Hong Kong’s Symphony of Lights, again

Weather was not cooperative. It was raining early in the evening of our 1-night Hong Kong stopover on our way from Surabaya to Cebu so the entire party had to move indoors. Our reservations at the swanky Rice Paper Vietnamese restaurant on the 3rd floor of the Gateway Arcade in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon originally was al fresco, on a wide balcony facing the River Ferry Terminal and overlooking a wide stretch of the Victoria Harbor. The vantage point was perfect for the Symphony of Lights.




Nevertheless, I was in the company of friends and family. Dinner was animated. Conversations and jokes flowed. Food was not bad at all. Expensive but tasty.




When the clock turned 8PM, it time for the light show and we all gathered at the balcony. The sky actually cleared and beams of colors gradually filled the sky.




Clearly, recession has hit Hong Kong and the Symphony of Light show was not spared. Part scrimping and part defaulting, there was less light drama this time than when I saw it last year (check out the Symphony of Light part 1 and part 2).




Not that the downscaling mattered to our daughter. Cacing had the time of her life, dancing with the flashing beams and bouncing happily with the music.




With all our baby stuffs, I chose not to bring my tripod. I checked it with the rest of my luggage. This doesn’t happen a lot but I managed as these photographs hopefully would show.

the Cacing Diaries #37

at the Sukawati Art Market, Bali, Indonesia

There’s a certain window of time that Cacing will be in her full element, animated, alive and sparkling. It can’t be early in the morning as she is still gathering her bearing. Rule out lunchtime as she’d probably be sleepy, with 11AM her typical hour for a nap. You’ll also see her get cranky just before hitting the sack near 8PM.


Cacing being enamored with the bamboo chandelier. Here, she is with my friend Ketut


Looking like a gangster moll on a bike


In our travels like the recent one in Bali, her biological rhythms were all thrown in a jumble. Lucky then that in Bali, our points of destinations were at least an hour apart by car and as is her wont, she quickly fell asleep from the white noise and the rocking motion of a moving vehicle as if they were lullabies.


This pose looks as if she’s in a shampoo commercial!

We have lots of pictures of Cacing in Bali. Here are a few that I took at the Sukawati Art Market. I tried to capture Bali - the wildness of the colors and the call of the exotic.


with Dia, while shopping for Balinese housewares


surveying the stalls of Sukawati


Without a doubt though, the gem for me will always be Cacing’s smile.


Cacing classical scrunched smile is never far away


Smiling for my camera again, while being carried by Mama Pingping (my wife’s mom)

Tai chi in the City

flexing at Chater Park, Hong Kong

There they were, about a dozen men and women, mostly seniors, performing balletic stances in the park, holding one pose for several seconds, then moving on to the next fluidly and effortlessly. The place was Chater Park in Hong Kong Central and the time was mid-morning on a Tuesday. A relatively younger guy was leading the group, demonstrating the techniques flawlessly and two young ladies were playing helpful martials for the troop. It is safe to assume that this was a class that is repeated not just in Chinese cities like Beijing and Taipei but also in major urban centers in Asia, Europe and North America.




The exercise is called tai chi or more accurately tai chi chuan, a form of Chinese martial art that is currently regularly practiced for health reasons. The art probably dates back to the 12th century, but the movement took root in the 15th century and exploded only quite recently in the later part of the 20th century.




Tai chi classes like the one I photographed in Hong Kong are becoming increasingly popular for its low impact on the body and soothing effect on the mind.




A sport even was developed from these classical poses, wushu, which is a mainstream feature of the Asian Games and the Southeast Asian Games (ASEAN). And when one says wushu, the images of kungfu and Jet Li aren’t that far from the mind.




There is enough scientific evidence that demonstrates that the practice of tai chi can lead to better balance, flexibility and weight reduction. Improvement on pain management and mental health are also well-documented.




Whatever the motivation, adherents are one in the belief that tai chi is all for the good. No arguments there.

the waterworld island Dawahon part 2

continued from the waterworld island of Danahon, part 1 in colloidfarl.blogspot.com

It was my second time in Dawahon. I was there three or four years ago but did not really get off from the boat as time was not on our side. This time though we left quite early at 7:30AM so by about 10:30, we already were pulling into the small speck of an island.

the clear emerald and aqua waters in Dawahon


With seaweed cultivation in full swing this summer, the island looks like Leyte’s version of the water world. Farm houses and drying platforms of various make and sizes, from small bamboo affairs not more than 20 meter square to large 400 square meter platforms made of concrete have mushroomed around the periphery that Dawahon probably has grown twice in land area. Such is reclamation Dawahon-style.


Dawahon’s only “highway” which connects the two sitio’s or villages


Dawahon has no groundwater source so rain water is collected in receptacles like these giant concrete jars. Potable water is available from a local desalination plant set up by an entrepreneur.


Dawahon, the island is quite dense. Officially a barangay of Bato, Leyte, it has a population of 2,000 spread over 2 villages or sitios, namely Fatima and Sto Nino. Each sitio has its own chapel (which means a different fiesta for each) and basketball court (which makes intra-island games possible).


The chapel of Sitio Fatima at the western end of the highway


A short tour around the island definitely reveals that its main source of livelihood is seaweed. Fishing now has become a secondary industry. In every corner, seaweed is either being dried, tied, cleaned or weighed. These are well and good. It means that I have all the reasons to come back.


a typical bamboo platform for seaweed collection and drying in Dawahon


seaweed harvest is transported from the farms to the platforms in motorized boats

the Cacing Diaries #36

Cacing in Hong Kong

Hong Kong was our stopover in our trip to Indonesia early this May. We really could not do a lot.


Cacing in her white “flight” getup


On our way to Surabaya, we arrived at Hong Kong almost midnight and left promptly in the afternoon. In the morning, we squeezed a short visit to the Victoria Peak, taking the famous tramway. Unfortunately, midway in the funicular ride, Cacing fell asleep as late morning is always naptime for her. We didn’t have the heart to wake her up so we took turns carrying our sleepyhead.


Hong Kong was chilly during our visit so Cacing had to be all bundled up


It was the reverse on the way home. We arrived late in the afternoon and we had the evening to ourselves before our flight early the next morning. Cacing, who already had her nap in the plane, was full of energy. It showed in the pictures here.


group picture at the Marco Polo Kowloon Gateway

Hurrah to beauty sleep!


strolling with her mom at the lobby of Marco Polo Kowloon Gateway


posing with family and friends at the Gateway with the Hong Kong skyline in the background

Food Fest at the Mactan Shrine

It’s the week leading to the Kadaugan sa Mactan or the Victory of Mactan and since 2001, the city government and the tourism council are sponsoring a weeklong food festival that would end on the eve of the reenactment of the April 27, 1521 battle between Lapu-Lapu and the explorer Ferdinand Magellan.


the limestone obelisk at the Mactan Shrine, Lapu-Laput City, Cebu, the Philippines


Expectations were high when we went there last Wed (April 23). While we don’t exactly do this annually, this was to be my third time to dine in this festival and I was looking forward on checking what food there are being offered by Mactan’s numerous resorts at amazingly democratized prizes. With cuisines from big names like Shangri-La, the Hilton, Plantation Bay, Maribago Bluewaters and Tambuli on display who would not be tempted?

We arrived at past 6:30PM. Parking always would be a pain in the shrine but we found a spot near the northern gate. We had initial trouble securing a table but the greater difficulty was choosing which stall to queue.


a full crowd at the dining area set up near the beach


Eventually we picked the popular Shangri-La stall. Food was cheap! Large servings of the grilled chicken and beef with vegetables were at P60 each. The Plantation Bay’s noodles probably had the longest line though so we had to skip it. A Japanese restaurant had some appetizing offerings so we bought maki rolls and shrimp tempura, also at P60/serving. Ordinarily, they would be at more than 3x as expensive in but in the resorts and restaurants eschew revenues in favor of good PR and CSR (corporate social responsibility).


the tidal flat where the battle of Mactan occurred


Weather cooperated quite nicely. The skies were starless but the rains stayed out. Dinner was quite fun. A local band played Cebuano ditties atop the pavilion where the stalls were.


the food pavilion with a live band at the balcony on top


After getting some bit of desserts and baby-back rib takeouts of from the White Sands Resort (P150 including rice), we gallivanted around the shrine. I’m a pure bred Oponganon and I take pride of this historical place.


live cooking at the food booth of the White Sands Resort


Next year, we hope to be back.


the marker and mural at the memorial at Mactan


To go: The food festival is held annually at the Mactan Shrine on the week of April 27, the anniversary of the battle of Mactan, where on 1521, the local chieftain Lapu-Lapu defeated the Spanish forces led by Ferdinand Magellan. Mactan is about 10 kilometers northwest of the Lapu-Lapu City proper.

Chua Ong- an incense coil special

pagoda-hopping in Vietnam part 3

This is the incense special.


Incense are mainly used in Buddhist temples for spiritual purification and blessing, not to mention for aromatic and aesthetic reasons.


Ever since I’ve been coming to Vietnam, I’ve always fancied going to a Buddhist temple and shooting the incense coils which so fascinated me. They are not available in the Philippines and I’m not sure if they are in Indonesia, at least not in the size and form that are common in Vietnam.


Incense coils or spirals are made by extruding the incense mixture into a coil without a core.



Spiral incense, depending on the size, can burn for several hours and even for days


So lo and behold, in my third (or is it my fourth?) business trip to Vietnam, I took the time to pagoda-hop in old Chinatown. I probably visited about four and it’s in the third temple, the Chua Ong, that I saw them in a beautifully lit array.


These incense coils are a type of direct burning incense, where the scents are released by lighting the actual incense.



Probably the most common scent of incense is sandalwood.


So here’s my tribute to those coils. Finally, I got them good.


In a study in Hong Kong, incense burning, contrary to popular belief, did not increase the risk of lung cancer among non-smokers and surprisingly reduced the risk among smokers.



It is possible people who regularly burn incense also engage in healthier dietary lifestyle, like eating more fresh fish and less alcohol.


For more of my pagoda-hop series in Vietnam, visit:
part 1: Thien Hau
part 2:Tam Son Hoi Quan
part 3:Chua Ong

It’s our second wedding anniversary!

Let me greet my wife a Happy Wedding Anniversary! It’s our second year since we walked down the aisle of St Yosef Catholic Parish in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia and pledged eternal commitment.

Two years and one Cacing later, here I am reminiscing the fateful day and what better way than publishing previously unseen pre-wedding pictures. As budgets go, I am no spendthrift. Throwing a wedding in Bali was costly enough – honestly, we estimated we would have spent more had we gotten married in Cebu but that’s another story – so we weren’t about to shell out precious rupiahs to a professional photographer in Bali, Indonesia’s most expensive city only to do all those corny and scripted poses.

Our thinking was, if we were to shame ourselves, we’ll do it at our convenience and our irreverent choreographed way.

So here goes nothing!


This was my best attempt to look pensive. I had the camera set on remote and took some pics at our room in Ayodya Resort in Bali.


Same room but we made use of the bed’s gigantic headboard for drama. I think we sat on a pile of pillows to get a clean shot.


This was just a snapshot after dinner. I remember getting some curious look from other diners of the Frangipani restaurant in Nusa Dua’s Bali Collection strip mall when I set up the tripod.


I guess I am too tall for the low-hanging bananas on display at the Moena Es Teler in Denpasar (photo by Ketut).


This is another photo taken by my friend Ketut. Dia and I were buying wristwatches as gifts to my friend who opened his house for the lunch reception in Bali.


A feeble attempt of local color. We were buying nasi bungkus lunch packs when we had Ketut take the photo.


How could we omit the fabulous Kuta beach? We merely stopped for a few minutes and had Ketut take the picture and then off we went.


As luck would have it, in a short stopover in the temple of Seminyak, there was a Saraswati ceremony attended by some high school kids. (photo by Ketut)


I wanted to have a photo of us in front of a temple and this was the nearest one in the vicinity after our short visit at Kuta beach.



The quaint Warung Kartini in Kuta was deserted so we played bussing lovebirds


The giant sculpted figure of Garuda was too colorful and large for us to let it go. There was a couple of chairs too so who were we to deny the photo op?


Also begging was the empty flight of stairs at the Mandarin Oriental where we stayed when we made the requisite personal appearance at the Philippine Embassy in Jakarta


The lobby of the Mandarin Oriental became fair game for us too.


This is a more corny and stiffer version of the sunrise silhouette


Shopping time is posing time. Here in a sarung store in Kuta, we struck a pose.


My knowing expression here still makes me laugh.