Wandering Blogger

"A DISHWASHER ONCE" I WAS INSPIRED WITH THE STORY OF BOY LOGRO WHO STARTED WORKING AT THE EARLY AGE OF 10 AS MURO AMI (REEF HUNTER) AND BECAME AN ALL AROUND ASSISTANT IN A CHINESE RESTAURANT IN QUIAPO MANILA WHEN HE WAS 16 YEARS OLD. BEFORE HIS POPULAR SPIELS, “PING-PING-PING” AND “YUM-YUM-YUM” IN KAPUSO NETWORK ENCHANTED US ALL, BOY LOGRO WORKS HARDER BEFORE THE ELUSIVE LUCK KNOCKS ON HIS DOOR. HE WAS HIRED AS A DISHWASHER IN A FIRST CLASS SPANISH RESTAURANT IN MAKATI CITY. BOY LOGRO EVEN REMEMBER THOSE DAYS WHEN HE WASHED THE LONG PILES OF PANS IN THE KITCHEN. BEFORE WASHING THE DISHES, BOY LOGRO, TASTED THE LEFTOVERS AND ASKED THE CHEF ABOUT THE DISHES. ALL THE RECIPES WAS WRITTEN DOWN IN HIS POCKET NETEBOOK. CHEF VAL GONZAGA BECOMES HIS MENTOR, WELCOMED ALL HIS INQUIRIES AND SHARED WITH HIM ALL HE KNOWS. CHEF VAL GONZAGA EVEN PREDICTED THAT BOY LOGRO WOULD BE A BETTER CHEF ONE DAY. THROUGH A FOREIGN HOTEL GUEST WHO PRAISED THE FOODS PREPARED BY HIM, B...

ONE SUMMER AFTERNOON (APRIL 22, 2012) I DECIDED TO VISIT THE LA MESA DAM AND ECOPARK IN FAIRVIEW, QUEZON CITY AS I PROMISED MYSELF TO VISIT LASTTIME WHEN I FEATURED IN THIS BLOG THE SWAMP WERE TEENS USED AS AN ALTERNATIVE SWIMMING POOL TO REFRESH THEMSELVES FROM SCORCHING HEAT OF THE SUN. THE FAMILY ENJOY THE SHADES PROVIDED BY THIS TREE WHILE SOME CHILDREN RESTED ON ITS BRANCHES. ASIDE FROM SWIMMING, PICNIC AT THE PARK IS ONE OF THE FAVORITE PAST TIME OF EVERY FILIPINO FAMILY.

I LIVE IN QUEZON CITY FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS NOW. I ALWAYS ON THE MOVE FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER BUT WITHIN THE CITY'S MOST POPULATED DISTRICT, DISTRICT 2 WHERE A WELL KNOWN COUNCILORS IN THE NAMES OF MARIANO "MARCING" MEDALLA, RAMON "TOTO" MEDALLA, AND NOW JULIENNE ALYSON RAE V. MEDALLA CAME FROM. I WORKED WITH THE MEDALLA'S SINCE 2003 FIRST, AS SOLEMNIZING OFFICER IN THEIR  FREE MASS WEDDING PROGRAM WHERE AROUND 60,000 COUPLES WERE LEGALIZED UNDER THIS PROGRAM. NOW I STILL WORKED WITH THEM AS A TECHNICAL WRITER OF SORT AND ONE OF HIS LEGISLATIVE STAFF. IN MY THIRTY YEARS OF STAY IN QUEZON CITY, I ONLY VISITED THIS LOVELY PLACE TWICE. WHEN IT IS NOT YET DEVELOPED INTO PARK AND NOW AS AN ECO PARK WHERE RESIDENTS FROM NEARBY CITY'S HELD THEIR PICNICS AND FAMILY CELEBRATION DAY. IF YOU ARE A RESIDENT OF QUEZON CITY AND NOT YET VISITED THIS ENCHANTING ECO-PARK AS SAYING GOES "YOU MISS A FRACTION OF YOUR LIFE" SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TO ...

THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE SEEMS UNBEARABLE IT IS NO DOUBT THAT IT IS SUMMER TIME. MOST OF THE SWIMMING POOLS IN THE METROPOLIS WERE FILLED OF PEOPLE WANTED TO SELF BAPTIZED  AND SUBMERGED THEMSELVES TO WATER IN ORDER FOR THEM TO ESCAPE SCORCHING HEAT OF THE SUN RAYS. IN SEARCH OF A NEARBY SWIMMING POOL TO REFRESH MYSELF, I WENT TO LA MESA ECO PARK IN FAIRVIEW QUEZON CITY. BUT THE POOL CLOSES AT 4 PM. SO I DECIDED NOT TO COME BACK FOR THE FOLLOWING DAY. I WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE THE PLACE WHEN I DECIDED TO TAKE A WALK.  A LITTLE BIT FARTHER FROM THE PARK THERE WAS A GRASSY AREA, I HEARD A COMMOTION AND LAUGHING. MY CURIOSITY BROUGHT ME TO THIS PLACE WHERE CHILDREN ENJOY THE SPILL OVER WATER FROM THE LA MESA DAM. I REMEMBER MY YOUTHFUL DAYS WHEN MY FRIENDS AND I ENJOY THE FRESH WATER OF THE LAKE OF RIZAL. WE USED TO DIVE USING THE BRIDGE AS OUR DIVING BOARD. WE ARE NOT MINDING OF THE DANGER IT WILL BRING US. ALL WE KNOW IS THE THRILL AND THE ENJOYMENT IT GIVE...