My Little D-An Playing with Tapulous

My Little D-An Playing with iPad Game Tapulous!

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Vigan City and Raniag Twilight Festival

Vigan City enhances the culture of Halloween through this radiant
festivity called Raniag Festival.  This event is a way of bringing
families together and celebrating the timeless culture during
Halloween.

Here were the much awaited events:

Raniag Floral Parade

It's a grand parade of illuminated floats. The floats represented a
theme of either Halloween or magic which included fictional and urban
legendary characters.  The event was celebrated on the 26th of
October.

What made this event special was, the floats were artistically
designed with different colored lights bringing radiance to twilight.
The locals were joined by the celebrities from GMA Network that made
the event even more radiant.


Raniag Street Dancing

It's Halloween themed street dancing celebrated early at night. This
event was made special by the props or materials that produces
different colored lights.
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Ilocos Norte and Semana Ti Ar-aria Festival

Semana Ti Ar-aria Festival is already on its third year of
celebration. This spooktacular event is a Halloween bash celebration
from October 23rd to  November 2nd.


Haunting the Mystery Behind Artwork

October 23rd

Historical celebration of the artwork of Juan Luna started the
festival. To unveil the mystery behind the famous artworks will open
the awareness and interest of the public especially the youth.

October 24th

Juan Luna Day -An exhibit of Juan Luna's artworks
followed at Juan Luna Shrine in Badoc, Ilocos Norte.


Cine ng Masa

October 23rd to  25th

Best horror films in the country was shown on mobile cinema in
selected towns of the province.


Ar-aria Short Horror Film Competition

October 25th

Special screening was held for the short films made by local directors
from different schools. You can watch the entries on youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/user/officialilocosnorte

These are the winners of the competition:

Best Short Horror Film:
Panumbalik (DAFACTERS Production/ Mariano Marcos State University)

2nd Best Short Horror Film:
Sagawsaw (Ilocolaya Film Productions/ MMSU & DWCL)

3rd Best Short Horror Film:
Hele (University of Northern Philippines-Vigan City)

Best Director: John Jeric Cabuyaban (Panumbalik)

Best Cinematography: Panumbalik (DAFACTERS Production/ Mariano Marcos
State University)


Ar-aria Food Strip

October 25th

Food fair which highlighted the comfort foods of Ilocanos, the famous
empanada and longganisa.


Taray Ar-aria or Zombie Race

October 26th

This event was one of the highlights of the festival wherein
flesh-hungry zombies paraded.


Capitol Trick  or Treat

October 26th

The provincial capitol was transformed into a haunted house and
children wearing Halloween costumes were invited for freebies.


Parada Iloca-Locana or Ghost Parade

October 31st

A parade of ghost joined by the entire province. The contenders
represents a horror theme. They were joined by the original queen of
Filipino horror films, Lilia Cuntapay, who is an Ilocana. This is one
of the major event of the festivity. Everyone was invited to join and
year their best Halloween costumes.

The Black Party followed, which is a night of fun and music for the
contenders as well as the spectators.


Tumba Festival

November 1st and 2nd

Visit the mock-wake competition and House of Horror in Paoay, Ilocos
Norte. This event is celebrated annually.
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Vigan City and Culinary Adventure

Food adventurers, be ready with the must-taste Vigan cuisine.

Once you reach the heart of the city, you don't have to go far to find
the famous comfort food of Vigan. Right at the Plaza Burgos, food
stalls are lined along to offer a great culinary experience.

Vigan Empanada. It is a Spanish influenced food, a stuffed bread or
pastry that may be fried or baked. What makes the Vigan Empanada
different is that it has a very thin crust and it is fried rather than
baked making it crispy, it's more similar to Batac empanada. The
filling is a mix of meat and vegetables. It consist of mung bean
sprout, shredded green papaya,  skinless longganisa and an egg.
Sometimes they add shredded carrots and the last time I got a taste of
it, it has cabbage. Vigan empanada cost at about 35 pesos. Other sizes
are available and extra filling to choose from like hotdog.

Okoy. Fried shrimps, in flour and egg mixture.

Miki noodle soup. The noodles are made from rice flour. It's actually
the chicken noodle soup of the Ilocanos.


Other foods available in carinderias and food stalls in the city's
public market.

Sinanglao. It is an  iconic food of Vigan.  It's  a beef soup made up
of beef innards.

Pinapaitan. It's a beef or goat soup made up of innards and is
flavored with bile.

Poqui-poqui. The eggplant is boiled then mashed. It's stir-fried with
tomatoes, onion and garlic. Chili flakes can be added as well.

Lumo. A soup made up of pork tenderloin with shallot and flavored with
pork blood.


Other must-taste cuisine.

Vigan Longganisa. Its a native sausage, it's said to be a Mexican
salami version. Its garlic flavored.

Vigan Bagnet. A sun-dried pork belly then deep-fried. It's actually
one of the most famous Ilocano cuisine. It's a great garnish for
pinakbet.


Vigan Delicacies or the locals call kankanen.

Royal Bibingka or Rice Cake. It is the most famous delicacy from
Vigan. Especially made with glutinous rice, egg, cheese, sugar, milk
and margarine.

Tinupig or Tupig. Rice cake wrapped with banana leaves. It's roasted.

Tinubong. Rice cake cooked in bamboo tubes. It's really delicious.

Kalamay. It's made up of sticky-rice flavored with coconut and sugar.


So when you visit Vigan, don't worry about getting tired and hungry
after roaming around the city. There are a lot of food that will
surely comfort you.
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Vigan City and It's Heritage

The City of Vigan is the capital of the Province of Ilocos Sur. It is
a World Heritage Site famous of its cobblestone street, Oriental
building designs with European  architecture influence.


How the City got its name?

The area of the City was originally a  settlement of Chinese traders.
During the Spanish Era, the Chinese called the area as Bee  Gan which
means Beautiful Shore. But the Spanish Conquistador spelled the
Chinese name to Vigan.


A more common story says that the name of the city  came from a plant
growing abundantly along the river banks, called Biga'a. The locals
misunderstood  the Spanish captain Juan de Salcedo, they thought he
was asking for the plants name. It is where the captain derived the
city's name.


Other Names of the City

During its Spanish Foundation it was called Villa Fernandina meaning
Town of Ferdinand, in honor of the firstborn son of King Philip II  of
Spain, Prince Ferdinand.

When the seat of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia was transferred to
Vigan, it was renamed to Ciudad Fernandina de Vigan or Ferdinand's
City of Vigan.


World Heritage Site

Vigan City was listed, as the best preserved example of Spanish
colonial towns in Asia, by UNESCO in 2007. Its unique architecture was
influenced by different cultures from the Philippines, China and S


Location

Vigan is located 408 km north of Manila. 139km away from the regional
capital, San Fernando, La Union. And 45 km away from Laoag City.


Tourist Destinations in the City

St. Paul Metropolitan Cathedral or Vigan Cathedral. It houses a
replica of the Miraculous Sto. Cristo.

Archbishop's Residence.  The Archbishop's Palace was completed in
1793. It has a collection of artifacts and relics from other churches
in Ilocos.

Fr. Jose Burgos Residence. The birthplace of Fr. Burgos, one of the
martyred Filipino priests. Located behind the Provincial Capitol.

Plaza Burgos. Located beside the Vigan Cathedral. It is dedicated in
memory of Fr. Jose  Burgos.

Pagburnayan. It is the place where the famous Ilocano jar called
burnay are manufactured. Tourist can watch the pre-historic method of
making burnay. Burnay is used to store vinegar, local wine  ane
fermented fish sauce.

Baluarte. It is a zoo  and a great venue for events like seminars and
conferences. It is owned by the former Governor Chavit Singson.

Hidden Garden. It is a place where clay products like bricks and pots
are manufactured. A great place to appreciate Mother Nature's gift.

Vigan Empanadaan. It is where food stalls are located for empanada and
sinanglao. Sinanglao is the city's traditional hotpot made of beef
innards. Located near Plaza Burgos.

Plaza Salcedo. Erected in front of the Vigan Cathedral, in memory of
the great conquistador Juan de Salcedo. It's where Gabriela Silang was
hung in 1763 as well.

Vigan Dancing Fountain. It is one of the greatest attractions in the
city. It's the first of its kinds in the country.  It is located at
the Plaza Salcedo Lagoon. It is best to visit the fountain at night.

Syquia Mansion. The former president, Elpidio  Quirino's residence in Vigan.

Crisologo Museum. It is a Vigan ancestral house, which was the
residence of the Crisologo family.

Mindoro Beach. It is the only seafront location in the city.

Vigan Heritage Village or the Mestizo District.  It is where Vigan
City is most famous of, a street lined with Spanish ancestral houses
and cobble stoned streets, which includee Vigan City in the UNESCO
World Heritage Site.

Souvenir shops are available along the street as well, making it
convenient for tourist to find some items exclusively made in Vigan.

A calesa ride will complete the experience within the heritage
village. Calesa is a horse-drawn carriage.

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Kuditdit in Ilocano Kitchen

Kuditdit is more commonly called tree ear fungus or bracket fungus. It
is only available during the rainy reasons.  Its abundance is expected
early in the morning after a late-afternoon or early-evening
thunderstorm.


The most preferred Kuditdit are the  native  or wild ones growing on
rotting trees. There are some commercially grown Kuditdit, such as
abalone or oyster mushrooms.


Nowadays, wild Kuditdit has become rare thus it has become pricey in
the market. But there is still a great demand for it during rainy
reasons because it truly is savory and tasty once added to an Ilocano
green leafy soup dish.


My grandma and my Mom used to prepare soup called dinengdeng, which
consists of moringga leaves, squash flowers, or string beans stalks
and shoots and other vegetables. And kuditdit add a sweet savory taste
to it.


Kuditdit needs to be washed thoroughly to remove the dirt. But not too
much, to preserve its natural flavor.


Here's my Mom's Dinengdeng with Kuditdit recipe:

Kuditdit, sliced thinly
sponge gourd (patola/kabatiti), sliced thinly
moringga leaves


Add Kuditdit on boiling water and flavor with fish sauce. Use one
teaspoon fish sauce for every cup of water. Boil until the Kuditdit
become tender then add the sponge gourd. Cook  for about two minutes.
Add broth granules if you like. Then add the moringga leaves, cook
for another two or three minutes. Serve hot.


A simple  Ilocano dish yet very tasty and healthy.
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Uong in Ilocano Kitchen


Uong pronounced as u-ong is an edible wild  mushroom. There are
different kinds of uong such as uong ti bunton, and uong nga
mannagadu. Uong ti bunton,  those that grows on an anthill, which is
called bunton in Iloko. Uong nga mannagadu, are believed that its
growth are induced by lightning on a late stormy afternoon and grows
fast overnight, that they are available for picking early in the
morning.


This mushroom is popular among Ilocos but is somewhat pricey because
its seasonal. It can be cooked alone  but is a perfect garnish to
leafy greens in an Ilocano cuisine.  It has a slimy texture like that
of jute leaves (saluyot) or ladyfingers (okra).  Its broth is savory
and tasty.


Make sure  to clean the mushroom thoroughly, wash off all the dirt
and check the  fully grown ones as they might have very tiny pinkish
worms growing under the filmy cap. So they must be rinsed well with
water.


My Mom would often cook it by simply boiling it  with a very small
amount of water, salt and just a bit of vinegar to taste. And you
would be able to taste its perfect flavour.


For Ilocano  soups like the famous dinengdeng or inabraw wherein uong
complements well with moringga leaves, bamboo shoots, bittermelon, and
other leafy greens and vegetables. Remember that your soup must not be
too salty to bring out the sweetness of the vegetables and the
mushroom.


My Mom's inabraw recipe:

Boil enough water, flavor it with just a bit of fish sauce, a teaspoon
would do for a cup of water. Then add the uong, boil until tender. Add
the vegetables, sprinkle some broth granules, which is optional. Boil
it until the vegetables are cooked. Better be served hot.
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