Plaza Photo Parade

I found myself walking in the park. The plaza, to be exact. Its a good thing I wasn't alone. It makes me bolder in taking photos in public. Yep, believe it or not even if I have loads of photos taken in public places I still get timid. It's something I have to get over with, I guess.

So there I was in the Plaza with my camera and and willing subjects at hand. It was a combination that made it a fun day. When I think of going out, hanging out I never thought of going to the park. The first thing that usually comes to mind is Gaisano. Well that one afternoon changed me. I'll probably add Plaza at the bottom my list next time! At least it's on the list, right? *grin*



How could I not change my mind? Look at those people just sitting there, relaxing. No dreaded gangs of thugs lurking to assault us. Fingers crossed.



Who doesn't want a willing photo subject?



After looking at this picture again, I realized that I haven't had a puto and kutsinta for a long time.



I'm glad nobody slapped me for taking their pics. One thing I keep in mind is to ask people's permission first. A negative thing about it is you lose some unguarded expression that they have. But what the heck, at least you don't get bitch-slap for taking a photo of them without permission.

I guess its time to go home.



Until next time. Bye!

The Heart Of Butuan

This is another mostly photos than writings blog.

After running some errands my companion and I found ourselves at another Butuan landmark-- the St. Joseph Cathedral. Fortunately (or intentionally) I brought along my camera for just this kind of opportunity. I'm so glad people are very accommodating when it comes to having their photos taken by a stranger.







Not that my model-- the one gazing up at the photos-- is a stranger per se. *wink*

March- Month of the Graduates

Congratulations to the graduates!

Guess Where this is--- Part Deux

Two guys. One guy guarding the treasures. The other, I don't know.

The place they're at makes known of Butuan's rich pre-historic past.

Can you guess where this is?

Looking for the perfect tiles?

My friend was asked to buy some floor and wall tiles by her parents. Being a "good" daughter she obliged, bringing me along for the ride. It was a good thing that I brought my camera, and my cellphone is fully charged. I gotta go capture Butuan!

Here are the photos I caught while going back and forth from City Hardware, Ace, Butuan Tile whatever... Actually I forgot where we bought the tiles after going back and fro from wherever.

It makes me sad looking at old broken down buildings.



Progress. There's good news. Remember the time when 15 minute rain can already bring overflowing water in the gaisano area? Well, it doesn't happen anymore. At least not at only 15 minutes.






The photo probably only Urians would find interesting.



Hardware district.



I'll update this blog as soon as I can. Ciao.

Walking Around Town- Random Photo Three

During the 80's and the early 90's and even up to now, when one talks of lumpia shanghai and its groundbreaking (for me) sweet and sour sauce combo, Narra Restaurant usually comes to mind. Yum. I think I just heard my tummy growl.

This is the old spot where Narra Restaurant used to be. Have you noticed how there seems to be a lot of
changes in Butuan lately?

Don't ask me yet about what that building is going to be. Haven't got around to crossing the street to inquire about it.


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Walking Around Town- Random Photo Two

Can you guess which part of Butuan this is?

Do you remember the Girlie's Burger Shop of old? I remember how I marveled at its circular (?) staircase, and enjoyed the pizza and burger aroma inside the shop. How about water fountain at the plaza? I can still picture how huge it was and how powerful. Although if it still existed up to now, it probably wasn't as big or as powerful as I thought it was.

Gosh I still can't believe Annie's Gift Shop is now gone- replaced with another shop that I haven't been acquainted with.

But before nostalgia truly overcomes me let me just say,



Happy Easter Sunday!

Trisikad Ride In the City

What is the one thing that you want to do before you die that you still haven't done yet? If one of these dreams is to ride a trisikad then don't fret because you're going to ride the man-powered tricycle with me through these photos. The first thing that we're going to do is:

Hail a ride.

Sit.

Feel the plastic covered seat with your bum.

J.C Aquino Ave and Ochoa Avenue Intersection


Imagine fresh air blowing in your face.

Take a deep breath.

Praise the heavens your driver doesn't have bad odor.





Remember to tip him after because of that.

Wait every twenty seconds for your camera to finish processing.

Take another picture.



And another.



Laugh that you managed to catch a photo without shaking the camera too much.

You arrive at your destination.

Disembark.

Ask the trisikad driver if its okay to take a photo of him.

Watch him sputter in fear---he didn't give you your change--- he is afraid you're in the media and will plaster his face in the news as an example of...whatever.

Laugh.

Explain.

Take his photo.




You have now ridden your first trisikad ride.

Smile.

This was taken on a Holy week so there was less traffic and pollution. And I am usually too shy to go around the city brandishing a camera. So it was perfect.

Turtle Pace?

People usually say that Butuan is a backward City. I say Butuan is moving forward. Forward Butuan!

...Moving at a turtle pace maybe, but it is NOT a backward city! And I have evidence of progress, of growth, to prove it!

Anyway he he he I'm just showing you another currently constructed building that is soon going to replace the old Timberlanes with this new Timberlanes:

Cool, huh?

Green and Serene-- The countryside

While flipping through my photo archives from last year, I saw these series of photos that I took with my family.

If you look at the first photo closely you'll see the farmers planting rice in the fields. Greens, rice fields and farmers-- If you're like me, you'll find these photos romantic.

But if you're not, don't worry about it. Hehehehe.

Anticipating and Salivating

I get excited at the simplest of things. This time I'm quietly anticipating the opening of this new restaurant, Rosario's Grill House. It's currently being constructed along J.C Aquino Avenue besides the Uncle Sam's(?) and one other eating place that I forgot already. Don't worry I'll find out other facts soon.

I hope the food is going to be good. Ohhh!

Observed the lack of vehicles along the highway? I took this photo yesterday, Holy Thursday, 2008.

3 B's--The Battle Of the Breads Blog

I had something unusual happen to me today. Papa and I, without planning to, managed to buy two similar things at more or less the same time. Papa bought one sliced bread and a banana loaf at Park and Go, and I bought one sliced bread and two banana cakes (of equal value to papa's one banana loaf) at Rose Bakeshop.

What are the odds in that? Papa and I usually don't share the same taste in breads so it tickled me pink about the coincidence.

I just came from taking a walk in the city where I took some photos for future blogs. Because what happened with the breads amused me, I'm making this blog about Butuan's Breads instead.

The Battle of the breads shall now commence!

Which banana cake is better, Rose Bakeshop or Park and Go? The sliced bread is no brainer for us-- we like Park and Go's best. I had unfortunate encounter with an annoying sales clerk there once but despite that I had to go back for more. For a worthless white bread, Park and Go sure is tasty.

Although Park and Go wins in terms of white sliced bread taste department, Rose bake shop's sliced bread still isn't anything to be sneezed at. In fact, as I said, I bought mine there.

For the banana cake--see above-- the two tiny cupcake-like banana cakes came from Rose which papa and mama both preferred over Park and Go's pale version. In our family we prefer well-done looking food. I liked them both equally myself. Banana cake is banana cake.

As for the service, I haven't in my recollection, had a nasty experience with any Rose Bakeshop employee before. Even though bakery is usually packed with people, quality service still shines though. That's rare, I'm sorry to say, here in Butuan. Whereas Park and Go, that one time with the sales clerk stuck to my memory like a bulldog to an intruder's ass.

Total Tally:

Park and Go- 1
Rose Bakeshop- 2

Its unexpected win for the Rose bakeshop, even for me.

Have a nice Just-finished-baking-the-bread-smelling day! :)

Sweet Moments at Butuan's Own Lover's Lanes

Being a confirmed spinster that I am, I usually say poh- poh to public displays of affection. Romance in my periphery tends to stay that way, in my periphery. Of course there are exceptions. If the two lovebirds are people I know who shouldn't be groping each other... then the amusement factor for the said illicit activity goes up.

But, interestingly enough, during my usual romp around the city I managed to catch two mooning lovers. Maybe it goes to show that my romantic heart hasn't withered and died yet. There's hope yet for me.

The photo below was taken at Butuan City museum. The place might be falling over the place from lack of maintenance-- overgrown shrubs, untrimmed flora ---but the amorous ambience couldn't be denied. Oh shucks! They are so sweet!



I wonder if they are just sitting together, not talking, just staring up ahead... what else are they doing?!

The next picture are of two women/girls who may or may not be lovers but the tenderness the white shirted girl has for the other is obvious to everyone.



On second thought, maybe the girl just couldn't help touching the other girl's hair--- at the very least--- and the worst case scenario? Oh you know about it already, Butuanon. Hehehehe. But, whatever the case may be it's still super sweet no? And all of that in Butuan!

Maybe we should name Butuan a city of romance. *wink* *wink* *snicker*

Do you believe in the Supernatural?--Pictures of Butuan City Hospitals Spooky Happenings

Being an alumnus of Butuan Doctors' College, I have gone to Manila during our third year for our affiliation. This means that I have stayed at the dorm at Sampaloc. In other words, the horror house. Okay I'm being overly dramatic but some of the people who stayed there the first thing that come to their minds is the supernatural happenings that occurred during their stay there. Manila Affiliation equals Horror Adventure.

I saw miniature white lady myself.. It was anti-climactic because I just closed my eyes, covered my head with the blanket and slept not really believing that what I saw was real until... perhaps now. I posted a couple of pics that I got from a fellow BDCian who had hard evidence to support ghost stories.

Nursing students, nurses and hospital employees at Butuan Medical Center and Provincial Health Office feast your eyes on these photos:

That woman was almost exactly what I saw at Manila except, that white lady above is bigger. I only saw the upper part of the body because I was at the top bunk. These photos were allegedly taken at BMC (And PHO?), and those uniforms those students were wearing looked like Urios uniforms to me. Note the lack of lower limbs from the photos.

And you know what's bugging me right now? The thought that I didn't think it was nothing to wash the surgical instruments alone, and in dim light, during my chasing-the-OR -cases days!

And this last photo was taken, according to my source, at the Sampaloc, Manila Dormitory (BMC Dorm):

Photos generously provided by my anonymous source.

This is what you get when you keep taking your photos on your cellphone-- A free snap of a grinning girl with long sharp tongue at your back.

In these days of photo manipulation and special effects we can't help but doubt these pictures. I don't know about you but even while writing this post I still don't like to look at these photos. Too scary!

Owner of this pics who wish to be acknowledged please contact me by writing on the comment board. Thanks.

Unfinished Business Abomination

This is what my neighborhood looked like on the day of Manny Pacquiao VS. Marquez boxing rematch:

and:

I can almost see the tumbleweed like in those old west movies, blowing in the street by its lonesome. The day was quiet. Too quiet, it was deafening.

I planned-- for a nano-second before I changed my mind-- to go to the busiest part of the city and get a picture as a sort of evidence on how Manny Pacquiao affects Butuan.

Of course I didn't dare leave my TV! How could I suggest that horrible idea to myself in the first place? Leave the boob-tube and miss the fight? Abomination!

Anyway, I stayed put. I snapped a few photos and went inside the house to wait for the fight to begin. And you know the rest is history.

Congrats Manny Pacquiao! I thought you lost the match but I'm glad you didn't. You cost me a few skipped heartbeats, and a couple gulps of oxygen but it was worth it because you won. :)

Snapshots of Butuan-- For Butuanons Abroad

I have been taking photos of Butuan landmarks and stuff as my personal collection. Since I have all these of photos I thought that Butuanons, especially the ones abroad, might appreciate snaps of Butuan at present (late 2007-early 2008)

WELCOME TO BUTUAN CITY!



Under the New Bridge---Since Butuan's second bridge is probably too exposed by now I thought I'd post the below the new bridge action for a change.



Agusan High School road



Old Houses at Agusan High Area





House of Beef



A sample of Butuan's Popular Barbecue fast food at night



Balut Vendor at almost every street "islands"(?) in Montilla Boulevard.




Crossing of the Main streets (Montilla Blvd-J.C Aquino) or most commonly known as Otis or Crown



Otis




Overpass or walkway (or whatever these things are called) near TimberCity Academy or more popularly known as Chinese school