DTI 7 Performance Magazine Kalampusan 2nd Semester 2012

The Department of Trade and Industry Central Visayas released its 2nd semester 2012 electronic performance magazine Kalampusan (Cebuano for success). 

Click on the following link to access:
http://kalampusan.weebly.com/

DTI 7 Performance Magazine Kalampusan 1st Semester 2012

Kalampusan (Cebuano for Success) is a semi-annual performance magazine of DTI Central Visayas.
The electronic mag may be accessed at Google Docs at the following address:

http://www.youblisher.com/p/421608-Kalampusan-1st-Semester-2012/

At the top in Baguio

Baguio is Baguio. I don't think I needed to expound on what I did as a tourist in one of the mountainous areas in the country other than my legs getting a good workout. Besides, the trip was mostly official.

A relaxing Holy Week in Dumaguete

More than having the cheapest cost of living in Central Visayas, Dumaguete has earned the distinction of being known as a "university town" due to the presence of universities that have made their mark nationally and abroad. It’s a laid back city, a melting pot of students, professionals, artists, scholars and the literati coming from different parts of the country and the world.

It is where you can still find tree-lined streets, with motorcycles dominating the road. Everything about it is simple and serene- from its people to the various places surrounding the city. Dumaguete is among the most peaceful and clean cities in the country. A perfect place for my kind of lifestyle. Even if I work here, it feels like I'm always on vacation.

Almost everything is accessible by foot, It is possible to just walk to the mall, church, hotel and market. In fact, Dumaguete is one of those few cities in the Philippines where it is a pleasure to roam around.

New Beginning

Last night, I had a fantastic dream. I negotiated with God to realize three of my fervent wishes.  

Through a third party, He said that my wishes are things He definitely can give to me on the condition that I fulfill "what I was meant to do."    I woke up not understanding what He said.until I realized that I wasn't living my destiny.

2012, a year of change, transformation and movement

I know that 2012 is going to be an interesting year, interesting for me to be exact. I do not like the status quo and I believe that 2012 is the best antidote.  

This year brings on change, transformation, transitions, movement and, most importantly, learnings, something that I constantly seek.


The only point in living that I see is the chance of being able to improve myself and humanity in general.  So this means that the status quo is not an option.  Why bother breathing if I'm going to end up where I began? Why have talent and intelligence if I can't use it for the betterment of mankind?

Christmas in Hongkong and Macau

"If you think you can or can't, it becomes so".  This adage is so true in my solo trip to Hongkong and Macau. I'm not one of those people with an adventurous spirit and a healthy appetite for risk. I took the trip because I wanted to face my fears ( I'm afraid of getting lost, losing control of a situation, being duped or making a mistake) and to scratch a travel itch.

Paranoia comes naturally to me. People say I plan too much.  I have to gather all information about a certain matter or situation before I make a move.  I have to be certain about things and people. But in solo trips, I realized I need to give leeway for the unexpected and give myself permission to just relax and not think too much.

Hongkong isn't known for fresh air but still I did a lot of  brisk walking,  I wanted to discover much of the area on foot. What surprised me is that I could read the map and easily understood Hongkong's transportation system. On the second day of my vacation, I wove through traffic, going in and out of trains, buses and ferries like a local.

Little India in Singapore

As the name indicates, this is the center of the Indian community in Singapore.
Little India lies to the east of the Singapore River—across from Chinatown, located west of the river—and north of Kampong Glam.  

  I've also visited the Arab Quarter, Colonial District, Orchard Road, Sentosa Island and Chinatown, but Little India appeals more to me and sticks longer in my memory. It is living culture --- a large museum on India... and as you may have noticed, I relish visiting museums.

Little India resembles India in many respects, including road construction and sanitation, differing sharply from the rest of Singapore's pristine districts. In short, Little India in Singapore gives the tourist a  glimpse of the way of life in India.

Take Me I'll Follow You

Being frugal, I tried doing astral traveling, wherein the traveler leaves the physical body and travels in her subtle/ spirit body. I read that it can take me anywhere I want to go thus saving me from travel expenses that I would incur in the physical world. However, I ended up having a severe headache. 

So I decided to physically travel. I have already taken trips to most places in the Philippines. I'm now setting my sight this year on countries outside.

You may be wondering why I want to travel.  Besides having it as a good excuse to exercise, I want to live a full life.  I may as well savor everything it has to offer. There's got to be something else other than what I'm familiar with. I want to explore museums, historic places, various cultures, cuisines, literature, knowledge   etc.  People say I have the curiosity and the adventurousness of a cat.  It is no wonder why I don't drink alcohol or take drugs. I want all my senses sharp and awake so I can fully enjoy my experiences.

OK, so physical travel entails money. That's why I work in between travels and blogging to remind me of what I'm working for in this world.

So while I'm slugging it out at the office, listen to a favorite song of mine. It expresses my love for life:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv0aMSI-bcU

  

Remembering Bangkok

I thought of storing one of the videos of our Bangkok trip online. Where better to have it than in my blog.

This amateur video was taken by Laura during our visit to a palace. Listen to a hundred wind chimes.

We spent an hour walking around the compound, another good exercise.  Since this visit was made past 12 noon and the sun was blazing hot, we strolled around the Wat Po Healing Center beside this compound only for a few minutes.

If you have difficulty  opening the above video, you can look at the Youtube copies:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47_j-mDyMaE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3F2nYTdSHUI&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60NSVMQWP2M&feature=related

Christmas in Vigan

The first thing I did, as soon as I alighted from the bus, was to visit Vigan's famous Calle Crisologo, the setting of many Filipino period films.

Vigan in Ilocos Sur is two bus hours away from Laoag. There is no direct flight from Cebu to Vigan. In fact there are connecting flights from Cebu to Laoag (Cebu-Manila-Laoag). Although all that traveling was taxing, when I arrived in Vigan, I felt relaxed because of the languid pace of the city.

There is something about not having an itinerary, there was no pressure on me to see every tourist spot, or sample every local delicacy. I never forgot even for an instant that I was there on vacation to forget for awhile the cares of the office.

Traveling alone is to me like meditating --- you learn to focus your mind, discipline your senses and live in the moment.

From Cebu To Laoag

T'was the holiday season and there was time for a long break from the office. I decided to head north of the Philippines which I've never been and was curious to know. I ended up at the Laoag International Airport near midnight. Alone in a strange place,  I felt thrilled and afraid. This was certainly more exciting than just hibernating at home.

Five Days, Five Different Rooms

Have you ever been on a journey alone in a new place where you don't speak the native language, you don't know anyone and had to sleep in five different lodging houses? I've been there, done that !

 
On a journey of self-discovery from Laoag to Vigan in northern Luzon, I have slept in various lodging accommodations, ranging from the basic Php300 room to the "luxurious" Php3,000 suite. It was worth the experience.

Sidlakang Negros' Bamboo and Nipa Huts

I again dropped by Dumaguete on my way to Siquijor island.

Here's a glimpse of the environment friendly huts of Sidlakang Negros and eateries by the sea.

I so love the vibe of the place and the sea breeze at Rizal Boulevard.

Did you know that, of all the provinces in the Philippines, Negros island comes close to Cebu in terms of topography, ICT facilities, creative bent, geographic location and potential for economic success ?

If there is going to be a newly emerged BPO destination after Cebu, it will be Negros Island.

An afternoon at the Bohol Bee Farm

I tagged along with a group of retirees, female senior citizens,  on tour at Bohol Bee Farm. I found their enjoyment of life infectious. They joked about their short memory, arthritis, their sexual atrophy and I laughed along with them  :-)

These are the moments when I am glad I'm not married with children or I'd have ended up like Elizabeth Gilbert in her memoir "Eat, Pray, Love." She cried every night because she didn't want to be married anymore. What people call a conventional married life felt like a trap to her.. Thank God I don't have her problems...

Thank You, God, for what I have now :-)

Busay's Columbarium

It's almost All Souls' Day so I might as well talk of the columbarium. 

I ambled down this morning from Tops for my morning exercise and saw this in Busay. Considering how beautiful the place is (architecture and landscape included), I decided to walk around. It certainly is clean, breezy, and peaceful there and definitely environment friendly.

A columbarium is a place for the respectful and public storage of cinerary urns (i.e., urns holding a deceased’s cremated remains). The term comes from the Latin columba (dove) and originally referred to compartmentalized housing for doves and pigeons.

Cremation of the dead and the columbarium are not very popular in the Philippines. However, it is currently an acceptable interment for Christians. Being a pragmatic person, I prefer the columbarium over the cemetery.  Cremation is not just cheap, it is also hygienic.

Home for the weekend

I’m staying home today to avoid unnecessary expenses. I guess I should stay home on weekends for the rest of the year (except December, of course).  I’m saving up for something big.


To entertain myself, I reread my books…most of which are non-fiction. These are the kind of books that make me appreciate the comforts I am currently enjoying. I get this warm, fuzzy, secure feeling while reading the sufferings of the protagonists in the stories. In some pages, however, I get agitated or feel gagged and suffocated from reading a graphic description of a painful experience… it often induced me to get out of the house and travel or indulge myself.

The main characters in these true stories lived in intolerant, narrow-minded societies and went through physical, emotional, and mental torture. Yet, because of the strength of their spirit and faith, they survived unimaginable violence and atrocities. 

It is interesting to discover how these protagonists overcame their miserable situation. Common tactic applied by these people is to stop or numb “feeling” in order to lessen their pain whether physical, emotional or psychological. I didn’t know you can do that just by using your mind.  This is used effectively by the characters in the book “This Blinding Absence of Light” and “Stolen Lives.”

These stories remind me of a study made by a group of psychologists on why people have vices. They said that they can easily pinpoint people who are unhappy with their situation by their answers to these five questions: Do you take drugs?, Do you drink (alcohol)?, Do you smoke?, Do you binge? How often?  Their explanation is that the first two vices numb our feelings and blunt our senses. The last two vices fill a void or try to replace something unpleasant. It is a way to escape.

”If you truly enjoy or find pleasure in your present situation you would want all your five senses sharp and alert in order to fully savor the experience.”

More than Balamban's Pork Liempo

You didn't think anyone would blog about Balamban's Pork Liempo did you?  What makes this piece of meat taste heavenly is its added spices and seasoning. It just tastes delightfully different than the pork liempo offered in Cebu City.

Succulent cuts of pork liempo are sold in a nondescript stall beside Balamban's new municipal hall. Contrary to expectations, this unpretentious food stall boasts of plenty of loyal customers.

As you can see in the photo, my favorite pork liempo (that's the one to the left inside my tupperware) goes well with vegetable soup or our very own "Utan Bisaya" and a bit of Pipino Salad... really delicious!

It must really be that good since some people in Cebu City would brave the precipitous turns and blind curves of the transcentral highway to get to Balamban town proper to eat pork liempo.

My sister was saying last weekend that I should have my head checked since going all the way to Balamban to have lunch is to her completely insane.  Well, that would include some people I know who go all the way from Manila to Cebu just to eat lechon...ha..ha..ha...

I like the freedom of anonymity in Balamban.  I'm not afraid of bumping on someone who recognizes me. I can arrive there disheveled and wear the most unfashionable clothes or the most unbecoming shoes and nobody takes a photo of me to post on Facebook or someone else's blog like I'm some kind of over-the-hill celebrity. 

Oh yes, if you happen to be my admirer, you would've been disappointed seeing me in that corner of Balamban's carenderia eating pork liempo and dressing like a bag lady with nary a care in the world (So what? A love that hinges on my looks is stressful...ha..ha..ha).

Speaking of celebrity, did you know that when I was in elementary, my bedtime prayer went something like this: "Lord, I'm not asking much. I don't want to be famous nor powerful ..... (pause)... but I definitely want to be very rich so I can buy anything for my baon."  Yes, I know, I wasn't your regular kid. But I knew back them that, with more means, my choices in life widen.

My definition of "rich" these days, however, has stretched to include enjoying the company of friends, having travel opportunities and the simple pleasures of life....like eating pork liempo. So, God, if You are reading this, this was what I really meant years ago.  Thank You for all Your blessings;  I'm still enjoying it... really.  This is what people call LIFE !  Please keep it coming, Lord  :-)

Jose Rizal's Dapitan

I visited Dapitan last weekend and immensely enjoyed the place and its people.

I suggest you read Jose Rizal's Noli Me Tangere before going to Dapitan or read the English translation called "Social Cancer". You'll be more than ready to appreciate the person that is Rizal and marvel at what he has done for Dapitan.

Dapitan in Zamboanga del Norte is a charming, bucolic town at the northern tip of Mindanao.  It is historically significant as being the place where the national hero, Jose Rizal was exiled in 1892 by the Spaniard. There he built a school, a hospital and a water supply system. He taught and engaged in farming and horticulture.

Near the end of his exile he met and courted the stepdaughter of a patient, an Irishwoman named Josephine Bracken. He was unable to obtain an ecclesiastical marriage. He nonetheless considered Josephine to be his wife

Note that the frist photo was taken along Sunset Boulevard, across Fantasyland, a theme park similar to Enchanted Kingdom.  The second photo was taken at the Rizal Shrine, a pocket forest.

Cadi Shack Diner

In a quiet residential neighborhood is a 60's style diner. Part of the fun is knowing that many people have yet to discover this place, an ideal setting for an intimate conversation with close friends.

Cadi Shack serves up western comfort foods such as choco fudge brownie with ice cream and burgers. They also have some delicious surprises like the white fish in tomatoes and basil.

This diner is in Mabolo, Cebu, just before Sarrosa Hotel, a bit off the route of public vehicles.