Writings of an Introvert

Your Personality Type

witty.

Chocolate Indulgence

I am not really an avid fan of chocolates. Yes, i eat chocolates but i do not really crave for them.

But every time my brother in Christchurch sends those Cadbury bars twice the size of a pocketbook, I just go gaga with a number of flavors to choose from.

I find them incomparable to the taste of Toblerone, Hersheys, Ferrero rocher and many others (in my own taste bud rating). Although I admit I like Snickers, the Cadbury bars are just the type of chocolates I love better. . . and will probably crave for in the future.

Here are a few of the flavors that dear brother sent:

 

 

i was thinking about which to open first… and the winner is, Chocolate Bubbly. i am not a fan of those chocolate with nuts and other hard ‘stony’ feel, so i ended up with the Bubbly.

 

… and i’m now halfway to finishing off my first bar.

 

 

 

 

XOXO

My Grown-Up(?) Christmas List

I don’t have a lot of choices with my Christmas wish list when i was a kid. Being in a large family of 9 including my 2 parentless cousins who became part of the family, we just actually wait for what my mother would give us for Christmas, according to her budget and according to what we need, and she surely knows that.

Although she would ask us what we want, it would most often end up with our needs and what she can afford, and she makes it sure that nobody’s getting an obviously larger part of the pie. If one of the siblings has priorities this year, she would make extra effort to let us understand that, and we had no qualms about it.

It was when most of us already had our own jobs when we finally get to ask and sort of give everyone their Christmas wish list – something that we really want and not just something we need (but everyone seems to be leaning towards their needs. Probably the influence of those past Christmases that we tend to think Christmas is an opportunity to finally have what we need.)

From school shoes and new uniforms, the wish list has evolved into the latest gadgets and designer bags. Now i understand why my mother would want to stick to our needs first.

Although my choices for my Christmas wish have widen now, I always feel that ‘guilt’ whenever i wish for something that I can actually live without.

But of course, I am free. I can wish whatever i want. Here are two of the things I want this Christmas. Whether someone or myself can get me one of these . . . that, i still do not know.

 

Samsung Galaxy S i9000 Adroid Phone

Why i want it:

1. I can Google wherever I want (Wi-Fi considered) and i can use some applications for free. Thinking of easy access to Google’s Blogger, Picasa Web Album, YouTube, and Facebook etc, etc.

2. As I work full-time online, i can be updated with client communications and project status wherever i am, without the bulk and hassle of the laptop.

3. With its latest texting technology called ‘Swype’, where you can actually slide your fingers on the screen and write without lifting your fingers, i can actually work fast even on the go!

4. It has a 5MP autofocus camera that takes excellent photos, which is all i need when i want to travel light but take great photos.

5. It has an excellent 4 inches AMOLED touchscreen display that is one of the best in the phone industry.

6. A lot of people say it’s better than overrated Apple iPhone (i can’t stop laughing at one online user commenting that “Apple without publicity is just a fruit”). lol.

Entry-Level Nikon DSLR D3000

Why i want it:

Just to satisfy my thinking that better equipment makes better photos, and i want to do portrait and landscape photography with this thing, and it is said to be the most user-friendly entry-level DSLR for beginners.

 

I guess, we can always turn our ‘wants’ into ‘needs’ these days huh . . . and have an excuse to really get them.

 

Go ahead! Make your Christmas wish list now!

 

 

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Travel Frustrations: Sick on the Day of Your Vacation?

I’m so not loving this. I just had a bad cough for a couple of days now and I do not even want to think that we will be flying tomorrow to Palawan for a 4-day escapade. This is not happening!
In my case where my asthma would later interfere with my coughing, this could mean sleepless nights and dry cough for days!
So now, I’m torn to cancel the vacation and forfeit the non-refundable, non-transferrable plane ticket and just forget about Palawan for a while. . .
or
go on with the trip not knowing if I could ever enjoy Palawan with a dry cough and difficulty in breathing.
So, today, the day before our Palawan escapade is suppose to start, I’m ending the countdown and cancelling the reservations. I just have to go to bed then and have a good rest.
. . . guess i have to go back to work after that.

…. hmmm, if there’s a miracle tonight that will get rid all these that i am feeling, i’d probably be the first person to arrive on the airport tomorrow. lol.


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XOXO

Grenade (Bruno Mars)

Just can’t get enough of Bruno Mars. His newly released single “Grenade” just hits right into the hearts of many. Its music video that showed Bruno Mars dragging an old piano was fantastically done as well and blended well with such emotion in his voice.

The message of the song may be a little painful (some ‘YouTubers’ even want to throw a grenade on the woman. lol. bad.) but the song was just simply great!

Anyway, enjoy Bruno Mars!

Here’s the official music video for the song:

Sticky Tuesday

  

Talking About Cancelled Flights

The airline sent me an email today saying that our Friday, 12:40 flight to Puerto Princesa was cancelled due to aircraft condition. My, oh my!

They also gave us an alternative flight on the same day but we have to do a connecting flight to Manila at 12:00NN and board the 3:45PM flight that will arrive in Puerto Princesa at 5:00PM.

My, oh my! This is not happening! That’s taking away a precious half-day tour from our itinerary.

So I called them up and told them we want the closest scheduled direct flight to Puerto Princesa and I was given a day earlier than my original flight. Not bad I guess.

It was actually more of a blessing in disguise as I was having a difficulty fitting in the tours to our original 3 days, 2 nights schedule. Now we have another extra day to spend. Of course, that would also mean additional cost for the pension house and meals too.

But well, it’s not everyday that we get to enjoy such a place and such a vacation, so that would most probably justify it.

Back to excited mode then! 7 days more to go!

 

 

XOXO

Loboc River Cruising (Bohol, Philippines)

Bohol is almost synonymous to the world wonder, Chocolate Hills and the powdery white-sand beaches of Panglao island, but if you get to travel to this touristy island, you can’t also miss the Loboc River.

Indeed, Loboc river cruising has also been another great thing to experience in Bohol. In fact, you can also see the small primates called Tarsiers in Loboc.

Cruising in Loboc River

 

The nocturnal primate, Tarsier (lucky me! i was able to hold it for pictorials!)

If you have a booked for a countryside tour in Bohol, you would not definitely miss Loboc River cruising and the tarsiers. Getting there yourself is almost impossible as public transportation in this part of the island may be a little difficult. You can hire a taxi (but take note that there are only a few of them in Bohol). The best way to go there is to have your own transportation or join a countryside tour.

Of course, you have to consider that the cruise itself will take you around 45 minutes to an hour so you will need your ride to wait for you after the cruise.

This is where the floating restaurants dock:

Some sights you will see on your cruise:    

You can get into a cruise for only Php300.00 but you have to pay for a 100-peso fee which seemed like a terminal fee or municipal tax something (i did not quite get what it is for), so you’ll have to pay Php400.00 (about $9.00) for the cruise plus you will get a lunch buffet onboard.

 

Halfway in the cruise, and just right at the time when you are done with your eating, the floating restaurant will dock shortly in rafts like these where the locals will greet and welcome you with local dances accompanied with a rondalla, a native musical ensemble where folks play string instruments like banjo, ukelele and classical guitars. 

  

The Filipino native dance, ‘Tinikling’.

 

Of course, we are all stuffed when we got out of the cruise. Just enough to feed our bodies with the much-needed energy for our next destination: a steep 120-stair climb at the top of a hill to watch the amazing wonder, the Chocolate Hills.

See more of Bohol here. If you want to experience Bohol’s fine white-sand beaches, check out our Dumaluan beach experience.

 

 

XOXO

I’m Loving Bruno Mars!

 

Just The Way You Are lyrics

Oh her eyes, her eyes
Make the stars look like they're not shining
Her hair, her hair
Falls perfectly without her trying

She's so beautiful
And I tell her every day
Yeah I know, I know
When I compliment her
She wont believe me
And its so, its so
Sad to think she don't see what I see

But every time she asks me do I look okay
I say

When I see your face
There's not a thing that I would change

Cause you're amazing
Just the way you are
And when you smile,
The whole world stops and stares for awhile
Cause girl you're amazing
Just the way you are

Her nails, her nails
I could kiss them all day if she'd let me
Her laugh, her laugh
She hates but I think its so sexy
She's so beautiful

And I tell her every day
Oh you know, you know, you know
Id never ask you to change
If perfect is what you're searching for
Then just stay the same
So don't even bother asking
If you look okay
You know I say

When I see your face
There's not a thing that I would change
Cause you're amazing
Just the way you are
And when you smile,
The whole world stops and stares for awhile
Cause girl you're amazing
Just the way you are
The way you are
The way you are

Girl you're amazing
Just the way you are

When I see your face
There's not a thing that I would change
Cause you're amazing
Just the way you are
And when you smile,
The whole world stops and stares for awhile
Cause girl you're amazing
Just the way you are

My Window Never Fails to Amaze Me

Every time the clouds go hovering in the sky, i always find my home office window the best place to be. These white fluffy stuff seem like inviting me to grab my camera and do a photo shoot for them as they move together or make formations.

the first cloud formation i saw on my window on a hot summer day

sometimes it can look like i am in heaven. . .

sometimes it seems like i am looking at an entrance to another world. . .

at times it can be fluffy or cotton-like , you would want to bury your head on it.

and when the sun sets, the mountain nearby just looks like it was on fire!

 

I haven’t tried peeking into my window when it is about to rain. I will probably watch out for it next time and see what the clouds up there have for me. enjoy!

Reunions and Native Filipino Foods

It’s been years since we chatted and spent good times with each other, and although sometimes we get to communicate through gadgets and computers, there’s nothing more fun and exciting to just sit there together, get to know updates from each other’s lives and just while away the hours until sundown.

We decided to do the reunion in the touristy island of Bohol where we can also bask on white sand beaches and forget all about our respective work.

After hubby and I had half of the day fetching them from the sea and air ports, we finally had a wacky time altogether inside the car, exchanging what each one brought for one another. My! I did not even bother to get one for them – was probably too busy on all the planning and reservations for the trip.

One of them was looking for rice cakes, so the first stop: a snack bar in the heart of the city that serves native foods.

The sign reads ‘Painitang Bol-anon’ and my! they indeed have loads of native foods, i don’t even know what they are called!

 

  

I do not know what’s the name of the last one. I did not even taste it because it looks like cassava and i’m not fond of cassava. Most of these foods are made of glutinous rice and usually cooked with coconut milk and eaten with the native chocolate drink, Sikwate (below) which is made from Theobroma cacao.

One lesson you need to keep in mind if you want to savor the taste of these native Filipino cuisine: limit it to a slice or two as these can be a little greasy and sweet. Beyond that, it can totally shut down your appetite for any other food.

But I guess nobody’s feeling all those grease and fullness as we were all just excited to see and talk to each other again like we used to in the old days.

Caving and Other Things Underground

I haven’t been to much caves, but just recently, I had two great opportunities to visit caves in Cagayan de Oro and in Bohol. I am not quite a fan of dark, swampy underground areas as I have this great fear of snakes, and for sure, my mind would play tricks on me if I can’t even see the ground where I am treading.

The first cave we went to was a shorter one but it can be a challenge at one point where you need to do a little bit of crawling. With the excitement building up in me, i forgot about my fear of snakes. The cave has a pretty big opening though and it gets smaller and smaller in the middle where the crawling has to be done and exits to a pretty big opening that overlooks to a scenic view of the Cagayan de Oro river where the whitewater rafting is held.
 

Unlike the first cave, the Hinagdanan Cave in Bohol is a much different picture. It has a pretty small opening where you descend vertically into a bigger and wider space underground. With the island being touristy, the locals probably found the need to put a steel staircase on the entrance for ease of entrance.

 And the sight underground was way better. Stalactites are everywhere and in the middle of the cave is a 12 to 14-feet dark underground water that looks eerie to me. In several parts of the cave are big holes that cast sunlight into the caves. Our tour guide said it was through these holes that the cave was discovered.

Aside from being a great tour guide, he also had great skills on any camera that he is handed to and took great pictures inside the cave. If I would have taken the pictures myself, it would have been all dark around us.
I would surely need to learn cave photography before the next cave adventure that i will be dragged to.
Oh, i almost forgot about the planned trip to the world renowned underground river in December, so i really need to make some crash courses on cave photography ASAP.