I Found Heaven in Bohol

I just arrived from my trip to Bohol. I had the greatest time. I think I'd be traveling more often since it was a great experience.Here I am with Amy (with shades) waiting for our flight in old Pasay NAIA Domestic Airport.

We boarded Zest Air flight Z2 981 on schedule.

My first airplane ride was with this plane! I rode a chopper once though. It's not categorized as a plane is it?

Yey! We arrived at Tagbilaran Airport.

We visited the Loboc Church which is the second oldest church in the Philippines next to the one in Intramuros. That's what Manong Ian, our guide, said. We visited the museum in the second floor and the church downstairs. It reminded me of San Agustin Church.

I had to have a photo-op with a tarsier. This is said to be the smallest monkey and is nocturnal. So please don't take their pictures with flashes on because they will go blind.

Here I am with Jacky (in stripes) and Amy (in pink) at the Loboc River for our buffet lunch and long river cruise.

Of course, everyone visits he famous Chocolate Hills of Bohol whenever tourists visit here. It was beautiful just like in the pictures but it's different when you get to see it for real so biyahe na! It's green because it's the rainy season but during summer it's brown that's why it's dubbed Chocolate Hills.

On our second day, we had to wake up early to go dolphin watching. It's so cool. It's hard to get a good shot though because they only come out for a few seconds or minute. But it would have been better to go there earlier so that there aren't too many boats which startle them. You have to be on the site at 6:00am so probably you leave at 5:30am.

Here is Tita on the boat with Balicasag Island in the background.

Snorkeling in Balicasag Bohol - Funny home videos are a click away

This is for me the most fun of all the activities I have done in Bohol. You should try it. Amy said that the snorkeling site here is better than in Bora. Too bad I didn't have an underwater camera. I should have shown you that we swam over a school of fish and saw hundreds of colorful fishes.

We also visited the Virgin Island. They told us that no one lives here because usually it is covered by water when the tide is high. We also met a couple of boatman who arranged a packed lunch here for P300 per person. They served mostly grilled food. It looked delicious. And we got rained over when we visited this island.

This is our last dinner in Bohol. They usually sell you fresh fish, veggies, meat, etc. and then cook it for you. A meal for every person ranges from P150-P200 per person per meal and it's already quite filling.

This is Alona Beach at night

Enjoying the rattan beach bed of Alona Tropical resort. I was so tired after a full meal and tons of exciting activities.

Here we are on our last leg of the trip. We went back to the Blood Compact monument.

Here I am with Jacky on the way back to Manila. I think I'd be traveling more often from this time forward. On both flights, I was seated on the window seat. It was swell!

Fuming Over Five Pesos

I hate it when I feel that someone has won. I hate letting someone get away with something I firmly believe is wrong. That's how I felt when I gave the additional five pesos the driver asked for my fare from Edsa to Maceda. Never thought that such a meager amount does have an effect on me. It's so true, it's not really the amount that matters but the fact that one has one up on you.

Chocolates makes me happy so I ate two to make me feel better and ate Laine's veggie tortilla. It alleviated some of the brooding ill feelings inside me. He he he he he... Grrr I still wish he doesn't get his "boundary" today. *laughs* I'm so mean.

photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/jiformales/430071244/

A Drastic Change

I don't go out as much right now like I used to. I'm still trying to get used with my illness that is recurring. Getting my much needed rest and sleep is my top priority and so my only recreation for now is watching movies online. I have a penchant for anime, manga, and chick flicks. I especially love two sites right now where I get my daily dose of these which are crunchyroll and mysoju. Of course, I have to watch them during free time and not during the days I have work or else I'll be dead meat! I miss shopping though. I miss going out. Hope, a good friend of mine, is studying for the bar right now so we can't go out as much. Kiko ain't no help either because he hates going out. I even have a complimentary movie ticket but I don't know when I could find the time to go out and watch a movie on the big screen. But not to fret, I'm the kind of person who isn't bored even if there's a downpour outside (btw, I love the rain, and that's a different story altogether) because I can find something to do even in the comforts of my own room. I love to chat, read, write and right now I'm watching countless of asian movies and dramas. I just finished watching Zettai Kareshi (Absolute Boyfriend) which is about an robot built for love. How cheesy can I get?! Well I'm all for cheese. It's was based on an Japanese anime but the actors in this series are Korean. Will you love a robot like you would a real man?

I am stuck with the Korean version of Blondie's Maria. I can't stop the music in my head. It was from the OST of a Korean movie titled 200 Pounds Beauty which stars Kim Ah-Joong - a fat, ugly, ghost singer and sex phone operator who is in love with the producer for the singer she lends her voice to. The good thing about these asian movies and series are their ability to inject fun. The plot also unfolds well and sometimes very suprising. If it was a Filipino movie or telenovela, it's non-stop crying and shouting, all drama and they're too predictable.

I love the OST. Maria is addicting and I especially like how she pronounces "beautiful girl" in the other song from the movie with same title. If you want to watch them and listen to the songs just follow the youtube links below:

Beautiful Girl

Maria

To watch the video streaming of the movie just click on the link below: 200 Pounds Beauty

Thank you Joel for allowing me to post my revision of your poem in my blog.

By the way, Joel Josol is one of the members of pinoypoets yahoo group. He posted several revisions of his poem in the pinoypoets mailing list. It reminded me of "A Passionate Patience" which is a collection of essays where renowned poets discuss how they create their poems. I had fun going through his revisions.

Here's my own version of Echo...

Echo
as revised by Gisela, inspired by Joel Josol's Echo

I remain seated.
The echo of your footsteps
is behind me.

The evening wind whispers
and hums in my ear.
Sigh!

A bucket of water is poured
over the flame that is still there.
I am left with the crackle of embers.

i'm very blessed

I can't even count the reasons why I'm very blessed. I can mention a few.

• I was in a car crash recently and I lived, we all lived. No one was hurt and we didn't hurt anyone.
• My family loves me even when they are a pain sometimes.
• I have constant communication with most of my friends and of course I know those I barely talk to are with me in spirit. (I hope all of you are doing well.)
• I have work and is doing well. (I just hope my QA scores will get better).
• Lots of taho vendors pass by my street and in the corner there's a barbeque stand, carinderias are everywhere, and there's an array food peddled here as well.
• I still have a roof over my head.
• I believe I have a good life ahead.

But I go through what every one goes through, hurdles and bumps along the way. I learned my little nephew was in the hospital recently but they told me he's fine now. It really is hard when someone in the family get sick. I had to be called rude and was called names by frustrated Americans who couldn't pay their debts. This is part of the job but it gets to you sometimes, but all you can do is laugh it off and don't mind it. I am unable to visit a friend who I planned and promised to visit several times.

And there are those rare times someone will say, "...Ayaw ko na. Every turn I see proof that you are unstable, needy, and creepy. Someone will take care of you, and I am not it. Lose my number, I mean it..." Mckee, believe me when I say I don't need you. I'm not asking you to take care of me. I can take care of myself. I'm a grown woman. Should I ever need any comfort or anything my family and some of my good friends are there.

I want to literally burn all my memories of you but then I read on my diary something you told me, "I wouldn't want to let you inside my wall because I fear that you might not like what you see. I don't want to lose you," I just can't bring myself to do it.

You know what? I also don't want you in my life. I can't help it when every turn I'm reminded of you. It wasn't my doing when suddenly I was in the same company and account as your sister, nor was it my doing when suddenly a friend of yours from work was my dormmate. Believe me when I say, I want to forget you and think you don't exist.

But even if I'm hurting right now, I'd still like to let you know, I believe I'm very blessed.

project art

Thanks to blogging, I get myself to write every now and then. However, that's not the only thing that I want to do. Call me ambitious but I love art so much I want to practice lots of it and not just concentrate on one. Yes I've heard about the quote, "Jack of all trades, master of none," but I can't help but love them all.

My love for art has just been revived while I was talking to an 18 year old architecture student from Davao in ateneo dalnet. I showed him a drawing I made more than 5 years ago. He liked it and told me "pasado!" Plus I saw a subscription from Mark Crilley when I opened my youtube subscription again. It made me want to get my pencil and draw.





I posted this on my wall a few months ago... or was it a year already. I can't remember. Did I follow it? Nah. I'm a lazy dreamer. But I'm hard on myself. Talk about lots... Maybe I could convert the week here to months but then again why not try it out if I could do it. I'm very good at planning out but I fail at implementation. Who knows I might be able to do all those!

A friend also gave me the site for a graphic art contest online named Good50x70. The deadline for submission is on April 1, 2009. Join in! Let's all fill our life with art!

Procrastination at Its Best

I recently touched base with my high school friends. Memories of school flooded me. I love school. I loved it so much it took me 10 years to get a degree.

I graduated from high school back in March 1997. I only got my first degree, Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing on March 2007.

I started college at the age of fifteen. I studied Bachelor of Science in Accountancy at Far Eastern University (FEU). I breezed through college and was a member of the Honor Class and the Honor Society. It helped that my parents were very supportive with school plus my mom's an educator.

Education is really a big thing in the family that is why it was painful for them when I decided not to take the final exam in three subjects because my university knowingly implemented a curriculum which was only approved by the Commission on Education when we were already in third year. The curriculum was retroactively applied. This is not permitted by law.

We sued FEU. We won in the lower court last September 2002. FEU filed an appeal and until now there's no decision from the Court of Appeal.

Life had to continue. After reviewing for a year for the board exam, I finally decided to enroll in another school. I applied in UP Diliman. Luckily, I passed the talent exam for Creative Writing even if I was 45 minutes late and only had 45 minutes to take the exam. It was a blessing in disguise. It wasn't easy starting college again in a new school at the age of 21.

These years were the darkest in my life. I hope and wish that this will remain so. It wasn't easy. Zillions of times I felt regretful of the decision I made but bounced back again. It took me four years to finish the course. It was grueling.

However, it was sweet. I felt I was the happiest and luckiest of all among all the graduates who walked that stage.

Mattie

Hi Mattie!

Tita na ako!

My nephew Ralph Matthew was born yesterday February 7, 2009 at around 9:17 pm...

***
Mattie,

I can't wait to see you!!!

-love Tita

6 doctors in a week!

I've seen six doctors in a week.

1. Family Med Doctor from Intellicare advised me it was vertigo and prescribed betahistine. She told me to check with an EENT. (January 30, 2009)

2. EENT Doctor at Makati Med told me that my ear drums were fine. It's just diet, lifestyle, and stress. (February 2, 2009)

3. ER Doctor at Makat Med just gave me meds and asked me to continue with betahistine. He advised me to see a neurologist because I had head trauma when I was a kid, it was my second attack and my ears were fine, and i was under medication but it still had the symptoms. (February 4, 2009 close to midnight)

4. EENT Doctor from UST asked me to do several tests. He changed my medicine to stugeron and prescribed vitamins. I will go back to him once the test results are in. (February 6, 2009)

(Tests were scheduled for February 16, 2009.)

5. Optha Doctor from UST advised me my eye pressure was ok. I had 20/70 without glasses but 20/20 with glasses. Nothing wrong with my eyes. (February 6, 2009)

6. Neurologist Doctor from St. Lukes told me that the medicine the second EENT doctor gave me was good and the tests too. He asked me to do the test and come back to him if the EENT doctor has tested me negative for peripheral vertigo. (February 6, 2009)

(He requested the tests too and I checked with St. Lukes if theirs were faster. I was scheduled for tests this coming February 10, 2009, Tuesday.)

*sighs* I was so tired last Friday...

when the world is spinning round and round

Last Thursday January 29, 2009, at around 4pm I was awaken by severe pain. My left ear was inflamed again. I mustered the strength to get up and buy myself medicine at the nearest drugstore. The pain subsided.

Around 8:30pm, Joan and I were talking about how she will go about her resignation and when I stood up to start cooking, I was attacked by severe headache and dizziness. I also felt like vomiting.

I went to the doctor the following day and her diagnosis was Vertigo. Since my left ear was inflamed, I was advised to see an EENT doctor come Saturday.

Saturday, they referred me to a certain Doctor, however, he cancelled going to his clinic and was asked to go back Monday. I went back Monday February 2 and was advised my ear drums are intact and that the only problem is my ears are too clean. He advised me that it might be diet, stress, or lifestyle that might have caused my vertigo. He told me that vertigo might have stemmed from problems with the ear, eyes, brain or general blood circulation.

I continued the medication of the previous doctor I saw.

However last night, February 4, at around 9:30pm I had the same symptoms again. This time my ears were not inflamed. I asked my brother to take me to the hospital. They arrived at 11:30pm and I went to Makati Med's ER. I was advised to rest and go to a neurologist.

I hate getting sick. It's expensive and it's not fun. =(















Do you want to know more about vertigo?

Here are some sites I came across:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertigo_(medical)http://www.healthscout.com/ency/68/462/main.html
http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/vertigo-associated-disorders

new year, new numbers

I know, I know. Ilang beses ba ako magpalit ng number sa isang taon. E sa mura na ang sim e. Hahahahaha. Kidding. New year, new numbers. Sige na pagbigyan nyo ako. Erase all the old ones... Eto na yung bago...

My new numbers:

Globe 0927******* (Main, laging dala, nakalagay sa aking mumurahing phone na love na love ko kasi may FM at ang ganda ng tunog)

Smart 0918******* (secondary pero techie, pwedeng kang magvideo call or multimedia message to me dito *wink*)

Sun 0923******* (pang-unlicall at unlitext, pangtelebabad, tawag na! ha ha ha ha ha)

(numbers not revealed for security purposes)