food – Page 5 – Eliza Victoria

this weekend in food

Crystal Koo came home to Manila from Hong Kong, so she invited fellow writers out to lunch and coffee. We went to Sa Kanto in Podium. J and I had fun listening to the Alfars’ and the Osiases’ adventures in Hong Kong, Japan, Australia and elsewhere, Crystal’s adventures in teaching overseas, Tin’s adventures in acquiring a master’s degree in Creative Writing (ha!), and Charles various dramas (yes). There were so many stories that we couldn’t get a word in edgewise! And that’s a good thing! Of course we talked about other people’s relationships over coffee in Cafe Breton (the Alfars and the Osiases, unfortunately, had to run to get ready for the Palanca Awards) because that’s what writers do. Really.

Only J, Crystal, and I ate a lot. It was a bit…embarrassing. Haha! Especially if you’re seated next to Tin Lao who ate such a healthy lunch of eggplants and steamed rice. We all loved the Dynamite, chili fingers stuffed with beef and cheese, and I couldn’t resist ordering Kwek Kwek. The main dishes were so-so, and Crystal wasn’t a fan of the pork adobo. Next time, we’ll just order all of the side dishes – and a glass of beer. Check out this review, with pictures.

Nagutom ako bigla. Heh.

Thanks Crystal for putting this together. Let’s do this again!

And thanks Charles for these goodies:

In other food news: I loved this unagi casserole from UCC.

Got these German chocolate bars from J. It’s filled with strawberry yogurt. Yum.

In writing news: I am trying my hand at writing poetry in Filipino. There are two posted online, but they are friends-locked.

My brain is tired. I wish I had more time to read and write.

catching up

It’s what long weekends are for.

Read:

It’s a Mens World by Bebang Siy

Hindi pa ako tapos, pero ang dami ko nang tawa. Parang ~~baliw~~ matalik na kaibigan lang si Miss Bebang na nagki-kwento sa iyo ng mga kakaibang karanasan niya: noong naunang magka-regla sa kanya ang kanyang nakababatang kapatid (“It’s a Mens World”), noong “kinidnap” siya ng sariling ama (“Ang Lugaw, Bow”), noong akalain ng kanyang mga kamag-anak na nasugatan niya ang pekpek niya (“Hiwa”). Oo, pekpek. Diretsong magkwento si Bebang (o di ba parang close na kami). Walang hiya-hiya. Marami akong naalala habang binabasa ang mga sanaysay niya. Tulad niya, hindi rin kami mayaman. Pero hindi siya nagsusulat ng poverty porn (siguro medyo porn lang hehe). May kaunting muni-muni, kaunting hindsight, pero sa huli, gusto lang niya sabihin sa iyo ang naramdaman nya noong nangyari ang mga pangyayari. Ganun naman yun e; kapag bata ka, hindi mo naman maiisip na kawawa ka. Maiintindihan mo na mahirap kayo, oo, pero masaya ka pa rin. Na para bang lahat e laru-laro lang.

The Long Weekend by Adam David

I read this twice in one sitting. The quiet panels make the heartache and nostalgia hit harder. It’s available on Amazon; I recommend you read it.

Gotham Central

Ed Brubaker. I love him. He’s an amazing crime writer. Here, he features the detectives of Gotham City’s Major Crimes Unit, who absolutely hate the Batman because he keeps interfering with their investigations goddamn it!

The story arcs and characters are so well-written that they could have killed Batman and I wouldn’t even care.

Saw:

The Bourne Legacy

If you’re avoiding this film because you haven’t seen the three earlier Bourne films, believe me: it’s fine. I watched it for Jeremy Renner and the epic chase sequence across the streets of Manila (and Pasay and Binondo and Marikina…but let’s just say it all happens in Manila), and I was absolutely happy with the flick.

Here’s all you need to know: Jason Bourne and the CIA program that created him has been uncovered by a British journalist. There are now also video evidence in circulation on YouTube. So now the CIA has to shut down the program. Super-spies start dropping like flies. Aaron Cross (Renner), however, is still alive, snowed in and stuck in Alaska. But the enemy is closing in. And yes, from Alaska he ends up in Manila “you can’t drive there” Philippines.

Now sit back, shut up, and enjoy.

Ate:

Burgoo food and Ice Cream at Swensen’s

20120821_115128 — Jaykie’s doodles in Burgoo.

Bought:

Two dresses and a pair of shoes!

How was your weekend?

party people + flipside news

Blog backlog!

On June 25, my mother celebrated her birthday.

We had to cajole her to have this picture taken.

She thought it was really silly, blowing candles at her age.

Happy birthday Nanay!

Before that, Jaykie and I tried the The Burger Project in Maginhawa:

Check out this link for the menu and more photos.

Here, you can customize your burger. Choose the patty, choose the toppings, choose the bread.

I had beef patty in an oatmeal bun, with mozzarella cheese, sliced onions, and pickles smothered in special BRGR sauce (which I think is just mayo and ketchup – I’ll just skip it next time). Simple and boring haha.

This is Jaykie’s burger. He added mushrooms and jalapenos, and chose gruyere for his cheese.

Fries:

On June 30, we went to the party of my boss’s children at the Rockwell Club.

Photo of a photo:

Flipside giveaway/Philippine Speculative Fiction 7 launch details/The Viewless Dark blurb

Giveaway!

…we’ve an impromptu giveaway for three (3) lucky commenters! In the comments section of this post, tell us which is your favorite cover (from PSF 1-5) and why. Take note, you can’t just identify a specific cover; you’ll have to explain what you like most about it. Feel free to wax poetic.

Cut-off date for leaving the comments is on July 9, 12NN, Philippine time.The three winners will be selected based on how much we loved the comment. And since we all have different standards for the word “love,” this means that your comment can be praising, funny, witty or even snarky (as long as it’s funny snark).

Winners will be announced on July 10, 2012. And what do they win? An ebook edition of any volume (winners’ choice) of Philippine Speculative Fiction! If you’re one of the winners, we’ll be contacting you to get your email address and the file format that you prefer.

So, let us know which PSF cover rocks your boat! But just in case you can’t wait for the announcement of the winners, then go ahead and grab a copy at Amazon, Flipreads, Kobo, iTunes.

We’re also on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FlipsidePublishing

PSF 7, edited by Kate and Alex Osias and to be digitally published by Flipside, will be launched on the last Saturday of the month.

Also, the latest volume of Philippine Speculative Fiction, Vol. 7, edited by Alex and Kate Osias will be launched on 28 July 2012, Saturday, 2PM at The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, ~~Ortigas Park~~ ~~(along F. Ortigas Jr. [formally known as Emerald Avenue])~~ Shangri-La Plaza, EDSA. We hope to see you there, too!

My short novel, The Viewless Dark, will be available on June 11. Will post the cover once it’s available. But for now, here’s the book description.

The Viewless Dark
AUTHOR: Eliza Victoria

DESCRIPTION:
When Anthony found Flo dead, locked overnight in one of the reading rooms of the university library, he knew it must have had something to do with Mary. Mary Prestosa, fourth year graduating Philosophy student, whom they had been investigating. Mary, who surprised her roommate one night by suddenly standing up from her bed, throwing the windows open, and jumping down, headfirst, to the dormitory grounds below. Mary, whose memory marked the trail of mysterious deaths and bizarre occurrences that followed her own fateful fall: the fifth-year Computer Engineering student who prowled the campus on all fours, thirsty for blood, believing he was a wolf; the discovery of an all-girls’ satanic cult; the demonic possession of a fourth-year student from the Department of Psychology; and now—Flo, dead.

The students traced it all to Mary. They believed Mary didn’t commit suicide. They believed Mary tapped into something dark, and released it, and was consumed.

And Anthony was determined to pry out the truth.

prometheus, girl with the dragon tattoo, some photos

Haven’t been blogging much because it appears that I’m working on a novel! Or at least, something definitely longer than a short story.

In between jotting down character names and story ideas, I have seen:

Prometheus

Initially planned to just skip this due to several friends commenting that, in effect, it is a waste of time. Now that I’ve seen it, I don’t get the hate. Maybe it’s just a matter of improper pre-movie orientation? Wrong expectations? I heard someone announce loudly that he hated Prometheus because he thought “it’s about the myth”.

Look: if you’ve been living under a rock and believe that the film Prometheus is about that dude who gave away fire to mortals and got chained to a rock as punishment, and wouldn’t be open to watching a science-fiction horror film that could get bloody at times, then watch something else.

Prometheus is a prequel to Alien. If you’ve seen Alien, then you’ll know exactly what this film’s got in store for you. Expect an Act One of chat and build-up and an Act Two of gore. It’s not flawless, and it’s not necessarily groundbreaking – it’s premise of Panspermia (theory that life on Earth might have originated from somewhere else in the big Universe) has been dissected to death. Try watching one episode of Ancient Aliens. But don’t overthink it. It’s going to be a fun two hours.

(And don’t you just love their suits?)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

I haven’t read any of Stieg Larsson’s books, so I was confused while watching this. Not because it’s hard to follow, but because it feels like three films crammed into one. One film could be about Lisbeth Salander, freelance surveillance agent and the titular girl with the dragon tattoo. The second could be about Mikael Blomkvist, a journalist charged with libel by the billionaire he’s investigating. The third could be about Harriet Vanger and the Vanger family. Harriet disappeared 40 years ago, and Henrik Vanger believes she was murdered.

How it all connects: Henrik Vanger hires Mikael Blomkvist and promises him damning evidence against the billionaire so Mikael could win his case and clear his name. Later on, Mikael asks for a research assistant as he investigates Harriet’s death, and they hire Lisbeth Salander.

Because of all the arcs, I knew next to nothing about Lisbeth. A straightforward plot would have Lisbeth front and center, solving a cold case, with Mikael as supporting character.

I’d still recommend this film (it’s a long film though, more than two hours) because I liked the performances, but bear in mind that they’d focus more on The Man Who Runs Millennium Magazine than on The Girl with the Damn Tattoo.

In other news

J and I have been together 32 months on the 17th. :)

back

I wasn’t online for two days due to a work-related workshop, wherein I learned that when giving CPR, and you’re a wee bit overweight, your knees tend to hurt like hell. My entire weight crushing my kneecaps – what an excellent mode of torture. I have bruises on both knees to prove it to you.

Anyway, before that, on Tuesday, Charles Tan told me to listen to Emily Jiang and Rose Lemberg talk about speculative poetry in a Locus Roundtable. I listened to it while jogging Wednesday night. It was great to finally hear their voices! I had to stop jogging when Rose mentioned my name.

It’s a great podcast. Listen to the whole thing!

As part of our series on poetry, I was happy to get Emily Jiang and Rose Lemberg to talk with me about their experiences with the speculative poetry community. You can tell that this was recorded before Wiscon; I hope that everyone had a great time there! You can read more of Emily’s work atStrange Horizons, and see the product of Rose’s editing work at Stone Telling. – Karen Burnham

Before that, J had a great birthday dinner, took his Financial Math exam (second in a series of actuarial exams that he’s taking – if you’re looking for an actuary, tell us!) and learned that he passed!

He took me out to dinner Tuesday night:

Heaven & Eggs. Bring back your old decor. Your rock & roll theme just looks weird, but the food’s still good!

These photos have been posted on Instagram. (Oh, right, I have an Instagram account – follow me if you wish.)

Getting bored with all of my books for some reason, so re-reading Moxyland. Also, I need a bookshelf.

a wedding, and other things

Mark, a friend from high school, got married one beautiful Saturday afternoon.

20120519_154942 — Entrance to Notre Dame de Vie Chapel.

20120519_164725 — Richard, subbing for June, as part of the entourage.

Table 20 at the reception.

Best wishes, Mark and Roan!

On Sunday, we hiked over to Taguig to try the goods at Bar Dolci.

It’s not like I’ve tried everything, but I can vouch for White Chocolate Wasabi.

They also have macarons and jelly candy.

dolci2 — Photo credit: http://www.thebaghagdiaries.com/2011/01/food-blog-bar-dolci.html

mac — Photo credit: http://chinkee-onebigbite.blogspot.com/2011/06/life-is-sweet.html

Some links for your reading pleasure:

Lower Myths is now on iTunes for US$2.99

My poem, “Amaranthine”, is live on the Philippines Free Press

Hope your weekend was as delicious!

outback steak-out

An advanced monthsary date, without us knowing that it was actually an advanced monthsary date. We both forgot! We simply wanted to pig out. (And take advantage of my company’s employee discount at the restaurant.)

I’ve never eaten at Outback Steakhouse, but the discount is good motivation. Haha. Ironically, it’s not the steak that’s making me want to go back. It’s the ahi tuna.