Up Dharma Down at San Mig

Allen and I always say that two things brought us together: music and food. Our first conversation was over Dave Matthews Band on the back of a pick-up truck in Camarines Norte. Since then, we always knew we would be great friends because we like  the same music. We would chat or text endlessly about what songs to download and fight over which version is better (he likes Crash into Me live at Folsom Field, I like the Abbey Road one).

Four years ago, we discovered another band to obsess about, Up Dharma Down. I'm too scared to write anything about them, but I can honestly say that we haven't heard anything we don't like. Their lyrics are eloquent but still relatable (I keep saying Allen and I got together because of Oo). And you don't hear their sound, you feel it. Armi's voice is extraordinary (girl crush!). Plus they offer something new every time. The never run out of different versions to their songs, whether it be a change in the rhythm, arrangement or melody. We just love them. There's nothing like the feeling of driving early in the morning with UDD on the background. It really transports you to some place else. Very addicting and otherworldly. 

Mochi's Ordeal + The Non-Supermoon at Vieux Chalet Antipolo

MOCHI

First of all, some good news. Mochi, my dog is alive! We wouldn't know until a few weeks if the virus is completely gone, but he's back to normal. The whole experience was a nightmare for us. It all started when Mochi stopped eating. The vet said there was nothing to worry about. But after two days, he contracted colds and cough. The blood test showed distemper virus. I couldn't accept it at first because you couldn't even imagine how obsessed I am with taking care of this dog. His shots are complete, he's taken to the vet/groomers every week, he eats well, and he takes more vitamins than I do! So I was really heartbroken, more so when the vet told us that he has a 50-50 chance of survival. Distemper virus affects the respiratory and nervous systems. If the disease progresses, the dog might be paralyzed and will eventually die. The vet told us there is no treatment and that his immune system must be strong enough to fight it on its own. The first treatment Mochi underwent was supportive, which means they started to boost his immune system by injecting him with vitamins C and B-complex and antibiotics for his colds. After 3 days with no improvement, we were referred to Vets in Practice in Alabang for an experimental spinal tap procedure used on chickens. At this point, we were desperate because we heard the three other dogs that contracted the same disease already died. Poor babies. The vet injected antibiotics on his spine. The treatment seems successful because after a couple of days, Mochi started eating by himself and running around already. We still need to give him vitamins C, B-complex and antibiotics. But I can say that the worst part is over. If you need more information, feel free to leave a comment here and I will give you my contact details.

Mochi!

VIEUX CHALET

Last week, I read about the supermoon on Yahoo news and immediately thought that Allen would probably enjoy taking photos. Being "south people" we've never gone to Antipolo for a date so I thought this would be a great opportunity to catch the supermoon and try out a new restaurant. Research led us to VIEUX CHALET. It would've taken us only 40 minutes from Katipunan, but we got lost somewhere so we arrived after an hour. The restaurant was not at all what I expected. It was very old style and home-y. It reminded me of my Lola's house, with all the old furniture and fixtures (there's a creepy lola's cabinet!) and quaint decorations. 

Vieux Chalet

The View

Unfortunately, we didn't see the supermoon, or any moon for that matter, so we just set our eyes on trying out the cuisine. We started our meal with the potato and pumpkin soup. It was okay, a little bit one-note and flat. Perhaps some pepper would've made it better. Then we tried the ricotta ravioli and spaghetti (supposed to be fettucini) padilla. The ricotta ravioli was our favorite. The noodles were perfectly al dente and tasted homemade. They didn't scrimp on the ricotta cheese. The spaghetti padilla was okay and less of a treat than the ravioli. Perhaps because the noodles weren't homemade. The sauce was really creamy though, which is always a plus. The salty slivers of majestic ham were complimented by the sweet shitake mushrooms. We finished it off with the swiss chocolate cake. This was our favorite. The dark chocolate ice cream was homemade, and it was so creamy, it didn't feel like the regular ice cream at all. The texture was so smooth, and felt like eating pure chocolate-flavored all-purpose cream. The cake had generous amount of cinnamon and was so moist, but not under-baked. This satisfying meal set us back only P1000. Main courses definitely cost more though. 

Cream of Pumpkin and Potato Soup

Ricotta Spinach Ravioli

Fettucini (Spaghetti) Padilla

Swiss Chocolate Cake

Vieux Chalet is truly a lovely restaurant, but I guess we're just not big fans of the theme and the food. There was also this very strong scent of incense, which made my throat hurt. A lot of blogs have given great reviews though, so we might just give it another try. 

An Appeal

My dog Mochi was diagnosed yesterday with distemper virus. Three doctors said there is no treatment, only supportive medication. They said it's a 50/50 chance of survival. Please do include him in your prayers.

Singapore Weekend

I recently took advantage of the EDSA long weekend and tagged along with my sister to Singapore. I booked a flight with TIGER AIRWAYS ((US$159) and arrived Friday morning. Outside the budget airport, it was easy to grab a cab to our hotel. The cab ride took 15 minutes and Sg$13. IBIS HOTEL on Bencoolen St. (Sg$200/night) rooms are a bit cramped but comfortable enough for two persons and seemed new. Don't count on good cable channels though. We later found out that the location of our hotel is quite ideal because everything seemed to be 15 minutes away by cab and is somewhat in the middle of the city. It is also right beside the BUGIS MARKET (an outdoor tiangge) and 2 temples. From our hotel the BUGIS MRT STATION is only a 5-minute walk.

Ibis Hotel Room

When traveling, I always make it a point to visit McDonald's and try something new, whether it be a localized version of the burger or something completely different. It's also a chance to grab a milkshake (tell me again why we don't have that anymore?). So my first Singaporean meal was McDonald's. Aside from the regular burgers, fries and shakes, McDonald's offers the samurai burger (Sg$4.65) and chicken wings (Sg$4.60). The samurai burger has teriyaki sauce and the same mayo sauce in our McChicken. I liked the combination of the sauces and didn't mind at all how messy it was. The chicken wings tasted like the good old fried chicken but with a touch of curry. Oddly enough, they don't have rice.

Samurai Burger

After a quick lunch, we headed out to explore the city. A block away and we were on the train via Bugis station. Transportation in Singapore is fairly easy. Everything is connected and easily accessible by train (Sg$1-2). We didn't get lost because there were signs everywhere. 

On the MRT

Our stop took us to our first mall, ION MALL. This mall has neverending floors, starting from basement 3, which is conveniently connected to the train station, until the fifth floor. We took time to shop and discovered a store called RUBI, where we got five pairs of shoes for Sg$55! 

Rubi's Tagline (How clever!)

Outside Ion Mall, we set foot on ORCHARD ROAD. They say that Orchard is the best shopping street. Though it seemed to us that there are malls everywhere else we go. We met with Ate Mi-an's friend and headed to another mall TAKASHEMAYA on Orchard Road. We had a late lunch at COFFEE CLUB and had bacon chicken and piripiri chicken. The treat however was the iced vanilla latte. 

Orchard Road

Coffee Club

Bacon Chicken

Later on in the evening we rode the SINGAPORE FLYER (Sg$26/person) for a full view of Singapore. Unfortunately it rained so we weren't able to catch a good sunset. But the view was still amazing, even for one who's afraid of heights (me!). Singapore Flyer is apparently the tallest in the world, even beating the London Eye. The ride took about 30 minutes and we were lucky because they closed it after we got off due to the weather. 

View from the Flyer

After this, we took a cab to MAKANSUTRA GLUTTONS BAY. Makansutra is an outdoor food hub where many kiosks are lined up by the bay. I looovvveeddd it! I am a firm believer that the best way to experience another culture is through food and Makansutra did not disappoint. It was food trip heaven. I was able to try out different Singaporean delicacies, like satay with curry and cubed rice, kaya toast, milk tea, chendol (halo-halo is still better though), and sting ray (tasted like a cross between fish and chicken breast). Be ready with water, as some food can be really spicy.

Makansutra Gluttons Bay

For after-dinner drinks, we went to CLARK QUAY, a strip of bars and restaurants along the other side of the bay, to try out the famous SINGAPORE SLING. Singapore Sling is a mix of gin and cherry brandy. It tasted like sweet juice and wasn't bitter at all. Drinks in Singapore are pretty pricey. Cocktails are Sg$15-17 and beers are at Sg$13-15. Cigarettes will set you back by Sg$11-13/pack of 20s (so better stop smoking! :p). After a scary run-in with a drunk and rowdy Chinese (don't count on the very lax security in Singapore), we called it a night.

Singapore Sling

Saturday was devoted to UNIVERSAL STUDIOS (Sg$72/ticket). From our hotel, we rode two trains and then the monorail (Sg$3) to RESORTS WORLD SENTOSA. Universal was pretty much the same as the one in Los Angeles, but a lot smaller. It also has the Jurassic Park, Shrek and The Mummy rides and the Waterworld show. I suggest going on a weekday because the lines were so long. We spent an hour waiting to get on the Jurassic Park ride. The highlight of it was the dueling  roller coaster ride, where two cars (one hanging!) simultaneously drop (which Ate Mi's hair survived! Finesse hairspray is miraculous!). We also went crazy over Garrets popcorn, our favorite from Chicago. 

Battlestar Gallactica

On Sunday we walked to the oldest church in Singapore right in front of the Singapore Art Museum and heard mass. We visited RAFFLES HOTEL, the oldest and most expensive hotel in Singapore. We were supposed to grab our last lunch there but the steakhouse was closed for the day. So we ventured outside and found a small nook where they serve hainanese chicken for two for only Sg$13.80. Yummy! After lunch, I said goodbye to Singapore.

Raffles Hotel

Hainanese I love!

All in all, Singapore is a tourist-friendly city. It has a good transportation system, a lot of hotels and a lot more restaurants and shopping malls. Although people don't seem warm and friendly, they were still helpful and it was easy to communicate with them. We also felt safe to be by ourselves. It was as if we were still in the Philippines, but in a different city. There are still a lot more things left to try and many friends to visit again. So we'll definitely go back!