Food lovers in Vancouver look forward to the annual Dine Out Vancouver. This year it will be from April 26 - May 6 with 208 restaurants participating. There are three (3) price points ($18, $28, $38) for a three-course meal. This is inexpensive considering that the participating restaurants are the top-rated ones in Vancouver.
Reservations start on Monday. It can be done through the restaurant or for convenience, through Tourism Vancouver's website: http://www.tourismvancouver.com/visitors/dining/dineout.php
I asked my nephew to make our reservations. Kinda craving for steak so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we will be able to get seats at Hamilton St Grill. If none, then The Fish House at Stanley it will be.
Eat to your heart's delight, Vancouver!!!!
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Cyber-farming
There's a Filipino folksong that goes:
Magtanim ay di biro, maghapong nakayuko
Di man lang makatayo, di man lang makaupo.
English translation:
Planting rice is not a joke
Just bending all day long
You can't even stand still
You can't even sit down
Nowadays, quite a chunk of the populace had experienced farming. However, not the kind of farming that after toiling the land and harvesting will put food on one's table. I'm talking about the farming happening in the cyberworld: Country Life, Farm Town and Farmville. These are some of the games one can play on his Facebook account.
Personally, I started with FT (FB lingo for Farm Town) late last year. Two weeks to the game, I was consumed with the desire to buy the much-coveted mansion. Played it like crazy. However, work schedule prevented me from becoming an FT addict. I only got to work on Hacienda Biday during my lunch breaks and occasional weekends. Thereby leaving me at stage 28 -- after 2 months of playing. Currently I'm at stage 38. But since I was on a re-arranging mode last month and wasn't able to continue, the hacienda is in a sorry state. I occasionally visit it only to harvest the fruit trees and to water the flowers.
So what swayed me away from the addicting game? Another Facebook application: Farmville, or FV to us "farmers". Same as FT, a farmer needs to plant and to harvest to earn points and coins. Purchase of buildings and decorations helps you go up the ladder, so to speak. Not to mention the gifts from friends and neighbors.
These FB games might appear a bit lame to some. I quite agree..for the Playstation and Nintendo have better games. However, these 2 farming games let me interact with friends who otherwise find Resident Evil and Super Mario quite complicated. After all, we're into this just to while away time...a way to relax after a day's work.
For now, what I need to remember is to make sure I harvest the rice for the co-op farming with Susan and Nicky. We have to get the gold this time.
Magtanim ay di biro, maghapong nakayuko
Di man lang makatayo, di man lang makaupo.
English translation:
Planting rice is not a joke
Just bending all day long
You can't even stand still
You can't even sit down
Nowadays, quite a chunk of the populace had experienced farming. However, not the kind of farming that after toiling the land and harvesting will put food on one's table. I'm talking about the farming happening in the cyberworld: Country Life, Farm Town and Farmville. These are some of the games one can play on his Facebook account.
Personally, I started with FT (FB lingo for Farm Town) late last year. Two weeks to the game, I was consumed with the desire to buy the much-coveted mansion. Played it like crazy. However, work schedule prevented me from becoming an FT addict. I only got to work on Hacienda Biday during my lunch breaks and occasional weekends. Thereby leaving me at stage 28 -- after 2 months of playing. Currently I'm at stage 38. But since I was on a re-arranging mode last month and wasn't able to continue, the hacienda is in a sorry state. I occasionally visit it only to harvest the fruit trees and to water the flowers.
So what swayed me away from the addicting game? Another Facebook application: Farmville, or FV to us "farmers". Same as FT, a farmer needs to plant and to harvest to earn points and coins. Purchase of buildings and decorations helps you go up the ladder, so to speak. Not to mention the gifts from friends and neighbors.
These FB games might appear a bit lame to some. I quite agree..for the Playstation and Nintendo have better games. However, these 2 farming games let me interact with friends who otherwise find Resident Evil and Super Mario quite complicated. After all, we're into this just to while away time...a way to relax after a day's work.
For now, what I need to remember is to make sure I harvest the rice for the co-op farming with Susan and Nicky. We have to get the gold this time.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
An Unexpected Smile
Monday - Easter Monday -- is a stat holiday in our company. Together with Good Friday, it made up the long weekend this month. What a good opportunity it should have been to go out and take a holiday. However, workload didn't permit me.
Waking up that day, I literally have to drag myself out of bed. I wanted to be at work before my supervisor gets in -- had to ready the stuff he will be working on that day. Up and about...went to Burnaby thinking already of what I will do when I get home!
The day went on smoothly. I probably went through 2500 images. Not much for the 2 books I was working on. It was pretty quiet as only a handful of us insanely came in. No phone calls from sales. These 2 combined equated to: LOTS OF WORK DONE! By 4pm, I had enough...am going home.
When I got on the bus at the terminal, I had to go to the back as there were no more vacant front seats. Had to stop on my track as there was a man in denim jacket (I can only see his back) blocking the way. It seemed he was trying to start a conversation with a middle-aged lady already seated. I've no problem with that except that he shouldn't be blocking the narrow passageway. There's already a queue behind me and some passengers were staring at them already. I was about to tell him to move when I saw him handing the lady a yellow tulip. Whoa!!! A Romeo on the bus. The lady accepted it hesitantly, probably just to avoid anymore stares. She hadn't even finished thanking him when he turned to another lady on the other side handing her also a tulip. Now...everyone's eyes are focused on the man. And then he turned and when he saw me, quickly grabbed another tulip from the bunch he was carrying and gave it to me. It was too sudden all I can do is accept it -- with a very surprised look. Realizing, probably, my reaction, he smiled and shyly uttered that it might not be the best-looking tulips he was distributing but he felt that he should share them. Then he just went past me. He handed 3 more to each of the three ladies in front before he settled to his seat -- leaving us all puzzled but smiling.
On my seat, I looked at where he was seating and wondered what is it with this man. Was he a bit crazy or was he just simply trying to be nice? I decided on the latter. Although his actions elicited varying reactions on the bus, the very thought that he brought smiles to strangers, including me, is enough to wish him good. The tulips may just be from his yard -- definitely not store-bought -- but it was the thought that mattered. And that put a smile on my face..all the way home.
Waking up that day, I literally have to drag myself out of bed. I wanted to be at work before my supervisor gets in -- had to ready the stuff he will be working on that day. Up and about...went to Burnaby thinking already of what I will do when I get home!
The day went on smoothly. I probably went through 2500 images. Not much for the 2 books I was working on. It was pretty quiet as only a handful of us insanely came in. No phone calls from sales. These 2 combined equated to: LOTS OF WORK DONE! By 4pm, I had enough...am going home.
When I got on the bus at the terminal, I had to go to the back as there were no more vacant front seats. Had to stop on my track as there was a man in denim jacket (I can only see his back) blocking the way. It seemed he was trying to start a conversation with a middle-aged lady already seated. I've no problem with that except that he shouldn't be blocking the narrow passageway. There's already a queue behind me and some passengers were staring at them already. I was about to tell him to move when I saw him handing the lady a yellow tulip. Whoa!!! A Romeo on the bus. The lady accepted it hesitantly, probably just to avoid anymore stares. She hadn't even finished thanking him when he turned to another lady on the other side handing her also a tulip. Now...everyone's eyes are focused on the man. And then he turned and when he saw me, quickly grabbed another tulip from the bunch he was carrying and gave it to me. It was too sudden all I can do is accept it -- with a very surprised look. Realizing, probably, my reaction, he smiled and shyly uttered that it might not be the best-looking tulips he was distributing but he felt that he should share them. Then he just went past me. He handed 3 more to each of the three ladies in front before he settled to his seat -- leaving us all puzzled but smiling.
On my seat, I looked at where he was seating and wondered what is it with this man. Was he a bit crazy or was he just simply trying to be nice? I decided on the latter. Although his actions elicited varying reactions on the bus, the very thought that he brought smiles to strangers, including me, is enough to wish him good. The tulips may just be from his yard -- definitely not store-bought -- but it was the thought that mattered. And that put a smile on my face..all the way home.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Tired Bulbs
......that's what my officemate Nola told me when I mentioned to her that my hyacinths didn't bloom nicely this year.
I was all smiles when I saw them peeking mid-January. Quite early for them, actually. I was attributing this to the unusual winter weather we experienced. I didn't think much of it except that I'll get to have hyacinths earlier than usual. Who wouldn't like to smell that waft of sweet fragrance while enjoying a quiet Sunday afternoon on the patio?
However, in full bloom 2 months after, they quite gave a disappointment! The florets were few -- about 5 to a flower. The pink ones fared better than the whites and purples. And the leaves were dull green!!
Guess Nola was right! So on the weekend, will just lift them off the ground so I can give the space to some Bachelor's Buttons -- in time for summer.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
A Little Woman Adventure Part II
Continuing with the list of "things women have to do once". Made some comments this time.
21) Ask a man out
Done that!
22) Buy a really racy piece of lingerie
Okay. Will keep that in mind!
23) Invest in a high risk stock
Risky...
24) Send yourself a dozen roses
1991... I remember! With Monette.
25) Audition for a Broadway musical or a TV reality show
Auditioned in Manila
26) Go skydiving
On my bucket list already
27) Bet it all in Vegas -- and let it ride
This I have to think about..
28) Go on a carriage ride through Central Park
With the love of my life on an autumn day...this will be heaven.
29) Be the boss
Boss who??
30) Try on very expensive clothes in a boutique that you know you can't afford
Who wants to go with me??
31) Invent an interesting part
Will start tomorrow!
32) Talk in a foreign accent all day
Hey, I'm a Filipina residing in Canada.
33) Write a scathing letter to the editor
Pass!
34) Buy a round for everyone in the bar
Next St Paddy's...
35) Smoke a cigar
Yeah!!
36) Run for a worthy cause
Did a couple of years ago.
37) Pamper yourself at an all day spa
Divine!!! One thing I miss about Manila. You can indulge without hurting the pocket.
38) Have a three martini lunch and go back to work refreshed
Had whisky at work many years ago. Will that count?
39) Create your own holiday and celebrate it every year
Thinking....
40) Go without electricity for a night
My dad's hometown is very rural when I was about 6. Candles at night.
There are 28 more on the list but won't be posting them. How about doing your own 10? Will post mine next!
Happy Easter!!
21) Ask a man out
Done that!
22) Buy a really racy piece of lingerie
Okay. Will keep that in mind!
23) Invest in a high risk stock
Risky...
24) Send yourself a dozen roses
1991... I remember! With Monette.
25) Audition for a Broadway musical or a TV reality show
Auditioned in Manila
26) Go skydiving
On my bucket list already
27) Bet it all in Vegas -- and let it ride
This I have to think about..
28) Go on a carriage ride through Central Park
With the love of my life on an autumn day...this will be heaven.
29) Be the boss
Boss who??
30) Try on very expensive clothes in a boutique that you know you can't afford
Who wants to go with me??
31) Invent an interesting part
Will start tomorrow!
32) Talk in a foreign accent all day
Hey, I'm a Filipina residing in Canada.
33) Write a scathing letter to the editor
Pass!
34) Buy a round for everyone in the bar
Next St Paddy's...
35) Smoke a cigar
Yeah!!
36) Run for a worthy cause
Did a couple of years ago.
37) Pamper yourself at an all day spa
Divine!!! One thing I miss about Manila. You can indulge without hurting the pocket.
38) Have a three martini lunch and go back to work refreshed
Had whisky at work many years ago. Will that count?
39) Create your own holiday and celebrate it every year
Thinking....
40) Go without electricity for a night
My dad's hometown is very rural when I was about 6. Candles at night.
There are 28 more on the list but won't be posting them. How about doing your own 10? Will post mine next!
Happy Easter!!
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