Last Wednesday, I tagged along with Erwin to New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa. This was part of Rock Ed's weekly visitation to the maximum security prison.

RockEd is a movement that aims to encourage reading and education through music. They have held several projects and produced several events. They also have a weekly radio show every Sunday at 8pm on NU 107, hosted by Gang Badoy, who founded Rock Ed, and Lourd de Veryra of the RadioActiveSago Project, with music by Terno Recordings.

We met up with Gang and two other volunteers, Leslie and Mike along the SLEX and together, we went to Bilibid.

You hear all sorts of things about folks in prison. It doesn't help that movies paint prison as being a dark, soulless place where people are kept behind bars and given scarps of food to eat.

The security inside Bilibid is unbelievably tight (and rightly so). No cellphones or cameras allowed. We had to empty out the contents of our bags, surrender an ID and get frisked. The guys had to get stamped as proof that they don't belong inside. After all that, we were finally in.

The inside of Bilibid is like a little barangay. There is a hospital, a basketball court, a canteen, numerous sari-sari stores. People walk around, some in their orange uniforms, others in casual attire. It looked like you were in a men-only commune and not one of the biggest prisons in the country. People called out to Gang as she passed, all of which she greeted with a cheerful 'hello' back. We could see groups of prisoners walking around -- probably gang leaders and their 'bodyguards.' We passed some joggers who waved happily at us. The tiny road was smooth and well-paved, a far cry from some of the streets you see in Metro Manila.

Gang teaches a creative writing class in Bilibid every Wednesday. She sometimes brings in guests to talk about what they do. It's one way of getting the inmates to meet new people, something they cannot do on their own because of their current situation. Examples of people she's brought include writers, filmmakers and musicians. RockEd even organized a concert of the inmates recently of three of today's most popular bands -- The Itchyworms, Pedicab and Hale.

We were led deep inside the prison, into a small, well-lit activity room that also housed the prison library. This is where Gang's students regularly gathered for class. I was asked to introduce myself. I told them that I was a horror writer, and that immediately got their attention. It seemed that everyone had a question to ask or a scary story to tell.

"Did you feel anything on your way here?" someone ask.

"Thank goodness I didn't!" I replied.

I was told about haunted cells, haunted bathrooms, given tips on how to go about researching in the morgue. A guy told us about how he had encountered a talking goat when he was a child while another regaled us with a story of how he picked a fight with a ghost. They were all very smart. We discussed stuff like clairvoyance, near death experiences and Christian belief about the nature of spirits. I learned from them that fiction is kathang-isip in Tagalog.

They also asked about how I researched my stories, and whether I did it alone.

"Not if I can help it!" I answered.

Afterwards, Gang gave them a lesson on ownership and imagination. "Your story or poem belongs to you," she said, "and only you have the right to dictate what happens in it. It can be based on events or it could be something purely from your imagination. You can exaggerate if you want, because it is yours. What is important is that you are happy with what you have written."

Gang is a very good teacher. I found myself relearning things I had forgotten and discovering others that I didn't realize about the writing process. Her class listened attentively, drinking in her every word. I realized that this was probably the most interested, well-behaved class I had ever seen. She then gave them an assignment. They were to each write a horror story that they were to let someone else read, one person per story. The only criteria for this exercise was that they scare their groupmate. They would then report on the stories they read.

Gang's students wanted to see some of my work, so I'm supposed to give Gang photocopies of one of my stories.

Afterwards, we milled around for a bit. One of the prisoners showed me and Erwin the scars from where he was shot in the early 90's. He described the sensation of being shot, and the pain of the wound healing. I asked to touch it and he let me. Now I know what a healed gunshot wound feels like. He also told me that he's been starving for horror and suspense books, since most of what circulates within the prison walls are Tagalog romance novels. Imagine that!

We were joined by fashion designer Puey Quinones, who also holds once a week classes in Bilibid, but for painting and fashion design. Everyone sat down to a dinner of white rice, steamed crab, and probably the best tinolang manok I have ever tasted. We sat around some more then it was time to go home. what looked like the whole class escorted us to the prison gates, where we shook hands and said goodbye.

Later, I asked Gang when the class would be reporting on their groupmates' stories. She said they could wait for me if I wanted. I really want to hear what horror stories her students come up with. I'll let you know if anything stands out.

Find out more about Rock Ed on www.rockedphilippines.org/

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Some time ago, I got to attend a Ponds Pinkish White Dream Date event that featured both Dingdong Dantes and Piolo Pascual. How anyone did not faint with those two in the room is still a mystery. There was a question and answer portion on what makes these guys tick romatically, mediated by the more than willing emcee, Sam Oh. Here are some of what the hunks had to say:

What is your dream date?

Piolo: It would have to be somewhere private and Romantic. It would have to be in Tagaytay.

Dingdong: Gusto ko sa ocean, pero in a yatch, tapos nandoon yung favorite band ko. Mas maganda sa sunset.

Describe your ideal girl.

Dingdong: Somebody who will complement what I have. Someone who's funny, easy to get along with, bubbly at times.

Piolo: Someone who will surprise me. I want her to be simple, no pretensions.

What is your idea of beautiful?

Piolo: Someone who has both beauty and brains.

Dingdong: Someone who can carry herself, even if she's all wrapped up. Someone who does not have to bare skin to be sexy, someone who has wit.

How does it feel to be called two of the sexiest men in showbiz today?

Dingdong: I really do not give importance to titles because it really boils down to performance. I' very happy kung saan man ako madala sa career.

Piolo: I'm happy just to know that I'm still in the business after all this time. I never compete with anyone, I just compete with myself.

What is your dream job after showbiz?

Piolo: I want to be a missionary. I want to go to areas that are not reached by civilization. I want to help them out.

Dingdong: I want to be a bodyguard (of) the president of the Philippines.. Then on my days off, I want to run a farm (where I grow) mangoes and goats.

If you were given the chance to chat with a world leader, who would you choose and why?

Piolo: President of the philipines. Since I'm a Filipino, I want to know how I can help. I just want to know how we can help out other people in the country.

Dingdong: Mabigat yun pero siguro I would like to talk to Manny Pacquiao. He's an industry leader in sports. I just want to talk to him and wish him good luck in his next fight. I know that that will prove that the Filipinos can stand up to the world in a sport they're good in, like boxing.

Are you a hopeless romantic or a level headed lover?

Dingdong: level headed lover

Are you artistic or intellectual?

Piolo: Artistic

Are you a chest guy or a legs guy?

Dingdong: Legs

Do you prefer a girl who's book or street smart?

Piolo: Street smart

What do you like more? A girl who's sexy or sweet?

Dingdong: sexy

There you go. So just in case you bump into any of the two hunks, you know how to play it. Good luck!

Global warming has been playing havoc with our weather. This means either days that are sweltering hot or ones plagued by continuous rainfall. There are many things to do when the sun is out. Unfortunately, these things diminish rather dramatically once the sky starts to turn cloudy. Here are some things to keep you occupied during those dreary wet days:

Dance in the rain

There's a childish pleasure to playing in the rain, but that pleasure turns to disgust once you realize that playing in the rain means more like wading through floods. Fortunately, wellington boots (you know, those big rubber boots) have become a fashion statement. You can now put on a pair and walk in the floodwaters without having to worry about being 'baduy.' Hard core fashionistas can check out Plueys (website at plueys.com), brightly designed wellies that look cute when worn with tights or short dresses. I saw a pair on model and columnist Apples Aberin-Sadhwani and they looked really nice. Bag designer Amina Aranaz-Alunan also claims to have a pair, as does her son. I got a pair of bright pink ones, which have saved my feet from the rain on more than one occasion, including a big downpour in the middle of Burgos St. in Makati.

Watch TV

Cable may be all the rage, but free TV is still the best. After all, if we didn't have free TV, we wouldn't have GMA, and if we didn't have GMA, we wouldn't have had Starstruck, and if we didn't have Starstruck, we would not have discovered Rhea Nakpil. For Rhea fans who have wondered where this Starstruck finalist has gone, look no further than a certain rock-oriented series on another channel.

Write -- or draw -- your thoughts

I like to keep a pen and paper handy to jot down quick thoughts and snippets of inspiration. Carrying a pen and paper is actually part of my job, but even if it weren't, I'd still carry them around. A lot of my stories have come from ideas that occurred to me in the strangest places , and the only reason I remembered them was because I had a pen and notebook, or sometimes, even just my cellphone handy. I always go around with two notebooks, a plain one where I can jot down quick notes, and a Moleskine that I keep neat (it's also for those times when I want to feel more 'writerly'). Molekines are usually expensive, but I get mine at a way lower price from http://www.avalon.ph. Nothing like some writing and a nice cup of hot chocolate to make even the darkest of days bright.

Take a bath

Taking a bath when it's already wet outside? You heard me right! For some reason I like bathing with cold water but I hear warm bathwater is a rainy day comfort. That, plus your favorite soap. I've always had a love for bath products. I always get giddy at the sight of soaps and bath gels. My favorite brand is called Leyende. It's a local brand that's all organic, with containers made from recycled plastic. You can check out their stuff online at http://www.leyende.com or go to their store at the ground floor of the Glorietta Activity Center across Havin' a Baby maternity shop. They've got really neat stuff from shampoo and conditioner to body gels, scrubs and butters. I used to hunt Leyende down in bazaars and buy a lot of their stuff in one go. That's how much I like them. They even have a lotion called Mother Butter especially for getting rid of cellulite (halata bang gumagamit?). Another thing that I like is that the company encourages recycling -- for every six empty Leyende bottles you return, you get either a body butter or a moisture glider (moisturizing make-up base) for free. This is why I've got a lot of bottles stored up for my next trip there.

Listen to the radio

Can't leave the house to party because of a storm? Dance the night away to Groove Nation's Deep Fried every Wednesday at 11pm on NU 107. Hosted by Terno Records' Toti Dalmacion Deep Fried plays "all things Deep, Tech and Funky."

Congratulations to Juday

Okay, this isn't a rainy day activity but...

I never realized how good an actress Juday was until I saw her in Kulam a few weeks ago. It's not until you see her act crazy and sane at the same time that you can compare how good she actually is. Speaking of Juday, her independent film Ploning was selected as the country's entry to the 2009 Oscar Awards' best foreign language film category. Congrats!

And now, part two of my Appetite and Carnation Family Food Trip. Because one day of eating is not enough.

The next day, we were treated to a Manor breakfast. This was your typical hotel breakfast, a buffet with everything from bacon and eggs to pancakes and waffles to breakfast congee with different toppings, all kinds of cereal and chocolatey champorado. I gravitated towards the fresh yogurt, a product that I had discovered on my last trip to Baguio. Though actually more yogurt drink than the real thing, it nonetheless contains a creaminess not found in commercial yogurt. You can buy bottles of the stuff in the Baguio market, or have it to drink in a lot of the restaurants around Baguio. I find that I like mine to be a mixture of the strawberry variety (flavored with fresh strawberries, as expected) and plain, since the flavored ones tend to be too sweet for me.

After breakfast, some delegates went on a tour of Baguio's tourist attractions such as Mines View Park to shop for pasalubong. I decided to stay at the hotel so that I could recuperate from breakfast.

Before I knew it, it was lunch time. Chef Billy King served up another feast, this time for food inspired by traditional Filipino home cooking. For appetizers, we had Sliced Tuna Cerviche with Coconut Milk falvored with Tanglad. Cerviche, by the way, is like the Italian version of kilawin, except that meat is sliced thinly and is not marinated in vinegar, like our local variety. We also had Sisig and Buffalo (Carabao) Cheese Quiches, both of them bite-sized. I liked the Buffalo Cheese one more as I found the Sisig too tough, at least for a quiche.

We had Chunky Vegetable Salad with fresh fruits and a variety of dressings, as well as fried okoy, a Filipino snack favorite. One of the things I especially enjoyed was the Creamy Monggo Soup, which your basic monggo soup infused with a healthy dose of cream (or in this case, Carnation evap). Accompanied by warm Cibatta and bread rolls with butter, the soup was a wonderfully heartwarming comfort food that delivers a one-two veggie-dairy punch.

We also enjoyed fried whole fish whose crispy texture was complemented by sweet-sour green mango salsa. Other guests partook of Baked Chicken Pastel, Assorted Seafood in Tanglad Coconut Sauce, Pork Menudo with Carnation Milk, Beef Adobo Caneloni and Bringhe Rice. I passed on the said dishes partly because I was still full from breakfast and partly because I was saving room for dessert, which was Creme Brulee, Brazo de Mercedes and Apple Jalousie with French Cream. The first two were rich and sweet and creamy, great when paired with sweet and hot coffee. The last one was a mix of textures, stewed apples soft against flaky pastry, the whole thing complemented by a dollop of fresh cream. If I could live in The Manor's buffet area, I would. Unfortunately, we had to move on to the next and last activity. Fortunately, that involved eating as well.

Next stop was the Grand Handaan, which was held at Burnham Park. Apart from us delegates from Manila, the event was a free-for-all. Everybody enjoyed sampling dishes from Vigan, La Union, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan, Benguet and Bulacan, with each province represented by a booth that promoted its culinary specialties. Sweets from Bulacan and Pangasinan, empanadas from Ilocos Sur, bagnet from Iligan, sisig from Pampanga and of course, vegetables from Benguet.

Afterwards, we headed back to Manila, our bellies full of food, our minds swirling with the memories and experiences that our food trip to the North has brought.