Another Manila...Another Bangkok

Hey everyone!! surprise. I'm back in Bangkok now. I arrived just yesterday and the moment I got my luggage, I rushed to my apartment, had an hour rest and off to school I go. Yesterday was soooo tiring! It was supposed to be 10 days but the situation is getting better here in Bangkok. Malls are now being opened, financial districts, schools and etc.. Also I'm back in Culinary School which means "more kitchen action". I miss school and have been so much attached to cooking. Which I think is good. But anyway, let me tell you about my Manila hibernation. I haven't been so bloated, so drunk and so happy when I went back home. The reds were stressing me out and so I had to find me leeway from the Bangkok action.

First stop in Manila was SOMS with friends. Well I had a movie earlier and I watched Here Comes the Bride. Funny. But anyway, I'm really disappointed with SOMS. Everyone has been talking about it. Not to be bragging about living in Bangkok for 5 months, but since you already know the Thai taste, it's just incomparable to what you have tasted from the origin itself. Ended my night with the Manila Amoy Lupa people. I'm still wondering why Bangkok doesn't have Gilbey's Premium Strength.

SOMS Pad Thai

mi real brotha and mi other brotha from anotha mothabaretz and raizel
my proxy sister Karling
francis and peeweege and raioldderrtybasterd and wham be nimble

Second stop in Manila for next day was the Saguijo Night. Summer Bikini Open gig in which all the bands were in their Bikinis. The last time I was in Saguijo was 2007. It brought so much memories. I can still remember the I love You Store upstairs. But anyway, I didn't really have a photo of them in their bikinis, but it was fun.Nikolai treated us to North Park. The usual North Park. Makati Avenue.

my brother's sticker at the Fish Ball stand.

tusok tusoking the fishballs manong

Saguijo

event board
Taft, Malate
Szechuan with Herbed Noodles
Lechon Macau

Also but of course I got the chance to have dinner with my best friends. It was a date with Pia, Rj, Agnes and Carlo. Pia and I met for lunch at Banana Leaf. I had a disappointing Pad Thai and she had a Malayan Curry. The interiors of the Banana Leaf was a bit surprising. It never looked this good. Just now. Pia and I went to see Shrek in 3d. The awesomest and newest 3d technology from Dolby was awesome!!! Not like the imax glasses which are totally meant for scuba diving. :p Dolby ones are better. After that we met with the rest and had dinner at Kusina in Greenbelt. Not bad with the food. Reasonable and Simple.

Dolby 3d glasses

Malayan Curry

Banana Leaf's Disappointing WET and SOUPY Pad Thai

Banana Leaf
killing time

complimentary water with mint infusion

pollock-ish lights

interior of kusina

Team Bacolod

prends

That same night I went to B-Side Malugay, Makati to see the dubplate event, in which I saw so many people I knew from my younger years. All is well. But some haven't even changed a bit. Still them. Hip-Hop night and everything beat box-ing.

this bacon wrapped in cheese is the shiat!

Shift, Guijo

twins and dimitri

B-Side. Ang ineeet!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shalani, Noy's Gf.
my last Manila Bay sunset

But yeah anyway I'm back in Bangkok now. So many make-up classes to make-up and so many cooking to do. Everything should be well or I'd be dead. :P Glad to be back in my 2nd home. I miss you everyone in Manila. So happy you made my stay worthwhile. I MISS YOU ALL!!!!

xoxo

Babinella

Manila Survival + Bangkok Unrest

Wheeeeew! Finally I was able to get out of Bangkok after all of my encounters with the Reds. Last week wasn't really fun at all. We were only able to attend two practicals and two demo classes. As i was ironing my whites on Thursday afternoon last week, my friend texted me and said that we will not be having classes for the rest of the week. Earlier that day was supposed to be the dispersal of the reds. And so it happened. Gunshots, explosions and shattered glasses were everywhere the Silom, Saladaeng and Sathorn area. I was stuck in my apartment for 3 days with barely no food. Good thing this only 7-11 outside the Sathorn road was open, with soldiers sitting inside. It's really hard to picture the situation but I think you're getting it.

keeping up with the twitter updates from Silom, Saladaeng, Dusit Thani and Sathorncurfew was set at 6pm

Sathorn. Nearly a ghost town.

troop outside my soi

my soi, very quiet.

As I was sleeping during the 1st day of the dispersal operation, I couldn't help but wake up in the middle of every hour till dawn. Every minute or two, "GUNSHOT"....2 mins later an explosion. The cycle keeps on repeating. I was on twitter for the whole 3 days, keeping up with the updates and latest blog entries from the journalists who were at the actual sites of the military incidents. http://twaud.io/Wzz - btw, this is what I've been usually hearing that night.

But anyway, culinary school, school is still closed. :P But we did two dishes for this week. It was all about poultry. I couldn't even imagine how much chicken legs, duck legs I have eaten for the past week. This week, we made...

Duck Leg, pot au feu with Sea Salt

Guinea Fowl Tourte

and the Demo Dishes...

Gallette with Rhubarb Confit and Vanilla Cream
Marinated Mackerel with Vegetables

Brioche Cake

Eggplant Caviar

Caramel Custard upside down or Leche Flan :p

But anyway, the rest of the week, I finally managed to get out of Saladaeng. The area wasn't really safe at all since there were shattered glasses everywhere. Ruins of the encounters and etc. I talked to my mom on the phone and asked her if I could go back to the Philippines since school will be closing for a week and a half and will wait for the situation to stabilize. She then agreed , and hastily I headed to BonBon's house at sukhumvit. This is my safe house. :p. Or rather my demilitarized second home. I walked to Soi Convent with all my luggage just to look for a taxi. It was a pain in the ass, since nothing would really pass around the area. But finally managed to get one. I went to Piyarom Sports Club with BonBon and her Mom.

Sweet Secret Pastry Shop

That day, same day as when the 6pm curfew was implemented, I had a sleepover at BonBon's place. My distant thai family accommodated my just like a member of their family. I'm really thankful for you guys. I don't even know how to pay back this gratitude. THANK YOU!!!

last hurrah w/ BonBon before Manila

Secon Square Bang Na, last minute shopping for siblings

Ms. Mona, BonBon's mom

Suvarnabhumi

PAL. Didn't really have a good sleep.

As soon as the plane took off, I could see that there's a part of Bangkok which is in total blackout.

and this was the blackout part. no kidding.

Good thing I'm in Manila now.

Be safe everyone. Hope Bangkok will be better after my 10 days of hibernation.

That's all from Manila.

XOXO

Babinella