I remember clearly our first “official” date (aside from the movie at the Wajang Theater, doesn’t count.) It was at the famous Carlos ‘n Charlie’s in Cozumel, Mexico. It was such an experience, even just watching lots of locals and tourists down tequila like water! I’ve never been to a bar just to sit down, have a drink, enjoy the music, people-watch. (All other times I was in a bar, I was a stupid groupie, sipping warm beer and waiting for the guys to finish playing so I can go home and get some sleep.)
Sexy Mexican girls were walking around the bar dancing or to take their tequila headshots. It was crazy, they brought a bottle of the potent tequila with them, poured a generous amount inside waiting mouths, and the best part was when they grabbed the drinker’s head and shook it! I was only watching but it already made me dizzy, I can feel the alcohol mixing with my blood and swirling around my brains! We ourselves had five margarita yards and tequila jell-o shots, guaranteed to fool you into thinking you were still sane and sober. Needless to say, Andrew had to practically drag me back to the ship and into bed. I was out cold the moment my head touched the pillow! I don’t remember now if I had the 7am shift the next day, but I think I survived and made it to work like normal.
Andrew and I share a love for culinary delights, and we always have fun checking out restaurants, fast foods and even grocery shelves. From Wal-Mart in Mexico and Cape Canaveral, we enjoyed countless bags of powdered donuts, chips, nacho and cheese dips, and Spanish sardines. In Roadtown, Tortola, we discovered the Pink Restaurant by the beach, and afterwards, we’d rent either loungers or floaters and enjoy the hot Caribbean sun and cool Caribbean waters. We also liked Wendy’s in St. Thomas. When we were dry-docked in Freeport, we went to McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Dominoes Pizza, and at night we hung around a cluster of shops and bars that went crazy when the contractors came down from the dry docks. We pigged out on Chinese food here, and closer to our departure, we went to a nicer restaurant for a candlelit dinner. I remember they had the best Irish butter in the world, and I wished the meal would never come and that they’d keep bringing in buns and that butter. I remember too, that we had nice lobster and wine, and I finally discovered what escargots are. And the best part was hanging out by the posh hotels, using their hot tub for free, and sipping coffee and juice poolside while watching the ocean or upstairs in their comfy sofas.
We also went to a nice Asian restaurant in the artsy side of Vancouver, where I had the best shrimps with ripe mangoes in coconut milk! Yum! I tried looking for this dish in Hong Kong, but had a very different, surreal experience in the pub we went to. Also, for the first and last time, Andrew brought me to his favorite Pinnacle Grill on board the Amsterdam. Except for the smug waiter who suggested I was confused with the menu because it was my first time there, and the high-pitched prattle of the cast girls at the next table, it was an experience to treasure, especially the yummy chocolate volcano cake they serve last, just when you think there’s no more space. Still, I like casual, laid-back and intimate restaurants better, like the one at Victoria Peak where we had the celebratory ice cream and tea, minutes after we got engaged.
Manila had her fair share of restaurants we visited too. We liked the food at Pasha, especially Andrew who loves Mediterranean food. It converted me to Greek food for life. Cena had nice Filipino food too, and in fact, dining at any open-air restaurant in Greenbelt 3 with the nice acoustic music and mist fans is always an experience. We also tried Max Brenner’s chocolate desserts, but even if I love chocolates and their desserts were great, I was disappointed and annoyed with their cocky waiters and lack of ambiance.
When Andrew and I return to Manila next year for the wedding preps, we hope to discover more food experiences and to share it with family and friends.
We just got our first-ever real Christmas tree! Yipee! But, for all the hoopla about getting it, with all the tinsel and lights and baubles on it now, it looks just like our old fake tree. It smells really nice though. Just remind me not to look down on the floor. We had so much fun picking the tree out from the u-cut farm, despite below-freezing temps. 
