My Personal Holiday to Antique

Since I was a child, my nannies were all from Antique but I never got to visit their home province. I took this chance to have a weekend in a part of Antique I had only read about through another friend's blog and see for myself what awaits me there.

My trip started in the bus terminal in Molo, Iloilo City where I boarded the bus that will take me to Siraan. The bus fare cost me around Php 90. The trip was dusty, long but quite an adventure for me because I now travelled past the places I've been to. It took approximately three hours or so to reach the place because it was almost lunchtime when I got there.

Siraan Hot Springs and Health Resort is operated by the municipality of Anini-y. The entrance fee is Php 20 for guests and Php 15 for locals. The resort is not that crowded and the guest apartments are located by the shore while the cottages for day-trippers are around the pool area which is on the hill overlooking the sea. To get to the guest apartments, you had to go down the steps from the deck down to the shore. They also have function rooms for parties and a restaurant. Overnight accomodations are quite reasonable. Php 600 for fan rooms and Php 1000 for aircon rooms. Both types of accomodations can have four occupants each with the fee for Php 100 for extra occupants.

It's best to bring your own food if you're on a budget. The restaurant menu is a bit limited. You can also cook outside your cottage on charcoal grill or makeshift bonfire. As for me, I brought my own food including a can opener and eating utensils.

I went to Nogas Island with a family from Iloilo that same day, around two o'clock. They were a jolly lot and kind enough to let me share their boat trip with them. It was exciting to visit this island encircled by coral reefs. The tide pools are teeming with marine creatures that one would only see on National Geographic shows and encyclopedias. But the fact that I had to step on them to get to the shore was not what I expected. (Reminder 1: Always have sturdy, rubber sandals when travelling.)

We trekked through the island and around it. The walk to the lighthouse was eerie because there was a fragrance in the air. The path is lined with frangipani trees but the fragrance came from another kind of tree which was new to me. The long walk around the island was something I never thought I can do. (Reminder 2: When going trekking, bring only what you will ACTUALLY need. Like a memory card for storing pictures. No travel journals or food you might not be able to eat while walking or dodging branches.) We passed by a lot of young mangroves and a field of tide pools. I thought I had problems skipping over starfishes until I saw the sea urchins. It's a good thing that these little guys stay in crevices and among the roots of the mangroves. Meanwhile, the family were busy collecting tiny marine creatures that they can carry inside plastic bags and buckets. Some of the older members even took to collecting dead corals and stones to take back home to the mainland. Later on, when we finally reached where we started, the family went for a swim. I decided to go back to the lighthouse to take more pictures and shoot a video. The motor boats that took us to the island came back for us around 4:30 pm.

The island adventure gave me a good reason to finally try out the hot springs that evening. It felt really good to soak in the heated water and feel your tensions just melt away or so. However, when the evening got a bit too chilly, I went back to my room for a light dinner and sleep.

I woke up early the next morning for a morning walk and last minute collecting of shells and rocks in the tide pools outside my duplex. I missed out on the good finds because I put the activity off yesterday. I only managed to find one really good cowrie shell with some odd striations. I also said goodbye to the family who I befriended the day before. They were going to another part of Antique as part of their holiday travel. As for me, I rested and packed everything. My bus ride will pick me up around 12 noon. After I hauled everything back up the steps and to the reception desk, I took more photos by the pool. By half past twelve, the bus came by to pick me up to take me home. Before three o'clock, I was back at my apartment, checking out the pictures stored in my phone.

Going on a trip to a faraway place on my own was rewarding. I know I'm going back there. But the rest of Panay awaits. Next stop, who knows where. Life is too short to not embark on your dreams, be it a goal or a whim.

going away for the weekend......

Everyone...wish me luck....Saturday morning, I will be off to my personal holiday to Antique. I will be going to a hot springs resort in another part of Panay island alone. This is the first time I will be visiting that part of Panay and I promise to come back with pictures and souvenirs.

Miranda and Blair are staying with their dad until I come back. They have been away from their dad for quite some time and their Dada misses them a lot too.

I promise to come back from this R and R in one piece...

Pet Peeve attack.....

I really hate when people actually bank on your kind nature and pleasant disposition so as to cover their asses when they step on your toes. I hate it even more when the same people cut you no quarter when you're the one stepping on theirs. It's like they have the license to bitch about things while you have to take it all in like a good little girl because they think they're cute. But they see the slightest droop from your lips and they accuse you from being nutty to just plain mean and immature.

You borrow their pen and they would actually fetch it from your cube when they feel time is up. But they forget to return yours and they just smile and say "just buy another one." I'm not one to complain out loud because people just bank on my pleasant disposition and depend on it. But when I raise a rational peep and they shoot it down.

Bloody hell...........................

Whilst On An Idle Afternoon..............

The world of Ebay reminds of a famous street market in Madrid called El Rastro where one can either get lucky with a few pesetas worth of a deal or be whacked in the wallet with a pricey piece of junk. There were those who found themselves with antiques worth a hundred or more times more than they paid for. There were those who were so fueled with the desire to 'get lucky' with a purported antique only to get scammed into buying something completely worthless.

So what led to this?

I only had a few classes today so I had time to surf the jungles of Ebay to see what's on. I usually look around for antiques, books, dolls and computer games. But I found myself clicking the link to the most unusual item I found in weeks.

I was looking for somebody who sells Soul dolls and I ended up on someone's Ebay store that sells another type of soul doll. But what a find indeed! It's supposed to be a haunted doll. It makes me wonder if it comes alive if the owner is not home or asleep. There's a choice between a djinn and a vampire. If I can get one, I'd probably get the vampire. If a doll like that can be had, life might get a bit more interesting where I'm at. There's also a necklace that, if worn by your doll, has the power to bring your doll to life. Cool!

Here are my finds: http://cgi.ebay.ph/HAUNTED-DJINN-VAMPIRE-SPIRIT-OUR-SOULS-ARE-BONDED-DOLL_W0QQitemZ170387399624QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item27abe163c8

http://cgi.ebay.ph/Haunted-Bracelet-Brings-Haunted-Dolls-To-Life-Must-Own_W0QQitemZ130343220776QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item1e590fb628

To Follow My Bliss..........

My bliss is like the chocolates I favor....the bitterness that makes me lightheaded, the sweetness that follows only adds to the delight....I abstained and each return only refreshes the high that comes with each bite.....life and death my bliss brings...these I take in deeply....for my bliss is mine to please and take pleasure in....

lunch box craze

First hello kitty, now this....I saw a bento box shaped like a burger in a website somewhere. What kind of luck would actually lead me to finding it being used by a coworker in the office.....

This is the site and the pic:

http://www.from-japan-with-love.com/hamburger-bento-box-with-fork-and-spoon.html

It is sold for 12 dollars, roughly around Php 563.00. Since she was already using it, I offered to buy it for Php 500. But if she will demand a higher price, I don't think I would buy it. *sigh*

just pissed

Ok....now, I'm pissed. The office dictated that we should all use IE v6 and all the PCs where reformatted. Then the admin gets to enjoy their FB and DOTA while they really screwed my settings.......I can't even see my updates or inbox here.................grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Restrictions breeds ?

Ooohh......somebody got their panties in a bunch....

We may be in the online business but we have probably the crappiest internet connection in the city. Funny that even when they restricted certain appealing websites, the internet connection went from bad to worse.

And now, they will only allot us 100mb out of 40gb hard drive for ultra-important files. There are times I feel like taking out the black candles and lighting them one by one. But in this occasion, I will need some really thick ones for long lasting effects.....

Halloween round 2...............

Banned na...huwaaaaaaaaa

What a sad sad sad day in the office....the admin asked that facebook be banned from the office..tsk tsk....

Looking at our best in our most horrific(?) Part 1

Halloween in the office. Walking around taking pictures......My face is not even on yet... LOL

22:30 until closing time

If an idle mind is a devil’s playground, how about a hyperactive mind with lots of idle time to burn?
Welcome to my peculiar life as an online teacher. We don’t have sales quota to beat, only a number of students to maintain and increase. We don’t have AHT but we have class schedules to keep. We don’t have irate customers we cannot see but we sometimes see rather indignant faces on the crisp video feed staring back at you if you missed a word. We never had culture training to prepare us, only grapevine lectures on what or what not to say.
I never thought I would ever be confined to a cubicle but here I am in a 4x3 cubbyhole painted in the shade of dark beige (I keep remembering a particular shade of a nail polish color). No flowers on the desk since the you have your LCD monitor, keyboard and your files. I opted for a mousepad with the Angel Sanctuary design instead of sticking with the company issued boring blues and beach sceneries. No USBs allowed, my webcam at home is way cooler than the one I have at work and I can practically hear everybody else with my single earpiece headset.
So what do we do with our free time? It really depends since Youtube and other streaming sites are banned. Online games were shut down months ago since they played havoc with the connections. We are allowed Facebook and other sites for surfing. I have my Multiply and Blogger to fiddle with. Of course, we have paperwork to deal with first like students’ performance records, attendance sheets (I’m really tempted to bring a class record here), class counts and the dreaded IR (see, we have them, too). After all is done, where do we turn to?
Almost everybody here is connected in Facebook and Friendster. But I ventured further, I’d like to say, by using going to sites that are rather bizarre and outlandish to the rest of my fellow teachers. Sites like www.peopleofwalmart.com and http://icanhascheezburger.com are good examples of websites they haven’t even heard of. But my favorite is www.darwinawards.com where anybody contemplating morosely of their lot in this world can get a laugh. But tonight, as of this writing, I found a site that just made my sleepiness go away. After typing a random line of words, for example, get revenge on your ex, and actual sites came up. Getrevengeonurex.com is one site and, well, no free galleries. The services offered are tempting but the dollar price tag was enough to stop me.
Idle time…idle hands…hyperactive minds…..
Let’s go home before Halloween starts early this year.
(to be continued)

paninda mode....

paninda mode sa office......ang aga-aga ko pa...lolz

the waters call to me.........

Who can really remember their dreams?

I wasn't that groggy and I usually remember my dreams. But last night was a significant dream since I woke up with a word (turned out to be a name) I kept repeating on and on as if I was reminding myself about it.

Tiamat. What a word. Primordial dragon goddess.

I don't remember much of the dream except that I know I was on a trip with some friends and I wanted to get away from them. Lately though,I wanted to go on a trip to a place where I can literally immerse myself in a body of water. This time, the dream journal will be by my bed.

Yes, I still plan to go the beach alone.

Palace for one....

Prime dating spots come rarely nowadays. I mean, would you really want to think that after you shared that place with your special someone, he or she would bring another date to that place? The insanity of it is that you really cannot stop anybody from going to your favorite restaurant. But, jeez, does he or she have to bring someone else there after you shared the place with them? It's like pointing to a complete stranger's leftovers in a restaurant and saying, "Are you going to eat that?"

There are places that I don't go to anymore for the reason that they feel polluted, violated. I don't even care if one would think that I'm reacting too much. But that was my secret place! I wouldn't bring you there if you weren't special.

And please, if we go out, don't bring up another person's name. I will not bring up another person's name either. I deserve my time as you deserved yours. Lastly, no fidgeting with your mobile. Call it tact, call it courtesy, call it it-will-probably-save-my-life-if-I-will-just-shut-up. I don't need to be reminded that I should be grateful you are spending your time with me.

little shop of delights....

There's a shop in Iloilo City I love to go back to. Its name is Passionate Designs and they are located inside the Amigo Plaza Mall. They carry the most adorable little (and BIG) collectibles. The shop's merchandise is primarily giveaways for corporate, school and private parties. But they also sell Hello Kitty and Papemelroti products.

What I love about this shop is that you can choose one-of-a-kind giveaways for your party needs. From topiaries to paper soap, key chains to paper weights. But for me, they are now getting popular because of their Sanrio products. Hello Kitty afficionados in Iloilo City now drop by at least once a week to check for new items (me included.)

Last week, the best item (gone so soon) was the Hello Kitty bubble umbrella. It was sold in less than 24 hours after I saw it. The shop ladies assured me that they ordered additional stock for everyone who kept asking about it. And the one who bought it even left a message: Wait for the next shipment. Looks like I'm not the only one who left my number there. ^^

BJD wig.

I have a wavy dark blonde wig from Mimiwoo. I ordered the wrong size (whatever was I looking at when I was placing the order). I don't know what to do with it. Anyone?

in view of what's happening in manila...how is everyone?

Hello brothers and sisters? Musta na kayong lahat? Alam ko binabaha na dyan sa Manila? How's everyone?

It's not a hang-up......

Just tonight, I watched a video on the site of another friend. It had something to do with pets and, hell, I had to check it out. I expected to see funny pix but what I got was a poignant video that almost made me bawl.

I always loved my pets and I am a doting mommie to my dogs. But when I watched the video (and until now that I'm writing this), I broke down because I remembered how the most precious of all my pets was taken away from me.

He died last year, during Typhoon Frank. He didn't drown like the others. He died because of the water that got into his lungs and there was no way he could have recovered. But the fact that he died when the waters had receded and I was out of harm's way was what really breaks me to pieces whenever I remember his name.

It was a night that I thought I would die, recalling that the waters got into my house and he was there with us, on a chair, shivering and still managing to bark. But when it was his time to go, I couldn't bear to watch. We said our goodbyes the night before he died. He was looking at me in sad relief that my family is ok, that I am ok. And in the morning he was gone while I was at work. I wish I had a lock of his fur to keep. But I am thankful of the memories that I was loved by him.

I love you, Kyle. I miss you.

hospital angst??

I'm not usually comfortable in hospitals. My family has people in the medical field, as doctors, nurses and medical technicians. But I don't usually hang out there. It's the smell of antiseptics and the constant traffic of patients that make me dizzy.

Sunday night, after a day of hanging out with my best friends, I made my way home, rather tired and sated. I chose not to spend time with my SO that day because I can be such a drama queen and he was too tired to deal with it. However, when he texted that he's actually at the ER of a nearby hospital, I dropped everything, scampered into my shorts, grabbed the essentials and made my way there.

He got some allergic attack going on and, yes, I was bugged out of my mind. He was so weak that he rested his head on my shoulder from time to time. I stayed there until he was safely in a room and I went home, losing my appetite for my dinner that got postponed.

Fast forward to Thursday. I spent the night there Monday night until Tuesday morning (didn't have classes). I watched over him, got his medicines, tried not to look when the nursed came with their needles, and let him use my comforter. Then he got moved into a private room where the most unbelievable thing happened. I don't believe I've seen a student nurse who kept on fussing with her hair while interviewing her patient, asking the most mundane questions and giggling through most of them.

And, he admitted, he enjoyed being fawned over.......................grrrrrrrrrr......somebody hand me an axe, I'd like to add to his injuries....

Peculiarities with the Ps and the Cs....

A week ago or so, there was a power outage again that more or less placed the city at a standstill. It rolled in about noontime and humidity was hellish. It was unannounced and unexpected. I work for a company which is wholly dependent on electricity for its daily operations, I took it upon myself to call PECO. Having memorized the electric company's phone number by heart, I called them and, after a series of rings, a man took my call and kindly answered my questions pertaining the loss of power. He was very helpful and apologetic with the whole situation, claiming that PECO had nothing to do with the outage since it only relays the electricity produced by the PPC. He claimed that there was probably a power trip-off with PPC. He claimed that they are still awaiting a phone call from PPC. I asked if I can call the company directly and he said I'm not the only one who asked for the number. He even gave me the number that will connect me with PPC.

So there I was, feeling a bit settled that finally I can get the answer for myself. After a few rings, a lady to my call and she did identify the number as that of PPC's. I asked my question and the answer that I got surprised me. The lady started complaining why they are the ones getting phone calls and complaints when she is sure that nothing is wrong with their system. She also said that it is PECO's system that is at fault.

Tsk..tsk...tsk....power comes with great responsibilities....

I'd rather leave them at their tongue-wagging and finger pointing antics, hoping not to have jacked up electricity bills to compensate for restoring the system. With a mindblowing price of kilowatt per hour in our city, can't we have at least an announcement from any one of them? Maybe next time, I should insist in getting their names....then we can announce here who to call when the lights go out.....

.....apartment bliss...

Room 404...my dad and nearly everyone in my family groaned at the prospect of having to climb up three flights of stairs with all my stuff and more. But the privacy of my own place won me over. The view is not so bad. The tiled floor is in a good condition and the water service is hardly interrupted. I'm still without a bedframe so I'm sleeping on the floor. My mom bought the ref and my dad helped me haul everything up the stairs. I still need a radio, a shoe rack (according to someone I know), a single-burner stove, a respectable dining table for two and an extra storage closet for my stuff. I plan to move my lavender here with me once it becomes more sturdier and healthier.

So here's to the start of a long flight....

Helping and healing....

Two words that would make a difference all the time.

There is that a part of me that for the most part of my life I cannot begin to understand. Those who knew me call it my pure heart...a heart that I cannot seem to control. How can it remain so pure? Why am I driven to make my life more earthly (is there such a word) as if I am running away from being taken back to heaven (making it sound so mundane)?

I still can't stop myself from putting the essentials on the line so that I can take away the pain of another. I know...we should avoid doing everything at our own expense. It is just so stupid (this word is so apt) but still I can't help doing it.

Nowadays, I still dream of running away, of walking away after I have done my part in this world. I am so tired. But there is just so much to be done....

Rainy days, K-Pop, and everything else....

While I'm writing this, I am listening to K-pop through my student who begins each class with a current favorite pop song. The weather is more than crazy today.... I have been living in this city for more than a quarter of the century and I still haven't gotten used to its weather....and its people....

I guess I'm one of those people who is lulled to sleep by rain and fighting every second of it. As of now, the skies outside are blue with a touch of grey...the dreariness of this day makes it hard to breathe....

Jumping out of the nest.....for the nth time....

How often do people take a second chance in learning how to fly their own? How about the third and the fourth.....

Moving to a new pad is not, well, new to me. But I found this wonderful place I can call my own. I have a landlady who believes in superstitions and I will live in a neighborhood that is seemingly quiet but really interesting.

A room to finally call my own....

Friends In A Box

Finally, after months of waiting, I now have my Tae Yang Maguna and My Pullip Blanche. I haven't taken them out of their boxes yet, even from the box they have travelled in from the store. Nope, I don't have to pinch myself. But I'm now planning to have a doll case made for my growing collection. The dolls don't have names yet. So far, of all my dolls, only my bisque doll has a name. Names that have been suggested are as follows: Elise (Blanche), Richard (Maguna), Chiriko (Maguna), Miranda Bright (Blanche) and Blair Templeton IV (Maguna). I wonder if the names have to be Japanese. I'm still taking suggestions.

My journey to be has started.....

It took awhile, a long while, for me to decide which path to follow. I was born in a family where magick has a different name and it wasn't treated like something strange. I have friends who are following the Wiccan path but my heart was being led to another. I found myself unable to relate to their practices. So whatever studies I did back then was set aside as I followed a more sedate life of a language teacher.

But the call and the opportunities it threw my way just wouldn't leave me alone. The more I pretend that it is just coincidence, the more it persisted. But it was within my family that I learned most about it. My father expressed his regret that I wasn't taught well in the practice of Shamanism as he had expected my mother. His side of the family are on a different path while my mother's ancestors were shamans. But they didn't call themselves shamans. They refer to themselves as healers and then some. My father related to me the stories that my mother wouldn't speak of.

So as of now, all I wish for, is for the path to be not so dark. All I have to start with are books I can borrow from my friends. I am still looking for a guide to help me get started. Although I was told that everything that I needed is already in me, I still want to meet and learn from a teacher who will be able to tell me what to study and what not.

So I am waiting. While I am waiting, I will be studying and reading up on the path that I chose.

Until then.

Being Sheepish............

Looks like this year's forecast for those born in the year of the Sheep is rather dismal. I don't want to acknowledge it but I wonder if it did start all wrong for everybody (me, included). Of course, the economic crisis is no itsy-bitsy rain cloud but had become an ominous thunderhead over the world.

I know I wasn't a good girl all year last year and I'm not really good being a girl. I think like a boy and if I were a boy, I'd probably have two little boys of my own by now. By profession, I am a teacher. But to the world, I guess I'm still in third grade or something.

Babe in the woods, as the old people would say. Not worth watching out for except for the occasional get-out-of-the-way yells. I guess I'm not much of a people person. Headbutting is not a sport but a part of a routine. Lately though, I'm laying low and keeping to myself. I daren't crack jokes (I don't think I was ever gifted with a sense of humor, just a severe case of blahs.)

But it doesn't mean I can't do anything besides chewing. I'm just being sheepish....

Sundays Are Supposed To Be Sunny

When the fire of friendship eventually dies down to pitiful embers, where does one get the necessary kindling to feed its forlorn gasps? Who should you blame for its unnatural descent to the demise of indifference? Time, fate, circumstance, distance, growing up........ We all have different reasons, different names for that unnatural cause to a perennial, bittersweet chapter of our existence in this world.I may not always need my friends as they might not always need me. Nevertheless, I will love them in ways more than they can love me. But this day's pall had stripped them of the unschooled allure, showing them in their somewhat bizarre but wonderful individuality that endeared them to me more.Maybe those years of my absence from their company and my stubborn need to give my inner self some breathing room had indeed taken its toll. I know the words I'm looking for are neither personal growth nor moving on (whatever that means). Whatever it is, if the powers that be see it fit that I only savor its essence but not its name, so be it. Less words, less trouble, so they say. For it is that piece of me that relishes that form of peace this universe manages to give out scraps of.To feel and detached and cherished by your peers at the same time, is this what humanity feels or I'm just running low on caffeine? Maybe I'm just ranting and whining about bad hair day or I just hate it when it rains on a Sunday.

Thought May Be Private But.....

Perhaps there are some things one needs to hide and these secrets are the ones that actually set your person apart from the rest of the world. Like an exotic scent that attracts and repels at the same time. Why can't people read the signs and keep out of other people's minds for a change? Where can we send these mind readers for a well-meaning exile?I really miss the days where I can stand the roar of silence and revel in my solitude. Have I changed that much? Or is this just whining about people I want to avoid but just can't. I really wish I believed in vampires so that I can give reason to their existence.
From what I have read, vampires don’t have to bloodsuckers. They can be everyday people who just drain the life out of people just by simply breathing next to them. Okay. Now that’s extremely farfetched. But it can happen. What about the so-called psychic vampires?What are psychic vampires anyway? Can they also be mind readers? Or this mind reader is just a nosy person who discovered he had the gift of actually tapping into someone's mental stronghold? Heavens help us, heaven help me. His words shouldn't have stung but spacing out in his presence sounded like an abomination in his presence. I wasn’t really spacing out. Just losing myself in a book seemed a far more attractive option than acknowledging his existence. Besides, I think you only go to dreamworld in your sleep.I wonder if I lost that what used to set me apart. Or is he just leading me down a path of confusion making me think that I did lose it? What was he seeking? What purpose drives his words? I forgot the name but I know there was such a flower which is both beautiful and evil at the same time. Was it really a flower or a beast? But then again, gifts are meant to be used and the path to choose is one's prerogative.