Concert at the Park

One of the cultural projects of the Department of Tourism along with the committee that takes care of the development of national parks is a mini concert held every Sunday at Luneta. It showcases a themed musical program that features a Pinoy musician or a group of musicians in an open area where the Flower Clock is located, which is used as the back drop.

Today, they had the Jive Disciples, a group of woodwind ensemble enthusiasts and hobbyists. They played contemporary jazz, pop music, and jazzed-up Tagalog songs.

Bato sa Buhangin with the saxophone throughout sounded great.

Journaling Pen to Paper

Sitting in an angle with a notebook on his lap, one hand holding his drinks and the other his pen.

This dude did not only catch my attention but earned my respect as well. There is really something to be said for the simplicity, or rather complexity, of the pen and paper. I find him cool not only for not relying on a device to write something down but also for writing a journal to document his travels.

This is on a tourist bus headed to Bangkok from Siem Reap. Upon getting back to my seat, I tried to search for my favorite frixion pen that I remember I brought in my bag, but to my dismay I could not find it. I always bring a pen with me, but I always lose it.

I know it's a burst of emotion of suddenly wanting to do something because I saw someone doing it. I wanted to write this all down, badly. But I guess it's just as easy to keep things simple and I ended up posting this using my phone.

Trinoma Christmas Ladies

Hanging Christmas decors at Trinoma 
in Quezon City

They are not trees, but they are Christmas decors shaped like ladies. So I call them Christmas ladies. All Ayala malls have these shimmering splendid and beautiful distinctly elegantly Ayala holiday decorations.

In the Philippines, we have a very long, if not the longest in the world, Christmas celebration. It is believed particularly by the Catholics that Christmas ends on epiphany, the day after the Twelve Days of Christmas, which is why most Christmas trees and other decors are not taken down after January 7.  That is also after the day when the three wise men came to pay homage to Jesus Christ.

Spice Up your USB Drive

It looks like a normal chili pepper-shaped toy.

But when you open it up,  tadaah! A usb drive! A pepper-shaped USB drive. It is a freebie from Chili's.

The thing itself is cute, the idea even more.   :D

The Tallest Flagpole

Have you ever wondered where the tallest Philippine flagpole is located?

It is along Roxas Boulevard in Manila, across Kilometer Zero right in front of Jose Rizal's monument in Luneta. It is called the Independence Flagpole which was erected in commemoration of the Philippine independence from the United States on July 4, 1946. Yes, that's the date when the country finally became politically independent.

It is interesting to note that this pole is included among the few notable flagstaffs around the country under a law where in the national flag shall be hoisted 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Also, it should be illuminated at night, as evident in this blurry night photo.

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I will try to take a better picture of this during the daytime soon. :)

Riding a Kuliglig

Isabela Farmers on a Kuliglig

It was so lucky of me to chance upon a group of farmers on a new year's day coming from the farm. I do not know exactly what they have in their carriage and what it was for, but the carriage they are on is something typical that farmers use around here. It is called kuliglig, a two-wheeled mini trailer pulled by a hand tractor.

They are commonly found in northern Philippines. There are no regulations that I know of regarding the use of these machines, so there are a lot of them. Some even use them as mode of transport in lieu of a car or a tricycle. Apparently, it can carry more passengers.

I haven't tried driving one myself, but they said that it is not easy to maneuver it because of its primitive steering.  To be able to make a sharp turn, the driver needs to get off and walk it around and then jump back on.