blurred insights

Palawit sa Bag

2010-05-24T21:26:00.000-07:00

Sa tuwing nakakasama ko mga friends ko, may napansin lang ako common sa kanila: kadalasan dalawa ang mga cellphones nila, isang globe at usually isang sun/smart/TM. So uso pala ngayon ang dalawang phone. Nainggit naman daw ako.

Wala naman talaga sa plano kong mag-dalawang phone kasi hindi naman ako adik sa pagtetext or pala-text na tao. Nagtetext lang ako kapag kailangan ng konting palitan ng mahahalagang impormasyon, or kung minsan para lumandi ng kaunti, or para medyo mild naman eh makipag-kwentuhan o kamustahan lang naman. Wala rin naman akong syota kaya hindi ako required bumili ng sun para sa aming dalawa. Kaya naman hindi ko rin maintindihan ang sarili ko sa aking nagawa.

~ So eto pala siya. Marami-rami na rin siyang nalinlang.

Once kasi noong inaayos namin ni Mami yung papeles ng pamangkin ko para makapasok sa school kung saan ako nag-elementary, nagyaya si Mami sa Phone World para ibili yung pinsan kong nag-aalaga sa mga pamangkin ko ng phone. So go lang, wala namang problema don, tutal sabi naman niya eh hihingan niya ng parte yung mga kapatid ko sa pambili ng phone. So eto na, nakakita kasi ako ng P1 na Cherry Mobile, yung cellphone na mukhang calculator, at ayon naman sa iba eh mukhang keychain. Na-kyutan kami pareho ni Mami, so pabiro akong nagpabili nun sa kanya, tapos agad-agad naman nagbigay ng isang libo! (BTW 999 yung price niya) Ay napaka-galante talaga ni Mami! Pero binawi ko at sabi ko, "next time nalang, luho lang yan." kahit alam ko sa sarili ko na medyo nag-aalangan ako. Haha!

So the next day na inayos ulit namin ni Mami yung papel ni Ishii (pamangkin), sinamahan ko na rin siyang maningil sa may Bayan. May branch din dun ang Phone World, so tumingin kami ng available colors para ma-compare namin yung mga nandun sa crossing. Biniro ko ulit si Mami, at muli binawi ko at sabi ko next time nalang, inaabot na nga niya sakin yung pera eh. Nagyaya na ako sumakay ng jeep para maiwasan ko nang mabili yun.

Habang nasa jeep, nagyaya naman si Mami na bumababa sa crossing para bumili ng yelo kasi sobrang init talaga that time. Eh nagkataon naman katabi ng mga phone shops yung tindahan ng yelo, ayun, talagang destined yata talaga ako bumili eh. So before bumili ng yelo, binili na namin ni Mami yung P1 sa AWM kung saan mas mura ng P50 kaysa sa Phone World.

In short, bumili ako ng phone para may sun na rin ako. :D

Very Very Baler

2010-04-12T18:21:00.000-07:00

This year's summer should be a well-spent one, because I got a feeling that we'll be working on our thesis by the following year. In order to remedy this problem, I decided to become busy this summer, and have the things finished that I want to do before. So the first in my checklist? Another north getaway with my choirmates: an exciting Baler experience!

DAY 1

I was allowed to have an overnight stay at Tita Julie's place where the choir will be meeting before starting the trip. The call time for the departure was around 300 am, but I woke up at around 230 am. Yes, I know I'm a slowpoke. Anyway, after a prayer with my choirmates, we hopped into our respective vehicles, and hit the road. After travelling some miles, Tito Rey called Tito Mon and asked who brought the keyboard. Gah, we forgot to bring the keyboard that we will be using for the Sunday mass! And since we are the last one on the line, we were the one who returned for the instrument.

Just to tell how lucky we are (well, sarcastically that is), one interior of the Delica that is with us suddenly popped. So the two of the vehicles (the Delica, and the D-Max where we were riding) stopped to have the wheel replaced. We hit the road again after their work was done.

When we arrived at Nueva Ecija, we had first our breakfast at Jollibee. When we took our last sip on our hot choco, we started the engines and continue the trip.

We travel through the Sierra Madre mountains, and had our third problem when we encountered a road construction where a crane is flattening the road we are about to take. So we have to rest for a while and wait for them to finish their job.

Meanwhile, Tita Babie gave the workers a free lunch so as to let us pass and get their job done quickly. Then started the trip again.

By noon, we finally reached the place called Sabang beach. We went to our respective cottages and inns that we'll be staying: Tita Dodie's family stayed at the nearby Bahay Kubo, while the rest of the families stayed inside the compound inns. Me, Tito Mon and Tito Ronald, however, took our crib at a large house beside the Bahia de Baler, and we were allowed to sleep at their attic. The house is beautiful, and the owner of the house is very friendly! She sure knows how to treat their customers with hospitality.

After that, we hopped onto the shore to feel the gray sand and the water beneath our feet.

We had our lunch first before attacking the beach, but since the sun's heat is quite unfriendly that time, we decided to take a nap to spend the rest of the time waiting for the sun to set so we can freely swim at the beach without the worry of burning. We slept for about an hour only, and the others decided to savor the beach. Meanwhile, me and Ate Jean decided to spare our first day to have some more rest. We just took pictures while looking at the beach.

When the sun's down, we visited the church that we'll be singing on that Sunday. If I'm not mistaken, the name's Mt. Carmel church.

After some picture taking with the church, we hopped onto the vehicle to return to the resort to have dinner and some rest for the next day's mountain trekking.

DAY 2

If I remember it right, we've been told to meet at the resort at around 700 am so that we can hike as early as possible and reach the falls before lunch. I planned to wake up at around 500 am so that I can see the sunrise at the beach's horizon, but as usual I woke up an hour later. Still ,I was able to witness the sun rising to start the day.

We had first our breakfast, and we're off to our first ever trekking! We had to take first a series of smooth road, then the usual rough road begins as we saw the sign leading to the Mother falls. We stopped a while to take photos before hitting a little steeper rough road.

After travelling some more, we reached the place where vehicles can't go further anymore, that tells us that we're now on our own to have fun and start the real mountain trekking! :) We have to cross about 3 rivers where ice-cold water flows and big boulders and slippery stones are big obstacles.

After the first one, we walked the green and leafy road full of trees and grass.

Ate Jean struck a pose in the midst of the heavenly garden.

After a few more minutes of walking, a cold breeze welcomed us with tiny droplets as we saw in delight the very beautiful Mother Falls! All the long walking really paid off! So me as well struck a pose together with the falls. :)

We splashed into the rocky ice-cold river and swam beside the falls, though not near it for there's a big crater under which the water falls. The water is freezing cold, so I didn't swim too long because my body find it difficult to adjust to the temperature.

After the swimming, we headed back to our vehicles to have lunch at Ermita, (not sure for the correct spelling) but it is located at the side of the mountain beside the Sabang beach. The park is beautiful, except for the comfort rooms.

There's a near viewing area where the Sabang beach and some resorts can be clearly seen. We were awed by the scenery so we took photos with it!

By the time we had rested enough and enjoyed ourselves to the beautiful sceneries there, we decided to go back to the resort to have some, uhm, rest to wait for the perfect time to swim at the beach.

DAY 3

I woke up a little early this day because this is the day that we will be singing at Mt. Carmel church! Everyone was so excited because of the opportunity given to us to serve with the people there for the Lord. The mass will start at 830 am, so we went there a half-hour earlier to have a run of the songs.

The image of The Resurrection was placed on the altar because it was the second Sunday of Easter. On the left side was San Ildefonso, and on the right Saint Elizabeth.

The way the Holy Eucharist was celebrated was somehow different from the 'traditional' one. They have a series of readings between the parts of the mass,that made the celebration a more solemn and holy one. During the offering, the people themselves are the ones who come in front to give their offerings or money to the priest. To make things even cooler, the celebrant has a very powerful and beautiful voice!

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yni6nmef_gY/S_D33hMj42I/AAAAAAAAASc/DNNE5Xt-jIM/s1600/SDC13772.JPG"></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yni6nmef_gY/S_D2iT0C89I/AAAAAAAAASU/iu4I9nJsEMY/s1600/SDC13746.JPG"></a> This year's summer should be a well-spent one, because I got a feeling that we'll be working on our thesis by the following year. In order to remedy this problem, I decided to become busy this summer, and have the things finished that I want to do before. So the first in my checklist? Another north getaway with my choirmates: an exciting Baler experience! <div style="text-align: justify;"> DAY 1 I was allowed to have an overnight stay at Tita Julie's place where the choir will be meeting before starting the trip. The call time for the departure was around 300 am, but I woke up at around 230 am. Yes, I know I'm a slowpoke. Anyway, after a prayer with my choirmates, we hopped into our respective vehicles, and hit the road. After travelling some miles, Tito Rey called Tito Mon and asked who brought the keyboard. Gah, we forgot to bring the keyboard that we will be using for the Sunday mass! And since we are the last one on the line, we were the one who returned for the instrument. Just to tell how lucky we are (well, sarcastically that is), one interior of the Delica that is with us suddenly popped. So the two of the vehicles (the Delica, and the D-Max where we were riding) stopped to have the wheel replaced. We hit the road again after their work was done. When we arrived at Nueva Ecija, we had first our breakfast at Jollibee. When we took our last sip on our hot choco, we started the engines and continue the trip. We travel through the Sierra Madre mountains, and had our third problem when we encountered a road construction where a crane is flattening the road we are about to take. So we have to rest for a while and wait for them to finish their job. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yni6nmef_gY/S9EUa7hC5HI/AAAAAAAAARU/QECpPdBQ-wc/s1600/SDC13604.JPG"></a> Meanwhile, Tita Babie gave the workers a free lunch so as to let us pass and get their job done quickly. Then started the trip again. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yni6nmef_gY/S9EUpr7qSeI/AAAAAAAAARc/pvRuUjsy2eA/s1600/SDC13601.JPG"></a> By noon, we finally reached the place called Sabang beach. We went to our respective cottages and inns that we'll be staying: Tita Dodie's family stayed at the nearby Bahay Kubo, while the rest of the families stayed inside the compound inns. Me, Tito Mon and Tito Ronald, however, took our crib at a large house beside the Bahia de Baler, and we were allowed to sleep at their attic. The house is beautiful, and the owner of the house is very friendly! She sure knows how to treat their customers with hospitality. After that, we hopped onto the shore to feel the gray sand and the water beneath our feet. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yni6nmef_gY/S9EauDHYF8I/AAAAAAAAARk/LCysb1MASbE/s1600/SDC13614.JPG"></a> We had our lunch first before attacking the beach, but since the sun's heat is quite unfriendly that time, we decided to take a nap to spend the rest of the time waiting for the sun to set so we can freely swim at the beach without the worry of burning. We slept for about an hour only, and the others decided to savor the beach. Meanwhile, me and Ate Jean decided to spare our first day to have some more rest. We just took pictures while looking at the beach. When the sun's down, we visited the church that we'll be singing on that Sunday. If I'm not mistaken, the name's Mt. Carmel church. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yni6nmef_gY/S-UntTBeX4I/AAAAAAAAARs/CmfgZGB3Nyk/s1600/SDC13660.JPG"></a> After some picture taking with the church, we hopped onto the vehicle to return to the resort to have dinner and some rest for the next day's mountain trekking. DAY 2 If I remember it right, we've been told to meet at the resort at around 700 am so that we can hike as early as possible and reach the falls before lunch. I planned to wake up at around 500 am so that I can see the sunrise at the beach's horizon, but as usual I woke up an hour later. Still ,I was able to witness the sun rising to start the day. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yni6nmef_gY/S-5BsOCRjzI/AAAAAAAAAR0/EmSFesYiX0o/s1600/SDC13686.JPG"></a> We had first our breakfast, and we're off to our first ever trekking! We had to take first a series of smooth road, then the usual rough road begins as we saw the sign leading to the Mother falls. We stopped a while to take photos before hitting a little steeper rough road. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yni6nmef_gY/S-5ETr4n1II/AAAAAAAAAR8/3mJ3WP-Zom0/s1600/27011_1293619218196_1161760035_30703641_2858664_n.jpg"></a> After travelling some more, we reached the place where vehicles can't go further anymore, that tells us that we're now on our own to have fun and start the real mountain trekking! :) We have to cross about 3 rivers where ice-cold water flows and big boulders and slippery stones are big obstacles. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yni6nmef_gY/S-5FbBnTCvI/AAAAAAAAASE/5mRKTWOV8SI/s1600/SDC13713.JPG"></a>After the first one, we walked the green and leafy road full of trees and grass. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yni6nmef_gY/S-5GpVEylYI/AAAAAAAAASM/sCv_VULLOGs/s1600/SDC13725.JPG"></a> Ate Jean struck a pose in the midst of the heavenly garden. After a few more minutes of walking, a cold breeze welcomed us with tiny droplets as we saw in delight the very beautiful Mother Falls! All the long walking really paid off! So me as well struck a pose together with the falls. :) We splashed into the rocky ice-cold river and swam beside the falls, though not near it for there's a big crater under which the water falls. The water is freezing cold, so I didn't swim too long because my body find it difficult to adjust to the temperature. After the swimming, we headed back to our vehicles to have lunch at Ermita, (not sure for the correct spelling) but it is located at the side of the mountain beside the Sabang beach. The park is beautiful, except for the comfort rooms. There's a near viewing area where the Sabang beach and some resorts can be clearly seen. We were awed by the scenery so we took photos with it! </div>

After the mass, we were given a bunch of pancit for our merienda, and they taste so great! We even got the chance to meet their governor Bella (?) Angara.

Located in front of the church is the ancestral house of Manuel Quezon. Really surprised that Quezon's hometown is actually Aurora.

It's almost lunchtime so we drove the wheels to our last destination, the Balete tree, the oldest one in Asia they say. The tree was really, really, uhm, huge! Its twisted trunk looks like a couple of balete trees enveloped in a huge one. We even tried to surround the tree but we just covered about half of it!

We immediately left after some picture taking and returned to the resort for our things. After packing things up, we finally bid goodbye to Sabang beach and Baler as well.

I really enjoyed these three-day vacation with my Santissimum family. I honestly got bored on the first day because some of my friends weren't there and I felt so incomplete, until I discovered the "youth" within my choirmates and enjoyed their company. :D

Wished to have more of these exciting trips with them. Thank God for these wonderful creations! :)

Mahal na Araw

2010-04-11T17:14:00.000-07:00

Mismo pagkatapos nung Finals namin, Mahal na Araw na agad, kaya hindi kami gaanong nakapag-handa ng maayos para kay Santa Veronica. Hindi ko rin nahiram agad ang camera ng kapatid ko kaya hindi ako masyadong nakakuha ng pictures ng mga Santo. Pero masasabi kong kakaiba ang Mahal na Araw na ito, pakiramdam ko mas napag-tuunan na ng pansin ang pagdiriwang ng Kwaresma ngayong taon, kasi may exhibit ng mga Santo ang naganap dalawang linggo bago ang Mahal na Araw. At sana mas lumago pa ang pagdiriwang na ito sa aming parokya.

Domingo de Ramos
Tinawatag din Linggo ng Palaspas, ito ang nagmamarka ng simula ng Pagpapakasakit ng Panginoong Jesus nang siya ay pumasok sa bayan ng Jerusalem. (Maluwalhating Pagpasok ni Jesus sa Jerusalem o HUMENTA). Sa Pinagbakahan ako sumama sa prusisyon ng Palaspas.

Humenta ng Santissima Trinidad

Dapat nga eh kasama ko si Mommy, kaya lang nakapangako na ako sa mga kasama ko na tutulong ako sa kanila. Kaya naman sa susunod na tao, dito na ako sa amin sasama sa prusisyon ng Palaspas.

Martes Santo
Sa parokya ng Santissima Trinidad sa Pinagbakahan, laging Martes Santo ang unang araw ng prusisyon, kaya naman lagi akong may pagkakataon makasama sa kanila kasi Miyerkules pa ang unang araw ng prusisyon sa amin. Marami ring mga bagong bagay sa kanila, gumanda ang mga Poon at ang damit ng mga ito.

Ang Poon ng Santissimum Choir:
Si Jesus sa Kanyang Huling Hapunan

Hindi ko nakunan lahat ng litrato ang lahat ng mga Santo, pero sila ay tunay na magaganda! I-klik ito para sa marami pang larawan.

Miyerkules Santo
Tuwing miyerkules ng Mahal na Araw nagsisimula ang prusisyon sa aming parokya. Masaya naman kasi nakapag-pagawa kami ng bagong damit ni Santa Veronica at medyo marami naman ang umilaw sa amin.

Santa Veronica on Holy Wednesday

Huwebes Santo

Nagiging abala na kami ng husto sa tuwing sasapit ang Huwebes Santo. Nakagisnan na kasi namin ang bumisita sa Kapitangan kada taon ng naglalakad lamang. Umalis kami ng mga bandang alas-singko ng umaga at tumungo sa simbahan sa Kapitangan. Nag-punas kami ng aming mga panyo sa mga imahe na naroon, nag-tulos ng kandila at nagdasal ng taimtim.

Pinunas din namin ang aming mga panyo sa Crucifixion na nasa harap ng altar.

Natapos na kami ng mga bandang alas-nuwebe, at umuwi na muna upang magpahinga para naman sa lakad sa gabi. Kinagabihan naman ng araw na iyon, idinaos na ang misa sa Huling Hapunan ni Jesus at kami nga pala yung naka-assign para kumanta dun sa misa. After noon, paghuhugas ng paa ng mga Apostol, tapos Visita Iglesia na.

Visita Iglesia
Isang tradisyon ng mga Kristiyano ang pagbisita sa pinakamababang bilang na pitong simbahan sa iba't ibang lugar upang mag-dasal sa harap ng Santisimo Sakramento sa mga Altar ng Repositoryo. Ang lahat ng mga imahe sa bawat simbahan ay natatakpan ng telang kulay lila.

Santissima Trinidad Altar of Repose

Biyernes Santo

Tuwing Biyernes Santo, nadadagdagan ang mga Poon na isinasama sa Prusisyon dahil sa araw na ito ay namatay na ang Panginoong Jesus. Kasama dito ang Angustia, Pagpako sa Krus, Pieta, at Santo Entierro.

Santa Veronica on Good Friday

Noong nakaraang taon, nakasama pa ako sa libing ng Santo Entierro sa Santissima kasi sobrang haba ng nilakad nila, at nagkataon maagang natapos ang prusisyon sa amin. Ngayong taon, hindi ako nakasama kasi sabay lang pala natapos ang prusisyon namin.

Sabado de Gloria
Sa araw na ito, nagkaroon na ng antecedent mass para sa Easter Sunday, at kami ulit yung naka-assign na kumanta para doon. Kinanta na namin ang Papuri noong oras na yon, habang tinatanggal ang mga telang kulay lila na naka-palupot sa mga imahe sa loob ng simbahan.

Linggo ng Pagkabuhay
Tinatawag ding Easter Sunday. Ito ang tinuturing na pinakamahalagang pangyayari sa Kalendaryo ng Simbahang Katoliko, sapagkat dito ay ipinapahayag ng Panginoon ang kanyang pagkabuhay na mag-uli laban sa kamatayan at kasalanan.

Tuwing madaling araw naman ng Linggo ng Pagkabuhay idinadaos ang Prusisyon ng Salubong, kung saan ang mga Poong bababeng alagad ni Jesus na nakakita sa kanyang muling Pagkabuhay ay makikipagsalubong sa mga lalaking apostol, na nakakita rin sa muling Pagkabuhay.

Santa Veronica on Easter Sunday

Yung salubong ngayon taon ay kakaiba, late na kasi nagsimula yung prusisyon, at sa totoo lang nagsimula na kami nang pasikat na ang araw. Nagkaroon yata ng antayan sa ibang mga Apostol pero dalawa lang din ang nakarating. Hindi siguro nagising yung ibang may-ari ng Poon kaya nagkaganun.

Sa totoo lang nagandahan na rin ako sa Holy Week sa aming parokya ngayon. Sana nga sa susunod na taon mas maging handa pa kami at mas mapagtuunan pa ng pansin ang pagdiriwang ng Mahal na Araw.

Happy Holidays!

2010-01-03T07:39:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas day! Woke up around 8 am, ate our breakfast and got ready for the big day! After we took our bath, my cousin and I are waiting for my other cousins to arrive. When they came home, we clicked a few shots on our camera while thinking what to do for the rest of the day. So here we are displaying our Christmas spirit!

Jhonah Chu Rhea Chu

Daryl Chu Jake Chu

When the sun's heat wasn't scorching hot anymore, we accompany the other kids to their destination, and since we're already the "grown-up teens", we've been expecting what we should be expected. Haha! And we spent the rest of the days eating, eating and eating. (See how desperate I am to fill my limbs with some fats. Baby fats, at least.)

Christmas, as what other would people say, is for the young ones. Well, of course I do enjoy celebrating Christmas back when I used to "toil" together with my cousins to visit our Uncle and Auntie's houses for some "aguinaldos", a well known Filipino tradition done during Christmas day. And since I have already grown up, it may be true that we already "retired" from our work, but that doesn't mean that we didn't enjoy celebrating Christmas. This season is in fact, one of the happiest season of the year, not only that because we received gifts from our loves ones and got to eat lots of food, but we're also thankful that our Savior, Jesus Christ, has already been born in this world, that's why we shouldn't forget the reason why we are celebrating Christmas.

Merry Christmas everyone! :)

The FUN Events

2009-12-21T04:06:00.000-08:00

It's been two months since I last filled this space with any stuff to tell, and a lot of things happened during those months that I felt lazy pressing on the keyboard to compose a story to share. That made me feel irresponsible to the things that make me happy.

ChES Pageant
The idea of joining any pageant didn't even cross my mind in the first place, until I was asked to join the Chemical Eng'g Society Personality held last November 28. It was fun! I enjoyed every part of the event: from the production number, to the portrayal of the different constellations assigned to us, and to the newly-met friends from the different year levels! You'll never get tired if you really love what you're doing, but I must say that standing still on the stage for almost an hour is a pain in the back.

From L-R: Creative Wear: Ophiucus the Serpent-Bearer. Casual Wear. Formal Wear.

Congratulations to all the winners! And to me and my pardsner Danica! :)

Paskuhan '09
I have to agree with my friend Heidy with what she said about this year's Paskuhan: The best one so far. :) This year's Paskuhan is somewhat different from the Paskuhan that I'd attended: one thing's that there's no free food during the event itself. According to some, the food was already distributed two days before the main event of the Paskuhan, and that is Tuesday of that week. So the Thomasians are stuck sitted on the ground while others are rocking their voices out in front of the grandstand. So the place was not in chaos. :D

We (me, Aldrick and Lovely) arrived late at the school and the signal's shut down, the usual thing that happens during Paskuhan. So we had a hard time looking for others because we cannot contact each other, and Lovely and me forgot that we are to meet Tomnick and Venice at the Calderon Park beside the UST Chapel at 9pm. :)) (our bad) They were waiting there for us for almost an hour, while the three of us is just wandering. And just minutes later, we found company to our snake friends and their ampons. Lab them. :)

As for the program, many Thomasian alumni hosted and participated in the event: JC Cuadrado, Miriam Quiambao, Kuya Kim Atienza, Polo Ravales, David Chua to name a few. The bands involved are 6 Cyclemind and Sandwich. They really rocked the night! We were actually enjoying their music that we can't stop jumping while singing along with them. (well, except for the Zaido part. haha!)

When the clock ticks at 8, it marks the start of the Quadricentennial countdown to 2011. It's about 4 hours and 400 days until our school's 400th anniversary! Yey!

Many Thomasians, whether it may be student, faculty or staffs, showcased their talent with their intermission numbers. I was awed by the presence of the Ecclesiastical students not only because I seldom see these students but also it was fun watching them sing to the tune of 'I got a feeling' by the B.E.P. Grabe lang, ang galing!

And before anything else, the traditional 10-minute fireworks display started. The golden cracklings of these firecrackers flashed thru the black sky and enlightened our evening! Then Sandwich struck some music before the night had finally ended.

Such a lovely evening with the people I love being with. All thanks to the Reason for this Season. :)

Level Up!

2009-10-28T01:52:00.000-07:00

After the bloody final examinations and the disaster that happened to me last week, I was relieved and glad that my parents actually bought me a new cellphone! Yey! Yet to be honest, I'll be missing that big, bulky, black phone of mine, especially my sim card! I had it for 8 years since my 5th grade, and now it's gone. T.T I'm sure that I'll be missing it.

So much for the sad part of this entry, let's move on to the main part. I bought [well my parents did] my very own Nokia 5130 Xpress Music! Too bad the only color available is the red one. Well, I won't be dealing with the color anymore. I need to love it! Yay!

It comes with a mini speaker which costs a thousand peso. We had to buy it because the saleslady told us that the phone always come with the speaker [i.e. the phone unit only is already phased out]. So I had to pierce my wallet to contribute to the cost. I'm ashamed to just let my parents spend a lot of money just for my own pleasure, so I did my part. And another good thing is, it comes with a free 1GB memory card. Now that's what I call a 'freebie'! After all, it costs a lot to buy a separate one.

Flop

2009-10-28T01:04:00.000-07:00

Tuesday. I had to travel with Tomnick going to Manila for our final examinations. Although we knew that the vehicle we rode was a colorum, we didn't mind because these people know what to do to get to their destination easily. But I didn't expect the following events to happen.

Even though Manong driver took a detour going to Cubao, the officers surprisingly caught us, well almost. He [driver] gave each of us a 20-peso bill and left us at Camachile, because the officers will soon be catching him. We walked our way to catch a jeepney going to Monumento, even though we don't know what we're doing. We're off to the LRT station, and riding the train won't be a good idea either after looking at the line that passes over the stairs down the road! Talk about rush hour. We moved to plan B: ride a jeepney going to SM Tayuman, atleast its the only place we knew that is nearest to our school. After reaching the mall, we rode a tricycle going to Tomnick's apartment. Since where running short of time, I had no choice but to leave my things in their room.

It was the first day of the finals week, Tuesday, when I lost my phone, Nokia 6600. It, slipping out of my pocket after I rode a tricycle, was something very unpredictable, I guess. I had been putting it inside my pockets from the time that I got it from my Dad. Another thing is, it was bulky and heavy, enough to prevent itself from getting out of my pants, and yet it did.

I was actually hurrying up to reach my friend Tom's room to make response to nature's call. After that, I started arranging things that I should be bringing for school, when I suddenly remember to bring with me my phone. It was gone. It was missing! After a little flashback on my mind, it was there that I finally realized that my phone actually slip out of my pocket, and it was left on the vehicle. The clock is ticking and a few more minutes, we'll be late for the exam. I just didn't mind that I lost it, and only thought that I actually misplaced it in my bag.

After the exam is over, we rushed to Tom's apartment and took away with me my travel bag. Went to my dormitory and beamed to Aldrick the bad news that happened to me. Including the mistakes I did during my Mechanics exam. T.T

To cut the story short, the whole day was a big adventure, yet was a flop one.

Amidst the Calamities

2009-10-02T20:12:00.001-07:00

Saturday. It was a different one from all of my saturdays.

After I woke up from my bed, the chills of the wind began to strike against my skin. The rain continues to pour lightly onto the ground. I just thought of another rainy day again. But I was wrong.

Aldrick already left the house because of his early schedule. And just minutes after he left, the rain started to pour really hard, and by which I already thought that classes will be suspended because of an ordinary flood that our school might be facing again. But then again, the term 'ordinary' didn't fit the situation that's happening in our school.

I received a text message from Aldrick, saying that the classes were indeed suspended. And so the others also texted me about the “hanggang-bewang” na baha. My goodness! Never did I thought that the ordinary flood I was thinking will turn out to be like that! After Aldrick arrived, he immediately took a shower, and told me that he actually walk from school to reach our home. There were no jeepneys nor other vehicles. And so we were struck at the dorm for more than 12 hours, no water and electricity for that time. Good thing there was a diner down the first floor, so we can buy food for our dinner.

Throughout the night, the wind is slashing through the windows, and the rain kept on pouring really hard. It was really scary and horrible! I'm just so thankful that our room is on the 5th floor, because the flood down the street is “hanggang-bewang” na. I immediately texted Mom about our situation, and ask how are they doing. I’m thankful that the rain there isn’t really bad compared to Metro Manila. However, Aldrick’s family was stranded along NLEX, like the other people. And the thing that surprised me the most is when he told me that the flood there is “abot-leeg”!. I was shocked to hear such a situation. I wasn’t expecting NLEX can be flooded like that! That’s when I realized that Ondoy’s wrath was something to be afraid of. Really to be afraid of.

When the morning comes, we grabbed the opportunity to have our trip to Bulacan, since the flood was greatly reduced, and the weather's somewhat fine. We arrived home safely, and there I surfed the net and watched the news about what was happening on some areas that were greatly affected by Ondoy. I was saddened by the scenes I saw on the internet. Our fellow people just lost some of their properties, and most importantly their loved ones. We were so lucky that the typhoon didn't really hit the Bulacan area that much. I'm also thankful to God that none of my friends and loved ones became victims of Ondoy. Thank you for keeping them safe. :)

As for now, what we can do is to help the victims of Ondoy by becoming volunteers on the distribution of relief goods, clothings and other things they need to survive. And most importantly: PRAY. It's what keeps us alive.. If we really pray hard, God will surely answer our prayers, especially for this new, so-called 'super typhoon' Pepeng that is to come our way. We pray that it won't cause any trouble on our country, especially to the ones who already became victims of Ondoy.

19th Year of Existence

2009-09-29T22:13:00.000-07:00

This entry is supposed to be included in my previous entry, but I decided to create a separate one for a very special reason: that week's Tuesday was my 19th birthday! I was able to celebrate my birthday first with my friends, since Tuesday is the first school day of the week, then with my family when I got home on Saturday. And oh by the way, a big thanks to Heidy and Lovely, who bought me slices of Chocolate Mousse and Strawberry cake from Goldie. Yummy!

Treated them at Jollibee (Sorry naman yun lang nakayanan eh!) Dapitan, and we really enjoyed the night! We took photos on Heidy's laptop, trigger happy shots to be exact, that eventually produced funny photos that showed our candid side.

It was really fun! Kinda embarassing though, because we were laughing really loud, so loud we actually caught everyone's attention inside the fastfood. But still, we just ignored those eyes that warns us to keep quiet, and continue what we are doing.

After our dinner, we went to our own places. As for me, I hurriedly went home (dorm) because it's getting a little late. When I entered our room, I was surprised to what I saw on top of my table. My roommate, Aldrick, bought me a cake from our favorite bakery down the street.

I felt happy because during those times, there's a cold war between the two of us. Yet he managed to make my birthday an extra special one, with a slice of cake and these letters he wrote, cut and pasted on my wall.

Thanks Al! But to be honest, I was actually expecting this one to happen. LOL. Just kidding. :)

As for myself, I bought my very own Fisheye 2!

Brought it at school for its first two rolls of solid gold...and voila!

More photos on my Multiply.

To be honest, I really enjoyed my birthday. I wasn't even expecting to receive greetings from some friends whom I seldom to be with.

I just want to thank those people who contributed on my 19 years of existence: my family, my friends, and especially the One who gave me my life. Thank you very much. :D

Fun-Filled Week

2009-09-20T07:01:00.000-07:00

The week before last week was a very special and fun-filled one for me. A very late post indeed. Hehe.

Monday:
CheS' General Asssembly
It was fun!!! In fact, I can't even describe how happy I am during those times that we were at the AMV Multipurpose hall.

The class presentation by the higher year levels are a hit; I had been laughing really hard in my seat and I didn't even notice that I was actually crying because of them!

I have to admit that the ticket price is a kinda worth it: the food was really delicious! But I wished they served trailer-sized Cerealicious at least, those little cups didn't hit the bottom of my belly.

SCL presents: Aling Minda

We had an interview with Aling Minda, a street seller who lives at the foot of the overpass in front of our school.

We are to ask her about her point of view on her everyday living and situation. I truly admire her courage in facing the challenges that comes in her life. She don't even blame anyone with what had happened to her, but instead, she continues to live her life and keeps her faith strong to God.

Thursday: PiChE Idol
Went to Adamson University (and for the first time!) to watch and support our classmate Noel for the yearly held PiChE Idol. I have to admit that our trip was never put to waste, because he actually did win! He passionately showcased his talent and stand tall amongst the other universities that he competed against. Congratulations again Noel! More power! :)

Noel's triumph calls for a celebration. After our class, we went straight to Tapsi Dapitan for some, uhm, picture taking, and a bit of drinking. Social drinking to be exact. Haha!

Friday: ChemLab Pictorial
That day's experiment doesn't really need to consume those three straight hours to be finished, if I remember it right. So after the experiment, we dug ourselves in those silver cameras and took photos of ourselves! Fun! :)

And the fun doesn't end there. Really. :)
Photo credits goes to the owner. Thanks!

Unwind

2009-08-22T22:30:00.001-07:00

After the week-long battle with the prelims, we finally got the chance to have some rest and take some time to unwind! Last thursday night, after our DE subject, me and my blockmates went to Bacoor, Cavite for an overnight swimming party. It's a big adventure for me because of two things: it's my first time to go with my classmates on an overnight occassion. Way back then, I wasn't able to go with my classmates because of the venue being far from our place. Second thing is, when I found out that it's actually my first time to visit Cavite, so it's something new to me, but I wasn't really able to see its environment because we arrived there around 10.00 pm.

We first rode a jeepney going to Lawton, I think? Where we rode the bus going to Cavite. I was surprised that it just cost me 25 pesos from Manila to Cavite! That's around twice my fare going to Manila from Bulacan. Well, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. After all, Cavite is way nearer to the Manila area compared to Bulacan.

After our scandalous ride in the bus, we then rode another jeepney that will take us to the resort. After a few minutes, we reached our destination, Kalugdan resort being the name. We got a discount on the expenses because one of my classmates, Jepay, is someone related to the owner of the resort.

Upon arriving there, we changed clothes and wait for the food to arrive. After a while, we hit the pool, brought the camera with us and took some photos: jumpshots, group shots and many more! Here are a few of those:

Click here to see the rest of the photos.

Others went drinking, and some of the them already reached their "end point". We may want to recall their lines that really rocks our evening:

"Shino lasheng??"

Ven: Danica??
Andrea: Yeeees??
Ven: Andrea??
Andrea: Yeeees??

"Don't naked me, my gad! Don't shackle me!"

And many more.

It's around 3.00 in the morning when my eyes are getting a little heavy and wants to take a nap. So I did, without even thinking of the consequence that my classmates will do to me.

The sky's shifting into the shade of violet, reminding us that the sun's about to shine. One by one we hit the shower, cleaned ourselves, and prepared our things before leaving the resort. I enjoyed this evening with my classmates, yet sometimes I feel sleepy making me look like a zombie listening to their stories.

Heidy was the first one to leave, because their house is just a jeepney away from the resort. Then, Jepay took us to the place where we can ride a bus that's going to Lawton, where we rode another jeepney going to our school. I went first to my dorm to have a breakfast and a nap. After an hour and a half of sleep, I prepared my things even though I still feel sleepy. And after that, I hit the road to Bulacan.

I realized that no matter how tired you become in such things, but you enjoyed doing it with your friends, you'll completely forget all of those tiring muscles. I hoped for a same occassion in the near sembreak. :)

Random Stuff

2009-08-15T23:35:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I last blogged, and now is just the perfect time to write again.

The Exhaustion
Last week almost drained all of my whole being because of our preliminary examinations. It feels like I'm being tortured everyday by my answers that I wrote on those papers. And the worst thing is, I felt sick after our prelim exam in OrgChem. To be honest, even during the exam, I'm already not feeling well. I can't even think properly, and I made a couple of erasures which is considered a sin. I just hope the results won't turn me down.

The last day of our exam was on saturday, and since it just lasted until 10am, I was able to go home early compared to our ordinary oh-so-late schedule. I was given the chance to sing again with my choirmates and to have a couple of bonding moments with them. Geez I already missed those guys! I just wished that we have an early dismissal during saturdays.

The Lenses
When Nicole got home, she introduces us to her freshly-bought jelly lenses, and gave us a testing shot. It's really amazing! She bought two kinds: the one that splits an image into 3, and the one that makes the image at the center looks zoomed! Here are our sample photos:

Aya and Me.

Tatay Jepoy.

EA. Haha! :)

Because of this, I was inspired to continue my plan for my birthday: treat myself with a Fisheye 2! Yey! *cross-fingers*

The Flash Drive
I lost my KingMax flash drive which was given to me by one of my colleagues during my 18th birthday. I actually believed that it wasn't lost, it was stolen, or at least. I don't want to think about it anymore. I just bought a new one to solve my problem. I'll just pay extra care on it.

I can't express myself properly in this post, I think I still have a hangover from last week's examination. I'll just compose another one when my mind's a little settled down.

The August Band

2009-07-05T19:09:00.000-07:00

These past few days, I've been listening to a bunch of songs that consists mainly of Asian music, specifically those that came from Thailand. Yes, even though I really don't understand what their songs really mean, I enjoy listening to them and keep playing their songs all over again. I've become a fan now that I discovered some of their interesting genre of music that soothes my eardrums whenever I had to chance to take a rest while listening to them.

The group of singers or band that I'm talking about is the August (ออกัส), a boy band from Thailand which made their first public appearance in the hit movie Love of Siam (Rak Haeng Siam). Rumors said that the band was built within the movie itself, because one of the leading stars, Witwisit Hiranyawongkul, famously called Pchy, is the lead vocals of the band in the movie. And since they possessed voices that please the human ear and skills in playing musical instruments, they continue to play to satisfy their passion for music, which people enjoyed listening to.

Most of the original soundtracks of the movie were sung by them, and these were compiled in their debut album, Thanx.

1. ยังอยู่ในใจ (yang yòo nai jai)
2. ขอบคุณกันและกัน (kòp koon gan láe gan)
3. คนธรรมดา (kon tam-má-daa)
4. Ticket Night Trip (Remix)
5. silent night

Love of Siam - OST
1. Gun Lae Gun
2. Pieng Ter
3. Kuen Aun Pen Niran (Endless Nights)
4. Roo Suek Barng Mhai (Do You Feel?)
5. Ticket (Day Trip)

When they discovered that their music is becoming a hit, they released their second album consists of random songs that doesn't have to do with the movie anymore, entitled Radiodrome.

DISC 1:

1. เช้า - เย็น (cháo - yen)
2. Radio
3. จำได้ ไหม (jam dâai măi)
4. ยังคง … (yang kong …)
5. อาจ จะเป็น (àat jà bpen)
6. ฉัน และ เธอ (chăn láe ter)
7. อย่า ไป เสียใจ (yàa bpai sĭa jai)
8. ดวงตะวัน (duang dtà-wan)
9. ยัง หายใจ (yang hăai jai)
10. ดารา - feat. Paradise Pills (daa-raa)
11. เช้า - เย็น - feat. MD, remixed by Kukukoo+ (cháo - yen)

DISC 2:
1. ฝัน หวาน อาย จูบ (făn wăan aai jòop)
2. หลับตา (làp dtaa)
3. เพลง หนึ่ง (pleng nèung)

The songs in bold emphasis are my favorite ones. :))

The second album, however, has something to do with another movie. The second disc of Radiodrome composes of 3 songs pertaining to the movie 4 Romances (Fhun Wan Aii Joop) that consists of 4 short movies namely Dream (Fhun), Sweet (Wan), Shy (Aii), and Kiss (Joop). The whole band plays a special role in the segment Dream. More on this on wiki. and about the other movie segments.

The point is, I liked their songs not because I liked the movie LoS. To be honest, I also love their soundtracks in the movie, but the way I like Radiodrome is a different story. The thing that made them an interesting band is that they use different kind of musical instruments, especially percussion ones like the saxophone and trombone, played by Arm, Nine and the others. Rarely do bands use these kind of instruments to capture the hearts of their listeners. Besides, I love music classified as Sca, or the ones that use the said instruments, like Putreska, Scabeche and other Pinoy bands. It also made their music blend really well with their beautiful voices, and most of the tracks are tuned to make you dance. :)

The funny thing is, I've memorized some of their songs, though I don't really know what they mean. :))

BTW: A big thanks to my friend Heidy for dressing up and making my blogsite a worth-reading one. Bored daw siya eh. Haha!

Termite Treatment

2009-06-26T23:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday wasn't really a good time for a whole day of rest, for we had our house treated with chemicals to bust our number one enemy - the termites. It's because 40% of our furnitures are made of wood, and even some do exist some years ago until now, that's why these past few months, we've been trying to clean our house many times, searching for the things that has already been "termited", and burning or disposing them. But they just won't stop returning.

Termites will live on place where wooden furnitures, in our case, are attached to the wall where little volume of air is present, a condition we've meet. I won't wonder anymore.

So Mom decided to repeat what she did 10 years ago - treat our house with chemicals that will kill the pests that is living with us. And so the men responsible for the treatment came early yesterday. We immediately remove all of our stuffs in every rooms, and put them away in the living room, and ended up like this:

The first room that they fixed is my room. They brutally destroy my ceiling, created a hole and spray the chemicals all over the roof.

One of them removed the "cover" of every switch and outlet all over the house, and sprayed some gaseous chemical to disturb the other pests living near it. Then, they inspect everything that is made of wood, and pierced holes in it, so that the gas can freely circulate. He also spread some white stuff, he called "make-up" in every corner of the house. A very delicious delicacy which termites hate. :)

After that, the next room they destroy is my Mom's. Their cabinets are the termites' favorite hangout place, they keep returning after we disturbed them some weeks ago.

They removed every bit of it, and did the same process as what they did in my room.

The process took long until 630 pm. And after that, me, together with my cousin, helped Mom in cleaning the house, putting everything back where they belong. We've finished around 800 pm, and I am very, very, very dirty and smelly that time that the first thing I want to do is to take a bath before eating my dinner.

And so everything's back to normal. Oh wait, we haven't put back some of the glasswares that were removed from the divider. Oh well, maybe tomorrow. :D

Majoring Moments

2009-06-22T04:03:00.000-07:00

After two years of blood and sweat trying to pass all of our subjects in the faculty where we belong, the Faculty of Engineering, the time has come for us to go our own ways, towards our major, me being a Chemical Engineering major.

Third year is the year for the students of Engineering to focus more on their major subjects, after having completed some required subjects in their former years. We emerged victorious in passing the triple-combo-subjects that most second year students fear, known as the CCP (Calculus, Computer and Physics). A big thanks to God for His help and support, and also to our family and friends that gave us that inspiration boost we need. :D

We started the first week of classes one week after the original date of the opening of classes, because of the epidemic swine flu. The first week was a very tiring one, because we need to adjust to our night shift schedule, a very different one compared to the traditional morning classes. From the time I became a student, since I was in grade school, my classes would start in the morning and will finish before lunch time. High school days would be a different one, because we are on whole day classes. But my first two college years is similar to my grade school schedule, until my third year. But I must say this will be a very challenging stage in my life, for this will attest how strong I am to take these tough moments in my life. :)

As what we've expected, the first week of classes isn't a regular one: some haven't met yet their professors, and some haven't even started some lessons. So there comes a time that we became vacant for a very long time. Luckily, some or almost all of my friends from my former section has the same vacant time as we have. So we had the chance to have a bonding moment together again. I really missed them, because they put the smile on my face whenever I need to have one.

I hope we continue to become a blessing to other people. :)

Bravo Isabelinos! Part 2

2009-05-19T06:52:00.000-07:00

Second Stop: Isabela

I opened my eyes and the first thing I noticed was a bunch of crowd walking under the black sky. We arrived at Isabela around 900 pm and we had a quick dinner at the nearest food chain, Chowking.

We're given a VIP pass to watch the Bb. Isabela 2009 pageant because Tito Rey is a relative of Isabela's congressman. Talk about big time! After our last sip in our Black Gulamans, we hurried ourselves to the venue to watch the beautiful ladies ramp with their sexy swimsuits and evening gowns.

As we walk along the wet road to head to our VIP seats, a big crowd filled our eyes that roars in front of the beautiful ladies. The show had already started when we arrived, and I must say Isabelinas are really beautiful. It took several hours before the winners of the pageant are concluded because of some disturbances brought by the rain. Some say that there's no competition at all, for we already knew who will emerge winner of the contest.

After we watched the pageant, we hurried to our car to avoid the big crowd and headed to the congressman's house where we will stay for the night. It was 300am when we arrived there, and I was surprised that we will actually spend our night in a hospital ward! The environment doesn't seems to bother me, and after our night grooming, we quickly hit the sack to pay some rest.

Woke up at around 800am and we were asked to prepare ourselves for the breakfast so that we can quickly head to our next destination, that is the congressman's farm or barn. The farm is really cool! We had the chance to pick some eggs in the chicken house(?) that actually consists of 43,000 chickens! That's a huge number of poultry! We really enjoyed picking eggs, because it doesn't only gave us an experience of how this things are worked, we also learned many things about the eggs and their sizes, the chickens and many more.

After the harvesting, we proceeded to the sorting process. We used a "egg sorting machine" to, uhm, sort the eggs according to its size and weight. It's really cool! I never thought that such machine will be used to classify the eggs we bought in the market as small, medium or large.

The air's getting a little hotter. Our stomachs are starting to create awful sounds. O yes, it's already lunch time. We went upstairs to have some eggs, inihaw na tilapia, and I forgot the other viands. Their food tastes really good! I think maybe it's because the eggs were just harvested from the barn, and the tilapia are freshly catched.

I forgot to tell that they also manage a palaisdaan where tilapia and prawns can be found. It's a really good business, but I also thought that it requires a lot of money to start one, and a very good strategy in producing a large number of fish and chickens and good maintenance.

Some photos at the barn.

We decided to head to our next destination, that is Banawe, since it will take us some hours before arriving there and we need to catch up with the sun so that we can see their beautiful Rice Terraces. We hit the road, and unluckily, we had a wrong turn which really consumes our time. Despite of the sunset, we are still on our way to Banawe because Tita Babie suggested that we can extend a day and spend another night at Banawe so we can just see the Rice Terraces the next morning. But as we drove into the dark, muddy road to Banawe, lumps of big landslides are meeting us in every bank of the road. We had this feeling that we are not welcome there, or we should leave because something dangerous might happen or something like that. So we ended up returning and decided to go home. Feeling disappointed, I just joked myself that I'll just look some pictures of it in the internet. Haha! I just accepted that truth that our next destination is to Bulacan. I feel very thankful because we were able to go home safely, and I think we just made the right decision. :)

It's almost time for dinner and we have to look for a restaurant along the way to fill our bellies. We ended up at Mrs. Gaddies, and I must say their foods are really great! They serve it hot, which was perfect for the rainy weather.

After our dinner, we bought some snack at the nearest grocery store, and then we hit the road again. I easily fell asleep because of the cold weather. The clock reads 200 am when I woke up, and I found out that we actually had a stop over in a Shell gas station. I think the branch is at Santa Fe. Tito Mon told us that Tito Rey can't stay awake any longer, thus may affect his driving. So he, together with Tita Babie, decided to have a nap in their car. While we bought a snack at the Select, and had a chat at the back of the pickup.

Kuya Espi, Me and Raliech.

Kuya Philip.

Cris and Ate Manel.

We even play Uno cards at the cottages there at the station. After sometime, Tito Mon told us that Tito Rey's back on track and we have to leave, and so we hop aboard onto our vehicles. I take a nap again to enjoy the cool weather and to pay some sleep debt.

We arrived at Bulacan around 500am and the first thing we did there is to have a breakfast together. While we were eating, we are telling stories to Tita Julie everything about our trip and some other stuffs: the pageant, the punto that we were always saying while we were on our trip, the places we've been and many more. We enjoy telling stuffs to Tita Julie because she's a very cheerful person. After our morning boost of energy, we were asked to grab a box of eggs that we've collected from the barn. Yay! And so after some egg packing, we bid goodbye to them, and say "Thank You" to Tito Rey, Tita Babie, and Tito Mon for a very exciting and wonderful trip to Isabela and Baguio. I hope this would happen again. I hope. I hope. :)

Bravo Isabelinos! Part 1

2009-05-18T18:21:00.000-07:00

I was given the chance to have a final taste of what summer is all about when we, together with my co-liturgical committee members, were treated for a 3-day north getaway by our Tito and Tita. We got to travel to the places we've never been before (except for Baguio) that's why this trip should be a memorable one.

First Stop: Baguio

It's my second time this summer to embrace the cold breeze at the Philippines' summer capital, and I really enjoyed this second one because we have a very sunny day! The last time I went there is when the rain kept on pouring all over the city, which really added in decreasing the city's temperature a little lower.

We left Malolos around 500 pm and had our first stop at Total NLEX San Fernando to buy some junkfoods that we can eat while we're on our way. Had our dinner afterwards at a Chowking branch after some travelling. We arrived at Baguio around 900 pm and I was really surprised that we actually travelled for only 4 hours! That's a really quick one compared when travelling during the day.

We had our check-in at the Prime Hotel and had our stuff drag to our rooms. After some chit-chats, Tita Dodie (choirmate) dropped by to invite us for some night walk along Session Road to have a coffee break that eventually lead to a midnight snack at Zola Resto\Cafe.

Their overloaded cheese pizza (really don't know what it's called) that resembles a giant scrambled egg is great! It's also my first time to drink a Cerveza Negra, which actually looks like a Coke, because it's colored black and also has those bubbles swimming in it.

Too bad I can't say what it really tastes like because I have a cold.

We have to walk along the road only to find out that there's actually 4 branches of 7-Eleven along Session Road! (and there might be some more on the other sides of the road!) We bid goodbye to Tita Dodie when midnight has already come and prepare ourselves for some good night sleep.

We, Kuya Espi and Raliech, didn't hit the sack yet while others already did. We enjoyed the midnight breeze on the terrace of our room while having a chat about somethings and someone. It's really a good thing we had that "chat". :) Then we're off for some power rest.

DAY 2

We went downstairs to have our breakfast, and after some slicing, we went to the market to check out some segunda mano stuffs. Tita Babie asked us to go back to the hotel so that we can have a round trip on the city. We went to the peak of the Baguio Estates (not sure. hehe), the one near the golf courses, where there stood a Statue of Liberty. Took some jumpshots and group photos which I really enjoyed. Haha!

We planned to go the cemetery there, but it costs more that we've expected so we just decided to visit the Mines View Park for some pasalubongs. We then go to the Good Shepherd's which is famous for their delicious snacks and spreads.

After taking some photos and enjoying the cold breeze of Baguio, we decided to hit the Ambuklao Road and start our trip to Isabela, a very, very long one I should say that almost took us 12 hours before arriving there. And we cannot just passby the beautiful views along our way without taking photos with it. Thank God for these wonderful creations. :)

It's almost lunch time amidst our trip so we decided to look for some eatery or something that can provide us a bulk of what we needed on the road. Along the road came a quite weird-looking eatery called the "Upper Adonot". We have no choice but to have our lunch there since we think that the next eatery that we can see is within the next 3 hours. So we had our lunch there and predictions came true: they actually serve dog meat which we don't consider to eat. Some of us had Beef Steak and Nilaga, others had Fried Chicken, and oh they are so lucky, because their meat is very "makunat". Its slices are big and it feels like you're chewing a gum.

We got also the chance to see the Ambuklao Dam, and according to Tito Rey, it's one of the many dams that provide electricity throughout whole Luzon. Of course, we won't leave without some pictures with it. Haha! :)

We hit the road once more when suddenly we noticed that the sun is near to its setting. The original plan is to go first to Banawe to see their famous Rice Terraces, and since we can't make it until the afternoon, we decided to head to Isabela first. Amidst our trip, Ate Manel can't take it anymore and decided to have a quick vomit because she suffer from motion sickness, so we decided to rest for a second while waiting for her to finish her work.

A quick dose of photos on Ambuklao-By bridge should do the trick before heading to our destination.

My body was starting to get tired and so were my eyes. I hugged my pillow and didn't noticed that I actually fell asleep for hours...