TravelswithCharie

At the mall in Roxas City, the Kreyativo gallery is without peer. There are any number of unique things to choose from to furnish an elegant house. I've dreamt of owning one of their beautiful dining tables made of rich and heavy hardwood that probably weighs a ton. I can picture myself seated in one of those chairs with a straight back it seems uncomfortable but so aesthetically exquisite. I was pleased to see a Kreyativo booth at the recently concluded 2nd Annual One Visayas Culture and Arts Festival. There were paintings and an assorment of furniture on display. The canvases were framed in Kreyativo's signature dark, distressed wood. I wasn't able to get the names of the painters as the lunch hour attendant didn't have much information. But this can be verified at their gallery where the works of art on display have been thoughtfully selected. Kreyativo also has a factory in town where they create their unique furnishings as well as custom made orders. Kreyati

Gawad Kalinga homes in Bacolod I don't know much about Gawad Kalinga (GK) but I've seen tangible results of their works. My masseuse first told me about GK in 2006 and I was impressed that she was able to get a house through the GK organization. She showed me her home in the outskirts of Roxas City.  It has two tiny bedrooms, a living room, a toilet with shower. The dining room and kitchen share the same space. Her house was built with the help of other GK residents which is a requirement in the construction of these homes. Anyone with a GK home must put in his time to help build his own house and those of others in the neighborhood. The property is usually donated as are the materials used in the construction. My masseuse's only complaint was that the title to her property had not been transferred to her name because there was a problem with the payment of real estate taxes pertaining to the entire GK project in her neighborhood and at the time we spoke, it had not been a

In between flights at Narita Airport recently, I walked into this shop with interesting displays of origami art. The word, origami, derived from oru and kami means fold and paper respectively. But there's more to this than merely folding. I tried to follow the instructions on basic folding and couldn't get past the reverse inside and outside fold.  Imagine the work it entails to do the pond with the bridge and foliage seen below! Or the temple and garden.  There are thousands of tiny pieces of colorful folded paper in these works. Only an artist with an eye for detail and loads of patience can achieve these results. How much time it takes to complete one of these displays is anyone's guess. But it's a treat to see these well thought out displays of origami art. This is not just for children to enjoy but for big kids as well.   For help on getting started in origami, try http://www.origami-instructions.com/ .   *  *  * Images by Charie  

I noticed that there were quite a few searches for Dale Chihuly's glassworks on my blog lately. I'd like to share these photos I took at Post Trio Restaurant in San Francisco where we had our Christmas party last year. We had the Garden Room to ourselves so we had a fabulous view of Dale Chihuly's glass flowers. It's quite special. Post Trio is just behind the St. Francis Hotel in the city's much visited shopping area, Union Square. Another irresistible feature of the restaurant is the stairs one takes to go down to the restaurant.  These stairs are for the confident who are unfazed by the scrutiny they receive from guests seated below. My officemate had the New York steak above. I opted for the salmon dish. I remember a far better meal I had at Post Trio many years ago. It's not quite the same. But the service is still topnotch. *  *  * Images by Charie

Abyan (meaning friend) is the latest restaurant to open in Roxas City. Located just across from the mall, it's easy to drop in after errands and beauty salon appointments. What a balm to find the neat and austere rows of tables and chairs after a harried experience of shopping at the mall. There is a rotating gallery of paintings and photography at Abyan. In the photo above are paintings by local artist, John Alaban. These works are for sale but at the time I visited, most of the canvases were consigned to an art gallery in Boracay which is the famous neighboring island with white sand beaches. For lunch I had the tangigue (shown above) served with rice and atchara (fermented raw green papaya dish).  While the tangigue looks brown, the inside is still a little raw and I prefer my fish well cooked. I previously had boneless bangus for dinner at Abyan and I think that was far more tasty than the tangigue. My friend enjoyed the steak and it costs about P200.00. Only one other re

At a book signing at Kepler's Books in Menlo Park recently, I had the pleasure to listen to Frances Mayes, author of  Under the Tuscan Sun : At Home in Italy , talk about her fascinating life in Tuscany. Mayes spoked about how food and  community are deeply intertwined. As an example, after the olive harvest, locals go to the piazza to share their olive oil with one another while each one believes his/her oil to be the best of the lot. When asked about her favorite food experience in Italy, Mayes mentioned the first communion celebration of a neighbor's child where 140 people were invited and a procession of pastas were served at the end of which, four men carried a roasted cow from the Val di Chiana. She said that in Italy, an eight-hour meal would not be unusual and that guilt is never associated with food.  After her talk, Mayes read a chapter from her new book, Every Day in Tuscany: Seasons of an Italian Life . It was followed by a Q&A session and book signing.  Someon

What a great opportunity I had to visit Bacolod when my friends from Los Angeles were visiting their hometown! I took a local bus for Iloilo that stopped in numerous towns along the way. It was an interesting but long ride with vendors coming up the bus and peddling in a sort of mantraspeak their " puto, bayebaye, bingka ". I bought the bingka, a mini version of bibingka (a rice cake). Two hours later the snacks for sale were " balut, mani mani, mais ". Arriving at the bus terminal in Iloilo I jumped into a taxi for the port and took the fast ferry to Bacolod. It was just an hour and 15 minutes away. But before boarding the ferry, I bought some mais (corn) as I was starving. In Bacolod I was met by my friends and we drove to Los Feliz Alegria Resort in the outskirts of Murcia (where there is a large outdoor market). Our gracious hosts, Julie and Joe Torres, are the owners of this lush and secluded resort where the swimming pool is fed by cool spring waters that t