year twenty twelve

My 2012 is filled with goodbyes and hellos, travels, packing and a lot of uncertainty.

Goodbyes

I would not really call it goodbye because I know we will see each other again. Sheila and Lawrence were the first ones who said their goodbyes. Followed by Nino and Sky late January 2012. Its kinda sad but I know they will have a better future not only for themselves but also for their families.

August came and I got an unexpected email telling me that I'm on the final process of my application. And by October, everything was finalized. November, I said goodbye to my life in the Philippines. Everything went on too fast. Had too many farewell parties with family, friends and colleagues which I really enjoyed... every moment of it.

Goodbye's are not forever. I'd like to say... I'll see you again. Dear friends, see you next year!

Hello's

Hello's are always a pleasant experience. I had a chance to meet again friends whom I haven't seen in years. And I get to meet and gain new friends!

Oh Dex, it was a nice surprise to see you though it was just a few hours; I had a blast. One of the highlights of my 2012.

19th of November, I set foot to the Land of Strong and Free: Canada. Hello to my cousins, aunts and uncles and friends. The aunts, uncles and cousins whom I only get to see on Skype are now all here to meet me and welcome me to their home. Thank you for your generosity.

Finally get to meet friends JK and Lea from my previous work after 7 long years. Had a great time reminiscing all those fun times we had at the airport and catching up with other lives.

And most importantly, hello Canada, hello new life and hello challenges!

Travels

Work has taken a lot of my energy and motivation that I need to get out of it all. So, even without leave credits, I found a way to travel and re-energize and reconnect with my loved ones.

A. Puerto Princesa - The first of the 4 trips I had planned. It was not my first time to go there but still the place amazes me. Click here to find out more about my Puerto Princesa escape.

B. Zambales trip - I  had a chance to travel with friends from my former work. It was an all girls camping trip; we had so many misadventures on this one but it was all worth it. And we vowed to have another trip of this kind. You can read here, here and here about my Zambales' adventures.

C. Boracay - This place is paradise. One can do a lot of things in Boracay. Read here for things you can try when you're in Boracay.

D.  Davao - The last of my domestic flights for 2012. I had to fulfill my promise to visit Patch. We didn't explore the place much but we did make our tummy happy. Food trip!!!

March 2012, I had a chance to go back to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for training. The first and last training I attended with my 'almost' complete MAA family. I wish we had the chance to go to Genting, all the 4 of us. Oh well, there will be another chance to do it and maybe we will be complete.

I was not able to write about my Davao experience and my Canada flight. I hope I'll have the time to do it.

Packing 

Late packer, thats me! Packing away 32 year of my life in 2 suitcases can be so stressful. The things I've accumulated all those years, what will I do with them? Souvenirs, photos, rinkets all those stuff with memories to tell..... How will I sort them? Which one should I throw away, which one should I keep? What should I bring? What will I leave behind? Where will I put all those things that I will leave?  Those were the questions I had to answer and figure out what will I do. I learn to let go of some stuff that I thought were important when I was young but now when I look back those things were irrelevant. 

Uncertainty

Almost always we are faced with uncertainty. Life gives us things that are not yet clearly defined and so vague that we have to grope our way through. The start of 2012 was like that, it felt like I was on borrowed time. I didn't know if I would still have a job or not. Thankfully, I get to keep my job but that was not a guarantee that everything would be smooth sailing. There were times that I felt I was shortchanged but in the end I finally understood that there were better things in store for me. I'd like to say that... there is life after AK. 

The 'big move' happened November and I had to leave the life I had known for the last three decades. All I know is that I'm going to set foot in another continent far away from home. And towards the end of the year, I was still uncertain if I can secure a job right away... but so far everything is good; still enjoying my 'extended' vacation. :) 

This is what I learn from 2012...

No matter what life brings, let's always be thankful. At the end of the day, remember to count the blessings we received rather than sulk and whine. It could have been worse; always look on the bright side. 

Looking forward to more blessings this 2013 and hopefully I get land on a job soon! Cheers! Enjoy 2013!  

pag-ibig na wagas

me: (sending msg to the group) 

hellooooooo! kamusta na?! punta ko dyan next week. ano mga sched nyo?

tsaka tanong ko na rin kung alam nyo kung san ang PAG-IBIG. may aayusin kasi ko doon. 

let me know your sched. sana pwede kayo.  see u soon!

Nel:  hi! waah wala ako d2 s monday alis kame.. mag elnido kme letss go! hehe

• san kasi yung pag ibig lam ko kasi lumipat na sila. wait txt ko samin kung saan.
  
  
  Josh:  Gail sa Monday off ko. Samahan kita.. Hanapin natin ang pag-ibig. Nyahahaha.
  
  
  Nel: 

  Kung commute, sabihin mo suburbia right after pepsi. highway lang un. Dun nyo mahahanap ni josh ang tunay n pagibig
  
  

  me: sa

  masahan mo ko josh?! yay! wahaha! teka, san tayo magkikita?! tandaan mo sinabi ni renel. basta may pepsi may pag ibig. wahaha! thanks! 
  
  
  Shei: mga adik pa rin kayo no..namiss ko tuloy kayo bigla..hehehe.gail magkita tayo bukas dito ka ba?sana kasma din si mimi at josh...para bago ka naman alis magkita-kita pa tayo...wahahaha.. 
  
  
  
  
  awww.... namiss ko na rin talaga sila. almost 6years kami magkakasama... dami na naten pinagdaanan.lahat yun nalagpasan naten! Yun ang PAG-IBIG na wagas!wahaha! i miss my  crazy CRK family!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Gailie's Dayoff Series: Boracay

Aside from swimming, there are a lot of things one can do in Boracay. Some of the things, I tried when I went there.

1. Food trip

Rumor has it that these are the best in town. Let's try and taste it.

Best Shake: Jonah's - I had Mango Rum. It tastes good but there was too much rum on it that it overpowers the taste of mango. My sister tried strawberry and it taste good.

Best Pizza: Aria - Its an Italian restaurant, its a bit pricey but this dish pizza is a winner.

Loco Frio - frozen cocktails. i love the bubble gum flavor with a shot of vodka. I had 2 rounds of those. I can't get enough.

2. Catch the fire dancers perform

I was in awe when I saw them. They were really good. When we had a chance to have a picture taken with the fire dancers, I can feel the heat coming from the rotating fire ball. 

                               

3. Seek Adventure

Adventure you say?! Well, Boracay has lots of it.

a. parasailing - it may seem daunting at first, but once you' re up... whoa! it has a calming effect. Everything is so serene up there. It gives you a 360degrees view of the whole island. 

b. zorbing - i thought i may get dizzy after trying this but no it happened so fast you won't have time to get dizzy. wahaha! imagine yourself inside a washing machine, spinning round and round but this time on a hill. we were tossed in every direction.

c. sea walking - the idea of walking of scared me at first. you just have to listen to the instructors direction about breathing and 'equalizing' you'll be fine!

d. fly fish - cling for your life, wahaha! just kidding.

                                            

4. Sand Sculpture  - Boracay is known for its famous fine white sand. What better thing to do than build castles and try your hand at sand sculpture. 

5. Explore

There are a lot of activities going on especially at night. Party people go bar hopping, drinking and dancing all night. Not my type of scene, while others dance the night away, I'd rather have my quiet walks by the beach and admire the sky. If its not your cup of tea either, there are coffee shops abound and diners where local bands play. You have many choices or maybe do it all if you have the time.

This was my second time to visit this piece of paradise called Boracay and I never get tired. There's something about this place that makes me want to go back for more. Now, I understand why my cousin goes back every year to this place (told you, being a wanderlust runs in our veins). Be sure to try out some of these activities. Enjoy the sun, sea and sand. See you in Boracay.

 

Birthday Wishlist 2012

Hello October, we meet again. As per tradition of this blog, I now present to all of you (godmothers/godfathers and friends) my annual birthday wish list. 

1. pocket sized devotional bible - my bible is so old. the spine is ripped, the pages are crisp. i think it would not last especially in ever changing season of Canada.

2. iphone5 - this item is consistent in my annual wishlist. I just hope this year someone out there would grant my wish. hahaha! #feelingera. well, there's nothing wrong in wishing. :)

3. perfume - i really love the scent of Issey Miyaki's L'eau D'issey Florale, i just have a hard time pronouncing the name of the perfume. wahaha!

4. old fashioned letters and cards (snail mail) - in the age of internet, YM, Skype, viber, bbm's very few people nowadays use cards and letters to communicate with their loved ones and friends. Its perfectly fine, in fact I often use those apps to talk to my friends. But once in a while, I really want to receive a letter, a simple postcard or note will do. Its a tangible manifestation on how friends find time to write, give advice and wisdom, offer encouragement, get in touch to update me about their lives. And I can always go back and read it again and again.

5. lomo camera - i want the spinner 360 so bad!

6. winter jackets - i might arrive during winter inorder to combat the cold. i need those jackets!  

7. backpack - i'm a backpack type of girl. all my backpacks have given up on me. i need a new one for my travel soon. i like eastpak's getter coat backpack. i wish they had color blue. but this one is just fine. 

I'll be leaving my comfort zone and venture to the unknown. Friends, please always include me in your prayers; prayers for safe travels, protection, guidance, blessings, strength. pray for me that I'll be able to find a job soon. I hope all my wish will come true! :) *wink* *wink*

memories

These past 2 days, I have been busy cleaning my closet. Sorting and preparing things for the 'big move'.   I never thought I have that much stuff. I found letters, conversations on paper, movie tickets, pictures, cd's I forgot I even had. Here are some of my interesting discoveries. wahaha!

1. id's

before and after 

2. pictures!

I found a CD with my name on it. I can't really remember what's in it. I checked it out and to my surprise I found pictures of my Siem Reap trip. I can still remember Lawrence and I had a fight because he deleted my photos without copying it on a CD. Sorry lawrence. wahaha! :)

my first kiss! hahaha!

picturesque Angkor Wat

3. random papers

my Taz

Way back, I think I draw decently. I don't know what happened. :(

4. Souvenirs

I had this souvenir photo from my trip to Bukidnon. I just conquered Asia's Longest Dual Zipline! Oh what fun! :)


Now, I'm ready to take on new adventures and new memories to cherish. :D

why i love traveling...

“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” - Miriam Beard

Aside from relaxation, travel gives me new perspective. It taught me a lot of things. With my recent trip to Zambales, it gave me realizations that are relevant and useful in my life...

1. you can't prepare for everything, learn to deal with difficulties.

2. think outside the box, use your imagination.

3. laugh at your mistakes. learn from it but don't dwell.

4.“I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.”–Mark Twain 

I'm proud to say that the friends I have are the best. Distance and time doesn't matter, even if we haven't seen or talk to each other for years, we still have the same closeness and bond. It seems like there was no time/distance gap; no awkwardness. Everything's the same.

 

5. Lastly, as I stated in this blog enjoy the journey, it's not all about the destination its also about the trip; the people you met, the friends you gain, the adventures you went through and lessons that you learn. 

So keep exploring. Let's go! 

the master is back!!!

6-pack

gailie: gusto mo sama sa boracay? libre hotac, airfare na lang sagot mo.

master: di pa ready 6-pack ko.

gailie: wahaha! baliw ka talaga!

t-shirt

gailie: pano na pag nag Bali tayo?

master: ciempre, ibang usapan na yun. 

gailie: pano kung di pa ready 6-pack mo?

master: okay lang yun, mag tt-shirt na lang ako. kahit wala ng 6-pack.

gailie: bwiset ka talaga! wahaha!

abuso

master: di ba via KUL tayo nun?

gailie: yep! sa KUL na tayo magkita.

master: bigay mo na rin saken ticket mo CRK-KUL para sabay na tayo.

gailie: wahaha! abusado! gamitin mo free ticket mo noh!

master: wahaha! 

From Evernote:

Gailie's Day off Series: Anawangin, Zambales

Part 3: 

Night Time

Problem #1 : no light on shower stalls

As soon as we arrived at the campsite, we head to the shower area and take advantage of the light the setting sun brought. Problem #1 solved! 

Problem #2 : Light for dinner

Now, time for dinner. The problem with cooking rice and spam was resolved earlier that day. Our second problem was light, I had the flashlight in mind but in a hurry to meet Mina and AnnKat, I left it at the apartment. The ever reliable girl scout that she is, Mina brought a penlight and a whistle. We were laughing so hard with Mina's whistle but come to think of it a whistle would be handy in case of emergency. As Mina said, she had been to several camping trips, so she's prepared. Wahaha! Problem #2 solved!

Dinner

Problem #3 : No utensils.

Dinner is served. The plate that was used to served the spam was used by AnnKat/Unna as their dinner plate. We transferred the spam to a foil wrapper of Chips Ahoy. Wahaha! Talk about being resourceful. Then the cover of the pan as our plate (Mina and I). We can't scoop out the steaming hot rice with our bare hands so we make use of the plastic divider of the cookie. Bright idea right?! Eating dinner with no utensils: SOLVED! 

Sleeping

Problem #4 : Pillows/Mattresses

Bags as pillows

My towel as bed sheet

My sarong as kumot

Mina has a sweater to keep her warm during the night

Problem solved! Word of the night: Improvise! 

We hit the sack as early as 830pm too tired to talk, we just lay there and closed our eyes. A few minutes of silence inside the tent, we collectively expressed disappointment over how hot it is. Not to worry the girlscout has a fan! Prepared for all kinds of weather. A sweater for the cold and a fan to beat the heat! Veteran camper talaga! wahaha! To let the air in we just let the entrance of our tent open. Passersby can see us from the outside but we didn't care we want air to come in. Still its hot and humid inside. I didn't know but we all fell asleep to be awaken by rain. We're so glad that it rained thinking it would make the tent a little colder but still its humid. We just closed our eyes and prayed for a miracle. 

The morning after

We survived a humid night! Wow! We made it! Wahaha! Surprisingly, we didn't have mosquito bites but AnnKat and I had a few insect bites in our arms and legs. Oh well... we still made it! Had a good laugh about the things that happened last night. Up until now we can't stop teasing Mina and her sweater.

After a quick breakfast, we set out for Capones Island.

Gailie's Day Off Series: Anawangin, Zambales

Part 1:

Spur of the moment

Actually there was no planning stage. Everything was just spur of the moment. Weeks before AnnKat's arrival we talked about going somewhere. The date was set, May 10-11 but we haven't decided about the place yet. Our first choice was an overnight stay in Tagaytay, but since we've been to Tagaytay many times before, we scrapped the idea. May 8 AnnKat arrived from DXB, we talked and decided it would be an overnight stay in Anawangin. May 9 evening time, we just discussed about where we will meet and what time. That's it! Everything else will leave it to faith. haha! We'll just make arrangements when we get there. All we know is that Anawangin is an island with a camping site that has no electricity, no internet connection and phone signal, sounds like an adventure! 

Anawangin from afar

The Wheel(wo)man, The Navigator, The Girl Scout and The Cutee

AnnKat was the one behind the wheel, I was the navigator, Mina was the girlscout (you'll know why later) and Unna's the adorable cute girl who was always smiling throughout the trip. 

roadtrip

AnnKat and Unna (AnnKat's daughter) picked up Mina somewhere in Makati around 0500, by 0630am they picked me up in Clark. And off we went to an amazing experience. The road trip begins…

Roadtrip!

From Clark we took the SCTex route to Subic, in no time we've reached Subic. Finding the road that leads to Zambales was kinda confusing. The girl whom we asked for directions pointed to us to a different route, (she told us to exit at Main Gate and just go straight ahead when we see the Ulo ng Gapo statue). We were busy chatting when we discovered that the road leads to Bataan! We realized that if we had exited to the other gate instead of Main Gate we would just have to turn left to reach Zambales. So were back on track and within an hour or less when we were in San Marcelino, Zambales. We looked for signs that points to Anawangin but found none. In San Marcelino city proper instead of turning left we turned right and found ourselves racing with the buses going to Iba, Zambales. HAHAHA!

So, we got lost twice and we had a good laugh about it. The endless teasing, 'kantyawan', jokes, reminiscing and boy talks just like the old times during our heydays in NAIA are back!  The 1 hour detour was barely noticed. That's what I like with roadtrips; the bonding, the 'kwentos' and of course unexpected misadventures those unforgettable memories you know you'll laugh about in the future.

Ate and Kuya

Finally, after asking several people for directions we've reached Pundaquit, the jump off point to Anawangin and Capones. We found a Kuya boatman (who we don't know the name, we asked him but he didn't tell us) and Ate Maria the store keeper. Kuya showed us where we can have the car parked overnight and where the boat is. We asked Ate Maria on what to expect on the island. She asked us if we have cooking utensils, spoon and fork, tent, food for dinner/breakfast, firewood and light all of which we answered with NO. Wahaha! She said to us, 'Hinde kayo prepared!' TRUE!!! Wahaha! But were in for an adventure! AnnKat said, we're gonna do it Survivor style! Wahaha! She told us that we can buy food, firewood, water and other essentials at the island but it would be expensive. She advised us to buy canned foods and just have it cooked there for a fee of 50php. Not bad, so we bought cups, rice, spam and canned tuna. We're covered! 

buying our essentials to survive the night

One more concern was the shower area, Ate Maria said there are toilets there and water pump.  We got all our answers so we were off to an adventure of lifetime, Anawangin!

to be continued…

camp site

Gailie's Day Off Series: Puerto Princesa

This is not my first time to visit Puerto Princesa but that was 10 years ago. Its  just fitting to revisit this beautiful place once more.

visiting Puerto Princesa 10 years ago

Josh and I set off early to go island hopping. Surprisingly, Honda Bay is about 30minutes ride away from the city. From Honda Bay, we rented a banca to bring to us to different islands. 

island hopping, here we go!

First stop is Cowrie Island, named after the cowrie shells found abundantly within the island. The beach is isolated as explained by our boatman, not many tourist visit it coz its just very near Honda Bay. So Josh and I took the opportunity to swim and have the beach to ourselves. 40 minutes had passed before we set out for another island.

swimming in cowrie island

between the sand and sea

Next stop is, Luli island. Luli is short for LUlubog LIlitaw island. During high tide the island is submerged in water and will resurface during low tide hence the name. We didn't swim but we took photos and scanned the area. There were privately owned houses, I wonder how much did the island cost.

beautiful sandbar

colorful flags

fish feeding and snorkel area

We opted to skip the snorkel site. 

Next is Starfish Island, this is my favorite island. There was a big frame where you can take photos and a sandbar, mountain and sea serves as your background. We took a swim for more than an hour till we heard our tummy rumbling. It's almost lunch time. The boatman said, the last stop is where we will have our lunch. 

starfish island

frame up!

sand, sea and sky as background

with manong boatman

I forgot the name, I think its Pandan Island. This is my least favorite island, everything is so expensive. Aside from that, there were so many tourists. The entrance fee is 100PHP per person. Then you need to rent table or cottage for you to eat or rest, a small table cost around 300PHP As for food, they allow guests to bring their own food. Unfortunately for us, we didn't brought any food. So, we just bought crabs and dried squid from a store and have it cooked. 

chow time

After lunch, we went back to the city. Josh still needs to go to work while I stay at the hotel to rest. 

On my 2nd day, we woke up late. There are no plans for this day. We don't want to avail of the city tour coz I've been to those places before. I just had a quick stop at a souvenir store to buy some cashew nuts. Then went back straight to the hotel to pack my things and sleep before my flight.

see you again Puerto Princesa

My 2 day stay in Puerto Princesa was a  relief; a great way to escape from all that stress. In span of 10 years, the beaches are still amazing and clean. I wish authorities can maintain it for the next 10 to 20 years. 

Can't wait for my next short day trip! Hmmm… where should I go?! Any suggestions?