Miss Iggy at a Theatre of Happily Ever Afters

Miss Iggy went on a photowalk right in her Jersey neighborhood last month. Her subject was this eye-catching theatre building which looks like a structure from a pop-up story book! She was excited to use her brand-new Diana Mini camera for the first time, too!

Bell and Barter is a non-profit corporation dedicated to theater arts aimed at acting for children. It's been around since 1972!

Miss Iggy recognized the characters gracing the theatre's walls!

She's a fan of Peter Pan! 

Purple is the dominant color in the building...even on the pathways and stairs!

Once upon a time, Miss Iggy stumbled upon a temple of performing arts. With her new Diana Mini, she snapped away happily ever after!

Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark

Holy Week in Miss Iggy's homeland, the Philippines, would include the Catholic tradition of going to different churches for prayer, a Lenten pilgrimage usually done on Good Friday or within Holy Week. This is known as "Visita Iglesia," or Church Visit. Miss Iggy had the opportunity to visit one landmark of a cathedral in Newark, New Jersey: the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacret Heart--right in the heart of the city of Newark.

Built in 1899, this majestic monument of Catholic faith for New Jersey folk was designated as an historic landmark by the New Jersey Historical Society in December 1974. Two years later, it was recognized nationally as a National Historic Site.

Miss Iggy wishes everyone a solemn Holy Week and an Egg-citing Easter Celebration!

Chicago's Navy Pier

Jersey Iggy is in the Navy! Navy Pier, that is! She was at Chicago's downtown waterfront attraction in June last year.

She felt dwarfed by the Ferris Wheel which reminded her of Vienna's own Riesenrad that Vienna Vixen Iggy told her about. Right next to it is a musical carousel which delighted kids of all ages.

Navy Pier is right next to the mighty Lake Michigan which takes you to the neighboring state of Michigan on the other side. Tourists can ride the various lake ferries in high speed or cruise-friendly pace. Miss Iggy recommends the architectural boat tour which takes you down Chicago River nearby with informative trivia on the famous buildings of Chicago's skyline.

As she strolled along Lake Shore Drive, she was content looking at the many yachts docked by the shore, thinking, someday she'll be cruising the world in style!

Taste of Chicago

Jersey Iggy attended this annual foodie festival in Chicago last June 2010 called "Taste of Chicago." It was a summer theme park for your taste buds right in downtown Chicago's Grant Park, where you can sample the Windy City's finest culinary treats in either a "taste" size or a regular meal size!

Admission is free, but you have to purchase ticket stubs in order to buy food, similar to tokens. You are given a map of the food stalls sprawled across the park and you can let your appetite run wild and try something new!

If you're not sure if you're going to like a certain item on the menu, try their "taste portion" which will only cost you about 2 or 3 ticket stubs. If you love it, get the bigger size and chow away!

The Rainbow Cone won us over in the dessert category. It's an icy-sweet fusion of different flavors like strawberry, chocolate, pistachio and orange sherbet. It gives you this delicious sensation of having the rainbow melt in your mouth!

An added treat to this delicious attraction is the Buckingham Fountain, the watery centerpiece to this gastronomical gathering!

Miss Iggy would love to come back for seconds! (And thirds and...)

Happy Birthday Lauren!

Miss Iggy just discovered this cool online photo booth called PhotoCabine where you can instantly shoot yourself in a film strip and share with friends! All you need is a webcam for this tres chic trick!

And with this fun photo, Miss Iggy would like to greet Lauren (123sajeepney) a very Shutter-Happy Birthday!

Strawberry Sweets Forever

Baby it's (still) cold outside (at least, where this little Iggy is),

But Miss Iggy feels warm and fuzzy inside;

With all her heart, she just wants to say:

Have a Sweet and Strawberry-filled (maybe even chocolate-covered) Valentine's Day! ♥

Big Meetup in the Big Apple

2011 kicked off with a meetup between Jersey Iggy and Wander Iggy (formerly known as "Singapurple Iggy") in New York City! It's the second Iggy Meetup ever to occur in the City That Never Sleeps! Wander Iggy left her Singapore nest to fly to Amsterdam and then to New Jersey just in time for the holidays! From Amsterdam all the way to a city formerly known as "New Amsterdam" where a Holland Tunnel exists--The Becky thought that Holland is hot on her heels!

Here they are in Brooklyn Bridge, one of the most iconic structures in the Big Apple!

The Iggy sisters noticed that a little trend is forming a chain on the bridge...Fortuitous Faery likes to call them Padlocks of Passion, similar to the "Love Locks" seen in Cologne, Germany's Hohenzollern Bridge. Sweethearts declare their love and the fact that they reached Brooklyn Bridge by attaching padlocks with their names and sentiments etched on it, thereby keeping the public structure graffiti-free. But are they legal?

Miss Iggy was happy to meet The Becky and loco-for-Lomo husband Panelomo. They are such a fun couple to photograph! Here they are beneath the Bethesda Terrace in Central Park.

After a day of subway-hopping fueled by burrito bowls and cheesecake, they parted ways in Grand Central Terminal. Wander Iggy will wander off to Spain soon. Jersey Iggy can only hope for the best for her country-hopping, scholarly sister.

Holidaze

More than the presents, more than the food,
It's the presence of family and friends that completes the holiday mood!

Miss Iggy hopes your Christmas was wonderful! She has a cuddly new company which she met on Christmas Day....a Pillow Pet Ladybug! (Popular Christmas gift this year, it's charming, it's chenille!) Something to keep her cozy during winter and beyond....especially now that a blizzard is blazing its way to the East Coast!

Oh, and we have a winner of the Free 2011 Miss Iggy fridge magnet giveaway! The one and only comment/entry was from kayni! Congratulations!

2011 Calendar Fridge Magnet Giveaway!

December 16 marks the start of the Philippine religious tradition of the "Simbang Gabi" or "Misa de Gallo," a series of dawn masses culminating on Christmas Eve for the big Noche Buena feast. The old folks say that if you complete all nine masses, you get a wish granted. Your waking up early is also rewarded with native desserts baked fresh in coal flames sold on the streets just outside the church.

In the spirit of the holiday season, Jersey Iggy is giving away a free 2011 Miss Igorota calendar fridge magnet (it looks like this, but with a new photo!) to one lucky commenter on this post. All you have to do is share how/where you will be celebrating the holidays this year! Make sure you include your email address in the comment unless your profile already has it so we can contact you for mailing details in case you win.

One winner will be randomly selected from a drawing to be held on Dec. 26th. Deadline for posting comments for entries is on December 26th at 12:59PM Philippine Time (PHT). That translates to December 25, 11:59PM EST. Timestamps for blog comments are set to PHT for your guidance.

Members of the Miss Igorota Sisterhood are disqualified from entering, but are welcome to leave comments (which shall not be included in the raffle).

So be of good cheer and leave your comments here!

Boracay Never Bores!

Jersey Iggy apologizes for posting her beach photos seven months late! But hey, beach fun is timeless fun! Here she is enjoying one of the many activities you can have while in Boracay, Philippines: island-hopping on a boat!

She was awestruck by this luxurious seaside resort in the paradise island of Boracay.

For the more adventurous, there's also snorkeling, parasailing, and deep sea-diving available around the island.

Back in the sandy shores, Miss Iggy saw a guy creating a sandcastle. They are made daily in front of certain business establishments with the date written on it. Tourists who wish to have a picture with these sand sculptures are expected to tip the sand artists.

Another thing Miss Iggy thoroughly enjoyed there was the Longsilog breakfast (Longganiza-Sinangag-Itlog), a combo meal of native sausage-fried rice-and fried egg goodness. This simple-looking dish was especially delish eaten right next to the sea with coconut breeze all around you. Miss Iggy savored every sausage slice with spoonfuls of rice!

Pontifically and Royally Yours, UST

Jersey Iggy was quite impressed by the official bus of the University of Santo Tomas in Manila when she visited this oldest educational institution in the Philippines last June. It had tiger stripes on the side and the campus color combination of yellow and white.

Established in 1611, UST is officially known as the Pontifical and Royal Catholic University of the Philippines. One of Fortuitous Faery's professors once joked to her class that UST is the "only university recognized in heaven." Of course, he was being sarcastic.

UST will be celebrating its 400th Birthday next year, in the merry month of March, to be exact. There's a yellow Swatch Countdown figure to remind people of the time remaining until the big celebration!

This is what the clock looks like at night! 

UST observes some unique traditions in the campus, such as the recent Grand Living Rosary. Teachers and students participated in forming the beads of the rosary with their own presence while praying it. This year, the religious event drew in an estimated 24,000 people!

Miss Iggy thought that was a cool feat...cooler than this campus ice cream vending cart!

As she neared the iconic Arch of the Centuries structure, she knew in her heart she will be back there.

It comforted her to know that she has a resident twin in these premises in the form of Schoolgirl Iggy!

Dreaming of a White Beach Christmas

The cold winter months make Jersey Iggy long for the white sand beaches of Boracay Island in the Philippines. Sand and sun on one's skin feels so much better than being in a Snuggie blanket!

But wait, she was really there! But that was way back in the month of May. Now it seems so far away.

Look, a cave with shell ornaments!



Even if it's December, keep a little summer in your pocket and stay warm during the holidays!

Jollibee in Queens, NY

Back in April, Princess Ody & Conniechiwa met in New York City for the first time. For lunch, they decided to eat at this famous Philippine fastfood chain--currently its only branch in the East Coast US--Jollibee in Queens, New York. When hunger stings, this bee brings joy of the yummy kind!

This Jollibee branch is near 61st Street in Woodside. It's just minutes away from Manhattan via the 7 train. Queens is home to many Filipino shops and a very visible Filipino community pretty much like Jersey City in New Jersey, but with a resident red bee mentioned above!

Fiesta Time!

Miss Iggy loves fiestas! In the Philippines, there's always a fiesta somewhere in the islands all year-round! This one was at Pilar, Capiz last May 28-30, 2010. It's called the "Tagbu-an" Festival which coincides with the Feast of the Holy Trinity, as it is the town's religious patron. Since it has no fixed date, the fiesta alternates between May or June depending on the religious event mentioned.



Here's Miss Iggy with the official map of the municipality of Pilar as displayed inside the town hall. The fiesta's name "Tagbu-an" comes from the local dialect's root word "Tagbo," meaning "to meet." Since fortuitous faery's hometown is by the sea, most people are fishermen. The act of welcoming back fishermen with their catch of the day is called "Tagbu-an." Of course, what are festivals without merrymaking noise from happy townsfolk, such as these charming little banduria-playing girls?

And there were beautiful dancers in vibrant costumes, too!

There was a street-dancing competition in which dancers from different "baranggays" or town boroughs interpreted the same folk song. They were judged according to costume, choreography, and overall presentation.

Here's a short clip of a group's dance interpretation:

Miss Iggy had so much fun!

Fun & Fire Trucks At The Fall Festival

Autumn spells harvest time in the United States. It's a time when fields yield the fruits of a summer's worth of sowing. It's also the time for Fall Festivals such as this one that Miss Iggy attended for the first time in the Jersey town of Denville.

This annual event was recently revived to the delight of families in the area. It had been extinct for several years.

And there were fire trucks for kids and adults alike to climb and explore! 

 

There was a farmer's market selling fall favorites. It's hardly a "harvest festival" without these!

Painted pumpkins! A pirate one even!

Crafty vendors sold interesting things like these pinecone-shaped "firestarters," presumably to use at your fireplace, not to be pyromaniacs. Or maybe to be used as regular scented candles.

Wooden lawn decor for the "ber" holidays!

This porky sign is actually for the antiques section, not for meats as one might think. 

There was even a "Berry-Go-Round" which Miss Iggy thought was berry cute! Miss Iggy loves strawberries! She hopes next year's Fall Festival will be bigger and better!