Pixel Bug

Husay (Skillful)

Ang mga palayok na ito ay ilan sa mga produkto ni Ugu Bigyan. Isa sa mga kilalang “potters” ng ating bansa. Napakahusay ng kaniyang kamay sa paglilok ng mga ito, kaya naman siya ay tinatawag na “ceramic artist’.

Dinalaw namin ang kaniyang studyo sa Tiaong, Quezon. Napakabait na tao ni Ugu at kahit gabi na ay pinagbigyan pa rin niya kaming makita ang kaniyang mga gawa. At syempre napabili rin ang inyong lingkod. Kilala si Ugu sa kaniyang pagkamalikhain sa paglilok ng mga “dinnerware”, mga “accent pieces” o dekorasyon. Ilan sa mga suki niya ay ang mga kilalang resort tulad ng Amanpulo, El Nido, Villa Escudero, Hidden Valley, Campo Travieza at marami pang iba. Tunay na maipagmamalaki nating ang husay ni Ugu sa kaniyang napiling propesyon.

Ang kaniyang studyo ay siya ring kaniyang tahanan, kung saan nagbibigay siya ng pottery workshop.

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Coming home in the Philippines after having stayed in the State most of your life, you’d definitely want to see the country. And since my balikbayan cousin-in-law only had a few days to stay here we decided to bring her on a trip south of Manila.

The itinerary was a road trip to Laguna and Quezon. We visited a lot of wonderful places but for this week’s Pixelbug Weekend, I will feature the Sitio de Amor, the place we where we stayed. Sitio de Amor is part of the Viaje del Sol — featuring the tourist destinations of the south from San Pablo, Laguna to Quezon. It is a 4.5 hectare orchard between Mt. San Cristobal and Mt. Banahaw. If you are looking for a place to rest and just enthrall yourself to the beauty of nature, this place will surely entice you.

As you arrive, you are welcomed by their complimentary welcome drink — fresh coconut. Make sure to request that it be placed inside the fridge prior to your arrival.

One of the rooms we occupied had a refreshing view of the lagoon. The water from the lagoon comes from Balanga River. Waking up to such an amazing view will truly rejuvenate you — far from the hustle bustle of the city.

The main pavilion is perfect for  wedding receptions and other special occasions. As we were having breakfast, a young couple was there making sure the final arrangements for their upcoming reception are in place. Quite a romantic place, I might say especially during the night when all the lights are lit.

Aside from the room with a view of the lagoon, they also have a tree house which you can rent for PhP10,000/night. This could fit around 10 people. The other two rooms were beside each other, Duhat and Caimito which you can rent at PhP3,500 and PhP4,000 respectively.

For those who want to cool down, you can take a dip in their infinity pool. Just the thing for our summer climate.

Sitio de Amor Farm Resort
Km 88.8 Maharlika Highway
Barangay San Antonio 1
San Pablo City, Laguna

Prior reservations are required, you may call (02) 552-7340 and +63918- 9274346
Email: sitiodeamor@yahoo.com

Directions: Sitio de Amor is about 1 and a half hours from Manila. Take Maharlika Highway from South Superhiway heading towards Lucena. Take Maharlika Highway from South Superhiway heading towards Lucena — on your left side, and 3 kilometers before Villa Escudero. Turn left, it is about 600 meters in.

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As a child, I have memories of my family visiting Luneta Park or Rizal Park and even having my picture taken at that place. Luneta is where the monument of our national hero, Jose Rizal is located. As a Filipino, I just feel that my kids should visit the place to have a sense of nationalism.

Last Saturday, I decided to take them there. More than the reason above, it’s also an excuse for me to take photos for my photography class. Luneta has changed a lot the last time I was there. It’s actually a lot cleaner than I remembered.

The first photo is a picture of my son riding the Kalesa — a horse driven carriage introduced in the Philippines during the 18th century. It is no longer a popular form of transportation, you hardly see them in the Metro except for tourist spots like this. The kutsero or the kalesa driver was so friendly, he actually allowed my son to be the kutsero during our ride. It was truly an exciting experience for my ten year old.

My kids are never afraid of animals which is a good thing — they just love to caress and play with them. Here you can see them enjoying their time with the horse.

One good thing about trips like this is that I can see my kids enjoying each others company. And as a mom, it’s a joy to see them like that.

I would have wanted to catch the sunset by the bay, but my boy insisted to ride the train that was going around the park… How can I resist?

I just have to settle with this sunset photo….

It was quite a tiring day for me and the kids but it was all worth it. Seeing the smile on their faces, I know this weekend will be part of their childhood memories.

How about you? How did your weekend go?

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Sabi ng matatanda, “Ang taong tamad ay walang mararating.” Korek! Agree naman ako dito. Kaya nga bilang magulang tinuturuan ko ang aking mga anak na magsipag upang makamtan nila ang kanilang mga pangarap. Subali’t dahil bata ay normal lang naman na paminsan-minsan ay tamaan ng katamaran. Katulad noong pumunta kami sa Palawan… Heto ang aking bunso, tinamad maglakad nang makita kung gaano kahaba ang lalakarin sa NAIA Terminal 3. Kaya nakiusap kay ate kung pwede siyang sumakay sa pushcart. Mabait naman si Ate at pinagbigyan si bunso.

At dahil napagod sa buong araw na pagsiswimming at boat ride, heto na lang ang ginawa ng aking panganay at ng aking kapatid nang makita ang kama sa hotel. Nararamdaman ko ang katamaran sa kanila dahil ako din gusto ko nang mahiga, pero dahil nanay ako, hindi pwedeng humilata na lamang sa mga biyaheng tulad nito. Syempre pa, ako ang manngagalaga sa mga maruruming damit at lahat ng bagahe… Ang basa ay patutuyuin muna bago i-impake. Dahil malalaki na sila, pagkatapos ng pictorial na iyan ay pinatayo ko sila upang ayusin ang kanilang mga basang damit. Hehehe … sadista ba? Hindi naman… tinuturuan ko lang ng responsibilidad upang di maging tamad paglaki.

(According to our elders, “A lazy person will never reach his dreams.” Correct! and I agree with that. That’s why as a parent, I teach my children not to be lazy and be full of life in order to reach their dreams. But then, they’re kids and it’s normal to have episodes of laziness from time to time…. just like the first photo. My youngest was overwhelmed at how big the airport at NAIA Terminal 3 and seeing how long we’re going to walk, he requested his sister if he can ride the push chart and my daughter willingly obliged.

The second photo shows my sister and my daughter lazily lying on the bed. This was after a day at the beach and boat ride. Due to exhaustion, this was the first thing they did when they entered the hotel room …. the bed was heaven. I honestly would want to jump in with them but as a Mom, I can’t do that just yet especially during travels like this. I take care of everything… luggage, gears, esp the wet clothes — I make sure that they are dry before I even pack them. Since these two girls are big enough, after that shoot, I asked them to stand up and help out. Am I cruel??? Hehehe. No, I’m just teaching them a little bit of responsibility so they won’t turn out to be lazy when they grow up.)

Palengke o Pamilihan ang tema ngayong linggo sa Litratong Pinoy. Ang palengke ay isang lugar kung saan inilalako o itinitinda ang mga bagay, dito nagkakaroon ng transaksiyon ang mamimili at ang nagtitinda.
(Market is the theme for this week’s Litratong Pinoy. Market is a place where goods are traded, this where buyers and sellers transact their business in exchange of goods.)

Sa aming pamamasyal sa Singapore ay napadpad kami sa Bugis Flea Market, isa sa pinakamalaki at pinakamurang pamilihan sa Singapore, kung baga sa Pinas ay Divisoria. Kung gusto mong humanap ng pampasalubong o mga anik-anik na mura ay siguradong dito mo matatagpuan. Mura na at pwede ka pang tumawad.

Ito ang isa sa nakatawag pansin sa akin, tindera ng buko. Kung sa Pinas ay kariton, sa kaniya naman ay parang mamang sorbetero ang design. At in fairness, malinis na ang buko, ready nang biyakin para sa mga gustong makatikim ng Thailand coconut.

At dahil sa kainitan ng araw, nauhaw ang aking esposo at naghanap ng malamig na maiinom. Buti na lang walang nagtitinda ng Coke at nauwi kami rito — pamilyar di ba? Parang yung naglalako ng “sa malamig, sa malamig…” Kaya lang fresh fruits talaga ang mga ito, mura na masustansiya pa. Magaling na pampaalis ng uhaw!

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If there’s one thing that truly fascinates me is the scenic sunset. Every time we go out town, I wait for the sun to go down with my camera ready to click.
This one is shot in the middle of the sea, on our way to Coron proper from Malcapuya island. It was the perfect summer sunset.