Little Saigon Part 2
Posted on May 7, 2014 by Ching under Food and Drink.
Faith and I managed to coerce Brian to go to Little Saigon with us on Friday and he actually liked it. I was amazed myself. LOL.
Faith and I both had the house spring rolls because they are awesome. These are definitely one of the must-have items on the menu.
I ordered the charbroiled pork appetizer which reminds me so much of tocino. They also give you so much of it that Brian and I decided that we will just share an order of it next time and some steamed white rice.
Brian had General Tso’s chicken, which is what he gets everywhere. He is just as predictable as Faith. LOL.
I hope you guys get a chance to check out Little Saigon because it may have the word little in its name but it’s definitely big on flavor. The food we had on Friday was delicious and it was even better the second time around when we ate our leftovers over the weekend.
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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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Zumba in the Square
Posted on April 28, 2014 by Ching under Zumba.
At least once a year I participate in Zumba in the Square. The last couple of years I’ve attended I didn’t teach. This year I actually got to teach four songs. I’m so glad the weather held up for us. It was the perfect day for outdoor Zumba.
Here are some of my favorite photos from Saturday night.
It was prom night for several high schools so we had some teenagers in prom attire dance with us. It was quite a sight!
Brian proved yet again that he is the most awesome husband ever. He hung out with us all night and took photos and videos. You can find some of the videos on my Zumba Fitness with Ching Facebook page and others are on the Flip and Ching Facebook page.
Here’s a photo of me and my friend Nick.
Missy and I were twins on Saturday night.
I had such a great time. You’ll have to join us next time! You won’t regret it.
Huge thanks to the most awesome husband ever for taking all of these photos!
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No More Rose Bushes
Posted on April 27, 2014 by Ching under Home Ownership.
After almost two years of living here we finally got around to getting rid of the rose bushes. Brian loathed them so much. Now they are finally gone. In their stead we have trees and shrubbery that are much more our style. Low maintenance and without thorns. Here are a couple of photos of the new plants.
The one on the left is a river birch. I guess they’re quite popular because they are fast growing ornamental trees. My parents have some and so do others in our neighborhood. Not to be confused with the other river birch tress, we named ours Burch Reynolds. Guess who came up with that one. LOL.
The one on the right is a juniper tree. The landscape architect recommended a juniper because it’s an evergreen and it will look fantastic year round when the rest of our plants lose their foliage. Brian named this one Fern.
We have an existing tree in the middle of our yard that’s always been there. It appears to be some sort of redbud, though we don’t know for sure. We named ours Gimp because it doesn’t look as magnificent as all the other redbuds we’ve been seeing around town. In fact, I didn’t even think it was a redbud at first. I posted some photos of it on Facebook and asked for help identifying the type of tree. Several people said redbud so we’re just going with that.
We didn’t name the rest of the plants because we really have no idea what they are. They look nice though. The only other thing we named is our bubbling boulder. I know rocks aren’t alive like plants are, but this one bubbles. Besides, people name other inanimate objects like their cars. Our cars have names too. We didn’t want to leave the bubbler out so we named it Jane Fountain.
To sum up, the newest residents of Casa de Felitaciones are Jane Fountain, Burch Reynolds, Fern, and Gimp. Next time you’re over, you’ll have to say hi to them.
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Cafe Bel Ami
Posted on April 27, 2014 by Ching under Food and Drink.
I had blood work done after work on Friday. I hate getting blood work done. It’s always really traumatic because they can never find my veins.
Brian was nice and rewarded me with dinner at Cafe Bel Ami after we left the lab. I was really surprised. He’s not usually one to suggest such a place. He’s more of a Chipotle kind of guy. LOL.
The food at Cafe Bel Ami is amazing. I love eating there whenever I can, which is not very often. You’d think I’d be there all the time considering that it’s within walking distance from my work, but it’s more of a leisurely dining experience. When you only have an hour for lunch, it doesn’t work out so great. If you do have time it’s definitely worth checking out. The food is definitely worth the wait.
Brian had the Bel Ami chicken on Friday.
I’m a little piglet. I had the Bel Ami trio which consists of a beef tenderloin, chicken, and shrimp. It’s like their signature surf and turf. I normally have the grilled tilapia when I’m at Cafe Bel Ami but I wanted to try something different.
I’m glad I tried it because everything was delicious. I don’t eat a lot of beef because it’s never prepared the way I like it. This was perfect. You only get three shrimps with the entreé but these were huge. The chicken had excellent flavor. Sometimes I end up regretting deviating from my usual but I was very pleased that I tried something new this time. I think I have a new favorite.
Brian and I shared a slice of cheesecake for dessert. It was just a standard cheesecake but I enjoyed every bite of it. It’s not every day that I get poked with a needle so I felt like I earned my dessert. LOL.
After dinner we stopped by Mr. Diggs, a home furnishings store across from Tracy’s Automotive. I’d been wanting to check that place out for a long time because I always see their sign whenever I’m in a meeting. You can see the building from our conference rooms at work.
It’s a really neat store and definitely worth a look. Their loft showroom is amazing. Their products are not as affordable as other stores but they have many unique pieces that you won’t find anywhere else. And you can get some great ideas from how they’ve grouped and showcased items together.
I wanted to stick around for the Final Friday festivities. It’s been a while since we did an art crawl. We were both really tired though, and we had Sir Roger Moore waiting for us at home. We were set to watch A View to a Kill
We spent the rest of the evening watching our weekly Bond film and relaxing at home. It was the perfect way to end a busy week.
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