Magandang tanghali po!

“Good day to you!” – Tagalog

If anyone ever needs to know exactly how fast you can do a whirlwind trip to the Philippines, please ask me as I just returned from Manila a couple of days ago. I left Maui last Tuesday, arrived there Wednesday and was back in my bath tub at home Saturday morning!

One of the many hats that I wear is Corporate Chef for Hawaiian Airlines. Hawaiian Airlines is starting a direct route between Honolulu and Manila next year, so I had to go and inspect and develop commercial catering kitchens to produce my cuisine from that station.

On the flight over (not on Hawaiian airlines!), the aircraft’s video entertainment system wasn’t working, so I caught up on all of my reading. Luckily, I had my usual 40 pounds of magazines in my bag!!!

The people were as warm and gracious as the balmy tropical weather. Aside from the security check points and bomb sniffing dogs at every turn, the trip was quite comfortable. I did have the opportunity to dine out on the town while in Manila. The first night, I was hosted at a lovely restaurant that showcased traditional Filipino cuisine. My impression was that all of the food items though flavorful, were cooked loooooooooooooooooong and slow. It seemed as though all of the food came to the table brown. If you’ve had the opportunity to dine at one of my restaurants you’ll know that I love colorful vibrancy on the plate. The other night in town, I had a gorgeous classical French meal at an upscale restaurant close to my hotel. My favorite food experience was at a local grocery store – yes, another security check point entering the store - where there was an entire humongous display of nothing but canned sardines, sardines, sardines! They were meticulously arranged and that certainly appealed to my Martha Stewart-like craving for order and efficiency!!!

A few things that I learned during my trip really surprised me….did you know that there are over 7,000 islands that make up the Philippines? Also, they have some labor problems as many of the working class can find a better lifestyle in the Middle East or other parts of the world where their hard work ethic is more profitably rewarded.

Well gentle reader, the holiday rush is on. When I can climb out from under the pile of paperwork that greeted me upon my return, I’ll check back in with you and let you know what's next in the mix!

With warmest aloha,

Bev

P.S. Noooooooooo! I didn’t do any major shopping while abroad….but…..as I will be spending time in the Philippines in the future…..did you know that it’s only 1 ½ hours from Hong Kong?!?!?!?!?!??! Can you say, “CHARGE IT?!?!?!?!?!”