Jogging in Baguio

It's a nice sunny day at Burnham Park in Baguio. The jogging track that embraces the lake is just as enticing as the 15C weather early in the morning.

An Old Lampshade

One corner at the Hill Station, the restaurant at Casa Vallejo, in Baguio sits this old lampshade guarding the windows against the glare of the sunlight peeking through. It gives an antique motif to the place.

A Great Day Ahead

Good morning! Yes, I am in Baguio again.

Squeezing in a sudden business trip on a weekend before my planned vacation is kind of frantic and tiring. With only so much time available to get everything done for this, and for a flight I am supposed to be preparing for this very weekend.

It makes such a difference, though, if you are able to rest and sleep well. The Manor's atmosphere does exactly what I need. It provides an ideal base for a peaceful and leisurely trip.

I had a good night sleep and I am now ready for another long journey back to Manila.

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Pruned

I have a thing for dead trees and dormant plants or those old trees without leaves. But I feel sorry for this just-trimmed pine tree next to a bushy one with a bunch of green needles.

Foggy Afternoon

Baguio in thick fog

One cannot help but feels like an angel on top of a mountain embraced by clouds.

This picture was taken on the same day as when my entry on July 8 was taken. It's amazing how the weather in Baguio changes like bipolar. The sun was shining brightly a couple of hours before this.  In spite of it being unpredictable, I love this place. I call it a second home.

Pond Bridges

Pond bridge at BenCab

There is something about garden bridges that fascinates me so much. They seem to give a touch of tranquility and beauty.

This bridge is over the pond at BenCab Museum in Asin. The view is made more dramatic by the low-lying thick fog.   

Trees of Green, Skies of Blue

Camp John Hay, Baguio City

The blue sky and bright sun with a slight breeze here in Baguio makes anyone feel like staying in this place forever.

Batirol Light

Every kiosk at the Tsokolate de Batirol at John Hay in Baguio has a hanging batirol light in it. I do not really know how they call those light fixtures, I just made that up.

Batirol  is a Cebuano word for a small pot used for cooking chocolate drink, shaped like an urn.

I call it that way because it looks like one, an upside-down batirol. It is creatively painted with the stripe design of the handwoven clothing of the Igorots. It also gives support to the bulb. Although it does not illuminate just like most lamp fixtures do, it provides a great lighting to the kiosk space.

Misty Baguio

That water repellent spray that's supposed to make windshield wipers unnecessary is useless here in Baguio.

With the mist that forms easily and the reduced visibility, one has to be extra careful when driving here. It can get dangerous.

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Piss on the head

Taken with instagram

Good morning, Azalea!

Good morning, Azalea! (Taken with Instagram at Baguio City)

Interesting Jobs: Caddie

Manong caddie with the clubs

One interesting job that I learned while at Camp John Hay in Baguio the other day is being a caddie. Caddies are the ones walking around the golf course in charge of carrying golfers bags.

All these years, I thought they were just simple assistants and their work is similar to that of payong girls -- assist as asked. However, it turned out that caddies also play the role of a coach to the player, (there may be a right term or that in golf) as they are aware of the challenges and obstacles of the course as well as the strategies in playing the game.

Just like in the corporate world, they also go through ranking system where in they get promoted from being a trainee to a champion. That, of course, depends on their training and performance.

I always thought that golf is an interesting sport. Now that I knew a bit about caddying, I personally think that this job is equally interesting as the sport itself.R

Loaf Bread of Life

Danes Bread

The history of bread can go back to thousands of years, but Danes Bakeshop will definitely play a big part of  any written bread-related articles in the Cordillera region, particularly in Benguet.

Regardless of its taste and how it looks like, Danes proved to be very popular among ordinary people mainly because of its consistency -- it's availability in the market, it's freshness, and it's price. It's cheap because it is locally-made.

The bread aisle of supermarkets is usually jam-packed with cleverly labeled brands. Some sound healthy and expensive and some are just there to fill in the space. But the stacks of Danes outdo all other brands apparently.

For an ordinary Baguio resident, this loaf bread, along with some other basic staples in the pantry, is a must to be in stock. Otherwise, it's time for grocery shopping

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