My Trip to Puerto Princesa Palawan

Two down!

I was looking at my list of resolutions for the year and I crossed 2 items. I've went to the dentist (and had my tooth extracted) and I've traveled enough to appreciate the Philippines more than I ever did. Good job!

I recently went to Puerto Princesa, Palawan, and everything about it is just amazing as I expected. From the flight to the food, I had a great time.

Boarding a plane was first time thing. Although, I was told that I've flown before, I was too young to appreciate the experience. So when I did it this time, the moment the plane lift off the ground, it was a wow moment! Seeing the world from the top makes me realize how small I am in a big, big world. Amazing! As I watch the Philippines from atop, I am reminded of the fact that we have 7107 islands, amazing islands. It's true when they say we have a lot of beaches and I never realized until then. I saw abundant beaches and coral reefs that seemed to have not been reached by anyone yet. I hope so. There are places and creatures that we should just leave alone.

I travelled with my friends Che and Cha who are experienced travellers. You don't wanna travel with anyone who doesn't know a thing about places do you? Hehehe. I am thankful for these two girls, they made my life away from home easier.

We started our 3 day stay with a city tour. We contracted a trike driver to take us to popular tourist spots in the city. We went to Butterfly Garden, Crocodile Farm, Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Plaza Cuartel, Tiange Tiange, Mitra's Ranch, Baker's Hill, Bay Walk. The city's tag line is "the city in the forest" and it is! A typical province ambience but with more greens. I was overwhelmed by the number of restaurants. But of course, it's a popular tourist destination after all. We decided to drop the visit to Iwahig Prison and the Firefly watching, they were too far, we had to add additional price and we felt that firefly watching is not unique to Palawan.

The next day we went to the Underground River and did a side-trip to the Ugong Rock. Che heavily promoted the Underground River to me, and I would say that it's the part of the trip that I anticipated the most. It is located 50 km from the city proper. Once we got to the site, I have to say, that I didn't expect too many tourists. We have to wait for our turn to navigate the river that runs through a cave using paddle boat that can accommodate 11 people including the boatman. The waiting time took half of my excitement, but once we got inside, I felt that it was really worth the wait. Contrary to the climate in the area, it was cold inside. The stalactites and stalagmites are awesome, they form various shapes like a dinosaur, a woman, the Holy Family, etc. It's amazing how nature works.

The side trip to Ugong Rock was not part of our travel package. Ugong is a term that locals use for echo. It was called as such because the stalactites inside the Ugong Rock creates a Wadaiko-like sound when tapped. The tour guide said that these Ugong Rocks were submerged in water million years ago. I tried to wiki it but found nothing about it yet.

the tallest Ugong Rock

So we did a brief spelunking on the smallest Ugong Rock, and as fun as it may sound, it was hard. Che told me that it was 50 times easier compared to the caving they did in Sagada. Once we got to the top, we had the option to take the zip line to go down but I (and Cha) didn't have the courage to do it. We had to take the same route we took going up. I realized that I'm physically weak and not made for outdoors. I'll never do that again.

the hardest moment of my life XD

The third day was the Honda Bay island hopping. The main activity is to swim and snorkel. I originally had no plans of dipping into the sea. I don't really enjoy swimming, simply because I don't know how and I hate to wear a swim suit. I thought that I'd just bum out there and enjoy the sight of the sea, but then there's snorkeling and I couldn't pass on that one. I skipped the snorkelling at the Pambato Reef but indulged once we got to Snake Island. I love looking at the corals and mingling with the fish. The scene under the sea reminded me of Finding Nemo (I think any kid would) and I just have no word to describe it other than awesome. After the lunch at Snake Island, we hopped to Pandan Island. There's really not much difference other than the finer sand and the abundance of Pandan trees. Snake Island by the way does not boast abundant number of snakes, but the island itself is shaped like a snake. The waves are stronger during our stay in Pandan Island so I opted to stay on the shore and made an attempt to make a snowman out of sand. I burned my skin for this cause but a mound was the closest thing it resembled. Epic fail hehehe.

The whole trip burned me out. The next day I called in sick for work. But it was really worth all that energy. By the time I post this, I'm already thinking of a next trip. Where to? I'll see...

sad...

The week ended with a very heavy mood. As what have been said all over in the news, Japan was devastated by an 8.9 magnitude earthquake, followed by a massive Tsunami, and now, the threat of a nuclear meltdown. It's always been hard to see a country devastated by such disaster. But it's been extra saddening for me because Japan has always been closer to my heart. Seeing a country I love so much go down right before my eyes is just heart breaking. At the same time, scared. Scared that something similar, God forbid, would happen here. In a time like this, the least I can do is pray. But you have the means to help, please do.

Remembering Francis M

I'm browsing some pictures from archive folders when I saw some Francis Magalona pics. It was a little timing because March 6 is his death anniversary. And believe it or not, my playlist coincidentally played "Kaleidoscope World" while looking at the pictures. I remember these pictures were taken sometime in October 2006, it was an Octoberfest event it Eastwood. He was performing the same song that I'm listening right now. This was the first and the last time I saw him perform.

Francis M. is one of the few Filipino musicians that I really like and I think are talented. He wouldn't be dubbed as the King of Rap if he wasn't. I remember, when he died 2 years ago, I felt sad as a fan and as a Filipino. He was one of the few artists I know that had originality and sense of pride of being a Filipino. And he was cute too. He was 42 when i last saw him, but he looked way younger than that.

It has been 2 years since he passed a way. It was such a loss in the music industry, gone too soon, but his legacy as a musician lives on.

soup anyone?

It has been a weekly habit. But I gotta say, I am so hooked. I am in love with the new item on Pizza Hut Bistro's menu. The Pumpkin Bacon soup. I've always loved soup and order one every time I go on a fine dining in. You don't normally see them on fast food that's why. But I love soup. Though I usually crave for it when I'm sick, I'd often go to Soup Kitchen, but now the branch in Megamall is gone, I had to settle with French Baker's soup of the day in a bread bowl. Then last February, Pizza Hut Bistro launched their latest product, and it was just love!

Meeting a Japanese Girl

I had the pleasure of having my first Japanese encounter last Wednesday. Okay not excatly first encounter. I've been to a lot of Japanese related events, had several Ebay transactions with Japanese sellers (my favorite Ebay seller is a Japanese by the way *shout out to Seiki-san*), my former boss once introduced her former boss to me. But all of them were more of a hi, hello, will you sign my stuff, thank you, excellent, ja mata ne and all that one liner thingie. My friend Che is a member of a wonderful Japanese NGO that provides various voluntary works here in the Philippines. I don't have a comprehensive idea of what they do, but Che told me once that they set up a portable water system in Palumbanes island. I don't exactly know where it is, but it's somewhere in the Bicol region. Since I really don't know much of the details, let's just say she has a Japanese friend named Risa that she introduced to me and my other colleague, Bryan. We ate breakfast at Chowking because she likes Kangkong (Water Spinach a.k.a Ipomoea aquatica). While it surprised me in weird way that she likes Kangkong, it amazed me to know that she knows Tagalog and had lived in

Palumbanes island for a month. To go here for travel is common, to do some charity works is admirable, but to actually immerse yourself to the life of the locals, in a remote place where electricity is supplied by a generator and runs for a limited time... is just awe inspiring. It was a pleasing experience, to talk to a Japanese and ask a lot of questions and confirm my knowledge about Japan and its culture. It ignited my desire to go to Japan. Gosh, I hope I can go there before my passport expires... I have to start saving...

demonstrating how to eat Halo-halo

kidd's breakfast

(Puto is the yellow one, Kuchinta is the brown one, and Niyog is the white stuff)

Puto is Philippine steamed rice cake prepared practically all over the country and eaten alone, with butter or butter substitute and/or grated fresh coconut or as accompaniment to a number of savory dishes for breakfast (most notably, with dinuguan). - from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puto#Variations_of_Puto

Kuchinta is another delicious steamed cake made of rice flour, sugar and water. The ingredients may sound so simple yet tastes excellent especially when topped with shredded coconut. - from http://www.filipinodesserts.net/quick-desserts/kuchinta-recipe-filipino-steamed-rice-cake

I normally have Pandesal for breakfast, but on days that I'd catch a mobile vendor of puto and kuchinta, I'd have them instead. See, these are some of the things that I like living in the province. Traditional food like these are easily accessible at the right time. There are times that I'd wake up at the sound of the vendor yelling "puto, kuchinta". For me, morning is the best time to eat them. For eight years that I stayed in Manila, I can't remember ever eating puto or kuchinta for breakfast, unless I would eat out.

They are best accompanied with niyog (grated coconut). I think for a couple of years we stopped buying from the mobile vendors because part of the cost cutting strategy of the owners was to eliminate the niyog. They're just not the same without niyog, but this morning, there's a vendor and my mom asked me if I want it for breakfast, and the first thing I asked was "may niyog ba?" (is there grated coconut?). And she said, yes. So I was in for a great breakfast! Ittadakimasu!

I did my obligatory trip to Mercury drug last Tuesday to buy toothpaste. Not that we are out of supply, but I couldn't put it off any later because that was day my Citibank charge slip discount would expire. It's a Citibank promo where I can get discount to Mercury Drug or Rustans for the amount I purchased using my card. Ever since my dental extraction, I pledged to STRICTLY follow the recommended three times a day tooth brushing. I have to be honest, I get so lazy at times that I put off brushing my teeth. I'm pretty confident that I'm not the only one hehehe. So when I shop for toothpaste, I made sure that I won't have any excuse to brush my teeth wherever I'm at. I bought 4 pieces.

One for the house, it's a back up for myself in case my sister Ivy takes the family toothpaste upstairs. The second is for my work place, the third and the fourth goes to my bag so even when I'm on the move, I have something to use. Absolutely NO EXCUSE!

The only thing is, I also bought chocolates for MYSELF, and don't forget that I still have my bonbon candies which may not be very healthy for my teeth. But give me a break, what is life without candies and chocolates?

Trip to Little Tokyo

I've been meaning to dine in Little Tokyo in Makati ever since I saw it many years ago. Back in the days when I frequent Makati Cinema Square, when there was still Feata Bookstore, it was where I get original Japanese manga. Little Tokyo is a compound of Japanese Restaurants, and I knew back then that they are pricey so I didn't get the chance to try it. 10 years after, I finally

got to try it. My friend Mike had been there and he gave me a good feedback. So last weekend, we went there with my friend Sherry and her boyfriend Lester.

The moment I entered the compound premise, I immediately felt the Japanese ambiance that I don't normally feel in other Japanese restaurants that I've been to. With Mike's suggestion, we chose to go to Kagura. It appears to be famous for okonomiyaki, every customer ordered it. They also have a tatami area, where you can sit and eat the traditional Japanese style (lotus position), but under the table is a cavity where you can extend your legs, in case you prefer to sit the normal way. While waiting for the food, I knew I was in for an authentic Japanese food because we were the only Filipino customers inside. There's a small TV that shows a Japanese sports channel. The owner must be a Hanshin Tigers (baseball team) fan, the whole place is decorated with various Tigers memorabilia. Good thing I was wearing my Onitsuka Tiger sneakers so I felt right at home hehehe. I wanted to take pictures, but I was so worried that I'd look like some kind of weirdo so I refrain and just took some shots that wasn't so attention grabbing.

The food was good, the okonomiyaki was great. I really had nothing to compare it to. Unless I go to Japan, I wouldn't know how authentic Japanese cuisine should really taste. I'm only judging it base on the demography of customers. I only had 3 things to critic, first is the payment method. I wish they accept credit cards. The food is pricey and I seldom bring cash, I have a paperless culture and always rely on my magic card every time I go out. Thank goodness for this occasion, my instinct told me to bring cash so I was saved from humiliation. The second one is I wish the place had more space, by the time we left, the place was already jam packed. And third, I wish they'd serve desserts. I always wanted to end my meal with something sweet. I mean, sure they served a complimentary orange fruit, nicely peeled and segmented, but again, I was hoping to try Japanese desserts.

Good thing there was a convenience store beside it, and boy was I happy to find that they sell Sakuma bonbon candies. The tin cans have different packaging art from the one in Graveyard of the Fireflies, but who cares about that now, I'm just happy I got me bonbon candies. I also bought a Meiji pudding, which is insanely good. See, that's what I say when I want to end my meal with sweets. Overall, my trip to Little Tokyo didn't disappoint, and I'm definitely going back! Next time, I'm gonna try the takoyaki.

I just want to share this cool animation I've come across in one of the forums I joined. Very cool.

BIG BANG BIG BOOM - the new wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

I can't tweet!!! =(

I don't know if anybody else is experiencing this problem with Twitter, but it won't post my tweets! Nope, I'm not getting any error message, even worse, when I click the tweet button, I don't get any respond. My point is... I want to tweet. Twitter is like the SMS blogging, when I want to share something that I don't need or want to elaborate, I tweet. Even if I only have 20 followers, and who knows, there are probably 2 or 3 people who read my tweets. I still like it for recording purposes.

Anyways, if only Twitter was working properly, I'd tweet:

• I'm enjoying reading the Polish thread of ED.com forums. Don't ya just luv Google Translate hehehe...
• #bloopersnight Blooper 5: "you have to go to the homepage, where you "will saw"
• Is this how Globe treat their valued customer? I'm giving up the iphone, not worth the hype... oh which phone should I get now?
• Globe homepage sucks!

Pffft! I want to tweet!

I wasn't gonna blog about this, but because of so many times I've failed to upload this on youtube (thanks to my amazing broadband connection), I've felt that a successful upload (finally) deserves a blog post (and plug) hehehe.

Evangelion is one of the most popular anime of my time, there are tons of merchandise available and thank God music box is one of them. It comes in different variant, this one is the version 2. It is manufactured by Sega and is supposed to be an arcade prized item. The set comes with Asuka and another Rei wearing white one piece suspended in a glass tube. I sell the Asuka figure and also the version 3 (both Rei and Asuka).

Fly Me to the Moon is a popular song by Frank Sinatra. It has different versions by various artists but I have to admit though, that only Evangelion made me love this song.

For some reason, whenever I wind this up, our dog Majinbu barks along. Even when I tried playing the video, he goes barking again -sigh-

Only in the Philippines

So I have balikbayan relatives staying with us, they just got back from Boracay and I just can't let their flight delay story pass. According to my Aunt, not only was the flight delayed for 3 hours, their flight was diverted from Katiklan airport to Kalibo airport. So the passengers had to move from Katiklan to Kalibo. I mean, I have heard of flight delays but to move from one airport to another? Come on! I mean if I'm a passenger, I deserve some compensation for all the trouble, right? Hahaha!!!

23 years ago...

So I saw an old picture of me, dated February '88, that my mom sent to my dad when he was still working in Saudi:

And it read: Dear Daddy, Here's Miss Japan of Tanay, Rizal.

Take note that my mom wrote this. Hmmmm.... now it figures hehehe

Music Box

Here's something that I haven't shared. I love music box! I think it started more than a year ago when my fascination with this 18th century technology started and I don't really know why. I know that I've always loved music box version of some anime songs, but I'm really fascinated with the wind-up movement. That complex mechanism of interlocking cogs, gears and wheels got me locked. In this age of Ipod and digital music, here I am, crazy for an old technology.

I created a youtube account so I can upload some of my collection and hopefully meet other music box enthusiasts. Here's a sample from my collection. Being an anime fan, I tried to limit collecting to anime related music boxes. In Japan, music box is referred to as "orgel". This one is Laputa Castle in the Sky orgel figure that plays the movie's theme song. Please enjoy =).

-sigh-

It's unbelievably cold these days. I honestly prefer cold wheather, but not when I'm sick... and I am. I have cold -sniff- that gives me headache and I still have this recurring toothache that I need to deal with until I decide to go back to the dentist.

And then I have other things going on my head that I wish I'm strong enough to keep on moving on. Welcome to my gloomy February.

Did you know that today is the day the music died? As Don Mclean puts it:

but February made me shiver
with every paper I deliver
bad news on the doorstep
I couldn't take one more step

Dear friends, I am hopeful but I need prayers and hugs...

Birthday Wishlist

My brother is getting married in 6 days while I'm turning 28 in 7 days. Now if you care for me, you should know what to get me hehehe:

1. Music box that plays any of the following - The Entertainer, Ave Maria, The Christmas Song, Auld Lang Syne, Moon River, I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry.
2. socks
3. Books - Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto, Hear the Wind Sing and Pinball by Haruki Murakami, Black Jack vols. 10-22 by Ozamu Tezuka
4. CLAMP no Kiseki Chess Board
5. official TEDS T-shirt

Finally!

After stubbornly refusing for so long I had finally given in. I signed up for a Facebook account.

Finally!

At first, the only reason why I wouldn't sign up was because my laptop broke and I had rare access to the web and I felt like it's useless to get an account if I can't update it regularly. Then it grew into pride, everybody was going gaga over it, specially my siter Ivy, everybody was saying how addicting it is and I felt like I don't want to be like everybody else. I lost appetite. I wanted to be someone who could say "well, I didn't fall for it, sorry".

That was really silly now that I think about it hehehe...

I felt pressured to have one, the reasons to sign up was piling up, it's suffocating:

I don't wanna get sued, it's becoming a law to have a Facebook account. Even the oldies have one!

I need a mainstream medium to sell my toys (click me).

I want to be able to see my travel photos without bothering Che and asking her to email the pics.

I wanted to feel young again hehehe.

I need my fans (LOL)

I need to get updated when my gay friend Kuya Aris will get his greencard so I can marry him (LOL)

I have to prove that I'm digitally alive.

I need prove to everyone else that Facebook is not as impressive or as addictive as many claimed it to be.

It's time!

Just kidding, I'm starting to sound like an old fool hahaha.

I only wanted to get in touch with my friends that I haven't heard from for a long time and I know Facebook will greatly help me on this.

Please add me hehehe.

The Gift of Laughter

I have a confession to make.

Well, some of my friends already know this, but I feel like a need to post this...

I'm a huge Ellen DeGeneres fan. Yep, her. I'm not usually a celebrity person, now before you make any judgement, let me tell you that she's the most adorable celebrity out there.

I'm particularly hooked to her talkshow. To say that it changed me is an understatement. It healed me. I was a pessimistic person, full of problems and frustrations. I was limited to anime and anything Japanese. I refused to go out of my box until one day...

I remember, it was a gloomy week day in November. I was at a friend's place. It was boring. She was having a fight with her boyfriend while I am sad for another reason. I was flipping through channels on TV when I came across Ellen's opening monologue about Barrack Obama's election, she was explaining how the election came down to dancing. It was hilarious. Then she would come up with one funny act after another -the goofy dance, the straddling of the coffee table, showing how a hologram could make her life easier, demoing of a vaccuum cleaner at George Clooney's office, the kid inventors. It was just a super fun show that sent me into a burst of laughter until my friend had to yell to turn down my volume and remind me that she was crying. But something happened that I didn't notice. I had forgotten my own problem.

this is the monologue that got me started!

It took me a while, but once I got a hold of its schedule, I've become a regular home audience member.

My favorite part is the monologue, this is where Ellen shows off her brand of comedy, which I really love. She often talks about everyday life and points out inconveniences and silly things we're willing to put up that makes me think, yeah, why is that? I like the fact that she's willing to look goofy and silly for comedy, and it doesn't disappoint, well most of the time anyway.

It's that hour of laughter everyday that got me through and made me realize how much energy I'm wasting on negativity. And I'm not saying I'm completely healed, I still have a lot issues to work out and a lot of pessimism left in my veins, but I'm slowly getting rid of it. The thing is, I need to keep in touch with reality. Because, life can't always be all about fun. There will be hardships, but by focusing on the positive things, I have a much brighter future.

Anyway, it's Ellen's 53rd birthday today and I would've wanted to greet and thank her personally, for this gift of laughter. I know that it's hard to get a ticket on her show (yes, I'm that kind of fan now, I even bought copies of her books!). Here in Philippines, 2nd Avenue channel holds a contest every year with a ticket to her show (all expense paid!)as the prize. But then, good luck to me, one of the requirements is to have a US visa which I don't have and getting one is like passing through a needle's hole. But then again, I'm sure those people who gets a ticket are in more need than I do. So I'm happy to just watch in the comfort of our living room. I'm sure there are million lives healed by her gift of laughter, and on her birthday, I wish she gets the happiness she imparts, ten-fold. Happy Bday Ellen!

Tanay Town Fiesta

Last Sunday, my hometown celebrated the feast of our Patron saint, San Ildefonso de Toledo. Now I don't know how people celbrated way way back, but I've grown up knowing that it's mostly about food. Then there are bands, carnival, flea markets, and of course, visitors from out of town.

This year, I managed to have my own share of visitors from the Metro - Nagi, Chris and Aish came and Dindee with Dr. Fajardo dropped by. I gotta be honest, this was the first time that I brought them with me and introduce my family and I was little nervous that something might go wrong. But everything went smoothly, I was so happy that everybody felt comfortable and at home. I knew that my parents, especially my mom would be delighted to meet my friends and have a sense of relief to know the people I am with, whenever I'd have to spend the night in Manila.

Now this trio have always been bubbly, I understand that they had to tone done in front of my family in our living room, and they were like whispering while talking. But when i finally took them to my room and got some privacy, their demons unleashed! It was a riot but at the same time really fun. We took a lot of embarassing pictures that I can't even post here because we all love our future hahaha.

I was surprised that a day is not enough to have more fun like take them to some popular spots like the dyke. I was so worried that I would be a bad host and bore my guests to death, but Thank God, everything turned out to be a great day.

Mt. Pinatubo

Disclaimer: All photos are owned and taken by Cherryl Gurrobat

This post is long overdue, but I still want

to share this. Last week, I went treking to Mt. Pinatubo.

My friend, Che's photos inspired me to go out and see the country. While I often express frustration over the corrupt government and how we Filipinos lack discipline, I had forgotten to appreciate the good things we have. And we have a lot!

Together with Che, her sister Cha and her friend Janet, I decided to start off with my new goal of seeing the beauty of the Philippines, here in Mt. Pinatubo.

It wasn't an easy trail, but it was probably the right start for me. From the foot of the mountain (or whatever part it was), I had to endure a 2 hour walk! Another 2 hours to go back. And it doesn't sound so hard if you're gonna do it on an even plane. Now it's a "mount" I'm talking about so you can just expect all the tough things you could think of hehehe.

It was an overcasted Sunday so I didn't sweat as much as I expected, but the biggest threat was the rain. It's not safe to go there when raining because of the lahar and I've heard of death instance due to bad weather, so all throughout the trek, my only prayer was not to rain. It drizzled a little, but Thank God, I made it through without any scratch.

My knowledge of Mt. Pinatubo was fairly limited to its 1991 massive erruption. How can I forget getting up in the morning and seeing the outside of our house covered in ash. I was so young at that time and I thought for a moment that it snowed. I had no idea the disaster that had just happened. So when I finally made it to the top, I was just blown by the beauty. How can something so beautiful come from an ugly tragedy?

Despite the gloomy sky, the crater lake boasted a turquoise color. What can I say? The sight

reminds me of dinosaur era, I was hoping to see a big bird to hover around and give me an illusion that it's a Pteroducktyl! It didn't happen, but what the heck!

After the trek, my body was aching. I felt like an old lady, and I was longing for my bed so badly but it wasn't the body pain that gave me a heartache. It was the sight of the Aetas living in poverty. The knowledge that our trek guide is underpaid despite the hard work he did for us. Our trek guide's name is Raymond and he's a hard working fellow. The only thing we could do for him was to give a small tip and some food.

Overall, it was a learning and an inspiring experience. I hope to go back someday but next time. I hope to do something better for the people who live there.