WHEN GLUTTONY STRIKES: Indulging my SELF to "THAI FOOD FEAST".

According to VOLTAIRE: "Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity. " The belly rules the mind (as to this article of mine, well that applies to me). GLUTTONY: We are all dietetic sinners; only a small percent of what we eat nourishes us; the balance goes to waste and loss of energy.

After a FUN and FASCINATING ADVENTURE on beautiful, exotic and relaxing THAILAND, we were tired and needed to replenish up. We ended up taking a local RESTAURANT with a good ambiance overlooking the BEACH and the ROMANTIC MOON. Personally I love to eat SPICY FOODS. I just can't help it....Hu!Hu!Hu! FOOD! FOOD! FOOD! Finally!!!

(THAI FEAST)

(PHAT KRAPHRAO)

(YAM NUA)

I hurriedly checked the menu and try to choose what I am going to indulge my palate. So MANY FOOD TO CHOOSE so LITTLE TUMMY TO FILL IT UP. I just couldn't decide what to eat! HUH! Then a friend recommended KAENG KHIAO WAN a green chicken curry best paired with RICE (a lot of RICE), PHAT KRAPHRAO a meat fried with sweet basil (yummy) and the last thing I ordered is YAM NUA a spicy beef salad (really appetizing). These dishes are definitely considered to be most popular of Thai FOOD. With this SPICY TREATS (I mean literally HOT), IT would be BETTER to be paired with cooler complimets. WHEW! It is unsurprisingly that I want a cooler ending with the THAI ICED TEA a cold tea with condensed milk and a lot of ice. I also take the ICED WATERMELON literally sliced /crushed watermelon and blended with crushed ice (sort of a shake). One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating and indeed it was very PLEASURABLE for me.

(THAI ICED TEA)

WELL, the great thing here in THAILAND is the pleasure and the abundance with Magnificent SCENERY, PLACES and its FOOD of course. The variety of food is really good and sum up with a little bit cheaper prices will really give me a full pack and satisfied STOMACH. But one thing bothers me after that: Chili represents your three stages of matter: solid, liquid, and eventually gas. FORTUNATELY, never happened to me and did not spoil my night.

NOW, we are BOUND to PARTY; thanks to the relaxing DAY in the Resort and yummylicious CUISINE that I am still wanting more. PARTY! PARTY! PARTY! 'Till DROP! Zzzzzzzz.....

KOH MAK ISLAND a Hidden Paradise of THAILAND

There was a quote before which I heard from a friend that says, "The only paradise is paradise lost". Hmm... so what does it means? Well probably, I can't answer nor explain to you that for now because what I am surely know is I found a PARADISE! KOH MAK ISLAND in THAILAND. A FOUND TREASURE. A FOUND PARADISE of serene and tranquil ENVIRONMENT.

Definitely no trouble in here, just kidding, anyway there are different ways to get there from Bangkok, via PLANE, rent a MINI VAN or take a BUS. Practically, I will recommend you to take the BUS, HE! HE! So you take a bus going to TRAT, from TRAT take a taxi going to LAEM NGOB the main pier and finally a ferry going to the island.

KOH MAK ISLAND is recommendable to visitors who prefer a more serene and tranquil environment unspoiled by mass tourism just like PATTAYA also in Thailand. It is a tropical island that will surely give you a sense of privacy and relaxation. The good thing with it is that it has a small population and most of them are related to the island resorts and island activities. It offers a great long beaches and clear waters good for diving and snorkeling. The Northwest part of the island has the longest and most beautiful beach where you can view the captivating sunset. Its quite amazing to me that during low tide sand dunes can be seen and you can literally walk across on it from KOH MAK to KOH KHAM a neighboring island. It is surrounded with small islands and some reefs teeming with plentiful fish, which would suggest you to do. Do coastline fishing that would be around 60 BAHT per day and try night fishing on SNACK BAR and BEER on BOAT.

NICE Resorts and Hotels, giving you a more relaxing and tropical ambiance getaway you will always wanted. Discovering this place really give me thoughts that this really I wanted, not one with HIGH RISE CONCRETE and BRICK walls but SMALL, TROPICAL HUTS, MORE INTIMATE PLACE right on your very private island hideaway. Though resorts here are small but definitely they have all a so-called touch of "CLASS". Surely I am not messing around, the interiors, the designs, the fixtures and accessories are outstanding giving you full comfort, privacy and satisfaction.

KOH MAK is definitely a perfect place to rest, relax, explore, reflect, enjoy, calm your mind and soothe your senses. It is truly a TREASURE, a PARADISE found in this Thai Eastern Seashore.

PISANG GORENG: A Yummy Delight from Malaysia and Singapore.

There is no love sincerer than the love of food. Well that would PROBABLY RIGHT after-all. Who can resist mouth watering and sumptuous dishes in front of you, right? We are deed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are.

When I'm in Singapore, a friend of mine introduced me this little bit extraordinary food they have, which they call "GORENG PISANG". Basically it is a simple dish, a sweet banana coated with batter and then deep fried. These BANANA FRITTERS is so yummy that will satisfy your hungry stomach.

In the Philippines we have so called "BANANA - Q" deep fried banana coated with brown sugar and some sesame seeds put on with a Barbecue Stick which very much different from this. Just like Banana - Q, Pisang Goreng is preferably served hot. I think it is better with Hot Tea or Hot Chocolate for my own preference. This kind of food are consumed by the middle class people nevertheless but doesn't mean everybody should not try this. Its quite unusual for me but I believe to be very good in a way that it combines this crispy batter coating and a soft sweet taste of the banana inside. I told my friend that this is new to me and next time I will try eating this with vanilla ice cream I said. Ha!Ha!Ha!

By the way, In Malaysia they call it "PISANG GORENG" while in Singapore they call it "GORENG PISANG", in either way they call it, its still the same thing anyway. Food which are basically been part of the many generations such as PISANG GORENG must be continually survive despite of the new FOOD and CUISINE that is introduce in the market. It is not just a food, It is our PAST, our HISTORY, our HERITAGE, our CULTURE that will be part of our LIVES FOREVER.

ILOILO City, A Humble City in the Heart of the PHILIPPINES

"I came upstairs into the world; for I was born in a cellar. A home is a birthplace ratified by memory which I believed to be unforgettable. A place surely and forever is a part of my life."

It's been a while since I left Iloilo, a place where I am very familiar with and close to my heart. I have been traveling in the Philippines and been seeing a lot of places but what makes this place special?

Iloilo is home to century-old churches, mansions, and ancestral homes. A haven for beach lovers and height trekking fellows enjoying the great scenery of the mountains. A land of festivals both cultural and religious. Above all home of the peace-loving people. Iloilo City as the center is called the country "The CITY of LOVE" for its soft-spoken and passionate people; It is forty-five minutes away by plane from Manila the country's capital and is strategically located in the heart of Panay Island in the Visayas. It is considered to be the center of trade, business, and entertainment in Panay. Having an international airport and good ports surely ease of travel for tourist and businessmen alike.

Events and festivals happen all year round; It started with the NEW YEAR CELEBRATION followed by the famous DINAGYANG FESTIVAL a long week celebration in honor of SENIOR STO. NINO wherein tribes are wearing costumes and painted their skin black and do merrymaking in the streets. There is also a CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION by our Chinese Brother Community where Chinese Cultural programs are held in the City. The LENTEN SEASON is also celebrated with the reenactment of the death and passion of JESUS CHRIST in some towns and also the famous PARAW REGATTA a hand-painted sailboat dominating the shores of VILLA BEACH. SANTA CRUZAN every May is also celebrated here. There are also CULTURAL and RELIGIOUS FIESTAS celebrated in every town. Here every BARANGAY, every TOWN has its festivals and fiestas. Down the last quarter, ALL SOULS and SAINTS DAY are celebrated with some cultural programs. The most colorful from this is by DECEMBER where every town has to compete in either lanterns or Christmas trees dominating the night with bright and colorful lights. There are also street dancing and merry-making contest in almost every town in the province.

Food also is good, aside from the native food offered here, you will not miss also international dishes from other countries; its array of restaurants and bars are offering sumptuous and appetizing cuisine in your taste choices. Iloilo is famous for its LAPAZ BACHOY, PANCIT MOLO, CHICHEN INASAL, KBL (my comfort food), and a lot more. Iloilo is a haven for party goers for it offers great party establishments and complexes that will rock you. The city is also considered as an EDUCATIONAL CENTER in the Philippines wherein a lot of schools and universities producing high-quality graduates. ILOILO comes with a low-cost way of living, giving you a more relaxing and economically saving lifestyle. Hotels with high standards with low-cost pricing offering travelers great satisfaction. As so the city is developing progressively maintains its relaxing and laid back environment where you will truly experience comfort and relaxation. It's a combination of BUSINESS and LEISURE that will surely make you want more.

The hospitality and smile of its people, the genuine FILIPINO TRAITS that I am missing and believed not to fade. The change will affect people and places we used to visit but hoping that these changes in the future are for the betterment and those things we experience will remain; for a place will be remembered by the impression and the memories we experience.

#iloilocity #queencityofthesouth #cityofloveiloilo #cityoflove #whentravelingiloilo #philippines #travel #asia #dinagyangfestival #parawregatta #lapazbatchoy #Molosoup #kansi #travelingvisyas #wheretogoiniloilocity #whattodoiniloilocity #iloilo

My SINGAPORE's First IMPRESSIONS LASTS!

As I was to write a new blog regarding Singapore, and being new to this island city, I was worried that I would be a little bit over the top in lavishing praise in this article. Then suddenly an old TV Commercial popped into my mind. "The FIRST IMPRESSION LAST" was what it said. I guess for me it's always about first impressions. I trusted my instincts, I love to be prepared when partaking in new experiences or when going to new places. I don't like to prepare the psychology too much. I enjoy the psychology of the experience, but I also deal better from a first impression.

SINGAPORE? That's when you come home from abroad and are asked: Well, how you find Singapore? And if I then slap my head and wonder why I hadn't thought about that - that's when the impressions emerge from the back of my head, those same impressions that had sunk in when I first arrived in sunny Singapore. I will probably stick with my impressions; these are a part of the experiences I have had and surely they will answer everything.

"The LION CITY", this is my first time coming to Singapore via COACH from Kuala Lumpur. It was about 5 hours of travel. It was a great experience for me in an odd sort of way - to enter another country via land. I am staying with a friend in the EAST part of SINGAPORE. Though we were tired from the coach (Star Cruises) ride into Singapore, I was still able to take in the sights of city life in Singapore as we traveled via MRT to my friend's lodging. We arrived late and had our dinner before retiring for the night.

On my first day, my friend introduced and oriented me on everything about life in Singapore and especially how to make my way around. This was good as I can then roam around places in Singapore by myself. It is very easy and convenient. We started by buying an EZ-LINK card and I learnt how to top up the cash value of the card. This little wonder allows me access to the main public transport systems in the country, including public buses and the MRT. In other words, I can just about get to anywhere in Singapore with just an easy tap of this EZ-LINK card. Having stayed in Singapore for just a few days, I can conclude that it is the best, if not probably the one of the most organized URBAN COMMUNITIES here in ASIA. A clean and green environment coupled with courteous, well-disciplined people - these add up to its shortlist of best attributes as a country.

Travelling by myself had never been a problem. Even if there was any trouble, it wouldn't have been a problem because most Singaporeans can speak and understand ENGLISH, very impressive indeed. There are no dull moments here as there are a lot of places and things to do. If you are a SHOPAHOLIC you will probably go to the famous ORCHARD ROAD a shopping district, where you will be delighted with all the things you will find there - from electronics, gadgets, to fashion and accessories - the variety will surely blow you away. If you are a PHOTOGRAPHY ENTHUSIAST, you will probably like to take a peek on architectural landmarks and interesting places here. There's the MERLION, the SINGAPORE ZOO with its world famous NIGHT SAFARI, SENTOSA, the ESPLANADE - THEATER on the Bay, Marina |Bay, CHINA TOWN and LITTLE INDIA. Viewing the NIGHT SKYLINE of the city from atop the SINGAPORE FLYER will give you an astonishing detail of this Island Country. For FOOD LOVERS, don't worry for this is a place for gastro appetizing buddies. Singaporean cuisine is a fusion and diversity of Malay, Chinese, Indian and Tamil cuisine that will surely give you a full pack stomach.

A great value for the FIRST TIMER to this beautiful island nation. So if asked "Why SINGAPORE?" Well as to my first impression - it's CLEAN, ORGANIZED, ACCESSIBLE; A LOT OF THINGS TO SEE AND DO, definitely a HAVEN for TRAVELLERS LIKE ME. FIRST IMPRESSIONS INDEED LAST.

#singapore #travelsingapore #whattodoinsingapore #wheretogoinsingapore #thelioncity #merlion #changiairport #marinabay #orchardroad #singaporezoo