Moymoy Palaboy Classic

In the Jungle



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Pidigan Town Fiesta

Last Sunday, we visited the town of Pidigan in the province of Abra in Northern Philippines. Pidigan celebrates its annual fiesta on the 8th of December to commemorate the Feast of the Immaculate Concepcion, its patron saint.

Just like most Filipinos, we went out only after watching the "Dream Match" between Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao and Oscar "Golden Boy" de la Hoya. At the peryahan, there was electricity in the air. Everyone felt victorious. Everyone was in celebration mode which only heightened the festivities. We didn't stay long as I had to travel back to Manila that night. But before we left, I took a few photos and bought half dozen balut.

Making It Work Long-Distance

I've often wondered how my parents made it work despite being miles apart for decades. I find it difficult to imagine being with someone and not really being WITH that someone.

TIME offers some tips on how to bridge the distance and keep the flame alive.

1. Play together.

So, your beloved is never around to help carry groceries or take you to the movies. But, consider this: Every time you see each other it's like a mini-vacation — a geographic and emotional holiday. "I lived in Seattle, he lived in San Francisco," says Aida,* a 40-year-old writer, who sometimes waited a month and a half between visits with her boyfriend. "We would meet each other on the California-Oregon border — we each had to drive six to seven hours to get there — for a long weekend of camping, hiking, drinking and sex."

But even when you don't travel, you can still keep that vacation glow alive. Jackson West, a San Francisco-based blogger, says when his New York City girlfriend comes to visit, "I love showing her around San Francisco — it feels more like an extended weekend date, or even a trip. We both make a special effort to do interesting things that we probably wouldn't if we'd started seeing each in the same city."

Of course there are limits to how much "vacationing" couples should do. You don't want to cram so much activity into a day that you forget to enjoy some quiet time as a couple — after all, this is a real relationship, not pure fantasy.

2. Manage expectations.

Eleanor Estes, an L.A.-based stylist, found herself in an extreme LDR when her boyfriend moved back to his native Greece. Like Aida, she indulged in the romance of the far-flung affair: "I loved the coming together and then leaving part," Estes confides. "It was always so thrilling."

After four years of doing the long-distance thing, Estes finally picked up and moved to Greece. Problem was, she hadn't sufficiently prepared for the hardship and loneliness of life in a foreign country, away from her friends and family, and without a job. She found herself having to return to the U.S. every three months to renew her tourist visa, which didn't help her already wearisome fish-out-of-water status. "It was difficult because I was moving somewhere where I didn't speak the language and I wasn't allowed to work. It was a new country, an impossible language and I had no friends. I put a lot of pressure on him to help me get those things, but it was too much of a change for me."

In any relationship — and especially LDRs — people can't expect their partners to be their caretakers. If you make a life-changing decision like moving cities to be together, try to establish your own support network as soon as possible, whether that means making a few friends of your own, finding a job or joining a group that shares similar interests. And remember that you each need to maintain your independence and understand that your lives don't revolve solely around one another. Love, companionship and sex should be a given, but you also need to make time for your own interests — and for those of your partner.

3. Talk constantly.

It's hard enough to communicate when you live in the same house, let alone hundreds of miles apart. That's why, despite the distance, faraway couples actually need to communicate more than those who wake up next to each other every day.

Keep up a constant stream of emails and texts, but keep in mind that they're rife with potential for misinterpretation. A dashed-off note mentioning a brilliant new coworker might have been idle chatter for you, but it could throw your partner into paroxysms of jealousy — particularly between couples who miss each other, haven't seen each other in weeks and might be feeling a little insecure. So, that means you have to talk. West says he and his girlfriend communicate through "daily email and text messages, and many phone calls in a week." He often uses instant messaging with friends, but he reserves the phone for his partner: "Why text chat when we can talk on the phone?"

4. Take chances and have faith.

Analisa,* a writer in Rhode Island, has just embarked on an intercontinental coupling with a Parisian illustrator who responded to her profile on an online personals site. "He said he found the French dating sites very depressing, so he was poking around the Anglo sites and saw me," she says. "He said he could tell from what I'd written in my ad that I was a good person, so he sent an email on a whim."

That act of optimism sparked some serious cross-cultural canoodling. The two began corresponding regularly (luckily, Analisa is fluent in French) and decided to meet up in San Francisco, where he was traveling for business. "You never know if chemistry is going to be there when you meet in person, but the rapport we established through our letters translated perfectly," says Analisa.

How about you, any tips on how to make it work long distance?

Outstanding Ad, Funny Sign in China

During a visit to China, I saw this ad inside Beijing airport. I wondered then if the ad agency meant "Stand Out, Ad Here" when it said "Be Outstanding, Ad Here".

I cannot help but recall some of the mis-translated signs in China.

Borrowed from here.

I don't really get this sign. Step to the moon? Is it referring to large holes, ie craters?!

Borrowed from here.

And I got lost in the first line of this one. Hyphenated word of the week: "Fake-cracking"

Borrowed from this site.

For more, visit Keith's, tripntale's and webguru's collection of funny Chinese signs.

And just to show that China does not have the monopoly of funny signs, Peter of Travellerspoint gathered 20 signs from around the world.

This is my favorite from Travellerspoint collection, a sign in India. Woohoo!

Funny sign taken in Thailand, shared by Gadling.

Remember similar funny signs seen elsewhere? Share it.

Hundred Islands of Friendship

Each time I look at these pictures taken during a trip to Hundred Islands in Pangasinan, I raise a toast to all the hundred and a million moments I shared with friends--good people who had celebrated my decisions, listened to my repetitive stories, laughed at my jokes and welcomed me and my family in the warmth of their amazing company. In the real world of adults where jobs, familial obligations and bills take precedence over many weekends, coffee breaks and lunch outs, friendships suffer and sometimes, they die a natural death.

I read somewhere that relationships don't end. They just transform.

Ah, just like in the islands, the ebb and flow of the tides may change but the waves always kiss the shores.

Singapore's Underwater World

There is something about the water that calms me. Maybe in my past, I must have been one of the colorful nocturnal creatures of the sea.

That's why during a trip to Singapore, I made it a point to visit Sentosa Island. If five million tourists who troop to the famous island resort annually think it's worth their while, then so am I.

Sentosa means "peace and tranquility" in Malay. The island boasts of a two-kilometer sheltered beach, two golf courses, Fort Siloso--one of the batteries during World War II--and my favorite, the Underwater World.

Underwater World Singapore is a unique and well-known oceanarium showcasing some 2,500 marine life from 250 species from around the regions. Since its opening in 1991, its exhibits had wowed more than 20 million visitors.

I began my 'voyage to the bottom of the sea' at the water’s edge, with shallow rock turtle and ray pools. Brightly colored corals and exotic ocean dwellers such as moray eels, sea dragons and jelly fishes greeted me.

Then I embarked on a spectacular underwater journey through the 83-metre-long moving travelator with a tunnel housing the majestic rays, fearsome sharks, great shoals of other fishes and a host of other creatures that inhabit the ocean depths.

It was an amazing experience. It was literally being underwater with huge dugongs swimming above--without getting wet .

But Filipinos need not fly to nearby Singapore for a taste of an underwater thrill. Manila Ocean Park partly opened its doors in March this year.

It is owned by China Oceanis Philippines Inc, a subsidiary of China Oceanis Inc, a Singaporean-registered firm that has operated four oceanariums in China.

In terms of floor space, the 8,000 square metres oceanarium is larger than Sentosa's Underwater World. But its 25 metres underwater acrylic tunnel is far shorter than Sentosa's tunnel.

See you at Manila Ocean Park soon!

One summer day in Montreal

Under the warm August sun, Montreal glistens like a European city. From the French-speaking waiter to the street signs, one gets the feel that the Eiffel Tower stands tall somewhere. It is almost as if you are elsewhere but Canada.

With its grand monuments and churches, inclined cobbled streets, huge flower pots and multi-cultural population, downtown Montreal exudes the charm of a highly successful port city. If you close your eyes, you can almost taste the balmy waft of salty air and hear the faint exciting murmur of sailors and fishermen.

I recommend exploring the Historic City Centre (Old Montreal) with someone special. At one point, you would have to pause and sip coffee by Rue Notre-Dame right next to the Montreal City Hall. You would savor the rich coffee (Italian unsurprisingly) in silence as you take in the past. Such rich history must be shared between two old souls. Some things in life are best seen with four eyes.

Chocolate Festival in Turin

Calling all chocoholics!

The 'CioccolaTo' or Chocolate Festival in Turin in Northern Italy takes place between March to April each year. According to this site, the festival attracts approximately 700,000 visitors each year who consume in excess of 30,000kg (66,000lb) of chocolate.

The piazza just turns into the sweetest place on earth. From chocolate wines to soaps to a scene from the Nativity, the festival offers an endless array of chocolate products. Even the scent of the air is intoxicating!

Just a two-hour drive from Milan, Turin is known as the home of the Shroud of Turin and the headquarters of the car company Fiat.

Turin boasts of a glorious past. Aside from being the capital of the Kingdom of Sardinia, Turin was the first capital of the unified Italy.

Walking on the streets of Turin, one would see a refreshing blend of the 'old' and the 'new'--relics of old structures, an internet cafe along a narrow street, dusty marble statues in the center of imposing piazzas and newly-constructed office complexes.

A trip to the Chocolate Festival is a perfect adventure, whether you are with a sweetheart or in a date with yourself.

Just don't forget to bring one thing: your sweet tooth.

How to get documents authenticated for UAE

So, you finally decided to work in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. You will definitely need to submit documents (Transcript of Records, diploma, etc) which were authenticated by the UAE Embassy in Manila.

The process of authenticating UAE-required documents has been simplified (yes, believe me, it used to be very complicated).

Step 1: Bring documents for authentication to the issuing government agency. In the case of Transcript of Records and diploma, go to any CHED regional office.

Step 2: Receive a DFA claim stub which indicates the date of release of authenticated documents from DFA. It is very important that you keep the stub and follow the release date.

Step 3: Claim the authenticated documents from DFA. If you will send a representative to pick up the document, be sure to write an authorization letter and attach a copy of your ID which shows your signature. Fee: P100.00.

Step 4: Send DFA authenticated documents to the UAE Embassy through any branch of DHL Wide Wide World Express. There is no other way of submitting documents for authentication to the UAE Embassy except through DHL Wide Wide World Express. Take note, not all DHL are Wide Wide World Express.

Fees:

P1,700.00 per DFA red ribbon

P 50.00 - DHL charge for converting your cash to Manager's cheque (don't ask, its just like that)

P P385.00 - DHL courier charge (within Metro Manila)

TOTAL: P2,135.00

Processing: 5-7 working days

Step 5: DHL delivers your documents.

There is a way to trim the process to 3 easy steps although it will take more time.

First, submit your documents to DFA. and receive your claim stub.

Second, go to any branch of DHL WWWExpress. Submit the stub, pay the DFA fee of P100.00, pay P2,135.00 fee for UAE and pay the P385.00 courier fee. DHL will claim your document from DFA and forward it to the UAE Embassy.

Third, receive the authenticated document delivered to your address. Processing: 15 days

Important:

Allot sufficient time, about 1 month, to secure your documents and submit them for authentication.

For further information:

You may call the DHL Customer Service at (632) 811-7000 or visit the DHL Website to locate a branch closest to you. Ask for the contact number of your preferred branch and confirm opening, closing and pick-up time.

For a list of documents for authentication, visit the DFA Website. You may also download an authentication form. It also contains contact information of relevant government agencies. You may also call DFA at (632) 834-4000 (trunkline) and request that you be connected to the Authentication Office.

Update from OFW Abroad:

The DFA advises that beginning 12 March 2008, all unclaimed DFA Authentication Certificates will be disposed of after three (3) months from the scheduled date of release due to lack of storage space in the Authentication releasing area. This measure is also to minimize the risk of fire hazard in the area.