BeCool This Summer

03.19.08
Thought I won't be able to make it on time for the meetup. There was a religious procession cutting through the main streets of Marikina. Roads were closed to make way for the brightly lit floats and devout worshippers, which naturally caused a lot of traffic. I was supposed to meet Franz at Metroeast for dinner but the mall was already closed when I arrived. Just had a quick dinner at Tropical instead before heading to Vista Verde to wait for Chris. When Chris, Pril and Joji arrived, we loaded our things into his CRV. Then off we went to El Pueblo where Borj and Jozzel were waiting for us.

Prepared ourselves for the very long road trip ahead of us. Actually, 'tis the longest road trip I've been on to date. And I dunno if I was really able to catch some sleep or I was just making myself believe that I did. Haha.

03.20.08
When we arrived at Bicol, we first met up with Boss Marvs. They prepared a hearty breakfast of tuyo, omelette, and fried rice for us to gorge on. Yum! Yum! We were so hungry, we barely talked to one another. Haha.

After breakfast, we rested for a while. The boys bought some gallons of distilled water. When they got back, we sorted out the things that we'll be bringing at the island. Also, we started applying sunblock on our arms, legs and faces. Except for Borj who opted not to put some coz he hates the sticky feeling. Nyaha. Well, the same is true for me. But I'd rather feel sticky than have a hellacious sunburn - or worse, skin cancer. Yikes.

Boss Marvs called for a couple of tricycles that would take us to the dock. According to the owner of the boat, hers could carry up to 30 persons. Thought that it would be really spacious for the 7 of us. But when the boat arrived, we all couldn't imagine how it could sit 30 persons. Nyaha.

Joji: "Kasya naman. Mga trentang bata."

Korek! Hehe. I was wrong for expecting something similar to the boats that ply the Batangas-Mindoro route. Coz unlike Puerto Galera, we were not going to a popular tourist destination. We rode a typical fisherman's boat - narrow-bodied and roofless with a few planks of wood that served as seats. Jozzel and I sat on the cooler and I just huddled under his blanket to shield myself from the scorching sun.

After a two-hour boat ride, we finally reached Bicol's hidden paradise. The water is crystal clear with beautiful shades of aquamarine. The long stretch of white sand is powder soft. The beach is very pristine. And the best part is, we had it on our own! Hehe. I couldn't say that it could give Boracay a run for its money coz I haven't been there yet. But April could! So I quote...

April: "Daig pa ang Boracay!!!"

Take it from her! Hehe. I really don't think that my words could do justice to this beautiful, beautiful island so I'd just post some pictures and let you be the judge.

The sun was furiously beating down on us. There were no trees to shadow us from its powerful rays. Good thing we could rely on Joji and April to put up a tempo shelter. While they were busy doing their thing, Borj, Jozzel and I, jumped into the waters and talked about our "forecasts" that ought to stay between the three of us. Hmm... Let's just wait and see. Only time will prove who's right and who's wrong. Hehehe. ;)

Since we're not in a commercialized beach resort, there were no activities and no facilities that could keep us entertained. So we just kept ourselves busy playing an awful lot of frisbee! Wee!

At first I thought that playing it would be no kick. Didn't know that it could also be quite a challenge - controlling the speed and angle of the throw, running after the disc, making the catch, and all that. If we weren't playing, eating, sleeping, or swimming, we're busy taking pictures of ourselves while worshipping the sun, the sea, and the sand. Yep, we're one idolatrous bunch! Hehehe.


When night fell, we all sat under the glittering serenity of the moonlight with a glass of Artic Melon in hand. I really didn't enjoy the drink coz we drank it with no ice. It was a bit too strong for my taste. So just after a couple of shots, I drifted off to the hills of Tralala. ZzzZzZ...

03.21.08
The next morning, Ms. Bangker arrived to fetch us. According to her, the waves were too big for us to proceed safely. We had to walk to the other side of the island where the waves were much calmer.

While walking, she kept on bugging Joji to just dump our trash anywhere in the island. She even found it hilarious that we'll be bringing the trash bag with us instead of just leaving it behind. Wadapak?! It was very saddening and downright annoying to witness that kind of attitude especially from a local, from someone who primarily should be taking good care of the island, from someone who should be protecting it from rowdy tourists who just don't give a hoot! LNT principle, people! Haaay. Tsktsk.

The waves came crashing against our tiny boat. At first, we were laughing and shouting coz it just felt like a wild ride at Rio Grande. But when the potential danger of the situation sank in, I found myself holding on to the sides of the boat for dear life! We were up against Mother Nature herself and we all knew that it wasn't a fair fight. The rain poured down and soaked us through, as if to prove how helpless we were against her forces. Or perhaps she just knew that we haven't taken a shower yet and we were badly in need of one. Haha.

When we arrived at Boss Marvs' place, we ate our cups of Yakisoba for breakfast. After resting for a while, we hit the road going to Naga. On the way, we saw a lot of people whose faces were covered with vines and weeds doing self-flagellation. When it comes to the Catholic faith, this is one of the many things that I don't understand. I mean, why would someone whip himself or nail himself to a cross and call it devotion to God? Does He want our suffering for atonement? I think not.

Nweiz, we had a shrimp feast for lunch at Chris' place. Yummy! Funny how Roxie examined our plates to see who ate the most number of shrimps. And guess who did? She did! Wehehe.

After eating, we were finally able to take a bath. Finally! Hehe. Since it was our rest day, we just relaxed and watched a couple of movies. 27 Dresses was predictable but pretty good. Most romantic films are, anyway. Hehe. It reminded me of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, only with the roles changed. Step Up 2 was pretty good also, especially if you're into street dancing and dance showdowns. Apple Bottom jeans, boots with the furrrrr! Hehe.

Before hitting the sack, Roxie and I made a ref cake. Sadly though, we did it all wrong. The mixture of all-purpose cream and condensed milk was too watery that it just settled at the bottom of the container and made the graham crackers float. But we did a nice presentation, see? We even topped it with mallows and Knick Knacks! Haha. *toink*

03.22.08
Our itinerary for this day was to try wakeboarding at Camsur Watersports Complex. But when we got there, a lot of people were already lined up. They just asked us to sign the waiver and go back after lunch for our slot.

Waited for Boss AP to arrive. But since he had to go somewhere else and won't be able to join us, we just asked him to buy us some ice cream! Hehe. Thanks, Boss AP! ^_^

We first went to the Cagsawa Ruins in Albay. The belfry is the only part of the church that is left standing. A mute testimony of Mayon volcano's destructive fury. Climbed the belfry just for the heck of it. Hehe. It just irked us to discover a lot of vandalism inside the ruins. Some people really have nothing better to do! Argh.

Mayon volcano hid behind her veil of clouds that day. We weren't able to catch a full view of its majestic beauty. But a glimpse of her perfect cone was enough to leave me struck with awe. Ang galing talaga ni God! ^_^

Native bags were being sold outside the ruins. My mom requested me to buy one for her. I saw this bag for 400 pesos. It was a bit expensive compared to the other bags but it was the only one left of its kind so I bought it anyway. Yay! Another bag I could borrow from my mom! Hehe.

We then went to Ateneo de Naga University - Chris' alma mater. We went around the campus pretending to be Ateneans, coming up with nostalgic stories that never really took place. Hehe. But really, I suddenly missed St. Scho. As in. I'm sure it would be really nice to walk around the canteen, the chapel, the quadrangle, the new gym, the old gym, gate 3, gate 7... Haha.

We also visited one of the churches in Bicol, the Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Peñafrancia. I forgot to make a wish and enter the church left foot first. Huhu.

We then decided to head back to CWC. It took us quite a while to begin. We waited for other people to return the life vests and helmets into the rack. When we all got our gears, the control person announced that they would have their dinner break and resume operation at 7:30.

First, we were taught how to kneeboard. Kuya told us to keep our bodies bent forward and keep the handle near our bodies. We asked him when we could level-up to the wakeboard. According to him, we have to complete 3-4 laps of kneeboard in order to do so. Ok, let's get it on! Hehe.

I was a bit nervous and excited while I stood in line. I was having mental images of myself unable to complete the lap, trying to swim to the side, struggling to stay afloat, when another kneeboarder hits me right smack in the face! Thank God none of that happened. Nyahaha. I was able to finish the course on my first try, which was quite a feat for a beginner like me. Ahihihi.

Though it made my shoulders ache, it was really a fun experience! In an hour, we were only able to do 3 laps. Sadly, we weren't able to try the wakeboard and the water ski. We're definitely going back! Right, Roxie? Hehe.

We went back to Chris' place to freshen up. Then we drove around Bicol for the last time. The boys wanted to experience some night life so they went to a bar while Roxie, Pril, Joji, and I stayed at Kopi Roti. The coffee bun was the best! Hehe. After a couple of hours, we went back to his house, rested our tired bodies, and slept heavenly.

03.23.08
Prepared ourselves and our things for our trip back to Manila. We had a lovely breakfast of spaghetti and dried pusit. Yum! Lots of thanks to Boss Chris and his family for feeding us to the brim! Hehe.

We first went to church to catch the morning mass. Then we dropped by some stalls to buy pasalubongs. I bought cashew tarts, pili tarts, bars of mazapan pili, pili bars, and pili cakes! Waah! Pili nuts overload! Hehe.

To everyone who made this road trip possible and enjoyable... (Naks! May ganun?!) ... DIOS MABALOS!!! ^_^

Yatta! Omedetou!

I really didn't expect that I would pass the Japanese Language Proficiency Test Level 4 that I took last December. Coz I'm pretty sure that I flunked the Listening and the Reading Comprehension parts of the exam. So when my name was called during the awarding of JLPT passers, I was pleasantly surprised and mighty happy! Hehe. Is this certificate mine? Am I really Php1,500 richer? I mean, really? Nyaha.

I asked for a copy of my grades at the HR office. Just as I thought, I failed the Listening part of the exam. Miserably! My score was an embarrassing 29/100. Hahaha.

Congratulations to all the JLPT passers! Yatta! ^_^

The Morning Rush

I am not a morning person. It takes six snoozes, my brother throwing a pillow over my face and my mom telling me how late it is before I get out of bed to go to work. During the weekends, I usually wake up after lunch. That's how attached I am with my bed. Hehehe.

But if there's one thing that I look forward to in the morning, it's The Morning Rush's Top 10 with Chico and Delamar. I tune in at around 7:20am for the bottom half of the second batch of entries for the day's topic. I listen to the top half of the second batch at around 7:50am and the bottom half of the last batch at around 8:20am on my way to work. The top half of the last batch of entries, I catch at the office at around 8:50am. Hahaha! Adik ako.

This morning's topic was "The Top Ten Signs that Your Boss Loves You or Hates You". I remembered Ate Rochelle mentioning something about what Mr. Masubuchi told her when she tendered her resignation. I think it was awww-worthy so I texted it in and to my utter delight, my entry landed at the top spot! Kinilig naman ako. Ahihihi. ^_^

Here goes a transcript of their two cents worth on my two pesos and fifty centavos worth:

Delamar: "And the top sign that your boss loves your or hates you comes from another no-namer."
Chico: "No-name says..."
Delamar: "Your boss really loves you when you file your resignation letter and then he tells you, 'Please don't leave...'"
Chico: "Awwww..."
Delamar: "Ohhh... So simple. So direct."
Chico: "Yeah, that's nice."
Delamar: "It's very nice."
Chico: "And that's heartwarming."
Delamar: "It is heartwarming. Because you understand that your presence counts a lot to someone. I mean, professionally."
Chico: "And the boss always has the upperhand. It's not an equal, it's not an equal relationship."
Delamar: "No, yeah that's true."
Chico: "It's not like husband and wife. The boss is always higher than the subordinate. So..."
Delamar: "Hahaha! Not husband and wife, who's always higher? The wife."
Chico: "None, none. It's equal, it's equal. So it's like when they say, 'Please don't leave' they go down from their high horse and then they go, 'You know what? Please don't leave...'"
Delamar: "Yeah, it's like 'I'm the boss but I need you.'"
Chico: "That's so nice."

And I couldn't agree more. Hehe. Give it a listen here.

Haiku Melendez II

Sasali ako dito.
Lilikha ako.
Kahit premyo'y di tanto.

...

Hahahahahahaha!
Hahahahaha!
Hahahahahahaha!

...

Bakit ka natatawa?
Seryoso ako!
Gago ka! Umayos ka!

Kennon IXUS 860

Had second thoughts about joining this sidetrip to Baguio. I was already tired and my skin was burning and stinging and I got lazy when Roxie told me that Boss Chris' CRV was under repair and that we had to commute and I knew that it would be such a hassle because of the Panagbenga festival, (insert more reasons here). Hehehe. But with his CRV back in action, I realized that it would be a short trip so I might as well hop in. Haha.

But the short trip dragged on to hours and hours of getting lost and asking for directions. But as they say, getting lost could also be fun. As long as you could get yourself unlost, that is. And true enough, it added some fun and a few laughs into our road trip.

Manong: [hand pointing to right] "Kumaliwa po kayo don sa..."
Boss Chris: "Sigurado ka? Kasi kanan 'to."

Hehe. Couldn't really laugh out loud coz even I tend to get confuse with my left and my right. I guess I'm a little dyslexic. Nyaha. Moments later...

Joji: "Uy! Mei beach na pala sa Baguio!"

Hahaha! Welcome to La Union! *toink*

When we finally reached Baguio, we saw some of the floats from the Panagbenga festival. Sans the chrysanthemums, orchids, roses, sunflowers and everlastings. Huhu. The only decent float I saw was that of People Support.



Checked in at the City Lights Hotel. Watched a little TV. HBO was showing Music and Lyrics and I was just waiting for Hugh Grant to sing "Way Back Into Love". Hehe. But I wasn't able to catch the scene because the boys were already itching to roam around.

We first attended a mass at the Baguio Cathedral. After the mass, we walked around Burnham Park where we did a little food trip and munched on corns, chicharon and fishballs! Yum! Yum!



It started to rain so we walked back to the hotel. Roxie was texting and calling, asking us where we were. Not one of us texted back or answered her calls. When we reached the hotel, we tiptoed our way to the room, careful not to make any noise. Turned out that they weren't in the hotel and they wanted us to meet them at SM Baguio. Nyaha. But we were all infected with the lazy bug so we just appealed to their good nature to buy a KFC bucket meal for our dinner. Hehe. And of course, who would forget the drinks? I was just a little disappointed because I really had no one to share the bottle of Shakers with. Kathy, Roxie and April weren't that into mudslides. Boss Chris and Borj kept on bugging me about requesting for a bottle and not consuming it. Argh! 700mL of vodka mudslide is meant to be shared! I was kinda begging and forcing them to take a shot just to help me down the bottle. Boohoo.



Roxie and Boss Chris did a little skit. Boss Chris said that he invited a girl to join us. Roxie shouted some angry words. When the mystery visitor entered, it was Nerwin! Ayeee!!! Kathy blushed a thousand shades of red and a huge smile was plastered on her face the entire night! Kakilig! As of this writing, I could still feel the tingles! Ahihihi. ^_^



Nweiz, during the drinking session, we were watching an episode of my new favorite cartoon show: Family Guy. Starring my new favorite cartoon character: Stewie Griffin! Hehe. Stewie is a one year old baby boy with a deep voice, a British accent and a sophisticated attitude! San ka pa?! Hehe.



Stewie: "You know what else is disgusting?"
[He farts and his right eye turns red.]
Stewie: "Oh damn, I broke a blood vessel."

The following day, we went to the market to buy some pasalubongs: choco flakes, lengua, crinkles, ube jam, strawberry jam and sundot-kulangot. I also bought a back scratcher for my dad and a thumb ring and spider earrings for moi! Hehe. Then, we dropped by McDonald's for breakfast, went back to our hotel, freshened up, checked out, and leisurely drove around Baguio.

Our first stop was the Botanical Garden. The last time I went there, it was night time and everything was dark. Now I know how it looks like in daylight. Hehe. We checked out the Baguio Arts Guild gallery located at the heart of the garden. Everything in it was impressive and expressive.



We then went to The Mansion for a quick photo shoot. Stood in front of the gates, setup the tripod, first shot, second shot, third shot. Walked through the gates, sat in the pavement, setup the tripod, first shot, second shot, third shot. Done. As in that quick. Hehe.

Then, off we went to 50's Diner for lunch. We were too hungry to think of what dishes to order so we just availed of their group package. Next thing we knew, our table was overflowing with food! Dish after dish of Caesar Salad, Fish Fillet, Chicken and Pork Skewers, etc. Our stomachs were already as hard as our foreheads but they still served us a nice cup of ice cream for desserts! Nyaha.



Headed home after lunch. Nerwin and Kathy opted to ride a bus back to Manila. April and I were amazed at the trees' alignment on top of the mountains. The view left us with nothing to say but "Ang galing talaga ni God." Hehe. We drove down via Kennon Road to catch a glimpse of the Lion's Head. I'm pretty sure that it once had coal black hair but now the lion is sporting a blonde 'do. Hehe. Sosyal!

And here ends my shortest long weekend ever. Hehe.

One Hundred Isles Of Solitude

Nowadays, where could your 500 pesos take you? I mean, aside from a fastfood restaurant, a movie house, or a cheap motel - for those perverted minds thinking that. Hehe. 500 pesos could buy you a regular day pass at Enchanted Kingdom with no food to eat and no water to drink. 500 pesos could take you to Baguio, but it couldn't bring you back to Manila. Apparently, the amount won't get you that far. But thanks to the OBD team, my 500 pesos took me to the famous hundred islands dotting the sea of Pangasinan! Woohoo!!!

I brought all my things at the office. They told me that my bag was too big for the outing.

Roxie: "Kringle! Pack light, pack right!"

Hahaha! Fine, I admit! I am an inexcusably appaling packer. I really tried to fit all my things into a backpack but I wasn't happy with the result. Sure, I had it zipped but it was bulging at the seams! Like my things were bursting out of my bag! Think Pamela Anderson bursting out of her bra. Not a pretty sight, eh? Nyaha. So I brought with me a bigger bag where my things could comfortably breathe inside.

Me: "Konti lang talaga yan, marami lang hangin! Tignan mo kapag inupuan ko..."

Hehehe. Octoberian. ;)

After work, we went to Megamall to meet April and Kathy who were doing groceries. Dropped by April's pad for dinner. Then off to Roxie's house where we freshened up before heading to Kathy's place and finally to El Pueblo for the 11pm meetup. When Mike arrived, we transferred to his SUV and began the long road trip to Alaminos.

We arrived at the rest house just as the sun was rising from the horizon, painting the sky in glorious shades of purple and gold. A bitch welcomed us in. The guys were soo caught up by her hospitality and even more by her boobs.



And what big boobs she has!



Hahaha! My back and my neck were aching from the long hours of sitting uncomfortably still while trying to catch some sleep. So when my body landed on the bed with my arms and my legs stretched out, sleep came in quickly. After an hour or two, we left the house to look for a boat that would take us to the islands. We first went to a wharf in front of a resort. I think the amount they were charging us was a little out of budget so we left and looked for other boats. But not before stealing some shots, of course. ;)



Cut my life into pieces. This is...



Hehehe. We went to another wharf, which was bigger, with more boats docked around the area. Actually, it was more expensive than the previous one but they said that it is inclusive of the islands' entrance fee. So Mr. Bangker, you have a deal! *toink* Hehe.



On our way to our destination, we saw the many, many islands scattered around the waters. According to Joji, the Hundred Islands is actually a cluster of 124 islets at low tide or 123 islets at high tide and not exactly 100 islets as most of us thought. We started counting the islands. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5...



And then we lost our count! Nyaha.

Nweiz, our first stop was the Governor's Island. The first thing that caught my eye was the Pinoy Big Brother house where the final four teen housemates stayed. Hehe. Unsurprisingly, the house was locked so we just appreciated the beautiful landscape and seascape from where we stood.



Walked a little around the island. At first we took the route by the water and then on our way back, we did a short hike up the view deck where we had a nice panoramic view of the surrounding islands. Ang galing talaga ni God. ^_^



Our next stop was the Quezon Island, named after the late President Manuel Quezon. According to Mr. Bangker, it is the biggest of the islands. Upon arrival, we all went straight to the Pavilion for lunch. Our hungry stomachs were filled with rice, Salted Egg and Tomato Salad, and Chicken and Pork Adobo! Hehe. Thanks, Kathy! ^_^



After lunch, we climbed the stairs going to the picnic sheds where we stayed for a while snapping some photos while the others were already swimming in the waters.

Then, we followed suit and took the plunge! It was quite enjoyable but there were many jellyfishes floating about. I remember Kathy yelling at the top of her lungs when she saw a jellyfish just a couple of inches away from her. I was standing right beside her so I was really shocked when she yelled like that! Nyahaha.

Also, Quezon Island was a little too crowded. Sure, the sea is a boundless expanse but it would have been much more fun and relaxing if there were fewer people. I mean, how could you relax if there are a lot of kids playing in the sand and a lot of people swimming in the sea and a lot of people making noise and a kid skinny dipping? Salacious! Wehehe.



Anton knew of another island, which was less crowded. Half of the group checked the island first and they would just text us if it's better there. So while waiting for their go signal, we thought of exploring Quezon Island. April told us that she saw a small cave somewhere. My back scraped against a rock and I got myself a tiny scratch. We walked and walked until we saw a pipe with water gushing out. Guess it was water coming down from the comfort rooms. Hahaha! We decided to walk back before we could see something gross flowing out of it. Yikes!



We went back to the Pavilion. Thought it would be a waste to just stay put in one place so April, Jozzel and I continued roaming around the island. We climbed everything there is to climb and looked for anything worth seeing. We saw the statue of Manuel Quezon, whitewashed and time-worn, overlooking the island like a plaster saint.



On our way back to the Pavilion, we ran into Kathy and the rest of the group. They already received a text message from Boss JD and we were to follow them there. We rode the boat and told Mr. Bangker to bring us to Scout Island. When we noticed that the boat was heading for the port, we reminded Mr. Bangker of our destination. Apparently, he thought we were already going home. Nyeh. Mr. Bangker wanted us out of the islands! No deal! Hehehe. *toink*

Scout Island is a small island but the water there is more beautiful. The color was more inviting and it wasn't crowded compared to Quezon Island. We just shared the island with a group of Koreans.



Had so much fun under the sun with the sand as our main source of wholesome entertainment...



and not-so-wholesome entertainment.



Boys will be boys.

There was this pretty Korean girl who kinda looks like Shan Cai. The stolen shots didn't suffice so they later asked her to pose with us!



Boys will always be boys. Hehehe. ^_^v

Nweiz, after drinking a little, eating a little, and camera whoring a lot, we left the shores of Scout Island and floated into the sea...



We went back to, as what the locals call it, the mansion. Washed away the sand and the salt from my body. I was sunburnt to a crisp. My arms and my back was burning red. The cold water felt soo good, I wanted to stay at the shower forever. Hehe.

We then prepared dinner. We had Pinaputok na Tilapia. And just like in our milestone before, I volunteered to stuff the fish with tomatoes and onions! Hehe. After dinner, Roxie and I washed the plates, the cups, and the utensils. Some played a game of pool, while some strolled at the portside. Boss JD handed us a bottle of San Mig Light. I really don't enjoy the taste of beer but out of courtesy, I accepted the drink. I was gulping down the bottle of beer when...

Boss JD: "Ang mga taga-St. Scho talaga malakas uminom noh?"

I almost spluttered a mouthful in his face. Nyahaha.

And then we stayed at the portside. After an hour or two of "kwentuhang lashing", we decided to go back to the house, where it would be safer for all of us. Hehe. The others have gone to sleep but Roxie, April, Joji and I chatted some more. We talked about the planned Baguio sidetrip. If we would still push through despite the problem with the transpo, etc. At one point, I already felt sleepy. Joji told us to hit the sack later because he was not yet sleepy. But how would sleep come to him when he kept on pedaling away at the stationary bike? Nyaha. A couple of minutes later, Roxie and April also felt sleepy and he had no choice but to call it a night.

The next morning, we left the home of the Hundred Islands and headed to the City of Pines!