wish ko lang

browsing through condominiums, i came across mckinley park residences and was drawn to its loft-type rooms. perfection. its in bonifacio global city (i can live here even if i have to work in cavite), basically near everything - malls, hospitals, gym, restaurants. did i mention all the units are loft-type, again? hahaha its perfect cause a loft-type won't be too cramped - i can get a bit claustrophobic sometimes. can i afford it? now that is a good question. inquire. inquire. inquire. there are cheaper alternatives though it will definitely be not as cool as this. now wouldn't this be nice?

dinner with a few good friends

jim's leaving on tuesday to go on an academic adventure in europe. it was only a couple of months ago when i learned from dino about jim's trip. i remember back then while i was still in the states that jim and i talked lengthily about his upcoming trip - and it was during this time too that jim discovered the powers of instant messaging. i think i was more excited than jim was about his upcoming trip mainly because europe is my dream destination (pocket money na lang at ka-backpacker, pede na!) and i always wanted to do that whole independent kind of living even temporarily. and man, jim is going to do both (insert jealous smile here!).

i was happy that jim decided to invite us to dinner at next door (julio vargas st, pasig) last night and was surprised to learn that he was leaving on tuesday (the 12th) rather than the 19th hahaha. i was really happy to see ramil (with his girlfriend rina), jim and dino again after a looong time - uhmm, ok i saw jim pala in tagaytay just this year but you get my point. while i do get an occasional e-mail from ramil, i think its been almost a year since i last saw him. both jim & ramil were my groupmates back in mgt acctg at taft - i was lucky that i knew jim already then (having been classmates in microecon? and mansci) and he was friends with ramil so i had instant groupmates. lucky cause i didn't really know anyone in that class during the first day.

we stayed a few more hours after dinner talking about mundane matters and occasionally laughing at dino for his limited tagalog understanding. we laughed as we talked about watching local films and how (though we probably will never admit in public) we enjoyed those movies. we talked about school and what's going on with everyone including making lait about the students we didn't like. and while i was the resident "laitero" don't be fooled by jim & ramil, they can make super "lait" too, mas subtle nga lang. i surely miss hanging out with these guys - they're a few of the people @ school that i really like. i'm glad i know them.

to jim, good luck and have a safe trip. its such a great and exciting adventure ahead of you.

pictures posted also here : dinner before jim leaves

remembering sagada

a few nights ago while tinkering with adobe photoshop elements, i came across a photo-video that trixy made of our sagada trip last november 2005 and i couldn't help but feel nostalgic about it. it was one of the out-of-town trips i truly enjoyed even if it was my second time to visit sagada. i remember how much fun jona, jason, trixy, mel, dennis and i had traveling, hiking, swimming with an uber-cold waterfall, cave exploring and the cheap, yummy food. we seemed like backpackers exploring a different country taking pictures everywhere we went and in every activity we set out to do. there were occasional complaints about pained legs, some bitchy remarks but it was too much fun to remember all those things. i hope we get a chance to do something like this soon.

CDO - Another round!

found this new way to show-off pictures courtesy of slide.com which i saw from deej's blog. thanks deej.

awesome series

i love the new fox series "justice" with victor garber, kerr smith, eamonn walker and rebecca mader. produced by jerry bruckheimer who produced all the CSI hits and highly successful without a trace series. justice is about a lawfirm (TNT & G) and what happens behind the scenes of high-profile cases. its very well written and the plot as crafty as CSI that i was instantly hooked seeing the pilot last week. kerr is at his absolute best - no longer playing teen roles, he plays a charming and very smart lawyer perfectly well. victor garber is as witty, calculating and manipulative as he has been in his alias days. this series is addicting.

soon it will be christmas

i didn't really realize that we entered into the 'ber' months already until a good friend mentioned that they've started playing christmas carols on the radio already. i asked "uhh, why?" and of course it was because it was septem'ber' already. when this has sunk in, i became gleefully excited because christmas is my favorite time of the year. the good mood i was in didn't dampen despite of the rains the previous days that i happily sang along christmas songs playing on my ipod while on my way to work last week. christmas for me equals happy. there's just something about it that's so infectiously happy (just writing about it is making me smile right now). there's the so many social parties you have to attend to, the gift-hunting, the food, the spending and the promise of an even better year to come. i remember when i was still in suyen and it was the christmas season already and a bunch of us went trooping to the mall and we ran around like crazy for two hours buying stuff. it was tiring (after an already tiring day of work) but it was so much fun. i miss those days.

i've been listening to christmas songs everyday this week and i've already managed to write my christmas shopping list (names & budget only). hopefully this year, i'd be able to finish my christmas shopping early and give my gifts before the year ends. i can feel this is going to be a great christmas already.

-------------------------------------------------------

i just realized school starts next week. i have to adjust my gym sched to monday, thursday and saturday - no way i am going to give my gym in lieu of school this time. school is wednesdays and saturdays. ugh, this means my saturday is fully-booked already with school & gym at least for the next 14 weeks.

small joys for a child

i was planning on going to the cavite office thursday but that got sidetracked since i had to stay home to watch my nephew since my sister had two business meetings and mom had to go to a lunch affair. and since i was the only one who had the most flexible work schedule these days, i elected to stay home. at around 11am, i decided to break for an early lunch and took my nephew to mcdonald's to have lunch. its easier to bring jacob around places now that he's three since he's much more independent and behaves himself pretty well. i ordered for him a chicken mcdo happy meal and some iced tea while i got a two-piece chicken meal for myself. yes i am eating again, while i try to hold off the carbs, i do eat some nowadays - no more dizzy spells lately. while i had to slice the chicken into smaller pieces, it wasn't hard to feed jacob since he loves to eat by himself - and yes, it is kind of messy. after lunch, i brought him to the store playground where he climbed inside the big, plastic playhouse and delightfully used the big slide. it was fun to just stand there and watch him play on the slide and how nice to hear him scream in excitement everytime he slides down. this is what's great about being a kid - no worries, no problems - just a whole lot of playtime. it makes me jealous how despite a repetitious activity, i see genuine happiness and joy in my nephew's eyes.

sometimes it makes me want for an easier life right now - the kind that is free from too much complication and too much heartache - not a care in the world. but i can't be like that - not right now. these small joys, its not hard to figure them out now - its not so hard to smile or laugh these days because happiness is in me. and i have chosen to be happy.

a world of opportunities

pondering deeply on the current instability of employment in the company i work for in the last nine years made me realize the need to have additional/other sources of income. i guess elmer who has been doing some commendable "rackets" (tagalog slang for "sideline") draws me to start thinking "business" full throtle. while we do have some not-so solid ideas right now, we haven't really stopped thinking and talking about it - the idea, at least. i've talked to a college friend (incidentally was a co-employee @ Suyen) yesterday and she was excited to talk about ideas for a sideline as well. so much so that we decided to set up to meet once she comes back from her business trip. we'll see what comes out of this sudden business mindset. i need to open my eyes and see the world for what it is - a world brimming with opportunities.

changing plans

joan (my boss' boss) IM'd me asking me if i can travel to the US sometime in october (probably around W41/42 once we finalize it) and while i would have preferred to go, the reality was i need this for my next job as the project manager for EMS. the only downside of this trip was that i will have to cancel on my boracay trip with ali & allan (which falls on W42). add to this, i would have to work out with my professor next week about my scheduled travel since i will miss two school meetings. i should be glad for the opportunity to travel except that my commitments in school hold me back. the thing is, i never expected to be a project manager in the new org, and seeing that they put me there (alongside the other managers who directly reported to her before) meant that i still have something going. so i have to temporarily skip bora and travel to the other side of the world. one more time this year.

feel good movies

i've always liked seeing feel-good movies of late mostly because i like to just sit back and relax while munching on some pretentious low-fat food. for the past week, i've actually seen "manay po" on dvd which was a movie shown the time i left for the states last june. it was actually quite funny what with cherry pie's lisp dialogues and awesome acting by the characters. many will probably not like it cause it involves cherry pie pichache's three gay sons. its not really all about the cheap gay antics but its also about relationships and family and i guess beneath the comedy, it actually talks about the trivialities of being different.

i wanted to see "you are the one" partly because both toni & sam i find uber gorgeous and the other part because i knew it was going to be a romantic, feel-good movie. i wasn't disappointed seeing the film because apart from the love story & "kilig" moments, there was also drama (read : teary-eyed moments) and comedy (courtesy of gio alvarez and eugene domingo). the story is quite simple and in a way that for me is the whole appeal of seeing these kinds of film - you don't have to think too much. you just have to sit there and enjoy the "kilig" moments. yeah, deep inside i'm still a romantic fool at heart. sam & toni doesn't disappoint in this movie. i particularly liked that part when will (sam) said "i don't have a heart that can love. it died when my parents gave me away." and sally (toni) replies "you have a heart. heartbroken, oo. pero you have a heart." that's one of the things i fear most, reaching that point where i'm jaded so much about love that i won't be able to love anymore. now that's a really bad thing.

going away

we had dinner with leny last friday in uva @ greenbelt 2 since she is moving to new zealand this coming thursday. while trying to write something about that dinner, i just realized that that despedida dinner was actually a second among many more despedidas to come. degs & michelle (both dear friends) were the first to move (after a long hiatus) off to sydney. leny is next in line and there's jordan, rhaleigh and elmers following suit i think in that order. should i stay or should i go - do a jim paredes at least, not deadset on australia but maybe some other country. singapore will be an easier decision for me since the nearness of it means its not imperative that i bring my whole family with me. i'd be able to live that independent life i've been craving for a long, long time. if i wanted to, i think i would be able to buy a condo right now, but i can't think only of myself right now - can't be selfish when i have my nephew and my mom to think of.

hmmm, enough of this for now - this space is for leny. i've worked with leny a number of times over the past few years and we definitely had our share of ups & downs. in a way, we both were strong-minded individuals and we were stubborn at times that we consistently had petty arguments. i guess the passing of time has mellowed both of us and developed a certain respect for each other. while leny and i never did become really close friends, what we had was enough for me to attend her despedida dinner. the chicken inasal i had at uva was quite good - chicken was juicy (not dry) and was perfect with the mashed potatoes that went with it. it was fun to talk about the future and how it is in new zealand on a full stomach and people always look better in pictures when they're stuffed. there was a bunch of us who went to the dinner - ces, elmer & joey, ting, arlene, juan and joyce. we talked about what life will be for leny for the first few months of moving to new zealand - without work, without a home. she & her family is really starting from scratch - in a way for me, this is actually a chance to wipe the slate clean - to start over and right the wrongs of the past. hearing leny talk about it made me scared and excited at the same time - its a big gamble alright. it scary to be in leny's shoes, specially for me right now seeing how comfortable my life is today. what keeps me interested though is hearing the words "you can't win the lottery if you at least don't buy a ticket." i know that pretty soon, i am going to buy my lottery ticket - and see where that leads me.

what i want to do soon

while all of these organization changes and efficiency discussions are happening, it does not in any way deter me from pursuing my other interests both current and forthcoming. while some of them may probably remain queued for some time, i still do have plans on pursuing them.

1. finish my mba - 2 more terms to go and i'll be done with it - with a supply chain major. most of my mba friends will be done 1 or 2 terms ahead of me but i stopped for two terms so that's expected.
2. enroll in short culinary courses - i'll probably have to do this after my mba - it will be hard to juggle between the two if i take them simultaneously. i've been itching to try out some of the easier cupcake recipes online including a carrot cake recipe i got (also online). my interests though does not lie on baking alone but also doing different cuisines.
3. develop photography skills - i'm not talking about just being able to shoot pictures but also learn how to do post-processing (study adobe photoshop cs2) and photo layouts. i need a mac for this hehehe
4. working out - this is probably where discipline and mind power is required A LOT. follow really a strict gym routine - stay in shape as long as i can. and my ultimate dream talaga is to have six-pack (or kahit 4-pack) abs - i think i'd need to do 500 sit-ups everyday for a year to have that hahaha
5. read my 25GB+ downloaded comics - yeah, i have patiently downloaded almost all of the x-men & related titles for the past three weeks already that even i was surprised its this much hard drive space already.
6. organize my mp3's - being the OC that i am, i need to tag over 60-80GB worth of MP3s i've accumulated over the past years so i can upload them to my ipod. you see, i don't upload mp3's on my ipod if they're not tagged properly with album covers.
7. travel more - visit more of the philippines or outside of the country. take more and more pictures.

i think this list suffices for now. there are still a lot of things i want to do (like hook up with my gym crushie hahaha) but let's leave this list as it is right now. i'm sure with time or as some of this gets crossed out, i'd have new things to add.

looking ahead

while attending a meeting this morning, some good friends clued me in on the latest in our group's reorganization - particularly on the n-2's. "i'm to report to the devil who doesn't wear prada" t'was what they first told me - i was quite dumbstruck at first and wanted they make sure they weren't pulling my leg. but the source was quite credible and they wouldn't joke on something like that. my mind was on overdrive trying to make sense whether this was "karma" in the bad way or if this was an opportunity depending on how i looked at it. i called my source up and even did netmeeting and my source showed me the org material itself and my name was printed there crystal clear. yes, i am going to report to Da Devil Who Doesn't Wear Prada and i'm technically moving to another group (from capacity to capital) but the bigger change is that i am going to work on the EMS project as project manager. It does sound like a good opportunity and i do have my reservations : the people i will be working with have much more knowledge about the whole project than i have so i need some serious catching up; as project manager, they will indirectly be accountable to me at least projectwise; and lastly, i've been kind of conditioned a long time to working by myself that it will be challenging to manage the project specially if all of them are US-based. Ugh, this is where the old adage "be careful what you wish for" comes back to bite me hard but i remain optimistic to do my best to be successful. its not going to be an easy feat but it does present a lot of opportunity particularly around promotion since the other project managers are relatively higher grade level than i am. so if i do good (and God help me, i will do great) then that ups my chances a lot. i think where i take solace in all these changes happening is that managers have faith in my abilities to put me as the project manager for EMS. That may mean i still have a "relatively" bright future in this organization. and that in itself, deserves a toast.

i love my new perfume

mickey, elmers and i went to the lux asia bodega sale over lunch yesterday and i managed to buy some shiseido men's skincare essential kit and sunscreen. the purchase i love the most right now is the davidoff echo eu de toilette (100ml) i got for only P2,100. that's really a steal compared to the issey miyake (i love this too!) i bought last time which was around 4k+. happy happy joy joy!!! so that adds to the perfume bottles i have that i haven't finished yet : CK Be, Armani White, Luciano Soprani Uomo, CK Contradiction, Hugo Boss Dark Blue, RL Romance, (I super love this!), Clinique Happy (Love!), Cool Water, Acqua di Gio, Giorgio Armani Wings and Claiborne. I just realized now madami pa pala sila hahaha. Di lang yun na-realize ko, i have lots of clothes pa pala na i wore mga once of twice pa lang, even have these shirts i bought last year in the US that i haven't even worn here in Manila. Duh, sayang. I have to start wearing them soon. I gotta keep these spendings in control.

what is it ...?

while i was watching "under the tuscan sun" for the nth time a few weeks back, i came across the question "what is it about love that makes us so stupid?" and i was taken aback because it was actually a very good question. what really is it about love that makes us stupid?

i never really understood what being in love meant but when it hit me last time i realized what that most of what is written about it is true. it does make your world seem brighter, you have that giddy smile all day long and it can make you happy and sad all at the same time. emotion can really be a powerful thing and it can screw up royally how you think. some friends i know crave attention so much that they fall in love (so they say) left & right, locked in forbidden relationships with attached people that i'm left to wonder, is that really what love is? does one deserve happiness at the expense of others? some of my friends, when in love, devote their whole attention to the object of their affections that they lose touch with friends. its as if they are completely different people when the one they like/love is present. love shouldn't be like that - it should be about acceptance, being able to look through both the good & the bad and not have to pretend to be somebody else. love should be such that there is room for his friends, her friends and their common friends. there should be some sacrifices alright but not cutting your ties completely. real friends understand the craving to spend a lot of time with the one you love and they stick with you when the going gets rough, when you need a shoulder to cry on or just to share some happy memories with. one doesn't necessarily have to choose between friends and a love one, they can and should exist at the same time. the world doesn't revolve around two people only, we don't live in a box. what's the purpose of creating memories if you have no one to share it with? while real friendship do last a lifetime, its intensity can change - because people, even friends, also need to be nurtured. is it friendship still when you remember your friends only when you need them? in a way yes, but its not a good way to nurture a lasting friendship, no matter how deeply rooted it is already.

CDO : Day 3

we expected to wake up before 6am on the third day since a lot of people we talked to mentioned this was a good time to go to white island. the rains let up already but it was pretty cloudy that morning we were fearful our pictures will turn out dark and gloomy. while waiting for the boat, van and i ventured to the big rocks that sort of formed like a barrier in front of paras beach resort and snapped some pictures. from these rocks, you actually have a perfect view of the paras resort and the rocks was a perfect location for some nice pictures. we were finished by the time the boat came back to take us to white island.

white island is like a small island of white coarse sand five minutes by boat from the shore. there are no trees on white island just the clear, pristine waters surrounding it. there was though makeshift huts with tables serving beer and seafood. when we got to the white island, it was still cloudy, but this didn't dampen our spirits. this patch of land was actually very beautiful and relaxing. we couldn't decide what pose, what angle will give great pictures so we decided to just snap endlessly. we ordered some san mig light and grilled (really big) squid/calamari to go with it. the combination was perfect and the the calamari was cooked perfectly - not rubbery. ali, van & i decided to take a dip in the clear, blue waters and we took some more pictures in & out of the water. i have to tell you that i was amazed how clear the waters were that you could literally see underwater and it makes for great underwater shots. wading through the water, it also was surprising that the water was still below my shoulders even as i ventured farther away from the shore. i think this is a very good place to go snorkeling. before we left, van bought some native necklaces i think 9 pieces for 100 pesos (after haggling of course). take note too that since we didn't have money with us on the island, the manong's just told us we can just pay the boatman when he brings us back to the mainland. wow, they were really nice. the white island tour was just an additional 400 pesos (for 4 people) part of the arrangement with our lodging.

when we got back to our cottage, we just changed clothes and was ready for the camiguin tour by kuya cris. we brought swimming clothes since we were going to visit some cold & hot springs along the way. our first stop was the walkway to the old volcano and via cruces where the stairs actually led to the top of the old volcano and had the stations of the cross along the way. we only made as far as the 3rd station but decided that the trek yesterday to the canopy walk was exercise enough for the week so we didn't bother to go up anymore. our next stop was the old church which was actually destroyed when the volcano erupted sometime in 1871. looking at what was left of the church, i can just imagine how devastating that volcanic eruption was back in 1871 since the church has been completely laid to waste. i was amazed since i was looking at piece of history right in front of me, 135 year old ruin. at the back of the church was the bell tower, also already in ruins and there was a giant tree planted which was breathtaking to look at. kuya cris told us that mcarthur landed on the shores of camiguin before when the americans liberated the philippines from spanish colonization. wow, we were standing there where history unfolded hundreds of years ago. when we were leaving, we chanced upon some lanzones that were being sold at 60 per kilo. we bought a couple of kilos and later on learned that during the real lanzones season (october), a kilo can go to as low as 10 pesos - wow!

our next stop was the sunken cemetery where we saw that a cross has been erected a few meters from the shore to mark where the cemetery was before the eruption moved that part of the land to the sea. kuya cris told us that you can actually see the tombstones when it is low tide but corals have already grown on most of them. we left for the sto nino cold springs where we also decided to take our lunch of fresh buko, chicken adobo and grilled pork. we threw in 3 big mangoes for dessert. we decided not to bathe in the cold springs and decided to just snap some pictures of us on the multi-cab. our next stop was the katibawasan falls - the water here was very very cold but we gamely waded through the waters playing while taking some pictures. we left a few minutes after happy & cooled down from the warm breeze. the plastic chamois ali & i brought at MoA nicely doing its job of absorbing the water from our clothes. before we went to our last stop for the day, we passed by one of the stores and hoarded boxes of pastel (bread with cream filling). i haven't really tasted this one but decided to buy 4 boxes (12 dozen per box) of it just caught up with everyone buying so many boxes.

our last stop was the ardent hot springs where all of us enjoyed the warm water. there were actually a few other people but we didn't mind not having the place to ourselves. we had fun taking pictures while playing in the water and even took videos of us swimming and making funny faces & actions underwater. i think i've ROI'd the waterproof casing for my camera already - yipee! i was surprised to see that all that working out is paying off since my arms did have some definition underwater - hahaha (insert blush here!). unfortunately, all this playtime under the sun doesn't do my skin any good and i've noticed how dark my arms look now. you can see clearly the change from my shoulders to my arms - like really dark brown contrasting with my lighter-colored shoulders. damn, i need lots of likas papaya and whitening lotion na naman. we got home a bit beat from all the going around during the day. dinner was liempo and lechon manok, rice and coke. we slept early that night since we were in for an early ferry ride back to cagayan de oro.

our estimated expenses were a bit off probably by 500-1k since we didn't include tips and underestimated food costs a bit (or takaw lang kami), i think the trip cost like 7.5-8k (not including the plane fare). we also had additional expenses for renting a van (instead of taking the bus). but for all the stuff that we did and the places we visited, 10k isn't bad.

must have items :
digital camera + underwater casing (don't go for the kodak waterproof disposable camera)
at least 1GB of memory card
rechargeable batteries
cool outfits

for more pictures, click here : camiguin

CDO : Day 2

we woke up around 430am since we asked to be picked up around 5am for the canopy walk. we said goodbye and thank you to tita jing and tito francis as we boarded the van. gerome (our trip coordinator) introduced us to meg & edwin who were going to be our canopy walk guides. meg said the drive to the drop off point was about an hour and thirty minutes so we asked to stop over some restaurant for breakfast. fortunately, there was a 24-hour jollibee opened and we managed to snag some breakfast for the adventure ahead. the trip did take a while with jona, van and allan drifting on and off sleep along the way. the view along the trip was very nice shifting between farm rows and rural landscapes. it was fascinating to see that even in somewhat remote regions, there were schools and chapels. it was nice to see the kids marching to go to school. during the drive, meg showed us a collection of pictures of people & celebrities who went to cagayan to do outdoor activities - there was charlene gonzales, marc nelson and dennis trillo among others.

we reached the drop off point around 730am and meg handed us some rattan sticks for the trek. the trek going uphill was tiring, it told us how out of shape we were. we were gasping for breath halfway and couldn't wait to finish the trek to the first deck. we attached the harnesses and took some pictures while meg & edwin prepped the zip line for our descent to the 2nd deck. the slide through the zip line was controlled (mostly for safety reasons) since there was a tree around 3/4 the end of the line. we all managed to zip through it unscathed, even allan managing to conquer his fear of heights. the second deck was about 1,450 meters high so looking down to the bottom can make your legs a bit wobbly. if trixy was there and i teased her about her fear of heights, i am dead sure i was going to get some good slapping. the next route were makeshift walkways of steel and rope - walking on these wobbly steps were a bit disorienting first. it wasn't the first walkway that was scary but the 2nd or 3rd one which was actually the longest walk. the view was spectacular - overlooking the mountains as you maneuver the steps. it was actually kind of hard to concentrate on walking seeing how high we were and how wobbly the steps were - it took some effort. fortunately, while i can get goosebumps being at high places, i never really feared it that much so doing the canopy walk thing gave an adrenaline rush.

we went through 2 or 3 more decks using just those makeshift walkways ocassionally stopping to take pictures as each of us braved moving from one deck to the next. the trip back through the same walkways was easier for all of us and we managed to do this faster. it was the trek back that was still tiring even though it was mostly downhill. it was on this downhill trek while doing a comedic rendition of "how do i live" that i slipped and scraped my arms (insert painful laughter here!). damn, that was embarassing! when we reached the van and during a short stopover, i managed to change to some clean clothes. the van was bringing us to the balingoan port so we can take the ferry to camiguin. randy (our driver) told us the trip to the port to be around two hours. we were kinda beat after the canopy walk that we all had some shuteye during the ride, ocassionally just waking up to check our music players and cell phones.

we got to the port sometime around 3pm with the ferry scheduled to leave around 4pm. we took some so-so lunch before we boarded the ferry. it was a huge barge, the kind that can transport cars & trucks from island to island. we were actually blessed with good weather since yesterday and today was no different - cloudy with a hint of sunshine. the ferry trip was uneventful where we took some more pictures of the port, of the islands and of camiguin as the ferry drew closer to it. camiguin was breathtaking from afar, all green with lush trees and big mountains (which turns out to be volcanoes). cris (our camiguin transport) was there on the port already to greet us and he led us to his blue multi-cab. we also took some pictures during the ride to where we will be staying. it was a good 45 min ride to pabua's cottages (which was just in front of paras beach resort) where manang ima greeted us and led us to our cottage when we got there. the cottage was very spacious and clean and could accommodate between 4-6 people. the bathroom was clean, there was airconditioning and cable television. since it was off-season, we were paying only 1,000 pesos a night for the room (it doubles during the peak season which was summer and october during the fiesta).

we had dinner at paras beach resort and ordered kinilaw na tanigue, crispy pata, sinigang na baboy and pinakbet. we really were craving for a good dinner after our so-so lunch. it was good that we were done with dinner when it started to rain hard with very strong winds that actually knocked some of the silverware from the other tables. to make things worse, power went out and it was pitched black. we ran through the dark blindly to get back to our cottage and since there was nothing else to do, we decided to get wet and play in the rain. it was a first for jona to shower in the rain and we had fun playing in the rain even if it was only lamp posts giving up some light (from the generator of paras beach resort). we were shivering from the cold when we decided to go back to our cottage. we took our baths, watched some television, reviewed our pictures, laughed out some and finally managed to doze off for an early start tomorrow.

more pictures for cdo : day 2, click here : canopy walk

for canopy walk reservations (dome expedition tours):
gerome garcia +63919-4043930
a_detour97@yahoo.com
P6,300 for four people
additional P800 for van to bring us to balingoan port

pabua's cottages, camiguin
emma pabua +63918-5865441/(088)3879033

camiguin transportation/tour
cris +63921-5637788
P2,100 camiguin tour + pick-up from port + drive to port

CDO : Day 1

after five months of waiting, the day of our eagerly anticipated trip to cagayan de oro finally came. while the number of those who were going thinned out to just jona, allan, van and me, we we're still excited to go. I've arranged the lodgings and the schedule of activities (with the help of ting) two weeks before august 23. our flight via cebu pacific was at 505am so we had to be at the airport at least 45mins before or our seats will be given to waitlisted passengers. i woke up sometime around 230am to shower and do some final prep before driving to jona's house where i was to leave my car. we actually packed light for this trip - i myself managing to cram everything in my abercrombie knapsack with enough clothes, sandals, my nike presto and speedo flipflops. thankfully, ali's brother alexis drove us to the airport and we managed to check-in even with the early morning boo-boo's like allan coming in late and van forgetting to bring her e-tickets. we sorta did the walk of shame going to our seats at the tail end of the plane while those seated were eyeing us as if saying "latecomers!"

we got into cdo without any problems and ting's mom & dad picked us up from the airport. we were actually going to sleepover ting's house that night (yeah, while ting is back in manila) and we were lucky they even agreed to house people they never met before (laugh here!) - kapal no? tito francis was quiet and serious while tita jing was very much like ting, soft-spoken and nice you'd think she never gets mad in her life. they took us to their house pass by the xavier school and a few kilometers before the sm mall. the ramos house in cagayan de oro was big and spacious and had an awesome view of the hills and sunset (which we found out later). it was a house where you would want to retire and savor the peacefulness while rocking steadily on the chair overlooking the hillside. we were exuberant with joy that tita jing invited us to breakfast since were starving and we feasted on baudnon (super yum dilis-like), eggs sunny-side up, pork adobo and brown rice. we had some time to settle down after breakfast waiting for our pick-up to go white water rafting.

the jeep ride to where the rafting starts took a good 30-45mins ride. there were five other people on the jeep with us which we mistook for korean tourists but turned out to be from cagayan since they spoke some tagalog and talked with some local twang. when we got to the drop off point and were putting up our lifejackets and helmets, we were anxious what the first rapids will feel like since the first one was just a few meters away from the starting point - talk about baptism by fire, right? after some orientation about the basics of paddling, with camera (enclosed in a waterproof/underwater casing) in tow, we were all excited to start the ride. arlan, our guide, mentioned that there were 14 rapids in the trip and lunch was going to be sometime after the seventh rapids. admittedly, the first rush of water was nerve-wracking as i wondered what will happen if the raft capsized in the middle of the turbulent waters but after a couple more rapids and i was feeling mighty confident already. there were even two instances wherein we were asked to stand and paddle while we went through the rapids - talk about adrenaline rush. there was even a portion in river wherein you can float and let the current carry you off one of the smoother rapids - van & ali tried this one while allan & i stayed on the raft.

when we docked somewhere and waited for lunch to be ready, we waded in the water and swam towards the big rock in the middle of the river. this was no easy feat since the current were pretty strong and you can get dragged on away from the rock if you are not a strong swimmer. it was a bit difficult maneuvering with one hand while my other hand was holding the camera but i managed to swim through. when lunch time came, it consisted of crabs, shrimps, liempo, lechon manok and rice that came in heart-shaped coconut leaves (they called it "puso"). diets were off and we feasted like we didn't have anything for breakfast.

the next leg of the rafting adventure had ali & van on the front of the raft while allan and i were forced to the backseat (bummer!). we still had fun maneuvering the remaining rapids, other times trying to paddle through the more turbulent waters. there were some side trips along the way with one having us try to cross a portion of the shallow water only to get dragged along by the strong rapids/current. we had more photo opportunities along the way with arlan (our guide) managing to take some awesome background shots of the mountains, caves and water. there were a lot of jokes during the trip - our guide was actually a very funny guy. the last stop was actually a big rock wherein you can jump to the river. now this, ali, van and allan tried it and i decided to stay behind because i didn't want to get any more wet. i took some pictures of them jumping but they didn't really come out great because the light was against them.

when we got back to the ramos' house, we showered and change clothes and just chilled at the veranda overlooking the hillside. tita jing served us some popcorn, peanuts and later on some chocolate crinkles. we managed to take some nice sunset pictures even with some low clouds covering the sun. dinner was again a feast with fried chicken, salad, sweet corn, baked ribs, rice and ice cream. tita was really spoiling us and ting's family were excellent hosts. we chatted a lot with ting's sister guia who we learned is going to take the board exam like ting but in cagayan, and not in manila. we slept with a smile that night savoring the experience of the white water rafting. tomorrow was again something to look forward to.

white water rafting reservations :
rupert +63917-7073583
P1,400 (with lunch)
our guide arlan's friendster addy : riverguide_2003@yahoo.co,

for more white water rafting pictures :
if you have a multiply account, click here : white water rafting
if you don't have a multiply account, click here & select white water rafting : http://yuan1025.multiply.com/

jacob's three today

i can't believe my nephew is three-years old today (aug 20) and while we decided not to hold a jollibee or mcdonald's party, we had a small gathering (mostly family) @ panciteria san jacinto right at e rodriguez avenue. admittedly, the food was actually good with our choice set consisting of crab & corn soup, fried chicken, fried rice, chopsuey, lumpiang shanghai and some really awesome shrimp camaron (i think that's what its called). the place was actually packed around lunch time proving that the restaurant was actually a popular choice.

jacob was his usual high-spirited, energetic self running everywhere. he's very very talkative now and while he still can't pronounce some words, he does have a knack for recognizing symbols - mcdonalds, jollibee, sm shoemart, bpi, shell, caltex ... its just awesome hearing him talk. for his bday, jacob wore the guess polo i bought him last christmas along with an old navy corduroy pants and the new balance shoes i got him from the US a month ago. my sister had a "blues clues" cake made for his birthday and he was eager to blow the candles when it came to cake time.

jacob is really growing up fast. next year, he's going to start school already and we're not sure yet which school to enroll him, top choice right now is la salle zobel (yes, i am a true-blooded, die-hard la sallian & bosconian). talking about that reminded me to start inquiring for next schoolyear.

happy 3rd birthday, jacob patrick. i love you baby.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= o0o =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

uh oh, while waiting at the car for mom while she was closing the gate, i suddenly had an attack of dizziness. it was really bad cause i thought the whole car was being tossed around. i think its either i should stop taking my hydroxycut or i should eat some more (i did eat a siopao for breakfast). scary. i hope i don't get one of those spells while driving.

ditchesa

i was supposed to have another reunion of sorts tonight with leo (the visiting ny lad), ron (hs classmate) and biboy (kinda well-known bowler) - plan was to have dinner and healthy dose of catching up. thing though is that i wasn't in the "socializing" mood tonight so i did a bad thing and made a lame excuse that i was feeling sickly and i needed to take a rain check. ditchesa, that's what i am, whatever the heck that means. well i did go out for dinner last night with cindy @ the old spaghetti factory in festival mall feasting yet again beyond what i should be eating - but i liked the sweet, citrusy (ya, i love citrusy stuff) asian salad, so-so aligue (heaven help me for eating this) pasta and ala-3M looking pizza (laughing here). what capped the night was a slice of cheesecake (which they say is imported from the cheesecake factory in the US) - it tasted good so it probably is true. what i'm craving for is carrot cake - super fave and i'm still trying (in vain) to find out where i can get a similar cake (similar to the one i bought in az) down here, the cafe elysee comes close but i think that joint closed down already. i've yet to try out this carrot cake recipe + cream cheese frosting i downloaded from the net the other day. i'll try that out probably over the weekend or next. busy busy busy.

btw, i electronically weighed myself yesterday and officially i'm @ 170lbs (yay!). is that an improvement or have i not lost any weight the past few weeks? i forget. well 5-10lbs shy of my 160-165lbs goal, i think i can do that since i can't eat so much again cause i just got my braces adjusted. now i have to place these two really uncomfortable elastic bands on my upper molars and attach them to the lower jaw. how fun is that? i think i'd also lost around 4% fat already, not bad - i probably need to do more cardio exercises, do it like all get out after i get back from cagayan.

uh oh, mind blank here ... can't think of anything to add anymore. so there.