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High in HERE

2009-12-21T14:00:00.008+08:00

Last Dec.19 Saturday, after my graveyard shift, I was lucky to attend an event for kids. Thanks to TOJ, a blogger who I haven't met personally, announced this to her YM status. Last year I was able to experience this the first time, only the difference is that we went to an institution sheltering sick kids and elders. Nadurog puso ko nun at sinipon ako kakapigil ko maluha.

Im more eager to join this year because I read they'll be having different booths aside from the usual activities. Sounds fun! So I made sure I rendered OT the days prior to the event so I can leave early on Saturday morning. Perfect!

The institution is Concordia Children's Services located at Sta.Mesa Manila. And I was impressed to know that the organizers' age is about my age too. They call their mission HERE which stands for Helping Every child for the Right to Education. They've been doing this for 5 years. Impressive no? They are high school friends at Notre Dame Caloocan. Most of them live in CaMaNava area like me!

Let's Get High - and theme for the 5th year is PERYA

Host kuya Miguel announced the program will start in a while. The organizers assigned the "ate" and "kuya" to their corresponding teams. I was assigned to the yellow team lead by Mana. My other teammates are Hannah and Maria Oo. Nice name! Ü We got acquainted and we were given insturctions. After that tshirts are distributed for the kids. Cool! Daming budget!

the groups (my group in the middle)

After that, the program officially stared. There's the welcome remarks, opening prayer, and the oath taking.

welcome remarks, opening prayer, and the oath taking

Let the activities begin. There are 7 booths. A card to be stamped is also provided. This group is well prepared, and there are lots of prizes too!

this is gonna be a fun day!

Yellow team is assigned to Shooting Hoops first. Organized by Kuya Denver. There are 3 chances to shoot. You may just make 1 basket and still will get a prize. Of course, shoot 3 baskets, and get a bigger prize! Joshua made 4 baskets by the way. Hanep!

Shooting Hoops booth

1 gift for making the basket + 1 stamp for the finished booth

Second booth assigned to us is the Cool Locoy by Kuya Edison. You dont necessarily have to make the stuff toys fall, just hit the plastic cups and get a prize! Wow!

Cool Locoy booth

Third booth is BigBang Bentsingko by Ate Jean and her bf's sister (I didn't get their names, sorry!). The most favorite of the kids sa perya. Prizes here are really fabulous. I wanted to play here, nahiya lang ako! *winks*

BigBang Bentsingko booth

The fourth booth assinged to Yellow Team is TBA or To Be acted or Answered. Lead by Ate Ana. This is a team work activity.

To Be Acted/ Answered booth prize and the 4th stamp/sticker

Fifth booth is Hula Mo Huli Ko by Kuya Benedict. There are 3 questions. Pakisagot nga yung winning PEPSI number. Unitl now I still dont know the answer for that..

Hula Mo Huli KO booth
Remember the tansan scandal? what's the controversial PEPSI number?

The sixth booth is Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang. For me this is the hardest, I have no idea how heavy a kilo of banana weighs. Good thing Kuya Mana is an expert!

Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang booth - and 6 complete stamps = 1 gift!

And of course, who doesnt love photos?! Toj, Gary, and Ken set up a photobooth. Every kid (and adult) enjoyed this booth. They have really nice cameras. Kainggit! Instant printout too as souvenir.

Delighting you always! ♥

After the activites, everybody's hungry so the the food is served. I think this is lead by Ate Judith and her brother.

Meet the amazing people behind the event.

Saludo ako!

○ I salute this group for having the time to plan, to prepare, and to make things happen for the event for kids. I heard they also sponsor the education of 5 high school students. You rock!

○ I admire those people behind the institution- the sponsors and the volunteers. Caring and offering your time and energy everyday for the kids you never really knew at all- that's LOVE indeed. Madami pa din talagang mabuting tao.

○ I really enjoyed this day though I haven't sleep yet. I was happy to offer my time to these kids and be part of their Christmas. Very very fulfilling lalo ngayon I cant attend Simbang Gabi and I dont know what sacrifice I can make for our Lord's coming. At least know I can really feel the love, it's really Christmas time!

Share the love.
Merry Christmas everyone.
Rejoice, our LORD has come! ♥

Mt.Pinatubo Trekking - the easy way

2009-12-11T00:25:00.005+08:00

Some months ago, a casuality occured in Pinatubo. A Canadian group of 9 people insisted they wanted to do a tour even with the advice of locals to postpone it due to bad weather condition. They were asked to sign a waiver bago sila paakyatin. The tour went okay. As they head back to Spa Town, the accident happened. 4 people died. After that, Pinatubo Crater Lake was closed for tourists. (source: our tourist guide who apparently was part of the said group)

After 3 months of closure, Pinatubo reopens! No time to waste, dapat na ma-experience to this time. And of course, mas fulfilling ang trip kung Do-It-Yourself! Research time again, favorite stress reliever ko yan.

if you're a group of 5, expenses per head is P1,500

I invited 4 of my friends and we're all set. We took the Baguio bus dahil dadaan yan sa Capas Junction. Fare is P150. After 1.5 hours, nasa McDonald's Capas Junction na kami. We ate breakfast and bought our meal for lunch at the crater. Dito kami nagpapick-up sa 4x4 landcruiser. Contact is Wendell, president of the 4x4 drivers association. Wendell - 0919.608.4313

powerful landcruiser

Ang ginaw. Good thing Im ready. May jacket ako at muffler! After 30 minutes nasa Pinatubo Spa Town na kami. Dito magbabayad at magpaparegister. Since we arrived early, na-explore pa namin yung place.

photo op while waiting inside the spa town

the bar area

mud pool area

volcanic ash spa area

my group - pinatubo edition

Finally, the staffs from Department of Tourism arrived. Nagfill-up lang at nagbayad kami then we're good to go. Another man joined our landcruiser, siya pala yung tourist guide. Oopps!

The road is tough, rocky, bumpy, watery, ano pa ba? Parang CDO water rafting na din. Basta, whatta experience! Inferness, ang powerful ng 4x4 landcruiser. Na-overwhelmed ako on what this ride can do. On our way, ang ganda ng view. At mas maginaw na.

malawak na desyerto ng lahar?

bumpy skyway

There are really spots na super malalaki na yung bato. Cympre I wasnt able to take photos. Blurred na lahat. After 1.5 hours, finally we're at the trekking point. Okay, where do we belong?

Im 25y/o but I dont believe I can finish this in 20 minutes.

Eto na, this part of the adventure requires mental skills. Para siyang puzzle na iisipin ko mabuti kung sang bato ako tatapak. Pag nadapa kasi ako, surely duguan ang mukha ko after. Pero no worries, may first aid kit ang tourist guide. Yay! This is actually fun! Ü

parang rain forest

mentally challenging! Ü

It's not a race naman so we took our time taking photos along the way. First time kasi naming lahat. From time to time, your feet will get wet so extra ingat baka madulas. Dont touch the plants too, yung kasama ko kasi nasugatan siya.

It took us 25 minutes to get on top. First glimpse namin ng Crater Lake, wala kaming ibang nasabi kung hindi WOW! Tanggal lahat ng pagod namin.

Welcome to Mt. Pinatubo Crater Lake

ayl♥vet! (thanks Remay for my solo)

This was like the first time I saw Mayon Volcano and Chocolate Hills. Ibang level talaga pag nakita mo sila ng personal.

Ang ganda talaga sa Pilipinas! ♥

Majestic indeed!

Btw, kaya pala P300 na ang conservation fee (from P50) ay dahil naglagay na sila ng mga signs, resting area, stairs, photo deck, viewing den, etc. Wala pala to dati. Tara, let's go down.

renovated place

let's go down

the color's surreal!

We ate lunch first then enjoyed the view. Kahit 10 na, ang ginaw pa din. The tourist guide keeps on remindung us na 7,000 feet deep ang water sa lake and it's still immeasurable sa deepest part nya. Oh ok. Ayoko na maligo. Naglusong lang kami sa mababaw na part. Delikado kasi biglang lalim ang tubig. Ayoko pa mamamatay, madami pa ko travels next year! Joke!

Water is tempting but Im scared to swim

Among the many signs scattered around the place, this one is my favorite:

No shouting please.

Noise can cause soil erosion.

Thank You Lord God for the good weather and for always keeping me safe in all my travels. Ü

Howkey, tama na ang lakwatsa! Next year naman ulit! (--,)

*all shots from my point and shoot camera only

Favorite 3's

2009-12-07T12:30:00.006+08:00

I started traveling when I was in college. I remember my first ever trip is in Baguio. Well, I considered this a travel because I organized it, I dont have any other purpose there, and that's the first time I was away from home. Second travel was Puerto Galera. Inexpensive travel it was. I think that was my first ever boat ride too. When I started earning money, my first plane ride was with SEAIR and it was bound to Boracay. I still remember that SEAIR promo for December, it only costs P5,000 inclusive of roundtrip tickets and 3D2N hotel accomodation. Later on I found out this is not so cheap after all! *winks*

Since then I've always love making my own itinerary for every travel. I like to study the maps and route and other attractions aside from the usual standard tourists spots..

Kumareng Grace has a contest/raffle as a bday treat. The instruction is to list your top 3 most favorite destination that you've been to. And your top 3 dream destinations. Im not really not fond of writing an entry just for some contests, but hey, for the FOSSIL WATCH and a J.LO perfume that I could win, here goes my entry then!

Top 3 Favorite Places That I've Been To

Disneyland

train - castle - fairy tales

Ever since I was young, I'm really a big fan of Disney movies and characters. When I first saw the Disney train I knew it would be the start of a day full of magic. As I walked thru the theme park, I had goosebumps when I heard the classical theme songs of the fairy tales I used to watch. Another worth mentioning is the amusement in every child's eyes when they saw the characters came to life. Priceless. Indeed the happiest place on earth!

Bohol

BeeFarm, Panglao Island, Chocolate Hills,

ManMade Forest, Tarsier, Mag-Aso Falls, Loboc River

It took me 2 months to study my DIY itinerary for Bohol. And I guess it really pays to reserach. Bohol is really a place to relax. Truly a vacation spot. Aside from Bohol is very beautiful, I can say it's the only place I've been to that offers an almost complete attraction for tourists and travelers.

Anawangin, Nagsasa, Capones

Anawangin's pine trees, Nagsasa's clear water, Capones waves

I've always define travel as a time to relax. I hate hassles and inconvenience. But last month I decided I should go out of my comfort zone and try to experience the beauty of the places that has not been touched. Anawangin, Nagsasa, and Capones are secluded areas with no electricity, accomodation, and signal for cellphones. Surprisingly, these places exceeded my expectations. Relaxing and affordable pa!

Top 3 Places That I Dream Of Going To

I cant hardly define my dream destinations because I never run out of places that I want to visit after the other. Haha But for quick answers, I would love to visit Japan. Too bad mahirap ang ma-approve ang tourist Visa nila. And surely, kulang ang savings ko for a leisure trip there. Also I like Beijing, kaso wala pa yung kasama ko for this trip.

And so I choose to share these interesting places which I can visit very soon.. Remember the piso fare last November? I was able to book tickets bound to:

Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand

Dai Nam, Angkor Wat, Buddhist Purity

I would love to see Vietnam's Dai Nam, Notre Dame Cathedral, Cu Chi Tunnels etc. For Cambodia, what else but the Angkor Wat and Killing Fileds. I plan to spend more time in Thailand to see the temples, palaces, waterways, museums, and beaches! The best part is the possibility of traveling to these countries in a span of 8 days! I need extensive reasearching on this. Favorite past time ko pa naman ngayon ang mag-aral ng mapa and routes. *winks*

Kumareng Grace, I plan to keep this Saigon-PhnomPenh-SiemReap-Bangkok trip a secret muna sana pero dahil sa contest mo, na-broadcast ko na tuloy agad!

Dear readers of my blog, Im also interested in your top3 most favorite destinations you've been to and your top3 dream destinations. Come, share them! (--,)

MoMo! Food + Drink

2009-12-05T00:20:00.006+08:00

Could have been a complete family day for us but life goes on kahit magcancel ka Mark Aldrin! Haha Remay and I still pursued our MoMolicious family day at Robinson's Place.

MoMo stands for More Food More Drink!

Lucky for us we arrived before lunch time so the place is still not jampacked. Interiors are detailed and very photogenic. Ambience is light, parang ansarap kumain dito. Our order didn't take long to arrive. Complimentary bread and spread are first served. Remay liked it!

complimentary bread and spread

the drinking glass is as tall as the champagne bottle!

Staffs are very very attentive. Pag tumingin kami sa staff kahit di sinasadya, allapit na sila. Haha Here comes our meal. Inferness, ganda ng presentation.

Pan Roasted Shiitake Mushroom Crusted Norwegian Salmon

hmm, generous serving for the price of P385. Served with i dont know what kind of rice + veggies + corn cob.

Sweet & Smoky "Hickory" BBQ" Rib-LETS

Served like the salmon dish. Andaming slabs, pero kinda dry ang ribs. Keri lang for the price of P345.

Satisfying ang meal. Each meal is good for two, I think. We have to stop and make harutan once in a while para maubos pa yung meal. For dessert, we chose the Chocochip Dough Cheesecake.

Chocochip Dough Cheesecake

Ok naman pero di ko masyadong bet. This is expensive ha. P265. Buti nagshare nalang kami.

Cheers to More Food and More Drinks!

MoMo! Food + Drink
Robinson's Place Ermita

Dancing Sea Fairies

2009-12-01T20:32:00.003+08:00

To start with, you're on the right blog and URL. I finally changed my layout. Ayos ba? Naisip ko kasi Jurassic Era pa yung template ko. Pero para you still know it's me, I retained my signature sunset shot sa upper left. I have a super long weekend kasi (pero wala akong out of town trip, loser no?), so I decided to include this blog make over in my to-do-list.

Moving on, here's my activity on the first day of my 5-day vacation: Jellyfishing! Parang si Spongebob lang!

The dancing jellyfish never fails to amaze and impress me. I first saw this attraction at HK OceanPark. The different lights and music match their "dance". Ganda! Some time this year, nagkaron na din ng Jellyfish ang Manila OceanPark. Entrance is P150, iba sa entrance sa Big Aquariums.

See the Dancing Sea Fairies in RAINBOW colors! Ineffortan ko sila picturan. I just hope next time di sila gumalaw-galaw..

red

orange

yellow

green

blue

indigo

violet

A jellyfish in its natural color.

Simply a lovely creature, agree?

After the visit, I learned that: FISH ARE FRIENDS, NOT FOOD.
Oh well, I dont eat them so friends ko talaga sila.

Here's our meal after our Manila Ocean Park experience.

Crispy Pata (drooling)

Fish are friends, right? *winks*

Manila Ocean Park
Behind the Quirino Grandstand Luneta, Manila
http://www.manilaoceanpark.com/

Spiral @ Sofitel

2009-11-25T07:30:00.001+08:00

Most expensive hotel buffet is at Spiral. So ever since, curious na ko talaga, ano meron dito. Luckily, my manager has an Accor card. A membership card which entitles discounts to Spiral. Perfect. The best part, it's his TREAT! Why would he treat us, hobby lang nya.

The first time he treated us here, wala akong camera. Anliit-liit na nga lang ng camera ko, di ko pa dala. Lesson learned. Last week he treated us again! Woohoo, sakto, dala ko si Vincent (my point and shoot camera).

Im not fond of eating and ofcors im not a good buffet eater too. Yogurt at Waffles lang naman gusto ko. Super daming food selection. For me, walang namang standout, except sa mango yogurt. Staffs are very very attentive though. And the ambience is the BEST!

Breakfast Rate:
Weekdays P1250
Weekends P1410

welcome to Spiral

the famous stairway

lovely setup

Enough of the place, let's stroll and see the food selection.

glazed ham

deep fried bread with stucked ham and cheese

crispy bacon bits

sausage

100 kinds of bread!

doughnuts and croissants

blueberry muffins

cereal, chocolate chips, mallows, and candies

fresh fruit juice station

fresh fruits

And many more. I cant take the photos of everything.

Here's what I ate anyway:

sushi

mango yogurt (best served with walnuts)

ramen

shitake mushroom dish

Walang icecream and cakes sa breakfast. Sad part.

TRIVIA: Did you know na sinita ako ng isang usher while taking photos.

Usher: Ma'am, bawal po magkuha ng pictures ng food.

Me: Ha? Kelan pa?!

So deama lang... Did he just know na mas na-enjoy ko magkuha ng shots kesa kumain?

Pag busog ka na, take a walk outside. Tanaw lang ang office namin from Sofitel. From the window of our office naman, tatayo lang ako, kaharap ko na din ang Sofitel. 10mins drive away from our building.

Breath taking view outside.

pool area

and now we know why it's so expensive at Sofitel

Next time lunch and dinner naman. Sana FREE ulit!

Spiral
Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila

CCP Complex, Roxas Blvd., Pasay City

832.6988

And So One More Chance Really Does Exist

2009-11-23T09:10:00.010+08:00

Oct 31, 2009. The first time Cebu Pacific announced that Piso Fare is back, Im just so thrilled to book a flight. I dont care kung June-Sept2010 pa ang travel period. I just texted my friends, and upon their approval, I immediately booked us a flight.

First travel. Manila-Caticlan (again). The total fare below is a ROUND TRIP ticket for TWO PASSENGERS. Round trip plane tickets to Boracay for only P97 each! Parang taxi lang from Trinoma to Monumento.

Round trip plane tickets to Boracay for only P97 each!

It was so cheap so I booked another flight. I chose Coron, Busuanga. The total fare below is good for a ROUND TRIP fare for FOUR PASSENGERS.

Again, RT tickets to Coron for only P97 each!

After that, I realized dapat pala INTERNATIONAL TRIP ang naibook ko. Problema lang ay wala akong makasama. Di naman kasi SG or KL or HK ang destination ang gusto ko. I'd love to travel alone, pero magastos kung walang kashare sa expenses. So I looked for online buddies which have same interests like mine. Luckily I found them! And we're all set!

And after 20 days, PISO FARE is back!!!

This thrills me. The total fare below is ONE WAY (with bags) ticket for THREE PASSENGERS. An international flight for only...

International Flight for only P136 each. All-In!

Secret muna yung destination. I can't post the return ticket kasi obvious na yung country.

It really pays to work at night, una ka sa lahat ng promo! Aylavet! (--,)

Anawangin * Nagsasa * Capones

2009-11-16T14:40:00.005+08:00

For me, travel is a vacation. Time to relax and there's not much energy to exert. I also need a good place to sleep pag bed time na. And so all this time, I never considered going to places which requires hiking and camping. But since I have started a new chapter of my life again, I think it's time to go out of my comfort zone.

Planning palang, excited nako. I chose Anawangin, Nagsasa, and Capones because I've read walang accomodation, walang kuryente, walang singal ng cellphone, and less ang crowd dun. It is accesible by bus kasi sa Zambales lang and mura pa ang budget, so perfect!

I invited Dred, Tin, and Makis- my college friends. We rode the bus at Victory Liner around 7am, kaso late si Tin. Mejo taranta mode ako that time dahil nagwithdraw ako thru ChinaBank at na-debit ako, Syet! Anyway, to go to Anawangin, Nagsasa, and Capones, you have to ride a bus going to Iba or Sta.Cruz. Sa San Antonio ang baba. Fare is P251 only. Travel time is 4 hours. Dami kasi stopover.

Once in San Antonio, we rode a tricycle to San Miguel. Dyan kami mineet ng aming boatman na si mang Johnny. He is the trusted contact in Female Network. Since wala kaming tent, sa kanya na din kami nagrent. He charged us P2500 for the 4 islands (Camara, Anawangin, Nagsasa, Capones) that we'll go to plus the rent ng 2 tents. Good deal. I also asked him kung pwede sa kanila na magpaluto ng kanin, ulam, pati magpabili ng mineral water at yelo. Lahat pwede! Mas convenient kesa kami pa magprepare (as if marunong ako).

boats at San Miguel

meet Mang Johnny and my friends

Tama nga si Rocky, a new friend, maalon sa lugar. Pero di ko inexpect na ganun yung level ng current. At normal pa daw yun. Lucky us mejo "tame" pa ang waves ng lagay na yun, at nagkakadasunka na si Dred. This is fun! I still say it is safe. Sasabihin naman agad ni Mang Johnny kung di pwede magsail, ttext ka nya agad na wag na tumuloy ng Zambales. Sayang nga naman ang byahe.

CAMARA

First destination, Camara. Not much too see daw so di na kami bumababa.

Camara

Inferness, the water is clear. This boat ride reminds me of Caramoan. Only the boat is smaller here. Pang 4 persons lang talaga.

ANAWANGIN

Moving on, next island is Anawangin. This is the common campsite. Dami ngang tao.

welcome to Anawangin

The place is beautiful and quiet. Again, walang kuryente at signal dito. Meron akong nakitang mini tindahan in case you forgot to bring something. But for sure pricey dun. Amazingly, tall pine trees are found. Sabi ni mang Johnny, wala daw nagtanim sa kanila, after pumutok ng Pinatubo, bigla na lang tumubo nag mga pine trees na yan. Bongga!

peaceful anawangin

tall pine trees

and im not tall

There's a famous attraction sa area, at ito yung Lagoon. Define Lagoon, di ko alam. Body of water na na-stuck? Whatever. This lagoon is lovely. Overlooking pa ang mountains.

and so it's a lagoon

Water is cold, knee deep lang. Clear yan, mejo mabrown lang sa shot kasi color yan ng floor. Mejo muddy. Trees are everywhere, but I like this one. Naghihingalo matumba. Cutey!

naka-anggulo ang tree

Let's go back to the sand. Sand is gray, not white. Not that fine, pero di masakit sa paa. Unlike sa Puerto Galera...

off the lagoon

resting area

After an hour of exploring the place, we're ready to leave. Di kami dito nag-overnight.

NAGSASA

Mejo malayo and I think this place is still a bit unexplored compared to Anawangin and Capones. Kahit 1 oras ang byahe, nakakaaliw naman magpicture ng view. Again, walang signal at walang kuryente dito.

mountains are everywhere

Finally at Nagsasa

first glimpse

Entrance or siguro maintenance fee is 100 each. Kasama na ang paggamit ng table. Btw, may clean rest room dito. Nice!

where we stayed

After we set our feet at Nagsasa, wala muna kaming nagawa but to eat. Gutom na gutom na kami. Here's our lunch cooked by Mang Johnny's wife, adobong pusit. P100 per kilo. P35 yung isang kilong kanin. Ayos, kasya yan hanggang dinner.

adobong pusit - sarap!

Sarap kumain. Konting pahinga then explore na agad ng place. Excited mode! Sa buong Nagsasa, 2 groups lang kaming andun.

parang Birch Tree!

mini lagoon with the mountain reflection

the other group, mga 8 persons sila

After magswim swim, time to relax and make chismisan! Perfect with some Mudshake. Buti may yelo si mang Johnny. Ang sarap ng mudshake ko.

my mudshake

Before magsunset, inayos na ang tent. Perstaym ko magbuild ng tent thru the tutorial ni Mang Johnny! Ganun lang pala yun kadali. Mang Johnny is also kind enuf to give us 2 tents kahit 4 lang kami. Ang bait nya.

our tents

sunset at Nagsasa

Nagdinner na kami with the natirang kanin at ulam. Dinagdagan nalang ng Century Tuna. Solb! Btw, inaral ko gumawa ng bonfire. Nagmamarunong ako. Pero bago palang dumilim, gumawa na si Mang Johnny ng bonfire for us. Answeet. He checked us from time to time kung ok lang kami at kung may kelangan kami.

mahirap ang bonfire shot

We saw many many stars at fireflies! Amazed ako. Sayang cant take a good hot.
Eto na, sleeping time. Super na yung antok ko so I dont care kung gano katigas pala matulog sa sand. Curved kasi. Pero deadma, tulog na tulog ako unlike sa mga friends ko. Pag gising ko, grabe ang sakit ng likod ko!

Tasty lang at cheesewhiz ang baon namin (ako pala may dalang yogurt) for breakfast. Mang Johnny gave us coffee. Parang tatay lang.

yogurt in the island

We strolled and swim and enjoyed the place again. Ganda talaga. Btw, may mga fishermen na nakahuli ng baby pating. Ang galing, perstaym ko makakita ng pating (15-20 inches lang). Totoo palang may sharks! *winks*

island in the morning

water is clear and cold

i likey! ♥

Inayos na yung tent at nilagay na sa boat yung gamit namin para makapunta na Capones after. Sinundo kami ni Mang Johnny sa dulo para di na kami lumakad pabalik. Talino!

wow, de-sundo pa kami

CAPONES

Well known for the light house. Too bad sobrang lakas ng alon kaya di nakakalapit. Pag umikot sa likod, it would take 1 hour to go there. ay, di masaya. Nag jinets na din kasi. So we decided wag nalang.

Another part ng Capones, sa bandang likoy, ay yung madaming rock formation. Dun nalang kami. May nag-island hopping din ahead of us.

island hopping at Capones

the approaching waves

the rocks

white version

I enjoyed our stay here the most! Ang saya ng waves! Time for my pictorial na.

fly fly Darna thru the waves

naisip kong magjumpshot kaso baka mabagok ang ulo ko

After this, we headed back to San Miguel. Inoffer ni Mang Johhny yung bahay nya para dun na kami maglunch at maligo. Ang ganda ng bahay nya. Ang bait din ng asawa nya. Nakinood pa nkami ng Pacquiao-Cotto match. Feels like home.

Lovely Zambales escapade indeed!

Thank you Mang Johnny (0920.222.4687), from the umbrella girls!

*all shots are from my point and shoot camera (only!)

OA (Overwhelmed Ako)

2009-11-13T06:50:00.006+08:00

All the while I never liked reading entries about emotions. I hate it more to write about mine. And I have no plans of writing anymore entries regarding the breakup, but I'd love to express my gratitude to these people who upon reading Goodbye Fridates have shown some concern. And they still keep coming! Overwhelmed naman ako...

Kay Mama na inaraw-araw ang pag-bible study,
Sa mga kapatid kong kinantahan ako ng Single Ladies at nagpadala ng pagkain,
Sa mga friends ko who keep texting me and calling me,
Sa mga nag-aaya ng inuman, ang kulit nyo! I still say no.
Sa mga dumalaw pa sakin sa office, (parang may sakit lang ako)
Sa mga officemates kong lalaki na nagsabing bilib sila sakin,
Sa mga nagtreat sakin ng food (keep this coming!)
Sa mga pumayag gumala kasama ko kahit di nyo hobby,
Sa mga tahimik lang, pero alam kong nagpray,
Sa nag-offer ulit ng marriage proposal,
Sa mga out of nowhere biglang nagmessage sakin sa YM at FB,
Sa mga nagsend ng email (lalo na sa mommy ng isang blogger na parehong di ko naman personal na kilala)
Sa mga nagtwitter na sad sila (amazing kahit di tayo magkakakilala)
Sa mga nagtext na avid fans daw ng blog ko, hala pano nyo nakuha numbers ko?

Im really overwhelmed. Thank you for the simplest thought of checking on me. Special mention to those people who I never knew at all but showed concern. Too bad nalungkot din kayo. Inferness, andami palang "fans" ng "loveteam" na yun. Parang Lloydie-Bea lang.

Sa mga gusto pa din mag-extend ng support, send me some mango yogurt, or jellyace, or slice of cheesecake - happiness ko na yan! *winks*

Actually, no need. Sumasakit na bangs ko pag nakakarinig pa din akong may malungkot at nanghihinayang. Talagang ako pa nagcocomfort sa inyo no?

Let's not be sad anymore. Besides, all our prayers have healed my heart.
Thank You Lord Jesus!

Tuloy ang Pasko! (--,)

More at Conti's

2009-11-09T09:25:00.001+08:00

The day traumatic Ondoy typhoon almost drowned all of us, Iyay and I were in Trinoma trying to check out Conti's branch there. But since the place was flooded already and the sparkling wirings were already scary, we chose not to pursue anymore. Sugal Buhay for Conti's if ever, I dont think so. Sabi namin next time nalang. And the next time has come. Tara!

Conti's Pastry Shop and Restaurant

I ordered Baked Salmon while she ordered Roast Beef with Mushroom. I forced her to order Baked Prawns, haha, good thing matigas siya that day.

Baked Salmon

Hhmm, kinda disappointed me. Salmon itself tastes good pero ang alat ng cheese toppings. Over yung garlic after taste. This is served with Japanese Paella rice. So-so.

Roast Beef in Mushroom Sauce

I want to give it a good review kasi balanced yung taste and the beef is tender. Pero nothing outstanding about this dish.

Ok, I'll still say we are satisfied with our meals. It's not that bad after all. Move on with the dessert. We have tried Choco Overload before, masarap siya. I love the crust (yes crust lang. Im not a fan of chocomousse) but my teammates said it's good. Naubos agad eh. For that day, it's time to try Mango Bravo, their most famous dessert.. Too bad wala akong good shot, so I'll borrow from the web.

Mango Bravo

Im not a fan of fruits combined with cakes, pero exemption to. May kilig after every bite kasi it is served frozen. I love every layer of this cake. Really BRAVO.

Conti's Trinoma
P1 Level, Trinoma, EDSA corner North Avenue, QC
http://contis.ph

Goodbye Fridates

2009-11-07T03:05:00.002+08:00

Dear Ma,

Thank you sa concern. Silently inaalalayan nyo ko ni papa. Pansin ko
ang sasarap ng ulam lately para ganahan ako kumain. Saya!

Alam ko masyado ka din nabigla at nalungkot sa nangyari. Pero wag ka na
masyado mag-analyze at magtanong pa. Di ko din alam ang mga sagot sa
mga yan.

Nung lunes ng gabi na naghiwalay kami, bumitaw na din ako. I know he meant his goodbye, and I also meant mine. Salamat sa madaming nagdasal at naging madali ang acceptance. Dumerecho pa ko sa work nung gabing yun. Di ko naramdaman na naguluhan ang isip ko. Wala din akong gusto pang sabihin, malaman o marinig pa pagtapos nun. Gaya nung kami pa, ang motto nga namin "Kung ano ang sinabi ko sayo, maniwala ka lang. Pag di sinabi sayo, wag na wag mong aalamin". Mahirap daw yan sabi ng mga kakilala namin, pero naging komportable kami sa rules na yan. Hanggang sa huli, buo ang tiwala ko. Tinanggap ko na lang. Kaya nung umaga pag-uwe ko, first time ko ulit nakatulog ng 8hours na derecho. Ansarap.

Hindi dahil di mo ko nakikitang lumuluha ay di ako nasaktan. Nasaktan ako at nalungkot. Bago dumating ang lunes ng gabi na yun, nawalan ako ng gana sa lahat. Wala ng pagkain na masarap. Wala ng lugar na masayang puntahan. Alam ko mawawala na kasi siya. Pero ngayon di ko nalang makita kung ano pa ba ang dapat ko iyakan (well aside sa fact na ayoko ng dramahan, di naman kasi lahat ng bagay nakukuha pag inayakan mo) pero dahil kasi tinanggap ko na. Anlakas talaga ng power ng prayer. Ang dasal ko naman talaga ay i-heal ni God ang hearts namin bago pa dumating ang gabi na yun. Thank you Lord. I can honestly say Im ok. Sounds cliche and minus all the hypocrisy, Im really at peace.

Ma, wag ka na mag-isip at magtanong ha. Wala din naman mababago kung masagot man natin ang mga tanong mo kaya wag na.
Wag ka magagalit sa kanya. Wala siyang ginawang kasalanan sakin. Naging masaya ako nung kami pa. Kaya ngayon di ko mabitawan yung words na "sayang" at "nanghihinayang ako" dahil wala talaga. I loved and enjoyed every part of our relationship. That experience was God's blessing to me, and I'll always be thankful.

PS. Ma, please lang wag ka nga masyado madrama jan. Parang ikaw ang bagong break ha. Love you. *winks*

Chyng

Annual Sky Wizardry at EK

2009-11-02T10:15:00.004+08:00

So after the count down, this is the much awaited event that night. The Annual Sky Wizardry Finals at EK. Kinda bitin dahil 7 lang ang nagperform. But all's spectacular!

Imagine these fireworks lighten up the whole sky. Amazing!

Everyone's eyes are filled with amusement. Priceless.

These are the reasons why I love fireworks.

Raw photos from Celine (Remay's Canon 350D). Good job!

BTW, who wants to witness the World Pyro Olympics this Novemeber?
See you there!

Enchanting Countdown

2009-10-26T10:45:00.002+08:00

Went to Enchanted Kingdom to celebrate c3's birthday and to catch the Annual Sky Wizardry Finals at night. Since Remay and Dren and I are so tamad to commute, we availed the shuttle which can be found at EDSA Car Park. It's a bit pricey for 200 feysus - 1 way, but who cares, all of us were tired because went here straight from our night jobs. Luckily, the staff informed us they have a promo. If we avail the 2 way shuttle trip plus the Day Pass ticket, they will only charged us 680 feysus! Oh my, very good deal. Hassle free pagdating sa EK kasi we dont need to line up sa super habang pila ng tickets.

Since the highlight of this visit is the fireworks, I thought of doing a photoblog countdown featuring the rides and attractions at EK. Come count with me!

ten

nine

eight

seven

six

five

four

three

two

one

zero

I still used Vincent (my Ixus85) for the shots above. Props lang si Celine (Remay's Canon 350D).

Next entry, my much awaited fireworks display!

Enchanted Kingdom
http://www.enchantedkingdom.com.ph/
Sta. Rosa, Laguna

Thy Will Be Done

2009-10-20T05:30:00.000+08:00

Thy Will Be Done

Faith requires us to accept, to hope, and to believe.

Keep the FAITH.

I Heit You

2009-10-16T07:22:00.010+08:00

While thinking of a topic for my '10 days to go' entry, I asked Chyng about the 10 things she hate about me. Inspired by julia stiles' movie (10 Things I Hate About You). Here are her answers. 'Yung iba sa akin na galing kasi alam kong kinakainisan niya 'yun.10 Things She Hate "daw" About Me

ten Pag-inom ng softdrinks 'pag hindi kme magkasama

Lagi niya sinasabi na umiinom pa rin ako. Drinking softdrinks is a crime for her. Kulang na lang sabihan kang "Alcoholic!" Medyo mahirap siya i-convince kasi lagi niya ko nahuhuli na nagisisnungaling. But seriously, for 2008, 500mL pa lang ang softdrinks intake ng katawan ko. If you don't want to believe me, magpa-softdrinks test pa tayo (parang DNA testing lang, hehe).

nayn Hearing the lines, "Nasasakal na ako"

Nung Satur-date namin, favorite kong sabihin 'yung linyang nasasakal na ako. Eto 'yung sample:

chyng: San tayo kakain?

enrico: Jabee, jabee! (with maharot dance moves)

chyng: Ang harot mo naman e. Kaya ako inuubo. Sa iba naman, nangangati na ako sa jollibee

enrico: You asked me, so i answered. Sige pili ka na lang kung san mo gusto.

chyng: Gusto mo dito? E dito? Show some interest or excitement naman

enrico: Pag makulit ako, ayaw mo. Pag tahimik naman ako, ayaw mo pa rin. I can't do this anymore, nasasakal na ako

chyng (sa isip lang niya): Hindi lang nakapag-jollibee nasasakal na.

Funny thing bukod sa jollibee craving at tantrums ko, nung nagsukat ako ng mood ring, purple, este dark blue pala ang naging color

chyng: meron ka bang nakikitang purple jan, babasahin na lang e;

enrico: grabe ka naman, nasasakal na talaga ako.

Na ang ibig sabihin, dark blue = very happy. Nasasakal pero very happy. Oh well, hindi talaga ako magaling magsinungaling. Pero magaling naman ang acting ko.

Btw, nakapag-jollibee pa rin kami that day. I got a tuna pie. Yey!
Note: Ang hirit na 'yun ay pawang LMLS (last movie line syndrome) lang. Hang-over sa isang movie lunch na gustong-gusto panoorin ng mga ka-team kong gels.

eyt Eating too much kahit busog na ako

Father's day, a week after Kuya's birthday and 2 days before my birthday, my dad decided that we have dinner sa seaside together with my tito, tita, cousin, kuya's girlfriend and Chyng. As usual, konti lang ang nakain ni Chyng. She's lucky dahil hindi niya katabi si Mama. Hobby kasi ni Mama na maglagay ng pagkain sa plato ng mga bisita. After ko kumain ng 3 servings of rice and assorted ulam, Chyng was looking at me. 'Yung parang sinasabi niyang andami ko nang nakain. So I said, "Tapos na ko. Inubos ko lang yung brocolli dahil walang may gusto at uubusin ko na lang 'yung onion rings." Sabi niya, "Dude, hindi 'yan onion rings. Calamares 'yan. Grabe, naubos mo 'yung isang bandehado."
Growing boy kasi. Intindihin niyo na lang ako. Eating is one of those simple pleasures that I enjoy.

seben Kamay na parang na-stroke

Mahilig ako manita pag pasaway na si Chyng. Kaya naman pag meron siya ginawa or sinabi na dapat nang sitahin, parang maii-stroke ang kamay ko habang holding hands kami. Sino ba naman gusto humawak sa matigas na kamay? Wala raw siyang maramdaman pag ganun. It's better naman that way kesa magsalita ako na ma0-obvious pa ng iba. Believe me, effective yun.

Holding stroke hands while showcasing fossil watch

Note: No offense meant to people who had stroke or people who have relatives na na-stroke. 'Yun lang kasi ang naisip kong madaling description sa pangungulit ko.

siks 10 million calls from work via the support phone

Chyng is not the selosa type. Lagi niyang sinasabing pinipili lang ang pagseselosan. So kahit halos babae ang nasa team ko ngayon, ang dating ka-dance dance ko sa Mega pag-lunch ay babae at ang pinaka-close ko sa office ay babae pa rin, hindi pa rin siya nagseselos (e pano, puro boys naman ang ka-team niya). Wag ka lang niya mahuhuling nagna-number seben (yung #7 ng entry na to). Naku, 10 minutes na away yan.

But if there's one thing na pinagseselosan niya nang todo, it's work. Lalo na pag Satur-date namin and nagkita kami hapon na kasi I had to work on a weekend. Tapos while having coffee, tatawagan pa rin ako. Ayaw niya 'yun. Kasi 'yun na nga lang 'yung time naming dalawa. Kaya nga nung na-hold-up ako sa bus at binigay ko si Cali (nokia phone ko), sabi niya, "bakit hindi na lang si support phone ang binigay mo?"

Just another satur-date outside the office.

payb Paglalambing or pang-iinis
I have this habit of pang-iinis just for the sake of having an argument. Pero minsan it's plain pangungulit lang talga.
She doesn't like it pag di na niya alam kung naglalambing ba ako o nang-iinis na talga. My answer, it's the same. Pag nang-iinis ako, nilalambing kita nun. Natutuwa kasi ako 'pag kunwari nag-aaway tayo. (don't worry, hindi na ako mapipikon pag inasa mo naman ako). Sabi mo nga, parang ito lang yung ginagawa sa atin ng mga mama natin. Naglalambing sila pero naiinis tayo minsan.

Parang ganitong paglalambing/pangungulit ng nanay

por Making beso with other girls
BESO ha, hindi BOSO! What can i do? It's my way of socializing with my female friends (hindi naman sa lahat). Okay, okay, hindi ko na lang ipapakita. Pero i just have one request, pag sikat na akong modelo o artista, you might see me na nakikipagbeso sa ibang babae, wag ka sana magtatampo. Part lang yun ng work. Naku, pano pa kaya pag nag-gums-to-gums kami ni anne curtis.

tri Making lasing on weeknights
Di neman ako nalalashing e. And i'm not conio when i'm drunk. Alam mo kung gaano mang-pressure sila mr. empire at antonio. Everything has a purpose. Kaya ako nagpakita sa kanila last Thursday kasi I know that I may not see them sa weekend (dahil may saturdate or sundate tayo). At hindi nga. Mr. empire, sorry na ha. Good luck later sa Arneyo game.

tu Being late
Guilty as charged ako dito. I'm very very sorry for the nth time na na-late ako sa date natin. Bumabawi na naman ako ngayon di ba. Hehe.
Worst late moment ko 'yung nagpunta siya sa office tapos she waited for more than an hour. Tapos hindi niya ako maaway kasi sandali lang kami makakapag-date. Kumbaga, sandali na nga lang kayo magkikita, mag-aaway pa kayo. At alam din naman niya na kung wala na akong work, gustong-gusto ko na rin magkita kami. Buti na lang kakampi ko si time and reason. Joke! Sorry po nang marami sa mga instances na 'yun.

wan Hearing the word 'Singapore'
We've been planning, okay, I've been considering of working abroad. To save money, buy a house and eventually get married. Hehe. And because hindi okay si Chyng sa setup na magkakalayo kami nang matagal, she doesn't like the the idea of me working abroad. Na-stress daw siya sa topic na 'yun. Hmmm, matagal na naman akong hindi nangungulit di ba? But we'll have to talk about it in the near future. Very soon... :9

Check niyo rin entry ni Chyng: 10 things he hate daw about me

copied from Enrico's blog

written sometime July 2008

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Anytime soon (or very soon), he will be deleting his blog. And I dont know how I can have a piece of remembrance of his entries which are my favorites. So I thought of reposting the entry to my blog.

I chose this HATE entry because this is a unique blog idea; listing the things you hate but still continue to love despite those imperfections. He wrote this after our 1st month. Now we're together for 16 months. Not much years compared to others, but I've always been happy to have this relationship we're in.

Reward in Refund

2009-10-10T09:15:00.002+08:00

After exactly a year, Enrico has finally received the refund by Cebu Pacific. The tickets were for our friends who unfortnately didn't manage to come due to Cebu Pacific's cancellations and rescheduling. Kaya our HK vacation became only 4 days instead of 5.

Anyway, we agreed we could dine somewhere fancy as a reward. I ~~requested~~ forced him na sa Burgoo nalang instead of his pick - TGIFriday's.

Burgoo it is!

I love ribs and shrimps too so their Ribs and Shirmps platter is perfect. Enrico wanted Linguini with Clams pasta. Luckily, the waitress informed us about the Citicard promo so got this meal for free!

Shrimps and Ribs platter with sidings
Looks not so appealing at all. Taste - not as flavorful and tender as before. Dry ang ribs at shirmps.

Linguini with Clams
Not a fan, but since Enrico finished this, maybe it's good. haha

We knew cheesecakes here taste ordinary so I chose Fudge Brownie A la Mode for dessert.

Fudge Brownie A la Mode

Finally, something we really enjoyed eating. Mas generous pa nga ang walnuts and fudge than the last time. Yummy!

I used to be a fan of Burgoo pero na-erase na yan that day.
Yes, nakakabusog. But worth your money- I dont think so. Oh I forgot, free pala yung pasta meal kaya sulit na din. Dapat nag-TGIFridays nalang kami, kung naging submissive lang sana ako. *winks*

Burgoo

2/F Main Mall SM Mall of Asia

The Real Recipe

2009-10-05T10:39:00.002+08:00

Still not over the Ondoy experience. Here's my last meal bago ako ma-stuck ng 20 hours sa bus. Now you know kung bakit di ako nagutom.

For sure you have noticed The Recipes restaurant in malls but since the place doesn't look appealing, never had a chance that I saw it jam packed. Oh well, never judge a book by it's cover. After you tried eating here, you'll wonder "Bakit walang tao lagi dito kahit sobrang sarap ng food?"

Enrico introduced me to this place, and since then I've been bringing my friends here if we want some real/tasty/affordable food.

My Nth round of the Recipe experience.

General's Chicken

Superb! Everybody's favorite at Recipe's. Bit spicy too, Yummy!

Cripsy Tilapia

I dont eat Tilapia, pero exemption to! Very crispy yet soft yung meat.

Gising Gising

Again, im not a fan of gata. Pero cant help ordering this dish again and again.

Kain tayo!

BTW, an officemate offered his built in improvised fisheye lens for my point and shoot camera. Cool! Here are my first shots using the improvised lens.

Recipe's by Cafe Metro

Healthy Lungs area

Splash Fountain

Pwede na di ba, this built in improvised fisheye lens for my point and shoot just costs 200 feysus. Not bad!

Recipe's by Cafe Metro
Trinoma Mall, QC

Life After 20

2009-09-30T09:30:00.002+08:00

Everybody has a story to tell sa super bagyo and super baha na araw na yun. Late man yung sakin, pero i-share ko pa din ang experience ko- nasa bus ako sa loob ng 20 oras bago ko nakauwi.

1st 8 hours, di ako kumain, di uminom, at di nagCR. Kinailangan pa patayin ang aircon at ilaw sa bus para masave ang baterya dahil di alam kung kelan titila ang ulan at huhupa ang baha. Nakaupo lang ako sa bus. Di ko naman naisipan maglakad dahil tamad ako at ayoko maglusong sa baha. Yung ibang naglakad, pero bumalik din dahil hindi talaga kaya yung lalim ng baha.

view from the 1st bus

Lumipat ako ng ibang bus na hindi aircon para di ako ginawin.

Another 12 hours, bus ride ulit. Di ako kumain, di nagCR, pero may dala nakong tubig. Walang kasiguraduhan kung kelan aandar ang bus. Ang iniisip ko lang, ang mga things to do ko pag nakauwi na ko: mag-pluck ng eybrows at magpa-manicure! Ang dirty ng nails ko! Sa pagdaan namin sa mga binahang area, nagkalat ang bakas ng baha. Lampas tao pala talaga dahil lumubog pati mga trucks.

view from the 2nd bus, free ride sa likod ng truck

Unbelievable pero kinaya ko ang 20 hours sa bus bago ko nakauwi. Oh, I forgot to mention na mag-isa lang ako, at walang battery ang cellphone kaya walang nakakaalam kung nasan ako.

and finally, im home!

Dun ko na nalaman ang sinapit ng iba. Grabe pala, sobrang heartbreaking. Niyakap ako ng pamilya ko, akala daw nila naglaho na ko.

Alam kong swerte pa din ako kumpara sa sinapit ng iba. Salamat sa Diyos ligtas ako at ang pamilya ko, at may bahay pa kaming tutulugan. It's still a day to be thankful for after all!

Water Proof, are you sure?

2009-09-20T18:10:00.000+08:00

After the struggle, being so drugged, almost having 0 remaining sick leave credits, I'M SO BACK! What's new, I got sick again. But not reporting to work for 7 straight days- it's all worth it. Thanks to those who looked for me and noticed Ive been missing. Next time Im gone, you know where to find me. Not in Facebook (haha) but in the hospitals. Sulit si Medicard.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Moving on, I finally had the chance to test the DicaPac. First, I had to make sure first it wont leak. I placed a tissue inside the DicaPac. I soaked it in the water, and yes, it succeeded the first test. The tissue didn't get wet. Now it's time for Vincent (the name of my camera) to try it.

I forced my pamangkin na samahan ako magswimming. I needed an assistant to do this. Hi Fate, I know you're reading my blog.

Hhmm, ok. Ang hirap pala kumuha ng shots underwater. First, ang hirap magfocus dahil may waves. Unlike sa normal- controlado mo ang kamay mo para iwas shake. Second, ang hirap i-focus. Tumatama yung liwanag sa screen ng DicaPac which is plastic so nagrereflect yung ilaw. Swertihan tuloy kung nakafocus yung subject ko.

Here's my first attempt of using DicaPac. All shots are taken below 3-4 feet only. Mahirap magpractice below 6 feet, ok?! I set my camera pala to Underwater Mode.

Btw, I brought some toys dahil my pamangkin cant hold her breath underneath the water so wala akong ibang subject. Im glad madami akong dalang toys.

hello Birdie, sorry I drowned you

I forgot, cats cant swim nga pala

Mike Wazowski is cool

Marvin doesn't need air too!

Finally, a water animal

After 30 minutes, I saw some moist in the DicaPac. I actually didn't bother at first. Pero nung nagsimula ng magkaron ng raster yung camera image ko, it's time to FREAK OUT!

I removed my camera, and yes it's kinda wet. Pinatuyo ko agad, and pinunasan. Kinabahan ako, baka nasira si Vincent. Pero after praying hard, um-OK na din sya.

Round 2, this time I followed Zig's advice to put a masking tape. After some time daw kasi mapapasukan nga ng moist. So nilagyan ko yung edges and everywhere na posible mapasukan ng tubig.

I think it's still not that OK

Nagkaron ulit ng moist at nagka-raster image ulit yung camera. Scary! Very risky na ilubog yung camera after 20 mins. Stop na. Juiceko, buti nawala yung raster ni Vincent pag-alis ko ng DicaPac.

no I wont drown Helen, my voodoo doll

I hope the shots are OK. Ang dami kong blurred and out of focus shots before I came up with the presentable ones. But now, Im having doubts if I would risk Vincent with the DicaPac. Do I recommend it? Uhm, Im afraid not. Mahal ang camera!

I forgot to mention, kelangan i-tapat yung lens sa alloted space para di matakpan yung shot. I let my pamangkin take a picture of me, and notice the black area, yan yung dapat i-sakto mo pa. Pero I think pwede gawan ng paraan yan by placing some styro or something para sakto agad sa lens.

drugged but in 2-piece

Oh yeah, nagpractice shot akong naka 2-piece pa! Btw, since somebody sent me a DicaPac, can also someone send me a new swimsuit? Isa lang kasi 2-pc ko. (--,)

Just Got Lucky

2009-09-08T09:57:00.002+08:00

We attended a binyag at walang tubig na sineserve. Softdrinks lang meron so tiis lang. Naisip kong mamya nalang ako iinom ng tubig pag-alis namin, the usual na ginagawa ko makaiwas lang sa softdrinks. Eto na, tuloy lang ako sa pagkain. At sa pansit na kinakain ko may nalasahan akong ATAY! Eeww, di ko ma-take ang lasa nun. Do or die moment. I have to make a very very tough decision. And that's the story of my

my 1st soda intake after 5 years!

Infairness, ang sarap pala ng Coke! Totoo nga ang Open Happiness!

Nasaksihan ni Sir Lloyd ang 1st time ko sa Coke. Which reminds me dapat ko batiin ang lahat ng employees ng Hitachi/HiCAP, madalas daw naka-open ang blog ko sa mga PC nyo. Wow naman, may nagbabasa ng blog ko. Thank you. Comment kayo and leave your names. (--,)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

3 days after I blog about Dicapac, an ex-officemate (and a fan "daw" of my blog) sent me a package. To my surprise

she sent me her Dicapac

Sweet! Answerte ko naman. Thanks mareng Glady. Makakasave ako ng 1,350 feysus! Magprapractice ako para makakuha ng magandang shots! At uuwian kita ng magnet as promised. Salamat talaga.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

One rainy morning, actually kanina lang, naglalakad ako pauwe. Merong babaeng na palapit sakin at biglang sumigaw. Sa pananamit, ayos ng buhok, at sa kinikilos, wala siya sa matinong pag-iisip. Bigla syang bumuwelo at bigla akong sinuntok sa mukha! (pwede naman siguro magmura) Pu***na!

victim of terrible luck

Grabe ang sakit. First time ko masuntok at sa mukha pa at ginawa ng taong di ko man lang kilala. Nasa state of shock pa ko ng 2 seconds at bigla na lang siyang lumakad ng parang wala lang. Tumingin ako sa paligid para may hingan ng tulong kaso malayo sila. Nakakahiya talaga dahil may mga nakakita sa kabilang kalsada. Seryoso ang sakit kaya gusto ko maluha, kaso naisip ko pag-uwe nalang ako mag-eemote.

Unbelievable!
At di ko babawiin.
Walang punch line jan. Totoo talaga.

Oh well, you cant be lucky all the time!

I Still Want to KISS!

2009-09-02T10:06:00.003+08:00

Kuya Jimbo (the brother of Enrico) is finally home. (thanks for the perfume and lots of Reese!) I promised I'll bring him to Chocolate Kiss, but I think I had enough. Every week present na ko dun. I looked for some competitors around UP campus area and I found one.

The restaurant's name is Chateau Verde. Sounds pangmayaman! Menu is great and just a bit expensive lang compared to Chocolate Kiss so why not try here.

Location is a bit hidden. But since it's famous, madali mo din mahahanap.

Chateau Verde

The place is surrounded by many plants, sa hallway palang nakakaaliw na. Nalito ako, san ba tayo pupunta, sa forest or sa Chateau? Chachar!

I actually like the setup. Al-fresco dining. Relaxing and peaceful ang ambience and interiors.

table setup

sound of this is very relaxing

Tara na, let's eat. To be fair (and to compare evenly), ang mga usual order ko sa ChoKiss ang dapat i-try dito.

ma-Verdeng Menu

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Presentation is lovely. But the chicken is a bit hard to chew. The mashed potato is plain. Overall, this dish is bland.

Sizzling Ribs

Looks masarap! But the rib is dry. In fairness the hickory sauce is not the instant mix we find in the grocery. Pero kulang ang serving ng sauce. The Java rice is good, plus the sidings. Compliments well with the ribs.

Gambas

Nothing spectacular. I love shrimps kaya naubos ko pa din. Haha

While we're eating I cant help but compare these food with ChoKiss. Malay mo naman bumawi sa dessert. Too bad wala silang cheesecake that day. And so we tried their best sellers.

Mango Crepe

Very tempting pagkahain sa table namin. Ang cute ng caramel somethings on top. This dessert is good! Fan ako ng mangoes!

Sansrival

No, it's not from Goldilocks. Kala ko nga din nun una. Wafers are softer. Sana lang they serve it chilled para mas masarap. Anyway, pasado pa din.

So that's it. Enough na mapatay ang curiosity ko sa Chateau Verde and to experience this once is OK. But then, your date will be impressed pa din pag dito mo siya dinala. But still, fan pa din ako ng Chocolate Kiss!

Chateau Verde, UP Campus, Diliman, QC

Alternative for Underwater Camera

2009-08-28T07:20:00.003+08:00

And so I was planning to buy an nnderwater camera for our family trip this coming October. Cympre that's pricey so I thought of buying an underwater case instead for my point and shoot camera. I checked the price, and crap- it costs just as much as my camera! Grabe ang price.

I searched for some alternatives. And I was surprised na meron nga!

this one looks perfect for my Canon Ixus 85

This is DiCaPac. Or short for Digital Camera Packaging??

Whatever! Im just amazed! It claims to be 100% leak proof. I have read some reviews, and OK naman. It is safe to use up to 5 meters or nearly 16 feet deep. Ayos na to for simple snorkling, etc. So how much is it? Just 1350 feysus! Perfect alternative kesa bumili ng underwater camera or the super expensive case.

And of course, meron din for SLR cameras. But I think it's harder to risk an SLR than a point and shoot camera. (--,)

puchase DicaPac at DP Online

This Too Shall Pass

2009-08-20T06:40:00.001+08:00

My mother came home with the result plus a bunch of medicines. Whoa, God answered my prayers. After going to 4 different specialists/internists, I will finally know the cause of my pain. I was very eager to see my diagnosis. Sadly, it was already a Stage 2, Advanced Moderate case. I was shocked but managed not to cry. It was all I ever wanted, clear findings of why I felt so sick.

I still reported to work that night to submit my medical recommendation. I also filed a 3 month Medical Leave. Oh yes, 3 months! Sudden stop of everything I used to do. Before I leave, I met my closest friend. Upon seeing him my tears burst out of my eyes. He hugged me and that time I admit I was so scared and depressed. Sigh.

For the first week of my 3-month Medical Leave, I felt so left out. I felt like my world suddenly stopped. While everybody's having their normal day in office or school, there I was alone in our house. But because I already felt so weak that time, I cant do anything but to rest and take those 8 capsules everyday.

Exactly a year has passed and after 1120++ capsules, Im OK again! Rejoice! Thanks to my supportive parents, my ate who welcomed me in her home, Enrico who brought me to Disneyland, and to Michael Scofield of Prison Break, which made our family bonding a very exciting one. Medical Leaves are fun after all!

It's nice to believe that nothing is really permanent specially sufferings.
And true enough, THIS TOO SHALL PASS.

Now it's time to party! Sana matupad ang pangarap kong celebration before the month ends.

* photo from Enrico's Flickr

nagKISS na kame!

2009-08-13T12:01:00.005+08:00

I've heard a lot of this cozy/homey resto in many blogs and forums. Malamang they serve good comfort food. Kaya tara, let's go to

Chocolate Kiss Cafe

Thanks to Iyay (my first ever female team mate) who accompanied me here. Lovely! Anyway, here are what we ordered.

Chicken Kiev

Hickory Smoked Spareribs

Chicken Kiev is superb! Hickory Spareribs is wow! Both are tender and very flavorful. Lalong pinasarap ng mashed potato na may perfect mix plus the sidings. These meals look and taste great!

The dishes are yummy. Somehow similar to Banapple but they may serve mashed potatoes here instead of rice. ChoKiss is a lot better than Chateau Verde too.

Chocolate Kiss is also famous for its Devil's Food Cake. Im not a fan of frostings and mallows so di ko maciado na-enjoy. What I love best is the Chocolate Chip Cheesecake. Yummy! Too bad wala akong shot (and pls dont ask me why).

Cinnamon Cheesecake

Sour Cream Cheesecake

We also tried Sour Cream Cheesecake (may kilig factor after every bite) and Cinnamon Cheesecake with chocolate icing on top. Blends well and very tasty. I like the variations of cheesecakes here. May laban. I recommend that Chocolate Chip cheesecake (but still - UCC's cheesecake is the best, in my opinion).

Ikaw, gusto mo din ba ng KISS? *winks*

Chocolate Kiss Cafe
http://thechocolatekiss.com/
UP Bahay ng Alumni, QC

Dreams Do Come True

2009-08-05T07:00:00.003+08:00

If I will just summarize my July, there's only 1 thing that I prioritized. For all weekends of this month, nagpunta lang ako sa different hospitals and medical centers. Why? Simply because I want an Xray test. Why again? Trip ko lang.

Borough's Medical Center
I scheduled my self for a checkup one saturday morning. After 4 hours of waiting, pucha wala pa din yung family doctor. Siguro naman Ive been patient enough, and now it's time to leave. Syet! Sayang oras ko! At di ako na-xray..

MCU Hospital
I met with an internist. After interviews, physical test, he wont recommend me daw to go on an Xray test. Wala naman kasi ako ubo or chest pain. I dont care. Gusto ko magpaxray. Internist said Im just paranoid. Oohh, he's the 5th doctor who told me that! Again, I left the place w/out my xray test.

Try again... (my health card naman)

Fatima Hospital
Again with an internist. Same thing, she wont recommend me for an xray test. At this time gusto ko ng magsakit sakitan para lang maxray na. Nauubos oras ko! She cant hear anything wrong daw with my chest so walang dapat ipag-alala. But I want an xray test! (nagmamakaawa mode). Internist said im just paranoid. Me: Tell me something I dont know.

Bigo ako. Ayaw talaga nila pumayag.

Come one night at the office, I received this email:

im delighted with the encircled word!

And finally, natupad ang pangarap kong papapaxray. After 3 weekends of palipat lipat ng hospitals and clinics, this is it!

Ngayon, im ecstatic with the result! (--,)