Grande Island

I had last minute second thoughts about joining this huling-hirit summer getaway. My mom was diagnosed with diabetes and a cyst was found on one of her ovaries. I had to help with the medical expenses and I was practically running short of cash. But thanks to friends, my 50% down payment wasn't put to waste and I was still able to take this much needed break. ^_^

Met up with Gary at Ministop, Galleria at around 6:30am. Ercia told us not to be late. Seriously? SERIOUSLY. Well, we waited for them for an hour or two. 'Twas because of Charlie, I think. Seriously? SERIOUSLY. Hehe. Nweiz, because of the delay, we were caught up in traffic. But traffic jams are not that bad for friends who haven't seen each other in a while...

Finally arrived at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone and had a quick stop over to answer nature's call. We reached the Ferry terminal and took more pictures as we waited for the next trip. After an hour, we boarded the ferry boat going to Grande Island Resort. Lucky us, we were able to occupy a table inside where we sat comfortably for the rest of the ride.

The receiving area was kinda crowded for there were about three companies having their company outing. But we were in a grand island so what the hell. Checked out the rooms first...

Then, we had our buffet lunch. It wasn't that good, maybe because we're already late. Actually, I barely remember what I had for lunch. All I can recall is the salad. And that's just because of these pictures...

After lunch, we all retreated into our rooms to rest for a while. Roxie and I were very disgusted because the toilet was a complete mess after Arnie used it. There were McArthurs in the bowl and pee on the floor. *Barf* Oops! There goes my lunch. >_< Guys, I have one question - Is it really that difficult to aim your pee???

Nweiz, we spent the afternoon using the coupons, which were part of the package. There were a lot of choices for the Water Adventure - Banana Boat, Flying Fish, Chariot, Stingray - just to name a few. We first rode the famous Banana Boat. Then, we tried another ride called Chariot, which was a lot more thrilling. Next summer, I wish I get to do parasailing naman. Hehe.

Another coupon entitled us to play badminton and volleyball. I'm not a big volleyball fan coz whenever I play the sport, my arms get peppered with bruises. Nyaha. After the game, we stayed near the side beach to take some pictures 'til sunset.

We then had another buffet meal for our dinner. This time, the food was better. Also, there was this cultural show enjoyed by the foreigners and locals alike.

After dinner, we went night swimming in the pool. I saw three falling stars. Gary confessed something that shocked us all. Hehe. Too bad there was a curfew policy for the pool so we had no choice but to call it a night. Bleh.

Roxie and I weren't able to sleep well that night. We were bombarded with unbelievably loud snores that could put a foghorn to shame. I guess that explains why I can't seem to bring myself to smile in these pictures...

We then had our buffet breakfast. After eating, we had some sort of nature trip walking the trails and exploring the woods. For some reason, there were umpteen million dead frogs on the road. God, I miss the experience. Wah! I wanna hike again!

Went back to our rooms to prepare to leave. After we checked out, we stayed for more camera whoring. Hehe.

On our way home, we dropped by Duty Free to do a little chocolate shopping. We then stopped by the recycled house featured in Rated K. The gate was made of gas tanks of all sizes and the umbrellas were made out of scrap metals. How cool is that?

Then, we grabbed a bite to eat at Razon's. Their heavenly halo-halo never failed to tickle my taste buds. Yum! ^_^

Goodbye, Summer!

Feel Me In

JP: "Wala naisip ko lang. Kung ganon ka ka-expressive sa blog mo, bakit in person hindi naman?"

Well, I don't talk a lot about feelings and emotions (so I am told). Sure, I speak my mind but seldom do I speak my heart. Why? Let me count the reasons.

One, I find it easier to express my emotions in writing. Coz there isn't much to worry about when I write. No need to worry about dodging questions that I don't wanna answer. No need to worry about being disappointed for not getting the response that I expect. And I need not worry about keeping people interested on what I have to say. If they don't like what I write or if they don't find me interesting, they can easily click me off their screens for all I care.

Two, there are times when I feel like plain spoken words aren't enough to convey the emotions that I hold in me. That they're not as powerful. When I share how I feel, making it known to another person ain't good enough for me. When I share how I feel, I want the other person to know the emotion, understand it, and feel its intensity (if not the emotion itself). And I think only through the use of written words can I breathe life into each faceless emotion effectively.

Three, I gain much satisfaction from expressing myself creatively through writing. I play with words like a kid playing with his brand-spankin' shiny new toy - filled with a devil-may-care joy and gusto, overflowing with so much energy and enthusiasm.

Words are my toys. And this blog is my playground.

Vertical Thrill

Went wall climbing with Roxie, MJ, Simon, Julius, and Marlyn at Power-Up, Silver City. Gerard, one of the instructors, first taught us how to do proper belaying, climbing, and basic equipment handling. To avoid any accidents, he told us that the communication between the climber and the belayer must be clear.

Before climbing, the climber should tell the belayer that he is ready to climb,

Climber: "Climbing!"

The belayer should then confirm that he is aware of the climb and is now ready to secure the climber,

Belayer: "Climb on!"

While the climber is up against the wall, he can make any of the following calls depending on his need:

If the climber needs the security of a tighter rope,

Climber: "Tension!"

If the rope is too tight, and the climber needs the belayer to loosen it off a bit,

Climber: "Slack!"

When the climber is already on top, as the saying goes, the only way to go is down. But before he could go down the wall, he should first inform the belayer of his descend,

Climber: "Down!"

Then, the belayer should pull any remaining slack to ensure that the climber won't fall. Once done,

Belayer: "Let go!"

Apparently, all the climbing commands are straightforward and are very easy to remember. Using them would be as easy as ABC - or so we thought.

Roxie as Climber: "Climb on!"
Me as Belayer: "Climbing!"
Gerard: "Baliktad!!!"

Roxie: "Aray! Ang sakit! Ang sakit!"
Gerard: "Anong sabi mo?"
Roxie: "Slack! Slack! Slaaack!!!"

Me: "Pagod na ko! Bababa na ko..."
MJ: "Down?"
Me: "Oo, down na!"
MJ: "Let go!"
Me: "Promise?"
MJ: "Oo!"
Me: "Talaga?"

Hahaha! ^_^ After climbing the beginner's wall a couple of times, we decided to try a more challenging wall - one that was slightly angled. I clenched and clawed and laughed my way up the wall without much agility and success. I found it difficult to sustain a strong grip on the hand holds. Guess it goes to show how heavy I am. Ehe. I don't think I got higher than six feet when I slipped. Argh!

MJ climbed the angled wall with so much ease and grace. She was almost able to reach the top of the wall. Galing! No wonder Spidey fell in love with her! ;)

Hehehe. ^_^

And what better way to end this day than to watch Spiderman 3?!