Snapshots

     With having your first camera, you can't really resist the urge to take a picture of something, whether it be the most irrelevant thing at home or just anything you find colorful that definitely would look on a photo.

     Here are some snapshots from my Canon EOS 550D :)

my iPod nano splattered with mud 

while dancing in the rain

in painting, the first stroke is always the hardest

an unfinished business at home

I miss playing the piano

sister took a picture of her phone while i'm sleeping. caught you

my sister's abstract painting using poster colors

my overflowing luggage for Korea x_x

my lip balms for winter. sissy took this photo

ballerinas, angels and little girls

a good book I found in Fully Booked 

     The last photo is a book titled Lonely Planet's Guide to TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY by Richard I'anson. Ever since the JTA application and our spontaneous Palawan trip, I'm having this feeling my future income will allot a big chunk for travelling since I really love doing it and I'm itching to go to other places and take pictures myself :)) Of course I'm aware that such an activity's pricey that's why I'm determined to make my first millions in my 20's hahaha wild dreams :)). And to link travel to photography, whoah this really makes much more sense, especially since I already have my first ever camera. Aside from taking my barkada's vanity photos (haha), I would really like to try out something more than just pressing the shutter a gazillion times. And my flight to Korea (which is in three days) would be a great opportunity to practice. Creative juice, please!

     And I always wanted to create my own photo blog with photos decent enough to be shown in public :)

     As for the choice of book, I guess that investing on this kind of book would be more practical and worth it rather than buying a travel guide for Korea. At least I'll get to learn something. Aside from native Koreans that I bet would be happy to tour me around their country, I'm sure there are a lot of websites in the internet that will help me spot Korea's most anticipated events and festivals. In addition, the internet's more updated and I bet the published travel books for Korea will have little to say about Korean Pop Culture like the artists BigBang or SuperJunior (concert dates!) or even shooting places for some of Korea's television series :P

     And I'm not expecting to apply and remember all the techniques and tips I will get from this book as soon as I'm done reading. Photography is just like swimming where you'll learn by doing it and not just by reading a book. I'm reading this book out of leisure and not out of pressure. :)

     Hello to my newfound hobby and cheers to more photos and memories! 

JTA Musings 3: Plane Rehearsals

     I did this for several times already. After almost 3 years of leaving CDO for Manila, I guess my flight 5 hours ago would be the same as usual.

     But oh well. so much for frequent flyers.

     Today is just like any ordinary day until my sister said goodbye to me twice and even kissed me on the cheek (of course with saying "eew" after). So today might be something not ordinary since my sister doesn't normally do that. Nevertheless, I feel sleepy yet I still managed to drag myself to the showers to prepare for my 10am flight. After the shower, I proceeded with re-fixing my stuff to include newly-laundered undies and some clothes. Then I sat on my favorite dining chair to grab some spam and eggs for breakfast. See, it's just another ordinary day.

     By 8:30am I said goodbye to my brother which is so not me, then to our pet dog Kimmy (who's a German Sheperd btw) which was whining a little -could this be the dog's counterpart of crying? Then I got on the car and as usual, closed my eyes, ready to take a mini-nap while on our way to the airport.

     On ordinary days, I sleep. I always sleep on our car rides. 

     But this time, I can't since I happen to feel tears rolling down my face. WHUT THE F---. And before I could figure out how to wipe my tears and breathe properly without my parents noticing, let's just say my dad (who was driving) looked at me and my mommy gave me her hanky.

     Caught in the act. O__O

     Every female lead character in all the television series I've watched are always so good in crying without others noticing that I can't help but think why wasn't I able to hide mine. Ohh yeah, television series are scripted. Mine's not. But still I can't believe I cried in front of my parents (actually my mom's beside me at the backseat while dad's in front driving, but you get it right?). If there's one thing that I find it hard to express, it's will be missing someone. Well for me it's easy to say you miss someone -write on their Facebook wall, text them or tell them.  Maybe it's because the separation's already there, and all you need to do is just to acknowledge it by saying you miss the other party. But in this case -expressing that you will miss the other party - the separation's not yet there, yet you have to acknowledge it because whether you like it or not both parties are going to that direction of parting ways sooner or later. 

     And in my case,crying is synonymous to me taking off that mask and showing them what I really feel.

     At first I really felt shy about it, but 5 hours after my flight, I felt better knowing that I showed (or assured? haha) my parents that I will miss them. 

Why bother living when you're bound to hide your feelings?

uhm, it's just that some words are better left unsaid? :))

     Bottom line: All of this is just a rehearsal for my August 28 flight to Korea, from the way I pack my luggage to fit in all my clothes, from drafting my checklist, from spending each day as if it's an ordinary day rather than preparing for your own despedida, from carrying all my bags (2 luggages, 1 backpack and 1 camera bag), and from saying goodbyes.

     I guess I would never be able to perfect the last part. So much for rehearsing. Let's settle with spontaneity then! That would be much easier :))

     CDO, see you this December 30!

     PS: Crying has its benefits you know.It helps in cleansing out impurities from the eyes and it also helps out in releasing stress hormones which have negative effects on our bodies. No wonder we felt relieved after crying, right? :)

    

Biaño's: Pizza-Next-Door

     I guess CDO, especially Xavier University college students, are lucky to have an affordable yet good-tasting pizza within reach. I discovered this pizza last Tuesday when I went out to meet up with my highschool  gradeschool friend for some catching up and quality bum. Just like everyone else, we took a long time deciding where to eat that we almost settled for Jollibee! Good thing my other friend said something about me trying out the pizza which is just a walking distance away from their school. :)

     Who would've thought you'll find mini food haven in some unnoticeable alleyway and beside an internet cafe? :))

Biaño's bestseller

     Rule of thumb: when it's your first time in any restaurant or food store, either go for their bestsellers or for whatever your [reliable haha] friends recommend. And yes, my friend and I ordered the Fullhouse Pizza and fortunately it was really good and satisfying despite the toppings that keeps falling off since it looked like they were just sprinkled before serving. Messy but I can deal with it. It's a typical pizza overloaded with toppings yet it has its own unique taste and not the usual commercialized taste that we all know of  from all the well-known fastfood pizzas we know. You can say the taste's really homemade (gah, how do describe it). 

     What made their pizza really good is their melted cheese whose taste is distinct from the rest of the toppings unlike some pizzas where their cheese is just the thin (sometimes dry) yellow-colored layer painted on the crust before sprinkling it with any other toppings. No wonder my highschool friends love even the cheapest Ham n' Cheese pizza. Its cheese is soft and thick enough for you to savor its taste.

      And the price? Really affordable. Worth it.

I'll definitely try this one before leaving for Manila

Or this. Cheeeese.

Bacon. 'Nuff said.

This looks good too!

     So much for pizza. I guess I have to settle for the typical Yellow Cab, Greenwich and Pizza Hut pizzas when I'm back in Manila. No more budget-friendly, homemade pizzas for me :(


     Thanks Kyang and Pagc for introducing me to Biaño's! :D

STEP UP 3D: Born from a Boombox

     This movie , just like its dancers, is born from a boombox.

     

     If you've watched the first two Step Up movie franchises, you would think that the 3rd Step Up movie would still involve the Maryland School for the Arts, where elite professional dancers team up with the rough street dancers, blah blah ..But I guess this stand corrected since during the whole course of the film, I see no ballet or jazz dancers in their prim ballet shoes and tight hair buns, not even the Maryland School for the Arts. It's all about that type of dance we became used to label as hiphop or streetdance.

warning: spoilers :D

Basically the movie's divided into three parts: how The Pirates (Luke's crew) are battling their way towards the championship for the New York's biggest underground dance showdown.

BATTLE ONE    

  The Pirates versus the First Crew

 (I forgot the name, was it Red Hooks?)

atmosphere: Dusty dance floor

winning dance routine: Robot Rock

An excerpt from the Robot Rock routine. Damn coool

BATTLE TWO

The Pirates versus the Asian Crew (I forgot the name)

atmosphere: dance floor flooded with water

winning dance routine: Dancing on Water

Probably my most favorite dance routine in the movie

FINAL BATTLE

The Pirates versus The Samurai Crew

atmosphere: underground stadium

winning dance routine: Dancing with Lights

Something cool I found in the internet 

Take the Biggest Step of All in 3D

This is the best movie still I've seen so far

Meet the Pirates Crew

Another one of Hollywood's most creative movie kisses :)

Every Step Up couples always have their own ballroom dance

Cool Beans. Gonna make it my new wallpaper

     In between the major dance battles you will witness The Pirates crew's preparations inside their super awesome underground basement which was magically transformed into one sick dance studio, complete with shoe exhibits, a wall made of stacked boomboxes, a training area of metal bars, an area padded with foams to practice your back tumblings and other air jumps and even their own sleeping area! Really, it's a place for a dance nomad!

     Also, a dancer's usual struggle with academics and social life is also portrayed in the film through Moose. Yes, I believe Moose is the main actor AND dancer in this film. Luke (played by Rick Malambri) may be hot with his washboard abs and well-toned biceps, but he just can't dance as well as Moose (played by Adam Sevani). Not even Natalie (played by Sharnie Vinson) with her ripped and well-sculpted oblique muscles and toned arms, Moose is still the highlight of the Pirates' Crew winning dance routines. I bet without him, the Pirates wouldn't even get past Battle Two since nobody would accidentally destroy the dance stage and turn it into some flooded area. And definitely they wouldn't be able to come up with the light suits gimmick for the final showdown if Moose wasn't with them. Hello, meet the Double Major, Engineering and Dance :)

     Though the acting is not as great and award-winning, who cares? The highlight of the film is the dancing anyway and the main actors did a good job in portraying their roles to give a more natural feel in the acting one way or another. As for the story, it's good enough considering it's a dance film, where you have to come up with a story that will give enough avenue for lots of dancing and a bit of drama. So expect everything to be predictable and recycled. Unlike Inception :D

     As for the solid and stunning choreography, I think the Step Up 3D crew has brought something new on the table. From playing with dust, to water and lights, the dance routines are definitely jaw-dropping that would make you wanna go to the nearest club and dance like no one's watching. You're itching to dance yourself. And you can't help but notice some routines are Parkour and Capoeira-inspired. And yes, though movies in 3D this year are overrated (since it's like everything's been turned into 3D! :O), Step Up 3D Director Jon Chu did a good job in enhancing the movie's visuals with the 3D technology. The 3D experience enhanced the visual experience of the movie, especially in emphasizing the dance routines and giving more depth in a dancer's movement, making it look really real as if they're dancing five feet away in front of you. But even without the 3D technology, Step Up 3D can still pull it off.

     And who cares if the movie only got 48% review on RottenTomatoes. You can't please everybody, right? And it's not like every critic out there's a dance enthusiast. Come to think of it, there's more to dance films than the itsy-bitsy technicalities of film-making. :) At least the 3rd installment has the highest reviews compared to the other Step Up movies. Take it as that.

     Step Up 3D is probably my movie of the year so far. It gave its audience another unique kind of dance experience in theaters that the other two Step Up movie franchises missed to deliver. It has more dances (yes, expect pure dancing) and more cool stuff. And I'm not talking about the 3D experience. In fact, I think the movie doesn't need to be watched in 3D for it to be fully appreciated. The movie in itself -the solid choreography and dance routines that makes you wanna shout "Tis so sick man!", the innovative dance atmosphere which shows how man can literally adjust to its environment since a dance showdown is definitely the survival of the fittest (Dancing on Water routine FTW), the half-baked yet whole new story compared to the other Step Up franchises -makes Step Up 3D as one of my favorite dance films of all time.

PS: I forgot that I haven't watched Streetdance 3D yet :))

      And this movie's not that racist compared to The Last Airbender :P

*Disclaimer: the photos are not mine and are copyrighted to its respective owners.

Some Kickin' and Dancin'

     Just watched Step Up 2: The Streets a while ago and it hit me. The male lead role was actually the football goalie and Viola's (played by Amanda Bynes) ex-boyfriend Justin in She's The Man. The blond rugged hair, big eyes and sarcastic smile are what gave him away. Robert Hoffman.

     And it hit me again. Both male lead roles in She's The Man can actually dance. And both of them starred in the Step Up movie franchises. Channing Tatum, the guy who played Duke Orsino, was the male lead role in the first Step Up film.

      When I thought these guys have already impressed me with their football skills, they happen to have more up their sleeves.

She's The Man movie poster

Hoffman as Cornwall's Captain and Goalie

Tatum as Illyria's Captain and Striker

Step Up movie poster

Tatum as Tyler Gage, the rebel street dancer

Step Up 2: The Streets movie poster

Hoffman as the elite pro-turned-street dancer Chase Collins

     Football (but I'm used to calling it Soccer) and Dance. Well these are just some of the things I do aside from academics. Though I may not play and dance professionally (blame it on the acads :p), still it doesn't stop me from dancing when opportunity arises or from taking up Soccer as my Physical Education class for a semester. And I definitely prefer these two than hitting the gym. Some kickin' and dancin' can go a long way in helping you shape up and maintain your figure or even just simply keeping you healthy. There's just something with gyms that I find unappealing. Maybe it's just my own observation where most of the time guys do their own thing and with earphones plugged in their ears (no offense for those who go to the gym!) unless they have friends who work out with them (then THAT would be fun:D). Or maybe for the fact that gym exercises are too static for my taste -everything is just constrained, timed, counted, etc. Routines.

     In addition, I'm sure playing soccer and dancing has a lot to do with improving our hand-eye-body coordination than working out in the gym :))). It also lets us release our creative juices or work our brains out in all those choreographies and game strategies. Play a music and no two persons will dance to the beat alike. Observe a soccer match and you'll see something full of movement, contingencies and reflexes -which is definitely far from what you call static.

     These two are similar in a way. Soccer is just like ballet or any type of dance. It's about footwork. And when you think that you're competing with other people every time you dance or play ball, you're actually competing with yourself to give your best shot in the limited time you're given to showcase your talent.

     And that's the drive I'm looking for in which I couldn't just see in gyms :)

*photo credits to Yahoo! Movies.

Backpacking in Palawan

     The moment I stepped on Palawan soil and on Palawan sands, the moment I set sight on the island's beauty, both in land and underwater -I bet and I'm sure it will win -that Palawan's going to be one of my favorite cities of all time.

     And that's not counting El Nido and some of Palawan's tourist spots that we missed. Not to mention their diving sites. God knows what wonders are left unexplored that will surely take my breath away.

     So this all started when my friends happen to stumble upon a promo fare from Palawan to Manila and there and then booked tickets for four. Too bad that we can't invite our other friends since they'll still be busy having classes in August. In a way, I see this Palawan trip as a de-stress from our 1st JTA sem which never failed to drain us and crush our goal of getting a Dean's Lister QPI this sem.

     I started packing hours before our flight, making sure to fit everything in one backpack. Yes, backpacking in Palawan is the bomb :D We left the dorm around 6am for our 8am flight, most of us sleeping on the plane to make up for the few hours sleep due to last-minute packing. 1 hour and around 15 minutes later, our adventure begins...

DAY 1: CITY TOUR

     We collected all the travel brochures we could find in the airport, making sure we don't miss anything. Shall I say that we haven't reserved anything for our trip, not even accommodations. So everything was done on the 1st day itself, from reserving trips to looking for a hotel to stay for four days. God what crammers we are :D We stayed at the Big Brother Hotel and it's probably the best deal in Palawan. For just P250 a night you already have a decent bed equipped with a hot-and-cold shower, kitchenette, ref, aircon, cabinet and stylish lamps and vanity mirrors for aesthetic purposes.

     We had our lunch at the Balinsasayaw Restaurant, which is just a walking distance from our hotel. The place's nature-loving, made of wood and they even had turtles in their man-made ponds and canals! We failed to try their balinsasayaw soup, which happens to be their specialty, since we're on a tight budget.

     As expected, Palawan is not really much of a city like Manila or Cebu and that's one of the things I love about the place. It doesn't have the noisy, busy feeling we city dwellers know of. Everybody's living a simple life and everything is just so peaceful. If you want to take a break from the hustle and bustle of a city then I guess Palawan's the place for you. It's quiet like a province yet there are still buildings, hotels, malls (I went to only one), restaurants and bars to remind you that this is a city within a forest.

    I personally enjoyed our visit in Crocodile Farm. First we passed by the preserved bones and skin of the first crocodile to ever attack someone in Palawan. The bones, especially its head, is like seeing the remains of a dinosaur and it's my first time to ever touch an authentic natural crocodile skin. It was hard and rough and the guide said that it's too old to be used for bags and other leather stuff. Then we proceeded to the place of large tanks full of baby crocodiles. So cute! They're as long as my arm and you would think they're dead because there is barely any movement from them. Then we went to another portion of the farm and this is where I seriously got goosebumps. Seeing those huge, full-grown crocodiles, you can't help but imagine what will happen to you once you accidentally fell from the metal ramps and landed on their resting areas O_O. And some of those big crocodiles had their mouths open as if really waiting for a blessing from above. The tour ended in having a picture with a baby crocodile :). This is my second time to ever hold a dangerous reptile (my first was in Manila zoo holding a boa constrictor).

     We also visited Baker's Hill where they house Palawan's tastiest breads and delicacies. I really regretted not buying much from here, so I suggest you guys buy as much as you could. The stuffs here are really affordable and at their lowest price! My personal favorite is their chocolate crinkles <3

     Our day ended in attending a mass in the blue and white Cathedral  (that's what I would like to call it) and then going to a nearby mall buying food and drinks good for the whole duration of our stay. They are mostly breakfast goods since our lunch is already taken care of by our tour package and we'll be trying out Palawan's best restaurants at dinnertime.

     BTW, there are no taxis or jeepneys in the city. Only tricycles. And instead of availing of the standard city tour rate of P600/person, we just got a tricycle for P500 and tell him where and when to go :) Never mind the slow travel, at least we got to indulge in Puerto Princesa's everyday scenery.

     And guess what, we just played cards, and then slept the whole night. Dead tired, I guess :)).

DAY 2: UNDERGROUND RIVER

     We woke up around 530am to dress up and cook Lucky Me sweet n' spicy pancit canton for breakfast :D Our tour van arrived around 8am and then we started on with our 2-hour ride to the Underground River. We saw an area where the mountain is like cut into half and we can see the layer of rocks and soil that makes up a mountain. We also passed by an area with a White Cross which is supposed to be the praying area of a certain faith healer. It can be reached by riding a wooden tram. Cool.

     Halfway we stopped by a souvenir shop overlooking the sea and there I bought anklets and a wooden Palawan mask which reminded me of Hawaiian wood carvings of their gods. Practice your tawad skills and I suggest you buy in bulk for big discounts. Then we continued with our ride and finally arrived in what I deemed to be a port but instead of big ships there are lots of brightly-colored boats waiting to transport people from that place to the actual area where the Underground River's located.

     The boat ride was has its worth. I noticed the change of the water's color from green to deep blue as we go on, and despite the sun, I took of my sunglasses to see a better view of the area. The shores, the rock formations are just beautiful that I really regret not having a decent camera with me that would give justice to what I see.

     Then we finally arrived at the starting point of the Underground River. We first have to walk on a wooden trail where monkeys thrive, ready to grab anything you carry that's edible for them. Yes, monkeys got over with bananas and they can now eat anything. They can even open soda cans! After registering our names and details, which will also be used in voting for the Underground River as the next Seven Wonders of the World, we put on our life jackets and helmets. We're now ready to go and enter the cave.

     The entrance area was full of batshit smell, haha. But the cave's really dark that our only source of light was the spotlight the frontliners are holding. I'm itching to ask the guide to turn off the lights for a while but I guess I would still be scared out of my wits. Darkness and gloomy water? Not a good mix.

     I feel so happy knowing that this was the scene I always see in travel segments in magazines and lifestyle channels and now here I am, wearing the signature bright orange jacket and helmet, and exploring the cave and its wonders! The rock formations reminded me of the stalagmite and stalactite lessons we had in gradeschool. As we light up the ceiling, we could see bats, lots of bats, in their resting upside-down position. Good thing they didn't attack us hehe. There are parts of the cave where the rocks are really close to you that you can even touch them and I can't help but imagine (yes, one of my morbid imaginations again) when the cave just collapsed and the rocks push us to the water and ...you know...And the water's not clear, I cant even see the bottom so I really have no idea what thrives in it.Our guide assured us that the water's crocodile-free since the place is too dark for their taste. But still.

     My favorite part of the cave would be what they dubbed as the Cathedral part, since the ceiling's so high and arched like a cathedral. This is the second highest part of the cave. We can see a rock formation that's shaped like Mama Mary with her iconic hand position. I'm really amazed thinking that all of these are natural rock formations. To add on to my amazement, we also noticed a portion of rock which is carved like the Nativity scene or the Belen which is usually seen in Christmas decorations or even in Church sculptures and paintings -Baby Jesus, Joseph, Mary, the animals, etc. You won't believe me but wait 'til you set your eyes on it.

     We didn't finish the whole length of the cave since that would take us 2 days so we turned around and have another glimpse of the cave itself. On our way back, we could see an image of Jesus on a rock, that stern, serious face you usually see in his images. Then we could feel droplets of water and we can't help but think that some of these are definitely batshit. Holy water, not. Holy Shit, probably :))

     Finally we can now see the light at the end of the tunnel and once again passed the smelly entrance/exit of the tunnel. After having our buffet lunch by the beach, we went on swimming, waiting for big waves to crash on us and drag us towards the shore. Simply refreshing.

     At night, since we still couldn't decide on a place to eat, we first went biking by the Baywalk, which only cost P25/hour. After an hour of burning calories, we went to Tiki Restaurant and ordered buttered chicken, adobong pusit or (tiki negra haha) and sisig. The place is good. They have a live band here playing so loud that their staff wore earphones for communication. The restaurant's design also reflects Palawan's native aspect, with wooden carved masks where some are used as lamps and really gives you an eerie but cool feeling. Then we went to Kinabuchs, Palawan's famous restobar where we ordered a tower of beer, played billiards and chatted with our travel buddies 'til 12. And yes, we tasted CROCODILE MEAT and it was yummy :)). We were supposed to try Palawan's TAMILOK, however the bar's out of stock and we'll just have to settle with crocodile meat. The croc meat's texture's different, mushy.

     I wasn't able to finish my share of beer because I was already palpitating like I just jogged a mile. Yes, I'm not good in drinking, low tolerant, but that's good. At least I don't get to overdrink, get drunk and waste myself out :P

     By the time we arrived in our hotel, everyone's knocked out.

The entrance to the cave          

     

a glimpse of what's inside the cave

Me before leaving the Underground River site for lunch

My travel buddies :D

 DAY 3: HONDA BAY ISLAND-HOPPING

     This is probably my my most favorite part of the trip.

     And about yesterday, good thing my friend got to set the alarm. We woke up at 630am, only 30 minutes to prepare for our trip.

     We never bothered to take a bath :P

    

     I reserved the bikini I recently bought for this day. Yes, it's my first time to wear one, exposing my flabs haha. but I'm wearing shorts though, just to be sure.

     We first visited Starfish Island and boy, the beach and the scene was just so pretty. The sand was a bit rough since it was mixed with crushed seashells and corals. But I suggest you walk around the island without footwear since it hurts less (yes, trust me) and the sand is just good to the touch. What I love about this island is the presence of so many sun dollar stones, round stones with a starfish embedded on the center. I collected a lot for myself. I could give some of these as my pasalubong. There are also big starfish everywhere that are hard as stone and barely a trace of movement can be observed from them. The scene at the back of the island is also worth-seeing, and yeah, we took our  jumpshots there and other vanity photos.

     After an hour we proceeded to the Snake Island, where the snorkeling and fish feeding sessions officially begin. And yeah, the sand's smoother and less rough compared to the Starfish Island. Without further ado, we took off our clothes, put on our snorkeling gear and went for the beach in an instant. We also brought lots of bread for the fish feeding. Our guide (who wasn't wearing a lifejacket, only goggles and flippers!) dragged us to the area where school of fish of different kinds are waiting to be fed. It was really a breathtaking sight! Before you know it, different kinds of fish appear before your eyes, eating those bread crumbs you're giving away. I spot Nemo, some angel fish, orange carps, etc. And they are literally swimming in a circle as if there was a fish whirlpool! :) And that's not it, look below and you'll see corals of different colors that are home to these fish. Too bad we ran out of bread so we have to go back to the shore to give way to other tourists who also wanted to feed the fish.

     We had our lunch here -bagoong with green mangoes, shrimps, toyo. liempo and buko juice. Tatak Pilipino, huh? :)

     After lunch, we wasted no time swimming and snorkeling. One thing I noticed about this beach's seabed is that there were a lot of holes. I stared into one and boom an eel's head sprung out of nowhere and was frightened that I immediately swam for the shore. Then I realized it was just a fish, and these holes might contain their eggs which they kept heavily-guarded. Silly me :))

     By 1pm, we went to our last stop, the Pandan Island, which was personally my least-favorite island due to the presence of lots of weeds which was not a good sight while swimming. But snorkeling in this island is the better than Snake Island -more fish and more corals! We even went deeper and we were able to stand on a table coral to rest and just admire the view below. While resting, school of fish, lots of them colored black, swarm our feet. This is life :)

     Sadly, it was time to leave so we took our vanity photos in a jiffy and then went straight for the showers. Our boat ride back was such a thrill -thanks to the big waves which either splashed us with water or made our boat go sideways! I had confidence in our trip but I can't help but reach for my jacket in case we would really fall off from the waves. Thankfully, the sea calmed at the later part and we were able to reach the port safely.

     That night, we went to Kinabuchs to have another go at that Tamilok, but to our dismay, they ran out of stock again. So we settled for the value meals, played cards and then hit the bed with no intention of setting an early alarm for tomorrow.

One heck of a starfish

     I don't want to walk this beach if I gotta do it solo. not.

     I'm so high

  

This is what Freedom feels like

Who said beautiful sunsets are orange skies and a blood-red sun?

Day 4: Bumming our Hearts Out

     Forgot what time we woke up, but we started the morning buying souvenirs at the tiangge. Affordable prices and lots of items to choose from. I was even tempted to buy a furnished oyster shell even though it's technically useless for me.

    We had lunch at the Lotus Garden since we planned to bum there 'til our 5 pm flight. We could have gone to Ka Lui, Palawan's famous native restaurant but figured that Lotus Garden would be the wiser choice. So we availed for the Eat-all-you-can which was for P250, from 12nn-3pm. I love the place, its design is mixed Asian with a touch of Palawan's native aspect -so expect rainmakers, masks, banig, and other creative wood sculptures. There are three areas: one with standard tables, the other with Japanese tables where you have to sit on the floor, and the last one which is the cottage-style and it's even equipped with a duyan for siesta time.

     I was disappointed with the Eat-all-you-can service. No sushi?? And I was craving for one! %@&!

    And what did we do for 4 straight hours? Eat. And play Pusoy Dos.I finally got the hang of this game and was able to win some rounds. Did a lot of practice especially with using my cards and my combinations wisely. Btw, Pusoy Dos is just like Poker, without the chips and all.

     By 4pm, we left Lotus Garden and went straight for the airport. And since aside from sushi, I was also craving for Baker's Hill chocolate crinkles, I dared to buy those at the airport for a price which was 3x higher than the factory price. Goodness, why didn't I buy a lot when we were in Baker's Hill :O

     At the plane, we chose the window seats hoping to get a bird's eye view of the Honda Bay Islands. Unfortunately, we didn't see it, maybe it was on the other side of the plane.

     We're really tired. We even slept on the taxi way back to our dorm since the traffic was so bad and you can't help but doze off looking at the same billboards and cars for quite a while.

     We're officially home by 9pm. Tired, yes, but still got that energy enough to update my Facebook status.

  
 4 days. 
3 old friends. 
2 new friends (or towers of beer). 
1 backpack.
 Epic.


*photo credits to my travel buddy, Raizza Baldo :)

JTA Musings 2: Once in my College Life

     The the day I knew I was accepted into the program, my thoughts were full the happy fact that dude, I'm going to study abroad. I'm excited at the idea of THE hell semester looming ahead, where I'm going to be struggling with 5 subjects with requirements that seem to have the same deadline. And I'm also excited of the idea of having my hell semester while I'm part of the core team of one of Ateneo's biggest events.

     "If I could pull this off, God what an ego booster!". Hahaha JK.

     The month of April was all about eagerness and anticipation. I'm excited to do my first homework. I'm excited to go to the first organization meeting. I'm excited to meet my fellow JTA coursemates. I'm treasuring every single moment of my JTA sem because I know that at moments like these, time just seems to be flying really fast.

     May is the gloomier one, and this is also the time where I start to panic a little because June's near ahead. The thought of turning 19 -Wow. Seems like yesterday I was just 18! But on the academics stuff, May is where we're starting to work on the first part of our group projects -and this was hard because we still got that not-really-doing-anything-much-yet hangover from April. And what delights bothers me is going to school when the regular semester has already ended -which means no human traffic HAHAHA especially in the SEC walk. :))

     June. Before I knew it, we're already halfway through the semester. @.@ And this is the first time in my entire life where I studied on the eve of my birthday! How cool is that. Really, when you're studying and too preoccupied with all those org and academic stuff, you can't help it but feel less excited than usual for your birthday. One year older? Ok, no big deal *back to philo readings*. BTW, at first I found it odd to be going to school with people around already. Hahaha May hangover :))

     July. THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. HELL. This is the month where I'm almost already near to tears out of frustration. July is when I'm already expecting myself to breakdown any moment. July is the month when I bummed with Korean series the night before our final marketing pass because I seriously needed a break or else. Imagine going to the extent of telling yourself "This will all be worth it in the end" just to keep yourself going on and away from the thoughts of giving up. :)

     If I've started the sem with anticipation, I think I'm ending this one with hesitation. The day a friend of mine contacted me regarding joining this year's dance competition in September was the day I was forced to acknowledge the things/PEOPLE I will badly miss while I'm out there braving the Jang Geun Suk's homeland. Now I understand why some friends of mine prefer to forgo this opportunity despite being a once-in-your-college-life opportunity. Because in place of this you will also miss moments and people which could also happen once in your college life.

      Am I talking about backing out or regretting joining the program? No, and I really hope this would still be my answer by the time I get back in December. When I get there, I may be scared of opening my Facebook homepage and seeing tagged photos of my friends who are also having the time of their life with each other. I am also scared of losing my close friends: what if we will not be as close as before? Lastly, I'm scared of being homesick. No matter how many times our lecturer tell us that homesickness can now be cured with Skype and Facebook, I beg to disagree. Facebook, YM! and Skype, prove me wrong then! :)

      Go online [always while you can]. Write on their walls. BUZZ them. Send them emails. Give effort. Or else you might get used to the momentary life without them [which is not cool btw]. And they will get used to the few days without you.

      And I bet you don't want that.

Heartbreaker

Just a thought. There are two types of heartbreakers.

Yes, you read it right. Two.

     The first type would be the easiest to spot. The natural heartbreaker. At first he's just another pretty face in the crowd but then give him time and he'll end up being every woman's object of affection. How did he do it? It's really at first all about the looks (admit it or not you'll always first notice someone through his face [and body] value), the talents he can brag about PLUS his being friendly with you. And actually it ends up he's rather too friendly to you. He calls you out of nowhere only to ask "How are you?" and when you insist on asking why did he call you he would just reply "Answer me first, how are you?" He invites you to hang-out, parties and other crazy things just like a close friend -and you've just met him. If you ask me, I only see guy friends of mine exert this kind of effort to girls who they really really like.

      And yeah, when you just can't help it and ask this guy "Do you like her?". Surprise surprise! He'll respond with a "No, I'm really just friendly."

     OHH. HOW KUPAL OF HIM.

     But for the second type of heartbreaker, he is the guy you will never have for the reason that his heart will not [or maybe will find a hard time] be able to like you in that way. This guy's naturally friendly and ,take note of this, so unlike the first type of heartbreaker where his friendliness bothers you and makes you wonder whether he's hitting on you. This guy's a good company, talented, kind, always looks out after his friends and he's got a good humor also. And yeah, he always shares his baon with his friends. Can we consider him a boyfriend material? Why not.

     And when he finally admitted that he's not who we think he is, girls' heart sank [including mine haha jk] for reasons you-know-what.

     And when friends tell him, "Grabe, sayang." or "A lot of girls actually like you.", he would feel sad because he knows he has really no intention of disappointing or hurting someone. "Ayoko nang makakasakit", he would say.

     And from this point I bet you would already know how Heartbreaker #1 would react to compliments about girls swooning over him.

     So I guess by now it's clear who would I prefer from the two to get my heart broken with :))

     I am proud to know someone who feels bad because has no intention of hurting people who just can't help but like him as a guy. And I am really lucky to have met someone who doesn't really care how many girls who got their hearts broken because of him since basically he is a natural heartbreaker. He just can't help it HAHA. :D

     AND I REALLY THOUGHT STUFFS LIKE THESE ONLY HAPPEN IN MOVIES. :)

Gaga Lovin'

I really love how Gaga's  voice always sounds better in live performances as compared to her music videos. And  I think her performances aren't complete without her playing the piano. Cool. I envy her talent.



And her choreography is just so catchy which makes you wanna learn it. Especially the Telephone and Alejandro dance :)

JTA Musings 1: Preserving my Sanity

     10 days to go till my 1st JTA semester ends.

     (cliche ahead) Seems like yesterday when my first day of JTA sem started and now here I am, struggling with the requirements from papers to presentations to long exams. Now I understand why JTA sem can be such a hell -juggling with four major subjects and one tough core subject! That's for the record. Yet as for my situation, pairing up JTA with Recruitment Week, well you could imagine fusing a week-long school event with your academics O.O But that's another story! I'll share it here next time [when I will finally have my free time back again, after this sem ends!]

     Back to JTA sem. I could still remember having a bet with my blockmate for whoever will breakdown first, loses. Haha. I personally pictured myself giving up on my requirements and just end up crying. But surprisingly, I haven't reached that level yet. Even during the Recruitment Week [which was my personal bet] when we would report to school 6am everyday (OMG that really was torture for me) and with all the piled-up quizzes and requirements which I temporarily neglected, I was still fine, I didn't breakdown.  Good for me! :)

     So here's a short list of what probably kept me sane these past few [hell yeah] months:

     KOREAN STUFF. I know some people would roll their eyes at me, thinking that Korean stuff is crap, listening to songs and watching dramas in a language which you yourself don't understand. Yes but what can I do I don't mind listening to songs which I can only comprehend a very few words and definitely I don't mind watching Korean series -duh that's why there's such thing as subtitles! Watching series like these really keep you sane especially when serious school stuff are eating you up and taking most of your free time. Though I felt guilty watching these stuff knowing that there's so much to do and so little time, I feel happy squeezing these stuff in my free time and I still manage to do everything on my checklist. So for this JTA sem, I'm proud to finish THREE dramas! :D

Personal Preference  

Another story with a gay theme haha

 

Full House

I love the Three Bears song! I shall learn it in Korean :D

My Girl

I think this is my favorite among the three :)

     So if you wanna know more about Korean dramas, click here and for online series, MySoju and Dramafans are my bestfriends.

      Also, Taeyang's smooth dance moves and sexy voice also did the trick and helped kept me sane -other way around? :). He's like Korea's Justin Timberlake, although he's short. Toinkz. And his performances tend to get a bit steamy to the level that one of his concerts was strictly off limits to minors :D

     Here's the music video of one of his songs. And the dance version is really worth embedding here :))

 --------------------------------------------

     FOOD. I've been eating quite a lot so I won't be surprised if someone will say that I've gained weight. I can't spare an hour for jogging or any other exercise.Not to mention that I'm an emotional eater. TSK. So screw those test results that made me eat happy food which are basically Korean ice cream ,chocolates, bananaque, Hong Kong stir-fried noodles, Wicked Oreos, frozen yogurt, burger, seafood and etc. :)

     FAMILY AND FRIENDS. I really think I'm screwing up my social life because of this semester and I'm pissed about it. I can't believe I'm postponing catching-up talks, hang-outs, whole day bonding 'till the 22nd! I'm such a bad friend and I really feel bad about it.  Still, weekly dinners and lunchtimes with friends, texts from my dad and wake-up calls from my mom are also one of the things that kept me sane this semester. Yeah!

     FACEBOOK. Of course.Seeing group photos where I'm tagged kind of comforts me from the screwing-up-my-social-life thing :D

     MOVIES. I'm looking forward to so many movies that I really can't wait to say goodbye to this stressful sem!

     SLEEP. Really I'm surprised that up to this time I'm still able to get enough sleep. I'm sure I'm not slacking off. Maybe sleepless nights was just an exaggeration? Or it could be overrated.. Or maybe I just couldn't hear my alarm no matter what. :)) 

     KOREA. Though this may not be my first choice, yet I'm really excited to go abroad that we even already made a partial list of the things to do when we're there :D :D So please, South Korea, don't fail me. just make friends with the North and everything's good.

     last but not the least ...

     PAUL THE OCTOPUS. I keep seeing the word 'octopus' or 'pusit' in my FB news feed that I can't help but google what's the fuss all about. Oh, it's about a psychic octopus of the World Cup. Coincidence or not, funny how this Octopus managed to be 100% accurate in his world cup predictions. Some critics say he's just a lazy octopus going for the box nearest to him. Yet some even say that Paul, just like other sea creatures, is going for the box with the flag attached to it that has the brightest colors (red, yellow, shades of orange, etc). Still, Paul gets death/dinner threats. :))Whatever. His predictions are as accurate as J. K. Rowling's Professor Trelawney. Paul's the New Nostradamus, haha. In the finals, Paul predicted Spain, yes the one with the box nearest to him and the tank and the one with the most striking flag. And guess what, Spain won. And Spain's flag with Paul the King is a winner :)) Congratulations, Spaniards! and special mention to Andres Iniesta, the guy who kicked the ball towards Spain's victory :)

Paul, the Unofficial King of Spain

    2 minutes 'till 3am and I still haven't started on my Final Philo paper which is due 3 days later. And I still haven't studied for my Orals too. And I still haven't touched my Finance book. Really, I should just click the 'Save Now' button and time to go back to reality. No use escaping from it, and I have to wake up 5 hours later for our mock presentation practice! For what it's worth, I think this year is gonna be a good one. *crossed fingers* I really can't wait to cross out all the days in my countdown till 22! So Ingrid, Basyah! Aja Aja! Korea here I come! :)

* photo credits to dramafans.org and koreandrama.org and Yahoo Sports

Of Juliet Dethroning France

I was used to adoring France as a country, and Paris too -the city of love, fashion, history and arts. If I were asked what would be the first country I would love to spend a week or two, France would be the answer without hesitation. A safe answer, one would say. It's expected. Who doesn't love to go to France?

So all this time I've been truly eyeing France until this latest romantic flick caught my interest and made me take a glimpse on another European country, Italy.

Call me corny and cheezy and a hopeless romantic but this film's trailer made us add the film 'Letters To Juliet' to our long list of movie bucket list. So everytime we go to the mall, we would check out the movie schedule, waiting for it. From 'coming soon', to 'next picture'...gosh I can't believe we're waiting for a film other than the last two installments of Harry Potter! And this film's music video, starring Taylor Swift's single, 'Love Story', really made us want to see this film as soon as possible (and also made me want to go to Italy!).

Basically that music video says it all, you can save yourself from spending for a movie ticket if you ask me. The plot's simple, everything's predictable and yes you can expect a happy ending for the Juliet in the film (which is quite contrary to Shakepeare's classic Romeo and Juliet story).

Until today, we finally got to watch it. And I wasn't disappointed with the film :)

Why did I like the movie? It was simple, no complications and yet the emotions are still there. The plot's generally direct, no surprises, yet it doesn't discourage me from watching the film till the end since I was more interested with the flow of events, like how the feelings and attraction between Sophie and Charlie started brewing up from the first time they saw and dislike each other in a cute way. How Charlie's starting to be nice to Sophie with his really lame attempts to ask her out to dinner or to a city stroll. Yes, I'm a sucker for leading men who are rough, rude and ill-mannered at the start yet throughout the story you can see them change and become unexpectedly nice and romantic HAHA :)) Their dialogs and lines are also cute and funny, some are lame though, yet it still managed to paint a crescent smile on my face (I also laughed when Charlie said something about New York being overrated). Also, Sophie's fiance's for me is one of the clowns in the story despite being a total jerk, from being obsessed with pasta, wine and food to rather excellently speaking in contradiction to Sophie like "It's horrible not seeing you but I don't mind" (something like this).

letting Sophie taste his 'masterpiece :))

Another thing why I like the movie is well their emotions kind of got through me since I happen to be a little teary-eyed during the cemetery scene. Yes, lame, getting teary-eyed for a romantic flick but I couldn't help it since they were talking about sensitive topics such as death and love. Romantic flick or not, as long as I got teary-eyed or it made me laugh 'till my stomach's hurting, that's a good movie for me.

I also like movies where I can learn something from them, such as one country's culture, trivias and other interesting facts which you don't normally encounter in an everyday classroom setting. For this movie, I learned about Verona, in particular the existence of Juliet's wall and her secretaries called the Club di Giuletta, and that also of the place 23 Via Capello. Yes, the thing about them dividing the letters according to language and romantic problems is also true. Also, the film also mentioned about Italy being a home to the best wines, cheese and other food Victor (Sophie's fiance) never failed to mention in the story.

the wall where lovers write a letter to Juliet

And the ice cream scene was just so sweet which really made me want to put ice cream on someone else's face :)))

cheeziest and sweetest scene in the film :)

What I not failed to notice is the story's emphasis on the fact that this thing called love seem to transcend cultural and geographical boundaries, that everyone could actually speak this language despite their own native tongues. Look at Charlie's grandmother and his Lorenzo Bartolini. She's British and Lorenzo's Italian. Same thing goes with Sophie and Charlie -a Newyorker ended up with a British native. The two couple aims to better highlight the universality of this four-letter-word feeling, as shown by the letters to Juliet received from different parts of the world.

Never mind the corny ending, from climbing balconies to the use of a bunch of adverbs to describe one's feelings and the lame misunderstanding ("there were two Patricias!". Still, I recommend this film if you just want to unwind, entertain yourself or reconnect with your hopeless romantic side (haha). To begin with, the story's really not centered on how lovely the city of Verona is but it's rather on something that up 'till now still sells despite the corny factor: destiny and love. What are the odds of you finding your soulmate or true love since you happen to be in the right place at the right time?

From here, 'Letters To Juliet' join the ranks of 'The Notebook', 'The Proposal', 'Step Up, 'She's The Man' and all the other decent romantic flicks out there.

From here, Italy, the city of Verona, Milan, Venice, and Rome joins the list of my top places I would love to visit someday.

From here, I'll begin to acknowledge that some things are really not just a coincidence, that life was meant to surprise us and we all have our moments in our lives where we want to say "Grazie Destino!" out loud. But of course finding a 50-yr old letter that would change your life or realizing during your pre-honeymoon that your fiance's not the right guy for you isn't the only surprising thing in the world so I say let's keep the door open :)

And yeah. France, like New York, might be overrated. :))

*pictures taken from here.