I’m currently home for a short vacation and it’s amazing how much we did the past few days. That goes to say how much we were going around. From Laguna to Davao (it’s good to be back after my 2003-2004 visits) to Surigao to Butuan to Manila-Laguna. We attended a wedding of a very good friend held in South of the Philippines and it follows that we did a little sidetrip to nearby places. All in all it was a mixture of urban and rural experiences. That made me realize how important it is to be genuinely flexible. We had a lot of fun, especially that we had new discoveries about the hidden beauty of the Philippines… our country is full of surprises.

While I’m still sorting photos, I’m afraid that I won’t have enough time to blog (soon) once I’m back to Abu Dhabi. Hence, here’s a peek to the fun-filled past days that zoomed like a blast:

We stayed in one of the stilt houses in Pearl Farm Resort. It was very nurturing to wake up (in each glance, in fact) with an environment like this.

We also got a chance to cross over to the few minutes away (by boat) Malipano Island, which is under the same management of Pearl Farm Resort. It is more private than Samal Island. More details on a separate post. One of my best experiences there was my endeavour (naks!) to climb a coconut tree!

It was Kadayawan fest during our visit. However, we left for Surigao before the big parade.

The wedding was held in Hinatuan, a town in Surigao del Sur. It was an interesting coincidence that the town’s fiesta was a day before the wedding. Hence, all the more that the arena became so festive and jovial.

The majorettes, the bands, perya, all the colorful bits and pieces of a fiesta — we came in just in time. And of course, taking photos became more fun since I was with fellow enthusiasts. It so happened that some of the guests are professional photographers since the groom is one of the most respected photography mentors in the Philippines.

It was also a rare opportunity to have spent time with the ambassadress to the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi since she was one of the ninangs. We have always known her to be very humble, but she has proven that she really has no arte as we got to know her more when she joined us for the pre-wedding outing dedicated for guests (yes, there’s such a thing; didn’t mind if we got more tan). She chatted with little J (one of the flower girls) and had known her as the brave girl who volunteered to zipline ahead of all the adults.

And I’m delighted to share the wonderful discovery of the cleanest river I’ve experienced so far, Hinatuan’s Enchanted River.

On the other hand, the entire next week is a holiday in the UAE due to Eid celebrations. That’s a happy news for everyone as well as the other countries observing the Eid, including the Philippines.

I hope you’re all having fun wherever you are.

We decided to have a quick getaway last weekend to get a much deserved breather. We thought that Yas Rotana would be so quiet since the grand prix (Formula 1) is still months away. But it was reasonably jovial, just the way we needed.

Oriental mix grill is highly recommended.

And guess what? Our package included free tickets to Ferrari World, currently the world’s largest indoor themed park and houses Formula Rossa, the fastest roller coaster (as if I can manage the scare heeheee, dream on). We are looking forward to our visit, anyway.

(Thanks to those who participated in my blog anniversary and birthday giveaway. It is still open until 17th of July.)

I hosted a baby shower recently and attempted my first diaper cake. If you’re a regular to this blog, you probably know how much I value presents with personal touch, the priceless gift of time that comes with that. “Cooking” a diaper cake seemed intimidating at the beginning. But I thought that this must be fun and it really was. Thanks to the free tutorial videos (don’t fall for those who ask you to pay for it) that psyched me that it’s doable in less than an hour. While I am not an expert in preparing diaper cakes, I’d like to share my first “baking” experience of this kind that it may encourage you to whip one in the future.

As it is, of course, a surprise to the soon-to-be-mommy, it pays to know what else she needs (in my friend’s case, she’s done with all the necessary shopping), her personality, and if she’s picky with baby stuff, so you can decide better what can be considered practical decors for the diaper cake. For this one, I needed the following:

64-piece newborn diapers
booties and baby figurine as toppers
thick and thin rubber bands
glue for crafting
baby oil*
baby shampoo*
scissor
round tray or any base (could be made of cardboard)
at least 2 kinds of ribbons (will be used to cover the rubber band lining)
stick-on crafty flowers

*you may use feeding bottles

1. Roll up the diaper and wrap it with rubber band.
2. Put around the baby shampoo the rolled diapers and wrap with thick rubber band.

3. After fitting the first layer with the base, proceed with the middle layer and use the baby oil as you work towards the third layer.
4. As an option, you may put in any of the layers the surprises (e.g. vouchers, toys, etc.).

5. Cover the rubber bands by ribbons. You may use thick ribbons to fully cover the bands and the diapers and to make it appear like a real cake. In my case, I preferred to play with different thin ribbons. Also, in anticipation that these can be utilized as scrapbook materials soon.

The photos that follow show how the diaper cake transformed as I added cutesy stuff little by little:

While the hearts were glued on the thicker ribbon, the other ribbon has the stitched style.

The green crafty pieces gave a good contrast to pink. Time to put on the toppers. You may also use bears and other toys, I opted for the (practical) booties.

Here’s how it looked from the other side. You can always position the not-so-perfect side at the back. Or put on other decors or items (otherwise known as concealers).

Then I remembered that I have cupcake wrappers that were tuned in with the colors, I put them around the cake and filled in the chocolates. It’s also a good idea to put real cupcakes around or tiny photo frames.

The baby shower was a success. Some of the guests scrutinized the anatomy of the diaper cake and our kittycat, Winello, was the most curious.

While the province of Bohol houses one of the oldest churches in the Philippines, I didn’t expect that there will be too many churches (and even chapels) that are worth the visit. I recall one of my random conversations with a local who lives in Balicasag Island that Boholanos, regardless of their status quo, feel that they are very blessed because of their flourishing faith. Hence, they are protected from typhoons (although I think that it’s a combination of faith + mountains that shield them) and other untoward events. And it follows that there are Bible verses marked on all the tricycles in Bohol. However, we have managed to squeeze in to our schedule a visit only to a couple of immaculate and classic churches.

DAUIS CHURCH (Church of Our Lady of the Assumption)

My visit to Dauis Church was memorable because it was the first church in Bohol I’ve stepped in. Since my good friend’s wedding was solemnized there, all the more that it will be painted in my memory.

Dauis Church is wrapped by humility. It is very straightforward on the outside, but the interior is full of character. Its architecture is a combination of Byzantine and Romanesque influences. The painting on the ceiling was done by Ray Francia in 1916. I’ve tried searching for pre-renovation photos (1970) to compare; however, I found none (yet). But whatever extent of improvements have been made, I think that its current state is remarkable because it retained its immaculate yet old look feel. I’ve seen churches which became totally different and modernized after the renovation that will make you wish for a time machine so that they might reconsider to maintain a large amount of details of the old architecture.

At the altar is an image of Virgin of the Assumption, its patron saint. There’s an interesting legend which has been passed on from one generation to the other. Its patron saint is said to possess miraculous powers. When the town was invaded by pirates, the people of Dauis locked themselves into the church. However, they soon ran out of provisions and water. Then a miracle occurred: a well appeared at the foot of the altar. This same well is still the main source of water for the people living close to the church, and, although the well is only a few meters from the sea, the water is absolutely fresh. The water is said to have healing powers.

Since we visited there for the wedding and immediately proceeded to the venue of the reception after the ceremony, I didn’t get to inspect the miraculous well which is situated at the foot of the altar (covered by a trapdoor) and the bottles of miracle water made available after tending a donation. The water, until now, is believed to have healing power.

That one Saturday in December of last year was really momentous as I, our friends and colleagues from my previous job witnessed the celebration of marriage of this beautiful couple. They sent pink balloons up there to enjoin the father of the bride who is now in heaven.

*****

BACLAYON CHURCH (Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception)

Alright, I’d go a little showbiz. I learned about Baclayon Church and the town itself when the actor Cesar Montano proposed to (now his wife) Sunshine Cruz. (However, he was unsuccessful in his attempt to be the governor of Bohol in the most recent election). This church became more popular as it was fronting the pier – lighthouse where the proposal happened.

As you go inside, you will feel that the church is really charmingly old. How’s that for something Jesuit-built in the 15th century? However, it became a parish only in 17th century. The altar has a remarkable display of retablos.

What’s equally interesting are the materials used in the construction of the church: coral stones taken from the sea which were cut into squares block and piled, bamboo to move and lift the stones in position, and white of a million eggs to cement everything together, with a total of 200 native laborers (what a team!).

I liked that each piece inside the church speaks the tests of time and faith of the Boholanos. It entails a huge amount of hardwork to preserve all these.

We also learned, but didn’t get to see, about the dungeon which is believed to have served as the punishment area for the natives who were non-compliant with the rules of the Roman Catholic church. If that was the time of the first Spanish mission in the region, you can surmise the initial resistance of people to changes.

Outside the church, there is the shop that offers religious souvenirs and other items, including these colorful candles. And as they say, try to light a candle to accompany the prayers. (Just as the incense sticks are used by Buddhists and other believers.) Interestingly, the color coding follows the concept of votive candles. That is, when someone prays something in particular, either for himself or on behalf of someone else.

There is an old kumbento (convent) in which the second level has been converted into a museum. This is where we spent more time. They charge P25 for each visitor, which I think is very reasonable when you think of the maintenance and the things that you’ll see inside.

While non-flash photography is allowed in some museums, they strictly implement a no photo taking policy in Baclayon’s. This photo of the santos (images of saints) were taken before we went up to the museum. If you are not used to stepping in to very old houses, you will probably get a little shock of the occasional creeking of the wooden floors as you walk (aka tip toe). You will be unmindful of that, anyway, as you get to see the several artifacts and hundreds year-old religious relics. The most unforgettable pieces for me were the books with carabao skin covers, lyrics sheets written in Latin, and ivory statues. With these gems in the museum, it is understandable that they prohibit the photo taking to avoid further theft. It was recounted that a stolen image of St. Blaise, the patron saint for ailments of the throat, was returned by a buyer who hailed from Metro Manila two years later. If you were the antique buyer, will you do the same?

(The moment we exited the museum, my itchy hands managed to click my trusted P & S camera’s shutter once just to capture the church’s view from there.)

I think that Baclayon church itself is already a museum. However, I suggest that you visit the museum for a wider appreciation of the history and the legacy of its founders and everyone else who were involved. Just a warning though, there is a dress code in the church and in the museum. I don’t know how strict they are in implementing this because no one interfered with my entry although I was wearing shorts (apparently, we dropped by there the same day we visited the Chocolate Hills and the freaky cute tarsiers). However, I noticed that the other visitors were handed a scarf/cloth to cover themselves.

If you will visit Bohol and you are fond of old churches, try to allot ample time to see the (at least) 32 beautiful Catholic churches which have their own charm.

I have moved in to a new flat which is nearer to my work place and covers a more economical lease agreement. Hence, one of the things that kept me busy as I returned from my vacation was the packing (and unpacking, ugh) of my stuff. I could have done it before I went on holidays to the Philippines, but I just did not want to stress myself that time. Anyway, moving out and in was a breeze. Thanks to my employer who recommended the movers who were very reliable when it comes to shifting stuff. If you are based in Abu Dhabi and need the same service, let me know.

(Yes, that’s the cocktail photo that I took from the food photography workshop.)

We held the housewarming plus the joint birthday celebrations of friends last weekend. We realized that we did miss each other sooo much because it has been so long since the last time we randomly gathered. Since some of us spent the holidays in the Philippines, we did not have our usual pre-Christmas party. After the chatter over very good food, which were all “outsourced” by the way (i.e. I did not cook any, even the desserts, heehee), we felt so re-energized although we practically consumed our energy in laughing over trivial stuff (politics, personal lives, etc.) and well, eat, eat and eat.

(We had sisig, dinuguan, caldereta, embutido, palabok, turbo broiled chicken, adobo, and cheesecake.)

By the way, I have done a little rearrangement of the living room to accentuate it with Filipino decors. But overall, I think that it turned out to be a fusion of Asian look.

These musicians and ballerinas are being sold in Bayti (Arabic term for house) in Marina Mall. I particularly liked these because they are made in the Philippines. Yehey for more Filipino products in the UAE! Remember the Lolo Jose lamp?

(Here’s Sandy Iggy from the sisterhood of traveling Igorota joining Princess Leia and R2-D2 from Star Wars from my online exchange gift partner and the Philippine Jeepney from upto6only.)

(My dear friends-visitors ransacked my DVDs. Hahaha.)

(Another ballerina guarding the digital photo frame. And yes, that’s me on it.)

It was definitely the most fun weekend of my January. I wish all of us a great February. Things can only get better.

Have a happier new year, everyone!

I would be flying to Manila in few days and I am glad that I still had a chance to drop by in paskuhan/Christmas bazaar in Philippine Embassy (Abu Dhabi Office). The participating booths include offers and services from real estate companies, professional organizations-Abu Dhabi chapter, those offering livelihood awareness, a shoe company, Filipino restaurants, and more. The atmosphere is very festive with those banderitas and Christmas lanterns. Some of the amusing finds:

The above Christmas decor was neatly stuffed with bottles. I also liked the shells and photos combo from Pangasinense group and Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang Aawit sa Abu Dhabi (OPMAD).

The bazaar will run from 11th to 17th of December. Don’t forget to visit my friends’-colleagues’ booth (#2). You can get the best siomai, siopao, and squidballs in Abu Dhabi only from them!

In response to invitation from friends, we have tried the dinner buffet in Saffron, Atlantis Hotel in Dubai. While I’ve taken a lot of food photos, I find these (contained in this post) the most appealing at this hour because of the hallucination it brought me.

If only not for the pending reports that I still have to finish before I go on leave, I am hugely ready to hit the Christmas Island already. (On random encounters with other expats, I always wanted to say that I am from the Christmas Island. Seriously, I think that the Philippines is, for the obvious reasons that it does the longest celebration and the spirit and air are embracing us big time effortlessly.) Incidentally, my eyes are now seeing beyond the surface: the lotus rice looked like a bibingka to me, the chocolate fountain as tsokolate batirol, and cakes and tarts as puto bumbong and other Pinoy kakanins.

I feel guilty for not spending more time with the oven lately. Blame it on my work (heehee, that’s a joke, of course) and my other interests. Anyway, we had a potluck last week and I volunteered to bring the dessert. Since it’s the season to be jolly and even jollier, and eat more, here’s this easy fudge brownie recipe for you.

You will need:
1 cup butter
4 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs if you like it fudgy and chewy (or 3 eggs if you want it to be cake-like)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan (or other pan size, in this case, I toyed and opted to use a heartshaped pan. In 3-quart saucepan over very low heat, melt butter or margarine and chocolate, stirring the mixture constantly. Remove from heat, and stir the sugar into the chocolate. Allow the mixture to cool slightly. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour and salt; stir into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the walnuts. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake in oven for 30 minutes. Brownies are done when toothpick inserted into center come out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack.

To add some colors, I put the same kind of sprinkles I used for the Disney princesses cupcakes. On to a geek cum childlike mode, I used Albert Einstein‘s and one of Strawberry Shortcake’s friends’ figures as toppers.

On a happy note, a friend is on her first trimester of pregnancy and was craving for the same brownie. I willingly whipped an extra share for her. I hope the baby’s complexion will not be brownie-like, but that he or she will get the sweetness and cheerful spread a brownie can exude. ? ? ?

Since the first year I have been miles away, I have learned to celebrate my birthday with people back home simultaneously (i.e. we munch on pancit or anything that symbolizes long life and other comfort food).  On the other hand, my friends-colleagues and I in this part of the globe do a sort of thanksgiving for the added year that we have wisen up. I must say that we are intentionally mindful of each other’s birthday and other occasions because these are the perfect chance for us to get together, to withdraw from the inherent monotony (we all have that eh?). We have tried something very different from last year, plus that I had a joint celebration with a colleague.

(Left to right: The hummus-like tomato dip, scallops carpaccio with lime vinaigrette, foie gras, and langoustine lobster ravioli)

We are most of the time loud when we go out as a group. Hence, when the Reservation Manager told me that the place is intentionally set as romantic such that unnecessary noise is discouraged (take note that kids are not allowed during dinner), I had to ask and warn her, at least twice, that we will be loud definitely. That night, a long table was arranged for us, in contrast to the couple table set-up. Also, ours was strategically located with ample distance to the others.

(Clockwise: Lobster and bisque scented with vanilla, grean peas and asparagus, angus sirloin steak topped with beef marrow fried shallot and panisse, roasted turbot with baby leeks, tomatoes, capers and lemon peel, veal rack steak, eggplant puree and green apple sauce.)

Our conversation triggers ranged from mundane to out of the world topics. A classic and tested formula that is hard to beat: random talks over good food and good company go on and on that you forget the time. From the minute we stepped in, until I appreciated foie gras (duck liver) and lobster (funnily coined by one of our colleagues as “love-ster”; seriously, all the dishes were worth the price) so much, to the point that my  fellow celebrant and I blew our birthday cake, it actually took two hours for the restaurant to complete the 360 degrees turn.

(The birthday cake. Whoever did the inscription had mistaken me as a man, and referred to me as “Mr. Jo”. Ha ha ha. On the fourth frame is my fellow celebrant with his cheerful wife.)

There is a small funny story about the birthday cake. As one of the restaurant’s policies, cakes not sourced from them are discouraged. Otherwise, an indemnity form shall be signed by the guest to mitigate the risks that might emanate from the cake which is not “homegrown” (well, that is how I wanted to call it). “But I want to bake my own birthday cake and bring it to dinner!”, of course, I just had to throw a joke to the Reservation Manager. But she took it seriously and gave me a lengthy explanation (over the telephone) with her French-Italian accent. Anyway, the (white forest) birthday cake was beautifully and deliciously done. I currently do not have the capacity to do that (winks). The pianist played the birthday song as the staff approached our table to give the cake. The entry was too cute as there were three sparkling candles on it which made the slightly lit area more dramatic.. err, romantic. From that minute until the “express your wish” part, I felt the camera flash and continuous video recording. Thank you for the coverage, friends. Ha ha ha.

[Clockwise: The revolving restaurant on the most upper floor of Le Royal Meridien Hotel, a replica of an Emirati boy displayed infront of the hotel's souvenir shop, artificial ice cubes in the lobby (probably to reverse psyche the summer's heat?), and the area dedicated to us, standing is a friend who religiously took videos (thank you!)].

Celebrations do not have to be fancy. Whether we are munching anything over the grass, gracing a picnic, doing a bowling party, and the like, togetherness is what matters a lot. The fact that there is a restaurant which revolves, is just the icing on the cake.

Al Fanar Revolving Restaurant is in Le Royal Meridien Hotel, Khalifa Street, Abu Dhabi
Landline: +971 2 6950490 [Open Friday-Wednesday  12:30 PM to 3:00 PM, 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM; Thursday 7:00 PM to midnight]