gift-giving season

i was privileged to be able to join one of several gift-giving events sponsored by the company this month. we have parterned with AWAM (Alcoholics With A Mission) in this endeavor.

the recipient of the goods which consisted of rice, coffee, soap, sardines and others are some 300+ high school students here in angeles, some of whom are of Aeta descent. their small campus is not far from the Clark Expo built during FVR's term.

that's santa claus right there, handing the gifts personally to all 300+ students

students, wallem employees and awam members during the annual gift-giving event

Wallem White Christmas

hindi naman halatang sobrang kabado di ba? hehe. GLOS and I had to write down our script, pray and then practice at one corner especially the parts where we have to scream at the top of our lungs simultaneously for impact. one thing i have to always remember: prayers and practice are truly effective.

counter-clockwise, from left:

• with sabrina and baet during the "hep, hep.. hooray!"
  
• with GLOS during the start of the program
  
• again, with sabrina and baet during the "hep, hep.. hooray!" game
  
• with ANNV and LAAC and the snowman
  
• me, during the welcoming of teams
  

by the way, thanks to Revlon for my "Taste of New York" lipstick and 2-way foundation. sa palagay ko naman, effective! hehe.

have a blessed Christmas, all!

two halo-halos, one gulaman and a despedida

...plus a birthday, actually.

here are photos from last november, a few days before katrin celebrated her 30th birthday and rhea along with her husband and kid mio, left for australia. rhea now joins the other members of the lamoninc (pelpel, eden and janet) down under while katz and i will have to continue our now "not-so-perfect" journey here in the country.

here's us having some local desserts at cafe via mare in serendra. life's little pleasures which we think rhea would miss when she goes to australia. we headed to aldo afterwards to buy sunglasses for her, discount coupons courtesy of katz. we could not help but take photos, of course, knowing that it would be years before the three of us would all be together again.

God bless, rhea! may you and your family find true happiness and perfection in Australia.

bits and pieces

Random things that i would like to share before the year ends:

• Recently found out how cheap air fares are from clark via Cebu Pacific or Tiger Airways. A one-way ticket to Singapore can cost 6 USD only. If you include tax, total amount is still less than 2K. I have already booked a flight to Singapore for March 4 to 8, 2009. Oooops, I meant 2010.
• I have been bitten by the *travel and photography* COMBO BUGS once more (and I think they're not done yet...) Lately, all I can think of doing during the holidays is spend time at a place I have never been before, take my camera and tripod with me and shoot away until there's no more subject or enough light around for me to shoot. I have been imagining myself in Bolinao, Boracay, Nagsasa Cove and enjoying their breath-taking views as I try to capture a piece of that in photos. I'm daydreaming about gorgeous sunsets, sand dunes and low-tides, of waves crashing over rocks, of tranquil pools, water channels, white pebbles and blue skies.... Can anybody now take me to the beach?
• I'm excited for the coming new year. Not because of all the hope and the seemingly endless possibilities that it brings (you don't really need the turning of the year for that)...I'm just thinking of shooting fireworks during the eve. Hehe.
• I have a new mobile phone, people! Finally. It's not an iPhone but at least I can now easily open the inbox and restart the phone without having to wait a lifetime! For those of you who do not know, with my old phone, I had to wait 90 minutes before I can send or receive SMS after I restart. Horrible. The new one, Sony Ericsson's W205, has FM Radio, Bluetooth, a camera just like the one I had before but this performs so much better.
• I have discovered a few wonderful things in the realm of health and beauty. Well, actually... nothing in the realm of health. Just beauty. Here goes: Pantene's 3-minute miracle is SWEET. Very impressive and cheaper than getting yourself a powerdose in the salon. My hair felt really soft and became manageable once more after using it. Revlon's make-up line is on sale at 20% off! I had to buy quite a few things which I now LOVE. I have never had a red lipstick although I have often times heard that all girls should wear one. Revlon's Taste of New York lipstick seemed to suit me very well. During daytime, I prefer their Can Delight shade. I also got their Beyond Natural 2-way foundation as well as their Blush & Bronzer. Apologies if this seems needlessly kikay. I just love things that make me look pretty. If you're a lady, you know how it is, right?
• My laptop (Asus EEE PC) is dead once more. I was able to revive it after bringing it over to the ASUS Service Center in Megamall Bldg B 5th Floor. They wiped out all my data then restored the system. I thought that was the end of it. A few days after though, it died on me once more. What's happening? I wonder what I did wrong.
• Almost a week ago, my company held a "White Christmas" party at the Holiday Inn in Clark. I had been asked to host the event and I agreed. This would be my first time to formally host a corporate event and I was terrified. Countless nights were spent wondering how I would do as a host and I spent countless days at the mall trying to figure out what to wear during the event. It was during this time that I discovered Revlon and Pantene's 3-minute miracle, hehe.
• I accepted the hosting challenge knowing that I would learn from the experience and that help will come my way. Thank you to those who prayed with me & for me. Special thanks to GLOS who encouraged my by agreeing to become my co-host during the first part of the program. I ended up enjoying myself tremendously in the process, thanks to God who I know sustained me through it all.
• When I spoke to GRAM, one of those who agreed to co-host during the Bring Me section of the Wallem Christmas Party, she told me that she didn't really know why she agreed to help out. You see, GRAM said "yes" even before SHAS was able to finish asking her whether she would co-host during the party or not. If you ask me, that's God helping me out.
• Christmas is just three days from now. However, I have not really done anything special to prepare for this event. Having no accumulated VLs yet, I would have to come to the office until the 23rd. Not enough time for Christmas shopping, but I do hope to find time next week. Thankfully, the company has declared December 28-29 as holidays.
• JP sent this last month when I asked for a HUG. I thought that he would simply send an email with the words "HUG" but he decided to be a little more creative and sent this instead. He comes home the day before Christmas. Please pray for a safe flight and travelling mercies.

 *when i stretch my arms like this... HUG ME*

Capture My Heart Again

Spread wide in the arms of Christ

Is the LOVE that covers sin

No greater LOVE have I ever known

You considered me a FRIEND

Capture my HEART again.

Lyrics from "Your Love is Extravagant" by Casting Crowns

3-Day Trip to Hongkong (Part 2)

not really in the mood for much blogging lately but i have somehow committed to completing my HK trip diary, so here's a continuation of Day 1. told through stitched photos rather than lengthy paragraphs.

gosh. so much to tell, so lazy to do so.

from the top: (1) viewing deck at the Victoria Peak; (2) girl reading a book while riding the MTR; (3) photo of the mongkok shopping district; (4) i *heart* HK magnet from a souvenir shop inside the mall at the Victoria Peak



from the top: (1) arrival area of the HK International Airport; (2) buildings at the HK Central district, photo taken from inside the bus; (3) passed by this school while on our way to the Victoria Peak, again photo taken while on the bus (4) photo taken on an elevated walkway, on our way to the hotel.

ang pamamaalam

a colleague and friend sent this as a reply to my standard "thank you and see you around" message on my last day of employment in accenture. salamat ng marami, ginoong "edgar allan anton" for this!

Nalungkot kami ng ika’y tuluyang nang lilisan
Dito sa kumpanyang higit limang taon ka ring nanuluyan
Ngunit batid mo rin naman ang aming kagalakan
Pagkat alam naming magiging masaya ka sa bago mong tirahan.

Nauna ng nag paalam si Mark Hipolito
Sinundan ni Alfon Chito Salano
Ngayon ikaw naman ang nagpaalam sa grupo
Ang tanong ng marami kelan kaya naman si Marvin ang gagawa ng ganito? :)

Hahanap hanapin pa rin ang iyong mga ngiti
Ang maamo mong mukha, ang mapupula mong pisngi
Ang iyong mga kuhang larawan sa mga pagtitipon lagi
At mga pagtutuksuan natin pagkat sa iyo’y maraming tumatangi.

Hindi rin malilimutan ang ating mga pinagdaanan
Ang Cagbalete experience natin na nagbuklod sa ating pagkakaibigan
Ang pagiging Avanade model namin noon sa mga larawang kinunan
At ang mga lalaki sa buhay mong nalulungkot sa iyong paglisan.

Salamat G, sa konting panahong pinagsamahan
Panahon lang at ang Diyos ang may alam ng ating kapalaran
At sa ganang amin di ka maiwawaksi ng aming puso’t isipan
Sa Clark, sa SG at kung saan pa man, di ka malilimutan magpakailan pa man.

-TAM-

Lullaby

sung by emma rossum

Laying alone with the history that made you
Cold and uncertain inside
Well careful now, deep breath
The water's still rising
But your silver linings inside


When you
You feel like you're breaking down
And ya, your body's just giving in
And ya, you can't go on broken like this
Any longer

Close your eyes
Don't you cry
Let the sorrow within you subside
Don't despair
Have no fear
Give your way to ME when you hear
This lullaby


You say all seems so wrong with the life that you're living
You're searching for some reason why
You're so scared to trust
You're feeling unworthy
Aching for comfort tonight

When your heart's too sore to beat
And ya, you fear it might never heal
And ya, you feel not even beggers want you
I DO

Close your eyes
Don't you cry
Let the sorrow within you subside
Don't despair
Have no fear
Give your way to ME when you hear
This lullaby

Close your eyes
Don't you cry
Close your eyes
Don't you cry
Let the sorrow within you subside
Don't despair
Have no fear
Give your way to ME when you hear
This lullaby

Don't you cry
Let the darkness within you feel alive
Don't despair
Have no fear
You'll find comfort in me like a child
With this lullaby

The song reminded me of a beautiful passage from John 14 a few days ago: "Do not let your hearts be troubled." I have uploaded it here so you also can listen and hopefully be comforted.

3-Day Trip to Hongkong (Part 1)

Day 1

since i have written about food lately, i thought i'd begin this entry by also talking about food. one of the must-do in our itinerary was to try dining at cafe de coral at least once. ive learned about this fast food chain from one of my favorite travel blogs. perhaps it would not be wrong to say cafe de coral can be considered an equivalent of our very own Jollibee, except that this HK fast food joint offers SO MUCH MORE. the choices can range from sandwiches, steaks, congees, dumplings, curry dishes, sizzling plates, fried chicken, hainan chicken, breakfast meals and others. they serve milk tea and coffee also.

as soon as we have exchanged our pesos to HK dollars, we headed to cafe de coral right within the airport. the restaurant was already full and we had to wait 15 minutes to be seated. JP ordered a set menu which consisted of soy chicken, soup, sweet round bun, eggs, butter and orange juice. we footed a bill of around 30 or 40HKD, i think.

breakfast at cafe de coral

i decided not to order anything that morning when i saw that the serving can fairly satisfy both me and JP. i also thought we should control the spending especially since we had lost 200 HKD during the monetary exchange. i totally forgot about forex rates within airport terminals being usually lower than elsewhere.

by the way, we had arrived in hongkong on a saturday, around 7:00am on the day of my birthday. being born at 5:55AM, this meant i officially turned 30 sometime during the flight, perhaps somewhere over the South China Sea.

3-decade old version of me at the HK International Airport

given the time, we were in no hurry to proceed to our hotel since our check-in time is scheduled at 2pm. we took our time trying to find the terminal of the bus that would take us just a few blocks away from where we're staying in.

i enjoyed taking photos of the HK International Airport, admiring the architecture mostly. it had pillars here and there, tall and white walls, glass windows that would curve upwards to form the roofing. its supposed to be one of the world's busiest airports, but that was not the impression i had. the terminal, surprisingly, has a relaxing appeal to me.

HK International Airport (arrival wing)

our next destination, the dorsett far east hotel (see contact details below), which i was able to book together with our plane tickets via the Cebu Pacific website, is easily accessible by bus from the HK Int'l Airport and by train from anywhere else. i chose the hotel mainly for its affordability, clean and attractive rooms and free internet access. it is located 25 minutes away from the main shopping district.

traveling to the hotel which took around 30-40 minutes was a delight. we were able to
witness what the roads leading away from the mainland to the outer territories were like. we caught a glimpse of the airport express train and of the MTR train heading towards Disneyland. it was a little challenging to find the hotel at first, but after 20 minutes or so, we arrived at the entrance and was able to check-in. we just could not get into the room yet as it was still occupied.

Dorsett Far East Hotel
135-143 Castle Peak Road, Tsuen Wan, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Telephone : 2406 909
Website: http://hongkonghotel.dorsettfareast.com.hk

at the hotel lobby, we saw several luggages attended by the security guard. i have learned that these were left off by other tourists who are also still waiting on their rooms to become available. this gave us the confidence to also leave our baggages and start exploring the city! we took the free service ride from the hotel to mongkok, one of hongkong's main shopping districts.

the van took a route that was already becoming familiar. Shopping plazas, commercial establishments and local community parks abound in the area. beyond these community parks would be rows and rows of residential buildings, similar in structure, standing taller than anything i have seen back in Manila. there are no jeepneys nor tricycles in hongkong, at least none which i saw. it seems what is common in terms of transportation are those double-deck buses, similar to the ones they have in the UK perhaps. after all, HK is once a British colony only handed over back to the Chinese people in 1997.

photo taken while in the van, on our way to mongkok

my mind was already beginning to imagine what it would be like to live in one of these high-rise condominiums, when finally we were told that we have arrived at our destination: mongkok.

mongkok reminded me of the Times Square in New York mainly because of the many colorful digital advertisements i saw, too many in fact that it was overwhelming. since it was still daytime, most of these neon advertisements, many of which displayed chinese characters naturally, were still unlit although there were a few that were already flashing. the district is crowded, not just with people but also with stores selling items such as magazines, comic books, souvenir shirts, bags and other clothing items, make-up and other beauty products, watches, home appliances, bags, digital cameras, cellular phones and MANY MORE. food stalls were also plenty as well as shopping malls (some pretty huge even).

mongkok, one of the major shopping districts in hongkong

getting inside one of the malls provided us a much needed RELIEF since it was too hot to walk outside under the noon sun. we even found a mall that has an H&M outlet and instantly i was ecstatic! it was my favorite store back in the US -- i would walk several minutes from my apartment to the H&M store along michigan avenue under the cold, windy chicago weather just to visit H&M. after entering their HK store, i immediately flipped through the racks and found so many goooood items i thought i would easily spend 500HKD should i linger in there longer. after about 15 minutes i decided to stick to my plan: no shopping until DAY 3.

anyway, in order to get to the H&M outlet in Langham Place, Mongkok just take the Exit G3 from the Mong Kok MTR Station. H&M is either at the ground floor or the second floor.

to be continued...

a poparazzi wedding

hannah and me at kuya noel and ate sherry's wedding

i attended an elaborate and beautiful garden wedding at fernbrook in las pinas yesterday. the groom is horizon church's most eligible bachelor, our very own kuya noel. i was invited only because hannah's guest (her husband) could not come. i gladly accepted because eventhough i am not close to kuya noel, i often recall the many times he called up and texted to encourage me and to see how i was doing. as one of the ushers in the church, he is among the first to greet me and welcome me with his aga muhlach smile and help me find a place to sit.

all of us who have known how long kuya noel waited for his one and only "lovie dudette" could not be any happier for him and his bride. to kuya noel: congratulations and may you live a favored, blessed and blissful life together with the new mrs. noel baura. prayers and best wishes for the two of you!

it took a while for the post-wedding ceremony photo-taking session with the couple to finish, so we made sure we took advantage of the time by having our pictures taken at the poparazzi photos booth area. it was soooo fun especially because of the props. each group or pair or person must have his or their photos taken 6 times with an interval of 5 seconds per shot. mabilisan ito pero kinaya namin! haha! only one print is available per group, but you are free to download the soft-copy from the website the following day and have them printed in 4R sizes. poparazzi photos offer their photo booth services for P10,000 good for 3 hours.

horizon ladies at the poparazzi photo booth

overdrive

a friend who is migrating to australia has enrolled herself in a driving class. she and her husband have to get themselves a family car when they move to their new life.

another friend has expressed her desire to finally buy her own car before the year ends. she hopes to have the new honda city and promises to visit me in clark when i relocate there next month for a new job.

AKO... im still just dreaming of having my own bike, hehe. well, im also dreaming of having my own car, a yellow or blue honda jazz actually, and being able to drive it around. to tagaytay, pagudpud, la union, baguio... parang taxi lang, to any point of luzon!

but i dont think im ready for it just yet. in a few years maybe. very few hopefully. hehe.

EDSA

so sweet

thank you sooooooooooo much, be!

quickly

lately, nothing can improve my mood the way food does. especially with cold drinks and desserts, my mood can change from dull or gloomy or irritable or sulky to feeling more satisfied, content, calm and happy almost in an instant. i will leave it up to you to say whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. for now, i would simply like to share what i have found to be the best cold drinks/desserts there is in this side of the city.

rhum & raisins from milko (P12/scoop)

mocha frappucino from starbucks

taro milk shake at bubbletea in megamall

oreo caramel sundae

sadly, the oreo caramel sundae from mcdonald's is no longer available. this dessert was offered as part of the promotion for the movie "aliens vs. monsters" around may or june this year. i felt somewhat miserable after learning that this limited edition dessert is no longer part of their menu.

the taro milk shake from bubbletea is a new discovery. their store can be found at the lower ground of SM MegaMall, near the skating rink. a cheaper substitute would be the milk shakes from quickly.

everything else, i have been enjoying for quite some time now especially the milko, a default dessert after lunch which jp and i would have while strolling in the mall or sitting by the steps of a nearby staircase.

as with good food and good restaurants, i am on the lookout for new desserts, something sweet and refreshing. if you have suggestions, please do share.

spinning counterclockwise

...wishful thinking...

food trip

food, desserts, coffee, jp and me

the bluetooth feature in my phone miraculously worked without problems yesterday allowing me to upload all 51 photos from the phone's gallery into my laptop. the photos were taken from middle of last year upto just a few weeks ago documenting mostly how i have been spending my time when im neither working nor asleep: eating or having dessert with coffee, mostly hanging out with jp.

i remember a time when jp avoided rice and contented himself with bread and tuna for dinner. he would usually take his dinner after gym and ate at his office desk which was located right behind me. long gone are those tuna days. today, it seems we eat everything but bread with tuna.

there was a time when we would have "oreo w/ caramel sundae" at mcdonald's every day. another time when we would have "bunch o' lunch" at shakey's every friday. still another time when we're craving for ribs and steak. other past favorites or cravings are seafood teppanyaki, flame-grilled burgers, onion rings, donuts and jp's all-time favorite: pizza.

it's a good thing that jp and i have similar attitudes towards food and dining. we both like trying out new places to eat, obviously. but later on i have noticed that just like me, jp would often order the same dishes from these different restaurants. he would often have a favorite from a certain restaurant and would order that same dish the next time we visit the same place, with a few changes.

it is not seldom that our cravings are the same, either. here are some similarities we share when it comes to food:
(1) we both like pesto, tomato-based pasta with seafood
(2) we both like grilled fish, seafood especially with teppanyaki sauce
(3) we like baby back ribs and steak, barbeque
(4) we both like mango juice
(5) we both like coffee
(6) we both LOVE bread

there are a few differences also, but we seldom find problems with these. for example, jp likes his food extra hot and spicy so we always have to request for some hot sauce, tabasco or extra sili. jp hates talong and okra, so when we're having sinigang, these vegetables would often go to my plate. atsara which usually comes with barbecue are also often transferred to my plate, which i am always happy to accept.

some of the places we've frequented in the past are as follows:
(1) racks in megamall (for their baby back ribs)
(2) conti's in boni high street (for their filipino dishes, steaks, pastas and free coffee refill)
(3) brother's burger in boni high street (for their onion rings and flame-grilled burgers)
(4) teriyaki boy in market market (for their seafood teppanyaki and gyoza)
(5) selah in cybergate 2 (for their lunggo and cheesecakes)
(6) red kimono at the podium (for the seafood teppanyaki and tempura)
(7) when in malate, our favorite would be the kwago grill, on top of the blue room for the live acoustic music and cheap but good filipino dishes (P25 for a pork barbecue)
(8) when in eastwood city or the katipunan area, we would often dine in at fazoli's (to satisfy our pesto and garlic bread cravings) or stop-over at this Petron gasoline station near UP Diliman Campus and dine in at sicilian express (for some really good pizza and salad)
(9) when in quezon city on our way home to lola, we would sometimes stop-over at mister kebab along west avenue for some special chelo kabab with grilled tomato
(10) for our donut cravings, we go to krispy kremes at boni high (for my chocolate iced custard filled donuts) and go nuts donuts (for jp's pastillas de leche) at the Petron gasoline station in Katipunan or at the fort in taguig
(11) the coffee beanery in edsa shangri-la mall (for their pork & chicken adobo and tocino)

food featured above are from selah (cheesecake), kopi roti, sizzling pepper steak, sicilian (pizza), mcdo, UP isawan, conti's (coffee), crepes & cream, and texas smoke em (lime pie)

here are our other favorites, but have not had the chance to visit again:
(1) cafe ysabel (for the ambience and excellent quality of food) in san juan
(2) cafe juanita (for their bagnet and other filipino dishes) in mandaluyong city
(3) restaurant at the 31st floor of the vivere suites in alabang (for a fantastic view of the bay and the city)
(4) bag of beans in tagaytay (for their freshly-baked breads and fruit platter)

there are many other amazing restaurants we're interested to try out around the metropolis, restaurants you did not know existed but have had loyal followers throughout the years. i do not hope to be a food critique (i am far too simplistic for that), but i wish to get to know my city a little better and be able to share this experience of discovery and *wonder* with my friends and favorite people. if you have suggestions on where to eat next, please let me know!

here are other photos from our various food trips.

what's in the bag?

several packing lists i had to make recently. last july for the trip to HK and last august for the trip to coron, palawan. experience tells me that packing can be a lot less stressful and can even be fun if you make a list of things you need to bring a week before the actual trip and gradually acquire the things you need prior to the trip. please allow me to share the lists i came up with for these two trips, hoping to equip you or assist you in your own packing. for a 3-day/2-night trip, here's what i would normally bring:

- at least 6 t-shirts or upper garments
- 2 night shirts
- 3 walking shorts/pants
- at least one jogging pants/pajama for sleeping
- 6 pairs of undergarments
- one extra set of clothing that you can bring easily, for any emergency purposes. this should go with you on your carry-on luggage. for me, an extra shirt and an undergarment is enough.*
- the clothing you will wear on your way home
- a sports or light jacket (something you can wear on the plane or elsewhere in case it gets cold)
- indoor tsinelas

if the itinerary includes swimming, make sure you bring the following:
- sarong
- swimsuit (for me this will include a sando, shorts and bathing suit)
- beach tsinelas
- goggles and/or snorkel
- sunblock lotion
- a band, something to tie your hair with

other important items:
- a tote bag (to carry your things with you when you actually go around or island hop)
- a pair of sunglasses (also to be used when you want to get some shut-eye anytime)*
- a cap or hat (for extra sunscreen)*
- an umbrella*
- a raincoat
- a drybag (for storing your tech gadgets when traveling via boat)
- medium-sized towel
- shower kit (body wash/soap, shampoo, conditioner, facial wash & feminine wash)
- after-shower kit (lotion, anti-perspirant, powder)
- sanitary napkin (just in case)
- panty-liners*
- all-day beauty kit (lip gloss, facial moisturizer, facial powder w/ mirror, cologne, comb)*
- a lot of extra plastic bags (to contain your wet things, garbage, slippers, etc)
- oral-care kit (toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, etc)*
- a medicine kit (mine has some mefanamic acid, paracetamol, band-aids and efficascent oil)
- alcohol (the isopropyl kind) and/or hand-sanitizer*
- a face towel
- some wet towels*
- some travel tissues*
- anti-mosquito lotion
- a sewing kit (i just bring a needle, thread)
- a swiss knife (or a small pair of scissor at least)
- nail clippers
- ballpen, notebook or organizer*
- a book or magazine, devotionals (if you plan to do some reflecting)
- your travel guides (these are maps, trip itinerary, etc. i usually keep them on one ziplock)*
- your travel documents (passport, flight itinerary, also in a ziplock)*
- your wallet (with enough cash hopefully, health card & credit card)*
- cellphone*
- cellphone charger
- flashlight (even when you're not camping)
- a fan (it can really get humid sometimes)*
- some snacks (i usually bring oreos and pringles) and water (allowed in local flights)

if the itinerary includes trekking, bring a mojo sandals or any slippers/footwear with ridges for easy walking on rivers, muddy terrains. this can be the same as the beach tsinelas, but this should be different from the indoor tsinelas. so in my trips, i always bring at least two pairs of slippers. always.

if youre into photography, make sure you bring the following also:
- your camera, lenses, your filters, batteries and charger and enough CF/SD cards
- your tripod (optional)
- you may bring a laptop too and a card reader if you are checking into a hotel with good reputation. this will allow you to upload photos in case you run out of CF/SD cards (optional)
- your cleaning cloth, lens pen, blower

*these are the items i carry around everywhere in the tote bag

whew! that's it. it's obvious that im not a light-packer, but i also believe this is not too much. without the laptop, snorkel, SLR camera and its accessories, all these things can actually fit into a 30-liter mountain pack or a medium-sized travel bag. when i travel, i seldom have to check-in a baggage. in case i do, its usually just the tripod that goes in.

everything in the list (except the camera, laptop and tripod), i carried in that gray bag

having a list such as this can be amazing. the night before my two recent trips, all i had to do is look at the list and place the items in the bag one by one. it took me less than 15 minutes. its the acquiring of the things that you need that is more difficult. what i did is to buy 2 or 3 items that i need which i dont have yet on a daily basis. it took me three days of shopping around for items (mostly clothing), 1-2 hours each day.

anyway, in case you have other suggestions or find the list helpful or have questions, please feel free to let me know. im not an expert traveler, so i would love to hear suggestions from you guys also.

have a happy trip! :)

a grief ago

'There is no grief
which time does not lessen
or soften' -
so said Cicero, a man so often right;
a Stoic, those for whom
all life presents a lesson
to be learned from,
and then, to move on from..

But I wonder about all this:
is grief ever lessened or softened?
Is it not, perhaps, overlaid
in our so various ways?

For some, grief framed and falsified
to ease that grief;

For some, like hyacinths and crocus bulbs,
left in a dark cupboard in the autumn of our grief
to respond to time, and
become at last
themselves?


gently, gently, the covers pulled
over the loving bed,
the true, the pure, the lovely painful grief,
the memory deep cherished,
gently, gently, folded
into the cupboards of the heart

there to be known, without the door disturbed
until the time - 'a grief ago' as Dylan wrote -
the cupboard opened only for love's sake
without grief...:
those carefully folded memories
brought out and loved
and lived a while...

not grief, not grief...but
the pure memory of grief

and behold,
LIFE.

at the wensha spa

katz, rheih, jp and me at the wensha spa

before my 3-day trip to coron last weekend, my friends and i decided to have an evening rendezvous at the wensha spa in pasay city. it was supposed to be strictly for the girls only, but i felt that i needed to be beside JP a little bit longer before the long vacation. i literally could not let go of JP's hands and arms when it was time for me to say goodbye and take the bus to ayala where i was supposed to meet my friends. i dragged him quite easily inside the bus and declared that he was going with me to the spa instead of him going back to the office to finish his work :) fortunately, JP was not difficult to persuade -- all i had to say is that wensha spa comes with a buffet and that the bill would be on me, hehe.

from browsing several local blogs earlier, i have learned that they had a "haircut w/ back massage" service which i had planned on getting. when we got there, we found out that they are no longer offering that and had to settle for their wensha spa massage. i wasnt disappointed by that. what disappointed me more were two things: first, the receptionist at that time was not accomodating and was somewhat impatient which did not leave a good impression for first-timers like us. after giving us our "bracelet keys", she immediately shouted the next number to call the next customer. i did not recall hearing any pleasant words from this receptionist at all. my second complaint was that taking photos inside the building was prohibited. this surprised me a lot, since i saw several photos of the place taken from inside in the various blogs i saw. things have changed i guess.

from the reception area, we headed straight to the dining hall which was already filled with customers by then, this was around 930pm and the start of long weekend. i was not used to seeing people walking around in their bath robes, so i was somewhat uncomfortable. ignoring the bath robe people, we went further in until we found ourselves a table that can accomodate all four of us. i thought the place was too busy for a spa that was supposed to have a relaxing atmosphere. we were later able to confirm that it was indeed busier that night than usual.

the evening went on smoothly, though much slower than expected. we had our dinner, which we all thought was really good: we had pancit, lumpia, beef something, chicken something, tofu something... i forgot really. i was especially happy and content with the lumpia and pancit canton and had to get more than one serving. we had ice cream (mango, ube and chocolate) before heading to the locker room for a shower. it was not the special kind, but it was ice cream nonetheless and we just could not pass that up. we decided to skip the shabu-shabu and thought we could have that after our massage.

everything we needed was provided for in the locker. robes which come in sizes were available, clean white towels were unlimited, slippers, lotion, powder were also available. each person was given a plastic bracelet which serves as a key to the lockers also. i wasnt too happy to find out that my locker was impossible to reach without the use of a ladder, so i decided to share lockers with rheih. fortunately, one locker was big enough to accomodate both our things.

after shower, katrin went to take a dip on the jacuzzi pool while rheih stayed for a minutes within the steam room. i contented myself with sitting in one of the pool chairs nearby and waited for them to finish. there was a large TV in the area and i entertained myself by watching what was being shown. i wanted to try the jacuzzi pool, but could not bring myself to go in, naked all the way through. most of those who patronized the place were pinoys, some are chinese or korean, i think. that did not matter, i was self-conscious just the same. hehe.

at this point, JP had to be separated from us. the locker, shower and spa area for men are located on the opposite side. i wonder how he was enjoying the jacuzzi...

from there, we headed towards the massage area where we had to wait for an hour before getting our massage due to the number of people present that evening. we took advantage of this and tried to catch up on what's going on with each other's lives. the massage room was large enough to accomodate around 10 customers, i think. there is a wall separating the sections, and each section can contain 2 or 3 beds. light was dim as expected.

when our masseuse came, we were asked if we wanted a swedish massage or a massage with oil -- ginger or this other kind. we chose the other kind of oil, not ginger because neither of us wanted to leave the spa smelling like salabat. after one hour, we concluded that the massage was okay. the neck and head massage were really good, but something was not right with the back massage, i thought. something was missing.

as expected, we started to feel sleepy afterwards. it was almost midnight by then. we were asking ourselves if we still want to get some shabu-shabu, but since it was already too late, we thought we should head home. i told katrin that i haven't yet discovered the ultimate spa experience, one which is 100% relaxing and completely stress-free, but wensha will be among the favorites. for less than P700, its definitely a must-try especially with family and friends. im going back for sure, but hopefully, when there are less customers. i prefer more peace and quiet when i visit a spa.

that evening, i needed all the comforts a spa can offer. but more than that, i needed to be with friends, those who know me the most and love me just the same. it wasnt the perfect spa experience, but it was the perfect evening to spend with my perfect friends.

lessons from YM

one of the first things i do when i get online is to login to Yahoo! Messenger and check to see who else is online and what people are up to lately by reading their statuses. i often read something related to problems of the heart as well as problems at work, but there are a few instances when i would read something inspiring about life. today i have decided to share them with you:

There are many things in life that will catch your eye... but few that will catch your heart.

The only thing that stands between a man and what he wants from life is often merely the will to try it and the faith to believe that it is possible.

Life is either a daring adventure... or nothing.

Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass... it's about learning to dance in the rain.

the last one is my personal favorite.

beach bumming in punta fuego

tina, joan and me


...i bet we can do this all day...


i didnt write those, but they were true for me nonetheless



was afraid im going to declare: failure to launch

actually, we lazed around the pool more than we did on the beach because we were avoiding the noon sun and didnt really hope to get some tan. but i insisted and told tina and mommy jo that we cannot leave punta fuego without getting to bum around the beach.

so bummed around we did, which meant that we laid on the almost white sand, jumped in unison (several times to get the perfect shot), sat and stared at the sea (or sometimes nothingness), took photos every now and then, and of course, went swimming on the beach. the water was clean and warm on the surface which made swimming and dipping and diving really pleasant. it was not as clear as you would see in bohol or puerto galera, but it was pretty good enough for us to enjoy.

strong waves were not frequent, so waiting on them hoping to get washed ashore was not an option. i chose to lie on my back, floated and watched the clouds go slowly by. to me, that was the best part and i could only wish i could go drifting that way more often. 100% stress-free!

if it weren't for those "things" that bit on our skin and leave them itching, we would have stayed longer in the water. the last time i was in a batangas beach (2008), i had the same experience. something on the water bites and it gets really annoying after a while. what are those, anyway?

i actually would want to go for another trip on the beach in batangas, perhaps stay at a resort overnight and drive to tagaytay the following day... but im concerned that i would again be bothered by "the biters". and that's not something you can look forward to in a vacation of any kind. sayang. i hope someone can do something about it.

lampa-taba

...i did my best, but my best wasn't good enough...

patawa talaga when they told me i had to participate dun sa tug-of-war. two girls per group were required to join and since there were only two female in our team, kasali ako by default. i kept saying, i had ZERO strength AT ALL and that there's no point in competing pero they wouldn't believe me. i guess they had to see before they can believe. or i guess, they were simply left with no choice.

so ayun, i pulled once and then i fell on the ground. HAHA. it was hard! i thought it was strategic to lower yourself on the ground, but it didn't work for me. nakaladkad lang ako at napatid pa ang tsinelas ko, haha! grabe, walang tibay na maaasahan! i do not know what would work for me when it comes to physically demanding sports or games, actually kasi im so LAMPA lately! LAMPA-TABA, hehe!

i feel like the official weakling during the entire avanade outing. there was another round with the male members of the team for the tug-of-war challenge and although it was a lot easier than just us girls pulling, i found that round hard pa rin. i was pulling as much as i could. but i could still feel myself being dragged towards the opponent's direction and that wasn't a good feeling at all. napatili na lang ako. i think i was screaming harder than i was pulling, hehe! i actually heard other people laugh because of my screaming. comedy talaga!

pero BUMAWI ako later on, ha! from being last, our team standing went up to 2nd overall. i will tell you next time HOW. also a funny story :)

kahit lampa, cute naman! hehe!

pure joy

i rarely post anything about gadgets in here. im not really the type who goes out of her way to know the greatest and latest in mobile phones or computers or game consoles or anything like that. my philosophy in buying things is that whatever allows me to do what i need to do, is easy to carry around or hold, is somewhat pretty and offers a few advancements should be okay.

my ipod is the old 512MB shuffle (bought last 2005, vintage almost) and my cellphone is the nokia 2600 which im beginning to despise because of its slow performance when it comes to loading my inbox and outbox. in any case, im not writing to complain about my cellphone... although i think i should... im actually here to tell you about the love of my life: my asus eee pc 1000H.

i only said its the love of my life because i spend so much time on it when im at home. it even sleeps beside me and i carry it with me, almost everywhere i go. it's perfect for my computing needs. at some point, when it was still somewhat acceptable to do so, it was serving as my office workstation.

i love it unconditionally and without complains... except when im working on something in photoshop in which i have to add layers upon layers of adjustments to modify the hue of the photo, render some lighting to it, adjust the color balance, the highlights, the curves, the shadows, edit this and that... that's when i start feeling the pain of not having the latest and the greatest.

earlier today we saw the asus world in megamall at the cyberzone area. i got really excited and thought i would bring my asus eee pc 1000H in there as soon as we get our bonus by the end of the month! i know the RAM doesn't cost that much (just P1400, really) but im broke, so everything for me is expensive, hehe!

i cant wait. just imagining myself and the realization of this plan gives me pure joy. sheer delight!

beautiful seed

last week i headed to "fully booked" in boni high street in order to find a new movie to add to my collection. i was thinking of buying either "wall-e" or "satc the movie", but when i saw the shelves and the many titles they have to offer, it became painful for me to decide which one to get.

i then began to notice the song that was playing within the record bar section. i initially thought that i might be hearing sarah mclachlan, but was not sure. i asked the person behind the counter who it was and he told me it was Corrinne May and handed me a copy of the "beautiful seed" album. i have seen that cover many times before. i remember carrying it around but never really got the chance to listen to the songs. without any further hesitation, i decided to proceed three floors down and bought the CD. i have no idea who she was really, but something inside tells me i have got to have the album.

it wasn't difficult to fall in love with the songs. they were beautifully sang and beautifully written. i could not agree more to what Corrinne May said in one of her interviews: the album is full of hope, full of optimistic joy. i even told JP who was driving the car, listening with me, that she sings as if there were tears of joy in her eyes.

here are my choice cuts:

"On the Side of Me"
I'm not the easiest person to love
I'm often the one who lets things go unresolved
Yet you choose to be
On the side of me

"Shelter"
I know you've been through rough times
Kicked around, thrown to the ground
But you've always been the strong one
So don't tell me that nobody gets you
'Cause I'm standing in your corner
Knocking at your door
You don't have to be alone

"Five Loaves & Two Fishes"
Take my five loaves and two fishes
Do with it as you will
I surrender
Take my fears and my inhibitions
All my burdens, my ambitions
You can use it all to feed them all

"My goal in writing a lot of these songs, was to make an album full of hope, full of optimistic joy. I think we often forget how the smallest, most seemingly insignificant things can have such beautiful possibilities. All it takes is one person to make a difference in this world. People like Mother Teresa, Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. testify to this fact. But often, we are so afraid to try, to speak up, or to make a difference." -Corrinne May

i feel it's important that i share her music with you. you may listen to the sample songs in here. next time you're at a record bar, i do hope you'll look for her in one of the racks.

the great Fort EB

...the goofy bunch at the Fort EB...

...nothing to do but make pa-cute...

upon realizing days beforehand that we needed new activity partners, mavic and i decided on joining the great Fort EB organized by an active DPP member (mic narra) last april 4. each one had to pay P250 for our permit (which was good for an entire day) and our official ID. we were allowed to shoot at anything within the fort bonifacio area except the sculptures and serendra (but i know some of us shot at them anyway, hehe).

the group is a mix of serious hobbyists and aspiring pro-photographers from different backgrounds. some are working at call centers, some have businesses of their own. but we have one common goal that day: meet fellow photography enthusiasts and try to learn a new thing or two about our chosen craft while having fun.

the permit allowed us to shoot even at the construction sites which was something i have been dying to do for a while now. that was the first area mavic and i went to and after shooting for almost an hour there, i thought i had enough and felt that the day was worth it already. i will be posting something about it in my photoblog sometime soon, hopefully.

after the construction photos, i thought these pa-cute photos are the most fun to shoot. the idea came from the strobists amongst us, lead by mark, who was the person responsible for arranging two flash units on each side in front of us. soon after a few minutes of setting things up, we started jumping in front of the light sources one by one. a few minutes more and we were all jumping up and down, synchronously, and trying to come up with all the wacky poses we can think of. the goofier the better.

it didnt bother me that mavic and i were the only females in the group. i did not feel awkward at all. all i wanted was to have fun and to shoot some good photos while doing it. and fun was what we had.

for me, the EB was a blast. a much needed relief. i cant wait to join the next EB and shoot again with my new found strobist friends.

Unfold

words from the song "unfold" from the album of the same title. written and sang by marie digby, who started to catch people's attention when she published a youtube video of her playing an acoustic version of rihanna's "umbrella". i personally took notice of her when i saw this video of her singing her heart out to the song "say it again" which she also wrote. marie plays the piano and guitar and started composing songs in high school. she is half japanese, half irish. more about her in this wiki page.

i recommend you listen to her youtube channel once in a while or check out the album in record bars and decide if her music is for you. i thought it was good and worth having in your collection. other songs i liked are "miss invisible" and "stupid for you" which is one of the more upbeat songs in the album. as a bonus, her more well-known songs are available in both acoustic version and well, non-acoustic.

What I can remember
Is a lot like water
Trickling down a page
Of the most beautiful colors
I can't quite put my finger
Down on the moment
That I became like this...

You see I am the bravest girl
You will ever come to meet
Yet I shrink down to nothing
At the thought of someone
Really seeing me
I think my heart is wrapped around
And tangled up in winding weeds

"I live and breathe music. It is all that I do in life and all that I want to do for the rest of my life." -marie digby

Failing Forward

By Dr. John C. Maxwell

Vincent Van Gogh failed as an art dealer, flunked his entrance exam to theology school, and was fired by the church after an ill-fated attempt at missionary work. In fact, during his life, he seldom experienced anything other than failure as an artist. Although a single painting by Van Gogh would fetch in excess of $100 million today, in his lifetime Van Gogh sold only one painting, four months prior to his death.

Before developing his theory of relativity, Albert Einstein encountered academic failure. One headmaster expelled Einstein from school and another teacher predicted that he would never amount to anything. Einstein even failed his entrance exam into college.

Prior to dazzling the world with his athletic skill, Michael Jordan was cut from his sophomore basketball team. Even though he captured six championships, during his professional career, Jordan missed over 12,000 shots, lost nearly 400 games, and failed to make more than 25 would-be game-winning baskets.

Failure didn't stop Vincent Van Gogh from painting, Albert Einstein from theorizing, or Michael Jordan from playing basketball, but it has paralyzed countless leaders and prevented them from reaching their potential.

At some point, all great achievers are tempted to believe they are failures. But in spite of that, they persevere. In the face of adversity, shortcomings, and rejection, they hold onto self-believe and refuse to see themselves as failures. Here are seven abilities of achievers that enable them to rebound from failure and keep moving forward.

Seven Principles for Failing Forward

Reject Rejection
Achievers who persevere do not base their self-worth on their performance. On the contrary, they have a healthy self-image that's not dictated by external events. When they fall short, rather than labeling themselves a failure, they learn from mistakes in their judgment or behavior.

Don't Point Fingers
When people fail, they're often tempted to blame others for their lack of success. By pointing fingers, they sink into a victim mentality and cede their fate to outsiders. When playing the blame game, people rob themselves of learning from their failures and alienate others by refusing to take responsibility for mistakes.

See Failure as Temporary
People who personalize failure see a problem as a hole they're permanently stuck in, whereas achievers see any predicament as temporary. One mindset wallows in failure, the other looks forward to success. By putting mistakes into perspective, achievers are able to see failure as a momentary event, not a symptom of a lifelong epidemic.

Set Realistic Expectations
Unrealistic goals doom people to failure. For instance, if a person hasn't exercised for five years, then making it to a gym twice a week may be a better goal than running in next month's marathon. Also, some people insensibly expect to be perfect. Everyone fails, so expect setbacks and emotionally prepare to deal with them.

Focus on Strengths
Don't invest time shoring up non-character flaws at the exclusion of investing in your strengths. People operating from a position of strength enjoy a far lower rate of failure than those laboring in areas of weakness. You're built to give your talents to the world; be diligent about finding expressions for them in your career.

Vary Approaches to Achievement
In the Psychology of Achievement, Brian Tracy writes about four millionaires who made their fortunes by age 35. On average, these achievers were involved in 17 businesses before they finding the one that took them to the top. They kept trying and changing until they found something that worked.

Bounce Back
Rehashing missteps and blunders for too long sabotages concentration and eats away at self-confidence. When dealing with failure, achievers have short memories. They quickly forget the negative emotions of setbacks and press forward resiliently. While taking pause to learn from failures, achievers realize that the past cannot be altered.

Summary
I believe it's nearly impossible for any person to believe he or she is a failure and move forward at the same time. For those who have been downsized, let go, or bankrupted, the temptation may be to internalize failure. My hope is that anyone who has suffered setbacks recently will be able to separate life's unfortunate events from their self-worth. Failure, like death and taxes, will happen. Your response to failure holds the key to your future.

Rock of Ages

Capones Island
Originally uploaded by gezelle

Because of strong waves that day, we had to walk from one end of the Capones Island to the other in order to get to the lighthouse, which was the main attraction of this small island in Zambales. It was an unexpected trek and one in which i was not prepared for physically. It was midday and we had to walk one hour almost non-stop without drinking water and little shade. I was so dehydrated, could no longer breathe normally and felt the weakness of my knees especially while we were walking the stony shores. I wanted to give up many times but the beauty of the island urged me to go on. Our 12-year old tour guide kept looking back at me with a *smirk* in his face as if to say, "ang bagal-bagal mo naman ate, e." With JP guiding me especially when we had to climb rocky paths and inclined hillsides, we were able to reach our destination, with me still in one piece.

By then however, thirst was almost killing me. Just to give you an idea of how thirsty I was, I saw bottles of mineral water at the lighthouse thrown away by tourists who went there ahead of us and looked hard and thought that if those bottles of water were not completely empty, I would not hesitate to drink from them! I even saw bottles of Gatorade brought by this other group of young people who have reached the island a few minutes ahead of us. They left their bottles of Gatorade as they ascended the lighthouse and when I saw the colorful bottles and their contents, I asked JP if he thought it would be okay to drink some! I was not even thinking of asking permission! Grabe talaga ang uhaw ko!

During the return trip, I had my walking stick with me and JP by my side the whole time. I felt even weaker as soon as we started going through the slippery and stony shores again. I believe what kept me going on and prevented me from stumbling and hurting myself are the prayers and songs of praises in my heart. My hope was to rely in His strength instead as I have lost much of my own. It was not hard to see God's hands in our midst. The majestic rocks in the island reminded me of our God's own majesty. I thought of His faithfulness and asked Him to steady my steps and strengthen me further. In my heart, I believe that He did so because I was not harmed in any way not just during that trek but during the entire trip. Truly our God is the Rock of Ages, faithful and true.

Of all the many wonderful things God has been called before, the Rock of Ages has remained a favorite. Sharing to you all the lyrics of the song I was singing in my heart back in Capones. My hope is that, in your own journeys, you may be blessed by the words of praises as well:

You're a healer in the time of sickness
A comfort in the time of grief
You're a stronghold in the time of weakness
A helper in the time of need

Rock of Ages
You are faithful and true
You are able to do
What you have promised

Rock of Ages
You are faithful and just
I will always put
My trust in You

that other blog of mine

so maybe some of you may already have known that i have this blog into which i post most of my photography related posts. if i sound redundundant at this point, thats because im too lazy to think of anything better to say... so in that blog i actually make sense in my posts (unlike in this one) and i mostly post about photography, mine and others. so if you're into this kind of *STUFF* and you have some time to kill, you are most welcome to visit that other blog and welcome to comment and critique my work and my workflow and my poor english :)

here's the link: http://pinayphotoholic.blogspot.com