Bacolod Rocks! Posted on Sunday, September 18, 2011 | 4 comments

I was reading Divine Lee's blog and na-inspire ako. Parang nung minsan din na na-inspire ako ni Tina Tagle.

Gusto ko lang daw magpakatotoo now at tinamad talaga akong mag-English! HAHAHA! Hindi naman pwedeng Bisaya kasi mas lalo nyong hindi naintindihan.

So anyway, kumuha ako ng mas comfortable na chair kasi masakit na sa pwet ang monobloc chair na ginamit ko. Para naman maisulat ko rin ng maigi ang flow ng ideas ko.

Actually, tong post na to puno lang ng kalandian dahil peg kong chumurva sa bus papuntang Bacolod. You see? Pwede naman kasi talaga akong mag-direct flight from Dumaguete to Manila pero pinahirapan ko talaga ang sarili ko and I braved the road trip to Bacolod kahit masakit sa pwet. (Muntik tuloy maging PWET ang title ng post na to.)

This is very identical to the Ceres bus I took going to Bacolod...

(They all look the same actually!)

So since hindi ko naman alam ang schedule ng buses going to Bacolod (dahil last time tinanong ko tong si kuyang nasa information booth ang sabi nya every 40 minutes daw ang byahe). I forgot to ask the schedules for Air-Conditioned buses going to Bacolod. Buti nalang, yung nasakyan kong bus going to Dumaguete eh sinabing maabutan ko pa ang trip to Bacolod from Dumaguete na aircon.

Goodbye Dumaguete.... Hello Bacolod!

(Kinikilig pa ako nito kasi katabi ko si Hunky Koya!)

The moment na dumating tong bus sa Dumaguete terminal... Eh mega takbo na agad ako sa isang bus na papuntang Bacolod. Nag-effort pa ako with fasyon that time! Syempre kailangan fashionable pag bumibyahe!

Ayon! Nakita tong si hunky kuya... Sabi ko syempre sa sarili ko... "Tabi na ako dito!" And winner kasi vacant yung malapit sa window na seat at katabi ko pa tong hunky kuya na to. Actually mukha syang bouncer! HAHAHA! (Trip ko na pala ang bouncer ngayon?)

So apparently, mega pa-cute ako kay kuya. Mabait naman sya. Wala syang ginawang masama saken. Sayang! HAHAHA! But then, he got off the bus in Kabankalan, one of the cities in Negros Occidental. At buti nalang wala din akong ginawang masama... Because he had a GUN under his shirt!!!! =) Kaloka! I was sitting beside a guy who had a gun. Real gun it is! SHOKOT kung sinapian si KOYA!

Kalevel ang yumminess ni Lanz sa Chicken Inasal at buko pie na binigay nya saken.

Smitten ako sa kanya!

But winner din ang replacement ni KOYA! Dahil ang next na tumabi saken ay cutie chinito! Sabi ko sa sarili ko -- "Its my lucky day at sulit ang 6-hour bus ride to Bacolod!" He was the nicest! In fact, he mad me try the BUKO PIE (as in bumili sya para matikman ko!) Yumyum!.... But I did not eat it right away... In exchange, binigyan ko na din sya ng peanut brittle na binili ko din sa bus. HAHAHA! Exchange gift ito. I invited him for dinner because he suggested that I eat dinner at Chalet Restaurant. But then, he politely refused. Sapat na ata ang peanut brittle na binigay ko sa kanya. KILIG! Friends na nga pala kami on Facebook at may common friend pa kami.

Ganda lang ng Lola Geztel nyo dito... Dormmate ko sya sa Mansion dati... and gracious host while I was in Bacolod... Mega-drive around the city and even hanggang airport kahit duty din sya the next day!

Best in Crop ako sa photo ni Tita Shane (Shanie Bear) sa Facebook kasi wala nga kaming photo together dahil shonga lang ako at naiwan ko sa hotel ang camera... Hindi rin umubra ang Blackberry photos ko sa sobrang dilim ng kuha nito... Best in Explanation din pala...

My friends Geztel and Shane picked me up at the bus terminal. Medyo matagal din sila kaya medyo panic mode narin ako. Naka-Sunday dress pa si Tita Shane! Wala kaming picture together kasi loser ako. Yung camera na dala ko. Walang charger! HAHAHA! Ako na ang hindi ready.

We stayed at Business Inn Hotel Bacolod for the night...

(Useless lang kasi 1 hour lang ang tulog ko!)

Direcho na kami sa Business Inn Hotel Bacolod. Freshen up. Lipad na agad! Dinner at Manokan Country and winner talaga ang chicken inasal nila. Gusto kong magbaon at magdala sa Manila at ipatikim ko na rin sa mga kasama ko sa work. Pero baka mapanis. So Bong Bong nalang ang dinala ko for them.

Ito ang pinaka-winner sa Bacolod trip ko...

Winner talaga ang Chicken Inasal nila! SUPERRR!

Nag high blood din ata ako dun sa sobrang dami ng kinain ko. Went to Tropics for some drinks. Na-trauma na ako from what happened last night. So tweetums ako when I was drinking!

Gusto ko na matulog that time kasi useless ang bayad sa hotel kung hindi rin namin magamit. But then, ayaw matulog ni Waldo! Marami pa syang energy so punta muna kami ng MO2 Ice Bar. Dance-laloo with a stranger at flirt lang ng flirt. Pumatong sa ledge at ganap ang ledge dancing. Tugsh tugsh until 3 in the morning. Slept for an hour at the Business Inn Hotel. Packed-up. Hot shower. Gezzy drove me to Silay International Airport. Bought pasalubong at Bong Bongs. Flylalooo na to Manila. Took the taxi to work!

Ako na ang vampire. One hour lang ang tulog ako dahil binasa ko pa ang magazine sa plane about Prague. But I survived the day. Nakauwi naman ako ng maayos. Naisip ko lang. Parang ang haba ng 4-day long weekend ko but honestly sobrang bilis lang nya. Gusto ko pang mag-extend pero hindi na pwede. No more moooolah narin ako.

So back to reality na and work work work nanaman ulit. Para may pang bakasyon nanaman! Sa Prague na talaga next time. HAHAHA!

Yun na ang best vacation ever ko!!! =)

Knowing The Worth Of An Ounce Of Blood Posted on Sunday, September 11, 2011 | 0 comments

Free WiFi at the Siaton Plaza...

My stay in Siaton (my hometown) was quite short but it was relaxing and it gave me an insight on my priorities in life.

My admiration for my brother is beyond compare. He is the most determined and most understanding person I know.

The moment I arrived home it was my brother who picked me up at the bus terminal. The last time I went home (2 years ago), it was not one of his skills. I felt proud but a bit guilty because at some point I told my mom not to let my brother drive because he was too young. When they bought his ride, Mom and Pop did not tell me.

That same night, I asked my brother to drive me around town because I wanted to visit some of my friends. But I forgot that in my hometown, everybody sleeps as early as 9 o'clock in the evening. So my brother and I just did an OBT (One Big Tuyok) around town and checked-out the new must-see drinking and hang out places.

The next day, Mom, Pop, and I had a little catch-up session before Uncle Melvie came asking us to have lunch at Lola Inday's place. As usual, my Pop stayed at home while Mom and I went to Lola Inday's place to have a little tete-a-tete with family and friends.

This kind of gatherings remind me of Sunday lunches and the games I play with my cousins. Most of the kids are no longer kids but we still bully them.

Among my cousins, I'm closest to Dovie because we were batch mates in elementary and we kinda grew up together. Even when we were in high school wherein we went to different schools in Dumaguete, we still wait for each other at the bus terminal so we can go home together. She wears her Silliman University High School uniform while I wear Saint Louis School - Don Bosco. The one-hour trip wasn't enough for our catch-up chika.

Dovie and ViVi in front of the old tambayan where endless chikka happened...

Dovie lives in Lola Inday's house which is a stone-throw away from my house. And seeing her again made me reminisce at how our childhood was. Dodong Rey was also at the gathering flirting with Ginoben, which I expected to see given that Ginoben was his first kiss. Eeeeeehhh! (Kilig!) I was also surprised that Ginoben was present. I thought he's in Guam.

To complete the family lunch, I had to take the blood pressure of every single person in the family. Even the kids asked me to get their BP! But I obliged myself to do it since these gatherings don't happen everyday. It got me drained, so I slept the whole afternoon. Pop did the same thing.

Johane on her wedding day... =)

Later that night, Gj dropped by at my place to get her accessories. She left it in Manila so I had to bring it with me. Even when I was younger, my parent were a bit overprotective. They abhor my night-outs! They don't get the point why young people do it. But this time, they did not react too much. My mom simply wanted to confirm that we're going home before 12 o'clock midnight. Nobody goes home like Cinderella. I'm not going to do something stupid that will destroy the family's reputation anyway.

Gj, Dovie, and I went to our friend, Johane's place to invite her for some drinks. BUT!!! She has a baby already and her baby was quite sick that night so she was not able to join us. We were left with no choice but to take care of the booze on our own. Good thing, Ruel was there and he invited Norberto and Julius to join us. Both are cute guys and so I just flirted with them the whole night! (KILIG!!!) Norberto drove me home and the most embarassing part was an image of myself puking near a burger stand in what was considered the Time Street of my hometown. I guess I just ruined the untarnished reputation of my family.

The culprit!!!

The next day, I received a sermon from my mom. She was quite effective when she told me the story about Uncle Timmy and how he is at the moment. According to my mom, when Uncle Timmy was younger and richer he had so many friends. He partied a lot and he had boys - a lot of them! But now that he is old and poor, nobody notices Uncle Timmy. My mom described Uncle Timmy as thin and "gusgusin". She pities him so much and my Mom doesnt want that to happen to me. What a very nice story. It touched me.

But of course, I had to clarify with my mom that I don't spend money on my boys! They spend it on me. But it still got me thinking of how I should lead my life. It made me realize that maybe I should take care more of my body and of course my family. As the Spanish proverb goes, an ounce of blood is worth more than a pound of friendship. I just thought that my Mom is tired of competing with my friends.

Actually, she doesn't need to. I just need to reassure her that I value my family as much as my friends. And it made me feel so guilty and so to make up for it, I must do something to prove that they really are important to me.

Dumaguete Loves You Back Posted on Saturday, September 10, 2011 | 0 comments

Tita Bing, Frances' mom, blurted out in the morning that she knew what time we went home. But of course, what she said has no bearing. We were still so smitten from last night.

For brunch, Tita Bing cooked "humba" for us and so we hurriedly went to the dining area and left the room in its best cluttered state. This is SOOOOOO Katy Perry's Last Friday Night!

In my best friends room.... Sorry Ai! I'm responsible for the clutter...

Before I went home to Siaton, I had to make sure that I get to visit my goddaughter while I am in Dumaguete. Alyah is such an adorable little girl. She likes playing "catch-a-ball" with me and she wants me to stay. She even closed the door when I told her that we have to leave. Sweet little girl. I had to sing a Lady Gaga song to get her attention with matching dance steps. Making a fool out of myself in front of her was worth it. We are now BFFs and we'll be partying together when she's older! With mommy's permission nonetheless. =)

Adorable Alyah....

After visiting Alyah and Appy, we went to Robinson's Dumaguete and ate at Moon Cafe. It was my first time there so I was quite amazed at the interior and the food was great too. It felt like I was in Mexico. I chose the grilled chicken salad instead of the oily chili con carne because I'm trying to practice self-control. I think its working well on me too. We shared our own mishaps at work and it was so much fun. It was nice seeing everyone except Ishy who was on-duty that time.

Shyr, Darlene, Frances, and ViVi (cinched!) at Moon Cafe...

Frances and ViVi in the fiercest photo there is...

My whole stay in Dumaguete was made possible by Frances who arranged my itinerary. She drove me around town, fed me and made me stay at her place. I felt loved because Trisha and Appy also offered their cribs but of course Frances was insistent/persistent and it has always been the thing so I can't ask for more. HAHAHA!

I felt the love Dumaguete... And so I'm going to give back all the love!!!! =)

It Felt Like College Again.... Posted on Sunday, September 4, 2011 | 2 comments

The pose as it is.... =)

The moment I arrived in Dumaguete, I tweeted and BBM-ed about it. I realized that I have not gone home for the past 2 years. It was a perfect time to do it because of the festivities in the city like the 110th Founder's Week Celebration of Silliman University.

Can you just imagine how giddy I was to join the fun?

I chose not to have any check-in baggage for the trip because I was in a hurry to get off the plane. The bad weather did not stop me at all. I wore the lousiest clothes on my way to the airport as I was ready to get soaked under the wild winds and water that the skies were offering.

I almost panicked when my Trisha's flight to Dumaguete on the same day got delayed.

I saw some familiar people in the airport. Some were my batchmates. Some were older alumnus. And when I say old. They are really old. The flight was one hell of a ride. Reminded me of the not-so-fun rides at the amusement park all because of the bad weather.

As soon as I got out of the airport, I saw my best friend Frances and Darlene. They were waiting for me and as promised, Frances picked me up. I was so giddy almost to the point of hyperventilating. I missed this place. I spent most of my wild days here! HAHAHA! I came out of my shell here and met the most amazing and beautiful people in my life.

When I was inside the car, I told Frances that I need to change clothes because I was wearing my straight-from-bed clothes because of the heavy rain in Manila. After freshening up at her place, we went straight to Silliman University.

ViVi, Frances, and Icko

I want to be seen. I wanted everyone to know that I was home. However, the mud at the booth area stopped me. My Coach shoes is not for the rugged days. So instead, Frances and I went to the Vernon Hall which used to be New Men's Dorm. Tete-a-tete with Kuya Princeton (Dorm Manager) and reminisced at how I was as a dormer. It was melancholic and nostalgic at the same time. I think the present dormers got irritated as I was shouting and screaming the whole time. No one can stop me. Frances and I also reminisced at how she'd pick me up at the dorm and check out my cute dorm mates.

ViVi with best friend (Straight!) Ivan at Cafe Antonio... Super quick chitchat...

It was so timely because it was Christian's birthday, Trisha's brother, so we crashed his party and ate dinner. I had to show off some antics that I'm sure Tita Cindy and Tita Bing missed.

Then we went to Labeled, Hayahay, and El Camino to party like rockstars. As we walked along the party strip, it felt like college again. We knew everyone. Besos everywhere. It made me realize how I missed Dumaguete. I wanna be young and free once more and I can only do that in this small city of the gentlest people in the Philippines.

The Original Triumvirate - Trisha, ViVi, and Appy!!!

You don't get out of the party scene sober. There are too many drinks for cheers and CHUG! =) HAHAHA!!!

We girls have moves like Jagger...

Trisha, ViVi, Appy, Frances, and Ciarra

Went home at 4 in the morning and like in college, Frances and I panicked at the thought that her Mom might wake up when we open the main gate. Thanks to their househelp who had to stay awake for us.

Dumaguete party-scene? Still scores with a BIG CHECK!!!!!! ☑