#Okoy Art

[undeadvinyls]

i was doing my 3rd art trade when my laptop decided to fuck around and lag lol. anyways, i guess i could spare an oc sketch.

this is shrimp okoy cookie, fried shrimp's weird grandma. she calls him "shrimpy" and would always tell him, "remember shrimpy! everything's legal as long as there's no crème soldiers around!". shes the real g, the grandma ever, the tax evader, a proud cookie of the sea who calls vanillian descendants "soft dorks" or "sugar weenies".

[bongsillustrations]

Basilisk Okoi

[maigeiko]

Back in 2021, I was asked if there was any book about Geisha I would not recommend. The time has finally come. Time for a book review. The Flower and Willow World, the Story of the Geisha Girl, by A. C. Scott (no ISBN) Date of Publication: 1959 Language: English Format: Hardcover Availability: Found at plenty of online antiquarian bookshops Price: 10-25 EUR Errors: I didn't count, but, yes The author writes that this book is for people who have absolutely no clue about what a Geisha is or does. If there was any western person in 1959 with a genuine interest in Geisha... Mr. Scott did them a disservice with writing this book. But let's start with the good points. + nice photos + an actual English-language book about Geisha And that's it! Bad points? - the first 100 pages or so are solely about ancient Chinese entertainment, which, according to Mr. Scott, was the precursor to early Geisha - everything was better in the old days - Geisha training may be more humane now, but - they are more specialised in their arts! No more allround artists (not sure where he got that idea from?) - dude is constantly writing "Yedo" instead of "Edo", even when referring to present-day Tokyo - Shinbashi, Akasaka and Yanagibashi are the "good" Tokyo Kagai. The others are not worth mentioning - there are no Hangyoku in Tokyo anymore! (simply wrong! It seems as though Shinbashi had no Hangyoku in the 1950's, but there are photos of Tokyo Hangyoku from undefined Hanamachi from 1945 and 1956. Akasaka Odori 1955 had three Hangyoku participating.) - since the minimum work age was raised after the war, Maiko don't exist in Kyoto anymore. They are just young Geiko dressed as Maiko (for real?) - the worth of a Geisha doesn't depend on her dedication to her job, or her artistic skill, but the city in which she's registered - bad labelling of the photos. Shinbashi Geisha are labelled as such. Then, there are some "country Geisha" and a "pre-War Geisha" from an undefined city, and a "Tokyo Geisha" from an undefined district. - detailed biography about Shinbashi Geisha Okoi, probably under the impression of the book "Three Geishas" by Kikô Yamata, released in 1956, and the death of former Okoi in 1948. I'm curious how much overlapping I'll find once the opportunity to read this book, and if it isn't just majorly ripped off... (no source is given in Scott's book) Rating: 2/5

[touyaspeach]

WHY NOT!?!! I MEAN, YOUR ART IS

Also i had hotdog, ground pork sauteed in vegetables (a la torta, the one usually put inside an omelet? 🤔) And some okoy (Filipino street snack made of shredded papaya (usually) added in batter and deep-fried it; always topped with 1-2 pieces large prawns and served with flavored vinegar to dip)

WAH STOP I WILL CRY TYSM ♡♡♡♡♡♡

THAT ALSO SOUNDS SO GOOD HELLO?????? I'm out here having taco bell and you're living the life smh

[kamiokoy]

[louistrations]

"Okoi" Miike from Muramasa: The Demon Blade

[uwugenides]

anon requested a protective okoye and i ran with it

[irradiatedtea]

What do you mean this is not how infinity war ended?

[dariethedreamer]

When in #Vigan, you lamon, lakad then lamon again. 😍 #foodislife #lalamonalways #okoy . #LalamonLater stickers available in all @commonroomph stores !😘 . . #food #travel #Pilipinas #watercolor #florals #sticker #art #artph #supportlocalph #bydarie

[baconpal]

[b-galleria]

***Postitaide – MAIL ART photos***

***Postitaide – MAIL ART: Näyttelykoordinaattorin viesti // Message from the exhibition coordinator***

Hienoja uutisia Postitaide – MAIL ART näyttelystä! // Great news about the Postitaide – MAIL ART exhibition!

Projektilassa olevan Postitaide – MAIL ART näyttely pääsee kokonaisuudessaan näyttelyn päättymisen jälkeen Postimuseon kokoelmiin. Hieno projekti voidaan näin säilyttää jälkipolville. Onnittelut kaikille taiteilijoille!

Huomio! Ne taiteilijat, jotka eivät halua omia töitään museon kokoelmiin, vaan toivovat että heidän teoksensa mielummin hävitetään näyttelyn jälkeen, ottakaa yhteyttä B-galleriaan 17.6. mennessä.

//

The Postitaide – MAIL ART exhibition in the project space will be added to the collection of the Postal Museum in Tampere, Finland after the exhibition ends. A great project can thus be preserved. Congratulations to all the artists!

NB: Artists who do not wish to have their work included in the museum's collection and would rather have their work discarded after the exhibition, please contact B-gallery by June 17.

Osallistujat: 118 taiteilijaa // Participants: 118 artists

Abdurrahman Eren – Turkki / Turkey Agata Dwoizak-Subocz – Puola / Poland Alexandru Jakabházi – Romania Antti Jokinen-Habaue – Suomi / Finland Atte Tolonen – Suomi / Finland Aylin Gungör – Turkki / Turkey Bernard Mailer – Saksa / Germany Biró Ildikó – Unkari / Hungary Bruno Pierrozzi – Italia / Italy Buraak Balanber – Turkki / Turkey Camhur Okoy Özgör – Turkki / Turkey Carl Bomström (7 vuotta) – Suomi / Finland Chrishub Carre – Ranska / France Christophe Massé – Ranska / France Claire Dinsmore – Yhdysvallat / USA Corina Nani – Romania Daniel Boyer – Yhdysvallat / USA Drygv Sabarular – Turkki / Turkey Eduard Jakabházi – Romania Ekaterina Troitskaya – Suomi / Finland Elif Döéru – Turkki / Turkey Elif Feyza – Turkki / Turkey Elisa Sakko – Suomi / Finland Elli – Suomi / Finland Esra Aydin – Turkki / Turkey Eugenia Elena Riemschneider – Romania Fergana Koocadorv Özgör – Turkki / Turkey Francesco Cornello – Italia / Italy Furkan Armagan – Turkki / Turkey Giovanni & Renata – Italia / Italy Gjubar Mutesabhn – Turkki / Turkey Greta Salonen – Suomi / Finland Gökge Aysun Kaja Kilig – Turkki / Turkey Hanna Saali – Suomi / Finland Hatice Alintas – Turkki / Turkey Helena Ruusulaakso-Norima – Suomi / Finland Helmi Kuirinlahti – Suomi / Finland Henri Airo – Suomi / Finland Hernando Urrutta – Portugali / Portugal HO – Suomi / Finland Horst Tress – Saksa / Germany Horváth Piroska – Itävalta / Austria Iida Kilpeläinen – Suomi / Finland Ilkka Kivelä – Suomi / Finland Ilmar Kruusamäe – Viro / Estonia Inari Raaterova – Suomi / Finland Isto Rahkila – Suomi / Finland Iwa Kruzkowska – Puola / Poland J. Ricart – Espanja / Spain Jani Petteri Virta – Suomi / Finland Jari Kärkkäinen – Suomi / Finland Joël Thépault – Ranska / France Johanna Juupaluoma – Suomi / Finland Jone Mutka – Suomi / Finland Jose Salminen – Suomi / Finland Jussi Lipasti – Suomi / Finland Kaisa Syrjänen – Suomi / Finland KiA Winqvist – Suomi / Finland Ksenia Gulina – Suomi / Finland Lancilotto Bellini – Italia / Italy Lars Schumacher – Saksa / Germany Leena Anttila – Suomi / Finland Linnea Kilpi – Suomi / Finland Lorenz Mueller–Morenius – Saksa / Germany Luc Fierens – Belgia / Belgium Luis Maria Labrador – Espanja / Spain Margarita Rosselló Ramón – Suomi / Finland Maria Laakkonen – Suomi / Finland Maria Vilches – Argentiina / Argentina Marjaana Markkula – Suomi / Finland Marjut Jussila – Suomi / Finland Matilda Palmu – Suomi / Finland Meral Agar – Turkki / Turkey Meri Aisala – Suomi / Finland Michael Georg Bregel – Saksa / Germany Miguel Jimenez – Espanja / Spain Mikel Untzilla – Espanja / Spain Mirta Caccaro – Italia / Italy Nihal Gures – Turkki / Turkey Pavel Pocholec – Puola / Poland Piotr Jakub Jakub Borowicz – Englanti / England Päivi "Petzu" Hautala – Suomi / Finland Rasit Arsoy – Turkki / Turkey Reka Adorjani – Romania Rita Vargas – Suomi / Finland Rosa Helin – Suomi / Finland Rudolf Faja – Puola / Poland Saara Kumpulainen – Suomi / Finland Sabela Bana – Espanja / Spain Sam Smal – Suomi / Finland Sanna Saarenharju – Suomi / Finland Sarah Råholm – Suomi / Finland Selvihen Kilig Ates – Turkki / Turkey Serdar Yilmaz – Turkki / Turkey Sergio Guerrin – Italia / Italy Serse Luigetti – Italia / Italy Shkurte Ramushi – Suomi / Finland Simo Ruotsalainen – Suomi / Finland Sirpa Hannele Heinonen – Suomi / Finland Sofia Männikkö – Suomi / Finland Sylvester Kivelä – Suomi / Finland Tahsin Bozdae – Turkki / Turkey Taika Oja – Suomi / Finland Teresa Madariaga Tiia-Riikka Hietanen – Suomi / Finland Tiio Suorsa – Itävalta / Austria Toivo Heinimäki – Suomi / Finland Türkan Elci – Turkki / Turkey Utu-Tuuli Jussila – Suomi / Finland Valentina Cerniauskaité – Suomi / Finland Valentina Ștefănescu – Romania Veera Launonen – Suomi / Finland Vera Den Arend – Suomi / Finland Viivi Kangas – Suomi / Finland Ville Ruuska – Suomi / Finland Ville-Pekka Vihma – Suomi / Finland Virginie Loreau – Ranska / France Ögnur Isir – Turkki / Turkey

OSALLISTU POSTITAIDE NÄYTTELYYN 

Postitaide – MAIL ART on Yhdysvalloista 1960-luvulla liikkeelle lähtenyt taidemuoto. Sen  tarkoituksena on että, kaikenlaisia taiteen tuotoksia toimitetaan perille postin välityksellä.  Se on leikkimielistä ja antaa täyden tulkinnanvapauden teoksen tekijälle.

Kaikki perille löytäneet teokset pääsevät esille. Näyttelykoordinaattorina toimii kuvataiteilija KiA Winqvist ja hän koostaa näyttelyn projektitilaan. Teoksia ei palauteta. Niitä ei myydä.  Niistä ei makseta näyttelykorvausta. Näyttelyn jälkeen teokset hävitetään. Tämä on  yleinen käytäntö Postitaiteen kohdalla. Näyttely on olemassa vain sen kerran.  

Postitaide näyttely järjestetään B-Gallerian projektitilassa 2.-19.6.2022 ja siihen voivat  osallistua teoksellaan kaikki, joilla on jotain sanottavaa näiden painostavien Korona vuosien ja raastavien sotauutisten välimaastossa. Teosten toteutustapa on vapaa. Maksimi koko on A4.  

Näyttelyyn osallistujan nimi ja lähetyspaikka mainitaan gallerian www sivulla, jos se on teoksesta tai kuoresta löydettävissä. 

Teokseksi luokitellaan mm. valokuva, maalaus, kollaasi, 3D, piirros, runo tai muu teksti jne. jne. Siis oikeastaan ihan mikä vaan toteutustapa käy, kunhan se mahtuu A4 kuoreen. 

KiA Winqvist on vuonna 1995 ollut ideoimassa ja ripustamassa Postitaidenäyttelyä Galleria Pikassoon Helsinkiin. Tuolloin Taiteen maailma (1/95) / toimittaja Riku Räihä kirjoitti siitä  lehdessä otsikolla: Mitä on postitaide? Postitaiteen näyttelyn arvioinnissa ilmenee uusi  näkökulma taiteeseen. 

Teos tulee toimittaa osoitteeseen B-Galleria, Aninkaistenkatu 5, 20100 TURKU. Sen tulee  olla perillä 27.5.2022 mennessä. Teoksia ei lunasteta postista. Suositeltavaa on koristella  myös kirjekuori. 

Lähettämällä teoksesi vaikutat siihen mitä on Postitaide.  

Näyttelyn koordinointi ja lisäinfo: 

KiA Winqvist 

kia.winqvist(at)gmail.com (mieluiten s-postilla) 

B-galleria: 

p. 044 284 5381

[kastillia]

nyah

[jamie-tartts]

tagged by @okoie​ thank you my angel! 💕

honey and lemon or milk and sugar // musicals or plays // lemonade or iced tea // strawberries or raspberries // winter or summer // beaches or forests // diners or cafés // unicorns or dragons // gemstones or crystals // hummingbirds or owls // fireworks or sparklers // brunch or happy hour // sweet or sour // rome or amsterdam // classic or modern art // sushi or ramen// sun or moon // polka dots or stripes // macaroons or croissants // glitter or matte // degas or seurat // aquariums or planetariums // road trip or camping trip // colouring books or water colour // fairy lights or candles

tagging: @steveharrngton​ @pterparkcr​ @buckybgrnes​ @mytserio​ @quintenbeck​ @jamesbvck​ @jamesbuhcanan​ @bchnan​ @lavndertown​ @ffhspiderman​ @spder-man​ @sparklypeter​ @rhodestcny​ @leosdicapros​ @hollygolightly​ @paullrud​ @anthqnystark​ @buckychrist + anyone else who wants to do this! xo

[kamiokoy]

I've got you, old chap.

[thedeniveeph]

Falling, Landi, Landing and A Date | TheDenivee.Ph

I forgot how Gerard and I knew each other. We went to the same college, had several common friends, at one point even took the same course, but certainly never got to meet or learn of each other’s existence. Until we matched on a dating site I had 3 registered accounts in, and things went down from there. 

A week or so ago, I asked if he’d be okay to date me. And he said yes. I disclosed as much as I thought I had to, just so we’re on the same page--this is for my blog, we pay for our own stuff, no one has to treat the other. All we do are show up in date clothes, hang out in a fancier place, have an itinerary, and hopefully, find that we both had a good time after doing so. Writing this down now, seems we both did.

Falling

The Rationale

I haven’t dated in almost 4 years, and it’s a personal choice. I regularly hang out with different male friends, and while I do think these count as dates, they’re platonic ones, which most people my age don’t consider as real dates. So I thought, why not go on one when I have the free time?

Now, the reason I deliberately chose not to date-date in close to 4 years is that I’m scared of expecting and getting attached to certain people and outcomes. My last romantic involvement with a guy ended with him ghosting me, and the last guy I saw on an almost daily basis is the biggest prick I’ve ever seen in my 25 years on earth so far. 

Guys aside, life’s been pretty rough, and bitch ain’t going to date till she knows she’s not in danger of getting overly attached or projecting traumas to others. Hang outs are okay. But a duly labeled date? OFF LIMITS.

Landi

The Guy

Until my antidepressants started kicking in, and thought, who am I kidding? I’m not 21 anymore. I Kiss Dating Goodbye is not the deal. Dates don’t mean marriage. Dates, like most things in life, are risks. And maybe, with the right person, they can be fun ones. Having previously met Gerard, I thought he’d be a good pick. 

He writes, does martial arts, has an interest in philosophy and history, and is big on conversation. He likes coffee. And coffee is life. I know he won’t be a bore. And, he’s flirtatious--in a fun way. I like how he’s upfront with things--what he likes, what he doesn’t, without being rude. He’s also well-spoken but doesn’t have that cocky air. Even if  it weren’t for this write-up, this is someone I won’t mind seeing more of. 

The last time we met before the date, I was bawling my eyes out at one of the campus gardens. He’s kind enough to give me a hug, and he smelled nice, BTW. I kind of wanted to make up for that, and fortunately, I got the chance. 

The Itinerary

We picked Sunday, June 2. The day was just starting, and he got me to open his bag for him to get his wallet. I saw something else 😉 let's not get into that 😂 Though I'd say, what a way to start a date 😉😉😉

Anyway, he drove to our chosen venue, the Quezon Heritage House. It turned out to be closed. A bummer as it was, we chanced upon other spots within the area--like the Presidential Car Museum.It’s cute how excited he got when one of the security guards told us that that museum is open on Sundays.  

I know nothing about cars, and he knows a lot. I did appreciate the aesthetic and specifications of each vehicle, which all seemed to represent its main passenger. Gerard told me about suicide doors, designed to direct air flow out of the car, so when the doors open, they stay open. And so, riders can throw people out and guarantee death. Which is why they're a preferred car feature for mafias.

Gerard taught me a couple of other car-related stuff, and then came my turn to teach him. We stopped by The Coconut House for lunch, got binalot; over lumpia, okoy, gising gising, and bangus, we tried to banter in Fukyuan and Bicolano. I know a bit of Bicolano from my lola, while he knows Fukyuan from his parents.

Apparently, he already mastered the phrase"Ya hiao" (meaning very malandi or promiscuous) and a bunch of other swear words 😂. He was keen on finding speech patterns to remember the phrases more easily, and I had to break it to him that Fukyuan is tricky. "Tao" can mean "steal" or "tear open". Like "Ho" can mean "yes" or "rain". I'm so amused by how determined he was to try to remember and practice the phrases. I, on the other hand, remember "bakong iyo", Bicolano for "isn't it", best.

At one point we were able to kind of converse in Fukyuan. And he said, "Bagay tayong mag-usap in Fukyuan. Or pwede rin namang bagay tayong dalawa."

To which I replied, "Pwede both?"

We stopped by for coconut-infused ice cream right outside the resto and took a few photos. We agreed to go elsewhere for coffee and his perfume-shopping, and he was still putting the phrases to practice. Cute, bakong iyo? 😁

The Banter

Undoubtly a highlight of the date, was picking his new scent. We parked on the new wing of SM North Edsa and immediately spotted a scent -making kiosk.

I picked out scents that I liked, and the staff explained that perfumes all have top, middle, and bottom notes. I pointed out that all my picks were bottom notes.

"Ahh, mahilig ka pala sa bottom ha?" He said, jokingly, eyebrows raising with a naughty smile. The salesperson then added that the bottom notes linger longer than the top and middle, making them the base scent.

"O, kaya ko gusto yung bottom. Kasi they stay!" I said nonchalantly, to which he and the staff smiled. While waiting for him to finalize his top picks, he showed me a photo of him standing beside a fire extinguisher. And I remarked, "Aba, at talagang nagpose ka katabi ng fire extinguisher. Kasi you're hot!" I think I pulled a good one. He gave me a high-five.

He finally chose the notes for his scent and we stopped by for coffee at another kiosk nearby. He said, "Masarap magkape, kape-ling ka." I laughed and gave him a high-five.

We took a few selfies and sent one to a friend before going back to the scent kiosk to pick up his new perfume. It has that "fresh out of the shower" vibe that's not overpowering but definitely fragrant. I kidded, "Now you smell perfect for flirting because you only need to get close and whoever you flirt with will know you smell nice."

He sat close to me and joked, "Do I?"

Then came the subtlest, but I guess, the best parts of the date.

Landing

The Escalator

Gerard has a way of turning the smallest things into a learning experience, and I like that. So I'm not surprised that the highlight of the date was when he taught me to ride the escalator without looking at the steps. I'm not good with stairs or escalators--I often end up tripping and once even needed stitches for my chin because of it.

"Don't look. The escalator is moving and you need to move with it. You don't want to time your steps when the surface is moving. You will land on something. Maybe not perfectly on your feet. But you can always correct that when it happens."

Now, I don't know what amuses me more--how he turned that moment into a teaching moment, or how I'm turning it into a learning moment. Maybe it's not about the fear of falling as much as it is about the fear of not landing how and where you feel you should. Falling is easy. No force. No thought. Just freefall. But landing? The initial thrill of the fall...then the anxiety of the impending landing. The physical and mental preparations that come before, during, and after the landing. The pressure of having to be on your feet when you hit surface. Then again...when you're not on your feet by then, you can get up, and correct it with a step back, forward, or in place, can you? Seems so.

The Rest of the Date

A few escalator rides after, we did some of his shopping. I found he has a more refined sartorial taste than I have. And I also found he computes the cost of wear per purchase, which I thought to be very Chinoy...and oddly sexy in that it made so much sense. 😂 we took a mirror selfie because I thought we look good together. 😉

We closed the date with thank you's.

"Thank you for coming with me."

"Thank you for agreeing to this date."

"Sorry it's nothing grand."

"It's the company that counts."

Indeed, it is. For this date, it's the company that made it such. Falling, landi, and landing--learning and relearning all about them in one date. Who'd have thought? Thank you, my date.

Now, I'd very much like to visit the Quezon Heritage House for real when it's open. And maybe catch a whiff of that perfume I helped formulate. So, thank you, next?

[reybelen]

One of the best provinces in the Philippines that offer the tastiest and most sumptuous foods, is probably Pampanga. So the invite from Philtranco to check out what they have on the itinerary for media and bloggers on a food tour is a no-brainer go-to invite.

I, together with Cristelle Torres of GirlandBoyThing.com, went early to meet and go to the Philtranco Pasay station for the morning meet-up. There we met the other bloggers, media people, the PR team and the Philtranco, Jam Transit and FastCat team as well.

At about 6:00 or 6:15am, we headed our way to the north.

Ms. Christine Guevarra, Philtranco VP-Marketing

Betis Church, Guagua, Pampanga

First stop of the tour is at the Betis Church. Betis Church is located at Guagua, Pampanga, known for its Baroque-inspired architecture that one of the only 26 churches in the country to be declared by the National Museum and the NCAA as National Cultural Treasure.

Standing tall for 357 years strong now, the Betis Church has produced more than 53 priests and 1 bishop of its existence.

Betis Church in Guagua, Pampanga

Many dub it as the “Sistine Chapel” of Pampanga as the ceilings were beautified via hand-painting. It took 3 years  painting the ceiling of Betis Church by famous artist Anac

Baculud, a relative of Juan Crisostomo Soto, by the name of Isidoro C. Soto, who was mentored by Dr. Sijuco.

JB Betis Woordcraft

Second stop showed me Kapangpangan’s craftsmanship on wood as we visited the JB Betis Woodcraft.

JB Betis Woordcraft, owned by Jose BItuin, is considered as the leader of hand-carved and solid wood furniture in the province.

It has produced many masterfully crafter pieces which include furnitures ordered by luxury hotels, famous people, nobilities and celebrities both here and abroad.

It is not hard to see with the quality of materials, artistry and detailed craftsmanship, why the JB Betis products get so much attention.

No wonder that it was included in one of the businesses toured at by the 2017 ASEAN delegates in the country.

San Guillermo Church

Next stop was another church, buried by mud, ash during the 1991 Mt. Pinatubo eruption. The lahar-stricken area put the originally 12 meter high San Guillermo Church to half.

Today, continual renovation has been done to the church.

Tamales Queen, Aling Laring

The fourth stop of the Philtranco Pampanga Food Tour, is the province’s very own delicacy, the tamales. Aling Laring, known as the Tamales Queen, is one of probably the oldest Tamales producers in the Pampanga. She started her original tamales back in 1972.

25 Seeds

Tamales was just to tickle our taste buds as we headed next to 25 Seeds, a relatively new restaurant in Pampanga, owned by Chef Sau Del Rosario.

25 Seeds is located on a 1920’s mansion converted to a 2-storey-restaurant. The menu goes along pretty well with old Filipino mansion feel, showcasing Filipino food but with much zest and flavor.

While waiting for the special dishes that 25 Seeds was preparing for us, a noticeable set of fashion collections made by a Kapampangan designer was in front for all of us to see. And gladly, some of the media and bloggers gave in to the notion to strut it on the floor for everyone to see.

To be honest, each dish that I tasted proved to be a delight to my taste buds. Never a dull moment for my palette – absolutely fantastic.

25 Seeds showcased some of their signature dishes:

Pako Salad

Okoy

Tinape Babi

Bulanglang na Babi

Crispy Pork Macadamia Kare-Kare Rice and Market Vegetables

Chicken Galantina Rice, Achara and Buttered Vegetables

Tibok-tibok with Mais

Pako Salad

Okoy

Tinape Babi

Bulanglang na Babi

Chicken Galantina

Chef Sau was very kind enough to demonstrate his very own version of Tamales. He even discussed some trivia’s about this delicacy. Though tamales is originally from Mexico (or Spain perhaps), to Kapampangans, it is also called “bobotu” (to vote), because back in the days when only men were allowed to vote, the women were at home cooking tamales for the election day. Thus, in their own sense, it is a way or tradition that they make tamales to vote.

Pamintuan Mansion

After a great lunch, we went next to another mansion, the Pamintuan Mansion or now known as the Museum of Philippine Social History.

It is a house built in 1880s as present for the son of Don Mariano Pamintuan and Valentina Torres. It became part of national history after Emilio Aguinaldo celebrated the first anniversary of independence on this house in 1899 and served as a branch of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

Aside from antique stuff and historical notes, the house itself shows the elegance on the intricate details on each part of the house. Truly, a thing of art and beauty.

Center for Kapampangan Studies

Close to the Pamintuan Mansion is another place of the rich cultural value of the Pampanga – the  Center for Kapampangan Studies.

Little did I know that the CKS is inside the Holy Angel University, the biggest university in the province, which happens to be owned, partly, by a good friend, Dr. Peter Nepomuceno.

That’s why the Center for Kapampangan Studies (CKS) tour was not just a historic and cultural tour, but more of a tour on the business history of a friend’s family, the Nepomuceno.

CKS focuses on the rich history of Pampanga and some the province’s pride. It hosts a library and museum, all for the preservation of factual Kapampangan history, culture and heritage.

One intriguing thing about the CKS is their application that translates any letter or word to an indigenous writing system native to Kapampangan’s the  “Kulitan.”

Aling Lusing’s Sisig

After hours getting to know the history and culture of Pampanga, the Philtranco Pampanga Food Tour’s next stop was Aling Lusing, another food pride of the province.

Aling Lusing’s Sisig is a homegrown restaurant. Due to her sisig, Aling Lusing has been featured by many known media personalities including international chef and TV host Anthony Bourdain. Bourdain even said he’d include sisig in the menu of his own restaurant in New York.

Some of the dishes I tried were bulalo, ensalada, burong kanin with vegetables.

Kabigting’s Halo-Halo

To top the Philtranco Pampanga Food Tour, a popular dessert in the province was just fitting to cap the tour, the Kabigting’s Halo-Halo.

The now popular halo-halo (as there are already in select malls in Metro Manila), started in a small store in Palaraya, Arayat.

Kabigting’s Halo-halo is known for having only 3 ingredients: Beans, Corn and Pastillas made of Carabao’s Milk. The unique combination of the three brings the sweet, rich, melting flavour once eaten.

Being a day in Pampanga may be too short to many, especially if you want to go into much detail on every sight.

It is just nice to have Philtranco, the first bus operator in the Philippines and in Asia, havng regular trips to Pampanga.

Today Philtranco has a growing fleet of 250 buses that range from deluxe, premium deluxe , to executive seater. Philtranco has routes to and from many parts of the whole country.

And with their partnership with Jam Liner and FastCat, touring the Phililppines via bus is becoming more convenient than before.

Next time you want to go to the Culinary Center of the Philippines – Pampanga, you should consider riding via Philtranco.

For more info about schedule, other routes in the Philippines or reservation inquiries, visit their website at Philtranco.net or visit their official Philtranco Facebook page.

Going to the Culinary Capital of the Philippines, Pampanga for a day to try different foods and see attractions. #PhiltrancoPampanga #Travel #Food #LifestyleBucket One of the best provinces in the Philippines that offer the tastiest and most sumptuous foods, is probably Pampanga.