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

Car: Annual car registration renewal made easy with AAP

January 07, 2015

The season of spending is not yet done and often extends into the New Year especially when you have a car with a license plate ending with "1".  That's because come January you're expected to renew your vehicle's annual registration.  Well, Stanley does have a license plate ending in "1" so here we go.  The good thing is that we have an AAP (Automobile Association Philippines) membership which means we are eligible to benefit from their LTO Registration Assistance service for a minimum fee (P300).





Just a brief guide though for car owners, you can't just renew your car's registration anytime you want.  There is a proper schedule that you should follow.  You need to know the week and the month of your scheduled renewal.  The middle number of your license plate reflects the week while your last number reflects the month.  Below is a guide depending on your license plate numbers.

For example, Stanley's license numbers are "791" so that means with a middle number of "9", his corresponding week is on the 4th week.  With a last number of "1", his corresponding month is January.  That means, ideally, we have to register him on the 4th week of January.

So now that we got that out of the way, let's get on with the car registration renewal through AAP.

Step 1.  Pass a smoking emission test.  This is a a requirement.  You need to bring the result with you to the AAP.

Every year, we go to the Smog Check Smoke Emission Testing Center along Aurora Boulevard because it's accredited by the AAP.  It's behind the LTO in San Juan, just before you cross the bridge along Aurora Boulevard.   It's a very simple process, you just park your car, they test it, they take a picture of the process as proof, you pay for the procedure, receive the results and OR, and you're done.  The total cost was P480 but we only paid P430 because we got an AAP discount.

Step 2. Bring the following documents to the AAP Office in Aurora Boulevard.  They're located at 682 Aurora Boulevard, Quezon City, after Broadway Centrum, before the Gilmore computer shops and Robinsons Magnolia.


• Smoke Emission Test with passing results with the original receipt of payment
• Photocopy of Certificate of Registration
• Original copy of the previous year’s LTO Registration O.R.
• Original and photocopy of TPL Insurance Certificate of Cover (alternatively, you may get these from AAP)

They have a small but comfortable office.  Dylan and I just relaxed on their couch and we were offered our choice of coffee and chocolate from their dispenser. :) Patrick just brought the documents over to one of the staff and they just processed everything.  After, they gave us a computation of the total fees which amounted to P6,014.50, including the service fee and the fees for the new license plates to be issued this year.  

Facing the Office

The Cashier

After all that, we went downstairs to where Stanley was parked for the stenciling of the engine and chassis numbers, if I'm not mistaken.  

The whole process took less than 30 minutes.  From previous experience, we also received text notices from them regarding the status of the registration with LTO.  Before (in 2014), it took about 2 weeks for the registration stickers to be available.  Now, we'll see how long it will take.  The new license plates are to be expected 2 months after, that's what they said.

I hope you find this information useful.  If you want more information about the AAP LTO Registration Assistance, please visit their site here.  If you want to know more about being a member of the AAP, click here.

2015 Landco BP Reunion

January 02, 2015

After coming home from Hotel Jen where we spent the first day and evening of the New Year, I was scheduled to meet with my former officemates from Landco Pacific.  A reunion was scheduled because our two friends who lived overseas were back in Manila for a vacation.  It has been close to 15 years since we really saw each other and I was excited to meet up with everyone.

This was one of the first pictures we took.  It's a bit dark on one side but we found a way to rectify that - with high-powered phone flashlights hahaha





The night was filled with laughter as we all reminisced about the time we were together.  There was also a bit of catching up as everyone wanted to know what everyone else was up to :)  We missed the guys who weren't able to make it because they're out of town or out of the country but I hope that they get to see this so they can share in our memories of the night too.

Just check out that view!! It was a bit cold that night and I was glad I brought a shawl with me.

 It's great to see friends and be simply happy at the start of the New Year.  I'm glad I had this chance. :)