Busuanga Here We Come =)

I was searching the net for possible places where we could celebrate my parents 30th wedding anniversary.

I want something new, something that hasn't been explored yet, something we can call our own. Right on cue, my search led me to Coron, Palawan! And link after link, I ended up with SeaAir's Busuanga Promo.

If there's one reason why I am excited to settle down, despite of all the divorces/separations/bigamy/annulments reported by media, that would be my parents enduring love.

Theirs is a testament of what true love is all about.

Busuanga would be the perfect gift to my parents because they have always dreamed about having a beach wedding. But because both of them were just simple employees that time, they made do with a civil wedding ceremony inside a restaurant, of course with a blue motiff! LOL.

Now is the best time to make their dreams come true. =)

Oh one more thing, back when I was just 4-5 years old, I was browsing through their wedding album. I kept on wondering how come I wasn't in the photos. How come I wasn't chosen as their flower girl... I asked my mom, and she laughed at me. She said I was still "in the making"...

This time around, I'll be in the photos na! Yey!

Click this link http://www.flyseair.com/seair-starts-35-minute-flights-to-northern-palawan for more details about the contest.

My Precious Part 2

**carats, princess cut, prong set, half eternity ring.

Jay gave this ring to me on our 3rd anniversary.

But I kinda had a sneak peek already 'accidentally'. =P

You see, he likes putting special things inside his bag's pocket.

Weeks before our anniversary, we were driving to EK for our pasyal.

At the toll booth, he asked me to get some spare change from his bag.

I made 'kapa' for coins, but I felt something else!

I got intrigued what the round hard metal thing is.

I took a peek. I saw a very cute tin canister.

I wonder what's inside, so....

I opened it!

And I saw the most beautiful ring in the whole wide world!

But of course, the actual presentation was even lovelier.

Up next.... =)

My Precious Part 1

January 22, 1998

7pm

Intramuros, Manila

This is the day we celebrated our first year anniversary. Jay surprised me with a basket of flowers delivered to my classroom around 5pm. It was my last class for the day. I was so excited to see him, but I became even more excited when I got the flowers.

When the bell rang, I asked my girlfriends to help me "dress up and re-touch". Luckily, I brought a "semi-porma" blouse and pants. The type I cant wear in UP, unless I want people to stare at me. =)

This is the part where I kinda "hate" surprises. You see, I have no idea how he plans to celebrate, where he made reservations, or what we would do after dinner. Hence, I cannot plan ahead what to wear! Thank God I am a classic type of person when it comes to clothing. I was neither under-dressed nor over-dressed.

While I was quietly fussing about my look, I bet Jay was also a bit worried. This was the first time ever he was really serious, and not cracking jokes left and right. But still, I never had an inkling he was up to something.

Soup. Salad. Main Entree. Dessert. Sweet Conversation. I thought that was it.

Then a man started playing the piano. I listened to the first notes. I was delighted to immediately recognize Karen Carpenter's You. Jay was about to say something, but then I politely "sshussh" him. He asked why, I said, I like to listen to the song. He smiled. I was in heaven.

After the song, I asked him what he was about to say. He looked to his left, and then as if on cue, the waiter walked to our table with a dessert platter.

When he opened it, I was speechless!

Planning without a Ring

Well, not exactly.

Because in reality, I already have 2 precious rings!

Yup. Two rings in a span of 10 years.

Not so bad, eh? =)

Truth is, I really dont need another ring.

I just want "the works" as every girl dreams of.

Okay, fine.

I got "the works" already.

I was blown away.

I was in heaven.

I was filled with unexplicable joy.

But when I saw the carat and size....

Hmm... Parang wag na lang kaya.

Nyaha! I'm kidding!

Seriously, it's a looonng story.

But the bottom line is:

I did not say NO

I did not say YES

I said

ASK AGAIN LATER

Later seems to be taking his time.

So obvious...

Hmm...

Another Hmmm.... Can't get enough?....

Really now...

He Rocks my World

AI 2008

Flushed down DA with 12M votes!

Congratulations B!!! =)

Take Your Pick

DA for the WIN!

I actually like them both.

A lot.

But since Jay is rooting for DC,

I gotta bet on DA.

I'm so excited to get my prize! =)

We did the Walk

This afternoon, Jay and I did the "walk" with Carlos Celdran. It was an amusing showcase of Philippine history and culture.

I learned, and re-learned a lot of juicy tidbits and funny anecdotes about our country's early years.

• why are we the only country colonized by Spain who cant speak Spanish?
• why was Jose Rizal chosen as our national hero?
• who chose our national symbols? you know, the tree, bird, flower, etc?
• how did we learn to speak English?
• how did San Agustin Church survived the war?
• who is the coconut? =)
• who is the inverted coconut? =)
• and many many more!

See the tour rates and tour dates at: www.carlosceldran.com

How we first met

Jay and I have known each other for the last 12 years. Looking back, that's almost half of my entire life! =)

I was really young then. The first time I saw him, I was just in 2nd year HS. He was a fresh graduate from college, doing a shoot for his first ever company. It was a local cable company, and he has to cover some of our school activities. Being a "new" face in the crowd, he was easily noticeable. What I remember when I first saw him was get-up -- the really huge rayban sunglasses, the white crew-neck shirt, and the khaki shorts. I never bothered to take a second look. Wasnt interested to know what he was doing, and why he was loittering in our school grounds. Haha. And besides, with all those boys making pa-cute to me (yuck! yabang..), bakit ko nga ba sya papansinin? =)

The next time I saw him was the week before the start my 3rd year HS. Being the secretary of the student council, I was in-charge to update the bulletin boards in the hallways. One fine day, while my friend (*toot-toot*) and I were comfortably seated on one of the marble benches in the hallway, planning the board design, cutting out letters, discussing the decors -- Jay quietly walked by. This time he was clad in an oversized navy blue polo shirt with big white stars scattered all over. Paano ko ba naman di matatandaan yun: EK mascot, ikaw ba yan? =)

*Toot-toot* said, "you know that guy who just passed by, he's gonna be our English teacher." And I said, "oh really? he looks nice."

On the first day of school, at exactly 715am, he was the first teacher who set foot inside San Lorenzo room. He was like a breath of fresh air. He started the day discussing the mission-vision of our school. Borrrinnnggg. Afterwards, he asked us to form into groups of 8-10, and discuss our goals for the school year, OR something like that. Wahaha. I forgot na what we were supposed to discuss then. =)

Anyways, after 15-20 min or so, he asked for a representative from each group. I was chosen to speak for my group. I cant remember anymore what I said. Only thing I can remember now is how annoyed I was with my hair! I had a haircut the day before -- a layered cut. And some strands became shorter than I intended. I had to put so many clips just to make sure that nothing falls to my face.

And oh, I also remember holding a parker pen! I was occasionally cicking it while I was speaking <-- nerves? =)

But I guess he was sorta impressed (or super disappointed?) with my "speech", because among all the other speakers, I was the only one who he asked, "what's your name?"

That's the story of how we first met. =)

Summer Getaway: Bohol Countryside Tour

Day 3

• Prepared breakfast (tocino, rice, eggs, nesvita, and coffee)
• Picked-up at Flower Garden by Mang Noli, driver of Mang Rod at 8am (P2000/van)
• Stops in order: Dauis Church, Punta Cruz Watchtower (P5/pax), Mag-aso falls (P10/pax), Antequera Market, Loboc River Cruise (P280/pax), Loboc Tarsier (donation), Bilar Man Made Forest, Chocolate Hills at Carmen (P25/pax), Butterfly Sanctuary Bilar (P20/pax), Hanging Bridge Sevilla (donation), Clarins Ancestral House (P20/pax), Blood Compact Site, Baclayon Church
• Dropped off at Chriscentville Inn around 6:45pm, checked-in (P850/standard room)
• Shopping at ICM for pasalubong (Buzz Cafe: P200/spread, P200/honey, P80/ginger tea, P80/kape mais, P20/muffin; Grocery: Peanut Kisses P23/medium box, P44/big box)
• Trike back to Garden Cafe (P20/trike)
• Garden Cafe Dinner (P80/quesadilla, P85/beef mami, P85/mexican crepe, P185/hawaiian chicken)
• Walked back to Chriscentville Inn
• Packed-up and rest

*Mang Noli is not as talkative/entertaining as I expected. Upside: we can sleep during travel time. Downside: less information learned. He shared naman all the necessary information - why it's called mag-aso falls, how many steps to chocolate hills, etc. But I am sure, iba pa din pag professional tour guide ang nagkwekwento. Mahirap din kasi mag-drive and talk at the same time. =)

**Punta Cruz Watchtower is the only perfect isosceles triangle structure in our country. Mag-aso falls -- would have loved to take a dip there if we weren't pressed for time. For me, ang must see places: Loboc River via cruise, Tarsier in Corella (the one in Loboc is mainly for picture taking only; the one in Corella is the actual conservation site -- we should have gone there instead coz malapit na pala sya sa mag-aso falls. sayang!), and of course Chocolate Hills.

***Chriscentville Inn - good value for money. For P850/night, you'll have 2 comfy single beds, aircon, h/c shower, cable TV, phone, airport-hotel-airport service, downtown location, walking distance to BQ, Garden Cafe, Jo's Chicken Inato. Downside: some rooms are near "work stations" where you can hear employees talking or guests passing by.

****Garden Cafe - nice concept. I have a soft spot for people who are differently-abled. My niece had a great time learning the sign languages. Food was just okay. Among those we ordered, only the quesadilla stood out.

Summer Getaway: Balicasag Island

Day 2

• Our day 2 started really early. I love everything about this day. Prepared breakfast (spam hot & spicy, bread, eggs, pancit canton, nesvita, coffee)
• Picked-up by Mang Viao at 5:30am (P1500/boat)
• Watched dolphins for 1-2 hours
• Dropped off at Marine Sanctuary, Balicasag Island (small boat guide ~ P150/pax)
• Fish feeding, snorkeling, etc.
• Brunch Paluto at 10:30am (c/o Mang Tammy: 2 kilos salmon, cooked 2 ways - sinigang & inihaw, 5 rice, and 1.5L coke ~ P800)
• Balicasag Island Walking Tour (c/o Maya: tip ~ P40)
• Proceeded to Pungtod Island at 12nn
• Back to Alona Beach at 2pm
• Wash-up and change clothes at the resort
• Rent a trike to Panglao Church, Hinagdanan Cave and PINR (Mang Noel: roundtrip, with 4 hours waiting time ~ P500)
• PINR from 5pm to 830pm (P300/pax, 200 consumable used for dinner: chicken fetuccine alfedo, grilled squid in vinegar sauce, and rice)
• Back to Alona Beach at 9pm -- Drinks at Alona Vida Bar (P110/strawberry shake, 60/sanmig lite, 190/margarita)
• Back to Flower Garden at 11pm, rest

*Mang Viao, our boatman, the father of best supporting actress Rebecca (in Muro Ami) is also nice. He personally picked us up from our resort. Medyo na-turn-off lang ako ng konti when he asked us if okay lang daw ba na yung pamangkin na lang nya na si Rico yung maging boatman namin. May isa pa daw kasi syang client na foreigners sa kabilang boat. Told him, December 3 pa lang ni-book na namin sya coz we really want him to be our boatman. Ayun, natawa sya when he remembered, so sya pa din ang naging boatman namin. Nakakataka lang coz pati si Rico, his nephew, kasama pa din sa boat namin as guide/spotter. Mang Viao has 3 boats -- John Vergel 1,2,3 ang names. Pangalan ng anak nya. We rode in boat 2. We saw lots of dolphins - as in ang dami talaga. Hundreds at a time. Only a few are really jumping high, pero I was really amazed coz super synchronized yung pag-lubog litaw nila, parang de-baterya! =) Oh by the way, the boat's machine is really LOUD. Nakakabingi sya, better if you'll have ear plugs with you.

**Mang Michael was our small boat/snorkeling guide. I wasn't so impressed with his knowledge about the underwater creatures. Yun kasing guide ko sa Palawan, super galing talaga, dami ko natutunan. With Mang Michael, madami kami nakitang species and naikot na corals ( a lot more than Palawan!), pero few facts lang na-share nya. But overall, okay naman sya.

***Mang Tammy's Kubo -- dito kami dinala ni Mang Viao after our snorkeling. Related din yata ito sa kanya. The salmon was really fresh, but expect a "barriotic ambience". I felt it was relatively expensive (P800), considering we are dining in a kubo, with the salmon and rice cooked in a make-shift kitchen using wood fire lang. I have no idea how much ang kilo ng salmon in Manila, but he priced it at P200/kilo. We ordered 2 kilos, plus the 200 cooking fee. Plus the rice, and the coke. Didn't check anymore paano umabot ng P800. =)

****Pungtod Island's (aka Virgin Island) sand is powdery fine. Mang Viao said it's better to walk barefoot, which we did. We walked it end-to-end, and it felt like we were walking on water ala St Peter. =)

*****Hinagdanan Cave's water is crystal clear! I was surprised coz even if it was really dark inside, I had no problem seeing the bottom of the "pool" -- that's how clear the water is! It's just sad that they allow some artists to draw/paint inside the cave. Kahit pa sabihing artistically done yun, I am against disrupting nature in whatever way.

******PINR - the entrance fee is so worth it! The view from their infinity pool is super relaxing. I highly recommend this for a day tour. They have lockers for day trippers, but be careful with your things pa din, coz there have been instances of robbery, inside job yata. Food tastes great and not so pricy for an upscale resort. Oh another plus pa pala, the water in the shower room was not salty! After 2 baths with salty water in our resort, it was such a relief to bathe in non-salty water. =) Another thing I can't forget about PINR -- here is where I've met Morgan, a very sweet, smart and sosyal 5 y/o kid, who claims to be Troy's (HS Musical) girlfriend! I love this girl. She's sooo arte. =)

Summer Getaway: Bohol March 2008

Just came back from our Bohol Trip. Inspite of minor glitches at the start (Cebu Pacific talaga..grrr!), we still had a swell time. =)

We weren't able to follow the schedule I've posted in mid-February because of delayed flights. But we were able to see all the places we wanted to visit by doing some adjustments. Originally, our country tour was scheduled on day 1, but it was moved to day 3. That's the major change. Other than that, nasunod naman lahat ng IT. It really pays to plan ahead of time. And also, to be flexible at the same time. Sometimes, certain things happen, and we just have to go with the flow. =)

Day 1

• Rebooking Fee (P880/pax)
• Brunch at Manila Domestic Airport (Tapsilog, and Beef Mami, and Coffee ~ P230)
• Terminal Fee (P200/pax)
• Arrived in Tagbilaran Airport at 2pm
• Picked-up by Mang Rod (P350)
• Quick grocery at Bohol Quality Mall (water, softdrinks, gatorade ~ P180)
• Dropped off at Flower Garden Resort, Alona Beach at 3pm (House No. 2 ~ P1800/night)
• Rent a trike to Bohol Bee Farm (Mang Noel, roundtrip, with 3-hr waiting time ~ P350)
• Bohol Bee Farm tour (Rosario ~ P20/pax, waived if having meals there)
• Buffet Dinner (P550/pax)
• Back to Flower Garden around 8pm, rest

Side notes:

*Cebu Pacific talaga, kahit kelan, sakit ng ulo!

**Mang Rod is very nice. He did not charge us any rebooking/cancellation fee, kahit na di natuloy yung countryside tour namin on day 1. He just picked us up from the airport, with discount pa. Yun nga lang, di na sya ang naging driver namin coz he already has previous booking for the date we want (day 3).

***Originally, we planned to stay at Alona Tropical. Pero dahil walang h/c shower for the standard aircon room (P1980), I continued searching for a resort with aircon, h/c shower, swimming pool and near the nicer beachfront. That's how I came up with Flower Garden Resort. For P1600/night + P200/extra bed, I think it's very much worth it. We got House #2. It has 2 bedrooms -- bedroom 1 with queen size bed, bedroom 2 with single bed. Amenities: aircon, h/c shower, refrigerator, kitchen with utensils and pots, daily towel and bedding change, swimming pool. Aside from some pillows which are bit run down already, all the other appliances/furniture are in good condition. Erwin, the Swiss manager, was very maasikaso. He even carried the extra bed upstairs. The housemaids are very polite, cleans the house daily, and even wash some of our dishes. Even if we weren't there when they cleaned it, wala namang nawala sa things namin.

****Mang Noel is a trike driver we hired when we were there already. Isa sya sa mga nakapila sa trike terminal. I think kaya pa nyang ibaba sa P300 for a roundtrip service to BBF, pero dahil gusto ko na din makatulong, we agreed on P350. I told him to just come back for us, but he prefers to wait coz baka wala din syang pasahero pagbalik nya, sayang naman daw ang gas. So he waited for us for 3 hours. I cant really say if he's highly "recommendable" or not, kasi dun lang naman kami nag-meet, and di ko naman sya lubos na nakilala. But service wise, he did a good job. Jay's right upper leg was partially paralyzed after our ride home -- naka-kandong daw kasi sa kanya si Mang Noel! LOL.

****Bohol Bee Farm is one of my favorite stops. It's very much similar to Sonya's Garden. I enjoyed the farm tour conducted by Rosario. She is well-trained already. But Jay (as usual) enjoyed listening to her discussing about "dell and finnil". We opted to have the buffet, instead of ala carte, coz we aren't sure kung kelan pa kami ulit makakabalik ng Bohol. I think worth it naman yung P550/pax. My faves are: pesto, cheese, mango spreads, seafood soup, oriental salad, honey-glazed chicken, grilled marlin, honey-lemon tea, and home-made langka/caimito ice cream. Yung medyo so-so lang for me: cab-cab with pesto, pork spareribs, seafood lasagna, and muffins. If you are on budget, give priority to the salad, the chicken, the marlin, and the ice-cream.

Bohol Itinerary: All Set

Day 1 (March 3) 05:45am -- departure from Manila Domestic Airport 07:15am -- arrival at Tagbilaran Airport; pick-up by Rod (tourguide/driver) 07:30am -- breakfast at d'Buzz cafe 08:00am -- Countryside tour Mag-aso falls, Punta Cruz (Maribojoc) Watch Tower, Antequera Market, Chocolate Hills, Tarsier Sanctuary, Blood Compact, Baclayon Church, Bilar Man Made Forest, Sevilla Hanging Bridge, Clarins House, Butterfly Farm, Loboc River Cruise 07:00pm -- check-in at Alona Beach Resort 08:00pm -- Dinner at Alona Beach Pyramid Grill - the best seafood paluto; Hayahay - pizza, Mango pie ala mode; Kamalig Restaurant - good ambience, italian food; Ooops Bar - english pies; Oasis Grill Food; Alona Tropical Kinilaw na Tuna Day 2 (March 4) 05:30am -- Pick-up for Sea Tour/Island Hopping 06:00am -- Dolphin watching; breakfast at the boat 09:00am -- Balicasag island; Marine Sanctuary Snorkeling; Site-seeing Balicasag Light House 11:00am -- Lunch 12:00pm -- Island Hopping: Gakang Island and Puntod Island 02:00pm -- Back at Alona Beach 02:30pm -- Panglao Island Tour: St Agustine Church/Watchtower, Hinagdanan Cave, and Souvenir Shops 04:30pm -- Panglao Island Nature Resort: Cambagat Cave, Man-Made Island, Infinity pool/jacuzzi 07:00pm -- Dinner at PINR. 08:00pm -- Hangout at Alona Vida Bar or Ooops Bar Day 3 (March 5) 07:00am -- Bohol Beach Club 10:30am -- Pack-up, check-out 11:00am -- Pick-up by car service to Bohol Bee Farm 11:15am -- Bohol Bee Farm Tour and Lunch 02:30pm -- Drop off by car service at Tagbilaran City 02:30pm -- Check-in at Chriscentville 03:00pm -- City Tour: Rizal Plaza, Bohol Museum, Casa Rocha, Garden Cafe; Shopping at BQ Mall, ICM Mall, Agora Market 08:00pm -- dinner at Sinugba ni Abdul or Miravilla 10:00pm -- coffee/dessert at Cafe Olegario Day 4 (March 6) 07:15am -- Airport Check-in 08:45am -- Arrival at Manila Domestic Airport **Breakfast at MOA (?)