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.

Art Fair!

This past weekend, Dane County's farmers' market was displaced by the Madison MOCA's art fair. [Where did the market go to?] After the "stuffed" French toast at Come Back In, a few others and I strolled around the art fair grounds and toasted under the sun.

Uber cool, yes? If you looked close enough, the painting was comprised of pages from different novels.
I do love me my spooning...
Yup yup.
And there was food, my natural magnet.
There was a Mediterranean dessert stand I quickly descended upon as soon as I saw someone walking by with a gigantic piece of baklava. The coil-like pastry on top is a "diple." I scrutinized the dessert sign and kept rereading "diple," thinking I should probably pronounce it "die-pul" (i.e. long "i") because I'd probably make some smart giggly face if I called it a "dipple." (heheh)
Verbatim exchange at the Mediterranean cart:
Hungry Kat: Hi, I'll have a slice of the baklava, the cinammon cookie, and a.. a... uh, 'die-pul.'
Sweet vendor woman: Hah, it's okay, it's a 'dipple.'
Hungry Kat: ::smart giggly face::

Food and reproductive organs will always get the best of me.

Food surrounding the drinks

Drunken Crepe, meet Hungover French Toast. Considering your provenance is shared, perhaps you two will get along just fine.

I don't know where I got this, but I know it's from some place by the Capitol. Extra buttery crepe, tasty whipped cream, awesome coffee (I think the first cup I've ever been able to stand without cream or sugar).
"Stuffed" French toast from Come Back In. While I like their $1-drink special for weekend brunch, this French toast was far from stuffed. The menu said, "Cream cheese, pecans, and cinnamon." I had one pecan in one piece out of five. 0_0 Dog danglies to you, Come Back In!

Make my mornings, would ya?

For a day like today (i.e. first day of the second semester of SEASSI... ::ahem ahem::), an overload of oatmeal may just be my panacea. This morning, I tried boiling my oats solely in milk (dahil, may butt-load na gatas ako), and they came out creamy but undercooked. I've been interested in trying Steep & Brew's oatmeal, because they have flavors and mix-ins like chai, chocolate chips, walnuts, and honey. For an oatmeal addict like myself, who could pass up something like that?

Apparently, you get a choice of two mix-ins and one sweetener. I had the chocolate chips (mini, at that!) and banana with their homemade (or would it be "cafemade"?) whipped cream. I'm totally going back for more because this fattie bowl (hah) was only $1.80. I'm not a big fan of how they microwave their oats, but it'll do considering a day like this.

Oatmeal OD to ensue..