Rough Groove

Series 48: Cebu on my mind

I miss Cebu. A little more than a month since I was last there and I just have this strange longing for home. Is it because Makati is just too crowded and hot and noisy that I miss the relative peace of being back in my home province? Or is it just that I miss my family? Or traveling down south rounding off the western side and marvel at the clear blue waters and ancient churches and watchtowers dotting the coast? Or being spoiled with Talisay lechon that I always want to be served during Sunday lunch accompanied with dugo-dugo and crispy ginabot and fruits or hot pan de leche at night smothered with a good helping of butter and savor its fluffy texture?

Series 48: Cebu on my mind is now starting at Binary Silver. Consisting of 8 photos, these are images of Cebu near the Mactan bridge area that makes me smile as I’m welcomed back when I arrive from Manila or lingers in my mind whenever I leave again.

In memoriam

How quick time flies. A year ago, I was at home in Makati sleeping when my mobile phone rang. At the end of the line, my mother was crying. My father died that day alone in his room in far away Mumbai, India. He suffered a sudden cardiac arrest.

Those were hard times. Painful times when one tends to remember the past years with ones loved ones. Of regretting things that one would have wanted to say and do and sharing ones dreams and plans but alas! It has come to naught and I just have to say them silently through my dreams, through my prayers.

The Jesuit House of 1730 in Cebu

An exciting find, Arnold Carl’s Heritage of Cebu site has photos of the current status of this Jesuit House in Pari-an, Cebu City, purported to be the oldest house in Cebu and in the country. I have read about this in Regalado Trota Jose’s book, Simbahan, and have thought that it was demolished together with the Parian Church during the colonial era due to, as some put it, jealousy by the Augustinians of Sto. Nino Church with its rising wealth and influence (Parian is usually related with the Chinese just like in colonial Manila, outside the walls of Intramuros).

Now this, and I should schedule a visit to this area when I return home next week in time for the elections.

Home for the weekend

If not for the quarrel I had last week, I wouldn’t have come home at all. But I have. Not much done here but the usual online surfing, eating and the occassional watching cable TV. I brought all my DVD’s in the desire to continue post processing the church pics since it will be deadline time next week but unfortunately, not much progress have been done. The Flickr Cebu-Sugbo meet didn’t materialize though but I initiated a mini contest there on portraits to dispose two photography magazines that I have.

Good thing that I’ve mentioned to Fr. Galende that I will be going home as he said that I should include the church in Talisay, a beautiful century old structure. Yesterday, I was there to take facade shots and drove to Naga to get specific details of the facade. After that, I was again online.

Today, I had Talisay lechon tha I specifically requested for lunch. The delicious taste of its crispy skin and well flavored meat is just heaven. This paired with dinuguan and my meal was complete. And of course, this afternoon, got my SE W850i and been busy with managing and configuring it this evening. Also prepared a parcel of tiger beetles to my friend Dr. Avv Fabio Cassola, an Italian specialist on tiger beetles, family Cicindelidae.

Tomorrow, I have to rise up early as my flight back to Manila is 0930H.

Series 45: Sinulog 2007

Yes, to some strange stroke of luck, I was able to come home after all just in time for the Sinulog. The current series now at Binary Silver are the photos that I’ve taken during the event.