Watching Miss Universe 2016

image taken from pagenathology101.com

I woke up today and found out that our candidate, Ms Philippines, has already gotten into the top 13 for the Miss Universe pageant. I haven't followed the preliminaries though I have read a lot of bashing and support on Facebook about her. Nevertheless, I still rooted for her. I'm proud how she has exuded confidence and saw that she really tried her best. Although I am alone in my room here in the dormitory that I am staying at in Phuket, Thailand, I screamed when she was chosen as one of the top 6 candidates. I'm also happy that Miss Thailand got to this point as well. She is so regal and beautiful.

Ms Philippines was randomly chosen to answer first for the question and answer portion. I held my breath. It has long been an issue in the Philippines if she should use an interpreter or not. Her question was: What is the most significant change you've seen in the world in the last 10 years?

Its a very easy question but maybe because she was nervous during that time, I am sad to note that she didn't quite get it right. She had an interpreter who asked her the same question in our National Language but she chose to answer in English. I commend her for trying although I think it was best if she answered it in Tagalog. 

If I were to be asked that question, I would say that the most significant change in the last 10 years is social media. People are now getting news and updates right through a touch of a button and people from far away can be felt as though they are near. Families and friends are able to share important information in the shortest amount of time and this can further help me with my advocacy.

Ultimately, Miss Universe pageant has been a success despite of some groups in the Philippines who did not like for it to be held there. Congratulations to Miss France for winning the crown. May this allow you to reach your dreams of making the world a better place.

image taken from www.thestar.com.my

Thank you for reading and 'til next blog!

Remembering SAF44

I was touched when I saw this photo on Facebook about a letter from a little girl asking the Philippine President to help seek justice for her father.

The father was one of the 44 members of the Special Action Force (SAF) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) who died in the Mamasapano clash which took place on 25 January 2015 at Mamasapano, Maguindanao. The police operation codenamed Oplan Exodus was intended to capture or kill wanted Malaysian terrorist and bombmaker Zulkifli Abdhir (Marwan). 

Now, 2 years after the incident, current Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte tells former President Benigno Aquino that he has to answer to the nation of what really happened during that operation. Aquino stands by his word that he emphasized that PNP should have coordinated with the AFP and this must have been done days before the actual seige. 

I hope and pray that the truth will come out and give the families of the fallen 44 the answers that they needed to know. The answers may not bring them back to life but it can serve as a lesson to future leaders of the country and to uncover any hidden agenda included in that operation. 

Thank you for reading and 'til next blog!

Food in the Philippines

I still can't get over the fact that after 2 years of being away from home, I've eaten the Filipino foods I craved for. Though I am loving Thai food, nothing beats food from the Philippines. I actually made a list of the food I have to eat and am glad to say I ticked almost all of them. So here they are in no particular order.

On New Year's Eve we had a full table prepared with food. My sister specifically made sure that we have Lechon. It is what we name the well roasted pig in the middle of this table. Usually this is the star of Pinoy parties. Surrounding it are fresh fruits (for new year luck), bread, smoked fish and my mother's delicious Filipino style spaghetti.

Another one on my list is the Choc'o Flakes from Baguio. I was first introduced to this snack way back in college from a dorm mate who lived in the mentioned province. Actually, its just corn flakes covered in brown or white chocolate. Simple as it is, I like it so much and always try to buy it every time from the airport.

This is the top view of my Halo-halo (that I mixed already before I remembered to take a photo). This consists of ube ice cream, cornflakes, some jelly and fruits, ice and milk. This is especially good to eat during the summer when its so hot. 

It was said that you haven't been to Butuan until you ate chicken at Weegol's Garden. Well, I've lived in Butuan for 2 years of my high school but this was my first time to discover the place. (I know right?). It was packed with people for lunch and no wonder because of it's delicious chicken barbecue in a set including 1 and a half rice. 

I had a gastronomic treat in Cebu thanks to my sister who brought me to Buffet 101. There was a huge variety of food, including Japanese cuisine that I super like. 

One of my top priority was to order Alberto's Pizza. This pizza is what me and my house mates used to order after a gruelling hospital shift. The chain has grown so big now with a lot of branches at different provinces. It has managed to offer different pizza flavors that fit my budget perfectly.

I deeply miss Jollibee and ate some right after landing in the capital city. Since I was a child, I loved eating Jollibee and I haven't grown out of it. Though it already has branches in some countries but I feel the quality in the Philippines is still the best. Nothing beats lasagna from Greenwich, too! Tip: if you have OFW friends coming home to the Philippines, usually they would like to treat people with Jollibee because there is no other like it abroad.

The joy of eating in a roadside restaurant with puso (hanging rice), tasty pork liempo and paired with cold softdrinks is pure joy! I forgot to take a photo of the siomai that we also bought. My mouth waters just thinking about it lol.

I was almost afraid I would miss eating sisig. See my wide smile just by looking at it. It's a Filipino dish made from parts of pig's head and liver and seasoned with lemon and chilli peppers. Oh what a treat!

I made this post to remind me of what a good time I had in my recent holiday because of my family, friends and with all the food I tasted. I even attempted to stuff my bag with some more food for presents and my own consumption. (lol)

For those of you who haven't visited my beloved country yet, I hope this will inspire y'all to come and visit, not only to see our beautiful sights but also to eat.

Thank you for reading and 'til next blog!

Moving out and Starting Over

I will soon embark on another journey in my career; educational and personal life. I realized now that with the 3 years I have spent in Phuket, I have amassed a lot of things. I pride myself as a stingy person when it comes to buying possessions. However, I can't still quite fathom how I own a lot now. Well, some are not bought by me but was handed down to me by my friends. I'm grateful for them but I need to part with some of the things sooner or later.

image courtesy of selfplannedtrip.com

It is fun to go through the materials that I accumulated all those months but it is also heartbreaking to part with them. It is either I sell, give or just throw some of them away. I forgot how moving is hard and that is why my goal is now to become a minimalist. In fact, I am setting out to buy only the things that I need and way lesser of the things that I only want.

This is my nurse teddy which I forgot to bring home to the Philippines. Sure, this thing gave me joy because its a unique teddy and a remembrance of my previous workplace but this is only a "want". I plan to give it away soon and make one child happy.

The clothes rack that I shared with my roommate before and since I can't bring it, I would have to sell it along with some other things. I'm happy to have discovered a facebook page which can let people buy or sell second hand items in Phuket. I've become a member of the group and posted some of these things. If only I only a group like this exists, I would have saved a lot on home equipment.

Indeed, it is tough to move out and call another place as home but this is how life is. I have to do what I think is best for me and that is to chase my dreams and grasp every opportunity.

Thank you for reading and 'til my next blog!

Mybus Experience in Cebu

Being in Thailand for quite a few years, I've known that most of the provinces have airport buses that take people from parts of the town/city to the airport and vice versa. This made travelling to and from the airport easy, convenient and cheap. I'm happy to know that Cebu, Philippines has its own bus like this and it's called Mybus.

image taken from amigongbisaya.blogspot.com

My sister has been raving about how she liked riding this bus as it saves her time, effort and money to drive to the airport. I had the chance to ride the Mybus when I went to Cebu last December 2016. Just a few meters walk from the airport arrival hall and there is a mybus sign. She already had a mybus card that she bought from SM City and so she just told the girl at the counter that there will be 2 passengers to pay for on the card. 

The seats were comfortable and the bus was clean. There were spaces for luggage to be stored and handles in case all seats are taken. Mybus departed the airport right on schedule.

I'm so proud of Cebu's initiative for this kind of bus. I think there will be less traffic in the airport now that this bus can serve the general public.

image taken from sunstar/ cebuchinese.com

I found this very helpful infographic. I hope this helps :)

Thank you for reading and 'til next blog! :)

My Short Cebu Visit

Facebook has led me to be curious about a new attraction in Cebu, specifically located in the highlands of Busay. A lot of people took the time to be there to take photos with some colorful Celosia flowers. I want to see it for myself too so my sister took me there last 27 December during my short visit to Cebu.

First, we traversed through the moderate traffic and steep mountain road to Busay. There are many other flower farms but we sought to find the original Sirao Garden.

Entrance fee was 50 pesos. It must have been only a few days after they have harvested the flowers as the new ones were still short. My sister who has been there before said that when they came around November 2016, the flowers were as tall as people.

The people maintaining the garden has accessorized the place with bikes

benches, and a cute pathway

perfect for added attraction as people nowadays (like me) love to take nice photos.

There was not much flowers but I'm still happy to have seen the place with my own eyes. There were less people and no queues which  made the visit short.

Lining up outside the gardens are stores that sell boiled corn, fried bananas, coconut juice and other kinds of snacks. Hungry visitors can just take their pick. I've missed fried bananas so much!

Our next stop was Temple of Leah. This was constructed by Teodorico Adarna as a symbol of his great love for his late wife - Leah Adarna.  There was a short walk from the entrance to the temple itself but while you are going towards it, you walk in an increasing elevation leading to this enormous edifice. Entrance fee, by the way, is 50 pesos per person.

A lovely fountain in the middle of the enormous court.

Lovely statues and the city lights in the far distance.

Most of the people I knew came in during daylight. But during the evening, a lot of people are still coming in to visit the place. The bright lights of the big city below is mesmerizing.

I know visit during the morning or afternoon would be wonderful for photos as there is natural light but from where I stand, I can still clearly see its beauty. It's like I am not in the Philippines but somewhere in a Greek island. The temple is likened to Taj Mahal because of the story of why it is built.

The insides of this majestic place. I remembered my cousin had their pre-nuptial photos taken here as well as a lot of other couples. In the middle of 2 staircases was an inscription and an effigy of the woman who was loved by her dear husband and inspired for all this to be built.

We stayed for a bit to read the inscriptions as the rooms where the collections of the wife were now closed.

The place is yet to be finished but it already boasts of being grand. Again, maybe I will visit soon during day time and take more photos.

Thank you for reading and 'til next time!

Coming back after my Philippine Holiday

After 2 years of working hard and travelling to a few places, I was finally able to come home to the Philippines to celebrate Christmas and New Year. I was nervous to come home because I have a very limited budget and I would have wanted to give small tokens to my relatives and close friends or maybe treat them with some nice food. With the Grace of God, I was able to come home safely, enjoy my time and share a little bit of my blessings with them. I have not had the time to see everyone because of my tight schedule, I wish to apologize and hope that I'd be able to see them next time. 

Christmas in the Philippines is so warm and different. Even more so with family and friends by my side. I would have wanted to blog about things done by Pinoys during Christmas but it may be too late already. 

I can't wait to share about the new things that I found lovely in the Philippines as well as that of the few nice places I've been to during my visit. This was taken in Sirao Flower Garden in Busay, Cebu City.

And of course, I cannot forget and it is important to our lives, the food! Everything tasted good and I missed them all. I did have a checklist of what food I have to eat when I'm home and I think I have ticked them all!

It was fun and memorable as I made a life changing decision while at home. I hope and pray that 2017 would be as great as 2016 for me and my family. Can't wait to write again and hopefully entertain you all!

Thank you for reading and 'til my next blog!

Sisay Grandchildren's Association (SIGA) Get Together

photo courtesy of Sunday Seth Atuel

My grandmother, Teresa or Sisay for short, had quite a number of children and grandchildren which includes me. I'm glad that my cousins took the time to organize a yearly get together and I got the chance to join them this time.

Our SIGA get together happened last 29 December 2016 at Pebble Beach, Surigao City. The family rented around 2 jeepneys to take the whole family and it was a 2 hour drive from our humble barrio. Road trip is not boring with these number of kids unless they start to fall asleep haha!

photo courtesy of Floremae Ungab

I arrived later than all of them because I just came back from Cebu City. When I arrived, the family already occupied and rented 4 cottages (pictured at our back). I surely missed the other reunions and bondings but this time I was happy to spend time with all. 

photo courtesy of Floremae Ungab

True to its name, the beach had a lot of stones and pebbles on it. It was painful to run to the shore barefoot so we chose to wear our slippers even in the waters. 

The kids enjoyed staying long hours in the water supervised by an adult or two while some adults chose to prepare the food and the program. I used to do this as a child, too. I ran to the water the minute we get off from the car and get off the water only when hungry haha!

photo courtesy of Floremae Ungab

Swimming and frolicking lasted until the sun went down. Sunset at the beach is always breathtaking. 

Our meals were shared on a long table and evryone can go round and get as much as one wants. Its always nice to share food and eat with relatives. Although the food was not a lot, it was enough and filling for all. 

photo courtesy of Floremae Ungab

In the evening, we were all asked to sit down in a bigger cottage to have fellowship with each family member. My cousins welcomed those who attended the reunion for the first time (which includes me). We also reminisced and prayed for our family members who have departed this life. 

Never a dull moment with the kids. 

photo courtesy of Floremae Ungab

Because we were still feeling the Christmas air, we had gift giving and exchanging gifts. It was fun to wait for names to be called for the prizes. All of us also enjoyed playing some parlor games like pass the message and bring me. 

photo courtesy of Floremae Ungab

Our aunts and uncles were each given a mug as a tribute/ Christmas gift which looked like this. 

After all the games and gifts were given, each family then prepared the tents to sleep in. I can say that my relatives are already well versed with putting up tents because we usually have beach overnight reunions every 2 years for the last 10 years. And yet, we don't get tired of the beach and of the fellowship. 

photo courtesy of Floremae Ungab

In the morning, we continued eating, swimming and singing to some karaoke songs. But more importantly, we did not forget to have a morning devotion and business meeting for the upcoming planned clan/ family activities. 

It was indeed a short and sweet time to bond with my cousins, nephews, nieces, uncles and aunts. I'm glad we have this event every year to unwind and get away from the busy adult lives that we lead. Thank you, Lord for the gift of time and family.

Thank you for reading and 'til next blog!