BUSCALAN

Meeting the last mambabatok, Fang-Od was the reason for the Cordillera adventure. It was our only goal. The other destinations only came about during the planning. I wanted to meet her so many years ago but well, I wasn't very adventurous then, plus I didn't have an adventure buddy and funds. Then two years ago, Mau graduated from college and it felt like the best time to go out on an adventure. But she got a job (too soon) and we had to postpone everything. 

Looking back, I thought it was perfect that the trip had to be moved and moved again. I realized weren't quite ready then. I was too maarte, we didn't have money, we had no solid itinerary. It the trip pushed through, we probably ended up having an inefficient and costly trip.

Anyway, the trip to Buscalan wasn't easy. We were so tired, our bodies were sore from the Batad trip and it was scorching! We had to to trek under the sun for two hours. Thinking about it, I prolly would have done a better trek if the weather was cooler, I wasn't tired and if I was wearing outdoor shoes (I wore flat ground running shoes).

The phrase 'road less travelled' was written for a reason. It was exactly how I felt during the first hour of the trek. There was no trail. It was all steep, dusty, ground. It got better in the next hour. It was flat and we got some shelter from the sun because we were in the mountainsides. When I saw the stairs though, I knew I was in trouble. My legs were still aching from the Batad terraces traverse. Every step felt like torture. I was dragging my ass with every bit of energy I could scrape off my imaginary power tank. I had no more water and our guide kept saying 'one more hour and we'll be there'.

I saw an abandoned hut beside our nth set of stairs, I told the group to go ahead and I'll catch up. I HAD TO REST OR I WILL DIE. So Mau and I sat on a few big stones to catch our breath. A few minutes later, I heard the sound of kids giggling. I said to Mau, 'Teh, baka malapit na tayo. Naririnig mo ba? Parang mga bata yun.'  True enough our companion called us and announced that we have arrived at our destination. 

Mau and I got up for one last push. When I got pass the fence made of barks, I saw Fang-Od. Sitting outside her house, smiling at the new faces. I looked at Mau who was close behind and said 'Teh anjan na siya! To which she replied 'Oo ngaaaaa!' I wanted to cry. I couldn't move for a few seconds. My heart was spazzing. I asked our guide if I can come closer. He laughed thinking of course you can! We went up to her to mano. She squeezed my hand and smiled and laughed. Oh dear. Two years of planning and I can't believe she's right in front of me. All of a sudden I felt a surge of energy. I was tired, yes. But I somehow had so much enthusiasm and extra energy, and wanted to explore the whole village.

Kitchen duties

We settled in Fang-Od's house. I got my camera so we can go around the village but I got sidetracked because I saw Fang-Od being photographed in the kitchen. The photographer, Kuya Raul, a local of Banaue, invited me in so I crouched beside him and took photos as well.

We all got our tattoos the next morning. In between tattoo sessions, we'd hang out with the locals.

I felt peaceful in the two days we stayed there. There was no need for so much money. Everyone was so kind. There was a little enterprising whenever visitors came. I got a rattan necklace and even met the maker, Kuya Mindo (read as Mindu). It was actually his younger brother, Abel who sold me the necklace on our first night. I met Kuya Mindo on our second night. He makes rattan accessories and takes them downtown to sell to tourists.

We also washed our clothes! There is only one water source so everyone does their laundry in that area.

Ate Ruby (in black), Ate Selma (in yellow), and Ate Nancy (in pink) hanging out with us. The little boy in the middle lives in that hut behind the ladies. His mother allowed me to hang my laundry on their clothesline. The other guy lives in another part of the village.

I loved hanging out with the locals. They're nice, funny, and have so much stories to tell. They taught us some words in the Botbot dialect.

Pija - masarap
Manja mara - salamat
Pintas - maganda

Interesting how pintas is something positive in the Botbot dialect and negative in Tagalog.

Trivia: Their tribe names are based on their dialect. The people of Buscalan belong to the Botbot tribe (read as Butbut). There is no 'umbrella' dialect in the Cordilleras. Because the Cordilleras are mountains, there isn't much interaction between tribes back then. The level of variation of dialects depend on the distance of the tribes from each other.

It was bittersweet to say goodbye to everyone in the lovely village. They taught me simplicity- from the food we ate, to the home we lived in; pretty much in all aspects. They taught me happiness. I mean, I am generally a happy person, but these people have 'less' than me and they feel so rich. It was a beautiful learning.

 One last photo before we leave. 

Sleeping Beauty Mountain

Manja Mara, Buscalan! I will be back.

I'll try to tell you about Cordillera

I really wanted to write about my recent Cordillera adventure but I cannot find the words to encompass how I felt during and after the trip. It was exhausting, hot in the morning, chilly at night. It was a test of willpower and endurance. It was also beautiful, breathtaking, the kind that enriches your soul and you feel like your heart wants to burst, really, just amazing. But for the sake of keeping tabs on my trips, I will try to write about it.

***

We traveled to Banaue via Ohayami Bus in Manila. The trip would be 9 hours but it took us over 17 hours to get to Banaue because of road construction. No one was complaining, no one was mad during the long delay but we all knew everyone was hungry. I had to eat my 'trail food' of Breadstix and cheese in the bus. Gawd, it tasted like chicken. I also had to limit my water intake to avoid the urge to pee during the trip.

During a stop, Mau and I saw a carinderia and decided to pee and get some food. It became the fastest breakfast we've had because upon our food's arrival, the conductor called everyone to get back to the bus already. We stuffed whatever could fit our mouth while laughing at ourselves and semi-panicking. We couldn't finish the meal so we ran back to the bus with pieces of longganisa and rice stuck in our throats. When we got to our seat, we were still laughing at how ridiculously fast we ate and how crazy we must've looked back there.

BANAUE AND BATAD

We finally arrived in Banaue sometime past 3 in the afternoon. The air was cold. The bus driver turned the aircon off and we opened our windows to enjoy the breeze. Mau and I explored the town a bit. We went to the foot of the terraces after eating an early dinner. We then grabbed a beer at the lodge restaurant before retiring.

The view of Banaue Rice Terraces from People's Lodge.

The next morning, we were off to Batad. From the Saddle (take off point) one has to trek for 45 minutes to an hour to get to the terraces. The trail is easy, except if you're old or if you have rheumatism. It's gonna be quite a challenge.

First Bulol (Ifugao rice god) sighting. 

The Bulol (Bulul) is one of the biggest influences in my wanting to get into Art Studies during my undergraduate days in the University. I find it fascinating at the very least. I even passed the masters program but why I didn't pursue it is another story. hehe

 Batad Rice Terraces from the tourist registration area. 

When you see it in person, you'll understand what breathtaking means.

When in Batad, you have to visit Tappiya Falls. It won't be easy. But it is beautiful. You must go.

From Batad, you have to traverse the terraces and

 trek the mountains for two hours to reach Tappiya Falls.

Tappiya wiped out my energy so the walk back to the Saddle felt like a death sentence. My legs were shaking! Pero push lang. 

Next stop: Bontoc - Buscalan

Just because.

So much has happend since I last posted but it's too much that I cannot even find the energy to write about it. It's basically just me spending so much time out with different groups of friends, meeting new people, and hanging out a little too much in Maginhawa Street. It's practically my second home in the last two weeks.

Anyway, earlier this evening I was blog-hopping and had a random thought. I cannot wait for the day that I'm so rich that my only must do in life is wake up and breathe. Hahaha Ang labo. And when that day comes, I'd love to send my friends little gifts on random days just because.

I like and miss doing things just because I feel like doing it. The I-don't-care-what-people-think sort of randomness. It makes me feel more human. More alive. But I hate to say that I'm such a chicken when it comes to randomness. Ever since work got serious, I've been more serious, more calculative, more careful with the things I do. I'd have to think and rethink decisions, even the minor ones. I just miss living life the way I think it should be lived.

I remember telling myself after the Japan quake that in this day and age, nothing is certain and I should start living my life as I envisioned it. Where'd all my guts go now?

*Photo from tumblr.com

Can't read my, can't read my...

Ever had that blah feeling- one where you're not happy in the purest sense of it but you're not sad either? Yung parang "Saktong ewan lang".

It's like you're looking for that rush, hungry for new knowledge, excited to experience new things. I miss talking to friends everyday. I just want to lounge in an aircon room (because you can learn things within the four corners of a room), watch Living Asia, NatGeo, Star World, Star Movies, and read my books (I've got four waiting) all day.

If I'm to leave house, I'd like to ride the zipline (done this twice), go snorkeling and spelunking. Maybe go hike and immerse myself in some new culture.

OH DEAR, how's this possible?

Edit: Thought about this 5 7 seconds after 'finishing' my post... I'd also like to ride that ferry from Guadalupe to Chinatown and then direcho sa Binondo Food Wok ni Ivan Man Dy. hehe

Makati day

Dad and I went to Makati today. He had a meeting at Greenbelt and he invited me to tag along so I can visit the mall. We left the car at Trinoma and took the MRT to Makati. Dad didn't want to bring the car coz he isn't familiar with the road network of Makati.

When we got there, Dad immediately went to Sugi. I was left to decide what to have for lunch. I went around for about 30 minutes before finally deciding to just eat at Flapjacks. Good thing I arrived a little earlier than the usual lunch time because minutes after I was seated, groups came to have lunch too. I guess we are all there for the same reason- Flapjacks is the cheapest(ish) meal in Greenbelt. Well not really. I saw Spicy Fingers had meals for Php120 but it was so dark so parang hindi nice to eat alone. Bizu had meals too but I got intimidated coz mejo donyahan yung kumakain. hehe Anyway my meal cost Php 522 - that's the lemon seared fish meal and a plate of calamari (my forever favorite). Good thing I asked for an OR! (Dad reimbursed my meal later that day yay!)

After lunch I went around Greenbelt. I almost wanted to check out Hermes but of course no one would believe I'm buying anything there. With what I was wearing, I could pass for a Bayo or Kamiseta customer but not Hermes. People enter Hermes in stilettos. I could probably pass as their yaya. (Kawawa naman ako ahaha.) I did see the manong guard at Hermes though. He was elderly and seemed nice.

Moving on...I also checked out Jurlique in GB5. They were on sale but still the brand is not my thing. I did try their lotion though. Good smell. It was very thick I almost thought I was slathering liquid soap because it formed a white layer on my skin. *starts to panic* I started spreading the lotion to my arms and elbows. I think I placed too much on my hand. It formed a sparkly, almost shiny tint on my skin but minutes later it was ok already. If you're interested in Jurlique, I don't recommend it to people who stay outdoors a lot. It gets sticky when you sweat. Use it when you know you'll be in an airconditioned place.

Okay now to the ADORA incident. I have to admit it's my first time in Adora. Hello I can't afford stuff that cost me more than my tuition fee. That's just crazy. Well not everything in Adora cost that much. But gets? So I was about to leave because I couldn't find the escalator (I saw it but it wasn't working so I thought there should be another way up.) On my way out the lady attendant at the door said 'Ma'am we have ladies' wear in the next floor. You can take the elevator here (points to the wing where I could ride the elevator). It was surprising to see a luxe chair inside the elevator. It was purple and black with velvet upholstery. So I clicked the 2 button ans closed the door. I thought ultra hi-tech lang na it prevents the riders from feeling the motion of the elevator but when the door opened, I was still on the same floor! hahaha shempre taranta ako diba? So I tried it again and still the same floor. So I had no choice but to approach the guard and ask if it's working. Apparently I was clicking the number of the floor where I'm in! GRABE nakakahiya. The guard and another male attendant accompanied me back to the elevator and clicked the floor for me. shit I wanted to disappear. hahahahaha Buti nalang they were very nice. Na feel ko naman yung sincerity.

Then the last crazy thing happened to me at L Manila. It's Filipino couture-ish store. I saw shoes by Joanne Litton. Won't post the story here but if we're tweet mates, you'd know why it's significant. Anyway I was looking at the shoes and the SA said 'They're designer shoes ma'am". I'm like 'Duh, I knoooow.' And it didn't stop there. They sales lady said pa talaga 'YOU TRY IT!' I felt like she was ordering me to try them. Maybe that wasn't the intention pero namaaaan! She didn't have to say it in English if she didn't know how to say 'Ma'am pwede po i-try' WINDANGLOO.

Anyhoo, in conclusion I think this part of Makati is 'detached' from the real world. Of course this is real. The reality is marami talagang mayaman. I bet the kids I saw at at GB never even stepped into an SM mall. That's why I feels it's so detached. Crazy prices. (There was one old woman asking about a pair of earrings. The SA said 'Php 115, 000 po ma'am'. They lady was pretty shocked even if she looked like she can afford it. Ayun lang. I just wanna say I love Quezon City! Just the right mix of masa and high-end. Just saying. :)

Kwento kwento lang

Literally. haha I'm so stressed and I haven't really thought about things lately so I'll just kwento stuff.

ORPHANAGE VISIT

Yesterday Ana, Mau and I visited the orphanage in Binondo. It was all good except the part where the tricycle driver charged us 100 pesos for the ride from Ongpin to DelPan. I was so pissed but I believe in karma so Manong Driver, mamalasin ka rin one day. Or malay ko ba minamalas ka na kaya dinadaya mo na rin yung mga taong tulad namin.

The nuns were so accommodating. The Indian nun who showed me their grocery list even reminded me that we need not donate everything on the list. She said something like "Whatever you can give, even if it's a small thing, we are very grateful for the blessing." She kept repeating "That's very nice of you and your friends to help us here."

Anyway after the visit we made our way back to Quezon City. It was a very tiring ride because it was rush hour and well, Manila does not have the widest roads so it took us 1.5 hours to get from Quiapo to Trinoma.

STICKER-HAPPY

After dinner we went to Starbucks in the garden of Trinoma. I was telling my friends to give me their stickers if they don't have plans of getting a planner. Then this guy on the next table approached and said "excuse me, nagcocollect ka ba ng stickers?" Shempre I was surprised! In my mind I was thinking 'Shet maybe he's selling his stickers to me. SCALPER?! NO WAY!' So nag inarte ako and replied "Uhh, yeah...-ish." HAHAHAHA Then he said "You can have my sticker card. Pwede naman i-combine yung cards eh." So I accepted it and thanked him nicely. SOOO AWKWARD! Buti nalang cute siya. haha But minutes later, a girl arrived and left with him. haha oh well papel. Such a sweetie.

ORGANIC SOAPS

I purchased my organic soaps online and met up with the seller today at SM Fairview. Organic soaps don't come cheap. Each bar sells from Php95 to 125. I wanted to try these because I guess I just got bored with the commercial soaps (my staples are Johnson's citrus fresh, Safeguard white, Biolink papaya soap which all sell for less than 40 pesos each).

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

I'm not halfway my Christmas shopping. I've only bought gifts for my Mom and Joop. Sooo hard to think of gifts! haha

RED RIBBON

If you love bangus, you have to try Red Ribbon's bangus ala pobre. Super yummy, super cheap! For Php 137, you get the bangus meal, a drink and a slice of cake for dessert. yehey!

FOOTWEAR

Found really cute and affordable oxford leather flats at Manel's. I didn't buy it coz I wanna finish my Christmas shopping first. I'll buy for myself last. hehe

I'm really loving the Christmas spirit! I just wish it's colder, like back in senior year, there was a certain month (or months) that I'd wear a jacket and socks to sleep! In school I was always in jeans and a jacket. It was even colder outside our air-conditioned classroom. Feeling ko winter! I really miss that time.

RENOVATIONS...AGAIN

Mom called me up two nights ago to tell me to shove all our stuff in the room before I leave because the house will be renovated again. This time it's gonna be the floor. The crazy cut marble floor will be replaced by uhh, probably huge granite tiles. It's not that I don't like but this is another waste of time. Our floor is as good as new. Really! No cracks at all. It's the only reminder that this house is 'old' (in a good way). And I hate it that they're changing it! My mom hates it too coz it's an unnecessary change and a waste of money.

GLOBE

I hate Globe for a crappy service! Weeks ago when dad and I traveled to Bicol, I was using mobile web to tweet and check my emails. I was aware of their two ways of charging mobile browing- the default is kb browsing which charges you per kilobyte sent, and then time browsing that charges Php 5 for 15 minutes. Of course I switched to time browsing (send TIME to 1111). Then I got a notification today that my bill is 2500! LIKE WTF?! I am sooo gonna get to the bottom of this and crucify them. hahahaha oveeeerr?! Ah basta, I hate Globe for cheating on their subscribers. Good thing the message they sent me about having switched to time browsing is still on my phone. Patay talaga kayo sa akin. haha

Anywaaaay, dapat good vibes na! Christmas is super near and I'm excited! For that I'll try to tweet about things that I love. Pang dagdag good vibes diba? This 'tweet what you love' was inspired by my friend since grade school Chris Orleans. haha

(Btw I watched New Moon again this afternoon shet. hahaha Will kwento my experience tomorrow.)

RUNAWAY

No, it's not the song in Ryan and Juday's wedding. It's more like... I RAN AWAY FROM AN INTERVIEW. hahaha

Yesterday I went to Makati for my last set of interviews for a certain company. To my surprise, they sent us with their officers to join them in their field work.  THE IDEA OF DOING FIELD WORK KILLED ME. But I still went on with the field work. I was assigned to Ian and Rina- two of the business development officers of the company. We walked around the Makati business district and I was wearing heels. 

When we got to the first building, the back of my heels were already injured- as in tuklap level (fudger!). I wanted to change into my sandals because Ms. Rina was wearing flats also. I asked her if I could change, she allowed me naman but Sir Ian wouldn't stop walking. I don't want to get lost so I endured wearing heels until around 12 noon. We stopped at MiniStop (haha no pun intended) and FINALLY I was able to change into my flats. Ian discussed a lot of stuff about the company and quizzed me about it. He then revealed what my practical exam was... TO SELL MY CELLPHONE TO HIM kunyari. I SUPER DIED AT THIS POINT. I WANTED TO RUN OUT OF MINISTOP AND RIDE A CAB. I hate being sales-talked so how much more do the talking diba? I felt it was total BS doing the job (face to face marketing). 

We left MiniStop and moved to two more buildings. Finally he made me do my sales pitch- IN THE ELEVATOR. I ALMOST FAINTED. I FELT LIKE I WAS BEING BULLIED IN A STUPID WAY. Well he said I did a good job in the pitch. And then fa-hay-na-leeeeh, he sent me back to the office. I made my way out of the building, called up my mom and said I'm leaving. I walked along Valero Street, not sure if it's the right way. Thank goodness there are Makati roving guards who were kind enough to tell me where to go. 

I finally saw the building, made my way to the lobby and got my ID. I went back to the office but the receptionist was not at her desk so I decided to call her on the phone. It was a crazy idea because I was just at the opposite wing of the same floor. I can even see her as we talk. After informing them that I won't continue with the last part of the interview, it felt so free I could scream. It was one of the best feelings in this part of my life. So I guess it was the right thing to do. I just didn't want to waste their time and mine since I know in my heart that I won't be taking that job.

I rode a cab to Greenbelt to meet up with mom. I texted her "Ikain mo ako ha? Hindi pa ako naglalunch." She did feed me! We even bought Sebastian's ice cream. Yehey! We didn't stay long in Makati. We rode the MRT to Trinoma and did our malling there. Glorietta is just too weird now that almost half of it is covered. Greenbelt is kinda nakakailang when you don't have enough funds to shop around. In Trinoma we just looked around and took home Brothers Burger for dinner. We just kept laughing about my crazy day.

And now I'm enduring probably a week or two of painful and throbbing back-of-heel injury. It super hurts but it doesn't matter. It's over now.

Long Weekend Topic Dump

Long Weekend nanaman- AS IF I CARE. I don't even have a job. hahaha I just couldn't think of a better title.

Here's another topic dump of the nice things that crossed my mind recently.

1. Camella Homes Ad. It's about time someone uploaded this video. The ad has been out for probably three weeks now and I still love it! haha

"SIKIP"

2. I just got a pm from my college friend/ blockmate Vincent Matias. He's venturing into Wedding Photography and I'm here to support him. Wooot! Vincent took our photos during the 18th Year of ABAM and he did really great.

Here are some of our shots from the ABAM pictorial.

More sample shots here.

For the more discerning and mature markets (like your titos and titas or older cousins), a more experienced photographer is at your service in the name of Robert Lester Aliscad (Robert Lester Photography) - dad of our UP batchmate (kala mo tagal nang graduate eh haha) Roselle. Oh btw, Happy Birthday Roselle! I love you!

Check out their website here.

3. And for the exciting part naman...Tet invited Fa and I (open invitation to the batch actually haha) to visit Cagayan de Oro for vacation. Well, Fa and I haven't talked about this yet but I am sooo happy to have this chance. I've always wanted to go back to CDO (been there yeaaaars back when Dad was still assigned in Mindanao). I wanna try the 4WD, White water rafting and all that adrenaline rushing shizzo. Ghad I do hope I could go.

* * *

In other thoughts...I've been reconsidering my options. I am pretty sure I won't be working this May. Weeks back, I said I wanna start working in June. But life's tough, mahirap mag hanap ng work ha!!! And I'm still happy being a bum. So I kinda reconsidered my time line. Come June and I'm jobless, I will take up a class- whatever that is. If not naman, dun ko na seseryosohin ang pagiging job seeker. Maybe go home to Iloilo first for a few days/weeks. BAHALA NA TALAGA. I don't want to overthink about the future. I'm just really glad my parents aren't cutting the financial support until I get a job. DREAM JOB, PLEASE TAKE ME. 

Kayo? Who's got a job now? How's the vacation naman?

Recall and Compare (edited Jan.1,2009)

Because a new year awaits, and just like any tv show right now, let's wrap up our year 2008.

BEST OF 2008 (discarded unnecessary and boring questions haha)

How old were you in 2008?: 19 (still am)
What was the most important thing you discovered in 2008?: Priorities change. (Most) People change.
What will you always remember about 2008? FEASIB, major s-t-r-e-s-s. But super rewarding classes with Sir Acedera and Sir Jet. Also, ABAM- Orgpress and tbs. hahaha Out of town trips- Ilocos, Pampanga, Tagaytay, and Palawan

cassava queens Weng, Myself, Fa, and Emm

In Pampanga with my great groupmates Bee, Mae, Sel, Nikes, Atei Claire and the best tourg guide ever, Peter!

Ilocos Heritage Village with Bee, Emm, Ram and Jewel

Paoay Church, Ilocos Norte

In 2008 did you...
Keep your New Year's resolution(s)?: Yeah, just one. The other one I tried but, haha!
Go on a holiday?: ILOCOS, beybeh! PALAWAN, Mehn! PAMPANGA, chong! hmmm, do 'spur-of-the moment' road trips count? haha

at the park on our way to the Underground River, Puerto Princesa, Palawan

Change jobs?: I don't have a job.
Get drunk?: HAHAHA MAJOR. zuri naman.
Get high?: Yah. alcohol high and love high. :)
Fall in love?: Maybe?
Break up with someone?: no.
Stop speaking to someone?: Sort of.
Kiss someone?: my friends.
Kiss someone whose name you can’t remember?: nah. haha

Make a new friend?: Yupyup!
Do anything embarrassing?: sobrang dami :))
Do something that you thought that you would never do?: Uhm, Facebook? hahaha

Do something you have always wanted to do?: DRIVE! (Special shout out to Raish! Thanks yo!) Cook!
Do anything that you regret?: Drank too much once, I guess. hehehe
Do anything illegal?: Meron pero since illegal, shempre I won't write it here. :))
Break a promise?: I don't recall also.
Lose something?: LIKE MAAAAJOR!!! (haha conyo!) My phone! k800i Cybershot phone.
Go crazy?: NUNG FEASIB NA-BUANG KAMING LAHAT. And nung H&S and WonderWalis days (NIGHTS actually) namin together.

Best of 2008...
Movie: A Very Special Love, Wanted
TV Show: Gossip Girl Season 2
Song: Not the best but I'll remember Bleeding Love and No Air. And sa OPM naman I think it's the year of Ryan Cayabyab and Bugoy's Paano na Kaya. :)
Album: No idea.
Thing you bought: My new leather bag (Christmas gift to myself). haha
Memory:

ERASERHEADS CONCERT!!!

TRIP TO PALAWAN!

Julian's birth,

177 Prezo Day(L-R): Sir Ray, Fa, Myself, Dianne, Claude,Emm, Weng, Lori

172 Prezo Day with the whole class (Find sir! haha)

Marketing classes (in fairness talaga kay Sir Ray and Sir Jet)

Worst of 2008...
Movie: Among those I watched...hindi sulit yung Quantum of Solace and For the First Time
TV Show: Eva Fonda? HAHAHA
Song: i don't listen very often so I don't care.
Album: I don't care also.
Hangover: BAdhoc! hahahaha
Memory: FEASIB.

About 2009...
What do you want in 2009?: A GREAT JOB, prosperity, love and happiness. And that the Philippines won't be too affected by the recession. And that the price of petroleum won't go high anymore so I could get a car. haha
Is there anything you would do differently in 2009?: Last year I wrote this for 2008: Take things one day at a time. And focus on important things like the people I love, the things I enjoy doing and the tasks that will help me reach my dreams. (nyak, napaka profound! haha)

Now, this: Plan ahead but keep in mind that things won't always turn out as planned. And shempre, as always, FOLLOW MY HEART. :)

Do you think it will be a good year?: DEFINITELY. :)
What do you look forward to most about 2009?: Prosperity, more friends, and more destinations!
Do you have a New Year's resolution?: Mag gym para sa wedding ni Weng at Hun, hahaha and...More like plans, not resolutions... Itodo to the highest level and college life (including acads), enjoy traveling after grad, and then do my job (kung meron) to the best of my powers. haha

CHEERS TO A GREAT 2009 FOR ALL OF US! LET'S MAKE IT THE BEST YEAR YET! WOOOPEEEE!

BLOG-DUMP

Due to my unexplainable avoidance of the computer, I have accumulated quite a collection of topics for this blog. But now that I have the energy to type, imma put them all here.now.

NEW ADS
I can't get over the new ads on tv. Not that I love them all but you know, it's crazy when they all start flashing on prime time and lunch break shows. Here are my picks!

BPI's new ad- "Brand New Day". We're changing the rules on banking. That's the message they're shouting to the world. it is sooo effing amazing. BPI revamped their banking system from 3-day check clearance to REAL TIME clearance. From atm replacement and check encashment in your home branch to any branch. It's amazing.


MERALCO's Christmas ad. Yay to the appearance of Mr. Tony Meloto of Gawad Kalinga! I clearly remember last October he graced our Advertising class to give a short talk on 'giving back to society'. I can still recall how I felt after his speech. He was so inspiring! Mind you, I was two feet away from him. hahaha For my classmates who were at his talk, remember he said a lot of big brands wanna be affiliated with GK? Well, that leads me to my next ad.

GOLDILOCKS. Kris Aquino introduces the new CSR of Goldilocks. This Christmas season, Goldilocks together with Gawad Kalinga join forces to provide homes for the less fortunate. I'm not sure how it works but if my memory serves me right, when you buy their cakes, part of the money is donated to GK. I still love Red Ribbon more. But it's fine, great effort to Goldilocks!

DESTINATIONS!
I was watching the Excecutive Class on ANC hosted by David Celdran and he featured two lovely destinations- CamSur and Palawan. That time I just got back a few days before from Palawan so I decided to relive my short vacation by watching it. The CamSur segment focused on the Camarines Sur Watersports Complex and the different choices for lodging. There was the container vans, the more upscale Villa del Rey cabanas, and a little farther is the GK Bed & Breakfast. Yep, Gawad Kalinga. hahaha There's much power in this advocacy pala, hahaha.

198 Class
This is the leadership class every Saturday under P&G's Jim Lafferty. He's never showed up for the past two meetings. Nevertheless those two meetings were fun! First one was intro and expectation citing per group. The second one, Mr. Angkush, HR director of P&G Philippines was our speaker. He talked about vision and it was super fun and enlightening. I was so amazed with my realizations, and right now I just really wanna work on achieving my visions. haha Our (Dianny, Punky and I) major dilemma will be the conflict with PI 100's lakbay aral. We will have two- Intramuros and Banahaw. If 198 is always this fun, how can I miss a class? haha! I hope I enjoy PI. haaay.

NEW LIST
Okay, so due to the global financial crisis, I have decided to provide a realistic and practical Christmas wish list.

Game!

1. New Planner! Something that's gonna be handy even after grad because the coming year won't be much of schoolwork. HAHA Punky's helping me with the Starbucks stickers. If i don't finish it, I'll probably get the Belle de Jour again. I haven't seen the Starbucks one though. But form afar, it resembles a national bookstore planner. hahaha

2. A 'corporate' watch. By corporate, i mean something I can wear to work. I love love love watches. Next to bags and shoes, it's the next item I love. I wish my dad will give me one. Para na rin may sentimental value haha

3. A job I really really want. Of course, every fresh grad will want a job he/she will love forever. And shempre, sayang naman corporate watch ko kung wala akong trabaho noh! hahaha

4. An amaaaazing sem! Nuff said.

5. A great new sosh life for the fresh grad. hahahaha

THE GOOD TYPE OF INGGIT
And finally, Weng sent me a link to this girl's debut. GUESS WHO IS HER SURPRISE GUEST? ELY BUENDIAAAAAAAA. huhuhuhuhuhu Turns out she adoooores him suuuuper. Eh her mom pala is a good friend of Ely even before he started in the music industry. ayan tuloy, mega serenade ng With A Smile. sheeeet. nakaka inggit pero good for her. We all have dreams. She got hers. Happy birthday. hahaha She's a Philo major in UP pala. Hay naker. CALLING ALL MY FRIENDS: JOHN LLOYD (Caloy, I know you can do this!) OR ELY (Mare, connection of the connection? haha) IS FINE WITH ME. hahahaha

thanks to ivymen.multiply.com for the photo.

There goes my blog dump. I have to get my 'school mode' back. It seems like I always wanna go home lately. Which I shouldn't. Coz I have to make this sem count, and going home isn't exactly the best way to do it. haha So let's make this sem count ayt? tara gimik!

pahabol...Wanna watch Spooftacular showdown? hahaha

Palawan Escapade

Straight from ABAM plansem, I packed my stuff and checked my mail and slept so that I could wake up early next morning for my Palawan vacation!

My dad offered to bring me with him to Palawan since he'll be there for a series of meetings with his clients.

Day 1: Flight was at 7:30. Thank God PAL wasn't late. haha

I noticed this lady in front of Daddy who casually shoved her Louis Vuitton under the seat. Later I began looking at her intently. At the back of my mind I began wondering if she's the singer Dulce. When we arrived at Puerto Princesa airport, it was raining. The Legend Hotel shuttle picked us up. The lady was with us in the van. She sat at the second row with her companion. I was already texting my mom about my hunch that she was Dulce. When we got to the hotel, that's when I confirmed it's really her. I noticed a medal thingamadjig she was wearing (probably given to her by the welcoming committee at the airport).

Enough of showbiz. We had lunch at Bilao't Palayok. Sobrang nakakabundat! After lunch we went to Cora's, a place at the market where they sell pearls- lots of em! Palawan pearls are exported all over the world.

When we got to the hotel, dad left me to go to their meeting. Our room had a view of the pool. It was 3 in the afternoon and no one was swimming so I decided to go for a dip pretending I owned it. hahaha

Dinner was at Kinabutch where I tried the Tamilok or woodworm. I must say, parang fear factor! hahaha

Day 2: Underground River

Two and a half hours by land, we reached the wharf where we'll take a 10 minute motor boat ride to the Underground River. A short walk from the shore, we reached the mouth of the river where we had to register, and put on our life vest and helmet (to avoid bat poo). The guide said one person will hold the light and receive instructions from the boatman. I wanted to do it but the foreigner dude volunteered first so fine.

Limestone formation at the entrance of the Underground River

Monitor lizard na pagala-gala lang sa lugar

Monitor lizards are left to walk around the area before the river entrance. They don't generally bite. Their first instinct when they encounter danger is to run.

The mouth of the Underground River

At the Sabang Beach, where we had lunch. The Miss Earth swimsuit competition was held here two days after we visited.

Day 3:
We left Legend around 9 am aboard their Ford E150 Club Wagon. Ang taray ng shuttles nila. Fit for their guests talaga. Mega bakasyon grande. haha

A lot of people were at the Airport, waiting for the Miss Earth candidates.

Leaving, I realized there are still a lot left to see in Palawan. I will surely come back.

MEGA TAKAS.

I drove my dad's car today my way to TBS. To be safe, I took Raisia with me so that in case I panic, she'd drive it for me. hahaha I won't elaborate though, coz I might get caught. On my way home though, I forgot to release the handbrake FOR THE NTH TIME. Actually, I released it at the ecopark but I had to stop to drop off Jay-Ar and Chloe so I pulled the brake again. When I waved byebye, I immediately stepped on the clutch and did all that. OMG BUTI NALANG NAKA UWI AKO. shucks, super nakaka nerbyos. Sorry Daddy. Don't worry, the car is safe.

Anyhooo, yesterday it was raining soooo hard we can't even see a few meters farther through raisia's car window. It was THAT hard and I had plans (talaga) to cancel TBS.

When I got home, I prayed and prayed so hard and when Raish and I got to the EcoPark in the morning, we did the sundance. Afterall, there's no harm in trying. Throughout the day, rain clouds went on and off, and it made me so worried that rain might pour anytime. I battled in once, twice, calling unto God not to let it rain, 'not now', I said. I inserted segments of sundance in between my prayers. I tried to stretch my charms with God. Boy did He listen. We've accomplished all our tasks without a single drop of rain falling from the sky.

Looks like the sun dance works? hahahaha Of course, malakas ako kay Papa God. I bet even my mom prayed that it wouldn't rain. She even checked on me sometime while we were playing 'mine field'.

Basta, point is we enjoyed TBS! Here are some highlights.

'Hihintayin kita sa langit' game. hahaha

'Catch me, I'm falling' game

We also had a multi-way tug-of-war. We had 'strategic alliances' pa. hahaha

Project facilitators had their own chance to the multi-way play tug-of-way also. But lots of joking had to be done before we actually played. *inside jokes, hahaha*

And of course, dahil pinagkalat ko na dun shinoot yung movie, everyone else did the sun dance at the Shell Flower Terraces. hahaha Keri lang, una pa rin ako. wahahahaha!

Last Dance Syndrome

Today I went to the La Mesa Ecopark with my directors Kaye and Marc. We did an ocular visit for TBS this Saturday. After paying 20 bucks for the entrance, we decided to walk around instead of riding their electric car.

Guess what I saw...
If you've seen THE movie, you'll realize this is where SHE did this...


HAHAHA! YES. I walked on the very ground that Miggy Montenegro walked on. And sun-danced exactly where Laida did. San ka pa diba? hahahaha!

I'm excited for TBS. After the activities, I wanna go boating, paintball and wall climbing. YAY!


See you there! ;)

Break

Two days ago I almost killed my father's car by trying to drive it with the hand brake on. I REALIZED THAT HOURS AFTER I STRUGGLED PUTTING THE CAR BACK INTO THE GARAGE. After telling Raisia and Farrah (on separate occasions) about what I did, they both 'scolded' me on forgetting the hand break. 'MASISIRA KOTSE MO!' hahahaha sorry naman.

So to make up for my boo-boo, I worked on the car again today. HAHAHA I have finally proven to myself that I did not forget my skill in driving. I still know. And from this day onwards, I will never forget to release the hand brake again. ;)

Enough about that. I decided to explore the website I learned from Claude. Here are some of the cool stuff I found. Some things I'd want to have in my dream house.

This one will be a separate area from the house. It's what I call the gimmick room where my friends (and my future children's barkada, haha) can hang out to chill.

And this one will be the modern library. I haven't really decided if I want a modern or 'scholarly' library. But this one reminds me of Edward's room. HAHAHA That must be why I like this.

I am so excited for the future. But I am enjoying the little time I have left in college. I hate feasib but pretty soon we have to get started. Just the mere thought of it tires me. But this is inevitable. FEASIB IS LIKE THE RESULT OF FOUR YEARS IN SPONGE-LIKE ABSORPTION OF KNOWLEDGE.

On other things, last night we went to the mega practice of the batch for BACBACAN. It was sooo fun in school! Everyone is so eager to be part of the event, the BACBACAN spirit is sooo evident in each one in the college. At DAR, those with no sports (read as: 'kami', haha) were left to be spotters, jokers and 'pagpa-practice-an' ng players. hahaha I totally enjoyed the 'JOKE TIME' of the group. We call ourselves "The Extras". Mind you, nakakapagod maging all-around extra. hahaha Midway I had a craving for Coke so Raisia gladly accompanied me to find one. We ended up walking to Philcoa Mercury Drug. Nakakatakot maglakad dun, exaaage. It was rewarding nonetheless. The smiles of the batchmates when we offered them a cup of coke was enough to make me happy. hehehe

Tomorrow is the final ultimate practice of the batch. FOR THE WIN SENIORS!!! RED between the lines.

Teacher for a day

I AM SO BACK FROM MY ABS-CBN STUDIO TOUR. waaaaait...RECAP NA NGA.with Senator Bong Revilla

1. Studios Tour, THE BUZZ and Dencio's after. yey yey yey! Photos here. Wathcing Buzz live is so boring. ugh. But I like the tour. hehe

2. Sleepover at Weng's. for 177 and 172. Yummy cupcakes, bottomless iced tea, healthy and yummy Nestle breakfast.

After the sleep over, we went back to UP. Fa had AdCore duties, me- ABAM and Weng had Rhett. Caloi met me at BA so I can ride with him to Balara High School for our UPCAT Tutorials. However, we had to get some food first so I forced him to accept my offer to drive his car. (MANUAL PO YUN.) Farrah watched, and as usual, the engine died on me. It happens every time someone intently watches me. hahahaha Anyhooo, the drive was smooth. YEY YEY!

I thought all I'd do there was to sit and chat with the ABAM-ers or read Eclipse. However, Chloe had to leave early so there was a slot for the science teaching. Ten minutes before the actual teaching, I volunteered to do the discussion. I enjoyed every minute of it. The students paid attention and listened. They were all participative and eager to learn. It's rewarding to see them correct their papers, or ask when they cannot understand and it feels so good to be able to impart knowledge to them. I also feel I did a good job in teaching them because of Dianne and Tim's feedback. Yehey!

When Javie took over, I joined the others in one corner and told them a little history. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a teacher. hehehe So i guess that's why I enjoyed my teaching stint. Just the 'aaaaahs' of the kids were enough to make me feel good even if my cough got in the way in the middle of my segment. Feeling ko they really looked up to me- to us.

We also had the chance to talk to some of them. We even met Sir Capistrano's second cousin. Hehe I really hope at least two from that class pass the UPCAT. Because life in UP is something not everyone get to experience. And I'd be the happiest person if I could contribute in shaping a kid's future.

Cheers to all the teachers! You're the best! ♥

I'm the new queen of Commonwealth avenue

This day started really wrong. I woke up feeling very unmotivated to go to school. It's really funny since there's only three days left for the summer term. Now isn't the perfect time to lose my drive. Anyhooo, I forced myself to get dressed for school despite the threat of the transport strike. Mom and dad drove me to school.

In the afternoon, we weren't able to report for the art studies class but it didn't really matter. I had fun catching up with my classmates. My mom told me to take public transpo on my way home since our car isn't in its best condition. I trooped to Philcoa waiting for a cab or fx to come my way. After a lot of cursing and praying, I got on a cab. GUESS WHAT?!?!?!

We got stuck near Commonwealth market for almost an hour and a half. It was super traffic because of the sudden rain. All five lanes of Commonwealth avenue were stuck as it is. Other vehicles started to counterflow the other side of Commonwealth. The driver suggested I move to a bus since it'd be such a waste to sit in the cab and let the meter tick all night. I bid the nice driver goodbye and 'ingat' and knocked on the nearest aircon bus on the counterflow side of the road. I sat on the floor beside the driver and rested my head on my hand. The driver even asked me 'okay ka lang ma'am?' I answered him nicely 'Ok lang po, pinalipat ako ng taxi kasi sayang daw pera ko.' Not exactly the words I used but that was my point. At 8 pm, I moved only a few meters from where I hopped on the bus. I was able to sit on the real seats and later on, people started to leave the bus and walk to their destinations. Wanting to go home badly and not seeing any hope in this rut, I decided to leave the bus and walked to the Jollibee which was just across the road. I ate dinner super fast so I could just fill my tummy and decide what to do next.

I found myself buying a pair of 20 peso yellow slippers from the store beside Jollibee. I wrapped my Lacoste flats and began walking towards home. All the mud, rainwater and icky stuff you could imagine, yes. They were all in my presence. I was walking against traffic, mumbling curses in between Oh-my-God's, silently motivating myself while trying to avoid getting run by the jeepneys and trucks. I was busy balancing myself while walking in the slippery and muddy streets. I walked with some people. A little farther, I was alone. But I could see the marker of our village. Along with the smell of the garbage trucks, burnt rubber wheels, and combusted fossil fuel, I was speeding to our village and hopped onto the tricycle.

I walked to the garage and laughed. 'What an adventure', I told myself, 'It's not everyday that you walk along commonwealth avenue on the opposite side of the street.' So I entered the front door in my grandest self ever saying 'Eto na ang bagong reyna ng Commonwealth'. My mama asked me 'teh, nilakad mo?' I found myself crying in the middle of the sala saying 'Opo, nilakad *sob* ko *sob*. I threw my bag on the couch and said 'AYOKO NA MAG SCHOOL BUKAS!' And I walked to the bathroom and took a bath.

After I changed, I walked to my pc laughing at my brother. He said 'bakit?' I just said, 'wala, natatawa ako sa sarili ko.' And he joined me in laughing.

Now I really hate it when I think about it. I hated the rain even back in high school. I hate they way it wets my jeans, muds my shoes and hassles all my walking. I hate it when it causes traffic.

Ultimately, I hate it when it makes me cry.

I'll bring you to Ilocos Ü

As I got to my bus seat, Bee and I caught glances and I just had to say

"Weekend's over."

* * *

The trip was really fun but it could have been folds better if the people I miss were there with me. As I looked through the window while the bus made its way to the NLEX, I kept on 'dreaming' what it'd be like if Fa was with us. If Migs tagged along or if Raish came. Or if Andy surprised me at the terminal. But nonetheless, it was a superb trip with Bee, Emm, Ram, Jewel, Olga, Cancan, Panx, Marianne, and Ali! :D

Here's a lowdown on my Ilocos trip. :)

Finding my heart inside the huge kiln and among the clouds

Shopping in Calle CrisologoBeing one with art

Rocking Juan Luna's house with my 171 friendsclimbing all the climb-ablesfulfilling my (light house) dreamcelebrating freedom and happiness

and of course, remembering people who are truly missed.

(on the wall of the huge kiln)

So I guess my missed people are in perfect attendance afterall. ;)