Baby Fair 2015 @ Mega Trade Hall

I decided to have my brows groomed this morning so I got up and prepped up early. I was about to leave for the terminal when my good friend, Ge asked to meet me at the terminal. We then agreed to go to Megamall together since we're heading the same way.

Once we got there, we went up to the fifth level where we noticed that there was an event at the Mega Trade Hall. It was a baby fair and I was enthralled to see all the cute stuff on display.

But I headed for Brow Lounge first to have my brows groomed while Ge went inside the Mega Trade Hall to look around. Once I was done, I went in the baby fair with him and though I've really nothing to buy baby stuff for, I enjoyed looking at all the fascinating things in each booth.

  

We literally just roamed around for sometime before we decided to have lunch. We went out of the fair hall and went to Tokyo Tokyo to eat lunch, just because I was craving for Japanese food.

I always like hanging out with Ge. He's one of the few best and truest people I know. I was just a bit sad that Jaycee wasn't able to join us on this particular bonding since she has work to do.

Going Around Laguna

This year my goals are pretty simple. I just want to learn how to apply makeup well, continue running (and run several fun runs), eat and most importantly, to travel.

Last weekend, I went to Laguna with my best friend, his mom, his sister Tricia and his sister's friend, Lui.

He picked me up at around 3am last Saturday and we went to their house in Baras where we chatted with his family for a while before we finally retired to bed. The next morning, Luigi arrived and we started to prep up.

We departed at around 10am and stopped by the Hypermarket in Tanay to gather supplies and well, while we're at it Tricia decided that we grab some Palabok first. Shortly after, we're back on the road and soon we stopped by a quaint restaurant where we ate a sumptuous bowl of Lomi topped with pork cracklings. Yum!

  

Afterwards, we drove to Lumban to buy some very special and all-time favorite local delicacies: espasol and white cheese. The espasol is like no other. It isn't the kind that is wrapped in a long strip of paper but covered in too much powder and is just actually just a quarter of the size of the wrapper.

No. It's wrapped in a strip of paper that is about 3.5 inches long, not covered in too much powder and is actually 3.5 inches long! And yes, it's very delicious--it's addicting and did I mention that they're really cheap, too? Oh yes.

The white cheese wasn't the typical kind as well. For one, it's extremely fresh (the one on the picture was fresh from the stove top) and it's practically oozing from its packaging. It's flavor was just right, not too strong like the ones we can usually buy from the market or from the city streets. Bottom line, it's really good!

Soon after, we headed for Panguil Eco Park to get the real deal started. We arrived quite late in the afternoon but just in time to enjoy the place with the sun still up. They showed me around a bit and then we hiked for nearly an hour, crossed the river in so many ways several times to get to the end (or beginning?) of the river where a majestic waterfall awaited us. The current was a bit strong and we all got bruises (well, at least I did) but I guess, that's the beauty of it. To be honest, it wasn't the easiest trail to follow, a bit exhausting but at the same time, exhilarating.

It was at that moment that I realized what I truly want to do all over again, which is to go to other places like this and discover the beauty that nature has to offer in every aspect no matter how hard it is to get there. Also, sharing this experience with my companions made it really meaningful and special, which made me look forward for more mini-adventure trips like this in the future.

Going back, after we basked in the beauty (and pain) of the waterfall, we headed back down. Halfway through, we stopped and waited for our turn in the water tube post and while waiting we tried to play against the river current a bit and chatted. Soon after, we were lying comfortably on our backs as we watertubed down the mountain.

The fun didn't actually stop there; though we all felt tired and sleepy we went down to the lower part of the dam and played around the water a bit more. I guess this is one of the most memorable parts of our time there. First is the waterfall and how I literally sighed in relief and awe once my best friend took my hand in his and looked at it and bathed in it together.

The next one was this part in the dam where the four of us tried to charge against strong current but my best friend ended up trying to pull his pants back up because the water was too strong that it almost stripped him off. LOL! At the same time, we tried to do it again several more times, but the I always get carried away by the strong current that my best friend and the other had to get a hold of me and save me from drowning for about three more times. LOL!

 

It was crazy but it's the happiest I've been in months. I have never felt so alive, so relieved of all emotional and physical pain. For that weekend alone, I feel like I've started anew. Later that evening, we tried our best to dry off ourselves and went to have dinner at a local eatery, which was Manay's.

We were shivering from the cold but we barely mind for soon after dinner, we checked in at a warm spring resort and practically inhabited the pool.

We stayed in the pool for hours trying to fight off the cold gusts of wind but were not successful until about 10pm. LOL. Believe me, getting off that pool is the hardest decision we had to make that day but we had to do it. After showering, we stayed up a bit more to have a drink but we went to bed eventually and slept till late in the morning.

We had a very sumptuous breakfast; one that I've never had in a very long time and one that, until then, I never thought I missed having. After breakfast, we roamed around the resort a bit and decided to finally go back on the road. We headed for Liliw to buy some shoes and slippers. We decided to look around and go from shop to shop before finally buying what we really like as to compare prices, quality and design. We did that practically all afternoon; we stopped by at a small eatery to have lunch. We had a really great Pansit Palabok/Malabon for lunch, one that is incomparable to the ones we previously had. We also took chances with the local rice cakes they were selling on the street, just to know how they taste like.

  

We honestly ate so much that afternoon that we ended up waddling around the place. We roamed around just a bit more before we hopped back on the van and went to a stream where local townswomen were doing their laundry earlier that day. The water was really cool and clear and what's best was that we found a hidden Station of the Cross statues scattered around deeper in the forest area.

 

After that, we stopped by at a local park where we played around like children at the Marvel statues and Land Before Time statues. Juvenile as it may seem, rarely do we get the chance to act as such and sometimes, it's not as bad as it may seem. Even when little children looked at us in total wonder.

 

But like any other story, our day and our trip has to come to its end. Not too long after that, we got back on the road and headed back to Baras, only stopping by at another branch of Manay's later that evening to have dinner. But though the weekend has come to its end, the memory of all the experiences and genuine happiness will always remain with me... I cannot stress enough how thankful I am to have these people in my life. May we have more weekend adventures ahead of us.

Burot, Batangas with my Besties

In the wee hours of Sunday, Jaycee, Gerald, my parents and I headed for the van terminal in Pasay to catch a ride going to Burot, Batangas. My parents decided to give us a lift because it was far but Gerald ended up driving going all the way to Pasay since my mom had a drink or two the night before. LOL.

Anyway, once we got there, we immediately found the vans heading for Batangas and call us lucky but we were able to hail a van who didn't get other passengers along the way. So for the entire three hour long trip, there was just the three of us in the van. We literally have it all to ourselves which was kinda nice because we get to sleep and stretch our feet comfortably.

We arrived in Calatagan at around 6:30am and decided to have breakfast at a local market eatery. Then we took a tricycle going to Burot which took about 20 minutes; the road going there was quite narrow and not completely cemented, so it was quite a bumpy ride.

However, once we got there Jaycee and I were amazed at how amazing the place looked like. Gerald had been in the place the week before and he pointed out that there were more people that day compared to when he last been there.

But it wasn't as crowded as any normal beach. There were no cottages, everyone has to bring (or rent) their own tents, there's just one store that sold snacks and refreshments, and there's no electricity!

Burot is a white sand beach that is perfect for those who really just wanted to wind up, relax and forget about the world for a while--just like us.

As soon as we got there, we decided to set up our own tent and (literally) lock up all our things inside before we decided to take a stroll. The place was really amazing; perhaps even too good to be true. The sand is soft beneath my feet and the water is clear, it's everything I wanted and more, or maybe I'm just a sucker for beaches. We strolled for sometime before we headed back to our tent to hang out, have some snacks and chat. Soon after, we took a dip in the water and just savored the moment.

 

We seemed to have done so much that we were surprised that it was only lunchtime by the time we finished swimming. We showered, ate lunch and took a nap afterwards. It wasn't the most comfortable nap we've had because it got a little too hot since it was midday. But we did felt relaxed and I guess that's what's important.

  

By 3pm, we decided to leave the the beach and strolled along the streets of the town of Calatagan. We went in the church and the park, took photos and grabbed some quick bite before finally heading for the van terminal.

 

 

The trip home took longer than I expected, or perhaps I was just a bit uncomfortable but we managed to get off at Pasay; we took the train to Megamall where we stopped by for a washroom break and contemplated whether we'd have dinner or not. We finally agreed that we'll just go home and have a drink at Ge's place but halfway through our trip home, I cancelled on them because I had to go home for some reasons I can't really disclose in this blog in detail.

Despite of it though, it was still a perfect getaway even just for a day. Looking forward for more adventures with my lovies.

Why I'm the Last Person a Man Would Date

 

I have been into several relationships before and most of them gave me the bitter realization that I might not just be the type of person a man would like to date. 

Looking back in the years that have passed, I did my best to recall the type of person I was and what I have become. 

And through my stroll down memory lane, I've come to realize what made me under qualified to be a member of the ever growing dating pool, and here are the reasons why:

1. I am loud.

Not in bed, I'm not. But if you ask most of the people I know they'd tell you that I speak loudly and that I laugh boisterously. I'm also pretty animated and add the fact that I teach kids for a living, and what do you get? Adult woman blurting out her emotions or expressions with a little exaggeration. 

 

Of course, I do not intend to speak as if I'm trying to gain attention. I'm not. Truth be told, it's something innate and hard to change and even to control at times. 

Have I done something about it? Aye! Definitely. But I always end up being either inaudible or in a comical whisper.

2. I laugh easily. 

I am known to be the one who laughs the loudest and the easiest to crack up--even if the joke or situation isn't too funny to everyone else. 

I just have a different way of perceiving "funny" things or situations that most often than not, men misinterprets it as flirting or showing interest in them. 

I'm actually doing my best to control my impulse to laugh loudly at little things but to no avail; plus, holding in my laughter always leave me in tears and out of breath. 

3. I'm one of the boys.

I am not sure exactly how and why, but I just seem to click with men more than women. Sometimes, I'd have people telling me that I act and think like a man, and to be honest I'm not sure if it's a bad thing or a good thing. 

 

To be even more honest, I'd like to believe it's a good thing just because it gives me the freedom to break social and gender barriers and the norm that girls should only be friends with girls because we have cooties--whatever that is. I naturally think and act in such way, that sometimes, and yet again, people deliberately misconstrue it as flirting or as if I'm trying to gain some guy's attention. 

But the truth is, I just basically like to talk to men better because they know no bullshit celeb gossip and can actually talk about a wide range of topics aside from the common washroom talk about whose purse mismatched her shoes.

On the side, they make a good game buddy and protective brother material. Nobody can mess with me, my bro's got my back but sadly, since they know I'm a dude too, I can't be taken seriously as more than just another guy friend with the tits of a B-cup woman. 

4. I'm disgusting.

Disgusting in the sense that I sit like a boy, burp the alphabet, don't wash my hair on the weekends and eat on my bed. I also smell my pits in public and boast my burping skill. 

To make it worse, I eat like a pig. Not literally though, but I really love to pig out. And most men loves seeing a girl eat daintily, but I don't eat that way, I'm extremely unattractive when I eat, hence I'm off the dating list. Oh, you'd be surprised at how many men I can turn off with those things. To my male friends it's cool, but to a prospect boyfriend? Just think about it, I fucking burp the fucking alphabet.

5. I curse a lot.

I just can't fucking help it. It just simply slips off my mouth. But I couldn't fucking care less about it, that's how I am. 

Of course, I'm still a considerate bitch; I keep my freaking gob shut around old people and children who may be offended by my choice of not-so-fancy expressions. 

Men likes to date cutesy type of girls who bats their lashes and blushes to their compliments, not someone who's always in a battle to top off Al Pacino in Scarface. 'Nuff said. 

6. I'm a bookworm.

I'm not exactly smart or intelligent, but I'm not a bubble-head either. I've got some strong convictions and opinions that some men finds extremely annoying. All of which I got from reading a vast range of topics. 

People, men mostly, solely believes that reading is boring hence people who read are most likely to be boring people who are socially awkward and know nothing about the reality of life all because we readers are boxed into the eternal thought that we're trapped into an abyss of fictional fantasies. 

Even my mother despises the fact that I read more than I should because it's keeping me from learning to put on makeup on and from developing at least a socially acceptable fashion sense instead of just plain shirt, jeans and sneakers.

 

7. I'm generally weird and have an inappropriate sense of humor.

I may look normal to the majority but even my closest friends find me weird--really weird. I do things normal adults don't, making me look and seem juvenile. 

I'm not immature in general, believe me but I do have a side which I try to hide from most people in fear that I'll get rejected due to the sheer weirdness I possess.

I'm goofy and bubbly, I whine and play sick pranks to people I love--mostly in a very slight sadistic kind of way and not even the dirty kind of sadism. Think about Rocky Balboa. 

I go to museums and stand next to warning signs and do the opposite. See, most men would like a demure, classy woman who doesn't even seem know that the words "fart" and "burp" actually exists. No sir. I'm neither demure nor classy, I'm weird and inappropriate.

________________________

I know there are more reasons as to why I'm less likely to be asked on a date, but I promised myself that I'll get some sleep. I'll be lucky if I find a man who would share the same weirdness and wouldn't mind the fact that I am as weird as he is. Heck, there's nothing cuter and sweeter than two people coming together in mutual weirdness to share the same mental dysfunction the universe blessed them with. 

 

This weird list may just be the result of taking in too much caffeine and sugar at work and a product of a bored and tired mind who wants to somehow make itself feel productive outside of the workplace. 

All Nighters

June 6 is a Korean national holiday which means no work-day for us teachers, it also means we have a long weekend ahead and we kicked it off with a blast.

My office mates and I had been planning this one for nearly a month and it was a success. What's great was that it was payday last Thursday. LOL. With me were Brish, Arlien, Liz, Mark, Jaycel and, most unexpectedly, Kevin. We asked Kevin to come with us last Thursday night when he came by the office to pick up his paycheck. We were not really expecting that he'd come with us but he did and we couldn't be more happier.

We meet up with Kevin a couple of blocks away from our office building, then we did a quick stop at a local resto-bar to get ourselves something to eat and while waiting for our take out meals, Kevin, Mark, Liz and I decided to go to the nearest convenience store to buy snacks and liquor to cut us some extra time. Shortly after, we returned to the resto-bar; we waited for our order for a little while then we went to my house.

 

They all had dinner first, or midnight snacks, I suppose before we started drinking. It was a really fun night; I got so drunk--dunno why I easily get drunk lately, but I did and well--I sort of "forced" Kevin to listen to me. LOL We stayed up all night until most of the gang went upstairs to bed at around 6am. It was only Liz, Arlien and I who were awake until about 7am. 

 

We chatted for some time then decided to clean up and unfortunately, I broke a liquor bottle and injured a toe. It bled a lot and we were having a hard time stopping it from bleeding, but Liz and I were able to really get to know each other more that time. 

 

When the bleeding finally halted, the three of us went to sleep and at around 9 something I heard voices and realized that Jaycel and Kevin were already awake and eating breakfast with my parents. I decided to get up from bed too, and joined them in the breakfast table. I wasn't really hungry but felt the need to assist and eat with my guests. LOL 

 

Soon after, every one was awake and were eating breakfast. We all chatted about random things as they ate; later that morning we all decided to just squeeze in the spare room downstairs to hang out. It was really fun, we were telling each other random tales from work and our lives; it was great getting to know my workmates better and beyond the workplace too. 

 

 

It went on for hours as we all take turns to use the bathroom to take a shower. I honestly cannot simply express in words how happy I felt that day, it's unlike anything I've ever felt before and more. It was truly a pleasure to work (and to have worked with, in Kevin's case *insert sad face here*) with them. 

From L - R : Mark, Liz, me, Arlien, Brish, Kevin and Jaycel 

Of course we took a last group shot before they left. I really wish we'd do it again as it's the best all nighters party I ever been in. I love my workmates! ^_^