atin-atin lang

i’m brimming with joy today; flowing naturally within and through me. it really feels great! heck, i was even inspired to write again here, after a very long hiatus.

i just came back from a very relaxing, rewarding, and fun-filled weekend trip to Baguio City with friends from the office. i’d been toying with the idea of going there for several months already and thought it’d never come to fruition. some people were "tired" of the place saying it has nothing new to offer; nothing much to do there; there are cheaper alternatives…yadda, yadda, yadda. it had to take a little "marketing" on my part to convince my kaladkarin friends to choose Baguio over the other choices; though i never had to resort to coercion. =)

i’ve always been fond of Baguio ever since i first stepped on its cold soil 13 years ago to attend a convention of high school students. having stayed at the historic Teachers’ Camp further enamored me to the beauty and natural charm of this former hill station touted as America in the Philippines. being a history buff and nature-lover, staying at TC was like a walk in the past; where you can almost relive the days of old when Baguio was merely a recreation place for the colonial occupants. rain or shine, there are plenty of things one can do while vacationing in Baguio: walking to/from/around its parks, working out those leg muscles and your entire cardio-vascular system by jogging along its winding roads, or simply curling up in bed and relishing the cool temperature.

it’s perhaps been 3 or 4 years since my last visit to Baguio and i’ve been wanting to go back for the longest time. the long weekends this month prodded me to seriously consider planning a trip, and who better to invite than my office buds as this is the only group among my friends that i haven’t gone to Baguio with. although plans were "finalized" just a week before the scheduled departure, there were concerns of bad weather so we were all on standby mode up until the last minute. thank goodness for PAGASA’s website and actual updates from our contact in Baguio; so despite some qualms about the rainy weather forecast, 8 of us decided to get on the bus and head to the mountains of Cordillera. when we got there we were greeted with nice warm sunshine and a sweet cool breeze. then a sudden sense of happiness filled me and i was all-smiles the whole time. i was instantly reminded of why i fell in love with the city in the first place.

we booked ourselves and stayed at Teachers’ Camp (where else?) and got to enjoy some of its newly-renovated facilities. talk about timing; they’re celebrating their centennial this year so the atmosphere is quite festive and the place just had a spanking makeover (with some budget constraints - after all it’s a government facility, hehehe). we rented a 3-bedroom cottage located on the upper part of the camp closer to South Drive where it’s quieter and almost unpopulated. perfect for Metro Manilans seeking respite from the daily urban grind.

the accommodations were very simple, far from being luxurious, but it was good enough for our group of 8; the only setback was that there was only 1 bathroom so we had to queue and take turns in using it. and despite having 3 bedrooms, 6 of us chose to all stay in the biggest room for "tighter bonding" while our couple-companions chose the smallest room. alright, alright. it was because most were conscious of one of Baguio’s claim to fame - ghosts. so we moved the beds all into the other room (5 single beds that were later shared by 7 people; talk about tight!). fortunately (or is it?), there were no reported sightings or "feelings" during our stay. i can’t wait to see the pictures though, hehehehe.

since the cottage had a fireplace, we took advantage of it and bought some firewood from a charming local boy peddling the stuff. come to think of it, that was the first time i ever personally experienced a working fireplace; quite romantic and Christmassy - much like me. ehem ehem. the warmth emanating from the hearth was enjoyed by everyone who were gathered around the living room, each with his/her marshmallow skewers ready for roasting. don’t you just feel the love? haaaaaaaaaaay.

we also took advantage of the working kitchen of the house so most of our meals were prepared and taken right at home - another perfect opportunity for bonding, not to mention a great way to cut costs. i volunteered to cook our breakfasts which consisted of omelet, corned beef, and luncheon meat. sounds easy but try preparing it at 6am when the bed weather is at its finest. it was fun and fulfilling though, knowing that my companions appreciated the effort, and the food of course! there were also the designated dishwashers and cleaners; we were like an extended family on vacation. aaaaaawwwwww.

and the pictures! by golly, there must be hundreds of those if not a little over a thousand, thanks to digital technology…and our resident photographer. we documented almost every activity that we did, from cooking, eating, dishwashing, sightseeing, even sleeping! not a moment wasted talaga. i’ll try sharing some of these images later on. i’ll have to finish viewing them first. super dami!!!

we were all engrossed with our vacation that we actually missed some other popular places to visit and experience. it makes you think that 2 whole days are not really enough to completely experience what Baguio and its neighboring towns have to offer. it would also have been nice to just stay the whole day at the cottage doing nothing but relaxing, playing card games, sleeping, or simply swapping personal stories for bonding. maybe this merits a second visit in the immediate future? ay how time flies when you’re enjoying yourself in the company of friends!

oh yes, i’m really happy; or should i say…happier. as i always have said, happiness is a choice and i made that decision long ago. i’m really thankful for the people around me, the material things that i have, and the talents and skills lent to me by God; and for opportunities such as this that i may share these gifts to others especially those who matter to me. with this disposition, any situation can be manageable. how i look forward to our next "instant" adventure.

as we were descending to the lowlands yesterday morning, an advertisement was showing on the bus’s tv…Dakak resort in Zamboanga. apparently my friends took notice of it too. hmmmmm…

alas, the beach beckons.

5 days til Christmas day and still it feels like any other day of the year for me. it seems like my Christmas spirit and zest for the season wanes every year. is this inversely proportional to my age? i’m way too young to become a grinch or scrooge, especially now that I have lots to be thankful for and celebrate about.

hmmmm. do i have to up the ante and exert extra effort to get myself back on the merry-making track? or can i just wait for this "phase" (if it is actually that) to fizzle out? i miss the years of childhood Christmas innocence and bliss, when kids just ARE HAPPY and JOLLY because of the season. Christmas still is my favorite time of the year though, this slump notwithstanding.

oh well, happiness is a choice and it’s MY choice. Christmas or not.

cheers!

March 20, 2007

12:42am

I’ve almost forgotten until fairly recently that the nature of my work dictates the roughly pre-determined amount of time I would get to spend at every project assignment. Last week, Thursday to be exact, I got the axe from the bosses back in Manila. No, I wasn’t involved in any anomaly nor am being recalled for transfer to a different project. They simply decided that we were already “overstaffed” and had to let go of some of us. I don’t know if they were just ill advised or irritatingly stubborn (or perhaps I’m just being bitter, ha!). However I was already contemplating since two weeks ago the idea of getting laid off two months from now as our project wraps up (hopefully) so it shouldn’t be a problem; but I was informed of my termination only one day in advance. Talk about prudence! But I took it in stride and happily accepted the decision (as if I could do anything to reverse it). Surprisingly, I felt a sense of happiness and detachment. Perhaps, it was time to move on indeed.

Having spent nearly nine months here in Boracay, I can never say that I’ve had enough of the powdery sand, refreshing breezes, idle weekends, cold and sometimes-lonely nights, and even the hot summer days. I can still remember how I felt when I first got here in June last year, coping with all the anxiety and fear of adjusting to a new and quite different working and living environment. Back then the idea of handling the construction of a three-storey 30-room condotel was quite daunting for someone who’s been “out of the battlefield” for almost two years. I was given one week to adjust, and I hope to believe that I was able to mount the task with little apprehension. A few weeks into the project, I was given extra assignments to also pitch in with the other two buildings of our project. That gave me more self-confidence and a sense of accomplishment, regardless of the setbacks that we were experiencing.

Making new friends was almost a requirement to survive this new environment; and I was fortunate there were nice people who became really close to me. On certain weekends, they would invite me to visit their hometowns on mainland Panay and celebrate special occasions with their families and friends. They really made me feel welcome and treated me as a special guest. And when I left to return to Boracay the next day I had special take-home bags of fresh fruits, rice, homemade candies, or whatnot. On a separate occasion I was even invited to be a godfather to one of the local children at a nearby village; and happily obliged. It’s quite endearing, actually, and I will forever cherish the memories and relationships I’ve built with these people. A return trip to their places would surely be worth it when the time comes.

For one who’s been used to city living (since birth to be exact), there’s really nothing much to complain about living in Boracay except perhaps when I get the occasional urge to watch a current hit movie or go malling — both non-existent pastimes in this island escape. I once thought that my usually monotonous life in Manila would be spiced up a whole lot and my social life improved when I moved to Boracay; but I found out that I still had to exert some effort for that to happen. So much for that, I thought. Instead, my life became much simpler — walking to and from work, very rare fancy (hint: expensive) dinners, lazy Sundays looking out to the golf course, quick dips in the sea after work, etc. etc. It was like living in semi-retirement, not bad at all!

Again, I am not complaining. On the contrary, I wish could stay longer; I thought I’d be here until May or June then jump to another job by July. Now that I have a lot of time for myself, I intend to go on a well-deserved vacation from work. Ever since I graduated from college I never really had a good break, joining the workforce less than two months since I marched with my batch mates in UP. Having dwindling personal funds and no source of income now would be a little roadblock for this bakasyon grande but I’m counting on the generosity of friends and relatives to make it through. From Boracay, I plan to head to Leyte and reconnect with my relatives. A short holy week trip to Camotes Islands in Cebu is in the pipeline. Then I hope to crash with my friend in Cebu City for a few days before heading back to Manila. I can only plan ahead so much; the rest of my vacation adventures are yet to be discovered.

God knows where else my nomad’s feet will take me, but for sure my Boracay stint is only a sampler of whatever else lies ahead of me. I do believe that the things I have gone through are all in preparation for something greater, albeit overwhelming. But I’m up for the challenge and can’t wait to get started. In the meantime, I’ll be sipping my cold fruit shake on the beach while ogling hot summer bodies trying to escape life (or living it); feeling the breeze on my tanned skin; and soaking up all that this place many consider paradise has to offer. Next week when I step onto the boat, which will take me back to the mainland, I’ll bid Boracay adieu…but never goodbye.

last friday was my friend Lorena’s birthday. my barkada back in Manila were planning a surpirse get-together for her later that night, and in preparation for that surprise Herbert asked me to hold my greetings until zero hour (to be determined by them) when they’d all be together. i, of course, gamely cooperated.

it was about 9pm already and they still hadn’t given me the go-signal to greet her, and i was about to sleep already. i asked herbert and he said "ok greet her na". naturally, i texted her saying: Happy birthday dear! i hope you enjoyed their surprise. apparently, they haven’t actually sprung the surprise yet so i sort of spoiled it for them. malay ko ba?! hahahahahaha!

nonetheless, i’m sure they all had a great time having dinner together — as we always do whenever the barkada is complete. but they weren’t complete that time, Indyanehpaul didn’t make it, i was here in Boracay, and Bong far away in Melbourne. <sigh> i kinda miss being with my friends (even only on special occasions, when we usually get together). i hope come Christmastime i can be with my loved ones and catch up on each other’s stories.

on a happier note, my arki friends Olive & VJ are coming to Boracay next week and i’ll be taking them in for one night in my room. then they’ll be moving to the similarly plush <evil snicker> Pearl of the Pacific resort for the following three days. i’m so excited! it’s not so often that friends from Manila come over and visit me in Boracay (aside from vacationing, of course). the last was She and Everette in September, then my family last month. i can’t wait for the next!

e kayo kailan kaya?

last weekend i went with some of my workmates/friends to Buruanga, Aklan which is the town next to Malay (where Caticlan is). i was invited by one of our workers to their barrio chapel’s mini-fiesta celebration. one of the perks of living away from Manila is getting to travel cheap to many previously unvisited places.

i’ve heard about the place Buruanga a lot of times at work since most of our locally-hired workers come from that mountainous town. about an hour’s bus ride away from Caticlan, Buruanga seems like your ideal rice-planting town at the foot of forested mountains. the pastoral scenes were quite refreshing, much different from the beach vistas that i have here on Boracay (not that i’m complaining). the ’syano in me was very happy and excited to visit a place such as this, which reminded me of my parents’ hometowns in Leyte.

my host lives in Barrio Nazareth, about 20mins from the town center via semi-rough roads on a single motorcyle. there are much fewer houses and most of them are built of wood and nipa, although some were also of concrete (a status symbol in the provinces). this is a place where everybody knows everybody and almost all are related by blood or affinity.
having arrived at around 2pm, we were served lunch (although we already ate before leaving Boracay).

i took a walk around the area after eating my second lunch. i found myself getting invited by another co-worker to his barkada’s hangout and was served fresh BJ (buko juice! what else? hahaha!) and freshly cooked biko. talk about binging. as long as it’s free! soon after, we heard the sounds of singing nearby. i thought that somebody was having a party somewhere in the barrio.

i later found out that it was coming form my host’s house. apparently, a cabinet in the living room was opened to reveal their "hi-tech" videoke setup wherein we would select and program songs via remote control. kahit dito na lang ako sa sala magdamag, ok na. videoke is one of the things that make my day and help me unwind. solved na ako rito! and what would a party be wthout the booze? of course, beer and brandy were almost instantly served. not too keen on hard drinks, i stuck to beer (Gold Eagle, pare). i realized that that particular brand tastes better than SMB or Beer na Beer (which was later served in the evening).

activities lined up for the following day included light trekking/mountain hiking and swimming. we started out late since i wanted to enjoy an undisturbed sleep (i was on vacaton anyway). we took off around 10am and began our slow trek up a nearby mountain traversing a very stony river. the scene here can be the same as in other mountain rivers — huge boulders, a canopy of trees above (almost covering the width of the narrow river, only 10 meters or less), and cool, clean water. after about 30 minutes of balancing ourselves atop those stones and boulders, we reached the waterfall area and lingered there awhile, dipping in the basin and taking pictures of ourselves. at around lunch time, a companion arrived with fresh coconut and everyone feasted.

the smaller of the 2 waterfalls in that area was like a hydromassage jet and we took turns at getting our muscles battered or caressed (whichever you prefer) by it. my tummy looked as if it was slapped a hundred times after the "massage." it was soothing and painful at the same time. sarap! we went further upstream and we reached a taller waterfall with cascades and decided it was another perfect photo-op. click-away! all this time i was wondering how we would go back to "base" as we have climbed pretty high already and the boulders that we passed looked scary to descend. our "guide," a 10-year-old boy, suggested that we take get off at the next trail that leads to their house — and back to "base."

it sounded like a better idea and we all agreed. i soon discovered that the path would be equally challenging as it would take us along a ravine above the river and it was less than a foot wide! i was half-praying and half-excited the whole time. good thing that the vegetation blocked the view of how high above the river we were. i would’ve crawled my way back! or maybe not. hahaha. there were parts of the trail where the climb was almost vertical. Extra Challenge talaga. but it was all worth it. i wouldn’t mind doing something like that again in the future. the view at the top of that path was magnificent: the trees on the mountainside, the breeze, the gushing river below, and the sparkling blue sea beyond the mountains. What a feeling!

it was downhill from there and we passed rice paddies, grazing cows & carabaos, and swine and poultry freely roaming. once back at the house, it was eating time once more and we were well-fed, as usual. another round of drinking ensued but i decided i would have less this time to avoid another hangover the following day. i made another discovery: Gran Matador Brandy tastes a lot better than Emperador Brandy. another piece of useful information. hehehe. all the day’s activities brought me down so i turned in early(?) at around 9pm.

we left for Boracay the next morning at around 5 to make it to work at 8am. mondays are very busy at the Caticlan Jetty Port as most of the workers in Boracay troop back to the island early, coming from nearby barrios and neighboring towns. some of these places i intend to visit next, given the chance.

barely a week since my weekend break in Buruanga, another instant vacation is looming ahead since wo don’t have work tomorrow and on saturday. there will be a Chairman’s Cup Golf Tournament here at Fairways & Bluewater and all construction activities will be minimized if not totally stopped. that means i don’t have work

i want to go to Iloilo and tour their heritage sites and sample their cuisine! it’s just a 5-hour bus ride from Caticlan anyway. i got in touch with a friend who’s based there to ask if she could accommodate me but she’s unforunately unavailable this weekend. bummer! looks like that trip will have to wait until my next break, hopefully next month before i vacation in Manila for the holidays.

meanwhile, i’ll probably just stick to the sea and sand at White Beach and savor Boracay some more. buti na lang tourist season na.

after a few months of saving up and conserving my resources, i was able to bring my entire family over to Boracay for a vacation. why have the enjoyment all to myself when i can share it with the ones i love, right? so i got them packing and took the BUS to Caticlan (for experience and not to torture them). after around 13 hours of travel via the nautical highway and 3 hours standy at the jetty port, they finally landed on the powdery white sand of Boracay at boat station 1.

breakfast was waiting for them at our staff quarters here at Fairways, where they would stay until their 2pm check-in time at a White Beach place. soon after mama, papa, my brother lendrey & sister reina didn’t waste any moment and explored Paradise Cove at Lapus-Lapus Beach (at Fairways & Bluewater). i also gave them a quick tour around our project site. after lunch, they moved into their room at Serina’s Place near station 1; i went back to work as soon as they got settled.

it was my brother’s birthday the next day and my parents decided to throw a little luncheon celebration together with my workmates at our staff quarters. everyone feasted on grilled fish, pork liempo and fresh shrimps; my spaghetti was hardly touched (bad combination i guess). but nobody failed to have their fill of rocky road & halo-halo ice cream! there was enough even for seconds, and thirds…

since work for the day was done and it was a weekend, i packed my bag and roomed in with my folks to get into the "vacation mood" that they were in. even for just the weekend, i enjoyed the convenience of having air-conditioning, cable tv, hot shower, the works. that night, my sister and i hung out at one of the bars beyond station 1; gulping down a round of strong beer while enjoying the "sights."

a highlight of this vacation would be our trip to Puka Shell Beach where we had a little picnic , soaked up the sun, and practiced a few strokes in the water. it was also a good venue for a photo-op for the family. we were all spent after that side-trip and papa, lendrey and reina decided to sleep the rest of the afternoon off. meanwhile, mama and i went to church for Sunday Mass and had merienda at Jonah’s afterwards. for dinner we went to Attica/Paradiso Grill for pizza and seafood. the food was delicious! i’m definitely going back there.

we got up early the following day so we can have breakfast together before i headed back to work. they did their pasalubong and last-minute shopping afterwards at the new D’ Talipapa. after lunch, i picked them up and saw them off at Boracay’s jetty port. this time, they were taking the shorter and more glamorous(?) way home via airplane at Kalibo. i got their tickets over a month earlier to snag the cheapest fares.

that was the most recent real family vacation that i remember since my early college years and i’m happy that it went well. i’m even happier that i was the one who gave it to my family as sort of a gift. i hope that they appreciated it and enjoyed as much as i did to render months of living and working away from them well worth it. i’m looking forward to our next holiday.

as for me, i’m back to building up my savings for my other commitments and future travels (of course!). i hope to visit Mindanao in the near future.

care to join me?

this year i spent my birthday away from all my loved ones for the very first time. i have always been afraid of the thought of that until it actually happened to me one week ago today. i can say that i managed pretty well, perhaps because i’ve made a few new friends here at work and that i was just a text or call away from my greeters. things didn’t go as i had planned though. i was supposed to celebrate it silently (nobody knew of it here but they’ve been guessing since the start of the month). my foreman friend was even saying that he was certain i was a virgo, judging from my decision-making, moods, and overall demeanor. i tried denying it but the mere thought of my birthday was putting a smile on my face.

as if expecting a barrage of birthday greetings, i deleted as many messages from my cellphone’s limited-capacity storage. true enough, messages started coming shortly after midnight. the first to greet me was my sister, and i was touched, almost brought to tears as she said she missed me. other friends followed suit. my face might have been beaming with joy that morning so much that my workmates were already cajoling me for a blowout. i was firm with my denial, hoping to find out how long i could hold it.

i went through my usual routine of walking around the site, inspecting the three buildings that we’re building, not noticing that i had left my mobile at our site meeting area. ohmigad! i thought to myself, nobody would dare… when i got back to the table, my women workmates (my closest friends here) were starting to sing happy birthday! drats! i hushed them even before they could reach the second stanza. so much for my silent celebration. hahaha! as it turned out, they were more convinced that it was indeed my birthday as the messages on my phone kept on coming, and they decided to take a peek at one of them. i was slightly irked by that intrusion into my privacy but i knew that the girls meant well. i was caught red-handed!

after checking if my pockets were deep enough, i decided that i could throw a little "party" in the evening. one of our engineers volunteered to cook and all i had to do was buy the ingredents. a good deal, i thought, so i went shopping at talipapa, d’mall palengke & bora budget mart. i managed to get back to the site by 4:30. at the end of work hours at 5pm, i was surprised by a song number by our workers (around 150 men, imagine that!), who were supposedly practicing while i was out grocery-shopping. it was quite a touching moment and somehow eased my longing for friends and family back in Manila. it sure put a big smile on my face, quite a thoughtful gesture indeed.

at our staff barracks i could only afford a few guests of about fifteen people, which included our foremen and some workers who’ve become my friends here. when dinner time came we feasted on the spaghetti and lumpia that was lovingly prepared by my work/housemates the whole afternoon. we even had ice cream afterwards! and to cap it all, videoke with a little booze. not bad at all for a grown-up’s children’s party away from home.

being the sentimental person that i am, i kept reading and re-reading the text messages that i received from family and friends. i was happy that they remembered and was even happier to receive greetings from those whom i didn’t expect. even friends who are now abroad managed to drop a line thru email, ym, or chikka text. a few close relatives also surprised me with their calls. thank you guys! you really made my day.

a birthday away from loved ones is one thing, but as the days go by i’m getting more anxious about the next big celebrations: Christmas and New Year. as our vacations are scheduled and subject to approval, i can only hope to be home wth my famiy by then. nevertheless, i’m already considering other options like spending the holidays in my new friends’ hometowns. they’ve been most accommodating and have volunteered their homes if i need a place to stay. exciting prospect don’t you think?

i’m now 26. and the clock is still ticking. i have a job that i’m enjoying (not to mention that it’s in Boracay!), my family’s doing fine, i have great friends; what else could be lying around the corner?

hmmm…

at last i found the drive to blog again, although this entry is not about anything in particular. as others would put it, this would just be a collection of random thoughts (but mostly about my life on this island).

Fairways.
it’s such a pleasure to be living next to — albeit right in the middle of — a golf course, in Boracay no less! the view from my window is very relaxing: putting green, rolling terrain, swaying palms, mother nature (although a bit altered) at its best. after a long time of city-living, i find myself in the company of birds other than the maya, tuko (i dunno the english name), even snakes crossing my path. at night the golf course and the periphery of our building crawl with frogs, which together with crickets create a very provincial unison. i most love the fresh air that the breeze carries to and through our building. the monsoon rains may be quite unpredictable and when it rains, it really pours! good thing i brought with me a jacket & a sweater as the temperature quickly drops from the onset of rain. although rain is often unwelcome at construction sites, it’s still a blessing as it constantly cleans the surroundings and eliminates dust.

Simple life.
as i expected, my domestic life is simpler here at the site. i’ve gotten used to having fish as viand almost in every meal: fried, paksiw, ginataan, nilaga, and so on. the usual varieties served on our table are galunggong, bangus, sapsap, danggit. it’s the cheapest food that we can buy at the market (yes, i go with Manang to the market every week). on my advice, we also buy lots of veggies, my favorite! we consume minimal pork and we’ve never had any beef dishes (as far as i can remember). poultry is also a staple in our weekly menu, but limited only to eggs. i’ve always wanted to try out other seafood but we couldn’t fit it in our budget. maybe next time i crave, i’ll give a bigger contribution. Manang does the laundry weekly and we pay her for that, i supply the detergent. we have a tv here but only one channel can be picked up by our antenna: GMA 7. the signal’s not that strong either, the images are a little blurry. i wake up every morning to the voices of Arnold Clavio & Rhea Santos delivering the early morning news on Unang Hirit. (plug: hello Carmelo! keep up the good work!) idle times can be spent watching Kapuso, surfing the net, or reading my private stash of Reader’s Digest & newspapers. (i share the tv and the computers with my fellow staff) i intend to jog around the golf course early mornings but the rains (and my laziness) have been preventing me from even starting. my initial plan of enrolling at a gym at white beach will have to be foregone as it doesn’t seem to be practical; my daily walks to-and-from the site will have to suffice as my fitness program.

Sunday.
this is my only day off as the work week includes the whole of saturday. i usually wake up late (around noon) to make up for my early waking time during weekdays. that also saves me one full meal as i eat brunch already — that’s a few pieces of bread from Julie’s Bakeshop at D’Mall. the next few hours can be spent swimming at the private coves of Fairways & Bluewater or going back to sleep, hehe. in the future i plan to use sunday as a time to explore Boracay island…on foot! i want to see the site of the Shangri-La resort, puka beach, and other places of interest. my routine resumes at 4pm when i hear Mass at the Holy Rosary Parish Church at Balabag plaza. afterwhich i stroll along white beach from Willy’s Beach Club until D’Mall, stopping for an afternoon snack. weather permitting, i plan to walk until the southern end of white beach just to be familiar with the place. during my first weekend, i reached Nami at diniwid beach. (that was my first time to see that famed resort up close) at around 7pm i start scouting for a good place to have dinner. this time i indulge myself and raise my spending limit as this is the only day of the week when i pamper myself. i have yet to dine at the uber-high end joints though. the miser in me still prevails. at the end of the day, i take a trike or single motorcycle back to the Fairways gate; then walk through the golf course (a convenient yet dark shortcut) back to our staff barracks.

Boracay developments.
aside from the Shangri-La resort, i’m looking forward to Discovery Shores (a post-modern designed resort owned by group that owns Discovery Suites in Ortigas). it’s beside Friday’s in the high-end resort row beyond boat station 1. i can tell from the design and even the contractor (Datem) that this is really a high-end project, but i wouldn’t mind saving up to experience staying there. it’s set to open in December this year. of course i’m also excited about our own project: Balaihara Resort Villatel, inside Fairways & Bluewater. it’s a joint-venture condotel project of MC Home Depot and Fil-Estate. Corp. we’re putting up nine 3-storey buildings near the first 9 holes of the golf course. another newly-opened hotel, which i would like to try is Boracay Tropics. it looks cozy and relaxing with its central courtyard and pool, it’s not a beachfront hotel though. Boracay Regency is still expanding, way further inland. i’m sure they’ll mantain their high quality and classic design. i sure enjoyed my stay there Feb. last year. way over at D’Mall quite noticeable for me is the new mall leading to the main road where Budget Mart & Julie’s Bakeshop can be found. there are also more restos and boutiques to dine at and shop, respectively.

taking a step back, i do hope that all these "developments" would not choke the already bustling island of Boracay. it’s sad to note that tricycles, motorcycles, multicabs are beginning to pollute the fresh air. pieces of litter can also be seen on the sides of the road, even at white beach. tsk tsk. it’s a saddening phenomenon. i try to help in my own way, i hope others will do too.

on that note, i’ll end this entry for now. baka maiyak na ‘ko, huhuhu. i’ll have more to share in the coming weeks. i’m looking forward to going back to Manila tomorrow for a very short vacation; but that’s another story…

this morning i got myself on a plane and began my life-changing (i predict) move from the city to what i call "a simple island life with a few perks." From Manila to Boracay, i’m starting a new chapter of my life. i’ve accepted a job offer to work as a project architect in a construction development inside the exclusive Fairways and Bluewater Resort in Boracay. the offer sounded really tempting and i didn’t think twice in accepting it. without any idea on the exact conditions of my work and stay there, i jumped right in. i guess i would be in for an experience of a lifetime. (fingers crossed!!!)

as soon as i stepped off from the boat on Boracay island, the rain greeted me "warmly" as i trudged down the gang plank with my 17kg luggage (i had to pay over 300pesos at the airport for the excess 7 kilos!). good thing my sundo (how do you say that in English? fetcher?) was quickly in sight and he helped me with my load right away. we hopped on to the service vehicle nearby and started our 15-minute drive through the narrow and busy main road of Boracay island. flashes of nostalgia swept through me as we passed by the familiar places that i and my dearest friends visited in our Bora trip last year. that kinda started my semi-depression, realizing that i am alone in this fast-becoming unfamiliar place. i have no friends or family to run to for anything — bonding, sharing stories, swimming — anything at all. i would have to do something about that, and i think my people skill will be put to work here.

as we entered through the gates of Fairways, my emotions went from excitement to awe to puzzlement then to anxiety. as we reached our "headquarters" it dawned on me that this would be a very challenging stay. it’s time to say goodbye to the luxuries and amenities that i enjoyed back in Manila — my big soft bed, yummy home-cooked meals of my choice, my own bathroom, cable TV, PS2 — the works. i’ll be living and working in a very spartan environment — makeshift room, leaking roof, communal toilet & bath, simple meals — the simple island life.

but it has perks! for this is Boracay for crying out loud. i always tell people that we should always try to look at the brighter side of things, and i’ll try hard to practice what i preach. otherwise i’ll go bonkers in no time. we have internet in the office, DSL at that, hence this blog update; i’m going back to construction work/project management, which i like a lot; the beach and beautiful people in Boracay are just a 20-peso tricycle ride away; i have my own room!; i’d like to believe that there are more good things to expect from this experience than stuff to whine and be depressed about. of course, frequent messages of support and prayers from loved ones would be very helpful, and i’m expecting them to fulfill their roles. haha.

seriously, my expectations are all up in the air right now. i guess i’m just a person who’s afraid of sudden changes, i’m used to things being in order all the time — square some may call me. this would probably count as one of the boldest steps i made in my life, and i hope to make it through. i believe that this is just in preparation for something bigger and greater in the future. i keep on telling myself that i should pick up a lot from this learning experience, on living life at least if not from the actual work i do.

let’s keep our fingers crossed and pray that i’ll make something out of this. i’m also quite looking forward to your vacations here too. as i tell my friends, one hearty dinner would be on me, and maybe even more.

surprise me.

yup. you read it right. i think i made someone happy today. this is not your usual Valentines Day entry though; albeit one with a painful kick of reality.

i lost my phone this morning on the way to work. it could only have been in the tricycle or the jeep, i can’t tell exactly. i only realized it when i was already on the bus, so i immediately got off. i tried to search for the jeep in Baclaran, but to no avail.

i was frantic for a very short while, until i realized that all this stress wouldn’t be of much help anyway. so i stopped running around Baclaran and found a way to get in touch with my folks back home to deliver the news. i called up my mom and she almost automatically nagged me about it. as that didn’t help me much i decided to cut short our conversation. so much for comforting.

through the years, i’ve learned to accept things as they happen; and leave them at that. i refuse to cling to something which i can’t get back anymore (at least for material things). so now, it’s time to move on. and save up for a new phone, haha!

of course there’s a lesson learned here. this didn’t just happen. it’s actually the first time that i lost something that valuable. i was careless for one. i forgot to check my pockets before geting off, which is unusual. i always check. hmmmm. i guess it’s also a reality check for me and karma getting back at me for something i can’t mention here. i’m really one who learns his lessons the hard way. i earnestly hope that this experience helps me improve myself, in more ways than i expect.

i feel so shitty this Valentines Day. i can only hope for better things to come.

at least i made someone happy.