Unleash the Inner Goddess with Belly Dance
10:00 AM
Mesmerized by the fluid movements of belly dancers in the desert, I never thought I would ever dare try this in my life. As we lay on the mat, my friend Tintin and I contemplated on bailing the belly dance class after a strenuous one-hour TRX core training workout led by her strict fitness instructor. Yellow and black straps were suspended from the ceiling of the gym. We held on to these, using gravity and body weight for strength, balance and core stability.
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Twenty minutes later, we walked into a room full of enthusiastic local Arabic women without their black veils, strutting around wearing coin hip belts. There were also expats.We were definitely newbies and had absolutely no experience with belly shaking. Thursday class is apparently a culmination of all lessons taught for the week. The other students welcomed us with encouragement, while the teacher assured us that we will have fun.
Zumba Love
12:00 PM |
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Have you tried zumba? The closest I've seen was a youtube video of a happy group dancing to Latin tunes until yesterday when I received a friend's invitation to join her at the gym, Fitness 360 with a free 7-day guest pass. My husband is away on a business trip and I've been mostly running alone, swimming alone, or staying indoors reading while indulging in a detox diet for a few days. I happily said yes. After unexpectedly getting into an ab workout with her instructor, we later signed up for a zumba class.
The dance instructor, Lily greeted us with a big smile. There were just the two of us in the class. We had the room to ourselves. An elderly lady joined midway. We all danced breathlessly for an hour. I absolutely loved it! The feet started moving on their own and we managed to sway our hips in ways we never thought we could.
Today, we decided to go back to the gym, daring ourselves to try a belly-dancing class after a session of weight lifting. Let's see how it goes..
The dance instructor, Lily greeted us with a big smile. There were just the two of us in the class. We had the room to ourselves. An elderly lady joined midway. We all danced breathlessly for an hour. I absolutely loved it! The feet started moving on their own and we managed to sway our hips in ways we never thought we could.
Today, we decided to go back to the gym, daring ourselves to try a belly-dancing class after a session of weight lifting. Let's see how it goes..
What is your favorite fitness activity?
XOXO,
Arni
Room Hunting Adventure in El Nido
4:11 PM
We arrived at the bus terminal next to a public market around lunch time after a long bus ride not knowing where to go next. My husband asked, "Shall we stay in El Nido town?" My answer was, "No, I'd like to stay in Corong-Corong beach. It's more quiet."
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| Greenviews Resort, Corong-Corong Beach |
Hungry and annoyed, regretting not booking anything, we slumped down into the wooden bench, staring at the sleeping bags. Having skipped breakfast, we were both tired and hungry, unable to find anything to eat during the bus stopovers. "They're all fully booked. It's tourist season. But...."
Rice Noodles with Shrimps
2:37 PM
What is Filipino cuisine like? It is a melange of different colonial influences. Personally, I think it's not as spicy as our neighboring countries' dishes.(I want 'em spicy). However, we have a region that's known for cooking vegetables in spicy coconut sauce. I have later realized that almost everyone in the Philippines has a sweet tooth, so there's banana ketchup and sweet mayo. I had the impression, being with other foreign travelers that they either liked it or hated it. There's a lot of fat in the cooking in general, but there are lean versions as well.
Step 1
1. Brown ground chicken/pork in oil, add garlic, onions, shrimp, tofu, & achuete powder.
2. Season with fish sauce & pepper.
3. Cook for 10 mins.
4. Set aside.
Step 2
1. In a different pot, saute garlic & onion in oil.
2. Add chicken broth & cream of chicken, gently simmer them.
3. Dissolve cornstarch with water (depends how thick you want it to be) add to sauce, stir gently.
4. Add achuete powder for coloring (according to your desired redness)
Filipinos are gourmands, eating small portions, six times a day. Instead of asking, "How are you? Our pleasantries start with, "Have you eaten?"
Pancit Palabok can be translated as Rice Noodles with shrimps.
Pancit means noodles.
Here is a dish that is typically served during birthday parties,
with the traditional belief that noodles signify long life.
Here is a dish that is typically served during birthday parties,
with the traditional belief that noodles signify long life.
Ingredients:
- Palabok noodles- Rice Noodles ( "Super Q" brand )
- 1 lb Ground chicken or pork
- 1 pack firm tofu (fry before dicing)
- 3 hardboiled eggs, for garnish
- 1 pound peeled shrimp, chopped
- Bixa Orellana / Achuete powder (Mama Sita)
- 2 cans cream of chicken (Campbells)
- 1 cup chicken broth (dissolve Knorr / Maggi bouillon cubes in water)
- Cornstarch mixed with water (to thicken sauce)
- Minced garlic (make 2 batches of 1 tbsp each)
- Sliced onions (make 2 batches of 1/2 c each)
- Fish Sauce (Patis), pepper, cooking oil, juice of 3 lemons (adjust according to taste)
- Crushed Chicharon (deep fried pork rind)
- Chopped spring onions
Prepare:
Step 1
1. Brown ground chicken/pork in oil, add garlic, onions, shrimp, tofu, & achuete powder.
2. Season with fish sauce & pepper.
3. Cook for 10 mins.
4. Set aside.
Step 2
1. In a different pot, saute garlic & onion in oil.
2. Add chicken broth & cream of chicken, gently simmer them.
3. Dissolve cornstarch with water (depends how thick you want it to be) add to sauce, stir gently.
4. Add achuete powder for coloring (according to your desired redness)
5. Simmer then set aside.
Step 3
1. Cook noodles in boiling water( as per package's instruction)
2. Drain.
Organize:
Step 3
1. Cook noodles in boiling water( as per package's instruction)
2. Drain.
Organize:
- Place the noodles in a large bowl. Add the sauteed ground chicken/pork (not all) and sauce mixture (not all) according to your preference (dry or with a lot of sauce)
- Add in lemon juice
- Sprinkle crushed chicharon
- Mix them all together.
Toppings: spring onions, chicharon, sliced hard-boiled eggs, sliced cooked shrimps.
Tintin cooked this for us last week before a poker game.
It's the best Pancit Palabok that I ever had, so with her permission,
I'm happy to publish her recipe here.
Et Voila!
Bon Appetit!
XOXO,
Arni
