yuletide greetings!

Fancy Decorations at Hyatt Hotel



To everyone who's been in and out of my blog for sometime... just wanna wish you guys a very "Merry Christmas!"
I'll be off on a holiday trip so i don;t think i'll be able to post till next year but i'll still try if i can... *crossing fingers* hopefully, can get a good wifi connection. ^0^

Just a few months before i started this blog and already i have made new acquaintances, "you" have made my blogging days more meaningful.
many thanks to "you"! ^0^

i do hope you can visit their site when you have the time:

Hilda
leif hagen
Andreea
Per Stromsjo
Blossom Flower Girl
Eki
Chin
Peter's PAris
Rob n MAndy

and to the Ex-pats abroad, thanks!

Misalyn
MAricar
Afv

and to those in case i forgot to mention...excuses for my terible memory gap.
Hope you all guys will have a blessed christmas with your family and loved ones! ^0^
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Hyatt galore...la deuxième fois

On the fifth floor of Hyatt hotel is a restaurant that serves authentic chinese cuisine called "Lili."
I've shown this on my previous post already.
But today, the fotos have changed a bit, as the food and the interiors have catched up with the yuletide season.

We had our lunch buffet (thanks again to our very generous uncle.^0^) set up in a private room since we're more than twelve people.
Unlike the usual buffet thing where different dishes are place in a long table and guests would walk up there and choose what they would like to eat.
Here, YOu'll be a given a long menu card, where you can check/tick what kind of food you'd like to eat.

When the food finally arrived, we were ready to feast and were so hungry that i forgot to take pictures of what i ate. ^0^

Luckily, we still had dessert, they're placed in another room and have a wide array of fruits and cakes to choose from.
They're all very delectable and enticing to eat, if it weren't for my diet and my big tummy already about to explode. ^0^



This is the dessert room. I love this very inviting feel to it.



and this is the other side of the dining area...
still has a very oriental theme to it.



I'm fond of little things and art pieces, it brings more life and color to it.



empty plate but looks clean eh?! this is while waiting for the others to arrive...



okay, now this... i can't seem to recall, what's it... it's like some sort of marshmallow covered with grated coconut...it's simple, but the presentation looks cool.



and this is the yulelog cake, which really don't look good in its outer appearance,
excusese for the blurry foto, but wait till you've tasted its mouthwatering cocoa inside out...not your typical cake.



and for the last bit, anyone knows what this is?
yes, of course a Dragonfruit! ^0^
I know i don't like how it tastes but i tried it again this time and guess what?! i still don't like it! for me, the fruit tasted like an onion with a hint of sweet on the side. ^-^
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There's much to see on the inside than it is on the outside

Filipinos in general are very religious, most of us here are devout Catholics.
But in the Southern part of our country in Mindanao , a lot of them are mostly Muslims.

In manila, the Muslim community would either live in Quiapo or in Baclaran.
The foto i'm showing you right now is in Quiapo.
This is the side entrance of the mosque...fascinated at its colorful palette and pattern...something you don't see often.
Look closer and you'll see the "Missing" posted on the wall.
They have populated Manila recently due to pirated Dvd's and their jaw dropping Jewelry. ^0^

Ironically, in some countries, their mosques would look very grand, gilded, ornate and visitors/tourists are welcome to visit inside as long as they follow the r&r.
But i don't think it's the same here.

It's a bit scary to go beyond their territory because, if you're not one of them, they often see you as a threat.
When i went there, I was the only "white" asian Filipino taking pictures and i can't help the feeling that someone could be following or watching us. ^0^
I think Muslims here are often misunderstood by the society, where racial and prejudice are always a strong issue because of their different outlooks and beliefs.
But i have known muslim locals living here for sometime and once you get to know them, they are good hearted people,just often misjudged by the public.
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hohoho!

While christmas trees and holly seems to be everywhere, the other night while stuck on traffic on the way to get some gas for my car.
I saw this humongous "Globe" at sm-moa- mall of asia.
Blame it on bad photography, i just couldn't get a good shot of this because the lights keep blinking and flickering. ^0^
anyway, bottom line... it's a few days before christmas! weee!

have you bought gifts for your loved ones already? or still anticipating the christmas rush?








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"you make me smile, please stay for awhile..."

a captivating silhouette of coconut trees and a Calesa.

for more friday skies!
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a street named Beaterio

I wish I would've known more about Beaterio w/c is located in Intramuros.
Is it inspired by some spanish name? or just some random street sign?
Unfortunately, all i got was this foto when the sun's about to set.
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"If it looks good, Eat it"

No this isn't some experiment jar in some lab project.
A well-known street food which is very cheap and yummy!
I think you should have realize by now that Filipinos love eating. ^0^
Green Mangoes can be eaten as it is or better yet, put a generous amount of shrimp paste or Bagoong as we call it here.
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~ Heritage House ~

Walk along the side alleys of Quiapo and you'll find this vintage looking house.
"Bahay Nakpil Bautista"
an architecturally significant historical Philippine site, on a colonial era street now named after its famous resident.



With Filipino inscriptions, it says:
In 1914, Dr. Ariston Bautista and his wife Petrona Nakpil built this house, designed by an architect named Arcadio Arellano.
Dr. Bautista is a well-known doctor, philanthropist and one of the inventors for the cure of Cholera disease.
During those times, Julio Nakpil who was a revolutionary and compositor of Katipunan. ( Philippine revolutionary society founded by anti-Spanish Filipinos in Manila in 1892, which aimed primarily to gain independence from Spain through revolution.)
As well as his wife Gregoria de jesus who was the muse of Katipunan and also the widow of our hero Andres Bonifacio, together with their kids used to live here.



This is the main facade of the old house, times have changed, as you can see, there's a law office available inside.



This structural door was designed in the traditional "wood-and-stone" style (bahay na bato at kahoy) to resist earthquakes – with an upper storey made of wood built over a stone foundation.



Large capiz windows, high ceilings, sliding window panels, and geometric grill-work almost art-deco inspired and cut-outs inspired by the Viennese Secession furniture that used to occupy the house typify this architectural masterpiece by Arcadio Arellano.
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"she sells sea shells"

This very attractive ornaments you see in this foto,(apart from the girl's hideous back) are shells, usually made of Capiz which Phils. are very well-known of.
Not to be confused by Capiz as a province, it's a material that's sort of similar from the Mother of Pearl. They're transparent mollusks which are also known as windowpane oysters. It can be used in many ways but mostly, it's famous for its chandeliers and illuminated decorations such as the famous "Parol". the star-like shape on the left.

If you want to look for affordable stuffs like these, you should head off to the underpass of Quiapo where it's located.
What they sell here are mostly authentic although haggling is still the best way to get a good value.
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"pimp my ride"

Jeepney stops are everywhere.
Behind this vehicle is a famous fast food chain called Jollibee .
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"Minor Basilica of Black Nazarene"

It's not one of the oldest but most popularly known as the "Quiapo" church.
It is home to the "Black Nazarene", a much venerated statue of Jesus Christ which many people believe has miraculous attributes.
Inspired by Mexican Baroque edifice, it was burned down in 1928 and at present belongs to the Archdiocese of Manila.

Black nazarene is celebrated every 9th of January, this statue will be carried out by at least 50-100 people outside the church, where devotees would be waiting as thousands would pray for safety, peace of mind and mostly for health reasons.
Usually the guys would walk on barefoot the whole day, which symbolizes their devotion and strengthening their faith.

I was kind of disappointed when i was there, although you're free to take pictures outside, it was different once you're inside.
I was quickly approached by a security staff who told me that picture taking isn't allowed unless i have a permit.
Which i have to clearly state my reasons as to why i want take photos inside the church. I wasn't even carrying a hi-tech camera or a dlsr...
I have visited quite a lot of churches in my lifetime but never have i imagined that in this very common and everyday church scenario.
The rules implemented can be very strict and personally, i find it the situation to be very killjoy!
But who am i to complain right?
Anyways, i still manage to take a peek inside, it's a pity, a church with all its history and beauty but only a few of us can see.



see more skies! this friday!

ps: might run short of posting onwards, work can really be busy these days,
but still glad that you guys could drop by and comment! ^0^
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Pretty in Pink

salted eggs anyone? ^0^



Inside the kitchen of almost every Filipino, you'll either find colorful pink eggs stacked inside their refrigerator or simply placed in the dining during mealtime.
It's one of our must-have foods we can't live without.
Boil it, slice it, mixed it with fresh chopped tomatoes or have it as it is and match it with garlic rice....erm, yummy for me indeed! ^0^

I don't know why it had to be in fuchsia pink! maybe the reason why they're dyed in this color is to differentiate it from the other farm eggs.
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gabled roof

This is what a *barangay outpost* in our country would look like.

Barangay which again comes from a spanish word meaning barrio,
is a small administrative division that manages a particular street/district.
You have the Barangay Captain or "Chairman" who is in charge of everything and in situations where there are minor or major disputes within his vicinity, you would likely report the problem to him or his kagawads (co-officials).
During the night, *tanods* better known as watchmen will patrol the area to keep the place safe.

Although to some, it might seem typical,
I was attracted by its gable roofing which is uncommon, but maybe
because this edifice i took was in Quiapo which lately has been branded as a "Muslim" area. so maybe it has this sort of Asian, muslim-ish inspired?!
The roof has also this intricate pattern work which i find it quite unique.
The painted names on the wall are members of the administration which also includes the name of the Mayor.

happy weekend to everyone! ^0^
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pavements"

You know you're in Intramuros when you passed by this kind of alley along Cabildo street and the floor's filled with cobblestones.
This historic structure on the left is Casa Manila. I've posted this before but on a smaller scale.

ps: thank you for all your comments for these past few days...
been busy lately so don't have the time to reply,
but I'll still be visiting your blogs from time to time. ^0^
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"graffiti"

Is this art or vandalism? ^-^



A very loud graffiti but an interesting one.
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"Playground"



Just in...
I was foto hopping tonight and tinkering with my new camera when I stumbled upon
this sight along macapagal road.
There's this mini park where children can play around and have fun while the elders can sit around the benches and enjoy the sights.

Although we don't experience any snow or cold winter here,
just a few days before Christmas, you can already feel the breeze of the cool weather.
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This is my share for this month's Theme day: "Waiting"

At some point in our lives, we have been waiting for the right moment,the perfect day,our troubles to go away or maybe just waiting for a time to relax and unwind.

I took this foto before thinking what's on this guy's mind?
he seemed lost amidst all the hordes of people behind him...
Is he waiting for someone, reminiscing the past, enjoying the scenery or just simply lost in his thoughts. ^0^

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants
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