Empire State of Mind

I've seriously been missing New York lately.

I've only been there a handful of times, but it's one of my absolute favorite places, and I feel quite at home there. Last year, I was privileged enough to go twice. I believe it was The Secret in full effect--that photo above was my wallpaper, and sometimes, sitting in front of my Mac in the evening, it felt like I was looking out a window onto NYC. At the start of the year, I had also drawn myself in autumn attire, walking through Central Park with Hamil. I ended up going back to the city for work--and walking through Central Park--in the fall. Alas, Hamil couldn't come with me. Perhaps he should have drawn his own picture?

I guess I've just been feeling restless, and there's been some emotional stuff that I've had to deal with (realizing which friendships--and people--are true and which aren't). And I just need an escape. In NYC, at least to a visitor like myself, every day feels like an adventure. And I never feel like I have enough time to do everything I want to do. I want to watch more shows, go into more stores, linger in the park, perhaps toss a disc with friends, properly tour the museums (and get more than a glance at Van Gogh's works), figure out the subway, spend time with my family, and eat, eat, eat. But with Hamil this time.

The Secret, get to work.

How Manny Pacquiao Saved Me

November 13, 2010. I had just arrived at JFK International Airport in New York and was standing at the immigration counter. I had just been in NY a few months before, so I thought this would be nothing more than the routine finger-printing and photo-taking. And then...

“Uh-oh,” said the woman behind the counter, as she double-checked the screen. In under no circumstance could I think of “Uh-oh” heralding something good. She asked if my middle name was...something that wasn't my middle name. I said no. She proceeded to stuff my passport and some documents into a folder.

“Come with me,” she said, as she stepped out of her booth. I fell into step beside her, trying to quell the panic rising in my gut.

“Is there a problem?” I asked as casually as I could, trying not to let my voice squeak.

“You have the same name as a fugitive,” she replied solemnly. She lowered her voice, saying, “I'm not even supposed to be telling you this much.” We plodded on in silence.

She brought me to a holding room; one side was lined with chairs, the opposite side had a long counter. Behind the counter were all these hulking security men. If this were a movie, they would all be played by the likes of Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel. Immigration Lady handed my papers over to one of them, and told me to take a seat before heading out the door.

I sat by myself and waited. I caught snippets of the security guys' conversation—they were talking about the Spartacus series—and tried to stay calm. I thought about WWJBD--What Would Jason Bourne Do in this situation. Minutes went by, and finally, one of the men, wearing a stern expression, motioned for me to come forward.

I took my place in front of him at the counter, feeling even smaller than my 5-foot-1 frame. It didn't help that the counters were elevated, so he was literally looking down at me. He shuffled through my papers, glanced at my passport, and said:

“Do you like boxing?”

For a couple of terrifying seconds, the wildest thoughts raced through my head (e.g., “Is my namesake highly trained in hand-to-hand combat?”). And then I remembered what day it was...

“Oh, the fight!” I said like an idiot, after realizing why he had asked (Philippine passport!). We talked a little about that night's main event. I asked him if he was rooting for Manny Pacquiao. He was. He was!

After about a minute of conversation, he closed the folder and handed me my passport. “You can go now,” he said in a pleasant voice. “And good luck!” Whether it was meant for my fellow Filipino, or for me and my unfortunate name, I didn't quite know.

So Manny Pacquiao kind of has a special place in my heart. More than being our pambansang kamao, he helped me—fugitive's name and all—get through immigration!

Tishie's Travels: The First Ever Good Housekeeping Get-Together!

"Your lipstick stains/On the front lobe of my left-side brains/I knew I wouldn't forget you/And so I went and let you/Blow my mind..."

Good Housekeeping Philippines associate pub Melody and I had a major case of LSS (last-song syndrome) when we heard Train's "Hey, Soul Sister" outside the window of our hotel room in New York City. It was probably blaring from a passing truck, and played for no longer than a few seconds, but we found ourselves humming and singing the tune all day. The next day, seated in a theater at the Hearst Tower, we chuckled as that very song accompanied the opening video for the first ever Good Housekeeping Get-Together.

This conference brought together all the editors and most publishers of GH from around the world. I got to meet such amazing women from such places as Mexico (whose editor was only a week and a half into the job!), the UK (I now have a place to stay in case I decide to go to London for the royal wedding next year!), and Kazakstan (yes, there's a GH Kazakstan!).

"Just in time/I'm so glad you have a one-track mind like me/You gave my life direction/A game show love connection/We can't deny..."

I can't tell you what it was like to spend three days with over forty people who had the same goal I had--to deliver the best magazine possible for today's "housekeeper." It was so inspiring to listen to such brilliant people from all the different editions, talking about the magazine we all know and love.

I was asked to give a presentation as well, and it was a tad bit intimidating, after hearing and seeing the others' brilliant presentations, but Melody says I did good. So phew!

That's me at the podium. Others onstage: Indonesia's Budiana, Ukraine's Viktoria, and Hearst International's Astrid.

Other activities lined up: cocktails, where we got to meet and greet everyone, a tour of the super cool GH Institute, and a sit-down dinner wherein we got to further bond with our international counterparts.

At Norwood with Mexico's brand new editor Raquel, China's Wendy, Mexico's publisher Mariana, and our own associate publisher Melody. My sequined top from Express, blazer and bangles from Forever21, jeans from RDS, clutch by Aranaz.

All in all, it was a frenzied three-day affair that left me with a renewed vigor to give our readers an even better Good Housekeeping Philippines. And the best part? I got to connect with women who can totally relate to the joys and challenges of nurturing this tried, tested, and trustworthy brand--my fellow editors, my soul sisters!

All smiles after an awesome conference: India's Manjira, Indonesia's Budiana and Titin, UK's Liz, Hearst's Kim, Mexico's Mariana and Raquel, me, and Melody

"Hey, soul sister/Ain't that mister mister/On the radio, stereo/The way you move ain't fair you know/Hey, soul sister/I don't want to miss a single thing you do/Tonight."

I hear that we'll be having this conference every year from now on. Here's hoping I don't miss a single one while I'm with GH!

Tishie's Travels: Hakuna Matata

I waited years and years and years to catch this on Broadway...

As cameras were prohibited in the theater, and I'm a very obedient theater goer, I got this photo from here.*

And that doesn't even show the elephants! Aaaah!

I remember as a college freshman, I had the late, great Doreen Fernandez as a teacher. She had just come back from NY where she saw the Broadway production, and this master of words was speechless! She had no words to describe the spectacle that is The Lion King. While it didn't make me cry the way Wicked did, the set design made my jaw drop. I wouldn't call it elaborate--more of...ingenious. You have to see it to know what I mean!

My favorite character was Rafiki! Although my brother and I did have our photo taken with Mufasa afterwards--for a price. Hey, it was for charity. *stage whisper* And my brother paid for it. (Thanks, JC!)

(Top) With Mufasa! Bro just took a photo of the Polaroid shot using his iPhone, hence the blurriness. (Above) Me, horsing--er, gazelle-ing?--around at the lobby. Dress from Memo, turtleneck from Mango, tights from Lucky Doll, boots from Topshop.

I also kind of wanted to see Promises, Promises (heard it's hilarious), just so I could see and hear my darling Kristin Chenoweth. Next time!

*No copyright infringement intended.

Guess Who I Saw in NY?!

So I pretty much had a free Monday evening. Found out that the Deathly Hallows premiere was happening at Lincoln Center, so I thought, what the heck, might as well check it out. I checked the fansites and found out it was at 6:00 pm, but Muggles were advised to be there "by 10 or 11 am." I LOVE Harry Potter, and was obsessed with it years ago, but I just wasn't willing to stand for eight hours in the cold. So after doing a bit of shopping in SoHo, I headed to Lincoln Center at around five.

Crowds lined the street already, with some people camping out since the night before. Taller people (i.e., most everyone else over the age of 12) were all blocking my view. People cheered as TV cameras panned. Fans came dressed in their Gryffindor best. Those who could see squealed each time a limo pulled up. Teens chanted, "Rupert! Rupert! Rupert!" as Ron Weasley arrived. My brother caught a glimpse of him; I, sadly, did not. Ralph Fiennes arrived, Emma Watson arrived; there was a frenzy of camera flashes, but I still couldn't see anything. By this time, about two hours had gone by since I got there. It seemed like a hopeless cause, so my brother asked if I wanted to go and grab dinner.

"Five minutes," I said. He consented, telling me to get my camera at the ready. Soon, a black a vehicle pulled up at the corner, and people again started screaming. Fans in our area had their cameras aimed right at the space in front of them, and I figured this was my chance.

"Kaya mo akong buhatin? (Can you carry me?)" I asked my brother. He picked me up for a few wobbly seconds. But that's all it took for me to see...

Daniel Radcliffe, the star of the show! The boy who grew up before our eyes! Woo-frickin-hoo!!! My first celeb sighting in New York. Yipee!

Tishie's Travels: Back in NY

Aaand I'm back in one of my most favorite places in the world. Unfortunately, I have to be away from my most favorite person in the world while I'm here.:( Sigh. I HATE being away from my husband!

News so far: It's the tail-end of autumn so the trees are looking oh-so-lovely. And I got detained at the airport! Will update soon when I've got photos and my bearings back. Still tired from that long-ass flight.

Fashion Suggestions?

Just got an invite to a work dinner in NY next week, and attire is "urban chic." Great. Another outfit to pack! How I wish I could wear something like this...

I'm not a religious Gossip Girl follower, but I do like Serena's clothes. Her life choices, on the other hand...

I don't exactly have an Emilio Pucci gold blazer, so my version of this would be blue harem pants paired with a fully sequined gold top, a black boyfriend blazer, and gold heels with thick straps. Alas, I think the weather is too cold for me to be going out with semi-bare legs.:(

So...what should I wear? Stylist Kat Dy kind of wants to work on my outfit with me when I get there. Sounds like fun, but I do want to have something packed, just in case. Preview Magazine's Cindy Go suggested wide-legged pants, saying they're big now and that camel "is the color of the season." What do y'all think? Do take into account that NY weather hits lows of 3ºC now!

Book Launch Outfit

On a related note, I wore this outfit to the book launch...

Dress from Uniqlo, belt and earrings from SM, shoes from Janylin, y'all recognize that Swatch watch, and that clutch from a friend.

A little something about Uniqlo, for the uninitiated: It's like a Japanese Gap, and I was introduced to it by my NY-based brother. The store in SoHo is packed with stylish people looking for reasonably priced (yes, even after involuntarily and mentally converting from dollars to pesos) finds with a bit of an edge. I bought a couple of things for my husband there too!

The dress is pretty versatile--I can wear the shell with or without a belt. It's loose so I don't feel self-conscious in it. It's got slits on the sides, so I don't feel so mumsy--there's quite a bit of leg exposed through those slits when I belt the dress. I can even wear this as a top if I use a wider cinch belt. Oh, Uniqlo. Someday, I'll be back.

Tishie's Travels: Stripes, Stripes, Baby!

I think that, when it comes to clothes, I tend to have a theme when I travel. It makes it easier for me to narrow down my wardrobe choices! During one beach trip, I packed only black and/or white bikinis; on another, all floral bikinis.

During my NY trip, I loaded up on stripes! Stripes (especially black and white ones) seem to be everywhere this season. I like classic pieces and am not particularly trendy, but I don't think stripes will ever go out of style anyway. Stuff that made it into my luggage:

A black and white striped shirt from Amanda's Place, which I wore to work.

In the conference room, with a view of Hell's Kitchen

Paired it with black leggings from Greenhills, a long gray cardi from Candy, and black biker boots from Kate Moss by Topshop (got them on sale...from, like, P7,000--about $155--to P700--about $15!). I layered skinny jeans over the leggings and changed into a black rock n' roll jacket when I went to see Wicked that night--it was pretty cold, and we just walked from our apartment, so thicker clothes were a must.

Super cute, colorful socks which I got ages ago from Sock Shop in London.

A dress from Collezione (notice the Philippine map on one side!). Wore it to Central Park on a warm, sunny day.

It was relatively warm but had to wear the jacket to free up my hands--it took some effort to climb dem boulders! The things we do for photo ops.

Toe socks (no photo, sorry!) from...I don't even remember where I got those from, but my husband cracks up whenever he sees me wearing 'em.

Another shirt from Amanda's Place.

With my butterball Filipino-Italian-Puerto Rican nephew!

I put it together with a tan jacket, dark jeans, and these adorable Parisian flats from SM...

Aren't they the cutest? I'll be doing a post about my Parisian shoes next!

Tishie's Travels: What Else I Ate

I'm taking the tamad (lazy) route. I'm doing a phlog of stuff I ate in New York (or the New York area...which includes Hoboken) instead of going all food critic-y. Aside from not listing everything down (let's blame it on jet lag, shall we?), I was also kind of on vacation mode and just wanted to enjoy what I ate!

Flor de Sol
361 Greenwich Street, NYC
www.flordesolnyc.com

JC really likes the interiors. Dark and moody and sophisticated and kind of sexy. Kinda funny how you could look at another table and guess if people were on their first date!

Light dinner with my brother JC at this Spanish-Mediterranean place. One of JC's favorite tapas places.

Tapas mixta a la chef, $24. I especially liked the chorizo.

Shrimp on some kind of pastry shell.

The Melting Pot
100 Sinatra Drive, Hoboken, NJ
www.themeltingpot.com

Dessert. I used to hang out a lot at the Old Swiss Inn with my family, and the fondue was usually on our to-order list. So this place was right up my alley.

Yin and Yang fondue (dark and white chocolate with bananas, marshmallows, strawberries, rice crispies, and cheesecake!), $20 for a small serving.

The Hoboken Gourmet Company
423 Washington Street, Hoboken NJ
hobokengourmet.net

I wanted waffles but the waffle place was full, and Turning Point (which I absolutely fell in love with last time I was there) was a little out of the way. So JC and I ended up here, where I had steak for breakfast.

Me want meat.

Big brother had an omelette.

Lombardi's
32 Spring Street, NYC
www.firstpizza.com

Snack with my East Coast-based teammates Lawrence, Mavs, and Greg (who flew in from Virginia just to hang one weekend!). This place in Little Italy is supposedly the first American pizzeria. To be honest, I thought the pizza was just alright. Maybe I just had such high expectations?

Il Laboratorio del Gelato
95 Orchard Street, NYC
www.laboratoriodelgelato.com

Post-snack dessert. Finally! A friend asked me to swing by this place a year and a half ago. I went, but it seemed closed, and I figured it was because it was the beginning of winter! On my last visit, I realized that it may have been open but I didn't notice. I expected an ice cream parlor or something. Instead it was a hole-in-the-wall stall. No dine-in tables or anything.

Mine is the greenish gunk with caramel. The others got less experimental flavors like chocolate amaretto crunch.

My teammates and I were laughing at how we were having ice cream in around 40F weather. But we had nothing better to do, and we were in the area anyway. Loads of interesting flavors. I got basil! It tasted like pesto. In a good way! The aftertaste is even better. And the hot caramel I had drizzled on mine gave it a nice, sweet, warm kick!

Roxy Delicatessen
1565 Broadway, NYC

Post-dessert dessert. We dragged NYC first-timer Greg to Times Square for a token turista shot. (True to form, he was content just seeing Wall Street.) Mavs was itching to have cheesecake at this tourist favorite.

This thing had toffee in it.

Trattoria dell'Arte
900 Seventh Ave. between 56th and 57th, NYC
www.trattoriadellarte.com

Lunch with Carl and our Hearst hosts/"co-workers" Aryanna and Peter.

Spaghetti alla chitarra lump crabmeat and shrimp with sea urchin butter sauce, $24 for a full serving.

Dessert selection

My choice: Tartufo

La Bonne Soupe
48 W55th between 5th and 6th Aves., NYC
www.labonnesoupe.com

Dinner with Ninang Tere (my baptismal godmother and one of the principal sponsors at our wedding) at this cozy little place. Little girl at next table: "Mommy, why is she taking pictures of her food?" Apparently, food blogging isn't as prevalent in dem shores.

Omelettes are $12.95.

Fondue au Fromage, $22.95

Yes, even after polishing off that tartufo a couple of hours before, I still wanted ice cream. With chocolate sauce please.

LUA
1300 Sinatra Drive, Hoboken, NJ
www.luarestaurant.com

The view from LUA

Dinner with JC, our cousin Ate Lorie, and JC's friend. This trendy Latin-inspired restaurant is located right by the Hudson, hence the snap-worthy view of the NYC skyline.

Beef skewers


Chorizo skewers


Paella


Something we described as Cuban crispy pata, sans the crrrrrunchy skin (the best part!!!).

Stacks Pancake House & Cafe
506 Washington St., Hoboken, NJ
www.stacksofhoboken.com

Breakfast with JC. Finally got my waffle fix.

Yummy cornbread--on the house!


For some reason, I tend to have strawberries when I'm in the US. Maybe because they're readily available, and cheap! Had this with scrambled eggs and a side of Canadian bacon. (And a "side" means four or five slices!)

Wild Fig
167 Glen Street, Glen Cove, NY
wildfigonline.com

Dinner with family.

Greek salad (greens, tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, feta cheese)


Moussaka, $13.99. It's supposedly been called "the best moussaka I've ever had." I don't really know who "I" is in this quote. I enjoyed it, but I don't know about it being the best ever...


Sirloin steak (I think) and shrimp shish kebab, $14.99

I missed a few things because I didn't have my cam with me. Would have wanted to take pictures of our awesome office cafeteria! The salad bar alone was enough to make me cry. And salivate. And there was a sushi bar, a sandwich bar, a dessert bar...and there's a different chef each day whipping up a chef's special! I would kill to have that cafeteria in our Manila office.

So much food, so little time. This is a major reason I heart and miss NY!

Tishie's Travels: Defying Gravity

Wonderful. I call it "wonderful."

And if you've seen Wicked, you'd probably sing the same!

I don't often find myself on Broadway or in the West End, so when I'm there, I make the most of it by going for the big, splashy shows. This time, I was dead set on seeing Wicked, a show my friends have been raving about for years. Wicked is based on a book by Gregory Maguire--something I had already read and which I totally did not enjoy! I felt it was a little too political and dark for my taste, not the light, entertaining story I expected from a retelling of the life and times of the Wicked Witch of the West. I couldn't believe it had been turned into a musical.

But it was--and how! Funny, poignant, spectacular...to borrow a line from Barney Stinson, it was more than just awesome; it was awe-quite-a-bit, it was awe-a-whole-darn-lot! While it would have been quite an experience to see the original cast (I heart Kristin Chenoweth!), I was pretty happy with this batch. Katie Rose Clarke, who plays Glinda, was hilarious and endearing. I was prepared to be disappointed by Mandy Gonzalez, who plays Elphaba (the green-skinned witch) because she seemed to start off weak. But her vocals soared during "Defying Gravity" and I...well, I got all teary eyed and goose-bumpy! She. Was. Amazing. My theater companion Carl commented that she was even better than Idina Menzel and I have to agree.

Leaving Oz. I quite like how I'm the only one who's still in this picture.

I can't tell you just how much I enjoyed the show (especially since I got to see it for free! Wheee!). But if you ever find yourself in New York or London, please please please go see it!

Tishie's Travels: Seven Restos in Three Hours

Seven restos in three hours. Even for me, that's quite a feat! To the uninitiated: Dear reader, meet my stomach! I'm a girl who loves to eat. And whenever I travel, I make sure I have at least one great meal at my destination. Other girls shop when they travel; I eat!

One of the most memorable things I've ever had on a trip: this crazy-ass $32 burger at db Bistro Moderne. That baby's a sirloin burger with short ribs, black truffle, and foie gras!

OK, so I didn't technically eat at seven restaurants. It was a mix of delis and bakeries and whatnot. And, lest you think me a glutton (though you wouldn't be entirely inaccurate...), I did not have full meals at each place.

See, New York City is home to thousands of restaurants, and my friend and travel companion Carl wondered, "Ang dami-daming makakainan, bakit may pila pa rin sa ibang lugar?" I remember going to the trendy Meatpacking District on a previous visit and being told that there was a 45-minute wait in the three restaurants we tried!

Since it wasn't possible to eat EVERYWHERE during my short stay, I decided the best way to experience the NYC food scene was to go on a food tour! The group I chose gave tours in downtown Manhattan, an area I hadn't really explored in my past visits (save for that dinner at the Meatpacking District).

Every corner you turn, there's a place--or two or three--to eat! Photo from here.

I spoke with a native New Yorker about my plan, and even after having lived in New York for so many years, she had no idea that there were food tours in the city. I guess it's a sign of just how many diversions are available out there!

I had wanted to do the SoHo tour, since it seemed to offer more variety. But it was fully booked (you normally have to book waaay in advance) so I ended up going on the Greenwich Village tour. The group met up right before lunch outside Murray's Cheese Shop, where our uber funny guide Sefra greeted us and started off by giving us "emergency napkins" (to be used at any time during the three-hour tour, for whatever reason). It was bright and sunny, and warmer than NYC had been the first few days I was there. "We brought the sunshine from California!" said one of the girls from San Diego. And thank goodness they did—from the late fall-like 40s, temperature was probably in the 60s that day! And no sign of rain! Woohoo!

Patches of sunlight on tree-lined streets--a pleasant day for a tour around a lovely neighborhood!

Aside from getting to try food from different establishments around Greenwich Village, I also got a bit of a history lesson and a few interesting tidbits about the neighborhood. I won't really go into detail because 1) I couldn't possibly remember everything Sefra told us, and 2) you might decide to go on the food tour yourself someday!

There were lots of stops during the trip, but I'll just be posting about the places where we actually ate, starting with...

First stop: Joe's Pizza
There's a big debate about which pizza place serves the best pizza in NYC. A few days prior to the tour, my friends and I tried Lombardi's in Little Italy (more on that in a future post). On this day, Sefra took us to Joe's, where we tried a thin-crust pizza topped with tomato sauce and cheese. It was fresh out of the oven!

(Top) That's our funny tour guide in gray. (Above) Sixteen slices of pizza, one for each member of the group.

Second stop: Faicco's
Faicco's is an Italian specialty store, previously known as a pork store. On our visit, we got to try these little Italian rice balls called oranginis. They're these risotto-like, cheesy balls with a lightly crisp coating. Yum!

Third stop: Palma
It's intriguing how some doors have half numbers on them. Sefra explained that these normally led to back houses. The door labeled 28 1/2 actually opens up to a passageway leading to a little cottage at the back of Palma. Here, we got to try cauliflower florets cooked with black currant and pine nuts. Slightly salty, and a nice break from the cheesiness of the pizza and orangini.

(Top) That door leads to... (Middle) This charming courtyard. (Above) Cauliflower florets served in a teeny bowl.

Sefra told us that Palma's Chef Walter recently had to make a thousand cookies for a certain vegetarian Hollywood A-lister. Can you guess who?

Fourth stop: Soy and Sake
We had a mini-lunch at this Japanese vegetarian place. Our bento boxes had yummy seaweed and this pork-like thing that had no meat in it whatsoever. Some of the others in the tour group ordered some sparkling sake, which I wanted to try. But was worried about what it would do to me mixed with jet lag!

Fifth stop: Milk & Cookies
For dessert, we stopped at Milk & Cookies, where we had some big, freshly baked cookies! I reeeally wanted a glass of milk to go with that. The store also sells their own mix (supposedly available a Whole Foods but I couldn't find it!) so you could make your own cookies at home!

Sixth stop: Murray's
We went back to our meeting place, which carries around 300 kinds of cheese! They also have their own cave where they age the cheese—a place that made it onto a 50 Most Interesting Places list. Here, we had parmesan puffs, two different kinds of cheese, and salami! Yay, meat!

Seventh stop: Rocco's
At this pastry shop, we got to try some cannoli, little tubes with a creamy center and some chocolate chips. I was expecting it to be overwhelmingly rich, but it had a very nice balance of flavors. I wanted to scoop the remaining cream out of the box, but someone else beat me to it!

In three hours, I got a bite--well, seven bites--of the Big Apple! When I go back (and I am most definitely going back with my husband!), I am so doing the SoHo tour!