The Barcelona pics are here.
I'm still feeling tired after the Barcelona trip - I only had 2 days to rest before heading to La Luz, Batangas for our company outing (now that's a different story.) So I don't have much energy to do anything other than work. I'm hoping I'll be better in a few days. See you then!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Kung Bakit Payat si Paris (a review of the food in Hilton Hotel, Barcelona)
With only 1 hour and 29 minutes left on my internet card, 250 ml remaining on my 1-liter bottle of Evian and 2 hours and 5 minutes prior to check-out, I decide to take a rest and divulge some facts that I recently discovered.
Bakit payat si Paris? Dahil hindi siya kumakain.
Bakit di siya kumakain? Kasi hindi talaga masarap ang pagkain dito sa Hilton!
At first, I thought it was limited to the finger food that they serve during the meetings. I was wrong. Yesterday, I was too exhausted to move after 3 days of non-stop meetings. So, I decided to order room service for lunch and dinner. The sea bass for lunch was fresh but poorly seasoned. They just grilled it with the other vegetables and the chef probably thought that the sauces of the onions of the aubergines and onions would be enough to flavor the fish. Just like me, he was wrong. The sea bass tasted flat.
For dinner, I decided to order something basic, something that even I can prepare - a bacon cheeseburger. Since they called it the "Hilton Cheeseburger" I was hoping that it would at least be decent. Again, I was wrong. The fries that were served on the side tasted like cooking oil, the bacon was tough and the meat patty was dry. I am just so happy that I can charge all those crappy meals to the office.
Bakit payat ang mga tao sa Barcelona? Kasi ang bilis nilang maglakad!
Only a handful of our meetings were held at the Hilton. Most of the sessions were held at the Hotel Rey Juan Carlos. According to everyone in Barcelona, Hotel Rey Juan Carlos is only 15-20 minutes away on foot. Since I didn't have any reason not to believe them, I walked from Hilton to Hotel Rey Juan Carlos. It took me 45 minutes to get there.
A similar thing happened for dinner. We were scheduled to eat at a resto, which the concierge said was only 10 minutes away from Hilton on foot. It took me 10 minutes to get there in a cab.
CONCLUSION: People in Barcelona as are fast as taxis.
Bakit wala pa ring Barcelona pictures? Kasi wala pa akong napupuntahan. Kagabi lang natapos ang meetings ko.
But I am now on my personal time. Hola, Barcelona!!!
Monday, March 17, 2008
Back from Hundred Islands
Pangasinan doesn't have 100 islands . . . it has at least 123! And a day in Hundred Islands is worth the 5-hour drive from Manila.
Photos are here.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Made in Japan
Here are some pics from my Tokyo trip:
25 February 2008 - my room at the ANA Intercontinental hotel, my home for 5 days.
My first meal in Japan - I checked in the hotel right before the sunset. After unpacking my things, I walked around the vicinity of the hotel. Japan looked clean and colorful, with all its neon signs and vending machines (there are probably 2 on each corner!) Too tired to have a full meal (I was lugging around my clothes on top of the 300 copies of the brochure), I decided to join the numerous professionals who pop in one of the convenience stores to grab a sandwich. I got lucky and got the best shrimp sandwich I ever tasted and tried on one of the Japanese juices, lemon peel and honey.
26 February 2008 - Japanese trinkets sold on the way to Senso-ji temple in Asakusa.
My favorite shot - fashionable Japanese girls on their way to Senso-ji temple.
An interesting site - a caucasian dressed in a kimono being interviewed in front of the 200-lb bell at the entrance of Senso-ji temple.
Still in Asakusa, a Japanese woman starts her day.
27 February 2008 - inside the Tokyo National Arts Center. The building was just so beautiful with its curved lines and the amazing shadows they create.
Shibuya Crossing is the world's busiest intersection. 6 streets meet at the center and all pedestrians are allowed to cross at the same time.
28 February 2008 - sunset at the Imperial Palace. The grounds of the Imperial Palace were so huge that we decided to just stroll around the water fountain and the nearby park. I found the sunset more beautiful than the fountain.
The sunset reflected on the building behind the fountain.
This was taken by the palace wall.
29 February - rush hour at the Shinjuku station; this station is said to be the busiest station in the world, with 2 million people passing through it everyday. I went there at 8:45 AM and literally got confused with the hundreds of people rushing to work.
For more Tokyo pictures, visit this page.
25 February 2008 - my room at the ANA Intercontinental hotel, my home for 5 days.
My first meal in Japan - I checked in the hotel right before the sunset. After unpacking my things, I walked around the vicinity of the hotel. Japan looked clean and colorful, with all its neon signs and vending machines (there are probably 2 on each corner!) Too tired to have a full meal (I was lugging around my clothes on top of the 300 copies of the brochure), I decided to join the numerous professionals who pop in one of the convenience stores to grab a sandwich. I got lucky and got the best shrimp sandwich I ever tasted and tried on one of the Japanese juices, lemon peel and honey.
26 February 2008 - Japanese trinkets sold on the way to Senso-ji temple in Asakusa.
My favorite shot - fashionable Japanese girls on their way to Senso-ji temple.
An interesting site - a caucasian dressed in a kimono being interviewed in front of the 200-lb bell at the entrance of Senso-ji temple.
Still in Asakusa, a Japanese woman starts her day.
27 February 2008 - inside the Tokyo National Arts Center. The building was just so beautiful with its curved lines and the amazing shadows they create.
Shibuya Crossing is the world's busiest intersection. 6 streets meet at the center and all pedestrians are allowed to cross at the same time.
28 February 2008 - sunset at the Imperial Palace. The grounds of the Imperial Palace were so huge that we decided to just stroll around the water fountain and the nearby park. I found the sunset more beautiful than the fountain.
The sunset reflected on the building behind the fountain.
This was taken by the palace wall.
29 February - rush hour at the Shinjuku station; this station is said to be the busiest station in the world, with 2 million people passing through it everyday. I went there at 8:45 AM and literally got confused with the hundreds of people rushing to work.
For more Tokyo pictures, visit this page.
Monday, July 2, 2007
Trio and Telfast
Mang Al, our reliable driver, was not feeling well today, so B had to pick me up from the office. And since he was so nice about it, I volunteered to buy him dinner.
We decided to go to Trio at the Fort Strip. I had lunch there a couple of weeks ago and I loved their salciccia. The resto was almost empty when we got there - only 3 tables were occupied, which probably contributed to the prompt and efficient service.
We ordered their Insalata Mista, the Trio Sampler and the Shrimp and Scallop Pizza.
The Insalata Mista was described on their menu as
That was a pretty good description. The lemon-mango vinaigrette was definitely special as the sourness of the lemon was perfectly blended with the sweet mango juice. Unfortunately, there was just too much dressing on the salad. (B loved it, though.)
The Trio Sampler was a plate with small servings of their best selling pastas - Frutti di Mare, Pancetta and the Agnolotti. The Frutti di Mare, or seafood pasta, had clams, mussel, squid tentacles and fish on white-wine olive oil sauce. The white-wine-olive oil mix was wasted on the not-so-fresh seafood. B liked the vodka-based tomate cream sauce of the Pancetta. The sauce blended well with the penne, smoked bacon and the chopped tomatoes. However, like the salad, I thought that the Pancetta would have tasted better if it had less sauce.
What surprised us was the spinach agnolotti stuffed with portabello and spinach. It tasted so good that I didn't mind that they were swimming in the garlic cream sauce.
The Shrimp and Scallop Pizza had roasted garlic, caramelized leeks, not-so-spicy shrimp and baby scallops that probably grew into adulthood in Trio's freezer. I loved the thin crust but the pizza as a whole tasted flat. A good sprinkling of chili flakes made it taste a lot better.
Actually, the dinner wasn't so bad. In fact, we wanted to taste their dessert, but the trio of girls with their irritating colegiala accents were getting on out nerves. I had a cup of ice cream from FIC, instead.
Unfortunately, when I got home, I felt the beginnings of an allergy attack so I immediately took a doze of Telfast. I wasn't surprised since I always get rashes when I eat seafood that's not fresh.
So will we be returning to Trio? Yes, but only for their agnolotti. I'd steer clear of their seafood, too.
We decided to go to Trio at the Fort Strip. I had lunch there a couple of weeks ago and I loved their salciccia. The resto was almost empty when we got there - only 3 tables were occupied, which probably contributed to the prompt and efficient service.
We ordered their Insalata Mista, the Trio Sampler and the Shrimp and Scallop Pizza.
The Insalata Mista was described on their menu as
Mixed greens with an assortment of smoked salmon, shrimp and squid tossed in our special lemon-mango vinaigrette
That was a pretty good description. The lemon-mango vinaigrette was definitely special as the sourness of the lemon was perfectly blended with the sweet mango juice. Unfortunately, there was just too much dressing on the salad. (B loved it, though.)
The Trio Sampler was a plate with small servings of their best selling pastas - Frutti di Mare, Pancetta and the Agnolotti. The Frutti di Mare, or seafood pasta, had clams, mussel, squid tentacles and fish on white-wine olive oil sauce. The white-wine-olive oil mix was wasted on the not-so-fresh seafood. B liked the vodka-based tomate cream sauce of the Pancetta. The sauce blended well with the penne, smoked bacon and the chopped tomatoes. However, like the salad, I thought that the Pancetta would have tasted better if it had less sauce.
What surprised us was the spinach agnolotti stuffed with portabello and spinach. It tasted so good that I didn't mind that they were swimming in the garlic cream sauce.
The Shrimp and Scallop Pizza had roasted garlic, caramelized leeks, not-so-spicy shrimp and baby scallops that probably grew into adulthood in Trio's freezer. I loved the thin crust but the pizza as a whole tasted flat. A good sprinkling of chili flakes made it taste a lot better.
Actually, the dinner wasn't so bad. In fact, we wanted to taste their dessert, but the trio of girls with their irritating colegiala accents were getting on out nerves. I had a cup of ice cream from FIC, instead.
Unfortunately, when I got home, I felt the beginnings of an allergy attack so I immediately took a doze of Telfast. I wasn't surprised since I always get rashes when I eat seafood that's not fresh.
So will we be returning to Trio? Yes, but only for their agnolotti. I'd steer clear of their seafood, too.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Fully Booked at Bonifacio High Street
B hated picking me up when I was still working at Legaspi Village in Makati City. He loved some of the restos in Greenbelt but he always found the Ayala Central Business District too crowded.Now that I'm working at the Fort Bonifacio, he always jumps at the opportunity to pick me up. I have to admit that there is more breathing room at the Fort, but what tempts my B like a moth to a flame is the 4-storey Fully Booked branch at the Bonifacio High Street.
The Fully Booked branch is on soft opening but most of its selling area is already filled with hundreds of books. It has stock of all the old bobo books that I've been looking for and it also sells the photography books that I almost ordered online when I couldn't find them in any of the stores here. The comic books and popular fiction are at the ground floor, together with the pretty notebooks and scrapbooks. It took me several minutes to browse through all the sci-fi and the chic lit that I love to read.
Half the second floor is for kids. There are are rows of colorful children's books that looked interesting. The artwork on the new children's books are all so pretty!I'm already planning to buy a book on faeries and an illustrated book of poems. There are rows and rows of travel books at the 3rd floor and I'm sure I'll be hanging out there when I'm planning for my next trip (which will be 10 years from now since I recently spent all my money in China and Singapore.) B loved browsing through the non-fiction books at the same floor.
There are CDs and videos at the 4th floor but there's still a huge space for art and other hobby books. We loved browsing through the books on interior design. And of course, I lusted over a couple of photography books.The Starbucks at the 3rd floor isn't open yet but there are several soft seats scattered around the place. We literally spent hours there. It truly is a heaven for book lovers like me! (Of course, there's hell to pay when you get to the cashier.)
[Note: All photos taken using my Blackberry]
Friday, June 29, 2007
View from Our Office Window
Cubeville isn't so bad when you have this view:
Oh, yeah. I haven't blogged about my new job!
So where do I start?
Hmmm.
One crazy day last year, I decided that I didn't want to practice law anymore. It was a fleeting thought and the decision lasted only about an hour or two. But in that brief moment, I submitted a resume for a legal content administrator position. At that time, I sent out my resume from time to time just to confirm to myself that working at a high-profile law firm, with its extended working hours and a stress level so high you'd be amazed there's still hair left on your head, was a choice.
I didn't hear from the advertisers of the job for months and completely forgot about my not-so-lucid job application. So, I was surprised when someone called me up for an interview for a Professional Support Lawyer (PSL) position. Curious about the job title, I scheduled an interview on a slow daw at work. For most part of the interview, Mich, the HR Director tried to explain the the work of a PSL. I honestly didn't understand a lot of what she said but the phrases "work-life balance", and "lots of travelling" convinced me to agree to another interview when they called me up a couple of months later.
The 2nd interview was a puzzle to me since it was not actually an interview. Marian, a lawyer who worked as a PSL for a couple of years before she was promoted, explained to me what she did on a day-to-day basis. The "interview" gave me a picture of what is expected from a PSL. It also became clear that there were a lot of positions above the PSL level in case I decided to pursue it as a career.
A couple of interviews and a written "test" (I was asked to summarize a couple of cases and a powerpoint presentation) later, I was offered job. At that time, I was spending too much time in the firm working on both client and administrative matters. The job offer was an opportunity I couldn't turn my back on.
I've been working as a PSL for a month and a half now. While there are still a lot about the job that I need to understand, I appreciate the flexy time which allows me to choose which 8 hours of the day I would spend at the office as well as the challenging tasks that I am asked to do. I love working in a virtual team , and even if my boss tends to ignore me for days (after all, they do work in an international firm), working on tasks without a partner breathing down my neck feels like drinking a glass of green mango shake in the middle of Boracay (this is definitely exaggerated but the point is, it feels good to work without so much stress!) Of course, the small and light-weight laptop, the huge LCD monitor and the blackberry issued to me help boost my contentment level.
I was sad to leave my job at the firm because I would be leaving co-workers who have became close friends. I didn't want to miss our extended lunches where we talked about anything from entertainment gossip to the latest Supreme Court decision. But with my new job, I still get to visit my old officemates and I am now enjoying lunches with my new ones.
The only things that I truly miss from my old job is my enclosed room (with 4 solid walls and a wooden door) and the services of a waiter. But I'm slowly getting used to cubeville (besides, I don't have to "live" in it!) and I have, in fact, started to personalize my space in it. As for the waiter, well, it's not difficult to microwave my own food and clean my own mug.
Oh, yeah. I haven't blogged about my new job!
So where do I start?
Hmmm.
One crazy day last year, I decided that I didn't want to practice law anymore. It was a fleeting thought and the decision lasted only about an hour or two. But in that brief moment, I submitted a resume for a legal content administrator position. At that time, I sent out my resume from time to time just to confirm to myself that working at a high-profile law firm, with its extended working hours and a stress level so high you'd be amazed there's still hair left on your head, was a choice.
I didn't hear from the advertisers of the job for months and completely forgot about my not-so-lucid job application. So, I was surprised when someone called me up for an interview for a Professional Support Lawyer (PSL) position. Curious about the job title, I scheduled an interview on a slow daw at work. For most part of the interview, Mich, the HR Director tried to explain the the work of a PSL. I honestly didn't understand a lot of what she said but the phrases "work-life balance", and "lots of travelling" convinced me to agree to another interview when they called me up a couple of months later.
The 2nd interview was a puzzle to me since it was not actually an interview. Marian, a lawyer who worked as a PSL for a couple of years before she was promoted, explained to me what she did on a day-to-day basis. The "interview" gave me a picture of what is expected from a PSL. It also became clear that there were a lot of positions above the PSL level in case I decided to pursue it as a career.
A couple of interviews and a written "test" (I was asked to summarize a couple of cases and a powerpoint presentation) later, I was offered job. At that time, I was spending too much time in the firm working on both client and administrative matters. The job offer was an opportunity I couldn't turn my back on.
I've been working as a PSL for a month and a half now. While there are still a lot about the job that I need to understand, I appreciate the flexy time which allows me to choose which 8 hours of the day I would spend at the office as well as the challenging tasks that I am asked to do. I love working in a virtual team , and even if my boss tends to ignore me for days (after all, they do work in an international firm), working on tasks without a partner breathing down my neck feels like drinking a glass of green mango shake in the middle of Boracay (this is definitely exaggerated but the point is, it feels good to work without so much stress!) Of course, the small and light-weight laptop, the huge LCD monitor and the blackberry issued to me help boost my contentment level.
I was sad to leave my job at the firm because I would be leaving co-workers who have became close friends. I didn't want to miss our extended lunches where we talked about anything from entertainment gossip to the latest Supreme Court decision. But with my new job, I still get to visit my old officemates and I am now enjoying lunches with my new ones.
The only things that I truly miss from my old job is my enclosed room (with 4 solid walls and a wooden door) and the services of a waiter. But I'm slowly getting used to cubeville (besides, I don't have to "live" in it!) and I have, in fact, started to personalize my space in it. As for the waiter, well, it's not difficult to microwave my own food and clean my own mug.
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