Hm...

I think I may be out of food photos...

Well, I'm actually never out of food photos! But, I think this blog should end now, considering I'm back from Madison already! I don't know why I can't believe I spent the last two and a half months in a land-locked state or even spent four+ hours a day learning Filipino. I feel like I was living in a happy bubble while in Madison, one in which personal drama was absent and clarity burgeoned.

I think I'm still that anxious, wannabe-academic that lives all her life in extremes and at those polar ends, learns more about complacent mediums and moderates.

And after learning about them?

Well, I scurry on over to another extreme and create another comfortable niche... with a few gray spots for sanity's sake. :)


Toodles!... Until next summer?

The Cabana Room?

I know the upstairs and downstairs of this place have different names, but I'm going to think we all ate at the Cabana Room for Colleen's departure partay.

Now, who doesn't love Brazilian food?

The ever familiar pao de queijo with a tangy salsa and cilantro blend

Beans and rice burrito aside a salad with great mango dressing. The burrito was practically rice with rice ::thumbs down:: Everything else made up for this drawback, though. :0)

Five Guys

I had Five Guys twice over the summer after Stef and Bryan recommended their fries. I associate the struggle to remember 100 Filipino vocab words with this place... not sure why?

And yes, they make a damn good burger. Though a little more expensive that In-N-Out, Five Guys does provide a super juicy patty on an even better bun. Sexy!

Coffee shops, please!

One of my favorite things about some Madison cafes is their nifty tea bags. In addition to caffeine, these little fellas pepped up my morning to the point of no return. This is Fair Trade's 5-Spice Chai tea (with a bit of honey + half and half). I miss these, but I'll surely find them some place else.

After the storm!

We all had to celebrate the completion of SEASSI some way, so for me:

awesome sangria from the Orpheum theatre restaurant

and Thea's SoCo num-nums.. check out the alligator sausage! NOM!!

Rising Suns Deli

Even though Rising Suns had the most discouraging pho I've ever had, they serve other items that are tasty and tummy-warming (and not heart-burning!...hahah..ahh..no?)

This is their catfish cake thing with eggs and stuff (like the description so far?) and yummy miscellany. Bryan and I shared this one afternoon, and there was a bone hiding in part of Bryan's slice. Magingat!

Rising Suns's lunch special perked up my impression of the restaurant, especially when I found out that they serve khai palo or what I would consider to be a member of my Top 15 Favorite Dishes list.

*still can't believe I was in Madison for the summer. so surreal now*

I'm back in LA

but I still have plenty of posting to do...

BUT FIRST!

This is awesome: "Asia-Pacific youth seek say in HIV policies"

"Ago Moccoro, 18, from Philippines, said the Universal Declaration of Human Rights stated that all people had a fundamental right to life, health, livelihood and dignity. These rights needed to be respected, protected and fulfilled for all young people, including but not limited to street children, young people who injected drugs, lesbian and transgender young people and young people living or born with HIV."

::grateful exhale::

This made my day!!!

"Same blue dye in M&Ms linked to reducing spine injury"

"Only side effect of intravenous injection was that it turned test rats blue"
::squeal!!::

Not So Pho

Rising Suns Deli, the Thai-Lao restaurant on State St., serves pho in addition to other delicious items. I actually haven't tried their other items (with the exception of their papaya salad) because for my first outing, I decided to get the pho, which was... confusing.

I probably should have gone for something more Thai or Lao-ish.
Perhaps if they hadn't call it pho, I would have liked it more. Forgive me for my high expectations, Rising Suns, I've got memories of Pho 97, Tina Dinh, and Hanoi on mah mind.

Oh, a post-filled day

An uplifting read: "Pinoy missionary preaches condom use in Cambodia"

"'Personally for me it is not a betrayal of my religion. People are dying so how do you protect them? Of course we teach them to abstain or be faithful but if you have a husband who is already infected and the wife is not infected, how can they have sex if they don't have protection? You cannot risk infecting your spouse with HIV just because the Church doesn't allow condoms.'"

Now that's an amen and a half. :D

It's about time I do one of these again...

During Ajarn Susan Kepner's retirement party, Ajarn shared one of her "How to Lead a Happy Life" tips: make a list of the things (concrete or abstract) you are grateful for and keep adding to it whenever you get the chance. This allows you to reflect on those simpler (or more complex, if you like) joys sa buhay mo. I did this a few times while I was in Southeast Asia and once last fall, and I think it's about time I take another crack at that list... Madison style. ::cue the "ooo"::

Things that perk up my spirits here in the Midwest:
- the thought of my hilarious family in Los Angeles
- my mga kamag-anak in the Philippines
- the fancy tea bags from Espresso Royale and Fair Trade Coffee
- Espresso Royale's vanilla tea
- the cafe discounts my cat tumbler accrues
- Ginang Alona's work as a sexual health educator in Quezon City
- a happy/chatty/comedic Bryan
- the thought of the next five and half months
- SEASSI Filipino folks' smiles and laughter
- the Dane County Farmers' Market [hot cheese bread, please]
- independence, motivation, passion
- my morning oatmeal, granola/yogurt
- "I live for these moments" moments

ah...

King of Falafel still owns

Madison's summer is tricky. Towards the beginning of the program, we were encountering humidity, sun sun sun, and a trickle o' rain. These days, the humidity has lessened, and the rain abounds (..eh, somewhat). This weather is probably more bearable than L.A.'s arid, summertime heat, but I don't know how well it's preparing me for Manila. @_@

However, regardless of the weather I'm in, I'm always in the mood for Mediterranean food [see: Kat hordes fiber in all forms]. I live across the street from King of Falafel [see: "Holy crap, I love their baklava" post] and have so far been impressed with their treats. So yesterday, Bryan and I went out for a late lunch and I must say, never have I ever enjoyed soup so much.

A side of their red lentil soup.
I would go back just for this! Believe me, that's a lot coming from my end; I usually gloss over the soup section of a menu with a bacchanalian guffaw. The additional cilantro also hit the spot... the S spot, that is! [Okay, corny.. hahah]

Pita with spicy falafel, hummus, and yogurt sauce on the side.
Spicy, indeed! The hummus had a bit of an aftertaste I wasn't too fond of, but it had been a while since I had falafel last, so I was a happy with whatevaaa.

Now, have you ever heard of the McFalafel?!

Once more before I go? Yes yes yes.

Because I love my kuya..

mabait: nice, kind
mapagmahal: loving
napakatamad: like Kamille :)

Ang aking buhay ay maganda. Salamat sa inyong lahat.

The 90 (or 94?) W

Pft, I ain't listenin' to no sign!
::intentional swerve::

It's been a while

Shared dreams are mighty convenient conversation starters, continuers, and never-enders.

Oh, Cali

Way to take the initiative, Oakland marijuana dispensaries! Efforts like these make me rest a little more comfortably because, ideally, this would mean less skimming (even if it's just a tad) from other great service programs out there.

"Our Swords" ni Band of Horses. mmm

Pangalawang Check-In

I love big cities.

But I love other places, too.

I'm starting to think my five-month sabbatical this fall will be even longer if I continue to enjoy places outside of Berkeley. Therefore, my re-admit form is a must [promise!] so I don't run off to somewhere else and mark my territory with Kat pee.

I'm truly grateful for coming out here and learning new things about myself, other fantastically interesting people, and the limitless enjoyments I seek or that come my way. As I told Toria, I'm not "100% back" because there are memories of a time before that press deep into my shoulders. But with time being the salve it is, I'm certain I'll be one-zero-zero soon enough.

Chicago's Chinatown

Per Steph and Kimler's recommendation, I checked out Chicago's Chinatown with glee and a gigantor appetite. We met up with Thea's friends at one of the many dim sum spots, and I ate anything I could purchase with my metal, paper, and plastic.

We stopped by a bakery, and I found these fellas hangin' out on a shelf. They're pork sesame cookies.
Yup, pork sesame cookies.
Char siu + lighty sweetened pastry + sesame seeds = I hope I can find this elsewhere.
Durian-filled pastry atop a red bean-filled one. Itty bitty red bean mooncake to the right. =)
Tofu fa FTW.
Yummy goodies.
One of my favorites: cheong fun with a delectable doughnut inside
Coconut jelly with whole red beans ^_^

That Sunday morning filled my stomach with comfort and satisfaction. FAP, you are redeemed.

After dim sum, we made our way to a candy store to satiate our perpetually youthful taste buds.

Friggin' huge haw flakes. Remember these from way back when?
Honestly, I got this for the packaging.

But the teeny chocolate bits still tasted good!
PUSH! - CAP! - EAT!
[Talk about violent instructions...] :)

Chicago Onlys

I definitely visited Chicago with a Food Action Plan. I took my FAP (hahah) to recommended spots and prepared myself to enjoy some blessed Chicago nummies.

[Poor lighting!]
A carne asada taco from La Pasadita. For only $2.00, these tacos were pleasing, but the meat was a little dry and lacked the in-your-face flavors of the King Taco (SoCal) variety.
For Chicago-style pizza, many a person recommended Gino's, which wasn't too far from our hotel .
My angelic cannoli. I've never had a cannoli with sweetened pistachios, so I was surprised by how well the ricotta blended with 'em. There were chocolate chips in it, too! YUM.
[More bad lighting!]
So maybe my hopes were too high. Maybe I assumed there could be no other pizza that could hold a candle to a slice of deep-dish straight from Chicago.
Alas, I was not impressed. =(
The pizza crust was a thicker version of normal pie crust, which I liked; but there was something else missing. Gobs of cheese? Eternal love?
And dare I say it?!
I think Zachary's in the Bay Area is better. [Death threats a la Gino's! Eek!]
On Saturday evening, we visited Under Dogg off (or on?) Damen or what Allan would consider "the Telegraph Street of Chicago."
This is their Char-Dog with all the condiments thrown on for you. Again, a tepid reaction on my part. ::sigh::

Now, don't get me wrong, I like practically everything I eat, but nothing from the FAP got my foodie juices flowing. However, Chicago's Chinatown may have provided some redemption. Stay tuned, friends.

Pitchfork, Hipster Breeding Ground

They was poppin' outta thin air!

The main reason we made a trek out to Chicago was to attend the Friday and Saturday sets for the Pitchfork Music Festival. No doubt, this festival was quite different from Miami's UMF and considering I wasn't familiar with many of the bands, I thought of the festival as an "exploratory" one of sorts.

We took the L (is that what it's called?) over to Union Park. Abundant BART nostalgia followed.

Then people went all kinds of crazy.
To date, the healthiest music festival food I've ever had.
Most of the food vendors set up for Saturday and Sunday, but there was a happenin' Whole Foods stand on Friday that sold many malinamnam items. Ito ay guacamole at pita chips.

I just wanted a photo of Bertha.
Built to Spill, I theenk. [Friday]
Final Fantasy [Saturday]

Sa palagay ko, UMF > Pitchfork, but I'm in a different pool of water these days- a pool better suited for the happies.

Chicago!

Posts tungkol sa Chicago are a-comin'!
But first...
Stuffed things from one of the larger tents at the Pitchfork Music Festival sa Union Park..
a muffin monster..
and oatmeal from Steep & Brew (just 'cause).
Honey + cinnamon + chai powder
I don't think the barista was very pleased when I ordered this at 5:00 in the afternoon, so he kinda threw everything together. Myeh.

"Atmospheric Conditions" ni Beck
Good night, folks :)

Food > A lot of other things

Kailangan kong maghersisiyo dahil kumakain ako sa buong araw. I do, I so do.

But it's so worth it! Shall I list the reasons why I snack so frequently?
1. Snacking keeps your metabolism up and consistent throughout the day
2. It keeps me from over-stuffing my face during lunch/dinner (i.e. eating to the point of tummy aches, which is what I tend to do)
3. I like my snacks, foo'.
4. At this point, anything to keep me alert from 8am-12pm...
5. And as my tatay would say, "Steak, eggs, cheese, and butter make a healthy brain." [Um.. maraming salamat po, pero...] You get the idea ;)

The Burger from The Old Fashioned. [Two burgers for $5.95 on Mondays.. not bad, huh?]
Good quality with yummy roasted garlic sauce on the side.
Lightly battered cheddar cheese curds.
Unlike their more heavily abused counterparts, these had just the right amount of crunch and sass. Cheese curds will be the death of me out here.
My lunch for today: a combination of the Jamaican cart's jerk tofu and mango-something-or-other tofu [awesome!], which Thea successfully requested on my behalf with her sexual prowress.

also, A Conversation with the Nanay:

"Wala kang boypren, okey??"
"Oo, pero, buntis ako."
"!#$%@#%$"
"Oy! I meant, busog ako kaya may malaking tiyan ako. Kumain ako ng sinigang!"
"Hoy! Wala nang seks! Wala nang seks! May seks ka ba?! Ha?!"
"Oh jeez. Hindi!"

A Personal Check-In

After being out in Madison for over a month now, I'm more keen to the idea of leaving California for other cities in the U.S. Of course, Madison is its own microcosm within a tornado-prone, Midwestern state, but I'm enjoying my pace of life out here and the yummy cafes that abound. I don't think the winter would be very forgiving of my thinned-out blood, but the summer is giving mostly positive returns. Also, starting out alone doesn't mean you end up the same way.

I'll hopefully come to a similar conclusion after some time in Quezon City. :)

Co-Ops and Burgers

I'd like to go back to Willy Street Co-Op for some of their produce and grain deals. I still have a crap-ton of oatmeal, though, so I don't have a valid excuse to go =X. It's also a bit of a walk to the co-op, but I think it's worth it. [Seriously, all my money goes to food. Pero, gusto kong bumili isang pamburol para sa taginit!]

Look! They sell chunks of energy, which were right by the heaps of joy and piles of happiness.
These reminded me of rat food one can find at a pet store.
[Note: Don't buy rat food from the pet store! High corn content = carcinogens for the ratties! I'd be happy to furnish a recipe for homemade rat mix :)]
Culver's Frozen Custard ButterBurgers
Following my trip to the co-op with Bryan, Dan, Nick, and I drove to New Glarus to visit the New Glarus Brewing Company. Hangover, meet Brewery!
We stopped by Culver's on the way to try to their mythical "ButterBurgers."
Okay, this isn't their ButterBurger; it's their turkey BLT. I must admit, it kinda gave me a headache. Was it the butter? Was it the mayo? Was it the fast-food-but-not-really-'cause-they-bring-the-food-to-you effect?
I cannot say.

Chocolates on Main St.

On our way to Genna's for their free-food happy hour, Neal, Bryan, and I stopped to check out the bourgie goodies at this one cafe on Main. I don't remember reading the name of the place, but they carry gelato, have an espresso bar, and serve up an array of decadent chocolates. Neal was kind enough to buy a round for all of us, so we got these gems:

They do look like gems, don't they?
I had the lychee-orange white chocolate thing (hah). Neal had the cajun chocolate, and Bryan, the... green... ginger?.. no, not ginger... something or other. =D
Ever so tasty! But for $2.00 a go, I'll stick with oatmeal.