Eating at Charlie's Grind and Grill

My aunt (a cousin of my Pop) is one great food-finder!  Because her family loves to eat in the greatest places on earth, she practically knows all the best restos in the world!

Theo and I frequent Metro Manila but we never have tried this restaurant that my aunt described to have the Best Angus Burger in Town - Charlie's Grind and Grill. At that time, we didn't know where exactly it was located in Pasig City and so, just like what we usually do, we walked and walked and walked. And there it was! Just like how my aunt described it - "You won't see it immediately because it's just like a garage. There's a carwash station there." While reading the sign and the tagline "Handcrafted Burgers", I thought that it was a very unique way of describing burgers.  Then I thought, it might be just like a normal burger joint with fancy names and mediocre-tasting grub.  Well... that WAS what I thought...

Once there, I pretended to survey the overhead menu though I already knew in my heart what I wanted.  Theo and I ordered the Black Angus Burger with French Fries. While eating, we looked around to observe.  The place is full of customers even if it was already a little late - it was around 11PM! 

The cooler on the left is
where the sauces are!

We saw how people come and go. We saw how people enjoyed their food with all those FREE sauces and condiments which you can just get from their cooler and enjoy.  You just have to be patient because even with the number of sauces they have, and with all the customers they have at a given time, you'd probably end up waiting for your turn to indulge in their yummy sauces! The have great burger sauces: Horsey Wasabi, American, Russion, and Aioli.

Black Angus Burger
with Fries

Finally, our order was served.  We were in awe to even start eating.  Portion-wise, the burger was HUGE! The burger was perfectly done and is sinfully succulent that extra sauce was not necessary!  Diet??  Well, anyone would be a fool not to break their diet upon taking a bite of this burger!  Aside from the burgers we used to eat at Camp John Hay's 19th Tee years ago, nothing really comes close to the taste of this delicious burger! It took us a while to chomp on our food because of its size. Even Theo who had a great appetite had a difficulty consuming his burger.  However, he was already planning what to get the next time we visit Charlie's again.  He wanted to get the Buffalo Wings which we actually ordered on the next visit (of course with my favorite, the Black Angus Burger)! 

Buffalo Wings

Charlie's Grind & Grill
16 East Capitol Drive, Bo. Kapitolyo, Pasig City 
Now Charlie's Grind and Grill has opened a new branch in accessible Greenhills

Beware of this Establishment if You Visit Baguio City!

I have been a business teacher for more than 10 years already. In some of the subjects I teach, I lecture on the basics of Consumer Rights. And as such, I am aware of the Consumer Act of the Philippines.

This is intended to share my experience at the Camp John Hay Factory Outlet Store. This is one store we visit at least once a month and I never fail to buy whatever I am interested in. But this will be HISTORY!

Let me share my bad experience which I hope won't be experienced by others. They had some items

displayed and marked “50% on selected items.” They had this rack where one side had some tube blouses where the prices on the tags were crossed out with red ink which gave me the idea that they were on sale.

There was this pink tube blouse that caught my attention and since it was the only one of its

color among several blacks and browns, I thought that it was a good buy. I checked the price tag, it WAS Php 525.00 and saw that red ink across the price. However, since the CURRENT selling price was not indicated, I checked the black and brown ones and saw they had the SAME code: MX09077 and that Php 262.50 written in red ink and the price of Php 525.00 was also crossed out with red ink.

So I brought the item to the cashier and was ready to pay for it. However, when she entered the

code on the POS machine, the price Php 525.00 is registered. Then the cashier asked me, “Kinuha niyo ba ito sa may 50%?” ("Did you get this from the items marked 50%?) and I answered “Yes.” The sales lady behind me whom I assume to be the one in-charge of that area where I got the item called out and said “Oo, 50% yan. Naka-sale yan.” ("Yes, that is 50%. That is on sale") The cashier again tried to enter the code on the machine and it still registered Php 525.00. Then she asked me (which really irked me), “Sigurado ba kayo na doon niyo kinuha? Kasi baka naihalo lang eh.” ("Are you sure you got it from there? Because it might just got mixed up.") Again, the other sales lady told her colleague, “Oo, naka 50% yan.” ("Yes, that is on 50%") The cashier then proceeded by telling me that the item was NOT on sale. And I told her that I can report them for price deception because the price tags proved otherwise.

They called their supervisor and the supervisor told me the same – that the item was NOT on sale. She instructed another employee to get another blouse perhaps so that they could check the price. While they were at it, I decided to go back to the rack to take a picture of the price tag on the black and brown tube blouses which I thought I could use as an evidence just in case. To my surprise, the black and brown tube blouses were no longer on the rack! Yes, each and every piece of them! I looked around and found it somewhere else away from the rack. I was given the impression that they had an intention of keeping the merchandise because of what happened. The supervisor kept explaining that the item PROBABLY was not included in the discounted items otherwise, it would have been read by their POS system. HELLO??!! The pink, brown, and black tube dresses had the SAME code!

Articles 82 and 83 of RA#7394 (Consumer Act of the Philippines) states that “Price tags, labels or markings must be written clearly, indicating the price of the consumer product per unit in pesos and centavos and that there shall be no erasures or alterations of any sort of price tags, labels or markings.”

Sure, they said SORRY but did not have any clear explanation of the issue at hand. I ended up not buying the item because I was not so happy with what happened. Even my companions ended up not buying the items they wanted to purchase.

Concerned offices and agencies should do something about this!

To the concerned establishment (and others out there who are doing the same) remember, getting new customers would cost much more than maintaining ones already doing business with you!

Practical Traveling Tips 1

Traveling is supposed to be fun! Thus, we have to avoid the hassles of traveling that may bog us down and take the fun out of our vacation.

When traveling, NEVER forget to TRAVEL LIGHT.

Bring clothes that can be easily mixed and matched so that you can bring fewer clothes. Bring clothes in basic colors that can easily be paired with your printed ones.

When packing your bag, the best space-saving way is to roll your clothes. This way, there will be fewer creases than when you fold them. To maximize the space, stuff "dead" spaces with your socks, underwear, swimwear, etc. If for any reason, you need to bring business suits and the like, it is best to use a garment bag to keep them in good shape.

If you are taking the plane or ship, pack underwear and an extra set of

clothes in your hand carry. At least, in the event that your luggage gets lost, you will have an outfit on hand.

Do not forget to bring a small bag that can accommodate your essentials like medicines, hygiene and grooming aids. Most of the hotels give shampoo, conditioner and bath soap to their guests so there is no need to bring big packages of these. Just bring small containers filled with shampoo, conditioner and bath gel if you think you should.

Make sure you do not forget to bring an extra bag which you can use for short

trips to the beach

or to the gym or unexpected out-of-town trips. A foldable duffel bag is highly advisable.

Hundred Islands

Hundred Islands in Alaminos, Pangasinan is one of the iconic attractions of the Philippines. This national park is one of the wonders of nature. With its 124 (others say it's 123) islands, it is a wonderful place for seeing nature, for boating, swimming, snorkeling and for diving.

Since it is our first time together to visit Hundred Islands and I might not know the road going there, TJ and I decided to go to Alaminos aboard a regular Victory Liner Bus. It took us about 3 hours. From the bus terminal, we rode a tricycle bound for the Lucap Wharf which is only around 10 minutes ride. The tricycle driver was offering us a place to stay and has introduced us to the landlady upon arrival. The old lady offered us a house with 3 rooms, kitchen, living room and T&B. Since we can cook using the things in the house, we took the offer. The offer was quite expensive but since it was walking distance to the Wharf and that we won't have to look for a place to eat, we took the offer.

We went around the area on our first day there to check out what

we can see. There was really not much. We were not in the mood for going further than a kilometer radius that afternoon. We went to the wharf to check how we can go island hopping the next day. We also ate halo-halo where souvenirs were sold. The souvenirs, as expected, were very expensive. TJ and I bought shirts (just for us!) since the other items we saw there were not really that interesting.

Well, at least not for us!

On Day 2. TJ and I left the house early so we can go island hopping. It was his birthday gift for me! When we arrived at the wharf, our landlady was already there talking to the boat guy. We were asked to choose between a small boat and a big one. TJ chose the big one since it is motorized and he said it looks safer than the small boat. We had a great time hopping from one island to another.

Though we were able to drop by some of the islands, we were not really that lucky to set foot on the other islands due to the high tide that time. I was lucky enough to check the giant clams or taklobos to the locals. Since boats are not allowed near that area, I had to snorkel several meters away. It was quite tiring considering that the water was not that friendly that day, plus, I didn't have flippers that would have made it easier for me. Nonetheless, once I got into that area where they had the giant clams, it was all worth it!

We just went around a little more until we decided that it was time to go back to prepare for our trip back home. When we reached that area several meters away from the wharf where the boat man left us, we got into a conversation with a local. He said that he is also from Baguio but he lives in Alaminos for his

business. He asked us how much we were charged for the boat ride and for the accommodation, and he was really surprised when we told him. But guess what? We were more surprised than he was when he told us how much he would have charged us. He gave us a quotation which was MORE THAN HALF of how much we had to pay for the lodging and for the boat ride. I felt blood rush to my head and I suddenly felt furious. But then, it was too late to regret our decisions the day before. Anyway, he also told us that the next time we should go there, we will have to look for him. That, we will surely do!

Surfing in San Juan

San Juan, La Union is very close to my heart. My father is from this place. When I was younger, I would spend most of my summer vacations in San Juan.

One of the things I used to do was surfing. That was until I was not so physically fit to surf anymore. Though I do not surf anymore (I have intentions of losing weight to surf again), TJ and I frequently go to the surfing area of San Juan to meet up with our friends and acquaintances.

--- Me and Session Road's Vocalist, Hannah (she was my classmate in high school)

Unlike Siargao, the famous surfing capital of the south, it is easily accessible and the resorts in the area are suited for budget travelers. Best season to enjoy perfect waves is between July and February or a week after a strong typhoon. It’s also suited for beginners as swell size starts at less than one meter. The coast here also has a sandy bottom and on a good day, wave length is at 50 -150m.

The eight-kilometer beach that expands from the towns of Urbiztondo to Ili Norte (my dad's side is from Ili Norte!) in the Municipality of San Juan has undeniably become the surfing heart of La Union. This expanse is also one reason why the Urbiztondo-Ili Norte stretch has become the preferred venue for the annual surfing event.

While trotting the shores of the surf camp, you might see Luke Landrigan. He is a Filipino-Australian professional surfer who was born in Australia and raised in San Juan. I have known him since I was in high school. He owns and manages Billabong Surf School in San Juan. His family also owns San Juan Surf Resort. You might have seen him in magazines and billboards before though. Or, you might have seen him in one of the latest advertisements of McDonald's. If you are lucky, he might just be your surf instructor!

Surf boards are for rent in the area. Prices range from Php200 to Php800. Discounts? Well, sure! But not everybody gets lucky you know. Most of the instructors collect Php200 fee for an hour of surfing lessons.

There are many resorts within the area. Prices range from Php400 to Php24,900 a night. Within this area in Urbiztondo, you may choose from the following: Sebay Surf Resort and Entertainment Center, The Little Surfmaid Resort, San Juan Surf Resort, and Kahuna Beach Resort and Spa. For other places to stay, while in San Juan, wait for my next few blogs.

Finally... A Blog for our Travels...

Having been a blogger for several years now, I have always been wanting to create a separate blog for our travels. However, since time has always been a constraint, I was not really able to do so. But earlier today I thought that it was about time for me to create a blog for me and my dearest TJ.