Some people have been hibernating

This happened a few moments ago in the TV game show Pilipinas Game Ka Na Ba?:

Question: Saang lalawigan makikita ang pandaigdigang paliparan ng Heneral Santos?

The first contestant was quick to the draw.

Contestant 1: Buzzzz!....Cebu?

Edu (Host): Wrong!... Steal!

Contestant 2 did not even bother to wait for the question (and the choices of answers) to be reiterated by Edu.

Contestant 2: Buzzzz!... Davao?

Grrr... Some people have been hibernating.

Gas is way cheaper in Davao!

Don't ask me why. Fuel is way cheaper in Davao City. I was there just this weekend and diesel costs only P26-P27 a liter. In Gensan, the same would cost around P30/L and in Koronadal P31/L. I've read somewhere that diesel in Metro Manila costs between P28-P30/L.

I forgot to take note of the prices of the other fuel products but I am sure these are lower as well. So if you are from anywhere near (e.g. Soccsksargen) and are planning to go to Davao in your car, load up just enough to get you to the city. If your car has a 60-liter fuel tank, you can save a lot when you gas up full on your return trip.

If you are coming in from Manila... take the plane :)

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POSTSCRIPT: Fellow Soccsksargen blogger Donna Mae says gas is even cheaper in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan!

Pvt S. Ryan, Dog Green Sector, Omaha Beach

Pvt S. Ryan, Dog Green Sector, Omaha Beach
Originally uploaded by Ariel Marco

I am trying out a new (or shall I say, a newly-found) feature of Flickr , which supposedly allows me to blog about a photo in my own photostream and have the post fed directly into my site in Blogger.

So let me share something about the photo posted here. [I think the photo is going to be posted above this text, if I am not mistaken].

This was taken from a famous beach resort in Samal Island, Davao. It is an original (as opposed to a Photoshopped) black and white digital photo I took using a point-and-shoot Canon. I took the opportunity to play with my cam and shoot while waiting for our swim as there was a four-hour low tide ahead of us when we visited the resort.

The photo shows my 9-year old kid Ivan playing out his fantasy as an Allied soldier in World War II; this time as a fallen US Army Ranger in Omaha Beach during the 1944 invasion of Normandy. Ivan himself titled the photo. If you have seen Spielberg's masterpiece Saving Private Ryan, then you know who Private S. Ryan is. No, he is not the one played by Matt Damon in the movie.

The prop that is a GI helmet in the foreground is an authentic Korean War-vintage; given to Ivan as a gift by his Ninong Lom Barranco. On our way to Samal, two Korean tourists took notice of the headgear and, when told of its history, one readily wore it and posed for a photo with Ivan. The Korean then smilingly told us he is from the North of the 38th parallel.