Twists and Turns of 2011

Sa totoo lang, nawala sa isip kong gumawa ng year end post. Pa-busy effect ako kahit 9-day holiday vacation ako sa work. Kakainis lang, company shutdown tapos forced leave? Walang kwenta.. Tapos sira pa tong letter "o" sa keyboard ko.. Haay buhay. #TantrumeraReyes ^_^

At dahil kakauwi ko lang from Palaui kahapon, struggle mode ako ngayon to make this year end post. Looking back, ansarap balikan ang mga memorable trips & the good and bad times of the year 2011.


January. First thing I did was I got myself a life insurance. I need extra protection for my family and for myself, in case something happened. What's more convincing is that this life insurance comes with an investment plan. Added savings, right?

Right after I got insured, I secretly went to Batad, along with Toto and Jen, and 2 French girls. The trek was a torture, but considering the view, the strangers I met, and the lessons learned - all of these made the trip very much worth it. And hey, we've got our own share of our isolated case in Batad.

February. Dom, Gael, and I finally got the chance to travel together for the 1st time. Super fun trip. Reaching the creepy submerged town of Mapanuepe just became the bonus. This should have been my entry to "Travel is the Destination", last month's blog carnival.

One of the few things that can convince me to go to a crowded place is to watch a fireworks competition. February marks the much awaited pyromusical event at MoA. Simply magical.

Another worth mentioning is that I accidentally did a memorable photo walk with the ex-bf in Luneta. This blog post made it to the Philippine Blog Awards. Naks!

March. The favorite activity I tried this year - scuba diving in Balicasag. The beauty of the underwater world took my breath away.

An unplanned trip to CWC along with my co-nocturnal girl friends Nina and Dyanie came next. Wakeboarding is really fun yet exhausting. Instead of trying to be a pro, we settled in a good spot and killed time by watching the experts. It's raining sexy men all over the place! =)



April.
Another item in my 2011 Checklist was done as I made an SSS Loan for the 1st time. I'm P13,350 richer! Not bad. Ü



On the other hand, my friends for life spent our summer in La Union. Everyone excelled in riding the waves. I guess surfing is easy for us who live in the flooded areas of Malabon, Valenzuela, and Bulacan. ^_^ This is also the trip where I didn't bring any camera with me. Thanks to my friends who took my photos.

May. My close friend Rem and I once again visited Puerto Galera, but this time we preferred a beach farther to the party and the crowd. We're glad to found Talipanan beach.

Another balikbayan from New York came home and I accompanied him to Calaguas. The weather was very fine at first, but as the night comes, the rain poured hard. Having no proper shelter, we had no choice but to let the rain pour on our body. Ang ginaw sobra. That scary moment made us prayed hard. After 2 hours of agony in the rain, God has finally gave us a good weather. A rainbow after the rain.

June. A traumatic welcome to the island of the Balinese - Dyanie and I were accused as drug traffickers only because we're Filipinas! Sad truth and a lot of lessons learned.

i never imagined this case would be featured in the radio, newspapers, tv, and even in the official gazette of the Philippines. thanks to everyone who showed concern.


Nevertheless, I tried to enjoy the Bali trip despite of how the officials in the airport treated us. Balinese culture is really rich, Hinduism never fail to heighten my curiosity.

Equally stunning are the infrastructures and mesmerizing nightscapes in Singapore. The airport and train system are very efficient. Quite expensive country but obviously the progress is very evident.

July. Because of the trauma, I cancelled my flights to El Nido and Dumaguete. I dont want to see the airport yet. =( Anyway, I quit my job last June and signed a contract in a company at The Fort. I welcomed myself back to being a normal person, hello morning shift! Ang hirap. Until now Im wishing I can work at night instead.

my 5th job in 4.5 years
up to date, di ko na mabilang ang madaming 2 bottles session after work ^_^


August. Being a newly hire means kelangan magpa-good shot. Wala pa din akong leaves so I opted to have staycations and splurge at hotel buffets on weekends. Ü



September. Opened a joining trip to Anilao for my readers. The underwater world may not be as gorgeous as Bohol or Coron, but this trip became memorable because of the bonding with the girls.

October. Finally experienced one of the world class festivals in our country - Bacolod's Masskara. The energy, dedication, and effort of every barangay who performed were enough to make my 3-hour wait under the sun and the rain worth it.

Before going home, we made a day trip in the nearby province Guimaras and explored its mystical caves and beaches.



November. For Rem's birthday, we flew to Legazpi and had a day tour in the luxurious resort of Misibis. And by now, you surely knew the hits and misses of Misibis Bay.

And a trip to Legazpi wont be complete without giving the majestic Mayon a visit. Had fun doing fun snapshots behind Mayon's peak.

December. Everyone in the family freaked out when they saw the blood clot in my eye. Because of this, I looked like a drug addict for a week. LOL

And among all the trips I organized this year, this one's the most challenging yet fulfilling. Our group JGC held a Christmas outreach with the abandoned lola's at Bahay ni Maria. We never thought partying with the old age people would be much more fun.



And as a year end trip - I organized a trip to Palaui, an island found in the northeastern of Luzon. Along with 5 solo female joiners, we braved the waves then survived the 5-hour trek in a muddy trail using our bare feet. Despite the hardships, this trip became a great experience for everyone. (blog post to follow)

barefoot trek towards Palaui island



365 days full of twists and turns. Im very thankful for every safe and action-packed trip, every person I met, everyone who I traveled with, every experience I overcome, every lesson and realization I learned, and every dream that I still wanted to pursue day by day. Im very much looking forward for another fruitful year ahead.

I'd like to thank those 823 email subscribers
, 616 Google followers, and every avid reader na halos kabisado na ang details ng buhay ko. LOL Thanks for appreciating my blog. I promise to still write feel good and funny entries next year. Hugs everyone! ♥


Btw, I created a twitter account at last. Please follow me and I'll surely follow you back. Thanks! http://twitter.com/#!/chyngreyes

Moshi Koshi Noodle Boss

As my friend and I visit Honda Cars Shaw Blvd branch a few times, we often spotted this newly-opened Japanese restaurant along the way. Moshi Koshi Noodle Boss is the latest addition to Shaw Blvd's long list of must-try dining spots. That's why Im so delighted when I got an invite to try their authentic Japanese cuisine. I brought Dyanie along with me.

Moshi Koshi

The restaurant is strategically built across Puregold and other big establishment. There's a parking space in case you need it. As for the interior, the most pleasant thing to see are the glass walls. You can actually see your food as it was being prepared. Noodles and gyoza wrappers - to be made right before your eyes.


freshly-made noodles station

meet the Noodle Boss


Along with other bloggers Janey, Fran, and Richard, we cut the excitement and ordered our favorite Japanese food of our choice. Applause to all the staff, everyone is really accommodating.

Ebi Tempura
best looking tempura ive seen, what's better is the taste - perfect as well

Gyoza
it's Dyanie's favorite

Breaded Pork
crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside

welcome back sa blog ko teh, i mishu! ♥

As for me, I ordered Chicken Teriyaki bento, complete with Miso Soup and 4 Sidings. A complete and authentic Japanese meal that comes so affordable.

Chicken Teriyaki Bento

And of course, there's the freshly-made noodle dishes. Not really a fan, I personally like Sukiyaki and Yakisoba.

Kara-age Udon

Katsu-Curry and Katsu-Don

For the sweet endings, we were advised to try the home-made ice cream, in coffee and green tea flavors. Each cup can actually satisfy 3 persons already. Beware. Ü

cupful of light ice-cream with not so strong coffee taste

If you like to have an authentic yet affordable Japanese meals, give Moshi Koshi Noodle Boss a try. The Noodle Boss will surely be delighted to give you a real Japanese dining experience.

Thank you Moshi Koshi! Ü
all shots from Sony TX10

Moshi Koshi Noodle Boss
431 Shaw Blvd cor. Ideal St., Mandaluyong (across Puregold)
contact number: 726-0575

A Christmas Party at Bahay ni Maria

After the fun and success of last year's Christmas party with the kids in Bethany Orphanage, our group chose to celebrate this year's party with the old aged people. We picked Bahay ni Maria in Calamba Laguna, the home of 31 neglected and abandoned women.

thanks again sa nagdesign Ü

I intentionally didn't announce this outreach because I was too overwhelmed with the support I got last year. Since there's still a portion of the fund that's left, okay na yun. Our group will provide the rest of the very simple wishes and needs of the lola's. But ofcors, those people who inquired and those who I know are still very willing to participate - I told them about the event. In case you're interested in professionally organizing a charity event like this, check out www.socialworkdegree.org.


personalized tumbler with handles and pashmina for the lola's
thank you sa nagprovide ng nametags (ang ganda, as always)
thank you sa nag-finance ng 33 tumblers

Hallelujah, Dec 8 - Taguig Day is declared as special non-working holiday so I got the time to go to Divisoria. Thanks sa officemate kong sinamahan ako bumili at magbuhat. Ü

thank you sa nagprovide ng meds and chocolates

And a million thanks to those who donated milk, bottled water, soap, diapers, food, roses, etc. Our group, as well as the elderly institution, appreciated the generous gesture.


12/11/11 - Party time with the Lola's

Like any other charity institution, we felt sad upon seeing the abandoned lola's. Some of them are sick, mentally-ill, and some are still undeniably beautiful despite their age. Ü

Bahay ni Maria
the heart is bigger then a home

Notice those tiles? Take a closer look..

a celebration of life and death

Gloomy right? But then again, life and death are both to be celebrated, maybe.
Our group introduced ourselves to the lola's by holding their hands. After mag-mano sa kanila, some lola's hugged us tight and even kissed us in our foreheads. They are very warm. They held us as if they have no plans of letting us go.

getting ready for the show

Honestly, our group never thought that partying with old people would be so much fun. They made us feel they are somehow happy and contented, despite not having a real family who'll take care of them.

Neel with ate Inday
ayaw nya patawag na "lola"

Che with ate Arlene

Lui and Josel with the centenarian Lola Diday

Rem with the ever jolly Lola Pacing

Nicole with Lola Nene and her teletubby

Mylene and Lola Cora

After getting to know each other, it's time for some entertainment. Our group hired a magician. Gusto daw ng magic ng mga lola, as suggested by head nuns.

Chris Vincent - the magician

It's actually hard to get the full attention of the lola's, but as long as they look entertained, that's what mattered most to us.

ate Rhina participating in the magic show

look how happy she is
she tells everyone again and again how she did that magic Ü

After the magic show, it's time for their lunch. We asked the nuns-in-charge what could we bring them. She suggested any food that's soft, easy to chew and easy to digest. Our group prepared rice, embotido, and pancit with lots of vegetables. For dessert, we bought Dole's bite sized fruits. Favorite pala nila yun.

ate Rhina, Lola Emeng, and Lola Arsenia

Lola Cora and Lola Pacing needed very little assistance

Mich and Lola Amelia

centenarian Lola Diday told me "yung mga 70 and 80 yrs old, nakawheel chair na. ako nakakalakad pa. kaya ko pa din kumain mag-isa. malakas pa ako"
so true, inferness isa sya sa pinaka-maayos kausap among the lola's

After eating, it's time for the ventriloquist to perform. This is the part where everyone enjoyed, including us.

puppet show

This puppet got everyone's attention. Laughter can be heard all over the place.
Even Lola Nene, who has her teletubby with her, walked towards the puppet and began talking to it. Hehe Fun!

Lola Nene has her own puppet too

nalungkot na bigla, lagot ka boss Chris


It started raining that's why the puppet show was interrupted. Naiyak tuloy si Lola Nene. We transferred to their function hall and continued with our program.

When boss Chris did an ocular a week prior to our event, he found out that Lola Diday will be turning 100 years old this December. Very rare moment that we can greet somebody who's celebrating her 100th birthday, amazing!

the centenarian, Lola Diday
may you have an excellent health, peaceful mind, and happy outlook

pang bucket list: greet someone who just turned 100 ♥

And of course, there are gifts for everyone as well.

personalized items for each lola

diapers, medicines, groceries

every girl, no matter what age, appreciates a flower
well there's one lola who resisted, siguro may bad experience sa ex-bf? hehe

seeing them smile already made our day

And so we thought we should pack up and leave, the lola's requested a HepHepHooray and Stop Dance games. Aba, energetic sina Lola. Let's play then!

Lola Emeng requested Jai Ho in particular, updated si lola! Ü

Now who says Christmas is only for kids? This special season is for everyone! This is indeed one of the happiest parties I attended.

thank you for allowing us to spend time with you. we learned a lot. we gained new realizations.
the pleasure is actually ours.


organizing this outreach is a privilege.
we're very thankful for the opportunity.


♥ Cheers to every lola who found their new families in Bahay ni Maria. Thank you for showing us how to go on, accept life's surprises, and be happy despite and inspite of.
♥ Kudos (and a deep respect) to the nuns and the staff of Bahay ni Maria. I felt the passion, dedication, and love towards each and every lola in this elderly institution. God bless you more.
♥ Our group felt privileged to spend time with them. The pleasure is ours.

Have a blessed Christmas everyone.


Bahay ni Maria contact number - (049) 8343217
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