La Sombra del Viento

Around 2 pm on Sunday, I started reading a novel by Carlos Ruiz Zafon called The Shadow of the Wind. I finished the book about 6:30, Monday morning. Walang tulugan! This novel is one of the most gripping stories I've ever read in a long time.

Set in postwar Barcelona, this stunning literary thriller is a celebration of friendship, of life's small triumphs in an unjust world. A love story, comedy, tragedy, suspense rolled into this marvelous adventure of a teenage boy, Daniel. The storytelling reminded me of Garcia-Marquez' One Hundred Years of Solitude, the language captivating. I could feel the cultural texture of postwar Barcelona. I cried a bucket at the tragic love stories of Julian, Penelope, Nuria and Miguel. The sinister Fumero sent chills down my spine. Fermin's character is the most witty and most entertaining.

"Look, Daniel. Destiny is usually around the corner. Like a thief, like a hooker, or a lottery vendor: its three most common personifications. But what destiny does not do is home visits. You have to go for it."

I love the Cemetery of Forgotten Books! A mysterious crypt that houses the books that have lost their owners, books that are no longer remembered by anyone. I could almost smell the musty scent of old books in this labyrinth sanctuary, where a 10-year old Daniel pulls a single book to adopt as his own. Daniel's adopted book started an adventure that will unravel another man's tragedy and solve a mystery that has already taken many lives. All the characters in this story are colorful and interesting.

Grab a copy of this novel and plan to stay home this weekend.

Milan experience

inside the Duomo di Milano

Milan and design. They go together like Dolce and Gabbana. Milan is the center of creativity in Europe, and when an American client invited me to meet them at the Macef International Home Show in Fiera Milano, I was beside myself with excitement. I bought a pocket Italian-English dictionary, practiced ‘grazie’ in front of the mirror, and I was ready to go!

After meeting the clients at Grand Hotel Verdi, Tess, my colleague, and I walked towards the exquisite Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a glass-roofed arcade with marble floors that was built in 1867. There are high-end stores, restaurants and cafes inside the galleria.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

Our destination was the magnificent Duomo di Milano, an elaborate Gothic cathedral on the main square of Milan. Building this vast cathedral started in the 5th century, generations of kings and popes changed the design a couple of times that it took more than 400 years to complete. Breathtaking statues and intricate stained glass adorn the cathedral.

Duomo di Milano

back of the Duomo

Unfortunately, the Duomo was undergoing renovations and cleaning when we visited, scaffolding obscured its glorious façade.

a scary statue inside the cathedral

on the roof

We rode an elevator to reach the roof top of the Duomo. There are pinnacles punctuated by a grove of spires, topped with statues overlooking Milan. The intricate marble design was astoundingly mind-boggling.

Armed with a map, Tess and I decided to look for Da Vinci’s Last Supper. The famous painting is in the refectory of Santa Maria della Grazie, a church built in the 14th century. Taking photographs was not allowed inside the museum. I noticed this wrought iron floor candelabrum in one of the church’s chambers.

My feet were already blistered by the time we arrived at the Castello Sforzesco, a castle built in the 14th century. The Castello houses several museums---works by Michaelangelo, Mantegna, Bellotto and Canaletto are displayed at The Museum of Ancient Art.

Castello Sforzesco

a park behind the Castello

At the far end of Castello Sforzesco is the Arch of Peace constructed in early 18th century. This arch was Napoleon’s idea to celebrate his victory but after his Waterloo, the arch was left unfinished until 1838.

Arch of Peace

Tess with the doves at the piazza

We met a lot of Pinoys in Milan…waiters, domestics, exchange students, wives of Italians and tourists. Our hotel manager enthused about the Thrilla' in Manila when he learned that we're from the Philippines. For a minute, I had no idea what he was talking about. Then I realized he was talking about the Ali-Frazier boxing match in the 70's at the Araneta Coliseum. I remember my father going gaga over that match. Like Filipinos, Italians, I realized, are crazy about boxing.

We also chanced upon a Ferrari launching at the piazza where Tess was star-struck by F1 driver Michael Schumacher. She panicked and asked me to take his picture---alas, I didn’t know who Michael Schumacher was, didn't recognize him waving in front of me! I was busy admiring the cars and the drop-dead gorgeous Italian men all around.

dinner at the Galleria

with our Pinoy waiter and his boss

facade of our hotel

It was a short and memorable visit---my first taste of Europe. Shopping was out of the question because it was extremely expensive! After roaming the luxury shopping areas of Via Montenapoleone, Via della Spiga and Via Sant Andrea, and drooling over the windows at Fashion Quadrilatero, we ended up shopping in Benetton’s outlet store! How can a peso-earner shop in an expensive city like Milan???? Sigh.

Tess and I comforted ourselves by drinking espresso at Zucca, and dining al fresco-Milan style.

Don't quote me

my night-table

A book is the only place in which you can examine a fragile thought without breaking it, or explore an explosive idea without fear it will go off in your face. It is one of the few havens remaining where a man's mind can get both provocation and privacy. ~Edward P. Morgan


Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers. ~Charles W. Eliot


Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren't very new after all. ~Abraham Lincoln

My little garden

ginseng flower

There’s a small patch of soil outside my window. I dreamed of planting roses there but it remains a dream to this day. Besides, I have never grown a rose in my life! Six years ago, when I was new in the apartment, I asked my mother to plant squash and ampalaya outside the window to shield the living room area from direct sunlight. I wanted to plant ivy to cover the exterior wall of the apartment but my landlord thinks it’s a bad idea.

I’m not really a gardener although I love flowers, admire gardens and enjoy being in one. My mother is more of the gardener in the family. She planted a hybrid blue gumamela in my garden but my landlord’s dog ate it. A friend gave me a bonsai but it died after 6 months in my care. So I’m not really ambitious when it comes to gardening. I like plants that grow on their own.

A few months ago, I got inspired and planted oregano because I love to cook pasta, and I also use the dried leaves to some meat and fish dishes. My oregano is now a small forest! Now, I’m thinking of buying potted basil, bell pepper and other herbs.

oregano

My mother planted ginseng because of its medicinal benefits---although we have not tried it yet. Ginseng roots are said to be adaptogens, aphrodisiacs, nourishing stimulants, and could treat type II diabetes, including sexual dysfunction in men.

There are also a couple of ‘alogbate’ (a slimy vegetable) stems my mother planted, and a bunch of other plants that I don’t recognize. My landlord also contributed bougainvillea and a few pots of red-leaf plants.

When I visited my grandmother in Fairview late last year, I saw an enchanting white flower at her neighbor’s garden. It’s an all-white flower, beautiful in its simplicity. Through my grandmother, her neighbor gave me a bulb that I planted outside my window. Yesterday, I was playing with my dog when I noticed the flowers. They’re pink instead of white, but I like them anyway. I don’t know what this flower is called…my office mate said it’s a Lily.

So, this is my lily.

"In my garden there is a large place for sentiment. My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams. The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful."

~Abram L. Urban

Palawan, more than the usual beach

illegal parking

Enough has been said about the natural beauty of Palawan---it is said to be the Philippines’ last frontier and has been declared as a nature sanctuary of the world. Who has never heard or seen the astounding natural beauty of El Nido, Calauit, Coron, Tubbattaha Reefs, the outstanding dive sites, rainforests, primeval caves, and pristine beaches? I’ve been saving for an El Nido vacation but blame it on the never-ending ‘Sale’ at the malls, food trips, and other pocket-draining activities, I still couldn’t afford a trip to El Nido. To satisfy a long-time dream of setting foot in Palawan, I spent my 6-day vacation in Puerto Princesa with my friend Cecille last summer.

a young adventurer looking for star fish

Luli Island (lulubog-lilitaw)

Framing the intriguing and rugged coastline of Puerto Princesa is Honda Bay. Islets with white sand beaches dot the crystalline blue waters. Snorkeled in Snake island and fed the fish---I've never seen such explosion of colors underwater before in my life! Schools of fish are everywhere...in various shapes and colors. I can say now that I've swum with the fishes. :D We island-hopped to 2 other islets, the Starfish Island and the Lu-Li Island (as in lulubog-lilitaw...the island disappears at high tide during the rainy months of June to September).

cecille with our tour group

after lunch at snake island

what creature is this?
star fish island
die-t another day

The best part of my Palawan vacation is the food! Fresh seafoods were so inexpensive. We tried the best restaurants in town--Kalui, Bilao at Palayok, Kinabuchs...they are all value for money. But we missed having dinner at Badjao Seafront Restaurant---we fell asleep after a whole day at Honda Bay and woke up around 10pm. Badjao was already close when we got there.

posing at bahile beach

boat-ride to underground river

A two and a half-hour drive from Puerto Princesa and a 20-minute boat ride from Sabang brought us to the Subterranean River National Park in Bahile. It takes the first time visitor like me into the breathtakingly rugged beauty of Ulugan Bay. Limestone cliffs standing guard over crystal waters, most of them uninhabited. Millions of years of wave action have carved and shaped these rocks into something awesome and majestic.

puerto princesa subterranean river, a world heritage site

Canoeing into the subterranean river was a mixture of excitement and fear of the unknown. With only a small spotlight lighting our way, our boatman/guide told us that the underground river has a total length of 8.2 km but we're only allowed to navigate 2.3 km. It’s one of the world's wonders and reputed to be the world's longest underground river. Inside the cave are various shapes of stalagmite and stalactite pillars---some in shapes of corn, puso ng saging, mushroom, a melted candle ( a guy in front of me said it looks like a rotten tooth ); there are even formations that resemble the Holy Family and Jesus' face! There were bats, a shy snake, marble cliffs and the highest cavern reaches up to the 65 meters. There were some marks on the walls of the cave...one was "1937", perhaps made by some explorer.

At the camp site, the monitor lizards were walking around, curious of visitors invading their neighborhood. The monkeys were also quite sociable...they even grabbed some bananas and watermelon from the picnic table!

one of the world's wonders

Somebody said that like clouds, the limestone formations in Palawan are subject to interpretation---like these jagged marble pillars pointing to the heavens.

limestone cliffs at ulugan bay

ulugan bay

We hired a tricycle and visited Iwahig Penal Colony, the butterfly farm, Mitra's Farm and the WW II American cuartel near the cathedral. We walked the streets after dinner, had coffee at Itoy's (Puerto's version of Starbucks), cooled down at the fountain in front of of the capitol. We ate halo-halo at Chowking every afternoon and had a massage. Life's great! I wished I'd never go back to Manila!

iwahig penal colony

cecille at the butterfly farm

It was Holy Week so on Viernes Santo, I followed the faithful climb the Calvary Mountain. The innkeeper told me that there's a Sinakulo with 'real' crucifixion. We waited and waited---no crucifixion. The Dutch guy, the German with his Filipina girlfriend, the married couple from England, the two Filipino guys from Singapore and myself walked back to the city, disappointed. Good thing the German guy bought mango shake for everybody! :D

calvary mountain

The Plaza Cuartel was a Japanese garrison during World War II where 143 American soldiers were burned alive.

plaza cuartel

with a dark past

snake island, honda bay

Palawan has indeed extraordinary scenic wonders. But don't just take my word for it---go and see for yourself.