ARTAPRE1

I had this class in college called ARTAPRE1 or in lay, Art Appreciation.  Our teacher was old but I think he successfully opened our eyes at seeing art for what it is, what it could possibly be and even the aesthetic of some artforms like that of the Filipino jeepney.  I remember my favorite era being the Impressionism.  I loved the brush strokes and play of colors and Van Gogh easily captivated my eye.  How I wished to try painting back then.  Having artists for friends and my sister, a Fine Arts graduate,  I was exposed to different artists.  To me, art was simple.  As long as it was something I was willing to look at and not mind having it on my wall, it was good art.

Yesterday, my sister and brother-in-law brought me to SAM or the Seattle Art Museum.  I haven't been to a museum in quite a while and it was a nice way to spend a Friday afternoon.  SAM has an interesting collection:  a mix of modern, contemporary and historical art.

This visit to the museum gave me a new perspective of what I liked about art.

I still don't care to surmise about the "questions or emotions" artworks should evoke the viewer.  It still sounds like over-thinking the artwork to me as with the caption next to Edward Hopper's Automat painting which says:  What is she doing all alone in this Automat?  Is she waiting for someone?  Is it just a stopover as she's heading to her real destination?  Or Andy Warhol's Double Elvis which had dramatic thoughts on the silver and the fading and duality of Elvis. 

Today I realized, I like art mostly for its relevance to the times.

In the case of Hopper, he was a keen observant of the times, short of being a voyeur.  He even admitted to shamelessly watching and even staring at people in their unguarded moments. And from this he observed a changing times:  when women started joining the workforce and leaving the home.  It used to be that women won't be found eating alone outside of the home.  She would most likely be accompanied by her consort.  Hence the Automat really depicted the changing times which had opened a gateway to a lifestyle as  we know it today:  women independently going out into the world and enjoying it even when they're alone.

I also like pieces of art that told rich stories like the European chinoiserie tapestries that tells the story of a vogage of a Prince and the different magnificent encounters he had along the way.  I also like art that are part of history like the Egyptian pieces and the Italian Room.  And well, one always has an appreciation for art that imitates life as with the French sculptures.
I haven't been to a museum in quite a while.  It's really surprising how enriching the experience can be.

Burn After Reading

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Comedy

I have to qualify: the movie actually gets 3 stars, the extra star is for Brad Pitt!
THE MOVIE: Find out how the CIA pays for a desperate woman's cosmetic surgery. Gave me a few laughs. I like how the story slowly unfolded where seemingly unrelated events are woven into a single plot.
CAST: Superb casting but Brad Pitt remains to be my favorite. As Mike and I always say, Brad Pitt is such a great actor. He readily surrenders himself to the characters he plays allowing the audience to easily forget the actor and immerse themselves with the story and the characters on screen. (Can you tell I'm fan??? ha-ha)

Eraserheads Reunion Concert

A week has passed but my head is still a-buzz with the recent Eraserheads reunion concert. 
The news of an Eraserheads reunion hit like an undetected earthquake that rocked every Eheads fan's world.  There were a lot of questions (was it true? was Ely really going to do this? when and where is it going to happen? where and how do we get tickets?) BUT there was no question in the fans' minds; they were going to attend what would probably be the greatest reunion concert in the history of Philippine music.
By now most of you have read about the sturm und drung (to borrow Tim Gunns' words in Project Runway which means storm and stress in German)
surrounding this much anticipated event in the OPM scene.  If not you can head over to Philmusic.com for the gritty details.

4 days before THE DAY
Approximately 8,000-10,000 tickets were sold from Aug 27, 6pm until probably just a few minutes before the concert started at 8.15pm on Aug 30, 2008. There were only two ticket prices on sale: P1300 for Patron section and P800 for the General Admission.  There were also SVIP and VIP tickets which were probably available to family, friends, and celebrities, members of the press and whoever else that had a connection somewhere to the organizers or to the band.  I’m also told that VIP tickets were given to those who signed up at Red Nation website when it was still being “promoted” as a free concert by Philip Morris.  Since Mike and I weren’t remotely affiliated to anyone, I got our tickets at around 6.45pm as soon as the tickets were sold.  In fact our control number was 79 and 80. Talk about being excited.

The final venue was the Fort Open ground (just behind NBC tent and across Bonifacio High Street).  Attendance was probably close to 15,000 (or 20,000 according to the final promoter, Radiohead) including SVIP and VIP invites never mind if it was a standing only concert, no seats provided at all.

The Fort and The Crowd
Mike and I were at the Fort around 3.30pm.  I wanted to make sure we didn't have trouble with parking.  Even my lucky parking streak can be shaky in situations like this. And anyway, the concert was the only thing on our To Do list that day.  We had an early dinner and by 5.30pm, we headed to the concert venue. 
There was already a good crowd of people when we got there. One could feel the excitement and anticipation in the air.  The mood was very festive.  People came in prepared with their plastic mats, plastic bags or used carton boxes to sit on the open ground.  A few also brought along umbrellas or jackets in case it rained. Pretty much every other person had a camera on hand from simple point and shoots to DSLRs to document their attendance and what can be considered a historic event. As expected several booths were selling food and drinks and of course, Eraserheads CDs.
The Patron section was still a good 300 ft from the stage.  The field had a relatively flat terrain and even with the elevated stage, I knew I would hardly see anything from my low point of view.  I relied mainly on the large screens at the back of the stage, on the sides of the stage, behind the tech booth (which was situated right smack across the stage) and on the large screen near the back of the Patron section to get a view of what was happening on stage.  (Marcus Adoro posted a layout in his Markus Highway multiply site)

The Concert
At around 8.05pm the screens flashed a ten-minute countdown before the concert started.  And thousands of fans altogether screamed their excitement.  The crowd even counted down the last 10 seconds of every minute that turned and brought the time closer to seeing Eraserheads once again on stage.  10..9..8..7..6..5..4..3..2..1… The huge background screen flashed old band pictures.  It was almost pandemonium then there was an explosion of music and the band started playing the intro to “Alapaap” as the band rose from beneath the stage, revealing each of them in their usual spot when they used to perform together.  There were fireworks literally and figuratively.  And just about everyone shouted, screamed and sang along as a sea of cameras and hand held phones were recording every possible moment of it.

It was just surreal. Ely, in the middle front, was wearing aviator shades and white long sleeved shirt. Buddy was on the left side, in plain t-shirt and jacket looking like his usual old self albeit gaining a little weight.  Marcus was just as I remembered him but with longer hair. Raimund, on elevated stage behind, sported a wig when he came out but later revealed his Joker green hair. I looked at their faces on screen as they played their respective instruments and sang their old songs.  At first I thought I saw discomfort of playing together after all it’s been 6 years since they shared a stage.  But maybe it was just the anxiety of performing in front of thousands of fans they never knew they had.  Later on, each would break a smile here and there.  Raimund would throw drums sticks at the crowd.  Yeah, they were having fun. 

There were awkward pauses in between songs.  Nobody really cared. Ely was never the type to talk in between songs but a few times he shouted to the crowd "ang daming tao ah" or "ok pa kayo dyan?" It was humid and hot.  No one was comfortable.  Everyone was sweating. But then again, nobody minded at all.

I just wished that the director kept at least the top of the main screen on the band members. It was hard enough for people at the back to see anything that was going on on-stage. The director kept playing with the background.  Sure for effects.  But really the fans went there to see Eraserheads NOT clouds when they were playing Alapaap or pictures from UP as backdrop for Sembreak.  There were several times that the screens we relied on at the back were just blank.  Not sure if it was just a technical glitch but I think it was more of negligence from the tech booth.

Just the same, everyone was really high over hearing old favorites.  Ang saya ng concert.

Sigawan, talunan, kantahan.  Kahit ako na walang makita enjoy pa rin.  But then I noticed but didn’t think much of it at the time:  parang di ko mabasa mukha ni Ely nung kumakanta sya, saka parang yung pagkanta ni Ely kahit kita mo na tinotodo niya parang hindi nya maitodo.  There were times, instead of really singing some of the words he’d just say it in rhythm with the music.  Well Ely was known for changing his lyrics sometimes in the same way when he changed the intro to “Toyang” that night “They tried to tell us we’re too old… Too old to go bold.”  So maybe he was trying something new to his singing.

After what I later found out was the 15^th song, I saw Ely on the screen, squatting with his head down on his guitar. I thought maybe he was just tired or overwhelmed.  Then the lights closed.  The screen flashed a 20 minute countdown.  After a little over an hour of reminiscing with the band, it was time for an intermission.

The Missing Ending
More than 20 minutes had passed, the concert hasn’t resumed.  And then I heard Buddy’s voice.  He introduced himself and the rest of the band. I turned to the screen flashing their faces.  He then introduced Lally, Ely’s sister to make the announcement: They thanked everyone for being there but Ely was too sick to continue, he’s being rushed to the hospital.  They’re apologizing but they had to cut the concert short.  Francis Lumen, Radiohead and MTV PH main man, asked for a minute’s silent prayer for Ely.  After which the crowd was asked to peacefully leave the grounds.
Everyone was stunned. I guess everyone had mixed feelings about it.  That was it? Bitin. Hindi tapos yung concert. Was it true? But Ely seemed fine. We hoped he was fine.

But as selfish creatures, we all had one nagging thought in our minds:  Sana may reunion ulit.


Post script: 
I read on Phimusic.com that after the crowd dispersed, the rest of the Eraserheads found their way to Saguijo which was supposed to be the post concert party venue of sorts.  They didn’t go all at the same time.  But they ended up playing songs that was supposed to be played in the 2^nd set in the guise of celebrating with the knowledge that Ely was going to be fine.  Tingin ko nabitin lang sila tumugtog. 

By now we all know that Ely underwent another angioplasty procedure due to a blocked artery.  He’s been released from the hospital and is now awaiting full recovery.

Below are the songs from the first set
1. Alapaap
2. Ligaya
3. Sembreak
4. Hey Jay
5. Harana
6. Fruitcake
7. Toyang
8. Kama Supra
9. Kailan
10. Huwag Kang Matakot
11. Kaliwete
12. With A Smile
13. Shake Yer Head
14. Huwag Mo Nang Itanong
15. Lightyears

Pictures here c/o Francine and her friend. You can also check out pictures posted on Flickr.com

A Dirty Job, Bloodsucking Fiends, You Suck

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Books
Genre:	Literature & Fiction
Author:	Christopher Moore

First of all, let me say up front: I'm a sucker for twisted fiction stories. So when officemate, Kristen, told me about a humorous book called "Lamb, The Gospel according to Biff," I was intrigued.

I wanted to borrow "Lamb" as airport read during my recent trip but Kristen, who loved the author so much, wanted me to read "A Dirty Job" first as this was the Moore's usual style and he was afraid I wouldn't read the other books after reading "Lamb."

So I brought "A Dirty Job" and left "Lamb" at home thinking I might not be able to read it and I didn't want to be carrying it around during my 3-wk vacation. It was an easy read. You can say I enjoyed Moore enough that after I finished the book, I bought the two other books on the condition that it was on sale. :P

Generally I like the way Moore weaves the unreal into the modern day world as he does in "A Dirty Job" where normal guy Charlie Asher discovers his new role as sort of Death's little helper; "Bloodsucking Fiends" where Jody wakes up one day a vampire, her journey as she discovers her powers and falls in love with her minion, aspiring writer Tommy from Indiana; and "You Suck" a sequel to "Bloodsucking Fiends." (Good thing, I read Bloodsucking Fiends first too.) I found it clever how he infuses characters and sometimes events from these different books in the same way that Buffy made a cameo in Angel (the series spin-off from Buffy the vampire slayer) or how he turns some characters into regulars (as in the case of the Emperor and Inspector Rivera) while changing the character leads.

I like that Moore's writing is light and easy to read. His plots are sometimes predictable but somewhat intriguing and with enough twists to make one stick to the end and leave you wanting to pick up another of his stories. Most of all, I like how Moore also surprises you with quips that will make you laugh-out-loud.

Wicked

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Other

I only had a few days in the LA area so I was really glad to catch the staging of Wicked. I've heard raves about it so I knew it was going to be good.

Wicked is truly a clever piece of work.

The story mainly revolves around the Wicked Witch of the West. How she came to be. It answers the question: was she born wicked or was wickedness thrust upon her? The musical also tells us where the ruby slippers came from, how the Tin Man, Scarecrow and winged monkeys came to be, where did she get that black pointed hat and flying broom etc. Most of all, it is also a story of hope, friendship, love, discrimnation and how greed for power begets lies, oppression and fear. But don't get me wrong, Wicked is surprisingly funny and witty amidst serious themes.

The production was quite impressive. The lighting particularly set the tone and the mood of each scene. Smoke machines, remote controled props (like the wheelchair), harnesses and trap doors completed the magical effect of the show.

The strong vocals of the actors and intensity of their performances gave me goosebumps especially during "Something Bad", "Defying Gravity" and "No Good Deed." Not to mention, the catchy score, which makes this musical truly successful, leaves you humming to the inspiring music and lyrics as you exit the theater with a smile.

I was also glad to get autographs from the performers, Laura Woyasz who portrayed Glinda and D.J. Gregory who played Fiyero that matinee performance on Aug 3, 2008 at the Pantages Theater, Hollywood Blvd. Sayang I didn't have a camera, D.J. Gregory is quite a cutie. :P
Thanks to good friend Aby for reserving the tickets for me, Candy and Dennis. Much thanks to her also for gifting me with a copy of the original soundtrack.

DIY Coron

I must say the internet truly connects people! 

I actually found DIY Coron thru multiply site of Owen Ferrer, who's part of my network.  Owen posted a calendar trip to Coron and found that he was linked to my college friend, Myra who was going on the same trip prior to finally immigrating to Canada.
The idea behind DIY Coron is not really to Do It Yourself literally but actually to gather different group of friends who want to visit Coron, sharing boat rentals which makes the tour amazingly cheap between P1,800-P3,000 depending on the size of the group and your itinerary.  Yes, it allows you to choose your own itinerary.  And as it turns out, a fun way to meet people and activity partners. 


To use some of Glynn's words, this trip is really "back pack" style. On this kind of a travel, we had to be prepared to have just the basic essentials. None of the pampering, comforts and luxuries of other trips. With this, we carried your own bags, ate simple food (fish, fish, fish... well, there were crabs at one point and some chicken and pork too), slept in very basic accommodations (as in closed/open cottage or tent, swerte if you get to sleep on a bed or airbed).  Accommodations won't have an actual shower, but the trusty old tabo and balde. Also on our last day, nakiligo lang kami sa isang home-restaurant near the pier.

Our package cost us P2,900pesos (pocket money not included) while in Coron for 2 whole day activities:  Snorkeling (lusong coral garden, lusong wreck, siete picados), Swimming in lagoons and beaches(barracuda, kayangan, twin lagoon, cyc beach, banana island), Climb the stairs up to Mt. Tapyas and get a bird's view of Coron and its surrounding islands, visited Culion (where the leper colony used to be) and truly had an intimate, historic appreciation of the town and what it stands for, 1 night accommodation on Banana island (which was really raw and beautiful, think Boracay 20 years ago), and as metioned earlier boat rental, guide, meals, entrance fees, tricycle transfers.  Going to Coron, we took the Superferry (which is a separate blog altogether).

So, for a truly memorable weekend, lots of sun and sea, amazing sights, loads fun (travelmate Mario and "Inday" was just a riot) and adventure (from climbing the steep and potentially life threatening sharp limestone cliffs of Barracuda lake to snorkeling in not-so-choppy waters of Lusong wreck), and for a total of P6,000, I really wouldn't mind going back as there's still so much to discover in Coron.  In fact, some of our travel mates were already on their 2nd or 3rd trip to Coron this year alone!

For a more details and tips on the trip, do check out Glynn's blog.

New found friend, Wendell, took some great pics (yes, you'll catch me in some of them too): Coron Batch 9 Joiners, Barracuda and Kayangan Lakes, Island Hopping, Coron Town (Mt. Tapyas), Culion Town, Banana Island, Superferry Sunrise and Sunsets.

Superferry: Trip kita!

For the first time in my life, I took a ride on the Superferry.
Glynn and I, together with BNFF (batanes new found friends) Liela, August and Leah along with Wendell (whom Leila and August met during their Batad trip and Glynn knows thru our community --- hanep sa pagka-friendster ano?)decided to go on a budget trip to Coron, Palawan last June 7-8. And since it's a budget trip, that also meant taking the ferry instead of flying in. It also made sense:  we were to travel Friday afternoon and get to Coron by 5.30am Saturday which meant just going on a half day leave from work. Since June 9 was declared a holiday, we had time to rest as our departure from Coron was Sunday 10.45pm and we were in Manila by 1pm. Hence we booked our ferry tickets to Our Lady of Good Voyage (OLGV pic here taken by August) as soon as we decided to go on this adventure, after all the ferry ride was part of the entire experience. And quite an experience it was.

BOARDING

If you booked an e-ticket, you had to go to the Superferry Ticket Office ahead of your departure schedule to exchange this for a real ticket. For safety, we went there 2 hours ahead of our ETD. Pretty much like on a plane, your stuff had to go thru the x-ray machine. But it also had another step where you had to line up your bags and a k9 will smell thru your things as well. That was a first for me. No checking in of baggage here. But if you did have extra baggage than your hand carry, you go thru the baggage handling area where I think a porter will assist in bringing your stuff on board the ferry. But there really wasn't any luggage storage area as your stuff will be literally brought to you and these luggages, baggages or boxes will lie next to your bed.

Immediately after boarding, we saw a convenience store, hair salon (who knows you might need a haircut during the trip), and a prayer room. Quite fascinating already no?

THE TOURIST CLASS
We were only able to book Tourist Class (or blue section) for the Manila to Coron leg of our trip as cabins weren't available anymore. This meant double deck beds in an air-conditioned common area. The bed consisted of synthetic leather covered mattress and pillows. If you wanted bedsheets and blankets, you have to rent for P30 (I think). I brought 2 sarongs that served as my bedsheet and blanket for the night. Unfortunately, if you were a tall person, you may have difficulty as the beds had low headroom. The good thing about Tourist Class is that there were partitions on the beds which provided some semblance of privacy.

As I mentioned earlier, your stuff would lay next to your bunk, or on the floor if you had the upper bunk. It would be cautious for you to padlock your bags to ensure safety of your belongings.

It also meant common toilets which were relatively clean and had good running water. The toilet area also had a shower room in case you need a bath. I just thought the space was a bit too small and cramped to have a comfortable bath. It also risks getting your change of clothes wet in the shower.

Surprisingly or not, there was also common celfone charging area! How interesting the way we've developed such a celfone dependent culture that Superferry felt the need to provide its passengers with a charging area. I digress, but Glynn noted that the charging station was pretty much used 95% of the time with boys or men as majority users. Actually there was hardly any signal in the Tourist Class area so it makes one wonder what they used their phones for... maybe for games? Drafting messages to their txtmates? Taking pictures with their camphone? Who knows?

Our booking also came with dinner (menudo with rice was the ticket meal at the time). Food was your typical canteen meal in a typical canteen atmosphere. You had to line up (and it was quite a long line). We decided to try the restaurant aka Horizon Cafe for dinner as we didn't want to line up initially. It turned out that service took quite long for orders. Given the long waiting time, we were able to get our ticket meal from the canteen aka Island Fiesta faster. I guess the Cafe is not equipped to respond quickly for additional orders. Oh it would be wise to bring your own water or drinks as it tends to be expensive on the ferry. At least for the duration of the 12hr trip.

Curiously, the canteen area also had a videoke for entertainment among the other ammenities being offered by OLGV.

Downside to Tourist Class:  Be prepared to be awaken at 4am by busboys offering coffee, as in "kape kayo diyan?" Also, there are passengers who wake up that early and would start chatting without caring if they wake up other passengers in the process. Also, you will be bombarded with all the Superferry jingles ever made as this will be played over and over except for sleeping hours.

THE CABIN

On the way back to Manila, Glynn, Liela, August and I were able to reserve a cabin (picture here c/o August). Ah, what a world of difference a cabin makes. You have your own toilet and bath. There was also TV provided which played The Matrix Reloaded the next morning. It also played a video of the safety reminders for the trip. There was a cabinet provided to store your things. The bunk beds had extra curtains for more privacy. There's a small side table with chair as well. I wasn't sure why there was an electric fan as it was freezing cold. Not to mention, we had our OWN CHARGING AREA! Ayos ba?

A word of precaution too. Make sure to check that all four of you are booked in the same room. When we were getting our key to the cabin, to our horror, we found out that Glynn was assigned to another room! How can that be when we booked the rooms together? Anyway we had to talk to the guy assigned to our room and ask him if it was ok for him to exchange rooms with Glynn. He was kind enough to oblige to our request. With this we realized that booking a cabin, you had to be a group of 4. If not, the ferry will assign a 4th person to your room. This meant being in a closed room with a stranger. With this, I think taking the Tourist section would be the more palatable option.

Overall, it was quite an amusing ferry experience for me. I wouldn't mind going on another ride. Friends, balik tayo ng Coron!

Batanes: Untainted Treasure

I've always heard about the beauty of Batanes: how it looks like Scotland moors or New Zealand landscapes. But I've also heard of the horrors of travelling to this far north islands of the Philippines; how it's typhoon stricken, flights getting cancelled and as a result preparing to get stuck for a week when you do visit the place.

My friend Glynn invited me in November 2007 to go, I said yes on the condition that we go during Holy Week just to make sure that the trip doesn't conflict with any work schedule. We booked our flights and accommodations in December and went on March 19 -24, 2008 for five full enthralling days in Batanes.

This is what I discovered: Batanes is trully an untainted treasure of the Philippines.

1. Majestic landscapes and seascapes surround the islands of Batanes.

Waking up to such beautiful scenery reminds me how small I am compared to the big world that God has created. And that everything He has created is truly beautiful and good. I sometimes wondered how the Ivatans felt about seeing such wonders everyday. Has it become common fare to them like eating kamote or is it something they continue to thank for everyday? Ah, my question is answered in the way they've preserved their surroundings for as long as Magellan has landed on the Philippines in 1521. To this day, only Ivatans are allowed to own property on the islands. I've heard that outsiders have been wanting to purchase land but to no avail. Thanks too to Mother Nature's own care of the place that the awe-inspiring landscapes remain.

2. Ivatans have a refreshingly Preserved Way of Living

The somewhat isolation of the island has likewise become a blessing to the continuity of a simple lifestyle. Farming and fishing remain to be a way of life. Cogon planted as windbreakers to protect their crops from the sometimes harsh winds is a practice handed down thru centuries. Camote remains to be the staple food. Flying fish and dolphin fish are still part of their regular daily meal. Also, people generally walk to nearby towns. As Sr. Nenita and Sr. Mary Philippe (Dominican nuns we got to chat with at the Basco Church) pointed out to us, most Ivatans are fit. Ang matataba lang eh yung mga dayo. And this is attributed to their working on the farm or walking to places. Oh but don't be mistaken, they are not completely remiss of technology as they do have cable, internet and cell sites too.

3. Beautiful, Trusting People

One thing I noticed about the Ivatans is that they're physically beautiful people. But beyond that where in the Philippines can you find a shop that does not have a storekeeper at all? Only in Batanes! The Honesty Coffeeshop is pretty much like any small sari-sari store or eatery except that no one's there to tend to your purchases. Every product for sale is labeled with a price tag. You just take what you need, log it in the notebook and leave your payment. You may also get the change from the money that is laying on the counter with the log book. If you need extra change, you may go to the next door to ask for change but if no one answers, you are thanked for paying the extra amount and given wishes "may your tribe increase." Of course, you are likewise reminded, "honesty is the best policy" and that "God is the store's security guard."

4. Great Food

It was fish and kamote galore but we enjoyed every bite immensely. Fish lumpia is easily my favorite. And of course the ever elusive Coconut Crab or locally known as Tatus. Not yet endangered but the locals are controlling the consumption of these ultra yummy crabs. You definitely have to pre-order it. You are not assured that there will be crabs available since it will depend if they find those which are within the size limitations (at least one foot in length, if I remember right.

View some of the pics here.

If you want to plan a trip, here are a few details that might help:

Airfare

c/o Asian Spirit - P10-12k
http://www.asianspirit.com/
Flight sched: MWF
Manila to Basco - 5.30 - 6.45am
Basco to Manila - 7.15 to 8.30am

Accommodations

Batanes Resort - 0917 8833279 / 0920 849 2496
The room rates: Fan room - P550 (single), P672 (double), P764 (triple) Aircon room - P800 (single), P900 (double), P1000 (triple)
Ask for Itbayat (we stayed in this room) and Sabtang cottages because these have the best view of the place.

You can check out other resorts in this link.

Meals

Resort Breakfast - P100 (choice of daing, longganisa, arozcaldo, tocino)
Lunch/Dinner - P150-250 depending on what you order.

Suggest you advise the hotel in advance if you'll be eating coz it took them about one hour to prepare our food. Same thing with eating at other places to make sure your food is ready when you arrive.

Must try is the Coconut Crab (super yummy pero cholesterol all you can. P750/kilo. This is something you also order in advance since it may not be readily available. We had to order 2 days before. You see, they are controlling the supply and demand as it takes years to grow the crabs. They must meet a certain size before allowed to order for cooking.

Some Restaurants:
Shanedel's - 0920-4470737 - we got to eat crabs here, together with flying fish, fish lumpia, camote (for dessert). P340/head for a group of six
St. Dominic's canteen - in front of police station - cheap P60 for rice, adobo and soft drink
Casa Napoli (Abad Street) - 0920-2842019 - we wanted to try this place but it was closed during our holy week stay
Doque Grill Xaus (highway) - served the usual fare e.g. adobo, kaldereta etc so didn't try this place anymore but if you miss that kind of food, then maybe this is the place to go

Tours

Our contact was Gemma. She used to be the exclusive agent for Batanes resort. She's from Batanes but now based in Manila. Mobile: 0919-6051109, Landline: 799-2366, 427-0234. You can see the itinerary on her website.

Must see: South of Batan, Sabtang and Rolling Hills/Lighthouses/Windmills/Fundacion Abad

Two Concerts: Maroon5 & Incubus

MAROON 5, March 5, Araneta Coliseum

I really liked Maroon 5 when Songs About Jane first came out. They sounded fresh and new to my ears unlike most bands that came out. I was eager to hear the new album Won't Be Soon Before Long but I didn't feel it to be as good as the first album. So I wasn't too eager to watch the album tour that was passing thru Manila but I decided to go anyway since it won't be often for a band like them to come over. It's been said that most foreign artists come to Manila kung kelan palaos na sila. Although this can't be said of late as we've had visitors like Black Eyed Peas, Beyonce, Akon, Ne-yo of recent.

The concert: It was expensive but a good one nonetheless. (How expensive? the patron seats in Manila cost P10,000 while the most expensive tickets in the HK leg only cost HK$690 or P4,140.00 plus taxes.) Maroon 5 didn't have a front act! You get them right off the bat. They played songs from both albums and it was a great set list. What I loved most about the concert is how much the band enjoyed performing for the Manila crowd. My favorite part was when vocalist, Adam Levine , in the middle of "She Will Be Loved", stopped singing and just closed his eyes, drinking in the moment where the fans just kept screaming their adoration and he can't help but break into a smile. Also the performer that he was, Adam Levine, engaged the audience by counting off in tagalog (american accent: isa, dalawa, tatlo, apat), saying Mahal ko kayo. During the song "Won't Go Home Without You" there was a portion where they just played back the chorus several times and let the audience sing along. It reminded me of the Lotus Eaters concert a few years back where the audience kept humming the intro to German Girl until they came back out for a 3rd encoure. What I really appreciated the most was how I felt his sincerity when he said something like "We’ve been on the road for so long that it’s so nice to come to a place and feel so loved. This has got to be one of the best concerts we’ve ever done."

INCUBUS March 9, Araneta Coliseum
First thing I noticed was the Incubus Concert had a younger crowd. It may be attributed to the "noisier" music or the ticket prices costed half of what Maroon 5 organizers charged. I'm not really an Incubus fan. I'm familiar with their more popular songs like Megalomaniac just because it gets a lot of radio air time. So why did I go? Mike wanted to go.
Up Dharma Down served as front act. I never liked their music. I was never sure what to make of it. It generally sounded ethereal but fused with rock to me. It just didn't make sense to my ears. So when they were playing, Mike and I decided to step out and get some hot tea and coffee. (I love it that Mike and I don't love the same music all the time, but we both dislike the same bands/types of music most of the time.) Later as we were going back to our seats, I saw a really excited male fan jumping up and down (really giddy), shouting thru the ladies room door what sound like: Be, bilisan mo, mag-uumpisa na! I was amused.
The concert: It was rock and roll mayhem. Pretty much everyone was jumping up and down. I felt the vibration on the floor and was afraid of the thought that the 20-something year old structure would come crashing down as if struck by an earthquake. The audience was singing along to pretty much every song and sounded louder than the band at times! Incubus vocalist Brandon Boyd was really energetic and tickled the female population in the audience as he slowly stripped during the concert: first he took off his long sleeved shirt after a few songs leaving his sleeveless undershirt and a few more songs later he was just down to his pants. Oh yes the female fans shouted their approval as he did all these.
One thing I didn't know was the band had a dj as part of the group. It was quite interesting as it worked quite well for their music. Most interesting for me was when the band played Aqueous Transmission and guitarist Mike Einziger pulled out a Japanese Koto for this song. I thought it was the perfect instrument for this song as the instrument produced a unique sound that just made one think of flowing water. Just goes to show, these rock bands are really music geeks deep down inside. Overall, it was fun for a non-fan.

At dahil hindi ko naman mapapalitan ang mukha ko...

...I've been quite experimental when it came to my hair.

I've always sported short hair in high school. Back in those days, I'd fix my hair into mohawks whenever I could (it required a lot of time! and the nuns in our school just won't allow it). So, I generally styled with spiked bangs every morning as I'd gel and blowdry and kill the ozone layer with tons of hair spray (or more commonly known as Spray Net, the popular brand in the 80s!)

 

In college, I had an asymetrical hairstyle. How will I describe it? Just above the hairline of my nape, I had sort of layered hair but the layers were literally like a reversed staircase. From the nape, I had a thin layer of hair, sort of wisps that just about coverend my neck . I didn't really have bangs but the hair, that was supposed to be the bangs, was longer than the rest of my hair even when it was swept all the way back. Sounds crazy huh? But people thought I was cool enough to wear such a wild 'do!

In 2003, I started growing my hair long like those girls in the shampoo ads. I also had my hair relaxed straight in 2004. I kept my hair like that til late 2006 when I finally mustered enough courage to get a perm. It was a refreshing change to my look. I received a lot of compliment then. And I kept it that way for over a year as I didn't know exactly what to do next.

My hair has grown past midway down my back. It had been feeling heavy for quite sometime (count months!). Plus nagmumukha na akong buhok na tinubuan ng mukha! This was the sign that said I had to get a hair cut. So last Jan 28, I went to the salon near our house. I just told the hairstylist that I wanted a trim and cut my hair shorter by at least 4 inches. That she did. She also layered my hair a bit more. She also told me to change the parting from the middle to the side. And what a difference it made!

How do you like my "new" locks?
Note: As I post this, it's been 2 months since this haircut. I'm starting to think I'm due back at the salon. :-)

The Golden Ticket

These days, applying for a US Visa in the Philippines is pretty much like auditioning for American Idol (AI):

1. Most people go to achieve their American Dream. (I went coz my sister's getting married in the US.)

2. The embassy schedules your interview just like AI announces its auditions in a particular city or state.

3. You may need to travel a distance. In the Philippines, you can only apply for the visa at the embassy in Manila. In AI, some contestants come from nearby cities or states in order to audition.

4. You have to come in early and like AI, long lines are involved.

5. You will also be given a number to know it's your turn.

6. Similar to AI, there is a pre-screening but for the embassy, it's more accurate to say finger scanning before the consul (judges) actually sees you.

7. You may think you have the qualifications but you never know what the consul would think of you (are you high-risk or not?).

8. You also get a golden (actually it's yellow) ticket that tells you, "you're going to Hollywood, baby!"

Kagay-an Adventures (Day 2 & 5 of CDO Trip)

Kathleen and I have gone white water rafting during our trip to the Canadian Rockies in June 2006. It was on the Kicking Horse River in British Columbia with Wild Water Adventures. We went thru the Classic Day trip from class one to four. We had very good briefing as to what to expect, what to do when someone falls into the water, how to pull someone out of the water, etc. Needless to say we felt really secure. Despite the icy water coming from the glacier that showered us whenever we went thru numerous rapids (and at one point we had a rafter fall off from another boat whom the guides quickly rescued), the experience was just so much fun and so worth it. Afterwards, we had excellent barbeque with chocolate chip cookies and hot chocolate to close the trip. It was one of the best adventures ever!
With that, we were raring to go white water rafting again.

So Day 2 was set for Kagay-an Adventures which also included the canopy walk and ziplining.

Since there were only 3 of us, Kagay (the local white water rafting outfitter) arranged for us to join a group to make the minimum 5 requirement. There were a total of 2 rafts. The group we joined only went for the basic course for first time rafters which ran thru 12.34 km with 14 major rapids ranging from class 2 to 3 with a total run of 3 hours. (Seriously, it felt more like class 2 most of the time.)

The basic course would be relatively fun for first timers. There were a few rapids that would get you wet if you were seated up front. There were also stretches of calm water where you can jump off and swim along side the raft. It was unfortunate that we ended up with a un-official river guide who wasn't well trained in people skills. He was a good rafter and read the river well but otherwise he was a bit irritating with his corny and pointless remarks during the trip. I was later informed that they only had one official guide available hence they just had to get someone who knew the river well to push thru with the trip. That info kinda turned me off.

Anyhow, the highlight for me would have to be the small water fall section where we let the water fall onto our helmets and back. It was quite refreshing as the day was really hot. I stuck out my tongue to catch the water fall just to make an interesting photo as I knew the guide was taking our photos. At one point, it was also really amazing to see a sea hawk flying overhead and molted snake skins hanging over vines alongside the river walls. We were really amidst mother nature! (During the rafting trip in Canada, we were excited to see wild mountain goats traversing the steep mountainside.)

The trip ended at a restaurant where we were able to shower and change into dry clothes for P20 per head. The place also offered pretty good lunch: liempo, shrimp and chicken bbq which was already part of the package we paid. YUM.


We were then later brought to Macahambus Adventure Park for the canopy walk and ziplining part of our adventure. We wore a harness that hooked us on a line as we walked a suspended bridge over 170ft ravine. I was not one bit nervous but I did feel whoozy as the ladies ahead of me took so much time crossing the bridge that the bridge shook and I got a bit dizzy. So after that, we just let them finish the bridge before we followed.

Ziplining always looked interesting and exciting as I first saw it in Amazing Race. To be honest, I felt a bit nervous before taking the plunge. I say, it's because the others ahead of me were all whining in fear. Heck, I've been sky diving, ziplining should be a piece of cake. And well it was. Overall, it actually felt very abrupt for me. It was literally over in something like 10 seconds.

Day 5 - Advance White Water Rafting

I mentioned in my Camiguin blog entry that we found out we over paid Kagay. Here's the back story there. Our package was P950.00 which we intially thought covered only the white water rafting and the lunch. Later on, we found out that our package consisted of P500.00 for white water rafting, P300.00 for canopy walk/ziplining and P150.00 for lunch. But when we did the Macahambus canopy walk and ziplining, we paid another P300.00 each. So either we get a refund of P900.00 or we go for Advance White Water Rafting on Day 5 of our trip. Of course we decided to do the latter. But this time only Kathleen and I went rafting. Myra met up with her friend who toured her around different churches in CDO.

The Advance course ran 16.54 km of the river with 24 major rapids ranging from class 3 to 4, with a total run of 5 hours. In reality, it started 4km upstream of the basic course. So rapids actually ranged between class 1 to 4.

Initially we didn't want to do the basic leg of the course but since we didn't have anything to do til 5pm, we just decided to go ahead with it. And what a different experience it was this time. Primarily it was due to the fact that the group was also more adventurous and daring, willing to do more stunts than the previous group we joined. Not to mention we had a proper guide this time in the person of Clint.

And the adventure escalated early on: immediately after the first rapid, somebody fell off from our boat but good thing he was able to hold on to the raft line. You should have seen how wide-eyed he was holding on to the raft for dear life. No worries though as we immediately pulled him back in. After the second set of rapids, the last raft flipped and turned over and in a split second, everyone was in the water. We actually saw them as they flipped and it was at this point that I got quite impressed by the river guides particularly Clint. His presence of mind was amazing. He immediately called out to the other guides that there were swimmers. Afterwhich he shouted instructions to the "swimmers" to stay calm and just lie on their back to avoid hitting the rocks underneath. Then he immediately threw them the throwline so that they don't get further downriver. Meanwhile the other guides were already swimming towards the rafters. The rescue was so organized and so fast, I can't help but be impressed with the Kagay team.

From here on, it was all just fun and adventure. There was a part where we rowed upstream to meet the rapids and as we did this, the waters spun us once or twice like a washing machine. Come the basic leg of the course, we would be more daring and deliberately flip the raft and throw everyone into the water. One thing I realized is that even if we anticipated the flip, you're never ready to get thrown into the water. There's just no time to take that big gulp of air before you get submerged. Yes we drank a lot of the river water! But I'm ok, no amoebiasis for me. :P

There was a time when we're allowed to float and meet a shallow rapid that would swing us towards the river wall. I guess I was so tiny that the rapid swund me around faster than I should. I had my back turned to the wall instead of my feet ready to kick. I had to turn myself around and just as I tried to avoid the wall, the raft was coming towards me threatening to smash me between the raft and the wall. I guess being a diver helped as I was able to keep my presence of mind: I simply went under water beneath the raft and came out the other side. Others became quite concerned but immediately saw I was alright. Everything was just a blast!!! I really had a great time.

One funny thing that happened: the entire advance course cost P700. Since we previously overpaid P900.00, this meant Kath & I owed Clint P500 plus P300 for meals. The thing is we only had P500 plus some change. It was our last day and this was all the cash we had on hand. We chummied up with Clint as we asked for a discount building a case that we were returning clients so chika na yung P200. After some consultation with the other guides, they only charged us P600 for the entire rafting course each. This meant that we only owed him P600 for everything (food and rafting balance) but again we only had P500.00 cash. We actually had P60 extra which we were alloting for airport terminal fee. We couldn't really push our luck for more discount so I had to hunt thru my bag for all the loose change I had. Voila! I was able to come up with another P40 which included all the last 25 centavo coins in my person. *Whew* We'd just ask Myra for the airport terminal fee later. But what we forgot was the P20 shower charge at the restaurant/shower place!!! Bless Clint for helping us out and negotiating with the owners to allow us to shower lest we go to the airport with river water on our skin.

One more thing about Clint, he's got such a lean strong body that he looked like he was just pulling out a little kid from the water whenever he effortlessly helped us get back on the raft. If you go to CDO, try to get him as a guide. He's really nice and funny too. And as one of the girls in our first rafting trip says "Love ko na yung accent nya!"



Tip: it's ideal for one to wear long sleeved rashguard and long shorts to protect you from the sun. Otherwise use sport sunblock that's waterproof and re-apply often. I didn't think I'd get burned on the legs but my thighs got soooo burned they turned purple. I looked literally like a cooked lobster at the end of the ride. During the 2nd rafting trip, I wore long sarong-like pants to protect my legs from the sun.

Internet Truths and Myths

I'm pretty sure everyone has come across interesting bits of information from truths (the sun isn't really yellow; the color is only an interpretation of the retinae of our eyes) to myths (Coca-Cola was originally green in color).... and then you come across this.
I understand that above link has been edited. Click on the website snapshot below to see the original article.

Camiguin (Day 3-4 of CDO Trip)

I've always wanted to go to Camiguin since I saw pictures of officemates on White Island from URC. For those who don't know, I left URC in 1999 so you can just imagine how much time has passed. Finally, I got to go as part of the Cagayan de Oro trip.

I didn't really know what to expect. From Myra's internet research, one can expect a lot: Hot and Cold springs, the Sunken Cemetery, Mt. Hibok-Hibok (an active volcano) etc. Asking around from people who've been there, we were told that we can simply rent a multicab when we get there for the island tour. So the only plans we made was to make resort reservations to be sure we had a place to stay.

Getting to Balingoan meant a 1.5hr road trip from Cagayan de Oro. Most people I know rented a jeep or van to take them to the port. So it was a blessing that we met these two girls during our 1st white water rafting who said that we can easily take a bus. They also told us that the island tour wasn't really that special but Katibawasan Falls was a must for them. We thought, we might as well do the island tour just coz we're there anyway.

So from our hotel, we took a 10minute cab ride to Agora which housed the bus stops. We took an aircon bus (P110 per head) to Balingoan. We simply slept during the road trip and missed the changing landscape.

Alighting at the Balingoan stop, we didn't know how to get to the port so we took a tricycle (P5 per person). It turns out it took something which felt like less than 1 minute ride as the port was so near. After buying our tickets (P107 per pax plus P2.30 terminal fee), we waited about 1.5hrs for the next RORO to Benoni port, Camiguin. With the cool breeze, it was a sweet one hour boat trip to the island.

Upon reaching the port, we were approached by several multicab drivers asking if we wanted to rent. That's the thing about travelling in the Philippines, so many people will approach you offering everything you can imagine: from carrying your bags, pearls and accessories, snacks, local delicacies to rides. While I understand their persistence and entreprenuerial spirit, it sometimes borders on harrassment.


We decided to take a multicab to J&A's Fishpen (P10 per pax for 5 min ride from the port). Upon riding the multicab, it was a bit scary just because 2 big men rode the front (driver and companion) aside from the guy who negotiated the transaction with me who rode at the back with us. We were only 3 girls travelling so the situation was slightly uncomfortable but despite that, our fears were unfounded.

While J&A's a nice and peaceful place, the food is just way too expensive given the serving size and the merely acceptable taste. We paid P920 for 1 pc of crab (regular size), 1 order of kilawin (raw fish meat cooked in vinegar-onion-garlic dressing), 1 grilled squid plus rice and softdrinks!

Since it was just more convenient, we agreed to take the same cab to Paras Beach Resort (P350 from the port one way. Apparently it's P600 for round trip transfers.) It took a little over 30 minutes to get the port. The guy who negotiated with me told me that the pool in Paras was under repair due to damages from a recent storm. I wondered why it was relevant. It turns out that Camiguin didn't really have beaches. The island is pretty much surrounded by rocks and the rough waters didn't allow swimming. And with no pool, there was really nothing left to do. It was too late for us to go to White Island (P400 per round trip boat ride) since they operated boats to the island between 6am til about 5pm. We got to the hotel around3pm. So we just stayed there and took naps before dinnertime.


That night we simply decided on dinner at the resort. We met some officemates of mine who were also there on vacation. From these officemates, we found out that we overpaid our Whitewater rafting package which led us to the decision to just stay one night in Camiguin (aside from the fact that there was not much to do in the island anyway) and go back to CDO Friday afternoon so we can go for advance white water rafting on Day 5 just before we fly back to Manila (but that's another blog). With that, here's how we spent the next day in Camiguin:


6am - we took a 5 min boat ride to White Island which is literally a strip of white sand island. No plants can be seen on the island. There were a few stalls built by the locals to serve grilled food. We had yummy fresh grilled fish, liempo and rice for breakfast with 1.5L Coke (seemed like a lunch meal really for only P345); We were glad to see my officemates on the island as they were fun company. Later Myra and I held a fresh fish and took pictures pretending we caught it. Myra looked like she was a beauty queen holding a scepter. Won't be sharing pictures here as she might kill me. :P The water was nice and warm though the sun was in hiding that day. I was so burned from the white water rafting 2 days before that I was just glad I didn't get that much sun exposure that morning.


9.30am - we went back to Resort to bathe and check out of hotel. We later found out that though they prepared our breakfast so we decided to take it out instead and eat it for lunch. We rented a multicab c/o of the resort for about P1000 for half day which included bringing us to the port area. A whole day trip will cost P1500.00 (I initially thought we got a bargain since the he was originally charging us P1200. On hindsight I should have bargained lower since we only planned to go to 2-3 places of interest. Lesson learned.)

10.30am - Given the earlier advise that the island tour wasn't spectacular, we just did a partial tour of Camiguin:


Ardent Hot Springs - there were 3 pools which generally had luke warm waters except for the 3rd pool that had a temperature of about 40 degree Celcius; Kath simply dipped her legs in the 40 degree pool while Myra and I took turns taking each other's picture.

People can actually go swimming here. There were even picnic tables around the area. Unfortunately it's not very well kept and a bit discouraging to take a dip in the pool. We found a couple of locals and a foreigner submerged in the 40 degree pool. Entrance cost only P25.


Vjandep Bakery - The driver brought us to the bakery where they sold the famous Pastel de Camiguin. Pastel is a soft bread which contained a sweet-custard like filling. I don't remember trying it coz I'm not really a bread/pastry person. But this is what most people asked for as pasalubong so I bought 5 small boxes (P62 for 6pcs) and 5 large boxes (P107 for a dozen). Kath and I also passed by the local market where Kath bought several kilograms of ripe mangoes for only P40/kilo. Now you can imagine the load we had to carry back to CDO. hehe.

Katibawasan Falls - 250ft high, the falls is modest in size One can also go swimming here but we just decided on a peaceful lunch as we had the place all to ourselves. The breakfast that we brought from the resort became our lunch: daing with fried rice and fried egg for Kath; Tocino with fried rice and fried egg for Myra; buttered toast with fried egg for me. Oh I didn't get to mention that this cost more than our meal on White Island. Hotel rates!

Like Ardent, there are picnic tables and there are no proper changing areas too. I guess this really meant going back to the hotel to take a bath and change for most people. The entrance fee was a modest P15.

At the entrance to the falls, we saw a monkey with chain on his leg. Like most people, we were amused by the monkey and tried to toss a piece of mango seed on his sitting ledge coz we were afraid he'd jump at us. We missed. Later we realize he might be clever enough to catch it, and indeed he was. We underestimated our primate brother. hehe.

After lunch we tried to catch the 1pm RORO back to Balingoan but saw the ferry leaving just as we got to the port. We had to wait another hour for the next trip. Fare was the same (P107/pax) but no terminal fee this time.