Celine's Life Adventure

For my second day in Canada, Jomar and I spent the morning having our planning meeting. It took us the first 3 hours of the day to discuss our plans. Then, I had "Me" time. I went to Let's Face It to have a facial. After that, I went to Chowking. I got my first dose of cultural difference between Canada and Philippines. I was in front of the cashier and said, "Hi". She just stared at me impatiently. I gave her my order (Yang Chow fried rice) and she offered toppings which I declined. What's so shocking about the encounter? Well, in Canada, there's always pleasantries and small talk. Always. When ordering, the cashier would almost always ask, "Hi there, how's it going?" or "Hi there, what can I get for you today?". They don't just stand there and wait for your order. It's different. When I was new to Canada I always feel awkward about the pleasantries and small talk but now that I am used to it, I am surprise when it does

As soon as I boarded my flight to Manila from Beijing, I fell asleep. I did sleep for an hour, watched Sing, then watched The Intern. I was in the last 2 minutes (2 minutes!!!) of the movie and they closed all in-flight entertainment because the plane had landed. I was sitting in the first row of the economy class and I only have my backpack to carry so I am the first person out of the plane (well, first person from the economy class since they apparently, give priority to Business Class).  I love saying Magandang Umaga! I am home. The Immigration was quick since I was one of the first few people out of the plane. After the immigration, I waited for my luggage which felt like a really long time but no more than 15 minutes. I went out and walked down the arrival extension area of Terminal 1 and saw Jomar. He booked an Uber and finally, home to my dearest Gateway Regency.  I unpacked and went straight to bed (around 2AM). Good morning Manila! I woke up at 5AM and decided to ta

May is the month of celebration and eating out. Below is a list of some of the restaurants I went to this month. Enjoy! Vegetarian Burgers with yam fries before the movie Harvest grain vegetarian burger with lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mayonnaise and pickles, served on a brioche bun with sweet potato fries from Marine Drive Cineplex VIP area Travel the Dumpling Trail starting with Shibuyatei Sushi & Larmen Left to Right: Scallops Gyoza, Pork Gyoza, and Shrimp Gyoza Seafood Pancakes during Mother's Day dinner Seafood Pancake from Dai Jung Kum Old Style Bacon Cheeseburger from Fatburger An all time favourite! Our big, juicy ⅓ lb Alberta Angus beef patty topped with double Canadian Cheddar and maple bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayo, mustard and red relish with yam fries. Pasta during Alyanna's birthday Italian Feast: Chicken Parmigiana, Cheese Ravioli, and Lasagna Classico from Olive Garden My Fave Soup from Cafe 101 Bakery Sun dried

Every month starting March, someone from our family is celebrating their birthday: March: Therese April: Hovey May: Alyanna June: Mom July: Dad And yes, I am the odd one out since my birthday is all the way in November. For this month, Therese decided we eat at Earls Kitchen + Bar Restaurant . Since we are excited about dinner, we have been looking at the menu deciding what to get a couple of days before her actual birthday. Appetizer For sharing, we had Bacon Mac + Cheese and Crispy Chicken Tenders Bacon Mac + Cheese Crispy Chicken Tenders Main Course For our main course, Alyanna had Pepperoni Pizza, I had Bacon Cheddar Burger, Therese had California Chicken Burger, Mother had Chicken, Brie + Fig Sandwich, and Kuya had Louisiana Fried Chicken Sandwich. Pepperoni Pizza Bacon Cheddar Burger with Yam Fries Desserts The best part of any meal (or at least this one) is desserts. Sticky Toffee Chocolate Pudding Partially Eaten Gold Digger Happy bi

I am so busy with work that I have forgotten about this blog. I am writing this 21st of May and just changed the date to January 31, 2017. The adventures of the first 15 days of the year is about time I spent with Jomar before he heads back to the Philippines. We went to Museum of Athropology (MoA), Granville Island, and watched a movie at Cineplex. Our last dinner date together (for this trip) is at the best burger restaurant in Vancouver, Romer's Burger Bar . After a food coma dinner, we walked to Cheesecake, Etc. for some desserts. What happened the rest of the month? On top of my workday work routine, I got to meet with Amit last January 19. We spent 30 minutes talking how life has been since we both came to North America. He works at Google and he is one of the Developer Relations folks that manage the community in APAC but decided to come back for family reasons in North America. The best photo we could do - a failed selfie outside Crepe & Cafe which apparen

I don't think people read my blog so I found work in Canada! Yay! To end my first week at work, Therese and Alyanna went to check out the Richmond Night Market. It was AWESOME! Seriously, you should check it out. The entrance is $3.25 for general admission. What did we enjoy while inside? The Games - it was Alyanna's first time to try the carnival, you-have-no-chance-of-winning games. Haha! We tried two games, the pop the balloon with dart to get a stuff toy, which we won (Thanks to Alyanna's strong arms). The other game we played was shoot round hoops to bottles, which we failed. It was fun.

It's my fault. When I asked my sisters to watch Food Network I never thought they'll like it. We watched an episode of You Gotta Eat Here and they liked it so much that Therese made a blog post about the restaurants that are in Vancouver for us to try. This is the third restaurant we've tried ever since we started watching You Gotta Eat Here . Miura Restaurant & Bar is located in Main Street near East Broadway Avenue. It's an Asian-inspired restaurant. Empty Restaurant at 3 in the afternoon on a Wednesday!

After my DD Mau adventure with Therese, my mom, out of nowhere, asked me to have lunch at Lotus Pho Restaurant after church. Lotus Pho Restaurant is a traditional Vietnamese restaurant. Upon entering, the place is full people. It's the Sunday lunch rush. When we were seated and browsing through the menu, I just know that I'll have Vermicelli Bowl again just to compare it with DD Mau. Vermicelli Bowl with Grilled Chicken Slices, Fried Roll

It's my fault. When I asked my sisters to watch Food Network I never thought they'll like it. We watched an episode of You Gotta Eat Here and they liked it so much that Therese made a  blog post  about the restaurants that are in Vancouver for us to try. After visiting Argo Cafe, we went to DD Mau last July 9. DD Mau is a BÁNH MÌ restaurant. It's a Vietnamese sandwiches place. It's featured in You Gotta Eat Here and we just had to try what John Catucci tried. DD Mau is less than a 5-minute walk from the Yaletown-Roundhouse SkyTrain Canada Line Station. It's a small place with only a few tables. We took our spot in the bar stool facing the street. Therese ordered two half sandwiches: The Classic and Lemongrass Chicken. Lemongrass Chicken Sandwich Meanwhile, I had a Vermicelli Bowl with three meat: Grilled Lemongrass Chicken, BBQ Pork, and Spring Roll.

It's my fault. When I asked my sisters to watch Food Network I never thought they'll like it. We watched an episode of You Gotta Eat Here and Therese wanted to try all the restaurants that it featured and she even made a blog post about it. To start our " You Gotta Eat Here " food trip, we visited  Argo Cafe . It's a small diner located in Ontario Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenue. First impression, the ambiance of the place is exactly that of a diner. Waitresses wearing aprons the way you would expect of a diner based on what you see on the television. It's pretty cool. Therese and I went there at lunch and there's just one available table. I'd like to think it was meant for us. While deciding what to have, since the only thing we're certain about is the Mexican Poutine, I shared with Therese highlights of my interview few minutes before. Personally, I am uncertain on what to get but end up with the Spaghetti Carbonara. Therese, on the ot

I keep on saying, Brooklyn Pizza. Okay. There's a pizza chain in the Philippines called Brooklyn Pizza , and they serve one of the best chicken wings ever. Here in Canada, there is a Boston Pizza chain, and since our family loves pizza, we just need to try it out. One Friday afternoon, our whole family including my boyfriend Jomar went to McArthurGlen Designer Outlet because Hovey is looking for shoes. Alyanna, on the other hand, is not keen on coming but I told her that a churro cart ( Hugo's Churros ) is sometimes there.  Read on my hunt for churros post . When we arrived at McArthurGlen, there are no Churros much to Alyanna's disappointment. To negotiate I told her, we could have pizza and when we searched for the nearest pizza place I haven't tried (using Foursquare , of course), Boston Pizza at No. 3 Road was the first answer. After Therese and mother were done buying bags, off, we go! I love the ambiance of Boston Pizza! It was sports-themed. I remember wat

Celine's Note: This post is written by my sister, Therese. We've been dieting for two weeks now. Alyanna and I started watching You Gotta Eat Here on Food Network - our reasoning, if we can't eat it, at least, we get to watch it. That's the background on why Therese created this post. Vancouver is one of the biggest cities in Canada. With a variety of landmarks and stunning weather, there is no doubt that tourists are lured into visiting this beautiful city. As part of Canada, Vancouver is rich in culture and is consisted of delicacies from all over the world. Where would you eat in a city that has so much to offer? Here are the top restaurants in Vancouver: Restaurant Type Specialty Price Range Location Others Argo Cafe Diner Conqueso, hand cut fries, carbonara, and complimentary soup that comes with every meal $7 - $16 1836 Ontario Street Cash & Debit Only Calabash Bistro Caribbean Bistro Seafood steamer, fry fish, fish duo, fresh seafood curry $1

One weekend, Alyanna was demanding that we eat at Olive Garden because a YouTuber is promoting the unlimited breadsticks. Therese and I searched for the closest Olive Garden, and there's only one in BC! Just one! We took a 30-minute drive (more than 40 km) to eat at Olive Garden located in Langley. The trip was worth it. Olive Garden Exterior

I've been to Korea twice and had a taste of authentic Korean food. Haroo brings the Korean experience in Richmond with its homey ambiance and great food. Last week, our family celebrated my mom's birthday and father's day. Since my mom has been raving about Dai Jang Kum and how she wants to bring us there to celebrate her birthday, Therese and I searched for the Korean Restaurant with the highest rating in Richmond. My Foursquare and her Yelp app both returned Haroo Korean Homestyle Cuisine . My parents enjoying the tea We arrived at Haroo at around 7:30 PM, it was a cloudy day and finding parking space was challenging. Be more patient when coming to the area on a busy weekend, since parking will be difficult.

Jomar is heading back to the Philippines soon. :( This is our last date in Canada, so we decided to check out the International Summer Night Market, also known as Panda Market. There are two summer night markets in Richmond; we decided to visit this one because it's closer to home. Mother with the Panda We had a great time! Jomar and I had takoyaki and okonomiyaki while my parents enjoyed some fried squid.

I love Japanese Curry! It's my favourite food and curry is my favourite spice. On this week's food highlight, I will share the different Japanese curry restaurants in Vancouver that I have tried. Sato Japanese Restaurant Location: 155-8460 Alexandra Rd., Richmond, B.C. Canada Pork Katsu on Rice costs $12.00 Saboten Location: #3180 Aberdeen Centre, 4151 Hazelbridge Way, Richmond, BC V6X 4J7 Tenderloin Katsu Curry

Right beside the Steveston Fisherman's Wharf, The Crab King Restaurant offers fresh crab and seafood that's delicious but a bit pricey. We went there at around 5:00 PM yesterday, still a lot early than the dinner crowd. It's more of an afternoon snack after a tiring game of Lazer Tag for my siblings. We were celebrating Alyanna's birthday. These are the food we had: Crispy Battered Prawns and Chips

The first time I tried Peri-Peri Chicken I had to Google search what it is and its origin. "Piri-piri chicken is a spicy dish with roots in both Africa and Portugal." - www.epicurious.com Below is the Peri-Peri Chicken I have tried so far. Gostoso Piri Piri Chicken at Kapitolyo, Pasig, Philippines Eduardo's Peri Peri at SM Light Mall, Mandaluyong Philippines

I will tell you a little secret. Ever since I was in high school, I've always dreamt of having the Dairy Queen ice cream cake KitKat flavour. Well, I've never got one. So for mother's day, this year, my siblings and I purchased an ice cream cake from Marble Slab Creamery. It was delicious! I wanted to cry. Chocolate Swiss Ice Cream Cake from Marble Slab Creamery

I have come to realize that I do my best to post something new once a week. Since I didn't try any exciting restaurants this week or visit any cool place, I will highlight one food that people seems to love so much: Burgers! From fast food joints to high-end restaurants burger is a menu item that seems to always be there. Below are some of the burgers I have tried over the last six months in Lower Mainland BC. Bacon Cheeseburger Five Guys at 635 Robson Street Downtown Vancouver The Legendary White Spot at Bridgeport, Richmond Old Style Bacon Cheddar Fatburger at 111 Dunsmuir Street Downtown Vancouver