2015 Papal Visit - Nagtahan/Malacanang

January 16, 2015

I woke up at around 5:30am to wait for Pope Francis to pass along Nagtahan going to Malacanang today.  It was a rare opportunity and it was only luck that we lived near the area.  In fact, on Sunday, he will pass by directly our house but we won't be here to see him.  That is why I decided to see him now :)

5:45AM - The sky was still dark when I left the house but there were some people walking toward  J. P. Laurel Street and I knew we had the same destination in mind.  Since I was early, I got a good vantage position, right in front of the street where the Pope was supposed to pass.  The taho vendor near me was having a brisk business from all the people that missed breakfast just so they can be first in line.  I wanted to buy too but I didn't want to risk going to the bathroom (where there's none) and miss the Pope.

Smooth traffic

6AM - Traffic was still flowing smoothly at this time but people were starting to gather along the streets.  Aside from the taho vendor, 7-11 was also busy with all the people wanting coffees and hot chocolates to fill their empty stomachs.  There were staff that went around collecting trash though which was good.  There were military men strategically positioned around the area.  It made you feel safe but scared at the same time.

Police deployment

By 7AM, traffic was slowing down because of the arrival of the dignitaries.  Different sized, mostly black luxury cars (there were a lot of Lexus) were continuously passing by and for me, it became a game to identify the flags on the cars. :)  There were also fast convoys, most likely the Cabinet members, who were zooming to Malacanang.  This continued until 9AM and the level of anticipation of the people was at an all-time high.  Whenever someone started to shout and clap, everyone started pushing forward to get a better view.  Even the Legarda Flyover was filled with people!

Finally, around 9:15, Pope Francis whizzed by.  It was rather disappointing that he wasn't in the Pope Mobile but in the VW Touran which was smaller and you couldn't really see him.  I only had a glimpse of him for about 2 seconds! and I wasn't even able to take a picture/video by then, the phone lost all battery.

After 3 1/2 hours of waiting, it was over in seconds.  Some people didn't even realize that he already drove by because they were expecting him to be in the Isuzu Pope Mobile.  Well, there's always the livestreaming and TV. :)

Another tasty trip to Tamagoya

January 14, 2015

Some of you may know that Pope Francis is due to visit the Philippines from January 15-19.  As part of his itinerary, he will be visiting the University of Santo Tomas.  The reason why I'm mentioning it is because I learned today that we had to move Stanley, who is currently parked on the sidewalk because we have a test unit parked in the garage, to a different parking area for security reasons.  The Pope and his entourage will be passing by the street in front of our house and no car should be on the sidewalk when they pass on their way to UST.  So, we had to find Stanley a new parking slot for the duration of the holiday.

We then ended up bringing Stanley to Stevie's house in Marikina so he can be safely parked in their garage and we didn't have to pay for parking fees.  I think overnight parking fees near our area cost P300 for overnight parking.  Anyway, that's why Patrick and I ended up visiting Tamagoya once again.  We first visited Tamagoya last year.  We liked the food so much that, because now we were in the vicinity again, we couldn't pass up the chance.   This time, I was able to take pictures too hahaha

I ordered the Miso Ramen and Patrick ordered the Tamagoya ramen.  My miso ramen came with togue (monggo sprouts), a bit of nori, a slice of pork, an egg and corn kernels.  It was a good combination of salty (miso) and sweet (corn).  It was delish! :) Patrick's Tamagoya ramen included bamboo shoots, pork and nori.  We shared an order of pan-fried gyoza too.
 

Miso Ramen = P158

Tamagoya Ramen - P198

Pan-Fried Gyoza = P98

The last time we ate at Tamagoya, we were offered Choux Creme for dessert.  It was what we know as Creme Puff, a light crusty pastry with a creme filling.  I'm a sucker for creme puffs and that time we ordered the regular one and one with a strawberry filling.  This time, Patrick and I ordered the regular Choux Creme each.  It's the perfect way to clear your taste buds of the oil of the ramen :)  It was really good and there was a lot of filling! Sometimes, creme puffs can be disappointing because it's more bread than filling. Glad it wasn't the case here :D 

Choux Creme (Creme Puff) = P48

Choux Creme (inside)

Before leaving, naturally, I had to visit the restroom and I took a photo of it too hahaha It's quite small but clean. This was the downstairs bathroom.  There's also another one on the 2nd floor.  There was good running water, tissue, soap and a trash can.  

Female Bathroom (downstairs)

So, here's our receipt.

Our Receipt

If you want to visit Tamagoya Noodle House, they are open Tuesdays - Sundays (Monday-Closed) 11AM - 2PM and 5PM - 9PM only.  They are often full so expect a bit of waiting time.  Here is their address:  2 VV Soliven Avenue, Barangay Mayamot, Antipolo City.  Phone 861-86-31.

What's interesting about Tamagoya is that they also don't accept tips because as they say, "It is their pleasure serving you".  

Family: Kalila's Baby Shower

January 11, 2015

Today was Kalila's baby shower.  The kids were excited to be there early so they have more time to interact with their friends Tamara and Mika, Kalila's wonderful kids.  I wanted to be there early because I wanted to help out in the preparations. Miss Pregnant can't afford to be tired or else Sole might pop out sooner than expected :)  Patrick was not traveling with us because he was still in Clark since he participated in the Cannonball 1000 event for Top Gear.  Incidentally, that was a great event where they had to travel/race 1000 kilometers around North Luzon in 24 hours!

Well, on to the event!

Though it was mentioned in the invite that the theme was "Cross-dressing" to show equal but shared responsibilities in parenting, I forgot to mention it to the kids and I ended up forgetting about it too, my bad.  But what was funny was that I subconsciously dressed very similarly to how Patrick dresses LOL I had on a car (Subaru) shirt, khaki pants and sandals.  Dana, the tomboy that she is, was dressed in shorts, a Star Wars shirt and her Converse high-cuts.  Dylan was the only one who wasn't "dressed".  Since we arrived early, everyone was busy getting into their "roles".  But once everyone started arriving and the guys soon turned into girls and vice versa, we all had a most hilarious time! :)

Luna and Dylan as "airplanes"

The girls turned "boys" :)

Belli, Dylan and Dana

Bito and Luna

Lucas with his Lolo Net, turned "mermaid" haha

Johann, Tita Gigi, Mika, Belli 

 After the kids had their swim, Dylan became restless and we decided to go for a walk around the Village.  Funny enough, we found Patrick coasting to a stop in front of us and we rode with him on the way back hahaha

By that time, new refreshments were on the table.  Look at that scrumptious steak!! I forgot to take a picture of the food that was served hahaha we just dove in! hahaha

Josie, Orvin and Johann

 It wasn't your typical baby shower that's for sure! But, the best thing about it was that everybody enjoyed themselves.  Food was plentiful (courtesy too of friends and family who brought more), drinks were abundant, and guests were enjoyable :)  Congrats and we can't wait for Sole to arrive! :)

PS: I wasn't able to take pictures of all the gifts when they were opened by Kali so I'd rather not post the ones that I did (to be fair) hehehe