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Second Life Baby: Buffet vs. Home-Cooked Meal

Found the answer to what I was curious about.

This is a line from the drama "Big Bet" spoken by Cha Moo-sik. It says the price of the morning buffet at the Parvio Hotel is so high that it's like a dream for locals to eat there... I was always curious about which hotel it was, where it was located, and how much it cost.

Then, by chance, I found the answer.

The place Cha Moo-sik was referring to is actually the Medley Buffet at Okada Manila Hotel.

Enter number...

If you enter numbers like this...

1. one

2. two

3. three

It works fine for consecutive numbers, but...

If you put them on separate lines like this...

1. one

2. two

3. three

The result is...

I was on the verge of death yesterday after a heavy night of…

I was on the verge of death yesterday after a heavy night of ginseng wine at a bar, suffering from all sorts of stomach aches, headaches, and general pain.

A friend recommended pizza to help me recover, and since I'm the type to drink even 양재 water if it's free, I immediately went for it.

1-Cheese Pizza (I got home just 2 minutes after the delivery guy, but half of it was gone thanks to the kids' attack. This was the best one.)

2-Pepperoni Pizza (Good)

3-Spinach Cream Pizza (The mom's favorite pizza)

4-Chicken Fingers (Didn't eat them, so I don't know what they taste like)

5-Garlic Bread (Good for snacking with drinks)

Turns out, the best hangover cure is more alcohol...

The total cost for all this food was 1,322 pesos!!

Thanks for the hangover pizza!

Safety Notice: Urban Livelihood-Related Crimes

Amidst rising living costs in the Philippines due to fluctuating international oil prices influenced by global affairs, there's a growing concern over an increase in petty theft, burglaries, and robberies affecting both Filipinos and foreigners across the country. Increased vigilance is strongly advised.

Particular attention is needed in high-traffic urban areas like BGC, at intersections while waiting for traffic signals, and on public transportation. Please remain aware of your surroundings and take extra care of your personal belongings when you are out.

<Related Incidents>

- While waiting at a traffic light, perpetrators approached from behind, stealthily unzipped bags, and stole mobile phones and wallets.

- Bags or personal belongings were stolen from restaurants and similar establishments.

- A special robbery incident occurred on a jeepney.

- Armed robbers on motorcycles on the street forcibly took a victim's motorcycle in a vehicle hijacking.

- Copper cables from PLDT telephone lines were cut and stolen.

<Precautions>

1. Secure Your Belongings Diligently

- In crowded places or while on the move, wear your bag in front of you and check that zippers are closed.

2. Be Aware of Your Surroundings When Stopped

- Do not excessively open car windows while waiting at traffic lights or stopped. Be watchful of approaching individuals.

3. Avoid Carrying Excessive Cash and Valuables

- Carry only the minimum amount of cash and cards needed when going out, and minimize the exposure of valuables. Keep your card numbers separately so you can immediately cancel them if stolen.

4. Prepare for Emergencies

- In the event of a crime, immediately move to a safe location and report it to the local police and your embassy.

Emergency Contact Numbers: Overseas Koreans Foundation (24 hours): +82-2-3210-0404

Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Philippines: +63-917-817-5703

Consulate General in Cebu: +63-32-231-1516~9

Exploring Coin Use Cases

Ultimately, the goal is to connect with businesses and get them to use coins, thereby earning fees... but that's a distant future for now. Like the old Cyworld or Sayclub, when the user base grows, how about offering things like creating and customizing avatars, purchasing titles, rare titles, limited-time badges, or making nicknames sparkle with golden nicknames? This could be a way to spend coins. Sorry for the unsolicited advice. This is just a rambling post to gain experience points.

I once took a jeepney outside the usual tourist spots to see…

I once took a jeepney outside the usual tourist spots to see what life was like for Filipinos. Somewhere in the red-marked area on the map, they were selling fried chicken – I can't quite remember if it was wings or legs. But the fried chicken had no meat. They were selling bones coated in batter and fried.

????

???????

????

Is this like the "bone chicken" that was popular in Korea at one point?

I'd never seen it before, so I didn't know what it looked like exactly.

When I asked the price, I was shocked: 10 pesos (about 250 won). It was incredibly cheap.

I bought one to try.

How do you eat it?

A woman guiding me showed me how: "You eat the crunchy white cartilage at the end of the bone!"

Where's the meat?

"There's no meat. You eat the cartilage!"

????

Is this perhaps the "pagpag" I've heard about? Did they collect it from places like Mang Inasal or Jollibee?

Neither the street vendor nor the guide said anything...

I asked the woman, "This is for the *taong grasa* (homeless people), right?"

"Probably..."

I told the woman, "You ate it earlier, so you're *taong grasa*!" You *taong grasa*!

The woman's expression turned serious, and she shouted "You!!!!" at me. Filipino women seem to have a lot of pride. They never back down.

I tried it, and it suited my taste. I've always liked the texture of cartilage, and it was savory because it was fried. It was delicious...

As I walked further, somewhere in the yellow-marked area, a gambling session was in full swing right on the street. It was a poker game. I don't know if they were playing Hold'em or Seven-card stud. There were three to four people sitting at tables playing, with about ten people watching each table. The stakes seemed quite high, with many 500 and 1000 peso bills visible.

They're gambling openly on the street, and they don't get arrested? This is a country where the government broadcasts bingo and sabong.

I wanted to join, but as an outsider, I was met with suspicion, and they had the aura of seasoned gamblers. So, I decided to just pass by. Besides, to join a game like this, I desperately needed a friend to translate. But that day, my friend was at Chanel...

I want to go back again if I ever visit Angeles City.

It's not far by jeepney.

May 24: 26 rescued from collapsed 9-story construction building in Angeles City, Philippines

A 9-story concrete building under construction collapsed early morning on May 24th (around 2-3 AM) in Barangay Balibago, Teodoro Street, Angeles City, Pampanga, Philippines.

As a result of rescue operations, 26 people have been rescued. Some were also rescued from adjacent apartment buildings, and initial estimates suggest 30-40 workers may have been affected.

The cause of the collapse is under investigation, and there has been no official announcement. The Philippine Red Cross, fire authorities, and disaster management agencies are continuing search and rescue operations at the scene. The number of fatalities or injuries has not yet been confirmed.

Sources: inquirer.net, thestar.com.my, tribune.net.ph

Healing Condo's breakfast menu. It's an all-you-can-eat buff…

Healing Condo's breakfast menu. It's an all-you-can-eat buffet style, with one main dish, one sub-main dish, about five side dishes, one dessert fruit, fried eggs, Americano coffee, bread and jam, and rice and soup. It's Korean style, and all of this is unlimited for only 200 pesos (5,000 KRW). It's even free for hotel guests. The accommodation is also cheap at 1200 pesos (30,000 KRW), including pick-up/drop-off, laundry, and Wi-Fi service. The taste is delicious if you're craving Korean food, but ordinary for those who eat Korean food every day. Even the female staff are cute. The female staff at the counter, who also eat around the same time, have a different meal composition than the Korean guests. If you watch them, they eat rice, seasoned seaweed, and one Filipino side dish, and sneak bites when customers aren't looking. It seems like they're trained that way... When I watched them, they seemed embarrassed, so I bought them an ice cream from the Alpha Mart next door and asked if they eat like this every day. They said yes. I asked if it was delicious, and they shyly replied, "Very masarap." I asked if they really meant "very masarap," and they said yes. I asked if they get this meal for free, and they said yes.

Is this their life... It was both cute and a little sad, so I couldn't ask any more questions.

It's hard to find a meal at this price anywhere in the Philippines, let alone Angeles City. If you know of any better value for money, please let me know. Highly recommended!!!

Grab 5-star discount of 150 pesos

For businesses with good ratings

This is a canteen located right next to Janas Burger, just a…

This is a canteen located right next to Janas Burger, just as you enter Eurotel Alley. It doesn't open during the day and starts business at 6 PM. Every time I visit, I notice it seems quite popular among locals. Taste is subjective, so what's delicious to one person might not be to another.

However, I believe there are some universal standards even within subjective areas. For example, even if 99 out of 100 people find Kim Tae-hee beautiful, one person might not feel her charm. Conversely, someone might feel that way about Oh Na-mi. I have similar experiences. For me, Kang So-ra, Yoo In-na, Soo Ae, Shin Min-a, Song Hye-kyo, and IU are all below average in terms of attractiveness. On the other hand, Kim Yoon-ah from Jaurim is the most beautiful woman to me.

The food at this canteen mostly consists of rice and one side dish. The taste is as expected, and it doesn't deviate from expectations when you try it. It's ordinary. For Koreans, it's probably below average. It's salty and tough... yet it's very popular. When I watch people eat here, they truly enjoy their meals. It's curious and puzzling, even if the standards of taste are different.

What's most unbearable is the excessively slow speed at which the food is served. If you're used to Korean service, it's hard to tolerate. Are they growing and harvesting their own ingredients to make the food... It takes at least 30 minutes.

With one star for both taste and speed, it's surprisingly popular. It requires further research.

Even a friend who lives here likes it. They seem to be close with the owner. Have they become completely Filipino now...

I was going to give it one star, but the portion size of the 100 peso (2500 won) Chaofan Rice is as if it's for three people, and the broth of the Sinigang is incredibly refreshing like homemade kimchi stew (though it can be polarizing), so I'm giving it three stars. There's another canteen just above, but conversely, that one closes in the evening. It's also superior in taste. The prices are average (80-100 pesos per side dish).

Angeles, some areas are experiencing a blackout, it seems like a typhoon right now.

It would be great to have a feature that automatically clicks links.

Copying and pasting is inconvenient.

It's actually nothing major, but I'm making a post to level up.

It would be great if we could attach photos or videos to comments as well. I just had a situation where I needed to do that, but the comment section only allows text.

I originally wanted to post a question like "Where is the editor menu?" with a photo to show what I meant, but since there wasn't one, I had to create a new post.

'Hansang'? Anyway, it was a butcher shop that operated under the slogan "Korean Samgyeopsal." After a major incident involving a gangster shooting and a gambling-addicted bum, it was handed over to a Filipino bum who was a butcher. Since then, the quality has gone downhill, and I ended up looking for this butcher shop/restaurant. The quality is the best for samgyeopsal, shabu-shabu, and yusamgyeop, and it's good with just 1-2 flies. If you live in Angeles, this is the place for your butcher shop!

New badge acquired.

I have 4 badges now. Congrats!

This is a typical Filipino home, presented for comparison with Candipallas. In reality, it's a home belonging to the lower class among Filipinos. It's better than the residences around the Abakhan River, but...

The monthly rent is 4,000 pesos (approximately 100,000 KRW), including internet and water. They say two people live here. I'm originally an experientialist and tend to like experiencing various things firsthand, especially things that can be compared. Even better if they relate to human desires. Yes, it's an economic comparison. This is also one of the main reasons I came to the Philippines. At first, it was for friends and entertainment. But the more I stayed, the more I found an indescribable charm unique to the Philippines that I couldn't experience or understand in Korea.

Slums spread out right next to the upper-class residences of Candipallas...

Beggars opening doors at every convenience store... countless beggars on the streets... women in numerous entertainment establishments who don't hesitate to sell themselves. A woman showing her family and home to the man who bought her... When asked to choose a menu item at Jollibee because she said she was very hungry, she confidently chose the most expensive burger... An environment where giving one coin to a pitiful child in front of a restaurant results in over ten children surrounding you... A street vendor selling what is likely garbage food (pagpag) for 10 pesos (250 KRW), encouraging people to eat the cartilage between the bones of fried chicken wing bones with no meat on them... Truly incomprehensible scenes unfold.

Well, it evokes various emotions like conscience, pity, sympathy, and curiosity, and that's interesting in its own way, but...

Anyway, I had the opportunity to film a video of a commoner's home in the lower class of Filipino society for comparison with Candipallas, and I took it. When I showed it to my friend, they also said "Wow..." in surprise.

As I mentioned earlier, I'm an experientialist and like to experience things with clear comparative advantages, but I couldn't bring myself to accept the homeowner's offer to stay the night. The living conditions were that poor; I couldn't even stretch out my legs to lie down, it was too cramped, the bathroom had no toilet seat, there was only one room for the kitchen and bedroom, and there were issues with smell and hygiene. (Moreover, this wasn't even the worst house I've seen. It was a babae's house, where they just put a tin roof on bricks and called it a home, living with their family. I froze for a moment, feeling a sense of dread, and the night scene in that alley, that house, and that feeling still come to mind sometimes, even after 8 years.)

In any case, this is one of the rare instances where I was satisfied with a brief glimpse in my life and gave up on the experience. The owner seems to live there nonchalantly, which is strange...

I don't remember the location anymore, but... it was a house that made me ponder a lot... I'm uploading the video here.

Kandipalas Review Comparison

To provide an easy-to-understand, extreme comparison for the review of the upscale neighborhood of Kandipallas, I want to upload an interior video of a house in the lower-income area of Angeles. The homeowner's face briefly appears in the video. I want to mosaic their face for privacy, but I don't know how to do it.

I'll offer 1 point as a reward.

Part 2. After getting my friend's permission, I waited impatiently for him to leave for work, my mind racing with various scenarios.

The next morning, I rushed to wake my friend up. "Get up! It's time for work..."

Once my friend was ready and out the door, I grabbed a can of coke from the fridge, took a sip, and took a deep breath. Then, in the empty house, I started acting out the scenarios I had envisioned. In this moment, I was Choi Min-sik, Han Suk-kyu, aiming for an Oscar. Naturally! Naturally! But definitely like a resident of Candy Palace!!

After practicing, I went to a bar. I picked out a bar girl I liked and brought her back to a cafe to chat. Then, I casually said,

"Want to come over to my place?"

Technically, it was my friend's place. But such details disappear into the fog of capitalism. The important thing is the word "Candy Palace." The moment I said that magic word, the bar girl's eyes changed. It was like a commoner NPC seeing a royal palace pass.

Really? Candy Palace?

At that moment, I pretended to be unfazed.

Inside, I was already a triumphant general.

"Well... it's just a house."

And then, we finally arrived.

The lobby of Candy Palace.

The air conditioning was as cold as Siberia, and the marble floor made me feel guilty for dragging my slippers. The security guard greeted us like a hotel employee. At that moment, the bar girl's expression shifted.

"Wow... do you live here?"

No.

But in the elevator mirror, I casually glanced at my phone's clock. Like a third-rate actor faking wealth I don't have. My heart was screaming inside:

"Look, people. I've reached a high place too!"

The problem arose after we entered the apartment. My friend lives really well, and the view is insane. At that moment, the bar girl turned into a real estate YouTuber.

"Oh my god... the view is amazing... are you super rich?"

Leaning back on the sofa, I pretended to be tired.

"Ugh, I'm just ordinary."

Ordinary? I'm the same person who was calculating the cost-effectiveness of the Shawarma Shack's buy-one-take-one and Mang Inasal's PM1 discount set earlier today.

But human snobbery is amazing. In that moment, I truly felt like I was the second-generation heir of a conglomerate. I even acted nonchalantly while opening the refrigerator door.

"Want a drink?"

Actually, it wasn't my drink. It was my friend's coke.

I even bragged about the bathroom.

"The shower pressure here is great. There's warm water, an electric toothbrush, and even a bidet seat."

It wasn't my shower pressure either.

Then, suddenly, I'd snap out of it and find myself bewildered. Sitting on someone else's sofa, in someone else's house, with someone else's view as my backdrop, pretending it was all mine. It was practically a capitalism cosplay.

Then, as my friend's work hours neared, I returned to reality.

My friend texted:

"Hey, why did you drink all the drinks in the fridge?"

Only then did I revert to my true self and take the bar girl to a nearby healing motel.

But as night falls again and the neon signs of Walking Street light up, humans repeat the same mistakes. I put on my boastful mode at the bar again.

"Want to come over to my place?"

And I muttered to myself:

"Thanks again today, friend!! Thanks to you, my self-esteem has skyrocketed!!"

Thoughts on Candipallas.

Inside Fields Avenue Eurotel, in Angeles City, there's a condominium called Candipallas. From its exterior, the sky-high height and scale are overwhelming. A friend of mine lives there.

The price is said to be around 150 million (won). In my neighborhood in Suwon, a 30-pyeong apartment goes for 900 million won, so 150 million won wouldn't even buy a single room here. But in Candipallas, for that price, you can be part of the upper class and have a large bedroom, a living room, and a spacious terrace.

Naturally, ordinary Pinoys can only dream of such a place. To compare, it's not quite at the level of Tower Palace in Dogok-dong, but it's comparable to Parkview in Bundang. Within Angeles City, excluding La Grande Residence and a few other ultra-luxury condos, there's no real comparison. It's also highly recognized; most residents of Angeles City know of Candipallas and perceive it as a high-end residential facility. The interiors are also incredibly luxurious. The clean lobby entrance always has guards who open the doors for you, and the lobby has a billiard table, restrooms, and a restaurant. In an artificial pond next to the elevator, there are even koi fish.

I asked my friend, "What percentage of the population would this place be in?" He replied, "It's definitely within the top 3%." Hearing that, even though it's not my home, my heart started pounding, and all sorts of fantasies began to run through my mind.

I asked him various questions: "What's the price range?" "What services are offered within the condo?" "What are the facilities like?" "How do people view it?" "What's the etiquette for acting naturally?" "Are there any manners I need to observe?" My friend must have been puzzled by my repeated questions, asked with sparkling eyes. "What's up with this guy???"

I just said, "I'm jealous..."

At this point, my friend said something shocking.

"If that's the case, you can pretend this is your place when you meet people here!"

!!!! My mind went blank at the unexpected answer. Regaining my composure, I asked again, "Really? Is it really okay?"

"Yeah! It's fine!!!!"

To be continued in Part 2 for experience points for leveling up...