2nd Siomai Festival sa Tisa 2015

Location:  a certain hospital somewhere in Manila

Year:  1988 (I was 6 years old)

Scenario:  me talking to the doctor after getting my X-ray

Dockie:  So, nakakain ka na ng lunch?

Me:  Yes po.

Dockie:  Ano'ng kinain mo?

Me:  Bilog po.

Dockie:  Ha?  Hehe....  Sa'n kayo kumain?

Me:  Sa tapat lang po paglabas ng hospital.

Dockie:  Ah, sa Chinese restaurant.  Siopao?

Me:  Hindi po.  'Yung maliit lang.

Dockie:  Junior siopao?

Me:  Mmmm.  'Di rin po.

Dockie:  Malagkit ba?  Matamis?  Buchi?

Me:  No po.  Ewan ko po ano 'yun.  Basta bilog, maliit, nilalagyan ng toyo at kalamansi.

Dockie:  Alam ko na!  Siomai 'yun!

And that's how I came to know the magic word SIOMAI!  It was by far, the most delicious food I tasted in that old Chinese restaurant.  So I started liking getting up so early at dawn para lumowas ng Maynila from Lipa, Batangas for my check-ups way back then.  Luckily, Chinese food is Daddy Charles' favorite so go lang si Mommy Becky kung ano ang gusto ni Daddy.  Then I ordered siomai, siomai, and more siomai!  It was my reward for fasting, skipping breakfast, that is for the lab tests, ultrasound, etc. that I'm going to undergo for the day.  From then on, siomai has become one of my favorite foods ever!

Location:  Treasure Island Industrial Corp., Cebu

Year:  2006 (I was a fresh grad from college)

Scenario:  me talking to my colleague at work

Her:  Lami kaayo mag pungko2x.

Me:  Ha?  Nganong magpungko man ka nga sakit man na sa tiil.

Her:  Hahaha!!!!!  Lahi man gud ang pungko2x ngari sa Cebu.  Kanang mangaon sa kilid2x ba.

Me:  Ay.  Sorry gud.  Unsa man puy kaonon?

Her:  Ngohiong, barbecue, siomai.  Hala!  Dugay na kaayo ko wa kakaon ug siomai sa Tisa!

Me:  Tisa?  Sa Labangon?

Her:  O.

Me:  Kada adlaw man ko moagi diara.

Her:  Tan-awa ra gud ni sya oh.  Kada adlaw man diay ka dira unya wa jud ka kabaw.

Me:  Kana laging sa daplin lag dalan?  Unya lami pud?

Her:  Super!

And that's how I became addicted with Siomai sa Tisa!  Every time I went home from a very long day at work, I dropped by at Tisa to buy siomai and just walked my way to Mama Dita's house when I was still staying with her.  Siomai sa Tisa is just soooo love especially the chili sauce that is spicy to the max!  Ika nga, in vain ang siomai 'pag walang sauce.  It is the flavorful sauce that gives the siomai its very unique and distinct taste.  All-in sweet, salty, and spicy plus a squeeze of calamansi to make it tangy.  This is just so yummylicious!  In fact, I can eat 25 pieces of siomai in just one setting as long as the sauce is unlimited with a very cold soda in waiting!  Haha!  Oh, God!  Just by imagining this makes me wanna go back to Cebu for a heavenly taste of Siomai sa Tisa again!  

        

Fortunately, it was perfect timing that we went to Cebu last week for Papa and Mama's check-up because it was the 2nd Siomai Festival sa Tisa 2015!  The festivities lasted for a week in honor of the barangay's patron saint, San Lorenzo Ruiz.  It was like a mini Sinulog with all the street dancing, fireworks display, and street party they had!  

The whole of Labangon participated in the revelry because the district was already known to the world as the way tugpahay street food high-street!  If Singapore has Jalan Makanan, so is Cebu with its Siomai sa Tisa!  Day or night, rain or shine, all stalls are ready to serve you with the bestest siomai in town!  They also serve hot and spicy pancit canton, chicharon, and very cold cola!  Ika nga ni cuzzy Cang2x, makamatay ug dali sa cholesterol!  But who cares?  It's just a treat for yourself once in a while!  Just don't do it often, OK?

     

Thanks to Cang2x for bringing us to the Siomai Festival!  And thanks to the little brother/sister of Ryan of PBB 737 for the photo op! :)

More festivals to come, dear blog readers! :)  #tosomtravels

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Logging-In at Tumalog Falls

We are now on my third post of our family summer Cebu South escapade!  First was the whale shark watching, second was Sumilon Island, and third stop was the enchanting Tumalog Falls which completed our 3-in-1 Oslob experience.  

Just a few kilometers away from Brgy. Tan-Awan which is the butanding watching area is Brgy. Luka, home of the recently "discovered by many" tourist attraction, the Tumalog Falls.

In getting there, you may take a 20-minute walk from the entrance gate.  The road is paved but it is very steep.  To save time, you may take a single motorcycle ride which we call habal-habal for P50 per pax roundtrip.  It is safe since only one person is allowed for the back ride.  Entrance fee/environmental fee to the falls is only P20.  You may bring food and water with you because just like in Sumilon Island, there are no restaurants in the place.

Once you get there, you will be mesmerized as the waters cascade down.  The cold water showers like raindrops.  The basin is ideal for basking or swimming since it is only waist-deep.  It is not dangerous to swim there because some parts have been improvised to be like swimming pools.  Unlike Tinago Falls in Lanao del Norte which has an unfathomable depth, Tumalog Falls is great for family picnics for you don't have to worry about the safety of your children.

The water is too cold that we enjoyed so much, soothing the hotness of our bodies from the beach.  It is clean, fresh, and flowing that washes away the saltiness of the seawater our bodies had collected.  Hehe....  It was great to have this gem of the South last in our itinerary!

So whenever you're in the southern tip of Cebu, never fail to log into Tumalog Falls for a one-with-nature experience!

There's still more of our Cebu South escapade so stay tuned only here on The Other Side of Mae! :)  #tosomtravels

Related Posts:

Swimmin' with the Whale Sharks in Oslob

Sumilon Island on a Budget

Where We Stayed and Ate in Oslob

           

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Sumilon Island on a Budget

The Queen City of the South is not only known for its annual Sinulog festival but also known for its gifts of nature especially its pristine beaches.  Once you touchdown at Mactan International Airport, you'll instantly be welcomed by an array of 5-star hotel resorts where white sand beaches are as inviting as ever!  Click the hyperlink to see my blog posts on Mövenpick and Shangri-La.  

However, checking into hotel resorts can be heavy to the pocket.  Travelling is not always that cheap no matter how tight you are on your budget and it's a great thing that there's still the south of Cebu to further explore.  After whale shark watching last week (see my post here), we dropped by Sumilon Island for swimming.  Sumilon is called as such from the dialect sumilong which means "to shelter".  Fishermen always use the island as shelter from the storms whenever stricken out in the open sea.  And stressed modern-day people also use the island as shelter from the battles they are fighting in their crazy city life.   

So, wanna take an escape?  Getting into Sumilon Island is just as easy as 1, 2, 3.

1.  Book for a boat ride.

Boat ride costs P2,000 from Oslob to Sumilon, vice versa for a whole group.  Vangie's boats are really big, having a capacity of 20 people maximum.  The boat crew is friendly and assists you well.  It surprised us that their boys can carry a baby with finesse as they hand our baby Shang2x from one person to another in getting in and out of the boat.

2.  Enjoy a 15-minute boat trip.

Take this opportunity to have pictorials.  The boat is an exclusive trip for you to be free in whatever things you wanna do.  But there's a part when the waves get high so keep an eye for kids onboard.

3.  Pay P50 per pax for environmental fee.

Once you reach the sand bar, you can directly swim or select a spot for the picnic you've brought.  There ain't no cottages, tables, nor chairs and you can bring yours if you wish.  The beach is raw with its natural beauty and the corals are untouched.  There is also no restaurant in the place so you better bring food and water.  All that you can get there is pure nature at its finest.

If you would also want a luxurious Sumilon Island escapade, you may check into Bluewater Sumilon Island Resort.  Day tour costs P2,000 per pax.  For more information, click here.   

Watch out for more posts as we took an adventure off the beaten path of Cebu's South!  So stay tuned only here on The Other Side of Mae! :)  #tosomtravels


For questions, invites, and collaborations, direct message me on Facebook.  For updates on my whereabouts and whatabouts, follow me on Twitter and Instagram! :)

Related Posts:

Swimmin' with the Whale Sharks in Oslob

Logging-In at Tumalog Falls

Where We Stayed and Ate in Oslob

           

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Sinulog 2015 Day 1

My every year starts with booking tickets for Sinulog.  I do it every first Saturday of the year and this year, I was shocked!  I thought I'm always being early but ships to Cebu were already fully booked as early as December.  Why did Sinulog instantly become a hot iron to strike?  I've been going to Sinulog since I was a child and this was my first time to encounter such trouble over finding tickets to Cebu.  Luckily, my colleague found cheap plane tickets via Laguindingan.  However, the dates were totally outskirts from the actual Sinulog day.  I had to leave my classes and stay in Cebu for five whole days which I thought was a total sacrifice albeit the land and sea trip to Laguindingan.  But I did!  I did went to Cebu by hook or by crook!  Too much effort lang ang peg ni Dora the Explorer!  So now, this was the first day of my Sinulog 2015!

With Sir Jezreel and Sir Marvel at Laguindingan International Airport

We were welcomed by my high school classmate/college roommate/Cebu buddy, Hermesa at the airport.  After ages of not seeing her, we got so excited!  We got to talk a lot of things while ignoring the other two at the backseat.  Hehe.....

Then she treated us lunch at Ayala Terraces' Pepper Lunch!  The food was great but it's not suited for people who are already hungry.  The hot plate was so hot that even after 15 minutes or so, the food is still smokingly hot.   And I'm not talking of the spicyness here (I can tolerate that).  It's the literal hotness of the food that delays you into savoring it.

After a very brief time, Mimi had to leave for work so i queued up for my Islands Souvenirs Cut and Style Sinulog shirt while waiting for Cherry Ann.

When Cherry Ann arrived, we had light snacks at KFC because we still don't have KFC here in Ozamiz.

Then we roamed around Ayala and met Cherry Ann's friends, Ricky and Jet for dinner at Ulli's Streets of Asia.  Everything Asian is in the menu which made me miss Singapore for its delicious Hokkien mee that I had helpfuls of serving.  However, the Yakitori-Style Barbeque was a bit salty for my taste considering that I'm the salty type of person. 

  

To cap the night off, we proceeded to Whatever KTV Bar to hear the voice of Ricky (the Giant, a once famous DJ here in Ozamiz.  Hehe).  Indeed, his voice was effin' good that he grabbed all the 100% scores of the videoke machine.  After a few drinks, we went straight home to recharge for the next day of my Sinulog 2015, the longest Sinulog I've ever had!

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Behind the Scenes of #yrech32

Since today is November's last day and Bonifacio Day but no holiday, allow me to have this huling-hirit post for #yrech32!  I had given you all the glam photos of Cherry Ann's birthday holiday so now let me give you these not-so-glam photos of our bloopers!

The Early Morning No-Ligo Brekky

The Against-the-Light Pictorial

The Umbrella-Photo-Bomber Pictorial

The Jump Shot Fail

The Nga-Nga Experience

The Bedtime Online Marathon

I already miss you, ladies!!!  'Till our next bonding get-away! :)  And thank you for bearing with us, dear blog readers.  'Till the next #tosomtravels diaries! :)

     

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Feature Friday: Bucket Shrimps

Feature Friday highlights businesses, people, fashion, and basically anything under the sun!

With all the fancy restos and posh resorts we had visited during our latest trip to Cebu for Cherry Ann's birthday, I choose Bucket Shrimps to be my Feature Friday post.  Why?  Reason #1: it is a low-key resto where you can just don your most favorite street wear.  Reason #2: it is a seafood resto where you can eat with your bare hands because that's how seafoods should be eaten.  Reason #3: it is a motoresto (motorist-restaurant) where  you can park and go with a full-loaded tummy.  And reason #4: it is an affordable resto where you can eat and drink all you can because of the 100% yumminess of their dish!

  

Bucket Shrimps serves the best shrimps and mussels in town!  They have it in three sumptuous flavors of sauces:  garlic butter, spicy Cajun, and curry.  The dish was actually simple but heaven when tasted!  It is so delectable and so satisfying that you would want to ask for more cups of rice again and again and again.  T'was a great thing that we visited the place last in our itinerary so we won't worry about bloated stomachs while wearing our swimsuits.   I swear, after eating at Bucket Shrimps, we were catching our breaths upon sitting inside the taxi because we were super full to the brim of our digestive system!

Thank You, Ruth for the Treat! :)

We Give Two Thumbs-Up for Sucking Heads!

Thank You, Bucket Shrimps for a Satisfying Meal!

Visit Bucket Shrimps along Orchid St., Capitol Site, Cebu City for that sucking heads experience! :) 

Related Posts:

My Little Blogging's Sweet Fruit
Redtail Shrimps and More

Fiesta Bay Asian Seafood Restaurant

Buto't Balat Native Dishes and Seafood Restaurant

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Casa Verde

Photo from Casa Verde's Website

It was my then boardmate in Iligan and roommate in Cebu, Engr. Jennifer Felisilda who first introduced me to Casa Verde.  She always bragged about their baby back ribs and by the time I tried one, I couldn't ever forget how divine it tasted!  It was superb to the max!  The tenderness of the meat melts in your mouth, the sweetness of the sauce lingers in your lips, and the hint of spices plays a myriad of flavors in your tongue.  After that night in Ramos, Cebu City, I officially declared baby back ribs as my favorite dish in the world!

Casa Verde is a Spanish term for "green house", the color of the ancestral family house in Ramos which became the very first Casa Verde restaurant in 2002. (source:  Casa Verde's official website) For more than a decade, the humble restaurant grew to become an American-style casual dining chain of restaurants.  And I am elated I have had visited their Ayala branch in Cebu for a quick lunch the day after Cherry Ann's birthday last week.  With that, I was overjoyed to try the new additions to their menu aside from their house specialty, baby back ribs.

Giant Burger

Giant Shake

Carbonara

So for serious eats, visit Casa Verde in any of their branches listed here in Cebu and also in Manila.  Oh, how I wish there'll be Casa Verde in Ozamiz too so I don't have to wait years to have a taste of their back ribs again.

Ruth Getting Ready for the Umph of the Hefty Ribs

Quennie Enjoying the Mouth-Watering Ribs

See You Next Time, Casa Verde! :)

Related Posts:

My Little Blogging's Sweet Fruit

Bucket Shrimps

Fiesta Bay Asian Seafood Restaurant

Buto't Balat Native Dishes and Seafood Restaurant

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The Sinulog Princesses

Drumbeats

Colorful Costumes

Fireworks

Festivities

When everybody flocks to Cebu.....

The annual celebration of the Sinulog Festival is being held in the Queen City of the South to honor the miraculous child Jesus, the Sto. Niño.  People from all walks of life from all over the world flocked to Cebu to celebrate the grandest parade in the Philippines!  Each year, the crowd gets thicker and thicker and this 2013 has the utmost stat with a count of 1.2 million people!  (www.newsinfo.inquirer.net)  

The Sinulog parade was first held in 1980 wherein students dressed in moro-moro costumes danced to the beat of the drums.  The dance depicted the water current (sulog in Cebuano) from which the word Sinulog comes from, having a forward-backward-forward movement. (www.mysmarschools.ph)  I am so blessed that since I was little, I've been witnessing such ostentatious festivities because I was promised to Senior Sto. Niño for my good health.   

In every parade, there are groups (tribu) in compet with each other.  And in every group, there's always that somebody who acts as a leader bearing the image of the Sto. Niño.  I am always delighted every time I see them because they are always beautiful.  Apart from possessing ethereal beauty, they are also very graceful in their sways, struts, and sashays.  I even dreamed of becoming one of them but I didn't know what they are called.  But after years of watching them admiringly and doing some research, I now learned that they are called the Sinulog Princesses.

Not just a pretty face, the Sinulog Princess plays a vital role in the tribu.
  

She's recognized to be the leader from whom the whole group relies upon.

She protects her tribu by not committing mistakes that may sabotage the group.

She has to be strong so she could stand up for her tribu when adversaries arise.

She must behave herself properly to be a good role model to all young females in her tribu.

She must portray how to pay tribute to Señor Sto. Niño with proper respect and reverence like an innocent child.

And just like any other princesses, she must also represent her kingdom with real grace, glamour, and elegance.  So all Sinulog Princesses must present herself as fabulous as she could!

A Make-Up Artist Retouching a Sinulog Princess

Truly, people flock to Cebu for these spectacular shows of the event.  But we have to be reminded that the celebration is for the child Jesus.  Just as the Sinulog princesses do, we must lift Him up to the highest and be exalted at all times.  For with or without image, we can worship God in spirit and in truth.

Viva Pit Senyor! 

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