At this moment, I still am in a euphoric state over our Ilocos trip. The mere thought of our adventures in Ilocos lightens my mood. So on our second day, we went to Vigan the capital city of Ilocos Sur.

We departed from our hotel at 8:15 AM and departed to Vigan at 8:30 AM. To get to Vigan, we had to ride a 1.5 hour bus trip. We hopped in a Partas bus liner which takes you to Vigan in 60 km/hr speed. That is a good thing after all those bus accidents all over Luzon. Just inform the tricycle driver that you're bound for Vigan then they'll take you to the bus terminal.We were kind of scared that we might be travelling in a Victory bus liner. Bus fare: PHP 137.00/each.

We arrived in Vigan around 10:00 AM plus. We already had a contact tricycle driver but I really don't recommend him because he is a lousy and boring tour guide. Tricycle rate is PHP 600.00 for all the places that we went which I will be summarizing next.

Vigan City tricycle plate number.

So our first stop was the museum of Floro Crisologo. I really am not familiar of this person but his museum implies that he is a political figure in the province who was shot in a church while attending a mass. The museum showcases his memorabilia and achievements during his political years. Donation is asked in the museum. PHP 20.00 is enough for two persons. I gave PHP50.00 you know na newbie pa.

By 11:00 AM, we left Crisologo museum and proceeded to SyQuia Mansion where former Pres. Elpidio Quirino lived. He was married to Alicia Jimenez SyQuia who is a daughter of a wealthy Chinese-Filipino family in Vigan City. The museum showcases the lifestyle of the rich and famous of his time. I had a history information overload in this tourist stop. I wasn't able to take down notes but the place is really traditionall beautiful. It is basically an old mansion.

SyQuia Mansion

Dining area in the mansion

Painting of Fmr. Pres. Elpidio Quirino.

Here is one history fact I recalled. Do you know why Filipinos were called Aliping Saguiguilid in the old times? It's because poor Filipinos working as maids before were not allowed to pass by the main sala or any major part of the mansion. They had their own hallway. That is one of the reasons why they a were called Aliping "Saguiguilid". Excuses to those who already know. Teehee! The one collecting the entrance fee is a 4th generation "katulong" (maid) as said by the tour guide. Entrance fee: PHP 20.00

Maid's hallway.

We finished looking around, taking pictures and listening to the tour guide in SyQuia Mansion around 12:00 PM. Next destination is the Baluarte of Chavit Singson. There's nothing much there. There were a few animals around the place. I was expecting a lot. Attractions in the place were the caged tigers, the roaming ostrich and the pony rides. There is no entrance fee.

The roaming ostrich.

After around 20 minutes, we proceeded to the Hidden Garden. Hidden Garden is a.....hidden garden. Haha! Actually it is a garden restaurant that features Ilocano dishes. We took pictures then left. The place has nice reviews according to other blogs but if you are in a beer budget touring in Vigan better find a carenderia and have your lunch there. So we proceeded to a carenderia in the city proper. So sorry I forgot the name of the place. Each viand costs around PHP 30.00 to PHP 50.00.

Hidden Garden

We had our lunch around 1:00 PM already. Our next destination is the St. Augustine Parish Church, or as commonly known Bantay Church. We also went at the top of its old bell tower and the view of the city meets you there. It was saddening because there were a lot of vandals inside the bell tower. What's worst is that the TV show Panday (the new one) intentionally holed part of the bell just for the TV show and that 's like a decades old bell. Tsk2.

Bantay church

Bantay church bell tower

At 1:30 PM, we proceeded to Padre Jose Burgos Museum. He is one of the GOMBURZA priests. I wasn't really fascinated and interested with the place. Entrance fee: PHP 20.00

We went back to the city proper around 2:00 PM. We strolled at a mall. I forgot the name. At 2:30 PM, we proceeded to one of my most awaited tourist spots in Ilocandia, the UNESCO heritage, Heritage Village. Also known as the Kamestizoan District. The traditional Spanish houses were really beautiful. Going there felt like you were back in the 18th and 19th century or if pictures were taken in a DSLR cam the view would be like in those traditional places in Europe. There were "calesa" rides that costs PHP 50.00 for a round around the village. Heritage Village is located in Calle Crisologo. We brought souvenirs within the village. Locals said the view would be much nicer during the night but it was still 2:30 in the afternoon. So you guys better stay in the Heritage Village till the sun sets to witness the beautiful night view. =D  On December 2, 1992, the historic city of Vigan was declared a World Heritage site by the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizations).

50 peso Calesa ride

They said when you get to Ilocos one should try their empanadas. So we walked around the area just outside the Heritage Village and spotted an empanada stall beside the street. Their empanadas are different from the empanadas in Cebu. Cebuano empanadas have meat, raisins, egg, thick crust (you know the bread part) and no need for vinegar when you eat it. Ilocano empanada have cabbages (lots of it), meat, super thin crust and egg. You also have to eat it with vinegar. Each empanada costs PHP 30.00. After trying the Ilocano empanada, I still prefer the Cebuano one me being a full blooded Cebuana. :)  We all have different taste buds you might taste it otherwise.

Vigan empanada

Heritage Village was our last stop in Vigan. By 4:00 PM, we asked our tour guide to drop us where we could ride a bus going back to Laoag. We were still in a Partas bus. There were a lot of passengers so we just stood for around an hour. Bus fare: PHP 137.00/each.  We arrived in Laoag almost 6:00 PM and spotted the Ilocos Norte Capitol.

Ilocos Norte capitol

I really want to try some Ilocano dishes. My boyfriend knew La Preciosa restaurant because his friends have been there. It is an old house converted into a restaurant. Their dishes costs around PHP 100.00 to 400.00. We ordered their signature Ilocano pinakbet but sadly my taste buds were still in conflict. I still prefered the Cebuano pinakbet with hippon. Aside from pinakbet, we ordered two more viands and a dessert. Our total bill was PHP 810.00. It was too expensive for me and I wasn't really satisfied. The blueberry cheesecake made up for the pinakbet.

We left La Preciosa around 10:00 PM already since we happen to meet my friends who were also in Laoag. It was good to see familiar faces in an unfamiliar place. We excitedly talked about our trips that made us went home almost 10:00 PM. We took a tricycle ride back to our hotel and got our bodies charged for our last day tour the next day to Burgos, Bangui and Pagudpud. Sigh. I still want to spend more time in Ilocos. 

This will be it for today stay tuned for Part 3 of Adventures in Ilocandia.

Ilocandia related posts:

Part 1: Touchdown Ilocandia

Part 3: Let's go up NORTH!! (Bangui Windmills, Pagudpud)

Part 4: The SHOULD HAVE DONES

Cheers!

-jen

IT'S MORE FUN IN THE PHILIPPINES LOVE and LIFE RANTS and PRAISES

3/23/2014 03:45:00 PM

Maps of the Ilocos region distributed in the airport.

I have always wanted to go to the Ilocos region and I have to thank Cebu Pacific for that Piso fare sale July of last year. It was a long seven months wait before my bucket list trip. If I was brave enough to travel alone, I would have traveled in many places by now. Gladly, I have Myding to accompany me in this Ilocos trip.

I love the cozy atmosphere of Laoag City. No heavy traffic --well at least in my five-day stay I wasn't able to experience such. I love the simplicity of the place, accommodating locals, the simple tricycle rides and most of all how the locals love their culture and heritage which we could still witness until today.

March 12, 2013

Cebu Pacific has no direct flights from Cebu to Laoag so we have to book a connecting flight. Our flight from Cebu to Manila was 5:00 AM. It was a tiring 12-hour wait for our Manila to Laoag flight. We stayed and took a nap in the airport and went to MOA around 10:00 AM. It was my first in SM MOA and there was nothing much inside. It was just a HUGE mall. We got tired strolling so we decided to watch a movie to kill time and went back to the airport after the movie. We wait and wait until it was time to board the plane around 6:30 PM. By the time we arrived at Laoag, there was a tourist info center where you could ask for a map of Ilocos. We also registered for the FREE SHUTTLE RIDE which takes tourists directly to their hotels. I have to commend the Ilocos Norte Provincial Government for taking this initiative since Laoag airport is a little bit far from the city proper and for giving us tourists a welcoming experience the moment we set foot in Ilocos.

Touchdown Laoag!

We arrived at Balay Da Blas around 9:00 PM. Balay Da Blas, the hotel we stayed in, also offered a home away from home feel. Their lobby resembles like that of a house sala. The hotel itself was an old house converted into a hotel. The room that we booked was worth the price. It was clean and spacious enough since there were only two of us. So we got ready to hit the sack and got our batteries charged for tomorrow's adventure!

Let me take you back to that awesome 4 day stay in Ilocandia....

March 13, 2014

Let's go Sand Boarding in Paoay!

We departed from our hotel at 9:00 AM. Transpo around the city is by tricycle. Regular tricycle fare is PHP 11.00. Tricycle rate is PHP 800.00 for three municipalities, Paoay, Batac and Laoag city. If you are an experience haggler, you could still negotiate for a much lower rate.Our first destination was the Paoay Sand Dunes. We arrived at the area at 10:00 AM. According to Merriam dictionary, dune means a hill of sand near an ocean or in a desert that is formed by the wind. The stretch of sand covered a vast area near the ocean. We drove around by a 4x4 vehicle for 1 hour for PHP2,500.00 It is also inclusive of sand surfing which I loveee but sadly wasn't able to perfect it. Damn. Riding the 4x4 vehicle was a great and an adrenaline pumping experience.There were hills that resemble like a mini rollercoaster that makes your stomach jump and give you that ticklish feeling inside. Teehee! After 20 minutes driving around the dunes, we stopped to sand surf. The sand was excruciatingly hot! It felt like my feet was submerged into a hot boiling water! So if you happen to visit, wear something that will cover you feet and legs. Don't forget to put on sunblock.I shamelessly tumbled in my first try so I thought to myself ok that's it not doing it anymore but then I was challenged when a petite girl successfully completed sand boarding. I tried but still tumbled towards the end --well at least I had a great picture in action. Sand boarding was the highlight of out first day tour. After that epic adrenaline pumping experience, we proceeded to our next destination......

Sand Boarding more fun in Paoay, Ilocos Norte.

With the 4x4 ride

The Malacañang of the North

At 11:00 AM, we arrived at the "Bahay Bakasyonan" (as said by the mansion tour guide) of the Marcos family in the early 80s. It is mansion facing the Paoay lake. It features old furnitures used by the family, old paintings by Bongbong Marcos, the presidential table used when Fmr. Pres. F. Marcos signed the Martial Law in 1972, achievements and projects of Fmr. Pres. F. Marcos like the San Juanico bridge (I just knew this during my Ilocos trip =D), the Patapat Viaduct and the Bataan landmark. Entrance fee: PHP 50.00

Malacanang of the North

Paoay Church
By 11:30 AM, we arrived at the UNESCO heritage St. Augustine Church or as commonly known Paoay Church. I'm not an architecture graduate so I really can't describe how beautiful it is technically. All I could say is that was the most beautiful church facade I have ever seen. After taking pictures, we ate our lunch at a nearby carenderia. One viand costs around PHP 50.00- PHP60.00.

Paoay Church

Marcos Museum and Mausoleum

By 1:30 PM, we arrived at the Marcos museum showcasing F.E. Marcos' life from his childhood years, his stint in the military during World War II, how him and Imelda met and the 11-day romance, his documents during his congressional and presidential days and old memorabilia's related to Ferdinand Marcos. Entrance fee: PHP 50.00

Next to the Marcos Museum is his mausoleum. There is no entrance fee just wait for the caretaker to take you inside the mausoleum.Taking pictures is prohibited. There is a viewing schedule but wasn't able to take note of it. It felt like I was in North Korea when I entered the mausoleum with all the glorifying music within the place. If you have watched some North Korea docus, you'll know what I mean. It is astounding to see a whole and intact dead body of a former president but still my mind is in a tug of war whether..................

St. William Cathedral and its Sinking Belltower
At the heart of Laoag city stands the sinking belltower. It was an unusual belltower because it is 85 meters away from the church itself. The reason as to why it is sinking was not explained by our tour guide or I guess he also doesn't know why. We stayed inside the church and had a short reflection. At that moment, I thanked God for giving me the opportunity to travel to Ilocos with someone I dearly love.

Sinking Belltower

Museo Ilocos Norte
Our last stop for today's tour is the Museo Ilocos Norte. It features the ethnicity and cultural heritage of Ilocandia. The museum displays old farming equipment used by the Ilocanos, Ilocano 'bahay kubos", traditional Ilocano rooms and a lot more Ilocano stuff. Entrance Fee: PHP 50.00

Around 4:30 PM plus, we were back in our hotel and took a nap since we still have to buy our dinner later when the sun sets.

So that's it for Adventures in Ilocandia Part 1. Stay tuned for more adventures in Vigan, Burgos, Bangui and Pagudpud! Very sooooooonnnnnn! Gotta rest now. Work resumes tomorrow (*I'm on leave for 5 days since last week*). Sigh. I'm still having an Ilocandia hangover. Sigh.

Cheers!

ILOCANDIA related posts:
Part 2: Let the tour VIGAN!
Part 3: Let's go up NORTH! (Bangui Windmills, Pagudpud)
Part 4: The SHOULD HAVE DONES


-jen

IT'S MORE FUN IN THE PHILIPPINES LOVE and LIFE RANTS and PRAISES

3/17/2014 09:31:00 PM

Woke up late. Traffic. Bad hair day. That irritating jeepney or taxi driver. Late at work. Work backlogs. 

These things can make your day like hell but you have a choice if you want to get it to you or see things in a positive way. I just want to share these handy day-to-day values that can either make or break your day. After a long vacation leave by my service head, I got a lot of work backlogs because I assisted our manager in branch operations and that left all of my paperworks not checked, not filed and untouched. I wanted to burn all those papers for callback (double checks transaction slips) and for filing but of course I couldn't do that. I had my tantrum days but I made sure that it didn't spoil my DAY. Sometimes all you need is a deep breath, close your eyes and gather your thoughts. Listing your work backlogs also helps. In my case, it motivates me because I just couldn't wait to put an X mark on all those things on my to-do list. These values that I'm about to blog about are results of my observations and SOME are pointed at me too. Tee Hee!

Now looking at all your work backlogs, the first thing some people would do is COMPLAIN. Complaining really doesn't help. It only worsens the situation and adds to your frustration of not doing things on time. It could also send some NEGATIVE energy to your workmates. Complaining only strengthens things on what you are complaining about. 

In an office environment, it's not like you are the only one who is busy. You're wrong. Be CONSIDERATE to your office mates. If you think your bubble is about to BURST, STOP AND THINK! You just can't throw tantrums just because you want to. Practice self-control because it is really IRRITATING to work if you have negative energy around the work place. The world doesn't revolve around you. If you really have a strong heart and mind that no matter what negative energy that is around you, you can always IGNORE your cranky office mate. 

After all these, the only thing that is most powerful is POSITIVITY. This really works for me. If your thinking "Yes I'm positive that I could finish my work...BUT..." , THEN YOU ARE NOT BEING AN OPTIMIST. You are still being a PESSIMIST. All you gotta do is BE FIRM that you could finish all your task and you won't notice that all the things on your to-do list are almost done. =) 

One more thing, LEAVE YOUR EXCESS BAGGAGE AT HOME!

I hope this little blog entry made an impact. =) Cheers to positivity! Have a great day ahead! =)

-Jen

LOVE and LIFE OPINION RANTS and PRAISES

8/19/2013 11:19:00 PM

I started watching basketball when I was in 1st year high school. The very first basketball game that I watched was between the 2002 RP team and a foreign team. I forgot what team was that but I think it was Chinese-Taipei. I could still remember my friends and I would watch live PBA games at the Cebu Coliseum, fangirling and crying at championships (only if San Miguel Beermen was on it). We didn't have a decent TV before so there were times that IBC 13 couldn't catch a signal so I turned to our radio and listen to the games.

My very first FIBA experience was in 2010 where I religiously followed the whole tournament in Basketball TV. You can read my blog entry about the FIBA World Championship 2010. =) In 2011 I also followed EuroBasket which is the European counterpart of the FIBA Asia Championship.  The Asian championships 2013 was held in Manila and it sucks so bad that I wasn't able to witness it! I was so pre-occupied last year that I didn't know about it until early July.

It has been decades that Philippine basketball is struggling putting our mark AGAIN in the international map but that was put to an end last August 10, 2013. Our last FIBA WC appearance was in 1978 and our last medal in the FIBA Asia Champs was in 1985 where we won the gold medal in Malaysia. We qualified for the 1986 FIBA WC but we weren't able to participate because our country was in a revolution that time. Last August 10, 2013 WAS HISTORY IN THE MAKING. We were in the semis against Korea. Philippines and South Korea were formidable rivals in Asian basketball. You can just research 2002 Asian Games and 2011 FIBA Asia Championships (wasn't able to watch this one).

I was so silent watching the whole game coz I don't want to preempt anything. It was a very close game. The crowd just gave me goosebumps all over my body and wished I was in the arena cheering for Gilas. The semis was an important game for the team because it was our ticket to SPAIN where the FIBA WC 2014 will be held. I was more tensed watching the semis than the finals. =D After consecutive field goals by Jimmy Alapag and Jason Castro that sealed our win, the crowd got wild and cheered for our team. While me on the other hand, didn't know what happened in the last minute of the game. It was a blur. What I knew that time was we won and we are going to Spain for the FIBA WC. I cried. I just couldn't believe it but yeah it was real so there. Haha!

You guys might ask what is the big deal about going into the FIBA WC. FIBA World Championships is like the FIFA WORLD CUP in basketball. FIFA World Cup is tagged as the biggest sporting event in the world but this one is for football/soccer while the FIBA World Chanpionship is for basketball. I wish FIBA is as big as FIFA but you know football/soccer is the most played sport in the world so I wouldn't be surprised why FIFA has more attention than FIBA. I was so happy the day after that I watched the game again for the 3rd time in Basketball TV and I still had the same emotion while watching it the first time. I cried again watching the replay. HAHAHAH! It was really a great day for PH basketball and I really hope this will continue in the coming years. Right now I'm missing the tournament already just like how I felt when FIBA WC 2010 ended. I just couldn't imagine our Gilas team banging bodies with my fave European teams, Spain and Lithuania. That would be so AWEESOMMEE! ♥

I really don't want to talk about the finals coz it would bring down the happy atmosphere in the semis. =D Thank you very much for taking the time to read my blog. Expect another blog entry next year in time for the FIBA World Championships 2014 in España!!!

Cheers! Go Gilas Pilipinas!!

-Jen

BASKETBALL RANTS and PRAISES

8/13/2013 12:24:00 AM

I attended a conference conducted by Bancnet last June 8, 2013 held at Marriot Hotel Cebu. Bancnet is the largest ATM consortium in the Philippines. Bancnet started as a company in 1987 and started ATM operations in 1990. Now, Bancnet has 108 member banks, 10,030 ATMs, 17,915 POS (Point of Sale) & 26.80 M cardholders.

I work in a bank and I handle ATM complaints in our branch. It is not easy facing raging clients who withdrew in our ATM (bank's). What's worse is that I couldn't give the undispensed money back because it's against the bank's policy. They will have to wait 5 banking days for the money to be credited back to their account if the transaction is proven as such. This conference really helped me a lot to understand how the ATM transaction flows at branch level, when data is transmitted thru Bancnet and when the data is transmitted to other banks server's and then vice versa. I was so overwhelmed with the information I got during the conference that I still have to re write my notes all over again as to not confuse myself where to start discussing. So I am going to focus on ATM Complaints, Inter Bank Fund Transfer and POS (Point of Sale).

Ever wonder what happens when you withdraw then cash isn't dispensed? I'm going to give you a sneak peak of an ATM transaction flow. 

Terminologies: [Issuer Bank - is the bank that issues the ATM card], [Acquirer Bank - is the bank that retrieves ATM card info and pass it on to Bancnet because data on your card couldn't be found in their host.] 

Here's an example of an ATM transaction flow.

Allied Bank cardholder --> China Bank Savings ATM (Acquirer Bank) --> CBS Host --> Bancnet --> AB Host (Issuer Bank)

Say you are an AB cardholder and you withdrew in a CBS ATM. Once card is inserted into CBS ATM it'll start transmitting data into the CBS host first. CBS host reads the data and identifies if the cardholder is their client. Since it is not their client, CBS host passes the data to Bancnet and first identifies if it is one of their member banks. Allied Bank is a member of Bancnet so Bancnet forwarded the data to the AB host. Once AB host verifies the data that it is their client, the account is funded and debits the account it'll transmit back the data to Bancnet then to the CBS host. Unfortunately, China Bank Savings' (CBS) system was offline so the connection was cut off. So that's how the complaints are born and me in the branch braces myself for raging clients. =D Here comes the complaint: The account was debited and the cash wasn't dispensed.

What should you do?

> First complain to the Acquirer Bank (CBS) since it is where you withdrew your (un dispensed) money. The bank cannot give the money back because that's not how it goes and is against the bank's policy. 

> Details needed in filling out the complaint form: Your name, Issuer Bank, Acquirer Bank, Account number, Card number, Transaction date & time & your signature. YOU SHOULD OWN THE CARD eg. your NAME should be on the ATM Card & YOUR SIGNATURE! Why emphasize on this? Some clients complain even if "technically" it's not their card. For instance, the one who uses the card is the daughter of the "cardholder". In that case, let the cardholder (the mother) go to the acquirer and issuer bank to file the complain. 

> After filing the complaint in CBS, go to your bank of account (Allied Bank) and file also the complaint. 

The Issuer Bank also couldn't give you the money because again that's not how it goes. The importance of filing the complaint in your bank of account is that they would be aware of the transaction and when the banks' (CBS & AB) ATM Center starts to reconcile your complaint, it'll be faster and easier to pin point the transaction.

> Patiently wait 5 banking days for the amount you withdrew to be credited back to your account if the transaction is proven as such.

What I do at Branch level?

I am the one who faces clients with ATM Complaints and let them sign a complaint form. I also do reconciliation at branch level. I check the reports base on the information on the complaint form and forward it to our ATM Center. Our bank's ATM Center will be the one to contact the other bank's ATM Center for reconciliation which involves crediting back your account. ATM Centers aren't the ones who credit the account okay? They are the ones who coordinate with branches or banks so your complaints will be process and your money will be given back to you.

In cases of CARDS CAPTURED, you should visit the branch (where the ATM is situated or the bank owning the ATM) ASAP if you don't want your ATM card to be perforated! Please don't get mad at us upon visiting the branch if your card was already gone because it is past the retention period. Retention period for Bancnet and Express Net ATM cards would be 2 banking days from the date of capture. If your card was captured on a Monday, your card will be perforated on Wednesday. As for Megalink ATM cards, it'd be 3 banking days from date of capture. 

When you claim a captured card, please make sure IT IS YOUR CARD. Like I said before, your name and signature should be on it. ATM cards captured without name and signature at the back are perforated immediately. Please bring two valid IDs upon claiming because we will be comparing your signature on the ATM card to your IDs. I will apologize first hand that bank's couldn't release the card if it's not "technically" yours. I already sited an example on this. Not releasing your card without name and signature is also for the cardholder's security. 

I really hope this blog entry helped you and change how you view banks if your card or money are not dispensed or released. One more reminder, your money, card and transaction receipt is retracted back into the machine after 5 seconds. So chop! chop! in getting those okay?

Cards from VISA, MC, Diner's Club, Discovery, Union Pay and JCB, Inter Bank Fund Transfer and POS will be in another blog post. Thank you for the conference, Bancnet! =)

Imma sleep now! Cheers! =)

CEBU LOVE and LIFE OPINION RANTS and PRAISES

6/10/2013 12:28:00 AM

WELCOME!

It's summer and I have my fair share of summer outings and pictures. This year my awesome office mates decided to go to Bantayan Island. It's an island at the tip of Cebu and it's such a shame that I haven't been there after all these years let alone..being a Cebuana! Teehee! Bantayan Island is like a mini Boracay minus the heavy commercialization of the place and I hope it'll stay that way in the upcoming years because it would destroy the serenity and the pristine feel of the place. It's a perfect place to relax, spend time with your friends and loved ones. So the question is how to get there.....

Heaven on earth

It takes 3 hours from North Bus terminal to get to San Remigio ( this is where you will board a ferry going to the Island) so I suggest you guys should meet up early. If you are not from Cebu, you can take a taxi from the airport going to the North Bus terminal (near SM City Cebu; travel time around 20 minutes). 

Travel Time (North Bus to San Remigio) : more or less 3 hours

Bus:             There are lots of buses going to Bantayan but the most common is the Ceres bus liner.

Fare:            Php  150.00

When you arrive at San Remigio, it's time to board a ferry. The ticket costs Php 180.00.  Travel time is more or less 1 hour. While waiting arrival, you can take pictures of the wonderful piercing blue sea.

While boarding the ferry....=)

Arrival!

We stayed at Budyong Beach Resort. Our room costs Php 1,700.00 good for 4 persons plus extra charges of Php 150.00 for additional persons inclusive of a cushion bed. It was great coz our room was at the beach front. Just be careful if you decide to let them cook your food coz they charge a big fat amount! They charged us Php 500.00 just for cooking 1 kg of hotdog, corned beef , bacon, & 9 pcs. of eggs. So yeah...we learned. =D In fairness to Budyong Beach Resort, according to them they are independent with the restaurant who cooked our food. So they have a different management and owners I guess.

chill

Serenity

Pristine

♥

Bantayan Island is heaven on earth. Great beach, awesome food, awesome people...2 days wasn't enough and I want to go back there again and again.

Thank you Bantayan! It was a blast! =)

CEBU IT'S MORE FUN IN THE PHILIPPINES LOVE and LIFE RANTS and PRAISES

5/19/2013 04:32:00 PM

I miss blogging! I'll start my year by creating a new blog entry after a year! So this was how my 2012 was. 

Late of 2011 I started to look for a job. The saying "Everything happens for a reason" is true. I wasn't really happy with my first job but I had to suck it in since I had no choice because I already accepted the offer. After 2 months, another company called  for an interview and I got accepted. So I resigned from my previous job. This new work just had positive things going on from the beginning. I had to fly to Manila for the orientation and training. It's just so amazing when you can go to other places because of work. I loved it! I also met with my friend who was in a review in Manila. To cut the story short, I AM LOVING IT.

My Lovely Office mates with partners (some)  =)

I couldn't ask for better office mates because they are the best. It is a great feeling when you wake up in the morning and not dread the day because you have to go to work. I always look forward to go to work. That's how happy I am in my current company. 

2012 was a career and love year. =D My heart is happy again after 2 years.

Things to look forward in 2013:

> Being a fully regular employee and enjoy the benefits.
> Our Cagayan trip in August.
> Eurobasket 2013.
> HOPEFULLY a Super Junior concert!!!!
> More time with the people I love.

Happy New Year!

LOVE and LIFE

1/01/2013 10:45:00 PM

I wrote this article after Super Junior's concert early this year here in the Philippines but I had to keep it away from the internet because I sent this to Pulp Mag hoping it gets published but sadly it wasn't. Hope you enjoy reading my AWESOME SUPER JUNIOR EXPERIENCE!! =)


I became a fan of Super Junior right after they had a concert here in the Philippines April of last year. I was already a KPOP fan that time but I didn't pay attention to Super Junior until my friend showed me fancams of their SS2 Manila concert. My friend also told me how they were so close with each other, how they loved their fans and all those positive notes about Super Junior. In an INSTANT I became a fan. I started watching their music videos and performances. It was soo perfect since they had their comeback summer of 2010 that was Bonamana. I loved that song! When Ms. Happee Sy announced that they will bring back Super Junior in the Philippines, my friend and I didn't hesitate to give go signals to watch their concert.


Starting June of 2010, we already started saving for the concert tickets. I am so thankful that Ms. Happee announced the concert date super ahead of time as to give us fans time to save up. Since we are from Cebu, we have to save up double time because our expenses will be doubled. We have to pay for the plane ticket, concert ticket and hotel accommodation. It's still 9 months before the concert but we (my friend) talked about SS3 Manila like it's a month away already. Then both of us would spazz talking about it.


We were so sad that the Ticketing Event was cancelled. It was supposed to be an event where fans from different cities in the country would have had a chance to grab the best seats in the concert but sadly it was cancelled.


By October 2010, we already booked for a plane ticket from Manila to Cebu. Weird right? :D The reason was it was a promo by the airline company so we grabbed the opportunity. We need to be super thrifty since we have doubled expenses since we are from Cebu.


Fast forward to the selling of tickets last December 1, 2010. Ticketnet SM Cebu opens @ 10 AM. My other friend ( there were 4 of us who watched the concert) accompanied me at SM Cebu. Believe it or not, I skipped classes just to buy tickets because we were panicking that we might not be able to get the best seats. We excitedly count the money and our world crashed when the in charge told us we need to reserve online. We didn't know that UPPER A CENTER seats needs online reservation, we were panicking. We immediately looked for the nearest internet cafe inside the mall. It was really nerve wracking. After we sent our reservation, we ate our lunch (nervously) hoping to get a reply from Ticketnet but sadly we didn't. The in-charge in Ticketnet SM Cebu told us to just call Ticketnet main office for a faster transaction. I didn't know my friend was constantly calling the main office and fortunately we got in! So we reserved tickets through the phone and paid at Ticketnet SM Cebu and got our tickets! Though we wanted the UPPER A CENTER Section 300-302, but it's okay as long as we already have our tickets, we can now breath. We got UA CENTER 319 Row I by the way it was soooo worth it! We were so ecstatic to get hold of our tickets.


After we bought our tickets, we immediately booked a flight from CEBU to MANILA. Yes, it was again a promo by an airline company. As I have said we had to be super thrifty. =))


Fast forward 3 days before the concert. We were so busy making the projects. :) We had so much fun making it. It was like a pre-celebration for the four of us. We were so excited that our goal for that day was to finish all of it like tomorrow was already the date of the concert but in reality we still have another day to finish it. =)) We were like "wait..diba we still have Feb 25 evening to finish all of this?". Hahah! So we went home and excitedly packed our bags for Manila. I slept only for 2 hours. Our flight was @ 6:10 AM so we had to be 2 hours early in the airport. As soon as my friends arrived, we greeted each other with a VERY BIG SMILE on our faces that indicate the "This is it" expression. We also had a fellow passenger who was gonna watch the concert too. Why I knew she was going to SS3 Manila? She was wearing a "Siwon ♥" shirt! She sat in line with us. :) So we arrived at NAIA at 730 AM and went straight to the hotel.

February 26, 2011:
We went to SUJU fiesta since we weren't able to go on Feb 25. SUJU fiesta was great! It was a SUJU haven! I usually don't like wearing ballers but I did buy because I just can't resist. It was a SS3 Manila baller. :) I also bought the PULP SS2 Manila edition at Pulp's booth. My other friend had a meet up with her friend who was from Manila. So we waited in front of Araneta just to feel the SS3 Manila essence. It was sooo great seeing lots of ELFs flocking in Araneta wearing their customized SUJU shirts. I also saw some Absolute All Access Korean staff taking pictures outside Araneta. The local security personnel really had this "I can't believe this" look while scanning the front (red) gate of Araneta coliseum like he couldn't believe there is much love for Super Junior. My other friend came back from her meet up so we went back to our hotel to prep ourselves for the concert.


This is it.
When we arrived at the hotel, we took pictures of the merchandise we bought from SUJU fiesta. It occupied more than half of our hotel bed! :D We also included our BONAMANA version A albums, concert tickets and light sticks in the picture. :) It took us almost 30 minutes to take pics of our merchandise then we really prepped for the concert. We wore our customized Super Show 3 shirts. We also had a run through the fan projects and we were good to go!

This is REALLY IS IT.
We were so excited. We arrived at Araneta entered the gates, walked up the stairs and then there it was the door through UA Center section 319. We were so excited to see the stage and it didn't fail us. It was OVERWHELMING. We were so dazed. We sat in our seat and we were like "OMG" this is GREAT. Then I scanned the venue, there were a lot of fans already inside Araneta and then I got teary-eyed. My friend told me to calm down and I said "Jen, this is sooo great. I can't believe we are here." We took pictures.

Fast forward @ 7PM. This is really is it. The lights were off. The music was on! The feeling was unexplainable! Like in the past, we only watched through fancams but at that moment we were right there watching SUJU live! Then the introduction of the members on the big screen made the people go crazy! The big dome was about to crack because of the endless screaming of ELFs. Then there they were. Donghae flying. It was funny because my friend, Michelle, didn't notice Donghae was already up in the air. She kept on wondering what was happening. LOL! We just stood the whole time. We only sat if they took a break and showed us some funny video on the big screen. The fan projects were so fun! We really participated. Every after performance we would ran back to our seats (we stood at the aisle of 320 and 319 but we made sure that we didn't disturb other ELFs watching the concert) and look for the next fan project. There was also a time that we forgot what fan project was next and we would browse our SS3 Manila guide and to think Araneta was so dark at that time. We used our light stick so we can read what fan project was next. :D My favorite perfomance was It Has To Be You by Yesung. My friend, Jennifer, and I were fans of the Korean drama series, Cinderella's Sister. We were so thrilled when Yesung sang it and we really practiced the lyrics. Come Yesung's turn, we sang----- shout at the top of our lungs hoping Yesung would hear our singing. :) It was such a GREAT FEELING. Yesung's smile after his performance was PRICELESS! Every time I watched that performance.....goosebumps.  Fast forward to their last song, Wonder Boy. :( My friends and I were waiting for them to sing You Are The One because the fan project the organizers prepared for this would show how Filipino ELFs love Super Junior by waving our Bonamana version A album but unfortunately they didn't. They had the best English parade at the end of the concert. Eunhyuk's "You are so gorgeous" made the fans scream like hell. :D Leeteuk's "Are you happy?" line was so funny. Donghae's "Good Job" and "How do you fear (feel)?" was sooo hot and funny respectively. :D Of course, Henry's "You are the LOUDEST" made the people scream like your eardrums would break! We were so thrilled when Henry said this. Then here it comes their goodbye. :( Super Junior members walked around the stage to say thank you to their fans and the fans were screaming "Kajima". Kajima means don't go in Korean. :( So one by one, all of them disappeared through the backstage. :( It was the end. It was such a memorable night. It was the best night of my life. Super Junior is not just an idol to us fans. We immediately missed them as soon as they went backstage. It's not only their looks why I love Super Junior. I love SUJU's brotherhood. I haven't found any KPOP group that possesses the kind of brotherhood they have. I love the way they dance, sing, act, host, and make us laugh. Some non-fans wouldn't understand this because they have a misconception that if you love SUJU, you love them because of their looks. We didn't immediately go outside the Araneta Coliseum. We stayed inside around 15 minutes and then we went back to our hotel so HIGH with Super Junior drugs.

At the hotel after the concert.
We were so high! We kept talking about what happened during the concert. We watched our fancams and pictures until 5 AM! Yes until 5 AM! Who would want to sleep after a Super Junior concert? Of course all you want to do is talk about it! Then come 5 AM we slept because we still had a flight back to Cebu at 10 AM. :D

At the airport.
While waiting for our flight, my friend, Glesh, and I listened to Super Junior songs. Jennifer and I (yes, we have the same name) shared my earphones. We listened to Bonamana. We were okay then because it was a dance song but when Good Person was playing, all that happened during the concert sank in. It finally hit me that it was OVER. I cried like a baby. I cried like I am never going to see Super Junior again. :'( After Good Person, It Has To Be You was playing, Jennifer and I, just BAWLED. It was one of our favorite songs and we had fun singing along with Yesung last night. I noticed Glesh was like hiding something, I looked at her and she was also CRYING! Then all 4 of us were crying already! Our flight was announced and we board the plane. We didn't want to go. We still want to watch more Super Shows. So, we flew back to Cebu with feelings of sadness because we are going to miss watching Super Junior and a feeling of happiness because AFTER 9 MONTHS WE ALREADY SAW THEM AT LAST.


Thank you Ms. Happee and Pulp for making this possible. Please produce SS4. We are begging.


THANKS A LOT! SUPER JUNIOR HWAITING!

SUPER JUNIOR SUPER SHOW 3

10/31/2011 10:58:00 AM