Hello and Welcome 2011

May all of us have a happy, healthy and blessed 2011, enjoying life's pleasures with our family and friends with peace, love and laughter.

Happy and Prosperous New Year!!

A Beautiful Summer Night

 

July 29, 2010

Last night, my husband took this picture from our balcony.  We live on the 19th floor of a 22-storey building.  We enjoy beautiful views of the city and the Fraser River.

KATSUDON

 

Katsudon's main ingredient is pork cutlet cooked tonkatsu or chicken cutlet cooked chicken katsu.  Basically it involves frying the meat pieces in corn oil after it is dredged in flour, egg and panko in that order.  My son Ryan who has the recipe mixed the Katsudon sauce and proceeded to cook after I made the chicken katsu.  After cooking, the dish is put on top of Japanese white rice but in our case, because we only eat brown rice, Ryan's Katsudon is on top of brown rice.  This is the end product

View from Vancouver Condo

 

July 21, 2010

Our couple friends Lyn and Nonong who also live  in Surrey, BC bought their second rental condo in Vancouver, BC.  After they finished installing new laminate flooring, repainting the walls and furnishing this new condo, they invited us to spend the night with them there while there is no renter occupying the unit yet.  The night turned out to be a fireworks nights which Vancouver traditionally celebrate every summer.  From their balcony, the fireworkds could be seen only partially though.

Tomokazu - All you Can Eat Japanese Restaurant, Vancouver, BC

July 21, 2010

My family, three children, husband and I, love all-you-can eat Japanese food.  Whenever we go out to eat as a family, we end up eating in  this type of restaurant.  The last time we ate at a Chinese a la carte restaurant, we were not satisfied - that is comparing the kind of food and the value for money we got for the same amount of money we always enjoy eating in an all-you-can eat japanese restaurant.

When my children are at work, my husband and I go on our own eating out and usually end up going to this type of restaurant.

Our last one was at Tomokazu located at 1128 West Broadway, Vancouver, Bc.  Price of lunch for the two of us was Cad$22.29 including tax.

Stanley Park

 

July 21, 2010

Stanley Park is a precious piece of land just 1 mile from downtown Vancouver. Surrounding this park is Pacific Ocean and somewhere in downtown is where cruise lines dock to service cruisers mostly to and from an Alaska cruise.  We go here probably once a year just to hang out with a huge coffee and an equally huge muffin.  Our friends Tony and Letty from the Philippines is so very enamored with this park because of its beauty.  Whenever they are in Vancouver visiting their children who live here, we go here to enjoy a picnic. We bring lots of  food, coffee and tea and a camping stove to boil water to enjoy a hot cup of coffee or tea.

Wikipedia
Stanley Park is a 404.9 hectares (1,001 acres) urban park bordering downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It was opened in 1888 by David Oppenheimer in the name of Lord Stanley of Preston, the Governor-General of Canada.^[1]

It is more than 10% larger than New York City's Central Park and almost half the size of London's Richmond Park.^[2] The park attracts an estimated eight million visitors every year,^[3] including locals and tourists, who come for its recreational facilities and its natural attributes. 

Camping Birch Bay State Park, Blaine , WA

 

July 16-18, 2010

Our friends Cathy and Sol invited us to go camping anywhere in the US or Vancouver surrounding areas.  We were assigned to find a camping site which would accommodate us just one week before our intended camping date.  What we found was a camping spot in Birch  Bay State Park in Blaine, Washington.  Blaine is the last city of America in the northwest side.  Coming from where we live, Surrey, BC, it is the first city of the USA, when we cross the border.  If prices of the properties here would go down 50% just like the rest of America, we would probably buy a property.  Unfortunately for us who are interested to buy, prices of real estate did not go down much starting from Seattle, Wa. going up to the farthest point of Washington, which is Blaine.  Mar and I have been looking at properties in Blaine for 3 years now.  Blaine is just beside the pacific ocean.

We booked a camping site for two nights for US21 per night plus $10 for a second car.  Camping is enjoyed in summer but our two nights camping did not feel like summer at all due to the cold summer we are experiencing in this parts. 

Sunset at Crescent Beach

 

July 10, 2010

Crescent Beach is 25 kms from our home in Surrey.  We go here to enjoy the sea ambiance parked beside the beach reading newspapers, playing sudoku, eating, talking, napping and most especially taking in sea air which is good for my cough and asthma.  Most of the time, we just sit in our car while doing all these things. Mar would walk on the beach but I won't because I am so lazy to walk.  During hot summer days last year, we go here quite often to escape the city heat and enjoy a picnic under a huge tree laying on a plastic mat, relaxing and just enjoying life.

 

Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, 15th President of the Philippines, June 30, 2010

 We were in the Philippines when the election happened.  It was an exciting moment in history where most Filipinos participated in.  We wanted to vote for Noynoy but we cant.  We are Canadians but we supported him in our hearts.  We were overjoyed when the count showed him leading the pack by a huge margin.  He was several millions vote ahead of the second in the competition for the Presidentiables.  

Just like everyone else, my husband and I are so tired of the corruption in the Philippines.  Old politicians are always there in power and so the tradition of corruption went on for a long time.  Noynoy is capital HOPE for poor Filipinos and well-heeled Filipinos who are honest and desperate for change. 

Good luck Noynoy and God bless you and the Philippines.

Queen Elizabeth in Canada

It was raining heavily when The Queen arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.  It was nice watching her got off the plane with an umbrella unassisted, despite her age of 84, followed by her husband Prince Philip.

News reports said The Queen is not coming over to Vancouver.  If she were, I would have lined up the street wherever she is going, to see her.

Summer in Greater Vancouver, Canada

June 21 was the start of Summer 2010.  It's been 9 days since and there's only been 2 sunny days.  The rest of the days are gloomy and rainy.  Caucasian Canadians who are so looking forward to go the beach to get their bodies tanned are so complaining of the gloomy and rainy weather.

Personally, I am very happy.  My family and I prefer Winter over Summer.  My husband and I had too much of the sun and the heat in the Philippines.  I would appreciate more days with temp in the 14 deg. C range like today.

Home is Surrey, BC, Canada - June 4, 2010

Our airline from Hongkong-Shanghai to Vancouver was China Eastern Airlines.  It is the cheapest flight I did find online and also cheaper vs. travel agencies in Manila.  It is also nice because we did get to make side trips to Hong Kong, Macau and Shanghai before finally going home after close to 5 months of being away.

Home is where our children are.  My three children live in Surrey, BC together in one condo.  When we are home, there's five of us in this 1150 sq. feet home (107 sq.m.)  They are all unmarried and as Asians it is considered normal for adult children and parents to live together.

My husband and I are both retired and when we are home, our main occupation are food and groceries shopping and cooking.  Our days are full however because of our many interests like computer, tv shows, movies watched on tv, sudoku, hanging out at McDonalds to drink coffee, cooking and also eating out.

One of the best thing about coming home, aside from being together with our children again, is the weather.  We arrive in Spring time which was like heaven, temp is around 12 deg C which is of course like our entire home and the streets are all airconditioned; comparison is extremely hot temp in Manila at 38 deg C.  I am so happy, I am no longer suffering the unbearable heat of Manila.

Shanghai, China June 3, 2010

Chinese Immigration allowed us to enter without visa because of their 48-hour in-transit policy.  We arrived on their airport at past 2 pm and after scrutinizing our eticket for our flight to Vancouver which was on the following day at 1pm, we were allowed entry for 24 hours.

Our hotel which was located at the airport was a few minutes walk from Arrival Gate.  There were 2 hotels at the airport actually.  Where we checked in is called Motel 168 and the other was Ease Hotel.  The hotel room was big with a queen size bed which the reception people told me was king size.  It doesn't matter though whatever the size is because we are staying here for only 1 night.  This room is a huge upgrade compared to our room in Hong Kong.  Cad$62 per night.

It was fun trying to buy a fare ticket to ride the metro to go to the city.  We figured there was English option, so it became a breeze buying tickets to go shopping downtown.  The metro was clean and full of Chinese people.   I did see one Caucausian, us Filipinos and the rest are Chinese. 

We went shopping and by the time the mall was closing we were done shopping.  It was a terrible experience shopping in Shanghai.  I am a Filipino and I know how to do haggling but here in Shanghai sales people would pressure, harass, hold your arm, run after you to force you to make them a counter offer from the ridiculously high price they quoted you.

We went to see the famous Nanjing Road  This is Shanghai's shopping street where malls are left and right and lining up the several km street.  It was a beautiful night at Nanjing Road, the street was lighted and there were a great number of people walking the street.

It was our only night in Shanghai, we wanted to see more but our achy feet and legs would not cooperate anymore, we had to go back to our hotel room.

The following morning, I wanted to shop at Shanghai airport but every shop was chinese and all goods are chinese.  I thought I could find branded products like those I've seen at Hong Kong airport but sadly there was none at this airport.

We had brunch at a fastfood at the airport and later it was time to check in for our flight to Vancouver.

Fruits

Day Trip to Macau from Hong Kong by Ferry

 June 1, 2010
We went to Macau today. Gateway Tower at Canton Road is walking distance from Chungking Mansions at Nathan Road.  Gateway Tower is a mall and this is where the departure and arrival areas of the ferries that go and come back from Macau are located.

Ferry ride was nice and smooth going to Macau.  It took about an hour and 15 minutes.  Ferry ride cost for the two of us was HKG $600 or US77 round trip.

There are a lot of people entering Macau lined up at Immigration.   After being allowed entry, we changed our HKG dollars to MOP or Macanese Pataca.  We got 102.90 Pataca for our 100 HKG dollars. Coming back to Hong Kong we have MOP28 left.  We spent 26 on cookies and was left with 2. 

Hong Kong May 31 - June 3, 2010

May 31, 2010

Travelling is not easy.  We have only 3 days in Hong Kong so we chose the early morning Cebu Pacific flight out of Manila.

We woke up at 2 am.  We left the hotel at 245am.  We did not expect that there would be vehicles on the road; we thought it would be a quick drive.  We met-up with Mar's cousin Cecille and husband Deo who will take our Nissan Sentra and sell it for us.  We said our goodbyes, endorsed the car and hurried inside to the check-in counter.  We thought we were running late but thank goodness, we made it on time.

We were supposed to live with a Filipina who is renting her room for HKG $400 total for 3 nights.  At the airport in HKG, we called her but she was hesitant and not supportive to meet us to show us her place.  Sheila Aw, a Filipina from Australia overheard our conversations and told us where to look for cheap accommodation.

We went to where she directed us and found Chung King Mansion at Tsim Sha Tui.  We were hassled by an Indian guy first but we refused his room priced at $150 and went to look for a room ourselves with the help of a Filipina who brought us to another Filipina named Cely who is in charge of Mr. Tom's Guesthouse.  We were shown a very small room with a small double bed for HKG $170, a slightly bigger room with 2 single beds for $200 and another small room with a small double bed and a single bed (obviously for 3 persons) for $300.  We chose the first room and negotiated the price down to $150.  She agreed and that's how we end up in this very small room in Hong Kong.

In the room is a very, very small toilet and bath, an airconditioner, a ceiling fan, a small desk and a tv.