Food Phases

Hubby and I have this food phases. The last month was the Indian food phase. We fell in love with Indian food the first time that Mr. Ghandi , a family friend, visited Manila and introduced us to this wonderful Indian resto "Queens" located in Jupiter. We have visited Queens at least 7 times before the move. And yes, even in our honeymoon in Melbourne, we ate at an Indian place downtown. And when we moved here, the itch for spicy food revealed itself again. And so, I looked for Indian resto reviews in the Internet and it said that downtown Lexington is the place to look for. I did not have a camera the three consecutive Sundays that we were there, unfotunately. The last time, we discovered this grocery that sells all kinds of spices and teas and anything Indian. Oh, they have Turkish stuff too. We went home with our spice loot, jasmine tea, and 2 packs of papads ( is there a plural of papad ? ).. Happy, happy!!

Next is the Korean phase, many thanks to Tris (VEs' cousin) who brought us to Korean town yesterday.

Fresh Start

We have been living in NY now for more than a month. It is not easy uprooting yourself in a place where you have become familiar with. And starting life in a place as fastpaced as NY. But in more than a month, I can say that I am having the greatest adventure of my life.
Things I am loving right now:
1. Our apartment -- There is so much to be done in terms of decorating it. But, I am taking it slowly ;)
2. Fast internet connection
3. Very good public transportation -- Well, I don't have impeccable driving skills so this is a big thing for me. I mean, I can just hop on a bus or subway and I can go to any borough.
4. Sights and sounds of Manhattan -- There are so many things to explore and places to visit. Every weekend, hubby and I try to explore Manhattan. Last weekend, we went to the "mother deli of all delis"--Zabar's-- and looked at all the different types of food that was on sale. The little things like these make me happy.
5. Tasti D-Lite
6. People watching in Central Park
7. The red-brick houses in our neighborhood
8. Italian delis and restos just 2 blocks from our house
9. Shopping - Urban Outfitters, Forever 21, Old Navy, Gap, H & M
10. Waking up next to my husband who falls asleep hugging me.

I Heart Melbourne

I fell in love with Melbourne. The laidback pace, the downtown pubs and the small, quaint shops make it a very interesting place to live in. And the fact that you don't really need a car to get around the city. There are city trams all over. The downtown is quite small really, hubby and I just walked all over the city. Hmm, I could make my Melbourne City Walks ;) I've seen a NY and HK City Walks guide in Powerbooks.

Market lovers that we both are, the Victoria Market is heaven. I am not a cheese connoisseur but I can say that it really has an extensive array of cheeses. And the olives too! Should have looked up Mediterranean recipes while we were there.
Beef and meat is cheap. Seafood is expensive as expected. The only thing that struck me about the market is that it closes early, 3 pm on a regular weekday.

We also went on the Great Ocean Road Tour which was worth the AUD 150 that we paid for, complete with breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was a more personalized tour, where you knew the other tourists by name. It is operated by a couple and their only son, and their 2 dependable Benz vans. We met up at Flinders station at 7 am and went on our way. First stop is Torquay beach which we were told is a popular surfer spot.Our guides prepared a breakfast of English tea, choco lamingtons and crackers.

There were some vegemite too which was a bit salty for our taste. Vegemite is quite a staple breakfast item there. It was a novelty for hubby and I.
The twelve apostles , as they call it, was just beautiful.


More honeymoon posts!

Cheap and Funny

On our way home from a wedding last weekend, we dropped off Queenie at Orosa. There was this cosmetic surgery clinic beside her apartment with this sign.According to Mappy, buwa=uterine prolapse.. Very innovative ad. But I wouldn't trust a doctor who advertises this way.

Melbourne

We went to Melbourne for our honeymoon. I find Melbourne such a livable city. Compared to the Americans, the Aussies have a more laidback life. They never seem to be in such a hurry and are a polite bunch. Pubs are situated all over downtown, and as early as 11 am, the bars are already having business. Hubby and I spent the first two days in a hotel in downtown Melbourne. And the remaining 6 days, we transferred to Monash Hotel, 40 minutes away from downtown. The city is very easy to navigate and is tourist friendly. Tourist information centers are located all around. There is a free City Circle Tram that goes around the perimeters of downtown Melbourne. Inside the City Circle Tram, speakers honk out the various tourist attractions as we pass them by.

On our first night there, we found this small Indian resto that serves buffet for AUD 10 3 days a week. Lucky for us that it was a Tuesday! Hubby's face turned a beet red after devouring the dinner. I stuffed myself with so much papads that I lost count.

The Freshies

Five days ago, hubby and I had lunch with BF Scully at Teriyaki Boy, Robinson's Place. Of course, Scully was late, he being a first year IM Resident. So, hubby and I had to kill time and manage all self-restraint not to eat the food ordered and delivered to our table since Scully is still not around. Killing time means "accidentally eavesdropping" on the next table. There they were, a group of about 10 boys (gosh, I feel so old) who looks as if they came fresh out of highschool. They were at first talking about mundane things. Where to buy books, their dorms etc. So I thought they were freshies at the nearby UP Manila. But I was wrong, they were incoming UP MED students.

boy 1: Saan kayo bibili ng books? Mga frats daw meron.
boy 2: Sige dun na lang para mura. Mahirap daw biochem ng first year ah.
boy 3: Siguro naman hindi tayo mahihirapan kasi may biochem tayo nung college. I mean, may background naman tayo, kayang-kaya naman natin yun..

At this point, I laughed.. They are still naive. Give them a sem.

That Day

A few weeks ago, I got married. And with all the shenanigans that getting married warrants, there is one thing that the bride, and only the bride, has to endure. Peeing with all the layers of clothing, the 5 kilos of mikado silk on a sleep-deprived body.

The Title

I have heard my BF Portia use the term armchair philosopher a few years back during our college days in UPD. Being a Sociology major, she uses these kinds of terms almost flippantly, slipping them into conversations. I grew to like the term though does not know what the term really meant, the correct and “proper” definition I mean. But geehee, I got to use the term once during our Community Med discussion days, and I got a good, long, look from our preceptor. See, it really is a mighty word, armchair philosopher, one of my fave terms