There had been several new visitors/readers passing by my blog recently, and quite a number of them are Filipinos. And quite a number of them think I'm one of them. I um... don't think I get awarded honorary Filipino citizenship even though I've been a frequent visitor to your most bee-you-tee-ful country more than a dozen times in the last eight years. I've even shown off the view from my office and sung our most patriotic National Day song "We are Singapore, Singaporeans!" in a recent post but still, that didn't stop the mistaken identity and the Tagalog comments which I couldn't figure out. Hmm. What to do huh? Did I eat... I mean climb too many chocolate hills?
I've taken another look at my family tree and while it's a bit unusual, I still have to declare that I can't find even 0.001% Filipino blood in it. My four great-grandfathers and one great-grandmother were from China (which part, I'm not sure, have to ask my parents again). The other 3 great-grandmothers were from Thailand, and one of them, according to my mother who still has memories of her grandma, was a pure Thai who could not speak a word of Chinese. The other two great-grandmothers may have been part Thai, part Chinese. My maternal grandparents were born in south Thailand and they settled in Penang, and my paternal grandparents were born in Singapore at the turn of the last century - around the 1900s.
One of the most amusing things I've often heard from my parents is this - my paternal grandparents, when they were alive, liked to boast that they had never been overseas in their entire lives before. Not ever across the causeway even once. Not even to Sentosa! I couldn't help thinking a lot of the folk on my father's side seem to be like that as well, quite content with our sunny island, set in the sea. I'm the exception. I travel too much.
Anyway, mum, from Penang, married my father, a Singaporean, and she took up Singapore citizenship thereafter.
What does that make me? A fourth generation Singaporean of course lah!
In this regard, I regret that the new comment policy on No Foreign Languages allowed has to be implemented, whether it's Tagalog or Cebuano or Yiddish or Eskimo or whatever. Only English and Singlish are allowed, please.
Chinese? Well, if you must, do make sure it's grade one level that I can decipher. What about Thai, you ask? Er, that one cannot also, because that part of me, if any, is already very diluted and cannot be tasted anymore.
Back to the chocolate hills.
I've been to the island of Bohol twice, the second time was in January this year but I didn't see the chocolate hills then because, except for the Loboc river cruise, we were stuck mostly in the capital city: Tagbilaran City.
These photos were taken by a friend on his mission trip. The chocolate hills are truly amazing - they're so called because they looked like Hershey's chocolates, and I understand they turn brown at certain times of the year. There are over 1,200 big and small chocolate hills in the whole island of Bohol, which is in central Philippines near the island of Cebu.
Since chocs are my favourite (starter, main course, dessert, all also can! Can't resist them at all!) I guess I'll have to say Bohol is one of my favourite islands in the Philippines!
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Remember these Toilet For Rent photos I showed a couple of months ago? While returning to Koh Kong in the late afternoon, we had to cross the usual four rivers on barges, and it was a five hour journey.©@tF2008.5 All rights reserved.
Marissa decided to rent a toilet during one of the river crossings, and I followed her with much trepidation, with my camera in hand. First, we shared some toilet paper. 
I let her go first to see what would happen to her. She went to the restroom on the right. You can see her just about to close the door.
The two restrooms, as you can see, stood over the river.
I finally went, very, very carefully, to the restroom on the left, peeked in, and er... I forgot what I said next. I think I remembered thinking... must be careful not to fall thru that hole!
Question: Would you consider renting a restroom if you find yourself in this situation?
