Ayala Centre Cebu 16 Nov 2015

Before coming to Cebu, we did do a research on internet on the shopping malls in the city, Ayala Centre is one of destinations besides Colon Street and SM City Cebu.

Since this was the last night which we would spent at the Cebu City before we move to Mactan Island, we thought that we should at least pay a visit there.

The City of Cebu earned its prestigious title of being the Queen City of the South because of its empowered commercial and cultural arena, among many other sources of pride. For majority of the urban population, the opening of Ayala Centre Cebu marked a significant boost in the City’s industry.

Ayala Corporation opened Ayala Centre Cebu to the public in November 1994. Since then, it has become a premier shopping destination. From just about 24 tenants to begin with, the mall now has over 300 businesses in place.

Among numerous stalls and boutiques found inside the mall, Metro Gaisano occupies the largest space. The Metro Gaisano department store and supermarket takes up six stories of Ayala Centre Cebu which we had visited the branch at the Colon Street. National Bookstore also has a branch inside Ayala Centre Cebu.

I guess there are 2 segments of markets which it targeted. One is the more middle income and the other one would be the high end market. We were attracted the the wing nearer and attached to the Marriot Hotel, we are able to see more international brands.

Among the many boutiques and shops present in the malls are Nike, Manels, Artwork, Blue Magic, Mango, MNG, Penshoppe, Bench, Human, Oxygen, and Odyssey. H&M is soon to open there as we were 1 week ahead from the opening date.

Then, we saw Rustan’s. It was quite a bit curios to us as we never see the brand at Malaysia. Once we approached to the department store then we realise it is a more exclusive stores just like Tangs or Isetan back home in Malaysia.

We went in and immediately all of us were attracted by the shoes. I had chosen a pair of rubber shoes which moulded like a court shoes but very comfortable, and it is a Brazil brand called “Mel”, Annabelle took a purple colour “Jelly Bunny” and Daddy took a canvas shoes.

Ayala is not only for shoppers. The mall also showcases a variety of food choices, from random food stalls scattered about the area to established fine-dining restaurants. The mall unveiled a new and improved food and beverage strip last October 30, 2008.

“The Terraces," as it is fondly dubbed, transformed what used to be a mosquito- and lovers-infested lagoon area to a vibrant strip with landscaping and water fountains.

Among the many occupants of The Terraces are: Bread Talk, Pancake House, TGIF, Lemon Grass, Laguna Garden Café, Shakey’s, Yellow Cab, Vanille, Roma Mia, Don Henrico’s, Hukad, Sunburst, Fully Booked, Postrio, Bigby’s, La Tegola, Gerry’s Grill, Big Mao, Casa Verde, Bistro Ecila, Roma Mia, Mooon Café,  Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Gloria Jean’s, Bo’s Coffee, Starbucks, Seattle’s Best, Gelatissimo.

We decided just went to the food court at the top of the Ayala Centre to have our dinner. I guess that is the mix rice stall we choose. 4 plates of rice, together with some the clam soup, fried squids, fried fish, and egg plant fried with egg. Well, I guess we still not get to use with their taste. Overall still a good meal.

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Cebu Sweet Delights ~ 7D Dried Mangoes 16 Nov 2015

After the tartanilla experience, we had our snacks at Gaisano Mall at Colon Street and shopped around their supermarket looking for some cheese, herbs and spices, and dried fish to bring back home.

We took a cab to 7D Mango factory which are located at Mandaue City before we went back to our hotel.

Cebu is famous for their dried mangoes. Colloquially dubbed as such, dried mangoes are bits and pieces of ripe mangoes that were dried out under the sun.

Their chewy texture and sweet taste make dried mangoes so addictive that you will crave for more.  Made from the best Cebu-grown mangoes, dried mangoes are excellent for snacks and desserts.

Dried mangoes are excellent fat-free alternatives to sugary snacks.  With its sweet and non-acidic zest, this dried fruit product is rich in vitamins and made from the best handpicked mangoes of Cebu.  Each bite is guaranteed to be tasty, chewy and full of flavour.

These fruit snacks are perfect for every occasion.  You can serve them as appetizers or desserts in dinners.  You can even bring them to outdoor excursions and outings.  These chewy nibbles are perfect whether you are at work, at play, or simply at home.

Besides dried mangoes, we bought the mango puree too. And, we tried the mango nectar too, it is a ready to drink mango juice. It is really nice!

Tartanilla/Kalesa Ride in the Streets of Cebu City 16 Nov 2015

After our Taoist Temple trip, we came to Colon Street by cab, as all of us were so hungry as we did not take our breakfast at all before we went to the Taoist Temple.

Daddy wanted to come to Colon Street again as we believe there are much more to see after our first trip there on Saturday.

We had our brunch at McDonald’s, just wanted to try out how are the taste difference in each country.

Well, we were a bit disappointed on the food and the price are more or less the same compared in Malaysia, just the taste and variety are not there. We still love our Malaysian McDonald’s.

We were walking and wondering around the Colon Street and we came to see some interesting and new to us in the city. There are horses on the streets!

While I was taking some photos on it, Daddy went up and asked about a ride and price. Local call it Tartanillia or Kalesa.

Tartanillia is one of the oldest mode of transportation not only in Cebu but all through out the Philippines. Tartanilla or kalesa is a horse-drown carriage which still exist in some local streets here in Cebu City.

They roam around the busy street in Boromeo, Leon Kilat and some part of Colon Street.

Since both Issac and Annabelle were so excited wanted to go for a ride, we just on the deal and climb onto the carriage. The carriage is a little bit small, but still can to squeeze 4 persons.

Then the Kutsero (driver of horse-drawn vehicle) brought us roaming around the streets near the Colon Street. We did pass by some public markets, universities or smaller malls, etc. Quite excited too as this trip let us see more as we did not manage to see.

And, a great experience in this part of country! It is quite fun too!

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Cebu Taoist Temple 16 Nov 2015

Monday we continued our Cebu adventure by exploring and went to the Taoist Temple, as it is not really our interest by going to there, but feeling like we have came to Cebu, as it is like we have not fully explored this city.

We took a cab to there, the area is located in the high-end Beverly Hills subdivision in Cebu City, as we passed by the residential areas, we can see a lot of bungalows with huge land area.

The temple was built by the Chinese community of Cebu. The towering, multicoloured tourist attraction has an elevation of 300 meters above sea level and is accessible by three separate winding routes.

The Taoist Temple is open to worshipers and non-worshipers. Built in 1972, the temple is the center of worship for Taoism, which follows the teachings of Lao Tze, an ancient Chinese philosopher.

According to locals whom believe rituals for the devotees to pray to the gods for their wishes to be granted. The ritual also includes the washing of hands, entering the chapel barefoot and dropping two blocks of wood.

If both blocks of wood fall face up, then the wish will be granted. If not, then perhaps the time has not come yet for the wish to be granted, and one has to come back to the temple at another time.

Another ritual among the devotees, done during Wednesdays and Sundays, is the climbing of its 99 steps to light joss sticks and have their fortune read by the monks.

All these rituals are so familiar to us, as it have formed one of our Chinese cultures and customs throughout our growing years, as all these are nothing new to us.

Reaching the top would also reward is a marvellous view of Cebu City and the islands of Mactan and Bohol in the distance.

The temple includes a replica of the Great Wall of China at the entrance, chapel, a library, a souvenir shop, spacious balconies, and a wishing well. Also remarkable is the giant dragon statue.

The temple is constructed in a highly ornate style of Chinese architecture and is topped with a pagoda-style roof. Present in Taoist architecture are structures according to their functions, categorized as palace for oblation and sacrifice, altar for praying and offering, cubby for religious service, and garden for visitors.

The Taoist Temple is one of the most popular tourist spots in the city. Travel agencies usually include trips to the Taoist Temple in their tour packages. It also gets frequent visits from students for their field trips.

The Taoist Temple is a beautiful place to meditate and relax. One can definitely do some soul-searching in its sprawling gardens and astonishing view with the benefit of fresh air. Discover and appreciate a taste of Chinese culture in the Taoist Temple, and open yourself up to a brilliant, whole new experience.

It was really a hot hot day as all of us were extremely exhausted after visiting the Temple, and we have to walk down from the hill as the cabs seldom go up there as it is a high end residential area. It was so lucky for us to get a cab which the driver send us down to the hill, and from there we able to get a cab to drive us to Colon Street.

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SM City Cebu 12-15 Nov 2015

The distance from our hotel to the SM City Cebu actually is not far, as it is just a few minutes of walking distance, and it is kind of easy for us to look for our food when we feel hungry each time. It was the nearest and so convenient for us just to buy and shop anything.

It is near Christmas, thus all around the mall was nicely decorated with Christmas ornaments and trees and lights and stars. There was the first thing we noticed when we were on our way to the Temple on the first day we landed Cebu, we can see some of the stars shape decorations were hanging all over the city.

We were curious what was that, and asked the cab driver on that, he told us that it was for the Christmas decorations. It is so early to us, as now Malaysia is busy celebrating the Deepavali.

SM City Cebu currently is the 11th largest mall on the planet, it is a sprawling four-level complex that features eight world-class cinemas, a department store, a food court, a bowling centre, a traveller's lounge, an 8,000-square meter amusement centre and a 2,000-square meter trade hall. It hosts about 500 retail shops, restaurants and cafes.

SM City Cebu first opened in November 1993, catering more to the broad middle class in comparison to Ayala Centre Cebu, which targets a more upscale market.

To the delight of Cebuano mall-goers, an expansion wing, dubbed the North wing, opened in 2007. The North wing offers two floors of retail shops, restaurants and cafes, and caters more to the leisure market.

SM City Cebu proves that variety is the spice of life. You can find an array of exciting food choices, from fast food chains to elegant fine dining restaurants. You can also experience retail heaven with its many shops such as Oxygen, Penshoppe, Mango, Topshop, Promod, People Are People, The Body Shop, National Bookstore, Ace Hardware, Toy Kingdom, Toby’s Sport and much more.

Movie buffs are also treated to a whole new cinematic experience with SM’s 3-D IMAX theatre, which opened in late 2009. We were thinking of going to watch the movie but most of the movies screening at that time were 18SG, not suitable at all for our children. Then, we just window shopping and see the huge Christmas Tree which is at the Ground Floor Foyer area.

Another thing which draw our attention and impressed us a lot is the security personnel in the shopping mall. Almost every shopping malls either old or new, big or small, until in the individual retail shop alone, we can see smartly dressed security personnel guarding at every entrance.

They looked so professional compared back home here in Malaysia, whereby most of the security guards at the banks, shopping malls are foreigner, either Bangladeshi, Nepalese, Burmese, or Vietnamese. It is so different here in Philippines. They even having a small first aid kit at their back just in case any incident happened.

We were thinking in my mind like: It is really a shame to us Malaysian, as we are so choosy on the jobs, whereby what can I see from Cebu is that Pilipino really building up their nations as all the jobs are fully filled by their own nations, even to the security guards positions!

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Mandaue Philippines Stake Conference 15 Nov 2015

It was a special Sabbath to us, as we were at Cebu City Philippines. In the morning, we went to the Temple ground again as there is a Sacrament Hall for the local members.

We woke up as early as 7.00am, as Brother Aden would be meeting us at the Bayfront Hotel Lobby and drove us to the Temple for our sacrament meeting, after which he invited us to go to his stake conference – Mandaue Philippines Stake Conference.

During when we were at the hotel lobby, we saw Brother Aden’s friend, the taxi driver to drive us to the Temple. He called Brother Aden on his hand phone, then passed the phone to Alvin.

After a while, Alvin told us to take the taxi and the driver would drove us to the temple. Brother Aden’s baby was not feeling well as he need to bring him see doctor first in the morning, and he had called his friend to fetch us to the Temple.

We reached there early, as we thought that the first sacrament will start as early as 8.30am. Then, we told the taxi driver to be back here around 9.30am, and took us to Hoops Dome, where the Stake Conference would be held.

We met a brother there as he is the temple chief security, he told us that the first session of the sacrament would start only at 9.00am. I was thinking like, are we able to catch up the stake conference later?

Eventually, there were more and more members coming in to the Sacrament Hall. We met with the Bishop of the ward, but I really cannot recall which Ward was that. It was really a brand new experience for us to attend a ward sacrament meeting.

The sacrament meeting was attended by around 180 people as we saw the deacons who passed the 5 trays of sacrament bread and 5 trays of sacrament waters to the members. The assigned speakers too, were really uplifted our spirits.

At the sacrament meeting, we met with one Chinese, Brother Yew. He was delighted to get to know us that our last name is Yu as well.

Brother Yew told us that, we might be related in that sense as 俞氏is originated from 余氏。He was born in Cebu as his parents were born here too as well. He is the 3rd generations here in Philippines as his grandfather and grandmother were from China.

Brother Yew is a Chinese Teacher here in Cebu. I believe he must be doing a lot of the family history works as he knew most of the China genealogy and all about related to his last name. It was really a pleasure to meet up with him.

After the sacrament meeting, we quickly rushed out and checked whether the taxi driver still there. Yes! He still there waiting for us. He took us to the Lapu-Lapu City which is located at the Mactan island, we have to cross the bridge. After almost half an hour, we reached the Hoops Dome. It is a stadium.

Brother Aden was waiting for us outside. He brought us in to the stadium. There were a lot of people in and out of the stadium.

From one look, we knew that we were at the right place, as we can see most of the men and boys were wearing white shirts, long pants and with ties.

The stake conference had started already. Brother Aden gave us the programs flyers. Actually, it is same as our district conference too, it started at Saturday night itself.

I think we arrived at the right timing, after a while Cebu East Mission President, President President Richard L. Tanner gave his speech.

After him, was Elder Allen D. Haynie whom was sustained as a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy last April General Conference. I still remember his talk last October at the General Conference. Both Alvin and I can feel the spirit very strongly.

After the conference, Brother Aden introduce us to his ward bishop. We waited for a while to meet up with President and Sister Tanner, and took a photo with both of them.

We met with Elder Allen D. Haynie, I did talk to him for a while. He is so humble and a very nice person. I was so regret that we did not take the opportunity to take a family photo together with him, but we feel so uplifted on that special Sabbath.

During our way going out from the stadium, we met up with Brother Luis D. Daclan whom sealed us as a family on Friday in the temple.

He was surprised and happy to meet us at the Stake Conference too. We took photo together with him. We have our family photo with Brother Aden and his pretty wife and baby boy too.

We are so grateful and happy for our first ever temple trip, as we are able to accomplish most of our goals: accomplished our own endowments in the temple; our family sealing in the temple; we baptized for our own mother and father in the temple; we attended our first ever ward sacrament meeting, we attended our first ever stake conference; we managed to meet with Cebu East Mission President, President & Sister Tanner; we managed to meet with Elder Allen D. Haynie from the First Quorum of the Seventy.

We feel the love from Heavenly Father on our family as we know that He has planned this trip so well and so wonderful for us, as we are able to meet with the beautiful members or saints in this part of the world, get to know them and Brother Aden even invited us to attend the Stake Conference, and shared his testimony with us. All these beautiful and wonderful experience would not be happened if not by the hand of the Lord who knoweth all things!

We love you so much, Heavenly Father. I say this in the name of our beloved Jesus Christ, Amen.

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Colon Street Cebu 14 Nov 2015

Before we came here, we were hearing a lot about the Colon Street, which we can buy all sorts of things cheaply in Cebu. After our visit at The Heritage of Cebu Monument, we just took a cab and stopped at one of the shopping mall at Colon Street. The taxi driver told us, it is very near only, we just can’t take the heat anymore, it is ok with us.

Colon Street is a very busy and crowded street in downtown Cebu City. It is proudly known as the oldest street in the Philippines. It was named after Cristobal Colon (Christopher Columbus). Colon Street was built during the time of the Spanish colonization. It was developed by Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, the Spanish explorer who arrived in the Philippines in 1565.

Colon Street, a bit run-down now, used to be the heart of Cebu’s shopping and business district. It was the central site of fashionable shops, boutiques, restaurants, offices and movie houses. In recent years though, with the American mall culture arriving in the Philippines in the 1990s, there was a significant shift of activity to the uptown malls and business establishments.

Still, Colon is presently a huge and vital site of economic activity as shoppers of all walks of life still flock to Colon to search for cheap, economical goods to get more value for their money. It remind me back to our home Kuala Lumpur the Petaling Street, even though it is a bit shorter or the Rock Road down town Kuala Lumpur.

Colon Street became the center for commercial activities in downtown Cebu. Over the years, it continued as the lifeline of trade and commerce in colonial Cebu. It was also the place where numerous significant social and cultural events took place. People can shop for clothes, bags, jewelry, school supplies, electronic supplies, hardware, groceries, and much more. Colon is the very economical choice for shopping for various items, as you can get more and pay less.

Through the years, Colon has seen the varying phases of the economic and political atmosphere of Cebu. Many universities such as the University of San Carlos, University of Cebu, University of the Visayas, and the University of San Jose-Recoletos were built near or along Colon Street, as it was identified as the center of commerce and trade.

Presently, Colon is lined with numerous food and business establishments. A busy and active place during day and night, Colon is filled with shopping malls, fast food and commonplace restaurants, fashion boutiques, surplus shops, bargain stores and movie houses. It is even said that almost anything can be found in Colon, and you can have it for a much, much cheaper price, too.

An obelisk detailing Colon Street’s historical significance was constructed on its northern end. In the hearts of most Cebuanos, past and present, are memories of this street. Especially for today’s elders, they have many memories of how Colon Street used to be when they were younger. Colon seems to be a witness of many worlds of time. For Cebu, Colon Street is familiar to the mind and close to the heart.

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We ended our Saturday half afternoon trip with here, whereby we took a cab back to hotel and let children took a rest, as we were busy and tired for the whole day. Later on, both Daddy and Mummy came out again to SM City Cebu for our dinner, and we took our time do our window shopping and of coarse we packed some food for the children at the hotel, as well for our Sunday breakfast too.

The Heritage of Cebu Monument 14 Nov 2015

On our way to the monument, we passed through the Cathedral Museum of Cebu. Daddy did not intend to go in as we saw a lot of paintings and portraits were displaying in the building.

By looking at both children were really stretching their physical limits by walking through so many sites under the hot sun, we just thinking of reaching our next destination.

A short walk from Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, we soon find the prestigious Heritage of Cebu Monument which is located in the original Plaza Parain in Colon Street, Cebu City.

The Heritage of Cebu Monument is a tableau of sculptures made of concrete, bronze, brass and steel showing scenes about events and structures related to the history of Cebu.

From the time of Rajah Humabon to the recent beatification of Cebuano martyr Pedro Calunsod. The monument is a work of national artist Edgardo Castrillo. It was started in July 1997 and inaugurated on December 8, 2000.

Local artist Eduardo Castrillo built the sculptures of the Cebu Heritage Monument. He and the late Senator Marcelo Fernan together with donations from other private individuals and organizations funded the construction of the monument.

The structures depicted in the Heritage Monument are the Basilica del Santo Niño, the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, the Saint John the Baptist Church, the Magellan’s Cross, and a Spanish Galleon.

The scenes depicted in the Heritage Monument are the baptism of Rajah Humabon, a procession of the Santo Niño, a Roman Catholic mass, and the Battle of Mactan between Lapu-Lapu and Ferdinand Magellan. The persons depicted in the monument include the late president Sergio Osmena Sr. and Blessed Pedro Calungsod.

We do not realise that the Parian District is a historical area. which during the Spanish period was home to the residences of the most prominent families in Cebu at that time.

The St. John the Baptist Church previously stood on the site of the monument’s location. However, the diocese of Cebu demolished the church in 1875.

The Yap-San Diego House is part of the Casa Gorordo Museum complex, which is a private museum open to the public. The museum complex highlights the lifestyle of a rich household in Cebu during the Spanish era and displays antique furnishings, clothes, kitchen equipment and utensils, and other antique items.

Thus, we did not go to above places, from there we took a cab and get to the famous Colon Street.

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