Ang Dabawenyo

Today I "met" a Davaoeña blogger, Raine — somebody should come up with a new verb to mean meeting someone online. I was googling for "davao bloggers" and I got hit with quite a few leads. Another good way of hooking up with like-minded people is by participating in mailing lists, fora, etc. And that’s how I met Raine, who blogs about life and the introspection that it causes her to be in (did I get that right, Raine?).

Raine has an interesting idea: to have a repository of Davao blogs. Something along the lines of, well, Bloglines. I guess what Raine means is for all Davao blogs to be accessible from one online location.

But what about offline? Wouldn’t it be awesome to have all of Davao’s bloggers get together in one place at one time? Hmmm… hey, a blog party!! What do you think, guys?

It’s a few short weeks running up to that occasion people have mixed feelings for. Valentine’s Day. There are those who get really excited about 14 Feb. And there are some who actually dread the day. A whole spectrum of emotions over one out of 365 days.

Everyone knows that Christmas and New Year’s in Davao are a totally different experience due to the absence of fireworks. But what about Valentine’s? What do Davaoeños do on this day of hearts? Is there something special that we do that other people don’t do in Metro Manila or Iloilo or Zamboanga? Maybe not. But why don’t we take a look at some places that could set you apart from other "daters" out there?

Imagine the sea. And moonlight. Too cheesy for you? Ok, imagine not having to shell out hundreds of bucks for this Valentine’s date? There are quite a few deserted beaches out there, offering a truly romantic setting for that special day. But moving on, where could be the best date place for Valentine’s this year?

What about presents? Is that special person not going to be with you on the 14th? Send a Valentine’s Day gift and make him/her feel like you mean it. Try this for starters.

Ang Dabawenyo is proud to announce the collaboration between cousins Blogie the blogger and Ria the anime guru. Through my mental meanderings, cousin Ria has created Dave, the blog’s mascot of sorts. Dave here will be the blog’s presentor, and will provide the site with character and flavor. For example, I’ll use Dave to express just how I feel about restaurants in my food reviews.

So what do you think of Dave? We’d appreciate your comments, positive or negative. He’s still fresh off the drawing board, so we’re still very open to your suggestions.

Dave © 2007, Ria Lu.

Technically, Samal isn’t Davao… but I did say this blog is to be about the city and its environs, didn’t I?   So here’s something I’ve written about a new resort on Samal. It’s called BaliBali Beach Resort, and it’s a cute, cozy getaway.

Please click on this link to read about the resort.

When I asked a Japanese tourist to describe Davao in one word, without hesitation she answered, "nonbiri". Relaxed. She was describing the general atmosphere, the pace of life, the way she feels whenever she’s in town. Many more visitors to our city feel this way. No surprise then that a coffee-shop culture has emerged here.

At my last count, there are now no fewer than 25 coffee shops in Davao’s urbanized district. For someone who’s been passionate about this heavenly brew, it certainly is a delight to witness the mushrooming of coffee houses just in the last few years. Compared to the present, my coffee moments at dear old Café Josefina in the mid-90s now seem so subdued, quiet. And there wasn’t much choice in the matter, either. Today, coffee lovers have a healthy number of choices — not only in the blends, but also in the character of the café that suits them. Here are a few of my haunts:

Basti’s Brew. The first word that popped in my head as I wrote this was ‘convivial’. Basti’s @ Victoria Plaza possesses an air of friendliness, and has such a great following that many can say that they’ve made friends with other patrons right there. While it wasn’t the very first honest-to-goodness coffee shop in Davao, it certainly was the one that pushed forward Davao’s coffee culture, in my opinion.

Blugré Café. This is most probably Davao’s pioneering coffee shop. Blugré was most likely the one that set the bar for all other shops to follow. While Basti’s has a relaxed atmosphere, Blugré has a decidedly business-like impression to it. Indeed, it’s a perfect venue for capping that deal, or for treating a client to a cappuccino break.

Bo’s Coffee Club (on F. Torres St.). Bo’s exudes a certain worldliness. It’s the one that’s probably closest to Starbucks in terms of appeal (well, it is a franchise itself). Most café goers might describe Bo’s to be exclusive, or in the local parlance, sosyal. So it might present itself as rather off-putting to the easily intimidated. The other Bo’s Coffee Club, the original franchise located in SM City, has a more affable charm.

51 Coffee Shop. They serve an exquisite Americano at 51 (pronounced five-one, by the way). They import their beans from Japan — thing is, Davaoeños might find the blends a little on the thin side. The owner runs the place like a typical Japanese coffee house, where you can expect the proverbial "Irasshaimase!" greeting. 51 Coffee Shop is huge, and is probably the most quiet of all.

Karl’s Koffee Korner. Now with 3 branches, Karl’s is the coffee shop that could possibly be known as a local franchise. However, its down-to-earth, gritty sort of appeal might not come across all too smoothly among coffee connoisseurs. But, it’s a comfortable place, especially the one in Buhangin.

The other coffee shops, like Copa Bossa, Formula Pete’s, Kasagingan, they all have their peculiar personalities as well. Some are easy to take; others take some getting used to. Some are instantly likeable; others, you have to let them grow on you. And all of this makes for an interesting café-hopping experience, don’t you think? Whatever your trip, I’m sure you’ll find that snug little café that fits you.

It all started when GlobeQuest (later known as Innove) connected Basti’s Brew in Victoria Plaza to the Internet and broadcast Davao’s first public wireless Internet signal. The service was offered free to the customers — at first, only as a promotional offer, but then the offer lasted for about a year! So when another coffee shop, Formula Pete’s, opened, I guess they thought it wise to offer free wifi access as well. Good for them and not so good for Basti’s because Innove had started charging for access by then. Lo and behold! it became a trend in Davao. Soon after, free wifi access to laptop-toting patrons were being offered at new and existing coffee shops. Hotels and bars and even malls followed suit as well. (What’s remarkable is NCCC’s mall-wide wireless connectivity.)

I think that this phenomenon is unique to Davao, because as far as I know, most wifi hotspots in the capital and in other urbanized cities are being offered for a fee. In big-name cafés in Metro Manila, for instance, 3rd-party providers charge for wireless Internet access, and the fees aren’t all that cheap either. What happened in Davao was simply the positive effects of sound business competition. And it sure is working quite nicely for Davao folk!

Here’s a list of free wifi hotspots that I already know about. If there are other places you know about, do let me know by leaving a comment here.

51 Coffee Shop, Victoria Plaza compound, beside MetroBank & Buffet Palace; Basti’s Brew @ Victoria Plaza & Legaspi St.; Blugré in Landco, Bajada; Bo’s Coffee Club, F. Torres St.; Casa Leticia, Camus St.; Copa Bossa in Tiangge, Ecoland (in front of SM City); Cups & lowercase, F. Torres St.; Formula Pete’s in Wheels n’ More Drive; Holiday Spa, F. Torres St.; K1 Family KTV, F. Torres St.; Kanto Bar in MTS, Matina; Kasagingan, F. Torres St.; NCCC Mall, Maa/Matina; and, Royal Mandaya Hotel, Palma Gil St.

Most of the hotspots here have good Internet connections; if I’m not mistaken, all of them are on DSL: PLDT myDSL, Innove, Pisolutions, BayanTel. From what I gather, people seem to be happiest in places where BayanTel DSL is connected. And where PLDT myDSL is, somehow the connection isn’t very reliable. Which is a wonder, because SmartBro — which is virtually in the same network as PLDT — is awesome.

Now, if we were talking about coffe, well, my personal favorite is the Americano (mild blend) of 51 Coffee Shop. Basti’s comes next in my list. Hmmm… I think I might do a survey soon.

Hello! This is a brand new blog that’s all about Davao City and its environs. My name is Blogie (no kidding! like I’ve said in my personal weblog, it must’ve been foresight on the part of my folks…), and I’m a Davaoeño. I was born 35 years ago to a Davaoeño and a Manileña, who is now very much a Davaoeña in all respects.

For those who’ve been to Davao long enough to experience the place, they know that it’s quite easy to become a Davaoeño. If you suddenly feel the urge to move to the deep South, or if you thought you’d never stand the smell of durian but now you can’t get enough of it, or you can’t help but gush about how wonderful it is to be here — that’s when you know you’re starting to become one.

Welcome to Ang Dabawenyo blog! I shall try my best to keep it updated and provide readers with as much variety of topics as I can. Comments and suggestions will be appreciated! This blog is for you if you’re out to know more about us, or if you miss Davao, or if you just happen to have some free time to surf the Internet. Contributions in the form of articles and photos are most welcome!