city of power rangers

The start of the year 2013 was a stir. After I came back here in Dumaguete City from my Christmas vacation, people were very busy buying helmets in accordance with 

republic act no. 10054 which mandates all motorcycle riders, including drivers and back riders, to wear standard protective motorcycle helmets at all times while driving, whether long or short drives, in any type of road and highway.

Dumaguete, aside from being tagged as the City of Gentle People, is also known in southern Philippines as the city of motorcycles. So just imagine the hustle and bustle of the people around because police officers were waiting in some road intersections, stopping these motorcycle riders without helmets. Some tricycle drivers were kind enough to warn them to avoid the intersections.

While riding on a tricycle one day, the driver and the other passenger were talking about the helmet law. Both of them do not agree with it. They pictured a scenario in which people carry their helmets while going inside the church. And worse, carry it while taking the communion. It would really look so ridiculous! And the three of us laughed.

Forwarded funny text messages were starting to circulate around regarding the helmet law. Here is one:

These are my very cooperative co-teachers who transformed themselves into POWER RANGERS!!!

holiday specials

In every occasion, there are certain foods that we dare not to miss. Like fruit cakes! It is also called the Christmas cake but in some parts of the world, fruit cakes are served during weddings.

It has been our tradition every New Year's Eve to prepare twelve kinds of fruits that are round in shape. It is said that this could be a good 

start to have a 

prosperous year or should I say, fruitful year.

Some people believe that in order to lengthen the existence, it is ideal to celebrate Anniversaries with pasta foods like spaghetti, bihon (rice noodle) and etc. Their elongated shape says it all.

When it comes to matters of the heart, chocolates and other sweet treats add more sweetness to those who celebrate the Valentine's Day.

In celebrating your Big Day, birthday cake is a must. It is the highlight of the celebration when it is time for the celebrant to make a wish and to blow the birthday candles.

Lechon... the center of attraction on the table during Festivals here in the Philippines. Lechon is a whole roasted pig cooked over charcoal. The crispiness of the pork skin is something to die for.

On the other hand, roasted turkey in Canada and in the US is the counterpart of Philippines' lechon. It is the "star" of their Thanksgiving celebration.

Finally, Christmas seems not complete if a ham is not part of the menu. This is the time of the year wherein volume orders of ham are evident. We just could not help keeping the ham on the Christmas table.

Whatever festivities there is, glorious food is always something that we enjoy. But don't forget to find a way to remove those carbs and cholesterol... 

  How about a cup of tea?

                         

Christmas, all roads lead home...

I was just right in time for the Ceres bus to start the trip for Cebu City.There were just a number of passengers that time so I was able to find a nice seat which was the window side. That is one thing I like when traveling. I get to see beautiful scenery and breath-taking views.

In less than an hour, we reached the port of Bato, Santander where the bus and other vehicles were boarded in a barge boat bound for Tampi. Then from Tampi, we continued our land trip straight to Cebu City. It was a longer trip this time so I took naps from time to time.

Finally, we were in Cebu Ceres terminal. Passengers who were bound for Dumaguete City were crowding at the very entrance, trying to get inside the bus, thus giving us a hard time getting out. These people were really out of control and were delaying us from our next trip. Haaayyy.... The fuss of peak seasons.

Well, thank God I managed to get out of the bus and was able to hail a cab. It took almost two hours before I finally reached the airport and I thought to myself, "Hey, the driver tricked me! He was taking his time touring me around the city just to be able to earn big time!" Bad trip...

Anyway, I arrived at the airport safe and sound. Talking about safety, I opted to stay at the airport even if my flight was on the next day yet. Fifteen hours is nothing if you just don't think about it. True enough, before I knew it, it was already five o'clock in the morning. 

Passengers were starting to form a single line... a very long line, actually. In times like these, patience really come in handy. To make the long line short... I mean, long story short, I was already in the boarding area.

Good thing my flight was delayed for only six minutes. Even the weather was very cooperative despite the bad weather predictions on that day. It was also my first time to ride on a plane with a lady pilot maneuvering. I can say that the trip was indeed smoothly done and when it touched down... SUAVE! Great job, lady pilot. Clap, clap, clap!

My brother fetched me in Davao City airport. It was so nice to see my brother and to be back home again and to be reunited with my parents. 

All roads lead home... Occasions like Christmas, lead you back home...