Philippine Travel Notes

Listen up my fellow Coke addicts. This was such a fun and funny discovery! I asked for Coke 8oz as I was devouring a delectable fried pork belly at this fastfood. This bottle was what appeared on my table but I sipped immediately anyway! Then… Me: Manang, sabi ko 8-ounce, Sakto itong ibinigay mo Manang: oo sakto gyud, 8-ounce na dong Me: Asuuus, nagpalusot si Manang! (and I asked for extra rice) When she returned with my extra cup of rice, she also brought an unopened bottle of the usual “Coke 8oz” that many of us are familiar with. Beaming with pride like an elementary school teacher, this jolly manang pointed to me the contents label… And I really took a closer look at the two bottles! Yeah, looks can deceive... Whadyathink? Oh, here's a clearer view... Later in the afternoon I passed by a carinderia and asked for “Coke Sakto”. Here it is, the usual “Sakto” that all of us know. It says 200mL. Okay, my lips are sealed now. Ah, make that both feet in the mo...

Cebu's Original Lechon Belly 1455H 01JUN2014, Parkmall, Mandaue. Old habits never die hehehe! I was at Parkmall. Therefore? Aw, I passed by this: Oh yes, that original boneless lechon belly, na nagpapainit ng ulo ng lahat ng doktor ko. Yumminess e, unsaon na lang! I'm always away anyway, so pagbigyan ang hilig! The tricky part about eating at this place (it is actually an external hallway of the mall) is: you're not given utensils, just plastic gloves. It's kinamot style (Tagalog: kamayan) . Also called binisaya or pungko-pungko style . So? Aw, if you're one who likes to take pictures, you will conveniently or comfortably do it only before/after eating. Otherwise, you'll smother your camera with lechon oil! Big K Department Store 1613H 01JUN2014, Parkmall, Mandaue. I've been inside this store countless times, but learned of it's name only today hehe! This is that "everything-you-need-is-here" store, at the 2 nd level...

Last Sunday, I ordered a C1, and there was no fork at the 'heated utensil sterilizer'. I told the crew about it; they told me to wait. After about 3 minutes, one girl came to my table w/ that plastic fork (in photo) . She said they were not done washing utensils . Hmm, someone slacking? Pero sige, go ra! The following day, Monday, at about the same time, the same scenario happened... I actually requested that they give me a 'complete pair' of plastic utensils instead of the "metallic spoon and a plastic fork" kay kalain ba! Okay na yan, I survived naman! But without saying anything, I already suspected something was wrong at this place. Syaro wa pa nahuman sa tinidor ang ilang dishwasher? For the last 24 hours? Weh? I noted though, spoons were always aplenty and notably hot naman at the sterilizer. Ano yan? Nag-walkout ang mga tinidor? Anyway... Today Saturday, at about the same time of day, after one week, OMG ganun pa rin! I got that spo...

Just for the diary 😜 I have no " usual lengthy stories ", but noted some notable sights & scenes in the course of living a wonderful life in and around Cebu... A new day dawning... 0451H 11MAY2014, V&G Consolacion. Another lovely day coming. I was attracted to that lone bright star stil persisting to shine bright, while Mr. Sun was slowly inching up... Up? Hmm, oo nga, why was I already up that early? Ah well, the body clock probably got a bit used to rising early each morning in Camiguin the last few days. And... Morning has broken... 0517H 11MAY2014, V&G Consolacion. 𝅘𝅥𝅯𝅘𝅥𝅗𝅥 Mine is the sunlight, Mine is the morning, Born of the One Light Eden saw play... Praise with elation, praise every morning, God's recreation of the new day... 𝅗𝅥𝅘𝅥𝅘𝅥𝅯 I often forget, that this apartment has grand views - whether it be dawn or dusk! A Flower Moon... and evening star (Venus?) 1838H 15MAY2014, V&G Consolacion. I wondered why it was too ...

Whatever this bird is, it is beautiful! And, howsoever I keep saying that Consolacion Cebu is fast urbanizing, I guess this little one is proof that there is still a livable nature herearounds hehe! That powerline is just above the house I stayed at. The colors (yes plural) of that bird are really bright and attractive.

Another benefit of roaming around (even if aimless hehe), familiarization tour! Walking by the side of Consolacion Public Market this morning, and I saw this: I asked the manang what it is called. She said "Bagongon" (I hope I heard that right) . A tindera beside her said lami na tinon-an . I asked permission to take a photo. Done! And until I got home, my curiosity on that shell did not stop. So, I asked around, and curiously searched the world wide web for anything other than "lami na nga tinon-an". So, it's generally called Bagongon in the Visayas, Mindanao and even some parts of Luzon. It can be called "Susong Pilipit" by Tagalogs, though it's a very generic name. I'll stick to Bagongon . And, I conciously encountered it only today, I think! Hey I asked if that is the same as the Dalodalo or Sihi in Eastern Samar, No to both! Laag pa more! #Visayas #TravelPhilippines #bagongon

Nothing special, but this was such a hilarious incident I witnessed! Walking from the Consolacion Public Market going up to V&G. I heard a habal-habal driver jokingly calling out to someone as if saying "ihawa na na" (just butcher them) ! I instinctively turned to where that driver was hollering at, while a tricycle driver was at that time chiming-in to say "lami na nga caldereta". They were joking, of course. Hesumalusep! The manong was OMG struggling, herding 4 adult goats on the road. Ganito kasi ang looy entawon na kaganapan: One goat kept veering to the middle of the street; one was just nonchalantly moving forward as intended by the manong ; while two others kept darting to the roadside as if fleeing from danger. So the 4 little pups (not tied) were confused on who to follow! Funny at first glance. But on-lookers (including me) , felt bad for manong goat herder. I even stopped walking, to scare that adult that kept going to the middle of...

Weird, even eerie title, right? Well, at least for me. There are just many things around us that we take for granted. And I'm proud to say, I owe it to my travels that I learned (and keep learning) new things about our country. Take the case of our catholic ceremony or ritual (howsoever it is really called), before burying the dead. *Update A friend educated me: it's called "mass celebration". Whatever! Yep, whatever it's called, I don't like associating the word "celebration" with the dead! I don't think calling it a "ceremony" or "ritual" is offensive anyway. Basta yes, I mean that church activity just before the “kabaong” is delivered to the “huling hantungan”. I thought all along those are done individually . I mean an 'exclusive' mass service for an individual patay before the next. That's what I've known in the decades of my life. Teka, disclaimer: it's not as if I witness many o...

Mauwaw man ta ani, oi! Sori na, I didn't know. Ang edad hehe. Past noon, on my way to the city for some errands, I stumbled upon a parade about to pass along the national road. Let us say that again, "along" not "across" the hiway! Paktaylo! My initial reaction was ' o sh** nabuang na ', for that meant a long delay. On second thought, my little alert brain said 'hmm, who knows, it could be nice to watch'! But the practical side of my royal highness said "nice or not nice, wala jud ta mahimo ani, the national road is technically closed both ways, therefore watch nalang"! So, I did! Na! A very important day for Consolacion and I forgot all about it? Bad citizen haha! Maybe those things do not sink in my head yet because I'm still a 'dual citizen' - taga Mandaue, at the same time taga Lacion - but frequently in Tacloban due to Yolanda. Haruy, not only dual citizen, triple pa! Anyway.., trapped na, wala na'...