Luwuk, Sulawesi

Clear sea waters of the Luwuk coastline Km 5. As seen on the photos, the sea has clear colour bandings that is caused by its characteristic sea topography that starts from its sandy beach as a shallow shelf where corals can grow (the turquoise-colored waters), and it then has a sudden drop into the deep (the darker lazuli blue water) - that creates an steep vertical sea wall.

Cocoa is a locally grown on the cooler hills of Luwuk. Here we see a farmer drying out his cocoa seedpods by the sea...

More pictures coming soon... sooner than last time... I hope

Pasar tradisional Ngabang

Saturday morning outing to the market with MIKA teachers... with a box truck!

If you have followed this blog since its Roman days, you know that I have a soft spot in my heart for traditional marketplaces. The cacophony of sight and smell of these markets are really something that modern shopping experiences cannot beat!

Sayuran Pakis, edible young tips of forest ferns. Ferns are not farmed, mind you... so these are foraged vegetables. At Rp 5'000 (50 US cents) for three bunches, it's a deli deal.

Two types of wild forest fruits. The long one is sour but the round one is sweet: similar to longans.

P - O - R - K !

What the...?
Looks like blubbers of fat to me. It turns out to be
Jeroan - Chicken innards.

Dried spices and such.

Ngelamun...

Melbourne vignettes

Back from the holidays to post some PS-Vintaged photos from Melbourne...


Docksland... just as it used to be years ago, pretty, expensive, disconnected from the CBD (as planners would say)


Yellow budgies at Victoria market.


Pears at vic mart also. Vic mart is my new favorite spot in town. I'd love to live near there if I ever get to be in Melbourne again. To walk there... to smell all the fruits and veggies and cheese... *sniff sniff* ahhh...

I miss campo de fiori.

Valencia | A Shopper's Guide

Corrida de Toros. Despite little bullfighting tradition in Valencia, this matador ring features prominently in the city. Unless you go there in August, there's little to see there and it's becomes a tourists' market during other times.


Fans, fans, fans! The souvenir of the town. Prices range from €8 to a dashing €50. Explore smaller streets further from the center and you might get one of these decent Spanish fan at half the price.


Ceramic tile-making is also another core Valentian industry. Looks colorfully spanish, at €6 apiece.


Paella making pans! from your tiny one-person sized, to a 30-person pan 60-80cm diameter.


And this is what the paella kinda looks like. The vendor informed me that this is fried rice though! Yummy food with wholesome grilled garlics in it.


This is the grand Mercado Central. Sells all sorts of vegetables, fruits, cheese, meat, fish, and canned foods. Closes on Sunday (I presume) and at 3pm everyday. Looks like Spore's Lau Pa Sat, ne?


Cheeerries!


And snails!!! Live snails, ladies and gentlemen!!! The first appearance of snails on this snailer's blog!


And of course, there's always Carrefour, in case you don't make it before the market's closing time. Wherever you are in the world, it looks just like any Carrefour you have near you.


Except that Filipinos is the local Oreo. These comes in over 12 edible varieties and can be found in most cafés too.

Day 108 - Donna e Agricoltura

Today is a nice and sunny day. Like most sunny day, I thought that something nice is bound to happen... and so it did!

I took these photographs last month at the Donna e Agricoltura (Women and Agriculture) market. It is a monthly market for agricultural products made by women owned businesses held at Piazza Trilussa. The products they sell are tourist oriented: black and white truffle sauces, specialty olive oils, organic honey, cured meat, cheese, wine, etc. It is a fun market to go to because there is a lot of food sampling, free music, and a festivesque atmosphere.





The photograph below was edited and printed for the photo class portraits series. The lady sells organic chocolate spreads (with specialty flavors such as chili, cinnamon, and no-milk) and gives away free tasty samplers.


At this month's market, I decided to give this photograph to the lady herself. I have no use of it, I thought, and she would appreciate it very much. I didn't expect anything but a thanks and a small talk, which would be nice since my Italian is getting to be very rustic. Random, awkward, strange... but hey, what's the harm in giving something to a stranger?

And so I went, on this nice golden afternoon. I gave it to her and she was surprised, happy, but in a nonchalant way. As a her thanks, she offered me one of the chocolate spread she is selling! I picked the chili chocolate and went because she seem to be busy. In the end I did not get the small talk I wanted, but, a jar of chocolate is really YUMMM!

Day 37 - San Giovanni di Dio II

Sweet girl (doesn't she look mature and well behaved? ahahaha). My guess is that she is a Filipino. I found her on the only exotic food stall which sells asian-indian spices and nuts, thai and basmati rice, terong bulet, kacang panjang, and banana flower (of all places!!!).


This is Stefania, the friendliest Italian market vendor I've ever met in the quest for the perfect open air market experience. The vendors here don't speak English at all (unless they're Bangladeshi, of which there were few), most of them are not aggressive, but they don't care about you either. They look at you think that you're a strange sight: a lost tourist, perhaps? I managed to exchange a short conversation with her though, up to a point where we introduce ourselves. I think she is what they call here simpatico (easy to get along with, friendly). I wonder if she remembers me from the other day, because I have her photographs (she doesn't look that happy there!) Her tomatoes are a little old and mushy, but her blood oranges are extra dolci. Definitely coming back there!


These girls laughed at me for some reason =D?
Whatever. You're happy, I'm happy!


Dangling baby joey on a kangaroo mommy, hihihi.

Day 35 - San Giovanni di Dio

Nothing in Rome makes me happier than the sight and smell of open air markets. Here's my personal smellseeing hitlist of the day:
-Bright blood oranges stacked like christmas ornaments.
-The logarithmic symmetry of Romano 'spaceship' cabbages.
-Pools of black/purple/green/pitted/fresh/stuffed/spiced olives.
-Tanks and tanks and tanks of wholesale wine (at 1.30euro/liter!)
-Gargantuan meat knives (watch them glide through calf bones!)
-Staring at old Italians staring back at you.

Day 20 - Esquilino

Just when I thought that being a tourist in Rome is so passé... then I met people who are happy to see you there. So happy, that they make you feel a little queasy.



This guy (the top one) is nice because he can say "Terima kasih!"
Sweet! I have not been as impressed as much by the Romans.
But you see, these guys try hard to figure out who you are. Flatteringly creepy, especially the one below:


"You have boyfriend? Boy? No?
Understand Italian? English?
Yes, yes, do you have a boyfriend?
Next time come here again okay?
Shop No.62" He points up.

Day 10 - Porta Portese

Porta Portese is apparently the top flea market in Rome. the market is held every Sunday on 7am-1pm. They sell all sorts of second-hand antiques and garbages... from granny's era mugs and jugs, to 50's postcard and 80's era brick like laptops. It is not cheap, and the sellers are not chattable or bargainable (probably after seeing years and years worth of tourists). My favorite pile of stuff was a box of rusted, antiquated nuts and bolts of bygone era... shall take a picture of it next time round. I wonder how much they're selling for...


1 Euro mini cactus! Cute little item that is worthwhile buying... if only we don't have no navigate the squeezy tight crowds. I don't want to hurt anyone... especially these kind of ladies:


*Fastidiosi turisti!*

Day 6 - Talk to me and I will buy

I'm a sucker for nice Italians at the market... (and they've probably figured this out long time ago)


LEFT TO RIGHT: Item (price) and their sellers.
Arrabiata pasta spices (3.17 euro) - The guy speaks english. Courteous. Lets me smell the different spices and lets me try them too! Lovely service... with a catch. He is sly. I ask for 100gram and he stuffed almost 300grams! Does he think I'm dumb?
Clementine (2.50 euro) - Decent, semi-aggressive old lady. Seems to remember me now that it's my second time buying vegetable/fruits from her place. It's not cheap.
Limoncello sweets (2.83 euro) - Nice baker. Will help you learn english.
Garlic (50 cents) from the same aggressive old lady. She pronounces her Italian numbers very clearly... because amazingly, I understand.
Face cream (7.45 euro) - meeh.
Coezo Honey (4 euro) - Also, nice seller.He talks to you in Italian/English and tries to explain you things... When the seller is nice, how can you not buy? ... Plus I heard that European honeys are pretty decent. But... that's just an excuse.