Every Word Counts

Okaaayyyy.

A potted plant you've been trying to keep on your balcony falls over the ledge it was sitting on. You run outside to survey the damage. What do you see?

1. The plant landed on the ground upright and intact

2. The pot broke, but the plant seems to have survived the fall

3. The pot and plant are both smashed beyond recovery

4. For some strange reason, there is no sign of either plant or pot

My Result:

Key to Look Out Below

The sheltered life of a potted plant corresponds to a hidden, guarded side of your character and the ways you try to keep the world from penetrating your social mask.

2. The pot broke, but the plant seems to have survived the fall

You seem calm and unflappable to others, but the reality is you just hate to show your emotions. Those pent-up feelings within you just keep growing and growing, and no pot can hold them in forever.


Great. Just great. Sigh...

Words of Wisdom

I came across these while researching for my article: How to Avoid Getting Depressed during Unemployment

I think they're applicable in any aspect of life. Hahaha.

"Change how you view things. Believe that every event in your life has a meaning, even though you don't always know what the meaning is."

"Feelings many times fail to correspond to reality. Do not give such feelings more weight than they deserve."

"You're worrying--even obsessing--about things more than usual."

Pre-Birthday Fun

It's the day before my birthday. This same day last year, God gave me a surprising, unusual "gift."On my way to work that morning, I saw my long-time high school crush after a couple of years ... and sat beside him in the FX all the way to Makati. While I sat stiffly pretending I didn't know the most unwelcome guy beside me, the radio played, "Dahil ikaw pa rin ang sinisigaw ng damdamin..." Hilarious, I know.

Today, however, there are no unfortunate accidents like that. This whole week, so far at least, I've been elated happy for some reason I probably do and don't know. Haha. And just minutes ago, my officemates and I were having a guitar session here at the office. From Ako'y Sa Iyo at Ika'y Akin Lamang with Gisa's lost lyrics, to Hotel California with Sir Gelo's wild rendition, to my own favorites Out of Reach and With a Smile. I'm happy. Really happy. :D

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What I Loved about Bora

When I still wasn't in the proper mindset, I didn't like Bora. Never had any interest to visit the place because of its reputation: 1) it's crowded; 2) it's supposedly polluted; 3) going there is expensive. But I figured, any Filipino who loves to travel got to visit it at least once. So I did, along with Sho and his friend. And what do you know, I fell in love...with Boracay, that is.

Just some quick facts:
Boracay is NOT polluted. There may be clearer waters than its beach, but it's far from dirty.

Best time to visit: November-May, which is the regular or normal season. Although I think the best months to go here is December-February. March-May is already summer (part of peak season), which means super crowded beach and very expensive hotel rates and airfare.

Now, here's what I loved about Boracay....

1. The breathlessly, breathtakingly, bewitchingly, beautiful beach. Ok, I'm exaggerating, but only a little. :P The beach is really Bora's asset. I think the talcum-fine, white sand in Station 1 is incomparable to others.

The water nearest the shore has a pale blue color, but the turquoise to deep blue water toward the middle part of the sea cannot be missed. I tell you, the beach is really, seriously, enchantingly beautiful... it's like it has some sort of spell. And there are hardly strong waves, too. It's really ideal for swimming. It's my most favorite among the beaches I've been to. :D 2. The huge selection of restaurants. Surprisingly, I loved Bora even if it's cramped with restaurants. I actually think it's one of Bora's many advantages, since it offers lots of food choices for tourists with various budgets. Andok's is a good choice for people who'd rather spend on activities than food. While restaurants such as Aria allow others to indulge in gourmet cuisine. 3. The fun activities! Bora has the best beach and beyond-the-beach activities out there. Unique to Bora is reef walking, a super fun, sort-of-diving activity, although you're standing and walking with the fishes 10 feet underwater. ATV rides up Mt. Luho, the highest point in Bora, is an exhilarating exploit, too--perfect for those craving for some adrenaline rush. Other popular activities are jet skiing, banana boat rides, kite boarding, and island hopping. [I'll talk about reef walking and ATV ride in a separate post. ;)]4. Massage by the beach. Before you leave, a massage by the beach is a must. This is a cheaper alternative to the hotel spas, and the masseuses by the beach employ the traditional Filipino massage, which is very relaxing. The beachside is the perfect place to unleash: the soothing sound of the waves and the cool breeze are perfect ingredients to that one-hour trip to nirvana.(PS: I just got the pic from Google :D)5. The extraordinary atmosphere of fun. Bora is one place where you're sure to forget all about your worries. It has a different air of fun about it, which makes vacations all the more merry. :D

Comparing Notes: Anawangin Cove and Nagsasa Cove

When a person says "Zambales," one couldn't help but think of lahar. And yes, indeed, the province was once plagued by the lahar tragedy of Mt. Pinatubo. But unknown to some, there are hidden slices of paradise in this northern province, two of which are Anawangin Cove and Nagsasa Cove.

Search "Anawangin Cove" in the Internet and you're sure to find loads of blogs and pictures about the place. As it turns out, Anawangin is not so hidden paradise anymore, with lots of mountaineers discovering the place each year.

Anawangin Cove
Anawangin is known to many as an unspoiled haven--a lovely beach with white sand, palm trees, and imposing mountains. The catch: there are no facilities; no electricity, no drinking water--just a makeshift shower that you have to share with other vacationeers and a water pump (that is, if you chose to stay in the area where you have to pay a fee. In the free area, you get nothing but the beauty of nature.) It's also reputed to be one of the dangerous beaches in the country, with the numerous blogs citing deaths in the cove related to drowning.

Though I was seriously afraid of drowning, I still opted to go here, curious to see for myself if the cove looked as good as it did in the pictures from the Net. As it turned out, Anawangin Cove was really beautiful, an unusal sight in the Philippines with its lush mountains and palm trees by the beach. The lake, tucked behind the beach, was what caught our attention first. The whole scenery looked like it had a sepia color, with tall trees framing the lake, and the beautiful mountains peeking from above. Lots of small fishes swim and jump their way to the lake, and several uknown pretty birds frequent the area. When we arrived, there was a slightly huge white bird by the trees, which flew instantly when we got to the lake. One downside of the lake: the water was stinky, (according to our companion), although I wasn't able to notice that.

The beach, of course, was as breathtaking as the lake. It had soft, white sand with specks of gray (yes, from the lahar). The right side (if you're facing the beach) provided a panoramic vista of the mountains and the trees below it, bordering the beach. The sand closest to the water was very soft; our feet sinking as we walked to the beach. Surprisingly, though it was already late in the afternoon, the water, which had a dark greenish blue color, was quite calm (contrary to what I've read in the blogs) and it was not salty; it tasted just like freshwater.

Nagsasa Cove
Nagsasa Cove, I believe, remains to be a secret paradise among the few people who have discovered its beauty. It's less popular than Anawangin, since it's way farther. As you venture to the site, light blue waters with hints of light green will greet you, along with the glistening white sand and majestic mountains with mixed hues of green, yellow green, and brown. The area has few, small houses (which are inhabited by some locals) and slightly tall rock formations. Behind the houses, a lush forest and several mountains stand, its numerous trees producing a gentle yet whooping, descending sound when the wind passes by. Hearing such sound makes you feel like you're in a different, secluded world, wrapped in a mystic air of tranquility.

The water of Nagsasa Cove is undoubtedly tempting. It reminded me of the beach in Pagudpud, although the latter is more captivating. Just like in Anawangin, the beach was very calm, with most parts cold. On the cove's right portion was a sandbar, which was matched with a stunning view of the mountain overhead. From the beach, you can see the various mountains surrounding the cove, the clouds overhead adding to the charm of the scenery as they form shadows over the mountains.
Nagsasa also has a lake, but one has to either walk a long way toward the right side of the cove or take a boat ride to get there. Nagsasa Lake welcomes sightseers with its exceptional mountain with stunning slopes, an imposing beauty in the seemingly secluded area. The water from the lake was cold (and not stinky), and it combined with the waters from the sea. As in Anawangin, palm trees dot the area below the mountains, providing a beautiful, rustic scenery that's unusal for the Philippines. The mountain was the center of attention in Nagsasa Lake; unlike in Anawangin, the huge mountain here was in full view, standing in all its glory for vacationeers to see.

For me, this was a better site to Anawangin. Though it is farther, the one-hour boat ride under the scorching heat of the sun is surely worth the wait.

Zambales Trip (Part 1): Camara and Capones Islands

Last Saturday, my long-postponed Zambales trip finally pushed through. Thanks to my sis Len who's currently in the country, I finally had a sure companion to the mystical Anawangin Cove, unspoiled Camara and Capones islands, and a new discovery, Nagsasa Cove.

Around 6 am, my bf Sho and I, along with my sis and four of her friends, were on the bus bound for Iba, Zambales. Since I was busily packing and preparing for the trip the night before, I was knocked out during the whole trip, lost in my own slumber land. The travel took four hours, supposedly due to traffic (which I obviously wasn't aware of since I was asleep!). We reached the bayan of San Antonio at around 10, and rode a trike (Php 60 each) to Canoe Beach Resort in Brgy. Pundaquit.

Upon arriving at the resort, we checked in, threw our stuff in the rooms, changed into swimming clothes, and then hurriedly set off for our island hopping with empty, grumbling stomachs. Destinations: Camara and Capones Islands.

Camara Island
From the shore of the resort, we could already see the Camara Island standing a few feet away with its rock formations and glistening white sand. We reached it through a 10-15-minute boat ride (or even less). The island was small, flanked by two limestone cliffs. The sand was a pretty sight; it had a beige color and almost fine texture, peppered with several shells. The water was greenish blue with moderately rough waves. The island's main attraction, I guess, was the mesmerizing view it provided. Facing the resort, you can see the majestic mountains covered in a mix of green, yellow green, and brown, resembling those found only in other countries. Though the sun was shining brightly, we spent most of our time there cam-whoring (of course!). Before we left, we took a short dip in the water, whose waves were getting stronger and stronger.

Capones Island
I never thought I'd make it to Capones Island alive. Since it was already late in the afternoon, the waves were very strong, which meant a looong, hellish, splashy boat ride (I'm a scaredy cat, you see :D). I was sitting in the front portion of the small fishing boat, on a monobloc chair, which shook and flew a few inches every time there was a huge wave (which was like every five seconds). I was screaming almost the entire trip, my dress soaking wet due to the huge splashes. We were supposed to go up the light house, but just when I thought our boat was about to dock, it turned around again and continued to sail, prolonging my ala-roller coaster ride. As it turned out, the shore in that part of the island was rocky, so the boats might get damaged if we settled there. We continued then to the other part of the island, which was 15-25 minutes away. I was trying to focus on the beautiful surroundings to ease my nerves, but it was impossible to do so with the boat shaking and the water splattering on my face. We were finally a few feet away from our destination, when the boat's engine suddenly stopped in the middle of the deep water with huge, angry waves. Our boatman asked Sho (who was behind me) to stand up so he could rev the engine (which was underneath Sho's seat). Sho had to ask me to move my chair forward so he could stand up, but I didn't have the courage to stand up myself and move my chair (Haha. I told you I'm a big scaredy cat, didn't I? :P) Since I was reluctant to move, afraid I'd tip the boat over (ridiculous, I know), our boatman asked me to reach for the paddle instead, which was at the front end of the boat. I reluctantly and shakingly did so, and our boatman finally paddled us to the island. Whew.

Just like Camara, Capones Island was small, with several big rocks and a tall limestone cliff. It had a coarser white sand than Camara, which resembled sands in aquarium setups. The sand particles were smooth and shiny, with lots of shiny stones and shells. Sadly, though, the island had a number of trash in front of the cliff--various beach "trash," plastic bottles, tattered slippers, etc.

I had little energy left to explore the island, since I was shaken up in the boat ride. Haha. We spread out our wet cover-ups in the big rock, under the scorching heat of the sun, and took some pictures. When we ran out of things to do, we left the island (during which an unknown pretty bird flew), and ventured again into the boat ride. The trip was less scary and splashy that time, but my hoodie (yes, I wore a hoodie so I would still be recognizable when I come back to Manila. Hehe) was still soaking wet when we reached the resort.

Back at the resort, we took a shower, snacked on expensive junk food from the cafe, napped, and ate dinner (we bought food from the market and asked the resort staff to cook it for us. It was a cheaper way to get filled than buying expensive meals in the cafe). We were supposed to swim that night, but we were already tired, so we hit the sheets instead. :)

Note: The island hopping was Php 900 per boat for the two destinations. I think that price is already discounted since two of my sister's friends know the boatmen.