Bahandi Website

In keeping with the promise of this blog (see profile) I would like to invite you to visit the recently launched website of the Bahandi Producers Association of Eastern Visayas. It still has to fine-tune some of its features and make it more user and Internet surfer-friendly but at least it is now more accessible to the world via the web. Here you will find the establishments that produced some of the delicacies and crafts I've been blogging about here in previous posts. I urge those who visit to their site leave their comments so the webmaster can have valuable feedback that could in turn lead to improvements. Why so gaga over local producers? Well, because we here in Leyte and Samar have a lot to offer and its time the world get a taste of it.

Gone for a while...

I know I've been so silent have not posted for quite some time. It seems mundane matters have taken over my mind these days allowing no room for anything else, writing or blogging included. Am I experiencing some writer's block?

You see, usually I would be brimming with ideas on what to place here but lately everytime I sit down and open this blog, the words that previously were swirling in my head would suddenly do a disappearing act. Try as I might I cannot start the flow that should have begun once I open my laptop. I guess it happens to all of us. So let me take a break, rather let me stay on my break till somehow I have found my muse again...

OTOP Visayan Islands Fair

Hey, just wanted to invite you all to a fair showcasing the best of the Visayan Islands running this week at the Atrium, SM Cebu, Cebu City starting November 12. Here's the brochure which I wish to share with you...For anyone near, hope to see you there.

Our very own, Leyte and Samar with the San Juanico Bridge as backdrop

Loved the way they played on each region's unique and famous tourist destination interspersed with their local products: the white sands of Boracay in Western Visayas; the San Juanico Bridge in Waray-waray country; and the Chocolate Hills of Bohol in Central Visayas.

For the information of all, OTOP stands for One-Town-One-Product, a flagship project of GMA.

"Ma Laki Tian"- this one's good for the tummy

There is a small hole-in-the-corner restaurant with a witty name that is the waray equivalent for the phrase, "big stomach" which has tweaked "Waray in the City"s interest. Ma La Ki Tian is a cozy place ideal for dates and small groups who wishes to dine out on comfortable budget. It is pricier than your regular fastfood joints yet affordable enough for the student wishing to indulge a week's worth of allowances for a fine dining experience.

The first and last time I went to Ma La Ki Tian prior to yesterday was during my birthday on a dinner out with my family. At that time I was too busy with my then months old baby to take note of the food. All I could remember then was that the servings were quite small. We had to make double orders as single ones could not be enough for the family that had healthy appetites.

Fast track to today (uhmm, rather yesterday). My friends and I decided to try out the place since it was just a walking distance from our usual coffee haunt at Bo's. Recalling my experience, I mentioned that the place was just ideal with its small portions as we were still full from all that frappuccino's we had earlier. Much to my surprise, the place had truly changed, at least when it came to apportioning its food. The servings were bigger this time and we had some left over when our meal was done. And I must say, the dishes were tasty. The lechon kawali was cooked to just the right amount of crispiness and retained a hardly noticeable sweetness which I really liked. As for the sisig, it was good enough to ask for a second helping. The drinks were priced reasonably and did not follow the formula of some joints that tag it at ridiculous prices to jack up your bill. The bottomless iced tea could be had at P50.00 and there were no admonitions against sharing.

I dare say, Ma La Ki Tian is indeed worth a second visit.

Ma La Ki Tian is located at Del Pilar St., right across St. Paul's Hospital.

A Trip Down Samar Country

I adore new places, ergo, I love to travel, with a catch...it has to be someplace which can be reached by plane or if not, by land not exceeding a travel time of one hour and a half (just the distance from work to the hubby's place). Blame it on the nausea that grips me when I'm on a moving vehicle for more than two hours. Yet despite puke bags and Bonamine becoming must-haves on my travelling bag, I managed to go to places that had me sitting on a van for hours on end all for the love of travel...and work. It was for the latter that I crossed the San Juanico bridge for the nth time to deliver a lecture about aged citizens and their rights down in Borongan City, capital of the Estehanons province.

I travelled alone and without any distractions which is why when the bus I was riding crossed the San Juanico bridge, I was able to fully appreciate the beauty of this magnificent steel structure. It remains to be one of the Imeldific's finest contribution to the islands of Leyte and Samar, something that has been greatly overshadowed by her world famous shoe collection. Said to be the longest in the Philippines, the bridge was constructed in 1969 during the Marcos regime and was finished in 1973. It connected the islands of Leyte and Samar cutting travel time to both significantly and built a gateway to Waray country for inter-island travel. I clicked away at the beautiful sights with my Nokia N70, my digital camera having been sidelined when my daughter decided to "cook" it for her teddy bear adding her Papa's cologne for spice and destroying the LCD in the process (aren't three year olds just cute?).

This bridge has seen stunts (an actor is said to have jumped from one of its steels posts), been home to urban legends (children were rumored to have been sacrificed to assuage the spirits of the seas angry from the intrusion) and has even become a favorite shooting spot for wedding albums. Together with the islets that dot the seascape, the San Juanico is indeed one picturesque view, one that makes me proud to be Waray.

By the way, saw some great pictures of this famous Waray landmark on a fellow blogger's site. You may visit it for more clearer shots of the famed bridge.

My Nokia can only do so much.

Handicrafts, atbp.

Hey guys, there's a cool new site on Bloggers of Noteq that's ideal for the one with "gifted hands", ergo, those who can make beautiful things with their bare hands while being green at the same time. An enviromental handicraft site. Click here for some fun ideas.