Niagara Falls

Wow. It feels weird to open my blog again. It feels like I haven't blogged in forever. Well, anyway I promise to do my best not to neglect this blog again. 

It has been an ongoing tradition for Peter and I to have a little getaway before summer starts. We do this to keep our sanity intact and survive the summer time. While all others are busy planning their summer getaway, people who live in the Dells work their asses off since it's the busiest time of the year. The original plan was a west coast road trip hitting national parks along the way with San Francisco as an endpoint. However, last minute change of plans and the lack of time prompted us to go east. 

Niagara Falls is one of the two stop overs we took on the way to Manhattan. It was a 13 hour drive from Madison. But it was so worth it. We got there at around 11pm. Even though we're dead tired from the long drive, we headed straight to the falls. 

This the Toronto skyline which is just a bridge away from us.

They didn't have the fancy lights on the falls and when I asked someone about it they said that it's still not the 'season'. 

A quick snapshot before we went to our hotel. 

We went back to Niagara Falls State Park the next day to see the falls in broad daylight. To say that the view is magnificent is an understatement. It's magical and beyond words. 

 The Maid of the Mist is a 'must' because you get to see the best view of the falls.

Oh well.. This is the best picture I could ever find in the camera. The real thing is a million times more beautiful. I swear. 

I love how the rainbow was just there constantly. Lovely! 

An open letter to Jimmy Sieczka

Before I start ranting here, I'll post the clip one more time just in case you haven't had enough publicity yet. 

Here's another link to the video.

After your video went viral and deeply annoyed Filipinos, I was surprised to see you issued an apology. That was very nice of you. 

The following is my official statement regarding the “20 Reasons” video that I hosted:

I, James Sieczka, have considered the Philippines as my second country and Cebu as my second home.The subject video that was aired was made in good faith and as a legitimate and reasonable exercise of my right, “freedom of expression.”There was no intention to scrutinize the city nor the people that governs the same. It’s an honest observation and opinion that I myself think needs to be worked on not just specifically in Cebu. These are little things that we see around us as normal people and from the eyes of an ordinary man like me.But from all that’s happening and me just trying to exercise my freedom of speech, I am very open and amenable for an apology, on the manner and means that I exercise my right, if the need presents itself.

As a sign of my compliance for the duly authorized authority and rule of law, I am not ashamed to apologize to people that I offended in the process with the hope that you would reconsider in declaring me “persona non grata.”

Sincerely,

James Sieczka

Dear Jimmy,

 I don't understand the reasoning behind putting in too much time and effort to film the video on different locations, edit it and even going through all the trouble of putting music into it to announce to the whole world how big of an idiot you are. Seriously, why are you even there? It is so easy to just leave if every single friggin' bad thing about the Philippines pisses you off. LEAVE! Nobody wants you there. I hope the publicity and media attention you're getting makes you happy right now. I honestly didn't think that the video was done in good faith. Your intention is to purely insult the country and the people that lives in it.

Now let me address some of your concerns with some simple solutions :

So you don't like reading news about terrorists? Don't watch the news. Don't read the newspapers. 


I also do not appreciate the use of profanity especially when referring to the Philippines. You're douchebaggery is totally uncool.


You don't like girls using whitening products? Guess what? It's none of your friggin' business! NOBODY cares about what you think! 


You don't like that the city is dirty? Grab a broom and start sweeping. You don't like seeing plastics scattered around the city? Start picking it one by one and throw it in the garbage. Do something useful instead of filming a bunch of crap and showing the world how big of a loser you are. 


You're pissed because there's a lot of shitty drivers in the city? Seriously?! Have you revisited Chicago and New York recently? Shitty drivers are everywhere! 


You think security guards are useless and that you could do better? So be one! Illustrate how you can do better by being one! Just stop being annoying!


You don't like that there are a lot of homeless people and street children begging for alms? Tell you what, the Philippines is considered a developing country. Third world! Get it? Our GDP is nowhere near the 14 trillion GDP of the United States. But United States has homeless people as well. Even first world countries have those unfortunate people who lost their houses for various reasons.  


You don't like how gorgeous the trannies are? Why? Is it because they look better than you? Trannies, just like shitty drivers are everywhere. And just like you, they also exercise their freedom of expression so leave them alone!


You always have two options. Nobody is forcing you to stay in the Philippines. They don't need people like you. So you either stop whining, suck it all up and be a less horrible human being or start packing your bags because the great America is waiting for you.




Sincerely,
Me

Fashion Must-Haves in Mardi Gras

Fabulous Costumes

 Masks and colorful headpieces

Blings

Feather boas

Body Paints

If you get confused because of too many choices, you can also mix and match.

Be whoever you want to be.

It doesn't even matter how old you are.

Dare to stand out. Don't worry about the morning after coz nobody remembers. 

Top 5 things to do in New Orleans during Mardi Gras

A quick must do list for those who haven't been in New Orleans.

1. Walk around French Quarter and savor its architectural magnificence.

St. Louis Cathedral, built in 1718. It is the oldest cathedral in US

quaint Spanish inspired ironwork balconies and Creole townhouses

Every angle and every street in French Quarter looks like a postcard. Spanish inspired townhouses, old fashioned courtyards, cast iron balconies and carriageways brings you back in time and makes you feel that you've time traveled in the 17th century. Everything is authentic. Worn out buildings and brickhouses looks so amazingly beautiful. It proves to show that imperfections make things beautiful. 

2. Dress/Undress to impress. (The choice is yours!)

Pink all the way

A body paint and gold bikini ensemble on a 10C/50F weather. I hope this nice lady is already recovering from pneumonia.

Overdress is a foreign word in New Orleans especially during Mardi Gras. Feather boas, tons of bead necklaces, furs, colorful masks and ridiculous headpieces are normal sightings in Bourbon street and all around French Quarter. 

3. Watch the Mardi Gras parade.

Join the excited crowd in Canal Street as they watch all the colorful floats go by. Oh and grab your favorite drink on the way since the parade can lasts for hours.

4. Eat, drink and be merry.

Hickory Grilled Redfish with tasso and wild mushroom Pontalba potatoes, topped with sauteed Louisiana jumbo lump crabmeat and lemon butter sauce from Red Fish Grill

world famous beignets and cafe au lait from Cafe du Monde. We waited in line for 45 minutes (2 hours for full service) to get a taste of these!

Sizzling oysters from GW Fins. The best thing on earth. Let it swim in butter for an added ecstasy!

New Orleans is known for its outstanding cuisine. Skip red meats because their seafood selection is to die for.  Don't hesitate to indulge on local and popular dishes such as sizzling oysters, (a must! If you can just eat one thing in New Orleans, go straight to GW Fins and get 5 portions of it) gumbo shrimps, jambalaya, beignets and cafe au lait. Restaurant reservations during dinner time is necessary or you'll either wait 45 minutes to an hour to get a table.

Booze is available in every corner of French Quarter especially in Bourbon St. You can drink on the street all day and all night since there is no bar time in New Orleans. [This information is based on three locals I talked to. The 'no bar time rule' is not just during Mardi Gras. It's all year round] So drink and be merry! Just don't pass out on the streets and leave your valuables tucked safely in your hotel room's safe. 

5.  Join the jazz festivities in Frenchmen St. and party in Bourbon St. like there's no tomorrow. 

Blue Nile Jazz Nightclub along Frenchmen St. This band did their own rendition of 'Rolling in the Deep'.

Bourbon Street at 2 am

Frenchmen Street is a long strip of jazz clubs frequented mostly by locals, hippies, poets and artists. Bourbon street is more popular among the tourist as it is always featured in travel programs. There's a long line of strip clubs and people in balconies throw beaded necklaces for people willing to show their tits. If you're not comfortable showing yours, it's OK. They will not condemn you for it.  Bourbon is more crowded and crazy. Check out both streets. Party all you can!

Even though my trip to New Orleans was very brief, I'm so ecstatic that it happened. Aside from the fact that I was able to cross it off my bucket list for 2012, I honestly think that it was one of the most beautiful city in America. I'm dead serious about this. I never thought that it would be this AMAZING! If you think you've already seen the best parties because you've been to New York, Miami, Chicago and Las Vegas, you are absolutely wrong. New Orleans has a lot to offer. Authentic old world feel, amazing food, incredible party scene and an over all unique experience, you'll never run out of things to do.

Eno-Vino Valentine

I'm unfortunately booked up for Valentine's day. Taxes, school commitments then work at night. So I celebrated Valentine's day two days early. It was one of those let's-eat-everything-today-then-we'll-start-a-new-diet-tomorrow days. 

We started with a very sinful brunch in the couch with our favorite TV series. 

We were going to watch a movie but since we couldn't agree on what movie to watch, we decided to skip the cinema. I wanted to watch The Vow but he kept insisting  that we watch Underworld: Awakening. [Seriously?! Underworld Awakening?! on a Valentine date?! Who does that? sigh.] We tried to keep it simple so we just went to Madison in pursuit of something to do to get rid of boredom. 

The mall is full of over the top mushy gift items. This industry must be making a lot of money. There were literally hearts everywhere. Even Starbucks had their cups designed for Valentine's. 

It was dinner time and we had nothing better to do. We went to my favorite restaurant, Eno-Vino for dinner.  [Read my previous post about Eno-Vino here.]   We got seated and immediately greeted by our server. She went on with a very long spiel telling us about Eno-Vino's Valentine special. I didn't pay much attention as I was busy observing everyone in the room. As expected, there were a lot of couples. I silently estimated how much money the restaurants, flower shops, hotels/motels are making on Valentine's day. It's so overrated. We tried not to blend in with those couples. We talked about Europe, real estate and the Federal Reserves. Basically anything other than romance. 

We couldn't decide on what to order. So we just settled for their five course Valentine's menu. $65 dollars per person plus the option to pair it with five different wines for a $20 add on. We agreed to do the wine pairing too because we were too lazy to come up with something interesting/different to drink. 

She immediately brought a sourdough bread with a little scoop of cheese spread on the table. 

Next thing she brought was a pair of little canapes. It's a sourdough crostini topped with salmon and cranberry encrusted cheese. She also brought a glass of sparkling wine paired with it. She muttered the wine variety but it was inaudible since the restaurant was a full house. This pair was complimentary, like a prelude to the main event. I absolutely loved the canape. It was an excellent start. It took us three seconds to chow it down.

She immediately brought the first course which was the Sweet Potato Ravioli with sage cream, brown butter, pecorino romano and prosciutto. Every bite was heavenly. It was paired with Erath Pinot Noir. I wasn't generally a fan of red wine but this was good.

Next up is the B.L.T Salad It was literally a cross between a BLT sandwich and a salad. Roma tomatoes, mixed greens, English cucumber and basil emulsion  were staked in between sourdough croutons topped with bacon and parmagiano reggiano. This was my least favorite part of the meal. The entire experience would still be awesome without this. It was too bland for my taste. Good thing it was paired with Remy Pannier Vouvray, a Chenin Blanc from Loire France. It instantly became my new favorite white wine. I googled it as soon as I get home and looked for a place where I could buy it.

The third course was Peter's favorite. Parmesan Crab Crepes with tarragon buerre blanc and lemon shallot vinaigrette. This dish was also a winner and I honestly think that it was not because of the crepe itself but because of the vinaigrette. I imagined it would be good all over my rice too. What?! I eat everything with rice okay!  I was getting a little full at this point so I have to give up half of my crepes dish which Peter gladly took advantage of. The dish was paired with Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay. There was nothing remarkable about the wine. I would still prefer Kendall Jackson for Chardonnay.

The fourth course was the bomb! Seared Beef Tenderloin plated daintily over a bed of mushroom risotto and served with baby carrots drizzled with Pinot Noir reduction. This was the highlight of my night. The beef was so tender and flavorful. You know what the best part was? They paired it with rice. It was nothing but spectacular. The Show Cabernet was the wine paired with it. I hardly drink this wine since Cabernet is my least favorite wine.

No matter how full I may be, there's always room for dessert. The fifth course was a White Chocolate Mousse with cocoa espresso whipped cream topped with a fresh raspberries and almond biscotti. Sweet! The biscotti dipped in the cocoa espresso whipped cream was heaven on earth. Seriously. It was paired with Warre's Late Bottled Vintage Port. Sweet and strong just the way I like it.

Just before the server handed us the check, she brought these two rich chocolate covered strawberries. But of course, our gluttonous appetite was still up for it even if we can hardly stand from our chairs.

We left the restaurant with happy hearts and tummy. For sure we'll be back again.. Soon. 

HuHot Mongolian Grill

I can't believe that I have not been in HuHot Mongolian Grill before. I had dinner in HuHot last Tuesday with a bunch of friends and indulged in tons of food. 

We got seated and hurriedly ordered our wine. We didn't paid much attention to the server that greeted us since we're all starving when we got there. Since it's our first time in HuHot, we basically didn't know what to do. 

But we easily figured it out.

First, we chose the meat that we want to eat for dinner. It's a pretty large selection of meat. They have beef, chicken, pork, shrimp, tilapia, scallops and crabmeat. 

If you're not big on experimenting, they have a list of recipes available to make it easier for you. 

A few recipes caught my attention.

But I ended up taking control of my destiny. I put everything in my bowl. Yes!

Next, we threw in a bunch of veggies in our bowl. There were also different kinds of noodles available. 

I had a hard time choosing since there were so much stuff to choose from. 

Last stop is our choice of sauce. This was the hardest part. Good thing they provided us with recommendations since I have no way of knowing what kind of sauce to put in my bowl. 

After figuring out what sauces to blend, we proceeded to the grill. We handed over our bowl to one guy who grilled it for us. 

He did some exhibitions with his spatula.

I tried to capture it in camera but he was too fast and I couldn't figure out the right setting. 

Pre-war 

I paired my stir fry with a big bowl of piping hot rice. Yum! 

Post-war

It was so delicious that I had to go for round 2. Yeah that's me on a diet! =) After the second round, I still want to get dessert. Yeah I'm on diet. SERIOUSLY. 

When I saw s'mores on the menu, I took it as a sign. Yeah, dessert is ALWAYS a good idea! =)

  

What a sweet way to end dinner!

I found a new place to hang out! Did I mention that the stir fry is all you can eat for just $12.79?! That's not a typo. 

Check out their menu.