Emirates Airbus 380 pictures

These pictures of Emirates new Airbus 380 leaves me speechless!


From Friday, the Emirates Airline’s first class passengers on board the new superjumbo A380 Airbus will be able to indulge in ‘shower spas’. But they will be limited to a five-minute dousing to ensure that all 14 first class passengers can enjoy the luxury. For a mere £4,737 first class passengers will be able to enjoy a five-minute shower during a flight between Heathrow and Dubai. But on the delicate matter of potentially intimate and amorous encounters, the airline is swift to point out that each shower has been designed to accommodate just one person at a time: ‘They are designed for single usage’ said a spokesman. First class also boasts 14 flat-bed, massage-equipped ‘Private Suites’ which include remote controlled doors, a work desk, an electrically controlled mini-bar and the most advanced in-flight entertainment system available to travellers. The plane will have to take on board an additional 500kg of water, an increase of some 25 percent – adding to fuel. [link]

Economy still looks the same 😦

Food looks awesome!

What’s on my iPod Touch/iPhone?

I currently use an iPod Touch 2G with OS 3 but I recently took the plunge and reserved an iPhone 3GS from Globe Telecom, the Philippine’s exclusive carrier. Since I’m already familiar with the apps, tips and tricks for the iPod Touch I won’t have a hard time transitioning to the iPhone. So I dedicate this post to my friends Jeanne, Wilson and Cherry who took the plunge with me. It will be their first iPhone too. And also to Tina who will be buying my beloved iPod Touch.

To download apps sync your iPhone to your computer, go to iTunes store and create an account with your local credit card. Even when downloading free apps they will charge you $0.00. Don’t forget to download audio or video podcasts of topics that interest you. They’re free!

This is what my home screen looks like. It contains the apps I use 90% of the time.

1. Air Sharing is for transferring files like MS office files, pdf and others from my mac to the iPhone. It will open any of these files natively. I was lucky to download this for free when it was new. Now it costs $4.99.

2. 1Password is a password manager. What makes it different is it has a desktop application that keeps track of your web log-in names and password. I can’t live without this. Imagine the number of email accounts, subscriptions, forum accounts we have. I don’t think you use the same password for all, do you? Whatever changes and updates I make on my browser the data will be synced with 1Password for the iPhone. If I use my iPhone to surf I can access all my password to all the sites. Again I got it for free. Now it costs $4.99.

Do you notice a trend? When there is a new app and it’s free for a limited time just download it. You can assess if you like it on your own time. At least you got it while it’s free. More on this later.


1Password

3. SplashID is another password manager I’ve used since my Dell Axim days. I bought this for $9.99 since all my credit card, personal info, etc. were already entered into SplashID. I didn’t want to enter everything again in another password manager. This also has a free desktop application that will let you sync with your iPhone.

4. White Noise is my sleep savior. I have a hard time sleeping at night even when I take Melatonin or sleep tea. When I’m ready to sleep I put my iPod beside my pillow, turn on White Noise, select beach waves crashing and set the timer to 15 minutes. In a few minutes I’m in deep sleep. It works great on the plane too. Really! This program contains 40 different ambient sounds. I got it for free. Now it costs $1.99. There is also a lite version that’s free.


white noise

5. Zenbe is my list maker, to do list and reminder app all in one. There are so many to do apps on the iTunes store but it’s only Zenbe for me. I love it because you can enter all your lists online for free and sync it with your iPhone. I got it for free. Now it costs $2.99. It’s worth the cost.


zenbe

6. Evernote lets you clip recipes, pictures, or anything on any web site and it will be saved on your iPhone. You can also take pictures, sound clips or notes on your iPhone and it will all be synced with your desktop application. This is a screenshot of the recipes I have copied from blogs. Now I can see them whenever I want. This is a pretty amazing software. I can’t wait for my iPhone. I can take pictures of prices of goods and compare with other supermarkets. The uses for this app are endless. Check their blog for suggestions. This is free!


evernote

7. Shopper is a shopping list that lets me make separate lists for my needs and separate list of items per store. It also lets me put the price of each item per store so I can compare the prices and get the best deal. This app is invaluable to me since I shop in several supermarkets for my store SOS. Instead of bringing a long paper list for each store I just use this app and I never forget anything. I paid $.99 for this.


shopper

8. iSilo is the app I use every single day. It’s what I use to read books. I paid $9.99 for it. There are several excellent free e-book readers like Stanza and eReader but I gladly paid for iSilo because of it’s smooth auto-scroll and other features that make reading on an iPod Touch a joy. They have a free software, iSilo-x to convert text, doc or html to isilo format.


iSilo

9. Links for the following will open iTunes. I also like Currency for quick exchange rates for as many currencies as you want. Units for conversion of area, temperature, length, weight and so many others. Dictionary.com for a dictionary and thesaurus that will even speak out the pronunciation of words. All these are free and essential.

10. Can’t decide what Apps to download? Check out appdvice’s list.

Games and other entertainment apps to follow in part 2.

Here are some tips and tricks that will help you with your new iPhone. I culled these from several web sites.

1. How to get apps for free? Check out sites like AppShopper and FreeAppAlert regularly for sales and price drops. This is how I got most of my apps for free. AppGiveaway is a new site that gives free promo codes for apps.

2. How to make free ringtones for your iPhone using iTunes? Check out this clear and easy tutorial.

3. How to Take Screen Shot?
Hold the “home” button, then hit the “power/sleep” button, the screen will momentarily flash, and the iPhone’s current screen contents will be saved to the Camera Roll.

4. How to disable iPhone 3Gs OS 3.0 GPRS or Edge Connection? click here or here. Why do you need to do this? Globe and other carriers charge an absurd amount of money if you surf or access the internet using GPRS or Edge. It’s cheaper if you have a data plan or if you use wi-fi. You need to disable GPRS so you won’t accidentally access it should you tap on email or safari. There are several horror stories on forums wherein people where charged tens of thousand of pesos because they didn’t do this.

5. How to Force Quit An App? If an app you are using suddenly freezes you can actually apply a force quit on it by pressing the Home button for at least six seconds.

6. How to maximize battery life?

7. How to reformat your iPhone and clear all data?

8. 22 More iPhone 3.0 Features You May Not Know

9. How To Use The Best 40 Features of iPhone 3.0

10. 12 iPhone Tricks You Might Not Have Known

11. 8 More iPhone Tricks You Might Not Have Known

12. How to do everything on the iPhone.

13. ilounge for all your case and accessories reviews.

Whew! That should keep my friends busy until our iPhone arrives at the end of July. We’re keeping our fingers crossed.

Dinner at Yedang Korean BBQ Restaurant

I recently had a mini reunion with some HS classmates. We decided to have dinner at Yedang Korean BBQ restaurant which my friend Len Len highly recommended. Another friend Tisay also said it was good.


This is what Yedang looks like from the fly-over. It’s where Minggoy’s and Brother’s Burger used to be. It’s near Metrowalk on Meralco Avenue.

Sorry for the blurred pictures. I have to learn to be still. I was probably shaking with excitement for the meal to come.

An indication of whether a foreign restaurant is good is if their local countrymen patronize it. The place was filled with Koreans. The restaurant is also owned and operated by Koreans. So it must be good and authentic.

Each table had its own grill cooktop and exhaust which can be pulled down for maximum suction of the smoke. We just loved this exhaust. We didn’t leave smelling of barbecue.

After ordering, someone places a container of hot charcoal in the grill’s belly. No electric grill here. That’s what makes the food taste more earthy and smokey.
An assortment of cold appetizers are brought out. I loved the sweet dried anchovies, fish cakes and sweet peanuts.

We also ordered some dishes that don’t need to be grilled. Everything was good and reasonably priced. Next time I want to try the Pajon seafood pancake and mushroom w/ beef in casserole.

kimchi pot stew w/ rice P200


spicy pan fried squid w/ vegetables P300


beef short ribs soup [sic] w/ rice P200


noodles with chop suey (Japchae) P300

Now to the main event -the barbecued meats. I prefer the marinated meats better. The Kalbi beef ribs and dak-Kui chicken were spectacular. I didn’t care so much for the roast pork belly which didn’t have any taste until you dipped it in one of the 3 sauces provided. The beef ribs and chicken didn’t need any sauce at all.
Someone is assigned to cook your food and serve it to you. So all you have to do is concentrate on stuffing all the delicious food in your mouth.


roast pork belly (Samgyupsal) P240


grill chicken (dak-Kui) P250


grill sweet beef ribs (Kalbi) P300

The beef short ribs were sliced thinly around the bone. After the beef was placed on the grill the cook unrolled the beef. When it was done she cut the beef into small pieces and placed them on a small plate. She continued to cook the bone until done. There was precious meat still left on the bone which I gladly liberated.
The cook said these were mint leaves. I’ve never seen such big mint leaves before. According to Len Len these are shisho leaves which are a member of the mint family. They are also known as purple mint or Japanese basil. The Koreans call it deulkkae or tŭlkkae.

shiso leaf
You take a mint leaf and top it with some meat, rice and sauce then roll it and eat. The leaf brought an unusual and fantastic flavor to the meat. It’s not really minty but more like Thai basil with a hint of mint. Whatever the leaf was I loved it! It’s the best way to eat the Kalbi.
The plastic bottle on the table below contained pandan water. It had a natural sweetness to the the water. It was very refreshing. Whenever I took a sip I imagined I was eating buko pandan salad.

Every inch of the table was filled with food and we finished it all. The price was very reasonable considering we ordered 2 of each dish. Our total bill was P500 per head and that included softdrinks and beer. I’m definitely going back. So classmates, anyone up for part 2? Roll call in the comments section 🙂

Yedang Menu
grill meats 1, 2, meat dishes, soups & stews 1, 2, drinks

Yedang Korean BBQ Restaurant
88 Meralco Ave., Pasig City
telephone: 636-1461

Honda Accord Commercial

This ad is 3 years old but I just saw it today when a friend emailed it to me. I found it fascinating so I’m sharing it here.

If you thought that the people who set up a room full of dominoes to have them knocked over later was amazing, you haven’t seen anything yet…
There are no computer graphics or digital tricks in these images. Everything that you see happened in real time exactly as you see it…

The recording required 606 takes and in the first 605 takes there always was something, usually of minor importance, that didn’t work. It was necessary for the recording team to install the set-up time after time and it took several weeks working day and night to achieve this effect. The recording cost 6 million dollars and it took 3 months to finish, including the engineering design of the sequence.

The duration of the video is only 2 minutes, but every time that Honda shows the commercial on British television, they make enough money to support any of us for the rest of our lives. However, this commercial has turned out to be the most displayed in the history of the Internet. Honda execs think that it will pay for itself simply because of the free showings (Honda is not paying one cent for you to see it). When Honda senior execs viewed it, they immediately approved it without hesitation-including costs.

Pantry Favorites – Bottled Tuyo

I’m starting a series called Pantry Favorites. These are my favorite Filipino products that I always keep in stock in my pantry. Today it’s San Sebastian’s Dried Herring (Tuyo) with garlic in olive oil.

Herring fish is salted and dried under the sun that’s why it’s called Tuyo (dried) in Filipino. Tuyo is then fried then bottled and filled with garlic and olive oil. This is a very convenient way of buying tuyo. You don’t have to bother with frying the fish and the strong smell that goes with it.

I like San Sebastian’s tuyo because it’s not very salty. It’s also firm yet tender. There is no fishy after taste. I’ve only seen this brand in Metro Gaisano supermarket, Pioneer Center supermarket and some kiosks in Market! Market!


P 95 a bottle

There are several ways of eating tuyo but the most common is to eat it for breakfast with Sinangag (garlic fried rice) and fried egg.


Sinangag or Garlic Fried Rice
Ingredients:
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 tsp rock salt
1 cup rice, hot or cold
1 tablespoon Olive or Canola oil

Procedure:
1. Sprinkle rock salt on the garlic cloves. Use a knife and mash the salt into the garlic cloves.

2. Chop the garlic finely.


bamboo chopping board

3. Add oil to the teflon pan. If you use a regular pan you will need more oil.
4. Sauté the garlic until lightly browned. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
5. Add the rice and cook until the rice is thoroughly heated. Add salt to taste. Transfer to a plate and serve. Serves 1.

Rice is commonly eaten for breakfast in the Philippines. Tuyo is just one of the more popular viands for breakfast.

typical Filipino breakfast

Other ways of eating bottled tuyo:
1. Spread crackers or toasted baguette with olive oil and top with tuyo flakes.
2. Add finely chopped tuyo to Spaghetti al Olio for a subtle kick in flavor.
3. If you don’t have anchovies you can substitute it with tuyo.

San Sebastian products

Pioneer Center Supermarket
8006 Pioneer St., cor.
United St. Pasig City
telephone: 637-7033

Metro Gaisano Supermarket
Market! Market!
Basement Level
26th St. cor. C5,
Bonifacio Global City
Taguig Metro Manila
telephone: 818-6642

In search for the best Sapin Sapin

Sapin sapin (steamed coconut layer pudding) is made from glutinous rice or rice flour, coconut milk, ube (purple yam), cassava, and food coloring. Doing entries on Filipino desserts this week made me realize that most of our native desserts are rice based like puto, kutsinta and bibingka.

Sapin Sapin is a complex dessert with several layers and sections. Eaten together it’s a play of flavors and textures in the mouth. The hardest decision to make is what colors you want to eat.

The trick is to get a little of each color in one slice. Each color tastes different. The red layer is the stickiest and has a slight aniseed flavor. The yellow layer is soft and creamy. The white layer is made of layers of all the colors. That’s toasted crispy coconut on top.

The purple layer is made with ube or purple yam. It’s creamy with a thicker consistency. It has a unique flavor. At the tip is glutinous rice which is cooked with coconut milk and sugar. It tastes like sweet sticky rice similar to Thai sticky rice dessert with mangoes. The topping on this slice is called latik which is the byproduct of cooking coconut milk until it becomes oil and further cooking it until these soft, chewy brown crumbs are formed.

The white solid section in the picture below is cassava. It’s my favorite part in the sapin sapin. It’s made from grated cassava (a root crop) and coconut milk.

My favorite sapin sapin is from Dolor’s Kakanin. I’m glad their products are now available in SM malls and Landmark Trinoma. They have several other products but I only buy their sapin sapin which is the best.

old box


new box


Dolor’s Kakanin
Quezon City
telephone: 927-4453
cellphone: 0922-8835667
Sucat
telephone: 823-0806
cellphone: 0922-8835668
Malabon
telephone: 281-2739
Gov. Pascual
telephone: 282-5355
SM SUPERMARKET WEEKEND BAZAAR:
Fairview: 0922-8835669
Megamall: 0922-8773367
Makati : 0922-8299667

Bibingka & Pastillas

Bibingka is another favorite Filipino treat made from rice. It’s somehow related to puto but it’s very different in taste and texture. It’s made with galapong, glutinous rice soaked in water then ground with the water to form the batter.

The batter is poured into a mold lined with banana leaves and baked in a special oven like this.

Several brands of mini bibingka have sprouted around town but my favorite is Waray-Waray Bibingkahan which I buy in Market Market. The special bibingka has slices of salted duck egg in it.

I like their bibingka because it’s rich and spongy in texture unlike the others which simply taste like pancake. The size is just right for a quick snack or an after dinner dessert.


box of 8 minus 1 special bibingka
The instructions on the box says microwave for 8 seconds but from my experience if it comes from the refrigerator you’ll need to zap it for at least 20-30 seconds. It keeps as long as a week in the refrigerator but I honestly doubt this will not be devoured as soon as you bring it home.
Right across the bibingkahan kiosk is J & C where you can buy the best pastillas and lengua de gato.
iya's pastillas
iya's pastillas-1
Pastillas de Leche (milk candy) is made from milk and sugar that is boiled until thick. The resulting paste is then rolled into small logs, rolled in sugar and wrapped in paper.

One of the best pastillas is Iya’s jumbo pastillas. Iya’s pastillas are very soft and fresh when you buy it. If you want to extend it’s life you can put them in the freezer. Just let it thaw or you can even toast it for a few seconds to get a crisp exterior and a soft creamy interior.
iya's pastillas-2
iya's pastillas-3
24 pieces of pastillas for P 280
Sitting beside the pastillas in a yellow box is a container of lengua de gato or cat’s tongue. Lengua de gato are simply cookies made of butter, sugar, flour and eggs. Not all lengua de gato are equal. Some use inferior butter or even margarine which results in thick and hard cookies. These lengua de gatos use very good butter which you can taste in every bite. They are thin and very crisp. I stay away from these because once I start I can’t stop eating them.
iya's pastillas-4
lengua de gato P 320/tub
Waray-Waray Bibingkahan
Market! Market!
26th St. cor. C5
Bonifacio Global City
Taguig, Metro Manila
telephone: 807-9459

other branches:
SM Southmall , Las Pinas City
Festival Supermall, Muntinlupa City
Landmark, Trinoma, Quezon City

Iya’s Jumbo Pastillas
J&C Fruits Stall
#18 Market! Market!
26th St. cor. C5
Bonifacio Global City
Taguig, Metro Manila
telephone: 729-0325

Super cute kid dancing to the Wonder Girls

I don’t know who the Wonder Girls are but I loved this video of a 4 yr. old kid copying their dance to a T. Even the sexy moves! This was shown in the same TV show in South Korea that first featured Charice. Maybe we’ll see this kid in Ellen next?

This is the Wonder Girls performing the song “So Hot”.

Nobody (in English)