Engo: Hopping happy in the Year of the Metal Rabbit

Saturday, February 12, 2011

IT WAS on the first day of the 6th Bacolaodiat Festival in Bacolod City last February 3, 2011 when this writer viewed an exhibit of Engineer Teresita Tian Yan on the Art of Chinese Papercutting at the Museo Negrense de La Salle located inside the campus of the University of St La Salle, Bacolod City. Aside from the twelve intricately designed animals of the Chinese Lunar Calendar, the exhibit also included a number of animal-shaped Chinese kites.

Conspicuously posted on a wall was a Zodiac Forecast predicting a very auspicious year for me and my fellow Rabbits. It further said, "There will be unexpected recovery of lost funds or projects." At this point, my hopes were raised that the unexpected recovery would also apply to lost cellphones. If intrigued, please refer to my previous published article entitled "The Case of the Missing Cellphone".

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By five in the afternoon, I positioned myself along Gatuslao Street to get a clear view of the Grand Parade promoted by the event organizers as "dazzling". I guess "eye-popping" would be a better word when, to my great wonder and surprise, I got to see two models of the Segway Human Transporter which has been renamed as Segway Personal Transporter (SPT).

It was many, many years ago when I saw a picture of these two-wheeled electric vehicles being used by no less than US President George W. Bush and his father former US President George H. W. Bush that was published in a major Philippine daily. That day, the SPTs were right before my very eyes.

Last February 5, my daughter and I were at Robinson's Place Bacolod for a fashion show featuring top models of Bacolod City in Chinese ethnic costumes. The program that was hosted by DJ Rico of MOR started with a dragon dance by three different dragons on stage. It also included a Chinese dance number by grade school students of the St John's Institute and a fire dance.

The recently concluded 6th Bacolaodiat Chinese New Year Festival was culturally enriching in many ways. Kung Hei Fat Choi, everyone.