Together [Photo-Hunt]

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Ham (in this case, Spam) and eggs go well together.  

A hen, together with her chicks, was enjoying the sun at my aunt's backyard.

Do you still wonder which came first, the chicken or the egg?

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Join the fun at Photo-Hunt

Stillness [Sky-Watch Friday]

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 Health, contentment and trust

Are your greatest possessions,

 And freedom your greatest joy. 

 Look within.     

 Be still.  

     

~ Buddha

Tropical storm Juaning (international name:  Nock-Ten) left a trail of devastation as it ravaged the Bicol region, central Luzon and the northern provinces.  35 lives were lost and millions of pesos worth of crops and infrastructures were destroyed.

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"The sound of  'gentle stillness'  after all the thunder and wind have passed will be the ultimate Word from God." 

~ Jim Elliot

More sky photos from around the world at Sky-Watch Friday

Baked oysters

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Too bad these succulent oysters were literally drowned in butter.  Personally, I prefer to eat oysters on a half-shell including the juice, raw or blanched with just a twist of lemon or vinegar dip.  Other preparations with added condiments "spoil" the distinctive flavor of oyster. But outside the family, I only have a few friends who can eat oysters the way I do.  On a dare, they'd eat baked oysters---but too squeamish to chew.

So this was another appetizer on a Saturday night-out with a couple of friends.  We drowned our sorrows, laughed at our faux pas and ate oysters to awaken the senses.

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I'm linking to Willa's Food Trip Friday

Fishing [Watery Wednesday]

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A fisherman getting ready to go out to sea.

Get virtually wet at Watery Wednesday

To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter... to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird's nest or a wildflower in spring - these are some of the rewards of the simple life.  ~John Burroughs

A sugary tale [My World]

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Sugarcane is a delicate plant, and there was always a need for plenty of fertilizer, irrigation, and a workforce that would work long hard hours of backbreaking labor without complaint---or without choice, as in the case of slaves. Although there was never a slave trade in the Philippines, the sugar industry here has its own unique history of exploitation, excitement, and human drama.

Sugarcane is a massive, bamboo-like grass of genus "Saccharum", tribe "Andropogonaeae", and family "Poaceae". Scientists call it photosynthetically efficient, in that it creates sucrose from sunlight, air, and water better than just about any other plant on earth. The only ones that come close are sugar maple and sugar beet; not coincidentally, those are precisely the two plants that compete directly with cane in the world sugar market.

My mother's uncle acquired a few hectares of land in the southern part of Negros Occidental in the 1950's.  It is a remote area that was infested by communist rebels, and nobody in the family dared to farm the land.   It was only about a decade ago when one of my cousins was crazy enough to invest in sugarcane farming.

Driving to Locotan with my cousins one Saturday in April, I was surprised to see that farm-to-market roads have been developed.  There was electricity, health centers, and according to relatives who live in the area, the communist rebels are either in jail or have returned to mainstream society after the 2007 Amnesty proclamation.

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Sugarcane farming is never easy, according to my cousin.  In addition to dependency on unpredictable world markets, the sugar farmer is subject to the vagaries of Mother Nature. When it rains too much, trucks can't get out in the fields to get the cane.  To a naive observer like me, a field of blossoming snow-white sugarcane flowers is a sight to behold---the same scene brings a chill to the sugar farmer's spine.  Because those entrancing blossoms mean that the sugar content of the cane is being rapidly depleted, and along with it market value at the mill.  

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My cousins and I had the crazy idea to walk in the fields at 2 pm when the sun was unforgiving.  I needed the exercise but not heat stroke!  But the view...yes, the view of these rolling hills has a cooling effect even at a 33-degree C temperature.

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Taken in Locotan, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental

My contribution to My World-Tuesday

Sunrise, Sunrise [SWF]

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Men toil by day and love by night,

but only dreamers cherish the light

of sunrise.

So open your eyes to imaginings,

for nothing's ever as it seems

at sunrise.

~ JVD

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 Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Waiting for sunrise at my roof-deck.
July 20, 2011

More sky photos from around the world at Sky-watch Friday

Fried Crocodile meat

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Yes, I took a bite on the wild side recently with this fried garlicky crocodile meat.  It was actually a dare from a friend while we were getting a little tipsy on SMB Light, sisig, calamari and baked oysters.  Why not try something different?  So there---fried crocodile with blue cheese dip for pulutan.  Crocodile meat is light-flavored so the garlic and blue cheese dip were probably a great idea to add flavor.

The bar manager told me they got their crocodile meat from Morong, Rizal---I didn't know there's a crocodile farm in Morong, do you?.  Let me assure you that this was before the recent crocodile attack in Palawan.:p 

Compared to other meats and if well-trimmed, crocodile is low in fat, low in calories and high in protein, and is considered as a good source of niacin and Vitamin B12. In Australia, crocodile carpaccio is pretty popular as well as crocodile rolls, known to the Japanese as Wani Rolls.

Join us at Food Trip Friday

Anhawan Island: The other side

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We basked in the morning sun, swam in the warm water, and just loving our own private beach at the south side of the island.  Manong, the owner of the island, warmed up to the boys and invited us to the other side where his hut was located.  

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We can either ride in our outrigger and meet him on the other side, or climb the hill.  Naturally, we opted to climb the hill and walk to the north side of the island.  Manong warned us that the vegetation was dense, and we should be careful because there were traps along the hiking trails.  Some of the trails were also misleading to confuse unwanted visitors.  I was the weakest link, as always, and I was instructed to follow Manong's sidekick, Toto, a 9-year old boy, or one of his dogs.

Toto was fast I had to call him a few times to wait for me. I could barely take photos at his pace.

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It was a good 30-minute trek.  From one point, I could see Danjugan Island and Pulo Gamay at the distance.  It's where we came from before coming to this island.  

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This is the north side where, according to Manong, sea turtles lay their eggs.  It earned Anhawan a moniker as the turtle island of Sipalay.  Worldwide, marine turtle populations have critically declined and it was declared that all species of marine turtles are endangered.  This area is also a great diving site.

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Anhawan is an uninhabited island off the coast of Sipalay City in Negros Occidental.  There was no electricity, no fresh water in the island---Manong gets his water supply from the mainland.  I didn't see any crops, only coconut trees.  Manong lives here with his wife, his 9-year old sidekick, four dogs and a he-goat.  They have a house at the mainland but he preferred to stay on the island.  His way of life somehow reminded me of Robinson Crusoe.  

He told us that an American visited the island not too long ago, proposed to buy the island and convert it into a world-class resort.  I asked Manong if he's open to the idea...he said, he's quite sentimental about this island that his family owns for three generations.  

I hope he doesn't sell.

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This was the view from the beach.  The fisherman's hut across the bay was Manong's next-door neighbor.

The threesome---my cousin, Mark, Toto, the sidekick and the he-goat who had a big crush on Mark.

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Join us at My World-Tuesday and Watery Wednesday

Backward [Photo-Hunt]

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 Would you like a journey backward in time?
One of the aviation exhibits at Clark Field.

Posted for Photo-Hunt

Sunset from the bridge [SWF]

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Drive-by shots from the bridge approaching the C5 toll gate.  Traffic was bumper-to-bumper on Saturday afternoon as vehicles slowed down towards the toll gate.  I couldn't resist and took advantage of the slow-moving traffic to take photos of this glowing sunset.

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More sky photos from around the world at Sky-Watch Friday

Spicy Maguro Roll

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A soup is a must for me especially when I'm hungry.  I need to start with soup--in this case, Miso Soup, to "cushion"  the stomach, so to speak.  I posted  the not-so-pleasant experience with Asparagus Bacon Tempura at Kimono Ken last week.  But Kimono Ken was totally redeemed by this scrumptious, savory Spicy Maguro Roll.  The texture, freshness of subtly spiced tuna and ikura (salmon roe) were unforgettable.  Will be returning soon.

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Join us at Food Trip Friday

Melancholic [Mapanglaw]

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"One loves the sunset when one is sad..." ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Isang madramang tagpo sa dalampasigan habang papalubog ang araw. Mapanglaw ang paligid, malalim ang iniisip habang nakatingin sa kawalan.  Sana naintindihan nya na kahit ang masayang buhay ay may kaakibat na kadiliman, at ang salitang "ligaya" ay mawawalang saysay kung walang kalungkutan.

Join us at Litratong Pinoy

A dramatic scene on the beach at sunset.  A melancholic air, a dejected mood as he stares blankly into space.  I hope he realized that even a joyful life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word "happy" would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness.

For Thursday 2 Questions - you are invited to answer and join:

1)  What comforts you when you're sad and lonely?

2)  Who is the bravest person you know personally?

Anhawan Island [Watery Wednesday]

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We spotted this deserted beach on a small island off the coast of Punta Bulata.  Our boatman told us the island is called Anhawan (or Anjawan) and it is privately-owned---the latter elicited some raised eyebrows.:p  Well, there's a sign alright.  

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And a few minutes after we dropped anchor, dogs ran towards the shore to welcome us!

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Then we met the "owner"---our boatman and the boys talked to the man.  They came back to the boat to tell me that there's a fee if we would like to spend the day on the island.  "How much?" I asked. It's three hundred pesos (or about $7).  There were 11 of us, including 3 kids...I was computing in my head when my brother said, "It's 300 bucks for all of us."  Really?  

Our own private beach for a day for the price of 2 venti cafe mocha at Starbucks?  That's a no-brainer.:p

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Nothing rejuvenates the mind and body than some quiet time on a deserted beach, and being surrounded by the happy sounds of family, gentle warm breezes, the whoosh of turning waves and the smell of salty air. I rested my back on a rock and meditated on the calm, peaceful sea stretched out as far as I can see.

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Get virtually wet at Watery Wednesday

Unexpected sunset [SWF]

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It was a rainy weekend and the horizon was grey and gloomy on Sunday afternoon.  I wanted to go out for a run but the intermittent rain discouraged me.  By late afternoon, I was hanging out at the roof deck taking photos of tiny wildflowers growing on some planters when I noticed the light changed.  When I looked up, I was delighted to see this vibrant sunset sky a little after 7 o'clock.

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"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." ~ Henry David Thoreau

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