Capacities
Test shots with the sister!
My family got to spend April 15-17 at Palawan! We stayed at Puerto Princesa’s Sheridan Beach Resort :’) It was great because seeing that everyone was relatively free, we all finally got the chance to bond! It was a much-needed getaway since we don’t get to spend a lot of time together in Manila, so I’m really grateful for the experience. I finally marveled at the underground river (now I get why so many people go there, it was insane), went through the mangroves (which, I must admit, was slightly terrifying) and experienced my first zipline ride (see also: death). I got to experience and learn a lot of new things, but ultimately created new memories with the people I love ♡ #KESO
![Sexy sibling photo is too good not to post. Here’s a picture of me and Luigi from our trip to Villa Escudero about two or three weeks ago… We obviously had a great time =))
[[ The past few weeks have been busy so I’ve resorted to reblogging stuff -_- I promised myself that I’d update my Tumblr more frequently with original posts like this when I’m finally on Christmas break, plus it’s going to be one of my new year’s resolutions! ]]](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lvkwagy5UZ1qedxk9o1_500.jpg)
Sexy sibling photo is too good not to post. Here’s a picture of me and Luigi from our trip to Villa Escudero about two or three weeks ago… We obviously had a great time =))
[[ The past few weeks have been busy so I’ve resorted to reblogging stuff -_- I promised myself that I’d update my Tumblr more frequently with original posts like this when I’m finally on Christmas break, plus it’s going to be one of my new year’s resolutions! ]]
Because sometimes all we really need is a reality check
With everyone so busy and stressed over the past few weeks, my mom decided to book us a trip to Bohol without knowing what to expect. My brother and I weren’t exactly thrilled about the idea of leaving Manila (since the both of us haven’t exactly enjoyed the comfort of resting and not doing any work at home for the past few weeks), but by the end of our 3-day stay in beautiful Bohol (forgive the cheesy alliteration, but Bohol is really one of the most beautiful places I’ve seen), we didn’t want to return to Manila anymore. No, I’m not exaggerating, Bohol really is amazing beyond belief.
For starters, we got to stay in Panglao Bluewater Beach Resort (which we booked for a more affordable rate, thanks to Deal Grocer!). We hardly spent time at the resort (much less the beach), but I guess the resort alone is enough reason to go back!
We spent our first night on a firefly cruise along Loboc river, which was about an hour-long drive away from where we were staying. It was pitch dark, but once we caught sight of the fireflies… I’m not even kidding when I say that it was one of the most surreal moments of my life. There was something different about the way they glowed- there was something ethereal about the fireflies, almost as if they used to be stars. A part of me regrets not bringing my camera along, but I guess it was the kind of scene that was so wonderful that even a photograph couldn’t justify how amazing it really was.
Our second day in Bohol was an entire day of sight-seeing in Bohol. We started off by visiting the… monument thing na may blood compact =))))))))))) We only went there for picture-taking though, since there were too many people and we were running on a tight schedule.
The Tarsier Sanctuary was our next stop. I knew that tarsiers were tiny but I didn’t expect them to be the same size as my fist! The amazing thing about the sanctuary is the fact that the tarsiers aren’t kept in cages or tied to anything. It just so happens that the place is their territory and they just move from one tree to the next (that is, if they actually decide to move), so the caretakers go out every morning (yes, they literally do this every single day) to look for the tarsiers so they know what route to take whenever tourists arrive.
After visiting the Tarsier Sanctuary, we had lunch on a floating restaurant! It was a lunch cruise thing (I don’t really know what to call it) but it was on a boat (HAHA), and everything was so happy and sunny with the live band plus the dancing tour guides (aka funniest, wittiest people I’ve ever met)! Again, I didn’t get to take pictures during the cruise because… I was busy eating :) =)) But then again, it’s an excuse so people actually visit the place so they understand what I’m talking about :-”
After lunch was a long drive to Carmen to see the famous Chocolate Hills! We climbed up a looooong flight of stairs and can I just say, getting there was an intense workout… or maybe it just felt like it because we had a heavy lunch and going up was twice as difficult. I was slightly disappointed to find that they weren’t so chocolatey (they said it was because of the weather) but at least I can say that I finally got to see them! (and at least one of them was actually brown when we went there HAHA)
After visiting the Chocolate Hills, we headed off to the Butterfly Conservatory. For those who don’t know, I’m absolutely terrified of butterflies (so much to the point that I actually cry whenever they come too close), so I wasn’t exactly thrilled about the idea of going there. Thankfully, it wasn’t as bad as I expected. I would freak out every time one would attempt to come near, but aside from that I guess the place was fine. I actually got to appreciate butterflies- I know I’m afraid of them but I really do think they’re pretty (after all, I do love color), so I prefer to admire from afar.
We even got to see butterflies mating- or what our tour guide likes to call it, butterfly porn =)))))))))))))
After the Butterfly Conservatory, we headed to Baclayon Church which happens to be one of the oldest churches in the Philippines! There was a museum at the back, so we even got to see what it was like to stand in the.. thingy =)) I forgot what it was called, but it’s this balcony-like thing that connects the convent to the church so the Spanish priests used to stay there whenever they didn’t want to mingle with the indios -_- Really amazing stuff!
Plus the colored stained glass on the windows added to the charm of the place. I was absolutely in love with the way hints of colored light entered the church!
So that’s pretty much everything I got to see in Bohol. We stopped by a souvenir shop on the way back to the resort and left early the following day.
We are definitely going back though. We have yet to try this extreme educational adventure tour package thing wherein you get to go rappelling, ziplining and other wild stuff -___-
But until then, I guess I’ll be daydreaming until the next long weekend ♥
This is my brother, Luigi. He used to be my little brother, but now he’s… obviously not so little anymore.
More than his literally towering over me, I guess it can be said that he’s my not-so-little brother anymore for the main reason that he has been a big brother to me probably more than I should’ve been a big sister to him. Let it be known that this boy right here is the most amazing guy in my life, being there for me through all the victories and the heartaches.
So there, happy birthday boy Bagos, the best brother anyone could ever ask for :’) Love you swaggaaa!
Because a huge (and probably the biggest) chapter of my life is about to come to a close, I think it’s time for me to blog about this. So here goes:
Having to go through a really difficult childhood, I grew up believing that everything slips away. Sure, I believed in happy endings, but that was a problem- the concept of forever is something I find so vague, that it becomes more impossible than it is probable. This is why I’ve always believed that everything, no matter how good or bad, has to have an ending.
And as the cliché goes, every ending has a new beginning.
I have a (half) sister. For those who don’t know, we met back when we were in gradeschool, thinking we were probably distant cousins. It wasn’t until high school that we realized that we had the same father and.. things have been one hell of a ride since then.
Most of our high school existence was about keeping our secret safe so our mothers wouldn’t know what we knew, going as far as changing surnames every time one visits the other. It was a huge load to carry at the time; but as what happens with most (if not all) secrets, the truth eventually came out.
Our moms actually handled the news a lot better than we had expected. They didn’t freak out or anything, they both replied (in separate occasions) that they already knew. Just like that. It felt like delivering what you thought was the funniest joke in the universe then finding out that the one you’re talking to already knew the punchline. That was how anticlimactic the revelation was, but I’m not complaining or anything because it spared us from being faced with a wide range of potentially awkward situations.
We’ve been living in this our-moms-know-but-they’re-still-not-talking-to-each-other-but-they’re-okay-with-us-hanging-out-together-and-stuff situation for the past two or three years.
Then tonight happened.
After God-knows-how-many years, our moms finally saw each other face-to-face. The event was abrupt and completely unexpected. There we were standing by the gate to our house, watching in awe (and in tears) how our moms were finally talking to each other, as if nothing had happened. We’ve always pictured how this event would go, but our younger high school selves probably couldn’t even imagine that all of this would end as wonderfully as it did tonight.
See, this is why I believe in endings more than I do in forever. An ending gives you a chance to have a fresh start and to make the wrong things right, whereas forever doesn’t. Whether we admit it to ourselves or not, we do not like the idea that everything has to end because having a new beginning means change- something that most of us would approach with uncertainty, which isn’t exactly the most assuring feeling in the world.
But whatever, I say we should take the fall- no matter how scary and uncertain we are about how things are going to turn out. Put an end to old issues, pack up baggage from the past and start anew.
A few days ago, my SA21 professor asked our class about what event would be taking place on this very day. Avoiding the obvious, I said it was Jose Rizal’s 150th birthday. He then goes on to say that there was probably a reason why I had said that since we would be celebrating Fathers’ Day too and he said that, judging by what I said, I probably wasn’t that close to my dad. Of course, I nervously laughed it off at that time because it was obviously too much for me to handle at 7:30 in the morning. And then our prof goes on to say, ”What’s so scary about sociology and anthropology is constantly being exposed to the truth we may not want to hear.” He was right, I probably laughed off what he had said earlier because it wasn’t exactly what I wanted to hear at that time.
Okay, so I don’t exactly enjoy talking about my feelings, but I’ll make an exception for today. I’ve decided that I wouldn’t be a heartless bitch ranting about how much of an asshole her dad is today, because after all, it is Fathers’ Day. Whether I admit it or not, we do share the same blood (and maybe a few similar traits) and he still is my dad. So instead, I’m going to be brave and thank him today, despite the tremendous amount of pain I had to go through as a child. I really do owe him this, so here goes:
I’m thankful I still got to know him, even just for a few years. While other kids have no idea who their dads are, at least I slightly know (knew?) him. Although there wasn’t a lot of time for me to be with him, at least there was enough time for me to know how he looked like, what his job was and his whole name.
I’m thankful that he gave me a pretty pink diamond-studded headband for my 7th birthday- the last birthday I had with him around. At least at that time, I actually felt that I was his little girl and his princess.
I’m thankful that he left me at such an early age, because in doing so he taught me a lesson on heartbreak. He taught me that sometimes people don’t follow through even when they say they will, that sometimes people will leave you hanging even when they say they won’t.
I’m thankful that he gave me the younger sister I’ve always wanted and the older brother I’ve always hoped for. As horrifying as it was to find out about it the way we did, I’m happy the four of us turned out to be closer than other siblings could ever get.
I’m thankful for all the tears and heartache he put me through because all those horrible years have made me the person I am today.
Thanks to him, I am a strong and independent person that won’t let anything get in the way. He has taught me to go on living my life the way I want to. Because of him, I have learned that I don’t need the past to control the way I live. I’m not going to deny that I had a rough childhood because of him, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to let that get in the way of how I want the rest of the story my life to play out.
So, here’s a happy father’s day to my papa. I’m not going to say you’re the best because you’re not and I’m not going to say I love you because I don’t. Maybe I can say that I miss you- but then again maybe it’s because I just miss the thought of actually having a dad around. Although I’m certain that I do want to say thank you for everything.
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And to all my followers, happy fathers’ day to your dads as well! Make sure you make them feel extra special today! :) Actually, not just today, make them feel special and loved every chance you guys get! :)