My First Sunday Market Experience in Aus

My German housemates asked me if I will be happy to come with them to a Sunday market that they have heard of in Canning vale, Western Australia. It sounded good so I went with them after having breakfast. I miss going to open weekend markets in Thailand wherein I can get good finds. I was excited to see one here in Australia. 

GPS helped us find our way and we had to pay 2 AUD for entrance fee. As it was a Sunday, there were a lot of people coming in as well. The market was open around 8am until 2pm. 

The stalls were lined up in a big area and the first things I saw were of cheap priced vegetables and fruits. I was tempted to buy some but I still had stocks at home. Finally I bought bananas and grapes. I saw that there were a lot of plants for sale. Mostly were garden plants but there were also interesting ones.

Much like in Thailand, I saw second hand toys for sale.

Common merchandise such as shirts and phone casings are here as well.

What made me happy to see was this Filipino food stall displaying Filipino food! 

I wasn't planning to eat as I was walking alone (me and my German friends separated ways). While looking at some used clothes and jackets, I spotted a familiar friend - Ate Vicky. She was also in the market with her friends. 

Ate Vicky was the kindhearted woman who helped me transfer my things from one house to another. As it was already lunch time, she offered to treat me for lunch. We went back to where the Filipino mobile stall was and ordered some of their meals. It was so good!

I'm so glad to have been to the market that day. I planned to return and bring enough money to buy myself some thick winter jacket but I haven't had time. Now that I am in another state, hopefully I can visit another one soon.

Thank you for reading and 'til next blog! ;)

Food in the Philippines

I still can't get over the fact that after 2 years of being away from home, I've eaten the Filipino foods I craved for. Though I am loving Thai food, nothing beats food from the Philippines. I actually made a list of the food I have to eat and am glad to say I ticked almost all of them. So here they are in no particular order.

On New Year's Eve we had a full table prepared with food. My sister specifically made sure that we have Lechon. It is what we name the well roasted pig in the middle of this table. Usually this is the star of Pinoy parties. Surrounding it are fresh fruits (for new year luck), bread, smoked fish and my mother's delicious Filipino style spaghetti.

Another one on my list is the Choc'o Flakes from Baguio. I was first introduced to this snack way back in college from a dorm mate who lived in the mentioned province. Actually, its just corn flakes covered in brown or white chocolate. Simple as it is, I like it so much and always try to buy it every time from the airport.

This is the top view of my Halo-halo (that I mixed already before I remembered to take a photo). This consists of ube ice cream, cornflakes, some jelly and fruits, ice and milk. This is especially good to eat during the summer when its so hot. 

It was said that you haven't been to Butuan until you ate chicken at Weegol's Garden. Well, I've lived in Butuan for 2 years of my high school but this was my first time to discover the place. (I know right?). It was packed with people for lunch and no wonder because of it's delicious chicken barbecue in a set including 1 and a half rice. 

I had a gastronomic treat in Cebu thanks to my sister who brought me to Buffet 101. There was a huge variety of food, including Japanese cuisine that I super like. 

One of my top priority was to order Alberto's Pizza. This pizza is what me and my house mates used to order after a gruelling hospital shift. The chain has grown so big now with a lot of branches at different provinces. It has managed to offer different pizza flavors that fit my budget perfectly.

I deeply miss Jollibee and ate some right after landing in the capital city. Since I was a child, I loved eating Jollibee and I haven't grown out of it. Though it already has branches in some countries but I feel the quality in the Philippines is still the best. Nothing beats lasagna from Greenwich, too! Tip: if you have OFW friends coming home to the Philippines, usually they would like to treat people with Jollibee because there is no other like it abroad.

The joy of eating in a roadside restaurant with puso (hanging rice), tasty pork liempo and paired with cold softdrinks is pure joy! I forgot to take a photo of the siomai that we also bought. My mouth waters just thinking about it lol.

I was almost afraid I would miss eating sisig. See my wide smile just by looking at it. It's a Filipino dish made from parts of pig's head and liver and seasoned with lemon and chilli peppers. Oh what a treat!

I made this post to remind me of what a good time I had in my recent holiday because of my family, friends and with all the food I tasted. I even attempted to stuff my bag with some more food for presents and my own consumption. (lol)

For those of you who haven't visited my beloved country yet, I hope this will inspire y'all to come and visit, not only to see our beautiful sights but also to eat.

Thank you for reading and 'til next blog!

Coming back after my Philippine Holiday

After 2 years of working hard and travelling to a few places, I was finally able to come home to the Philippines to celebrate Christmas and New Year. I was nervous to come home because I have a very limited budget and I would have wanted to give small tokens to my relatives and close friends or maybe treat them with some nice food. With the Grace of God, I was able to come home safely, enjoy my time and share a little bit of my blessings with them. I have not had the time to see everyone because of my tight schedule, I wish to apologize and hope that I'd be able to see them next time. 

Christmas in the Philippines is so warm and different. Even more so with family and friends by my side. I would have wanted to blog about things done by Pinoys during Christmas but it may be too late already. 

I can't wait to share about the new things that I found lovely in the Philippines as well as that of the few nice places I've been to during my visit. This was taken in Sirao Flower Garden in Busay, Cebu City.

And of course, I cannot forget and it is important to our lives, the food! Everything tasted good and I missed them all. I did have a checklist of what food I have to eat when I'm home and I think I have ticked them all!

It was fun and memorable as I made a life changing decision while at home. I hope and pray that 2017 would be as great as 2016 for me and my family. Can't wait to write again and hopefully entertain you all!

Thank you for reading and 'til my next blog!