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.