Does "yee haw!" translate in Spanish?

Because that's how we felt when we found a decent Mexican restaurant in Manila!  Yeehaw and wahoo!!  It wasn't anything fancy but it was affordable and super yummy.  Definitely a suitable substitute for Chipotle and the best part??  All the different hot sauces.  We were happier than a pig in ...well, a tortilla! (although I guess a pig might argue that point.)

Z, of course, had a burrito and I had carnitas with black beans (technically considered one of their "arroz platillos").  It was all fabulous so I gotta kick my shout outs to Orale!  I give it a 4.5 out of 5 sombrero rating!  Only thing that keeps it from getting a 5 is that they were a tad stingy on the meat for my meal.  I would have rather had more carnitas and less rice.  But then again, they're not called the "carnitas platillos".

Orale Location (the one we went to anyway): The Fort Strip, corner of 7th & 28th St in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Fort Bonifacio

Makati Shangri La(AHHHHHH)

The Shangri La in Makati is a 5 Star luxury hotel in the heart of Makati (Manila's financial district).  It is also where we have a health club membership.  If we're feeling fed up with the traffic and need a release?  We go to the Shang.  Exhausted and could use some down time?  Da Shang.  Internet connection letting us down at our own hotel??  Shang to the rescue!  I don't think, after walking in the first time, I could have ever opted for an alternative.  It even smells lovely.  

It has everything you'd expect of a hotel of its caliber.  Beautiful pool, elegant high tea, and two of the best restaurants in town.  I love going there on the weekends and spending an entire morning/early afternoon.  Start in the gym, work hard, spend some time in the steam room (equipped with hot/cold whirlpools and wet/dry saunas), change into the swimsuit and relax by the pool with a beer and some good food. Tough life. 

I haven't tried them yet but Z swears the trainers are the best stretchy outers ever.  Apparently they'll bend you right to the point where you can't take it anymore and leave ya feeling like gumby.  

Anyway, here are some recent highlights of time spent at the Shangri La:

 

Coolest part about tea at the Shang?  There's an hourglass to time how long to let your tea steep.  When the sand runs out, time to enjoy.  Classy shit right?  I totally fit in.

No high tea would be complete without a string (and flute) band in lovely dresses...

....who kept playing on their way to break.

Some of the best poolside food I've ever had was served at the Shang.  That's a chicken sandwich on ciabatta bread (with a San Mig light in a glass of course).

This day did not suck.

Best Jeepney sighting yet!

Our dog is famous!
Jeepney Cassie:

Wiener Cassie:

Makati - Seen Around Town

Just another day in the life of a Texas transplant and her country boy.  We could also call this post, "crap we're not used to seein' and can't stop starin' at".

• Keeping an eye on street vendor wares has become a bit of an obsession for me, I'll admit.  What's even more interesting?  The crap people are buying!  For instance, who is the bigger fish in the following pond?  The guy on the left who spends all day walking in traffic selling flags and cigarettes or the guy on the right who has no reason to be in the middle of the street, is leaning on a running bus, and just bought ONE cigarette from the vendor?  Seems like the cards are stacked in favor of the guy selling feather dusters and ciggies, no?

 

• Traffic here also remains a source of great humor and fascination.  It seems, no matter how bumper to bumper the cars are, someone ALWAYS thinks they can fit through....sideways.

• They meant well I'm sure and, as always, their English is far better than my Tagalog but I couldn't help but picture a sweaty pig with lipstick and a frowny face when I saw this on the menu.  Then again, maybe I'm just reliving the Parada ng Lechon festivities.

 

•  YES!!!!  Dad would be over the moon excited about this development!  Found this little gem at a legit Starbucks in one of the nicest parts of town.  I'm sure it will come up again and again but these folks are CUHRAZY about their canned uber processed meat products. 

• Nothing says high class like rooms that are available by the hour. 

•  A bit of an oxymoron if you ask me.  Also, is it just me or does this "gaming cafe" look like no fun at all?  It's a far cry from skee ball and Ms. PacMan but who am I to judge?

• Perhaps a "you had to be there moment" but this was GRIDLOCK traffic and the guy was toolin' around barefoot.  Amazing. 

• Hey...whatever works.  It might not be Tom Cruise with his shirt off in Top Gun but they're having fun on a Sunday afternoon so I'm not judging.

• Um, yeah, that's an animal foot in a can at the S&R (the Philippines answer to CostCo).  To their credit, S&R had MANY MANY things we were ecstatic about.  Great snack selection, wine, beer, cereal, etc.  Even though it might be a tad off-putting for those of us not used to seeing it, I'm kinda glad they stay loyal to their traditional food preferences.  It'd be no fun at all if every place was just America repackaged. Don't get me wrong, I will NEVER eat some of this stuff but that doesn't mean I can't respect their filling the shelves with products they love.

 

• And I'll leave you with this.  In a country where almost no one owns a coat, there are people selling...wait for it......wait for it....coat racks.  

Parada ng Lechon 2013 - a Playful Filipino Twist on St. John's Day

(WARNING:  If you're a big fan of piggies...live piggies...you might not want to read this.  I have spared you some of the more vivid descriptions of the food part of the celebration but if you don't like pictures of animal heads on sticks, this might not be the post for you.  Consider yourself warned.)

And this is why I think I'm gonna love it here.  Leave it to our wacky country hosts to spin an otherwise solemn liturgical celebration into a rip roarin', eatin', and drinkin' parade party.

Traditionally, St. John's Day (always on June 24) is observed throughout the country with some sort of water dousing ritual.  In Balayan, they take it to the extreme.  You have not been "blessed", if you haven't been soaked with freezing cold water apparently.  Turns out we were blessed.....A LOT.  It's basically a free for all water fight, pitting the parade participants against the spectators and NO ONE IS SAFE.  Grandmas, babies, old men with canes - all were victims AND perps!  It was a freakin' hoot!

What's with the dressed up pigs you ask?   Well, believe it or not, there's an explanation for that too! The pig is a cornerstone of any Filipino festival, tradition, or large gathering -- it seems that it ain't a party until porky shows up.  Parada ng Lechon is an opportunity to showcase the piggies and basically give thanks for the bounty of crunchy succulent goody they always bestow.  Or at least, that's what I got out of it.  So, the Balayan townspeople (local businesses mainly) dress up their pig mascot in a slew of different outfits, parade it through town, and then have a huge feast at the end. The pigs are often torn to shreds by the end of the parade.  I am told that parade goers of years gone by would "steal" pieces of the pig while in route to their destination and that the vendors would protect their pigs with barbed wire etc.  These days, it appears, sharing is caring.  We had several "floats" rip off pieces of pig and try to hand them to us.  I graciously bowed out because, well, I don't know there's something not terribly appetizing about a soggy pig, half eaten by strangers.  Call me crazy...

Before we really knew what we were getting into

Everyone has the day off to celebrate St. John's day - even students.

Next time we'll bring an obscene-sized super soaker but for 2013, all we had were plastic buckets and cans of beer.  

But when the buckets are filled with ice cold water, it's somehow still a "win".

As has been the case on a daily basis, the locals were FASCINATED by Z.  This kid dumped a bucket of water on his head and then did an impression of M.J.

Never one to be left out, I begged the M.J. impersonator to get in a pic with me.   He of course, poured water down the back of my shirt while doing so which I think is a fair trade, you?

These kids KNOW when a picture is being taken.  This was on our way out and look at them!  It's like they're doing a teenage version of see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.

Iron Man piggy

Wonderwoman Piggy - pretty sure those are authentic pigs feet she has for hands. The plastic wrapping over her head isn't meant to be morbid by the way.  There's just so much water flying around that parade participants wrap their pigs in plastic to protect them.  Maybe that seems silly to you or me but not to folks who eat every part of the pig.  They waste NOTHING and I'm sure Wonderwoman's pretty little face went to a good digestive cause later in the day.

A ridiculously cute moment.  Probably one of my favorite pictures....ever.

And in case you didn't think the party was really bumpin, check this out (and we weren't even on the main parade route).  All this and we're told this year's celebration was tame by comparison.  Apparently when the holiday falls on the weekend, it's a party that could hang with Mardi Gras. 

They say it will be done Friday

...but I have some doubts.  We went by our apartment this past Sunday and found it in the following state:

Fingers crossed this country has the most efficient labor workforce in all the world!

Get your shine one!

I don't guess I have a lot to say about this other than it was unexpected?  We were at a table eating breakfast when we first arrived and this kid was sitting next to us, maybe 11 or 12, playing his gameboy (or whatever the kids have these days...probably mom's samsung galaxy or something).  Anyhoo, husbear started whisper talking to him.  You know what I mean when I say whisper talk right?  He's talking to the kid but really only wants me to hear.  "Hey kid, when did you get married?  Where was the honeymoon?  How did she propose?" etc etc.  As is typical, I gave him the pre-coffee glare that basically indicates whatever he thinks is currently funny won't be funny to me until another 16 ounces of black gold gets in my belly.  Buuuut, when I turned to see what he was talking about, I nearly spit said black gold out.

Here was this kid with what appeared to be an FREAKING HUGE engagement ring.  I, of course, had to take a picture on the sly and I know some will shudder that I would poke fun at a child but ya gotta admit,  seeing a rock (fake or otherwise) that size on a little boy is a wee bit funny right?  No?  Great - still a seat in hades for me I guess.  Anyway, here he is and for the faint of heart, I have given him the "Don'ts" black bar treatment.  Happy Monday!

(TWOFER SATURDAY!!) Foxy Doxie: That lady is a tramp!

I was going through some old pics today and I realized, our dog has pretty much been a hussy from day one.  Don't believe me?  Check out this hot mess....

Even when she was just a pup, she'd spread her legs for a little back and belly scratch

or a ball...pun intended

Girl on girl action didn't seem out of the realm of possibility with her either.  This is when I started to worry, was Zach creating some sort of daddy issues with Cassie that would lead her to write her own sad memoir one day??

And then things went really downhill.  This little gem showed up on the interwebs.  I guess I don't have to tell you that this is a waist up shot for a reason....

I shudder to think how many times she found herself in the back seat of a sports car...no shame, no shame at all.

We should have never let her out of the house with that slutty midriff.

So I think it goes without saying that Cassie is a troubled little wiener dog with self-esteem issues and possibly a dependency on kibble that will land her in a puppy institution.  On the up side, maybe this means we'll get a call from Dr. Drew.  I've always thought he was sorta dreamy....

Road Trippin and the Tinkertown Museum

Last year was a VERY busy year for us so you'll, I hope, forgive that I am just getting around to posting some 2012 tidbits.  Some things I'm sure I'll never get around to but there's at least one thing that I have to spread the word about or I won't be able to live with myself.  See, last May, husbear and I rented an RV (we'll call her "Bessie") and drove a sorta upside down horseshoe through Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico then through Texas, Arkansas and Tennessee to get back to Northern Virginia.  It was a fantastic trip and I'm so so glad we did it.  I hope to share more of our adventures in the NO SHIT wild wild west but first and foremost, I need to let you in on a little secret.

Should you ever be in the neighborhood (and trust me, you won't ever be....so just drive there on purpose ok?), you should stop by this little museum/curio/roadside attraction/junkyard/all around awesome venue: THE TINKERTOWN MUSEUM.  It was the ONE damn thing I really wanted to do on this roadtrip that didn't involve majestic scenery, hiking until we were purple in the face, or eating BBQ (we did all that too and yes....it was equally awesome).  Er...maybe not equally.  Because if you're me, the Tinkertown Museum pretty much epitomizes everything that is right and good in the world of road trips.

A sign found in Tinkertown that puts into words why RVing is still so popular and why we did this instead of a European vacation.

My husband had a moment's hesitation where he almost insisted we keep driving because we we needed to "start covering some ground" but a quick look at my face and I think he knew it was a fight he ever had a chance of winning.  In any case, he did right by me and indulged my inner child (thank you dear) by stopping at this relic.

There have been many articles written and interviews given about this place so I won't bore you with the history.  If you want to know more, you can do so by clicking here, here, or here. 

And here's a video of Tinkertown with possibly the worst flute music I've ever heard:

What I will say is that almost everything in Tinkertown was MADE BY HAND over a 40 year period by one guy, Ross Ward (the dearly departed).

I think, in my case, I'll just let the pictures tell the story.  Here are just a few snapshots from the museum that was made "while you were watching TV"....

I can't remember how much we paid to get into the museum but it was worth every damn penny so cough that shit up if you find yourself in Sandia, NM.

 

Wish this picture did justice to the scale of the place and the work that went in.  I mean, one guy carved ALL that stuff!  Sorry, I know it's a crap picture - I was TOO excited!

Even Mary Poppins makes a visit.  How very superkalifragilisticexpialidocious!

PBR me ASAP

This was one of my favorites though I can't say I understand it.  The Rusty Wyer Band is jamming out (you can see the whole band here) but what's that scary little ol' lady doin?  I don't know but it makes a great photo op.

Seriously?  How freakin' cool is that?? Who needs to drive all the way to Tombstone when you can have THIS experience at Tinkertown?  Um...no one.

This is one of the many "automated" displays.  There's a little switch you can turn that makes the chicken run away from the chef.  If you look close, you can see the chicken there....and the chef running after him with a meat cleaver.  Can you imagine?  The chicken alone must have taken him a full day to carve.  Crazy when you think about it!

This one makes me think he may have had a wee carving....problem/addiction.

Forgive the poor picture quality but this was pretty neat too.  He did a scaled Big Top circus and up top were real photos of circus performers.

The deets:  Tinkertown is open from April 1st through October 31st, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., 7 days a week -- last admission sold at 5:30 pm

ADULTS: $3.50
GEEZERS (62+): $3.00
KIDS 4-16: $1.00
KIDS Under 4: Free

121 Sandia Crest Rd  Sandia Park, NM 87047


And one more thing, I think I have to thank my parents for instilling in me the ability to appreciate things like this.  This place truly is a simple pleasure in a complex world and I'm glad we went just a little bit out of our way to visit.  The dinosaur museum at Thanksgiving Point in Utah was another great example of this but I guess that's a story for another day.  Anyway, thanks to mom and dad for all the quirky road trips - makes you appreciate the little things.