Booked!!

This past weekend was a pleasant one. I went to my grandma's for a visit and she was thankfully delighted by our presence. I had a little squabble with the maid but it was a nice trip all in all. We stopped by the mall for groceries beforehand and were able to replenish the supplies for the house. I also checked in with my aunt and grandpa to get the 411 on what's going on when I'm not around. There are some issues that need to be settled but there are already plans to sort everything out.

Sunday was family day in Ogot’s house. Ogot’s cousin from Australia is on vacation here in the PH. She dropped by the house for lunch along with Ogot’s Aunts and some of their children and grandchildren. It was topsy-turvy. The laid out a big lunch, there was laughter and conversation in the air. Watching them made me reminisce about the visits we used to have in my great grandmother’s place. The house was full and everyone is trying to catch up with everybody else. We were young and quirky and went with the flow. But that was then. These days we mostly get together for funerals. We barely see each other on a lighter note and people are always busy with their own thing.

These thoughts are a bit depressing.. Let’s change the topic..

Our summer plans had a couple more trip additions which I am looking forward to. Summer has always been my favorite season especially with the beach, the sun and great company put into it. I’m still trying to drag out some of my happy friends for at least one of the trips but they’re still trying to sort out their schedules. Hopefully they can free some time up.

Apart from the trips we have planned for the summer, I also have a movie list I have to accomplish. This summer is the release of Iron Man 2, Oblivion and Startrek: Into the Darkness plus a couple more films I’ve been looking forward to watch for months now. I will manage to squeeze all this in somehow. I may need to cut some time off sleep but I’ll manage. The important thing to know is that at least for now, I’m doing exactly what I really want..

Puerto Princesa

Four days in Puerto Pricesa was just what the doctor ordered. My TravelCom assignment began with an all-expense paid trip to Palawan. Even though the flight was delayed (as with most flights by a famous budget airline) the chaos was worth the trip.

The first day was uneventful, we had a late flight and there was not much to do at night so we just chilled and ordered room service. The following morning was an entirely different story. We woke up at 6am for breakfast as we have a 7am pick up for the island hopping trip. I was nursing a migraine so I had to take meds and it was gone by the time we reached the boat.

Honda Bay was breathtaking. One of the good things about Palawan it is not congested with tourist yet. So the beaches are clean and the islands are serene. There are no bars and hotels crowding the area, so the ambiance is laid back. The stops included Pambato Reef, Luli Island and Cowrie Island. We went snorkeling and saw an amazing array of corals and fishes (some species of which remains unnamed). Eating lunch by the sea, not to mention having an abundance of food, makes for an awesome day. My skin tone may have suffered and I’m exhausted to the bone but the day was so fascinating that I barely minded everything else.

We took things down a notch on the 3^rd day. We didn’t have such an early morning so I was able to enjoy an American style breakfast at the hotel. The day’s agenda was a tour of the city. We only passed by the Puerto Princesa Bay walk as it was too hot to go bike riding under the scorching heat. After which we stopped by Plaza Cuartel, just opposite of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral. It used to be a camp that held POWs. The story behind the place and seeing the memorial statue for the POWs was a little heart wrenching. We were also able to stop by the church for some momentary reflection then it was off to the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center formerly known as the Crocodile Farm and Nature Park.

It’s the 2^nd time I visited the place and nothing really changed in the past 2 years. The skin and bones of a huge sea water crocodile was showcased in the main lobby, you can see the smaller ones in different stages of growth in the Hatchling House and then move to the cages of the older, larger and meaner crocodiles on the last stop. There are also plenty of other animals in the wildlife reserve area such as ostriches, cockatoos, bearcats and more.

The Mitra Ranch was our next stopover. The main area was the house that belonged to the late Senator Ramon Mitra, he was a House of Representative Speaker. It is on a hilltop overlooking the city and is one of the must-see places when visiting Palawan. The ranch is a vast land incorporated with a few activities for tourist such as horseback riding, outdoor trampoline and even an adventure zip line.

We hit a couple of souvenir shops along the way and bought a couple of things but my favorite place and our last stop was Baker’s Hill. It’s all in the name. If you love freshly baked goods that are just mouthwateringly awesome then, like me, this is your stop. They have an abundance of Hopia, Pianono Rolls, Yema, Chocolate Crinkles, Pulvoron, and so much more. Another great thing about this place is that they make and pack their goods on the same day which guarantees that you get them fresh. Apart from the food, there are also whimsical statuettes along the road plus classic wood furniture that are perfect for photo addicts. This place is famous for a reason. Good food + good ambiance = great place.

All in all it was a fun trip. All your problems look so menial when you’re on an island vacation. But for now, it’s back to reality for me. I have articles to finish and preparations to make for my next trip. Yes, there is a next trip. See you in less than two week Pagudpud!! ^_^

Resuming life as it was..

I have been out of commission again for the past weeks as so much has happened. I’m trying to be a more responsible blogger so here’s a breakdown.

1^st of, we’re back to the PH. I felt relieved the moment the plane touched down. The ball the formed in my chest has softened and I am able to breathe again. Before we left, I wrote a long letter to my mom regarding what I’ve been thinking the entire trip; thoughts that I’ve been too cowardly to say in person. We don’t have the best relationship in the world and that is the only way I know to freely say what I mostly keep inside. I hid it somewhere in the house and even now, I’m not sure if she already read it.

2^nd, since our finances have depleted from our trip, I set up some projects with TravelCom through my freelance editor at a publication that I will not divulge. I was able to grab three out of town reviews focusing on local beaches in the PH. After getting confirmations on my assignments, the next two months started looking to be a pretty awesome summer. It’s just the break I need from the slightly disastrous trip in SG.

3^rd, I was finally able to visit my grandma. Sadly, she got thinner but she seems happy to see me and she lit up the room with her smile. I really missed her. I only realized just how much the minute I saw her. I’m planning to resume my regular visits and make up for the two months I was overseas.

Lastly, I was actually able to complete one of my assignments already. I just got back from Puerto Princesa this morning. Details are to come on the next post.

So that is the reader’s digest version of what’s been going on these past few weeks. There are still a couple of things I missed but it’s mostly snippets of random things so I’ll skip them all together..

Another Path..

With the way things are right now, I need a back up plan. Nothing is currently going our way and I'm beginning to ask if my plans are aligned with what the universe has in store for me. I've created an elaborate list of things to do in order to get to where I wanna be in life. I've been following that list and even added more just to get my life in track and so far, nothing is working for us. I've gone back and forth on that list, tried different tactics, adjusted my lifestyle, slaved over job-hunting and I'm still where I was a month ago. Struggling to get a move on with the life I want.

Now, I'm not the most religious person in the world. In fact, I don't have faith in organized religion. But I do believe in the higher power, and so I pray. I'm thankful that I was able to accomplish the first half of my plan and I try to face the obstacles head on. But as the days go by, I'm beginning to ask whether the universe is attempting to tell me that this is just not for me. That I want the wrong things. The delay we first encountered is now looking like a signal that we shouldn't have pushed it. Perhaps we shouldn't have forced what we wanted and that we should have quit while we were ahead.

It's too late to for all the "should have", "could have" and "would have" now. What I'm, currently trying to do is to set up a fall back plan. If we have to go back to the PH, what the hell are we going to do there?? Where the f*ck will we end up?? I have a couple of ideas but all of them include taking a chunk of my savings. Oh well, life's a bitch! I just have to suck it up and move on if we ever fail in this endeavor. I've never been one to be a gracious loser, but life is kicking my ass so hard that I might have to admit defeat at some point soon. I really don't want to, but i"m running out of options. Soon there won't be any left of "me". I'll just be a pile of ashes on the ground, being taken away by the wind..

Dangerous Territory!

Living at my parent's house feels a little tense. Its always been like this so it's not news to me. We were raised in at atmosphere were the mind set is "Every man for himself". I didn't grow up with my parents so I feel weird, it's like living in a stranger's home. My sister grew up so far from how I was raised. I was able to realize how unconventional we were back in the PH. When we got here, I was told right away that I can expect no help in finding a new job while I'm here. It's frustrating sometimes, given that my mom has a ton of untapped connections, but I'll live. That's just the way we are.

Ogot has already started his training with a local clinic and he has nicely settled into a routine with my dad. We both expected that he'd find a job first because his field of study has a man-power shortage here in SG so finding work is easier. My field, on the other hand, is swarming with unemployed professionals buying for the same opportunities. I've sent out hundreds of CVs, literally. My email is now flooded with either acknowledgements of receipt or notices of regrets as the company opted for a citizen/PR. That's the big struggle; competing with local citizens and PRs. It's less troublesome to hire them because there are no extra paperwork to accomplish.

My frustrations are eating me up and I'm exhausted from commuting all over SG. I'm trying my best not to fail. Only time will tell if I'll get over all this in one piece..

A Little More Downtime..

My dad still had a couple of days off when we got back to SG. So we decided to make use of them. Everyone was tired from the MY trip so the morning after was a lazy one. My mom had a Zumba class in the afternoon so the rest of the family opted to go out with her. My dad and Ogot grabbed a drink while my sister and I walked around the mall and did a bit of shopping. Dinner was the next agenda then off to drinks with my mom's friends. We accepted the invitation that morning and agreed since we haven't seen the "aunts" for some time now.

There was a live band and karaoke in the pub and everyone had a turn on the mike. Drinks were pouring from every direction and my mom and her friends drank a little too much. The good thing about their gang is they know when to stop. So we where home-bound around 3AM.

It wasn't the best idea to stay out late the night before as we still had plans to go to Sentosa for the Skyline, Luge and MegaZip. It was hard to get out of bed but the plan was made and so it should be accomplished. So we dragged our asses to Sentosa and walked around. Our energies shot up after the first Luge ride and from there everything was a piece of cake. Even managed to record the Inter-island MegaZip ride with my video camera in hand whilst screaming down the line.

The following day was a bit painful. It was back to job-hunting, hair pulling out of frustration and exhaustion. The good news was, Ogot got a job, he's still under training but at least I know he'd be settled soon. Now the pressure in on me to find work and be able to stay here, otherwise I'd be forced to go back to PH and start from below zero..

A Week in MY .. ^_^

Our 30-day social visit pass was about to expire so we had to exit to MY. We spent a week in MY which is why I was MIA from my blog again.

The first day was a nightmare. We didn't want to spend a lot since we were supposed to stay there for just four days and since my mom knew someone who owned a backpacker's hotel, we opted to stay there. So we packed our bags and headed to MY, the hotel was horrible. Cockroaches in the kitchen and bathroom plus over-flowing trash in the cans. The room was small and there was nothing to do. The building alone was old, dingy and in the middle of nowhere. There are no public transport near so you'd have to call a cab if you wanna go anywhere. The forest was behind us and the lighting is fit for horror movies. We half-expected that some guy with a hatchet will show up and start hacking at our limbs and then dump our bodies in the forest, never to be seen again. The place was dirty and it was totally creepy.

I called my mom as soon as our private room door closed and told her all about it. She asked that we stay there for one night and look for someplace else the next day. So we locked ourselves in the room and tried to deal.

My phone suddenly rang around midnight. It was my parents. Mother told dad about our situation and he started insisting to cross the border to get us settled in a different hotel. After about an hour of talking it out, my dad calmed down. We were able to convince him to sleep it off and just go to MY in the morning.

Morning came, we packed our bags and headed out. The place was so far from civilization that it took the cab almost an hour to get to it after we placed the call. I felt relieved when I saw my parents, we had breakfast then to the hotel that my dad knew. The place was a vast improvement from the first hotel. It was right in front of the mall and accessible to a variety of restaurants and spa's. Once we got our things in order, my parents we're off. Mom asked if we can stay at MY a little longer so that they can join us at the end of the week to go to Legoland. We agreed to the suggestion as it sounded like a pretty good deal.

We hit the bed once my parents were out. We barely got any sleep the previous night so we were exhausted and sleep was inevitable given our state. Seafood barbecue dinner was that night's menu, we got up, went down stairs, bought some take-out, ate and resumed sleep.

The following days were spent doing random things. Watched "OZ" in 3D, had body scrubs at the spa, went shopping for additional clothes since we got extended and didn't bring enough. The highlight of the trip was the food. We went to different restaurants and proceeded in trying and eating a ton of food. It was a quiet week, it felt nice.

My parents came it towards the end of the week. The remaining two days became eventful. Dinner with my honorary aunt and uncle, some drinks and Legoland the next day. There was an interview with immigration and a ton of waiting. I was sore by the time we got back to SG..