Teach me how to MAKI

Last night, I attended Tokyo Tokyo's exclusive food tasting invitation at their newest and first branch outside Luzon at SM Lanang Premier. Read my post here.

One of the highlights, aside from the eating part, was a demonstration on how to make Maki, yes, the ever-popular California Maki. Tokyo Tokyo chef Eric called for two volunteers from the group as his apprentices. Bloggers Suzette and Algene got to try first hand under the clear instructions of sensei Eric. I would have wanted to volunteer also but it meant not having the chance to take pictures. When you are a blogger picture picture is a must! So here are the shots I took with some of the instructions from last night's instant cooking class!

1. Wash your hands and wear disposable gloves. Like any other food, preparing Maki entails a lot of handling so be safe.

Yokoso Tokyo Tokyo!

I am a voracious eater - it may not be obvious but people sometimes think I'm a circus act when I eat. So when Karla called out for interested bloggers for a night to sample Tokyo Tokyo, the country's number one Japanese fastfood chain's signature dishes, I immediately signed up and luckily got in. It was an invitation too good to pass. Thirty yeas after they opened their first branch at Quad Park in Makati, it is now finally here in Davao!

I thought you're 28!

Ladies - be honest, aside from your weight, relationship status and if you still have feelings for your ex, which question leaves you blank for a few seconds to ask yourself if you should tell the truth or not?

If you say your age, well I don't blame you. One of the worst things for the fairer sex to hear is someone telling you that you look older than you really are! It's like receiving a slap on the face and any woman would feel insulted unless she deliberately wants to appear older. Who would want that?! I believe this is the rallying point of the beauty industry - make women age slower and more gracefully. Do I get an "Amen"?

Your Ina-Tay a few days after her 32nd birthday, Gen. Santos City

Terrible three

I call it terrible three because when she was two, I never had any trouble with her at all. She would follow what I tell her, no questions asked. People often warn me that it's looming but I had so much faith in my daughter that she will not subject me to this ordeal. Until last night.

I knew it was bound to happen one of these days and last night it did. I had a taste of an episode of Leia's terrible three at the dinner table. She refused to eat and being the Ina-Tay that I am, tried all possible tactics to get her to eat. I did the choo-choo train, flying airplane, hissing snake and what have you and all I got was her shaking her head no.

A requiem for Tatay

This is my tribute to one of the male figures in my life, a little sentimental but every word is from my heart. Tatay, this is for you.

I gazed at his coffin last night and I have to smile while fighting back tears. Our next door neighbor of 27 years (we lived at Fortune since I was five years old - do the math how old I am now), Tatay as we fondly call him, joined our Creator dawn of Sunday. A day after I came home for good from GenSan. It was bittersweet.

I know I should have eaten more apples!

I came across this funny photo a couple weeks back in my Ob-Gyne's FB account (hi fabulous Doc Mimat Fuentes!).

Now I'm not a doctor okay? It was my dad's frustration. Reading the list was an eye opener for me - it made me realize that three years after the tumultous and life changing events of my life courtesy of a doctor, I can now just laugh it off. In fact, I have shared this in my FB wall. Looking at the list sure brought back memories, minus the drama and gut-wrenching, cuss-inducing animosity I used to have for him. It sure is true when they said no pain lasts forever. My bestfriend told me when I was going through the healing process that one day, I will look back and can joke about it. You're right best, this is it huh?

I beg your indulgence to let me keep his identity a secret (well, not to those who know the story). I'm not doing it for him but for my daughter. Despite what had happened, I owe it to Leia to afford her father even an ounce of respect. It was a good year and a half before everything crashed. Come to think of it, I would not have the gift that Leia is if not for the doctor. People often tell me Leia seems to be far more intelligent and smart compared to an average three-year old. Before I would claim all the credit for myself. Now, I am totally healed to accept and I can't believe this is coming from me - thankful - that half of her is him.

Just a word of advice though, stick with the apples - it keeps doctors away! hahaha

So just for laughs and the good memories, here are 20 reasons why you should date a doctor :)



Photo from Medical Humor



My blog, my life

Tonight I was on a frenzy inviting my FB friends to like my blog. The blogging bug has successfully bit me again. Before clicking the "LIKE" button, I think it is only but fair that you get to know what you're getting yourself into (or not)!

Yours truly and the reason for my existence

An Ina-Tay Writes is my personal blog which I started in 2009 when I gave birth and my life as a single parent began. This blog is an off-shoot of the now dead Memoirs of an Urban Drama Queen and I decided on an image overhaul. Gone was the "I-live-for-the-moment" working girl to usher in my new role as a parent. Ina-Tay is a word play of two Filipino words - Inay (mother) and Itay (father). As a single parent, I play both roles 24/7. My auto reply when people ask about my civil status is "I am an Ina-Tay"! Ina-Tay is also referred to as "package deal" or "buy one, take one". Call it however you like it but it does not change the fact that no, I am not married but yes, I have a kid.

A bum's to-do list

In a week's time my consultancy contract with a mining company will end. In retrospect, those were 12 months full of learning, self-discovery, new friendships and an awful lot of soul searching. It allowed me to gain my self confidence back after being a full time Ina-Tay to Leia and being Mum's private duty nurse when she was having her Chemo. It gave me the perfect chance to prove to myself, more than anybody else, that I still have what it takes to get things done. I will devote one entire post in the coming days telling you more about it.

People have been asking me which firm I will be transferring to. They think I have gone bananas when I tell them I'm going to be jobless when I go back to Davao. Yes, I gave myself permission to be a bum for at least a month, to be part of the Department of Labor's unemployed statistics. It is a conscious decision hence I have not moved heaven and earth (yet) to get a job.

Photo: http://themetapicture.com

So you may ask, what do I intend to do with all these time in my hands?