Naranyag A Paraangan

L et me share to you how our paraangan looks like with some Christmas decorations.
In front of our main door is a big parol fashioned out of capiz shells. This was brought to the US by my sister more than 10 yrs ago. We took care of it and this has been hanging in front at our paraangan every Kapaskuhan.

A new additon are those parolitos (little parols) that I brought back from my recent manila trip. Becky painstakingly wrapped these so as not to be crushed.



Next picture is our messy garage. You all are supposed to look beyond the mess but appreciate the other parol and the rest of the parolitos that Jim hanged on our garage.

We did not have any problem with the voltage. I bought these with a 220 light voltage. Mabalin metten. The lights emitted were not as bright but these looked like stars (as these should be) at night when lighted.

I will continue with my travelogue writings pag medyo nahimasmasan na sa trabaho. In the meantime, from our house to yours, Naimbag Nga Paskua.

The Best Fried Chicken

T here is no better chicken than Max's fried chicken.
I grew up with the taste of the Max's fried chicken always in my mind. The original Max's restaurant at Roces Ave. was the original favorite among us brod & sis. The spring fried chicken was a regular dish together with other trimmings we deem fit to order that day.

I did not have enough time to visit Roces Ave so I took the opportunity of having dinner at Max's at Baguio. I ordered my usual fare - Spring fried chicken and added fresh lumpiang ubod on the side.

The chicken came with some camote fries. The smell brought me back to my childhood days when a serving of Max's fried chicken meant homey Sunday afternoons with the whole family.

The chicken itself was good to eat without any other form of sawsawans. I like mine with the banana ketchup. The skin was malutong and the white meat was not dry. I will go for the wings and the tips of the leg for these are where the skin is crispiest.

On the other hand, the lumpiang ubod was passable. I could have enjoyed it more if it had more bawangs and chopped peanuts. The ubod filling was just right with its crispiness while the sauce topping was not too sweet - just right.

These food(s) are in my list of food to crave for while in Manila. I try to have a taste of these every time I go home. I always want to savor each bite of these not much of its outstanding taste but the memories I associate with these food.

There will always be an anecdote here or there that I can always relate with when it comes to my favorite foods. Every bite brings me back to those days, to those glorious days when I was surrounded by my family - that's all that matters to me.

Travelogue: Baguio (2)

M edyo lumalamig na nga talaga ang simoy ng hangin pero sige pa rin ang lakad ko. This time around I was close to the Mines View Park. Nag-iihaw ng pusit doon sa kanto so I decided to go down & partake of the feast na inihaw na pusit kasama ang isang pastic supot na coca-cola.

The usual Baguio stuff ws all around - walis tambo, Romana's peanut brittle, the Baguio vest, mga wood carvings including that wood carving in the picture. The late afternoon atmosphere was pretty calm - walang turista. I could walk at my own leisure without being harassed by peddlers & mendicants. I spoke freely Ilocano to the vendors & the natives.

As we went on the road, do look at these views of Baguio - reminiscent of Victoria Peak in San Franciso hindi ba? i tell you - maganda talaga ang Baguio sans the litter. The air was filled with the scent of pine and a specific kind of wood na sinabi si Mama - I just could not remember anymore.

I had to stop at the Good Shepherd Convent for the Ube Yam. I've been craving for this upon arrival in Manila. The closest I could get my hands on was the ube yam (gelatin actually) from Cherry Foodarama. Sabi ko sa bahay, I can go to Munoz market & buy the Ube sold yong tinatakal. Nobody favored that practise since linalangaw daw yon. Sagot ko - di lalong masarap!!!

Off to the Baguio Cathedral we went. This Church is another one of those Baguio landmarks. Lucky - mass was being celebrated that afternoon. What an appropriate way to say thank you to the blessings and such a humbling experience to be on one's knees in front of the Ultimate Creator.

Let me end my entry tonight with a view of Session Road - the main drag of Baguio. Pumasok na rin ang SM dito. Cecil told me the origins of ukay-ukay is in Baguio. There is really something unique with this place called Baguio. Just like my own country in a smaller scale - I will keep complaining about the heat, smog, the litter, kawalan ng toilet paper sa mga palikuran. Pero heto ako at binabalik-balikan pa rin.

Travelogue: Baguio

W e continue the road trip and this particular weekend was very fast paced. We left Manila with the intention of making it to Baguio before dinner.

Cecil has a house at Baguio where we indeed spent the night. I am particularly interested with Baguio for all the news about the landslides and how it was totally cut off from civilization post Ondoy.

The first picture to the (L) was not even Baguio proper. Nasa Kennon road pa lang kami & sites such as this was pretty common. There were a lot of one way roads for
marami talagang landslides. The picture to the (R) showed a portion of the mountains na talagang nag-erode.


I have to be quick with my camera since I would like to capture as many photos as possible. Mabilis din magmaneho si Jojo kaya sinasabayan ko na lang siya. Ahead is one of the pictures I was able to take - parang walang pupuntahan na daan diba? This is how it is because of the zigzag roads.


Here is another picture of the eroding mountains of Baguio. I am not so sure kung pwedeng magka-puno ang mga bundok na ito since these mountains are very rocky. Pero pagtitingnan na mabuti talagang nag-e-erode ang mga ito which could be contributing to those deadly landslides.

At sa wakas nakaabot kami sa tuktok - this is the proverbial "welcome Baguio" pitstop. I kind of felt glad na andito pa rin ang ulo ng lion na ito. This has been the Baguio trademark (aside of course from the parks the everlasting flowers) from way back when.

As we enter the City of Pines, one would notice the drop in temperature. The damp heat of Manila is gone. Naka-sweater na ang mga tao at visible na rin ang fog. Ma-traffic na rin at congested ang mga roads.

We tried to cover the city proper as much as possible before the sunset. We passed through the Panagbenga Park % the Camp John Hay. Parang turista talaga. But for me, this trip was a "look back" to the city which became a part of my adult years.

I've made a couple of trips to Baguio then - either on an official capacity or purely R & R. There is more to the strawberry wine & the palengke food that has caught my attention. Unfortunately, Baguio was cleaner then at hindi masyadong congested. Signs of the times - ika nga. I had a good friend UP days whose father was the governor then. Baguio was the voted #1 destination among us & she gladly shared her abode with us ( and all of its amenities).

The Mansion House ng Pangulo still stood elegantly - well maintained manicured lawns. I wonder how often Gloria frequents this place? Alam ko si Manny Pacquiao was in Baguio for his pre-Cotto training.

I will still be in Baguio on the next entry.

MAMI KEN SIOPAO

T he best mami and siopao can be found in the original Ma Mon Luk at Quezon Blvd. corner Banawe, according to my tastebuds tester.
There were so many stories that circulated regarding the siopao filling. I will not even go into that or even patronize these haka-haka since none of these were true.
We grew up having our Sunday or Saturday "kain sa labas " specials at the Ma Mon Luk Restaurant. We will all troop to this place & order the piping hot mami smothered with green onions and fried garlic. Tig-isa kami ng siopao - asado ha?
The aroma of the mami stayed in my subconscious kaya kahit kowloon o LingNam kaya hindi pwedeng pumantay.
Talagang napan ak nangaldaw idiay Ma Mon Luk at Banawe. Surprisingly, the building and its innards still remain the same. Wala pa ring air-con sa loob at puro ceiling fans ang umaandar. The picture of the elderly Ma Mon Luk was still at that wall. Ganoon pa rin ang itsura - wala talagang nabago.
Since it was lunch time, napakaraming mga Intsik ang andoon para kumain. Lahat ng uri ng mga Pinoy ay andoon. From the mamang tsuper ng taxi, yong nagbebenta ng yosi (sigarilyo) to the students and business men na naka-Barong - all of us became same-o same-o (pare-pareho) sa harapan ng mami at siopao ng Ma Mon Luk.
This is the mami that I chowed on. Napakalinamnam. In between the paghigop ng sabaw, I took bites of my asado siopao. I did not peel off the first dough layer. Sabi nila noon, marumi raw ito since hinahawakan ng mga nagluluto. Di bale na - this is actually one of the malasa part of the siopao. The trick into eating this hearty meal, sabi ni Cecil at Jojo, lagyan daw ng siopao sauce yong mami para lalo sumarap.

I wanted to savor my mami in its glory kaya the sauce just stayed with the siopao. Umapaw yong sauce pero talaga naman - this is the version of the finger licking good na sarap. Enjoy!!!

Travelogue: Roxas Blvd.

M araming makikita sa Roxas Blvd. It used to be the only attraction in this part of town is Manila Bay (which is just fine by me). There are a lot of condominiums and governoffices that have relocated here. The Central Bank bldg together with the Ramon Magsaysay Center used to be some of the taller buildings here. Hindi na - marami pang mga iba.

The edifices of Imelda Marcos remained. Andiyan ang Cultural Center of The Philippines together with the Folk Arts Theatre. I've seen a lot of concerts ( Deodato, Kenny Rankin, Angela Bofill, Cecil Licad) in these venues. Remember all the talks about the multos or ghosts that inhabited the Folk Arts Theatre? These were supposedly the people that died while the Folk Arts Theatre was being built. Bumagsak ang isang wall nito at kasamang nabaon ang ilang mga trabahante doon. Pinilit na matapos agad ang building in time for a beauty pageant, I think.


Further down the road is a big mall. Sabi ng ilan this is the biggest mall in Asia kaya tinaguriang Mall Of Asia. Malaki nga talaga - magarang tingnan. Ang daming tindahan sa loob. I really do not know how their sales figures are dahil kung ako ang tatanungin, mahal pa rin ang kanilang bilihin (the rent of space I bet is exorbitant). These malls probably cater to the upper strata of society. Hindi ko maisip kung paano makakabili si Juan o Maria ng mga damit sa Zara o Mango gayong ang mga presyo ay nagkakahalaga ng libo-libo.



Talagang namangha ako sa aking nakita. Parang papasok ako sa Saks o Neiman Marcus sa may Union Square ng San Francisco. It just felt so foreign - parang Stateside. I guess that is what the whole theme should be. No, I am not being critical. If this is the sign of progress as it is made to be, then so be it. Napag-iwanan lamang masyado yong lugar sa likuran ng Remedios o sa Quiapo kaya lalo na sa underpass.

My sister, Cecil, will snap back at me for being so critical with the "signs of progress". Ika niya - to each his own. Gastusin mo ang pera mo kung meron ka - sa ibig mong gastusan. I agree - no quarrel with that. My only sentimiento with that argument is debauchery (ang lakas ng impluwensiya ni Dona Victorina). As defined by Merriam Webster, debauchery is the act of excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures. Ang pakiramdam ko lang, sa hirap ng buhay sa ating bansa, we still categorically prioritize the sensual material pleasures. And we flaunt these.



Above are the Christmas decorations inside the mall. Talagang santa claus na santa claus ang atmosphere. Pati kanta nila - I'm Dreaming of A White Christmas.

Parting shot - this is the front view of the Mall. Maganda diba?