Marcia Adams' Tuscany in Tagaytay

Our team went to Tagaytay last Friday, and Marcia Adams' place was the restaurant of choice.  We were the day's first guests, and we arrived around 9 in the morning, as we had arranged to have a planning session there first. Luckily the Sunset Lounge was all ours at the time!

It was drizzling at the time, and the staff were readying the chairs and tables as we came in. Fortunately the light rain soon subsided, and the heavy plastic covers were lifted from the Tuscan-style windows so we could all enjoy the view. This was my third time there, and new things catch my fancy every time. These bric-a-brac on the wall of their Sunset Lounge are interesting counterpoints to the greenery outside.

I was actually intrigued by the menorah.

The place had a kind of "shabby chic" vibe.  The solihiya chairs evoked images of a genteel era long ago.

This wall hanging with colored glass, as well as the vase of flowers in the corner, added to the comfortable feeling, encouraging one to just sit back and lounge around.

The lighting fixtures were conversation pieces themselves. I particularly liked the chandelier.

These yellow flowers added bright punches of color to the dining tables.

The cold water was served in a glass pitcher with a crocheted cover -- a really quaint touch.

Then it was time for eating. Hurray!

There was freshly baked bread, still warm from the oven. I was again trying to make a yin-yang symbol from the olive oil and balsamic vinegar (see the post about Buon Giorno), haha!

The soup for the day was a hearty vegetable, bean and bacon (or was it ham?) soup. It was very flavorful, the veggies being neither too mushy nor too raw, retaining just the right crunch. The ham complemented the flavors beautifully, and the beans rounded it all up.

I always look forward to their Aegean Salad -- very fresh, with a tangy dressing that tickled the palate without being overwhelming.  There was grilled pear, Italian ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, roasted pistachios on a bed of mixed greens. I was surprised though that this was not part of the set menu any longer which, just earlier this year, included an appetizer, salad, main course, dessert, and drinks.

The first time I went there I had the Classic Shish Kebabs with couscous. I usually steer clear of lamb dishes, as I usually experience a certain after-taste: "maanggo". Marcia Adams' take on this however, removed that bias. There was no after-taste, and the meat chunks were juicy but well-cooked. The onions and peppers were sweetly crunchy.  This time around the kebabs were served with rice. The kebabs were a bit overdone, with quite a bit of charring evident. They were still packed with flavor though.

There was also Corsican Beef Stew served with couscous, a thick, hearty dish reminiscent of caldereta and mechado. Full bellies were the result!

All of these were washed down with Bundaberg ginger beer, a non-alcoholic drink that provides a fizzy, clean taste with a hint of ginger and citrus.

Dessert was Grilled Orange with Dairy Ice Cream, and Panna Cotta with Lemon Sauce.  The grilled orange was served warm, with dark grill marks attractively cross-hatching the surface of the peeled orange. The cold ice cream contrasted wonderfully with the fruit, and the honey sauce drizzled around the plate added sweetness to the tart flavors. The Panna Cotta looked so pure and simple, its light and tangy taste a refreshing way to cleanse the palate.

After all that feasting, we just had to walk around and explore a bit, just so we could say we got a bit of exercise as well! The grounds certainly evoke images of Italy-- sun-dappled, verdant, drowsily peaceful -- really a little pocket of Tuscany in Tagaytay!

The hallways invite visitors to meander along, and a stroll outdoors provides one with whimsical little surprises here and there, like the cat-shaped plant pot, the head-shaped planters, the burbling fountain, and the bricks lining the outdoor passages.

For those planning to visit their place soon, one just has to be aware that they do not have a credit card facility yet. Notwithstanding this minor detail, the fact remains that Marcia Adams is one of the better eating places in Tagaytay.

Here is a picture of Marcia herself in front of their gate, as she saw us off.

All in all, it was an enjoyable experience. The air was cool, the food was wonderful, the hosts welcoming. Both Neil and Marcia Adams came by to have a short chat, and Marcia accompanied us outside as we said goodbye -- they usually do this with their guests, and I believe this is one of the things that keeps their patrons happy.

Good food attracts guests into coming by. Good service is what keeps them coming back.

Oh No!

These days, "Oh no!" seems to be our toddler's pat answer whenever she is asked about something that she doesn't know.

Us: Where's your blanket?
Toddler: Oh no! (then proceeds to overturn her pillows)

Us: Where did you put your slippers?
Toddler: Oh no! (promptly looks underneath the chairs)

Us: Where's your kitty cat doll?
Toddler: Oh no! (goes to her older sister's room to rummage around there)

Us: Do you know where your milk bottle is?
Todder: Oh no! (smiles mischievously)

Right now it's just so adorable to hear her say these words. 

I'm not too convinced whether we'd still find it cute when she's in her teens and we ask her this:

Us: So would you happen to know where the car is?
Teen: Oh no! (with a sheepish grin perhaps?)

Flashback at the Waiting Lounge

Last Friday my husband and I went for our annual medical exam.  While sitting at the lounge waiting for our next procedures, I happened to glance at the elderly lady sitting on one of the sofas in front of us.

Around her upper chest area she had a port inserted, which looked like one of those used for administering chemotherapy meds.

And just like that, memories of my mother came rushing back. 

It's been 6 months.  We've tried to get on as normally as we can, knowing that we will never again see her loving smile and experience her motherly ministrations. Never again taste her mechado made from fresh tomatoes. Never again to receive an SMS from her just saying "Kamusta ka na anak?"

All it takes is a glimpse of her books, a peek at her favorite snacks, several lines from her favorite songs, even the hustle and bustle of Christmas preparations (she seemed to be happiest this time of the year) -- and then the remembering begins anew.

In many ways we've indeed moved on. And yet, in a lot of other ways, we haven't.

Loading Up on Books (Again!)

I'm an inveterate bookworm.  I've yet to pass by a bookstore that did not merit a second glance.  Or two. Or an hour inside it. Especially during Sale season.

The allure of new books, with their uncracked spines and freshly printed smell, never ceases to entice me.  I think this has rubbed off big time on my older daughter as well, and, to some extent, on my husband too.  We now each have our own favorite genres and wish lists to fulfill.

And so the Manila International Book Fair last September was an opportunity that we did not intend to pass up.  We got into the car (hubby, older daughter and I) and drove to the SMX Convention Center; we got there a few minutes before the opening time, but there were already masses of people thronging the entrance.  Kindred souls.

When we got inside the hall, for a moment I stopped in my tracks and considered the very important questions: "Where do I start? How to make this as efficient as possible?"  We eventually settled on an aisle-by-aisle approach, instead of meandering aimlessly along.  I figured this way we could cover more ground.

Books, books, and more books!  We eventually had to stop for lunch as our stomachs were protesting at our neglect, and our feet were aching for a break.  After an hour and a half, we were back in the game once more.

I used to think that young adult books were only for, well... young adults and tweens (except maybe for the Harry Potter series, which had such a huge following).  Then I got introduced to fantastic series such as Artemis Fowl, Percy Jackson, the Mysterious Benedict Society, Fablehaven.  I got hooked.

I got the first volume of How to Train Your Dragon, as well as that of Septimus Heap.  I first wanted to check whether I would be interested enough to continue on to the end of the series.  I was.  I am.

These books caught my fancy too: Fun FAQs is really a collection of fun facts, and the trivia addict that I am, I just snapped it up.  My daughter now enjoys flicking through its pages, and asks me questions about random facts that she picked up.

Songs of Ourselves is a very readable collection of writings by Filipino women authors -- poems, short stories, essays. It heartens me to think that the issues surrounding women today were also grappled with by women a few decades far removed, and in such eloquent pieces at that -- love, raising a family, acceptance, friendship, betrayal. 

With my budding interest in photography, I looked for and saw a number of Canon photography guides at big discounts in the National Book Store section (which was a huge one). I spent a couple of minutes internally debating which one to get.  The one in the picture below (Magic Lantern Guide) won out.  I'm having fun tinkering with my camera and applying what I've gleaned from this.

There was also a section devoted to Reader's Digest publications and books.  I've always been a fan of their printed products.  This, and the fact that they had a buy-one-get-one-free promotion, sealed the deal.  Tomes on general knowledge are actually good buys, as the facts contained within them would normally not change over the years.  A volume on how nature can sometimes turn out to be a very frightening force was particularly interesting, and so was the one on the hidden stories behind popular history.  We threw in a book on supernatural and uncanny stories as well for curiosity's sake.

Of course the little girl had her own selections as well, and was quite adamant that we stop and browse through the children's sections.  Being an avid reader of the Geronimo Stilton series, she was excited at finding this title among the stacks.  Small volumes on the Earth and weather, as well as a Dora activity book and a storybook on fairies were also carefully considered and put in her pile.

We found a number of books featuring Fiipino folk tales and legends at the Bookmark stall, and at such mark-downs that they were practically steals. Lola Basyang stories are timeless, and we wanted her to appreciate these stories that generations of Filipino children have grown up with.  The little girl had a number of folk tales already, and these two other volumes below rounded up the series.

A couple of other storybooks caught our eyes too,  which we felt would provide not only a source of entertainment, but good moral values as well.  They were being sold at friendly prices too -- imagine a hardback storybook for 50 pesos!

A Pokemon game book was also part of her loot.  A 3-volume set of a dictionary, thesaurus, and spelling/grammar guide was going to be of use to her in school.  Even in first grade they now use a dictionary!

These puzzle books would make entertaining presents to kids, and our daughter asked us if we could give them out as presents to her friends this Christmas.

Of course we did not neglect our toddler, who was left at home during this trip.  A number of board books and colorful lift-the-flap volumes were sure to provide her with countless hours of entertainment.  Add to that the books in Ate's shelves, and together they can flip through the pages to their hearts' delight.

We left the hall with arms filled with books, with feet sore but contented smiles wreathing our faces.

We're delighted to be able to give our children the gift of the printed page.

And I'm grateful that our parents have instilled in us a love for the same.

Kids Say the Darndest Things!

Oh yes, kids do say the darndest things.


Us: Oh look, there's Dora! and Boots!
Baby: Ga-ga!
Us: Can you say "Do... Ra..., Do-Ra"!
Baby: Ga-ga! (Claps her hand gleefully)
Us: Where's Dora?
Baby: Ga-ga!
Us: How about Do... Ra?
Baby: Boot.


Yes, without the "s". 


This stemmed from the time when she could only gurgle and coo and say just a couple of syllables, one of them being "Ga".  When we introduced her to Dora cartoons, she was so happy she kept on saying "Ga-ga!".  The preceding conversation pattern then became commonplace.


Well, at least she can say "Boot".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Us: Do you want to go out to walk?
Baby: Go-go! Go-go!
Us: Let's go and walk outside!
Baby: Wo. Wo.
Us: Do you want to chase the butterflies?
Baby: Chesh, chesh.  Bat-ta. (Then goes running after them)
Us: You look tired now.  Let's go sit down.
Baby: Syit, syit.


She does not have a pure "s" sound yet.  When she tries it out, it comes out as "sh".  Like "chipsh", "gipsh" (grapes).


Go on, try saying "syit" out loud. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  
Us: Wow, look at the birds flying.
Baby: (While craning her head upwards) Ba-dee, ba-dee.
Us: And there's a dog.
Baby: Hi de, do. (Hi there, dog.)
Us: And there's a cat.
Baby: Cat, cat.
Us: And look, there's a frog.
Baby: Fwok.
Us: Can you say "frog"?
Baby: Fwok.
Us: How about "froggie"?
Baby: Fwok.


She can utter the hard "g" sound for Dora/Ga-ga, but not for frog.


We can't win.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Baby: Mi-mi! Mi-mi!
Us: Oh, so you want milk?
Baby: Mi-mi! Mi-mi! (Happily chugs her milk)
 
Baby: (Upon seeing a glass of water) Cok, cok.
Us: That's water, not Coke. Water.
Baby: Cok. (Then cheerfully drinks the water)
 
Baby: (Upon seeing a pitcher of juice) Cok, cok.
Us: That's juice, not Coke.  Juice.
Baby: Cok. (Then eagerly drinks the juice)
 
When the little one saw a bottle of Coca-cola, she pointed to it, and kept her finger up until we told her what it was.
 
We told her it was "Coke".  Then she saw us pour it into glasses and drink it.
 
Thereafter, everytime she wanted a drink (except for milk), she would say just one word.
 
"Cok" is it.

Do Not Disturb

No, we did not put that pillow over her eyes. She did it herself.

Yes, she really does sleep like this. This was not staged.

No, she normally does not sleep holding a bottle of milk. She must have been very tired that night though, so she fell asleep like a sentinel holding her weapon.  A vicious, scary.. bottle of milk.

Yes, she does want her stuffed toys around her, esp. the Barney dolls and the colorful Care Bear, as well as the violet elephant.

Note the judicious sprinkling of purple toys around her.  I think she gets it from me!

For some reason that we cannot fathom, she wants to cover her head with her pink pillow before she can sleep.  For nap-times this ritual can be skipped.  Night-time beddie-byes are another matter.

Apparently she wants complete darkness when she is about to fall asleep at night.  Even though all the lights are turned off already, she still persists in this habit.

The pillow is light enough so it cannot smother her.  She also does not cover her nose, just the eye portion. 

Sleep masks, here she comes!

Serenity and Contentment

It's a beautiful Saturday! The sky may be overcast and the day may be a bit damp with drizzles here and there, but for me, it might just as well be drenched in sunshine, with cheerful bird-song and warm soothing breezes all around.

I am in quite a buoyant mood -- and it's not even lunch time yet!

No, the daily cares did not suddenly vanish magically, nor did a fairy godmother unexpectedly appear to wave all our worries away.  It was the realization that these things would not be solved by the extent to which I frowned and ranted and moped all day. 

Solutions will be found, and new joys and sorrows will surely come, but I could in fact choose to live in the moment and be happy. 

Happiness is a choice.  It is a state of mind.

Early this morning I had a walk with my two daughters, just meandering around the residential area we live in, peering at a neighbor's pet dog (my younger one likes to 'visit' the dog and say Hi), marveling at the butterflies that darted amidst the flowers, watching a caterpillar make its way slowly across the ground.

We then swept the fallen leaves from the driveway and gathered them into a pile, after which the two little girls jumped around and over and on it to their hearts' delight. 

Then came a round of deciphering secret codes -- our older daughter is currently in an "I-want-to-be-a-secret-agent-someday" mode.  She went and got a book about secet codes from their school book fair, and she lassoed me into hunkering down and solving the codes with her.  It was surprisingly interesting -- it's my inner geek peering out again!

Simple pleasures, simple joys.

When I accidentally erased the draft of this post and had to do it over, I had a brief flash of irritation.  But only for a moment.  Then I went ahead and rewrote it -- I have to say that I find this version better.

I find that the Serenity Prayer sums up my feelings quite well.  This oft-quoted prayer, commonly believed to have been written by the American theologian Karl Paul Reinhold Niebuhr, has been widely adopted by twelve-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous.  Its appeal stems perhaps because of its plea for help while acknowledging one's all-too-human limitations.

There are a number of versions of this prayer, and it os commonly only the first part that is widely cited, but I like this one best:

God, grant us the

Serenity to accept the things we cannot change,

Courage to change the things we can, and the

Wisdom to know the difference.

Patience for the things that take time,

Appreciation for all that we have, and

Tolerance for those with different struggles.

Freedom to live beyond the limitations of our past ways, the

Ability to feel your love for us and our love for each other and the

Strength to get up and try again even when we feel it is hopeless.

Happiness is a choice.  It may not be easy to come by, but with some Wisdom from Above, it's well within our grasp.

Buon Giorno!

The great thing about being on vacation and not having a set schedule is that deliciously heady feeling of freedom to go where your fancy takes you. 

Yesterday we tried our luck and decided to have lunch at Buon Giorno Caffe & Bistro at the Cliff House in Tagaytay.  So we hopped in the car and drove for 1 1/2 hours.  If we had done this on a normal work-day, chances are we would have been easily stressed out and tired.  But as we are on leave from work this week, we had a relaxing drive going there and back again, just taking in the sights at a leisurely pace.

When we arrived there it was just a few minutes shy of 1:00 pm.  It was a bright, welcoming day, with the sun shining merrily down on us without it being scorchingly hot.  Our little girl immediately went to the railings and looked down at the lovely vista of Taal Lake spread out below us.

She then skipped over to the tiny Koi pool and spent a few minutes gazing at the multi-colored fish darting amidst the rocks and the shade.  She even waved her hand above the fish while I teased her that they would latch on to her fingers!

The Cliff House has an assortment of restaurants for the diner who wishes to eat with a view.  Buon Giorno ("Good Day" in Italian) has one of the more enviable spots in that it has a direct view overlooking the lake.

The white benches at the patio looked very inviting, so the little angel plopped down in the middle bench and gazed quietly at the lake.  For a few minutes at least.  Then she had the urge to lie down on the bench!

After some coaxing for her to settle down from her flitting about, we sat down to have lunch -- and what a visually pleasing and hearty meal it turned out to be!

This was my place setting at the table.  I liked their placemats and coasters, rustic and functional at the same time.

We were given some complimentary focaccia bread, which we dipped in olive oil, balsamic vinegar and even some parmesan cheese!  I couldn't help it, I just love cheese! The bread was served warm in its basket, and gave off a freshly baked aroma that made us just want to dig into its fragrant warmth.

For this dip, I was actually trying my hand in making a Taijitu symbol, more commonly known as the Yin-Yang. However, you can see my lack of success at it.  The dip still tasted good though, and complemented the bread beautifully.  

To quench our thirst, we ordered iced tea and a banana-pineapple smoothie.  Too bad they didn't have the green iced tea available! The servings were quite generous, a refreshing change from those puny little glasses that are served in some resturants.

This New York Pizza did not fail to please.  With a crunchy but chewy, not-so-thin crust, the toppings were very flavorful.  I like my pizzas oozing with cheese (yes, I'm a cheese lover and proud of it!), and this pizza was precisely that. The veggie toppings were crunchy and sweet, the peppers and onion having none of that raw taste that some people dislike. I was at first apprehensive of the olives, as I find the taste a wee bit overwhelming at times.  This pizza had just a hint of that, which served to accentuate the flavors even more. Need I say more that I just loved this pizza?

We also had the Roasted Rack of Lamb with Red Wine Sauce. The accompanying mashed potatoes were creamy and tasty, the vegetable siding still fresh and crunchy.  The mint jelly went well with the lamb, but the hubby and the little one did not really appreciate the combo.  The red wine sauce was much more to our collective taste.  The lamb was tender and succulent, with none of the stringy chewiness that is present in beef and lamb dishes I've tried in the past. Thumbs up for this one as well!

We thought that the little one would be a bit more adventurous, but she went with her comfort food, the ubiquitous fries!  Good thing she tried out the other dishes as well -- she liked the lamb, to our surprise.  Then she alternated between the iced tea and the banana-pineapple smoothie, slurping away to her gleeful little child's delight.

When we arrived the place was abuzz with people enjoying their meals-with-a-view.  As we were finishing up our own meals (some of which we eventually had to have packed and brought home), we noticed that we were one of the last ones left.  I took the opportunity to take this photo of the outside dining area, complete with little birdhouses and skeletons in preparation for the Halloween.

By this time the fog had started to set in, and the clear view of the lake that we had earlier had already been obscured by the translucent milkiness.  The cool air became even more so, and the patio lost that sharp-around-the-edges look we had seen upon our arrival.

We left Buon Giorno with bellies full and with smiles on our faces. It was indeed a Good Day.