Nap Time Rocks!

facade

some hide behind sarcasm, wit, or charm. what kind is yours?

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paoay church, laoag | May 2010 | canon eos 400d rebel xti

iron will wisdom

the place had an unsettling feeling of old power, and surprisingly, great wisdom.

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Marcos Museum, Ilocos Norte | May 2010 | Canon EOS 400D Rebel Xti

Art, masks, and exotic food

what: a unique all-filipino restaurant/art gallery, Balaw-Balaw specialty restaurant

where: along manila east road, angono, rizal

what to order: crispy fried frog legs, steamed tilapia (my vocabulary of fish species is limited so forgive me) with mayo and carrots, sinigang sa miso, green mango/tomato/onions mix (what’s that called again) w/ bagoong (this one is really good), and those other exotic sounding things on the menu. unfortunately yours truly is unadventurous in the food area so i leave the experimenting to you.

the food is priced pretty reasonably; i wasn’t the one who footed the bill so i leave that out. i still think it’s a pretty interesting getaway from all the hip and hype of manila’s restaurants.

masks with people’s signatures on them (you can buy one for hanging in the restaurant), a miniature higante from the province’s famous festival and the severed heads of the real ones used during the parades can all be seen there. beautifully and intricately carved statues, murals, and artwork are all on display at the 2nd and 3rd floors.

click on for map:

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Plantation Bay

where: Plantation Bay – Lapu-Lapu island, Cebu

Plantation Bay is one big man-made “beach” resort. Its salt and fresh water pools are vast and large enough to accommodate hundreds of visitors at any given time. I’d say it’s a great venue for company/family outings whether big or small, weddings, parties, conventions (they have a convention hall), and for just vacationing.

how to get there: coming from off-island, via air flights are daily; land at Mactan International Airport

how much: rates vary from P7k+ to P10k+/room/night; but we paid for the P7k  room good for 6-8 people; w/ bunk beds and a double-size bed

what to do: the beach front is not so good which is why the resort was made to compensate for it; when you go there several boatmen will ask you if you want to go island hopping. i wasn’t able to go because of the tight schedule (read: we weren’t really there for leisure, medyo lang) but could have been worth trying

also try kayaking (in the man-made salt water pool slash beach) and eating at the beach side restaurant, al fresco. just tune out the performer when she comes on later =) let’s just say she wasn’t exactly setting good ambience, except if you want good ol’ tacky b-grade entertainment.

so free yet so chained

this is the reason why i’m not a fan of zoos and animal attractions. well, aside from the smell.

it’s just so cruel how the animals are forced to work all day, eat nothing but fatteners and carry around  unnecessary weight.

i don’t care if they’re built for it. it’s just not right.

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people’s park, tagaytay | June 2010 | Canon EOS 400D Rebel Xti

messy beautiful

when things get boring, try looking at things at a different perspective.

like handing over the camera to a 3-year old, so this is what you get:

messy, colorful, bright. just the way it should be.

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UP Technohub, QC | April 2010 | Canon EOS 400D Rebel Xti | photos by Mia

today’s reminder

as well as for the rest of my driving existence..

“Getting angry is actually punishing yourself with the mistakes of others.”

Lord help me.

Charlie’s

one of the perks of being on the field most of the time is that you get to discover tucked away food outfits that shouldn’t be kept secret. you’ve got to try them every once in a while.

who hasn’t heard of Good Burgers? Charlie’s is going to do you better and meatier. while GB is on the veggie patty side, Charlie’s is heavy on the beef. i never should have underestimated the small basket of burger and fries.

but it’s gooooood. really good.

this photo does not even do justice to the food at all.

well done beef patties, anyone?

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Charlie’s Grind & Grill is located inside a carwash facility along the East Kapitolyo Drive in Pasig. when at the shaw blvd rotonda, take the street where Petron is at, then left at the first main intersection. Charlie’s is at the right side.

the outlaw

the outlaw is finally in custody…

in the brief chase in tagaytay highlands, police was able to bring in the famed outlaw, Wide Eyed Mishka.

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Tagaytay Highlannds | May 2010 | Canon EOS 400D Rebel Xti

When in Iloilo…

do as ilonggos would because you’d be in for really good food at surprisingly low prices.

where: Tatoy’s, a local (and quite known) seafood restaurant by the sea

what to eat: the native chicken inasal, grilled tuna, and loads of fresh talaba! (or oysters for some of you out there)

how much: all these plus ‘side dishes’ of rice, vegetables, and drinks for 3 people will cost you around P500 only. (a plate of oysters costs only about P50)

tatoy’s is a local hot spot for good (and affordable food) but if you want to go all cowboy and fresh seafood right off the market, try Bacolod’s* inasalan and manokan. since the bacolod city proper is quite navigable via taxi or tricycle, you can ask to be brought to the area where the paluto restaurants are. be warned though because these are roadside establishments; not a place for the unadventurous. you shop for seafood at a mini market beside the strip and have them cooked the way you want it. buttered shrimps, anyone?

where to stay: Mo2 Westown Hotel which has the El Dorado Waterpark and is right across a whole slew of bars and restaurants that come alive at night (read: gimikan)

what can i say?: i love it. i’d love to come back and explore the island (guimarras especially) and have more talaba! awesome.

Read on for maps..

*a 45-minute fast craft (a type of ferry boat) ride from iloilo; ticket costs around P200-P300; daily skeds to and fro, from 630am to 5pm

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Quaint litte Tagaytay getaway

where: Tagaytay Econo Hotel, a quaint little hotel right at the end of where the sta. rosa-tagaytay road meets the tagaytay-calamba road

how much: we paid for P4k++ for a room good for 4-5 people

must do: hang around the top deck where there are 2 large cottages or in the sala/veranda (2ndfl) overlooking the lake, whip out your laptop and go online courtesy of free wifi

overall rating: 4 of 5 stars

…

click photos for a larger view

Everything about life i learned while beheading shrimps

believe it or not, something so mundane (and gross) can be therapeutic. all it takes are rubber gloves and a little creativity.

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• there are things in life that you need to do. sometimes because no one else will.
• bigger is better. but big things can also have sharp pointy edges so be prepared to get hurt.
• when you need distraction, try doing something mechanical, a chore that doesn’t require you to think, just skillful hands.
• beheading is easy. all it takes is one quick pulling motion. it’s a little brutal and messy but it gets the job done.
• when you do something often enough, you develop a technique. it saves you a lot of time.

but out of all these, this is the most valuable lesson:

• make sure to clean up your mess after. if you don’t, it stinks.

yey. =)

the old, old world

i’ve always wondered about how it would be like to live during the black and white spanish era.

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The Paoay church in Paoay, Ilocos Norte. One of the 4 oldest heritage church sites in the country and UNESCO-preserved. May 2010.

reefs

somewhere above the water.

i’m so looking forward to seeing you again.

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PWN, Mar 2009 | Canon EOS 400D Rebel Xti

in about 20 days…

but this time i will be prepared.

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PWN, 2009 | Canon EOS 400D Rebel Xti