How the Brits got jiggy with it: The Tagalog-British-Kalingan Inter-cultural Wedding

On top of the Talama Ranch in Tabuk City, Kalinga is the reception of Kuya Stew and Jaydee's inter-cultural wedding. 

When we had the "pamamanhikan" before, we were told that it takes time ( I'm not sure if it was a month) to make the tent and make sure to cover the surroundings of the place.

Months before, Ate Chimy and I were BBMing each other and I was sending her photos that I took from my phone so that she will have an idea once she gets there. They flew in three days ahead of us and had more cultural immersion.

Our Kuya finally got hitched!

I never had a brother. So when Kuya Stew came to stay in the Philippines for a year, we were given a chance to borrow an older brother even just for a year. So when Kuya decided to get married, October 20, 2012 in Kalinga, Apayao to be exact, we were given a chance to see what it felt like having a family member get married. We even went to Kalinga for the formal "pamamanhikan" to represent his family who are based in UK.

Weddings are big in the Philippines. The stress is always, always on the menu especially the day before the big day.But when you have a rush inter-cultural wedding like ours, stress is also magnified in the middle of flying people from UK and Laguna to Kalinga, three different languages for language barrier challenges, observing each other's cultural protocols, all for the coming of two people together to start a family.

I would always remember Kuya Stew, the groom, knocking at our door at 5:30 in the morning handing me the car key, telling me that the wedding car has arrived. The official wedding florist and Church designer, my sister Aprille, immediately went down and took care of installing the flowers to the vehicle.

Then a photographer arrived telling him that he's having a pre-wedding pictorial. He looked at me, zombie-like and surprised, then handed the key and said:

"If worse comes to worst, since you drive, you're driving!"

Travel Kalinga: Stay at Grand Zion Resort

Last week we stayed at Grand Zion Hotel and Resort for my cousin's wedding. They have limited number of rooms because they are a fairly new hotel. We got the biggest room, the dorm type, which is only for Php2600 a night with 5 beds and a huge room. My sister used this hotel room for her wedding flower arrangement gig that I will blog about soon.

WARNING: Major photo dump ahead. Prepare to load. :)

This is what the entrance looks like:

Travel Kalinga: Leigh's Grill and Coffee Shop

While we were "hotel hopping" for my cousin's wedding, we saw this grill and coffee shop right beside the second hotel, Davidson Hotel and Restaurant, that we went to:

The next day, we decided to give it a try. We arrived at this cozy coffee shop.

While waiting for our food, this little boy came over and took a seat. His little brother joined him in this photo op which they gamely posed:

Kids like me?! Really? I don't even have friendly features! haha 

 ( I think the second brother looked like baby james! They were jumping up and down the couches and my sister took photos of them ). Now on with the food:

The Chico River chocolate Drink, The Chocoloco cake and the Caramel cake 

The Filipino Breakfast (Php120.00) and the Clubhouse sandwich (php140.00)

Quick Tips and Review:

• Strategically located along the road
• Good clean ambiance
• Free wifi
• Ask for their best-seller (ChocoRiver)
• The caramel cake is too sweet, and the Chocoloco cake is only sweet on the surface part and the cake part is bland.
• Speed of service: I'd give 2 out of 5.

We didn't really have enough time to try the other dish because we just wanted to grab something to eat. An hour later after having this quick, after-mass brekky, we had lunch at the Red House that I wrote earlier.

Travel: Our "Pamamanhikan" Trip to Kalinga

"Pamamanhikan" in Filipino is the traditional "formal asking of the lady's hand in marriage" from her parents. The groom's whole family goes to the bride-to-be's house to formally meet the family and plan for the wedding. Weddings are actually big in the Philippines because it's the union of two families. Okay so these photos are not exactly about my Kuya's Pamamanhikan. He braved it by asking his girlfriend's hand for marriage on his own  and doesn't want me to film his nervousness and blog about it. A month later, his immediate family in the Philippines which he fondly calls "The Team Araguas" (us!) came to finally close the deal.

It's been five years since I last rode the deluxe bus. My first deluxe bus that I experienced before is called Fariñas Bus and it was bound for Ilocos Norte. This is the first time that I am riding via Victory Liner Deluxe Bus:

Victory Liner Deluxe Bus

How much: Php750 ( From Sampalok, Manila to Tabuk City, Kalinga)

They have in board free wifi ( c/s Sun Cellular, but lost the signal once we were in Nueva Ecija...so Boo!)