Traveling with a Local in Cebu

We were in Cebu for a conference last month. It was my first time in that place and because we are presenting, we have no time whatsoever to search for any place to see, any food to eat. It is Cebu, foreigners we have talked to speak highly of tourism in that province so we got to see places.

The best way to see a new place is to travel with a local. It is also a reason why I was not really keen in researching places to go because some of the people we were with had been to Cebu before but because my batchmate in training, John who resigned 5 years ago had relocated to Cebu. Hell Yeah!! 

So the first night he asked us where we want to eat, do we want to try local food. Of course we do. It was almost 10PM, nearby Ayala mall is already closed. He brought his ride so we are going places. Along the ride he kinda "tour" us a bit, pointing us to landmarks, stopping if we want to take photos. The destination is Tisa. He told us that the siomayan sa Tisa is famous. Ok, we are eating siomai. He drive us around until we reached a place where there are siomayan everywhere. Nearby is a halo-halo place and a place where we buy steamed rice. The halo-halo, which John hyped as "the best halo-halo in Cebu" we reserved for later. 

There’s nothing special with the siomai but it was cheap. I spent 120 pesos for all the siomai we ate. The steamed rice is just rice with some sauce on top. It tasted like the braised beef sauce from Chowking. After that we headed to the halo-halo place, Monbi’s. It is a modern type of halo-halo and it is delicious. So delicious I had to text Angelica how good it was and to ask John to post a picture of the halo-halo in Facebook and tag all of them. We have this unresolved craving for halo-halo and a provincial trip so I believe I found a fix.

The next day, more people arrived. They saw the picture on Facebook and they want to try it too. We don’t have John to drive us to the place so we commute. The jeep went on different roads so I thought we were lost. Hahaha. I bombarded John with text messages asking for hints if we missed the place. Luckily we arrived. We ate siomai again and the hyped halo-halo. I was kinda downgrading the hype a bit so not to disappoint these people but they liked it still.

bringing in more people

The next night we had some drinks in our hotel room. Actually only them because I don't drink. John was not able to see the others who returned to their hotel rooms before midnight. Jeff and Nikko had other plans for the evening and left early. When John arrived, all the alcohol are gone and no one is volunteering to buy so I said I will go with John, he brought his SUV. Then the idea came to mind: we might as go to the halo-halo place again while it is still open. With that idea, everyone is now joining to buy more alcohol. 

We hit the place three nights in a row, and it was awesome.

third night eating halo-halo

Closet?

>Kagabi.

>Commute Mode. 

>May humintong itim na Vios sa harap ko, bababa yung naka-upo sa passenger seat. 

>Kita ko na chicks yung nakasakay dahil hindi tinted. 

>Humalik sya sa nagmamaneho. 

>Smack.

>May audible pa nga na  "tsup!" sa utak ko. 

>Pagbaba nakita ko chicks nga. Naka-corporate attire na porma tapos naka-wedge na shoes. 

>Sinilip ko anong hitsura nitong gwapong drayber ng Vios. 

>Pag-andar nakita ko chicks din. 

>Napaputangina ako ng malakas.

>Ganito "Putangina Chicks yun ah!"

>Hahaha. 

>Hindi butch yung nagmamaneho. 

>Akala ko naghatid lang sa sakayan, so akala ko mag-U-Turn pabalik sa Maynila o kung saan. 

>Mali ang akala ko.

>Dumiretso siya.

>Pareho lang ng way kung saan pauwi si ateng nasa passenger side kanina. 

>Kawawa naman tuloy si ate, naghihintay ng masasakyang FX umaambon pa naman.

>Bakit kaya hindi na lang niya hinatid sa bahay?

Bulaklak ng Talahib

Taun-taon tuwing Setyembre nagiging kulay puti ang mga bundok sa paligid namin sa Antipolo. Ito ay dahil sa buwan na ito namumulaklak ang mga talahib. Hindi ko pa nga alam kung bulaklak ba yun. Malalaman na Setyembre na pag andyan na sila. Pag ganitong time, maganda yung lugar sa amin, kulay puti yung mga bundok. parang magandang tawaging "meadow" ang paligid para sosyal. Iyan na yung pinaka snow ko, na ibig sabihin "-ber" months na, malapit na mag-pasko. Dati pa ako nagagandahan sa mga talahib tapos nabanggit ko sa kapatid ko siguro tatlong taon na nakararaan na gusto ko kuhanan ng larawan gamit SLR para maganda. Ilang taon na hindi ko pa rin nagagawa. 

Itong Biyernes nagbisikleta sila nang umaga tapos siyempre nalapit sila sa lugar na maraming talahib kaya kinuhanan na niya ng picture, pang-inggit daw sa akin. 

 

Hindi kasi pwedeng yung talahib lang ang picturan, kailangan may modelo

Ok naman maganda yung kuha, nakakainggit. Umpisa yan tumubo huling bahagi ng Agosto, meron pang bagyo nun kaya medyo naalala ko kasi nakita ko may puti na yung bundok, akala ko Setyembre na. Kanina papasok ako, hindi na masyadong puti yung kulay nila. Hindi ko nanaman napicturan.

On The Job

image source

First of all, I enjoy watching this film. I saw it twice on theatres. The first time was on the second week it was shown in local cinemas and the second as last night, the third week it was shown. We were with our friends who NEVER watch art films. We were supposed to see it before but we went ahead and see it because we were fearful cinemas will cut the screenings short because of low turn out. Funny that on its third week, I think there were more people compared to the first time we watched it. It is because of reactions it got from people who saw it and blast it on social media.

It was first shown on Cannes. They say it was aiming to be an official entry for the Oscars which explains why despite low turnout, movie houses are still showing it to make the minimum requirement for theatrical run. The news say however that "Transit" gets to be nominated.

The movie was really good. Technically it was and the soundtracks used were good too. The material is really not something new but for the mainstream audience like the people who I was with last night, maybe it was. Someone suggested that it maybe because the crowd looks too bourgeoisie but no. I’ve been to screenings with conio kids before.

I am not writing on the movie alone, but on what the experience was on seeing the movie twice. If anyone wants a review that sucks big time on any levels, there’s one infamously titled frisson break I found on twitter where people keeps bashing the author’s stupid views and arrogance on the comments section. Hahahaha.

This movie has become something more to me. I see it as a litmus test on something deeper:

Mis-casting or typecasting?
People say that actors were mis-casted on their roles but I think not. They were there for a reason.
The actors on the movie were Channel 2 talents. Everyone knows that the pogi boys in the movie were groomed to be matinee idols and to headline on rom-com blockbusters but then we see them in this movie saying putangina and doing "acting" and stuff. Other actors on the film are known comics, they were only seen on sitcoms and comedy films. It was a shock for the audience to see them "act" for real. Take Joey Marquez for example. How he delivers his lines were funny to others because of course, we only associate him in comic roles. It is funny especially when he kinda mumble or stammer. The test is basically if people are ready to see them act for real.


Utterance of Putangina
The first time I heard "Putangina gawin mong manok" on Bata-bata Paano Ka Ginawa, I laugh. When I heard putangina again on a Toni Gonzaga-John Lloyd film it was funny too. So the formula was just one per movie. Hearing a lot of it in a Star Cinema movie was unheard of. People inside the theater were laughing on the excessive cursing. There is even a youtube montage for that. Putangina, of course is ordinary. Try watching Live Show by Joey Reyes.

Indie or not
They say this is indie. The material maybe but being backed by Star Cinema and seeing their known actors make it otherwise. Yes, the roles may have been given to other actors and would have given more reality to it, on how a convict is not as FilAm-looking as Gerard Anderson, or how the short guy Leo Martinez is not fit as a corrupt General(military guys has height requirement for crying out loud) 

I think the rise of people’s interest on indie films has finally make it to the minds of these profit thinking producers and want to test something new. I think it is a good idea. There’s a lot of indie film festivals these days and mainstream stars are on them too. I don’t like that before but if they are fit for the roles then why not. I like how the movies finally will not be limited only to John Lloyd Cruz releases. There are other genres out there.

Vegetarian Chicharon

Dati binabasa ko yung blog ni Lourd DeVeyra sa spot.ph. Cool pa sya magsulat dati bago siya kinain ng mainstream, bago pa siya makilala ng mga tao doon sa Word of the Lourd sa TV5. May isa lang ako naalala na sinabi niya sa isang post nya na  "Words and Phrases a Real Man Must Never Use"

I'M ON A DIET–This, along with "no rice," "diet Coke," "brown rice," and that crime against all logic and decency, "vegetarian chicharon."

Ngayon hahaha narinig ko siya sa radyo sa patalastas ng Chicharron ni Mang Juan. Napaisip pa ako kung vegetarian chicharon ba yung produktong ineendorso niya na yun kaya napa-google pa ako. Puwede rin naman dumeretso sa 7-Eleven para i-check pero mas madali sa internet para diretso na rin sa trabaho.

Tama nga. Hahaha nakakatawa lang. Ito na siya ngayon.

Mga larawan na nakuha sa facebook page

Ok pa rin naman siya. Ok pa rin naman si Jugs ng Itchyworms na nasa Showtime na isang Noontime show.

Instagram

Theoatmeal posted this comic which pretty much sums up all repulsive posts you can see on Facebook. I just recently deactivated my account again and seeing that comic reminded me why facebook sucks, or why some of my facebook friends sucks. I could post something detestable which is like smothering their faces with the truth on why some of their posts suck and I might just get un-friended —̶ true story. Sometimes "in your face" posts get remembered even after years and they say people on the internet have short-term memory. That’s facebook.

In other news, there is instagram. My little sister kinda got tired of facebook and put all her social networking efforts on her instagram account. Apparently the followers and likes she gets there mean a lot to her. I don’t get it. 

Last night when I got home I saw my laptop which should be inside of a closet where I placed it but she told me she went through my pictures folder uploaded some on her instagram account. The pictures get lots of likes she said. I was furious. Some of the pictures she uploaded are not even mine but only shared by officemates whom I made business trips with. She went through my things, that sucks. Then steal pictures without my consent, and of course whoever owns some of those uploaded pictures. It is mind boggling what self fulfillment they acquire for the likes they get. I hate instagram. It sucks that it could not be hidden on the facebook news feed. There’s also the affinity with this service on hipster culture with the pseudo artistic shit (filters or whatever they call it) they applied on pictures taken with smartphone cameras. I also hate seeing a lot of hashtags common to instagram. I just don’t fucking get it. 

 

This much photos for to get coveted "likes"

Counterfeit

One of these is fake

Earlier today I read a news article on a tabloid about 2 women caught for paying counterfeit one-thousand peso bills. Apparently counterfeits are rampant right now because last Tuesday I bought sisig from Sisig Hooray at Medical City and the guy gave me a hundred-peso bill which looked odd. I did not pay much attention on it when I received it but I find it really bizarre when I found it in my pocket late that night. The ink looked faded and the paper does not feel similar with the others. The bill also is not of the same length or width, smaller with a couple millimeters.

Two nights after, I found that odd bill again on my coin purse and I tried to pay my jeepney fare with it: they won’t accept it. They say it looks fake so I just took it back. When I got home, I still gave it a hard look comparing it with a real one and even showed it to my mother and sister and they say it looks fake. I thought of going back to Sisig Hooray and demand a real bill because they were the one who gave me that. My mother said I better not. I might get in trouble. I should have checked right after receiving that bogus bill.
 

Before, I was vigilant on receiving twenty-peso bill, because I might receive those worn out or taped bills and also for large bills like five hundred or one thousand for possible counterfeits. Now I learned that even one hundred peso-bills are also counterfeited.