NO·KNEE·TOE

My friend Junne and I decided to have a late lunch in Beni's Falafel, and on our way to Malate to sample the famous Erra's 50-peso streetside ramen, we decided to drop by Hole in the Wall to check out what all the fuss was about. 

Hole in the Wall is only in its soft opening, and it only runs from 5PM to 10PM for now. It opened two weeks ago in late October, and some of the stalls are not fully functional yet. However, one can already see a huge following for his novel concept's great execution. There are long queues to some of the stalls, and most of the tables in the dining areas were occupied during our visit. 

The concessionaires that are up and running in the food hall are the following: 

1. Green Cheese 

Green Cheese is a purveyor of Japanese cheesecakes. I sampled some of the cheesecakes that they were selling and the ones that I have tried had a creamy, light texture, which is perfect for Japanese-style cheesecakes. They charming lady a the counter told me that they bake their goodies in-store daily, so as to guarantee freshness. I'm not a big fan of cheesecakes, but I think this was a pretty good and fluffy cheesecake that i can surely come back to for when a hankering for something sweet and cheesy strikes.

2. Spruce 

For health buffs out there, Spruce sells cold-pressed organic juices and beverages. If you are too lazy to squeeze or juice your own greens and fruits, this is the place for you. They will also sell fresh salads and nibbles.

3. Tiny Duchess Sweet & Savory Eclairs 

This place was an unexpected discovery. 

I was snapping pictures of the handsome interiors when Junne wandered off to look for something to munch on. I found her gushing about Tiny Duchess' eclairs, and how she found salmon and wasabi ones that she was dying to try. We decided to split the dainty bite-sized morsels among ourselves and seconds later, we were both moaning with pleasure. The salmon in the creamy mayo filling was subtle, with a very light wasabi kick to cut the richness. It was so good we went back for a bigger, man-sized hunk of salmon eclair. My goodness, was that a sexual salmon experience! 

The green tea and chocolate eclair was a little too chocolatey for my taste, but it was pwede na. I was expecting a bit more of the matcha taste but it came up short in that department. Still, it wasn't such a bad eclair. 

4. Kwong's

Kwong's is branded as Hole in the Wall's take on Binondo-style comfort food. Junne and I didn't get a chance to sample some of their offerings, but they do have dumplings, noodles and all that jazz. Their menu boasts of a truffle siomai and some sinful-looking Chinese-style chicken wings. This should be good for my second time in the Hole.

5. Posporo 

Posporo wasn't open when we visited, but I heard from Oya, the Hole's PR Manager, that the stall's concept is of an upscale turo-turo which will feature Filipino carinderia classics, such as savory dishes, saucy viands and familiar Pinoy fare. (Posporo's booth is right next to Kwong's. You can see a bit of their storefront in the picture above).

6. Scout's Honor 

Scout's Honor takes cookies to a different level. Here, you can conceptualize your own cookie creation by choosing your cookie dough, toppings and flavors and they will bake it for you. I wasn't down for anything super sweet, so I decided to save it for another visit. The menu is intriguing, with Thin Mints and Matcha Sesame flavors that piqued my curiosity. They also sell milk in charming little carafes. How cute! 

7. Mister Delicious 

Mister Delicious hawks hearty sandwiches featuring their head chef's specialty pastrami and corned beef. They will also sell craft beer and other filling grub. The sleek and polished concept is so photogenic. The stall is a bit unnoticeable because it is in the far corner of the food hall, but I bet people will start flocking to it when word about their sandwiches gets around. I have yet to try this one, too, so remind me to save a lot of space for a good reuben next time.

8. Bad Bird

Easily the crowd favorite even at this early point, Bad Bird has the longest queue among the other stores. The comforting smells of fried chicken, waffles and corn permeate the air around the booth, and the eager crowds fidget and crane their heads over to see the action in the open kitchen. I braved the long line and waited 15 minutes for an order of Southern Fried Chicken a-la-carte (a huge quarter portion of thigh attached to the breast), kimchi coleslaw, and corn on the cob slathered generously with butter, a spice rub and katsuoboshi (bonito flakes).

The long line, the stack of tickets being run back and forth from the cashier to the kitchen, and the appetizing golden brown color of the fried chicken set my expectations really high.

I wasn't disappointed. I was blown away by the perfect consistency of the skin, the juiciness and the flavor of the flesh, and the lightness and moisture of the meat. It wasn't greasy and heavy in terms of mouthfeel. The umami was definitely present, and it was a pleasant kick to the saltiness and the crunch of the breading. The side dishes were a revelation. I'm afraid this is going to be an addiction. The chicken is relatively affordable, at P100 for a solo order. 

9. Phobobo

Pho-King De-Li-Cious pho. Hmm. I'm excited to try this when they open. That is the most voluptuous lips on a cow I've ever seen. I am expecting this to be spicy, incredible and sexy.

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Before we proceed, let us take a moment to appreciate the beauty of the Makati skyline from the Hole's al fresco dining area. 

Now let us take interior design and ambiance.

I am a big stickler for good restaurant design. I hate it when restaurants and dining establishments half-ass their interiors. Most of the time, the mema and bahala na mentalities prevail, and restaurants fall short in brownie points as far as Instagram-perfect settings and appointments are concerned. There are also other restaurants with over-the-top trimmings and interiors, but have really bad food. Again, a perfect balance is important. 

The Hole's approach to casual, food hall-style dining pays a lot of attention to detail. Just check out all these unique nooks, each one with their own style and decor.

There is ample seating, and the trendily mismatched tables and chairs in the nooks offer pockets of privacy for groups, or even for people who just want to eat in peace. I am a big fan of this area, with dividers fashioned out of recycled container vans. The leather benches also look super comfortable. I can just imagine enjoying a big meal with a bunch of friends in here.

I love these yellow chairs! So cute!

Some of the tables are communal, creating a perfect opportunity for people to meet fellow food lovers and strike up a conversation.

They also have a gorgeous al fresco area where diners can enjoy the views. The sunset from the outdoor seating area is stunning. 

What I absolutely love with this place is their attentive service. Waitstaff and busboys promptly bring you water as soon as you have picked a table. Dishes are put away right away to give way to new diners, and trays are bussed out immediately. Great job to the team for remembering to put a premium on sharp and snappy service! 

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I was told that Hole in the Wall was conceptualized by a group that consists of Dwight Co, the visionary behind Pepper.ph and a ton of other chefs and food enthusiasts who wanted to change the look of casual dining in the metro. I was also able to meet Mylene Cheung, the genius behind PhotoKitchen and Pepper's brilliant food styling and photography. Mye works closely with the Hole team, too. Her unmistakeable food styling and photography artistry can be seen in the Tiny Duchess's gorgeous menu board (check it out!)

Drop by and visit Hole in the Wall before it is overrun by the metro's hungry hordes. The prices are quite friendly to the pocket, and you get what you are paying for in terms of quality, speed of service, and I cannot say this enough, the cool surroundings. It is  located in the plush Century Mall the Makati Ave/Kalayaan area, so safety and parking is not an issue (yet).

It is also quite near the office blocks in Makati, and I think it will be the next food haunt for the office folk who are always in the lookout for good places to eat. The Hole has yet to start operating during mall hours (I think I mentioned that their soft open hours are 5-10PM) but I think it will be a perfect spot with officemates for a quick but satisfying midday meal.

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Hole in the Wall 4th Floor, Century Mall Kalayaan Ave cor. Salamanca  Makati

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Thanks to Junne, for letting me borrow her phone for the photos used in this review. It was a fun food date, girl! Let's do it again soon!

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When I admit that technology does flatten the world and make it smaller, it is still important to maintain close relationships with people on a more personal level.

Events such as the Single Professional’s Get-Together event, organized by Events and Friends Production Manila (a startup put together by a good friend of mine) has it in its goals to promote interaction by breaking physical barriers through games and activities designed for men and women.

Here's Vee being a total boss at what she does best: hooking people up. 

Is this a speed-dating activity, you ask? The answer is no. Like Tinder, a lot of thought has gone into the “matching algorithm” of the activity, which makes it super cool because the founders base their games and activities on psychological theories and behavioral assumptions. While they may not be fool proof, these assumptions are studied factors as to what make men attracted to women, and what kind of fun games and activities may bring the closer together. Why am I writing about heterosexual dating on my written-by-a-gay-person blog? Because I can, dammit.

Their first event, #IndependenceDate was a roaring success and was attended by a number of young professionals who are well on their dating lives right now. One of the couples who met during the said activities are good friends of mine. Even bigger is the second iteration of the event, tagged #FreedomDate, which basically doubled in attendance. The next Single Professionals Get-Together Event, called #Holidate2014 will be held this coming 6th December at The Balcony Gastropub, Makati. A ton (really, like 50) of people have signed up for the third event. That, my heterosexual friend, is plenty of fish in the proverbial sea.

If you are not in the mood to be in a relationship at the moment, or if you are just looking forward to a prospect of interacting with new people, maybe expanding your business network (I have to ask if people are allowed to scam people into their multi-level marketing schemes during the event. Please remind me), overcoming your fear of socializing and maybe even just plain doing something that you haven’t tried before, then this is the right event for you. Everything is in a low-risk set up that takes away the fear of such horrible things like accidentally Tinder-ing your cousin or even worse, your sister; being catfished and stood up; or just totally meeting whacked out psychos that give online dating apps a bad name.

How do I sign up, you say? Glad you asked. Head on to their event fanpage, or call (63) 927 975 1235 or (63) 915 946 1280.

Should you sign up and go to the event, let me know how it goes!

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 Any questions? Sound off in the comment box!

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One of the most exciting new discoveries that I had during this book haul is Books from Underground, a filled-to-the-rafters bookshop in Lagusnilad, the pedestrian underpass in front of Manila's city hall. You will find it amidst the dingy and rickety shops that sell everything from dildos to bootleg DVDs and phone accessories. Anyway, I went there to pick up used copies of my two favorites, Eat, Pray, Love (Elizabeth Gilbert), and Pacific Rims: Beermen Ballin' in Flip-Flops and the Philippines' Unlikely Love Affair with Basketball (Rafe Bartholomew). I have read borrowed copies of these two titles over and over again, and I can't seem to get over them so might as well get them for my own shelf. The tiles were P200 each, which is not bad because I didn't have a hard time looking for them from the towering stacks.

Booksale is a great place to score some bargains, though I find that lately, I have come up dry from my many excursions to their different branches. I used to be able to dig some great finds from their discount pile, but lately, things have been a bit disappointing. Still, I was able to raid the shelves in their branch in Cash and Carry and came out with America the Edible (a food journal by Adam Richman. I find his writing a bit boring and dry, and the food memoir is a bit too self-absorbed and whiny for my liking) , Life isn't all Ha Ha Hee Hee (a cute story about Indian immigrants in London, by Meera Syal), and House of Holes (Ugh. I don't know how to describe this collection of erotica and sexually charged fantasies. I feel like I need to be high on something to appreciate this book by Nicholas Baker. Either you love it or you don't. I kinda didn't). These three were P20 apiece. Jackpot!

I was on my way back home from a jog in the UP Campus when I saw a bookseller packing up in front of KFC Philcoa. He had his books laid out on a sheet of tarpaulin, and I was just in time for the last of the titles to be piled into his huge backpack (I can't imagine how he doesn't have a back problem, lugging all those heavy volumes around in his rucksack, setting up his little latag wherever he damn pleases -- we agreed to keep in touch so that I can trade some titles that I have that I no longer plan on keeping). The guy gave me his card which read Dagitab Books and the Outdoors. I bought a copy of Anthony Kiedis' Scar Tissue  for a very good price of P150. I have been dying to read this memoir of the Red Hot Chili Peppers founding member. I was all kinds of emotional while reading this book during my weekend in Boracay. It was a good beach read. His cycles of defeat, drugs, relapse and success was a rollercoaster ride. Anthony Kiedis has a knack for good storytelling, and it was great learning about the circumstances behind the writing of the RHCP hits that I have come to love since my brother Jebbie (RIP) and I were listening to them during our childhood years. There are very sweet and heart-rending parts that got me tearing up. 

Lastly, I had to read a bit of school-related literature in preparation for my term paper, so I bought The New Asian Hemisphere by Kishore Mahbubani. His thesis was on the rebirth of Asian countries such as Japan, China, Korea and India as a collective challenger to US and Western hegemony. I got this book for an eyepoppingly cheap price of P10 at National Bookstore during SM Megamall's insane three-day supersale. The crowd was nuts. 

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Have you read any of these titles? Any recommendations for future reads? Any good place where I can score more books? Anyplace I can sell my kidney for more book money? Please sound off in the comments. Merci! 

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Occupancy of the stalls in the second and third levels have declined with the slow death of the produce market downstairs, and spaces have been idle for several years until 2013, when a group of creative young locals decided to rent some spaces for their own ventures. 

It was a risky move: the market was in decline, the location was a little out of the way, and the whole place had a reputation of dereliction and irrelevance. However, a year after the enterprising young businessmen dusted and swept away the cobwebs, a hip and happening space for creative ideas, independent businesses, and one-of-a-kind stores have begun to occupy the idle stalls.

What started as a small cluster of coffee shops, bookstores and record stores is now an emerging scene for all things trendy and hip. Each store has its niche market, and the attractive store displays draw the crowds which are mainly composed of students, young professionals and artists (okay okay.. hipsters, too).  

What I love about it is the palpable flow of young and rebellious creative energy among the store owners. Each one is passionately pursuing what he or she loves the most, and the spaces at Pasar Santa's new marketplace provides a venue where they can showcase their craft and their art. 

For instance, Post (see picture above) is a transforming space that doubles as a popup bookstore. More than just booksellers, the owners, Teddy and Maisie are passionate about bringing the community of artists and young professionals of Jakarta together, thats why their store premises (more than it being an art gallery, bookstore and knick-knacks outlet) is also a space for gatherings, talks, and meetings.

I guess you can say that Pasar Santa's new marketplace can be compared to Manila's Cubao Expo and The Collective. They all used to be something else before they were transformed into cool hang out spots for bohemian and artsy souls. Cubao Expo used to be a shoe industry capital, with rows of ateliers and workshops for bespoke shoes; and The Collective used to be a warehouse for car parts and automotive supplies. Pasar Santa, on the other hand, was a booming market until it was overshadowed by shiny supermarkets and more convenient shopping options.

Maisie and Ted are a cute couple (God, I wish I took a photo with them) which typify the new Jakarta: open-minded, creative, cosmopolitan and intelligent young professionals that are against huge corporations that are taking over small businesses. They are one of the pioneers in the space, and are now active in promoting activities that pursue the vision of Pasar Santa's new market scene.

Clothes, accessories, and lifestyle items are not amiss in Pasar Santa. XRack, for instance, sells awesome t-shirts and unique accessories. 

I also had a chance to talk to a spunky lady called Baby, one of the store-owners. She runs a vintage items store, and she is also a jewelry designer. She said that Pasar Santa is conducive to her creative pursuits because the people who run the neighboring stalls have come together to form a supportive and friendly community. They keep on inspiring each other to create a space that is constantly trying to reinvent itself.

Food cannot be missing from this equation. Store owners like Oka Diputra (the cool tattooed guy in the picture above) is the proprietor slash chef slash manager of Miechino, a small yet bustling restaurant that sells traditional street-style mie, noodles . His stall ran out of noodles, and I did not get to try his specialty, but it is testament to how good it is, considering it wasn't even dinnertime when I visited. 

A Mexican restaurant has also taken up one of the spaces. Papricano serves up some of the best street tacos, horchatas and aguas frescas this side of the city. 

ABCD (A Bunch of Caffeine Dealers)  is not your typical coffee shop. In fact, they do not want to be labeled as such. ABCD brands itself as a coffee school and a collective of some sort. Its management trains young baristas and introduced the passionate art of coffee to young Jakartans who are interested in making a living out of hawking one of Indonesia's famous products: coffee.

If you like street art, vinyl, stickers, books, toys and a myriad other things, Pasar Santa's marketplace is expanding to cater to many tastes. Currently, about 20 stalls are occupied and they are often the busiest during Saturday nights, which coincides with the traditional market day. 

The store owners are in agreement that bringing attention back to the market will help the produce sellers downstairs. Many cities and districts the world over have given rise to uber trendy stores and establishments at the expense of poor residents and tenants, with increasing rent rates driving out the poor out of their original dwellings. Gentrification is not an issue here, since the spaces in Pasar Santa's creative marketplace were bare and empty to begin with. The new businesses are hoping that by offering goods that give value for people's money, they can also increase the traffic at the wet market downstairs that has sustained the livelihood of many families. 

Many new entrepreneurs are looking into Pasar Santa as their go-to choice for their startups. I cannot wait to go back to Jakarta and check out the new stores that will open up there in the next few months. 

I started learning how to bike when I was about 14, which made me a late bloomer. My family never owned a bicycle, and the only time I would get on a bike was when I could borrow from friends and take their BMX cycles out for a spin. I was never good at it. I never fell, but I just wasn't as comfortable on it: the saddle hurt my butt, the bumpy roads made my back hurt, and the effort strained my legs. I was better off walking with my two legs instead of being on two wheels, since I was very accident prone anyway. 

When I was in the US, I would take my host mom's roadbike and drive around the town, but road conditions in rainy Lakewood, Washington, which is pretty much one of the rainiest cities in America prevented me from making a habit out of cycling when I still had a bike at my disposal.

A few months back, I realized that I was going to have to get used to biking as a way of getting around. On my first visit to Jakarta, I went around Kota, the old Dutch colonial district, on a bike that I rented from a gentleman near the town's square. It was bright pink, and I had to wear a stupid hat so that motorists could see me. The fluorescent bikes and the silly hats made the renting tourists stick out from the crumbling art deco buildings, but even then, I almost crashed into cars, trucks, and pedestrians several times while exploring the district, partly because I wasn't oriented to Jakarta's right-hand drive system, and also, because I just sucked at navigating on the rental bike. 

Just recently, I moved to Quezon City for grad school, to a house that was about 10 minutes away from the UP Diliman Campus. The campus, with its wide avenues and the well-paved bike lanes, was the perfect spot for easy riding, and when a friend of mine offered her bike for a quick loan while she was away, I took the opportunity to get into something that will stretch my physical and mental limits. 

I remember being scared half to death when I saw the bike for the first time. I was intimidated by the seriousness of its gears, sprockets and wheels. The thing looked like a mean machine and it looked like it could rip some serious speed on the road. After a quick adjustment of the seat, and after a few false starts, I was up and running... no sorry, up and pedaling. It was only a matter of time until I fell in love with the bike. It was a perfect fit.

The first night I took it out for a spin, I drove into a speed bump and lost my balance. I skinned my knee and had to walk home with blood flowing down my leg, but it didn't stop me from getting back on again the next day.

Many people swear by the health benefits of cycling. It's great cardio, and it allows you to breathe fresh air which is always a good thing. Personally, I think cycling is such a blissful activity because there is an unexplainable feeling of lightness. Once I got over my fear of hurtling cars and hills, I felt like I could go anywhere and do anything. 

Cycling in the campus is fun. I get to take in the wonderful view of the tree-lined streets. I get to savor the crisp and fresh air under the canopy of the century-old acacias. I soak up the vibe and the feel of the university that I am still getting used to. The bike is the perfect way to go around the sprawling campus in my desire to get to know its every nook and cranny. The downhill stretches around the Academic Oval are always a treat because I get to coast while hurtling at full-speed with the wind in my face, and my worries dissipating into the air. 

I would bike to my college's building and maintain a level of alertness and energy in class that I don't even remember having in college, when I had more sleep and rest. During grueling and stressful workdays, I would take a quick break and do several laps around the Oval to clear my mind.

I have had my share of close shaves, but I am barely perturbed. See, when you have something that turns on your spirit of adventure, nothing is scary anymore. If you fall, you brush yourself up and get back on the bike. Maybe curse your lack of balance and refined motor skills, but with a bike, it's always back on and keep pedaling. I may have skinned both my knees in just a few weeks, but at least I am learning how to be better on the road.  

My first few weeks into cycling also taught me a lot about courtesy, road etiquette, and of course, dealing with Manila's lack of safe bike lanes. I haven't ventured out too far from the campus, and one of my goals is to finally drive somewhere where I can challenge myself with steep hills and be rewarded with awesome vistas.

I am enjoying the loaner so much I'm going to have to start saving up for my very own starter bike.

Earlier this year, the idea of doing the Ramadan fast appealed to me as something that I could do to convey a message of respect and solidarity to my Muslim friends. I have tried doing it last year and the year before, but I simply wasn’t ready physically, mentally and spiritually, so I failed and backed out in the first few days. This year, however, observing the fast was something that I wanted to do from the heart. I felt like I had to do something out of gratefulness for all the great things that have happened in the first half of this year. I am not a very religious person, but engaging in this pursuit appealed to me as something that I could do in return since this year has been nothing but an overflowing of blessings and happiness to me.

  When I decided to fast, I didn’t tell everyone but a few choice close friends in the fear of being judged. I also didn’t want to raise questions about my intent, but I am glad most of my close friends understood, and were actually very supportive of my decision. Everything had to be planned deliberately, and so I educated myself by reading extensively about the ritualistic fasting and prayers. I religiously checked the fasting and prayer schedules, and though I couldn’t say the obligatory Muslim prayers in Arabic, I said my personal, heartfelt versions in observance of the fard, the requirements for the validity of the fast.

  Fasting during Ramadan is not easy when you are Non-Muslim. It is hard enough for Muslims who have been doing it for years, how much more for a curious outsider who merely wanted to try it out to be able to gain a new perspective about the religion. However, I dove into it with much enthusiasm, knowing that blessings abound during the Holy Month. It was the least I could do.

  The first few days were the hardest. It was such a dramatic change in my lifestyle. I love food, and going on average 14 hours a day without a single morsel was something that I had to adjust to. Later on, I was pleasantly surprised that the food part was a bit easy for me to adapt. The challenging part was enduring the day without a single drop of water or drink.  I sweat a lot, and I would be so parched that the only recourse was to rinse my mouth with water just so that I am not left with a dry throat. I am a huge coffee person, and most of the time, I was craving for even just a thimbleful of coffee, but I had to stay true to the commitment: no food, no water and no sinful acts (getting angry, swearing, having sex) from sun up to sun down.

  I had to wake up at the scheduled time to prepare for suhoor, which is the ritual meal taken before the fast. Suhoor is usually around 4:10, so I would wake up an our early to the sound of the adhan, the Muslim call to prayer that I installed on my phone as an alarm tone. Then, I would wait for iftar, or the breaking of the fast which came after the sun has completely set.

  At first, waiting for iftar was excruciating: counting down the seconds was inevitable as hunger pangs started to cause a commotion in my belly. Then days passed and I stopped minding the clocks. There were days when I completely forgot about being hungry, and I wouldn't even notice that it is way past the schedule. I followed a high energy diet for suhoor, and for iftar, I ate dates and drank water as was customary. Then I proceeded with moderate portions of food and snacks, and lots of water and juices throughout the night until it was time to sleep.

  I had the privilege of attending an iftar organized by the American Field Service (AFS) Philippines office, and I had the chance to meet up with old friends and meet new ones. We shared a sumptuous dinner and shared updates about our lives. We also bonded over our shared memories. It was a fun night.

Waking up for suhoor slowly became a habit, and I must say, I didn't mind getting out of bed in the wee hours of the morning as it was something that I particularly learned to enjoy. It is during these quietest parts of early dawn that inspirations and ideas rushed in. I had a lot of creative energy that I had to channel into writing. I don’t think I have written so much poetry (albeit bad poetry) in any given time. However, missing the window for suhoor (as I did a couple times) made for a very uncomfortable day.

Food, and eating in itself started to have a more profound meaning. I have grown oblivious to the fact that food is something that nourishes me, and that aspect of food is something that I always take for granted. In fact, I have realized that my attitude towards food is everything about excess, luxury and escapism, and that attitude wasn’t doing me any good. Through the ritualistic consumption of food that will sustain me throughout the day, I found a deeper appreciation for the life-giving aspects of nutrition.

There were days when I felt like the hours dragged on and on. Those were the days when I realized that the Ramadan fast was indeed a sacrifice, and that also gave me a new appreciation for the partaking of a meal. I used to shovel food in my mouth with careless abandon, but with suhoor being such a reward after a long day of fasting, I was able to enjoy food and water in a new light.

I was eating at the right schedules and with moderate amounts, and I felt energized and agile without the lethargic effects of overeating. I had a lot of energy for running and doing my cardio, which I spent with much relish doing laps around the UP Diliman Academic Oval at night. For most of the month, I also avoided pork, which we all know can be quite unhealthy. I lost quite a lot of weight, and it was starting to get noticed by family and friends. When I stopped counting the calories and started thinking about eating as an important life function, I finally saw progress in my effort to lose a bit of the extra paunch around my belly. I guess you can call it hitting two birds with one stone: learning from the experience by enriching myself through the fast, and fitting back into my circa early college days jeans.

As Ramadan continued, I encountered situations wherein I had to break my fast. Incidentally, most of Ramadan coincided with the World Cup this year, and I had to break my fast because Ramadan and pubs don’t really mix. I also had to miss out on the fast on particularly hot days, but I fasted as much as I could.  I am glad to say that I fasted on majority of the days, and avoided missing out much. I only have a couple fasting days to make up for before the next Ramadan rolls in.

  Observing the fast has taught me a lot of things about patience, perseverance and sacrifice. I have gained a new appreciation for moderation and taking everything slow. I found that it was useless to whine and fidget while waiting for the seconds to tick every so slowly. I was in a state of strong focus, and I would like to think I performed better on my job unlike any other times when I had food and other impure thoughts to distract me.

  I also gained a whole new lot of respect for my Muslim friends. I saw the point of doing the fast for even just one month out of an entire year, and it is to remember all those who are hungry, and to put themselves in a situation where that hunger is real, and therefore, teach them sympathy and generosity. They taught me most of the facts that I needed to learn that I couldn't learn from books or online sources. They guided me through the month with enthusiasm and unwavering support. 

This Ramadan has been a revelation in that I learned so much about myself. One of the most important things that I have learned is self-control. I have always given in to every urge and impulse, but this time, I slowly but surely learned to stop myself every once in a while and not do something just because I wanted to do it. I stopped and thought about their repercussions, and everything had been more deliberate. I also learned how to control some emotional aspects that I used to just let free. I wasn’t quick to anger, and I wasn’t cranky, moody or crabby.

  Now that Ramadan is over, everyone will go back to his or her usual activities. Meal schedules are back to normal, and for me, that means no more waking up at odd hours to eat. Eid’l fitr,  the feast at the end of Ramadan is a time for celebration and joy with family and friends, but since I have nothing scheduled as far as partying is concerned, I am celebrating the fact that I feel like a new person. The experience changed me somehow, and I have a lot of wonderful things to tell about fasting that I can share to people when I get the chance, in the effort of making sense out of even just a small bit of the Islamic faith.

  Will I do it again next year? Definitely.

Xx

Bulalo is one of the most awesome things to have for dinner on a rainy night: the  light and steaming broth, the tender cuts of beef simmered in the soup for hours, the crunchy vegetables, and of course, the star of the bulalo spread, the bone tossed in the bowl from which the diners need to scoop out the succulent and flavorful marrow. 

I took the bus all the way to Welcome Rotonda and walked with a couple friends to Bulaluhan sa Ramirez, which has a humble yet homey dining setting. A portion of the restaurant opens up to the street, and has a long counter where diners can enjoy the food on bar stools. I was told there is also the more famous Bulaluhan sa España, located nearby but we decided to go for the one on N. Ramirez Street.

We had special bulalo, which had the quintessential cuts of beef and ligaments. An order also has a good amount of cabbage and green beans which is always good with the meat. The soup was flavorful and subtle, and not too laden with grease. The bone and the marrow left a lot to be desired in terms of the amount but for the value of each order, which sets you back P130, the utak is not at all meager. We also ordered the grilled pork liempo, which went well with the bulalo and the beef. 

Nothing quite beats the bulalo in Tagaytay's well-worn restaurants, but I must say this is one of the best tasting ones within city limits.

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Bulaluhan sa N. Ramirez 55 N. Ramirez St., Galas, Quezon City

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