Baguio, Oh Baguio

It was just supposed to be a day trip to Enchanted Kingdom. But what started as a semi-planned trip to Baguio turned out to be one of the most fun vacation I ever had.

 
Sarah planned to come to Manila from Bacolod to fix some papers and enjoy a simple five-day vacation.  All she requested was that we go with her to Enchanted Kingdom (EK).  A month before her arrival, I had the chance to meet OMJ, Cinco and Alexis before OMJ's trip back to Baguio.  He suggested that we go to Baguio instead of EK.  Since EK is now only open during the weekends, Baguio became the whole itinerary.  Cay, who was supposed to come to Manila in August, changed her plans so she can go with us.  That made the headcount to 4 girls: Sarah from Bacolod, Cay from Davao, Gerda from Pampanga and Moi from Manila.

Arrival day (July 13th) came and it didnt start as well as expected for Sarah. She had to wait 3 hours at the airport for Marlon, who offered to pick her up. You know, the usual boo boos: carrying 2 bags of napoleones and piaya (which both weighed a ton), wrong terminal pick up, getting lost on the way to Leah's house (ended at San Antonio, Pasig instead of San Antonio, Makati)...that kinda stuff. 

 
I met Sarah for the first time at Araneta Center. Leah was with her but she wasn't going with us to Baguio. Alexis was also there with Jhelyn, so they could at least meet Sarah.  Gerda was already at the bus station because she was supposed to buy the tickets in advance. Unfortunately, they weren't selling tickets in advance. She has to wait for over 4 hours for us to arrive at the station. Cay's flight from Davao was a few minutes delayed but eventually got to the station by midnight. We left Manila at 12.30am.

 
When we got to Baguio, we proceeded to the transient house we reserved. We left our things there, had breakfast then went to make a courtesy call at the head office, where we met the other managers, coached and staff.  After freshening up, first stop is Mine's View Park...ooops its raining, change that to SM City Baguio!  The unique thing about the mall is that it's kinda open air.  No need for a/c because its so damn cold already.  I went to the silver shop, Sarah and Ger rode the mechanical bull and we karaoked at Quantum.

 
We rented a room at a transient house, but we might as well not have done that and just camped at OMJ's place.  We practically just used the place as a changing room.  On the second day, we were joined by Alexis and Jhelyn. With Coach K, we went to PMA.  To go there, we had to pass through the runway of the domestic airport.  Would the plane stop if a vehicle was passing through?  Back at the city proper, we walked through Burnham Park, went to the ukay-ukay (where you can buy an original Hermes bag for only Php10,000) and then went to the market to buy food stuff for dinner.  Two pickpockets targeted Cinco, but fortunately didn't get his phone or wallet. 

 

 
On the third day, we were finally able to go to Mine's View Park, where I was able to buy my Romana Peanut Brittle. There were no locals (igorots) to have pictures with but there were quite a few St. Bernards and pink-haired horses for photo ops.  Passed by The Mansion House to take some wacky pictures. Walked to Wright Park where we saw white horses with pink hair (they too get on with the times). Walked again to The Botanical Gardens, but it was already closed. And just as we started the whole Baguio trip with SM, it was also the last place we went to.

 
OMJ, Cinco, Dos and Coach K served as our hosts and tour guides.  OMJ cooked for us, Cinco showed us around, Coach K brought us to PMA (and we repaid her by making her walk) and Dos gave us souvenir t-shirts.  We cannot thank them enough for accommodating us, going out of their way to give us their precious time. We love you guys!

  

The weather was rainy, we were all freezing. We barely had any sleep, we barely had space to sleep on. The pace was hectic, we were in and out of cabs.  There were nine of us and one bathroom.  We didn't have enough plates and utensils but we all ate heartily.  But nobody seriously complained.  Our trip back to Manila was delayed for 18 hours because nobody wanted to go home yet.  We were a group of people who mostly have only seen each other for the first time, technically strangers. But by the end of the fourth day, we separated as family.

See you next year, Baguio!

Cabin Fever

One effect of working at home is getting cabin fever...and I got it big time! I don't just want to go out and maybe have dinner and coffee with friends; or go to a bar and pretend to drink while munching on pica-pica; or go to the mall and add to the long list of stuff i wanna buy. I want to go to the beach!!!

I am not very well traveled but I've been to some of the popular beaches here in the Philippines.  Two decades ago, I had the chance to visit Boracay, when it was still not very developed. There were not many people during the time I was there because we arrived on a Sunday and the Ati-Atihan festival was just over in Aklan. I was in Aklan with my cousin and friends to attend a wedding and it was in Aklan where we stayed most the the week. We went to Boracay after the wedding, yes with the newlyweds, and stayed at one of the resorts owed by the groom's relatives. That whole week was a blast!

When i worked as a researcher in the early 90s, I went to Bohol and stayed for 3 weeks. I was able to go to Panglao Island and get a glimpse of the beautiful coastline. But that was it!  Didn't even get close enough to dip my feet in the water. Shame right? But nonetheless, going around Bohol is an incomparable experience.

Working on events sure has it's perks. In 2004, part of my event was a 2-day stay in El Nido Resorts in Palawan. We took over the whole Lagen Island, where i had a forest room all to myself! There were games during the day, dinner at the Big Lagoon one night and at the Sandbar the next night. The whole delegation was overwhelmed by the abundant food, the amazing sights above and under water, the world-class service and of course the hospitality of the Filipinos. El Nido is my perfect place to call sanctuary.

  

I've never been to Puerto Galera until a few years ago. I went there with my college girl friends and we had so much fun. It was after the last weekend of summer so the place was not too crowded.

When my friend, BJ, came home from the US, we went to Anilao, Batangas to go scuba diving. BJ is a US Navy man but has never been diving before. We stayed at Planet Dive, where some friends were also rescue-dive training. My intro dive was well worth the price I paid for it, but I don't think I will ever do that again. For one, I don't know how to swim, though that is not a requirement for scuba diving. Two, I admit that the sea scares me. But the sight 20 feet under is really amazing! The corals were beautiful, the fish were colorful and I even found Nemo! I just had a terrible scare when my dive master pointed to a huge turtle and started to go after it with me in tow. If I were able to shout I would have screamed at him not to go after the turtle. Also, i experienced having cramps while I was under maybe because of the cold water. The result of that trip? A great tan!

The year after, our destination was Cagbalite Island off Mauban, Quezon. From the time we jumped off the boat, we had that feeling we were in one episode of Survivor. There was no electricity in the whole island so we had to bring in a genset. There were mangroves along the beach, the water was warm, creepy crawlies were everywhere, a snake even dared to show himself.

Next month, I'm off to Nasugbu, Batangas with family. Yoohoo!

Toxic!!!

This particular blog is not about toxic waste nor being uber busy and most especially not about Britney Spears.  It's about the people you should avoid in your life if your ultimate goal is to achieve happiness.  

I myself think good of people. When i meet new people, I don't judge them by their looks and will try to get to know them first before i come up with the verdict.  And don't deny that you don't ever judge people because we all do. But there are people who tend to get you down with very little effort or none at all, just by being who they are. That's why they are called toxic and it would be best if you keep yourselves physically fit so you can run fast when you see them lurking around.

You may thnk that you are a well-adjusted person, who gets along well with everyone. But there are some people who will rub you the wrong way or give you bad vibes when you are in their company. The key to being happy is to surround yourself with people who can give you a very positive feeling.

MANIPULATIVE  MANNYS

There are those who are very sly and will manipulate you without you even knowing what they are doing until it's too late. They know what buttons of yours to push when they want something from you. They can make you turn away from your beliefs or make you do things you really don't want to do. One day you will find yourself thinking more of their needs than your own.

NARCISSISTIC NENAS

These people are those who put great importance in themselves and think the world revolves around them. They think their needs are more important than yours and at the end of the day, you are left feeling disappointed and unfulfilled.

DONNA DOWNERS

There are the people who cannot appreciate the positive things in life. They would always find something negative to say. They tend to bring out the joy in everything. If you continue to be with these kind of people, you will lose your ability to look forward to tomorrow.

JUDGMENTAL JACKS

People who are judgmental see things differently. Something that is pretty to you, most probably will be strange to them. Whatever positive comment you make, they will always find something negative to say.

DREAM KILLING KARLS

Each time you come up with an idea, these people will think of something to shoot your idea down. If you believe in the saying "Anything is possible" they believe in the opposite. If you are on your way to success, you would not want these people to be around you for they will think of ways to make you fail.

INSINCERE INNAS

Ever felt that people just tend to say things because that's what you want to hear? What you have with them is not honest, but more superficial. When you need real support, they would rather see you fail. Find friends who will tell you like it really is.

DISRESPECTFUL DANIELS

These are the people who does things inappropriately and at inappropriate times.  They know no boundaries and won't care if they hurt your feelings. They can make you lose respect for yourself.

NEVER ENOUGH EVAS

Your best effort is never enough for these kind of people. They expect to much from you and will never stop from finding faults in you. You can never please them and you might lose yourself if you try.

These personalities have some things in common: The more they get away with their behavior, the more they will continue. They also don't see that what they are doing is wrong, so talking to them about it will not work. Also, most of them will never change, no matter what life-altering events happen to them. So, what's the best thing to do: avoid them like the plague! Live life to the fullest and you cannot do that if you are in the company of people who will always keep you from doing it.

Mood Food

I was at a loss for new topics for this blog and i asked Coach V to give me a topic. And he said write about being healthy. And he's right! Having "food" in the title of my blog, it's just apt that I should write about them. So here's the first of i don't know how many...

We all have mood swings, some more than the others. And most of us turn to food when we got the blues, right? And when those blues do not easily go away, the more we eat. But what not many of us know is that what we eat can help affect how we feel. We are what we eat, so they say. So what food will put you in a good mood?

SPACED OUT?

If you are having a hard time concentrating and it feels like your mind is all mush, try to snack on some protein-rich food. Some low-cal cheese, yogurt, low-fat milk or skinless chicken can help you think clearly in no time.

NEED A LIFT?

What is the one food that is sure to lift up your spirits? CHOCOLATE! It may even be the one thing that can solve world peace. The ability of chocolate to make us feel better is not just in our minds. The fat, sugar and high amount of tryptophan found in chocolates work together to raise serotonin and endorphin levels in the brain and the end result is...happiness! But it doesn't mean you should eat all the chocolate you can buy. Keep it in check by only eating those with less fat. They may be hard to find, but they are out there!

MOOD SWINGS?

Does your mood go from one end of the spectrum to the other in a heartbeat? You only need to drink water to solve that problem. Dehydration plays a big role in your emotional stability. So, go drink those 8-10 glasses of water and you'll be swinging on trees in no time!

LAZY DAISY?

Feeling tired all the time? Would rather sleep than go out with your friend? A simple omelet can cure you of that.  Eggs are a great source of zinc, a substance that makes you feel more awake, energized and engaged by helping regulate your blood sugar.

WIRED?

Stressed, nervous, anxious or just feeling as if you had an overdose of caffeine? If going to a spa and having a massage is not an option, calm your nerves with some skim milk or a handful of almonds. Both foods are rich in calcium, and calcium is great for reducing anxiety and making you feel calm and relaxed.

SNACK HAPPY?

Strawberries may just be the other form of Prozac, which is used treat major depressive disorders. Folate-rich foods, like strawberries, cause a boost in serotonin levels in the brain, much like antidepressants do. So the next time you're feeling depressed, go to Baguio and pick your own strawberries to snack on.

TEMPER TANTRUMS?

Angry at your bf / gf / hubby / wifey/ bff / the whole world? Grab for a grapefruit, some grapes, an apple or some carrots! All these foods are rich in pectin, a soluble fiber that lowers blood cholesterol. Another plus? When you're angry, your body kicks into fight-or-flight mode, causing your heart rate, adrenaline levels and blood pressure to increase. But pectin reverses these effects and helps your system return to normal. 

Whatever mood you are in, food is definitely the best thing to keep you company...just choose the right one.

Silveration

It's been 25 years since I graduated from high school and last December 11, 2010, was the time to come home and celebrate our silver homecoming. 

I have a lot of things to be thankful about spending seven of my formative years at De La Salle-Zobel. DLSZ was where I started to become me. I was not the best student but I learned a lot. I was not popular but I gained a lot of friends. I was a shy person but I learned to be sociable. I gained knowledge, values, beliefs and friends.

The festivities started with a mass at that beautiful big chapel. There were not very many people yet but there were already a few batch mates who arrived.

After mass some, especially those who haven't been back since they graduated, went on a campus tour. Some just hanged out and chatted about the old days.

Some former classmates even came home from abroad just to be at the homecoming:

It was really nice to see old familiar faces, not that anyone looked old. That's a banned word!

For the program itself, JV was one of the hosts:

  
And the highlight of the evening was the mini concert by Identity Crisis, featuring Carla, Buddy and Jay. Carla, if you get to read this, please forgive me for lifting this picture from your FB album.

Silveration was a success because of the dedication of the core group, who planned it all. Kudos to Cindy for being the superwoman of the core group. From the different fundraising activities (the Acoustic Night and Garage Sale to name a few) to the main event, many people put a lot of more than just their time to make Batch 85's homecoming a winner.

The night did not end at the DLSZ campus grounds. We all had a great time that we did not want the night to end just yet. We had to force Francis to treat us at his little dimsum (and more) place named Hen Lin...or is it Chow Lin?

I hope I do not have to wait another 25 years to see my former high school classmates again. But 2011, being the centennial of De La Salle, I am sure I will be seeing those familiar faces again and that this year's homecoming will be another year to remember.