We were supposed to go to the fields today to enjoy a quiet day by the river. Auntie Baby promised me I could ride on the carabao on the way there. And it was a gorgeous day as well.
However, when she came to pick me up, she said we were forbidden to go. Tomorrow is the Dark Monday of Judas, the disciple who betrayed Jesus; therefore, it is believed that the snakes would be out and about today and tomorrow. "Piesta ng mga ahas" (feast of the snakes), she said. I asked if they also have a marching band and a parade, like small towns do when they celebrate the feast of their patron saint. :-)
So we ended up doing laundry instead. Luckily, Auntie Baby has a washer and dryer. When I got there, I found out what the "washer and dryer" is. Both washer and dryer are in one unit. The washer side is a cylindrical basin (just like a normal small top-loading washer). You have to fill it with water yourself which you pump from the artesian well into a bucket, then you carry the bucket over to the machine and pour the water in. Then you add powdered detergent to the water. Then you add the clothes. There is only one dial for the washer; it's actually a timer which indicates how long it would swish the clothes. And the swishing is different as well; it goes in one direction first, then goes the other direction after about a minute. When the machine stops, you rub the clothes a bit more before wringing them out. Then you take them out to the artesian well, where you rinse them three times. Then you wring them out again and take them back to the machine and load them in the dryer. The dryer is actually just a spinner, that spins the excess water out of the clothes. It's a smaller cylinder, probably half the diameter of the washing cylinder. Just like the washing side, the dryer only has one dial, also a timer, that indicates how long to spin the clothes. After it has spinned most of the water out, you take the clothes to the laundry line and hang them up to dry completely, preferably where it's sunny, which can be tricky if it's stormy out. But, we had a nice sunny day today, so my clothes were dry by the time we finished lunch.
In the afternoon, Auntie Baby, Vincent (her youngest), and I went to town to go to the Internet cafe. I was just there a few days ago to upload entries to this blog and some pics. While Vincent did his own thing, I taught Auntie Baby how to use the computer and how to get on the Internet. Vincent created an email address for her at Yahoo.com, so we sent out a few emails so she could practise. She's beginning to get the hang of it. Her hand is still a bit shaky with controlling the mouse and she still hunts and pecks on the keyboard, but I figure she'll be there very often. She's hooked. Soon, she'll be reading this blog too. (Hi, Auntie Baby!)
After three hours at the cafe, we went back to their house, where two young boys were waiting for us. John Paul (Auntie Baby's oldest) found them walking around at the market, recognized them, and took them with him. It turns out that they're my cousins, sons of my mom's late brother Pablo with his second wife. They're 9 and 7 years old. The older one apparently inherited Uncle Pablo's intelligence. And they're both computer-literate already.
And so ends the day and we haven't seen a single snake.
Sunday, July 31, 2005
Saturday, July 30, 2005
Idioms
Even if English is the second language, there are still differences in terminology. Here are the ones I've learned (or, actually, figured out) so far.
To have a survey done of a piece of land (i.e.: to find the exact boundaries): locate
To research: canvas
Accent, as in speaking: slang
Rest room: comfort room or CR
Bathroom tissue: toilet paper
To have a survey done of a piece of land (i.e.: to find the exact boundaries): locate
To research: canvas
Accent, as in speaking: slang
Rest room: comfort room or CR
Bathroom tissue: toilet paper
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
The versatile papaya
When we were in Seattle last February, my friend Ghim, who is known among our circle of friends as a great cook, educated us on the use of the papain enzyme from papayas on meat tenderizers. The enzyme tenderizes the meat the same way as the enzymes in the digestive system.
What I've found is that almost all of the bath soaps advertised on TV contains the same papain enzyme.
You see, the Philippines was a colony of Spain for 300 years, then it became a commonwealth of the United States before it gained its independence in 1946. Having been under fair-skinned rulers for so long, Filipinos continue to see being fair-skinned as better. We still use the Spanish term mestizo or mestiza for fair-skinned Filipinos, who are likely of mixed race.
The bath soaps are advertised as "whitening." In fact, whitening is only a side-effect; the soap actually simply exfoliates. The enzyme probably acts on the surface skin cells the same way it acts as a meat tenderizer.
So, I bought one called BioLink. It contains the papain enzyme from green (unripe) papaya, which it claims is 50% to 100% more effective than the enzyme from ripe papaya.
Well, let me tell you that I haven't felt cleaner since I got here. The smog, the dirt, the sweat that sticks on your skin are washed away. I still see grime on my cotton pad when I use an astringent, but we'll see if it goes away in a few days. I also have a very visible tan line on my arms and on my neck (not so much on my legs), so I'll also check if that line disappears.
The soap's labelling says it's "dermatologist tested," but who knows what the long-term effects are. After all, it's an enzyme that digests meat. Hmm, sounds like a bad horror movie -- "Eaten Alive by Killer Bath Soaps!"
What I've found is that almost all of the bath soaps advertised on TV contains the same papain enzyme.
You see, the Philippines was a colony of Spain for 300 years, then it became a commonwealth of the United States before it gained its independence in 1946. Having been under fair-skinned rulers for so long, Filipinos continue to see being fair-skinned as better. We still use the Spanish term mestizo or mestiza for fair-skinned Filipinos, who are likely of mixed race.
The bath soaps are advertised as "whitening." In fact, whitening is only a side-effect; the soap actually simply exfoliates. The enzyme probably acts on the surface skin cells the same way it acts as a meat tenderizer.
So, I bought one called BioLink. It contains the papain enzyme from green (unripe) papaya, which it claims is 50% to 100% more effective than the enzyme from ripe papaya.
Well, let me tell you that I haven't felt cleaner since I got here. The smog, the dirt, the sweat that sticks on your skin are washed away. I still see grime on my cotton pad when I use an astringent, but we'll see if it goes away in a few days. I also have a very visible tan line on my arms and on my neck (not so much on my legs), so I'll also check if that line disappears.
The soap's labelling says it's "dermatologist tested," but who knows what the long-term effects are. After all, it's an enzyme that digests meat. Hmm, sounds like a bad horror movie -- "Eaten Alive by Killer Bath Soaps!"
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Pastillas on the bus
Rode the Victory Liner bus for the first time after a very long time. I remember it as a big red bus with old bench-style leather seats that were uncomfortable. It stopped at different towns where food vendors would swarm around the newly arrived bus to sell snacks to travellers. The conductor would come by to collect the fare and punch tickets with the appropriate amount.
The bus is no longer red; it's white with a red-and-orange stripe. The seats are bucket seats that recline like those in an airplane. There are individual vents, and there's a TV up front. They started the second Matrix movie as we left the terminal at Iba. (When we got off at San Narciso, Neo and Trinity were saying goodbye as they were leaving on their ship.)
At the terminal, we were approached by a food vendor. She said, "Pastillas?" (pronounced pas-til-yas') I bought a pack of 15 for PhP30 for the "special" kind, which is made of 100% carabao's milk. It's made of sugar and milk. It's the consistency of a cookie dough, shaped into strips and wrapped in fine rice paper. It's one of our favorites.
The label says:
Ebuen's Special Pastillas
Liozon, Palauig, Zambales, Philippines
100% Carabao Milk
Cel. No. 0916-348-6796
I'll have to order a big box before I leave. The fresher they are, the better they taste.
The bus is no longer red; it's white with a red-and-orange stripe. The seats are bucket seats that recline like those in an airplane. There are individual vents, and there's a TV up front. They started the second Matrix movie as we left the terminal at Iba. (When we got off at San Narciso, Neo and Trinity were saying goodbye as they were leaving on their ship.)
At the terminal, we were approached by a food vendor. She said, "Pastillas?" (pronounced pas-til-yas') I bought a pack of 15 for PhP30 for the "special" kind, which is made of 100% carabao's milk. It's made of sugar and milk. It's the consistency of a cookie dough, shaped into strips and wrapped in fine rice paper. It's one of our favorites.
The label says:
Ebuen's Special Pastillas
Liozon, Palauig, Zambales, Philippines
100% Carabao Milk
Cel. No. 0916-348-6796
I'll have to order a big box before I leave. The fresher they are, the better they taste.
Monday, July 25, 2005
Hand wash only
I started the laundry four days ago with half the dirty clothes. I washed all afternoon and it was already dark when I got done. I pumped the water from an artesian well, used a laundry soap bar, and washed by hand. Every item. The next day, my palms were peeling, and so was my manicure.
Then I hung them up outside to dry. I just got done today.
You see, when I hung them to dry, it was still stormy and cloudy; that means muggy. So they smelled moldy. The cook (called Nanay, which means mother) and the housekeeper Ludy at the resort suggested soaking the laundry in Downy. (They have fabric softener in the Philippines?!? Since when?!?)
But I decided to just wash them again yesterday. Ludy helped me. She rinsed them as I finished re-washing them. Then we soaked them in Downy diluted in a basin of water and left them overnight. Today, I had places to go with Auntie Arsing, so Ludy hung them up for me. They just got dry.
As Ludy says, "Hindi na amoy amag. Amoy balikbayan na uli." (Doesn't smell like mold anymore. Smells like balikbayan again.)
Eventually, I'll have to wash the other half. It's the heavier load; it has all of my jeans.
Then I hung them up outside to dry. I just got done today.
You see, when I hung them to dry, it was still stormy and cloudy; that means muggy. So they smelled moldy. The cook (called Nanay, which means mother) and the housekeeper Ludy at the resort suggested soaking the laundry in Downy. (They have fabric softener in the Philippines?!? Since when?!?)
But I decided to just wash them again yesterday. Ludy helped me. She rinsed them as I finished re-washing them. Then we soaked them in Downy diluted in a basin of water and left them overnight. Today, I had places to go with Auntie Arsing, so Ludy hung them up for me. They just got dry.
As Ludy says, "Hindi na amoy amag. Amoy balikbayan na uli." (Doesn't smell like mold anymore. Smells like balikbayan again.)
Eventually, I'll have to wash the other half. It's the heavier load; it has all of my jeans.
Friday, July 22, 2005
Byaddin kita? Marayaw.
(How are you? Fine.)
I was woken up by Ludy, the househelp at 8:30 am. She was asking if I was ready for breakfast. I wasn't quite ready to get up yet, but since I was already up, why not?
As usual, she brought in a large tray of wonderful food. I had hot tea, bottled water, and a can of mango juice. With the rice, there was tocino (sweetened pork), pork chops, and salted preserved egg with tomato slices. I am getting spoiled and I'm not likely going to lose weight this way.
After breakfast, I checked my laundry, which I did late yesterday. They were still wet. Then I went out the back to play in the water. It was high tide, so the waves came up to the fence. While I took pictures around the back "patio," another vendor came up to me. He was selling similar jewelry as the ones I bought the other day. I told him that I already bought some from another vendor and he could come back on August 7 before I leave. I told him I had to make sure I had enough money to pay for my room first. He said his name is Toy; the vendor I bought from was named Benhar. I learned that there are two gangs who sold the jewelry down the beach and they divided up the territory. Toy is the president of the southern territory.
After Toy left, I decided to take a picture of a canoe sitting in the next door lot. But since I was already there, I figured I'd take a picture of another canoe a few yards further. Well, curiosity got the best of me, so I kept walking. I wanted to see what was beyond the piece of land that was sticking out further north. It was probably a mile or two away. So I went walking.
One of the canoes. more pics
The people are friendly after you talk with them a little. There was another jewelry vendor and I said I already bought some the other day. I asked one young man about the six-floor building which looked like a hotel. It was named "Dolores del Mar." He said it's a private property, not a resort, and the owner lives in the US. Further down, I saw some fishermen mending their nets and I took a picture after asking for permission. Nearby, kids were playing with the waves and giggling with sheer mirth.
When I got to the tower, I asked an older man what it was for. He said it's a broadcasting tower for Radio Veritas. He asked where I was headed. I said, "Magpapasyal-pasyal lang po diyan." (Just roaming over there.)
After the tower, there was one more private lot, a small rocky road, a row of very large cement blocks, and a long piece of lot that was fenced in with barbed wire. I was recording the waves crashing against a row of very large cement blocks when a young man walked by. I waved. He smiled.
The long piece of fenced property only had vegetation and nothing else so I don't know what it was, but it was a very big lot. This part of the beach was the cleanest and had the most coral on the beach. In fact, there was a three- or four-inch layer of coral buried under an inch of sand. The layer was only revealed by the waves that eroded the sand away.
After I went around the land outcrop, there was another land outcrop, so I decided to go around it as well. It was probably a quarter of a mile away. Of course, I was a bit nervous because the waves came up close to the vegetation and I got pulled in by the undertow, nobody would hear me because nobody lived nearby. But when I got around the second land outcrop, the barbed wire fence ended and there were houses again. From there, the beach curved in and back out to another land outcrop that was probably another mile or so. So, I turned around.
It didn't take me as long to go back, probably because I wasn't taking any more pictures. Besides, it was already almost 11 am, the sun was already high up, and I was getting thirsty. I found Ludy raking the seaweeds brought in by the high tide. She raked them towards the water for the waves to take back out to sea.
Coconut trees along the beach. more pics
Lunch is another feast -- fried fish, banana shoots and sayote leaves in bagoong (a brown salty sauce made from preserved small fish), rice, and bananas in syrup.
After lunch, I sat out at the back patio again to watch and listen to the waves, and to feel the breeze on my face. (Yes, it's becoming my favorite pasttime.) Then two jewelry vendors came by. I told them that I already talked to Toy and that they should come back all together on August 7 after lunch. I also told them I already bought from Benhar. It turned out that Benhar told them that I bought from him. Well, they hung around and showed me their wares anyway, asking if that was what Benhar sold me. So, I looked to see what else I could buy. The younger man had other colors of the coral necklace-and-bracelet sets. The older man had pink pearls. I'm thinking I could sell these on eBay and maybe recoup my airfare.
The older man showed me his ID. If I remember correctly, his name is Malali Takaki. It was an unusual name. Apparently, all the jewelry vendors around the beach are from Zamboanga, which is in Mindanao in the southern part of the Philippines. As are most people in Mindanao, they're Muslim. (Filipinos are more than 90% Roman Catholic.) Because of the Abu Sayyaf troubles down there, there are fewer tourists, so they come up north to make money. But they get their jewelry from a vendor who gets the wares from Zamboanga. Of course, their source is smuggling the jewelry up here as well. In the summer, when there are a lot of tourists, there's more than a hundred of them selling jewelry along the beach. Now, there are only about 16; the rest have gone back to Zamboanga to be with their families. They'll come back in the winter around Christmastime, when it's peak season again.
Later, we were joined by the older man's son and his son-in-law and we stayed around chatting. They talked about life in the Philippines and how hard it is to find a job, even though they have bachelor's degrees. I talked about life in the US as well. They were surprised to hear that I drove three or four days across the US alone. I explained that my car is easy to drive. I described automatic transmission and cruise control, which they haven't heard of before. They supposed that I have a nice car. I said it's already five years old but I take good care of it.
They asked if I was married, if I have children. When they found out I'm divorced, they said that I could still get married. I said it's too much work to be married if you're a woman. The woman cleans the house, cooks the food, does the laundry, and takes care of the kids, even after she comes home from work. I asked them what their wives were doing while they were out there chatting with me. They smiled; they understood. They agreed that it's easy to get married, but it's difficult to be married.
Once in a while, they speak among themselves in a dialect I don't understand. (There are more than 1700 dialects in the Philippines.) They said it's the Muslim dialect in Zamboanga. The other dialect is Chabacano which is Spanish-based. They smiled when I asked them to translate a few phrases for me.
Before they left, they thanked me. I asked what for? I didn't buy anything. They said they were grateful that I chatted with them; they learned a little bit about life in other countries. Well, I learned a little bit about their life.
I was woken up by Ludy, the househelp at 8:30 am. She was asking if I was ready for breakfast. I wasn't quite ready to get up yet, but since I was already up, why not?
As usual, she brought in a large tray of wonderful food. I had hot tea, bottled water, and a can of mango juice. With the rice, there was tocino (sweetened pork), pork chops, and salted preserved egg with tomato slices. I am getting spoiled and I'm not likely going to lose weight this way.
After breakfast, I checked my laundry, which I did late yesterday. They were still wet. Then I went out the back to play in the water. It was high tide, so the waves came up to the fence. While I took pictures around the back "patio," another vendor came up to me. He was selling similar jewelry as the ones I bought the other day. I told him that I already bought some from another vendor and he could come back on August 7 before I leave. I told him I had to make sure I had enough money to pay for my room first. He said his name is Toy; the vendor I bought from was named Benhar. I learned that there are two gangs who sold the jewelry down the beach and they divided up the territory. Toy is the president of the southern territory.
After Toy left, I decided to take a picture of a canoe sitting in the next door lot. But since I was already there, I figured I'd take a picture of another canoe a few yards further. Well, curiosity got the best of me, so I kept walking. I wanted to see what was beyond the piece of land that was sticking out further north. It was probably a mile or two away. So I went walking.
One of the canoes. more pics
The people are friendly after you talk with them a little. There was another jewelry vendor and I said I already bought some the other day. I asked one young man about the six-floor building which looked like a hotel. It was named "Dolores del Mar." He said it's a private property, not a resort, and the owner lives in the US. Further down, I saw some fishermen mending their nets and I took a picture after asking for permission. Nearby, kids were playing with the waves and giggling with sheer mirth.
When I got to the tower, I asked an older man what it was for. He said it's a broadcasting tower for Radio Veritas. He asked where I was headed. I said, "Magpapasyal-pasyal lang po diyan." (Just roaming over there.)
After the tower, there was one more private lot, a small rocky road, a row of very large cement blocks, and a long piece of lot that was fenced in with barbed wire. I was recording the waves crashing against a row of very large cement blocks when a young man walked by. I waved. He smiled.
The long piece of fenced property only had vegetation and nothing else so I don't know what it was, but it was a very big lot. This part of the beach was the cleanest and had the most coral on the beach. In fact, there was a three- or four-inch layer of coral buried under an inch of sand. The layer was only revealed by the waves that eroded the sand away.
After I went around the land outcrop, there was another land outcrop, so I decided to go around it as well. It was probably a quarter of a mile away. Of course, I was a bit nervous because the waves came up close to the vegetation and I got pulled in by the undertow, nobody would hear me because nobody lived nearby. But when I got around the second land outcrop, the barbed wire fence ended and there were houses again. From there, the beach curved in and back out to another land outcrop that was probably another mile or so. So, I turned around.
It didn't take me as long to go back, probably because I wasn't taking any more pictures. Besides, it was already almost 11 am, the sun was already high up, and I was getting thirsty. I found Ludy raking the seaweeds brought in by the high tide. She raked them towards the water for the waves to take back out to sea.
Coconut trees along the beach. more pics
Lunch is another feast -- fried fish, banana shoots and sayote leaves in bagoong (a brown salty sauce made from preserved small fish), rice, and bananas in syrup.
After lunch, I sat out at the back patio again to watch and listen to the waves, and to feel the breeze on my face. (Yes, it's becoming my favorite pasttime.) Then two jewelry vendors came by. I told them that I already talked to Toy and that they should come back all together on August 7 after lunch. I also told them I already bought from Benhar. It turned out that Benhar told them that I bought from him. Well, they hung around and showed me their wares anyway, asking if that was what Benhar sold me. So, I looked to see what else I could buy. The younger man had other colors of the coral necklace-and-bracelet sets. The older man had pink pearls. I'm thinking I could sell these on eBay and maybe recoup my airfare.
The older man showed me his ID. If I remember correctly, his name is Malali Takaki. It was an unusual name. Apparently, all the jewelry vendors around the beach are from Zamboanga, which is in Mindanao in the southern part of the Philippines. As are most people in Mindanao, they're Muslim. (Filipinos are more than 90% Roman Catholic.) Because of the Abu Sayyaf troubles down there, there are fewer tourists, so they come up north to make money. But they get their jewelry from a vendor who gets the wares from Zamboanga. Of course, their source is smuggling the jewelry up here as well. In the summer, when there are a lot of tourists, there's more than a hundred of them selling jewelry along the beach. Now, there are only about 16; the rest have gone back to Zamboanga to be with their families. They'll come back in the winter around Christmastime, when it's peak season again.
Later, we were joined by the older man's son and his son-in-law and we stayed around chatting. They talked about life in the Philippines and how hard it is to find a job, even though they have bachelor's degrees. I talked about life in the US as well. They were surprised to hear that I drove three or four days across the US alone. I explained that my car is easy to drive. I described automatic transmission and cruise control, which they haven't heard of before. They supposed that I have a nice car. I said it's already five years old but I take good care of it.
They asked if I was married, if I have children. When they found out I'm divorced, they said that I could still get married. I said it's too much work to be married if you're a woman. The woman cleans the house, cooks the food, does the laundry, and takes care of the kids, even after she comes home from work. I asked them what their wives were doing while they were out there chatting with me. They smiled; they understood. They agreed that it's easy to get married, but it's difficult to be married.
Once in a while, they speak among themselves in a dialect I don't understand. (There are more than 1700 dialects in the Philippines.) They said it's the Muslim dialect in Zamboanga. The other dialect is Chabacano which is Spanish-based. They smiled when I asked them to translate a few phrases for me.
Before they left, they thanked me. I asked what for? I didn't buy anything. They said they were grateful that I chatted with them; they learned a little bit about life in other countries. Well, I learned a little bit about their life.
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
From Bataan to Zambales
We agreed to meet at 9am at the hotel, but Zaldy, Annie, and her uncle all arrived around 8am. I was still getting dressed and packing.
My hotel bill was cheaper than I figured: PhP1500 for each night in the VIP room and PhP600 for each night in the regular room, for a total of PhP4200.
We got gas and filled up the tank of the minivan for PhP1100. (We used up less than half.) Then we were off.
We headed towards Morong, the minibus took yesterday. Still bumpy. Then Annie's uncle remembers taking a turn by the high school in Morong. (It was at least ten years ago the last time he took this route.) It was the same road the tricycle took yesterday. Then, we ended up at the gate of the Bataan TechnoPark again.
We thought we took the wrong turn, so Zaldy got off to ask for directions. It turned out that it was the right way. There was another way around, but Annie's uncle knew that the other way was steep and unpaved.
The guards came and peeked into the van and it was the same guard we met yesterday. I waved and said we were heading towards Subic. He smiled. He called it in again to ask for permission, but the guy in the other end is stricter and declined. The guard Benitez asked again for our sake. He said it's "ma'am kahapon" (kahapon means yesterday). The other guy complained that, if I knew I would bring my own vehicle today, why didn't I ask for a sticker yesterday. (Of course, it's not my own vehicle and I had no idea we were coming this way.) Benitez kept asking. After about a half hour of that, the guy on the other end grudgingly agreed to let us pass through just this once.
We got to the fork and turned left towards Subic. It was U.N. Avenue. Then, in just a short while, we were out the other gate. We got a great view of the ocean as we crested the mountain and headed down.
We passed through a botanical reservation which was also gated but was not strict at all. The road was lined with bamboo on both sides. Annie's uncle remembered that monkeys used to sit on the side of the road, but we didn't see any this time.
At the start of Subic proper, Annie's uncle zoomed past a stop sign, in spite of Zaldy's warning. A uniformed man at a checkpoint nearby waved us down and cited him about his violation. He said that they're strict about traffic laws in that area. But since Annie's uncle hadn't been this way for a very long time, the policeman let us go with a warning. However, before we left, he asked where we were headed and asked if we would take a hitchhiker. His fellow guard rode with us in the back seat. He seemed friendly enough. Zaldy asked him some questions about the area and about a trucking facility that he knows about (Zaldy works in the trucking industry). we passed an auction lot for vehicles and farm equipment and we asked him about it. He said that the vehicles are auctioned in sets of four, not individually. The next auction would be in October. We dropped him off at the third stoplight, where we turned left.
We got lost several times. There were forks with no signs. When there was a sign, it usually only indicated the nearer town, so you had to know which towns were on the way. Zaldy got off to ask for directions a few times. when we finally got to Subic, Zaldy said, "Alam ko na." (I already know.) He meant that the surroundings are already familiar to him. He said, "Kahit nakapikit ako." (Even with my eyes closed.) But he half-jokingly added, "... mawawala pa rin tayo." (... we'll still get lost.) And he was right. He had to get off one more time at an intersection to ask which road went to the town of Iba.
Beyond Subic proper, there was a large cemetery on the mountain side by the side of the road. The sarcophagi and monuments are built nearly on top of each other in a complex mass of blocks.
From then, we passed the smaller towns of Zambales. Zaldy pointed out the historic home of former President Ramon Magsaysay who was born in Zambales.
We arrived at Vicar Beach Resort around noon. I recognized the scent in the air as soon as we got out of the minivan. It was the scent of the summers of my youth. The beach in the back was wide with its coarse gray sand. The waves, I'm told, were relatively bigger than usual because of the coming tropical storm. The beach is littered with seaweed and the foam of the waves are brown in places because of silt picked up by the waves. The wind was strong but warm, moist, and salty.
Flowers around the beach resort. more pics
We met my mother's cousin Auntie Arsing who owned the resort and her husband Uncle Oscar. We had lunch, then Annie and her uncle headed home. They would take the longer route taking the highway.
Zaldy and I took a tricycle to the land where my mom grew up. The old house is gone. My mom's brother had built a concrete cabin which has fallen after his death. There were several nipa huts in the area, and we stopped a uniformed student to ask who lived there. She said that the occupant had moved to the back and that it was empty. Zaldy explained that I owned the land and was looking it over. She asked what my last name was. She didn't recognize it, but she recognized my mom's last name. She said that I must be related to her dad Rudolfo. They lived just behind the lot.
Then we took another trike to say hi to my mom's other cousin Monica who lived with us while my sisters and I were kids. We call her Auntie Baby. (Well, she's the baby in her family.) We found her in the elementary school where she teaches. We chatted with her a while and she promised to pass by with Rudolfo.
We went back to the beach resort, and Zaldy and I chatted for a while. At 3pm, he headed back to Manila.
I spent the rest of the afternoon watching the waves and enjoying the wind. I ventured towards the water and got my feet wet.
As I headed back, a slight-statured man walked by with his wares of native jewelry. He looked at me and gestured if I wanted to take a look. I walked towards him and I looked at his wares. I asked for prices and I asked for a volume discount if I bought a lot. He kept taking out more merchandise. He was offering a necklace and bracelet set of cultured pearls for PhP500 and another set made of black pearls for the same price. I declined those. He also showed me necklace-and-bracelet sets made of coral. He was asking PhP150 for each set. Then Auntie Baby arrived with her husband and Rudy. As they approached, I called out that I was shopping. When they found out how much the man was charging me, they started haggling with him. He conceded, since they know him.
In the end, I spent PhP800 for:
- four sets of the coral necklace-and-bracelet sets (for PhP100 each)
- three other necklaces made of shells and wooden beads
- four bracelet coils made of coral beads
- three adult's bracelets and four children's bracelets made of wooden beads and seeds
Not bad for $16!
My hotel bill was cheaper than I figured: PhP1500 for each night in the VIP room and PhP600 for each night in the regular room, for a total of PhP4200.
We got gas and filled up the tank of the minivan for PhP1100. (We used up less than half.) Then we were off.
We headed towards Morong, the minibus took yesterday. Still bumpy. Then Annie's uncle remembers taking a turn by the high school in Morong. (It was at least ten years ago the last time he took this route.) It was the same road the tricycle took yesterday. Then, we ended up at the gate of the Bataan TechnoPark again.
We thought we took the wrong turn, so Zaldy got off to ask for directions. It turned out that it was the right way. There was another way around, but Annie's uncle knew that the other way was steep and unpaved.
The guards came and peeked into the van and it was the same guard we met yesterday. I waved and said we were heading towards Subic. He smiled. He called it in again to ask for permission, but the guy in the other end is stricter and declined. The guard Benitez asked again for our sake. He said it's "ma'am kahapon" (kahapon means yesterday). The other guy complained that, if I knew I would bring my own vehicle today, why didn't I ask for a sticker yesterday. (Of course, it's not my own vehicle and I had no idea we were coming this way.) Benitez kept asking. After about a half hour of that, the guy on the other end grudgingly agreed to let us pass through just this once.
We got to the fork and turned left towards Subic. It was U.N. Avenue. Then, in just a short while, we were out the other gate. We got a great view of the ocean as we crested the mountain and headed down.
We passed through a botanical reservation which was also gated but was not strict at all. The road was lined with bamboo on both sides. Annie's uncle remembered that monkeys used to sit on the side of the road, but we didn't see any this time.
At the start of Subic proper, Annie's uncle zoomed past a stop sign, in spite of Zaldy's warning. A uniformed man at a checkpoint nearby waved us down and cited him about his violation. He said that they're strict about traffic laws in that area. But since Annie's uncle hadn't been this way for a very long time, the policeman let us go with a warning. However, before we left, he asked where we were headed and asked if we would take a hitchhiker. His fellow guard rode with us in the back seat. He seemed friendly enough. Zaldy asked him some questions about the area and about a trucking facility that he knows about (Zaldy works in the trucking industry). we passed an auction lot for vehicles and farm equipment and we asked him about it. He said that the vehicles are auctioned in sets of four, not individually. The next auction would be in October. We dropped him off at the third stoplight, where we turned left.
We got lost several times. There were forks with no signs. When there was a sign, it usually only indicated the nearer town, so you had to know which towns were on the way. Zaldy got off to ask for directions a few times. when we finally got to Subic, Zaldy said, "Alam ko na." (I already know.) He meant that the surroundings are already familiar to him. He said, "Kahit nakapikit ako." (Even with my eyes closed.) But he half-jokingly added, "... mawawala pa rin tayo." (... we'll still get lost.) And he was right. He had to get off one more time at an intersection to ask which road went to the town of Iba.
Beyond Subic proper, there was a large cemetery on the mountain side by the side of the road. The sarcophagi and monuments are built nearly on top of each other in a complex mass of blocks.
From then, we passed the smaller towns of Zambales. Zaldy pointed out the historic home of former President Ramon Magsaysay who was born in Zambales.
We arrived at Vicar Beach Resort around noon. I recognized the scent in the air as soon as we got out of the minivan. It was the scent of the summers of my youth. The beach in the back was wide with its coarse gray sand. The waves, I'm told, were relatively bigger than usual because of the coming tropical storm. The beach is littered with seaweed and the foam of the waves are brown in places because of silt picked up by the waves. The wind was strong but warm, moist, and salty.
Flowers around the beach resort. more pics
We met my mother's cousin Auntie Arsing who owned the resort and her husband Uncle Oscar. We had lunch, then Annie and her uncle headed home. They would take the longer route taking the highway.
Zaldy and I took a tricycle to the land where my mom grew up. The old house is gone. My mom's brother had built a concrete cabin which has fallen after his death. There were several nipa huts in the area, and we stopped a uniformed student to ask who lived there. She said that the occupant had moved to the back and that it was empty. Zaldy explained that I owned the land and was looking it over. She asked what my last name was. She didn't recognize it, but she recognized my mom's last name. She said that I must be related to her dad Rudolfo. They lived just behind the lot.
Then we took another trike to say hi to my mom's other cousin Monica who lived with us while my sisters and I were kids. We call her Auntie Baby. (Well, she's the baby in her family.) We found her in the elementary school where she teaches. We chatted with her a while and she promised to pass by with Rudolfo.
We went back to the beach resort, and Zaldy and I chatted for a while. At 3pm, he headed back to Manila.
I spent the rest of the afternoon watching the waves and enjoying the wind. I ventured towards the water and got my feet wet.
As I headed back, a slight-statured man walked by with his wares of native jewelry. He looked at me and gestured if I wanted to take a look. I walked towards him and I looked at his wares. I asked for prices and I asked for a volume discount if I bought a lot. He kept taking out more merchandise. He was offering a necklace and bracelet set of cultured pearls for PhP500 and another set made of black pearls for the same price. I declined those. He also showed me necklace-and-bracelet sets made of coral. He was asking PhP150 for each set. Then Auntie Baby arrived with her husband and Rudy. As they approached, I called out that I was shopping. When they found out how much the man was charging me, they started haggling with him. He conceded, since they know him.
In the end, I spent PhP800 for:
- four sets of the coral necklace-and-bracelet sets (for PhP100 each)
- three other necklaces made of shells and wooden beads
- four bracelet coils made of coral beads
- three adult's bracelets and four children's bracelets made of wooden beads and seeds
Not bad for $16!
Monday, July 18, 2005
Bataan Technology Park
While doing my research for my project for my "International Environment of Business" class, I searched Google for information on the Philippines. Most of what I found were geared toward tourists, but I found a page that talked about business developments going on in the Philippines. I read somewhere that the Subic Bay area is still in the process of being converted from a US military base to an industrial area, mostly for manufacturing companies because it is a major shipping port. Then I found out that the same government agency responsible for developing Subic is also in charge of developing the new Bataan Technology Park in Morong, Bataan.
So, Marlon accompanied me there. The mini-bus climbed up the mountain within an hour, passing the gate to the nuclear power plant, nipa huts, and rice fields. The bus maneuvered around hairpin bends, slow tricycles, dogs lying on the asphalt, goats crossing the street, and people walking in the middle of the road. Few vehicles come up this way. The road is paved, but was still bumpy. Tip: Sit near the front of the bus for less bounce. Also, the bus seats are made too small, even for small-statured Filipinos. The left side seats can accommodate two and half people, and the right side seats can accommodate one and a half people. And no matter where you sit, hang on for your life, because any one of the bumps can throw you off your seat. From Bagac to Morong, our fare was PhP60 for both of us.
The bus conductor told us where to get a tricycle to get to the TechnoPark. The trike was driven by a very young man, probably still in his early teens. It was still a long way to the gate. At the gate, we were stopped and I had to explain to the guard (a "Benitez, JA") what my reason was to go there. Then, via a two-way radio, he had to ask for permission from someone inside to let us in. The person on the other end kept asking a lot of questions -- what my purpose what, whom I was there to meet, where I'm from, what company I'm with, what vehicle I was in. After about fifteen minutes or so, we were finally allowed in and directed towards a group of buildings, where we signed in again and told to wait for Mr. Celso.
While waiting, I chatted with a woman there and she said that the complex used to be a refugee center for the IndoChinese, and they have renovated some of the old buildings. When Mr. Celso arrived, I explained my purpose and I asked him more questions. They lease parcels of land for PhP180k/hectare/year and the lease lasts for 25 years and is renewable. He asked what type of business I was planning to start and he said that "U.N. Avenue" is the planned commercial area. He would have an engineer take us there for a tour and he'd have the application papers ready when we get back.
However, after another long wait, the engineer hadn't returned from lunch and they weren't sure when he would be back. It also turned out that Mr. Celso had emailed the main office for the documents, and was still waiting for their reply. So I said we would just ride the tricycle (which waited for us) down U.N. Avenue to see the area, and asked Mr. Celso to just email the forms to me as well.
Tip: A business card, particularly one with a foreign address, opens people up. The guard relaxed when I handed him one of my cards, and Mr. Celso smiled when I gave him one to ask him to email me the forms.
So, Marlon accompanied me there. The mini-bus climbed up the mountain within an hour, passing the gate to the nuclear power plant, nipa huts, and rice fields. The bus maneuvered around hairpin bends, slow tricycles, dogs lying on the asphalt, goats crossing the street, and people walking in the middle of the road. Few vehicles come up this way. The road is paved, but was still bumpy. Tip: Sit near the front of the bus for less bounce. Also, the bus seats are made too small, even for small-statured Filipinos. The left side seats can accommodate two and half people, and the right side seats can accommodate one and a half people. And no matter where you sit, hang on for your life, because any one of the bumps can throw you off your seat. From Bagac to Morong, our fare was PhP60 for both of us.
The bus conductor told us where to get a tricycle to get to the TechnoPark. The trike was driven by a very young man, probably still in his early teens. It was still a long way to the gate. At the gate, we were stopped and I had to explain to the guard (a "Benitez, JA") what my reason was to go there. Then, via a two-way radio, he had to ask for permission from someone inside to let us in. The person on the other end kept asking a lot of questions -- what my purpose what, whom I was there to meet, where I'm from, what company I'm with, what vehicle I was in. After about fifteen minutes or so, we were finally allowed in and directed towards a group of buildings, where we signed in again and told to wait for Mr. Celso.
While waiting, I chatted with a woman there and she said that the complex used to be a refugee center for the IndoChinese, and they have renovated some of the old buildings. When Mr. Celso arrived, I explained my purpose and I asked him more questions. They lease parcels of land for PhP180k/hectare/year and the lease lasts for 25 years and is renewable. He asked what type of business I was planning to start and he said that "U.N. Avenue" is the planned commercial area. He would have an engineer take us there for a tour and he'd have the application papers ready when we get back.
However, after another long wait, the engineer hadn't returned from lunch and they weren't sure when he would be back. It also turned out that Mr. Celso had emailed the main office for the documents, and was still waiting for their reply. So I said we would just ride the tricycle (which waited for us) down U.N. Avenue to see the area, and asked Mr. Celso to just email the forms to me as well.
Tip: A business card, particularly one with a foreign address, opens people up. The guard relaxed when I handed him one of my cards, and Mr. Celso smiled when I gave him one to ask him to email me the forms.
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Parang, Bataan
Today, I dared to go on public transportation on my own. After a quick lunch at the same place, I hailed a tricycle and asked to be taken to the jeepney terminal. The driver asked, "Balanga?" I said I was going to Parang. He asked if I wanted him to take me to Parang instead. Yesterday, when Marlon picked me up from the hotel, he had asked a tricycle driver to take us to Parang and the driver refused. So, this time I told the driver that he could just drop me off at the jeepney terminal. He explained that he was picking up somebody from Balanga anyway. So I hopped in. I asked how much he wanted for my fare; he said it was up to me. The jeepney fare yesterday was PhP16 per person, so I gave him PhP25. I later learned that tricycles rarely agree to go the distance between Bagac and Parang, but, if they do, they charge at least PhP50.
Yesterday and today, I met with old classmates in Parang. Today, we were invited to a seven-year-old's birthday party. At the party, there was one dish that I really enjoyed. It's called ginataang bilo-bilo (ginataan means cooked in gata, which is coconut milk; bilo-bilo means dough balls which are made with sticky rice flour).
Marlon's mom gave me the recipe:
1 k malagkit na galapong
11 tasang gata ng niyog (o 3 niyog na kinudkod at kinatas)
1 tasang langka, hinimay
1/2 k kamote
6 saging na saba na nabalatan at hiniwa
1/2 k asukal
1. Magtira ng kalahating tasang galapong at itabi. Dagdagan ng kaunting tubig ang natirang galapong at bilog-bilugin sa nais na laki.
2. Itabi ang isang tasang gata.
3. Timplahan ng asukal ang sampung tasang gata ayon sa panlasa. Pakuluin. Habang hinihintay ang pagkulo ay halo-haluin upang hindi magbuo-buo ang gata.
4. Kapag kumukulo na, isa-isang ihulog ang bilo-bilo habang hinahalo pa rin. Hindi dapat sabay-sabay ang hulog ng bilo-bilo sapagkat magdidikit-dikit ito.
5. Isunod ang kamote, saging na saba, langka, at ang isang tasang galapong na tinunaw sa tubig.
6. Ibuhos ang natirang isang tasang gata kapag luto na ang lahat ng sangkap. Halo-haluin ng dalawang minuto.
:-D
In English:
1 k sticky rice flour
11 cups of coconut milk (or 3 coconuts, shredded and milked)
1 cup jackfruit, shredded
1/2 k yams*
6 plantain bananas, peeled and cut
1/2 k sugar
1. Set aside a half cup of sticky rice flour. Add a little water to the remaining sticky rice flour and roll into balls of the desired size (typically an inch in diameter).
2. Set aside one cup of coconut milk.
3. Add sugar to the ten cups of coconut milk according to taste. Boil. While waiting for the coconut milk to boil, keep stirring to prevent the coconut milk from setting.
4. When it starts to boil, drop the sticky rice balls one by one while continuing to stir. Do not drop the balls all at ones; otherwise, they would stick together.
5. Add the yams, plantain bananas, jackfruit, and one cup of sticky rice flour diluted in water.
6. Pour the remaining cup of coconut milk when the rest of the ingredients are cooked. Continue to stir for two minutes.
* kamote is actually an off-white root, related to the yam, but not as sweet.
Yesterday and today, I met with old classmates in Parang. Today, we were invited to a seven-year-old's birthday party. At the party, there was one dish that I really enjoyed. It's called ginataang bilo-bilo (ginataan means cooked in gata, which is coconut milk; bilo-bilo means dough balls which are made with sticky rice flour).
Marlon's mom gave me the recipe:
1 k malagkit na galapong
11 tasang gata ng niyog (o 3 niyog na kinudkod at kinatas)
1 tasang langka, hinimay
1/2 k kamote
6 saging na saba na nabalatan at hiniwa
1/2 k asukal
1. Magtira ng kalahating tasang galapong at itabi. Dagdagan ng kaunting tubig ang natirang galapong at bilog-bilugin sa nais na laki.
2. Itabi ang isang tasang gata.
3. Timplahan ng asukal ang sampung tasang gata ayon sa panlasa. Pakuluin. Habang hinihintay ang pagkulo ay halo-haluin upang hindi magbuo-buo ang gata.
4. Kapag kumukulo na, isa-isang ihulog ang bilo-bilo habang hinahalo pa rin. Hindi dapat sabay-sabay ang hulog ng bilo-bilo sapagkat magdidikit-dikit ito.
5. Isunod ang kamote, saging na saba, langka, at ang isang tasang galapong na tinunaw sa tubig.
6. Ibuhos ang natirang isang tasang gata kapag luto na ang lahat ng sangkap. Halo-haluin ng dalawang minuto.
:-D
In English:
1 k sticky rice flour
11 cups of coconut milk (or 3 coconuts, shredded and milked)
1 cup jackfruit, shredded
1/2 k yams*
6 plantain bananas, peeled and cut
1/2 k sugar
1. Set aside a half cup of sticky rice flour. Add a little water to the remaining sticky rice flour and roll into balls of the desired size (typically an inch in diameter).
2. Set aside one cup of coconut milk.
3. Add sugar to the ten cups of coconut milk according to taste. Boil. While waiting for the coconut milk to boil, keep stirring to prevent the coconut milk from setting.
4. When it starts to boil, drop the sticky rice balls one by one while continuing to stir. Do not drop the balls all at ones; otherwise, they would stick together.
5. Add the yams, plantain bananas, jackfruit, and one cup of sticky rice flour diluted in water.
6. Pour the remaining cup of coconut milk when the rest of the ingredients are cooked. Continue to stir for two minutes.
* kamote is actually an off-white root, related to the yam, but not as sweet.
Saturday, July 16, 2005
Riding the jeepney
Rode the jeepney for the first time after a long time. Marlon and I sat as far back as we could (the door is in the back) because we would be among the first to get off. The jeepneys at the terminal don't leave until they're full, so when other people get on further down the street, they have to hang on from the back of the jeepney or sit on the roof.
But only men do that. Most men would give up their seat when a woman has to get on a full jeepney, since the next ride may be another hour away. Chivalry isn't quite dead yet.
Yes, they get wet when it rains.
But only men do that. Most men would give up their seat when a woman has to get on a full jeepney, since the next ride may be another hour away. Chivalry isn't quite dead yet.
Yes, they get wet when it rains.
Friday, July 15, 2005
From Metro Manila to Bataan
Zaldy arranged for a rented cab. At 3:30pm, we picked up Dee's high school friend Marie, who works for the National Power Corporation (NPC) where both my parents used to work.
We headed north on the North Luzon Expressway after filling up the gas (Cost: PhP1100). The drive was fairly uneventful.
We had dinner at a ChowKing in Balanga, Bataan (Cost: about PhP500 for four people). The city was crowded with jeepneys, tricycles, and pedestrians.
Another hour later, we arrived at National Power Corporation Training Center in Bagac, Bataan. Marie had arranged to get me a discount at the hotel. The Training Center used to be the housing complex for NPC and Westinghouse employees who worked at the nuclear power plant. My dad was one of them. My sisters and I lived with him there from 1979 to 1982.
The hotel is old and sparsely furnished. The suite assigned to us had a kitchen, a dining room, a living room, and two bedrooms each with its own walk-in closet and its own bathroom. Each bedroom and the common area had an air-conditioner. The kitchen had a stove but no pots and pans. The dining table had placemats, four glasses and a pitcher and no utensils. The small refrigerator sits just inside the front door. But the one good thing about the hotel is that every other socket is a 110V socket and the rest are the standard 220V.
After checking in, Marie and I walked around the complex and found the old apartment where we used to live. The building is still there, but it's abandoned and run-down. There's a big tree right in front of it now. The carports across the way are still there.
Only 15-20% of the units are still occupied. The single-family homes are also mostly empty. Only a few houses have occupants. The smaller gate to the apartment complex has been sealed, and one of the apartment buildings is in ruins because of a fire. (I later found out that the recreation building is now empty, but the swimming pool has been maintained and is open to guests to the complex.)
I would have to come back when it's daylight to take pictures of it to show my dad.
The apartment we used to live in (third unit from the left, with the tree in front). more pics
We headed north on the North Luzon Expressway after filling up the gas (Cost: PhP1100). The drive was fairly uneventful.
We had dinner at a ChowKing in Balanga, Bataan (Cost: about PhP500 for four people). The city was crowded with jeepneys, tricycles, and pedestrians.
Another hour later, we arrived at National Power Corporation Training Center in Bagac, Bataan. Marie had arranged to get me a discount at the hotel. The Training Center used to be the housing complex for NPC and Westinghouse employees who worked at the nuclear power plant. My dad was one of them. My sisters and I lived with him there from 1979 to 1982.
The hotel is old and sparsely furnished. The suite assigned to us had a kitchen, a dining room, a living room, and two bedrooms each with its own walk-in closet and its own bathroom. Each bedroom and the common area had an air-conditioner. The kitchen had a stove but no pots and pans. The dining table had placemats, four glasses and a pitcher and no utensils. The small refrigerator sits just inside the front door. But the one good thing about the hotel is that every other socket is a 110V socket and the rest are the standard 220V.
After checking in, Marie and I walked around the complex and found the old apartment where we used to live. The building is still there, but it's abandoned and run-down. There's a big tree right in front of it now. The carports across the way are still there.
Only 15-20% of the units are still occupied. The single-family homes are also mostly empty. Only a few houses have occupants. The smaller gate to the apartment complex has been sealed, and one of the apartment buildings is in ruins because of a fire. (I later found out that the recreation building is now empty, but the swimming pool has been maintained and is open to guests to the complex.)
I would have to come back when it's daylight to take pictures of it to show my dad.
The apartment we used to live in (third unit from the left, with the tree in front). more pics
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Tagaytay, Cavite with the Graces and Joy (The Mangosteen Lesson)
Grace is a friend whom my dad and his wife met earlier this year. She owns four pharmacies in the Philippines but she's trying to pass the certification exam in California. She offered to take me around while I'm here in the Philippines, so I text'd her and we agreed to meet.
Grace arrived in an SUV with one of her pharmacists, a 23-year-old woman child also named Grace, and the driver, a young man named Joy.
We headed south again, past Santa Rosa, to Tagaytay, Cavite, which is apparently becoming the new vacation favorite. It's cooler than Manila and it overlooks Taal Volcano, a small volcano in the middle of Taal Lake. Actually, the volcano isn't really small, it's just submerged so you only see the upper part. If memory serves me right, there is also a lake in the crater of the volcano. Actually, the Tagaytay area is cooler than Manila because it is higher in elevation. So it's an elevated area, inside of which is a lake, inside of which is a volcano, inside of which is another lake. Cool, huh?
Taal volcano in the distance. more pics
On the way there, I saw several familiar sights -- sari-sari stores (very small convenience stores, about two square meters in size; sari-sari means variety), fruit stands, and an ox pulling a covered wagon of native handicraft.
We had lunch at RSM Lutong Bahay (Home Cooking), a top-notch restaurant that had covered patios patterned after a native nipa hut on a ridge overlooking the lake and the volcano. While we were waiting for our food, a quintet came around to serenade us. They were decent but not as good as the quartet in Kamayan and the woman looked bored as though she'd rather be somewhere else. They sang two songs for PhP100.
The food was very good. We had Marlin steak (steak strips in a brown sauce), sinigang na maya-maya (maya-maya is a kind of fish; sinigang means cooked in tamarind broth), pinakbet (vegetables cooked with salted brine), lechon kawali (pork roasted in the pan), steamed rice wrapped in banana leaves, and ripe mango shakes. Cost: PhP1335 plus a 10% tip, for a total of almost PhP1500 ($30).
Afterwards, we went to the public park that overlooks the lake. We were immediately accosted by the horseride vendors. They stayed with us as we walked from the car, trying to sell us a ride. We saw an artist stand, displaying drawings of people and posters in pencil of stylized scenes, somewhat reminiscent of Escher. Little Grace and I decided to get henna tattoos. I had a lotus painted at the base of my neck, and little Grace had some Chinese characters painted on her right ankle.
When we headed towards the ridge, the horseride vendors followed us again. A food vendor joined the ranks. Eventually, we bought three packs of a sticky-rice-and-coconut treat called ispasol for PhP100.
There was a path (mostly steps) that goes down the ridge, over a bridge and back up. There were covered patios for picnicking on either side of the steps as we went down. Lots of flowers and beautiful trees. An old woman sitting on one of the benches offered her services as oracle; we declined. We followed the path down and back up and took lots of pictures. At the top, the horseride vendors found us again. We finally conceded, but only little Grace and I rode. Cost: PhP200 per horse to walk around a small area for one hour, plus PhP150 to go down the trail, but we haggled for a discount, so we paid a total of PhP500.
I got a mare named Morgana; I made sure I got the biggest horse in the lot. Little Grace got a smaller male horse. And the trainers walked the horses down the trail, which turned out to be a small loop. Then we did one turn around the small area at the top, then we got off. We were on the horses for only about 20 minutes.
On our way back to Manila, we passed by one of the fruit stands. While the Graces were shopping for fruits, I took pictures of the adjoining stand. There were bananas and some dark red fruits hanging in strings from the ceiling. The vendor cracked open one of the dark red fruits and offered me a taste. She said they're mangosteens. I tasted a section and it was velvety and sweet. She quoted me "one-fifty" a kilo. Being late in the day, I was thinking $1.50/lb, which sounded cheap enough. I asked how many kilos in a string. She weighed one which amounted to four kilos, then she bagged them before I even said okay. I noticed that the vendors would bag things even before you agree to buy it, so you begin to think that you already agreed to buy it, even if you really hadn't. I also found a purple-colored fruit (I forget the name) and she said they were good for high-blood pressure among other things. Two went in the bag. In the end, I spent PhP700. Grace later said that I paid about two or three times more than I should have. She got her bananas for PhP80/kilo.
Strings of mangosteen, hanging in a fruit stand. more pics
Lessons re-learned:
1. As soon as you're quoted a price, immediately say that it's too expensive before you even think about it. Then start the negotiations at half the asking price.
2. Mention everything bad about the merchandise, real or imagined, to get them to lower the price.
3. Pretend that you're buying as little as possible but that you're considering buying more if they would give a volume discount.
4. Even if it's already in the bag, you can still walk away.
We had one more stop -- one of Grace's favorite stores that sells Collette's buko pie. Buko is a young coconut. I learned that Collette's buko pie is the best kind. (I had a couple of slices for dinner and it really is good.)
When we dropped little Grace off, she gave me a pack of frozen battered calamari produced by her brother's seafood business.
Grace arrived in an SUV with one of her pharmacists, a 23-year-old woman child also named Grace, and the driver, a young man named Joy.
We headed south again, past Santa Rosa, to Tagaytay, Cavite, which is apparently becoming the new vacation favorite. It's cooler than Manila and it overlooks Taal Volcano, a small volcano in the middle of Taal Lake. Actually, the volcano isn't really small, it's just submerged so you only see the upper part. If memory serves me right, there is also a lake in the crater of the volcano. Actually, the Tagaytay area is cooler than Manila because it is higher in elevation. So it's an elevated area, inside of which is a lake, inside of which is a volcano, inside of which is another lake. Cool, huh?
Taal volcano in the distance. more pics
On the way there, I saw several familiar sights -- sari-sari stores (very small convenience stores, about two square meters in size; sari-sari means variety), fruit stands, and an ox pulling a covered wagon of native handicraft.
We had lunch at RSM Lutong Bahay (Home Cooking), a top-notch restaurant that had covered patios patterned after a native nipa hut on a ridge overlooking the lake and the volcano. While we were waiting for our food, a quintet came around to serenade us. They were decent but not as good as the quartet in Kamayan and the woman looked bored as though she'd rather be somewhere else. They sang two songs for PhP100.
The food was very good. We had Marlin steak (steak strips in a brown sauce), sinigang na maya-maya (maya-maya is a kind of fish; sinigang means cooked in tamarind broth), pinakbet (vegetables cooked with salted brine), lechon kawali (pork roasted in the pan), steamed rice wrapped in banana leaves, and ripe mango shakes. Cost: PhP1335 plus a 10% tip, for a total of almost PhP1500 ($30).
Afterwards, we went to the public park that overlooks the lake. We were immediately accosted by the horseride vendors. They stayed with us as we walked from the car, trying to sell us a ride. We saw an artist stand, displaying drawings of people and posters in pencil of stylized scenes, somewhat reminiscent of Escher. Little Grace and I decided to get henna tattoos. I had a lotus painted at the base of my neck, and little Grace had some Chinese characters painted on her right ankle.
When we headed towards the ridge, the horseride vendors followed us again. A food vendor joined the ranks. Eventually, we bought three packs of a sticky-rice-and-coconut treat called ispasol for PhP100.
There was a path (mostly steps) that goes down the ridge, over a bridge and back up. There were covered patios for picnicking on either side of the steps as we went down. Lots of flowers and beautiful trees. An old woman sitting on one of the benches offered her services as oracle; we declined. We followed the path down and back up and took lots of pictures. At the top, the horseride vendors found us again. We finally conceded, but only little Grace and I rode. Cost: PhP200 per horse to walk around a small area for one hour, plus PhP150 to go down the trail, but we haggled for a discount, so we paid a total of PhP500.
I got a mare named Morgana; I made sure I got the biggest horse in the lot. Little Grace got a smaller male horse. And the trainers walked the horses down the trail, which turned out to be a small loop. Then we did one turn around the small area at the top, then we got off. We were on the horses for only about 20 minutes.
On our way back to Manila, we passed by one of the fruit stands. While the Graces were shopping for fruits, I took pictures of the adjoining stand. There were bananas and some dark red fruits hanging in strings from the ceiling. The vendor cracked open one of the dark red fruits and offered me a taste. She said they're mangosteens. I tasted a section and it was velvety and sweet. She quoted me "one-fifty" a kilo. Being late in the day, I was thinking $1.50/lb, which sounded cheap enough. I asked how many kilos in a string. She weighed one which amounted to four kilos, then she bagged them before I even said okay. I noticed that the vendors would bag things even before you agree to buy it, so you begin to think that you already agreed to buy it, even if you really hadn't. I also found a purple-colored fruit (I forget the name) and she said they were good for high-blood pressure among other things. Two went in the bag. In the end, I spent PhP700. Grace later said that I paid about two or three times more than I should have. She got her bananas for PhP80/kilo.
Strings of mangosteen, hanging in a fruit stand. more pics
Lessons re-learned:
1. As soon as you're quoted a price, immediately say that it's too expensive before you even think about it. Then start the negotiations at half the asking price.
2. Mention everything bad about the merchandise, real or imagined, to get them to lower the price.
3. Pretend that you're buying as little as possible but that you're considering buying more if they would give a volume discount.
4. Even if it's already in the bag, you can still walk away.
We had one more stop -- one of Grace's favorite stores that sells Collette's buko pie. Buko is a young coconut. I learned that Collette's buko pie is the best kind. (I had a couple of slices for dinner and it really is good.)
When we dropped little Grace off, she gave me a pack of frozen battered calamari produced by her brother's seafood business.
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Santa Rosa, Laguna
Derrick sent me a driver named Mar, who drives Derrick's crew around during their production trips. Mar turns out to be very knowledgeable and, like most Filipinos, he has a second job. He works as a real estate agent for Ayala Corporation.
I only had two stops on my agenda and since we had a lot of time between my morning stop and my afternoon appointment, he offered to take me to the Laguna TechnoPark in Santa Rosa. He said it's only an hour's drive.
Mar said that the [urban] development is moving southward. To avoid the high cost, congestion, and pollution in Manila, businesses are moving south to Laguna.
The TechnoPark turned out to be a very large commercial development area with factories of mostly foreign manufacturing companies -- automobiles, electronics, semiconductors. The place is walled with guarded gates. And then, inside the complex, each company is again walled with a guarded gate.
Then he took me to residential development, also owned by Ayala. We went through a couple of model homes. The single-family homes with three bedrooms costs about PhP4M, which seemed too expensive until I realized it's less than $80K.
I only had two stops on my agenda and since we had a lot of time between my morning stop and my afternoon appointment, he offered to take me to the Laguna TechnoPark in Santa Rosa. He said it's only an hour's drive.
Mar said that the [urban] development is moving southward. To avoid the high cost, congestion, and pollution in Manila, businesses are moving south to Laguna.
The TechnoPark turned out to be a very large commercial development area with factories of mostly foreign manufacturing companies -- automobiles, electronics, semiconductors. The place is walled with guarded gates. And then, inside the complex, each company is again walled with a guarded gate.
Then he took me to residential development, also owned by Ayala. We went through a couple of model homes. The single-family homes with three bedrooms costs about PhP4M, which seemed too expensive until I realized it's less than $80K.
Monday, July 11, 2005
Random observations
ON TV:
Tagalog soap operas are still very popular. Most combine comedy with drama.
I think there are fewer commercials here than in the US. The half-hour soaps seem like they're an hour long.
It's weird watching "Totally Spies" the cartoon series, dubbed in Tagalog.
There are also a lot of Japanese and Korean soap operas dubbed in Tagalog. I saw some ad for an American movie dubbed in Tagalog as well. Apparently, Keifer Sutherland speaks Tagalog but his mouth doesn't match his words. :-)
ON AIR:
The pollution is so bad in Manila. Even the inside of houses are covered with soot.
ON FAUNA:
The mosquitoes are eating me alive.
ON TIME:
The pace is so much slower than in the US, which is a good thing if you're on vacation, but it's difficult to get much done if you're on a business trip.
Tagalog soap operas are still very popular. Most combine comedy with drama.
I think there are fewer commercials here than in the US. The half-hour soaps seem like they're an hour long.
It's weird watching "Totally Spies" the cartoon series, dubbed in Tagalog.
There are also a lot of Japanese and Korean soap operas dubbed in Tagalog. I saw some ad for an American movie dubbed in Tagalog as well. Apparently, Keifer Sutherland speaks Tagalog but his mouth doesn't match his words. :-)
ON AIR:
The pollution is so bad in Manila. Even the inside of houses are covered with soot.
ON FAUNA:
The mosquitoes are eating me alive.
ON TIME:
The pace is so much slower than in the US, which is a good thing if you're on vacation, but it's difficult to get much done if you're on a business trip.
Sunday, July 10, 2005
Intramuros, the walled city
Busy day today. Derrick picked me up at 9 am. I had already gone to the hotel restaurant for my now-favorite longanisa breakfast.
We started off not quite knowing where to go when we decided to go inside Intramuros, the walled city. We stopped to visit a church turned into a museum, when I saw a calesa (a horse-drawn carriage) so I went to take a picture of it before going in. Well, the driver sold us on taking a ride for just PhP250 ($5). He said it's just a 20-minute drive if we don't stop. But he slowed down so I could take some pictures.
The calesa we rode at Intramuros. more pics
Then, we got to Fort Santiago and we decided to go in. We had to walk in (after paying for PhP45/person); the calesa driver said he would wait for us.
Fort Santiago is where Jose Rizal, the national hero, was imprisoned before he was executed. We walked on the grounds and on the wall, saw Jose Rizal's cell, peered into stairs that led to the dungeons, tossed coins into pots and missed, looked inside a museum that had some of his furniture and writings, and took lots of pictures.
Then we went back to the calesa and headed back, passing by the cathedral where Cardinal Jaime Sin was buried when he passed away only a month ago.
When we got back, we paid the driver twice the fare he asked for, since he waited for us for a long time. The church-museum had closed for the day, so we went for a driving tour instead, through EDSA, Makati, and Ortigas.
We stopped for lunch at Kamayan, a Filipino/Japanese buffet restaurant in Quezon City.
There are many words in the Filipino language that have different meanings depending on the context. "Kamayan" is one of them. The root word "kamay" means a hand. It can mean to shake hands, although the more common form is magkamayan (mag-ka-ma'yan). It can also mean to use one's hand to eat; that is, without utensils.
The restaurant had two floors and we went upstairs, where we were met by a young lady in a kimono. We ordered mango juice and water and went to the buffet. It wasn't very big, but the selection is fairly large. They set out only a small portion of each entree. Unfortunately, the entrees are not labelled, so you have to kinda know what the dish is. One side had a salad bar and the Filipino dishes, including lechon (roast pig). They had the head of the suckling on display. The center island was full of native desserts and ice cream. Another side was the Japanese cuisine. And then, there was still a sushi bar.
The mango shake was very good, and it came with a little teddy bear. I tasted one sushi that was very tasty, and the rest of the food was so-so. The best feature of the restaurant, however, is the quartet that goes around at each table to serenade the patrons with a Tagalog song or two. When they got to our table, I just had to record them. Then we gave them a tip afterwards. Derrick said we were lucky because the quartet isn't there everyday.
Total cost of the food was PhP1500, including a smaller tip (since it's buffet).
Afterwards, Derrick dropped me back at my hotel since he had a meeting to attend. In the evening, I met with my maternal cousin Zaldy. His mom and my mom are sisters. He said I look and sound like my mom. I said he looks like his dad and sounds like Uncle Jun, my mom's youngest brother. We went to a restaurant that I don't remember the name, except it starts with an "M". The food wasn't that impressive either, but the fried rice was presented very well. It looked like an Alaska bomb where the fried rice was covered by a thin crepe made of scrambled eggs. Cost: Another PhP1500 ($30).
We started off not quite knowing where to go when we decided to go inside Intramuros, the walled city. We stopped to visit a church turned into a museum, when I saw a calesa (a horse-drawn carriage) so I went to take a picture of it before going in. Well, the driver sold us on taking a ride for just PhP250 ($5). He said it's just a 20-minute drive if we don't stop. But he slowed down so I could take some pictures.
The calesa we rode at Intramuros. more pics
Then, we got to Fort Santiago and we decided to go in. We had to walk in (after paying for PhP45/person); the calesa driver said he would wait for us.
Fort Santiago is where Jose Rizal, the national hero, was imprisoned before he was executed. We walked on the grounds and on the wall, saw Jose Rizal's cell, peered into stairs that led to the dungeons, tossed coins into pots and missed, looked inside a museum that had some of his furniture and writings, and took lots of pictures.
Then we went back to the calesa and headed back, passing by the cathedral where Cardinal Jaime Sin was buried when he passed away only a month ago.
When we got back, we paid the driver twice the fare he asked for, since he waited for us for a long time. The church-museum had closed for the day, so we went for a driving tour instead, through EDSA, Makati, and Ortigas.
We stopped for lunch at Kamayan, a Filipino/Japanese buffet restaurant in Quezon City.
There are many words in the Filipino language that have different meanings depending on the context. "Kamayan" is one of them. The root word "kamay" means a hand. It can mean to shake hands, although the more common form is magkamayan (mag-ka-ma'yan). It can also mean to use one's hand to eat; that is, without utensils.
The restaurant had two floors and we went upstairs, where we were met by a young lady in a kimono. We ordered mango juice and water and went to the buffet. It wasn't very big, but the selection is fairly large. They set out only a small portion of each entree. Unfortunately, the entrees are not labelled, so you have to kinda know what the dish is. One side had a salad bar and the Filipino dishes, including lechon (roast pig). They had the head of the suckling on display. The center island was full of native desserts and ice cream. Another side was the Japanese cuisine. And then, there was still a sushi bar.
The mango shake was very good, and it came with a little teddy bear. I tasted one sushi that was very tasty, and the rest of the food was so-so. The best feature of the restaurant, however, is the quartet that goes around at each table to serenade the patrons with a Tagalog song or two. When they got to our table, I just had to record them. Then we gave them a tip afterwards. Derrick said we were lucky because the quartet isn't there everyday.
Total cost of the food was PhP1500, including a smaller tip (since it's buffet).
Afterwards, Derrick dropped me back at my hotel since he had a meeting to attend. In the evening, I met with my maternal cousin Zaldy. His mom and my mom are sisters. He said I look and sound like my mom. I said he looks like his dad and sounds like Uncle Jun, my mom's youngest brother. We went to a restaurant that I don't remember the name, except it starts with an "M". The food wasn't that impressive either, but the fried rice was presented very well. It looked like an Alaska bomb where the fried rice was covered by a thin crepe made of scrambled eggs. Cost: Another PhP1500 ($30).
Saturday, July 09, 2005
Kare-kare and-and halo-halo
I couldn't sleep after 2:00 am, so I laid in bed and finally got up at 7:30 am, took a shower, and went for breakfast. Well, it wasn't the typical breakfast. I didn't have a meal since yesterday morning, so I went for the typical Filipino meal -- kare-kare, steamed rice, and halo-halo. (Yes, Filipinos have a thing for repeating words.)
No, it's not pronounced "kayr-kayr"; it's "kah-reh'kah-reh'". As in Spanish, there are only five vowel sounds in Tagalog -- a, as in father; e, as in ever; i, as in indigo; o, as in long; u, which sounds like "oo", as in tool. So, it's not "hey-lo'hey-lo'" like the XBox game; it's "hah-loh'hah-loh" like "hollow-hollow" except you don't pronounce the w's.
Kare-kare is oxtail and tripe in a peanut curry sauce with bok choy, eggplant, and beans. Purple salted brine (alamang) is served on the side. Of course, the kare-kare was in a huge bowl, enough for three or four people.
Halo-halo literally means "mix-mix" but can be loosely translated as "variety." It is a dessert served like a sundae. The bottom half of the sundae glass contains layers of several of the following: different types of preserved and sweetened beans, jackfruit pieces, nata de coco (the fruit of a type of palm tree), gelatin cubes, tapioca pearls, and cubes of egg flan (custard). Then the rest of the sundae glass is filled with shaved ice. Evaporated milk is poured over the ice. Finally, it is topped either with a scoop of ice cream or ube (oo'beh) which is a sweet paste made from purple yam. Before you eat it, you dig in with a long-handled spoon and try not to spill as you mix up all the ingredients. Ergo, the name "mix-mix".
The entire meal was about $10, including tip.
Auntie Nita enjoying a bowl of halo-halo. more pics
No, it's not pronounced "kayr-kayr"; it's "kah-reh'kah-reh'". As in Spanish, there are only five vowel sounds in Tagalog -- a, as in father; e, as in ever; i, as in indigo; o, as in long; u, which sounds like "oo", as in tool. So, it's not "hey-lo'hey-lo'" like the XBox game; it's "hah-loh'hah-loh" like "hollow-hollow" except you don't pronounce the w's.
Kare-kare is oxtail and tripe in a peanut curry sauce with bok choy, eggplant, and beans. Purple salted brine (alamang) is served on the side. Of course, the kare-kare was in a huge bowl, enough for three or four people.
Halo-halo literally means "mix-mix" but can be loosely translated as "variety." It is a dessert served like a sundae. The bottom half of the sundae glass contains layers of several of the following: different types of preserved and sweetened beans, jackfruit pieces, nata de coco (the fruit of a type of palm tree), gelatin cubes, tapioca pearls, and cubes of egg flan (custard). Then the rest of the sundae glass is filled with shaved ice. Evaporated milk is poured over the ice. Finally, it is topped either with a scoop of ice cream or ube (oo'beh) which is a sweet paste made from purple yam. Before you eat it, you dig in with a long-handled spoon and try not to spill as you mix up all the ingredients. Ergo, the name "mix-mix".
The entire meal was about $10, including tip.
Auntie Nita enjoying a bowl of halo-halo. more pics
Friday, July 08, 2005
From SFO to MNL
It was already 6pm in the afternoon when my dad and his wife picked me up at my mom's house to drop me off at the San Francisco airport. We dropped off my car at the storage, which I had arranged the previous day. Traffic was thankfully lighter than usual so we arrived around 7pm.
The line was already long and I was feeling out of place. Most people were in traveling with families. Lots of kids and teenagers and grandparents. And I was the only one with a single check-in baggage. Everybody else had carts loaded with balikbayan* boxes.
It is a Filipino tradition to bring gifts (pasalubong) home after being away. Having been away for more than two decades, I had no idea what to take back. My mom said to just bring cash; there's a duty-free shop close to the airport in Manila where I could shop within days after my arrival.
I had dinner at the airport and waited a long time. There's a 15-pound limit for handcarry bags, so at one point before boarding, we were required to get in line and weigh our bags. In return, we got an orange tag slapped on our bags. The flight was scheduled to leave at 11:45 pm, fly non-stop, and arrive at 3:15 am two days later. My original reservations said it was supposed to leave at 10:00 pm, stop somewhere, and arrive at 5:00 am. So, it was a shorter flight but a longer wait at SFO.
I got an aisle seat with a nice older lady and her teenage granddaughter. They were headed to Davao, which is further south. And the grandmother turned out to be a nurse. When someone on the plane needed help, she went up front to volunteer.
We were fed dinner (my second one) almost as soon as the plane started cruising. I had the fish filet, which turned out to be a very small serving of fish with lots of carbs for side dishes (rice, bread, and pasta). But the pound cake dessert was decent.
We also got headsets and a packet containing a toothbrush, toothpaste, an eye mask, and a pair of socks. I regretted leaving my Bose headset behind. The engines were very noisy and the headset sound quality was terrible.
But the engine noise had its benefits. I slept almost the entire time, so the noise covered up my snoring. :-) And I had earplugs with me so I slept fairly well. Since I usually sleep on my tummy, it was a bit uncomfortable, but I was very tired.
I woke up halfway through the flight when I felt my tray table as I was shifting in my seat. The flight attendant had set it down and left a bag of chips and a pork bun (siopao). Then I watched the movie "The Pacifier" with Vin Diesel, which happened to be starting just then.
A couple of hours before landing, we were served breakfast. I chose the sausage omelette with mushrooms, a slice of tomato, and tater tots. There was the bread roll again, which I didn't touch, and a few cubes of cantaloupe. But there was a blueberry muffin that turned out to be very good.
We landed in Manila at 3:25 am and the immigration line was short, but my luggage took a while. It was a fairly easy process getting out of the airport. There were so many airport employees in uniform even as we got out of the plane. There were also a number of ID'd porters helping out in the baggage claim area. I didn't even have to wait in line for customs.
I saw someone wave in the crowd even before I got my baggage checked against my claim ticket. I had warned my cousin Derrick that I would wear a bright orange shirt so he could easily find me.
Traffic was light, being so early in the morning. I had to smile the first time I saw a jeepney** again.
We found a money changer hole-in-the-wall place that was open 24 hours. The black market money changers seem to be as common as check-cashing places in the US.
My room at the Camelot Hotel. more pics
Then Derrick took me to the Camelot Hotel in Quezon City (less than $30/night). He was just going to drop me off but we decided to have breakfast at the hotel restaurant. Two eggs over easy, three skinless longanisa (sweet sausage), garlic rice, mango juice, coffee for him and tea with calamansi, instead of lemon, for me (total: $9 for both of us, 20% tip included). And we started chatting and catching up on news. It was almost 11:00 am when he left to go to work.
I watched the Disney Channel for a while until I fell asleep. Woke up around 9:30pm from the loud music playing upstairs. I might go for dinner, then go back to sleep.
I'll need a couple of days to get used to the time change and the currency change.
* A "balikbayan" is a Filipino emigrant (usually to the US) who returns to the Philippines (usually to visit family). "Balik" means to return; "bayan" means country.
** The jeepney is a public transportation vehicle that is uniquely Filipino. Its predecessors are actually the GI jeeps left behind by the US military after WWII. They were first modified to take passengers and later evolved into the elongated, brightly decorated versions of today. However, because of the current state of the economy, the decorations and the brightly painted designs are now old and fading.
The line was already long and I was feeling out of place. Most people were in traveling with families. Lots of kids and teenagers and grandparents. And I was the only one with a single check-in baggage. Everybody else had carts loaded with balikbayan* boxes.
It is a Filipino tradition to bring gifts (pasalubong) home after being away. Having been away for more than two decades, I had no idea what to take back. My mom said to just bring cash; there's a duty-free shop close to the airport in Manila where I could shop within days after my arrival.
I had dinner at the airport and waited a long time. There's a 15-pound limit for handcarry bags, so at one point before boarding, we were required to get in line and weigh our bags. In return, we got an orange tag slapped on our bags. The flight was scheduled to leave at 11:45 pm, fly non-stop, and arrive at 3:15 am two days later. My original reservations said it was supposed to leave at 10:00 pm, stop somewhere, and arrive at 5:00 am. So, it was a shorter flight but a longer wait at SFO.
I got an aisle seat with a nice older lady and her teenage granddaughter. They were headed to Davao, which is further south. And the grandmother turned out to be a nurse. When someone on the plane needed help, she went up front to volunteer.
We were fed dinner (my second one) almost as soon as the plane started cruising. I had the fish filet, which turned out to be a very small serving of fish with lots of carbs for side dishes (rice, bread, and pasta). But the pound cake dessert was decent.
We also got headsets and a packet containing a toothbrush, toothpaste, an eye mask, and a pair of socks. I regretted leaving my Bose headset behind. The engines were very noisy and the headset sound quality was terrible.
But the engine noise had its benefits. I slept almost the entire time, so the noise covered up my snoring. :-) And I had earplugs with me so I slept fairly well. Since I usually sleep on my tummy, it was a bit uncomfortable, but I was very tired.
I woke up halfway through the flight when I felt my tray table as I was shifting in my seat. The flight attendant had set it down and left a bag of chips and a pork bun (siopao). Then I watched the movie "The Pacifier" with Vin Diesel, which happened to be starting just then.
A couple of hours before landing, we were served breakfast. I chose the sausage omelette with mushrooms, a slice of tomato, and tater tots. There was the bread roll again, which I didn't touch, and a few cubes of cantaloupe. But there was a blueberry muffin that turned out to be very good.
We landed in Manila at 3:25 am and the immigration line was short, but my luggage took a while. It was a fairly easy process getting out of the airport. There were so many airport employees in uniform even as we got out of the plane. There were also a number of ID'd porters helping out in the baggage claim area. I didn't even have to wait in line for customs.
I saw someone wave in the crowd even before I got my baggage checked against my claim ticket. I had warned my cousin Derrick that I would wear a bright orange shirt so he could easily find me.
Traffic was light, being so early in the morning. I had to smile the first time I saw a jeepney** again.
We found a money changer hole-in-the-wall place that was open 24 hours. The black market money changers seem to be as common as check-cashing places in the US.
My room at the Camelot Hotel. more pics
Then Derrick took me to the Camelot Hotel in Quezon City (less than $30/night). He was just going to drop me off but we decided to have breakfast at the hotel restaurant. Two eggs over easy, three skinless longanisa (sweet sausage), garlic rice, mango juice, coffee for him and tea with calamansi, instead of lemon, for me (total: $9 for both of us, 20% tip included). And we started chatting and catching up on news. It was almost 11:00 am when he left to go to work.
I watched the Disney Channel for a while until I fell asleep. Woke up around 9:30pm from the loud music playing upstairs. I might go for dinner, then go back to sleep.
I'll need a couple of days to get used to the time change and the currency change.
* A "balikbayan" is a Filipino emigrant (usually to the US) who returns to the Philippines (usually to visit family). "Balik" means to return; "bayan" means country.
** The jeepney is a public transportation vehicle that is uniquely Filipino. Its predecessors are actually the GI jeeps left behind by the US military after WWII. They were first modified to take passengers and later evolved into the elongated, brightly decorated versions of today. However, because of the current state of the economy, the decorations and the brightly painted designs are now old and fading.
Sunday, July 03, 2005
From OR to CA
If anybody tells you that the Oregon coast is nice, they're lying. It's GORGEOUS!
It was 10:30 by the time I checked out of the hotel. Stopped by at the grocery store next door to get bottled water and Ziploc bags. Now, you're thinking what the Ziploc bags are for. :-) To get sand for my Zen garden, of course! So I was on a mission.
Traffic was very light, but I kept missing turn-offs to the beach. After a nice old town called Bandon (which I'm going to visit again, btw), I saw a turn-off for a "Beach Loop." Missed it, of course. But being a loop, there was another turn-off a few minutes later, and I caught that one -- barely.
There were a few cars in the parking lot, a couple of trailers, and four horses that later came down to the beach with riders on them. Kids were flying kites, and a couple of women were walking by the water.
There was short drop (about 15 feet) down to the beach. I found an "unofficial" trail (indicated by bent grass) and scrambled down. At the bottom, there was a strip of shale (I think) rock and a narrow stream before the sand started. I took off my shoes and waded across the stream. And it was a llllllooooooonnnnnngggggg walk across the sand to get to the surf. That was a very wide beach. And long. Oh, wait, let me rephrase that: the beach extended from the Washington border to the California border and beyond.
A child's shovel abandoned in the wet sand (Bandon, OR). more pics
So, I got my sand, and some pebbles to go with it. I walked on the wet sand and played on the fringes of the waves. The water is cold, but not that cold. And I realized that there I was at the start of the month, dipping my feet on this side of the Pacific Ocean. And the end of the month, I'll be dipping my feet on the other side of the Pacific Ocean. Cool, huh? :-)
In Port Orford, I saw a road that went up a little hill and on the road was painted "Ocean View" with an arrow pointing up, so I followed it. Sure enough, there was cliff overlooking a beautiful bay. A couple of bikers parked their bikes and sat at the edge. And that's just the beginning. After leaving the town, there were even better views. Huge tall rocks sticking out of the water with the waves crashing against them. The water was very blue and you got the sense of the depth and greatness of the sea.
I stopped at a few more turnouts to take more pictures, had lunch at Brookings. And around 3:30 pm, I crossed the border to California. There were still great views of the ocean.
Then after a while, I got to the Redwood Highway and the trees are nice, but I just came from Seattle. :-) But the places I'd be sure to hit when I pass this way again:
Mudbaths....
Anyway, by the time I got to San Rafael, it was already dark. When I got to my mom's house in Alameda, it was 10:30pm.
Total: 940 miles.
It was 10:30 by the time I checked out of the hotel. Stopped by at the grocery store next door to get bottled water and Ziploc bags. Now, you're thinking what the Ziploc bags are for. :-) To get sand for my Zen garden, of course! So I was on a mission.
Traffic was very light, but I kept missing turn-offs to the beach. After a nice old town called Bandon (which I'm going to visit again, btw), I saw a turn-off for a "Beach Loop." Missed it, of course. But being a loop, there was another turn-off a few minutes later, and I caught that one -- barely.
There were a few cars in the parking lot, a couple of trailers, and four horses that later came down to the beach with riders on them. Kids were flying kites, and a couple of women were walking by the water.
There was short drop (about 15 feet) down to the beach. I found an "unofficial" trail (indicated by bent grass) and scrambled down. At the bottom, there was a strip of shale (I think) rock and a narrow stream before the sand started. I took off my shoes and waded across the stream. And it was a llllllooooooonnnnnngggggg walk across the sand to get to the surf. That was a very wide beach. And long. Oh, wait, let me rephrase that: the beach extended from the Washington border to the California border and beyond.
A child's shovel abandoned in the wet sand (Bandon, OR). more pics
So, I got my sand, and some pebbles to go with it. I walked on the wet sand and played on the fringes of the waves. The water is cold, but not that cold. And I realized that there I was at the start of the month, dipping my feet on this side of the Pacific Ocean. And the end of the month, I'll be dipping my feet on the other side of the Pacific Ocean. Cool, huh? :-)
In Port Orford, I saw a road that went up a little hill and on the road was painted "Ocean View" with an arrow pointing up, so I followed it. Sure enough, there was cliff overlooking a beautiful bay. A couple of bikers parked their bikes and sat at the edge. And that's just the beginning. After leaving the town, there were even better views. Huge tall rocks sticking out of the water with the waves crashing against them. The water was very blue and you got the sense of the depth and greatness of the sea.
I stopped at a few more turnouts to take more pictures, had lunch at Brookings. And around 3:30 pm, I crossed the border to California. There were still great views of the ocean.
Then after a while, I got to the Redwood Highway and the trees are nice, but I just came from Seattle. :-) But the places I'd be sure to hit when I pass this way again:
- Avenue of the Giants
- Confusion Hill
- Tallest Tree House
- Drive-thru Tree Road
Anyway, by the time I got to San Rafael, it was already dark. When I got to my mom's house in Alameda, it was 10:30pm.
Total: 940 miles.
Friday, July 01, 2005
From WA to OR
Depoe Bay in Oregon. more pics
Woke up at 5:00 am. Yup, that's way too early for me. Packed for almost two hours. Showered, had breakfast, and started loading the car. By 7:45, I was off.
For some reason, in the Seattle area, traffic is normally lighter on Friday mornings than on other workday mornings. And it seemed even lighter this holiday weekend. There were still a lot of cars, but it was flowing easily. Just a little slowdown around the 70th Street exit in Kirkland. But when I hit I-5 in SeaTac, the traffic was crawling. There were two accidents. After those, it was easy going again.
I planned my drive a couple of nights ago and reserved a room in Reedsport, OR. I figured, I could get off I-5 around Olympia and head west then follow Hwy 101 all the way down to San Rafael, CA. But since I packed at the last minute, I thought I'd play it by ear. If I was too tired or if the traffic was so bad, I'd just take I-5 all the way down.
But it was still early (around 8:30) when I got to Olympia, so I decided to head west on WA-8, which became I-12, which took me to Hwy 101, which is all but a two-lane road.
Tips:
- Always be alert for signs. I-101 does not always go straight through a town.
- I-101 goes through a LOT of little towns.
- Don't bother with cruise control. The speed limit changes from 55 down to 25 and back up to 55 within a couple of minutes.
- Lots of curves. Some sharp, so pay attention to the yellow speed signs too.
- For those with a small bladder, I only saw one rest area.
- Troy was the first one who told me this: In Oregon, all gas stations are full-service stations -- by law. I can't remember if you get fined if you pump your own gas....
- I saw a number of long-distance cyclists. Their bikes were loaded with panniers, saddlebags, and some even had backpacks on.
- Motorbikes were surprisingly few, but three-wheeled motorbikes (or fancy shiny ATVs) seem to be very popular in these parts.
Things to see:
- As you get on WA-8, there are large-than-life metal scuptures of bulls, cows, and veal, er, baby cows.
- In the town of Raymond, they put up rusted metal cutouts of deer, horses, wolves, people, etc. all over town.
- Columbia River bridge is the first of many cool bridges.
- There are also a few tunnels.
- Rockaway Beach is one of the nice artsy little towns.
- Lake Lytle is a little lake. :-)
- Lots of scenic view turnouts. Usually, if you miss one, there's another a few yards away.
I got to the hotel around 5:30, took a short nap, then went for dinner at Bedrock's Pizza, Chowder House and Grill. Great chowder.
I'm going to try to spend a little time on the beach tomorrow before heading out. And maybe take more pics.