Biographies of world figures

I recently had an awakening. I didn't realize that working in one industry and being surrounded by the same people sheltered me from the realities of living in Cebu. I felt I was in a cocoon all these years. And in the past few days, it felt like I've been through a metamorphosis that culminated on that extraordinary Friday night. We have to look beyond our perception of things. Dig deep into our consciousness. Remove our biases and prejudices to have a clearer vision of what Gabii Sa Kabilin is all about. Harry Potter at the Rizal Memorial Library and Museum I have to admit that in the decade that I have been in Cebu, I didn't have the inclination to go out of my comfort zone. It would have been a totally different story if I was still living in Manila. I have my family there, my friends, people I've grown up with, and familiar places that I've been to. These thoughts entered my mind as I counted the number of hours until I officially ended my workday that Friday e...

The month of May has been declared as Philippine Heritage Month. And what better way to celebrate this is by having my favorite Harry Potter Funko Pop visit 11 Cebu Heritage sites. One Sunday afternoon, I decided to spend it by going around the city of Cebu bringing with me one of my Funko Pop figurines. I wanted to highlight the various historical sites found in downtown Cebu. I wasn't able to cover all the places that I wanted to focus on since I started a bit late. Watch out for a second edition. Most of the places that I took photos of are located in the Parian District of Cebu City. During the Spanish Colonial period, Chinese merchants, traders, and their families were segregated to areas known as Parian. In Cebu City, the Parian District was founded in 1590 and was placed under the supervision of the Jesuits. In Cebu, every last Friday of May has been earmarked as Gabii sa Kabilin or Night of Heritage. From 6 PM to 12 AM, people are encouraged to visit participating museums, ...

It was a Noir state of mind when I spent my Holy Week afternoon in Colon Street. It made me think of the nature of things. My unexpected fascination with Colon began on a sweltering Thursday afternoon. About a month ago, my Facebook Newsfeed was filled with photos of people rushing from one church to another to complete the required 7 churches for Visita Iglesia. It was a hot Maundy Thursday afternoon and I also planned to do the pilgrimage but I ended up being distracted by the sight of the busiest street in Cebu being empty of the usual traffic of vehicles and folks.    An everyday scene in the heart of downtown Cebu. Walking the street of Colon reminded me of being in Quiapo, Ermita or even Escolta. Colon was a composite of Manila, the real Manila.  The air is grimy and dusty. There is a muskiness in the air that gives it character. You know you're in the center of downtown Cebu by the look of the buildings; of the crowds of vendors, students, bystanders, and commuters...

Except for the flying dragons, wight-walkers, and the never-ending snow, HBO's Game of Thrones was mostly inspired by England's the Wars of the Roses . It all started in 1399 when Richard II was deposed by Henry Bolingbroke Duke of Lancaster . This triggered a change in the Royal succession. Henry Bolingbroke, who would be crowned as Henry IV, essentially stole the throne from Richard II and his chosen heir Edmund Mortimer Earl of March.  This paved the events leading to the Wars of the Roses which pitted members of the Plantagenet Dynasty against each other. Family intrigue, warring relations, and changing loyalties marked one of the bloodiest chapters in British history. Jon Snow, Tyrion Lannister, and Daenerys Targaryen The red rose became the symbol of House Plantagenet who descended from John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster, the third son of Edward III. While the House of York can trace its origins from Lionel Duke of Clarence and Edmund Duke of York, the second and fourth s...

The Japanese word for moon is pronounced as Tsuki. And you'll see that symbol in the logo of the newest restaurant in Cebu, Tsuki Japanese Dining, which is located on the Ground Floor of Sarrosa International Hotel. Oishii! Oishii! Those were the words I ended up saying the entire time we were having lunch in Tsuki Japanese Dining Restaurant. I enjoy eating Japanese food. I might not be that adept in using the Japanese names of the dishes that were served to us but I could appreciate quality food. Tempura Moriawase or Mixed Tempura - 290PHP Japanese dishes are prepared simply. No fuss, no fancy styling of food. The art comes when you bite into that fried Tempura or that fresh Sashimi. I can tell you right now that I had a great food experience when we dined in Tsuki Japanese Restaurant. And don't worry, it's not a fancy place nor would it burn a hole in your wallet. If you want to savor authentic Japanese food, then this is one of the best restaurants to have that Japanes...

Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock had an affinity for casting blonde beauties in his movies. He famously had bizarre relationships with his leading ladies. His movie career spanned more than 40 years, it garnered him numerous awards and nominations both in Hollywood and in the United Kingdom. In an earlier blog post, I talked about Hitchcock never having won an Academy Award despite five nominations for Best Director. Read: Alfred Hitchcock never won a Best Director Oscar Ingrid Bergman and Alfred Hitchcock Blondes in movies have been typecasted as either "dumb and clueless" or "sophisticated and icy". Hitchcock's Blondes are neither. Most of these characters were the central focus of the movies. The portrayals were classy, intelligent, and sensual. Hitchcock had his favorites. He worked numerous times with Grace Kelly, Ingrid Bergman, and Tippi Hedren. There were even rumors that he had a weird fascination with Hedren during the filming of her two movies wi...