a little sunshine

today is not only a national holiday (ninoy aquino day) in the philippines, it's also a stormy day. typhoon maring is wreaking havoc in manila and other parts of luzon, endangering the lives of so many people there. i just pray that they heed the warnings of their local officials and evacuate as soon as possible while there is still time and sunshine. the incessant rains are causing everyone quite a strain in their rescue operations.

well, off to some little sunshine in an otherwise dreary day. i was so amused to find an old picture of my husband in a webpage while i did some narcisurfing (to include that of my hubby hehehe). look what i found! 

http://www.queenchesca.20megsfree.com/custom4.html

this is one of the few parts of my hubby's life that i didn't know having met him later in life. so nice to see him in his younger days (Batangas Blades) with fans. better check the link and find out what the blogger had to say about him. ;)

it has been awhile since i've been in quezon city as a commuter. the last time i toggled from FX to jeepney to bus to cab to trike and all things in between and back was when i reviewed for the bar examinations at the UP Law Center in 1998. wow, that's 15 years ago! oh well, to make the long story short, i didn't make it in the bar exams, and have since carved a niche elsewhere. :)

anyway, it was a journey filled with great intentions (curative education for children with special needs) but it was likewise fraught with apprehensions especially when it came to traveling to, around, and from quezon city. but what do you know...angels were everywhere!

day 1 - iloilo-manila

arrived at the NAIA on time! but oh wow...the wait at the airport taxi cab terminal took me an hour! i could practically still remember that i was seated to a couple to my right and an american to my left. we were like playing trip to jerusalem as we transferred from chair to chair as our turn approaches.

the driver was a talker and he has a heart for special children (he supports a special child) so our conversation was a great one. i was so glad to have helped him about referring the child to a developmental pediatrician for assessment. 

with a backpack and a big bag, i arrived at the senate of the philippines garbed in jeans, a t-shirt, and raincoat, with only my fuchsia lipstick reminiscent of my corporate look in days gone by. ( i used to work in this place :)).  it was a good thing one of the guards remembered me so even if i looked suspicious, i was led in after they checked on my bags, of course. i went to the office of senator bong marcos where my friend works and also went to the office of senator serge osmena where my other friend works and met up with another friend who works at the gsis, who used to work at the senate, too! we ended up dining at cafe breton where i indulged in my favorite - la pinay (dessert crepe with mangoes, chocolate, and ice cream).

at cafe breton, sm mall of asia . photo courtesy of sheryl

day 2 - fairview to seameo-innotech to UP teacher's village

i used to hear jokes about fairview being referred to as "far-view" and i experienced it myself to validly say that indeed, yes, it is quite far from everywhere! via cab, it took me around 15 minutes to reach the venue of our workshop and it costs around php155.00. but the route was so easy coming from fairview because all you have to do is travel straight along commonwealth avenue and then make a right to PNRI.

i spent the entire day at the workshop and had lunch at ayala technohub by default. (we were not allowed to have lunch at the cafeteria of seameo because the food for the employees weren't enough so we had to make a 15-minute trek to the nearest food place). lunch at bon chon chicken where i ended up eating bulgogi. :)

one of my artworks at the workshop

after the workshop, my kind-hearted seatmate offered me a ride to UP teacher's village where i was going to meet a friend for dinner at their house. the thing was, she got stuck in traffic from makati, and i was bored waiting at seattle's best coffee along matalino road (where i had sea salt caramel mocha) and explored the area instead just walking around. pretty soon i already found myself at the philippine heart center so i literally had to go back before i get lost! i went to a korean grocery store, dropped by 7-11 but still no sign of my friend. eventually, i took a trike to their house upon her advice to meet her husband and two lovely girls. she arrived around an hour later still! we feasted on her husband's cooking (soup with ribs, sausages, shrimps, and ginger tea). i had so much fun playing with the little girls so time flew so fast! they brought me to fairview.

day 3 - fairview to seameo-innotech to rockwell to airport

for 2 nights, i stayed at the house of my friend in fairview. it was eid ul fitr last friday so my friend finally had the time to have her driver escort me to the venue. arriving at seameo, i immediately asked one of the organizers if there's anyone going to makati after the workshop and lo and behold i got myself a ride! during lunch, it was yellow cab (spaghetti) for us, again at the ayala technohub. after the workshop ended, i got a free ride to the powerplant mall where i met up with other friends from the senate at a tea place called twg. they serve dinner, too! i had their lasagna infused with morroccan mint tea and chocolate tea.

with my cup of chocolate tea

the culinary expert and the lawyer

we capped the night by having another cuppa (this time a hot choco for me) at ucc one rockwell before they brought me to the airport.

all's well that ends well?

well, just before powerplant mall closed my shoe broke and i had to buy a new pair at the trunk show! i arrived at NAIA at 12 midnight and my boarding time was 4 hours later so...i slept on the floor of the terminal because the pre-departure area wasn't open yet. after i checked-in, i slept again on the chairs this time. oh well, when the plane touched down, my husband and son fetched me. i'm home.

 

it's thursday and there's usually nothing momentous that's happening on a thursday for me except that at Maya Playgarden, thursday is one of the most eventful days in the kindergarten. we have our nature walk and baking every thursday and our weekly staff meeting. 

well, i've always wanted to do my own take on "throwback thursday" but i never really had the chance to do it. chatting with my husband just awhile ago, whose nickname is tonyboy, i decided that my own TBT should read "tonyboy thursday." well, for obvious reasons: i couldn't possibly do a "throwback tonyboy!" :)

a year ago, together with my family, my hubby and i went on a trip in the northern part of the philippines. it was such a memorable vacation that albeit filled with misadventures it was still a great adventure nonetheless! there is so much to tell about our week-long road trip but for now...let this "tonyboy thursday" be a highlight of our....

shared love for travel! at the ilocos norte capitol where the song "pamulinawen" was playing over the megaphone.

shared love for adventure! at the cape bojeador lighthouse, ilocos norte. the view from the top was exhilarating!

shared love for family, fun, and food! at the paoay church for a photo-op before we gorged on the famous pinakbet pizza at herencia cafe.

at the bangui windmills, bangui bay, ilocos norte.

simply a shared love. ♥ TBT

now that i am officially a part of an iloilo bloggers' group, i am compelled to write at least one post a month. not that i'm complaining. it's just that i might just be writing about school most of the time. i reckon the posts would be rants and rants about how toxic being a graduate student is coupled with being a kindergarten teacher + executive director + mother and wife + choir member + actress + resource speaker and everything in between. 

in the meantime, while i ponder my future posts, here are some photos from the very first bloggers iloilo group assembly or BIGA. sorry i have such a bad camera! (note to self: must borrow my brother's dslr camera :)).

the meeting place. book latte. how appropriate. it's where "great minds meet." :)

introductions

planning

DAY 3 - PUERTO PRINCESA, PALAWAN

we are departing empire suites hotel in a little bit and say goodbye to puerto princesa city. but, not without an account of what we did yesterday, day 3 of our trip here.

yes, we went to one of the world's seven wonders of nature, the puerto princesa underground river. and, proudly, and with a sheepish smile on my face, i came, i saw, and i conquered! it was not as scary as i thought it was and in fact, God must have looked kindly on me that day that He paved the way for a smooth-sailing trip from sabang wharf to the park, it was low-tide so it was more roomy inside the cave, we were the second group to enter the cave on that day so there was no stress in queueing, and it was so airy inside despite the darkness. i thank God that i mustered enough courage to marvel at one of nature's wonders. i am so blessed.

we capped our PPUR trip with a buffet lunch at sabang beach at penao resto. afterwhich, we proceeded to lawiswis organics to get some organic products. i got some unique finds like charcoal toothpaste, their ultima soap made of herbs and spices and minerals, their mosquito repellent, and a healing balm for mosquito bites. the owner of the place is an ilonggo.

(photos soon!)

while the rest went on to shop some more, i opted to explore mercado san miguel again and discovered isla de casoy coffee shop where i had their blueberry cheesecake. i was hoping to find a kasoy-laden cake but they ran out of their sans rival. the cheesecake was good, though! i also bought some kasoy for hubby.

we heard mass at the immaculate conception cathedral and had dinner at jollibee (yeah, i know. hehehe) instead of going to a vietnamese resto because everybody was tired already. but, before calling it a night, i wanted to end my memory with something local so we dropped by itoy's coffee shop for some hot choco and chocolate cake.

all in all, it was a great experience. puerto princesa is such a clean place with friendly people. the food is great (and not that expensive!) and the tourism industry is very organized. we were billeted at empire suites along rizal avenue and it was such an ideal place to be in, within walking distance of commercial establishments.

God is good. 

DAY TWO - PUERTO PRINCESA, PALAWAN

day 2 of our puerto princesa trip had us up and ready at 7am for our honda bay tour.

the honda bay tour is an island-hopping tour. literally, in a span of around 2 hours, we hopped from one island to another! some of the islands, though, are closed to the public for "hopping" either because it's a protected area or owned by a famous male TV host with political connections.  nevertheless, we managed to visit three islands - starfish island, pandan island, and cowrie island. the islands were best for snorkeling but we were not equipped for that so we were there taking the usual "touristy" route of taking photos instead. but, at pandan, i couldn't resist and took a dip in its oh-so-salty waters! we also had fresh buko to quench our thirst. 

we left honda bay around lunch time and passed by kuyba almoneca, a meditation garden. the cave in this place prepped me for the bigger cave i would be witnessing the following day. :)

we quickly went back to our hotel famished. we decided to have lunch at hap chan, just across our hotel. i missed going to hap chan the last time i was in manila so it was such a welcome treat to be having their steamed fish fillet in garlic after a long time!

we took a rest at the hotel only to realize that we had an early dinner reservation at the famous ka lui resto (strictly by reservation only). we had to be there at 6pm or no later than 630pm, otherwise, our reservation will be cancelled. still full from our heavy lunch, we trekked to ka lui (some 15-min walk from the hotel) instead of taking the tricycle. the place is amazing! it has a filipino vibe with an indigenous feel to it. palawan is home to the tagbanuas and bataks and ka lui embraced its local culture to the hilt! be prepared to take off your shoes or slippers upon entering the resto. it's very clean and even going to the bathroom is such a visual feast so no worries. they even have a small shop selling local bags and wallets from rurungan sa tubod (artisan crafts). for our dinner, we had the ka lui special, catch of the day, and tubbataha salad. seafood galore! i focused on the salad and loved the combination of assorted fruits with fresh tuna strips and its signature palawan dressing. 

(still looking for the photos from another camera, will post soon!)

we were planning to go to sabang beach the next day in lieu of our supposed trip to the PP underground river but what do you know....sometimes, things really do go according to plan! 

what lies ahead in day 3?

I went to Puerto Princesa, Palawan and documented our adventures on Facebook sans pictures. This is a copy of what I wrote in my FB page with photos.

DAY ONE - PUERTO PRINCESA, PALAWAN

i liked what the Poor Traveler said that there are no missed adventures just misadventures. 

well, you could say that to our trip here in Puerto Princesa, Palawan. so far, we've gone to a lot of places without any tour guide, banking on that spirit of "wherever our feet will lead us next."

on our first day, we went to the City Coliseum to process our permits to enter one of the world's nature wonders, the PP Underground River, which, suffice to say, is still wishful thinking at the moment. (not sure if this was brought about by my inner struggle.) across the coliseum is a newly-opened commercial establishment where we had our first meal for the day. the staff at Cafeliza Resto were so kind to help us with our planned city tour.

there are no taxicabs in PP, so our options for traveling are riding the jeepney or tricycle. it's been awhile since i rode both so i found it exhilarating but the fumes coming out of the tricycles are really not welcoming!

we went to Mitra's Ranch and Baker's Hill. Mitra's Ranch, the ranch of then former senator Mitra is open to the public for horseback riding. it also has a trampoline for rent and a zipline. we just went there to look at the view. then, off we went to Baker's Hill and hoarded a lot of their famous delicacies like hopia and pianono. we also went around their garden that has been meticulously arranged by a landscape artist. 

we stopped by mercado de san miguel where we marveled at the pearls both freshwater and south sea and other interesting souvenir items. we found an interesting-looking resto within the area, gypsy lair, and it was such a quaint, artsy-fartsy place that so reminded me of my bathroom (because of its sandalwood scent - the scent of my lulur body scrub!). the food didn't fail to impress us! we had pancit buko, pin-thai (their take on pad thai), asian spare ribs, and binakol. their guyabano shake was a hit but so were my lemongrass slush and banana ice cream. i loved the resto's vibe. they even have palm reading services offered on weekends! :)

we took a respite at the hotel and then went to a tiangge to look at other souvenir items like shirts, dried fish, cashew butter, and other indigenous items. we had dinner at kinabuchs grill and bar and had the usual pinoy fare - sinigang, lechon kawali, sinuglaw, pinakbet, fruit shake. good ambiance!

day 2 unfolds and as i am doing some additional research for our "suntok sa bwan" itinerary, i just thought i'd document what we had done so far lest my already failing memory fails me.

here's to a new day and to a new adventure!

it's april and what do you know? i welcome my husband's birthday month with a bang...i'll be onstage again for a reprisal of my role as Gregoria de Jesus in the adaptation of the University of the Philippines in the Visayas Alumni Community Theatre (UPV ACT)'s  Rizal is my President (just in time for the presidential elections then) now Rizal : Senador (for the upcoming senatorial elections).

Gregoria de Jesus, wife of Andres Bonifacio

That's me holding the newspaper.

this is my first stage performance ever since i gave birth and i'm quite jittery. i have yet to don my costume so i don't even know if it would still fit me. i have since had 3 husbands - stage husbands - my original Andres Bonifacio (in the photo above in white) didn't join the restaging and my new Andres had an accident during the holy week! our director managed to get me a new "hubby" and so far, so good! i just hope and pray that everything will just go smoothly from hereon.

Watch Rizal : Senador on April 3 and 23, 2013, 7PM, UPV Auditorium. Ticket price is at Php100.00.

Ever since I gave birth, I can’t recall any occasion where I had to showcase my still “blooming” post-partum belly with stretch marks and all. Sigh, yes, it is a harsh reality that I have to live with the moment my son came into being. Of course, I wouldn’t trade having a son for a perfectly smooth and taut belly that will leave my hubby salivating and other women grudgingly jealous but…well, sometimes I do miss that.

Me with the Polecats. Yes, i learned poledancing!

Looking at myself at the mirror, I wonder if there is still hope that I can go back to my fighting form. with my stretch marks still making its presence felt, I have since abandoned all hopes of donning my tube top without the risk of looking like a blowfish, and instead, I am focused on the things that I can do, i.e., to camouflage it!

During the baby shower

Ahh, this has become so especially pressing these days as I look forward to my reunion with college friends in Laguna this coming May. Oh good heavens! There will be a pool! Now, no need to panic, dear domestic goddess, I have since gathered some “tools” that will prepare me for this eventual pool parade and pageantry.

Swimsuit

Of course I have to have at least one killer pair of swimsuit! I got this from a friend who got this from Thailand. I know it’s quite revealing but we all need to feel sexy, right? This two-piece number in pink and brown is a combination of daintiness and hotness! But, since the goal is to camouflage, it’s not enough.

Cover-up

How appropriately named! Yes, I will use this over my two-piece swimsuit. And all other swimsuits that I intend to bring. Yep, I do have an extensive collection of bikinis during my waif-thin days. I can’t donate them to charity so I’d rather grin and bear it.

Earrings

The objective of wearing accessories when you’re wearing your swimwear is to hopefully distract the people from staring at your tummy and instead be totally mesmerized at your glittering and humongous hoops!

Scarf or Shawl

Same intention! Redirect attention to your neck. It should be long enough to extend to your tummy area enough to cover it.

Pretty sandals and feet

You need to have colorful nail polish to adorn your toenails and it should be couched in pretty sandals that would appeal even to those without foot fetishes. I’m thinking neon and my new Indian sandals with lots of bling!

Glitzy bag

Thank God for my friend who stayed a long time in Bali, Indonesia – the same friend where I got the swimsuit from – because she’s so in-the-know when it comes to beach fashion! She gave me this glittery fishnet bag that looks so fabulous I could probably be naked and no one will notice me. Err, maybe?

Book

And when all else fails, bring a hardbound book that will serve a dual purpose – (1) a good read will get you busy that you ignore the bemused look on the faces of passersby and (2) hug it tight…and it will be wide enough to cover what you don’t want others to see.

Well, here goes nothing! I’m diving in! Wait…do you think it’s tacky to wear a girdle at the beach? Kidding!

i am so excited to have my first-ever guest-blogger here! i intended this blog page of mine to enjoy its anonymity for a long time but i surmised that no blog is an island so...i'm now sharing it with the world!

thank you to little miss honey, dr. honeylette cainday (yes, she is a physician!), for granting me this privilege to feature her post. she is beauty and brains personified and i'm so glad she has kindly graced me with her presence here. here goes!

DREAMING OF SUMMER

 

Summer is definitely here and heating up the place. Unfortunately for me, summer will be postponed this year due to wedding preparations and work stuff. So for consolation, I will just be content in dreaming of summer: beaches, tanning under the sun and cool blue water. One of my best summer escapades was during our family trip in Bohol last 2010. Allow me to relive those memories with you…

After a fun city tour of Bohol, the whole family headed to Panglao Beach. We checked-in a cozy inn and rested for the night. Panglao reminds me of a mini-version of Boracay: the white sands, massages on the beaches and lots of foreigners vacationing. We didn’t have enough time to explore Panglao the next bright and sunny day because we were headed to Balicasag Island. We hired a motorboat to bring us to island. Renting a motorboat cost around P1,500, good for eight to ten people. Balicasag Island is an island a few minutes away from Panglao. It is a marine sanctuary, perfect for diving and snorkeling.

 

 

We spent the whole morning in the island snorkeling. It was such a delight to swim with colorful fishes and seeing live corals. I would advise you to bring an underwater camera if you have, to capture the beauty underwater. After working up an appetite of playing ‘finding nemo’ in Balicasag waters, we had a sumptuous lunch there in one of their cottages. There is a nipa-store there that sells fresh fishes and crustaceans. We can ask them to cook it for us. But of course my baby brother has to have his porkchop so we did order for that one too.

After the hearty lunch, our next stop was to the Virgin Island a few kilometers boat ride from Balicasag. The Virgin Island is more like a sandbar. The sands are whiter and finer. The water is blue and inviting. The boatman said this is where the movie “Muro Ami” starring Cesar Montano was shot. When we arrived on the island, a group of men approached our boat selling what looks like sea urchins. It looks a like a very spiny rambutan. They would crack it in half for you and offer you some vinegar and salt to eat with it. Since I am always up for any gastronomic adventure, I took one. It tasted gooey and salty but overall, not bad. I wouldn’t mind eating a few more. We also had some coconuts juice cracked opened for us as we basked under the sun. It is my mother’s favorite drink and she loved it! There were a lot of people in that tiny sandbar and it looks like we are all one big family reunion having a fun summer outing reunion. Our family did a lot of jumping shots from the boat to the water. It was hilarious! We saw some family having water volleyball game. Some are just swimming silently and enjoying the beautiful view of nature.

We spent a longer time in the Virgin Island. Its water is more conducive to swimming there than in Balicasag Island. The white sands of the sandbar is a lovely sensation for the feet to linger into. I have started to love sandbars after visiting my first ever sand bar in Bais near Dumaguete. After that beach day adventure in Balicasag and Virgin Islands, we went back to the inn, sun-toasted, tired but very happy. Because the summer’s best ingredient is being with your favorite people in the world. To me, that is my family and loved-ones.

Here is to you, summer. I will see you, soon.

For more of my travel adventures as well as food, movie, make up reviews and inspirational tidbits, visit my blog: Little Miss Honey

Thank you, The Geisha Incarnate for allowing me to share my summer memories with you….

 

Last February 14, more popularly known as Valentine’s Day, I posted on my Facebook page that Iloilo City should be made the official city of this love-filled occasion because it is after all known as the City of Love. Some found it exciting and others found it too much for an already activity-filled February - Jaro Fiesta, Chinese New Year, and Paraw Regatta. Well, whether or not it eventually earns its moniker as the official city for Valentine’s Day, it’s now finding its way into another category as one of the seven wonder cities. I am an Ilonggo through and through so this is my wee bit in making this a reality.

New 7 Wonders - Cities

“Iloilo ang banwa ko, ginahingadlan

Matam-is nga pulong ang akon nga ginmat-an

Dili ko ikaw bulagan

Banwa kong nalulutan

Ikaw ang gintunaan sang kalipayan!”

Little Miss Honey was kind enough to grant me some space on her blog page as guest blogger for the month of March!

We go a long way (we're both sopranos in the Santa Maria Parish Choir, Iloilo City) and I'm glad that despite our physical distance now (she's in Singapore and I'm still here in the City of Love), keeping in touch through blogging has reunited us once again.

Thank you, Honeylette, and looking forward to your guest blogpost here, too!

My first guest blogpost

i bet you're wondering why i labeled myself as a geisha incarnate. well, literally, that's what i really want to see myself. but NOT in the way you're probably thinking. so, i'll catch your thoughts on that and explain.

i have japanese blood. i'm probably 1/16th japanese, if that makes any sense. you should see my entire family together. we have almond eyes but kinda drooping. according to well-meaning family members, that's how different we are from those with chinese blood whose eyes slant up.

my fascination for geishas began when i read the book "memoirs of a geisha" by arthur golden. i found them fascinating. they're like courtesans in europe. they have to be intelligent or at least witty enough to engage the men in conversation. geishas are also skilled performers/artists. and that's where my supposed incarnation as a geisha ends. :)

just in case you're interested: i'm also in the field of the arts.
Film Actress :)
Stage Actress


now...it has been a great desire of mine to go to japan before i die. i especially want to go to kobe, not because of the beef, but because during the kobe earthquake years back, there was one victim who was interviewed and whose surname was spelled "haruda." apparently, that's the correct spelling of our family name. my friend's ex-boyfriend who was japanese told me that one can tell about the person through his or her family name. "haru" means spring. "da" is field. he also said that our ancestors probably were involved in agriculture as the family name suggests. now, wouldn't that be something to discover?

geisha or not in my past life...i am bound to japan one way or another and may i live long enough to find out.