Jolly, Green, and Giant - Life on Mt. Makiling

Life-long city dwellers have taken to saying, “You know, back when I was younger, there were hundreds of butterflies here, some even bigger than my hand. Now, they’re all gone because the air is so dirty.”

A butterfly as big as a hand? Even the preserved specimens in collections were no bigger than a person’s palm. There were stories too of dragonflies the size of pencils, with wings shiny as sapphires, and of insects that would stay motionless on a finger because they weren’t afraid of humans. It didn’t seem possible.

But, apparently, it was. In fact, it still is.

"Come into my garden."

Revisiting an old friend

“We’re going to Puerto Galera.”

The moment my mother said these words, a rush of memories filled my head. I remembered riding a big boat, a roro, I think it’s called. I threw up once, while riding the roro. I was six years old. There were so many people crowded on the boat, and the sun was mercilessly shining that day. I ruined my grandmother’s pants, soiled my cousin’s slippers, and smelled vile. It would have been a horrendous (not to mention, a terribly embarrassing) experience, were it not for the dolphins. The friendly creatures chose that moment – my moment of shame and sickness – to put on the show for the roro passengers. There were three of them jumping in and out of a crystal-blue sea, keeping up with the boat as it made its way to the beautiful island of Puerto Galera in Mindoro. Thanks to them, I could almost ignore the terrible smell, the heat, my headache, and the bile threatening to rise once again in my throat.

This memory is the most vivid of all my experiences in and going to the island – a meaningful statement considering that I’ve seen mini tornadoes, sea turtles washed up on shore, and seahorses playing in the shallow pools along the coast of Puerto Galera. With all of these wonderful and not-so-wonderful recollections in my head, I could barely contain my excitement that I had an opportunity to go back to my favorite place in the Philippines, the beach of my childhood.

The boat trip this time around was a far cry from the roro commute I had done 12 years ago. For one, I didn’t ride on a roro. My mom rented a bangka, or the local speedboat, to ferry us to Mindoro. No dolphins swam alongside the boat. The sky was overcast, and rain seemed to be on the horizon. But I didn’t care. Things changed, I told myself. I was going back to Puerto Galera. That was all that mattered.

Bangkas waiting for passengers idle by the shore.

The realities and fake DVDs of Manila Chinatown

Wow! Mukhang mayaman! Pwede ba kita kidnapin?”

The streets of Manila Chinatown are rarely this empty - unless it's Holy Week or during a Manny Pacquiao fight, of course.

Getting ogled and asked by random passersby if they may kidnap you is one of the risks of going to Manila Chinatown. Carrying around and displaying a giant digital camera in an open marketplace tends to attract all sorts of vagrants, from beggars and snatchers to would-be kidnappers. But, most of the people on the streets of Binondo are harmless, and any kidnapping requests are probably just jokes. Probably. In any case, showing off gadgets and money in this area isn’t the brightest thing to do.

The risk of losing wallets, patience, and excessive amounts of sweat apparently isn’t enough to keep either the tourists or the locals away from Chinatown. Everyday, a tide of people crashes into Binondo and the surrounding areas for its shopping and unique cultural atmosphere – but still, mostly for the shopping.

A bite of Malaysia

A melting pot of culture, Malaysia is home to the whole gamut of eastern ethnic groups, from native Malayans, to Chinese, Indians, and even small Thai, Indonesian, and European communities. It shares a colonial past with many other Asian countries, having been controlled by Great Britain in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

With such a wide mix of peoples and a colorful history, it’s no surprise that Malaysia has such a diverse culture. This diversity is reflected in Malaysian food – literally, culture served on a platter. The large Chinese and Indian populations have greatly influenced the national cuisine.

One of the most famous dishes in Malaysian cooking is even an adaptation of the Indian roti, or bread. There are several variations of roti in Malaysia, the two most common ones being the roti canai, which is part pancake, part crepe, and the roti jala, which is thinner and net-like. Both types of roti are typically eaten with curry.

Lamb curry with just the right amount of kick.