Unfortunately for me, in every hike, i’d always come unprepared. I do not know the soil I would be stepping on nor the weather conditions I would have to face. I will not research anything on it and would just depend on whatever my friends will instruct me to bring. Mindlessly I would just take off with a good pair of sandals, some shirts to replace I would be wearing on that day and a bottle of water. My reason always is I don’t like to bring any heavy, and the end result is I never learn either. hehe.

A group of my college friends and their officemates / partners (now my facebook friends, yay! hehe) invited me for some trekking. I was hesitant at first since hiking is not exactly a Saturday fun for my “not so active these days” body. But then I remembered that whenever I get a chance to pass by at Tagaytay’s roads, it always turns me into a curious child once again. I’ve been wanting to see the insides of that Taal volcano for a long time. So I said yes and we’re off….

The boat we rented can accomodate 5 people for 1900 pesos at Taal Yacht Club. Took us 15 minutes to go to the lake and trek. We docked our boats to the shore and I knew that I would not be enjoying every step of it. It was a sand all the way up and I’m wearing sandals. Heat penetrated all over it and I had to run to a shady part of the land.

It was 1 pm and the trek started. My friend handed me a gas mask to avoid the dusty wind and sands. The horses and their shits were all over the place. We could rent a horse for 500 pesos going back and forth but we chose to take the 4 kilometer challenge which was truly difficult for me even if it was a shorter trail from the treks I’ve experienced before. It was scorching heat and I had no choice but to rent a hat for 20 pesos.

I’m actually expecting mala-Tomb Raider kind of adventure, an earthy feel while you’re trekking. You get to hold of rocks as support, green scenery and definitely airy. This mountain going to Taal Lake is entirely different. The greens are on the side though but the trail is an open field of dust and sands. You get to hold of your bottle of water and stick for support though.

For the most part, I was silent because I was concentrating on my path. And half of the time, we were followed by the staff on their horses asking us to take the horse ride of 500 pesos. I won’t deny that I am almost tempted to ride because of the heat but irritated at the same time on the way bec. it is a bit discouraging for me when they say that we couldn’t make it. Tips for survival: concentrate, breaks and lots of water.

As we reached the top, I rewarded myself with a golden 50 peso 7 up softdrink. The Taal lake was a nice sight. A lake within a mountain that could blow up anytime. Nice.

At first, I was not amused by thought that I was never get to hold of it but  I could only take a picture of it. But then I found out it has symbolical meanings too for some people. Along the way, I saw a lot of Koreans and some other foreigners appreciative of the sight. Manong said, for the Koreans, it was considered lucky to witness an active volcano on their lifetime.

Maybe this sign can explain.

We spent an hour taking pictures and appreciating the scenery. On my way down, it was still a struggle bec. it was a bit slippery but less effort now. I diverted the tiredness by talking to manong. Talk to locals and you will be glad to hear some facts of the Taal lake.

A good hike compliments good food. We ended up at Mushroom burger and Bag of Beans. A Tagaytay must visits too

I was still 9 years old when it was shown in the movie houses and my brother was just 1 month old. I was so young but made so much impact on me. I was aware of the tragic and emotional whirlwind Titanic brought to the passengers and remembered myself controlling my tears throughout the struggling scenes.

There were lines that I found amusing before such as “I am King of the World” and “Jack, I’m flying”. But today, I found myself laughing how cheesy it were. )

My sister and I secretly had an obsession after the movie. The movie was a major hit for 15 weeks and triggered more of our little secret. We cut clippings from the newspapers and collected stationaries. There was no internet before, but we know when the other Titanic movies will be shown.

Of course, the 1997 movie was the best of them all. Until now it is still the major hit and you know that sitting for 4 hours is still worth it. James Cameron made a justice to Titanic. Still is.. Timeless.

My love for Titanic resurfaced once again when they had promoted it in 3D to celebrate its 100th year. I knew converting it in 3D is not pleasing enough but I badly want my brother to see it and make him fall in love that once made me fan girl. And I was right on both things, the 3D wasn’t ground breaking and my brother loved it. He loves it so much now, he watched documentaries on Youtube and gave me trivias more than what I know of.

I searched for the documentaries and found a 2 hour documentary on Titanic that my brother had seen. It was headed by James Cameron in partnership with Discovery Channel. You can see James Cameron is now obsessed with Titanic. The expedition was in 2005 and his movie was in 1997. Imagine the years he has been researching on it. You can still sense his passion and excitement with the old and deteriorating ship. His enthusiasm was still high whenever he encounters pieces that were still intact and solid. You can hear countless of “Outrageous!”,  and the man has been going deep into the ocean for the 35th time. Nice.

Throughout the documentary, I finally understood some of the series of events that took place to Titanic. Some of it were not scripted and it happened in the Titanic. The scenes where the “unsinkable ship” was sinking were real stories of survivors. The materials and furniture were replicated to achieve the exact look. Director James Cameron, historians, archaeologists, researchers, indeed spent most of the years combining altogether true and significant events from the survivors, makers of Titanic, old Titanic films, etc. and finally incorporating it in the film.

Presenting to you , “The Last Mysteries of the Titanic”.

Most of the decor on the ship – from the carpet to the chandeliers – was reconstructed by, or under the supervision of, the original companies which furnished the Titanic.

The scene in which Rose meets Jack to thank him for saving her life was improvised by the two actors at James Cameron`s request, and the spitting scene was almost all ad-lib. Cameron also credits Kate Winslet with writing the heart-wrenching “This is where we first met” line during the final sinking, as well as suggesting Rose spit in Cal`s face rather than (as scripted) jab him with a hairpin.

In the scene where an elderly couple are hugging on the bed while water rushes underneath depicts the founding owners of Macy`s department store in New York; Ida and Isidor Strauss. They actually died on the Titanic in real life. Ida was offered a seat on a lifeboat but refused so that she could stay with her husband saying, “As we have lived together, so we shall die together.” There was a scene that depicted this moment, it was cut but it can be see on the Special Collecters DVD

Many of the “core extras” used for the movie took on characteristics of actual survivors. One scene where two little girls are loaded onto a lifeboat and the man says, “It`s only for a little while” is based on testimony from one of the girls who survived.

As a joke in the edit suite, James Cameron had a razor blade with a label that said “Use only if movie doesn`t work”.

My interest with Titanic doesn’t end here. It wouldn’t be possible if there is no museum for it. So I’ve researched and found one located at Tennessee.

“To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic in April 2012, History seeks to answer these questions once and for all. In a major, exclusive underwater expedition, History partners with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and RMS Titanic, Inc. to conduct the most extensive exploration and imaging of Titanic’s wreck site ever undertaken. CGI will illustrate what happened structurally to the ship –minute by minute– after the collision with the iceberg.”

The disaster of Titanic captured my interest and heart as well. The politics involved, the classes,, the interior and exterior of the ship and even the events of “what if’s”, “should have been..”, the collision to the iceberg and the last moments of Titanic were intriguing yet beautiful.

Many people learned from the experience and mistakes Titanic had caused and failed to do. April 14 marks the 100th Anniversary of the fallen ship, my heart goes to the souls, survivors and heroes of the Titanic 1912.

It was my sister’s idea to go to Nuvali and go on biking again. It’s been ages since we’ve tried and we miss it. At first, I thought of why not try biking at Quezon City circle, just situated here in Manila. But then I remembered, the smog and noise the cars are creating. So what the heck, get out of Manila and try Nuvali.

The place is simply relaxing. Ayala Land is doing a very good job on their development plan. The place has a homey feel. Shops are accessible too. You can do biking for 60 pesos per hour, 15 pesos to feed koi fishes which is btw too many to feed, and have a 10 minute boat ride for 30 pesos each. it is required to wear closed shoes when biking. We weren’t able to do so because we’re wearing an open toed sandals and with the sun’s scorching heat, we were happy to try some activities Nuvali has to offer.

The shops though are sosyal.  Itallianis, Conti’s, Claw Daddy, Aldo’s, FIC ice-cream, Toast box, etc. are some of the stores. If I would to live there, you can most probably spot me at Robinson’s Supermarket, Max’s Resto, Krispy Kreme or 7 / 11, the most affordable stores there.

At around 4 pm, we were seated in the front of the lake. We saw people taking out their picnic mats and food and just happy to breathe some fresh air. We saw residents jogging with their children, people doing the usual jump shots and photographers appreciating the beauty of green sights. Definitely brochure worthy moments.

From their Facebook account, they have a lot of activities in store. They have mini concerts and easter egg hunting happening today. I got more excited when I found out Outbreak Manila will be held here. The place is too wide and perfect for zombie attack!

When I came home, I remembered my visit to Fort Bonifacio and it was developed too by Ayala Land. Thought of some inaction by our government to depressed areas on some parts of Manila and I’ve arrived to a suggestion, Ayala Land should take over Philippines. Seriously.

Their website is http://www.nuvali.ph

The family already practiced a habit of completing the 14 churches.We go around Metro Manila by car and we usually start early. We stay at around 15 minutes on each church and by around 2 pm, we were already finished. We take turns on reading each station scriptures and pray for our wishes, struggles and loved ones.

We’re getting old every year and the routine is getting predictable already. So we’ve decided to get creative with our bisita iglesia. This time around, we’ll do all the practices.

We went to 7 churches, completed the 14 stations of the cross in one church and visit The Fort for an interactive stations of the cross. I don’t have any idea what was the last one is, but we were game for it.

(one of the 7 churches we’ve visited)

We were surprised to hear that we are not taking the same route this time. The second church we’ve visited was the Chapel of Saint Pio de Pietrelcina located at Libis, Quezon City and has always been a curiosity to my father. I’ve stumbled upon pictures and stories of miracles such as dripping blood to idols were encountered there.

Read about more of Padre Pio here: Padre Pio was famous for his stigmata - bodily marks, pain, and bleeding in locations corresponding to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus Christ.

A line formed outside the Church. The volunteers gave each person a life-size cross.

When I carried the cross, it was heavy. My sister even offered help to carry mine because I was carrying a lot of “baggages“. She referred herself as Simon of Cyrene, the one who helped Jesus Christ. hehe. It was a refreshing encounter and I appreciated our tour. We can almost feel the burden Jesus went through, carrying the cross and praying at the same time.

When we were finished with the 7 churches, we went straight to Walkway, Serendra, Fort Bonifacio.

I’m actually expecting to see the traditional images of the stations of the cross. These stations of the cross has a different take, you really have to experience each station.

The first act read, “Go ahead, stand in front of the mirrors. Think about the honesty of Jesus’ prayer. He’s about to fulfill his mission yet he takes his time to expose to the Father exactly how he feels. No facade, no pretense.”

Surely enough, there were mirrors.

And every station, we acted upon it. We nailed and carried a very heavy cross, we wrote letters, we went to a darkness and so on. We were also ecstatic, touched and moved to each station. Here are the pictures:

The installation art runs until April 8, 2012. Churchsimplified made this all possible.

I realized before we went out, we had a feeling of unwillingness but because by God’s way of making us reach out again, he made us take a different route and experience. This year might be really interesting bec. of its interactivity, but it was more than that. It is also personal relationship with our Christ and to be reminded of the things what Jesus had done to us.  More than glad and blessed that I had to experience these again with my family. :)

To prove everyone that Baguio still has a lot to offer, my boyfriend and some of friends we’ve tagged along with, allotted time to visit again these places. The bf had an itinerary mapped on his mind and we were able to grasp the culture, experience and other information fresh to our minds.

So here is a summary of a to-do list in Baguio (before you die, ).

1. Souvenir Shopping at Market Encounter

I am a self proclaimed hoarder and souvenirs just captures my senses right away. Burnham park has its own mini tents set up for a tiangge.They sell Baguio’s specialties such as lengua, ube, accessories, and a buy one take one tee shirts for 150 pesos only.

2. Dress up like Igorots.

For ten pesos per picture, you’ll transform as an Igorot.

3. Ride, ride all you can! More from Burnham Park

There are swan boats and ordinary boats for those who would like to experience their lake. Carnival or perya, as well as the rolling skates I’ve only seen at American movies were also there for leisure activities. Don’t like to ride? Have your picture taken to inflatable sponsored balloons scattered around the park.

4. More souvenirs, an encounter with Justin, wishing well and sight seeing at Mines View Park.

5. See the view from SM Baguio.

6. Finish the 100 steps at the grotto.

7.  Strawberry picking at La Trinidad

For 300 pesos per  1 kg, you will be able to pick your own strawberries. It’s a bit pricey, but the experience is priceless.

8. Horse back riding at Wright Park

9. Complete tourists spots by having a picture taken at the Mansion, the Lion and Botanical Gardens. 

10. Panagbenga Festival

Of course, what is Baguio without the flower festival. Read here my experience with Panagbenga Festival.

There are still more from Baguio such as visiting ukay-ukay shops ranging from 10 pesos – 200 pesos. Session road is also worth visiting because of the variety of restaurant shops. There are diners, bulalo houses, bakeries, and the usual fast food chains that we have here in Baguio. If you want to go sosyal, let a taxi drive you to Camp John Hay, a nice place to stay in and you will see authentic stores selling original items at discounted price.

I heard from the other people that I still missed some of important destinations such as Good Shepherd, the makers of the ube I can finish in one seating and an art museum that is also worth visiting. It just shows that Baguio has not lost its touch. In fact, they are still expanding and making their visitors’ stay and at home.

As a tribute to them, my sister and I came up with a plan of listing down the things we have learned from their marriage and parenting.

1.      Never say no to a Jaya and Martin Nievera concert. You might even enjoy it.

One of the things that my parents instilled in us, is to always be open to new experiences even we don’t like it. One way or another, it gave birth to a talent that until now we are very fond of: Impersonation and Magic Sing.

2.      Mag-aral o mag-asawa?!

When my sister and I were studying, my dad has only one rule. While he never communicated why we are not allowed to date, it is only now I understood that he wants us to be focused and be excellent in what we are doing.

3.      “Were you hurt?”

First question they asked me when I lost my new cellphone in a concert.  They didn’t mind what its worth, what they value most is my safety. Through that event, I experienced grace from my parents like no other and learned that they treasured me as a person.

4.      Meron ka bang kilalang nagbebenta ng bubog?

Milenyo, 2006.  Despite of the shattered window in our living room and the trauma it caused to my brother, my mom tried to ease the tension and decided to be humorous instead. I realized, that as a parent, that she is resilient when adversity comes, and she needs to be very calm when storms in life happens.

5.      Dapat lagi kang bihis at maganda pag lumalabas, lalo na pag mangingibang bansa

From our underwear to our hair, they taught us the power of a good image. From our job interviews to discriminating immigration officers, it is only fitting that we carry ourselves well. I must say, they modeled it. And still boasts about it to this day. Hehe.

6.      Happy Meal

Childhood memories are mostly collecting Snoopy and 101 Dalmatian vinyl toys and trips to drive thru. I distinctly remember how happy we were whenever they give us pasalubong of 6 burger meals with a toy inside. Yet I wished they stopped us because my health and well being were not very… happy.

7.      Pera lang yan.

They taught us how to save something for ourselves. Yet, time and time again, they reiterated that money should. never. be. an. issue.

8.      Value differences.

Despite the different perspective on religion, politics or anything that’s been a hot item for debates, we still listen and understands each other’s opinion. It just ends when someone tries to clean the table.

9.      Sinong mukhang bata? Ako o sya?

My mom loves to compare herself to us, girls. I just smile from the inside, knowing that her wrinkles are still deeper than mine. Haha. For the record, they don’t look like they are in their 50s.

10.  Health is wealth. Power!

I remember when we were high school and the whole family reluctantly did a cleansing method. After that fateful week of bathroom trips and migraines, we vowed not to do that again. Right now, the family is changing the lifestyle and becoming healthier through drinking natural herbs. Power!

11.  Itext ang plate number ng taxi, tumawag pag mag board, mag land, atbp

Dad can’t sleep when we are not yet home and prays when we are leaving the country or province of our own. Call him “praning” but we accepted that its his way of expressing protection.

12.  Dining table discussion is mandatory. Participate in family meetings. Shut down all electronic devices.

This probably we got most of our “wisdom” and get to have our private show of Daddy’s animation effects and listen to his radio talk show host voice. Dining table discussions as far I can remember were basins of knowledge, ideas, financial matters, family drama, religious debates etc. There are lots of tears and snot shed in the dining table.

13.  Traditions

“When visiting a friend’s house, greet the parents.”

Kailangan iikot ang plato or better yet, just inform via texting where will you be. Like every family who has healthy set of traditions, these ideologies formed us to who we are today.

14.  Parent’s intuition.

A parent’s hunch is always correct. In a heartbeat, they will ask “Anong problema?” They instantly know that something’s not right. Through heartaches and “resignation attempts”, my parent’s intuition and hunch are 100% correct. Tried and tested.

15.  Pag meron, meron, pag wala, wala

My parents are the most generous people with the their loved ones and family. If they have excess, they will share some of their blessings. Though income fluctuates, we understood what “maghigpit ng sinturon” meant.

16.  Maano man lamang!

This Daddy expression triggers us to clean our room. No buts.

17.  Talaga naman

When he is really irritated. )

18.  Maraming naaabot ang malakas ang loob.

The formula of success comes from two things: Confidence and hard work. Or diskarte. Hihi joke. :p

19.  Noong araw…

My parents can actually put up their own History channel with all their “flat abs” days, kubo- simple living and lumuhod-ka-sa-asin style of discipline stories. Needless to say, they also witnessed the evolution of Coke that they got addicted with.

20.  Paano kaya kung nasa Saudi pa ako?

This was a tale of my dad who went to Saudi and the promise of a better life was waiting for him. But he was prodded with a decision — instead of acquiring Saudi golds, he went back to the Philippines to take care of the family. Sacrifice paid off by raising up beautiful daughters. Wink wink.

21.  Ihanda na ang mga maleta!

We stayed in 9 different homes when we were growing up. This taught us that everything is temporary and never be attached to anything material.

22.  Opposites Attract

Even if their personalities came from the both sides of the pole, they complement each other. Maybe dad is traditional, practical and homebody, while mom is a risk taker, lavish and an outdoors type of woman, but having common goals for the family bind them together.

23.  Distance makes the heart grow fonder.

They make it a point to consult each other everyday and that’s what makes it more beautiful and meaningful despite the distance. Thanks to Skype, intimacy is still possible.

24.  “HON”

The lambingan pet name they call each other. It’s also synonymous to “western union” )

25.  When they said “I do”.

They committed themselves with a vow. The road to 25 years was full of tests and trials, yet they understood what the words “for richer or poorer, for better or worse, in sickness and in health” meant. Add to that, “fitter or fatter”. Its not the grandeur of 25 years, its the day by day surrender of their rights, sacrifice and love to one another that kept the family together and strong.

In 25 years, as children, we saw the hand of God worked in the lives of our parents who occasionally failed, stood up and continued the fight of what we call LIFE. Their relationship was built on trust, mutual communication and unconditional love. They exhibited forgiveness when needed and sacrifice for the one who asked for it. With a marriage centered in Christ, nothing is impossible. And we stand as witnesses, that their joy is in the journey of the role they took: as spouse, parent, best friends, etc. We love you Dad and Mom! You raised us well. God bless you both!

We paid 20 pesos each and we were greeted by the friendly crew members that came from the different parts of the world to volunteer and work for MV Logos Hope. They showed us a video presentation of what is MV Logos Hope is all about and found out that they sail to different countries to sell books for over 5,000 titles. They also seek to provide aid and relief for the needy they get from the items and books sold.

The books are surprisingly cheap ranging from 100 pesos – 500 pesos.

There are also murals of the Prodigal Son story. Of course, a perfect photo opportunity.

They are also making their guests write about dedications and comments to MV Logos Hope which I really find creative and touching.

There are also a support on assisting people who has HIV / Aids.

This slogan caught my attention and struck me with its message.

MV Logos Hope is truly inspirational and a breathe of fresh air. Some of us are engrossed too much to technology and we’re now neglecting books. It’s nice to know that MV Logos has still the faith on bringing knowledge by reading books and volunteering for a cause at the same time. As stated on their pamphlet, their mission is to bring long-term change in each port, God on their side.

It’s in Pier 15 until March 13, Mondays – Saturdays (10:30 AM – 9:30 PM) and Sundays (1:30 PM – 9:30 PM).

We stayed for four days and the first two days were all about revisiting the tourist spots of Baguio. The remaining days were allotted for the town’s activities such as street dancing and float parade.

Most of the participants are young and they came from different schools of Luzon and Baguio. It’s nice to see them perform with their colorful costumes and props with their graceful dancings. The spectators also had the chance to see Filipino TV stars on their corresponding floats.

Photos I took during the street dancing (February 25, 2012):

A float parade was held the next day, February 26, 2012.

Just like any other festivals, it was attended by many tourists reportedly around 1.3M. The first two weekdays was a bit easy on getting taxis and making your way to tourist spots and malls. But during the weekends and festival proper, Baguio mall started to feel like palengke and it was difficult to hail any other modes of transportation going back to your place.

So here is the list of things I have learned during the festival.

1. Make your stay count. If you know the location will be attended by many tourists, book ahead of time and make your stay long. Baguio has a lot to offer for the tourists to see. Allot days to see, eat, and feel the place. Talk to locals if there are still places you haven’t visited yet. You will not enjoy if you are hurrying up all the time.

2. Book ahead of time. Book one month or two months before to any festival. Even the buses get jampacked too. So, book ahead of time to avoid disappointments.

3. Bring essentials and be patient. Pampaypays, water, food, these festivals require a lot of patience and acrobatic moves to squeeze in to a crowded areas.

4. Research or ask. Announcements regarding the festival are posted in the internet or announced in the tv / radio. These are important because of the schedule and location. So you wouldn’t miss any of the program.

5. ENJOY the activities. It’s the most colorful and sacred festival you’ll ever encounter. It only happens every year, so enjoy!

Shenzhen is known for a tourist spot where you can almost see the glimpse of the globe, Windows of the World! This is my favorite park and I’ve been here twice already. There are still “continents” that I haven’t been able to see because it is too wide and every destination is photo worthy. That’s why I haven’t finished the tour yet. hehe.

There's an exact replica of Eiffel tower I find really interesting and funny at the same time. At daytime, you will be at awe how the Chinese people managed to build an exact replica of the Eiffel Tower. You may get the chance to see the view upstairs with only 20 rmb (140 pesos) per person to spare. But at night time, Chinese characters illuminates around the tower and you can't help but to think China is an expert on "original copy".

What you can see and visit from Shenzhen:

• Splendid China – It’s beside Windows of the World and also has the minitaure and history of China
• Happy Valley – amusement park
• Sea World – lots of shops and there is a big galleon where gigs are held
• Coastal City / Holiday Plaza – posh malls
• Lao Tzi – my favorite shopping place. It’s like Divisoria but much cleaner and colder. There’s also a Toilet restaurant I think I’ve only seen on Japanese shows.

Some of the pics I took while I was in Shenzhen.

Shenzhen Olympic Stadium

Holiday Plaza

Shenzhen one of a kind flowers

Coastal City

Shenzhen Art Museum with live exhibition

Toilet restaurant

Some pictures I took while waiting for my flight.