incessant rambling

okay, AJ thinks I am obsessed with food. hindi naman ano. slight lang. in any case, since i am slightly obsessed with food, i am posting some of the food pics i got from my most recent trip to bacolod. pasensya if after you go through this post you feel any slight rumbling in the pit of your stomach. any indecent threats posted in my comments section will be dealt with slightly este severely. deep fried soft shell crab on top of linquine with a sauce made from chopped mussel ala aoili (garlic dearie). verdict? the soft shell crab is not fresh or they used stale frying oil. to save the taste i requested for olive oil, a bit of chili flakes and parmesan - pasta alfredo, balay 21, lacson st. bacolod city. lamb on curry rice. surprisingly tasty, soft lamb tapa pieces fried topped a bed of delicately flavored rice and accented with strips of aubergine (talong aka eggplant) fried in olive oil. - balay 21 pesto pasta in cafe bobs, bacolod. don't order this one. blaaaaand. adobo nga green...

it is said that most catholics go to church at the very least, twice in their lifetime: christening and internment ; everything in the middle is optional, even weddings. i got the chance to visit Lupit Church in Bacolod City for a wedding ceremony. i met the groom-to-be the previous day and got my first and last hello with the bride during the required ritual of having each table go up the stage where the couple sat for a photo op. i ignored the bride's blank look that said : uh, who is this again? which means that i am exempted from guilty feelings of walking out the ceremony and having a look around the lot. Lupit church is uncommon as it features a belfry that sits on top of the entrance to the church, it's massive pointed tower stretching to the skies in what you can probably imagine to be a direct antenna to heaven. it was hard crouching low and getting a perspective shot to get the whole front fit in the camera lens. (click on read.more) stepping back would have meant unw...

tarzan would have found a second home in bacolod city. g-string, spear and a club are perfect accessories in forest park. this green patch in the middle of bacolod city is a perfect getaway from civilization to reconnect with nature. winding paths, man-made lakes, bridges over streams and green spots litter around the 30 acre property that's filled with green living things. and i don't mean the Hulk. the property is actually a residential development but the owners have decided that 70% of the property should remain green with very few choice lots for residents. i am guessing that the Sy's are not part of this development, otherwise the only green thing you'd see would be the fake potted plants that dot any of the SM mall properties. this is definitely going to be part of my must-visit-places in bacolod in every trip.

renovations were ongoing when i checked in sugarland hotel. to realize that your happity-feeling-good feeling is the result of thinner paint fumes is a disappointment. and here i thought i am naturally a jolly-bee person in stark contrast to the expressionless receptionists that must have had too much botox. loved the square pool that is flanked by hotel rooms overlooking the space. felt like an oversized tub if you ask me. then again, orca and free willy are distant relatives so it must have been just me. that aside, aesthetic changes to the hotel included repainting jobs that used browns and whites throughout gave it a sleeker look and opened spaces that otherwise would have felt narrow. or the perfect color combination for a monastery. the restaurant space called "Twist" featured interesting light fixtures that looked like floating UFOs overhead. cozy and sufficient but nothing spectacular. don't get me started on the food. bleeeh! (imagine me sticking out my tongue, s...

my fondest food memories of bacolod is bob's . they serve arguably the bestest (if there's such a word) burger in the philippines. considering that i am not a burger person, you probably have a good understanding that it is THAT namit ! (that means delicious in ilonggo) i had memories as a child jumping up and down with joy every time i visited my grandma in riverside hospital because that meant crossing the street and ordering bob's classic cheeseburger. imagine a medium sized plate, that's how big the bun is and the juicy meaty perfectly seasoned beef patty is probably half a pound - cooked. who cares if you have lettuce, tomatoes, dressing and cheese stuffed inside the bun? the namit namit burger patty tastes like meat, REAL meat and not stuffed with extenders. unfortunately, that was about twenty years ago. (click on read.more) i recently visited bacolod and grabbed the chance to run to bob's right across La Salle Bacolod University, my old high school. i place...

they finally retired the old bacolod city airport and recently opened the Silay Domestic Airport to service northern negros occidental. narrow and short are perfect adjectives for the old airport, with the take off end literally ending a few meters from a gorge that plunges down to a river. many times i have recited prayers with increasing speed and fervor as we approached that point. many times i have practiced my aaaaieeeee as i imagined the plane overshooting the end. at least that would have been a dramatic ending hmmm? you can say i was curious as to how the new Silay Airport looked like when we flew in over the weekend (June 27-29). curiosity turned into pleasant surprise as i spied a sleek looking complex that can accommodate four 747s in its landing bay. (click on read.more) surprise surprise , the baggage claim area had working conveyor lines with digital signboards indicating flight numbers. that made me nostalgic remembering how the old porter boys used to throw the luggage...

this is a series of pictures i took in lakawon island, negros occidetal. like old gnarled hands, the trees grow along the beachfront and makes an interesting collective subject. i added the woman to this set, she's probably as ancient as the trees.

they say meeting people is never coincidental, there is a reason for every encounter and your life is enriched or made a little bit sadder by each and every meeting. in this stage called earth, and the comedy called life i had the chance to meet characters that made this particualr chapter a happy one. some offer young exuberant innocence whereas some offer the laid back attitude of a person fulfilled. memories have a nasty habit of fading and names forgotten, this is my way of making sure this chapter never fades. cheers to everyone and as a dear friend of mine said, we never say goodbye - we say... until next time. the cast of characters starting from the upper left: enzo - i suspect he is taking uppers with his endless questions. he was the only one who was up early in the morning running around looking for me. inday - dare i say the real name? in this paradise she blossomed freely myka - if peter pan was a girl.. victor - dating boyfriend ni gina de venecia he he he. he's the b...

in response to those who asked for more details about the resort, am posting more pictures for reference. contact details of the place are included at the end of the post... no one has ever described how heaven looks like. if you do find the words, let me know so i can update this post. a picture paints a thousand words, lakawon is priceless. Lakawon Resort Location: Cadiz Viejo, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental Time of Travel: From Bacolod to Cadiz Viejo, 1 hour and 30 minutes Mode of Transportation: Private and Public Vehicles Facilities: Non-Aircon and Aircon Cottages, Tables and four chairs, Nipa Hut w/ Papag Contact Nos. Tel: (034) 433-0808 / 434-7737 Look for Josie and Victor Puey

i fidget and wait for my flight to be called out. cebu pacific prides itself in being 90% on time, this is definitely part of the 10%. i entertained myself watching the tv information plugs about the philippines they show on tv, i found out that my destination, negros occidental happens to have the most number of cities compared to any province in the philippines. the flight from mactan to bacolod is best described as the "rise and fall". barely have i gotten used to the steep ascend into the heavens when suddenly, the airplane seem to be nosediving towards the ground. yup, all of 25 minutes on air and i'm on the ground again. bacolod though is not my destination, some friends planned a trip to lakawon island, north of bacolod city, a fifteen minute boat ride across cadiz city. cadiz is actually pretty close to bacolod but we initially missed a turn that took us in a neck breaking, butt whipping, brain jogging road until we got directions that we took the wrong turn. we r...