31 July, 2008

I'm Yours

I just love hearing this song. The melody is very catchy and the upbeat tempo infectious that whenever I don’t feel like getting up early in the morning to report to work, I would feel around my bed for my iPod, plug in the earphones and locate the song. Halfway through it, I would be humming or singing alongside it and when the song is done, I’d be fully awake, ready to face the day.

I also love the simplicity of its lyrics which at the same time evokes deep meaning.

...I guess what I be saying is there ain't no better reason

To rid yourself of vanities and just go with the seasons

It's what we aim to do, our name is our virtue...

And yep, there’s the singer being such a cutie and a hottie too. Ha ha ha! :P

30 July, 2008

Think before you talk...


This is an e-mail from a friend that really elicited good, hearty laughs from me and my colleagues. And if you yourself are in need of a good laugh today, go on, browse through it... and laugh it all out.

Here are six reasons why you should think before you speak.

FIRST TESTIMONY:
I walked into a hair salon with my husband and three kids in tow and asked loudly, 'How much do you charge for a shampoo and a blow job?'

I turned around and walked back out and never went back. My husband didn't say a word... He knew better.

SECOND TESTIMONY:
I was at the golf store comparing different kinds of golf balls. I was unhappy with the women's type I had been using. After browsing for several minutes, I was approached by one of the good-looking gentlemen who works at the store. He asked if he could help me. Without thinking, I looked at him and said, 'I think I like playing with men's balls.'

THIRD TESTIMONY:
My sister and I were at the mall and passed by a store that sold a variety of candy and nuts. As we were looking at the display case, the boy behind the counter asked if we needed any help. I replied, 'No, I'm just looking at your nuts.' My sister started to laugh hysterically. The boy grinned, and I turned beet-red and walked away.

To this day, my sister has never let me forget.

FOURTH TESTIMONY :
While in line at the bank one afternoon, my toddler decided to release some pent-up energy and ran amok. I was finally able to grab hold of her after receiving looks of disgust and annoyance from other patrons. I told her that if she did not start behaving 'right now' she would be punished.

To my horror, she looked me in the eye and said in a voice just as threatening, 'If you don't let me go right now, I will tell Grandma that I saw you kissing Daddy's pee-pee last night!'

The silence was deafening after this enlightening exchange. Even the tellers stopped what they were doing. I mustered up the last of my dignity and walked out of the bank with my daughter in tow. The last thing I heard when the door closed behind me were screams of laughter.

FIFTH TESTIMONY:
Have you ever asked your child a question too many times? My three-year-old son had a lot of problems with potty training and I was on him constantly. One day we stopped at Taco Bell for a quick lunch in between errands. It was very busy, with a full dining room. While enjoying my taco, I smelled something funny, so of course I checked my seven-month-old daughter, she was clean. Then I realized that Danny had not asked to go potty in a while. I asked him if he needed to go, and he said 'No'.

I kept thinking 'Oh Lord, that child has had an accident, and I don't have any clothes with me.' Then I said, 'Danny, are you SURE you didn't have an accident?'

'No,' he replied. I just KNEW that he must have had an accident, because the smell was getting worse. Soooooo, I asked one more time, 'Danny, did you have an accident?'

This time he jumped up, yanked down his pants, bent over, spread his cheeks and yelled 'SEE MOM, IT'S JUST FARTS!!'

While 30 people nearly choked to death on their tacos laughing, he calmly pulled up his pants and sat down.

An old couple made me feel better, thanking me for the best laugh they'd ever had!

LAST BUT NOT LEAST TESTIMONY:
This had most of the state of Michigan laughing for 2 days and a very embarrassed female news anchor who will, in the future, likely think before she speaks.

What happens when you predict snow but don't get any?!

We had a female news anchor that, the day after it was supposed to have snowed and didn't, turned to the weatherman and asked: 'So Bob, where's that 8 inches you promised me last night?'

Not only did HE have to leave the set, but half the crew did too they were laughing so hard!

27 July, 2008

Haim Chicken Inato


Chicken lovers out there, rejoice! If ever you find yourself in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, be sure to drop by Haim Chicken Inato to try their very tasty and delicious chicken.

We went there for lunch and was greeted by a very busy crowd. A lot of Palawenos were having their lunch and one area was even closed for other guests as a private function was being held there. No wonder. Their chicken was one of the tastiest I ever had!

this is where they grill their delicious chicken!

I asked the food attendant what Chicken Inato means and she said it means "Chicken natin 'to," or simply, "This is our Chicken."

One order of Chicken Inato costs Php73. It consists of one chicken leg, rice, sauce and atchara (pickled unripe papaya). It's quite affordable and with how delicious it is, is worth every penny. One need not dip it into the accompanying sauce as it's quite tasty.


an order of Chicken Inato

We also ordered their Tuna Kilawin (tuna "cooked" in vinegar) which costs Php120. The serving is quite generous that I and two of my friends weren't able to finish it off.

Tuna Kilawin

For my drinks, I ordered Ube Shake at Php38. When it was served, I got fascinated at its color. After tasting it, I was reminded of my favorite snack when I was a child (I think it was called Choco-Vim which was sold at a peso each). My drink tasted like ube-flavored milk.

my ube shake!

thirst-quenching!

For inquiries, contact Chicken Haim Inato at (048) 433-8595.

09 July, 2008

Puerto Pension: Your Home in Puerto Princesa, Palawan


Puerto Pension is a very ideal place to stay when in Puerto Princesa because of its location. It is just 20 minutes from the airport and city landmarks, tourist spots and restaurants are very accessible from there.


isn't it very homey?

its garden, albeit small, is lush and beautifully landscaped

Checking-in
The room rates are inclusive of complimentary transfers from the airport to Puerto Pension and back. We arrived too early for the check in time of 12 noon. The lady who greeted us was very hospitable and nice and was willing to take care of our luggage for us while they facilitated the cleaning of our room. She was so gracious that she let me charge my camera's battery at the front desk while we went out for lunch.



Puerto Pension's reception area

there's a souvenir shop in the lobby


Room accommodations
Ours was a deluxe air conditioned room with a queen-sized bed. Since there were the three of us, there's an extra bed which is quite big. The room was tastefully furnished and like the entire pension house, was quaint and charming, with a homey feel to it. It was a bit cramped but it was okay with us since we planned to explore all of Puerto Princesa and would only be there to sleep.


the hallway that leads to our room



the towels set-up on the bed are laden with very pretty flowers

Another thing that I liked about our room was the magnificent view of the sea that it offered. Every morning, I made it a point to watch the sun rose from the horizon and in the afternoon, it gave me joy to watch the earlier blue sky metamorphose into a myriad of vivid colors, the calm sea providing a breathtaking backdrop.






the magnificent view of the sunset from our balcony


The only thing that I did not like about our room was the shower because it was not working properly. It did not have a steady flow but just dripped it felt as if one weren't showering but was caught up in a drizzle. To solve this, we just requested for a pail which was delivered promptly to our room.




Food
Puerto Pension had two restaurants. Because we were out most of the time, we only experienced eating breakfast in their Tribu Roofdeck restaurant. Set breakfast is inclusive in their room rates.


signage for its Tribu Restaurant




I so loved their hot chocolate that in my 3 days there, it's my daily breakfast drink. Their tocino was just the way I like mine done - slightly sweet and soft to chew. Their danggit was also to die for!






hot chocolate that's oh so chocolate-y!




Filipino set breakfast, with my favorite danggit



their very delicious tocino


Service
The staff in general was accommodating and friendly. There were some lapses but then, nothing in this world is perfect.

We booked for a massage the day before our checkout. When we left in the morning, we told the lady at the front desk that we wanted it done at 10:00 in the morning the following day. When we arrived at the pension house after our island hopping and dinner, we approached the night clerk and inquired about our massage. He was quite polite and helpful but he did not know anything about it. Whoa?! Wasn't there a tracer or an endorsement from the lady whom we spoke with in the morning? I myself work in a hotel and in instances when our guests request for anything or want something arranged for them, we put a tracer for the department involved. An example is when a guest requests for drop-off at the airport at 02:00 PM, our Guest Services Officers automatically put a tracer to notify our Bell Service. Anybody who has access to our system can view the said information so even if the guest asks either a telephone operator or housekeeping, our staff knows the details and will be able to assist the guest.

this is our room!

Another lapse transpired when we checked out. The young lady (the same as the one whom we talked to with regard to our request for massage service) was her usual cheery self but she did not know that our room was already paid for for a night. Puerto Pension required us to pay one night deposit else they wouldn't hold the rooms for us. It was thus surprising that the lady did not know about our one night deposit. It's a good thing we carefully checked our bill and we had the bank deposit slip with us otherwise we would have paid more than what was necessary. Again, there's an obvious miscommunication among their staff in this instance. Or maybe it's just that lady.

Over-all experience

Our entire stay was quite pleasant because Puerto Pension was perfect for us. Given that it is just a pension house and thus does not have many facilities and amenities that a usual hotel or resort offers, Puerto Pension in itself is enough for travelers who are not fussy or into such luxuries as a jacuzzi or a bathtub in the bedroom. The place was reasonably priced, the breakfast that came with the room rates was quite sumptuous and the staff were friendly, helpful and accommodating.


Puerto Pension's bar

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Puerto Pension's contact details:

a wood sculpture on the way up to the Roofdeck


its garden at night


the Bar at night

Puerto Pension is all lit up at night


I love their 3-layered fountain just outside the lobby




no brown-out. thank the heavens that during our stay, there was indeed no blackout