HOLY COW!!!!!

What I Ordered.....




My Fizzy Drink.....




Tabasco, Anyone?




The Decor.....









Every once in a while, I crave to eat steak. There is something about the smell of newly charred, succulent meat with mushroom gravy that makes my appetite going and my mouth water. And for all you steak lovers out there, I think to have your meat cooked medium rare is the best way to cook a steak. The meat retains its juices and is not dry. Yummy!

So I just had to give in to my craving one day after attending a private function. I was so hungry that to take pictures of the food I ordered was just an after thought, an exercise I suddenly remembered doing before I devoured my steak since I brought my camera with me. The best part was also having a thick slab of battered and fried cream dory to go with my steak. It was so satisfying. Burp!

A BOY NAMED ADAM.....

This little boy has grown up quite fast from the last time I saw him seven months ago. No more chat, just photos for this....

REVIVING A FAMILY TRADITION.....

Even before my family transferred to our present residence here in Las Pinas, I am no stranger to this area. My cousin, Manong Kelly and his family was one of the early settlers during the time when going to Las Pinas was such a tedious journey. The coastal road did not exist at that time, the main road in Baclaran ended at MIA Road and the area of Pulang Lupa actually smelled of the sea because of the sea salt being laid out in front of the houses to dry and be sold as table salt. My cousin would actually pick my family up in our rented apartment in Sampaloc and we would stay in his new (at that time) house to usher in the New Year. My aunt who used to sell meat and meat products in Central Market would be the one who would cook the food for the media noche. It was a tradition that my paternal relatives observed until everyone grew up and led their own lives and my aunt stopped selling and passed the business to one of my cousins.

A lot has happened since then. My father's siblings have been succumbing to illness, particularly to different cancers one by one. From a brood of six, only three remain. Majority of my cousins are now based in the U.S. And even my nephews and nieces who I used to carry or even play with are now grown up and have kids of their own.

I guess the recent death of one my father's sisters prompted my cousin and my remaining living aunt to revive the family tradition of spending New Year at their place. So right after observing mass for New Year's eve, my brother and I went to their place. Now, the gathering is not about the food and merrymaking anymore. It has evolved into a coming together and keeping in touch with one another.

Just as the clock struck 12 midnight, I went to the second floor and took pictures of exploding fireworks. This proved to be more challenging for me. Unlike the fireworks during an organized show like the pyro olympics where in I can actually see the barge from which the fireworks are set off, I had to anticipate for the area where the next explosion would be. Not all firecrackers are created equal. The ones that actually form glorious light patterns in the sky are more expensive than the ones that just produce a blasting sound. And it is these expensive ones that I looked out for and tried to photograph.

Here are samples of the photos I took. HAPPY NEW YEAR! Welcome 2012!