38/365: On The Road, Legazpi City

Legazpi City, the land of the Mayon Volcano! Finally, I got to see the famous perfect cone...only, the whole time we were there the tip of the volcano was covered with clouds! Drat!

Again, we were the advance party for the boss—which was more fun, if you asked me. Though there were lots of work to do, we had more time to sight see.

Me, getting to shoot pictures and seeing places and eating my meals at leisure (not the eat-and-run affairs when you're traveling with the boss) is the only reward I want from these working trips.

37/365: On The Road, Baguio City

Baguio City is just a few hours from Nueva Vizcaya, my native province. To tell you frankly though, I didn't get to visit Baguio until I was in college...and then only briefly.

When I got to this government post, it seemed that all we did was travel to Baguio every now and then for some reason or another.

Meeting the boss at Baguio City's feeder airport

Baguio City is the country's summer capital. Filipinos always find an excuse to troop to this mountain retreat during the hottest parts of the year. It's about 1,610 meters above sea level so it's always cool year round. The highest temperature during summer hovers around 70°F. So far, the record hottest it's ever registered is 86°F back in 1988 during the El Nino drought. You can say Baguio City is the premier vacation destination in the Philippines.

These jaunts though are often for work and we rarely have time to visit...which is sad really because there are lots of fantastic destinations in Baguio. Plus, there's the ukay ukay—second hand stores where you can get an Armani trench in good condition for less than a hundred pesos (about $2.50 in today's conversion). I kid you not!

The object of this visit was to consolidate the governors of Northern Luzon and get them behind the President's whatever. The objective's obscure to me now but since our office was always troubleshooting one problem after another, I'm fairly certain this trip had that goal, heh.

36/365: On The Road with Foreign Dignitaries

What made my work tripley exciting—no, a hundred times exciting—was preparing for the official visits of foreign dignitaries. Ministers, cabinet secretaries, directors, and even on two occasions, presidents. I've even had a chance of leading the arrangements for the visit of then Defence Minister and now Malaysian Prime Minister Dato S'ri Najib Razak!

Welcome mat for a visiting dignitary.

The work's not unlike that of an orchestral conductor's. I had to be on top of several things at the same time. Of course, a team's always organized to prepare for one of these top level visits but being the boss' liaison with the rest of the team, one has to know everything that's going on if one is to keep her head attached to her body for most of the day, heh. And that meant making decisions, trouble shooting and pinch hitting.

This dignitary that's about to come down from the plane was in Manila for a hush hush visit. These days, the Arab spring has swept his country, too, and now he's in detention. But back when his father was part of Manila's peace strategy with the MILF rebels, our Christmas then was one hectic, frenetic affair.

I remember having a difficult time with the protocols for this kind of visit. Lots of meetings with the foreign affairs and armed forces team. And yeah, backdoor arrangements for a visit between him and a certain individual under house arrest, heh.

Exciting times, definitely. Exhausting work, too!

35/365: On The Road, Bacolod City

For the next few days, I'll be posting images from travels connected to my work as special assistant in a government agency beginning seven years ago. You'll see lots of roads and airports, and where I forgot to shoot, you'll see pictures of clouds, heh.

—

Serving my Cabinet Secretary, we're on the road a lot. Airports, hotels, roads, convoys, cars, buses, boats, ports...They were my weekly staple.

The first time I went to Bacolod City, I was excited. I was looking forward to eating all those yummy dishes that my Ilonggo friends always had on their tables whenever I visited their homes.

New Bacolod Silay Airport

I think we went here for a public consultation/dialogue with the city's academia. All I can remember though is that the new Silay airport had been bombed by communist guerrillas a couple of years before. This was when it was still under construction.

As always, we had a security detail composed of policemen, military personnel, and plainclothes people with us—but that didn't take away the security issues. We were, after all, from the defense and security sector even though we—my advance party—were civilians.

But this particular trip which lasted for 4 days passed uneventfully, problem-wise. And I had fun. After all, I went ahead a day early and got back a day late of my Cabinet Secretary. I had time to go visit places and shop for stuff. Something I could never do when I was traveling with the Spymeister.

34/365: Central Florida Small Town Sunset

Now, this one is a regular sight...and my favorite time of the day.

God paints with a sweeping hand and with such stunning, dramatic colors. No two sunsets are ever the same that's why I love just looking at them. My world stops for a few minutes before the sun kisses the horizon to appreciate His fleeting masterpieces. Awesome, isn't He?

33/365: Central Florida Small Town Sunrise

I'm not a morning person so sights like this are very, very rare. When I come across one, I record it for posterity's sake.

A morning commune with the birds is a wonderful experience. Unfortunately, I'm more at home with owl hoots. When I normally hear sweet tweets and chirps, I'm just going to bed not getting up from it.

32/365: Afternoon Repast

This post should be called "Li'l Prince and My Laptop"...because that's my machine he's commandeered.

He's watching his favorite Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on YouTube and well, he's having his mid-afternoon snack -- loaf bread with raisins and cinnamon. His favorite, actually. Before he started making inroads into that bag of bread, it was 3/4 full. By the time he stopped, there were only the two loaves left. For all that, he's a picky eater.

31/365: Boys, Trains & Lego

If there's one thing that I feel sorry for my nephew, that's missing the joys of a childhood in the Philippines. Yes, he has his nifty toys -- his favorite choo choo train, the Lego blocks given by godparents, and countless other toys that he's adding to weekly. (His room is shaping up to be a mini Toys 'R' Us outlet.)

But he doesn't have the run of the neighborhood that we had as kids and which my other nephews and nieces in the Philippines are enjoying right now.

Back home, especially in subdivisions and barrios, a kid is literally raised by a community. There's the formal day care school where you bring your Pre-K...and then there's the informal day care center -- the neighbors. You can leave your kid with your neighbor -- who're usually your immediate relatives -- and be certain that they're well cared for.

It's not a perfect society but predators are rare. Everybody knows anybody who sneezes immediately. Your reputation will precede you so the adults know who to leave their kids to and who not to.

30/365: Men On Sale

That title's downright provocative...and is nowhere near what really happened, heh.

I've never really seen men go crazy over things on sale in a store so when I saw them crowding around 5-dollar shirts...I just had to point and shoot.

Believe me, there were several boys in that tiny space, with more of the other species behind awaiting their turn.

27/365 - Work-at-Home Mascots

Creatives have their eccentricities and I'm definitely not exempted from it. The work-at-home writer in me is a lonely character - I only have my laptop, books and work table as companions throughout a long churn of countless articles for this or that client.

That gives me, I think, an excuse to be odd once in a while.

I've got this set of home office mascots who, I'd like to imagine, are always cheering me on and chanting, "You can! You can! You can!" when my mind's fried and there are still stuff to write.

There's Dana, after her namesake, who gave her to me before leaving for the States; Dax, a tooth fairy; and Dollar, an honest-to-goodness piggy bank.

From L to R: Dana, Dax and Dollar...mascots all.

26/365: Pimp My Ride

Serving the unofficial troubleshooter of the GMA administration meant we were traveling to one place or another, often at a moment's notice. When we do, we travel by any and all means.

Those days when you're unlucky, you have to get to where you have to be by fast craft or with fast vans. Plenty terrifying and mighty uncomfortable. On the days that you have a budget, you travel in style.

Those are the days I like most, when I get to see the runway up close and personal. Like this, heh. The Lear's a bit cramped and small, but it's got only you and your party in it. And the comfort is unparalleled.

25/365: Paparazzi

My Cabinet Secretary was somewhat a controversial figure during his term...which shouldn't have been, given the portfolio that he handled. Or maybe because of it.

(Hmmm, makes you wonder...)

Despite the many gag orders that he received from his boss, he'd talk about stuff. Whenever he did, there's sure to be some feeding frenzy in the media for days.

But if there's one thing I know about my boss, he's the consummate strategist. There's nothing he said or did that he didn't calculate for days, weeks even, and he'd always achieve the effect that he was aiming for.

When I read the cables where he usually figured, I'd always laugh because definitely, the Americans read him wrong. Oh, I know they said he wasn't articulate and he always handled things badly, but they didn't know that was deliberate.

And if there's another thing I know about the strategist I served, he's a master of disguises. He's content for you to get him wrong because it's the only way he can carry out his plans. Oh yes, he was very good at it, too. Only one who's been with him day in and day out, knows when he's feinting.

24/365: The President's Men

So part of the work we did ages ago was to meet with the President's men, those we call the Little Presidents who governed the provinces.

If it was a battlefield, this was asymmetric warfare. Our way.

We were consolidating the president's political base and part of that were the governors, little lords who protected their fiefdoms at any cost including sleeping with the enemy. (The president being the enemy, heh.)

The older governors were old school - very territorial and defined reciprocity through the mutual scratching thing.

23/365: Salute of Colors

Still cheating at Project 365...in that this one's from a bygone era, heh.

(Still sounding maudlin, I see. Permit me. I've earned it, believe me.)

This one's of many salutes that my Cabinet Secretary received as he toured military commands throughout the archipelago - in line with his duty as a security adviser - eons ago.

Ironic really, because in the early 70s, these same soldiers would've given their eye-teeth to nab my Boss the Spymeister.

You see, during the infamous Martial Law era - when I was but a wee babe in my mother's lap - my Cabinet Secretary was an activist on the run. I think he had a reward on his head.

Funny how circumstances change, huh? Boss was tickled pink every single time he received this kind of honors. :)

22/365: The Silent

Day 2 of cheating at Project 365...only because the nostalgia bug's still got a firm hold on me. This one's the building where I went to work for close to seven years.

The oldtimers say this building has many terrible secrets - too terrible, and sometimes too fantastic, to see the light of day. It's very difficult breaching its defenses - it's far more secure than the president's official residence.

And the knowledge it holds! This edifice probably knows more than any sitting president in Manila. Yet it must remain a silent observer and participant to the goings-on of its milieu. It shares what it knows to a select few, but no more.

Silent building, do I miss you? Only because past your gates people I hold dear still walk your corridors.

21/365: Nostalgia

I'm going to cheat today and post an old photograph for this day's Project 365.

I was feeling maudlin while looking at old pictures of my previous work as special assistant to one of Manila's Cabinet Secretaries...that is, during Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's administration.

Reception Hall (aka the Hall of Presidents), Malacanang Palace, Manila.

I shot this picture while taking a picture of the Palace's guest reception area, off the Reception Hall. To the left (off-photo) is the hall where the Cabinet meetings take place and to the right (again, off photo) is the Music Room, where the four-eyes and the confidential cluster meetings happen.

Lots of memories of the good old days. Staying up all night just to monitor an attempted coup d'etat of young officers unfolding. Grassroots consultations in far flung towns. Highly hush hush Cabinet meetings at the Palace. Peace talks with the reds and the Muslim rebels. A ranking Secretary detained at the Heart Center for contempt of court, on orders of the Senate. (Yep, that was my Spymeister, heh.) And lots of papers and reports to read (information overload!).

I miss it, yet I don't. That possible? Unfortunately, in my overcrowded mind, it is. Heh.

21/365: Boys Will Be Boys

We went to New Smyrna Beach today though the weather was in the high 60s and low 70s. Brrrr! We Manila tropicals were shivering in our light hoodies but wth, the beach is always a fun place to be. For a picnic, that is.

Then we accompanied Z & S to the mall in Sanford where the ever intrepid father and daughter duo hunted for bargains. Our wallets had fun at the Cotton On store, where we made a beeline for the $5 and under (plus a 30% discount).

And obviously, one li'l boy had fun playing hide and seek and catch me if you can in the store. (His Mamu Doogs - that's me - also went to town with the point-and-shoot.)

One thing you know by now when taking care of the Terrible Twos: though there's never a dull moment, you also lose all the energy you've stored immediately after storing them.

19/365: Bella Cucina

So, we're now on our second week playing host to BIL and S and this time, our cousin A hosted us to a pizza lunch. She brought us to an entirely new place in DeLand. (Not Tony's, as we were expecting.)

Turns out our lunch was at Bella Cucina, a new pasta & pizza place at the corner of Orance Camp Road and Victoria Commons in DeLand. Except for King A (our eldest brother who was hard at work at John Knox) and Tita R (A's mom), every one in the family was all present and accounted for.

Although it's a relatively new place, it's had some mixed reviews already - anywhere from awesome to awful, delicious to disgusting. This charming little place tucked a few hundred yards off the golf courses didn't disappoint us today though.

I loved the food, and that's not saying it lightly. I may be a gourmand but with my hotel and restaurant baccalaureate, I know good food when I taste it, heh.

I recommend  the Bella Cucina Special - a 16" pizza with a thin crust and bell pepper, sausage, pepperoni, and onions - it's as close to gourmet pizza as can be. Since I'm not a fan of cheese pizza, I wouldn't vote for it though the dough was tasty, better than what I've had at Tony's in downtown DeLand or at 2 Guys Pizza here in Orange City.

Garlic bread, no cheese.

Still another garlic bread, this time with cheese and salsa

Cheese pizza, 16".

Bella Cucina Special pizza, 16"

I can't say the service was extraordinary, but it was acceptable for a full service restaurant: not too fast, not too slow. A happy middle, I'd say.

Then again, we ordered pizza. When you want your pizza to get to you awesomely yummy, you'll have to be willing to wait at least 15 minutes because it's prepared fresh for every order. (I should know, I worked at a Pizza Hut joint in Manila for a few months, and you can't hurry an oven.)

The one image that stuck to my mind from our family lunch date is this one - where Li'l Prince was trying to hurry his Mum along. She was changing for work in the woman's bathroom and our lovable tyke wasn't having any of it, heh.

About 
Name: Bella Cucina Italian Ristorante
Cuisine: Italian, pizza, pasta
Address: 1431 Orange Camp Rd, Deland, FL 32724
Tel: (386) 738-1930
Seating: 76

18/365: Pinoy Bistek Recipe

I swear, a housewife's work is never done! And since I've always maintained that I'm clueless when it comes to the mysteries of domesticity, today was a very looooong day. Felt like chores was on a continuous loop, sometimes overlapping each other.

Our guests, together with Li'l Prince, Queenie and Charming, trooped to Sea World this morning. Hubby and I were left alone and we had some much needed quiet time together, doing some light housework and some errands.

Then it got really intense in the afternoon. I realized our sightseers won't have any dinner tonight. There weren't enough leftovers to tide them over - and us - so I guess it fell on me to make it.

Oh, woe is me!

17/365: Secret Stash of Forbidden Delights

I had acid reflux disease when I worked as Special Assistant to a Cabinet Secretary eons ago. In the Philippines, that is. That was a stressful time, magnified to the n-to-the-thousandth degree.

It was a high pressure, high profile job that required me walking the wire between efficient public service and effective secrecy. Everything that I did required diplomacy and tact - be it dealing with internal constituencies or external ones. An imprudent word here, an unguarded letter there, and someone somewhere has to do damage control quickly, literally. I must've been so high strung my tummy developed all sorts of problems.

One of my secret pleasures at that time was Lipton's milk tea. In the midst of a panic situation, you'd catch me taking a break, drinking my sweet milk tea in my Boss's rarely used private room. Never mind that my impatient heart doctor - one of Manila's finest - had emphasized staying off the brew for a very long while.

Milk tea calmed me, if not my stomach, so to hell with dire medical warnings. I was willing to pay the price...and pay it I did, frequently, with hyperacidity and mild anxiety attacks, heh.

In America though, there's no ready-to-drink milk tea. So I make it from scratch. With Z's visit to Florida, he brought with him a stash of milk tea, courtesy of his ever thoughtful wifey P. Praise God for sweet sisters-in-law!

I reckon I have about a month before I return to making my milk tea from scratch again.