5 Reasons Why I’m an AlDub Fan

I am an AlDub fan. There I said it. Maybe I need to shout it: I AM AN ALDUB FAN.

Now, I am not the type of person who gushes about love teams and showbiz. In fact, I dislike local showbiz with gusto. I am mostly unaffected with love teams. Well, this changed with Alden and Yaya Dub.

I confess that I didn’t like Yaya Dub when I first watched her first appearance in Eat Bulaga’s Sugod Bahay portion. I am not impressed with her dub smash and I found it OA. I even predicted that she will be gone within the month. This is what I believed until this happened:

That spark between the two started a fire that is now raging in the whole country and even the whole world. Even I was not able to reach the fire exit and thus I was now burning with AlDub Fever.

I am truly hooked with AlDub and these are the 5 reasons why:

1. Kalyeserye Makes Me Laugh Like Crazy

I rarely laugh hard at local sitcoms and gag shows. In fact, I don’t usually laugh at the many of the antics of Eat Bulaga Dabarkads. But when Kalyeserye started I go like this:

(Source: Neogaf)

Then when AlDub came I started doing this:

(Source: Neogaf)

Only Kalyeserye can give me this kind of laugh.

2. Kalyerserye Revives Filipino Positive Culture

Kalyeserye is not only for laughs because positive Pinoy culture is ingrained to it. It is refreshing to see Alden make “mano” to Yaya Dub’s parents. It is so nice to hear Lola Nidora spout good advice to Alden and Yaya Dub regarding relationships. The youth of today need to hear these words of wisdom.

(Source: Popsight)

3. AlDub Makes Me Kilig

OK. I admit it. AlDub makes me kilig. I rarely experience this with other love teams but with AlDub it is [very] hard to resist.

(Source: GMA News)

Joey De Leon said that he felt kilig at his old age because of AlDub. If an old man couldn’t resist the kilig then a younger man like me don’t have the chance.

4. Kalyeserye is Scripted but Not Scripted

Critics say that Eat Bulaga’s Kalyeserye is scripted. Of course it has a script BUT the script is just a guide for the flow of the story. Kalyeserye will not be successful if Wally, Jose, Paolo, Alden, Yaya Dub, the Rogelios, the Bernardos, the Quando Quando Quando and all Dabarkads will just act spontaneously. Kalyeserye is interesting because there’s a story.

However, the script doesn’t dictate every action and reaction of Kalyeserye actors. I firmly believe that Alden and Yaya Dub’s reaction to one another is genuine and this is the source of all the kilig that the whole AlDub nation feels.

The writers and actors of Kalyeserye made a healthy mix of script and spontaneity and this is what made AlDub a worldwide craze.

5. AlDub Brings Out Pinoys’ Artistic Talents

Filipinos’ artistry came out because of Alden and Yaya Dub. A simple Google search will show hundreds of AlDub inspired artworks from simple drawing to digital painting and even photo manipulation.

(Source: Linkis)

And did I mention about the thousands upon thousands of memes created because of AlDub?

There are also AlDub inspired songs. One is “The AlDub Song” which is catchy.

My favorite would be Yaya by Jimmy Bondoc, which encapsulated all the essence of AlDub like the positive advice by Lola Nidora and the kilig.

Bonus Reason: AlDub Makes Twitter More Alive

(Source: onehallyu)

The Twitter war is unprecedented because of AlDub. The fans of Eat Bulaga and It’s Showtime clash in Twitter. Even Ben10 was dragged in the Twitter war. The skirmish between the fans of AlDub and Pastillas Girl is fun to watch.

These are my 5 + 1 reasons why I’m an AlDub fan. How about you? What is your reason?

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A Biker’s Adventure in Ayutthaya Historical Park

Biking is the best way to tour the Ayutthaya Historical Park, especially if you are not part of a programmed tour. I, for instance, did not join any Ayutthaya tour or hired a tour guide so I was on my own. Good thing that there are shops within the historical park that rent bicycles.

I rented my bicycle from Better Café, which is located near Wat Mahathat.

The lady owner asked a photocopy of my passport and 100 baht as the bike’s rental fee for the whole day.

I confess that I only learned how to bike when I went to Thailand. I practiced in the evenings so that people will not see me fall. I remember that I hit a tree and a trash can during my practice.

My adventure in Ayutthaya was my first time to bike with cars and trucks on the same road. It was a little scary but I kept myself safe by staying at the outer lanes.

I got bored with visiting another temple after visiting two temples: Wat Mahathat and Wat Ratchaburana. What I saw in two temples will be the same at the other temples. Since I had nowhere to go, I just biked to check some interesting things in Ayutthaya Historical Park like these elephants:

Minor temples abound within the historical park and most of them have free admission.

I biked near the river bank and I saw these Catholic church on the other side.

I knew that I have to go to that church so I crossed the bridged immediately to go to the periphery of old city of Ayutthaya.

Interesting spots dotted the riverbank outside of Ayutthaya. There are temples like the Wat Chaiwatthanaram, which looks like Wat Ratchaburana.

There is also a monument for a local hero, whose name I forgot to take note.

Thais offered flowers and food to him as if he is a deity. This way of honoring local heroes is typical in Thailand.

I reached St. Joseph Church after a 30 minutes. All I can say is that I was blown away by the beauty of this church. I never thought to see such a church in Ayutthaya. I will talk about St. Joseph Church in the next post.

I continued my biking adventure after spending an hour in St. Joseph Church. My destination this time was the ruins of the Portuguese settlement. I will talk about this settlement in a future post.

Biking around Ayutthaya Historical Park is gruelling because of the intense heat of the sun. But it was a good experience. I was able to move freely and I own my time. So, if you’re planning to go to Ayutthaya I suggest that you try renting a bike and go wherever you please.

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Read my adventures in Ayutthaya Historical Park:

Exploring Ayutthaya Historical Park (Part 1): The Ruins of Wat Mahathat
Exploring Ayutthaya Historical Park (Part 2): The Crypt of Wat Ratchaburana
Exploring Ayutthaya Historical Park (Part 3): Close Encounter with Thai Elephants
Exploring Ayutthaya Historical Park (Part 4): St. Joseph Church of Ayutthaya

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The Abandoned House of Heneral Antonio Luna

There’s an old house nestled in the San Nicolas district of Manila that looks like an ordinary old house at first glance. This house has capiz windows, wooden walls at the top floor, and a large front door typical of the “bahay na bato” of the Spanish era.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

The old house is actually the birthplace of General Antonio Luna. Unfortunately, just like other historical houses in our country, General Antonio Luna’s birthplace is in great disrepair. The roof is about to fall off and the windows have missing capiz shells.

General Luna’s house looked bad on the outside and I shudder to think how worse it is in the inside.

Another sad fact is that the front of General Luna’s birthplace became a tambakan, parking lot, and even a sleeping place of Binondo’s homeless.

General Antonio Luna is considered as the best Filipino general during the Filipino – American War. Heneral Luna was an excellent strategist that even the Americans respected him. He brought discipline and professionalism in the fledgling Philippine Army. His reforming works hurt many in the army, especialy those whom Luna considered as cowards ad insubordinates. Well, these cowards and subordinates murdered him in 1899 as allegedly ordered by President Emilio Aguinaldo.¹

Keeping the old house in its sorry state is not the good way to honor the general. The government cannot do anything, however, since the house is a private property. Lorenzo Tan, the Filipino-Chinese who owned the house, said that he is willing to sell it to the government for 100 million pesos but he received this answer: “no funds available”.²

Mr. Tan also questioned the claim that the old house was the birthplace of Heneral Luna because the historical marker was originally placed on his mother-in-law’s house located near the old house. The mother-in-law didn’t want the marker so the National Historical Commission transferred it to Mr. Tan’s house. The alleged true “birth house” of Heneral Luna is now a condominium.

It is sad to know that there were issues about the Heneral Antonio Luna’s house in Binondo. Is this the reason why the government is adamant in purchasing the house?

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If you enjoyed reading this blog post then you will also enjoy reading about these historical houses:

The Historical Halls of Aguinaldo Shrine

The house of Apollinaire Mabini in Polytechnic University of the Philippines

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Many information in this post were obtained from the following online articles:

1. “Today in Philippine History, October 29, 1866, Antonio Luna was born in Binondo, Manila” from Kahimyang

2. “Conflicting claims haunt old Binondo house” in Inquirer.net

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Exploring Ayutthaya Historical Park (Part 3): Close Encounter with Thai Elephants

I didn’t know where to go after visiting Wat Mahathat and Wat Ratchaburana. There are other temples in Ayutthaya Historical Park but thought then that visiting a third temple is too much. I will be seeing the same ruins and the same Buddha statues.

I just walked without any direction until I saw two mammoths walking down the street.

Elephants! It was a delightful sight to see a live elephant although it was not my first time to get near one. In fact, I met Manila Zoo’s controversial elephant before I went to Thailand. Also, I touched an elephant skull during my visit to Phukhieo Wildilife Park.

Riding on an elephant is a must-experience in Thailand. Tourists go from all over the world just to experience riding the ancient “car” of kings and maharajahs.

I followed the Thai elephant until I reached their pen where I saw more Thai elephants.

I discovered, to my dismay, that riding an elephant costs more than 100 baht. I didn’t want to spend that large amount of money. It is not worth it.

So I just contented myself at taking photos of the elephants in their pens.

I even took a selfie with them…

My closest encounter with a Thai elephant.

...and an elephant touched my palm. He thought that I have food. :-P

I bet that elephant is so disappointed.

Elephants are important part of Thai culture. They served as beasts of burden. More importantly, they served as the cavalry during ancient wars. Elephants are effective in destroying the formation of foot soldiers. Just imagine that you’re a soldier in the ancient times and a group of war elephants rampage towards you. I’m sure that you will run away lest you be stomped to death.

War elephants served ancient armies from Europe to Africa to India to Southeast Asia. The Romans, for instance, had a hard time fighting the Carthaginian general Hannibal because of the Carthage’s war elephants.

The Thai government recognized the importance of elephants in their culture that’s why they became the symbol of Thailand. It is evident in the royal seals and coat of arms.

The elephants in Ayutthaya Historical Park are trained while they were young. Thus, their obedience to the mahouts (elephant trainers) are deeply ingrained to their psyche (if they have that).

I was in for a treat that day when I saw a young elephant play with his mahout, which I recorded in this video:

That treat is enough for me. I’ve seen the elephants up close. I even touched one of them. Contented, I moved to another place in Ayutthaya Historical Park.

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Read my other adventures in Ayutthaya Historical Park:

Exploring Ayutthaya Historical Park (Part 1): The Ruins of Wat Mahathat
Exploring Ayutthaya Historical Park (Part 2): The Crypt of Wat Ratchaburana
Exploring Ayutthaya Historical Park (Part 4): St. Joseph Church of Ayutthaya
A Biker’s Adventure in Ayutthaya Historical Park

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Exploring Ayutthaya Historical Park (Part 2): The Crypt of Wat Ratchaburana

Ayutthaya was the mistress of ancient Southeast Asia. Her power is well known even to the Europeans. She is so rich that many treasures are hidden within her prangs, wats, and palaces. The invading Burmese got most of the treasures but they missed the ones in Wat Ratchaburana.

Wat Ratchaburana is an interesting structure in Ayutthaya Historical Park because it looked like a giant corn from a distance.

The mysterious giant corn.

The gargantuan corn is actually the prang of Wat Ratchaburana. The design is the prime example of Ayutthaya’s architecture and art.

Wat Ratchaburana was one of the few temples in Ayutthaya Historical Park that was spared from destruction when the Burmese sacked the city in 1767. Too bad for them that they didn’t demolish it because they missed the great treasures inside it.

Entering Wat Ratchaburana is not easy for a “makunat” person like me because I shelled out another 50 Baht for the admission fee. I previously spent 50 Baht when I entered Wat Mahathat so I already spent 100 Baht for this adventure.

If I just pretended that I’m Thai then maybe I could enter this wat for free.

Wat Ratchaburana was built by Somdet Phra Borommaracha II over the cremation site of his brothers who duelled for the throne on elephant’s backs. In short, Somdet Phra Borommaracha II got the crown easily after his two elder brothers died foolishly.

Restoration works are being done on Wat Ratchaburana during my visit. Scaffolding stood beside the main prang while experts are doing their work quietly.

It’s good that the Thai government is committed in preserving their historical treasures.

Just like other Buddhist temples that I saw in Thailand, Wat Ratchaburana is replete with statues and symbols from Buddhist and Hindu mythology.

The main prang showcases statues of the Garuda and nagas (giant snakes). There are statues of Hindu gods too but I don’t recognize them.

Of course, Buddha will not be absent.

Just like Wat Mahathat, Wat Ratchaburana has a grand hall where monks did their rituals in the past. Unfortunately, the grand hall was destroyed by the Burmese.

There’s nothing much to see in the Grand Hall other than its walls, columns, and brick floor. All the Buddha statues that resided in this hall are now gone. The only thing that’s best for the Grand Hall is its very good view of Wat Ratchaburana:

I didn’t expect that Wat Ratchaburana has a surprise for me. I thought that I will be just looking at ruins and its exterior but lo and behold! A staircase going down the depths of the temple.

The not so mysterious tunnel made me feel like I’m the Tomb Raider. Too bad that there was no trap that sprung or any monster that blocked my path. It was just an empty crypt. No, make that an “empty and smelly crypt”. I say it’s smelly not because something is decaying (like a mummified Thai king) but possibly because of the mold.

The crypt is not even a tomb. It is, actually, a reliquary and it was said that it once contained a relic of Buddha. 

Inside the crypt are the faded paintings of Buddha.

The photo is not good because the paintings are too faded. I believe that the paintings’ deterioration will continue because of the humidity inside the Wat Rachaburana’s crypt.

Aside from Buddha’s relic, the crypt also contained gold and precious stones. In fact, looters raided Wat Ratchaburana in the past and they hauled great amount of treasures. The looters were caught and some of the stolen items were recovered.

The Thai government made their own digging inside Wat Ratchaburana and they unearthed golden Buddha statues, votive tablets, royal regalia, and other precious items.¹ Too bad that they didn’t left anything for the poor tourist like me.

I didn’t stay long inside the crypt because of the smell. I climbed up quickly for a breath of fresh air.

The open walkway just outside Wat Ratchaburana’s entrance is the perfect place for viewing the whole Wat Ratchaburana complex. It is also the perfect place for a selfie, like this one:

Wat Ratchaburana is more interesting that the nearby Wat Mahathat because of its crypt. Also, Wat Mahathat has nothing but ruins while Wat Ratchaburana’s main prang is still intact. If you’re visiting Ayutthaya Historical Park then you must enter the crypt of Wat Ratchaburana. Maybe you’ll get one precious stone that is stuck in the corner.

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Read my adventures in Ayutthaya Historical Park:

Exploring Ayutthaya Historical Park (Part 1): The Ruins of Wat Mahathat
Exploring Ayutthaya Historical Park (Part 3): Close Encounter with Thai Elephants
Exploring Ayutthaya Historical Park (Part 4): St. Joseph Church of Ayutthaya
A Biker’s Adventure in Ayutthaya Historical Park

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Some information on this post came from this source:

1. Tourism Thailand

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