HOLIDAZED: body, mind and soul!

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I think this is the best holidazed I’ve ever had for years! 

Aside from just total relaxation and rejuvenation (I specifically avoided all forms of night lifes and all those freaky stuff  where you treat your body not as a temple or botanical garden but more of recreational park …   and so instead I gorged myself with all native foods including durian, mangoes, young fresh coconuts, fresh lumpia, and banana Qs.  To tough it all, I ate rice three times a day!  I did not really mind gaining some more kilos – as I thought this is only equivalent to a one week’s diet, or not eating at all (for sure:)) 

I concentrated my energies to the following body and parts repairs and services which are all cheap and comparably good in Davao:

Teeth – all craps and holes and possible dents were filled in by a schoolmate in highschool (now he is a successful ortho with 3 kids!) , polished and whitened 

Eyes – got some new glasses and colored contact lenses (buy one take one free!)

Body – massage (hilot) and other pamperings (hair, nails, facials, etc from David Salon)

But the best I got was this – - – > LAZULI SPA of Davao’s Marco Polo Hotel

For P2,000 peysos only, you can have the following:

- Lazuli Diet Tea

- Three hours of pampering -> sauna/spa, body scrub, oriental massage

- Ground Coffee beans and chocolate (for scrub) with peppermint oil (for massage)

This is highly recommended.  The girl who did the massage was very well trained in the arts of spa and pampering.  (They were all girls – if there was a boy attendant, I would have opted for one.)   But it did not really matter since the girl was really lovely and she kept on calling me Madam, although I asked her to call me just Miss J !!!  The whole process was very relaxing – and I totally surrendered to the gentle hands of this girl – who was very professional and knew and respected the boundaries of their clients.  Awesome !!!

After the almost 4 hours of spa and relaxations, I felt soooo rejuvenated and ready to face this cruel world again   Charroots!

 

 

HOLIDAZE: madayaw dabaw !!!

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(Fruits and flowers of Davao showcased in Marco Polo Hotel)

 

“Madayaw” – is a Davao word that means Welcome!  

“Madayaw Dabaw” -  Welcome to Dabaw!

August is the Kadayawan festival.  A big celebration of the culture, beauty, and nature in Davao and the Mindanao island.  And for me who has been away for awhile, it was time to get re-acquainted again with the sights, sounds and smell of Davao city.  

Despite the searing heat, I made it walking to Claveria and San Pedro Streets, where the Indak-indak festival (Mardi Gras) featuring more than 30 tribes of Davao (such as the Bagobo, Mandaya, Manobo, Tiboli, Mansaka, and B’laan) made indak-indak (tribe dancing on the streets) in their festive costumes.

True to nature, very red and colorful, the atmosphere was !!!  

And compared to Melbourne, where people generally use only black and drabby looking umbrellas, Davao is indeed a colorful paradise!

I think this is the Bagobo tribe … not sure!  But these tribe girls were fierceful looking, just like their counterpart vogue models !!!

The Indak indak converge infront of the city hall.  Booths were created for the different tribes – where real tribesmen and women showcased their culture and traditions, and of course displayed and sold their crafts.  I just love this cultural thingy !!!  Very gay earthly indeed!

I think these are the Maranaos.  They are known for their beautifully colored Vintas and umbrellas!  I made sure to buy one of those colorful umbrellas (with beads) from Aldevinco Shopping Center before I go home!

I just wished talaga that I was in my drag costume !!! I have never been carried on in those colorful bamboo stilts!  These guys were just amazing!

The indak indak presentations was a contest.  The participants were mostly students from all over Mindanao.  It was a whole day affair that started early and ended late at night.  Some of the participants were as young as 8 or 9 and they were walking on the hot coal streets barefooted.  Cold water were thrown on the streets to make it bearable.  Can you imagine ???

 

 

With all these people and with very tight security,  me and my adapted sister (who was also on holidazed) were so lucky to get into the front stage where you could really see the performances.   All I needed was to use my natural l’oreal charms with these hoty guys … in uniform!

  

 

O divahhhhh !!!  Wagi si papa !!  Tight securities thalagah!  Kakaenjoy! With all these giyera patanis going in some places kasih, they have to make sure everything is peaceful during the celebrations … which went successfully naman.   Thanks to these guysss … they made sure maligaya ang lahat.

Kaya lang super init talaga.  Gusto kong maghubad! But then, baka biglang magkagulo … at magkaruon ng stampede sa stage    Just like the wha-wha-wheeee…  

Buti na lang maraming young coconut juice around … drink na lang ako ng drink … I just loveeeee it !!! 

But this is really my favorite … of all time!  Banana Q !!!! Siguro, I have eaten three tuhogs, and could not get enough of it !   So yummy talaga .. nothing compares to the Banana Q.   With the banana Q alone, the trip to Davao is worth it na, kahit wala pang Papa!  Anetcchh !!!

 

Nothing compares to your native land talagah, when it comes to holidazed … You feel sooo at home and welcome … Feeling reyna ka talaga just like this girl … the local Miss Kadayawan 2008! 

 

So Dabaw … Madayaw !!!

HOLIDAZE: clouds

 

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Rows and floes of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere
I’ve looked at clouds that way

I was on Singapore airline’s flight to Davao via Cebu, and these two hours before final destination is eternity.   I wasn’t tired at all (though I have not slept for the last 24 hours) but only got bored to death and wishing time to fly faster …  faster than these parades of clouds against the never ending expanse of beautiful blue skies.   So I started to emote! Emote …

   

But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on everyone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way

Ive looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
Its cloud illusions I recall
I really dont know clouds at all

It was my first time to travel by myself (without my husband), and felt like a single woman again! (I unashamedly flirted with everyone and anyone on the airport - and it felt so good being so gay and flaunting it! Freedom!)   Looking at the blue skies and clouds is just “being there” – like there was no past and future. Only me and now!

Not even a hint of those very dark periods of uncertainty (bigger than these clouds), when I felt so hopeless I thought I would never see these clearest and brightest of skies … Is this what you feel when you are dead!  In heaven?  Are you still allowed to think and emote?

 

Moons and junes and ferris wheels
The dizzy dancing way you feel
As every fairy tale comes real
Ive looked at love that way

But now its just another show
You leave em laughing when you go
And if you care, dont let them know
Dont give yourself away

 

More clouds … more emote!

Yes, I have been a disciplined son, a good brother, a dreamer and a saint, a loner, an idealist, a leader, a student writer, a closet queen, a rape victim, an overseas worker, a family provider, a late bloomer,  a good gay friend, a promiscuous bitch, a whore, a Turkish mistress, a one day prostitute, a saudi jailbird, a woman, a boy again, a sinner, a migrant, a jealous boyfriend, an obssessive lover, a mother, a bored desperate gaywife, a blogger, and lately a drag queen.  

In all these, most of the times, I am lost and confused.  Being an accountant, there is so much to reconcile.  Do I still really know, who I really am? 

 

Ive looked at life from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
Its life’s illusions I recall
I really dont know life at all

 

And before I could answer that dissolving question and being so lost in my sublime paralytic thoughts,  I heard an english voiceover with very strong Singaporean accent “Ladies and gentlemen, we are now on our final descent to Davao International Airport, currently we are flying over the beautiful island of Samal.  Please naman remain seated and fasten your seatbelts …” Okray sha huh!

And so I was thrown back to reality!

OMG! OMG!  How do I look like ??? Hmmm, let me take some photos – - – >  And just like all the other self serving bloggers, I took the liberty and the joy of taking my own photos, despite my annoying Korean seatmate, who keeps on looking at moi, and the warnings of not using any electronic devices – I think my camera is not what you would consider an electronic device detrimental to any radar as such, isn’t it ????

And just like all the other gay guys, who have gone past their raging twenties, now I look like a fat (fatter) mama ready for some hot (hotterer) action !!!

Yuck! Naman!

 

 

SURFERS’ PARADISE

The Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Surfer’s Paradise are all in Queensland and being sub-tropical the weather is just like the Philippines.  I love it!  I love it very much that we are seriously thinking of moving to Queensland!

Ruthie, a very close friend of mine moved to Queensland (Brisbane) last year for the same reasons that I think I would be moving – we both love the sun, the pure white sand beaches and mangoes.  Bananas and mangoes in Queensland are growing like in Philippines!  And I bump on a heaps of Filipinos in Surfers.  Really great! 

We really had a good time.  It is my third time in Queensland and I always have the same happy sunny holiday mood feeling whenever I am there.  I think I just found my soul-place! 

VECK FROM HOLIDAZE!!

 

Opps, sorry guys, I forgot to mention before NY that we were going for a ten day holiday trip up to Sydney and Surfer’s Paradise!  We celebrated New Year’s Eve in Melbourne and the following day, we quickly packed up the car for a 10 hour land drive to Sydney (to see my brother and my new nephew), stayed for the night and then off the following day to Surfer’s Paradise.

Very exciting and exhausting travel involved as we opted for a road trip – which actually afforded us to explore lot of coastal views along the way.  Not quite like the road trip of Priscilla though.  It’s damned cheaper than taking the plane, and more fun

I missed you all guys and thanks for visiting my blog while I am away…  hope that you did have a wonderful celebration of the New Year

More stories and photos to come!!!