archive for the “dining” category
This morning I awoke feeling refreshed and recalling interesting dreams. Almost as soon as I arose, Mack sent to me a text message telling of a Sepak Takraw game in Baguio Gold. So after a quick breakfast, I headed out. On my way upstairs, I heard 8-year-old James’ voice, and when he saw me up at street level, he happily told me that Cola, one of the family’s two dogs, had given birth to seven puppies while the family was gone for two days. Dominic and I noticed yesterday that Cola was skinny, ribs showing, and seemed somber. »→
Yesterday Dominic told Mack that he need not cook for us, so that he could resume construction of his chicken coop using the lumber and screen/mesh that Mack & I took to his home from a chartered jeepney. At night Dominic and I rode such a bus to Baguio City for dinner in a stall in VGF Fast Food Mall. In Philippines, “fast food” denotes already-prepared pots of lukewarm entrées, such as stews, from which we choose to accompany rice. I’ve had chicken meatballs, chicken adobo and ‘mixed meat’ (ground and mixed with finely chopped carrots, onions, pepper & other in a seasoned sauce). »→
Today I took my compact umbrella and a camera and headed downhill to Baguio Gold Barangay (neighborhood/borough). Although the sky was clouding and my knees, shins and ankles ached, I thought that I’d get some exercise and see and photograph the mine entrances, refineries, tram lines, rock arch, pool of water, hills swathed in clouds … In previous forays to Baguio Gold I had no camera, or I had my camera phone and made a few lousy pics. »→
I think that every day I shop for something in Baguio City. Yet we really don’t have alot of conveniences. We’re living austerely here. Today when we awoke we had no electricity in the flat. We could have eaten lunch here – peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or tuna sandwiches, steamed rice with tuna or salads, but I wanted to get out for fresh air and light – bright sunlight. »→
This morning I rode a jeepney to Baguio City to check my mailbox in the central post office, buy a telephone card and ask of the requirements of opening a Metrobank checking account. As usual, when I’m in the city, I’m thirsty -at least I have a dry mouth. I walk a lot and breathe a lot of vehicle exhaust … »→
Dominic and I don’t cook, so we’ve been dining out a lot. This is the fourth evening that we’ve dined in 50′s Diner [sic], a few kilometers away from home, in Baguio City.
The first night we tried the diner, I ate “mixed grille,” a meat sampler plate with rice. The second night I had an overly large “50′s Club Sandwich [sic].” There’s no way that I or any Filipino could put this into a mouth to bite. Unreal.
We have beautiful, cloudy, sunny, breezy weather as usual in Baguio City.
I’m happy to be out walking in bright, cheery weather on sidewalks and across streets with thousands of smiling youths in school uniforms, college students in the most fashionable casual clothes that they can afford, including every style of blue jeans, flip-flops, sneakers and ballet-type slippers. »→
We thank those who have prayed for us and those who have given donations.
Dominic and I have been laboring on the Internet, doing various things. Dominic has been trying to find website design work for us and working on The Red Lion Pub/Inn website. I have been doing miscellaneous, rather unimportant ‘errands’ on the internet. My eyes have felt the strain.
We took a break to try to get a jeepney ride to Baguio City to eat dinner. I thought that rather than walk from General Luna Road to Session Road then along that to Pizza Volante or Bruno’s Café, we may as well disembark at the junction of General Luna and Leonard Wood Road, eat sooner then have a shorter journey back home.
At that road junction, jammed into one location, are a personal laundry service, a tiny Korean convenience store, an Australian’s small convenience store, The Red Lion Pub & Inn, Corfu Village (inn), Brod Pit (restaurant) and 50′s Diner. So I wanted to dine in Brod Pit, where we’d been one of our first days in Baguio, or 50′s Diner.
We had a delicious, inexpensive dinner in 50′s Diner. The place was full by the time we left. Sure, it’s not large. But this was Tuesday night. That place must be a cash cow. I would like to do a website for the place, just because of the decor/theme, the wait staff, the food … it has good subject matter; I could get good photos. †
Saturday morning, March 8, we moved our luggage into the first floor flat of this house, reviewed the lease with Mrs. B. then paid her for this month, the last month, a telephone security deposit and Sky Cable security deposit.
Then we began to unpack our bags and wait hours for a plumber and electrician to install a water heater for our shower and for a Sky Cable installer. In the evening Dominic and I rode a jeepney to Red Lion Pub for dinner, as we hadn’t yet shopped for groceries. I ate garlic-seasoned tilapia and rice after a very soggy potato skins appetizer. Dom ate fish and chips. »→
March 6 & 7: Thursday afternoon Dom and I went go to The Red Lion Pub. We saw guys gathered round the table of knowledge, we met Tony’s son Lenin, one of the pub’s managers, and we sat with him to drink Cokes and get some insider info on acclimating to Baguio City. We’re interested in learning about getting long-term visas or alien certificates of registration, an apartment, driver licenses, cheap motorbikes or a car or a van, flights from Baguio to elsewhere, etcetera. Lenin was friendly, and more than forthcoming with useful information about Baguio and The Red Lion. We were glad to have met him. »→
Thursday morning: We awoke in Hotel Villa Rosal to the sounds of the city beneath our hotel room window. The concrete canyon was abuzz with activity: college students walking to many photocopy booths and going to classes, delivery trucks roaring, taxis and jeepneys honking … We ate breakfast in the hotel’s dining room, then went out to prowl the streets, General Luna Road and Session Road. »→
