The world according to Gaga

So how many Lady Gaga videos have you watched? And more interestingly, how many alternate versions have you caught? The thing with the versions people do of Lady Gaga is that the copy becomes even better than the original.

Take this acapella cover of Just Dance sung by Indonesian siblings Gamaliel and Audrey Tapiheru and their friend Cantika. They caused quite a stir in the Philippines blogosphere since most thought that they were Pinoys.


The group Noteworthy of the University of California in Berkeley this super funny parody of Poker Face. The Asian guy owned it.


And this one I like. Bad Romance, as performed acapella by On the Rocks of the University of Oregon. I posted this a couple of months back in Facebook, but since everyone seems to be reposting it now, I might as well repost the video on my blog. Enjoy!

Floating through Bangkok

One of the most importat tourist attractions of Bangkok, Thailand is its floating market. Located in Damnoen Saduak (about 109kms southwest of the city), any tourist interested to see a different kind of marketplace will be enthralled at the beauty and the quaintness of the place.



Tourists can arrange for special trips from Bangkok to the floating market (with a side trip in an elephant farm and zoo). Do sample the food Thai vendors sell in boats as you wade through the canals of the area. But be very careful about purchasing souvenir items as prices tend to skyrocket in this very touristy spot.

Spain's Fernando Torres caught without his pants on

Well, at least that's what happened in this elephant show in Bangkok. The cute baby elephant has been named after Torres and dons the colors of Spain.

I actually was tempted to call this entry as "Fernando Torres al desnudo" or "Fernando Torres sin pantalones," but that would've been over the top, ehehe. The elephant, like the Spanish football player, does play the game very well!

I wonder (out loud!) when the Philippines' Manny Pacquiao would get his very own elephant.

A budget traveler's guide to surviving KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

With the low-cost airline Air Asia making a lot of impact in the Southeast Asian travel scene, cities that are generally considered exotic are now within reach at an affordable price. Of course, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital city and main hub of Air Asia, has got a lion’s share of visitors from all over the world and is proving to be an exciting destination for people in search of Asian cultures in one compact site.

Whether as a stopover on your way to continental Southeast Asia or a visit done because of low fare rates, Kuala Lumpur (or KL among people in the know) may just be that very elusive hideaway that you are looking for. So wanna visit KL, Malaysia? Take out those passports and say a big “Halo! Apa khabar?”

1. Ride. Whether you’re in a low-cost flight or in a normal transnational airline, you would have to go to the KL International Airport that is about an hour and a half from the city center. Transport is incredibly easy since you could take a cab (about RM 80) or a bus (RM 9) that takes you to KL Central Station, depending on your budget. Whatever you choose to ride, it would be a wise move to have a lot of leeway in both time and money especially if you’re backpacking. Buses start their operations from the KL Central Station at 3:15 AM while the Metro starts at 6 AM.

2. Fall in line. KL’s main attraction for most tourists is the Petronas Twin Towers, which could be visited for free. About a thousand tickets are distributed daily for visits that start at 9 AM with a 15-minute interval for each visit. Do be there early (around 7:15 AM) if you don’t want to spend half a day in the queue. You may also want to visit Menara KL near the Petronas, but you have to pay for this one. The view is more spectacular here but if you only want to be in some tall building in KL and stare at the city, Petronas is more than enough.

3. Savor. What’s KL without its yummy delights? If you’re big on spices and flavors, KL may just be the right place to splurge. There are many self-serve canteens in the city where you could have your binge (and I mean, scoop to your heart’s content) and then the waiter gives you the bill; alternatively, you could just sit and have someone take your order if you totally cannot relate with the procedure. Do try the curries (ask for the least spicy if you can’t stand the heat), and seafood. And please do yourself a favor and drink Malaysian coffee (plain or with milk, hot or cold), the best coffee there is.

4. Shop. Malaysia seems to be placing a lot of emphasis on shopping. Now most people prefer to go to Jalan Petaling in Chinatown to shop for souvenirs, imitation bags, sneakers, belts and electronics, or even to the Saturday night market in Little India. I personally recommend, however, going to the Central Market instead. The items may be a bit pricier but you get to shop in an airconditioned place, something which would prove to be valuable on KL’s intensely hot days.

5. Revere. Malaysia breaks the stereotype most people have on Moslem nations for its being very tolerant toward a lot of faiths. Go to the Masjid Negara (National Mosque) to see how Moslems do it, then to any Buddhist temple especially on a Saturday to see people offering incenses and food. In the outskirts of KL you could visit the Batu Caves, a stronghold of the Hindu religion in the city. There’s a bus that goes there for RM 2 (which could take a lifetime). What I did was to take the Kelana Jaya Line of the Metro to Terminal Putra (about RM 2) and then a cab to the Batu Caves (RM 10). After climbing its 270 steps and ogling at the monkey-filled shrines, I took the bus toward the city center.

Marlon’s Kuala Lumpur Route (1-2 days): Start with Petronas. Then walk toward Menara KL either for a pic or a climb. Then off to the Batu Caves. The period from 1PM to 5PM is hot so either do your shopping in Central Market or the KL Shopping Mall, or eat and relax in Jalan Petaling. Try visiting the National Mosque and taking a pic in the nearby Old Train Station. And then go back around 8PM to the Petronas area to see the Twin Towers all magnificently lit up.

Marlon’s Budget Tip: It’s tempting to think that KL doesn’t have to be a budget destination because it’s budget in itself. But please don’t get too excited with the shiny and sparkly things you see in the bazaars or the insanely low prices for watches and the like. Look for quality and for something which you *really* need.

Straining my neck in Kuala Lumpur

Gone are the days when Malaysia was an obscure Southeast Asian nation "somewhere there in the map." When I visited Kuala Lumpur a few days ago, the first thing that really struck me was how progressive the country has become. The traditional Malaysian sensibility is still there but now everything seems monumental and advanced.

Take, for example, the Petronas Twin Tower, the tallest twin tower in world that allows visitors to catch a glimpse of Kuala Lumpur from its skybridge for free.

The Malaysian fetish for metal and skyscrapers continues in the nearby KLCC Mall. Though somne of the world's biggest malls are in the Philippines, Filipinos will surely still be amazed.

Maligayang Pasko!

W.A.M. wishes all readers and bloggers the world over a very Merry Christmas! Maligayang Pasko sa inyong lahat (or, so says this greeting posted on the doors of the Centro de Idiomas of the Universidad de Valladolid).

World of graffiti

People who have been in any public toilet in the Philippines know that the walls and doors of these places offer a slice of the Filipino pysche. From profound philosophical musings to indecent proposals, Philippine graffiti are an exciting source of information about how we, Pinoys, see the world.

But how about in other countries? How do their graffiti look like? Here are two examples:

Beijing, China. I saw this on my way down from the Great Wall of China. It's funny that by using Chinese characters, the graffito looked divine (although I'm willing to bet my 50 pesos that they mean something not for the consumption of the general public). I really wonder what these characters mean. Any one willing to translate to English?

Delphi, Greece. I think these are historical graffiti (ehehehe), although I must say that I'm prone to exaggeration. I wonder how ancient Greeks vandalize public places. Did they use chisels and hammers? :-)

Battistero di San Giovanni

St. John the Baptist is also the patron saint of Florence, Italy and the magnificent baptistry of the city is dedicated to him. Until the 1800's, all Catholics of Florence are said to be baptized inside the glorious edifice.

While many people are happy at the sight of the exteriors of the baptistry (the gilded doors are magnificent!), any visitor should not fail to go inside and see the majestic decor of the dome, stiff neck and dizziness notwithstanding. It's the history of salvation in gold!

Noche de San Juan

The summer solstice, the day when daylight is at its peak, coincides with the Catholic feast of St. John the Baptist.

In Spain, the day of San Juan de Bautista is observed in a bombastic fashion, combining water and fire (and lotsa beer!) as people wait for the sunrise on the 24th of June. It's a night of magic, which many associate with witchcraft and pagan rituals that indeed precede this Christianized celebration (here in the Philippines, too... remember Tatarin?)

In Valladolid, Spain, for example, the Noche de San Juan is celebrated on the Playa de las Moreras, beside the Pisuerga River. At the stroke of midnight, the main bonfire is lit and the people get the embers from the principal fire to light their own mini-bonfires. They then jump over the fire amid the sounds of partying and merrymaking.

Feliz Noche de San Juan a todos!

Pearls

Who would have thought that a beautiful thing such as a bead of pearl comes from a muddy oyster? Here's an eternal proof (a la Little Prince) from a pearl farm in Beijing, China that what's essential is invisible to the eye.

Pahiyas

As we watch the flowery month of May ebb away, we also bid farewell to the interminable fiestas that dot Filipino calendars everywhere. This year, I was able to fulfill my lifelong desire to see the Queen of Philippine Fiestas, the Pahiyas Festival in Lucban, Quezon.





It's celebrated on May 15, the feast of San Isidro Labrador, the patron saint of farmers, in whose honor the townsfolk decorate their houses with produce and other things they harvest from their lands. Colorful leaf-shaped decors made of rice powder (kiping) are placed as accents in the already gorgeous home.

Liputan's Maytime fluvial festival

Although the Holy Week processions of Meycauayan, Bulacan are among the best in the Philippines, the Department of Tourism does not take notice and only promotes the island of Liputan on its website. While W.A.M. wishes that tourism officials in the country update their website, it is also proud that this island barrio within the bounds of the City of Meycauayan has got the promotion it so richly deserves.

For a typical citizen of Meycauayan (like moi), Liputan is best associated with the fluvial parade that usually happens on the second Sunday of May. This year, however, it is celebrated on the first, given that it is only now that we have low tide for the entire month.

Of all fiestas in Meycauayan, the fiesta of Liputan is the most extravagant, lively and well-known. It starts early in the morning when the images of the Holy Cross and the Virgin are placed on their carriages and then taken to the city on a big makeshift boat called a pagoda.

Once loaded in the pagoda, whoever would still fit it could come along with the patron saints. Others opt to take their own boats, called bangka, with them. The retinue moors by the docks of Barrio Saluysoy, in the city market, and from there the entire fishing village with its patrons, marching bands and escorts parade toward the main church, the Parish of St. Francis of Assisi, for the 9 AM mass.

What happens after the mass is up to anyone's imagination... although one should take into account that fisherfolks are a generous lot and May is the best time to eat crabs and shrimps and drink lotsa beer (Mmmm...)

I soooo love the month of May! Happy Fiesta!

Varying levels of corniness (The Italian edition)

After gathering some funny street signs from China, I now come back with photos from a quaint little shop near the Duomo of Florence, Italy. To say that Italians can be very corny and romantic may be an understatement and these two photos prove what I said.

"Sei dolce come lo zucchero" (You're as sweet as sugar) on a sugar container.

"Sei il sale della mia vita" (You're the salt of my life) on a salt dispenser.

Nuestra Señora de las Angustias

The most beloved Virgin of Valladolid is the Nuestra Señora de las Angustias (Our Lady of Sorrows), a masterpiece by sculptor Juan de Juni.

This video is taken on Holy Tuesday in 2007. The Señora is taken out of her Temple and greeted with the sounds of the Marcha Real, the Spanish National Anthem, and by the myriad of camera flashes of devotees and tourists alike.

Holy Week in Seville

The processions we have in Seville, Spain are only some of the many curiosities one can see during the Holy Week in this charming Andalusian city. While most photo blogs would probably give you the basic Cristos and Vírgenes of the Semana Santa, W.A.M. takes it a bit further by offering you glimpses to the goings-on in Sevilla. Enjoy!

Of course in Seville, you have to dress up well on Maundy Thursday. Everyone is so well-dressed: the ladies in their little black dress and mantilla negra, and the men in coat and tie. It some gives you the feeling that they intentionally parade around the city to be seen.

The entire city is converted into a museum... nay, an amphitheatre ready to welcome the annual deluge of tourists.

Bulla is a word that refers to the thousands of people who congregate in Seville to catch the processions. The streets are blocked and no person is allowed to enter the procession route from 1PM to 1AM, so surely you will be caught in one. I was, and ironically I was in a street called Entre Cárceles (Behind Bars).

The banner reads "Center for the Premature Stimulation of Christ of the Good End." It's by a cofradía (religious guild)... and I rest my case.

Of course, no one should leave his house without informing the people where he is. The cofrades, too.

Besapié

Lent is a special time in the city of Valladolid, Spain, where I spent two phenomenal years of my life. As Holy Week approaches, W.A.M. will feature a series of tidbits and stories about the Spanish Holy Week particularly the customs and tradition in Valladolid in the Castilian region in Central Spain and Seville in Southern Spain.

The first entry of the series is the so-called besapié, a ceremony where an image is taken down from its loft or from the place where it is guarded so that the people could come and venerate it.

The Nuestra Señora de las Angustias is also called the Señora of Valladolid. A masterpiece by Juan de Juni, the Señora is venerated in a temple that bears her name, from where the principal procession on Good Friday starts and finishes.

The Cristo Yacente is a masterpiece of the great Gregorio Fernández who heads the list of sculptors of the so-called Valladolid School. This image of the dead Christ is kept in the Monastery of Santa Ana.

Balaw-balaw

One of the first things I did upon returning to the Philippines from my two-year hiatus in Europe was to eat in the Balaw-balaw Restaurant in Angono, Rizal. It's probably the most famous restaurant-cum-art gallery in the Philippines, where you can grab our most peculiar native delicacies (such as worms, crickets and frogs).

But the thing I love the most in this restaurant is the fact that it's a veritable repository of fine art in the Philippines, since its late founder, Perdigon Vocalan, was a distinguished artist himself.



And art runs in the veins of the Vocalans apparently, since one of the Vocalan boys, Andre, has taken the road less traveled as well. I know that for a fact since Andre was a classmate of mine in a Humanities class in the UP, and he never ceased to wow the class with his creation (he actually took to class one of his sculptures made from an old chair). Many years later, he took me around their restaurant and wowed me further with his family's art collection.



For more information about the food (they accept catering), the art gallery and the art seminars that Balaw-balaw has to offer, please call them at (+632)651-0110.

A tale of love from the Beijing Opera

I wanted to upload this video for the longest time but there seems to be a problem with the system. At any rate, I've finally done it this morning!

The Beijing Opera is truly one of China's national treasures. That's why I insisted that we don't leave Beijing without watching a performance, even if the show was not part of the itinerary and our tour guide had to book it at the last minute.



Also called the Peking Opera, it is a rich celebration of Chinese language, mythology, costumes, music, dance and theatre. Even the shortest and simplest plot can be extended for what seems like an eternity because a mundane answer like "Yes" could be sung like "YeeeeeSSSSSssssssSSSS..." for a good five minutes. But you never get bored because the action is fast-paced and very engaging, and the set and costumes, magnificent!

This particular snippet comes from the first act that evening, the Death of Yu Ji. It talks about how an empress committed suicide so that her husband, the emperor, could go to war without thinking of her.

A budget traveler's guide to surviving BEIJING, CHINA

Going to Asia nowadays is fast becoming fashionable and Beijing, China is one of the top favorites, partly because it is very affordable (save for the price of flights, especially when you're coming from Europe) but largely because it evokes a certain magic that is difficult to find in any another capital city.

Added to this, the charm of the city, called Peking in the olden days, is building up as the 2008 Summer Olympics draws near. And it seems that all Chinese are prepared ("We are ready," sing the many Chinese artists in that TV ad campaign) to receive the millions who would come to visit a nation once closed to the outside world. So you wanna visit Beijing, China? Prepare your bags and your pocket dictionary, and say a big "Ni hao."

1. Speak. Let me just get this out. The one big problem with Beijing is that even the simplest question or command (as in, "Water please," "Where's the toilet?") is not easily understood, even in a three-star hotel or a posh restaurant. I talked to a Mexican tourist on my way up to the Great Wall of China, for example, and it seemed to me that his guide was struggling to explain himself in Spanish. So imagine how surprised he was when an Asian-looking guy asked him from where he was. To survive Beijing, be sure to do one of two things: First, have a handy dictionary and ask your hotel personnel (if ever they could) to write the name of common things you would most likely request during your trip on post-its. Better yet, always stick to your tour guide and never venture out alone.

2. Haggle. If you get a budget tour to Beijing, it is very probable that part of the tour involves going to some factory or store that sells Chinese items. While you may be tempted to spend all your cash for a jade bracelet or a string of pearls, remember that the Chinese are masters of marketing and would try to sell you anything that could be sold. A word to the wise: haggling works in China! And always ask for half the price (no kidding) and from there you and the seller would reach a price that is good for both of you. How to do this in a country that doesn't speak English? With a calculator, of course!

3. Look. Beijing, China is a feast for the eyes, even for Asians. The Forbidden City is Beijing's answer to Rome's Vatican and it's a complex of palaces and palaces that once housed the emperor, the empress, the concubines and the entire imperial household. No one is allowed to see the emperor, so the entire city was built for him. Of course, the Great Wall and the Ming Tombs are not to be missed even though they're outside the city.

4. Get immersed. Traveling to Beijing, China is an opportunity to know more about Chinese history and civilization. The Chinese are proud of their culture and it's evident in everything that they do. Contemplating the Temple of Heaven, knowing what the dragon and the phoenix stand for, understanding how Chinese numerological beliefs (the power of the numbers 9 and 4) helped shape even the architecture of palaces and shrines, and seeing how the Communist regime shaped the psyche of present-day Chinese by walking through the Tiananmen Square could be very enriching and gratifying. A night of Peking Opera to end your day is like the cherry on top of a beautiful cup of ice cream.

5. Sample. Going to China is also an occasion to sample some gastronomic delights that have become famous the world over. Do try Chinese teas (a visit to the tea house was not included in our itinerary but I wouldn't miss it for the world) and some of the sweets that are not as diabetes-inducing as those in the West. Peking duck makes for a hearty dinner, but don't go to famous restaurants commonly advertised on English-language website, as they are usually over-priced. Just ask your guide to take you to a good place to eat duck (usually in places where English is unspoken) and you'll get it at half the price. Do try noodles and tofu and the vast array of Chinese pickles, but go slow with them as they tend to be very oily or spicy.

Marlon's Beijing route: It's almost impossible to go around Beijing for two days because of the language barrier. Just surf the Net or ask your favorite travel agency for any suggestions. During the lean months, they offer tour packages for as low as $500 per person, tours, entrances and accommodation in a three-star hotel all included.

Marlon's budget tip: Haggle, haggle, haggle. And did I say haggle? Case in point: I wanted a porcelain doll of the Monkey God from the Peking Opera to bring home to the Philippines, but the lady told me that it sells for 480 yuans (roughly 45 euros). I threw in some charms and put my acting prowess to work, and after 10 minutes of haggling, I got the beautiful statue for 350 yuans (35 euros).

Funny signs from China

Let me just say, before anything else, that Blogspot took soooooo long to have anything uploaded to its system. The Internet seems problematic these days for some reason.

Having said that, I'm back with more funny street signs, this time from Beijing, China. Regular readers of my blog know that I have a collection of street signs from the world over. Here are some from the Forbidden City:


"Perilous..." hehe. When hills are described as perilous, you know you're in another universe.


Well, in another country, the unimaginative lot would just say "Danger. Don't climb." You can fault the Chinese for anything, except for lack of imagination.