This post is waaaaay overdue. I must be the last person to blog about this. But oh well, better late than never, right?

I always knew blogging would pay someday and I think all of heaven had smiled on me when I ran into Century Bangus. But that story has been told. This time, we were invited to lunch and blessed be that I was one of the winners of the contest.


Noodle Boy and I drove for 2 hours to Tacloban so we could catch our Manila flight which was way too damn early in the morning. We aren't really morning persons so you could just imagine what it took to haul ass and get going.



The event was held at the West Side Grill in Wack-Wack Golf & Country Club.







The place is huge! And so beautiful, it makes me want to play golf again.



My cousin Tricia drove us to the place. (Hi, Tricia! And again, thanks for taking us there!) A game was held after Mr. Leo Po welcomed us along with a brief introduction of the newest Century Bangus products, which IMHO, kicks ass! Right on! You guys should really check out all the mouth-watering photos below and see what they did with the lunch menu! Damn amazing! Can't get enough of it all!







Noodle Boy was all "oohh" and "ahhh" then "mmm" with everything. I think he was at a loss for words...



...and so was I.



I mean, would you get a load of these!?!?!

And so... we were there... again! This year was pretty challenging because it rained a whole lot... and I mean, A LOT!



The trip was pretty nasty, too. With all those 6-meter waves (exag!) that my mom and aunts decided not to go. But I survived nonetheless. I was going to bring my camera along during the procession but the rain was making me think twice, so I didn't risk it. Although there were people bringing their cams there, I thought maybe an umbrella was a far much better choice to carry. ;) Also, my mom insisted... so there.
The route of this year's procession was different.



We had to walk all the way to V. RAMA, B. Rodriguez, etc. when before we used to take a turn at P. del Rosario... Boy, did we burn major calories there! I practically collapsed after... and got blisters on my feet. The drugstore clerk said their Band-Aids were almost sold out by the time we went to buy some because so many people were asking for it.

By evening, we hit I.T. Park just because we were feeling our age. LOL! The taxi driver made snide remarks as we watched kids cross the street and he said, "Bantog ra uwanon ang Sinulog kay unsa man pod ning mga sinul-otan sa mga batan-on! Labi na nang tua sa Mango ron!" [No wonder it rains during the Sinulog because of what kids are wearing these days (referring to the girls)! Especially the ones in Mango tonight!] I couldn't help but laugh. Yeah, I can feel it. I am getting old because I, too, sometimes say those things. Tee hee! Especially because I don't wear such provocative clothes... do I? *bitter*



Too many parties all over Cebu last Saturday night. We had dinner at Ila Puti and then went to Patio Ecila (same place we were at last year) because it was pretty much age-appropriate for us. Plus the music can't be beat. Not too loud either. (OMG! I can't believe I'm saying these things. I'm starting to feel ancient. Haha!) No Embassy, no Loft for us. But did drop by Metro (which used to be Bravio) for some poker. ;)



Damn cold night, too. (What's up with my hands/arms?)

The rest of the weekend we slept, heard mass, shopped/window shopped, and watched movies. Didn't bother to watch the Mardi Gras because you could hardly drop a needle with all the traffic going on. Tsk. Also, I forgot to take pictures of the fireworks! *slaps forehead* Man, they were awesome! Maybe next year ;)
Anyway, thanks Sto. Niño! Although it rained the whole weekend and we got drenched, still we aren't down with any kind of sickness. VIVA! PIT SENYOR!

The great thing about living in Asia or the East for that matter is the food we get the chance to eat. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of weird but truly delectable viands available. One of these is the exotic food selection locally.

I don't know if I'd get in trouble with Animal Rights and be charged with animal cruelty, but that sort of thing isn't really a big issue around here... especially when it comes to FOOD! I haven't really done any research about it except ask around, but people seem to get away with hunting wild boars or catching turtles to eat... or even dogs for that matter. I think you guys have seen me feast on some of that over the years. ;)

But this week's menu is not the sort of thing you see every day. Well, I don't... and the last time I had one of these had been years actually.

What the heck is that?

Looks like caldereta. In fact, it is! Mmm... But what meat is that? It sure don't look like goat meat to me. What does it look like to you?

Yep, that's right. It's a snake. A very edible one, albeit smaller than most around here. ;)

Still very delicious, especially when it's pinirito (fried) and crunchy. Yes, it does taste like chicken. Doesn't everything?

I wonder what Prony tastes like?

Just kidding, Prony Boy. He's a python, I don't think he's edible. Is he? My dad says he is. Ah well, why am I not surprised? My father was the one who made me eat frogs, birds, rabbits, iguanas (edible lizard), dogs, sharks, you name it... I ate it. Tee hee.

^_^

I wanted to post pictures of how we skinned the snake and took out its innards while its heart was still beating, but that'd be against my better judgment; I don't want to be offensive here. Y'all probably go YUCK all the way but let me tell you that perhaps the ends justify the means... and that this specialty is a guaranteed YUM for me.

You are what you eat, eh? Yeah, whatever, yaya.

xoxo,

My blog has evolved! It used to be all talk and verbal diarrhea. Now, it's all images and more images. I just realized it and kinda like how it had turned out actually--despite the fact that it doesn't leave a whole lot to the imagination anymore. :(

Over the years, I've been writing (mostly to my heart's content) notwithstanding the fact that some people actually pay attention to what I have to say. I've been getting comments, suggestions, as well as violent reactions to the stuffs I've posted. Seriously, I didn't think anyone would give a rat's ass to my blogs. And now, even my mom is reading it! OMGWTFBBQ! Okay, *breathe*, so I guess I'll try to be "wholesome" now... LOL!

I was backreading some of the things I wrote in my Friendster/MySpace/Xanga blogs and I realized how different I am now. These blogs actually help me a lot. Not only do I get an outlet (through writing) and a record of how I've turned out to be, but now I'm actually part of something BIG! As in WWW kinda big, mostly thanks to link referrals and blog communities. Have you googled yourself lately? Maybe I should do blogging full-time. Hmmm.

But I love to write. If I had time, you guys know I'd write a book. However, that is not going to happen anytime soon as I am thinking of a career move. It's 2010! I need to make money and I know this year is going to be SOMETHING! I'm pretty sure of it, because I am going to make my own destiny. Sounds conceited enough? It's just positive thinking, you know. I just hope my viewers, readers, friends, and fans(?) would stick around long enough to witness that if one sets her heart on something, IT WILL HAPPEN. And you don't even have to ask how the hell it did!

So I'm cooking up a little something for my birthday this year. I know, I know. Isn't it too early? Well, nothing wrong with being prepared, right? So what's the plan?

Do you want to know? I bet you already do.

Okay, for those who are new to my blog, my birthdays over the recent years have been anything but ordinary. Take for example:

1. In 2007, I had a kiddie party... at 24! Just because there were too many kids in the neighborhood and MOST of my childhood friends already got kids of their own... so there.

   

   

   

2. In 2008, I spent it with the juvenile delinquents at the DSWD Holdings in the city. Plus, I gave them slippers!!! Yeah, flip-flops, baby!

   

   
   

3. In 2009, I was with the little rascals from Recla. I just wish I could give them scholarship grants when I become rich and famous. LOL. Wish ko lang!

   

   

See? I'm not all that vain and materialistic as I even claim to be. I have a soft spot, too. I'm generally a nice person. (Aren't we all?) Just don't get on my nerves and we're all good! ;)

So this year... what am I doing?

I'm not telling you yet.

You guys will have to stay tuned to find out.

But I'll give you a hint. Let's just say, it involves a contest and if that's the case... then there will be PRIZES. I'm still sorting things out but this is the plan. I need more sponsors and donors, so if you wanna help me out here, send me a message.

This will involve Twitter and Facebook, too. So you guys just might want to follow me (@MyMariaTV) for updates and add me up at FACEBOOK via this LINK or click the banner below.

MyMaria: Basta Igat, Sikat!

I will be updating those a lot in the coming weeks/months.

Celebrate with me... the gift of life, love, and everything under the sun. You could be a WINNER!

So be part of my birthday this year and let's make it happen, shall we?

xoxo,