postcards from miss igorota

Miss Iggy in Siem Reap

noreply@blogger.com (lauren) — Sat, 28 Jun 2014 14:29:00 +0000

Miss ex-Schoolgirl Iggy finally got to explore the Angkor Thom temple complex in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Achievement unlocked! (She was actually ecstatic just to see a real live elephant.)

It was indeed an awesome and spectacular experience--so much dedication, artistry, and craftsmanship!

Miss Iggy plans to come back--there's still so many things she didn't get to do in Cambodia! One's visiting her sister Khmer Iggy, and then there's biking around Siem Reap, trying out the little tea shops, and simply getting lost and meeting new friends in the process. So, this is isn't goodbye but a "See you again soon, Siem Reap!"

a homecoming for Miss Iggy

noreply@blogger.com (lauren) — Mon, 13 May 2013 03:24:00 +0000

Welcome back up north, Miss Iggy!

Miss Iggy waited for the sunrise here! It was so cold!

interesting welcome sign featuring the country's most famous beer!

Bontoc Rice Terraces by a river.

a little village nestled in the valley

Banaue Rice Terraces!

That's the mighty Mt. Pulag in the background. Miss Iggy hopes to climb it soon!

In Sagada, Miss Iggy walked in a cloud.

These girls enjoyed their trip up north, Miss Iggy most especially!

Miss Iggy hits the Dahican Beach

noreply@blogger.com (lauren) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 01:56:00 +0000

Hello and happy summer!

It's the summer season in the Philippines. School's out, and kids are taking summer workshops while the grownups are bringing extra hankies to work (to wipe sweat with). When temperature in Manila reaches a scorching 36 degrees, you know you have to do something about it: either stay in an airconditioned room all day or hit the beach for a dip in the cool blue sea!

One of the best beaches Miss ex-Schoolgirl Iggy (she's still soul-searching for a new name) enjoyed was the Dahican Beach in Mati, Davao Oriental. She went there last August but misses it so much she wanted to share these photos with you.

The Dahican Beach is the home of the Amihan Surfers, a youth group passionate about skimboarding and surfing. The beach is pristine and there are few tourists around. The sand was nice and fine, and the water was clear and wasn't as "salty". It's a nice sea to swim in!

That's Miss Iggy's friend Erick photombing.

This is a skimboard.

You can sit on a surfboard and have it pulled by a motorized boat.

The Amihan boys and girls were so good!

Awesome move.

Beach acrobatics!

Since Davao Oriental is on the eastern side of the Philippines, it looks out onto the Pacific Ocean, which means you can catch a glorious sunrise!

Miss Iggy's looking forward to another beach adventure this summer. How about you? What do you guys like to do during summer vacation? :)

Miss Iggy goes to Puerto Princesa

noreply@blogger.com (lauren) — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 01:54:00 +0000

Schoolgirl Iggy--who's not in school anymore (she hasn't quite chosen a new name for herself yet)--traveled to the island of Palawan in Southern Luzon to enjoy its beaches, explore the famed Puerto Princesa Subterranean River (one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature!), and commune with the crocs.

She had fun strolling along the beach and feeding fish!

That's the entrance to the subterranean river. Around 10 people can fit into a small boat. The boatman also serves as your guide in the cave, and he tells you where to look. He also occasionally reminds you not to say "aah" when you're in awe--"just say 'mmm!'"--because well, it would be better to find out yourself. :)

The underground river tour took about 40 minutes. It was really nice, and Miss Iggy hopes the tourist attraction won't destroy the beauty of nature in the years to come.

These crocs are about a year old.

When one of the old crocs died, they made its hide into a wall decor. No bags, please.

This is the croc's skeleton.

Miss Iggy saw her future...

and she also made friends with Ella, the bearcat!

Miss Iggy had an awesome time in Palawan.

However, another thing happened.

Her baby ran away with the crocodiles!

One of the older crocodiles felt this was a sign that it was time for Miss Iggy to have a new companion, so she was given a baby crocodile to travel with.

Miss Iggy's excited to show you her crocodile Pawan (derived from Palawan, of course!) in her next travel post. Until then!

Miss Iggy's Davao Days

noreply@blogger.com (lauren) — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 01:55:00 +0000

Schoolgirl Iggy's break from school gave her the chance to attend one of the biggest annual Philippine festivals--the Kadayawan of Davao City. The festival's name derives from the greeting "Madayaw" from the Dabawenyo dayaw which means good and beautiful. :)

The highlights of the festival are the Indak-Indak Streetdance Parade and the Pamulak flower float parade which was held on the weekend. Since Miss Iggy arrived a few days early, she decided to take a look around the city and its neighboring island of Samal.

There were lots of posters and streamers about the festival. Miss Iggy liked the slogan "Ten Tribes, One Vibe" to reflect the unity amidst the different cultural backgrounds of the Dabawenyos.

Miss Iggy found these dolls in a mall exhibit. The dolls had on costumes of the ten tribes--the Ata Manobo, Ubo Manobo, Tagabawa, K'lata, Maguindanao, Matigsalog, Tausug, Sama, Kalagan, and Maranao. It made her more proud to be an Igorota!

A day before the big festival weekend, she took a break from the city and headed to Samal Island, where she found this beach. Miss Iggy had a great time relaxing and preparing herself for the festivities ahead.

On Saturday, it was time for the Indak-Indak streetdancing! It was actually a competition of schools and local government units. Miss Iggy couldn't take her eyes off the colorful costumes of the dancers!

Lots of bananas! Miss Iggy couldn't resist asking one of the 'banana boys' for a photo.

The kids worked really hard to perfect their steps but Miss Iggy felt sorry for them that they had to stay under the hot sun for an extended period. She hoped they had lots of water during the show and lots of rest after!

Look at all those bright colors!

And what are these?

They seem to be some kind of animal.

Ah! Horses! Right?

Fighting warriors ready to defend their kingdom.

And their beautiful princesses. Miss Igorota included, of course!

The following day was another feast for the senses--it was the flower float parade!

Miss Iggy cozied up to a basket of durian, marang, and rambutan.

She didn't expect to see a helicopter!

Miss Iggy likes men in uniform. Here's a school's model army unit ready to parade!

An eagle with wings of leaves

coconut flowers!

big blossom, and a friendly frog (toad?)

Eeew a big mosquito!

And the winner is...

This big float of dancers and giant tribespeople!

Miss Iggy was glad to discover that the guys making the giants move had hydration packs strapped to their back.

How many flowers can you see?

There were so many people lined up along the streets where the parade will go through.

It was a grand display, indeed.

This guy moves, the giant moves as well!

After the parade, Miss Iggy saw a fellow explorer!

The festivities wore Miss Iggy out, but she has her memories of the Kadayawan to amuse her while she regains her energy. Until the next trip!

Durian-All-You-Can

noreply@blogger.com (lauren) — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 09:36:00 +0000

When Miss Igorota planned a trip to Davao in the southeasternmost part of the Philippines, she didn't know she would be in for a big, ~~smelly~~ fruity treat. As soon as she landed in Davao's airport, the distinct aroma of durian wafted into her nostrils and tickled her belly! Davao isn't called the Philippines' durian capital for nothing!

The little schoolgirl (who's taking quite a long break from school) learned a lot about the different products that can be made from durian. She got to try durian fresh from the fruit, durian tart, durian jam...

durian candies of different flavors (there was buko pandan, mocha, langka)...

durian bars...

durian cheesecake and durian coffee...

and durian ice cream!

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Durian Ice Cream Man," said Miss Igorota, feeling the bright sunshine in her belly.

Oh, and what's this?

It's durian flan! Miss Iggy washed it down with a special blend of mangosteen frappe.

That's a lot of durian! Miss Iggy made sure to buy durian treats as pasalubong for her friends and family back home. Of course, she had to have a durian of her own!

Miss Iggy dares this volcano to go boom

noreply@blogger.com (lauren) — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 11:07:00 +0000

Miss Iggy is kidding, of course--she doesn't want a catastrophe on her hands! Before she said goodbye to her summer vacation, Schoolgirl Iggy went on a trip to the Taal Volcano crater lake.

What did she bring? Lots of sun protection and cameras, of course!

To get to the crater she had to get a boat ride to Volcano Island.

The dormant Binintiang Malaki

When they got to the island it was time to go hiking up to the lip of the main crater.

Nice view you have there, Miss.

The path to the viewpoint is well-worn. Miss Iggy refused to ride a horse and decided to hike along with her friends.

In less than an hour they reached the viewpoint!

Miss Iggy ooohed and aaaahed at the majestic scene laid out before her.

She was tired after that long walk, so she went to this little stall for a refreshing coconut juice. It's double the price up here!

Miss Iggy sat with this feline mother and child.

Be careful, Miss! It's a long way down to the crater!

She had a view of the town of Talisay.

The refreshments stall also sold souvenirs.

Would you like a shirt, Mister Horse? she asked. He grunted.

Miss Iggy wanted a shirt but it didn't come in her size.

Miss Iggy gave the crater one last look.

Then hiked back down the mountain. She was careful of these rocks which had sulfur vents. They were hot!

Next time, Miss Iggy decided, she was going to bring her own pony.

Miss Iggy goes camping and befriends a rooster

noreply@blogger.com (lauren) — Thu, 31 May 2012 03:18:00 +0000

Schoolgirl Iggy got busy during the summer break! She and her friends made the most of the sunny weather to go camping at a farm. She loves the outdoors and camping was a good opportunity to practice her survival skills.

Time to get up Miss Iggy! Make sure your tent's all zipped up when you leave--you wouldn't want any frogs climbing in while you're gone!

Good morning camp! She sees her fellow campers getting ready for the new day.

Hohoho, look at that big guy! The rooster woke up Miss Iggy with a big "Tik-ti-la-ok!"

'This is what we're having for breakfast, Miss Iggy," said her friend.

Fried tuyo (dried fish) smells so good!

Hmm, it's such a beautiful morning, I'll go see what the other campers are doing, thought Miss Iggy.

Not surprisingly, she saw them cooking their breakfast. The campers were divided into groups, and they help each other out in the cooking, washing up, and keeping the campsite tidy. City kids learned to cook using firewood.

Time to eat! "Come have breakfast with us, Miss Iggy!"

After breakfast Miss Iggy set out to look for her friend the big rooster. The farm had a mini-zoo of wild animals, and she decided to ask around.

"Did you see my friend the rooster, Mr. Hornbill?" asked Miss Iggy.

"Sorry, child," he said, "he has not visited me yet this morn! When you find him can you tell him to drop by later?"

"Sure! Thank you anyway!" said Miss Iggy, waving goodbye. She turned around and immediately saw the...

Miss Iggy gulped. "M-Miss Phyton, I w-was wondering i-if you've seen the b-big brown r-rooster..." she began.

"Have I sss-seen the big, fat, yummy-looking roossster, little one? Why, yesss, I sss-saw him running along the other sss-side of the garden. Go and find him and tell him to visssit me, I quite like looking at hisss plump--"

"Thank you, Miss Phyton! I'll tell him!" shouted Miss Iggy as she quickly ran off.

Miss Iggy searched around the farm. Suddenly she was startled by a whirl of feathers from above!

The pigeons came to rest in this pagoda-like birdhouse.

What a lovely house, she thought. Near the lovely birdhouse was a lovely well. She walked over to the well to take a closer look.

Coins! That's a lot of wishes down there. Miss Iggy flipped a coin, closed her eyes, and wished she could find her rooster friend soon.

When Miss Iggy opened her eyes, she saw:

Many, many roosters! But her friend was not among them!

"Croo, croo," the pigeons up on the tree said, "our birds' eye-view saw your friend the big brown rooster roosting by the rabbits!"

'Thank you!" said Miss Iggy, "May your feathers never fall!"

"Mr. Rooster! I've found you at last!"

"Oh, hello Miss Iggy, I was just saying hello to the bunnies. Will you walk with me back to camp?"

And so they did, and they enjoyed every step. Miss Iggy was careful not to pass by the python corner, though.

Miss Iggy at Ambon-Ambon Falls

noreply@blogger.com (lauren) — Thu, 24 May 2012 00:51:00 +0000

Still on vacation, Schoolgirl Iggy went on a hike to Ambon-Ambon (in English, "Drizzle-Drizzle") Falls in the town of Talisay in Batangas. To go there she had to hike down a hill...

...and go around some trees with interesting roots!

Every step was worth it, especially if this is your view. Ahhh, to be away from the crowded, cemented city and be enfolded in the green canopy of the forest! Miss Iggy felt like a fairy!

Oh look! There's a tiny water shower already, the falls must be near!

She asked a friend to help her look a bit closer. The water was refreshingly cool.

Oh, is that it? "Not yet, Miss Iggy," said her companions. They continued to trek along the rocks some more...

Surely that must be it!

It's part of it. You're seeing the foot of the falls, Miss Iggy. We'll stay here for a moment and have a little rest. Did you pack any food?

Miss Iggy sure did, and made sure not to litter. There was a garbage bag nearby. She was glad that those coming here were so disciplined, making the water and the surrounding area clean.

After snacks she was ready to explore a bit more...

...and was soon able to see the top of the Ambon-Ambon Falls! It was breathtaking.

According to locals, it was called the Ambon-Ambon Falls because if you got up there, you could feel the drizzling even if you're not standing under the waterfall.

It was fun taking a dip at the falls. Miss Iggy hopes the beauty of the place would be preserved for the generations to come!

Sunny Day Sketching

noreply@blogger.com (lauren) — Mon, 21 May 2012 03:20:00 +0000

Aside from traveling, Schoolgirl Iggy shares a hobby with the members of Urban Sketchers Philippines: (you guessed it) sketching!

One sunny Saturday, Schoolgirl Iggy joined the group on their May sketch walk at the Quezon Memorial Circle Park in Quezon City. The group gathered around the park's centerpiece, the 66-meter-high Quezon Monument. (The late president and Quezon City founder Manuel L. Quezon was 66 when he died.)

chatting, sketching, swapping stories

Miss Iggy was glad to see so many young sketchers!

The view from Miss Iggy's perch...

...and the sketch she made with Lauren!

At around noon they started to pack up.

They arranged their works for display.

Ta-da! Sketches by young and old, from different walks of life. Beautiful, aren't they?

Miss Iggy was thrilled to spend the sunny morning with the Urban Sketchers of the Philippines (Urban Sketchers is an international network) and practice her sketching skills. The group accepts anyone of any age--no art background needed!

Miss Iggy's already looking forward to the next sketch walk, and she hopes there will be more joining them. What will she sketch then, she wonders: an old house, children on bicycles, a truck? Stay tuned!

School's Out! The Beach Is In!

noreply@blogger.com (lauren) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 04:58:00 +0000

The Philippines' hottest summer months are March to May, and the season coincides with schools' summer breaks. Schoolgirl Iggy was excited to make the most out of her summer vacation and gladly went to one of the famous beaches in Calatagan, Batangas at the southern tip of Luzon.

Swimming made Miss Iggy hungry and she was glad for the grilled pork and chicken!

Lauren's tie-dyed summer dress had a pouch especially for Miss Iggy. They had lots of fun walking along the beach looking for cute ~~boys~~ shells, because isn't that what beachcombing is for?.

Miss Iggy waited for the resort staff to come and help her push her kayak to the sea (and maybe even help her paddle off), but he was busy tending to the banana boat. Oh well, maybe next time, thought Miss Iggy.

All the activity at the beach under the hot sun made them tired and drowsy, so they went to take a nap. Ah, this is the life! Until the next summer getaway!

Miss Iggy and the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

noreply@blogger.com (Princess Ody) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 21:35:00 +0000

When Miss Iggy found out that the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon would be at the Vienna International Centre on February 17 for the celebration of the 15th anniversary of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear -Test-Ban Treaty Organization (what a mouthful! CTBTO for short), she just had to be there. Even if it meant waking up really early. She got a nice balcony spot.

there he is!

a closer look.

Sandy Iggy in the world's 3rd largest mosque

noreply@blogger.com (witsandnuts) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 20:10:00 +0000

While mosque sightseeing (aka mosque hopping) is common to Sandy Iggy, only recently she has visited the largest mosque in the UAE and incidentally the third largest mosque in the world --- Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.

Otherwise known as the "Grand Mosque" is named after the founder and first president of UAE, the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. His remains is buried in the same compound and is off-limits to photo-taking.

Footwears must be removed before entering the main prayer hall.

The security officers were so strict especially to those in the main hall; Sandy Iggy managed to pose quickly. Notice the Iranian carpet, the largest hand-knotted carpet in the world.

Here's a prayer clock which provides the details of prayer timings at a given day.

The counterpart of Christians'/Catholics' altar and pulpit. The Arabic calligraphy details the 99 qualities/names of Allah.

One of the gold-plated chandeliers in the main prayer hall.

The largest chandelier in the world hangs at the main dome.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque deserves to be visited over and again even for non-Muslims. It is a great deal to appreciate the UAE culture and learn about Islam as there are free guided tours everyday.

[Click here for more photos.]

Miss Iggy in Emirates Palace

noreply@blogger.com (witsandnuts) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 22:48:00 +0000

Sandy Iggy paid a visit to Emirates Palace post-Eid to check the Saadiyat (i.e. arabic term that means "a place that provides enlightenment") Museum exhibit; however, photo taking was not allowed but she's got bunch of interesting peeks for you.

That's a carpet on the wall showing the entirety of Emirates Palace.

Here's Sandy Iggy in the lobby which is really grand, the right photo showing a portion of the ceiling.

Above is the ceiling up close. Beautifully intricate.

Tried a camelcinno for the first time. Well, it tasted like... a capuccino, sweeter version. And of course, there goes the psyche of taking in a camel's milk which can make you more alert and observant of one's self as if you would transform into something foreign. Hahaha.

Moving to the other side, Sandy Iggy tried the gold vending machine which is itself gold plated. But "tried" meant not buying anything because the camelcinno costed a fortune, hahaha, but just tried navigating the (touch)screen.

The gold rates are said to be automatically updated since it's linked to the dealer's system.

It is reported that currently there are 20 gold vending machines installed worldwide.

Sandy Iggy posed by the hallway going to Sayad Restaurant (themed like you are dining underwater). Portions of the ceiling and walls are gold plated as well.

Emirates Palace is especially beaming at night (more photos here). The dome changes its colors every now and then. Lots of date palm trees within the area.

Sandy Iggy is really enjoying UAE's winter nowadays and recently did a concert marathon (performers Britney Spears, The Cult, Incubus and Sir Paul McCartney) as part of the F1 after-race concerts.

Miss Iggy in the heart of Mindanao

noreply@blogger.com (lauren) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 01:24:00 +0000

Schoolgirl Iggy wasn't one to let her mind go dull during the semestral break, so she participated in the annual conference of the Ugnayang Pang-AghamTao (UGAT), the Anthropological Association of the Philippines. It was held in Central Mindanao University, located in the heart of Mindanao, Bukidnon.

The conference started early with registration...and Miss Iggy crushed on this cute guy who helped her pick a kit bag. "Don't forget your meal stubs, Miss Iggy!" said the nice lady at the back.

The conference hall was packed with participants who were interested to share their thoughts and learn about public anthropology.

During lunch, the Talahari Band shared their music.

After the long, tiring day, Miss Iggy and her friends went out for some pizza--a really big one!

There was a campus tour of the Central Mindanao University on the last day of the conference. CMU covers a wide area, so they had to go around by coaster. Miss Iggy and Lauren are both glad the hectic days are over!

The story of Musuan Peak goes like this: there was a pair of lovers who eloped and ran off to the hills. They jumped off a cliff, and where their bodies fell, grew a mountain.

The Central Mindanao University's strengths focus on agriculture and forestry. First stop: the Carabao Milking Facility! This one's ready to share her protein with the world! :)

The milking machine--but you can also use your hands of course!

The carabaos don't mind the tourists much, as long as they don't take photos with flash.

Waiting for their turn.

They seemed to take a mild interest in Miss Iggy.

With the star of the show!

Of course, the trip wouldn't be complete without trying out the caramilk at the sales center. The chocolate milk was so delicious!

After the carabaos, Miss Iggy said hello to the goats! These young ones are used to the camera.

Presenting, the alpha goat, lord of the hut!

The university also had a rubber tree plantation and processing facility. Here's latex being tapped from the tree:

Bukidnon truly was beautiful, and Miss Iggy hoped she had more time to explore it. Oh well, maybe next time! :)

Postcards From Tallinn

noreply@blogger.com (Kayni) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 01:08:00 +0000

In June, Merry Iggy and Kayni visited Tallinn, Estonia. We did a lot of walking around the Old Town. We didn't have an itinerary as we wanted to just experience the culture and the town on our own pace.

Here are a few photos from our adventure:

Merry Iggy enjoyed the narrow streets of the Old Town.

Merry Iggy poses at the memorial for MS Estonia that sunk on 28 September 1994 in the Baltic Sea. This unfortunate event claimed 852 lives and was one of the worst maritime disasters of the 20th century. (Source)

We also climbed the narrow and tiring stairways of St. Olav's Church.

Although the climb was exhausting, the view of the Old City is magnificent. This is our favorite view and we spent at least half an hour just staring at this Old Town.

After the walking and sweating, we proceeded to eat lunch and shop. A perfect day in Tallinn indeed.

Sandy Iggy's first Ramadan

noreply@blogger.com (witsandnuts) — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 08:45:00 +0000

Hello everyone! Sandy Iggy's been so quiet lately because she had to go through a 'make over'. While she's protected from the sandstorm and Gulf's heat, she forgot that she's not immune to the waterdrops. Anyway, she's back!

Ramadan started on 1st of August and Sandy Iggy's taking it reasonably, i.e. no eating and drinking whenever she's outside the house, except if it coincides with the iftar to break the fast (dinner after the sun did set). Hence, she's taking biggie-monster meals before going out. :) On the other hand, she's enjoying the made-up Ramadan tents in the malls.

By coincidence, some pieces of Arabic fabric have so much similarity with the Iggy dolls' clothing. While we're not going to discuss in this post (though it's tempting) who copied who, this wonderful coincidence is bridging Sandy Iggy's homesickness to her homeland.

Even the camel's 'clothing line' matched hers!

Ramadan is a serene and happy occasion. To a certain extent, it's a combination of the observance of fasting during Holy Week and the cheerful air during Christmas.

Here's a trivia: did you know that Year 2011 as we know it is otherwise referred to by Muslims as Year 1432? That's because Islamic Year is counted from the date Prophet Muhammad migrated from Mecca to Madina (in Saudi Arabia).

Ramadan Kareem to our Muslim readers!

Miss Iggy in Oriental Mindoro

noreply@blogger.com (lauren) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 04:55:00 +0000

Mindoro is the seventh-largest island in the Philippines. Schoolgirl Iggy took a break from the classroom to learn about the culture of Mindoro's indigenous peoples, the Mangyans, directly from the Mangyans themselves.

To get there, she took a RORO ferryboat from the Batangas Port from mainland Luzon to Calapan Port in the island of Mindoro. She went around the upper (passenger) deck to get a good view of the sea.

Goodbye, Batangas!

In the air-conditioned area, she found an empty seat in need of good company. It looked very much depressed, so Miss Iggy bought some peanuts to share.

The trip took two hours. Miss Iggy spent the time looking at the sea and the islands.

She heard the captain announce that they were nearing the port of Calapan. It's a good thing that Miss Iggy didn't get seasick!

Welcome to Oriental Mindoro!

These little green men helped pull their boat to port. They were so strong!

Goodbye, RORO boat!

After a quick orientation at the Mangyan Heritage Center in Calapan, Miss Iggy headed on over to the Tugdaan Mangyan Center for Learning and Development in Naujan, an hour away.

Tugdaan means "seedbed" in the Alangan Mangyan language. It is a high school for Mangyan youth, and has as its motto "Education for Self-Reliance and Community Service". Miss Iggy liked it very much.

Miss Iggy and the Peace Tree

Oh, what a pretty ~~flowe~~ spider!!! According to Miss Iggy's friend Ige, it's a white crab spider (they move sideways like crabs). This spider uses camouflage to hide from unsuspecting prey, like a bee.

Knowledge exchange! Here are Alangan Mangyan students learning about the Mag-antsi Aeta language. Perhaps they were translating "Miss Igorota is a funny traveler!" into their own languages!

It's planting time! The students of Tugdaan have a subject on agriculture--and, aside from "regular" subjects like Science, Math, and English, they also have a subject on Mangyan Culture--but of course!

Five minutes away from the school is this clear, cool river.

Miss Iggy wanted to swim, but she forgot to bring a bathing suit!

So she just made friends instead.

The school also has a food processing facility as part of its sustainable livelihood program.

This pineapple, like this hibiscus flower,

will soon be processed into jams, teas, and juices.

It has been said that salabat, or ginger brew, is the singer's best friend. Hmm...should Miss Iggy try it?

The jam that industrious hands built--100% organic and made with love for the land!

Miss Iggy learned so much from the Mangyans and their commitment to take care of the land and their culture--the experience made Miss Iggy more proud to be an Igorota!

Miss Iggy in Bratislava

noreply@blogger.com (Princess Ody) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 12:52:00 +0000

Back in March, Euro Iggy and her friends set out on several day trips to visit the nearby cities. First stop was Bratislava, Slovakia. Getting there was a breeze with Eurolines' fast and affordable bus - they arrived after 50 minutes with a fare of only €13!

Miss Iggy took the Prešporok Oldtimer to get to the Bratislava Castle, from where she had an amazing view of the Danube river and the neighboring countries Hungary and Austria

Miss Iggy and the St. Elizabeth memorial

Schöne Náci was a famous social institution back in the day. Nowadays, his bronze statue still is quite popular with the tourists

a must-try refreshment in Bratislava: their beer!
hey, it's cheaper than water!

Miss Iggy and the Slovak National Theatre, Bratislava's opera house

Miss Iggy was fascinated by the inverted pyramid that is actually radio broadcasting building,
Slovensky Rozhlas

Miss Iggy enjoyed looking at the low, pastel-colored buildings

Merry Iggy Visits Germany

noreply@blogger.com (Kayni) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 23:37:00 +0000

Merry Iggy accompanied Kayni on her Baltic trip. Merry Iggy and Kayni really enjoyed Germany and here are some postcards:

Merry Iggy took a photo at the marker of the Berlin Wall. Actually, another girl got intrigued with Merry Iggy and she asked if she could take a photo of her as well.

We strolled around the Brandenburg Gate.

We found the simple Cecilienhof Palace in Potsdam very picturesque.

The Sanssouci Palace was quiet and suitable for an afternoon relaxation.

Posing at Sanssouci Palace grounds.

Enjoyed the Baltic breeze at the resort town of Warnemunde.

And, marveled at the Berlin Wall's history and art.

La Igorota en Donostia

noreply@blogger.com (The Becky) — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 05:38:00 +0000

Wander Iggy at Playa la Concha.

Hola from Donostia, more popularly known as the city of San Sebastian here in Spain. Also found in the Basque country, Donostia is the capital of Gipuzkoa (like Bilbao is the capital of Bizkaia). San Sebastian is known to be a summer destination of royalties in the past, having been part of "La Belle Epoque". Today it boasts of being foodie heaven, having three of the top ten michelin star chefs in the world. We went there with two lists--one for the sights, and a rather longer one for the pintxos bars and restaurants we need to 'visit'. We have to *taste* for ourselves.

La la la la...Concha, as the name suggests is shaped like a shell.

we think the elves frequent this area when they decide whether fighting for Mordor is righteous. hehe.

View from *erm* below. Don't you just love these type of coastlines?

These hand rail designs date back to decades ago, they are said to be uniquely San Sebastian.

the haciendero/a vibes.

old town.

Pintxos crawl.

After visiting two more pintxos bars and a superb dinner we have concluded that San Sebastian is indeed a place where food is taken seriously. Of course we could have just taken Anthony Bourdain's word for it, but it pays to double check. And boy does it taste delicious.

Aguuur Donostia. Hasta luego!

Merry Iggy Meets Moominmamma From Finland

noreply@blogger.com (Kayni) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 21:22:00 +0000

Merry Iggy was so excited to meet Moominmamma from Finland. Merry Iggy knows that Kayni loves to collect Hello Kitty and Moomin Valley stuff toys; the Moomin characters have been the hardest to find. So when Kayni finally found a store that sells Moomin products, she was so happy. Unfortunately, Kayni didn't have enough money to buy all the Moomin stuff toys, so we had to make a decision and chose Moominmamma to take home.

Merry Iggy and Moominmamma chatting about where they've been and where they're going.

Merry Iggy and Moominmamma are now safely at home in Maryland after two weeks of Scandinavian adventure.

Sandy Iggy's mosque-hoppping

noreply@blogger.com (witsandnuts) — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 16:23:00 +0000

If there's such a thing as mosque-hopping, Sandy Iggy just did that. "Hopping" though didn't mean that she went in any of these interesting structures. Right after getting out of Saint Joseph Church, there's a neighbor mosque in Kaniza corner.

The succeeding photos were taken in the next 15 minutes or so. And guess what? Those were like (just) 20% of what she managed to catch in such timeframe.

While it's not too obvious in other mosques, notice the megaphones in each which are instrumental to the five times call to prayer in a day. In Sandy Iggy's homeland, she remembers the church bell's ringing to signal a time of the day.

The last photo was taken at distant hour just to show how more appealing the mosques are at night. How strange that when something's abundant in our area, we tend to ignore it. Maybe, it's time to put an official album of the UAE mosques (there probably are hundreds in the Emirate of the Abu Dhabi alone!), all of the seven emirates. And of course, it's about time to send a postcard-like Sandy Iggy by the mosque shot to her lovely sisters. :)

miss iggy and panay's big bells

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 06:03:00 +0000

miss iggy's back at panay church in panay, capiz, in the phillipines!

this time she made it up the belfry. a climb of almost 70 steep steps, this was no little feat for this little iggy. behind her are people from the mindanao region admiring the 300-year old bells.

here she is with the biggest bell, made from 70 sacks of coins donated by the townspeople.

and inside the bell, where the current townspeople are still contributing to the bell's overall aesthetic.

for those who can't go up the belfry the church has installed a replica bell outside of the church. it doesn't offer the same experience as climbing up a steep and narrow staircase but it does offer a preview of panay's big bells.

it's been said that the louder the sound of a church's bells, the bigger its territory is. like old-school cellsites, these big bells serve an important role in sending signals to the townspeople that the church is in their country and awaiting their submission. wider clanging coverage means more land area and more prospective souls for recruitment. this is important when one takes into account that religion was used to colonize and enslave the Philippines for more than 300 years. and if these bells were made out of coins donated by the townspeople, miss iggy thinks this project was a very successful enterprise indeed!

miss iggy at the riverbank

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 05:58:00 +0000

miss iggy went to the riverside in pontevedra, capiz, panay island in the philippines to watch a fluvial parade of saints. upon reaching the riverbank she found only one saint ready to set sail. she thinks the other ones got scared of the rain.

she found this jeepney parked across the riverbank and the jeep's route reminded her of iggy sisterhood bloggers conniechiwa, who hails from pilar, and sreisaat, who hails from roxas city.

and beside saint isidore's boat, were these boats named after one of the iggy sisterhood bloggers.

metaphysical reunions are the best!