L♥ve Means Going The Distance…

Last Sunday night, my friends (from the office), my friend’s boyfriend, my boyfriend, and I went to SM Mall of Asia for a fun run.

Contact Center Fun Run

We joined the 3Km race and I enjoyed it, but I don’t think I could do it again! Waaahhh!!! My friend and her boyfriend always join fun runs and they are more athletic. I, on the other hand, am a certified couch potato…

***CAUTION: What I would write next may be mushy and cheesy for your standards.***

After the race, I wrote on my Facebook status that my 3Km run (It was actually 4Km according to Jaime) was an epic fail. My friends left comments and made me realize that my run was a manifestation of an epic love (Hahaha!). My boyfriend, who is more fit than me and who runs regularly on his treadmill, stayed with me the whole time. Instead of leaving me behind, he walked with me (Sure, I ran during this race but I walked more often). During the race, my boyfriend would encourage me to run fast especially when we were about to cross the intersections since the police and guards were only stopping the traffic for the runners. He also made sure I was okay and he would even hold my hand at times. Morever, he got me the free drinks given away by the sponsors after the race. Aaawww… Su-weet!!!

To the “bestest” boyfriend a fat ass can have — ♥ I love you, my honey hon hon!!! 🙂 ♥

¡Que Horror!

My MRT horror story… 😦

I work at night (*sigh* — BPO industry). I take the train going to work because it’s faster to get to Pasay from Boni and it’s cheaper to take the MRT than to ride a cab or to have my dad drive me to my workplace.

We all know how crowded the train could get especially during rush hour so I take the coach for women (I feel safe there). Since I’m a bit OC (obsessive compulsive), I ALWAYS check out the passengers near me because I make sure that they:

1. don’t reek
2. don’t have dandruff
3. are not sweaty and sticky (pawisan and malagkit)
4. don’t have cough and colds
5. don’t have galis or any contagious skin disease
6. are not thieves
7. don’t have head lice and nits (kuto and lisa)

Yes, I have a fear of catching those yucky parasites. And it’s über embarrassing for an adult to have lice!!! Eeewww… Gross! As in totally!!!

I was sssooo horrified to see a well-dressed lady, who has nits (lisa), standing in front of me! This happened last Wednesday night and last night! Man, 2 nights in row!!!

Next time, I will bring suyod and give it to a passenger with lice and nits. Hehehe…

Starbucks Bearista Bear 89th Edition: Key to My Heart

Last April 2009, my friend was sent by her company to work in the US for one year. She went home last month, but I only saw her last Saturday. She knows that I collect Starbucks bearista bears so she bought me the US version of the Valentine 2010 bearista.

Thank you, Dianne! I loved your pasalubong!

Celebrating Pahiyas

I wonder what the Pahiyas Festival has in store for the tourists this 2010 especially that the Philippines has been experiencing El Niño. I sure do hope that there are still a lot of harvest.

Last year, my boyfriend and I went to Quezon to celebrate Pahiyas. Despite the unpredictable weather (one minute it’s sunny, then it would drizzle/rain the next), we did have a lot of fun. This festival is in honor of  the patron saint of farmers, San Isidro Labrador, as thanksgiving for bountiful harvest (masaganang ani).

Here are some of the pictures we took during Pahiyas Festival 2009:

Lucban Church's belfry

Lucban Church's entrance

colorful kiping

Lucban longganisa

bayongs (native bags) painted by grade schoolers

higante (giant)

row of kipings

a lady selling pancit habhab for only Php7!!! 🙂

Pahiyas 2009

fried kiping (I did not know kiping is edible. Hehehe...)

Lucban hats

souvenirs

We did not stay the whole day in Lucban. After lunch, we went to some of the must-see places in Quezon:

Kamay ni Hesus / Grotto

Silangan Nayon Resort --- I loved the huts on the water!

Pagbilao Power Plant (on our way to Puting Buhangin and Kwebang Lampas)

Puting Buhangin (at the end of the shore, there's a cave called Kwebang Lampas)

inside Kwebang Lampas

Kwebang Lampas

Patayan Island

Patayan Island's sand bar

I hope even if there’s drought, our farmers still have a lot to be thankful for. 🙂

Happy Pahiyas Festival, everyone!

I have a new bestfriend…

… It’s Pyralvex®!!! 😛

I just had dental braces installed last Saturday (Yeah, I know I’m too old to have braces) and there are now aphthous ulcers/canker sores (singaw in Filipino) developing on the inside of my cheeks. 😦 However, after the application of this solution, the pain of the inflammed tissues somehow disappears. 🙂

Pyralvex® can be bought over the counter. I bought one from Mercury Drugstore for only Php158.75 (10mL).

I ♥ my new bestfriend, Pyralvex® Solution! Hahaha!!!

Krispy Kreme’s “Orange You Glad You Voted?” Campaign

I received an email from Krispy Kreme Philippines. I guess this is their way of encouraging people to vote this coming 10 May 2010, Monday.

I will now print the email I received! 🙂

I just hope Krispy Kreme is not subtly telling us to vote for Manny Villar. (Orange kasi e. Hehehe… :P)

Revisiting Zambales: Sun Bloom Beach Resort and Potipot Island

Labor Day weekend 2009 (last year), my boyfriend and I vistited Potipot Island again. Here are some of the pictures I took using my Olympus 850sw camera: 

[For our 1st Potipot trip, click here.]

We're back!

rocky side of Potipot

snorkeling time!!!

I love my digital underwater cam! ♥

I also wrote this on Sun Bloom Resort’s multiply site:  

Last weekend (2-3 May 2009), we went back to Potipot (and of course, we stayed in Sun Bloom). There were a few things we noticed:  

1. There were a lot more trash compared to the last time we went there. [To the tourists, kindly bring your own trash bag and throw your trash bag when you get back to your resort].   

2. People were so amazed to see live sea stars (a.k.a. starfishes) that they were taking them from their habitat and putting them under the sun to dry. [Please don’t take those creatures home. They’re meant to stay in the sea. If you keep taking sea stars, Potipot eventually would have none.]  

underwater shot: starfish that's still in the sea

Here's one starfish taken from the sea. 😦

3. People were stepping on the live corals. [Please don’t step on the live corals, fishes live there and they lay their eggs there. If you keep stepping on them, they will eventually die. No corals = no fishes]  

another specie

4. A lot of people were planning to catch the fishes swimming in the shallow waters. [Please don’t try to catch them. Let Potipot keep those fishes.]  

Did you notice the other specie of fish?

5. If people are feeding the fishes, please don’t swim where the fishes are. You can check them out underwater but please don’t swim right through the fishes. You’re disturbing them.  

To the owner of the island (if you’re reading this), kindly do something about these. We’re paying Php50 (day tour) or Php100 (overnight) to be on your island. You can put posters/tarps on the island to remind people what not to do. You can impose rules like these. You can even ask the rangers to penalize tourists who do these horrible things.  

We lurve Potipot!

 

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   * 

How to get to Sun Bloom Beach Resort – Potipot Island via public transpo: (via private transpo, click here)  

You can take Victory Liner Bus (Caloocan, Sampaloc) headed to Sta. Cruz, Zambales. You can ask the driver and/or the conductor to drop you off at Dawal (Uacon, Candelaria). You can just walk going to Sun Bloom. Dawal and Sun Bloom are just beside each other. From Sun Bloom Resort, you have to ride a boat going to Potipot Island (around 5-15 minutes).

view from the shore going to the main road (If you're coming from the main road, Sun Bloom is at right side and Dawal is at the left side of the street)

It cost us Php418 per head (Caloocan to Uacon – Dawal). But this was a year ago, okay? Better phone Victory Liner and check out their rates. 

Going home, you’d be a chance passenger. Just wait along the highway for a bus headed to Manila. However, it might take you a long time to wait for a bus going back to Manila so you may also take a bus going to Iba or Olongapo. Once you’re in Iba or in Olongapo terminal, you can then take a bus going to Manila (Caloocan, Cubao, Pasay, Sampaloc).  

  

Sun Bloom Beach Resort’s Rates: (I’m not sure if these are still the rates so better contact Ate Mercy — 0916-543-9709) 

Room rate: Php1,200 (1 – 4 pax) 

Extra Person: Php150 / head a day  

Additional hours: Php50 / hour  

Folding bed (if needed): Php100 / day

Lost key fine: Php150  

*FYI: The rooms have 2 beds, an aircon, an electric fan, and a clean toilet and bathroom.

Check in time: 12 noon

Check out time: 11:00 am  

 

BOAT RIDE TO POTIPOT: Php400 (two-way) up to 6 – 7 pax — pay the boatmen directly (Ate Mercy will only contact the boatmen and arrange the boat trip for you) 

boat to Potipot

Regarding the time/schedule, you have to inform Ate Mercy or her people. They will arrange the trip to Potipot for you. Also, you must inform the boatmen what time they should pick up from the island. Once you’re back to Sun Bloom’s shore, don’t forget to pay the boatmen.  

*FYI: Potipot Island entrance fee — to be paid when you get to the island (a ranger from Potipot will collect the entrance fee) Php50/head (day tour) or Php100/head (overnight)  

  

OTHER CHARGES: 

*FYI: No corkage fee for the food, drinks, and any items you bring in Sun Bloom. But if you need a fridge, burner, and/or utensils, you may rent them from Ate Mercy.

Rental fees:  

Refrigerator – Php100 / day  

Single burner – Php150 / day  

Double burner – Php250 / day  

Utensils – Php25 / item / day  

For the electrical items you brought, charge for the electricity:  

Php 100 / item / day (example: charger, radio, speakers, etc.)  

  

FOR DAY TOUR ONLY: 

Entrance fees:  

Adult – Php30 / head  

Kids – P20 / head  

Tables Pavillion area: Php150 / table  

Coconut area: Php100 / table  

*FYI: The tables are big and long. 10 – 14 persons could be accommodated (I think).  

*** Prices subject to change without prior notice. ***