Custom Cakes and Cupcakes

It was the birthday of one of my closest friends, Daphnie, the other day. I decided to order cupcakes for her (which Lyn also helped me pay) from another friend of ours, Bernice. Bernice makes custom cakes and cupcakes that look absolutely amazing! I've waited forever for an occasion where I could order from her, and I finally had the excuse!

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A Pilgrimage to Simala

After being stagnant for months, I'm finally able to cross out another item on my bucket list: go on a religious pilgrimage.

The Monastery of the Holy Eucharist in sitio Lindogon, barangay Simala, in the town of Sibonga, Cebu was our destination. It is there that the Virgin Mary has been performing miracles since 1998. Over the years, the Birhen sa Simala (Virgin of Simala) has either shed blood or tears, with most of the miracles taking place during her birthday, September 8, which is also the feast day of Simala. Once, while her statue was on procession, the forehead hit an electric wire, which resulted to its bleeding. Because of these miracles, people have started going to Simala in droves, and what started as a small chapel run by the Marian Monks of the Eucharistic Adoration, has veritably become a castle that is starting to look like popular pilgrimage sites in Europe.

It was my first time to go to Simala. My mom and I went with the Diocesan Dumaguete Pilgrims, whom a number of family friends are members. The pilgrims of Dumaguete have been going to Simala for 12 years, and recently, the group has become a very important part of Mama Mary's birthday celebration. The group is now in-charge of feeding 500-1000 police personnel and security guards who maintain peace and order during the three days leading and up to September 8. It is a difficult task, but the group is able to do it through donations.

We were in Simala from September 6 to 9. We attended a lot of masses, a couple of them celebrated by Cardinal Jose Palma, Archbishop of Cebu, and Cardinal Ricardo Vidal, Archbishop emeritus. We were also able to witness a miracle. Yes, Mama Mary cried again during her birthday. It happened during the coronation mass in the afternoon of September 8. I was in front of the church, literally just a couple of feet from her statue when it took place. If you can see from this video I took, the monk has to keep on wiping her tears, and people were crying and sobbing in the background.

Simala has truly become a wondrous miracle site. The hills of Lindogon, once barren and desolate, is now lush and beautiful. Being there gives you a sense of serenity, and the presence of the Virgin Mary makes you feel that you are in heaven. Devotees go there to ask for favors, and of course to give thanksgiving, as evident in the seemingly thousands of testimonials sent by people.

On September 9, the Dumaguete pilgrims were given the chance to get close to the statue of the Virgin that shed tears the day before. Below is her picture. She was no longer crying openly then, but as you can see from the image, her eyes were watery. We were not allowed to touch her face because the monks were still waiting for a bishop to verify the recent miracle. It was a very humbling and touching experience.

Simala is approximately one and a half hours by bus from the city of Cebu, 

and a 20-minute ferry and 2-hour bus ride from the city of Dumaguete (via the port of Sibulan). 

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The Pork Chop and the Staple Wire

My close friends and I always go out for dinner every week. It started out as a "Thursday habit" that was then moved to Friday and subsequently became "TGIF." This week, my friend Lyn, who is the executive secretary of Silliman University's Founder's Week Committee (the festivities are ongoing, by the way) said that Friday night would be too busy for her. So we decided on a Thursday dinner again. Last night, basically. We chose to dine at Cafe Antonio.

The process of choosing a restaurant for our weekly gastronomic excursion is actually quite serious. The gang and I have a Facebook group, and it's there that we have a weekly poll on where we are to eat. There are always three choices of restaurants that we have not visited recently, and then we take our pick. 

I start the poll, because I have become the "bored" one who has all the time in the world to put up polls on Facebook. This week, the choices were Cafe Antonio, Gabby's Bistro and Hayahay Treehouse Bar and View Deck. Cafe Antonio came out as the unanimous winner, I guess because we have never been there together. 

Cafe Antonio is known for good food, great coffee, and awesome live music. When we got there, however, it was really warm (only one air conditioner was on). The tables were small, and the chairs too big. But we got past that. We are not divas after all. We are fairly easy to please, and we tip well--but that is beside the point. We settled in and started eating only after a short while, because in fairness, the food arrived very quickly.

We were almost done. I was chewing daintily on my food when all of a sudden I felt something hard between my teeth. I tried chewing again, trying to feel it, and when I was finally able to spit it out, it was a staple wire! A freakin' staple wire in my sizzling pork chop! I was horrified. I didn't even want to dwell on what might have happened if I had swallowed the thing. Thank God I didn't. Thank God!

We told the waiters what happened and they said they would replace the food. But I didn't want to eat anymore. I was really quite shook up. I no longer had to pay for the pork chop, but heck, that did not erase the fact that there was a staple wire my food! The experience was really quite distressing. We hightailed it out of there, and needless to say, this gang will never be going back to that place again.

Now friends, there is a moral lesson to this: always chew your food properly. Especially when you're at a restaurant! After all, you don't know what unwanted things lurk in that plate of seemingly tantalizing food.

The culprit.

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Kalikaf

After church every Sunday afternoon, my mother and I grab dinner at one of the restaurants in the city before we go grocery shopping. It's like a bonding ritual for us, and I'm always looking forward to it, as I love checking out restaurants... and of course, j'adore grocery shopping.

Last Friday, a new restaurant opened at Robinsons Place Dumaguete--a new branch of Cebu's famous Hukad sa Golden Cowrie. They specialize in Filipino dishes, and even though I'm not a very big fan of Filipino cuisine (except lechon!), I immediately wanted to try the place out.

As expected on its opening weekend, the place was packed. Even if we arrived early for dinner, all tables were already occupied. We had no choice but to look elsewhere. Enter Kalikaf.

Kalikaf, short for Kalikasan Cafe, is just two doors from Hukad. It's also a fairly new restaurant at Robinsons. In fact, they're still in the "soft opening" phase. They specialize in healthy cuisine using all-natural ingredients. I've eaten there with friends and family before. My first experience there was superb, but my second one was a bit blah, I think due to a different chef. This time, they did not disappoint.

Every Sunday they have a 199-peso lunch and dinner buffet. It was my first time to avail of this offer, and it was well worth the money! We started out with Kalikaf Soup, and it was just heavenly. One of the best-tasting soups I've had, I can say. They also had Garden Salad, Fish Teriyaki, which was really good, too, and Orange Blossom Chicken, along with Spaghetti Bolonnaise. Not bad for less than 200 pesos, especially with the added treat of homemade ice cream for dessert! My mom had the Turmeric flavor, and I had Buko-Pandan. Hers was amazing!

Kalikaf tries to pattern itself after Bohol Bee Farm, which is great because I've always wished they would come to Dumaguete. Now the next best thing is here. Soon, Kalikaf will also be offering one of Bohol Bee Farm's specialties: the Flower Salad. The restaurant even already offers another Bee Farm trademark: Malunggay ice cream.

To make the long story short, I love the concept of Kalikaf. I'm already excited to try out something really interesting in their menu the next time I go there: Veggie Cheesecake! Vegetables and cheese--yum! Tell me, how can you go wrong?

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Earthquake!

Today, at 11:49 am, Dumaguete experienced an Intensity 7 earthquake. I was at work at the time, and the quake was really strong! After the tremors subsided, we thought all was okay, but suddenly, some of our students mentioned receiving text messages of receding waters in the shorelines of the towns nearby. I immediately came home and told my mom to get ready in case we needed to evacuate. The husband of our housekeeper came, and he started telling us that we needed to get to higher ground. I don't know where he got the information, but we gathered our important belongings and documents and decided to head up to the adjacent town of Valencia in the mountains.

While we were on the road, they starting broadcasting on the radio that a level 2 tsunami alert was being raised in our province. Good thing we had an early start, because around 30 minutes after we started moving, people in our city apparently started to panic and were making a mad dash for the hills. The roads leading up to the mountains were full of cars and people! By this time, my mom and I were already safely tucked away in my uncle's house in an elevated part of Valencia.

Thankfully, there was no tsunami. Frankly, it's probably not likely that we will have a huge tsunami in this area because we are in between islands, but at that time, I don't think we were thinking. Fortunately, there was no major damage in Dumaguete. The earthquake, with an epicenter off the shores of the town of Tayasan, some 72 km north of Dumaguete, was still considered "inland". Although the center was in the sea, it was still close to land, so there was no tsunami. It was devastating in some towns north of the city though. Thirteen people have been declared dead in the province, with over 20 more missing.

The earthquake certainly shook us up, and now, less than 12 hours after it happened, there has apparently been over 150 aftershocks. We felt a handful of them, and we're all a teeny bit paranoid. We're hoping and praying, though, that there will be no more tremors.

Here are some photos from all over Negros Oriental, taken from Facebook, on this extremely stressful day.

Debris at Robinsons Place Dumaguete

Starting to panic, at the city center

In Guihulngan, the worst-hit town

In Tayasan, near the epicenter

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Boulevard Series: Le Chalet

I figured that there is no better to way to kick off my Boulevard Series than by blogging about my favorite restaurant in all of Dumaguete--Le Chalet. It's a quaint Swiss-style restaurant near the southern tip of the Rizal Boulevard, and is part of the Why Not complex, along with Why Not Disco and Chicco's, another restaurant.

Italian and Mexican on the menu

Le Chalet serves a wide range of international cuisine--from European, to Thai, to Mexican and Cajun. Never actually having been to these places, I really cannot tell how authentic their cooking is, but I do know that I love how food is cooked is Le Chalet. The flavors are subtle and nothing has ever been salty, which I absolutely cannot stand. The atmosphere is also just right for me, as it's got a cozy ambiance that will make you feel right at home.

A booth and a choice of wines

One thing I really like about Le Chalet is their salad bar where you can choose what to put in your salad. I'm not a big salad fan (I like my vegetables cooked), but since I can choose my own ingredients there, their salad bar works great for me. Their food prices average at 200 pesos for the regular menu, and around 400 pesos for the specials. This can be considered a little bit on the expensive side, but it's totally worth it. Their servings are huge compared to those of Philippine restaurants and two people can even share one dish.

The salad bar

Shrimp Curry

Spaghetti Carbonara

A side dish of mashed potatoes

Filipino Chopsuey

Cordon Bleu

Le Chalet is a regular hangout for expats in the area, and this could intimidate locals who are not used to the expat scene. It's a restaurant targeted at foreign customers, after all. Filipinos do not have to worry though, as I've never seen or felt any difference in the treatment of customers. I do wish the waitresses could be a tad more friendly, but that's to all customers in general, not just to Filipinos.

The bottom line is, I really like this restaurant. And until I am disappointed, it will be my favorite. I hope the disappointing does not happen though, because they have some nice food. Some of my favorites: a seafood spaghetti that is just heavenly (their Spaghetti Marinera), and the best pizza in town--for me, at least--their Quattro Stagioni.

This entry is part 1 of the Boulevard Series and is also posted at Everything Dumaguete.

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Dumaguete's Pride

If you are a tourist and you come to Dumaguete, there is probably one spot in the city that's going to stay in your mind--the Rizal Boulevard (named after the Philippine national hero who was said to have taken a stroll here while on the way to his exile in Dapitan). This is the stretch of boardwalk along Dumaguete's coast near the pier; a jogging destination in the morning that turns into a melting pot of lights, tempura vendors, expats, and SMB's at night. This where things happen; this is where the good restaurants are. This, for me, is Dumaguete's pride.

I have yet to see or hear of a lovelier boardwalk than the Dumaguete boulevard anywhere in the Philippines. I am really pleased that we have something like this here, which is the reason why I've decided to create the Boulevard Series, where I plan to blog about the people, places, and goings-on in the Dumaguete boulevard.

So sit back, relax, and allow me to take you on a tour of my favorite place in my favorite town... coming really soon!

tempura - different from the Japanese, the Philippine tempura is not actually a whole shrimp or a slice of vegetable, 
but is made of flour flavored with shrimp. 
It is deep-fried and usually sold in the streets in the late afternoon or evenings

Photos courtesy of revenui.

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I ♥ Negros

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Jutsz Café

One good thing about Dumaguete is that it just teems with places where you can eat. For a relatively small city, it has so many restaurants it seems the only thing people do here is indulge in food! A quaint restaurant that I've recently learned to love is Jutsz Café in Sta. Catalina street (right in front of another restaurant, Food Net). It was formerly known as Boston Café and is an unassuming little place that serves wonderful food at a good price.

In my opinion, Jutsz Café has the best pasta in town, my favorite of which is the Clam Vongole, a sumptuous dish of spaghetti and clams. It's the reason why I keep going back! Their Chicken Milanese is quite delicious, too, and very affordable. Their shakes are super creamy, and they have this chocolate cake, Cake or Death, that is simply to die for!

Owned by an artist and a favorite hangout of Dumaguete's literati, Jutsz Café's ambiance is very artistic. Paintings hang on the wall, and pictures of the city are displayed in one area.

The restaurant is definitely a worthwhile stop for Dumagueteños and visitors alike. A lot of people have yet to explore it, that's why I was encouraged to blog about it. It's unlike other restaurants in the area because of its personality. Outside, at night, you can even enjoy a candle-lit dinner under a cute little tree. Now, isn't that just interesting?

This entry is also posted at Everything Dumaguete.

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Fly Me to the Mooon

Ever since Robinsons Place opened in Dumaguete, I've become such a huge maller. I love going there to eat, shop, watch movies, or even just walk around. I've even coined a phrase with my friends that, "Everyday is Robinsons day." Haha.

One of my favorite shops to visit at Robinsons is Mooon Cafe, a local branch of the Mexican restaurant popularized in Cebu. I think I'm addicted to the place! I'm not really a huge fan of Mexican food, but their steaks are just so darn good (to me, at least--and also considering the fairly affordable prices)!

I have been going to Mooon every Sunday for the past three weeks with my mom after we go to church. Last Tuesday night, I was also there with three wonderful friends. We had a blast! I know I always have an amazing time when I'm with these three people, but the ambience at Mooon just makes it all the more conducive for bonding. With multi-colored tables and chairs, and interesting ornaments, the place is colorful, fun, and totally cozy!

Needless to say, I'm looking forward to more good times at this restaurant. So, uh, yes. Please fly me to the Mooon!

(I apologize for the bad quality of the pictures--they were taken with my phone. And yes, that night out made me realize that I do need to bring my camera with me all the time... which, by the way, I still have not been doing.)

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BPInoy in Dumaguete

My parents got invited to an event  in Dumaguete hosted by the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) for clients receiving remittances from expatriates overseas, as part of their BPInoy program. Since my dad is not yet here, I accompanied my mom to the event which was held last Friday at the Spanish Heritage. They stated in their invitation that they wanted to share some business opportunities with us, so I thought it was going to be one boring day. Fortunately, I was wrong. It was totally fun!

The main thrust of the event was to tell the guests about certain services BPI had available to bring the bank closer to their clients. They had some people tell us about these services, and they showed a video about how money should be managed by families of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). They also presented a business opportunity.

Having an account at BPI myself, I certainly am no stranger to their services, especially what they are heavily promoting right now, BPI 24/7 Banking. I've been using this service for a number of months now and I absolutely love it! With BPI 24/7 Banking, you can do your banking transactions (paying bills, checking account balances, transferring funds) online at http://www.bpiexpressonline.com. Most banks have this service so I'm sure this is not new to you. But what I love about BPI 24/7 are the services they offer using BPI Mobile. Yep, that's banking on your cellular phone! Transferring funds from one account to another and checking balances on your phone are even less hassle-free! I've been using it a lot to pay for purchases I've made on eBay Philippines. Aside from that, I can also use the money from my account to fund my GCash wallet and reload my prepaid cellphone. There's only one catch: you need to be a Globe Telecom subscriber. That's no problem for me though, since I've always been on Globe. Unfortunately, BPI and Globe are not paying me for this plug, although I did win P100 worth of load at the event, and my mom won a cellphone. LOL. But I really do love the service! I would recommend it to every Filipino with a BPI account.

Erik Santos

Oh, did I forget to mention that the Philippines' Prince of Pop, Erik Santos was there? Since his dad is also an OFW, he is the BPInoy endorser.

BPI - the oldest bank in Southeast Asia and consistently the most profitable in the Philippines
GCash - a service of Globe Telecom that allows you to send and receive money using your cellphone

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Pathetic

My friend, Lyn, and I ate dinner at Coco Amigos tonight. This is one of the restaurants by the boulevard in Dumaguete that is frequented by foreigners. It also happened that across the street, in the area known locally as the tempurahan (where vendors sell different kinds of street food), a group of artists from the city were having a show to celebrate National Arts Month. The title of the presentation was Balak Ug Balitaw sa Tempurahan. Balak is the Cebuano term for "poem", and a balitaw is something like a song or an exchange of love verses between a male and a female. The organizers described this show as "a gathering to give a spirited rendition of Cebuano poetry, with a sprinkling of Cebuano love songs". Needless to say, everything was in the local dialect.

The moment the show started, I immediately noticed the manager of the restaurant getting upset. He ridiculed it and complained aloud about how "noisy" it was. (And no, it wasn't noisy--it was a poetry reading!) A group of customers (Filipinos who looked like his friends) from one table joined in with him.

This really pissed me off. I don't know why the manager was upset. It's not like their establishment owns the area. It's certainly their fault for having an open-air restaurant. In my mind, they should have been thankful because something out of the ordinary was there for the tourists to see. They had their in-house entertainment and the sounds clashed, but it's not like the show was an everyday affair. I'm thinking he was probably afraid that their foreign customers would get upset because the show was in Cebuano, not English, and that it was not entertaining enough (no dancing girls dressed in skimpy outfits) for his retired expat regulars. What a perfect example of how pathetic Filipinos act when it comes to foreigners. We try to change everything we are to accommodate all their whims and desires. We no longer have any culture left!

I remembered Japan and how they treat foreigners. If you are a foreigner there, you're the one who has to adjust. You have to learn their language, sit on the floor, leave your shoes by the door, and use chopsticks. Here, meanwhile, we try to hide what we really are just to make them comfortable.

I'm not saying we go back to speaking only Filipino. I'm an advocate for learning correct English. I'm not saying we go back to wearing bahag, either. I just wish the average Filipino, not just the literati, would learn to appreciate, if not preserve,  our culture and share it with other nationalities. Because really, we should be able to offer more to our visitors than just women, sex, and servitude.

bahag - loincloth which was commonly used throughout
the Philippines before the arrival of European colonizers

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Dumaguete, Battered

What I thought as harmless rain last Saturday was apparently not very harmless after all. For the first time ever, my hometown had a major flood. It was not only felt in some of the areas of the city, but in surrounding towns as well. According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, five people died in my province because of flood and landslides. The situation was caused by a low pressure area in Mindanao.

Something as big as this has never happened in Dumaguete before. In some villages, the water was waist-deep. In areas near rivers, it was supposedly even higher. Nothing bad happened in my area, but we did lose water supply for a few hours yesterday. Some pipes were probably damaged.

A photo taken by a friend of a vehicle in the flood.

Thankfully, the waters have subsided and everything is dry now. Apart from the river banks, you wouldn't see any indication that the city was just hit by a flood, and life goes on.

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Rain, Rain Go Away

We had crazy rain the whole day today! I've never seen so much rain in my life. I also saw the biggest puddle of water ever, right in my front yard!

Fortunately, our house is elevated so we didn't have any problems. But I'm sure the downtown area of Dumaguete got flooded, because it's covered with cement all over. I just don't know how bad it was.

Eight to ten inches of water!

The platform where we place our lawn chairs, which is around 4 inches thick, was completely covered!

It's been raining like crazy here for the past year that I feel like I'm in England (although I've never actually experienced English weather, haha). Could it be an effect of global warming?

My mom was really scared we might have a flash flood today, but honestly, I just wanted to wade in that puddle we had. I've never done that growing up. I should do that sometime...

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