What's Green and Lugged and Not a Bicycle? An Unexpected New Addition!

All right, so some may know this already, but I received a tremendously generous gift for the holidays that is so beyond what I anticipated or deserved that I am almost ashamed to mention it. "Almost" being the operative term, as my excitement clearly surpasses my sense of shame or modesty. Plus I had to confess it sometime.

So, the gift: Well, it's green. It's lugged. But it's not a bike.... At least not yet.

It is a bicycle frame! Exciting and utterly unbelievable! Between this and the custom mixte frame (which is now awaiting paint), it looks like will be The Year of Building Up Frames. I suppose that's taking it to the next level from , which was The Year of the First City Bike Purchase?

But enough rambling. I should really introduce you already. Who is this beauty, shimmering a pearlescent puke green that seems to have been custom-mixed for my bizarre aesthetic sensibilities?

Yes, who indeed?

Well, I will leave you to your own conclusions for now. But have no fear, an excruciatingly detailed post will follow. I just needed to get this off my chest. Happy weekend!

Feeling Slow? A Simple Explanation

It's funny that no matter how much cycling experience we gain, we remain susceptible to those silly mistakes and those "duh!" moments. I am sure I have many, but the most recent one really had me smacking my forehead.

For the past month I had been favouring my vintage Raleigh and not riding the Pashley as much. When I finally did take out the Pashley last week, I noticed that it felt more sluggish than I remembered. I thought this was strange, but chalked it up to my having gotten out of shape and the vintage Raleigh being easier to ride. But the sluggish feeling kept growing worse, and neither of us could figure it out. Until finally, cycling behind me, the Co-Habitant realised what was wrong: My tires were nearly flat! There were no punctures; they were just low on pressure and neither of us had noticed.

I know it's absurd to overlook such an obvious thing as tire pressure; it is the equivalent of wondering why your computer is not working only to realise that it is not plugged into the wall. We do usually top up the air in our tires at reasonable intervals, but my Pashley slipped through the cracks. I wonder whether the cold temperatures played a role in it as well? Now that my tires are re-inflated, the Pashley flies again (really, the difference in speed and handling is amazing). However, I do think that I will replace its native Marathon Plus tires with Delta Cruisers come springtime; the latter just feel livelier and more enjoyable to me. In the meantime: If your bike is feeling slow, do check your tire pressure before looking for more complicated or sinister explanations!

CAMP RACE 290 skimo race crampon

ByJerry Johnson Ph.D.



Headed out the other day for a quick run up Hyalite Peak and
thought I’d try the new ultralight CAMP RACE 290
skimo race crampon. I’ve used regular crampons on my TLTs for some ice pitches
but had never seen the need for bootpacks. If the snow is that hard I usually
have an axe along. My initial impression is that a small crampon can save a lot
of energy especially when combined with a whippet. I didn’t really worry about
slipping out of small steps and basically just went straight up the 40 degree
gully. Ten ounces for crampons seemed like a good tradeoff for an axe. If I
needed both I’d want to have a different set of points though.






The 290 is marketed as a race
crampon, light and ten points - minimal. The heel attachment fits the tech
binding heel in any race boot. It’s supposed to be faster but it isn’t always
easier. In fact, it’s a bit fiddly. Overall fit on my TLTs was pathetic. Using
the included bar I could never get them to fit so I tried the Dyneema linking strap. First
thing I noticed was that a little bit of metal on the heel that is supposed to
align the back of the boot prevented me from tightening the binding so I took
it off. After a lot of trial and error I got the linking straps just right. The
sideways fit is too wide for my boots so back to the linking strap and by
making so tight I could barely get the thing on, I finally managed to minimize
side to side movement at the toe – sort of. For my boot size the toe bail needs
some major bending but I’m afraid it might break so will live with it. On one,
I wrapped some rubber tape on the toe bail to make spacers so will try that
next time.










With
the Dyneema strap the crampons fold up super small package, they are so light I
just clipped the ankle straps together and hung them around my neck for a short
rock section – if you are interested in having these for the long term keep
them out of the rock. The soft aluminum will wear, bend and break.



Like
ski crampons, a lightweight aluminum crampon for the boot is not something you
are going to use all that often. They will come in handy occasionally though
and could be a useful bit of kit. For my money, I would probably opt for some
other model that weighs a couple ounces more but has twelve points and fits my
boots better. For racers, this is likely all you need as most sections will be
relatively short. For the sort of things I do here in Montana and in Idaho, a
light crampon and whippet would replace both ski crampons and an axe; I can
leave the heavy crampons at home – not a bad trade.


Jerry in his own back yard




Postscript:
On a tour today I became a true convert. My whippet in one hand and crampons on
my feet, down climbing a spunky mixed gully was possible
and saved me an hour of sketchy scrambling on typically loose Hyalite rock. The
crampons have found a permanent place in my spring skiing kit.



Editor's note:



This from a buddy of mine after playing with them mid climb/transition and a little less patience than normal :)



"Yeah, I'm not a big fan of those. It was an interesting idea but I
practically had a stroke trying to get them on and off when they were tight
enough. Fucking pissed me off. Never bothered with a review because they
sucked so bad. I'm a huge fan of the Grivel Haute Routes, though. Just
wished the points were a half inch longer."

I also tried the CAMP 290. I was jonesing over this crampon from the first day I saw it at Summer OR a few years ago. Brilliant idea IMO on the heel attachment point. Turned out while brilliant I simply couldn't get the damn things to work on my size 29 boots. In frustration I finally gave them to Jerry. And watched him fit them to his own size 27 TLTs with a lot less issue. A bit of bending on the front bail and they looked good to me and GAWD only knows how analI can be about crampon fit. Turns out a few of us with bigger feet have had the same problem. The fit sucks. Now CAMP will be the first to tell youthat if you are bigger than a 28 shell size don't bother. I'd lower that suggestion to a 27 shell...and TLT size 27 at that. And I suspect still takes snapping off the center heel support to get right. Try before you buy on these guys is my suggestion. I love the idea and I know what needs ot be fixed for my TLTs, the front bail and back heel support spacing. No clue what boots these are suppose to work on. But if you have THAT boot, I suspect these little guys will really rock for the intended purpose.



For the rest of us the CAMP XLC Series has been my go to LWT crampon for the last half dozen years anyway on both mountain boots and most recently my AT boots. Way less fiddling around with fit and security. One thing I would disagree with Jerry on from my use of the XLC 390. They are way tougher and more durable than they look or have any right to be.



http://www.camp-usa.com/products/crampons/xlc-390.asp









I'll do a short blurb on these later amid a LWT crampon comparison . But if you can get away with a LWT *ALL*aluminum crampon for your own use...buy the 390. It is an exceptionally solid and well receivedall around crampon with a hard earned reputation for reliability and no worries.











RACE 290


• New for

• Competitive Ski Mountaineering

• 7075 T6 aluminum alloy construction

• 10 points for a solid hold on steep terrain

• Different colors for the left and right for fast and easy identification

• Dyneema linking strap reduces weight and allows the crampons to fold onto themselves for packability

• Patented heel attachment designed for rapid attachment to modern A/T boots

The new lightest crampons in the world and the new go-to crampons for competitive ski mountaineering. The patented heel is designed for rapid attachment with the fastest A/T boot models typically made for Dynafit or similar style lightweight backcountry bindings. The Dyneema linking strap reduces weight even further and allows the crampons to be folded onto themselves for packability. Solid aluminium linking bars are also included for a more rigid fit if desired. Anti-balling Plates optional. Carrying bag included.

SPECS

ID: 318

Material: 7075 T6 Aluminum Alloy

Points: 10

Binding: Rapid (Dynafit)

Anti-Balling Plates: Optional

Crampon Case: Yes

Size: 36 - 44 cm, 14 - 17.5 in

Weight: 290 g, 10.2 oz

$179.95 USD

Memorial Weekend

In the course of 24 hours, the park went from being fairly quiet to being a little city in itself. Almost every site was taken, and there were families everywhere. They had lots of fun activities and the beach was packed, so it looked like people have a great time.

Summer at The Villages

We have been settled at Peace River for so long that we have started to grow roots there. It has been a great place to grow some roots and yet we have still looked forward to traveling again. We considered heading out to travel this spring but decided to stay put for just a bit longer. To give us some sort of a compromise between traveling and staying put we decided to go to The Villages for the summer.




The Villages is the place we visited Rich and Donna last summer. We fell in love with it during our short stay here with them. There is pickleball everywhere in The Villages. Beyond the great pickleball, there are tons of other activities to do here. It is a great way to have a lot of options while staying in one place. We rented a place for the summer so we could have plenty of time to soak up the fun there.




We were up and ready to head out before I am normally even out of my PJ's this morning, which says a bit about how excited we were to get to our summer spot. We had a nice drive up, passing right by Aric on the way. We were tickled pink with the house and the neighborhood we will be at for the next few months. I think the outside space will be our favorite space when we are at the house. Ava seems to agree so far!





Since Aric is so close by, we also managed to get him to come and spend the night with us. We are hoping he will visit us a lot while we are here! We have plenty of room for him and the other kids so we hope to get visits from all of them. We are looking forward to many good memories this summer!

Summer adventures

Sticking to warm slopers on Pallet Knife, Font 7b+, Torridon


After I got back from Pabbay, there was only a few days before the West Highland Way race I had entered. I had spent most of the spring thinking there was no possibility whatsoever thatI’d be able to do it. My ankle had progressed a bit, then got worse, then much worse, then a bit better again. I’d get a few runs in for a couple of weeks, then have to stop for a few weeks, then attempt to start again.





My total mileage from January to the start of June was only just double the length of the race. Oh dear. However, during June I did manage a couple of weeks running 60 miles a week, so that was better than nothing. I mostly did shorter runs because that’s all my foot would allow me to. The longest was only 25 miles. But I could do 10K in under 40 minutes so I was definitely better than couch potato standard. I figured that even if I could only run 40 or 50 miles, I’d walk in the rest and call it a success under the circumstances.




However, on my last run before the race, I realised I was about to pay for trying to go from zero to fit in a few short weeks. The plantar fascia I tore in last year’s accident started to burn sharply and I knew it was over. Nevertheless, I showed up at the start line and ran the first 20 miles before limping into Balmaha, not leaving any doubt in my mind. I was upset. The experience has left a bigger scar in my mind than in my foot. Perhaps after another year, my foot will be in better form for running. At least I can give it a break and start from scratch again.



The trouble with these sorts of experiences is that they are a storm in a tea cup. In one part of your mind, it's really pretty upsetting. End of a little dream and all that. But to everyone else, it's no big deal. Life goes on. Lucky to be alive after the accident anyway etc.. All true. I guess I just haven't grown up enough to deal with such little frustrations. The scary thing is, I don't always feel like I want to.




So with that, my little diversion was consigned to the past, and two days later I was tied in at the foot of Conquistador E7 7a at the Loch Tollaidh crags. After a quick abseil brush and check of the gear, I decided to go for a flash attempt. I got through the initial boulder problem without any trouble. I felt pretty relaxed, and so I didn’t really notice the pump creeping in as I worked my way towards the second crux high on the route. This also went by without much trouble, but a sense of urgency suddenly hit me as I hung from a sloper trying to fiddle in a small RP. There were no footholds and so a bit of a grunt was required to pull over the final bulge into a face full of drizzle. The buzz was enough to clear some cobwebs and remind body and mind that it’s built for climbing steep rock.

















Alicia enjoying some perfect sandstone in Glen Torridon



The following day myself and Alicia toured the lovely sandstone of Torridon and worked projects in the Arisaig Cave. I went back just afterwards and found a kneebar which changed a Font 8a project into another classic 7Cish (it was pretty damp when I did it so maybe it’s be easier in fresh weather).




After that, A period of three difficult weeks began. More about that in a separate post.

Hill Training: My Epic Semi-Fail

Over the summer, one of our local bicycle clubs runs what's officially known as the (In)famous Wednesday Night Hill Ride: a loop "encompassing the gnarliest hills in the Boston Metro area." Of course the route does not belong to them and lots of local cyclists who want to cram some serious hills into a relatively short ride use it to train on their own time, particularly racers and randonneurs. Back in July Somervillain began riding this route with a small group as practice for the D2R2 and invited me to join. At the time the very notion was laughable. Me, on the Infamous Hill Route? The women's paceline rides were hilly enough for me, and those were described by the same bicycle club as "mostly flat" (ha!).



But definitions of "hills" are subjective. Fast forward a few months, and mine too had changed. Having gone on a handful of rides with some strong local cyclists, I even developed a new fondness for hills and no longer outright hated them. So when Somervillain suggested the two of us try the Hill Route before the snow arrived, it suddenly seemed like a great idea.What can I say? I am human, I got cocky.



Things started off innocently enough. My level of excitement was almost festive. Finally, I was going to do "real" hills, like the "real" roadies. I managed to get organised and dragged myself out of the house to meet Somervillain at an ungodly morning hour. The temperature was blessedly mild in the high 30s. The sun arose picturesquely over the local Dunkin Donuts parking lot as we convened in front of it on our trusty steeds: he on his '80s Trek racing bike, I on my Moser. It was going to be a great ride! A nice 30 mile ride with some hills in the middle. As we took off, I had a smile on my face (hint: it did not last).



Let me tell you about the Hill Training Route. The part with the proper hills is a 12 mile loop and the elevation profile looks like this. But no technical description or chart can communicate the subjective experience of this ride. The build-up was uninspiring, as we cycled along some ugly main roads with fast suburban traffic. After about 10 miles of that, we turned onto a narrow residential street and began the first climb up a small mountain. The climb began suddenly, and, being out of sight from the main road, there were no visual cues that allowed me to psychologically prepare for it. We turned the corner, and bang! - the very turn itself was already the beginning of a steep, twisty hill. The narrow road wound around the mountain instead of going directly up it, so there was no way to see what was around the bend. Would it get steeper or let up a bit? And how much longer to the top? Not knowing this drained my self-confidence and increased my anxiety tenfold. In addition, there were potholes the size of craters, and I had to zig-zag gingerly around them as I climbed.



My bicycle is geared fairly high (52x39t in the front and 12-26t in the rear), but still I did not expect to max out my gears quite so early on. Click-click-click! Click! And I was done. From that point onward there was no spinning, only pushing, and I still had most of the hill ahead of me. So I pushed on the pedals and heaved myself forward in jolts.



Promptly, my body began to rebel. A pain shot up straight to my right temple, so intense that it clouded my vision. I had a strong urge to throw up. My leg muscles felt as if someone was injecting them with acid. Somervillain was way up ahead of me and around the next bend. I felt intense shame at being so hopelessly terrible at this, even after all the rides I've done to build up to it. I did not see how I could possibly keep going at this rate, and only a stupid, primitive sense of pride kept me pushing. Thoughts such as "Do not stop the bike!" and "Like hell you're going to walk!" were the only things circulating in my otherwise empty mind.



At the top I felt nothing. No elation, no sense of accomplishment. Maybe some anger at my naivite ("You needed to do this, did you? Racers describe this ride as "infamous" and you decided this meant it was suitable for you?"), but otherwise nothing. I drank water and looked around blankly for Somervillain. Somehow I'd managed to lose him. Could he have taken a different side street to descend? I cycled around the maze of streets along the side of the mountain, climbing some smaller hills for no reason other than to keep warm. I was now shaking violently. Then it occurred to me that we both had phones. I phoned, he picked up immediately, we realised what had happened to separate us and agreed to meet back at the base of the hill. It was pretty apparent to me that I could not continue the ride, and he could hear it in my voice as well. I cycled down to meet him with my head hung low and my face a deep crimson.



I am not entirely sure how we ended up repeating the climb (yes, you read that correctly). I think it may have started out as a suggestion in jest. But long story short, we climbed the same hill again. Oddly it went easier the second time around, despite my utter sense of depletion. Maybe knowing what to expect made it easier. Once again I maxed out my gears and pushed myself up in jolts the whole way, but with a clearer sense of when to expect an end to the hellish ordeal. In the last stretch, my breaths were coming out in audible heaves: Hee! Haw! Not unlike the sound of a tortured donkey. And then again it was over. At the top we stopped in a parking lot behind a small, shabby water tower. I tried to eat a piece of an energy bar, but nearly threw it up. I did drink more water and kept that down. My hands were trembling. We agreed that we were done for now: descend carefully, then back to Somerville. Two difficult climbs was not so bad given my lack of experience.



Cycling home, we transitioned to the Minuteman Trail and enjoyed the glorious sunshine. We chatted casually about this and that and began to contemplate where would be the best place to stop for coffee.



And then I opened my mouth and said: "You know what? I am not tired anymore. This always happens, I begin to feel more energetic at the end of a ride."



And he said: "Oh yeah? Do you feel like going back and doing the last climb of the route then? We have time before I need to be at work."



And I said... Well, what could I say. I couldn't exactly back out of it at that point! So we rode to Arlington Heights for the last climb.



This climb was very different and I am so glad I did it. It was a big, open road that went straight up instead of winding, and I could see exactly how far it was to the top. It was a steep climb of about a mile and again I maxed out my gears fairly early on, but somehow it was just a more rewarding experience. This road had nice scenery and a more pleasant atmosphere; I just felt better riding there despite the same horrible pain in my legs and the same shortness of breath. Seeing that I had about a mile of this ahead of me, I somehow "settled into" the climb and relaxed. The entire time I was thinking "Oh my God, am I actually... enjoying this?" Somervillain was way ahead of me of course, so I had no illusions about my speed. When he stopped at the top and turned around to check how I was doing, I gave a thumbs up and smiled.



Upon reaching the top, I was delighted by the sight of a beautiful stone water tower surrounded by a small park. I had never been here before, and it's always nice to discover a new scenic spot. Suddenly, everything began to seem okay, even funny. It wasn't so bad. I really should have done the middle two climbs of the route instead of bailing so early on. To make me feel better, Somervillain pointed out that we'd really done more like 3 out of 4 climbs, since we did the first one twice. Plus we'd cycled 30 miles over all. Let's call it a modified route. After taking some pictures, we descended down a monstrous hill with a view of the Boston skyline, climbed another short but steep hill, and then cycled home for real with a quick coffee before parting ways.



On my way home I stopped by the Co-Habitant's office to say hello. He laughed and said I was incoherent, clearly still coming down from a post-cycling high ("and then... and then... there was a TOWER! And I almost gave up, but... tower!")



Sigh. I guess I should be grateful that even in my 30s I can enjoy the little things. I am pretty terrible at this roadcycling stuff, especially hills. But God, I love it anyway. We'll be doing this ride again. And thank you, Somervillain!

Amabilis Mountain ..

Ken had organized a mellow outing up Amabilis so that people could either ski or snowshoe. The road up or in has not been groomed yet, so I made the decision to bring fat skis. There were six of us on the trip and it was split with two people snowshoeing and the rest skiing. We had a casual start, and didn't leave Seattle until 8am. With a few stops on the way, we were finally on snow around 10am and headed up the road.

The road conditions down low

Despite the recent warm weather and rain, there was enough coverage down low. Shortly after getting on the road to Amabilis, there were a few dirt patches, but there was adequate coverage from previous skiers to keep going up a track that was put in by multiple parties before us. We skied up under cloudy skies and hoped that they would turn "partly sunny" like the forecast had told us. While the coverage was nice on the road, snow depth in the trees was minimal. The snow on the road had a packed section where people had previously traveled, but the snow was deep and mushy outside of that section.

Upon reaching the intersection for the loop of the upper mountain, two of our party decided to turn around. Liz turned around because she had Nordic skis which just weren't ideal for the situation. And Jack turned around due to blisters from his boots. This was his first time using his AT setup to skin. After our little break the rest of us continued upward, choosing a clockwise direction to complete the loop.

In the woods near our turn around

The conditions got worse from there as there were few people who had gone up that section of trail. The snow had a breakable crust which wasn't good for the two remaining skiers or the snowshoers. It took a long time for us to continue up while the weather worsened. When we finally made the last section of woods before our turnaround, a cool mist was wetting us and I quickly put on a rain shell. In moments we had reached our turn around point, where I donned another layer under the shell. We all had a quick snack/lunch. While us skiers transitioned into downhill skiing we discussed with the slowshoers that we would wait for them at the intersection of the top loop.

And away we went. The skiing was surprising not horrible. With a slightly steeper road than on Mount Catherine, I was able to glide without a whole lot of double poling. But Ken and I did have to remain in the track otherwise we would slow to a stop. A few portions were difficult to maintain speed as they were lower angle or the track wasn't wide enough for both of my skis. Had we not had to wait for the snowshoers, Ken and I would probably have returned to the parking lot in a little over and hour.

The ski out

After a certain distance, the track widened, and was more compact and our speed picked up. I had to occasionally snowplow in order to maintain speed. Sometimes you could just steer into the deeper snow to lose some speed, but this practice proved to be a little difficult as you didn't know what to expect outside of the track. Once closer to the intersection, the packed swath of road was wider and more firm. I really picked up speed on this section without trying. And the last stretch into the meeting point was all snow plow. Ken followed behind me and attempted to scrub speed by sticking a ski into the deeper snow off the packed section. He started to lose control and laid down instead of continuing toward the immanent crash.

Ken on a faster section of the road

We waited a long time before our snowshoe friends arrived. We greeted them and asked if they needed anything. They didn't. And we were on our way. I got to the car in about 20 minutes from that point, and that even included one stop to rest my legs and a short uphill that I had to side step. The lower section of the road had some good snow and the packed section comprised more of the road in certain areas to the width where I could actually make small turns. Before I knew it, it was over and we were back at the parking lot where Liz and Jack were waiting. Once again we waited for the snowshoers, and then it was time to head back to Seattle.

Jennifer and I had done this trip with Gabriel and Lindsay a few years ago. At the time I was new to skiing and debated about trying it on my skinny skis. I opted not to and stuck with snow shoes. After seeing Gabriel's ease of skiing it, and the relative easy conditions, I had wished at the time I had attempted it on skis. While it would be interesting to try it with a Nordic ski, they weren't the right option for today's conditions and I was happy to have my backcountry skis which did not inhibit my performance at all.

Ostria Restaurant Dinner in Votsalakia

Eating out in Samos Island, Greece is very cheap, you spend approximately 30+- euros for 2 pax (1 starter + 2 mains + 2 drinks). We normally have coffee somewhere else at a lounge or bar. Thus, we ate out every night (we still have a week to go to enjoy this island!) and I will be posting all our dinners (and lunches) at different restaurants.



Hopefully, those who stumble upon this blog whilst planning for their prospective Samos holiday will have an idea where to eat and what to expect. My way of giving back to travellers and holidaymakers out there.



First night dinner at Ostria Restaurant



We were quite intrigued with this restaurant because you cannot see the dining area except for a pathway leading to the beach. The pathway is partly covered with vines crawling on a trellis with grapes hanging from it. The restaurant is indeed located on the sea side which makes it very attractive and quite romantic as well.













The restaurant has no website but it is listed on Trip Advisor, go here: Ostria



Kambos area (Votsalakia beach) in Marathokampos municipality is small so it is easy to find this restaurant as it is located on the main town’s street.



Special menu of the day



We ordered their special menu of the day that includes a Greek salad. Dutchman, the Burger special with Tzatziki, and moi, the Grilled Dorade Fish (gilt-head bream or bream fish) special with lemon sauce. Of course, a quarter Samian white wine for me as well. Samos has its own wine culture and is quite famous locally.











Food here is quite good. Not a fan really of French fries but I loved my Grilled Dorade fish. 4.25 stars out of 5. The ambiance here at the restaurant is fresh and lovely. They also gave us free coffee to close the dinner. In Samos, all restaurants give you a surprise free thing after dinner. The surprise vary per restaurant!



Beach view



But what we really enjoyed most were the beautiful views, and oh, the sunset! So relaxing...









If in Votsalakia - Kambos area, don’t miss this restaurant, for lunch or dinner.



More food posts coming!

You cannot escape the ‘mall culture’ in the Philippines

It is not a secret that I am not a fan of spending my time inside malls but I can also understand why this has turned into a very popular phenomenon in the Phillippines called: ‘Mall Culture’ aka ‘Malling’



Inside the mall (Ayala Centre in Cebu):







Many malls have incorporated gardens and parks into their design such as this one in Ayala Centre, Cebu with the addition of the Ayala Terraces outdoor eating and recreation area.











In the tropics it is hot all the time with a temperature average between 32C and 40C during summer season and 25C and 30C during rainy season. Throw in the noise and air pollution into the equation, no wonder people prefer to stay inside the malls even if they are not going to shop, eat or do business inside. They just stay inside, hang out, go malling.



Malling has truly become a culture in the Philippines. It is a national pastime.



Some articles I found about this topic:



UK Trade & Investment (): Retail in the Philippines

Inquirer (): The national pastime

Brunei Times (): Let’s go malling

Reuters (): ‘Malling’ consumes shoppers in the Philippines



So when we were in Cebu, Dutchman and I could not escape these airconditioned oasis. We mostly did the following:



1) Shop (at SM, Ayala and Robinsons) – we did not have a lot of time so we were always rushing and even driving from mall to mall.



2) Meet and Eat ( with friends, relatives and family) – the malls are a favourite place to meet by everyone so Dutchman and I have given in. I guess it is easy for everyone as it’s a place in the centre of the city, with accessible parking and with many restaurant choices.





Meeting with my cousins in Ayala Centre at their favourite place to eat: Lemon Grass (Vietnamese-Thai Cuisine restaurant) and later having coffee at UCC Coffee.



I met with my BFF as well in the same mall and wrote earlier an entry about it here: Spending time with Rock BFF in Cebu





Dinner with the family here a few times. My brother and his wife had to leave for an engagement in Cambodia, so while they were gone, we made sure to entertain the smart aleck nephew that was left behind.I call him smart aleck because he is far too advanced in IQ and EQ for his age. He is just 6 years old but thinks like an adult. I hope he can follow a school soon that specialises on individual accelerated learning.





We ate at Cafe Laguna in Ayala Terraces. We were so hungry I forgot to take pictures of the food, instead I only have pictures of the aftermath and the desserts, haha.





Dutchman and I even went to SM Mall to watch James Bond’s Skyfall movie, and we also had dinner here with smart aleck nephew.



Nevertheless, there is one thing I have regretted, I was not really able to shop. My original plan was to shop a whole day. It never happened. I had an hour here and there and had to always squeeze in last minutes.



Viva malling in the Philippines! =)

Gear geek maxed...the new Batura 2.0

I am still in the middle of my write upfor these but if you wonder just how farreal gear geeks go to improve a product take a look here.