Boracay in October

I'm holed up our room in a dingy inn in Station 2, Boracay as I'm writing this post. The sun is scorching hot outside, so I'm here enjoying the steady hum of the AC, quite ironic when you think that you go to Boracay to enjoy the sun. Oh well.

I came to Boracay in the first week of May, but never got a chance to blog about that trip. The sheer volume of photos made the task quite daunting since I didn't know what photos to include. This time, I'm taking fewer photos although I'm liking how some of them are turning out, considering that I only brought my 50 mm OM Zuiko with me and its practically useless when it comes to action shots. Speaking of photos, here's a nice one taken by my sister using her Samsung Corby 2.

Boracay Sunset

This is our last day, with yesterday spent riding ATVs and touring the other side of the island. We also got to see the entire island from a hilltop observation deck that had a restaurant in the floor below. From there you can see White Beach, the golf courses that surround Shangri-La, and back beach, where there are very few tourists.

The view of the sunset from the observation deck

Our sightseeing was perfectly timed since we caught the sunset while still on the observation deck. We got to see the sun slowly descend as it turned the sky into various shades of orange and red. It was a perfect end to an otherwise tiring day.

Personal {Remembering World War II in a Small Philippine Island}

Tucked in the foothills of  Mount Talinis in Negros Oriental is a small wooden house that is hidden from the street by tall rambutan trees. This is the mini World War II museum in Valencia, kept open by  a local who has been collecting World War II relics since he was a little boy. The house is identifiable to passersby by the small white wooden sign that bears Japanese characters (which, unfortunately for me, I could not read).

Visitors who visit this mini museum will be greeted by two large relics of World War II bombs, more than 5 feet in height, standing guard beside one wall of the house. Stepping into the first floor of the home, one is immediately greeted by glass shelves containing everything from old pens to shattered Japanese bifocals to torn water canisters that World War II soldiers, Japanese or American, wore on their belts.

The curator is in his mid-40s or 50s and a man of few words, although he does give helpful answers when asked. He starts the day by wiping the dust off the displays, polishing the wooden dummy that holds up an old Japanese uniform, as well as the old brass oil lamps that have probably provided precious illumination for rebels and civilians in the forest. There is a small collection of katanas, some complete with their leather sheaths. Only   Japanese officers carried katanas, since the soldiers had to make do with bayonets, the sharp, pointed knives that they attached to their rifles when closer combat was inevitable. Also in the collection are two ivory katanas sheaths, covered in the most elaborate carvings of women in kimonos. 

Another interesting discovery would be the collection of metal water canisters, some with their sides torn off. It is not hard to imagine a young soldier wearing the canister when a bomb exploded near or under him, tearing him and the metal canister into pieces. There is a collection of grenades, lined in a wooden box as if ready for use. In one of the shelves, one can see empty sachets of soldier’s rations of coffee,  toothpaste, and sugar. 

The curator and owner is an avid history buff who has been collecting the items as a child. Today, his collection is so large that it takes up the entire first floor of his house. There is a donation box near the door, which makes me think that  donations are probably the only thing that keeps this little museum alive. This is unfortunate, since the island has also seen its share of significant World War II events. Japanese soldiers made their way to the mountains here, and people fled to the mountains for their lives, my grandparents among them.  I can still remember my grandmother talk about how she carried her sister on her back as they fled from the approaching Japanese, and how they spent days in the forest, eating nothing but camote.

The relics in this little museum bring that moment to life… at least a fraction of it. It made me realize that my grandparent’s stories were real. I forgot to ask the curator if he has made any requests to the local government for a grant to keep his museum going. It would be a shame if the museum disappears when he can no longer afford to maintain it.  

Note: For now, visitors are what keep the museum. So if you decide to pay a visit, donate anything you can.  Another  great article about the museum can be read here. 

How I Got Paypal to Lift My Limited Access Status in Five Hours

It is  every freelancer's nightmare. Paypal decides to limit access to your account for  virtually any reason, as long as they smell something fishy. In other cases,  there is absolutely nothing wrong with your account and Paypal decides to  limit access just  the same.  Having this status put on your account can be the death knell that heralds the fall of many a website. For one,  a lot of online merchants  buy  and sell using Paypal. In my case, the company  I work for only works with Paypal when it comes to sending out my weekly pay. So imagine my horror when I found the dreaded  red banner splayed over my Paypal homepage. At first I didn't know what it meant. Then I scrolled downward and saw  the  things that you can  and cannot do  when your account is limited, and  my jaw dropped. It was equivalent to having your account frozen-- you can keep receiving money but you cannot withdraw or send.  I almost burst into tears then and there, before I  realized that I needed to  comfort myself  in order to look back at this moment and say that I was no crybaby.

Why My Account Got Frozen 

Although  Paypal did not verify why they placed my  account on limited access, I think I have an idea. My home internet connection  was down (again, thanks to Globe) so I was using Globe tattoo and going online using a proxy.  While on this connection I  accessed my Paypal and transferred money to my brother's account.  I think the transactio triggered Paypal's alarms, hence the red banner. 

So I took a deep breath and started searching for posts on this sort of  thing, hoping to find  forums where someone successfully lifted the limit. But the more I read,  the more I got discouraged.  People all over the world were  swearing off  Paypal after the site limited their  accounts. Some  even advised  grief-stricken online entreps to close off their accounts since it usually takes Paypal 180 days to lift the limitations, especially if withdrawals were involved! The really unlucky ones may even have to accept the fact that they may never get to open their accounts ever again.

MY prospects looked bleak.  I didn't know what to do. I contemplated going to the bank and opening a new acount, but that would not do me any good, since Paypal only allows one account per person.  I contemplated  contacting my editor to tell her that I needed my account frozen so that no money will be sent to Paypal, but I wasnt likely to get any response right away.

 I did rermember reading in the forums that you get a better chance of having someone from Paypal look into lifting your limited access status if you call them.  This was a problem for me, since I  live in the Philppines and long-distance calls can cost you an arm and leg.

My next option was  my boyfriend's Skype, since he had free credits and could make overseas calls.  When he told me that  the credits expired,  my heart sank. Again.  I was ready to bawl. I was ready to rip my hair out, and that is saying something because lately, I've been taking great care of my hair  since they got a severe beating with a recent hair relaxation  adventure that we  had  a few months back.

Then I saw this post. In it  the  posted details on how you can call Paypal through Skype. For Free!   I followed her instructions, and sure enough I got Paypal, but  it ws the answering machine.  Turns out  office hours starts  at 6 AM Central Time, and  it was thirthy minutes past 5:30 in the morning back in the States. I waited patiently, biting my fingers, crossing and uncrossing them, and generally feeling like I was grasping at straws. Two minutes after 6, I  rang Paypa through Skype again. The automated voice, after asking me to say my phone number, connected me to a real person. At last! A real, breathing, live person! A Paypal person! A person who answers phones for PAYPAL! I  was never happier to hear from someone who answered the phones, but this was a  PERSON!!!! A PAYPAL person!  Not a Paypal email address, not a  Paypal forum, not a Paypal notification. A PERSON!

Paypal actually had a voice. It was a guy's voice, and he actually sounded very sincere and friendly. I was half-expecting a grumpy voice with an Indian  accent, but it wasn't. The guy asked  about my Paypal info so  he could pull  my account off the database, so I provided my email, my phone number, and account number. Then he asked  if I could send him a photo of any valid ID, and call back once I'm done.  I scrambled to have my PRC ID scanned. Thankfully my brother was there to do the scanning for me.  A second call later, I was talking to a  woman.  She was equally sweet  and chirpy, which I attributed to the early hours of the morning... I was guessing the later the day, the more irate customers they talk to, the more irate  THEY get.  The lady  asked me  a few questions about my proxy server, and then told me to  log in to PAYPAL  using a connection from the Philippines. Since Globe was still down at home, I raced over to my cousin's house and connected to their internet there. I changed my PAypal password and security questions, as the lady had ordered, and made the third call.

 A third call later, this time I was talking to a young guy.   It seems like he already knew what my problem was, and  two minutes into the call, he told me that he had already restored full access to my account.  (MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR sigh of relief!) I couldn't believe it at first, so I asked him to repeat what he just said, and he did. I thanked him profusely, and not quite believing my lucky stars.  And that's how I got Paypal to lift my limited access status. In five hours, no less!!! :D
( this post is in no way an ad for Paypal, haha!)

The Cab Ride I'll Never Forget

I do not normally post reviews about books or articles I have read, but this time I'll make an exception. It's a Sunday morning, and one of my morning rituals is to browse through my reading list  of motivational blogs like ZenHabits and Thinksimplenow. I was browsing through the latter's list of past articles and The Cab Ride I'll Never Forget caught my eye. I remember reading it a few months back, but I couldn't recall the details of the story. So I read it again. A paragraph into the article and fat, large drops of tears were falling down my face. For various reasons, I guess. For the sad reality that there are some people who have nobody in this world, and some of these people are old and frail and could be anybody's grandmother or grandfather. For the sad realization that most of the time I let tiny frustrations ruin my day and I take it out on the people around me, and I end up being unkind and coarse and thoughtless, never realizing that other people are also silently facing their own battles. 

 (*sigh*) I still get teary-eyed thinking about the story. The story was told by the writer who spent some years as a cabdriver. There's a beautiful realization in this fact as well. To quote the author: 

"Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a living.

It was a cowboy’s life, a life for someone who wanted no boss.

What I didn’t realize was that it was also a ministry."

and as he neared the end of his story he said, 

"I didn’t pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly, lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don’t think that I have done anything more important in my life.

We’re conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware – beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one."

I had placed myself in this mindset that you can only be great if you can do great things. And since only a few of use get to do that in our lifetimes, then we somehow must resign ourselves to the fact that our lives may never rise above the mediocre. But this story made me realize that great moments sometimes come cloaked in the guise of small ones, and the smallest deeds of kindness may be great to the one's receiving them. 

Happy Sunday everyone :)

Founder's Day Dinner at Tandoori, Dumaguete

The last time I ate at Tandoori was way back in 2007 when the restaurant was still going by Persian Palate. A friend of mine wanted to try the only Persian restaurant in town, and try it we did. I remember having lamb which was grilled and served with a whole tomato. The meat was soft and tasted like it was soaked in milk before it was grilled. I was never too keen on lamb or veal (I'm a pork and chicken person) so the taste was something I had a hard time getting used to. That was the first time that I downed a whole bottle of San Mig Light just to get the taste out of my mouth.

Today the restaurant goes by the name Tandoori, and its a favorite of most expats and foreign visitors who frequent the city. The restaurant changed names, but the decor is still the same, down to the Indian paintings on the walls. We decided to have dinner here because he likes Indian food and I was hoping that they served the traditional Indian sweets that I saw on TV (too bad they didn't). I ordered the Tandoori chicken and JP recommended the samosa, which according to him, is the Indian equivalent of the empanada. He ordered the mutton curry. For something sweet I ordered the strawberry lassi.

Tandoori chicken is chicken which has been soaked in curd and then seasoned with Tandoori masala. This is a traditionally hot Indian dish courtesy of added cayenne and red chili powder. Turns out I couldn't eat the chicken. It came served very hot and spicy, and my first bite almost brought me to tears. Dishes that come with a lot of spices are not my cup of tea, and this particular dish was very hot indeed. One good thing I can say about the chicken though, it was soaked through with flavor. It also came with a side dish of cubed tomatoes and cucumber with their own vinegar dip.

JP's mutton curry agreed to my tastebuds better. We paired it with naan, the traditional Persian flatbread, and it tasted goooood! The mutton was very soft as well, with the flavors of butter and curry predominant with each bite. The strawberry lassi was the perfect compliment to all the spicy flavors.

We also ordered the samosa, which came filled with diced vegetables wrapped in a pastry shell. The entire thing is deep fried to a crisp and served with a mango chutney dip.

All in all, a very satisfying dinner. We finished the lamb curry in a hurry but the chicken tandoori and the samosa left untouched. We decided to bring the two unfinished dishes to the booth area, where the night was going on in full swing. It was August 28 after all, TIPON night and the busiest night of the Founders week.

An Afternoon at Poppy Coffee and Cupcakes, SU Portal West

There is a new coffee shop in town. Located in a portion of what used to be National Bookstore (which moved to Robinson's), Poppy Coffee and Cupcakes is just right across the lawn from my classroom. The coffee shop is airy and spacious with its high ceilings and large windows. I loved the feel of the place the moment I stepped inside. They also have the couch-y type of seating that I prefer over plastic chairs, which really allows you to sit back and enjoy your coffee.

The coffee shop is fairly new so I didn't expect a wide array of choices. For the most part, they have hot coffee, iced coffee and non-coffee blends, a few cupcakes, and sandwiches. I tried the ham sandwich and a hazelnut frappecino for my very first order. The frappecino tasted great, but the sandwich was a little bit on the cold side. I saw that the staff looked a bit frazzled, so I guess everyone was still getting to know where everything goes and how to do stuff. I would expect the service to get better once they have settled in. The cupcakes looked adorable, but I'm not really a cupcake person so I passed.

The coffee shop really struck gold with their location, since it is right by one of the main routes students take to school from various parts of the city center.Personally, I think it's the perfect place for me to get a cup of coffee after work and while waiting for my class. I just hope they start serving pasta soon :)

Camiguin Vjandep Pastel

Although I have never been to Camiguin, I love the Vjandep Pastel that comes from the island. JP brings a box of the yummy treats every time he comes to visit, and we never fail to finish the entire contents of the box in one or two days. The pastels are something you don't find in Dumaguete, and they are only sold in some of the malls in Manila, and often at twice the price of pastels if you buy them from Vjandep branches in Camiguin or Cagayan de Oro. The pastels come in several varieties of filling such as durian, nangka, ube, and monggo, but the most popular is the original custard flavor.

What makes the pastels so delicious is the creamy custard filling inside the soft bun. The custard filling is soft and very much like the homemade yema I like to make when I get my craving for something sweet. At room temperature the custard is soft and sweet, which makes it the perfect compliment to a sugarless cup of hot coffee. You can also pop them inside the microwave for a minute or two so that they come out piping hot.

I'm really wishing that the local Robinson's will start to stock up on these pastels real soon. I

have tried looking for the pale yellow boxes everytime I visit the mall but no luck. It will probably take a visit to Cagayan de Oro or Camiguin before I can buy these pastels myself.

Cupcake Love

I met this cute little cupcake while killing time with my family at Postrio at the Terraces in Ayala Cebu. The white frosting covered a caramel delight inside... yum! My mom ordered this, although I managed to help myself to a small bite.

I opted for a heavier sandwich, but I forgot its name again. It came with large servings of bacon, tomato and lettuce, and tasted heavenly with generous dollops of mustard...the bread, again, very tasty.

Discovering Azalea

The road to Balinsasayaw used to be quite uneventful, if you don't count the gorgeous view of the Tanon Strait and the neighboring island of Cebu, not to mention the blue skies and the unobstructed 360 degree view of the plains and the mountains looming in front of you. Now, visitors have one place before Balinsasayaw that is worth a stop. Azalea opened its doors a few years ago and has been serving curious mountain trekkers ever since. The restaurant is located less than 5 km from the highway and offers a spectacular view of the mountains, the gorge below, and views of the neighboring islands.

There's a sign by the road that tells you where to stop, and a clearing across the street from the restaurant serves as the parking lot. You go down a few steps lined with potted and hanging plants to the restaurant. Glass walls offer a full view of the surroundings. The verandah stretches the length of one side of the restaurant, and from here you can savor of the view-- bright blue skies, the green of the mountains, and everything in between. The sound of the flowing river from below reaches up to the restaurant and gives the much needed white noise for city dwellers who are not used to complete quiet.

Welcome to Azalea

entrance to the restaurant

Azalea offers a variety of dishes, from sandwiches to pasta and salads. One thing I like about the restaurant is that the tables and chairs are spacious, and you can easily move the tables around to make room for large groups. During our visit we ordered light snacks. My parents, die-hard halo-halo fans, choose their halo-halo while I tried the house burger called Foccaburger, which they make using their own bread.

the tasty Foccaburger

It's easy to spot Azalea once you get off the highway and make your way up.

Map:

Azalea serves up a host of delicious dishes for breakfast and lunch. A bar is also in the process of construction and located one floor down, but still with access to the same great view.

Back to Moon Cafe

Contrary to my previous post about Moon Cafe ( way back in the later part of 2009), this post will take on a more favorable view. I have come to love Moon Cafe, particularly the chimichanga. Chalk it up morphed taste buds or whatever, but the grainy beef fillings, the sour cream, and the greens have now become a personal favorite. I visit the Mexican-inspired restaurant over at Robinson's Dumaguete whenever I can, but usually when with good company.

chimichanga...or what's left of it

Another favorite is the calorie-ladden chicken skin. They serve it crispy and hot, with a saucer of soy sauce with calamansi, chopped onions, and other spices. I've made it a habit to order chimichanga and chicken skin together, along with a cold can of Cali or, if Cali won't cut it, a colder bottle of San Mig Light. Thinking about all the fat these dishes contain makes me think that I'm probably laying down the foundations for an early death caused by a stroke or some other cardiovascular disease, but I'm trying to offset these potentially mortal effects of gluttonous eating by browsing through Google images of mountain bikes, one of which I vow to buy ( and ride, regularly, I hope) when I have the money.

For now, a quick glance at a chicken skin photo I took before I devoured the plate.

oozing with so much fat that it should be considered illegal

Chantilly's Salisbury Steak

I've wanted to make a post about Chantilly for the longest time since it's one of the places I go to for dinner when I have a class or during the weekends when I meet the high school gang. Chantilly's serves really good pasta, although the servings are too small for my liking. I like their Salisbury steak just fine, though.

Salisbury steak is minced beef shaped to look like a steak. It reminds me of the beef patties you see in Jolibee, but Chantilly's is softer and juicer. It comes served with vegetables and drenched in gravy. I personally like to order my steak with fries, just to add something a bit salty to my meal.