I'm experiencing mixed feelings of frustration, resentment and depression.
De-sian sessions needed.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Aiza Seguerra - Man In the Mirror
Sharing with you a video of one of my favourite Filipino singers, Aiza Seguerra.
This song is recorded in her latest CD released in August last year, Aiza Seguerra: Live, and it is my favourite from this CD.
Love her to the max. Haha.
This song is recorded in her latest CD released in August last year, Aiza Seguerra: Live, and it is my favourite from this CD.
Love her to the max. Haha.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
My summer paradise - Bago City
Last part of my summer paradise - Bago City
Bago City has always been my safe haven. Everybody knows that. That's the place I know I can escape to, away from reality, but with a rather hefty price (expensive air tickets).
It was my first time spending the Holy Week in Bago City, and my shortest stay so far. 3 days is definitely not enough.
In this predominantly Roman Catholic country, Good Friday is commemorated in many communities with street processions.
In Bago City, people from all barangays gathered on the streets near the St. John the Baptist Church. The entire procession started in the evening, and took more than an hour (although I couldn't remember exactly how long it took), with the devotees and the carrozas parading from one station of the Cross to another.
There were actually two processions happening on that day. I was being told that there were just too many people joining in the processions, and the devotees were from two different churches in the city.
That was my first time experiencing the Good Friday procession in the Philippines. I wouldn't say it was exciting, it was supposed to be a solemn event anyway. But it did allow me to witness the colourful and ritualistic displays of faith of the Filipinos.
But I think the kids enjoyed it. Ha.
In some other part of the Philippines, Pampanga actually, there are devotees who self-flagellate, and some even have themselves nailed to crosses as expressions of penance or in fulfillment of a vow accomplished in thanksgiving or exchange for a granted request or prayer. If given a chance, I would like witness the crucifixions too, but I guess it would take me a bit more courage to do that.
Anyway.
The Philippines will be having their political elections this coming May, and of course, campaigns are going on everywhere in the country. Billboards, posters, TV commercials of politicians everywhere. It's a rather interesting sight actually. Haha.
Again, it was my first time witnessing the campaigning in Bago City, and some of the people were teasing me that I was running for a senate seat. HAHA. I'm never into politics.
Children were rather excited though, because they got to get stickers and flyers, and soon they started singing the jingles that went around the barangays.
It was tiring walking under the blazing sun,but that's all part of the campaign. But kids just love it. Haha.
The short stay in Bago City ended with a serious bout of diarrhoea and vomitting. That doesn't stop me from going back to my safe haven. I have yet to experience the other important fiestas in Bago City. I told myself I'll celebrate my 10th visit to Bago City with a blast. This was my 8th visit. Two more to go!! :D
Could it be within this year? :) I love Bago City!
Bago City has always been my safe haven. Everybody knows that. That's the place I know I can escape to, away from reality, but with a rather hefty price (expensive air tickets).
It was my first time spending the Holy Week in Bago City, and my shortest stay so far. 3 days is definitely not enough.
In this predominantly Roman Catholic country, Good Friday is commemorated in many communities with street processions.
In Bago City, people from all barangays gathered on the streets near the St. John the Baptist Church. The entire procession started in the evening, and took more than an hour (although I couldn't remember exactly how long it took), with the devotees and the carrozas parading from one station of the Cross to another.
There were actually two processions happening on that day. I was being told that there were just too many people joining in the processions, and the devotees were from two different churches in the city.
That was my first time experiencing the Good Friday procession in the Philippines. I wouldn't say it was exciting, it was supposed to be a solemn event anyway. But it did allow me to witness the colourful and ritualistic displays of faith of the Filipinos.
But I think the kids enjoyed it. Ha.
In some other part of the Philippines, Pampanga actually, there are devotees who self-flagellate, and some even have themselves nailed to crosses as expressions of penance or in fulfillment of a vow accomplished in thanksgiving or exchange for a granted request or prayer. If given a chance, I would like witness the crucifixions too, but I guess it would take me a bit more courage to do that.
Anyway.
The Philippines will be having their political elections this coming May, and of course, campaigns are going on everywhere in the country. Billboards, posters, TV commercials of politicians everywhere. It's a rather interesting sight actually. Haha.
Again, it was my first time witnessing the campaigning in Bago City, and some of the people were teasing me that I was running for a senate seat. HAHA. I'm never into politics.
Children were rather excited though, because they got to get stickers and flyers, and soon they started singing the jingles that went around the barangays.
It was tiring walking under the blazing sun,but that's all part of the campaign. But kids just love it. Haha.
The short stay in Bago City ended with a serious bout of diarrhoea and vomitting. That doesn't stop me from going back to my safe haven. I have yet to experience the other important fiestas in Bago City. I told myself I'll celebrate my 10th visit to Bago City with a blast. This was my 8th visit. Two more to go!! :D
Could it be within this year? :) I love Bago City!
Monday, April 12, 2010
My summer paradise - Coron
Part 2 of my summer paradise - Coron.
The Philippines is made up of 7107 islands, it would be a waste to keep going back to the same old places. This time round, I ventured out to Coron, a municipality in the island of Palawan.
3 full days were spent there, doing island-hopping, sailing on the traditional Filipino bangka.
Honestly, sailing on the bangka, looking out to the horizon, is simply therapeutic. My kind of peace. Haha. Except for the wave-splashing moments when navigating across the rough waters.
We had a group of very experienced boatmen and guides with us. Kudos to them. They know all the islands in and out, they prepared our delicious meals, they steered the bangka for hours straight, while most of us ended up dozing off along the journeys. One of the boatmen even got pricked by many sea urchins while trying to steer the bangka out from the shallow waters in dusk darkness. Salute to him.
The entire island-hopping experience was all about the white sand, blue sky and the blue sea. A true summer paradise. :)
We have been to so many islands, which most of the names I couldn't remember. Well, who cares, what's important is to enjoy ourselves in the beauty of Mother Nature, and to have FUN!
I totally love swimming in the open sea, with the life jacket on of course. Haha. The waters in Coron were so clear, making snorkelling a great pleasure. I could see the corals and fishes swimming in schools. Superb.
The sunken Japanese warships off the island are one of the main attractions of Coron. Snorkelling there was another awesome experience. Corals formed on the warships, fishes swimming in and out. Imagine Titanic, or Pirates of the Carribean. Haha. These sunken warships are listed in Forbes Traveler Magazine’s top 10 best scuba-diving sites in the world. What else can I say?
We also went to some of lakes and lagoons, claiming to be one of those with the cleanest waters in the world. Indeed, the Kayangan Lake was very serene, we just floated on the waters and drifted off to our paradise. Haha.
On our last day, we woke up at 3am and set sail to Calauit, 4-hour boat ride away from the Coron main island. Sadly I was disappointed with what I saw. The Calauit Zafari Zoo was supposed to be a sanctuary for Kenyan animals. Despite the large piece of land and resources, the number of species of animals on the island is within the count of my fingers.
Oh well, at least I had my fair share of taking photos of these free-roaming animals.
Up-close. :) I guess it's not quite possible to do that in the Singapore zoo.
And feeding the giraffes. :)
The entire trip was made a total enjoyment, because of the company, and the new-found friends. All of us had a hell lot of fun, and I have once again surprised people with my little command of Tagalog and my superb knowledge of the entertainment industry. Haha.
I miss seeing the beautiful view at dawn, from Mount Tapyas where we stayed.
I definitely miss watching the sunset, my favourite moment in a day.
I had a great time capturing the wonders.
And all beautiful things. :)
I left Coron with many scars on my legs (no thanks to the sharp teethy corals), but I left Coron with lots more splendid memories. :) I wanna explore other islands!
Next up (and a final one), my ultimate haven, Bago City!
The Philippines is made up of 7107 islands, it would be a waste to keep going back to the same old places. This time round, I ventured out to Coron, a municipality in the island of Palawan.
3 full days were spent there, doing island-hopping, sailing on the traditional Filipino bangka.
Honestly, sailing on the bangka, looking out to the horizon, is simply therapeutic. My kind of peace. Haha. Except for the wave-splashing moments when navigating across the rough waters.
We had a group of very experienced boatmen and guides with us. Kudos to them. They know all the islands in and out, they prepared our delicious meals, they steered the bangka for hours straight, while most of us ended up dozing off along the journeys. One of the boatmen even got pricked by many sea urchins while trying to steer the bangka out from the shallow waters in dusk darkness. Salute to him.
The entire island-hopping experience was all about the white sand, blue sky and the blue sea. A true summer paradise. :)
We have been to so many islands, which most of the names I couldn't remember. Well, who cares, what's important is to enjoy ourselves in the beauty of Mother Nature, and to have FUN!
I totally love swimming in the open sea, with the life jacket on of course. Haha. The waters in Coron were so clear, making snorkelling a great pleasure. I could see the corals and fishes swimming in schools. Superb.
The sunken Japanese warships off the island are one of the main attractions of Coron. Snorkelling there was another awesome experience. Corals formed on the warships, fishes swimming in and out. Imagine Titanic, or Pirates of the Carribean. Haha. These sunken warships are listed in Forbes Traveler Magazine’s top 10 best scuba-diving sites in the world. What else can I say?
We also went to some of lakes and lagoons, claiming to be one of those with the cleanest waters in the world. Indeed, the Kayangan Lake was very serene, we just floated on the waters and drifted off to our paradise. Haha.
On our last day, we woke up at 3am and set sail to Calauit, 4-hour boat ride away from the Coron main island. Sadly I was disappointed with what I saw. The Calauit Zafari Zoo was supposed to be a sanctuary for Kenyan animals. Despite the large piece of land and resources, the number of species of animals on the island is within the count of my fingers.
Oh well, at least I had my fair share of taking photos of these free-roaming animals.
Up-close. :) I guess it's not quite possible to do that in the Singapore zoo.
And feeding the giraffes. :)
The entire trip was made a total enjoyment, because of the company, and the new-found friends. All of us had a hell lot of fun, and I have once again surprised people with my little command of Tagalog and my superb knowledge of the entertainment industry. Haha.
I miss seeing the beautiful view at dawn, from Mount Tapyas where we stayed.
I definitely miss watching the sunset, my favourite moment in a day.
I had a great time capturing the wonders.
And all beautiful things. :)
I left Coron with many scars on my legs (no thanks to the sharp teethy corals), but I left Coron with lots more splendid memories. :) I wanna explore other islands!
Next up (and a final one), my ultimate haven, Bago City!
Thursday, April 08, 2010
My summer paradise - Manila
Part 1 of my summer paradise - Manila.
I love Manila. I love Manila for its vibrancy, shopping malls and entertainment industry. It's rather cosmopolitan, considering that the Filipino diaspora is huge and it brings back foreign cultures (and people).
This trip has given me the opportunity to come up-close with some of the Filipino artistes whom I like, all thanks to my friends. :) Watching a live Filipino concert was simply awesome, not to mention that I've got backstage access and also photos taken with the artistes! Woohoo~!
Juris, the girl with a very nice and sweet voice. Love her voice. If only she sang Love Moves In Mysterious Ways.
Nyoy, I could only remember one song of his, You're My You. But I was surprised that he's so good with his guitar, and he was so springy on his feet. Haha.
Sitti, the Bossa Nova Queen of the Philippines. Very soothing voice, although I'm not into Bossa Nova.
And of course, my favourite, Aiza. Watched her performance in Singapore last year, and her performances never fails to captivate me. You know that the audiences love her, when you hear a chorus from the audience seats singing her songs. Haha.
Everything was wonderful, except for the fact that the concert started almost 1 hour late, and ending at 12 midnight.
Besides watching the concert, I managed to catch a Filipino movie as well, Babe I Love You. Theme song sung by Papa Piolo! :D
Didn't spend a lot of time in Manila, so less shopping, less sight-seeing. But I still love Manila. Love my Manila friends too. Too much laughter from them. Haha.
Next up, adventure in Coron!
I love Manila. I love Manila for its vibrancy, shopping malls and entertainment industry. It's rather cosmopolitan, considering that the Filipino diaspora is huge and it brings back foreign cultures (and people).
This trip has given me the opportunity to come up-close with some of the Filipino artistes whom I like, all thanks to my friends. :) Watching a live Filipino concert was simply awesome, not to mention that I've got backstage access and also photos taken with the artistes! Woohoo~!
Juris, the girl with a very nice and sweet voice. Love her voice. If only she sang Love Moves In Mysterious Ways.
Nyoy, I could only remember one song of his, You're My You. But I was surprised that he's so good with his guitar, and he was so springy on his feet. Haha.
Sitti, the Bossa Nova Queen of the Philippines. Very soothing voice, although I'm not into Bossa Nova.
And of course, my favourite, Aiza. Watched her performance in Singapore last year, and her performances never fails to captivate me. You know that the audiences love her, when you hear a chorus from the audience seats singing her songs. Haha.
Everything was wonderful, except for the fact that the concert started almost 1 hour late, and ending at 12 midnight.
Besides watching the concert, I managed to catch a Filipino movie as well, Babe I Love You. Theme song sung by Papa Piolo! :D
Didn't spend a lot of time in Manila, so less shopping, less sight-seeing. But I still love Manila. Love my Manila friends too. Too much laughter from them. Haha.
Next up, adventure in Coron!
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Back from the paradise once again
I'm back, from my paradise, again.
There's never a lack of surprises whenever I'm in the Philippines. Well, it's a country of 7107 islands. Haha.
Coron was simply b-e-a-u-tiful. From the sunrise to the sunset, from the blue sky to the corals, simply awesome. Very satisfying to take photos there, very happy to be in my own small world. Love the sun, the sand, and the sea. :)
Manila was purely for entertainment. Live Filipino acoustic music, Filipino movie, shopping~! So excited to come up-close with some of my favourite artistes. :D
Bago City, my safe haven. :) Managed to make up for the lack of sleep, due to all the early morning flights I had been jetsetting on. My first time experiencing the Good Friday procession and the political campaigning as well.
Everything was splendid, except for the diarrhoea and vomitting I had on the day I left Bago City. Raw oysters, perhaps. Or retribution, for making fun of somebody else of having the same thing. Ha. Tricia was saying that I should have gotten accustomed to the Filipino food by now, well, I have a weak stomach I guess.
Had a serious terrible outbreak of rashes on my last day as well. All over my legs, and the cuts from the corals in Coron. On medication now. There goes my pretty tanned legs.
Will blog on the adventures in the later posts. My brain is on sleeping mode right now. But photos are already up on Flickr. :)
There's never a lack of surprises whenever I'm in the Philippines. Well, it's a country of 7107 islands. Haha.
Coron was simply b-e-a-u-tiful. From the sunrise to the sunset, from the blue sky to the corals, simply awesome. Very satisfying to take photos there, very happy to be in my own small world. Love the sun, the sand, and the sea. :)
Manila was purely for entertainment. Live Filipino acoustic music, Filipino movie, shopping~! So excited to come up-close with some of my favourite artistes. :D
Bago City, my safe haven. :) Managed to make up for the lack of sleep, due to all the early morning flights I had been jetsetting on. My first time experiencing the Good Friday procession and the political campaigning as well.
Everything was splendid, except for the diarrhoea and vomitting I had on the day I left Bago City. Raw oysters, perhaps. Or retribution, for making fun of somebody else of having the same thing. Ha. Tricia was saying that I should have gotten accustomed to the Filipino food by now, well, I have a weak stomach I guess.
Had a serious terrible outbreak of rashes on my last day as well. All over my legs, and the cuts from the corals in Coron. On medication now. There goes my pretty tanned legs.
Will blog on the adventures in the later posts. My brain is on sleeping mode right now. But photos are already up on Flickr. :)
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