We were informed by Avel and Orman that our group was invited to have lunch with their good friend, Francis Sablon of Zion Travel. Francis, we were told, was waiting for us in Tupi. I didn’t ask where exactly in Tupi we were heading, because my visits to GenSan taught me this:  The Manansala siblings like to surprise their guests.  And the surprises are part and parcel of the whole GenSan experience.

Lunch with Zion Travel's Francis Sablon (photo by Lyle R. Santos)

So when we got to Nadies Chicken Hauz in Tupi, South Cotabato, I was nearly bouncing off my seat in excitement.  Why wouldn’t I be?  I LOVE grilled chicken and I have heard so much about Nadies Chicken Hauz’ popular chicken barbecue!

I don’t know how the owners of Nadies Chicken Hauz do it but in my book, they serve the most succulent and best-tasting chicken I have ever tried. The secret must be in the grilling technique or in the annatto seeds in the marinade that they use. Needless to say,   I enjoyed lunch so much that day.  I swear  I have never consumed that many grilled chicken parts in my whole life before.

Best-tasting grilled chicken in an unassuming setting!

Francis Sablon knows SOCSKSARGEN like the back of his hand so he brought us to Blooming Petals, a cut-flower plantation in Cebuano, Tupi.   Blooming Petals is one of the stops included in Zion Travel’s Ancient South Tour Package and Francis is doing a great job in helping promote Tupi’s vast flower plantations.

Chrysanthemums in full bloom: Flowers of happiness... (photo by Chattee Lara)

After Blooming Petals, we went to Brgy. Sarabia (Bo. 8), Koronadal City for Apareja’s Buko Halo-Halo.  The  place was packed when we got there so it took a while before our orders were served.

But it was well worth the wait because  nothing beats cooling oneself  on a sweltering hot afternoon with buko halo-halo made only with the freshest ingredients!  And like a salve to our parched throats, Apareja’s buko halo-halo refreshed us for the rest of the day’s activities.  I have tried buko halo-halo lots of times before but none of it came close to this one.

The perfect antidote to the scorching heat... (photo by Lyle R. Santos)

After that day tour to Tupi and Koronadal, we went back to GenSan to meet Ria.  She wasn’t able to join us earlier so we bombarded her with stories about how fun and enjoyable the day was for us.  We had a few hours to spend before dinner so we stayed at BluGre- Robinson’s Place to have coffee and attend to some online tasks.

Next, we went to Ice Crops Express- still at Robinson’s Place GenSan, upon Orman’s invitation.  There, my companions feasted on Ice Crops’ cheesy bacon melt with gusto. I wasn’t exactly hungry but the cheesy bacon melt looked so appetizing that watching my friends dig into their share made me want some of it, no… make that ALL OF IT!

Too bad I can't have bacon this year...*sniff* (photo by Lyle R. Santos)

I had some of the fluffy, gawd-it-tastes -so-good bun, cheese, and mushrooms.  My innards certainly clamored  for some of the meat.  And my stomach growled…Baaaccooon! Baaaccoon! but willpower managed to win me over.  Still, I chastised myself mentally for declaring 2010 a No Beef, No Pork year.

My body is nowhere near sending me real hunger signals yet when it was time to leave to have dinner at  O-ohlang Fishing Resto Seafoods and Grill.  There, we met our hosts Baby and Paris Ayon and Sam Akutsu.

O-oh Lang Fishing Resto: Serving the best seafood is their business (photo by Lyle R. Santos)

O-oh Lang Fishing Resto Seafoods and Grill is a Filipino restaurant located within NCCC Compound, National Highway, General Santos City.  The restaurant’s specializes in seafood-based dishes so diners will surely love their Karagatan Soup, Seafood Casserole, Nilasing na Olang, Steam Kuracha with Garlic, and Pinaputok na Hipon just as we had.  I personally loved their Seafood Casserole and of course, their signature milkshakes.

The exotic kuracha, made even more flavorful by O-oh Lang's special recipe... (photo by Lyle R. Santos)

Seafood Casserole: Guaranteed to please even the most picky!

After thanking our gracious hosts for the scrumptious dinner, we went back to Robinson’s Place GenSan for our post-dinner dose coffee and WiFi at Coffee Club 101- Robinson’s Place GenSan.   Coffee Club 101 is by far one of the most tastefully-decorated coffee shops I’ve been to.  And considering that this one is housed within a mall, the place is spacious!  Coffee Club 101 is truly a combination of quality service, comfort, and style.

While we were there, Lyle and Avel worked on some tech stuff for Avel’s blog while us girls opted to make the most out of the coffee shop’s wonderfully-lit interiors.  Dulce played photographer for the night while I, along with Chattee and Ria, were the very willing models.

Excuse the asian poses, because we can be quite outrageous when we're in GenSan...lols (photo by Chattee Lara)

If I haven’t been blogging or plurking much lately, it is because I was in General Santos City  for the city’s Kalilangan Festival.  The festival is a celebration of  General Santos’ 71st Founding Anniversary and this year’s theme is Honoring the Past. Understanding the Present.  Embracing the Future.

I was also there during the Tuna Festival last year and its grandeur was breathtaking.  And knowing first-hand that the Generals celebrate their festivals with much aplomb, I immediately said yes when our small group of Davao Bloggers was invited by Orman Manansala, the Kalilangan Festival Director, to participate in the event.

We left Davao City around 7:30 am of February 24 and arrived in GenSan before noon on the same day.  We got off at Robinson’s Place for a quick lunch at Giacomino’s Pizza with Avel and Orman .  I am a big fan of Giacomino’s so I conveniently forgot about my diet and enjoyed my chicken and pasta meal with gusto!

After lunch, our group hied off to Family Country Hotel to freshen up and rest a bit before that afternoon’s event.  I must say that the de luxe rooms we were assigned to were definitely spacious and clean and comes with the best amenities.

I, along with Angel and Lyle, were invited to sit as judges in the Lakan at Lakambini ng Kalilangan Pageant Night. Since the Pageant night required us to look our best, Angel and I made a quick trip to Envy Me Salon at Robinson’s  to have our hair and make-up done professionally.  The salon’s top hairdresser and make-up artist finished mine in a record 30  minutes so our group arrived at the pageant venue just in time.

This blogger, post-Envy Me Salon....nukzzz! (photo by Chattee Lara)

Choosing the rightful winners among the 22 pageant hopefuls was no easy feat.  Taking my judging task seriously, I took into consideration the contestant’s appearance, pose and projection, and intelligence.  I expected that only the cream of the crop will emerge as winners that night and thankfully, the very deserving Caroline Lim and Gevic Romero were crowned Lakan at Lakambini ng Kalilangan 2010.

Lakan at Lakambini 2010 Winners (photo by Orman Manansala)

After the Lakan at Lakambini Pageant, we went to the Oval Plaza to watch the Bb. Gandang Hari Pageant where we ooohed and aaahed at the contestant’s beauty and poise.  And if I thought I was prettier than usual that night, my self-esteem took a major beating when I saw  most of the contestants, especially Contestant #9, because she is more womanly than I’ll ever be! Lolsss….

Yes, sweetie, life is unfair! (photo by Lyle Santos)

Dinner that evening was at Piyesta KTV and RestoBar with Orman, Avel, Donna, Emman, Marzz, Romarie, Chattee, Dulce, Ria, Angel, Lyle, Mandi, and the contestants of the Lakan at Lakambini pageant.  We truly enjoyed the Piyesta spread Donna and Emman prepared for us, and as usual, I had a sashimi platter all to myself. :p

Dinner at Piyesta (photo by Chattee Lara)

Kring Elenzano, blogosphere’s FunnySexy, was in town and her very good friend Ria Jose asked us Avatar peeps if we could assist Kring in taping an episode of Flippish’s Who Dares Kring?

Lifestyle Columnist Meets TV Director: Ria Jose with Kring Elenzano

Not wanting to be left out of the fun and excitement, I made sure I was available that day.  Kring  had to do something adventurous and uniquely Davao for her show so I was really, really excited.

We started our day with lunch at Lachi’s Sans Rival Atbp.  Why Lachi’s? Well, a trip to Davao is never really complete without indulging in Lachi’s bestsellers.  Some of my companions had Unforgettable Pork Ribs and Pork Marinara while I had Breaded Tofu with Teriyaki Sauce.  And dieting or not, all of us had a slice or two of Lachi’s decadent pastries.

We dared Kring to go globe-riding at the Zorb Park and brave the zipline at Zip City.  And thanks to Ria Jose’s magic wand and Mr. Sonny Dizon’s generosity, we were also able to share the experience with her.

So after lunch, we hied off to the Zorb Park.  It was my first time to see a Zorb and since getting into the double-sectioned orb didn’t look the least bit scary, I really wanted to try it out.  Imagine a hamster inside a hamster ball, only that you are the hamster and the ball is huge.  Not scary at all, eh?

Like Hamsters in a Hamster ball: Kring and Ria before the screaming....

Kring and Ria were our hamsters-cum-guinea pigs. And hearing them scream their lungs out as the Zorb rolled down the man-made slope made me have second thoughts about Zorbing.  Andrew, my Zorb buddy, may have had second thoughts, too, if our conversations as we trudged  up the slope went this way:

And so I trusted my life to the staff of Zorb Park and allowed myself to be harnessed in place.  To lessen my anxiety, I just told myself that I really wanted to do this ever since I saw Jackie Chan in a similar-looking ball in his movie Operation Condor.

Still thinking of backing out as I was harnessed in place...

My Zorbing experience lasted less than a minute but it was a lot of fun.  It’s not as scary as I thought it would be and I was laughing and totally enjoyed every second of it.  I would gladly go Zorbing again, and down a higher slope this time. Lolsss.

After thanking the staff of Zorb Park, we proceeded to Zip City.  Kring has never tried ziplining before and so it is a dare she was willing to take for her online show.  Carefully harnessed, Kring made the most out of her aerial ropeslide by taking a video to document her awesome experience.  Watch her video of the Davao episode of Who Dares Kring? here.

The Avatar Team, with the exception of Ria, also went ziplining.  It’s my second time to go ziplining but I am Nervous Nelly in disguise so I was very nervous when my turn came.  No, in truth, I was scared shitless when my turn came but I did it anyway.  :-)

FunnySexy goes zip...zip...and away!

The Meralco Poster Girl before the aerial ropeslide...

Nervous Nelly Tip No. 1: Do the Asian Pose mid-air...

It has been a month since that awesome afternoon but I still smile whenever I remember how much fun we had.  It was an exhilarating experience and  it really pays to do something outrageous once in a while.

Again, I feel so lucky because I am from Davao City so I don’t really have to travel far to try out good food or do something fun and adventurous.  To Mike Aviles and the staff of Lachi’s Sans Rival Atbp,  and to Mr. Sonny Dizon and the staff of Zorb Park and Zip City, thank you very much for accommodating us.

For more information on Zip City and Zorb Park, you may contact  (+6382) 282-2339, 286-1055, 271-2626 or +6323-6586049 or visit  Adventure Exchange at Robinson’s Cybergate on JP Laurel Avenue.

Thanks to Lyle Santos and Chattee Lara for the images used in this post.

At Piyesta KTV & Resto Bar, manager Donna Mae Congson made sure that we were given the best of the restaurant’s menu offerings.  During the sumptuous feast, I especially liked the kura-stick, sashimi, spicy gambas , and native tinolang manok.  My friends were also treated to Piyesta’s jello shots  and judging from their feedbacks, the signature drink will soon become one of the resto bar’s bestsellers.

Piyesta's Kura-stick: Spicy but not overly so...

We really had fun at Piyesta– the good food, relaxing ambiance, and excellent service makes it the perfect place to unwind.  I guess we were enjoying ourselves too much because it was already very late when we decided to call it a night.

*****

For that overnight stay in General Santos, we stayed at Dolores Hotel, one of the city’s business hotels.  I have stayed at Dolores Hotel before and my stay at the hotel is more than satisfactory.  The rates are very affordable, the rooms spacious, and the staff courteous.  It is also a major plus that the hotel has round-the-clock WiFi connection.  Seriously, what more can a blogger ask for?

****

The next day, lunch was at the Mansyon de Manansala. There, we were joined by bloggers Rabsky and Alexis. Well, to call it “lunch” is an understatement.  Because, in reality, it was a feast which was prepared before us at the Manansala home.  Honestly, I was speechless when I saw the food due to 2 reasons:  1.) I was truly touched knowing that Orman and Avel’s family prepared the food for us, and 2.)  My salivary glands spasmed at the sight of the glorious stimulus.

Pollo Frito ala Manansala: Comfort food from a loving home...

After the wonderful meal, all of us went up to Orman’s lair so that Lyle and Avel can work on Avel’s blog.  And I happily chatted with Orman, Rabsky, Alexis, and…Orman’s son, Chad.

****

It was 4pm when we decided that it was time for us to head back to Davao. And although the time we spent in GenSan and Sarangani was short, it was memorable nonetheless. Because we found solace in a warm, inviting home and in the company of friends.

For my wonderful weekend, I’d like to thank:

• Orman Manansala for the wonderful dinner at Piyesta KTV & Resto Bar
• Avel Manansala for the marvelous GenSan experience
• Donna & Emman, Piyesta’s awesome twosome, also for the Piyesta treat
• Michelle Lopez Solon for showing us the best of Sarangani
• The Manansala family for the incredibly delicious lunch
• SOCCSKSARGEN Bloggers Sheng &  Ric, Jinky & Arnel, Gilbert, Alexis, Rabsky,  and Mandi for spending time with us
• Dolores Hotel for our accomodations

If like me you want to save time and effort when checking your favorite Davao blogs for updates, then it is high time that you use the services of Blog Davao.  A product of Avatar Media, Blog Davao is the most comprehensive blog aggregator site of blogs about Davao and blogs authored by Davaoenos.

Aside from keeping you updated on the latest articles from covered blogs, Blog Davao also features a blog directory  categorizing blogs according to niche.  So if you are a blogger from the Davao region or maintain a blog about Davao, get listed with Blog Davao’s blog directory and increase your readership.

Bloggers with Mr. Marfin Tan, owner of Isla Jardin del Mar. (photo by Orman Manansala)

I have walked through the white sandy beach of hope.  And experienced the serenity and tranquility the locals speak of.  I have listened to the surf’s tales of  love and sorrow.  Because I have been to that island garden by the sea.

Last Saturday, Lyle and I traveled all the way to Gumasa, Glan to witness the soft opening of Sarangani’s newest vacation destination. With us to witness the event were the beautiful bloggers of Soccskargen, Go Sarangani Travel’s Michelle Solon and her friend, John Achavel.

The serene and tranquil side of Isla Jardin del Mar. (photo by Ric Dumalay)

Isla Jardin del Mar is the newest addition to Glan’s white sand beach resorts.  Boasting of a 750-meter stretch of glorious white shoreline and azure waters, Isla Jardin del Mar is suitable  for romantic walks and every imaginable water sport.   Furthermore, the sprawling 34-hectare land area which includes a lagoon, provides more room for beach games,  fishing,  and mountain treks.

Surf, sand, and more at Sarangani's newest vacation destination. (photo by Lyle Santos)

Neatly lining the resort’s beachfront are open cottages perfect for family outings and get-togethers.  And for those who intend to stay overnight, Isla Jardin del Mar rents out a selection of airconditioned and non-airconditioned cottages that will fit your budget.   The resort also has a restaurant so guests can have delicious meals even during unplanned weekend or day trips.

Beachfront cottages perfect for get-togethers at Isla Jardin del Mar. (photo by Ric Dumalay)

Isla Jardin del Mar is   owned and managed by the same group behind Sydney Hotel and Isla Parilla.  For inquiries and reservations, call Sydney Hotel at 552-5479 to 81.

My heartfelt thanks to the following: Mr. and Mrs. Marfin Tan, Ms. Wanchin Tan-Delfino, Michelle Lopez Solon, Avel Manansala,  Orman Manansala, Gilbert Tan, John Achavel, Jinky and Arnel Borela, Sheng and Ric Dumalay, Donna Mae Congson, and Mandi Nicolas.

I just love my notebook planner and my desktop planner!  Because I took time to buy both last year, I am now able to keep track of my activities, appointments, tasks, errands, and even my expenses.

I scanned the entries in my planners earlier and I was all smiles because I was reminded of all the things I did in the past 20 days- the movies I watched, the places I’ve been to, the books I read, and even my mood when I wrote the entries.  It’s like reliving the experiences all over again.

Here are the highlights of  my life for the first 20 days of 2010:

• Blog Updates.  I have updates at Han Mania, this blog (obviously!), Losing 30 Pounds, and Ward Class.  I also wrote a couple of articles for Lyle’s nursing blog,  Pinoy R.N.
• New Blogs. Finally, the blogging projects have materialized.  I have added Asian Fashion Trends and Get Prettified! to my growing list of blogs.
• Blogging-related meetings.  Davao Bloggers and Avatar Media have started the ball rolling.  2010 will definitely be a fun year.
• Failed Purchase. I purchased the Torque DL85, something I regret doing.
• New pet.  I will never forget the day Babbit, my dwaejji-tokki (Pig Rabbit) finally arrived.  But I wonder if my pet rock, Peeball,  is the least bit happy.
• Movie marathons.  Thanks to Lyle, I watched Bride Wars, Frequency, Rounders, and 17 again.  At home, I watched He’s Just Not That Into You and Spread and have replayed a couple of scenes more than twenty times.  I really need more of Justin Long, Matt Damon, and Ashton Kutcher!  Also, throw in Zac Efron…wait, is he even  legal?
• American Idol Season 9.  Finally, the show’s on again.  I love the fact that I’ll have my weekly dose of Simon Cowell.
• Ebooks and Audiobooks.  I finished reading Harvard Lampoon’s Nightlight and found it quite entertaining.  It is a parody of Meyer’s Twilight so I don’t think you’ll enjoy the read if you haven’t read the cheesiest vampire novel ever written. I also started on Skinny Bitch but for some reason, I fall asleep after a few pages.
• Health & Fitness pact.  A couple of days ago, I forged a badminton pact with blogger friends.  We promised to play badminton 1 to 2 times per week.  We already had our first 2-hour badminton session last January 19 and so far, we are loving it.  I am also sticking to a personal No Red Meat policy because I really want to be healthier this year.

In a nutshell, it has been a good start for me.  There were significant lows these past 20 days but I refuse to mope or wallow in dejection.  I know there are times when people thrive on drama and all the emo stuff and I have done that. But for this year, I choose to be happy, proactive, and optimistic despite the setbacks.

I don’t really watch TV a lot.  And if my memory serves me right,  the last time I used the old TV set in my room was in March 2009.

But today, the telly has enough reason to rejoice.  Because it’s that time of the year again when TV-watching will be 2-3 times a week habit for me.   Why?  Well, another season of American Idol just started.  That’s why.

I make it a point to watch American Idol because I really like Simon Cowell. I find watching his priceless facial expressions in the show entertaining.  And listening to his sardonic remarks even more so. Oh I just love it when Simon bickers with Ryan Seacrest!

But I have to be a little sad because Season 9 of American Idol will be Simon’s last.  I will definitely miss the wisecracks and the signature eye-roll. I hope he will be just as funny and sarcastic in X Factor.

I was not disappointed when Paula Abdul quit the show.  Paula is nice but I believe she had very little to add to AI.  Also, Ellen Degeneres is part of this season’s judging team.  So with Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi, and Ellen Degeneres, I believe American Idol will soar higher this season.

American Idol Season 9 premiered with the Boston Auditions.  Victoria Beckham is the guest judge in place of Ellen Degeneres (who can’t join the early part of the auditions).  Beckham tends to sugarcoat criticisms but she is okay.  That is, if you can get past the emaciated look.  But I should say that I love her sing-songy British lilt.

I hope to watch tomorrow’s episode as they will be showing the Atlanta auditions.  Judging from the teasers, the auditions will be more exciting.  I just hope there will be lots of bizarre performances this year.

Image of Simon Cowell used in this post from the americanidol.com

Update as of January 10, 2009: I think that I wasted Php3590 on the Torque DL85.  The phone won’t let me make calls using my Sun Cellular line even if I have loads of credit left.  And this is on top of the problems I have experienced with the Torque DL85 as mentioned below.

Like most of you, I have a number of gadgets that I can’t live without.  So whenever I leave the house, these gadgets are in my bag:  a netbook, a point-and-shoot camera, an iPod Touch, and two Nokia mobile phones.

My Nokia mobile phones have served me well but bringing both with me whenever I go out can be quite troublesome.  So I decided to get myself an inexpensive dual-sim phone when the time came that I really NEED to buy one.

And the need to buy a new phone came sooner than expected.   So with a budget of less than 4k, Lyle and I headed to the mall in search of a durable, budget-friendly, easy-to-use dual-sim phone.

Since my budget is very limited, I had to choose between a Cherry Mobile phone, the MyPhone MS28, and the Torque DL85.  Navigating the Cherry phone  was a pain in the neck so it was immediately stricken off my list.  I was close to buying the MyPhone MS28 because of its fun colors but the build quality is quite poor that it reminded me of my mouse.  So I went home with a Torque DL 85, still a dual-sim slider phone but with a better build quality.

The Torque DL85 is  an affordable, easy-to use, dual-sim phone with a nice design and good build quality.  But despite what’s written in the box, it is still a basic phone so don’t expect state-of-the-art features.   I just use my mobile phones to call and send text messages so I think the Php3,590 I paid for it is still money well spent.

I have to warn Sun Cellular subscribers, though, that I experience slight   problems when making Sun-to-Sun calls as the phone won’t let me make calls using my Sun sim card.  Also, when receiving calls through my Sun number, the person on the other end of the line hears a continuous buzzing sound and complains of poor reception.  I even had my unit changed but the buzzing is still there.  So I guess the buzzing sound  is a constant thing between the Torque DL85 and my Sun Cellular sim.

And so this ends my Torque DL85 story.  Let’s just hope that my new mobile phone is durable enough to serve me well for at least two years.

Thanks to Lyle Santos for the image used in this post.

If there is a lesson I learned in 2009, it would be this:  Each day I spent away from blogging is a golden moment I failed to seize.  And the  longer the blogging breaks I took, the harder it was for me to get back into the groove of things.

Because I know that I lost a number of opportunities that would have helped me grow professionally as a blogger, I want to do things differently in 2010.  I plan to take my blogging tasks seriously and hopefully improve my writing style.  Also, I have decided to continue the blogging projects I have conceived months ago but never really got to bring into fruition.

So to welcome 2010, this blog will be using a new theme. It was Lyle who found this cool theme from Woothemes for me and I took an instant liking to it.  There was nothing wrong with the old theme but this theme is  so…well, me.  Lyle  customized the header and had my face prominently plastered on it.  I know not many of you will like it but this is a personal blog so you gotta humour me.

Also, I made an extra effort to be more organized this year by purchasing a desktop planner and a notebook planner. The desktop planner will help me schedule my blogging tasks while the notebook planner will keep track of my appointments and other things I need to accomplish.  I know pen-and-paper scheduling is soooo old school but jotting things down works well for me each time.

With all these small changes that I made,  I hope that this coming new year will be a good year for blogging.   I  seriously want to be a better blogger in 2010 than I was in 2009.