In the 6 years we've been together, Kai and I filled our time with plenty of random discussions of the future -- what we'll be doing in the next x years, where we'll eventually live, when we plan to do one thing or another -- amidst all the everyday conversations of the TV shows we follow or the stories that we write. I've always felt that couples talking about the future together is usually a good sign -- that they're ready to take the next big step into their relationship.
Nowadays I don't find it the least bit embarrassing telling people that I have a girlfriend. It's a phase I've long since overcome and I'm quite settled with the idea that I want to spent forever with her. There's just this crazily deep understanding we have of each other that I love that might be misinterpreted by other people.
These past 6 years have never been the smoothest course. After all, we were two girls facing the world, and we sometimes get pretty paranoid with how the world might judge us. Whether it be family, friend or officemate, the whole idea of publicizing that we were dating has always been a touchy subject. It's only just recently that I (a bit more than we maybe) have just stop caring about how other people might think and just charge ahead. After all, we have that right just as everyone else does to plan our own future.
That being said, we're taking the first step by doing something we've been wanting to do for sometime now -- taking an out of the country trip together. Of course, this would have some very elaborate plan to pull off, but we're really just checking things off our list.
Earlier this week I chanced upon the Piso Fare from Cebu Pacific and booked our flights in November already, so now what's left is the hotel and any other itinerary we end up doing.
Showing posts with label vacation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vacation. Show all posts
on Sunday, June 30, 2013
(My apologies for the late post, but I never managed to finish typing up this entry before I came back to the hustle and bustle of coming back.)
Finally, the feature presentation! Our final destination and the entire reason for our Canada trip (going through all the trouble of procuring a single entry Canadian Visa) was to visit Winnipeg, Manitoba, where the Asuncion family migrated to back in August 2008. After nearly 5 years, this will be the first time that our entire family has come to visit them, so it was truly an experience to look forward to. Our flight was at around 8 in the morning, and were already in the airport at around 7-ish. The flight took roughly 4 hours, adding an hour to the clock due to timezone discrepancy of around an hour.
Upon our arrival, dad was taking pictures as we descended the escalators to the baggage claim area before we spotted some familiar faces hiding near the Tim Horton's nearby! Running, hugging, glomping and general greetings were exchanged when the entire Asuncion family came out to greet us, along with Ate Joan's boyfriend JR. After some obligatory pictures and more hugs, we made our way to their humble abode some 20-30 minutes away from the airport. Much of the reason why they all came out to meet with us as mostly because we needed all the space we could afford. With three cars, however, that didn't pose much of a problem.
What greeted us when we arrived was a welcome message that read: Bienvenue Monsods! I already expected this to happen, but it was endearing and it affirmed that we were actually there! We took some time to relax, let our feet rest and just chill for a while after all the travelling. For us cousins, we each end up with our own little partners from childhood, mostly because we were the ones who became so tight-knit. So I spent most of my time with Jostin, who had a grand lair in the basement that was just so awesome I wish I took a picture of it!
To unwind, he and I broke our his Rockband set, did I Spy with the drum adapter before proceeding to play some Rock Band 2 songs while our siblings went out. After a while, we joined my parents and his mom (my godmother) to see the sights and visit The Forks, the only "tourist spot" in Winnipeg, according to Jostin. Loved the bonding time with him, catching up with our age-old Xhevix conceptualzation for a while and spending the rest of the time enjoying their Netflix subscription and finish the first 2 seasons of Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman) and some random episodes of Doctor Who.
Of course, as a big group, we went to various malls and restaurants, and engaged in several fun activities, which I'll break down below!
Sunday, June 9, marked my parents' 29th Wedding Anniversary. We all came up with an itinerary for them, and our first stop was making reservations at Montana's Grill. The food was delicious, and my parents initially offered to pay for dinner, but in the end, we ended up surprising them by paying the bill instead! We capped off the day proceeding to go play Five-Pin Bowling. Separating into a boys vs girls groups of 5, we played two games, and I must say, it was a lot of fun! The alleys resembled the usual ten-pin bowling lanes, but this just had five, a smaller ball and a points system to cap it all off. My first game was a sweet success, but I couldn't boast the same for the second one though, haha!
One of the more memorable shopping escapades we went to was to a little place called Kildonan Place. Much of the reason we headed off there was to scout for the HMV branch that had a stock of the Eleventh Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver. And yeah, my uncle got it for me so it was a very, very sweet deal! Funny thing was, I only had one remark. "I need a screwdriver for my screwdriver!" Yeah, I needed an actual one to pop in the batteries before I could play Doctor. But once that was set it was such a dream.
Quite often, we spent late nights staying up and watching movies (this was mostly due to my cousin Joan and her boyfriend JR), so Jostin and I couldn't sleep right away even if we wanted to since that would have meant commandeering the PS3 and Netflix. So there was a little Cabin in the Woods with splashes of old cartoon shows like Dexter's Laboratory and Samurai Jack to keep us entertained!
For another fun activity we headed off to a little place called Lazer Runner where we engaged in a rowdy game of Laser Tag! We were a big group of 15 or thereabouts, so we started off a convoy to head out to where the place was (which was outside the main city) where we met up with a few more of my cousin's friends. We played three various games - a Regular one to warm up, a Vampire and Eliminator game. Sad to say I wasn't in the best of ways at the start of it all since I literally ran into a wall trying to escape being aimed at, and let's not forget that running causes tripping every now and again. So bumps and aches followed, but it was a hell of a lot of fun!
My family and I were even around to attend my cousin Jostin's graduation! He's finished 2 years of Digital Arts at Red River College, so he received a certificate for it. This spring, he'll be pursuing another year where he'll focus on 3D work. Really proud of him too!
As my sister and I were flying back to Manila early, Thursday was our last day in Winnipeg. It was decided that we'd spend the last day (Thursday), throwing a barbecue over at my cousin Jaimee and her boyfriend Josh's house, where we met Josh's side of the family. Jostin and I ended up babysitting Josh's nephews, playing through Guitar Hero down in the basement and had a nice Father's Day presentation once evening had settled in. We presented the dads with cards and little gifts, and they were more than amused, which was the overall point of it. It ended with a cousin sleepover, since we needed to head to the airport for an early morning flight.
The morning after, I realized that I never got my passport from my mom, so she and Uncle Joey had to drive back to the house to get it, and we were worried that they wouldn't be able to make it in time the flight was leaving. But they managed to get back, so my sister and I flew off to Toronto, and spent the next 11 hours at the terminal for an evening flight back to Manila.
It was a crazy adventure, but I am grateful for everything that's happened. I'll post pictures soon enough, so do sit tight!
Finally, the feature presentation! Our final destination and the entire reason for our Canada trip (going through all the trouble of procuring a single entry Canadian Visa) was to visit Winnipeg, Manitoba, where the Asuncion family migrated to back in August 2008. After nearly 5 years, this will be the first time that our entire family has come to visit them, so it was truly an experience to look forward to. Our flight was at around 8 in the morning, and were already in the airport at around 7-ish. The flight took roughly 4 hours, adding an hour to the clock due to timezone discrepancy of around an hour.
Upon our arrival, dad was taking pictures as we descended the escalators to the baggage claim area before we spotted some familiar faces hiding near the Tim Horton's nearby! Running, hugging, glomping and general greetings were exchanged when the entire Asuncion family came out to greet us, along with Ate Joan's boyfriend JR. After some obligatory pictures and more hugs, we made our way to their humble abode some 20-30 minutes away from the airport. Much of the reason why they all came out to meet with us as mostly because we needed all the space we could afford. With three cars, however, that didn't pose much of a problem.
What greeted us when we arrived was a welcome message that read: Bienvenue Monsods! I already expected this to happen, but it was endearing and it affirmed that we were actually there! We took some time to relax, let our feet rest and just chill for a while after all the travelling. For us cousins, we each end up with our own little partners from childhood, mostly because we were the ones who became so tight-knit. So I spent most of my time with Jostin, who had a grand lair in the basement that was just so awesome I wish I took a picture of it!
To unwind, he and I broke our his Rockband set, did I Spy with the drum adapter before proceeding to play some Rock Band 2 songs while our siblings went out. After a while, we joined my parents and his mom (my godmother) to see the sights and visit The Forks, the only "tourist spot" in Winnipeg, according to Jostin. Loved the bonding time with him, catching up with our age-old Xhevix conceptualzation for a while and spending the rest of the time enjoying their Netflix subscription and finish the first 2 seasons of Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman) and some random episodes of Doctor Who.
Of course, as a big group, we went to various malls and restaurants, and engaged in several fun activities, which I'll break down below!
Sunday, June 9, marked my parents' 29th Wedding Anniversary. We all came up with an itinerary for them, and our first stop was making reservations at Montana's Grill. The food was delicious, and my parents initially offered to pay for dinner, but in the end, we ended up surprising them by paying the bill instead! We capped off the day proceeding to go play Five-Pin Bowling. Separating into a boys vs girls groups of 5, we played two games, and I must say, it was a lot of fun! The alleys resembled the usual ten-pin bowling lanes, but this just had five, a smaller ball and a points system to cap it all off. My first game was a sweet success, but I couldn't boast the same for the second one though, haha!
One of the more memorable shopping escapades we went to was to a little place called Kildonan Place. Much of the reason we headed off there was to scout for the HMV branch that had a stock of the Eleventh Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver. And yeah, my uncle got it for me so it was a very, very sweet deal! Funny thing was, I only had one remark. "I need a screwdriver for my screwdriver!" Yeah, I needed an actual one to pop in the batteries before I could play Doctor. But once that was set it was such a dream.
Quite often, we spent late nights staying up and watching movies (this was mostly due to my cousin Joan and her boyfriend JR), so Jostin and I couldn't sleep right away even if we wanted to since that would have meant commandeering the PS3 and Netflix. So there was a little Cabin in the Woods with splashes of old cartoon shows like Dexter's Laboratory and Samurai Jack to keep us entertained!
For another fun activity we headed off to a little place called Lazer Runner where we engaged in a rowdy game of Laser Tag! We were a big group of 15 or thereabouts, so we started off a convoy to head out to where the place was (which was outside the main city) where we met up with a few more of my cousin's friends. We played three various games - a Regular one to warm up, a Vampire and Eliminator game. Sad to say I wasn't in the best of ways at the start of it all since I literally ran into a wall trying to escape being aimed at, and let's not forget that running causes tripping every now and again. So bumps and aches followed, but it was a hell of a lot of fun!
My family and I were even around to attend my cousin Jostin's graduation! He's finished 2 years of Digital Arts at Red River College, so he received a certificate for it. This spring, he'll be pursuing another year where he'll focus on 3D work. Really proud of him too!
As my sister and I were flying back to Manila early, Thursday was our last day in Winnipeg. It was decided that we'd spend the last day (Thursday), throwing a barbecue over at my cousin Jaimee and her boyfriend Josh's house, where we met Josh's side of the family. Jostin and I ended up babysitting Josh's nephews, playing through Guitar Hero down in the basement and had a nice Father's Day presentation once evening had settled in. We presented the dads with cards and little gifts, and they were more than amused, which was the overall point of it. It ended with a cousin sleepover, since we needed to head to the airport for an early morning flight.
The morning after, I realized that I never got my passport from my mom, so she and Uncle Joey had to drive back to the house to get it, and we were worried that they wouldn't be able to make it in time the flight was leaving. But they managed to get back, so my sister and I flew off to Toronto, and spent the next 11 hours at the terminal for an evening flight back to Manila.
It was a crazy adventure, but I am grateful for everything that's happened. I'll post pictures soon enough, so do sit tight!
on Saturday, June 15, 2013
Our second full day in Canada had us making like tourists! With the Day Passes dad purchased the day before, we took a series of buses and subway trains to Downtown, locating the Toronto branch of my brother's company. After some frequent map consulting, we finally managed to locate it. We waited a few minutes before he came down before we went about on our way again. After some exploring, we bumped into a couple of elderly Taiwanese and their grandchildren who asked us to take a picture of them, and they kindly offered to take a picture of us in return.
Quite close to this, we spotted the restaurant we had reservations for later that evening: Marche restaurant which I'll talk about a bit more later. We did a bit more walking around before realizing that it was high time for lunch, and so we stopped at a building where a food court was located. Welcome to the First Canadian Place. After ordering separate meals (with a lot to choose from anyway), another of Mom'sold officemates, Tita Louie, met up with us. Ironically, we were dining in her building, which was crazy because she mentioned that she reported that she'd be leaving for a doctor's appointment to meet with us. Whoops!
She took us underground travel from building to building. There were a lot of people here, which explained the complete lack of any up in the streets or so my dad had observed. She took us to a huge bargain store called Honest Ed's, where I found myself a nice red bowtie! It was a neat place full of clothes, tools, knickknacks and food! We spent the rest of the afternoon taking a Streetcar to see more of the sites before finally retracing our steps back to Marche for dinner.
The interesting thing about this particular restaurant was it had various stalls for different cuisines! Their system had a cash card that would total up everything you ordered so you'd pay for any drinks you order and meals for that matter when you were done eating. After looking around the place, I finally settled on trying out a Smoked Salmon Savory Crepe, with cheese and mixed greens and a pesto sauce. And might I say, it was delicious! We stayed there for about three hours since several others of Mom's officemates joined us, so trip down memory lane took a long while that my siblings and I dozed off for a while, haha!
We were finally brought back to our hotel to prepare for our early morning flight to Winnipeg, which I'll talk about in my next post!
Again, pictures to follow.
Quite close to this, we spotted the restaurant we had reservations for later that evening: Marche restaurant which I'll talk about a bit more later. We did a bit more walking around before realizing that it was high time for lunch, and so we stopped at a building where a food court was located. Welcome to the First Canadian Place. After ordering separate meals (with a lot to choose from anyway), another of Mom'sold officemates, Tita Louie, met up with us. Ironically, we were dining in her building, which was crazy because she mentioned that she reported that she'd be leaving for a doctor's appointment to meet with us. Whoops!
She took us underground travel from building to building. There were a lot of people here, which explained the complete lack of any up in the streets or so my dad had observed. She took us to a huge bargain store called Honest Ed's, where I found myself a nice red bowtie! It was a neat place full of clothes, tools, knickknacks and food! We spent the rest of the afternoon taking a Streetcar to see more of the sites before finally retracing our steps back to Marche for dinner.
The interesting thing about this particular restaurant was it had various stalls for different cuisines! Their system had a cash card that would total up everything you ordered so you'd pay for any drinks you order and meals for that matter when you were done eating. After looking around the place, I finally settled on trying out a Smoked Salmon Savory Crepe, with cheese and mixed greens and a pesto sauce. And might I say, it was delicious! We stayed there for about three hours since several others of Mom's officemates joined us, so trip down memory lane took a long while that my siblings and I dozed off for a while, haha!
We were finally brought back to our hotel to prepare for our early morning flight to Winnipeg, which I'll talk about in my next post!
Again, pictures to follow.
So here I am in Toronto Pearson with my sister. We had an early morning flight from Winnipeg that arrived at around 11 in the morning, and a scheduled flight home to Manila later this evening at 10 in the evening. So in the meantime, we're being hermits somewhere or another to help time move a bit faster for the 11 hour layover period.
I've been delaying any posts of the latter parts of our family vacation here in Canada mostly because I was trying to make the most of the limited time to spend with the family and relatives. While my parents and brother will be spending another extra week in Canada, it's back to regular programming for me and my sister, having to go back to work.
Hopefully I can use this time to catch up on backlogged posts, while it's still somewhat fresh in my mind, but as I have a few other activities to carry out, fingers crossed at least the time spent becomes productive.
I'll leave it here for now, but you're sure to expect more free-flowing posts about my trip in the coming days if not hours. See you soon Manila!
I've been delaying any posts of the latter parts of our family vacation here in Canada mostly because I was trying to make the most of the limited time to spend with the family and relatives. While my parents and brother will be spending another extra week in Canada, it's back to regular programming for me and my sister, having to go back to work.
Hopefully I can use this time to catch up on backlogged posts, while it's still somewhat fresh in my mind, but as I have a few other activities to carry out, fingers crossed at least the time spent becomes productive.
I'll leave it here for now, but you're sure to expect more free-flowing posts about my trip in the coming days if not hours. See you soon Manila!
on Friday, June 7, 2013
Let this blog entry be a little reminder for myself before my trip ends up half-forgotten at the back of my mind at the end of everything. I believe this will be a great way to chronicle the trip and expound on some of the details I may end up overlooking later on when I type up an abridged version sorta like my US trip.
The pictures will follow, but for now here's what happened so far:
We awoke to breakfast at the hotel, before preparing for the travels of the day. We were picked up by my mom's former officemates Tito Abet and Tita Ena, who brought us to Niagara Falls. Weather forecast said there was 60% chance of rain, and on the long drive over there from Mississauga all the way to Niagara Falls, rain hath no fury. It poured down pretty much how it would back in Manila, which was a pretty unwelcoming gesture from nature considering we were planning to see the Falls.
Upon our arrival, rain was still coming down, but only got stronger, causing us to get limited time outside exposed to the elements, admiring the Falls on Canada's side. This perpetually cancelled our Maid of the Mist voyage, and instead went to see the Flower Clock and have lunch at the Swiss Chalet. This was soon followed by a trip to the Outlet, were my dad and I managed to get shoes for ourselves! I got myself a pair of Raintrek shoes from the Adidas Outlet Store. :)
Afterwards, we headed downtown to see the CN Tower, but with the weather pretty much the same, the fog covered much of the view from afar. Nevertheless, we still managed to head in and have a look around, passing by Rogers Centre before heading off to Union Station, a Grand Central equivalent from New York. From there, we headed off to the Toronto Eaton Centre, a mall of shorts to look around some more shops and off to the Urban Eatery below, a food court of sorts for dinner before heading back to the hotel.
Overall, it was an eventful first full day in Toronto. The weather was cold and the rain most unwelcoming, but here's to hoping the day ahead will yield more interesting sites! :)
EDIT: Outtake shots from our first full day in Canada added!
The pictures will follow, but for now here's what happened so far:
We awoke to breakfast at the hotel, before preparing for the travels of the day. We were picked up by my mom's former officemates Tito Abet and Tita Ena, who brought us to Niagara Falls. Weather forecast said there was 60% chance of rain, and on the long drive over there from Mississauga all the way to Niagara Falls, rain hath no fury. It poured down pretty much how it would back in Manila, which was a pretty unwelcoming gesture from nature considering we were planning to see the Falls.
Upon our arrival, rain was still coming down, but only got stronger, causing us to get limited time outside exposed to the elements, admiring the Falls on Canada's side. This perpetually cancelled our Maid of the Mist voyage, and instead went to see the Flower Clock and have lunch at the Swiss Chalet. This was soon followed by a trip to the Outlet, were my dad and I managed to get shoes for ourselves! I got myself a pair of Raintrek shoes from the Adidas Outlet Store. :)
Overall, it was an eventful first full day in Toronto. The weather was cold and the rain most unwelcoming, but here's to hoping the day ahead will yield more interesting sites! :)
EDIT: Outtake shots from our first full day in Canada added!
on Sunday, May 12, 2013
This weekend, my mother and siblings flew off with the rest of the Monsods for Bali, Indonesia for a short vacation. I chose not to go so I could utilize my vacation leaves fully for our upcoming family vacation to Canada to visit our relatives in Winnipeg. Because of that, Dad and I are home alone during Mother's Day weekend.
So to commemorate the day, I decided to do a little celebration of my own! Here's a picture of my Mom and I in the Philadelphia train station, waiting for the Amtrak to head to Washington during our August 2012 trip to the US.
And since I was in the area, I also took the liberty of paying a visit to my grandparents at Loyola Memorial Park. While the gesture isn't that spectacular, I'm glad I was able to get some roses for grandma despite the dreary weather conditions of rainfall in the area. :)
on Friday, August 10, 2012
So this might well be my first quick post to serve as some sorta teaser on the places we saw in (the official) day 1 in our New York Leg of our vacation! So picture heavy with just a bit of descriptions, so to speak. I'll probably make a more detailed travel post when I have more free time. But just so there's a bit of explanation to the (awesome) vantage point of these pictures (except for Lady Liberty), these were taken from the top deck of the Hop-On-Hop-Off Tour bus we took along Downtown and Uptown.
Times Square. Not as awesome as when you see it at night, but still a great sight nevertheless. Of course I didn't include all the other amenities like the Broadway signs (iconic of Times Square) since this tower was the best symbol representing it. That and my camera takes sloppy pictures at night.
The Empire State Building. I like the outcome of this shot that's off to the side a bit! It shows you a really awesome depth of the building. :D And that's all she wrote.
The Flat Iron Building. You know, the one that looks like a big iron? I always enjoyed seeing this building. 8 years ago and until now.
The Statue of Liberty. This time around my family and I had the great privilege of cruising over to Liberty Island where we could get this fantastic vantage point of her.
And finally, Brooklyn and Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan Bridge. This was during our Night Tour!
So that's it for day 1. Will probably put up another post from yesterday's trip where we visited some parts of Central Park.
So that's it for day 1. Will probably put up another post from yesterday's trip where we visited some parts of Central Park.
on Thursday, July 19, 2012
So next month my family and I will be embarking on a trip to the US. What's different is that this time around we'll be spending it travelling to the East Coast rather than spending or entire vacation in San Diego, where all is familiar and most of our relatives reside. Part of our itinerary is to go to New York, New Jersey and Washington. Since I'll be bringing my little netbook along for the ride, I'll probably be posting some reports of my trip as they pass if fatigue has not plagued me from all the walking I foresee.
on Tuesday, December 27, 2011
So hello! I'm finally back from our Christmas vacation spent with family in Boracay~ It's been a while since I've been on hiatus; if Instagram wasn't so picky I would have already left you all with some pictures from my trip. Haha! But anyway, anyway.
Before we go into the nitty-gritty of my experience, I just wanted to take the opportunity to greet a very special actor/singer dear to my heart:
December 26: Tenimyu Seigaku 2nd cast's Tezuka Kunimitsu, Shirota Yuu
During our last day in Boracay, I decided to do a little sand kanji for my favorite actor Shirotan~ Granted the first kanji should be more compact, but it's not that easy to raise sand, mind you. x) But birthday greetings all the same~
It definitely took some time but it was well worth the effort!
That aside, onto some pictures! Our dad drove us to the airport early in the morning to catch our flight at around 7 in the morning. We managed to all get on the same flight as opposed to taking two separate ones, so all 19 of us rode on the same airplane headed for Caticlan.
Since it was just a small plane, it was a first to actually board the plane on the runway, and get down the same way. The airport (picture on the right)was very accommodating and modern, which was pretty neat considering the last time I came to Boracay was some years ago when I was a wee little child who came last minute. xDD
After that, it was a series of transportation via shuttle, boat and van just to get to the resort, which was all the way in Station 1. But boy was the trip worth it! We stayed at the Boracay terraces Resort, which is technically the last resort along the white sand beach, which was perfect since it was rather secluded.
The afternoon of December 24, I went with a little troupe of hikers down to another resort called Nami, which is owned by my cousin's boss (who I met back during my time at the Global Enterprise Challenge). Here's me and my mom posing by the beachfront sign after looking at the place and having a very refreshing glass of Lemongrass tea
After hearing 9pm mass, we headed off to Epic since our cousin was a guest DJ come Christmas Day (poster below). Of course it was a truly epic experience (no pun intended), but since I'm not one to drink I headed home early.
We made a return trip to the Nami resort for Christmas Day lunch care of my cousin's boss, and below you see a picture of me in front of the entire resort. It was gorgeous, but the steps and elevator brand it as a resort not for the faint of heart. Regardless, the view was to die for~
That evening, since the family was complete and it was raining, we just decided to call in for a Yellow Cab delivery (yeah there's a Yellow Cab in Boracay!) while we watched Shrek Forever After on HBO. Good times and good company especially. :3
The last three pictures mark our last day in Boracay before our return to Manila. It was a truly new experience, celebrating Christmas at the beach, but when you bring together the merriment and company of family there can be no greater experience. This is one to remember, and I'm more than grateful that we got to spend it together as a family. Until the next time, Boracay!
Before we go into the nitty-gritty of my experience, I just wanted to take the opportunity to greet a very special actor/singer dear to my heart:December 26: Tenimyu Seigaku 2nd cast's Tezuka Kunimitsu, Shirota Yuu
During our last day in Boracay, I decided to do a little sand kanji for my favorite actor Shirotan~ Granted the first kanji should be more compact, but it's not that easy to raise sand, mind you. x) But birthday greetings all the same~
It definitely took some time but it was well worth the effort!
That aside, onto some pictures! Our dad drove us to the airport early in the morning to catch our flight at around 7 in the morning. We managed to all get on the same flight as opposed to taking two separate ones, so all 19 of us rode on the same airplane headed for Caticlan.Since it was just a small plane, it was a first to actually board the plane on the runway, and get down the same way. The airport (picture on the right)was very accommodating and modern, which was pretty neat considering the last time I came to Boracay was some years ago when I was a wee little child who came last minute. xDD
After that, it was a series of transportation via shuttle, boat and van just to get to the resort, which was all the way in Station 1. But boy was the trip worth it! We stayed at the Boracay terraces Resort, which is technically the last resort along the white sand beach, which was perfect since it was rather secluded.
Not surprisingly, swimming turned out to be a necessity despite the salty content. The water was cool and the waves that frequented coming our way was just another excuse to have fun in the sun. Sunsets always made it more and more breath-taking, a testament to an experience at the beach.
The afternoon of December 24, I went with a little troupe of hikers down to another resort called Nami, which is owned by my cousin's boss (who I met back during my time at the Global Enterprise Challenge). Here's me and my mom posing by the beachfront sign after looking at the place and having a very refreshing glass of Lemongrass tea
On our way back to our resort, we spotted someone in the distance. And lo and behold, it was my dad! He came up with an ingenious plot to trick my mom into believing that he wouldn't be able to come with us to Boracay this Christmas. He apparently wore a disguise and all but was thwarted by my sister's keen eye. My mom and I ran over to him to give him a big glomp. Uberly pumped to know that he would be able to join us for Christmas after all! For dinner that evening, we headed off to Guily's Island for a buffet and decided to walk along the beachfront. Below is a picture of me and my dad in front of Friday's during out walk~ The second picture is a family picture taken after our dinner.
The last three pictures mark our last day in Boracay before our return to Manila. It was a truly new experience, celebrating Christmas at the beach, but when you bring together the merriment and company of family there can be no greater experience. This is one to remember, and I'm more than grateful that we got to spend it together as a family. Until the next time, Boracay!
on Friday, May 21, 2010
夏学期以上！。（なつがっきいじょう！）Natsu gakki ijou! trans. Summer semester over!
Finally, after six weeks of attending daily classes from 10:30 in the morning to 4:30 in the afternoon, I can finally sit back and relax and actually enjoy what summer vacation I have!
^_____________________________^b
I'll take three weeks. So long as I don't have anymore obligations to worry about! ~u~
on Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Our third day in Bangkok had us experience strong winds in the morning and slight drizzles in the late afternoon. The procrastinating side of me turned off my 7:15 alarm and ended up waking up to a phone call from my dad at around a little past 8. When I got up, I realized how much my legs hurt like hell. Dx
After showering I headed downstairs and saw my parents there and the strong winds blowing in the breakfast area. It was a cool breeze for the most part, so everything was good. ^_____^b Today we had another set of tours to go to that was outside Bangkok, so the road trip was longer than usual. Not having anything to do until 10:30, I went upstairs to play a few games on my DS.
And pretty soon, we were off! Our first stop was to the Samphran Elephant Ground & Zoo. There was a lunch buffet there before we entered the place, but I must say I didn't eat all that much. So much for the buffet. xDD Anyway, at around 12:45pm, we went to see the Crocodile Wrestling Show. There were two guys. More than wrestling with the crocodiles (mind you, there were around five crocodiles there), they performed a few death-defying tricks like sticking their hand in an open crocodile's mouth and pulling away just as the mouth snapped shut. What's interesting is the crocodiles can really hold a position like a statue! Sugoi! ^_________^b
When that was done, we moved to watch the Magic Show. We watched this and the Elephant Theme Show that followed with a group of students on field trip. Let's talk about the magic show first. There were a lot of tricks that the magician pulled off that you'd see in any typical show (tricks you'd find on Breaking the Magician's Code, for one xD). But there were a few tricks that were quite eye-catchy.
One involved catching doves out of thin air with a wire (I think it was wire) net. Another involved transforming a bird into a rabbit. And then of course, there was making a school of fish appear inside a tank! It was something to enjoy, really. The interesting part is that the magician does his tricks to the beat of music playing the background. I like, I like. ^______^b
And then we go to the Elephant Theme Show. It was a sight to see elephants up close striking funny poses and doing spectacular things. At one point one of the elephants walked through the small opening of the barricade to the front of the audience area. Hahaha. It was funny to look at. What was really interesting for me was the elephants playing soccer!! When the show was done, we got to go up-close and pat the elephants, and feel their tusks! Some of us even got to ride the elephant for a while!! It was, I believe, THB70, so the short ride was worth it. Quite the unique experience. Will share pictures another time.
When that was done, we took a quick trip to the Rose Garden to watch a short cultural show before heading back to the hotel. It didn't take long before we were heading back for another afternoon of shopping. I was supposed to get that vest I saw two days ago but couldn't locate the store. Me and my short term memory. But hey, it was a big place! @_@ It's fairly easy to get lost. But yeah. I managed to get something for myself: 3 shirts for THB270. It was a good deal and I love the designs. xD I didn't have time to take pictures of them since mom had to pack already as soon as we got back to the hotel.
We had dinner there at the food court before heading back here to the hotel. My feet and legs are aching, but the experience is well worth it. Tomorrow morning, I'll be going to purchase that vest since my cousin Dabz kindly located the store for me so I have an idea where to go before we're picked up at 11am from the hotel to head to the airport. Our flight will be at around 2 in the afternoon, so we'll be back in the Philippines at around 6:30 Philippine time. Set your watches, we're coming home!!
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