Dragonboating and T&T Waterfront Night Market

If I were to list the highlights of my summer so far, dragonboating would surely be one of the top in my list.  I once paddled with the Pickering Dragonboating Club and miss being a part of it.  This year, I got the chance to join another crew, The Ronin Warriors. Yesterday was my first regatta for the summer and just like the earlier races I have been in, it was an unbelievable adrenalin rush.  There was a total of 5 races, the last one being the most intimidating, a 2K race. But as you could see in the slideshow, we all survived it quite happily.  It was not that bad at all.  Given another chance, I would paddle another 2K once again.

All day as we waited for each race, I only ate light.  I brought with me fruits and dried cranberries and enjoyed a mango salad from the GWN‘s food booths.  I have once learned that never to eat heavy once on a race.  I thought if I were to survive a 2K race, I’d celebrate later in the night by going to a food event my friend Diona of Kanto told me about.  If I were not too sore, I promised myself I’d indulge at T&T’s Waterfront Night Market.  The promise of a night indulging in Asian street food was a good incentive. Finishing the 2K race, the adrenalin rush was amazing.  I felt a surge of a second wind and it was a push I needed to go to the Night Market.

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Driving near the Night Market grounds, I saw how popular it was.  There was a queue of cars lining up from both directions, going into the parking lots.  As we neared the gates of the event,  a constant swell of people were coming and going.  It would be an understatement to say that this food event was popular.  I just knew I was in for a good time.

For food events like this, it always was best to share it with a friend.  I was with my friend Valerie and we split each thing we bought down to the middle.  That way, you get to indulge with a variety of things without getting full too fast.  It was like a déjà vu squeezing myself through throngs of people to get some food.  It was like being back home in Manila, negotiating your every step as you move sideways to get anywhere.  It was funny how instinctively I could walk my way around.

We lined up for Filipino BBQ skewers, smelly tofu, takoyaki, taiyaki, shrimp on sugar cane and of course indulged on Kanto’s sisig fries, spring rolls and refreshing kalamansi iced tea.  There was so much more I wanted to try, like the freshly shucked oysters, oyster omelette, grilled octopus and some pad thai.  But I know I have no more room to have anything more.  Except for the smelly tofu, Valerie and I finished all of what we bought.  My most favorite of the night was the Kanto’s sisig fries.  I hope my friend makes it a staple at her Kanto booth at Market 707.  I know I must have another serving of that sisig fries again.

As I sat fully sated, I thought about my day.  Two good things in a day and I am so spent and tired.  But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t do it all over again.  I live for days like this where as you try to recover from tiredness, you relish how much joy the day has brought.  To say it was a good day is an understatement. :)

P.S.

Thank you to my fellow crew member, Brenda Engberts for the Ronin Warriors Crew pictures!