Non-stop holiday

Location: Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño

Cebu is unique to any other place in the Philippines. Just like the rest of the country, Christmas season basically starts during the 'ber' months and goes fulls wing just as people are coming from the cemeteries for All Soul's Day. But while most Filipinos breathe a sign of relief, brace for credit card bills and drag themselves to work teh day after the New Year's Cebuanos roll down the carpet for yet another party -- Sinulog.
The jingle bells in bargain stores are replaced by Cebu! Cebu! songs or Sinulog themes. Christmas decors are pulled down and Sinulog icons are put up. Even the huge Christmas tree at Fuente Osmeña remains aglow for the parties rolling nightly just below it.
It's nice to party but for regualr dudes like me it means a lot of expenses. We don't get a break from all the Christmas spending and so we tighten our belts even more and hope the credit card has enough gas to sustain us. Now my mom is calling up if she could come over with some friends...im checking my wallet.
But the SInulog is not just an ordinary festival. It's timing make one pause and thank God for the good things of last year and makes one even more resolute with the new year's resolutions.

PARLEY

MV Trans Asia-China
En route CDO-Cebu
RATING: Avoid like the plague

If there is one floating junk in the Philippine seas as of the moment, it's MV Trans Asia-China. In a recent trip to Cagayan de Oro, our ship almost hit a jetty, broke its steering gear, turned back towards Cebu, then turned back and crawled towards CDO again. The paddling speed forced many passengers including me to charge the captain's cabin, for a mutiny of sorts, and force him to bring back the ship to Cebu. Arriving back in Cebu at 1 a.m. (the ship still sailed at 2 a.m.) , I boarded Super Ferry 17 at 9 a.m., only to over take Trans Asia-China in the middle of the sea at around noon.

Photo: the captain is the guy at the top left while his chief engineer is at top right.

Bad aroma

Boat trips are always an adventure with all the action, the romance and even tragedy rolled in. In a recent trip to Cagayan de Oro City, disaster strikes early as I had to contend for an economy class bunk and beside a snoring, sweating man at point blank range from his major odor artillery. I guess I had to stay awake this night.