September 1-30, 2023
Sep Chronicles: Wok, Tinola, Basket, Drunk
Location 
: Lazi, Siquijor Island, Philippines
September and the Move
With my move to a house, logistics had to be looked after - getting my kitchen furnished, learning new cooking methods, etc. It's busy and exciting.
Fish Tinola
Fish Tinola
(September 5, 2023) When my fisherman-neighbor saw a gas stove delivered to me, he gave me 3 fishes - fresh catch of the day! I'd rather not clean fish, so I graciously declined saying my stove arrived but I still had no pots/pan (which is true). A minute later, he came back with loaned pot for my fish soup. At that point, it would be rude of me to refuse. I had to roll up my sleeves and view lotsa Youtube videos on 'how to clean a fish', 'how to sharpen a knife' and 'how to cook Fish Tinola'.
Kitchen Hacker
I'm a natural hacker on any system (but not computers), so having understood the underlying principles of making Fish Tinola, I took the liberty to modify so I can uitilize other kitchen items I had. I simultaneously added cornmeal to cook my 'rice corn' with the soup, and I added freshly grated carrot - or my carrot will go bad already.
Ending Thoughts
The Fish Tinola didn't taste like any fish tinola, but it was great as well. With the calamansi, lemon grass and kafir I've added, the soup tasted more like a citrus soup with an underlying fish flavor.
Moreover, I learned a few things from that episode - cleaning fish, cooking fish tinola. Unfortunately, sharpening a knife proved too challenging - my dull knife got duller. Still, it was a winning situation.
Lastly, I'm grateful for the fact that the world's knowledge is now at your fingertips - Youtube, GPT4, Google Bard, etc. There is no excuse not to know something anymore.
The Chinese Wok
The Chinese Wok
(September 6, 2023) The Chinese wok has always fascinated me especially after traveling Southeast Asia where street food is openly cooked in a wok with dazzling expertise by chefs/cooks whose wok is practically an extension of their bodies.
Settling Down
Now that I've stopped traveling and moved to a house with a kitchen, I decided to settle down and commit to being a householder. This means furbishing my rented house with kitchen things - stove, water dispenser, etc. Now, I could realize my fascination with a Chinese wok.
Wok Material
Which wok to buy? The local market only sells aluminum (Alzheimer's anyone?) and Teflon (cancer anyone?) - no self-respecting chef would use aluminum or Teflon. I went to Youtube for guidance. Apparently, there are a few choices of materials for a wok - stainless steel (great for soups but not for stir frying), cast iron (retains heat and heavy to work with) and lastly, the quintessential Chinese wok made with carbon steel (as popularly used in street food and fast-paced Chinese restaurants). Nearly all chefs default to carbon steel.
Shopee Ordering
I'm in an isolated island. Either I cross the sea to Dumaguete to buy or shop online. I chose Shopee and bought from one shop for a wok, spatula, ladle, bamboo brush and wok cover. The strainer, I bought at a nearby store. The shipping was half the cost of the merchandise and it took almost a week. The cover was flimsy and the wooden handles of the wok-spatula-ladle had no pre-drilled holes and no screw came with it. Otherwise, it was all good.
Wok Seasoning and Maintenance
I learned what needed to be done before using the wok for the first time - proper seasoning to make it non-stick and prevent rusting. Done! There is also a ritual after cooking. Rinse the cook in hot water while scrubbing it with a bamboo brush and then drying - no soap is used. When dry, put it back on the wok on med-heat to dry out all the water (no source for rust to develop) and apply a very thin oil coating (as an insulation from oxidation). Before using the wok again, it needs to be put on high heat until smoke (from the thin coating of oil) is burned off, then put priming oil to coat the wok. Chefs discard this priming oil, but I keep it for future priming (no one ever explained why priming oil is discarded while used oil can be reused). New oil is then added for cooking.
It is a lot of work just to do the ritual.
Lingering Thoughts
Given my limited experience with the wok, in hindsight, instead of buying a 2-burner stove, I should have just purchased a cast-iron single wok burner. This would have saved space, more robust and can generate higher BTUs for proper stir-frying.
Wok-cooking is a whole universe all its own with authoritative chefs dispensing their gospels in Youtube. This blog is a start of more wok adventures.
Bicycle Basket
Bike Basket Bar
(September 7-12, 2023) My bicycle basket has been indispensable for hauling stuff which otherwise would weigh me down - water from the spring source, wet laundry, etc. But the steel passenger seat was too small to support the big basket. The solution was to fabricate a metal bar on the passenger seat to support the entire area of the basket.
Welding Shop
I took the bike to a welding shop where the master-welder cut 3 pieces of metal bars which I would then zip-tie to the bike and basket. He cut the steel bar, drilled 6 holes and even ground the edges for a smoother finish - all for P120 (US$2.00).
Problem was, the bars were sticking out to the sides and can wound any thigh. I brought it back for re-cutting. Problem was, the welder was always drunk (more on that below). Finally, on the 5th day, I passed by and the steel bars were re-cut. I gave him P40 extra for his trouble.
Optimized for Payload
Finally, I was able to zip-tie everything together and my bike basket turned 'heavy duty'. For starters, I loaded it with heavy laundry and it held up. Nice!
Drunk Welder
Fabrication
(September 7-12, 2023) My bicycle basket needed reinforcement to support the heavy load I put on it. I took the bike to a welding shop but it took 5 days to get the job done simply because the master-welder was always drunk - either it was his birthday, a town fiesta or karaoke with the boyz.
Drunk
I was wondering how he could make a livelihood if goes drunk for consecutive days on end. Marlon, a local friend who was a hard drinker himself, told me that those welders were harder drinkers than him. Whoa!
No Show
On the same day, I was supposed to meet Marlon to go to Siquijor. I waited for him as agreed at 8am. By 8:30, he still wasn't around and I left for home, making other plans. Turned out, he got drunk the night before.
On another ocassion, he asked me to help him with his immigration papers. I spent a day researching. When the arranged time came for a meeting, he showed up drunk.
Lingering Thoughts
This drunkeness and inability to deliver plagues Siquijor (of course, not everyone). It's frustrating but it doesn't even feel right for me to complain. If I can't stomach it, I can just leave Siquijor. This is their town, it's their tradition and this is how things are done. Period.
I have a lingering speculation though why these things happen. When you know there is prosperity at the end of the tunnel, you keep your motivation high and work hard. However, if there is hopelessness, if you know that no matter how hard you work, you will remain where you are, you leave the country and work abroad as an OFW (overseas Filipino worker) - and a great number have done so. However, to those who are unable to leave, they only see an economic deadend remaining on this country. Why work hard? Why strive for excellence? Just do what you have to do to keep afloat and drink yourself out of your misery until you wake up the following day to repeat the cycle. I say misery because I don't know of anyone who is happy in life yet gets himself drunk every night - no one.
Why is this happening? It's easy to blame them. But if you look at the big picture, it's actually shitty politics at all levels of government - graft, corruption, nepotism, color-coding (being identified with your politics). The system was so designed to keep the masses poor, uneducated and disempowered. This way, politicians get away with everything.
Ending Thoughts
September has been characterized by learning new things and somehow, veering away from the readings/writings of yoga. I've committed myself to being a householder (settling down and no more travels) and getting busy in my new kitchen (I lived for 7 months in a small room) and learning new things - how to cook in a wok, wok recipes and doing new and exciting things in a wok. I learned from the huge selections of Youtube videos, as presented by lay culinary enthusiasts to renowned chefs. It's amazing how the world's knowledge is now at your fingertips. There is no excuse not to learn anything that interests you.
--- Gigit (TheLoneRider)
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More on Lazi:
Lazi Local Info
- Resorts - Lazi has some beach/dive resorts on its west coast - Gabayan Riviera, Lazi Beach Club, Bahura Dive Resort. However, the popular area for tourist resorts are in San Juan
- Transport - Lazi is the junction where the jeeps begin their clockwise route (Lazi-San Juan-Siquijor Port) or the counter clockwise route (Lazi-Maria-Larena Port). Because the jeeps are rare with about 2 to 3 trips/day only in the morning, it's practical to just have a motorcycle here in Siquijor. With its affordability (a brand new Rusi motorbike is as low as P45k), people just buy motorcycles...especially those who live up in the mountains.
- The Boulevard - Lazi's main draw is its seaside cobblestone promenade. When the sun goes down, people gather here for eats, drinks, open-air, harbor view and the sunset
- Lazi Port - Lazi just recently opened up its port with Kho Shipping plying the Iligan, Tagbilaran and Cebu routes.
Lazi >> Iligan City by boat
Lazi to Iligan City route by Kho Shipping was just opened up in early April 2023. Before, going to Iligan City meant going to Siquijor Port, 30 km away. This also meant that on the way back, you have to be in Siquijor before 2pm to catch the last jeep to Lazi. With this direct route, there is no 'last trip' to catch.
- Lazi Port - take Kho Shipping to Iligan City, Tu-Th-Sat, 6 hours, Lazi departure 5 am, arrival in Iligan City Port 11 am, economy P800, tourist P1100, tickets available at Lazi office 2pm-10pm M-Sat
Lazi >> Cagayan de Oro by boat
Lazi to Cagayan de Oro route by Kho Shipping was just opened up in early September 2023. Before, going to Davao meant going to Iligan first, then bus to CDO and then bus to Davao City. Now, Iligan can be completely bypassed saving about 3 hours on the trip.
- Lazi Port - take Kho Shipping to Cagayan de Oro, Tu-F-Sun, 6 hours, Lazi departure 6 am, arrival in Cagayan de Oro Port 12 noon, economy P1,100.00, tourist P1,400.00, tickets available at Lazi office 2pm-10pm M-Sat
Lazi >> Dumaguete by boat
Lazi to Dumaguete route by Kho Shipping was just opened up in early September 2023. Before, going to Dumaguete meant going to Siquijor Port, 30 km away. This also meant that on the way back, you have to be in Siquijor before 2pm to catch the last jeep to Lazi. With this direct route, there is no 'last trip' to catch.
- Lazi Port - take Kho Shipping to Dumaguete, M-Th-Sat, 3 hours, Lazi departure 1 am, arrival in Dumaguete Port 4 am, economy P300, tourist P500, tickets available at Lazi office 2pm-10pm M-Sat
Lazi >> CDO >> Davao City by boat/bus
Lazi to Cagayan de Oro route by Kho Shipping was just opened up in early September 2023. Before, going to Davao meant going to Iligan first, then bus to CDO and then bus to Davao City. Now, Iligan can be completely bypassed saving about 3 hours on the trip.
- Lazi Port - take Kho Shipping to Cagayan de Oro, Tu-F-Sun, 6 hours, Lazi departure 6 am, arrival in Cagayan de Oro Port 12 noon, economy P1,100.00, tourist P1,400.00, tickets available at Lazi office 2pm-10pm M-Sat
- Cagayan de Oro Port - arrival 12 noon. Take a jeep to East Terminal (Agora) to catch the Davao-bound bus
- CDO East Terminal (Agora) - take bus going to Davao City, 8 hours, PHP 875. This terminal is open 24 hours and there is always a bus going to Davao - no need to pre-purchase tickets
- Davao Bus Terminal - you'll arrive at the Davao Bus Terminal, close to SM City. From there you can take a cab ride to your hotel. There are many jeeps that will also take you to the Poblacion town center, 15 mins, PHP 12
Lazi >> Tagbilaran >> Cebu by boat
Lazi to Cebu entails a stopover at Tagbilaran - you only pay for one ticket (I've broken down the individual trips in case you're boarding from Tagbilaran). From the 5pm boat departure from Lazi, it would cost PHP 1000 (it's odd that it's cheaper to pay for the individual trips rather than paying for both...PHP 845 vs 1000) and take about 10 hours.
- Lazi Port - take Kho Shipping to Tagbilaran, W-F-Sun, 4 hours, Lazi departure 1 am, arrival in Tagbilaran Port 5 am, economy P475, tourist P750, tickets available at Lazi office 2pm-10pm M-Sat
- Tagbilaran Port - arrival 5 am, layover 1 hour, departure for Cebu 6am (5 hours), economy P370, tourist P520
- Cebu Port - arrival 11 am
More on Siquijor Island:
Siquijor Island Local Info
Jeeps - there are only 2 routes for jeeps within Siquijor Island - and they are rare. Most people have their own motorcycle transport.
- Siquijor Port to Lazi - last trip leaves at 3pm from station near market
- Lazi to Siquijor Port - jeeps depart from the Lazi Port area. 5 jeeps, the last trip at 12:30 pm. Lazi to San Juan, P50.
- Larena Port to Lazi - jeeps are unpredictable. As of this writing, there is only 1 jeep plying the Larena-Lazi route. This jeep leaves Larena for Lazi at 9:50am. After that, no more jeep. You'll have to take a tricycle to Siquijor Pob for jeeps going to Lazi
- Lazi to Larena Port - 6am (daily) and 9 am (M-Th)
Food - these were suggested by a local to me
- Lechon manok & liempo - roasted pork belly and chicken at Joel's in Siquijor Poblacion. I've tried this myself...yummy, even if the chicken was no longer hot
- Bibingka - sweetened rice cake by Fidy's Bibingka (P30) in Sawang, Maria. I've come back for this and I buy for other people as well as 'pasalubong' - they love this
- Siopao - at the Rosita store near Thrifty (P25) in Siquijor Poblacion
- Peanut butter - by Rene. Just ask around in Siquijor Poblacion. It's popular
- Torta - sweet cakish bread at the Thrifty story in Siquijor Poblacion
Siquijor Island Map
Siquijor - Dumaguete Boat Trips
(as of Jan 2023)- Montenegro Lines - at Siquijor Port, P234.00/pax, P169/bicycle, 7:30am/10:00am/2:00pm/4:30pm
- Aleson Shipping - at Siquijor Port, 6 am and 6 pm daily, 1:30 pm M-Sat, Regular P200.00/pax, Aircon P250.00/pax
- Ocean Jet - 40 mins,at Siquijor Port, 0919.066.5964, www.oceanjet.net, marketing@ocenajet.net, 6:00am/6:00pm, P350/pax (tourist/open air), P580/pax (business class)
Siquijor - Tagbilaran - Cebu City Boat Trips
(as of Jan 2023)En route to Cebu City, the ferries usually make a stop-over to Tagbilaran (Bohol) to pick-up more passengers or unload.
- Ocean Jet - 2 hours, 8:20am, at Siquijor Port
To Tagbilaran: P800/tourist & open air, P1200/business class
To Cebu: ? - Lite Ferries - at Larena Port,
To Tagbilaran: T-Th-Sun, P475/standard, 7pm, 3 hours, PHP?
To Cebu: T-Th-Sun, 7pm, 7 hours, PHP 650
Siquijor - Plaridel Boat Trips
(as of Jan 2023)- Lite Ferries - at Larena Port, T-Th-Sun, 2:00 am, 5 hours, PHP?
Siquijor - Cebu (Liloan) - Cebu City BUS Trip
(as of Jan 2023)There is only one bus plying this route - Sugbo Urban. Tourist class coach, a/c, comfortable, Sun-Fri (these dates keep changing). P420 for bus, P275 for ferry to Liloan. Larena Port around 5 am, makes a clockwise roundtrip around Siquijor Island - Larena, Enrique Villanueva, Maria, Lazi (stops at Lazi market for breakfast and leaves 6:50 am), San Juan, Siquijor (arrives 8am, P50 from Lazi to Siquijor Poblacion) and catches the 1pm ferry at Larena Port (Sundays at 3 pm) for Liloan, Cebu and resumes its land route. Arrives Cebu City (South Bus Terminal) 10 pm.
Sugbo Urban is the cheapest and most convenient way because it goes around the island (clockwise) along the circumferential road, passing through - Enrique Villanueva, Maria, Lazi, San Juan, Siquijor...and back to Larena where it takes the ferry at 1 pm. This saves you the hassle and high transport cost of a tricycle. Besides, it's a long trip from the other side of the island to be taking by tricycle.
Suggested Destinations After Siquijor Island
These are the nearest popular destinations from Siquijor by boat
- Bohol - Bohol is an island northeast Siquijor. Tourist attractions are Chocolate Hills, Tarsier Monkey, Loboc River Cruise, Beaches of Panglao, whale sharks (recent offering), freediving (recent offering)
- Cebu - Cebu City is the usual gateway into the Visayas. But in Cebu Island itself, there are many offerings - Whale Sharks of Oslob, sardine run at Moalboal,Thresher Shark of Malapascua
- Dapitan (Zamboanga del Norte) - I haven't been there but a lot of island ferries ply this port. There must be something here.
- Dumaguete - Dumaguete is a small charming progressive coastal town in Negros Oriental. Cafe and restaurants line the famous Boulevard Boardwalk. Tourist attractions include Japanese Shrine, Casaroro Falls, snorkeling along the southern coastline (Dauin, Masaplod Norte, etc), Balinsasayao Twin Lakes
- Plaridel (Misamis Occidental, Mindanao) - I haven't been there but a lot of island ferries ply this port. There must be something here.
Blogs
Siquijor Island
- Sep Snapshots: Fisherman, Granny, Pedicure, Big Fish, Garbage September 1-30, 2023
- Together Forever Sep 11, 2023
- The Cigarette Talk Sep 1, 2023
- Siquijor Star Meditation Center Aug 31, 2023
- The Lost Dogs of Siquijor Aug 27, 2023
- Moving to a Bungalow! Aug 22, 2023
- Aug Chronicles: CDO produce August 31, 2023
- Aug Snapshots: Pan de Sal, Palpitate, Taho, Tuna, Pineapple August 1-31, 2023 [an error occurred while processing this directive]
- July Chronicles July 31, 2023
- July Snapshots July 1-31, 2023
- Learning Cebuano: July July 1-31, 2023
- June Chronicles June 31, 2023
- June Snapshots June 1-31, 2023
- Learning Cebuano: June June 1-31, 2023
- May Chronicles May 31, 2023
- May Snapshots May 1-31, 2023
- Learning Cebuano May 1-31, 2023
- In Search of a Cool Climate May 25, 2023
- The 64 km Bike Ride May 16, 2023
- Lazi Fiesta May 15, 2023
- The Boulevard Opening May 5, 2023
- April Snapshots April 1-30, 2023
- Learning Cebuano...Again! April 1-30, 2023
- Kris Visits Siquijor Mar 17 - Apr 15, 2023
- Exploring Siquijor with Marky Mar 25 - Apr 11, 2023
- Siquijor Healing Festival April 5-8, 2023
- The Talk at United Church of Christ April 2, 2023
- Mar Snapshots Mar 1-31, 2023
- Vigil for the Ghost Ship of Siquijor March 31, 2023
- Judging an Essay on Gender Equality Mar 29, 2023
- The Thief, the Shaman, the Elves and the Police Mar 20, 2023
- Finally Acquiring the Motorbike Mar 18, 2023
- Bitcoin Blunder Mar 15, 2023
- Maria's Unsung Beaches Mar 11, 2023
- Lagaan Falls Mar 9, 2023
- Tibhong Spring Water Source Mar 8, 2023
- Bolo-Bolo Natural Spring Mar 2, 2023
- Reasons to Get a Wife March 1, 2023
- Feb Snapshots Feb 28, 2023
- Camagung-Ong Natural Spring Feb 28, 2023
- Heeeere's Johnnie! Feb 26, 2023
- Manifesting a Motorbike from Thin Air? Feb 18, 2023
- The 'Bad Guy' of Siquijor Feb 15, 2023
- Amazement from Drivers License Renewal in Siquijor Feb 15, 2023
- Locong Falls Feb 9, 2023
- Inguinal Hernia? Goodbye ABS! Feb 4, 2023
- Jan Snapshots Dec 31, 2022
- In Search of Tubod Cold Spring Jan 27, 2023
- 1:4:2:3 Nadi Shodana Jan 26, 2023
- Lazi's Boulevard Jan 22, 2023
- Lazi: A Monthly Stay Jan 21, 2023
- 7 Days in Maria, Siquijor Jan 14-21, 2023
- Capilay Spring Jan 17, 2023
- Siquijor: In Search of Resonance Jan 9-14, 2023
- Riding Around Siquijor's 86km Coastal Road Apr 3, 2012
- Exploring the Cantabon Cave of Siquijor Feb 23, 2012
- Jovee and Missy's Excellent Adventure Nov 6-7, 2010
- Freediving in Siquijor's Marine Sancturaries Apr 23-24, 2010
- Island Tour of Siquijor Apr 22, 2010
- Kram's Siquijor Wedding Apr 21, 2010
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