After two weeks of blissful rest, I'm once again part of the Philippine workforce. Ahihi. ^_^
My first day at PSOD was uneventful but it went fairly well. There were no first day jitters since I already know some people, most of them were former officemates. And I also have a batchmate! Yippee!
I spent most of the day filling out forms. The HR manager was on leave so the usual first day orientation did not happen. She just left us an email with an attached resumé format and capability matrix file, which were pretty easy to accomplish. All I did was remove all the markings coz I've no experience in any of the listed technologies. Haha.
Hours passed slowly with me pretending to be busy with the files. Reading and rereading it for like 5 hours. Haha. I was so bored I could actually watch windows flying around my screen. Or maybe even watch somebody else watching windows flying around his screen! Hehe.
Thank God there's YM.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
Mi Ultimo Dia En Tsukiden
The day started as mundane as can be. Boss Mags told me last week that he wouldn't give me any more tasks come Thursday so I could start packing my things (He could tell I have a lot. Hehe.) But I think it kinda escaped his mind coz he still got me working on the OSD test items until noon. Waha.
Had a lunch out with Roxie, Pril, Joji, Jozzel and Vince at Buddy's. Ordered our food in advance hoping that we wouldn't have to wait too long when we get there. Thank Heavens we got what we hoped for. As usual, we had sizzling sisig and lemon chicken on our table. And just for the sake of having a balanced diet, we also had chopsuey. Hehe.
Next came my most dreaded time of the day. Being a Friday, the entire 2nd BU had its afternoon briefing at the conference room. The different groups first reported on the current status of their projects. Then Boss Lowell said a couple of work-related announcements, which later segued into the announcement of my last working day with the company. Everyone was asked to give me a message, which felt kinda weird coz apart from the Denon team and a couple more faces, I don't really know most of them. Hehe. After they said their "thank you" and "good luck" messages, I was asked to say a few words as well. And really, a few words were all that managed to flow out of my mouth before everything simply started flowing through my tears. (Yihee! Sobrang cheeeeesy! Haha.) They tried to crack me up and when I somehow got a grip, they asked me to continue with what I was saying. I really didn't prepare anything so I was just there spitting things off the top of my head. I said something about my experiences with the VGS team, my first cup of Java, how much I would miss my friends and a lot of other things in Tsukiden - the camaraderie, the parties, the activities, and all that jazz.
After the afternoon briefing, Boss Mags told me that I could spend the rest of the day at the 31st floor office as soon as I check-in all the test documents that I created. As much as I would love to do that, I really didn't feel comfortable lounging around while everyone else had their noses buried in front of their monitors. So after I handed Ma'am She the collected budget for the 3pm promotion-slash-birthday-slash-last-day treat, I just went back down to fix my things.
Minutes before the 3pm break, Ma'am She told me that the pizzas still haven't arrived. And when it did finally arrive, the 3pm break was over. Ooops, my bad for ordering it late. Nyaha. Spent a couple of hours at the 31st floor saying my "goodbyes" and "thank yous" and taking pictures while trying to finish a slice of pizza. Hehe.
God, I'm gonna miss them all. T_T
Went back to my work station and continued packing my things. At around 6pm, Boss Mags announced a special 2nd BU meeting at the conference room. When I entered, a pleasant surprise welcomed me! Boxes of pizza and a yummy Black Forest cake from the Denon team were laid on the table! Awww, is it too late to retract my resignation?! Hehe. But seriously, I was really touched. To think that I've been with them for merely a month. It's just something that I didn't expect. Thank you soooo much! Really. :">
I've written a number of entries in this blog about friends resigning and how it saddens me to see them leave. Every entry made me think about my own last working day with the company. I've always thought that leaving would be difficult. And without a doubt, it is. It's hard to leave friends behind, familiar faces that always greet me with a smile and the work that I got used to doing. It was a leap out of my comfort zone. And in the midst of a global economic crisis, it was a risky move to make.
But priorities change, needs arise and opportunities do not sit around and wait for me to grab them. I accepted the offer with confidence that even when my bosses tried to talk me out of it, I stood firm on my decision. Now I just hope and pray that God is leading me and that I'm going where He wants me to.
Tsukiden will always hold a special place in my heart. Thank you to everyone who made my three years stay happy and memorable. Doumo arigatou gozaimashita. ^_^
Had a lunch out with Roxie, Pril, Joji, Jozzel and Vince at Buddy's. Ordered our food in advance hoping that we wouldn't have to wait too long when we get there. Thank Heavens we got what we hoped for. As usual, we had sizzling sisig and lemon chicken on our table. And just for the sake of having a balanced diet, we also had chopsuey. Hehe.
Next came my most dreaded time of the day. Being a Friday, the entire 2nd BU had its afternoon briefing at the conference room. The different groups first reported on the current status of their projects. Then Boss Lowell said a couple of work-related announcements, which later segued into the announcement of my last working day with the company. Everyone was asked to give me a message, which felt kinda weird coz apart from the Denon team and a couple more faces, I don't really know most of them. Hehe. After they said their "thank you" and "good luck" messages, I was asked to say a few words as well. And really, a few words were all that managed to flow out of my mouth before everything simply started flowing through my tears. (Yihee! Sobrang cheeeeesy! Haha.) They tried to crack me up and when I somehow got a grip, they asked me to continue with what I was saying. I really didn't prepare anything so I was just there spitting things off the top of my head. I said something about my experiences with the VGS team, my first cup of Java, how much I would miss my friends and a lot of other things in Tsukiden - the camaraderie, the parties, the activities, and all that jazz.
After the afternoon briefing, Boss Mags told me that I could spend the rest of the day at the 31st floor office as soon as I check-in all the test documents that I created. As much as I would love to do that, I really didn't feel comfortable lounging around while everyone else had their noses buried in front of their monitors. So after I handed Ma'am She the collected budget for the 3pm promotion-slash-birthday-slash-last-day treat, I just went back down to fix my things.
Minutes before the 3pm break, Ma'am She told me that the pizzas still haven't arrived. And when it did finally arrive, the 3pm break was over. Ooops, my bad for ordering it late. Nyaha. Spent a couple of hours at the 31st floor saying my "goodbyes" and "thank yous" and taking pictures while trying to finish a slice of pizza. Hehe.
God, I'm gonna miss them all. T_T
Went back to my work station and continued packing my things. At around 6pm, Boss Mags announced a special 2nd BU meeting at the conference room. When I entered, a pleasant surprise welcomed me! Boxes of pizza and a yummy Black Forest cake from the Denon team were laid on the table! Awww, is it too late to retract my resignation?! Hehe. But seriously, I was really touched. To think that I've been with them for merely a month. It's just something that I didn't expect. Thank you soooo much! Really. :">
I've written a number of entries in this blog about friends resigning and how it saddens me to see them leave. Every entry made me think about my own last working day with the company. I've always thought that leaving would be difficult. And without a doubt, it is. It's hard to leave friends behind, familiar faces that always greet me with a smile and the work that I got used to doing. It was a leap out of my comfort zone. And in the midst of a global economic crisis, it was a risky move to make.
But priorities change, needs arise and opportunities do not sit around and wait for me to grab them. I accepted the offer with confidence that even when my bosses tried to talk me out of it, I stood firm on my decision. Now I just hope and pray that God is leading me and that I'm going where He wants me to.
Tsukiden will always hold a special place in my heart. Thank you to everyone who made my three years stay happy and memorable. Doumo arigatou gozaimashita. ^_^
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Ang Huling Pag-El Bimbo
I wasn't able to watch the Eraserheads Reunion Concert last year. Though it was cut short due to Ely's condition, I still felt a tinge of sadness that I wasn't there. I contented myself with watching their performances via YouTube and reading about other people's experiences. Wawa. Hehe. So when the announcement of a Final Set concert was made, I told myself that I wouldn't let this one pass me by. Hehe.
Franz and I were supposed to buy the concert tickets a month ago. But when I was transferred to the Denon project, I got a bit hesitant to make the purchase. I wasn't sure if Boss Mags would suddenly require me to render overtime work on a Saturday. Waah.
A week before the concert, a survey regarding the company outing was passed around the office. Jen was the only one from Denon who indicated that she's going. Boss Mags told us that if our reason for not going is the possibility of a Saturday work then he's declaring March 7 as a No-OT day. Weeee! Still not going to the outing but I'm definitely going to see the Eraserheads! Woot! Woot! ^_^
It was a last minute purchase and surprisingly, there were still a lot of tickets available. I guess 'twas because of the incident last year. And with the recent death of Francis M., I couldn't help but think about the possibility of it happening again. But with high hopes that Ely's in a better condition and that he wouldn't let his fans down a second time, we bought two Gold-A tickets!
The day has arrived.
I had an appointment with my dentist at 1pm. Franz and I reached the clinic a little past 1. I was late again but this time, Dra. Rolyn was not yet in. Good thing. Hehe. Watched Startalk, which featured the death of Kiko. I felt really sad watching the show. I remember when I was a kid, I memorized the lyrics of most of his songs. From "Tayo'y mga Pinoy tayo'y hindi Kano!" to "Mga praning mga praning mga praning-ning!" Hahaha.
Dra. Rolyn arrived a few minutes later. She wasn't able to start working on my teeth immediately. We both waited for the commercial. Even when I was already seated inside the room, she would still stop for a while and watch TV. Funny how she really gets irritated everytime BB Gandanghari is on. She told me that she was crushing over Rustom before and now he's more malandi than her! Nyaha. It was almost 3pm when I got off the torture chair.
We've commuted a number of times from Manila before and we would easily hail an FX going to Cubao. But this time, all the FX seemed to have disappeared. When we considered riding a cab, they too were nowhere to be found. After waiting for an eternity, we were finally able to ride an FX. Whew!
As expected, the MOA concert grounds was packed. Good thing we arrived a bit early so when we entered the Gold-A section, there still weren't much people. Bought ourselves some refreshments. Then we saw a display of Eraserheads shirts being sold for Php400. The design wasn't as astig as the one I'm eyeing from Team Manila but it was cute nonetheless. Doodles will always be cute. Ahihi.
It was only past 6pm and according to the tickets, the concert starts at 8pm. We got two hours to burn. What to do?! What to do?! Haha.
At around 8pm, MTV started showing a video rerun of their interviews with Eraserheads, which ran for about 15 minutes. They talked about their inspirations in their music and their goals as a band. And it's funny coz they all looked so young and ok with each other. Hehe. Then there was this part where they were asked to answer a question. It went something like, "If you ruled MTV for 24 hours, what would you do?" Actually, I can't quite recall what their answers were except for Marcus'. He said he would change its name to MarcusTV and play all his home videos and transfer the money to his name. Haha. Parang adik lang talaga.
The countdown started. The alphabet was shown in reverse, from Z down to E. Then the concert grounds shook as the crowd went wild! Ely, Raimund, Buddy and Marcus were once again seen sharing the same stage! FINALLY! Woot! Woot! ^_^
(¯`·._.·FIRST SET·._.·´¯)
1. Magasin - "Medyo panget ka pa non... hanggang ngayon!!!"
2. Walang Nagbago
3. Maling Akala - "Maliit na butas lumalaki! Konting kuskos, ayos!"
4. Maskara - One of my favorite songs. Sooo glad they sang it! Hehe.
5. Poor Man's Grave
6. Waiting for the Bus - Wee! Another one of my faves! After the song, the crowd shouted "Group hug! Group hug!". In which Ely replied, "Kayo muna!" Hahaha.
7. Huwag Mo Nang Itanong - ASTIG c Marcus! Haha. He did a reggae version of the song and he was really funny. Jazz Nicolas of Itchyworms manned the drums while Raimund played the cabasa. "Pagdating ko sa bahay, ibaba ang 'yong kilay, ayoko ng kilay mo! Wag mo nang itanong, wag mo nang itanong, at di ko sasabihin sa'yo!"
8. Slo Mo - Vocals by Raimund. At one point, Ely sang with him and they posed side-by-side for a few seconds. Sweet! Haha. Another thing, Marcus used his pink Hello Kitty guitar! Ahihi. Cute!
9. Alkohol - Again, Raimund was on vocals. I really enjoy watching him perform on stage. Whether he's holding his drumsticks or a microphone, he's just so full of energy! 'Twas like I was watching Sandwich. Haha.
10. Insomnia
11. Torpedo
For the second set, the band went acoustic. Everyone was seated comfortably. To let Ely rest, I guess. Hehe.
(¯`·._.·SECOND SET·._.·´¯)
1. Julie Tearjerky
2. Tikman - Ely serenaded us with his guitar and lovely voice singing, "Halika tikman ang langit...". I eagerly accepted his invitation and it was heaven, indeed. Ahihi.
3. Wishing Wells
4. Fine Time
5. Pare Ko - Classic.
6. Kailan - Ely did the lounge version of the song with Jazz on keyboards. It was sooo beautiful; I had goosebumps.
7. Back2Me
8. Trip to Jerusalem - I was reminded of Frannie and Bobo the Wiseman and their breathtaking game of Trip to Jerusalem. Hehe.
9. Spolarium - Love love love this song too!
10. Overdrive
The last set was a bittersweet tribute to the Man from Manila, Mr. Francis Magalona. Rest in peace.
(¯`·._.·LAST SET·._.·´¯)
1. Superproxy - Another favorite! Kiko was supposed to join the band on stage for this song. Unfortunately, he succumbed to leukemia a day before the concert. Before the song, Ely encouraged the crowd to chant Francis' name in his honor. "Francis! Francis! Francis!"
2. Minsan - Despite Ely's stoic expression, one could still feel his sadness as the following words rolled off his tongue: "Sana'y wag kalimutan ang ating mga pinagsamahan. At kung sakaling gipitin ay laging iisipin na minsan tayo ay naging tunay na magkaibigan." Now that's a message. :(
3. Alapaap
4. Kaleidoscope World - They only sang the chorus part of the song. Some video footages of Kiko were shown in the screens. Sad, sad. T_T
5. Ang Huling El Bimbo - During the final minutes of the song, Ely started pouring some lighter fluid on the Sticker Happy piano and then he set it on fire! Literally! Astig. Finally, the band took a group bow that totally brought the house down. Ely threw his sneakers to the crowd and jokingly motioned to take off his socks too. Haha. We thought it was the end of the concert. We thought.
Franz and I proceeded to buy water from one of the booths near the entrance. While waiting for our turn, we suddenly heard Raimund asking everyone if they still want more! Hell yeah! Haha. The crowd started calling out for all the band members and in no time, they were all back on stage. Everyone was running to get a good spot. People from the Silver section even knocked the metal railings down. I guess it was too much for the bouncers to handle so they simply assisted those who wanted to get closer to the stage. Riot! Haha.
(¯`·._.·THREE FOR THE ROAD·._.·´¯)
1. Ligaya
2. Sembreak - Ely forgot some of the lyrics of the song. Ahihi. He skipped the second stanza then wondered why the song ended too soon. "Walang kayakap... tapos na ba?!" Hahaha.
3. Toyang - Ely went down the stage to spend some time with the fans. He also passed around the mic to give them a few seconds of fame.
Ely: "Makita lang ang kislap ng kanyang mga mata, ako ay busog na."
Tim Yap: "Pen pen pen!"
Audience: "BOOO!!!!!!!"
Nyahaha. Sablay! Ely couldn't help but have a good laugh at the guy's expense. Hehe.
I'm sure that nobody wanted the night to end. But as the expression goes, some good things just don't last. Awww. To the Eraserheads: Thank you for sharing your music with us! ^_^
"At ngayon di pa rin alam
Kung ba't tayo nandito
Pwede bang itigil muna
Ang pag-ikot ng mundo?"
--- Spolarium, Eraserheads
Franz and I were supposed to buy the concert tickets a month ago. But when I was transferred to the Denon project, I got a bit hesitant to make the purchase. I wasn't sure if Boss Mags would suddenly require me to render overtime work on a Saturday. Waah.
A week before the concert, a survey regarding the company outing was passed around the office. Jen was the only one from Denon who indicated that she's going. Boss Mags told us that if our reason for not going is the possibility of a Saturday work then he's declaring March 7 as a No-OT day. Weeee! Still not going to the outing but I'm definitely going to see the Eraserheads! Woot! Woot! ^_^
It was a last minute purchase and surprisingly, there were still a lot of tickets available. I guess 'twas because of the incident last year. And with the recent death of Francis M., I couldn't help but think about the possibility of it happening again. But with high hopes that Ely's in a better condition and that he wouldn't let his fans down a second time, we bought two Gold-A tickets!
The day has arrived.
I had an appointment with my dentist at 1pm. Franz and I reached the clinic a little past 1. I was late again but this time, Dra. Rolyn was not yet in. Good thing. Hehe. Watched Startalk, which featured the death of Kiko. I felt really sad watching the show. I remember when I was a kid, I memorized the lyrics of most of his songs. From "Tayo'y mga Pinoy tayo'y hindi Kano!" to "Mga praning mga praning mga praning-ning!" Hahaha.
Dra. Rolyn arrived a few minutes later. She wasn't able to start working on my teeth immediately. We both waited for the commercial. Even when I was already seated inside the room, she would still stop for a while and watch TV. Funny how she really gets irritated everytime BB Gandanghari is on. She told me that she was crushing over Rustom before and now he's more malandi than her! Nyaha. It was almost 3pm when I got off the torture chair.
We've commuted a number of times from Manila before and we would easily hail an FX going to Cubao. But this time, all the FX seemed to have disappeared. When we considered riding a cab, they too were nowhere to be found. After waiting for an eternity, we were finally able to ride an FX. Whew!
As expected, the MOA concert grounds was packed. Good thing we arrived a bit early so when we entered the Gold-A section, there still weren't much people. Bought ourselves some refreshments. Then we saw a display of Eraserheads shirts being sold for Php400. The design wasn't as astig as the one I'm eyeing from Team Manila but it was cute nonetheless. Doodles will always be cute. Ahihi.
It was only past 6pm and according to the tickets, the concert starts at 8pm. We got two hours to burn. What to do?! What to do?! Haha.
At around 8pm, MTV started showing a video rerun of their interviews with Eraserheads, which ran for about 15 minutes. They talked about their inspirations in their music and their goals as a band. And it's funny coz they all looked so young and ok with each other. Hehe. Then there was this part where they were asked to answer a question. It went something like, "If you ruled MTV for 24 hours, what would you do?" Actually, I can't quite recall what their answers were except for Marcus'. He said he would change its name to MarcusTV and play all his home videos and transfer the money to his name. Haha. Parang adik lang talaga.
The countdown started. The alphabet was shown in reverse, from Z down to E. Then the concert grounds shook as the crowd went wild! Ely, Raimund, Buddy and Marcus were once again seen sharing the same stage! FINALLY! Woot! Woot! ^_^
(¯`·._.·FIRST SET·._.·´¯)
1. Magasin - "Medyo panget ka pa non... hanggang ngayon!!!"
2. Walang Nagbago
3. Maling Akala - "Maliit na butas lumalaki! Konting kuskos, ayos!"
4. Maskara - One of my favorite songs. Sooo glad they sang it! Hehe.
5. Poor Man's Grave
6. Waiting for the Bus - Wee! Another one of my faves! After the song, the crowd shouted "Group hug! Group hug!". In which Ely replied, "Kayo muna!" Hahaha.
7. Huwag Mo Nang Itanong - ASTIG c Marcus! Haha. He did a reggae version of the song and he was really funny. Jazz Nicolas of Itchyworms manned the drums while Raimund played the cabasa. "Pagdating ko sa bahay, ibaba ang 'yong kilay, ayoko ng kilay mo! Wag mo nang itanong, wag mo nang itanong, at di ko sasabihin sa'yo!"
8. Slo Mo - Vocals by Raimund. At one point, Ely sang with him and they posed side-by-side for a few seconds. Sweet! Haha. Another thing, Marcus used his pink Hello Kitty guitar! Ahihi. Cute!
9. Alkohol - Again, Raimund was on vocals. I really enjoy watching him perform on stage. Whether he's holding his drumsticks or a microphone, he's just so full of energy! 'Twas like I was watching Sandwich. Haha.
10. Insomnia
11. Torpedo
For the second set, the band went acoustic. Everyone was seated comfortably. To let Ely rest, I guess. Hehe.
(¯`·._.·SECOND SET·._.·´¯)
1. Julie Tearjerky
2. Tikman - Ely serenaded us with his guitar and lovely voice singing, "Halika tikman ang langit...". I eagerly accepted his invitation and it was heaven, indeed. Ahihi.
3. Wishing Wells
4. Fine Time
5. Pare Ko - Classic.
6. Kailan - Ely did the lounge version of the song with Jazz on keyboards. It was sooo beautiful; I had goosebumps.
7. Back2Me
8. Trip to Jerusalem - I was reminded of Frannie and Bobo the Wiseman and their breathtaking game of Trip to Jerusalem. Hehe.
9. Spolarium - Love love love this song too!
10. Overdrive
The last set was a bittersweet tribute to the Man from Manila, Mr. Francis Magalona. Rest in peace.
(¯`·._.·LAST SET·._.·´¯)
1. Superproxy - Another favorite! Kiko was supposed to join the band on stage for this song. Unfortunately, he succumbed to leukemia a day before the concert. Before the song, Ely encouraged the crowd to chant Francis' name in his honor. "Francis! Francis! Francis!"
2. Minsan - Despite Ely's stoic expression, one could still feel his sadness as the following words rolled off his tongue: "Sana'y wag kalimutan ang ating mga pinagsamahan. At kung sakaling gipitin ay laging iisipin na minsan tayo ay naging tunay na magkaibigan." Now that's a message. :(
3. Alapaap
4. Kaleidoscope World - They only sang the chorus part of the song. Some video footages of Kiko were shown in the screens. Sad, sad. T_T
5. Ang Huling El Bimbo - During the final minutes of the song, Ely started pouring some lighter fluid on the Sticker Happy piano and then he set it on fire! Literally! Astig. Finally, the band took a group bow that totally brought the house down. Ely threw his sneakers to the crowd and jokingly motioned to take off his socks too. Haha. We thought it was the end of the concert. We thought.
Franz and I proceeded to buy water from one of the booths near the entrance. While waiting for our turn, we suddenly heard Raimund asking everyone if they still want more! Hell yeah! Haha. The crowd started calling out for all the band members and in no time, they were all back on stage. Everyone was running to get a good spot. People from the Silver section even knocked the metal railings down. I guess it was too much for the bouncers to handle so they simply assisted those who wanted to get closer to the stage. Riot! Haha.
(¯`·._.·THREE FOR THE ROAD·._.·´¯)
1. Ligaya
2. Sembreak - Ely forgot some of the lyrics of the song. Ahihi. He skipped the second stanza then wondered why the song ended too soon. "Walang kayakap... tapos na ba?!" Hahaha.
3. Toyang - Ely went down the stage to spend some time with the fans. He also passed around the mic to give them a few seconds of fame.
Ely: "Makita lang ang kislap ng kanyang mga mata, ako ay busog na."
Tim Yap: "Pen pen pen!"
Audience: "BOOO!!!!!!!"
Nyahaha. Sablay! Ely couldn't help but have a good laugh at the guy's expense. Hehe.
I'm sure that nobody wanted the night to end. But as the expression goes, some good things just don't last. Awww. To the Eraserheads: Thank you for sharing your music with us! ^_^
"At ngayon di pa rin alam
Kung ba't tayo nandito
Pwede bang itigil muna
Ang pag-ikot ng mundo?"
--- Spolarium, Eraserheads
Saturday, February 28, 2009
TSPI 20th Anniversary
I agreed to meet up with Pril in front Vista Verde's gate at 8am. But due to some unknown reasons (wehe), I was able to leave the house at... well, 8am. *toink* When I arrived at Roxie's place, I first had some breakfast before we went to her room where Pril was freshening up. At around 10am, Chris fetch us and off we went to the parlor.
Studio 3 Salon is located just within the village. The owner/make-up artist is Ms. Yna Agpawa. When asked what I wanted to do with my hair, I told her that I'm leaving the decision to her. Hehe.
She immediately started working her magic on us. Told me that she'll first do my make-up and then I have to dress up before she could do my hair. After applying some colors to my face, I changed into my little black dress. When I got out of the room, her assistant was already there so he was the one who did my hair. He gave my hair some loose curls and waves and I loooved it! Hehe. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a copy of our pictures. All I have are these pictures taken with my phone.
When we arrived at Crowne Plaza, everyone was everywhere! At the lobby, along the hallway, around the picture wall... It was just too crowded that we weren't able to get our turn in front of the wall. After some time, everyone was called to settle down inside the hall.
First, we had the General Assembly. The HR, Finance and BU managers spoke about their achievements and future plans. Boss Joseph said something about removing the individual internet connections and disabling all USB ports to prevent unauthorized data transfers. As expected, the employees weren't happy with the idea and it was made apparent by the lack of applause when he went down the stage. Hehe. Our president, Mr. Jiro Hanzawa also gave a short speech about his hopes for the company's future.
Snacks were served at around 3pm. We had cinnamon bread, croissant and quiche. They started raffling off some prizes. I have no luck with raffle draws but with a flat screen TV up for grabs, I couldn't help but say a silent prayer that could perhaps change my luck. Hehe.
When the guest of honor arrived, a series of speeches were once again given. At some point, I got really bored so instead of lending them my ears, I started texting and chatting and doodling. Hehe. Figured it's better to keep myself busy than to sleep through their speeches, right? Hehe.
Fast forward to dinner [>>]. It was only around 5pm and dinner was already being served. Still sated from the afternoon snack I had, I only got myself small servings of some of the dishes and a slice of cheesecake! Ahihi.
After a short awarding ceremony for the service awardees came the most awaited part of the program - the group performances! Hehe. The Japanese expats were the first to hit the stage. We all had a blast watching them sing "Manira"! Err, "Manila"! Hehe. Everyone was having fun! As usual, Mr. Masuda was laughing the whole time and he kept on hitting another expat with his folded paper! Very Vic Sotto! Hehe. And who could forget Mr. Kudo's dance moves?!
Representatives from batch 1989 to 2000 came next. Again, we were all cheering and excited with their performance. Some of them did Rick Astley (Or was it Roderick Paulate? Hehe.), some did a ballroom routine, and some danced the Macarena. Surprising that many of them can really shake their booties! Go Boss Wins! Hehe. They were all good! And I'm not just saying that because most of them are my bosses. Hehe. ^_^
The next performance came from the best group ever, batch 2001 to 2006! Hahaha. Mei gnun?! First part of the presentation was a dance number. The boys did a JabbaWockeeZ-inspired dance, sans the mask and the gloves, while the girls reminded me of the 26K. Ahihi. And then a sweet ballroom dance under dim lights followed. Last part of the performance was a hand mime, which I'm proud to say I was part of. Hehe. I really enjoyed what we did and it was very much appreciated by the audience as well. I think the song that we used, "The Journey" by Lea Salonga, could somehow describe my three years stay in Tsukiden. "What a journey it has been..." Only for me, the end is already in sight. Nyaha.
Batch 2007 to 2009 was the next to perform. First part was a song number followed by a ballroom dance number (yet again!) and then a JabbaWockeeZ dance number (yet again!). They all looked cool with their masks on. Waah! I want one! Hehe. Funny how we can't recognize who the dancers were except for John and the other guy from Denso who both had distinct hairstyles. Hehe.
The OJTs also did a ballroom dance number. After all the performances... PHOTO OP!!!
Congratulations to Tsukiden on a successful 20 years!!! ^_^
Studio 3 Salon is located just within the village. The owner/make-up artist is Ms. Yna Agpawa. When asked what I wanted to do with my hair, I told her that I'm leaving the decision to her. Hehe.
She immediately started working her magic on us. Told me that she'll first do my make-up and then I have to dress up before she could do my hair. After applying some colors to my face, I changed into my little black dress. When I got out of the room, her assistant was already there so he was the one who did my hair. He gave my hair some loose curls and waves and I loooved it! Hehe. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a copy of our pictures. All I have are these pictures taken with my phone.
When we arrived at Crowne Plaza, everyone was everywhere! At the lobby, along the hallway, around the picture wall... It was just too crowded that we weren't able to get our turn in front of the wall. After some time, everyone was called to settle down inside the hall.
First, we had the General Assembly. The HR, Finance and BU managers spoke about their achievements and future plans. Boss Joseph said something about removing the individual internet connections and disabling all USB ports to prevent unauthorized data transfers. As expected, the employees weren't happy with the idea and it was made apparent by the lack of applause when he went down the stage. Hehe. Our president, Mr. Jiro Hanzawa also gave a short speech about his hopes for the company's future.
Snacks were served at around 3pm. We had cinnamon bread, croissant and quiche. They started raffling off some prizes. I have no luck with raffle draws but with a flat screen TV up for grabs, I couldn't help but say a silent prayer that could perhaps change my luck. Hehe.
When the guest of honor arrived, a series of speeches were once again given. At some point, I got really bored so instead of lending them my ears, I started texting and chatting and doodling. Hehe. Figured it's better to keep myself busy than to sleep through their speeches, right? Hehe.
Fast forward to dinner [>>]. It was only around 5pm and dinner was already being served. Still sated from the afternoon snack I had, I only got myself small servings of some of the dishes and a slice of cheesecake! Ahihi.
After a short awarding ceremony for the service awardees came the most awaited part of the program - the group performances! Hehe. The Japanese expats were the first to hit the stage. We all had a blast watching them sing "Manira"! Err, "Manila"! Hehe. Everyone was having fun! As usual, Mr. Masuda was laughing the whole time and he kept on hitting another expat with his folded paper! Very Vic Sotto! Hehe. And who could forget Mr. Kudo's dance moves?!
Representatives from batch 1989 to 2000 came next. Again, we were all cheering and excited with their performance. Some of them did Rick Astley (Or was it Roderick Paulate? Hehe.), some did a ballroom routine, and some danced the Macarena. Surprising that many of them can really shake their booties! Go Boss Wins! Hehe. They were all good! And I'm not just saying that because most of them are my bosses. Hehe. ^_^
The next performance came from the best group ever, batch 2001 to 2006! Hahaha. Mei gnun?! First part of the presentation was a dance number. The boys did a JabbaWockeeZ-inspired dance, sans the mask and the gloves, while the girls reminded me of the 26K. Ahihi. And then a sweet ballroom dance under dim lights followed. Last part of the performance was a hand mime, which I'm proud to say I was part of. Hehe. I really enjoyed what we did and it was very much appreciated by the audience as well. I think the song that we used, "The Journey" by Lea Salonga, could somehow describe my three years stay in Tsukiden. "What a journey it has been..." Only for me, the end is already in sight. Nyaha.
Batch 2007 to 2009 was the next to perform. First part was a song number followed by a ballroom dance number (yet again!) and then a JabbaWockeeZ dance number (yet again!). They all looked cool with their masks on. Waah! I want one! Hehe. Funny how we can't recognize who the dancers were except for John and the other guy from Denso who both had distinct hairstyles. Hehe.
The OJTs also did a ballroom dance number. After all the performances... PHOTO OP!!!
Congratulations to Tsukiden on a successful 20 years!!! ^_^
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Wake Up, It's Christmas!
"Wake up little darling
It’s Christmas morning
So rise and shine
Lets make the most of Happy Holidays
Or maybe I should just let you dream
For a while longer
Wherever's a better place than here."
--- Christmas Morning, Eraserheads
Thursday, December 04, 2008
CoЯon: Life Is Peachy
11.28.08
To save ourselves from the stress of waiting for late comers, which most probably meant to save themselves from the stress of waiting for me (wehe), we all decided to just spend the night at Chris' place. Woke up at around 6 in the morning. Splitted into two cabs going to the airport. Our driver took a longer route and mistakingly headed to the International Airport. I dunno if he did that on purpose in order to charge us a higher fare or what. The moment we reached the Domestic Airport, the meter read Php180. That's almost Php50 higher compared to what the others had to pay. Boohoo!
Nweiz, we flew Zest Air, formerly known as Asian Spirit. I'm very much aware of the airline's bloodied reputation. I've heard stories - turbulent flights, plane crashes and all - enough to make me feel nervous about the flight. And as they say, with Asian Spirit, you fly as an Asian and you land as a spirit. Nyaha. But of course, there's not much I could do really but to have my fingers crossed and pray for a safe trip.
April's description of the plane couldn't be more exact. It just felt like riding a bus that grew wings. Hehe. In fairness to Zest Air, the experience wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The plane took off and landed smoothly. I guess it helped that the weather was on our side. Although the Zest-O juice could've come with a mamon to match. Hehe. But hey, we landed at Busuanga Airport in one piece so hand me another Zest-O and I'll drink to that! ^_^
Since we weren't able to settle any arrangements for our ride from the airport to the resort, we were welcomed by three shuttle services. One came from Seadive resort, one was Kuya Eran's contact and another for Zest Air passengers. The Zest Air driver was a little too assertive so Kuya Eran's contact stopped arguing and simply gave way. But in the end, we got into the resort's van after explaining that he was really scheduled to fetch us.
Travel time from the airport to Coron town was around 45 minutes. It was a rough and rocky ride, I felt my brain jiggle inside my skull. But I believe they're already in the process of improving the road as we saw portions of concrete roads along the way. For almost half an hour, we were surrounded by lush green grass, green trees and green mountains. Everything was green, green, green! I bet even the air smelled green! Ahihi.
Checked-in at Seadive resort. The rooms were fine but the service we experienced was indifferent and downright slothful at times. And I think it wouldn't hurt if the receptionist would put on a smile. After all, she's paid to do so. :)
Kuya Eran and his niece Joan met up with us to discuss our itinerary. Since he had another group to handle, Joan would be our tour guide for the first two days. After handing them half of our payment, Joan accompanied us to Binalot Tong Daon for lunch. Their food was a real budget-saver. For only Php60, "May kanin at ulam na, may itlog at kamatis pa!" Hehehe.
After lunch, we went back to our rooms to rest for a while. At around 4pm, we started our own itinerary for the day. We first braved the 700+ steps hike up Mt. Tapyas. I intended to count the exact number of steps it would take to reach the summit. But then I got too tired that I couldn't even remember what comes after 149. Nyaha. When we finally reached the top, we all looked wasted and dehydrated. But the view from above, seeing the surrounding mountains and the nearby islands, was well worth all the sweat.
Descended the mountain after sunset. It was certainly much easier to walk down the steps. Though the climb really did turn my legs into jello. Hehe. In order to soothe our weary bodies, we headed to Maquinit Hot Spring. The tricycle ride was bumpy and quite scary. We had to pass through dark woods with only the tricycle's headlights illuminating the way. We started imagining things like a creepy horse-drawn carriage following us and poker-faced kids flagging us down that if we decide to ignore them, they would suddenly appear inside the tricycle. Yikes! Qué horror! Hehe.
Heaved a sigh of relief when we finally reached our destination. Weird as it may seem but according to Joan, the water there is actually salt water with a temperature of around 40°c. At first it was a little too hot to enjoy until my body adjusted to the heat. But after some time, I started to feel really nauseous. I thought the heat took its toll on me alone but it turned out that April and Franz felt the same. So we stepped out of the water and just stayed at the cottage while we waited for the others.
Went back to the resort for dinner. Since we still were a little mucho, we tried the food at Seadive. Hehe. Got myself a generous serving of fish fillet. I think it was enough to feed two persons but because I was hungry I was able to wipe my plate clean all on my own. Hmmm!! Hehe.
After dinner, we all went back to our rooms to freshen up. Then we started watching The Life Before Her Eyes but because it was a tad boring... ZzzZzz...
11.29.08
Joan fetched us at exactly 8am. First stop was Kayangan Lake. The climb uphill was fairly easy since the steps were either carved or were huge slabs of stone. Stopped at the summit to take pictures of the cove and the cave. Hehe.
We then proceeded on our way down the lake. The water was sooo clear, you can actually see all the way to the bottom even without diving into it. It was a serene paradise of emerald green waters and lots of what-looked-like-tiny-swordfishes swimming around.
Lunch was served before leaving Kayangan. We had crab, fish, cucumber salad and fruits for dessert. Too bad they weren't able to get us some shrimp and squid. Huhu. Yeah, the craving wasn't satisfied but it was a pleasant meal nonetheless.
Not so far from Kayangan is Barracuda Lake. It got its name from a big barracuda that used to live there. Again, we had to do some climbing to reach the lake. It was more challenging though since we had to climb over limestone rocks and crags. I wasn't wearing strapped sandals so I had to be extra careful not to slip. Luckily, I reached the lake unscathed. Hehe. But because my body was starting to complain, I just sat at a nook among the limestones with Joan and Jozzel.
They dropped us off at Lambingan bridge. I imagined it as a hanging bridge with a scenic view but it turned out to be nothing like that. It was simply a wooden dock with some benches waiting for night to fall and for lovers to come out and play, I suppose. Hehe. We just had fun reading the love notes scribbled on most of the planks.
"Smile is the best people make-up" (Anu daw?!?)
"Bakit hindi ka sumipot ang dami qu pa nmang dalang tinapay.. grahams pa..." (Awww...)
"Alam mo ang swerte mo. Bk8? Kc u have me db!! Ang swerte mo kc cla wla 2lad qoh!! Kya sana ingatan mo kc out of stock npoh" (Hahaha!)
"Ask q c god bak8 may taong manhid sbi nya wla aqng ginawang ganun napahiya ako at napayuko kc sv nya manhid ba sya o di mulang matanggap na iba mahal nya?" (Mei ganun?! Hehe.)
Our itinerary ended early, hence the decision to climb the Hollywood-inspired Coron sign that we saw atop a hill. One of the locals told us that we could ride a tricycle to get to its foot. But we had lots of time to kill so we walked instead. It was a pretty long walk, I must say. But a much needed dose of exercise for me. Hehe.
The climb itself wasn't troublesome but trying to capture a decent shot of us all in front of the Coron sign was. The tripod was setup a couple of meters down the hill in order to fit the entirety of the sign into the frame. Tried different camera settings - 10 seconds delay and burst shots. Then Joji had to run and position himself before the last shot. After a number of trials, we finally achieved that one perfect shot.
The clouds rolled in and it started to drizzle. Good thing we brought our umbrellas with us. Walked back to the resort and washed ourselves. Everyone was too tired and lazy for dinner so we just threw in some bread and some spread. Tried watching a thriller movie entitled The Ruins. With all the screaming for help and the mystery surrounding the movie, we were off to a good start. Or so we thought. Hehe.
11.30.08
Armed with our snorkeling gears, we first went to Siete Pecados. It was named as such because of the seven islets surrounding the area. Boats were not allowed to drop their anchors nor use their tikins since these could harm the fishes, the corals and what-have-you underwater. I've been itching to see what the world beneath the waters of Palawan has to offer. I took the dive and the moment I plunged my head into the water, I was immediately in awe of what I saw. Surely, the itch had been scratched but a new itch had started to crawl all over my body. Literally this time. I was scratching myself furiously that it took most of the fun out of the experience. I emerged out of the water with a couple of red spots on my legs. Joan told me 'twas caused by the jellyfish eggs. Argh. I soo hate jellyfishes! o_0 @#$%
Black sea urchins were also abundant that Joan and our bangkers constantly reminded us not to go near them. Told us that if we get ourselves pricked, we could go down with a fever. Now who would want that? One of our bangkers had a weird fondness with these spiny creatures that he kept on diving and picking them up by hand. He told us that he's already immune to the pain. Well, either that or his hand is too calloused already. Ahihi.
We then went to Kalachuchi Beach. 'Twas named as such because of a small island with - surprise, surprise... Kalachuchi flowers! Hehe. I enjoyed snorkeling in this part of the sea more than I did in our previous location since the water here did not give me that annoying itch. Hehe.
Next stop was the Skeleton Wreck where we saw the remains of a steel-hulled boat. It was a pretty scary looking boat. But experience-wise, I think the divers are the ones who would appreciate it more. It's different when you're simply hovering on top of the wreck compared to diving into the wreck itself. I just took a coupla shots of it and then I swam around for the fishes and corals.
Chris found an anemone with clownfishes swimming around it. He tried capturing a decent shot of it but most of his shots came out blurry. Perhaps our bangkers noticed our undying enthusiasm in finding Nemo so they caught one for us and placed it in a plastic cup. So cute, this little fish!!! We kept on taking pictures of it in every angle possible! Ahihi. If only I could take this cute little fish home... Hehe. But we thought, what if there is a Marlin and a Dory out there, eluding jellyfish stings, fighting off blood-thirsty sharks in hopes of rescuing Nemo? Hehe. So after the photo shoot, we returned Nemo back to the water. ^_^
Off we went to Banol Beach for lunch. The beach is simply a small stretch of white sand tucked between rocky cliffs and greeneries. While waiting for our food, we just relaxed and took some pictures around.
Again, we had seafood for lunch! Fish, crabs, and loads and loads of shrimp!!! My favorite! Ahihi. They also served us some grilled pork chop since Franz is somehow allergic to seafood. It goes without saying that our lunch ended with big and satisfied burps. Hehe.
After eating, we all bummed around the beach for a while. I thought I could sneak in some zzzzs while Joan and the Kuyas ate and fixed their things. But as I was about to catch my sleep, Joan told us that we would be leaving the island already.
Our next stop was CYC Island, which is just a small beach with two small cottages. It is the only free public beach in the area. No wonder the island was very busy when we got there. We all decided to pass this one up since there's nothing really inviting about it.
Twin Lagoon was our next destination. To reach the other lagoon, we had to pass through a hole, which is only visible during the low tide. There weren't much tourists around when we reached the other side. It was quiet and peaceful as can be. We just enjoyed the surroundings and the water. Then our attention was drawn to a troop of monkeys jumping around from one tree to another. Funny how we tried getting their attention with our "ooo-ooo-aaa-aaa-eee-eee". Nyaha.
We then went to Twin Peaks. I'm not quite sure where the name came from. Based on the pictures we took, I suppose one of the rock formations has two peaks. Wow! Who would've thought?! Haha. Our tour guides were a bit apprehensive about letting us into the water. The waves didn't look very friendly. We weren't that excited to try and make friends with them anyway so we just took pictures and wrapped up the day's itinerary.
Had our dinner at Kawayanan Grill Station. Service was a bit disorganized and slow. Our orders took ages to be served. When the sizzling sisig finally arrived at our table, we weren't able to mix the egg immediately coz we had no utensils at hand. Other than that, the food was ok at a reasonable price.
12.01.08
It was lunch time when we reached Banana Island. While they cooked and prepared our lunch, we explored the giant aquarium surrounding the island. Joji brought our left over pandesal from breakfast to feed the fishes. Everytime I held out a piece of bread, fishes would swarm around me. At first I was taken aback coz they come in schools and they swarm in a frenzy like they haven't eaten for days. But when I got used to them, it was a fun experience!
Kuya Eran called us for lunch. Swarmed around the table in a frenzy. Haha. We had chicken, shrimp and crabs. I think they also served us fish but it went barely noticed. Hehe. I'm sure gonna miss this kind of lunch. My dad and my brother are both allergic to shrimp and crabs so we very rarely have them on our table. Very rarely as in twice, thrice a year. The last time we had shrimp, my dad sweated profusely and his face was bloated. To think that he only ate three pieces at most. Bummer.
After lunch, we walked along the beach for a while. Walked to bring the food down to the soles of my feet. Hehe. And then we rested in one of the hammocks shaded under a palm tree.
Hopped on our boat for our next destination. Malcapuya Island, just like Banana Island, is a powdery white sand beach. But there were less shaded areas except for some cottages. Franz opted to stay in one of the cottages (or was it a daybed?) because he was having some trouble with his hearing. I stayed with him for a while but I wasn't able to resist the tempting sight of the water! Hehe.
Off we went to Culion Island. It was once established as a leper colony where people with Hansen's disease or leprosy were placed in exile. From our boat, we saw the PHS logo engraved on the face of the mountain. I dunno exactly what it meant but a fine piece of art it is. Hehe.
We arrived at the island half an hour past 3 o'clock. We weren't able to visit the Culion Museum since it closes at 3pm. It would've been nice to learn more about the history of the island. We just visited the Culion Cathedral. Good thing I remembered to enter the church left foot first. Hehe. Roamed around the church for more photo opportunities.
Our next stop was the bestest best we've been to on this entire trip! The Coral Garden! The corals came in different colors and shapes and sizes and were breathing with so much life! It was just amazing and beautiful and I dunno how words could describe it! Unfortunately, my battery was running low so I wasn't able to take as much photos as I wanted. Apart from the few shots that I've made, all I have now are mental images of His wonderful creation. I hope it's something that I won't soon forget. Hehe.
Time was pressing and we had to leave for our last destination: the Lusong Gunboat Wreck. According to Google, it is submarine hunter shallowly submerged where the stern breaks the surface at low tide. Yeah, whatever that means. Hehe. You could actually stand on the wreck but I didn't dare do it. I'm chicken like that. Hehe.
12.02.08
We only had one major destination for the day: Calauit Island Safari. The trip to the island was sooo long, I dunno exactly how many effing hours it took us to get there. I slept, watched a movie, and slept again but our bumpy ride just didn't seem to end. We stopped by an eatery for a quick breakfast. After feeding our hungry stomachs, we hit the road again for another hour or so. Rode a boat that would finally take us to the island. I thought to myself that after travelling for several hours, it better be worth it. Sadly, the so-called "island where animals roam free" was a complete disappointment.
First, I saw a couple of deers. And when I say a couple, I am being extremely accurate. Well, we're just a few days away from Christmas. Maybe Santa's flying forces were out practicing their flight for the big night. Wehe.
The tram stopped to give us a chance to feed a giraffe named Eva. Named after Eva Mendes, Eva Fonda or Eva Papaya, I am not quite sure. Hehe. It was a pity though to see the giraffe severely wounded. It wasn't just a simple scratch or a small cut but several open wounds. Manong told us that she was being treated already and that the violet spots were in fact the medication applied to the wounds. Cute. Parang indelible ink lang. Hehe.
The wheels turned and then we saw a dazzle of zebras. Some got off the tram to take better pictures up close. But as for me, the shots taken from where I stood in the tram were good enough. I just gave it a 4.8x zoom, snap, and that's it. How bored could I get?! Hehe. Ever wondered what a zebra's true color is? Is it white with black stripes or black with white stripes? Today I learned that it is the latter. Well, at least I've learned something new. Hehe.
Saw a tower of giraffes after. And then we saw a pair of giraffes. And did I mention that we saw another giraffe? Just like déjà vu! Hehehe. Then we all got off into an area where the caged animals such as porcupines, monkeys, boars and bearcats are kept. Funny how one of the bearcats was sprawled on a tree branch looking like it was suffering from a terrible hangover. A "beer cat", we jokingly called it. Hehe.
We also went to a crocodile swamp. But unfortunately, we weren't able to see any crocodiles. Manong climbed and balanced himself atop a narrow wall and started poking the area with a pole. But no matter how hard he tried to disturb their peace, they weren't stirred from their hiding. I could just imagine the crocodile biting the pole and with one quick swish, sending manong's body into the air and crashing right between its razor sharp teeth. It was a danger waiting to happen so we just told him that it's fine and we could just continue on with our tour.
Turned out that it was the last leg of our Calauit Island tour. I was left wondering where our day went. To waste, I suppose. Should've spent the whole day at Coral Garden instead. Hehe. Oh well. As the cliché goes, I'm just charging it to experience. Hehe.
Had our lunch in the eatery where we had our breakfast earlier. Guess what our lunch was? Crabs!!! And I'm not complaining! Hehe. We then went to Concepcion Falls. Really had no plans to take a dip so I just took pictures, one click after another. It was only Chris and April who took the plunge. And according to them, the water was cold. Hehe.
When we arrived back in town, we scoured the place for pasalubongs. Again, we decided to have our dinner at Kawayanan Grill Station but this time, it was my treat and Roxie's. The service was better compared to our first dining experience. And the fish fillet with butter sauce was scrumptilicious! Very much that we ordered a second serving!
I was still kinda full from our dinner but just a few moments after we arrived at our room, I started munching on a slab of bibingka. Pigging out, alright. Nyaha. Turned on the DVD player to watch a movie for the last time and just like a lullaby, I was off to Lalalaland in no time. Hehe.
12.03.08
It was time for us to say goodbye to Palawan. Time to leave the island that momentarily took us away from the smoggy and chaotic city that is Manila. Time to face the reality of going back home and going back to work. Huhuhu.
No longer would I mention anything about our last day in Palawan. How we waited for the Zest Air booth to open while all the other airlines were already busy doing business and how I went down with a slight fever and a terrible coughing fit. But I just did mention it, didn't I? Haha. Oh well. I just want to get this long post over and done with. So there. Hehe.
To save ourselves from the stress of waiting for late comers, which most probably meant to save themselves from the stress of waiting for me (wehe), we all decided to just spend the night at Chris' place. Woke up at around 6 in the morning. Splitted into two cabs going to the airport. Our driver took a longer route and mistakingly headed to the International Airport. I dunno if he did that on purpose in order to charge us a higher fare or what. The moment we reached the Domestic Airport, the meter read Php180. That's almost Php50 higher compared to what the others had to pay. Boohoo!
Nweiz, we flew Zest Air, formerly known as Asian Spirit. I'm very much aware of the airline's bloodied reputation. I've heard stories - turbulent flights, plane crashes and all - enough to make me feel nervous about the flight. And as they say, with Asian Spirit, you fly as an Asian and you land as a spirit. Nyaha. But of course, there's not much I could do really but to have my fingers crossed and pray for a safe trip.
April's description of the plane couldn't be more exact. It just felt like riding a bus that grew wings. Hehe. In fairness to Zest Air, the experience wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The plane took off and landed smoothly. I guess it helped that the weather was on our side. Although the Zest-O juice could've come with a mamon to match. Hehe. But hey, we landed at Busuanga Airport in one piece so hand me another Zest-O and I'll drink to that! ^_^
Since we weren't able to settle any arrangements for our ride from the airport to the resort, we were welcomed by three shuttle services. One came from Seadive resort, one was Kuya Eran's contact and another for Zest Air passengers. The Zest Air driver was a little too assertive so Kuya Eran's contact stopped arguing and simply gave way. But in the end, we got into the resort's van after explaining that he was really scheduled to fetch us.
Travel time from the airport to Coron town was around 45 minutes. It was a rough and rocky ride, I felt my brain jiggle inside my skull. But I believe they're already in the process of improving the road as we saw portions of concrete roads along the way. For almost half an hour, we were surrounded by lush green grass, green trees and green mountains. Everything was green, green, green! I bet even the air smelled green! Ahihi.
Checked-in at Seadive resort. The rooms were fine but the service we experienced was indifferent and downright slothful at times. And I think it wouldn't hurt if the receptionist would put on a smile. After all, she's paid to do so. :)
Kuya Eran and his niece Joan met up with us to discuss our itinerary. Since he had another group to handle, Joan would be our tour guide for the first two days. After handing them half of our payment, Joan accompanied us to Binalot Tong Daon for lunch. Their food was a real budget-saver. For only Php60, "May kanin at ulam na, may itlog at kamatis pa!" Hehehe.
After lunch, we went back to our rooms to rest for a while. At around 4pm, we started our own itinerary for the day. We first braved the 700+ steps hike up Mt. Tapyas. I intended to count the exact number of steps it would take to reach the summit. But then I got too tired that I couldn't even remember what comes after 149. Nyaha. When we finally reached the top, we all looked wasted and dehydrated. But the view from above, seeing the surrounding mountains and the nearby islands, was well worth all the sweat.
Descended the mountain after sunset. It was certainly much easier to walk down the steps. Though the climb really did turn my legs into jello. Hehe. In order to soothe our weary bodies, we headed to Maquinit Hot Spring. The tricycle ride was bumpy and quite scary. We had to pass through dark woods with only the tricycle's headlights illuminating the way. We started imagining things like a creepy horse-drawn carriage following us and poker-faced kids flagging us down that if we decide to ignore them, they would suddenly appear inside the tricycle. Yikes! Qué horror! Hehe.
Heaved a sigh of relief when we finally reached our destination. Weird as it may seem but according to Joan, the water there is actually salt water with a temperature of around 40°c. At first it was a little too hot to enjoy until my body adjusted to the heat. But after some time, I started to feel really nauseous. I thought the heat took its toll on me alone but it turned out that April and Franz felt the same. So we stepped out of the water and just stayed at the cottage while we waited for the others.
Went back to the resort for dinner. Since we still were a little mucho, we tried the food at Seadive. Hehe. Got myself a generous serving of fish fillet. I think it was enough to feed two persons but because I was hungry I was able to wipe my plate clean all on my own. Hmmm!! Hehe.
After dinner, we all went back to our rooms to freshen up. Then we started watching The Life Before Her Eyes but because it was a tad boring... ZzzZzz...
11.29.08
Joan fetched us at exactly 8am. First stop was Kayangan Lake. The climb uphill was fairly easy since the steps were either carved or were huge slabs of stone. Stopped at the summit to take pictures of the cove and the cave. Hehe.
We then proceeded on our way down the lake. The water was sooo clear, you can actually see all the way to the bottom even without diving into it. It was a serene paradise of emerald green waters and lots of what-looked-like-tiny-swordfishes swimming around.
Lunch was served before leaving Kayangan. We had crab, fish, cucumber salad and fruits for dessert. Too bad they weren't able to get us some shrimp and squid. Huhu. Yeah, the craving wasn't satisfied but it was a pleasant meal nonetheless.
Not so far from Kayangan is Barracuda Lake. It got its name from a big barracuda that used to live there. Again, we had to do some climbing to reach the lake. It was more challenging though since we had to climb over limestone rocks and crags. I wasn't wearing strapped sandals so I had to be extra careful not to slip. Luckily, I reached the lake unscathed. Hehe. But because my body was starting to complain, I just sat at a nook among the limestones with Joan and Jozzel.
They dropped us off at Lambingan bridge. I imagined it as a hanging bridge with a scenic view but it turned out to be nothing like that. It was simply a wooden dock with some benches waiting for night to fall and for lovers to come out and play, I suppose. Hehe. We just had fun reading the love notes scribbled on most of the planks.
"Smile is the best people make-up" (Anu daw?!?)
"Bakit hindi ka sumipot ang dami qu pa nmang dalang tinapay.. grahams pa..." (Awww...)
"Alam mo ang swerte mo. Bk8? Kc u have me db!! Ang swerte mo kc cla wla 2lad qoh!! Kya sana ingatan mo kc out of stock npoh" (Hahaha!)
"Ask q c god bak8 may taong manhid sbi nya wla aqng ginawang ganun napahiya ako at napayuko kc sv nya manhid ba sya o di mulang matanggap na iba mahal nya?" (Mei ganun?! Hehe.)
Our itinerary ended early, hence the decision to climb the Hollywood-inspired Coron sign that we saw atop a hill. One of the locals told us that we could ride a tricycle to get to its foot. But we had lots of time to kill so we walked instead. It was a pretty long walk, I must say. But a much needed dose of exercise for me. Hehe.
The climb itself wasn't troublesome but trying to capture a decent shot of us all in front of the Coron sign was. The tripod was setup a couple of meters down the hill in order to fit the entirety of the sign into the frame. Tried different camera settings - 10 seconds delay and burst shots. Then Joji had to run and position himself before the last shot. After a number of trials, we finally achieved that one perfect shot.
The clouds rolled in and it started to drizzle. Good thing we brought our umbrellas with us. Walked back to the resort and washed ourselves. Everyone was too tired and lazy for dinner so we just threw in some bread and some spread. Tried watching a thriller movie entitled The Ruins. With all the screaming for help and the mystery surrounding the movie, we were off to a good start. Or so we thought. Hehe.
11.30.08
Armed with our snorkeling gears, we first went to Siete Pecados. It was named as such because of the seven islets surrounding the area. Boats were not allowed to drop their anchors nor use their tikins since these could harm the fishes, the corals and what-have-you underwater. I've been itching to see what the world beneath the waters of Palawan has to offer. I took the dive and the moment I plunged my head into the water, I was immediately in awe of what I saw. Surely, the itch had been scratched but a new itch had started to crawl all over my body. Literally this time. I was scratching myself furiously that it took most of the fun out of the experience. I emerged out of the water with a couple of red spots on my legs. Joan told me 'twas caused by the jellyfish eggs. Argh. I soo hate jellyfishes! o_0 @#$%
Black sea urchins were also abundant that Joan and our bangkers constantly reminded us not to go near them. Told us that if we get ourselves pricked, we could go down with a fever. Now who would want that? One of our bangkers had a weird fondness with these spiny creatures that he kept on diving and picking them up by hand. He told us that he's already immune to the pain. Well, either that or his hand is too calloused already. Ahihi.
We then went to Kalachuchi Beach. 'Twas named as such because of a small island with - surprise, surprise... Kalachuchi flowers! Hehe. I enjoyed snorkeling in this part of the sea more than I did in our previous location since the water here did not give me that annoying itch. Hehe.
Next stop was the Skeleton Wreck where we saw the remains of a steel-hulled boat. It was a pretty scary looking boat. But experience-wise, I think the divers are the ones who would appreciate it more. It's different when you're simply hovering on top of the wreck compared to diving into the wreck itself. I just took a coupla shots of it and then I swam around for the fishes and corals.
Chris found an anemone with clownfishes swimming around it. He tried capturing a decent shot of it but most of his shots came out blurry. Perhaps our bangkers noticed our undying enthusiasm in finding Nemo so they caught one for us and placed it in a plastic cup. So cute, this little fish!!! We kept on taking pictures of it in every angle possible! Ahihi. If only I could take this cute little fish home... Hehe. But we thought, what if there is a Marlin and a Dory out there, eluding jellyfish stings, fighting off blood-thirsty sharks in hopes of rescuing Nemo? Hehe. So after the photo shoot, we returned Nemo back to the water. ^_^
Off we went to Banol Beach for lunch. The beach is simply a small stretch of white sand tucked between rocky cliffs and greeneries. While waiting for our food, we just relaxed and took some pictures around.
Again, we had seafood for lunch! Fish, crabs, and loads and loads of shrimp!!! My favorite! Ahihi. They also served us some grilled pork chop since Franz is somehow allergic to seafood. It goes without saying that our lunch ended with big and satisfied burps. Hehe.
After eating, we all bummed around the beach for a while. I thought I could sneak in some zzzzs while Joan and the Kuyas ate and fixed their things. But as I was about to catch my sleep, Joan told us that we would be leaving the island already.
Our next stop was CYC Island, which is just a small beach with two small cottages. It is the only free public beach in the area. No wonder the island was very busy when we got there. We all decided to pass this one up since there's nothing really inviting about it.
Twin Lagoon was our next destination. To reach the other lagoon, we had to pass through a hole, which is only visible during the low tide. There weren't much tourists around when we reached the other side. It was quiet and peaceful as can be. We just enjoyed the surroundings and the water. Then our attention was drawn to a troop of monkeys jumping around from one tree to another. Funny how we tried getting their attention with our "ooo-ooo-aaa-aaa-eee-eee". Nyaha.
We then went to Twin Peaks. I'm not quite sure where the name came from. Based on the pictures we took, I suppose one of the rock formations has two peaks. Wow! Who would've thought?! Haha. Our tour guides were a bit apprehensive about letting us into the water. The waves didn't look very friendly. We weren't that excited to try and make friends with them anyway so we just took pictures and wrapped up the day's itinerary.
Had our dinner at Kawayanan Grill Station. Service was a bit disorganized and slow. Our orders took ages to be served. When the sizzling sisig finally arrived at our table, we weren't able to mix the egg immediately coz we had no utensils at hand. Other than that, the food was ok at a reasonable price.
12.01.08
It was lunch time when we reached Banana Island. While they cooked and prepared our lunch, we explored the giant aquarium surrounding the island. Joji brought our left over pandesal from breakfast to feed the fishes. Everytime I held out a piece of bread, fishes would swarm around me. At first I was taken aback coz they come in schools and they swarm in a frenzy like they haven't eaten for days. But when I got used to them, it was a fun experience!
Kuya Eran called us for lunch. Swarmed around the table in a frenzy. Haha. We had chicken, shrimp and crabs. I think they also served us fish but it went barely noticed. Hehe. I'm sure gonna miss this kind of lunch. My dad and my brother are both allergic to shrimp and crabs so we very rarely have them on our table. Very rarely as in twice, thrice a year. The last time we had shrimp, my dad sweated profusely and his face was bloated. To think that he only ate three pieces at most. Bummer.
After lunch, we walked along the beach for a while. Walked to bring the food down to the soles of my feet. Hehe. And then we rested in one of the hammocks shaded under a palm tree.
Hopped on our boat for our next destination. Malcapuya Island, just like Banana Island, is a powdery white sand beach. But there were less shaded areas except for some cottages. Franz opted to stay in one of the cottages (or was it a daybed?) because he was having some trouble with his hearing. I stayed with him for a while but I wasn't able to resist the tempting sight of the water! Hehe.
Off we went to Culion Island. It was once established as a leper colony where people with Hansen's disease or leprosy were placed in exile. From our boat, we saw the PHS logo engraved on the face of the mountain. I dunno exactly what it meant but a fine piece of art it is. Hehe.
We arrived at the island half an hour past 3 o'clock. We weren't able to visit the Culion Museum since it closes at 3pm. It would've been nice to learn more about the history of the island. We just visited the Culion Cathedral. Good thing I remembered to enter the church left foot first. Hehe. Roamed around the church for more photo opportunities.
Our next stop was the bestest best we've been to on this entire trip! The Coral Garden! The corals came in different colors and shapes and sizes and were breathing with so much life! It was just amazing and beautiful and I dunno how words could describe it! Unfortunately, my battery was running low so I wasn't able to take as much photos as I wanted. Apart from the few shots that I've made, all I have now are mental images of His wonderful creation. I hope it's something that I won't soon forget. Hehe.
Time was pressing and we had to leave for our last destination: the Lusong Gunboat Wreck. According to Google, it is submarine hunter shallowly submerged where the stern breaks the surface at low tide. Yeah, whatever that means. Hehe. You could actually stand on the wreck but I didn't dare do it. I'm chicken like that. Hehe.
12.02.08
We only had one major destination for the day: Calauit Island Safari. The trip to the island was sooo long, I dunno exactly how many effing hours it took us to get there. I slept, watched a movie, and slept again but our bumpy ride just didn't seem to end. We stopped by an eatery for a quick breakfast. After feeding our hungry stomachs, we hit the road again for another hour or so. Rode a boat that would finally take us to the island. I thought to myself that after travelling for several hours, it better be worth it. Sadly, the so-called "island where animals roam free" was a complete disappointment.
First, I saw a couple of deers. And when I say a couple, I am being extremely accurate. Well, we're just a few days away from Christmas. Maybe Santa's flying forces were out practicing their flight for the big night. Wehe.
The tram stopped to give us a chance to feed a giraffe named Eva. Named after Eva Mendes, Eva Fonda or Eva Papaya, I am not quite sure. Hehe. It was a pity though to see the giraffe severely wounded. It wasn't just a simple scratch or a small cut but several open wounds. Manong told us that she was being treated already and that the violet spots were in fact the medication applied to the wounds. Cute. Parang indelible ink lang. Hehe.
The wheels turned and then we saw a dazzle of zebras. Some got off the tram to take better pictures up close. But as for me, the shots taken from where I stood in the tram were good enough. I just gave it a 4.8x zoom, snap, and that's it. How bored could I get?! Hehe. Ever wondered what a zebra's true color is? Is it white with black stripes or black with white stripes? Today I learned that it is the latter. Well, at least I've learned something new. Hehe.
Saw a tower of giraffes after. And then we saw a pair of giraffes. And did I mention that we saw another giraffe? Just like déjà vu! Hehehe. Then we all got off into an area where the caged animals such as porcupines, monkeys, boars and bearcats are kept. Funny how one of the bearcats was sprawled on a tree branch looking like it was suffering from a terrible hangover. A "beer cat", we jokingly called it. Hehe.
We also went to a crocodile swamp. But unfortunately, we weren't able to see any crocodiles. Manong climbed and balanced himself atop a narrow wall and started poking the area with a pole. But no matter how hard he tried to disturb their peace, they weren't stirred from their hiding. I could just imagine the crocodile biting the pole and with one quick swish, sending manong's body into the air and crashing right between its razor sharp teeth. It was a danger waiting to happen so we just told him that it's fine and we could just continue on with our tour.
Turned out that it was the last leg of our Calauit Island tour. I was left wondering where our day went. To waste, I suppose. Should've spent the whole day at Coral Garden instead. Hehe. Oh well. As the cliché goes, I'm just charging it to experience. Hehe.
Had our lunch in the eatery where we had our breakfast earlier. Guess what our lunch was? Crabs!!! And I'm not complaining! Hehe. We then went to Concepcion Falls. Really had no plans to take a dip so I just took pictures, one click after another. It was only Chris and April who took the plunge. And according to them, the water was cold. Hehe.
When we arrived back in town, we scoured the place for pasalubongs. Again, we decided to have our dinner at Kawayanan Grill Station but this time, it was my treat and Roxie's. The service was better compared to our first dining experience. And the fish fillet with butter sauce was scrumptilicious! Very much that we ordered a second serving!
I was still kinda full from our dinner but just a few moments after we arrived at our room, I started munching on a slab of bibingka. Pigging out, alright. Nyaha. Turned on the DVD player to watch a movie for the last time and just like a lullaby, I was off to Lalalaland in no time. Hehe.
12.03.08
It was time for us to say goodbye to Palawan. Time to leave the island that momentarily took us away from the smoggy and chaotic city that is Manila. Time to face the reality of going back home and going back to work. Huhuhu.
No longer would I mention anything about our last day in Palawan. How we waited for the Zest Air booth to open while all the other airlines were already busy doing business and how I went down with a slight fever and a terrible coughing fit. But I just did mention it, didn't I? Haha. Oh well. I just want to get this long post over and done with. So there. Hehe.
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