Kid Friendly Lunch of Wings & Ribs at Nuvali's Solenad 2

Ribs, chicken fingers, fries, mac n' cheese, and dirty rice.

Visiting Nuvali this weekend made us feel like tourists.  We've been to Nuvali many times before, but it was our first time to explore the more recently developed phase of Solenad 2.  It reminded both Oliver and I of factory outlets in the U.S. because of the wide space, the open parking, the single-story buildings, and the sprawling lay-out.  Even the lovely drive along the SLEX helped create the feeling of approaching a factory outlet complex off an interstate highway in the U.S.   The composition of stores and restaurants also felt somewhat reminiscent of suburban community centers in North America. There's a decent-sized Robinson's Supermarket and a True Value hardware store in one building.  Right next to it is a flat building with a row of restaurants. It was time for lunch, and our hungry group of 5 adults and 2 tots were happy to find a table at Chubby's Rib Shack which shared the same restaurant space with Buffalo's Wings n' Things. We're going American today. It's not the healthiest diet in the world, but we want our kids to grow up exposed to a wide variety of food, and Oliver is appreciative of a good barbecue flavor. Ribs and Wings for lunch, hooray!!

 We're all excited to dig in (not baby Guijo though, he's just posing).

There are a number of factors that make this relaxed resto kid-friendly.  The paper plates, plastic cups, and plastic cutlery gives diners license to be informal. Though I usually find disposable tableware too flimsy and inconvenient to use (and I worry about garbage creation), in this particular situation, it worked out quite well in adding an "outdoor bbq" feel to the dining experience.  There's a big pack of extra-strong folded napkins on the table, which can be read as an invitation for diners to go ahead, and use our hands to eat. Ribs, wings, and fries are finger food after all! And they were finger-licking good! 

Independent Narra now cutting her own food.

Dining out is often challenging with kids and yayas in tow because the adults take turns in feeding the kids and eating, and this can make for awkward moments. Oliver often eats fast so he can take Guijo from his yaya, while I feed Narra and myself at the same time so her yaya can enjoy her food. With finger food like this, however, everyone got to eat at the same time! What a rare occurrence! Rice was served in individual cups and the ulam could be eaten with bare hands, and this situation was conducive for one-hand feeding, so carrying baby Guijo while eating was feasible.  Narra pretty much fed herself. She excitedly offered fries to everyone. She's forbidden to touch knives, but today, under close supervision, we allowed her to use the plastic knife to cut her food, and she was so thrilled!  

Sampler trio: Barbecue, Spicy, and Garlic Parmesan Wings.

We ordered a trio sampler of wings, which came in classic barbecue, spicy, and garlic parmesan flavors (P349 for 3 baskets with 6 wings each). We also ordered ribs (P349 per order), chicken fingers (P139 for 5 good-sized and dense chicken strips), and a variety of side dishes like fries (P29), mac and cheese, coleslaw, and "dirty" rice (P34 each).  The good thing about ordering the sampler is that it accommodates varying tastes.  Spicy-food-lovers and spicy-food-avoiders alike were happy. 

My happy toddler post-lunch, well-fed and ready for a stroll.

Lunch at this resto was straightforward and fuss-free, which is a very good thing for frazzled parents like me.  Afterwards, we felt like we just had a nice family picnic. It felt very much like the outing we were hoping for, a welcome break from the usual lunch in an air-conditioned mall in Manila.  With stomachs full, we were ready for a stroll and a bit more exploration of Nuvali's invigorating green surroundings.    

Kid-Friendly Places: Ayala Museum on a Sunday Morning

The Ayala Museum

One may think the Ayala Museum is too formal a place for young children. Cameras are strictly prohibited. The Gold Exhibit on the fourth floor has deterring gates with prison-like steel bars. Most of the rare items on display are encased in glass and cannot be touched. There are guards at every turn. The dignified ambience commands a respectful decorum. Parents with very young children may deem it inappropriate to bring their tiny tots to the Ayala Museum - but we did just that on a lazy Sunday morning, and we had a great time.  While it is not a children's museum, and isn't designed specifically for a young audience the way Museo Pambata is, there are a number of ways in which Ayala Museum is kid-friendly.

To begin with, kids below 3 get in for free. Then there's the Annual Family Membership Pass that allows unlimited access to the museum for parents and all their children under 18 years old for an annual fee of 2,000 pesos - this is a good idea for large families with school-age kids. Oliver and I decided to go for individual membership since our kids are below 3 years old and can still get in for free. Adults only need to pay a very reasonable 500 pesos, while students pay only 300 for a year's worth of museum visits per person.  Membership perks include invitations to exhibit openings; curator-led tours; discounts for workshops, lectures, symposia, and family activities organized by the museum; and discounts at the Museum Cafe.  

My pre-museum energy booster: coffee at M Cafe.

Before going to the museum, we started out with breakfast at M Cafe. Oliver and I read the newspaper and had coffee while our kids took a stroll with their Yaya Ruby at the garden nearby. There are koi ponds, and sculptures, and wide open spaces and many shady spots for the kids to enjoy. We decided to dine al fresco. While smokers usually sit outdoors, one can sit strategically to avoid smoke. The outdoor seating area is located on a "wind tunnel" of some sort, and wind blows in one direction, so we had our kids seated in a smoke free corner. We ordered M Cafe's breakfast with all of Oliver's faves in one plate: tapa, bangus, longganiza, eggs, with garlic rice. I like taking our kids here on a lazy Sunday morning when there aren't too many people. It's all so pleasant. The breeze, the foliage, and ample space for strolling and running around.  After our leisurely satisfying breakfast, we headed off to the museum.  

M Cafe's Breakfast plate with all the faves.

It was our great fortune that the current exhibit on the first floor of the museum showcases the works of member artists of INK (Ilustrador Ng Kabataan or Illustrators for Children's Books) in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the organization.  On the walls were framed fanciful illustrations. There were whimsical scale models of scenes from children's stories, some were displayed on pedestals, others "floated" in surreal fashion, suspended from the ceiling with near-invisible strings. I felt as fascinated and in awe  as my 2 year old Narra, and 4 month old Guijo. We were all staring dreamily at the colorful  images contained artfully in the vast, white exhibit space.  

From the first floor, we proceeded to the 4th floor to see the Gold exhibit. Our strollers were comfortably accommodated in the elevator, and throughout the museum, there was ample space for maneuvering and parking them. A short movie clip on the importance of gold in pre-hispanic Philippine society is shown on a huge concave screen to introduce the collection of rare gold artifacts. We were impressed with the innovative glass displays on the floor! Emphasizing how gold comes from the earth, and how the archaeological finds were dug from the ground. Having them displayed under our feet was a delightfully disorienting experience. It also meant it was easy for Narra to view them - she squatted on the ground to look at various pieces of gold.

On the 3rd floor were paintings. The official website of the Ayala Museum has a section giving advise to parents on how to discuss art with children. I'll have to wait until my kids are older before I discuss art with them, but for now, I will encourage certain habits of viewing and touring - I hope to expose them to the "choreography" of museum-going - to imprint on their young minds the postures of  walking, watching, looking, and pondering in a museum-ish pace and rhythm. I dream of taking them to more museums all over the world.  The Ayala Museum, with its compact size, is a manageable place to start.  Imagine when it's time to take them to the Smithsonian! The Louvre! Museo del Prado! or even to view endless walls depicting ancient history at the many temples of Angkor Wat! I wish by then, they've developed enough physical and mental fortitude to do justice to such grand cultural institutions. 

With Guijo just outside the Museum entrance.

Finally, on the 2nd floor, is the perennial favorite, the dioramas! I've seen this exhibit many times since my childhood, but I never tire of it. Narra found it very fascinating - which proves how appealing the dioramas are. If only the museum built kid-friendly ledges to accommodate child-height patrons. I had to lift Narra each time she wanted to take a closer look, and that hurt my back! We took our yaya Ruby with us, and I asked her what she thought of the exhibits, and she told me "Totoo pala yung sa Amaya!" referring to the costumes seen on a daily period drama entitled Amaya set in pre-Hispanic times.  Yaya Ruby is an avid fan of the show, and by extension, so is my daughter Narra. When she saw the exhibit on gold and it's importance in displaying stature in a hierarchical society, and saw the battle scenes in the dioramas, she whispered to my daughter "Narra, parang sa Amaya!".  

Narra choosing her Filipino publications for children.
She doesn't read yet, she's just choosing based on illustrations.

After our trip to the museum, we took a short walk to Powerbooks nearby. We saw exhibits of INK both at Museo Pambata and at Ayala Museum and we promised ourselves we'd buy Narra more Filipino publications for children. We made good on our promise and bought her several books. How affordable they were! Most titles were priced at 70 pesos, and had text both in Filipino and English.

Oliver and I want to expose our children to Philippine history, art, and culture, and taking them to museums is also good for us as a couple.  It intensifies our pride in our country, and nurtures our spirit, allowing us to take a step back from our everyday lives so we can indulge in loftier thoughts. Even before we were married, Oliver and I would go on dates to museums, and I love the good conversations that follow.  We want to share a lot of moments like these with Narra and Guijo. With our Ayala Museum Membership, we'll surely have more museum visits for the rest of 2012.

Ayala Museum Website:

http://www.ayalamuseum.org/

Manila Zoo Revisited: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, and Hopes for the Future

Maali, the 34-year old elephant, a gift from Sri Lanka.

Half of the people in our household have never seen an elephant before in their lives. We live a few blocks away from Manila Zoo, and each time we'd pass by it, I'd think to myself how unfortunate it is that our staff didn't capitalize on the proximity of the zoo.  So last month, we went on an excursion, with the kids and our household staff. That trip gave me much to think about. I saw a lot of things to reflect on: the good, the bad, the ugly, and the potentials for a better future.

Our tour group: Yaya Roli, Basti and Chie (carrying Narra),
Yaya Nene (carrying Guijo), and myself.

Let me start with the GOOD. Manila Zoo is very affordable. We paid 40 pesos for adults, and 20 pesos for children. A pricing strategy like this is laudable for its accessibility, making the zoo truly a people's park. The trees in the zoo are full-grown and shady, with extensive root networks and far-reaching branches - they offer the soothing sound of leaves rustling in the breeze. The zoo is an urban oasis, where free-roaming birds, not those in captivity, actually find a great space to thrive amidst the pollution and congestion of the mega city.  Underneath the layer of decay is an elegant layout - an intelligent "bone structure". You sense it, that there was much thought that went into the underlying grand design mapping out the zoo's  winding footpaths, elevated view decks, little bridges, and even a tiny little lake, with it's own tiny little island.  We marveled at the sheer size of animals like Maali the elephant, and Bertha the hippo. We valued the rare chance to see such awesome creatures live, in the flesh! Oh how my companions, kids and adults alike enjoyed our trip. Everyone seemed more relaxed after our visit. We got the breather we needed.

The lone hippopotamus Bertha, by her dipping pool.

That said, let's go to the BAD.  The more minor causes for complaint are the signs of neglect: the cracked concrete, chipped paint, worn out barriers, dirty water surfaces, and foul smell. Then there's the major concern over the condition of the animals. I felt sad for the wooly sheep baking under the sun on a small field with dried up grass. I imagine they should be in some colder clime, in green, green fields of New Zealand. One can always say, oh well, we're a third world country, we don't have the budget for improving the displays so that we can re-create the natural habitat of the animals. But the "lack of budget" argument is not enough justification. There is a conceptual impoverishment at play here, a lack of innovation and resourcefulness in re-imagining the zoo in a way that works with our Pinoy reality. There are serious ethical issues that need to be addressed: should we perpetuate the anthropocentric notion that nature exists for man's exploitation, and animal rights are secondary to human needs for recreation and education? I will go back to these points at the end of this post, but let me first talk about the UGLY.

Some of the zoo's patrons do UGLY things. I was so incensed! A group of adult men threw rocks at a sleeping tiger because they wanted to hear it growl. Oh gosh, I did not want my daughter to think that was ok, that it can be tolerated! I told the men off, "sino nag bato nun?!" (who threw that rock?), I hissed at them in my "angry teacher tone". I wasn't scared of the group of men, because I had my two babies with me, and like any other animal in the wild, I am at my fiercest when I am with my young and I feel they are in the presence of bad elements.  I felt mad at the situation, I felt angry for the poor tiger, a strong and awesome creature diminished to this, a helpless sitting duck people throw rocks on.  Then, next to that sad tiger, were the monkeys - oh my! They were eating chips out of foil bags, there they were, the popular brands: Piattos, V-Cut and Chippy. And as if that wasn't enough, they were drinking Zesto with a straw!  They were begging for junk food from the zoo patrons, and on the ground, at the base of the tree on which they perched, are more wrappers - garbage left uncollected - the zookeepers know this is going on, and they let it continue! This, I find to be an ugly situation.  These types of zoo-goers are the very people who need to be educated about ethical treatment of animals. 

So where do we go from here? There are two roads to take, one leads to shutting down the zoo - there is a group of people clamoring for it. Do I agree with them? Not really. I've been to good zoos that left me feeling awed and respectful of the animal kingdom. The other road, is to improve and change the zoo for the better - and this is the option I am hoping for.  There is a lot Manila Zoo can learn from Museo Pambata, an institution in Manila that I find very inspiring.  Museo Pambata re-imagined what a museum should be like, and redesigned the museum experience in a way that is uniquely Filipino. They created exhibits that addressed relevant concerns. When I go there, I feel proud to be Pinoy, I feel the wealth of talent behind the conceptualization and execution of the exhibits. They broke free from the typical conception of a museum as a quiet place full of untouchable treasures in glass cases and made their building sing with the music of children's laughter.  It's time the Manila Zoo's leaders returned to the drawing board to envision a new zoo philosophy, and create a different zoo-going experience that is uniquely our own.  They already have a lot going for them. They have supporters, fans and friends of the zoo who are willing to put in the work. They have this amazing location, a green oasis with mature, grown trees - that in itself is a treasure in a congested metropolis. 

The caged tiger.

Truth be told, I felt invigorated by the stroll through the park because I felt closer to nature. We were there at sundown, "agaw-dilim" we call it - that moment when the sky's "light of day" is being wrestled away by the "dark of night". It's supposed to be a magical moment. One of my companions, Chie, said the trees were "buhay", or alive. That is, they were inhabited by spirits, animated by elemental beings. Birds began to roost on the trees, in tune with the disappearing light, with a few caged birds of prey looking at us as we walked by. I carried my baby Guijo close to my body, and walked as fast as I could, with Narra in tow, because I felt scared - the kind of fear that comes from being raised to respect the spirit world. It felt like it was time to go home and leave the park and it's inhabitants undisturbed. My overactive imagination saw more than just birds. In my mind's eye, I saw Manila's original "residents", those who were here way before the city overtook the land.  

I was happy to feel such presence - the kind I feel only when I am in a forest, or in holy places like Mt. Banahaw.  This place is alive. And that's a very good sign. Nature thrives here. It is a special place that we need to treasure.  This can be a uniquely Filipino zoo, where our myths and legends, and folk beliefs are woven into the tales we tell about the animals we see. This can be a Filipinized zoo showcasing our diverse fauna, highlighting those species endemic to our terrain and climate so we don't unnecessarily torture animals with anatomies that are made for drastically different contexts.  This zoo can be our peek into the animal kingdom using a distinctly Pinoy lens.  We can probably do with less animals too, that are cared for more - quality instead of quantity - I didn't think we needed as many tigers, or as many monkeys of the same species crowding the same tree. 

I saw the good, the bad, the ugly, and the potentials for a different - and better future for Manila Zoo. For most of my companions, they saw the beauty of this place. My yaya Nene wants to go back there on her day-off, even alone! because she found it so enriching.  Chie too, confessed she didn't have any interest in the zoo until we went there. "Maganda pala" (it's beautiful after all) she said later. And of course, there's the kids. They were thrilled with the animals, and the play ground!  I am glad I went with them. Their enthusiasm was infectious. I was pretty jaded and ambivalent about taking my kids to the zoo, my mind was cluttered with ethical debates and issues, but after our visit, and with help from my companions, I too, saw the beauty of Manila Zoo and allowed myself to enjoy it for the diamond in the rough that it is. We can chisel away at it, with all our criticisms, in the hopes that by doing so, we produce a sparkling gem in years to come.