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...

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.

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'...