An Online Christmas

And so this is was my Christmas 2007... an idle day spent at home - with my sister - in front of my laptop. It was really an odd Christmas day for me, but come to think of it, I haven't had a normal Christmas since 2002!. So, here was what I did today:

1. created Friendster , multiply and myspace testimonials and messages
2. spam mailed everybody on my address book
3. harrassed every online friend i got, i mean greeted them
4. "worked from home", checked company email every now and then for updates
5. talked operations director and operations manager for the status of the back office (which was well-handled by Orchid!)
6. yes, chatted with orchid for work-related chorchors (100 calls waiting due to network lags!!!)
7. talked on the phone with my mom, dad and sister
8. chatted and talked with joshua on the phone
9. ate the simple meal my sister prepared

Man oh man, I had the best Christmas ever!!!!! Now, I should be going since I missed one thing that's very important.. go to Church!!!! :)

My Christmas

A not-so-blue 2007 Christmas!!!!! :)

During the most part of our after High school life, my sister and I has this Scrooge-like attitude come Christmas time. I used to quietly hate the happiness that Christmas brings in my surroundings - being away from my family, loveless (and at one point jobless) - who could blame me?

1996 - The last time I spent Christmas with my mother.

2002 - The last time I spent Christmas with my father.

2003 - The first time I spent Christmas alone in the Philippines. The Christmas my niece was born.

2004 - The first time I spent Christmas at work

2006 - The first time we didn't set up a Christmas tree.

The holidays will be different for me this year. 2007 is officially first un-blue Christmas. :)

A not-so-blue 2007 Christmas!!!!! :)

During the most part of our after High school life, my sister and I has this Scrooge-like attitude come Christmas time. I used to quietly hate the happiness that Christmas brings in my surroundings - being away from my family, loveless (and at one point jobless) - who could blame me?

1996 - The last time I spent Christmas with my mother.

2002 - The last time I spent Christmas with my father.

2003 - The first time I spent Christmas alone in the Philippines. The Christmas my niece was born.

2004 - The first time I spent Christmas at work

2006 - The first time we didn't set up a Christmas tree.

The holidays will be different for me this year. 2007 is officially first un-blue Christmas. :)

Jonel's brief - di nag-be-bacon!!!

A must-watch!!!!!!!!! Lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WRPEhMjQDw

Dahil sa yo, Joshua...

Joshua, Nahihirapan na akong mag-English. Tatagalugin ko na lang.

Mahal kita Joshua. Mahal na mahal. Ikamamatay ko pag hindi kita nakasama sa buhay ko. Ngayon lang ako nagkaganito. Ngayon lang ako umiyak sa dahil masaya ako. Ngayon lang nagkaroon ng purpose and buhay ko. Akala ko mamamatay na akong mag-isa, pero dahil andiyan ka para sa akin, hindi na ako natatakot.

Nang sinabi mo sa akin, nalulungkot ka at gusto mong may makasama, hindi ako nagalit, pinilit kong intindihin ka. Mas gusto ko pang maligaya ka kahit sa piling ng iba, kaysa naman sa nalulungkot ka dahil malayo ako. Naniwala akong mahal mo ako at marerealize mo din na mahal mo ako - at hindi ako nagkamali.

Araw-araw akong madarasal at maghihintay sa yo. Pangako ko yan.

My first published photograph?!?!?!?!!

Geez! I don't know if this is a hoax or not but it sure is exciting!!! I just got a letter for an editor of a Japanese travel magazine asking my permission to include this picture I took of the Santa Fe Beach club in their December issue! Here's what they wrote me:

****

Dear girltemperamental

I'm sorry to send mail suddenly for the first time.
I would like to begin with introducing myself, my name is RIE FUKUDA,
and I am a feature editor for a travel culture magazine "NEUTRAL" which is widely circulated and read in Japan.
We are currently working on the next issue about southeast asia. Through my research I found your excellent photo(about "santa fe beach club"in Cebu island) and I would like to use it in my article.
Therefore I wanted to ask you for permission for us to use your photo in our magazine.

About NEUTRAL:
“NEUTRAL”is a magazine that travels around the world introducing
different cultures and people to Japanese people with beautiful photos by famous
photographers and lively text by prestigious writers. For more information,
please go to our website (www.neutralmag.com).

Date of Publishing:
2007/12/04

Title:
"The Footsteps of Beautiful Southeast asia "

We focus on the beauty of travelling and not on the commercial profit
so we have a small budget so we cannot afford to pay you for your photo.
However if you allow us,

-- we will print your name above your photo as below:
(c)Your favorite name.

-- we will introduce your website in our thanks list as below:
Your name
www.youraddress.com

-- In addition, we will send you a copy of our magazine
Please note that it will take 1 or 2 weeks to ship.

Furthermore, if you are willing to give us permission,
we request you to send the information below

-- the name you want to be credited as
-- the address of the website you would like us to cite
-- the address you would like us to send the magazine

Thank you in advance, I hope to hear from you soon

Best regards, RIE FUKUDA

──────────
Byakuya-Shobo Co.,LTD.
NEUTRAL DIVISION
Add: 3-10-12 Takata Toshima-Ku Tokyo JAPAN 171-8570
Tel: +81 3-5292-7753
Fax: +81 3-5292-7727



ISN'T THIS EXCITING!?!?!?!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY WAVE 23!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Grave 3 years na ang wave 23 ng AT&T kumberdyissssssss!!!!! :)

Please Don't Fall In Love

By Cliff Richards

A classic song, I like the lyrics :)

***

I know that you're with him just now as I write
I know you need someone to hold you at night
But I'm begging you, baby
Please don't fall in love
I knew it might happen when I was away
And now that it's happened, I just want to say
That I'm begging you, baby
Please don't fall in love

I'm usually strong but I'm feeling so weak
It wells up inside me, I cry when I speak
But the more I call you on the phone
The more I feel alone
And the less we have to say

I know that you're with him just now as I write
I know you need someone to hold you at night
But I'm begging you, baby
Please don't fall in love
I knew it might happen when I was away
And now that it's happened, I just want to say
That I'm begging you, baby
Please don't fall in love

We kissed at the airport, we said we could wait
I believe it is we who determine our fate
And I love you more than I can say
Don't throw it all away
Don't let it go by
I know that you're with him just now as I write
I know you need someone to hold you at night
But I'm begging you, baby
Please don't fall in love
I know you don't tell me, to spare me the pain
Don't want you to tell me, I don't need his name
That I'm begging you, baby
Please don't fall in love

My Sassy Girl

I found myself crying alone this morning over some Korean movie. Yes, yes, I never really cared about watching it before, and thanks to Kirk, I can now say that I have officially joined the millions who shed a tear of two over this movie. :P

Globe Rewards???

Woohoot! I won 75 pesos worth of free credits from Globe!!! The other day I won 1 day unlimited texting. Ang cheap pero 75 pesos is 75 pesos!!! :)

The Wizard - 1989

Starring Fred Savage, one of my favorite childhood movies. Super Mario Brothers 3 was introudced in this movie - watch it!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=kX5474aVdTU

The Wizard - 1989

Starring Fred Savage, where Super Mario Bros. 3 was introduced. One of the movies I grew up with!!

Joke Para Kay Rhoda Orbeta

Q: Ano ang difference ng joke at pagtatanim.....

.
.
.
.
.
.
.

A. Ang JOKE ay biro, ang MAGTANIM ay di biro!!!

Yan RHoda sepcial mention ka na sa blog ko ha, wag ka nang mag-inarte!!!

I am yours, Mr. Jordan!!!

It's funny how we set qualitifcations in choosing the ones we love when we always end up loving someone who is an exception to the rule. - Ally McBeal

Joshua, all these years, Ally was right. You are the exception. I have vowed never to involve myself with long distance relationships, but here I am, loving you. We have been friends for such a long time now, and I kept on denying that you are that man who would trully make me happy.

You give me a sense of purpose. I never had any. You make me want to be a better person. You are my Helen Hunt. I am your Jack Nicholson. You have seen me at my worst, my best - I have thrown the worst of the worst tantrums - all emotions I could ever show. You never gave up on me. You loved me despite myself.

You have showed me and made me feel that indeed, love transcends physical boundaries.

I am yours, Mr. Mraz.

Bakit walang mga survey-survey dito sa Multiply???

1. Were you smiling when you woke up this morning?
>> this afternoon? no, i was quite grumpy.

2. When was the last time you met someone new?
>> last week, actually last night? thanks to the universal conference sa
office namin!

3. When did you last eat pizza?
>> tuesday night with ate and maryan sa yellow cab eastwood

4. What do you want more than anything?
>> i want a plane ticket to Texas to be with my mother and father!!!

5. Are you tired?
>> physically tired,yes. ive been gaining a lot of weight lately, and hinihingal na ako.

6. Besides your bed, what is your
>> huh

7. Pepsi or Coke?
>> Pepsi max

8. Would you ever take someone back if they cheated on you?
>> I never take anybody back - cheater or no cheater, ahaha taray!

9. Is your computer desktop or a laptop?
>> a notebook. haha.

10. How many multiply views do you have?
Your Home Page has been viewed 515 times by 210 people, most recently at 1:12 PM (completa pa!

11. Do you believe dreams come true?
>> dreams coome true if we work on and for it.

12. Last song you heard?
>> I've Fallen For You by Jamie Rivera! ahahahah inlababo ang lola! :)

13. What is the last movie you watched?
>> Harry Potter with teammates :)

14. What do you currently hear right now?
The guitar works of Bring Me to Life by Evanescence

15. Where's your favorite place to be?
>> Our condo's balcony. Malapascua and El Nido in the places I've been to. BACK
HOME IN BULACAN!!!

16. Where was your default pic taken?
>> Malolos, Bulacan - during my sister's wedding reception

17. Why did you pick your background?
>>It's colorful and I've always liked black bacgkrounds :)

18. Are you happy with where you are?
>> I am contented.

19. Do you believe love at first sight exists?
>> Crush at first sight, lust at first sight, but I believe love happens only
when you get to know that person.

20. Do you believe in celebrating anniversaries?
>> Why not? Haha, gusto mo pa nga monthsary pa! haha

21. Do you believe that you can change someone?
>> Nope. You accept that someone unconditionally and help him change himself.


22. What are you going to do after you do this survey?
>> Tingnan ang pciture ng crush ko na nakasave sa computer ko. Hahaha STALKER
MODE!

I say NO to Office Romance!

But it doesn't hurt naman to have an office crush,

who'll make your heart skip a beat

and take you back to High School all over again!

Ahahaha :)

No to Office Romance

But it doesn't hurt naman to have an office crush,

who'll make your heart skip a beat

and take you back to High School all over again!

Ahahaha :)

What ever happened to my Slimmer's World program?

I was browsing through my old pictures when I chanced upon this gimmick pic from last year...


Napa- WTF ako! Man, I was thin!!! I was on the height of my Slimmer's stint last year when we had to move to Eastwood. After that, I became too busy, err, too lazy to workout. Little by little, I've gained back those pounds, and now I am at my biggest again!



See what I am talking about!?!?! Man, mukha pa lang ibang iba na!!! Waaah!

No, I'm not into yo-yo dieting. Diets really never worked for me, for I am a lover of food! I tired blaming it on my emotions, but really, that's just one of our excuses why we eat too much, right? I remember when I used to work out - I was still able to enjoy the Saisaki buffet and not worry about a thing because I know I'll work out to lose those pounds. And it did work for me. Now, I eat, I sleep, I take the elevator, I am back to my good old sedentary life!

Dapat nga tlaga akong sumama sa mga badminton fanatics sa office!!!

Goodbye sunshine!!!

I am sad because I'm going back to the night shift next week. Goodbye to afternoon Razon sessions with Team Alexcapigs, I mean Alexcapades. Goodbye to early morning traffic. Goodbye to Oi! Sisig sessions at St. Francis. Hello to night differential and Something Fishy breafkast buffet (duh as if I don't live in Eastwood haha).


Waaah, ibalik nyo ako sa morning shifttt!!!

I'm a C traveller!~

src="http://forge.codedgraphic.com/lakbayan/map-v1.0?aaaabaaaaacgfaaaffaafuaaabeaafbfalhkaffdpmpfalcaukaakacapcafaaraaabkakfrpcacuaadaaaaaaaaaa9062" title="Lakbayan
Visited Map" alt="" />
style="border:0px;margin-top:5px;" src="http://forge.codedgraphic.com/lakbayan/grade-c"
title="Lakbayan Grade: C" alt=""
/>

My Lakbayan grade is C!

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at href="http://forge.codedgraphic.com/lakbayan">Lakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.


Rhoda forwarded this cool application,which turned out to be a brainchild of my colleague from UP Engineering Student Council! :) I have included my June lakbays already - Catanduanes and Cebu! :)

Flu + TimeZone = Carebears

I shouldn't be online since I am still recovering from a 3-day flu but I feel that I'd feel more sick if I dont go online. For the past few days my taste buds have been numb and my head hurts like hell when I cough. I have been chewing my vitamin C and drinking tons of fruit jucies like crazy just to get better (I can't take medicines yet). I have abused my body yet again - I need to slow down and relax.

One person that made me feel a lot better though during these times of physical and emotional stress was Frances, my niece. I am crazy over her!!! I took her to the Eastwood Central Plaza while my sisters are preparing to leave for Gateway (for Time Zone!) and she kept on running around the area, she got me so exhausted! She rode the carousel, played in the Il Pirata ship, even listened to the band playiing that night and tried to order an 89 peso-ice cream at Dairy Queen (I didn't buy her coz I know I'll end up eating it anyways).

We went to Time Zone Gateway since she's crazy over Air Hockey and the Bowling Game. She played that Bang the Alligator game and a few more kiddie games. However, it was me who enjoyed the most that night. I have discovered that I am good with that Stack to the Top game!!! You ahve to stack all the blocks to the top (duh!) to get your prize - and it was my first time to win something from Time Zone. I got two medium-size Carebears stuffed toys (the green and pink one). I think they're about 200 pesos each if bought in the mall. Not bad for somebody who's sick! There's also a mini Stack to the Top game where you can win a Nokia Cellphone, a 4.0 MPX Vivitar Camera VCD Player or 2500 Timezone Tickets but I felt that it was rigged - it wasn't really hard once you get the hang of it. I think I'll have more chances of winning those items when I go back feeling a lot better. :)

Emotions: Halo-Halo Flavor

The last time I've had this emotional state of mind was when I ran away from home back in 2003. It's all coming back to me now.

Angst. For people who don't care.

Happiness. I realized don't need to deal with people who don't care for me and who'd desert me and leave me to the vultures once the Regina Quibral Drama Special starts playing. And that thought makes me happier.

Relief. I'd rather keep to myself why.

Depression. For not being able to go back to school this semester.

Bitterness. V. Damn, get out of my head, man!

Frustration. For the business that is not going on too well.

Shame. For hiding my feelings and pretending that everything is alright.

Guilt. For skipping work time and again.

Love and yearning. For my mother and father.

Lost. I feel lost.

New Number

I was a victim of a pickpocket so please update your contacts list. My new number is 09053255091. THanks!

Moving on...

I have finally decided to let go of baggages, frustrations, loveless intimate encounters and mediocre work attitude.

Great changes are bound to happen!!!

For Mother's Day: Red and White Roses Delivered Fresh Via LBC - Flowers Express!!!

For Mother's Day: Red and White Roses Delivered Fresh Via LBC - Flowers Express!!!

Here's my pricelist. It's cheaper than Globe GCash Rates and hassle free for
people who don't have ways to do online payments :)

All occasion - No occasion rates of long
stemmed white and red roses:

3 pcs - PhP 450.00
6 pcs - PhP 710.00
12 pcs - PhP1400.00
24 pcs - PhP1850.00

Pls PM me for more details! :)

Red and White Roses Delivered to you fresh via LBC!!!

temperamental

Hi guys! Manang Regina has gone back to her first love - selling roses! :)

Here's my pricelist. It's cheaper than Globe GCash Rates and hassle free for people who don't have ways to do online payments :)

All occasion - No occasion rates of long stemmed white and red roses:





3 pcs - PhP 450.00
6 pcs - PhP 710.00
12 pcs - PhP1400.00
24 pcs - PhP1850.00

As of now, I only sell roses, pls visit flowerexpress.com.ph for the list of other flowers available for delivery.

Flowers
Express is the all-occasion, no-occasion flower delivery service. It is
the fast, reliable and affordable way to send premium flowers to your
loved ones anywhere in the country. Its partners are no less than LBC
and the country’s best producers of world-class flowers. LBC, the
country’s dependable domestic and international courier service brings
to the group over 50 years of experience and an intensive network of
branches nationwide. Our world-class suppliers provides the team with
premium flowers that are produced using state-of-the-art, cutting-edge
technology. That’s why Flowers Express is sure to deliver the highest
quality at the best value.

Flowers Express uses the latest in
imported greenhouse technology blended with Filipino ingenuity
providing the highest quality flowers available in the country.
Partnering with the best growers in the country, it guarantees a stable
supply of flowers all year. It is owned and operated by eLBC Direct,
Inc., an LBC company that is dedicated to providing Filipinos access to
products and services apart from the traditional products offered by
LBC.

Flowers Express flowers are grown, selected and
hand-picked by the best growers in the country and then shipped
directly to you or your recipient, usually within24 hours of being cut.
As such, some flowers will arrive with their buds closed so they can
begin opening upon arrival.

I will be your point person if you are not satisfied with the product itself or the delivery

Thanks!
Regina :)

Red and White Roses Delivered to you fresh via LBC!!!

temperamental

Hi guys! Manang Regina has gone back to her first love - selling roses! :)

Here's my pricelist. It's cheaper than Globe GCash Rates and hassle free for people who don't have ways to do online payments :)

All occasion - No occasion rates of long stemmed white and red roses:





3 pcs - PhP 450.00
6 pcs - PhP 710.00
12 pcs - PhP1400.00
24 pcs - PhP1850.00

As of now, I only sell roses, pls visit flowerexpress.com.ph for the list of other flowers available for delivery.

Flowers
Express is the all-occasion, no-occasion flower delivery service. It is
the fast, reliable and affordable way to send premium flowers to your
loved ones anywhere in the country. Its partners are no less than LBC
and the country’s best producers of world-class flowers. LBC, the
country’s dependable domestic and international courier service brings
to the group over 50 years of experience and an intensive network of
branches nationwide. Our world-class suppliers provides the team with
premium flowers that are produced using state-of-the-art, cutting-edge
technology. That’s why Flowers Express is sure to deliver the highest
quality at the best value.

Flowers Express uses the latest in
imported greenhouse technology blended with Filipino ingenuity
providing the highest quality flowers available in the country.
Partnering with the best growers in the country, it guarantees a stable
supply of flowers all year. It is owned and operated by eLBC Direct,
Inc., an LBC company that is dedicated to providing Filipinos access to
products and services apart from the traditional products offered by
LBC.

Flowers Express flowers are grown, selected and
hand-picked by the best growers in the country and then shipped
directly to you or your recipient, usually within24 hours of being cut.
As such, some flowers will arrive with their buds closed so they can
begin opening upon arrival.

I will be your point person if you are not satisfied with the product itself or the delivery

Thanks!
Regina :)

AXN FUNDADAOR CHALLENGE

AXN FUNDADOR CHALLENGE IS LOOKING FOR A GROUP OF FOUR MALE FRIENDS, AGES 25 YEARS OLD AND ABOVE TO PARTICIPATE IN ITS UPCOMING EVENT.

LATEST SCREENING OF GROUPS WILL BE ON APRIL 26, 2007 (THURSDAY)

FOR INQUIRIES, PLEASE CALL 8183678 AND LOOK FOR MS. KEN FABRES or MR. EARL NAVARRO.

Pati ba naman Multiply, pinagdudahan ang pagkatao ko???

Surreal is the word: Palawan 2007

(more pictures at my multiply site

Just got back from a 4 Day-3 Night Palawan Escapade with Jackie, Erlyn, Judith and Jake. This vacation was 3 months in the making, for we got our cheap Cebu Pacific tickets back in November when they had their 99 peso-ticket promo. We were so stressed out before due to financial, work-related, personal problems before the trip that we vowed to leave them all in Manila and just enjoy to the fullest. AND WE DID!

The Arrival,Honda Bay and the Viet Village:
Puerto Pension is the number one choice of local and foreign budget-savvy tourists. In fact, we booked with Skylight Apartelle (from the same travel agency where we booked our HK trip) but cancelled the last minute because of the great price difference. Don't get me wrong,though, the Pension is well-kept despite its dirt cheap rates. The rooms are beautiful - wooden floors and sawali interiors give you that authentic provincial feel. It has a cozy restaurant at the top floor with a great view of the Puerto Princesa bay. The average room rate is 1000 pesos for twin sharing, 350 pesos for an extra bed. It includes breakfast,hotel to airport transfers,and a cute manager. :)

We spent our first day exploring the Honda Bay. Our plan was to explore the city first then go to the Bay afterwards, since we assumed that it was very near the city (based from stories by people who've been there before). So,we were already donned our beach attires, hailed a tricycle, and realized that we looked like tourists who have no idea that the beach is 20 kms away! Yes, the beach was an hour away, but nothing can spoil our plan, we asked Kuya Arnold (yes,the driver) to take us there! The trike rental was 500 pesos round-trip, boat rental was about 1,000 pesos, and the food at the local carinderia, 300 pesos! We explored 3 islands - Pandan, Snake and Luli.

Pandan island has that Boracay appeal due to its powder white sand beach, without the crowd (though Boracay's sand is definitely more whitier and refined). Tourist count: 10. We went snorkeling - the corals were practically dead, there were tons of oyster shells, and tons of fish species. There was a minimun entrance fee to the island of 25 pesos per person, and we felt that we had a great deal having our ever-accommodating tours accompanying us.

Snake island is appropriately named due to the snake-shaped sand formation you'll see in our pictures. The snake disappears on high tide; sea life is more vibrant - it felt great seeing a school of talaquitok- an in more than a hundred of them! Our snorkel guides were great as well! They are well-versed with the common names of the fish species that we saw, and we feel that the trip would not be half as fun had we not gotten them as our guides. We also saw Dos Palmas one our way here - notorious for the Abu Sayyaf kidnapping of foreign tourists and the death of Rico Yan. We even shared the "real story" behind Rico Yan's death to our guides. They,too,were convinced that he didn't die of bangungot. Haha. Showbiz.

Our last stop was Luli Island. Our guide claimed that our tour wouldn't be complete if we don't dive. There is a spring board about 5-10 ft. away from the shore edge but the water is shallow enough for non-swimmer divers. The board was terrifying!!! Judith was the boldest, she dove right away, Erlyn was next. I attempted but backed out and even cursed jokingly at our guide when his brother teased him to push me off the board . We had the most fun time waiting for Jackie to dive. It took her about 5-10 mins before plunging, and the guide waiting for her in the water got so impatient that he commented "Yang sandali na yan kanina pa yan eh!".

After the Bay tour, we dropped by the Vietnamese Village to try out the authentic famous Beef Stew noodles. The Village was an initiative by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines and the families were war refugees. We learned that there were only 5 families left in the village - most of them were petitioned by their Vietnamese relatives in the US and some are in the city. It was Nguyen galore!!!

Our first hurdle in our trip: Kuya Arnold's front wheel got flat a few kms away from the city. It wasn't that big of a deal for us,though. We had our dinner at the hotel and decided to retire early for we had to save our strength for our El NIdo trip the next day.

El Nido

The bus left the terminal at 5am. El Nido was approximately an 8-hour drive and there were only 3 buses leaving Puerto Princesa at 2hr intervals. Kuya Arnold was gracious enough to wake up earlier than usual to take us to the terminal. The bus is not your usual tourist bus - there were loads of goods on the roof top, and even people; it served as a local courier and a service to a local teacher who lives far away from the school on the opposite side of the mountain. There were 3 young Koreans, 2 male Caucasians - a missionary and a husband of a local who were sitting opposite my aisle in the plane. We didn't know what to expect of the trip. The first 2 hours were uneventful - smooth concrete highway on the mountain side overlooking the sea. It was scenic. Then, the bus turned to a rocky road that seemed infinite. It was off-roading Palawan style. Occasionally, the bus stops to drop off packages or to pick up passengers. I was awed by the fact that a 10km off road ride just cost 5 pesos! There were parts of the ride that were unpleasant, considering that we were seated near the door and the bus got stuffed with locals during the last leg of the trip. Judith and I were doubly impressed with the fact that we saw basketball courts even in the most unimaginable locations. Haha. And guess what? The bus broke down - we got a flat tire.

We stopped by Taytay,where we bus dropped off and picked up a few goods. This also served as our lunch stop. Club Noah Isabelle is located in this town but we didn't have the chance to check it. By now,we were two hours away from El Nido. It was the longest two hours of the trip. I knew we were near when I saw the mountain formations change from the regular, forest-like ones to those characteristic of El Nido - rocky mountains that looked like vertical rock sheets piled side by side.

Our impression of El Nido is that it's an expensive place for an enjoyable vacation. True, Lagen Island and Miniloc Island are exclusive islands - for filthy rich foreigners and locals who can pay in dollars through their credit cards - but the town central is full of cheap but decent hotels, good enough restos and cheap buys. We stayed at the Viewdeck hotel, a new cottage-type inn on the mountain side. Before I left Manila, I casually mentioned to our condo security guard that I'll be going to El Nido. I was glad I did because apparently, his cousins owns this Viewdeck Cottage which recently opened. Would you believe that we got the cottage for just 1000 pesos? Though it was peak season, Kuya Rudy was gracious enough to give us off-peak rates/ We just requested for an extra bed (we were 5 in the room but who's complaining?) Getting to the cottage though was quite a challenge. We had to go up the hill - about 70 uneven steps. The view was worth the trip up the cottage!!! We found out that there's a honeymooning couple on their 27th day in El Nido staying on the other side of the cottage - a Thai female and a Caucasian male whom we met that night. Electricity in El Nido is locally generated and limited - it runs from 3pm to 3 am only.


The boat trip was less than 2,000 pesos. The rock formations were magnificent! We were just speechless with only our cameras doing the talking. The waves were somewhat strong but we managed to drop by the Small lagoon, an ideal place for kayaking (though it slipped our minds to rent kayaks!!!), the Big Lagoon, Miniloc Island (yes, the one of the two establishments who accept credit cards) and the 7 Commando Beach. This is the Palawan that we see in postcards. We were simply in awe, it was surreal basking in the El Nido sun. I wouldn't be caught dead in a swimsuit but I just had to let go of my inhibitions and enjoy and get those tan lines!!! We were quite embarrassed though to be the only tourists paddling our way through the small lagoon with our life vests when everybody is enjoying on their kayaks. I also noticed that we were the only Pinoys in the area, most of them are Korean and Caucasian tourists. Kuya Rudy mentioned later on that most Pinoy tourists flock the area only during the Holy Week.

We tried to wait for the sunset on the Commando Beach. It was also deserted, we literally had the beach to ourselves. Our trip was somehow spoiled by the fact that our guides were not as helpful as the ones we had at Honda Bay, but we didn't let that ruin our day. We had a candle-lit dinner by the beach that night - we spent about 1,000 pesos for the full, sumptuous seafood meal that's worth about 3,000 pesos in Manila. We spent an hour afterwards walking around the town central, looking for souvenirs, and immersing ourselves to the local night life - as usual there's a basketball game in the town plaza.

Kuya Rudy reserved bus seats for us for the first trip the next day - the same bus who took us to El Nido. We had to use our flash light going down the cottage since there's no electricity. The bus left at 6am, we were ready by 5am so we were able to chat some more with Kuya Rudy. His wife served us coffee and the 1 peso pandesal he bought was still warm from the oven. Though we spent more hours traveling than staying in El Nido, we were happy with the experience, and we were now ready to complete the last leg of our trip.

The Underground River


The bus dropped us at Salvacion, where the road to Sabang starts. We were told that the jeepney trips are regular so we thought we had no problems catching a ride. We arrived past 12 noon and were almost heartbroken upon hearing that the jeepney just passed by, that the next one is scheduled to arrive at 2pm, and that the last trip from Sabang to Puerto is at 2pm. The tricycle drivers laughed at us when we tried asking them to bring us to Sabang, later on we would find out why. They contacted a local driver who brings goods to the city, got the jeep for 3k and started our trip past 1am. Boy, the trip to the Underground river wasn't a pleasant one! A few times we had to stop since bulldozers are on the works.There were parts that were concrete,but the whole 1.5 hour trip was tiring.

We reached the Sabang wharf where we had to get our permit to enter the cave and pay for it and our boat ride. The first thing that caught our attention was the big billboard of Jollibee welcoming us to the Underground River. Haha. Yes, we were still in the Philippines, we mused. The cave was a half hour boat ride away, by this time all of us showed signs of fatigue, but the scenery was breathtaking that it invigorated us. The entrance to the cave was a hundred meters away from the seashore, we had to walk in a wooden pathway, wore our life vest and helmets and we were ready to go.

I rode in the front of the paddle boat and took care of the car battery-powered light. It was a very amusing ride inside the cave, Kuya Mike had the sense of humor of Daddy Selwyn we loved to hate (and hated to love), and I actually felt claustrophobic by the time we were a kilometer deep inside the cave. Kuya Mike told us there were Italian spelunkers deep into the cave, that you need to get special permit should you wish to go beyond the permitted 1km trip,and that we can't touch the formations since they were too sensitive and our acidic sweat would cause corrosion.

We had a few side trips going back. We dropped by the Buenavista viewing deck to experience the beautiful Palawan sunset. And guess what again? For the third day in a row, we experienced a flat tire, and the guys concluded that I was the jinx! Haha :) On the way back,we also saw a young pregnant girl walking up the road and invited her to ride with us. Kuya Isagani, the driver, stopped by their house (they have electricity,take note!) to pick up some sacks of coal for delivery and his son to accompany him to Puerto (it was dark by this time). Our way back to Puerto Princesa was reminiscent of a trip back to Daet from Albay - the moonlight was the only source of light illuminating the highway. It felt so peaceful, and I also felt sadness because we know our trip is on its homestretch.

The last night in Puerto Princesa

No amount of fatigue can stop us from going out and enjoying our last night in town. We called up Kuya Arnold, the trike driver, who took us to Kinabuch's, a local Gerry's Grill-type restaurant. Ka Lui's, the most famous resto in the city, was already closed but Kinabuch's was a good alternative. The place is full of well-to-do Palawenyos, the parking was full of fancy cars and there was a big projector screen - a Jon Bon Jovi concert was being shown (later on it was Brian Adams). The food was delicious and cheapl - the sisig, sinigang na baboy,hinornong hipon sa gata, grilled squid, and the cocktails are okay (i'm not really a fan of cocktails,really). The girls are complaining for we haven't spotted decent-looking guys our age. I was consumed with my emotional state that began to bother me again now that our vacation is almost over that I didn't notice that there were no yuppies that would serve as our eye candies. We just realized that hey, we were in Puerto Princesa, and there are no yuppies here!

The morning after

The stress began to build up again as we tried to buy as many pasalubongs as we can and still make it to our 10AM flight. We barely made it, checked in 5 mins before boarding time. Funny we still had time to pose for last minute pictures!!! Jake was left behind for his return trip was mistakenly scheduled for March 2. It was a great trip, one helluvah trip. But wait, we missed one thing on this trip, we never met Hagedorn!!! With one stroke of luck,however, we saw a prominent figure being escorted by the Police to the plane. Mayor Edward Hagedorn!!! We were so star-struck and overjoyed by the fact that we saw him just before our plane took off!

Last minute pahabol: Mayor Hagedorn



I saw SM Sucat while the plane was landing and realized that yes, we are soo back. Erlyn had the courage to approach Mayor Hagedorn, and Jackie and I had to run as fast as we can to catch up. I was like a fan melting at the sight of her idol. I was able to chat with him, told him that we were so eager meeting him and he even quipped, "Nakakahiya naman sa inyo, sana man lang ang nakapag-dinner tayo!" Uyy,close! Such an irony, that we went to Puerto Princesa hoping to get a glimpse of him but were able to do so here in Manila! That really sealed the Palawan deal for us. :)



The most important experience that we had during this trip is the hospitality of the local people. We never experienced anybody taking advantage, over-charging or harassing us. This is the main difference between these people and the majority of the urban poor - they have respect for others and dignity not to ask for more than they worked for. Palawan is blessed with natural beauty, and somehow it's a blessing in disguise that these wonders are not easily accessible. I also noticed that there are more Protestant churches than Catholic ones. The trust system is still practiced here - the bus conductor/helper would pick up a package and would deliver it - no receipts, no shipping and handling fees, something that's impossible in the city.
Overall, our Palawan trip is one helluva break from our stressful office,love and family life. I couldn't be happier sharing this trip with Judith, Jackie,Erlyn and Jake. To my fellow cowgirls out there, our next stop: Rediscovering Ilocandia in may and Bora in October, of course courtesy of Cebu Pacific's 1 Peso Fare Promo!!!