OSAKA 1日目

It's been more than 2 months since I returned from the land of the rising sun- that's more than sixty days of procrastinating to write this blog. Well, here goes something...

This city is known to be the second largest in Japan and is all the more famous for its fantabulous cuisine.

From Kansai International Airport, I took a bus (aka airport limousine) to New Hankyu. My hotel (I forgot the name) was not even a kilometer away but I really needed help to get there. I then had to rent a taxi to bring twenty five kilos of luggage and myself, to a hotel just two blocks away, and paid what I think is the flat rate- JPY 650. I stayed in Umeda, which is probably the business hub of Osaka prefecture. My hotel was hands down THE MOST CONVENIENT, LET ALONE COST EFFICIENT  choice anyone would have to make. Its proximity to the mall and train stations was surely the best pick for a short stay in Osaka. 

Fig 1. Watermelon Soda (Burger King, Osaka).

Figure 2. Avocado burger. (Burger King, Osaka)

First place I headed to was Shinsaibashi, which is still part of downtown Osaka. I had originally planned to go church there, but the iPhone I rented did not point me in the right direction. After walking around for an hour, I was pretty sure I was late so I decided to drop by another day. Instead, I ended up eating lunner (this means lunch and dinner in Krantzl's dictionary) at Burger King. I know what you're thinking... BK in Japan, WTF right? But if you were in my place, you too would be a coward to eat in a Japanese restaurant on your first night. I speak very basic Nihongo and I had forgotten how to order; plus I was on my own. Though I didn't mind eating something raw, I did want to eat something familiar like raw fish. But before travelling to Japan, I had made a deal with myself to save all the sushi for when I arrive in Tokyo. The Kansai (west) region would be more appropriate for other foods.

     

Fig 3. Where I got lost on day 1.

Fig 4. Shopping plaza near my hotel.

Figure 5. Green tea pudding- not as delicious as
I dreamed it would be.

Fig 6. A snack stuffed with chestnut paste.

Well, I didn't have much luck in the culinary sense on my first day. In fact, it rained so hard that I wanted to take a break from walking outdoors. I took a train back to Yodobashi Umeda, walked through the endless aisle of a department store of food, and bought a lot of snacks which I planned to eat for a midnight snack later that night. All the walking made me hungry. I walked and walked till I found something both my stomach and wallet could handle. I found myself at seven eleven looking up shelves upon shelves of flavored ice cream, energy drinks, milk tea, and other items I can only find at a convenience store in Japan. My eyes finally settled on a six hundred fifty-worth bento meal. I briskly made my way back to the hotel, while video chatting with my parents and chatting with some of my students who couldn't believe that I was in their country. I realized then that Iphones really ARE handy. Not only do they give you directions and GPS, but also provide you VIRTUAL company if you're travelling alone. :D  It's a good investment to have a smart phone with you when travelling. Thank you Softbank (phone carrier which lent me the phone).

Fig 7. Bento meal from Seven Eleven. 

Fig 8. Diversity of  Lipton beverages at Seven Eleven.

WEEDS DAY WEDNESDAY

Cooking classes are really my thing.. in fact, going to anything with food is my thing.

In the previous year, I attended a lot of food exhibits, fairs, midnight markets and a whole lot of other  events related to food! I even make it a point to take a food/cooking class whenever I go abroad; it's my way of getting engaged with the culture.

Fig 1. Turkish-spiced Chickpea
Quinoa salad.

Today was a little different. I went to a cooking class at Ayala Alabang to learn about some 'Fantastic Salads'. I first encountered the teacher at a local magazine's food fair at Rockwell Tent last year. I didn't get to watch her segment much then, but my Mom was impressed with her. I found out more about her within the year as she replaced one of the columnists in the food magazine I regularly buy, with her section promoting healthier approaches to cooking. I was very much interested in her vegan profile, so I decided to check out her classes this year.

I headed down to her place and was amazed that she had an audience of nine ladies, even though it was the middle of the week. She served Kombucha, a fermented sweetened tea which tastes (and smells) like Apple Cider Vinegar while waiting for the others. As pictured, we whipped up four different salads- something I am not an expert at even if a lot of people have the wrong assumption that greens make up the bulk of any nutritionist's refrigerator.

The Quinoa dish was a hit. For people who can't stand the thought of not eating rice for lunch (like most of my guy friends), I guess this wouldn't be so attractive...AT FIRST! But the luscious combination of flavors was hard to resist after I swallowed my first bite- I just had to have another serving. I was so indulged with the rich contrast in texture and flavor, that I forgot that it was meatless. The beans were filling enough for my tummy, while the roasted eggplants and tofu gave a close-to-meat texture. The blend of colors was equally delightful that you can't stare at it without wanting to dig in. 

I thought her choice of ingredients was very interesting. There was an abundance of spice, herbs, and citrus zest- always a pleasure to my olfactory nerves. I also got acquainted with the Quinoa and Wakame (type of seaweed) during the lesson- things I have never used in my cooking before.

Fig 2. Kidney Bean Salad.

Fig 3. Mediterranean Green Bean Salad 
with Caramelized Onions.

Like all food classes, I expected to learn some scientific principles on cooking. Fortunately I was able to gather a thing or two from the discussion. For example, aside from different storage methods, shelf lives, and recommended cooking times for broiling vegetables, she introduced trivia about the saponin in quinoa. Saponin, which is used in making soap, is a bitter compound that covers the grain and keeps birds from preying on them. Likewise, it is washed off before cooking during the first rinsing of the grains. It is also responsible for the cloudy liquid that forms in the pot after initial rinsing (very similar to washing rice).

Fig 4. Seaweed Salad with 
Avocado and Tofu.

The class took about 4 hours. And I was really happy that everything was hands on. Every one of us had our own knife and board to work with, meaning everyone got their hands dirty. I was especially impressed with the different high-end kitchen equipment, colorful utensils and delicate China she owned. I AM SO HAVING THAT KIND OF KITCHEN WHEN I GET MARRIED.

We took pictures of the food after, ate the salads for lunch and even took the leftovers home. I wasn't sure if the plating of the dishes was really a competition but I wanted to nail it because (I believe) food styling and photography is my element. Honestly speaking, most of the photographs and styling I've done before were copied off a magazine. Still, it would be a shame if I couldn't show off any of that here. (I plated salads 1 and 4)

MY FAVORITES (IN ORDER): 
1st: Turkish spiced quinoa...because having been brought up in the Middle East, I miss eating cuisines with the same Arabian flair!
2nd: Seaweed Salad...after going to Japan last year, I have fallen in love with seaweed. And the thought of mixing it up with avocado and tofu is a GENIUS Asian culinary ensemble.
3rd: Med Green Bean salad... because it incorporated sweet potato- something i'd never do even in my most creative mode. And because I like green and orange (my 2 fave colors in the whole world)
4th: Kidney Bean salad... a 3/5. Mango is too cliche in my salads. I learnt how to make a Sicilian salad in an Italian restaurant before. It's very similar to this one, so that wasn't new for me. It was still delicious though :)

I brought a big container so I had 2 plates full of greens (leftover from class) for dinner earlier tonight. I wonder what time I'll be able to fall asleep later. Hopefully vegan diets won't cause me the same kind of insomnia any other regular dinner does...

One Thing Remains

This is the title of THE song I've been listening to and singing over and over last year. I kind of abused the REPLAY button on this one.

I used to like songs because of their melody, but as the years went by... I realized I had a number of songs on my playlist, the lyrics of which were completely meaningless. From then on, I decided to filter my external drive's content and only keep the ones that had strong, heart-hitting messages (no this doesn't mean romantic love songs). I don't want to spend the rest of my life listening to fictional objects like 'starships that are meant to fly'; let alone be reminded every week that 'I gotta get down on Friday.' Other songs, though having sensible lyrics, remind me more of their awkward MTVs rather than morals I supposedly get listening to them.

The first time I had heard it played live was at Jesus Lifehouse Tokyo in Japan, back in November. I was really impressed! Because the first half was sung in English and the latter in Nihongo, I was able to notice that their rendition was really really close to the original. I have always wanted to play the drums part of the song and hear someone comment saying that it's a carbon copy of the real thing (ambitious I know!). I'm an amateur percussionist and I figure that emulating the two-second syncopated-rolling on 2:33 of the video, is the nearest I will ever get to my brother's professional drumming.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, listening to the song reminded me of the unconditional, unfailing and constant love God has shown me. He has blessed my life in more ways than I could have ever expected. Because of the miracles, mercy and especially His sovereign protection during my near-death experience last year (I'll blog about this soon), I see no reason why I (nor anyone) should deny His existence...GOD IS REAL and HE LOVES US!

Please do read the lyrics before missing out on hearing them in the video linked below :)


Higher than the mountains that I face
Stronger than the power of the grave
Constant through the trial and the change
One thing remains, one thing remains

Your love never fails it never gives up it never runs out on me. 

On and one and on and on it goes
It overwhelms and satisfies my soul
And I never ever have to be afraid
One thing remains

In death and in life I'm confident and covered by the power of your great love
My debt is paid there's nothing that can separate my heart from your great love 

(please pardon the muffled sounds- there are other better videos on youtube)

WE NEED REFORMS TO OUR GUN LEGISLATIONS

The only close encounter I had with a gun was when I discovered my grandpa's handgun in his laundry back in the 90s. It was loaded and came as a huge shock to me because I would never have thought that my relatives kept even the simplest of weapons in their home.

Being brought up in a Christian family, carrying a gun (even for self defense) was never in my vocabulary and I had always relied on prayer and the mighty hand of Jesus to protect me wherever I went. 

This afternoon, Yahoo news posted that yet another shooting crime had occurred near my hometown. My cousins had been to that very place just two days ago for sightseeing. What frightened me was that the shooter aimed randomly killing three and injuring two others (http://ph.news.yahoo.com/gunman-kills-three-philippine-market-police-044747633.html). It horrifies me to hear stories of innocent lives suddenly put to an end by some psycho civilian. 

I do hope that the government creates reforms on the law about carrying weapons in my country. Only RESPONSIBLE and RIGHTFUL people should have access to such dangerous arms. This brings to mind a time in November of 2011 wherein a local bank's guard and a public transport driver raped and later shot a college student in the head, snagging her iPod, laptop and phone. Although the security guard was employed by an agency, it totally reduced my trust in local authorities. You'll never know when selfishness strikes and what it'll cost you. 

The fact that anyone can carry guns, if granted a license, angers me. It not only produces homicides, but also induces one to consider suicide as well as become more violent, among many others. Please check the Everyday Einstein's podcast on The Science of Violence on iTunes or just copy paste this link to read the statistics (and script) for yourself http://everydayeinstein.quickanddirtytips.com/the-science-of-violence.aspx.

First travel for the year

So this is what it feels like to be on a cliffhouse on the day after the New Year. Yes, you read right-- A CLIFF HOUSE IN THE PHILIPPINES.

I spent the second day of 2013, or a mere four hours of it, on a cliff house located in the highlands of Tagaytay, which for all those who aren't from this part of the world is touted as the second summer capital of the Philippines (Baguio City, up north, bagged the crown for that title). It's a 60-km drive away from the capital and it was everything I had imagined it would be- surrounded by thick pine trees, the cool breeze blowing in your face (and hair), and with a breathtaking view of the famous Taal Lake which houses the smallest volcano (also named Taal) in the world.

                       

We dined at the nearby Yellow Cab for lunch and devoured Mochiko balls (4-oz ice cream scoops wrapped in rice flour dough) for dessert. Ironic I know! Who eats ice cream in cold weather, right? But that was because the hot sauce and chili peppers were kicked up a notch on the pizzas we had ordered; and to compensate for the pasta (which i really think is Chinese egg noodles) because it tasted like something I had cooked at home. It was therefore not worth the hefty price I paid for it. The restaurants were situated right next to each other and fortunately we went there at the right time. Only the ice cream shops and one cafe were in operation at the cliff house, so we were free to sit on any of the fancy restaurants' chairs. We chose Fire Lake Grill's set of wooden chairs so the pictures appear as if I was hanging out on a rich person's veranda.

I'd say the place is great for those who wish to go out of town and those wanting to escape the city on a weekend. For me, it's the most affordable Friday-Sunday getaway; though I personally think a day would be enough. Renting a town house (good for 10-15 people) in this part of the country is way too pricey. Back on the bright side, there are a lot of renowned-restaurants here that offer a variety of cuisines. So stacking your refrigerator in your car's trunk is not necessary, unless you're planning on a cookout which is good because barbecues fit perfectly to the cold temperature.

I only wish I could do this more often. This place in particular, enables me to encounter an environment that's foreign to what I'm used to. I just really suck at driving at high altitudes, let alone be caught in a hanging position when in inclined traffic. It's probably as good as a yoga class or taking a 3-day trip out of the country. Tagaytay never fails to refresh me.

BLOG TESTING.. 1, 2..

hello?....is it working? can anyone see this???

Well, welcome to my first entry. 

I am officially blogging, in no intention to blurt out my feelings of how pissed I am to wake up to the neigbors' stereo blaring Gangnam Style and a neverending playlist of incomprehensible KPop music in the morning, but in preparation for an upcoming exam wherein I have to write an intelligible 300-word essay in response to an exam question. 

Like all New Year's resolutions, I hope this isn't a temporary thing as I am already looking forward to a lot in the first quarter of next year. I will therefore have plenty to blog about. I am keeping my fingers crossed on having a solid internet connection on all 365.25 days of 2013.

Til later, Happy New Year readers (if any). 
Kampaii!