Villa Escudero/ Baguio/ New Years!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR ERRRRR'BODY!!!

Sorry I haven't blogged lately. I think it's been like 4 days... So after coming back to Makati we took a day trip to this Coconut Plantation called Villa Escudero. Unfortunately I can't upload any of my own pictures because the internet we have at this hotel is only applied to one of our laptops, so I'm on my brother's laptop and it feels to tedious to send pics over (my pics are already on my lappy top and they automatically delete from my camera once they are uploaded...) But here are some nice web pictures...

Villa Escudero

This is the church on the property that was made into a museum. So this plantation is HUGE and a family owned the whole thing... even their own church. Crazy huh? There were also Carabao rides and while we were getting pulled on a wagon our Carabao, named Pogi (which means handsome) took a huge SHIT right in front of us. Yummy...

This is where we ate lunch! It was a man made waterfall where you actually sit with your feet in the water... the food was BOMB.. The water was ncie at first but after a while you actually got kind of cold...

We also watched a cultural dance show. I have a lot of pictures from those that I'll upload to facebook once I get back!

Baguio- Mines View

So Baguio is a city in the Northern Part of the Philippines. It actually suffered from the disaster that happened a couple monhs ago, but the rodes were open so we were able to go up there. It was a 6 hour bus ride going there and we were only there for a week. It was like equivalent to going to SF for just a day -_-... We left our luggage at the hotel we were staying at in Makati and so we only brought one change of clothes each that we stuffed in our Carry-on bags... I brought shorts since the last time I tried wearing jeans in the Philippines I almost died... but unfortunately, it was actually COLD up there =[ Good thing I brought a jacket.

I didn't really ask what Mines View was, but it was just a palce that overlooked the city pretty much. There were a lot of stores there that sold strawberry preserves and wine because apparently Baguio is the only place cool enough to harvest strawberries (but the strawberries here are pretty dinky).

We didn't do much in Baguio except this and going to another park that had a Lagoon and lots of colorful Bicycles... haha... then it took us seriously like 9 hours to get back to Makati because of the traffic. I will NOT miss Filipnio Traffic.

~~~~~~~~~~

So tomorrow is our last day here in the Philippines O_O. I can't believe that it went by this fast... A part of me is sad because there are definitely things about this place I'm going to miss, but another part of me is ready to get out of my mom's radar again hahaha =] For our last couple days we've pretty much just been shopping around for souvenirs and stuff.

We went to a NYE party at our hotel... it was pretty fun. I got to dance a little which was much much much needed =] and I'm not going to complain about the complimentary drinks they had there eiter =]

HAPPY NEW YEAR AGAIN!!!

Boracay pt. 2

So Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were my last two days in Boracay... D=... I'm really going to miss it there. Hopefully I'll be able to go back sometime in the future for a nice vacation =] Anyways, now we're back in Makati, and we'll be visiting Baguio in a couple days before we get back to the states. It's amazing how 3 weeks can fly by so fast!

I definitely missed the warmth amongst the cold during Christmas... little things like a delight of hot chocolate and popcorn while watching a holiday movie, or wrapping presents. I missed having it actually feel like Christmas, decorating a Christmas tree, and viewing everything in a mild golden glow... but this Christmas, though unconventional, was also very nice.

Sand Sculpture =]

Picture Taken from the Ocean Facing the Shore

SHOUT OUT TO THE BIG MAN!

Mount Lohol

We rode ATVs up there... and they also had some wildlife for viewing there as well... there was this monkey that I saw attack a puppy. =[ It made me sad, but my mom reassured me that the monkey was just trying to get the fleas from the puppy and wouldn't have bitten him if he wasn't cooperating.

Another Sand Sculpture

This was actually dug by the some little children asking for donations during Christmas. The space that's glowing is actually hollow underneathe. It was really beautiful...

Last Night...

So I spent my last night in Boracay/ Christmas laying in this water watching the sun go down... I don't think too many people can experience floating on their back in the ocean looking at the moon on a regular basis... so... I am thankful for that.

=]

Boracay pt. 1

Greetings from Boracay! I've been here for like 3 whole days now but I haven't been blogging because 1. not much has been happening and 2. the internet here is really bad. HOWEVER, Boracay is freaking gorgeous and it's been a drastic change of pace here. Pretty much... it's all beach. The sand is white and powdery and the ocean is BEAUTIFUL. Also, there aren't like any waves this time of year so swimming has been very relaxing. I've been getting dark...

I really haven't been doing much... we're either walking around looking at all the stores that pretty much sell all the same thing, swimming, and getting pampered (pedicure, manicure, facial, AND I got my eyebrows THREADED for the first time and Big is right, that shit hurts as hell but it's super clean)

Anyways, that's about it. Tonight for Christmas Eve we're going to this fancy buffet and I have no idea what we're doing for Christmas... maybe more beach laying =D

The View

D*Mall Shopping Center

PENIS TSINELAS!!!

Dinner at the Bamboo Lounge

This fire dancer is actually a guy... lol.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE!!!

Boracay!!!

So after waking up at 4:30am...

Arriving at the Ferry dock at 6am...

Departing the Ferry dock at 7am...

Arriving at Cebu at 9am...

Checking in at the airport at 11am...

Getting our flight rerouted and delayed to Calibo at 2:30pm...

Taking a shuttle from Calibo to Caticlan at 3:30pm...

Arriving at ANOTHER smaller ferry at 5pm...

We finally made it to Boracay and ate dinner by 7pm =]...

Bohol pt. 3

So today was my last day in Bohol. I have to say, though I feel exhausted from being in the province, it was a humbling and eye opening experience. The first thing I notice here is with the many activities that we did we encountered people who put in so much in what they do... I mean, even our guide through the butterfly farm the other day seemed like he loved butterflies so much. Everyone has a smile on their face and they speak with so much enthusiasm that I am able to build a sense of appreciation for even something so simple as an organic farm.

It makes me think... 1) the privileges that I have have been extremely humbled because of those here who are obviously struggling (today I had two little boys sing me the saddest rendition of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas"for 5 pesos each), it almost makes me feel so undeserving for what I have... but I guess that's good because we should never feel like we deserve anything and should only feel blessed by those things in our life that we do have... and 2) those people who seem to get by, they inspire me. It made me think that excess monetary security probably only makes our lives more complicated... imagine if we didn't have the extra money to buy our leisurely things... imagine if we were in an environment where that was just a fact and not so much a misfortune... then we'd have more time to focus on the greater things in life aside from those things you can buy with money... maybe if our country wasn't so set on mass production and corporate expansion, the cows that we'd eat would be munching on grass, the chickens would be different colors aside from white and obese (btw, their cows look SO much happier than california cows), and we'd have more of our land and scenery to appreciate besides those national parks that need strict reservation policies to keep people from ruining them.

So despite the bug bites and the heavy heart... Bohol has been a great trip. Tomorrow we're taking a ferry to Cebu, and then a plane to Boracay (apparently there's no direct flight from Bohol to Boracay).

Here are some pictures =]

Wahig River

So for those of you who have heard my stories about the multiple times I've gone river rafting of some sort and I always tend to fall out... this isn't me falling out... this is my getting out to pull my boat through some of the strong upstream current since paddling was getting me no where... The water guide's assistant was the one who took all the pictures (they're huge on service here)... I liked this one =]

This is an upshot from a sky-lift that went over a canyon. Scary as shit, but a nice view.

Organic Farm

So the key to organic is actually making an all natural compost to fertilize your plants... so when you buy something labeled "organic" that's what it means.

Magaso Falls

Today we went to Magaso Falls. I actually swam up to the falls =] The water was so clean and refreshing!

Random Cave!

So our driver, Jun (the guy in the green shirt), took us to this cave near where he lives. The water there was even cleaner. He said that it was clean enough to drink. The cave is huge, about a 15 minute journey, but we didn't have flashlights so we didn't go any further than that. He said there's an area that's so big inside it looks like a church... I wish we'd have more time to explore there!

Castillo Des Vicens

This is an old lighthouse. Behind it is a great view of the ocean =]

That's all!

Bohol pt. 2

So today I did quite a lot of things... we woke up at 5am in the morning, and one of the drivers here at the Inn we're staying at was going to take us on a tour of Bohol. I won't do much typing, more pictures since I know that's what everyone is interested in... I won't upload albums until I get back to the US because the internet is really slow here haha...

Here it goes:

Chocolate Hills

Our driver recommended that we ride these! During the test drive my mom ran into a gate hahahaha...

Chocolate Hills. They looked like little green hershey kisses =]

Butterfly Farm

DID YOU KNOW? Females are dominant in insect life... =]

Sevilla Hanging Bridge

I was actually scared for my life. But in this picture I seem to be enjoying all the creaking and swinging of the bridge.

Loboc River

We actually ate lunch on a pontoon boat as we coasted down the river. We also enjoyed a cultural dance or two from some of the neighboring village people! I didn't get a picture of that though =[

Tarsiers

Tarsiers are the smallest marsupials in the world!

He looks like Yoda!

The Baclayon Church

This is the second oldest church in the Philippines.

The Blood Compact

The Blood Compact was the first treaty between the Spanish and the Filipinos. Pretty much they cut their hands to expose blood and shook them.

As you can see, big day in Bohol, and another one awaiting for me tomorrow!

Bohol pt. 1

So... I actually didn't get to blog for my last day in Makati, but it wasn't that exciting. All we did was go to the Mall of Asia (another gigantic mall). Later on we met up with some of my mom's friends from high school. It was quite endearing to see my mom actually socialize comfortably. In the states she's always pretty timid and she actually hates the idea of meeting new people... so it was nice to see this different side to her.

I posted my blog a little late because I saved it as a draft and then our internet account for the hotel expired so I wasn't actually able to post...

So today we flew into Bohol which is a provincial region. TOTALLY different from the city... we're going to spend a good 4 days here so this will be a humbling experience I'm sure. By the time we were settled it was already dinner time. We went out to this restaurant that seriously felt like it was in the middle of the jungle (hahaha...) that seemed like it would've had an amazing view during the day time.

We didn't do anything afterwards since it's pretty dark out now and the lady at the front desk told us not to walk around so late at night... funny story though, we took a little stroll just to digest before we went back up to our rooms, and as we were passing a group of little kids they yelled something at us which I translated as, "HEY YOU WHITE PIG!" which was probably directed towards my stepdad hahahahaha X_X... poor guy.

We're going to have a big day of exploration tomorrow that I'm looking forward too so I gotta rest up. I'm really enjoying my time here despite all the stray doggies that make me sad =[

Makati

I’ve forgotten how tiring it is to be on vacation with my mom. She’s a busy bee and doesn’t like to sit around or “bask in the scenery” very much.

The first day we were here we just walked to a nearby mall… which was huge. It was like 5 little malls put together, literally… like you’d exit one mall and it had a bridge that led to another mall. We ate lunch there at a place called Fely J’s, which was endearing because my late Grandma’s name was Fely. The food here is pretty bomb. But that was kind of expected.

For those of you who know me fairly well, I don’t often indulge in my own culture (which is a complicated story), and so it was really nice to be able to experience the food and the life here. Even though I hardly know a lick of tagalog and I feel super tall compared to everyone else, I still feel like I’m in a comfortable space, which was not expected actually.

Yesterday my mom’s cousin, Uncle Sebastian (or Kuya Boy as my mom calls him), took us to Tagaytay. It was about a 2 hour drive up into more of a Provincial region. The air there was a lot better than in Makati. No smog or the ever-lingering smell of something burning. We ate at Leslie’s (I noticed that a lot of the restaurants/ local stores here are named after a person… like Antonio’s, or Sarah’s Shop, Baby’s Shop, etc.). My mom has been going to town on the meals and I complained later that though the food is DELICIOUS… I’m going to get fat D=!

Anyways, Leslie’s was a fun experience… there was a Mariachi band there that impressed the hell out of me. Five very talented individuals walking table to table expressing their pure love for music. This isn’t the stereotypical Mariachi band whose voices are usually blaring in the most invasive tone that usually irritates your atmosphere… they were really good! Their voices blended to so well together. Their instruments were old and tattered, but you could see just how much they loved doing what they did because of the amount of excellence behind their performance.

It was funny too because later on I heard them singing Lady Gaga and the Wondergirls to the next table over… I wanted to upload them to the blog but unfortunately the internet here is pretty slow... so for all you GAGA fans out there (no one in particular roxagagagaga) you'll have to wait.

We explored Tagaytay well into the afternoon, just looking at little stores, admiring the farmland (Pineapples galore!.. also, free range chickens and cows! To be honest, they look happier than our Cows), and soaking up the heat. I wore Jeans… bad idea.

After Tagaytay, Uncle Sebastian took us to where he lived, Taguig, which is just a little ways from Makati. We went to a place called Market Market which is pretty much just another mall except outside of it was like a farmer’s market. Beyond the fruit and vegetable stands, there were stands that represented different regions of the Phillipines, all selling their particular specialties and delicacies… I thought that was pretty neat. We walked stand to stand, picking up some personal favorites (like mine, Pastillas de Leche… which is pretty much like pure sugar and condensed milk formed into some sort of candy)…

When we got back to our hotel it was about 9pm. A 13 hour day. Wowee.. =]

We Have Arrived!

Welcome to my blogspot for my Motherland Expedition... no Suj. Not Ethiopia. But thanx for taking note of my naturally dark pigments and my lanky long limbs. I hope to keep people entertained during Winter Break with pictures, videos, and personal reflections of my time here =] This is pretty much like my first time here since the last time I was here I was only 3 years old and I came for a funeral... My goal is to blog every other day if not everyday... but it really depends on whether or not I have internet access... but those chances are high because my mom is addicted to farmville and she'll need to take care of her crops.

So I've only been here (Makati, which is about 20 minutes away from Manilla) for about maybe 2 hours... so I don't have much to say about the whereabouts here as much. So I'll say what I can!

The Flight:

Long ass flight. 14 hours to Taipei and then another 3 hours to Manilla. During the first flight I sat next to a very cute baby, and she continued to be cute even during those times she'd start screaming on the top of her lungs for not particular reason. But yeah, long ass flight. I slept most of it... read and bejeweled for a part of it.

Stopping in Taipei was cool. I got a milk tea that cost me 3 dollars!... but it was damn flavorful. Our gap was only an hour and a half, and by the time we got to our gate we pretty much only had half an hour to explore the airport...

I ate 3 meals on an airplane... which made me feel pretty bloated by the end. The last one I felt like I was being force fed... I just didn't see the point in eating if I hadn't been expelling any energy...

The Arrival:

So every time a plane starts to land I have an anxiety attack. Yup. I start sweating, feeling nauseous, and when the plan starts to hit the ground I start to hyper ventilate. Besides that though it was pretty exciting being here. The whole way to the hotel that we're staying at I just kept looking around at everything... it was like watching a filipino movie... but actually being in it! The driver got lost, but I don't blame him with the way people drive here... I was scared for my life... and for those of you who have been in a car with me driving... you KNOW that's got to be crazy driving...

The hotel we're staying at is pretty bougierific... thanx mom =]... and there's this super cute german shepherd at the door who sniffs everyone's luggage for marijuana and crack cocaine!... and apparently bombs too.

Well, that's it for now. I'll be in Makati for 3 nights and then I'll be flying to Bohol. Hopefully I'll have some pictures up by tomorrow night! =]