Alvi's Albay Cafe

     Since I'm in my hometown almost half the time, I've decided to feature more of the places and destinations in the Bicol region so my readers can get to know the place where I grew up.  I don't really go out a lot when I'm in Bicol but I will do my best to feature places of interest whenever there's an opportunity for such. My first post for 2013 is about a new restaurant in Daraga, Albay which opened last July, 2012: Alvi's Albay Cafe.

Alvi's Albay Cafe at night.

Alvi's is located at Brgy. Sagpon, 4200 Daraga, Albay.
Geographical location courtesy of Google Maps.  (Click the image to enlarge).

Upgrade Your Personal Dictionary

     If humans did not discover a way to communicate through words, I can't imagine a world where people grunt, point and stump to get a message across.  Google defines LANGUAGE as the method of human communication, spoken or written, that's made of words arranged in a structured or conventional way.  I speak 3 languages:  English, Filipino and my own dialect, Bicol.  (There's still a debate on the difference between languages and dialects so OK, I will count Bicol as a language^[1]).  I'm quite aware that I have not perfected those three yet so I use them with care and try to mind my grammar as much as possible.

     Oopps, don't ever think for a second that I will bore you with all that stuff because the introduction is not  at all the point of this post.  Yes, it still has something to do with language but if you're not Pinoy or if you don't speak the Filipino language, please read NO further.  But if you are and you understand Filipino or Tagalog, then read on my friend.

     It's funny how sometimes we become creative with language and invent a version for our own amusement.  For instance, Filipino homosexuals have what they call "swardspeak^[2]" (also known as "Bekimon" or "gay lingo") and when they talk among themselves, you might wonder whether you've gone insane or you've landed on the wrong planet.  I received a BBM broadcast from @Varrylicious a few weeks ago and just thought that I'd share the content with you guys.  It was quite a laugh and the list might surprise you on how language has definitely evolved in ways that you can't imagine.

Words/Terms That Needs To Be Added To Your Personal Dictionary

• THE EGG - kapag mas magaling s'ya sayo, "the egg" ka n'ya.  Papa "the egg" ka ba?  


• DUE CARE - if you're a fan of Batman movies, s'ya yung kalaban ni Batman, si "due care."  Oo, s'ya talaga.   You have to believe.


• IN SEX - these are small invertebrate animals, especially those with several pairs of legs.  Halimbawa ng mga "in sex" ay ants, bees, bother fly, bugs...

Buko Pie from Melgian's Sweets

     My brother was in Laguna a few days ago and brought some pasalubong^[1] on his way home.  He was nowhere near our favorite Orient's Buko Pie but he was able to get some buko pie, among other things, from another store.  And since I'm a buko pie fan, I cannot miss this opportunity to compare.

     Folks, this is the buko pie from Melgian's Sweets.  According to the information printed on the box, it's made from buco, milk, sugar, eggs, flour, margarine, and cheese.

I'm Loving The Province

     Hey guys, how are you all doing?

     I'm having my vacation here at home in the province and a bit busy with something that my brother and I are brewing -- thus my long absence from blogging. It's supposed to be just a few days visit at my parents' place but something came up and it needed my attention so I extended indefinitely.  Anyway, just wanna tell you all how much I miss blogging and while I'm picking some stuff in the city, I dropped by at a nearby coffee shop and said HI to all my blogger friends and loyal readers.

The Monsoon Flood Through The Lens Of My Camera

     A few more hours before I head home to my province for a short vacation, I found myself in my room with nothing much to do.  As I transfer images to the desktop to free some space on my camera, I saw the photos I took a week ago during the height of the monsoon flood.  Going through them, I can't help but silently admire how resilient we Filipinos are.  Surely we have other positive traits, but one prominent characteristic that surfaces at the most crucial of times is our ability to cope and survive -- and most of the time, with a smile.

A boy aboard his improvised vessel looks on as two men settles aboard a boat.
Third day of southwest monsoon flood, Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City, August 9, 2012.

     Looking at the photos on this post, you can see how difficult the situation was for some of our fellow Filipinos.  Unlike other affected areas in Metro Manila where water have receded immediately, flood water in Pinagbuhatan, Pasig have stayed for at least a week.  Even worse was during the Ondoy flood back in 2009 when the flood lasted for almost a month.  The images below are plain proof that no matter how hard circumstances can become, people will always find a way to live through it and never lose hope.