 |
| My old but still very reliable Globe Tattoo Broadband had always been with me especially during my travels. It had been the partner of my laptop for the longest time. I use this for blogging and connecting to my social networks. |
 |
| My greatest moment! Last February 2012, I created a blog activation campaign called Intramuros Bloggers Challenge 2012. My objective is to promote tourism in Intramuros, the Walled City of the Philippines, through blog and social media. The idea is to let the bloggers experience Intramuros through (a) food- during a free dinner at Barbara’s Restaurant, the only restaurant in the Philippines that holds daily cultural presentations; and through (b) travel- during a one-day walking tour with top-caliber tour guiding groups in Intramuros such as Celdran Tours, Castillan Tours and Mabuhay Guides. This photo was taken during my briefing with the bloggers before the walking tour inside the exclusive Club Intramuros. This project was supported by the Department of Tourism and by various private organizations. To know more about Intramuros Bloggers Challenge, you may click here. |
 |
| The coolest parents! This photo was taken during the summer of 2011 in the beautiful island of Boracay. Actually, my parents are heavy users of internet too. My father had been working in Mexico for a couple of years now and he only returns to the Philippines once a year- during summer. The only way for my parents to stay in touch with each other is through Facebook and Skype. Thanks to the power of the internet! My dad seems to be closer- even though he's miles apart from us. |
 |
| Part of the perks of being a blogger and a social media entrepreneur is meeting famous celebrities and notable personalities during "work". Posing with me is Carlos Celdran during the first premiere of his disco-themed play entitled "Livin' La Imelda Loca" last February 7, 2011 at Silverlens Lab where I was invited as a blogger. Carlos also sponsored my blog activation campaign for the Walled City, Intramuros Bloggers Challenge 2012. |
 |
| [Source: http://blog.globe.com.ph ] |
 |
| It's going to be a sunset tour for all us last February 26, 2012 with Mr. Walk This Way, Carlos Celdran. At 4:00pm, we assembled in front of the Fort Santiago ticket booth. Minutes after, the event was started with the singing of the Philippine National Anthem. |
 |
| And then Carlos started to talk. Armed with a lapel mic and visual materials, he gave us the most insightful and most amusing history class we ever have attended. In this picture, Carlos showed everyone the symbol of Manila during the Spanish Era. A Chimera, a mythological symbol for illusion, is at the center of that symbol. |
 |
| More than 200 people attended the Manila Transitio 1945 event last February 26, 2012. They're from all walks of life. Most are Filipinos, some are from the US. There's even a Buddhist monk who attended the event. It's a good crowd that day! |
 |
| When the Spanish came to the Philippines, they built a fortress called the Fort Santiago. An image of Santiago Matamoros or St. James of the Moors was etched at the facade of the fortress. According to the legend, St. James appeared as a warrior on his white horse to help the Christian army of King Ramiro I of Spain against the Moors. Until today, St. James is the patron saint of Spain. Before the Spanish Era, the Pre-Hispanic Filipinos were Moslems. |
 |
| Contrary to what the Spanish did to the Filipinos, the Americans taught the Filipinos their language. They were taught English. Now this was part of a bigger strategy. Carlos said, "Because we were supposed to be made to the image of the United States. We were supposed to be the 50th state." Carlos also said, "Thanks to the United States! We now have a national hero!" Now this is insightful. Jose Rizal was an artist, a doctor, a poet, a scientist, a writer and etc. In short, he was westernized. For an ordinary Filipino during that time, his image was boring. Remember that the Filipinos were clamoring for a revolution, for a real change. Why would the Filipinos choose him as the national hero? But we didn't! It was the United States. But the question is why? Why the diplomatic, the educated and the peace-loving Jose Rizal? Why not the revolutionary Andres Bonifacio? Was this part of a bigger picture again? Was the United States "softening" our warring tendencies during that time? This got me thinking. |
 |
| We offered a short prayer for the souls of the more than a hundred thousand Filipinos who were killed in Manila during the World War II. Across us actually stood a white cross which was dedicated to the many Filipinos who were buried there, nameless. |
 |
| Carlos enlarged this picture of an American bomb landing somewhere in Manila. Apparently, it wasn't just the Japs doing all the killings of the Filipinos during the Battle of Manila. This American bomb, along with the other armaments which devastated the former "Pearl of the Orient", has its own share of murder. |
 |
| Carlos was mimicking Gen. Douglas McArthur complete with a hat, a pipe and the infamous photo which was even made a life-sized replica in Leyte. The photo showed Gen. Douglas McArthur along with his troops dramatically stepping unto the Philippine shores to fulfill the promise he made more than two years before the photo was taken. "I shall return." Apparently, this photo had to be taken thrice. It's part of the drama. |
 |
| We walked upon the walls of Intramuros. I wonder how the Walled City looked like before the Battle of Manila. The Philippines was the "Pearl of the Orient". It must be THAT beautiful and prosperous during that time. I yearned for Manila of the past which I haven't even seen. This was the prison cell where Jose Rizal was jailed before the day of his execution. |
 |
| On the other side of the river is Binondo, home of the Filipino-Chinese in Manila. During the Spanish Era, Binondo was called Parian. As said, the Parian is one canon ball away from Intramuros. It was a place where non-Christian Chinese settled. The Spanish had to keep them in one place due to the alarming growth of their population during the 16th century. They were allowed residency in Manila as long as they convert to being Christians. Those who refused conversion had to settle at Parian. |
 |
| Carlos stood at the tranvia with an enlarged image of the San Agustin Church. During the World War II, this was the only structure in Intramuros that was spared. All the rest had to be flattened. It was said that someone placed a red cross on top of the church- symbolizing that the structure had to be spared. It'll be a great war crime to destroy it. San Agustin Church is now regarded as the oldest church in the Philippines. |
 |
| To cap off the whole walking tour, we were treated with halo-halo! The Philippines was compared by Carlos to this all-time favorite Filipino dessert. Like a melting pot of many culture and ethnicity, the Philippines can be compared to the halo-halo which is composed of many ingredients and flavorings. Yum! |
 |
| That night, the beautiful music of the Mabuhay Singers filled the air in the heart of Manila again. They sang a lot of Kundiman songs that the younger ones like me may not be familiar with, but truly enjoyed listening to. It was so much fun to see them perform! |
 |
| After a short while, Carlos showed us how to light the flying paper lamps or the spirit balloons to be released in a short while. This is one of the highlights we all awaited for. |
 |
| We held our spirit balloons in front of Fort Santiago. |
 |
| And then one by one, the spirit balloons all rose to the air and into the night sky! |
 |
| Like stars at night, they shone. It was truly an amazing experience! |
 |
| While the spirit balloons all rose above the ground, a beautiful rendition of the patriotic song, "Ang Bayan Ko" was given by the awesome Mabuhay Singers. They were the real stars that night! |
 |
| My spirit balloon took a couple of minutes more before it took off. And when it finally did, the feeling was inexplicable. It was actually the last lamp to rise. I think I might join Manila Transitio 1945 again next year. Special thanks to Carlos and his team for organizing this wonderful event. God bless Manila! Long live the Philippines! |
 |
| It had always been a dream for me to go to the Strawberry Farm in La Trinidad, Benguet. I had been to Baguio a couple of times but I never had the chance to visit the famous farm. But during my last visit to Baguio during the third week of February 2012, a few days before Panagbenga Festival, I swore I won't miss it anymore. And so I went. Tip #1: Never leave for the Strawberry Farm later than 7:00am. Traffic can be ugly in Baguio. The farm opens as early as 6:00am. As much as possible, be there at that time for maximum farming experience. It's fun seeing the dew on the leaves you know? |
 |
| We arrived at the farm of my dreams at around 6:30am. Not bad. This morning photo of the strawberry field as well as the houses and hills in La Trinidad relaxes me a lot. |
 |
| When we arrived, we were greeted with a smile by the kind-faced caretaker of the strawberry field we went into. There are actually a lot of them in here but he was the first one we met so we decided to pick in his field. That morning, he had already harvested this basket full of "Festival" breed of strawberries. Festival strawberries are the elongated shaped and bloody red colored strawberries growing in La Trinidad. |
 |
| Tip #2: Notice that every other walkway in between rows of planted strawberries are wet. Some are dry. This means you can only walk upon the dry ones. Don't get slipped ok? |
 |
| Good morning! Morning starts right when I have a glimpse of the beautiful Wudong Lu. Across our dormitory in Fudan University is another university called Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. |
 |
| Our first stop is Pudong. And behind us is the infamous Oriental Pearl TV Tower which is quite the top of the mind iconic structure when Shanghai is the topic. Oriental Pearl TV Tower is third tallest TV and radio tower in the world. |
 |
| Some of my co-scholars- Diana, Eds, Lani, Renee and Kuya Ritchie. |
 |
| A photo with my co-fur loving friend, Sol. |
 |
| February is quite rainy in Shanghai. I always wake up freezing. Thank God water heater was already invented. This is my usual view in the morning taken from where we stayed, the Fudan Foreign Student Dormitory. FFSD is like the United Nations in one building. A lot of foreign students stay there while they take classes in Fudan. |
 |
| I heard one Korean said during a seminar for volunteering students that most foreign students go to China not to study. They read the Lonely Planet instead of their textbooks. I couldn't blame them. China was very beautiful. This photo was taken inside the convenience store at the ground floor of the dormitory building. That's my Gege (Chinese for big brother) in front of a gondola with some of the most delicious instant noodles in the world. |
 |
| This is the storekeeper. She became our friend. She takes care of the store in the mornings. All the foreign students get everything that they need from the store- breads, tissues, drinks, milk, beer, nicotine, notebooks, pens and many more. This is where I get my internet card. |
 |
| After breakfast, we boarded the same vehicles that took us from Pudong International Airport to the dormitory. It was a chance to look at the beauty of Shanghai again. Only this time, I'm already taking pictures. Even the ordinary roads were beautiful in my eyes. Manila is still my first love. But undeniably, roads looked better in Shanghai. |
.jpg) |
| Sample photo courtesy of AS Photography |
|
| IBC 2012 Official Poster | [Creatives by Cristel Diaz] |
 |
| Our first Google Hangout | [Photo Credits: Ms. Fleire Castro] |
 |
| Ms. Lorna Quion and Mr. JC Delos Reyes of Barbara's Restaurant |
 |
| Mr. Carlos Celdran of Celdran Tours |
 |
| Mr. Jeff Velasco of Mabuhay Guides |
 |
| Me with Mr. Geronimo Sta. Maria and Sir Georgy Porgy of Castillan Tours |
 |
| The bloggers posing with the management team of Barbara's Restaurant |
 |
| Florencio Jusay, Jr., a blogging participant, dancing Tinikling with a Kultura Filipina dancer |
 |
| Briefing the Travel Blog Challengers |
 |
| San Agustin Church, the oldest church in the Philippines and the only surviving structure within Intramuros during the World War II |
 |
| The Food Blog Challengers at Barbara's Restaurant |
 |
| It was jampacked that night at Barbara's Restaurant |
 |
| Binausan, a Filipino folk dance that requires great amounts of balance and grace. We were wow-ed by this performance that night. |
 |
| A Spanish-inspired dance by the Kultura Filipina dancers |
 |
| Tinikling, a Filipino folk dance that uses bamboo poles |
 |
| Intramuros 1, the exclusive tranvia of the Intramuros Administration official and guests |
 |
| Redge of Starbucks Intramuros initiating a coffee tasting that day |
 |
| Ms. Racquel Flores of Intramuros Visitors Center before the 12-minute video documentary about Intramuros |
 |
| The facade of Fort Samtiago with the image of St. James of the Moors |
 |
| A painting of the last few days of Jose Rizal by the National Artist, Carlos "Botong" Francisco |
 |
| The paved floors of Calle Luna and Rela de Palacio near Plaza San Luis Complex |
 |
| A blackboard with special messages from the blogging challengers for me. Thanks Kathy for this awesome surprise! |
