Hunger

It's becoming increasingly apparent to me that human memory is unreliable, at best. This unreliability is especially apparent to me when I think of the novel, Hunger, by the Norwegian writer, Knut Hamsun.

To the best of my recollection, I first heard of Hamsun in the 1980's, in a magazine interview with the American writer, Henry Miller who, in the interview, gave Hamsun credit for being an influence on his writing.

I can remember having read the interview in the mid 1980s when I was living in Rome, GA. It must have been an old magazine because Miller died in 1980, before I ever moved to Rome. I actually don't recall anything else from that interview - only Miller's praise of Hamsun, who I had never read or heard of before this.

I remember going to the local library in Rome to try and find any novel written by Hamsun. This was long before the Internet and Amazon.com. The only novel by Hamsun in the library was Hunger, which I immediately checked out.

I don't recall just how much of the novel I read at the time. I know it wasn't very much. I can remember finding the life of the unnamed protagonist just a wee bit too close to an earlier life experience of my own - thereby depressing and frightening me to no end.

Many years later, I felt a need to pick up Hamsun. He was being favorably compared to Fyodor Dostoyevsky, who is nearly incomparable in my eyes. At some point, I downloaded a copy of Hunger as an ebook.

This time, upon reading it, I fell in love with the novel. Yes, I still recognized the similar life experiences, but this time I didn't find them depressing or frightening.

I've been recently meaning to reread the novel, and after finishing a number of novels by C.S. Forester, I uploaded Hunger to my Kindle. Prior to this new reread, I remembered having read the novel twice before on Kindle. However, I've been keeping lists of the books I've read each year since 2011 and that year is the only year I've had Hunger on my book list.

In 2014 I did put two of Hamsun's novels -Pan and Shallow Soil- on my book list. That is also the year my first Kindle was destroyed while traveling to Philippines from the U.S., and I may have reread the novel that year and simply neglected to put onto a proper list.

At any rate, I've begun rereading Hunger and at this point in the novel, most of what I'm reading seems new to me. I have forgotten a good deal of the novel, but it has been years, after all.

The version I'm reading, and have read, is the 1899 translation by Mary Chavelita Dunne (under the alias George Egerton). That version is available for free at Project Gutenberg. From what I've seen lately, the 1996 translation by Sverre Lyngstad is considered to be definitive. Lyngstad's translation is available for Kindle at Amazon.com - for a price. Perhaps one day I will see my way into purchasing it and rereading the novel once again.

You Say Occidental, I Say Oriental.

In a post published earlier today [The Mango Shake from Gabby's - Brgy. Daro. ] I included, at the end of the post, a map showing the location of Gabby's - Brgy. Daro.

After reviewing my post, I noticed that Google Maps gives the location as Dumaguete, Negros Occidental.

This is incorrect. Dumaguete is in the province of Negros Oriental, not Negros Occidental. As a matter of fact, Dumaguete is the provincial capital of Negros Oriental.

A screenshot of the error is at the beginning of this post.

I immediately went to Google Maps to suggest an edit to correct this error. At the time of this writing, the edit has not been published.

The Mango Shake from Gabby's - Brgy. Daro.

Yesterday morning, while watching what would become the final game of the 2018 World Series (go Boston) I received an email from a friend who currently lives in Davao - the writer of the now discontinued blog, Village Idiot Savant, and current writer of dom.cimafranca.com - letting me knew he would be in Dumaguete for a few days, asking if I'd like to meet for coffee later in the afternoon.

We met at the Gabby's in Brgy. Daro. I brought along my camera, knowing I would order a mango shake. I had been meaning to compare the shakes at this Gabby's to the mango shakes found at the Gabby's located on the 2nd floor of the Paseo Perdices building on Rizal blvd.

A photo of the mango shake I ordered is to the left.

But, wait, you might say, this looks like a blank photo. It is, never the less, an accurate photo of the mango shake I ordered. In other words, mango shakes are unavailable at the Gabby's in Daro.

Naturally, I have to give this eatery a failing grade. Zero stars.

I was so shocked that I was not able to get a mango shake, I failed to ask if this was a temporary thing due to lack of ingredients, or if mango shakes were not on the menu there.

Fortunately, this mango shake disaster did not ruin the visit I had with my friend. We had coffee and shared stories and agreed that we'd have to do it again soon.

Mango Shake at the Big Tree Hive.

Once a week I meet, for breakfast with a small group of Americans living in the Dumaguete area. Normally, we meet in a different cafe each week, but for the past few weeks we've gotten together at Senorita's Mexican Grill, located at the Dumaguete airport.

Arriving early yesterday, I thought I'd visit the cafe next door to Senorita's for a mango shake.

I must say, the shake I had there was superior. I would rate it as high as my favorite, the mango shake at Don Roberto's. At 65 pesos, the price is much better than the 90 pesos charged at the cafe next door.

Although the cafe has obviously been around for a long time, I couldn't find the name of the cafe posted anywhere. I even checked the menu and it wasn't to be found. I had to ask the waitress for the name of their establishment. She told me it was called Big Tree Hive.

This morning, just before writing this review, I went to my account on Google Maps (where I'm listed as a Local Guide) and added Big Tree Hive to the map.

The next time I'm at the Dumaguete airport and in the need for a mango shake, I'll know where to go.

The Fruitas Mango Shake

The Fuitas kiosk is located on the 2nd floor of Robinson's Place Mall near the entrance of the Robinson's MovieWorld movie theater. Fruitas sells a wide variety of fruit shakes and smoothies in 3 different sizes - costing p45, p59, or p75.

For this review, I ordered the medium, p59.

The shake has a sweet mango taste. However, the shake does not appear to contain any dairy, so it might be better called a slushy, rather than a shake. The thickness of the drink comes from the large amount of crushed ice used.

This lack of dairy is a major negative for me. Although called a shake, this isn't a shake to my way of thinking. I'm sure quite a lot of folks may like this drink, but I can't recommend it.

Mango Shake from Honey's Halo Halo Delight

Wah Crepe isn't the only kiosk in the mini-food court at Ever Mall Shopping Center on Perdices St. serving mango shakes. Just feet away from Wah Crepe, we find Honey's Halo Halo Delight.

As the name implies, their specialty is Halo Halo, but they do sell a variety of fruit shakes. The 16 oz mango shake sells for 50 pesos - the shake is equal to, and even superior to mango shakes costing much more. The shake has a delicious mango taste, with just the right amount of sweetness. The shake isn't as thick as some, but with the ingredients used, one can't really expect an ice cream like thickness.

I was able to watch while my shake was being made. The ingredients consists of mango, sugar, evaporated milk and crushed ice.

Not only is the shake priced right, the waiting time for me to get my shake after ordering was the fastest of any of the cafes and eateries I've been to in the Dumaguete area.

If you find yourself on Perdices St. and in need of a mango shake, it's worth stopping by Honey's Halo Halo Delight.

Senorita's Mango Shake

Originally located on the Dumaguete-Bacong Rd., Senorita's Mexican Grill is now a part of The Finish Line Cafe at the Dumaguete airport.

Much can be said for their excellent Mexican food, but that can be left for another time. Today is the day to review their mango shakes.

One need only look at the photo of the shake I got there to know it has to be absolutely delicious. It is. Of all the mango shakes I've found in Dumaguete, Senorita's tops the list. It is naturally thick and creamy, and I didn't have to ask for extra sugar for it to be perfectly sweet. It can honestly be argued if this shake is better than - or tied for first with the mango shake at Don Roberto's. The only negative thing I have to say about the shake from Senorita's is the 90 peso price tag. I loved the shake, but for every 2 shakes you buy at Senorita's, you can have 3 from Don Roberto's. It's like getting a free shake.

If I'm already dining at Senorita's, I could very well order a mango shake. But, if I wanted a shake just for shake's sake, I'd choose Don Roberto's because of the difference in price.

My Own Mango Shake

Some may ask, who am I to review the mango shakes sold in the local cafes and eateries. My only response to that would be to post a photo of my own homemade mango shake.

Modesty prevents me from ranking my shake against others in Dumaguete, but since I make them to suit my own taste, one can assume I think mine are quite good.

I won't include a recipe here, but I will list the ingredients:




mango
sugar
powdered milk
ice water

Unlike the posts on the other shakes found in the area, this post won't feature a map to the location. After all, I'm drinking them, not selling them.

The Mango Shake from Wah Crepe

Wah Crepe is one of a number of kiosks found inside the mini-food court at Ever Mall Shopping Center on Perdices St. in Dumaguete. As the name implies, the specialties of the business are their crepes and waffles. The business also has a wide variety of fruit shakes.

Any other time, I might have ordered an avocado shake, or a banana/mango shake, but this time I picked strictly mango to be in line with my past reviews of the mango shakes found in the Dumaguete area.

The shakes at Wah Crepe are priced at 65 pesos - that's better than the 80 pesos charged at some cafes. The shake I got there was thick and creamy, with a tangy mango taste, much like the shakes at Gabby's Bistro. The shakes at Wah Crepe do not normally have added sugar, so this one was not quite as sweet as I like. For the review, I wanted a shake as it's usually made. Next time, I'll have them add just a tiny bit of sugar.

Or, better yet, I'll just have the banana/mango shake which is naturally sweeter and thicker.

As an aside, I have to apologize for the slightly out of focus photo of Wah Crepe. The lighting inside Ever Mall isn't conducive to good photography, particularly the back lighting behind Wah Crepe.

The Chapters Cafe Mango Shake

I find the Carrolesque themed decor of Chapters Cafe, with the upside down tea set and playing cards on the ceiling, a bit too "busy". Add the loud music playing over the loud speakers, and you have a uniquely unpleasant dining experience.

The addition of Halloween decorations this month doesn't help.

But, this isn't a review of the Chapters Cafe experience; this is a review of the Chapters Cafe mango shake.

Like the decor of the cafe, the appearance of the mango shakes at Chapters stand out. None of the mango shakes I've had in Dumaguete can compare visually. The sight of the whipped cream and sprinkles is a delight. There is a touch of chocolate syrup in the whipped cream, making the Chapters cafe mango shake absolutely delicious. The mango portion (sans the topping) is as good or better as any other found in Dumaguete. The whipped cream only adds to the treat.

Now, for the critical portion of the review - the cost. The owners of Chapters Cafe are really very proud of their mango shakes, charging 135 pesos. Assuming that the shakes at Neva's and The Rollin' Pin are worth 80 pesos - and that the mango shakes at Don Robertos are a steal at 60 pesos, there is no way Chapters can be justified charging 135 for their shake. Are we to believe that the addition of whipped cream and sprinkles is worth the price of an additional Don Robertos shake? I'll admit, the mango shake at Chapters is unbelievably delicious. However, as I told the cashier, I love the shake, but I'd love it a lot more if the price was 100 pesos. 135 pesos is too much for this mango shake.

Mango Shake from the Rollin' Pin

The Rollin' Pin on Katada St. in Dumaguete gets high marks in my book for their being ahead of the curve in the fight against plastic, disposable drinking straws. The mango shake I had there yesterday was served with a metallic, reusable straw. I know some folks may call the war against plastic straws overkill, but Philippines is one of the highest producers of the plastic waste polluting the Pacific ocean, and I applaud The Rollin' Pin for taking this step.

Now, on to my review of their shakes.

Their mango shake is similar to the shake I had at Neva's - although not quite as sweet as I like. I give The Rollin' Pin the benefit of doubt here. I blame a miscommunication between myself and the woman taking my order for the small amount of sugar in the shake I had.

There were pieces of mango in my shake; one piece nearly the size of my thumb. I don't know if this is due to the cafe's intentionally wanting pieces of fruit in the final shake, or the incompetence of the man making the shake. At any rate, I didn't care for the pieces. It's difficult getting a large piece of mango through a straw.

Like the shake I had at Neva's, the mango shakes at The Rollin' Pin are priced at 80 pesos. Sorry, but the shakes can't compare to the much lower priced ones at Don Roberto's so it's unlikely that I'll have another.

A Burgundy Colored VW Beetle

An unexpected, localized brownout drove me out of my apartment and over to City Mall, where I came upon this burgundy colored VW. I checked my photos, and I haven't photographed this one before......making it #54.

Neva's Mango Shakes

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I had originally planned on posting a review of the mango shake I had at Neva's Pizza  until an unexpected trip to Don Roberto's Bar and Restaurant caused me to discard my original review and write a new one.

In my now discarded review, I wrote that the mango shakes at Neva's had replaced the shakes at Gabby's as the sine qua non of mango shakes. The shake I had at Neva's was excellent, but after going back to Don Roberto's, I can't honestly say that Neva's is number one.

It could be said that the shakes at Neva's and Don Roberto's are in a tie for first place, and some might even put one slightly above the other. The deciding factor for me is the difference is price.

At 80 pesos, the shake from Neva's costs 20 pesos more than the ones found at Don Robertos. Neva's shakes are 10 pesos higher than Gabby's - but, they might easily be worth the extra 10 pesos, but I'm sorry, there is no way Neva's could be worth 20 pesos more than the Don Roberto's mango shake.

Neva's pizzas aren't bad, and if I were there having a pizza, I might order their delicious mango shake - however, if I merely wanted a mango shake, I would much rather go to Don Roberto's.

The (Almost) Forgotten Mango Shake

I had gone far too long between visits to Don Roberto's Bar and Restaurant for a mango shake. It had been so long, in fact that when a friend recently posted a photo of one of their shakes onto my Facebook page, I failed to immediately recognize the tables and chairs of the restaurant.

Upon seeing that photo, I put Don Roberto's to the front of the review queue.

One of the reasons for my having failed to visit Don Roberto's since I first started these mango shake reviews, was that the shakes there are so good, any other review following a review of Don Roberto's might be superfluous. That fear became realized, somewhat, when after visiting Don Roberto's on Friday, I found I had to postpone the review I had originally planned to post today in order to do a complete rewrite.

The mango shakes at Don Roberto's are a little sweeter than the ones from the Gabby's Bisro located on the 2nd floor of the Paseo Perdices building on Rizal blvd, and thick enough to satisfy even me.

To my tastes, Don Robertos have the edge over Gabby's and at 60 pesos, they are also 10 pesos cheaper.

A Mango Shake from Another Foodnet Location

Finding myself not far from the Foodnet located on Perdices, just across the Banica bridge I saw an opportunity to answer a question from yesterday's post, namely, are the mango shakes found at other Foodnet locations as tiny as the ones from the tiny Foodnet restaurant located on Hibbard Avenue near Silliman ?

The answer is no.

The mango shake that I bought at this location was much bigger. Naturally the price was bigger as well - 45 pesos, compared to 30 pesos at the Hibbard Ave location.

Like it's tiny counterpart, this larger shake was delicious, with a sweet mango taste. Also, like the tiny shake, this one isn't quite as thick as the ones from the Gabby's Bistro in the Paseo Perdices building on Rizal blvd.

Sure, this shake could have been a little bit thicker for my tastes, but at 45 pesos, it hits the spot.

Cafe of Tiny Shakes

The phrase big things come in small packages could very well apply to the mango shakes sold at the tiny Foodnet restaurant located on Hibbard Avenue near Silliman. The mango shake I had there recently has to be the smallest mango shake sold anywhere, although it's quite possible that smaller ones might be found in Zappa's City of Tiny Lights. Tiny is as Tiny do.

It's understandable that these shakes would be small and incredibly cheap (only 30 php). The restaurant is practically located on campus, well within walking distance of the college, elementary, Jr. high and high schools. Most of their customers are going to be students.

There are other Foodnet locations in the city, although I don't know (yet) if the mango shakes are as tiny as the ones found at the Hibbard Avenue location.

Although tiny, the shake is delicious - not as good as the ones found at Gabby's - but certainly worth the price.

The Mango Shakes Found at Cubeiertos Restaurant

In yesterday's post, I wrote of a rusty, VW Beetle parked outside the Cubeiertos Restaurant and Grill in Sibulan. After seeing it there a few days earlier, I stopped by yesterday to add to my posts that contain photos of the VW Beetles I've come upon in the greater Dumaguete area.

While I was there, I took it upon myself to add to another series I've recently begun on this blog - reviewing the mango shakes served by local cafes and eateries.

After having a mango shake from the Gabby's Bistro located in the Paseo Perdices building on Rizal blvd in Dumaguete, I stated that the mango shakes found there were the sine qua non of mango shakes - the shake by which all others must be compared. So, let's compare Cubeiertos with Gabby's.

First, we have a difference in price. Gabby's mango shake cost me 75 php compared to the 70 php charged by Cubeiertos. The Gabby's where the first shake was purchased is located on the boulevard in Dumaguete which is known to have a good many tourists. Cubeiertos is located outside Sibulan. You'd expect the price difference to be more than 5 pesos.

Cubeiertos' mango shake was a little sweeter than Gabby's; either because sugar was added, or the mango used was naturally sweeter. That's fine with me. Unfortunately, the Cubeiertos mango shake wasn't as smooth and creamy. There was an icy texture and the shake wasn't nearly as thick.

If I were to give Gabby's mango shake 5 stars as the sine qua non , I'm forced to give the Cubeiertos shake a rating of 3 and 1/2 stars.

A VW Beetle Found Outside Cubiertos Restaurant

A few days ago, while on an errand that took me along the national highway in Sibulan, I spotted a Volkswagen Beetle outside the Cubeiertos Restaurant and Grill. I didn't have time to stop that day, so I returned this afternoon to get a few close up photos.

Obviously, it's been quite a long time since this Beetle has been fit to be driven. It's also obvious that the owner believes there is little use for this car, other than as a rather large flower pot.

I agree.

The Mango Shakes at Gabby's Bistro - Paseo Perdices Building

Finding myself downtown this morning, with time to kill, I thought I'd drive over to the Gabby's Bisro located on the 2nd floor of the Paseo Perdices building on Rizal blvd. While there, I could have a mango shake and continue on my quest to review the wide variety of mango shakes found in and around Dumaguete.

This was not my first visit to this particular Gabby's Bistro. Nor is it the first time I've tried the shakes here. However, I did want to have a photo of a Gabby's mango shake for this blog post. If that meant having one today, well so be it. No sacrifice is too great for this blog.

The mango shakes at this particular Gabby's Bistro are absolutely delicious. Very thick, very creamy, with a slightly tangy mango flavor. There's definitely fresh fruit it this shake. The mango shakes at Gabby's are the sine qua non of mango shakes; the mango shake by which all other mango shakes must be compared.

Well worth the 75 php charged - (about $1.40 at the current rate of exchange).

Odd Behavior at a Google Plus Photos Community

As I mentioned in a post in July, I will, on occasion, upload a photo to the Street Photographers Community on Google Plus. In that post, I noted a tendency for Black and White photos uploaded to the community to receive more "+1"s than color photos. Perhaps, that view is a bit subjective, but I'll stand by that observation.

Another oddity I've noticed on that particular community is a discrepancy in the number of "+1"s my photos receive, and the number the photo is credited with. One example of this discrepancy is the photo used in the aforementioned blog post. That particular photo is credited with 32 "1+"s. However, when I check the activity on the photo, it shows that 40 people had given the photo a "1+".
I had noticed this oddity before, but I've only now decided to comment on it. With my latest uploaded photo -seen here - the photo is credited with 14 "1+"s. Checking the activity, I find that 23 people are listed as having given the photo a "1+".

At first, I thought this was some sort of glitch with Google Plus until I began checking the activity on random photos uploaded by other photographers. With every photo I checked (except for mine, of course) there is no discrepancy between the number the photo is given credit for and the names listed in the activity for the photo. If it credits a photo with 45 "1+"s, there are 45 names listed. If there are 14 "1+"s credited to photo X, there are 14 names listed in the activity. After checking a few photos at random, it appears to me that my photos are the only ones that have this difference in numbers.

Why is this?

Who knows?

The Mango Shakes at Chantilly Cake Haus

One of the many things I enjoy about living in Dumaguete, Philippines is the widespread availability of mango shakes. You can't swing a dead cat without it pointing to a cafe that sells them.

I decided today that I would begin reviewing the mango shakes I find in our fair city. It's a difficult job, but somebody has to do it; it may has well be me.

While out this morning, meeting friends at the Chantilly Cake Haus in Daro, I ordered the mango shake to begin my reviews. The photo of their shake is shown at the beginning of this post.

The waitress let me know that their mango shakes were not made with fresh fruit, but with mango flavored ice cream. Of course, that wasn't going to prevent me from beginning my quest.

First off, the shakes at Chantilly Cake Haus are smaller than the shakes normally found in Dumaguete. Because this shake is made from flavored ice cream, and not fresh fruit, there is not a real mango flavor. To my taste buds, the prominent flavor is vanilla extract. I enjoyed the shake - but if you want one that tastes like mango, then try another cafe. As a drink, it was perfectly fine, but as a mango drink, it rates low on my list.

There are other items available there, and I don't want to give the place a bad review. I just won't order one of their shakes again.

The African Queen

As I mentioned in an earlier post, watching a clip recently from the classic Bogart/Hepburn film, The African Queen, lead me to download the original novel as an e-book - along with a few other novels by C. S. Forester.

Before reading The African Queen, I read Forester's first crime novel, Payment Deferred and went onto it just after.

Much to my surprise, the film and the novel had a number of differences. Obviously, a film produced in 1951 could not have the two main characters having sexual relations, but that didn't stop Forester from including sex in his 1935 novel. Not graphic by today's standards, but I was certainly surprised.

I was expecting the novel to end the way the film ended - with the German ship, Königin Luise being sunk by the submerged African Queen. It doesn't.