my sweet logic

Subic Sweet Water Resort - a secret haven getaway

2011-04-17T09:46:00.000+08:00

SUMMER 2011 na!

Me and my high school friends is planning for a summer getaway to unwind and relax a bit. We contacted some resorts for accommodation inquiry but its quite pricey.

In the end, I remembered the pictures from my sister's friend. The resort they went to was the Subic Sweet water resort located but technically the address was in Morong, Bataan. The looks good from JCBulatao's blog. In photos, the place was like a private rest house on a beach front. The directions on how to go to place from the blog was very helpful. Reposting it here:

Directions:
Get your butts to Subic. Either you take the more scenic route, via San Fernando and along the National Highway (you'll pass through San Fernando, Bacolor, Guaga, Lubao and Dinalupihan), or via the SCTEX (which by the time of this writing, has yet to open) which pretty much gets you to Subic quicker.
From Subic, follow the signs pointing to Ocean Adventure. This road will take you past the airport, FedEx, and lead you towards the Morong Gate. The drive towards the Morong Gate will see you passing a fire station to your right.
Exit Morong gate and drive straight through, following signs for Anvaya Cove. You will encounter a fork in the road, with the main road going up the mountain, and the road to Subic Sweet Water (and other small resorts) will be going down to your right. The Tarp they have at this juncture is torn so keep your eyes peeled. You'll pass a small church to your right, and come upon a gate with the Subic Sweet Water resort tarp. Enter the gate, drive straight through. There you are! :)

We took the SCTEX - SBMA - Morong gate route to go to the place. We got there about 8:30 PM since we left Valenzuela city at 6:00 PM with two stopovers. Before arriving at the resort, Ate Anarose asked us on how many persons we are as she will prepare the mattress and beds where we gonna sleep. Upon arrival, we met Ate Anarose (caretaker) introduced by Paolo (09178507292-contact person for the resort). Both of them were very kind enough to welcome us on the resort. The staff were very accommodating and allowed us to us the bigger house with two rooms and a spacious bathroom on the second floor. The kitchen with a shower room is at the first floor with a dining area facing the beach.

Stairway to the bedrooms

After unloading our things, its dinner time everyone! We are having Pork Adobo + Steamed rice + hard-boiled Egg for dinner.

After dinner, it's the time for a bonfire on the beach front :)

While others opt to sleep in the room, some of us spend the night outside counting shooting stars (i got 8; Dane got 13).

Hours have past and its time to say Good Morning to the Sweet Water!

Kids playing on the seashore

shot from the beach front

the beach with the Bora-inspired shed, they should make more of this. :)

Early morning is the best time to swim if you don't want for sunburn to touch your skin. The beach here is calm compared to other resorts. The cove is covered with trees, the sand has a finer grain, and the water is crystal clear and warm.

Time for breakfast, we are prepping up Long-si-log (Longanisa(local Sausage) from Calumpit, Bulacan - Sinangag (Adobo fried rice) - pritong Itlog (sunny-side up/scrambled)).

cooking for breakfast with Tepang and Ewat

With Ewat and his scrambled egg

having coffee before breakfast

fried egg and sweet /garlic-ky sausages from Calumpit, Bulacan

Chow time guys!

After breakfast the boys got a chance to have snorkeling on the nearby cove and saw some sea urchins. While the girls had a photo shoot ^_^

Panorama shot experiment by Kat

with Kathe

JUMP SHOT!

us girls

Time for lunch...We are having grilled pork belly and stuffed fish.

After having a shower, cleaning and packing up...It's time to say good bye to Subic Sweet water.
We will definitely have another visit here.

Emi as auditor
in the end, we had a contribution of P 900.00 per head
inclusive of accommodation, food, transporatation and other expenses

The verdict...
If you want a resort that's like your our rest house, away from the crowd, and if you want to relax but still thinks of a budget. The Subic Sweet Water resort is the best place for you. The house rent ranges from P5000.00 to P 6000.00 depending on the date you wish to be accommodated. The rooms are air conditioned and very spacious; for a two-bedroom cottage, it can fit 20-25 pax. Considering the travel time of 2.5 hours from Manila, this is a great summer destination for friends, company outing and especially for families.

I have linked this blog to their Facebook and Friendster accounts for more details.

xoxo
tere :)

6th Bakery Fair 2011

2011-03-05T18:07:00.008+08:00

Welcome back to me!

It's been a while I posted... :)

Last February 20th, I had a chance for a "sweet escape" to the 6th Bakery Fair 2011 held at the World Trade Center, Pasay city.

It showcased some of the Filipino-Chinese entrepreneurs in the Baking and Pastry

industry.

For an Entrance fee of P100.00 per person, we had a glimpse of the competitors of the Cake decorating Competition not to mention there are some entries for the Bread artistry competition.

Upon entering the exhibition hall, the fair celebrates the Year of the Rabbit. There was a huge rabbit statue at the front and few bunnies on the floor. :)

The aisle full of gorgeous tiered cakes caught our attention. We just can't help but appreciate such edible beauties. One shot after another, its just a perfect avenue for shutter bugs that ventures into food photography.

This event featured great finds from ingredients to finished products from both international companies and local enterprises all over the metro and even from other provinces. We enjoyed sampling all the pastries and had a glance on some on-the-spot demos for bread making.

There are also non-edible finds like food processing machines, charcoal stoves, brick ovens, catering equipments, utensils, and many more... I even had a chance to buy a mini cotton candy maker, its a perfect gadget on house parties especially for kids and kids-at-heart. :)

*ill be back soon for my next post for the 10th Phil. Food Expo... its all about food, food, and even more food...

REPOST: "I knew we clicked when...”

2010-10-30T17:14:00.001+08:00

"I knew we clicked when...”

By Kimberly Dawn Neumann

Sure, many happy couples claim they just knew when they’d found The One. But if you get them to sit down and think about it, nearly all of them end up admitting that an actual, real-world occurrence — not their amazing sixth sense — tipped the scales from “in like” to “in love.” Take, for example, these five couple’s “a-ha!” moments below. Keep an eye out for similar scenarios in your own dating life and you may soon have your own “We knew we were meant for each other when…” story to recount one day.

“The trip was a wash — but we still had an incredible time!”

Case history: “I was on vacation in Bermuda with my girlfriend. Terrible weather kept us stuck inside nearly the whole time. But somewhere between ordering pizza and watching movies, I realized that I was having a phenomenal time anyway. It didn’t matter what we were doing, I just loved being with her. I knew after that trip that I was going to propose.”— Doug Schulein, Newport Beach, CA

Love lesson: When you’ve met your match, everything’s a blast! “The best way to tell if you’re compatible is to be somewhere alone without people or distractions,” says Sam R. Hamburg, Ph.D., author of Will Our Love Last? “If you’re having a great time just with each other’s company, that’s a very good sign.” Hamburg warns that couples who spend most of their courtship around other people may find that they have very little to talk about when they’re away from a group. Make sure you can exist “alone” as a couple.

“It was love at first fight”

Case history: “Ironically, it was our first argument that made me realize we clicked as a couple. One night when my boyfriend and I were newly dating, we had a dilly of a disagreement on the phone. But instead of hanging up, my boyfriend made me stay on the line for four hours until we’d worked through it and communicated our sides fairly. His rule was ‘never go to sleep angry’ and by sticking to that we were able to move forward rather than break up. Now we’re engaged.” — Regina Petruzzi, Reston, VA

Love lesson: How you deal during your low points means a lot. “The key to dealing with the lows is riding them out with your partner, as Regina’s boyfriend insisted on doing, rather than running away from them,” says Hamburg. “The main reason couples’ fights don’t get resolved is because they can’t stand the anxiety that comes from finding themselves in conflict with the person they love.” That’s why couples who can deal with tiffs without losing their heads have it made.

“We needed to break up to realize we were right for each other”

Case history: “Kerry and I had dated on and off for awhile before breaking up for nine months. One day during that time, I happened to read an article in the New York Times about Einstein’s brain. In an instant, I thought: 1) She must have read the article because she always reads the paper, and 2) If we were together right now we would have had an interesting conversation about it. In that moment, I missed her intensely and thought maybe I’d made a mistake letting her go. That was the beginning of my journey back to the woman who’s now my wife.”— Adam Heller, New York, NY

Love lesson: Absence can make the heart grow fonder. Breaking up with someone doesn’t always mean it’s over. After a hiatus, many couples reunite and are stronger than ever, having gained a newfound perspective on their relationship and appreciation for its strengths, says Hamburg. So if an ex you haven’t talked to or even thought about in months or years suddenly enters your mind, don’t discount it as a fluke. Fate could be trying to tell you something. Maybe it’s time to make that call or compose that email.

“Wow, she actually liked my odd sense of humor!”

Case history: “Not long after we met, Molly and I were on a drive and spotted a huge pond. Molly commented that for the frogs who lived there, it must feel like the Great Lakes. So doing my best Gordon Lightfoot I sang — to the tune of The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald — ‘The legend lives on from the bullfrogs on down, of the big lake they call Ribbit-goomie.’ We laughed until we were crying. At that moment, I knew that someone who likes my humor and doesn’t think it’s completely dorky is the person I had to marry.”— Winfield Cline, Spokane, WA

Love lesson: Those who laugh together, stay together. Sure, we all know that someone who makes us giggle is gold. But it’s not just because it’s fun to have our own personal comedian. “It means you ‘get’ each other,” says Hamburg. “That means that when you hit a rough spot — and all relationships do, from time to time — you can laugh about that together as well and strengthen your bond.”

“I was terrified — and my thoughts turned to her”

Case history: “I knew that Heidi was The One after I ended up in the ER with horrible pains in my abdomen that led to surgery. When I woke up after the operation, I knew the person I wanted to see more than anyone was my girl! Realizing that the face I wanted to see was Heidi’s definitely sealed the deal.” — Scott McLeod, Costa Mesa, CA

Love lesson: A crisis can be a big wake-up call. Traumatic experiences, big or small, can often snap people from casual relationship status into true love mode. If no one — not even your friends or family — can offer you solace like the person you’re seeing, that’s a clear sign your relationship has legs. “Sometimes the most important reason we click with a person is that we feel a sense of safety with that person,” says Hamburg. “While people may not be compatible in some ways, we have a deep certainty that our romantic partners want to make sure we always have the emotional supplies we most need.”

Kimberly Dawn Neumann is a New York City-based writer and performer whose work has appeared in such publications as Marie Claire, Fitness, and Prevention.

In deep thought...[a flashback]

2010-08-21T05:50:00.002+08:00

just from the archives...
i found this old post from my blog in Friendster... :)

I apologize for the text message slang and Tag-lish (bilingual) wordings.

========2:46 am on Tuesday, September 26, 2006
my bagong term na nmng patutuonan ng pagod, stress,laughter, and kalokohan….. kaka-enrol ko lng knina….as usual paunti na nang paunti ang mga enrollees(hirap na kc nang buhay)… i hope na masurvive ko 2ng term na darating..i got to spend a lot of tym studying hard, and get inspired to pursue evryting; wel, until now there’s a question in my mind, kung anu ba tlaga gus2 ko gwin? may be because di tlga biro ang 2magal mag-aral ng COE, i can say this 3-letter acronym reminds me of a lot of discoveries, worries, and fears(may be because i realized na di cguro i2 ang "calling" sa kin)pero stil di dapat me sumuko, kc ako ang nag-decide ni2, i hav to be strong and determined enough to finish dis struggle…anywayz, i hav read sumting abwt wat a man shud do to make a woman hapi, wel, d post seemd to imply that a man shud be perfect enough for the woman to luv him, w/c s may be tru for some…i tink a relationship shudn’t hav to perfect just because one of the partner can impart more than the other one, ska naniniwla me na di kelamngan i-treat ng guy na "princess" ang kanyang gf just because he is very inlove…kc nmn yung girl din ang kawawa kung masanay xa na lging ganun…a guy shud teach a girl to be independent, hindi yung lagi na lng nakadepend c gf s knya, ang i believe na 2 PIPOL DOESN’T TO BE IN A RELATIONSHIP TO BE MUTUAL,BUT 2 PIPOL WILL BE IN A RELATIONSHIP KC THEY BECOME BETTER PERSONS WHEN THEY R TOGETHER….
================================================================

xoxo

Tere :)

Paano ko BA Sasabihin? (How do I tell?)

2010-04-28T03:02:00.004+08:00

These past few days, I am more of anxious than happy. Maybe because I wanted to go out and spend time with my friends but it seems that they were too busy with other things... :(

I got curious about the story line of this movie: Paano Ko Sasabihin?

It was an Indie film... the way I define it, independent...

Big story... small production... less budget $$...

Most of the time these kind of movie was formulated by the creative minds of college students and some movie artists that believes in the craftsmanship of young film makers in the Philippines. In addition, most of the films in this genre were given a delicate reviews not only in the country but also in other parts of the globe wherein some of which were given distinction for the story, the film, editing, and the artists.

The first time i heard about this movie, I thought it was the same old destiny-themed movie... But I still gave it a try... :)

Fate... Curiosity... Attraction... Risks...Trust... Love... Betrayal.. Acceptance... REALITY

From the jeepney to the train ride... they had a moment to catch the same ride. In life, we may encounter a lot of people in all shapes and sizes but there can only one or few people that will catch our attention. I don't beleive in coincidence...

I often think of it as God's will... If you will have 'that' moment with a person or a group...you will have... Personally, I had this kind of experience wherein I prayed to God that what if I could meet a person by accident (as in out of his knowledge); believe it or not, it happened the next morning...

Everyone of us had an eye for detail. That detail most probably a part of our body or our style which makes us unique to the other person.

Let's face it! Physical attraction comes first...

Nowadays, most of the guys look for that curvy body, beautiful face, and a killer smile. But there are few that looks forward to a wonderful conversation regardless of the physical attributes. In the movie, the girl (as I may say) was physically attracted to Mr. Silence (because there was no instance that she saw him utter a single word and was seen to do sign language when talking to a deaf child). Similarly, Mr. Silence got the impression that girl was a deaf since when they got the chance to converse, she did the sign language...

They both took a risk... did not think on how they would tell the truth without hurting each other. How would you totally love a person if there's something is untruthful about you?

In the end, you can say that you really loved that person if you are ready to tell the truth to that person regardless if he/she will accept it or not.

If I may share,

loving a person does not mean to show off the 'best you' but the 'real you'
which have the blend of good and bad which makes you 'YOU.'

xoxo

My journey on being a 'big looser'

2010-01-27T16:47:00.013+08:00

I am a person, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a colleague, a baker, and most of all woman.
You may find my story similar to those people who have struggled to loose weight for a long time. But for me, the fulfillment that accompanied in my journey was very heart-warming and unique. I am not endorsing any products but what I want was to inspire many people (especially gals) who were wanting to achieve such great body. Be noticed and be appreciated... :)

As a teenager, i used to be thin and a picky eater. I am very active and sporty. But as I face my late elementary days, I became very lazy in such a way that I was afraid to run...to play, might be because my body started to develop and got conscious on what I look. FAST FORWARD...
It came to a point that I became over-weight. As far as I can remember, I am loosing my self-esteem because I can't wear those fashionable clothes as seen on TV and trapped on the typical shirts and relaxed pants for my casuals when I go out. Dresses?? It's a big NO for me as I look as if I am an expectant mom...

Reality bites. I am disappointing myself and felt awful... Why can't I be like those teenagers who can show off? Why can I be attractive? :(
Latter part of my High school life, those thoughts started to fade and began to get busy for school activities and duties. Unknowingly, I started to shed off some pounds due to the busy schedule. And got the chance to have a short pixie hairstyle...

Hehe...good thing I got an old pic during my high school grad. :D That time I felt very empowered and strong. That time, my leadership developed and started to be a matured person.

I think I am ready to face the college life. Not know what will come my way that time.

COLLEGE LIFE...
On the point of view of the weighing scale...

You can eat almost anything when you are in Manila... just imagine the street foods... iniisip ko pa lang, tinatakaw na ko! And if you have enough savings, you could avail the value meals on many fast food chains and restaurants.
Before I knew it, at my 3rd year in college, I won't fit in my jeans anymore and should spend a longer time scouting my dresser on what to wear to hide my bulges. I started to get frustrated and impatient. And when I look to my pictures, I wasn't expecting myself to be huge... This pic was taken during our Monito-Monita for the Barkada year-end get together. Nakakahiya man, pero sige para may idea kayo on how I look that time. Honestly, when I saw my pics, the moment the pics were uploaded, I was in denial... I was saying like siguro dahil mapayat lang si Em (my friend in the pic)... I should have worn something black... :(
I ignored the feeling and moved on... There was one instance when I was getting off the bus and the bus conductor said, "teka lang po misis, umaandar pa ang bus..." I stared at the conductor and said, "Misis?! :( "As I graduated from college, I am thinking that maybe if I will find a job and stated to work, I will be in good shape and no need for special exercises and medicines to take just to loose weight. And might be due to how I look that is why I didn't have a boyfriend ever since.

WORKPLACE
Stress can make you FAT!

But you know what, it did not happened as I expected. I was hired as a Technical support for a Software Development company and got a reasonable pay check. That time,

my goal was to enjoy life especially my pay check that I worked hard for.

I started to scout and dine to those restaurants that before, i thought, I will not experience... Munch on imported chips every pay day and enjoy my favorite ice cream...
When I reached my 8th month in my work, I am already wearing a size 11 pants and sometimes even borrow a sized 12 pants from my older sister. I decided to go to the gym to loose weight and eliminate my stubborn tummy... I HATE IT! I stepped on the weighing scale for my information sheet. I weighed 72 kilos... I am over-weight.
I tried to go to the gym religiously for a month but it did not worked, at the end of my first month, i just lost 1 kilo. After that, I had changes in my schedule and got lazy to go to the gym. I decided to go and play badminton with my office mate. After a while, I just increased my appetite maybe because I got tired after playing. After a while, I got lazy to play badminton since me and my play mate is not in the same schedule anymore. I got stagnant for couple of months, and saw the ads of those Orlistat meds. Very pricey, but I am desperate. I tried it. When you take such kind of meds, the toilet will be your best buddy due to the side effects of oily stool. Your stomach is like rolling... at kahit utot lang ang ilalabas mo, meron din palang yellowish liquid na kasama. The yellowish liquid is the fat from your stomach. And it looks like the oil from your Caldereta or Menudo. After few weeks, I stopped because of the side effects.

I lost may be 2 kilos in few weeks time but has gone back because I stopped.

The Journey starts...
in a cup of coffee :)

I told myself that I am already over-weight and accepted the reality that that's the way it will be. And will be stocked in this body forever...
After few months, I just focused on my work and enjoyed a great time with my friends. I enjoyed being online and keep my mind informed. One time, I am updating my Multiply account and browse on online sellers. I got interested on one page that says,

loose weight by drinking coffee

. Maybe its not your ordinary coffee. I browsed the site and check the product. Kinda similar to those tea and coffee that were promoted in the ads in Chinatown and in TV. The name of the product was Leisure 18 Slimming Coffee. I am quite intrigue because based on the description by the seller, i has no harmful side effects like LBM or oily stool, palpitations, etc. The 18-sachet box was sold at more than 200 pesos but less that 300 pesos + the delivery charge since it is sold online. To know the product better, I browsed the testimonials of the buyers. There were no negative publicity about the coffee. I am not yet convinced so I checked the ingredients of the said coffee. It has this Garcinia Cambogia thingy... which I googled it and found out that one the side effect of this herbal ingredient was loosing weight and suppresses food intake.

In short, I gave the coffee a try since I got an advice from my sister that,

"Paano malalaman kung effective nga, kung 'di mo i-ta-try?!"

What I did was to go to Binondo and searched for the said coffee name. Luckily, I found many stores that sells it. I got a box of it at only P150.00. I tried a box first and see for myself.
The wrong thing I did was I should record my weight before if taking the coffee for me to see the "Before and After" weight difference. :D

DAY 5

The first 5 days was a struggle for me. I wanted to eat but it feels like I am full. What my taste buds want was for me to drink water, water, and water. I tried drinking a glass of iced tea but it won't quench my thirst until I drink water. The effect, I urinated twice than the usual.

Day 10

I will have my monthly facial treatment. I got the chance to see my weight. I am quite nervous and at the same time excited because I can feel that I am loosing weight. 68 kilos, the scale told me...hay, I just told myself, buti na lang kahit papaano may nabawas.... But I am quite disappointed. Well, I just kept my faith into the coffee sachet because I still have to continue taking the coffee until the 18th day. And based on some of the testimonials, the effect will be based on how slow or fast your body will react and how your eating habits will change.

As the days go by, I noticed that my eating habit was changed a bit. I don't want those greasy food anymore... My appetite seemed to lessen... I can't finish a regular value from a fast food, its either I will just eat the regular fries or burger only. Unlike before that I can finish the UPGRADED burger value meal and even had a room for dessert... I am not so enticed with ice creams, doughnuts, and cakes. It's too rich for me.
The only food that I want to eat were those green salad with light dressing and watery fruits like pears, watermelon, melon, apple, and oranges. In addition, my rice intake dropped from 1 and 1/2 cups to only 1/2 cup. Before, I used to ignore the green salad on my plate.

Day 30(I'm on the 2nd box)

I went to the gym just to weigh in and check on how much I lost. In less than a month, I am 64 kilos. :D I am quite happy with the result since it is near the ideal value to be loosen in a month. Also, even though the numbers were not as loud that I lost weight, I was able to fit in my old clothes and now I need to use a belt in order to secure my pants, if not it will fall off...

I shared my experience to my friend Mich because she also have a problem in loosing weight and getting in shape. Now, I am not sure if she felt the same effect as I did because we haven't seen each other in a while.

Now... (finished almost 4 boxes)

It feels like a complement that many people noticed that I am loosing weight. And even I am in a rush, I am not struggling on searching on what clothes to wear because I can wear almost all my older clothes back from my college days.

My last weigh in, I am at 62 kilos and that time I just finished my lunch. :) Baka kung gutom ako 60 kilos lang...LOLs
I haven't knew my latest weight yet. But I can fit into a sized 8 pants (not stretchable, hehe). And sometimes, needs to use belt as well. I just bought my new shorty shorts and capri pants because I can't find a pair of pants that is flattering for my body. NAKS!! :D

BEFORE...

NOW...

I hope that I inspired you with my journey. Please wait for my follow up on this blog... Maybe in few months time, I am keeping my fingers-crossed for the newer ME. And able to fulfill my dream of wearing a gorgeous bikini....bwahahahaha :D...

ciao!

Berso sa Metro

2010-01-18T17:21:00.004+08:00

It's been couple of months since my last post...

Everyone seemed to have a glance of the posters on inside the Light Railway Transit (LRT) and Metro Rail Transit (MRT).
Unlike other advertisements, i find these "big colored cards" with some images very informative. As what the title of each posters, Berso sa Metro and some were Tulaan sa Tren.
This was initiated by Instituto Cervantes, to promote the learning of a second language.

Nowadays, many of us forgot to re-learn the essence and wisdom of poetry. Poetry is one of the classic way of expressing the art of writing which some of us have experienced (especially when we attempt to compose a narrative for a love one, <3> posters, hehe... The verses I like the most is those that depicts on love.

And here goes...

From Ernesto Cardenal

Al perderte yo a ti tú y yo hemos perdido:
yo porque tú eras lo que yo más amaba
y tú porque yo era el que te amaba más.
Pero de nosotros dos tú pierdes más que yo:
porque yo podré amar a otras como te amaba
a tipero a ti no te amarán como te amaba yo.
When you left me, both you and I lost,
I lost because I loved you with all my heart,
And you because I loved you to the utmost,But of the two of us,
it is you who has lost the most,
Because I can love another like the way I loved you,
But you will never be loved by anyone the way I loved you.

2. Señorita Provinciana by Jesus Balmori

Tu lectura es Abelardo y Eloísa
tu perfume favorito, el de azahares,
y nimbada de ilusorias maravillas,
en la iglesia, cuando acudes a misa,
en lugar de ver a Dios en los altares,
a tu lado ves un novio de rodillas.

Ang binabasa mo’y Abelardo at Eloisa,
paboritong pabango’y sa asahar gawa,
at balot ng kislap ng madayang kababalaghan;
sa simbahan, habang nakikinig ng misa,
imbes na Diyos sa altar ang nakikita,
katabing nobyong nakaluhod ay siyang minamasdan.

Some of the verses were previously posted in my Facebook account. One of them was one of the classic. The one pertaining to the guidelines for men who will love a woman. :) The verse focuses on a woman's point of view that a man should respect his woman and be proud of not as an object but as subject to be taken care of:

Reglas del Juego para los Hombres que quieran amar a Mujeres mujeres (Panuntunan ng laro sa mga Lalaking iibig sa mga Babaeng-babae) ni Gioconda Belli

El hombre que me ame debera saber descorrer

las cortinas de la piel,
encontrar la
profundidad de mis ojos y conocer lo que
anida en mi, la
golondrina transparent e de la
ternura

Ang lalaking iibig sa aki'y
dapat marunong humaplos sa kurtina ng balat,
makita ang karaniwan kong mata
at makikilala ang namumukod sa akin,
ang transparenteng maya ng paglalambing.

El hombre que me ame
no querra poseerme como una mercancia, ni
exhibirme
como un trofeo de caza, sabra
estar a mi lado con el mismo amor con que yo
estare al lado suyo

Ang lalaking iibig sa aki'y
di ako iibigin bilang isang kalakal
o kaya'y ipagyayabang na parang tropeo,
mananatili sa aking piling
taglay ang pag-ibig kong
nadarama kapag siya'y kapiling.

The next verse was quite of a logic of our existence. Life was compared to the ocean that cannot be navigated unless a pathway or route has been discovered. For me, this verse pertains to the legacy that we can provide the next generation. We often ask for what is our purpose in this world, Am I fruitful enough for this chance of life?

We can never tell the impact we had for a particular person or people. He/she may be our friend, colleague, neighbor, stranger, or a seatmate in the train. We can be reckoned as undisciplined, good person, or unrespectful. We are the one responsible for the impression we will left the people around us.

verse from Antonio Machado

Todo pasa y todo queda,
pero lo nuestro es pasar,
pasar haciendo
caminos,
caminos sobre la mar.

Lahat ay dadaan at lahat ay maiiwan,
pero tayo ay dadaan,
dadaang gumagawa ng daanan,
daanan sa ibabaw ng karagatan

Below is the verse that may discuss the aim to perfection. That we may love a profession, trust a person or do a decision inwhich we know we did everything to the desired result however due to some uncontrollable situations, the more we aim to do it well, the more fail...

Autobiografia ni Luis Rosales

Como el náufrago metódico que contase las olas
que faltan para morir,
y las contase, y las volviese a contar, para evitar
errores, hasta la
última,
hasta aquella que tiene la estatura de un niño
y le besa y le
cubre la frente,
así he vivido yo con una vaga prudencia de
caballo de
cartón en el baño,
sabiendo que jamás me he equivocado en nada,
sino en
las cosas que yo más quería.

Tulad noong disiplinadong nalunod na binilang sa mga along sasapat para siya'y mamatay,
at nagbilang, at muling nagbilang, prang maiwasang magkamali,
hanggang sa huli ng alon,
maging ang alon na sintaas ng bata't umabot sa kanyang noo;
Ganyan ako nabuhay,
medyo pabaya gaya ng kabayong karton sa gitna ng bagyo,
alam kong ni minsa'y di ako nagkamali,
maliban sa bagay na pinakamamahal ko.

The versality of a poem that depicts love was it can be used to adore God or a loved one. The next verses pertains to the essense of love... not tired... unselfish... And that love can be understood in so many languages may it be actions or gestures...

verse from Luis Garcia Montero

Kung sakaling malupit ang tadhana,
alalahanin mo ako,
dahil hindi mapapagod sa paghihintay
itong walang sawang tumitingin sa 'yo.

Aunque no me Digas ni Evangelina E. Guerrero

Alam kong mahal mo ako kahit hindi mo sabihin,
Alam kong bilanggo mo ako habang panahon
Sa matitibay na lambat ng iyong pagmamahal ng iyong sariling buhay,
Banal na papuri sa walang hanggang pangarap.

Nowadays, there are were ad gimmicks that seemed to be like of the ordinary way of catching the attention of the crowd. But there were also some that were edgy enough and have that x-factor to get the attention of a sophisticated mind. For more verses, ride the trains of the Philippines... :D

packed lunch

2009-10-14T04:51:00.009+08:00

Last Saturday, the management decided to allow us be out to celebrate our 1st Anniversary. unlike other Anniversary, there is no party... no loud sounds... no grand buffet...

Our call center manager decided to celebrate it with a cause. Since the past typhoon Ketsana (Ondoy) devastated the metro with massive flash flood. Leaving our fellow Pinoys, homeless... property-less... and nowhere to go. There were several areas became casualty due to that disaster. Media shows the heart-warming Bayanihan spirit came across the need for help and service.

In leiu of an out of town event for our Anniversay, we decided to provide a lunch for the victims of the flood in Barangay Bagong Silangan, Quezon city. We were able to feed approximately 300 people. It was a very humbling experience... Appreciating that we are very to not be affected by the flood. Hearing few 'Thank you's' makes it worth the sweat and sacrifice. Though there were some unexpected circumstances, well we will just stick with the memorable and meaningful celebration of our 1st Anniversary.

Afterwards, we went to the La Mesa EcoPark to have a late lunch together. Having the same lunch with that of what we gave the residents, we first offered a prayer then have our lunch.
Then we explored the area of the EcoPark and took some pictures. :)

We had fun because the place was very relaxing. How I wish every town the Philippines was covered with trees same as the EcoPark. If this happens, flash flood will not be an issue, i bet.
Some of us decided to drop by Trinoma mall to chill out.

Fruity as a Bignay Tree

2009-07-22T23:22:00.003+08:00

For a long time, our home was nestled in nature. We grew up in a place where we can place with nature. There are so many fruit-bearing trees like atis, mango, santol, calamansi, tamarind, guava, banana, coconut, lime, star apple, duhat, aratiles, and latest addition was a Bignay tree.

I first heard the name of this tree from my aunt. I thought she was only referring to a place in Valenzuela which is located on the upper portion of the city. But it was really the name of the tree.

I first saw the fruits when they harvested them. its has pretty small and round, as big as pearl. Bursting with its red color. My other aunts mistaken it as cranberry. But unfortunately its not. Well, the Bignay fruit has many uses: my aunt used some of the extracts as souring agent for Sinigang of any kind (can be meat or fish..)(before I did my research...hehehe), it can be drink as a juice and can improve digestion or can be eaten raw (the ripe ones with the almost maroon color are the sweetest....). Having been fascinated with the uses of Bignay, not to mention it was already featured on TV including its products, I did my research. It is famous as a wine sold in the Philippines together with other fruit wines. While in some countries it is used as syrup, jellies and jam. I am curious about the wine....hahahaha...

next blog...experiment in making the Bignay wine... ;-)

Stranded in the Office

2009-07-17T21:38:00.006+08:00

Its been a while since I created my last blog.

Well, it has been been for over 48 hours already due to the typhoon. I decided to stay in the office to not encounter the hassle of traffic, wind, and rain. Well, I really don't like the rainy weather because I feel gloomy in that kind of weather. I want it to be sunny and dry...hehehe

Not being in my home for quite a while became a huge adjustment for me. I became contented with what I have for the moment (not to mention its raining, I can't even go out to go to other places on my idle time...) and budget the money that I have. May be this is the down side of being in a Call center.

Unable to do what you want (sometimes)... uneven work load... and rain or shine you MUST be in the office... Well, as what my colleague told me, our setup as a 'pioneering team' of the company is very different on a 'typical' call center that can be found in Libis, here in Makati or in Ortigas. Though we had a 24/7 operations, our setup is more laid back. The calls were not that much but the time you will handle each case or client's inquiry can take quite a while to get as much detail as possible. We are laid back because at times clients would call only on office hours and few on the evening and there could be calls from HongKong during the early morning.

Yesterday was very unique because we have to say our goodbye to our Training specialist because she will pursue a career on another company. Of course, though we are not that close, parting with someone is such a sad moment. We had spent almost a year working in our company. My call center experience cannot be compared with that of documented scenarios over the television programs like non-stop talking in other nation's accents. As my first job it was a humbling experience to learn many things by myself and to learn from other people as well. I can say that my communication skills was broaden in a way. I can now talk to anyone without getting intimidated by the way I sound when I speak in a foreign language. Even learning the office culture and brainstorming with an array of ideas and more. Though there are many jobs available, I don't see myself leaving my team in the near future.

Brunch with my good friend

2009-07-04T22:24:00.003+08:00

It has been months since I saw my friend Mich.
Just today we had a brunch at Kenny Rogers Roasters-SM North Edsa (supposedly its a breakfast... :)). Since we both worked as Tech Support Engineers. (in different companies), we really never had much time to chill out.

Well, we only communicate using email and SMS. Other than that...nothing else. I consider her as one of my Methods barkada, we were 5 actually (me, mich, ivan, mark, and oski..), we only had few moments together... But we are still happy having each other as friends or shall we say tropa.
Though we just hang out for a few hours, updating each other was not compromised...hahahaha...
There has been no idle time sharing all what had happened and all the old but good memories. Since we graduated from college, the only updates we get was thru SMS. Me and Mich talked and think of having an outing may be some time next year(all of us will get the regularization for our jobs...)Hoping we can push it through and squeeze our time and budget...

good night, my mole!!!

Anawangin cove, a stormy experience

2009-06-18T02:05:00.013+08:00

Anawangin cove.... a mystical beach for some.

My blog about this place is one of the many blogs you can find in the internet. At first, I don't think that we would go to Anawangin that Sunday because according to the news, the weather will be clound and may have thunderstorms in the area of Zambales. But we pushed our luck that if the sun will shine that Sunday morning, we will go. It's that simple. Not to mention that our funds was only extact for our fares and food as we computed everything that Saturday. Well, our escapade to this beach differs to most of the other blogs: (1) because going to Anawangin was only 2days in a making (hahaha)... (2)we were only 2 people to invade the place on a stormy weather last May31-June1. (3)we were able to conquer the huge waves going to the cove on a rainy afternoon (quite scary)... and (4)we were not prepared with the "gear" especially with a tent to spend the night, so finding one before the boat ride was the first thing on our mind (luckily, with the help of manong bankero we are able to find one for rent). Most of the people will ask on a destination like this, "How much to spend?," "What are the things to bring?," and "What to do in Anawangin?." For an overnight stay on that place on a gloomy weather you will realize so much when you get back to the city.

Anyways, (for first time to go to Anawangin) before starting your adventure it is best to have a contact person on Pundaquit. From one of the blogs about Anawangin, shown is the photo was Mang Florante(0910 805 3380) came out with a contact number. We tried contacting him before going there to ensure the weather, volume of the people going to Anawangin, boat availability, fees (and any discount??hehe),etc. He also recommended to us a tricycle owner/driver Mang Gary Evangelista(0921 223 2055) to fetch us from San Antonio town proper.

You need to spend for :

P 251.00 each (one-way) for the bus ride from Victory Liner Terminal (Caloocan) to San Antonio, Zambales

P35.00 each (one-way) for a chartered ride on a tricycle to Pundaquit, San Antonio --->(this rate depends on how much you and the driver agrees; some says 30, some says 40)

P300.00 for the tent rental (overnight), good for 4 peeps. But if you have your own, magdala na lang kayo.

P1,500.00 for boat rental, complete with a boatman and an assistant, your ride from Pundaquit to Anawangin to Capones island to Camara island and back to Pundaquit. --->(going to the place is better for group of 5peeps, at least, para makapag-share kayo sa boat rental)

P100.00 each for entrance fee for an overnight stay sa Anawangin cove (get your own spot sa place, free use of the following necessities: a bamboo dining table, poso as the source of fresh water, and toilet).

When we called Mang Florante, we immediately asked for the fare for the boat. Just to have an idea because most of our money will be alotted for that. The boat ride is really dependent on your itinerary. For example, you may only choose to go to Anawangin only, automatically what you would pay is a round trip ride fr. Pundaquit-Anawangin-Pundaquit. Other packages include going to Anawangin and Capones island and /or Camara island. Capones island is famous for its century old yet functional light house. While Camara island was a pristine white sand beach much near in Pundaquit. The pricing for the boat ride may range from P700.00 to P1,500.00. We also asked Mang Florante of what would be the things to do while in Anawangin. He said, "Kumain...Matulog... :)" We also asked if there were many people at the cove that time, he said, "Madami po kasi kaninang umaga may hinatid kami mga 70 katao, Linggo ang uwi nila." Maybe the people he was referring to was the group of my friend Tin. Because according to her, they will be have their company outing in Anawangin by the end of May.

Next thing to do was to verify the fees that we also saw from the other blogs of people who have been on the place already. The tricycle fee should not exceed P40.00 each. He even gave us a recommendation for a tricycle driver with the contact number. Since we are only 2 going to the place, Mang Florante gave consideration for us giving us the boat ride of all 3 destinations (Anawangin, Camara, and Capones) at a rate of P1,500.00. I personally consider it quite pricey considering that we are only 2. But I thought it just make sense because no matter how many people ride the boat the gasoline it uses is the same. So, ok lng din....The experience is priceless.

We just did not assured Mang Florante that we are going because we were still undecided that time.

I just told my sister, if I will be receiving a bigger paycheck that pay day and it will be sunny, then we will go to Anawangin. If not, better stay at home. Ok, game!!!

During the pay day, I have checked my account and see how much was there. Well, ok naman xa, slightly bigger than the usual na na-re-receive ko, maybe because of the holiday pays.Kaching!!!

For the weather, I am not sure if the rains will stop. We just hope for the best. That night, we started preparing the things (even though we are not sure if we will push through with the plan...). I woke up at 5am, and see if the rain stopped already, and it did!! Well, I told my sister about it and start preparing for the Anawangin trip. ;-)

It was 8am already when we left the house at Sunday (May 31st). Upon arriving to Victory Liner-Kalookan, we purchased 2 tickets to San Antonio, Zambales on the Iba-Sta.Cruz,Zambales bus. It was 8:45am when the bus left the terminal. We are seated on the first row.hehe

We expect the travel tome to be 3-4hours to San Antonio.

When we reached San Fernando, Pampanga, we had a 15-minute stop-over on a Double Happiness fastfood. For most travelling to the North, you may see some of the branches of this fastfood. You find some on-the-go meals here like hamburgers, rice meals, snack, drinks, etc. Also, the area also has few cubicles for the comfort room for the "Wiwi break" the fee for the use of the CR was P1.00. On the other hand, We bought 4pcs. of Pork Barbeque for dinner there. Since we did not bring any cooking utensils, better to have food that is ready to eat. Since we already brought with us a microwavable container filled with rice, ripe tomatoes, some canned goods, and some hard-boiled eggs which will be consumed for our lunch and dinner. Next stop was in Victory Liner-Olongapo terminal to pick up some passengers and to re-fuel. While the bus was still stopped, I saw a 7-11 store and asked my sister to buy a loaf of bread and some sandwich spread for either merienda or breakfast.

At passed 1:30pm, we arrived at San Antonio Town proper. We now called the tricycle driver to ask how much would be the ride to Pundaquit. He sad, P35.00 each. We just waited for Mang Gary to fetch us. We got some photos during the Tricycle ride...hehe. It was 2pm when we met Mang Florante at Pundaquit as introduced by Mang Gary (the landmark for their area was the Our lady of Guadalupe church, wherein when you reach the church, just turn right and its already his house with some Nipa hut cottages).

Upon introducing ourselves to Mang Florante, he just smiled and welcomed us. He said, "Akala ko Ma'am, di na kayo matutuloy eh...", he added, "Ayos yan Ma'am, kakaalis lang nung mga dumating kahapon eh, makakapili kayo ng magandang lugar dun sa Anawangin..." He led us to the shore and showed us the boat and the boatman. Too bad, we didn't have the chance to ask his name and the of the assistant boatman.

We asked Mang Florante again regarding the rate to be sure that the fees will be the same. One thing was left, we still do not a tent. So the boatman helped us asking the locals for one. We manage to have one and haggle a bit, we rented the tent for P300.00 (good for 4 people).
As seen on the photo, that time the area had a cloudy weather. At Pundaquit, though there is no rain yet, the boatman assured us that it is safe. Everything is set and off we go to Anawangin. At first, mabilis magpatakbo yung bankero kaya naman unti-unti na kaming nababasa... That time it was fun, as we agreed, we wanted to go to Capones island first but the boatman asked us because from our location, we are able to see the furious waves on the island. Ang sabi ng bangkero, hindi rin kami makakadaong... so tumagal ang trip namin, kasi we have to detour going to Anawangin cove. That experience i think was really unforgettable. Me and my sister never had experience an actual huge waves na sinasagupa ng isang maliit na bangka. The experience was like riding the Jungle Log Jam of Enchanted Kingdom ten times (for the height, may be cut it in half...)mas nakakatakot ang experience kc kahit pumikit ka...pagmulat mo, nandun pa rin kayo.. parang ayaw mo na.... pero hindi pwede...combined with the salty water splashing all over your face as rain slowly falling from the sky.

That time, our only savior will be the life jacket... During the trip, many times I'll just close my eyes and hold the wood in the sides of the boat hard (as if di na ko maalis dun sa bangka khit anung mangyari, sa sobrang higpit ng hawak ko,when we arrived at Anawangin, my mga color blue paint sa hands ko, nabakbak form the boat... :) sobrang higpit tlga ng hawak ko...) Also include the color of the ocean, as in navy blue na...Just telling us that the area was extremely deep. Hindi pa naman ako marunong lumangoy...kaya, nag-pray na lang tlga ko.

When I saw the shores of Anawangin, I can't help it but exclaim, "WoW!! GRABE salamaT, may lupa na rin!!!" From the location where the boat stopped, the place where we stayed was quite far, that time it was raining and the wet sand was very difficult to walk on(its like lulubog ang paa mo pag-diniin mo ang pagtungtong...parang ang bigat-bigat...). There were few campers and swimmers when we got there who were about to leave that day.

Good for us, that we landed on the place safely...

On Anawangin cove, there was a house made of cement. It was the caretaker of the place. An Aeta and a resident of Pundaquit who was about to go to the town to buy some of their food supply and other stuffs. That time....

it rained....

it rained harder...

Those campers cannot leave Anawangin because as the rain came, the water got higher and higher together with enormous waves. Afterwards, since the house we saw did not have any shed, we decided to go to the water pump area because it has a shed made out of nipa. As it rained, the camper can't take staying wet because only a bamboo table was only available in the place. They came to our are and share the shed. The guys were geared up with their mountaineering bags (not to mention, one was carrying an bottle of Emperador Brandy as his jacket...hahaha), they were with a group of friends from Quezon city. Well, we stayed there for 20 minutes, I think. The caretaker and the boatmen arrived and decided to have a convoy to that if anything happens (got forbid...) they can help each other or easily contact Pundaquit.

10 minutes passed and the campers left Anawangin... That time me and sister where the only tourists on the place.There were some caretakers of certain areas in Anawangin. It feels like the island was exclusively for us....but its quite scary since the weather seems to get gloomy. Together with our Dicapac, me and Bec, stroll on the cove to take some pictures. We had the chance to glance on the unspoiled beauty of Anawangin with is lush array of pine trees and misty river. Time seemed to pass slowly at Anawangin cove.

The waves on the ocean was like a giant playground for surfers which made the shore difficult to walk on.

Parang nahuhukay nang malalim ang pangpang. I personally got afraid of even getting my feet submerged on the waters. I warned my sister to not to swim. Since there is no sign that the weather will get any better that day. And I'm thinking that the beach might get deep because of the huge waves.

We saw the famous river described in some blogs also located in Anawangin. That time, the water became amber in colour due to the dried pine needles and the water kept on flowing slowly through the ocean(as we have observed...).

After getting some pictures as we go along, we have to get something to have a light source. We saw a small stall that sold halo-halo and some instant noodles. We bought a piece of candle (but it didn't work because it became windy that night...). Then, we go back to our tent to fix our things and get ready for our dinner.

That night, we had rice, pork barbeque, hard-boiled eggs, and tomatoes for dinner. Too bad!! we are not able to the candle that we bought because of the wind. The caretaker saw us and gave us a small gas lamp.
It was a very unforgettable night because we can only here the sound of waves and kuliglig plus the pine trees seemed to have its own lights because of the fireflies. Its a very humbling experience seeing SOOO MAANNYY fireflies!!!

I don't know if the other campers or bloggers were able to take noteof this scenery...

After dinner, we decided to recall our expenses for that trip. Also computed what we will spend for tomorow, if we will run out of cash, we need to get to Olongapo to get access to ATM. So it turned out, we had enough cash.hehehe..

That night, the rain stopped and we turned the light off and say a prayer to keep us from any harm. My sister manage to go to sleep easily after few minutes. I personally had the tendency to have the difficulty of sleeping when I am somewhere unfamiliar or a new place.hehe (Namamahay ba...hehe) Maybe it took me til midnight before getting to sleep, then awake at 4am(it rained and area became cold...brrrrhh!! I wish we bought a thick blanket and a small bed...hehe),then get up at 6:30am to have our island hopping to Capones island and probably to Camara island if the weather will get better. We got our shot of a calmer Anawangin....

From the second shot, we can see that the ocean floor of Anawangin is uneven... As we approach Capones island, its shape resemble like a whale... ;-)

There were some fishermen along the coastline having their fishnets have some fresh catch. I personally saw some big fishes jumped over the waters...hehe...VERY NICE!! Unlike the waters of Anawangin, the coastline on Capones is bluer and the sand is whiter. The shore was filled with so many shells and hard coral stones. According to Manong, the passage way to the lighthouse was on the other side of the island wherein we cannot pass through because of the big waves. That is why we will take to 'long cut' to go to the Lighthouse. The wrong thing was he did not told us to bring our slippers with us because we will go to the lighthouse through the very ROCKY shore of Capones island....so we got there BAREFOOTED!!!! OUCH!! After walking on the coral stones, we must hike on the slippery slope of the island to go up to the location of the Lighthouse. Its very exhausting but its an experience surely we will never forget.... Our "foot-ache" seemed to fade when we saw the lighthouse. Full of fascination.... We just asked how they managed to get the materials to build this structure on the top of the montain??? The house itself was made up of bricks and iron similar with that of in ancestral houses in Intramuros. The area also have its own well as a source of fresh water. Though, house itself can be used as place to stay, Manong told us that the solar-powered lighthouse was well-maintained by the Phil. Coastguard. We got the chance of going to the top of the Lighthouse and glance a 360-degree view of Capones island. Its like a dream...or like a movie scene....just so breath-taking....

Manong told us that we need to get back on the boat before noon to not encounter the huge waves like we had the previous day. Sadly, we did not manage to see Camara island because the waves became furious again. We just to proceed ending the trip and go back to Pundaquit. As we walked the beach of Pundaquit, the waves that approached the town was like those for surfing. We met Mang Florante again and shared our experience on the Anawangin. Came along was Mang Abdul, a vendor of pearl jewelry from Zamboanga. We bought a pair of pink and black pearl studs for P200.00. Mang Florante offered us to take a shower on their private shower room for free since we are the only tourists on the area. Also, he brought us to the town using his tricycle to get a ride back to Manila. Getting an airconditioned bus to Manila was like impossible. Almost 3 ordinary buses already passed when we decided to get on an ordinary bus and get off to Olongapo, the fare was P44.00 each) and then transfer to an Aircon bus going to Manila, it was P190.00 each. Our lunch was the loaf of bread that we had the day before and a sandwich spread. It was 5pm when we arrived at the Caloocan Terminal and get a jeepney ride to Malinta exit afterwards a tricycle to get home....
This trip has been one of a kind... Lesson learned, do not go to Anawangin in a stormy weather...
We are very luck to be home safely...

Til our next adventure... ;-)

The colors of Lucban, Quezon

2009-06-14T14:39:00.015+08:00

Last mid of May 2009, I had a blast with my college friends: Tin, Janet, and Honey. Tin invited us to their province (I'm not sure if it is..hehe) in Lucena, Quezon. Our 3-day escapade will include going to Lucban to experience the famous Pahiyas festival, have a dip in the so called "ice cold" spring, and to climd the recently opened Kamay ni Hesus shrine. Sorry if I have this blog in txt message slang words and Tag-lish phrases....hehe

@May 14, 8pm, LRT-Gil Puyat station

The meeting place was at KFC-Gil puyat...haha, late ako kc galing pa ko sa bahay nung mga oras na un. Well, since the graduation rites di pa kami ulit nagkikita nla Tin and Honey. Teka, kelan ko nga ba last nakita c Janet?? I can't even remember...haha.... sabi ko nga sa knila almost 6months ko na cla di nkikita nang personal...pero updated pa din me kc i get to see their pics sa d2 sa Multiply and Facebook. Ok, too much of the background story, arriving at Gil puyat, diretso na ko sa KFC. kita ko cla ayun kumakain ng dinner...patapos na rin cla nung dumating ako...konting chit-chat, tawanan, wiwi break, and gussy up...off we go to JAC liner terminal, pagtawid palng sa main road, adventure na kc sobrang dami ng sasakyan ng time na un at ang bibilis pa...hehe...nahiwalay pa c Honey sa min...kming 3 (me, janet, and tin) ng makakita ng chance para makatawid, binilisan n lng nmin ang takbo....hahahaha...WALANG TAWIRAN...NAKAMAMATAY.. ito ang tagline na best to describe that scene....nang nsa island n kmi ng kalsada, "Nasan c honey?" pag lingon nmin hayun nasa pedestrian lane pla...hehe...kming mga pasaway tlga!!One more time, kelangan ulet tumawid at malapit na ang terminal...hehe, Nakatawid din kmi....hay.. phew! pero wait, may nagmamani-obra plng gigantic bus...waaahhhh!!!! Janet!!!!! c janet namn ang bilis gumilid buti na lng... sumakay kmi sa almost full na bus pero di kmi kasya...we decided to get off and ride the next one. Nice, mas maluwag ang bus at may LCD tv pa....o yan almost 9pm na yata umalis yung bus...Magkatabi: me and honey at Janet and Tin...

C tin ang kumukuha ng pic, d ko pa na-ga-grab ung ibang pics from Janet..

Hayan nkagrab din me ng pic nla tin and janet....hehe. Anyways, the bus ride took us 3 hours. While on the bus, the LCD tv played several oldy movies...nyahaha... ung una, chinese movie e, i have no idea for the title pero sabi ni Honey un bida daw e laos na dhil dw sa scandal... the conductor replaced the movie with Silverter Stallone's Rambo na para sa kin sobrang violent....hay, kya cguro d me maka2log kc GRABE...sobrang bloody, kawawa ung mga tao dun, pang napakamura ng buhay....i dont need to describe it further basta, everything/everyone seemed to be slaughtered on evry scene of that movie, and the last was a movie by Steven Seagal...in fairness, ang lolo mo bagets pa...basta my parang submarine achuchuchu tpos my topless eclavoo pa...hehe, ngulat na lng kmi dun...We get of at a tricycle terminal and from there took a 15-minute ride to the entry of the subdivision. Tin's aunt, Tita Dolly, waited for us dun sa kanto and fetch us with her car. We arrived in the house at almost 12 midnight. Tita Dolly and Mama Rosa (Tin's granny) welcomed us pretty well. We stayed at Tin's cousin's room. There was a folding bed and a mattress on the floor. We decided that one can occupy the folding bed and 3 of us will occupy the mattress. Teka muna picture muna...hehe, kakarating lng sa room....hahaha

oh yan!!!!

Here's another set of pics after makapag-change ng damit at mag-ayus ng mga gamit...

siguro mga 1am na noon ng ma2log kmi...hehe syempre my konti kwento ulet. khit anu lng, regarding work, lovelyf??haha, ako lng ata alng kwento sa lovelyf...hehe, we'll see baka nxt tym meron na... ;-)

I set my alarm at 6am, d ako maxadong nkatulog, namahay n nmn cguro ako(lagi naman e) kc b4 pa mag-alarm ang cel ko, gcng n ko... nung nag-alarm e parang ala pa clang balak bumangon kya, idlip n lng ulet ako, nung nagicng ulet ako e 730am n yata nun....xempre nmn nawindang ako kc sabi pag-late dw kc lumakad e ang layu ng lalakarin patungong lucban...pra sa Pahiyas festival.

@May15, Tita Dolly's haus, Lucena Quezon: E d pagsbi kung anung oras na...nagulat ko c janet...hahaha...para dw me alarm clock... So nag-ayus na nga kmi...nauna naligo c Janet sa bathroom located sa ibaba ng haus, tpos c Tin naligo sa bathroom nla Tita Dolly sa room nla. I went next to Tin, then last naligo c Honey.

oh yan mga bagong ligo na, ayon ke Tin e maginaw dw sa Lucban. I decided to bring my jacket...c Honey kamusta naman, baka d kayanin ng legs nya...hehe... before going to Lucban, the household offered us a hearty breakfast kasma ang famous n lucban longganisa, lechon manok, rice, and coffee w/hazelnut-flavored creamer...OK, done with breakfast...need to head to the colorful Pahiyas festival in Lucban....From the house, we walked palabas ng village. From there, we ride a jeepney going to Bayan the fare was P7.00, afterwards, may nilikuan na ang jeep...here's some pics.

Naglakad ulit kmi papuntang bayan, stop muna sa nearby 7-11 store to buy some drinks...kc mahabang lakaran ang gagawin nmin sa Lucban. We took another jeepney ride to the Lucban Terminal, its another P7.00.... We got off to the terminal of the hybrid jeepney/minibus (kaya nmn hybrid e pano, alanganin ang looks ng jeep n ito sa typical passenger jeep sa Manila, in front its like an ordinary minibus, the others are even look like truck's front...hehe, pero sa loob e harapan nmn ang upuan na parang sa totoong jeep). The ride cost us P30 pesos for each. Its been a long ride, from Lucena, need to pass by Tayabas before arriving to Lucban. The road have some zigzag, paakyat at pababa....parang rollercoaster..hahaha..about 30 minutes we reached Lucban terminal, sabi ng mga police na nandun...

d na daw pwedi lumapit ang mga jeep sa town proper, maglakad na lang dw kc maxado nang madaming tao. Kung ayaw maglakad pwedi din naman mag-tricycle. The fare for the tricycle was P8.00 each.

Luckily, before entering the town of Lucban, we managed to see an ATM machine, for me to have something to spend kc kulang ang aking pocket money and since its may15 im expecting for my salary.

Afterwards, we got straight to the town proper where the decorated houses can be found. At first, mga vendor of Buntal hats, bags, and other souvenir items ang makikita. Along the way, we are able to see more and more people in the streets and more and more houses have been decorated with colorful kiping (steamed ground rice mixture molded using a leave called Kabal) and fruits & vegetables (which excites us obviously...hehe).....Our cameras won't stop clicking we go along....hahahha, kanya-kanyang diskarte n kame dito.

More photos on my Multiply site.... ;-)
Along the way,the streets became very jam-packed. This event really spread maybe around the world I may say because we saw some foreigners present. Everyone are very happy even though the sun trikes harder and harder as the clock ticks noon....Grabe!!! Sabi ni Tin, Lucban used to be a cooler place than any other province but as we stayed longer and longer...lalung umiinit ang ambience and the weather. Di namin pinalampas ang pagkakataon na mapuntahan ang old church of San Isidro Labrador in Lucban. It was a very memorable experience seeing the church full of people; the very long aisle is full of people taking a chance to have a seat and offer their prayers. After that, we went to the old store of Lucban longganiza and other deli.The store seems to absorb the fumes of garlic and not to mention the fragrance of the herbs present each sausage they sell not to mention the long queue of the people trying grab and buy some pasalubong. Honey cannot take it anymore, she felt dizzy...So we decided to go back to the streets and try to breathe in some fresh air. It's about 11am, when we stopped and find a place to eat lunch. We went to Old center Panciteria for lunch and try their famous pancit habhab. This kind of stir-fried noodles got its name in the way it is to be eaten. The normal way of eating this pancit was using a sheet of banana leave, grab some of the pancit, and place it near to your mouth as if you are eating a hotdog. hehe.... hope I have describe it well... Its quite messy (I think) but you get the hang of it, its really a fun experience.
The restaurant also sell both dried and fresh noodles for pancit habhab so anyone can try cooking it(not to mention, they have the recipe at back...). The pancit habhab costs P55.00 per plate(good for 4-5 persons)

The lunch was quite filling since the pancit already is a complete meal...After resting for a while, pasyal ulet kami ng another round.hehe, we became curious with one house with a lot of people. We were surprised when we saw a guy sitting in front the house, it was the 2nd tallest man in the world according to his companion, a Pakistani national. They were charging P50.00 per shot with the man. His height was 8 feet 4 inches. Ang mahal ng shot kya we grabbed the opportunity of taking his picture from a far.
hehe... Napagod na ang barkada so we decided to stop by other pasalubong stores. It has been around 1:30pm when we decided to finally go home. When we got to the Lucena town proper, we decided to drop by 7-11 store to buy some drinks.
Habang naglalakad kami one establishment caught our attention, it was a memorabilia store packed with collectors' item gadgets from the early eras....We were surprised that the store even ha the Brick game from the early 90's....hahaha...for those who were kids during the 90's, sikat ka pag meron kang ganito....hehe, i used to have one of this Brick game given to me during the Christmas season. The store even kept a cabinet full of betamax and VHS tapes. Other items were Mikasa volleyball na parang 30 years old na...ata madami pang iba. ;-)
Padating sa bahay, merienda time na...We had fried saba bananas and some soda prepared by mama Rosa. Napagod kmi, diretso agad sa room to re-charge...hehe, di na nmin namalayan ang oras, almost 7pm na nang magising kami....Chikahan ulit then eat dinner na....Nood ng news tpos bonding ulet, drink some Soju(korean wine). Di naman xa maxadong matapang, nakaka-antok dw.Aftr few talks about work, life at mga advice kay Kevin as a frosh sa Mapua, it was 1am when we decided to go to sleep.

@May 16: 9am
The agenda for the day was to spend time at Mariposa spring resort and at the afternoon face the challenge of climbing the 200+ steps in the Grotto of the recently famous Kamay ni Hesus shrine.
Parehas din ang mga sinakyan nming byahe ng jeep d2. But before we go, dumaan muna kami sa palengke to buy some food.

Off we go sa Mariposa... The place was not that developed I may say. We have spent P40.00 each for the entrance fee and P300.00 for the cottage. Though hindi sya sing-ganda ng mga resorts you will be assured that the water is CLEAN kc ung tubig sa pool is the same running water in the spring. Sobrang linaw ng tubig as in Crystal clear.
The vicinity have many trees making the place cooler at noon. We first tried the spring to experience the rush of the ice-cold water.hahaha....ICE coLD NGA!!!!! At lunch time we munch Andok's lechon manok and liempo, rice, green mango, and water. After lunch, balik ulit sa spring and get some pics. We also tried having a dip in the pool. Padami na nang padami ang mga tao. Mga 4pm na kami na nag-decide to leave the place to head to the Grotto.
Mejo natagalan kami sa pag-aantay ng jeep going to Grotto...kc madalang tlga ang bumabyahe...most of the people kc terminal-to-terminal ang sakay kaya puno agad ang mga jeep. Finally, nakasakay din kmi, natuwa nmn kmi sa jeep na yun tila ba hybrid ng jeep at minibus....hehe. After 20 minutes, we reached the grotto, ang dami pa ding tao.... In front of the grotto were some souvenir shops and cars parked along the street side.

It took us almost 20 minutes, to reach the top of the Grotto, though we are already on the top, still we are not able to touch even God's feet...
because the gigantic replica of Jesus stands on a 20-feet pedestal. But the agony of sweat and shaky knees is worth it. Sitting on one of the steps while resting, gave us the chance of seeing a 180-degree view of Lucban colored with lush greenery of Coconut trees and grasslands.
At 5pm, we decided to go down and try to count the steps, it was 286 steps total. Before leaving the place, we grab the chance na mag-alay ng candles sa paanan ng Grotto. I prayed for thanksgiving for the wonderful experience and guidance for us and my family's health also. The candle costs P20.00. Paglabas namin ng gate ng Grotto, drop by muna kmi sa isang stall sa tapat to have some pancit habhab... nagtaka kmi anu kaya ang pinagkakaguluhan ng mga tao dun sa isang tindahan. Andun pla ulit yun matangkad na mama. hehe...Syempre pa-picture na nmn, kaya pala xa nasa Pinas ay pra makapag-raise ng funds para sa operation ng kanyang legs, napansin ko nga na hindi pantay ang length ng legs nya kc ung isang shoe nya ay napaka-kapal ng sole. Ala din syang balance dhil di xa makatayo nang mag-isa at kailangan pa nya ng alalay. Gabi na nang dumating kami sa Lucena, from the town naglakad n lang kami to spot a place to buy additional pasalubong.Pagdating nmin ay dinner time na.After which, nag-ayos na kmi ng mga gamit nmin, kc first thing in the morning ay balik-Maynila na kmi, pra maaga din dumating ng bahay. Bago matulog, nagpicture-an muna habang nkahiga sa kama...hehe... That Sunday, biglang changed plans kami, kasi ung parents ni Tin supposed to be in Lucena that morning but decided to go there in the afternoon. So kami na lang nla Janet and Honey ang mag-cocommute back to Manila. Hinatid na lang kami nila Tin and Ate Yna(Tin's cousin) sa Lucena Grand Terminal. Ang laki pala ng bus and jeepney terminal dun, mala-airport...hehe

We arrived at Gil Puyat terminal at 3pm. We first helped Janet get a cab to go home. And me and Honey went to LRT to get a ride to Monumento, from there we parted ways and the rain poured hard....hehe
That ends our all-girl bonding...hehe
Sana may next tym pa!!!

Barkada Beach Adventure at Iba, Zambales

2009-06-13T19:10:00.000+08:00

Every summer, me and my High school barkada make it a point that we will have an out of town getaway or a get-together other than the usual reunion during the Yuletide season and the Year-end. We have done this for the past few years of our friendship.

This summer 2009, we decided to plan out our getaway during our dinner out last March.

Well, Me, Kathe, Tep, Tin, Rachel, and Abc (the others did not manage to make it because work and other personal matters)meet up in SM N.Edsa (The Block). Just to chill out and be updated with whats happening on our lives.

After few chats and laughs, we come up with our plans for the summer get together. We will be going to Iba, Zambales for the Holy week. Well, before thinking of the fun-part, we have to list down first who will be joining us.

Tere, Tep, Em, Abc, Tin, Kathe, Edward, Kat, Serg, David, Rachel, Juls, Det..(who's missing??hehe)

Actually, we've been there last March 2003 after our Highschool graduation. We stayed at Tabile's Beach resort (where my family used to stay when we go out of town...). The place was ok. Quite clean, have enough mattress for us to use, have a good water supply (they have a poso and faucets in the toilet area and kitchen lavatory), free use of the griller, electricity, and dining area.

Fast-forward....

After the permissions has been asked and coordinating with schedule availability,this is the list:
Tere,Tep,Abc, Em, Kat, Rachel, Randy, Ewat, Junen(our batchmate during Highschool), Juls, Serg, Dane, Bec(my sister), and Boyet(Abc's cousin)

The planning part:

The Transportation-- we decided to assign Abc for this part, we will hire his Uncle's 18-seater jeepney for P5,000 inclusive of the driver(Abc's uncle), gas and toll fees.

The Accomodation--last 2003 the cottage cost us 700 per overnight stay. Such a cheap bargain for a one-roof cottage inclusive of a bedroom, a small veranda, toilet, and kitchen area. But wait, that's 6 years ago.... We had a rough estimate that the cost will definitely doubled or even tripled since we are going to Iba on a holiday (April 10-11). We end up having the accomodation would be at P2,500.00. And since Abc decides to bring his tent during the trip, the guys will spend overnyt at tent and the gals will be staying at the cottage where are valuable will be.

The food-- Since we will hire a private vehicle during this trip, might as well bring our baon with us. Eversince, food has never been an issue, we can squeeze a budget of a 1500-pesos for 15 people...hehe... What's important to us was to make this outing memorable as possible and be together. Well, P2,000 will be alotted to food and utensils...

The budget rounds up to a whopping.... P10,000.00. We were quite anxious about this big number. Since few of us have jobs and some were unemployed. In sharing, we must contribute at least P 700.00 each. But since due to the reason i mentioned, this will be a challenge. During out small meetings and SMS conversations, we decided that whoever can share a bigger amount than the 700-peso share they may do so to compensate the inability of the others. We then squeezed the budget to P500.00 each at least. Then we are set.

@April 9 - 9pm: Meeting place would be at Abc's house. This is eliminate the waiting time during our departure. I called Abc and told him that they can fetch me and Bec at around 3am since we have many things to bring like the stove, trays, some utensils, cooked chicken adobo, rice grain, a cooler (for ice and drinks) and some condiments.

The trip to Iba, Zambales will spend a 3-5 hour road trip via San Fernando exit NLEX. And since we decided to leave early, we expect to arrive on the place in 3 hours time.

Off we go to Iba....

Pinoy time! they arrive at our house at 4:00am.hehe ;-) But its fine. We will still encounter no traffic since its Good Friday and people tend to go to destinations during Holy Wednesday and leave the place at Black Saturday.

Before we continue the long drive on NLEX, we decided to have stopover to Shell Station in the middle of NLEX to buy some ice for the fish that we bought and other drinks. The tube ice cost us P35.00/bag. Its time to collect the contribution. We have collected a total of P 9,+++.00 which is enough for us since the budget for the food did not reach the expected 2thou.

Half-passed 5am, we arrived at San Fernando exit. After few minutes, we arrived at the crossroad leading to Olongapo and Bataan. We chose the one going to Olongapo, the drive to Zambales include a series of Zigzag roads. An hour thereafter, we arrived at Subic.

--Before this trip, Dane and me had a talk about another destination that we could try also in Zambales area. It was Pundaquit, San Antonio, Zambales... I am open to new ideas also to experience going to other places. But our thoughts with the other guys were seem to clash here. Because every was planned and WE ARE GOING TO IBA (period). Then, let it be.--

Arriving San Marcelino, Zambales... there are 2 routes: to Iba and to San Antonio. Well, Dane sat near to the driver and got the chance to tell the driver about the place he was telling us. To give Dane a chance, well might as well take a look on the place he was proposing. I often encounter the town of Pundaquit, San Antonio in few blogs about Anawangin cove (a place I am curious about..hmmm). When we got on the area of Canoe Beach resort in Pundaquit, the rooms were fully-booked because of the long holiday. Dane managed to bargain with the Front office personnel if we will be accomodated despite the jam-packed place. The online of expense for the accomodation was roughly P3,000.00 and we are only staying on a cottage by the beach and the public restroom while we wait to be checked in a room good for 10 people. It was 9am and the sun strikes unto our heads....hahaha, sobrang inet!!!!In the end we decided to go back to San Marcelino and proceed to Iba. We arrived at the Iba Public Market and decided to buy additional utensils, drinks, some food for breakfast, and fruits... And continue the journey to finding Tabile's beach resort.

Luckily, we spotted the signage and parked. Before getting off the car, me, Tep, and Abc go to the counter and negotiate for the cost of our accomodation. We end up at a rate of P2,500.00 inclusive of a private cottage, and additional charge for the excess people since we were 14 and the cottage can only accomodate 8 according to the owner. Well, not bad for the estimation we made. Because we were thinking that some of us will be using the tent, there will be less people sleeping in the cottage.

We finished organizing our things at passed lunch time. Good for us we got chicken adobo, salted egg with tomatoes, mangoes, bagoong, and hot rice for lunch. Everyone was hungry...didn't manage to get some pics. Its siesta time! Not a good idea to swim if you don't want to hurt your skin. Bonding moments with the guys.... some were palaying PSP, playing the guitar, Watching Slumdog Millionare(hehe), and of course, sleep.

The shores of Iba, was really intended for swimming because based on our experience, unlike on some beaches in Batangas, some parts of it were "biglang-lalim". In Iba, you will only encounter the deeper portion if you go farther from the shore. The only thing it differs from other beaches was its fine gray-coloured sand due to the Lahar content of the sand.

Spend time at the beach at around 4pm. The waves seemed to be bigger unlike before. We had fun catching the waves and jumping over them...hehe..We had lots of laughter and lots of photos also especially during the sunset. It was a picture-perfect moment...hhhaaayyy!!! My sister got a DicaPac for our Canon Powershot E1 so we can use it underwater....COOL!! Though we already tested it overnight submerged underwater with pieces of paper on it, we wanted it in action...

It is such a gamble to put your precious digital camera on a piece of plastic technology but we still tried. And we are happy on the results....the underwater shots were amazing(especially Dane's shot during the snokelling)!!!

We had a break and return to the cottage to replace the batteries for the digicam. Abc's uncle and Boyet offered to cook for dinner so we agreed. Our dinner includes: Grilled stuffed Milkfish, salted egg w/tomatoes (again ;)), leftover adobo, grilled tilapia, grilled eggplant w/ mango salsa, ripe mangoes, sliced melon, and hot rice. But wait, since I was not able to bring any pastry that my friends was looking for, i got them an activity of creating S'MORES: a roasted marshmallow with chocolate sandwich on graham crackers. hehe... Supposed to be the marshmallows should be roasted in an open fire to quickly soften but we don't have a bone fire so the heat from the grill will do. My sister loved it. Even our new found friend Junen told me its like in the TV show True Confections and of course my barkada. I am happy that they loved it.

After changing into our dry clothes ready to sleep. Serg ans Dane went to the nearby convenient store to buy some snacks. When they returned they bought an Ube ice cream and some packets of coffee and iced tea. Before sleeping we spend some time chatting while sharing the icecream by the beach. The sound of the waves was very relaxing... Afterwards, we return to the cottage and take positions to sleep. When we were asleep, Junen took the chance of taking our pictures.

Wake up at 6am and started to prepare breakfast. We have taho, fried egg, scrambled eggs, canned tuna afritada, spam, corned beef, instant pancit canton, bread, ripe mangoes, watermelon, and fried rice. After breakfast, we got a ride from a boatman for the snorkeling, he charged us P50.00/head(this is excluded in our budget). Abc's uncle, Kathe and Rachel were left in the cottage and the rest joined in the activity. During the snorkeling, there were few corals under, small jelly fishes and small fishes. It lasted for about 30 minutes, we have to go back because some of us felt dizzy (Julz even puked...)due to the waves and the smell of gasoline fumes from the boat's engine.

When we arrived in the beach, we saw Rachel waited for us. Upon getting off, Rachel told us that Em's mom was calling. So we returned immediately. Em was trying to get her one of her phones but the phone was missing (she have 2 phones). Both Kathe and Rachel heard the phone rang but did not bother to answer the call because its not theirs. According to the explanation after the incident, Kathe was about to go to the bathroom during the phone rang, she even saw the phone in the front pocket of Em's bag. Rachel on the otherhand was left in the room while Kathe is in the bathroom. Rachel explained that since the phone continuously rang, she wanted Em to know it so waited until we arrived from the snorkeling. The only wrong thing she had done was... to leave the cottage wherein she knew that Kathe is in the bathroom and no one will be there to look after our valuables since there was several cellphones, DSLR, PSP, and a laptop. She should have locked the door and let Kathe know that she will be leaving.

Well, eventhough some of us have questions regarding that unwanted incident, its time to pack up because our check out was at 12noon. During that time, I felt the tension between Em and Rachel. They were not confronting each other but I can sense it.

We paid the fee for the cottage to the owner, buy some pasalubong(mangoes!!!), and hit the road going to Rachel's mom in Pampanga to have lunch. We should have taken the old route to Pampanga but the driver decided to take Dane's advice to take the new route to SCTEX. The highway will lead to NLEX according to Dane. So lets give it a try. Unfortunately, since this road was still under construction, the exits to Pampanga were not accessible yet. So this journey took us way double the expected travel time. It's almost 5pm when we got to Porac, Pampanga and we were all starving. The late lunch but early dinner includes: Sinigang na Maya-Maya sa Miso, squid adobo, grilled tilapia, mangoes and rice. After the meal, Serg and the other guys, suggested for us to check on the bags and search for the missing cellphone. And nothing was found.

Hit the road again to drop by SM-Pampanga to deliver some of Em's Avon products to her couz. They spend about almost 20 minutes inside the mall to meet (the mall was quite big and have many entrance point. Finnaly, they arrived, I know they bought something but when they got near to us suddenly the "red box" vanished.......so all is set, we should continue the journey going home. In the middle of our trip, I saw Edward, Julz and Em seems doing something unusual...haha...

Ewat and Julz cannot manage to open the cake box...And Serg exclaimed, "Ate Tere, pikit ka!!" Nice one, they have a surprise for my birthday other than the spill-proof cup that they have given me. I was touched because that was the first time I was put into a surprise setup(though I immediately sensed their plan ;)hehe).

We arrived at Malinta Exit, at 8:00pm. They decided to send us home first. Upon arrival to our house I invited them to have a snack while we view my shots in the screen.hehe... I got 300++ shots...hahahahaha.... :)

more pics: http://babytrixea.multiply.com/photos/album/32/Ibang-iba_tlga_sa_Iba_09

http://babytrixea.multiply.com/photos/album/31/Ibang-iba_tlga_sa_Iba_09_my_shots

Welcome to me!!!

2009-06-13T18:43:00.000+08:00

I am a new blogger on Blogspot.

Recently, i have read some of blogs created by other people and I taught that those blogs were very informative. Informative in such a way anyone who read their blog could learn from the experiences especially with travel adventures.

Few months ago, a created few blogs on my Multiply account (http://babytrixea.multiply.com). Basically, it contained about life, my food, and travels. And just last quarter last year I got my first job which gave an ample amount of income. Well, as a single chick, I can say that its enough for me to spend for myself and my needs. And last summer, after saving of my pay, I decided to start exploring the beauty of the Philippines. Why spend more in traveling outside of our country?? When it is much rewarding taking time exploring our land...

to wrap things up, I am a NEW blogger... An aspiring pastry chef(someday)...An engineer by profession...Someone with a FOOT MOLE (in Filipino "layas" or always on-the-go)....

Hope you'll take time reading my blogs...