Thursday, November 29, 2012

A Very Special Love--- JIRAH ANN PINOL

someone who knows every single dirt and impurities in my life, yet stayed by my side.

i've always wanted to have someone whom i can take care of, brush her hair, pick the clothes for her to wear, talk to her when she's down, go food trippin, drive her to school, walk around the park-- I WANTED TO HAVE A LITTLE SISTER.

and guess what... i found what i've been looking for in my younger cousin.

i can't remember a day with her without laughing. and what i meant about laughing is dying in laughter!! like seriously! we make fun of almost everything!




when we're together, we turn into a major pain in the ass to our parents. late night walk in the park, eating balut in the plaza, driving around in the middle of the night without them knowing. (HAHAHA) *bad girls*









(Late night madness! saw a popper in my room and decided to use it. Manang cleaned our mess the next morning! haha sorry manang!)


did i mention about eating a lot?? YES! our tummy mourns when we're together! if they could talk they would prolly shout at us to stop munching all the food we see!! :)))





THANK YOU JESUS FOR THESE GIRLS!! <3 am="am" blessed="blessed" i="i" indeed="indeed" nbsp="nbsp" p="p" so="so">

i love you Jirah Ann Pinol!!! Late Birthday Note (since i was busy preparing your debut!) ahemmm!!




Friday, November 23, 2012

Milk Tea Baby!

i know. i know. Milk tea is too mainstream! everyone's addicted to it, count me in! i don't care if i get broke or won't eat my dinner as long as i have my milktea!


my all time favorite is the wintermelon milk tea and now i found out about the Christmas Special Drinks.. yest, i went to BGC after class.. passed by Serenitea and i ordered their Christmas Tea Cocoa Frost with Butter Finger. imagine how tasty it was with the Butter Finger? good maaan!! *must try*
pardon my mustache... and it's not "Amina" :)))

www.iloveserenitea.com

A Week of Good Time

what would you feel if everyone's out of town enjoying their "semestral break"and it seems that your school's the only one moving. well, for me... i didn't mind! instead, i partied all night! :)

with the help of a friend (who flew all the way from Davao), i enjoyed our sem break.. i mean "their" sem break.


i wasn't prepared to party but right after i picked them up in NAIA, seems like everyone's animated and party ready.. well, except me. so off we go to 7th High.

i was thinking of showing them the real "Manila" so i drove all the way from Alabang to Divisoria (good thing we had GPS from Zap's phone, which made me swoon in amazement HAHA) after an hour on the road, we finally reached Divisoria.. problem was, a long queue of cars welcomed us. so much for showing the real "Manila", we spent another 2 hours waiting for parking space... 

and of course vanity shots while waiting.


and the other shots... 



@ PALLADIUM, NEW WORLD HOTEL



my forever baby! :)) @ Spicy Fingers, Greenbelt 3



 got tired of coming home drunk and waking up with a hangover... so we had a break from the fast paced city. from The Fort to Alabang then Enchanted Kingdom and got lost in Tagaytay. i didn't even know how we got back to our house. *i know, i'm the best driver!!* P.S. DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE!!







ended my month so well!! <3 cheers="cheers" p="p">

Let's Go To The Beach-each... ALONE.


who would have thought a girl like me, who talks a lot and loves to be around with friends, decides to voyage one of the best beaches in the world... ALONE. 

So i left the house lunch time since it was just an hour away from our place. 
(i had my lunch in Discovery Shores, Station 1.. the food was soooo fridgin good man!!)
since i went there alone and i want to take a picture of my swimsuit, i asked the lifeguard to do it for me. *hassle*


after a few hours i left Boracay and asked my nephew to bring me somewhere "Aklan-ish", so we went to Sampaguita Gardens. i was kinda tired and my face was a mess but i didn't mind. =)


my Aklan trip was awesome, reunited with my Papa and my cousins. i didn't take a lot of photos, don't know why. *BTW* i gained 5lbs after a week! did i mention about living in a grocery store? yes. my room was just feet away from Allen's Mart (my cousins grocery store). 

i'm seriously gonna go back to my Mom's place! and i'm bringin my friends with me this time.



Sunday, January 22, 2012

... and they lived happily ever after, I guess?


Finally! I have been waiting for this day to come, the day when I am ready to write down my own fairy tale. I am ready to write it down because it has already came to an end—a fairy tale with a not so happy ending. I am happy and dejected at the same time. Happy because I already can tell the world how lucky I was with him and sad because my love story already came to a conclusion. The two lovely years of my life with him cannot be written in a hundred pages book or record on an 8GB memory card. In the short span of time with him, my life changed and made me a better person.
We met almost four years ago when he approached me and asked for my number but we never dated. We became “textmates” but little did I know may girlfriend pala siya so I lost interest. We stopped communicating for two years then BEYM! He messaged me in “Friendster” trying to befriend me pero ayoko e! haha. He was trying hard to get my number but I just don’t feel like giving in that easy (hard to get effect ako no!). Mid-August when my cousin texted me telling me “ate! Yung crush ko na tennis player nagtetext sa akin at nililigawan ata ako!”. I was testing the “crush” if he is serious about the courting so I told my cousin “sabihin mo sa kanya crush ko siya”, then my cousin replied “ate, pwede ba daw hingiin number mo?”. I was laughing hysterically because I know from the start that that guy is a jerk. i didn’t hesitate anymore so I allowed my cousin to give him my number since I was just fresh from a break-up.
Again, we texted and I felt I really found a friend in him. We tried to stay connected since super daming kwento and topic pag magkatext kami. I found out that he ended his past relationship and realized he was already courting me (pero hindi ako pumayag)! Haha I was in Manila and he lived back in our Province in Cotabato. We talked all night ‘til dawn and even slept together through phone. First week of October when I decided to go back home for a vacation. I was so excited to see the guy whom I talked to the phone for quite some time and ta-daaaah!! We finally met.  My smile was just can’t be explain, starring at him was like starring at the man whom I will spend the rest of my life with. Our first kiss was incredible. The first time we held hands was sensational. And the first time we were together as a couple was the best thing that happened to my life.
We decided to keep the love even we lived 770miles away. I hold on to our relationship because I know we were head over heels in love with one another and there is nothing that could separate us even my family. I was sent away from home because my family knew about us, I was just 16 then and I came from a family where “Maria Clara” kind of a lady is a must for me and my sister. Despite of the distance our love stayed and grew stronger. We see each other through skype to celebrate our monthsaries and special occasions. We had no problem with the distance but sometimes we can’t get away with misunderstandings and small fights. What I like about him was he won’t let a day pass without fixing our problem and would cry if I would not concede. He doesn’t care about his pride all he wanted was to love me without expecting something in return. He always reminds me to hold on when we are about to fall apart and be strong when everyone’s against us.
What’s difficult about our relationship is we can’t even see each other when I go home because my family won’t let me. Every time I go home it would be a challenge to meet my boyfriend. I need to sneak out to see him but being with him is worth the scolding and pinches. The forbidden love continued and the punishing worsens as well. I was betrayed and hated by my family for disobeying them. My father is one of the most honorable high-ranking official in our Province and the way he disciplines me was like joining a military training. I was slapped in the face( super hard slap that i fell into the floor) and almost threw out of the house. The anger of my father aggravate, he even pointed a gun to my boyfriend and nearly punched him in the face. But guess what? Despite of what happened, I didn’t leave my boyfriend. I was that in love, I would choose him over anybody else. We didn’t even think of breaking up. GANUN NAMIN KAMAHAL ANG ISA’T-ISA.
We see each other every 5 months and since I wasn’t allowed to go to Cotabato he was the one to come over and visit me here in Manila. We spent three to four days together and that would be enough for us. No complains. And that’s what I love about Speed and Amena. We know our problem would not last; it is just a hard examination for the two of us to test our love for each other, after these trials everything would go the way we want it to be. Happy and together. He was the best friend, boyfriend and brother anyone wants to have and I am very lucky to have him. Yes, I am selfish! I don’t want any girls touch him or even go near him! My boyfriend on the other hand does the same thing to me, protect me and love me unconditionally. He doesn’t want me to be with other guys and hang out with my friends, he wants me to stay at home and talk to him over the phone. He spoils me like her baby sister, gave me everything I want and would do anything even walk in the middle of the night just to see me and talk to me. The process went over and over again for the past year.
May of 2011, finally we were together now. He moved here in Manila to study and I transferred condo near his condo para mabawi ko yung 1 year and a half na wala ako sa tabi niya. Our first months here in Manila together were the greatest. We were inseparable! Talagang sabik kaming makita ang isat-isa. Our friends would always tell us “kayong dalawa talaga sure ako kayo na magkakatuluyan ilang oras pa lang kayong nawala namimiss nyo na agad ang isa’t-isa”. With him means no “zzzzz” moment. Masaya ako araw-araw na kasama ko siya, malayo man kami o magkasama alam kong mahal namin ang isa’t-isa. We never let a day pass without saying “I love you” even when we are fighting. We were the kind that would update each other about his day and happenings. Pag hindi nkapag-text ang isa, mag-aaway na agad kaya kailangan talga updated. We were so obsessed with each other and aminado kami doon. We had a lot of quirks and inside jokes that would not fail to make ourselves laugh. Celebrating our 2nd anniversary together was the sweetest thing. He is the kind of guy that would not be afraid to show his affection infront of the public. He would sometimes shout how much he loves me in the mall, hug me out of the blue, kiss me in the forehead and my favorite of all is when I piggyback ride him. He would text me sweet messages, tell me I’m beautiful and would tease me every time I do my favorite dance moves. On my 18th birthday, our dream came true. My family accepted him and we don’t need to sneak out just to see each other at all. The feeling of walking around without the worry is so wonderful. Eating with my family and him in our house was a picture perfect memory. That was the best birthday gift I have ever received. HE IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR!
It has been six months since he moved here and in those six months everything seems to change between us. He changed or I did. I don’t know. Sometimes I would think his love for me is starting to fade, the boy I met 2 years ago is far different from the guy I am with now. He’s not that sweet anymore, he even can last a day without texting me even for a week and that really saddens me. I did my best to take back what we have lost, the sweetness we had the first time we met. For me this is normal for a guy who is still starting to grow up and trying to find himself. He just turned 17 and I think he wants to be free, free from the orders and rules made by his girlfriend. Baka nakakasakal na ako, pero sa kanya ko naman natutunan yun e, yung mga bawala mag party, bawal lumabas kasma mga kaibigang lalaki/babae, mga ganung bagay pero hindi pumasok sa isip ko na iiwan ko siya sa sobrang higpit nya sa akin. Since the first day we spent together here in Manila our arguing became worse, we even came to the point that he would hurt me physically but I would never leave him, I would just cry my heart out and then forget what happened since he swore never to do it again and asked for forgiveness.
One day, my life seemed to stop when he told me “ayaw ko na”. My tears fell down as if it was like a cascade. I couldn’t believe what I have heard. Hindi ko alam kung bakit. He told me he found out about me dating other guys whenever we are not in good terms. I was crying and tried to find him to fix the problem. The time I saw him it was like I saw a different person, he was like a stranger to me. When our eyes met I couldn’t find the love he had for me for the past two years, the boy I knew and loved appears to be gone. We talked and I tried to revive the relationship but what sad about that day was… I WAS THE ONLY ONE FIGHTING. I knew form the moment he told me that he doesn’t love me anymore was the end of us. No expectations. I accepted the fact that he is telling the truth that he is tired and fell out of love. I chased him because I know this is the ending of my love story I have been trying to complete through out the years. I swallowed all my pride because I know I wouldn’t love other man the way I loved my boyfriend. Even how hurt I was when he was eluding me and pushing me away with all his force I still wanted to be with him. I NEED HIM, I LOVE HIM, AND HE’S EVERYTHING TO ME. The reason I have been holding on was because what I felt for him was true love and I don’t want to waste my two years with him but he was the one giving up so I let my fairy tale end the way my Prince Charming wants it to be. Ayoko na ipagsiksikan sarili ko sa taong ayaw naman sa akin dahil masakit… sobrang sakit. I don’t know what I did wrong to make him love me less and push me away but one thing I am sure of, one day, the man that God really intended for me will come to knock me off my feet and will love me more than the love that I had today.
I don’t know why I can’t cry hard enough, whatever how hard I try to cry but my tears just won’t fall. Siguro nga talaga yun na yung “one last cry ko” nung umiyak ako nung Friday habang kinakantahan ako ng “Kahit Kailan”. Living without him is like living without breathing but trying to stay alive. I have been with the best guy anyone could have. I don’t regret my two years with him at all. The greatest lesson I learned from this situation was…“Destiny is a jerk, it will make you believe that he is the right one for you but in reality it is just a decoy to distract you and make you strong so when you finally meet the right “HIM” you will be ready whatever pain and heartaches you’ll encounter”.
Ang hirap magdeny na naka-move on na ako kasi sa totoo lang mejo nanaginip pa ako. Sobrang nasaktan kasi talaga ako, masyado ko siyang minahal, hindi ko man lang inalam kung mahal niya ako. I know I’m stupid and naïve but I just loved and trying to be loved. One day I will wake up from this beautiful nightmare and would look back and laugh at this situation. I don’t regret being with him at all and thankful that a guy like him came into my life and helped me to be a better Amena Dawn.
I love him. I still love him the way I loved him 2 years ago. He is the best person I never had. I’m not even mad on the fact that he left me that way indeed I am thankful that day happened. We can’t tell the future, maybe he is really the one for me or I still need to wait for few more years for the right guy to arrive. Either way, LIFE GOES ON. 

Friday, February 18, 2011

What Happened in Baguio Will Never Ever Happen Again! :D


Do I need to unfold what happened to us in Baguio? Amidst all chaos and rah rah, I believe a lot of things did happen. The title says it all and frankly, for me, it was like hell.  Until now I can’t imagine that I did all those things, you know what I mean? Well you wouldn’t, except if you were a part of the “persecution.” Okay, I know it sounds like I’m overreacting but I know most of us who had been part of the EO feels the same way, right? (haha) 

Day zero—run, run, run, walk, walk, run and finally… run again??? “This is terrible, my mom would never let me do this and if she would, she would at least give me water and offer to carry my heavy backpack!!!” these are just some of words that came screaming off my mind while our group was running along EDSA. Basically, what we did all day long was nothing… nothing really changed from the beginning till the day ends. But it was tiring! Running the whole day with an empty stomach? That’s insane!

And then second day came and and I was kind of expecting the same thing, same tiring routine, same faces--but wait! “Why on earth are we going to the market and sell the products we bought from the market… right beside the market?” this question was boggling my mind the whole afternoon, it’s kind of a convoluted problem but get the logic? But as luck as would have it, we reached our quota which was to sell 20 units for two hours. Our shyness perished because of what we did in a public place called Burnham Park where some of us entertained people just to bring in money and the rest sold some drinks around the city. Who would have thought that teenagers who were raised and born with a silver spoon in their mouths like the most of us would degrade ourselves into doing all those dancing, singing, selling and other shameful things right in the middle a mobbed park in Bagiuo? (Its no other than the white group!) We also had to cook what we eat and we hadtuyo, sinigang na sitaw, and finally for our last dinner—salad and buffalo wings! Delicioso, eh? I would say our last stay in Baguio was the best! Since we were deprived from good food, money, cigarette and phone for two days, finally our professors gave it back to us. At that time I felt that it was greatest thing in life. The smokers looked like they won a war against ten countries. Students whose phones were used to be glued in their hands for almost forever (I guess I’m one of them) looked giddy and called people right away. And the greatest feeling of all is when we got all our cash! “Time-to-spend-all-my-money” look was all I can see in everyone’s faces. What satisfaction can we get any more than that?

But looking back I would say that each challenge was used to prepare us for the real world of business by increasing our awareness - skills - resilience. It taught us that you should go out of your comfort zone in order to accomplish something in this world. What happened in Baguio surely caught us all off-guard and none of us expected the things that came facing us so it took us right out of our comfort zones. But consequently, it also pushed ourselves to go further, and try things we never in our life thought of doing. Right after EO I almost felt like I can do anything. What happened in Baguio will surely stay in Baguio.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Wildest Place Ever! So So Subic!


I’m planning to study in Manila when I’m in college so, going to Manila while the classes have not started yet is I think idealistic. November of 2008 I decided to take entrance exams in one of the big universities in the Metro. But when I arrived in there, the entrance exams turned out to be a vacation. I know my teacher believed me and excused me from class if I say I will have exams but if they will know that I really did not take even one exam, I think they will chase me now and put me back in high school (oh! Please don’t teachers) haha. So let us suppose that my teacher is not reading my blog.  
Going to Subic is always an option for the college students who want to take a break and look for a nearest beach. But in my case basically, I had my first tri to Subic with my Family. Since my dad was looking for a beach and a place where he could rest, we asked for places and someone told us about all hands beach resort. We stayed there during our first night but transferred to an apartment that looks like an igloo. The caretaker explained why. She told us that those were the houses of the soldiers long time ago (I even learned from my trip haha). Back to the escapade. Behind the apartment where we are staying is a place called “Tree Top Adventure” (www.treetopadventuresubic.com) that’s a place where you can tour the forest using cable car and you can also try their zip line. A restaurant that gives unique cooking techniques and delicious foods is just near by the place, but it took us an hour before eating haha.  In our last day in Subic we went to Zoobic Safari, maan!! That was so amazing! Most of the animals there were the ones I have never seen in my entire life! We also had a tiger and turkey encounter…pretty scary but fun! I assure you that! You should try this one! You will not regret spending your money there. J

Tagay! Tay!

 










My daddy is fond of traveling whether in the Philippines or out of the country. In his work he was given a free stay in Taal Vista Hotel 
in Tagaytay, so my dad brought us there, it was my first time in Tagaytay so I was so excited for the trip. From NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport), it took us almost two hours to reach the place. I realized the place was elevated so it was cold, I also found out that Taal Volcano can be seen over our hotel, I really don’t know that Taal Volcano is in Tagaytay (haha).  We ate in a restaurant that offers the unique fish that can be seen in the waters surrounding the volcano. The food was pretty good actually and I ate a little more. Going down to the Volcano, people there will chase you even in rain or shine just so you would rent their boat to have a tour in the main crater of the volcano. When you’re in that place, it seems that you are on the top of the world because everything around you is overlooking. We spent three days in Tagaytay and that three days away from home is super fun! I know you’re planning to go there too. Who would not? Right?

Celebrating My Birthday in "North Pole"


I’m turning seventeen and I need to go to the coolest places in the Philippines before I turn legal age and travel outside the country. Now I’m in my second year in college, basically my parents allow me to travel on my own now. I planned going out of town with my college buddies and luckily one of my closest friends gave me something for my special day and it was a free trip to Baguio. I felt so giddy even if my birthday was still a month away.
September came and it was our first term break in school, after our event in school we started our six-hour travel to Baguio. We had a good sleep over the whole trip and when we woke up we grabbed our jacket lickety-split because it is really like subzero.  Even if we were so tuckered out with the travel, the party still started. On our first day in the “Summer Capital of the Philippines” , we  first visited the famous Mine’s View, we bought some of their goods offered and rode the cutesy pink pony. We heard about how chillaxing “Camp John Hay” was and then we went there and we really did enjoy the place. Since we were in Baguio and we love strawberry so we went to the market and procure the best strawberries and some products they offer.

In our four-day stay in the “coolest” place in our country we made lots of memorable things in our life. From shopping the best and affordable bags and clothes and having the best bonding time for my friends. The whole experience was a total fun and I would be glad if that would happen all over again. 

Roses Are Red Bora is Blue!



This is the continuation of my story when I was in Aklan. So as what I have said we planned to have a swim in one of the greatest beach in Asia. Before reaching Boracay, from Kalibo we rode a van bound to Caticlan and from there you need to cross over the waters by a pumped boat until you will finally reach the place where everyone wants to be—Boracay. I am not expecting too much about staying into a luxurious hotel because all I’m craving for was the white sand and the clear waters. Right after we arrived in Bora we rented a private house recommended by a friend. When all was set and done, my sister and I hopped to different places and walk around the island. It was thirteen years since I last saw Bora; I was like a baby then so I could not remember anything about my first time in Bora. Now I’m big enough I can appreciate the place and I really did love Bora since then. After all the overnight hopping in Bora even if we only had a short span of time I really had a great time in the beach. I know I don’t need to tell you this things coz it’s pretty obvious that most of us know about this place but I would just like to brag about my own experience. Hope you’ll have great time in the blue waters too.
this is my mommy and me in Bora


I Know That You Don't Know--Bungulanon Falls


It’s been a while since we had our last bonding moments with my cousins, so what we have in mind was to meet up in a place where we can have swimming. One of my cousins introduced their farm in Magpet, North Cotabto, which is near Bungulanon falls. As far as I could remember it was a weekend of October when we had our road trip to Magpet. The first thing we did there was to have fishing then grilled the fishes we caught in my tito’s pond. After our fine lunch we dived like blazes in the cold waters. The water was so cold that we could have our warm soft drinks be chilled.

Whenever we have visitors from outside the country or someone who have never been in Magpet, this is one of the places we recommend if they have been dying to see a beautiful “naturey” place. This falls is just one of those wonders of the Philippines that wasn’t explored yet by the sightseers. I ‘m proud to say that I have been here and experienced the beauty of Magpet, North Cotabato. 

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

My First Time in the “Queen City of the South”



April 29, 2009—my sister graduated in University of the Philippines Cebu City with the degree of AB Political Science. That was also my sojourn moment before going to college. Thinking that attending my sister’s graduation could be my vacation as well and since my family was in Manila that time, I traversed Cebu City alone. Traveling alone for an hour is dull as dishwater but the view helped me survive the rest of the hours.
It was a quite rainy when I arrived in Cebu so I took a cab from the airport to our hotel.
I was deprived from malls and shopping for all my life since I stayed in a place where malls are not much important. The first mall I’ve gone in was in Ayala. Compared to other malls, this mall has an edge from the malls in the city. But I was not really after the malls; I heard something about the temple in Beverly Hills that was made by the Cebu's substantial Chinese community. The place was really amazing and literally breathtaking. After my tour, i decided to hunt some foods in the city. I bought their famous delicacies like dried mangoes and otap, but I enjoyed more with their daing. Cebu is indeed a very nice place to stay in because I can see how productive the place is. I believe that someday I would go back to the place where I first saw a real “city”. 

Where My Heart Belongs...Dumaguete

I have been hearing this story from my sister several times and i'm sure that this story of hers can be helpful in my blog. So the story goes like this...


"It’s been almost two years since I last visited Dumaguete—and yet I’ve never stopped wanting to go back. I left my heart in that city. The good memories I have with college friends in Silliman were something worth re-living and the beauty of that place lingers in my mind ever so often. 

The community that Dumaguete provides is no like any other. I have yet to find a place in the country that could match the warmth and bliss that is, in my opinion, only found in places like Dumaguete. It has so many breath-taking and picturesque places, plus, the people are so friendly it would not take so long to feel at home there. It is a melting pot of different races and cultures, that’s why it’s so lovely to see the people live in harmony.

Silliman University would probably be the city’s top attraction. You would want to adapt the lifestyle of any Sillimaninan—laid back and easy going. Shorts and flip-flops are the norm and the stress that the metropolis is abundant with is non-existent in that place. It’s a perfect place to unwind and enjoy the beauty of life. From sun-set walks at the Boulevard, to enjoying hearty conversations in first-class coffee shops, Dumaguete is overflowing with reasons why you should come and spend a week or two enjoying life there."

Did You Know Where the Party Started?--Hala Bira! Aklan!


I have been telling too much about Mindanao, now let us see what Visayas has to offer. When we say Visayas things that always come in our mind is; Boracay, Chocolate Hills, Bohol Island, Magellans Monument in Mactan, Daing, Dried mangoes and many more. But let us dig deeper to explore more about this one of the wonderful place in the Philippines.
This place is known because of the famous island of Boracay and where the street dancing really originated from . I had a chance to stay in the place where you can see unconditional tourist attraction and I can say that Aklan is one of those places that people should go to. In my short stay in that beautiful place, I have experienced the best festival ever. My mom is a pure Aklanon so we decided to visit my mom’s family in Aklan. Mommy told me that Aklan was the one who started the dancing in the street with their face painted with black . I realized how great the place is, I’m not being biased here but I really do adore Aklan.
So the story goes like this, it was January of 2008 when my mom told us to pack our things and prepare our bikinis ‘coz we are going to Bora. Who would scruple to go to the cut above the rest beach resort? NO ONE!! So, off we go! We had a connecting flight from Cebu Airport then proceeded to the teensy airport of Aklan. My dad’s political friends welcomed us and we opt to have some seafood luncheon in a restaurant near the airport (I forgot the name though). The food was extremely good! You must try their fresh oyster and imbao, it’s their specialty. We rented an old small apartment near my granpa’s house for the reason that all the hotels in Aklan were fully booked, lessons learned? We should have reserved rooms earlier.


It was the 19th of January then and it is the day of Aklan’s festival called “Ati-Atihan”. So, before going to the beach we planned to join the festival first because we were so agog about it. The festival had a street dance where all the barangays in Aklan had their own group of people dancing with their face painted. After the sun settled the party started. This is the time where people in the street join a bunch of dancing people that was going around the plaza, it was called “Sad-sad”. It was so fun because people would not care about how you dance all they want is to whoop the festival up. The party lasted until morning, no brawling happened in the celebration even most of the people there were drunk. 
In my brief visit in my mom's place, i will never forget the warm smiles from the locals even if it was more than three years ago. Now I'm looking forward of going back to the place where the greatest mom is hail from. 

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

The Hidden Wonders of Kidapawan--Paniki Falls


It was April of 2008 when my friends and I decided to take a break from school. We thought of having an adventure since we were heaved by so many heaps of school works for the whole school year. All of us agreed to hike to Paniki Falls in Balabag, Kidapawan City and the place, which my dad suggested. One of my friends got an idea of bringing someone who is familiar and had been to the place.
From the city we rented three “sky-lab”(a single motorcycle with an extended seat at the back), four people each motorcycle and 70pesos back and forth for the fair. The road is pretty steep and you should expect a bumpy lumpy ride. 
Sitting in front of the driver’s seat was so much fun but you will experience body pains aftermath but all of the pain is worth it =)
So let me start on how we got to that bizarre falls of the city.
Going to the falls would take you an hour or more because there are no way you can enter the woods except for your feet. We passed by tiny rivers and bumped into those little-bitty leeches in the waters (it doesn’t hurt). What we did to get rid of those slimy creatures was to slosh them with alcohols. The course was really challenging, it made us cross the rivers and made us climb up then slide down. The hike was like a roller-coaster ride it was scary but fun. When we got there all we did was stare on the mind-boggling waterfalls and plunged tout de suite into the freezing waters.
Seeing the sky getting dusky made us start packing our things up and hopped back to the small town.The whole adventure was the best and unforgettable, it was indeed a great experience. 






Monday, November 29, 2010

Island Garden City of Samal--Davao's Finest Beach Resort


"The Urban Center In A Garden Setting"--as what people often say and I do agree with that. This is a three in one vacation land, an Island, a Garden and a City. It is indeed the place that you are looking for. Samal Island has 46 different resorts, i can't name all because there are tons of them. In Samal Island you can have different kinds of adventures namely; spelunking, rappelling, mountain climbing, snorkeling. You can also have camping and tour around the island.
Last October 16, 2009, after 5 months of being apart from my family, we had our family bonding and celebrated my mom's **th birthday(yes she will not let us tell it). So anyway, we traveled 30mins. by means of ferry boat that carries car (but the island have its own bus for the tourist) from the city proper until we reached Samal Island. It was dark and we don't have any idea where to stay in and which road to take. While driving in the middle of the pitch-black road, we saw a lighted signboard saying "Blue Jaz Beach Resort and
photo from bluejaz.net

Waterpark". It looked nice and i heard about the longest water slides in the Philippines are here. As we entered the resort, it was so peaceful and somebody from the resort warmly greeted us even if it was almost midnight. We rented one Fiji Style Cottage which costs us 3,500php + 10% service and one Jazmin Room which costs us 2,500php. More cheaper rooms are available too.



In our two-day stay in Blue Jaz, my sister and i who stayed in Manila for six months really had a skedaddle from the smoke and pollution in the city. My family also had a great escape from work and problems even if its not that long.



Let's Explore the Beauty of Mindanao--KIDAPAWAN

Kidapawan is known for Mount Apo and it's abundance of fruits and highland springs. In this city you can see gazillions of fruits, trees, falls, animals and beautiful places combined. It is called city but it is the most unpolluted metropolis in the local. I can say that Kidapawan can be one of the tourist destination that the Department of Tourism help hullabaloo and be known as one of the best in the country.

The best place to have family bonding, nature encounter, mountain trekking and swimming without getting eewie tan lines is Lake Agco, a resort that is just like your favorite coffee that you can choose whether to have it cold or hot. I have been here for like a million times and I have seen this resort change into a finest tourist trap.



Going up in the lake is not that hard especially when you have your own vehicle. But for those who don’t have their own car or for those who want to have an adventure before reaching the foot of Mount Apo, you can ride their transportation called “habal-habal” it is a single motorcycle with an extended seat at the back. It caused us before 50 pesos per person. Entrance fee is not a problem, it only cause 15 pesos per person, very affordable right?

If you wish to have an overnight in the resort, there are rooms available it depends on the room you rent, the last time we rented a room it caused us 500pesos and it is worth it, no need to have an air-conditioned room since the weather there is always cold. Nipa hut or a cottage costs around 100-300, you can also put up your own tent. The resort also allows the vacationers to cook and grill their own foods.
This is the photo outside the resort and the small nipa hut is where you pay your entrance fee for the Jacuzzi.
The Jacuzzi is located near the entrance and you only need five pesos to experience the hot steam and Jacuzzi. 


This photo on the left is the way going down to the Jacuzzi.













The main Lake is located outside the resort and it is open for everyone, no fees needed. To reach the main Lake you need to hike for i think ten minutes, but you will never feel the tiredness because of the trees you around you while walking.




















blagggss!

this is my story. i know it's not that interesting. but i assure you all readers that maybe one of you will find this story amazing. it's either you who's reading this now or the person who will visit my blog spot next to you. ;)