Where We've Been

Visiting Rhode Island 2011 - Bowen's Wharf

2011-11-23T11:07:00.001-05:00

Last July, we went for our 2nd visit to Newport, Rhode Island to celebrate Shian's birthday. We really love this city. It's about a 3 hour trip from Albany, surrounded by water and there's a lot of interesting things to do. This time around, we decided to stay near downtown Newport and just explore and relax.

We just love this car! He just had a bath and the lighting was nice with all the reflections. It is a 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid and I think I like the look of this generation more than the new 2012's.

I wasn't really sleepy ^^,
It was raining hard when we left Albany but it did stop when we reached Rhode Island. As we were crossing the first bridge (I forgot the name), half of it was covered with fog and It felt like something out of a zombie movie. Really Creepy.
We ate at The Black Pearl down at Bowen's Wharf. Loved their clam chowder but also loved their lobster roll. Can't wait to go back to have some more!
Shian had the Grilled Shrimp and Scallops. Yum!
There is a small balcony at the back of the Aquidneck Lobster Co. Wharf with a great view of the harbor.
Always loved how a huskie's eyes are so intense (and blue).One of my favorite James Bond cars - The Aston Martin Vanquish. We also saw a bunch of Ferraris, Porsche, Lambos, Benz AMGs...

Bowen's Wharf
http://www.bowenswharf.com/13 Bowen's Wharf | PO Box 60 | Newport, RI 02840

P: 401.849.2243 | M: mjg@bowenswharf.com

Isaiah's Baptism

2011-11-09T11:11:00.001-05:00

Last September 18, we went to the christening of Gen+Ina's son, Isaiah, and we were honored to be a part of the celebration as one of the Godparents. We have been to a couple of Christening's since coming to the US and it's always a joy to share in the happiness of having a baby be a part of the Catholic family. Traditionally here in the US, they only have a pair of Godparents but being from the Philippines... it is nice that the tradition of having at least 3-7 pairs have crossed over too. Here are some of my favorite pictures from the Baptism. Enjoy!

Issey started playing with the holy water!

The baby bottle is always the best tool to keep a cranky baby happy!
Annointing with oil... The oil was very pepperminty. We met with them after a few days and Issey still smelled minty!

Fellow photog with the kids.
Issey is all greased up and ready to go!The "Ninangs" - GodmothersThe "Ninongs" - Godfathers

Tinikling at the 40th Annual Festival of Nations in Albany, NY

2011-11-04T11:36:00.000-04:00

Here's a video by Rommel Esconde on the recently concluded 40th Annual Festival of Nations held at the Albany Convention Center, NY. Every year, Different countries showcase their culture through their food, crafts, music and native dances. This year was special because it marked the first time that the Filipino community was represented with a performance of the "Tinikling" by the Binhing Pinoy Dancers which was composed of Filipino-American kids living here in Albany.

I can still remember how ordinary and forgetful my experience was with our Native dances. Having performed the maglalatik with my classmates in grade school, I can still remember the shiver of embarrassment running down my spine whenever I think about it. But looking at these kids doing their very best in representing our culture just makes you lift your head high and be proud to be a Filipino. Great job guys! Can't wait to be there next year!

Christmas in the City - New York, 2010

2011-10-26T14:04:00.001-04:00

One of the advantages of digital cameras from film is the ability to take lots of pictures without thinking of the cost of the film and developing. The drawback is, because of the sheer amount of pictures that gets accumulated through the years, you sometimes forget to process some of them. :)

This is an example of a forgotten trip that we made last year to visit the Big Tree in Rockefeller Center.
It was SUPER cold when we went to the city and it always gets me when you look at the sunny pictures and thinking why are all the people covered up.
Max's Restaurant in New Jersey is the nearest one in NY and we try to drop by everytime we go to the city. I've never been a big Max's fan back in the Philippines but since coming here, I just can't get enough! It's just funny to see how small the whole chicken is compared to what you can get in the grocery (The chicken here in the US is HUGE! About double the size).
lobby of the Empire State Building.
The flagship store of Macy's in NYC is extra busy during the christmas season.
Lots of mirrors in the boy's bathroom... wonder what it's for?
Times Square
Always nice to have someone to cuddle in a cold (freezing) winter night! :)Ended the day with a trip to the M&M store.
You could mix different sizes and flavors of M&M and pay by weight.

Happy Birthday to Me!!

2011-10-11T09:20:00.000-04:00

Bowen's Wharf at Newport, Rhode Island

2011-09-29T11:39:00.000-04:00

Facebook Timeline - What do you think?

2011-09-28T12:05:00.000-04:00

Facebook Timeline - Whether you like it or not, it will be coming soon to replace your FB Profile (as early as this Friday, Sept 30). I've seen a lot of people already up in arms against this but after using it for a while, I think it's way better than the old one. What do you think?

You can activate the Facebook timeline ahead of it's release by following the instructions here:
http://techcrunch.com/2011/09/22/how-to-enable-facebook-timeline/

The Skylon Tower in Niagara Falls, Canada

2011-09-21T10:37:00.000-04:00

When you visit Niagara Falls, one of the first things that you notice before even seeing the falls itself is this monolith, overlooking the most powerful waterfalls in North America.

The Skylon Tower was officially opened on October 6, 1965 and has been one of the premier attractions when visiting Niagara, offering a unique view of both the American and the larger horseshoe falls.

Skylon Tower
http://www.skylon.com
5200 Robinson Street
Niagara Falls, ON
Canada
L2G 2A3

Phone 1-905-356-2651
Fax: 1-905-356-8699
Toll Free in North America 1-877-4SKYLON (1-877-475-9566)

I know of somebody who has their Christmas Tree up... I'm Jealous.

2011-09-15T08:10:00.000-04:00

Canon 5d mark II 35mm F1.4 1/320 ISO 800

Mooncake

2011-09-14T09:11:00.000-04:00

I do love my mooncake!

Jason Powell's Looking Into the Past: September 11

2011-09-12T09:06:00.000-04:00

This is an awesome project by Flickr user Jason Powell. I've always loved his looking into the past series but this set that he did for September 11 is definitely the one to see.

Jason Powell's Flickr Photostream

Nothing like Sleeping kittens

2011-09-08T14:00:00.000-04:00

Since we are in a cat lovin' mood, Look at what I found in one of my long lost digital folders. I think they were just a few months old when I took the pictures. I always love it when I see them all bunched up, stretching all over and getting comfy. Enjoy!

Canon Powershot G5 F2.8 1/20 ISO 200

Buffy

2011-09-02T13:28:00.000-04:00

Canon 5d mark II 85mm F1.8 1/80 ISO 2500

Jollibee in Niagara Falls, Canada

2011-09-01T10:41:00.000-04:00

Look at what we found stuck on one of the lamp posts when we visited Niagara Falls... Jollibee! Jollibee (for the non-Filipino folks) is the biggest hamburger chain in the Philippines and the bee on the post is their adorable mascot. Think of it as the Filipino Mcdonald's and if you're still curious, there are a couple of Jollibee restaurants spread out all over the US. The nearest for us is in Queens, NY but you check out their USA Site for more info.

So next time that you happen to be in the Canadian side of Niagara Falls and walking down Murray St. , try hunting for that smiling bee in the lamp post. Cheers!

I see you!

2011-08-31T12:22:00.000-04:00

Canon 5d mark II 200mm F2.8 1/200 ISO 100

Julia and Zofia's 3rd Birthday

2011-08-26T11:58:00.000-04:00

Last July, I shot Julia and Zofia's 3rd birthday party at their home and it was just fun to see them all grown up. I still remember how cute they were in their white baptismal dresses and seeing both of them slowly blossoming to who they are now is such a treat! Here are some of my favorite images from the party. Enjoy!

Adventuring at the Howe Caverns - Howes Cave, NY

2011-08-23T08:46:00.000-04:00

Howe Caverns is an underground cave system here and is 2nd only to Niagara Falls as the most visited Natural attraction in New York state.

First stop on the tour is the animatronic Lester Howe, who tells us how, with the help of his cows, he discovered the entrance to the Howe Caverns. More of the history over here.

One of the formations looks like a dinosaur head. If you don't see it, it is the one lighted red on the right.

The dinosaur head on the left and the pagoda on the right.

The Chinese Pagoda.The 2 witches and the big turtle. The 2nd witch was not really that obvious.

When you go down the caverns, the guide will tell you that you can't touch any of the walls or formations because the oils or whatever substance that we have on our hands will slowly erode the stone. But halfway through the tour they have 2 formations that you can touch all you want. Yup, it still felt like stone to me...

This chamber was the most impressive in the caverns and of course they have a photo station right there where for $10 you can buy the picture when you're done with the tour.
Loved the reflection on the 1st picture. The picture on the right where the guide stuck her head in was quite interesting. You could sing into the formation and it would resonate through the whole room.

They said that the any cave system would have the average temperature of the area where it's at. In our case, it is a constant 52 degrees Fahrenheit (that's 12deg Celsius for you metric folks) with 70-75% humidity. Very cold and it is highly recommended to have at least some form of light jacket when you go in. The tour is also an hour and a half long with no bathrooms underground so make sure to go on a bathroom break before the tour.

This is cute, Apparently over 600 couples have been married at this spot. They call it the "Bridal Altar" and the guide said that if you step on the heart and kiss, you will have marital bliss forever!

The best part for me was the "Winding Way" where you go through a series of winding passage ways that were really tight in some corners. Better watch your head!

All in all, it was a good, fun experience and definitely worth making the trip. I forgot to mention that they have a boat ride down the end of the tour before you head back. It was nice to sit after the long walk and just look at the formations but it was a bit gimmicky for me. It was actually more enjoyable to watch the guides navigate the boats and manage the traffic. They also have a new zipline/adventure park added outside for the those who are not afraid of heights. Enjoy!
Howe Caverns255 Discovery DriveHowes Cave, NY 12092518-296-8900 (Cavern & Adventure Park)518-296-8950 (Motel)
Howe Caverns Open 7 Days a Week Year Round.Cave Hours9 am to 6 pm April 1 - October 319 am to 5 pm November 1 - March 31Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas
Adventure Park Hours9 am to 6 pm April 1 - October 31Weather Permitting

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Moo!

2011-08-18T10:02:00.000-04:00

Canon 5d mark II 50mm F2.2 1/5000 ISO 100

Cold Stone Creamery Cravings

2011-08-16T11:54:00.000-04:00

Lately we've been having ice cream cravings and during all of those times, we find ourselves at the mercy of Cold Stone Creamery. They got their name from their signature ice cream where you choose what flavor and toppings and they mix it on top of this long slab of "cold" refrigerated stone. We haven't really had a chance to try it yet but it definitely looks good. We usually get the ice cream shakes and take home some of their ice cream tubs! Try it out before summers done!

Savory Strawberry Shake! Yum!

Chicken Pochero... Sort of.

2011-08-15T11:26:00.000-04:00

Ok so this is not really the authentic chicken pochero since it's missing a couple of key ingredients but you have to make do with what you have right? So this is our version of Pochero which you can substitute pork or beef instead of the chicken. My mom used to make mashed eggplant (Grill the eggplant, peal and mash it, then mix with garlic, pepper, salt and vinegar to taste) as a side dish but we didn't have the ingredients so we skipped it this time and we also didn't have the banana and the Chinese sausage...

Chorico (different from chorizo) is a portuguese sausage, not too spicy but it does add a nice layer to the dish.

We love using our enameled dutch oven! It's a Martha Stewart from Macy's. we got it cheap compared to Le Creuset but as you can see, some of the paint is already chipping. I guess you get what you pay for in this case.

It looks like a lot of Bok Choy but it does get cooked down quite a bit.

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (cut to its various spare parts)
2-3 chinese sausage (we used 2 large Chorico sausages)
1 Plantaine (or Saging na Saba if you have it)
1 medium onion diced
1 large tomato diced
2-3 cloves of garlic minced
1 can of garbanzos (Chickpea)
1 small bundle of long green beans, cut into 2" slices
1 small cabbage
1 bunch Bok Choy
1 small can Tomato Sauce
1 cube chicken bullion cube
Salt, Pepper corn, Patis to taste

1. Chop and fry the plantains in a med-large pot until lightly brown then set aside.
2. Chop and Fry the chinese sausage in the same pot until lightly brown then set aside.
3. Sauttee the garlic and onions until aromatic then add the diced tomatoes. Keep sautteeing for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add around 2 teaspoons of patis (fish sauce), pepper corns and tomato sauce and mix well.
6. Add water to cover the chicken (or more if you like more broth), add the chicken cube and simmer until the chicken is cooked through.
7. Put back the fried sausage, banana and garbanzos and simmer for 5 minutes.
8. Add the cabbage and green beens and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
9. Add the bok choy and turn off the heat. Cover the pot and let the heat of the dish cook the bok choy for 5 minutes.
10. Serve hot over rice and enjoy!

Niagara Falls and the Rainbow Bridge

2011-08-13T11:30:00.000-04:00

It's our second time visiting the falls and It still takes my breath away. The power of the falls reminds you how insignificant we are in the scheme of things. The horseshoe falls (Canadian Falls) is more spectacular in my opinion but a bit harder to photograph because of all the mist that it creates.

Stu's Baptism

2011-08-12T08:43:00.000-04:00

Last April, we were honored to be invited to the baptism of our dear friend, Stu Murray. It was held during the Easter Vigil celebration at their church (forgot the name) and it was a great way to spend the evening. The church was very cozy and nice and the celebration went smoothly although the fire alarm was activated when they lit a small bonfire inside the church during the start of the mass (oops!). I love going to baptisms especially when the one being baptized is no longer a baby. Sometimes we take our religion for granted since most of us are literally "born" into it but There's really something special about a person who chose to change and commit himself wholeheartedly to a new faith. We are proud of you Stu and thanks for sharing this night with us.

Central Park Rose Garden at Schenectady, NY

2011-08-11T12:23:00.000-04:00

Last month we were told that there was a nice rose garden at the Central Park in Schenectady. We haven't been to the Central Park yet and heard a few sketchy stories about it (as with most "central parks") but at a whim, we decided to go and boy we were glad that we did. The Rose garden was full of different varieties of roses and is a treat if you like taking pictures of flowers. You can check out the history of the Garden here.

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Julia+Zofia Hugs and Kisses

2011-07-24T22:22:00.000-04:00

Prince and Grace

2011-03-07T15:30:00.001-05:00