Tanduay Rhum Rockfest Year 6

More than VIP.

Consider myself lucky, I have got one of these from a friend who's got high-level contacts at Tanduay.

I can't wait to see Up Dharma Down, Parokya ni Edgar and Chicosci (Mong, oh Mong my perslab)!

So friggin' excited!

My Beautiful Pair of Ugly Hands

Sometimes when I look at my hands, I see this not-so-pretty, not-so-feminine, imperfect pair of moving anatomical carpals which I always have hated, aesthetically. They're kind of larger than that of a normal lady's, chunky, with chapped skin at the fingertips caused by my guitar's strings. But whenever I have these hypothetical thoughts of trading my hands with somebody else who's got a prettier pair than mine, I'll put a sudden halt to all these stupid, childish and unintelligent thoughts and recall think of the amazing things only I can do, because of my ugly pair of hands.

My ugly pair of hands has this power of capturing the speedy flow of my thinking, especially when I get caught up on a certain moment when my brain just wouldn't stop giving out ideas. One of the things I love about my person is this capability of putting into words an otherwise unintelligible concept. And with the help of my hands, the seemingly impossible become real. Concrete. Immortal.

The chapped morsel of skin in my set of left fingers may not be pretty; but they were caused by a magical activity which can produce a chord. A chord which when played together with the others becomes a beautiful melody. A melody when heard can capture not only one's ears, but also one's heart. My ugly pair of hands is capable of touching somebody's heart.

My ugly pair of hands has worked wonders in making other people happy, too. A tap on a successful somebody's shoulder, a tight grasp of a sad person's hand, an embrace intertwining a beloved... These significant people wouldn't have had a lift in their spirits, were it not for my ugly pair of hands.

They have also set beginnings for me. They were able to shake itself with another hand, symbolizing new relations.

Although they are also made for sadness - a wave goodbye or for an angry clenched fist - I know that my pair of hands can be beautiful. They're my beautiful ugly pair of hands.

Same goes for my life. And your life too.

A Wanderlust Post: Phuket, Thailand 2011

I guess it was love at first sight. Going back to the way I felt back then, there was this mix of excitement, awe, happiness, and probably all positive adjectives you can think of, as our plane was on its way to landing on one of my dream destinations, Phuket, Thailand.

A sparkly view from the top.

I first heard of this place as a child - a grand prize for a game show or something I couldn't remember. Then there was that James Bond movie shot in Pha Nga Bay, then Leonardo DiCaprio's 'The Beach' which was equally majestic. With all these ideas in my mind as a younger, not-yet-earning kid, one thing was certain in my perspective - Phuket will remain a dream forever.

But baby, there I was, on the 4th of August 2011, standing in Phuket soil and ready to rumble.

But of course, prior that, we have also experienced this pauper-like stage.
Particularly Bebe Wilson :P

THE CREW: PHUKET 'PEEPS'

Ready, set, smile!
One of the few pictures we were actually complete.

Travel experiences are more fun when you've got your crew, which in this case was proven by the exceptional time I had with my college classmates / friends / travel buddies Erwin, Karla, Sisa, Apple and Wilson. It couldn't have been more adventurous as this travel was a spontaneous one. No plans, no IT, none. All we had in mind was we were going on a Phi Phi cruise, party, shop, bum around in the nearby beach. Other than that and details in between, nada.

MR. PETER, THE BIG BUDDHA AND MARINA THE BABY ELEPHANT

In this state of plan-lessness it was a good thing people in Patong province, Phuket were helpful. We met our resident driver, Mr. Peter (no surname in his calling card, which has got a drawing of a cow or something, we don't have any idea why) on our way to our breakfast early morning of August 6. For ThB 800, he was our chauffeur for the whole day, inclusive of all our chosen places to visit, and funny chats about how he loved Pacquiao. From there he suggested we eat at PhongPhang resto, which served seafood straight from the beach on location.

That's Mr. Peter and Apple (aka Pacquiao's daughter. hahahaha)

PhongPhang resto view

Yummiest Seafood Pad Thai, evar.

It was already in the afternoon that we decided to go to the Elephant trekking site in Karon. But as we were on our way there, a marvelous view has left us awestruck. There was the Karon beach, with its polvoron-like white sands and torquoise blue waters on a bright sunny morning. Karla, the Brazilian goddess from Australia told us that it resembled Bondi Beach, only less crowded. 

Okay so this is a jump shot fail. But you get the point.

Jump, Erwin, Jump!

It wasn't actually the first time I saw an elephant in flesh, but it had been my closest encounter yet. Marina was the cutest of them all. With one command from her trainer, she'd happily pose for the camera, smiling, doing that upward maneuver of her trunk and crossing of her leg. It was no doubt the most adorable thing in the world. It was actually then that I finally decided that Elephants would be my favorite (jungle) animal. 

Marina striking a pose with the girls!

The trekking elephant

For a discounted price (courtesy of Mr Peter) of ThB 1300, we've been entitled to a trek onboard the larger elephants, and a ticket to the elephant show. Unfortunately, we didn't have anymore budget for that. We contented ourselves with the banana feeding of our furry friends, which left us guilty having Mr. Peter haggle the price for us (up to now I feel that way, don't you guys?).

Banana feeding the elephants. Go Bebe Wilson!

After which, we drove en route Big Buddha, which according to Mr. Peter is the largest Buddha shrine in the whole of the Earth. 

Lesson learned: Do not wear shorts when going to Buddhist shrines.
Or else, they give you these cloths to cover yourself with.

A smaller (golden) version of the Buddha

The Big Buddha in flesh! Or in concrete!

BANGLA ROAD, THE NIGHTLIFE OF PHUKET

The day will not be complete without the inevitable 'unwinding' to cap the night up. Bangla road in Patong is pretty much famous for its night shenanigans. Prostitution is legal in Thailand, and thus the whole of the Bangla strip is made especially for this activity. 

Passing Bangla 's girlie bars

Dancing ladyboy (?) bunny

Besides that, street food was awesome. It was a little bit pricey compared to Bangkok, but it was all worth it. This place probably has the best-tasting street food in all of Thailand (made that up).

the ThB 50 Banana Pancakes

Money-saving tip: These are better for dinner than resto food

Because they had their own night out on the last day. :))

PHI PHI ISLAND CRUISE

The cruise was the highlight of the entire tour. We already have booked the tour the night before, courtesy of Erwin's family friend Ate Maan. The whole cruise, inclusive of transpo to and fro Silver Resortel (our hostel), and buffet lunch at PP Princess Hotel, amounted to ThB 1,300. There we were able to enjoy the view while riding the mini cruise ship which passed by Krabi and Maya Bay (The Beach, yes!), swim and snorkel at Monkey Island and take pictures. We also had a very satisfying lunch.

All aboard

Maya Bay (The Beach)

Port

Backpackers represent!

Our mini cruise ship. Karla's there by the way, obviously, well, never mind.

Lunch at PP Princess

Of course, all good things must come to an end, and by 7th of August, we were all set to get back to reality and reminisce this one of a kind experience in Phuket, the ultimate travel of 2011.

Farewell!

Finally, a good jump shot.

Till the next wanderlust adventure! :)

On Cyberstalking, with much Passion

It is just like hunger - that certain wanting to be acquainted with the current shenanigans of a particular person. You know you won't be able to keep up with the suppression and you JUST HAVE TO binge on all that's in store for you, courtesy of the reliable internet. You know that in just a few moments you'll already be gobbling down all the nutrition you possibly can get from the person's Facebook / Twitter / Instagram timelines, even searching their names on Google hoping that more and more CIA-worthy information would be staring right back at you, just to put a halt to that growl of a stomach that you need to satisfy. 

You do not know the genealogy of the power of your intuition, but you like it anyway. You're not so sure as to why there seems to be an endless string of curiosity in your system, especially when it comes to people who are "kind of" relevant to you. (Note: "Kind of" is the minimum degree and your basis of who is stalk-able and who is not; say, crushes, ex-boyfriends and probably, their new boyfriends lovers, random interesting people.) You click almost always the right names, open the exact profiles. One suspicious comment to a post, open sesame, a little investigation of timelines, and boom. This intuition leads you into a conclusion that is ALWAYS correct. 

You believe that what you don't know won't kill you, but you take the risk anyway. Your motto in life probably is "Better to have known and died than died without knowing" or some serious paradoxical shizz like that. By being a social media--make that cyber--stalker, you have to be erudite of the perks and the downsides of knowing much information. Although yes, your thirst was quenched by a discovery of something extremely juicy, you still have to be steadfast as some discoveries may not be as fascinating as you want them to be. 

Unfortunately for you, knower of all knowledge, some truths hurt. And you just had the privilege of being the first one to be hit by the stinging dart pin, bull's eye. 

 Sometimes, you wish you were less of a cyberstalker.

Beautiful

Here is one of my most poppish take on songwriting. Kind of cheesy and teenybopper-ish, but tolerable.
(I know you're nice and will let this pass).



BEAUTIFUL
Eamarie G.

Beautiful smile, take a picture and I'll stare at it forever.
Beautiful laugh, music to my ears, make my heartbeat go ba dum ba dum
Beautiful hands, are you the summer sun because I'm warm in just a single touch?
Beautiful you, heaven sent, believe me baby it is true.

Dum da dum da ra rap dum bam
Da ra dap ba da rap bam ba dum
Da rap bum doo doo roo dum ba dum
Doo dap ba dum bum dum

Oh baby, can you see the stars above,
twinkling... just like your eyes?
Or have you heard the angels sing,
that's what I hear when you say my name
I'm walking on air, that's where I am
when you kiss me... as sweet as sin.
Do you even know that for you I'm fallin..?

Beautiful smile, take a picture and I'll stare at it forever.
Beautiful laugh, music to my ears, make my heartbeat go ba dum ba dum
Beautiful hands, are you the summer sun because I'm warm in just a single touch?
Beautiful you, heaven sent, believe me baby...

Someday, somewhere I'll come back and sing you this song
and tell you that I love you because you are beautiful...

I love you, da dum ba rum, you're beautiful
I'll come back I swear I will.. da dum ba rum ba dum bam dum ba rum
Embrace you when you sleep.. Talk for hours speak our minds.
And tell you that I love you because you are beautiful.

(the scat singing part is kinda difficult to write :P)

My Life in the Past Six Months (as described by my phone's saved wi-fi networks)

This could have been a year's worth of travel and wi-fi networks, but since I rooted my phone in April, all of the data have been reformatted and hence, unremembered. 

It is very amazing how one evening, while cleaning up remnants of uninstalled apps in my Android, a sudden hit of nostalgia has occured to me. Though it may be the most unusual thing in the world to note that network IDs caused the feeling, it's true. 

Ergo, here is where I've been, where I've connected, where I've experienced various things both personal and career-related. (I'll only include the relevant ones as I may bore you out of your wits if I write everything here.)

1.minda_pub2

Of course, this is where I work. 5 days a week, 8 hours a day. Self-explanatory.

2. BellarmineAP

One Saturday morning, I finally have decided to claim my college diploma in Ateneo. Hooray! It was a bittersweet moment stepping once more unto the halls my Alma Mater. 

Because these Coca Cola stalls reminded me of College Fiesta I loved back then <3

Well, not mainly because of the memories but the realization of how old I am. Kid in black sitting in front of me at the gazebo, sup?

Additionally, this wifi hotspot never changed. I could still not connect to it. Oh well, nothing much has changed after all.

3. DFA 9th

On a more serious note, this is one of those times where I've "practiced" what I learned in college. Foreign Affairs, National Security, the like. The 9th floor housed the ASEAN Affairs and Asian and Pacific Affairs offices. In an hour's worth of discussions, I met some people for the first time, the ones who I only communicate with through e-mail and over the phone. Like Timmy, one of the most pleasant people I've come across with. She's a Foreign Service Officer at age 30. Smart, charming, confident - marks of a true diplomat. I like her so much I wanna make her my peg.

Whatever we discussed is a matter of national secrecy so this part should end here. :P

4. Discovery-DCMI-WLAN

Discovery Suites, Ortigas. This was where we stayed during the week of special meetings with the BIMP-EAGA Senior Officials, National Secretariats and Ministry of Foreign Affairs - China in July. This is actually an annual event, last year being my first (my baptism in BIMP-EAGA!) and this year my second.

5. GlobefreeWifi@MIAA

Terminal 2, Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Pasay City. I've been here lots of times, but the most unforgettable would most probably be when I first traveled on my own to document the consultation between the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Customs last April. This had been my best friend for a while; my means to acquiring some moolah as I didn't have cash at the time. No load, no taxi fare, nothing. I only had with me a hundred bucks and was waiting for my allowance to be deposited. I used this wi-fi network to locate the nearest MRT station (which I was able to find, by foot!), use Chikka to text my parents, Facebook, Twitter, etc. 

I don't know where I got this risky attitude from; cashless in Manila for Chrissake. And now I complain when some people tell me I'm "aresgada".

6. GREEN COFFEE

My favorite coffee shop, of course! I frequently visit the place especially when I'm with friends from high school and college. My fave treats in Green Coffee include Chocolate with Fine Salt and Cheese and Durian Freeziccino. Nomnom.

7. KCC-free-wifi

KCC mall, General Santos City. Been here twice in six months, in totally different situations. One in April, the other in August. The more recent, I did a spontaneous buying of overnight stuff because my mom won't let me go home to Davao at night. Yes, I'm not afraid of anything as I may have passed all my fears to my mudra. 

Special thanks to my friend Paul for helping me find a cheap accommodation as I was again almost cashless at the time. :))

8. MPEN_Conference Room

Sosyal is the only adjective that first came to mind as we were escorted in one of the function rooms in Manila Peninsula. Another meeting here, with a foundation which share with us visions in trade facilitation. Anyway, the CROISSANT is heavenly, which by the way came with an iPad menu. Kthnxbye.

9. ParaisoII

Paradise Island, September 16. Just wanted to get inspiration for a song I was writing, as well as savor their yummy kinilaw. I had the sudden impulse to just get my butt on that ferry to Samal, take note, at 5PM. Dragged my boy buddy along. It was an added bonus that it was Meet Febie's gig schedule. They played Lauren Wood's "Fallen", Christina Perri's "A Thousand Years", Adele's "Love Song", etc. Perfect. Perfect Sunday.

Fire dancers!

So yeah. :)

A Month and 29 days

I really have this tendency of making mental countdowns when I'm excited about something.

A month and 29 days.

About the same duration of time prior this day, I, along with the others in my division, were busy preparing for the National Secretariats Meeting. That seemed just like yesterday.

And from this day, till November 17, I'm going to be busy preparing for this year's ultimate travel. 

Siem Reap. Saigon.

Angkor Wat. The Killing Fields.

Excited is an understatement.

Wait for me, ayt?

Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Saigon, Vietnam at night

Where Does Love Go When It's Gone?

For what were the tears you've shed, when at this very moment, the reasons for the feelings you've had do not anymore hold the same significant value?

Where does love go when it's gone?

You try to relive the moments. Moments you thought will forever remain to be the best ones in the entirety of your existence. You try to remember how it made you happy, how it once became the center of your universe. You give it a tight grip in the hand, with hopes that it would also reciprocate the gesture, the way it once held a strong grasp of your heart. 

But it didn't. 

Hopes, memories, things you've considered important no longer cause your heart to race a tad bit faster than normal. Your mind cannot at all imagine the same future you've dreamed of all along. You grimace.

Love, love is gone.

Where does love go when it's gone?

You begin to wish for it to come back to you. You want it to still be in your possession, as you have never felt something stronger than the feeling it has brought you before. You want this love to give you the drive to be better not only for yourself but also for someone you care much about. 

You knock, but it's no longer there. Empty. You feel empty.

Where does love go when it's gone?

15 Small Things for a Get-Happy Vibe

I have always liked that quote. It implies that there's always these certain events, albeit in small portions, that can make one's day perfect. It is a reminder that not everything has to be grandiose. They can be just mundane, everyday happenings which when put collectively, can be as big as this concept we call happiness.

Without further ado, below are fifteen things / sensations / events / what-nots which I consider to be the best at giving me that get-happy vibe.

1. Lying in a bed covered with fresh, cool sheets.

2. Wind blowing in my face while on a speeding motorcycle (or any open vehicle, for that matter).

3. Iron and Wine's "Fever Dream". NO FAIL.

4. Neutral Weather. No scorching hot sun, no downpour as well.

5. Reading a good book on a rainy Saturday afternoon.

6. Beach. Sunset.

7. Finally playing a song perfectly on guitar, with all the right chords.

8. Horror stories with friends.

9. Holding Hands.

10. Cute babies.

11. Leveling up on a computer game.

12. An organized closet.

13. Scoring a bargain.

14. First step (from the airplane) in a foreign land.

15. Shawarma and Chocolate Pearlshake combo.

How about you? What's your top fifteen get-happy things?

Roads, Rocks and Rivers: My Weekend Escapade in Don Marcelino, Davao del Sur

Alright, so before I commence with this entry, I just find it necessary to share to y'all that right at this very moment, my upper and lower extremities - biceps, triceps, shoulders, upper back, carpals, metacarpals, thighs, butt - are in pain, brought about by what you are going to read below. Well not that I feel this is a matter of your interest, but for the love of God, ALWAYS DO WARM-UPS WHEN YOU ARE PLANNING TO DO SOMETHING EXTREMELY PHYSICAL. Ouch, that caps lock hurt my finger. 

Anyways, it all started when my lovely friend Phel called one afternoon to invite me to her 22nd birthday. And it isn't just mainly a celebration with your usual birthday feast; it will involve a long road trip en route their province! I just looove traveling, especially when it's on the road with your friends. So the plan was to bring that Crosswind to a five-hour trip to Don Marcelino, a municipality just an hour away from Malita, just before Jose Abad Santos, in Davao del Sur. 

I've never been to Don Mar before, that's why I immediately agreed on coming over. I've heard about the beautiful waters and indigenous people in the area, things I am very much interested about. It will really be a lot more fun if you have your good friends with you while you're there.

That's me (in blue) at the backseat with Renren, Bambie and Rachelle

So there we were. 8 September 2012, a Saturday. There was a drizzle, but it didn't really matter as it wasn't much of a downpour. However, things took a turn for worse when we reached Malita, specifically the ones in the landslide areas. You wouldn't believe how massive the construction was. Humongous rocks from the mountains were on the road. A huge portion of the uncemented road was dug, probably to lessen elevation and stuff. If our driver wasn't careful, we might end up with a flat tire and a wrecked tank. The area was also dark, as there weren't any street lights around. It was almost 9:00 in the evening.

Drizzle, drizzle

Road construction on the maximum level.

Cam on night mode, yet you won't see anything at all.

We were doing well and good despite the inconvenience of bouncing up and down in our seats, but it all became a lot more frightening on that particular area in Don Mar where our vehicle is just about a couple of inches away from the edge of the cliff. One wrong move, and we're down. Added to that is the drizzle, which made the road slippery. Needless to say, our vehicle swayed twice ON THAT SIDE OF THE ROAD. Our driver maneuvered the steering wheel in a way which according to his own words "bahala na mabangga sa bato, wag lang mahulog sa bangin" (better to hit the huge rock than fall of the cliff). Right. So you can say that the moments after that incident is an extension of my life. Thank you God.

Evidence of how narrow the remaining passable side of the road is.

Rocky road, literally.

The show must go on, despite our mishaps. So from there, we continued on driving until we reached Don Marcelino, where we stayed at Captain's Lake Resort. It was a nice place, with a lake on location where you can do fishing and boating. The lake stretches out to the beach, one that's with a really nice turquoise blue. Little huts are also built in the waters, perfect for romantic nights with your loved one. Sadly I didn't have a loved one at the time so I wasn't able to avail of that. Haha! Our night ended with a bottle of tequila, karaoke session, and a coundown to Phel's 22nd. :)

Red Wine, Tequila and of course, good old H20. Haha!

My present for the birthday girl! Yum!

 Although the resort still needs a lot of facilities and maintaining to do, I'm positive that this will end up to be a must go-to place when developed.

Little huts on the lake

Another view (with the model  :))

The coming Sunday was exciting. With Mr. Sun around, we were able to really see the place. Waking up early also gave us the morning breeze you'd only experience in a non-urban place. Refreshing is an understatement.

Cutesy cactus I've found somewhere

To finally begin the birthday adventure, the group was advised to go to Brgy. Dalupan, well known in the municipality to possess the lushest waterfalls. Armed with the connections, we were able to have the best Riders to take us to the place. 

Onboard our motorbikes for the day

I had a good time chatting with my driver (who said "Ophel" was his classmate in elementary, haha), as well as the overall adventure itself. I don't know if people are just not used to seeing new people in the place, but all of them kept staring at me as my motorcycle speeded its way accross them. My driver said "Pasensya na sa mga nagsige'g tan-aw kay usahay ra na sila kakita'g gwapa." (Just don't mind the people staring, they're just not used to seeing pretty girls) Chos! I like you so much, koya! haha! It was a challenging ride as we had to go through the slippery road again, as well as cross a multitude of rivers that were along the way to Brgy. Dalupan. 

En route Brgy. Dalupan. I was riding a motorcycle driven by an authentic Riders member!

Yes, you really have to go down your ride at certain points.

Finally reached our destination... or not yet.

The ride took about thirty minutes long, and it didn't stop there, as a subsequent trek to the main waterfall area took about another thirty. For a person whose only form of workout is doing yoga at home, the trek was indeed a challenge for me. Climbing uphill, crossing big slippery rocks that are far from each other, coursing through the tall grasses, testing the water's depth, avoiding creepy crawly insects, you get the picture. We had to get assistance from our CVOs (provided by the Municipality for the pretty guests, haha) in order for us to safely and successfully do this nature-tripping adventure. 

Just getting started!

Hikers?

Careful, careful

Told you so! hahaha

Don't get me wrong, I was used to doing things like this during high school, in the falls of Batasan in Makilala and Kapatagan, Davao del Sur. But I guess that was too long ago that my sense of balance had already faded in time. But nonetheless, I HAD SO MUCH FUN. 

Yaay! Survived the boulder. :))

I never expected that an ordinary weekend could turn out like that extreme. Yes, it is convenient to just lounge around at home, watch TV, or go malling. But adventures can bring you a greater high, despite the inconvenience or what-not. New things lead you to new experiences, and what you get afterwards make you feel differently about your capabilities. You get to know another place, other people, and most of all, yourself. It is also a perfect way to discover the unearthed treasures nature has in store, which can be seen in our beautiful Mindanao. It's not at all war and strife here, guys. We possess the precious natural endowments you'd only experience nowhere else but here.

Inconvenient? Yes. Frustrating? No.

Just one of the beauties you will see along the road. 
Well, that is the road. :))

Stopping by to marvel on the view

This fun. :)

Asked if I would ever go back to Don Marcelino? Answer is, of course! I'd like to try the beach they said to house many different kinds of creatures. But that is, after the road construction has already been completed. 

Which reminds me, I'm very much hopeful about receiving something at the end of the year. I love my parents, and most definitely, road trips. :)