Full-On Festival Fun

Julian, June (owner of bar), Andy, Ian, and Author of this word stumble
Kalibo--Ati-Atihan Festival 2007

Lingering Lyrics:

"Sometimes...when sailors are sailin' they...think twice, 'bout where their anchor landed...I think I could make better use of my time on land. I drink less...cuz lord knows I could use a...warm kiss, instead of a cold goodbye. I'm writing the folks back home to tell them...hey-eh-eh-I...I'm doin' alright!!!"

The Format

A full calendar year has elapsed since I first arrived in the first country of this journey, New Zealand, and it seems like a lifetime ago. Much has happened in the ONE month gone by since last post; primarily 3 festivals, regrouping with people met along the phili-path, lots of loud banging music right out hotel windows, another brilliant dive, spending lewd amounts of loot, copious imbibing, an enormous pizza conquered, very little sleep, heaps of memories made, and a whole load of good fun clearly displayed in my ever-increasing smile.

Andy, Me & Shot Girls...we opted 4 da pitcher(s)
(Iloilo City--Dinagyang Festival)

I've traded the "mister" of "hello mister" (Indonesia) to "joe"..."Hey Joe!" here in Phili country. I gotta say I like the latter much more...even understanding it's origin, which surely you can formulate. I've gotten used to (and actually now thoroughly enjoy) the eye-brow raise which signifies "hello" or "yes". Speaking of "yes"..."oh oh po" (which sounds like uh-oh) means yes...disconcerting at first; imagine you asking "is there a restroom here?" and hearing "uh-oh poo"...or in the Visayan dialect(central isles) "dai"=friend, leaves me with "oh oh dai" or uh-oh DIE. Restroom is actually "CR" (Comfort Room) in this country and most are far from comfortable, though they've relieved me from several spouts of uncomfortable moments. I tried to climb a mt. and a volcano, but the recent typhoon destroyed any possibility of either. And because I was unable to ascend these peaks in Buko Area (buko=coconut), like a 12 year old boy, I opted to taste the local cuisine; ie. I ate fresh coconut pie until I suffered a stinging stomach ache...then I ate some more.

I should have known things would get strange when I stopped by the town Los Banos (The Bathrooms ;))) though other translations exist) and decided as I sometimes do, to not go straight to the hotel. Instead, I would tote my huge pack around a city that seemed to be completely devoid of another hotel than the one I "knew about". I had a tricycle driver then tote ME to Lakeside Hotel and Restaurant, which turned out to be a Karaoke Bar that served Sprite and Fried Bananas among other things. I continued to run around town before I stumbled on the hotel that I originally was going to...it appeared to be the ONLY one in this town of more than 50,000. L8r, I would see that a well-lit sign of sticks on a BBQ titled, "Pork BBQ" was really an ice-cream stand, another restaurant would also prove to only offer karaoke, a train running smack thru midtown had no train station, and other oddities that I fail to recall now, a month later only allowed me to scratch my head and move on in confusion.

Then, after hopping a boat to some random Romblon Islands, I entered another world...this might be the poster boy--

Boy in Training (Ati-Atihan)

--Tanduay Rum n' Chaser--

Photo Pholder: I've had some great times and great photos 2 represent a bit of the festivals that have held me in intoxicated awe the last 2 weeks. So many pics, but a few can be found in Romblon, while there's a massive folder Ati-Atihan. Loads of video that I'm havin' a tough time loading...so you're not entitled to this footage :P

Reads: "The Secret Sharer" Joseph Conrad is about a stowaway and is almost ambiguous enough to imply multi-personality disorder. I'm on another of his short stories now.

Flics: "40 Year OldVirgin", and finally (apt 4 my life) "The Terminal", and "Star Wars" the original...I finally saw again.

Muzic: First and foremost, the big bang of base drums thumping outside my window at Ati-Atihan festival--non-stop 3 days, without ANY option to stifle--one sure way to "set" you IN the festival. Aside from that, heads up for a fantastic band, Margot & The Nuclear So and So's; they offer some slower poignant tracks, but the more upbeat and spiteful of past relationships "The Skeleton Key" is my absolute fave; the album...The Dust of Retreat. Also on sound is Page France who have 3 Fantasmagoricalicious Albums...my fave track is "Chariot" talking of the hypnotic nature of religion...over a very catchy music line; rhythmic and rhymin' . I'm still lovin' Pablo's "Loser Crew" which pumps me up no matter what my mood: "I came with the loser crew, you said you saw us coming...brought back when I was young, I know I'm not dumb, boys cause a lot of casualties.").

*#$*^*#$*^===>> Finally, the muze of the month was the album Nice and Nicely Done, by Spinto Band. Opening up with a very vocal piece, "Did I Tell You" which plays to the love of life alongside relationship: "The fact that there’s water on top of this planet The opportunity for me to walk in it". But my fave track is the more pop sounding "Oh Mandy" that catches you mouthing or more boldly singing while dancing regardless your location: "Sure I had trouble from the onset...I tried to chase things I coul--dn't get...Show me a rerun on the W...Show me a rerun on the WB...So what's it like to be in it...and move away to the Midwest...I gotta message for your auntie--I gotta message for your auntie." I'm not gonna review this whole album, but it's a great album whose every track is very unique...it's fresh, it offers good lyrics, and yet it doesn't ignore the obvious importance of good, hair-raising riffs that stay with you the day long. Check out the sample of songs you can access here.

...where was I???

I stumbled outta Luzon, onto a boat with the most fortunate of fortune--that's to say arriving at the pier 15 mintues b4 the only ferry 4 that day departed to the island I wanted...I was happy I went to "check the schedule" with my bags--and wound up in the islands of Romblon. Lesser known, sure...and thus, why I chose to visit them among other appeals. However, where my fortune really enriched me was realizing I showed up the very weekend of their yearly festival; what a great party it was. But this was the calmest of the 3 festivals...as seen by the pics.

In the midst of the great festivities, I managed to dive with Ivan (Swiss-French) who was a good bloke and had a great story of how he managed to be there. The end of the story was his wife in a coma after the birth of their youngest daughter, Ivana, who is absolutely the cutest girl I've ever had the pleasure of being around...truly a doll personified.



Ivana poses with puppy

Angela & Ivana

Boarded the Queen Mary for an island which led me to a jeepney of which I jumped on the roof and ducked branches and electricity cables to another port town where I boarded a tiny boat that skipped and splashed past the famous island of Boracay--which I avoided wholeheartedly--and into the port town of Caticlan bound for the festive town of Kalibo which hosts the Hugely famous festival Ati-Atihan. It was here I met up with another yank, Jullian, who I met in Indonesia just after my remarkable experience in East Timor; an English friend of his, Ian--lothario doesn't begin to explain his "desires"--and Andrew, who I met in Manila randomly...as ya do. This was the cast that would last the 4 days of fiesta frothin', debaucherous dancin' event in Kalibo 2007. Ati-Atihan is suppose to be the Mardi Gras of the Philippines and I can only offer that it certainly stepped up to the plate with regard to continuous quaffing.

From Aklan Province (Capital City: Kalibo)

To Iloilo City...capital of province...

and now moving on to Negros Occidental.

J & I bussed it down to Iloilo City 4 another Fiesta that would take place the following weekend; turned onto it by the lady who extended ALL OF OUR visas to remain in this glorious archipelago ANOTHER 2 months!!! Andy followed later and we did another round of what we do. Great lines were found in this weekend. Our rules which we just couldn't seem to follow like, rule #1: "DON'T wander off!!!" Walkin' down the street and hearin' a kid scream, "Hey Joe...see ya next year!!!" and the classic pissed off his head returnin' to casa with fam, "Hey Joe...the night is over" with perfect slur...we pissed ourselves laughing...it was great fun.

The 3 who continue still..."...I'm doin' alright!!!"

Iloilo City did offer a bit different style of festival, but what it lacked in drunken street dancin' it made up for in colorful costumes, live music, festival food, and "scene of the crime" locals that might just be recounted by locals who witnessed our somewhat stereotypical behavior. Not 2 say that there wasn't serious consumption in Iloilo's Dinagyang...obviously-->

One of many in the streets...I should say,

--this isn't me!

One thing Julian and I did agree on is that the next place will be somewhere that we can both exercise...4-SHURE!!! Booze Belly, Languid Lying about, and Glassy Eyed Exposure can describe my last week or 3. We 3 see a trio until Sugar Beach near Sipalay (SW Negros) in 10 days or so.

Now we're movin' from Iloilo City to Bacolod and up into the mountains, basing ourselves in Silay City (Negros). Unfortunately, the volcano Mt. Canlaon is closed due to weather; but stomping around the parks and mountains is definately in order and back to where I can breathe fresh air and wake to the sound of silence.

To get an idea of where the hell we are in the Philippines...

...to get a better idea, come join the fun! Until I send a round of cold cocktails your way...play on people...PLAY!