We drove all the way to Cebu specifically for this event: my young-at-heart Tita’s 50th! Organized as a “surprise” (someone accidentally slipped up) party by my cousin, Shangrila, I can say that the celebrant greatly enjoyed this day. Free food, a live band, fireworks and dancing…pretty good for a “surprise” party.

Happy Birthday, Tita!

Here’s the dance number from the occasion by the local ABS-CBN dancers who were hired to perform.

View more pictures on flickr.

I know it’s a little late for this post. Several, if not all, shows have already begun airing. All the same, here’s my list for this season. Not a very good list, huh? Well, I’m not a hard person to convince when it comes to watching new seasons (and new shows) and giving shows (multiple) chances no matter how badly they sucked the last season. I’m too optimistic about these things. Or maybe I just have really low expectations.

1.)    UGLY BETTY – First off, Betty’s makeover rocks! And it’s about time. It’s a good thing the crew managed to do it just right. The season premiere definitely poured on the humor. Even more than the usual. I’m looking forward to more laugh-out-loud Ugly Betty. Minor nuisance: the unexplained eyebrows. Overall: Great!

2.)    THE VAMPIRE DIARIES – What’s with the vampire craze these days? A lot of good vampire-themed entertainment has come out way before that overrated piece of [insert appropriate noun here] came to bookstores and movie screens. That CBS show, Moonlight, had potential (although the Mick/Beth thing was a tad creepy). But it was a little premature, so it got axed. The guys at CBS must be hanging themselves now. I love vampire fiction. And anything supernatural. Plus L. J. Smith is one of my favourite authors, so naturally I wouldn’t miss the premiere of The Vampire Diaries. I’ve learned to lower my expectations when it comes to the CW, but I must have lowered it too much because it was actually better than I thought it would’ve been. It is mediocre, but at least it’s not absolutely terribly awful. Expect a lot of deaths when you tune in.

3.)    GOSSIP GIRL – I liked the books despite having zero substance (I’m even reading The Carlyles…it is addicting) and I congratulate the show for its initial success, but this is turning out to be a very boring guilty pleasure. Serena is downright annoying (even though I rooted for her in the books). And Chuck’s slow drawl just translates into this grinding sound in my ears that makes my skin crawl (I was a big Victor, Victrola fan, by the way). Blair is the only saving grace in this show. And maybe Dan. Now you know who I ship (just kidding).

4.)    HEROES – With its what-in-the-world elements and twists, it’s hard not to get confused or even totally lost in this show. Everybody likes some complications. But not to the point of being ridiculous. And certainly not this often. I used to really love this show. Now, I don’t know what happened.

5.)    SUPERNATURAL – I don’t even truly like this show. It just seems too fragmented. Some subplots are entertaining but there are those times when you get uninteresting ones in an episode. So it gets tiring at times, yet something about the show keeps me watching it. I just have to have the will to press the play button.

6.)    90210 – Losing a major cast member on its second season? And with no closure whatsoever especially after that out-of-the-blue scene involving said cast member on last season’s finale. I wonder what implausible scenarios the writers and producers have invented to save this show.

7.)    ONE TREE HILL – With two major cast members gone (what’s with the writing off these days?), tuning back in to the goings on in Tree Hill is going to be a chore. Especially with that annoying sister of Haley’s. Please go back to where you came from. Or just stop whining. I can’t believe the only person I’m looking forward to seeing is an oversexed high-maintenance actress. Oh, and just wondering, why does no one in Tree Hill seem to have normal jobs? They’re all in the entertainment industry! Or some form of it, anyway.

Where’s Lost and Smallville? Usually, they’d be in there somewhere on my list. They just don’t hold the same level of interest for me anymore. Not like they used to, anyway. When I’m not feeling lazy, I might watch the episodes I’ve missed and maybe, I’ll see it up there. Until then.

Now, these two aren’t airing until next year, but I’m already counting down.

1.)    TRUE BLOOD – I hope Eric has more screen time next season. Alexander Skarsgård is a surprisingly good actor, but his head seems to be permanently tilted down. I know he’s tall and everything, but it’s distracting.

2.)    SKINS – It’s a typical teen drama, so it has its faults, but it also has redeeming qualities in the issues it explores. So, it’s a good show. Better than most of its teen soap counterparts, that is. I still have a soft spot for the original cast members, so I’m still hoping for some guest star appearances in the 4^th series, however meager the possibility. And please, no more puppy-dog-eyed Freddie pining for I-can’t-let-myself-be-happy-coz-it’ll-ruin-my-image Effy. Please.

Lastly, a potential series that I’m wishing and hoping and praying will get picked up by HBO…

GAME OF THRONES – Based on George R. R. Martin’s epic fantasy series (and a personal favourite), A Song of Ice and Fire. Will definitely appeal to all hardcore fans of the genre (though it is a bit adult-oriented). The cast looks promising too. They are currently filming the pilot and this blog is a good source for updates and all things Thrones.

Well, it seems I’ve mostly been dissing shows on this list. So why even bother putting it up? I honestly don’t know. TV addict…

Even though we already stopped the tradition of going from Bacolod all the way to Toboso to visit our dead relatives, All Saints’ Day still sucks the energy out of me. Especially when we go at noon. The blistering, midday sun, the glaring whiteness of the cemetery and the heat from burning candles (and small fires) equal a very unpleasant experience.

Whiteness...

Paying respects

It was a relief when we finally arrived at the family mausoleum in Cadiz. Where there was an actual roof above our heads shielding us from the heat of the sun (Thank God!).

Candles and Flowers

After adorning my grandmother’s and uncle’s final resting places with flowers and lighted candles, we went to my aunt’s residence nearby for lunch. After a satisfying meal of turbo broiled chicken (love the sauce) and lumpia shanghai, we headed back to the cemetery for the Mass. The Cousins’ Guild (or at least, the few who were present) held a short meeting when the Mass was done to discuss current issues and upcoming events, including plans for the Dinagsa Festival. We stayed until evening, keeping the remains of our loved ones company. People resorted to other stuff (like drinking, Yanggaw and Alvic) to keep themselves entertained.

Alvic, my nephew

Guess what's getting all the attention

After a few hours, we again went to my aunt’s house for a tasty dinner before heading back to Bacolod to pay a visit to my mom in Rolling Hills to complete the occasion.

Hoy, noypi! Have you ever wanted something so bad from Amazon, but doubted whether you’ll ever see the products you paid for when shipped to the Philippines? Well, don’t despair. Due to a mixture of stupidity, curiosity and obsession on my part, I have successfully had a few items delivered to me. So it is possible to shop at Amazon and have the goods shipped to the Philippines, but with more than a few caveats. Two major ones, in fact.

1.)    It takes forever. Yes, they have a tracker that sends you updates in your e-mail but that ends when the package arrives in the Philippines. I received about two updates. One informing me that the package has been sent and another one saying it has reached its destination (meaning the Philippines). This alone takes a while. But what’s even longer is the wait for that little piece of paper in your mail telling you to claim something from the post office. This takes months and months. I’ve already given up on receiving the package when I got the notice. It was that long. And after that, you still have to drive up to Parañaque City and wait in line among other people claiming their goods (again, for a long time…we actually just ate lunch in the car because it was a really long wait…and it was hot, too) in order to claim it.

2.)    It’s costly. Notwithstanding the shipping cost included in your Amazon payment, you still have to pay the customs and taxes laid upon your shipment. The dues vary depending on your items. Any kind of jewelry (even costume jewelry or plastic ones) have really high fees. The Philippine customs and duties system is really speculative and unreliable. Mine doubled my initial payment for the items.

Luckily, the items were as ordered and no damage had been done. Thank the LORD! I guess that’s kudos to the Amazon merchant or supplier. Probably the only part in this whole system which is close to efficient.

VERDICT: Not worth it.

On another note, I just wanted to share with you this neat little money-making website called Amazon Mechanical Turk (by, you guessed it, Amazon). I haven’t actually received any money from it since you need to have an account at the Bank of America to have money wired to you. Although you could also use your earned money to buy things from Amazon which is pretty cool. Maybe you could use it to cover your shipping costs. That way you’ll only have to shell out a couple of thousands in the customs and duties charges.

We got a taxi to Ayala Mall and when we arrived, my aunt went straight to the Citibank ATMs to withdraw some cash. There was no money in the machines so we were hung up and had to wait for 30 minutes for the cash. After that, we went inside the mall and headed to Café Laguna near The Terraces for a merienda consisting of a bit of palabok and coffee jelly.

Waiting for our orders at Café Laguna

I would have had more if not for my toothache (damn these braces!). My aunt asked if the restaurant did catering, probably looking for a caterer for a party she was throwing. They did have the service, but my aunt didn’t go with them because the price was expensive for her budget. Four dishes at P250 per head. While in the restaurant, we couldn’t help but notice a group of crossdressers through the glass windows, passing by, back and forth. We had a brief laugh about that. My aunt got an extra seaweed along with her order of turon. She told the waiter and the dish was refunded. Nice. The restaurant had good customer service, at least.

When we finished eating, we encountered a slight case of mistaken identity involving the Girl With A Pink Shirt (GWAPS). My cousin, Shang, had a package to give to this GWAPS. So, we scoured the area for a girl fitting the description of the GWAPS until Shang pointed one out. The description fit, so Shang went over to the GWAPS, led her inside the restaurant and introduced her to us. We all smiled and brightly said our greetings. I said hello. We were starting to doubt her identity when she started rambling on about other things. And when Shang handed her the package, she looked hesitant and utterly confused. Finally, Shang asked her, “Are you Merci?” (that’s the name of the GWAPS she was supposedly going to deliver the package to). This GWAPS let out a small laugh and immediately began to shake her head from side to side, “No.” Um, okay. She left and we all joked about it. Then came the real Merci. She was a GWAPS, too, after all. First thing Shang asked her: “What’s your name?” “Merci.” Relieved. She introduced us. Again. And I smiled and said hello. Again. And after some small talk, Shang gave her the package, Merci said merci (but not in French) and we said buh-bye to her.

Then we proceeded to get haircuts at Jolly Barbers. My aunt took long, so when I was done, I began snapping pictures out of boredom.

Bored at the salon

Still not done

While waiting for our aunt to finish, Lore and I went window shopping and while browsing boutiques, she informed me of a new fashion trend: maps. I don’t know where that came from. Then she told me to choose a piece of clothing to compensate for her overdue pasalubong for me. Cool! I chose a blue-grey bolero-jacket from Human (thanks, Nang!). After our aunt was done in the salon, we stopped by True Value Home Center to look for products to keep various types of insects away before we headed home for dinner and balut.

It's dinner!

Late-night balut

Hey T.H.E.M! Remember the old times? Yeah, we all miss Sir JB. Things weren’t so complicated back then.
Here’s the really embarrassing video we made for our English project. Have fun rofl.

Part 1

Part 2

and of course, THE MAKING:

Neslie, I commend you for making the most hand gestures in the entire video.
Maisie, do you need help with those chips?
Meg, you are a really convincing undead woman. And those eyes! Oh my.
<shakes head> Tsk. Tsk. What freaks.

Last night, I had an unexpected visitor. It was a pleasant surprise. As with all other visitors, my cousin’s arrival provided a viable excuse for me to set up another instantaneous excursion. So, we (or rather, I) started to talk about possible day trip destinations while we ate dinner and watched a bloody chop-chop movie, the Midnight Meat Train, based on the novel by Clive Barker. Bar-c was leaving on Tuesday and since both Karen and I were occupied from Monday to Friday, we settled on Saturday which happened to be the day after. Karen let slip something about Subic and I instantly made up my mind. We had our destination. Despite Karen’s evident reluctance, I called our trusty guide and fellow lakwatsera on the phone to confirm our plans.  Karen resumed with her trifling attempts to dissuade me, but in my head, I was already planning to leave Subic before dark so I didn’t have to drive at night.

That’s how we ended up in Subic the next day.

I was thankful that we were headed north and taking the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) instead of its poor-excuse-for-an-expressway southern counterpart, the SLEX. It was around 7 AM when we arrived at the NLEX toll gates in Balintawak. We paid P38 and headed down the 80-something-kilometer stretch of smooth paved road, passing a chain of green rice fields along the way. We took the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) interchange/spur road right after the Dau Exit and were given a card at the toll gates. I grinned like a maniac when I saw the almost deserted expressway and was tempted to step on the accelerator to the hilt (I don’t, remembering my father’s warnings). I thought an average of 120km/hr would be reasonable (despite the 60-100 km/hr speed limits). I mean, come on. 100?

As we drove through the SCTEX, I saw why Karen had raved so much about this road after coming back from a work-related trip to Subic. The motorway cuts through fields of lahar, rolling terrains and green mountains – a repeating pattern that never gets old. The refreshing landscape will make sure you won’t get bored driving and enhance safety. Boredom = sleepiness = accidents = death. Disturbing, right? So I guess it’s for the best. Just don’t drive at night. I couldn’t appreciate the SCTEX when I first drove through it because it was night and all I could see were, well, darkness and the occassional bright headlights from the other lane. But now, I appreciate it. A lot.

Before we knew it, we had arrived at the Tipo Expressway going to Subic.

We made a detour towards the National Highway, not really knowing where to go. I made the decision and took a left turn at the junction going to JEST camp. Always the first stop on our Subic itinerary. Since we’ve already gone on the slide for life at the Extreme Adventure Park a couple times before, I decided to try the new Tree Top Adventure Park advertised in signs posted all over Subic with the tag line Get High on Nature. There were already a bunch of people when we arrived. Good news because it meant the place was open (from 8 AM to 5 PM daily) and bad news because it meant it would take forever to get on the rides. They had four main attractions: Tree Drop Adventure, Superman Ride, Canopy Ride and Trekking Adventure which starts from 10 AM to 12 NN and 2 PM to 4 PM. We first chose our activity package which was the Canopy and Superman Ride. They have several packages that could help you save when you want to try all, or at least more than one, of the attractions. The rates range from P100 to P350 depending on which package you avail of. Then, we signed a waiver and were given numbers for the rides, though the cashier really needn’t have bothered since they don’t seem to implement this number-queuing system, anyway. The lady told us to put on our harnesses and helmets for the Canopy Ride, but it turned out we had to wait for a rather long time before we were finally called up for our first ride.

Putting on the harness

Meanwhile, we entertained ourselves by watching someone trying to demonstrate how to create fire by rubbing two cut-and-shaped bamboo poles together to a group of people who were probably out on a company outing.

Bad luck befell us when I found out the camera had gone awry. Again. It could still review the pictures taken, but there was no way you could tell what the lens was seeing when shooting pictures. The screen was black with no indication of anything. So our solution was just to use our imagination and take our best guesses. Or hold down the shutter release button and hope for a good shot.

Waiting....waiting...

After a while, we were told we were going next on the Canopy Ride. Finally. So with our green harnesses and red helmets, the three of us took the ride together: Bar-c, Karen and me. They only allow a maximum of up to three persons per ride. I tell you, it’s a long, lonely ride if you go alone.

Up we go

We really didn’t expect nine Canopy Rides all in all. That’s ten platforms. When you look at the bright side, I guess it’s a good thing to get your money’s worth, but I can’t help thinking it got a tad boring at some point.

We proceeded to chat up the people manning the stations (learning the names of trees, facts about the place plus a bit of personal information) and tried different seating positions to liven up the ride. By the time we reached the final station, we had mastered the operators’ job of getting us safe and ready. We could apply for the position of canopy ride operator.

Before we went to the Superman station, I bought a popsicle from a Bisaya ice cream vendor. The Kimmie Jelly tongue kind. It reminded me of high school days and tasted good in the humid climate. So I bought another one.

Then we headed for the Superman station. We thought we were ready to go because there weren’t any people waiting in line, but we found there was a whole barangay of people up on the platform and they were just starting to go be like superheroes one by one. So it took a while for us before the operator signalled for us to go up. Bar-c went first, if only to prolong my anticipation. She was asked to climb some steel bars to get her on the harness and do the Superman position.

Getting ready for the Superman

Then with a zzziippp of the pulleys rotating, she was off. When she reached the other station, she was just as tiny as an ant. After a few seconds, she was back and smiling, but complained of pain in her thighs. When it was my turn, I immediately understood what she was talking about. The harness was so tight around the thighs that they were digging into my jeans and into my skin. The tightness probably could’ve cut blood circulation. It was like it was trying to pull me up, but I was too heavy. When I reached the other side, the operator told me to hang on to the steel bars. I did and when I put my feet down, the rope kept trying to pull me up and it got a bit painful. I just wanted to stay in the Superman position and not move. At least that way, the ropes don’t keep pulling me. But I had to switch directions.

I'm back.

When the ride was finished, I hurriedly got myself out of the harness. The operator announced his lunch break, but Bar-c told him to just let the boy who waited behind us go on the ride instead of having to let him wait while he chomps down food. I almost forgot to give the helmet back in my hurry to make up for the wasted time. We broke the good news to the group of people sitting eagerly in the waiting area: lunch break!

I was in a hurry to get to our next destination which was Ocean Adventure, by popular request. We had lunch at Ilanin Bay Café, a group meal which turned out to not be as expensive as I thought it would be. Their food was surprisingly good for a restaurant forced on people (you couldn’t bring food inside, not even a bottle of C2).

At Ilanin Bay Café

Just outside the restaurant, we found a group of colorful surfboard props and Bar-c just had to have a picture with them.

Surfboards!

First, we watched the Sea Lion Show which was pretty much the same as their last shows, but still entertaining. Then we were off to the Whale & Dolphin Show. Again, same program but the emcee this time was an American. This show never fails to make me smile, though.

We went next door to Camayan Beach Resort to try kayaking. The resort was undergoing some renovation. Personally, I thought the resort was fine as it was, with a kind of native ambience and a simple beach-y feel. More relaxing that way. Now, I’m guessing it’s all going to be commercialized with concrete, concrete and concrete everywhere you can lay your eyes on. What is wrong with people?

Playing with paddles

Before throwing on lifevests and getting aboard the yellow, sit-on-top kayak, we first went to The Reef Restaurant and Bar for some water to drink and to order drinks for our dear friends who didn’t want to go kayaking. I won’t go into the details of a certain olfactory problem a certain someone had regarding a certain lifevest. That’s for us to know.

Somewhere in the picture lies the olfactory problem

Readying ourselves at the edge of the shore, the three of us were pushed into the sea against the crashing waves. Once past the waves, we were all set to kayak the afternoon away.

We never planned to do any swimming. But I guess it was pretty stupid of us to think we wouldn’t get our clothes wet kayaking. Just getting the kayak into the water, our bottom half was already soaked. Plus it was raining. Barcelis was the first one to go. Karen and I remained in the kayak, while Barcelis started shouting complaints about how there were rocks and seaweeds everywhere.

The weather was this heat/rain combination that was certain to make my head ache. And that’s just what it did. Feeling the start of a headache, I decided to hit the water and take a swim. Something came to mind: some old wives’ tale about taking a bath when you got caught in the rain (so you don’t get sick). We returned the kayak and ourselves to the shore and went to the bordered part meant for swimming. Where I presumed, had less rocks and seaweeds. But the moment we stepped into the water, our feet were greeted by jabs and pokes and the occasional tickly weed that made me squirm. And worse, the waves kept pushing us back and forcing us to land not-so-gently on our feet. On the jagged rocks. I watched the toddlers around us, enjoying themselves and I thought, they must have inch-thick calluses on their feet.

Later, we found that when we moved away from the border and into the center, there were less rocks. So we found ourselves places where our feet could actually touch sand. We watched as a couple made their way through the rocky path we had just been through. Barcelis and Karen laughed as they saw their delighted faces suddenly turn sour and overheard the word rocks in their irritated conversation. I felt a little evil laughing along with them.

The sky was turning darker and I remembered something I said about leaving Subic before nightfall. Shoot. I’m going to have to drive in the dark again. I wasn’t looking forward to driving home, but we had to go, so we changed into the least wet clothing we had, tried to dry the rest and headed for Manila.

While approaching the turnoff to SCTEX, I suddenly found out I couldn’t see through the windshield. It was fogged up probably because of the rain and the cold or whatever. I don’t remember the rudiments of water condensation and evaporation back in high school science, but it’s probably due to imbalances in temperature. We stopped at the roadside, right before the intersection taking you to Manila and Subic’s Central Business District (CBD). We had to ask for directions before we knew that one. We wiped the windshield to get rid of the fog, but it kept coming back. We rolled down the windows and turned off the aircon. Some improvement, but not much. I finally gave up and just went on, keeping the windows down and the aircon off, praying the mist would just dissipate. And luckily, it did. By the time we were rolling along the dark SCTEX, the windshield was clear. I thought there would be streetlights by now in the SCTEX, but I don’t think they’re functional yet. How I hate driving at night from Subic to Manila. There was some traffic when we got to NLEX, which was really irritating ’cause I was really tired and just hurrying to get home. When we were nearing Manila, it started to rain torrents. Cars signalled their hazard lights. At least, it’s a free carwash. Luckily, it was just brief and the rain stopped before we reached Manila. I finally stepped foot inside our home sweet home. Within ten minutes, I was already in my bed, fast asleep. I was that tired.

View pictures of the trip on Flickr.

Contact Info for Tree Top Adventure Park

Upper MAU FSC Tourism
Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Zambales, Philippines 2222
(047) 2529425
(047) 2529427
treetopadventure@yahoo.com

Contact Info for Camayan Beach Resort

Camayan Wharf, West Ilanin Forest Area
Subic Bay Freeport Zone 2222
(047) 252-8000

Visit Camayan Beach Resort’s website for more information.