The Prestigious Mr and Ms Gensan 2011

Being a travelogue, you might be surprised with this blog post which tackles not about a particular place in my island Mindanao. But, I couldn't let it pass without blogging (bragging actually :) about the Mr and Ms Gensan 2011. People after all are part and parcel of a place's charm and a fitting attraction that lures visitors to South Central Mindanao. 

This prestigious pageant is part of Gensan's Tuna Festival celebration. Organized by topnotch events specialists Project O consultants spearheaded by Gensan's main man - Mr. Orman Manansala. 

What really captured my attention in this pageant right from the very start is the parade of their Festival Attire. They centered on silver and white marine inspired theme. I looove the elegance and extravagance of each detail.

And I am sure, you will never see a festival attire as intricate in detail as what these pageant finalists have donned.

Truly one of a kind, you can only see these in Gensan. I literally felt being in the company of mermaid royalties when each of these beauties came out on stage.

Truly, the participants (the candidates and their designers) didn't want to go half way in their designs. Suddenly, I no longer have any idea what the term "simple" meant. :) Elegance was a picture painted by all of these lovely and handsome candidates.

Have you ever seen a sight as jaw dropping as these?

And of course, the ladies also comes with these handsome mermans donned in their own extravagant designs...enjoy the pictures by MR. OSG.

To this year's winners: Mr. Gensan 2011 Marc Jerick Chan and Miss Gensan 2011 Caroline Lim - congratulations! You have just been lined along Gensan's finest. Our hats off to all the organizers and the people who were part of this awe inspiring pageant.

Little Kitchen’s Quiet Solace

Just this weekend, I had the pleasure of having an intimate dinner with a few lady friends at this cute little restaurant at the corner of Quirino Ave and Zapote St. in General Santos City. The Little Kitchen is situated in a quiet little nook, perfect for small gatherings or private dinners or luncheon meals for two. (Note to self: remind hubby to book dinner here one of these days! J)

We were welcomed not just by the friendly staff but the gracious owner herself, Dr. Margarita "Aret" Dometita, a dentist by profession. It comes not as a surprise that this lady dentist’s love for cooking is truly evident in the sumptuous meals they serve in this quaint, little restaurant. The interiors of the restaurant exudes elegance and has non of the extra clutter that usually adorns walls of many restaurants all around the city. The chairs and tables are just the right size, so as not to overcrowd the restaurant’s intimate space.

We were treated to a sumptuous feast comprised of a three course meal starting off with their own creamy Mushroom Soup with a basket of garlic bread , perfect match to start the meal.

Then comes the  appetizer salad. They served us one of their signature Green Salad, with iceberg and romaine lettuce, cucumber, and a surprise ingredient of pomelo and mango. It is a light salad  designed to stimulate our appetite. hmm...as if it still need sstimulating. :) The salad comes with a choice of four (– yes four!) dressings: thousand island, anchovy, strawberry (which I am sure has a tint of chocolate) and Dr. Aret's own concoction of mango puree.

The main course is a sumptuous feast of Lengua cooked in a rich tomato based sauce with mushrooms and spices. What I love about this dish is the richness of the sauce, which was perfect with the soft lengua. It has none of the after taste of the meat or the oil. This delectable dish though is another special recipe of Dr. Aret. She really knows good food! :)

Another dish served is their signature Baked Bangus.  It is a scrumptious dish of boneless bangus topped with a mixture of cheese, cream, onions and spices. Truly another dish that will make your taste palettes crave for more.

Dessert was the best part of the whole dinner, where we were treated to a delightful treat of three different types of sweets. Dessert being my favorite part of any meal, I enjoyed these three treats of choco cream, fruit jelly and bread pudding.

We learned that the Little Kitchen used to be a noodle house and a residential home before that. It is no wonder that as you enter the restaurant, a feeling of the warm comforts of a home is resonant in its interiors. Match that with the range of superb fare they have in store for their dining customers. Their best sellers are their range of pasta and pizza – yum! Something I will surely try on my next visit which will be soon! It was a truly delightful experience having dinner at Little Kitchen. Our thanks to birthday gals, Ms. Espie Maliwat and Dr. Bel Acuesta for bringing this blogger to this charming little restaurant! Buon Apetito!

For reservations, you may contact them at 083 3031586 or email them at your_littlekitchen@yahoo.com 

Rrroaring Lion City (Singapura Day2)

The Lion city is readily one of my favorite cities as of date. Not that I’ve been to a lot of cities abroad but then Singapore for me is one of the cleanest and safest cities anywhere. I love that you can go walking around its streets even in the wee hours of the morning without fear of being mugged. Photo below of my mom and sister was taken at the Esplanade - Theaters on the Bay in one of our numerous strolls around Singapore.

On our trip here, we stayed at the Value Hotel Thomson, a cute high rise hotel located at the Balestier cor Thomson Sts. . The rooms are miniscule but clean and perfect for travellers on a budget.  What I love about this hotel is its close proximity to a number of good eating places like the 2^nd Kitchen at the ground floor and a lot of hawker stalls just a few minutes walk  away. It is near the Novena MRT and the Velocity Mall. A good location for a budget hotel I must say. Plus it has a swimming pool for guests with kids on the 7th floor.

photos from the Value Hotel Thomson website

One of the newest attractions at Singapore is the Marina Bay Sands, so on our 2^nd day here, we took time to visit this unique hotel – it’s the one with a sort of big ship on its top floor.  Its architectural design is truly one of a kind and is slowly becoming one of Singapore’s famous landmarks.

The Marina Bay Sands also houses a big Casino and one of the classiest malls in Singapore with big brands like Louis Vuitton, Chanel et. al under its roof. It also houses the Art and Science museum with elegant art masterpieces like the works of Salvador Dali, one of the 20th century's best known artist and the most iconic figure of the surrealist movement. Truly, a wonderful treat for true blue art aficionados.

We were lucky that during our trip there, there was a major rehearsal for the Singapore National Day parade. We were mighty confused since this rehearsal was complete with the actual firing of canons, helicopters were flying around in a formation carrying the Singapore flag, and the grandstands were filled with thousands of school children and an actual fireworks display which lasted for 30minutes! Imagine that! The expense would have been a biggie since this rehearsal was doing everything they were planning to do and its not even THE DAY yet! Very entertaining for tourists like us, I considered it an added treat.

Then on the way to Ikea at Alexandria (which I will blog about separately :), there was this very entertaining taxi driver Mr. Yeow Bee Hong ( I hope I got his name right). According to him, if you want your taxi driver to be really nice to you (I mentioned that taxi drivers in HK are rude) all you have to do is wave your dollar bills in the air when you hail a taxi. J And then he taught us how to make Bak Kut Teh...

Bak Kut Teh according to him is a Chinese soup which literally means “Pork Bone Tea Soup”, a sort of pork stew simmered in a combination of complex herbs and spices. It is one of the delicacies of Singapore that every tourist must try. It is comparable to our beef nilaga but with a certain twist in taste brought about by the combination of star anise, cinnamon, cloves, dang gui, fennel seeds and garlic thus the term Tea soup.

And then he was rambling on and on about other sites in the city that are worth visiting. When we asked him where these places are though, he just answered..."you have to pay me, I take you there!" haha. Talk about a driver with an attitude... very amusing. 

The last stop for the day was dinner at Chinatown.  As it is already around 9 in the evening, we just had time to eat at one of the hawker stalls along Smith St. And my goodness! The food there is really mouth-watering! I was so hungry I even forgot to take shots of it, sorry!  I think I ate a week’s supply of food there.  Mental note to hit the treadmill double time when I reach home. J

Chinatown like most like it around the world is a tourist haven with lots of souvenir shops selling affordable knick-knacks for you to take home. Specifically, Pagoda and Smith Streets are the ones to go to for souvenir shops and hawker stalls. Other streets in Chinatown like Temple St, Trengganu St.,  Pagoda Sts, houses some of Chinatowns temples, a good place for taking pictures.

After an activity loaded day, we just had to retire late to our hotel laden with bags filled with trinkets and souvenirs and our camera full of snapshots. Its no wonder, we keep coming back to this magnificent city.

Gallivanting in Universal Studios (Singapore Day 1)

Singapore never fails to surprise me. Since my last visit to this beautiful city about two years ago, a lot has been added for the ardent tourist that frequent their streets. And one such addition is the Universal Studios Singapore of Resorts World Sentosa.

Like little kids - me, my sister and my mom trooped over to Universal Studios on our first day at the Lion city... talk about being young at heart! :) We purchased our tickets online just to skip the queue that will surely greet us on site. And also since we've heard that tickets are sold for a specific day, and might not be available at the gate when you visit if you haven't reserved in advance. --that's one tip for you dear reader in case you do visit Universal Studios Singapore. :)

The moment we alighted from the Sentosa Express, we got so excited we didn't know which attraction to try first. The movie theme park as we noticed is divided into seven major attractions:

• Hollywood Boulevard
• New York
• Sci-Fi City
• Ancient Egypt - my fave :)
• Lost World
• Far-far Away and
• Madagascar

 The Hollywood Boulevard and New York seem to be one and the same, like being transported into a street in NY or the movie capital of the world. Most of the souvenir shops which we love are located here like the specialty shop selling Betty Boop items

or the souvenir shop with miniature and lifesize Oscar trophies for sale! Sigh.. wishing I had a picture taken holding one of these trophies! --mental note to do next time. :)

Sci-Fi City houses the  Battlestar Galactica, an adrenaline pumping roller coaster ride which literally NOT for the faint hearted (ahhm like me :). It is the tallest pair of rollercoaster in the world with corkscrew spins and near collisions and..and...stuff that I am not really qualified to say since I didn't experience it first hand unlike my sister who was brave enough to tackle the ride by herself! ---Yep she lined up for it all by herself since I chickened out the last minute.hehe.

Another piece of advice for first timers: ride the RED roller coaster if you don't want any of the near death experience of mega inverted loops! It is way milder than the blue counterpart trust me. :) I took the photos.. hehe.

Ancient Egypt is one of my favorites. Maybe due to the fact that it is a good spot for photo ops. If you have time, be sure to take the "Revenge of the Mummy" ride since it propels eager guests to sharp turns and fast reverses, experience an infestation of scarab beetles and get the scare of your life from robotic warrior mummies! The only catch is, you have to rent a locker since bags of any kind are not allowed in the ride. Or invite your mom to come with you so she can watch your things for you.. hehe. :)

The souvenir shop though is quite pricey so the only thing I bought here is... not this pharoah like statue but a small Anubis topped ballpen  which already cost me..S$30 imagine that! :)

The Lost World is where Jurassic Park and Waterworld is located. But since we were not fans of dinosaurs or being wet in waterworld, we decided to pass this attraction.

Far-Far Away is the palace abode of Shrek and Princess Fiona. Sort of like a Disney castle, I'm so sure my little girl would've loved to go here. I'll make sure to take her here next time! (after i find a sponsor for our trip --calling daddy!) We were even fortunate enough to have our pic taken with Shrek and Princess Fiona!

Lastly, there's Madagascar. An attraction that kids will surely enjoy. I had the time of my life posing in every corner where I can find King Julien and the witty Penguins of Madagascar.. they are after all my little girl's favorite.

For a day at the Universal Studios, be prepared to shell out S$66  for a one day non-peak pass or S$72 for a one day peak pass. Check out their website here for online ticket purchases. Non-peak days are usually week days  and Peak days are usually during the weekends, during summer or school breaks and during the holidays.

To get to Resorts World Sentosa, you can take the Sentosa Express, with tickets (S$3 round trip) being sold at Vivo City Shopping Mall Level 3. Alight at Waterfront Station and voila!  Enjoy! -- we did! :)

Strolling the Streets of Singapore by Mr. OSG

Singapore is one of our favorite cities.
It is rich in history dating back to its colonial days and the contemporary buzz of a lively and booming metropolis. What you will see here are some of the pictures taken by Mr. Omar S. Gallinero.
Some taken during the Mid-Autumn Festival, some taken during the F1 season.

The Merlion Park 

Singapore's landmark, every tourist's stop-over.

You haven't been to Singapore if you skip a trip to the park.

As you stroll along Chinatown during the Mid-Autumn Festival, it is like Christmas in August. Brightly lit lanterns adorn the streets..and mooncakes are sold around every corner.

A lone man sits on a trike on the way to Clarke Quay MRT, behind are a row of condo units,

Singapore's high rise living...

The race tracks at night, with the Singapore Flyer at the background.

The Fullerton Hotel taken from Marina Bay...part of the glamour of Old Singapura.

Below is the Old Parliament House

The oldest surviving structure in Singapore.

Watch out for more blogs on Singapore...

Paraiso Verde Resort & Water Park - Making Waves in the South

I just came back from the mega-grand opening of Paraiso Verde Resort and Water Park over at Koronadal, South Cotabato. Though we missed the ribbon cutting ceremonies graced by a number of note-worthy guests, there is still a number of activities lined up for the day including a variety show at the Park Performing Arena. I’ve seen a number of Gensan’s celebrities and local bigwigs in the event. The grand opening party is slated to last till midnight with a festive fireworks show to cap the day.

I never seem to stop feeling proud that a recreational resort of this caliber will be opened in Southern Mindanao. It is surely poised to be the next top family oriented recreational tourist destination in the entire SOCCSKSARGEN area.

Going around the park, we were impressed with the world class facilities they have that will surely meet the approval of even the most discriminate guests. The resort features four different types of swimming pools , namely: the Moby Wave Pool, Adventura River Rapids, Wiggles Kiddies Pool and the Freestyle Swim Pool . We were told that the resort utilizes state of the art water filtration systems providing utmost sanitary conditions for guests. So you can be assured that the water in their pools are clean . But then of course, water in the pool is not meant for drinking so refrain your kids from swallowing gallons of water by getting them a life vest which you can get from the resort’s Courtesy Counters, free of charge. –Yep, you heard me right, free of charge. But some tubes are available for rent at a very minimal cost.

My favorite pool of the four is of course the Moby Wave Pool. It mimics the waves in the ocean without the sting of saltwater in your eyes whenever the water hits you in the face. Yey! I am sure this pool will be enjoyed by my little girl who has a habit of shouting “My eyes!!” whenever we swim in the beach since saltwater stings her eyes every time. The pool floor is also a plus since it is concrete –hep, don’t worry it is painted with a specially made rubberized paint ordered from Singapore as we were told so you don’t accidentally slip and bruise your head.:)

The Adventura River Rapids is a water tubing experience which takes you to an adrenaline pumping ride around a 185m river loop. Tubes for this ride are available near the side of the Moby Wave Pool.

The Wiggles Kiddies Pool is the kind of pool I’m so positive every little kid would love to wade in. Just be prepared to bribe your kids when it is time to go home. This is one pool haven that kids would love to swim in even if their hands and feet are already wrinkly like raisins. They have little buckets of water , slides and shower fountains to tickle the fancy of kids. What I also like about this pool is the canopy that shades kids so they don’t go home crisp and brown due to sunburns even if they spend the day swimming. Life vests for kids are likewise available for guests and a good idea for the little ones.

Lastly, the Freestyle Pool… a no frills swimming pool for the Michael Phelps wannabes. It is also under an awning of colored roofing so you don’t have to use papaya soap after a few serious laps of swimming.

Food and Beverage can be purchased inside the resort at the Aqua Café, managed by Cinco Ninas Filipino Cuisine. The food is reasonably priced but not compromising the overall taste –which is really yummy by the way.

Entrance fees are slated at P250 for the general admissions and P180 for children 2-4ft tall. Kids that are below 2 ft can enter the park for free. For an entire day’s stay there, you can rent an open type Cabana for P600 and an air-conditioned cabana for P1200. They also have tents which you can rent for P200-400. 

For inquiries or reservations, you can call them at (083) 228 1988

To get there:

From Gen Santos City:

• Drive northwards towards Polomolok and Koronadal.

• After passing through the Koronadal Rotunda, towards Tacurong, about a kilometer away to your right is a Shell Station.

• Behind the Shell Station is the entrance to Paraiso Verde Resort and Water Park.

From Tacurong City and Kidapawan:

• Drive south towards Koronadal.

• As you enter Koronadal, before you reach the city center, there is a Shell Station on your left.

• Paraiso Verde Resort and Water Park is at the back of the station.

Gala Bakeshop...making the finest bread in town

Gala Bakeshop (unbeknownst to all) has been making bread for more than 30 years. It started as a small store selling a few buns of bread in the 1980s by a teacher cum housewife (Ms. Marita S. Gallinero) to help augment their dying tailoring business.

 
Gala (pronounced originally as gey-LAH) got its name from the gala uniforms worn by the PMA cadets.  It was aptly named, since Gala Enterprises started as a tailoring business. It evolved as a bakery, refreshment and general merchandise store  in 1981.

Today, Gala Bakeshop is known for good quality breads and pastries. The leader in utilizing advanced methods in bread making, Gala Bakeshop also prides itself as one of the cleanest bakeries in the entire SOCSARGEN area - that's according to the Dept. of Health locally auditing their bakeries annually.

Gala Bakeshop produces the yummiest fare in the bread-making business. Its very own "Gala Blend®" which is patented and is being ordered direct from a manufacturing firm in Manila ensures the consistency of taste for all of its breads and pastries. So you can be assured that the ensaymada you love will still taste the same in any of its branch bakeries in Polomolok or in Gensan.

 
Let me give you a brief intro of some of my personal favorites: 

The Cheese Roll - a soft bun with soft edam cheese filling rolled in Gala's signature sweet dough, topped with a brush of butter and sugar. It is one of Gala Bakeshop's best sellers. It flies off the display rack freshly baked as quickly as you can say supercalifrajilisticexpialidocious! :)

The Regular Ensaymada -  sure you wonder what sets this lowly ensaymada apart from the numerous counterparts sold all around, well... this one has the same sweet dough made from Gala Blend® and a surprise filling of oozing sweetened monggo or ube. The special ensaymada is softer than its regular variety comparable to the soft ensaymadas sold in big malls in the metropolis. I even have friends in Manila who still request that I bring the regular ensaymada as pasalubongs every time I go home. 

The Fruity Muffins -  muffins is a cross between a bread and a cake. With that in mind, Gala Bakeshop's fruity muffin is basically more a cake-like type of muffin. This lip-smacking muffin is topped with glazed fruits and nuts. It has a longer shelf life compared to other pastries.  And it's taste improves the longer it sits on the shelf' (well, not that it usually happens), but it kinda reminds me of a fruit cake wherein the longer you wait to eat it, the yummier it gets. Perfect for baons for school kids.

The Spanish bread - although also categorized as a normal everyday bread, Gala Bakeshop's twist lies in the streusel type of filling combined with the sweet tangy taste of pineapples. Once you taste it, you will never look at the ordinary spanish bread the same way again! :)

The Cream Bread/ Diet Bread -  another signature bread of Gala Bakeshop, it prides itself with one of the softest (bubble free) and tastiest "tasty" or cream bread. It is so soft that even your kids would love to eat it without any filling or palaman. My little girl can totally vouch for that! And those who are diabetic can still enjoy their "Diet Bread" since it is made with less sugar and very low in GI. 

There is still a lot of delectable fare that is worth mentioning like the Chocolate-mint cookies I am so fond of or the Biscocho like toasted bread, along with their signature cakes sold at reasonably low prices compared to its counterparts but not compromising the taste and over all look. 

Butterfly Bread

But... it might take too much of your time reading, so for the meantime, I suggest that you head on over to Gala Bakeshop and try them out for yourselves! Find out for yourselves if this blogger is kidding when I say that Gala Bakeshop makes one of the finest breads in town! - or in the region!

 Gala Bakeshop's main branch is located right in front of Dolefil's employee entrance over at Asuncion Village, Cannery Site and two satellite branches in the Polomolok - Poblacion area...  one at Zennia St and one at Miranda St.. 

Gala Bakeshop now has three branches in General Santos city:

• at Block 8, Dadiangas Heights 
• another at corner Pendatun and Santol Sts. 
• newly opened branch at Mabuhay Road

Come visit and taste our breads to see for yourself what this blogger is raving about. :)