Tuesday, January 24, 2012

A Burial Place That is Nowhere Near Traditional

Photograph taken from http://www.fittedhawaii.com/hanahou/2009/08/13/hanging-coffins-the-bo-people-of-china/

 
I guess the only way I could start this entry with is by asking a question. Are you going to hang the coffin of a loved one against a cliff?

Apparently, that was what the Bo people of China did all those years ago. One could just simply wonder how they managed to hang their coffins there when technology was very much limited back then. If I remember it right, I watched a show in the History Channel and it was mentioned that not much is known about the Bo people. How they rest their dead in peace, however, can give us a lot of insight.

I really have no words to perfectly describe these coffins. I very, very much want to see them for myself and just be awed by at it.  If you find yourself in Yibin, China in the future, be sure to see this historical and cultural wonder.

Photograph taken from http://www.synotrip.com/china/bo-hanging-coffins

 Photograph taken from http://www.beerandheavymetal.com/random/the-hanging-coffins-of-the-bo-people/

Friday, January 20, 2012

One of The Legacies of The Man by Queen Victoria's Side

Picture taken from http://www.general-anaesthesia.com/people/prince-albert.html

If I had to think of one of my most favorite love stories of all time, I don't think of one that I read in books or saw in television shows or movies. I think of that certain love story that did exist and at the same time, made royalty history. 

The love story of Queen Victoria of England Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Prince Consort is one that was tried and tested many, many times by countless of people, traditions and whatnot. If you know your history well, you'd know that they did get their happily ever after even if Prince Albert had died at the age of 42.

I have always admired Prince Albert for the man that he was - he was an exceptional husband, father, political figure, cultural figure and all of that. Not surprisingly, his legacy lasted longer than his 42 year life. One physical example of this is the Royal Albert Hall. As a tribute of sorts to the late Prince Concert, I shall devote a series of entries starting with this concert hall.

  Photograph taken from http://www.ukcitytrip.com/Royal-AlbertHall.aspx

Located in Westminister, England, the Royal Albert Hall  was opened in 1871 by Queen Victoria herself. It is known to be the venue of popular concerts and other productions such as The Proms, Cirque du Soleil, Festival of Remembrance and the like. Though the Prince had requested that no effigies be built for him, I guess it is safe to say that he'll be happy and proud that a place like this was built for him.

Picture taken from http://mikebm.wordpress.com/2008/12/07/architecture-for-music-royal-albert-hall/


Picture taken from http://www.gigsport.com/venues/royal-albert-hall/royal-albert-hall-tickets.htm

Wednesday, January 04, 2012

Before The End of the World, I'd like to Eat Mario Batali's Food

Picture taken from www.cookstr.com/users/mario-batali/profile

So here is the first serious entry of this blog... and it amazes me how I even found time to write it considering I have so many other things I have to do.

I guess blogging makes me feel better... and creative.

I had thought about what to do for my first entry or rather, what to write about for my first entry. I considered starting this blog with the one place that tops my list of places to go to but that would be too common, wouldn't it? Considering that I probably couldn't pick that one place in this world, I'd rather do something else.

Then, the thought entered my mind - Food is part of traveling.

It is a fact whether you admit it or not. Tasting food, especially if you're off to a foreign land, is really part of going on a trip. Sometimes, one would like to go here and there to taste authentic food... not to mention the fact that food is a good topic for a blog entry.

Of course, a set of questions would come immediately after that. What kind of food? What restaurant? *insert the rest of the questions here*. So I thought about it and asked myself just what would I like to eat the most. It's a simple question really with probably a not so usual answer.

Mario Batali's food.

Growing up, I've watched Mario Batali's cooking shows for as long as I can remember. I've always loved Italian food more than other foreign cuisines and you simply have to acknowledge the fact that Mr. Batali is really the best at what he does. The guy is basically a walking encyclopedia for Italian food, knowing its history, culture and the different variations of it.

As you probably understood by now, I haven't eaten anything that is from a restaurant owned by Mario Batali so don't expect an objective review of his dishes. What I can do, however, is to showcase his restaurants in my blog. Through this Mario Batali showcase, hopefully the readers will be informed and enticed to try them out when the chance arrives.

For the purposes of this blog entry, the focus is on Pizzeria Mozza which can be found in Los Angeles, California and Singapore.

Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles, California
(Photo taken from http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2009/03/pizzeria-mozza-pizza-los-angeles-ca-la-review.html)


As the section on his restaurants in Mario Batali's website (www.mariobatali.com/restaurants.cfm) would describe Pizzeria Mozza, it is a "bustling, urban, burst of flavor and color". It is open from twelve o'clock noon and it stays that way until twelve hours later. So what food should be expected from this Batali restaurant? Read on and find out.

(Information included below are taken from the Pizzeria Mozza website (www.pizzeriamozza.com) and from other websites that will be cited.)

Calamari al forno with fagioli, tomatoes and oregano
(Image taken from http://www.soshiok.com/critic/article/15342)


Marghertita with mozzarella, tomato and basil
(Picture shown above includes additional fennel sausage. Image taken from http://www.foodsmackdown.com/2011/07/pizzeria-mozza-los-angeles-california/)


Caramel Copetta with marshmallow sauce and Spanish peanuts
(Photo taken from http://aliceqfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/12/pizzeria-mozza-and-mozza-cookbook.html)

Butterscotch budino, sea salt and rosemary pine nut cookies
(Image taken from http://aliceqfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/12/pizzeria-mozza-and-mozza-cookbook.html)

Tuesday, January 03, 2012

Purpose Means Many Things

Why did you create a blog?

Why did you choose to make your blog about traveling?

To be quite honest, I don't know what to write for the first post of my first ever serious blog. I used the word serious because I've got a Live Journal account reserved for the enjoyment of my imagination and a Tumblr account reserved for the delight of eyes.

I guess my desire to see the world and my love for writing has given birth to Type. Click. Travel.

I think it's safe to say that all of us dream of seeing the world - to enjoy different foods, to experience different cultures, to see the evidences of history and all that. The difference arguably lies with one's means. There are people who have enough - or even more than enough - resources to explore the world while others... Well, as they say in my country, it's free to dream.

I come from a middle class family. We get by and we can afford high priced luxuries every now and then. Now as an eighteen year old three months away from being nineteen, I have only been to one other place outside the Philippines, Hong Kong. Now is it safe to assume that I've been all over the many provinces of my home land? Nope, I haven't.

Type. Click. Travel. has one main purpose for me and for my future readers. That is to see the world from the comforts of one's whereabouts. Through pictures that I will respectfully borrow from other sources, Type. Click. Travel. will give a glimpse of the world out there; a teaser of what one could possibly see when the time comes.

You and I are going to be "cyber travelers"... Are you ready?