C for Cebu

Hey everyone, summer's here, or is it? Summer or not I already had my little summer getaway. Though it didn't turn out the way I planned but it's still so worth it. I went to Cebu last week to bring my friend's stuff, I was sort of like the FedEx guy, only I stayed a little longer, ate the recipient's food and slept on her bed for a few nights. Haha. Did I mention that she also paid for my airfare? Lucky me! But thinking about it now, and you reading further you'll know that I'm not that lucky.

Anyway, my trip started on the wrong foot. I was certain I booked a 9PM flight to Cebu, but just a few days before my trip I found out that I booked a 4AM flight. If I didn't check it when I did I could have missed my flight and just stayed home, sulking in my room for 5 days for being utterly stupid. Anyway, I got to Cebu earlier than I've planned but it's all good. I spent my first day in Cebu in bed, sleeping. The only time I got out of bed was when I had to pee and when my friend dragged me out of bed to have dinner out. The second day I went to meet my father's brother and his family, they are all so warm, I love them! I got to meet my 2 cousins again and I got to meet their youngest for the first time. My cousin and my aunt showed me around the city. 

The third day we were supposed to head to Bantayan island. But Cebu's weather wasn't so cooperative, it rained almost everyday that I was there, except for the first day when all I did was sleep. Anyway, so my beach-y plan was cancelled. But it's still ok, I had a great time with friends from home, and from college. Also I got to meet 2 new friends: Alexa a fashion blogger from Cebu and Hadie, my brother. Seriously, he's my friend's nephew but he's like my friend's son, and that same friend was and still my 'mom' from way back in college. Do I make sense to you?

If you ask me what I really did in Cebu, there're only two words: sleep and eat. It was a getaway for the lazies, hey that's me! Well, I think most of my trips are just spent sleeping in in hotels, my family and friends can attest to that.  And you don't even have to bribe them for them to spill that. That's just my kind of vacation. But sometimes I think that I'm being so overly lazy, I spend most of my weekends sleeping and when I take a break away from work, sleeping is still what I do. 

If I had to rate my Cebu trip from 1 - 5, 5 as the highest I'd give it a 5! It was perfect the way it was. And if you ask me what I like and didn't like about Cebu, I'd say it's food and food. I like the food because it's so yummy (just the thought of it makes me drool now) and very inexpensive. And it's also the thing that I don't like about Cebu, because the food is really good and inexpensive you tend to forget about your diet and just give in to your tummy's desire. And all your hard work and discipline just go down the drain. But it's all so worth it. 


I'll see you again Cebu, soon I hope.

I'll upload the pics soon, I misplaced my data cable and card reader is busted. :-)

Trip to Baguio

Here are some pics that I have when we had this little unplanned trip to Baguio with my brother's friend. :D

Club Manila East

I already made a draft for my supposedly entry about our company outing but it seems like I wasn't able to save last night so I can't retrieve it today. Anyway, I'm already tired to write those stuff again. I'll just post a picture here and a link to my yahoo photos so that you'll be able to view pictures from our company outing last May 29 at Club Manila East, Taytay, Rizal.


These are the people from the PMG-IS Department, and the wackiest department in TA ever! (L-R) me, RT, Erin,Sheina,Tin, RB, Kitty, Elza, Sir Wilson, Carlo, Ms Glads,Tiny, Ms Myles, Nhez, Sir Leo and Grace at the back is Red.

We had so much fun, that we don't want to go home anymore. :D Anyway, just see the pictures for yourself. :-P

Thank God for Paulo

I'm done reading Eleven Minutes and it took me 3 days to finish the book because I'm on a night shift and its really hard to do some reading when i get home from work when I'm already tired and very sleepy. But still, I managed to finish it in 3 days! Good for me! The book is really great! And as always, Paulo Coelho never fails to fascinate and hypnotize me with his works. He made me journey with Maria from her small town in the interior of Brazil, to Copacabana, to Geneva, Switzerland and Paris. How she struggled to achieved her dreams, from being a young, pretty innocent girl to an intellectual prostitute. And how she learned from every mistake she made in life. And finally, how she found herself and her love.

If you love reading, i suggest you read this book. I'm also planning to read Veronika Decides to Die and The Zahir (works of P.Coelho) on my day-off.

On the Other Hand

My friends are inviting me to come with them to Puerto Galera this Saturday, but I haven't decided yet. It's hard for me to say yes because I got books to read, I still have work tonight, and I only have one day-off for this week. And I don't think I can still squeeze that 'Puerto Galera get-away' on my schedule without affecting or ruining any on my list, because for sure if I'll be going to Puerto I won't be able to report for work on Sunday.

I really want to go with them 'coz its been ages since our last trip together, but how will I do that? It's too late to file for a vacation leave, I don't also want to phone in sick and file a SL on Sunday (I'm afraid of karma) but I also don't want to be absent (I hate deductions, and I don't want to lose the attendance incentive). Whew!

And hey, did I mention that I'm planning to have my birthday bash on Saturday night? Whew! (again!) Please enlighten me...

Nature Tripping

Yesterday was my only rest day coz i already used my other rest day last week. When I woke up my sister asked me if I can come with them to La Mesa Eco Park, I was kinda hesitant coz I'm not used to going out with them without my brother in tow. But since my brother told me that I should also go out with them once in a while so I submitted to my sister's request. And so I went with my father, my step mom, and my 'half' siblings.

When we reached East Fairview Subdivision the way to the eco park, I had fun reading the names of the streets (cigarette brands). We passed by Winston, the main street, then turned right at Marlboro, then we went in to the La Mesa Compound. When I first saw the dam, it doesn't seemed like a dam to me but an ocean... its so wide.. and also deep, its water elevation is 79.90ft. Then we went to eco park, when you're inside the park you would feel like you're in the province coz the ambiance is soooo 'province-like', you'll see tall trees around you... fallen leaves... you'll see butterflies and birds. There's a swimming pool inside the park, there's also a function hall under the Ipil trees, a swamp where everyone can go fishing, a camp site for everyone, souvenir shops and picnic huts. The entrance fee of the park is only Php40.

We searched for the boating lagoon, we asked the staff there and were led to another site. We walked for a while then we reached the SuperFerry boating lagoon, its a tie up project of ABS-CBN and Aboitiz i think. The fee of the boat ride is Php100, you only pay for the boat rent and there are only 4 persons per boat but since my brother is only 1 year old we were permitted to ride in one boat even there are five of us. My dad was the rower of our boat. My sister and step mom were nervous coz they both don't know how to swim, but after a few minutes their nervous went off and they learned to enjoy the ride. There were also a group of little kids having their field trip who were enjoying the boat ride.

After about 20 minutes we went off the boat then walked towards the parking area. While were walking i noticed that the houses there are almost the same with one another. They have this 'country style' houses and the paint of the houses are alike too! Some of the houses there are selling food for the tourists and also love birds, my little brother really enjoyed watching the birds and chasing little butterflies. We all had fun, after that we went to SM Fairview to buy our groceries.

Tripping

Last Friday (Feb 17. '06), my brother and i were supposed to go to Baguio but we had changed our plans. Instead of going to Baguio, we changed our itinerary to San Isidro, Nueva Ecija to visit ate Jet, my bro's friend since elementary and the organizer or whatever you call her of the Gawad Kalinga project in the town of San Isidro. We left the Manila at around 6:00PM with my bro's other childhood friend ate Leslie, then we reached Gapan, the capital of Nueva Ecija past 8:00PM. Before proceeding to San Isidro, we ate first at Jollibee in Gapan then we went to the terminal to take a jeepney ride to San Isidro, unfortunately there were no longer jeepneys after 9:00PM. We called ate Jet right away to tell her about our situation and she suggested that we take the tricycle to San Isidro. Luckily, there was a bus to San Ildefonso who'll pass by San Isidro so we stopped the bus and hailed it to the town. When we reached San Isidro, we took the tricycle to the GK site. When we reached there we were welcomed and greeted by ate Jet and some of the residents of the site. They gave us a very warm welcome. The place is very serene and peaceful, and the houses though smaller than the average houses you can sense that the people living there very happy. Their houses are very colorful.

Ate Jet led us to her house, her house is small but very dainty. I love the feeling of being there because its feels like home to me. I also love the experience of fetching your own pail of water to bathe yourself. We slept late that night coz we were busy chatting and planning for our next day activity.

When we woke up the following day, my brother prepared breakfast for us. And also we helped ate Jet arrange her house to achieved its oriental look. Then after that we took a bath then prepared for our next activity, and that would be a late lunch at Isdaan in Gerona,Tarlac. Again we took the tricycle to the town proper, then hailed a jeepney to Sta. Rosa and from there we rode a bus to Tarlac City. We went to MetroTown Mall in Tarlac to feed ourselves then after that we rode a bus again to Isdaan. It was just a 15-minute drive from Tarlac City but I don't know why the conductor charged us Php55 for the ride. When we reached Isdaan there are a lot of people there because it was Sunday, we had a hard time looking for a place. Finally we found one, at the center of the pond. We enjoyed watching and feeding the fishes in the pond and i also love seeing kids amazed with the sight. Not long before sunset we left Isdaan for Tarlac City, we hailed a jeepney and my brother was shocked coz the fare was only Php15, we were like "Oh My God! We were fooled! Sigh." But my bother said that let's just think it was part of the package. When we reached Tarlac City we asked around as to where we should wait for the bus to Manila and we were instructed by a kind security guard at MetroTown to go to Siesta, its where the stopover of the buses. So we went there, we waited for almost an hour but we can't find a ride coz the buses were already full.

We almost lost hope. So we just waited along the highway, then we saw a Dagupan Bus for Manila so we hurried to their terminal, and luckily there are enough seats for us. Though the bus is not cozy... its an old bus with broken chairs but still we're thankful coz we'll be able to go back to Manila that night.(though we still have doubts about the bus) We reached Manila at around 10 o'clock. We were very satisfied with our trip coz the journey was really fun and challenging.


Disclaimer: We all don't know how to get to Tarlac via Nueva Ecija

My Valentine trip to Isdaan

Wow! Its great that Valentine's Day is over! But I had a great time yesterday. Dad called me up at the office yesterday and told me to come home 'ora mismo' in his español tone. I was quite mad at him because I had plans of pigging out with my friends at NSG but because he wants me to come home right away,i won't be going out with my friends. When i arrived home my family was already waiting for me at the driveway. I just left my things at the foyer and i rode with them in the car. It was in car that i have known that we're going to have a dinner date at Isdaan in Gerona, Tarlac. it was quite a long drive, actually its a 2-hour drive. But when we got there the place is very relaxing! Unlike the first time i went there, there are more guests last night because of the obvious reason... valentine's day of course. The staff are very warm and friendly, as well as the ambiance. I love seeing the fishes there... I love the food... The people and the singing waiters and cooks! We had so much fun! And i love to feel and breathe the fresh air of Tarlac. I must say that i had a wonderful night last night, though the trip was exhausting, its all worth the experience!