Paradise Love by Kelly Chen

 


























A friend shared to me this song of Kelly Chen. Ms. Chen is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer and actress.  The song is lovely. The melody is catchy and so sweet to the ear. The lyrics are poetic -- dedicated to the one you love. I really like it that is why I put it here from Youtube link for you to hear it too, in case you have not heard it yet. 

I wanted to play it in guitar so I searched for the lyrics and chords of the song and put them together with the photo of pretty Ms. Chen.

Ciao!

Early Dawn Lightning

Past midnight, I guess, a deafening lightning or thunderbolt broke our slumber. It occurred few minutes after the rain that night tapered to a halt. It was so strong that the second floor was like it was shaken up. That lightning set itself apart from other thunderbolts that I heard. It sounded like it hit something  on the ground.  As she was awaken by the electrifying strike from the heavens, my daughter scampered to the downstairs - joining her two sisters who opted to sleep in the sala. 

The heavens were like into serious rumbling after that earsplitting strike, with flashes penetrating through the glass windows. My wife quickly dropped a reminder saying that God Has His way of reminding people. I don't know. But who would not say that anyway? More often, we would be reminded of the great powers somewhere when we are confronted with a phenomenon like this.

Goto Mo?

In Tagalog, "gusto mo?" is something like "(you) like it?"  In Bisaya (Visayan) or Cebuano, we would say, "gusto nimo?" or "gusto ka?" Hmmm... anyways... a dotting mother who wishes her tot would understand her would say... go'to mo?" I really don't know where goto got its name. And I did not know that goto (Php35 per bowl as shown) was all meat soup as far as Quezon Province is concerned until I had the chance to have a taste of it when I went there last August. 

In a number of Pinoy flicks, goto would be more often mentioned especially in scenes where laborers or drivers taking their snacks. Goto afterall is poor man's fave snack. I learned later that there are various goto preparations depending on the region in Luzon where it is more popular. 

In Mindanao where I live, balbacua is probably the nearest kin of goto although Balbacua (consisting of tenderized beef meat and cow's hides) is more viscous. Again that entirely depends on the cook because there are balbacua preparations that are more or less similar to this goto. I happened to eat in a number of occasions in one eatery near GSIS Matina whose specialty is similar to goto. But it was spicy than I had in Quezon Province. Ok, since it is spicy it is popularly known as "hinalang" which comes from the Cebuano word "halang" to describe the burning chili or "sili". Hinalang is a soup preparation dumped with all spicy powers, that is it. It is tenderized carabeef or carabao meat.  

But what is an outright difference with goto and balbacua is the way they are eaten or enjoyed, let me say. Goto in my experience is taken with or without bread or rice while balbacua, considered a fave viand, is eaten with steamed rice. Hmm... my stomach is rumbling. Guess time to take my lunch... Goto mo?

One Saturday Morning

Home Photos

She's Driving

My wifey behind the wheels, learning to drive well in our subdivision's road.

Saturday Family Outing

Last Saturday morning (May 22), we decided to go to the beach some kilometers from home. We were unprepared because it was a last minute decision. These were some of the cellphotos we took from the beach at Dagat Fiesta (Sasa, Davao City).

It was a rally a good short break from project works. At the beach, we bought fresh fish and squid from two motorboats. I and wifey just sat at the table we rented for Php120 while watching the kids frolicking in the cold morning water.

Retreat Area

Nice view in the Island Garden City of Samal or IGACOS when we went there to see the potential of a parcel of land as possible family investment. We still have to make up our mind on what to do to this. But the place is a good place where you can unwind. As you can see, it is elevated and the breeze of air is so fresh - away from the city's usual polluted air brought about by smoke-belching factories and cars. Here, there is serenity that everyone is looking for to keep his sanity :-).  The place can be reached in less than an hour away from our home.  

Davao - IGACOS Barges

As they were heading for home (from the Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS) to Davao), my daughter Maico snapped at these barges last last Sunday. Barges ply the route Davao-IGACOS as major mean of transportation from the jump-off point in Sasa (Davao City side) to IGACOS. 

Giant Lizard

Yesterday, Yahoo ran a news entitled: "Giant Lizard Discovered in the Philippines." If I am not mistaken, this is the same lizard species locally (Davao Region) called "halo or ibid." Actually, I am not quite sure if these local terms refer to the same species. That is whether "halo" is different from "ibid."  I cannot tell the difference. What I am sure of is that both terms refer to a reptile species. Maybe this is the reason we have a one-liner joke that goes:"Halo? (Hello). Ibid!".

Anyways, halo or ibid is endemic here. Which is why if you stay along the riverbanks, chances are you see them searching for food or prey. But not as big as Yahoo News reported which was 6.5 feet long. Or maybe, bigger lizards here were already caught by the local folks. The giant golden-spotted species was first noted in 2004 in Luzon's Sierra Madre mountain, according to the online news. Now it is considered as a new species from the Philippines.

They are hunted for their chicken-taste meat owing perhaps to the favorite prey of the species which is chicken. Again, I am not sure if this is true but my grandfather who was a farmer would always say that "halo/ibid" eats farm chicken. 

Exotic restaurants offer a delicacy out of this species. I had tasted its meat long time ago when my younger brother and his friends caught one near our home and fried its meat. It was already late that night when I ate some slices of the fried delicacy which I knew later as halo or ibid meat. I nearly threw up after my brother told me what was it. That was my first and last - an experience which I don't want to repeat.

Family Outing

One of our family outings just within our locality. My two kids and Parekoy, my occasional errand, taking time to pose with the jiffy.