The City CDO has not changed

In 1960, we stayed in a house built of wood at Chavez st. in Cagayan de Oro clustered near the City Hall, Lourdes Hospital and within walking distance to important establishments and institutions. School, the Xavier University was several blocks away. So were the park and the city plaza.

In the mid 90’s, enroute to our Mindanao mountaineering sojourn, we stayed in an old downtown hotel along Capistrano st. also made of light building materials.

In the 21st century, these structures are still around, preserved notwithstanding the pressure of progress happening at the turn of the decades. They stand side by side with the concrete buildings of newly emerging global fast food icons.

Coming back to the city decades after seeing these structures again evokes nostalgia and introspection. With limited recollection on these places and friends and experiences, it has forced me to think back and visualize how my early days were. The revisit validated that indeed; we have been mobile family early on, laying the foundation to the itchy feet popularized by the Discovery Channel of “exploring your world.”

Written in flight (PR 084) while hovering around Luzon waiting for clearance to land caused by the rains and poor visibility in Metro Manila 25 July 2010

Priceless

Priceless
Main Entry: price•less
Pronunciation: \ˈprīs-ləs\
Function: adjective

Date: 1594

1 a : having a value beyond any price : INVALUABLE b : costly because of rarity or quality : PRECIOUS
2: having worth in terms of other than market value
3: delightfully amusing, odd, or absurd
From the Merriam-Webster Dictionary

A popular buzz world in Manila in the last decade is the adjective “world class.”Initially tagged to the performing artist and sports, now it s application has extended to services, technical expertise, managerial competency and leadership. Some loosely associate it with global standard.

What are the attributes of a world class output? A tall order as it has to have a high level of competitive performance or being of the highest caliber in the world.

To progress from a starting point to the next level however needs a change of mindset first. Embrace excellence and abundance where good is not enough, better still unacceptable and consistently exemplary is the only known way.

Priceless and world class. Path to world class starts from performing the basics. Results of an astounding performance leave a priceless mark.

Family Day Sunday

Sunday is a family day when members of the immediate and extended families gather for a big lunch. Frequency of the gathering can range from monthly to bi-weekly depending on the availability of the members. Meal is usually a time when the must have dishes from a well kept and proven recipe are served to all across generations.

The digital world has partially changed that. The favorite dish is still there. Traditional food fare is supplemented by new preferences discovered through the years. Metro Manila’s Sunday markets have become the new source of gastronomic specialties. 

Sourced from the market and served at home, the time long tradition of a filling and fulfilling banquet in the company of family members is enhanced further. Join us in this feast from my preferred source, Sidcor (Strategic Investment Development Corporation)  at the Lung Center in Quezon Circle. Everything is here just for a song (compared to eating out).

Mango from Guimaras at P 85/kilo. Watermelon from Iloilo. Carabao's Milk from Bulacan at P 40 per 300 mL. Half a gallon of Buko Sherbet from Pampanga at P 200. A pack of crabs from Bulacan at P 320.

Mango from Guimaras at P 85/kilo. Watermelon from Iloilo. Carabao's Milk from Bulacan at P 40 per 350 mL. Half a gallon of Buko Sherbet from Pampanga at P 200. A pack of crabs from Bulacan at P 320.  Tapang Usa at P 250/half a kilo.   Deadly lechon kawali from Marikina and Ilocos.  Lettuce from Baguio at P 35 per pack.  Native corn.  Dried fish from Palawan.  Grilled Tilapia, Dalag.  Palabok from Bulacan at P 40/pack.  Sukang Paombong, Quesong Puti, Bayabas, Longanisa from Laoag, Tuguegarao.  Lumpia from Binondo at P50.

Roaming Singapore

One of the most popular destinations in Asia is a relatively small island with a land area of 704 square kilometers and still expanding. It has a population of about 5 million (a variable depending on the taxi driver) inhabited by a mixed Asian race primarily Chinese. Landlocked, its main land is dominantly urban with a large forest reserve.

This country is modern with a heritage.

While strict and quite authoritarian, it is a bit tolerant these days.

-Taxi driver says to his next passenger by cell phone, “There is a major jam, allow at  least a 20 minute delay, ok?”

-“Next time you file for a GSF refund, do it before entering the Changi immigration so I can see the items, OK? This time I will refund,” says the internal revenue officer at the airport.

-20 seconds before the pedestrian traffic sign turns from Red to Green, construction workers cross the street.

It is walking and disable friendly with exclusive pedestrian lanes from end to end, foliage from maintained trees protecting promenaders from the harsh sunlight. The air is refreshingly clean.

Mobility is easy from North to South. Board the bus, call a center for a taxi or van, hop in the North South, North East and Circle lines to move around anytime of the day. It is a shoppers’paradise which is a secondary in my interest for this trip. You feel at home and think like work when in the central business district.

The city is a food trippers’ ecstasy. As diverse as street food to formal dining, Asian to Continental, visualize it, you will see it cooking.

View with me the documentary of the “Roamer,” the intrepid traveler in Singapore. While a part of a compact group, every opportunity to see the other way is grabbed. Appreciate with me the images as captured by a point and shoot camera.

Thanks to our (family) sponsors. While a stay in the city is relatively still affordable, their generosity upgraded me several levels higher making this memorable extended weekend quite a luxurious one.

Place plus family brings one to an ultimate high. "Everyone's presence upgraded our family bonding experience several levels higher, making this memorable extended weekend quite a priceless one."

An escapade in Singapore with my family, figuratively is a great way to fly! Welcome.

Chito 7 July 2010