The Catch-Up Storybook: November Food

It's been two weeks since my last post, and I've been at a loss for words over the amount of life I've been living. This month, I visited an art fair, celebrated Sandwich Day, attended a brunch party, tried new dishes and/or restaurants, styled another product shoot for the holidays, became a godmother for the fifth time, took a tap dance refresher and learned a new routine, hoarded Mario Kart toys, memorised lines for a corporate musical, and spent time at my best friend's going-away garage sale.

In my previous blog, I used post "storybooks," especially when photos could tell the stories   better than words in a short amount of time. Mostly, I made them to recap a trip, to show photos of food, scenery, people, years before the age of Facebook and Instagram. Now, I'll start a storybook series: pic-heavy and as word-sparse as I can manage. Catch up with me :)


November 3 - Sandwich Day at Mr. Graham's Sandwich Shop
#SandwichDay #MrGrahamsSandwichDay

On top of offering some of their sandwiches at Buy 1, Take 1, they had live performances by local singer-songwriters, and a sandwich eating contest. That last one must've been the highlight for me; we were all blown away when a professional competitive eater inhaled the 14" Cebuano (Lechon) Manwich in 1 minute and 13 seconds! 0_0 (Click the link to see his Facebook fan page, but I'm warning you, they videos are not for the queasy!)

It's International #Sandwich Day, and it's Buy 1 Take 1 on the Cebuano (lechon sandwich with pickled mangoes,) Submariner (fish on baguette,) and Sloppy G (beef patty with white sauce!) Free beer from 5:00 pm until supplies last, performances at 4:00 pm (Bullet Dumas 😍 Hello.) #MrGrahamsSandwichDay

A photo posted by Katherine (@kaichypoo) on Nov 2, 2015 at 9:53pm PST

November 4 - A Birthday Brunch

We surprised our Coffee Crew buddy on his 25th birthday, with a beautiful brunch spread by his wife: bagels, bacon, bananas, butter!

Breakfast is served 🍳🍞🍇🍓🍌🍼

A photo posted by Katherine (@kaichypoo) on Nov 3, 2015 at 5:14pm PST

November 5 - Long Overdue Date with my Barkada at Chelsea Kitchen, Eastwood
#LoveChelseaKitchen #RaintreeRestaurants

Chelsea Kitchen marquee

This raspberry-rosemary iced tea was a balm on that hot day

Crispy, light, perfectly seasoned Shiitake make these the healthiest chicharon you'll ever have

I couldn't decide if I liked the Peanut-Plum or the Basil, Cilantro, and Mint dressing more -- so I just enjoyed both with this CK Chicken Salad

My favorite dish from lunch was this Spicy Arrabbiata & Ricotta Cottage Cream Rigatoni. The tomato sauce was velvety smooth, the basil gave a fresh bite, and the ricotta balanced the heat

This hot tapa sandwich came with an Au Jus and Dijonaise, and the most flavourful caramelised onion "French Dip"

Something moist and salty sweet for dessert? Try the artisanal salted caramel cake

Chewy and filled with dulce de leche, these Donut Holes with a warm chocolate dip was perfect with my afternoon coffee

They offer Illy and Yardstick coffee, but I opted for the stronger Americano

November 9 - Artists' Buffet Spread at M Cafe
#LoveMCafe #RaintreeRestaurants

We had a gig for the company that I used to work for, and our holding area was at the Museum Cafe across from the venue. We love gigs that feed well!

Not sure if this semi-naked vegetable lumpia was from the M Cafe menu or Kabila's, but I loved its flavour and ingenuity

Not bacon bits, but bacon slabs on this creamy carbonara!

Steamed juicy Hainanese chicken...

... best paired with this fragrant Hainanese rice, and mixed in with ginger and chili condiments

With the iconic M of M Cafe

Post-show night cap with my favourite M Cafe cocktail, the Sunset Session: berries, lemongrass sake, chambord, dalandan

November 10 - Hors d'oeuvres after our show in Solaire
#Solaire #MomentsAtSolaire

I loved the selection they had from the smoked salmon bites, mini paté bruschetta, to the surf and turf skewers, and super cheesy spinach lasagna.

Grissini wrapped in parma ham, with grana shavings

They didn't scrimp on the imported scallops!

November 11 - Ooma Japanese Rice Bar at the Fashion Hall, Megamall 
#OomaJapaneseRiceBar #Ooma

I was shopping for a shoot, which brought me to Megamall after scouring two other places. Decided it was time to try this out, since we loved Sensei in the South so much. Sadly, the Gyudon and Ebi Tempura Maki were underwhelming; the former was served room temperature instead of warm (which I expected from a freshly steamed rice dish) and the latter didn't have much flavour. While we did like the Corn and Oyster Kakiage and its dipping sauce, it was not photogenic. 

Torched Scallop and Tuna Aburi Maki was the only thing we really liked

November 14 - Trying the New Caffè Pascucci, Robinson's Galleria
#Coffee #Caffe #Pascucci

Good coffee at Pascucci, Robinson's Galleria before a gig

Fil-Mex at Taco Vengo, Kapitolyo

#TacoVengo

Macho Nachos (?) with sous vide egg from Taco Vengo was just alright. Anna has been raving about their fish taco, but it was unavailable that night. Ended up getting the shrimp which was also just alright. Now I'm really curious about that fish taco, so it warrants a revisit.

November 18 - Breakfast Before Rehearsals at Ally's All-Day Breakfast

#Allys #AllDayBreakfast

Milky Strawberry 3-layer pancake stack from Ally's All Day Breakfast on Malingap St. reminded me that they have the best pancakes in the country: fluffy, soft, and melts in your mouth, absorbing everything you put on it. I still prefer their Tiramisu and Chocolate, though. We also tried the 3-cheese waffle, but it had nothing on Pancake House's.

November 19 - Podium Grub

Chicken and Pumpkin Waffle from Borough
#BoroughPodium

It doesn't look great, but this sweet tea infused fried chicken from Borough just made it to my top 5 fried chickens in Manila. The pumpkin waffle was a little bland, but was a good complement to the chicken; it would've been nice if the butter were more flavourful.

Green Mango Sorbet with Nam Prik (Thai Chili Sugar) by Sebastian's Ice Cream

#SebastiansIceCream #Artisanal #IceCream

Deliciously different: Green Mango Sorbet with Nam Prik (Thai Chili sugar.) I prefer this over the bagoong  variant from the ever inventive Sebastian's Ice Cream

What have you been eating lately? Leave me a comment or Tweet me on the sidebar and show me pictures!

Accepting the "Athlete"

When I think of the word "athlete," images of Olympic contenders would come to mind: lean, muscular, strong, and determined. I used to love watching all kinds of sports on TV, especially gymnastics, ice skating, tennis, and the NBA. My parents never pushed us girls toward sports, which had always been odd to me, considering how many basketball and tennis trophies my dad brought home and added to his collections stored in cabinets and displayed on our piano. It's a shame, because I was always full of energy, enjoying physical activities that not many girls in my school could relate to. 

I was the typical 90s kid who biked and rollerbladed around the village with my neighbourhood friends. I even had a street hockey phase, after The Mighty Ducks was released. I loved arm wrestling, and became embarrassingly infamous for the game called, "Mercy!" In grade school, my classmates would set up challenges for me, like pushing rows of lockers across the hall. While many dreaded PE class, I looked forward to playing Filipino games like patintero, and later on basketball, softball, and table tennis. Despite all that, I was a fat kid; and I don't mean chubby, I was obese. 

That was me at 136 lbs, and with a rat?! on my lapel

On my freshman year of high school, I was 5 feet tall and weighed 136 pounds. I used to eat plates full of rice at every meal, and snarled when told to eat less. How I eventually lost all the weight is a different story for another time, but I wanted to give a short background on why I'm so incredulous to be the "Featured Athlete" on my CrossFit gym's website this month. I never thought I'd ever be considered an athlete in this lifetime; but by definition, I guess I could credit myself with this title by the way I've been living the past year. I've been working out by lifting and doing some gymnastics at least 3 times a week, and I have a more conscious effort to eat better every day (but I have to admit, this continues to be the struggle!) I even joined a competition to experience CrossFit as a sport, which I mentioned briefly here. So while it may seem shallow to some, I'm more than tickled by this recognition. I'm proud of how actively I've reversed my health and fitness by the choices I've been making, and plan on continuing to make the right choices as I get older.

Definition from Google: proficient in (...) physical exercise

"Kaye, our morning crew resident, CrossFit choreo pioneer, and a CFGH athlete in the recent Manila Throwdown Team Qualifier scaled edition has come a long way here at CrossFit Greenhills. She’s a Speech-Language Pathologist, a performer with the Ryan Cayabyab Singers, a freelance writer, and an event host by profession. Talking about #NoExcuses with her hectic career and busy life, she’s managed to put in consistent work here at the box for over a year now! She’s definitely much stronger and fitter now than the day she first started."

Read more of my feature here.  

To anyone who is still fighting fat, I encourage you to keep on going. Start with small changes, like eating less carbs and brisk walking for 30 minutes, and you will feel the benefits of a healthier body. I'm positive you will surprise yourself, just as my own capabilities continue to surprise me!


CrossFit Greenhills 

Address: 4th Floor Intrawest Centre,
33 Annapolis, San Juan, 1504,
Metro Manila, Philippines

Landline: (02) 7289730

Mobile: (+63) 9178218848

Halloween: Treats and Treats

I love Halloween. 

When I was a kid, my sister and I used to go trick-or-treating around our village. I remember I usually got so much candy from those to last me an entire year (though the best chocolate bars would be gone within a week!) I don't remember dressing up back then, though I found this photo of me and my sisters recently.

I'm a witch, @karentiuseco a clown, and @ktiuseco a skinny Ate. What randomness. #nationalsiblingsday #nsb

A photo posted by Katherine (@kaichypoo) on Apr 11, 2015 at 5:37am PDT

For thirteen years or so, my friends and I dressed up and went trick-or-treating at one of the private villages in our city, where one of us lived. In the beginning, we used to show up in whatever we had wanted; but during and after our college years, we came up with fun themes like Geeks, Cartoon Characters, Nationalities, and Crayola (these were the most recent that I remember.) That fizzled a few years ago when our host moved to Paris. Boohoo. Now, only our friends with children keep the tradition alive.

I even made us Mario and Yoshi costumes for 2010

So I was thrilled when I had the opportunity to dress up at last year's Halloween party at my home box, CrossFit Greenhills. I went as Nikki Minaj, another pink-haired friend went as Katy Perry, I hung out with a Starbucks frappe, and one of my favourites was a very convincing Beetlejuice! 

I even choreographed a short Thriller copycat!




This year, I'll be missing all the festivities because of a gig out of town (I'm not complaining, work is good!) I'm just a little bummed I won't be able to join our box's party, and some of these special promos and events in the city.

First, the Pumpkin Spice macarons are back for a limited time. Its warm and earthy orange hues give me the feeling of autumn, even in the Philippines. I love these pumpkin shaped, cinnamon-spice filled cookies; and this year, you can get one for free when you buy the Ghost Fluff. What is ghost fluff? It's a 3-layer moist chocolate cake with salted caramel ganache, coated in ghost fluff, errr, I mean marshmamaw... I mean marshmallow! I've had it, and it was everything it said it would be. I especially loved the texture of the salted caramel, a little chewy and nougatine. If you come in costume on the 31st, you also get a free treat. 

Mrs. Graham's Cafe
51-C Scout Rallos, Quezon City
Facebook: facebook.com/MrsGrahamsCafe/
Instagram: @MrsGrahamsCafe

In another part of the city, a different kind of Halloween will be celebrated with Trick or Turtles. There will be a reading of a new book out called, "The Legend of Juan Pawikan and the 7,107 Islands" to promote marine conservation and sea turtle awareness. Guests are encouraged to come in ocean/sea-themed costumes, and there will be art activities, games, and prizes. If you want your kids to get all the fun that comes with Halloween, but with an educational twist, you wouldn't want to miss this. The event is hosted by Celine Fabie, sea turtle advocate and creator of Juan Pawikan.

October 31, Saturday
3:00 pm
Powerbooks, Greenbelt 4
Facebook Event: Trick Or Turtles
Instagram and Twitter: @JuanPawikan
#AMarineKindofHalloween

I hope everyone has a memorable Halloween for the books!

Forgive Like Animals

There is often a negative connotation when people are likened to animals. In Filipino, it is an insult when you're told, "Hayup ka!" I wonder if this thinking is rooted in the primal nature of animals, because I can't find any other reason why they would deserve that undertone. 

My dogs, for example, as my biggest and most constant exposure to animals, have more wonderful traits that some humans lack: simplicity, loyalty, kindness, empathy, sensitivity.

Negatives, brothers from another mother. #Bruce #Kani #sharpei #labrador

A photo posted by Katherine (@kaichypoo) on Jun 4, 2015 at 2:58am PDT

These total opposites - black & white, aloof & goofy - have a love for each other that looks beyond fights over food and attention, and a love for me that holds no grudges and can fix all wrongs with a happy wag of a tail or a lick on the hand. 

A photo posted by Katherine (@kaichypoo) on Feb 13, 2014 at 1:54am PST

This morning, Bruce, my black Sharpei, didn't finish his food. Kani, my labrador, saw his dish and started chowing down on it. Bruce got mad, and bit Kani in the ear to try to keep  him away; but Kani had started to stand over the dish, growling territorially. Their little riff last about 2 minutes, even as we tried to pull them apart, but finally Bruce backed down. Upon inspection, I saw drops of blood on the floor and saw that Bruce had bitten Kani quite hard, leaving 5 punctures in his ear. We brought Bruce out of the house momentarily, while I dressed Kani's wounds. 

Within minutes, Bruce had knocked on the door to be let back in (yes, he knocks.) We were wary at first, not knowing if the fight would continue; but I was touched to see them both walk toward each other. Bruce sniffed Kani, and Kani started to lick his face repeatedly. They continued to do this, walking slightly around each other, for about a minute, until it seemed they had made their peace.

How wonderful it must be to forgive like them, bearing no grudges, ready to reconcile and forget the past within 5 minutes. So while I see where the negative connotations come from (they did fight and bite first,) I want to recognise that there is more good in animals than some realise.

Not sure who's taking who for a walk. Enjoy your Sunday! #Kani #Bruce #dogs

A video posted by Katherine (@kaichypoo) on Aug 10, 2013 at 7:57pm PDT

A Night of A Capella: Akapela Open 2015

Taken from the Akapela Open Twitter account

The Akapela Open is a contemporary a cappella singing competition, created by the Music School of Ryan Cayabyab (TMSRC.) It has clearly promoted a cappella music and performance since its inception, because the contestants at last night's finals were of a much higher caliber. Still held at the Meralco Theater on its third year (the event is sponsored by the One Meralco Foundation,) the house was teeming with a cappella lovers before the show started. 

The Part 4, a male quartet who were all scholars of the TMSRC, kicked off the evening with introductions and a medley of songs that, in retrospect, were some of the songs sung by the contestants that evening. It provided an overture for the rest of the night; and they sounded so good, they got me rightfully excited for the finalists' presentations.

Part 4: hosts, singers, comedians

I'm not sure if my memory serves me right, but I recognised 6 out of the 10 groups' names, meaning they had already participated in the previous years. I was disappointed that some groups were missing from the line-up (like my friends from 1415, who bagged the Best Vocal Arrangement and 2nd Runner-Up in 2013,) but I had some of my other favorites in the competition that I was still rooting for. 

Waiting for the show to begin

The finalists, in the order that they performed, were D' Mortal Instruments, 10,000, Mouthfools, Voices, Five Percent, Acapellago, Iskala, G Harmonic, Pinopela, and Dynamix. I commend all the groups who joined, because I know that a cappella isn't easy. It takes a lot of time to arrange a piece, learn an individual part, color it with different vocal productions, then try to make sense of it all when the group comes together. It sounds like a lot of work, and it is; but the pay-off is euphoric, at least for me. Maybe that's why I've joined choirs since I was a child, attempted to form singing groups with high school classmates, trained and toured with the University of the Philippines Concert Chorus for most of my college life, enjoyed singing stints with a handful of friends, and eventually ended up singing professionally with the Ryan Cayabayab Singers. It's no exaggeration when I say that I feel closer to God when I sing in beautiful harmony with other people. That's why I think everyone last night was already a winner even before the show began. They had already accomplished so much in preparing for that endeavour. 

Loved these girls in pink from Voices

That said, it was still a competition, and it was evident who were confident in their craft the moment the first notes were sung. Un/fortunately, every detail that they decided to showcase affected their entire package, from choice of songs, clarity, and costumes, to blocking and choreography; if those things complemented their talents, then this allowed the groups to shine. The downside is that those who sang arrangements that were too complex for their level, wore ill-fitting or uncomfortable clothing, or those that attempted choreography but were awkward in its execution could not be ignored either. 

This year, one requirement was to sing a song from the Philippine Popular Music Festival's (Philpop) repertoire. There were duplicates in their choices, with Joey Ayala's "Papel," Thyro and Yumi's "Triangulo," and Jungee Marcelo's "Salbabida" performed twice each. I loved the simplicity of Voices' "Pansamantagal," which suited their pretty-in-pink ladies so well. There were fun parts in G Harmonic's "Musikaw," especially the rap and the fade out before the final chorus. Pinopela's "Salbabida" with it's wide chords and long vowels was so broad, thick, and powerful; and Acapellago's "Triangulo" really knew how to build a climax with that no-beatbox break. I liked how Dynamix's arrangement of "Papel" was so fresh and inventive (though it reached a point when it deviated too much from the original for my taste.) These were the arrangements that stood out for me, for no reason other than it matched their capacity to execute; and I think this is something that future contenders should consider from the very start. 

Thyro & Yumi singing "Dati" for the intermission

I was betting on the same winners, though I wanted Pinopela to place first runner up. There was something about their classiness that just permeated throughout their music and movements. They stuck to blockography, ditching the fancy dance moves, but they walked with such confidence that every formation appeared grand. What I liked about Dynamix, whose style and fondness for the semi-chromatic harmonic runs (much like Pentatonix) was that they knew how to play with their voices to imitate instruments for the back-up parts. They also live up to their name, and manage their dynamics really well, swelling and hushing in perfect sync. 

Pinopela in clean pantsuits

The champs: Acapellago

But winners are winners for a reason. Acapellago had everything a contemporary a cappella group should have: excellent musicality, creativity in their arrangements, soloists with limitless vocal abilities, sensitivity to their group's balance, energy, flair, and character! The beatboxing gave just the right percussive depth to their songs, an amazingly accurate likeness to real drums. All the singers fit like pieces of a puzzle, properly indistinguishable as individual voices, until the need to provide an extra pop or element of surprise. Lastly, that tenor soloist. He was oozing with personality, from the tips of his curly hair right down to his fingertips. You know that saying, "Anything a man can do, a woman can do better?" Well, this guy makes me think, "Anything a woman can do, a fabulous gay guy can do better!" 

In the end, I only wish they'd figure out how to get the results out faster; because while the crowd enjoyed the antics of Part 4, there was a palpable drop in attention and excitement when it took more than 30 minutes to announce the winners. Despite that, I think the audience expected who would finish on the podium, and it was a joyful end for everyone on and off stage. As Acapellago reprised their performance, enjoining the contestants to snap and clap behind them, everybody sang along and just had fun -- which is what the Akapela Open is all about.

Reprise of "Burlesque," all the finalists snapping behind them

If you're interested in joining next year's Akapela Open, visit their website www.akapelaopen.com and "like" their Facebook page to be notified on the call for auditions. The grand prize this year was P300,000.00, and P150,000.00 and P100,000.00 for the 1st and 2nd runners up. P30,000.00 was awarded to all finalists, with special prizes from PLDT Telpad, and a People's Choice Award.

Quit the "Versus:" Fitness is Personal

I just read something that left me feeling sore. The head of a particular gym compared his fitness program with CrossFit, in the guise of clarifying certain points on what makes the two different. He might have written this with good intentions; he even peppered his article with apologetic disclaimers, but unfortunately this came off slightly patronizing instead of sincere. While the author tried to be careful with his phrasing, he did not avoid making negative implications regarding the "competing brand."

I'm not against making comparisons, but before anyone does it and posts it on an official website, I think their opinion had better be substantiated. He kept repeating the noncommittal statement, "there are good boxes, and there are bad boxes;" but the way I read it is he made all his comparisons based on the best features of his advocated program against the most ill-rumored features of CrossFit. How can you compare something with a bad version of another? If he really meant to differentiate the two, he would've been better off presenting the definition of CrossFit and have made an easy, objective point without defaulting to his biased views.

If we're going to compare fitness programs to find out which will be better suited to our interests and goals, then by all means break down the components and find the advantages of each. Comparing fitness programs to one-up another, or to attract clientele by posting uninformed claims about the other, is not a classy move. It's definitely not befitting of the motivational community he is professing to belong to. 

The fact of the matter is we should support all sorts of fitness, if it gets more people living more active, healthier lifestyles. Fitness is personal, and something that each individual should be able to incorporate into their day-to-day. In effect, there is no hard ranking of what is better than the other, nor should that be the focus. Whether people choose boxing over HIIT, long distance running over tennis, or circuit over CrossFit -- if they love it and do it regularly, that is already better than doing nothing. 

Bright and Jazzy Weekend

This weekend has been gloomy on many fronts, so I welcomed some new distractions. Mom was in Osaka for a few days, and I asked her to visit some of the craft stores mentioned on I Try DIY's guide. I was so relieved that she was able to fly back in this morning, unaffected by Typhoon Lando's havoc; and it was like waking up on Christmas day, with her hoarded goods laid out on a table. She brought home Royce' (not enough!) the strange but delicious square persimmons that I love, a designer bag for herself, and a mountain of cosmetics. She also bought some USB-powered reading lamps, and she was so cute when she happily showed them to me. She scored these calligraphy holsters and nibs, Copic pens, and Kuretake brush pens for much cheaper, that I almost couldn't believe the conversion!

Calligraphy nibs, holsters, Copic pens, Kuretake brush pens, music note puncher

A photo posted by Katherine (@kaichypoo) on Oct 20, 2013 at 6:08pm PDT

Before I can get around to playing with those, I've been taking a break from drawing, and pretty much everything else, because I'm speed learning a couple of songs for gigs next week. I'm both excited and freaking out (more of the freaking out!) that I'll be performing with Baihana to sub for their alto. I absolutely love and look up to these girls, who sing harmonies so seamlessly, in their signature bebop/swing/big band jazz. Every free moment of this weekend has been spent trying to sight read their pieces, and then attempting to sing along with their recordings. Not yet there, but I will get there. Maybe tomorrow.

Learning jazz pieces for Baihana (c)