#PH thank you

I never thought that I will part of this "Thank You" campaign launched by the Department of Tourism last February 8, 2014. I guess, I just happen to be there when it was shot at the Crown Regency Towers, Cebu City. My friend said that albeit the 2- second clip ( 0:35 - 0:37) , I was immortalized.  :)

For those who helped my countrymen during our times of need , a heartfelt THANK YOU to all of you!!!!

Getting Personal about Online Dating

I started online dating a month after I broke up with my boyfriend. It was December of 2012. A friend introduced me to OKCupid, an online dating site. Half-hearted, I started creating my own profile-- my personal profile which could either attract or repel men. The objective was more of as a form of diversion from the heart aches I was feeling then. I had no intention of going out on dates, or even starting out a new relationship. I just wanted to talk to someone or anyone to keep my mind ( and heart) off the pain . I needed to see that there are lots of fishes in the sea. But I had no intention of playing games or engaging in any forms of perversion on that site.

The first person I talked with was a local. It was a good 3-day conversation which later turned out to be a business proposal. Nah, I wasn’t up for that. The next was a New Yorker. Way too old, about 20 years my senior.  He was a good conversationalist. Got lots of ideas. But as I have said, I was there to talk. Not to start a relationship. And after a few weeks of chatting, it just ended.

More chatters… I never dated even one. I wasn’t ready. Six or 7 months of chatting with random people, I felt I was ready to mingle. Soon enough, a local was eager to meet me. We have been exchanging messages and phone calls for 2 months! But the date never materialized and later I found out he already has a girlfriend of 2 years. An Asshole and another heartbreaker! Anyway, it was not a deep kind of heartbreak. But it still stung my heart. A week later, I said to myself, the next local who will message me and who I will find interesting, I will date asap.  I guess this next local was smitten by me because after our first date, he would message me and call me many times and ask for a second date. However, I didn’t feel the same. So I ended it before things got too complicated.

Once in awhile, I still get messages from men from different parts of the world. And I wonder if it really is possible to meet your other half (or soul mate perhaps) with this kind of set up. Of course, the first thing that people on this site consider is physical attraction… (just like in the real world) and the rest follows. It is still important that each of you feels a certain kind of connection. This connection will be the trigger in maybe putting your relationship to the next level.

I remember another New Yorker, who after chatting with him on facebook for 2 days, asked if we could take our relationship to the next level. I was surprised! That fast, really? For me, the least you could do is give us time to get to know each other first. If things turn out pretty well, then that’s the time to level up the relationship. I wanted to take it easy because a relationship is a commitment. And when I am committed to someone, rest assured you have my love, my respect and my loyalty to you.

So how is online dating treating me? Hmm… I guess, fair enough. It helped me with my moving on phase without having a rebound person. It made me realize that men could really be complex at times (haha). And that it is possible that someone like me is also out there searching for someone who could turn out to be THE ONE - - that is, if we are lucky enough to find each other.

Happy chatting! J

Reconstruction of the Basilica Del Santo Nino of Cebu City (2014)

The 2013 earthquake which devastated the provinces of Bohol and Cebu and neighboring Visayas regions had left many of our ancestral churches ruined and destroyed. One of these is the bell tower of the Basilica del Santo Nino of Cebu City. I had the chance to visit it last January 24, 2014 and this is what I found :

The Church itself is under reconstruction  and so daily Masses are celebrated in the parking space.

Despite the heat of the sun and the crowded place, devotees of the Santo Nino come and go to hear mass, buy relics of the Santo Nino and pay respect to the original image of the Santo Nino brought by Ferdinand Magellan during the Spanish colonization of the Philippines. 

long queue to the original image of the Santo Nino

Viva Pit Senor! :)

My One Day Journey to Samboan and Ginatilan ( Cebu)

After our group’s  Oslob getaway last November 2013, I decided to go back and explore more of Southern Cebu. I know this part of Cebu still has lots to offer – from its heritage to its natural resources – And so I eagerly booked a flight when Tiger airways offered a promo fare.

My friends and I decided to explore the town of Samboan and Ginatilan.  The plan was to visit these two towns in one whole day only. It seemed tiring and impossible at first but eventually we did it!

January 23, 2014. As early as 2:30 am, we were already aboard a Ceres Bus bound for Samboan: Bato-Barili route located at the Cebu Bus South Terminal. Buses leave every hour, and so we waited 30 minutes more. Only non-air conditioned buses are available during  early hours. Air conditioned ones start their trip around 5 am.

Our first destination: SAMBOAN. 

It was a 5-hour journey to this town if coming from the terminal. No bus stops along the way.... Or maybe there was! I was sleeping all the way to this town (haha!) so I have no idea if we had stopovers (haha!). The fare is exactly 168pesos. At around 7 a.m., the bus dropped us off this town which is near their municipal hall. Habal-habal or motorcycles can be found everywhere in this town. I am pretty sure that it is their primary mode of transportation. In our case, since there’s the 3 of us, we decided to rent a tricycle at 400 pesos to take us to the town’s tourist sites.

Municipal Hall 

Kuya Soy and his trike

The pride of Samboan:

Aguinid Falls. A 10-minute hike to the waterfalls makes it easy for any traveler eager to discover its beauty. An entrance fee of 10 pesos is collected prior to the hike.

Ponong Lake.  Native ‘bakaw’ and ‘nipa’ grow into this lake.

Dao Falls. It took us an hour to hike towards this refreshing waterfalls. It is important to travel light when hiking, and of course do not forget to bring a bottled water with you.

The journey to Dao Falls is quite challenging. So prepare your reliable shoes/sandals  suitable for this kind of activity.

i love crossing a hanging bridge!

steep staircase so be careful!

Dao Falls

Fresh buko juice on our way back to the town proper

A taste of their native 'tuba'

St. Michael Church.

It was almost noon when our group finished our tour of the town. Kuya Soy, our tricycle driver and tour guide, led us to one of the town’s eateries for lunch.

oops! I caught myself on cam ...lol...

It was past 1 in the afternoon when we headed  to our second and last destination: the town of Ginatilan. This time, we hired a habal habal to take us from Samboan to Ginatilan. It cost us 200 pesos per head. This includes a round trip of the said towns, and a visit to San Pedro Calungsod Shrine, St. Gregory Church and their famous Inambakan Falls. 

The Pride of Ginatilan :

St. Gregory Church.

Shrine Of St. Pedro Calungsod. 

Inambakan Falls. It's about a 10-minute ride via habal habal from the main entry point to the waterfalls. There is an entrance fee of 20pesos. A short hike is needed afterwards and then voila! you have reached the amazing waterfalls.

habal habal

Inambakan Falls

By the way, you could always choose to catch a ride back to Cebu City  from Ginatilan. Ceres buses bound for Cebu City south terminal pass every now and then. Same rate applies which is 168 pesos.  We left this town at 4 in the afternoon and arrived in the city 5 hours (or more) later.

A friendly reminder: Be careful when you ride a habal habal. I got a second degree burn when my leg  accidentally made contact with its exposed exhaust pipe. And…..It always pays to have a first aid kit with you whenever and wherever. J

Happy trip!