Silver Lite

Kong Hei Fat Choi, It's the Year of the Water Dragon

2012-01-23T09:49:00.000-08:00

Chinese New Year in the Philippines - that's really big deal here, in fact it's an official holiday. In China it's also the Spring Festival. How does this Chinese year impact you?

The dragon is said to be the luckiest among the 12 mystical animals of the Chinese zodiac, and this year, it's the Water Dragon's year or water is the element of this dragon year. It is believed that any business involving water is luckiest. So if you're thinking of water distribution business, that is lucky this year. I guess Zagu, and businesses selling fruit juices are also lucky. Ok, I think I'll be lucky too if I teach swimming and floating this year, do you agree?

Filipinos, Chinese and Chinoys' center for celebration of Chinese New Year is in Chinatown.

But before we go to Chinatown, how about a visit to Sta, Cruz Church:

Yes, that's the Sta. Cruz church entrance, with Chinese lanterns!

Inside the church with Jen and Ja

Jen noted that the Sta. Cruz Church has catered to her Chinese devotees with the Chinese decor, greetings and all. Any thought on the Catholic Chinese community and their influence to Catholic Filipinos?

That's the altar, with incense sticks you could light and state your wishes for the Water Dragon year.
Let's go closer to read the greetings:

The sign says: O Diyos, pagpalain mo kami sa bagong taon ng maalab na pananalig, masaganang pamumuhay at payapang pamayanan.
Translation: O Lord, bless us this new year with ardent faith, abundant life and peaceful country. Correct?

Ok, let's walk to Ongpin Street, one of the busiest streets in Chinatown..

Vendors, buyers, pedestrians, gawkers galore!

Gold business is good the whole year round - the gold jewelries, not my daughters, ahmmp.

I love chestnuts any time of the year.

But I love fruits better. Lucky fruits include - yes, dragon fruit. Round fruits are lucky as the round shape signifies family reunion.

Even the lowly gabi are dressed up for the occasion. Gabi or taro is made into a sweet cake. Cakes have a special place in Chinese New Year celebrations. Their sweetness symbolizes a rich, sweet life.

Everyone (well, almost) loves tikoy. I look forward to Chinese New Year to eat tikoy.

Tikoy also comes in purple and green:

I am not religious nor an expert into Chinese Astrology but I am definitely into consuming and enjoying Chinese delicacies. We had overstuffed ourselves at the Chow King earlier (long story, but it's about waiting and getting bored and the tendency to stuff our face with more food). We did not have much space for more Chinese delicacies, so we settled for our favorite snacks - Ma Chang, Butse and fried dumplings.
This is the way usual Ma Chang that I've had before.

But the streets are too busy and crowded, and I can't find the place/restaurant where I usually bought Ma Chang. Besides it's been 20 years before when I shared Ma Chang with the ex husband (may he rest in peace). So we settled for MXT, after some inquiries.

And they have this kind of Ma Chang:

Jackie was so curious to see what's inside:

Here's what it looks like:

It has pork alright and some mysterious umami-tasting stuff, wrapped not in banana leaf. It's different from what I expected, but it's delicious just the same. Back to the street, here comes the Dragon Dancers:

But what's a blog on Chinese New Year without tips and predictions, but first, let's be clear about some things:
Chinese New Year -- in 2012 it falls on January 23 -- is on a different date each year because the lunar calendar does not have any connection with the solar calendar. Gung hay fat choy is the traditional Chinese greeting for new year. It means: Best wishes and congratulations. Have a prosperous and good year.

The Chinese have identified 12 animals to express zodiacal time. The choice of these animals is based on a tale from Chinese mythology that has been given several interpretations.

One version is: The rat was assigned the job of inviting a variety of animals to a banquet to meet the Jade Emperor, who rules the heaven and the earth. At this special meal the animals would have a chance to be selected for the zodiac signs.

The animals who showed up found a place in calendar. The cat apparently never found a spot because the rat fooled him into believing that the banquet was one day later; hence since that day the rat and the cat have been enemies for eternity.
Based on your year of birth, find out which sign you belong to:
The Dragon: 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012
The Snake: 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001
The Horse: 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002
The Sheep: 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003
The Monkey: 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004
The Rooster: 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005
The Dog: 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006
The Pig: 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007
The Rat: 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008
The Ox: 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009
The Tiger: 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010
The Rabbit: 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011
Source: http://www.rediff.com/getahead/slide-show/slide-show-1-specials-chinese-new-year-of-the-dragon-2012/20120123.htm

And what are the attributes of each Chinese Zodiac sign?
The Rat. Positive characteristics are direct, persistent, intense, perfectionist, charming, intellectual and sensitive. On the down side, the rat can manipulate others, be malicious towards others, and go through periods of self-destruction.
The Ox. Born to leadership. Reliable and generally calm. Good to have around if there’s trouble as takes things one at a time and gets the job done. Very traditional. Can have a temper, though, and incredibly difficult to move from their point of view.
The Tiger. While the tiger is a humanitarian with strong passions, because they are not wise in their decisions, things can go astray. They are strong, passionate people, brave in the face of terror.
The Rabbit (Cat in Vietnam) is refined in all things, kind to others, is confident, shy, and intuitive. They can appear superficial and self-indulgent to others. They take advantages of opportunities and are lucky.
The Dragon is noble, eccentric, artistic and loyal to others. They can be intolerant and tyrannical to others. The dragon is the sign of the Emperor.
The Snake is a deep thinker to whom wisdom matters. There’s a grace that is instantly noticeable by others with a natural elegance. They speak gently to others and are creative. They tend to be loners and can be hedonistic and not always honest.
The Horse is a happy, witty, earthy, chatty, communicative person. There can be a streak of arrogance and they can be gullible.
The Ram is known for empathy to others, is artistic with a peaceful nature. They seek security but can be indecisive and pessimistic.
The Monkey is the inventor of the Zodiac. They’re sociable, polite, have an innate sense of dignity, prefer facts to fiction, and have an intellectual outlook. They can also be vain and snobbish.
The Rooster is very organized, self confident, traditional, and opinionated. They tend to be critical of others and can be proud.
The Dog is honest, loyal, direct to others, with a well-developed sense of justice. They like to be friendly. They also be lazy and argumentative.
The pig is honest and brave, likes things to be peaceful, and works hard. There’s a tendency towards being naïve. Materialism is innate to the pig.
Source: http://sophia-angelique.hubpages.com/hub/2012-Year-of-the-Dragon-Chinese-Horoscopes-Predictions-Forecasts

The Year of the Dragon is one of the most revered years of the Chinese New Year calendar, and those born under the sign are regarded as innovative, passionate people who are colorful, confident and fearless.
The Manila Bulletin cites that the Dragon is sometimes called a "karmic sign." The Dragon is larger than life and its appearance means that big things are to come. The Year of the Dragon is a flowing river, not a stagnant lake, so things happen quickly earlier in the year. The Dragon marks progression, perseverance and auspiciousness. It may also bring about unpredictable events.
Elements
The five Chinese elements are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. The Dragon is made of Earth, Water and Wood. The Chinese New Year 2012 will primarily be a water year. This could mean riches and abundance or it could mean natural disaster.
Hong Kong astrologer Alion Yeo said the world should prepare for storms and floods. "Expect to see a lot of flooding in areas like Thailand and Southeast China," he said. "Indonesia, Pakistan, India and places in China like Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou are particularly disaster-prone. They are likely to experience frequent earthquakes."
Earth elements prosper from Water. So if an individual has a strong Earth-related sign, then he or she will have the opportunity to make money in 2012. This year can also be prosperous for those with Metal and Wood-related signs. However, Wood signs must mind their words and actions as an unsavory reputation looms this year.
Water is not a good omen for Fire signs, as Fire fears water. Fire signs must be mindful of their personal safety, conservation efforts and exhibiting patience in 2012. However, female Fire signs could see blossoming social relationships in the Year of the Dragon, including romantic ones.
Source: http://img.ibtimes.com/www/articles/20120122/285634_chinese-new-year-2012-predictions-dragon.htm

There are lucky charms to combat bad luck though:

So you want predictions: I don't do them, but here's a link for predictions for the year of the water Dragon:
http://weeklyworldnews.com/headlines/42927/year-of-the-dragon-predictions/

And for the individual signs, I like what they say here:
http://www.gotohoroscope.com/2012/chinese-2012-horoscope-tiger.html

Lucky colors for this year are the 'water colors': Creamy or bone white, black, green, navy blue.
As as Zenaida Seva always says: "Hindi hawak ng bituin ang ating kapalaran, gabay lamang ito. Meron tayong free will, gamitin natin 'to." Translation: The stars don't determine our fate, they are only guides. We have free will, we should use it.

A joker (http://nigzclusive.tumblr.com/) said this: "Hindi hawak ng mga bituin ang ating kapalaran. Gabay lamang sila. Meron tayong free meal, kainin natin ito." Translation: The stars don't determine our fate, they are only guides. We have free meal, let's eat it.

Kong Hei Fat Choi!

The Romance of Firefly Watching

2011-08-10T20:48:00.000-07:00

I can't show you pictures of the fireflies, I'm sorry. Their luminance on the Mangrove trees can't be captured from the boat. But I assure you, there's no place and time more romantic than firefly watching at Iwahig River, Puerto Pincesa, Palawan, Philippines. In fact our boatman/tourist guide related how some of their guests proposed while they were cruising the river watching the fireflies.

What are fireflies?

Fireflies are also nicknamed as Lightning Bugs. Do you think that they are in the family of flies? No, Geleena, they are nocturnal luminous insects of the beetle family Lampyridae. This beetle family consists of about 1,900 species that inhabit tropical and temperate regions. The common glowworm is a member of this family. Fireflies are actually soft beetles which sizes range from 5 to 25 millimetres in length. Look at the underside of their abdomen: it has a special light organs that glows in luminous flashes. The flattened, dark brown or black body is often marked with yellow or orange. Most of the fireflies feed on pollen and nector but for adult fireflies they do not eat. They like to live in Mangrove trees.

How do fireflies flirt?

What are their mating calls? The female fireflies will produce a short rhythmic flashes that attracts the males fireflies. The females will sit on the ground in the high grass to flash to certain male only. See, they don't flirt mindlessly at all. The female chooses the males based on their flash pattern.

We know how fireflies flashed is because of biomechanics, but we did not know why they flashed.

Though both males and female flash, it’s the male who make pattern in the air. Females are either short- winged and stationery’ attached to the tips of plant stems or leaves as they carry on a flirty dialogue with roving males, trying to draw them in to mate.

However, others feel that the flashing is not to attract the opposites but as a mechanism of warning to advise predators of the fireflies bitter taste. Unfortunately, some frogs like to eat them.

How do fireflies produce their light?

They are produced under a nervous control within special cells which are richly supplied with air tubes. Only the light from the visible spectrum is emitted. Fireflies do not bite, do not have pincers, do not carry disease and in fact are quite harmless. They cannot even fly fast. They have a life span of two months.

Why do they flash?

Fireflies “cold light’ is made by a process known as bioluminescence or chemiluniscence, in which a substance called luciferin comes in contact with enzyme luciferase and oxygen. As air rushed into the abdomen, it reacts with this compound and a chemical reaction gives off the familiar glow of a firefly. Fireflies can regulate the airflow into the abdomen to create a pulsating pattern.

Fireflies are alone among bioluminescent insects because they can flash; other glow constantly. The process emission of the light from living things, without significant heat sometimes called “cols light”. Bioluminescence is found in species of bacteria, male and female of fireflies are used as species- specific signals for mating.

The light stick has two separate compartments with two chemicals join together. As molecules from the different chemical bind to each other they give a kick of energy to some of the electrons. But electrons never hold on to extra energy for long.

That molecule then needs to get rid of its energy in some way. It can sometimes do it by colliding with other molecules and losing it through collisions, but arrange system in a careful way, the excited product might have no other way to excite except by physically releasing the energy as photons and the photon comes out as a fire of light and we see that as the burst given off by a firefly.

Though both males and female flash, it’s the male who make pattern in the air. Females are either short- winged and stationery, attached to the tips of plant stems or leaves as they carry on a flirty dialogue with roving males, trying to draw them in to mate.

While each firefly species has its own pattern of flashing, some female imitate the patterns of other species. Males land next to them only to be eaten alive. So keep in mind that its flickering isn’t just a wonder of the night, it’s also a language of love.

Source: http://www.malaysiasite.nl/fireflies1.htm

How to go to Iwahig River:
Iwahig river is located at Highway km. 20 Barangay Iwahig Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. You may ride a bus from Villacorta and ask the conductor to let you off at Iwahig. Or you may have a travel agency set up a group tour with you. We went on a group tour at P1,100 per person. The firefly watching is for P900 only, but it's a good value for your money to include a dinner as the dinner is a festive affair at Skylight Hotel. It's a sumptuous buffet dinner. In fact I will treat you to some food pictures as I don't have pictures of the fireflies.


I cant' show the over 100 dishes to choose from the buffet, but this is my plate with my faves - kangkong, Sushi, tofu, fried okra, sweet & sour pork, lechon, pork asado

I even went for a 2nd helping (What a pig I am :) Fried quail eggs, fried breaded mashed potatoes, lumpia, pudding and cake

If firefly watching won't awaken the romance in you, maybe the tranquility of the river would at least relax you.

References:

http://www.malaysiasite.nl/fireflies1.htm

http://naturepark.freeservers.com/fireflies/1fly.htm

Includes FREE planning and background information. You can never escape it. Everywhere you look there it is. Whether it-s the Sulu Sea to the east or the South China Sea to the west, as much a highway as a source of sustenance, nothing defines Palawan more than the water surrounding it. The proverbial island paradise with seascapes the equal of any in Southeast Asia, wildlife, both terrestrial and aquatic, this, the Philippines- most sparsely populated region is also its most beguiling. Historically, it was always an outlier, an island apart. Known as Pa Lao Yu (island of beautiful harbour) before the arrival of the Spanish who later referred to it as paragua (umbrella) for its shape, control of Palawan was contested by the colonisers and Moros from Borneo for over a hundred years. These days the struggle is overdevelopment versus maintenance of the largely untouched environment. Gaisano, Robinson-s and SM - the signifiers of urbanisation elsewhere - have yet to make inroads. Because of its silhouette - a long sliver stretching 650km all the way from the Mindoro Strait to the tip of Borneo - there-s a certain liberating logic to travel in Palawan. Centrally located Puerto Princesa, the administrative and culinary capital, is also the transport hub. To the south, where there-s little government footprint, populated by indigenous tribal groups and Muslim communities, it-s rough but potentially rewarding travel for those with reserves of endurance. The majority of travellers go north, without question the highlight. Watching the sunset standing on El Nido-s ramshackle beachfront with a glorious view of Cadlao Island, or skimming along in a bangka around a maze of uninhabited islands in the Calamian Group feels somewhat post-apocalyptic - like the morning after the proverbial flood.

Mabinay's Crystal Cave

2011-07-12T03:40:00.000-07:00

Into the cave!

Do you like caves? We do. Very much, especially my hubby. We planned our trip to Dumaguete for many months after we're availed ourselves of Cebu Pacific's promo flights. We planned to go to Dumaguete, Bacolod (where I visited my brother and his family) and back to Dumaguete. From Negros Oriental we traveled by bus to Bacolod, Negros Occidental for 6 hours. Yes one island, Negros Island, but each has a unique history. Negros Occidental was for so many years, the Sugar bowl of the Philipines, and now a tourist destination for its yearly Maskara Festival, while Dumaguete boasts of having one of the oldest universities, also the first American university in the Philippines, the Siliman University. Dumaguete also boasts of having the largest cave, the Odloman Cave, in the Philippines, among other things. Bacolod is dubbed as the City of Smiles while Dumaguete is dubbed as the City of Gentle People.

Coming back from Bacolod to Dumaguete, we planned to pass by Mabinay Caves. While in Bacolod, we started inquiring about the caves, and Bacolod Dept. of Tourism gave us leaflets and also cell phone number of the Mabinay town Mayor.

The Mayor's phone number was also in the leaflets given to us. I opted to send a text message to the other person mentioned in the leaflets, as I am too shy to disturb a VIP like the Mayor! When nobody responded after twenty minutes, I reluctantly sent a text message to the Mayor too. The Mayor, Mr. Jango Uy, was more prompt in answering my text messages, and I sent him many inquiries. Mayor Jango Uy even gave us instructions how to proceed from Bacolod to Mabinay Caves, two towns away from Dumaguete City via Ceres bus. From Bacolod we went to Ceres South Terminal, took the bus to Dumaguete. We told the driver to let us off at Bulwang town, where the Mabinay caves are. It was about 5 hours bus ride. Mayor Jango Uy also gave us the number of one of his tourist guides, Rhen Rhen. Rhen Rhen met us at Mabinay bus stop and together we went to Bulwang, another 15 minutes bus ride.

Up to Crystal Cave

I have an injured knee so I decided to go to only one cave, the Crystal cave, which is recommended for novice/amateur spelunkers. In case you don't know what a spelunker is (I had to ask my hubby, as I don't know myself), that means cave explorer, Precilla. Rhen Rhen, our tour guide, is a young guy who will not tire in answering your gazillion questions, that I promise. He is knowledgeable about the caves, about Mabinay, about the tourist spots in Negros and many other things. Rhen has an engaging call center agent voice, but he's not into hard sell at all.

The Crystal Cave is the most beautiful of the caves. It is 157 meters long and 12 meters deep with an entrance slopping 2 by 4 meters. It used to be the most difficult to explore because it is so full of karst formation, until they built a raft-like flooring suspended by ropes to the cave's 'roof'. It is like standing in the middle of a crystal house, where touching and feeling the karst formation is irresistible. Source: http://www.orientwind.com.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=43:negros-oriental-the-caves-of-mabinay&catid=11:negros&Itemid=13 But please, don't touch the karst or the stalactites, stalagmites as you'd cause them to die and it would take hundred years for them to come alive again. Can you appreciate the length of time these cave formations took so you could admire how lovely they look now?

Aside from spelunking, there are other activities you may enjoy in this place: rapelling, rock climbing, swimming, underground passageways, crawling, duck walking, photographing (of course) caves, frogs (!), spiders, snakes and bats.

Recommended gears: hiking shoes, long pants, long sleeves, helmet - they couod provide you, change of clothing, water, candies and yes sandwiches or any food you prefer, as there is no restaurant in this place yet. There is a restaurant about 2 kms. away, we were told.


Rhen turned the cave's general light switch on

The Crystal Cave is so 'user-friendly', providing spelunkers with wooden railings and floor

Formations at Crystal Cave

Rhen also regaled us a folklore of Mabinay:

http://www.godumaguete.com/mabinay-negros-oriental.html

The story goes this way: In an inland part of the province of Negros Oriental, there lived two powerful rival chieftains named Datu Ilog and Datu Namangyan. Datu Ilog had a very beautiful daughter named Binay whom he loved very much and Datu Namangyan has a brave and dauntless son Binto who loved to hunt wild animals.

One day while Binto was chasing a wild deer he inadvertently entered the territory of Datu Ilog accidentally and saw Binay taking a bath in the river. It was love at first sight for both of them and they started a love affair that had to be kept secret knowing that their fathers were enemies.

Secrets like smoke can't be kept from going out, especially with Binay's change in behavior, being in love. Datu Ilog, noticing the difference, decided to follow her one day and caught the lovers redhanded.

Binay pleaded with her father to spare Binto's life but an angry Datu Ilog would not be appeased knowing his daughter's lover, his hatred for Binto's father overriding all else. He struck Binto on the chest with a spear, killing him instantly. And just as instantly, a small pool of water sprung forth in the place where Binto died, and the people called it Banintohan.

Binay, full of grief for her beloved's death and her fearing her angry father, ran away, wild and without direction, she ran like mad.

Mother Earth took pity upon the ill-fated lovers and swallowed Binay up. And from this spot came forth a body of water, known now as Mabinay Spring.

Datu Ilog, in search of his daughter met Datu Namagyan along the way. Remorsefully, he admitted what he had done and Datu Namangyan, surprised to see his proud and brave enemy meek and repentant, instead of being angry for his son's death, joined with him in his grief and they both decided to merge forces.

Where they met is now marked by the joining of the two rivers, Ilog River and Namangyan River.

Okay, time to go back to Crystal Cave for picture-taking:

Aside from Crystal Cave (157 ms), these are the other recommended caves:

Panligawan (143 ms) - for novice/amateur spelunkers
Pandalihan (282 ms) - for novice/amateur spelunkers
Cayaso (2,222 ms) - for difficult/extreme spelunkers
Baliw (769 ms) - for difficult/extreme spelunkers
Mambajo - (670 ms) - with rapelling/medium difficult
Odloman (8,870 ms) - for difficult/extreme spelunkers

The fee is P400 for the guided tour and P15 per person for each cave.
And yes, Mayor Jango Uy's cell phone number is +639166792344. another contact person is Jeffrey Dasian, cell phone number +639182427269. Happy spelunking and say hello to Rhen for us.

Mariyah Gallery in Dumaguete

2011-07-02T06:08:00.000-07:00

We were in Dumaguete recently and since we did not chance an organized tour that day, we checked out the brochures from the Dept. of Tourism and decided we'll go to the museums by ourselves. We went to Mariyah Gallery and found treasures of mixed media - mostly mural paintings, terra cotta and wood sculptures of the siblings Danilo 'Danni' Sollesta and Cristina 'Kitty' Taniguchi. Mariyah Gallery is at Larena Drive, Bogo Junction, Dumaguete City, Philippines (Tel. #: (63) (35) 225-1687)

From our downtown Hotel in Perdices St., we took a tricycle ride to Mariyah Gallery. The gate was closed but unlocked. We let ourselves in and Dave roamed around until he met Danni at the backyard. They fetched me in front as I can't get enough pictures of the treasures they have in front.

Dave admiring Danilo Sollesta's work of art.

At the back, I introduced ourselves to the two artists. Kitty was working on her terracotta sculpture. Both artists are unassuming and down-to-earth. We did not know that they are world famous with several art exhibitions behind them, and more art exhibitions in the future.


I wonder whose work this gorgeous lion is, Danni's or Kitty's. Looks like Kitty's!


Samples of Kitty's Terra Cotta bricks

Kitty's works are more sunny and bright.

And a little normal romance, that's Kitty's style.

The above three mural paintings are Kitty's - colorful, sunny and bright

Danni's colors are ghastly, but nevertheless unforgettable

Danni's men are pretty, and all the women have full breasts


The above three mural paintings are Danny Sollestas's

I am no art connoisseur, so I can't speak the art lingo, but I noticed that Kitty's works are more 'normal' while Danni's are more on the side of macabre and grotesque, like they're challenging the viewers, testing their limit as to what is reality.

Danni's baby-like bodies with big tits in unimaginable positions

Half human, half animal with baby-like plumpness, that's Danni's style

This is almost a yoga pose if not for the twisted head


The above four sculpture are Danni's. Isn't the above gargoyle what nightmares are made of?

Just so you sleep soundly tonight, look at Kitty's work of art again.


And yes, here's something to meditate with, fresh and pristine, at their front yard!

Danni's work of art - strong women with glorious tits

Dave and ever so patient Kitty, answering Dave's gazillion questions

Brother and sister artists - Kitty (Taniguchi) and Danni Sollesta


I won't pass the opportunity to pose with the artists too :))

Meeting Kitty and Danni is one of the highlights of our trip to Dumaguete. Thank you so much for the generosity of spirit and warm hospitality, Kitty and Danny.

For more about Kitty, here's her website:

http://www.saatchionline.com/cristina_taniguchi

For more about Danni, here's his website:

http://umberblade.multiply.com/

The Ruins (Talisay City, Philippines)

2011-05-27T06:42:00.000-07:00

Are you going to Negros Occidental, specifically to Bacolod? Why not see a very romantic setting - THE RUINS, it's very near Bacolod City.

The structure of THE RUINS is of Italianate architecture with neo-romanesque columns, having a very close semblance to the facade of Carnegie Hall in New York city. in New England, they often were homes to ships captains. A belvedere, facing west, affords a beautiful view of the sunset in a glassed-in sun room with bay windows.

The mansion was built in the early 1900′s by the sugar baron, Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson and was home to his unmarried children with his first wife, Maria Braga Lacson, a Portuguese from Macau. Mariano and Maria had 10 children, In 1911, while nearing the full term of her 11th pregnancy, Maria had an accident. both mother and child were lost.

Heartbroken and inconsolable, Mariano decided to build a mansion in remembrance of maria, right in the middle of his 440-hectare sugar plantation in Talisay City, Negros Occidental. It was in fact, designed to be a monument to their enduring love affair. The mansion was the largest residential structure ever built at that time and had in it one of the finest furnitures, chinawares, and decorative items, as the father of Maria Braga was a captain of a ship that sailed across Europe and Asia and would cart with him these items. One of their daughters, Angelina, maintained a beautiful garden of lillies in and around the 4-tiered fountain fronting the mansion, all brought in from abroad.

The wall near the entrance has the pictures of the original owners

One of the sons supervised the construction of the mansion making certain that the A-grade mixture of concrete and its pouring was precisely followed.

The mansion met its sad fate in the early part of world war II when the USAFFE (United States Armed Forces in the Far East), then guerilla fighters in the Philippines, burn the mansion to prevent the Japanese forces from utilizing it as their headquarters. it took days of inferno to bring down the roof and the 2-inch wooden floors.

To this day, the 903 square meter structure still stands tall amidst sugar plantations and continues to awe both local and foreign tourists. (Source: The Ruins Brochure)

The Mini Golf Area

Fountain at the side of the Ruins


Details of the floor

This mirage effect is facilitated by a dark glass table!

The Ruins is a fun-filled area for the entire family. An 18-hole mini-golf course, laden with blue grass, awaits everyone to test their skills in a friendly game of golf. A 500-square-meter garden of fruits and vegetables afford the guests with freshly picked organically-grown produce, free from chemicals and pesticides. Plants are available for sale, along with souvenir items such as key chains, memo magnets, hand-painted fans, eco-friendly bags, etc. (source: The Ruins Brochure: The Burning Love)

They have added a cafe area

The entrance fee to the Ruins is:

adult 40.00
seniors 30.00
kids 20.00

HOW TO GET THERE:
From Bacolod, you could take the Bata route: follow the directions from the corner where you turn to Rose Lawn memorial Park. Or you may turn on the street just before you reach Honda. Go straight until you se the Ruins at your left. This is a short cut, if you're wiling to pass through the dirt road. If traveling through a public transport, take the jeep going to Bata until you reach the corner where there is a big billboard of the Ruins, either at Bangga Pepsi or at Bangga Rose Lawns (Memorial Park) and tell the driver to take you to the Ruins.

The Ruins is a very photographic place, and it's best if you go from 8 AM to 10 AM, or from 3 PM to 5:30 PM when the shadows are long and the light is golden. It's also nice to take pictures at dusk as the Ruins have very good lighting inside and out in the gardens. Many photographers and soon to be weds use the place to take the pre-nup pictures.

Photographer or not, you will surely get excellent pictures from THE RUINS. I will surely go back there with my beloved to fully enjoy the romantic atmosphere.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

2011-03-18T01:51:00.000-07:00

I have always been a fan and enthusiast of Vietnamese food. I used to work in an office where most of us regale to each other the ethnic cuisine we've enjoyed, the unique restaurants that we've tried, from fat German sausages in a red light district to spicy Indian curries at the corner of the busiest street in the business area.

I've always liked leafy vegetables (Vitamin A - good for the eyes and a feast to the eyes too) and the Vietnamese cuisine's right mixture of leafy greens intrigue me. I will never get tired of eating mint leaves, basil, coriander and the way they are mixed and matched with different ingredients makes me salivate.

While on tour outside Ho Chi Min, our bus stopped at roadside restaurant for lunch. I checked their menu and was a little disappointed by the limited number of dishes. I settled for boiled pork and baked rice. I was thinking, this is just like a Filipino dish. I was surprised when the waitress placed on the table different kinds of leaves. I confirmed to her my order was boiled pork only. She did not speak much English but I got the impression that she knew what she was doing. I am not one to complain of too much leaves on my plate, ha, not me.

Next, the waitress placed a plate with stack of thin white plastic-looking squares beside it. I examined it. Is this a coaster or a place mat?

Next came my order of boiled pork in a mat of lettuce topped with crispy thin slices of garlic. I started eating. My hubby tasted it too and remarked, "For a boiled pork this is so tasty." He does not like leaves, except for the lettuce. I wondered where my baked rice is, so I asked the waitress. She did not understand what I was babbling about so she called a young girl who is obviously a student with her school uniform. The student (who turned out to be the daughter of the restaurant owner) demonstrated how to eat my dish. The above square plastic-looking stuff is actually the baked rice roll. Hmmmn, just add the word 'roll' in your 'baked rice' and that would straighten out an ignoramus like me when reading the menu, I'd like to advise her.... but never mind, the girl was so charming.

She dipped the ends with water (so that explains the bowl of water which I thought was for washing my hands......Good thing I did not wash my hands on it). She then lined it with some leaves and put boiled pork on top of it.

She rolled it nicely and secured it with another dip of water at the end. You could dip it in spicy vinegar and bon appetit! For the above picture which is far from the perfect roll that the student made, I take the credit, that's the first roll that I made, the second roll that I ate, hehehe. So yummy, that was the highlight of our trip to Cu Chi Tunnel which should be the topic of my next blog entry.

Interested with Vietnamese cooking with good English instructions? Here's a practical book:

From Publishers Weekly

Vietnam-born Nguyen writes passionately and knowledgeably about the history and fundamentals of Vietnamese cuisine and offers more than 175 tempting and largely non intimidating recipes, with the Vietnamese translation of the name beneath the English name and headnotes that provide excellent context and helpful tips. Chapters begin with alluring introductory text—the first set of recipes, for example, are the "Gifts to the Mouth," which the author explains is a translation of the Vietnamese phrase for snacking. The chapter includes such dishes as Beef and Jicama Hand Rolls, the Baguette Sandwich—the "one sandwich in the Vietnamese repertoire... a tour de force"—and Fried Shrimp Chips. Other chapters are Sacred Soups (Chicken Dumpling and Chrysanthemum Leaf Soup is one beautiful entry), Classic Meats (like Beef Flank and Ginger Simmered in Caramel Sauce), Vegetables Many Ways, and Delightful Sweets and Palate Refreshers, which features Grilled Bananas with Coconut Sticky Rice and Lemongrass Ice Cream. Chapters on noodles, poultry, fish and shellfish, and basic sauces, as well as guides to Vietnamese ingredients, round out this culturally rich culinary tour. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Description

When author Andrea Nguyen's family was airlifted out of Saigon in 19Vioetnamese Cookbook75, one of the few belongings that her mother hurriedly packed for the journey was her small orange notebook of recipes. Thirty years later, Nguyen has written her own intimate collection of recipes, INTO THE VIETNAMESE KITCHEN, an ambitious debut cookbook that chronicles the food traditions of her native country. Robustly flavored yet delicate, sophisticated yet simple, the recipes include steamy pho noodle soups infused with the aromas of fresh herbs and lime; rich clay-pot preparations of catfish, chicken, and pork; classic bánh mì sandwiches; and an array of Vietnamese charcuterie. Nguyen helps readers shop for essential ingredients, master core cooking techniques, and prepare and serve satisfying meals, whether for two on a weeknight or 12 on a weekend.

Sanctuary of Truth

2010-11-28T21:55:00.000-08:00

Pattaya, Thailand

The Sanctuary of Truth is in Pattaya, Thailand. The temple has awesome woodwork and the statues are fantastic! The purposes of decoration with wooden carve sculptures are to use art and culture as the reflection of Ancient Vision of Earth, Ancient Knowledge, and Eastern Philosophy. With in this complex, visitors will understand Ancient Life, Human Responsibility, Basic
Thought, Cycle of living, Life Relationship with Universe and
Common Goal of Life toward Utopia.
(http://www.sanctuaryoftruth.com/)

Desperado RAW! I survived.....

2010-04-21T06:37:00.000-07:00

Have you tried the Desperado roller coaster ride in Las Vegas? It's definitely a one-of-a-kind experience. I consider myself bold and adventurous, never the one to pass up a challenge, so

when my husband asked if I would like to try a roller coaster ride while we were in Las Vegas, I readily agreed. I have seen U.S. roller coaster rides from the movies. We have roller coaster rides here in the Philippines but nothing quite matches those in the U.S. or even those in Japan. I was thrilled that my husband asked me to go and ride in one.

My husband chose the Desperado roller coaster. It is in 31900 Las Vegas Blvd S, Jean, Nevada.

We were also with my husband's childhood friend, Paul, who came from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for reunion with Dave, my husband.

The night before this roller coaster ride, I listened with amusement as these two mature men reminisced their 'wild' childhood days. They never ran out of anecdotes and funny experiences to tell for hours. I enjoyed listening and laughing with them - margaritas after margaritas, shrimp cocktails after shrimp cocktails. OMG, these two items I enjoyed most in Las Vegas. I think Las Vegas is the place where you could buy them the cheapest!

Night scene in Las Vegas

Before this ride, their wild childhood escapades were just stories. After this Desperado ride, I look at my husband in a different perspective. Man, he's really wild in order to enjoy and go though this ride each time he goes to las Vegas!

Okay, back to Desperado. This is my first 'real' roller coaster ride in the U.S. and sh*t, I did not know that this is one of the scariest ride even in the U.S. I did not know that is is the tallest roller coaster in the North America! The operator had us leave our things - bag, eyeglasses, sunglasses, camera with the guard before the ride. I was not able to take picture of us, and even if I was allowed, I would not have the guts to take out my hand from gripping the steel bar in front of me. I almost couldn't breathe from fear and excitement. There were two young men in front of us as we were in the second seat.. They looked at me, smiled, and gave me the thumbs up. They looked at each other, gave each other hi-5 and shook with laughter. Then the out-of-this-world-ride began.

We ascended ever so slowly, enabling us to see the beautiful view the Buffalo Bill hotel and the nearby areas. Reaching the peak, like a nightmare of a surprise we descended so fast, 80 mph. I screamed and laughed at the same time, but then, looking down I saw a very small hole, where I know we'd be barreling into. OMG, how could we fit in such a small hole, and at mind-boggling speed too. The two young men in front of us were enjoying the ride, they even raised their hands while my hands were almost bloodless from gripping the steel bar!

Note this ride facts:
Length: 5,843 feet
Max Height: 210 feet
Biggest Drop: 225 feet
Max Speed: 80 mph
Ride Duration: 2 minutes, 45 seconds
Capacity: 1,700 people per hour on three trains
Designer: Arrow Dynamics, Clearfield, Utah
Special Features: A high-speed dive down a 55-degree hill into a tunnel kicks off the ride followed by a 155-foot second hill. That's higher than most other coasters' first drop.

Here's a short Youtube recording, just for you to get a 'feel' of the ride:

After the second ascent/descent, I closed my eyes....which is a very wrong thing to do, as I never anticipated what direction my neck would be involuntarily turned. Awww, that was painful. My neck were like pulled and thrust in different directions in what seems like forever! Paul and Dave and the other passengers were laughing. I screamed all the way, wooooo, woooooooo!!!!

After the ride, I needed a drink. I felt like the old woman that I am. As you could see in our picture, I was not pale anymore, in fact I was flushed from several bottles of beer. Hayyy, Desperado is not for the faint of heart, I am warning you.

Lessons learned:
1. Never close your eyes while in a roller coaster ride as you'd like to know how to brace yourself against the roller coaster's twists and turns. You don't like your fragile neck jerked here and there, don't you.

2. Before you get married, ask your future groom, "what are the things that give you thrills or excite you". This will give you enough clues how wild or tame your man is.

Useful sites:
Thanks for the Desperado pic and ride facts
http://www.vegas.com/attractions/outside_lasvegas/desperado.html

Thanks for the youtube entry:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPLUMkfAnSU

Check out this roller coaster documentary!

Taking full advantage of the DVD format, this installment of the Roller Coaster Thrills series offers viewers a choice of two camera angles for each of the 20 rides captured on this disc. Anticipate the fear of that initial heart-stopping plunge with a first-person perspective, or face backward and watch the reactions of the riders--either way, it's a great ride. The virtual tour across U.S. theme parks includes old-fashioned woodies, dual-track looping coasters, and colossal steel mega-coasters with 300-foot drops. Many of the featured coasters were built in 1999 and show off the latest advances in roller coaster engineering; in fact, one launched coaster has apparently garnered interest from NASA engineers for the speed of its propulsion (0 to 60 mph in under 3 seconds). The disc is also packed with special features: amusement park histories, interviews with roller coaster designers, behind-the-scenes insights from director Ned Rodgers and director of photography Dave Cutler, plus Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound, and bonus footage of the first combination roller coaster and water ride. --Larisa Lomacky Moore

Remembering Auntie Rosie

2010-03-01T17:28:00.000-08:00

No, the gorgeous woman above is not my Auntie Rosie, but model's curls remind me of her. Auntie Rosie sported the same length of hair when when she was young. As she grew older her hair got shorter. I was always fascinated by her thick curly hair, which she absentmindedly twirled on her fingers while she was studying. She was still studying when I went to live with my her, my grandmother and another spinster aunt, Auntie Charing and other cousins and their parents. Yes, Auntie Rosie was a spinster, an old maid....OMG, these terms are not in use anymore. But she did not mind describing herself as such, did not mind other people describing her as such. My other aunt, Auntie Charing, in an effort to discipline us children, would often threaten us to tell on Auntie Rosie about our pranks, in the same manner that a mother would tell her children "Wait 'til you father gets home". So around Auntie Rosie, we tend to be more quiet, better behaved, sort of tiptoeing around her while she was studying. If we were boisterous, she would snap, "silence!", and we won't even giggle. We children made faces at each other but we obeyed Auntie Rosie. If silence
was needed, we gave her that. She did not speak much, but when we showed her our 'works of art', our high grades in school, told her of our accomplishments, she would smile and we knew we made her proud. I think she was in her early 30's then, and I was 9 years old. Yes, she was still studying, pursuing her M.A. in Education, I think. She was a 'working student', sent herself to college while she was employed as one of the junior staff at the Registrar's Office of Philippine Normal College, now Philippine Normal University. She rose to ranks eventually and became the Registrar of the university.

I stayed with them for two years until I felt so homesick I would burst, and went home to my parents in Negros Occidental. I came back to them six years later when I was 16 years old, and studied at the same university where Auntie Rosie was working. Living with them (grandmother, spinster aunts, younger cousins) at my grandmother's house was not that smooth when I was a little girl, and when I was a teenager until I graduated from college and started working. They say I was always a rebel. I say I felt so alone. There was this 'regionalism' issue - I was from the south, a 'Bisaya', actually an llongga, while all of them are 'Tagala', from Metro Manila and Laguna, all speaking Tagalog. My father was from the south, Negros Occidental, so my siblings and I were all born Ilongga. I could speak Tagalog alright, thanks to Liwayway, a Tagalog weekly magazine I faithfully read since I learned how to read - when I was five years old. But Regionalism is big deal here in the Philippines. A young girl could be treated inferior by relatives by the mere fact that she is from the South! It did not help too that I was fiercely proud of being an Ilongga; that I was also stubborn; that I was a smart-aleck kid, that when I was angry I shredded my dress in tiny tiny little pieces with my bare hands; wrote my bitter feelings in seven pages of typewriting paper while I was given the 'sermon' by Auntie Charing! But I am straying from my topic - Auntie Rosie.

Auntie Rosie forgot that I was an Ilongga, etc., when we were together every day - going to the University and coming back home. We had nothing much to say to each other, except for the immediate needs, like "Auntie, I need to borrow this book from the library but the librarian would not allow me as the book is classified 'References'. Auntie Rosie would get the book for me at the end of library hours, having promised the librarian that the book would be returned first thing in the morning. To make the long story short, Auntie Rosie did her best and made my college life easier - she gave me sandwiches at break times; she helped me get employed as a student librarian after my regular classes so I would be financially independent from my parents; she applied for me as a grant-in-aid scholar in the university and was approved too; she helped me in my art classes. Art and books - these are the things we both are passionate with. We borrowed books from each other, gave books as presents to each other too. Auntie Rosie manifested her creativity with her beautiful sculptural works - she fashioned her beautiful busts of the Virgin Mary, child Jesus and other non religious objects from soap, and from clay. She made a grotto, complete with the Virgin Mary at the side 'walls' of the house and at the backyard too. The 'walls' are actually the hilly backyard which she also fashioned like the mini rice terraces.

In my Art classes in college, when I needed an outline to work on, I requested her to draw for me - from paisley prints to logos, etc. Her handwriting was so beautiful, she wrote each name of the student in individual diplomas. Too bad that her family did not believe that an artist could actually flourish and make money. She would have been a great multimedia artist. Everyone was encouraged to have a 'practical' career as a teacher, a librarian, a doctor, etc. Years later, when I became an adult, I always visited her at her office and we became closer. I always invited her to watch a movie or to eat out, etc., but she declined. She was always frugal and did not approve of me spending much for her.l

When I decided to quit working as an employee in an international organization, everybody disapproved. To everyone, my decision to become a full time photographer was not practical at all. And maybe they were right. But I feel fulfilled, I feel freedom in photography. I guess nobody fully understood, except for Auntie Rosie, who also encouraged me to write! For me, photography is almost natural as eating or sleeping but writing? I don't know how...... Auntie Rosie assured me I could do anything, "Ikaw pa!" (no literal translation in English, but that means 'Of course you can'). Two eBooks later (one for hard copies too), I now say - yes, Auntie Rosie, I should believe in me :)) (The books are not in my name, though, I wrote them for a nice and wonderful American client).

Why am I writing about myself and Auntie Rosie now? It's her birthday today. I was thinking about her when I woke up and thought of writing about her until I was sidetracked by requests of photo editing from friends. In the afternoon, I smelled orchids, lots of orchids! The fragrance wafted from our dining room to the living room and to the kitchen. I went out of our front door to check where the fragrance came from. There was nothing outside of our door. I checked at the patio, no fragrance there. Wohooo, I remember this kind of fragrance. The same fragrance, same smell of flowers at Nanay's birthday last February 7. Nanay and Auntie Rosie are sisters, and yes, they are both dead now. I know they are resting in peace, probably tending a garden and smelling the flowers too.

I love you 'Nay, 'Tay and Auntie Rosie. Tell Auntie Charing and Lola and other beloved relatives, they are so loved and sorely missed.

Tagaytay

2010-02-06T17:40:00.000-08:00

Tagaytay is towards the south of Manila, famous for its cool climate and beautiful view of Taal lake and Taal volcano.
General Information about Tagaytay:
(http://www.tagaytay.com/info.htm)
Tagaytay City (population 16,322) is about 60 km / 37 miles south of Manila in the mountains of Cavite Province. Tagaytay is a city of scenic contrasts .Wildflowers line paved winding roads, panoramic views of the Taal Volcano nestled in Taal Lake, and orchards of fresh home grown fruits, all amidst modern convenient facilities and amenities including the Casino Filipino Tagaytay.

Tagaytay is home to Taal Volcano, which is reputed to be the world's smallest and yet most active. It stands on its own island amid a landscape of ash and cinder. The breathtaking views of Taal volcano and Lake is a MUST SEE for everyone visiting Asia. It is truly a once in a life time experience and we recommend a visit in the strongest possible way.

Tagaytay, considered as the country's second summer capital because of its crisp and cool climate all year around, is a treasure box of pleasure points in by itself. At nightfall, one sees the lake sparkle with the pinpoint lights of fishing boats. It is a perfect picnic spot.

Tagaytay, however, is more than a picnic haunt. The place has given rise to many congregational houses and retreat centers. It is also conductive to spiritual meditation, that is earned yet another title for being the "Center of Spiritual Retreat."

Tagaytay City, located 2,500 feet above sea level enjoys a cool and invigorating climate characterized by a relatively low temperature, low humidity, and abundant rainfall. Average temperature is 22.7 degrees Celsius. For this reason, Tagaytay with its cool weather, balmy winds and foggy mists is called the "second summer capital" of the country after Baguio City.

Taal lake and Taal volcano as viewed from Tagaytay.

It is also famous for its organic gardens. In many of these gardens, computerized irrigation is used.

Flowers are colorful. Many of the suppliers of flowers in Metro Manila come from Tagaytay. The cool climate in Tagaytay is very conducive to growing of flowers.

Burst of colors!

We went in a zoo, they have leopards, deer, monkeys, gorillas, donkeys, turtles, etc. and snakes.

We went around a flower garden. We were the only visitors that day. We bought a pot of basil and I tried to grow more of them but after enjoying spaghetti with pesto sauce (basil and cheese with olive oil) for several weeks, my basil 'plantation' dried when we traveled again and no one watered the plants. Below is a plant of round peppers. I guess this is a better plant to 'farm'.

Aside from the view, cool climate, flowers and vegetables, Tagaytay is also famous for it's beef. Many claim that meat from Tagaytay is tastier than any other places in the Philippines. Also, Muslims and Jews alike will be happy to know that they slaughter the animals in a kosher way, painless (almost) death.

I'd like to go back to enjoy again a delicious cup of coffee overlooking the beautiful view of Taal Lake.

Cacupangan Cave, Our Anniversary Fave

2009-12-17T17:22:00.000-08:00

Do you like caves? I am so in love with caves, I feel that I was a mermaid once and I get energized just going inside the cave.......NOT! But my sweetheart loves caves. We go to Pampanga and there, he looks for caves. We go to Baguio, and he asks around where the caves are. We went to Kota Kinabalu, and what does he look for, yes, caves. And yes, he looked for caves in Las Vegas too, and the likely place he went was the underground drainage with giant squarish pipe-like 'caves' hehehe! That was an unforgettable experience for him too, but we got to stick to our blog title for now. I knew he was cave deprived so I helped him find a good cave. We celebrated our wedding anniversary by exploring caves. Yes, we explored some itsy weeny small caves before we decided to consult the internet and voila, there are actually more caves to explore! We went to the longest ever cave in the Philippines, the Cacupangan cave.

Where is Cacupangan cave? It is in the town of Mabini, about 11 kilometers from the busy town of Alaminos, Pangasinan, Philippines. From the highway, it is 5 kilometers to the cave. The sign, Cacupangan Cave from the highway is so small, so be on the lookout. If you're coming from Alaminos, look to your left. You will also see the sign just before you pass the cemetery. You have to turn left in the upward cemetery road. The road is of rough gravel, I was afraid our small car would get bounced out of the road. After about 1.6 kilometer of this road, turn left for more gravel road, about 1.4 kilometers more. You are now in Barrio Benmachia. You will see a gate at the entrance with entrance prices. We arrived at the place at about 10 AM, on a weekday. I guess this was early so no one was at the gate, although it was open. We went inside with our car and parked near the cave entrance. We found a young woman there and asked her if she could be our cave tour guide.

Her name is Nancy and she knew the insides of the cave like the back of her hand. She did not have flash lights, she wore flip plops, did not speak much English, but she got us through the cave. It is necessary that you have a guide as some parts of the cave are pitch black, although some parts have skylights through the holes of the cave. There are also several entrances that may confuse you and later you might wonder where your car is parked because you went out the wrong entrance and ended up in the 'wrong' barrio. People are friendly, though, and everyone would be applying as your tour guide.
Things to bring when exploring caves:
1) Strong head flashlights submersible too, as there are parts in the cave that are 7 ft. deep.
2) Water for drink.
3) Comfortable shoes or sandals. Your feet will get wet. Some opt for flip plops if they don't like walking in wet rubber shoes. Choose footwear which allows your feet to 'grasp' the wet stones as you walk.
4) hat if you don't like your hair to get wet while walking. There are parts of the cave which leaks water
5) Wear a swim suit if you're inclined to swim across the water instead of walking at the sides nearest the cave walls.

The cave is long. The cave’s opening is at N16 deg. 03.261 E119 deg. 57.464. Don''t ask me what those mean, I am not a cave enthusiast. As usual in all the caves, there are stalagmites, stalactites, bats and guanos. I found out later, there are also snakes, eels, and other not so cute insects, whew!
According to Nancy, our guide, it would take approximately three hours to reach the end of the cave at Barrio Villacorte. Reaching the end, many people like to go back as the path is relative easier, downward instead of a bit of upward climb from Barrio Benmachia. The cave became more popular when a TV series about a mermaid, starred by the local actress, Claudine Barretto, was shot from the nearby Hundred Islands. Some parts of the cave was used as the home of the monster who is the mermaid's arch enemy. There is even a sign "Don't enter beyond thips point', inside the cave. Of course we did not heed it. I guess that sign is a warning for the TV crew, as going beyond that line, the water is seven feet deep. It was an adventure for us. My sweetheart would like to go back, with a bigger submersible flashlight and camping gears. Yes, Pricilla, we would be staying there overnight.

I hope I will be able to find my new close friend, Nancy when we go back there. Hayyy, of course I would go cave hiking with my sweeetheart. I could enjoy some novelty, like swimming inside the cave. Who knows, the bats' guanos might give me superhuman power, make me forever young, etc.

Visit these sites for more info:
http://www.treasuresofbolinao.com/day-tripping/mabini.html

Viva Las Vegas

2009-11-22T23:57:00.000-08:00

While we were in Las Vegas, we rented this Toyota Yaris car.

Going down our hotel, Binions, this is the view. Is that an Asian woman at the right side?

On our 2nd day, Mike treated us to a buffet lunch at the Palace Station.

Dave calls this monstrosity.

Every day, every night it's tour time for Dave and me.

This is on on our way to the comedy show.

Dave's favorite hangout - comedy shows.

As you could see from my red face, I was drunk. The three of us went for a roller coaster ride, the Desperado. My lungs got tired from screaming. The two young Americans who arrived earlier than us were thrilled to see me ride with them, the only rose among the thorns. They gave me the thumbs up sign, but I could see the glint in their eyes. Yeah, yeah, later I found out it's the thrilll of their life to be screaming of exhiliration. I was screaming of fright and exhiliration too, hehehe.

Every night, there's a play of light.

This is the view from our hotel at night.

And this is the view at dusk.

I so enjoyed times with Mike and his wife, Nancy

They are so sweet together, and they make delicious food!

Richard is a character.

Richard, our redhead friend brought us to an art show. Sorry, can't post more pics about it as picture taking is prohibited at the gallery. The paintings - modern, op art, impressionistic, etc. were all in the 3-storey building. The viewers are mostly artists, and some are just art enthusiasts like me :) The art viewers were art in themselves - they came in all kinds of "costumes" - Gothic, sexy, punkish, old fashioned metallic or casual just like us. I enjoyed some finger foods - Mediterranean style - hummus in pita bread, olives, cheese and crackers and some were able to swing wine. The greater adventure is that Richard's car conked out earlier and we had to push it. we meaning Dave, Mike, Richard and I. We were heaving and hooing until African American guy pushed it hard until the car started with Richard inside of the car of course. Wow, that guy smelled so good!

Love Las Vegas? Here's a good guide to max out your Las Vegas experience!

This review is from: The Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas 2011 (Unofficial Guides) (Paperback)

We'll be in Las Vegas in early November. We're staying at the MGM because of a conference. While we are Las Vegas veterans, we still need to keep up with all the new things that have taken place. We like to keep up with the best restaurants, and this book has provided some insight and what to expect. This book is very comprehensive, and I would recommend it to anyone, whether you're a veteran of Las Vegas or you're a newbie. We'll be staying for about a week, and we're making lists of restaurants to try and places of interest, especially the shows. It's well worth the price.

Kota Kinabalu in the Tropical Island of Borneo

2009-11-05T02:48:00.000-08:00

Kota Kinabalu, a.k.a. KK or Api Api (fire), as fondly called by the natives, is in the northwest part of tropical Borneo. As you know, Borneo is owned by three countries - Indonesia, Brunei and Malaysia.

Long long time ago, when blogging was not yet fashionable, just like most of us, Borneans were not in the habit of recording their history. But according to relics found, as early as 640 AD, they had been doing business with the Chinese. The Chinese are very business-minded people, they probably traded Borneo's spices with Ciallis. Aside from spices, Borneo also has gold, camphor, horn bill ivory, tortoise shells, etc. A country like that with so much to offer attracted many ~~invaders~~ traders. Aside from the Chinese, others also came - the Spaniards, the Dutch, British, and the Americans. Kota Kinabalu was also called Jesselton before. Don't ask me why. I will not bore you with too much history and Geography. Admittedly I'm having nosebleed already, talking about history. No offense to Borneo, I love Borneo. The Philippines love Borneo, in fact we were claiming Sabah as ours. But that's another story. Wikipedia has a wealth of information about Borneo and Kota Kinabalu.

So we flew there through Air Asia, bless them for their promos.

We stayed in Summer Lodge. Dave had stayed there before and he likes the place. It's a backpackers' favorite. The room rates are reasonable; the staff, friendly and helpful. It's also in the center of the business area, walking distance to restaurants, hotels, parks, banks, malls, government offices.

It also offers free use of computers and internet, free breakfast from 7-9 AM, with TV in the communal dining room. One drawback, there's no bathroom and toilet in your own room, you have to share those with fellow guests. There are a number of them in each floor, though. We did not have to wait or line up to use any one of them.

Isn't this cute that you have to remove your slippers and put them on shoe racks before you go to common areas - cashier, dining table, living room, internet area.

In case you forget, there's a gentle reminder:

I like it too that smokers are not allowed in the main areas:

Speaking of cute, here's another:

The telephone is called helo? It figures......

Now to the great outdoor adventures:

1. Padas White Water Rafting

Summer Lodge made the reservation for us. We were fetched by the van at 7:00 AM. We then fetched other Padas enthusiasts in different hotels and proceeded to Tenom town where we had lunch. After lunch, the trolley ride to Pangi.

From Tenom town to Pangi is an unforgettable experience, navigating the railroad by trolley. The guy at the left is our "driver". You could guess how he uses the pole he's holding. He uses it like a paddle. Only one person could ride in trolley. A trolley is made of about six or seven thin boards of wood, some have holes on them too. It's about twenty kms. of travel through the trolley. It's upward climbing in some areas and downward in some, wherein the driver could rest and sit with the passenger. There were about seven trolleys for our group.

Upon reaching Padas River, we were offered light refreshment - sweet watermelon. We were briefed by our team leader, who liked to be called Spiderman, from the River Junkies group. He was funny, strong and good-looking. I later learned that he is one of the grandchildren of the Sultan of Brunei.

Padas white water rafting which costs MYR170 per person including lunch, is the ultimate in white water rafting. It is classed as III - IV river, whatever that means. There is another one in KK, the Kiolu River White Water rafting where you could go at half the price of Padas. Many fellow tourists from the U.S., Europe and neighboring Asian countries attest that Padas is not surpassed by any other white water rafting places. The water in Padas river is brown and muddy. It's clean though. Dave was concerned that because the river water is brown, it could be dirty and there might be so many malaria-carrying mosquitoes. Not so, the river is so volatile for the mosquitoes to stay and produce eggs. Be afraid of crocodiles and cobras, although we did not see any.

We were seven in a boat, and there's also another couple with us from Netherlands. Padas river rafting takes about three hours, one way. It is 200 kms. in length and holds seven exciting rapids. I was so scared and excited, I didn't like to go, but I don't like to be left alone in the village. The trip is A to B; the group will not be going back to the village.

The locals named the rapids:

Headhunter rapids

Scooby doo

Cobra Point

Lambada

Breakpoint

Curve

Merry-go-round

You could guess why they are named as such. Like at the Merry-go-round, our raft went round and round until Dave was thrown out of the boat. He said it took a split second to be thrown out, he was paddling like a macho darling that he is, next thing, he's on the water with his paddle thrown away too. Of course we rescued him and went back to get his paddle too. Our team leader always warned us whenever we're nearing one of the rapids.

"Watch out, we're approaching Cobra Point. There are cobras on this area, so be very careful not to get thrown out!" or

"We're approaching Lambada, the waves which are bigger and higher than Summer Lodge, will be swallowing us". That's super adrenalin rush for you, so we paddled like our life depended on it. It actually did.

To make the short story long, the husbands were all thrown out of the boat, so we wives raised our paddles to cheer, "Yayyy to women power!!!"

One other boat, full of young and goofy Koreans, capsized. They intentionally had their boat spinning by paddling in all directions. Fun, fun, fun......

Our team leader informed us, "Chances that you'd be thrown out of the boat or your boat will capsize is 50-50, and the first thing you do after this happens, is to smile, keep afloat, don't lose your helmet, and be assured that Spiderman will rescue all of you". Ain't he neat.

Going back, we rode in an antique train, circa 1800s and enjoyed the flora and fauna of the mountain we passed by with fellow passengers.

2. Poring Hot Spring

As the name suggests, it boasts of hot spring water:

One could share the hot spring water on the pool or you could soak in a bath tub alone or with your companion. In the picture below, father and son:

There is another cool place to go inside the Poring Hot springs Resort. Their canopy walk, 41 meters high, 158.7 meters long, is a real chill. In fact the Norwagian couple who were with us puked when they reached the other end.

Dave, the daring one, even shook the canopy his hands free!

Inside Poring Hot Springs, if you go upward, there is waterfalls.

We went there for the view and to cool our feet. Curiously, Dave felt something nibbling at his feet! Looking down he saw a number of small fish eating away dead skins of his feet. This is a new thing in trendy spas. You pay a high price for the fish to nibble at your feet's dead skin, and here it is free.
4. Butterfly farm
Dave does not ever get tired of butterfly farms, even when we went to hundreds of them before - in Tagaytay, in Baguio. He had to see the butterflies, because they were there.

3. Tour to see Rafflasia

We were about to go to another spot, when the guide asked if we're interested to see a very unique flower. Dave, a connoisieur of flowers, readily agreed. Rafflasia, we were told is the largest and the stinkiest flower ever.
At its full bloom, it's bigger than your toilet bowl, and it closely resembles one. After seven days it will be rotting and it would smell like shit.

5. Monsopiad Cultural Village, also called the Head Hunter's Village
Coming inside, you are given rice wine for a welcome drink. They served the best rice wine, promise.

The tour guide, Crystal related how rice wine is made with the implements below.

These are the ingredients: rice, ginger, pepper (!), yeast. the best tip she gave is: While making the rice wine, think only of beautiful and pleasant thoughts. lest your rice wine become bitter. If it does, you could use it as a vinegar.

Above is a bamboo bridge inside the Monsopiad Cultural village.

They have a cultural presentation inside their auditorium. Dancers tell stories with their dances. They even had me dancing with them on stage. Their dances resemble Filipino folk dances, especially Tinikling where they use two big bamboo sticks and you have to skip in between the sticks, being careful that you you're quick enough to take out your feet as the other two dancers will do their best to snap at your feet. Of course, while dancing and worrying about your feet, you have to appear joyful and be graceful too.

We posed with the dancers. Yeah, it's blurred...don't blame me, it was not me who took this picture!

Why is Monsopiad Cultural Village also called the Headhunter's Village? Here we go again with history. Just ask Crystal, our tourist guide.

Okay, if I remember right, 300 years ago, there was a brave warrior named Monsopiad, who defended his village from robbers and invaders by cutting their heads with sword. To show the villagers how brave he was and to also warn other thieves, he'd hung all the heads in front of his house. The birds ate all of the meat until only the skulls were left. He then brought the skulls home to hang from his ceiling, making the spirit of the dead his own relatives. He prayed to these spirits to protect him and his family and to bring him luck. Below are some of the skulls.

6. Lok Kawi Wildlife Park

This is a 70-hectare park, also known as Lok Kawi Zoo. Their aviary is fantastic, their monkeys which they call proboscis, have high nose. I told Dave, this is a Caucasian monkey, he looks just like you. You will find all kinds of exotic animals there, like the elephants below. There are also zebra, giraffes, tigers, lions, etc. Enough now, lest I remember how the zoo stinks, even though it looked clean.

The aim of this park is to have the people realize that they must preserve the endangered animals, and to treat the animals right, not to cramp them is small places like cage. True enough, the animals there were fooled that they are in their own natural habitat. The place is so BIG, it takes time for you to look where the sound of the turkeys or pigs come from. The government spent RM30 million to fool these animals.

They also have botanical garden inside.

Time to go home, I am getting tired.

In an attempt to make small talk with our driver, Dave asked him how long Kota Kinabalu had been independent; how many local rulers or presidents have they had now; what percentage of accidents happens in the street we're plying now.....to which the driver reacted by scratching his head. I glared at my husband and whispered, "Stop giving him quizzes, would you like us to be a part of accident statistics"?

Aside from enjoying the food in KK (I always enjoy food wherever I am, and please don't look for food pictures because I always devoured them in less than 10 minutes......then I realize I should have taken pictures first!), the fun part is ---shopping!

Their market is clean.

Many of their food is just like Filipino, but prepared in a different way.

I love so many things in KK, so even at the airport, I bought more goodies.

We are definitely going back to Kota Kinabalu.

As Promised, Happy Halloween Everyone

2009-10-30T21:35:00.000-07:00

As promised on the flipside of this blog, here is Valentina:

Valentina or snake woman is the arch enemy of Darna. Darna is a popular TV series now, played by Marian Rivera. The number one villain, Valentina, used to be her childhood best friend. Valentina is played by Iwa Moto. Several other local actresses played Valentina before - Alessandra de Rossi, Celia Rodriguez, Pilar Pilapil, and Pilita Corales.

Doesn't it sound familiar, your best friend could be your worst enemy.
See useful websites where I got these info: http://marsravelodarna.tripod.com/id1.html and

here

Once thought of as the daughter of a farmer named Mulong and his wife- Ising, Narda is really the biological daughter of Mulong's Half-Sister, Prospera and her true love- Rafael.

When Prospera was pregnant with Narda she discovered a space craft that had crashed on her land one fateful evening. As she approached the craft, a dying alien (An Anomalkan) emerged and transported the seed within the alien's belly into the already pregnant Prospera.

The Anomalkan fled to earth in the hope of escaping the massacare of infants ordered by Queen Braguda of the Anomalka race.

Braguda's rampage was in response to a prophecy that predicted her death one day at the hands of another Anomalkan. To prevent the prohecy from coming to pass,

Braguda ordered the slaughter of all Anomalkan infants that could oppose her one day. But one Anomalkan managed to escape the planet Marte and in doing so crash landed on Earth- a planet that could not sustain Anomalkans.

To help bring about the fulfilment of the prophecy, the fugitive Anomalkan transfered the seed of life growing within by using a bizarre form of teleportation and somehow bonded it to the womb of an Earth female named Prospera. Under its new host, the

Anomalkan infant would stand a better chance of surviving in Earth's atmosphere since it would turn out to be a hybrid of the 2 bloodlines.

After being made into a host for the alien seed, Prospera now carried 2 babies- one completely human (a product of her relationship with Rafael) and the other- a monstrous Anomalkan humanoid.

When Prospera gave birth, she discovered her human child to be perfectly normal and horrified at her alien one. Prospera carried her alien child to the spaceship in the hopes of killing it there but when the child suddenly shapeshifted to resemble a normal Earth-child, Prospera took it back home.

When she returned, her normal baby had disappeared. (who unknown to her was stolen by her brother Mulong to replace his wife's own baby who died in birth). Prospera who planned to name her human child "Valentina" now gave this name to her alien baby.

Mulong named the baby he stole "Narda" after the true Baby Narda who had died and had been replaced. Narda would discover her true origin years later after she defeats Braguda and thwart the Anomalkan invasion.

Darna fans, is this the Darna version of Angel Locsin or Marian Rivera? I seldom watch Darna and I am not sure if they are following this script.

Dear gentle reader, what costume are you donning this Halloween?

Cambodia

2009-10-22T05:49:00.000-07:00

The Khmer civilization centered on Angkor was one of he most remarkable to flourish in Southeast Asia. Between the 8th and the 13th centuries, a succession of Hindu ad Buddhist kings created magnificent temples in stone. Their elaborate carvings and intricate architecture amazed the first Europeans who visited in the 19th cetury and continue to fascinate today, when after many years of political turmoil, Angkor is again accessible.

(Ancient Angkor by Michael Freeman)

This site has ofers a good summary of Cambodia's history:

http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/cambodia/pro-history.htm

Cambodia has soft spot in my heart, it was one of our honeymoon destinations.

Dave was curious about Angkor Thom, the location of the Indiana Jones movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Too many temples to climb, too little time.

Monks's offerings

Cambodia is especially photogenic in the early morning with the mist rising from the river and the mountains.

Preah Kan, Banteay Kdei Temple

So many old and big trees, some roots on the walls too. It's like the temple is "swallowed" by big trees. Fellow tourists taking a rest posed for us.

Apsaras

Fresh fruits and vegetables are plentiful. Khmer food is delicious.

Our driver/tour guide (above center) related to us how during in Pol Pot's time he was forced to work, child labor, as he was only about nine years old. Sometimes he pretended he was sick. He placed garlic on his armpit to raise his temperature so that when somebody touched his forehead, it would seem he had a fever and he would be sent to the hospital. Later, he decided against doing it, he witnessed too much pain from the sick and the dying.

It was scary for me to see Dave climb the temple wall. I am definitely not into "wall climbing", especially ancient temple walls.

Sunset is lovely in Cambodia, and lovelier if you have someone to share it with you. And talking about sharing, coming from Pattaya, we rode in a van together with seven other tourists. In front of our seat, the first one to board the van, was a short man in 60s, traveling with his young Asian companion. Dave said, "Hi, how are you doing?" He was ignored. Dave the persistent one, started small talk about the van, about the hotel. No reaction. So Dave asked, "From what country are you?" the man mumbled something. Dave said, "Pardon me," to which the man irritably and more audibly answered, "France, you know, Eiffel Tower..." Dave shot back, "Never heard of it". End of conversation. It's true what they say in a survey, the most gracious of tourists are the Japanese - they smile, they tip well, they are courteous and respectful. And do you know who the worst tourists are?

We made friends eventually with other tourists as more people boarded the van, one of whom was Leif from Sweden. He offered to photocopy his Cambodia travel guide (downloaded from the internet) for us. He was so nice we went with him, we took the same hotel that he booked from internet before he left for Cambodia. We discovered new restaurants in Seam Reap, we both enjoyed swimming at our hotel pool in Freedom Hotel.. I think we made a friend for a lifetime. Early this year he visited us here in the Philippines, and we have an offer to visit and stay in his house in Sweden. We communicate to each other regularly.

Above picture, Leif, Dave and I tried a restaurant.

While we were shopping in a grocery store in Seam Reap, some of the store clerks were watching a TV soap opera. I was curious how their TV stars look like. Lo and behold, he looked like our Philippine movie star, Piolo Pascual. I watched more, and the actress looked like Judy Ann Santos. Holy guacamole, they speak Khmer language! I went to one of Piolo Pascual's Multiply site (http://piolopascualadiks.multiply.com/?replies_read=1295) and congratulated him for it. Later, I heard from the buzz that Piolo went to Seam Reap, Cambodia :)

While in a park in Seam Reap, a girl vendor tried to sell me some bracelets. I was resting my feet while Dave was taking pictures. I am not a bracelet person so I did not buy. The girl vendor asked me where I was from, if I have daughters, etc. We chit chatted for a while until her mother called her. Before she left she gave a one of her bracelets. I declined...a little shy that I did not buy anything from her, and I didn't have my wallet with me, it was inside the camera bag that Dave was carrying. She insisted that I take the bracelet, then off she ran to her mom.

Charming Cambodia, one day we will come back to you.

Here's a reliable guide to Cambodia, it's a great book! This review is from: The Rough Guide to Cambodia 3 (Rough Guide Travel Guides) (Paperback) In January I crisscrossed Cambodia for four weeks. The two guides I took were Lonely Planet and Rough Guide. Both are worthy guides. This guide was at its best when it came to Siem Reap/Angkor Watt. Its coverage of Angkor Watt and the multitude of other temples is excellent. Both guides will give you a great orientation of Cambodia. They will point you to the best sights to see, but Rough Guide gives you a better understanding of the history, religion and culture of this country. It has good maps, reliable recommendations of what to see and do, a good history/religion section and a very good 'recommended books' section. By Allan M. Gathercoal, "fdoamerica" (Norcross, GA)

I'm So Cheesy!

2009-10-22T03:39:00.000-07:00

This song is my lullaby song from my father, since I was 0 years old up until I was 4 years old, when I could persuade him that I need him singing so I could sleep. When I was 5 years old, my younger sister, Jo, was delivered by a stork, oh actually I saw how Nanay delivered her with the help of a local midwife..... and so ended my "babyhood". My Tatay (father) is in heaven now with Nanay (Mother). I feel that it is so apt to dedicate this song to my husband, who had been traveling far and wide to follow where his boredom leads him; not particularly to look for his life partner, although he used to chase girls in cruise ships when he was single (I hope he does not read this, hehehe).

Around the world I’ve searched for you
I traveled on when hope was gone to keep a rendezvous.
I knew somewhere, sometime, somehow,
you’d look at me and I would see the smile you’re smiling now.
It might have been in County Down,
or in New York, in Gay Paris, or even London Town.
No more will I go all around the world,
for I have found my world in you.
Around the World Music and Lyrics by Victor Young and Harold Adamson

When my two daughters were still babies, I hardly had time for them. I was the only breadwinner, and I had to work doubly to keep body and soul together. With my eldest, I had to work overtime on weekdays, weekends, take pictures, like a "hunter" photographer during social events in an international organization, The Bank, where I used to work, and sell them during lunch breaks. With my youngest, having resigned from this The Bank, and doing freelance photography, I had to work harder and longer hours. I so miss them while at work, I miss their baby "milestones". The worst was when I went out of the country to work in the middle east (five years). I cried myself to sleep for one month that people thought I had pink eye or conjunctivitis. This poem says it all:

As the tears fall down my face,

Without her I am so out of place.

As my chest tightens,

And my dreams frighten.

I can't breathe the air,

She doesn't know how much I care.

I love her so much I love her so dear,

I love her with every little tear.

Without her I can not bear,

Without her it is not fair.
She is my reason for living this long,
She is the reason I try to be strong.
I try to keep the hurt inside,
But it is too hard to hide.
I am lonely without her in my arms,
I want to keep her from all harm.
She is my little baby that I miss so much,
I miss her soft little touch.
Her little hand holding mine,
How it stops the moment and time.
Her little smile when looking at me,
Her little voice saying mommy, look, you see?
Her little giggle makes my heart skip a beat,
Her love for me lifts me to my feet.
She has been sent to me from above,
She is the only thing I need in love.
Soon enough I hold her next to me,
Soon enough her and I can be.
Jillian by Brooke A. Tippen @ Family Friend Poems

Friends, what are we without friends. No matter what they say about friendship, I am defined by my friends. It's hard to live without friends. I survived many life crises because of friends. Thank you friends, for being there. God bless you.
That's What Friends Are for Lyrics by Stevie Wonder, Sang by Gladys Knight. Dionne Warwick, Elton John

And I never thought I'd feel this way

And as far as I'm concerned

I'm glad I got the chance to say

That I do believe I love you

And if I should ever go away

Well, then close your eyes and try to feel

The way we do today

And then if you can remember

Keep smilin', keep shinin'

Knowin' you can always count on me, for sure

That's what friends are for

For good times and bad times

I'll be on your side forever more

That's what friends are for

Well, you came and opened me

And now there's so much more I see

And so by the way I thank you

Whoa, and then for the times when we're apart

Well, then close your eyes and know

These words are comin' from my heart

And then if you can remember, oh

Keep smiling, keep shining

Knowing you can always count on me, for sure

That's what friends are for

In good times, in bad times

I'll be on your side forever more

Oh, that's what friends are for

Would you like to make your children happier, more appreciative of their gifts and God's blessings? This book is for you:
Even when economic times are tight, our children enjoy an abundance of material possessions. Yet, amidst all this wealth, discontentment and competition seem to be on the rise. Instead of teaching children virtues such as gratefulness and patience, many parents are bending over backwards to get their children the latest and greatest item - or feeling guilty when they can't. With the currents of materialism and entitlement flowing so strong, how do we raise kids who are simply thankful?

With simple language, interesting anecdotes, and biblical applications, Susie Larson helps readers understand that although teaching perspective and gratitude to our children is critical, it is not difficult.