P is for PNoy

Today was another glorious day to wake up to. Today we Filipinos were enamored with the sight of a new leadership that is about to steer the course of our nation. A leadership that hails from a family of good character and noble values. A leadership by newly-elected President, PNoy.

Benigno Aquino III takes oath as the 15th president of the Republic of the Philippines.
Our president.

After such a long time, a lot of Filipinos have felt ignored and left behind by the government. Today however, we caught a whiff that that may change. Today, as the newly inaugurated President took the stage, he spoke with such connection to the ordinary Filipino citizen that he presented himself as one of us. Today, we got a feeling that alas, someone from the government cares what we think and feel everyday! And sometimes, a little acknowledgment can go a long way.

The inauguration was a historical and hopeful sight. Historical that it is such a rarity to have a son/daughter eventually succeed his mother/father from a Presidency in all of the world's governments. Hopeful because the family of which he came from has been a long symbol of peace, prayer and People Power. In his speech, the President further reiterated the enlivened spirit of the People Power Revolution by saying that,

"Kayo ang boss ko, kaya't hindi maaaring hindi ako makinig sa mga utos ninyo." -- It's true, the power is in us to change our country. It sounds like a broken record, or such an ideal thing to perceive. But what we fail to realize is that it is so simple. We are the people, and we are the power - hearing PNoy say that reminded us that.

It's not just the question of what he can do for us but also of what we can do to help him.

Congratulations PNoy!

Thank you for keeping the power of the people alive!

Love,

The Pink Tarha Team

That's More Like It, Ketchup!

"They say that love is sweeter the second time around.

I say that Ketchup was better my second time around." - ec

Ketchup's glaring red logo as seen in the streets.

I know that we've given Ketchup a beating for their services the first time we ate there. I really thought it was the last we'd see of the place. But if there is one thing you should know about me, it's that red is my favorite color and ketchup is my all-time favorite condiment. Suffice to say, I was lured back to give this restaurant a chance to redeem itself. And surprisingly, it did. Big time.

This time around, we called in our reservation: Sunday night, 7pm for a party of two. My good friend "A" (who was also with us during our first bout at Ketchup) was my dinner date. We arrived just in time after the Maghrib prayers and was welcomed by a tall and gracious Indian man who I could only assume to be the restaurant's maitre d'. The other guy who used to welcome the patrons before was not there when we arrived. Yeah, remember him? The one who rudely greeted us during our first visit there? Perhaps we weren't the only ones who complained about that dude's behavior.

Anyway, I came to know the maitre d's name as Asif and I must say, his presence and accommodating manner really made a difference. As you know, first impressions count, especially in a place where people come to spend money and he was conversational, without being over-intrusive. The same goes for our server of the evening, Jeremy. If our server before was aloof and inattentive, Jeremy was all smiles and had an impeccable attention to detail. I say "impeccable" because during the course of my meal, my red table napkin kept sliding off the lap of my silk abaya, and despite having couches that will seemingly block Jeremy's view of the floor, he would always notice it when I was picking my napkin up and was ready to offer me a new one. And take note, my napkin slid off more than five times (to the point where I told him, I don't think I need napkins anymore...a bib would be more like it! lol!)

Oh and remember those couches and window seats that we were deprived of during our first visit? Well, this time around, we were offered the choice of seating between the big, homey white couches or the seats nearing the view of the streets of Suleimaniyah. Perhaps having the reservation did grant us some more A-list treatment.

Where we sat.

Now that's more like it! Very lounge-y.

We've never had a bad thing to say about the food in Ketchup. Every bite is worth the penny spent. This is after all a fine-dining restaurant and their main commodity shouldn't compromise its quality any less. And it doesn't. My friend A ordered the same Calamari for appetizer like we did the first time along with their cream of corn soup. For our main course, I ordered the Shrimp Scampi Pasta and A got the Chicken BBQ. For drinks, A had her staple soda drink while I tried out the healthiest drink in the beverages list: The Herbal Wave (apparently the healthiest of all their concoctions!)

Have a see:

Ketchup's Calamari is crunchy and juicy (with a tad elasticity left in those squids)

For the Alicia Silverstone in you, have the Herbal Wave.

A healthy mix of fresh orange juice, basil and fennel.

Yes. You read that right. I said FENNEL. And BASIL (which I love :D).

Tickle your gourmet tastebuds, why don't you?

This Shrimp Scampi pasta is very, very different from the pasta of the same name served at Tony Roma's. Indulge me as I caption the hell out of this: The shrimp really tasted like it perspired inside the cloth of thin batter (my way of saying it was juicy :P). The angel-hair pasta added a smooth texture to each bite and the fried capers provided the crunch and flavor to the entirety of the dish. It may appear to be a small amount of food, but when I finished it I felt like I ate steak or something. This had me kissing the tips of my fingers like Italians do.

We capped the evening off with a generous offering of New York Cheesecake served with Oreos and whipped cream (Remember, the one we really wanted to have last time but didn't get?). Though we were already stuffed with our main course, but this was too much of a delight to resist.

Look at that beauty and tell me you don't want one.

As we prepared to leave, we couldn't help but compare our first experience with that of the night. It was the complete and total opposite of what we went through before in terms of service. I suppose improvements and further training was given to the staff in attending to their customers and see? It does pay off. Like I told Mr. Asif, most of the time, people come back to restaurants because they enjoyed the atmosphere -- having a place to relax and unwind with their friends or family after a hard day at work is important, especially to young professionals like us. And having an outstanding service is a major factor in having an enjoyable atmosphere.

Back then, Ketchup already caught our interest with its interiors and the gourmet-ish quality of their food got a big thumbs up for us. Now, I'm happy to report they are on their A-game with regards to service. I hope they really keep it up!

Having said that, I'll let this last photo say it all:

Cheers!

-ec-

Q&A Portion 4

1. Can you please tell me about good and reasonable parlors in Riyadh?

Prices of salon/parlor services here are waaay overpriced when you compare it with the ones available in the Philippines. Take for instance a haircut which will take you aback for SR50. That's almost PHP600 already... and that's only the most basic cut! Hair coloring can go for SR500 up and rebonding for SR1,000! But of course, we have no choice especially when our hair's becoming unruly and vacation time is still several months away. Red Carpet in Suleimania, near Military Hospital, is where we get our haircut for SR50 (once or twice a year). But we found a good directory of beauty shops and other ladies' shops in Riyadh. Check the Riyadh Guide for Bridal Beauty. We'll be checking some of the shops there too in the next months.

2. Hello poh...I ♥ your blog. I learned a lot from it. I'll be leaving Pinas this June. I'm a newbie... I'll be working as a nurse in Al Hada. I have no idea about the place. Can you give me some information about the place??? :)... Thanks a lot poh.

Will you be working in Al Hada Armed Forces Hospital in the Taif region? Hospitals manned by KSA's ministries (MOH or MODA) have generally better working conditions than those which are privately-owned. (But don't quote us on this, we haven't been to many hospitals and clinics here in Saudi, though we have a few friends working here and there.) Taif is like the Philippines' Baguio. It's considered as a good summer destination. Unfortunately, we haven't been in the Taif region of Saudi Arabia so we can't say anything about it based on our personal experience. We're sure you've researched about it on the Net so we can't add anymore than those which are published online about the hospital and the region. The only personal insight we can share is that Al Hada and Taif are still parts of Saudi Arabia so you may want to read all our guides and how-tos in living in the Kingdom. If ever you'll be visiting Riyadh (we're 8-9 hours away by land), drop us a line! Okay poh? :) Good luck!

3. I will work as a teacher in Saudi Arabia soon but my wife doesn't have a job lined up as yet and hopes to find one there. Do you think it would be easy enough?

Most dependent Filipinas here work as secretaries/hospital assistants in the hospitals. They usually get work through referrals of friends. Of course, it depends on her qualifications too. She can try submitting her resume through the local employment department of hospitals and companies (who accept females). While she's not yet employed, she can be not just a desert housewife.

4. Is it easy to meet Filipinos there?

Of course! You can start with us. Lol. There are many Filipinos here and we usually gather when there's an event in the Philippine embassy. One single event can lead to another and you'll soon have a vast network of friends and acquaintances. Also, maybe you can befriend your neighbors. I'm sure they know a lot of Filipinos (if they're not Filipinos themselves). Actually, wherever you go here in Riyadh, you'll find a Filipino, hehe. Make that... anywhere in the world! :P

5. Can you go to church?

There are no churches to go to.

6. We hope we can meet you there... we read your blog. It was funny and interesting.

Thank you very much! We hope you continue reading our blog. Good luck on your move to Saudi Arabia. Hope our blog helped.

If you have any comments or further questions on any of our topic there, comment here or ask us via formspring.

Toodles!

Mid-Year Sale 2010 Is Here!!!

We're squirming in our seats and screaming at the top of our lungs at this very moment! *cough, cough* The reason?

Thumbs up for the MID-YEAR SALE 2010!

Yes folks, okay ladies (if guys can't relate), the sale season has come!!! New Look has raised its red sign (saw this ad in the Arab News today). We're sure all the other stores will follow suit soon. (Hint: Debenhams' sale will start on the last day of June!)

And oh look, it's Wednesday today... This sign here is the perfect way to end the work week and start the weekend. We'll see you in the stores. Ta-ta!

Don't forget to LIKE our FB page. We scream sale alerts in our FB account faster. *wink*

Dinner for the Main Man

It's father's day! If you're following Mary's tip number 4, any idea where to take your dads for dinner tonight? The Pink Tarha has a suggestion! Food photo number 5 on our Taste Bud Tease post is the dessert trio of Outback, the newest steakhouse to land in Riyadh. Doesn't "outback" elicit visions of rugged wilderness and horse-riding cowboys? Very manly. Very like the main man of our homes.

Outback Steakhouse is an American casual dining restaurant with an Australian-inspired ambiance. Here in Riyadh, it's located in Localizer Mall, a mall which we Pink Tarhas consider as a "men's mall" because most of the shops in there are for men. (You can also drop by here if you're still hunting for a father's day gift.) The Outback Steakhouse in Riyadh is the largest branch to date anywhere in the world. Whew!

Frankly, it's the usual steak place in the city. Of course there's a difference here and there but more or less, the menu has the same cornucopia of great dishes from appetizers to steaks to pastas to desserts, the ambiance is man-nish, and the waiters are still friendly and helpful. Your father will love this place if he wants to indulge on food made served in generous portions. Prices are the same as say Applebee's, TGIF, Chili's, Steaky, Steakhouse, and Tony Roma's.

Treat your dads to these:

Among the free starter bread of steakhouses I've tried in Riyadh, Outback's black Australian bread is the best! That's only one piece but I asked for another (and the waiters obliged happily). Busog na ako sa bread pa lang! I even forgot to take a picture because I ate them immediately! (See how many exclamation points I used to describe this?!)

Ceasar's Salad
(comes as a free side dish)

Combination Appetizer
Sharing portions of three of our bestsellers worldwide! Gold Coast coconut shrimps, a half order of wings, and
Aussie Cheese fries SR45

Alice Springs Chicken Quesadilla
Grilled chicken breast, beef bacon, honey mustard sauce, sauteed mushrooms, Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese in a flour tortilla, frilled to crispy perfection. Served with honey mustard for dipping SR30 (small)

I looove the coconut shrimps. The grated coconut provides a very nice crunch to the juicy butterflied shrimps. The chicken wings are very tasty too. The quesadillas look plain but contain loads of meat and gooey cheese.

The main courses:

Pasta
(sorry, forgot the name)

Prime Rib
Aged, traditional prime rib, hand-carved and served with roasted garlic, masked potatoes, fresh seasonal veggies, and mouth-watering au jus. Slow-roasted, seasoned, or seared 227g SR65

Ribeye
A well-marbled and tender ribeye. Carefully hand-cut and aged just right. 340g SR85

Atlantic Salmon
Fillet of salmon, lightly seasoned and grilled with fresh seasonal veggies SR65

Their portions are good for sharing, and knowing us Filipinos, we like to have a taste of what our family/friends ordered too. The prime rib is very flavorful. I dunno how slow they roasted this but it's oh-so-good. The jus helped in enhacing the flavor of the beef but I can do away with it. I thought it was just water with swimming fat when it was served.:P The ribeye and salmon are okay. There's nothing that distinguish them from the ribeyes and salmon of other restos.

This one is a favorite side dish:

Mashed potatoes

Although Outback's mashed potato can represent all the other side dishes of the resto, I wish they provide more freshly made sides on their Riyadh menu. There's only four or five to choose from and three of them are made of potatoes!

Here's three of their signature drinks:

(L-R) Great Barrier Cooler (mango, pineapple, Curacao) SR22 | Australian fruit punch (pineapple, cranberry, orange with cherry) SR22 | Mango fruit chiller SR20

They're fruity alright and uh, super sweet. These drinks became refreshing when we placed lots of ice. We ordered colas and water after because these mocktails alone cannot quench our thirst.

And to end a meal, a dessert is always welcome, doncha think? Well, except of course if your dad is diabetic. :P

Sweet Adventure Sampler Trio
Carrot Cake with coconut and pecans, Classic Cheesecake, Thunder from Down Under with pecan brownie

I don't like carrot cakes but this one from the Outback made me eat my words of not finishing a slice of carrot cake ever! I, surprisingly, loved this! I finished half of this... or okay, maybe the whole slice of it! The chocolate cakes and cheesecakes are creamy and delicious.

So... whether it be in the Outback, or any other restaurant in the city, your father (or you, if you're already a father) deserves a special treat on this very special day.

Happy father's day!

§undrenched

How to Celebrate Father’s Day

Every year, we celebrate Father's Day. The third Sunday of June is spent commemorating fatherhood. I have some simple ideas and tips that will surely help us on how we can celebrate Father's Day and make our daddies, uncles, grandfathers, godfathers or even stepfathers feel that they are loved.

Tip #1. Greet him a "Happy Father's Day" early in the morning and once more before going to bed. Don't forget to say thank you for the love he gives and showers on you.

Tip #2. Make your dad happy on Father's day by saying this words "I LOVE YOU, Dad!" These simple words will make him feel loved. Wala nang tatalo pa sa mga katagang yan!

Tip #3. Hug Therapy (The power of touch). Hugs express all the love, respect and gratitude you feel in your heart and soul. So, open your arms wide and gives him your power hugs!

Tip #4. Indulge him with whatever food he likes. Treat your dad to his favorite restaurant and order his favorite dish. You can also bake the best chocolate cake for him.

Tip #5. Give him the essential gift of your time. Time is the most precious thing you can give this coming Father's day.

Tip #6. Go shopping with your daddy. Use your credit card or your cash and buy his favorite perfume and/or his desired brand of clothes. Treat him as he treats you.

Tip #7. Buy him a flower. Who says flowers are for ladies only? Red roses have been the traditional flowers for Father's day.

Tip #8. Take a bunch of photographs with your dad.

Again, Happy Father's Day to all fathers!

Trivia: Did you know that Father's day grew from one woman's tribute to her father whilst listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909? Sonora Louise Smart Dodd from Spokane, Washington, thought about this idea to honor her father as well as all the dads around the world.

Share in the comment box how you spent father's day. Any tips for us, too? Most of the PT ladies will go to dinner with our fathers. Now, where to go?! :)

What's Inside S' Bag

It's been a long time since the last What's Inside Your Bag entry. Mary and Shoegarfreeruby spilled theirs already. Rummage their bags here and here. I'll just give a quick run through of mine because I am more or less the same with... Mary! We keep our stuff in little kits to avoid clutter. Though I must say I am not as organized as her. I am more like Shoegar in terms of kikay-ness.

The Bag

I am a fan of the big bag theory. I'm not sure what's that but I just love huge bags. I only use small bags when I'm going somewhere very near (ie. neighborhood bakery) or somewhere very crowded (ie. Haraj). I always carry a huge bag to work. Yes, even if it contains just a few pieces of kits. I love this Aldo bag because it's very versatile. It has three handles that transforms it into a handbag, a shoulder bag, and a messenger bag. And the black and white color, of course, goes with any of my outfit. (Teka, abaya lang naman technically ang outfit ko, hehe.) I don't change bags everyday. I hate the hassle. Lol. I change it just twice or thrice a month.

Spill It!
Bag with two pouches, 2 books, 2 eye wear, and 2 gadgets

The two of everything is not intentional. I just realized it when I was taking the picture of my stuff. On a normal day, my stuff wouldn't look this organized. Because of my over-sized bag's width, my things tend to jumble inside that's why I use two pouches to keep the small stuff. My gadgets are stored in the bag's inner pockets.

What's Inside?

My phone, a Nokia E72, is mostly used for calling and texting only. I am not a firm believer of multi-tasking cellphones. I carry a handy Samsung ES60 for instant "photo shoots" and "photo ops," especially when I am out with my friends (not seen in the photo above because I'm using it to take the photo). Nope, red is not my favorite color. :P I carry a book (I'm re-reading The Secret Life of Bees) for idle moments. The Starbucks planner serves as my planner and journal in one. A very dear friend gave it to me when I had my vacation in the Philippines last December. I'm into wayfarer shades now, I never leave home without one. Wayfarers in photo is from Forever 21. My eyeglasses needs to be changed soon. My eye sight's 225/225. And of course, I never go out without my veil (even if my abaya is now with a hood). Nope, sorry, my tarha is not pink.

Kikay Kit
1. Pink makeup kit 2. Ellana travel brush set 3. Guerlain lip gloss 4. Vitress hair shine 5. Ellana minerals (foundation, finishing powder, blush, and eyeshadow) 6. Ellana lip color 7. Eye-Mo 8. Human Heart Nature hand sanitizer 9. Neutrogena lip balm 10. Mint gum 11. Mac Lipstick in Cosmo (my go-to shade) 12. Human Heart Nature solid perfume
(not in photo: HHN pocket soap, comb, and mirror mints)

Confession, I love make-up! (I'm wondering why we don't do beauty entries here in The Pink Tarha... hmn, good idea!) I was a pimply teen and I'm still prone to break-outs up to now and make-up has helped me embrace these imperfections. I rarely leave the house without a powder on. Although sometimes, I do go out without putting on make-up, just to let my skin breathe. But, but, but... despite my ♥ for make-up, I don't consider myself high-maintenance. I only take 15-30 minutes to put make-up on. I already have my beauty ritual down pat. Also, when I'm out, I don't like getting up to retouch and retouch. I don't even touch this kikay kit in my bag the entire day. Well, except to get the hand sanitizer and the mints after eating... and of course, unless it's really necessary to put makeup again for dinner or a date... with the girlfriends! :)

I'm also currently into organic and earth-friendly products now. I am using Human Heart Nature products and Ellana Minerals (as seen here) and organic/handmade soaps from By Nature and Ilog Maria. They're very affordable and they work!

Essentials Kit

I don't carry a wallet, just this wristlet, which carries everything important. This is my "makalimutan ko na ang lahat sa paglabas, wag lang ito" thing. It contains my national ID (iqama; I still have the old booklet form), money (SR10 lang laman! lol!), various cards, receipts, and a ballpen. I also have a SAWA recharge card for emergency.

Okay, that's basically it. Was that quick or what? Anyway, hope you enjoyed my WIYB edition.

Care to show us what's inside your bag too?

§undrenched

A Photo A Day 10

Once upon a time, Eyecandy and I ventured out into the empty streets of Riyadh on a Friday afternoon. We settled on this buchi-looking street design and took a photo of us, under the scorching heat of the sun, amid the curious stares of the passengers of cars wheezing by... while waiting for a store to open. Yes, we are indeed crazy. But as crazy as that may sound, can you, Riyadh peeps, guess where we were?

Name the STREET.

Clue: It's a pretty busy street, especially at night. It has a line of chocolate stores, coffee shops, restaurants, and fashion stores. Sounds like any other street in Riyadh? Think again! The restaurant which serves one of our fave shawarmas in the Kingdom, is located in this street. Oh, how easy! ;)

Answer to A Photo Day 9 (which was posted eons ago) is Mt. Arayat! Good job to everyone who commented.

The Janadriyah Festival

We've been name-dropping the Janadriyah Festival (Jenadriyah) in some of our entries and we haven't featured it yet. It's high time we do so, don't you think? (Blame me for procrastinating.)

Janadriyah Festival is a national heritage and folk cultural festival. Located 45 kilometres outside Riyadh, Janadriya plays hosts to the cultural festival annually. Traditional activities, including folk dances, camel races, arts and crafts exhibits as well as poetry readings are showcased for the entire duration of the festival—it lasts for two weeks and is organized by the National Guard.

Last March, our social club at work offered a trip to the Janadriyah Festival. Since we've long been curious about this annual grand event in the Kingdom, Eyecandy, Mary and I signed up for the trip. We boarded into the coaster and left around 4:30 in the afternoon. We didn't know that Janadriyah, the place, is far. We were in the road for one hour. That includes the traffic we encountered in Mecca Road. We closed our eyes for a while and by the time we opened them, we were already seeing camels in the roadside. Lol. Probinsya na yata.

An oasis has been formed in the middle of the desert to accommodate the event and we can already say that the place was packed even before we got to the gate. From the road, we already saw jet planes doing an aerial show; smokes of different colors were coming out of the planes' tails. The first thing we noticed when we got off the vehicle was the presence of the muttawas (religious police). There were quite a number of them manning the entrance so we had to pull our tarhas (veils) out and cover our hair. What welcomed us was a sea of people in black and white and several mud buildings housing different exhibits.

First up was a makeshift horse stable featuring some of the best Arabian horses. We imagined them riding off into the Arabian night.

What a stud you are.

We went inside the Ministry of Agriculture's exhibit next and found out that there were organic products in the Kingdom. (Yey for me who's currently in my use 'organic' phase.) There were organic vegetables, fruits, and oils.

A huge aquarium with gold fishes welcomed us into the Ministry of Agriculture's hall. Organic extra virgin olive oil.

We asked this Saudi to be in the photo with us because it's been one of our goals ever since: to have a picture with a local. Hehe. (E and M with our friends)

Some plump oranges, which they gave for free

Our fave crustacean.

In Saudi Arabia, you can actually have dates. We mean these dates.

Because it's nearing prayer time when we left the exhibit area, we went to the jam-packed eating area where many fast food stalls were assembled for the festival. There's Herfy, Kudu, Cone Zone, etc. We chose to eat this:

Cabrito's roasted chicken, yum!

More people flocked the place when dusk settled in. There were a couple of Filipinos but we rarely saw them during our entire stay. That's okay coz we think we pretty much blended right in. Just look at Mary here:

M in her pink black tarha.

While some of our friends are still eating, R and I braved the crowd to watch what we really came for: the Al Ardha, Saudi Arabia's national dance.

Ardha is a type of folkloric dance performed by the Bedouin tribes of the Arabian peninsula. It was traditionally performed before going to war, but nowadays is performed at celebrations or cultural events, such as the Janadriyah festival. The dance, which is performed by men carrying swords or canes, is accompanied by drums and spoken verse.

The drums of Ardha were used to declare war.
Now, the drums are used as an accompaniment to recited poetry.
In this dance, swords are wielded as part of the national and official celebrations and the re-pledging of allegiance to the authorities.

Dancing! Woot!

We can't help but sway to the beat of the drums and the chants. It was fascinating to see the locals dance. The women in the crowd were also dancing and hooting. We never saw them do that in public; not until this event. We spent a good 20 minutes watching in awe. Having the chance to watch the Ardha made the Janadriyah experience so worthwhile.

We walked and walked after. Again, blending right in with the crowd. How crowded was it, you ask?

There are days for family&women only and men only.
Always check the schedule when going to the Janadriyah festival!

And this is only a part of the wide, open space. We couldn't do a panoramic shot of the entire place, sorry.

We entered one more exhibit hall and saw the Bedouin crafts and livelihood:

This quite scared us at first, lol.

The Bedouin way of life is so rich in culture and tradition. Even their dresses were rich in colors, fabric, embroidery, and beads. Their earthen ware are intricately done too.

Making a fish net. The man explained how they use this trap to catch fishes. It's genius!

We just walked around a bit because we had to go back to the coaster at 8:00. What do you think is the Eiffel Tower doing in Saudi Arabia?

This is where the exhibit of the French embassy is.

There were more people inside that well-lit, gated palace. Too bad, we ran out of time to check it out.

We groaned at the mere 4 hours we have to enjoy Janadriyah. We missed a lot of exhibit halls and we also didn't catch the camel races, the mizmar dance, and the carrot cakes, which are said to be distributed during the festival. :P

All in all, the Janadriyah experience is really one of a kind. We got to see Saudi Arabia in a different light. Despite being a desert, the Kingdom is also rich in culture, tradition, and heritage, just like the Philippines. This year, we became a part of the more than one million visitors who attended the festival. And there goes one ticked off from our to-do list in Saudi Arabia.

Parting shot:

E and M posing at the huge oud burner before we went home.