NCIS: Light Sleeper

It's an NCIS Strikes Back marathon on Fox today and this banter among Tony, Ziva and McGee temporarily sidetracked me from blogging.

 Ziva to Tony:  This isn't one of your movies.

 Tony: Yeah, if it were, you'll be dressed differently.

 Ziva: And you'll be better looking.

 McGee laughs so Tony shot him a killing glance.

 Tony to McGee:  You'll be dead by opening credits.

Ha ha.  I just love the chemistry among the actors of this show.  I especially adore McGee.  He's my favorite.  I don't know.  I've always been a sucker for geeks.  Te he.

Mangrove Paddle Boat Tour - Palawan

After nearly thirty (30) minutes of walking while sightseeing in Sabang, we finally arrived at our destination: The Mangrove Paddle Boat Tour. We registered ourselves and then headed out to where the boats were. Of course, while waiting for Kuya to prepare the boat, I snapped some pics.

Below are the reminders for this tour.

As the boat glided through murky waters (it just rained so the water was kind of brownish in color but we were told that when the weather is fine, the color is kind of green), our guide, Kuya Untoy Delfin Morillo started explaining why mangroves are important to our ecosystem.

From snippets of his explanation that I heard (as I was too busy taking pictures), mangroves are vital to our ecosystem since they are a natural protection against soil erosion. They also support unique ecosystems as barnacles, oysters, shrimps and some species of fish thrive on mangals (mangrove habitat).

He also said that in this area, there are three (3) kinds of mangroves to be seen. The most common are these ones:

There’s a type too that looks like a tree. He added that mangrove types can be determined through their leaves ( if it is pointed or broad).

I wasn’t able to get a picture of the 3rd type as Kuya Untoy said it could be found deep into the forest and we could not go there without leaving the boat.

Kuya also pointed this area out, saying it was the location of ABS-CBN’s Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition Season 2 shot for a challenge for housemates where they have to get some talaba (oysters).

Reaching the end of the tour, we requested if we could find a tamilok (wood worm or rather, mollusk found on decaying mangroves). I first heard of tamilok in The Correspondents so I was curious as it was regarded as a delicacy. People who had a taste of it said it tasted like oysters. Kuya Untoy and his companion (the guide for the other boat as we were in two batches) were nice enough to accommodate our request.

looking for the elusive Tamilok

Below is a picture of the tamilok. It’s kind of unclear but Kuya Untoy promised to coax it out of the wood when we arrive in the cottage.



As we were on our way back to the cottage, Kuya Untoy also sang a song for us which they said they do in each of their tour. It was a good presentation. Too bad I wasn’t able to get a video of it. I got pics of him though.



Then it suddenly rained. Good thing we have umbrellas with us. It was nice though hearing the sound of falling rain and seeing its droplets touch the areas around us.

Back at the cottage, Kuya Untoy did coax the tamilok out of its wood. It looked anything but edible that I wondered how people could eat it. I wondered too how it looked blackish-brown when what was featured on TV looked kind of greenish. Kuya explained that it’s because those had been already cleaned.

The culmination of the Mangrove Paddle Boat Tour was supposed to be a mangrove-planting activity but since it rained, Kuya said that we could skip it. Too bad.




All in all, it was an enjoyable trip, made even more enjoyable and educational by Kuya Untoy who was such an excellent guide and was very passionate about his job of taking care of Sabang's mangrove forest.

Feisty Miriam

I was watching the news on Umagang Kay Ganda this morning and I overheard Miriam Defensor Santiago give this snappy comment.

Miriam: I won't dignify him by giving a comment. I only respond to people who are higher in the food chain.

Ha ha ha ha ha! I was so amused it actually took my focus off the book I was reading.

"Peste-lizer"

I was watching the news last night. As was the case these past days, Jocelyn "Joc-Joc" Bolante hugged the headlines.

This interview though shows that a lot of my countrymen are clueless about what's happening around them.

A reporter for media giant ABS-CBN was asking people about their opinion on the case. Or what they know of it. One respondent's answer really made me laugh.

Respondent: Ah, 'yon ba 'yong... Ano nga ba?! Ah, 'yon 'yong PESTE-LIZER scam ba 'yon?

LOL. Peste-lizer for FERTILIZER? Nice one.

Wrap it with "TOOL"

I was watching "Umagang Kay Ganda" this morning while having breakfast. The segment was about wrapping gifts.

Rica: So how do you wrap a stuffed toy that has an irregular shape?

Guest: First, make sure the wrapper can span the entire gift. If not, then two wrappers pieced together are required.

She then proceeded with her demonstration.

Guest: (picking a sheet of wrapper). You do the wrapping like this...

Kuya Kim: What do you call that wrapper?

Guest: TULLE.

And here's the fun part.

Kuya Kim: (not knowing how TULLE is correctly spelled). T-O-O-L?

Guest: T-U-L-L-E.

An almost uncomfortable silence ensued.

While I nearly choked on my cereals.

The Senate is "Out of Order!"

I was watching the news earlier while having dinner when I heard something that made me snap my head towards the direction of our television.

The news was about Cayetano & Lacson's infamous spat with regard to Pro-Villar Senators trying to block Lacson's speech. The moment Cayetano finished speaking, someone bellowed that Cayetano should not be listened to because "THE SENATOR IS OUT OF ORDER!"

What?! OUT OF ORDER? I was concentrating on my meal that I wasn't able to see who among the senators said this. When I riveted my attention to the TV screen, it only showed Cayetano in a podium.

I tried digesting the out of order bellow but I really couldn't make sense of it. I snorted laughing. I was amused to no end.

OUT OF ORDER?! What is he? A rest room that goes out of order? Or a machine? A photocopier, perhaps?

Geez. The endless bickering in the Senate can be appalling. Maybe it is the Senate that is OUT OF ORDER, huh.

No wonder this country is going down the drain.