A lesson learned

I visited Sagada one year ago, it's only now that I've got to blog about it. When I set foot in Sagada I was awed by the picturesque view, cool weather, some English-speaking native and the hordes of tourist coming in and out from different islands of the Philippines and foreigners likewise.

But roaming around there has no joke, I was thinking that we can freely slog the place after resting. Too bad the rooms for two in hotels and inns are fully occupied so we were forced to take a larger room for six in Igorot Inn if not we will be sleeping elsewhere in the meadows. And another thing that dismayed me was we need to pay for the tour guide and mind you it's awfully expensive for the two of us. We need a group of 10 or 5 people to pay less. The only boo-boo I've made is not researching some info about that place. That journey would be filled with more gaiety if we've only armored ourselves with tidbit. That's a lesson learned from my byahe. So to all adventurer/wayfarer/explorer out there who are planning to experience Sagada and has a limited budget, it's preferable to travel by group.

Exploring Sagada

I'm getting older

It's my big day! I just turned 25 today (as if i'm really happy that I'm getting older ^^ ). To all of my friends who spent their single penny just to send a message to greet me and to those who posted a message in my friendster account...Kamsahamnida! ("thank you" in Korea). And to those friends who didn't send any message, I know wala kayong load so it's ok. To those people I've known who had forgotten this day, it's alright, no hurt feelings coz I sometimes forget other's birthday as well. And to those people who are celebrating their birthday today “Chang il chukha hamnida.” I would like to acknowledge Elai for being the first person who texted me at exactly 1:03 a.m.

And I would like to feature some of my friends who shared the same month with me and to all Leonian:

This is Gaye, my ever gorgeous friend, she's already a mom pero hindi halata. I didn't even know that she's back to school for her second major until I landed her profile in friendster. She got me as emcee in her wedding reception and I've done a mess. I swear, I'm unprepared coz I focused on the gown that I have to wear for the occasion(hehe).Thanks to Sheena who was there to save the day.


My cute friend Enna, sweet and young. She's a colleague of mine who's planning to go back to school and take up nursing. This picture was taken in China. She worked there as an English teacher.


This is Sheena in her Psych Uniform...this picture was taken back in college. This witty and opinionated lass is now a teacher in SPED.Actually she's a Psych graduate who opted to earn education units as an engine in fullfilling her American dream.

Ten things God woudn't ask you

DASH THROUGH MY MOUNTAIN CLIMBING ADVENTURES AND LOCAL TRIPS

CALATAGAN, BATANGAS
ISLAND COVE, CAVITE
MT. MAKULOT, BATANGAS
SAGADA
TAGAYTAY
TARAK RIDGE, MARAVILES, BATAAN
TAYTAY FALLS, MAJAYJAY, LAGUNA

BISITA IGLESIA 2008
CHRISTMAS 2007
ELAI AND ERWIN'S WEDDING

TWIN'S DEBUT

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

My former Korean student, Younghee Jung, mentioned about this book sometime this month. Even with an apparent struggle on her part to explain the context of the book, slowly she exerted an effort to expound the worth of this book. And I find it really wonderful until fortunately I scanned over Panorama published last Sunday July 15 under the column of Jonathan Aquino. This is a great guide for our everyday living and eventually the secret to our success. I'll try to ransack the bookstore this coming weekend to find this book.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People are:

BE A SELF-STARTER. Being proactive means taking the initiative and venturing out of your comfort zone.

BE GOAL-ORIENTED. Beginning with the end in mind means knowing what you want to achieve in life.

BE ORGANIZED. Putting first things first means focusing on the esentials.

For Spielberg, the key word is PASSION.

"When I don't have a movie, I don't take a job for the sake of working, I just sit it out until I find something I'm passionate about."

BE CREATIVE. Thinking Win-win means thinking out of the box to find the best course of action.

BE EFFICIENT.To synergize is to get more work done with less effort.

BE WELL-ROUNDED. Sharpening the saw means achieving balance in life.

Never ending Battle

Umarangkada na naman po ang mga muslim. When I first heard of the news last midnight, I just got home from work and it did hit my head right away.

15 unfortunate marines who dedicated their lives in search of an Italian priest, were beheaded by the cold-blooded Moslems again. Well, the Moslem rebels just turned this predicament into grossly complex cold war between Catholic and Moslem Filipinos. Honestly, I felt a strong detachment from them because of the fact that are known to everyone, the chain of inhuman acts done by the culprit. As much as I don't want to be unfair to other righteous Moslems, but I don't feel safe with their presence. They can't lay the blame to the people who felt the same way as I do, coz sabi nga ni Bea of PBB "ang respect hindi iniimpose iniearn yan."

What irritates me the most is this: "The battle was a legitimate fight... We acted in self-defence. [The marines] were in a territory that belongs to us, a place where they should not have been. This came straight from Mohagher Iqbal, a spokesman for the MILF." Ano? my sarili kayong territory that is beyond the territory of the government of the Philippines? "We have an agreement whereby they are supposed to tell us of mass troop movements. They did not do this." Ah ganun naman pala and so why did the military troops trudge along a private property? And granting that it was only a self-defense, is there any reason to resort in decapitating of these men?

This is so tiring. Mabuti sana kung walang ibang taong nadadamay. Nakakaawa naman ang mga naiwang pamilya ng mga sundalong pinatay.

I hope God will touch the hearts of the culprits. Make them realize the wreckage they've brought to their own race and how they'd ruined the long-devastated reputation of our country.

The thing called "Life"

Things you just don't see everyday

Even before, I've been receiving a great deal of wonderful and treasured e-mails. Unfortunately, I need to get rid of those to generate space in my inbox. I contemplated on the best chest to harbor these precious stuffs, and...why not my blog. This is just one of those:

How Much of the Philippines Have You Visited?

My Lakbayan grade is C-!

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.

Loathing people booed Wendy

As with my last post, I am rooting for Bea, Gee-Ann, Bodie and Mickey. That's why I'm a bit disgusted to know that Wendy is part of Big 4. But honestly I didn't waste any single peso to vote for any of my bet because of the widespread issue about PBB fraud in friendster and in PEP, although I am skeptical about it, I do not totally believe the whole allegation because I look up to ABS-CBN though it is seemingly true. And I was even persuading my cousins not to spend every single penny to vote for PBB HS. It's good that Bea won coz I bet there would be WORLD WAR 3 if Wendy wins considering the people's violent reaction to Wendemonyo. Prior to that, I surprisingly woke up early and catched Ogie Diaz in Umagang Kay Ganda commenting Wendy, "Ako ay iritang irita sa kanya." You see even Ogie doesn't like her and to think he has that nerve to utter negative stance on air. I like Ogie na!!! hahaha! Wendy even keeps on saying not to drag her family on this issue, eh actually people are steaming about her and not about her family. So If I were her I'll stop making such remarks. It's utterly nonsense. When I was watching the night of the night of PBB, I was 101% sure that Wendy will be at the last spot and I was dismayed again coz Gee-ann was. Well, I started to think if the fraud really exists. Well, di natin alam...