Sweet and Sour Lapu Lapu

Whew... Haven't practiced my cooking skills since our mother takes care of the cooking most of the time. But this new year, she's not here to cook for us. She spent her New Year with our sister in Cebu.

So, we have to cook! We have to prepare for our "Medya Noche".

I volunteered to prepare LapuLapu Sweet and Sour. I love lapu lapu so I thought it would be nice to have one for New Year's eve.

jjaaaarrraaann!!! the finished product on your left. =)

Bought two medium sized Lapu Lapu, about 3/4 of a kilo. Quite expensive though but, who cares, it's yummy anyway!

I prepared:

minced garlic, ginger (sliced), and onion
Carrots and bell pepper (would have been nicer if there's green and red to add color)
1/2 cup tomato sauce, 3/4 cup water, 1/2 cup brown sugar, salt, 1/2 cup vinegar and 1 tbs flour

Of course, you have to fry the fish, so you need oil =)

First, fry the fish. When done, set aside.

Then, I prepared the sauce. I mixed the tomato sauce, water, sugar, salt and vinegar with flour together. Actually, I added some more sugar and salt to bring on the taste I like.

Sautee the garlic, ginger and onion. Add in the carrots and pepper when the onion is light brown. I added in some pineapple tidbits to add to the taste. Cook for 2-3 minutes then add in the vinegar mixture. Cook to boil.

Pour into the fish and sprinkle some onions and pineapple tidbits to add some presentation.

And that's it! Didn't expect that they'd like it... but they did!!!

Zamboanga City Hall @ Christmas Time

City Hall, a closer look

Every year, the local government of Zamboanga decorates one of the central landmark of the City, the City Hall. And every year, this place becomes an attraction to local folks and visitors of the city. This is a great initiative of the local government. Aside from inviting people to come to Zamboanga, the lights also brings the spirit of Christmas to everyone. People, young and old, rich and poor, gather around the area and watch the beauty of the lights.

Zamboanga City Hall

Downtown main street

Giant Christmas Tree at Plaza Pershing

Dumaguete CIty...

Dumaguete City is one of the cities of Negros Oriental. It's a home to several universities and colleges that's why it's referred to as the "University Town". It's also a home to several tourist destinations like Apo Island, which is found to have a diverse marine ecosystem. Many tourists come to have a dive at the Apo Island to witness for themselves the beautiful marine life of Apo Island.

Aside from Apo Island, one best place for diving in Dumaguete is Sumilon island. Tourists also come to dive and see the beauty of underwater life in Sumilon Island.

I'm talking about these places but I've never been there :( sad, isn't it. I missed to visit the places when I visited Dumaguete last month. But I am looking forward to visit Apo Island. Relatives of my sister-in-law lives there. =)

Pictures of Dumaguete Blvd during the day and night. =)

Viva! Nuestra Señora Virgen del Pilar!

October 12th, the City celebrates the fiesta in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The city officials prepared an array of activities for this fiesta. Some of the annual activities include street dancing and regatta (race of vintas).

The Zamboangeños also light candles at the Fort Pilar Shrine, located at Rio Hondo, Zamboanga City.

Some pictures I took during the activities...
Colorful vintas from the regatta

Lady of the Pilar Shrine

Street Dancing

A centuries old tradition

Enjoying the Seafood of Zamboanga Sibugay

Sunrise, October 1, 2007, along Sibugay Highway

Zamboanga Sibugay (or simply Sibugay) is one of the provinces of Zamboanga Peninsula. It was formerly part of the Zamboanga del Sur province but in 2001, Republic Act 8937 made this a new province.

I had the chance to visit some of the municipalities of Sibugay just recently. For the first time, I joined the team of our universities Caravan, an annual career guidance activity of ADZU to promote our school and the programs we have. It was a great opportunity to talk to young high school students and help them decide on what to take up in college. With me were Mitch, Mam Joy, Roger, Rommel and Alex as our team leader.

(Picture: Alex Aballe encouraging students of Kabasalan Science and Technology High School)

But the greatest of all is to experience the seafood of Zamboanga Sibugay.

Giant Clam or Taklobo:

It’s known to be an aphrodisiac and really rich in cholesterol. But never mind! When I saw the finished Taklobo kilawin, I just want to eat more! It’s really delicious. It was my first time to eat such kilawin.

We had this kilawing Taklobo in Malangas municipality.

Talaba or Oyster

I've never tried oyster before. This travel allowed me to experience the mouth-watering talaba. The talaba was placed on top of a heat/fire. When its shell opens a little, you force it open with a knife or a spoon handle. yummy! Cholesterol again? never mind... Thank s to the Alex Aballe for ordering talaba for dinner :).

Picture: Talaba(oyster) grilled on the left and the opened talaba on the right. Ready to eat with suka... Buayan, Kabasalan, Zamboanga Sibugay

Crabs and Crabs

Sea crabs and fresh-water crabs. Whatever they are called, crabs are ju st delicious! How was it cooked? I think it was boiled with some water and added with "Sprite" to add taste.

Sea crabs and fresh-water crabs.

Whew! What a dinner! But i think we just deserve it. We really worked hard for our campaign. hehehe

Mitch, Mam Joy and Rommel ready to eat dinner!!!

Sta. Cruz Island...

It's one of Zamboanga City's pride. The Little and Great Santa Cruz Islands are known for their "pink sand beach" and best for snorkeling and scuba diving.

The islands are accessible by boat from downtown Zamboanga City. It takes around 15-20 minutes depending on the sea current and the speed of the boat.

I set foot on Little Sta. Cruz island only once. I was in 4th year HS then and one of the participants of the National Boy/Girl Scouts Encampment. Didn't enjoy the beauty that much because we were too tired from other activities and we arrived there a little late. Since the Little Sta. Cruz island is taken cared of by the Philippine Navy, we took the Navy Boats from the Ens Majini Pier at the Naval Station of Zamboanga City to the island.

I want to visit Great Sta Cruz island. Never been there. I've heard that's it's really beautiful and I can only admire its beauty through pictures. Here are some pictures of Great Sta. Cruz Island.

Pictures courtesy of Mr.Ryann Elumba, a faculty of the Computer Science Department.

Experiencing Different Sunsets

Missing the sunset from the Boulevard of Dipolog City

I love sunsets.

There's always mixed emotions with sunsets. There's joy in watching the beauty of God's creation. But sometimes, there's a feeling of loneliness and longing for something. For a long time, I tried to find an explanation why such gloomy feeling exists while watching such great scene. Just a few minutes ago, I found a possible answer. Sunset brings about feelings of sadness and loneliness because we know that it will be gone soon. And as much as you wanted to enjoy the magnificent horizon, you know you cant. You wanted to hold it longer, but you know it will slip away soon. And it makes one sad and long for it to stay.
I remember watching the sunset from the Golf Beach resort in Zamboanga, in less than 3 minutes, the sun was hiding behind the clouds and going down to the other side of the earth. You can't waste a second or you'll miss it.

I have here some pictures of sunsets from different places. But whether it's in Luzon, Visayas or Mindanao, the feeling is the same... the feeling of longing, the feeling of missing something, the feeling of loving the life you have.

These pictures were taken from the viewing deck of the Mall of Asia, Pasay City Philippines

This was taken from our roof. I really went up to take a picture... (Tetuan, Zamboanga City)



Taken while on travel in a bus in Lanao de Norte...

(NOTE: All pictures were taken using my Canon Digital IXY 70 Camera)

The Boulevard...

R.T. Lim Boulevard, or simply Boulevard to the Zamboangeños. It's one of the places people go in the morning, for their early morning walks (or jogs), or during late afternoon, to witness the sun setting in the west.

I always find the Boulevard a memorable place. When I was younger, and the water was quite cleaner, my father would bring me during early Sundays for short swims. However, it's not safe to do it nowadays. The sea water in the area is insanitary.

The boulevard had become a witness of our trying moments... trying to be "OKEY" :). When days seemed gloomy, my friend and I would find ourselves heading to the boulevard. We just sit and watch the waves moving towards the shore, or just look straight to nothing. The horizon brought solace to our troubled minds. Sometimes, we just watched the darkness and see nothing but lights from a distance.

I miss those moments.

Everytime I come to the Boulevard, things get okey, feelings become lighter. Perhaps the waves wash away confusions and its sound brings about music of peace to the troubled. And the sunset cheers us up with the colors it paints in the sky.

Taken last September 20, 2007 (Thursday) with Dimple...

Durian, anyone?

Very few people know about this fruit. For others, durian is no more than a candy flavor. This fruit is known for its peculiar smell and its really thorny surface.

In the Philippines, durian are found in the southern part of the country like Davao and Sulu. However, the durians in Davao are bigger and its meat is more of yellowish compared to the Sulu-grown durian which are smaller and with whiter meat.

Durian fruits are commonly used as flavors of candies and ice cream. Yummy! But what's yummmieeerrr for me is durian cake at Myrna's Bakeshop, only here in Zamboanga City.

Tarsiers of Bohol

The Philippine Tarsiers are known to be the smallest known monkey on earth. They are found in the Southerneastern part of the Philippines but they are very popular in Bohol. When you visit Bohol, you should not miss these tiny, nocturnal creatures. They have been considered endangered by our Philippine government.

They eat insects and tiny (of course, tinier than they are!) animals. They love clinging on to trees and branches.

See the picture? that's how small they are. My niece, Denise and his father, Alvin, are looking at one. Dee was quite amused with this animal in front of her. Her stories are endless when she got home from Bohol.

Dagohoy's Land... Bohol

If there's one place I wanna visit soon, it's Bohol. I have heard about places that are uniquely Bohol's. The presence of tarsiers is one of the famous attractions of Bohol, not to mention the "chocolate hills" which are again a unique attraction of the place. Now, when you visit Bohol, don't ever miss the paradise-like beaches in Panglao. Bohol also have centuries old churches. People still visit these churches not only because of their faith but also because of these churches were witnesses of Bohol's past.

Last summer, my sister had the chance to visit Bohol. So, his husband and daughter tagged along. And of course, our mother, whose origins are traced back in Tubigon, Bohol would be envious if she couldn't come along. So, I was the one left envious. I couldn't go with them because of work. But I wish I can visit the place soon and witness for myself the beauty that only Bohol can offer.

Oh, by the way, Bohol's famous hero is Francisco Dagohoy. He was known for leading a revolt against the Spaniards during his time. It was told that his rebellion started when the priest refused to accept his brother's body for burial. Dagohoy's brother died in a fight.

Baclayon Church, one of the old churches in Bohol

A beach in Panglao. Who won't enjoy the beauty, paired with serenity?

A picture of Chocolate hills