Inside was an Asian movie playing, vendors transiting, folks filling the seats; outside were travelers anticipating the proper bus, lampposts’ lights trailing. A whole lot was coming and going and this is just what makes the trip worthwhile.

MRT. There is a construction behind.

Bus Stop. People waiting at the bus stop.

MRT Zipping By. The train goes by from end to end in thirty minutes or so.

Petals of Junk Food. Beware of fake brands.

Rush Hour. A couple waiting for a ride.

Keep Ticket for Tearing. I slid the ticket under my wristwatch.

Watching the World Go By. Stranger than fiction?

Under Ortigas Flyover. Somewhere in the dark is an MMDA traffic enforcer watching your every move.

Conductor. Displaying his proficiency in money-handling.

Bike Shopping

Halfway to Ayala MRT.

Practicing on the Sidewalk.

Dusit Thani.

Stopover at Petron.

Buendia MRT Station.

MMDA Fortress.

OH Juicy.

Guadalupe MRT Station.

Bright Above You. Sunbathing at Bugtong beach.

Sand Reflection. What do you see?

Sea of Sand. Searching for a parking space.

Heart-face. The sun, my enemy.

We set up our tents under the diminishing heat of the day. Sunset was just a commercial; it was a quick descent.

Loading. First stopover.

Freezing in the Bus. You need a jacket and a blanket.

M/B Captain. Popeye’s got an earring.

Anticipation. From Sabang port, a little more while till Caramoan.

M/B Harry III. To and fro.

Ushers. Watching guests come and go.

Diving Kids. Just showing off.

Stand By. Folks at the port using some shade.

No. 1 Tourist Destination. Welcome to CamSur.

So many colors in this distraction
Brown hair makes her lips more red
Words would not describe what I’m seeing
I try to hold my tongue but it’s useless

She makes my heart scream color
I know by now she should have found me out
Every sense I have has been exhausted
But color makes her smile

- Colors by Barcelona

It’s so funny to be seeing you after so long, girl
And with the way you look I understand
That you were not impressed
But I heard you let that little friend of mine
Take off your party dress

I’m not going to get too sentimental
Like those other sticker valentines
Because I don’t know if you are loving somebody
I only know it isn’t mine

Allison, I know this world is killing you
Oh, Allison, my aim is true

- Allison by Elvis Costello

And I keep saying over and over and over and over again
Let it rain, let it rain
Over and over and over and over again
Let it rain, let it rain

I need to hide within a storm
So have the lightning come
And bring the winds that scream
And spill the fog all over town

And hold me in your standstill ground
And I will sink down
And you’ll be washed away
You’ll be washed away

- Over and Over by Rachael Yamagata

I immediately dunked it in my bag. Why? Because Sharon Cuneta was on the cover (not in her High School Life glory).

Could I just pour the contents into a pot of boiling water and make dinner?

. . .

I willed to stay up late to translate the copies from Filipino to English. Please bear with me.

Maggi Mysabaw – Front

Right panel:

PATRON THIS IS FOR YOU!
Try in your home the latest warmer of MAGGI!
Picture: Sharon Cuneta with an unopened pack of Maggi Mysabaw and a humongous bowl of Tinola which seems like stuck to her palm.

Left panel:

Let’s go, patron!
Let’s try the deliciousness of MAGGI MYSABAW!

• This is the new meaty granules that Maggi created for soup.
• Each granule is fortified with time-boiled meat and lots of bones.
• This is granules! – the latest and easiest way of cooking your soup. This is in replacement of MAGGI cubes.
• And because it is in sachet, it doesn’t produce lard, that’s why you’re sure of the freshness of the product.
• Compared to MAGGI cubes, MAGGI MYSABAW is easier to open and easier to melt, just pour the whole pack into the soup.
• Very efficient because you may buy by piece at P5 per pack.

Maggi Mysabaw – Back

Left panel:

Dear Patron,

I discovered something!
The latest Warmer from MAGGI – the MAGGI MYSABAW.

This is the new MEATY Granules which is for soup! Each granule, the taste of time-boiled meat and lots and of bones and spices is very evident. MAGGI MYSABAW is available in 3 flavors: Chiken, Pork and Beef. That’s why it really gets the flavor of your favorite soupy dishes like tinola, nilaga at bulalo – minus the long cooking hours.

Thank goodness there’s MAGGI MYSABAW already!
It’s so simple but it is so delicious and I am very proud of it.

You know what, this is something we should all try.
It’s 2009, it should be new… So, each time there is soup in your cooking, use MAGGI MYSABAW Granules.

It’s the very best thing that has happened to my soups, trust me!

Picture: Sharon Cuneta again – cooking something. She is smiling and laughing at the same time – which to me is a proof that she put something funny into the pot (besides cutout granules).

. . .

I didn’t bother translating the recipes on the right panel after reading that this promo is for new year – 2009.

My first encounter with their polvoron was when my grandmother visited us and she brought it as pasalubong. It was in 1996, I guess. Since then, I always liked the taste.

Sometime around the same year or so, I baked it upon finding a recipe sitting around the house. It was perfect. I even thought of selling it.

Luck came but once.

One weekend, I went through the same recipe in my head – and I had to eat the polvoron using a spoon. It was a mound of white powder and sugar crystals. You could have played with it by whistling – like that old parlor game.

. . .

From Wikipedia:

A polvorón (Arabic: ghurayba; Philippine languages: pulburon) is a type of Andalusian shortbread of Levantine origin popular in Spain and Latin America and other ex-spanish colonies such as the Philippines during Christmas. It is made of flour, sugar, milk, and nuts. They are normally produced from September to January but are now often available year round. There are about 70 factories in Andalusia that are part of a syndicate that produce polvorones and mantecados.

Goldilocks Polvoron Classic – Front

Goldilocks Polvoron Classic – Back