Bohol 02272014 Day 2

The second day of our Bohol experience, my office friend and I woke up very early in the morning and hired a habal-habal to take us to Alona Beach in Panglao where we were to meet up with a Chinese couple whom we met yesterday at the Loay River Cruise and who asked us to join them in their island hopping activities so that as a group, costs will be cheaper. To our great dismay though, the one with whom they transacted was not an honest man. He asked for P500 more on top of the P1500 per banca, lying to the Chinese couple that the banca will be bigger and therefore more stable in the sea. The Chinese couple agreed, not knowing that the bancas are of regular size and one can seat up to 10 people. At that time, I remembered what our parasailing guide in Boracay told me about how Boholanos are manlolokos and even reminded me to always be alert when in Bohol. Still, we were still lucky because all the habal-habal drivers we hired were all friendly... Or maybe it's because we initiate conversations and even joke with them.

We arrived in Alona Beach a little before 6AM then we departed for Balicasag Island. On the way, we were treated to a sight of playful dolphins in the seas. Unfortunately, non-locals are not allowed to jump out to play with the dolphins. Our guides suggested we go to Oslob in Cebu for the whaleshark interaction experience so I noted that down.

In Balicasag Island, we had fun snorkeling. My recent purchase then of an underwater Pentax camera came in use. Sad to say, I haven't fully explored how to use it so it was only in auto mode, and the waters were not as calm as in Honda Bay in Puerto Princesa so my priority was on making sure I didn't venture far out lest people suddenly find me gone. Still, the sight was very beautiful. Lots of clownfish! Hello, Nemo!

I didn't get to take a good shot of the orange clownfish I saw...

Before we left the island, we got into a dispute with our guides because apparently, the snorkeling gear was not included in the P2000 fee. The night before I was asking if that was already included in the tour and the reply was just an "ok". If I were scammed in other countries I could have been more forgiving, but to be lied to and fooled by a fellow Filipino just doesn't feel right. And I had to explain everything to the Chinese couple who obviously did not understand Tagalog. So I was like an interpreter then and it was a most stressful situation to be in. Our vacation was almost ruined thanks to manlolokos who prey on tourists. I hate the mentality here that foreigners are wealthy people. I hope that Bohol creates a tourism office to regulate all tourism activities, pretty much what they have in Sagada and Batanes. In Bohol, you are vulnerable to these kinds of scams. Snorkeling gear cost us an extra P150 per person. This and not to mention the P200 snorkeling fee at Balicasag Island, which was also not declared beforehand.

When we finally got to the second island, in Virgin Island, it was as if everything that happened was already a faint memory. The island has nothing special in it but the serenity of the place certainly calmed us down. Here in Virgin Island, we tasted different seafood offerings like sea cucumber, shells, sea urchins, and abalones. I love the shells most, they taste like shrimp but the texture is like that of squid.

 It was already past noon when we got back to Alona Beach. We had our late lunch in one of the tent restaurants in the area. Two piece chicken barbecue, rice, and monggo cost me only P135. My friend ordered chicken intestines (isaw) and I had a taste. It was good.

We went back to our hotel in Tagbilaran to rest a little. Then at night, we attended the samba at Iglesia ni Cristo because my friend is of that faith. I just tagged along, curious as to how they worship.

Read about our Day 1 experience HERE.
Bohol Day 3
Bohol Day 4

Bohol 02262014 Day 1

So finally I'm in the mood to write about my Bohol experience. An officemate and I traveled to the land of Chocolate Hills on the last week of February this year and were back in Manila by the first of March. The three and a half journey was not only an opportunity to see how resilient Boholanos are in response to the high magnitude quake they suffered and the subsequent typhoon that really wreaked havoc in Visayas.

Of all the trips, this one was a challenge for me in terms of fixing our itinerary. I was not able to go on full research beforehand and had limited knowledge of the ferry system. We initially had plans to go to Siquijor but that didn't push through because we found ourselves doing a lot in Bohol and Panglao and less than 4 days was such a bad idea. On the bright side, this gave us more than one reason to go back.

aerial view of the famous Chocolate Hills showing cracks after the quake late last year

When I went to Boracay via Kalibo with my sisters in late January, the weather was cool so I was not expecting Bohol to be hot and always sunny though I really was thankful that nights were cool. My officemate and I greatly enjoyed that one chilly night we were out late and we enjoyed looking up at the star studded night sky while on the habal-habal.

We went straight to Nisa Travellers Inn in Bohol upon arrival and after resting for a while, we went to Loay. Along the way, we passed by houses destroyed by the quake. We arrived in Loay at close to 11AM so after seeing the church, we decided to avail the river cruise with buffet lunch.

The Loay river cruise was a welcome cool respite from the super hot noon. A guitarist played well-loved songs while singing and he even sang a Chinese song! The buffet was quite a spread and I loved the fried chicken only it's too covered with batter and they look big but in fact they're just bony pieces pieced together. Despite this, I loved it.

We went to Albuquerque to see the unusual salt-making tradition they have which involves the use of coconuts to harvest salt. This was after seeing the town church. I learned of this from a foreign scholar who's into salt-making while in Angkor Wat earlier this year. I couldn't believe a foreigner knew much more about Bohol than I do so I made sure to allot time for it in this trip but unfortunately, salt-making was not in season at the time of our visit and neither was I able to buy this special salt. Locals told me they prefer the ordinary one since it's cheaper. I just hope this tradition does not die out.

Next up was Python Sanctum but unfortunately, Prony the python had died due to an illness. According to the caretaker, the pet python died in place of its master. It seemed like they believe in some kind of magic wherein the pet animal would sacrifice itself in order for its master to get cured from a certain illness. Now who says only furry animals are cute?

We then proceeded to Baclayon to see the church and the museum. Baclayon church is one of the most famous churches in Bohol due to its age primarily and also for its museum which houses religious relics, furniture, statues, and even glass items (imagine how excited I was at this discovery! I just hope they let me access their glass collection for my future research).

Near Baclayon church is a small stand which sells refreshing juices. I had the honor of having their wonderful watermelon mint shake for only P50! Take note, they use real mint leaves! While drinking I couldn't help but think of the furry friendly animals in Redwall.

Before we went back to our hotel, we dropped by Dauis to see the church there and to enjoy the sunset. Note: The place is simple yet beautiful. I'm adding it to my list of venue for my pre-nuptial photos LOL.

Dauis late in the afternoon

Before we head back to our hotel, we had early dinner at Alfonso Pizzeria. We had Margherita pizza (P170) and Sicily (P200), both delicious. Would love to go back there again. And I'd like to try the trattoria near it since the owner who is a foreigner boasts of their authentic dishes though at that time we were in a hurry.

Bohol Day 2
Bohol Day 3
Bohol Day 4

Le Concert (2009)

Le Concert is a French comedy film where my favorite composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's music plays a major role. It is about a world-renowned Bolshoi Orchestra conductor named Andrey Simonovich Filipov whose musical career ended because he employed Jewish musicians. This was during Leonid Brezhnev's rule when political dissidents were persecuted and when anti-semitic acts were tolerated.

Now working as a janitor in the theater where he once was conductor, Filipov has become a drunkard much to the dismay of his wife. An opportunity opens for him when one day he saw a printed invitation from the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. He persuades his former orchestra musicians to join him together with ex-KGB agent Ivan Gavrilov as manager. They demanded a lot from Théâtre du Châtelet and one of these is that the solo violinist should be Anne-Marie Jacquet. Anne-Marie almost didn't agree to play for the rowdy group who couldn't even allot time for practice because each was busy doing his or her own business while in Paris, but she was persuaded by Sasha who told her that the key to knowing the truth about her parents is in performing with them.

On the night of the performance, the musicians are told to play for Leia, a former violinist who spoke against Brezhnev following the dismissal of Filipov as orchestra conductor. Leia was Anne-Marie's mother who was sent to and died in the Siberian labor camp together with her husband as punishment under the repressive regime. The scene was a comic one, as two members came in late, making the audience chuckle. The beginning of the performance betrayed the fact that the musicians didn't have enough practice, in fact they didn't even have one decent practice for the performance! It wasn't until Anne-Marie played her solo part so beautifully that everyone else levelled up almost instantly and played beautifully until the end, where they are met with a standing ovation, pretty much reminiscent of Nodame Cantabile movie 1.

While the music in this film is without a doubt excellent, I have a few problems in the storyline. Filipov is well known in the world of classical music and yet he didn't get out of his country to join other orchestra and establish himself once again as a Tchaikovsky genius. Instead he works as a lowly janitor! I also don't understand why they should lie to Anne-Marie about her parentage when her parents died a tragic but noble death.

Watch the full movie.
Note: The film is dubbed in Spanish and has no English subtitles.

David Garrett- Io Ti Penso Amore

Lately I've become engrossed in violin music when one day I chanced upon this cool violinist who looks like a rock star. His name is David Garrett and researching more about him, I found out that late last year he played the great musician and composer Niccolo Paganini in The Devil's Violinist which unfortunately was not shown nor marketed here in the Philippines. (Just why is classical music not popular here??? rawwwwrsss!!!)

Have I mentioned that he's also a model? It's not surprising since he's got the looks and the body that will make countless girls swoon and faint and probably suffer a heart attack (knock on wood). But really, he's like the most perfect male being I've laid eyes on. And we're not yet talking of his awesome fiddling skills, when he plays the violin that is (no second meanings here!).

And what surprised me even more is that Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls is actually a trained opera singer! WOW! It. never. ever. crossed. my. mind. She collaborated with David Garrett in "Io ti penso amore", a very beautiful song. I wish I could play that someday.

I wish David Garrett would come to the Philippines. If not, I wish I had enough money to travel to countries he'll visit for concerts and I wish to see him play "Io ti penso amore" live.

Sigh!

MUNI Biyaheng Lokal Quiz Night 04112014

In my student days, I was an avid fan of quizbees. It all started in grade school when I was suddenly selected to participate in Battle of the Brains and after winning we were rewarded with a cash prize. It opened me to the idea of winning money through general trivia and putting to good use my knowledge of many facts gained from reading the encyclopedia and fiction.

Last night was the first time in many years that I joined again a quizbee. This time, it's all about travel since I've taken up the hobby two years ago after quitting school and gaining a full time job. Since I travel to know more about the culture, history, and the health of environment of the places I visit and since I also consider myself an environmentalist, I wanted to take this opportunity to get to know like-minded people who care about social enterprise, free trade, responsible travel, and sustainable tourism. Another goal is to win awesome prizes, too, since according to their Facebook fan page, tour package prizes are also up for grabs. Now this is perfect since I'm itching to travel soon but my financial situation hasn't improved yet.

And I'm more than happy to have attended the event last night. Never mind that the venue was in Katipunan (friends know I hate going there because it's hard to commute), all I thought about was perhaps there's something I could learn by just being there. Indeed, I discovered there are very active groups out there which have been on the move to make this country a better place. I was like, WOW! More than inspired, I'm dared to move!

see that? My name tag says "A1"... coz I was the very first one to arrive at the scene (I was that excited!)

The event was not possible without the following generous sponsors:
Route +63
Trail adventours
TriboCo. Kultura Kamp
Brownman Surf
Culture Shock PH
Lagu
Gouache
TALA LUNA
Moonleaf Tea Shop
RuMe Philippines
Kawil Tours (The Culion-Coron Palawan Expeditions)
Brown Belly
Jertie's Kitchen and Brown Sugar Pastries

But of course, thanks to MUNI PH for organizing this wonderful event. Hoping for more to come.

Mexicali/ Captain America Date 04052014

Early this month, my sisters were talking about meeting up with a college friend, with plans to watch Captain America. Since I met their friend during another friend's wedding last year, my sisters allowed me to join them. So after practice, with me bringing my bulky instrument with me, I headed to SM North and was pleasantly surprised to find them at Mexicali in The Block. They know very well that I love Mexican food but that time was a wrong time because I was trying to be extra thrifty after having bought an expensive gadget and I still felt guilty at not having allotted money for savings for quite some time now due to consecutive travels.

We could have transferred somewhere where food is cheaper but I also miss my fave tacos so despite my internal struggle we ended up dining at Mexicali.

clockwise: nachos, more nachos with taco, quesadilla, vegetarian soft taco

I was already tired the whole day because I was on remote work and I was a bit stressed in practice because I saw how good my teacher was and I guess I wanted to achieve that level in the shortest possible time. I was thinking maybe I was dumping P220 down the drain again because I might end up sleeping inside the theater, but I was wrong.

Captain America: Winter Soldier is, pretty much like the well-loved Avengers film and other associated movies, far from boring. Lots of action and really cool fighting scenes, especially those that involve the super hot Black Widow though I found her rather too matured in this movie and I liked her better in Avengers. (WHEN ARE THEY MAKING A MOVIE ABOUT BLACK WIDOW???)  It's also in this movie where I appreciated Nick Fury's role. I was scared he would die but during the morgue scene, something in me was saying that such a man is hard to kill and I suspected he was just faking his death. So in the latter part when it was revealed he was still alive, I just couldn't refrain from exclaiming, "OURS IS THE FURY!!!"

And there's the extra hot Bucky Barnes, Captain America's friend from way back who was also injected with the same serum that would grant him great powers. He looks like a rock star! {drools} Needless to say, I feel sorry for the man because he suffered from amnesia and couldn't remember his friendship with Steve Rogers. I had watched Captain America: First Avenger and I liked his character because he was always there to back up his then skinny and loser friend. I just hope Steve Rogers die in the next film and Bucky will replace him as the new Captain America. hihi

AAAAAAND... Another cool character shows up: Falcon! I love how he's an expert in flying his machine, that even without superhuman powers he is able to lend a hand to Captain America to defeat HYDRA. Now things are getting extra interesting.

And did I say that Captain America: Winter Soldier boasts of two other female SHIELD officers, aside from Black Widow, who turn out to have guts and who are also good at fighting? 

More movies about the Avengers please.

March

I may not have traveled a lot in March but I did eat out a lot. My only trip was in Caliraya, Laguna.

My lunch mates and I had lunch at Tonkatsu by Terazawa in Greenbelt 2 for an office friend's despedida; she is now in Singapore. I had the oyster and chicken katsu set consisting of two pieces breaded oyster, and chicken katsu. The set includes unlimited rice (nothing beats Ginza Bairin's unlimited Jasmine rice but rice here has nice texture), unlimited miso soup (which I LOVE, the best miso soup I've had), unlimited shredded cabbage, and corn. As in Ginza Bairin, I like my shredded cabbage with roasted sesame dressing. The fried oyster and chicken are wonderfully executed but because they're fried, there's the umay factor. Probably the reason why I had three bowls of miso soup.

Because my archaeo friends and I had a movie date at Gateway to watch 300: Rise of an Empire, we had dinner again at Taco Bell. If it's not KFC it's Taco Bell. Oh well, this little girl needs her dose of junk food from time to time, too. Our 3D movie ticket  (P300) comes with free popcorn and soda. As expected from the makers of 300, the sequel is violent with lots of blood spurting and splashing everywhere. While my first reason for watching it on 3D was Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), it all changed when Artemisia (Eva Green) appeared. I just LOVE her, despite her dark back story. I found myself squealing everytime Artemisia appears with her varied costumes. And one of my friends, who is a big Lena Heady fan, naturally rooted for Queen Gorgo. So imagine how noisy we were as the movie was ending. When the lights came on, many people us angry looks for being so noisy. So I am taking this opportunity to apologize to the strangers who were put off by our childish behavior.

Other college friends invited me to my second bar experience at Cowboy Grill in Quezon City. To show my support for my friend's org's event College Collision Reactivate, I said yes. The event is an inter-college band contest. It's also our moment to bond, though the place doesn't seem to be apt because we couldn't hear each other. We were served cold food--- pancit canton, rice, pork BBQ, and iced tea. Nothing special, all regular normal food but I guess one shouldn't complain because the ticket costs only P200. Come to think of it, I was also with this set of friends on my first bar experience. And now we're planning to go to other bars.

My sister and I had a date again at Kokoro Ramenya in Fisher Mall. These days we don't get to hang out a lot because she's always working overtime whereas I've been busy doing a lot of things. Though I can drop anything I'm doing if she's the one to invite me because I know I'll be in for a treat. We shared a bowl of tantanmen. Not that QQ and the soup is too creamy. My sister found it too salty. I, on the other hand, wished for more sesame oil. They should have placed a bottle of sesame oil on each table. On the upside, we like the dumplings which were seared on one side. I love the way the texture plays in my mouth, it's like eating crispy pizza crust. But the price is too expensive, P155 for just 4 pieces. Will we go back? No. Better restaurants abound.

For our team's March celebrants, we had lunch at Seryna in Little Tokyo. I've been meaning to eat there and already have plans with a friend and her friends but it's already been a year and nothing's happening. So finally, authentic Japanese food! I had Kaisen Gozen (P380). I love everything in my bento except for the thin slices of ginger. Unfortunately, their miso soup is not unlimited. So considering I ate a lot, the price is just right.

Kaisen Gozen at Seryna

One Sunday, I visited UP since I've been missing school a lot these days. I had lunch at Mashitta in UP Shopping Center. I was initially tempted to go to UP Town Center but I guess it's better if I have a friend with me. My order of spicy squid with rice (P95) and miso soup (P35) was satisfying. The squid is cooked just right and I love the spiciness of the dish. 

That same day, off I went to RCBC Theater in Makati to watch the one-woman play "Full Gallop" starring the highly talented Cherie Gil who plays Diana Vreeland, a bitchy fashion editor with a grand sense of entitlement to everything fine and beautiful. I think Cherie Gil fully captured the essence of the role. I can never think of any actress best-suited to play Vreeland. However, the play is really very elitist in that non-socialites will have a hard time relating as Vreeland's opinions on just about everything is largely based on her own experiences as someone who came from a privileged family. 

So going back to restaurants, my quest this month ended in the Filling Station and Mey Lin Bistro.

And I think I'll be all the busier in the coming months with my acquisition of a tablet. Yay! At present Bulu Monsters keep me occupied.