Mapping out for the Year of the Water Snake

2012 has indeed been kind and generous to me. Not only was I able to travel both locally and internationally, but I was given the once-in-a-lifetime chance to interact with people that made life a web of colors and beauty. Of course, I would be a hypocrite if I say I didn't encounter a few mishaps along the way but what matters most is that the positive things has out-shined the negative ones. It has been my so called "Year-End Tradition" to map out all my goals (whether personal, financial, first of first etc) and make sure to check it out by the end of the following to year to see how many I have crossed out from the list. So for the year of the Water Snake, here's my list (in random order):

1. Have at least TWO (2) out-of-the-country trip (Hongkong-Macau is considered as one)

2. Visit MT. PINATUBO and take the trail leading to the crater (Anybody up for an adventure?)

3. Seriously LOSE WEIGHT (weeeeeh?) I mean kahit 20-30 lbs lang. I need to be within striking distance of my ideal Body Mass Index

4. Learn a NEW LANGUAGE (Korean is an exception since I'm slowly learning it; I just actually need to memorize the alphabet and master the language)

5. Watch a CONCERT! (JYJ, Can you schedule one in the Philippines this year? I BADLY NEED to see Park Yoochun)

6. Swim with the WHALE SHARKS (See you kind giants in February; We'll definitely have a good time together)

7. Visit CORON (Cebu Pacific and Airphilexpress, can you grant my wish of a lesser fare for Coron?)

8. Continue Further STUDIES (Well, according to Feng Shui, 2013 is a good year for me to go back to school. Anyone up to have me as a scholar?)

9. Visit the Bangui Windmills and explore VIGAN and ILOCANDIA (mag apply nalang kaya ako sa Department of Tourism no? Sa tingin nyo?)

10. SAVE at least 500-1,000 php every PAYDAY (Now, this is what you call a BIG CHALLENGE... Temptation sa sapatos, lubayan nyo ako utang na loob?!?!)

11. Sport a NEW HAIRDO (I did it last year with a short bob...Ano naman kayang hairstyle ang balak kong i try?!? Any suggestions?)

12. A new PHONE (Well, I'm almost up for renewal so I'm thinking of getting a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 or Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1)

13. A TELEFOTO lens for my Nikon D3100 (probably I'll have the Nikon Nikkor AF-S DX VR 55-200mm f/4-5.6G IF-ED or the Nikon Nikkor AF-S 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR; Oh well, kailangan pang pag-ipunan ko muna yan)

14. A new LAPTOP (old one is running slow and the memory is not that big so I need a sturdy one; Hindi yung masyadong mahal. I don't dream of having a Macbook Pro kasi hindi ko afford so probably a brand known for its durability; siguro HP, Asus or Acer)

15. Go on a NATURE TRIP and CAMP out (mala Nagsasa Cove and Anawangin ang drama)

16. Climb a MOUNTAIN or go on a ROAD TRIP with friends (Pwede na yung bundok sa Batangas and road trip kahit sa Tagaytay or Subic, ayos na yun)

17. BUNGEE JUMPING (pwede na rin yung Tree Top Jumping sa Subic; the higher the place to jump, the more adventurous it is)

18. Commit or Help Out in a CHARITY EVENT (I'd love to donate blood sa RED CROSS however takot ako sa karayom; so siguro shell out a small amount for a Foundation for a CAUSE will do)

19. NEVER MISS a SUNDAY without going to Church (I missed one this year during my trip to Korea so next year kailangan KUMPLETO na; NO EXCUSES this time)

20. SPEND Christmas or New Year ABROAD (First of First; I'd love to see how other culture spend the HOLIDAY season; Mas MAIGI sana yung may snow para feel na feel ko ang WINTER)

21. LESSEN the number of Cigarette Sticks consumed per day (Hinay-Hinay muna; wag yung biglaan baka ma shock sa Withdrawal Syndrome)

22. READ a BOOK at least once a month (Tama na daw yung pagtatambak ko ng libro sa bahay; I need to stop being a lazy butt; I'll have to BRING OUT THE BOOKWORM in me)

23. Learn how to SURF (Parang last year ko pa na bucket list to, hindi ko pa rin ma STRIKE out... La Union or Baler, kanino sa inyong dalawa ang makakapagturo sa akin ng SURFING? Sabi pa ng friend ko, sa La Union nalang daw kasi andun si Luke Landrigan --- Hindi naman ata surfing gusto mong matutunan eh)

24. Learn how to BAKE (Isa ka pa; ni hindi kita ma strike out sa list ko; Pagtutuunan kita ng pansin ngayong 2013, sa ayaw at sa gusto KO...lol)

25. Visit ANGKOR WAT (This can be a side trip to our planned Bangkok Adventure in June just in time for my 28th birthday...Sana naman matuloy to...Just in case, sino gustong sumama sa backpacking trip na to?)

26. Have my own RAYBAN AVIATORS/WAYFARERS (Kung aasa lang ako sa tatay ko, malabo mapasaakin ito so kailangan pag-ipunan ko to ngayong taon)

27. WATCH a MOVIE at least once a month (Well, nanonood lang ako ng movie sa sinehan kapag worth it yung palabas; Ayoko magsayang ng pera sa walang kwentang movie so I should be picky once a month)

28. Experience WHITE WATER RAFTING (CDO, I shall see you again)

If you ask me why my bucket list only consists of 28, well, yung lang kasi naisip ko for now so I might have to update it sooner or later. As for now, CIAO! And to my Korean friends, 새해 복 많이 받으세요!

Sojourn in a Foreign Land --- The Viet Nam Experience

Tan Son Nhat International Airport

SOJOURN  noun \ˈsō-ˌjərn, sō-ˈ\ a temporary stay (a definition from Merriam Webster). 

Beautiful Saigon III Hotel

Saigon Opera House

Notre Dame Cathedral

Reunification Palace

The year 2011 is almost about to unfold and in the next few days we are sure to welcome with a glee heart the year 2012. As I reminisce the things/events that has happened over the past couple of months, I am for certain that this year has been its fair share of ups and downs but in the end I still think that GOD has been abundant in giving me multitude of blessings for 2011. One of the many blessings I've received from him is a generous gift indeed. Imagine, ME going out of the country for a visit? You must me kidding me right? I thought my out-of-the-country trips will resume by February of 2012 wherein I will be wandering thru the streets of Singapore and enjoy the myriad of mouth-watering dishes in Malaysia. However, because of God's countless and unending blessings, he allowed me to visit Viet Nam. At first, I was a bit hesitant. If I can vividly recall my Geography classes way back in college, I've come to know Viet Nam as a war-torn country having the infamous American-Viet Nam war back in circa 50's-70's. However, as the date of our flight draws nearer, I was ecstatic to experience a culture marred with violence and ingenuity. And so the journey begins.

Ben Than Market

Building Edifice in Ho Chi Minh

We arrived at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport on December 9, 2011 at 20 minutes past the hour of 12, 10 minutes earlier than our scheduled arrival. Surprisingly, the airport offers free wireless internet connection, way better than NAIA (I don't exactly know why travelers are required to pay the Travel Tax with a whooping amount of PHP 1620 and a Terminal Fee worth 750 when in fact the airport is even considered one of the worst in the world--- Hell yeah, Talk about corruption even in the airport facility). Sadly though, the first day of our trip didn't go well as planned. The hotel lost our reservation for the Airport pick up and we had to take a taxi to the hotel. And to add to the horror we experienced that night, we can't seem to find the hotel we we're supposed to stay in and had to be contented with a -A class hotel to spend the night with. Later the following day, we ushered ourselves to the sight of Beautiful Saigon. We started taking pictures and then rest for a bit then off to see the sights of the whole Ho Chi Minh City.

Traditional Vietnamese Bike with Strawberries

After what seemed to be like an endless journey thru the streets of Ho Chi Minh, we arrived at the hotel around 5pm. At that moment, I felt like all the blood in my legs were drained out. Feet were sored badly. Because we were too lazy to go out we tried the restaurant at the hotel and was amazed by how sumptuous a feast it could be unlike the Pho Noodles we had earlier during the day. We tried on Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Rice) and were satisfied to our heart's content.

Fishermen in Vung Tau

Bridge along Saigon River

Calachuchi Flowers

Temple in Vung Tau

Buddha

Day 2 was another day spent walking and trudging along the quiet life of the province...Sure, I'm not complaining because it was a sweat breaking adventure---Vung Tau, an island province in Viet Nam offered a mixture of culture, arts, religion and nature. We took the hydrofoil ferry from Saigon to Vung Tau. Clueless where the Statute of Jesus was (they call it Jesu in Vietnamese), we wandered around the streets of Vung Tau...We happened to stumble on a Buddhist Monk Temple (all monks there were women)...While we were busy taking snapshots of the Temple, a Vietnamese lady offered us memorabilia of the province...10 pieces of Ref Magnet for 100, 000 dong was not bad...So we bought some of our "pasalubongs" there. Afterwards, we took a taxi to Mount Nho where we are about to hurdle the insurmountable 1,000 steps up the sky and have a view of the entire province. At first, we thought it was a short walk up the mountains but truth to be told, it was not a "so-so" walk...Arduous, as I may describe it, we took at least 5 to 6 stops before we eventually emerged at the top of the mountain. We arrived there on top roughly around lunch time so we were unfortunate enough to enter the insides of the statue and climb the 120-130 steps up on its peak... We cooled down with a bottle of refreshment and took a half an hour of rest before we decided to go down and have a late lunch... We were scheduled to be back in Saigon at around quarter before six so we killed time by having the famous Vietnamese Coffee (well-ground coffee beans and you have to press it down so you can extract the juice and enjoy its dark flavor). When we arrived at the hotel, we just took a quick freshen up and walked the busy streets of Saigon to shop for pasalubongs. We ended the night at around 1 or 2 o'clock in the morning and hoping a 4 hour sleep will rejuvenate us in time for a more adventure-filled day at the Cu Chi Tunnels.

Day 3 was what I call "Crunch Time, Crawling Time Baby" We had a hearty breakfast at the hotel (Freshly Baked French Bread, Sunny Side up Eggs, Fresh fruits and Coffee/Orange Juice). I had to chunk in all the food served since Day 3 requires strength to surpass the day's activity. We boarded the coaster bus en route to the Temples of Cao Dai. We arrived there shortly before they start their mid-day routinary service in honor of their Gods. What we witnessed there was a fusion of three different religions - Buddhism, Catholicism, and Confucianism (correct me if I'm wrong---hindi kasi ako masyado nakinig sa Tour Guide) After wrapping it up at the temple, we went on to have lunch and a short break. At around past 1 in the afternoon we headed to the infamous Cu Chi Tunnels where we were presented with the ingenuity and bravery of the Viet Congs. In there, we saw the many traps they used during the war with the Americans; we also get to experience what it's like to be inside the tunnel...I thought at first we had to crawl our way out --- but crawling seemed not to be the right word to use...We had to trudge the 20 meter tunnel and had to walk like a duck to experience what life is inside...It was probably one of the best experience I had in relation to culture. Right after emerging from the tunnels, we went on to have a taste of tapioca and tea (their tea is made up of dried calachuchi and tapioca is "balanghoy" in Bisaya)... On the way home, I had to take a power nap as I was hopelessly longing for a decent sleep... We had dinner at the hotel restaurant again before heading back to the airport...

In summation, the experience I had while in Viet Nam was a re-awakening --- Viet Nam is nonetheless one of the most culturally rich countries in Southeast Asia ; a country bordered by neighboring Thailand, Laos and Cambodia; a country where you can be a Millionaire for three days... If I am given the chance, I will definitely be coming back but this time I will fly to Hanoi and be enthralled and awed by the beauty of the Halong Bay...

Cảm ơn bạn và cho đến khi thời gian tới (Thank you and Till Next Time).

DORA Chronicles : It's MORE FUN in the PHILIPPINES

Akala ko isa lang ito sa mga araw at gabi na wala na naman akong magawa sa bahay pagkarating galing opisina...Akala ko lang pala...Pero habang nag aantay ako na mag load ang na download na movie galing sa isang di kilalang website, napatingin ako sa isang video na pinost ng isa sa aking mga kaibigan sa Facebook... Sa mga nakalipas na araw, simula noong ilunsad ang bagong programa ng Department of Tourism, hindi na natahimik ang aking GALANG kaluluwa... Dati pa'y sinusubaybayan ko na ang programang nagpapakita ng kagandahan ng Pilipinas --- simula sa mga famous lines na ito : "WOW! Philippines!" hanggang sa "Tara na, Biyahe Tayo" hanggang sa kasalukuyang "It's more FUN in the Philippines". Marami bagamat sa atin ang hindi pa nasisilayan ang kagandan ng ating Lupang Sinilangan... Hanggang PANAGINIP nalang ba ang pagtuklas sa likha ng kalikasan?


Dati, noong bata pa ako, nangarap ako na makapaglibot sa iba't-ibang lugar sa Pilipinas... At ngayong matanda na ako (aamin na ako) at sinuwerteng nakapag trabaho, unti-unti kong tinutupad ang pangarap na iyon... Mayroong ibang tao na nagsasabi na "NAPAKAGALA" ko daw...Wala naman sigurong masama kung sasabihin ko na ang PAGLALAKBAY sa iba't-ibang lugar ang tanging KALIGAYAHAN na hindi ko pwedeng iwaglit ng ganuon na lamang... Siguro nga, nung ipinanganak ako ng aking butihing ina ay binasbasan ako ng "isang MILYONG nunal sa paa"...Sa dami ng lugar na aking nalakbay at napuntahan, masasabi kong "THE BEST" ang Pilipinas...Nabahiran man ito ng dumi at basura sa pulitika, hindi pa rin natin maikakaila na ang Perlas ng Silangan ang isa sa mga bansa sa Asya na biniyayaan ng Inang Kalikasan ng dalisay na kagandahan --- mapa Dagat man, Bundok, Talampas, Talon, Ilog at kung ano ano pa...


Nakakapanlumong isipin na ilan sa atin ang gugustuhin pang maglakbay sa ibang bansa kaysa sa purihin at suyurin ang kagandahan ng pitong libo't isang daan at pitong isla ng Pilipinas...Sana suportahan natin ang gobyerno sa pagpapaunlad ng TURISMO sa ating nayon...Simpleng bagay lang ang kailangan gawin: Simulan na natin ang biyahe sa Las Islas Filipinas...

Habang pinapanood ko ang video na ito, hindi ko mapigilan ang pagtayo ng aking mga balahibo sa katawan --- bigla akong NAPA-ISIP; ano kaya ang magagawa ko para makatulong man lang? Isa lang ang sagot na alam ko: Simula sa taong ito, dodoblehin ko ang mga lugar na pupuntahan ko at iyun ay dito mismo sa lugar na aking sinilangan... Kaya ihahanda ko na ang aking bulsa sa mga darating na gastos at alam ko hindi ako iiwanan ng Poong Maykapal sa aking paglalakbay...Kaya nga ibinigay nya ang Cebu Pacific at Air Philippines na aking magiging katuwang sa paghahanap ng "Piso Fare" at "Seat Sale" sa mga darating pang araw...Kaya ano pa ang hinihintay natin mga kabisyo? TARA NA, BIYAHE tayo kasi It's MORE FUN in the PHILIPPINES... 

P.S. ang ilan sa mga larawang ito ay mga larawang kupas na nakuha ko sa mga lugar na napuntahan ko na --- TANGING ALA-ALA ng isang PANGARAP na pinipilit ko pa ring matupad hanggang sa ngayon...