Cotton Candy and Peanuts

Before hitting the streets first thing Friday morning I saw a green butterfly fluttering over a flower in our garden and a good thing I had my camera. A good omen for starting the day? Hehe.


One good thing about the Kadayawan Festival is that you have a variety of choices on how you want to spend the day.

What to do? What to do?

• FOOD: If you are into food, you can eat fruits that are on season like mangosteen, durian, lansones and rambutan which can be seen everywhere and they come in very cheap. You can also choose from a variety of street foods downtown - kwek2x, cotton candy, popcorn, fishball, cheese sticks and more. If you want FOOD as in heavy meals.... restaurants have promos and you can see streamers everywhere screaming "Kadayawan Promo" this and that. You wouldn't starve I tell you. There are also Food Fiestas and fairs in different places.

• SHOP: This is the time to SHOP! ALL malls are ON SALE. 10-70% off! Not just malls, even small boutiques and stores are on SALE. Everything's on SALE, I tell you.... even GUESS and other prominent flashy brands.
  

• ENTERTAINMENT: Various artists have schedules to perform in different malls. Be it free or with pay. But mostly it's Free, just take your pick! There are cultural presentations and music festivals. Of course, we have the Indak Indak sa Kadalanan(Saturday) and the Floral Float Parade(Sunday) if you happen to wake up early in the morning. Bring your umbrellas with you.... or just a cap will do. If you don't like crowds.... then I think the street dancing is not for you. (did it just rhyme?)

• PARTY - night street parties are offered everywhere. Everyone's out the night after Indak Indak (Street Dancing) usually scheduled Saturdays. Roads are often closed for the open street discos.

• CONTESTS - if you are a person who loves to win a prize, there are various competitions you can join or just watch. From sports(sepak takraw), photography to dancing and even just joining raffle prizes in different malls.

• TRADE FAIRS - of course trade fairs are always present. Plants, furniture and food. Best day to buy is the last day of the trade fair because you get it cheap....but not a lot of choices. :)
  

Friday: The first day we just walked and strolled the streets. We just surveyed the streets... (as if we are not from Davao and we can't get enough.. hehe).

The unfinished renovated park that used to be called "P.T.A. Park" was temporarily opened for viewing. It was just a few blocks away from our office and we could have dropped by to check the park out but everyone was so tired from walking, we did not get the chance to preview the unfinished park.




Saturday: Indak-Indak sa Kadalanan. You'd hear the tribal music filling the air and a series of shouts. Some roads were closed and most jeepneys would re-route for the day. Be aware of that. Everyone can be seen walking, so you might as well join others. It's best to have someone with you around, someone who can walk tirelessly with the heat and the crowd to enjoy the moment. Just have fun and laugh when you bump into each other. Be in a good mood. :)

Finally, we got around to eating durian after the seemingly endless walking.... with me was Ate Jireh, fellow blogger... a newfound friend. :) Hello Ate!!! :)

I think the open disco was cancelled due to the rain that started out by 10P.M. (I'm not sure). They could've transferred it indoors. Hehe.


Sunday: It was drizzling when we set out for today's "walk-a-thon". I call it that because it seems like we've been walking since Friday. We did not watch the Float Parade because everyone slept through it. We just watched it on T.V. instead. Most of my business partners are "dance enthusiasts" so we decided to meet up at a Mall where there is a dance contest which will be judged by the Streetboys. But, oh boy... the crowd is just too much.

*See the crowd behind?*

The day ended with us eating street foods, cotton candy and peanuts. Which kind of summed up the three days we spent walking around. The bonding moments was sweet like a cotton candy....the heat of the sun hot as a peanut. :)

King of Fruits

I attended a "Year-end Gathering of Diamonds"(Mindanao) yesterday. We had a visitor from Riyadh(Mr.Sulaiman), from India(Mr.Frajith), from Indonesia(Miss Lisa), and the DXN staff from Manila(Mr. Ferdie, and Mr Tom)

Anyhow, one cannot leave Davao City without tasting the ever famous "durian" and of course our "native chicken". But since, we were so full for native chicken.. we headed over at "Durian Paradise".

Durian = "Smells like hell.. but tastes like heaven"

"A rich custard highly flavoured with almonds gives the best general idea of it, but there are occasional wafts of flavour that call to mind cream-cheese, onion-sauce, sherry-wine, and other incongruous dishes. Then there is a rich glutinous smoothness in the pulp which nothing else possesses, but which adds to its delicacy." - Mr. Alfred Russel Wallace

But once, you get used to durian... and an avid eater of durian.. you'd go gaga over the smell. Once you smell it, you'd want to know where it is from. It's like seeing a mango with bagoong.

Mr. Ferdie: I'd have someone to make you a perfume.
Miss Lisa: Really?
Mr.Ferdie: Yeah, durian scent.
Miss Lisa: Haha. The people would not want to talk to me.
Mr. Ferdie: Yeah, they would run away from you.


It was really Miss Lisa's idea to try out the durian offered by Davao, and she was even teased by Mr. Ferdie.

Mr.Ferdie: We need to climb a mountain.... so that we can eat. Are you up for the adventure?
Miss Lisa: I like that! I like that!
Mr.Ferdie: Ay aba.. naniwala.

Durian is not new to Indonesians, since they produce them too. But, it was new for Mr. Tom, who covered his nose while eating. I wanna take a picture... but due to formality and all that I opted not to, and besides I was eating that time and a handful at that.

Durian is believed to have warming properties liable to cause excessive sweating. Durian should be paired with Mangoosteen since it produces a cooling effect. They are more like partners. Mangoosteen is also abundant here in Davao. It's also good to eat it with a softdrink of your choice. If you're from DXN and wants to eat durian, you must bring Andro-G so that it will reduce your body temperature.

Mr.Ferdie: Go and eat more.
Miss Lisa: No.. I already had 4 seeds. It's already hot.
Mr.Ferdie: Did you bring Andro-G
Miss Lisa: No.
Mr. Ferdie: Then, just take a bath, and shower the heat away.
(*everyone laughs*)
Mr.Ferdie: Or if you want there's swimming pool in the hotel.

If you eat durian.... better get the arancillo. It's a bit small compared to Puyat (which is veryyyy big.. and you can't eat 2 more seeds..) Arancillo is creamy, and it has this bittersweet taste. I cant explain it. And yeah it has a sherry-like taste.

TIP: After you eat durian, you better wash your hands along with the seed of durian. Use the seed like a soap when washing it with water to take the odor away. To know that it is effective, smell your hands before and after washing.

Dont think about the smell. You'd be missing out a lot, if you don't at least get to taste a durian. :)

Mr. Ferdie: I'm taking this out and bring this to Manila. I can't eat durian in Manila, because it's so expensive. 1 durian would cost me 500-600. tsk. tsk. This is really good for shake. Mix it with milk and cocozhi. Ahhh, heaven.
Miss Lisa: But, that's not allowed in the hotel.
Mr. Ferdie: Oh... right. I wonder why they don't allow durians in hotels.
Mom: Because some of the guests hates the overpowering smell.
Mr. Ferdie: I'd still bring this.
Miss Lisa: And what will you do? Eat it in front of the hotel. *Laughs*
Mr. Ferdie: I dont know... I'd let them find a way to keep this.