Dissertation upon a Messy Burger and Barbecue Ranch Pork Belly (Inspired by Charles Lamb's Dissertation upon a Roast Pig)

Who can resist the delectable aroma of freshly-baked breads and pastries?

It was a laid-back Wednesday lunchtime that brought me to Aunt Ludi Bakeshoppe right next to Robinsons Grocery. The aroma of freshly-baked breads and pastries reached my nostrils before they were clogged by sinusitis usually brought on by the powerful air-conditioning of the mall. A quick glance at the tarpaulin menu board at the entrance made me decide to try the Messy Burger and Barbecue Ranch Pork Belly.

#2 on a binder clip stand

After placing my order with the cashier, I was given a laminated number using a binder clip as a stand. Simple practicality. Aside from myself, there were two other female diners. The dining area's pleasantly lit - not too bright, not too dim. The sofa seats were comfortable and the smiling cashier and cook eager to please. The food being cooked in the kitchen smelled good, made me feel hungrier and reminded of an aunt's home-cooking.

A friendly fly to keep me company while waiting for my order

Aunt Ludi lends itself well to people who want cozy and intimate space conducive to friendly banter and sweet-nothings, or alone-time for reading and contemplation.  Because of Aunt Ludi's open layout, a friendly fly dropped by to keep me company while waiting for my order. I immediately bombarded the amiable fly with questions like: Why are you here? What is the purpose of your life? What are you living for? But before the fly can answer me, my order was brought to my table. It flew outside while shaking its head as if trying in vain to find the answers to my questions.

Messy burger with homemade coleslaw and potato chips

The first course was Messy Burger which was a sloppy joe with homemade coleslaw and potato chips. The homemade crispy potato chips and coleslaw were the perfect foil for the sloppy joe made of ground beef cooked in a spicy tomato sauce. The soft buns were generously sprinkled with sesame seeds and were as tender to the bite as the spicy-sour ground beef. By the time I finished, the diamond-shaped plate was indeed messy with the orangey drippings from the burger!

Barbecue Ranch Pork Belly with cucumber salad

With the spicy aftertaste on my palate, I dived into the second course of Barbecue Ranch Pork Belly (pork liempo slices in barbecue sauce) and side dish of cucumber salad. The belly strips tasted wonderful with the smokey barbecue sauce. The diced cucumbers gave it a zing so pleasing to the taste buds. 

I was so engrossed with my lunch that I hardly noticed the customers streaming in between the shelves of fresh baked goodies and the cooler for scrumptious cakes.

Aunt Ludi's cake creations (photo courtesy of Orman Manansala)

When I asked for a glass of water with lots of ice from the cashier, I gave in to my curiosity and asked her: Who is Aunt Ludi?
  
Her answer was for me to know and for you to find out for yourself. 


I will definitely be going back to Aunt Ludi and her mouth-watering meals that remind me of home-cooked ones I used to enjoy. The breads also deserve a second look from me. Right now, I have visions of sandwiches I can assemble for late night or early morning snacks. 


For Aunt Ludi Bakeshoppe, I give a well-deserved two burps. Burp! Burp! 

(Photo courtesy of Orman Manansala)

Shawn, Lolo Nap, Lola Josie & Lolo Bibot at Tobinton

Our one-and-a-half year old grandson Shawn was in for a treat today from his grandparents Lolo Nap, Lola Josie and Lolo Bibot.

Before leaving the house, we asked him: Do you like to go to KCC? His answer: vigorous shaking of his little head.

How about Gaisano? Slow nodding of his little head.

Where do want to go? TOBINTON! he shouted as a big smile spread all over his mouth.

So off to Tobinton, errr, I mean, Robinsons Place-Gensan we went.

(From Tito Bibot, I am now Lolo Bibot. "Bibot" is the nickname used by my nieces for me because as babies/kids, they could hardly pronounce "Gilbert" and the nearest pronunciation of it they could muster was "Bibot" and so, Tito/Lolo Bibot I became and remain so.)

As soon as he set foot at Robinsons Department Store, Shawn scooted to and fro, running as fast as his little feet could carry him. Of course, with the Lolos and Lola in hot pursuit. Lolo Nap brought him to the activity center where five walking animals were for rent for little kids to ride on. Shawn selected as giraffe-leopard hybrid to ride. I gave him five 5-peso coins to drop in the slot and cued him to count each coin and surely he did! One! Two! Three! Four! Five! And with a quick jerk the gira-pard started walking as navigated by Lolo Nap.

Shawn with his Lolo Nap as navigator of the walking animal they rode.

Lola Josie and I would pretend to get run over by gira-pard which would elicit a gale of laughter from Shawn.

Punta tayo doon, Lolo Nap!

Then we proceeded to the Food Court where at the left side there are lots of kiddie rides. Lola Josie gave lots of token for the rides he took.

Shawn rides a car

pink elephant ride

another car ride

Since some of the rides he wanted were occupied by other kids, Shawn ran to the Ferris wheel and I accompanied him for the ride.

Si Lolo Nap at Lola Josie ba yun? Ang liiiiiit nila!

He would oooh and aaaah as the cab rose towards the mall ceiling and down again. He would turn around as the cab went down to wave at Lolo Nap and Lola Josie.

Ooooh! Aaaaah!

Shawn and Lolo Bibot enjoying the sights from the Ferris wheel cab

After the Ferris wheel ride, we had a quick dinner at the Food Court where Shawn quickly found a girl-friend to play with. Soon they were jumping up and down all over the Food Court.

Shawn and his girl-friend on a jumping spree

After dinner, Lolo Nap bought batteries for the space gun ( a steal at P100 only!) he bought at Toys R Us for Shawn. He had the batteries by the store clerk. When Shawn got his little hands on the space gun, he was awed by the spinning lights and chirping sounds.

Whoa! many lights!

He would draw the space gun close to his ears to listen to the sounds it emitted.

Grabe the sounds naman nito!

Soon enough he aimed the space gun at him and I pretended to writhe in pain from the sound, much to his delight. We played baril-barilan at the activity center. He loved playing tag with me running after him. We ended falling on the tiled floor as I caught him.

Zaaap! May tama ka Lolo Bibot.

After 3 hours of delightful fun among us Lolos, Lola and apo, it was time to go home.

Shawn: Babay Tobinton! :)

Robinsons Place Gensan - Newfound Oasis

On September 30, Robinsons Place Gensan will celebrate its first year in General Santos City. Its full-service mall sits on a floor area of 32,700 square meters that boasts more than a hundred national and local shops on top of its anchor stores: Robinsons Department Store, Robinsons Supermarket, Robinsons Appliances, Robinsons Movieworld and Handyman-Do-It-Best Home Center. 

For almost a year now, Robinsons Place Gensan has given the people of SoCCSKSarGen its signature Robinsons Mall Experience by emphasizing the tagline: MAS MAGANDA DITO in congruence with the city's brand Magandang Gensan.

As for me, the Robinsons Mall Experience was put to the test from the months of February to May this year when power interruptions in these parts lasted up to 12 hours a day. Being a self-confessed computer geek, my online productivity was severely curtailed by the power outages, at first. Then I found out that Robinsons Place Gensan offers absolutely FREE Wifi access mallwide. Yes, you read it right, ABSOLUTELY FREE WIFI ACCESS MALLWIDE! And it's the FIRST to offer such here in Gensan!

At the height of the power curtailments, we were experiencing an alternating 3-hour outages schedule. And so, during those hours when we had no electricity at home, I would be bringing my laptop to Robinsons Place Gensan to do my online work. Or when there's no pending online work, I'd spend the time watching movies at the plush Cinemaworld, browsing the books at the National Book Store,  exploring the various items at the Handy Man or walking around the wide lobby with my grandkids and nieces while having a taste of the various snacks offered by the food stalls scattered strategically inside the mall. The kids just love the rides and games at Quantum. We have discovered an oasis in Robinsons Place Gensan where we take refuge from the heat and inconvenience of the power outages.

Now it is common sight to see young people doing their mobile surfing/Plurking/Facebooking and yuppies with laptops and netbooks in the mall food court, restaurants and al fresco dining strip at Robinsons Place Gensan. It is also an added bonus that the supermarket hours have been extended to 9:00 p.m. (where they also accept debit card payments) as well as the presence of three ATMs that dispense cash all the time. The atrium features activities and shows for free. It is not uncommon to get a glimpse of your favorite TV and movie stars on  weekends or special occasions.


Robinsons Gensan indeed delivers "easy, breezy and better shopping" for its clientele. I always tell my friends and colleagues that I feel at home at Robinsons Place Gensan. It is where I feel welcome and can hang around with people I like and love. It is an oasis where I find comfort and solace from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Eye-Popping, Mind-Boggling 3-D Experience in Shrek Forever After

I was ready to watch my fourth 3-D film, but NOTHING prepared me for Shrek Forever After 3-D! It was an eye-popping and mind-boggling movie experience. 

As a member of the SoCCSKSarGen Bloggers, I was invited to the 3-D Cinema Press Launch of Robinsons Place Gensan Movieworld on May 22, 2010.

A specially-prepared Press Kit with a t-shirt, bookmarks, stickers, press releases, and notepads was given to me. After reading the materials, I realized I was  going to have a 3-D experience literally. 

First, Robinsons Place Gensan is one of nine Movieworld branches equipped with a 3-D screen

through MasterImage Digital 3-D which provides bright vivid 3-D images using silver screen. 

Second,  Movieworld uses Dolby Digital 3-D single projector. Dolby has set a benchmark in total entertainment by providing crisp and clear images and sound.

Third, moviegoers are given individual specialized eyewear that is easy to wear (even if you have your eyeglasses on) and eliminates the headaches/nausea  brought on by cardboard glasses. These eyewear had to be returned when leaving the cinema though.

The bloggers were escorted to their reserved seats and given a set of burger, fries and bottled ice tea drink from Jollibee. And the instruction to put on the specialized eyewear was flashed on the screen. Shrek Forever After was about to begin.

The opening logo of Dreamworks which was already an animated boy on the moon fishing became more alive when he cast his line and the hook went out the screen into the audience! (Nervous giggles from the audience).

Soon a carriage pulled by horses went out of the screen and the audience felt like the horses were passing through the cinema! And the movie delighted everyone with one eye-popper after another.

Many scenes drew Oohs and Ahhhs from the moviegoers. Laughters and giggles rang through the theater as the movie unveiled the antics of Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, Puss, Gingerbread Man and Rumpeltiltskin.

Overall, my fourth 3-D film experience was exhilarating and fun-filled. And I look forward to more 3-D films to be shown in Movieworld!

Thank you to Pre Carcillar and Bing Velandria of Robinsons Place Gensan for inviting me to this unprecedented movie event in Gensan!