Kid Friendly Restos: The Frazzled Cook in Mandaluyong

I am now on the look out for kid-friendly restaurants where I can bring my kids and not feel like I am bothering other patrons. I'm still learning the art of relaxing while still being a parent on constant alert.  Fortunately, there are heaven-sent places out there where decent adult food is served in a setting that's also entertaining for kids.  The Frazzled Cook is one such place. It is a house-turned-resto along Luna Mencias street, close to Shaw Boulevard, in a lovely part of Mandaluyong where beautiful old houses on large cuts of land have been converted into business establishments like art galleries, antique furniture shops, pre-schools, bakeshops and restaurants. We stumbled upon this place when our aunt Tita Boots died and her wake was held nearby. Driving by the converted  house, we were intrigued by the markings on the windows that read: "I am a Restaurant". 

From the name of the place alone, busy moms can already feel an affinity with the people behind the resto. Frazzled. I know the feeling. As a sleep-deprived mother of a newborn and toddler, and the wife of an on-the-go husband, I find myself perpetually grasping for equanimity.  So I was so pleasantly surprised to feel relaxed at The Frazzled Cook. I recommend it as a kid friendly place.  Upon entering, one already gets a sense of the whimsical and playful approach of whoever did the interiors. The booth closest to the door features a mural, and a wall-full of waving good-luck cats.  

There are a lot of things to look at: books, toys, and collectibles on the shelves; chandeliers, drop lights and trinkets on the ceilings; pictures, paintings, and murals on the walls; mismatched chairs and tables as well as mismatched china and other tableware. The furniture look welcomingly weathered and worn, in a shabby chic way, making a parent feel that kids won't hurt them with a scratch or a spill.  Narra was clearly entertained. Right next to our table was shelf with children's books, including a fun pop-up version of the timeless classic, Alice in Wonderland. The eclectic collection of furnishings and novelties made me feel a bit like Alice myself.  The ambience is reminiscent of Cafe Juanita in Pasig, and the old Fat Michael's in Makati. 

When we arrived, were immediately given a high chair for Narra, and that's a plus! Some restos simply don't have high chairs, and that always makes me feel as though my kid is unwelcome.  A high chair is an investment made by restauranteurs who count kids as part of their clientele. I sometimes have to guess whether it is appropriate to bring my kids to certain places.  The laid back attitude of the people at The Frazzled Cook reassured me (they didn't seem frazzled at all). 

The resto's menu is another kid-friendly artifact. It has a lot of quirky illustrations and is made of a sturdy, stain-free material - not the flimsy pages your kid can easily rip apart. Narra pretended to read it like a storybook.

And when her food arrived, the resto passed my true test for being a kid-friendly place: Narra ate her food without being coaxed! Her soup was pureed asparagus with chunks of white cheese swimming about, and she asked of the floating white things: "what's that mama?" - "cheese", I replied, and this brought a smile to her lips. She also liked the pita wraps with cottage cheese, rolled small enough for toddler hands.  

Next time we're in the area, I'd love to eat there again. It's a great laid-back destination where a frazzled mom like me can come with my kids and actually get to relax.

For more info, visit their website:
www.thefrazzledcook.com

Narra's Star on Museo Pambata's Christmas Tree

Christmas is around the corner and we already set up our own Christmas tree at home. When we took Narra to Museo Pambata (Manila's Museum for Children) a couple of weekends ago, they also had their own special tree already put up. It was decorated with stars and candy canes bought by museum goers for the benefit of the museum's projects. Right before the shadow puppet show started, a museum representative invited the crowd to support their Christmas tree drive, a simple star could be bought for 20 pesos, while bigger and more elaborately decorated ones go for a bit higher, with all the proceeds serving as donations.

Narra picked a star from a basket full of decorations. The one she chose was purply-pink and gold and covered completely in glitters. It cost P100 pesos, and it looked to me, to be the prettiest star in the bunch. Oliver put Narra's name on the star.

Narra was excited when we left her star on the museum's tree. I am particularly happy to give her  a sense of group identity as part of a larger Filipino family. It was a good idea to get her to buy something that she doesn't get to keep so that she learns that there is great joy to be had in participating, and not just in accumulating or collecting stuff. That star was a pretty thing and it looked really good on that tree. Putting it there is such a fitting way to conclude a fun-filled visit to the museum.

Museo Pambata also has a Christmas toy drive for less fortunate children. They accept both brand new and pre-loved toys in good condition. I am already talking to Narra about giving away some of her toys, and I am planning to go back to the museum with her to participate in their drive. They are accepting donations until December 15.

For info on museum hours, fees, location and exhibits visit the museum's official website: 

http://www.museopambata.org/

Related Posts:

Museo Pambata Part 1: Introducing Kids to Philippine Architecture
http://nikki-mama.blogspot.com/2011/11/museo-pambata-part-1-introducing-kids.html

Museo Pambata Part 2: Encouraging Kids to be Writers and Artists
http://nikki-mama.blogspot.com/2011/11/museo-pambata-encouraging-kids-to-be.html

Museo Pambata Part 3: Introducing Kids to Theater, Dance, and Music
http://nikki-mama.blogspot.com/2011/11/museo-pambata-part-3-introducing-kids.html

Museo Pambata Part 4: Exposing Kids to Entrepreneurship
http://nikki-mama.blogspot.com/2011/11/museo-pambata-part-4-exposing-kids-to.html

Museo Pambata Part 5: Instilling Environmental Awareness Early On

http://nikki-mama.blogspot.com/2011/11/museo-pambata-part-5-instilling.html

Museo Pambata Part 5: Instilling Environmental Awareness Early On

Museo Pambata has an awesome exhibit to encourage kids to think of the environment and be aware of climate change. Entitled "I love my Planet Earth" the exhibit is in a visually appealing space. Narra was running around excitedly. The emphasis is on what kids can do at home to help reduce their carbon footprint. I plan to keep coming back to this exhibit so that I can take the time to explain each section of the exhibit in greater detail.  

On one of the walls is a dynamic display that shows the picture of a wet and green rice field that transforms into arid land as you walk from left to right.  The visual illusion delivers a high-impact message. I already tell Narra to conserve water at home whenever she turns  on the faucet by herself, or takes a bath. I tell her, Mama Earth cries when we waste water, and the running tap is like her tears. Exhibits like these help me drive home the point more effectively and lend authority to my spiels with my young daughter.

In a previous exhibit located in a nearby hall, where there was a typical rural home (bahay kubo), there was also a poso or water pump on display. Narra had fun playing with the poso. I explained to Narra that in some parts of the country, people have to pump their own water and walk long distances to bring measured quantities to their homes. Thus, they know how to value and conserve water and do not use the precious resource wastefully. This is in stark contrast to some urbanites who have the convenience of  running water in their homes which often leads to wasteful habits.   

According to the Museo Pambata website, the theme room called "Kalikasan" (Environment), will reopen to the public soon. This room simulates a rainforest and seabed, to allow kids to go "nature-tripping". This theme room aims to inspire kids to value Mother Nature and to take positive steps towards preservation.  This exhibit was closed when we were there, so I have even more to look forward to when I take Narra there again. It's never to early to start getting kids environmentally aware, and I am so glad a have a place to take Narra where I can teach her important lessons on conservation while doing it in a fun and playful way.

Related Posts:

Museo Pambata Part 1: Introducing Kids to Philippine Architecture
http://nikki-mama.blogspot.com/2011/11/museo-pambata-part-1-introducing-kids.html

Museo Pambata Part 2: Encouraging Kids to be Writers and Artists
http://nikki-mama.blogspot.com/2011/11/museo-pambata-encouraging-kids-to-be.html

Museo Pambata Part 3: Introducing Kids to Theater, Dance, and Music
http://nikki-mama.blogspot.com/2011/11/museo-pambata-part-3-introducing-kids.html

Museo Pambata Part 4: Exposing Kids to Entrepreneurship
http://nikki-mama.blogspot.com/2011/11/museo-pambata-part-4-exposing-kids-to.html

Narra's Star on Museo Pambata's Christmas Tree

http://nikki-mama.blogspot.com/2011/11/narras-star-on-museo-pambatas-christmas.html

Museo Pambata Part 4: Exposing Kids To Entrepreneurship

I am embarrassed to say this but I haven't brought Narra to a market yet. She's only been to groceries and her idea of food acquisition involves riding a shopping cart. The Museo Pambata's exhibit entitled Pamilihang Bayan or the Marketplace recreates usual neighborhood shops where children can pretend to buy and sell all sorts of produce. At first I pretended to sell to Narra, haha - I gave in to the dramatic impulse to act a little: "Bili-bili na kayo diyan!"..."Ano ho ang sa inyo?" Narra was happy to pretend to be interested in buying a carrot. Later, Narra had her turn selling stuff and she was just enthralled with the trusty old timbangan (weighing scale).

Sigh, so much has changed even in the tiny landscape of our home kitchens. I grew up in a home where a timbangan (weighing scale), and kudkuran (coconut grater), are common everyday fixtures. Now, my daughter's first experience of a weighing scale had to be at a museum! After our visit to Museo Pambata, I vowed to expose Narra more to street life. I made Narra buy turon from a manang, and she was thrilled to perform the dialogue sequence I taught her: 

"pabili po ng turon" (may I buy turon), 

"ilan" said manang (how many?), 

"anim po" (six please) said Narra, following my instructions; 

"apat na lang ang meron" (there's just four left) said manang.

"sige, bayad po" (It's ok. Here's my payment) said Narra.

Oh gosh, I was such a proud Mama. Narra is 2 and a half years old, and she was transacting with a complete stranger unfazed and she understood what was going on. Narra returned to me feeling very bothered, "Mama apat lang!" (Mama there's only four!) Oh she was so fretful for not getting her mission accomplished of buying six pieces of turon. I was very thrilled though, to see Narra beginning to understand the concepts of counting and the more complex notion of money as a mode of exchange for goods and services!

One service kids could pretend to perform is that of a barber's. There was a colorful pretend barber shop with a real barbero's chair. Our tour companions, our driver Michael and his son Basti, looked cute pretending to be in the middle of  a haircut session. The thing is, both Mike and Basti do go to a barber shop regularly to get a trim, and yet they still found the re-creation of a barbershop fun and entertaining. That's the cool thing about Museo Pambata's exhibit, it makes us more aware of what we see everyday, in order to appreciate in a different light - as vibrant manifestations of our country's entrepreneural vigor.

When I saw the sapatero (shoe repair shop), I felt a bit nostalgic. It seems to me that for our kids these days, shoes have become so accessible as there are now many options that are affordable, that shoes are just replaced rather than repaired when there are problems. There are exhibits that make me feel as though I am introducing my child to the continuing past - to things in her present that she does not know much about because those aspects of Philippine life that were once so common, are becoming less so. This is why this afternoon at the children's museum is such a worthwhile activity.

Related Posts:

Museo Pambata Part 1: Introducing Kids to Philippine Architecture
http://nikki-mama.blogspot.com/2011/11/museo-pambata-part-1-introducing-kids.html

Museo Pambata Part 2: Encouraging Kids to be Writers and Artists
http://nikki-mama.blogspot.com/2011/11/museo-pambata-encouraging-kids-to-be.html

Museo Pambata Part 3: Introducing Kids to Theater, Dance, and Music
http://nikki-mama.blogspot.com/2011/11/museo-pambata-part-3-introducing-kids.html

Museo Pambata Part 5: Instilling Environmental Awareness Early On

http://nikki-mama.blogspot.com/2011/11/museo-pambata-part-5-instilling.html

Narra's Star on Museo Pambata's Christmas Tree

http://nikki-mama.blogspot.com/2011/11/narras-star-on-museo-pambatas-christmas.html

Museo Pambata Part 3: Introducing Kids to Theater, Dance, and Music

We visited Museo Pambata on a Saturday and there was a short shadow puppet theater show on the theme of a working man's efforts to survive in Manila. While the theme may be a bit heavy for kids, it was done to the lively tune of a witty Yoyoy Villame song and was over in no time (perfect for short attention spans). Kids were given a chance to try their hand at casting shadows on the screen.  Excited little ones queued up for their turn to wave around their sticks/puppets of various plants and insects.

I liked seeing the museum's effort to introduce children to puppet theater as this is one way to instill in our youth an interest in a form of art that serves as a reminder of our rootedness in Southeast Asian performing arts traditions. That the museum recognizes the need to instill a sense of regional identity in the youth is seen in the collection of puppets from other parts of Asia displayed in another exhibit hall nearby.  

Then there's the Pangalay exhibit which shows a choreographic diagram of the flow of movement of the arms and the various postures of the body. That children (and enthusiastic adults like me) are encouraged to give the dance a try is suggested by the presence of a full-length mirror positioned conveniently next to the diagram. This is an interactive museum after all, and we're encouraged to move! (so yes, I danced shamelessly, and happily - imagining the rhythmic beat to accompany my movement) 

And then there were musical instruments.  My daughter Narra had fun with the kulintang and the piano (two instruments we also have at home).

I love how much freedom one feels in this museum. When outside the home, kids are often told "don't touch" for fear that they may destroy something. Here at Museo Pambata, they're encouraged to do the opposite - Touch to discover! Move, make noise, and dance your way to learning!

Related Posts:

Museo Pambata Part 1: Introducing Kids to Philippine Architecture
http://nikki-mama.blogspot.com/2011/11/museo-pambata-part-1-introducing-kids.html

Museo Pambata Part 2: Encouraging Kids to be Writers and Artists
http://nikki-mama.blogspot.com/2011/11/museo-pambata-encouraging-kids-to-be.html

Museo Pambata Part 4: Exposing Kids to Entrepreneurship
http://nikki-mama.blogspot.com/2011/11/museo-pambata-part-4-exposing-kids-to.html

Museo Pambata Part 5: Instilling Environmental Awareness Early On

http://nikki-mama.blogspot.com/2011/11/museo-pambata-part-5-instilling.html

Narra's Star on Museo Pambata's Christmas Tree

http://nikki-mama.blogspot.com/2011/11/narras-star-on-museo-pambatas-christmas.html

Museo Pambata Part 1: Introducing Kids to Philippine Architecture

We want Narra to grow up rooted in her country's culture. Manila's Museo Pambata (Museum for Children) will help us achieve that goal. We visited it last Saturday and I have plans to keep coming back. I was so impressed that writing a single blog post won't do the trick, so I'm going to write a series of posts. 

Oliver and I are fortunate to have in our employ our driver Michael, who is married to our housekeeper Chie. Together with their 5-year old son Basti, they've stayed with us for the last few years, first in our very secluded house in Lipa, Batangas, and our second house in congested Metro Manila.  While in Lipa, our two families used to go to outings together - to have dinner out, to watch movies, or to do a little sightseeing in Tagaytay. Since moving to Manila, we haven't had the chance to go out and tour like we used to. So last weekend, we decided to head to nearby Museo Pambata. It was originally meant as an exposure trip for the kids, but it ended up being entertaining and enlightening even for us adults!

On the ground floor of Museo Pambata is an exhibit on the Spanish period. Kids are introduced to colonial architecture through a recreation of some design features of a typical 19th century, 2-storey illustrado home. Narra and Basti enjoyed looking through the window grills done in the buntis (pregnant) style, and peeking through the windows on the second floor. There were also small-scale antique furniture inside the house, which the kids absolutely loved to sit on.

There's a small-scale version of a typical Spanish colonial-era church which museum-goers can actually enter (adults and kids alike). It's pretty fascinating to stand inside the structure feeling like a giant! At the altar, Narra inspected the figures of Jesus and some of the other saints, while Basti had fun pretending to be a priest. 

There was also a sample from the American colonial period, a scale model of a 1930's home inside a glass case. The former Elks Club Building which houses the children's museum is, in itself, a historic architectural treasure. I loved climbing its wide staircases, and walking on its old tiled floors. 

On the second floor, there were more interactive exhibits to explore. In particular, Narra enjoyed the kid-size bahay kubo. It was a bit of a challenge for her to climb the bamboo ladder to enter the hut, but we didn't assist her, since it was low anyway and posed no threat to her safety. She clambered up rather clumsily but I enjoyed watching her figure out how to make her way up on her own. Once inside the hut, Oliver and I could only supervise her from the  windows, but she was pretty much on her own. She enjoyed playing with the clay stove with the kawali on top, and spent a good many minutes pretending to cook.

 "Ay ganyan ho sa amin" (oh that's how it is in our home) said Chie who hails from Bicol, and whose parents make a living as farmers in a remote part of the province. She was excited to see the carabao-drawn cart on display and demonstrated to her son, and to my daughter Narra, how her father would use it. I realized how the Museo Pambata plays an important role in bridging generations. It is a means for Chie to introduce her Manila-born and Manila-raised son Basti, to the rural livelihood of his own grandfather. Oliver's own family hails from Malolos where they have an old ancestral house with beautiful touches of colonial architecture. I hope Narra can learn to appreciate that when we next visit Malolos. 

While we were at the second floor of the museum we happened to look out the window to see a traditional Ifugao house being re-furbished on the grounds below. I'm waiting for that exhibit to be completed so I can take Narra back there again to explore traditional architecture from the North. 

Related Posts:

Museo Pambata Part 2: Encouraging Kids to be Writers and Artists
http://nikki-mama.blogspot.com/2011/11/museo-pambata-encouraging-kids-to-be.html

Museo Pambata Part 3: Introducing Kids to Theater, Dance, and Music
http://nikki-mama.blogspot.com/2011/11/museo-pambata-part-3-introducing-kids.html


Museo Pambata Part 4: Exposing Kids to Entrepreneurship
http://nikki-mama.blogspot.com/2011/11/museo-pambata-part-4-exposing-kids-to.html

Museo Pambata Part 5: Instilling Environmental Awareness Early On

http://nikki-mama.blogspot.com/2011/11/museo-pambata-part-5-instilling.html

Narra's Star on Museo Pambata's Christmas Tree

http://nikki-mama.blogspot.com/2011/11/narras-star-on-museo-pambatas-christmas.html   

My Best Friend's Wedding and Why I Couldn't Stop Smiling

Tristan, the dashing groom, watching his bride,
Nona, as she approaches the altar.

There are days in one's life, very special days, when one couldn't stop smiling, even if one were to try really hard.  There's a kind of happiness that comes from deep within, so deep, that it taps into the core of the universe and energy flows in such abundance it cannot be concealed. The lucky person who feels such energy will exude an unmistakable glow, not just through smiling lips or eyes, but even through the skin. And when you are in the presence of such palpable energy, you will know it, feel it, and be inspired. This, dear friends, is why I love going to weddings, and how I gauge whether I've attended a really good one. I was just at my best friend's wedding, and I got to witness what I was hoping for - I felt it - that unmistakable feeling when you know destiny is being fulfilled. I am familiar with Tristan Jovellana's many faces, and I was anticipating a look on his face worthy of his wedding day. Oh how I basked in its light when I saw it! He was giddy-happy-proud-fulfilled-in-love.  And I, feeling profoundly connected to my dearest friend, tapped into his energy, mirroring his happiness and amplifying it further. I couldn't stop smiling too. What delicious energy it was to soak in!

My dad and mom getting to walk down the aisle. 

Tristan and Nona, the groom and bride, honored our family by asking us to take part in their wedding: they invited my parents to be Primary Sponsors (godparents), they asked me to be a Secondary Sponsor (candle sponsor), and my little girl was their flower girl.  My husband, Oliver was away on a business trip to Europe so he couldn't join us, but my sister Marion was able to come. Our family came full force for the occasion because Tristan is close to our hearts. He brought cheer to our home at crucial points - he's responsible for bringing to us a most beloved pet, my mom's dog Pirouette, who offered a decade's worth of joy and companionship to my parents when my sis and I left home to live abroad and they had to deal with an empty nest. He did stunning interiors for our new home, with his design touches always getting a lot of compliments from our guests. And when I lived abroad, he was one of the truest friends I had, who remained my constant anchor in the Philippines, always making time to meet up whenever I'm in town. His participation at my own wedding is unforgettable: I walked down the aisle to the sound of his beautiful voice - he was singing soulfully as I made my way to Oliver. My parents brought me to the altar, and so did Tristan through his song, accompanying me to the very last millisecond of my single days.  I wanted to share in his joy on his wedding day, as he did with me on mine.

My mom and dad, Walter and Sonia, Ninang and Ninong to Tristan and Nona.

And my parents, I am so glad they are ninong and ninang to the newlyweds. They were two smiley people on Tristan and Nona's wedding day. When they walked down the aisle for the bridal procession, they looked like a young couple on a special date.  Truth be told, both my dad and mom were not feeling well  - they were lethargic, fatigued, and sick before and after the event. But during the wedding and reception that followed, they were energized and in good spirits. A magical moment can do wonders. Even Narra, who acted up and refused to walk down the aisle at the start of the wedding, was already smiley afterwards.

At the reception, there were lovely details that made guests feel extra welcome. There were tiny picture frames functioning as place cards. Next to my photo frame was that of Oliver's and my daughter Narra's. Oh how I missed my husband! I remembered our own wedding day, and how he looked as I approached the altar. I remember how I felt, and what joyous energy coursed through my veins.  I remember how we smiled, our super happy smiles, so uncontrollable our gums showed. It's a mental picture I constantly replay, and it never fails to brighten cloudy days.

Individual photo frames serving as place cards (with photos of me, Oliver, and Narra)

To Nona, I have this bit of advice: always remember how Tristan looked on your wedding day.  There will be days in your married life when you would have doubts - on those dark days summon the memory of an important truth, that your husband declared his love for you on your wedding day, not just from the heartfelt vows he uttered at the altar, but from the triumphant exuberance he projected through every pore of his skin. A couple of weeks before your wedding day, Tristan visited me at home and we had a heart to heart talk, and I asked him about his fears regarding marriage - and he told me one fear - one that I feel if I share in public against his will is a beautiful betrayal he could forgive. Nona, he told me the most beautiful fear any woman would wish her man would say: he feared he might lose you.  Tristan, who used to be the center of the universe, the charmingly narcissistic and endearing megalomaniac who needed only himself to be happy, finally needed someone else for real, for good - someone he cannot bear to live without.  He found you.  And if you ever question the depth of his love for you, remember that he oozed with joy on your wedding day,  and was consumed with emotion as he said his vows. He exuded love, and electrified those close to him with his happiness. This kind of joy cannot be faked or forced, or performed. It comes from a sacred source and happens only by grace.

Tristan, Nona, and my sister Marion.

Remember my wedding message for you both: Don't just rely on love to sustain your marriage, but rather, rely on marriage to sustain your love. When I lit your wedding candle I summoned all the best wishes and good vibes I could muster, and prayed that you would have a marriage that is truly blessed. Thank you so much for inviting my family to share in your big day. It was such a beautiful affair that all of us also felt beautiful! And I, with my post-partum body, can't thank you enough for making me feel happy in my own skin again with all that positive energy.  You gave me a precious few hours to relive the beauty and joy I felt on my own wedding day. Thank you, oh thank you.