"Tiramisu" at Friuli Trattoria

Photo from ph.openrice.com

In one word DON'T, unless you know what you're in for and still want it.

So I was going to buy the cheapest pizza at Friuli Maginhawa. Since I had P180 left in my budget and the cheapest pizza was P230, I looked at the other menu items. Seeing "Tiramisu" in the printout stuck on the table in front of the cashier, I was delighted because I'd been dreaming of tiramisu in the previous weeks. I quickly ordered a slice for takeout. When I saw the tiny 1.5"x1.5" slice in the microwaveable container, I asked if they used real mascarpone cheese for their tiramisu since it seemed quite small for P145. The server just said yes.

When I got home I was horrified to open the box to see a melting square of ice cream instead of tiramisu cake. It turns out what they serve is tiramisu gelato cake. This is the name on the bound menu but they missed out on the word "gelato" in the printout. The cashier didn't even warn me that I might be expecting a melted puddle if I didn't get home quickly and stuck the container in the freezer.

Ugh. Never again.I should have bought a pint of coffee ice cream for P99. Would have been happier and better off.

I wish I knew of a store along Maginhawa that serves real tiramisu. That's already twice that my heart's been broken.

Kundiman ng Langit (translation)

Another attempt at translating!

This is my favorite Tagalog/Filipino song and this is my favorite rendition on Youtube.

Since there's already an English translation by a well-known writer (and actor and director), I'll put his translation side by side with the original lyrics and do the transliteration instead.

KUNDIMAN NG LANGIT
Words and music by Augusto Espino

May isang kundimang naiiba,
Daloy ay kay haba, waring hindi magwawakas;
Nilikha buhat sa langit, ng Amang tapat umibig;
Awitin, kundiman ng langit.

Himig ay sinulat ng Kanyang dugo,
Titik ay hinugot sa pusong ‘di magtatampo,
Ang hatid ay kaligtasan, at ang ating kalayaan;
Dinggin, kundimang ito.

Kay hiwaga ng pag-ibig na dulot Mo,
Kasalanan ko’y nilimot nang totoo;
Sa kabila ng ginawa ko; ako’y mahal na mahal Mo,
May hihigit pa ba sa pag-ibig Mo?

Nilikha buhat sa langit, ng Amang tapat umibig;
Awitin, kundiman ng langit.

Sana’y tugunan ang haranang ito
Na binuhay ng kamatayang pinangtubos,
Sugat ay paghihilumin. Dungis nati’y lilinisin;
Damhin, pagsuyong ito.

Kay hiwaga ng pag-ibig na dulot Mo,
Kasalanan ko’y nilimot nang totoo;
Sa kabila ng ginawa ko; ako’y mahal na mahal Mo,
May hihigit pa ba sa pag-ibig Mo?

May hihigit pa ba sa kundimang ito?

A Lovesong from Heaven
English translation by Floy Quintos

There is a lover’s song that is unique
The melody flows eternally, it will never end.
It is a love song from the Father, the One who loves so purely.
The song can only be a love from heaven.

The melody is written with His blood.
The lyrics plucked from the heart forgiving.
With this song comes our salvation,
As well as our freedom.
Heed this love song from heaven.

How mysterious is the love You offer,
All my sins are forgiven and forgotten.
Despite my many sins, I am loved by You still.
Is there anything greater than Your love?

It is a love song from the Father, the One who loves so purely.
The song can only be a love from heaven.

Listen and heed this lover’s song,
Brought to life by the death that redeemed us.
All wounds are healed, all strains are cleansed.
Listen to the wooing.
There is nothing greater.
Than this love song from heaven

Here's my transliteration. (I don't understand why this part won't go flush left. Don't know enough HTML.)

KUNDIMAN NG LANGIT

May isang kundimang naiiba,
There's a love song that's different
Daloy ay kay haba, waring hindi magwawakas;
Its flow is so long, it seems it won't end
Nilikha buhat sa langit, ng Amang tapat umibig;
Created from heaven, by a Father faithfully loving
Awitin, kundiman ng langit.
A song, love song of heaven

Himig ay sinulat ng Kaniyang dugo,
(Its) Melody is written by His blood
Titik ay hinugot sa pusong ‘di magtatampo,
(Its) Lyrics are drawn from a heart that doesn't turn its back on you
Ang hatid ay kaligtasan, at ang ating kalayaan;
It brings salvation, and our freedom
Dinggin, kundimang ito.
Listen to this love song

Kay hiwaga ng pag-ibig na dulot Mo,
How mysterious/marvelous this love that You offer
Kasalanan ko’y nilimot nang totoo;
My sin (You've) forgotten for real
Sa kabila ng ginawa ko; ako’y mahal na mahal Mo,
Despite all I've done, I'm very much loved by You
May hihigit pa ba sa pag-ibig Mo?
Can anything exceed your love?

Sana’y tugunan ang haranang ito
May heard this song be
Na binuhay ng kamatayang pinangtubos,
Made alive by the death that redeemed
Sugat ay paghihilumin. Dungis nati’y lilinisin;
Wounds are healed, dirt (sin) is cleansed
Damhin, pagsuyong ito.
Listen to this winning of favor/begging/courtship

May hihigit pa ba sa kundimang ito?
What love song can be better than this?

Banapple's Tiramisu Cheesecake - blech!

This is the worst-value cake I've ever had. It's P215 but small and hardly tastes of amaretto.

Was craving tiramisu for a few days so when I saw this cake, I thought it would do the trick. Unfortunately, it was the opposite. If I wasn't such a cheapskate, I would have thrown it out after a few bites without finishing it.

Maybe if it had cost P150 or even P170 at most but at P215, way overpriced.

The label at the store only said "Tiramisu Cheesecake" but the name on the online store is "Dark Chocolate Tiramisu Cheesecake" which is why it had chocolate shavings on top and above the thick, thick crust.

Let's see, the dark crust was around 1.5 cm thick and so was the faintly coffee-flavored "cream" on top. The actual light caramel-colored cheesecake layer was thinner, around 1-1.25 cm.

There was just too much crust, the cheesecake hardly any amaretto flavor and the cream topping just extremely stable and strange. I should probably give up on Banapple anyway. I don't care much for the Banoffee Pie, the Apple Crumble or the other cheesecake I tried before that's now off the menu.

Boulangerie22 Trial

Because of their buy 1 take 1 deal I got to try some of Boulangerie 22's products.

Some remarks:

WTF Grande - pretty good fudge cake. Looks to be good value even at full price. Not too sweet but very rich so can't eat too much. The cake has a fine crumb and is moist and there's only a thin layer of icing on top.

Korean garlic cream cheese bun - do not buy if you don't have a hot oven to toast it in. Too chewy otherwise. My toaster oven's upper heating element doesn't work and toasting from the bottom didn't help the chewiness. It has to be toasted all over to become crunchy and good.

Definitely not like the videos I've watched where the whole bun was dunked in melted butter/margarine before baking.

9-grain Tanzhong Whole Rye Loaf - lots of whole seeds to chew on. Dry and breaks easily. Good salty flavor. Definitely too expensive to buy at whole price coming at almost P14/slice.

Would have wanted to try other breads (holy cheesus, floss, custard bun, etc.) but the others I ordered were not given the b1t1 price so I took them off the order.

Delivery frights

In terms of delivery, they use Toktok and the information on the website was so inaccurate I was afraid the driver wouldn't find me. I gave very detailed instructions in the order so I was aghast at the map which had the wrong way given and not enough details. I need not have worried after all since the reciept had all the details from the order form.

Also, the product info was given as clothes and the cost lower than in the bill. Don't know if that's all deliberate to keep shipping costs down...if so I'm thankful. Just made me nervous because I thought perhaps there were some items that became unavailable and I was going to receive the cheapest thing I ordered!

I hope to try more of their products during another sale. It's sad that I have to wait for sales in order to buy food I want to try but hey, at least I can still afford delivery once in a while. So many can't even afford a cup of rice.

English translation of "Tupang Ligaw" by Rez Valdez

This is a very short song but I love its simple and true message. I tried out different ways to translate the lines since much of the song repeats. The first translations are more literal than the rest.
Please let me know if you have any suggestion on how to improve this translation.

Tupang Ligaw Malapit na namang lumubog ang araw Dilim ng gabi'y darating na naman Sa paghimlay mo isip mo'y naglalakbay Nakatanaw sa kawalan Lumipas na naman ang isang araw sa buhay Takbo ng buhay mo'y di mo namamalayan Sa bawat sandaling darating at papanaw Buhay mo'y tila parang kulang Kayamanan at lahat ng kalayawan Wala pala itong kabuluhan Kung si Kristo ay wala pa sa iyong buhay Para kang isang tupang ligaw Sa bawat sandaling darating at papanaw Buhay mo'y tila parang kulang Kayamanan at lahat ng kalayawan Wala pala itong kabuluhan Kung si Kristo ay wala pa sa iyong buhay Para kang isang tupang ligaw Kayamanan at lahat ng kalayawan Wala pala itong kabuluhan Kung si Kristo ay wala pa sa iyong buhay Para kang isang tupang ligaw Para kang isang tupang ligaw Para kang isang tupang ligaw

Lost Sheep The sun is about to set The dark of night comes again As you slumber your mind wanders Viewing loss or Looking at nothingness Another day of life has gone And you don’t notice how your life is passing As each moment comes and disappears Life seems to lack something Riches and every indulgence Have no meaning after all If Christ is not yet in your life You’re like a sheep lost As each moment comes and disappears Life seems lacking somehow Riches and every indulgence These mean naught If you don’t have Christ in your life You’re like a lost lamb Riches and every indulgence All these are pointless Without Christ in your life You’re like a lost lamb You’re like a lost lamb You’re like a lost lamb

'Wag Ka Nang Umiyak - English Translation

'Wag Ka Nang Umiyak

Wag ka nang umiyak, sa mundong pabago-bago
Pag-ibig ko ay totoo
Ako ang iyong bangka, kung magalit man
Ang alon ng panahon, sabay tayong aahon

Kung wala ka nang maintindihan
Kung wala ka nang makapitan
Kapit ka sa akin, kapit ka sa akin
Hindi kita bibitawan

Wag ka nang umiyak, mahaba man ang araw
Uuwi ka sa yakap ko
Wag mo nang damdamin kung wala ako sayong tabi

Iiwan ko ang puso ko sa yo
At kung pakiramdam mo’y wala ka nang kakampi
Isipin mo ako dahil puso’t isip ko’y
Nasa yong tabi

Kung wala ka nang maintindihan
Kung wala ka nang makapitan
Kapit ka sa akin, kapit ka sa akin
Hindi kita bibitawan

Hindi kita pababayaan
Hindi kita pababayaan

Kumapit ka, kumapit ka

Kung wala ka nang maintindihan
Kung wala ka nang makapitan
Kapit ka sa akin, kumapit ka sa akin
Hindi kita bibitawan

Hindi kita pababayaan
Hindi kita pababayaan

C’mon Don’t Cry

C’mon don’t cry, in an ever-changing world
My love stays true
I will be your lifeboat, though the waves of the times crash around you, we will rise together

When you don’t understand what’s going on
When you have nothing to hold onto
Hold on to me, hold on to me
I will not let go of you

C’mon don’t cry, the day may be long
But you will come home to my embrace
Don’t feel bad that I’m not by your side

I leave my heart with you
And if you feel there’s no one your side
Think of me because my heard and mind are
Right there beside you

When you don’t understand what’s going on
When you have nothing to hold onto
Hold on to me, hold on to me
I will not let go of you

I will not forsake you
I will not forsake you

Hold on to me, hold on to me

When you don’t understand what’s going on
When you have nothing to hold onto
Hold on to me, hold on to me
I will not let go of you

I will not forsake you
I will not forsake you

LITERAL TRANSLATION

"'Wag Ka Nang Umiyak"
Don’t you now cry

Written by Ebe Dancel. A song off of Sugarfree's 2006 album, Tala-Arawan. Remade by KZ Tandingan and now by Gary Valenciano for the "Ang Probinsyano" soundtrack.

Wag ka nang umiyak, sa mundong pabago-bago
Don’t you now cry, in a world always changing
Pag-ibig ko ay totoo
Love my is true
Ako ang iyong bangka, kung magalit man
I am your boat, if angry though
Ang alon ng panahon, sabay tayong aahon
The waves of time, together we will come up out of the water
Kung wala ka nang maintindihan
If nothing you can understand
Kung wala ka nang makapitan
If nothing you can cling to
Kapit ka sa akin, kapit ka sa akin
Cling you to me, cling you to me
Hindi kita bibitawan
Not you let go of

Wag ka nang umiyak, mahaba man ang araw
Stop you now crying, long though the day may be
Uuwi ka sa yakap ko
Come home you to embrace my
Wag mo nang damdamin kung wala ako sayong tabi
Don't you now feeling if away me your side
Iiwan ko ang puso ko sa 'yo
Leave my heart mine to you
At kung pakiramdam mo’y wala ka nang kakampi
And if feel you no one on your side
Isipin mo ako dahil puso’t isip ko’y
Think you me because heart mind my
Nasa yong tabi
Are by your side

Kung wala ka nang maintindihan
If nothing you can understand
Kung wala ka nang makapitan
If nothing you can cling to
Kapit ka sa akin, kapit ka sa akin
Cling on you to me, cling on you to me
Hindi kita bibitawan
Not I you let go

Hindi kita pababayaan
Not I you neglect


Translation is quite a challenge. I'd like to hear from you about how to translate these lyrics better.

What is "double dutch" ice cream?

Images from Selecta Facebook page

As a chocolate lover, I've always preferred Rocky Road over Double Dutch even when I was a kid. Double dutch was just vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup ripple and chocolate bits as far as I was concerned.

Now, I'm more willing to go for non-chocolate flavors and during the rare times I buy ice cream I usually want to try new-to-me flavors.

Recently, a friend bought a tub of Selecta double dutch ice cream and I was surprised to see it had marshmallows and peanuts, those add-ins I associate with rocky road. Has double dutch always had these and I just never noticed?

I tried searching for what makes a flavor "double dutch" and found only one website referring to heavily dutched cocoa/chocolate and a PDF or nutrition info for double dutch ice cream that seemed to be merely a richer chocolate flavor. The rest were Filipino pages or Asian at most (Walls in Vietnam or Singapore). Rocky road, meanwhile, has a documented history.

Does anyone remember if double dutch always had marshmallows and nuts or is my memory failing me?