Category Archives: travel

Colors of Abe’s Farm by a Newbie in Photography

Posted on by
1

Here is my first venture into the world of photography using only my iPhone as my tool as well as the wonders of photo apps, Instagram and Camera360.  As a newbie, I decided to start with landscape, still life and plants as my subject using only the natural light.  These photos were taken at Abe’s Farm located in Magalang, Pampanga.

You be the judge if I have the inkling and if this could be my possible fallback career…

title: wooden wheel

title: wind chimes

luggage

title: blue stones and a pathway

title: bricks column

title: modern hut

title: violet tips

But then again, Abe’s Farm is such a beautiful place any clear, sharp and on-focus shot you make still ends-up being very nice.

Konti pang praktis!

Cab Drivers of Civilized Baguio

Posted on by
Reply

I like Baguio.  After staying for a long weekend in this city located at the northern part of the Philippines, it made me realize that it is the more civilized version of Manila.

Green parks and beautiful landscapes, limited number of mendicants, rosy pimple-free skins of charming inhabitants, pedestrian-courteous motorists, less congested streets, breathable air, healthy produce, efficient services and a no smoking city with limited cigarette smoking spots were remarkably impressive.  Aside from all these, what really impressed me about Baguio are its cab drivers.

green breathable park of baguio

In wicked Manila, taxi drivers don’t know the concept of “change fund” and almost always never give you the exact change for your payment.  Your change is always rounded off to the next tenth of your fare, i.e. if your fare is worth 72.50 pesos and you handed a 100-peso bill ridiculous drivers would only give you 20 bucks as your change.  Insisting that you have been short-changed and demanding for the remaining change is like inviting hostilities and luring dangerous confrontations.  They would usually justify in an unfriendly douchebag manner that they don’t have smaller bills or loose change to fulfill your demand.

Stumbling upon a Manila cab driver who is nice and runs a spotless vehicle and will give you all your change is like finding a little miracle in itself in this city.  I don’t require cab drivers to smile or converse with me while traversing the streets of the metro, giving me my exact change is all that I need.

But in Baguio civilized, honest, fair and courteous cab drivers abound.  It was so surprising that these drivers issue the exact change.  I actually thought I was vacationing in a very civilized first world country when I counted the exact change handed to me by the driver.  This may be too trifling for something to be amazed about, but for me after having been subjected to a galaxy of horrors by Manila cab drivers, such character is something to smile and acclaim about.

These drivers are one of the first inhabitants that a tourist would encounter in Baguio and usually the last ones to be engaged with when leaving the city.  No doubt, these motorists gave me a good impression about the City of Pines.

Hoy sukli ko?!

Authentic Caviteño Dishes

Posted on by
4

According to an article in Bites on Today, Andrew Zimmern predicts that come 2014 Filipino food is the next big thing in America.  While we wait for this prediction to finally be realized let me inform all those who will have the chance to come across this blog that an authentic and heavenly set of Filipino cuisine does exist in Cavite City.

Last Wednesday I had the awesome opportunity to dine and try out a number of delightfully genuine Caviteño dishes served in Asiong’s Carinderia.  Located at 719 P Paterno Street, Caridad, Cavite City, Asiong’s serves Filipino dishes that I have never seen nor tasted before.

I never claimed to be the last arbiter of Filipino food but the following notable Caviteño dishes can exclusively (I suppose) be found in Asiong’s:

  • Pancit Pusit (vermicelli noodles cooked in squid ink and squid meat topped with crunchy chopped fresh kamias fruit),
  • Asiong’s version of Kilawin (shredded fish meats with julienne cut green papaya and shredded cabbage soaked in strong vinegar sauce),
  • Asiong’s version of Inihaw na Bangus Binusog (grilled stuffed boneless milkfish whose surprising stuffing includes salted eggs, chopped tomatoes, leeks and onions)
  • Bagoong Na Itlog Ng Isda (fish roe in palm or olive oil which I suppose is Cavite’s answer to caviar cultivated in the Caspian Sea, which is best eaten when mixed into a bunch of hot cooked rice)
  • Adobong Pula (a Filipino-style pork stew in reddish brown sauce – which I failed to ask what was placed to turn the sauce reddish)
  • Tamarind Halaya (sioupy tamarind jam with milk, best eaten as a topping for vanilla ice cream),
  • Leche Flan (a rich all egg yolk crème caramel, I think with fresh pandan extracts – a tropical plant’s leaves widely used in Southeast Asia as flavoring)

All these divine dishes were washed down into my tummy by drinking a refreshing Asiong’s version of lemonade (a mixed juice containing fresh lemon and Filipino tropical fruit called kamias with organic extracts of moringa and lemon grass).

After dining and while my tastes buds were still clapping and shouting “Bravo!” I had the rare opportunity to talk to the owner Sonny Lua.  I asked him how he was able to concoct and formulate simple native ingredients into grand flavors of dishes.  He simply told me that the recipes actually came from his mom and grandmother.  He said that when he was still a child his “tambayan” (a usual place to hang and loiter around their house) was his grandmother’s kitchen.  He was never thought how to cook but by merely observing and trying to recall how he witnessed his mom and grandmother’s way of cooking he was able to reconstruct all these beautiful Filipino dishes.  He also professed that his grandmother was a great cook and frequently prepare these dishes for she was often invited to cook in various banquet functions (weddings, birthdays, fiesta celebrations, etc.) around Cavite City in the olden days.

Ang dila ko ay gustong tubuan ng kamay dahil gusto nitong pumalakpak sa sarap!

Possessed by Sisa and Don Tiburcio De Espadaña

Posted on by
Reply

In the novel Noli Me Tangere written by the Philippine National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, two colorful yet secondary characters were Sisa and Don Tiburcio De Espadaña.  The former is a loving mother with sadomasochistic tendencies who turned nuts when her two accused of theft sacristan children, Crispin and Basilio, has vanished and were nowhere to be found.  The latter is an emotionally disturbed, toothless, poorly dressed limping Spaniard who stutters and is often maltreated by his social-climbing wife yet collects exorbitant fees out from his being a quack doctor.

Noli Me Tangere was written in the era when the now preserved mansions and houses now rebuilt in Las Casas Filipinas De Acuzar heritage resort located in Bagac, Bataan flourished.  This is the magnificent resort that I and my travel-buddy Karen spent our weekend.

While exploring the marvelous resort, we found a studio that offers pictorial services in which clients will be photographed wearing traditional Filipino dresses during the 18th and 19th century.  We availed of the photo shoot package and were handed with our respective Filipiniana costumes.

Inside the dressing room it seems that we were possessed and controlled over by the spirits of Sisa and Don Tiburcio De Espadaña that resulted to the following bizarre and wacky images.

No we were not in some serious drugs!

Ano sa Tagalog ang “jumpshot”? 

Las Casas De Filipinas

Posted on by
Reply

It is so far the most magnificent and most historically significant “jigsaw puzzle” I have ever seen in my life!  Who on earth would have the idea of putting together parts of very old, decaying and abandoned heritage houses in one place and create a magnificently beautiful nostalgic paradise?  I guess it is in the person of Jerry Acuzar, a rare soul with lofty ambition, who owns Las Casas Filipinas De Acuzar.

My Las Casas Filipinas De Acuzar adventure, located in Bagac Bataan was like travelling through a time capsule bringing its visitors back to the glorious 18th and 19th century Philippines!!!

At the outset of our visit, I was a skeptic.  I did not believe on the resort’s claim that the buildings were the actual and authentic parts of Filipino Principalia Mansions.  Initially, the “illustrado” fragment of my soul was screaming “Cinverguenza! Punyatera! No way will Jerry Acuzar be able to transfer, rebuild and restore such old houses?!”

But when I and Karen went out of the resort to buy a pack of cigarette from a nearby construction workers’ carinderia (eatery and mini-store), we passed-by multiple decks of old stone bricks, voluminous timeworn planks of wood as well as various antiquated hard-wood house-posts lying on the ground.  Those materials were obviously salvaged from an old house somewhere in this country.  That was the moment I believed and confirmed that those massive mansions inside the resort were no-doubt authentic.

Let me then offer an honorable salute and a big standing ovation to Mr. Acuzar for such a rare feat, ingenuity and craftsmanship!

Kakaiba! Cinverguenza sa ganda!

Pussy of Namba Parks

Posted on by
Reply

On our way to Namba Parks shopping complex in Osaka, me, my sister Joecel and my niece Erika passed by a store named Kiki.  “Kiki” being a word that means vagina in Tagalog – out of fun – took the opportunity to take a photo with the store’s banner.  Don’t be too assuming on what the store sells, because when I checked they sell ladies’ ready-to-wear clothes!

After marveling on the aesthetic architectural sensation of the building’s park and garden rooftop and had a huge hamburger snack inside the mall (a delicious break from all the Japanese meals we had and will be having), we decided to head back to Erika’s house.  However, the three of us had some difficulty figuring out the correct exit door so as to have a short walk from Namba Parks to Erika’s apartment.

With nervousness starting to build up inside me (being in a country where the English language is seldom spoken by the locals), I was reminded that we passed through the Kiki store.  Out of tenseness and uncontrollable edginess, I told Erika that we should look for the “puke” (the blunt and vulgar Filipino way of saying the word vagina).  Still confused, I reminded Joecel and Erika that “we earlier pass through the pussy of the mall!”

When we found the Kiki store… I was relieved.  We happily headed back at my nephew and niece’s apartment.

Pag nerbyusin ka din, kung ano-ano din naman ang nasasabi mo ‘di ba? 

Sakura in Osaka

Posted on by
5

Late in the afternoon on our way to Super Tamade, a local store in Sennichimae Dori in Osaka to buy food stuffs to be cooked for dinner, I asked my nephew Denden if Japanese people are still amazed with and still looks forward to Sakura (the blooming of cherry blossoms).  Since it is a yearly phenomenon, I supposed people in Japan must have been so used to it.  I supposed that it was just like an ordinary occurrence in Japan similar to the blooming of bonggambilya or kalachuchi flowers in the Philippines.  It’s nothing to celebrate about.  However, he replied, “Definitely Tito, because autumn is such a gloomy cruel season.  It is so depressingly dull it makes people feeling down and heavy.”

After our first night, walking along the streets of Osaka in the morning, I was a little disappointed because I can actually count few trees whose flowers has bloomed.  Majority of the trees were just brittle branches with dark buds and whose leaves have totally fallen off during the autumn season.  Erika, my niece who’s also based in Japan told me that we arrived too early and should have scheduled our stay in Osaka on the latter days of April to witness the amazing flowers.

On our sixth and seventh day of staying in Osaka we went to Kyoto and Nara, I noticed that only few trees has bloomed with cherry blossoms flowers.  I started to feel the depressing dullness of winter.  I already set in my mind that I need to be back in Osaka some other time and make sure that those days will be the time when cherry blossoms are on its best.  I told myself that the trip in Osaka, Japan could have been more perfect if the cherry blossoms are in full glow.  The Osaka trip could have been like tasting the greatest cake in the world but without the cherry on the top.

On the day prior to our flight back to Manila, my family’s itinerary is to go and visit the Osaka Castle.  I was looking forward to seeing one of the most famous castles in Japan that played a great role in the unification of its people during the sixteenth century but has set my mind that only few cherry blossoms in the area has bloomed.

But when we were about 200 to 300 meters away from the yard vicinity of the great castle, I saw that the color of the trees were strangely different.  I started to feel lighter and a little delighted.  And as we moved in closer, swarms of people – young and old – started to walk in the same direction that we were heading.  I was very glad and very happy because everybody were all heading towards the immense occurrence of Sakura!

 

Denden was all along correct!  Sakura elicits a cheerful feeling pointed towards the core of someone’s heart.  Witnessing the Sakura on the last day of our stay was just like putting the freshest cherry on top of a cake, it was like seeing the Reigna Elena and Reigna Emperatriz combined of the Pinoy Santacruzan, it was like hearing the last yet the greatest hit song of a singer during a phenomenal concert, it was like the highlight of the highlight!

 Grabe! Ang ganda!

Hey Japan, I’m A Fan

Posted on by
2

It’s official.  I’m a fan of Japan!

The anime-ish hairstyles; the remarkable efficiency; the tranquility of the intricate subway trains; the quietness of train stations despite presence of swarms of people; the matchless technology yet preserved rich culture and heritage; and the unrivaled fashion.

a calm train station in Osaka

covered street in Namba

Kinkakuji, the temple of the Golden Pavilion in Kyoto

The cute Japanese school uniforms; the efficient weather bureau; the smart looking young office workers dodging on thick manga books; the melodic language; the fine art of Kanji;  the people’s civility, honesty and good manners; and the remarkable cleanliness and ecologically aware streets.

one of the colorful stores in dotonbori

an afternoon walk at dotonbori (nengkoy in white pants)

Don Quixote - a famous landmark in Osaka

wet market in osaka

The wet-less wet market; the people’s courteousness in using the escalator; the ladies’ fake eyelashes, wigs and fingernails; the composure of geishas; the blushed cheeks of cute little children; the aesthetic splendor and freshness of dishes; the serene temples; the wide roads with long tunnels penetrating the mountains; the wonderful cherry blossoms; and the Nissin Chicken Ramen TV commercial I posted below which caught my full attention while I was lazing at the hotel in Osaka.

geishas in kyoto

Todaiji (the Great Eastern Temple) in Nara

my nephew Den Den with cherry blossoms and Osaka Castle in the background (i love this shot!)

 No doubt Japan is all very Zen.  I am so impressed with Japan I sometimes wish I were Japanese.  I could die happy even if I died because of a tsunami as long as in my next life I will be a “delicious” Japanese.  But I guess the Japanese themselves wish they were something else.

Hay nako walang duda… Da gras is griner in Japan.    

Eating Art

Posted on by
Reply

May it be pieces of priceless art found in the famous museums, unique chunks of architecture or praiseworthy monuments my usual tour out of the country always includes finding good or amazing pieces of art of the place I visit.

But in Japan, pieces of admirable art can be found right on the dining table.  Japanese people I suppose have the liking and inclination of utilizing first their sense of sight when dining prior to using their senses of smell and taste when consuming a meal.  I know that culinary craftsmanship is a creation meant to communicate and appeal to the taste buds but chefs here in Japan seem to put so much effort in details of food arrangements in their repertoire. Aside from being so yummy, I adore the aesthetically beautiful food presentation!!!

Walking through the streets of Osaka, I found various food presentations that are not only a banquet for someone’s palate but a feast for the eyes as well.  There are moments when I would not want to take a bite of the food I ordered but instead wish to preserve it and have it donated to a local museum for others to see and appreciate.  Dining in Japan is just like eating pieces of art.

classic japanese food

 

egg soup with shrimp & mushroom

 

green tea cake

this Mister Donut sign board is so cute I want it printed on my shirt

i love their window displays... truly mouthwatering...

the japanese versions of "espasol" with various fillings

"burrrrppp"

Busog pati mata mo!

Instant Ramen Overload

Posted on by
1

One of the exciting places me and my family visited is the Instant Ramen Museum in Ikeda City, Osaka, Japan.  The instant digestive solution of the hungry may it be a quick emergency snack, a late-evening nibble or after hunting for giant dinosaurs an emergency meal instant noodle no doubt has become indispensable in our daily lives.

Momofuku Ando was the Japanese dude responsible in the invention of the instant noodles right after the World War II on the time when Japan was a literally hungry.  The museum showcased various features starting from the humble beginnings of how ramen was invented, how it was mass produced and was even one of the vital elements in the history of Japanese space exploration through the sustenance of its astronauts.

The most fun part was when we were all given the opportunity to design our own Nissin cups and got to choose four flavors that will be added in our noodles to have it truly personalized. Love it!

neil "delicious"

left most cup is nengkoy's cup

inside the noodle tunnel

Dapat sa Pinas meron ding ganito, Da Suman Myusiyum!