Tales of the Nomad: January 2008 Archives

Aboard the M/V Doulos

January 30, 2008 11:14 AM | 13 Comments | No TrackBacks

By Fung Yu, Contributor INQUIRER.net Author’s note: This article uses Apple’s QuickTime and Adobe Flash in providing an immersive experience by means of virtual reality technology. QuickTime and/or Flash are required to view the 360-degree VRs. Average VR size is 2MB each. DOULOS (from the Greek word meaning "servant"), the "floating library," visited the Philippines for two months -- initially for the annual dry dock maintenance in the port of Batangas, then in Manila and Subic Bay for the onboard book fair and other community activities. Built in 1914, just two years after the sinking of the RMS Titanic, the M/V Doulos is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's oldest active ocean-going passenger ship. I caught up with the Doulos on a fine Saturday as she was docked at the port of Subic Bay; having missed her in Manila last December, this could very well be my very last chance to tour the ship. The first thing you notice when you step aboard is her friendly crew; a smile at every turn, a greeting in every corner. With a crew composed of various nationalities, bringing to the fore social and cultural diversity, it is indeed a heartwarming sight to see them working toward a common purpose. The crew, from the ship's captain to the cooks, are all volunteers. Most joined for the experience of working in a multi-faceted environment, some for cultural enrichment, others for self-fulfillment. Some came with their families, but the majority are individual volunteers. Here are the VRs of the different sections of the ship and a peek at what goes on aboard the Doulos. Enjoy! Doulos docked at Subic Bay

View in Flash View in QuickTime Laundry area

View in Flash View in QuickTime Ship galley

View in Flash View in QuickTime Bakery

View in Flash View in QuickTime 'Fire House'

View in Flash View in QuickTime Engine room

View in Flash View in QuickTime Ship bow

View in Flash View in QuickTime Bookstore

View in Flash View in QuickTime Top deck doubles as gym

View in Flash View in QuickTime Dining area

View in Flash View in QuickTime Captain's deck

View in Flash View in QuickTime Bridge

View in Flash View in QuickTime This visit of the M/V Doulos to the Philippines might be her last as the ship is about to be decommissioned. For more information on the Doulos, please visit www.doulos.org. VRs taken on January 5, 2008. This writer can be reached at fung@firefly.ph

Paradise for beer lovers in Makati

January 28, 2008 4:14 PM | 8 Comments | No TrackBacks

SURE, here in the Philippines, you almost always order San Miguel Beer (I know I do), but sometimes you might want to try something new. Well, INQUIRER.net multimedia reporter has checked out this place that serves 100 different types of beer. Check out the video Erika took of head waitress Rosalie Porqueza giving her a tour of Beers Paradise, which is located on Polaris Street corner Durban Street in Makati City.

Online Videos by Veoh.com

DoT launches new Travel Mall, gets perky Fil-Am ambassadress

January 25, 2008 5:28 PM | 5 Comments | No TrackBacks

By Abigail Kwok INQUIRER.net ATTENTION overseas Filipinos, going to the Philippines is now just a click away. If you are tired of the usual long lines and slow processing of your application just to visit your loved ones here, the good news is that the Department of Tourism (DoT) has launched a new Travel Mall service on its Experience Philippines site that targets Filipinos in North America. The Travel Mall is an interactive mall that will allow Filipinos in North America to shop virtually, book tickets, and even reserve hotel rooms to make their visit here more convenient. The DoT also lets people easily access all of the 7, 107 islands of the country through its partnership with accredited travel agencies in North America. The Travel Mall and the whole Experience Philippines site is part of the marketing strategy employed by the DoT for North America as it shifts from traditional to online media. According to Tourism Secretary Joseph "Ace" Durano: "Traditional media doesn’t work as much as it used to… this generation uses the Web for entertainment, for education, and for work. The platform for us had to be the Web… and three years ago we decided that at least 90 percent of our resources, 90 percent of our energy, will be using this platform to reach out to our target market."

Online Videos by Veoh.com Experience Philippines is also an interactive travel site that allows users to plan, organize, and share their travel experiences here. Visitors can post pictures, videos, and even blog entries of the places they visited so that others can see and will hence be enticed to visit here. Durano announced the launch of the Travel mall in a press conference on January 24 at the St. Francis Shangri-La Place showroom in Mandaluyong City. Apart from virtual shopping, the Travel Mall also allows users to read articles and news from the DoT to keep them updated about the Philippines or their hometown. Newlyweds or tourists planning to visit the Philippines for their honeymoon or vacation can also have a highly personalized online service through the Travel Mall's themed packages service. Apart from that, medical and leisure packages are also available for families, retirees, and sports lovers. Finally, to top off DoT's New Year start, Durano has tapped famous Fil-Am video blogger Christine "HappySlip" Gambito as the DoT ambassadress for the North American market. HappySlip is a YouTube sensation, known for her comic acting and portrayal of characters bearing a distinct Filipino accent. Christine herself was born in the Philippines but left when she was still a year old, so this is in effect her first time in the country. She said it would be an excellent way to promote the country as she will be sharing personal, first-time experiences. Christine will be video blogging her visits to the country's top tourist destinations, including Boracay, Tagaytay, and Puerto Princesa, among others. To end her visit, Christine will be visiting her father's hometown in Nueva Ecija to reconnect with relatives and to immerse herself in the rich culture of her native province.

Online Videos by Veoh.com As an end note, I found it funny that, during the press conference, media people couldn't resist the urge to have their pictures taken with Christine after doing their usual jobs of interviewing and taking photos for their respective media outfits. The press briefing was really a mix of business and pleasure for some journalists. I, for one, am just a beginner fan (is there such a thing?) and have just recently been hooked on Christine's vlogs due to a friend's recommendation. As in her videos, Christine was very amiable, witty, and charming. Her wackiness and sense of humor never fail to amuse and amaze me. All in all I would say that it was a smart move for the DoT to tap Christine as its ambassadress for North America. Youth, humor, and wit are things that we really need in this day and age.

iVDO: Fishing (and maybe taking a dip) in Pasig river

January 23, 2008 11:01 PM | 4 Comments | No TrackBacks

CHECK out this video taken by INQUIRER.net reporter Lawrence Casiraya, who interviewed Mang Eddie and Mang Nestor near the Guadalupe Bridge along Edsa in Makati City as they tried to catch some fish to eat or sell.

Online Videos by Veoh.com

Sleepless and snowing in Seattle

January 16, 2008 12:49 PM | No TrackBacks

By Erwin Oliva INQUIRER.net AS we approached the Seattle-Tacoma airport, one of the flight crew members announced that the temperature outside was negative 1 degree Celsius. In short, it's freezing. Thus started our little adventure in Washington, where Redmond is. I'm here to cover a Microsoft event along with fellow tech journalist Melvin Calimag of the Manila Bulletin. We had to bring the thickest jackets that we could get (not to mention the layer of clothing that we already had on). According to some locals, it snowed the night that we got in. So the streets, roads, and even sidewalks are slippery. You have to walk carefully when you cross the street here. We're staying in Kirkland, just a few minutes away from Redmond, where Microsoft's main headquarters is located. After going through immigration, we had a bit of trouble locating our airport transfer. Apparently, we missed seeing a little sign held by Paul, our driver, who is an Indian who now lives in Seattle. Paul drives a"high-end" Lincoln car which he offers for rent to visitors and business executives (I assume mostly from Microsoft ). By the time we got into the hotel, we were told that we had to wait until noon to be checked in. Then we met a young American named Stephen at the Heathman Hotel. Stephen was apparently born in the Philippines and has lived there for about 15 years. He now works in the hotel, and has been staying in the US for three years. His eyes lighted up when he heard us talking in Filipino. He blurted out, "Kamusta." A conversation ensued, which lasted for a while. I'm sure he misses the Philippines. With just a few hours of sleep (blame the on-demand movie on the plane), and jet lag, I'm barely awake, trying to recall in a warm and cozy coffee shop the first time I crossed the Pacific Ocean.

Desert of salt

January 15, 2008 9:09 PM | 1 TrackBack

THIS is probably one of the most unusual tourist spots -- the Salar de Uyuni, a 40, 000-year-old lake in Bolivia that has dried up and created the world's largest salt flats. Check out the Reuters video clip.