For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move. – Robert Louis Stevenson

Hello, and welcome to my blog site!

Please call me Teng. I prefer it more than my real name, which is rather long and tedious to enunciate. Don’t ask me why, it’s a long story 🙂

I live in a lovely place called Puerto Princesa City, the independently-governed capital of the island province of Palawan in the Philippines. Specifically, I am located in the MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) Region.

FLAVORS

Who doesn’t love food? Who doesn’t love to eat? In the Philippines, the most satisfying dish I will never get tired of having on my table is Kare-Kare. It’s a traditional Philippine stew with thick flavorful peanut sauce, veggies like eggplant, banana flower bud, pechay, string beans cut into manageable pieces, and oxtail or tripe.

In Malaysia and Singapore, I have tried Bak Kut Teh or meat bone tea soup. It is a traditional meat dish believed to be introduced in the said country in “the 19th century by Chinese actors.” Cooking it calls for ingredients such as sliced pork ribs, shiitake mushrooms (dried), spring onion, coriander seeds, soy and oyster sauces, star anise, and white pepper powder.

In Korea, Dolsot Bibimbap (mixed rice) is a traditional complete meal I have fallen in love with, especially when served warm in a preheated small bowl. The mixing of the colors of the veggies is very aesthetic, and so cool to the eyes. The ingredients it uses are flavored white rice, sliced cucumber, spinach, bean sprouts, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, sunny side up egg, beef (or pork or chicken), chili pepper paste, and various sauces.

I also like the adventure of open sky dining, especially at night in the streets. Street foods are inexpensive, and the escapade that is included in finding the best tasting easy-to-cook, ready-to-eat meals sold by street hawkers is in itself delicious.

TRAVELS

Like many, traveling is important to me. It fires me up with enthusiasm, it refreshes me from the toxins of everyday life, it makes me leave unnecessary habits, and it makes me learn perspectives that are not previously known to me.

When I am able to unplug and take a break to travel, that is when I know I am allowing transformation to channel in a new me.

THOUGHTS

The thoughts that we have are important in how we shape our daily existence. The Law of Attraction speaks the truth when it said that if we think positive thoughts, we invite positive vibes; if we think negative thoughts, we call negative vibes.

The longer we stay in a negative state, the more likely it will become a habit, a bad habit but we want to create instead a positive and good habit, in fact positive thinking can help to create our happiness.

PHOTOGRAPHY

I was a press photographer before I turned to a photography enthusiast. When my late father got sick of cancer in late 2010, and when we were already frequenting his hospital in Manila (every 21 days for chemo sessions), that’s when I started growing into other genres.

Landscape photography was my first favorite among all other genres, and then recently, long-exposure. Every time I succeed in my creative photos, I feel magic. It’s difficult as you have to make and miss most of the time, but when you really go down and get on to it, it’s fascinating.

PEOPLE

More lately, social scientists have come to know that what makes people attractive is not at all their physical appearance. What makes a person appealing, really, is his/her individual personality and its capacity to influence others to turn better.

Traveling is more valuable when people take on other people since diversity can make them learn. For example, in the Malay culture, even if you’re left-handed, you’re taught to use your right hand as good things are done using it, and holding the Holy Quoran.

In Cambodia, before a couple is married, they pass through a tradition that cuts their hair to represent a fresh start in their relationship as husband and wife. Accordingly, it is the master of ceremony who does this first, followed by the parents, and then the relatives and friends of the couple.

To the Koreans, bestowing gifts is an integral part of their customs and traditions. Gifts are given according to the capacity of the giver and it is often reciprocated. Seven is a revered number for Koreans, and if you give anything that can be divided into multiples of seven, they are more appreciated.

In my own country, we celebrate a lot of festivals named to patrons and saints. The most popular is the Sinulog Festival in Cebu in deep reverence to the Sto. Niño. It is celebrated on the third Sunday of January, and highlighted by a grand street parade, where the participants are in brightly-colored customs.

IN CONCLUSION…

Flavors, Travels, Thoughts, Photography, and People are contents that this blog site hopes to share to everyone. In case you need to ask about anything, please feel free to email me at teng0408formoso@gmail.com

Thank you so much 🙂