Mish Mash of East and West

I'm feeling loads better today!  Still not a 100% but at least I'm getting there.  Yesterday was a miserable for me.  I was stuck in bed with fever, colds, sore throat, and a touch of asthma.  My killer combo.  Ugh.  Thank God for Yuri (hubby) who patiently plied me with food and meds all day.  Luckily, he was in the mood for a Lord of the Rings marathon, which lasted all of 9 hours, so he wasn't complaining at all.

This is the third day and my palette is still completely shot.  Everything I eat tastes like paper.  So I figure it would be useless and pretentious to write about food when I have been barely eating.  I don't mean to turn this into a health blog but I was looking at all the stuff I've been inadvertently taking and realized that I am one messed up chick.  

So hypochondriac me did my own version of Bobby Flay's Throwdown.  Except this one's really geeky.  And should be on Discovery Health instead of Lifestyle.  Obviously I have too much time on my hands right.  Plus I'm extremely bored.  In any case, here it is. 

My East vs. West Challenge. Tada!... ?

Contender #1:  Alternative a.k.a. "Asian" Medicine

Siang Pure Inhaler, Echostore's Spa in a Bottle/Lifesaver, Pei Pa Koa Candies

I could've added Salabat Tea (Ginger Tea) but I ran out.  :(  Oh and can I just say that Echostore's Lifesaver is a dream!  Can't live without it.  I've got to thank my college bud Sheryl for replenishing my supply!

Contender #2:  Modern Medicine

Tempra Forte, Strepsils, and No-Drowse Decolgen

I decided to not include my allergy and asthma medicine to even out the playing field.    

Yes I took all these without even realizing it! Forgive my not-so-scientific methods, but hey some sort of combination did work because I got a 2-day turnaround!  

On one side we've got VCO (virgin coconut oil), peppermint, lavender, orange, menthol, eucalyptus, camphor, borneol, honey, and a blend of complicated Chinese herbs.

On the other, we have paracetamol, phenylphrine HCL, and dichlorobenzyl alcohol, and amylmetacresol.

I took both Strepsils and some Pei Pa Koa candies.  Two very different approaches to sore throat relief.  I've been taking Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa in syrup form since I was in grade school because it was said to relieve sore throat, lessen asthma, and decongest.  We lived in Malaysia for three years so we got the Chinese medicine influence from there.  No matter how biased I am, I have to admit that Strepsils did the job faster.   

Now let's get to the Siang Pure Inhaler and the No-Drowse Decolgen.  I took/used both for nasal decongestion and my headaches.  By the way, I've got to say that the Siang Pure Inhaler is leaps and bounds better, in terms of strength and effectiveness, than the Vicks Inhaler.  I discovered Siang Pure in Macau when I was suffering from colds and a killer migraine.  Of course Decolgen had an instantaneous effect but I have give props to Siang Pure for helping me breathe easier in between my Decolgens.    

Anyways you get the drift.  One bored person is enough.  I don't want to bore you guys too with my obsession for meds.

My conclusion?  I definitely prefer alternative medicine to modern medicine because a) i don't get any side effects, b) they come out cheaper most of the time, and c) ingredients are all-natural.  

However, they seem to work better for less severe symptoms.  For the virus that I have right now, my alternative meds definitely won't cut it.  But I think it did help speed up my recovery.  It sort of worked like a booster.

 So yeah, taking modern medicine will be the surefire way to recover for obvious reasons BUT if you've only got minimal or minor symptoms I'd go for the alternative meds first for the reasons I stated above.

And that's your tip of the day from Quack Dr. Michelle. Harhar.

Again I realize that I'm a product of a very confused society stuck in limbo where traditional and modern ways of living aren't at odds but are actually side by side.  Just go to Quiapo and you'll see what I mean.  Fortunetellers, various deities, and hawkers selling talismans are lined up outside of Quiapo church.  They're drumming up quite a business too.  I've no plans on tackling THAT today since I've still got a headeache thank you very much.

Oh well, at least I've got options.   

Brainwashing Manifesting in a Vitamin C Tablet

Allergy-induced colds are such a hassle.  I'm not alone though.  Almost everyone I know has some form of it this week.  I even vetoed Yuri's supposed jogging stint later at UP since he too has just recovered is still recovering from a bout of severe fever and colds.  MEN. Tsk tsk.

Anyhoos, I've started taking Vitamin C tablets even though my nutrition class professor pounded it in me that Vitamin C only works as a preventive measure.  So drinking fresh calamansi juice and taking Vitamin C tablets does absolutely nothing for you when you take it during your colds.  Shocking ain't it?  It'll help your body fight it's next cold/flu war but you've got no other recourse but to weather out your current battle (and drink the proper allergy/colds/flu medicine of course).  Yeah well, I drank my Vitamin C anyway as a guilt-reflex since I've been lazy with my supposed daily intake of vitamin supplements.  Plus, my mom's nagging errrr voice trumps my professor's sermons any day.  As I've discovered, independence and marriage never freed me from my mom's teachings.  I carry it around with me like a guilty conscience.  Ha! She'd be so proud.

These days I catch myself saying and doing the exact same things she used to do that used to annoy me to no end.  It's really not a bad thing since I love my mom to bits and she's been an amazing role model for me.  The point is that it's FREAKY!   

So there.  The 500mg Vitamin C tablet that I'll be drinking is an ode to you mommy dearest.  *me waving the white flag*

Chocolatey Choco-late de Batirol

Choco-late de Batirol.  A cozy garden hideaway.  It's the perfect place to enjoy a cup of freshly-made choco-late done the traditional way.  This cafe has always piqued my interest but this is the first time we actually stopped to take a look.  It's easy to miss since it's located right before one of the exit gates (Scout Hill) of Camp John Hay in Baguio City.  I think this sort of look and concept would be hard to pull of at any other location but the hills and climate of Baguio make it look like some sort of fairy cottage ensconced in a pretty rainforest.   

Quaint signage.

We caught them 5 minutes before their closing time so we weren't able to sample any of their hearty Kapampangan fare.

Wooden artifacts and ecycled materials.

It's really enchanting at night... or creepy depending on how you look at it since the surrounding area is pitch-black except for this place.  It really calls out to you.  They usually have sprigs of fresh flowers on each table but they cleared them out before I could take a picture.  No biggie.  We were there for a cuppa choco anyway.

Barista with his"batirol" and "molinillo".

Part of the menu.

I had the Kahlua Choco-late, Yuri (hubby) had the Traditional Blend, and Ku (brother-in-law) had the Baguio Strawberry Blend.  I got to taste all three.  I should've tried theirs before I drank mine because mine packed quite a punch and was on the sweet side because of the Kahlua.  Yuri's had the most balanced flavor.  Ku's was similar to Yuri's Traditional Blend except it had the wonderful aroma of fresh strawberries wafting up from the clay mug.  It added another layer of flavor in the most subtle way.  Ku's was the best out of the three.

All in all their their choco-late is thick and earthy.  It's perfect for the cold weather since it warms up your insides real quick.      

A word of caution though for lactose intolerant sufferers like me.  I wouldn't go there on a first date if you know what I mean.  It doesn't help that the mixing process with the use of the "molinillo", which acts like a whisk, incorporates A LOT of air into the choco-late mixture. ;-)

Baguio Strawberry Fix

I've a bit of catching up to do.  Let me backtrack to a week ago.  Seven days ago I was in Baguio with Yuri.  I was on a mission.  The plan was to do nothing but sleep, cook at home, and get our Strawberry Taho fix.  We didn't want to deal with the Baguio traffic, which can get pretty ridiculous during the holiday season, so we planned our trips outside to a minimum.  Besides, we came armed with assorted sausages, mozzarella, shallots, garlic, rice, bread, a tray of eggs, and assorted seasonings so we were quite happy at home. 

On our second day there, we decided it was time to brave the streets of Baguio to go looking for our Strawberry Taho.  It took us a full hour to get to Burnham Park and then another hour to abandon our plan because we couldn't find a place to park.  So a supposed  ten-minute minute drive turned into a two-hour nightmare.  We went back to our place and switched plans.  We walked.  Not to Burnham Park but to Mines View Park.  It was just a ten-minute scenic trek from our place to Mines View and Good Shepherd.  I was just happy to get to somewhere after all the fruitless driving. 
       

Finally, there it was.  Strawberry Taho! :)  A snack of fresh silken tofu, strawberry syrup, and pearl sago.  It has real strawberry bits which makes it more believable.  Only in Baguio.  They sell the Regular Taho too but why'd you want to eat that when you can have this???  Bad news is that the price has been jacked up to Php 20 per cup.  It used to be only Php 15 per cup the last time I had it, but Mines View has always been a tourist hotspot so they could've been milking it and charging a bit more.

 
While I was there I bought some fresh strawberries as well.  I've never been a fan of ultra-crowded places but we were literally in and out of Mines View in five minutes.

Bottomline was, I got my strawberry fix and I was one happy girl.

Lights, Scones, and Coffee

I've been a little remiss in updating my blog this past week.  I've been completely distracted from all the trips, reunions, and parties that I've had to go to.  The amount of food I've eaten is ridiculous.  I've no clue where to start or how to sum it all up, so I won't even try.  I'll save all that for my other entries.

My new year was simple, relatively quiet, and alcohol-free.  Surprise surprise.  Truth is I was still recovering from my reunion with my college buds the other night.

I welcomed the new year with scones, a cup of cafe latte, and fireworks.

Warm Plain Scones with Raspberry Compote and Clotted Cream

I will not nitpick about the menu, the band, or the service at The Lounge of the Manila Marriott.  No I will not because the new year is about good vibes.  At least I'm trying to keep it that way.    

After all the stuff I've been eating of late this was a refreshing change.  I had my family with me and that's all that counts.  2010 was awesome but I've got a feeling that 2011's going to seriously ROCK.

Crossing my fingers!