April

I'm writing about how I spent the 30 days of April just now because I became extra busy last month and doing so slipped my mind. These days, I've been absorbing and learning a lot of things I'm afraid I might be experiencing what they call information overload.

April Fools' Day was spent telling my teammates that I just submitted my resignation letter and that it was irrevocable. A week before, I took a leave and thought things through really hard since I told myself I should stay in one company for at least two years before I hit 30. I thought it would be with DWH, but I guess I had to move on since there was a greener pasture (I hope) waiting for me. I deliberated hard, because I believe I gained a lot of friends in the company and it would be a pain to leave them though on the bright side, I hoped that whatever bond we have had will stay the same even though I leave. I consider myself lucky to have had the opportunity to travel with some of them.

Because I would be leaving Makati soon, I called up a friend who works in Buendia one day and asked him if he would like to have dinner with me. I'm always grateful to have him as a friend. He's one of the very few who can tell me things I NEED to hear. I remember back in highschool, he told me straight to my face that I was insulting and that I hurt his feelings, right after I said stupid things meant as a joke but which he took as an insult. At that time, I decided to keep him as a friend after I apologized profusely, since I discovered that he may well be the friend I need who has the courage to speak out his mind. I think losing him in 4th year highschool (he transferred to another school) contributed to my sorrows which in turn made me a different person in college.

Anyway, we did meet up, as expected of him. We dined at Corner Tree Café along Buendia. The resto serves vegetarian food and menu prices are quite steep but the food is lovely. I had koftas (meatballs in tomato sauce over couscous) which has a clean taste, pretty much like tofu. We talked about a lot of things, like how I was about to resign, his struggles in courting a girl, what we've been doing all these years... It was as if we just met the day before. Nothing changed except he's now more focused to work hard for his future, something I'm very happy to see. After dinner, we took a very long walk from Buendia to the LRT station. I didn't mind since I'm made for walking, and neither did he since he walks from his office to the LRT most days anyway.

Another thing I like about him is that he really cares for me. One time I sent him an SMS and he called me up, thinking I was upset about something and that maybe I needed someone to talk to. We ended up laughing about it because I was just in my emo moments then and I just felt like messaging him. We may not have many similarities but having him as a friend counts as one of life's wonderful blessings.

One highlight for this month is that I got to join a quiz bee contest again after so many years. Bonus includes learning more about responsible tourism and winning cool prizes. I am also thankful to be part of my sisters' movie date with their college friend whom I met during one of their friends' wedding last year. The last time I went out to watch a movie with my sisters was last year when I won free tickets to The Wolverine. A date with another highschool friend in the bowling alley also made my month since we hardly see each other these days, with both of us being extra busy in our respective lives. I love how she is able to use her creativity in her new business venture now when in previous years she seemed like a lost kid to me.

For mom's birthday, we had dinner at Ajisen Ramen which is near Banawe in QC. An aunt had been there and recommended it. Unfortunately I think my standards have levelled up a great deal so I wasn't impressed at all with the food there. I had a bowl of spicy tantanmen ramen and was disappointed when they couldn't give me that much needed extra sesame oil. My sister had good sense to order their cold noodles which, for me, was something I should have ordered since it is very summer-y.

One lonely Sunday, I went to church alone. For unknown reasons, overwhelming sadness enveloped me and before I knew it, tears uncontrollably ran down my cheeks and I wanted the flow to stop but all I could do was cry even more. Inside a jam-packed church I felt so alone and so friendless (though I know I shouldn't think that). And then I realized that maybe there are even more lonelier and friendless souls out there in this big big world made small by technology AND compartmentalized by the same technology that people no longer find joy in the company with other people save for pics to be uploaded to Facebook or Instagram... JUST TO BE SEEN by others. That moment I told myself to be strong enough to walk away from people who doesn't value me nor the "bond" that we share, and yet to still keep an open heart as one can never know when a true friend will enter one's life.

A few days before my last day, I also realized how happy I was to have become friends with a guy in the office. It's rare that I talk about unusual things to someone of the opposite sex but this guy is open-minded so I didn't have any reservations whenever we chat about anything under the sun. In that respect, he reminds me of a college friend with whom I often played table tennis. This male office friend is also one of the most generous ones I've got as he agrees to download movies for me. It helps that we have almost the same taste. I certainly missed chatting with him.

On my last day, I slept over at an office friend's condominium unit. She was new in the office and according to her, I was one of the first ones to talk to her. She was very quiet so I was surprised when she invited me over. I felt honored to be her guest. I cooked spaghetti for her and I was glad she liked it although we didn't have that much ingredients and I had to make do with what was available. After dinner, we chatted for a long time before we were able to sleep at around midnight. The following day, we bonded at the sauna. (Guess what? We just came back from Baguio earlier this week so watch out for my posts on our Baguio trip.)

One day in violin class, my teacher suddenly asked me if I have a boyfriend and I answered in the negative. (Inside my mind, I was shouting curses and feeling self-pity at the same time. LOL) And then he told me, as if making a prophecy, that I will certainly have a boyfriend before the year ends. I stared at him, me the usually gullible one, turned into an instant unbeliever. He probably sensed my disbelief so he added, "Just look at you, you're talented, and smart, and pretty! It's unbelievable that you still don't have a significant other!" I wanted to tell him I couldn't believe it either but oh well, I might end up broken again so I didn't say anything and just resumed playing the violin.

And then I met new people. Ultra cool people, some of which are younger than me, but really really cool and talented people. They brought back the sense of wonder I think I lost while being a corporate slave in Makati.

Before the month ended, I finally sold my Lenovo laptop. I had to due to storage problems. :'(

Batanes 05082014 Day 1

Ever since I decided to be a traveler way back late in 2012, Batanes has been in my bucketlist. Stories of how the place retained much of its traditional ways attract me, not to mention the many times I saw beautiful photos of Batanes in magazines and newspapers which elicited this deep desire to explore this paradise one day.

I really wasn't expecting to be there this year but one day I received an invite from a former travel buddy who was part of my Sagada adventure. She was someone I looked up to mainly because she travels out all on her own most times. I think I caught this so-called travel fever from her. Listening to her stories of beautiful secluded beaches inspired me to have the courage to go out and see the world for myself. One thing led to another. Before I knew it, friends were already labeling me as a traveler, much to my delight.

So despite not having recovered financially after my consecutive travels from January to early March, I said yes to the invitation. It was a good thing she agreed to book my ticket, too, otherwise I wouldn't have had the resources then to do so. Being poor is the biggest hindrance to traveling but I don't use it as an excuse. Instead, it motivates me to work hard [BUT play harder].

So anyway, since we were not able to fix our itinerary, we decided to go along with tour groups. It sucks but we simply didn't have that much time to talk about our traveling plans. Also, at that time, I was extra busy with volunteer work and everything else was put in the periphery.

Before we boarded the plane, we contacted one tour guide named Ryan. By the time we landed, I was already able to get a reply and shortly after we checked in at Marfel's Homestay, we found ourselves inside his van touring South Batan with four other persons.

Because Batanes is, as they say, a photographer's paradise, I think it's best to post more pics than write texts. Below are some of the places we've been to. It is an understatement to say that wherever in Batanes is photogenic.

Chawa Viewing Deck

Mahatao boat shelter port

Hohmoron Lagoon (where priests are said to bathe in colonial times)

House of Dakay (the oldest standing stone house in Batanes)

Mahatao Port (where one takes a boat ride to Sabtang Island)

Alapad Hills (its got awesome rock formations like the photo above)

San Lorenzo Ruiz Chapel in Imnajbu

rolling hills (too bad the grass is not green when we visited)

sun-dried dorado fish 

Boulder beach in Valugan

Basco Cathedral

Batanes Day 2
Batanes Day 3
Batanes Day 4
Batanes Day 5

Untitled 004

I just submitted my first draft article for the Wikimedia Cultural Heritage Mapping Project less than an hour ago. Not sure if I was doing it right but it's my first time and I'm quite open to feedback and comments. I just hope they comment on my work soon so I can revise as needed and start working on my two other articles.

Lately I've become preoccupied with the project that I've been staying up late for consecutive nights, something I haven't done in a while since I quit school. Maybe I just love the adrenaline rush in beating deadlines, more maybe I just crave intellectual pursuits. But this I know, even if I don't get certified in the project, at least I learned a lot, and met new people in the process. Plus, at least it made me get to know more about my city. 

For one, last week I discovered a very nice church. I never thought we had one like that near where I live. While there, I was just amazed at how old the structure was. So much history and yet very few knew of it. While walking through its corridors and sneaking into doors, I thought to myself, this could very well be my playground! Suddenly I found a sanctuary.

I was pleasantly surprised to find this gem in a place where I wasn't expecting much. Looks pretty new to me.

Also last week, I was back in UST with a newfound friend whom I first met in Pulag and whom I met again in the Wikimedia seminar. We first shopped at NBS Cubao since the store was having a sale. I got to purchase two cool art books among others, one focusing solely on my fave painter Titian. Then we took the LRT 2, got off at Recto and walked all the way to UST. My last visit in the university was during the Lumina Pandit exhibit, when UST was celebrating its 400th anniversary. Now everything looks better with the tiled plaza. I often thought, what if I went to UST instead of to UP? I would probably be very much inspired being surrounded by old structures but I guess I wouldn't be that comfortable with myself since it was only in UP where I got to meet like-minded fellows, people who are not afraid to be themselves, weird they may be. Plus, the intellectual climate in UP in incomparable. 

unfortunately, they allowed the construction of a condominium near UST. tsk tsk tsk!

Another plus is finally getting to try the Thai restaurant near UST. This Thai resto, located near Dapitan, serves cheap but delicious food. I can still remember the peanutty pad thai and their tom yum. I wish the tom yum is made more sour and spicy. 

These days, being busy is not a problem. I'm wishing for extra 5 hours each day so I can start reading the books I recently bought. I'm also excited to write about my Batanes adventure but I guess that will have to wait. Deadlines first. Sigh.

Bohol 03012014 Day 4

Our last day in Bohol started with cheap breakfast at a carinderia in Panglao, near where Ging Ging's Hotel. Because I wasn't that hungry that early, I only had an order of ampalaya, half cup of rice, egg, and free soup, which cost me only P29. Maybe my subconsciousness was telling me I was spending far too much with last night's expensive dinner at Bohol Bee Farm.

We hired a habal-habal for half a day, stopping by the wonderful Hinagdanan Cave first. Entrance fee is P25 per person. Staff also charges P5 for parking. It was a pretty small limestone cave, but a beautiful one at that. I especially love how sunlight comes filtering through the cracks, illuminating the cave and making it look rather divine. And the cool still waters provided us much respite from the heat outside. I dipped in the pool for quite a while just to experience the fresh waters.

cave paintings of snakes with human heads

Now what fascinates me the most about Hinagdanan Cave is the paintings of snakes on the walls! It's my first time to see rock art. (I live in Metro Manila but I have yet to see the Angono Petroglyphs.) From the look of it, the painting doesn't seem to be that old. Still, the subject is quite interesting. Why paint snakes? I wonder what the artist had in mind when he made this? They remind me of nagas.

Next we went to Dimaluan beach, which is more beautiful and more peaceful than boat-filled Alona Beach. The next time I'm visiting Bohol, I'll make sure to spend a night in this area. Entrance fee is P50 per person, plus P25 parking fee. Here I spied a French scuba diver whom I approached and conversed with. I just love the surprised look on a Westerner's face when they find an East Asian looking girl speaking French. LOL. I just wanted to practice my French since it's been a long time since I last used it. Anyway, while my buddy was enjoying the waters, I found refuge under a big tree and read a book. My idea of beach bumming doesn't involve getting burnt.

under this tree I sat and read... and napped

 We headed back to our hotel before noon. As we were waiting for a jeep back to Tagbilaran, a taxi stopped by in front of us and asked to drop us off in the city for just a minimal fee. We grabbed the opportunity since it was very hot and the jeep was taking so long to arrive.

In Tagbilaran, we had lunch at Dong Juan. My buddy had a burger while I feasted on their gambas con ajillo pasta (P179). Yummy! We did some last-minute shopping at BQ Mall before we hit the airport to go back to chaotic Manila.

already missing this pasta. YUMYUMYUM!

Bohol Day 1
Bohol Day 2
Bohol Day 3

Bohol 02282014 Day 3

Perhaps due to exhaustion, we were not able to get up early as planned. It was already around 8am when we got out of bed and had our free breakfast at Nisa Traveller's Inn. The dining area of the inn was colorful and pretty, the designs sure to be appreciated by travelers and adventurers yet providing that homey feel.

It was already hot outside when we went out to explore more of Bohol. This time, we ventured to the northwestern part of Bohol, visiting mainly the churches which were heavily damaged by the 7.2 earthquake late last year. Along way, we saw a lot of damaged houses.

According to a certain National Museum staff in Loon, there will be a one-year assessment of the area by geoscientists before any construction can take place. This is because of the sinkholes that materialized in the wake of the earthquake. We got to see the sinkholes, one of which is located right inside a classroom!

sinkhole inside a classroom in Loon

What's left of Santa Cruz Church in Maribojoc: statue amidst the rubbles

Sto. Niño Parish Church in Cortes

We returned to Tagbilaran afterwards. It was depressing to see the ruined churches, but at the same time, it was uplifting to see that life goes on in Bohol, that mass goes on in makeshift tents, that faith goes on. October 15, 2013 will forever be etched in the memory of heritage advocates and enthusiasts as this was the day many heritage structures were either badly damaged, or totally pulverized by a strong earthquake.

We had a quick tour of Bohol Museum and a quick visit to Tagbilaran Cathedral. Then we boarded the jeep to Alona and checked in at Ging Ging´s Hotel. Rate for a room for 2 with aircon is P850 and it was the cheapest we could find in that part of Panglao. Tired from consecutive commutes, my friend decided to sleep while I wandered off alone to visit the famous Nova Museum. This museum houses a collection of diverse shells found not only in Bohol but also in other parts of the Philippines. Of course, I am happy to find an entire shelf of Melo Shells, Melo being my nickname. Melo shells are found in Palawan and according to archaeologists who study shells, these types were once used as dippers (or tabo in Filipino). I also got to see the magnificent San Agustin Church. Augustinians really have beautiful massive churches!

At night we splurged on dinner at Bohol Bee Farm which was much recommended by another office friend who stayed at the resort. Since there were only two of us, we were not qualified to partake of the buffet which requires a minimum of 10 persons. So we had the special menu dinner (P660, service charge included). Dinner consisted of bread, cabcab & dip (this is really nice!), salad (with real flowers), seafood soup (which I LOVE!), brown rice, honeyed chicken with sesame seeds, pork spareribs, blue marlin steak lasagna (yummy!), and ice cream (yumyum!).

With that much food, we felt full even after the long habal-habal ride on the way back to our hotel. While on the road, we regretted not bringing jacket as the night wind was chilly. Yet, we greatly enjoyed the night as we got awed at the fantastic star-filled night sky.

Read about our Bohol Day 1 and Bohol Day 2 misadventures.
Bohol Day 4

Bohol 02272014 Day 2

The second day of our Bohol experience, my office friend and I woke up very early in the morning and hired a habal-habal to take us to Alona Beach in Panglao where we were to meet up with a Chinese couple whom we met yesterday at the Loay River Cruise and who asked us to join them in their island hopping activities so that as a group, costs will be cheaper. To our great dismay though, the one with whom they transacted was not an honest man. He asked for P500 more on top of the P1500 per banca, lying to the Chinese couple that the banca will be bigger and therefore more stable in the sea. The Chinese couple agreed, not knowing that the bancas are of regular size and one can seat up to 10 people. At that time, I remembered what our parasailing guide in Boracay told me about how Boholanos are manlolokos and even reminded me to always be alert when in Bohol. Still, we were still lucky because all the habal-habal drivers we hired were all friendly... Or maybe it's because we initiate conversations and even joke with them.

We arrived in Alona Beach a little before 6AM then we departed for Balicasag Island. On the way, we were treated to a sight of playful dolphins in the seas. Unfortunately, non-locals are not allowed to jump out to play with the dolphins. Our guides suggested we go to Oslob in Cebu for the whaleshark interaction experience so I noted that down.

In Balicasag Island, we had fun snorkeling. My recent purchase then of an underwater Pentax camera came in use. Sad to say, I haven't fully explored how to use it so it was only in auto mode, and the waters were not as calm as in Honda Bay in Puerto Princesa so my priority was on making sure I didn't venture far out lest people suddenly find me gone. Still, the sight was very beautiful. Lots of clownfish! Hello, Nemo!

I didn't get to take a good shot of the orange clownfish I saw...

Before we left the island, we got into a dispute with our guides because apparently, the snorkeling gear was not included in the P2000 fee. The night before I was asking if that was already included in the tour and the reply was just an "ok". If I were scammed in other countries I could have been more forgiving, but to be lied to and fooled by a fellow Filipino just doesn't feel right. And I had to explain everything to the Chinese couple who obviously did not understand Tagalog. So I was like an interpreter then and it was a most stressful situation to be in. Our vacation was almost ruined thanks to manlolokos who prey on tourists. I hate the mentality here that foreigners are wealthy people. I hope that Bohol creates a tourism office to regulate all tourism activities, pretty much what they have in Sagada and Batanes. In Bohol, you are vulnerable to these kinds of scams. Snorkeling gear cost us an extra P150 per person. This and not to mention the P200 snorkeling fee at Balicasag Island, which was also not declared beforehand.

When we finally got to the second island, in Virgin Island, it was as if everything that happened was already a faint memory. The island has nothing special in it but the serenity of the place certainly calmed us down. Here in Virgin Island, we tasted different seafood offerings like sea cucumber, shells, sea urchins, and abalones. I love the shells most, they taste like shrimp but the texture is like that of squid.

 It was already past noon when we got back to Alona Beach. We had our late lunch in one of the tent restaurants in the area. Two piece chicken barbecue, rice, and monggo cost me only P135. My friend ordered chicken intestines (isaw) and I had a taste. It was good.

We went back to our hotel in Tagbilaran to rest a little. Then at night, we attended the samba at Iglesia ni Cristo because my friend is of that faith. I just tagged along, curious as to how they worship.

Read about our Day 1 experience HERE.
Bohol Day 3
Bohol Day 4

Bohol 02262014 Day 1

So finally I'm in the mood to write about my Bohol experience. An officemate and I traveled to the land of Chocolate Hills on the last week of February this year and were back in Manila by the first of March. The three and a half journey was not only an opportunity to see how resilient Boholanos are in response to the high magnitude quake they suffered and the subsequent typhoon that really wreaked havoc in Visayas.

Of all the trips, this one was a challenge for me in terms of fixing our itinerary. I was not able to go on full research beforehand and had limited knowledge of the ferry system. We initially had plans to go to Siquijor but that didn't push through because we found ourselves doing a lot in Bohol and Panglao and less than 4 days was such a bad idea. On the bright side, this gave us more than one reason to go back.

aerial view of the famous Chocolate Hills showing cracks after the quake late last year

When I went to Boracay via Kalibo with my sisters in late January, the weather was cool so I was not expecting Bohol to be hot and always sunny though I really was thankful that nights were cool. My officemate and I greatly enjoyed that one chilly night we were out late and we enjoyed looking up at the star studded night sky while on the habal-habal.

We went straight to Nisa Travellers Inn in Bohol upon arrival and after resting for a while, we went to Loay. Along the way, we passed by houses destroyed by the quake. We arrived in Loay at close to 11AM so after seeing the church, we decided to avail the river cruise with buffet lunch.

The Loay river cruise was a welcome cool respite from the super hot noon. A guitarist played well-loved songs while singing and he even sang a Chinese song! The buffet was quite a spread and I loved the fried chicken only it's too covered with batter and they look big but in fact they're just bony pieces pieced together. Despite this, I loved it.

We went to Albuquerque to see the unusual salt-making tradition they have which involves the use of coconuts to harvest salt. This was after seeing the town church. I learned of this from a foreign scholar who's into salt-making while in Angkor Wat earlier this year. I couldn't believe a foreigner knew much more about Bohol than I do so I made sure to allot time for it in this trip but unfortunately, salt-making was not in season at the time of our visit and neither was I able to buy this special salt. Locals told me they prefer the ordinary one since it's cheaper. I just hope this tradition does not die out.

Next up was Python Sanctum but unfortunately, Prony the python had died due to an illness. According to the caretaker, the pet python died in place of its master. It seemed like they believe in some kind of magic wherein the pet animal would sacrifice itself in order for its master to get cured from a certain illness. Now who says only furry animals are cute?

We then proceeded to Baclayon to see the church and the museum. Baclayon church is one of the most famous churches in Bohol due to its age primarily and also for its museum which houses religious relics, furniture, statues, and even glass items (imagine how excited I was at this discovery! I just hope they let me access their glass collection for my future research).

Near Baclayon church is a small stand which sells refreshing juices. I had the honor of having their wonderful watermelon mint shake for only P50! Take note, they use real mint leaves! While drinking I couldn't help but think of the furry friendly animals in Redwall.

Before we went back to our hotel, we dropped by Dauis to see the church there and to enjoy the sunset. Note: The place is simple yet beautiful. I'm adding it to my list of venue for my pre-nuptial photos LOL.

Dauis late in the afternoon

Before we head back to our hotel, we had early dinner at Alfonso Pizzeria. We had Margherita pizza (P170) and Sicily (P200), both delicious. Would love to go back there again. And I'd like to try the trattoria near it since the owner who is a foreigner boasts of their authentic dishes though at that time we were in a hurry.

Bohol Day 2
Bohol Day 3
Bohol Day 4