carmen, Author at Carmen Albişteanu

10 reasons to choose the Philippines for your next trip

February 13, 2016February 13, 2016 carmen Leave a comment

I just returned from my second trip in the Philippines and I’m thinking about my third. This trip was a bit better than my first time there because we had more time, but also because I already knew what to expect, and this made traveling easier.

You may be thinking about the Philippines as an exotic country with beautiful beaches where there’s not much to do besides taking perfect Instagram photos. Happily, you’re wrong. Travelers who’ve been to more Asian countries say that the Philippines are what Thailand used to be 20 years ago, because it’s less touristic and much of its natural habitats still seem untouched.

If you have questions about traveling in the Philippines, I’m here to help. And to help you appetite for traveling, here are 10 reasons why you should choose the Philippines for your next vacation:

Race report: NYC Marathon 2015

November 17, 2015November 17, 2015 carmen Leave a comment

The following report is written by Antonin Bonnet. He’s french, but he’s been living in New York for five years now. Back in our lesser active days we shared a flat for a while in Bucharest. I asked him to share some details about his experience in case any of you are interested in running the famous NYC Marathon, the biggest in the world, with 50.000 runners at this year’s event.

Although it was his first marathon, Antonin finished it with an awesome time. Looking back, he admits he made some mistakes prior to the race, just like all of us do.

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Ok here is a little report about my marathon. Sorry, but this is honest, not the perfect runner’s story!

Vegetarian stuffed peppers with mushrooms and buckwheat

July 17, 2015July 17, 2015 carmen Leave a comment

A few years ago I used to have a neighbour who, during summer, would start cooking at 6 am to avoid the daytime heat. Since we would sleep with all the doors and windows open, hoping for the faintest breeze, we would wake up smelling her meat stew and her baked aubergines. What a horrible way to wake up at that hour, especially when the fridge was empty.

Summer is not to be spent in the kitchen if you don’t have AC, but when you miss a delicious season dish, it’s worth the sacrifice. And if you can’t stand the heat you can always set the alarm before sunrise for an extrem experience. Just make sure your hangry neighbours don’t line up at your door.

I’ve been thinking for a while about this vegetarian stuffed peppers dish and I adapted it a bit. Instead of the white rice people usually add to the meatless peppers I added buckwheat because it has better carbs. The result is a lighter, lower carb, healthier and at least as delicious version of a traditional recipe.