The Northern Exposure: Day 1

Badoc, Ilocos Norte.

April 24, 2012

I left My Cebu early morning of the 22nd of April on-board AirPhil Express Flight 2p 923. My bad i choose the cheapest, only to realized that the flight is scheduled to depart at  4am. I left home at 12mn so that i could have take a nap at the terminal, but i have to go back to get something important i left behind, yeah that is very me.

Arrived Manila  23 minutes ahead of schedule. The Chairman of  Asian Network for Free Election  send a car for me, thank Manong Rony for waking up early for me.

Went to Mandaluyong to have Breakfast with the Chairman, by the way he also happened to be my uncle. After the customary chit-chat and family talk i head for a power nap.

They woke me up for Lunch, after i boarded a cab to go to:

The Cultural Center of the Philippines to join:

Carlos Celdran’s Living La Vida Imelda tour.

After the Tour, i went with Carlos to his Malate Condo, there i meet his Cebuana wife, Tessa. A few round of drinks, and lots of chit-chat, took a cab back to Mandaluyong to have dinner.

Then we went to Sampaloc GV Florida bus terminal, for the 10pm Sleeper Bus to Badoc, Ilocos Norte, but the bus goes as far as Laoag.

 

Yes you read it right, Sleeper Bus, instead of a seat you’ll have a bed.

Just as i took picture of the sleeper bus, the camera’s battery went to sleep also.

English Movie Titles translated in Filipino

Oriente Theater By Rio Calle

English Movie Titles translated in Filipino

1. Black Hawk Down – Ibong maitim sa ibaba
2. Dead Man’s Chest – dodo ng patay
3. I Know What You Did Last Summer – uyy… Aminin!
4. Love, Actually – sa totoo lang, pag-ibig
5. Million Dollar Baby – 50 million pisong sanggol (it depends on the exchange rate of the country)
6. The Blair Witch Project – ang proyekto ng bruhang si Blair
7. Mary Poppins – Si Mariang may putok
8. Snakes on a Plane – Nag-ahasan sa ere
9. The Postman Always Rings Twice – Ang Kartero Kapag
Dumutdot laging dalawang beses
10. Sum of All Fears – Takot MO, takot ko, takot nating
Lahat
11. Swordfish – Talakitok
12. Pretty Woman – Ganda ng lola MO
13. Robin Hood, Men in Tights – Si Robin Hood at ang mga
Felix Bakat
14. Four Weddings and a Funeral – kahit 4 na beses ka pang magpakasal, mamamatay ka rin
15. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly – Ako, ikaw, kayong
Lahat
16. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – Adik si harry,
tumira ng shabu (parental guidance)
17. Click – Pindot
18. Brokeback Mountain – May nawasak sa likod ng
Bundok ng tralala /Bumigay sa Bundok
19. The Day of the Dead – Ang araw ng mga patay
20. Waterworld – Basang-Basa
21. There’s Something About Mary – May kwan sa ano ni
Maria
22. Employee of the Month – Ang Sipsip
23. Resident Evil – Ang Biyenan
24. Kill Bill – Kilitiin sa Bilbil
25. The Grudge – Lintik Lang Ang Walang Ganti
26. Nightmare Before Christmas – Binangungot Sa Noche
Buena
27. Never Been Kissed – Pangit Kasi
28. Gone in 60 seconds – 1 round, Tulog
29. The Fast and The Furious – Ang Bitin, Galit
30. Too Fast, Too Furious – Kapag Sobrang Bitin, Sobrang
Galit
31. Dude, Where’s My Car – Dong, anong level ulit tayo
nag-park?
32. Beauty and the Beast – Ang Asawa ko at Ang Nanay
nya
33. The Lord Of The Rings – Ang Alahero
34. Die Hard – Hindi Mamatay-matay
35. Die Hard, With A Vengeance – Hindi Na Mamatay-matay, Nag-higanti Pa
35. Lost In Space – Mga Tangang Naligaw sa Kalawakan
36. Paycheck – Sweldo
37. What Lies Beneath – Ang Pagsisinungaling sa Ilalim

38. Superman, The Return – Si Superman Bumalik, Naiwanan Ang Brief
39. Cinderella Man – Bading si Cinderella
40. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Nag-trabaho si Charlie sa Goya
41. Blade Runner – Magnanakaw ng Labaha
42. Schindler List – Mga May Utang kay Schindler

43. Men In Black – Mga Lalaking Namatayan
44. X-Men, The Last Stand – Mga Dating Lalaki, Huling Tinayuan
45. Wedding Crashers – Mga Bwiset sa Kasal
46. The Day After Tomorrow – Sa Makalawa
47. Three Men and a Baby – Ang Tatlong Yayo

48. Catch Me If You Can – Habulin Mo Ko
49. A Bug’s Life – Ang Buhay ng Isang Surot
50. Die Another Day – Mamatay Ka Uli Bukas
51. The Rock – Ang Shabu

52. Jaws – Panga
53. Back to the Future – Sa Likod ng Hinaharap
54. In the Line of Fire – Tumulay ka sa Alambreng may Apoy
55. Saturday Night Fever – Sabado ng Gabi, may Trangkaso
56. Stepmom – Tapakan si Inang

57. Brother Bear – Kuya Oso
58. Police Academy – Paaralan ng Mga Buwaya
59. The English Patient – Ang Pasyenteng Inglesera
60. Man on Fire – Nasusunog na Mama
61. The Horse Whisperer – Ang Tsismoso ng mga Kabayo

62. Dante’s Peak – Ang Bumbunan ni Dante
63. Legends of the Fall – Ang Kasaysayan ng mga Lampa
64. The Forgotten – Ewan
65. 3 Idiots – Ikaw, Siya, Kayo
66. Transformers, Revenge of the Fallen – Transformers, Ang paghihiganti ng mga lampa.

A Trip to Bicolandia without leaving Cebu

Cebu City
April 18, 2012

Today is the birthday Don Vicente Sotto, i attended a ceremony hosted by Cebu City government to honor Don Inting’s legacy. It’s a well attended gathering, with members of the Sotto Clan headed grandson Sen. Tito Sotto, and  daughter Dr. Suga Sotto-Yuvienco.

Halfway of the program i have to leave the Sinulog Hall of the Rizal Memorial Library, on my way to Bicolandia.

Nah!!! not the Bicolandia as in Bicol Region..

My Bicolandia this time is the Cafe Marco at Marco Polo Plaza Cebu, the home of the Best Buffet in town.

Marco Polo together with Department of Tourism Bicol Region (5) and Cebu Pacific brings to Cebu the Culinary Journey: Bicolandia.

Chef Doy Sto. Domingo, Bicol’s Celebrity Chef, gives us an array of Region’s Culinary treasure.

Chili Wraps

We started our journey with Chili Wraps, yes its chili wrap in Lumpia wrappers.   Former Central Visayas DOT director Dawnie Roa, asked me to try it first, to gauge  how hot is it. It was a bit bearable for me, but i found out the Madam Dawnie’s Chili threshold is way lower than mine.

Longganisang Bicol

Longganisang Bicol, comes in a smaller package compared to the regular longanisa we have in our markets, its as compact as chorizo bilboa.

Langkoy with Ensaladang Talong

Langkoy, Beltfish is Bicol’s Danggit.

The soup is Lapulapu sa Buko, or in Bicolandia they call it Binakol na Lapulapu, its a bit sweet for it contain buko juice.

Paella Bicolana

Don Jaime Picornel, the Honory Consul of Spain couldn’t have enough of Paella Bicolana, its mainly brown rice with bounty of the sea over it.

Guisado Pancit Bato

Pancit Bato came from the town of  Bato in Camarines Sur.

Gulay na Natong (Laing)

Bicol Express

Of Coure Bicol Meal would not be complete without Laing and Bicol Express.

Dessert

The name skips my mind, but this is Bicol’s version of shakoy.

Masi

Mazapan de Pili

 

Then came the Chili Ice Cream, we have a good laugh, when Former Director Dawnie Roa, scream  as the chili in the ice cream got her. As the ice cream come in contact with your tongue, just like any other ice cream sweet and cold then the chili fang follows.

You Don’t Have to take my word for it…

You Must Try it for yourself…

 

Catch this interesting Culinary experience  at Cafe Marco, Marco Polo Plaza Cebu from April 20 to 29, 2012.  Authentic Bicolano Dishes comes along with Cafe Marco’s international buffet fevorites. Lunch Buffet is serve from 12:oo noon until 2:30 pm and Dinner from 6:30 pm until 10:00 pm.

Diners get a chance to win a round trip tickets to Legaspi courtesy of Cebu Pacific.

For inquiries and reservations: Call Cebu: (032) 253 1111 and Manila (02) 887 1263.

A Taste Of Bicolandia

Bicol Region is composed of 6 provinces, located  southeastern end of Luzon.

It is the home of the famous almost perfect cone Mayon Volcano, and several other volcanoes which made  the region fertile.

Bicolanos are noted for their gastronomic appetite in  chili-hot dishes. Unlike people from other regions in the entire country, a Bicolano can relish every meal which has for its recipe anything spicy.

Bicol Express, named after the non-stop train that service Manila-Bicol route is said to be invented by a lady named Cely Kalaw who is a native of Laguna but when she was only three years old, she moved to Naga, Bicol and grew up there. Having a long exposure to Bicolandia way of food preparation, she came up with a dish, and introduced it in her restaurant in Malate, Manila called  Grove Restaurant.

Bicol Express, the train had long been gone, but the dish had become the most popular amonst all of the region’s cuisine.

You don’t have to go far to experience Bicolandia.

The Marco Polo Plaza Cebu brings to Cebu  Chef Doy Sto. Domingo of Naga City, Bicol.

From April 20 to 29 Cafe Marco offers Culinary Journey to Bicol.

Make A Better Cebu

REBLOG from Zero Three Two 

How can you make a better Cebu?

In an effort to make the city we love a better place, we want to encourage people to upload a video of themselves answering the above question.

Watch the video below.

Upload a video of yourself answering the question, “How can you make a better Cebu?”

This will encourage other people to help make Cebu a better place.

To give you guys added incentive, we’re giving out a few prizes as well!

Upload a video on YouTube and share it on our Facebook wall.

We’ll be choosing 4 winners based on how awesome your answers/videos are.

Prizes will be a mixture of the following:

Enjoy Discount Cards
Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf GCs
Skinworks GCs
Cafe Georg GCs
Some general rules:

Maximum 1 minute (preferably 30 seconds) upload to YouTube
One entry per person
Deadline of submissions will be on May 9, 2012.
So answer the question, “How Can You Make a Better Cebu?”

Upload it to YouTube.

Share the video on the ZeroThreeTwo Facebook page.

Gilbert Bargayo 17th crucifixion

The first time i meet Gilbert Bargayo was in Mantalongon Dalaguete in 2008 , prior to his crucifixion, when i do an interview together with Dunc Coleman an Australian Freelance Docu-filmmaker.

He gamely show me his hands with more than many times nail driven to it.

The scar is not  that prominent, he told me that he made sure that the nails are driven exactly on the same spot.

Our next meeting is just a while ago in Duljo-Fatima, Cebu City.

He look exactly the same the last time i saw him nailed in the cross of the chilly mountain  of  Mantalongon.

Of course his assistants are there, the younger guy is the keeper of the nails, the older one is tasked of driving the nails, and making an incision on the the skin near the his rib cage.

This is the 17th time he had himself nail to the cross. The Mantalongon Crucifixion  was more organized, and the cool mountain breeze made the entire episode more bearable.

Today was just chaotic, organizers just don’t know what crowd management was. There were policeman but of no use. One guy in Barong went near the cross and shouted at photojournalist to move away, but never bother people with their camera phone, who were recording the event like they have a deadline to beat.

More Pictures here.

Sometimes Editors are good in Editing, not in Research

The Editorial of the Freeman Today April 3 2012, is simply out of touch and ill research piece.

The group of bikers which the editorial branded as “biking enthusiast”  where actually a representative group of several biking sector.

The sector represented where, bike-to-work, vintage bike owners, bike-tourism, and will bike enthusiast.

The writer did not bother to look at the fact that Marikina City, had a Bike line even during the time of Mayor Bayani Fernando. Dubbed as the biking capital of the Philippines, Marina has a total  of 52 kilometers bike lines built in 2003 through a $1.3 million World Bank grant.

We are not disappointed with the government inaction, we are working with the government for its implementation.

Biking for us is not just for fun, we do it for various reasons.

Bike Tourism is a big thing world wide, case in point a group of 15 to 17 Swiss bikers would come almost every quarter to Central Visayas to go on tour on their Bikes. This bike adventure tour is operated by a Switzerland based company Bikereisen.

And say if  go to the Trans-Central High, from my rented room in Urgello how on earth can i go to Busay with out passing the City Streets

Nature Watch Hall of Shame

I heard a bout the Butanding sighting in Oslob as early last year, but it never interest me.

When asked by guest, i don’t recommend it.. i want those gentle giant left alone.

Due to the Feeding of the Whale Shark in Oslob, Cebu leads this creatures to the shallow part of the shores in Boljoon.

People instead of leading them to the deep, took their cameras and had a photo shoot galore.

Notwithstanding the damage it had to the whale sharks.

So here are the following candidate to our Hall of Shame..

Lets as make this picture viral so that we can trace them, and let the authorities gave some sanction.

Here is another  picture from the facebook of Liza Sesaldo

Bike Line: If Marikina Did It… No Reason Why Cebu Can’t

How Marikina City the cycling capital of the philippines able to provide its citizens with bike lanes despite its very very narrow streets?

Answer: they made 2-lane streets one way (alternate directions) and transformed each one into semi-complete streets with provisions for:

1) sidewalk on both sides,

2) 2-lanes for motorized vehicles moving in the same direction

3) yes a BIKE LANE!!! and

4) an extra lane for parking. now that is vision and political will at the LGU level.

Source: Rock Drilon’s Facebok