Baluts, cameras, and thievery in Cebu

It was pretty hot in the Lapu Lapu police station. I wiped the mid afternoon sweat from my brow as an officer casually talked to one of the local inhabitants while gesturing with an assault rifle.

No, I was not arrested for some scandalous act of debauchery, but due to the theft of a camera.

One week ago the group went on a tour of Cebu which included lunch at a fantastic local seafood restaurant. My wonderful boss foolishly gave me the company video camera to begin documenting our adventures. I secured the camera in it's bag, placed my hat over top of it, and put it next to my feet. By the end of the meal I still had my hat but the camera was long gone. I was embarrassed to say the least. Mr. "Independence" got marked and the camera got nicked. Lucky Trina pulled of a bit of a paparazzi trick and we believe that we got a pic of the perp. Everyone has been really nice regarding the incident, but my pride definitely needed CPR afterwards.

Enough of that...

The friday before Deb came to my classroom with a challenge from her class to eat a balut. For those who don't know, it is a fertilized duck egg steamed and eaten right out of the shell and it is a bit of a local fave here. Not one to step down to a challenge, particularly since Deb stated that she would try it as well, I headed down to the pantry with my class closely following. Deb and I also convinced our Wipro associates to also join us in the experience. I can honestly say that i have never eaten under such pressure before. Sixty trainees screaming and cheering us on, half of which kept telling me specifically how to eat it.

"Break the membrane! Suck the juice! Don't lose it, it's the best part! More salt. More salt! Too much! More vinegar!"

My hands were shaking throughout the entire experience. The taste was actually pretty good, kind of like a really hardboiled egg with some crunchy bits in it. I would definitely eat one again if some chili sauce was on standby.

Saturday, as mentioned before, we went on a bit of a tour of Cebu. We hit up the Lapu-Lapu shrine, where the local hero killed Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. We also visited Fort San Pedro, build by the Spanish to guard Cebu from pirates back in the 1700's. We also visited Magellan's Cross, city hall, Basilica of Santo Nino (church). Since we were visiting a church, no shorts were allowed on the tour. That means me in jeans, in sticky hot humid weather. Luckily the cars were air conditioned. :)

We also attempted to go to a great vantage point of the city, but unfortunately the mist was rolling in and we could not see much. Luckily we were heading to a restaurant which served excellent local dishes. The food included deep fried intestines, a sour soup made with fish and tomatoes (i remember having this before with Paul in Edmonton), crispy pata, and a dish our guides were overjoyed that we were trying but would not tell us what it was until afterwards. It turned out to be very good and made out of blood. Nothing too scary for a guy whose parents fed him black pudding as a teenager.

I should also mention how fantastic our guides from Wipro were that Saturday. They were extremely friendly and knowedgable regarding the history of Cebu.

On Sunday the ladies I work with decided it was time for me to experience my first manicure and pedicure. It was alright (no, i did not have my nails painted) but i felt sorry for the girl who had to excavate my feet. One of the trainers, Edward, also brought in some lechon for me to try. The skin was absolutely sublime. Fantastic stuff.

Today Edward and one of the other trainers, Tanya, took me to a tailor to have my measurements taken for a new suit. We then went out to buy the material which was super cheap. Apparently it will take a few weeks to make the suit, as the tailor is booked up with orders from political figures and students (school is starting up next month). If everything works out rest assured I'll be frequenting this tailor for the remainder of my time here. We then spent the rest of the afternoon sipping coffee and doing a whole bunch of nothing which is exactly what i needed after an intense week at work.

Tomorrow the Itek group is planning on going to a fantastic beach resort. Hopefully the weather is sunny so i can finally work on my tan.

Week one, done like a plate-o-sisig!

Well, I've been gone for about a week now and i think i'm finally getting used to the heat and humidity here. Of course, my idea of "getting used to it" is still sweating, but not as much as a Frenchman on a seven day wine binge.

I really enjoyed my entry into the country. The ladies and myself got through customs in record time and immediately met a representative from the company. We all were then wisped into a small van to be driven across Cebu to our hotel. The van tore across town quickly; shaving a 40 minute drive through heavy traffic down to 20 minutes of pure rukkus. I loved hearing the gasps of my companions (Trina excluded) as we sped past the compact streets of vendors, low tangled electric wires, and constant waves of people. It reminded me of Havana but with less of that "deteriorating communist" motif. Don't worry, no cyclists were taken out during the transportation of my luggage (yes, I really enjoyed the ride).

There is not one but three buildings being constructed next to the hotel. Due to a combination of the ridiculous hours they work and the proximity of my room my head was buzzing for the first few nights we were here. Suffice to say, I am now on the other side of the building with TWO beds and full nights of rest.

Weatherwise, it has been a nice mix of sun and rain but i wouldn't mind a bit more sun after work so i can work on my tan. I still feel a bit pasty. :)

I probably should not talk too much about work, but I will say that the team has thus far bonded nicely over the whole experience and it has been great getting to know the Wipro staff better. The trainees are amazing. A great group of people and words can not describe how wonderful they are. I have never trained a group with such interest and energy. Work bit of blog...DONE.

Unfortunately I haven't been able to do any exploring yet because I've been pretty busy at work, but I have made quite a few excursions to the local mall for all my bits. I find the mall rather strange because me being the 6 foot plus caucasian Canadian I should be out of place. It is true that I am much the minority, nearly ALL the advertisements or mannequins are based around Americans. It's actually quite a trip.

If all goes to plan, I hear we will be touring the city on the weekend. I believe we may also be doing some island-hopping by the end of the month.

A few extra notes for Paul:

No, I have not been hit on yet...by ANYONE!

Yes, the beer is cheap and plentiful (San Miquel is pretty good at about 30-50 cents a pop and the local Cebu fave, Red Horse, is pretty strong at 6.9 percent).

This notebook is friggin' GENIUS! The i-touch as well. They both got me through a 13 hour flight when I was stuck in the middle of the plane...NUFF SAID! I can play tetris on the touch for hours!

Ladies here wear make up to make their skin look more pale. Some of them almost look like corpses. ZOMBIE MAKE UP, PAUL! It's the new chic moving into 2010.

I have still not had a belut, but I told my class that I wanted to try it and everyone cheered. No lechon yet either, BUT i did have a bit of sigig mixed with another local dish. It was not on a sizzling plate, but it was a cold version and was rather refreshing with it's intense citrus and vinegar flavors (I sound like PINKBOOTS). Let me tell you; Pig's head rules. I love the savory-sweet taste and the creamy texture. Converted...

I've also had regular sizzling sisig which is a brilliant bit of pork fry up on a cast-iron skillet. They add a raw egg for good measure making it excellent pub grub. The ladies brave enough to try it and myself really dug it.Speaking of which, I'm NOT supposed to mention about a CERTAIN individual who I caught washing her hands TWICE in the vinnegar dip because she thought it was lemon water. Don't worry Trina, my lips are sealed. ;)

I have been called "Joe" three times already. My favorite time was by a kid riding a jeepney while walking home from work.I have created my own nickname for those middle-aged white guys who are here with a young Filipino lady draped on their arm. The are now dubbed a "dirty joe".

I made it

Hi all,

I arrived relatively safe and/or sound in Phili today. The trip went rather smooth, considering I had a middle seat for the big flight from Van to Hong Kong (thanks to all my mad media, props to Paul). I'm just getting everything sorted out and so far i haven't forgotten anything except ties (which I can pick up here).

Unfortunately, it seems that something happened to my camera and the exposure is completely mangled. That means no pix on this blog for a bit. You wouldn't think that would be a problem in Asia but apparently electronics are MORE expensive here in Cebu due to taxes. Because of this, I am going to bug Paul to purchase me a new cam and send it with a co worker (are you reading this Paul??? PRETTY PLEASE???). Until then, I will try and snag some of my co-workers pics.

I haven't had a chance to get over the whole "jet lag" thing that I'm supposed to be afflicted by right now, but just in case i'm going to spend a fair bit of tomorrow at the pool. Time to get better aquanted with the Cebu sun.

I also have loaded up both dropbox and Skype so, Paul, whenever you are ready to try this stuff out. I have noticed, however, that the internet connection is slow as hell (average from 60-75 kbps) but we'll make it work.