Moody Monday

his favorite bench

Fritz was in a pensive mood this morning. It’s been raining non-stop since last week and he hates to get his feet wet. He lounges on the doorway, longing to run outside and play but the patio is wet so he stays put. At my landlord’s porch, Fritz prefers on lay on the bench, not on the floor. Sosyal ‘no? :D

in a pensive mood

He wouldn’t even go out to pee when the street is wet. So I leave the bathroom door open and he pees in there when nobody’s looking. Then he would tap his paw on my leg to let me know he did something in the bathroom, he seems to tell me, "Time to clean the bathroom, mommy!" :D

Lasang Pinoy, Sundays: Birthday

Cantonese style noodles

Pansit (or noodles) is probably one Pinoy dish that is ever present in a Filipino gathering, especially in a birthday celebration. It's traditional to serve pansit on birthdays because the noodles is said to represent everybody's wish for the celebrator's long life.

Luk Yuen's Cantonese style noodles is a friend's favorite. It's a little sweet, no veggies, no other meat but strips of ham, and garnished with sesame seeds. Below is the traditional Pansit Canton, noodles are sauteed with with pork, shrimps, liver, fish balls and veggies (cabbage and carrots). Pansit Canton and Puto (rice cake) with cheese were brought over by my landlady yesterday afternoon---it was her 68th birthday. With a bottle of soda, it was a perfect Sunday merienda!

Pansit Canton and Puto with cheese

For more Lasang Pinoy photos, check out Ces Anciano's Spices.

Moymoy Palaboy fan

Two Fridays ago, I caught "Bubble Gang" on TV and saw the "Iyo Tube" segment. My jaw dropped when I saw this duo "performed" Mamma Mia. I was confused at first then realized that they were doing a lip-synch. I laughed so hard that my neighbor thought I was screaming. :D

I have no idea when the "Iyo Tube" segment started, or who these 2 guys are. In You Tube, it looks like "Moymoy Palaboy" started posting their videos last year and one of their videos has more than 7 million hits! These guys are famous! Without using their own voices, the duo revealed in a "100% Pinoy" interview that they made their videos using a celphone, set inside a cramped apartment in Pasay with an older woman (their aunt) casually wandering about at the background. The videos came out raw and natural, and funny. And I think they're hilarious and talented.

Now that they've landed a segment in "Bubble Gang", this duo is definitely on their way to fame. I'll be looking forward to their next "Iyo Tube" performance.

Photo-Hunter: Clouds

Clouds over the majestic Cordillera Mountains

I took this photo while in a bus, traveling from Sagada to Baguio in March 2005. I don't remember the exact place where this photo was taken, but it was probably in Benguet.

Cordillera is the highest and largest mountain range in the Philippines. Located in the northern central part of Luzon, the Cordillera connects 6 provinces (Benguet, Abra, Kalinga, Apayao, Mountain Province and Ifugao), and the region is home to numerous indigenous tribes collectively called the Igorot.

The world famous 2,000-year old Banaue Rice Terraces, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is found in Ifugao. Baguio City, the country's summer capital is in Benguet. There are other natural attractions in the region---such as the ancient burial caves in Sagada, Benguet and Moutain Province; with 4 national parks: Cassamata Hills, Mount Pulag (the 2nd highest mountain in the country), Mt. Data and Balbalasang-Balbalan in Kalinga. For extreme sports enthusiasts, there's a world class white-water rafting in the mighty Chico River in Kalinga.

Exploring the Cordillera is not for the fainthearted.

For more Photo-Hunters, visit TN Chick.

Sky Watch Friday: before the storm

This photo was taken in Baguio City on Monday, the day before tropical storm "Igme" (international codename: Fung Wong) hit the city. "Igme" was the 7th typhoon to hit the Philippines this year. Before leaving the country on Wednesday, "Igme" left 1.9 million pesos in agricultural damages in Cordillera, where Baguio City is located, and Ilocos regions.

This gorgeous sky was captured by Amor, my friend Eddie's 9-year old daughter, from their home in Baguio.

For more Sky-Watch photos, please check out Tom's skyley.