Sunday, December 28, 2014

Christmas at Baguio

Disclaimer: This post will be photo heavy.

This Baguio trip was planned months before Christmas and we were all excited because it will be the first time that we will not spend Christmas at home. Few days before the trip, we were buying jackets and scarves. It was so hard for me to pack because I realized that almost all of my clothes are suited for the beach (that's why I have to buy). I am a beach person, not a cold weather person!

Dec. 23. We left Manila a few minutes past 6am and the trip was fast. We arrived there at around 12 and we immediately settled at our little home for the Christmas at Camp John Hay Cabins, just a few minutes from Manor. 

Setting up the tents for the kids
 ANG KYOOOOT!!
There were 16 of us so someone really has to have roles for the trip. We even had a planning a few weeks before the trip haha! As for me, I am either one of the coordinators or the money keeper every family trip and this trip, I volunteered to hold the money. During the planning, we all agreed that we will be buying from the market and just cook at the cabins because it's such a hassle for us to eat out (with all the kids!). My afternoon was spent at the market with Kuya Mark, Sining, Ate Lyn and Ate Reshel. It was so exciting to see fresh veggies around. 


The whole market experience was supposed to be great but we encountered super bad traffic in the city :/ I got traumatized (CHOS!) and swear to never go out of John Hay haha!

On our first night, we had bonfires and drinks to enjoy the cold summer night in Baguio. The cabins was such a nice place to stay and I think we got one of the bigger cabins :) Yay for us! 


Dec 24. I love waking up to the very cold breeze in Baguio. It's so hard to wake up actually but with all the kids playing as early as 6AM, there is nothing left to do but get up and play with them. Di ka rin naman makatulog sa ingay nila! :/ Anyway, after eating breakfast at home, we had tsokolate, turon and bibingka in Chocolate de Batirol.

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Surigao Adventure Part 2: Surigao City/Butuan

Part 2 of our Surigao adventure was supposed to be Siargao - Sohoton trip in Surigao del Norte but unfortunately for us, we were stuck in Surigao city because all ferries are cancelled because of Typhoon Ruby. So I'll just tell you how we killed time and made Surigao City fun (for us). 

If you read about my Surigao del Sur trip, we came from Hinatuan bus terminal. There's no direct bus going to Surigao city so we have to go back to Butuan. The ride was again 5 hours from Hinatuan then we rode a bus in Butuan's bus terminal headed for Surigao City. Travel time was around 3 hours. 

When we arrived Surigao at 7pm, we hired a habal habal driver to take us to a good hotel near the port. We were still very hopeful during that time that the weather will get better and we will be allowed to cross to Siargao. We stayed at E.Y Suites and it was so-so. It was okay for a night but if you're staying longer at Surigao city, I do not recommend this hotel. We slept early that night because we were too tired from the 8 hour travel we did. 

The next day, we woke up early (5:30am) to check on the port's situation. We arrived the port and we saw that trips are cancelled but we were still very hopeful so we stayed there for a few hours. We made friends with the stranded people there and most of them are stuck there for 2 days already. We left at around 9:00 because we got hungry and we decided to just give up and try again the next day. After breakfast, we looked for a better place to stay for the night and we found the best hotel ever in the whole wide world. Char! We stayed at The Grande Suites in Surigao City. Okay. Here's the best thing about this hotel, for the price of 1380, we had free dinner and breakfast (which were both yummy, mind you!), free ride anywhere in Surigao (as long as Kuya Kent, the driver, is there), free wifi and super nice rooms. They even upgraded us from Standard to Deluxe for no particular reason. Plus, the staff are super friendly and funny :) It was one of the best staycation I had just because of the staff there.

Anyway, after settling in, we decided to visit Mabua Pebble Beach. The winds are getting stronger but this did not stop us. What is amazing about Mabua is the pebbles in the beach. People doesn't even know where the pebbles came from. We just stayed there for a while to have pictures then left afterwards because there is nothing left to do. Also, the waves were getting stronger because of the storm so we had to leave for our safety. Kuya Kent told us that if there's no storm, we can see Samar and Leyte from where we are standing so that's how near we are from the storm which kinda scared me.


The rest of the day was spent at our hotel because it's raining and the winds are really getting stronger. We just watched the news the whole day and updated ourselves with the storm. We really felt unfortunate that we are stuck in Surigao but also fortunate that we found a good hotel with the most friendly staff. 

The next day, we tried going to the port again but still no trips for us. We gave up on our Siargao dream but we promised to be back. 
The faces of people that will be back!
We just decided to hear mass at their cathedral even if it's in Bisaya. 

The closest to Siargao that we can get

Monday, December 15, 2014

Surigao Adventure Part 1: Surigao Del Sur

I love piso fares just because I get to travel cheaper here in our country. I suggest everyone to grab the opportunity when piso fares are being held. So Last June, Cebu Pacific had a piso fare and I booked for Butuan with Ter. Honestly, I have a very limited knowledge on what to see in Surigao but I booked anyway. When I researched about it, I got real excited because there are numerous places to discover :) This will be the first time I will blog in details (itinerary, budget and all) just because I had a hard time researching about Surigao del Sur-Norte trips. I hope this can help someone in the future.

We only have 6 days to visit both Surigao del Norte and Sur. At first, I thought it will really be easy but we didn't know that Surigao del Norte and Sur are very far from each other. Plus you have to travel back to Butuan to travel to both provinces. We planned on going to Surigao del Sur first then to Siargao. What we did was go to Britania group of islets first then see the Enchanted River and Tinuy-an Falls. I will post detailed IT and budget at the end of this post.

So we arrived Butuan then headed for Butuan's bus terminal. Just ride a multicab in the airport that is headed for the bus terminal. Ter and I preferred riding the bus rather than the van because vans get really packed and hot.

We arrived the bus terminal and rode a bus going to Tandag. Just tell the conductor that you will go to Britania group of islands. If they don't know that, just tell them to drop you off at Brgy. Salvacion at San Agustin. Travel time is around 5 hours going to Britania so ready your butt for the long ride!

We reserved one night at La Entrada and it is one of the best resorts ever! We arrived there at around 7pm already. Good thing their restaurant is still open because we haven't had dinner yet. The food was great and the price is reasonable! Everyone was really friendly there. I SWEAR! The rooms were nice and we were assigned in the area where it was surrounded by mangroves. We didn't see it when we arrived because it was so dark already but the following day, the beauty of the mangrove trees greeted us a good morning :)

Mangrove trees around the restaurant and rooms

We asked if tours will push through but they were  unsure because typhoon Ruby is slowly entering PAR. It was very unfortunate that Typhoon Ruby joined us on our trip :/ While waiting for the confirmation of tours, Ter and I just took photos of the islands (because we thought that that's the closest we can get to Britania group of islands) 



Good thing the administrators of La Entrada allowed us to see 2 islands of the Britania group of islands. Normally, there are 4 islands available for tour but we are super okay with 2. 

Vitamin SEA

Saturday, November 29, 2014

A happily ever after

I can't help but feel nostalgic about what happened yesterday. My friend for 13 years just got married to the love of his life and up until now, I can't believe that that just happened. When you have seen a person grow and move from one relationship to another, it will be so hard to accept the fact that this major milestone happened in her life. 
Mr. and Mrs. De Lara... Whuuut.
But I am genuinely happy for her and seeing her walk down the aisle was the reason for the bucket of tears that fell from my eyes yesterday. I am a sucker for weddings and seeing someone close to you get married is something something. 

Their cherry blossom themed wedding was wonderful and we all had a blast.
I want to take the tree home
The wedding started at 2pm and I still haven't had lunch so yes, my stomach was grumbling the whole time. The wedding went well, except the part where the ring got lost for a minute (lol.) After the wedding at Mt. Carmel, we headed to Oasis for the reception. Since the couple were still having their photo ops and retouch, we had our own photo shoot.


Mature (looking) friends

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Ma'am, sir. Parasailing, helmet diving.

I'm not a big fan of Boracay because I always prefer a quiet stroll on the beach rather than the drink-until-we-get-wasted-on-the-beach scene. But it's nice to go back there once in a while and I'm glad we went there in November, less people. So last weekend, I visited this beautiful island with Mariz, the Boracay virgin. Char! Our flight was at 5:10 in the morning so I haven't slept yet because I drank with my friends the night before. We booked at Frendz resort days before and availed of their airport transfers so it was very convenient for us. We arrived Frendz resort at 7:00am and planned on getting some sleep first before going to Mt. Luho but unfortunately, check in time was at 2pm. We didn't have any choice but to go around and do pasalubong shopping (I felt like a walking zombie roaming d'mall while Mariz was buying pasalubong.) We decided to have lunch at around 10am at Smoke then just rest on Frendz' beach beds.

We slept at their beach beds until 1:00pm (SUPER HOT) then headed to Frendz. Good thing the room was fixed earlier. Frendz has an okay room for budget travelers. It's also a place where you can meet new friends (hindi frendz), mostly foreigners. So our original plan was to rest for a while then head to the beach to watch the sunset. Unfortunately, we overslept! I woke up and it's 7pm already. I guess I was that tired. So our first day was really not well spent haha. We just had dinner at D' Talipapa (best seafood in the island) then decided to see the sunrise at Mt. Luho the next day.

Unforunately (AGAIN!), we overslept and wasn't able to go to Mt. Luho for the sunrise viewing. Harhar! We just had a quick breakfast then hired a tricycle to take us to Mt. Luho viewing deck. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. It was my first time to see the whole island and the vast ocean of Boracay. Seeing views like that always give me a sense of awe and amazement. I just can't believe how beautiful this country is.


We went to Puka beach after for a quick photo op. Waves there were pretty crazy and I can't believe that some kids can swim with that kind of waves.

Monday, October 27, 2014

Oh Baguio, you're so pine!

I was having dinner at my brother's house one evening then he asked me if I wanted to come with 2 of his friends to Baguio since the others can't come. How could you say no to an offer of rest and silence for 3 day, plus free accommodations? So yes, that weekend leveled up my being kaladkarin.

So we left last Saturday. My brother told me that he'll pick me up at around 5:30am. Major fail because I woke up at the sound of the car honking like crazy bwahahah! They waited for me though to fix up then off to Baguio we went! It rained the whole day, even in Baguio, so I wasn't really ready for the super cold weather. Forgot my scarf and I should have brought more jackets but I survived :)

It has been a while since I last saw Baguio this foggy so yes, I became more excited to do my itinerary for the day: SLEEP.

Monday, October 13, 2014

{Life Lately: The weekend that was}

This past weekend was so fun I wouldn't want it to end but hey, I got to get back on reality so I'll just blog about my weekend so I can read it anytime I want :)

FRIDAY

After a quick catch up dinner with AJ, I headed to Conspiracy for Ebe's long gig. I think I said it before but I will say it again, I love Ebe Dancel and his music. While waiting for Ebe, the conversation over beer and nuts is about people's problems on their love lives (I'm just so lucky, I'm done with that phase of grilling haha!). I'm not really sure if this was a preparation for Ebe but it was a good conversation with great people. Makes me still believe in love 

While Ebe was playing, all I could think of is how amazing his songs are. It just hits you right to the core! Amid all the heartbreaking songs, he still makes me want to fall in love again and again. Salamat Ebe.

The gels
#wathaak

SATURDAY

I'm not sure if I can write about this without tearing up but we had Marianne's bachelorette party last Saturday. We planned for one week and surprised our bride-to-be with the most wholesome bachelorette party! I won't go into the details but we all had fun. We had a short program, a few games (remembering it still makes me laugh haha), some sex tips, drinks and heartfelt messages for the bride-to-be. 

I just can't believe that Marianne's getting married. I've been friends with her since Grade 5 and I really saw how she grew as a wonderful person. I'm just so happy that she's happy and I can't wait for baby Mariannes/Pauls (hopefully next year or early 2016!). I know in my heart that she will be a great mom! 

The bride-to-be
BFFs

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Commuting. More fun in the Philippines.

I was browsing through Facebook this morning for my daily dose of news and cute videos (hehe!) then I stumbled upon this news: LTFRB exec proposes EDSA traffic scheme. When I read this, I thought of many reasons why this is not going to work in our current transportation system. I think this proposal will be a good idea if we have a better public transportation system. I mean, seriously?? Are you proposing this now? Have you seen how the buses/jeepneys/taxis acts like they rule the road?? And you guys are the one who give them the license to run. Please, fix the public transportation first before giving out proposals like this one. (I'm sorry, I just hate those buses/jeepneys who doesn't know how to follow the traffic rules and who feels like they can stop anywhere they want!!)


Okay, the problem may be because of the huge volume of private vehicles on the road everyday because people who can afford cars will definitely buy one (and cars are so affordable nowadays). They wouldn't want to risk their life riding a jeepney or bus that may contain snatchers or drivers who doesn't even know defensive driving. Have you seen how these buses drive in Commonwealth? Hanggang may butas, lulusot! HELLO, we have a yellow lane for you guys! Also, if you've been watching the news regularly, there will always be news about a jeep/bus that got into an accident or bus that caught fire. If the authority assure the people that the drivers of the public transpo can drive safely and will stop at their designated stops, then I believe more people will use the public transpo. Offer the people a system that they can believe in and I assure you, there will be lesser private vehicles on the road. Would people choose this over the hassle of bringing a car??

Parking is a pain in the ass (especially in Makati or Taguig) so personally, I would love to commute rather than bring my own car but since, I'm too scared to ride a bus or the MRT, I'd rather have a hard time looking for a parking than risk my life or waste my time in line.

I think this is where MMDA/LTFRB should focus on. Invest on an efficient public transportation system then implement it. We may have a better system in the future but implementation sucks here in the country. For example, when the MMDA released the bus segregation system in EDSA, I think it was a good idea but it wasn't implemented properly. So yes, it was a fail. I hope the authorities can impose right discipline to the drivers and the commuters.

There are always two sides of the story thus, authority should also discipline commuters who doesn't know where to wait/go down. Another reason why the MMDA's bus segregation system failed is because commuters doesn't know where to go down. They would like to go down to the place convenient for them (and they do not think of the hassle they are giving to cars behind the buses they are in!!!) They don't want to go down at designated stops because it's far from their destination... then ride a taxi if you like to go down right in front of where you are going!! (Sorry, another pet peeve!) Also, commuters sometimes wait at the middle of the road for jeeps/buses! As in middle of the road. So obviously, jeeps/buses will stop at the middle of the road too which causes inconvenience to cars behind them! For the commuters out there, know your place, please.

I know that this is possible because other countries have excellent transportation system that people follow. I saw how efficient it is in Singapore and I believe that this is possible for the country if we all help each other. Also, lesser cars on the road means lesser pollution! (yey!) Create a better system for public transport, train drivers to drive properly!, implement the system properly and discipline commutes. If this can be done, then I think we'll have smaller problems in our hand (then you might not need this proposal of banning private vehicles.)

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Knowing your worth

To all the girls (I loved before, joke!) in my news feed,

This is for you, girls. I'm tired of reading posts on how you hate your life or how everything is falling apart. I don't like it that you're pretending to be happy even if you are not. I know the feeling, I have been there and it suck so so much. I think we all go through that phase. I have been one of those people who reblog quotes on Tumblr about faking a smile, crying myself to sleep at night and all those drama / emo posts. I don't judge you for feeling that way but know when to stop.

"When you've done all you can and things don't seem to be going the way you want, end the struggle, accept and choose the path unfolding."

Do not get stuck there, please. Do not choose that way of living. You have way greater things ahead of you. You are just too focused on all the things lacking in your life that you can't see the life unfolding ahead of you.

"It's easier to fake a smile than to explain why you're sad" 
This quote is just so true but damaging at the same time. Yes, it is easy to fake a smile but why would you want to pretend to be happy rather than attain real happiness? Please let go of that way of thinking and move on! Again, I've been here and my heart felt heavy for not showing my real emotions.

I am not a happy person, I can say that, but I'm done pretending. I tell people when I'm sad and I stopped faking my smile months ago and life has been better. I have my own problems that I am dealing with right now and sometimes, I don't even know how to deal with it but I'm doing fine. I breakdown most of the time but I don't let sadness fill my life anymore. I may have problems but I don't let it dictate my life. It is just a phase. There are still so many things that I should be thankful for and that's where I'm focusing all my energy rather than focusing on what I lack. Before going to sleep, I remind myself of the things that I'm grateful for for that day. Maybe you should do this too :)

Know your worth, ladies. And I'm sure that your worth is way way way greater than what you believe. Don't let other people treat you less!

Surround yourself with people who will bring out the best in you. Choose people who will never leave you when you're down and will listen without judgement! I know these people are hard to find. I'm so glad I have mine and I found them in my darkest days. Be a person who will listen without any judgement at all and I'm sure you will attract people like that.

Being happy doesn't mean not having problems. It's just a matter of perspective... focus. If you see the bad things in everything, then we clearly have a problem. Start seeing the brighter side of things, it can change your life. I know this is hard, I had a hard time but you can't start without accepting the fact that you want your life to be better. First step is always knowing that you want to change your life for the better and I'm sure, you'll find the next steps. Every person has different ways to deal with problems, that's why I believe that there are no clear steps on becoming happy. It's your own life. Decide how you'll get there.

What you have to decide is how you want your life to be.
If your forever was ending tomorrow,
would this be how you'd want to have spent it?
Listen, the truth is, nothing is guaranteed.
So don't be afraid.  Be alive.

Monday, September 1, 2014

{Life Lately: Getting back up}

Going through a lot these past few months and I just don't know where to go. Fortunately, I am finding my way back up so sharing a few tidbits of my life lately (all positive because I don't want to rant about my problems anymore). Also, it's the first of September, almost there and I will say good bye (again) to another year of ups and downs.

The best friend during my alone time


I can never go wrong with chill / happy vibes / kilig books like Eleanor & Park to make me happy. I have finished reading books like this (Paper Town, Everyday, Why we broke up etc) in 2 weeks time. I swear, you guys (if ever someone is reading this), read this kind of books when you are feeling down :) It helped me realize things about my life (friends, family etc). It may be patweetums / pacute but it can give you life lessons that can help you forever!

The rainy days and its perks

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

The Seven-Year Itch

No, this doesn't involve a boyfriend (I didn't even have a relationship that long!) but friends. I read all over that the seven-year itch can also apply to your friends. I'm blogging about this because I am slowly losing friends that I thought would stick around 'til we grow old. At the same time that Ted, Robin, Barney, Marshall and Lily's friendship faded, ours faded too. I can't pinpoint the exact moment we drifted apart but right now, I know that we did.

I care too much about people in my lives. As much as possible, I try to be there always. But when things got shitty in my life, I started to doubt myself. I became too focused on trying to make myself better and maybe, a part of me forgot to try to be there. And things got more confusing as other aspects of my life became more shitty. As much as I want to help out, I don't know how because I don't want meddling into people's lives. If you tell me things and ask for advice, I will give my two cents but if not, I won't ask. Although I won't say that I am perfect because I can be irritating or insensitive sometimes. That's the way I am.

In life, there are friends that will remain your friends even if you rarely see each other. Some of my high school friends I only see once or twice a year but when we are together, it feels like we just saw each other the day before. I always thought that that would always be the scenario for us... but I guess things will never stay the same.

I guess we are going through our seven-year itch (we just celebrated our 7 years of friendship last year). I'm not really sure if things will go back to normal but I have a strong feeling that it won't but hoping constantly that it will. Feelings have been hurt and I'm still praying that I can have the courage to face you with a smile on my face. I am hurting and as of now, life is getting more shitty (in all aspects!!). I've been losing a lot of people lately: someone special, family and friends. It's like another breakup all over again.

But I will continue to stay positive and I learned that "Everyday and every way, It'll get better and better."

Friday, July 25, 2014

Of raffle tickets, travels and BBE

I rarely join competitions or contests ever since I can remember. The closest thing I know of are cake/rice/car raffles in high school where we are required to sell PHP 2000 worth of raffle tickets (I end up buying them or asking my parents to buy them for me). In all the raffle tickets I bought, I never won (even a cake!) So I just don't believe that much in raffles anymore lol (unless it's for a cause I support!). Now online contest are so popular, especially here in the country. Every week, I will get messages from my friends asking me to like their picture on a certain page and all that shiz, you know the drill. I enjoy watching my friends join them but for me, I just don't have the marketing skills. 

I found out about the Big Blog Exchange from a few bloggers I follow who won last year. I followed their journey traveling around Europe and I can imagine myself doing the same thing. So when this year's BBE opened, I entered quickly. Although, it's shooting for the moon, it's worth a try. 

Last year was full of sh*t and I really lost my way. That was the time I decided that I love to travel. People say that traveling is a way of escape. A part of me thought that I loved traveling because of that but I was proven otherwise. I realized that I like discovering new places and immersing into new cultures. I also learned that traveling can be of help to my self-discovery journey. I've traveled to different provinces here in the country since 2006 through Gawad Kalinga, a non-profit organization based in the Philippines that build and sustains communities for the poor. That was a gateway for me to travel around the Philippines. I saw the beauty of the country and interacted with the poorest of the poor. Through this, I know that I wanted to see more of the world and meet more people. I have met the most interesting people I know through traveling and this contest can be a channel for me to continue my journey to self-discovery. As I go to different places, meet new people, I pick up little pieces of myself and rebuild my life. This has been the greatest therapy I had to battle my sadness and bad thoughts.

So if you would like, kindly vote for me here :) I would super appreciate it.

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Like a Fool

I first found out about the movie, Begin Again from my Facebook timeline (I guess that's where you find out about anything new nowadays). When I saw the trailer I fell in love with it quickly because of three things:
  1. Stars in it: Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, and Adam "I'm fcuking hot" Levine!!
  2. Soundtrack!
  3. Same director of Once (I loooove that movie! If you haven't watched it yet, go download! And you'll be singing Falling Slowly for weeks!)
Honestly, I forgot when this movie was showing and I don't watch movie regularly (BECAUSE IT'S SO EXPENSIVE! I still remember movies for 90 pesos!!). I again found out that it's showing here in the Philippines from my Facebook timeline lol. I immediately went to the movies after finding out that it's showing and I watched it with my sister. 

And it did not disappoint me! It's the perfect kilig/feel good/chill movie. Plus the soundtrack was amazing. Although everything sounds so the same. The story line was good too, sort of like Once. I like the ending because some people end together, some don't and some just finds their way back to each other (and seeing Adam Levine heartbroken makes me want to hug him).

So I just want to share my favorite song from the movie. I like this just because. Listen to all their songs, I'm sure you'll want to watch the movie ;)



We take a chance from time to time
And put our necks out on the line
And you have broken every promise that we made
And I have loved you anyway

Took a fine time to leave me hanging out to dry
Understand now I’m grieving so don’t you waste my time
Cause you have taken all the wind out from my sails
And I have loved you just the same

We finally find this, then you’re gone
Been chasing rainbows all along
And you have cursed me when there’s no one left to blame
And I have loved you just the same

And you have broken every single fucking rule
And I have loved you like a fool

Monday, July 7, 2014

Under the sea



I found a new love with the sea and its creatures. Ever since that first visit in Bantayan Island in Cebu, I've been addicted to discovering more of the beautiful beaches in the country. I went to Panglao, El Nido, Siquijor, Camiguin etc. and I feel more in love with the beach.

This new found love keeps growing every time I go somewhere and this made me want to try diving for the first time. I was very excited when Ter invited me to join their company's intro dive "outing". I immediately said yes because it will be very cheap since we are a big group. Although I don't know anyone from Ter's company, I still went. She also invited Jerms and Rache, Ter's friends from Citi.

On the way to Anilao, Batangas
Days before the trip, I was feeling really sick because of my colds and cough but this did not stop me from going on this trip. We went on the weekend of June 28-29. We were scheduled for the Sunday dive so our Saturday was spent roaming around and just chilling. It was also good so I could rest and pray that my colds will be gone the next day.

It was great meeting new people and really loving their company. It was such a fun and relaxing Saturday.




I'm a sunset-over-sunrise person so I was sure I won't miss seeing the sunset at Anilao. Of course, God did not disappoint me because the sunset was amazing ♡!!!! We watched the sunset with alcohol in our hand (Thanks to Ter's boss for sharing his vodka)

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Summer in pictures

The rain is starting to fall and the weather is getting cooler every day. Which only means one thing, SUMMER IS OVER. I always love summers, not because it's my birthday but also because I love the beach and traveling. So before the rain falls today, I say goodbye to my summer 2014 and hello to the rest of the year :)


1. Random lunch/merienda/dinner/inuman dates with friends. I can be the most kaladkarin friend you can have and this summer, I texted almost everybody when I don't have any hangouts. So there were a lot of catching up done this summer :)

2. Finishing all my book buys last year. I have bought so many books after my breakup last year, thinking I will have more time to read. But no, all my reading time were allocated to my gimik nights. So now, the every night gimiks were lessen so I had more time to read this summer :)

3. Yes, I turned 24 today. I still kept forgetting that I'm 24 but hey, I would always look young. It was a night of celebrating with my family :) Just had my favorite steak and pumpkin soup c/o Ate Lyn :)

4. Bayani Challenge 2014. I blogged about this here

5. Dumaguete-Siquijor trip. Yes, I found a new place if I want to slow down and get away from the city. I also blogged about it here.

6. Sining's 7th birthday. (For those who doesn't know Sining, she's my niece) I can't believe she is 7 already!! I saw her grow up and now she's so beautiful and modelesque. Sining, true to her name is a true artist that's why her birthday party theme was an art fair where kids painted, drew, made button pins, colored and decorated a cookie. It was a fun children's party.

7. Subic trip with the clingy friends. This trip was supposed to be cancelled already but Nina texted on the day itself that we will push through with the trip. So I took a half day leave at work to go to pack and do some grocery shopping. It was one of the best unplanned trip ever where we started drinking at 10am. Good times.

8. Papa left for Canada last May for a 2 month vacation. So this summer was full of facetime/viber call dates from him :)

9. Day out ng mga tita. I swear, ang lakas maka-tita vibes ng spa date. Ter treated us all for a massage date just because we are all stressed in life. I really never liked massages because I get tickled so easily but since this is free, I went. I was laughing and giggling the whole time. Good thing my masseuse was very patient with me :)

This was one of the best summer of my life. I love catching up and going out so yeah. BEST. SUMMER. EVER.

Monday, June 16, 2014

Keep Calm and Watch Movies

I love watching movies, from indie films to the commercialized ones. I am fascinated by great stories, amazing scores and awesome animation by talented people. I could really watch any genre, except those horror/scary movies (No. you can't make me watch another movie as scary as The Ring or Shutter!!!) 

I believe that most of our interests now came from our childhood. We were molded when we were still young to love what we are doing now. I'm trying to pinpoint the moment in my life when I realized that I love watching movies and there's only one movie that I can remember from my childhood.


This story is quite embarrassing for me and I never really tell anyone about this but this movie is so relevant for Nuffnang's question, "What movie made you fall in love with watching movies?"



Yes, for those who know Sarah: Ang munting prinsesa, you're probably my age. I think this was the first movie that I can remember watching in the movie house. Whenever I see this movie again, I will always be reminded of that afternoon at Ever Gotesco/SM West (/North, it was still called SM West back then) where I cried (so hard) because I don't want to leave. My parents kept on telling me that we have to leave already but no, I wanted to watch it again. Unfortunately, they didn't let me haha! I don't know why I loved this movie so much when I was a kid but as the time passed, I realized a few things:


1. There will always be rainbows after the rain. Sarah was rich, became a servant then got rich again. Life is a wheel, my friend. There will really be days when you are up there and sometimes, you're way way way down. But don't worry because you will surely be on top again ;)


2. Friends are important. I think Sarah survived all the hardships because Becky, Ermengarde and Lottie were there for her. She remained strong because she focused on these people :) So focus yourself on all the Becky's (doesn't necessarily be beki pero pwede rin) in your life and not the Lavina's. 


3. Being on top doesn't mean that you should act like a bitch! Sarah was the smartest kid in their school but she still helped out others. She didn't act so bossy and all that shiz like Lavina. She even became Lottie's "mother". Why would a kid do that? Seriously. If Sarah, a 10 (I'm guessing here!) year old kid can help others, why not 24 year old people? So learn from her! Even if you are on top, be kind to people :)


So maybe this movie hit me so hard because of these life lessons. And a bigger part of me is guessing that I loved this movie because she's rich and she can buy all the things that she want. That birthday party, gah!! (haha! Yes, I was shallow when I was a kid!). Well, you can create anything in movies. Just use your imagination. This is why I love movies, because things that might not happen in reality can happen in movies :)





Wednesday, June 4, 2014

so many *feels*

My first heartbreak in high school was one of the loneliest time of my life. Since my relationship with my boyfriend that time was a secret, I couldn't tell my family about it. Whenever I'm at home, I would maneuver my attention to music (just so I would stop thinking about my ex). This was the time I first loved Sugarfree and their music. I could relate to it so much that I bought their albums with my small allowance. When I heard that they are disbanding, I got really heartbroken but I still went to their final concert at Eastwood last 2011. Yes, it crushed my heart but their songs will forever be special. 

Anyway, Ebe Dancel, the lead singer of Sugarfree became a solo artist after Sugarfree disbanded. Of course, I'm following him on instagram and he posted that he will have a gig for his birthday *yay*


I immediately texted my friends about it but unfortunately they didn't reply. I was decided to not go but on the day itself, my friend (who's very heartbroken) texted me that she'll be going. After dinner with Ter, I went straight to Conspiracy. Ebe's set started at around 11pm.

What will you expect from a few bottles of beer down, a heartbroken friend and Ebe singing Unang Araw/Telepono/Paalam Kahapon? Yes, waterfalls everywhere.


I've been crying the whole night not because of the memories each song brings back but because of seeing my friend cry. This friend of mine has been in my life since Grade 5 and I always see her as a very strong woman. That night, I saw her break. She cried buckets of tears and even Ebe Dancel noticed her (and he gave her a free beer). I was just hugging her all night and yes, crying with her. 


Ebe Dancel will always give me chills when he sings and his songs will forever touch my heart. I saw his Youtube cover on Moonriver a few years ago and I loved it. He sang it that night and I can't believe I heard it live. Yes, I cried. He's such a great singer and he writes so poetically that's why I love him as an artist. He makes me believe and love OPM more ;)

After his gig, we chatted with Ebe for a while then of course, we ate :)

That night reminded me of memories that I do not regret. That night also reminded me to always, and always choose love ♥ ♥ 

So I will end this post with lines from Ebe Dancel's Paalam Kahapon, one of my favorite songs from his solo album. This song relates to me on so many levels.
"Paalam na kahapon.
Kailangan na ako ng ngayon.
Alaala mo’y ikakahon,
Ngunit kailan ma’y hindi kayang itapon.
Tila utos ng mundong mabuhay
Akong pasulong, at ‘wag paurong
"

Monday, May 26, 2014

Being alone


My friend recently broke up with his guy for 10 years. She was telling us that she rarely cry about what happened; but the other day, she was in a coffee shop and that was the time she realized that, "Shit, I am alone. (insert waterfalls falling from eyes here!)"

When I heard this, feelings from the past were remembered. I can clearly recall having a lot of quality time by myself because I am single. Then I just stopped going out alone because I hate the feeling of remembering what used to be us.

I understood what my friend is going through because I've been there. One day, you're having dates with someone then it will just stop. You don't know who to talk to or go out with randomly.  Although I hated those moments, those were the days when I realized that there are more people who loves me. I started building relationships with close friends (and new friends). I bonded with them and found a new connection with each person. I felt more blessed than my ex boyfriend made me feel.

Until now, there are still moments that I feel alone but I won't let my singleness ruin my plans to go the mall or have lunch or dinner outside. Alone or with a friend, I will continue to live my life and celebrate the present.

I may be single right now but I know that I am definitely not alone.



Tuesday, May 20, 2014

(mis)adventures in Dumaguete and Siquijor

One November night in Starbucks Drive thru, Marvsz and I planned 2014 to be a year of travelling. We listed different places that we want to go to and months when we're available.  I was having second thoughts if everything will go as planned because of financial constraints. Luckily, this year entered and our El Nido trip last February pushed through and we also finally saw Siquijor last weekend.

DAY 1. Our itinerary involves touring around Dumaguete city, snorkeling at Apo Island, discovering the beauty of Siquijor then back at Dumaguete. We have 4 days to squeeze everything. We left Manila at around 2 already (delayed flight c/o Cebupac!) without having any lunch yet. The flight is about an hour and 30 minutes so imagine the hunger I was feeling when we arrived/

From the airport, we rode a tricycle (P 120) to go to our hotel. We reserved a room at Harold's mansion weeks before our trip but there was a miscommunication and they weren't able to reserve a room for us. The owner of Harold's was very accommodating though to look for a new hotel for us and offer free breakfast the next day. We stayed at K-lodge, a minute walk from Harold's, for a night. It was in favor of us since they offer cheaper lodging (P 700/ night). When we finished settling in K-lodge, we decided to look for a place to eat lunch since Marvsz and I were starving!
First meal in Dumaguete
We ate at Jo's Chicken Inato just along Siliman Ave. They offer unlimited rice for only P 97, it was the cheapest meal we had for our Dumaguete trip. After eating, we headed towards Dumaguete Church and Belfry tower.


Dumaguete Church
Belfry Tower

Thursday, May 15, 2014

#21 Try something daring



CLIFF DIVING!

My recent trip to Siquijor really challenged the adventurous side of me. I am afraid of a lot of things and heights is one of them but since this is the year of spontaneity and adventure, I went for it. I was super excited when Marvsz and I were planning this trip because we read about how enchanting Siquijor is. We got more excited when we saw that they have a cliff diving site in Salagdoong Beach and the tarzan rope at Cambugahay falls. I was pumping myself out to do this because I might chicken out (haha!)

When we got there, it took me an hour to jump off the cliff and another 20 minutes to jump again. There were a lot of people watching which made me more scared to jump (most of them are locals there). But I did it. After everything, Marvsz and I couldn't help but smile on the way back to the resort.

We were just so happy that we can finally cross another item off our bucket list!

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

#leyteracay

"Let us not abandon our country. First, never stop hoping for this country. Second, never stop caring for our people. Third, demand greatness from yourself as a Filipino. And fourth, inspire greatness in other Filipinos. Then poverty will end even before 2024."  -Tony Meloto

Normally, Gawad Kalinga's Bayani Challenge is a one week event where volunteers from all over the country come together in one place to build houses for the poor. This year, the Bayani Challenge (BC) is extra special for the victims of Yolanda, Bohol earthquake and the Zamboanga siege. Gawad Kalinga brought the BC to the next level when they announced that this year, it will be held for 2 months (April 9-June 12) in 12 provinces. For this year, I joined my family and friends in Leyte to serve in the Bayani Challenge family edition :)


The kids ready to go to Tacloban

DAY 1. We arrived Tacloban on Friday and this is what welcomed us. 
Airport's arrival area
You can still see the massive destruction Yolanda left. Everything was manually done, the checking of baggage, giving out of check in baggage, checking in etc. When we toured around the city, you can see more damages that will really break your heart. I can't imagine how strong the winds were that can destroy buildings and warehouses. :( We also saw different mass graves and pictures of kids are everywhere. I can't help but cry.

We went straight to the site in Tanauan, Leyte to start building. We had a scrumptious lunch prepared by the residents there then went straight to work. 
The GK site in Tanauan, Leyte
With party music blasting on the stereo, we started sifting sand under the sun. During Bayani Challenge weeks, I never worry about my color. This is the only time that I know I can be dark and be proud of it. After 2 blisters and several calluses, we decided to start painting houses. We were joined by the Cruzes, Santoses and Wilk's children. Seeing the little ones paint houses for the victims of Yolanda is very inspiring. 

Diwa, the youngest BC volunteer!

Since the kids overtook the painting scene, my brother and I decided to dig for septic tanks. I dug my first septic tank in Gabaldon and ever since then, I have been an expert (GK Ateneo is famous for septic tank digging). It would always be an honor for me to serve alongside my brother who is an inspiration to me.

Ateneo represent!