Summer Escapade

Never a year our division fails to plan for summer getaway. We’ve been to Bataan, Hundred Islands, Bolinao, Puerto Galera and then this year, the group decided to go to the northernmost tip of Luzon in the Philippines. Yeah, we are heading north this summer-Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte. Everyone is excited and getting ready for the grueling trip.

Attention: Cacai, we are leaving this Friday night. Can you fly back by then coz we don't want you to miss this 3-day trip.

Going back, wanna know what makes Pagudpud a haven for tourists like us? Well, lemme share what’s in store for us – northern trippers.

Friday - April 4, 2008

09:30 PM - Assembly Time Makati City Hall

10:00 PM - Estimated Time of Departure

Saturday - April 5, 2008

7:00 AM - Estimated Time of Arrival Bantay, Ilocos Sur

7:00 - 07:30 AM - Bantay Church Belfry

7:30 - 08:00 AM - Breakfast at Vigan

8:00 - 09:00 AM - Crisologo St. Walk Tour

9:00 - 09:30 AM - St. Paul's Cathedral

9:30 - 10:00 AM - Fr. Jose Burgos Museum

10:00 - 10:30 AM - Pagburnayan (Vigan House of Pottery)

10:30 - 11:00 AM - Crisologo Museum

11:00 - 12:00 NN - Chavit Singson's Baluarte

12:00 - 01:00 PM - Lunch in Vigan0

3:00 - 03:30 PM - Marcos Mausoleum Batac

3:30 - 04:00 PM - Paoay Church

4:00 - 04:30 PM - Balay Ti Amianan (Malacanang of the North)

5:00 - 05:30 PM - Market Food at Laoag

6:30 PM - Estimated Time of Arrival Pagudpud

6:30 - 07:00 PM - Prepare Dinner

7:00 PM - Dinner

8:00 PM onwards - Free Time

Sunday - April 6, 2008

7:00 AM - Breakfast

8:30 - 09:00 AM - Ilocos - Cagayan Boundary Canopy

9:00 - 09:30 AM - Paraiso nit Anton/ Bagong Lipunan Lodge Ruins

9:30 - 10:00 AM - Agua Grande/ Patapat Viaduct

10:00 - 11:30 AM - Kabigan Falls

11:30 - 12:00 NN - Bantay Abot Caves

12:00 NN - Lunch at Blue Lagoon

12:30 - 02:30 PM - Swimming @ Blue Lagoon

3:00 - 06:00 PM - Swimming @ Saud Beach

7:00 PM - Dinner

8:00 PM onwards - Free Time

Monday - April 7, 2008

5:00 AM - Early Breakfast

6:00 AM - Sunrise @ Bangui Windmills

6:30 AM - Bangui View Deck

7:00 AM - Kapurpuraoan Rock
8:00 AM - Cape Bojeador Lighthouse

11:00 AM - Lunch @ Vigan

12:00 - 01:00 PM - Buy Pasalubong

1:00 PM - Leave for Manila

10:00 PM - Estimated Time of Arrival Manila

Whoa! This is must be a very tiring summer out of town trip but definitely a northern discovery worth coming back. Pagudpod, here we come!

Sagada, Mountain Province – my last glance perhaps

If there’s a place worth traveling during Holy week – a must-go is Sagada. I was there actually with my friend (sorry she doesn’t want anybody to know that we’re together, hehehe) and a few of her cousins. T’was my fourth time to experience the grueling fourteen hours trip (huwaahhh! still have my butt-ache as of this time). But it was fun revisiting the place knowing the road going there indeed amused me. For the average trippers, they would definitely go for the famous hanging coffins and Sumaguing cave which are my usual itinerary for the past three times of my visit there. But this time, I broke my program. Though most of the members of the group are newbies (only two are timers), I decided not to join them (my best friend and a local guide tagged along with them). I instead went with Tan-ay, our bighearted foster parent in Sagada to help her gather head-size-cabbage and tomatoes in what she called garden which is actually the size of farm – as far as your eyes can see!. Tan-ay said that it’s just near her place but mind you, it took us 45 minute-walk before we reached the garden, hay..but it’s worth the walk!. I got the chance to pick fresh tomatoes, pull the cabbage out, cut it with knife and dropped it into the basket. I maybe slow while doing it, but I had so much fun.

The tiring part came when it was time to carry those veggies back to Tan-ay’s house. Ugh!, Heavy!, I can’t actually lift the basket full of tomatoes but I had no choice nor right to complain. Tan-ay was carrying a sack of cabbage on her head, much heavier than mine. So I carried the basket, managing its weight which is getting heavier and heavier on our way. I knew Tan-ay was worried about me. She was actually asking me every now and then if I can stand the walk with my basket on.. I just reciprocated her with a smile. And thanks God!, we finally reached the house. Truly, it was really tiring but a great experience that can’t be traded for anything else.

When its time to head back to Manila, I was surprised that Tan-ay had this box of cabbage carefully packed for us. Thanks that I did not vocally complain how weighty my basket was. Hers was far heavier just to know in the end that those cabbages are for us to bring home.

Upon reaching Poblacion, I visited the Church of Saint May the Virgin and utter this: "I pray that may this not be my last glance-slash-step of Sagada. I pray for more life experience, fun and serenity as well. Amen."

My sanctuary, my safe haven

Moving from a place you have gotten used to since birth to a place which is wholly stranger to your eyes is such an appalling experience. I remember my first few months of struggling and adjusting myself just to fit in to this so-called highly urbanized metro. My life way back in the province was really far different from where I am now. I’ve been working in Makati for over five years but back then, I actually had my second thought of moving and accepting the job due to my would-be environment. I had the apprehensions that a certified “probinsyana” would absolutely have to dare extend an extra mile just to adopt the city-life.

Finding where to dwell was the first I considered. Though, I do have relatives where I can stay to, I opted to find a different abode. Yeap, they’re my kin but I don’t want to squeeze in myself and be an added burden, este, responsibilities since most of them have already children to look after to. I did find one (boarding house with two rooms) and compromised to pay the bigger share just to convince my eldest sister moved with me, since she works nearby my working place. I need someone trustworthy to ask and get an outright answer of the things that might draw my concern while living my life here, and that’s my ate (thou most of the times we argue over small things because she’s is so clever, peace sis! J) Sad to say after a year, she had to go back to the province because her company has to close and that ended me to be finally on my own. I even cried the first night I went home and saw her room empty. But what I can I do? She needs to leave and I need to get on with my life without her.
It made me realize that living all by myself will give me more time to assess myself, bring out the best in me, decide on my own, live my purpose without turning back, walk head up and face the challenges of life.

And during my downfall moment, the four corners of my room became my place of safety to release the pain of being single-handedly; my own sanctuary who have witnessed my everyday battle of missing my family while fiddling with my new milieu; the haven wherein I can totally take off my different masks and be of myself for real. Thanks Roomy (my room). You’ve seen the tears I cried, the number of times I smiled and how I’ve grown a lot here. You are my sole eyewitness up to this moment.

Seeing myself now after five years (that’s also an additional five years to my age, whew! I don’t wanna to get old yet, really.), I can say that I was able to surpass and agree with the flow of life here.

Sayonara for now

I’m counting my days being with ANNA – my best bud-slash-touristguide in Makati.

I’ve been here for over five years now due to work commitment but never get certain of the place up to now. Yay! – must be the reason for always asking her help to track the place. Good thing she’s there (my one click away GPS); blocking even her busiest day available for me; my shield against stressful day; making me feel like I really belong here to stay. I love her for that - not to mention how generous she really is. She never fails to share even the tiniest blessings she received. Hardly would I find a friend who is such a bighearted like her.

I know heading my days in Makati will be different now that she (Anna) will be leaving anytime soon. Yokohama,Japan– her would-be new home for one year. I feel grateful knowing that she was chosen to represent the City Government of Makati as secondmen staff for the CITYNET (Ugh!, I did ask ANNA about it, but I can’t still remember its full name - must be sign of aging..lol ) event. I got so excited of the news when I first heard it, really. But after contemplating that there would be no more ANNA next month, I suddenly asked myself “Am I ready for this?”.

Days without her, will definitely uneasy to bear at first. There are so many things with her that I have gotten used to do: texting her during wee hours that I need someone to be with (expect the following day that her things are all packed ready for overnight stay at my place), barhops-slash-bandchasing, fun carnivals, tiangge-shopping galore, quiapo-baclaran tour (she toured me here just to see for myself that these two places are not situated in one place - which my belief at first, hahaha..i was supah “probinsyana” back then), our so called school days (casino days), attending rotaract activities, visiting my old folks while checking out restos that offers wide range of exotic foods, and of course spending Sunday in her place and have the taste of her dad’s very own sinigang na hipon.

For obvious reasons, we are more than sisters. We're like Spongebob and Patrick. She may be out of my picture sooner, but who cares? It’s just one year of being apart, anyway,right? Sigh. I’m actually trying not to be sad about it; to accept the grim reality that I have to go on with my life being left here and to settle for who’s around. This is how it’s always gonna be for one year.
But looking on the other side of the coin, I want to look at ANA’s departure as her way to explore more of herself in foreign land, to find what’s in store there for her and for me also to find my way to get through here or abroad perhaps.

I’d like to think that finding ourselves in different paths is meeting each other at the end of the road. So no SAYONARA (goodbye) for us but IRASSHAIMASE (welcome) to the opportunities that life has to offer.

Way for us to go my friend!, thou I am going to miss you dearly..

Pen rules

I am not a writer. Not a good one. I loved to be but don’t know how to. I started to write anything, just whatever comes in my mind. I want to enjoy the freedom of writing and explore the power of expression. I know that it’s not an overnight success but a process I need to go through with. Beyond doubt, it’s hard to pretend to be somebody when you’re not; to play the role you’re not supposed to play.

But lemme' share this adage i'm holding up to: “You’ll never know how high you can fly until you spread your wings”. Yea, time would come that I will no longer call myself as a fraud writer. The point in time that pen will rule in me.