Old School Leyte: WWII Guerilla Captain Nieves Fernandez, No Shrinking Violet

No shrinking violet... Capt. Nieves Fernandez with an M1 Garand on the right shoulder and her weapon of choice - the Machete (Bolo or Sundang).

Discovered this provocative photo of the only known female guerrilla fighter named Captain Nieves Fernandez, a Leyteña, during WWII. With this, that epithet of the Warays being “ma-isog” (fearless) came to the forefront of my brain once again.

The photo ca. 1944 taken by a photographer named Stanley Troutman, shows Captain Fernandez demonstrating to an American GI how she eliminated Japanese soldiers with the aid of a machete during the occupation. Fernandez was also a school teacher and fought south of the Tacloban area. Reports indicate she lead a guerrilla troop of 110 and their kill claims were at 200. It was said that she had a method to her assassinations that was sure and swift, she aimed for the carotid artery and inner jugular vein which are main blood suppliers to the brain; the enemy would have felt pain at first but death came almost instantaneously, a sort of merciful killing (if there is such a thing). She fastidiously trained her troop in hand to hand combat, makeshift weaponry and helped barrios and was instrumental in freeing comfort women to safety. Wow. That is bad A.

I am certain that Kapitana didn't start off as a macehete-weilding lass in Leyte and given the choice, I bet, she would have just been gratified simply with imparting education to the younglings but alas, desperate times… Her notoriety was borne out of dire circumstances and the Japanese issued a bounty for her head to the tune of P10,000, I am of the opinion that her "isog-ness" wasn't misapplied.

Would post script with this though: the Waray’s fearlessness works best in pertinent matters, when the need is for the many but not for one’s own self-interest and certainly not for insolence's sake. May we all take that to heart.

Highside Restaurant: This Is a Man's World...

Walking into Highside Restaurant is like walking into a lair of testosterone where the James Brown classic “This is a Man’s World” comes to mind and the whole thing is unabashed about it. The set up is quite the sports bar du jour with the modern and vintage motorbikes, crude oil drams fitted as chairs, helmets, surf boards, skateboards, hubcaps, semi-monster tires, vintage license plates and NBA games streaming through the two flat screens mounted on the wall. 

Surely in a place like this, masculine aphorisms with a mild touch of mischief wouldn’t be wanting, just check out these tongue-in-cheek signages that will subconsciously make one chuckle until you psychoanalyze it. 

As the only girl inside this milieu at this time, I order what I deem as the manliest but proverbial dish in the menu and that would be a straightforward hamburger, the Burnout Burger to be exact. This burger has a mixture of beef and pork meat and it comes with complimentary thin fries and the default FF dip of the Philippines, the thousand island dressing. The dish arrives and I gobble it up to an acoustic rendition of Alice Cooper’s “I’ll Never Cry” blasting through their fireball surround sound. 

The burger happily doesn’t make me cry, as it in fact is tasty with good grilling flavors but it doesn’t burn me out either. It could be bigger, like the fist of an MMA fighter perhaps and the meat is not cooked through. We can play around with the done-ness of beef, but I don't we can do the same with pork, unless it’s a veritable sushi. The other items on the menu must be better as I hear that the chef is an award-winning import from a touristy island south of here. The staff members are easygoing and sophomoric in appearance and as for the internet habitué, sorry, this here is Wifi-free because they want us to party like it’s 1995. 

As I conclude my circumspection and my time at Highside, I look at the other side of the coin. I realize the intention of the owners with the decor, the ambience, and the reasonably-priced fare of roughly P35 - P300; Tacloban is yet to have a consummate sports bar where the guys coming from all walks of life can just be guys, talk, drink and munch on nuts and trail mixes like they do and perhaps go full boar in a spot that reminds them of a man cave. Highside is that right now; that or at the very least this joint is grazing the trail for more of it’s kind to come.

Baybay: It’s Not Just the Place, It’s the People Too

Population: 102,841.
Land Area: 180 square miles.
Bay Area: Stunning as they come.
Rubbish Content: Discordant for a developing country.  

For all intents and purposes, Baybay is still untapped. I hope it stays this way forever and a day. And if it does bloom, here’s wishing it won’t change the inhabitants for her allure isn't just the awe-inspiring sunsets, the old-world ambience or that idyllic island stride of the day, but more so because people embrace you with their smiles and sense of rectitude. 

 

In the “smile” meter, we (Taclobanons) can learn from Baybayanons, I waved to an unknown gentleman sitting on the side road while passing through and he stood up not just to wave back but also to tip his hat off, so to speak, is this not a breath of fresh air? They do not have Tacloban’s razzmatazz but on my word, that air of courtesy is one I would trade in half of a heartbeat. 

Baybay has a spectacular nature scene, if you have the majestic mountains to your back the deep blue sea is to your front and the carbon by-products are certainly kept to a minimum. An established university named VSU is also here, the university itself is secluded near the mountains and appears to be serious with education, now this part I am hoping will get more favor with funding so it may be developed as one of the country’s premier universities because the potential already exists. 

And on to the streets, where is the rubbish? Yes there is a stray wrapper here and there but certainly not mounds of it like in Tacloban and other major cities. I have not checked Baybay’s footing in terms of politics but this will make one curious, could good governance and enforcement of the law be the reason for the impression of their orderly locale? For certain, if people live in a milieu of peace and order, courtesy and warmth is a sequelae. 

If I could wish some things for Baybay, it would be for a culinary revolution and a bona fide library or bookstore. The street barbecues are heralded as one of the best in our region and 2 coffee shops are in business here but it could use more. The coffee shop named "Ciudad" is the one that stands out as it is located foremost by the bay with coffee and tea to be enjoyed both indoors or al fresco. Other than that, it is as revitalizing as far as island living goes.

Baybay.
Population: 102,841 today, soon to be 102, 843?

Rustic Coffee

Rustic's logo was a collaboration I really liked being a part of.

Rustic Coffee, that coffee shop in Burgos St. across Asian Dev't. College.

I didn't tell about it before but in the past year, I ran a coffee shop called Rustic Coffee here in Tacloban City. The concept for Rustic was simple. Dishes were from our kitchen (mine and my husband’s), drinks were like how we wanted it, prime coffee and the decor was a mix between rustic, minimalist and Scandinavian which is my current mood and our whole idea was not to compromise with the flavors at all. I wanted for the atmosphere to be relaxed and one where if you went, you'd feel as though you were on a quest for something original. For example, we wanted to serve a Marinara sauce that wasn’t sweet or that contained ketchup; we wanted to serve a white sauce that had all sorts of herbs and aged cheese more than the Béchamel-y type which is the usual here in the Philippines. 

The chalk art in Rustic was a nod to the coffee shops I truly admired in cities like NY and London.

Personally, my dream was to enhance the coffee culture in our city. The part where coffee or tea is like an extension of your arm and for you to come over and feel that you are in a place of it’s own league when you walked in - not in a high brow sort of way, don't get me wrong but only something sincerely unique. If this  approach meant alienating particular demographic(s), it wasn’t our intention, but sometimes I think one has to just do what one has to for the sake of expansion, palate-wise and in the realm of cuisine in general.

Here are examples of our fare:

I always enjoyed introducing new blends from other places where premium coffee were grown and blended.

At Rustic we made our own entrées, we mixed up our own red and white sauces
for the pizzas, pastas and the panninis .
 
Our initial plan was only to serve coffee, tea and boulangerie items which we did at first but when we served our pizza as a temporary special, many people requested for it that we did a whole section of pizza too. The same happened with the pasta dishes. Some dishes though picked up and some didn’t. I found this to be true with the Quiche which I was happy to introduce because it is such a complete meal of it's own, but it appears, nothing still beats the 3x daily dose of rice for most.  

Of the clients I liked best were the ones who were sincere about their quest for new cuisine. One time a person came in and said he never had quiche before and that he did not know what it was, he was on a student's budget so we gave him his drinks for free. I wanted that spirit and I wished there were more of those that came in, even if it meant giving drinks for free.  I liked the clientele we gained despite not having a conventional media blitz, grand opening or even a big sign, just pure word of mouth and sojourners who found us by chance and I was happy for most that walked in. We literally had people from all walks of life - students from the nearby schools, employees, US and European expats, international volunteers from NGOs and tourists. We even had bakery shop owners come check our rustic breads and sandwiches which was quite heartwarming for me. 

Our Interior:

An honest review: 
"Came across this place by chance and very glad I did. More like an inner city Sydney cafe then any other place I've been to in Phil.
Had an excellent veggie panini, coffee was okay but not great, which is about the best you can expect in the Philippines where American-style childish, sweet concoctions are everywhere.
Good atmosphere and music, very quiet when I was there, I hope it succeeds."
               -- David Sanderson, from Sydney, Australia.

Another:
I recommend everyone to try this place. Word Class menu. I got new fave desserts.
  -- Kaye Valle 

Having Rustic Coffee was rewarding, however, it did take up a lot of my time. It was a joy having this fantasy/bucket list realized but I am a rolling stone after all even if I love the patina that comes from moss. Would I do it again? Yes, but perhaps in another place and in another time. 

One other aspect of Rustic I liked was my staff, all the growing pains we had, from the first bunch namely, Melca, Aiza and Eva, then as things moved on we gained Jeffrey, Daniel, Ian, Dianne, Jorell and Anabelle. The hodgepodge of all the personalities I dealt with and encountered was an experience I would not trade. Yes, we were not all perfect but we sure did have fun, heaps of it, all replete with laughter, trials, errors, successes, failures and certainly with hope. 

Rustic Coffee for me was an experience for my life's book, I did it and was happy for it, more filled than when I began. God is good to me no doubt, to have indulged me with a bonus, thank you Lord. Rustic was not without my husband, that most instrumental man I sometimes call JAT, treks upward like these are indelible in my life because of this person. And then there are those who came and made Rustic Coffee Rustic Coffee, YOU.

 Thank you to YOU, you know who YOU are, all that came to Rustic Coffee. It was cool to have you. 

Nice Babatngon

There is a mission work that the husband started in this town called Babatngon, Leyte and I have been a frequent visitor here. Babatngon is located at the northern tip of Leyte and has approximately 35 thousand inhabitants and has a languid feel to it as it is next to a cove. Fishing and farming are the common mode of enterprise here and it is thriving as a community. The town possesses a breathtaking nature scene on both the sea and mountain fronts. The forests are verdant, the crops fecund and I hope it stays this way for all time. 

If we can call it that, progress looms about with the arrival of the expansive housing project initiated by the National Housing Authority with 2,000 villas knit next to each other. These one-bedroom concrete villa subdivision is the proposed resettlement for those who are living very close to areas prone to storm surges and flooding. Word has it that the town will be further developed into a major port of the Leyte and as Tacloban City becomes more saturated, this might just become the suburb to be, in the not so distant future. 

Herewith are photos taken of the area from a park located on a mountain top that surveys the vista of Babatngon, 360 degrees. 

The Haiyan Food and Coffee Shop at Bislig, Tanauan, Leyte

I was finally able to check out this only game in about 5 towns coming from Sogod to the Palo, Leyte area named Haiyan Restaurant. As we can see the namesake, “Haiyan” is dervied from that devastating typhoon that ravaged Leyte in 2013. I wonder if the owners want to thumb their noses and defy said calamity by christening this eatery as such, or perhaps it's their way of exhibiting their resilience.

As for the entrées, some dishes are cafeteria arrangement while others a' la carte and most are classic Filipino dishes like Kinilaw (ceviche-type fish), pancit and other meat preparations, no annotations needed. Beside the main restaurant is a coffee shop as well and I also noticed a motel being erected within the premises, which will complete a trifecta of service and hospitality.

The décor is eclectic here, with the ubiquitous use of quality wood on the floor, walls, tables and chairs. The staff members are welcoming and helpful. The entire area is al fresco, so just be patient with a stray dog or 2 and the occasional vector visitors which can't be avoided but rest assured, the place is pleasantly rustic and even classy as a whole.

Oriental lattice woodwork.

 Creative and well thought out wood sculptures of lasses which has pocket of drawers.

Aslan Café and Restaurant, a Turkish Wonder in TC

Mural of the Hagia Sophia

Wow! Today I found this place that rouse me up from the mopes. This authentic Turkish restaurant is on the corner of Paterno and Gomez Sts. and a place that all of us should check out, for the flavors, the ambiance and to experience something what we would consider “out-wordly.” I have not been to Turkey but I have been to a few Mediterranean restaurants in my day and when I walked in here, I was genuinely transported. It gave me joy that this is here in our town. 

Mousa, one of the owners, is quite the amiable bloke.

The menu is in Turkish (with English translations), it has descriptions and includes kebabs, Turkish meatballs, a staple of pita bread (Turkish style which is thinner than the Greek's), egg dishes, salads, beef lamb, spiced up with their own unmistakable flavors and all are Halal. So far there were at least 30 items on the menu and I know now where I will be having dinner for the next 30 nights (more or less). How sweet it was for Mousa, the gracious, polite owner to give me complimentary Stuffed Grape Leaves with couscous when I asked if they had some. Their homemade hot sauce is not like any, the meatballs' breading is also very distinct. I am very biased to this café now.

Stuffed Grape Leaves Mediterranean to the core.

 

The murals at Aslan depict iconic spots in Turkey such as the Hagia Sophia, the Brosphorus Bridge, ruins in Ephesus and in here I found something serendipitous: Shishas! It might be nice to look into this, inhale the water pipes and enjoy their coffee too! The coffee is traditional Turk and unambiguous. 

 Shishas (water pipes)

 

Rumi's proverb (shown above, Rumi's name in Turkish which appears as "Hz Mevlâna; Mousa informs me that this saying translates as, "This world is our test and one chooses to make it bad or good.") Mousa is good to converse with about Byzantium, Rumi, Gibran and so on. 

Mousa's mother is the mastermind behind the recipes, this made me so glad because this way we will be treated to authentic flavors, untarnished and uncompromising; soon, they will feature Baklavas! Wooo! I can't contain it. 

May I recommend this to all of you? Yes, it's unlike our Filipino dishes, it has a distinguished robust flavor but I've always believed that to experience new dishes is to be teleported to the very place where it came from and besides, cuisine, should be an ongoing education. 

Turkish meatballs and Pita bread

NB: The owners have been in our midst immediately after Typhoon Haiyan and have been involved in relief and rebuilding with the Turkish government. They were instrumental in facilitating Turkish President Abdullah Gül's visit which brought awareness to Tacloban. Already, they are making a story that will eventually dovetail right into the fabric of our island town. 

An abstract of a dervish dancer fashioned in Jalaluddin Rumi's time. I was a bit of a Rumi devotee in my early 20's and this brings me back.