Venues for Weddings, Birthdays and Debuts in Pasig

It was Coach Efren's birthday last March 26 but the parents of the members of the Flying Dolphins team is organizing a bash for him on April 5. At first we thought of holding it at the Lexington Village but we weren't sure if it is possible to have it there. Where in Pasig or somewhere nearby can we hold it?

As it is a swimming team, we thought of some venues, preferrably with a pool where the swimmers can have their training while partying at the same time. Here are some of the suggestions for partying and swimming:

1. The Lexington Village
2. The Brown Villa near the Cityhall - the pool is on a per reservation basis only. The owner is Mrs Brown who happens to own the Immaculada School nearby.
3. The East Mansion pool - like Lexington, it can only be used when there is a resident who can sponsor the event.
4. The Pasig Rainforest
5. The Club Manila East - but this might be a little to pricey for us.
6. The Valle Verde Village - also needs a resident-sponsor.

We have not come up with a decision yet. So far our choices are the Lexington Village and the Brown Villa. We'll wait for the announcement from our coordinator, Mags, for confirmation.

Which Hong kong Museum is A Must-See?

Like most big cities, Hong Kong has a lot of museums which the traveller can visit. However, when you're on tour or on vacation and have very limited time, chances are you wouldn't want to visit more than 1/3 of your time in museums. So, which one should you choose?

I was at Fully Booked bookstore at the Bonifacio High Street yesterday and I found a lot of resources about travelling to HK, Macau and Zhuhai. It was fortunate because as of last night, I didn't quite have an idea which tourist spots to prioritize. I mean, there are plenty of choices and so many wonderful places that it is so hard to choose which one should be visited during this trip. We do love museums and a vacation is never complete without a visit to at least 1 or 2. I did a little research on these and the results were:

1. Hong Kong Museum of History - this apparently is a must see because according to the books, it has a lot of interesting things from when the city was undeveloped up to the present.
2. If you or someone in your group is into science, you must see the Hong Kong Space Museum and the Hong Kong Science Museum. There are interactive exhibits in these museum which the science enthusiast will love.

All the others are optional tours. I have just made my itinerary to include these.

Free Hong Kong Cultural Events for March and April 2008

As a sequel to my previous post, I'm writing this blog. The Leisure and Cultural Services Division of Hong Kong SAR will be holding the following free events for March and April:

For March

Community Cultural Ambassador 2007/08
The Hong Kong Youth of Chinese Opera College
"Jing Kun Opera in the Community"
Exhibition of History of Jing Kun Opera

31 March (Mon)
10:00am – 9:30pm &
1-6 April 2008 (Tue-Sun)
8:30am – 9:30pm
Central Plaza, The Hong Kong Institute of Education
(10 Lo Ping Road, Tai Po, New Territories)

Free Admission

Community Cultural Ambassador 2007/08
Wong Yik Hung "The Wonder of Six Strings: Wong Yik Hung and Tse Wing Cheung Guitar Duet" (In Cantonese)
Guitar Recital

29 March 2008 (Sat)
4pm
Yat Tung Shopping Mall, Tung Chung


* Free Admission by tickets. Tickets are distributed on a first-come-first-served basis.



Community Cultural Ambassador 2007/08
Raymond Au "Creative Showcase of Flamenco Guitar Music" (In Cantonese)
Flamenco Guitar Concert

28 March 2008 (Fri)
8pm
Cultural Activities Hall, Tuen Mun Town Hall

Programme Length: Approximately 2 hours

Free admission by ticket. Tickets are distributed on a first-come-first-served basis.



Community Cultural Ambassador 2007/08
XinTianDi Chinese Orchestra "Charms of China: Festivals" (In Cantonese)
Touring Concert

26 March 2008 (Wed)
10am
Mong Kok Kai Fong Association Ltd. Chan Hing Social Service Centre

30 March 2008 (Sun)
3pm
FuKien Secondary School (Siu Sai Wan)

30 March 2008 (Sun)
7pm
Stanley Community Hall

Programme Length: Approximately 1.5hours

Free Admission with tickets. Tickets are distributed on a first-come-first-served basis.



Community Cultural Ambassador 2007/08
Hong Kong Puppet and Shadow Art Centre
"Promoting Puppet and Shadow Art in the Community"
Puppet and Shadow Show

29 March 2008 (Sat)
3pm
Amphitheatre, Tsuen Wan Park

29 March 2008 (Sat) *
8pm
Leighton Hill Community Hall

30 March 2008 (Sat)
3 pm
Stanley Plaza (Village Square)

30 March 2008 (Sun)
8pm
Tai Hang Tung Community Centre

Programme Length: Approximately 1 hour

Puppet and Shadow Art Fun Day

24 March 2008 (Mon)
3pm
Tuen Mun Cultural Square

* Free admission with tickets. Tickets are distributed on a first-come-first-served basis.



Community Cultural Ambassador 2007/08
Windpipe Chinese Ensemble
"Cantonese Music in Hong Kong"
Touring Concert

29 March 2008 (Sat) *
7:30pm
Cheung Wah Community Hall

Programme Length: Approximately 1 hour 30 minutes

* Free admission with tickets. Tickets are distributed on a first-come-first-served basis.




Cantonese Operatic Songs Concert

Master of Ceremony: Lo Yun Wah

29 March 2008 (Sat)
3pm
Shun Lee Estate Community Centre
Performers: Ng Siu But, Chui Yuet Ming
Programme Length: Approximately 1 hour

Free Admission with tickets. Tickets are distributed on a first-come-first-served basis.



2007/08 Community Cultural Ambassador
Class 7A Drama Group "Tree in My Home" (In Cantonese)
Touring Performance

29 March 2008 (Sat)
2:30pm
Village Square, Stanley Plaza

30 March 2008 (Sun)
2:30pm
Piazza C, Hong Kong Cultural Centre



2007/08 Community Cultural Ambassador
Jingkun Theatre "Sharing the Art of Jingju and Kunqu"
Film Show cum Seminar

Speaker: Geng Tian Yuan

Programme Length: Approximately 2 hours
Free Admission by tickets. Tickets are distributed on a first-come-first-served basis.



2007/08 Community Cultural Ambassador
E-side Dance Company "Q Zoo Zoo" (In Cantonese)
Multi-arts Theatrical Performance

29 March 2008 (Saturday)
3:30pm
Piazza C, Hong Kong Cultural Centre

30 March 2008 (Sunday)
3:30pm
Quarry Bay Park

For April



2007/08 Community Cultural Ambassador
Class 7A Drama Group "Tree in My Home" (In Cantonese)
Touring Performance

5 April 2008 (Sat)
2:30pm
Amphitheatre, Lai Chi Kok Park

6 April 2008 (Sun)
2:30pm
Tsing Yi Waterfront Park

12 April 2008 (Sat)
2:30pm
Podium, Shopping Mall, Lok Fu

13 April 2008 (Sun)
2:30pm
Blue House, WanChai


2007/08 Community Cultural Ambassador
E-side Dance Company "Q Zoo Zoo" (In Cantonese)
Multi-arts Theatrical Performance


12 April 2008 (Saturday)
3:30pm
Fountain Plaza, Tin Shui Wai Park

13 April 2008 (Sunday)
3:30pm
Sai Kung Waterfront Park

19 April 2008 (Saturday)
3:30pm
Village Square, Stanley Plaza

20 April 2008 (Sunday)
3:30pm
Foyer, Tuen Mun Town Hall

26 April 2008 (Saturday)
1:30pm
Soccer Pitch, Southorn Playground

Programme Length: Approximately 1hour 15 minutes
Free admission



Community Cultural Ambassador 2007/08
Wong Siu Sang "Cantonese Opera Open Stage" (In Cantonese)
Backstage Tour of Cantonese Opera in Ritual Performance

Docent: Wong Siu Sang

19 April 2008 (Sat)
1pm
Tsing Yi (Performing Troupe: Ming Chee Sing Chinese Opera (HK) Ltd.)

27 April 2008 (Sun)
1pm
Cha Kwo Ling (Performing Troupe: Sun Moon Star Cantonese Opera Troupe)


Each tour starts at 1pm. Meeting place shall be announced. Programme runs for approximately 2 hours
Free admission by enrolment and should be made 1 month before deadline.


As these events are free, they will naturally be on a first-come-first-served basis so be early. For further information, please check out LCSD.

Free/Discounted Hong Kong Tours For 2008

I've found the following tours and classes are still free: Duk Ling Ride (although by April 1, 2008, all rides will have a minimum of 50 HKD fee), Tai Chi Class, Architecture Walk, Cantonese Opera Appreciation Class, Feng Shui Class, Maritime Museum, Guided Tour, Chinese Tea Appreciation Class, Antiques Appreciation Class, Jewellery Appreciation Class, Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum Guided Tour, "The Hong Kong Story" Exhibition Guided Tour, Kung Fu Corner, Chinese Medicine Class and the Chinese Cake-Making Class.

These offers can be found at the Discover Hongkong site at http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/heritage/ck/index.jhtml. It is for visitors only who are aged 3 to 70. You'll have to show your passport when attending one of these. I think I'll check out the Hong Kong Story Guided Tour so Ikee can benefit from it.

The Organic Restaurant Called Gourmet's Cafe in Silang Cavite

Today is Black Saturday. As it is customary for my family to go somewhere during this time of the year, we opted to go to Gourmet's Cafe in Silang Cavite. Since we've been there just about 2 weeks ago, we knew where exactly it was and this time we got there just in time for lunch. We had salad from the salad bar but got a seafood pasta, calzone and calamari along with it.



This time we got to see the whole farm unlike the first time when we only got halfway. Boyet brought his new D80 camera (he calls it "baby") and took several pictures. Ikee and I brought our digicams too so we took our own version of the sceneries. The tour that should have taken just 15 minutes took us 30 minutes to finish. Photos we took were mostly of flowers and the plants. But we also got to take some pictures of Baby bear, the bearcat from palawan.

On our way back, we tried to locate the Silang Nature Park which we were told is in the area of Ming's Garden but didn't find it. Hopefully, the next time we go to Silang, I'd be able to write about it.

Photographing the Philippine Culture During Lent

The Philippines is really an interesting place to do photography. Lent happens to be one of the holidays that are highly celebrated around these islands. For one, Marinduque holds the Moriones Festival which revolves around the life of a Roman soldier who becomes a christian convert after he witnessed the resurrection of Jesus. The costumes of morions and the decor of the places where the festival is held will make for good pictures.

Other events would be the crucifixion of people in Pampanga where individuals reenact the crucifixion of Christ by having themselves nailed on a cross. Might be a little bloody but it will surely be interesting. In most places there are stages set up where the cenaculos are held. A cenaculo is a stage play about the passion of Christ. Also, there are those that hold the "pabasa". This one is a read aloud version of the story of the crucifixion.

One event that I haven't had the chance to witness is the salubong. This is usually held at a church or a community center which is the reenactment of the resurrection where an angel greets the risen Lord. Traditionally, a child is dressed as an angel and is usually suspended on a swing and slowly brought down to greet the actor who plays the role of Jesus.

There are other practices in the Philippines but these are the most common ones during Lent.

Lent in the Philippines - Moriones Festival in Marinduque

As a kid, I was constantly brought to Marinduque by my grandparents during lent. They were natives of that province and Lent was a special time for the marinduquenos. Until now, Holy Week is a time when the whole of Marinduque sees Roman soldier-attired masked men called the Morion who roam around the city practically the whole day. During the whole week of lent (called Semana Santa or literally translated as Holy Week), processions with the morions and cenaculos are held in practically every town. Cenaculos are stage plays about the life and passion of Christ. There's also the pabasa where people sing about the Passion of Christ.

The Moriones Festival is rather insteresting. It focuses on the life of the Roman soldier Longhinus who confesses that he had seen the risen Christ and announces the message of salvation to everyone. As a consequence, the Morions seek him and in the process captures the man. The highlight of this festival is the "pugutan" or the beheading of Longhinus which is held on Easter Sunday.

This is a really colorful and interesting festival. The sleepy town of Boac, Marinduque's capital, witnesses the influx of tourists which happens only this time of the year. The question is whether Boac is ready to accommodate such volume. The experiences we had before is that due to the volume of tourists, it becomes really hard to travel to Marinduque even when the ship companies increase the number of voyages. Boats even become overloaded sometimes during this time of year. The best way to travel is to go to Marinduque before holy Tuesday and leave before easter sunday or the tuesday or wednesday after easter.

Best of the Islands Exhibit - A Frustration

I was at the Best of the Islands Exhibit at Megatrade Hall yesterday. Exhibits are interesting to me. In fact, whenever I'm free or when I can squeeze it in my schedule, I make it a point to drop by these exhibits. This particular exhibit appealed to me because it should have showcased the best of the Philippines. But it did not...

I expected to find those items such as the cheeses in Mindanao or the Mangoes from Guimaras or the native durian variety from Tagum or somewhere else. There were none. Most of those that were there already have stores in Manila. Not that they weren't good, but in an exhibit such as this, you'd like to find those that can hardly be reached but are equally popular for being so good. Maybe next time both the organizers (CITEM) and DTI should confer so that they can actually feature things that the Philippines is and should be proud of. I suppose that's why DTI is part of it.

Short of Vacation Money? Smorty.com It!

Think of this: What if you can earn cash while travelling? Wouldn't that be great? You love to travel but run out of cash because you weren't able to save enough for it? I have the same problems. My family and I love to travel. In fact, this summer I'm already starting to think where we should go.

Luckily, as I have it in my Business Bee blog, I've found out about paid blogging. I started to blog for money this year and so far I've earned a little amount to at least pay for one local trip. That's not bad. But the websites I've joined in do not regularly supply me with jobs to do so I sometimes have so much to do and at other times I am empty handed. At Smorty.com I've been given some tasks and get paid for blogging. That's because Smorty creates a win-win situation for both bloggers and advertisers - for the blogger, like me, I get paid to write. For the advertisers, they get a review about their blog and they also get a link back to their site eventually giving them a boost in their pagerank. This way, I'll have a steady supply of cash even when on vacation - I get paid to blog while I write about the place where I'm at. Exciting!

Where May We Go for Lent? - Montemar Beach Club

Lent in the Philippines is a time when people try to be as "sinfree" as possible. In here, the misnomer is that there are many things that should not be done because according to some it is the time when God is dead and that anything you do might cause you harm. Like, when I was young, my grandma would ask me not to play and be noisy because God is dying. During Lent people commemorate the death of Jesus but He does not die every year. It was just probably the old folks' way of saying " Hey you, keep quiet!".

In our family, we look forward to Lent and easter. For the last 11 years we have been celebrating easter at some place - at a beach, at the mall, at the theme park, etc. This year, the family tour director - that would be me - is really out of ideas. Then I thought that maybe it would be good to go to Montemar Beach Club in Bagac, Bataan. We had long wanted to go there because when we visited it last year, we loved the beach and its pool. Although the place is old its facilities are at par with other newer resorts. But the beach... the sand is fine, the water is warm and calm, the beach gradually becomes deep, and there's a wide space for everyone. You don't get that with just 2 hours travel from Manila. There are good beaches but you have to travel 4 or maybe 5 hours.

They have a promo for this summer. It costs Php6448.oo for 2 persons for 2 nights with breakfast and Php9438.00 for 4 persons for 2 nights with breakfast. Check it out at http://www.montemarbeach.com.

Gambling at a Casino will Cost Precious Family Vacation Time

Admit it or not, a family trip could be spoiled when there are some parts of the trip where other members cannot or will not go. One case is going to the casino. I for one am not for entertaining the thought of adding it to our itinerary but I can go if everyone else will. However, my daughter, who is 13 years old, cannot go there simply because she is very young. So, what do I do, I totally wipe it off our list. Simple as that.

However, it may not be as simple for those who love going to such places. Now, just to satisfy a craving for the casino, the gambler might do one of the following: 1. he could go when most of his companions are already going to sleep. But this could mean he'd have less energy or be cranky the day after. or 2. He could just connect to an online casino. The 2nd option to me is better. Why? Because then he doesn't have to spend so much and he doesn't have to leave his family while he plays. He on the other hand, will have the pleasure that gambling gives him.

Just a word of caution though - an online casino could be addicting. So, just be conscious about how much you are spending.

Avilon Zoo

Our trip to the Avilon Zoo in Montalban, Philippines. The animals were adorable and I'm sure you'd agree.

All Ye Toto Fans!

Hey guys! Have you heard? Toto is coming to Manila once more. I'm thrilled because when I had the chance to watch them in the early 1990's, they had a great concert. That time they no longer had their drummer, Jeff Porcaro. As I recall, they were thrice requested to do an encore and we, the audience, didn't want to leave until they gave the third one. This time they're holding it at the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu on April 2 and at the Araneta Coliseum on April 3.

Some of their songs which I like are "Rossana", "Africa", "Hold the Line",
among others. I can still hear them in my head...

"It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do
I bless the rains down in Africa
Gonna take some time to do the things we never had.."

What If Bears Had The Sniffles?

It was one of the most amusing trips we had. Packed in the minibus we rented from the Enterprise, everyone was excited to start out toward our destination - the Yosemite National Park in Sierra Nevada.

We left LA at 3:00 A.M. Prior to the trip, we had downloaded maps and directions from yahoo so that we wouldn't get lost. One of those said it would take us about 6 hours to get to the park. Mom, my sister-in-law and myself had packed everything we needed to take while the guys kept bickering about having to bring too many for an overnight trip. That's how mothers are, I guess.

The drive from LA all the way to Bakersfield was really pleasant. At one point we had to stop to take a picture of the grass-covered mountain. My daughter had pointed to it and said it looked like a painting. The sun was just starting to rise behind the mountains and it shone a light golden ray on the flowers that bloomed. The pretty wild flowers were like a carpet of different colors - solid colors of purple, pink, yellow, orange and red laid on a background of a combination of light green and emerald. She was right! It looked like a masterpiece from a painter's easel.

About a kilometer or two before reaching the park, we went through a tunnel the end of which was a wonderful sight... the sight of the park with its waterfalls, hills and mountains against a blue and white sky. We stopped once more to marvel at its beauty, take pictures as other tourists did. At the park, we specially liked going to the different waterfall (sorry, the names have escaped my memory) and take pictures and play at the area near each one. We had wanted to go to the Glacier Point but were told it was closed that time because the ice was already melting. Too bad. There was an area where we had come face to face with a deer. It didn't move and was quietly observing us. We, on our part, did not move either lest we scare the creature and send it running away. After it had drank from the spring and left, we went straight forward only to come back soon because a sign read "beware of mountain lions" and we heard a loud roar. It was probably cranky and had been awaken from sleep.

The one thing that we missed was to camp at the park itself. You couldn't blame us. We were tourists from the Philippines and were not accustomed to having bears around. Yes, bears. They could smell food a mile away and they were said to ransack any camp that has food with them. We are Filipinos and there couldn't have been any destination that we could enjoy without food to have there! And no bears could ever have stopped us from eating. How I'd wish they had sniffles. haha! But, little did we know that there was a solution to this. We could have used bear-proof containers. They had it at the park. Well, at least now we know. Perhaps on our next trip we could camp and fish there.

We spent the night at the Shiloh Hotel which was about 5 kilometers or so away from the park. The following day we got up early, checked out and headed back to the park again. After lunch, we were on our way back to L.A. but we know we'd find ourselves back there... soon... I hope.

Birds of Paradise - Avilon Zoo, Montalban, Philippines

Check out the Avilon Zoo Video we took the first time we went there.

(sorry, I tried to embed the video here but it didn't work. so Check it out in my youtube account)

Avilon literally means bird. And so aptly named, the zoo has several bird species along with other animals. I love their powder room. Did you spot it?

Is it Wise to Buy Club Shares?

It was in 1993 when we bought our club share for the Residence Inn chain. But since we bought it, we only used for a couple more. That time it cost 35k and that was not a small amount. To some yes, maybe but not to us. There was this dream that we could actually be in Tagaytay or Batangas at least once per month. But, with our jos and my daughter's classes, we simply couldn't make it. Same goes for my husband's aunt. She had bought her Fontana club share. But she and her family weren't able to use up all of the coupons/tickets that were given to them.

So what am I saying? Simply that if you have to buy club shares, you must know whether you can actually use it or earn money from it. Otherwise, the money spent to buy it goes down the drain unless what you bought can be sold and transferred to another person. That could be an investment if you do that. There are some club shares that appreciate every now and then.

Another way to earn from it is to have other people use your privilege. I think for Fontana, the member just has to call and reserve a place. Then the guest who will use the room will just bring a photocopy of the card. The room is prepaid to the member there's no risk of unpaid bills. My husband's aunt sold her shares to her daughters and they are now renting the card out. If you do that, then I would strongly urge you to buy more club shares. One recommendable is that of the Tagaytay Highlands. You won't regret buying.

Saving Funds for Travel - Write a Blog with Payperpost.com

It's really fun to travel. Going to places you've not been before, seeing things that you often just watch on tv or read on a magazine or hear a friend talk about. Travelling gives you a new perspective in life - see more chances to improve and better the state you are in.

But, more often than not, after the trip, there are huge bills to think of. that's the part I really hate. That's when we try to tighten our belts to save enough money for the next card billing. Or try to replace some of the money that has bee taken from the bank. But now that I've signed up with payperpost.com, I know that I'll have more money to spend when we go abroad. It is the summer break for our daughter and this is the only time she gets to go places without thinking of anything that she has to do. We're off to China this April but most likely there will be other trips that we will join. I was just thinking that we should probably skip Hongkong this time because it is too expensive for us. Money I'll make from Payperpost might not be enough yet to cover the whole cost of going to HK but at least we will just have to add a little more to it.

Payperpost will also give me the opportunity to give some people the chance to travel. Every summer I make it a point to give my husband's cousins the chance to go with us to a beach or a camping trip. Those two girls are in their high school years and are almost the same age as my kid. They don't get to go out much during the whole year. It is a fact that travelling educates people thus they are able to write about their travels in school. Not only that, my daughter enjoys their company. We do too. Money from payperpost will help us continue that practice.

So what do we do at payperpost? Simple. We just write blog reviews and submit it to payperpost. Voila! The bucks come ringing like music to your ears... Of course that's an exaggeration. After submission, we just wait for a little while and then when the blog is approved, we get paid. How simple can that be?

Flights from Manila to Roxas City, Capiz - Alternative Route to Boracay

Roxas City is the capital of Capiz Province. It claims to be the seafood capital of the Philippines although some people tend to object to the idea. It is, however, one of the gateways to the world renowned Boracay. In case you'd find it hard to fly to Caticlan or Kalibo en route to Boracay, this is an alternative way to do it.

Although both Cebu Pacific Airways and Philippine Airlines fly to Roxas, Cebu Pacific only flies to the city 3 times a week. PAL, however, flies to and fro daily. The disadvantage of the PAL flight though is that its flights are scheduled very early in the morning. From Roxas, it takes off at 6:30 a.m. Cebu Pacific flights from Manila leave at about 11:30 am and from Roxas at about 10 am.

There are some attractions in Roxas City like the caves and the beach. The beach has fine sand but is not white. If you are going to Boracay though, Roxas is 2 hours away by bus.

Wondering off at Greenbelt

Funny how I found myself a stranger to Makati. After having worked there for so long I didn't think that one day I'd get lost. But I did just days ago.

I went to Makati on an errand for my dad. After finishing the task I was assigned to do, I took a leisurely walk in the greenbelt-glorietta area. It had been months since my last visit and we didn't even spend so much time around there. Also, the greenbelt 5 area had barely opened with just about 5 shops there at that time. Being alone gave me the time to explore once again which I like.

The whole greenbelt is all connected now. Before, you had to cross the stree from jade garden to get to the chapel. the area where greenbelt 5 is now was then where some restaurants had been which included, Schwarzwalder, Cafe Adriatico, New Orleans and Dean St. Cafe. G5 is attached to the Ayala Museum and has a really nice garden beside it. Let's wait for the old greenbelt 2 to finish. I'm pretty sure it'll be outstanding just like the other Ayala properties.

At about 2 pm I got really hungry. It was time for me to choose a place to satisfy my craving. I wanted to go for some Filipino food so I went to Greenbelt 4. First I saw the Red Crab. But we just had crabs the whole week so that was out of the list. next I thought of going to Sentro. But I said I want to have something more special than that. After all, I was giving myself a treat for having passed my board exam. Finally, I found what I had been lookin for - a place where I'd have true filipino flavors. Kapeng barako, and chorizo with some sans rival. And where is this? It's the Figaro coffee shop. I know... don't laugh. The chorizo was actually a pasta. but it was good chorizo pasta just the same. and the little oscar... oooohhhlala! If you hadn't tried it yet, I suggest you don't lest you get addicted to it. Soooooo gooood!

So there I was, in a cozy corner, having my pasta, sipping my coffee and slicing my little oscar while doing a few sudoku puzzles. Quite a day I should say.

Superstition at the Mines

Superstitious belief of the Igorots at the Balatoc Mines. They believe that it is forbidden to eat pork, beef and goat meat because the goddess will not want to bless anyone who has ingested such. Cleansing oneself will take one week before all traces of these meats are eliminated.

Where should I go? China or USA?

We only have money for 1 international trip for the whole family. We are scheduled to go to China which I had been dying to do for ages now. But I also have to go to the US to take my NCLEX there. So, when I go to the US, I would like to bring my family with me. Perhaps to camp with my brother and his family at Yosemite Park like we had planned back in 2001.

Any suggestions?

A Pleasant Surprise - Passport Renewal at the Department of Foreign Affairs

It came as a pleasant surprise. I was worried that my and my daughter's passports are going to expire on September this year. With our trip scheduled for April this year, we have to be sure that our passports are 6 months valid by the time we leave. DFA already requires a personal appearance to apply for a renewal. With the release of my nursing board exam results, I don't have time to go and line up at the Department of Foreign Affairs. Neither does Ikee. Her school activities coupled with her swimming and kumon schedules won't permit her to spend a whole day there. After all, I had heard stories about how much time is spent just to get an appointment to get to the personal appearance area.

With that problem, I searched the DFA website and found that I can actually get an appointment online. First, I considered going to the passporting day scheduled by the DFA in our city. It was convenient if it weren't for the fact that I had to leave for Roxas City to attend my uncle's wake. Although I had arrived on the same day the passporting was held, I was too exhausted to go because I had not slept the night before. So that was not possible.

Fortunately, I had scheduled the appointment for today previously. When we got to the DFA office along Roxas boulevard, we were herded to go straight to the processing counter. It was pretty quick. There were plenty of people but there were enough counters open to accommodate us. The whole procedure took us around 2 hours which otherwise would have taken more than 2 days to do. Apparently, Saturdays and holidays were dedicated to those who had prior appointments. After processing, we proceeded to have our passports delivered to our home so we wouldn't have to go back to pick them up. Convenient.

So, the next time someone asks about renewing passports, I'd just give them the website. Oh, and by the way, the DFA regularly schedules passporting days in certain cities. The schedules can be found in their website.