Sprinkle of Peppermint

Quiet Time Message: You Are Not Invisible In MY Eyes

2011-05-25T00:00:00.004+08:00

I rarely hear the small voice of God. I always long for it but I fail to hear it as often as I would want to. In my quiet times, one thing that I always look forward to is that wonderful moment that I could get to hear His still small voice.

Before I became a Christian, I didn’t think that it was really possible to hear God’s voice. I had this notion then that God would only listen to my prayers but He would not let His voice be heard by a ‘commoner’ like me. I thought then that His voice was also exclusive for the really spiritual ones.

But God proved me wrong about that notion the second time last May 15, a Sunday, during my quiet time with Him. I was reading the book of Judges in the Bible and I was already in the story of Gideon. Just a brief backgrounder, Gideon was a young man from the tribe of Manasseh. During that time, Gideon’s family was the least in the said tribe and he was the weakest in their clan. That was why when the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon one day, he was apprehensive when the angel told him he was going to save the Israelites from the Midianites. He just couldn’t believe that God would pick him from the other much stronger and worthy men from their tribes.

But God chose Gideon. Despite him belonging to the least clan in the Tribe of Manasseh and him being the weakest in that clan, still God chose him.

I don’t know why but as I uttered my prayer to God that time, I felt like the words didn’t just come from me but from God. The moment I said the words “I am not invisible in Your eyes,” the tears went down from my eyes. I knew that very moment that God was really talking to me, that He was really making me hear His voice. God told me that I should not feel small or that I don’t matter at all because He could see me. He could see me worshipping Him and even if I’m just one among those many people singing praises to Him on a Sunday service at church, I matter so much to Him and that He appreciates everything about me. That even if sometimes I feel like I’m a loser, God still finds favor in me and that He puts great trust in my ability.

I cried that time because I was in great awe of God. He is indeed a personal God. I just couldn’t contain the overflowing love and reverence to God that I felt that time that my tears just couldn’t stop from flowing.
My prayer to God after that was for that feeling to always reside in my heart; that that overwhelming feeling would be my shield everytime the enemy will put words of anger and insecurity in my heart and mind; and that I would just dwell in His loving presence all the days of my life.

I am not at all a good person. I failed God a million of times in my life. But that precious moment when He let me hear His voice, I just felt God was telling me that His loving will forever be unconditional.
God will never turn His back from us.

I just hope and pray that I could give back to Him even at least a portion of that kind of love He’s been showering me since the day I was born. I hope and pray I could love Him enough not to hurt Him by doing wicked things and to consider Him first and foremost in everything that I do.

I pray that as I continue this wonderful walk with Him, one of these days, I will be that kind of daughter God desires me to be.

Sweet Tooth Monday at Parvati

2011-05-24T20:26:00.002+08:00

If there’s one thing I wouldn’t give up for a firmer body, that would be desserts:-) I could live without rice but definitely not without chocolates and cakes and ice creams. (and tocino and hotdogs pa pala:-)) When it comes to eating, I live by the adage of Ernestine Ulmer:

Life is uncertain. Eat desserts first.

That is why when I look for restaurants, I alway look for those with really appetizing desserts in their menu.

A couple of months ago, my good friend Khryz introduced me to the yummy world of Parvati. I was out with my zooper friends for our usual dinner meet-up at Trinoma Mall and we were looking for a nice coffee and cake shop–which is not Starbucks or Coffee Bean for a change. And all thanks to her, I’ve finally found a real dessert haven which is both yummy and cheapo:-) All the cakes we ordered on that first try at Parvati deserved a thumbs up. And yes, including Lalaine’s Fudgelicious cake although its taste is somehow similar to that of Brownies Unlimited’s. But still we loved it! Plus, plus! They have free brewed coffee:-)

Our very first taste of Parvati:-)

My personal favorite is the Milk Chocolate Cake. Actually, this was what I ordered the first time I tried Parvati and all the succeeding visits after that, I never fail to order for that. It’s only priced at P110 for the mini size (which is actually good enough for sharing for 2 people).

My second favorite is the Frozen Brazo de Mercedes, which I only got to try yesterday when I went there with my family. Imagine indulging on your favorite brazo de mercedes, but this time, with graham cracker crust and a layer of vanilla ice cream….really heavenly. You can enjoy this delish experience for only P200 for the small size —which could actually be shared by 2-3 pax.

Frozen Brazo de Mercedes - yummy

Since my mom and my sister loved their first Parvati experience, too, we always make it a point to drop by this cafe whenever we pass by Trinoma Mall or when we’re around QC area. And most of those Parvati visits happened on a Monday, thus the title of this post.

This is how loco we are about Parvati:-)

Another plus of this desserts cafe, aside from the really yummy cakes and free coffee, is that they really prove true to the meaning of ‘service’ in Customer Service. I would really commend them for the kind of satisfactory service they provide all their customers–regardless of how many you will buy. And just yesterday, I was humbled when I saw the lady manager/owner of the cafe washing the cups and saucers used by the customers herself. And I grew even more fonder of Parvati because of that humble act.

If you want to visit Parvati, it’s located at Trinoma Mall, Mindanao Lobby (below National Bookstore and between Breadtalk and Gourdo’s). You can also give them a call at 9011428 for bulk orders.

Trust His Heart

2011-05-17T19:37:00.000+08:00

This song was shared by Pastor Jun Besana in the 2pm service at Victory Malate today. It’s a good reminder especially at times when we seem to find it hard to comprehend God’s ways. We should not walk away from our faith. Do not be stirred. Instead, stand for and with God. He knows what He is doing. He has the perfect plan for each and everyone of us.

All things work for our good
Though sometimes we can’t
See how they could
Struggles that break our hearts in two
Sometimes blind us to the truth
Our Father knows what’s best for us
His ways are not our own
So when your pathway grows dim
And you just can’t see him,
Remember He’s still on the throne

God is too wise to be mistaken
God is too good to be unkind
So when you don’t understand
When don’t see his plan
When you can’t trace his hand
Trust His Heart

He sees the master plan
He holds the future in his hand,
Don’t live as those who have no hope,
While our hope is found in him.
We see the present clearly
But he sees the first and last
And like a tapestry He’s weaving you and me,
To someday be just like him

He alone is faithful and true
He alone knows what is best for you

When you can’t trace his hand
When you don’t see his plan
When you don’t understand
Trust His Heart

-Babbie Mason-

TVCs I Don't Wanna See Ever Again.

2011-05-17T19:29:00.001+08:00

Alright, so TV commercials are not at all boring to watch especially if it's not only artistically created to sell/promote a certain product, but also done to convey a real good message about the society or even the person's individuality. There are, however, TVCs which are plainly nakakairita for some obvious reasons. I have my own share of those irita moments over some commercials which when I see being shown on the TV screen, I would immediately look for the remote control and change channels.

Here's my list (at least the recent ones):

1. Star Wax - You know the girl who's wearing a red blouse and cream skirt and wiped the floor with star wax while dancing when somebody spilled something on the floor. Why do you need to dance (in an overacting way) while wiping the floor?

2. Coffee Mate - Actually, there are three versions of this specific Coffee Mate commercial. One of the versions included a pastor from our church and his wife--which I liked:-) It's about three married couples sharing their love story and their love for coffee mate. The concept is good and touching, but there's this one version which I don't like at all. The one with only the husband talking. I called that the 'eleven years' version since the husband's line during the first part of the commercial was "We've been married for 11 years now...." I don't like that version because I find the husband so self-absorbed. First of all, he's the one doing the talking for the entire duration of the commercial. Second of all, he always say 'I'--I know I made the right choice....blah-blah-blah.. Like hello! Do you even care to ask your wife if she thinks she made the right choice for marrying you? Why does it always have to be about you, man?

Again, I only dislike this single version.

3. The Nestea Iced Tea- That commercial with the overacting guy 'Nico' who was dumped by 'Martina' and who has an equally overacting mom. Good thing I don't get to see it na on TV of late.

4. All commercials with Erich Gonzales on it.

5. All commercials with Anne Curtis on it - Apologies to her fans, but I'm just so fed up seeing her in almost all TVCs nowadays.

6. Smart Dishwashing Liquid "Dish Is It" TVC - The one with the mom singing and dancing 'Kasi gamit you, you, you.....' I just find the mom so pa-cute and pa-cool in this commercial.

I have high regards for the creative people and the production team behind TV commercials and I know the effort they exerted just to produce them. However, there are just some TVCs which I find exaggerating and some of those were listed above. Again, this list is from my own perspective. Nothing personal. Just a mere human reaction over some things I see on TV which I find absurd at times.

Mother’s Day Treat To The Ultimate Coco-Loco at Coconut House

2011-05-08T20:06:00.002+08:00

What better way to celebrate Mother’s Day than to treat the ‘superwoman’ in my life to a restaurant which serves one of her ultimate faves? Since coconut is on top of my mom’s favorite food, we decided to go to the restaurant famous for serving all-coconut meals–The Coconut House.

The Coconut House is located inside Quezon Memorial Circle near the Commonwealth Entrance (across the Philippine Coconut Authority. It was quite a far ride from our house in Manila, but I insisted on going to this restaurant since Mama’s been talking about wanting to go to this place when she saw it being featured in Jessica Soho Reports a couple of weeks back. Two night before, I’ve been thinking of where to bring Mama for Mother’s Day and good thing I remembered her fascination to that Jessica Soho feature on the coconut restaurant. I ‘munchpunched’ Coconut House, found its exact location and operating hours and its menu.

And can I just say I love Munchpunch a lot? This site is so useful and could even have you prepare how much money you’ll be needing if you decide to go a certain resto in their directory. It has a complete list of the restos’ updated menu and prices so you already know what to expect.

End of the promotion. Back to regular programming:-)

Alright so we finally found The Coconut House inside the confusing Quezon Memorial Circle. It’s a small one-level little house of wood and cement, neatly done and brightly lit by the sunlight that comes through the glass walls and windows. They have a huge menu which shows their Pampagana (starters),the Almusal (breakfast meals), the Tanghap (lunch and dinner meals), the Binalot (wrapped in banana leaf meals), the Panghimagas (desserts) section, and the Inumin (drinks). Like any fast food chain, you have to go to the counter to order and pay.

Mama ordered Gising-gising (P125) — fresh Baguio beans, coco milk and ground pork paired with deep-fried galunggong fillet wrapped in a banana leaf. My sister went for Coco Calamari (P125) which is your usual Calamari favorite only cooked in using coconut and with mayo dip. I would love to try their Coco Veggie Pizza (75) but it wasn’t available so I decided to just share with my sister and just ordered two organic rice for us. For desserts, we got Macapuno Con Leche (P55) and their signature Special Halo-Halo with Coconut Ice Cream (P90) on top. Mama also had fresh Buko Juice (P20) since she doesn’t want to drink water in restaurants.

Gising-Gising

Coco Calamari

I would give a 4 thumbs up for the Gising-gising and the Coco Calamari but a delightful 5 thumbs up goes to the desserts we ordered including the Buko Juice. Their Macapuno con Leche was a luscious choice and should not be missed if you’re planning to visit this resto. The Halo-Halo was also hard to resist because of its coco cream and non-dairy Ice Cream on top. According to Mama, the Buko juice tasted really good because it’s so fresh and with no additives.

Fresh Buko Juice, Special Halo-Halo and Macapuno con Leche

Before we left The Coconut House, we decided to buy Pancit Buco (P90) for Nanay Sitang (our loving grandmother), another round of Macapuno con Leche, and the mini Buko Pie (P65). And yes, they were all a delectable choice! The Buko Pie was a surprise since I didn’t expect I could find a real tasty buko pie with big chunks of buko in Manila. Now, we don’t have to go to Laguna to experience buko pie goodness.

My mom was so happy with the treat. It was really worth the ride. Plus, we only spent approximately P600 for everything we ordered (including the take-out). I am definitely going back to The Coconut House. I’ve yet to taste their Veggie pizza and the Coco Sherbet.

Indeed, it was a Happy Mother’s (and daughters) Day!

Me and my superwoman:-)

mom and sis

Adding Color To Black Saturday at Sonya’s Garden

2011-05-08T20:05:00.000+08:00

When I think of Sonya’s Garden, I think of romance. I think of romantic wedding proposal or an enchanting honeymoon, perhaps. I don’t know why but this place just spells L-O-V-E and R-O-M-A-N-C-E for me.

I first heard of this piece of heaven in Tagaytay City from a friend who went there with her barkada. I saw the pictures and I could say I was fascinated right there and then. I pictured a real blissful place away from the hustle of the city. A pastor from our church also proposed to her girlfriend (and now his wife) there as what Rica Peralejo’s Pastor boyfriend (now husband) did. Thus, I already had that notion that Sonya’s Garden’s really perfect for couples.

I’ve always wanted to visit this place but all those previous plans didn’t push through due to various circumstances. Good thing, one of my Victory Group friends Cone suggested Sonya’s Garden as to where we could spend Black Saturday at and bond. Everyone else was in vacation away from the city during that Holy Week and we wouldn’t want to be left out and just settle on a staycation so we decided to push through with the plan even if it was only 4 of us in the group. So, on that morning of Black Saturday, Cone, Laye and her family, Chai and I headed on to Sonya’s Garden.

It was a smooth more than an hour ride from Manila to Tagaytay. There was no traffic jam since it was a holiday. However, when we got to the city proper, there we experienced the traffic jam. Could it be that 1/3 of Manila’s populace went to Tagaytay that day?

Anyway, so after experiencing that Tagaytay traffic and passing some streets and bumpy road, we finally arrived at Sonya’s Garden. To be honest, it was not what I pictured it to be. I mean, the facade is nice but it’s not as classy as I imagined it to be. I can’t help but compare it toKusina Salud in San Pablo, Laguna. And I think the latter would fare well when it comes to the interiors and the nostalgic feel. However, I would say that the romantic ambiance was there.I think it would be best to visit Sonya’s at night so you could really experience its romantic charm to the full. There’s something about that Sonya’s Garden that would make you fall in love and feel in love. Could it be the wooden door with colorful glass designs? Or the big draperies on the ceilings? Or its colorful lamps and eclectic furnitures? Whichever. This place really suggests romance.

The entrance

We decided to have the Buffet Lunch deal which was priced at P610 nett/person. It’s consisted of an eat-all-you-can serving of the following:

Green Salad (freshly harvested lettuce and arugula topped with mango, broad beans , eggs, cucumber, jackfruit, pineapple, edible flowers in season, and drizzled with Sonya’s secret dressing or balsamic vinegar.

Bread (Fresh baked whole wheat sesame bread with an array of homemade dips and toppings: basil pesto, white cheese, anchovies, bruschetta tomato toppings, mushroom pate, black olive tapinade, and fresh green pepperoni in olive oil.

Pasta (Choice of two kinds of sauces: sun dried tomato and chicken cream with mango topped with rataouille, salmon belly, shitake mushrooms, black olives, capers, and grated parmesan cheese, pepperoncini.

Dessert (Glazed sweet potato, banana rolls with sesame and jackfruit, and really yummy chocolate cake with mint leaves.

Drinks (Bottomless freshly squeezed dalandan juice and tarragon tea.

(Menu description courtesy of Sonya’s Garden)

It was a hearty meal, indeed. I went there on an almost empty stomach since I was really preparing for the eat-all-you-can galore, and I left it with a busog-lusog feeling. I personally love the pasta with white sauce and chicken chunks, the yummy chocolate cake and the tarragon tea. The P610 was really worth it.

After we finished out lunch, we decided to tour the place. We went to the Panaderia where Cone and Laye bought some pasalubongs. We also went to the flower sanctuary which really looked like a butterfly sanctuary for me. Since Laye’s mom was also doing ocular for her youngest daughter’s upcoming debut party, we had the privilege to go around and had a peek at the bed and breakfast cottages which reminded me of a vintage houses in the Quezon province or those in Vigan. The rooms don’t have air-conditioning units and just make use of electric fans to give a more rural feel. According to the room attendant, it’s really cold in Tagaytay at night even in Summer seasons so there won’t be problems especially with guests who love cold weather.

Sonya’s Bed and Breakfast Cottages were named after herbs, which, according to their website, reflect the owner’s love for aromatic things. This place is really perfect for people who would want to get away from the restless city life and enjoy a night of pure bliss with a sprinkle of nostalgia. Imagine waking up to the smell of flowers and fresh air. Such simple felicity.

After few rounds of picture-taking, we decided to bid Sonya’s Garden adieu.

It was really a wonderful and colorful way of spending that Black Saturday–with people who were a blessing to be with and with a place that’s such a piece of sanctuary.

Laye-Anne, Me, Chai, and Cone

How to go Sonya’s Garden:

From South Superhighway exit Santa Rosa and turn right towards Tagaytay. Upon reaching main Aguinaldo highway, turn right toward Nasugbu, Batangas. Go past Tagaytay Rotonda and proceed for 10km. After Splendido Golf course and Sunrise Hill make a right turn on the Buck Estate. Drive for 2km and watch out for Sonya’s on the left side. Use the first gate and drive towards the end of the driveway and make a right towards parking lot.

(courtesy of Sonya’s Garden)

(Photos courtesy of Cone Tabat, Laye-Anne Morales, Lagalog, and Tastebudthrills)

Cherishing Friendster Memories

2011-05-07T02:40:00.001+08:00

News about Friendster closing down (or reformatting to a strictly gaming site) by the end of May has been circulating since last week. Because of that, some people I know suddenly remembered their login name and password in Friendster and decided to check on their accounts—and perhaps, reminisce the old times by going through the testimonials posted by their friends or browse through old photo albums saved in the said site.

I must admit, I was one of them. I was even a bit panicky when I learned of the news which a friend shared in Twitter.

In all honesty, I love Friendster. Sure, Facebook is more pumped up, more interactive and you can post as many albums as you can, but it’s with Friendster that I find connecting with friends more heartfelt. The ‘testimonials’ part was a total rockin’ idea. It may look ‘baduy’ now but admit it, when you try reading your testimonials now in the time of Facebook and Twitter, you find yourself smiling on your own. You know that those things that your friends said about you during the Friendster days really reflected the person you were back then. Likewise, testimonials also say something about how you deal with people and situations during your younger days.

And yes, they made you smile because like any normal human being capable of being emotionally touched, you are also fond of remembering your good younger years when life was more pure fun and laughter and less pressure.

I’m really saddened by this news about Friendster closing down. Friendster was part of my happy college days. It was witness to how euphoric I was when I first met the man who made a big difference in my existence. And just the same, Friendster was also witness to how desolate I was when I lost that man to death two years after. Friendster was my first piece of sanctuary in the cyber world. It was my first sounding board online.

Up until now, when I feel down or like I’m not being in sync with my real self, I always go back to Friendster. I would browse through my friends’ testimonials posted on my page and after a while, I would feel better. Indeed, Friendster has this power of putting you back to the blissful episodes of your past by reading those comments.

And I will forever be grateful to that person who introduced Friendster to our generation. Thanks to you, whoever you are! If not for your brilliant idea, there won’t be Multiply, Facebook, Twitter, or even Hi5, Tagged and still many other social networking sites. You and MySpace’s creators really rock big time!

Since I’m trying to clean out my Friendster account before it finally closes down, I got some of my favorite testimonials and created a slideshow. This is so I could still have something to go to and see of ever I’ll have my detached moment again (I hope not).

To view this photo slideshow you need to have Flash Player 9 or newer installed and JavaScript enabled. This flash photo slideshow gallery was created with PhotoSnack in a couple of minutes.

Of The Beautiful Island of Guimaras and Celebrating More Than A Decade of Wonderful Friendship

2011-05-07T02:37:00.002+08:00

In all honesty, I’d only learned about the existence of Guimaras Island during the oil spill incident in August of 2006. I can’t even recall if I’ve ever heard of it during one of our Sibika classes in gradeschool. Perhaps, the oil spill somehow, paved the way for other people like me who didn’t know then about Guimaras, to actually go out and discover the hidden beauty of this island.

How the Guimaras Adventure started?

Actually, my friends and I were really planning to go to Palawan. Lalaine called me early morning of that forgotten day to ask me if I want to go to Palawan, and I immediately said yes. Text brigades happened. Everyone confirmed and were all set for Palawan. Being the ultimate ‘barkada planner,’ I opened Cebu Pacific’s site and tried booking for Palawan. Unfortunately–or fortunate still–only 3 seats were open for the promo fare going to Palawan and we were 6 in the group. So without actually asking for my friends’ consent, I checked for other domestic destinations with promo fares. Then I tried Iloilo and remembered about my friend’s Guimaras trip. So I immediately booked for 6. After I got the confirmation, I sent a group message with this: Okay na! Booked na! Guimaras March 5-7!

As expected, they were shocked, especially Lalaine:-) She went to sleep assured that we will go to Palawan in March, only to woke up with my message confirming our trip to Guimaras:-) Wait! I forgot to note that our departure time from Manila was 4:45am:-)

Now, we’re all set to Guimaras!

Prelude to Guimaras Adventures: Fun Times In Iloilo

We had some problems with the booking of the flights since some weren’t able to pay on that booking day, so they had to re-book another flight and got another schedule. In the end, it was only me and Lalaine who flew to Iloilo early morning of March 5. And Lalaine had a hard time moving on from that super early flight:-)

patilaok pa lang ang manok!

Madaling araw talaga!

Despite wishing for a delayed flight, we even arrived at Iloilo 14 minutes ahead of the schedule!

Since we’re still going to wait for the others and Pao will be arriving at 6pm pa, we decided to just stay overnight in Iloilo. I searched for a super cheap pension house which would allow all 6 of us to stay in one room. Good thing I found Ong Bun Pension House.

And Paolo so loved the place.

No he didn’t. That was a lie:-)

Alright, so the place was not as posh as your usual hostel, but still, we were able to get a suite–man, a suite! — for only P1,180 for all 6 of us. I really considered that Ong Bun discovery a gem:-) Imagine, having a two large beds with extra bed and a big TV for only P1,180!

To make the most of that one night in Iloilo City, we decided to go out and have a taste of the famous La Paz Batchoy. We went to Deco’s first since it’s nearer Ong Bun only to be disappointed because it’s already closed. Ted’s La Paz Batchoy beside Deco’s was also closed then. The 24-hour thing isn’t really an in-thing in Iloilo. Even Mang Inasal, Greenwich, and Jollibee were already closed by 9pm. Frustrated because of screaming tummies, we rode a jeep going to wherever there’s an open food joint. Good thing we chanced upon Ted’s La Paz Batchoy near SM Manduriao and it’s still open. And we had the most tasteful La Paz Batchoy ever!

sarap na sarap lang si lalaine:-)

We also had some sweets from Dulgies which I think is the sister company of Ted’s since it’s inside the said la paz batchoy restaurant. Dulgie cheesecakes were yummy–like you’re eating a cake and a leche flan in one.

Iloilo doesn’t really have much gimik and tourist spots so we decided to just go and try the lighted area we passed by on our way to Ted’s. We thought that was already Smallville which is a famous gimik spot in Iloilo. We were actually disappointed since the place was just like the Dampa or Seaside in Manila. I think Smallville is the street next to it.

So since we’re already excited for Guimaras and there’s really not much to do in Iloilo City,we just decided to go back to Ong Bun and have an early sleep so we could wake up early the next day.

Almost Guimaras, but not yet…

Before going to Guimaras, we decided to have our breakfast first. We asked the receptionist at Ong Bun for a restaurant which serves really yummy breakfast. Ate receptionist hanged for a few minutes. 1-2-3. Finally, she told us to try Green Mango. And we so loved her for telling us so. Green Mango made our morning:-) They served really delicioso food for really economic prices. I think their set breakfast of tocino with rice and egg plus tomato is only P45.00.

Pao also had ice blended coffee something from Coffee Break. He bought a mango silvana which tasted really awful–lasang supot ng pandesal.

Now Off To Guimaras

We went to Ortiz Port where we rode a pump boat going to Guimaras. Fare was only P13.00 and the duration of the boat ride was only approximately 15 minutes.

Far from the small island with the beach strait already welcoming you when you arrived at the port (think Puerto Galera) that I’d pictured Guimaras prior to this trip, the island was actually big enough.

When we arrived at the Jordan Wharf, we were asked to list down our names in the Tourist Information Area just so they have a record of the people staying in their island just in case the situation calls for it. After signing up, a number of tricycle drivers beleaguered us, each offering their service to bring us to Sitio Alubihod where the famous Raymen Beach Resort is located. Good thing I was able to talk to Kuya JD–a tricycle driver we met at Ortiz Port and who immediately offered us his tricycle service for a lower fixed price of P500 for all 6 of us. This fee’s already inclusive of a tour to some famous spots if we want. However, since we’re already inching to see and dip into the waters of Guimaras beach, we decided to just head straight to Raymen Beach Resort.

The tricycles in Guimaras were designed to fit in at least 7 people including the driver. Cristina and I were seated on the back side of the tricycle so we were able to fully capture the beauty of Guimaras–at least those areas that we were able to passed on by. Needless to say, I was becoming more and more impressed with the island. It was a hot weather but because the place was surrounded by trees and green fields, it still felt warm. The only thing I disliked about that tricycle ride was the numbness of my butt after that 1 hour ride from Jordan Wharf to Raymen Beach Resort.

So what can we say about Raymen?

The good reviews about Raymen Resort I’ve read in blog posts prior to the trip were all right. Raymen’s really a good catch. The name might not sound as posh as the other Guimaras resorts such as Costa Aguada, La Puerta Al Paraizo, etc, but still the place was good. It was not yet the official start of summer so there were only few visitors in the resort. If it were only me, I would just get a fan room (man! I’m all for the budget traveling!), but since I was certain that Paolo will averse me if I do that, we decided to get the aircon room with two beds and get an extra bed. The rate was P2,400 per night for all 6 of us–already included the extra person and extra bed charge since the room was just good for 4.

The room was nice but I love the bathroom and the TV of OngBun in Iloilo better:-) Plus the TV had only few channels. But anyway, since we were there to swim and enjoy the beach, TV’s no longer an issue.

After we put our bags in the room and changed clothes, we went down and explored the resort. We weren’t yet hungry that time since we’ve just had breakfast at Green Mango. So we decided to have a pictorial first.

Now comes the much-awaited island-hopping…

Even if Lalaine kept insisting that she doesn’t want to go island hop, she was left with no other choice but to join us. We booked the island tour at Raymen’s for only P400 for the first hour and additional P150 per succeeding hours.

Then off we went to the island hopping adventure…

First stop was the Turtle Island where sea turtles were being kept and taken cared off. They even had a donation box to help buy medicines for the turtles.

Cristina was brave enough to carry the Pawikan that Manong caretaker handed to her. The said Pawikan was wounded and Manong explained that te wound was already in the healing process.

We each had our turn to carry the Pawikan. We then went to the other side where Paolo, Nina, and Alex were able to hold the small fish with a hard body which I forgot to ask the name.

Nina kissing the fish:-)

Next stop was the Ave Maria Island. I forgot the details why this island was named as such but I think it has something to do with the form of island which has a resemblance to that of Mother Mary’s form when praying.

Ave Maria Island was really breathtaking–the rock formations around the area, the white sand, and the pristine water. This was where had our first dip into Guimaras water.

And yes, the best jump shots happened here.

After a little while, we then boarded the boat and headed to our next destination: the Baras Cave

Actually, I think it wasn’t really a cave at all but a mere rock formation which happens to have a big hole that boats can come inside. Don’t expect a Palawan Subterranean River when you go here because you’ll just be disappointed. It was just like we made a U-turn from inside the said rock formation. However, since the boat can pass inside the so-called cave, we were able to go down the boat and had some photo sessions on the rock formations inside. Cristina even had her solo session with Kuya’ng bangkero as her photographer.

entrance of the Baras Cave

After Baras Cave, we passed by Baras Beach Resort–where we were originally supposed to stay. The said resort’s a great island hideaway since it’s hidden in a sheltered inlet with cottages built inspirations of Indonesian architecture.

We also passed by Natago Beach which is famous for its landmark of a house built on top of the cliff.

The last resort we passed through was the Isla Naburot which is really a nice resort with a wonderful stretch of white sand. According to Kuya’ng bangkero, however, an overnight stay here is really pricey.

And the island hopping adventure came to an end. It took us just 2 hours to finish the tour. We just gave extra tip to kuya bangkero 1 and 2 since they were nice and patient enough to took our photos–especially with cristina:-)

The Sumptuous Late Lunch and the ‘Payak’ na Dinner

After the island hopping, we were so hungry so we decided to head on to the resort’s cafeteria to have our super late lunch. We had kilawin, buttered shrimp, sinigang na bangus, inihaw na pusit, and two big bowls of rice.

The food was good and quite affordable. For everything that we ate, we only paid approximately P1,200.

After that ‘busog lusog’ lunch, we shared some good laughs at the swing area just outside the cafeteria before finally headed back to our room to take a rest.

And that rest actually took about 5 hours. Perhaps we were just so tired of the travel from Iloilo to Guimaras and then the island hop adventure plus we were so full with what we had for lunch that all of us really dozed off. When we woke up, it was already 10pm.

We decided to go down to have our dinner, but sadly, the resort’s canteen was already closed. The canteen closes at 9pm and no one from us knew about that. Most surprising was when we went down, not even a single guest or any resort staff–aside from the guard– was downstairs. The scene was very far from that of Puerto Galera’s where even at wee hours, you can still people partying, loud noises could still be heard, and there were still some people swimming on the beach. At 10pm, Raymen’s Resort was already very quiet.

We asked the guard where else can we buy food to eat since we were already hungry. Again. The nice guard accompanied us to the nearest sari-sari store outside of the resort. The store was already closed but manong guard asked the old lady tendering the store to kindly sell us something to eat. Good thing the old lady was nice and patient enough to open her store for us even if it was already late. A bit unfortunate, though, for she only had few servings of rice–just good enough for 2-3 persons, only 2 cup noodles, one pack of mamon, and many asahi sardines and sachets of milo to offer us. Nonetheless, we took it and then we got the two Nissins Cup Noodles and 2 asahi sardines, and I had two sachets of Milo for dessert. We didn’t even know how that asahi sardines taste like but still we took it out of growling stomach.

It was really a ‘payak na pamumuhay’ dinner but we had an abundance of fun and laughter while eating. That was a great dinner experience I’m sure will stay glued in our hearts and mind.

There’s got to be the morning after….

The next day, Nina woke us up by shouting that sun’s almost rising. The night before, we promised each other we’ll wake up early the next day to have a view of the sunrise. So Cristina hurriedly went out to check on the sunrise. Then she panickedly went back to the room to hurry us up so we would be able to catch the sunrise.

We missed the chance on capturing the beauty of sunrise, though, because the sun had already risen on the other side. Nevertheless, we took that early morning time off to enjoy the beauty of the Guimaras beach in front of us.

It was a very serene and beautiful morning. If I could only keep in my pocket beautiful moments, bring it home, and keep it in my treasure box, that moment will definitely be boxed carefully inside.

All of us were sitting on the sand, facing the beach, talking about anything and everything.

We were like that for almost an hour before we finally decided to go to the canteen to have our breakfast.

We had our last plunge on the pristine waters of Guimaras beach after that breakfast before we finally bid Raymen Beach Resort goodbye.

Prelude to Iloilo Comeback: The Trappist Monastery

According to Explore Iloilo site, the Trappist Monastery is a peaceful and sacred enclave in Guimaras run by monks of the Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance. These monks follow the rule of St. Benedict and are best known for the extreme austerity or strictness that characterizes their discipline. I was also told that monks here don’t really talk as a sign of their strong devotion to their beliefs.

Trappist Monastery also reminded me of the retreat house in Tagaytay where we had our retreat in highschool.

We bought some goodies from the monastery’s ‘pasalubong’ store like Mango Biscocho, Mango candy, and Mango Otap. The otap was good enough but I don’t really like the biscocho since it’s not sweet enough as compared to Biscocho House’s biscocho.

After some photo sessions, we went back to the tricycle waiting for us and rode off Guimaras.

The Iloilo comeback…

We arrived at Iloilo pass 1pm and the first thing we looked for was a place to eat. Was it just us or was touring around Iloilo could really make you hungry many times than usual?

We chanced upon Afrique Restaurant in Smallville. It was the only restaurant opened during that time of the day since most restaurants in the air open at 4pm and close at around 3am.

One of the great things about this trip, all the restaurants we went to to eat didn’t fail us. In fact, they all went beyond our expectations. Afrique surprised us with a good and really yummy serving of their cheese pizza, ribs steak, and their pasta which I already forgot the name. A really nice bonus was that the songs being played in the resto were those of the late 90s, which were the soundtrack of our highschool years. We really felt like highschool teeny-boppers again having fun during recess.

And then the time to say bye-bye to a wonderful place and a really beautiful adventure…

Our flight was moved from 5:40pm to 6:20pm so by 4pm, we were already hurrying to catch the van in SM Manduriao that would take us to Iloilo Airport. The fare, by the way, was P70.

Still many upset shots–not wacky shots–but upset shots were taken and lots of crisp laughs before we capped off the great adventure.

Oh by the way, the total amount I spent for this fun-filled trip was only P3200. ALL-IN! Even the cab fare to and from the airport.

This was not only an early summer hooray, but a celebration of beautiful friendship.

If there’s one great thing about my life that I feel super blessed of, that would be that I found real and great friends during the most carefree and happiest season of my life–high school. I know that most people also found friends in high school, but being able to keep these friends after graduation and until now that I’m already close to saying goodbye to quarter-life, is something that never fails to make me smile and utter a prayer of thanks.

We’ve been with each other in all phases of our lives. We’ve put up with the craziness of each other for more than a decade now. And we never tire of being with each other. We never tire of telling and re-telling crazy stories of our good old highschool–and even elementary days. We never tire of laughing our hearts out whenever we’re together. Genuine laughs that could make us cry and fill the room with so much joy.

We may be living different lives now–far from the warfreak and crazy teenyboppers we were 10 years ago, but the kind of bond we have is still the same. Nothing’s really changed. Just us growing and maturing to be the best person we can be. And a little crazier:-)

We may have various ways of defining life now but we always meet at that common ground of defining true friendship.

I just love being with these crazy people. I’m very much myself when I’m with them. They are a wonderful link to my past and a living reminder of my not-so-distant fun-filled teenage years.

To qoute from Pao: “When you’re with friends who laugh at and with you, you never really grow old.”

Until the next wonderful adventure with these crazy people whom I very happy and grateful to call ‘my friends.’ And I hope in that next adventure, we will already be complete (that’s a shout-out to the rest of the group who weren’t able to join this Guimaras escapade).

Someday My Prince Will Come...

2011-05-07T02:36:00.001+08:00

And definitely, that someday already came true for Kate Middleton.

Just a few hours ago, she bade goodbye to her ‘commoner’ status and welcomed her new life as part of the Royal Family when she tied the knot with Prince William.

And I must admit, I’m part of that thousands–or perhaps–millions of ladies in the whole world who once wished to marry Prince William (or cge na nga kahit fling lang!) I first saw him during the time of Princess Diana’s death and I instantly developed a huge crush on him. I even dreamed of working in the Buckingham Palace after college and I would bump into Prince William in the hallway and he would fall in love with me because he would find me different from all the other girls who were swooning over him.

And yes, I even had a background song for that fresh-from-Jane-Austen-book-moment:Suddenly by Soraya.

A thousand eyes looking at me
But yours is the look that goes right through me
And I cannot hide from your stare
Should I let you in do I dare
Some other hands have tried before
But yours is the touch that makes me want more
And I cannot hide the urgency
To have you lying here with me because

Suddenly in my life
There’s something that’s got me mystified
And I cannot fight it but I can try
To keep the wonder of it alive

See, that was a perfect song for us–if only Prince William had the chance to see me!

Okay. Cut the crap!

But I must admit, this song still perfectly suits Wills and Kate’s love story. Sige na nga, papaubaya ko na sa kanila! After all, I must admit that they look so beautiful together:-)

I still like Prince William –balding hair or not. He is still the only prince–by the world’s definition of it–who ever captured my heart:-) And I liked him even more for choosing Kate Middleton. He just proved that love knows no social status and background. He didn’t conform with the tradition and what his status dictates. Instead, he followed his heart and chose to love a commoner, a simple lady out of an array of pretty women with a royal blood.

Prince William and Kate’s story brought to life the lovely fairy tales of a prince falling in love with a lady he just saw on the road on the way to the palace (or any sort of Cinderella stuff you can think of) which we thought could only happen on fairy tale books. Or Jane Austen’s books since I’m no big fan of the league of princesses headed by Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty.

As I watched the Royal Wedding today, I didn’t only feel ‘kilig,’ but gladness that I was part of a generation who was able to witness a fairy tale came true to life. And as I watched the royal couples exchanged vows, I could feel and see the love they seem to have for each other. The way he looked at her while saying his vows made me want to melt in so much ‘kiligness.’ These two souls with ‘special blood types’ made me believe that true love could really happen even to those people surrounded with fame, power, and fortune

Very far, indeed, from that of Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s wedding in 1981. I watched the video of that 1981 royal wedding just to compare and perhaps try to parse if Prince William really love Kate and vice versa or they’re just pretending. And the verdict? I think Big Willie really loves Babykins:-)

Today, I kissed my super far-fetched dream of becoming Her Royal Highness Princess William of Wales goodbye (not that I ever think that would be possible!) but nonetheless, I welcomed in my heart the truth that someday, my prince will come my way, too. His blood may just be as normal as mine, but I know for sure that he will make me feel as royal as any princess of God should. He may not be part of a royal family but he is God’s prince and I know that God would make him perfect for me. My prince that’s yet to come is not driven by money or by power or anything that this world dictates, but he is driven by the fullness of his love for Christ.

Until such time that God says so, my prince and I will patiently wait for that time when our paths will finally cross. We will never waver in faith and we will never let society pressure us. We will definitely wait for God’s perfect time, for only then can a true love can experience a happy ever after.

To Kate Middleton, someday my will prince will come, too. (Kala mo ikaw lang? Echusera!)