Ramen Nagi, SM North EDSA

A week after my birthday, my favorite food trip buddy/ sister decided to finally grant me my heart's desire to eat ramen. Since Ramen Nagi opened in SM North, I have been persuading her to treat me there. She always tells me there's nothing special about the ramen and that it's just full of MSG. I know it was, based on previous experiences but I would also like to believe that somewhere out there, my perfect ramen is just waiting for me to discover it.

akai ramen (spicy)

 We shared a bowl of akai ramen and a order of seared dumplings. The ramen was very flavorful as expected and the pork meat was tender. Still, in the end I told my sister that I love Chinese noodles better than ramen, because of the unique spices in Chinese ramen. Japanese ramen is just too vetsiny for my taste.

seared dumplings

Because I am a fan of seared dumplings, we just had to have an order. I have never criticized any seared dumpling before and this one is equally spared. I think this is the only reason I will go back to ramen houses since Chinese restaurants usually just have steamed ones. (And I don't like fried ones that much.)

Sariaya, Quezon Province

Last month, the mapping project volunteers went to Sariaya in Quezon Province to map the whole town. The town is pretty small and one can walk around in one day but built heritage was abundant so all volunteers for the day went in groups together with local guides.

For the second time, I was mapping buddies with a fellow archaeologist. The two of us have a reputation in school for our big appetite and naturally we band together to go on side trips for the sake of food. It's funny how we started the day in Sta. Ana with a quick breakfast in a tapsilogan while the other volunteers already started with their respective zones. In Sariaya, we stuffed ourselves with leche yema and tamales, and even planned to visit a local restaurant in the afternoon but this didn't materialize because we had to work.

Thank heavens the weather wasn't bad. It wasn't that hot in the day and we were already conveniently working on our articles inside the convent hall when rain started to fall. The initial plan was to leave the town with everything mapped up but it was impossible given the extra slow internet connection. Late in the afternoon we packed our things for the most anticipated event of the day.

Gala-Rodriguez Mansion facade

Gala-Rodriguez Mansion interiors

Tour Guide E. Dedace is part of the Sariaya Heritage Council

Gala-Rodriguez Mansion interiors

We were treated to a tour at the magnificent Gala-Rodriguez Ancestral House. Unlike the houses that were assigned to us, this erstwhile residential mansion-turned museum bespeaks of affluence as the architecture stands out with many fine intricate details.

Like most ancestral houses, this mansion has an interesting story. It is said that a daughter of this prestigious family was so beautiful that when World War 2 broke out, she was to be kept hidden away from the eyes of the Japanese. The ultra spacious basement served as a hideout for her and her companions when the Japanese would arrive. The basement is now a darkly lit museum housing artifacts like bottles (yes BOTTLES! woohoo!!!), old gadgets, Imeldific shoes, and many other things of a bygone era.

After the tour, we were treated to a song and dance performance. Of course, any visit to Southern Tagalog region would be incomplete without a taste of their lambanog. We all drank just a weeny bit, enough for us to quickly feel the intense heat in our body.

Then dinner was served, followed by speeches by the Wiki leads. They talked about building the nation by building an information database through crowd-sourcing, which is precisely what Wikipedia is all about. Of course ours is just a small project in relation to the wider and more general goal of Wikipedia to build a reliable online encyclopedia for free.

Karaoke inside our jeepney-bus ensued, with volunteers singing one song after the other. I took my much needed sleep since prior to this trip, I've been lacking sleep and I was afraid I might come down with a fever. Sleeping with all the noise was never a problem and by the time I woke up, I already had the energy to have my revenge by singing some of my favorite OPM: Regine Velasquez's Dadalhin, Join the Club's Nobela, Aegis' Luha. These, alongside Eagles' Desperado and A1's Heaven by Your Side. 

Got home at 1AM, tired and sleepy but happy nevertheless. For once, I felt like the volunteers were finally being friendlier and more outgoing. It was a joy to interact with those whom I haven;t even spoken to before. Hopefully the project will be a success.

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Except that as of the present, we are yet to hear news of our new project lead following the resignation of the original lead....

Mario Feir Private Library, BGC

BGC has always struck me as an inconvenient place for meetups and dates so when volunteers of a Wiki project were to meet there to do a mini edit-a-thon, I was hesitant but ultimately decided to show up. How can I say no to libraries? Besides, this one being private means that you have to have the necessary connections to access the collection.

So one day I found myself riding the MRT again. It's only on weekends when you can truly appreciate the value of the MRT system. And because it's been ages since I last stepped in BGC, I was surprised to find that they have a small bus similar to those in other countries. These mini buses stop only at designated stops. One day I wish the government will just take over the transportation system in the country to eliminate unruly bus and jeepney drivers. They are one of the two major reasons why traffic is BAD in the Philippines, the other being that there are just too many vehicles on the road.

The library houses a LOT of old, rare, and out-of-print books. I was able to find Florentino Hornedo's book "Taming the Wind" about the ethnocultural history of Batanes. I searched hard for that book after I came back from Batanes last May but in vain.

I was also very much impressed to see archaeology-related books on the shelves. Later on, I would learn from a fellow volunteer that the Mario Feir Library is actually a friend of ASP. Really nice! (Now I would love to go back to school as this library is getting me excited to do research on just about anything!!!)

So last month found me in that place. Lucky me to have had gotten more out of the difficult commute because a friend wanted to see a Korean performance and she invited me to go with her. I naturally said yes since it means bonding time for us. 

After the performance I took her to the weekend food market at Mercato, which was a long walk but we chatted a lot anyway so it didn't seem too far. We talked about our immediate and long-term plans, where we plan to go to next, how we could spend time together before she flies to Japan next year.

It was a pretty evening. More so because I truly enjoyed her company. Sharing a lot of similarities certainly helped cement our friendship. To think that we were only introduced by a common friend and have been looking out for each other ever since then. Just the kind of friendship I deeply appreciate and treasure.

Hong Kong Nightscapes 2014

Just want to share some pics I took of HK at night:

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Back from a quick date with a friend from elementary school whom I found on a Facebook page and immediately reconnected with. It's been 18 years! Yet it's as if we just parted ways for less than a year as we tried to catch up on each other. I was glad she is starting to do solo backpacking and I hope she'll say yes at my suggestion to explore places together. 

So anyway, because I miss traveling so much... I'm looking at some photos I took in HK and found these. I rarely go out at night when on a trip, preferring to stay at the hotel and grab enough sleep to have the energy to face the morrow for more adventures.

Repeats in 2014

I hate to say this but I think so far, 2014 has been the busiest one in my life. Just when I thought I was to go back to school, plans changed at the last minute because of a nation-wide project which got my attention and where I ended up being a volunteer after a grueling one month certification period. Another important decision is moving to a new company, where the culture differs vastly from my previous one. I did ace my adjustment period, which is a surprise, but which I owe to my frequent travels where change and mobility is the only constant thing.

After becoming an official volunteer in a built heritage mapping project, I found myself visiting new places and gaining new insights in revisiting old places. Just within Metro Manila one can walk around Santa Ana which is already declared a heritage zone. The initial deployment period saw me going to Bulacan and I have yet to go back to see more of its heritage structures. It did feel great to see Malolos Church again, a place I had visited way back in elementary school.

In August this year, I went back to HK. It was supposed to be a trip with a highschool friend but I ended up going alone. It was probably for the best since I was able to meet relatives I have ever seen before. It was my first time to visit relatives who live overseas and it was a liberating experience to do so since my siblings and I were raised by strict and overprotective parents and yet I turned out to be the misfit among us, being the adventurous type and the academically inclined one. I just never thought that I would visit the same country in two consecutive years.

This week, I'm glad to have braved the horrendous traffic just to set foot on Malabon again. This time, there's only me because I wanted to explore it alone. It was tiring and smoke from vehicles was all around, not to mention the noise pollution. It was humbling to see and recognize the architectural beauties I did not seem to have noticed in my visit last year.

And then of all surprises, I am very happy to have had the opportunity to reconnect albeit virtually to an elementary friend. It just so happened that I was browsing through posts in a Facebook group and I saw her post asking for backpacking tips. Right then and there I messaged her and she remembered me! Of all my elementary friends, she sent me the most letters which I loved reading because at our young age, her penmanship was admirably beautiful. My 2014 would be ultra grand if ever we get to meet up despite our hectic schedule. Being able to chat with her on FB already got me excited, so what more if we saw each other!

In a nutshell, 2014 has been about revisiting places and reconnecting with old friends. One lesson I got out of this whole experience is about striking a balance between sustaining existing relationships and forging new ones. I have to say that I met some of the coolest people this year and I am not about to just let them go. Because just as I wouldn't want people to let me go, I would love to nurture those nascent relationships. These days it's easy to meet and discard people but I never liked the idea. Maybe it's what they call separation anxiety. Or maybe it's one's plain desire to get close to people with whom one has an affinity. Either way, I'll just enjoy the ride and see where it takes me to.

Golden Beach, Tien Mun, HK

After a quick lunch at Whampoa following our brief hike in Dragon's Back, all I wanted to do was lie down in bed and sleep. It's not out of exhaustion, hell I was game for more hiking. It was more because I was drained of energy after having had to go back to the city. My cousin-in-law wanted us to join them for lunch in Whampoa.

Because of the incident in Shek O earlier, I was really in no mood to mingle with my relatives. I was questioning why the hell I had to forego my travel plans for the sake of kinship. Of course it doesn't help that I wasn't really that close to my relatives. Add to that the fact that my happiness and freedom were taken away the moment they snatch me from nature.

And the beach has nothing spectacular about it. All the while I thought of the beaches in Bohol and in Palawan and HK just pales in comparison. HK may have all those impressive skyscrapers and they may have heritage buildings intact but when it comes to beaches, I will vote PH without hesitation.

Except Golden Beach at least has this wonderfully constructed hotel. It's the first thing that caught my eye when we got out of the cab and it was the last image n my mind after my first ever foray into the New Territories. 

While my nephews and nieces and aunt and cousins were playing in the sands under the hot afternoon sun, I opted to take solitary time to rest. My refuge was sloping ground under the trees which provided ample protection from the harsh sun. I'm not a fan of sunbathing and I didn't bring any sunblock with me, so my only option was to stay under the shade.

After all that I've been through that day, I was still happy to have seen one beach in HK. Seeing it certainly made me proud of Philippine beaches, gems of our country which, I hope, will be protected for generations to come.

Dragon's Back, Shek O County, HK

As I have already mentioned in this post, before I visited HK last year, all I knew about HK was that it was a shopping haven. Who would have thought that nature lovers like me will also see its different side?

Truth be told, I didn't enjoy much this hike although I was overly eager on that day. I guess the company is very important when it comes to hiking. One cannot enjoy as much as one wants to when she is with those who do not find pleasure in nature. My companions tagged along without knowing what to expect.

view from the first peak

 I have read that the hike through the entire trail would take 8 hours so I equipped myself with two bottles of water. I was more than prepared. But all my preparations were put in vain because my companions wanted to leave the place already. That was just after only 30 minutes of hiking!

Needless to say, I was saddened because it was a beautiful day and the trail was not difficult at all. Yes, the sun's hot rays burned our skin a bit but most of the trail was in the shade so there shouldn't be any problem.

an invitation to Dragon's Back

 So anyway, I will have to go back there again. Will probably do so in spring when the weather's cooler.

the rolling terrain in this part was enjoyable

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I've often believed people when they say they'd love to hike even though they've never tried it before. But because of this incident, I guess I will have to be more careful in picking out companions lest my hike be in vain. Just when I thought I'd be able to complete the hike! 

On second thought maybe it was inconsiderate of me. But I did ask if they'd want to go hiking and if they have prior experience. They said yes, so I took comfort in their words. I guess people would seldom admit to their shortcomings and would more often than not portray themselves as better than they actually are.

Another note: I'm not angry at all at my aunt and niece. It's just that I felt like I was robbed of the beauty of nature this time because of my plans were suddenly cut short. I do appreciate that they wanted to tag along, perhaps out of concern for me. For that, I am still thankful to them. I just hope that one day, I will finish the trail. Will probably go there alone for a more contemplative hiking experience.