Pre-"The Year That Was" blog post

Grabe, it's been months and I've got tons to tell and adventures to share. Since my last post, I've been to Baguio twice, went on a company outing at Nasugbu, Batangas, tried zip-line-ing at Tagaytay, and had an awesome Christmas roadtrip. Whew, I hope my December 31st would be enough to do all my last-minute whims - that holiday art and the annual "The Year That Was" blog post. Oh, and there's still Keith's house tambay and the girls' day out with my best friends.

I should prolly start with the countdown today. So all I have to do tomorrow and on Friday is to actually make the blog post. :P

Oh, and the pic above was from the Christmas roadtrip. Kudos to my cousin's second-hand Canon EOS 450D cam he bought from a friend. Gah, I'm jealous. : ))

BACK TO YOU: Pre-akwe.

* Same as what I have done at my Facebook account, I'm gonna be dividing the whole weekend getaway into four parts while maintaining a single blog title.

After thousands of excuses and weeks of bugging, my Mum finally gave in to my request of visiting Baguio just in time for Anime_HQ's acquaintance party for new members.

I called up some of my Manila-based friends and orgmates about the trip and found out that some had already traveled ahead in anticipation of the said org event. Haha, excited much? It's a good thing though that my friend Jasper still had classes until Thursday so he agreed to take the Friday midnight trip to Baguio. However, due to overfatigue, stress, and parents that came home late, we were delayed our trip until 6 am of Friday.

I dunno who's got the bad luck but we've certainly ran out of luck during the entire trip. The bus we boarded broke down while we're at Siesta in Tarlac City, and had to wait an hour for another bus. When the replacement bus arrived, it was already full so we have to wait for another bus to arrive.

Things went smoothly for the first half an hour until the bus driver pulled over a Bus stop eatery and declared a 15-minute break. I was like, "Oh-kay" at first but not until it seems like the bus driver vowed to pull over with every Bus stop he sees. You might think that I'm just making a big fuss out of it but believe me, it's just a waste of time for frequent Baguio travellers. There should only be two-three stopovers to Baguio - Dau terminal, Siesta at Tarlac, and Sison terminal.

Because of the delays, it took us almost 7 and a half hours to reach Baguio. Not good for someone like me who's terribly excited to see everyone. Upon reaching Baguio, we dumped our bags at SM's package counter and headed straight to UP. God, I really did miss the place. It's been months since last I've been here and it's a great feeling to pretend being a student once more.

Surprisingly, I found out that HQ have already occupied the right side area of the IB Lobby as the unofficial tambayan. It's such a shame that we've lost the Guidance office, but hey, this is better than nothing.

And suddenly, I was almost glomped by members trying to get my signature. How I wish I tried coming up with more interesting tasks for them to do than just having them sing and act in front of many people.

Just when I thought I'm having the time of my life toying with the new members, Gab dropped by to say hi! I've missed him so much that I made sure I'll have this picture taken. And also, I've managed to invite him to tomorrow's party.

We brought the whole gang to Good Taste for some dinner. It's the ideal place for large groups to eat out and spend less. It was chaotic bringing everyone (I think we were more than 15 people) but it was worth it.

And since I've missed Baguio so much. I vowed to enjoy every minute of my stay and no sleeping. We headed straight to Gamman's for some Rock Band session. It's behind the La Azotea building and just across the DENR office. Playtime's 60 bucks per hour. Not bad, eh?

Still strictly implementing the no sleeping rule, next stop was Zola Cafe at Session Road. It's a perfect place for pulling all-nighter doing acads stuff since they offer free wi-fi and free laptop charging (as long as you sit near the socket). Since we'll be brainstorming over the program for the next day's event, it's basically the perfect spot. Oh, and they offer free coffee by 3 AM. What can be more awesome than that?

In between brainstorming, we watched the live action version of the 20th Century Boys. Just click the link for the plot since I'm in no mood to discuss it. But believe me, it's worth watching.

After five hours, six cups of coffee, and 2 glasses of milk shake, we left for the market to do shop for the party's food and necessities.

3 mos. of bloggong hiatus

Been noticing the lack of updates? Yes, ladies and gentlemen. I'm sorry to tell that yours truly have been on hiatus with this little travel blog for the past three months.

The reason? simply UNEMPLOYMENT.

Ever since my college graduation, I've been scouting here and there for any job that could simply get me out of unemployment. Haha, from radio stations, broadcast networks, publishing houses to ad agencies, marketing companies, and even staff leasing offices, I've practically submitted my resume everywhere. I was desperate.

People said I should take my time off and enjoy my vacation. After all, I've been studying for 14 years already and I deserve a break. What they fail to realize is that unemployment equates being broke, and being broke prevents me from doing anything fun, much less do more travels.

Oh, and not to mention that I was kinda depressed about my loong vacation. I've been missing so the people I've left in Baguio so much that it hurts everytime I realize that we're like 200kms away from each other.

I really really do.

It's a good thing though that I'm already out of the unemployment pool so I can save up money to pay them a visit once in a while. I'm actually planning to use my first payslip for a Baguio weekend getaway.

The Overdue UP Fair post

Yes, my first ever UP Fair. Since it was my last semester in UP, I was hellbent on attending this year's UP Fair and it was a good thing that my friends found the idea awesome.

First stop: Rodick's at Shopping Center for an awesome meal of tapsilog with Kuya Yow, followed by a slice of Devil's Food Cake from The Chocolate Kiss Cafe at UP Bahay ng Alumni. FOODTRIP!

Met Paeng at Chokiss and walked around for a bit, waiting for Jyx and Raffy. We spotted this mini stage where Noel Cabangon was about to perform and lingered for some time watching his mini concert.

We got to see Bayang Barrios perform by nightfall.

Once the gang's complete. It's time to enjoy the show.

Wall climbing. I was thrilled when I saw the wall climbing booth(?) since I've always wanted to try it ever since I was a kid. I was more thrilled when we found out that Kuya Yow's sister was in charge of the wall climbing registration. Too bad though, we didn't get free climbs nor privileges in the line, but we did get some tips and tricks

And yes, I did reach the top. Twice. I didn't know that wall climbing can be really exhausting. I was sweating all over when I got down.

Ferris wheel. Turns out that Paeng hasn't been on one and I had the time of my life scaring the wits out of him. Those creaky, squeaky carriages were made of win.

This is actually a staged picture but believe me, he was really scared at first and was endlessly cursing under his breath every time I swing our carriage.

By the way, the first picture above was an aerial view of the fair, taken from the ferris wheel.

We went around to see more of the other stalls. There were a lot of food stalls that offers delicious-looking grilled food but we didn't get to try one. I swear I'm going back there next year with my wallet loaded with cash.

And here comes the highlight of the night. The biggest local musicians rocking the night out for us. We were lucky that we got a good spot just enough for us to see the performers well. Thank you Sugarfree and Rico Blanco for that awesome night.

P.S. I was not warned but apparently, there are a lot of jumping jologs who were among the crowd that night. Oh god, there were such an eyesore and not to mention annoying that I threw an empty water bottle at them.

So before I become rage guy over these kids, I'd say that I thoroughly enjoyed the event. It wasn't as chaotic as I was expecting and the sights are very interesting. I am sooo going back next year.

The Purple Finger

Yes, I've voted and became part of the first automated election in the country. With all the advocacy campaign running around urging the youth to participate in elections, the purple mark on my finger feels like no ordinary mark. Idealistic as it may sounds but for me, it represents the hopes and dreams I have for my motherland.

To those officials whom I have voted for and won, bear in mind that I'll be watching you.

More May 10 pics.
P.S. Oh, and I have to commend the wonderful people from the precinct where I voted. It just took us some 10-20 minutes to line up, look for our numbers, get a ballot, and vote. It's way way better than from what I've been hearing from my friends; they wasted hours and hours lining up just to vote.

Let's spend tonight on top of the world: The Antipolo Getaway

It's Saturday night, you've got your homies and you've got nothing to do. Too bad, you're short on cash and under dressed to party, and all you have is a pretty loaded car, oh what to do, what to do?

Can't believe we're stuck in such a situation, especially with these guys who never seem to run out of gimik ideas. Lucky, my brother got his virtual jar of gimik ideas replenished and suggested an awesome idea: a roadtrip to Antipolo.After grabbing the car keys, some blankets and pillows, some snacks, and a large cooler, we found ourselves at Ate Kat's backseat, hitting the road to Antipolo at 10 in the evening.

Ate Kat and Dek in the front seats

L-R: Meanne, Ate Tin, Dek, and Ate Kat

All hail to 24-hour convenience stores, the ultimate party resource for impulsive party goers. We dropped by at Mini Stop Village East to get some additional stuff, and of course, the booze. Haha, just 2 bottles of The Bar since Meanne has already brought an extra bottle from her commercial shoot earlier.


Antipolo is just a 15-20 minute drive from our house, that is if you're driving at the wee hours of the night. Famous for its numerous resorts and a pilgrimage site every Holy Week, Antipolo also offers an awesome view of the metro nightlife. And that's what we're going for.

The night life of Metro Manila

We found a perfect spot with an awesome view in a parking place of a shady-looking motel. It might sound really scary, specially with just the five of us, but believe me, it's safer than strolling around at Burnham Park. Unless, of course, you got too drunk and fell into the overlooking cliff.

We spread our mats, brought out the pillows and blankets, and enjoyed a hearty chitchat over our mini snacks and drinks.

Yes, Uno can't be left behind.

Apparently, I underestimated the coldness of Antipolo at night that I deliberately left my jacket at home.
Thanks to Dek for lending me his jacket.

We could've stayed there until dawn but since Meanne and Ate Kat still have to get home, we packed up by 2 am.



Definitely had fun. I can't wait to do it again. :)

Bakit masarap ang SEX?

In the past, I've only heard about this from my best friend Nico, he keeps on talking how good it was, and hopes that someday, we'll be able to SEx ourselves. Oh and of course, the virgin that I was, I'm thrilled and can't wait for him to take me there.

Too bad, that it wasn't with him that I had my first SEx experience. It was hard to get him around since he started working: limited day-offs and conflicting scheds so Raffy took the matter into his own hands.

Yes, people. Welcome to the famous Sinangag Express, a 24-hour resto that serves the best-tasting Sinangag with various viands like beef tapa, tocino, liempo, chicken, pares, etc. and served with a sunny-side up egg.

I first heard about this one from Nico, who was a patron of Sinangag Express in Paranaque. He loves calling it SEX as Sinangag Express is commonly known by that term and probably aside from the fact that he just loves the novelty of the name.

For the first couple of months, it was a shock for me to hear him say, "Tara, SEX tayo pag-uwi natin sa Manila," but I eventually got used to it and became more curious with it. One lazy afternoon, Raffy invited me on a quest to locate the SEX Taft branch while getting Jyx's lomo films developed.

Loosely referred as located just in front of Dela Salle University, SEX Taft Branch wasn't that easy to find. We had two security guards point us at different direction, and it was a boy selling cigarettes that took us to the right way.

SEX was relatively empty when we arrived that we almost thought they're done for the day. With upturned chairs at the tables and one of the staff sweeping across the shop, what would you expect. Nevertheless, the girl at the counter greeted us warmly and took our order.

Raffy's Liemsilog (Liempo, Sinangag and Itlog)

My Tapsilog (Tapa, Sinangag, and Itlog)

I'd say, their viands are really tasty, my tapa and Raffy's liempo. It really made up for what they lacked with the garlic rice, which got me kinda disappointed. Their rice tasted like it was cooked hours before, which is quite understandable since we got there around 3 pm. Definitely not a food chain's rush hour.

Oh, and it's awesome that they have unlimited supply of service water for their customer, making service water fanatics like us happy and contented. As much as possible, we refrain from ordering drinks whenever we eat out since food establishments usually compensate their prices through the drinks.

I'm definitely coming back, there's still so much I'd like to try from their menu including the Special Pares and the Chilled Taho. Hopefully, I'll be able to write a more explanatory blog entry than this.

Check them out at their Facebook fanpage. Other branches are located at BF Homes, Paranaque and Perpetual, Las Pinas.

Catch the Last Weekend of the Last Week: San Fernando, La Union

March 27-28, 2010: Acapulco Beach, San Fernando, La Union


As a treat to ourselves for surviving yet another semester, we chose to spend the last weekend of March in the beautiful shores of Acapulco Beach, San Fernando, La Union.

It was foreseen as an awesome adventure as none of us have been to La Union for a beach outing and we're all tight on budget to afford getting lost. We even brought our own supplies of canned goods and rice just to have something to munch on.

Supposed meet-up time was 6:00am at Partas Bus Terminal along Gov. Pack Road, and yes, I was late since I'm checking on the cheapest possible resorts online. It was lucky that one of my housemates was from La Union and referred me to her aunt who knows the budget-friendly resorts around.

RR and Kuya Yow

Nathan and me


Jyx and Raffy

Student fare's 75 bucks at Partas. We left the terminal at 10 am and traveled for an hour and a half to San Fernando, La Union. If you'll be traveling from Baguio like we did, tell the bus conductor to drop you off at the plaza. From there, there's a bunch of tricycles waiting to take you to Acapulco Beach. Fee's 10 bucks each, maximum of 3 person per trike so that'll be 30 bucks when you're flying solo.


The trike dropped us off directly at the beach, just behind the rented cottages. A mumbling man, as Raffy love to call him, approached us and offered us a cottage fit for like 10-15 people and our own bathroom (minus the toilet) for 300 bucks, 500 if we're gonna spend overnight. Not bad since there's the six of us paying and the beach's free.

the awesome cottage with Coke advertising paraphernalia

One thing awesome about the cottage was the electricity supply. Yes, they have one which made anime marathons and Facebook updates possible.

By afternoon, we've realized that the food we've brought - several cans of tuna and sardines, a casserole of rice, and two loaves of bread - won't be enough to last us overnight with 3 additional people coming. Since we still have enough cash, we decided to hit the public market.

Again, we took the trike without any idea where on earth is the public market. We were like, "okay, Mr. Trike driver, take us to the market wherever that is." It seems like the standard price for the trike is 10 bucks each since the market seems quite farther than the terminal we were dropped off that morning.

Sorry, no pics except for Uno's photo-op with eggs but San Fernando's Public Market is probably the most awesome market around. The place is unbelievably clean, even the fish stalls, and everyone's friendly and accommodating. I guess it helped a lot that Jyx and Raffy are fluent in Ilocano, they were able to get us discounts and make us look less-tourists. :P


We got ourselves some additional rice, a couple of red eggs, and 2 milkfish for grilling. We also bought woods and marshmallows for a bonfire night, and of course, some liquor to spice things up.

We got back just in time to catch some awesome sunset, though not as awesome as those in Manila Bay since some clouds got in the way. But hey, it still looks great.

We were so envious of these guys: surfing and jetskiing in the summer afternoon sun.

Except for a bunch of middle-aged men casually drinking on the next cottage who left early, we practically owned the whole beach by nighttime. It was great as the whole stretch of beach was dark saved for little pinpricks of light from neighboring resort and the light of the full moon above.

From left to right: Krizzia, Aemir, Raffy, Paeng, Jyx, and me doing the Paeng pose.

Being on a beach escapade doesn't mean we have escaped our responsibility to Mother Earth. If you'll remember, it was Earth Hour at that time and yes, we did our part. When Paeng's phone alarm rang to mark the start of Earth Hour, the light was turned off and laptops were unplugged. Those in charge of cooking depended heavily on candles and the grill for light, while we were at the shore, having the time of our lives with the strong waves and sand.



After a delicious dinner of grilled milkfish, red eggs, and canned sardines, we set out to start our bonfire. It took us quite a while since I think none of us have done it before. Then came the mallows, the roasted mallows that melt in your mouth, and some gin and beer.

L-R: Paeng, me, Nathan, Aemir, Krizzia, and RR all enjoying our proudly made bonfire

By morning, we were woken up by the mumbling man, telling us that we should be ready to leave by 8 in the morning so everyone started packing things up, ready for another adventure on the way back. We took an ordinary bus back to Baguio for some thrill and cost-cutting. Student fare's 60 bucks, no aircon, cramped seats but awesome view.

RR and Nathan

Kuya Yow

Aemir and Krizzia

Bye bye, San Fernando. I swear we'll be back. ♥

BTW: Pics courtesy of RR's cam and my LG phone camera