Hypervoxel

It's been quite a while since my last post.  Nothing like a looong weekend (Nov1-Nov4) to catch up on my blogging.  This post is way behind schedule but is too good not go on my adventure memoirs.  This is about my trip to Roxas City.

I was graciously invited by Hercor College to give a talk in their first ever IT seminar.  This event was organized by their first batch of computer science students.  I was really impressed.  Right away, I worked on my schedule and planned my visit.  I know I had a Singapore trip scheduled the day after their event, but I wouldn't pass on this opportunity.  I was excited since I've heard so much about Roxas City, particularcly their abundance in fresh seafood :).

Arriving at Roxas City airport, I was greeted by a welcoming committee of students (the VIP treatment was overwhelming).  I got to the seminar venue early and was able setup for my presentation (laptop with slide decks, projector screen, mic and audio output, lights, smoke effects, backup dancers, fireworks, hehehe).  The place was really big and can probably seat 1000 people.  It wasn't a problem for these guys to fill up the theater.

Before my on-stage  concert performance, I got a chance to chat with Mr. Jose Hernandez (president and founder of Hercor College).  I was amazed by the history of this institution.  The school is barely 4 years old and yet is making quite a mark not only in Roxas City but also in Capiz and its neighboring provinces.  They are sending their students to Singapore for internship programs (beat that).  I can't help but ask him why almost everything is colored green in the venue.  My hunch is correct, I found out that Mr. Hernandez is a graduate of DLSU :).

The talk with the students went really well.  Did half of my presentation on stage and the other half down with the crowd (sound like a concert?).  Actually, my laptop was setup downstage so I had to go down for my demo (note to self: wireless mouse).

I had lunch with the event organizers and the school heads.  Hercor College boasts of a great HRM training course and we're about to sample their students' 5 star service.  I tried not to look too anxious of the food (or at least stop myself from drooling over the crustaceans on the table).  The crabs alone already made my day.  Just look at the size of those!

After an especially delightful lunch, I was given a tour of the campus.  I thought there was a security alert seeing a lot of people in the blue uniform.  Turns out another specialization of Hercor is criminology (hmmmm... very CSI).

Later on in the afternoon, me and my new friends from the Hercor faculty went out to visit the historic church of Sta. Monica in the nearby town to check out the largest bell in the country.  On the way, conversations got centered on ghosts, aswangs, and manananggals which, they say, the province of Capiz is known for (I guess I won't be sleeping soundly tonight).  The church was perfectly preserved in its Spanish design.  The bell tower was dimly lit and had a series of steep spiral staircases (the climb is really gonna make you sweat).  I wasn't able to take a photo of the actual bell but it was quite massive.  Trivia: the bell was made from thousands of coins molten together.

The highlight of the roadtrip was going by the seaside to buy some fresh catch.  I don't even know what most of these fishes are called but they sure look yummy.

We took our catch back to school where another sumptuous meal is awaiting us.  This time my eyes are on the shrimps and oysters.  I ate my heart out.  I know I'm really gonna miss this.

I got an early surprise the following morning.  I got a basket of live crabs, compliments of Mr. Hernandez (many thanks!).  Tip1: Take home live crabs so they don't smell.  My first time carrying live souveniers on the plane.  Tip2: Keep the live crabs in the freezer so they'll stay longer.  I even got to taste them after my Singapore trip, a week later!

Xmas countdown begins!  Saw something I like passing through the mall.  Motorola now has a Windows Mobile phone!  The Motorola Q is the thinnest QWERTY smartphone.  I've always been a fan of the Moto stylish designs.  This one looks like a Blackberry and packs the full features of Windows Mobile 6!

Has all my basic needs in in a mobile phone... digital camera, connectivity, mailbox synchronization, large colored display, rich media support, speech recognition, MS Office, SENDING SMS WHILE DRIVING!  Oh, and it can call too.

Finally, the Academic Roadshow is rolling!  This is where we go around the Philippines and promote our academic initiatives.  We meet up with students, teachers, and school heads from the different regions we visit (we plan to visit 10 regions this year) and talk about ImagineCup, MSDNAA, FacultyConnection, etc..  Travelling is the best part for me (the sights, the people, the food!)

Our first destination, Region XI - Davao.  Located in Mindanao, this is the largest city in the Philippines.  Also known as the Durian City, this place is known for its infamous strong smelling tropical fruit.  For those of you who haven't heard of this fruit's reputation, the durian is a big thorny fruit with sweet yellowish flesh and big seeds (the shape reminds me of a building I saw in Singapore).  But the best way to recognize this is through its unique odor.  This is so popular that the people made it into yams, candies, and even coffee (bet this will keep you wide awake, as well as the people around you).  They say durian is an aphrodisiac (I think this  term applies to all weird exotic food people want you to try out).  I can literally smell durian in the air the minute I stepped out of the plane.

This is actually my second time to visit this city.  In both occasions, I was invited to deliver some talks for the Mindanao Conference for IT Educators (MCITE).  I'll be staying there only for a night this time :( so there is no time to wa ste.  In the airport, just before my flight, I already polished my slides, reviewed my script, and rehearsed my song and dance (you'll never know when you'll need it).  Didn't really have a hard time with the crowd.  I talked about how to download FREE software for faculty and how to travel to France for FREE.  Such a powerful four letter word that is sure to catch your people's attention.

That night, we took the organizer's out for dinner in a restaurant called Jack's Ridge.  This is a popular hangout in Davao.  The restaurant is on top of a hill and gives you a spectacular view of the city (reminds me of Antipolo). What to have... hmmmm....  pork sinigang, sizzling sisig, grilled blue marlin, grilled squid, green mango with bagoong, cold sanmig light, and a half cup of rice (I'm on a diet :p).  I forgot what they call the last item we ordered... very big fish eggs (heart attack on table 9).

The following morning, we woke up early to go pasalubong shopping in the wet market - Bangkerohan (pronounced Banker-1).  Here we get to see how abundant fruits are in Davao (pomelo, rambutan, lanzones, mangosteen).  We ended up buying crates of fruits.  A colleague of ours shared that, aside from the fruits, tuna is a must buy in Davao.  So we scavenged the market and found fish of all sorts.  As much as we want to take home a month's supply of sashimi, we realized that packing and transporting dead fish is a challenge.  We gave up, disappointed, only to find out that these are available at the airport frozen, packed, and ready to fly.  I've got 3 kilos of frozen fish in my handcarry :). 

Can't wait for our next destination.

Rainy season again.  I don't want to go to work today but I'm just too diligent not to go to the office (hahaha, that and I have three alarm clocks strategically scattered in my room).  Anyway, after sluggishly going through my morning routine, I finally am ready to go to work.  And since it is pouring hard outside, I bring my ever reliable umbrella.  I have a folding type umbrella that conveniently fits into my knapsack bag.

I've had this umbrella for over 3 years now!  I can't remember where I actually got it.  Not really a heavy duty umbrella.  It's coat has come off several times from its frame already.  But instead of replacing it, I've always stitched it back together.  I've actually restitched every joint already.  I can now say that this is handmade (or homemade).  It is now really sturdy.  Unconsciously, I grew attached to it ("sentimenterial" value, hehehe).

But today, it's top cap came off somewhere along my journey to work.  I've finally decided to let it go (it's only and umbrella, only an umbrella, only an umbrella).  After psyching myself that I don't need to have a burial ceremony, I'm now ready to buy a new one.  So many choices.  I'm amazed by how ingenious the new umbrellas are.  Some are fully automatic (sounds like a machine gun), click a button and it opens, click again and it folds back in place (amazing).  There is also the windproof version that repairs itself when it gets flipped inside out by the wind (aaahh).  I wonder if there's one that is water proof as well (dries itself off), I'll definitely have one of those.