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A FILIPINA MOTHER & A TRAVELER DISCOVERING PHILIPPINES ONE ISLAND AT A TIME.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

The OVERLY Manipulative Catholic Church

I am born catholic. My beliefs are nothing but mere fact that God exists - nothing more, nothing less. But, that doesn't mean that I have to go to church every freaggin' sunday and hear these hypocrites spread God's word.

Is there really something wrong with population management? Haven't they seen enough children in the streets dying because they don't have anything to eat because of poverty. Their parents abandoning them; family of 15 here and there squats in the suburbs of manila?

Lack of knowledge about family planning and poor education. And now, that someone is trying to solve these problems that's the time these damasos cuts in. I mean c'mon do you guys literally take this-- "humayo kayo at magpakarami." and if so, then you don't care at all whether these poor kids of 15 or so gets hungry everyday, living the life in the streets instead of going to school, or worse be killed of either doing drugs or whatever because their parents couldn't raise them all at once just so we could spread the word "magpakarami".

The more our population grows the higher its people suffers. High unemployment rate, high child mortality, health risks and so much more.

Kabit-kabit yan ika nga nila. So, Damasos give us a big favor BACK OFF and try cleaning up your own yard instead!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Cut Me Some Slack

Sometimes I wish people will just cut me some slack. Why can't they just let me do things my way, figure things on my own and let me learn from my mistakes. Ok, people do make mistakes, I mean c'mon we're not perfect but I don't want to be on probation forever just because of the mistake I committed a long time ago.

This sucks big time. And I'm so tired of making efforts. I mean all they can think of is I'm never going to change. All they can see are the bad things that I did before.

I'm tired. I'm tired of this bullshit. I'm tired of the same arguments every day.

They just can't do this to me forever.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

My Favorite Portrait



Out of all the pictures I took in my 4 times visiting Kapurpurawan, this is one photo I like the most. I love the clouds above, it compliments with the blue sky and the white, white rock surrounding us added with a bunch of happy, photoholic travelers and a very enthusiastic coordinator - ehem that’s me who took this picture. :)

Photography by: LA "poms" Pomicpic

Scary Night

January 13th, 10PM I turned off my laptop and crawled up to bed; it's time for me to sleep. Heavy rain pouring outside and I can feel the wind as I lie down. Minute after minute the wind gets stronger...and as I listened to the pouring rain I fell asleep.

12:55AM, I heard a loud whistling sound outside. I checked my phone and it's no longer charging. Something tells me the power has gone out. I lift my head a bit and turned and looked outside my window. The wind was stronger and so as the whistling sound. I saw the trees waving from left to right. I had to pull my bed away from the window and removed my bed sheet. I took my phone, my laptop (I panicked that my things might get blown away...) and flashlight. I didn't have to close the door, the wind took care of it for me. I sat down at the stairs. My mom looked for a second and I told her; I couldn't sleep I woke up and my face is all wet. I went to the sala and my sisters came down quickly and scared. I sat down again at the stairs as we all listened to the strong blowing wind and the loud whistle sound its making. I was like "Lord, help us get through this..."

It was a scary night. 3:45am, the winds faded. I don't hear the whistling sound anymore. But when I got up to my room, well it was a disaster. The windows were half-closed so my bed is all wet and dirty. I had to spend the night at the sofa with my dog beside me.

We were forced to change the bed sheets the next day. We literally cleaned the house, from changing the curtains, to throwing every junk we can find. We literally CLEANED our house. Every family in our lovely neighborhood was busy cleaning their garages, cars, swiped off the leaves and fallen tree branches everywhere, kids running around because school was suspended, husbands repairing their broken windows, antennas, roofs and what have they, teens helping their moms get fresh water, and men selling bangus and tilapia for 30/kilo from the overflowed fishponds.

2PM of Wednesday, I was bummed. I was lying in my bed enjoying my new sheet but there's nothing else for me to do. No power. No phone. No Internet. What a bum? I forced myself to listen to fm radio for as long as the battery can. Switched from one fm station to another...it was a boring day and I'm still coughing...

I'm glad they turned the power back on by 7 in the evening; I can go back to watching my favorite series. :)

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Clarity, No más de drama

I have only spoken about this to 3 people, one I only mentioned it through email, the other 2, I talked to over the phone. It has been a stressing June for me yet I was able to get through this debacle. I have completely been silent since I quit my job because my number 1 priority is to take a peaceful rest after 4 1/2 grueling years of struggle in the company that has turned its back on me. Did I sounded ungrateful? Not really. Many people who I entrusted my TRUST have failed me worst betrayed me. Yet, I'm still here standing tall proud of my decision and still grateful for those 4 years. I mean it wasn't so bad at all. Not until I left.

I never thought I would get myself involved between two powers that would cause me my career just because I'm doing my job. I never thought I would find myself battling alone to regain my confidence but fell apart in the end. I kept telling myself I am not a quitter. I simply gave myself a favor of not having to deal with such mess caused by their incompetence. I don't want to keep arguing with my boss about how I am taking my job seriously and yet everything is falling apart because of the team's bad mentality - that is to put each other down if you're against them.

These kind of people are the perfect example of why our country is what it is today. I've seen too much drama from them that I couldn't take it anymore. I quit my job to save myself from these people who tried to ruin the work I've done for the past 4 years. The reputation and respect I've worked hard to earn from the people I worked with.

And so I ignore their dramas and statuses in facebook. I know it's about me guys...so you don't have to deny it. But, I don't have time to deal with tacky people..please there are a lot of things that are more important than reading your shits..LOL

4 months of traveling has done a great job in keeping me sane. It has given me a lot of ideas and I even had time to make plans for my future. I was able to search for myself and be positive at all cause. I've seen beautiful things, met beautiful pleasant people and learned a great deal of respect to everything that surrounds me. I learned to be more grateful for the things He gave me. I feel more blessed with my family, and friends who have stuck with me all the way. These tacky people can say whatever they want to say about me, I'm completely ok with it. They can't harm me now...

Now I am much stronger and confident about myself. I've got my family and true friends that I can turn to anytime.

Everything is perfect now.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

The Island at the TOP

Have you ever looked at the Philippine Map?
Have you ever thought of exploring the parts of Northern Luzon?
Ever wondered what it feels like being on the top of the mountain overlooking the South China Sea?

That was me 15years ago. Wondering what it feels like knowing that you are at the edge of the Philippine Island.

This is me now exploring my home country one trip at a time.


But before I get to this part of the country, me and my friends had our overnight stay in Anguib Cove which is connected to Cagayan. It was low tide when we got there. My friends Sealdi, Lallie, Maya and I explored Anguib. Packed with our life's stories on how we have been was the most exciting part of exploring. It was the perfect moment for us to catch up with each other! :)

My good friend, Lallie shared her idea about HDR which had me curious and interested. Here are some of my HDR shots. These are just trial shots. Hopefully and eventually I will learn all this stuff as I keep on doing photography. :)



My first HDR shot

and this is the other:


You'll see the other two here: http://heregoesresuri.tumblr.com

I had fun doing HDR. I feel like I need to learn more about this stuff as I try to up my level in photography. Again, lots to learn and I know there's a lot of time ahead of me. :)

Ok, exploring islands will not be complete without discovering its own Lighthouse. Yes. Cape Engano, located in the Palaui Island. Built by the Spaniards in December 1892, Cape Engano till now plays a vital role in the navigation and communication for ships traversing the Babuyan Channel despite of it being abandoned. (check http://heritageconservation.wordpress.com)

What amazes me most is the fact that it sits beautifully on top of the hill where I stand. (refer to the first photo above).

This is my shot of the island from the top.
Sorry, i'm no good in 360
° photography


and here's Cape Engano, in its ruined state though


After exploring the island, we headed back to the town to check-in get washed. Of course, for people like me who loves to bask in the sun headed to the beach and did some bodyboarding. I can do some long rides now! So, I'm saving up my money to buy the bodyboard I want.

Next up is DSS trip with Sealdi, Lallie and Maya!

There you have it! This is the northeastern most frontier of the Philippines!

For details of this trip you may check our website
http://www.travelfactor.org

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Caramoan, the Ultimate Island!

Hot.

One word that is very common as summer starts to sink in the skins of Pinoys. Every summer, I feel nothing but proud to have been born in a tropical country. Getting to the beach is just an hour and a half away from the city madness and you can choose whether to go south or further north.

But we chose the farther south!

Hidden in the southern part of Camarines is a group of islands not known to many people and we call it Caramoan.

Virginity defined, Caramoan is not just your typical beach. From one island to another, you’ll be amazed by its breathtaking mountains, long sand bars that appear when it’s low tide, and freshly caught sea foods that will surely stuffed your tummies out!

As part of the Bicol region, you can expect the great taste of bicol’s finest delicacies! Number 1 in our menu is their famous Laing, combined with Kinunot na Pagi, Calamares (HUGE RINGS of CALAMARES!) and inihaw na pampano to complete our ultimate beach bumming experience!

We sat comfortably in the sand with our beach toys as we gazed up to the sky admiring the bright stars that lighted the whole paradise. We celebrated the birthday of Tikoy with 4 litters (correct me if I’m wrong) of mixed GranMa, Ginebra, and Tang.

After a day and a half of island hopping, we headed to the town to check in and get washed. We got bored during the night at the town and figured we could use a little game called Patintero. I never thought we get to play this again. It was Boys vs. Girls. As the game progresses, spectators arrived. From the locals to our fellow travel buddies laughing, cheering for us and of course, we won the game.

I am never this relaxed my entire life. I feel blessed for meeting Tanya,Igo, Mira, Japs, Ansly, Eric, Glen, Ally and Edge just to name a few who I’ve bonded during the trip.

And of course, how could I ever forget my old buddies Ver, Nathz, Eugene, Don, Tyx, Trish and Reg that made this trip even more exciting!

What makes the destinations more beautiful are the people you’ve bonded along the trip.

Caramoan, you are on my list of one of the best tourist destinations in the country!

Here’s for you!

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Hachiko

Finally the movie my sisters and I have been waiting for.

Hachiko

This March. :)

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Free Fall

NO FEAR.

NO PAIN. NO GAIN.

I didn't know what made me decide to go for it last Saturday. I was watching people free falling from a 60ft tree and was curious on how is it like at the top, hung waiting for "Kuya" to drop you without even a warning.

I've been starring at this tree the whole time when I finally decided to give it a try. What's life without thrills anyway?!




Wednesday, January 27, 2010

2 MINUTES

So much for plugging..LOL!

I just got an email from a friend asking if I could share one of my adventures. And there we were at R.O.X High Street doing the interview and the rest is history. (of my life!).

I felt weird when I was about to see the whole video. Was conscious whether did I do it right? did I make it perfect? and was I looking great despite the fact that I only had 3-hrs of sleep coming from shift that weekend.

Honestly, the whole experience was a blast. Here I get to share my story of where I've been and snapshots of my trip. (that I'm sure you've seen them over in my blogs and albums). And there I was, watching myself in national tv and all the thrills, adventures and experiences paid off.

It feels good showing to everyone how beautiful our country is and share the things that i love doing. It is not about how many minutes of exposure on TV, it's the previews of my photographs that makes it all worth it.

I know this is all over my facebook, twitter and tumblr but I just feel like blogging this.




Hope you get your chance to share your story. :)

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Piling up!

I’ve been wondering lately how to start my year. 2009 was a year of fun-filled adventures and I certainly want more. There are destinations that I am proud to brag about, experiences that are unforgettable, met new friends, and disappointments which made life more interesting. BTW, I won’t be going to China anymore due to some unforeseen events. But to China or not still my calendar is slowly filling up with trips that I am so looking forward to.

This year, it will be much, much more. I can’t wait to hit the road again with my friends, have fun, take wonderful photos of landmarks, beaches, people and simply just make a memory out of it. I will continue to explore Pinas and blog, tweet, and fb – any social networking alike about it. It will increase my tumblarity in my tumblr site, I’ll be busy again writing my blog for my blogger site and now that I got my iphone, surely your tweetdecks will be flooded by resurigurl’s twitpics that will give you idea about where was I last weekend.

So to kick start the year here is a small draft of my calendar of trips at least for the first 4 months.

This coming February 13th I will be starting this habit “out for the weekend” again as what I did last year. I will be going to Clark to witness the Hot Air Balloon Festival. Seeing hot air balloons floating in the sky should be an amusement to everyone.

Photo c/o Marv

They say that summer will start early due to the El Nińo phenomenon. So where do you think people will go then huh? THE BEACH of course!
March is LET’S GO TO THE BEACH month for me along with April and May. :D
Caramoan is next on my list. I must admit to you that I am uberly excited for this trip. I’ve heard a lot of wonderful things about this place from people who have been there and I definitely want to start my summer here!

photo from www.millionface.com

I don’t know where I will be for the rest of March so let’s jump to the month of April where I will be in Ilocos for the 3rd time. Yes I know, I know, OA. I just want to make it a habit of dropping by Ilocos at least once a year. Just that! :D

photo by me!

And there’s also Pandanon Island in BOHOL,




photo by setiritter

Dumaguete, Siquijor, Sumilon and El Nido which of course needs a careful planning.

Again, slowly these destinations are piling up on my list and I’m excited to explore them all!
I can’t wait to lakbay PINAS again! :D

Friday, January 1, 2010

2009 Best Travel Snapshots

It has been a great year for me. I was faced with so many challenges and yet, I managed to end the year with life's happy memories of people whom I met along the way, foods that I will crave over and over again, places that I never imagined existed, and adventures that are surely worth remembering.

As I traditionally go over with my 5000 pictures (YES! of course not all of them are uploaded in the web) of people and scenics, here, I give you my travel snapshots of 2009. I hope that in this blog, I will not only inspire you to love our very own, but also encourage you to explore them all!

January 2009 - Conquer Mt. Pinatubo
As you all know, I have been an avid, loyal fan and friend of Travel Factor. Why? Because they make travel so easier for me. I started '09 by trying out their first trip of the year, Conquer Mt. Pinatubo and this isn't the first time I tried their "CONQUER" trip. Wait do I need to explain CONQUER? Ok, to make it simple - this is Travel Factor's hiking/trekking/spelunking/caving trips. Last year, I had my first taste of spelunking and cave connection in Sagada with my best friend, Nonie. Anyway, trekking Pinatubo is never that easy. Talk about my bulges shaking while I pass by the boulders, streams that smells sulfur, hopped every rock, so on and so forth. There is no easy way to the Paradise. You have to earn it with every sweat, cramps and thirst before you can finally see the paradise hidden within.
Here she is...


Zambales: two times!
I can't believe I went to Zambales twice in the same year. Well, sabi nga nila kung GALA ka GALA KA TALAGA! I love Zambales simply because it's just near Manila. Exploring North has never been this exciting!

This next photo shows an extraordinary sunset in Pundaquit with a view of an island from a far.


Capones, ala Sound of Music. Well it's not exactly as the Alps though, but I just want to make "pilit" coz I really think there's a similarity. LOL


February - Apo Reef
This, this I gotta say is my most memorable trip of 2009. It is a place where I learned a lot about sea turtles, corals, baby sharks, manta rays, and other wonders of the deep. It is the place where I first learned to snorkle. (YES YES I know, chaka! but that's how it is!). This photo was taken from the top of lighthouse. Imagine it that high...oh! Let's not also forget sand bugs. I had my share of experience, having bitten by these puny creatures. It took 3-days after the trip before these little rash show up...and mind you they're really ITCHY!


Pandan Island
UBBE+SNUBA trip of Travel Factor. After an overnight stay in Apo Reef, Pandan Island was next. If you want a quiet, no night life, no party whatsoever, Pandan is your ideal island. Like Apo Reef, Pandan is also rich in marine life. People here have so much respect for the life under the sea. They even help breed sea turtles "pawikan" because, like polar bears, Pawikan are also in the list of endangered species. Too bad I didn't get to take pawi's photo myself but seeing it in real life is just surreal.

This photo was taken at 6:33AM.


Baler - Surfviving the waves!
Surfing is not really my thing. I get really scared just seeing the 7 to 10ft wave storming in front of me. But life would be boring if you don't dare try it. I dared myself but that was last year. LOL! But nothing would please me more than helping a friend in need. Am I a TF Assistant in the making? I dunno. Anyway, thanks Leia for the 2-peat. I had a great time! :) We all had a great time!


Ilocos - Photoholics!
Did I mentioned Ilocos is my favorite place in the Philippines? I think I did! Hahaha! And what's life in Ilocos without Bagnet? Empanada? Longganisa? c'mown!
And what is traveling to Ilocos, without paying a visit to Bangui Windmills? BORING!
Here it is, need not to say it. As Marv commented in my multiply blog, Ilocos is just picturesque!


April - Calaguas "The Happy Beach"
Ah! This beach has lived up to its reputation as being the Happiest Beach in the country! Think of Boracay 20 years ago, or let's make it 25 yrs ago?! LOL! No resorts, no bars and restos JUST bring your own TENT! he he he


Ocular - Camarines Norte
Now, I just couldn't remember the name of this island but is surely is promising!


October - Break!
Masskara
Whoah! Again, again, WHOAH! My first Masskara festival experience and it was a blast! It was even more exciting when I got to taste that tasty, uber delisyoso Chicken Inasal. Walang PALYA!

This photo shows a group of performers dancing with their mask on. One performer told me that his mask weighs 2-3 kilos. Imagine, that weight on your head, covering your face?!?!?! AMAZING!


November - Last beach bum for 2009!
Northern Cebu
An on the spot interview with Sports Unlimited (Ehem Bern, I will never ever forget that! When is it going to air? hehehe!), A charades with a twist, An eat all you can/eat all you want restos, and islands that are breathtakingly beautiful.

Bantayan Island


Malapascua


Virgin Island


There you have it! A year full of trips and adventures!

More trips on 2010 and beyond!
Happy New Year!