Saturday, December 31, 2011

Gather and Drinks/Saturday Photo Hunt


The young and the young once gather around the dancing fountain.
And a drink for the young and old---lemonade.


Wishing you and yours a peaceful and prosperous New Year!


Thursday, December 29, 2011

Fruit Salad


A simple dessert I made for Noche Buena--a cocktail of fruits with lots of sweet corn and peaches, topped with cheese and grapes.  Oh, I also added raisins and diced dates---how's that for sugar rush?

Wishing you a peaceful and prosperous New Year!



Linking to Food Friday and Food Trip Friday

Tapos/End


Sa wakas, tapos na ang aming paghihintay nang makita ko ang paglapag ng eroplanong ito ng Cebu Pacific sa Busuanga airport.  Dalawang araw kaming stranded dito noong Setyembre nang hindi makalapag ang Cebu Pacific dahil daw sa sama ng panahon.  Samantala ang mga eroplano ng Air Philippines at Zest Air, pati na ang mga maliliit na Cesna planes ay nakalapag naman.  Hindi maipaliwanag ng maayos ng mga ground crew ng Cebu Pacific sa mga galit na pasahero kung bakit ang eroplano lang nila ang hindi makalapag.  Ang masama pa, hindi sinagot ng Cebu Pacific ang gastos sa hotel, pagkain at pamasahe ng mga stranded na pasahero sa unang araw.  Dinadahilan nila ang masamang panahon, hindi daw nila sagot ang gastos ng pasahero kapag masama ang panahon at nakansela ang flight.  Sa pangalawang araw, hindi na namin sila tinigilan at binayaran nila ang aming gastos sa hotel at pagkain.

Marami ang naperwisyo ng Cebu Pacific sa mga nakanselang flight.  May mga dayuhang turista na napilitan bumili ng napakamahal na tiket sa Air Philippines para umabot lang sa connecting flight nila sa Manila papuntang ibang bansa.  May mga balikbayan na may connecting flight din papuntang ibang probinsya.  May mga budget travelers na wala ng pera.  At nasayang ang dalawang araw na sana na-enjoy pa namin kaysa naghihintay lang sa airport.

Takot pala sa ambon ang mga piloto ng Cebu Pacific.  Dapat kalesa lang ang minamaneho nila!  Dahil sa walang kwentang serbisyo ng Cebu Pacific, nabahiran ng inis ang aming alaala ng bakasyon sa Coron.  Ang hindi maasahan na serbisyo ay makakasira din sa turismo ng Calamianes.

Pinangako ko sa sarili ko na yon na ang huli kong pagsakay sa Cebu Pacific, kahit mura pa ang pamasahe nila!


Linking to Litratong Pinoy

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Calamianes: Green rolling hills


These are not flood-washed mountains.  Some of the  islands in the Calamianes are rich in a certain mineral that makes them ideal for grazing.  In Busuanga Island alone, more than 10,000 hectares are used as grazing by the Yulo King's Ranch. The coastline is protected by mangrove forests.  I also captured a small fishing village at the tip of the island.

I am sorry I have not been very active in leaving comments on your posts. I moved to a bigger apartment a few weeks ago, and my internet connection is still not stable.

Thank you for your visits and wishing you a hopeful and prosperous 2012!



Linking to Watery Wednesday

Monday, December 26, 2011

Blue Door/Blue Monday


This blue door opens to a courtyard of an old home in Pasay City.
I hope your Christmas was filled with never-failing kindness, beauty and love.


Linking to Sally at Blue Monday

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Crabs in garlic sauce


My mother's blood pressure shoot up recently so we're taking it easy on Christmas eve.  No cholesterol-laden foods on Noche Buena.  That's a promise.  Meanwhile, let me share these crabs in garlic sauce that  I made over the weekend.  My mom was not tempted but I felt a little guilty munching on these baby crabs while she's eating laswa (similar to dinengdeng).:p

Feast on your inspirations and have a healthy Noche Buena.  Merry Christmas to you and yours!



Linking to Food Trip Friday and Food Friday

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Ho-Ho-Ho [Ruby Tuesday]


Underneath all the bulging bundles is a beating Christmas heart...


Posted for Ruby Tuesday

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Blue Christmas [Blue Monday]


 Christmas, children, is not a date.  It is a state of mind.

~ Mary Ellen Chase


Linking to Blue Monday

Friday, December 16, 2011

A canvas of glory [SWF]


The moon is like a mystery novel, the sun a motivational self-help book, and the stars a coffee table book of photography.  The sky is a whole library, and God the librarian.  ~ Terri Guillemets



Linking to Sky-Watch Friday

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Calamianes: Pearl Farm [Watery Wednesday]


Somewhere between the islands of Busuanga and Culion, I noticed this floating hut near the shores of a deserted island.  I wondered why someone would like to stay in a floating hut in the middle of nowhere.  Then I saw lots and lots of floating black balls, so I asked our boatman about it.  He told us the area is a pearl farm.  The huts are for security personnel and they are armed with automatic weapons!


I have not seen a pearl farm before.  I knew about pearl farms in Mindanao but didn't know there are pearl farms in Palawan.  Turned out, pearl farming in the region began in the early 1900's.  The clean waters of Palawan have attracted investors to engage in pearl farming, particularly in the island municipalities.  A total of more than 44,000 hectares are under lease for pearl farming, and the lease period is generally 25 years.

Pearls are cultured by transplanting a tiny piece of mantle tissue of an oyster shell into the shell of a young oyster.  This graft forms a pearl sac and precipitate calcium carbonate into this pocket.  Over time, this grows into a pearl.  It takes 2-5 years for a pearl to mature. Source

The world's largest pearl, the 9.45-inch Pearl of Lao Tzu, was found by a diver in Palawan in 1934 and is now valued at US$42 million. Source



Get virtually wet @ Watery Wednesday

Sunday, December 11, 2011

T'boli, the dreamweavers [OWT and RT]

a T'boli girl  playing a tnonggong, a deerskin drum used 
as a supportive instrument in the kulintang ensemble

Last October, the T'boli culture was showcased at the Manila FAME, a bi-annual trade fair where Philippine exporters exhibit their products and designs for the international market.  The T'boli is an indigenous tribe from the highlands near Lake Sebu, South Cotabato in Mindanao.  They have a rich heritage in music, dance and story-telling.  


The T'boli women are known for their traditional woven abaca fabric called T'nalak.  According to T'boli legend, T'nalak weaving was taught to their ancestors by the goddess Fu Dalu in a dream.  Superstition surrounds the making of this fabric.  The traditional patterns were conceptualized through dreams and "visitations" that renders the dreamer speechless and deaf until the design is fully executed.  Patterns and designs are often inspired by nature.  T'nalak is often referred to by non-T'boli as "dreamweave", and T'boli women are called "dreamweavers".


The T'nalak occupies a special significance in the lives of the T'boli people.  It is basically used as blankets and clothing, and considered helpful for safe delivery when used as pre-natal covering.  T'nalak is also used as dowry and bride price; as offerings to the "earth spirits" to ask for rain, cutting of trees, healing of the sick, thanksgiving, and its presence during certain feasts give it a sacred value.  

T'nalak is a product of an age-old tradition of tie-dye weaving.  A tedious process composed of rituals that conveys the T'boli's spiritual and traditional beliefs.  The coloring agents are extracted from leaves, roots and barks of trees.   The weaving takes almost two and a half months for a piece about 20 feet long.


More about the T'bolis and T'nalak  at The Indigenous People of MindanaoPraywayGida's T'nalakMercury News Online



Friday, December 9, 2011

Watercolor sky [SWF]


Some colors exist in dreams that are not present in the waking spectrum.


Sometimes just looking up and seeing the light is enough.


The night sky is a miracle of infinitude.



Join sky-watchers from around the world @ Sky-Watch Friday

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Adobo ni Jake Espesyal


Don't ask...I don't know who Jake is, either.  He's probably the chef who concocted this dish.  This is pork adobo topped with adobo flakes and fried saba on the side.  I don't remember anything special about this adobo aside from its attractive plating, the meat was also a bit tough.  Adobo ni Jake is made famous at KKK Food Revolution.


KKK has a friendly staff who gamely posed for me.:p


Linking to Food Trip Friday and Food Friday

Marine treasures/Thursday Brownies

@ mirandablue
Treasures from the sea---real barnacles adorn the base of this table lamp with woven dyed abaca shade, a tea-light candle holder crafted from brass and sea urchin shell.

Join Gzel at Thursday Brownies

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Recycled bottles [Blue Monday]


One of the most attractive aspects of glass is the way it plays with light.  The chandeliers made from recycled blue bottles caught my attention at K.K.K., a Filipino restaurant at Megamall.  I find them funky.



Linking to Blue Monday