May 2016 – Just another @owrange site

Postcards from Compostela Public Market

We went to Compostela weeks ago for the family day event in our subdivision, which was held at Boardwalk. Boardwalk is located like 300M away from the public market.

So I went to the market to see if I had some luck finding some fresh fish for ceviche aka “kinilaw,” something to perfectly go along with our grilled pork steak aka “sinugbang baboy.”

Compostela Public Market is quite a small market but something unique about it is it’s located near the sea like duh. 🙂

After getting all the ceviche ingredients, I looked for a “painitan.” I was in another good luck when they still have “sikwate” (chocolate drink) and “puto” (sticky rice cake or something.)

United Colors in Cebu

I thought I went to the wrong venue when the lounge of waterfront were full of women in burqa. I was invited by a friend to his graduation in Waterfront so I was expecting like people in casual or formal dresses; but seeing the women in burqa, I thought I might be in a Muslim wedding. Then, I snapped at myself of how my “cultural” exposure can be so narrow.

So I then realized that the college of medicine of SWU is quite a mix of different people: there were a lot from Mindanao, then Arab, African, and in the India area countries. It was somehow my first time here in Cebu to be a Christian, I feel like I was a minority. It was weird that I could remember my few Muslim friends, and this is probably how it is to be like them in this majorly Christian country.

(Feeling the odd one out in the row of women in burqa.)

But though Christian was somehow a minority, the school still had a baccalaureate Roman Catholic mass. That was weirder. @.@

All the time during the event, I could not help but to keep looking around. I was just amazed looking at different burqa styles.

There were women in beaded accessorized burqas. They’re probably a royalty?

Then on the other side are women in all-black dress and burqas.

(My photos are really bad as I was “stalking” mode.)

And burqas in different shades…

They were a different kind of fancy.

Congrats again, Jossy. I knew him first in the tech startup scene, then he gave me a glimpse into their Nigerian / Kenyan and his other homies running team, and then now he finally’s done with his medical school.

Hopefully, I’d also be invited to his neurosurgeon specialization graduation… keeping my fingers crossed, it will be in London. @.@ That would also be another kind of fancy. 🙂

Makati: PMS or True Colors?!?

I was excited about going to Makati but PMS (pre-menstrual shurva) hit me big time. When I played this Carol Banawa song throughout the flight, and tears rolling down my eyes for no reason, God help me!

It felt like I then hated everything. I kinda snapped at Mark in front of the staff at Wildflour. He ordered matcha tea, and I was scolding him because I was just damn sure that he would not like it and the staff was staring at us. And, Mark looked like he wanted to be swallowed by the earth. @.@

So looking back now at that popular tita’s of manila-ish cafe Wildflour, I’m not sure if I don’t like it because I was having PMS when I went there or maybe it’s really an overrated place.

And, most of all, I hate all the “mug shot” photos taken by Mark.

And why this so fancy restaurant is most popular for their cronuts?!? It’s like why would people waste money dumping sugar on their mitochondria and that sweet matcha milk tea in this gedemit fancy expensive restaurant?!? I WANT VEGAN SHAWARMA!!!

So that’s PMS for me. (It got me thinking That I could probably come up with a very interesting food / resto review when I’m on PMS.)

We had lunch courtesy of Chay at a Japanese resto. It’s so unremarkable, i don’t remember the name. (This is PMS still talking.)

Another meltdown was This was before election, and for the first time I had this drama discourse of my disappointments of the government inside Toby’s cafe. I was ready to cry for P*T*NG INA NA GOBYERNO ITO, HINDI MAN LANG MAKABIGAY NG INSTAGRAM-WORTHY NA PUBLIC MARKET! Hindi na sana kailangan ako magpunta ng Toby’s o Wildflour, pwede na sa Painitan na lang sana! Pang puto lang naman talaga ang beauty ko, hindi cronuts!

PMS really sucks or was it really my true colors?!? @.@

Anyhow, dinner went well at this highly recommended sushi place by Chay (I forgot the name.). It was my 1st time to be in where it felt those sushi resto in Japanese documentary movies.

After dinner, I enjoyed the startup talks held at the Acceler8, a (hip) coworking space. More details here https://mobile.facebook.com/events/1726143457664313?acontext=%7B%22ref%22%3A3%2C%22action_history%22%3A%22null%22%7D&aref=3.

John Bailon talking about their bitcoin-based product.

Mylene Magleo of Paynamics

Magellan Fetalino of AUDEEN

Salarium guy was also there to share quick update.

And i was happy to see Brian Tan Seng at the event. One of the few people tech people I would bump on both tech events, and running events. He’s a 100 miler ultramarathon runner, and he’s coffee geek!

It was somehow a perfect end of the day. We went to 98 Labs, office of Brian, somewhere nearby the Acceler8, and had cupsss of coffee!

The following day, we did not go home without getting goi con, mini shawarma.

This #bebeboy, thru PMS and true colors…

Postcards from Taboan Market

This was my first time to be inside the Taboan Public Market, the famous pasalubong center of Cebu especially for its dried fish. Before, it was Nong Nardo who I ran to when I needed “bulad” for pasalubong because he has a lot of suki in Taboan.

Anyhow, out or curiosity, I went there and pick up some few pieces for a friend.

CHOICE PARALYSIS was my main problem when I got there. It was rows and rows, and stalls after stalls of dried fish inside and outside of the market.

This was the shop Nong Nardo suggested to me. It must be really popular because it has these framed of celebrity clients hang(sp?) in their shop.

By the way, there are shops there that accept credit cards. Mostly the shops that are located across the Taboan Public Market.

I went more around the market before making any purchase. I always find “Merkado” (public market) to be fascinating. I felt every thing in it is instagram-worthy because there’s just so much color, character, life, and that certain kind of smell which smells of no-BS hardwork.

Then I stumbled upon a “painitan” (i dunno if it’s the equivalent of a cafe) inside the market. After experiencing the painitan in Dumaguete, I’m getting more curious about our “painitan culture” like hashtag #painitancrawl. 🙂

The painitan owner also offered me tips on where to and what to around Taboan Public Market.

So protip 1 from the Manang, basically all the dried fish in Taboan are the same. If you want a bit of a lower price, get your dried fish inside the market where the sellers have no stalls.

Protip 2: Mondays are when the fresh supplies arrived.

So I ended up buying from this shop as referred by the friend of the friend of the Manang painitan. 🙂

Manang painitan also showed me to where to get some good tableya.

And as protip from Manang Tableya, legit pure cacao tablea melts so keep them in a cold temperature. 🙂

So if you don’t melt, you’re fake. 🙂

Summer Art Class: Expectation vs Reality

Expectation: We got this wooden doll from Folk Fiction event of Happy Garaje x Ballista Games years ago. I think this was made by Johanna, the silent majority of Happy Garaje. We actually got 2 of these but the other one got misplaced or something.

Reality:

Kids visited Happy Garaje studio last week. It was part of their summer art class in Artastic. And their activity was creating this wooden art.

Mati’s

Meg’s

That nagging feeling that summer art classes are “parent’s trap.” 🙂 But it’s a trap I’m happy just to be.

Kwentong Barbero

Mati was already throwing tantrums because he’s feeling itchy and wanted to go home already after his haircut was done. But Migi’s barber took so much time working on his haircut.

I was also getting a bit impatient because Whyever it took so long?! All boys’ haircut are the same! And It’s just a P40 haircut! Whoever invest so much time on a P40-worth of service?!?

So I stood up, got nearer to Migi and the barber so I could give him my “impatient look” as to give him a clue to just cut it now na!

But he was so concentrated on making those eeny weeny careful cuts on my kid’s hair to notice me. And then I realized that he was really putting a much sincere effort on a damn seemingly boring haircut. It was as if he was working on a piece of art.

It’s so touching to see a man who spent so much time and effort for a P40-worth of service on a random kid who showed up in their shop.

I felt ashamed, and so I retreated back to the plastic chair. This time, observing the people around, they no longer are RANDOM.

On one side of the shop were two men who looked like they are from the construction industry. They seem to be a father and son tandem. Seated on the “barber chair,” they comb their long locks with their hands, looking at the mirror contemplating on how they wanted their hair to be done. The barbers approached them and they then proceeded to a serious discussion of how they wanted their hair to be done. It was as if it’s a million-peso deal they’re discussing.

On another area was another barber painstakingly forming the bangs of his client. He trimmed it to a particular style, which he probably have done it a hundred times on this particular client. It looked like they have that special “suki” relationship.

It’s like what would happen to that client’s hair if ever the barber will no longer be around?!?

What would happen to them if there will be a new president?

I wonder who could probably be the best president for them:

Who Can be the president be able to continue to provide an environment where men can get and barber service a decent P40 haircut?

Or maybe a president who can make the construction people still afford a P100 haircut?

Or maybe a president who can make the haircut be at P20 because the basic needs, social services, education, housing and other public services are so accessible and cheap that the barber can afford to have a more affordable service?

Or maybe a president who can make everyone afford a P100 haircut as well as provide basic needs, social / healtvhare services, and other public services to all demographics?

Or the very least for everyone to be able find ways to live decently however challenging it can be.

But at the end of the day, Filipinos are tough but are soft enough to be able to bend and blend with whatever is thrown at us.

Bohol Day (almost) 5: Travel Lite…

Shipping!

April 25, 2015

We left the resort in Panglao Island tad early to go to Tubigon port. We always take the Tubigon-Cebu RoRo (roll on, roll off) / cargo shipping of Lite Shipping that we take when going to Bohol because it has the shortest travel time (2 to 2:30 hours) and it’s cheaper. The departure was still at 12noon but we headed there earlier because RORO schedule can be unpredictable, sometimes they’ll leaver earier or delayed or sometimes it’s cancelled. Either way, it’s best to get started early so we could still have time to change plans.

On that day, the RORO ship was going to be on time except that it was already full, including their later schedules. @.@ I cannot book in advance for Tubigon-Cebu trip in Cebu or in Tubigon that’s why we got boxed out (But I just learned on that day too, that you can actually book in advance for Tubigon-Cebu roro lite shipping in their Tagbilaran ticketing office.).

After calling Lite shipping Cebu office and Tagbilaran, our alternative was 12noon Tagbilran-Cebu and it’s going to take 5 hours.

We had another alternative which I really did not and will not like to take. Anyhow, Mark did the alternative way of inserting ourselves into the boat, and we got in the Tubigon RORO Lite Shipping 12noon schedule.

So THANK YOU again, Lite Shipping!!!

Other photos of Bohol Day 5:

It’s our first time to be in the tourist accommodation because Mati was sick.

Landed in Cebu safely via LITE Shipping RORO.

Bohol Day 4: The Search for the Best Tableya

April 24, 2016

Next to Bohol Bee Farm icecream, the thing I look most forward to in Bohol is their Tableya tsokolate (hot cocoa / chocolate drink). Forget about coffee. Their tsokolate, be it in resorts or in their merkado’s “painitan”, is just delicious. There’s that certain smooth thickness of their tsokolate. I think their tableya deserves to be on top of the local delicacy pasalubong of Bohol.

(The tsokolate at Bluewater Panglao is kinda fancy with Milk as the “water” and cinnamon sticks as the sweetener.)

The “tableya” sold at Bohol Bee Farm were kinda pricey maybe because it’s organic. Searching for alternative, So I asked the chef of the resort’s resto, a few people, and a Boholano friend, and they all said to just get it from the “merkado” or grocery / mall.

So to make it more dramatic, I went to the Central Public Market, which was across a mall. Actually, everyone was just lazy, and the most convenient way to drop me off was at the market.

I went around the place asking for the people’s suggestion of where to get the best “Tableya”…

from the “dry goods” manager

Painitan. A batirol is a familiar piece in Painitan’s in the markets of Bohol.

...to the batirol seller

And all of them pointed me to Bebie’s stall (sorry forgot if this was the correct name. How lame of me. But anyhow, i think whatever brand / maker of tableya in Bohol is good.) I also got myself a “batirol.”