Author: ajay

All right, it’s been a stressful week. Dealing with loss can bring a lot of stress, and so does staring at death almost in the face. Rather than stay like this in a daze, I deem it better to answer the Middle Zone Musings’ “What I Learned From...” carnival. Blogging about one’s feelings is therapy, and so are the following stress-busters:

Elders often tell us to count till 100 before blowing off steam. This is so true, except that am sometimes too impulsive. Other people would call it mind-conditioning. For every one ugly situation facing us, there are 10 other angles to view it differently from. Couldn’t help but be amused that Google has something like the Mail Goggles. Before trying to send mail you might regret, the email-sender is given a mathematical exercise to verify if one’s in the proper state of mind:

Other stress-busters on my list are:

- Going out for a walk, never mind if it’s the great mall shopping/window-shopping walk
- Getting a massage in a spa. I mean, this is what a spa’s for. They have soothing music, ambiance and therapies to calm your spirits. Thankfully, it isn’t too expensive to indulge in spas in this country.
- Taking a shower
- Talking things out with a friend. It pays to talk to someone, much better if you’re getting good advice.
- Distracting oneself with other things. If work is getting stressful, might be time to tune in to one’s favorite music, go gardening, buy a lipstick, and do a ton of other things to separate yourself from the burden of the moment.
- Surround yourself with beauty. Oftentimes, this entails uttering positive affirmations to yourself, thinking about your life’s blessings and bringing out your favorite things.

Hello from the family jinxlets Noggles McTootToot, BiggleBoggle, Scurvy Cap’n Buggertoots and Cuddlewick!

As you can see in my Facebook status here, it was an unlucky Monday. I know I’ve been a victim of thievery several times before that I already consider it a form of TITHING Somehow, you never expect it to happen again to you and then bam! there goes another one. So that’s what happened to me last Monday in, of all places, the company parking lot. I was just a few steps to my car when a man in a motorcycle very casually grabbed my handbag away from me and sped off. I was at first speechless from shock, but managed to shout “please run after him!!” to nothingness. It was dark, and there were no roving guards. At least the ones who came responded very late It was an early Christmas for that snatcher, as he carted away with him an XXXXX amount of cash and three of my high-end gadgets.

This incident would have a bizarre turn as my officemate told me this morning that a motorcyle-riding man was apprehended in the same area early this morning, after he tried to snatch again the bag of another woman. And that he was a policeman! The Inquirer story is here.

So I did what I needed to do and go to the police station to identify him in a line-up. Fear not, he already has my vital documents and cellphone pictures in that bag he stole from me anyway. It was quite unnerving to see this Manila policeman being bunched up with accused thieves and rapists in that small room. Unnerving as well that the plate of the motorcycle they apprehended from him read “Manila’s Finest” . Hmm, Manila’s Finest….. “Snatcher?” The investigating officers have been very encouraging as well , telling me there’s little hope that I can recover the stolen goodies. This early on? Wow. You could at least try, right?

A friend was being sarcastic when she told me I’ve become another statistic, but it’s true. I have little faith of going through the motions of filing for the police blotter and being interviewed for a complaint that just goes through the archives of “unsolved cases.” But unlike what happened to me in the past, what’s different with this one is that there’s no more John Doe, but a (police)man properly arrested and identified. It will be in the courts tomorrow, and the motorcyle bandit will be appropriately slapped with “non-bailable” charges (hope so). I will try to cooperate with the courts to seek justice for my case, and his other “unnamed” victims.

It’s been a long day, and am tired

A visit to Kubli Springs is almost a given, if you’re a guest or staying in Kinabuhayan Cafe. The latter is a Filipino-inspired bed & breakfast ( B&B) in the heart of Dolores, Quezon. It is highly recommended if you’re trekking up the mystical Mount Banahaw or simple doing your Viaje del Sol tour. Tourists and city dwellers can fully experience staying in open air nipa huts which is the traditional Filipino dwelling. Primarily, this means sleeping on slotted bamboo floor amid the lush gardens and cool mountain air.

The cafe-cum-B&B has a very homey atmosphere. We saw a number of friendly pets, a billiard table and of course, the food expertly prepared by the owner is simply irresistible. In fact, we think the food is the cafe’s finest point, especially if you’re only on a day trip. What they serve is certainly not local carinderia food, but Filipino cuisine with a global twist. For starters, I didn’t really expect to eat risotto in Quezon or pandan-infused brewed coffee and sweetened camote with whipped cream topping.

Let these pictures show you what the place is like:

After our hearty breakfast at Kusina Salud and visiting farms and ricefields, it wasn’t quite apparent where we were headed. All I know is that we were traversing Dolores, Quezon en route to Kinabuhayan Cafe and Kubli Springs. So I asked my van seatmate, Kinabuhayan proprietor Jay Herrera why I did not see sign boards or directional signs. He said that was really intentional, “the fun part is in discovering things.” He clearly didn’t want all sorts of people to flock to Kubli, which is the Tagalog verb for “hide.”

Finally, we arrive there and it seems the heavens smiled at us because it didn’t rain. The place is a secluded spot that can be reached after moderate trekking. It kinda reminded me of a place in our province where the womenfolk washed clothes in the clear water and took a bath there as well. It was all so clean and clear.

Our lunch for the day, like this salad of fresh veggies, was neatly laid out on bamboo tables. The delectable arrangement was a prelude to another fantastic meal on this Viaje del Sol trip. Our table was right there on the shallow part of the river so that we ate amid the rocks and the running water. Truly a whiff of the countryside!

I was surprised that only two men are at the helm of operating Kinabuhayan Cafe, and they all guests to Kubli Springs because the springs is part of the 19 hectare or so property which Mr. Herrera owns. The guy cooks the food himself and even concocts his own recipes.

Mushroom Risotto

Barbecued Pork Ribs

We loved the chef’s take on this dish called “Pinagulayan.” Veggies like eggplant, potatoes and peppers were sauteed in vinegar and an assortment of herbs in order to come up with something that resembles ratatouille.

Did you know that Kubli Springs can be spruced up for special events? The two guys take pride in that fact that the remote place can be transformed into a totally different setting at night, with candles on the water, flowers and petals strewn all over, music from a serenade - the works!

Kubli Springs definitely gets our vote as one of those off-the-beaten track destinations one must see, if only for eating picnic food under running water

For the Kubli Springs, Kinabuhayan Cafe experience, contact Jay Herrera at 09162215791

Kusina Salud is definitely one of the must-go-to destinations in San Pablo City, a favorite on many a foodies’ list. There is something about this resto which makes one trek the country roads, for the close to two hours of travel it takes to get here from Manila. The food is simply exquisite. There might be similar establishments of exquisite food sprouting in the city (like Greenbelt 5) but none quite poses the same challenge of getting here, or savoring the shabby chic ambiance, with even an aviary nearby.

Brown rice paella topped with crabs, chorizo, assorted veggies and seafood. Note the arroz caldo in the background too. I’ve never eaten paella for breakfast before, but it was gooood.

Another Kusina Salud favorite is the pako (wild fern ) salad, with grated cheese! We tell you,nothing about this salad is unpleasant, even if you’re a non-veggie fan.

Turon! (banana spring rolls, sprinkled with sesame)

Kusina Salud’s sprawling compound features lush gardens, an aviary, the Pillar Plants and Novelties Shop, a day spa…. Inside, tourists will get an idea of how Philippine houses of yore were furnished.

My pic with the bubbly Nina Poblador, who with husband & chef Paul, owns Kusina Salud.

(to be continued)