Tuesday, April 22, 2008
where in the world...
I'm a month behind in my postings--what with trying to have fun and not having constant access to the internet. So, in case you're wondering, we were in the mountains for about 2 weeks, then in Manila for a few days. We flew to Cebu on April 16, but have been in Dumaguete for the last couple of days. We will go to Siquijor in the next day or two. Then back to Cebu, maybe visit Ormoc, Leyte before heading back to Manila at the end of April.
alimangong bakla
It was around 3pm that we got to have lunch on Sunday (March 30). We decided to go back to the dampa or seafood market. In addition to the prawns (half cooked as tempura, the other half in garlic butter) and the grilled pork belly that we had last time, we also bought alimangong bakla. Literally, alimangong bakla means gay crab.
When you walk through the market, you’ll hear the vendors hawking crab that is babae (female), bakla (gay), or lalaki (male). We asked how the alimangong bakla is different from other crabs, and they would just say that the females are full or aligue or fat while the bakla is malaman or meaty. When we asked how the bakla is different from the male, they said that it’s the same, they’re both meaty. The vendor from which we bought our crab was, I think, telling us that the bakla crabs are meaty but can also have some fat.
(A couple of weeks later, when we ate at Seafood Wharf near Manila Bay, we again asked what the difference is between the three kinds of crabs. The guy showed us the difference in their undersides.)
When you walk through the market, you’ll hear the vendors hawking crab that is babae (female), bakla (gay), or lalaki (male). We asked how the alimangong bakla is different from other crabs, and they would just say that the females are full or aligue or fat while the bakla is malaman or meaty. When we asked how the bakla is different from the male, they said that it’s the same, they’re both meaty. The vendor from which we bought our crab was, I think, telling us that the bakla crabs are meaty but can also have some fat.
(A couple of weeks later, when we ate at Seafood Wharf near Manila Bay, we again asked what the difference is between the three kinds of crabs. The guy showed us the difference in their undersides.)
On this afternoon, we ate our food our Igmaan Restaurant. We thought that, since we are eating alimangong bakla, that this place would be appropriate as it has gay hostesses. Don’t they look pretty?! We had the crab cooked in special chili sauce, and they were yummy (but messy). We pretty much snubbed the rest of our food. As usual, we stuffed ourselves. This time though, we were so stuffed that we were nauseous.
picture
On Sunday (March 30), we spent a number of frustrating hours trying to get my picture taken. I am one of ten winners of the EBSCO grant to attend this year’s ALA Annual Conference. They required digital pictures (of a specific size and dpi) of all the winners, as there will be a display in the registration area. My friend in the US told me that the pictures I already had were not the right dpi and suggested that I try to get a picture here as it would be cheap.
We went to a nearby mall and first went to one of those digital picture places that do passport and group photos. They took two shots. After 30 minutes, we saw the pictures (we couldn’t just pay for the save digital photo—we had to pay for a couple of print shots, too), and they were awful. We thought that we should go to a shop that does glamour photography; there happened to be one in the same mall. It turns out that they will only give you prints but will not save it on a flash drive. We went to a different mall and the glamour photo shop there also won’t save pictures on a flash drive.
As it was late and I was already cranky, we decided to give up to on this endeavor. Instead, we went to get my eyeglasses (I just changed my lenses, but it’s much cheaper to do it here) and get a late lunch. Fortunately, when I checked my email, my friend had configured an existing picture so that it’s the right dpi. And the picture was much better than the one the shop took. So, I’m glad that’s over.
We went to a nearby mall and first went to one of those digital picture places that do passport and group photos. They took two shots. After 30 minutes, we saw the pictures (we couldn’t just pay for the save digital photo—we had to pay for a couple of print shots, too), and they were awful. We thought that we should go to a shop that does glamour photography; there happened to be one in the same mall. It turns out that they will only give you prints but will not save it on a flash drive. We went to a different mall and the glamour photo shop there also won’t save pictures on a flash drive.
As it was late and I was already cranky, we decided to give up to on this endeavor. Instead, we went to get my eyeglasses (I just changed my lenses, but it’s much cheaper to do it here) and get a late lunch. Fortunately, when I checked my email, my friend had configured an existing picture so that it’s the right dpi. And the picture was much better than the one the shop took. So, I’m glad that’s over.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
night out
On Saturday night (March 29), we went to Malate, which is where a lot of bars are located. We wanted to see Reggae Mistress play at the Penguin Cafe. Since it is supposed to be non-smoking inside, this bar is one of a handful that I can go to in Manila, as I can't stand smoke and Manila is full of smokers.
But, as I'm not really a night owl, we got there early (just after 8pm). The Penguin Cafe had their lights off--I think they were doing Earth hour, but they were the only ones doing it. They said the opening band would play at 9pm, so we went to eat dinner first. We had Korean food at Korean Palace. As you can see, we were quite hungry and forgot to take pictures of the food before we started eating it.
We went back to the bar at 9, and the opening band wasn't there yet. And I was getting sleepy. We waited a long time. The opening band--Greenleaf, who plays electronica of sorts--didn't begin playing until about . I didn't particularly like their music. The only interesting part was that this guy (the guy in the green t-shirt) started playing with the band. My friend told me that he is retarded,but he is very good with the drums and other percussion instruments. He is apparently a staple in the bars, and most places/bands allow him to play. On this particular evening, he didn't get to play get to play the big drum set, but he got to play other percussion instruments. And he is good. He probably has a better sense of rhythm than the other band members.
It was already about 11pm by the time Reggae Mistress played. They're pretty good. As you can guess from the band's name, they play reggae music. The singers are women, and the main singer (the one in the tie-dyed shirt) is over 50 years old. So, that's cool. But unfortunately, people started smoking inside and we were already tired from the long wait. So, we headed home. That's about my only night out while I've been here.
But, as I'm not really a night owl, we got there early (just after 8pm). The Penguin Cafe had their lights off--I think they were doing Earth hour, but they were the only ones doing it. They said the opening band would play at 9pm, so we went to eat dinner first. We had Korean food at Korean Palace. As you can see, we were quite hungry and forgot to take pictures of the food before we started eating it.
We went back to the bar at 9, and the opening band wasn't there yet. And I was getting sleepy. We waited a long time. The opening band--Greenleaf, who plays electronica of sorts--didn't begin playing until about . I didn't particularly like their music. The only interesting part was that this guy (the guy in the green t-shirt) started playing with the band. My friend told me that he is retarded,but he is very good with the drums and other percussion instruments. He is apparently a staple in the bars, and most places/bands allow him to play. On this particular evening, he didn't get to play get to play the big drum set, but he got to play other percussion instruments. And he is good. He probably has a better sense of rhythm than the other band members.
It was already about 11pm by the time Reggae Mistress played. They're pretty good. As you can guess from the band's name, they play reggae music. The singers are women, and the main singer (the one in the tie-dyed shirt) is over 50 years old. So, that's cool. But unfortunately, people started smoking inside and we were already tired from the long wait. So, we headed home. That's about my only night out while I've been here.
Monday, April 14, 2008
morning along the bay
On Saturday (March 29), we left the house early (around 7am), so we could go to Manila Bay and watch the dragon boat race. We decided to pass by the CCP Complex quickly, so I can see some of the activities that go on there during weekend mornings. Apparently, a number of groups do all sorts of exercises, such as tai chi, aerobics, dance, etc. Followers give donations to the exercise leaders. When we got there, it was late already (they are there by 6am), but we still saw groups stretching, doing aerobics, and doing dance.
As we walked along the bay, we saw some of the dragon boat competitors gathering and stretching. We found a shady spot on the breakwater wall and awaited the start of the races. While we waited, we watched people, including competitors, spectators, vendors, and those just hanging out. It was nice to be by the water, but I was creeped out by the ipis- or cockroach-looking bugs on the rocks below. The races were cool, but as we were situated closer to the beginning of the starting line, we couldn’t really see/feel the excitement of the finish line. We saw about five heats or so before it got hot and we went off in search of breakfast.
On the way, we saw a man creating art from plastic liter-sized soda bottles. We also saw Malate Church. When we went in, we saw that they just had a wedding and they were in the midst of taking the wedding pictures. We saw a dimsum place, but it wasn’t open yet. L We ended up at Aristocrat Restaurant instead. The food was alright. What I didn’t like was seeing the pairs of foreigners with young Filipinas who are almost certainly prostitutes. That is one of my pet peeves—I hate seeing that. When we left the restaurant, big groups of diners were coming in. I’d forgotten March is graduation time here. That’s an interesting juxtaposition of youths and their futures.
evening along the bay
On Wednesday evening (March 26), after a too-long day on the computer—transcribing and updating this blog, we headed out to the CCP Complex on foot. I needed to get some air and exercise, and we also needed dinner.
My companion said we should eat at Jumbo Kingdom, a “floating” restaurant—meaning the restaurant is one big ship (apparently, same as the ones in Hong Kong), but it’s not actually one of those cruising/sailing restaurants. Since it looked a bit fancy, we asked if there was a dress code. The guard said yes and said we couldn’t go in because we were wearing shorts and tsinelas (flip-flops). Whatever. First of all, most tourists are in shorts & flip-flops. And, the restaurant was almost empty.
So, we headed next door to Gloriamaris instead. I think they would probably have preferred if we were more dressed up, but they weren’t stupid enough to let us walk out the door. I hadn’t had Chinese food since I arrived (or after I ate here), and it was good (but pricey)! We had tofu and mushroom clay pot, crispy duck, and shrimp balls.
I found this restaurant interesting because everyone there was Chinese, except us and the serving staff. By Chinese, I don't mean that they're all from China, but that they looked very Chinese and were speaking in Chinese. Though many Filipinos have some Chinese blood in them, these folks are obviously more Chinese than most. They are also stereotypically rich, as evidenced by their appearance, nannies, and the fact that they are at a pricey restaurant.
On the walk back home, we saw that there was a live band playing at one of the restaurants (Yakitori Dori), so we sat on the breakwater and listened for a little bit. Further down our walk, we saw a foursome practicing their dance choreography and, right across the way, another group practicing their singing. The CCP complex sure is a hubbub of activity, even at night. It all made for a very pleasant evening.
My companion said we should eat at Jumbo Kingdom, a “floating” restaurant—meaning the restaurant is one big ship (apparently, same as the ones in Hong Kong), but it’s not actually one of those cruising/sailing restaurants. Since it looked a bit fancy, we asked if there was a dress code. The guard said yes and said we couldn’t go in because we were wearing shorts and tsinelas (flip-flops). Whatever. First of all, most tourists are in shorts & flip-flops. And, the restaurant was almost empty.
So, we headed next door to Gloriamaris instead. I think they would probably have preferred if we were more dressed up, but they weren’t stupid enough to let us walk out the door. I hadn’t had Chinese food since I arrived (or after I ate here), and it was good (but pricey)! We had tofu and mushroom clay pot, crispy duck, and shrimp balls.
I found this restaurant interesting because everyone there was Chinese, except us and the serving staff. By Chinese, I don't mean that they're all from China, but that they looked very Chinese and were speaking in Chinese. Though many Filipinos have some Chinese blood in them, these folks are obviously more Chinese than most. They are also stereotypically rich, as evidenced by their appearance, nannies, and the fact that they are at a pricey restaurant.
On the walk back home, we saw that there was a live band playing at one of the restaurants (Yakitori Dori), so we sat on the breakwater and listened for a little bit. Further down our walk, we saw a foursome practicing their dance choreography and, right across the way, another group practicing their singing. The CCP complex sure is a hubbub of activity, even at night. It all made for a very pleasant evening.
museo pambata
It was already around 4pm when we left Pantalan Maynila. There are two museums nearby: Museo Pambata (Children's Museum) and Museo ng Maynila (Museum of Manila). As we figured both museums would probably close at 5, we had to pick one. As the Museo Pambata is on our places-to-go-to list, we chose to go there.With less than an hour (more like 45 minutes) to go through the museum, we had to rush through the exhibits. (That may be just as well, as it was really hot in there). We went through the following theme rooms:
Katawan Ko (My Body), where you (or, at least, the kids and the kids at heart, like us) enter the room through the mouth of a giant head. There are oversized replicas of body parts, as well as activity stations related to the body. Unfortunately, many of the interactive portions did not seem to work.
- Pamilihang Bayan (Public Market), in which you can pretend to be a vendor at a number of neighborhood stores (e.g. vegetable stand, butcher shop, carinderia (a store that sells cooked food), etc.)
- Paglaki Ko (When I Grow Up), which shows various career options (e.g. firefighters, mail carriers, athletes, etc.)
- Tuklas! (Discovery!), which shows limited scientific concepts. Again, some of the interactive exhibits didn't work.
Maynila Noon (Old Manila), showing scenes from turn-of-the-century Manila.
- Kalikasan (Environment), which features simulations of a couple of natural environments.
One of the pleasant surprises was the Museo Pambata Library. From the hallway featuring the neighborhood shops, you see a sign pointing to the library. It leads you to a walkway with glass walls and from which there is this big tree that reminds me of the beanstalk from Jack and the Beanstalk. 
The library has a number of reading tables and shelves that are well-stocked with books in good condition. There was no staff when we went there, but it looks like they do some programs. It's a nice library, so I hope that a lot of kids actually use it.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
(lack of) food
After going around Ocean Park, I was starving. Actually, I was hungry when we got there, as it was already after noon. But, except for the food stalls outside, Ocean Park only has one restaurant. The stupid thing about it is that you can’t get to it from inside—more like, if you’re already inside with your ticket, you have to go all the way out to get to the restaurant, and you can’t go back in to the exhibits. So, we said we wanted to go to the restaurant first before we went it. And they acted like it was a strange request, and we were shown the back way. However, when we got there, they only had a buffet of uninteresting food. Outside were some dessert items. We thought we should just eat those to tide us over, but they weren’t good.
Once we had gone through Ocean Park, we saw that people had to go through the restaurant before they could exit. I think that’s really strange. They have this fancy looking restaurant serving non-Filipino food overlooking Manila Bay. I think you could either make that into a real fancy establishment with better food, but then you shouldn’t have park visitors going through it on the way out. Or, if you want visitors to eat there, then it should be more cafeteria-like with more food options.
Anyway, we had to wait until almost 3pm to have our lunch. We walked over to the nearby Pantalan Maynila, also on the bay. Here are pictures of the view and food (fried appetizer combo of pork intestines, crablets, shrimp, calamares; kare-kare (cow insides and vegetables in a peanuty sauce, eaten with fried bagoong or brined shrimp); ripe (as opposed to green) mango shake; grilled pork belly).
Though we would have liked to still sit down (we were tired) and chill, the bay water was beginning to smell, so we left for our next adventure.
Once we had gone through Ocean Park, we saw that people had to go through the restaurant before they could exit. I think that’s really strange. They have this fancy looking restaurant serving non-Filipino food overlooking Manila Bay. I think you could either make that into a real fancy establishment with better food, but then you shouldn’t have park visitors going through it on the way out. Or, if you want visitors to eat there, then it should be more cafeteria-like with more food options.
Anyway, we had to wait until almost 3pm to have our lunch. We walked over to the nearby Pantalan Maynila, also on the bay. Here are pictures of the view and food (fried appetizer combo of pork intestines, crablets, shrimp, calamares; kare-kare (cow insides and vegetables in a peanuty sauce, eaten with fried bagoong or brined shrimp); ripe (as opposed to green) mango shake; grilled pork belly).
Though we would have liked to still sit down (we were tired) and chill, the bay water was beginning to smell, so we left for our next adventure.
manila ocean park
After the luxury of staying at my uncle’s house and having a personal driver, the week of March 24-31 was mostly about work. I had to transcribe the interviews I conducted for my Emerging Leaders project, and transcribing is such a thankless job. It takes forever to do—it takes about ten times the time of the actual recording to transcribe it. And I can only do it in small doses. But I had to finish it that week, as the following week we were off to the mountains, where I didn't have access to a computer.
Tuesday (March 25) was set aside for fun, though. (I could not possibly stand just transcribing all week!) We headed out to Manila Ocean Park, a newly-opened but not quite finished complex that is supposed to consist of an oceanarium, open water marine habitat, boutique mall, restaurant row, and function facilities. It had its soft opening at the beginning of March, and it is really only the aquarium part of it that’s built.
We were visiting the Tuesday after Holy Week, figuring that most people will have just traveled over the weekend and would not be going the park. I think we were right (according to the cleaning lady anyway), though there were still quite a few people.
I’m not really sure how I feel about Ocean Park. I had just visited the National Aquarium in Baltimore a couple of weeks before I left for the Philippines, and I know I like that aquarium. (That was my second time going there.) I actually enjoy going to aquariums, but I think I expected something else from Ocean Park. 
I was thinking something more along the lines of seeing creatures in their natural and actual ocean environment, though of course how could that possibly be when the park is located along the murky waters of Manila Bay.
So, the tunnel is just really this section (towards the end of the exhibits) where it's sort of like an aquarium that goes around on all sides, including overhead. It's a cool notion and all, even if it's not actually in the ocean. But it did seem like a cheap plastic tube with lots of fishes. It absolutely lacked color in terms of the fishes--most of them were the silvery/gray kinds--so it definitely did not have the wow factor. The Philippines has such great coral reefs that it would be great if it could have been simulated somehow in this tunnel section (or featured in the smaller aquariums, for that matter, instead of the fake-looking ones that are there).
To me, the place seemed small (or maybe it's just that it's unfinished or seems unpolished). There wasn’t a great variety of fishes on display, though there were the usual suspects such as clownfishes, lionfishes, seahorses, and sharks.
However, there were some things that I liked because either I normally don't see them given focus or at all featured in other aquariums (unless, of course, I just wasn't paying attention). For instance, I liked the fact that there were separate aquariums for the magnificent sea anemone and the tube anemone (there was a third kind of anemone, but I don't remember what it was) were featured in their own aquariums. However, again being in the Philippines, there are also so many more different kinds of sea anemones that could have been featured.
I enjoyed looking at these live giant clams. I don't think I've ever seen them alive before. It was interesting seeing them breathe through their membranous insides. The bamboo shark eggs clearly showing the embryos are a bit weird. The Japanese spider crab, which is the largest living arthropod, lives at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, and can live up to 100 years, is cool.
Here are some other pictures that I like--the reef stonefish--said to be the most venomous fish in the world; a fish or small ray (can't remember what it is) barely showing in the sand; spotted garden eels sticking up and out of the sand; and yellow boxfishes.
I hope that what we saw is not the final, final product; I hope they're still making improvements. And I hope that they really feature and focus on the marine life of the Philippines and its surrounding waters.
Tuesday (March 25) was set aside for fun, though. (I could not possibly stand just transcribing all week!) We headed out to Manila Ocean Park, a newly-opened but not quite finished complex that is supposed to consist of an oceanarium, open water marine habitat, boutique mall, restaurant row, and function facilities. It had its soft opening at the beginning of March, and it is really only the aquarium part of it that’s built.
We were visiting the Tuesday after Holy Week, figuring that most people will have just traveled over the weekend and would not be going the park. I think we were right (according to the cleaning lady anyway), though there were still quite a few people.
I’m not really sure how I feel about Ocean Park. I had just visited the National Aquarium in Baltimore a couple of weeks before I left for the Philippines, and I know I like that aquarium. (That was my second time going there.) I actually enjoy going to aquariums, but I think I expected something else from Ocean Park. 
I was thinking something more along the lines of seeing creatures in their natural and actual ocean environment, though of course how could that possibly be when the park is located along the murky waters of Manila Bay.So, the tunnel is just really this section (towards the end of the exhibits) where it's sort of like an aquarium that goes around on all sides, including overhead. It's a cool notion and all, even if it's not actually in the ocean. But it did seem like a cheap plastic tube with lots of fishes. It absolutely lacked color in terms of the fishes--most of them were the silvery/gray kinds--so it definitely did not have the wow factor. The Philippines has such great coral reefs that it would be great if it could have been simulated somehow in this tunnel section (or featured in the smaller aquariums, for that matter, instead of the fake-looking ones that are there).
To me, the place seemed small (or maybe it's just that it's unfinished or seems unpolished). There wasn’t a great variety of fishes on display, though there were the usual suspects such as clownfishes, lionfishes, seahorses, and sharks. 
However, there were some things that I liked because either I normally don't see them given focus or at all featured in other aquariums (unless, of course, I just wasn't paying attention). For instance, I liked the fact that there were separate aquariums for the magnificent sea anemone and the tube anemone (there was a third kind of anemone, but I don't remember what it was) were featured in their own aquariums. However, again being in the Philippines, there are also so many more different kinds of sea anemones that could have been featured.
I enjoyed looking at these live giant clams. I don't think I've ever seen them alive before. It was interesting seeing them breathe through their membranous insides. The bamboo shark eggs clearly showing the embryos are a bit weird. The Japanese spider crab, which is the largest living arthropod, lives at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, and can live up to 100 years, is cool.
Here are some other pictures that I like--the reef stonefish--said to be the most venomous fish in the world; a fish or small ray (can't remember what it is) barely showing in the sand; spotted garden eels sticking up and out of the sand; and yellow boxfishes.
I hope that what we saw is not the final, final product; I hope they're still making improvements. And I hope that they really feature and focus on the marine life of the Philippines and its surrounding waters.
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