Philippine Travel Notes

I asked why they were doing that. The answer was a simple “to make their product clean”! I asked if it was necessary. The reply was “yes, so customers won’t think they’re dirty”! Duh?! I asked what it was they were trying to remove. The explanation was “the white thing that cling to the squid”. I asked if those are molds. The now irritated response was “yes, but its normal”. Eh?! I wonder! If its normal, then why the extra effort to remove them? Do the dried pusit vendors over at the markets also do the same? To the tons of such product they sell each week?! I wonder hehe. Anyway, my lowly brain is thinking… wouldn’t those become more contaminated with more and more bare hands handling them? Or why not keep their stocks such that no molds would grow, proliferate or attack – however it is called hehe. AT LEAST… I saw that the brushes were just brushes. They don’t use detergent or any cleaning agents hahaha! Ano kasi… when I see those brushes, I immediately think of Ariel, Tide, Surf, Ch...

Walked around, as usual. And as expected hehe! Actually, even as I listened to the news last night, I was already plotting my very own agenda on how to enjoy the event. It was mentioned that the revolution would be in the ‘heritage area’ of the city. Why don’t I go forth purportedly to attend this ‘Road Revolution 2’ and take advantage of the closed streets so I could get a closer look at those heritage markers on Colon Street?! I’ve been meaning to do so for a long time now anyway. Its just that, even on a Sunday, I couldn’t do it as I would be in danger of being run over by the thousands of vehicles that pass there. Hmm, nice opportunity! So, when I woke up this morning, I immediately hit the showers and leisurely set out to go and see what might be there to witness. Took connecting jeeps to the Metropolitan Cathedral for I knew it was somewhere there that roads would be closed together with the oldest street in this country, Colon. Whoa, quite a crowd of unusually dressed for church...

I briefly peeped at the news last night while doing some home chores. Newscaster mentioned about Cebu’s Road Revolution. That struck me a bit since I knew it happened way back Independence Day – June 12. I should know, I was there. But as he went on with the news, it said something like it was going to happen today, 24 September – a second version. All I could say was “wheh?!” since I thought that was way too late for a news. They should have hyped the thing up way earlier to warn motorists and invite people to join the “fun”. Not a day before. Anyway, I got a better idea to enjoy the affair, but that would be my next blog entry. I went to get a feel of the event, just the same. It was a different area of the city this time. If last ‘independence day’ it was Osmena Blvd from the capitol all the way to Plaza Independencia, this time I learned it was part of Colon St., from corner Osmena Blvd all the way to Lopez Jaena St., and from P. Burgos the Plaza Sugbo to around the heritage Monume...

Always leave some space in your memory card for a few more shots or a few more minutes of video. You'll never know what you might encounter and 'need to document' on the way home! That's a big lesson I learned. You might think you are done with that wonderful vacation and you captured all the memorable moments on your tour. Then on the way home you see something great or something worth remembering too. And you have used up all the memory in your gadget. Argh!

There are a lot, so I was told. But this one material for a livelihood craft got my attention. They make it into baskets, bags, mats, hats and many other woven products. At first they looked very common to me, but there was some kind of shiny clean finish in the milky color of the material used that I had to approach and ask. The women told me “they are made from stickers”. Ha? I pressed on with more questions and learned that they meant the ‘backing material’ of stickers. Yep, that one which we throw away after peeling off a sticker. I took that pic from their display booth over at the Ayala Cebu Mall where there was some kind of a ‘science something exhibit’ and/or ‘inventors something exhibit’. Fine I thought. Two days after, I chance upon the same women at a booth over at Park Mall. And there was a demo. I mean the jolly ladies manning their booth were actually doing their weaving processes – this time making a bag. So I decided to record them on video. Here’s what I learned. Their...