After Cebu at Bohol, Baguio naman!

Last na punta ko dito eh college days pa jusko. Payat pa ko non, iba ang jowa, nagjujudo, walang kilay, etc.

Di ko sure kung lakad ba ng company o naisipan lang. Basta nung tinanong ako kung bet ko sumama, di naman daw ako gagastos na sa place at pamasahe, go agad. Kaladkarin lang talaga.

Hindi kame makasabay dun sa byahe ng umaga kasi yung mga kasama ko eh mga ulirang empleyado, 12MN pa tapos ng shift. Being the good person I am, sama ako sa kanila. Sa recent ganaps sa buhay ko, it pays na mag pareserve talaga ng maaga. Hindi ko naman alam na pakyawan pala ticket sa bus. Gusto sana namin yung deluxe ba yun? Kaso wala na agad. Yung 2AM na alis ang inabutan namin. At shet sa sakit sa pwet ang tagal ng byahe!

Mga 10 AM kame dumating, habang naghihintay sa sundo, breakfast ng konti. Pag dating nila, larga agad. Bwisit yung mga kasama ko kasi di man lang nakahilamos. Galing pa ngang shift di ba? Pero dahil sayang ang oras, di na kame makapalag.

Wala talagang destination. Basta ikot lang ng ikot!

Ugh. Magjojowa! Diri kay Ate Sol at Ms. Bella. Lols!

Basta eto yung something adventure sa may Camp John Hay.

I'M SOOOO READY! Hyper na hyper ako yes.

Eto ang pinaka PAASA na ride. Died of anticipation. Dahan dahan pa yung paghila pataas kasi akala namin bubulusok pababa. Kung gano kabagal umakyat, mas lalong mabagal bumaba!

You should definitely try this shit out. Vertical drop! Wait, may horizontal drop ba?

Napadpad kami ng PMA kasi nagkamali kami ng liko. Walang makapag Waze dahil low batt lahat.

Achieve na achieve ang pagkain dito. Kasi naman to si Bellang magaling, hindi nagugutom! Alas tres na ng hapon bago kame nakapag lunch. Pak ang serving size and presyo. Suko kame talaga.

50's diner! Pogi ni Jeric dito talaga.

So after much libot, nakabalik kame sa condo ng mga 7PM. Just in time for dinner! Sa bongga ng outing na to, yung managing director lang naman at managers nagprepare ng food.

Pagkatapos non eh ang makasaysayang Ping Pong Pang na pagkadaming nabiktima. Di ba no Ate Sol at Ms. Bella?

Sa uulitin!

We were in the middle of a very strenuous activity (Okay, we lazed around the whole day) during our trip to Bacolod when my sister told us about the piso fare of Airasia. We booked tickets to Cebu right away then sent a screenshot of our impulsiveness to our group chat in viber. My sister’s response was, “Let’s celebrate mom’s and dad’s birthday there then!” Her words were clear and simple but flying the whole family was a complicated idea for me.

Well we had to make it happen. So we did.

We were a little bit worried that the trip might be cancelled or ruined due to the horrible weather. Thankfully, some God somewhere was nice enough to hold the rain long enough for us to enjoy our vacay. Anyway, here’s a summary of what we did, where we went, and where we ate:

DAY 1 – Arrived in Cebu at 8:30 AM then travelled to Oslob for about 3 hours. Checked in at Hotel Sebastian, had lunch there, then drove to Tumalog Falls. Had dinner at the BBQ strip along the road near the hotel.
DAY 2 – Early breakfast at the hotel, swam with Butandings, went to Sumilon Sandbar, drove back to Cebu City, then checked in at Alba Uno.
DAY 3 – Bohol day tour, dinner at Seafood Island (Ayala Mall in Cebu), coffee and wine at La Vie.
DAY 4 – Breakfast at McDonald’s. Went back to Manila.

I’d say the trip went pretty well. We were able to do all of the things we said we’d do, visit the places we said we’d visit, but didn’t get to eat lots of lechon. There were no delays or major setbacks. Over planning and planning way ahead paid off. Aside from spending time with the family and taking a break from our busy lives, I’ve learned a few useful things from this trip:

1. Research well. Make sure you have the latest and active contact info of hotels, tours, etc. Read other people’s reviews. Watch out for promos and fine prints. Consider the location of your destinations. ASK ASK ASK..
2. On accommodations. Be picky, it’s okay. Ask questions, from the obvious to the small details. Bug them to answer your questions. If they answer, then good. If not, then they have crappy customer service and start looking for another place. Look at what they post online. Read about other people’s experience with that hotel. There are many wonderful accommodations waiting to be discovered, so many to choose from.
3. Book and reserve stuff ahead. You don’t want to get the last seat or the last room. You want to be able to choose freely. Ask for their payment terms and mode of payment. Make sure they send you the invoice as soon as you send them anything. Make sure they confirm your reservations through email or text. Document everything.
4. Delegate tasks. While I did most of the research, the whole thing wasn't as troublesome as I thought it'd be because everyone pitched in. it would've been crazy if I tried to do everything on my own. 

I’m starting to believe that I have a good eye for affordable and nice accommodations. Alba Uno Hotel is easily one of my favorites. I feel so bad for not taking any pictures (pictures of their rooms here). What you see in the photos is what you get, even nicer!

There were many firsts for me in our trip to Cebu and Bohol. One of them would be NOT taking pictures of our room. So there are no photos of any of the rooms we stayed in.

If you’re planning of staying at Hotel Sebastian, you might find the following helpful.
Pros:

• New or newly renovated
• Super comfortable beds and pillows
• They provide towels.
• Water heater in the shower.
• Simple decorations and furniture
• Ocean view
• Infinity pool

Cons:

• No TV sets in any of the rooms (this may be a pro for some)
• No elevators (it’s a mid rise building)
• Comfort rooms were terribly small
• Blankets were small and thin

Overall, our stay was okay. I didn’t like walking up and down the stairs and the food was so-so. The staff was friendly and attentive though we didn’t really ask for much other than during meal time. Our stay here’s part of the package we got from Oslob tours.

Will we stay here again? Maybe the other accommodations around the area are worth checking out on our next adventure there.

For 1k per head plus ferry fare, solb naman ang day tour. Di ko maalala lahat ng pinuntahan or kung lahat ng nandun sa package eh napuntahan pero naging busy ang buong araw namin sa Bohol.

Yes naka boardshorts nanay ko.

Hindi ako fan ng pag gising ng maaga. Pag nagkita nga kami ng nanay ko sa bahay ng maaga ang tanong nya, “Kakauwi mo lang?”. Hindi man lang, “Aga mo gumising ah!”.

Ganito pala yung pakiramdam ng mga imortal. Sa halos limang taon ko dito, lahat ng dumating at umalis naabutan ko. Maraming di ko man lang naramdaman o napansin pero marami rami din yung eksena kasi nga naman lagpas otso oras kayong magkakasama. Dati pa, anim na beses isang linggo kame magkakasama. Medyo kasuka at umay na sa isa’t-isa nga eh sa sobrang dalas na magkakasama. Ilang birthdays, celebrations, krisis, chimis, away-bati, at issues ang pinag daanan nyo. Isama mo pa yung mga milestones sa buhay-buhay ng isa’t isa.

Ano bang dapat maramdaman mo pag ang isang tao na nakasanayan mong makita halos araw-araw eh umalis na for good? Umalis. For good. Conflict eh. Umalis pero for good. Tapos anong sasabihin mo sa kanya? Hindi ako magaling sa mga ganito kasi. Feeling ko hindi naman masama yung mga ganito. Malungkot oo, pero hindi masama. Weird naman ng tribute kasi di naman na-deads.

Pano ba i-address na one of my oldest colleague and friend at work left the company na? Do I say good luck? I’ll miss you? You should’ve stayed? It’s great you finally decided to spread your wings? I really have nothing substantial thing to say that would make any impact on said person’s life. Not that I badly want to make any. Parang pag birthday tapos kakantahan ka na nila ng birthday song, di mo alam gagawin mo sa sarili while they’re singing? Ganito ang feeling ko ngayon. Does that make any sense?

So Jamwuah! Peste ka may immediate ka pang nalalaman! Hindi kame handa! I was looking for pictures natin para alam mo na and good gahd! The crazy shit we’ve been through!

I remember during training, we were asked to sit-in and observe. Eh bibo lahat dun sa batch. Nakakatuwa! More sagot! Kahit anong itanong. Napunta sa adverb. Tapos magbigay daw ng examples. Halos lahat words ending in ly. Naalala mo ba anong example sinabi mo? “Lovely!”. Natawa kameng lahat kasi excited ka pa! Competitive. Tapos pagdating sa floor, binigay yung link sa site. Medyo mahaba ah. Nung tinanong kung sinong naka-kabisado, taas ka kagad ng kamay!

Since hindi ako magaling sa mga ganito, salamat na lang kasi lagi kang bibo. Hindi magpapatalo. Sa kahit ano! Salamat sa pagiging loka-loka at pag tolerate sa madaming beses na baliw-baliwan ako. Sa pag survive ng payday to payday with us. Sa pagpapakamatay sa Korean bbq and kung anu-anong food trip. Ang importante may kanin.

Napaka dami pang sasabihin pero tinatamad na ko at as if naman hindi na tayo magkikita. Kwentuhang walang humpay sa muling pagkikita natin!

P.S. Chura natin o!

A few things we hated about it:

• No eating in the room. You’ll be charged a certain fee if they see traces of food. We snuck in pizza one night then one slice slipped out of the box and left small stains on the comforter. We carried the comforter to the bathroom and washed the affected area. We didn’t want to pay the 1, 000 peso fee. 
• The rain shower malfunctioned and instead of spraying water in one direction (downward), it worked like a sprinkler and sprayed brown water all over.
• No cabinets. I don’t like keeping my stuff in bags and in the luggage.

Always book early so you can get a room for as low as 880 pesos a night (taxes and fees not included). Insurance is less than 100 pesos per guest. There’s laundry service, a small grocery store, and massage at the lobby.
Overall, the experience in GoHotel was satisfactory. We were able to relax and rest to our heart's content. We would’ve stayed longer if we could. If there’ll be a next time, we’ll make sure to do more activities and see more places in Negros!

Stayed here for about three weeks and thought of doing the online community some service by posting a review of this place.

Good points:

• Cheap. Not really bad for 700 pesos a day. You can also get a discount if you’ll stay for more than 7 days. Their rooms are good enough for two with a (semi?) double-sized bed, a small dining area (with two chairs), cable TV, WiFi, hot and cold shower, towels, phone, air-conditioning, large mirror, built-in cabinet, and a small table (where the phone is).
• Convenient location. It’s right beside RCBC bank, Mercury Drug is right across the street, it’s near Mang Inasal, a wet market, inasal (MUST TRY!), parlor, grocery store, gas station, eatery, Mc Donald’s dessert take-out, bakery, Bong-Bong’s pasalubong, and money transfer establishments.
• Comfortable bed! It’s so comfy you can lie in bed all day!
• Quiet area.

Bad points:

• Water pressure in the shower’s awful. Not to mention the several times I had to ask them to fix the hot and cold shower. Toilet flush was powerful though.
• WiFi connection was slow and often times intermittent. Not that I needed it but of course most people consider fast Internet connection a basic necessity these days.
• Cockroaches everywhere! It wasn’t so bad in Room 1 but Room 5 was like a den of cockroaches, the small ones? I came home one day (this is in Room 5) and cockroaches were all over the bed! I couldn’t transfer since the other rooms were booked. I had to ask for their housekeeping service every other day. Good thing I always bring Lysol with me.
• Poor drainage. Experienced this on my few last days. I showered one morning and noticed that my feet were deep in water after. It didn’t bother me that time since I thought it’d be okay by the time I get back. It stayed that way until I checked-out.
• Room service badly needs improvement. They’d only change the sheets and towels, empty the trash bin, and sometimes sweep the floor. They never bothered cleaning the bathroom, mopping the floor, wiping the surfaces, and deodorizing!
• No common kitchen or dining area. If you need hot water (for your drinks or food), you’ll have to ask them to boil water for you. There’s a small nook near the front desk with a sink, rice cooker, and electric pot. I’m not sure if guests are allowed to use them though. Didn’t try asking if they have utensils I could borrow.
• No comforter or fleece blanket. You’ll have to ask for a better blanket since they’ll just give you a thin sheet. What they gave me is a comforter cover? I think. Good thing I brought my own.

I didn’t take any pictures of the façade. Make sure you tell the tricycle drivers that it’s the one beside Prince. I heard there’s another Winbelle Pension House. No idea where the other one’s located though.
Didn’t have any chance to take a peek at their suites but I heard the rate is around 1,500 a night.
Check out their facebook page for more info or try booking through Agoda.

Winbelle Pension House: 2nd Floor, Winbelle Homes Arcade, Rizal Street, Silay City, Silay City, Philippines 6116

Friends at work know very well that I’m an advocate of not washing your hair too often for the following reasons:

Frequent washing makes your hair more vulnerable to breakage.

Washing and drying your hair eat so much of your time.

Shampooing often removes the natural oil in your scalp.

Related to #4, you have to use a conditioner after shampooing which costs you money.

I’m sure you agree with my reasons but because of the weather and the pollution in the Philippines, it seems taboo not to wash your hair everyday. Almost everyone I know says they feel dirty if they don’t wash their hair.

On days that I don’t wash my hair, I simply tie it in a bun. That’s it. But when I cut it really short (pixie short) it was a challenge to hide the oiliness and limpness. I learned about putting talcum powder on your scalp because it absorbs the excessive oil on your scalp. Worked for me for a long while but since I don’t really give it much attention (how I put the powder, where I put it, etc.), I sometimes end up going outside with white powder on my head. Some would mistake it for dandruff! Plus, it’s impossible not to make a mess during application.

So I got really excited when I read about dry shampoo but I couldn’t find any of the brands I read in blogs. Most of them were only available in the US and I am not willing to spend more than a thousand bucks for it (shipping probably costs more than the price of the product). I found some online stores which sell them for around 500 to 1000 pesos. Great right?

Good thing I didn’t place any orders yet because when I went to PCX (it’s right beside Bench Fix) at ATC one time, lo and behold, dry shampoo! While I was smiling at the idea of not having to pay for any shipping fee, I could tell the cashier was weirded-out when I asked several times (okay, I asked thrice) if the price was really just 246 pesos.

Anyway, I thought it’s a good idea to help girls like me with this dry shampoo thing. I have very thin and fine hair. I also color it from time to time and trim it every once in a while. The first dry shampoo I’ve tried is Dove’s. You’ll get mixed reviews about this brand. I gave it a try anyways since it’s the only brand I can get my hands on.

I was thinking of doing the pros versus cons thing but I guess the experience will be different among users: the smell, consistency of the product upon applying, packaging, lasting power, etc. Dove’s dry shampoo, if used right, definitely delivers. The smell is a bit strong at first but wears out after a few minutes. A can lasted me 6 weeks and used it generously; 4 days at most in a week. So it will definitely last you longer if you use it sparingly. It comes in a pretty big can, something that won’t fit in a small purse or kikay kit and has a cap (snap-on). Had to mention the cap because I prefer the lid or cap connected to the container so I won’t have to worry about misplacing it. It’s an aerosol type so application is not messy. Just make sure you grab the right can because I mistakenly sprayed Lysol on my hair (almost the same size as the smallest Lysol can). It is also very essential that you shake it well before and during the application to ensure effectiveness.

A day or two with dry shampoo wasn’t bad. On the third day, the white substance (powder?) were visible, especially near the forehead. My head started to itch as well and I had to re-apply it twice that day. On the fourth day, the build-up of the substance became annoying. I couldn’t brush it off no matter what I do. No other choice but to finally wash it.

I don’t have any before or after pictures because I don’t know how that works yet. Maybe on the second product I’ll try.

P.S. Naks! Feeling reviewer na ko. Pagbigyan. Mga ilang months na nakatambak to sa drafts, kasama ang madami pang ibang drafts, ngayon lang na-post. Good job ako eh.