mama's birthday at mann hann and wee nam kee

 My mom's birthday was going to be on a Sunday but mama wanted to spend it on a Saturday so we would have a longer time bonding since it would be my day off. But that meant we'd have to go to megamall in Pasig since Twinx and her hubby had to go to nearby Robinson's for a seminar after lunch. We'd also get to play with baby Alex while his parents were out. So I asked around and finally settled on Mann Hann, a chinese restaurant which also owned a Filipino restaurant beside it called Mannang. Megamall, though is not our usual hangout so we got a bit lost finding the parking area and finding the restaurant itself.

mojacko recommends: cake planet!

  Dessert comed first blogger Lori wrote about a new discovery here  so I just had to rush out of work and try it out myself. Not only was it so near where I live, its weird shop hours (1 pm to 1am) were just perfect for my schedule!

Wow Davao! Part 3: Where to go and some thoughts

This eagle is named Sir Arny. He is the only eagle not cooped up in a cage but one of his talons is tied to his perch so he doesn't fly away.

Since Davao City is so huge, it would be better to hire a taxi for a whole day to take you around the tourist spots of Davao. 

Stop the press!

I think I may have to change my choice for best movie of 2010... I only saw it this January but it is indeed my top choice of 2010 and maybe 2011!
Mojacko recommends...RPG Metanoia! It's the first 3D animated film  from the Philippines and it is amazing! Sure, the animation is not as fluid as Pixar's but it got the most important part right--the story!

RPG (Role Playing Game) Metanoia is about a kid who is awful at sports but a champ at online gaming where he is a hero who can slay monsters in an imaginary world which the creators have imbued with very Pinoy details like calesas, moriones helmets and cobble stone streets.. Circumstances lead him and his friends to give up gaming and discover Pinoy street games like patintero and piko. Meanwhile the gaming world is in turmoil as an evil player is turning everyone into zombies even in the real world! And now, only Nico and friends can save the world!

I love how proudly Pinoy it is (daing na bangus! owner type jeeps! sari-sari stores!) and how the creators have meshed their love for gaming with their fondness for the games of their youth without hitting the audience on the head with a moral lesson.

Best and worst of 2010

As we welcome 2011, we cheer and jeer the best and worst of the year that was
Best Movie Here come the Bride 
From the writer of 2009's Kimmy Dora comes Chris Martinez's hilarious body-switching comedy with Angelica Panganiban finding her true calling and upstaging comediennes Eugene Domingo and Tuesday Vargas as a gay beautician merrily trapped in a woman's body. It won't make any festival lists but it's the best stress-reliever!

Honorable mention goes to The Social Network, Toy Story 3 and Ip Man.
Worst Movie: The Expendables
I did not watch The Last Airbender or Jonah Hex so this may change but The Expendables was such a letdown because they got all these 80s action stars and they couldn't come up with a better/current story?

Best TV show: Big Bang Theory
Any show that frequently references comics is tops in my book. Funny, smart  writing, a great ensemble and
hats off to Jim Parsons for making an annoying character like Sheldon lovable.



Also noteworthy were Grazilda (the first few weeks) Magkaribal for the camp, the botox and for Angel Aquino's acting.

Worst TV: Willieng Willie
Of course anything with Willie Revillame back on the boob tube is disgusting as he pretends to help the poor but he's really exploiting them for ratings.
Sadly, there were other disappointments like M3(Malay mo ma-develop), Diva and 1dol, which tried to cash in on the Glee love but failed so badly they had to end it earlier than planned.

Best Song: Ako'y isang Mabuting Pilipino

No matter who you voted for, this song should be our mantra. We should BE the change we want to see.


Worst Song: Justin Bieber's Baby, Baby oh
Cringe-inducing! I guess all the hoopla about this kid  and his hair has created a backlash.

Best Book: "Sarap" and "Tikim" by Doreen Fernandez
How embarrassing that I only read this now. It was published 25 years ago and Doreen has passed on but the content is remarkable! One of the most fascinating is how patis is a Tagalog seasoning...the Bisayas use toyo, which they call patis. A cebuano uncle calls patis tagalog "Rufina"!

Honorable mention: Ilustrado by Miguel Syjuco. I didn't always get it but it is a mind-bending tale.

Best children's book: Araw sa Palengke by May Tobias and illustrated by Isabel Roxas

A charming story with lovely, lovely illustrations of a sleepy little girl who goes to the market with her mom.

Worst Book: Hmmm...can't think of any but I was disappointed by Suzanne Collins' Mockingjay which I read before I got to read The Hunger Games, which was much better.

Best Trend: Free online contests. I've already won one and an officemate has also been inspired to become a professional contest joiner!

Worst trend:  Jejemon!!! I hate those hats just placed on top of their head it made me do this Crazy Jhenny strip

 Best gadget: ipad
Definitely the most desired gadget all over because it looked so cool with the touchscreen which launched numerous imitations. Most of the contests I've joined now dangle this as their first prize.

Worst gadget: ipad
No, it doesn't/won't support flash videos (youtube!)out of the box, can't do multitasking, and you know it didn't include a camera so that the Mac devotees will also buy the next version. The ipad is basically a big ipod touch.  An expensive, hyped- up  toy for big boys and girls.
And yes, I still want one.

That's it! If you know of any best or worst I might have missed, tell me in the comments section!

some new shirts

here are some things I've been busy with: Above is a handpainted shirt of Wonder Woman typing the very Sex & the City lines "I couldn't help but wonder..." I've gotten requests for this shirt but I think this will go to my mom.

And this is a shirt my uncle asked me to make in remembrance of the death of Tita Cory. I designed this myself and was very lucky to find a good t-shirt printer here: http://pimpmyshirtph.multiply.com They're fast and the print quality is amazingly clear. And unlike the digiprint t-shirts I had made last summer, these shirts retain their sharpness and color after washing. I'm thinking of designing a wonder woman shirt and have it printed like this na lang to accommodate my friends' orders. Handpainting just takes too long!

Mojacko recommends: Last Supper # 3

Just watched Last Supper No.3, an indie film that won Best Film at the Cinemalaya fest. It's a dark comedy that doesn't resort to slapstick like Kimmy Dora but it's still funny just the same. A critic said something about Schadenfreude, delight in someone else's misery... and this was definitely the case with poor Wilson, a naive assistant in a TV ad who went through 3 years of suffering because he lost a tapestry of the Last Supper and the owners sue him. He goes through his own Calvary as he deals with the slow machinations of the justice system , from corruption, red tape and even the death of a judge! What' s truly shocking is that this was based on a true story! I do hope more people get to watch this so they don't have to go through anything similar.

Mojacko recommends:Kimmy Dora

You'd be crazy to miss Kimmy Dora, starring the very talented Eugene Domingo in the dual role of Kimmy and Dora! Eugene is not a comedian. She is an actress! Ariel Ureta is pitch-perfect as the twins' father.And of course, Joyce Bernal is back in her element in a rip-roaring comedy with heart. I was expecting laughs but was suprised by tears, too. Eugene masterfully portrays Kimmy's pain and vulnerability so effortlessly that the audience couldn't help but sympathize with the bitchy character!

I hear the movie's a hit even if it's a small film and this is great news for Pinoys looking for good movies. Go and watch it, now na! It's the ultimate stress-buster!

mojacko's recently viewed movies

I loved Guillermo del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth and I recently viewed his earlier work, The Devil's Backbone and loved it even more! It's a more straightforward ghost story with similar elements of Spain's civil war and creepy characters, human or otherwise.

T-D-B 1
Uploaded by blooppisaster. - Classic TV and last night's shows, online.

I wondered why we couldn't think of something like it that was intriguing, intelligent and steeped in local lore and history till I remembered we did. Before we started aping japanese horror, we had Diosa and Haplos way back in 1982! Although I was only able to watch them on TV in the afternoon during summer breaks.

Diosa starred Lorna Tolentino as a vengeful encanto whose treasures were stolen by a horny conquistador. Thereafter, every male descendant of that Spaniard was cursed to fall in love with a mysterious woman who would lead him to ruin. Brothers played by nerdy Lloyd Samartino and playboy Alfie Anido are the last generation who are ensnared by Lorna's beauty. Save for the dated special effects and some English diction problems ("What do you mean by that, huuuh?") this movie could put current films like T2 and Feng Shui to shame.


Even more haunting is Haplos, starring Vilma Santos as a modern woman caught in a truly bizarre love triangle with Christopher de Leon and Rio Locsin as a mysterious barrio lass who turns out to be a ghost who was killed by Japanese soldiers in World War 2!!! When Christopher finds out the truth he is so traumatized by it, Vilma has to ask for Rio's help as a last resort! The ending will leave you thinking of it long after the credits have faded.

I do hope we make unique movies again someday. I have heard good things about Yanggaw...

mojacko's recently viewed DVDs

Since Twinx's school was shut down due to a case of the swine flu, we bought some, ehem, DVDs to pass the time. We watched Coraline, T2 and Shake, Rattle and Roll X.

I had no idea about what Neil Gaiman's Coraline was about but it was an exciting experience! This is the only movie where I don't hate that precocious Dakota Fanning! From one of the makers of "The nightmare before Christmas," Henry Selick's movie is about the adventures of a girl named Coraline who finds a door that leads to a parallel world where everything is perfect except for the fact that the people there have buttons for eyes and her "other mom" wants her to stay there and sew button eyes on her, too! Plus, I love the roles of Brit duo, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders! Hilarious and scary!




Chito Rono's T2 is not Terminator 2 but stands for Tenement 2, the setting of the climax of the latest Star Cinema horror flick. It has an interesting and promising premise about our local folklore's encantos.

(SPOILER ALERT)

Maricel Soriano is a woman whose marriage is crumbling when she decides to bring an orphan girl to her new adoptive parent in T2 but all sorts of strange beings keep following them from Samar to Manila to get the girl who is a child of a man and an encanto.

My main problem with this movie is that is seems to have confused encantos with the aswangs. Encantos are enchanted beings who can be wicked and playful but not evil. Here, encantos turn into giant black boars, rats or wall-crawling creatures with green-grey skin who are vanquished by throwing salt at them. I also find it funny that in the movies, the encantos' world looks like Hong Kong Disneyland complete with fireworks, though a very interesting blog claims that this otherworldly beings do live in a very modern world replete with golden castles and hi-tech airplanes. (But what for, when they can travel anywhere in the blink of an eye?)

While Maricel is a competent actress, Rono should have reined in the young girl's OA tendencies and take a cue from Haley Joel Osment's mysterious turn in The Sixth Sense.

Finally, while we all started giving up on the Shake Rattle and Roll franchise after the brilliant first movie featuring Ishmael Bernal's "Pridyider" and Peque Gallaga's "Manananggal," right? But every now and then a jewel rises out of the muck like Lore Reyes' "Aswang" in part 2 or part 3's "Nanay" by Gallaga.

For part 10, upon my sister's recommendation, I skipped to the third part titled "Nieves" starring Marian Rivera as an encanto-buster who retires after losing her husband(Pekto) to an encanto queen. Far from being scary, this is intentionally funny and so refreshing! Forget T2, the encantos here are naughty, seductive and speak in a weirdly familiar language. It turns out one of the encantos (Iwa Moto) spoke swards speak (gay language!)

This movie showcases Marian's true calling : comedy! Forget another remake of Darna, they should make Nieves into a TV series!

This part got such good buzz, Regal Films is turning it into a full-length movie this year!

my top films of 2008

A little late and definitely not academy awards material, just my own personal favorite movies or ,ehem, dvds from the past year

Favorite family movie: Mamma Mia! I watched this on dvd with my family and I now regret that I didn't let my ma and pa watch this on the big screen...just pure unadulterated fun all the way. I had the songs playing in my head for a month!

Favorite comic bookmovie: Iron Man. Sorry Batman, I hate dark, depressing movies and while everyone hailed it as the best comic book movie ever, I enjoyed Robert Downey Jr.'s playboy millionaire more. Favorite animated movie: Kung Fu Panda. Again maybe it was because of all the hype, but Wall-E just didn't affect me as much as the other Pixar films like Nemo or The incredibles...Po and the gang took themselves less seriously and the result is genuine mirth and movie magic.Favorite comedy : Tropic Thunder. Robert Downey again saves the day as 'that dude playing anothuh dude' and true to his word, he's still in character in the audio commentary! Plus, my family could not believe that was Tom Cruise!

Favorite Filipino film: Endo

What? Nope, it's not a Star Cinema rom-com. It's a small indie film that very few people outside of Cinemanila saw...which is a pity because this charming tale of contractual ('end of contract') employees who fall in love sans the histrionics or 'acting' moments one usually sees in Filipino movies is poignant and so moving in its simplicity. Too bad it's still not available on DVD.

Honorable mention: Hellboy 2 for its arresting visuals like this. Those are eyes on her wings! The dvd I got is chock-full of special features detailing the creative process behind this movie.Wow! Wonder what del Toro's dreams look like.

I still don't have any picks for Drama. I've seen Slumdog millionaire, Benjamin Button,etc. on the bangketa but I'll wait for the true dvd copy. Any suggestions or know any other films I might have missed?

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edited to add:

Favorite Horror/Thriller movie: The Orphanage

Spanish language film that provided the thrills and chills without big budget special effects. Hello, Shake rattle and roll franchise of Mother Lily, it can be done! I never thought a game of "uno,dos, tres, toca la pared"(Spanish version of pepsi/7-up) could be so hair-raising!

Mojacko recommends: Minsan Pa

I saw a glowing review of Jeffrey Jeturian's "Minsan Pa" starring Ara Mina and Jomari Yllana a few years ago but I didn't see the movie because I'd been burnt before by a few Filipino movies that had rave reviews only to come away disappointed. And the controversial break-up of the lead stars prior to the movie's opening felt like a cheap promo that made me resolve to stay away from it entirely. Now, it turns out the break-up wasn't a gimmick and the movie was indeed deserving of the praises heaped upon it.

I rented the Vcd copy on a whim to view with my sis and mom one lazy Sunday and I was so blown away by this 'simple' unconventional love story. And having Cebu as the setting had me running to the computer to recommend this gem to my Cebuano uncle. Armando Lao crafted a lovely story and the direction of Jeffrey Jeturian brought out a sensitive protrayal from Ara Mina who appears almost without any make up and has never looked so beautiful. The movie comes with subtitles so my Fil-Am and Fil-Canadian relatives can watch it without having to ask "what's going on?" every other scene.

The only bad news is that it flopped at the box office and it's almost impossible to get a DVD in the video stores. I actually had to contact its producer, my email friend Joji Alonso, and buy it from her law office.

Some of my officemates saw it being aired on cable but got bored because it does start kinda slow and soem of the dialogue is in Bisaya so they got tired of reading the subtitles. I told them next time, keep watching because the payback is so worth it.

Pueblo por la playa

Wow, Christmas on the beach!

We went to an exclusive resort in Pagbilao,Quezon called Pueblo por la playa on Dec. 23 for a Christmas reunion with my uncle and aunt. I got pretty excited when I saw the website and hoped the place would live up to the hype. My tito Alan was also excited to go there and he asked us all to get to Lucena early and bring hawaiian shirts and santa hats. He said his dream was for someone to develop Quezon's beaches. Malayo ang tingin

Pueblo is for members only or like Tagaytay Highlands, you have to know a member who will be charged for everything later. The resort is mexican-inspired from the loud colors to the cacti to the tex-mex(kinda) cuisine.
Food time!
I am happy to report that the place does not disappoint. Their kids pool is huge! Their infinity pool is breathtaking and while the sand is only white on top, the sea is calm and inviting --and clean! But do bring aqua shoes as there are sharp stones a few feet into the water. While the place is new and really beautiful, my tito doesn't see it making a bundle of money, though. Not only is it very expensive and far from the usual destinations, but it also doesn't have a golf course which the Koreans and other tourists would love. Maybe in the future, they'll add the golf courses to bring in the tourists. But not too soon, I hope.

Kiddie pool

Some tips:

-You can't bring food inside, the guards really check each bag you will bring in. All food items will have to be left in your vehicle out in the parking area. (They have a colorful jeep you ride in to get in and out of pueblo)Food inside is expensive.

-They charge an outrageous P300 per person to swim in their pool and that doesn't include the use of the towel which will cost you P30.( The more exclusive Tagaytay Higlands only charges P150) They do give you a baller wristband which acts as your entry pass to use the pools.

Infinity pool!

-Bring your own soap and shampoo, too!

Jacuzzi!

-However, an overnight stay in their villas is a steal! P3,000 for 4 people (with breakfast) on weekends and P2,000 on weekdays! And that includes access to the beach and pools! Had we known earlier, we would have stayed overnight.

Colorful room and beds

Oooh! Bathtub!

Conti's resto

A promise fulfilled: Ma and Twinx got their bonus and decided to treat us to lunch at palaisdaan and dinner at Conti's!!! Sorry, no pictures!
Sunday night is a busy one for the BF branch. We had to wait a while and ogle at the yummy cakes in their pastry room. We finally got seated around 8pm and Pa ordered the fried chicken which was very flavorful. Ma got the baked salmon, also wonderful. Twinx got the pesto pasta which she liked but I didn't bother to taste as Jon and I were too engrossed with our shared 260-gram rib eye steak(P210 per 100 grams) which was so good it's surely unhealthy!
The funny thing was that Twinx was deadset on getting the mango bravo and she was afraid they might run out so we ordered our dessert in advance. I ordered the turtle cake but minutes later, I was told they were all out of turtle so I tried the strawberry shortcake which the waiter checked this time before I ordered. Minutes later, the manager came to tell me sorry, they just ran out of the shortcake and I just had to laugh as it seemed that our waiter was afraid I'd blow my top but I told them it was fine and that the 3 cake slices were enough as I was already quite full.
Overall a great food experience and I understand why BF folks continue to patronize their homegrown resto. But the clincher was when the bill came. The management was nice enough to use my Pa's senior citizen discount on the steak so the bill for a family of 5 was less that P1,500! And a thought formed in our minds: We must return again and again!

Amici delivers!

Public service announcement: Amici now delivers! Whoopee! Just call 818 4444 for pizza, pasta and yes, desserts too! I had a problem getting the menu by fax so here's a virtual file for all of you. Mojacko recommends the Montanara pasta(P165) and Spaghetti Vongole e gamberetti(P180) and the Cannelloni (P165)for vegetarians.

Warning: Delivery may take longer than expected depending on the number of dine-in customers, which is a major turn-off I hope they can fix. Instead of the promised 1 hour waiting time, we got our food after an hour AND 30 minutes. Good thing the tiramisu (P50 per slice)was heavenly. Too bad they only deliver gelato by the kilo at a whopping P400 per.

Step by step

My cousins abroad will be happy to know that little by little, the Philippines is starting to care about the environment. Shopwise supermarkets sell canvas bags which shoppers can use instead of plastic bags. As an added incentive, canvas bag users double their shopping points when they use the bag. Good job, Shopwise!

SM, the mall my cousins are most familiar with, introduced a green bag for their supermarket too but when I inquired about it, the salesgirl said they didn't offer the bags in the Bicutan branch anymore. What? How can they encourage a generation of shoppers to switch to a green bag when they don't even push it for more than a month? Better shape up SM! When we went to Corregidor last summer, the water on the side of the island facing Manila was full of ugly SM bags! Booo!

Makati Supermarket in Alabang

Jon's Hamburger sandwich

"Blog-worthy"

That's how I described Makati Supermarket's coffee shop food. After too long, we finally ate merienda once again at their famed coffee shop which moved to the south of Manila to make way for what is now Greenblet 2,3,etc. But that's how beloved that supermarket was, that it retained its name even though it's a whole city away from Makati.

Ma's pancit canton. Savory!

The cafe is small and unassuming but wow! the food was so good! Even my mom who's feeling depressed these days due to work only had good things to say about her pancit canton. Another thing I loved is how large the servings are at such affordable prices. Each dish cost less than a hundred pesos.


Spaghetti with sweet tomato sauce-so very Pinoy


My order of their specialty, spaghetti, was only P65! We were enjoying having a taste of each other's plates that there was practically nothing left to photograph! Good thing Jon's phone had a camera.





half of Pa's roast beef sandwich

We were already thinking of when we'd be going back there for lunch or dinner when we left because we wanted to try out their other goodies like that lobster tail for P150.mmmmm!

It's just too bad that it's out of the way for us...but it certainly is worth the trip. Makati Supermart's Coffee shop is located in Alabang Town Center.

Twink's baked macaroni, which tasted a lot like my spaghetti

corregidor

I must admit I wasn't expecting much from Corregidor because after last year's Boracay, what place could even compare? Well it's not an A-list beach resort/island but that is also its charm. Quiet, uncomplicated and relatively affordable, I found myself enjoying my overnight stay on this island. I'm not a morning person but I woke up at 5am with the restof my family to be at the port near CCP at 7am. The ferry is very comfortable and the ride was quite relaxing. Jon had a question that made me laugh (and

will probably make his geography teacher cry) "Nasa Visayas na ba tayo?" We were on the ferry for just 1 and a half hours. We were only in Cavite. A trip by boat to Boracay would have taken 12 hours!We got off at 9:30 am and were greeted by the a fleet of trambias, buses made to look like the trams that used to service this pre-WW2military base. We were quickly whisked off by our funny tour guide and shown all around the island.Since we were staying overnight, our bags were checked-in at the Corregidor Inn. I had forgotten that the chicken sandwiches we had made were still in the bags. By noon, I was starving! Fortunately, the tour was quite interesting and even if you didn't plan on learning anything, you will come out of the tour enlightened and less eager to engage in warfare. Seeing the ruins and walking through the Malinta tunnel light and sound show made me realize how futile war is. The buffet at lunch is nothing special but so welcome to my hungry tummy. After lunch, we continued the rest of the tour and were then given 2 hours of free time to cool off or play games at the recreation center.

Check out how high that bed was!

We were able to check in early in my parents' room and cooled off while the day trippers melted in the summer heat. I loved their room. It had a 4-post bed and a drawer with mirrors that made you feel like you had stepped back in time. By 4pm, as we waved bye-bye to the tourists on their way back to Manila, we headed off to the beach which was surprisingly clean. Sure the sand was black and there were huge rocks on shore, but the sea itself was clear and the sand underneath very fine and free of rocks and jellyfish. In fact, we had the beach all to ourselves and only had to leave because we had to go on a sunset trek at 5:30pm.

This was the last we saw of our new beach ball. Someone left it on the shore and the next we saw it, the ball was a tiny speck drifting off to Cavite

This was what our guide called 'fantasy shots'--posing in the sunset

Our new tour guide brought us to the 'topside' so we could take pictures of the sunset on the highest point of the island. Then, we were brought to the ruins of the hospital and morgue where ghosts were still said to earthbound and sometimes appeared in pictures. We were reluctant to go in at first and I fervently prayed for all the souls still trapped there but thankfully no ghosts popped up in my camera. I was afraid that I'd see a ghost in one of the ruins and the guide would say that every person who had seen that ghost died within a few days! I've obviously read too many horror stories!

Look ma, no ghosts! Just some suspicious looking orbs of light

If there's something you should bring, it's an ipod or some reading material. There are only 2 cable TVs at the inn. One at the lobby and one in the library and both in places without airconditioners.

The next day, ma went on the sunrise tour to the japanese tunnels while we snoozed.

Then we had the best meal on the island: the Filipino breakfast with bottomless brewed coffee which Pa and ma loved. Then while the next batch of tourists arrived, we went back to the beach, then leapt into the swimming pool and basically relaxed till it was time to go home.We enjoyed the trip so much we vowed to return with some aunts of ours who could definitely use some R&R!

back from boracay

Hi guys! After a year of planning, i finally set foot on the sands of boracay! You will not believe how hard i prepared for this trip that took a year to realize!
(Back story: We were supposed to go last year but our intended plans went awry when the Negros Navigation ship i booked informed me they weren't sailing on the dates i paid for. I calmly asked for my money back and was all set to just ride another ship and look for a place to stay when we got there. Then, on the day we were to set sail, there was a massive jeepney strike and we couldn't flag a taxi down. Ma thought this might be a sign not to go so I relented. We just went to some pricey secluded place in Cavite called Caylabne.We'd jokingly describe the place as Bawat galaw may bayad! , in English, practically every activity there had a price tag. haha!Afterwards, I would always watch with envy all the summer TV specials about that island called Boracay while silently promising myself: One day my precioussss)
So everyday since January 2006, I have been diligently scouring the internet for the cheapest plane tickets, accommodations, food, etc. I went to internet forums (fora?)like virtual tourist, pinoyexchange, even girltalk ! I badgered all my friends and officemates for tips and anecdotes and downloaded all the most recommended restaurants. That's my quirk i guess: I need to be prepared!
So we got the promo fare from Asian Spirit(my first plane ride and contrary to rumors, you will not be a spirit or ghost when you land) and we were on the small plane at 0630.

Day 1
We got to Caticlan at 0800 and paid the ludicrous port fees (P50.00 environment fee ?!)
The beach did not disappoint. The water was vey clear and a sparkling jade color. The famed white sands were indeed fine but were really more of an oatmeal color hehehe.While the place was bustling with activity, it was not crowded as i had feared (Good thing i didn't go there during the Holy week as the locals said there were so many visitors, one had to walk sideways to get around.)
We booked a place on boat station 1 called Bans resort. One of the most affordable places in that area. They let all 5 of us stay in one room for P4,000/night. But check-in time was at 1200 so we decided to go to Jonah's for the famous milkshakes and some food. Very good shakes, rather slow service.
We than had lunch at another place i read about: Blueberry's at D*mall. We were disappointed by the slow service and the overdone grilled food. Fortunately, by the time we were done eating, our rooms were ready. Our room was a nice little cottage with a native bahay kubo design which i liked better than the large imposing cement structures of the fancier hotels. Inside we had cable tv, aircon, a small ref, a clean bathroom with surprisingly strong water pressure and a cute verandah where my brother hung out to "chill" listening to his new mp3 player(thanks tita luday!)
One thing that wasn't pleasant about Boracay was the lumot or the algae formations that could be found near the shallow water. Locals say those are what make the sands so white but elementary science or a kid with a goldfish bowl will tell you it's waste mismanagement. So we waded a little further away to waist-deep waters which were lumot-free. And that's what makes the vacation worth it. The waves are gentle and the water so clear and mild, I could open my eyes underwater and it wouldn't hurt at all. I could've stayed there indefinitely if only we didn't have need for food and such stuff. We had merienda at Mañana's (very tasty mexican food) then washed up for dinner. Naturally, I had to take a picture of the famed sunset.

For dinner we foolishly decided to walk to a place called Little Corner of Italy which turned out to be 30 minutes away ! By the time we got there I could swear we were in a little corner of Italy. But the food was great and my sister is a Godfather fan so she loves to imagine that the owner, Mario, is really a Sicilian whowent here to hide from the mafia. The only problem now was how to fit into the swimsuits after all the food!

Day 2
The next morning Ma and Pa had the itty-bitty free breakfast that came with the room. My siblings and I decided to eat at Cafe Breizh to see why lots of places were offering crepes. While the ambiance was very chic, the prices were out of this world!
We then proceeded to some more sun-worshipping as we basked in the warm sun and cool waters. (With thanks to dr. photoshop for the liposuction)

Upon my mom's insistence, we had lunch at Andok's, a lechon manok stall in Manila that has put up a franchise in Boracay which is tacky and out of place to some, a godsend to others who find food on the beach to expensive. At 1500h we went on a boat for an island tour. We went to the Crystal Cove, fed clownfish at Crocodile island(we should've brought lots of bread!) visited Club Panoly, but the most enjoyable part was swimming in Puka Beach! The place was virtually deserted except for the locals selling their beads. Here, the sand was immaculate, the water pristine! Our feet would slowly sink in the sand when we went for a swim. I guess the only reason people preferred the crowded side of the island was that the water gets deep here quickly. In just a few step I was already in chest deep water.

Dinner was an all-you -can -eat buffet of crabs, lechon, clams, etc. at the Bamboo House restaurant. Quite filling and affordable for P200. I loved the tropical shake of mangoes and strawberries! After ma and pa went to bed, we checked out the night scene. Lots of people hang out in the open air bars in front of the beach to listen to acoustic guitars or sing(!)

I really liked sitting on a banig (woven mat) on the beach while a thousand stars were overhead.

And of course, how can anyone resist a picture of the sandcastles?

Day 3: So soon?

Well, it was our last day here so we woke up really early to make the most of the time. I got a cupcake and went into the water and just threw some crumbs in the water. Seconds later, I was so elated to see lots of striped fish swimming by quickly to eat my cupcake! I was so happy I was giggling like a child. Then we went to the beach to make our own sandcastle---which turned into a fish.hehehe. Basta, fish yan!
For lunch we were supposed to go to Aria but they wouldn't be open till 1130h and we were hungry! So we went to Upper Crust. We chose the set family meal of chop suey, sinigang na tanigue, grilled squid, grilled chicken. I also added some garlic shrimps. My mom declared that this was the best food she'd eaten on the island! Indeed eveything was delicious and obviously fresh. I loved the garlic shrimps and those memories and these pictures will remind me of the fantastic first time we went to Boracay.