Archive for category Philippines
Vigan Trip: Caoayan Ancestral House
Posted by roanne in Caoayan, Ilocos Sur, Philippines, Vigan on March 21, 2011
I have been traveling to few places in and out of the Philippines recently, and I must say that I have tons of backlogs (when it comes to blogging them all) which are yet to be posted. Let’s start off with this Vigan trip I had last month.
It’s been more than a decade since I last set my foot in Vigan, and I miss the place terribly. So, when the opportunity knocked, I did not hesitate to go there to visit my relatives who were on vacation that time. My grandmother’s eldest sister passed away recently, so she left my grandfather, aunts, uncles and cousins (many of whom I don’t know) behind. From the States, they took some time off to the province in order to fix my late lola’s stuff.
First stop was my grandpa’s ancestral home situated in a small town of Caoayan, which is next to Vigan. The house has stood since 1913, and has been recently renovated. I’m glad that most of the things that I could find there are in pristine, antique condition. The house itself is interesting enough – from the vintage toy car collection to well-preserved Narra chairs and old payphones – the latter reminded me of Graham-Bell’s (though his is, obviously, way more archaic).
Here are some of the snappies I took inside the house:
Doorway to the second floor
Second floor living room
Dining room (on the second floor)
Ornate bowl-like display
Mac and Cheese in Mr. Jones, Greenbelt 5
Posted by roanne in Food, Mr. Jones, Philippines, Restaurants on June 30, 2010
I’m not really much of a “mac ‘n cheese” person, but this tells me otherwise. 
Trying Mr. Jones’ Mac and Cheese after a day’s work (not to mention an event to attend after) was just so satisfying!
If I remember correctly, a platter costs around Php 300-400 pesos which is not bad, and is good for two considering someone who generally eats in small proportions like I do. It’s packed with ham bits, green peas and of course, cheddar cheese! Since the serving is really huge for me to consider devouring it in one sitting, I just had half of my order to-go. I enjoyed eating it whilst it’s hot, albeit I felt a bit jittery as soon as it ran cold. Anyhoos, the pasta’s really al dente which made me enjoy nibbling it piece by piece, whilst the ham bits served its purpose—nixing the jitters and adding more flavor to the dish. I didn’t enjoy the green peas though, only because they’re a bit overdone. Had they been cooked just-right, this comfort food would have been perfect!
I highly recommend having this dish to-go, as it tastes much better when reheated and served the day after. 
Marked and Proud of it!
Posted by roanne in Personal Moods, Philippines on May 19, 2010
It’s been more than a week since I cast my vote for the third time. Being the apolitical yet cynic me, I’m very proud of myself for not giving up on our system yet. Speaking of which, there’s actually a new system that was introduced, in which ballots are automatically counted by a machine called PCOS—which stands for Precinct Count Optical Scan. Sounds like machines are making things a lot easier, eh? Well, not really for some people who happen to fall into an unruly precinct like mine.
I had to brace the scorching heat and long queues for 4-5 grueling hours before taking my turn to vote. But heck, the sacrifice was worth it, I hope. I’m proud to say that I have exercised my right to vote, which every Filipino of legal age and a capacitated mind has.
A week has passed and the election has spawned so many issues—good and bad. It’s more of the “bad” to be honest. But, given all the negativity abound, one must be vigilant enough to circumspect all the possibilities of such being feigned and fabricated and not fall abruptly into the abyss.
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