Pasalamat Fun Run 2015

I was there.
I was Number 24.

It was a spur of the moment decision. Between house and the office, I barely had the time to look at the billboard outside for the schedule of activities. Going home last night, Jen mentioned in passing that a friend of hers is in town for the run set for today at 5 am. He wasn't sure if registration has been closed already but suggested that I go and see for myself.

Having set the alarm to go off by 4:00 AM, I was ready and out of the house by 4:30 AM. Unfortunately, no motorized vehicle was on sight, I decided to walk my way to the city plaza.

From the modest number that littered the space between the Mayor's office and the men's loo, I spied only three familiar faces: that of Richard's (Ginete who joined the 5k), Raymond (Tiyoy Edmon's son who is part of the committee and gamely took my picture) and Louie (Jen's runner friend who joined 10k).

3K Open was last to go. I was probably the most senior participant and ran alongside a four-year-old against 22 other under 13 boys and girls who seemed to fly by me.

Though I had sufficient exercise these past few days, this cold is my undoing. My breathing required more effort than usual. I found myself huffing and puffing only halfway through my first kilometer. That is besides the fact that I tried really hard to at least keep apace with the four-year-old which was futile. Apparently, his mother trained him well. She was telling me they were after the youngest runner award.

Mimi says it's not about winning but finishing what you have started. True. Hahaha. Just look at those running forms around me. Clearly, I still have a lot catching up to do in the determination and discipline departments. For now, it's more on participation and having fun.

TESDA Talent Showcase

The past weeks had finally caught up with me that the invite for the chance to see the Director General again in person held so much appeal.

We started late having had to entertain our lone enrollee for the week, travel was least to be desired. It must have something to do with the APEC Summit going on at the Capitol. I still wonder if it was a wrong call taking the Lacson route to the north bus terminal. From Singcang, it took us a good hour to reach The District.

Lunch was a simple affair. We had buttered chicken and chopsuey at L'Sea. Grace from Cadiz joined our group and our small talk somehow brought us to her offering her home whenever we decide to visit Carbin Reef. Sweet!

The good secretary arrived after all participants have showcased their talents. Hahaha! Judging by the number of politicians who came in with him, the opportunity for getting a picture with him was clearly nil. So we left after hearing his short but beefy message.

"TESDA for masayang pagbabago."

Pasalamat 2015 Opening night.

Evening date with Summer. Her second at Norma's.

Too late for the fireworks but never for a steaming cup of latte.

Balik Central

Whoa! I am creating a long list of firsts this year. Did I mention that after that survey gig at Guintubdan, Kz and I went to Roman to crash a wedding dinner which also happened to be the baranggay's fiesta? Well, that was a first for me (in ages) and that was dupicated today, this time at DSB. It is already part of Pontevedra which is separated from CACI by a short bridge.

The office denizens left an hour earlier than the usual lunch break. We were the first group to arrive with Cookie as our guide. Our destination was the Samuldes'. The matriarch of the family visited the office earlier in the week to personally issue the invitation.

The short ride was most uncomfortable. Traffic going in was thick, we thought it better to walk the rest of the way. Thank heaven for umbrellas.

Away from Rational Thinking... And into the blue...literally - Day Four

The three nights ended so soon. With cramming a lot of walking and talking and eating into this vacation equation, our bodies are deemed not ready for another day sitting inside the car. Yet, it is imperative that we leave. Routines await (and the stark truth of depleted resources necessary to make an extended day possible and enjoyable).

Promptly at seven, I was already downstairs waiting and decided to have a cup of instant coffee while at it. More waiting happened after we checked out. This time for the cab to pick us up from the inn and drop us off at the Cagban port.

Even with the same company, travel has vastly improved with us being entertained by the absurd exchange that we shamelessly eavesdropped at. And the obviously contrived jesting is much better than uncomfortable silence.

What needed heaps full of patience was the unexpected turn of events, like our ferry ride getting delayed by three hours. We passed time debating on sense and sensibilities, playing cards and getting pissed at each other. It was fun as we could make it.

Away from Rational Thinking... And into the blue...literally - Day Three

This day was sort of reserved for team building which ended up as an ultimate test of patience. Ready at 9:00 a.m., having to hurry back from Starbucks for the much needed caffeine, we waited until 12:30 for the boat to be ready. Imagine boating at noon and swimming with the fish in their sanctuary when the sun's heat is at its fieriest.

While helmet-diving was ongoing, we had the quickest lunch at Andok's (Porchop at P64).

It being my first to get around the island on a boat, I have no idea if the big waves were to be expected. Sans goggles to avoid seawater getting into my eyes, I stayed in the water for the briefest time and missed swimming with the fish which was the object of the stopover in the middle of nowhere.

Since nobody  expressed any interest on paying an additional P150 to enter the Magic Island, I wasn't able to cross cliff-diving off from my bucket list. Good thing I haven't explored the far end of Puka Beach yet, that last bit of the tour at least was fun.

While the girls grabbed some late lunch, I monopolized the room again. That meant more time in the bath and hogging the TV until sunset.

Rockets ran out of fries so I took Kz to Bite Club where I had beer with my "Burgerella" (P185 sandwich + 75 fries + 50 bevy).

Away from Rational Thinking... And into the blue...literally - Day Two

Like a thief in the night, I crawled in darkness and woke the girls up to catch the sun rise and have Puka Beach to ourselves. Puka Beach delivered despite the rather big waves with its spotless (sans algae) beach and water. It was quite different from how it looked from five years ago, notably the absence of puka shells from which it was named and the presence of souvenir stalls just outside the entrance. The key to enjoyment is, be there first and enjoy the beauty and serenity of the place.

After an hour, it began to rain and we left to join the group at the resort's shoreline which we had to ourselves, exclusively. The funny thing is the fact that I have clearly encroached a private party (read: swimming in underthings) that led to its early conclusion.

No sooner noon arrived and we checked in to our new home, St. Vincent's at Station 2 near La Carmela. The rooms were clean, air-conditioned with television and fridge.

Lunch, like last night's dinner, was a tough decision to make. Rockets was an option but it was too expensive for a burger. Reyes caught our eyes. I had fish while Kz ordered chicken. I wasn't too happy about it that I promised to make things right by having coffee after the meal. So, off we went to Real Coffee (P 120, which is now located at the beach front) for some caffeine and their most-talked-about "kalamansi" muffin (P60).

While everybody explored, I relished my alone time in the room either sleeping or watching NatGeo until it was time for dinner. As planned, we ate together at Villa Oro, not far away from the inn which probably had the cheapest buffet (P250, with bottomless iced tea) in the island. The key is to get there the earliest possible as I was not able to get seconds on the "bakareta". Dessert was a massive failure though (pink gelatin).

For a night cap, we had cheesy pizza with a few buckets at Paraw (my first ever night out) That was after a very long walk to Station 1 following a rather futile search for Astoria and endless photo shoot along the beach. Glen left with the alibi of grabbing a frap instead which left me in the company of Kz, JM, Marc and Peter until well way after midnight.

Away from Rational Thinking... And into the blue...literally - Day One

Four days and three nights may be perceived as long or short for staying away from home. That depends on a lot of things like company foremost, weather and budget of course.

The trip started on a shaky note, basically on one key aspect, which, to my circle was quite amusing. I was noted to be nonchalant where they were so concerned. I was quiet when they were rowdy. They were crowding to have their photos taken while I avoided the same. In short, I was just being myself. Lol!

Getting help from a certified traveler with many connections was a delight. Instead of having to endure long queues and necessary transfers, land trip was comfortable especially when I didn't have to worry about who sits next to me for the long haul. It was, however, a long and silent trip with my seatmate having said nary a word (yet ironically confident about not being shoved-off awake in the middle of r.e.m.) to me the whole time.

This is my fourth trip to Boracay and I had very little expectation this time. My only goal is to get as far away as possible from the things that I am so busy with for the rest of the year. And I got more than I bargained for.

I knew that for the majority first-timers, the popular choice was to stay close to the white beach. My obstinacy, however, made me choose isolation if only for the first night. Therefore, I got the group booked at Zoe Mei, a hilltop resort close to the very exclusive Bluewaters. As expected, we were the only guests and therefore assured of transportation to and from civilization. And that is beside the fact that it is only a 30-minute walk to Puka Beach, which to my memory, would cost P150 to visit from Manoc-Manoc (Now, trikes charge P550. That would get you to the depths of the sea helmet-diving already).

Light was already waning when we arrived at the Cagban port where we waited a good half hour for transportation. It was another half hour before we reached the resort where we spent only a few minutes to get settled and off to Station 2 for dinner and, sight-seeing and supplies. Breaking away from the group, I had pasta for dinner and shopped for cheap slippers.

A bunch of miracles

In the middle of a usual summer day in the office, I got an urgent call from sis about me needing to go and see about Kris. Earlier in the week, I visited the expecting mum and was awed at her girth. She looked like she was ready to burst anytime. So I told Gerson time and again to prepare a birthing box as the babies are coming out soon. But that fell on deaf ears. Sigh.

When the clock struck 12 noon, I hastily grabbed my bag and went home to fetch Princess and some clean towels. Since the couple are away and the gate reportedly padlocked, sis advised me to pass at the empty lot out back.

Surveying the birthing scene revealed four healthy puppies scattered in every direction with one which head and front legs were halfway through the wire mesh that served as wall of the canine house. Yelps emanated from the ground below from which four more wet things were recovered before the ants got to them.

I had only one hour to spare. Looking around, I found a toolbox which we emptied, lined with towels and newspaper where we placed the newborns, hoping that nobody gets over the makeshift "fence" until their "dad" comes home. 

Two Scores and One

Notable event: Total Lunar Eclipse, and the stars say:

The Sun is in Aries and the Moon is in Libra during the lunar eclipse on April 4. The ability to relate with others is temporarily out of balance. Relationship issues, obscure reality during this period. The need for compromise conflicts with the desire for personal autonomy.

This lunar eclipse will give you ample opportunity to see your reflection through your relationships. Individual experiences will vary from extreme to subtle. Others will either assist you to realize your goals or challenge you to relate to their needs and emotions. It is important to be clear about your relationship expectations.

This is an excellent time let go of old conditions, attitudes and behaviors. (LOL)

The aspects highlight an intense restlessness triggered by a desire to break away from tradition and at the same time there is a fear of change and/or the loss of personal freedom.