grande island: a late comment

I’ve uploaded a few more pictures of our last getaway: The Grande Island. I can’t help but to lay my comments about the entire experience. I’ve decided that I’ll be doing a ‘review’ for every place that I visit. It’ll be a glowing recommendation from me. I’d be also doing some rating for each place that I’ll be reviewing: 10 stars would be the max and 1 would be a pity, hehe. Disclaimer: I hereby specifically disclaim all warranties, express or implied for any and all damages of properties, personal belongings that may be inflicted during your travel (hehe, just trying to be safe). Ok, so let’s get started!

For 500 bucks (this is a promo so you might want to check it here before you start packing) you are entitled for a round-trip fare to the island, a lunch (drinks not included) , and nipa-hut cottage on the island (oh, and a gazillion sceneries. hehehe, go figure). Let’s start with the trip, specifically the ship. The ship was awesome. It may look a bit old from the outside but wait till you get inside. It’s clean, cool and comfy. But don’t spend your entire trip inside the ship coz you’ll gonna be missing a lot, go at the ship’s rooftop (err..) and enjoy the great view of Subic Bay. It’s a 15-20 minutes ride. Upon entering the island you’ll notice that most of the infrastructures are good (Except for the tarpaulin that emer hated, hehe). Most of the cottages are nice. The design is very modern, they have a glass sliding door facing the ocean (hehe, I know what you thinking). There are so many things that you can do in the island. Many, that is if you have a lot of money. This is one of my disappointments here. For example, the Banana Boat ride will cost you an extra 500 bucks for just less-than 30 minutes ride? ugh. Upon learning this we just stick to beaches and walk within the island. Food was one of the things we enjoyed the most (di ba koks? hehe). The restaurant has a European ambience, take a look. Inside the restu was even more enjoyable: service is good, restrooms are nicely scented and the foods are delicious and surprizingly affordable! For 6 persons we had a total bill around 1,500 pesos! The Crispy Pata and Kare-kare was awesome, deym. Tip: When choosing your free lunch, DON’T get the Pork BBQ, pick the chicken, hehehe, I did. The beach, specifically in front (pier side) of the island, was somehow a disappointment for us. It’s not as clean as it promises. We were told that they’re doing some maintenance that’s why it’s not as good as what we’ve expected.

All in all, it was a great experience and a must for you guys who love to travel! So I’m giving it a 6.5 rating!

Next stop: Villa Escudero.

Is there no one else?!

“Is there no one else? Is there no one else?!”

Remember those lines from the movie Troy when Achilles mightily defeated Boagrius, a huge warrior of Thessalian army. Uncontented, he even stepped closer in front of the entire legion of Thessaly, stared every soldier on their eyes, and proclaim his victory. You can feel his anger rushing though his body and his confidence over the situation. His confidence, his power and dominion over every soldier of Thessaly. And the their silence shout submission to Achilles’ warcry.

And it hit me.

There are two ways to take life’s punches: First, you can cower everytime it hits you. That’s the easiest thing to do. And certainly the most stupid. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to get this figured: All life’s pain will haunt you the minute you ran away from it. It will always be at the back of your mind, reminding you, messing up with your head. And believe me, it will be one of the longest day of your life. OR, you can do what Achilles did. He step up right in front a whole legion of army, stare the danger in its eyes and proclaim his might that “Hey, I can take all of you! I eat stuff like you for breakfast, sissies!”, hehe. Ok, that’s not exactly what he said but you get the point. It will take a considerable amount of you to do this. Feel the adrenaline as it fills your brain and give your best shot. It’s like pumping up the volume while playing ‘Mr. Clay’, nakakanginig. Being at that situation is an experience. It allows you to discover how far you can push yourself. It may also show a side of yourself that you don’t know. It let’s be you on the true level of your guts.

Stepping up proclaiming war against it is rewarding but this does not guarantee solutions to the problem, I remind you. What it guarantee is you sleep having a good sleep at night plus a life time supply of confidence during your rainy days.

letting the moment pass you by

This is one cheesy blog, but what the heck.

“If you love someone, you say it, you say it right there, out loud. Otherwise the moment just passes you by”. This is a famous line from the the movie ‘My Bestfriend’s Wedding’ (I told you this’ll gonna be one cheesy blog, hehe). I was reminded of this line by an incident ~ and eventually made me even realized more ~ that happened last Thursday.

After office, I went for a therapeutic walk around SBFZ to cool down. It’s a usual routine that most of the time end up on me having an unplanned snack. Specifically, that would be Jolibee, hehe.  I made a few orders. OK, I made an order that maybe too much for one person. The cashier gave me my iced tea and a waiting number for the rest of my order. I hit my favorite spot and patiently waited for my food. After a few minutes, the waiter came with my food. I was about to start my meal when the waiter noticed that I ordered too much food and my iced tea was almost half empty. He asked me “Sir, would you like to order another iced tea?” I paused, and not knowing what to say I reacted with a silence. It was a ‘no’ for the waiter. So he left me while still thinking whether to order or not. After a few seconds, I made up my mind that “I want an iced tea!”. So I look back at the waiter to make my order but it was too late, he was far already and he can’t hear me anymore. Tough luck.

That’s it, I made the moment pass me by.

It was a mediocre analogy i know, but hey, ‘works for me. According to a mentor “Don’t let someone slip away”. And as I look at it, why would you let the moment the pass you by when you can make the most of it! Maybe these moments are not the answers that you’re looking for but for sure it will be a trail that will lead to it. So make the most of it! Every moment should be viewed as something that is geared up to a great thing. Every moment counts. Collectively, these moments will make stories sweeter. These moments will be the details that you’ll tell to everyone. You’ll tell everyone that you lived by the moment. That you make the most of those moments. That you didn’t let those moments pass you by.

believing.

You don’t need a good reason to believe in something. In its most obvious form, you believe because it just makes you feel good. Because, somehow, it justifies a feeling that you have. Because it gives sense on a thought that’s on your mind. Ultimately, that something gives meaning ~ not only answers ~ to what you are doing.

Believing is a process, not en event. It doesn’t happen instantly, but rather continuously and spontaneously. An act of faith should not expect belief in return. It is the series of this act ~ consistent, persistent ~ that will build the foundation of belief. The depth of act is also important to some people and sometimes even more important to its occurrence. In any case, faith is not a box that can be opened and expect something good in return. It needs to be cultivated, nourished.

Believing is never induced but can be suggested. It is not induced – the joy of believing lies on its fact that it is base on the freedom of choice. We take the joy of believing knowing that it is something that we freely picked. Dream is one of its enjoyable examples. Everybody is free to dream. Free to be that dream. If this is induced then it will have the exact opposite meaning. It can be suggested – yes, it can and, sometimes, it should. Implying to believe in something is not a bad thing if it’ll make people realize your fair intention.

Believing is about finding meaning and it is this meaning that will keep you believing.

what's your travel wishlist?

It’s summer! and nothing will surely beat the heat but an escape (familiar? hehe) from your routine. Immersing yourself on a pool, beach or jacuzzi while having your favorite drink will be priceless. Or just watching the sun rises from the window of a vehicle would be so calming. Or spending the entire day sleeping on a hammock under that ol’ coconut tree, ahhh pure bliss.

So it’s a good idea to get your travelling gears ready and your shades cleaned! Summer is running fast and the next thing you know its over. So before that happens, plan ~ or don’t, as I’ve always said jumping off to travel randomly is mind-blowing, hehe ~ something out of town. As for me, here’s my travel wishlist, and mark this, my feet WILL take me there:

1. Batanes Islands ~ inspired by a store that is based on trust, this will be the number one on my wishlist. Truly captured the culture of Filipinos.
2. El Nido, Palawan ~ if you have seen the movie “The Beach” then you’ll have a fair idea of how gorgeous this place is. Hmm.. I should take Virginie LeDoyen with me, hehe.
3. Vigan, Ilocus Sur ~ this place is very elusive to me, grrr. Famous with its Historical houses soon I will visit this home.
4. Boracay Island~ of course! anyone’s summer wishlist will always have a place for this beauty.
5. Chocolate Hills, Bohol ~ ahh, the endless, mighty, work of God. I want to see how this place was intricately decorated.

Bubbling under ~ i have a few places that didn’t made it to the wishlist but worth mentioning like Banaue Rice Terraces in Sagada Region, San Juanico Bridge in Samar-Leyte and Cebu City. It’s not they’re not that good it’s just we all have priorities right? hehe. So thats it for me, I gotta go now. Ciao!

joefort bloopers 101 – 2!

Ang sabi ng nanay ko “ang aswang, aswang pa din!”. I hate to admit it but its true. Even how much I tried not to be clumsy, this sickness of mine will kick in at any day and any place tha’ll surely bring humiliation to me. But its ok, its ok, one thing life had falsely taught me is to take humiliations lightly. So that’s what I’ve been trying these days. And it’s kinda working. Anyways, here are the second batch of my bloopers, once again enjoy, i did:

• For the love of KFC - It happened when we attended a seminar in Pampanga together with our students. It was a tiring and frustrating event that we turn our frustrations in our food. We hit the nearest KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) Restaurant. A 2-piece chicken (one hot, one original) meal, an extra rice, a bowl of salad and large ice tea (yes, i am that hungry) will surely turn anyone’s mood from bad to good.  Now, unlike other restaurants ice tea in KFC does not come in a disposable cup but rather in glass.

  And it was the perfect solution for our ruined day, one good KFC meal. After our meal, we decided to visit a nearby grocery store. So we, two of my officemates, left the restaurant. I grabbed my ice tea with me since its not yet empty, sayang naman. We asked for some directions to the security guard in KFC. I feel so comfortable walking and drinking my ice tea, wait, ICE TEA?? “ay shit!!”, and then I realized, why the hell that this glass is in my hand! I should have left it in the restaurant. The next thing I knew all of my officemates were running away from me.

• kakekiko – we had on online conference with one of our partners. We were discussing a very important project that will be handed over to us. The web conference was so long that we got bored and started to PM (Personal Message) -ing each other. We were joking and playing around. Now, I was bugged with a lot of message and i got confused. The next thing I know, I was sending our jokes to the conference window. Take note, one of the participants in the conference is CEO of company.

theres the second batch, i just hope that there will be no third batch. hehehe. shout peeps!

new start!

Ok, so my unplanned-yet-long-delayed vacation (cool, ei?) is over and now i am fully rejuvenated and all ready to continue things. I guess this is one of my sickness — to jump off the cliff from time to time.

I will be reporting for my new job tomorrow (Yup, I have a new one). I’m excited about it; I’ll be working for newly-established IT Company here in SBMA, Revacomm Subic. Revacomm Subic is an expansion of Revacomm Hawaii, a Hawaii-based (obviously) IT company that specializes on web development solutions on SME’s.  I will be managing software development projects. I’ve wanted to be in IT field ever since and this job will be a great opportunity for me. 

I had 3 job offers, 2 here in Subic and 1 in Manila, but I chose to stay here in Subic. Why? Because I can have all the comforts here: the beach is just a drive away, people are nice and warm, life is not too fast — nor too slow, It’s very Ideal. As Emer and I put it, Subic is worth the wait. A few more years and this place will be a total treat! Have you seen Waterfront Road lately? It just keeps on getting better and better.

Hello Good!