I wanted to do something with my Android phone using ADB commands, while keeping it plugged in to run the said commands. However, the thing I wanted to test was related to the idle (dozing or asleep) mode of Android devices. The workaround was to spoof the battery state to bypass Android’s charging restrictions.
Spoofing Battery Charging Status and Forcing Android Device to Sleep (Idle Mode)
Turn off the device screen using the physical power button.
Trick Android into thinking the device is running on battery power: adb shell dumpsys battery unplug
Force the device to step into deep Doze mode: adb shell dumpsys deviceidle force-idle
Verify the device is successfully spoofed and asleep: adb shell dumpsys deviceidle get deep(This should return IDLE).
Can also do: adb shell dumpsys battery unplug && adb shell dumpsys deviceidle force-idle && adb shell dumpsys deviceidle get deep
Device Cleanup for Spoofed Battery and Forced Sleep (Crucial!)
Once testing is done, you must tell the OS to start reading the actual battery state again, otherwise it won’t charge properly: adb shell dumpsys battery reset
Bring the device out of idle: adb shell dumpsys deviceidle unforce
Can also do: adb shell dumpsys battery reset && adb shell dumpsys deviceidle unforce && adb shell dumpsys deviceidle get deep
To target my specific emulator devices on Android Studio with my ADB (Android Debug Bridge) commands, I usually need to type long ones, like in the commands below where i wanna list the contents of a directory:
adb -s emulator-5554 ls /sdcard/Android/sub/directory/ adb -s emulator-5556 ls /sdcard/Android/sub/directory/
When I am working on a new feature or a bug-fix ticket, I try to avoid typing long commands and args over and over again, especially args that are as error-prone as emulator-5554.
How to shorten the ADB commands that target emulators (Mac OS):
Open your Zsh config file with an editor. Mine by habit is Vim. Like so: vim ~/.zshrc
Use your arrow keys to go to the very bottom of the file and copy-paste below exact code:
What it does is creates a new command adbs. I think the addition of s at the end is appropriate because the flag we are trying to work with is the -s flag which stands for “Serial”, for identifying specific emulators.
The way the new command works is,
the $1 captures the first argument you type after adbs and saves it — for example, the 54 in adbs 54.
The shift bit removes the first argument from the front so that the actual command to be run will NOT be adb -s "emulator-5554" 54 logcat (wrong!)
Finally, the last line adb -s "emulator-55$port" "$@" runs the correct command, inserting the first argument (54 in our example) where $port is, followed by "$@" which grabs the rest of the command after the 54
Save the changes to the config file and then exit the editor. In Vim I press Esc key, then type :wq! and hit Enter. IIRC my partner questions something about my :wq! usage, but what he points out, I can’t remember.
After saving the config file, run the following command to make the new shortcut work immediately:
source ~/.zshrc
Usage Example:
Instead of typing the long version: adb -s emulator-5554 ls /sdcard/Android/sub/directory/
We can just type: adb -s 54 ls /sdcard/Android/sub/directory/
Extra: to know what serial numbers of running devices you got, run below command
adb devices
Random thoughts: I am grateful to my very first team lead as a software developer (Peng) because he’s the one who inspired me to become comfortable with command line interfaces. Remembering how much I grew as a dev in that team due to high-traffic production databases that we were managing and debugging in realtime. Oh, the source command on the other hand, was something I learned from my current team lead, Maru. I like how much I am growing in this current team, not only as a dev, but also as a person.
Credit goes to Google Gemini for the above adbs custom command. I had no idea how to write that until today. hehe
I have been using fountain pens these days to reduce the pressure on my hand, as I hand-write quite frequently, both for work (for problem solving and work journaling) and for personal (journaling, planning, common-placing, etc.).
But as someone who needs to apply moisturize the hands often due to skin issues, the lotion, cream, or oil on my hand often get in the way of fountain pen inks! The inks would skip or feather on paper, and it can be distracting or frustrating sometimes.
So, in this post I’ll be listing down what inks and papers I found to be least sensitive, or least affected by hand cream or hand oil when writing with fountain pen ink. Just note that what works for me may or may not apply to you because of varying factors, including the type of lotion, cream, or oil we’re dealing with.
Fountain pen ink that hold up well against hand oils:
List of specific inks:
Platinum Carbon Black It doesn’t budge as I write on lotion-smeared MD Paper. Based on experience with this ink in a LAMY Safari EF, there’s no skipping or feathering at all. Currently the most reliable fountain pen ink to me when writing with lotiony hands!
Sailor Seiboku When writing with a Sailor HighAce Neo F or a Sailor Profit Jr. F on a sheet of MD paper, there was barely noticeable skipping of ink, with no observed feathering.
Pilot Iroshizuku inks: I have observed minimal feathering with no skipping on MD paper as I wrote with these specific inks:
Tsuki Yo
Kon Peki
Yama Guri
Yama Budo
Fountain pen-friendly paper that I find “less sensitive” to hand oils:
Rhodia
Traveler’s Notebook refills
Dot Grid
Lightweight Paper
Comparison notes:
Rhodia paper vs MD Paper “Cream” Rhodia paper seems to be less susceptible to skipping inks and feathering inks, compared to the MD Paper. Rhodia absorbs the ink I wrote with faster, unlike in MD Paper where the ink seems to sit there longer before it dries.
Traveler’s Notebook refill papers
013 MD Paper Cream – The surface of this paper is smooth to the touch, as if it is finished with a coating. It takes longer for inks to dry here, from my experience, compared to the “Dot Grid” MD Paper and Lightweight Paper.
014 Dot Grid – They call the paper used in here an “MD Paper”, and from my understanding, the only difference should be the color (this is white) plus the dot grids, of course. But to me, the “Dot Grid” MD Paper is rougher to the touch, and absorbs my fountain pen inks better than the “MD Paper Cream” one.
005 Lightweight Paper – Like the Dot Grid notebook’s paper, this one absorbs ink better than MD Paper Cream. However, I feel that it absorbs a bit too much ink that there’s tendency to feather. I like sticking to extra fine nibs when writing or drawing on this lightweight paper. Although not mentioned in the official website, people say that the paper in “Lightweight Paper” inserts of Traveler’s Notebooks is Tomoe River paper.
My go-to paper is still MD Paper Cream despite not being very tolerant of hand oils. 😅 I just really like how easy it is on the eyes to gaze at that cream-colored paper, during moments when I ponder what I should write on my journal. To avoid frustration from skipping or feathering inks caused by my inkzema* hands while using MD Paper Cream notebooks, I simply reach for the inks I listed under “Fountain pen ink that hold up well against hand oils”, or use a pencil board for my hand to rest on while writing. Pencil boards are also known as shitajiki, underlay, or writing mat.
Bonus: Non-fountain pens whose inks don’t seem affected by hand oils
When I don’t want to bother with fountain pens, often when problem-solving at work, I reach out for:
Zebra Sarasa 0.5 in black
* Ink on hands + eczema on hands = inkzema on hands, so now I use inkzemic instead of eczemic. Makes no sense? That’s fine, pay me no mind. 😌
After sorting things out, I finally enrolled myself to a PDC (practical driving course) at XCEL Driving School.
I chose to take the PDC at XCEL Driving School in Makati City because the location is accessible from my place, the branch representative Ms. Alma is easy to communicate with, and I already trust them because I did my TDC (Theoretical Driving Course) with them in the past.
I only took an 8-hour beginner course and thought I’d just add more hours as needed. Automatic car was my choice because I think that my differently-wired brain won’t be able to do its best driving a manual one. I took 2-hour driving sessions with XCEL for 4 days. After that, I chose to practice with my partner instead as he gave me more liberty to sharpen my driving skills in ways I learn best.
XCEL Driving School review
I will be sharing short information on each 2-hour driving session with XCEL. I will probably miss a lot of details, but I’ll try to add more later once I am able to go through my notes (I wrote down what I learn after each session, lest I forget about them).
Day 1 of XCEL Driving School PDC Session:
The first day involved familiarization with car parts that you’ll have to be concerned about while driving, such as tire-check, side and rear view mirror check, and also getting the feel of car controls while you’re in the driver’s seat. The most important tip from the instructor was to:
Keep your eyes focused far ahead on the road. This gives you more time to anticipate and react to what’s happening up ahead, improving your ability to respond safely.
Day 2 of XCEL Driving School PDC Session:
Based on my experience at XCEL’s 2nd-4th hours of driving lessons, I think the focus at this level was properly aligning one’s vehicle on the road and getting a better feel for controlling the vehicle. For me, the trick to alignment is — again, focus your eyes far ahead on the road, and do quick glances at side mirrors to see if your vehicle’s aligning to the road’s lines/markings.
I liked how “chill” this session’s instructor was. He mostly let me try things my way, although honestly I didn’t learn a lot of new things that day. Maybe that was the intention of XCEL driving school for this session — let the student be more confident behind the steering wheel, and then fine-tune the driving skills with a detail-oriented instructor on the next session! 😮
Day 3 of XCEL Driving School PDC Session:
The instructor for XCEL’s 5th-6ths hours was, as I mentioned earlier, detail-oriented, and also kinda strict! It was uncomfortable how he sort of micro-managed my movements, but I’m not really complaining because I learned a lot from this person (and I am the oddball who has difficulty in learning things the “normal” way).
There were soooo many things that this session’s instructor taught me. From adjustment of the seat to make it more comfortable, various driving maneuvers, why going slow is best, etc.
My favorite tip from this session: Before making a turn, focus on where you want to go. Turn your head and direct your gaze toward that part of the road, looking through the side window if necessary. Keep turning the vehicle until the road you’re focused on comes into view through the front windshield.
Day 4 of XCEL Driving School PDC Session:
My 7th to 8th hours of driving lessons with XCEL was mostly fine-tuning of driving skills. The instructor aimed to observe how well I was able to drive, and to correct each mistake that he noticed.
The instructor helped me practice the driving skill I sucked at the most — how much to turn back the steering wheel after making a turn. We drove countless times around blocks in the area until I got a better feel for it.
I was advised to wait for XCEL Driving School Makati’s representative to contact me regarding biometrics capture, and was encouraged to practice as often as I can. I finished and passed my 8-hour beginner driving course!
XCEL Driving School rates (Makati branch)
See below images for prices of PDC at XCEL Makati branch. These were the rates as of May 2024.
What’s next?
I’ve been practicing during my days off work, when I am able to. My partner says that I have improved significantly and that it’s likely that I will pass the LTO driving exam. Although I am not yet sure when I will give it a go, since that will require me to be on leave from work, and from what I hear, many applicants take a whole day to get through the entire process at LTO. 😫 The recent work days have been crazy! Well, maybe not “crazy” for other people, but I take it really seriously (maybe *too* seriously) so I have been spending a little more time and exerting extra effort. 💪🤖
Questions and Answers:
Can student drivers practice in their own personal time without an accredited instructor?
To be allowed to drive, the student must:
Bring their LTO Student Permit including the Official Receipt as well as
Be accompanied by a licensed professional or non-professional driver (XCEL instructors themselves told me that my partner, who has a driver’s license, is allowed to be my companion while I practice as a student driver).
Renewing 1 expiring and 1 expired BDO debit card was easier and quicker than anticipated. I was even able to update one of the accounts’ civil status and name despite being from a different branch of account.
I was running errands near Alphaland Southgate Mall EDSA, Makati, so I thought that I might as well get my expired and expiring BDO debit cards renewed here.
Today is the 14th and is already payday for some employees, which is why I expected that I might wait for a long while to finish my transaction. But to my surprise, no one was in the counter that handles debit card renewals when I arrived around 10AM. Lucky!!
BDO Debit card renewal requirements
I called the branch before going there. The BDO staff told me I had to bring these to renew my BDO card:
2 valid IDs
The expired/expiring debit card
150 pesos, if card is already expired (free if not yet expired on the day of your visit to BDO)
My transaction today was a bit complicated. I wanted to renew two BDO debit cards: one expired and its branch of account is BDO Southgate Mall EDSA itself, while the other one was just about to expire and its account was created in a different branch. Aside from card renewal, I also wanted to have one of the accounts’ information updated because I haven’t done so after getting married.
Actual documents that I brought to BDO Southgate Mall EDSAbranch were:
1 x SSS UMID card, bearing my maiden name
My passport
Original copy of marriage certificate (presented but not surrendered to BDO)
Original copy of birth certificate (just in case)
The 2 BDO debit cards I wanted to renew
How much does it cost to renew a BDO debit card?
The renewal of BDO debit card is free if it’s not yet expired, but if it’s already expired then they will charge you 150 pesos.
The process – BDO customer info update and debit card renewal
I was asked to fill out several forms. As I filled them out one by one, the staff started preparing to send a customer info update request to the branch of my other account. Upon finishing the form fill-out, I was asked to get my biometrics taken at a different counter.
One thing I’d like to note is that I updated my employment information but they did not ask me for a certificate of employment. Maybe it’s only required when opening a BDO account!
I asked for a debit card without name for one account, and a debit card with name for the other. Note that if your BDO debit card does not bear your name, you won’t be able to retrieve it should a starving ATM devours your debit card. 😅 (Trivia: The staff at BDO calls the card without name an “embossed card”.)
The entire process took me around 50 minutes. I think it wasn’t bad for that relatively complex transaction.
How many days before I can get my renewed BDO ATM card?
For BDO debit cards without the cardholder’s name, they will be able to release it on the same day. The card with the customer’s name on it, on the other hand, will be available 7 days from the day of your visit to the BDO branch.
Questions?
I don’t work at BDO so, if you have questions, please contact BDO directly!! 😁
This is a hard time not only for us Filipinos, but for everyone throughout the world. There are much more cases in other countries such as Italy.
Some people call this virus outbreak a “blessing” for various reasons such as less pollution, the opportunity to bond with family, the perfect chance to learn new skills at home… I know that these people are only trying to look at the bright side of things as they try to cope in this difficult time. Even I, for a moment, thought that it was somehow a blessing. But that’s only from the perspective of a person of privilege.
I am one of the privileged Filipinos who are able to stay at home with food on the table, with a roof above my head, not worrying where to get money the next day. That is thanks to the money I saved up through the years, and to the support of my husband. But outside these walls, many people probably have a difficulty sleeping at night, worrying where to get money to put food in the table on the next day. I used to be generous in trying to financially help people, but my financial status is terrible, also thanks to COVID-19.
Okay, I may be privileged, but not by much. There are things that keep me awake at night too. I have savings, but it’s going to be depleted soon. There’s an apartment unit that I’ve been renting for my baking business, and it’s become inaccessible to me since the COVID-19 quarantine. Before the virus outbreak in our country, I was still struggling to reach breakeven in the business. My expenses were greater than my profit. Despite not being able to generate any profit through the rented unit since quarantine, I need to pay my rent. My landlady couldn’t waive the rental fee because she also needs the money, which I understand. Each of us need all the financial support that we can in this difficult time with the COVID-19 virus outbreak. I’ll see if I could do any profit-generating activities from home…
How are you coping during the COVID-19 pandemic?
To me, the important things right now are physical distancing, eating nutritious food, exercise, getting enough sleep, minding our mental health, and a free mass testing for COVID-19 nationwide.
Physical distancing
Stay at home, and go out only if really necessary. Do grocery shopping only once a week or once every two weeks. Why? The COVID-19 spreads easily with so many people outside — you may be one of the unfortunate ones to catch it! And what if you’re a carrier of the virus? Think of the people you might pass the virus on to. Some people who carry the virus do not exhibit any symptom, and yet spread the virus to other people.
Eating nutritious food
Give your body the nutrients it needs to boost your immune system, and your immune system shall fight the infection for you. Try to eat fruits and vegetables everyday, but if you can’t, make sure to take multivitamins, ideally with zinc.
Berocca is a good example of multivitamins with zinc, but it’s out of stock in nearby establishments. If it’s out of stock, try Centrum Advance, which has less zinc.
Exercise
Moderate exercise keeps our bodies healthy, and improves our mood. I know that for most of us, being locked up at home can get really stressful. Exercising helps release happy hormones, and it will help us maintain a healthy weight during COVID-19 home quarantine period. I know most of us have been eating extra, without moving around too much!
You don’t need any equipment to exercise. Try this exercise video that I frequently follow:
It’s from my favorite workout channel, BodyFitByAmy. She often has various options for all levels, whether you’re already fit or just a beginner in workouts. 🙂
Getting enough sleep and minding our mental health
Okay, I combined these two items because personally, I think they are closely connected.
Sleep helps increase antibodies and cells that can fight infections, so to me, this one will help keep us safe from COVID-19. Try to get at least 7 hours of sleep every night.
When I get very anxious, I can’t fall sleep. If your anxiety levels are skyrocketing before bed time, try to address what’s bothering you during the day. Sometimes it gets overwhelming; we need to tackle a mountain of issues at the same time. The solution is going to be reach if you take one step back, take a deep breath, and begin solving one problem at a time.
All the bad things happening around us — people dying due to the virus, our frontliners (doctors, nurses, utility workers, grocery store staff, food prep staff, among others…) who are overworked and at most risk of getting infected, the unruly situation handling of the government, our personal issues brought on by the virus outbreak… these are taking toll on our mental health. Let’s try to keep in touch with family and friends through texts, calls, video calls. Talk to them about things that bother you, you’ll feel better. If that’s not enough, you may talk to a healthcare professional through the following contact details:
NCMH Crisis Hotline:
Mobile: (+63) 917 899 8727
Landline: (02) 7989 8727
Hope Line Philippines:
Globe: (+63) 917 558 4673
Smart: (+63) 918 873 4673
PLDT: (02) 8804 4673
Free mass testing for COVID-19 nationwide
My wish for the Philippines is a free mass testing for everyone, so we can pinpoint who are infected with COVID-19. Though I was in doubt at first, I believe that the current community quarantine helps slow down the spread of the virus. But it’s not enough! To stop the spread, instead of simply slowing it down, we need to know who are infected, isolate them, and treat them. What is holding the government back? Is it the lack of money? If only we still had the 10 billion pesos health budget, huh…
Stay safe everyone!
Stay safe, stay healthy. I really hope this crisis ends soon so that individuals and business may finally bounce back.
It tastes exactly like red bean. How did they flavor this chocolate?!
Wasabi KitKat
Surprisingly good! It’s like white chocolate with fragrant spicy wasabi. <3
Matcha KitKat
There’s regular matcha KitKat and premium matcha KitKat and I like the latter more because of the more pronounced matcha flavor.
Crème Brûlée KitKat
This is the most fun KitKat to eat to me, at least from the ones I’ve tried. Why? Because the serving suggestion is to toast it to make the top caramelize! Just like crème brûlée. <3
Sake KitKat
Amoy lasing! (Smells like a drunk person) I have adventurous taste buds, and though I tried to like this flavor, I honestly can’t.
Yuzu Sake KitKat
Okay this is better than plain sake KitKat! The strong flavor of yuzu masks the strong smell of sake, perfectly balancing the flavors. I liked it!
Apple Pie KitKat
We live in a warm country and so the KitKats we brought from Japan melted when we arrived home. One of those melted ones was the apple pie KitKat, and it didn’t taste the way it’s supposed to until we chilled it in the fridge. Once chilled, it tasted like tangy apple pie. Approved!
I’m blessed to be able to set foot on Japan again. Yay! Our first two days have been tiring, and today I can take it easy so I will take the time to write about our trip so far.
A moment after visiting some areas in Tokyo, I realized that it’s easy for me to feel comfortable here despite not understanding and not being able to speak the language. 😅 It’s probably because Japanese people always seem friendly and polite, and even though I don’t understand what they’re saying it still sounds familiar because I regularly watch anime.
Now, in this article I’d like to list down things that I like about Japan.
The Japanese people
Like I’ve mentioned before, I like how friendly and polite Japanese people seem. I easily get anxious around people, but when Japanese people smile as they speak in that friendly tone, I feel instant relief.
Vending machines
Kyoto, Japan (2014)
The train system
I like how you can access various parts of Japan via train.
The train system here strictly follows a set time schedule, and that is why it operates smoothly. It can be very confusing to newbies like me, especially the “switching” part, but it works well.
As I was in a train I was thinking how big an improvement the Philippines’ commute system needs…
Old-fashioned donuts and bottled coffee
Old fashioned donut dipped in chocolate, and Tully’s bottled iced coffee. Both from Lawson.
Animal Cafes
At a cat cafe in Osaka, Japan (2014)
Several years ago when we went to Japan, one of the items in our bucket list was to visit a cat cafe because there were still no such establishment in the Philippines back then, or none that we know of, at least.
There are also other animal cafes such as rabbit cafe, micro pig cafe, and otter cafe, which I would like to visit too if given more time.
Japanese food
I like almost all Japanese food that I’ve tried! I’m not putting any pic on this list item because I would need a lot of time to choose from my numerous Japanese food pics.
It feels safe to walk around while using my phone
Japan is known for being one of the safest countries in the world. In the Philippines, I could count the number of places where I’d feel safe to use my phone publicly in one hand.
No “bag inspections” as we enter establishments
Well, I don’t know if there’s any other country aside from my home country Philippines where there are guards stationed at mall/station entrances to check your bags for whatnot. I’ve been to Singapore, Serbia, and Japan and I experienced no such thing. It is a more of a hassle than help, if you ask me.
Many guards in my country just pretend to check bags anyway, and yet we need to take backpacks off and open it each time we enter establishments. Okay, I released some steam! lol.
Pon De Ring donuts from Mr. Donut, Japan
Pon De Ring donuts from Mr. Donut, Japan (2014)
I love these chewy, mochi donuts! Not sure if we have these in the Philippines.
Coin Lockers are common in Japan
Tokyo, Japan (2019)
Coin lockers are a convenient way to store your luggage when you have to do something in an area and don’t want to lug around your big bags. We used one when we just landed and it still wasn’t check-in time at the hotel.
Drivers aren’t 4$$h0les in Japan
Akihabara, Tokyo, Japan (2019)
Unlike in my beloved home country, vehicles always stop at pedestrian lanes to let people cross the street.
In Manila, a lot of drivers would try to drive past you when you try to cross the pedestrian lane.
Comfortable toilets in Japan
Sorry if this is TMI, but I love how most of the public toilets in Japan have this toilet cleaner that you can spray on toilet paper to wipe the seat with before and after use. There are also buttons for built-in bidets with 3 common modes: water to the rear, gentle water to the rear, and water to the lady part. ^_^ You can also press a button that will play sounds for privacy, good for Number Two. The toilet seat commonly has a warmer too — great for autumn and winter. 😉 These features make “comfort rooms” in Japan really comfortable.
Internet cafe where you can take a nap
Style Cafe, Akihabara in Tokyo, Japan (2019)
We were tired from our flight and it still wasn’t check-in time at the hotel so we tried to rest in an internet cafe. It has various room styles. If I remember correctly some had a futon and some didn’t. The room we had had a futon so we laid there and tried to take a nap. We couldn’t really take a long nap because of the noises, such as people dropping stuff on the floor, and sometimes talking loudly, but we couldn’t complain because it’s an internet cafe, not a hotel. xD At least we were able to relax our tired bodies. We enjoyed the drink bar where you can drink anything you want. There were hot coffee, lattes, tea… ahhh, very comforting!
Lots of manga/books were there too. The computer was very slow though.
Anime merchandise
Go to Akihabara and you’ll find countless anime stuff being sold.
Chocolate Mint goodies
Me and my hubby are one of the few people in our country who like chocolate-mint goods. In Japan there are more chocolate-mint goods to satisfy our cravings than in the Philippines.
Good quality food at convenience stores
When feel like buying cheap foods we head over to convenience stores to buy packaged food items. These aren’t prepared before eating like in restaurants, but they are good!
The streets are clean
In Japan it is really pleasant to walk down the streets, which feel safe and look clean.
Tokyo looks interesting too when viewed from above
The photos above were taken from the mid area of Tokyo Tower. I thought that the view from above would be boring but there were many areas that caught my attention.
Fresh, high quality seafood
We chanced upon the Japan Fisherman’s Festival yesterday and tried tuna sashimi. It’s much, much better than the one I am used to eating in the Philippines!
Tokyo Station is an attraction itself
“You should see Tokyo Station” was why my hubby wanted to take me here. When I’ve seen it, I knew why he wanted me to see it. I was surprised by how big and beautiful it was.
Pokemon Cafe
I’m a Pokemon fan, and though not an avid one, I enjoyed our visit there very much. The Pokemon plated meals were so cute. I couldn’t slice Pikachu’s face so I had to remove its features one by one before I could slice it; it’s an omurice.
A plus to our visit was a Pikachu mascot that entertained the kids, but I was not less entertained. I was squealing in amusement because Pikachu is the cutest Pokemon ever to me, and the way the mascot bounced around and moved its ears, making pa-cute, was really so cute!
Pokemon Center
It’s fun to shop at Pokemon Center. They have various Pokemon merchandise such as plushies, fashion accessories, makeup, school supplies, card games, video games, t-shirts, and many others.
Mont Blanc dessert
Mont Blanc dessert was shown in the anime I watched, Shirobako, several times. Each time the anime showed the dessert, it make me wanna try one because it looks so yummy. Good thing it’s really easy to find here in Tokyo convenience stores.
The top layer is sweetened chestnut puree, and under it is whipped cream. They sit on top of cake.
I’d like to make one someday!
100 Yen Stores
100 Yen stores can be fun and costly at the same time, because you’ll buy stuff you didn’t know you needed one you browse the shelves. xD
It was a hot day but we had to walk around Bangkal, Makati because we need to look for a space for rent. We had one loft unit viewing in the morning before lunch, and then a 1-bedroom unit viewing after lunch. My husband was craving for Indian food for lunch, and a quick Google search led us to Flavours by Vana’s which is an Indian restaurant situated along Mojica Street corner Osmeña Avenue.
Because it was so hot, I ordered watermelon shake… which never came and was not included in the bill when we finished our meal. Not a big deal because I myself forgot all about it, probably because I was so focused on the tasty dishes they served us.
By the way, we requested for mild spicy dishes because I can’t handle very spicy foods.
Mutter Paneer, a vegetarian Indian dish with of peas and paneer cheese in a tomato based sauce, with garam masala spices.
The mutter paneer dish was my favorite. It was still spicy despite the mild level, but the anghang level was perfect to me. Why was it my favorite? The paneer cheese has a nice semi-chewy texture, almost like hard tofu, with a subtle but pleasant milky flavor. It was enjoyable on its own, even without scooping sauce over it. The sauce, with lots of peas, was very tasty and having requested “mild spicy”, the spice level was perfect to me. Scooping the sauce and green peas over biryani rice tastes so good, even without including paneer cheese. Of course, it tasted soooo good when I combined paneer and the sauce in one mouthful.
Vegetable Biryani
The vegetable biryani rice was spicy too. It tastes even better if you mix plain yogurt with it. Their yogurt is so watered down so I couldn’t eat it on its own, unlike in New Bombay, where I exclaimed that theirs was the best yogurt I’ve tasted in my life. New Bombay’s yogurt is thick, creamy, and very milky in flavor.
Murgh Malai Tikka, a spiced chicken dish
The Murgh Malai Tikka, a chicken dish, that was served to us was not spicy at all, but it was tasty. I did not care for the green sauce that came with it, but enjoyed the dish with vegetable biryani rice with some plain yogurt. I loved the toasted parts on this chicken dish!
Masala Tea, black tea with various spices
The masala tea is like chai tea. Well, I think it’s also called “masala chai tea”. We enjoyed it too.
The casual atmosphere of Flavours by Vana’s is inviting, and the prices of the goods is fair. Being air conditioned was one of the criteria that led us to this place on a hot day. After all, there are several popular restaurants/carinderias in Bangkal without air conditioning.
We’ll definitely be back again to Flavours by Vana’s one day. I shall order my favorite mutter paneer again by then!
