Balut The Slapsoil Wanderer

1st of June Roffe - The Viking From The North (Norway) is a long time blogger friend.  If I remember it right it has been since I started this blog.  He is one among the few long time blogger friends who still around and actively blogging.  If you will check on Roffe’s site you will find that he’s been blogging for quite a long time now and he has several blog sites too.  His blogs have quite a number of regular visitors and followers.  No wonder Roffe’s sites also have good page ranks consistently. I learned a lot about Norway from Roffe.  Its culture and tradition, food, occasion, season and a lot more.  Reading along Roffe’s post is like reading a concise encyclopedia about Norway.  He also shares his experiences and adventures outside Norway.  His blog site is very informative and entertaining at the same time. What I admire about Roffe’s blog entries is his unique way of posting short yet so interesting posts.  Which is what I have been trying to learn.  He has this uni

31st of May I just finished watching the Game 6 of the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals of the NBA and “my” team won! So… You know I’m a HUGE fan! forgive me I just need to shout this CONGRATULATIONS to MIAMI HEAT – the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals Champion! The  FOURTH!  Of course a HUGE congratulations also to our very own pride the Philippine AZKALS!   Don’t be in despair guys for not getting the gold. We are so proud of you for just merely playing at the AFC Challenge Cup Finals! We know that it was not an easy challenge! The gold will come soon just go on believing! Watch out for an exciting guest post tomorrow from  the“Viking from the North” about an extra-ordinary church. Photo credits: Google images

27th of May I was a wild young woman, the kind of elusive wildness.  Not wanting someone to hold my reign.  I don’t want to be in a relationship because for me it was just a complication. So I kind of scared the young men around me which in effect made me successful in putting most of them at the “friend zone”.  Until one brave heart came along. He talks less but does more. He doesn’t promise anything. He just surprised me big time. He was not a knight in shining armor but a “kicker”.  A silent but one deadly kicker.  Before I knew it “he stole my heart away”.  And until now he owns it. Every time I hear this song I’m seeing the face of the “Only Man Who Stole My Heart Away”.  Lionel’s original version is great but I prefer the reggae cover by Big Mountain because that’s what kind of thing that we have – cool! You stole my heart away You stole my heart away Oo baby, let me show ya... Let me tell you now All that's on my mind For a love like yours Is oh, so very ha

24th of May 2014 I was imagining the faces of Crisostomo Ibarra and Maria Clara stealing glances with each other at the church patio while the “Guardia Civil” are scattered all over the church yard watching the simply dressed “indio”.  Horses hooves can be heard approaching holding the reigns are the “konstable”.  “Donyas” in thick “colorete” fanning profusely under their ruffled umbrellas hurrying to be inside the church to avoid the blazing heat of the sun.  Someone called my name and I was jolted back to reality!  I found myself under the blazing heat of the sun wearing jeans and flip flops and holding a camera to document this unbelievably old-looking structure. I looked at the direction where my name was called and found hubby gesturing me to move a little closer to the structure while taking this photo from another camera and a mobile phone. That call from hubby confirmed that I was in the modern time. It was during the lent of the year 2012 and I was doing my Vicita I

22nd of May If you were a toy, what kind of toy would you be? The question came from a blogger friend’s post and I was surprised that I can’t give an answer to this question.  After trying for an hour and three returns to Blue’s blog post I gave up.  I went back to Blue’s site, re-read the post and enjoyed reading the awesome comments from Blue’s loyal blogger friends.  Then I typed away my thoughts on why I can’t think of any toy if I am one. I also realized that half of my youth is clogged with traumatic experience of having a mother who was gravely ill.  But before that I was a happy kid. I have lots of good memories particularly back in the house where I was born before moving to the house where we coincidentally found that my mother was ill . (As to why we moved house is another long story). When I was a kid my idea of playing is being outdoor or in the backyard, climbing trees, playing street games, hide and seek, swimming in the river that includes wild diving and a lo

17th of May “Shameless syet” , “inorgasm”, “kilig-b*y*g”, “k*nt*t”, “lamp*ngan” are some of the the regular words being used by the smart-cracking-mouth of this young guy on his social media statuses and on his blog  which by the title itself is a warning - Hindi Ito Wholesome  (This Is Not Wholesome). My apologies to my foreign readers because there are no decent exact translation for the opening words to the English language.  If I will find one and translate them for you my blog might be re-classified ha ha! If you judge this kid through his words probably you will never like understand him.  I honestly cringed during the first time that I was coming across his statuses and blog posts.  But when you read beyond words you will realize that they are logical and sensible.  I took it that this kid uses words to emphasize his points which I think is very effective.  Plus his presence in the blogosphere by his own unique way of expression serves as a balance versus the abundanc

11th of May - Mother's Day  (An excerpts from a post originally featured on my Running blog … ) ….The wind blew very softly and I smelled a familiar scent that never fails to make me emotional.  Ylang-ylang! The ylang-ylang flower is my late mother's favorite flower.  She loves flowers but she loves the ylang-ylang scent the most.  I remember when I was young and she was sick I always pick ylang-ylang flowers from somewhere to bring home to her.  My heart smiles every time I see her smile while looking and smelling the ylang-ylang.  But all those times that I was bringing her ylang-ylang, she was always scolding me sweetly because she knew that it’s not easy to get those flowers. The ylang-ylang flower bears from a tree unlike the ordinary plant-bearing flowers. It also grows in the wilderness. Back in the province I found an ylang-ylang tree in a distant farm from our neighborhood planted near the river side. Every time I have the chance I go to this place, climb th

10th of May Christian Song Lyrics – by the title itself of his main blog I knew instantly that I will NEVER receive a no from my blogger friend Mak when I asked him to be my guest blogger for this special feature.  And he actually sent me his entry on the feast day of the Divine Mercy! Wow! Mak is another long time blogger friend.  One of the most supportive and thoughtful one I should say.  Though we haven’t met personally we regularly have interactions through comments and to our social media accounts.  I am blessed to know Mak through the blogosphere and thankful that he is still around. Now if you are wondering who is the pretty girl on the photo with Mak.  Well she is the lucky girl whom Mak got engaged with last December!  Congratulations to both of you! I would also like to invite you to visit Mak’s other home - Mav's Healthy Tips .  But before you do that come travel with me to the beautiful city of Surigao through Mak’s guest post.    ~~***~~ “It is my

3rd of May His name happens to be my favorite color - BLUE .  He said he is GRUMPY but I don’t think so! … well, usually he also said, I am posting this a bit late than the intended schedule that this is supposed to be posted.  The main content has long been queued on my draft but...I honestly can’t find an ideal introduction for our guest blogger for today. Probably because I don’t know him personally.  I can’t stalk him either because he is NOT on Facebook .  He has this “MENTAL NOTE” posted on his site: “Though we cannot make our sun stand still, yet we will make him run. Blue, resist the urge to use Facebook. You can do it. Good luck.  Cats and dogs can be friends. So can cowboys and Indians. So can we.” All I know is that it never fails to amused, amazed and puzzled me every time I read his blog posts.  Sadly he deleted most of his (earlier) entries (so I also consider him a bit WEIRD for that). Yes he deprived me of my pleasurable habit of back reading so I can also

2nd of May Can’t believe I’m posting the feast and festivals for the month of June!  That means half of the year 2014 is almost here (and soon be over). Sigh… it’s June! PUJADA BAY FESTIVAL - Mati, Davao Oriental - June 19-24 BILANG-BILANG ABAYAN FESTIVAL - Balangay Taft, Surigao City, Surigao del Norte - June 01 RIZAL ARTIST FESTIVAL - Angono, Rizal - June 1- June 30 SAKAY-SAKAY ABAYAN (FLUVIAL PROCESSION) - Barangay Taft, Surigao City - June 1 LINGGO NG ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE & “SARDINES AND MANGO FESTIVAL” - Dipolog City - June 1- June 6 PHILIPPINE EAGLE WEEK - Davao City - June 1- June 6 SUROY SA SURIGAO (GUIDED FAMILIARIZATION TOURS) - Dinagat and Siaragao Island - June 1- August 31 CAMOTES CASSAVA FESTIVAL- Tudela, Camotes Island - June 8-14 CARRERA HABAGAT - Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte - June 8- June 12 ARAW NG AGUSAN DEL NORTE - Agusan del Norte - June 12- June 17 ARAW NG AGUSAN DEL SUR - Agusan del Sur - June 12- June 12 INDEPENDENCE DAY - Cavite, Man