Rincon, Tostones and a Little Infatuation

They say Travel is like falling in love. Strangers at first. A glance turns into a stare, and then you're entranced. The stare becomes a longing gaze. You realize that you, the tourist, become the one conquered by a once-unfamiliar location. And that's how I fell in love with the sunset at Rincon. Specifically at "El Faro," or the lighthouse in Rincon. The rays of the setting sun shimmering over the waters were a mesmerizing sight. It was God's postcard meant to be enjoyed by our naked eyes. Sounds cliche, yo se (I know).

It's my second time in "La Isla del Encanto," and it has enchanted me a second time. We celebrated my niece's birthday with her abuelos there as well as Labor Day Weekend.

Up in the western boondocks of Aguada, we ate at a neighborhood restaurant which served chicken, "tostones" (smashed plantains then fried--Puerto Rican fries), burgers using Puerto Rican beef, and ribs. 

Puerto Rico feels like going to a province in the Philippines, because the houses are painted in the same bright colors, and the heat is similar. Except people spoke Spanish. Although a U.S. territory, people especially in the rural areas mostly spoke Spanish. In the more touristy locations such as San Juan, Puerto Ricans are bilingual. This trip meant that I could practice my still struggling Español. But I loved being able to do it even just to order or pay for things. I even delighted in asking a Walgreens clerk to look up my rewards card with my phone number. (Puede buscar con mi telefono?)

At that little food shack up in the boondocks, I watched a man inside prepare our order. He must have been chopping the pollos to perfection. But I couldn't stop staring at his face through the small order window, so much so that I zoomed in my camera to take one photo.

At least the sight of him made my pollos con tostones much more sabroso.

Waterpark in the Boondocks

Pardon my unpedicured feet, but I just wanted to show how they dangled from my first-ever mountain lift ride at Camel Beach Mountain Waterpark in Tannersville, Pennsylvania recently.

Yes, it's a waterpark right on Camelback Mountain in the Poconos! In the winter, this becomes a ski resort, so the lift would really be for skiers wanting to reach the slopes.

It was exhilarating to be "flying" while sitting. As I soared above the Poconos, I wondered if they have air ambulance service for places like this. The covered slides were like multicolored snakes below!

Aside from the breath-taking greenery viewed from above, it was also a good vantage point for checking out the queue status on most attractions.

This resort offers a picnic area conveniently covered with tents, available for rent for just $12 a table and can sit up to 8 people. Best of all, people can bring their own food and beverages with them at the picnic area (subject to inspection, alcohol forbidden) so you don't have to worry about buying expensive food unlike in most other water parks.

We got our money's worth that day, but forced to leave 45 minutes earlier than the scheduled closing time because of an afternoon thunderstorm warning. Wouldn't mind going back, as it's only about an hour's drive from our place!

Oh, Canada Post!

I was in Niagara Falls last weekend for a reunion which turned out to be an inconvenient time for mailing postcards to friends because the Canadian postal workers were on strike! So I got to buy beautiful postcards of Niagara Falls, and was even able to buy postage stamps at the post office which was conveniently located inside a Shopper's Drug Mart (kinda like Canada's Walgreens, where you can buy everything from cosmetics to Kinder chocolates (!) to funny tshirts).

And then the clerk tells me I can't send any mail at that time because of the strike. She also tells me I can't drop off mail at the mailboxes because they're locked. It was preposterous, but she was telling the truth, as this photo I took of a locked mailbox in Clifton Hill would show you. Note the sign on the slot that says "Temporarily out of service." Even the one just outside the post office was locked. She suggested that I mail my postcards from the U.S. instead. But I said that won't be authentic Canadian mail anymore.

Solution: I got to write one postcard to a friend in Vienna and left it with my cousin in Toronto to be mailed when postal services go back to normal. It did go back to normal a few days ago.

Personal postal issues aside, I hope the postal workers had a good negotiation for what they were requesting. And besides, today is Canada Day!

(See my blast-from-the-past Ottawa post office blog entry here!)

 

Driving to Canada to Drive Away from the Craziness

It's 8:21PM and I'm almost done packing for our weekend getaway at Niagara Falls, Ontario. We should be leaving around midnight tonight. I checked the weather earlier today and it looks like it's going to be a wet weekend. Anyway, we're really there for a reunion of sorts in a resort that's ironically called "Americana."

I'm supposed to perform with my mom and two other people in a dance number. And the purpose of my going there is summed up by the first few words of the song we're dancing to, specifically, "I came to dance, dance, dance, dance!"

Today was a bad day. The rain pretty much reflected the dreary mood. And to top it all off, I had to have my monthly visitor. Which is why I'm looking forward to driving away from this really bad day. And it's one of those days where I needed someone to tell me it's okay, don't worry about it. Don't drain yourself over it. But it's also one of those days that I needed a release.

Stupid menstrual hormones.


On a brighter note, I would love to be able to send some postcards while I'm there, but I am not sure if I can find a close enough Canadian post office where we're staying. I checked  their website and saw that their postal service is currently in some labor dispute. And I'm not sure if I have time to actually go to a post office since we are arriving on a Friday and each day is booked for events. We drive back to American soil on Sunday. Oooh, but now I'm seeing they have a post office in the same road our hotel is on and that they're open on weekends, too! (And on weekdays they're open from 9a-9p!!!) Looks promising for postcard-sending, then.

And I'm surprised their postal website even has a feature called "Comparison Shopper" that lets you browse for merchandise and electronic stores! The USPS website sure doesn't have that option! (And US post offices are never open on Sundays!)

Now let me finish my packing.

Arriba, Aguada!

Our home base in Puerto Rico was Aguada, up in the northwestern boondocks with winding roads that would later make your ears pop as you go further up, and you see the sky underlined by the aquamarine coastal waters nearby.

This is the Puerto Rican countryside, tucked three hours away from the hectic capital of San Juan on the opposite side of the island. Our plane landed sometime after midnight, so that when we arrived in my baby niece's grandparents' home,  my ears were welcomed by the nocturnal chant of the Coqui frogs. (I recorded their sound in my celfone) They are tiny tree frogs found only in Puerto Rico, named such because they croak in the same manner as their name sounds. Only one variety of the Coqui frog is known to exist outside of Puerto Rico, and that's in Hawaii.

Puerto Rico reminded me a lot of the Philippines, only the former is in Espanol and there is a strong Caribbean character embedded in its culture. They have similar histories in that they were both invaded by Spanish coquistadores. That's why it felt like being in the Philippines, only not as long-distanced in terms of flying there.

I was fascinated by how flowers flourished in Puerto Rico. Their hues took on a more vibrant palette. I figured that would be the result of being painted by the Puerto Rican sunshine and rainwater. Our favorite expression during our entire trip there was, "Look at the vegetation!" In fact, look at these orchids!

Speaking of sunshine, there is a region in Puerto Rico known as "Porta del Sol" or "Doorway to the Sun." This consists of the western towns of the island which Aguada is part of. It is interesting to note that the Taino tribes which inhabited Puerto Rico before being discovered by Christopher Columbus were sun-worshippers.

Puerto Ricans' rides were either four-wheeled or four-legged. Cowboys exist in Puerto Rico, too, as I saw with my own eyes. It was therefore not unusual to hear horses' hooves on the road after a car with windows rolled down and Latino music in full force just passed by. It's "Simple Life", Puerto Rican edition.
I wanted to ask if I can hitch a ride on his horse. But we were speeding past him to descend again to sea level.

(More cuentos (stories) to come!)

Vieques Vacation

Cue Bruno Mars' "Lazy Song," which will likely be drowned out by the louder Bachata music blaring from the sound system behind a little bar by the beach where I sat writing postcards from Vieques Island, just off the northeast coast of Puerto Rico. Like the carefree song goes, one of the best jobs you'll do here is to do absolutely "nothing at all!"

Well, we didn't actually do nothing.

We spent a night here where I rode a jetski for the first time, and went on a scooter to explore the jungle paths of this small island. We had to keep our eyes open for wild horses that would likely dart into our way from the dense woods. They roam freely like stray dogs out there! And we had to be careful not to startle them.

We swam at night, drinking cold Medalla beer in the Caribbean sea pretending to be dolphins and experimenting with underwater flash photography. We were blessed with rainless weather during our stay when there were flood warnings in the San Juan area the night before we headed for Fajardo pier (where the ferry leaves for Vieques).

Our scooter adventures also led us to some hidden, less-crowded beaches on the island such as Media Luna Beach. We only spent a day here and yet this was where I got toasted the mostest.

My favorite souvenir from Vieques was a locally published illustrated storybook of how Puerto Rico was created based on a Taino legend. Puerto Rico's first inhabitants were the Taino Indian tribe. The most interesting part of the book (apart from its price) was that the author was from the mainland United States who fell in love with Vieques Island and decided to buy a house and live there. His wife had followed him, intrigued by the author's infatuation with the island that he chose to leave the States for good. When the wife saw Vieques with her own eyes...she finally understood and stayed with her husband there. I heard this story from the clerk who sold the book to me at the small museum shop in Barrio Esperanza. She herself used to live in Massachusetts, then Florida, before settling in Vieques. And she knew the author personally, she said.

I hope to show you some pages of the book sometime. I had bought it so I can share the story with my baby niece, as the whole point of this Puerto Rico vacation was to have her discover her half-heritage early on, and especially since she still gets to fly free.

I also hope to get around posting some of my favorite vacation photos. For now, I just want to let you know that I'm still aqui! (here!)

Summer Soliloquy

I look forward to warmer days ahead,
when I shall go to Puerto Rico and be fed,
with mofongo and ice-cold piragua and maybe Puerto Rican lechon head.
Where I shall bathe in the Caribbean waters for the first time,
where I might taste their proud Bacardi Rum with a wedge of lime.

Where I shall see what sea critters roam their sand,
where I shall hear if the Coqui Frog croaks like no other amphibian on land.
Where I shall see the grandeur of Old San Juan,
where I shall spy what shoes womens wear there for fun.

I hear your call, "La Isla del Encanto,"
I await our sun-drenched encounter, en el verano.

(Photos were taken from my Philippine vacation in May 2010 in Capiz. This is my entry for Kayni's Cherry Blossoms Giveaway!)

Litratong Pinoy #97: Karampot (Small Amount)

At a fishpond in my hometown in Capiz province in the Philippines last summer, a fisherman cast his net in the water, hoping to catch some fresh milkfish. It was high noon.

Alas, only a small amount was captured, but it was enough to feast on that day. Pulled straight out of the water...nothing beats fresh!

And we all know that fish is a good source of heart-friendly oils that help keep you healthy. Some people might prefer using sites like http://www.hydroxycut-reviews.com/ to learn about weight maintenance; but remember what the doctor always prescribes: a healthy diet and consistent exercise!

Kakarampot man ang bangus na nadampot sa palaisdaang ito sa aming probinsya, panalo naman kami sa pagkasariwa nito!

Sweet Dreams Are Made of...Coconuts?

I've been having recurring dreams lately of being on the beach. More recently, I dreamt of being on this strange beach where germinated coconuts, that is, coconut saplings with young palm leaves already sprouting from within--were floating quite abundantly on the waters.

In that same dream, I was having this conversation with someone about "tuba," or native Philippine coconut wine. I was explaining to the man the method of collecting the coconut sap from the tree like I was an expert. In reality, I only know it vaguely from watching my grandfather do it when I was a child vacationing in the province.

In a previous dream, I was lying facedown on a beach with black sand, my back to the sun baking lazily away.

And today, the answer to this SEA-rious dream mystery finally dawned on me: my sister, her boyfriend, my little baby niece and I are going to Puerto Rico in May. Yay!

I just googled "black sand beach" and saw that Puerto Rico does have them. The last black sand beach I was on was in Cavite, Philippines, during my childhood. When I reached adolescence, the blackness was due more to pollution than natural occurrence.

I hear Puerto Ricans are more crazy about plantains than coconuts out there. I am excited, nonetheless! Not worried about getting quality ambience while there, I am ready to be enchanted by "La Isla Del Encanto!"

(The coconut beach scene above is from my Capiz summer vacation last year. We ate coconuts right by this beach!)

Capiz Cop Car

A while back I featured police cars from Atlantic City, NJ and Ottawa, Canada. Here's one from my native Capiz, Philippines, photographed last May 2010. This police car was parked near the town plaza during the fiesta.

Obviously, it's a Toyota--trusted car model in the Philippines. I don't think I've seen a Philippine police car in a Honda Civic, Volkswagen CC, or a BMW X5-Series type. Perhaps I'll have more luck seeing a politician riding any of those models. But my parents who have been to Germany would tell me that police cars (Polizei) and even taxi cabs out there are Mercedes Benzes! They have a photo with such Deutsche dirt-devils!

My teenager cousin from Chicago who went to the Philippines for the first time last summer with us asked where the policemen were. She noticed how they're not that visible in the streets doing rounds. My mom jokingly replied, "You don't see them in public a lot because they're at the beer gardens." You can tell by her perplexed face that she was begging for more info.

My curious cousin eventually found cops, in the middle of the sweltering Divisoria heat. She was so happy, she actually posed with the cops for a photo. The seemingly starstruck cops gamely posed with her. They probably thought she was some Fil-Am TV star out on the streets for a little bargain-shopping. When one of them asked her "how old are you?," they knew it was a cue to hit the New Divisoria Mall.

Cauldron and Cat in Capiz

If I translated the title to my native dialect, it would be "Kaldero kag Kuring sa Capiz"--still faithful to my tendency to alliterate with the "K" sounds.

This is what a traditional, countryside kitchen looks like in my rural hometown in Capiz. Cooking is a tedious process without an electric stove or gas range, but the wood-cooked meal tastes more hearty. Just make sure your cat doesn't enjoy your food before you do. They tend to hang about the kitchen like this one! Most people keep cats to protect their homes against rodents.

Surrounded by nature, people there can easily pluck their home-grown vegetables right from their backyard for an invigorating vegetable stew. There are unique veggie dishes that I can't find anywhere else except in Capiz, such as the long roots of the gabi (taro) plant locally called "takway" that are peeled, chopped, then cooked adobo-style.

It's no wonder then that the people would also look to their backyard or the nearby woods for home remedies for blackheads, stomach aches, or small wounds. When you live closer to the rice fields than your provincial town center, you have to make do with what Mother Nature gives you. It's just a matter of knowing what plant is good for what ailment.

Plants. vs. Zits!

Litratong Pinoy #88: Ingay (Noise)

I was lucky to catch the local festival in my hometown in the Philippine province of Capiz last May. It's called the "Tagbu-an Festival." The name comes from the local dialect's root word "Tagbo," meaning "to meet." Since my hometown is by the sea, most people are fishermen. The act of welcoming back fishermen with their catch of the day is called "Tagbu-an." Of course, what are festivals without merrymaking noise from happy townsfolk, such as these charming little banduria-playing girls?

And there were beautiful dancers in vibrant costumes, too! They all looked so young, I wondered if I should be shopping for the best wrinkle cream around.

There was a street-dancing competition in which dancers from different "baranggays" or town boroughs interpreted the same folk song. They were judged according to costume, choreography, and overall presentation.

Here's a short clip of a group's dance interpretation:

I looooove fiestas! They're loud, fun and delicious!

Halina't makiusyoso kayo sa piesta namin sa Pilar, Capiz! Maingay, makulay, at masaya!

Fly Like A G6

Have you heard that club song by the Far East Movement (which, by the way, is an Asian rap group)? I spent a day with that song spinning in my head not too long ago. The G6 may have political references, or simply a fast car, or a fast plane as implied by the music video's ending.

I just want to fly...period. And perhaps look "fly" doing it. At the beginning of this year, I had planned/wished on flying somewhere. I did get to fly to the Philippines last summer. This sign suggests that Los Angeles is the closest destination to fly to from the sign's point of origin which is Chicago's Navy Pier (where I was last June).

Anybody can fly on a commercial plane, but not everyone gets to fly on a helicopter to get a good vantage point for aerial photography. If you're too scared of riding a helicopter, these dudes can do it for you. They specialize in going up in the air to produce aerial videography and aerial cinematography clips for your creative use: travel shows, movies with skyline views while actually being in the sky--the sky's the limit!

Wo Ai Liao!

I finally got around to framing this 300-piece jigsaw puzzle inspired by Jimmy Liao's book "A Chance of Love," which has been made into a movie called "Turn Left Turn Right." I fell in love with this book which I chanced upon at a Hallmark Store clearance sale many years ago. Consequently, I fell in love with Jimmy Liao's art.

Imagine, therefore, my sheer delight when I spotted Jimmy Liao merchandise at the Duty-Free Gift Shop in Taiwan's Taoyuan Airport last June on my layover back from the Philippines. It was then that I remembered that Liao is based in Taiwan.

I finished the puzzle above in about three days. It was maddening to figure out where the yellow parts were supposed to go. But it was satisfying to find exactly where each piece fit. The size of the finished puzzle had odd dimensions: 10.5 x 15 inches, which made it harder for me to find a big enough (and cheap enough) frame.

I also bought this other puzzle: a 60-piece, 3-D one that's spherically-shaped when finished. A puzzle ornament! I haven't done this one yet. I should do it in time for when we hang ornaments on the Christmas tree this year. It also features romantic scenes from the book I mentioned above.

You can turn the ball around and see other scenes of them doing cute things together as seen in the book. Did I mention I have puzzle-philia?

Then I bought two of these pen and bookmark sets which feature art from his other book, "The Sound of Colors." The other set I already gave to my bookworm cousin in Illinois last summer. There are only a few of his books sold here in the States that are printed in English. I was tormented to see his other books in Taiwan that were in Chinese. Thus, I resigned myself to these items.

But because I was so excited to buy these, I didn't bother to calculate their dollar equivalent. Along with a slew of uniquely crafted Taiwan postcards and bookmarks, I ended up spending around $50 on my credit card! For stationery items! I could have bought other things with that money, like maybe Taiwanese desserts or natural acne cream from their line of beauty products. But I was happy with my purchase. I won't find authentic Jimmy Liao stuff where I live, not even on Ebay.

And I can admire the puzzle I painstakingly completed on my bedroom wall, where it now hangs.

Fly The Fashionable Skies

It's Labor Day weekend: the last throes of summer. While everyone else may have had Orlando vacation packages swirling in their minds, this sassy new TV ad by Korean Air caught my fancy. I've raved about my Korean Air flight experience before and how I absolutely love their bibimbap meal. Now this commercial just adds a level of couture to their already excellent flight service. Notice how this gigantic business traveler emerges from Manhattan's concrete jungle foliage. And watch the stewardesses do the catwalk!

I also love their uniform's Tiffany tint of blue! So elegant. So are the flight attendants!

Caesarean Kitchen

Looks to me like Caesar is craving for a salad...and perhaps croutons...with this frying pan and spatula resting on his feet at the casino named after him. Well, turns out that Food Network hosted a Food and Wine Festival in Atlantic City. We did see some chefs walking around at nearby Bally's Casino, with their toques on. Sadly, we didn't see any Food Network celebrities.

This recent trip to AC was another driving achievement for me. Actually, last week involved driving in such places as Albany (in upstate New York), Atlantic City and Liberty State Park in Jersey City. I had guests over from California so I toured them around. The only time I didn't drive was when I took them to New York City. I've been to the Empire State Building several times now, but it was my first time to climb it during nighttime. And the view was spectacular. The wait time to get to the top felt the same as during the day, though.

I'm becoming more confident about long driving! I should drive somewhere new while it's still summer.

I drove my friends to Newark Airport at the break of dawn yesterday. The freeway was foggy. Then I realized how relieved I am that July is over. It's the busiest month I've ever had.

Chicken, Not Bread

One of my little cousins did her own version of amateur stand-up comedy at her mom's 50th birthday party recently. Her inspiration was this Fil-Am Youtube ("You Choob!") comedienne over at HappySlip.com. The jokes revolve around the peculiar things that make Filipinos Filipinos in America, as well as the thick Filipino accent that makes words sound funny to the American ear. Happyslip is actually from the term "half slip," or that piece of protective fabric worn underneath sheer skirts. The Happyslip actress portrays members of her own family, and the butt of the jokes is always her mother.

So the joke goes something like this: Use "chicken not bread" in a sentence.

(In a thick Filipino accent): A girl went to the pool. She finds out she could not swim. She starts to drown. CHICKEN NOT BREAD! (She cannot breathe)

My aunt was proud of her little girl's performance. Her happiness wasn't defined by whether she owned wholesale lots or all the riches that money can buy (she had enough designer bags as gifts to enjoy for the next three years anyway)...just the fact that she was with her family and friends on her special day.

Perhaps my little cousin just become the next "You Choob" sensation.

This hen and her coven of chicks were photographed in my hometown in Capiz, Philippines last May.

Hot In The City

It was hot in the "Windy City" last month that these kids took the liberty of showering at the granite fountain in Navy Pier's Gateway Park. The fountain is powered by computerized jetstreams. This kid is just happy to be wet!

When you can't go to a water park, just head down here! But only kids get to do it. I don't think ATV racing is allowed in the Navy Pier vicinities, being that there's a Children's Museum in the area as well.

Taste The Rainbow!

We were lucky to have experienced "Taste of Chicago" for the first time last month. This annual summer food festival lets you sample the best that Chicago has to offer in either "taste" size or meal size! It's a theme park for your taste buds! It runs for ten days until the Fourth of July weekend. You pay for tickets and the food is priced according to tickets! For example, this Rainbow Cone sampler is worth four tickets.

The Rainbow Cone won me over in the dessert category. It's an icy-sweet fusion of different flavors like strawberry, chocolate, pistachio and orange sherbet. It gives you this delicious sensation of having the rainbow melt in your mouth!

It was so good, I got a second one at the end of the day. I figured I should think about the best fat burners some other time! It helped that we walked off what we ate when we went to Navy Pier from here.

The trick to getting the most out of this event is to pick just the "taste" portions so your appetite has room for everything else!

Will post more tasty snapshots from this event soon!

Old Chicago Post Office

We went on an "Architectural Tour" via Chicago River cruise last month, in which we craned our necks at different architectural landmarks along the banks of Chicago River. One of the buildings featured was the Old Chicago Post Office, built in 1921, which used to be the biggest functioning post office in the world.

It's so huge, it actually spans the Eisenhower Expressway. Yes, vehicular traffic goes through this building! However, this grand postal structure has long retired its use in 1997 and was sold in a public auction last year. In its heyday, one can only imagine the amount of mail they handled to deliver to various mailboxes, both commercial mailboxes and residential mailboxes alike, locally and around the world!

The size of this building is like one big mall, but for postal services! Maybe they should just turn it into a postal museum to encourage philately.

The Old Chicago Post Office is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and was used as the fictional Gotham National Bank for the movie "Batman: The Dark Knight."

Here is the tour guide who filled our 90-minute cruise with interesting architectural trivia that told of the history and the people behind the buildings. Just behind him is the Chicago Sun Times building. He was kind of cute.