+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Links: family / facebook / twitter / linkedin / google / instagram / random | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | _______ | Life is like a simile. | | ,--'.:::::.`-._ | | | /..:::::::::::..\ | | | /..:::::::::_;::::| | | | || `---'----' _|:::| | | | || `;:::| | | | |' ==== ==== |-::| | | | |-( @ )-( @ )--|O):| | | | | ` | ` |/::' | | | . v |:/ jeremy@ | | | | ___, || malcolm | | | \ -- _/| .id.au | | | \_____.-'__/-.__ | | | _| _/|::.\.::-._ | | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | [*] news [ ] about [ ] writing [ ] journal [ ] images [ ] guests | | +--- last 10 | | |->> archive | | `--- search | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +--| Cebu and Bohol |---------------------------------------------------------+ | | | Just recently our family returned from our second holiday to the | | Philippines, this time exploring the island provinces of Cebu and Bohol | | with our close friend Reileen. In Bohol in particular we got much closer | | to nature, seeing the wide-eyed tree-dwelling primate the tarsier, boating | | at dawn amongst dolphins, and climbing one of the dozens of so-called | | Chocolate Hills that dot the landscape inland. Hermit crabs crawled and | | frogs leapt across the path to our chalet at the Bohol Bee Farm, where we | | ate organic meals prepared from produce grown at the farm. | | | | As I observed after our last trip to the Philippines, after a long history | | of colonisation the country has retained a less distinctively Asian | | culture than, say, Vietnam, Thailand or Korea. Catholicism is a way of | | life for most: a prayer was played as we commenced our ferry journey | | between Cebu and Bohol, and religious images and sayings are typically | | plastered over coaches and the colourful local minibuses called | | "jeepneys". | | | | But there are also a few specifically Filipino cultural traits that come | | through. Some of these display the Filipino's virtues, such as the modesty | | with which, when taking a short taxi ride and asking the price, the driver | | would say "It's up to you". Others, their vices - such as the cock | | fighting rings popular in the provinces, some even incongruously situated | | next to churches. | | | | Language is another area in which idiosyncracies can be found. Some would | | be incorrect (and are somewhat amusing) in standard English, like the | | injunction to "Cut me some slacks". Others aren't incorrect, but just a | | little different - like the instruction to "fall in line" posted wherever | | you queue up, and the promotion "buy one, take one" where we might say | | "buy one, get one free" (or in Malaysia, the much less grammatical "buy | | one, free one"). | | | | Grocery shopping requires you to be fluent in American (for example, | | "tomato sauce" is not what you think it is), and a Spanish creole called | | Chabacano is also widely spoken, alongside the indigenous language of | | Bisaya. | | | | The culinary highlight of the trip was the Cebu's famous lechon, or roast | | suckling pig, with crisp skin and juicy fat, which we ate with rice and a | | garlic and vinegar sauce. Another delicious speciality of Cebu is otap, a | | flaky puff pastry snack crusted with sugar, which I brought back for the | | office as a "pasabulong" or homecoming gift. | | | +----------------------| posted 644 days ago via news | reply (1 comments) |--+ | << Back | | page generated in 0.230 seconds sadlittlewebjournal 3.2.4 | | content (c) its respective creator(s) web administration | | valid html 4.01 transitional rss feed | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+