go to Manila. I noticed some UP Manila students (around 4 of them) seated in one table, each with one Red Horse bottle (which reminded me of Chey who introduced me to the tandem of 1 Red Horse while doing anterior set-up hehe). I know they are UP Manila students because they are still wearing their ID (at 8pm!!!). For the benefit of the UP alumni, students are now supposed to wear their IDs all the time. Gone are the days when our IDs are limited to our wallets and pockets of our Jansport backpacks at nilalabas lang pag malapit na kay Ate Guard ng AS. Then came 2 guys who joined their table, slipping a Mini Stop plastic bag. I tried not to be obvious that I was looking at them. Then I saw one of the guys taking a bite of a MiniStop kariman! Hahaha! Onga naman, pag walang perang pampulutan, kaya pa ring gawan ng paraan! Those guys are true-blue UP students, MADISKARTE!

Kitchen Goddess Wife Series: Beef with Brocolli with a kick!

It all started because of inggit.

The Congressman suddenly decided that he wants to bring home-cooked lunch to work "para tipid" daw. But the way he looks at my newly bought Lock N Lock insulated lunchpack makes me think that he has other reasons than magtipid. 

I bought the lunchpack since Friday is schoolday for me and gone were the days that I would go to Rob Place to eat lunch or go to that place with the "masarap na soup at malapit nang mabulok na saging" canteen near St. Paul's. I was thinking of getting a Tiger or Thermos lunchbox since I like my food warm. I remember my uncle gave me the Peacock insulated lunchbox from Japan which I really like because at lunch time, my rice is still piping hot! One time, I left my Peacock baunan in school and when my yaya got it later in the evening, the rice was panis but surprise, it's still warm! Peacock's not available locally, I was able to see a Thermos brand but it's too expensive so I got the Lock N Lock version na lang. Later I learned that the faculty room has its own microwave so buhay na ako doon!

Now back to the Congressman....

His big eyes grew bigger as I filled one Lock N Lock container to see if the liquid won't spill out in case the container topples over. I know they have a sample in SM where one container has this liquid on it just to prove that it's really closed tight but of course, being a victim of those damn Tupperwares (where I endured having toyo stains on my textbooks for the entire year), I have to see it for myself.  

Congressman: Buti bumili ka niyan, magbabaon na ako para tipid.

KGW: Akin to...magbabaon ako every Friday.

Congressman: E every Friday lang naman. E di ako gagamit from Monday to Thursday.

Hmm. Seems fair to me. I just forgot that I was talking to someone who's an expert on compromise agreements while my experience in compromise is limited to convincing a kid to get extraction in exchange for a balloon. I also forgot that being a lawyer, the congressman can be tuso for his own good. Soon enough I found my self bring microwavable plastics on Fridays while the Congressman eats heartily from MY Lock N Lock baunan! Hrrrrrr....

Well, all's forgiven, but definitely NOT forgotten, by this time. It's been a month since the Congressman started to bring baon to work and my, nauubusan na ako ng hotdog at longganisa na ipiprito para baunin niya! Even the Purefoods hotdog with sweet corn viand (I know, it weirded me out too!) pinatulan ko for variety's sake! As I ran out of the usual pambaon roster (fried hotdog, fried chicken, fried porkchop), I decided to make healthy meals once in a while with the help of a little researching for recipes.

Last weekend, I bought a bunch of brocolli in the market. Brocolli's expensive (P40 for such as small head) but it's really masustansya (as I would always hear from Mamu) and it's my favorite veggie. I also bought half kilo of beef sliced thinly (pang-beef steak) and pre-cooked it so it would be easier for me to prepare when I need it. And what do we get when we combine beef and brocolli? Eh di Beef with Brocolli! (corny...)

BEEF AND BROCOLLI STIR FRY


1/2 K. SIRLOIN STRIPS
1 LARGE ONION SLICED
2 HEADS OF BROCOLLI CUT INTO SMALL FLORETTES
COOKING OIL
3T OYSTER SAUCE OR SESAME OIL
2T SOY SAUCE 
DASH OF BLACK PEPPER

BROWN THE SIRLOIN BEEF IN A LITTLE DROP OF OIL. ADD ONIONS AND BROCS WHEN BEEF IS NEARLY DONE. ADD OYSTER AND SOY SAUCE. SEASON WITH BLACK PEPPER AND IF DESIRED FINISHED WITH SESAME OIL. SERVE OVER STEAMED RICE OR BOILED EGGNOODLES. THIS SERVES 4-6 DEPENDE SA APPETITE.

To make most of the brocolli, I also sliced the upper part of the stem/stalk (the softer part) into small circles and added as pampadami.

Beef with Brocolli na negrito (sorry camphone lang eh)

My mom said it tastes good (See, my mother knows best!), but suggested that I add a bit of sesame oil next time (And she can be a know-it-all too hehe joke lang). 

As for the Congressman's reaction? Well, I have yet to know by lunchtime. But as I place the dish into MY Lock N Lock baunan which he still use UP TO NOW....

KGW: Hoy kainin mo tong brocolli ha? Mahal 'to. Pag hindi mo kinain 'to sisipain kita!

Now that's service with a smile.

Robyn's first ER visit

Name: Robyn Gabrielle M. Avenida                               Age/ Gender: 2/F

Chief Complaint: "There are rashes on her back and on the face." (according to the mom, sossy kami kaya english!!!)

HPI: Patient had high fever since Thursday afternoon (4 days PTC). Fever subsided by Saturday morning. This afternoon, after the child's noon nap, her nanny noticed that there are several rashes on the child's back and on the face. The nanny claimed that the child was scratching the rashes especially the ones on the face. The child has no known allergies to food or medication and was given just paracetamol syrup (Biogesic) for the fever during the entire course of illness.

PE: Patient is alert, afebrile. Rashes (some flat, others raised) on the patient's back, neck and lower part of the face.

-----

Hmm, papasa na kaya ako sa Diagnosis? Hehe. Anyway, Robyn was diagnosed with Roseola infatum caused by human herpes virus 6 (HHV6). It's characterized by high fever for 3-5 days followed by the appearance of rashes. I was advised that it's not an alarming condition and no medications are needed as the rashes goes away on its own. 

The congressman was alarmed at first since he thought it was dengue or something. He's the one left with Robyn and the yaya since Monday was a holiday. I was at the clinic at the time the rashes appeared. Funny,(?) it was one of the rare times I've seen the Congressman with a mega-stressed look on his face. You might think I'm so insensitive that I find this funny. Well, at that time, it wasn't funny at all. But after knowing that Robyn's condition wasn't serious, I made fun at the Congressman's worried mode. Almost everyone in our circle knows that between us, I was the worrywart and he's the one forever in "zen mode." I could count with my fingers (on one hand lang!) the times when he gets actually worried about something: when I was late for our wedding, when I was about to give birth, when he is about to take the bar and of course, when the results for the bar are about to come out. Oh, five times lang, including this one with Robyn! Eh ako, more than a billion times na yata!!! 

Seeing the Congressman worried about Robyn makes him more "daddy-ish" and that makes me giddy, at least mas ma-harrass siya kesa sa akin kahit minsan lang!

Anyway, back to Robyn... the Congressman contacted her pedia who lives within the village but the doctor was out of town. They all trooped to my clinic and waited until I'm done with all my morning patients. I told him that we better take Robyn to the ER since all the clinics are closed because of the holiday so off we go to TMC.

It wasn't Robyn's first time in a big hospital since we used to go all the way to Makati Med to visit her pedia Dr. Cricket Chen (who practices anthroposophical medicine, by the way). Robyn didn't like the gloomy atmosphere of MMC (the building's rather old na kasi) but when we got to The Medical City, feeling ni bagets nasa mall siya! 

The pedia section of the ER doesn't look like an ER at all with all those nice kiddie wallpapers and bright surrounding. Robyn spent most of her time pointing at the dinosaurs on the wallpaper while waiting for her turn. She point at one dino and she'd look at her dad as if asking what that creature's called.

Robyn: [turo to a dino]

Congressman: Tyrannosaurus Rex

Robyn: jajeks... [her own version of Tyrannosaurus Rex, then points to another dino]

Congessman: Pterodactyl [hmm alam, palibhasa kakareplay lang ng Land Before Time sa HBO )

Robyn: jaji!!! [aka pterodactyl]

Hay, buti na lang hindi nag-nosebleed ang anak ko kaka-pronounce ng mga bigating words na yun. I wonder what he's going to make her say next? dura lex sed lex?

Robyn needs to have a CBC and platelet count so we had to wait another hour for the results. We took her first to the hospital's food court (aka the Congressma's favorite place in the Medical City) where she ate french fries, the Congressman's mango shake, a part of my burger and a part of her yaya's shawarma. She would've reached for her yaya's coke, good thing we hid to can soon enough. Oh and she had a Mrs. Field's muffin (Read: gigantor muffin!) while in the car on our way home. Yan ba ang mukhang maysakit?

Robyn plays with her ER bracelet

Patiently waiting for her lab results

Nagsusumbong how the medtech pricked her finger

Robyn demonstrated how the med tech pricked her finger to everyone in the house, although she skipped the part where she wiped the oozing blood on her finger onto her dad's white shirt. Robyn: 1 point, the Congressman: 0

Another model for my P1i phone

This was taken during lunch break. My usual lunch date, Doc Zoe, went out for lunch. Buti na lang the other faculty members ate there. They were MIA pag lunch time when Dr. K was on leave.

Anyway, Dr. K's back, as you can see. The first pic, was taken with the camera facing the LRT side that's why it's a bit dark. 2nd take, OK na! Na-extra pa si Dr. V!!!

Dr. K, pasalubong nyahahah!

Update to "Paypal Scare"

I successfully transferred my paypal funds to BPI!!! Yahoo!  I transferred the funds last Tues and when I checked today (Saturday), it's already in my savings account! I am one happy cow....

Paypal scare

I've been doing my online racket/ side line for several months (my job during lunch break and no patient hours) but I only mustered the courage to attempt to withdraw some of my earnings from paypal. Although funds from paypal had been available for transfer to Philippine-based bank accounts since 2007, I'm still a bit skeptical. 

Anyway, I decided to transfer a part of my "online money" to my BPI account as an experiment--a very expensive experiment, as the Congressman said. Other Philippine-based paypal users swore that getting an EON card from Unionbank is way much easier and reliable. I didn't opt for this EON card thing since there's no Unionbank near our place & I don't want to have another account to manage since I already have an account I shared with the Congressman, his payroll account (yes, I do get 100% of his money!!!) and the account for the clinic. I don't want to complicate my life further. Dalawa lang naman ang matinding magpaharass sa akin, dentistry at pera! 

So back to the moolah transfer process, I made sure I double checked everything--the bank account number, the bank code, etc. I never proof-read anything this much since my Seminar 40 (thesis) days yet I couldn't bring myself to press the "Enter" key. Mahigit 5 minutes ko atang tinitigan yung monitor kaka-double check until I sighed and muttered "Here goes nothing..." and pressed the "Enter" key to proceed with the transaction. Crap! I got an error message--ano to?! Anong ginawa niyo sa pera ko???!!!!

[Session timed out]

Nyek. I must have spent a looong time "double checking." So I started the process from scratch, made sure everything I typed is correct then hit the "Enter" key. Bahala na si Batman.

According to paypal, it takes 4-6 days for your funds to be transferred to your bank account. For the time being, I'm keeping my fingers crossed. 

Wish me luck!

Kitchen Goddess-Wife Series

No, the title isn't a typographical error. It just depicts a certified domestic klutz's attempt to gain culinary skills without disastrous results. She's a bit narcissistic as well, hence, "goddess-wife" dapat!

The Congressman & I planned long before to taste Sentro's famed Corned Beef Sinigang. However, since we live far in the East side and gas prices are getting higher than Yao Ming, I don't think we would be sane to go as far as Makati just to eat. With the help of Google and armed with my one and only sandok (my Mom have a lot of sandok but she wouldn't part with any so she bought me one measly sandok from Robinson's since I won't get to cook much naman daw---that's what she thinks!), off I troop to my kitchen to make a version of the popular dish. This is a start of..."The Kitchen Goddess-Wife Series: Oh please save us" (Siyempre dapat may subtitle, ala- Carlo J. Caparas massacre movies since my cooking may end up in a massacre nyehehe)

Anyway, I used a recipe I posted here earlier (Corned Beef Sinigang) but I opted to Palm Corned Beef over Purefoods Chunky. I read somewhere not to use Argentina or Libby's unless you want pinkish corned beef sinigang.

Every cooking attempt should start with a prayer, and I could have finished saying the rosary while chopping the onions. (I was that slow when it comes to anything that involves a knife & a chopping board!) The Congressman was skeptical as I dumped the contents of the corned beef can into the soup. He commented, "Sana ginisa mo na lang..."

Undeterred, I continued cooking, adding the veggies which made it after the careful elimination process at the grocery a few days ago:

Mama: Huy, kanina ka pa diyan! (pointing at the veggies section at a grocery)

KGW: May talong ba sa sinigang?

Ma: Pwede... (ready to proceed with her pushcart to the frozen meat section)

KGW: Sigarilyas? Ano ba itsura nun? Pwede ba sa sinigang? Mani? Sitaw?

Ma: Ha? (Nagets na nya yung aking Bahay Kubo pattern so she grabbed a bag of gabi, string beans and kangkong) Eto na. Umalis ka na diyan. (Sabay hulog ng mga gulay sa aking basket)

Overall, my corned beef sinigang was pretty decent. Although not perfect...

Congressman: Nalabog ata yung gabi...

KGW: Oh...(thinking of an excuse) sinadya ko yan para madali i-mash for Robyn (yes! lusot! pwede na rin akong mag-abugado!)

Here's the finished product:

And here's one satisfied judge...

Success! My daughter emptied the entire bowl! Take note, kinain niya ha, hindi tinapon!

Sign off!!!

Ayos may subtitle pa. Saw this on our last Boracay trip. Reminds me of Chaui, my roommate from pre-dent to first year dent proper. For some reason, we were so amused with Michael V.'s Music Tagalog Bersyon. So amused that one of us bought the 2 albums! Blind item na lang kung sino talaga ang bumili hehehe.

Some witty lyrics from the album:

God father of my son... (from Eraserhead's "Pare ko")

Kanin sa mata, abutin mo siya (Celine Dion's "Tell Him" translated from the line "Rise in his eyes, reach out to him..."

May isa na naman kumagat sa alikabok (from "Another one bites the dust)

Hay...ang kulit hehehe.

What's your top ten videoke songs?

Usually I ignore forwarded emails & surveys, but this one is soooo me, I can't let this pass!

1. Irene Cara's What A Feeling - yeah!
2. Irene Cara's Out Here On My Own
3. Laklak (pero di ko natatapos kasi tawa na kami ng tawa)
4. Bakit Ngayon Ka Lang (of course, an alternative to My Way)
5. any Aegis song
6. Together Forever (medyo nakakarami na to...)
7. True
8. Saving All My Love For You (dubbed as the other woman's song)
9. Weak
10. Dancing Queen

Darn bakit 10 lang???!!!

Loving Kuya Dick

Now this is one guy every 70s, 80s and 90s kid should know. He's forever associated with gay roles (looong before Petrang Kabayo days) even though I still stand firm that he is a straight guy kasi naging sila ni Jackie Aquino. (cousin of Kris)

He's not matinee idol material but I've watched all his tv shows while growing up. My fondest memories of him during my elementary days was Tonight With Dick & Carmi since it was the only late-night show I was allowed to watch. (of course, I sneak every Fri nights to watch 90210, much to my mom's dismay) It was in that variety show where I saw him first dance the iconic "Together Forever" dance. He does sing the song too sometimes. Now that's one defense I tell my playmates everytime we have this very intellectual debate whether Kuya Dick's gay or not. I'd tell them: "Hindi bading yan. Anlalalim kaya ng boses pag kumanta!" It never cease to amaze me how Kuya Dick can switch from a very high-pitched voice from his gay roles to a deep pa-macho baritone everytime he sings.

Years and several variety shows later, Kuya Dick still dance the "Together Forever" dance. I did wonder if that's the only song he knows. Well, there's Never Gonna Give You Up din naman pala. Grabe, his "Together Forever" numbers withstood the test of time, much longer than its original singer, Rick Astley's career. 

"Together Forever" is always a part of my videoke line up, ranking 5th ata after all my Irene Cara songs (Another early 80s icon). Those are the only times one can see me sing and dance at the same time. Of course, bribe me first with 4 bottles of San Mig Light and I would gladly oblige! Anyway, for those who'd rather not see me make a fool of myself but would like to see the "Together Forever" and "Never Gonna Give You Up" moves, here's a video of Rick Astley & Kuya Dick's showdown during the former's concert here in Manila. Kuya Dick rocked the house!

BTW, the dance moves for "Together Forever" & "Never Gonna Give You Up" are interchangeable hehehe.