before lechon came a massage

forget the fact that in my last trip to cebu, the only place i got to go to aside from the hotel was ayala center. after we had done the tourist-y things and stuffed our faces full, it wasn't long before we found ourselves in a mall.

specifically, ayala center cebu. don't worry, i have an excuse: the last time i was there it was raining crazy so i didn't get the chance to fully explore the terraces:
let's just say that while i love alabang town center, and while it used to have this much open space, all the construction going on over there now is making it feel a wee bit cramped.

in any case, we went around, and around, and around. we were supposed to watch captain america but we weren't sure what time we would be meeting our friend for dinner, so we decided not to watch it anymore. and we ended up going around and around and around some more. when we had memorized the location of all the stores in the mall, we decided to go visit a church on my map.

but since we were so tired from walking, i easily got distracted by this:

more particulary, this sign:

a massage for P200 bucks? and free diamond peel? and i don't need a voucher for it? sign me up!!! we went in and inquired ... turns out the massage is P200 under the promo (afternoon delight!) but if we wanted the diamond peel, we should shell out P230. uhm, hello! yes, please!!!

see, a happy camper:

{sorry for the finger-on-the-lens shot, but this was cuter than the rest

of the shots i took of myself so you're pretty much stuck with this}

the place was your typically it's-so-dark-so-no-one-can-see-your-flabs-and-ratty-underwear spa. the decor was also to be expected: asian art with lots of buddhas and carved wooden thingees to make you feel as if you were in bali or something (not that i've ever been to bali). but, none of those things were really important to me. what was important was that (1) they had a shower (so i could wash away the entire day's grime) and (2) they had comfortable rooms for the massage.

i especially loved the masseuse cause after starting out "strong", she tapered off to the perfect pressure which i loved. i hate it how you'd tell a masseuse to ease off only to return to the same bruise-inducing levels she started off with. the strokes were perfect to rest my weary, tired, and aging body. by the time she said, "tapos na po" i was ready to melt onto the massage bed.

let's just say that i wasn't the only happy camper -- my friend, a massage virgin -- predicted that this was something that she was going to get addicted to as all her aches and pain from even prior to our vacation had been pounded out of her body.

now, the P30 diamond peel could've done with more finesse, but considering that even the cheapest jollibee meal is more expensive than the treatment, i had absolutely nothing to complain about. at the end of the treatment, my face felt smooth, my cheeks were slightly ruddy, and the cool stone attachment (they didn't use the typical laser wand at the end of it) which rounded off the treatment was absolutely divine.

so, i don't care if the time which should've been spent looking for the taoist temple was spent instead inside this spa. i reached "zen" (or is it the wrong religion? oopsie!) at zentuary!

p.s. i'm so sorry for the cheesy ending. i couldn't think of anything smart or cute or anywhere literary.

cebu take 2

i came back from cebu late saturday evening.

early wednesday morning, i was on my way back there. so from having never gone to cebu before, i was back there twice within a week.

ironically, this was the trip that was brewing for months. the other trip, that was a quickie decision. of course, i was happy i was still able to get a round trip ticket for P2,000 and get to stay in shangri-la mactan for free, but i am still mourning over the loss of my pink ixus.

i traveled to cebu with two of my fellow volunteers: cathy and theo.

{cathy i went to KL with. this is my first trip with theo}

we were supposed to go to bantayan as soon as we landed, but the weather was unpredictable. no one in her right mind would want to get stuck in hagnaya (a three-hour trip from cebu city) for nothing. so we did the touristy stuff...

like light a candle at the basilica del sto. nino (run by augustinian friars ... my favorite kind!)


and go to the magellan's cross

of course, no trip to cebu would be right if one didn't partake of the goodies (aka food!)

so i tried the kamias at zubochon as recommended by my good friend tin

and i followed my long lost twin's advice by eating at larsian

and at golden cowrie

and the bacon siomai at harbor city (which i mistakenly tweeted as golden harbor which caused him to panic lest i find myself eating at a place without bacon siomai)

it was a relatively long trip (for me) so i was pretty happy when it was time to go home.

more details to follow! am having problems uploading pics using my broadband wireless stick :(

Uh-oh!

After two trips to Cabanatuan (one of which was unplanned) and two trips to Cebu (one of which was also unplanned), my house which I had so carefully cajoled into respectable status, had returned into its natural state: chaos.

In the interest of documenting things, I even took pictures. Yep, I have a tendency to overshare.

{accessories in disarray!}

{i'm admin for lingkod alabang,

doesn't give me an excuse to dump stuff in my living room though}


{the dining room table has become the catch-all for my things when i get home}



{so much for using my desk}

Now, make no mistake, there’s no way that I’m even remotely proud of the situation. On the contrary, I’m thinking that if I post the pictures online, I will be able to cajole myself into cleanliness. You got that right – I posted icky, messy pictures of my home to make sure that within a week (or two – I’ve got a lecture I have to prepare for!) I will be able to present a clean and sparkling house for your viewing!

Ready? Get set … GO!

have old school pink crocs, will travel

as i sat on the beach taking what i felt were artistic pictures of my hot pink crocs (so i'll never be a photographer, haha!) i realized that while i had taken dozens of pictures of my pink crocs in the past (all of which were lost in the great laptop crash of 2011), i had never written anything about them. as a matter of fact, while i had waxed poetic about my merrel shoes, i haven't even thought of mentioning anything about what must be my most favorite traveling companion of all time.

well, probably not of all time. just ever since i bought them.

i first met crocs through leuts. he visited the house for something and my brother and i saw him in crocs. eventually my brother got an orange pair (i convinced him to get them since i thought he could get away with something so bright and outrageous) and after seeing this uber-cute girl in ormoc wearing the baby pink ballet flats, i got myself a pair too.

until i realized that baby pink ballet flats -- while ultra comfy and pretty -- would most likely fly out of my foot should i ride the flying fiesta. so, the night before a slightly impromptu trip to enchanted kingdom with alex, i got myself the hot pink mary janes.

okay, i'll admit it: another reason why i got them was cause i saw this cute girl in smile magazine wearing them and i thought they were cute as well. yes, i am totally a sucker for advertisement!

so despite of all the negative comments about crocs -- how no one over the age of five should wear them, how they aren't anywhere near fashionable, how they're supposed to be for certain things only -- i don't think i've loved a pair as much as i've loved these. i've used crocs in lieu of swim shoes, flip flops, and other forms of appropriate footwear simply because they work. plus, because i've a tendency to overpack, it doesn't hurt that crocs are uber light and can be easily stashed onto the tiniest of spaces without being deformed. plus, because they were designed for boat wear (i think i read that somewhere), they're not the least bit hurt by salt water.

okay, now i'm starting to sound like an advertisement as well. boo!

but while i'll never be a (1) travel blogger, (2) food blogger, or (3) society blogger -- after all the hot pink crocs are definitely a fashion faux pas -- i know i can be the best *bleep* blogger who writes about anything and everything (including her deep dark secrets, haha!). and i'm hoping that'll be good enough for all of you ☺

wag mo ako kalimutan pag sikat ka na!

{my gb's famous!}

three years ago, i met dek. he had a nice dslr camera and i think i didn't have a camera then so i immediately befriended him.

let's just say that i hit it off with him immediately. him, probably he was just being nice. or was overwhelmed by my kakulitan that he had no choice but to be my friend as well.

i call dek gb, short for guardian brother, cause he always reminded me to (1) drink lots of water, (2) eat proper meals, and (3) don't text while driving. he was there when i went through the icky drama of 2008, listened to my crazy horrible dating experiences, and affirmed (or negated, if need be) all the decisions i've made in the past three years. and you know what's funny? we've seen each other a grand total of three times in the past three years: when we met, during an easter celebration in 2009, and last year when my tuloy friends and i visited a center in pampanga. it's more than halfway through 2011 already, maybe i should schedule a meet-up soon!

in any case - and the post isn't supposed to be about our friendship story - on our way back to manila, i saw that cebu pacific's august 2011 smile magazine had a bit of a feature on pampanga and that his family's resto was featured! as a friend, i couldn't help but feel proud!

you know what's ironic though? even though he's cut short our text/phone conversations innumerable times cause he had to go chop sisig already, i've never tried it out! crazy, huh?

p.s. here's a link to the online version, although the august 2011 issue isn't up yet.