My common sense may have deserted me when I was onboard Cebu Pacific flight 5J527 and 5J528, but my friend’s dad didn’t and he bought Cebu Pacific’s mini flexi-tripod. I managed to succesfully pester Anna to meet up so we can compare the two tripods.

All I can say is that I am glad that I bought the original Joby Gorillapod. After seeing, feeling and trying the cheap imitation, I was relieved that I invested on my tripod.

The Original Gorillapod in grey, the Cebu Pacific Mini flexi-tripod in orange

 
At first glance they really look similar. Same size, same design. The flexi-tripod (a.k.a. Goofypod in some countries. What the heck?), can copy any position the Gorillapod can. It also comes with that clip thing to attach the camera to the tripod. And it comes in colors! (I bought my Gorillapod before they came out with the colored version. Boo!)

Bent over

 
That’s where the similarity ends, though. When handling the Gorillapod, one of the first things you’ll notice is that it’s pretty hard to position the legs. Not because it’s not flexible, but because it’s (for lack of better word), tight. In contrast, the flexi-tripod is very very loose. Think of it this way: the flexi tripod moves like a graceful dancer, while the Gorillapod is dacing the robot.

With my antique A70 loaded with 4 AA-size battery

 
This, however, plays a factor on how stable the tripods are. The Gorillapod with its strong joints, as well as its grips makes it a really stable tripod. The rubber grips of the flexi-tripod, on the other hand, is very smooth, which makes it prone to slipping. Don’t get me wrong, you *can* still use the tripod; it’s not totally useless. I was able to put my rather heavy Canon Powershot A70 on it and it managed to stay upright. I doubt that I would use it if I’m to attach the tripod to a chair back or a winebottle.

In the end, I am not regretting my decision to shell out Php1,400 for my Joby Gorillapod. Afterall, I am getting quality for that price. The flexi-tripod can be used as a regular tripod, but you don’t buy a Gorillapod-like tripod just to use it in the conventional way, right?

Anything you can do, I can do as well. Though not necessarily better.

 
You don’t have to get onboard a Cebu Pacific flight to buy this flexi-tripod. I was at Quiapo last Saturday and saw similar tripods being sold at the photography shops around Hidalgo. The point and shoot version sells for Php 450, while the SLR version costs Php 1,800 at Henry’s Cam (fronting SM Carriedo). Remember, you get what you pay for.

Popularity: 31% [?]

Accommodation plays a role in your overall trip experience. Whether you’re staying at your hotel/hostel/guesthouse/b&b/resort the whole day or just sleeping there, it would still impact how your general feeling about the place. I guess one of the reasons why I enjoyed my Donsol trip so much was because of the overall feel and the lovely people at the Amor Farm Beach Resort.

 
One of Donsol’s first resort, Amor Farm Beach Resort is listed as Lonely Planet as its second choice. LP describes Amor as: “right next to the vistors centre, this is a peaceful place, albeit not quite as well kept as Woodland.” They’re right about it being a peaceful place, but it seems the tourist center has moved, because it’s now a 5-minute walk from Amor.

Yay for clean bathrooms! (I had my share of memorable toilets, and this is one of the rare toilets I can remember in a very positive light)

The resort is very rustic, very natural and very Filipino. The cottages have thatched roof, the rooms are spotless and the staff are very friendly. The resort is filled with greens, save for the basketball court (which used to be a place to dry their palay). Amor also has a restaurant serving good Filipino and western dishes at reasonable prices.

Left your book at home? Amor has some reading materials you can borrow.

 
Amor’s restaurant also serves as the resort’s common area. There is a TV (which seemed to be always tuned to ABS-CBN — kapamilya sila!), a a component (for videoke, perhaps?), a table laden with books and magazines from around the world (Harry Potter in French, anyone?). If you’re traveling alone and looking to chat up with other travelers, just hang out at the restaurant and you’ll surely find someone to talk to.

The ever wonderful Agnes who welcomed us with open arms *drama* It’s really the people at Amor that made this stay so enjoyable.

 
Being listed in the Lonely Planet Philippines meant that most travels head to Amor Beach Resort when traveling in Donsol. If you’re going during the peak season (December - May for Donsol), better book a room beforehand because they fill up very quickly. When we were there, a room would only be unoccupied for less than an hour (just enough time for the housekeeping crew to do their job) before a new guest would settle in. Amor is the accomodation of choice for plenty of travelers who has gone butanding watching in Donsol. It’s also my choice.

I saw a frog there one evening *cringe*

 
Amor Farm Beach Resort
Dancalan, Donsol, Sorsogon
Mobile: +63 910-4762176, +63 910 4586140
E-mail: lyn_amor0122@yahoo.com, rasyl_r_amor@yahoo.com

Room rates (as of February 2008)
Airconditioned rooms (king-size bed, ensuite toilet and bath) - Php 1,500
Fan room (1 single bed and 1 double bed, ensuite toilet and bath) - Php 1,000
Fan room (1 double bed, ensuite toilet and bath) - Php 800
Fan room (2 singe bed, enquite toilet and bath) - Php 800
Extra matress - Php 150

Popularity: 36% [?]

One of the must see Aussie films, my sister said, is Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. I watched it the last time I was here, and it quickly became my favorite. When I arrived back here in Melbourne last October, one billboard on the Tullamarine freeway caught my eye: Priscilla the Musical. Of course, I *had* to see it.

While the whole of Melbourne was looking forward to the Melbourne cup last November 6, I was looking forward to the day after: the day I watch Priscilla on stage.

Priscilla Queen of the Desert Musical was in everyway the opposite of Avenue Q, a Broadway musical I saw before I left Manila. Where Avenue Q has a very simple set and a handful of cast, Priscilla was a grand affair. The stage was filled with lights, with towering speakers on the sides. An orchestra plays at the foot of the stage, and while there were only 3 major characters, there are several minor characters and a dozen or so extras.

Avenue Q in Manila and Priscilla in Melbourne is the same in one aspect though: they’re both great. The songs, the choreography, the acting… all superb!

Priscilla is the story of three gender illusionists, Tick (Mitzi), Bernadette and Adam (Felicia), who drove from Sydney to Alice Springs to perform. Tick went on this journey to meet his son for the first time, Bernadette to get over the death of her partner (asphyxiated on peroxide), and Adam went because… well, it was his dream to be a cock in a frock on a rock

Here’s what you can expect to see on stage when you watch Priscilla the musical:

If you’re in Melbourne, why not watch Priscilla on stage? The musical will run until Janaury 27, 2008 at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre.

Popularity: 34% [?]

There are people who simply abhor airline food, while there are some who, oddly enough, are excited by it. I can understand both sides. Airline food is hardly ever something to write about, although on certain airlines, the meals served onboard are among the highlights of the flight.

In my experience, most of the time airline meals are nothing special. I think the most memorable ones were the wasabi peanut that they served on business class on Singapore Airlines and the green tea ice cream.

This meal from PAL is another one for the nothing special group. I *think* that’s the chicken meal. Doesn’t look appetizing, huh? It’s not. The highlight of this meal was the mediocre Rocky Road bar, and the small slice of Gouda.

This breakfast on the otherhand, is even lower on the scale. The bun on the left is pretty much the same roll they served for dinner. The croissant is certainly not fresh; it’s hard and very greasy. Since I’m not much of an ensymada fan, I didn’t touch the Red Ribbon packet, though I now wish that I did. The best part of this breakfast? The yoghurt and the strawberry jam.

Next time you fly with Philippine Airlines, lookout for the condiment packets.

Corny and cheesy, but admit it, you laughed

Popularity: 42% [?]

Last year, when we were planning for my first trip to Australia, my sister wanted me to get the fares for a round-trip Manila-Melbourne-Manila flight from Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Qantas. I, on the otherhand, kept on insisting to fly with Philippine Airlines, because I am a Mabuhay Miles member. It was only after a couple of weeks (yes, I’m that slow) to realize that if I’m to fly with SQ or CX, I can have a stopover in Singapore or Hong Kong. After that realization, I booked myself with Singapore Airlines, and spent 5 days in Singapore, hoarding dolls and manga.

Apart from the stopover, what I liked about flying with Singapore Airlines is their excellent service and the personal entertainment system. For a 3-hour flight, I don’t mind not having ANYTHING because I can just read my book, listen to my MP3s and bring my own food. For long-haul however, I need more stuff to keep me entertained. That’s where (in my opinion) Philippine Airline falls short.

Despite my best efforts, I wasn’t able to secure seats on either Singapore Airlines or Cathay Pacific, or even Qantas. In desperation (as there’s only 10 days before I have to leave) I booked with Philippine Airlines. I was certainly glad that I’ll be earning almost 8,000 miles for this trip, but what I didn’t like is that PAL doesn’t have personal entertainment systems on their planes. That means a number of screens spread at intervals, showing a set of movies or programs, whether you want to watch it or not.

The first movie they showed was the latest Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. No complaints there, as I liked the movie the first time I watched it and wanted to see it again. I wanted to go right to sleep after that, but I ended up watching Nancy Drew. After Nancy solved the mystery, I resolved to get some sleep. So I put on my sleep mask and contorted to a more comfortable position (as if that’s possible in cattle class). Just when I was starting to drift off, somebody started laughing. Out loud. And he went on and on and on.

You see, after Nancy Drew and a couple of PAL commercials, some wise-ass thought it’d be fun to screen a gag show. Gag shows are funny; I like watching them. But damnit, not during a flight at 2 o’clock in the morning! The guy, who was on the same row as I am, just woke up from his 4-hour slumber and was so tickled pink at what’s happening on the screen. He enjoyed it so much that he couldn’t contain himself: he kept on laughing and laughing. Loudly.

Thankfully, the blasted show lasted for only 30 minutes. But alas, sleep just wasn’t meant to be. Soon after the show ended, the cabin lights were turned on and a disappointing breakfast was served. But that’s another another story for another day.

Popularity: 33% [?]