tree friend
magical ride
Rain and sniffles is not a good combination – it makes me cranky and restless. I could bite people’s head off when not in a good mood. I love the rain but i hate the sniffles – its giving me parties in my head (aka migraines) that even Alaxan can’t alleviate the throbbing pain. Hmmm. I think that’s the reason why I have the urge to eat chocolates like an expectant mom. Nope. I’m done with the “expecting” part.
Anyhoo, since its the new President’s 1st State of the Nation Address today, I’ll post a national symbol. The kalesa/ caritela is a horse-drawn carriage used as a mode of transportation in some areas here in the Philippines. Here in Cebu its called tartanilla and its still being used in Cebu City’s downtown area, around Colon, the oldest street in the Philippines. (see map below). The tartanilla is driven by a kutsero and its as colorful as the Philippine Jeepney. I’ll try to catch one when its not rainy, meantime here’s a miniature from my archives.
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a glimpse
History is written by the victors – Winston Churchill
If you want to learn more about the history of Cebu or the “discovery” of the Philippines by Ferdinand Magellan (as claimed by then conquistadores), do visit the 16th century church, Basilica del Sto. Nino, look up and you’ll see a glimpse of the history on its painted ceiling.
As for my opinion on Magellan’s “discovery” of the Philippines, I think we should discuss this personally. I believe that there are misinterpretations in the history of the Philippines. period. I stop here because I don’t have the authority to speak for it.
sunset
looking back
One of my best friends was in town recently for some R & R and part of her agenda was to retrace her Cebuano roots. Her father is a Cebuano who settled in Manila and married a Batanguena. The siblings rarely hear from their Southern relatives and are keen on retracing their roots since they recently discovered that a branch of the family is related to a National Hero.
So that Saturday afternoon, we went to Carcar City, 45 minutes away down south from Metro Cebu and looked for her relatives. It was a pleasant experience for us as we interviewed some people about the history of the prominent families from that place. No, we were not after family controversies, though we learned some of their colorful pasts. But we don’t know who should we look for instead we went to Balay na Tisa and interviewed the caretaker. The Balay is preserved as it was 100 years ago. i think the lady of the house was fond of the romantic Victorian era which is quite obvious if you inspect the decors inside. The photo above is just one of the numerous antique curios around the Balay.
The house was declared by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines as a heritage house last September 2009. I’ll post more about the house later. Meanwhile, as the afternoon sun peeked through the window, enjoy the photo.
a bit tilted
St. Catherine of Alexandria Church – Carcar City, Cebu
I’ve been to this 124-year old church several times but it was only during our last road trip that i had the opportunity to take photos. Despite the town’s (now a city) rich arts & cultural heritage, I find this church very simple compared to some churches around Cebu. I find the balanced and detailed ceiling painting fascinating. Something bothered me though, I took several photos but all came out quite tilted. I did not bring a tripod yet i put the cam on the table. Still no difference. For a moment, i wondered if it has something to do with my beliefs. Then I figured, the church ground isn’t even since its on a small hill, that and i need powerful lenses as well.
surprises.
One of the cool things about living in a small city is experiencing surprises that come up in some place within 5-10 minutes radius. We discovered a campsite (Boy Scout of the Philippines – Cebu Chapter) up on the hill in the middle of the city. We never expected a mini-forest inside the city! These wonderful trees are good to look at now, I love how the orange and brown leaves gathered under the trees, undisturbed.
one lazy afternoon
one lazy afternoon in a small town a little bit further down northeast of cebu city, my big guy decided to take the afternoon off to fish. he is rather new to this hobby and he thinks this is the perfect activity for him. his reason – it calms his mind and temporarily let him think of simple things other than programming and everyday life. simply put, its his recovery time. if you are into it, you know what i mean.
on a tangent. have I mentioned yet how good the sea smells? i couldn’t put it but it reminded me of happy, carefree days of yore.
this small lighthouse is located in a private wharf – porter marina. hmmm…the tower reminds me of the scarf worn by one of dr. seuss’s character…
