Patriotism. It’s More Fun In The Philippines

I think each person is innately patriotic to their own native land.   Regardless when one thinks that it’s always been the same ol’ same old… there is always a sense of mystery – something new and renewed – around every corner awaiting to be discovered.

No matter how adventurous a person may be, in his or her lifetime, the world is such a dynamic place with inhabitants constantly adapting to the changes and challenges that gets dictated by circumstance.

Thus, it was simply AMAZING being able to witness the teaser launch of Davao Region’s It’s More Fun In The Philippines video last March 31, 2012 during the Earth Hour 2012 celebration in Davao.  And frankly speaking,  I’ve been scouring the whole world wide web just to watch it again.  Thankfully, after 2weeks, I stumbled upon this website.

So I’m sharing this with you.

Some places I’ve already been to.  Others – nearby places – are places I never expected held so much appeal to local and foreign tourism.

Davao Region.

Patriotism.  Tourism.

I’ts more FUN in the Philippines!

A Break From Work

Has it been more than a month already since my last post?  Gosh… I’ve been SO BUSY at work and other stuff that I haven’t been able to just sit down and blog.  In fact, I’m still a bit tired from a business trip to Iligan City (about a 12-hour bus ride from my hometown) to attend a Job Fair last April 2 -4.  My mind is still stressed out from the nonstop interviews and long travel alone.  Thankfully it’s Holy Week so I get to take a few days break before returning to work.

It was my first time in traveling to Iligan City.  And being alone during travels wasn’t exactly safe.  But needing an adventure and break from the office, I was willing to go (and besides, it was the company’s expense).  Just to be sure though, I checked with the bus line if there were any trips on Holy Thursday.  It wouldn’t do me any good if I got stranded there during my long weekend (plus I’d hate to miss my mom’s birthday!).   After the assurance from the bus company that there would still be trips returning to Davao, I proceeded with my preparations.  And since my mobile line wasn’t on an unlimited data plan, I checked for any available daily unlimited plans my service provider offered.  Luckily there was!  So all I needed to do was register (depending on my preferred number of days) and I was all set.  Since my phone has tethering as well, it worked on my advantage in bouncing my mobile signal via wifi, enabling my iTouch to get its signal.  Thank you techie-ness.  For Sun Cellular subscribers, click here for the details.

 Just to be extra sure that I wouldn’t get totally lost (and know exactly where I was along the trip), I utilized my iTouch map for my convenience.  Below you will find that there are 2 routes in getting to Iligan.  In terms of distance, the first route would have been the faster way (the one I took) especially if you had your own car, but due to road repairs along the highways it still took quite a long time in getting to my destination.

via BUDA route

via Butuan route

Job Fair

It was the first job fair I participated in with my new Company and it has been 2 years since the last one I attended with my previous employer.  I was half-expecting to be bored to death but I was literally deluged with a number of fresh graduates eagerly applying with our company.  Their eager faces, skeletal resumes, and idealistic responses during their one-on-one interview with me was quite endearing… bringing me back to days that I was also a part of that crowd.

fresh from their graduation celebration the day before

How I wish it were so simple.

Anyway, with all the applicants I have gathered for pending hiring and pooling, I’m excited how their lives would turn if hired with our company.  More work for me.

SIGH.

Joining the bandwagon in bringing home specialties from places traveled, I brought home Iligan’s well-known Cheding’s Peanuts.  Too bad though mom’s not allowed to eat TOO MUCH nuts (it’s her favorite!).

Cheding's Peanuts

My job schedule has been very hectic lately.  The constant turnovers from one of our companies are quite difficult to handle and I myself becoming like duck’s feet underwater trying to stay afloat.  I had to be responsible in retrenching and terminating a number of employees in another company.  Seeing people cry over the loss of their means of income is very DRAINING to say the least!  I just want to get rid of the negative vibes I get when I have to confront the displaced employees.  Sometimes I get to thinking that I chose the right course but the WRONG career.  Speaking of which, I was planning on taking up post-graduate studies.  But with how my boss is, I doubt I’ll be able to pursue it.  Sure I’ve discussed it with him but he keeps thinking that I’ll be leaving my work unattended.  Regardless of the justifications I’ve made, I sense that I’m not going anyway with that conversation.

Darn.

Anyway, we’ll see  in the coming days.

By the way, here are a few photos I took during my bus ride going to and from Iligan.

via Butuan route

via BUDA route

fresh from their graduation celebration the day before

Cheding’s Peanuts

Dancing at Disco Revolution

I love dancing.

Dancing, however, doesn’t agree with my body coordination.  In every chance I get for group dancing presentations, I go into a state of “mind-is-willing-but-body-not-cooperating” status.  As a [frustrated] musician, I know how to follow the beat.  And yes, my body feels the beat.  But to express it in dance?  I end up feeling awkward and clumsy.  Must be my figure, but seeing other people “bulkier” than me dance gracefully, proves that assumption wrong.

In my high school and college life, I’ve never gone to dances or discos.  Well… not to dance anyway, but to meet up with friends and observe.  I am always in awe of the ladies who can gyrate and writhe their bodies to the music without looking ridiculous.  Even the guys have their own dance moves that seem comfortable and easy enough.

Flash forward to the present and still the same feeling remains.  Even during our Christmas Party last December 17, no matter how I wanted to dance and “show-off” my nonexistent moves to bag a prize, my body was just plain STIFF!

An officemate of mine commented that I wasn’t into dancing and was more into basketball.  Cause she noticed me shun away during the dance showdown.  Honestly, yes!  But at least I knew how to play basketball.  Put me up against all girls in the office and I’d win hands down (not bragging) in basketball.  And she further commented  “That may be so.  But not all girls play basketball.”  In short, I ended up feeling more dejected.

I’ve always analyzed the why of my dancing inadequacy.  And in a nutshell: I couldn’t let myself LET GO.  Letting go to my inhibitions, letting go for the thrill of the moment… surrendering to the inevitable whether to be praised or ridiculed…

Until last night.

As far as dancing goes, last night was a first.  A few of my colleagues went out last night to attend a celebration/birthday party and afterwards, we went off to have our own bonding sessions.  The place we ended up going?  To a secluded disco bar: Disco Revolution (Formerly Salambat).

Joy knew the owner.  And we were just shooting off the side if we could get in for free.  And we did!  Since there was only one other group/pair as customers, we had the place to ourselves.  Joy and Leo started dancing (seeing that they were the two BETTER dancers hands-down).  I knew Joy danced pretty well, but what impressed and delighted me most was Leo’s dancing.  His moves were plain and simple but he had that charisma in him to really pull you to dance!  His dancing, although a bit sexy but didn’t seem malicious at all.  In fact, Joy, Elmer and I had a blast laughing and dancing.

Yes, I actually danced!  After a few inhibiting moments and prodding from Leo and Elmer, I started listening to the beat with my body.  Awkward at first but getting there.

Since our last night out was just our little secret, we’re looking forward to more bonding sessions.  Hopefully my dancing will improve!

Merry Christmas!

A BFF-ful Weekend Adventure

One of my bff (Toffee) was in town during the last weekend of September.  This vacation was a spur-of-the-moment plan a few months back.  Good thing she was able to get a seat sale from Cebu Pacific.  So did one of her colleagues.

Anyway, a week before her arrival, I was already thinking what our plans would be for bff Rai’s birthday.  But since Rai “initially” planned celebrating her day with her family (since it was a Sunday), I didn’t press the issue anymore.  Instead, we decided to push through with our swimming adventure at Villa de Mercedes with her older sis MM, and first-time-in-Davao visitor Nina.

For a brief overview of my weekend, I’m marking it in days (sharing a few photos as well):

Friday (September 30, 2011)

Aya [Charles] and I was already set to go out with a couple of our workmates for a little RnR and get-together.  Since Toffee was around, I asked her to join us.  The videoke session with the guys was a FUN experience.  Getting to see their more “rowdy” side made it more fun to get to know them altogether.  I was even able to prod one of our officemates (Joy) to catch up with us.  And I made a new discovery!  Joy can sure carry out a tune!.  Note to self: Must volunteer her for the Christmas party program. LOL.

After the 3 or 4 hours of singing, we decided to call it a night (since Aya and I still had an inventory to attend to the next day.  So we said goodbye to our colleagues.  So that left the 3 (aya, achi, and me) of us.  Feeling a bit uppity, I asked them to eat Durian.  (Which I ended up eating all to myself!  Thank you aya for finishing of the LAST fruit for me).

Saturday (October 1, 2011)

Inventory day.  Imagine sleeping only for a couple of hours then waking up to get to the office early.  Lucky for aya, we just had to pick him up along the way to the farm.  Sheesh!  Talk about ZOMBIE-MODE.  LOL.  So off we went to our work.  Good thing we finished early.  I could catch a few Zzz’s before heading off to our basketball game that night.  UNFORTUNATELY, my brain had other plans.  I couldn’t even get a nap.  So instead of sleeping, I decided to meet up with achi instead at the mall.  Figured since she’d be watching my game, better go there together.  And what luck!  Raisa was also coming along.

After purchasing food to eat, we took a taxi to Woodridge so I could prep up.  Along the way, we were finally able to convince the birthday girl to come with us the next day.  Since her family celebration was for lunch, it left plenty of time to spare in the afternoon.  And as an added bonus?  Our godsons got to have permission to come along.  Perfect!

I love having my bffs there during my games.  I get to have a boost of confidence in playing.  Though at times I can’t concentrate.  Too much publicity.  LOL.  But I’m truly happy they’re there.

My AVID fans

Yup! My teammates are guys..

Although we lost.  I’m happy I was able to score a couple of 3 pointers.  (Show-off!)  My lack of sleep was slowly seeping in during the game.  And the lack of players wasn’t helping though.  Anyway, winning (or losing) didn’t matter.  I was just glad I could sweat off a couple of pounds from my system every once in a while.  Here’s to next year’s league!

Up next, dinner.  Since we all ate a heavy late afternoon snacks, we skipped the dinner plans at Lyndon’s and went off to Barrio Bistro to grab their buy 1 take 1 pizza instead.  If you remember, I posted about Barrio Bistro a few weeks ago.  Check it out here.  So off we went!  We ordered their All Cheese Pizza and another Pizza (I forgot what it was called) and waited for it to be served while catching up with each other’s life.  In addition, we had a small “exchange gift” moment too.

My bffs

Tangled (Our gifts)

Sunday (October 2, 2011):

BFF Raisa’s birthday!!! Villa de Mercedes Swimming day!!!

Being the “planner” of the group, I still had one main problem for our activity.  Transportation.

Just a little sidenote and background about Villa de Mercedes.  VDM is an exclusive subdivision located at Catigan, Toril 585 ft. above sea level.  When I say exclusive, I mean ELITE.  The homeowners don’t just allow walk-in guests and use their clubhouse… particularly their infinity pool.  That’s what discovered upon visiting VDM the first time.  I was looking for a venue for our Christmas party when I remember VDM (courtesy of my former classmate who posted a few of her photos here.  I didn’t get her words then when she said you needed an agent to get in).  So when I was at their coffee shop, the barista explained that you needed to be a homeowner, or invited by one, OR have an agent to “sponsor” your visit.  She then pointed me a brochure postcard indicating their “Agent For the Day” whom I could contact to be invited.

So flash forward. I already coordinated with the agent a few days ago but transportation was a last-minute problem.  So when I informed the agent just to confirm our invite, she called me up to ask for other details.  When we got to the point about the transportation (and lack thereof), she offered to drive my group instead.  Yes!  Problem solved!  After meeting up with my bffs, my godsons, and meeting achi’s officemate Nina, we waited for Ms. Agent to pick us up.

The ride was quite pleasant and Ms. Agent was very open in sharing about Villa de Mercedes.  Acting out as a tour guide, she happily gave information about each subdivision phase, from the main entrance… to the lots… the features… the amenities… and the overall briefing of its “ELITE-ness”.  Impressive!

Finally, we were dropped off at the coffee shop to take a breathtaking view of the pool.  After the final words, we went off to change and finally try out their ionized pool.

[For more information about Villa de Mercedes, I saw this site to share with you.]

Breathtaking. And the view wasn't bad too. LOL

The coffee shop up above..

Bffs and Godsons

Light snacks

Nice

After having our fill of swimming, we were ready to go and have dinner.  Ms. Malou toured as to their “Kubo” area wherein visitors could eat the foods we brought along (since bringing in of foods at the clubhouse and pool area was prohibited).  Good thing our godsons brought snacks for us to share with and munch on.

Happiness!

We did our perfunctory jumpshot (though I only posted mine. LOL)  So Ms. Malou dropped us of at SM.  Achi bought a couple of treats to bring back to Manila which we dropped off at their house then we went to…. LYNDON’S (remember by blog about them here?) with ate MM.

Ready to Order!

Our shared Dinner

Baked Scallops

Can I just say that the reaction of Nina was priceless when she took that first forkful of spareribs!  Utter bliss!

Next stop?  Eating durian! However, we got a BIT sidetracked when we passed by Margie’s Bakeshop and remembered we didn’t have a cake for the birthday girl.  So here it is!

Mini-cake shared by 5 ladies

To cap the day off (well… for me though since the four other girls were going to have a massage after), we went off to FINALLY have our Durian.  Durian is one of the fruit specialties in Davao.  With a smell like hell (so they say.  Personally, I find the smell appetizing) but tastes like heaven.  For Nina, it was a new experience and I was glad we were there to boost her into taking that first bite.

Durian! Arancillo variety

 Well, that’s all I can share for now!  Hope you enjoyed reading!  I’m looking forward to my next adventure.

Adventures in Mining

As a first project, [Aya] Charles and I went off to our first journey as HR colleagues to our mining areas.  After a few negotiations with our boss and setting up a gameplan (so to speak) for our project, our trip/visit was finally approved.

I scheduled our trip to coincide with the celebration at one mine site (so that food was bountiful… SNEAKY! LOL).  So early morning of September 7, we were on our way to Tagum City (our transfer point for our more “off-road” transportation).  So I’m going to share a few photos I took along the way.

A couple of hours away from the site

Mining Mountains

risky roads...

Our first stop (our host for our overnight stay) was at our processing plant.  We got there around 11:00AM.  So me and Aya started going through the motions of our workplan.  We started out with our orientation, then cascade, a few Q&A moments until we stopped to take our lunch.  Since we were celebrating as well, our host had their share of the lechon (roasted pig).

Lechon!! (Roasted Pig)

After lunch, we continued where we left off.  Then after all that needed to be discussed, we went into a grand tour of the area and it was great to be able to piece together each persons’ functions into the big picture.  It made our project more clear.  Since we were staying for the night at the plant, we took the liberty in heading out (accompanied by one of the big bosses) to one mine site which we passed on the way up.  We didn’t stray too long though since roads were very treacherous and the night was slowly creeping in.  Our designated driver would be having a challenging uphill drive if we stayed out too late.

Mountains by Night

So after returning to our host area, my partner and I went to go exploring around the plant and get the pulse of things as well as go to the departments we didn’t get to go to earlier.  Then dinner came, and Aya and I were gearing for a late night discussion and review preparation.  Aside from that, I also had to prepare a few contracts for new hires.   The mountain atmosphere blanketed us with a steady lull of inactivity.  And the cold mountain breeze was very soothing especially for me – a city slicker.  The cold water was a little too much for me to bear though.  Imagine ICE COLD.  And that was just from the TAP!  I dreading thinking how I’d be able to take a bath the next day since we had to leave early to go to our next site!  Sheesh!

I survived though.  Thankfully, they offered to heat up water for me to mix with the ICE COLD water.  I just had to speed up taking a bath to get it over with.  We left Wendy (since we traveled with one of our office mates who also had an “assignment” to work on at the plant) for the day and told her we’d have her picked up when we reach our last site.  It was quite refreshing not to have her tag along.  At least we’d get to focus on our agenda with the sites we visit.

Aya and I decided to divide and conquer our work activities to finish off early.  Glad we did since our second area had much to cover and a lot of them were raising their concerns too.  Lunchtime came and I got to have a taste of the extract from a sea urchin.  I forgot what it was called but if I remember right, the local term was “swaki“.  A protein-rich serving.

Uhm... What road?

Then finally, a few minutes after having lunch, we proceeded to our final area.  The baby of all mines.  So the same deal, divide and conquer to be able to finish in just a few hours.  We were looking forward to entering the tunnel too.  I’ve gone spelunking once a few years back, but this one was different.  And what’s cool is that (as per the Mining Operations Manager), I’m the first female who has ever been in the deepest mining tunnel (I forgot how many kilometers below level though).

Main line

The main line.  One of the foundations of the tunnel.

Stone's Sweat

Water droplets within the cave.  Too bad my camera couldn’t take great shots.  But if you were there, you’d be amazed by how these droplets are just hanging there.  And with just the right amount of light hitting them, they seem like precious stones peeking through the depths of the earth.

Odd Woman Out.

Yup! Odd person out!  And loving it! LOL!

Mine Buggy: Madmax

This baby buggy was just fabricated but it packs a wallop in traveling to and from the tunnel.  And it travels around the mountain roads as well!

Birds in Caves

This last photo is one of the amazing things I’ve seen inside a cave.  Birds.  Not just one, but a few couple scattered near the entrance of the cave.  The locals call it “Sayaw-sayaw“.  Sorry I couldn’t find it’s more familiar term though.  If you guys have any idea, It’ll be much appreciated.

It was raining when we finally emerged from the tunnel and since our hosts didn’t find it safe for us to travel still (in retrospect I think it had something to do with security measures as well… to mislead would-be “disturbances”).  So we had dinner at LV, and after our meal we were clear to go.

The return trip was quite long.  Good thing there were no more transfer of transportation but our travel using our “Beijing” was long and tiring.  Five to six hours sitting inside a bumpy revamped military jeep would make you sore in a few places in your body.  But thankfully, the trip back  was uneventful (sans the bumpy ride).  And the  travel to Tagum City then Davao was pretty boring (had to stay awake though to keep the driver company).

All in all, it was a one-of-a-kind work experience.  I would love to travel back there again.  We got to achieve our goal in gathering needed data to continue our review, at least now the names I list down each has a face that goes with it, orientations and cascades conducted were received well, and we’ve established good rapport with the people that I rarely see in the City.

The best part?  Hearing great comments and appreciation that our visit boosted employee morale.

Success!!!

Now on to the nitty-gritty part.  But decision’s not up to me on that part.  I just hope our proposal gets accepted!

Hope you guys enjoyed reading (and looking at the pictures).

Forest Hill RnR

It’s back-to-work Wednesday and it wasn’t a wee bit stressful for me.  Should I be worried?  Maybe it’s just the calm before the storm.  Anyway, no big deal.  I’m feeling quite optimistic about work as of the moment.  I guess it’s good that our boss is in town.  I get to discuss a number of things with him and he seems willing to listen.  (Yey for me!)  And he seems to take my side with the possible changes/adjustments along the way.  Still not looking forward to having a new HR Manager though.  But I’ll live.

I’m still reeling from the long weekend though.  It’s been quite some time since I’ve enjoyed lounging around and taking it easy.  ”Chillaxing” as one of my friends would say.  My eyes are a bit tired though.  Probably from all the swimming I’ve done yesterday.  I’ve gotten a shade darker but nothing so noticeable.  Thankfully.  The best part?  No muscle pains!  Quite amazing really.  I usually end up with a sore an lethargic body after spending a day in the pool.  But then again, it technically wasn’t a whole day activity.  One of my officemates invited me and some of our colleagues to go to Forest Hill yesterday.  A sort of last hurrah for the long weekend.  Turns out, it was only me and one of our maintenance staff who were available.

Our sweet hosts

Kuya Don's Humba..

Grilled Chops

Grilled Fish

 

Spaghetti!!!

Kinilaw!

It didn’t matter though.  The food was bountiful and the ride was free.  I just had to bring my stuff and pay for my entrance and everything else was set.  The trip to Forest Hill was a bit long.  And the sun was shining ever so brightly… communing with the celebration.  But I love road trips.  And even the harsh rays of the sun couldn’t put a damper on my spirit.

Forest Hill

The last time I went to Forest Hill was 1o-11 years ago.  When we got there, the improvements that have occurred over the years were worth applauding.  For one, they’ve expanded their area.  Another, they added a kiddie pool complete with mini slides, fountains, and showers that all the kids and the kids at heart would love.

Kiddie Area

After taking in the changes of the place, it was time to spread out our food.  It really pays to know people who are good in cooking.  The food ate Berlie and kuya Don prepared for us was just perfect for a day out in the pool.  And for a party of 5 kids and 6 adults, the amount of servings was more than enough not only for lunch but for an early dinner too.

With the week starting out at such a positive note, I’m pumped up with enough happy thoughts to look forward to the challenges to come.  But before that, better get some shut eye.

Good night everyone!

Food Trip Friday: ???

Two Fridays have passed since I posted about our last dinner date at Krua Thai.  And it has been two Fridays since that I haven’t eaten out on a new (or unfamiliar) restaurant.  I was kind of hoping that yesterday would have been different.  Due to certain “preset” appointments by the others, I ended up going home for dinner instead.

I feel quite ashamed though.  Just when I was about to have planned topics (at least during Fridays!), I ended with null. *sob*  Anyway, just to get into the theme, I’ll be talking about food still for my “Food Trip Friday” Series.  Since I got home early (and the meals I ate earlier on that day was far from satisfying, but it was healthy though), my mom cooked dinner for me and her guest.  The menu?  Well nothing fancy.  Mom opted to cook misua and I went out to buy some street food (since our home was located near a school).  What in particular?  They called it “Patatas Twister” a variation of the famous “Twistix” that’s currently the rave in some prominent malls in Davao.

Patatas Twister

When I got home, the rice was almost cooked so I chowed on my patatas first.  Dinner was satisfying with a mixture of bittersweet memories flashing back.  You see, my dad was our official house cook.  And aside from his many other specialties, his talent includes making plain food recipes into delectable surprise dishes.  That includes misua dishes.

*SIGH*

I guess nothing beats home-cooked meals after all especially coming from a hard day’s work.

Till next food trip adventure!

On Overload

I missed a week of blogging.  Now, I’m swamped with a number of thoughts and ideas that I want to share but with so little time at hand… I don’t think I’ll be able to blog about each and every single topic.  Besides, the thunder has already been stolen and the impact wouldn’t be that much convincing.

So I guess I’ll just give a little recap of the things that have happened and the random escaping thoughts flowing from my brain.  Besides, a thought-overloaded brain needs some release.

First: Bonding Moments with Friends

If you all remember, I’ve had a steady night out schedule on Fridays.  I spend it with a couple of my old college classmates (those who do show up for the date, that is!).  I sort of officially tagged my Fridays as “Fri-dates“.  However, for almost a month of that, it has become so much of a “cheat” date.  (Not the sleazy kind!)  Why?  Part of our bonding is doing one of the most natural things in sustaining life… eating.

You’ll get what I mean with these photos:

@ Crepelato (June 3, 2011)

The Victorian Spare Ribs

My Pistachio Gelato

The Magic Words…

So many choices!

@ Bigby’s (June 10, 2011)

Grilled Pork something…

@ Seafood Island Grill (June 17, 2011)

My bff came home to surprise her dad.  Luckily, it was a Friday! So here we go again…

The Tali Beach

Our Coffee Treat courtesy of my achi!

Ok.  That’s enough food for right now.  On to another set of bonding session.

For us long-time Friends (bff Achi – 18 years; bff Rai – 14 years), it’s always a pleasure doing common things together.  With the busy schedule of the workweek, hanging out and unwinding is all the more pleasant with friends.  I appreciated the fact that they went out their way to come and watch my basketball game and were my number 1 fans.  So heartwarming!  Then, had dinner together late at night, joined the fun run (achi, showed up well after the race started. huhu!), eating breakfast together, went on a group massage (which we forgot to take photos of)  and just being goofy around each other.

An actual picture of me playing!

Fun Run Aftershots (guess who didn’t run)

A newly discovered Ice Cream (thanks ate MM.. and Dru!)

It was a jam-packed week(end).  And I’m still reeling with all the thoughts that I want to share, trying to capture its essence at the least.  Overload I tell you!  Even in selecting photos to share, I can’t decide.

Anyway, that’s the first on my list.

Second: Father’s Day

Father’s day this year has a bittersweet feel in the air.  After the run, my brother texted me that they (his family) will be visiting Dad’s resting place to pay respects.  So I opted to go with them (since Mom had other plans as well).  I bought my dad flowers and got another set for my grandma too since their resting places were beside each other.  Before prepping up though, I still couldn’t help the trickling tears falling down my face.  Quite pathetic really… but couldn’t be helped.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed spending time with my brother’s family.  My nieces are growing up at a fast pace but they will always be my dad’s (their Daddylo’s) girls.

The Pizza of Hunger..

 Third: Work

Work’s fine.  My new boss finally started yesterday.  So far so good.  He reminds me of one of my closest friends.  Hope we’ll get along just fine.  I’m more stressed out on a different load.  Contracts of leases.  Not my cup of tea.  But, I’ll wing it for now.

Another good news from work was that the Special Non-working Holiday last June 20 has been approved by our management (a feat which they rarely do).  Hopefully, all succeeding holidays will be acknowledged!

And last..

I was planning on starting a new category.  Just something that I’m pretty sure everybody’s doing as well be it bluntly or discreetly.  What am I talking about?  Just a “Did you know” section.  So I’ll probably start posting a few trivia and other random information I gathered or just discovered within the week to keep track of what little new things I learn everyday and share it with all of you.  I would’ve started last June 15 but that idea took a backseat on the many other details in my so-called- exciting life. LOL.

What started it all and why June 15?  Well, on that day I was searching for a synonym for a word when I saw that Google had a new logo.  For those non-Google users, which I doubt there are any, Google changes their website logo whenever they were in commemoration or celebrating a feast, anniversary, or any momentous event.  What  caught my attention?  A flash video of the moon.  That was then I learned that there was a lunar eclipse the night before.  Darn!  And I missed it!

Oh well… there’ll be a next time (I hope!)

So wish me luck on my target!

Out With A New Group

My weekend was quite an unexpected yet very eventful.  Friday (the 13th of May), I was scheduled to go the Farm to inquire and settle a certain issue.  But instead of leaving in the morning, I had to travel in the afternoon since my designated driver needed to hand carry a few important things going to the farm… causing me to arrive a little bit after 3PM then leave well after 5PM.  It would have been fine if not for the fact that my new officemates and I planned to eat out for dinner.

While still at the farm, I already told Cutie Pie to wait for me.  So during the duration of my travel back to the office, we were constantly communicating where I was already.  I was a bit embarrassed that I had to make them wait (being new in the group and all).  So all the while I thought that they’d be in a sour mood, or decide to leave me.  But they waited!  Sure they made a few cracks but in a jovial mood.

After rushing to get my things, we were off to the karinderia they were bragging about.  It was just near my alma mater but I didn’t know the place existed then.  After placing our orders (mine was 5 pieces pork barbeque and 2 servings of pastil – rice topped with ground chicken meat), we took our seats. The wait wasn’t long and eventually we started eating and taking photos (I think something’s wrong with my Gumshoe.  It’s not taking pictures the way it used to do.  Or maybe the settings are wrong).

“Pastil”

The Barbeque!

After having our fill of our dinner (and debating where to go next since some wanted to catch a movie in Abreeza, others didn’t) we ended up heading to the statue of David in Ecoland (my officemate has coined it as David Park).  Strolling along the baywalk, eating street food, chatting, and taking photos with them gave me a glimpse of the personalities with the new group.

Candid much?

Saturday Fun

Last Saturday was the birthdays of 2 of our officemates.  As FORCED “custom”, afternoon snacks were free.  I had my fill of the ice cream only since I was still full from lunch.

Snack Time!

The weekend bonding didn’t end there.  Some of the older women wanted to watch a movie.  Though I wasn’t keen on watching In The Name of Love, I took a cab together with the 3 who confirmed to see the movie after all, they were heading to Abreeza.  Again, we had a lot of picture-taking moments while strolling all over the mall.  We had our dinner at the food court.  I was still hesitant in watching the movie.  However, being constantly prodded by 3 women who enjoyed the same things as I did (particularly going out), I gave in.  A really cheesy movie!  But I had fun.  I’m looking forward to more bonding moments with them (less the cheesy movie part).  LOL.

Food stalls in the Grocery Area

Making puto bumbong even when its not December (He smiled even through his mask.)

Souvenir Shot!

Being like kids again!

My Dinner!

Feeling like Stockholders

Abreeza Visit

After the long wait, Abreeza – an Ayala Mall – just opened their doors yesterday and was flooded by myriads of people.  Thankfully, their walkways and corridors left enough elbow room (s0 to speak) to roam around the place.

The highway was jam-packed with vehicles maneuvering their way through the heavy traffic, with spattering of motorists and commuters weaving their way to the mall.

Abreeza at Night

Some of the shops were not yet open but for the likes of me, having a new place to hang out is already enough.  At least most of the stores that I was looking forward to open was already operational such as Starbucks, Fully Booked, Canon, Adidas, Sony, Taters, and the Cinemas.

View from the Top…

There are only 4 Cinemas in Abreeza but I’m looking forward to watching a movie there someday.  Hopefully with friends and/or with a “special someone”.  LOL.

The Cinemas

Since it still wasn’t a payday, all I did was window shopping.  I wanted to eat at the fast food joints already open, but with the long line… I opted to just to home instead.

But my remembrance of my first trip? (Aside from the photos) This one:

Card Holder

A card/ID holder for my ID!  Just what I need.

I’m looking forward in strolling along the mall with my bffs.  Wish you guys will be available soon!