crumb trails

A familiar sight? When was the last time you were here?

Located at the heart of Manila, Rizal Park is one of the main attractions of the city. In the Spanish colonial era, it used to be a cleared area aimed to buffer any rebellious acts of the locals against the walled city of Intramuros, which, at that time, was the center of business and social activities. The area was then named Bagumbayan or New Town, but was better known as Luneta because its shape was like a small moon or lunette (Spanish). In 1912, Act No. 243 of the Philippine Assembly, declared the place as the site where a monument of Dr. Jose Rizal and a mausoleum which will house his remains will be erected. This location is almost the same spot where Dr. Jose Rizal was executed on December 30, 1896. Up to this day, two ceremonial guards known as Kabalyeros de Rizal or Knights of Rizal guard the National Hero’s monument twenty-four hours a day and all throughout the week.

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WordCamp Philippines, the first ever in Asia, was successfully held last Saturday, September 6 at the College of St. Benilde in Taft Ave. Manila. More than 400 individuals participated in the said event.

All of us who attended should congratulate WordCamp Philippines 2008 organizers, especially mindanaobloggers.com, the group who spearheaded and made WordCamp Philippines possible. Everything was organized, from the gate of the venue, to the registration, the talks, etc.

I went to the Camp with two friends: Brainteaser and MJ. We were able to attend the lectures facilitated by Jayvee Fernandez, Blogie Robillo, and Danny Arao during the morning sessions. After lunch, activity was resumed at the Augusto-Rosario Theater where Mr. WordPress himself, Matt Mullenweg, shared to the excited audience the latest developments in WordPress and did a demo of WordPress 2.7 which will be released around November (I’m already looking forward to it!). Sponsors of the event also shared information about their product and services that will make blogging even more exciting and dynamic.

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Filipinos have grown fond of coffee shops. It has become the young generation’s hangout and EB place. Professionals likewise patronize these places; making coffee shops a convenient venue for short business meetings. Some people go for the ambiance and the coffee, of course. That is why, it’s not surprising anymore to see more and more coffee shops opening everywhere. Like Biska Coffee, a new cafe that has been in business for almost half a year already.

I’ve had the privilege to visit Biksa Coffee a few weeks ago and tried some of their food and beverages. The cafe offers for beverages hot coffee (espresso, cappuccino, Americano, etc.); ice blended coffee (caffee mocha, latte); frappe (brain freeze); smoothies; milkshake; Italian soda; and tea. They also serve food like sandwiches, pizza and pasta.

My friends and I had a long that day and we decided to drop by Biksa Coffee. We had mozzarella pesto sandwich, pasta with tuna carratierre sauce, a margharita pizza, Italian sodas (passion kiwi and passion strawberry), cookies & cream milkshake and cappuccino.

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One of crumb trails earliest entries was about a place in Marikina. Among the cities in Metro Manila, Marikina has become one of the most progressive. But what sets it aside from other cities is its cleanliness. The discipline of its citizens is also exceptional. But apart from these, there’s a lot more to discover in Marikina. And one of them is Pan de Amerika (PDA).

Pan de Amerikana embodies quality dining experience. The concept of the restaurant is meant to make every diner feel at ease. The ambiance is a fusion of European, Asian and Filipiniana that blended well together, creating a homey environment and a perfect garden set up. Unlike other concept dining places, Pan de Amerikana is not restrictive. Guests are free to wander around while waiting for their food to be served and linger some more after they have finished eating. And speaking of food, the restaurant serves authentic Marikina dishes and other Filipino foods. Marikina boasts of its Everlasting and Waknatoy. Everlasting is similar to embotido but it is placed and cooked in a “llanera.” It is named as such because it in the olden days, this dish is ever present in festivities and gatherings. Waknatoy on the other hand is like menudo. And like everlasting, it is also always on the table of almost every family gathering. The Chinese settlers in Marikina during that time would always complain and say, “Ito na naman? Wak na `toy!” (This dish again? No, not this dish again!). Other notable dishes in Pan de Amerikana are the Ilocano sarabasab, Bicolano express-laing, Cebuano sinugba and sisig rice. But the taste of these foods is not the only reason to dine at Pan de Amerikana. With a very nice ambiance, you’ll be surprised at how affordable their meals are.

Some of the things to look forward to at Pan de Amerikana

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Let’s face it. In our country, visiting museums is not part of our culture. We don’t bother to go, unless you’re a student and your teacher or professor required you to visit a certain museum in a certain place.

I may be wrong, but most people think that museums are meant solely for the well-off members of the society, an activity only the rich people can afford and enjoy. That is a HUGE misconception. If you can afford buying tokens for a videoke machine (don’t shoot me, I have nothing against karaoke singing. I’m Pinoy, so I like it, too), you definitely can afford museum entrance fees. Some of them do not even charge a dime!

You see, museums are there for you — for you to learn more about your community, your country, a religion, a new technology, history, etc. Spending time in a museum somehow changes, in a positive way, your view of yourself as part the society. Sometimes you can find the missing aspects of your life. It can be fun, only when you start appreciating what you see there. You can even say, museums rock!

It had been a little while since I’ve been to one. This year I plan to visit as many as I can (that’s the GRAND plan!). And since I’m based in Metro Manila, I’ll start here. I’ve made a list of the museums here and grouped them by locality.  You might want to visit them also. Or join me!

Here goes my list with a few basic details:

City of Manila
Museo Pambata (Ermita)
Museum Hours:
Sunday 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Tuesday-Saturday 8:00 am-5:00 pm (Aug – March), 9:00 am-5:00 pm (April-July)
Admission: Php 100 (children & adults), Free/discounted for Manila residents (bring ID); Free for museum workers and teachers (bring ID); Free for street children, infants

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Mysterious. That is my view of the world underwater; something we do not see regularly or visit often. One needs enough understanding of the sea before embarking on an underwater journey.

The Philippines is part of the so-called Coral Triangle (it is in the center of the center of the Coral Triangle), thus, the country is blessed with a very diverse, very beautiful marine life. But only a few are learned in this field. And ordinary people like us knows only the general facts. There aren’t enough facilities to see and study the creatures of the water for us to grasp a better understanding of them.

When Manila Ocean Park opened in December 2007, the sea and the life that thrives in it became accessible to the ordinary people. Now, everyone has the chance to experience and be an explorer of the ocean. The Manila Ocean Park has three main goals. Its first objective is to let people see how beautiful the Philippines is in terms of marine life. Second, to remind the people that it is time that we preserve and conserve the ocean. Lastly, that people should love the environment. They want every individual visiting the ocean park to understand these things.

The first to adopt a fusion concept, the Manila Ocean Park brings together an Ocenarium, a mall, hotel and restaurants, open water marine habitats and function halls. Visitors may find the Oceanarium entertaining, but it is, first and foremost, an educational facility (so do not expect dolphin shows or sea lion exhibitions).

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For most of us living in the city, relaxation would mean an out of town trip. With our fast-paced everyday life, we have no time to stop and smell the flowers or appreciate the little things in our surroundings. Fresh air is a luxury. And family bonding means a trip to the mall.

Unknown to many, a nature sanctuary is nestled right in the heart of Quezon City, where one can experience serenity, even for a while. The La Mesa Eco Park has been there for years. It has been rehabilitated a few years ago and is now open to the public again. It is a sanctuary for nature lovers, health buffs and for families who want to spend some quality time with each other.

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Our office barkada was able to go on a mid-week night out last Tuesday, since the next day, July 2, was a special holiday for us people working in Ortigas Center, Pasig. Our stop this time was Pilita’s Restaurant in Greenhills, San Juan. It was also a birthday celebration for one of our officemates.

Pilita’s Restaurant is located at Greenhills Shopping Center, near the movie theaters. This cozy little place is owned by Asia’s Queen of Songs, Pilita Corales and her husband Don Carlos. Pilita’s has a very relaxed ambiance, a perfect place to hang-out after a long day at the office. Its walls are filled with numerous memorabilia of the hip-bending singer from her career. One wall serves as a gallery of her photos in black and white. Meanwhile the upper wall behind the stage displays covers of her vinyl records in the past.

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A day tour to Corregidor is a little expensive, costing around 2, 000 pesos via Sun Cruises. But the ferry ride to the island was inviting. It’s not everyday that I get to ride one! Although not a swimmer, still, I’m a fan of the sea. Just inhaling the cool sea breeze relaxes my mind and my nerves. The water couldn’t sound more wonderful when it kisses the shore or its waves slap over boulders of rocks and brave sea vessels. Yeah, I love the sound of the sea. That’s why, I couldn’t resist the trip to Corregidor!

Since the island was a military reservation during World War II, Corregidor is a favorite destination among war veterans, Filipinos and Americans alike. It is also frequented by students, teachers, foreign visitors, and Pinoy travelers, too. Like myself.

Going to Corregidor is more or less an hour’s ferry ride from Manila. The ferry leaves CCP terminal at around eight o’clock in the morning. As the boat traverse the sea, you are free to go around; buy some snacks, take pictures, or you may go to the second deck where you’ll be able to enjoy the panorama of the ocean, the islands and mountains from afar and even the diminishing view of the city you left behind. When the ferry finally docks in Corregidor, tourist guides, tranvias and their drivers await the visitors at the port, ready to take them around the island.

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Compared to the place I remembered visiting as a child, Marikina is almost unrecognizable to me now, in a positive kind of way. The streets are clean, its people are disciplined. More than that, Marikina has a lot more to offer-places to explore, a culture to experience.

My work has given me the chance to visit one of the city’s tourist destinations: World of Butterflies, run by the local government of Marikina. WOB’s main goal is to conserve the habitat of the butterflies. Aside from its butterfly garden, it is also a sanctuary for breeding them. Here, one can see the different stages of a butterfly’s life cycle.

Among the insects, butterflies have one of the most complicated life cycles. And unlike the other creatures under Class Insecta, they do not undergo a nymph period before becoming an adult; instead, a butterfly changes appearance when it becomes an imago. So, there’s no such thing as baby butterfly.

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