Went to the Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver

Today is a pretty long day for me. I went to the Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver to get the form for NBI clearance as I need the most recent one. I only got the office address but I have never been there so I printed the direction from the Google map to be safe from getting lost. 

I went to the office with my daughter and hubby took our son with him to work. Today is a little bit of adventure for me as we rode a Skytrain without my husband- it's for the very first time. Mostly we drive going to Vancouver or if a train I am just depending on him with the directions of which way to pass and so on as it's also once in a blue moon. Today it feels like I just started to walk on my own. It's funny I know! But that journey succeeded and I had fun! 

Before heading home we dropped by at the Pacific Center and other malls around the place. I did some shopping for my daughter as well. Right after there we hop on the train. It took us about 35 minutes sitting there and then another 30 minutes on the bus. My feet are hurt up to now for the long time standing but I can tell that every moment is worth reminiscing. 

By the way, to those Filipinos in British Columbia who needs to go to the Philippine Consulate for Passports, Visas, and other services that they may cater below is their address:

700 West Pender Street, Suite 1405 (at Granville St.) Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6C 1G8. 

The office is open Monday to Friday from 9:00am - 4:00pm, except Philippine and Canadian holidays. 

Interesting Shots Taken at Whistler

Summer is just around the corner and it reminds me again the memories we had on our first Whistler visit. It was a great summer and so wonderful. As we had planned to go back in the winter to explore further but sad to say we didn't able to make it due to unavoidable reasons. Well, there are more winters to come, isn't it?

Now, as you can see below are two interesting images. These were taken at the peak of  the Whistler mountain. 

Above image, a pile of stones assembled by a man who was fascinated with such stuffs. Right after he worked on it I took a picture immediately as I was impressed if how he able to manage balancing the pieces of stones. Do you have an idea what are his tricks? 

Here's another image I capture with my daughter as a subject. It's like there's a whirlwind passes by. I felt scared on the first time I look at this picture as it seemed like an individual not like us living on earth was there playing with me. I know it sounds weird but I do believe of their existence no matter which part of the world. 

Enjoy the photos guys, hope you like them.

The Culinary Delights of Crete

When visiting a foreign land, it is a must that you try and experience the local cuisine. After all what is the point of travelling half way around the world if you are just going to eat what you have at home?

No, when in Crete, do as the Cretans do, and that invariably means tucking into some quality Mediterranean food. But what exactly is the local diet and what surprises await your palate? 

Appetizers 

Appetizers - or starters for the not so posh - make up a very important part of Cretan cuisine. One appetizer that always makes an appearance is dakos, a dried bread topped with olive oil, tomatoes, cheese and oregano. If you want something light and full of flavor to keep you going, this is the obvious choice. Alternatively, try some pickled vegetables or fasolakia which is fresh beans cooked with tomato and oil. One thing you may find with appetizers in Crete is the often key ingredient will be cheese, often made from sheep or goats milk. This is worth remembering if you don’t like surprises.

Popular Main Dishes 

If you want to fit in with the locals, then there is only one dish which will earn you honorary local status - Coclious me hondro. And that in English we hear you ask? Snails with cracked wheat, served with onion and red wine, as well as the customary olive oil. The snails will be accompanied by a wheat stew. It may sound a little bit daunting, but why not give it a try and impress your local hosts in process. You never known, you may actually enjoy it! 

If you are too much of a wimp though, do not panic. Simply try something a little more familiar like slow cooked pork and potatoes. It doesn’t exactly look exciting or sound that thrilling, but it tastes delicious, take our word for it. 

Delightful Sweets 

For pastry lovers, Crete has you covered. First of all, give Loukoumades a try. These are small balls of dough fried and then covered in honey and cinnamon, topped with some seeds. If this doesn’t tickle your taste buds, then try Bugatsa instead.  This is a sugar coated pastry filled with cream and, in true Crete style, cheese. 

Cheap holidays to Crete needn’t be about cheap and cheerful food available back home. If you make the effort to get out and about you will find some restaurants which serve up delicious and locally produced food at very cheap prices.

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photo credit: mylocalstay.com