grenade

Personally, I much prefer music from the 60's and the 70's. I remember my Tatay playing his records on full blast to get me and my siblings up and out of bed for school. The Beach Boys, The Beatles, the Carpenters, Abba, Elvis and some of the artists of Motown served as our alarm clock each morning. Their incredible songs were a great start to my day. Eventually, I got acquainted to Johnny Cash, The Who, Billy Joel, Elton John and other amazing artists from that era.

Which is why I don't really know much about today's music. Most of the artists now, I don't get. I even asked Ketty, "Why is everyone gaga over Gaga?". But this is not a critique on contemporary sound. You see, I don't even have a radio in my flat. Never had one since I moved to the UK and I've stopped watching MTV for almost a decade now. Everything changed when I started my not-so-new-job in London. They play FM in the office. And now, I know the Top 40.

There's one particular song that caught my ear at the moment. The funny thing is, this tune ain't exactly new. I learned today it was released in November last year. Anyway, Grenade by Bruno Mars is one heck of a song. Full of melancholic melody and its lyrics brimming with angst and despondency, the song is brilliantly composed. And to make it even more hauntingly poignant, the half-Pinoy(!) kills it with stunning vocals.

15 books

My cousins Lala and Rain and my very bright inaanak, Yuan, tagged me on Facebook. Yes, I'm on Facebook and whilst I'm a wee bit disappointed with myself for signing up, I take pride in the fact that I only have 58 friends (more than half is actually family) compared to others who has thousands of random strangers whom they refer to as "friends". Being popular was never really a childhood dream. Eating a whole lechon with the crispiest skin and not having to worry about cholesterol and hypertension, now that's a serious head trip.

But I digress, here are the rules of the game.

Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you've read that will always stick with you. List the first fifteen you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes. Tag fifteen friends, including me, because I'm interested in seeing what books my friends choose. (To do this, go to your Notes tab on your profile page, paste rules in a new note, cast your 15 picks, and tag people in the note.)

1. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

2. The Rosales Saga by F. Sionil Jose

3. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

4. The Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling

5. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

6. A History of Violence by John Wagner

7. Hope for the Flowers by Trina Paulus

8. The Books of Abarat by Clive Barker

9. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

10. The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

11. Girlfriend in a Coma by Doulas Coupland

12. Amsterdam by Ian McEwan

13. High Fidelity by Nick Hornby

14. America is in the Heart by Carlos Bulosan

15. The Stranger by Albert Camus

patalastas

If you're thinking of going to a place you've never been before, you know, for an exciting adventure, make Sablayan your destination. "Seated at the heart of Occidental Mindoro, this first class municipality is endowed with nature’s blessings making us the province’ top destination of local and foreign tourists."

Don't worry about the accommodation because I have the perfect place in mind for you to stay in whilst you are there. La Sofia Appartelle is your home away from home.

La Sofia, named after my maternal grandmother is our ancestral home. After my lola's death more than a decade ago, my mother with her siblings, being the enterprising Batangueños that they are, decided to convert the house into a lodging facility. There are 18 budget friendly rooms available (single, double and family) and most of them are fitted with air conditioners. A stay in cook is also at hand to cater to guests' dining requirements. It is also located in a prime spot and is only minutes away to pretty much everything including the market, church, hospital, schools, museum, tennis court, the hills, tropical virgin forest, a cave and most specially the beach. The beach is the South China sea no less!

Should you decide to stay there, please keep this in mind: Credit is good but we need cash.

For details of your Sablayan adventure, please click here.

amana

There's no denying summer is here in this part of the world. My adoptive country has been experiencing hot warm weather the last couple of days and and everyone's in high spirits. And although the UK is an archipelago, it doesn't really have the great beaches where one can swim in because the water's still cold even if the temperatures are high.

Hot temperature reminds me of home and the water. Let me take you down memory lane as I reminisce my visit, with the missus' family, to the Amana Water Park in Bulacan exactly 1 year ago today.

Tagaytay Cottages

Baler Cottages

Iron Guard

The biggest wave pool in the Philippines.

Calm water

rainforest cafe

My cousin Lala is blogging again. The other day, she ym'ed me, "palitan mo link ng blog ko, bago na. Sikat ka. "

I should've known. My family is nuts. Thanks to her, from hereon, I am now known as the "pinakamatakaw" in the family. No, she didn't actually say that. She just gave me a little push to admit the truth. I have the biggest appetite in the family and that's a little bit scary.

Anyway, since we are on the subject of food, let me tell you about the Rainforest Cafe in London Trocadero.


Two weeks ago when the team went to London for a Christmas/team-building, we had lunch at this tourist infested dining place. My boss just had a baby a few months ago which probably explains why she picked this distinctive jungle themed venue offering quick bites amongst alligators and tropical fish.


The restaurant was packed, with kids! And for good reason because there were monkeys and a gorilla hanging from the ceiling and an elephant waiting at the entrance.


None of us ordered any appetizers because we were pressed for time. We only had over an hour before the show.

I ordered the Primitive Roasted Lamb Shank.


Clearly, I wasn't the customer they had in mind. The garlic infused basil oil, with balsamic & red wine sauces was nice and the lamb itself was tender and adequately seasoned but did you notice the size of the serving? In the end, it felt like I had just eaten an appetizer.

This is my problem when going to restaurants that serve ala carte food. Most of the time, I leave these establishments, wanting. They say to truly appreciate the food, one must consume it slowly. By doing so, a person can savor the flavors and appreciate the essence of the dishes. You see, I don't do that. Remember the Sprite motto- obey your thist? I, fulfill my hunger. Nagpapakatotoo lang, brothers and sisters.

That's why I love buffets. But going back to the Rainforest Cafe, the verdict: great for kids, definitely NOT for Kiko.

black saturday

On Saturday, 26th of September 2009, the Philippines was hit by torrential rains that resulted in massive and fatal floods. Almost 17 inches of rain fell in 12 hours on Saturday, more than the average for the entire month of September. The waters rose to more than 20ft within a few hours.

The photo was taken by my brother at the condo complex he lives in Manila. My siblings were marooned for almost 24 hours with no water and electricity; they got off easy.

I am overwhelmed with sadness when I see pictures and watch videos of the aftermath of the storm. When Ketty sent me the message last Saturday, I really didn't pay much attention to it because the Philippines get at least 20 typhoons a year and Manila isn't exactly a stranger to flooding.

No one will ever be prepared to a disaster of this magnitude. It is futile to start pointing fingers and play blaming game at this point. But it will also be foolish to forget that there was an inadequate and inept response from the government.

I am sending my prayers to those who lost anything and everything. It's hard to imagine what you must've been going through. I pray for strength to help you get back on your feet. This too shall pass.

Prayers and a few quid to spare are the best I can do for now.

If you want to help, please click here. If overseas and would also like to make a donation, online contibutions can be made through Kapuso Foundation and ABS CBN Sagip Kapamilya.

Corazon C. Aquino (1933-2009)

The news of her death, although expected, still brought a shock. Former president of my beloved country, Corazon C. Aquino, passed away early this morning.

A couple of my working hours were spent on the internet reading obituaries from different international news websites. I felt a deep sadness and great loss as I read tributes from around the world. To them, she was an icon. To the Filipinos, she was the symbol of hope. Her quiet grace and extraordinary courage was an inspiration for most of us.

I was too young to understand what was happening in 1986; the People Power revolution that led to the overthrow of Ferdinand Marcos and the end of his authoritarian rule. At 6 years old, I asked my tatay who the lady in yellow was when I saw a poster outside my lolo's house. Tatay replied, "she is the face of Good".

From then on, for me, Cory Aquino represented everything that is good, honest and decent in the Filipino people. Her term as president may not have lived up to the promise of her bloodless revolution but she made numerous sacrifices for the restoration of democracy in the Philippines and unending fight against tyranny.

Maraming salamat sa biyaya ng Kalayaan.

chapter 3: on the third day, we climbed again

Here's the last part of the buhol-bohol trilogy.

Because of a heavy downpour when we visited Bohol's most popular attraction on the first day of the tour, we decided to go back to the Chocolate Hills again some other time. And so on our last day, that was what we did. Just after 8 am, a coach picked us up and once again journeyed to Carmen, the site of what most describe as one of the World's Geological Wonders.

The Chocolate Hills is a sight to behold. Spread across 50 sq kilometers are some 1,200+ cone-shaped hills in the middle of Bohol Island. And just off Carmen's town center is the largest hill where an observation deck was built where tourists can gaze and marvel at the spectacular scenery. Here, all of us had a blast as we took the wackiest shots of ourselves as we jumped and posed against the hills as our backdrop.

Geologists have long debated about the formation of the hills, resulting in various ways the origin of the Chocolate Hills are stated or explained.

One legend has it that the Hills came about as two rival giants threw rocks and boulders at each other for days. Exhausted, the giants forgot about their meaningless conflict, became friends and left the island without cleaning up the mess they made. The hills are testimony of their great battle.

Another myth tells the story of Arogo, a young, powerful giant who fell in love with Aloya, a mortal girl. When she died, Arogo shed thousands of tears and when they dried up, they formed the Chocolate Hills.

As far as the eyes can see, the Chocolate Hills are not really made of chocolate, but they do look good enough to eat. But we didn't. Instead, we headed back to Tagbilaran and had a quick lunch at the Island City Mall before catching our plane back to the capital.

Our 3 day tour would've been stress free if not for the minor hitch at the airport. Our return flight to Manila via Cebu Pacific was scheduled to depart at 1355. At exactly, 1310 I was at the check in desk only to be told by the attendant that we were "late" for check-in and as consequence, one of us was bumped off the flight in favor of a chance passenger. Boy, did he piss me off.

Let me just say, I am not one to complain. Being in the service industry, I've had numerous experiences when I was yelled at and accosted to for doing my job. I know what it's like to be at the other side of desk. And so it really was hard for me to argue with that poor chap at the check in counter. My point was, they should've realised that as a group there was no way we'd let one of our party be left behind. Especially since the next flight was at least 24 hours away. And the fact that for the 15 of us it was immaterial that we were "late" because they still would accommodate us on the flight.

And the nerve of them lecturing us on time management when their plane wasn't even there when this was all happening. The plane landed in Tagbilaran almost 10 minutes after we were supposed to take off at 1405. Taking up the cudgels for the family, I, with Lorraine, argued with the entire ground staff of the airline. Ang aming dugong Batangueño ay nag-aalab, we held our ground. All for one, one for all, was our battle cry. And after more than 30 minutes of wrangling, the supervisor relented and let us all in to the flight.

Albeit short, our 3 day Boholiday was very memorable. We had lots of fun visiting beautiful places, eating the most delicous food and spending the most precious times together. Travelling with some of the people you love the most was truly fulfilling.

On to our next trip...

bohol day 2 round up

Our second day in Bohol started at the break of dawn. Four-friking-forty-five early! Dolphin-watching and island-hopping was the order of the day.


The spot where dolphins come out is at least a 45-minute boat ride from Panglao Island’s shores and we have to be there by early morning.


There were at least 2 dozens of them. The marine mammals were greeted by oohs and ahhs everytime they jumped out of the water.

Balicasag is an island off the coast of Panglao. It was a 15 minute boat ride from where we spotted the dolphins.

The island is a popular snorkelling and diving destination. More than half of us went swimming with the fishes in their sanctuary. The rest of us frolicked in the crystal clear waters of the Bohol sea.


Virgin Island is tiny crescent-shaped white sandbar island half an hour from Balicasag. It is postcard pretty and perfect for picture taking. Here, we took hundreds of photos and I'm sure when we left, it was not so virgin anymore.

The banana boat ride that my siblings and a cousin took. For 15 minutes and two taobs, we howled and laughed like there was no tomorrow.

The experience in one word is exhilarating!

For dinner, the family went to the Bohol Bee Farm. We were treated to another delicious meal. We sampled the (in)famous flower salad- with gumamela, bougainvilleas, katurays etc. It was surprisingly good. Or perhaps it was the dressing that made it really yummy. All the dishes served were honey-based and made made from organic ingredients. There was also a mango ice cream which, I shall proclaim, as the best ice cream in the world! It was weird because I don't like ripe mangoes, period. Yet, I abso-frickin-lutely loved it. The ice cream was creamy, smooth, subtly sweet and delightfully tart.

bohol-buhol

A Batangueño family is like panucha, sweet with a lot of nuts!

Together with only 14 members of my maternal family, the missus and I went on a three-day tour of Bohol. It was a trip that was planned for months and one that I was particularly excited about. You see, I was really bummed out that I couldn't join my parents and siblings on their trip last February, so I was mighty glad we were able to travel with them this time.

We had a wonderful time. For not only I enjoyed the scenery but I savoured my company. Douglas Coupland wrote a book entitled All Families are Psychotic and he could've been writing about us. We are insane! Funny insane. And I love them. Didn't they say insanity is hereditary and that people get it from their kids? Ha!

Anyway, we haven't even left Manila when chaos ensued. We travelled in two groups to the airport, the bagets and the forgets. But for some reason, Ketty and I found ourselves with the latter. We were in my parents' vehicle being driven by the driver to the wrong terminal! That got the other group worried. They were ahead of us and was already waiting at the the brand spanking new NAIA III. After a few minutes, we arrived at the terminal and went in immediately to check in.

At the counters, some of us had an issue with excess baggage. One of them was my Ninang who packed a blanket in her luggage! No wonder she was overweight (pun not intended). It elicited laughters from all of us.

Our plane to Tagbilaran was due to depart at 0825 but we didn't leave until an hour later because GMA was also scheduled to travel that morning. Talk about major nuisance.

After a flight of more than an hour, we arrived at the City of Friendship. We were welcomed by leis and were immediately ushered into a coaster. It was only when I heard a woman introduce herself as the tour guide did I realise that the tour was on its way. She went on to tell us facts about the province and the city which she deliverd proudly. Our first stop was the site of the blood compact between Sikatuna and Legazpi. It was a quick stop which only enabled us to take a few pictures.

We then travelled to the small town of Baclayon to visit its church. The Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception is the oldest in the province and one of the best preserved in the country. It has a museum which showcases centuries-old religious relics, artifacts and other antiquities. A 15 year-old lad who very much sounded like a 40 year old spinster showed us around. My cousin Rain gives an uncanny impression of him which amused my Ninang Emma no end.

We were informed by our guide that Boholanos are very religious and extremely conservative. Worldly matters and vices do not escape the vigilant eyes of the church and the clergy. There was even a strict dress code being implemented at the church.

Time flies when you're having fun and before we knew it, it was almost noon. Lunch, however, was an entirely different experience. We were treated to sumptous meal aboard a floating restaurant as we cruised the picturesque Loboc river. I've already told you how we eat, so it really shouldn't surprise you how the 16 of us killed the buffet table. There were at least a dozen dishes but the Adobong Kangkong, Fried Chicken, Pork Barbecue and Pancit Guisado, to me were the stand outs.

Because we took the boat from Loay, we travelled upstream. The whole trip lasted about an hour but none of us mind because we enjoyed the lush green landscape. Thousands of trees lined up the banks which covered any sign of civilisation. It was really an amazing way to commune with nature. Tip: Take the cruise from Loay town as the views are more scenic. And you will never see anything except,trees and more trees. Boats from Loboc, we were told, will pass by houses and establishments thus spoiling the view.

Somewhere along the river was a stop over where a group of Ati tribesmen entertained the tourists. These tribesmen has become a some sort of tourist attraction themselves as they perfomed, danced and posed for pictures. My Nanay must've been confused by the goings on around her when she thought they were a group of Indians. We were probably there for half an hour and it was time to go back.

A skip and a hop from the jetty was The Clarin Ancestral House. The 167 year old house is now a museum housing family collections that date back to the American period. I'm hugely fascinated by the bahay na bato and find the old Filipino heritage houses romantic. Ketty likes them too and we plan to build our own bahay na bato one day.

A visit to Bohol wouldn't be complete without the sighting of the cute tarsier. Although, we only saw a few, the big eyed little creature mesmerised us all. Ketty captured it in mid-wink.

It was then time to head to the world famous Chocolate Hills but not after we drove through the man made forest and brief visit to the butterfly sanctuary in Bilar town. My younger cousins, being teenaged girls couldn't contain their excitement when we entered the butterfly pavillion. I cannot, for the life of me, understand the allure of these insects to young girls.

As our coaster drove past stunning scenes of the Bohol countryside, we noticed dark clouds in the sky. The guide said this summer brought rains in Bohol particularly in the afternoon thus making the Chocolate Hills look not chocolate anymore. Minty-colored, one of us observed. When we arrived in Carmen, it began drizzling. For some reason, all of us still climbed the 250 and so steps to the viewing deck hoping that by the time we reach the top, the rain would've stopped. Was I wrong? For it poured really hard. Drenched, we all left disappointed. 10 minutes after we left, the skies cleared and the rain stopped. Instead of going back we decided to return in the morning of our last day.

Our drive to the resort in Panglao Island was long and it was already dark when we arrived. We were billeted at the Alonaland Resort. Here for two nights was our home away from home.

To be continued.....

my beautiful hometown

They say absence makes the heart go fonder. My recent trip to Sablayan reminded me how incredibly beautiful my hometown is. A fact I may have forgotten and taken for granted having lived away from it for almost 5 years. Thanks to Ketty, whose fresh eyes helped me rediscover it's natural beauty.

Here are a few shots taken from my beautiful hometown. I hope that my pictures have given it justice.

boodle fight

At least 30 cups of rice.

More than a dozen dishes.
One Family. My Family.


The battlefield.

This is where every member of the family launched a relentless attack on the food presented in front of us. We devoured and ravaged each plate leaving only a few portions only to be taken home as mementos of war. Ang takaw namin. hehehe.

h.h.w.w.

happy anniversary!!!

family matters

Apparently, my last entry drove some relatives to panic. Apologies for any anxiety attack I may have caused you. As I've said before, it wasn't that serious and I don't even think it's as bad as I try to make it out to be. I do know now that to us concerned and away from our families, even a normal fever is enough to make us sick with worry.

Anyway, everything'll be alright. Treatment is scheduled for Wednesday this week and we are all hoping for the best.

-----------------------

I realised that I haven't told you how my family's two country sojourn went.

Well, they had a blast! They all gushed at the sights they visited. They spent almost a day in Sentosa and had fun getting on the cable car. Tatay and Nanay were both amazed and amused by the Underwater World in Singapore. They went crazy when they saw hundreds of fishes. Pictures taken in Little India, Chinatown, Marina bay and the Esplanade and Orchard Road are currently displayed in my siblings' Friendster and Multiply accounts.

In Kuala Lumpur, I booked them at the Citrus hotel. Luckily, they were allocated rooms that had sweeping views of the city. The Petronas can be clearly seen from my parents room. At breakfast, my youngest sister told me, my parents raided the buffet table. The liked Malaysian food so much, they even had get some take out. I inherited my parents' huge appetite. And because I got it from both of them. Y'all can just imagine how big my appetite is.

They spent five days in total away from 'Pinas. When they got home, I got a message from Nanay saying, "Salamat sa tickets at hotel, nag enjoy kaming lahat. Super!"

I can't wait for the next family trip!

when life hits you a li'l harder ***

I guess you just have to stand up and say, "bring it on!"

I'm writing this for myself more than anything/anyone else. I believe there's always a sense of truth and wisdom to what's written. And because it's here staring at me in the eye, it can't go away (unless I delete this, of course) and can always bite me in the ass whenever I feel I'm falling off the tracks.

I've just received a not so good news from home. And although it's not really that serious, I couldn't just shake it off. It is my family after all. I know everything will be all right. I am absolutely certain this too shall pass. God is good and we trust Him. He understands our prayers even when words fail us. He listens even when we don't know what to say. As long as we believe and we keep the faith.

Yes, I'm talking to you.

I know you're probably still trying to make sense why this is happening to you. Again. Don't forget that you conquered it last time (You survived, didn't you?). And this may be a new and different challenge for you (for all of us) but together we are going to get through it. We are all behind you. I love you. Get better. Think positive and eat healthy. Be active and smile. It could be worse, you know? Most especially, thank God for life.

And yeah, don't worry too much. Just be prepared because sometimes you really just don't know what life's gonna hit you with.

***Thanks to rain for the title.

the mangyans go to singapore- town

My parents made their first ever overseas trip today via Clark to Singapore! With them are my two younger sisters (also travelling abroad for the first time) and my brother Nates, who (as he likes to point out) had already been to 8 countries in 3 continents.

My cousin Bads, is showing them around the Lion City until Monday night. She's been living it up there for almost a year now. This holiday came about sometime in December when she called my attention about the Cebu Pacific sale. It was a good deal and so I contacted my family about it. It's been my dream to send my parents abroad ever since my first venture outside the Philippines when I went to the States in 2002. I've been to a number of amazing places and discovered new wonders since. And whenever I experience something new, I sort of feel guilty because they're missing it. Most of the time, I don't get to enjoy it completely because a part of me wishes that I could share the moment with my loved ones. Finally, it's here! I would've felt much better if I paid for the whole trip, kaya lang, hindi naman ako milyonaryo. Hehe. I hope through this small gesture, I can say thank you for everything that they have given me. All the things that I am and have now wouldn't have been possible if not for their blessings and sacrifices. They have been so generous to me. And it's only right to pay them back. I know, there are still a million and one things that I owe them but, little by little, I promise to make it up.

Anyway, they'll also hit Kuala Lumpur this weekend. I can picture them all grinning widely against the Petronas Towers as backdrop. Sayang wala kami ni Ketty. It's okay, because we've had our share of trips and holidays. And there's always a next time. Come May, I'll be home again and I really hope that the plan to visit Bohol, titos and titas plus the entire cousinhood included, pushes through.

Have a grand time and enjoy! Love y'all.

gitara

I come from a musical family. All of us can sing. And by sing I don't mean just carry a tune. Our house is never quiet when we are home. Songs belted out occur sporadically. And the tunes range from Burt Bacarach to Britney Spears, Mariah Carey to April Boy Regino, and The Beach Boys to The APO. I enjoyed music so much, I even dreamed of playing an instrument.

My parents bought me two guitars. Once when I was 14 and the last time just before High School graduation. Both guitars ended up broken without me even learning how to play a single chord.

Whilst in Cebu, Ketty and I visited a guitar factory in Mactan Island. The name of which seemed to escape my memory. And with a camera in my hand, I started clicking away. By the way, I learned from one of the makers that they air dry the wood for 5 years before they use it to make a good product. I didn't think the process is painstaking and ardous at all.

Activate magazine mode.