More Manila Pics

So last night I made a dinner of Filipino fare for my besties to sample. One of the things we've enjoyed doing after my trips is cooking up a food-from-there dinner for the girls to partake of on a Saturday following my return. My tummy, thankfully, is all better so I was able to enjoy myself too.

One of the things I tried making was leche flan aka creme caramel. Except the Filipino version is a lot sweeter and richer as it uses condensed milk and only egg yolks in the recipe. While the caramelised sugar didn't look great in the ramekins the steaming of the custard kinda coaxed it into an even layer and it turned out looking not half bad in the end. I was also pleased that it had a perfectly smooth consistency, with the custard turning out evenly set and nary an air bubble to be seen :) 

Dinner proper (clockwise from left) was chicken and mushroom adobo, turkey breast kare-kare and ginisang monggo (sauteed green beans) with vegetables. 

All in all a success. The girls were happy, I was happy, and altho I'm not the hugest fan of Filipino food, I think with some of the recipes if I can make my own substitutions (I'm not a fan of pork!) I'll be quite satisfied.

Speaking of food, we did go to one fast food restaurant, only because they're pretty famous, specialising in grilled pork and chicken, Mang Inasal. We had some grilled chicken (nothing to crow about really) but what amused me was that they had soy sauce and 'chicken oil' on the tables. I guess it's savoury flavoured oil but what a name for it.  

Back to sightseeing. Rizal park was basically a lot of green space peppered with ornaments. It was kinda hot (sweltering!) so I didn't bother to venture up close and personal for photos. The entrace had a rather nondescript gate with a concrete slab announcing the name of the park. 

One of the monuments taken from far away where I was hiding under the shade of some huge trees. 

There was a section of park with some pigeon homes :) 

From the park we decided to head to the museum of natural history. It had a LOT of halls. But this was the thing that fascinated me the most. The story of Lolong can be found here. 

[TL;DR - Lolong was the largest crocodile ever held in captivity. He was a saltwater crocodile measured at 6.17 m, making him one of the largest crocodiles ever measured from snout to tail, and weighing 1,075 kg.] 

There were also lots of stuffed eagles. And I realise I enjoy looking at birds of prey. Something I have in common with my niece. This is the Philippine hawk eagle.

We also found the malls to be pretty boring, similar to malls anywhere else in the world, I suppose. So we did our shopping at the ukay-ukay (thrift shops). They're not usually found in the busier sections of the city, and we didn't bother to travel to the outskirts just for that, but we did come across two. 

These bits of jewellery were got for under 10 dollars, from one of the street vendors at the riverside market. We selected a pair of earrings each, and they allowed us a free ring from a tray for every pair purchased. 

This was the first ukay-ukay we came to. Everything was displayed in a very orderly fashion. I didn't buy anything from here, but did pick up 3 bags for a bestie who had asked me to keep an eye out for her.

At the second store I found this puffer vest. For $3. I was thrilled at finding something so inexpensive that I could take with me for our upcoming London trip (November). I didn't want to have to to spend too much on winter clothing seeing as how I live in the tropics and don't often find myself in cold countries. 

The puffer is mine. The two tees on the left are CG's and the HP tee was for a friend. Total - less than $10. Score! 

We also went to Mall of Asia or MOA as it's commonly referred to. We met up with CG's sister and son, and had dinner there together.

One of the cool things about the malls in Manila is that dogs are allowed in as long as they're on a leash.

Macaroni salad - it turned out to be a dessert! Milk, cream, macaroni, fruit and cheese. I didn't get any because I've tried it once before and it is NOT my cup of tea. 

The famous lechon - aka pork. Roasted pork to be precise. That's stuffed pork belly. My goodness but when I saw that all I could think of was how much 'good' it would do my cholesterol readings.

We also popped into a local goods shop where I got me a bunch of snacks, some locally produced essential oil liquid soaps and mango rum for BIKSS and my boss. 

The next day we ventured to Our Lady of Guidance church where we attended evening Mass. It was lovely, not at all like the 'popular' touristy churches we had gone to a couple of days before.

Some of the cheap finds we purchased from the drugstore. I'm always stocking up on sunblock, and one of the things Asian countries does well is SPF50 sunblock.  These were on special - 2 for 1- even tho they're not anywhere near the expiration date (2027!).  They're lightweight, smell faintly of melons and sink into the skin in no time flat. I'm glad I bought a bunch. (This stash was split between me and CG.)

More snacks - those little parcels on the bottom left are ensaymada. My new favourite Filipino snack. I must have brought home 2 dozen. I haven't gone thru the lot yet. Savouring them slowly. Delicious!

A red bean filled ensaymada.

Actually, I think I'll go have one now. I'll be back with more photos! 

Where to Next? And Some Foto Treats from Bangkok

We've just recently come back from a trip to Thailand (Bangkok) where I spent a lot of time walking about the malls. Well, just the couple of malls near the hotel, because all the "traditional" sight-seeing had already been done in my youth when I visited with my family (it's a popular short-holiday destination if you live in Asia).

BIKSS was there for work. And I tagged along. It was more of a quick get-away than an actual vacation, if you know what I mean. 

BUT we're planning next year's holiday and have no idea where to go. Well, I have ONE idea, but am thinking about other possible options. 

At the moment we were thinking we could go to a different part of Tasmania than Hobart, since BIKSS enjoys the slower more laid-back pace in general, but that involves a pretty long flight.

Or we could do Hue in North Central Vietnam cos I want to visit the Basilica of Our Lady of La Vang (which is 90 mins drive from Hue) and some of the churches in Hue itself, the Phu Cam Cathedral being one of them - click the Images tab to see pics.

Hue also feels like the kind of place BIKSS might like. It's got a citadel, fort, moat etc., things that appeal to his love for military history. And it also has a great menu! That's something *I* will enjoy!

We also looked at Delhi. But I'm not sure I'll be able to survive the smell. 

There's the option of Dubai. But all that desert. And heat. 

So I dunno.. if you have any ideas about where we could go in Asia (if there's somewhere you've been that really made an impression on you) do leave a suggestion in the comments!

Since there aren't a lot of touristy pics, I'll leave you with a few choice selections from BKK - 

A fried donut bun with pork curry and cheese filling. It was surprisingly good. 

I'm going to stick cheese on my curry bowls from now on!

The view from or dinner venue the night before our departure.

Bikss got a mani (no polish) while I got a pedi. With their high tech drying system LOL. I mean, that's ONE way to get your customers out of the chair quickly. Time is money after all. And the shop had a steady stream of customers to be sure!

If there's ONE thing BKK has no shortage of, it's sweet treats! 

Here's more - 

(How cute is that hippo!)

(Local brand, based on K-beauty formulation and manufactured in Korea. I didn't get this, but I did pick up some foam cleansers and a bottle of bakuchiol serum.)

Japanese desserts and Korean cosmetics are really big in Thailand evidently.

MORE sweets - 

I had Afternoon Tea for brunch at the Cath Kidston Tea Room. It was probably the best scone I've ever had in my life. Lightly toasted, warm, and just a little hint of crisp on the outside, but fluffy, light and full of buttery flavour on the inside. The cakes were delicious. That there was an option for roobois was simply perfect!

My favourite brand for tinted sunblock. I made BIKSS buy 5 tubes for me the last time he was here without me. I still have some left from then. So I didn't need more this round. I DID pick up a powder compact for about $4 USD. Even tho' I do own and use Western brands like Clinique, Revlon and Physician's Formula, I find that Thai cosmetic brands have a better / wider / more nuanced range when it comes to matching their bases to Asian skin tones.

Spoils from the first day's shopping - 

This lot plus the big box of aromatherapy stuff I ordered to be delivered from Chiang Mai made up the bulk of my loot. I did pick up a few more small items (essential oil rollerballs, lip balms) but nothing I couldn't stuff into my already-gonna-be-too-full luggage. 

And last of all, my favourite thing to eat in Thailand - skewered grilled pork (left) aka Moo Ping. We went to get some the very night I arrived! 

---------------------------

EPILOGUE

This trip has taught me 3 things - 

1) Don't bother bringing a swimsuit cos hotel pools are never really good for laps. And if I'm going to be swimming, it's gonna be for exercise. 

2) From next year onwards I'm not going to bother with souvenirs. It's just too much stress having to think about what to get everyone. 

3) I'm going to have to get a Medium sized suitcase cos my Cabin sized one is way too small for clothes AND shopping. As my girlfriend and I were discussing over the weekend - there is a minimum volume of luggage space that's automatically gonna go to the toiletries bag, the tech bag, the pharmaceuticals bag, and the one extra pair of shoes. Those 4 things are non-negotiable. That's already HALF the cabin bag. 

And with that, I shall leave you. I hope you enjoyed the pics/vids! 

School-Girly Me (aka P is for Pain, Passing, Purchases, Peelable Polish, Parcels and Presents)

Before you get excited about the school girl in the title, it's not what you think. 

1) As a child I used to have tummy aches from anxiety around exam season. Recently I've been dealing with tummy aches again, like bloat, or indigestion or something. Not sure what it is but for now it's neither my appendix nor my gallbladder.  Which is good, at least. We're treating with Famotidine twice a day and keeping a food diary. It seems to be about 75% successful at keeping the pain away. We'll give it 2 weeks and see how that goes.

2) I'm also back to school. Or rather, I got back to my course and am now done with it. I've finished my final assessment and am now certified in "Lifestyle Medicine - Improving the future of health care". Let's see how much I can impact that future LOL. 

3) The girly thing I am referring to, is the fact that I've recently become obsessed with beauty Advent Calendars. They're not out yet where I live, altho I did manage to get hold of the W7 Beauty Box from Amazon. I've linked the one from Superdrug in the UK cos that's where I first saw it, and I would take a photo of it for you except it hasn't arrived yet. I've seen a few unboxing videos on Youtube from the UK stores already, so maybe you guys are just ahead of the rest of us over there.

4) What HAS arrived is last year's Sephora 24-day Advent Calendar which I bought at 50% off because, well, it's last year's! I haven't unboxed it yet tho, which surprises even me because I WAS looking forward to doing that before I left for music school this afternoon - it arrived as I was leaving the house! And that's all I was looking forward to coming home to, really.

5) Instead, what I found in my mailbox when I got home was even more tempting - a set of water-based, peelable nail polish. I wanted to see if it really was as quick-drying and convenient as the influencers say. So far, drying time is brilliant. It does smudge a bit (water based after all) if you go to do the dishes within 15 mins of putting it on, but then because #Chemistry, somehow the rough smudged bits just sorta smoothened themselves out as my nails dried. Dissolved into a lovely shiny layer! (They say don't let it get into water for 4 hours.... I supposed the best thing is to paint them then go to bed?)

Here's a video... the shine was totally a surprise to me. I wasn't expecting it to be glossy or shiny at all.

6) Now little girls love presents and I'm no different. Especially when they're pressies I like! 

BIKSS was in London recently (and we're planning a trip there next year!) and came back with some delightful treats for me - 

Mini Paddington Tote. Love it!

Self-explanatory box

The rose/orchid was a little bit sus. We gave that one away. The other two were fine. I'm also very surprised that the one with Jasmine didn't make me feel ill. I can't smell it at all, in fact. There are two oils I don't agree with - Jasmine and Wintergreen. They make me throw up. I shall pray I never need Deep Heat or Counterpain rub in my old(er) age.

Knowing my penchant for shortbread, BIKSS got me this box. I was so looking forward to it, till I put one in my mouth and bit down. It was hard, and tasted like orange. That is NOT shortbread. Still, a bikkie is a bikkie. But now I have tasked him with getting me some REAL shortbread fingers from Marks & Sparks.

Another Paddington treasure. He went on the fridge as soon as I got him.

That's all for today's letter P round up. Oh and P is also for Paddington innit??

I shall leave you with this pic that BIKSS sent me earlier. Seen on socials.

 

Shingrix Part 2, More Skincare Arrivals and The Perfect Dinner

BIKSS is out of town this weekend so I wanted to get my shingles jab on Friday and sleep it off since date-night's been cancelled. But I got a call the day before telling me I needed to pick up my replacement caregiver that day. At first I thought maybe I should postpone it, but in the end I decided to go ahead anyway - the plan was to get jabbed just as I was done with work, run down to the agency to pick her up before all the side effects hit, hop into a rideshare home, introduce her to everyone and then leave them to handle her orientation before falling into bed. 

It was a good plan too. I got back, showered, and promptly hit the sack. The second dose is supposed to hit you worse. They weren't kidding. I don't remember feeling this achey when I did the first one, even tho THAT was already bad enough, from what I remember. 

Today is day 2 and I'm still knocked out. Took something for the myalgia and chills, and drifted in and out of sleep all day. 

My skincare arrived - not the 2GF I initially went hunting for, that one's still on the way - and I am now happily pumping amino acids all over my face in an attempt to rehydrate it. 

Left - Ample N Ceramide Cream;  Right -VT Cosmetics Super Hyalon Ampoule 

(which contans 8 molecular weights of hyaluronic acid and a whole bunch of amino acids!)

I saw a tip on a skinfluencer's Youtube channel - consider layering the same hydrating essence or toner before moving on to the next step (serum or moisturiser), he says. He did his essence 5 times! I could definitely get behind that IF I'm sitting in front of the lappy or just chilling around the house. Not suitable for morning make-up before running off to work tho. Who's got time to wait for so many layers to dry? 

However, I do have a bottle of bamboo water face mist on my desk now. I'm enjoying the constant hydrating!

This RiRe Collagen stick is similar to the moisture stick I got for BIKSS. It doesn't SAY it's cooling but it IS, which was a brilliant surprise to me. It glides on super easy and isn't sticky / tacky on the skin. Perfect for vacays or just carrying around.

I've been using RNW's ceramide serum, and loving it, so I picked up their ceramide mist. Because I plan to mist a whole lot more now that it's hot hot hot where I live, and looks to be getting hotter! And your girl loves her ceramides.

Last week we managed dinner on Tuesday night before BIKSS left, and since he'd been having a shitty time at work and I'd been having a stressful week dealing with the employment agency, government agencies, and what not, I suggested getting dinner at a small quiet place where we could chill, talk and not be disturbed by noisy families or kids. We headed to the French bistro we discovered a couple of years ago. It has never disappointed and it didn't this time either. 

We had a cheese plate with fig jam, some duck rilette on sourdough, and slow cooked chicken with mushrooms and potatoes. 

Their dessert of the day was profiteroles - not the best I've had, but edible.

I wore a new dress, new sandals, and my new silver bag. Because I felt like pulling out the stops. Yes, it has been THAT sort of a week. This was my outfit - 

and I felt REALLY good in it! Sometimes you just gotta get all dolled up to pull yourself out of the doldrums. 😉

Happy Weekend all!

Friday's Food Find, Geeking Out about Growth Factors, and Amazing Amazon

Update on date night last Friday - I wore a spaghetti strap dress with my faux Fendis. It looked absolutely fantastic, in that effortlessly put together, casual sort of way, while still being polished and classy! I think the slippers are pretty glam, as far as sandals go! 

So anyway we went to a Vietnamese cafe that we saw on a blog, and the Bun Cha is the best one I've tried so far! The soup was identical to the very first one we had in Hanoi. Unfortunately I can't say the same of the noodles. Still, it was very delicious. I think that's going to be our default Bun Cha place from now on. For starters we had yam and pork rolls... delish! Altho to be fair I'm biased. I love yam rolls. 

And that's the bun cha platter for 2, with a honey, lime, chrysanthemum drink. 

**** From this point forward I'm going to be geeking out a little bit about skincare, 

so if that's not your thing, please feel free to exit... stage left. ****

And now, on to EGF in skincare. If you haven't heard of it, it stands for Epidermal Growth Factor and you can read about it on the INCI decoder website.

In a nutshell (taken off the INCI site) :- 

• Growth Factors are cellular signal molecules that can stimulate cell growth, proliferation, healing and/or differentiation. 
• There are lots of Growth Factors and EGF is just one of them. 
• It has pretty well-established wound healing and skin renewal properties.
• According to a 2012 study on a serum containing barley bioengineered epidermal growth factor, "clinical evaluations showed statistically significant improvement in the appearance of fine lines and rhytids, skin texture, pore size, and various dyschromatic conditions apparent within the first month of use, and continuing improvement trends for the duration of the study" (which was 3 months).

Be warned tho (also taken off the INCI site) :-

The first and biggest concern is that if EGF is so good at stimulating cell proliferation, how does it relate to cancer? Is the definition of cancer not "cells proliferating out of control"?  Most experts agree on this answer: EGF is mitogenic (= stimulates cell proliferation) but not mutagenic (= does not alter the cell to make it cancerous). If you do not have cancer, you will not get cancer from EGF. However, if you have cancerous cells, EGF will help them to spread, just like it helps healthy cells. So if you have a lot of moles, excessive UV exposure in the past, or if you have any of the skin cancer risk factors, we suggest you should think twice about using EGF products. The same is true if you have psoriasis, a skin disease related to the abnormal growth of epidermal skin cells. You do not want to add fuel to the fire with EGF. 

Other (less serious) concerns are if EGF can properly penetrate the skin (as it is a medium-sized, polar molecule, so a special delivery system is probably needed), if it can affect collagen synthesis (or just works on the surface plumping up only the upmost layers of the skin) and if it has beneficial effects at all when used in isolation versus when used in a "conditioned media" that contains lots of growth factors resembling the synergistic balance found in the skin. 

I don't think I'm a particularly high-risk candidate tho, so I decided to go ahead and get something I've had my eye on for a while. 

Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Hyaluronic Botanical 2GF Wonderful Ampoule

On the website where I usually get my Kbeauty stuff, the Haruharu 2GF Ampoule costs about US$60. Their official retail site lists it at the same price.  But on one skinfluencer's Youtube video she mentioned that it was way cheaper on Amazon. So I looked. Yup. US$20.90. But then I'd have to pay for shipping. Unless... 

So I went to look at the price on my own country's Amazon site - similar - and free shipping with minumum purchase. Right. Let's pick up something else that qualifies for the same shipping offer.

One Cerave product I've not seen in where-I-live is the Skin Renewing Eye Cream - which contains both peptides AND ceramides - two of the things I get excited about in skincare these days. (If you're wondering what else turns me on, I'm also loving anything-ferment, aka probiotics - which you can read about HERE - and of course, good ol' retinol. Oh, and AHAs.)  

Cerave Skin Renewing Eye Cream

While shopping I discovered two more items, from a brand that was new to me. Another Kbeauty oldie but goodie - Easydew. It boasts EGF in its entire range, but I'm assuming at these prices the concentration's gonna be pretty low.

Easydew EX DW-EGF Nutrition Ampoule Intensive Eye Care

(I don't know why it's so expensive on the US site, I bought it for US$8 on my local site. You should check out your local Amazon to compare prices, methinks.)

The green one I got is a firming anti-wrinkle formula, and there's also a pink version for brightening (dark circles anyone?) which is creamier and better suited for night time use. 

I'm also loving mists right now, cos the heat is stupid maddening. I have a bamboo one, a ceramide one, and a ceramide+peptide one on the way. BUT which mist-loving girl will say no to an EGF mist right? 

Easydew EGF Cream Glow Mist with Niacinamide, Panthenol, Peptides & Vegan Extracts, Intense Hydration for Dry & Dull Skin, Soothes and Strengthen Skin Barrier I Not Tested on Animals, Clean K-Beauty

I just love the descriptions on shopping sites, don't you? LOL. This one's got adenosine, peptides, niacinamide, and EGF! Plus a bunch of flower extracts that are supposed to be great anti-oxidants. I got mine for just under US$10. (The US site lists this as US$20 for a 2-pack so it's pretty much the same price, only you gotta buy 2.)

Anyway, so that's that... I'm going to wait patiently for the stuff to arrive :) 

Meanwhile, I'm off for a walk with the mama!