Hello ! Renxkyoko Iglesias here ! ❤
Wow. My last post was Oct. 24. I know, I’m a lazy blogger. I’m suppose to post Part 3 of my fun vacation in the Philippines, but, I feel it’s gone stale already. It’s still okay, I guess.
Oh, wait…. remember my Cringe- worthy Forensic Science project ? I was told not to talk about it. Now you’re telling me. I just did. And I’m not going to delete that post. I mean, Forensic shows are all over cable, so there’s really nothing federal about it. Oh, and before I forget, we made 6 trials, and that means, we asked for 5 more of THAT. THAT is semen. I don’t have to act coy anymore. I’m past that. Here’s another jar, pal. And put it in the freezer immediately. * ponders* Actually, I’m sensitive and fragile so please take care of me.
The US Congress is planning to pass a law that will allow the government to get the DNA profiles of all Americans and store them at the DNA Data Base center. This way, it will be easier for law enforcement agencies to catch the criminals. That’s a good thing, right ? Wrong. Even Forensic Analysts do not agree. Criminals are smart now, especially those who commit premeditated murders. The bad guy can just pick up any cigarette butt or beer and soda cans, and plant them at the scene of crime. Even if the innocent guy has a solid alibi, he still has to explain the presence of his DNA at the scene.. Even if the prosecutor cannot find any motive, you can bet that the sun is up there the prosecutor will find one. The innocent is totally screwed. He’ll be looking at a life sentence without the possibilty of parole, or worse, death penalty. That’s what happens if all our DNA profiles are in the DataBase. Well, you know what they say… it’s preferable to free 100 guilty men over incarcerating one innocent man, or something like that. In fact, this happened already. The bad guy planted a random cigarette butt……. good thing the DNA profile found on the cigarette did not have a match at the National DNA DataBase.
Enough of chatting.
Here’s Part 3 of my fun vacation in the Philippines.
So, off we went to see Taal Volcano, the smallest volcano in the world.
.Can you see the volcano ? It’s right there in the middle of the picture. You can see the mouth of the volcano, right ? It was misty around the area of the volcano , even though the temperature was like, 100 F ( 38 C ), and very, very humid.
Facing the picture, the volcano ‘s to the right of me.
We went up there to have lunch at that restaurant in the photo, but it was closed for renovation. Good thing there was a Chinese restaurant nearby, with a nice view too.
.Photo below is the view from the restaurant .
The first thing that I ordered was real coconut juice, straight from the fruit. By the way, coconut is not a nut. It’s a fruit. Oh, my gosh, it tasted sooo good.
After drinking the juice, we scraped off the white meat with a spoon. Delicious.
This is all for now. Oh, before I forget, on my Part 2 Philippine post, there was this singer whose song was played over and over on our trip to Taal Volcano. Well, he was Rick Astley, and the songs were Never Give You Up and Together Forever. 
And the owner of the car is a relative who is also a Prosecutor. That car plate was a souvenir given during a Prosecutors’ Conference held a month ago before I took that picture. She said she wasn’t supposed to make that a permanent fixture 😮 It’s dangerous. I talked about her on my Part 2 Philippine post. She received death threats a few years ago.
She’s okay now. The bad guys are in jail. Still….. announcing you’re a Prosecutor is a bad idea. Try doing that in Mexico, and see what happens.
Oh, well, what do I know .
This is all for now, and thank you for reading. PEACE !
.
Am a Molecular Microbiology student, love to read books, and I play the violin. 
dreamsending
renxkyoko
renxkyoko's space 
Posted by Xena on November 24, 2014 at 9:18 am
I love the photos. It seems as if I was there with you so let me say “thanks” for taking me along. (I can almost taste the coconut juice.)
Posted by renxkyoko on November 25, 2014 at 7:25 pm
Oh, wow, thanks ! ! Actually, it seems like I’m seeing a photo for the first time , too ! ! We’re all on the same boat. XD
Posted by Xena on November 26, 2014 at 12:31 am
Renx, I love that you’re sharing your life experiences and learning with us. It’s a pleasure reading your posts.
Posted by arlene on November 24, 2014 at 10:42 am
So you went to Tagaytay, did you enjoy the view of Taal lake?
Posted by renxkyoko on November 25, 2014 at 7:30 pm
Guess what, I’ve been there 3x, 2004, 2010, and this last one in 2012. The view of the lake was spectacular. I just hope they don’t cover the area with private properties. We were at Tagaytay Highlands, a private subdivision, but only property owners can enter to see the view. The public aren’t allowed in.
Posted by Sreejit Poole on November 24, 2014 at 11:44 am
A DNA Database of all Americans? That’s crazy. But really consistent, unfortunately, with the world we live in today. I don’t really like the meat on tender coconuts I have to say. It’s so slimy and all, makes me kind of quessy. The hard coconuts I love, but the drinking ones – just give me the juice. Nice pics. 100 and humid? I know what that feels like. Hope you had a/c! When are you gonna get on a weekly posting habit? Ok you could start with a bi-weekly, I know you’re busy, but the forensic science stuff is pretty interesting. Had know idea what all is going on on campuses these days!
Posted by renxkyoko on November 25, 2014 at 7:34 pm
I wish I could post more often…. I don’t know, I have to be in the mood. 🙂
Getting the DNA profiles is a herculean task… I don’t think it’s gonna happen. 350 million ? And it’s dangerous. Just about anybody can be implicated in a crime.
Posted by Maxima on November 24, 2014 at 12:50 pm
Reblogged this on Spiritual challenges .
Posted by renxkyoko on November 25, 2014 at 7:35 pm
Oh, wow ! Thank you for the shout-out ! !
Posted by Cassidy Frazee on November 24, 2014 at 12:51 pm
I used to get coconut milk the same way when I would visit China. Nothing better after walking around on a hot day.
Posted by renxkyoko on November 25, 2014 at 8:16 pm
My mother always buys canned coconut juice at the Filipino store , she knows that ‘s our favorite drink. ( I bring at least 2 cans to school ) So, I was so happy to taste the real thing, again.
Posted by Eddie Two Hawks on November 24, 2014 at 2:17 pm
What a very pretty scene. You and that very beautiful landscape behind you, wow, beautiful
Posted by renxkyoko on November 25, 2014 at 8:24 pm
The place is really pretty. postcard pretty. And that’;s an active volcano, mind you. It was a bit active 2 years ago,. In 2007, the volcano exploded/ That wasn’t the original location of the volcano before the explosion. Facing the volcano, it was on the left.
Posted by Eddie Two Hawks on November 25, 2014 at 9:25 pm
wow, were you a tiny bit nervous?
Posted by renxkyoko on November 25, 2014 at 9:33 pm
No, not really. XD
Posted by disperser on November 24, 2014 at 4:05 pm
Nice update . . . mostly. The vacation part looked like fun.
Posted by renxkyoko on November 25, 2014 at 8:31 pm
It did. We were entertained so much by relatives and friends…. dinner, lunch at some relative;s house almost everyday.
Posted by russellboyle on November 24, 2014 at 7:41 pm
Please keep us “posted” on the DNA database legislation.
Posted by renxkyoko on November 25, 2014 at 9:05 pm
Our professor actually goes to conferences to talk about it. It is such a bad idea. We can all be implicated in a crime. Ah, but I don’t think it will happen… the DNA profiling of all citizens, I mean.
Posted by Mike on November 25, 2014 at 12:09 am
A coconut is not a nut? Whatever would I do without you renxkyoko 😀
Posted by renxkyoko on November 25, 2014 at 9:12 pm
A peanut is not a nut, either. It’s a legume. ( like peas and beans ) :heart:
Posted by Doctor Eamer on November 25, 2014 at 2:52 am
Prosecutor 🙂
Posted by renxkyoko on November 25, 2014 at 9:13 pm
XD ! !
Posted by Doctor Eamer on November 26, 2014 at 1:01 am
I am fan of the anime show “Detective Conan” that’s why the word prosecutor or detective really ring a bell to me 🙂
Posted by Samjoth Sashidharan on November 25, 2014 at 8:23 am
!!!! 🙂
Posted by renxkyoko on November 29, 2014 at 1:01 am
😉
Posted by Samjoth Sashidharan on November 29, 2014 at 4:39 pm
😀
Posted by Bigsmen on November 25, 2014 at 12:35 pm
welcome home..
Posted by renxkyoko on November 29, 2014 at 1:03 am
I’m home, bigsmen. 😀
Posted by 25pesocupnoodles on November 25, 2014 at 3:32 pm
ang pretty mo renx.
Posted by renxkyoko on November 25, 2014 at 9:15 pm
Eh, and panget ko nga dyan , ha. Pero, wala na ako magawa. Those are the only pics I have of …. me. He he
Posted by Ste J on November 25, 2014 at 8:30 pm
I wonder what happened to public freedoms when the governments want to know everything about us. You are right about savvy criminals turning innocent people’s lives upside down, perhaps soon we will need to have people by us 24/7 so we have an alibi.
On a lighter note, beautiful photos as ever, I really want to experience coconut juice now.
Posted by renxkyoko on November 25, 2014 at 9:33 pm
They sell coconut juice in cans… but, no comparison, Ste J. The real thing is not too sweet, and the taste is very, very subtle.
DNA…. I know, right ? It’s a scary thought. It’s not gonna happen, though. I’m sure of that.
Posted by orples on November 26, 2014 at 1:22 am
Better late, than never Ren. I love your vacation posts.
That coconut is the strangest I’ve ever seen. At one point in time, I lived in South Florida and we had coconut trees in our yard. When we ‘hulled our coconuts, we tossed the hulls and were left with the ‘nut’ itself. (or fruit, if you will). I remember throwing them down on the road, over and over, then cracking the fractured shell with a hammer to get to the fresh coconut. What a treat after all of the work in obtaining the prize. It looks like they do things a little differently in the Philippines.
Posted by renxkyoko on November 29, 2014 at 1:11 am
I saw a special hull cutter in the Philippines. It’s like a small bench with a hull cutter attached to it. I hope i can find a photo of it. The Philippines is the biggest exporter of coconut products ( coconut oil, copra, etc ). Coconut…. atough nut to crack, except a coconut is a not a nut. 🙂
Posted by orples on November 29, 2014 at 1:28 am
Nut? Fruit? Whatever—LOL—it’s still a hard nut to crack. 🙂
Posted by D K Powell on November 26, 2014 at 3:45 pm
I will never forget THAT post! This one was nice – lovely to see some proper pictures of you as well as the beautiful scenery 🙂
Posted by renxkyoko on November 29, 2014 at 1:13 am
I know. A lot of readers did cringe at THAT. Well, the title is Cringe – worthy. 😉
Posted by Don on November 27, 2014 at 6:00 am
That DNA issue, I would also feel very uncomfortable about it. Having said that I must share with you that I have this dream; it’s to sit down next to a cut opened coconut, exactly like the one in your photographs and to sip the juice with a straw. One day it’s going to happen for me. 🙂 Thanks for a great post. You have a lovely chatty way of writing. 🙂
Posted by renxkyoko on November 29, 2014 at 2:04 am
yeah, I can see the idyllic scene. 😎
Awww , thank you. I really feel like I’m chatting with you, guys. 🙂
Posted by Peter Wells aka Countingducks on November 28, 2014 at 9:50 am
If you want to know, I always love your posts. You could make talking about cooking an apple pie interesting because you are always so infectiously involved and “in the story”. On a less gushing note, I agree with you about the DNA. I hadn’t thought of the bad guys picking up my discarded tin of coke and leaving at a crime scene but then I probably wouldn’t make a very good criminal. Also loved the photographs. My dad spent quite a few years in the Philippines in his twenties, so I’ve always had an interest in the place . Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. I hope you had a lovely time. 🙂
Posted by renxkyoko on November 29, 2014 at 2:44 am
I have a feeling you can do that, too, Peter Wells . There’s something in your style of writing that really, really draws me in. And I really mean that.
Posted by equinoxio21 on November 28, 2014 at 7:01 pm
Nice post. 🙂 I had a good laugh when you wrote about Mexico. (‘Live there) Actually here, some of the prosecutors are “bad guys” 😦
Have a lovely week-end
Brian
Posted by renxkyoko on November 29, 2014 at 2:51 am
Ugh ! * facepalm * I was thinking Guatemala. before I wrote that, I heard on NPR ( National Public Radio ) an interview with a Guatemalan prosecutor who was seeking asylum here in the US for her and her family. Two of her colleagues were killed. 😥
I hope i didn’;t offend you.
I think Columbia is more dangerous.
Posted by equinoxio21 on December 3, 2014 at 7:17 pm
No offense meant none taken! Plus: I’m not Mexican I’m French! 🙂 And my wife is Colombian! So we know about living in… difficult countries! Going to Colombia this Christmas actually.
Be good
Brian
Posted by equinoxio21 on November 28, 2014 at 7:02 pm
Happy Thanksgiving actually! 🙂
Posted by renxkyoko on November 29, 2014 at 2:52 am
Thanks ! We had a good one. ⭐
Posted by Good Food Everyday on November 29, 2014 at 3:39 am
Lovely photos 🙂
Posted by renxkyoko on December 4, 2014 at 3:49 am
Awww, thank you ! ! ! 🙂
Posted by raemd95 on November 29, 2014 at 4:33 pm
Awesome!!
Posted by renxkyoko on December 4, 2014 at 3:50 am
Thanks ! ! Your blogsite is awesome, too . Extremely educational. I really learn a lot.
Posted by raemd95 on December 4, 2014 at 2:50 pm
Thank you as well. I really loved your vacation pictures, almost as if I were there myself!!
Posted by mihrank on November 29, 2014 at 7:07 pm
Great Journey – wonderful Vacations – Brilliant Images!
Posted by renxkyoko on December 4, 2014 at 3:54 am
Thanks, mihrank. ⭐
Posted by mihrank on December 22, 2014 at 6:26 am
My pleasure!
http://kmihran.wordpress.com/2014/12/22/my-conversation-with-classical-pianist-mihran-kalaydjian/
Posted by Jackie Saulmon Ramirez on November 30, 2014 at 12:23 pm
What a great place to do much needed R&R. Funny about the PROSECUTOR! 🙂
Posted by renxkyoko on December 4, 2014 at 4:01 am
I know , right? We were on the car with something that announces the owner was a Prosecutor.
A long time ago, the number on the plate stated the car’s owner’s position in the government. Our relative’s father was the Chief of the prosecutors in Manila,. ( He was my Mother’s uncle. ) Mom said the car plate was No. 12. The president of the Philippines was # 1. Good thing that was discarded already.
Posted by odiousghost on November 30, 2014 at 4:07 pm
Gosh, that looks fantastic.
Especially on a rainy cold day in London!
Posted by renxkyoko on December 4, 2014 at 5:16 am
Drought -stricken California has been praying for cold rainy days for years.
But the images of a hot , sunny day in a tropical country do look fantastic. 😎
Cheers , odiousghost ! 🙂
Posted by peakperspective on November 30, 2014 at 11:45 pm
The pictures are so lovely and the land so lush. What an incredible journey you had.
And I too think there’s nothing quite so divine as drinking the water from a coconut and then eating the sweetest flesh imaginable. It is addictive.
Glad you found some time to post. It’s nice to see your words and photos up here!
Cheers
Posted by renxkyoko on December 4, 2014 at 5:47 am
We always buy coconut juice in cans. No comparison. You;re right. The taste of the real thing is divine. I think divine is the right word.
Holiday vacation is just around the corner. I hope I can post more often .
Posted by Malcolm Greenhill on December 2, 2014 at 8:17 am
The holiday seemed fun but I found your comments on the DNA database fascinating. I would love to read more about your forensic work/studies.
Posted by renxkyoko on December 4, 2014 at 6:02 am
It’s really fascinating, especially stuff that deals with crime. That;s a strange thing to say, isn’t it?
You know, I think studies on crime cases and good old-fashioned police work are more fascinating. We take that up in Criminal Justice course. Doing forensic work in the lab is actually boring. Over-all, yes, it’s fascinating. 🙂
Posted by supernova1c on December 3, 2014 at 9:26 am
Hi there Ren, hope your doing OK. I enjoyed this post, thank you and you seem to have everything under control in the direction you have chosen for your life – well done 🙂
Take care and have a good Christmas Ren 😀 regards James.
Posted by renxkyoko on December 4, 2014 at 6:14 am
yes, I’m thankful I finally found what I like . I’m lucky that Molecular Microbiology is not too far out of Forensics. If you’ve watched the original CSI TV series , the head of Forensics Dep’t is a microbioligist.
A Happy Christmas to you, as well, James. By the way, have you found any really old stuff yet ? Like, a Roman coin ?
Posted by loujenhaxmyor on December 4, 2014 at 6:43 am
Cameras everywhere. DNA data. Maybe bar codes or gps chips at birth. Too bad the world might come to this. Thanx for sharing the pics.
Posted by The Orples Went To The Philippines. | orples on December 6, 2014 at 11:27 pm
[…] Renxkyoko went to the Philippines. The orples had to tag along, being the world travelers that they are. It is a good thing they […]
Posted by orples on December 7, 2014 at 3:40 am
The orples have headed your way again. 🙂
http://orples.wordpress.com/2014/12/06/the-orples-went-to-the-philippines/
Posted by leckerfoodie on December 7, 2014 at 11:01 am
Ohhhhh, I sooo want to go to to the Pillippines… Sigh… Concerning a related topic: do you know a trick how to conserve coconut? It turn so quickly bad (and then it gets soapy and acidic of all thing)… Especially if you are not living in the producer countries. There must be an old traditional recipe in the Philippines how to prevent this!
Best
LeckerBiss (http://leckerbiss.wordpress.com/)
Posted by Mitzie Mee on December 7, 2014 at 2:00 pm
I love young coconut juice. So it’s not a nut? Nice to know:) As a matter of fact I’ve suspected it for a long time, as it’s really big and hairy compared to other nuts, ha ha:)
Posted by artclubblog on December 9, 2014 at 2:45 am
Loving the photos, and wouldn’t mind a little sun and heat right now!
Posted by renxkyoko on October 30, 2015 at 8:59 am
I just looked at the date…. it’s almost one year ago. better late than never, though it’s extremely late, lol. Cheers !
Posted by jmsabbagh on December 9, 2014 at 10:47 pm
Hello Renx,splendid tour through the beautiful Philippines ,The culture and the cuisine are exceptional . The pictures are gorgeous.Thank you for visiting and liking my post the Spice dealer.Have a joyous Christmas and successful New 2015,Jalal Michae
Posted by renxkyoko on October 30, 2015 at 8:58 am
Thank you and you’re welcome. Cheers !
Posted by jmsabbagh on October 30, 2015 at 2:35 pm
Be well and be safe.
Posted by wholeproduction on March 28, 2015 at 2:47 am
I must get over there soon!
Posted by renxkyoko on October 30, 2015 at 8:57 am
The countrysides are recommended. It’s a third world country so you’re bound to see so much poverty. That’s reality check.
Posted by wholeproduction on November 3, 2015 at 8:15 pm
it’ fine, ia m from a third worl country myself so i wouldn’t really mind 😀
Posted by The Otaku Judge on October 30, 2015 at 7:57 am
That DNA database sounds like it would lead to many innocent arrests and would encourage lazy detective work.
Posted by renxkyoko on October 30, 2015 at 8:54 am
Hard detective work plus Forensics go hand in hand that will lead to the murderer. It’s our best shot to get the bad man. But as I said , even Forensics scientists think it’s a bad idea to give a part of us to the government. To date it’s voluntary. It’s illegal to get someone’s DNA without the person’s consent., unless it’s found in public place, like, that cigarette butt the personof interest throws on the street.