COLORFUL PHILIPPINE FESTIVITIES

SINULOG FESTIVAL

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Sinulog is an annual festival held on the third Sunday of January in Cebu City, Philippines. The festival honors the child Jesus, known as the Santo Niño, patron of the city of Cebu. It is a dance ritual that commemorates the Filipino people's pagan past and their acceptance of Christianity.

The festival features a street parade with participants in bright-colored costumes dancing to the rhythm of drums, trumpets and native gongs. Smaller versions of the festival are held in various parts of the province, also to celebrate and honor the Santo Niño



The Sinulog celebration traditionally lasts for nine days, culminating on the final day with the Sinulog Grand Parade. The day before the parade, the Fluvial Procession is held at dawn with the Santo Niño carried on a pump boat from Mandaue City to Cebu City, decked with hundreds of flowers and candles. The procession ends at the Basilica where a re-enactment of the Christianizing of Cebu is performed. In the afternoon, a more solemn procession takes place along the major streets of the city, which last for hours due to large crowd participating in the event.
On the feast day at the Basilica, a Pontifical Mass is celebrated by the Cardinal with the assistance of several bishops of Cebu. Most devotees go to the Basilica to attend the mass before heading out to the streets to watch the parade

Since 1521, devotion to the Santo Niño has grown and has taken root in Filipino popular piety, particularly in the Visayas; pilgrims from different parts of Cebu and the rest of the Philippines make their yearly journey to the Basilica to take part in the procession and fiesta. Starting in 1980, the Cebu City government organized the Sinulog Mardi Gras and eventually gave incentives to dance groups.
The first Sinulog parade was held in 1980, organized by David Odilao, then Regional Director of the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development. The parade was composed of students dressed in moro-moro costumes, dancing the Sinulog to the beating of drums.
The idea caught and thus, under the direction of the Cebu City Mayor Florentino Solon with the help of several influential Cebuanos, Odilao turned over the Sinulog project to the Cebu City Historical Committee under Kagawad Jesus Garcia. It was the task of the Committee to conceptualize the Sinulog festival and make it into a yearly event from then on.
In 1981 the following year, the concept of the Sinulog Parade was actualized, involving practically every sector in the Cebuano community. Marking its difference from another popular festival, the Ati-Atihan in Aklan, the Sinulog focuses not on the ritual itself but on the historical aspects of the dance, which, as it has been said, represents the link between the country's pagan past and Christian present

For more info please check the site:

http://www.sinulog.ph

PAULO COELHO BOOKS

My friend joyce bought two Paulo Coelho books, actually she just bought one "THE WITCH OF PORTOBELLO" then she remember I also love the books of Coelho so she called me up what I want. Im quite curious and catched by the title of the book.. "BY THE RIVER PIEDRA I SAT AND WEPT" so she get it. Another catchy title from Coelho is VERONICA DECIDES TO DIE. Actually, since I got a laptop I cant find a time reading books.. Maybe I willl just bring these book on my vacation next summer.

CHINESE PAINTING

Saw an interesting painting hanging on the hotel's wall.. might as well share it here.

PLANING FOR A GRAND VACATION

There's a slogan in the Philippines of some sort in the 90's "Wag maging dayuhan sa sariling bansa" in english.. ''Dont be foreign in your own country" I think it's the campaign of the Department of Tourism that time. It roots from a common knowledge that Filipinos- though have lots of touristic destinations abound does'nt have the chance to experience it..and I am not an exception.Actually the farthest north I been to was in Baguio in 2002 and the farthest south I travelled was in Puerto Galera in 2006.

Me and my friends planned a hundred times or so to go on a vacation in Boracay
but it never happen... our different schedules and most of all...... our meager salaries didn't permit us. I feel like all of the world's population already been to Boracay.. its only me who doesnt.. It really sucks and I feel really dissapointed in myself.

In the Philippines, I got a nice job, I worked in a top Multinational Pharmaceutical Companies but still my salary was not enough to pay all the expenses for a major vacation. My salary all goes to the taxes(damned politicians), SSS, loans etc and what left goes to the monthy rentals, food and transportation, nothing is left for some luxury or a nice vacation.. such poor guy hehe! ....at least I wore longsleeve and a tie at work (looking presentable and professional) and one more thing my office was located in Makati hahaha! But seriously does it count?? I think I'll be much happier working with a blue collar job abroad than having a white collar in the Philippines without proper compensation.. Well its a different story.

Now I'm already 7 months here in Kuwait.. we're already qualified to have our leave. Im planning to have a vacation next summer....Philippines here I come! Oh boy! just thinking about the summer and the beach makes me wanna pack my things now.. Bora or Palawan? well it doesnt matter.

c you soon..

BORACAY

Boracay included among the TOP 10 BEACHES AROUND THE WORLD from Yahoo travel

1. Myrtle Beach ,South Carolina

2. Miami, Florida

3. Cancun, Mexico

4. Kaanapali, Hawaii

5. Honolulu, Hawaii

6. San Diego, California

7. Boracay Island, Philippines

8. Key West, Florida

9. Sydney, Australia

10. Santa Barbara, California

LINK TO THE SITE
http://www.boracay.com/

D&G time

I bought D&G watch last month the same model below, It look really Nice, Hip and Cool. It comes in 4 colors; orange, blue, dark green and white. This is my 1st D&G watch and I'm planing to buy some more.. I love D&G watches

D&G Ibiza People

Me modelling my D&G watch.. such a frustrated model.

The Holiday's over but I still have..
MY WISH LIST

Blue model of D&G IBIZA PEOPLE, It looks really Gorgeous!

D&G ANDY MEN

D&G BIG FISH

I love this one..
D&G CODENAME

Check this link for the latest watch models

http://www.redfingerprint.com/D&G

D&G Official site

http://eng.dolcegabbana.it/time.asp

BOOK AFFAIRS-PART4

A number of exceptional men and women discovered the Secret, and went on to become known as the greatest people who ever lived. Among them: Plato, Leonardo, Galileo, Napoleon, Hugo, Beethoven, Lincoln, Edison, Einstein, and Carnegie, to name but a few. Now for the first time in history, all the pieces of the Secret come together in a revelation that is life transforming for all who experience it.



This is the Secret to life..





A close friend of mine gave this book to me last summer.. I never heard the title before so when I first saw it.. I was damned curious so I read it right away. It is GOOD and INSPIRING book but I cant tell anything about it because it is a SECRET..

NOYPI EXPATS NEW YEAR CELEBRATION

I finished work around 8:30pm. The damn system broke down so the customers piled up and we need to overtime to accomodate them. Julius and Janel called up and they're already at KFC near the Sultan Center a few blocks away from our office. Joyce got other plans that night that's why she did'nt join the party, however she join me to meet the two guys. I thought its just the four of us celebrating..good thing the Hawally girls join us.

Here we are posing infront Al Fanar Shopping Center
(all pics courtesy of Julius nino)

At the taxi.. eating fries

AT THE FLAT.. busy cooking.

Go go Berns..

Since we just transfered here a few days ago.. we still dont have a big table so we just decided to place my room carpet on the living room.. just like the japs.

Leanne came in late.

We dont like posing..

ITS NEW YEAR BUT LOOK AT THE SKYLINE... SO SILENT AND BORING..

View from our flat.

BOOK AFFAIRS-PART 3

I bought this book at Virgin Cafe at the Marina Mall. The title is very catchy so I browsed it. I just want to let you know that this book is not about dying or something morbid, it's a compilation of real people and their stories. Some stories are trivial, some are crazy and eccentric, some are heart warming but and all in all it's fun. Everyone of us have our set of visions and dreams in life.. some dream of wealth, being famous, being a Doctor, being a rockstar, having your own business, or being a CEO. No matter how big or small it is, attainable or impossible- still it is us who can make it happen. This book will help you realize your goals, set personal priorities, jump-start your plans and realize your dreams.




Link to the site:
http://www.2dobeforeidie.com/

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION

Thank God! It's HOLIDAY here in Kuwait. I woke up late and my stomach is growling. I look at the fridge for something to eat..thank God there are! there's the omnipresent fried chicken, leftover pasta without sauce from last night party with friends and there's the mouth watering cassava cake.. Oh God it taste like heaven. I pour my newly found fave juice..Kiwi and Lime..it taste like a cocktail just much cheaper.

After eating mouthful of the uber delicious cassava cake I set up my new speaker with my laptop..I tested it and really sounds great! Perfect while writing my blog.. but i guess our flat neighboors would be very mad hehe!

It's 2008 and looking back at the year 2007.. It's simply GREAT! Im very positive that 2008 is much better and I'll be more productive. Every year I got a list of my new year resolutions(yah I know its useless) but Im glad that I can stick with some of it. Actually there's some habbit that I already flushed out of my system because of this resolution thing..though I admit that most on that list did'nt materialize. This year I got to be tough on one particular list..... Saving!!!

I am really compulsive buyer and anything that I like..I buy. I'm like a shopping machine or something. I dont know but love shopping.. It's like I am addicted to it. Actually when my friends invite me to go to the mall, just one thing I tell them...that it's something dangerous haha! More often than not I buy something even though I have no plans of buying.


So here is some of my New Year Resolutions:

5) To keep my mouth shut (ummppp)
4) Not to be lazy (i sleep all day during my day offs)
3) I need to go to the gym (Im becoming fat here)
2) Not to Shop if I dont need
1) To SAVE.. SAVE and more SAVE

So what's your's??