Farewell to Mr. Lee, an old friend

I meant 'old' here literally as he is or was a senior citizen. Mr. Lee was from Taiwan and settled in the Philippines decades ago as he worked with the precursor of what is now the Universal Robina Corp. I met him many years ago after we moved to our home in upper Antipolo. We actually first crossed paths when I started walking around our village. As I learned and practiced in Japan when I resided there, I greeted him a good morning. He responded and we had a short chat about the weather and our village. That was the start of a regular meeting during most weekend mornings. 

Post-pandemic, we continued to meet and even more frequently as I took up walking almost every morning as I became more health conscious. One time, he was walking in front of our home when I came out and he casually mentioned his appreciation of our garden. He offered to give me some plants from his garden in his home just across the chapel. I accepted and one morning I found myself in his garden where he dug up some of the plants. He explained these were the same ones he was tending at the chapel and were plants that grew in temples in Taiwan and Japan. Those plants are now growing in front of our home.

I missed seeing him the past weeks but thought that maybe he was going out for his walks earlier (he prefers walking just before sunrise) than me. Last year, he continued to do his early morning walks despite a seriou shoulder injury, and months ago I greeted him as he opted to tend to his plants instead of walking as he recovered from an illness. Only yesterday did I learn that he passed away, not recently but weeks ago. I learned this from our driver, Lary, who in turn got the news from another neighbor.

Farewell and rest in peace Mr. Lee. I will miss our morning encounters and conversations. Rest assured that I will take care of the plants you entrusted to me and that they are thriving on our garden. 

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On fruits falling from the trees

A couple of days ago, I came upon a pomelo fruit at the roadside along my usual walking route. The fruit was in great shape and I assumed it fell from a nearby tree that grew along the fence of one of our neighbors. One thing going for the pomelo or suha as it is also called is that it has a thick skin/shell that doesn't easily break should one fall from a tree. That's true even if it fell to the concrete pavement.

The pomelo I found was in great shape and I assume was already ripe from the tree (hinog sa puno)

Other fruits are not as fortunate. Our neighborhood streets are full of ripe mangoes that are crushed upon hitting the pavement.

We could not reach the mangoes that grew from the top branches of the tree at our home. Many just fall in our garden beyond the net that we set-up to catch old branches and leaves from the tree.

Other fruits in our neighborhood end up like the mangoes in the previous photos. When in season, there are a lot of crushed kaimito, avocados, and santol on our streets. Is there a way to save these, probably harvest the fruits and put them up for sale? Revenues can be shared among resident-owners of the streets and whoever will be making the effort to help harvest and coordinate with owners of the trees.

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On stray dogs in the neighborhood

There are many stray dogs in our village right now. Many are dogs left by construction workers who raised them from puppies when their projects were starting and then left the dogs when the projects were completed. Other dogs are actually attributable to informal settlers in the periphery of the village (gillage - "sa gilid ng village") who typically leave their dogs to mate and multiply. There are also dogs that are let out by their owners to do their stuff (defecate and urinate) so they don't have to clean up after their so-called pets. All these dogs just roam the village and cause trouble in the form of poop on the roads, sidewalks and gardens, and spilled garbage from bins they manage to topple.

Strays at one village corner

More strays

 

While there has been initiatives to drive them away or even capture them (c/o the barangay and the city), these appear to be unsuccessful as the same dogs are still very much around. While it may be humane to feed them, that means tolerating their presence and nuisance in the neighborhood. What can be done to address this concern without hurting these dogs?

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Chef Hazel's Table, Village Corner, Beverly Hills, Antipolo

There's a new restaurant in our neighborhood. What used to be a pandesal store is now a nice restaurant. Chef Hazel's Table, as we learned from the owners themselves, used to be located in Taytay. We didn't ask why they transferred or moved out of their former location but assumed its probably to find a better place from which they can attract more customers.

Restaurant menu featuring familiar items like those for breakfast and Filipino cuisine. A must try would be the Chef's specials.

Restaurant menu showing pasta, noodles, sandwiches, desserts and drinks

Streetballs for appetizers

Their four seasons is the real deal from real fruits and not an instant mix or from a tetra pak.

Their version of canton bihon guisado is really good.

A must try is their grilled chicken alfaham

The food is good and the prices are very reasonable for the quality and quantity of their servings. They also have pandesal, brownies and cakes. We'll definitely come back for more and especially to again enjoy the chicken alfaham. Chef Hazel's Table is located at the ground floor of Village Corner near the Beverly Hills Subdivision gate along Ortigas Avenue Extension.

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Collectors or pickers in the neighborhood?

We were on our regular walk one morning when we can across this sign mounted by a neighbor at his property beside his home. It was probably taken down during demolition or perhaps replaced by a newer sign for the restaurant branch where it came from. The neighbor is a contractor so I was not surprised he was able to get this piece for what I assume to a collection. Or maybe it's just that one piece of curiosity they decided to take home and install?

A familiar face greets walkers and joggers along one of the streets in our village

I joked that seeing the sign during our walks somehow made me hungry. The chain, after all, serves breakfast aside from the usual burgers, fries and the fried chicken they are most known for.

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Killing trees at our subdivision

Deforestation is a word often used for the mountains or wilderness (referring of course to forests). Unfortunately, there are forms of deforestation even in settled areas. I'm referring here to the cutting of trees in a subdivision. There are many houses under construction where I live and it seems that most contractors and owners prefer the traditional clearing of a lot rather than consider even some of the existing trees to be integrated in the design of the houses. The result is a lot of old trees including Narra, Acacia, Mahogany, Mango and Kaimito trees being cut down. I find it somewhat ironic that these new residents mention one major reason they decided to build a house and reside in our village was the presence of a lot of trees.

What's left of a Narra tree that used to be home to several bird species including kingfishers, swallows and orioles. The neighbor across from the house where the tree was claimed the roots.

What's left of a mahogany tree that we thought would be spared by the contractor of a house under construction.

We also cleared out lot of many trees (mostly ipil-ipil) but integrated the old mango and narra trees in our landscaping. Those have grown and benefited us with fruits, shade and oxygen over the years. I hope others will consider a similar approach rather than just cut down everything and later grow a token garden for their houses.

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On trees that fell and recovered

There are many large trees in our neighborhood. Most of these are old, huge mango trees as the village used to be a mango orchard or farm. Each lot We are told by old timers here that through the years, they planted other trees including narra and acacia trees. Many residents also planted fruit trees in addition to the ones already growing in the area. These included kaimito, santol, pomelo and lanka trees you now find scattered around the village. I've seen many trees fall or damaged due to typhoons but many seem to be resilient enough to recover if they are not totally uprooted and people just leave them be.

This mango tree practically is lying on its side and fortunately was not totally uprooted. Village maintenance staff pruned the branches that were damaged especially those that became road obstacles. The tree is alive and well, and continues to bear the kalabaw variety of mangoes every year.

This is a sort of requiem for other trees that are now gone. There are currently many new houses being built around our village. Most owners, architects and engineers don't really care about trees even the larger, older mango, narra, acacia, santol and kaimito trees that typically are located in the lots. Everybody seems to want a cleared lot to build their homes on using templates or designs usually for those typical subdivisions that have cookie cutter structures. In our case, we didn't go that way. We retained the old mango tree and relatively younger narra tree that are now magnificent landmarks for our home. Our mango tree was victimized by a powerful typhoon months after we moved in. Fortunately, it only lost one of its big branches and the tree survived to grow into its broccoli-like shape today.

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March sunsets

Our daughter joined us for a walk one afternoon last month and we decided to go to a nearby area where we can get a nice view of the sunset. Here are a few photos from that walk and sunset viewing:

The setting sun when we arrived at a viewpoint in our village. The shape of the sun was distorted by the clouds and haze that afternoon.

The sun appears to flatten as it begins to hide behind the buildings.

Our daughter was amazed by the sunset colors. I caught this scene for posterity. I believe people should have happy memories especially of their childhood days in their hometowns.

More sunsets in future posts!

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On neighborhood sari-sari stores

There was a short but lively exchange in our community Viber group about neighborhood stores. These are the sari-sari stores that you typically find around the country that have served as the local version of convenience stores. Even before there were 7/11's and Family Marts, there were already these neighborhood stores that sold a variety of items including bread, softdrinks, alcohol and even medicines like paracetamol and loperamide (common, over the counter meds for typical ailments like headaches, colds and fevers).

One of the sari-sari stores along our street that closed during the first lockdown and remains shut at present. There is no indication this will open again.

A small store on an informal settlement inside the village

A larger store that also serves quick hot meals like noodles (pancit canton) and porridge (arroz caldo).

If you wonder why I took photos of mostly closed stores, it's partly because I took these photos during my early morning walks. Another reason is that I didn't want people to be suspicious about my taking their photos. Some store owners can be upset as our village has been reminding them about health protocols. The latter was the main topic of the Viber exchange but discussions quickly revealed there were those who were against the existence and operations of sari-sari stores. My take is that these have a role to play and contribute to the vibrance of a community like ours. I grew up experiencing this first hand where we lived with my parents in Cainta as well as in my father's hometown in Iloilo.

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Ilona's Place - Beverly Hills, Antipolo & Taytay

There's a new restaurant/cafe near our home. It is actually located inside our village but at the perimeter and near Ortigas Avenue Extension (though there is no direct access to that road). Ilona's Place used to be an old house that was once among the most glamorous homes in Beverly Hills. After years of neglect, it was sold and is not being renovated into an events venue aside from the cafe. The house is also big enough to have rooms rented a la bed & breakfast or closed door meetings.

Poolside tables with amazing views of the cityscape of Metro Manila

Poolside restaurant bar and a balcony for even more views of the metropolis and surrounding areas

Drinks menu

Food menu

A landmark is the tall statue of Our Lady seeming to look over the surrounding areas.

Here's a shot with the setting sun framed by a nearby tree. Visible in the photo is the Metro Manila cityscape.

Poolside sunset view as seen from the bar

Seats for groups and a relaxing sip of your preferred beverages

Restaurant grounds

An old stove that's now part of the garden

Driveway - Ilona's is located atop a small hill so it would be better to drop off seniors or persons with disabilities right at its front door if you have to park outside (i.e., parking spaces are limited).

Ilona's Place has become an instant hit in the neighborhood. Our friends have been posting about dining there and before the surge, having some get-togethers there. An old friend from grade school who used to reside in Beverly Hills dropped by with his family and mother for a sentimental trip of sorts. The food is good and the ambiance even better. Do expect some glitches for now but the staff are attentive and try their best to give good service to customers.

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A Philippine serpent eagle in Antipolo

We've seen this bird several times but just couldn't get a decent photo. We finally got a few nice and clear photos one weekend when the bird swooped across our path to settle unto a tree branch nearby. It appeared to be hunting and did not mind our presence as it focused on its prey. It eventually raided another tree that sent the squirrel scampering about. Unfortunately, it didn't catch one. Maybe it will eventually and have a nice weekend meal.

The bird perched on a branch and was eyeing the squirrels in another tree

Close-up of a photo taken by my wife

There are many other birds in our neighborhood and there are more arriving this time of year as we welcome the migratory birds that typically flock to the country and our area. Already, we've spotted cranes or herons that you see in many rice fields and near bodies of water (e.g., Hinulugang Taktak). There also seems to be an increase in the crow population. We now regularly hear the familiar "wak" or "uwak" with a couple usually perching on our narra or other large trees nearby. I jokingly mentioned this to friends who I was with while we were studying in Japan that the sounds make me feel as if I were just in Tokyo or Yokohama.

Philippine coucals in the neighborhood

A common sight to us are these rather large dark brown and black birds flying across the road from one lot to another. Most lots that are without houses in our village have trees, bushes, shrubs and grasses that are the homes and habitat of wildlife. The latter includes a variety of mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds. There is a small river near us where kingfishers thrive and migratory birds gather. But in the inner parts of the village, there are many birds of different sizes and colors that we spot. We're not birdwatchers per se so we just take photos or videos of those we chance upon and share it on social media for our friends to identify for us. Among the welcome sight during our morning walks are the Philippine coucals that we have observed on many occasions. Most recently, I found that they frequent the trees and bamboos around our home and was able to take a few photos while I was in a Zoom call one morning.

Coucal perched on a bamboo near my WFH station at home (our guest room)

I was a bit surprised and elated to see there were actually two of them with one with the longer tail. They hopped from one bamboo stalk to another until they finally flew away.

The Philippine coucal is not an endangered species but to find it inhabiting our village is to me a wonderful thing. It means that these birds are thriving where humans are also habitating. There are also kingfishers, magpie robins, orioles, crows (uwak), bulbuls, pipits, sparrows (maya), doves and owls that we often see or hear. Unfortunately though, there has been a lot of construction ongoing around our village as people discovered our area as a nice place to live in with its good environment. These new homes are sure to disturb or even destroy part of their habitat. The good thing though is most homes (and residents) are old in the sense that trees and other plants in most houses provide the habitat needed by these birds and other wildlife to survive. Our trees, for example, are homes to magpie robins, kingfishers, bulbuls and maya. I try my best to spot them and instruct our staff not to bother their nests. Our daughter is also happy to have them and observed one nest that's quite popular with the birds.

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Produce from the farmers - Part 1

A small group of farmers come to our village on Fridays (formerly on Sundays) to directly sell vegetables and fruits. They come all the way from San Ysiro, a sition in Barangay San Jose, Antipolo City. I am a bit familiar with the area having been a frequent visitor of Mt. Purro, which is in the neighboring Barangay Calawis. We've nowadays regularly buy our vegetables from them. And this has saved me from trips to the public market. I usually now go to the market for our seafood and fruits.

800 pesos worth of vegetables and fruits enough for the needs of 8 people in our household for 3-4 days depending on the dishes we cook

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The Ugly Pizza - Taytay, Rizal

The quarantines have had some positive developments, too. And I am not talking about the community pantries that sprouted around NCR plus and beyond. I'm talking about businesses that probably came about as a result of the lockdowns and people being limited in their usual going out for meals (usually in the malls). Many of these businesses are the 'buy and sell' type but perhaps the more significant ones are those in the food business. These are the bakers, chefs, cooks and others who have ventured into the creation of cakes, pastries, lunch boxes, shakes, and other goodies that people now can easily order and have delivered to their homes thanks to the Grabs, Lalamoves, Food Pandas and other transport services.

One we discovered recently is "The Ugly Pizza". We first saw its ad on Facebook and dismissed it as likely the outcome of social media mining the net for our preferences. After a few more views by both the wife and I, we decided to check it out and see what they're about through what else, their Facebook page. Seeing the pizza selection and how they make them, we were convinced enough to order from them. It also helped that we learned they were located at another subdivision a couple of kilometers away from our village.

The pizzas came in individual boxes.

We ordered 4 different pizzas to sample their menu. Each box was properly marked.

Four-cheese

Prosciutto

Pepperoni

Margherita - they definitely got this right

Instead of hot sauce, the pizza came with honey with chili. It seemed unusual at first and we did bring out hot sauce, but the spicy honey was actually perfect for the pizza.

A closer look at their margherita pizza

The Ugly Pizza is located in Taytay, Rizal. Check out their Facebook page for details.

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"Getting lost" inside our village

We live in one of the older if not oldest subdivisions in Antipolo City. Many parts of the subdivision are unoccupied and thick with foliage including many old, large trees like narra and acacia trees. The village also is said to be formerly a mango farm so there are many large mango trees, particularly the carabao (or kinalabaw) variety that yields large, yellow mangoes when in season. The smaller, younger trees are mostly Indian mangoes. I will feature various flowering trees in another article.

What used to be an asphalted road is partly gravel after deterioration of the surface over time

Off the beaten path - a gravel road on the outskirts of the subdivision

The gravel road eventually leads back to the asphalt road and a populated area but somewhat hidden part of the subdivision.

There are several routes that we usually take depending on our mood and available time for our walks. Weekday mornings and/or afternoons are usually for the typical 5,000 to 6,000-step route. We have to get back home in time for breakfast with our daughter who starts school at 7:50 AM. We reserve the weekends for the longer walks to the places shown above. It's quite easy to accomplish 10,000 steps in a day and we hope to continue this regimen even after the pandemic. More photos again soon!

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Some select photos and stories from our daily walks

Our daily morning walks take us around our village. We are fortunate that there are many parts that have little development (and residents). These are our favorites for our typical routes. These days when you have to have some physical or social distance from others, you need to find the places where you can get some exercise. Of course, it doesn't hurt that these are outdoors. There is a short story for each of the photos and I relate them in each caption.

We've found long stretches of road like this where there are no houses and it is rare for vehicles to pass by. This affords us to take off our masks and enjoy the morning breeze unimpeded. Recently, it has been more colorful as many plants and trees have been flowering; indicating that this is basically springtime. There are many Narra trees around and their yellow flowers blanket the roads like the one in the photo.

One time we were walking, a large bird flew across the road in front of us. It settled upon a branch on a tree that grew near the edge of a steep slope from the roadside. From the branch, it had a most wonderfulview of the metropolis. Friends say it's likely a hawk. They are most welcome in our area where there are also crows terrorizing the smaller birds. I am not sure if the hawks contribute to curbing the growing population of squirrels (who also terrorize the small birds) but maybe they along with the owls are keeping the balance somehow.

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Here is one my favorite photos taken while I was walking by myself. It is what I call an opportunistic shot because you have to be at the right place at the right moment during sunrise to get this photo. It seems like the sun peeking through an opening in the trees.

I will be posting more photos in future posts about our village and our walks. One thing good that came out of this pandemic is our getting to walk around more mainly for exercise but also to be in touch with our neighborhood. When we started walking regularly again last year, we notices a lot of new houses (and new residents) in our subdivision. We also got to rediscover some paths that were less trodden. We hope to continue our regular walks even after the threat of Covid-19 has waned.

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