Dampa

One of the go-to places in PI when it comes to seafood is Dampa, located somewhere in Pasay. You get to shop at a huge array of seafood in different stalls. And then you'll get to choose the restaurant to cook it all for you.



My parents have been to this places many times while this was our first (Me, Anna, Happy & Mommy). I've never really had that interest when I was still back here. But since I was gone for years, my longing for fresh (and cheap) seafood was unimaginable. We can't get this sort of food back in SD unless we spend at least a $100 for a meal.



It was perfect timing too since my dad's side of the family were also here in PI for the holidays. We had a feast that night. I bet that they missed this more than we did since they came from Canada.



Everyone had a blast. The food was great, but since there were several restaurants in the area, you really can't tell which was the best one. But if you're really in for seafood, this would be the place to go. I would say that for a party of ten, you're looking towards spending $150-$200. Depends on the variety of food that you want to eat.

Mang Inasal

On our way to Manila we had to stop by on one of the gas stops by the expressway to have lunch.



Our choices were Jollibee, Chowking or Mang Inasal. It's either any of these three or another one for next 30 minutes or so. So we decided Mang Inasal since it's one of the three we haven't tried.



There weren't many choices and of course everything looked good/ok on the menu. Though small scale, I had high expectations since a lot of people were backing this statement up.



Alas, food was served... In tiny, dwarfed-sized portions! It tasted decent but nothing out of the ordinary. That would be the first and last time we'd eat Mang Inasal. If you want good Chicken Inasal, this is not the place to look for it. Sorry Mang Inasal, but you're officially crossed off our list.

really?

The day we're about to leave for PI, I decided I'd buy Nikon J1 for Anna. Huge mistake. Of course, we wanted the white version. Which apparently and oddly sold out in Best Buys and Targets in our area.



With a $600++ price tag, you'd think most people would rather go for an SLR since it is one of those hybrids that Sony came out with the NEX. I did try one on display stand, and I wasn't impressed since I'm already all too familiar with it's bigger half brother SLR, it did not appeal to me.

So I told Anna that her only hope would be to find one at our stop over in Incheon. I made it clear that if the SRP goes above $50, I wont buy her one.



We then arrived at Incheon 5AM and naturally most of the major shops don't open till 7AM. Our stop was only three hours which translates to an hour window to shop. Soon as the stores opened, we threaded the airport-mall-in-one from gate to gate. Luckily, we found a way better deal not offered anywhere in US -- read freebies: tripod, strap, nikon hot-stamped leather case, and extra wide lens! And yes, they have white in stock! Needless to say, i made the wife happy with her new toy.

We're goin home

All packed and ready to go.

Or make that "Semi-packed" and "ready to-go" with a question mark.



We're still out buying last minute stuff up to the wee hours. And we still had to go out and buy more stuff on our way to the airport.

Party 2011 - ICU style

Sharp ICU's Annual Christmas Party was again, a success. I was the "official" photographer and the moment we stepped in the venue, we were surprised by the sheer number of people present.



There maybe about 70% of the regular staff that were there and the rest are our co-workers in the hospital.



Everyone had a great time, especially the kids. Food was overflowing and the music was great.

Apple

Iphone 4s, Nano 6th gen and Steve Jobs book. The way to end the year.