Singapura: nyt and day...

SO NOW WE BEGIN...

NYT time
Arrival

We landed at Changi Airport (that by the way looks more like a 5 star hotel than an airport) at around 7pm, but looks more like 5pm here, so basically their day begins at around 9 or 10am and ends at 6 or 7pm. How cool is that?.

Anyway, I could go on and on raving about how cool their airport is with all their travelator and stuffs, but nothing prepared me for their toilets. Talk about modern old school toilet bowl, guess they were just being mindful of other culture's ways coz they also have this kind of setup in Malaysia, but just to clarify not all toilets are like this.

Anyway (again), when we got out of the airport and hopped on the taxi, we instantly got lost, coz apparently the EUNOS address seemed to be everywhere and the driver got very confused, mind you his confusion cost us S$25 equals to P825, and this was the first of my many mental conversions. Very Expensive. But the driver was nice enough to personally call Steph for the landmarks and directions, and he even entertained us with a bit of historical overview of Singapore, but then again all his efforts still summed up to P825.

BOON TONG KI

Boon Tong Ki has the best Chicken Rice ever. This place serves good food. Though I'm not really that particular about food but trust me when I start to rave on a dish. It's not really a fancy resto but it's pretty well known among the locals. But considering our ordeal we were probably just very hungry.

DURIAN HEAD and MERLION

First stop of the very looooong walk was the DURIAN HEAD. Apparently Davao isn't the only one known for its Durian, coz Singapore has a whole building built after a Durian. The architecture is quite amazing and also has a great eye level view of the city. Just a few walks away is already the MERLION, and one shouldn't just pass by the "countrymark" coz you gotta have to strike a pose first as sign that you've really been to Singapore. haha. excuses!

TRASH, SIGNS and ICE CREAM

It's true that Singapore really has a lot of BAWAL signs to remind everyone how strict they are. BUT. It's NOT (quite) true that they don't have trashes all over. See there? they too have overflowing trash can. HA! bitter Filipino looking for flaws in the perfect Singaporean world. Seriously though, Singapore is generally a very neat nation that when you see a single trash not in its proper place you just can't help but exclaim "Finally! we have something in common" haha.

Anyway, we finally ended our long walk with some WALLS a.k.a Selecta wafer sandwich ice cream. Yes. We know it's Selecta because of the heart sign, which makes me wonder if they also have different name for Coca-cola. hmm..Anyways, the amazing thing about their ice cream, aside from their flavors, is that they come in rectangular shapes that when served they just slice it directly, put a wafer on top and bottom, place it in a plastic then viola you eat it like a sandwich. No worries about making a mess coz they don't melt as fast as our ice creams.

DAY time

Our first time to ride and go gaga over their LRTs and MRTs. They are just so unbelievably amazing. Singapore is so efficient when it comes to their routes and systems. I honestly envy them. I could only wish for us to also have our very own MRT and LRT, but I could never expect it not to have any vandal, just in case.

Anyway we had our breakfast at a street corner/ carenderia in Bugis, and dear do they have BIG servings - literally. And the cute thing is that their set meals abide by the GO GROW and GLOW food pyramid. So your options are narrowed down to a 1 or 2 vegetable, meat and rice. Couldn't they just get any more perfect?...

GETTING LOST and Sculptors

Everybody knows that my sense of direction sucks, and my sister is not that great in that area either, so basically our choices were just narrowed down to either left or right. With no destination in mind, and much more no map at hand we simply just trusted our instincts without knowing that we already covered half the city by foot. Would never have known till Steph told us. haha. By the way it was also on this walk that we got to hear a very loud honk coming from a mini cooper, and that honk was directed at us. We never felt more special. haha. To save our face we were just merely disoriented with their streets coz they use right hand drive and etc. etc. excuses. :)

I finally understood what Daphne Oseña meant when she said how our country lacks life size sculptors to decorate our streets and play around with. So just imagine my delight when I saw not one but a lot of life sized sculptors along Singapore Art Museum. I love art and I love it more when they're BIG.

The SINGAPOREANS

Singaporeans are a very helpful bunch to the point that they literally guide you to your destination. The good thing though is that they are not that difficult to converse with, coz they're language is a version of our Taglish -- Singlish.

During our getting lost walks, my sister and I met this old lady at a bus stop, that honest to goodness, resembles our deceased maternal grandmother. She was nice enough to have her picture taken but we were rude enough to just mumble nonsense when she asked where our grandmother is.haha. Then we also encountered Jeff, a deaf mute. He approached us first and held up a laminated paper that says he was deaf, and of course being a degree holder in SpEd I showed off the one and only sign language that I remembered from my class which was "Hi." And who would have thought that he would be so delighted that he went on doing his hand signs thinking that I too was deaf. Good thing I was able to put those hand letter signs from the back of my grade school notebook to good use. Anyway as it turned out he sold us this key chain to raise funds for a charity and it's original worth was S$10 but gave it to us for only S$5, then only to find out that its exact value in Malaysia was half his discounted price. Real Smooth.

There was also Daniel who was very nice coz he gave us another free round at the Segway in Sentosa. Then that Chinese lady who was kind and patient enough to interpret those chinese cards for Janjan.

National Museum of Singapore

AMAZING! I this place. This is probably the best museum I've been to. It doesn't require you to have tour guides because they provide you with all these gadgets along the way, so you could tour the place at your own pace. The great thing about this place too is that they were able to divide the historical transitions of Singapore into different areas. Such that they have a different room entirely devoted to Films, Food, Photography, Fashion and History. Simply amazing.

SENTOSA

Fast fact: did you know that the MERLION was a name given in honor to the 2 creatures - the sea dragon and the lion, that the Prince (known to be descendant of Alexander the Great) encountered along his way to the island?. First he offered his crown to the sea dragon then upon arriving at the island a lion threatened them so he had an eye contact with the lion then poof the king of the jungle walked away. It's mythical but that's just one of the things you learn from Sentosa.

Sentosa is definitely a tourist destination. The rides were very much worth it. When you get on the cable car and see the overview of Sentosa, you could definitely say that this country is not experiencing any crisis coz of the number of constructions going on. I was just disappointed with their underwater world though, coz it's too small, i even took pity , for the first time, on the growing sharks coz they had to cram themselves in that small aquarium. But generally Sentosa was nice, even if we didn't get to see the Pink dolphin!. tsk

****

This was probably the longest day ever, because after Sentosa we had to immediately rush to the airport for our late night flight to Kuala Lumpur. So just imagine the weight of the back pack that I had to carry around on all those long walks, and trust me, when we got to Kuala Lumpur early dawn it felt like we've just been through a fraternity hazing. And until now the big toe on my left foot is still numb but happy. haha.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia... up next :)

Malaysia: truly asia

Selamat Datang
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
***

The Heritage Station Hotel

Discovered this hotel from LonelyPlanet.com. We actually had several choices, all of them budget hotels, but since most of them were already fully booked we just opted for this. But even before this was already my first choice because of its historic charm, and when my sister made further research on this she found out that this was where most photo shoots and MTV shootings took place. So that knowledge basically sealed the deal of how historic it is. haha.

Seriously though, as creepy as it looks, this hotel actually used to be the original Kuala Lumpur Station. It has been existing for more than a hundred years that its structure is still very Islamic. Not only does it provide a great view of the old Islamic buildings in the neighborhood but also still even has that old railway station at the back, which made our commuting around the city very convenient. To top it all off this place is very cheap and the personnel were great.

They were so great that they still accommodated us at 2am even though our check in time was 2pm, and to think they were a bit hesitant coz they were already fully booked. On the other hand, maybe they just took pity on us because when I called them up upon our arrival, I told them, with all the sadness in my voice, that if they couldn't accommodate us we'll just have to sleep at some benches in the airport (which was really our original plan, but we were just too tired to even think about it). I must have been one heck of a great actress. haha!

The Famous Malaysian Chicken

Waking up late, missing our breakfast, we decided to just have our brunch somewhere in the vicinity of Petronas, since that was our very first destination. When we got to KLCC Suria we immediately found NANDO's, and I've heard great reviews about this Resto from pinoyexchange.com. It's kinda like our own Jo's Chicken Inato but very hot and spicy . It's quite good but still too spicy for my taste, but the locals must be loving it coz they were really lining up for it. A great feature of this resto though is their store related humor printed on its menu. Very cute.

The great PETRONAS towers

If there's one best description for Petronas that would be SHINY. I already expected the twin towers to be, well, towering, but I never expected it to be that shiny. No kidding! it was so shiny that you could actually check out your teeth on its facade, kidding actually! haha. Seriously when you look at it you could just imagine how long and how many it takes to maintain its shiny-ness.

By the way that's the lady guard at Petronas Tower 1. Ain't she just pretty?. But I've noticed that most Muslim women are really pretty even if they are covered up like Afghan women. Janjan even thought of approaching them for some eye make up tips. I wonder what their response to that would have been. hmmm.

Chinatown

Their Chinatown is our version of Tabo Sabanay. Everything is first class - first class imitation. Too bad it rained when we got there. But nonetheless I still got a very great deal from my friend friend Mike who was very much infatuated with my beauty.haha. From the MYR180 worth of scarves I only got it for MYR80. Not only that , I also got a free necklace from him. All these in exchange for a picture with me added by some false hopes. I was so attractive that I got asked for my number three times and twice they gave me their numbers in hopes that I would contact them. There was even once in Bukit Bintang that the sales ladies thought I was an actress coz I seem to know Jericho Rosales (who is very popular there) quite well, but I humbly told them that Jericho and I are just friends. See being showbiz pays off. hahaha...

I really don't mind the flattery as long as I get discounts. ha! once a user will always be a user! Anyway to sum it all up, let's just say that in some culture, I am very beautiful..I just hope that I can also be as beautiful in Spain as well. please lord.

The Transpo

Malaysia's railways may not be as bongga as Singapore's but they still serve their purpose nonetheless. With our two days stint in KL my sister and I pretty much got the hang of their transportations. We even rode the buses to get around the city, and it's not that hi tech coz their system is similar to our jeepneys here wherein you just pay the fare to the driver or the conductor. The only ride perhaps that's worth worth complaining is their TEKSIs (taxi) Never was there a time when they used their meter. I don't know why, but I somehow felt we were overcharged, and by the way not using a meter is already normal for them. That's why getting acquainted with the buses and trains is really a must. Besides, what better way to immerse in one's culture than to be in their public utility vehicles.

GENTING HIGHLANDS

Is the casino and amusement park on top of the mountain. It's very cold that you could actually see the fog on top of the roller coaster rides. Good thing we brought our scarves coz if not, we would be freezing our wanna-be-fashionable-asses off in that mountain. And they say that it was already a good weather coz there was a sun compared to a month or so before when its temperature reached 11 degree celcius. Had I known, I would just have worn a fashionable coat instead. as if!

Getting there was fun coz we got share a taxi ride with the three locals who were very friendly but whose names were so difficult to pronounce. At first you'd hear it as Ann Su or something but when you repeat it they'd try to correct you and say "no no it's Uhn Suh." It's very difficult that it's like learning french in malaysia. But they were nice, those three. Their english is pretty good compared to the others that we've met, but mehn when you talk to them you'd feel like you're already the best english speaker in the entire world. Don't mean to insinuate something just plain bragging :)

By the way they also have best and safest roads. If you ever get to see how big and well placed their roads are then, without a doubt, you'd conclude that our roads to Busay is a road kill. Trust me.

Coffee Terraces

The package that we got was actually an either or of lunch buffet and amusement rides, plus free cable car and bus ride. Naturally, since my tiny sister is the biggest eater I've ever known, we went for the buffet, and since we only have 2 meals/day this was already very worth it. They have a variety of international cuisine, so we tried to try as much of everything as possible, and not everything tastes good. Take for example their local specialty ice kachang - it is nothing compared to our very own halo-halo. But all in all it wasn't really disappointing coz my tummy banked on the sushis, coz number 1 - I know how expensive they really are and number 2 - I could never go wrong with sushi. :)

More of Genting

I think Genting was patterned after Vegas. In a way that hotels and casinos are scattered everywhere. Their amusement parks are located both indoor and outdoor, and it's very ideal when you go there with a group of friends. They also have small chinese temples, but with its sinful surroundings it's no question why not many people go there.

The ultimate highlight of Genting though is their cable car rides. From what I've read, it is the longest in Southeast Asia and it lasts around 15 mins more or less. What makes it even more cooler is that you actually pass by the top of the very thick forest, so basically you get a bird's eye view of everything. It's a very greeny ride and quite an experience.

Bukit Bintang at night

If you consider Manila as the melting pot, then I wonder what you'd think of Bukit Bintang. This place is kinda like Chinatown but more organized and more diversed. It's so diverse that you could actually see and mingle with all kinds of people from different cultural backgrounds. From the whites to blacks, chinese, arabs, muslim, christians, hindus and of course us Pinays, they're all there. It's pretty amazing when you think about it, coz by then you could say that this is the real utopia where everyone gets along with everybody. But hey we only stayed there for a couple of hours so I really wouldn't know for sure. haha.

A tip though, if you ever go Kuala Lumpur and do intend to really shop, go to this place coz this is their shopping district and their prices are quite cheaper than those of the glamorous malls. Trust me, I know, coz by this time I was already a master at mental currency conversion. ha!

Authentic Chinese Food

According to my feeling expert sister, Janjan, "you would know if it's authentic chinese food when the ones serving are real chinese." That's why she was so willing splurge on those "chinese" foods coz apparently they are very aunthentic, but if you ask me, she was splurging more on the chinese people serving our food. And if she ever goes to China you bet she'd be as broke as a pauper.

Summary.

There are several things why I like Malaysia. Among them is their buildings. They have the most unbelievable architecture that I've ever seen (they even surpass those of Singapore's), probably because most of their buildings has a of touch of their Islamic culture. And I personally find that appealing coz it's like proud trademark of their identity.
I also like how they go on sale, because when they do it's a really big thumbs up discount. Unlike here when a store goes on sale they put up big 50% off on their posters but when you get inside they only give the 50% discounts on their not so good items and 10% on their nice items. There when it's sale it's really SALE. But unfortunately since we were just the poor people from the Philippines, we just did what poor people do - posing in front of the high end stores ..so tadah! we already have a Louis Vuitton ---> pic. haha.
Lastly, I so the cultural diversity. I thought I'd only see those Afghan women outfit, (wherein they are covered in black from head to toe with the exception of their eyes) on TV but there were actually a number of them strolling around Malaysia. There were also a lot of western tourist who had gotten quite comfortable in this Muslim country. One of them even played his guitar and sang a Beatle song to a local Malay at one of the sidewalk.

So you see Malaysia's advertisement is really true.. coz it's TRULY ASIA.

Singapura: last leg!

The last leg of the our Singaporean journey. Departed from Kuala Lumpur @ 6ish am, arrived in Singapore at 7ish am. Slept for a couple of hours then off we went to our last hurrah!..

JURONG BIRD PARK

Getting to the park is quite a long journey, well actually not really, more like 30/45mins rail ride, but considering how fast those LRT goes, it's really far. And if you get to get hold of a map you'd know that Jurong is already towards the eastern border of Singapore and Malaysia.

Well Jurong Bird Park is full of birds. obviously! haha. Seriously, birds are swarming in this tourist destination. The great thing about it though is that the birds are free to fly everywhere. The flamingos, parrots and other odd-looking-colorful-but-definitely-BIRDs are free to roam around. Some of them are caged though, but most of them are quite comfortable crossing the streets and flying over the heads of the visiting tourists. Kids would surely love it there, it's a very wholesome educational environment intended for the family to enjoy.

Aside from that...

Jurong Bird Park has also the most unbelievable picture perfect sites. You can even take a shower in their, if i had it right, tallest man made African waterfalls, kidding on the shower part. hehe. The park is quite a big place that it takes a whole lot of effort to drag your extra fats around the whole area. But overall the park is really worth the long journey. Oh and before I forget they also have real penguins, unfortunately they're not just allowed to roam around with us. tsk.

Last hours...

We left the park at around 5ish pm, toured the Jurong mall a bit before heading to the opposite end of Singapore - Tampines, which by the way is pronounced as TAM-PEE-NES (so take my word if I tell you don't be slang, coz the chinese won't understand you no matter how perfect the words may sound).

Headed to the TAM-PEE-NES mall right away for some Japanese Tori-Q dinner, which if I may add is sooooooo gooooood. It's kinda like a food stall located in the center of the mall's food court and serves mainly japanese bbq that is oh soooo saucy, that when it drips to your japenese rice it just makes it so perfect, hay i fell in love with that. Anyway, too much of that food, we hanged around their coffee shop near the station before heading back to steph's place for our last night sleep at Merlion City.

Haaaay... I miss the LRTs and MRTs at Singapore. My sister and I already even proclaimed ourselves to be experts at navigating around the stations. I know it's silly but it's very easy to get the hang of it coz their directions and signages are so BOLD and many that it's bordering on spoon feeding. Singapore is, all in all, a very nice tourist destination, no make it a country in general. It can be too perfect that it's almost imperfect, especially for an imperfect person like me who has gotten used to all the chaos and opposite things that my country has offered. But hey no matter what my still belongs to CEBU.

* * *

Over all my first international trip was worth a million pages of scrapbook. So many things I learned, so many stories to share. What I loved most about it is how my sister and I just allowed ourselves to get lost in these foreign countries. We didn't always have a specific destination in my mind but getting to that nowhere is always the exciting part. I loved everything about it. I even loved how we had to scrimp on our budget coz it made us experience their real culture. I love backpacking, I love travelling, I don't know when the next one would be or if there is even a next one. But one thing's for sure, I'm gonna make it happen because I want to make it happen, by hook or by crook. This is what I want to do for the rest of my life. And it doesn't matter how slowly I go so long as I don't stop.

Gotta Confucius!

bacolod... ged ni te

here's the story...

april 20, 2009 mayang and i met at colon to supposedly look for some black and white films. it was a spur of the moment meeting and so was the decision to go to bacolod the next day. though bacolod has been on my most wanted destination ever since last year, the decision to impulsively invite myself to mayang's, again, "supposedly" soul searching trip to silay, was definitely out of the plans. but then again for an impulsive-cheapow-traveller like me... the spontaneous trip shouldn't be that surprising at all.

so now i'm a happy broke whose soul just got recharged from the trip down the city of smiles. it's all worth it!

the details

april 22.

departed at south bus terminal at around 5 am, arrived an hour after at toledo for the barge, then two hours boat ride to san carlos city. endured another 3 or so hours to bacolod city, then got confused where to stop coz the original plan was silay then talisay and finally bacolod city. big thanks to tito ni babs for the uber bongga accommodation at his uber nosebleed ville in capitol ville...

the ruins

first stop: the ruins. the mansion of Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson and the future wedding reception of motha molly.

just a little history. this house was actually burned down by the Filipino guerrillas during the Japanese occupation to prevent the Japanese from utilizing this mansion as their headquarters. but despite the inferno, the mansion still stands tall and proud boasting of its magnificence and scenic grandeur.

indeed very ideal reception for the OMOLON -- ??? nuptials.

Lizares Museum

the oldest house in talisay city. if i'm not mistaken, this house once served as the meeting place for all the political bigwigs in the past, as evidenced in the photograph of sergio osmeña and manuel quezon.

i like the house, it's warm, cozy and has that very expensive feel to it, must be the yellow lighting. hehehe.

balay Negrense

i the Victor Fernandez Gascon Ancestral House. this is what you call blast from the past, and the best part about it is that you can actually touch these things of the past. well, not really, except that we're a bunch of hardheaded eager beaver who just couldn't resist touching this and that especially that NOLI. but then crossing the line was no sweat coz no other eyes (except ours) were looking. the artworks in the underground was also very very very cool. in fact i noticed that art classes in the museums seems to be a very "in" thing there.

on the other hand, being in that house made me miss my mom, because everything in there spelled of SUSAN. for sure she'd die of envy by just looking and touching the antics spread spread all over the place. miss you mommy. wish to go there with you someday and see the envious look on your face ahehehe

batchoy @ 21

this has to be a special mention. the batchoy was GOOOOOOD!!! NAMIT GIUD!!!! the price was shockingly cheap considering that it's a very sosyal place. and getting in that resto never made us feel even more smelly and dirty than we already did. we looked exactly like back packers who just got off the non-air conditioned bus, full of tagiptip and sweat plus strands of hair all over our face. never felt more self conscious but had fun nonetheless.

the food

the food were to die for!!!! from the batchoy to P45 bucket of fresh talaba, P60 minty frap, sizzling squid...napoleones... piyaya... whew!. i could have vinci's tummy in no time (exaggeration.. hehehe).

my highly recommended to go to is CAFE BOBS. very cheap. their coffee drinks probably just range about P40-P90, and their whip cream is very yummy, boohoo to starbucks! thumbs up to BOBS! they also have a very great ambiance and a gourmet spot for pizza and the likes. wish BOBS were here in cebu.

the only thing i'm protesting is their McCafe! how come they have McCafe and we don't?!...tsk tsk... if i become a haciendera by some twist of fate i'll bring BOB and Mc here in cebu. promise!

things noted!

here are the things i noticed in bacolod (besides their cheap and yummy food):

#1. less traffic signs. for someone who's had all sorts of traffic encounter i'm amazed and jealous of their lack of traffic signs. and i have never seen a towing sign or clamping zone anywhere and that is a very big deal for me! if were living in bacolod then i'd probably be the most law abiding citizen ever.

#2. numbered barangay names. literally, they name their barangays as 1,2,3 and so on. i thought that it was a really smart thing compared to naming your barangay... i'd rather not mention... hehe

#3. Zoning. i sooooo envy the city's zoning. unlike here in cebu where squatters just pop out anywhere, even in posh subdivision, there you hardly see any eye sore on the entrance of the subs. so i doubt you'd encounter a squatter living within the vicinity of the subs.
the only thing i'm complaining is that they don't have trisikad in their subs, which means to say, tortured long walks.

#4. Lowered Jeepneys.

on the way home

via don salvador. sitting on the bus floor was well compensated by the scenic view. long line of pine trees... passing by the eye level clouds... view of mt. canlaon.. and etc.2x...

realizations:

if i were to live in another city besides cebu.. i'll probably choose bacolod. but nothing beats getting the best of both world here... the beach and the mountains.

and motha molly... you gotta find your haciendero fast and soon!.. at least your choices are already narrowed down to the Lopez, Ledesma, Lacson, Yanson, and pwede pud Lizares. ahehehe... we'll support you all the way as you find fatha!

why do i love thee?....

Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte

Everybody knows everybody. That's one of the perks of going to a remote island. Everybody is so pleasant that it can easily be translated into discounts and freebies. Food, Kayak, Surf lessons, Tours... name it they'll provide it :) This was my first adventure trip (very far from Cebu), that got me hooked on backpacking. Lesson learned: It never hurts to smile and be friendly.
Why do I love thee? the warm people and their generosity.
****

Calicoan Island, Guian, Eastern Samar

Always be prepared. That's always the number 1 rule for girl scouts, unfortunately we didn't get the girl scout training. tsk ! Nothing prepared us for this trip, in fact we weren't prepared for this particular destination. What was to be Boronggan Samar turned out to be Guian Samar, all because it was highly recommended by an acquaintance on the boat trip to Leyte. Silly us! But the length of this trip and the adventure on the road is worth every experience.
Why do I love thee? the spontaneity it brought.
****

Apo Island, Dumaguete, Negros Occidental

AMAZING. The island that fell in love with. If only I could marry it and live with it for the rest of my life, then I'd certainly be the happiest bride ever. I promised myself that by the time I go back there I must already know how to dive. The pristine waters, colorful fishes swimming by the shore, and the grandness of its rock formations are definitely an understatement. To truly understand its beauty, one MUST go. Leaving that island was like breaking up with a boyfriend I never had, and it's much harder to cope with when there are two dolphins (even if they say it's Bisaya dolphins for being black) swimming and jumping very near your bangka. Hay... I miss that place. Recalling that experience brings back fond memories. Jumping into the waters with the one and only clothes on my back was very worth it. I would never trade it for anything in the world.
Why do I love thee? it's the simply the island.
****

Bantayan Island, Cebu
My first impression of Bantayan Island will always be the island that has the most number of stars in the whole wide world. But naturally I was still a kid then and I've never been to the whole wide world to make such comparison, nonetheless their blanket of stars still amazes me. Now that I'm all grown up, Bantayan will always have a special place in my heart as the most convenient getaway from the metropolis. Holy week in this island is maybe the best time, but it is most charming when there is no crowd to interrupt you from making you feel like you're literally the queen of the world... i mean ISLAND.
Why do I love thee? it offers a great get away.****

Camotes Island, Cebu

Just imagine endless stretch of the white shore, as far as your eyes can see, this is what this island is all about. Their lake Danao also offers the best tilapya there is! I'll never forget that fried tilapya ever. Or maybe the reason why it was sooo gooood is because that was the only viand we had. ha! But nothing beats the lovely old couple we met who never exchanged their simple nipa hut by the beach front for millions of peso offered by different big shots. God bless that couple and their family, for their simplicity, integrity and most of all for sharing their roof with us when we were already running low on dough. hehe.
Why do I love thee? the amazing stories of their humble people.
****

Sumilon Island, Oslob, Cebu
Glowing. Literally glowing. Even if you are just driving along the coast of the south, this island would already draw curiosity because of it's glowing whiteness. But nothing compares to it when you are on a motor boat going towards its whiteness. If you're not wearing shades, then be prepared to hurt your eyes! kidding! I love the fact that you can do a lot of things in this island. They even have a lake within the island surrounded by mangroves and cliffs that you can explore by kayaking and trekking. I was just happy to be there and experience its exclusive luxury, even though we really didn't get the luxury part (long story). But hey as long as it's for free, who am I to complain?
Why do I love thee? it exceeded my expectations.
****

Siquijor
Eco tourism at its best. The island that is surrounded by witch crafts and magic - so enchanting. Too bad we didn't get to explore much and too bad I didn't get to see and bring real anting2x and etc. The best thing about this island though is that the people are so welcoming and hospitable. From the capitol employees (who were very helpful by giving us brochures, maps and recommendations to the best go to spots), to the drivers (who were more than willing to show us around, without robbing us off), to the retired Japanese resort owner (who's known to give incredible discounts to backpacking students), and to the simple housewife (who shared her tour guiding skills in their famous cave, even though the burning candle was all the light we had). That experience made me understand more what it is about Filipinos and their hospitality.
Why do I love thee? Its true Filipino hospitality.
****

Boracay Island
They say that the the sunset, sand and party scene is what makes boracay BORACAY. But I say that what makes boracay Boracay is that it composes of everything and anything, and that's what makes it interesting and colorful. From foreigners to locals to indigenous folks, you can find it all in bora. It's always bustling with energy that it never fails to make you feel alive. I say when you go to bora be with your friends, coz parents, they might be lil' too conservative for this.
Why do i love thee? It's a melting pot island.

****
More thousand islands to go!
way to go Pinas!

when office boredom strikes...

Getting reacquainted with the Microsoft Paint can only happen when #1 there is no internet connection and #2 when you are simply just bored.

I wasn't really that fond of Paint before but after yesterday's office boredom, I think that Paint and I are gonna be close. We are going to be computer BFF.

Shattered eyes... ?
Fine. I really don't know what this is. I'm just trying to be one of those Picasso-like-hidden-meaning-vibrant-colors kind of person, but apparently it's not working on me. Another frustration on the list! But whatever, it looks nice...in my eyes. wink!*

A Tree....obviously!
This started out as a mistake but thanks to my laziness to click on a new page, this turned out pretty cool. I'm thinking of doing this kind of painting style soon, Pollock like but not really. Maybe I could call my style Torrefranca, but then again, not really. ha!
On the other hand, have you noticed that it only takes hours for the trees to be cut then years to grow? heck! Even building grow way faster than the trees. I feel sad for the lost of greenery.

Sun and Sail...
Just wishing to be somewhere. Somehow reminds me of how long it has been since I've been to the beach. Feels like I'm getting pale even in my all year round forever brown-ess.

Dive... soon!
Diving. Just among one of my many dreams and goals in life. I'm planning to go on a fun dive this year, coz snorkeling can no longer be enough, most especially if your dad is a scardy cat who keeps on calling you not go too far like you're some five year old kid whose precautions are not well developed. tsk tsk. I can't wait to dive and see all the glory of the underworld, and if money permits, I'd like to get me a license too. crossing my fingers.

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More office boredom coming up!
:)