Bisaya Bloggers

The culminating dinner of the Davao Food Appreciation Tour, on 16 March 2008, was at Bryan’s Grill & Café. At this al fresco poolside restaurant, my good friend Bryan Bajado served the bloggers samplers of his fine cuisine.

For appetizer, we had three samplers: grilled pepper-crusted sashimi (my absolute fave here!), shrimp in white wine and pesto, and a refreshing preparation of sausage and corn. And then there were two kinds of salads: shrimp cocktail and Caesar’s. The inspired presentation of the dishes wowed our group, and the variety of flavors impressed us even more. It was truly a fitting concluding event to DavaoFAT. (more…)

Yesterday — the 3rd and final day of DavaoFAT — found the adventurous bloggers at Eden Nature Park for buffet lunch and some well-deserved fun. There were 14 of us, including Aileen (Google Country Consultant) and Jay of TitikPilipino.com, as well as Avel and Mars of General Santos City.

Eden Nature Park is Davao’s pride. A mountain resort only 45 minutes away from downtown, it’s not merely a breath-taking tourist spot, but an ecological sanctuary and a cultural bedrock as well. The family behind Eden Nature Park has clearly endeavored to preserve a piece of nature as faithfully as possible, thereby providing both Dabawenyos and visitors to the city a healthy and refreshing respite from city life. (more…)

The second day of the Davao Food Appreciation Tour was a whirlwind romance between bloggers and food. From breakfast to dinner and beyond, the group was all in a mindset of palate-pleasing activities. From Taps for breakfast to The Marco Polo for dinner, we not only sampled but heartily partook of Davao’s gastronomic offerings.

After a fine-dining spread and much conversation at the Polo Bistro, some of us proceeded to my family’s ancestral home for…… Can you guess? …… Yes! more food!! This time, it was from Sugar Munch, whose owners gave us several boxes of mini-cakes and a few rolls of sans rival. We took our time enjoying the various cakes, and played poker while we were at it. (more…)

Yesterday was a successful first day for the Davao Food Appreciation Tour (DavaoFAT). The bloggers had been planning this for sometime now — although, it’s really no surprise anymore that it’s turning out well. The Davao bloggers group (instigated by The Usual Suspects) have been continuously active for more than a year now.

Davao FAT is Andrew’s brainchild, which he came up with late last year. His plan to hold this tour during Araw ng Dabaw gave me the idea to do the Davao food trips. So this is like a culminating event for the bloggers’ 3-month food tripping in Davao. (But nobody’s stopping us from going on with the food trips even after DavaoFAT.) (more…)

A couple of nights ago I caught on to the 50th anniversary of the Grammy Awards, and amidst jeers on Kanye West who is, as usual, perpetually pompous (sneered at the organizers for playing the music on him while he was still making his speech), it was meant to be a respectable event. The Grammy Awards made an effort to recognize just about everyone worth mentioning from over the 50 years it has been going on. But the formalities got a little off-set when you have the guy from Arrested Development hosting and making awkward jokes at the same time, and…wait, did I mention Kanye West?

And there’s the fact that Amy Winehouse, already snagging 5 Grammys and rightfully doing so, didn’t even get the Album of the year. The strange controversy all about her losing, has much to do with her losing to Herbie Hancock for an album I have yet to check because curiously enough, I’ve never heard of it prelude to all the acclaim. You know I ought to don that Indie snob hat I usually wear for this kind of occasion but I can’t. Is he that obscure these days? Did the pop jazz guy topple the breakthrough anorexic weirdo from London? And speaking of the latter, I feel bad that the oh-so-powerful Grammys couldn’t get her in the US because the embassy refused entry for Winehouse on crack. She looked so anxious on that last award, because album of the year would be such a slap to everyone’s face, but no: Herbie Hancock won, which just threw ice cold water on everyone. Never mind that Kanye West, doing his speech for Song of the year, singled out himself and Amy Winehouse as the only “deserving” winners for Album of the year and that he would not be surprised if it happened. The point is, Kanye, Herbie Hancock won, and some people are too SURPRISED to even bother asking the question why.

The Grammys have made some surprising upset over the years. In 2001, the 1970’s rock band Steely Dan won over then sweeping rap artist Eminem, and pundits nod their heads in agreement because, we’re talking about Steely Dan here. But some argue that Grammy award winners are supposed to represent the anthems of that particular year, which means that, the only way anyone gets a Grammy status is if he or she does have that critical mastery down pat, which meant sometimes, commercial success. Hancock made waves in the adult contemporary radio streams ONLY but produced, what was decidedly a musically and politically justified album, “River: Letters to Joni” was a tribute. People wonder why the choice this year was made on an artist the listening public’s barely heard of. We have to admit though that the listening public has transformed dramatically over the years. So is the Grammy trying to go back to the criterions upheld in the late 60’s up? Like it was some lost golden era music? What is it that the Grammy is trying to preserve?

It must be musical dignity. What the major upsets taught us really, is that both Eminem and Winehouse were white people who basked in success by hybridizing if not, capitalizing on music created by black people. The inter-racial concern is particularly too political to openly discuss without stirring an ample amount of confusion and outrage. But the point is, how many people can pull of writing and performing music white people have created without garbing on the gangsta’ high society tripe that has riddled the images of artists today? Hancock is a slap on West’s face but at the same time a snide remark on the hoards of artists who have lost their musical integrity in the midst of their gimmicks.

Towards the end of the event, some guy made this speech about how the next 50 years will be, inevitably governed by this transformed body of musical taste, and that the artists which will emerge then will be playing the music of their time. Possibly, the next wave artists to come will be tasteless and if anything, just a bunch of copycats. But I’d like to think that we’re not all that tasteless, and sometimes I’d like to think that some are improvisers instead of copycats. So the music snobs behind letting Hancock win over Winehouse might be fearing the day that the kids have to learn to appreciate music beyond the music ascribed to their time and that there are essentially more elements to it that go beyond the mainstream. This move can teach us a lot about being open-minded but I still feel that Winehouse could have and should have won. She could have won if the political comment was unnecessary for this time — but it was. To me, she should have won because of the musical merit that is thought to be possessed by the Grammy’s Album of the year: musical charisma.

Tags: Opinion,, Events,, Mainstream,, Music,, Contest,, Grammys,, Herbie Hancock,, Amy Winehouse,, Grammy Awards,, Kanye West

The other day, it was fortunate that I met up again with Vince & Tricie Arcenas, proprietors of Salutti. That’s because they’ve generously agreed (in fact, they volunteered) to be the venue of the 4th leg of the Davao Food Trip!

Salutti is a cozy little Italian restaurant, located in the Habana compound on Rizal St., Davao City. It’s right behind Claude’s Le Café de Ville. They serve panini and pasta, and looks to be a perfect place for lounging with friends and colleagues. (more…)

Sponsored By: 1st Mindanao Bloggers Summit - 27 Oct 2007, Davao City

Last May 2007 I wrote about Talecraft, an amazing new kind of card game that was invented by my cousin, Ria Lu, who’s unfortunately based in Manila. But she’s in town now and has officially brought the game to Davao!

On 12 January 2008, there will be a Talecraft Competition at Spazzio, 3/F Gaisano Mall of Davao. This is open to all ages, as long as you have an imagination. You see, Talecraft is a tool for creating wonderful and wonderous stories. To know more about the game, visit its website: talecraft.komikasi.com.

It’s almost game time, so do register as soon as possible!

I’m going to be one of the judges, so I’ll see you there.

It’s now time to call for bloggers for the 3rd leg of the ongoing Davao Food Trip. The next stop will be at Belly’s Grill, on Quimpo Boulevard. This restaurant is best known for their grilled wild scallops, as well as their barbecue offerings.

The owners of Belly’s Grill will be accommodating 10 bloggers on 11 January 2008 (Friday), lunchtime. Interested to join us? Please register here. Deadline for registration: 9 January. (more…)

Good news!! The next leg of the Davao Food Trip will be exotic refreshments at Taj Minar. It’s a new Indian fine-dining restaurant located at Damosa Gateway, Lanang, Davao City.

The first leg, Zakoya Japanese Restaurant, will be on 19 December 2007, but we already have a full complement of bloggers. Here’s your chance to join us on the next stop!

Again, we can only accommodate a limited number of bloggers. So, if you’re interested to join us in the next eat-out, please fill out the form below. This event is exclusively for bloggers. In return, we will write about our experience at Taj Minar. To help us along, the restaurateur, Mr. Zafar Khan, will be there to explain the food to us.

The date isn’t final yet. That will depend on the availability of the participants. So please indicate your choice(s) for the date in the form below.

cforms contact form by delicious:days

Why do we do this? First of all, it’s fun!

But the truth is, those of us who blog about Davao and what’s great about our city have a passion. We are driven to produce quality and down-to-earth content about our beloved hometown. So now we have a new bloggers’ gimmick: the Davao Food Trip. The idea is for a group of bloggers to have lunch or dinner (or even just merienda) at a restaurant that will sponsor us, and enjoy the food, ambience and company of fellow enthusiasts. (more…)

Sponsored By: DVO Bloggers Network - the Davao blogosphere

Thom Parker is perhaps among the top 3 experts in the world on Acrobat JavaScript. He will be in Davao City.

Thom is giving a free workshop on JavaScript at the Felis Seminar Resort in Matina Aplaya on Friday November 16 beginning at 3:00PM. The resort is asking for 200 PHP for dinner for adults and 120 PHP for children, but the workshop is free… (Ted)

If JavaScript is your interest join us! You can email Felis Resort at - felisresort_4@yahoo.com or call 298-2601 for reservation. Just tell them you want to attend Javascript Workshop with Thom Parker.

As one of the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) Alumni I can’t help but remember the days i’ve been working with NUSP particularly in Lanao and Western Mindanao and days when educating, mobilizing and organizing the studentry in my hometown. I’m looking forward for another 50years of NUSP in service to the [...]

My friend Teng is inviting everyone to be join him for the launching of the book - Children of the Ever-Changing Moon at SM City Davao.
Finally it will be launch to the public. It was scheduled last August 29 but was postponed. Join us this coming Nov. 29, 5pm at National Bookstore, SM Davao City.
The [...]

During the recently-concluded 1st Mindanao Bloggers Summit, I was asked several times for a copy of my welcome remarks, so I thought I’d share it with everyone here.

(I would’ve posted this earlier, but I had to take a day off after the Summit — while it was exhilaratingly successful, the day after, I suddenly felt all the tension that had been building up. Still, I am very happy!) (more…)

Sponsored By: 1st Mindanao Bloggers Summit - 27 Oct 2007, Davao City

1st Mindanao Bloggers Summit
Davao City, Philippines

Sponsored By: DVO Bloggers Network - the Davao blogosphere

The 1st Mindanao Bloggers Summit was organized by The Usual Suspect and i’m proudly one of them. I’m so excited for tomorrows event or later this morning as i was writing this around 2:47am. I’m still awake because im finishing up my film script.
Check the pictures - night before the summit, busy preparing. More [...]

The BIGGEST JOB FAIR in Mindanao aptly called “Career Gateways  2007″ is happening soon. The caravan will kick off at the SM Entertainment Center in Davao City  on October 17 and at the KCC Convention Hall in General Santos City on October 19.
“Career Gateways” is organized and hosted by JIB E–Academy  with the participation of [...]

Spotlight Mindanao:
Blogging for Culture, Identity & Understanding

• Date: 27 October 2007 (Saturday)
• Time: 9:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.
• Venue: 4th Floor, NCCC Mall, Ma-a, Davao City
• Registration Fee: FREE!

• Councilor Peter Laviña
• Join the DigitalFilipino.com Club!
• NoKiAHOST.COM P5/day webhosting
• BisayaBloggers.com
• Davao's Food Huntress
• Web Design Philippines
• Lane Systems
• Orange County Real Estate
• Web Developer Philippines
• Fwendz Diner
• Globe Broadband
• ACT for Peace Programme

Im so excited this coming weekend - October 13-14, 2007 because i’ll be joining the 1st Mindanao Film Directing Workshop. This event is also be attended by Guerrilla Filmmaking 5 workshoper.
After the workshop there will be around 8 to 10 filmmaker groups for film production because Teng target to produce around 10 short films - [...]

It’s just three weeks to go before the 1st Mindanao Bloggers Summit, and I’m really excited about it! This is a first-of-its-kind event down South, and I’m proud that I’m part of the team that’s organizing it.

If you’d like to be part of this unique event on 27 October 2007, go ahead and register to join now. It’s free! But more importantly, it will be a venue for us to promote the true images of Mindanao to the world, via the power of our blogging voices.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the following generous sponsors:

• Join the DigitalFilipino.com Club!
• BisayaBloggers.com
• Davao’s Food Huntress
• NoKiAHOST.COM P5/day webhosting
• Globe Broadband
• 88DB Philippines
• Web Design Philippines
• Lane Systems
• Eastri Billboard and Sign
• Orange County Real Estate
• Web Developer Philippines
• Act for Peace Programme

See you in Davao!

The 2nd International Ramadan Fair is the first of its kind event that would bring together Muslims and Non-Muslims to showcase the beauty of Islamic culture particularly the great virtue of the month of Ramadan. The fair hopes to provide a venue to broaden understanding and perspective on various Muslim cultures and the tenets of [...]

Two weeks ago, WordPress 2.3 was released, and now I’m contemplating on upgrading my blogs from their current WP2.2.2 version. Based on what I’ve read so far, WP2.3 promises to be an exciting development from previous releases — native support for tagging (for better SEO!), plugin ugrade alerts, and much more.

Matt, the founder of WordPress, held an upgrade party the day after they released the new version. For us WP die-hards and geeks, that sure sounds like a darned good excuse to get together and have a few brews! (more…)

Sponsored By: 1st Mindanao Bloggers Summit - 27 Oct 2007, Davao City

Cheers to my AngDabawenyo.com blog! This is my 100th post, so some friends and I toasted this humble milestone with a few beers. Fellow blogger Maej Villanueva, entertainer extraordinaire Ahbet Padilla, new friend and chef Jenny Tan, and fellow student of Nihongo Peter Labor kept me company that night.

We were with a couple hundred Dabawenyos at the Victoria Plaza carpark, where one of several Oktoberfest celebrations have kicked off in Davao. By the looks of it, this one will most probably last the whole month of October. It’s located in front of 51 Coffee Shop and Buffet Palace — you can’t miss it, what with the humongous San Miguel tents covering the entire area. (more…)

I want a free 2-day pass for SEMCON.
Since the day SEMCON Philippines 2007 idea nor proposed at SEO PH Forum i was then so excited to join even the schedule is not yet finalized. I have so many reasons why i need to be there and deserve a free pass:

SEMCON 2007, the first international search engine marketing conference this side of the Pacific. SEMCON 2007 or Search Engine Marketing Conference Philippines 2007 will run from October 9 to 10, 2007 and will gather the best Internet marketers and Web professionals in the Philippines and beyond.

Check out the official SEMCON 2007 website. (more…)

You Got Blogged! DigitalFilipino.com / MindanaoBloggers.com Review-a-Blog Competition is now extended to 14 December 2007.
There have only been 6 entries submitted to YGB Contest as of this writing and one of the entries are review of my Wyzemoro Blogs | Paradise Philippines.
The goal is to increase awareness of the culture, identity, traditions, the real picture [...]