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Candelas on the Bay

Posted on May 11, 2014 by Ching under Food and Drink, Travel.

When in San Diego be sure to take the ferry across the bay to Coronado. There’s a great restaurant there called Candelas on the Bay. There’s an excellent view of San Diego across the bay whether you are dining inside or sitting outside on the patio.

Here are some pictures of food for your enjoyment.

This next one should be no surprise. Everyone knows that I always order crab cakes if they’re available on the menu. LOL.

I really liked Candelas. I’m so glad that Divina and Mike recommended it. The food was pretty good and the view of San Diego is excellent. I could sit out on their patio for hours and just watch the bay while enjoying the beautiful San Diego weather.

I’m adding Candelas on the Bay to the list of places that I’m going to take Brian to when I take him to San Diego next year. I’m thinking I might take him for either Valentine’s Day or his birthday. I haven’t decided yet. He has expressed interest in going and I can’t wait to show him around. Just added one more item to the to-do list. Oowa! Oowa!

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San Diego Seafood

Posted on May 10, 2014 by Ching under Food and Drink, Travel.

My friends Divina and Mike made reservations at the Oceanaire in Gaslamp District on Tuesday night. I remember the Oceanaire when Brian and I were in Orlando last year. The concierge recommended it but we never found the time to go over there. I’m so glad I finally got to try it. Divina says that the restaurant serves the best seafood in San Diego. Not being from around there, I wouldn’t really know. However, I will tell you that the foods I tried were beyond delicious. They were leaps and bounds better than any seafood I’d ever had in Wichita.

Here are some pictures of our dinner.

I got crab cakes because that is the yardstick that I typically use to compare restaurants. If a restaurant serves crab cakes, that is more than likely what I’ll order. I have to say, the crab cakes I had at Oceanaire that night were phenomenal.

Divina got the seafood mixed grill, which offers a little bit of everything. I highly recommend this entrée if you still want your beef with your seafood.

Mike got a red snapper. Not just any red snapper, though. It was a whole one. Fried. And it was bigger than his head. It looked amazing and I bet it tasted just as good.

The three of us shared a creme brulee for dessert. I didn’t get a picture of it though because it was annihilated as soon as it was delivered to the table. Brian would have liked it. It’s a lot like the creme brulee served at Bonefish.

I really liked Oceanaire a lot so I recommended it to my boss for our final dinner in San Diego. She wanted to have some good seafood. Supposedly, the Oceanaire is as good as it gets in San Diego. Oh, and I had read on FourSquare that if you tell them it’s your birthday when you make your reservation they print your name on the menu. My curiosity got the best of me and so I wanted to put this to the test. Ginger didn’t want it to be her birthday so it ended up being mine. LOL.

They did not disappoint! Here’s a closer look.

I asked if I could take my menu with me but they actually gave me a rolled up one that was tied with ribbon. It made me wish that we had an Oceanaire here in town. I’d totally go there every year for my birthday. I wouldn’t go anywhere else. LOL.

If your server asks if you’d ever dined at the Oceanaire before always say no because first-timers get a treat from the chef. Our treat was pan-seared salmon belly. It was delicious! I wish it was on the menu because that’s what I would have ordered.

Here are some pictures of our dinner entrées.

I think Ginger had halibut. I had rockfish topped with the sweetest, freshest, most delicious chunks of crab meat I’d ever tasted.

Mashed potatoes.

Giant asparagus. That’s not really what they’re called on the menu, but these stems were gigantic. I’d never seen asparagus this large before.

The baked Alaska was a birthday perk that I didn’t read about ahead of time. That was an awesome surprise! (Mike really messed up, Divina! In addition to getting your name printed on the menu, you could have gotten free dessert too. LOL.)

This dessert could feed four people easy. The two of us couldn’t finish it.

Another tip is to go during happy hour if you are a fan of oysters.

The Oceanaire Seafood Room on Urbanspoon

I feel so lucky and blessed to have had the opportunity to dine at the Oceanaire not once but twice on this San Diego trip. The Oceanaire is so good that I can’t wait to take Brian to their Orlando location when we are there for the 2014 Zumba Instructor Convention in August.

Now we both have something to look forward to!

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San Diego City Views

Posted on May 9, 2014 by Ching under Travel.

I had the opportunity to travel to San Diego for the ICMI Contact Center Expo & Conference this week. It was my first time in the city so I did what any first-timer would do. I took pictures of all the city views that I could.

We stayed at the San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina because of its proximity to the San Diego Convention Center where the conference was held. The hotel’s location gave us perfect access to Seaport Village, Gaslamp District, and also Coronado across the bay which was accessible by ferry right behind the convention center.

Here are some pictures from my room at the Marriott Marquis & Marina.

This is a view from the elevator lobby on our floor.

I suppose a view of the harbor would have been better but my room was clean and comfortable. I had no complaints. I also left my curtains open the entire time and enjoyed looking at the brightly-lit city at night.

A view of the Marriott’s gorgeous swimming pool area would have been nice too. I read on FourSquare that the pool is kept at a delightfully warm temperature year-round. Unfortunately, I didn’t pack a swimsuit so I didn’t get to test this tip for myself.

This is the view from the west terrace of the convention center. I loved seeing all the boats in the dock.

Balboa Park at night.

San Diego at night from the Coronado ferry landing.

Here’s what it looks like during the day.

Here’s a panoramic view of the San Diego skyline.

San Diego is such a beautiful city. I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity to go. If things go well maybe I can take Brian there next year so I can share the experience with him. He wants to check out their zoo and other attractions. There’s much to see and do and I didn’t really get to see as much as I wanted since we were there for the conference. I’m eager to return solely for the purpose of vacationing next time.

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Rubber Shoes and Other Anomalies

Posted on May 3, 2014 by Ching under Tagalog, Travel.

If someone told you to wear rubber shoes, what shoes would you put on?

If you go for your Crocs like Brian you’re perfectly normal. If you grab your sneakers, you might just be a Filipino. We Filipinos pride ourselves with our grasp of the English language but there are some words that we use differently. It’s not really wrong or right, it’s just a cultural thing.

If you’re planning on traveling to the Philippines anytime soon, here are some words to learn. These are not Tagalog words, mind you. These are English words that are prevalent in Taglish. They’re important to learn because they don’t quite mean the same thing that we’re used to here in the US.

AIRCON = Air conditioner
BALLPEN = Can refer to a pen or any writing tool
BIG TIME = Descriptive word for someone who is rich, famous, or both
BISCUIT = Can refer to a cookie or a cracker
BLOWOUT = To throw a party or buy everyone dinner
BOLD = Nude
BRING HOME or TAKE HOME = Food that you take home kind of like a doggy bag (This is more common for Bisaya people who take home food from the fiesta.)
CALLING CARD = Business card
CANTEEN = Cafeteria
CARNAPPER = Car thief
CHANCING = To cop a feel or other sexual advance
CIVILIAN = Casual clothes
COMBO = Musical band
COMFORT ROOM = Bathroom or restroom
COMMUTER = Someone who uses public transportation
COUPON BOND or BOND PAPER = Usually an 8 by 11 sheet of white copy paper
COWBOY = Casual or relaxed
DIALECT = Regional language (Examples include Ilocano, Cebuano, Waray-Waray, Bicolano, Kapampangan, Aklanon, etc. There are a lot of them.)
DIRTY ICE CREAM = Ice scream sold by street vendors
DIRTY KITCHEN = Separate kitchen that helpers use, where the cooking really happens
DISCO = Dance club
DORMMATE = Someone who stays in the same dormitory
DRAMA = Refers to being emotional or someone who becomes emotional
DUSTER = Picture a mumu
EAT ALL YOU CAN = All you can eat
ENTERTAIN = Assist or help or attend to
FACE-OUT = Discontinued or no longer manufactured; obsolete technology that can no longer be obtained
FEELING = Trying to act or be something that you’re not
FILL OUT = Complete an application or document
FIVE-SIX = Borrowing or lending money at 20% interest
FOR A WHILE = Just a moment
GAME = Depending on whether it’s phrased as a question or not means are you ready or I’m ready or let’s go
GETS = Understand or understood
GIMMICK = Night out with friends
GREEN MINDED = Dirty minded or full of sexual innuendo
HAND CARRY = Carry-on luggage
HIGH BLOOD = Someone who is quick-tempered or easily angered
HOLDUPPER = Mugger or stickup man
HOSTESS = Female waiter but could also be used to refer to prostitutes
HYPER = High string
ICE DROP = Popsicle
JEEPNEY = Public transportation made from old US military jeeps
JINGLE = To pee/urinate
JUNK SHOP = Where you get scrap or recycled materials like a junkyard
KIDNAP = Abduct (This term applies to anyone who is abducted, not just children.)
KJ = Killjoy or party popper
LIVE-IN = Co-habitate or an unmarried couple living together
LOAD = Prepaid credits on a mobile phone
MALICIOUS = Sexually perverted speech or actions
MANIAC = Pervert
METRO AIDE = Public street cleaners
MOTEL = Short-term hotels paid at an hourly rate used mainly for sex
MOTOR = Can refer to a motorcycle or moped or scooter
NAPKIN = Can be a cloth napkin, paper napkin, or maxi pad
NIGHTCLUB = Strip club (Be careful what you ask for unless you are really looking for a strip club. If you are looking for a dance club, just ask for a disco or club or dance club.)
OA = Overacting or being overly dramatic
OVERSPEEDING = Speeding
PARLOR = A hair or beauty salon
POLO = Dress shirt
POLO SHIRT = A golf or tennis shirt or polo
PROFESSIONAL = To be proficient or skillful
REF = Fridge or refrigerator
REMEMBRANCE = A souvenir or memento
ROTUNDA = A rotary intersection or traffic circle
RUBBER SHOES = Running shoes, tennis shoes, cross trainers, or any other variety of sneakers
RUGBY = Rubber cement
SANITARY NAPKIN = Maxi pad
SERVICE ROAD = A frontage road running parallel to a highway or freeway
SIDECAR = A public vehicle for hire consisting of a bicycle and an attached passenger side car
SLANG = Refers to strong foreign accents or pronunciation
SLIPPERS = Sandals or flip-flops
SOFTDRINK = Soda pop
SOUNDS = Refers to music specially when using earphones
SPACE WAGON = Minivan
SPONSOR = A high school or college honorary cadet colonel
SQUATTERS AREA = Refers to a shanty town
STEP-IN = Ladies’ sandals minus the strap; can also refer to slippers
STOLEN SHOT = Refers to a candid photo
TISSUE = Can refer to either a bathroom tissue/toilet paper or paper napkin
TOGA = Commencement or graduation gown
TOPDOWN = A convertible automobile
TRAFFIC = Implies traffic jam or heavy traffic
TRICYCLE = A public vehicle for hire consisting of a motorcycle and an attached passenger sidecar
TRYING HARD = An unsuccessful social climber or someone perceived to be so
VULCANIZING SHOP = An automobile or truck tire repair shop
WET MARKET = Refers to a street market

These are just a few. There are so many more. We also have a lot of generalized brands that are now used in place of the actual words such as colgate, xerox, coke, pentel pen, snopake, etc. All of these are helpful to know when traveling to the Philippines. Best of luck and safe travels!

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Why the A319 is My Favorite Commercial Plane

Posted on February 16, 2014 by Ching under Travel.

The A319 is my favorite commercial plane. I realized this after flying on four different models of commercial planes on my recent trip to Los Angeles.

Flying economy is a lot more bearable when you have your own individual TV screen.

I took advantage of mine and watched an Elton John concert.

My most favorite part of the A319 is the power outlets in the back of the seats. You don’t have to reach under your seat to find an outlet now. And, it’s a real power outlet. Not one of those 12V adapter outlets.

Or, better yet, there are a couple of USB ports on the bottom of the TV screen. So you can just plug your phone directly to it using your USB cord. You don’t even need to dig out your power cable.

This is awesome because if you’re using your mobile device during the flight (which you can do now) it’s going to run out of juice. Well, now that you can plug it in during the flight, that’s no longer an issue. So read your ebooks, listen your music, watch you videos, and play away.

The only down side is that not all commercial planes come equipped with these features. So far I’ve only come across them on the A319. This plane didn’t have them.