Donating thru texting

Time to put that well touted Filipino hospitality to the test.

Red Cross donation through SMS: Text RED(space)AMOUNT to 2899 (Globe) or 4483 (Smart)

Latest map of people needing urgent rescue...

Below is the latest map of people needing rescue:


View Urgent Cases List of addresses of flood-stranded people needing rescue in a larger map

Donating for the Metro Manila Flood Victims

If you want to donate, go to this page:
http://www.redcross.org.ph/Site/PNRC/wtd.aspx

Better to donate directly to Red Cross than to other volunteer groups.
The situation is indeed serious and all help is appreciated.

Had a very good eating experience at Ying Yang restaurant located in front of UA&P. Food taste good and are at very reasonable prices

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Seoul Soul-less

Terrible service received last night at Seoul Soul Korean restaurant, located Libis, Quezon City. Maybe I should have listened to my perceived premonition when I entered the restaurant -- all the waiters and waitresses were at the cashier's counter chatting instead of actually waiting.

I ordered a soup with tofu and seashells as a main dish. It took a while to arrive, but so did the side dishes -- which made it lose the point of being side dishes/starters. I did not receive any water, the hot tea I ordered was not refilled, the small plates were not removed from my table after the side dishes have been eaten -- because, errr all the waiters and waitresses were in the counter chatting. I would expect that behaviour somewhere else but in a Korean restaurant? I received better service at Kaya and Dona Dona Korean Restaurant -- which I thought were a class lower than Seoul Soul. Last night I really wished I could Jumong kick some fake Dae Jang Geum ass.

Makati on a Sunday

Makati is a pedestrian heaven with it's nice buildings and extensive parks. Here are some pictures taken from the area.

Jogging in Manila

There are still some nice places to jog around in Manila. Below are the places I recommend:

1. The Fort, Taguig - a lot of people jog in the morning. There's also usually a marathon event going on during Sundays.

2. UP, Diliman - the campus is still quite nice to jog around.

Ortigas, Pasig

Now here are some shots around Ortigas area, still using my N95-8GB camera.

Watching movies in Manila

I've an avid movie goer and thinks that the following cinemas are the best ones to go to here in Metro Manila:

1. Eastwood Citywalk and Eastwood Mall Cinemas -- just the best!

2. Gateway Mall Cinemas -- clean, but a bit cramped and the screen is smaller. I haven't tried the Lazy Boy cinema though.

3. GreenHills Promenade -- just okay. Just about as good as the high end cinemas you would find in the "provinces" -- cities outside Manila.

4. Greenbelt -- the ambiance around GreenBelt is wow, but the cinemas there are just okay. But perhaps the best place for a movie date due to the great backdrop for a "movie recap over coffee" ;)

Mang Jimmy's

One of our favorite places to eat is at Mang Jimmy's located inside UP. Here you can order five viands, and get one more for free. The food is quite good too, so the free one is a very good bonus.

Just go right to Mactan road from Katipunan and go left on the first intersection -- a skewed rotunda with a sculpture of a female carrying a jar.

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Eastwood City

My first job was located in Eastwood City, Libis, Quezon City. The place is marvelous, and has a young yet family oriented atmosphere.

Here are some pictures taken around Eastwood using the camera on my N95-8GB phone.

Don't leave Manila without visiting this place.

Tragedy in Mongkok

I am a big fan of Chinese food, specifically chicken mushroom toppings on rice and chicken feet. Okay maybe I am a big fan of chicken, specifically prepared using Chinese cooking. Either way, I always make it a point to NEVER let a week pass without partaking that bounty.

Last June 19, I ate at "Mongkok" restaurant located on the top floor of Robinson's Galleria. That's when the great travesty started...

The food I ordered took too long (15 minutes, when I can usually get it from other restaurants under 5), it was cooold (not lukewarm, but not-yet-thawed cold though the rice was mildly warm), and it tasted somewhat like it was almost spoiled (sour and with a weird smell). It was almost 9pm then, so I felt they served me some leftover food that they wished to dispose of. I was so disappointed, since my previous experience with the "Mongkok" franchise was really good (I was a regular at the shop at Shangrila Ortigas).

That's one restaurant I'm never gonna patronize again.