taal trippin'

ancestral houses, ancient churches and native foodtripping make up for an exciting cultural trip to taal town in batangas. so one long weekend found me and a group of friends driving over to taal just for that. but after filling up the car's gas tank over at petron slex, the car suddenly refused to start. a diagnosis by the mechanic revealed that there was a problem with the alternator. to cut the long story short, we got stuck at petron slex for three and a half hours, but not without enjoying the time at the customer's lounge (which is simply a small area with glass doors and walls, but airconditioned and equipped with a television set). there we watched several tv shows and eventually had our lunch there as well. i have to commend the guys at petron slex for being so nice and gracious to us, giving us extra seats (we were 7 in all and there were only two seats inside the lounge at first) and were even apologetic as it took them about an hour to get the necessary car part back in muntinlupa before finally fixing the car. cheers, guys!

we left the gas station at 1.30pm and on we drove to taal. thank goodness there wasn't any traffic at all, so we made it to taal by 3pm. although the ancestral houses that are open to the public are only open until 4pm, we were able to maximize our time in each. we even had enough time to explore the taal basilica, but i'm getting ahead of myself. i'll start with the first house we visited: the agoncillo residence.

the exterior of the agoncillo residence. this is the place where marcela mariño grew up. upon her marriage to don felipe agoncillo, she moved to manila.

ventana y ventanillas (ventana is spanish for window. a ventanilla is a smaller window below the larger one and is usually screened with balusters (like the one above) or wrought iron grills (like the ones in my lola's house). the ventanilla is an important feature of a bahay na bato as it helps with the house's ventilation especially on a hot day.

while the family was in exile in hong kong at the start of the revolution, marcela agoncillo sewed the first philippine flag upon the orders of general emilio aguinaldo. her oldest daughter lorenza and delfina herbosa natividad helped in making the flag. it was then personally delivered to gen. aguinaldo by don felipe in hong kong and on 12 june 1898, gen. aguinaldo proudly waved the flag at the declaration of philippine independence in kawit, cavite.

just a small part of the large sala (living room)

portraits of the agoncillo family. not one of don felipe and marcela's five daughters ever married as they chose their respective careers over marriage.

some of the books owned by the agoncillos

stained glass windows at the library

entryway to the house. (shot from the library)

the side of the house

statue of marcela m. agoncillo

historical sources here, here and here

architectural source here

coming soon: don leon apacible museum and galeria taal (dela rosa-ilagan residence)

In Christ Alone

In Christ Alone (lyrics)

In Christ Alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
'Till on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost it's grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Brought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
'Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

have a blessed holy week, everyone. :-)

gloomy sunday

and that's because my cam phone was stolen. with 1,700+ photos stored. :'( man. and getting a new phone was one of my birthday wishes last year too. *sigh*

b&w photo taken last year, 22 july 2009 on one side of the pasig river, arroceros park (manila). it's been 2 months and 1 day since i went gaga with sepia. ;p

sige lang nang sige.

crush

awww, isn't he sweet? LOL

i originally planned on keeping the twenty-peso bill, but then i discovered one day i had no more change for jeepney fare, so... boo!

btw. writing on money is against the law here.

manila sights in sepia

the fotos featured in this video are the remaining photographs in my current sepia collection (all taken in one day). of course the number will grow should i take more fotos in sepia mode in the future. haha. but for now, i do hope you'll enjoy these. :)

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

note: fotos are taken with my fone cam, an SEw810i. all are in raw form, including the ones i featured on my previous posts (beautiful mess 1 and 2). too lazy to tweak pics. hrhrhr.

foodtripping: eat fresh

nestled in one of the buildings along masangkay st. in tondo, manila, is this small eatery called eat fresh. this place has been serving stir-fried noodles before all the other stir-fried noodle stalls sprouted all over the metro a few years back.

along with stir-fried noodles, eat fresh also offers noodle soups, dimsum, squid balls, kikiam and stuffed tofu (which i so, so love). also a must-try are their XL white and black gulaman for only P28 and their curry siomai at P12/3 pcs. (thanks P for the recommendation!)

a large serving of stir-fried noodles costs 38 pesos. here's the lady's hand in action, preparing my and a friend's stir-fried noodles with bean sprouts and green onions.

top: stuffed tofu (pork), P15 each. middle rack: dimsum, lumpiang shanghai, squid balls. bottom rack: more dimsum

lotsa bowls waiting to be filled with delicious stir-fried noodles

stuffed tofu frying

a selection of sauces: (l-r) oyster sauce, soy sauce, chili sauce, sweet chili, sweet and sour, peanut sauce, sweet sauce, hot sauce

in true miss lamon tradition (?), any food trip i go to would not be complete without a scrape or two. heheh. well, i just thought that i would like to have a bit of spice for my noodles so i also added chili sauce aside from the sweet one. little did i realize what effect 2 teaspoons of that chili would have.

l: stuffed tofu. r: stir-fried noodles. i declare temporary insanity when i took this pic. cos after taking one bite of my stir-fried noodles the heat seared through my throat down to my chest. man, was that spicy or spicy? only one remedy available at the moment: ice cream! :D

btw, eat fresh does not franchise so if you would like to try their yummy treats, go hie yourselves off to masagkay street :D

eat fresh food deli

1278 masangkay st., tondo, manila
in front of st. stephen's high school

pagmumuni-muni

i wonder what he is thinking of at that moment.

* pagmumuni-muni means musing in english.

miss lamon's top food trips for 2009

posts were very rare in this blog last year, except for some adventures and misadventures around metro manila and in a couple of provinces. food trips were not posted here for lack of time and brain cells (lol) but thank heavens the whirly-girdy of last year has subsided a bit. there are some restos i still intend to write an individual post on but for now, i present my top food trips and discoveries for 2009. listed in no particular order. :)

- creamy chicken crepe served with mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables, new horizon hotel. (29 juin 2009). this one is a winner. flavorful creamy chicken wrapped in a delicate crepe AND topped with more creamy sauce. (just the way uh-huh, uh-huh i like it!) the light flavors of the mashed potatoes and steamed veggies complement the dish. this is one of the full-course chef's specials in new horizon; it comes with the soup of the day, potato lyonnaise salad and dessert. all for P295. yeah! ♥ (thanks beng for suggesting the place!)

l-r: royce, calamansi dacquoise, strawberry chantilly. (patisserie caroline, 17 m. paterno st., san juan). these three are just some examples of patisserie caroline's selection of yummy cakes and pastries. they are not too rich and the sweetness is just right, which is why my cousin b and i keep coming back for more when we crave for sweets. patisserie caroline's mini cakes are good for 2 people and at P85 per cake (or higher depending on the type), it's already a steal. :)

fro-yo!!! (any frozen yogurt from californiaberry, white hat, red mango, etc.). whether eaten plain or with toppings, frozen yogurt never fails to delight my palate with its cool tangy-sweet flavor. this is something i treat myself to on rare occasions that i go to the mall.

the next three fotos are from jack's loft. (any branch around the metro: wilson st. greenhills, robinson's galleria, eastwood, tomas morato). known for its delightfully sinful desserts, jack's loft also offers a selection of sandwiches, pastas, entrees, smoothies, etc. twice i've eaten at jack's loft and twice i wasn't disappointed. large servings at affordable prices rank high on my priority list along with great taste, of course.

vegetarian panini. i am not a fan of veggies, but with this one i'll make an exception.

steak and mushroom gravy sandwich. i was quite apprehensive when i ordered it, as it might not meet my expectations. one boo-boo was enough. anyways, i so love this sandwich coz the steak slices that are slathered with rich mushroom gravy are tender and juicy and absolutely have no litid. the side of potato chips are sliced thinly, adding that crunch which complements the sandwich. each bite is relished up to the last.

next two fotos are from max's restaurant. for the longest time the only items i ate at max's were the chicken (of course), lumpiang shanghai and pansit canton. so these next two items are definitely new for my palate. many thanks to my friend M who introduced me to these.

veggie lumpia bites. light, crispy pillows of veggies with mayo mustard dip. again, no fan of veggies here but this dish sure is a fun way to eat my vegetables.

bangus spread with pita chips (31 mai 2009, dimanche). the pate has a nice smokey flavor that will make you come back for more. goes really well with the light, crisp pita chips. winner. winner. winner.


these next two behemoths were featured in my subic road trip post june of last year. both are served in xtremely xpresso which is located in sbma.

big ben pizza. a 22-inch thin crust pizza loaded with sausages, ham, olives, onions, green bell peppers, mushrooms, and cheese :)

ben's delight burger: one kilo of beef patty in a huge bun served simply with lettuce, tomatoes and bacon. for only P280, this burger is really easy on the pocket.

curry siomai, wai ying (benavidez st. binondo, manila). F introduced me to this intriguing combination of fried siomai semi-drowned in rich curry sauce. hmmm, i want some more.

sit-ka-long (sitaw, kalabasa, longganisa), 1521 restaurant (547 shaw boulevard, brgy. wack-wack, mandaluyong city). this is just one of 1521's delectable filipino dishes which are served with a twist. the longganisa which is fried to a crisp gives a new texture to the ginisang kalabasa at sitaw (sauteed squash and string beans). the sauce is thick and rich, with a touch of bagoong.

cheese steak sandwich from a sandwich vendo machine. no joke! it is such a unique way of getting a sandwich, my friends and i got a big kick out of this. imagine, one can now get a sandwich this way. just put in some money in the slots, press the button for the sandwich of your choice, wait for a few minutes, and voila! you got yourself a nice, hot sandwich. who knows, maybe next time there will be a vendo machine that sells sinigang in cups. hahaha.

yummy cake with strawberry and cream filling and buchi with sweet bean filling and topped with desiccated coconut from gduho bakeshop in manila. gduho is a new chinese bakery located in 1113 narra street, manila. just make sure you can speak chinese or you have a chinese speaking friend with you just in case your curiosity is piqued at the items.

soto ayam (makansutra asian food village at manila ocean park). nice refreshing and mildly spicy soup with thick noodles, bean sprouts, shredded chicken and fried potato. garnished with fried garlic, scallions and cilantro leaves. the soup was hot but it became cold quickly due to the noodles which weren't even warm. the flavors are meshed just right, though, and the bean sprouts give a nice crunch to the dish.

happy new year, people! :)

merry christmas!

amidst the flurry of christmas shopping and gift-giving,
tear-your-hair-out traffic snarls 'round malls and
last-minute noche buena plannings,

let us not forget the reason for this season. :-)




from me and my blog to you, i wish all of you blogfriends a very merry and blessed christmas. :)

mt. pinatubo adventure pt. 2

date: 21 novembre 2009
who: h peeps and friends (14 people grand total)
battle plan:
2am: meet @ mcdonald's el pueblo; wait for the van that will pick us up.
3am: leave for capas, tarlac
5.30am: arrive in capas.
7-ish: get on those 4x4s and start the ride!

...

i have already lost track of time from the time we all boarded those 4x4s until the end of the trip. ;-)

--------------

you must have watched the vids in my previous posts already, so here i introduce us four ladies making all that racket. ;-) the three guys up in front (driver, tour guide and another friend R) were silent for the most part. haha. and yes, we were fortunate enough to be in the lead 4x4 (there were three in all to accommodate 14 people) so dust wasn't really a problem for us. thanks to friend S who took this pic.

the ideal 4x4! we were sitting at first but i noticed the tarp can be moved, so we asked the driver if we could stop and take the tarp off so we could stand. so from that time on, the four of us were standing the whole time. :)

noisy girls at the back! quiet guys in front!

as i've mentioned in my previous post, our group chose the newer option of taking the skyway, which took us on a longer 4x4 ride to the jump-off point which is about an hour or so depending on how many stops we made for foto ops. here are some pics i took of the amazing views along the 4x4 route:

blue, blue sky. the perfect weather for travelling.

the two other 4x4s

amazing lahar walls carved by the elements.

the hills are aliiiiive... again! it's amazing to see that almost two decades after the devastation wrought by the mt. pinatubo eruption in 1991, lots and lots of green have sprouted again.

even the aetas have come back to the place they have called their home for years.

sulfur and shadow.

the trek to the crater took all of us roughly 30 minutes, what with more foto ops and all. for someone without exercise for the longest time, except in preparation for this trip, this crazy traveler made it to the crater on two somewhat unsteady legs instead of all fours as she thought. all wheeziness was gone, btw, as she took in the magnificent view after the trek.

igneous rocks of different shapes, colours and sizes

large volcanic rock

tranquilité

...dot.com. ;-)

during the trek, in my concentration to balance and not slip on the stones, i almost forgot to take a vid until the last part. good thing i remembered to take out my phone to take this last video amidst the hazy vision and lack of oxygen. hey, that's a joke, ha? haha.

all righty peeps, just hit play!

-------------------

the whole package cost us P2,250 which included a roundtrip van transfers, 4x4, a local tour guide, travel insurance, conservation and skyway toll fees, and even an id with a lanyard. we didn't get the snack option offered; instead, all of us feasted on M's scrumptious pork and chicken adobo with egg. yumyumyum! :D

another nice thing about this trip is the fact that it's during the off-peak season. the place is much calmer.

if you're planning to visit mt. pinatubo, swing by travel factor's website.

mt. pinatubo adventure pt. 1

it's adventure time once again, folks. and this time, it's on to mt. pinatubo for yours truly along with a bunch of friends last 21 november.

let me set the mood for adventure with this couple of videos i took while on the 4x4 ride to the drop-off point. with all the excitement packed in these videos (which is prolly the understatement of the century), i'm sure you'll feel like you're with us. lol.

i'm not that much of a tour guide in the vids, so lemme share a few facts about this trip first. the 4x4 ride we had takes about one hour to the jump-off point via skyway. this is the new route which takes us on a longer ride on the 4x4 and cuts the trek to the crater by an hour and a half (30 minutes na lang), depending on the person's speed. but i'm getting ahead of myself. longer write-up on this coming soon. for now, just click play and enjoy!

word to the wise: better turn down the volume first. ;p

can you still handle it? then hit play! :D

coming soon: another vid and lotsa pics. ;-)

soundtripping: hare hare yukai

here's something from the new millennium for a change. ;-)

hare hare yukai is the ending song of the anime suzumiya haruhi no yuutsu (the melancholy of haruhi suzumiya). i don't really know the story as i haven't watched the anime or even read the manga. just learned about the song from some friends who danced to the song one time. hehehe. ;p well, what can i say? the song is catchy, and yes, so is the dance. really cute.

my further knowledge of this song only goes as far as who the seiyuu (japanese voice actors) are in this song: hirano aya (as suzumiya haruhi), chihara minori (as nagato yuki) and goto yuko (asahina mikuru). the boys (kyon and koizumi itsuki), who are included in the dance but have no singing lines, are voiced by sugita tomokazu and ono daisuke, respectively.

i better read the manga. or better yet, watch the anime. hehe. but as of now, i'll just enjoy listening to hare hare yukai. and the rest of the anime's soundtrack. :-)

hit play! enjoy!

from the anime




here's the vid with the seiyuus singing. (full song with encore)

beautiful mess 2

i remember being a ten year old back in 1934. one day after school, my mother brought me along to visit her sister in the office building where she worked. upon arriving, my aunt took us to the building's cafeteria. the song you're getting to be a habit with me from the movie 42nd street was playing on the phonograph as we entered. on one side of the cafeteria was this long counter with several stools lining it. my mother and aunt allowed me to sit on one of the stools to drink the chocolate malt shake my mother bought me while they had their chitchat on one of the tables. oh, i knew i had to sit still and behave, but those high stools were such a delight that i began spinning, spinning, spinning on it until i felt dizzy; my mother stared in dumb disbelief while my aunt just laughed at my childish antics and said that it's a miracle i didn't lose my malt shake in the process.

i have almost forgotten all about that certain visit until i saw the cafeteria again on my 85th birthday last may, when i decided to drop by this building after so many years.



note: oh-kay, i'm kidding about being 85 years old. but seeing this old cafeteria sure stirred up the imagination. :) btw, the first pic is the original; the second one was tweaked to look a bit older... err, does it?

again, the date is on the lower right corner of both fotos. i'm not kidding when i said that it was on my birthday when i went to this building. hehehe.

beautiful mess

books and papers on the shelf and more of them are scattered on the floor--everything's peppered thickly with lots of dust... yes, the absolute mess in this room really caught my eye. and i love it. everything's just in place for one of the most wonderful spontaneous photo ops ever. :)

the first foto is the original shot, which i took with my fone cam.


some experimentations with brightness and contrast and whatever. if not for the graffiti on the right side, one might think this was taken in 1909 and not 2009. hehe.

travel Q and A

copied this from a friend. you can do this too if you like. :)

1. would you rather travel by plane, bus, train, or boat? why? -i actually enjoy traveling by plane, bus, train and boat. =) any mode of transportation's fine with me as long as i get to my destination.

2. name the countries you've been to. which is your favorite and why? - us, australia, malaysia, thailand, france. i like all, but i wish i could have spent more time in france, which was all of 3 days. hrhrhr.

3. where in your country have you been? which place is your favorite and why? - aside from my beloved metro manila... batangas, cavite, laguna, quezon, legaspi, sorsogon, naga, baguio, banaue, cebu, leyte, northern palawan, pampanga, pangasinan, nueva ecija. my favorite would be palawan coz it was sort of like a pilgrimage to where my lola spent her childhood years (in culion island). went there with relatives and aside from exploring culion island, we went on an island safari, staying in one for 3 days 2 nights; island hopping around the calamian group of islands, and of course visiting calauit, coron and barracuda lakes and makinit hot springs. all these for one glorious week. :)

4. what do you do to kill time if you have a layover in the airport/terminal/pier? - if there's someone with me, then mega chika galore. if i'm traveling alone, i read and listen to music from my mp3. if i get bored from reading and listening to music, then i go people watching.

5. if you have a choice to go to either france or italy, where would you go and why? - there is no question. i will go to both countries. hah! ;-)

6. if you go to the beach what is the main thing that constantly bothers you? - as much as possible i don't allow anyone or anything to bother me while i'm at my most favorite spot in the world. (any beach, that is)

7. how long has it been since you last traveled? - 1 month

8. where did you go on your first airplane ride? - los angeles, ca

9. what three things do you always bring with you to your travels? - moleskine and pen (yeah, i'm old fashioned like that), and camera.

10. what is something you would definitely see in a highway? - aside from the usual vehicles, i expect to see fields... lots and lots of green fields!

11. do you over pack or under pack? - i guess overpack. i always say i have to travel light but i always end up with lotsa extras.

12. if you could visit a country for its cuisine only, which country will it be? - japan and greece

13. do you think flying first class is worth the money? - doesn't matter. i get upgraded anyway ;-) LOL

14. have you ever had to use a barf bag? - never

15. would you rather have an uninterrupted one-month (28 days) vacation in a year, or four seven-day vacations spread throughout the year? - the latter would be good. that way my vacay time won't be used up all at once, and i can choose different destinations.

16. would you go on a vacation alone? - someday.

17. if i cover all expenses for your vacation, where would you go? - norway

18. both pilots of the boeing 747 you are on have had a heart attack, the stewardess asks if anyone would be willing to try and land the plane with help from ground control. would you volunteer? - i just hope and pray that there is a pilot among the passengers. :D

19. what is one thing you find annoying that people do at the beach? - i only see myself when i'm at the beach. heheh.

20. would you rather take the scenic route or shortest route? - scenic!

21. when flying, do you prefer the window seat, middle seat, or aisle seat? any reason for it? - window seat, preferably sa may wings. very nice experience looking out the window while the plane is banking to the side where you are. it's like roller coaster in slow motion! and no rails! wahahaha

22. how well can you read a map? - haven't tried. i rely on memory.

23. what is the longest overland journey you have ever made? - from manila to bicol, and manila to banaue; new jersey to maryland, san francisco to los angeles

24. nasa is giving away free space travel packages. would you take one to travel to the outer space? - why not?

25. do you spend most of your time with other tourists when you are on vacation? - not really. might be different if i'm with a tour group tho.

26. are you a beach or mountain person?- beach, beach, beach

27. what's your biggest travel fear? what do you do to avoid this fear? - as much as possible i don't try to think of accidents. i just pray i'll arrive safely at my destination.

28. do you take your hotel's complimentary toiletries home with you? - of course. it's complimentary. :)

29. what activities do you enjoy doing when traveling? - walking, walking, walking... sightseeing, trying out delicacies, taking pictures, more walking.

30. what are the top ten places you would like to visit before you die? - all of scandinavia, japan, reunion island, uk, russia, germany, italy, andorra, spain, china

with some friends on a DIY tour of what else but manila, my manila. ;-P

honesty

got tagged by gypsy.

Can you fill this out without lying (it's not hard)? You've been tagged, so now you need to answer all the questions HONESTLY. At the end, choose at least 8 people to be tagged. Don't forget to tag me!

To do this, copy this entire message, then go to "notes" under tabs on your profile page, start a new note, paste these instructions in the body of the note, delete my answers, and type yours. Easy!

Next, tag people and list their namesat the bottom. Have fun! :)

1. What was the last thing you put in your mouth?
rosquillos (finally, after so many years of not eating even one piece)

2. Where was your profile picture taken? market market (this profile pic on blogger)

3. Can you play the guitar?
Nope

4. Name someone who made you laugh today?
my bro.

5. How late did you stay up last night and why?
530am this morning. was finishing up a script

6. If you could move somewhere else, would you?
sure. depends on the place tho

7. Ever been kissed under fireworks?
no. hah. heheh.

8. Which of your friends lives closest to you on Facebook?
sherry, one of my best friends :)

9. Do you believe ex's can be friends?
maybe. i dunno.

10. How do you feel about Dr Pepper?
like it when it's ice cold. mmmmm!!!!!!

11. When was the last time you cried?
i don't remember

12. Who took your profile picture
my friend D

13. Who was the last person you took a picture of?myself.
;-P

14. Was yesterday better than today?
About the same

15. Can you live a day without TV?
sure

16. Are you upset about anything?
can't think of anything to be upset about, i just have to do what i have to do. :D

17. Do you think relationships are ever really worth it?
what kind?

18. Are you a bad influence?
get to know me and then you'll know. ;-)

19. Night out or night in?
night out. rarely do that now. woooo

20. What item(s) could you not go without during the day?
eyeglasses, radio, laptop

22. What does the last text message in your inbox say?
announcement for tomorrow's small group

23. How do you feel about your life right now?
all right

24. Do you hate anyone?
...

25. If we were to look in your Email inbox, what would we find most?
e-newsletters i rarely read, jobstreet announcements, fb notices. how sad. lol

26. Say you were given a drug test right now, would you pass?\
yes

27. Has anyone ever called you perfect before?
no.

28. What song is stuck in your head?
dreaming from the soundtrack of the movie coraline

29. Someone knocks on your window at 2:00 a.m., who do you want it to be?
my cousin whom i haven't seen for 17 years. thank God for ym and facebook. heheh.

30. Wanna have grandkids before you're 50?
no.

31. Name something you have to do tomorrow:
fix the house.

32. Do you think too much or too little?
oh, man. too much. lolol

33. Do you smile a lot?
maybe. i don't really think about it. :)

acey-chan, kuri, domjullian-----you're tagged! :D

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ps. as much as i love blogging i really don't have the time to do it nowadays, except sporadically. i even thought i wasn't going on food trips that much this year when i realized that all my food trip fotos are posted in my fb. wahaha.

pasaway

walking brings about so many surprises. just like this one while i was walking around the neighborhood one day.

sinabi nang wag pumarada, hala sige pa rin! tsk, tsk.

yeah baby, i'm on a signspotting roll. ;-)