What's my dream?

During my teenage days, I always wanted have a wealthy life. I want to get everything that I want, eat what I want and do what I want. I want to live my teenage life to the fullest. However, that didn’t happen. I always tell stories about my best pal KC, on how he enjoys his teenage life in his own little way. He may not be rich and didn’t have everything but somehow he manages to take pleasure in things that he has.

Things changed when I enter the corporate world. I became very ambitious; I wanted to be on top, I wanted to be promoted. I wanted to get a compensation that is big enough to allow me to go to places I have never been to, to try new restaurants I haven’t tried yet, to buy the clothes that I wanted and to get things I never had. I also wanted to own a condo unit and save money as much as I could. But am I supposed to be dreaming of houses, savings, investments and insurance at this age? They say you could never go wrong if you start planning these things while you are still young but it seemed like I won’t be able to do some of the things that I really wanted to do if I put all this things on top of my list.

Now that I’m 24, I’m wondering if this is really what I want. What if I’m living someone else’s dream? If you will ask me, I’m really confused. I listened to the dreams and ambitions of the people around me and I liked the life that they want to have and somehow I wanted mine to be as perfectly planned as theirs. Maybe I’m just amazed on how these people designed their ambition and how detailed they see their future that I imitated some of it and made it my own. But if you will ask me, I wanted something else.

Music will always have a space in my heart. I love to sing. I find it very easy to express myself through music. I find immeasurable joy whenever I sing and I see myself singing till I get old. I always wanted to study in a music school and get a vocal coach or something so I can learn how to sing properly. I wanted to see myself one day singing in a stage with a guitars and piano behind me and look at those people watching me, smiling at me with a look that says “I am entertained”. I dreamed of making people smile through my music.

Just this year I found joy in traveling. I’ve been to Baguio, Bohol, Mindoro and Palawan already. I really had a great time seeing these places and hoping to see other places as well. I love the beach. If given a chance, I’d like to have a small house near the shore so every morning when I wake up I can smell the salty yet cool breeze of the sea. I love how the sand tickles my feet and pleasure of sleeping under the coconut tree is beyond compare. For me, the sunset in the beach is God’s gift. I wanted travel and see the beauty of the world and experience the all the adventure and fun it has to offer.

One of the simplest yet entertaining works that I want to have is to become a member of the crew in the movie house. I always wanted to get an update on what’s new and what’s hot in the movie industry. I love the idea of after the not-so-tiring work, you get the chance of watching whatever movie you want and you get it for free.
Writing is becoming my passion. I get an ecstatic feeling every time I post my piece on my page. I admit I am not good in grammar; it’s not my cup of tea. It is never my intention to be famous in this field. I have no plans of making a book or the like. I just want to write everything that’s going on my mind and everything that I know. When I get old, I want to see my works and recall the feeling that I had when I wrote it. Pictures can capture the moment but the emotions behind it will be best described by the wonderful words that I wrote.

These are simple yet meaningful dreams that I have right now. It may change for time to time but in heart I know I will find this dreams on top of my list. May this serve as my guide so I can recall what I want when I feel like I’m lost or when I feel like I’m caught between what is best and what my heart desires.

my college shirt

I am wearing my college shirt again (blue polo shirt with our department's logo on the left chest). Funny it still fits me. I got this shirt when I was on my junior year in college. This holds some of the memories I had during my college years. I never thought I would be wearing this shirt again.

Gosh! I miss the school days! The skipping of classes, the rush submitting of the paper works, the group cheating, campus crushes, the after class gimik, SM manila, board games at the college department, the retreat, meals at the canteen and my unending chismis with my best pals.

I couldn't help but wonder, where did my college friends go. Are these people having the time of their life now? I wonder if they are practicing our profession or like me they widen their horizon and went beyond the limits of the IT industry. I'm not saying that I am better off this way but if given a chance to have a career in the IT industry, I wont have any second thoughts, I'll grab it.

Most of the people I know found a career in the IT field. Some had the chance to get a job outside the country (not all of them are in the IT field though). Some decided to build a family and some decided to a full time BUM.

I really wish my schedule will permit me have some quality time with them. Things may have changed but I know we will find it in our hearts to reminisce all the memories and laugh at our good old times.

Meeting My College Friends

I was able to get the chance to meet my old buddies from college, Grace and Glenda with her baby Althea. It’s been a while since I last talked to them personally so never let the chance of meeting them pass by since it is only rare that we talk on either facebook or text. And since we have a lot of catching up to do, we agreed to talk it over burger and fries. We remembered the days when we were still studying, things that we normally do and all the stuff that we missed so much.

Grace is currently working as a Finance Assistant (I can’t recall the real job title.. LOL) at HP (Hewlett Packard) in Makati while Glenda settled as a full time housewife so she could take care of her daughter and I am working as a call center agent somewhere in Ortigas. It is nice to know that both of them are doing well on their chosen path. We missed Marion and Rochelle as well but the company with these two is just awesome. We were hoping to sing in a karaoke and sing out hearts out just like the old times but all the booths were packed already.

We have so much to talk about and so much catching up to do but we only have a little time. Even if we never had the chance to say everything we want, at least I know they are good and hey, this is not the last. We will do more this in the future! I hope next time the gang will be complete though.

home exercise..

Since I won’t be able to get my ass back to Fitness First (I just ended my contract with them), I opted to continue my strict diet to save myself from becoming obese. Along with this idea, I decided to apply all the simple routine that I’ve learned from my previous instructors. I’ve learned a few simple routines that do not require using equipments. And just so I can start my so called “Home Exercise”, I just bought myself a pair of dumbells.

To get started, I googled some dumbell exercises and routines and made sure to take note some key points just to make sure that I’m doing the exercise correctly. However, most of the things I found are more on arm exercises. I was planning to cut the flab I have on my tummy which is really becoming noticeable whenever I wear semi fit clothes. I am perfectly good with my legs so I don’t want to over do cardio exercises since it requires running or cycling which enhances the legs. Having this in mind, I would want to cut my calorie intake which will somehow help me get a slimmer belly.

I may not be doing enough as compared to the workout I’m doing when at gym, but I know somehow I am making improvements. Though the effect may not be that noticeable drastically, I know in time I will achieve my goal.

The Palawan Escapade

After months of preparation and a lot of sleepless nights, at long last, the wait is finally over. As planned, Tina, Bebeth, Jen and I made the tour of our lives. When I thought Palawan was just a dream for me, here I am, writing my blissful experience about my stay in Dangkalan at Puerto Princesa, Palawan. The whole experience was a total joy and pure relaxation.

We meet up early in the morning at McDonalds in Emerald Ave. in Ortigas. Jen’s Dad,Papito gave us a ride to the airport. Jen, Tina and Bebeth handled and prepared everything from the ticket, the resort where we will stay, up to the itinerary of activities. I am really grateful to have this three. I couldn’t have stepped in the lands of Palawan without them. This was my second time to ride an airplane, it was Tina’s first as well as Bebeth, and Jen was (if I may say) experienced.

We arrived at the Puerto Princesa airport at around 9:00am. Somebody from Dangkalan Resort picked us up and brought us straight to the resort. People at Dangkalan were very nice, polite and very accommodating and this goes also to all of the Palawenos. Dangkalan has a fresh and very cozy environment. It has a small pool, mini bar, restaurant and it is located in front of the beach. We had an early lunch in the resort in preparation for our first activity which is the trip to Honda bay which means we will be doing island hopping.

Honda bay was, if I'm not mistaken, a thirty minute drive from the resort. We met our nice and intelligent bangkero, Kuya Eric. We headed first to Starfish Island and saw the wonders of the sea. There are a variety of fish in that island, fishes of different kind and color. I will never forget the territorial fish that bit me (though the bite doesn’t hurt that much). We went to Snake Island next. The reason why it is called snake island is not because there are a lot of snake found here but because the shape of the island is somehow similar to a snake. Here we saw a lot of corals lying on the grounds of the sea, corals of different size and shape. Lastly, we went to Pandan Island which seems to be like a coconut plantation because of the huge number of coconut trees planted all over the place. From among these three islands that we’ve visited, I found home in Pandan Island because of the fine sand which reminds me of the beach at Bohol. I really wish I could stay longer in this island but of course we can’t. At around 3 or 4 in the afternoon we’ve decided to go back to the resort to have some rest.

We had our dinner at the Kinabuch which was the advice of Len who’s been to Palawan already. We’ve tried a couple of their dishes which was most of sea foods. Foods at kinabuch come cheap so we ordered a lot not to mention the fact that all were tasty. The environment was somewhat similar to Gerry’s grill or Dencio’s grill that we have here in manila. After the sumptuous dinner, we went back to the resort with our eye lids almost closed.

The next day was the most anticipated one. This was because we will be heading to the underground river which is known not only here in the Philippines but also in other countries as well. As additional bonus, we were joined by a couple of cute Koreans in the van (K-Pop as we call them). It was a 2 hour drive from the resort to the underground river. During the road trip, the girl from the resort served as our tour guide and gave us information about each and every place that we passed by. The underground river was epic. Every molecule in my body was jumping as I beamed at the opening of the cave like structure river. We took a boat ride inside the cave with Tina and me in the front seat holding the light that will guide the boat man as he drives the boat. I felt a mixture of joy and fear as we enter the cave. The sound made by the bats and the monstrous mosquitoes are really frightening not to mention the idea of falling out of the boat scares the hell out of me. In the long run, I got used to the feeling and that’s when I enjoyed the ride. Inside we saw the wonderful creation of nature. The stones inside were beautifully crafted by the water coming from the mountain and the river. It was such a joy knowing that I experienced riding a boat that passed by this marvelous river which I thought I could only see in textbooks or television or internet.

We had our lunch at the nearby resort which serves all you can eat buffet with fresh buko juice as refreshments. We were able to stroll along the shore of the nearby beach. It was ecstasy having the chance to amuse myself with the cool waters of the sea, the warm rays of the sun and the soft fine sand at my feet. All come together as if they are pepperoni, cheese and crust in pizza. Having this all in mind and being lucky experiencing this, I realized that part of my heart will beat for the love of the beach.

We had a small feast at the KaLui’s which adds to my fantastic experience at Puerto Princesa. The customers are to enter the restaurant bare footed. It has, if I may describe it, a mixture of modern and native touch. The whole place is made of wood as if you are inside a kubo. The floor is squeaky clean, chairs and benches are made of wood (as if it was just cut from the tree),tables are made of bamboo , sink is made of wood also paired with a huge jar that holds the water and the comfort rooms are also beautifully designed. There are also a vast collection of masks displayed all over the place. The food are also tasty same as with kinabuch. Again we’ve ordered most sea foods since it is only rare that we eat freshly caught fishes and squid. The spectacular food anchored with the warm environment in KaLui’s made my night absolutely memorable. We ended the night with a bottle of tanduay ice which made all of us a bit tipsy. We filled our room with good vibes and memories brought by the astonishing experience we had during the trip.

The next morning was packed with activities as it is for our city tour. Tina gave us a treat at Bona’s Chowlong. We had a bowl of hot beef stew flavored chowlong (rice noodles) with some bread sticks. After filling ourselves with some good food, we got on our feet and started the city tour. First on our list was the Crocodile Farm. It’s as if we were on a field trip that time having a tour guide leading us to the confinement of these creepy creatures. Next was at Rancho Santa Monica. It is located in a hill where you can take a good look on the part of Palawan. We had a chance to see the green fields and smell the bracing scent of the grass. The nearby place was our next destination, The Baker’s Hill. It was a small town that has beautiful modern houses, human sized statue of some cartoon characters like bugz bunny and the like, and also in this place they sell nothing but FOOD. Here we shopped for some goodies for pasalubong like hopia, crinkles, tarts, and other pastries. Before our scheduled flight to manila, we stopped first to the market to buy some dried squid, danggit and cashew nuts. At first I thought it was a bit pricey but it was cheaper compared to the price here in manila.

We got off Palawan at around 5:00pm and took a plane to manila. Papito was outside the airport waiting for our arrival and gave a ride. I can’t contain my emotions that time during our way home. I had the time of my life. I still can’t believe that I made it. I have only good words to describe the experience that I had during my stay in Palawan.

Taken from the Past

I just got lost in youtube.com and saw this video that KC and I recorded. As seen in the video, I'm still wearing my school uniform during the shoot. It gave me chills when I watched it and I know you will too. Anyway, I was I just starting to love singing when I recorded this so please bare with me. Have fun!!

The Plan (Palawan Trip)

From: jennifer polinar

guys, eto na!!! palawan.. we'll see you soon! :)
it's me,

Jenn

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From: teij spark


DAY 1 (OCT 12)
0430H – call time
0500H – leave for airport
0600H- ETA at airport
- Check-in and all that jazz
- Eat HEAVY BREAKFAST
0810H – ETD from Manila
0930H – ETA in Palawan
1000H – ETA in Dangkalan resort
- Check-in
- Leave bags and get ready for Honda Bay
- Pick up packed lunch
1030H – leave for city
1045H – ETA in Mendoza Park in city
- Wait @ ‘KITKATS’ for multi-cab bound to STA.LOURDES
1200H – ETA in Honda Bay
1300H – Late Lunch @ Starfish Island
1400H – Snake Island
1500H – Pandan Island
1630H – Return to Honda Bay
1730H – Return to City
1800H – Return to Dangkalan
- Upon arrival @ hotel, wash up and prepare for dinner in city
1900H – Leave Dangkalan (via drop-off service)
- DINNER

DAY 2 (OCT 13)

0600H – Wake-up call
0700H – Breakfast
0730H – Assembly for Underground River
1000H – ETA in Sabang River
- Underground River Tour
- Buffet Lunch @ Taraw Beach
- Sabang Beach
1500H – ETD from Sabang River
1730H – Arrival @ Dangkalan Resort
- Upon arrival @ hotel, wash up and prepare for dinner in city
1900H – Leave Dangkalan (via drop-off service)
- DINNER

DAY 3 (Oct 14)

0630H – wake up call
- Pack your bags
0730H – breakfast
- Hangout in resort/swim
1200H – Lunch
- Check-out
1300H – Leave for City Tour (*bring all bags)
1630H – Leave for airport
1730H – ETD from Palawan
1845H – ETA Manila

Budget per head

DAY 1
- Transport from dangkalan to city via tricycle 25
- Transport from City to Honda Bay 25
- Bangka 500
Snorkeling Gears 100
Packed Lunch 250
Entrance Fee Starfish 50
Cottage 100
Entrance Pandan 50
Transport from Honda to City 25
Transport from City to Dangkalan 25
Transport from City to Dangkalan after dinner 25

TOTAL: 1175

DAY 2

Underground River Tour 1500
Transport from City to Dangkalan after dinner 25
TOTAL: 1525

DAY 3

City Tour 400
TOTAL: 400

GRAND TOTAL: 3000

· Lahat ng transport via tricycle
· Di pa kasama sa budget ang dinner for 2 nights and Lunch on the 3rd day
So maybe additional 500 per meal?

Activities: 3100
Hotel: 1700
Airfare: 1700
Food: 1500

TOTAL: 8000

So I think we are 3k off our budget.. ahahaha.. pero minsan lang toh.. gow!

TO DO:
@jen:
Treasurer ka na ah..hahaha.. so we’ll give you all the money (PhP 6300/person)..tpos lahat ng gagastusin ikaw na mgbayad..pra nde na tyo kagulo sa pagaambagan.. so i-ziplock ang pera..bka mabasa..ahahaha

Nga pla jen..Wla akong maisip na maliwanag na area sa EDSA southbound na pwede pag-antayan.. bka pwede na sa ortigas? *wrestling!* ahahahaha

@gk:

Bodyguard ka ni jen.. since ng-gym ka nman.. gamitin natin ang mala-bouncer mong maskels

@zara:

1) Di ba may resto sa dangkalan.. kindly inquire nman yng menu pra we can order packed lunch..for pick-up nlng naten to bring to Honda..
2) Patanong din if they can wait for us for the 10AM drop off sa City on Oct 12.. Sayang din kse maximize na natin ang service nila
3) Pa-sched ka na ng underground at City tour..please ask for itinerary so we can check or modify what I drafted here

@tina

Be pretty!

Comments? Suggestions? Violent Reactions?

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From: Jhay Katimbang

HALA!! ang mahal naman.. haha.. kulang na ung pera ko!! :((
pekpek ka Tina!! sa lambot kong toh ginawa mo akong body guard?!

exicted na ko!! hehe.

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From: teij spark

ahahaha..ako din nagulat sa presyo..wla ka ng pera jikey?ahahhaa.. papa-abono ko pa nman sana yng sken..kse sa 13 ng 6pm pa ko susweldo..hirap na hirap ako sa once a month naten..sana matawaran ni bibit yng tours at sana mura lang pagkain dun..pra di 500 each ang sharing...better yet wag na tyo kumain!

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From: Zarabeth Teodoro

So sure na dun na lang natin sa Dangkalan din ibbook yung tour? kala ko dun sa friend ni madam bonaobra eh, hehe.. anyway, i emailed her na, mabilis naman yun sumagot. Will let you know soon as i get an answer.

Btw, naisip namin nila GK sa Starbucks metrowalk na lang tayo magkita since open naman yun 24hrs. dun na lang tayo sunduin nila jenn, ok na daw kay papito..

Another thing, diba dapat pauwi kung 5.30 ang flight naten eh around 3.30 nasa erport na tayo?

Practice packing na guys, go lite lang ah!! :D

GK, practice yung manly voice pag good morning sa papa ni jenn :))

Jenn, kaw na lang print nung Cebu Pac itin at Dangkalan booking confirmation natin ha? :$

5 days na lang!!

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From: teij spark

yup bibit sa dangkalan nlng para di na magulo..yng friend ko nga yng ngbgay ng bangkero pra di na tyo dumaan dun sa agency..

speaking of mamang bangkero..sbe nya 1300 nlng daw ang bangka.. kse 4 lang tyo.. so pwede na pampasalubong yng ma-save natin..

starbucks metrowalk it is.. thanks papito!

yng time sa pagpunta sa airport will change depende sa ibbgay ng dangkalan na sched for city tour..inimbento ko lang..ahahahah

uy may sasabhin ako senyo.. wala na kong pera..ahahaha..1.5k nlng nasa atm ko.. sa aug13 pa sya ma-replenish.. badtrip kse yng once a month na sweldo eh.. pwede pa-utang?ahahaha.. promise i'll pay everything sa 13 ng gabi.. puhlease.... :((

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From: Zarabeth Teodoro

Package for 4 persons : Php 7,800 package for 4 persons or Php 1,950/person

Eto yung sa Underground river and city tour sa dangkalan. not sure if we can work out the schedule for the city tour pa kasi 1.30-5.30 daw sabi ni teh binigay ko naman flight details natin..

Madam bonaobra, sorry all out na rin. Madaming sweldo din ang derecho sa bangko para makaipon for this trip.

Sa McDo sa emerald na lang nga pala tayo magkitakita on tuesday para mas madali bumalik ng edsa, hehe.. final answer na yun. :)

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From: teij spark

bongga nman ni ate, di kinonsider yng flight naten.. anyway, i know of someone na instead of signing up sa city tour, ng-hire nlng sila ng tricycle pra mg-city tour..alam nman daw ng mga tric yung lugar.. so kung di talaga maayos ni ate yng sched.. might as well go on our own..again...

McDo emerald? yng malapit sa ortigas park?

Jen, pa-print din ako ng sample IT na to..

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From: Jenn Polinar

Mcdo sa may shell po yun madam. Sige, money ko na lang muna gamitin mo. Libre mo na lang ako the same amount kapag nakuha mo na pay mo on the 13th.:)
May atm naman for sure dun.:)

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From: teij spark

ahahaha... ang bongga mo nman jen.. daig mo pa bumbay..ahahaha.. thanks!! :)
konting tulog nlng mga mars!!!

ah yng Mcdo na pinupuntahan naten? okay mas malapit pa..

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From: Jhay Katimbang

hala, teka.. so magkano ung dapat kong dala na money?? 7,800 dapat??
kulang na ung pera ko.. kala ko kasi 4K lang.. haha

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From: teij spark

ahahaha.. panic alert na mars?!! ako nga 1.5k lang..ahahaha..bibit?jen? nakaka-iyak ba yng budget? umiiyak na si jhay.. :))

jikey..malayo na mararating ng 4k mo.. covered na activities and your just 800 pesos short for the hotel.. pro kaya yan.. mgbaon nlng tyo ng skyflakes..o kaya itulog nlng naten yng hapunan.. ahahaha.. kse ako rin naiiyak eh..aahahaha..mpagtutulungtulungan na naten yan mars..at least you can scratch Palawan off of your TO-GO LIST di ba..

kagaya nung bangka sa Honda Bay..initially 2k..pro binigay na sten ng 1300..so may 175 pesos na tyong tipid di ba..tpos since di naayos ng dangkalan yng city tour.. tatawag nlng tyo ng tricycle..cguro instead of 400 each bka pwedeng 200 nlng..o di ba? tpos sagot ni bibit yng dinner sa 1st nyt.. tpos si jen nman sa 2nd nyt.. tpos wag na tyo mglunch.. ahahahaha

pekpek ka kse jhay! ngyon ka lng ngrereact tatlong tambling nlng.. :))

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From: Jenn Polinar

Uu. Nagulat rin ako sa amount nf expenses natin.:$ pero if it's for the best vacay of the year naman, keri na siguro!:) hehe..

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From: teij spark

Jen, pa-print nlng ako ng IT ah..ksama ng iba pang ipprint..di ko kse kabisado..ahahahaha..

Bibit, anong balita sa menu sa dangkalan?Or bili nlng tayo sa bayan?

Jhay... kapit ka lang mars.. ahahahaha

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From: Zarabeth Teodoro

Hi ma'am, good day, tomorrow na po you will be here, we are excited to see you.

Ma'am we offer seafood as well as poultry food, prices range from P150 to P180/order good for 2 persons ala carte. I do not have yet soft copy ma'am only menu published in our restaurant.

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From: Jhay Katimbang

mga bakla..

nakakalap na ko ng 6K.. kasha na ba yun?? ahaha..

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From: Zarabeth Teodoro

keri na yan. ;)

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This is the thread of our conversation via email just so we can plan the event. We dont have the luxury of time to meet up to talk this over personally since all of us were working with different companies. Jen and Zara are with 24/7 in Makati while Tina is with Shell at Batangas and Me at Convergys here in Ortigas. It is amazing how detailed these people are when it comes to planning.

Looking at the plan made by Tina, I feel like we will experience the excitement or adrenaline rush similar to those people who joined the amazing race. HAHA. I am really excited on this vacation looking forward to adventure that is in store for us on this trip.

Itinerary Receipt

We are so excited to our Palawan trip this coming October 12, 2010. I just received a copy of the itinerary receipt from Jen who processed our plane tickets for the trip. I was one of the persons Jen invited to come on this trip. However, only three of us agreed to come (Zarabeth, Tina and ME!). As shown in the receipt, Jen processed the tickets last August 01 which was the last day of booking for the flight. I owe this trip all to you Jen! Thank you so much!

Here is the copy of the Itinerary Receipt:





























I can’t wait to see the beauty of Palawan.