I saw Baguio - from day 'till night

Daytime...

Nighttime...

I don't know what's with Baguio, but I kept on coming back to the city with expectations getting higher and higher as I visit and revisit it. 

Well, it was really because of The Bar's series of events. However, I still have a choice to join the team or not, yet, I decide to be counted in.

Where do I start?

Seeing Baguio minus the million heads walking around the city and the heavy hour traffic is really an apple of the eye. You have all the time to drive around the city or even walk with nothing to worry about but the cold wind.

Baguio during the day is really mouth-watering with the cold breeze, pine trees, and the picturesque spots. You can really tell the beauty of the place - you might even wonder how such place you only see in your dreams came to reality. 

Where do you go during the day?

If you have a car, you can drive yourself around the city. If you want to see the greener side of Baguio, there's Camp John Hay. The trees will surely inspire you write a poem, a song, or even a blog entry such as this. You'd better bring your wallet or credit card for you'll surely stop by the shopping area. 

Mine's View is another place to be. There will surely be countless heads around but what will drive you through is the thought of overviewing the trees that you won't ever see in Manila.

There's also the very busy and will always be busy Burnham Park - you can spend time rowing a goose or a boat on the creek or ride a bike if you never did your entire life.

At night, you will witness the other side of Baguio.

If you want to drink a bottle of beer or two, then you'll surely enjoy the ambience of Nevada Square. During Panagbenga, Nevada was a disaster, a famine. But just last Saturday night, I saw the peaceful and lovable side of it. You'll surely enjoy the way Baguio people celebrate the night away.

Session Road is another place to be. You can hop from one bar to another with this street-long party place. After your dreadful drinking session, you can cool down a bit with the dining areas stripped all over the street.

The best way to do it?

Visit Baguio on your own. 

You will surely enjoy the spots during the day and the party at night.

Ze Muzikal ExperienZe

Nice would be an understatement if I use such word to describe the play - ZsaZsa Zaturnnah is not just nice, it's exuberantly spectacular, truly an eye-candy.

An adaptation of Carlo Vergara's famous comic hero, ZsaZsa Zaturnnah tells us the story of Ada, an expert beautician, who got hit by a mysterious stone from the heavens granting him the chance or the power to transform from being a  self-pathetic gay to a gorgeous, lovely, and powerful superhuman, ZsaZsa Zaturnnah.

Of course, you know the story - the giant frog, the rummaging zombies, and the Amazonistas. May it be through the film or the stage play.

What makes this blog entry extra special then?

It's the experience or the chance to finally see those characters come to life right before your very eyes - from Ada to ZsaZsa Zaturnnah, from the outrageous Didi to the yummy Dodong. It was a chance of a lifetime.

The actors perfectly fit the characters they portray. Admittedly, I doubted Eula Valdez's acting prowess on stage. Don't get me wrong, I have seen her on the boob tube and her acting really is award-worthy. But on stage, I was doubting her capabilities to pull off the acting needs of a gay-oriented theatrical play.

But she proved me wrong. She went beyond my expectations. 

Nar Cabico (Didi) was outstanding, truly worthy of the standing ovation. Tuxqs Rutaquio (Ada) may not be the best actor to portray the character but he is not to be set aside. He had his own way of portraying the character and he did the best way he can. Red Anderson (Dodong) has his singing flaws, but that wasn't a hindrance to showcase his acting powers.

The whole cast was perfect, Tanghalang Pilipino Actors Company remarkable honed their talents to become the best actors of the theater scene.

Truly an exZiting, inZpiring, and meZmeriZing ZsaZsa Zaturnnah Ze MuZikal exZperienZe.

Me with Queen Femina, Kalila Aguilos

Jon with Kalila Aguilos.

Jon with the first and original ZsaZsa Zaturnnah, Eula Valdez.

Don't we look good together? *wink*

Za-a-a-a-a-a-a-turnnah!

Nothing lasts forever

12:00nn today, March 06, 2009, a shocking news quaked the entertainment industry. Francis "Kiko" Magalona or better know as Francis M. died of Leukemia.

I am not, of any degree, connected to the Kiko, but his masterpieces, the music he created, made me decide to do this blog entry today.

I am not dwelling with his death, instead, I'll highlight the music the legacy he left for the country.

Dubbed as the Master Rapper, Kiko and his music created a better world for the Filipinos, beyond poverty, discrimination, and indifference. 

I say, he is a genuine music icon, the music icon.

I grew up with his music - from "Mga Kababayan" to "Kaleidoscope World" - and it has truly strengthened by faith to the Filipino race, to its home-grown talents such as Kiko Magalona.

He may be gone, but his music will continue inspiring today's youth and the generations to come.

I will proudly tell this story to my sons and grandsons, that once in my life, a pure Filipino music from Francis Magalona inspired and boosted the nationalism of the Philippines.

Finally, they made it or maybe not

They're finally there.

Most of my high school batchmates who took up nursing are now registered nurses. One was even the top of the school to where she studied.

This goes out to them who squeezed out all their effort, who went through pains and sufferings, who spent sleepless nights, who stepped out of their comfort zones just to reach this summit of their lives.

Congratulations my fellow Philwomenian batchmates!

However, as I was scanning the list of board passers, there were thousands of them. Even the topnotchers are overflowing.

We simply can't deny it. Nursing has truly become a necessity to uplift one's life.

But with their population, is it still possible to practice what they learned?

I say maybe not.

This is may not only be applicable to nursing graduates but I am aware that some, board passers at that, don't really practice their profession which dismays me the most. 

Imagine spending huge amount of money in studying, spending hours and hours of studying the licensure examination and passing it, yet end up as a call center agent?

I am not against the call center industry, don't get me wrong. 

What I'm trying to say is that these registered nurses should not waste what they have spent and what they have learned to something they are not supposed to be doing.

Never settle for anything less.

So to my batchmates, hoping to see you there, wearing that pure white uniform you dream of.

God bless you guys!

The flora and fauna escapade

Being my first destination for the start of my long-term plan, to visit all Philippine Festivals, I was very, exaggeratedly, extremely excited about Panagbenga 2009. 

Forgive me. It's my first Panagbenga.

All things were set. Off we go from Manila to the City of Pines, Baguio.

I quite expected the thick cloud of people and I am not just talking about hundreds of people here, I'm talking about thousands and thousands of people from north to south and from east to west anticipating and spectating the beauty of Panagbenga 2009.

Stop.

What does Panagbenga suppose to mean? How did everything start?

From Malayo-Polynesian origin, Panagbenga literally means "season of blooming." This started as a tribute to Bauio City's abundance of flowers and as a way to resurrect from the devastation of the 1990 landslide that almost erased the city from the Philippine Map.

Formerly known as the Baguio Flower Festival, Panagbenga is a brainchild of Atty. Damaso Bangaoet, Jr. of the John Hay Poro Point Development Corporation and Victor A. Lim of the Bases Conversion Development Authority which was basically to boost the city's tourism on the month of February after Christmas and before Holy Week.

Going back to our trip, it wasn't really the best Baguio experience, rather it was not the usual Baguio I used to visit. 

Being my very first Panagbenga, I wasn't used to the traffic, the influx of thousands and thousands of people, and the not-the-usual-Baguio Baguio. It was really a mayhem. 

You wanted to drink but the lines literally long. You go order your dinner, but there are no seats. Then I asked, what has happened to Baguio?

However, I totally had the best Baguio trip ever.

Not because of Mines View, but because of the Strawberry-flavored taho. 

Not because of SM City Baguio, but because of the overwhelming and welcoming people.

Not because of the noise of the band, but because of cute little kids who joined the parade.

Not because of the free meals I ate, but because of the cheerful company bonding.

Not because of the lost in Baguio experience, but because of the time to explore it.

Not because of the unlikely deeds, but because of a friend we gained.

And not only because of the festival, but because of the precious time I spent with my partner.

This trip will surely me remembered for the rest of my life.