Life, Day by Day

I drive everyday and let me just say that driving in the Philippines (and Negros Occidental in particular) is enough to give any rational human being several ulcers! I believe that the following information when driving in the Philippines are important things to know. The Filipino driver as a rule (to be fair there are exceptions like me, for example) must be all or any the following:

Driving in the highways of Negros Occidental and in the streets of Bacolod City can make a person crazy or delusional. Take me for example…a perfectly rational, calm and collected person most of the time…but when I’m driving there are many moments that I would have this big urge of getting out of my vehicle and become a traffic enforcer or a policeman or an LTO officer even for just a day. Why? Because I want to be able to catch these traffic violators that cross my path!

photo taken from the Facebook page Celebrate the Chinese New Year at Vikings and enjoy their promo for those born in the Year of the Monkey. I am a Fire Monkey and this is my year!

A few months ago while waiting for my new tires to be mounted, I decided to bring my 81 year old mother to one of the newer restaurants in town, KUYA J, and surprise, surprise...she liked it!  This was great news because as she is getting on in years, my mom's taste buds have changed, and more often than not, eating has become like a chore for her. She was also very picky when it comes to eating out. And so it was a joy to see her enjoying the food and eating with gusto the dishes set before her.  I was so tempted to shout, Hurray for Kuya J !  This family oriented restaurant that serves authentic Filipino dishes, began in Cebu and is now one of the fastest growing chain of restaurants in the country.

Chinese New Year will be on February 8, 2016, the start of the Year of the Fire (Red) Monkey.  I am not superstitious and don't really believe in fortune-telling, but I am open to all suggestions since I was born in a monkey year .  Not many people or places celebrate Chinese New Year but in the Philippines, it is a public holiday.  Most Chinese-Filipino communities in other parts of the country have some sort of celebration, whether big or small.  Here are some ways to welcome the Year of the Fire Monkey in Bacolod City and the Province of Negros Occidental:

source I am not a fan of any kind of astrology or fortune telling so it is no surprise that I was not aware that 2016 is the Year of the Monkey.  When someone told me, I shrugged and promptly put it out of my mind.  But with the upcoming Chinese New year celebrations and many social media posts about it, I learned that not only is 2016 a monkey year but it is that of a fire/red monkey , an element-sign combination that recurs every 60 years, the last time was in 1956, the year I was born.  Yes, dear readers, I am turning 60 this year. And so I thought, hey, maybe it would be interesting to find out more about my Chinese Zodiac Monkey.