Old School Blogging Since '18

Day 0 (September 11): Daraga, Albay to Manila

We met two of our friends, who happened to be twins, at MOA to satisfy our ramen cravings. We indulged in ramen and gyoza at Mendokoro Ramenba and took evening strolls at the Bay.

Day 1 (September 12): Manila to Dumaguete

Front-row seat, baby! However, with additional tasks, such as opening the plane's emergency exit. Our rental car service delivered the vehicle to the Dumaguete airport right after we landed. We drove a gray metallic, less-than-a-month-old Toyota Wigo.

For our first stop, we enjoyed our late breakfast at Café Sans Rival at The Henry. We had pancakes, bacon, eggs, bangus, fried rice, coffee, tea, and juice! What a fantastic way to start our tour! Next, we explored and took photos at Pulangbato Falls, Sulfur Vent, Mango Ranch, and Tierra Alta in Valencia. We also stopped by the Cata-al Museum and Forest Camp. We checked in at Flying Fish Hotel, washed up, and had dinner at Gabby’s Bistro with PJ and Rae. The serving was generous, and the food and staff were excellent! And the mango crepe was lit!! We managed to get our ferry tickets for Siquijor before heading back to the hostel.

Day 2 (September 13): Dumaguete to Siquijor

Travel time from Dumaguete to Siquijor was about 3 hours (the average travel time is 1.5 hrs). We took the Montenegro Ferry, the only vessel that sailed that day to Siquijor. The weather was rough. We rode a tricycle to White Villas Resort in San Juan, had a meal at their restaurant, and then decided to check in—a big thank you to the White Villas staff for accommodating us despite an error in our booking. We washed up, fixed our things, and slept the whole afternoon because our tour was canceled. It was such a rainy and windy day!

Day 3 (September 14): Day Tour in Siquijor

We enjoyed our complimentary breakfast at the resort. Afterward, we set off for our day tour, starting around 10:30 am. The weather had improved, making it safe to begin our tour. Our first stop was supposed to be Pitogo Cliff; however, it was still closed for the day. We decided to come back later that afternoon. Next, we went to Balete Tree Fish Spa. I expected small fish to tickle us. But there were larger ones, which I was a little scared. LOL. We shortly stopped by Hapitanan in Lazi and took broom shots. We met Ivana Alawi’s broomstick and brought home our souvenir voodoo dolls. We also stopped by Lazi Church and took photos. Lazi convent, which is across the church, was closed. It was lunchtime, and we ate Sinigang na pasayan and sizzling pork sisig at Jacs Kitchenette.

There, the rain started to pour. Despite the harsh weather, we continued the tour and explored the Sambulawan Underground River. We expected a canoe to hop on, but no vehicle could fit in the cave. Equipped with a life vest and torchlight, we explored the cave on foot with our guide, Kuya Arvin, who is very accommodating and skilled at taking photos. Our next stop was Salagdoong Beach. It was still very windy, and the waves were huge, so we dipped our feet in the water and climbed up to the viewpoint. The view was still astonishing as the clear waters hit the rock formations. Our final stop for the day was the 'Welcome to Siquijor' signage. We were drenched when returning to the hotel.

For our dinner, we visited Dolce Amore, an Italian restaurant 2 minutes from the resort. Their pasta, pizza, and gelato were a true luxury. No wonder most of their patrons are foreigners.

P.S. Big shoutout to Kuya Jesse, our tour guide, who was super friendly and accommodating and ensured our safety!

P.S.S. We were supposed to return to Dumaguete, but all trips were canceled. So, we extended our stay at White Villas. We were unable to use our reservation at the Flying Fish Hostel.

Day 4 (September 15): Going back to Dumaguete

Kuya Jesse picked us up at White Villas and took us to Siquijor Port, hoping to catch any trip back to Dumaguete. We were given a queueing number for the 2 pm trip, but it was canceled. We took a chance for the 4:30 pm trip, but we had no slot. Thanks to the fixers who got over 20 tickets for one queueing number.  */Annoyed/*

It's a good thing Kuya Jesse lent a hand to us. His friend picked us up at the port ticketing office and helped us find a nearby inn to spend the night. This time, there were three of us sharing a room. We met Ate Fritzie at the ticketing office; she couldn’t grab a ferry ticket, too, and joined us.

That night, we tried booking our ferry tickets online. We booked possible trips of OceanJet fast craft, Montenegro Lines, and Aleson, too, for the next day.

Day 5 (September 16): Travel Day to Dumaguete, Manila, and Bicol

It was a very early wake-up call – 4 am (but I extended 10 minutes of sleep). Kuya Jesse picked us up at the inn head to Siquijor port for the second time. This time, the fast craft ferries resumed their trips. Our online booking for OceanJet (for beshie and me) and Aleson (for Ate Fritzie) were the keys for the 6 am trips. We bade goodbye to Siquijor and arrived in Dumaguete after 40 minutes of travel.

Since our flight to Manila was scheduled for 10:40 a.m., we were able to try Dumaguete’s painitan for breakfast. PJ and his mom took us for a quick tour of Dumaguete and Valencia. And we made it on time for our flight to Manila! But upon landing, the first thing we did was to get our luggage and find a nice place to dine in NAIA T3. We cannot miss eating during lunchtime, so we had a meal at Army Navy and had takeaways from Tim Hortons before transferring to NAIA T4, where we were supposed to take off for Daraga, Albay.

Btw, the window seat was excellent! Covered with fluffy clouds, Mt. Mayon said hi to us.

And yes, we traveled from Siquijor to Dumaguete to Manila to Albay to Naga City in JUST A DAY. Teleporting was real, folks!

Thanks to Avis for driving us from Naga to Daraga and returning from Daraga to Naga. And thank you to Sieg for the additional stay at the White Villas.

Thank you, PJ, Rae, and Solamillo Fam, for driving us and the silvanas.

Thank you, Miracle21 car rental, for lending us your baby Wigo for your Dumaguete City & Valencia tour. Thank you soooo much, Kuya Jesse, for all the help in getting around Siquijor and for ensuring our safety.

Hoping to come back to Dumaguete and explore more places in Siquijor soon!

There was also an instance in 2013, VP Leni, was a congresswoman back then, she was a guest in the same event I volunteered to participate in. The event "Parangal sa Mga Manghahabing Bayani" was an event to recognize the jute weavers behind a homegrown bag brand - Mr. Kengkoy. The humble congresswoman appeared in the events hall wearing a simple black dress, who just came from another engagement that day. She was calm and very soft spoken, and very, very humble.

Fast forward to 2017, I luckily bumped into VP Leni and Tricia at the bus terminal. I was with my parents and sister. My papa and mama were pushing me to talk to Tricia to have a picture taken with VP Leni. I was really shy but ended up doing what my parents asked me to do. It was a very short kumustahan. Tricia just said that it was really a long time since we met in person (I think that last time was when we were in high school, we did some grade 6 class reunions). She also asked me where I am currently working. And I just answered briefly. I was REALLY shy. My parents were also able to talk to VP Leni saying that me and Tricia were grade school classmates in USI and have been in school events with her and Sec. Jesse. VP Leni responded that she remembered seeing my parents too! And yes, her memory is really sharp and even if she's the second highest official of the countrty, she's still very humble. And as were leaving the bus terminal, we also learned that my ate, who was also travelling to Manila for work was luckier because she got to ride the bus with VP Leni, Tricia, and Jillian.

February 8, 2022 was the kickoff rally of VP Leni, Sen. Kiko and the Tropang Angat in CamSur. I was so excited to go to work that day because I it feels festive, seeing all the preparations made in various towns in CamSur and Naga City. I was also monitoring the Facebook live feeds in my computer while working. I really felt the joy that the Bicolanos experience during fiestas such as the Peñafrancia Fiesta held every year in September. But due to the pandemic, the festivities were suspended. As soon as my work ended, I and my bestfriend, in our hot pink and old rose shirts, decided to attend the Grand Rally in Plaza Rizal. We carpooled and parked the car at SM City Naga and walked going to the venue for we were assuming the entire Panganiban Drive will be closed, or if not, we'll be stuck in traffic. Slightly tired from our walk, we decided to eat our snacks to fill our tummies before joining the crowd of Bicolano Kakampinks. Naga Garden, known for serving delicious mami and siopao, was filled with people - young and old, wearing their Leni shirts of different designs and shades of pink. "Wow! Solid! Lupet!" That's what I was thinking. I was full of hope and am very proud that VP Leni, the most qualified and competent presidentiable is from my hometown - Naga City.

** Online rallies. News on the upcoming election. Trolls/bashers **

I just recently attended the One Pink March, the second grand rally of Leni-Kiko and the Tropang Angat. I was really eager to attend the said event and even signed up as early as March. Belonging to the employees who work in shifts, I eagerly requested and insisted that I may be on off duty during the grand rally, May 6, 2022. I even bought three kakampink shirts and pink items to show my support. I hate being in crowded places, being under the heat of the sun, and being stuck in traffic but I didn't mind those simple discomforts. I just wanted to show my support and let my candidates win for the Philippines - for a better nation! And that flame of hope lit up when VP Leni decided to run for the presidency in October 2021. She has been working tirelessly, showing resilience and resourcefulness to every calamity, fighting corruption, aiding the pandemic, and helping each and every Filipino live a better life. But despite doing an excellent job, she became the center of fake news and trolls.

Election Day - May 9, 2022

EXCITED! I left the house after eating breakfast and without taking a bath yet because I wanted to vote already! I waited for an hour for my turn (I'm kinda lucky my voting precinct isn't as crowded as the others) but didn't mind the waiting time and the summer heat. And then, my turn finally came! I WAS HOLDING THE BALLOT AND THE MARKING PEN! I WAS A BIT TENSED that I might invalidate the vote! I might commit an undo-able mistake in shading the circle. BUT I WAS FULL OF HOPE! I was very happy to have casted my vote to my most deserving candidates. I was proud of myself for not messing up. I am a voter. I was a proud Filipino. When I got home, I was monitoring the updates via twitter about VP Leni and the other presidentiables. I was also excited that I might bump into VP Leni somewhere in the streets of Naga. Unfortunately, it didn't happen. I wanted to see my beacon of hope so baaad! >.<

Loads of Disappointment

The results of the election was a disappointment. It crushed the ball of flaming hope in me. I was devastated. From the time the first partial unofficial result went out, that was just 3% of the election returns, until the votes of BongBong Marcos reached 30M, I can hardly look at the figures. I can't look straight at the monitor. I was brokenhearted but still hoping that there are glitches in the results.

The day after the elections, a thanksgiving mass for VP Leni was held at the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral. I had the leisure to attend to it but I was really tired, devastated, and heartbroken. I didn't go. But I passed by the streets of Naga, it was still filled with pink banderitas, ribbons, ornaments, tarpaulins, and murals. I also passed by the Solid Leni Bicol Headquarters in the Carmen Hotel. Everything was still intact but there's a big thing missing - the excitement, joy, and hope that was birthed during the campaign period.

I reached home and opted to attend the thanksgiving mass virtually. I can still feel the sadness. And it might even be sadder if I was physically present in the Cathedral.

Coping Up -- dream about VP Leni :)) FB live, pink museum

Pasasalamat -- Angat Buhay Foundation

Tonight’s conversation with my best friend was one of the best. We started talking about our best-friendship but ended with the past relationship with our exes and what are we now if we’re still with them. 🤷🏻‍♀️

But this post isn’t about them. It’s about how we started our friendship.

Okay, so just few months ago, my best friend and I learned that we have attended same events when we were in college. First, we were on the same exposure tour way back 2009. Our academic organization, TACTICS and the Department of Computer Science of ADNU organized a trip to Manila. May and her group of friends from a different Department decided to join as well. We were on a different bus though. Second, we both attended the Color Run. That was Summer 2014. I’m sure we also came across each other in the Ateneo during college days as our batches were just consecutive (2013 & 2014).

May got the first job right after her graduation in 2013 while I was hired in 2015. We were both job order workers (JOW) in a government hospitaI. I have known her since my former boss usually gives me errands with regards to the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC). May was a member of the BAC Secretariat back then.

A few vacancies for a permanent position opened. We both applied for that position and became a full-pledged government employee on June 8, 2015. May and I together with Ate Marie, another JOW back then were batchmates at work! ☺️ We we’re hired at the same office. And that’s how our friendship started.

Work was really challenging. We have to spend some of the holidays or weekends at work. And overtimes were the trend. Since Ate Marie have kids and “sundo” waiting for her as soon as the office hours end, May and I became overtime buddies. Also, if we do not have plans after office hours, I would typically ask May to come with me to eat out or do some errands. We weren’t very close because we have our separate group of friends and we still have our boyfriends that time. 😸

As time pass by, we became close little by little. She would always accommodate the “makulit and feeling close” me. 🙋🏻‍♀️ We talk, eat out and found out that we have a lot of similarities. In fact, many say that we physically look alike as twins.

Fast forward to 2017..

Life was not going well for me. I have no other friend to talk to since some were in Manila and the others were busy with the adult life. May became my daily diary. I was broken hearted. My relationship with my boyfriend ended and I lost a loved one who is very dear to me. She was always there tho. She accompanied me every step of the way of the healing process. 👭 We went to Cebu to unwind but ended up talking to my ex during the entire trip. May was mad at me but managed to control it. She still managed to absorb every single story that I have to tell. The rest of 2017 was about getting back the broken pieces of me. But I was blessed enough to have found a best friend during the process.

In 2018, May and I became adventure partners. We had few sleepovers at our house and had deep convos. At times, we join outdoor activities such as hiking and camping. They were all Bicol trips, the farthest was in Calaguas and Mercedes in Camarines Norte. As we participated in a local festival in Mercedes,

Disclaimer: This is a best friend appreciation post.

I guess not all dreams are sweet or silly. There are ones which do not deserve to be called dreams. Tonight, mine was fuckin* realistic, not worth-sharing, damn scary, and the worst among the worst dreams no one would ever want to imagine. 😭

It all started with a hope of a new beginning, having another chance to live and love.

2018, you’ve been very tough. But you also taught me to be joyful and thankful for everything I had and I currently have.

2018, you gave me the chance to travel a lot. From local travels to international ones, very short travels to those I wished to never end, usual experiences to those rare ones, nature trip to modern city walks, tiresome adventures to the most relaxing activities, being with family or being with friends, and a lot more! (The kid in my 25-year old self just got activated during our HK Disneyland trip. Woohoo!)

Way too fast, 2018! Thank you for the memories.

Here’s this feeling again and I can’t exactly describe it. I know I am feeling sad. Things are not the way they used to be. And I have a scarce source of happiness. I think of happy thoughts but they just remain to be thoughts and I can barely see the possibility of feeling that same way again. I wanna go out, eat out and chill just to temporarily cure it. But I don’t even know what I want to eat and where to go. I don’t wanna be alone too! I am longing for the same old friends and those genuine laughters we shared over a school project, parties, celebrations, or just an ordinary day.

All these things changed. *deep sighs*

I realized that I was so in love with you, that I feel secured when I am with you, and everything was so perfect.

Simplehun ka. Mayo kang kaartehan sa hawak, sa pagbado, pagkakan saka sa pag-CR. Nagkakuanan kita dahil sa pareho kitang trip. Mayong lugar sato ang mga pampagitil. We're amazing just the way we are! :P

Body language. Ito bagang hilingan pa sana aram ta na kung ano ang nakakapangirit e.g. si saranghaeyo saka si labidabs. HAHAHA.

Gala & kalad. Well, dai man ako gala dati. Ika dati ka na talagang mayo sa harong pirmi -- kalad. Pero siguro dahil saimo narealize ko na pwede man mag-explore kang world dawa mayo sa comfort zone ko. Kusog-boot (saka dikit na kwarta) lang ang balon ta. And travelling is more fun if we're together. Ayiie! Cheesy pero totoo.

"I can be my real self when I'm with you." Familiar ang line na yan sa mga caption sa social media. Itong kunwari inlove na maray duman sa girlfriend o boyfriend (Bogay. Kalokohan!). Proven na bako lang yan line na yan para sa couples. Pwede man sa travel braddy-ika. =)) Pero pag ika ang kaiba ko dai ko kaipuhan magpretend. Pwede kong iluwas ang inner me. Pwede akong maging weird, sad, dramatic, kapay, etc.

Sweet & protective ka. Iyo, sweet ka man palan, dai lang mag-abot si PMS. Maalaga ka pati dawa ako pabaya sa kaiba. Sweet ka man palan ta ala baby sister mo ako, kargo mo ako. Hahaha.

Maaasahan & responsable ka. Yep, dai ka drawing lalo na sa mga gala. Maasahan ka in the sense na dai ka mapabaya sa work and sa iba-ibang tasks na naka-assign saimo.

Bully ka. Bully ka pero daog mo pa ang cotton candy sa pagkalumhok mo. Feeling ko ngani naggiris kang sibulyas pag may dinadamdam ka. Sayang luha mo oy!

CLINGY KA. No need mag-elaborate. Naappreciate ko lang ang pagkaclingy mo. That's it. :P

Good complement mo ako. Well, yes, good influence ako. Pignneutralize ko ang mga bagay-bagay. Syempre, bagay ang good influence sa bad influence, mainit na payo sa chill lang, ang parahibi saka once in a blue moon maghibi, etc. (Aram mo naman kung arin ka diyan sa mga sinabi ko) ;)

Highlight of the week: FriDate chill night ❤️

5 Important Things I Realized Tonight 16th April 2018 10:53 PM