Flowers Feed The Soul

Posted on March 16, 2013 by heavenliner

There is a rare inspiring feeling when gazing upon the features of a flower. It is something that is not tangible and very difficult to explain. Flowers are beautiful creations that link us to the miracles of nature.

I don’t now but for me there is always something magical about the world of flowers. Flowers somehow fades or reduces the stresses and concerns of everyday life. It can actually feed your soul and make you incredibly alive, aware and totally animated.

So if you have the rare opportunity to see and smell the flowers, do it. Enjoy the experience before nature is engulfed in flames due to global warming and the upcoming end of days.

Using merely my cellphone’s camera, photos of this post were photographed when I had the opportunity to stay overnight at the beautiful and tranquil Sonya’s Garden located in Alfonso, Cavite.

Bulaklak sa banga! Pasok sa banga! Ang ganda no?

Harrison Plaza

Posted on January 27, 2013 by heavenliner

The Philippines boasts of its humongous shopping malls. Two of the biggest in the world can actually be found here (SM North Edsa and SM Mall of Asia). But there’s one mall I grew up going to. It’s Harrison Plaza. Growing up, this has been my family’s mall of choice during the 70s and 80s because of its accessibility since it is simply just at the borders of Pasay and Manila cities.

I am writing about this mall because I happen to bumped into a photo of how glorious Harrison Plaza was in the 70’s…

harrison plaza during the ’70s

This one-stop retail center is the first shopping mall in the country. It opened in 1976 and up until now is very much operational. Though it obviously needs some serious refurbishing to bring back its glory, Harrison Plaza is actually even older than the world’s worst airport NAIA Terminal 1 by 6 years.

harrison plaza today

Obviously, time has changed. It is no longer the mall of choice by the Filipinos. But going to Harrison Plaza does not entail and pressure a person to primp and gussy up (like when you would go to Rockwell, Greenbelt or Resorts World). You can simply go sporting your casual house clothes.

It is no longer the mall of the well-heeled and A-listers. Yet being so near to one of the Ivy-League-like universities of the land (De La Salle University), Harrison Plaza for sure has been visited at least once by these privileged souls. I suppose this is one place every Green Archer can’t inevitably get rid of during his fun yet busy college life – may it be a simple need for a cellphone fix, a school requirement purchase, a cheap lunch or a societal immersion to a lower to middle class bracket of the population.

Now that I am living 3 minutes away from Harrison Plaza, this mall has been my most convenient place in resolving my addiction to rash and unnecessary purchasing binges otherwise known as “shopping”.

Bakit walang estatwa o rebulto si Francis Burton Harrison sa mol na ‘to?

Japanese Shower Room Boots

Posted on January 13, 2013 by heavenliner

Prior to Christmas I promised myself that I would blog about all the gifts and presents I received. But I guess that would now be next to impossible because thankfully I was able to receive quite a ton of it. Writing each and every item I received would be too much for a task. For sure readers would get bored to dullness.

But last Christmas – receiving presents from a simple picture frame to lavish high tech gadget – there is one item I can’t resist writing about. It’s about the Japanese Shower Room Boots.

a unique christmas gift from denden… my own japanese shower room boots!

My nephew Den Den gave it to me after noticing that I have been so insanely fascinated by these boots. The first time I saw these type of footwear was during the first night of my family’s stay in a hotel at Osaka, Japan last year. I was so transfixed because we don’t have those in the Philippines.

my outrageous fashion statement! LOL

The first pair I saw (inside the hotel shower room) was plain white in color. I thought it was some sort of a plastic arinola (piss potty). But when I figured it out, I tried it on, laughed out loud and pondered if I can kick-off a fashion trend in Manila.

I think the purpose of these boots aside from keeping yourself from slipping on the floor tiles while doing your shower is to prevent the soles of your feet from touching the frigidly cold stone tiles of the shower room (especially during winter).

Though it will be silly to wear those here in Manila, these slippers will be an awesome keepsake on how I turned bonkers when I first encountered it. Until this plastic shower shoes becomes a fashion craze, it will for now be kept inside my treasure chest.

For the meantime, my feet will have to settle on the comfort of my indoor slippers which by the way is also Japanese branded.

my super comfy Muji indoor slippers

Sana ma-uso! LOL

My Country In 2 Minutes And 42 Seconds

Posted on October 1, 2012 by heavenliner

This post is not intended for my fellow Filipinos. This is for those living a life outside the Philippines. My country’s target this year is to hit the 4.5 million foreign tourists this year.

Have you been part of these fortunate inhabitants of this planet this year? If not, watch this and decide if you wish to be part of that 4.5 million souls living outside of my fun country. Watch this so that you can simply decide why you being a foreign tourist must come to the Philippines…

Also, if you’ve not been here this year, you still have roughly 90 days to be here and enjoy the smell, the tastes and the sights and sounds of my country. See you here…

Eksayting!

Weiner in Melaka

Posted on September 17, 2012 by heavenliner

Early this year when I was at Osaka in Japan, I found pussy in Namba Parks (press this LINK if you wish to read this hilarious post). Last week during a long weekend in Malaysia, I found a weiner in Melaka.

Titi is a Tagalog word when translated in English would mean a man’s love-stick, prick, or pecker. For a nicer and more appropriate label it is the male genitalia.

While passing through one narrow street inside Chinatown in Melaka, I and my colleagues noticed the signage of Titi Art Gallery. Without hesitation we mindlessly took a photo of it. It was for us hilarious and was actually laughing out loud wondering what interesting pieces of art could be inside.

Initially, I thought the gallery would feature the “helmeted yogurt slinger” in various artistic media. But of course I am wrong because the gallery sells gorgeous drawings and paintings. The reputed art works were even hailed and endorsed by UNESCO as indicated in one of its posters.

The gallery’s owner was the one who welcomed us and instinctively guessed that we were Filipinos simply because of our laughter. He said that he knew we were Filipinos because his gallery receives the same reception and reaction from Filipino tourists in Melaka from the past. He was nevertheless gentle and accommodating enough to explain that “titi” in Chinese means little or younger brother and when translated in Malay language would mean a small bridge.

The paintings and drawings were actually stunning but it was a bit pricey for our budget so we simply say thanks and bid goodbye to the gallery’s owner.

But since my brain’s dendrites were functioning very well after a cup of coffee from a nearby shop, I realized that the Chinese and Malay translation for titi is basically close to that of Tagalog. Why? It is because a lot of androcentric jocks consider their pecker as their little brother. Also, a man’s joystick when interloped inside a love-hole would be the small bridge where the huge army of seeds or jellyfishes will have to cross so as to create a human being. Thus, Tagalog, Chinese and Malay’s definition of titi is fundamentally the same.

In peyrnes, di madulas sa tindahan ni manong!

Photos of Malaysia

Posted on September 16, 2012 by heavenliner

Today is Malaysia Day. Let me commemorate this day by posting few and selected photos I shot while I was in Malaysia last week (and were enhanced using Instagram and Photo360 apps). This is my second venture into the world of photography…

title: malaysian-chinese temple

title: merdeka

title: petronas

Maleysha, Truli Eysha…

Ceramic Tile Painting in Melaka

Posted on September 14, 2012 by heavenliner

mr. ho, the ceramic tile painter

Along Temple Street in Melaka, Malaysia there sits a long-haired Chinese-Malay looking man who introduced himself as Mr. Ho. He seems to enjoy smoking cigar from a classic looking wooden pipe during what seem to be a lazy afternoon in Melaka. While smoking from his pipe, he paints on ceramic tiles that depict colorful mini-replicas of antique European china as well as artistic facades of mansions and colonial buildings found in Melaka.

Looking through the walls of his artworks inside his gallery I was bitten by an artistic bug. I was easily mesmerized by the colors, artistry and intricacy of his work. It was like an out of body experience. Though with a limited budget, I purchased myself one of his works mounted inside a stylish wooden frame.

inside mr. ho’s gallery

my purchase, entitled: “melakan malay courtyard”

a closer look

the written description at the back of the frame

Mr. Ho was courteous enough to allow me to take his photo while he does his painting on one of his ceramic tiles. Good thing though, I asked for his name because when I stepped out of his shop there was no signage to fully document this artistic experience.

Ma-pintahan nga ang mga tayls sa banyo!

Dress Code in Heaven?

Posted on September 13, 2012 by heavenliner

Resorts World Casino at Genting Highlands in Malaysia refused to accept fashionably dressed people in their establishment. I was in my premium Japanese-branded spring/summer ensemble – three-fourths cut sleeved plaid shirt matched with rust-colored twill shorts, trendy almond-toed gray loafers and of course premium branded underwear – all in extra fine cotton fabric when I was refused entry.

The security at the entrance door refused me entry because according to him I was in shorts cut above the knee. While being reprimanded, I wanted to answer back the uncouth obsolescent security officer that shorts cut below the knee are sooo ‘90s! The security officer and the Genting Highlands management in itself do not realize that the cost of my chic and trendy shorts would probably be more expensive than the gown worn by the lady who entered before me at their starting-to-dilapidate entrance hall.

Too bad, Genting Casino refused me entry simply because of my chichi-looking shorts when in fact I was all ready to splurge millions of ringgits in their establishment which in a way can help rehabilitate their somewhat old and outmoded facilities. Instead, me and my colleagues settled for the nearby Starbucks.

inside the church in kuala lumpur

Later in the afternoon, I joined my colleagues’ plan to hear the Holy Mass celebrated in one of the few Catholic churches in Kuala Lumpur. I was hesitant to join at first because I might also be refused entry because I was still in my chic fashionable shorts. I thought that if hell (the casino) can refuse me entry it is by all means that heaven (church) would definitely not allow me in.

But while making my way under the roof of heaven here on earth no one frisked or stopped me. And when I was regenerated by prayers and while stepping out of the church, I realized that heaven is truly more fashionable than hell.

Kaya mag-shorts kung plano mo ng mamatay.

Vogue-ing Baguio: The Potential Fashion Capital of the Philippines

Posted on September 2, 2012 by heavenliner

i can never wear this ensemble in manila

I always believe that fashion is governed by the temperature. People for sure dress up differently when they go up to Baguio. It’s a strange thing that happens unconsciously. You can’t just pack a simple shirt, singlet, shorts and jeans when going up to spend a day or two in Baguio. That is why for me cool breezy Baguio City has the full potential to become the fashion capital of the Philippines.

People in the Pine City can wear lots of layers, lots of dark or neutral colored fabrics and lots of accessories to go with it. Baguio can have warm sunny days from March to July and very cold weather from August until the end of February which means it is but logical to see true shifts in wardrobe throughout the year.

In Manila or other places in the Philippines that has invariable temperature donning in a trench coat or wrapping your neck with a scarf would simply be laughable. When a lady feels cold in Manila, which is never an outdoor occurrence but usually inside a cinema, a mall or a hotel, she would simply wrap herself with a shawl or ask somebody to adjust the aircon. But in Baguio, when it’s cold outside you would have to have chic overcoats, trendy scarves, stylish knitted hats and even fashionable knee-high leather boots. Thus, you could simply play dress up!

Too bad, only few Baguio inhabitants seem to have embraced the idea that their place can be the true fashion capital of this country because of the climate. They are so drawn with Manila-fashion they do not realize that they can actually improvise and vogue-up the Pinoy fashion which could flicker worldwide fad, craze and attention.

Yeah, living in Manila looks good but staying in Baguio feels good. If Baguio is a drink, it is a Martini while Manila is an Iced Tea. When it comes to fashion, Manila is the Los Angeles of the Philippines but Baguio can be its New York.

Hoy Baguio gising!

Bus Movies

Posted on August 30, 2012 by heavenliner

On a long journey via bus what do you usually do? Are you the type who would bring tons of salty chips to nibble? Are you the forty winks aficionado? Are you the bus’ bookworm? Are you the creature who would simply gaze outside the window? Or are you the beast who would drain your battery’s digital gizmo?

Very long travels by bus could be very daunting. That is why a lot of bus companies try to be innovative by introducing various facilities available inside these massive roadsters – free WiFi; cool drinks and sandwiches for sale; air conditioning; toilet facility; shock-proof LCD flat screen TV with DVD player; reclining chairs, etc. These add-on features aims to further enhance passenger’s comfort over a lengthy journey.

I have been to two long journeys via transit buses in the past week (first was an 8-hour journey to Baguio and just the other day was the two-and-a-half-hour travel to Magalang, Pampanga). Adding up all the hours I spent inside the bus on a round-trip-basis would be a total of 21 hours.

While inside those buses, I was all the types I inquired above. But what I noticed every time a movie will have to be played on TV inside a Filipino bus, the film has to be a Hollywood movie. I will not rant about the pirated DVD being used by these bus companies but instead the type of movie being shown.

I guess it would have been better and my focus would have been more stuck on TV if the movie being shown were the black and white 50’s and 60’s Filipino film that were shown in the pinalakang tabing (silver screen). The time spent inside the bus could have been more pleasant and comforting seeing the young and stunning Gloria Romero, the then skinny Dolphy and plump Panchito and Dely Atay-atayan, the bubbly Rosemarie Sonora, debonair Mario Montenegro as well as suave Rogelio Dela Rosa or Diomedes Maturan. The Pinoy film to be shown would be at its best if, of course, the contrabida (villain) would be the wicked Bella Flores.

Further to this suggestion, it would be best if contemporary Filipino short indie films would be featured in between these classic full length movies. This I guess would be one great vehicle for the unrecognized and undistributed yet artistic short indie films gain wider viewership.

If this fantasy would turn out to become a reality in the future, this would improve and further bind Pinoy cultural cohesiveness. It presents the Pinoy film heritage and at the same time makes the riding public aware of the richness of the prevailing film industry.

Spending bus hours on the road could have been more comfortable and enjoyable!

Ang Tagalog ng bas ay bus.

Nengkoy

ruminations & travesties of the favorite yet naughty son of Nengkoy

Category Archives: travel