I've just read this article in Yahoo News. Although I know all these things because I'm a Boholona, but I still want to post this article in my blog so that I can help in spreading out the good things about our island.

1. The Tarsier - I saw it perched on a tree along the Loboc River made even more famous by Cesar Montano, one of Bohol's pride, in his movie Panaghoy sa Suba. I looked at it eyeball-to-eyeball and that's how I noticed lonely its eyes were, so huge that, for a while, I felt that those eyes would kill me with gentleness.

2. The Chocolate Hills -One of Da King FPJ's favorite settings of his blockbusters, the hills are alive with the whatever sound you can imagine, all those 1,268 mounds (count 'em!). If you have the stamina, try climbing the 200-plus steps up one of them and, from the peak, be mesmerized by a panoramic view of the province. Breath-taking! How did the hills got the name? Give the credit to the Americans who, many years ago, stood transfixed by the natural wonder that reminded them of Chocolate Kisses. Thus, Chocolate Hills.

3. The Amarela (in Panglao) - Touted on its flyer as "...not just a beautiful beach resort but also a showcase of Bohol's rich cultural and artistic heritage...", Amarela is Spanish for yellow. Said its owner-manager Doy Nunag, "We called it Amarela by accident. Three years ago when we were on a family vacation in Portugal, we noticed that the subway lines were identified by color, one of them the Amarela Line. We were looking for a name for the resort and we thought that Amarela was perfect for it." Most of the rooms face the sea. Watch the sun rise and set from your window, and you will sing the famous Sunrise, Sunset song from Fiddler on the Roof with new lyrics coming spontaneously from your heart. I heard that Bea Zobel stays at Amarela when she's in Bohol, which is often. (Note: For inquiries, call 038-5029497 to 98 or cell phone 0906-5884145.)

4. The old churches - Raoul and I visited 14 churches the first time I was in Bohol, completing the Visita Iglesia even if it was the Lenten Season. We lingered a bit in the vicinity of Baclayon Church in Baclayon town, several meters away from it stands the lighthouse where Cesar Montano proposed to Sunshine Cruz at sunset, to the enchanting music of the Loboc Children's Choir. Romantic!

5. The Bohol Bee Farm - Owned and managed by Vicky Wallace, the Farm serves all-organic food, including - would you believe! - Bougainvilla Salad ("Anything that the bees eat is edible," assured Vicky, a retired nurse who worked in the States, now the widow of an American husband) and Camote Bread. To digest an "organic" meal, you can stroll around place and have a close look at the bees of various species, coming from different parts of the country (and Australia).

6. The Peanut Kisses, Ube Jam and Torta - Don't just bring home beautiful memories from Bohol, complete with album-fuls of pictures. Remember to drop by any of the groceries in department stores (BQ Mall - BQ for Bohol Quality - one of them, owned and managed by Raymond Ong who also owns and manages Metro Center which has a cozy hotel at the heart of Tagbilaran City) and stuff your back-pack with as many packs of Peanut Kisses and Torta and Ube Jam as you can. Family and friends back home will love those pasalubongs. Yummy!

7. Payag Restaurant - Your weekend in Tagbilaran will not be complete if you don't take lunch or dinner at Payag (#18 CPG East Avenue). My favorite item on the menu is the Chicken Barbecue, served with fresh achara and cold buko juice (or any juice of your choice). When Floy Quintos brought balikbayan international model Anna Bayle to Bohol, they went to Payag for dinner. "They occupied that table in the corner," Raoul pointed out. "Anna looked as delicious as the chicken inasal, holding a bottle of ice-cold Beer Light." Burp before you leave the place. (Note: For reservations, call 038-4112527 or 038-5019447.)

8. The Loboc River Night Cruise - For a touch of romance, take this tour with a loved one (lover or friend) - or even alone (you can "romance" yourself, can't you? By day, the cruise comes with buffet lunch. At night, you first take dinner at a floating restaurant and then you transfer to a boat that sails oh-so-slowly along the river between tall trees on both banks, adorned with lights that turn from red to orange to pink to violet to green to blue and then to light blue-green. Those lights were donated by Carlos Chan (Benchan's brother) to the tune of... P12 million!?!... including the Children's Palace where the Loboc Youth Band caps the cruise with an hour of soothing music. But first, enjoy a homegrown group composed of children and adults, waiting on a raft at the far end of the Loboc River to serenade the "cruisers" during the brief stopover. (Don't forget to donate a few bucks to the singing group; they need it.) Cruise prices are very affordable. (Note: For inquiries, call the Loboc Tourism Port Office at 038-5379292 or mobile phones 0928-5077627 and 0920-9623550.)

9. The Panglao Island Nature Resort - Owned and managed by Raymond Ong, this resort is another haven for weary souls from the big city. If you're looking for a place so quiet and so serene that you can feel your heart gently beating and yourself thinking, with only the sound of the wind rustling among the trees, this is the place for you. Your muscles grown tired? Walk to The Spa nearby. Or take a swim or do a lap or two at the Olympic-size pool. Or run to the beach just beyond your cottage. The resort's new feature is the just-opened Verdant Pavilion which is a perfect venue for concerts (Sitti was the first to hold one there; and, if negotiations push through, Martin Nievera just might do a Valentine concert there in February next year, keep your fingers crossed!). For inquiries, call (63-38) 411-5875 or 502-2451.

10. The Beautiful Boholanos - Bohol has produced a lot of stars, including Cesar Montano (of course, who is rumored to be running for governor or congressman), Luke Mejares, retired actress and now US-based Rebecca del Rio, Giselle Sanchez, the late Yoyoy Villame, StarStruck finalist Rich Asuncion, Star in a Million Champion Jerome Sala (now managing the family's hollow blocks business and, on the side, driving the family-owned passenger jeepney), Rebecca Lusterio, Hot Babe Sheree, Lutgardo Labad, 2006 Bb. Pilipinas-World Mariz Igpit and "adopted son" Maryo J. delos Reyes (who has a house in Tagbilaran. And, last but definitely not the least, my friends (aside from Raoul Tidalgo, Raymond Ong, Vicky Wallace and Doy Nunag), Betty Veloso-Garcia (and the Veloso Family), Boy Echavez and Liklik Schroeder (now based in Sacramento, California).

2. Beetles taste like apples, wasps like pine nuts, and worms like fried bacon.

3. Of all the words in the English language, the word 'set' has the most definitions!

4. What is called a "French kiss" in the English speaking world is known as an "English kiss" in France.

5. "Almost" is the longest word in the English language with all the letters in alphabetical order.

6. "Rhythm" is the longest English word without a vowel.

7. In 1386, a pig in France was executed by public hanging for the murder of a child

8. A cockroach can live several weeks with its head cut off!

9. Human thigh bones are stronger than concrete.

10. You can't kill yourself by holding your breath

11. There is a city called Rome on every continent.

12. Your heart beats over 100,000 times a day!

13. Right handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left-handed people

14. Your ribs move about 5 million times a year, every time you breathe!

15. The elephant is the only mammal that can't jump!

16. One quarter of the bones in your body, are in your feet!

17. Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is different!

18. Fingernails grow nearly 4 times faster than toenails!

19. Most dust particles in your house are made from dead skin!

23. Coca-Cola would be green if colouring weren’t added to it.

24. On average a hedgehog's heart beats 300 times a minute.

25. More people are killed each year from bees than from snakes.

26. The average lead pencil will draw a line 35 miles long or write approximately 50,000 English words.

27. More people are allergic to cow's milk than any other food.

28. Camels have three eyelids to protect themselves from blowing sand.

29. The placement of a donkey's eyes in its' heads enables it to see all four feet at all times!

30. The six official languages of the United Nations are: English, French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish.

31. Earth is the only planet not named after a god.

32. It's against the law to burp, or sneeze in a church in Nebraska, USA.

33. You're born with 300 bones, but by the time you become an adult, you only have 206.

34. Some worms will eat themselves if they can't find any food!

35. Dolphins sleep with one eye open!

36. It is impossible to sneeze with your eyes open

37. The worlds oldest piece of chewing gum is 9000 years old!

38. The longest recorded flight of a chicken is 13 seconds

39. Slugs have 4 noses.

40. Owls are the only birds who can see the colour blue.

41. A giraffe can clean its ears with its 21-inch tongue!

42. The average person laughs 10 times a day!

43. An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain

Pinoy Dream Academy(also known as PDA) is the Philippine version of Endemol's Star Academy. The format is similar to Big Brother, where a set number of finalists (billed as "scholars" throughout the series) would live inside the Academy for four months and will be trained by guest teachers to be multimedia performers. Activities in the Academy are being monitored 24/7 by the headmaster. It uses the tagline Ang drama sa likod ng pangarap (The drama behind the dream). The program is aired through ABS-CBN.

ABS-CBN affiliate Studio 23 airs a companion program under the same title. It is a separate show from the flagship station that will feature scenes that were not shown on the main program and has different hosts.

Awit ng Pangarap ("Song of the Dream"), made during the show's first season run by contestants Yeng Constantino, Yvan Lambatan, and Kristoff Abrenica, is the main theme song of the show, although "We're All In This Together" was used earlier in the pre-season specials as the unofficial theme song of the first season. Awit ng Pangarap was officially sung by the first season's scholars (billed as the PDA All-Stars) and was used starting in the middle of the first season. A version by Constantino alone is being used for the second season.

Filipino Leche Flan Recipe

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Estimated cooking time: 1 hour

• 1 can (390g) evaporated milk

• 1 can (390g) condensed milk

• 10 egg yolks

• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or lemon essence

For the caramel:

• 1 cup sugar

• 3/4 cup water

• In a saucepan, mix the sugar & water. Bring to a boil for a few minutes until the sugar caramelize.

• Pour the caramelized sugar into aluminum moulds - you can use any shape: oval, round or square. Spread the caramel on the bottom of the moulds.

• Mix well the evaporated milk, condensed milk, egg yolks and vanilla by hand or blender.

• Gently pour the mixture on top of the caramel on the aluminum moulds. Fill the moulds to about 1 to 1 1/4 inch thick.

• Cover moulds individually with aluminum foil.

• Steam for about 20 minutes OR

• Bake for about 45 minutes. Before baking the Leche Flan, place the moulds on a larger baking pan half filled with very hot water. Pre-heat oven to about 370 degrees before baking.

• Let cool then refrigerate.

• To serve: run a thin knife around the edges of the mould to loosen the leche Flan. Place a platter on top of the mould and quickly turn upside down to position the golden brown caramel on top.

• You can tell when the Leche Flan is cooked by inserting a knife -if it comes out clean, it is cooked.

Two-week-old Sphynx kitten.

• Dermis and Epidermis (1975) from the Pearsons of Wadena, MN, USA and
• Bambi, Punkie, and Paloma (1978) found in Toronto, ON, Canada and raised by Shirley Smith.