tag from chikai! =)

Name 11 people you can think of right off the top of your head. Don’t read the questions underneath until you write the names of all the 11 people. This is a lot funnier if you actually randomly list the names first, hehe! No cheating! And snag this tag if you like =)

1. Labsie, my future hubby (go to solito-elbanbuena.info for our story)
2. Mama
3. Papa
4. Kuya, well he's not really older than me but SO MUCH bigger!
5. Tots, our youngest sibling (we're 3 in all)
6. Jinx, a close friend since elementary days
7. Chin, a close friend since high school days
8. Chikai, college schoolmate and online buddy who tagged me with this =)
9. Kweng, my fiance's sister
10. Reagan, close med school friend
11. Mitzi, good med school friend who just gave my latest Friendster testi =)

Now, its time to answer the following questions:

1. How did you meet #4? 11 months after I was born, hehe =)

2. What would you do without #6? Life will be not complete w/o Jinx -- miz ya gurl!

3. What would you do if #2 and #6 were going out? Umm, Mama knows Jinx since 15 years ago pa. Nothing to tell..

4. Who’s #10’s best friend? I actually don't know! Ako ba Gan?? Hehe

5. Have you ever eaten around #1? Always do!

6. Do you miss #2? Pag wala sila dito Davao, I do miss Mama

7. Who is #11 dating? Oy Mitzi, sino nga ba?? Hehe!

8. What do you think of #3? IDOL ko yan! Hi Pa! =)

9. What do you think of #9? Kweng is a rocker nurse! Hi sis!

10. What does #2 like? Mama likes pink sooo much! Hehe

11. Would you marry #8? Hahaha! Taken na si Chikai eh! ^_^

spring fever is here!

Sorry for the lack of updates guys. Alam nyo naman bakit d ba?? Hehe! It's nearly April and in a month, I'll be having my medical board review for 3 months (May-August). And in 6 months, our wedding!!! My, my.. two important life events in a single year. Makakaya ko kaya ang pressure and stress?? Hehe! Do pray for me/us! =)

i'm finally back in davao! =)

And guess what surprised us?? Gas prices are way cheaper here than in the provinces! LOL! Anyway, if you want the cheapest diesel prices in Davao, go to the Ulas Shell Station. Only for P38/liter =) And for PUJs, just P37/liter. And here's a survey about rising gas prices (it's a worldwide phenomenon!) --

DAKAK baby!

Need I say more? Hehe! Yesterday my lolas and I finally set foot on the world-famous Dakak Park and Beach Resort. My parents have been there several times and pointed out the changes in the said place.Ü As for me, it was love at first sight. Upon entering Dakak, you're greeted with lush greenery and the beautiful vista of a mountain meeting the sea. But unlike other seaside resorts (in Boracay, Samal), Dakak is situated in a cove. Thus, all is calm - there are no big waves that lap its white sand beach. Ahh, serenity while swimming..Ü I could go on and on about how wonderful Dakak is but space is running out! I just hope I have the opportunity to visit it again, and this time, stay for awhile.. BLISS!

good morning Dapitan!

Yesterday we boarded a barge in Dumaguete at 4pm and docked in Dapitan at 8pm. We proceeded to Sunset Boulevard (a street with the sea on one side and hotels + restos on the other) for a late dinner.Ü This morning I woke up seeing people crowding by the beach and I investigated what was the snafus all about. It turned out that the fishermen returned with the day's catch -- full of JELLYFISH! I never saw so many jellies in my entire life and in different colors at that! The fishermen weren't happy coz jellies can't be sold and rarely eaten. As for me, I had a great tym squishing the cute sea creatures while taking pics! :-) After my beach 'adventure', we went to Rizal's House in Dapitan. Another culture-laden trip!Ü

back in Dumaguete!

After nearly 2 years, I'm back in the city that housed the world famous Silliman University :-) We arrived in Dumaguete yesterday evening after a brief trip in the Twin Lakes of San Jose, a nearby town. We only saw Lake Balinsasayaw, the larger one, coz Lake Danao is only accessible by boat (30min trip) and there were no rides anymore as it was sunset already.Ü The photo above is Rizal Boulevard, the famous seaside stretch in Dumaguete, akin to Manila's Baywalk without the stores and hordes of people. Perfect! :-)

Chocolate Hills in..

..Negros Occidental! Yes, believe it or not, the Negrenses have chocolate hills (more like green hills, hehe) too! Though not as many as in Bohol, the hills still provide a pleasant diversion for those traveling by land towards Negros Oriental.Ü We left Bacolod earlier today (after having breakfast at Bacolod Golf and Country Club) to go to Dumaguete City, a four hour trip along the mountain ranges of Negros Occidental. The roads were winding and full of curves, the view magnificent, the climate cold. Yup, very much like the road up Baguio City :-) We're in San Carlos City right now, the half-way point, to have our lunch.Ü

Negros Museum Tour

Yesterday we had our tour in the Negros Museum, and boy, I learned a whole lot about Negros history vis a vis the Philippine history! Did you know that Negros was a republic for 1 year in 1898? And that the Negrenses were the first to stage a bloodless revolution? That Manila's prominent families are from Bacolod and the nearby provinces? Alunan, Lacson, Ledesma, Lopez, Magalona, Montinola, etc, etc. Even the family of Jose Mari Chan (the singer) and Susan Roces hailed from Bacolod!Ü Also in the museum were relics and machines from Sugarlandia's heyday, paintings, and working appliances (GE fan, phonograph) from early 1900s. My lolas (pictured above) enjoyed the tour and had lots of questions for the guide. It was truly a memorable experience for us all!Ü

Angry Christ Church

Another day in Negros Occidental and another day for sightseeing! :-) This time we went to the heart of Sugarlandia - Victorias Milling Company. Aside from acres and acres of cane, there are factories, circa 1900s staff houses, a clubhouse, and the Angry Christ Church. The altar of the said church is pictured above. Jesus doesn't look angry to me but my mom said her hair on the back of her neck stood up :-S What intrigued me, however, was the symbol of a triangle with an eye inside. It's not on the photo above but on the painting in the ceiling. I think it was the Illuminati symbol.. Very intriguing!Ü

FRUIT BATS!!

Or so I presume, hehe! See those stuff hanging from the tree branches? Those are the bats sleeping outside down! After our lunch, we proceeded to Mambukal Resort (still in Negros Occidental) where there are hot and cold springs, boating lagoon, butterfly garden, wall climbing facilities, slide for life, hanging bridge and waterfalls. Its a really cool place especially if you love water and nature :-) But what fascinated me were the big bats (3 ft wing span!) sleeping and flying on the treetops. I kinda expected guano to hit my face, but thankfully none came. Hehe! Check my YouTube for bat videos next week :-)

smile! hehe!

It's another seafood laden lunch for us here in Bacolod! Yeah!Ü Yesterday we had lunch in Breakthrough, Iloilo's most famous seaside resto. We had super delish shrimps, baked scallops, crabmeat sisig and lapu lapu soup - all for only P700! The 5 of us were all full and very satisfied :-) Now (in 18th St. Pala-Pala Restaurant) we had scallops, shrimps and lapu lapu again PLUS oysters, grilled pork, fatty hito sarsiado and Ilonggo pinakbet. Again, the food were all yummy! :-) Oh yeah, the giant fish head above is part of a 3-ft lapu lapu. HUGE!Ü

Au revoire Iloilo!

Around 6am today, we left Westown Hotel (one of the newest hotels in Iloilo) and made our way to Dumangas Port. The port is part of GMA's National Nautical Highway project (RORO or roll-on, roll-off) that aims to connect the Philippine islands through ships and ports. For our part, we'll ride a barge to Bacolod City at 8am and we'll arrive there about 10am. Easy and cheap traveling eh? Perfect for the middle class afflicted with wanderlust! :-) Thanks GMA!

Molo Church

This Spanish era church is one of the most beautiful old churches I've seen. I wanted to go to Iloilo Cathedral but Papa didnt know the way and we ended up in Molo Church. Hehe!Ü The church was made in 1866 (!!) and has old-style pulpits and confession boxes. There are lots of wood carvings, statues of saints and stained glass windows. Really beautiful! Sigh.. :-)

Ted's LaPaz Batchoy!

Morning guys! After shopping the whole afternoon in SM Mandurriao (one of the 3 SM malls in Iloilo!) yesterday, we just rested in our hotel. SM was having a 3-day sale and since my lolas are shopping addicts, SM was a priority. Hehe!Ü We just finished our breakfast in Ted's LaPaz Batchoy here. There is also Ted's in Davao but the batchoy broth there was oily, salty and MSG-laden :-S The broth here is almost clear, flavorful but not salty and with a hint of sweet taste. I demolished my special batchoy in 10min, hehe!

Just landed in Iloilo!

After 1 hour and 30 minutes of traveling from Davao, my two grandmothers and I finally arrived in Iloilo's brandnew international airport. According to my father, it just opened last November. Cool!Ü My parents planned to visit Bacolod, Dumaguete and nearby provinces to tour our grandmothers. Last year they toured the lolas in Luzon tourist spots, Bohol and Boracay. Yup, my parents are GOOD children! :-)

weather weather lang yan! hehe!

picture picture! =)

wanna live longer?

A very simple question, right? And I'm sure most of you would say YES. Longer life would mean more time to do all the things you wanna still do. It would mean less teary goodbyes to family and friends who died of "old age". Longevity is really a great idea, but I must admit, I was against it before. Why? Because I had the misconception that living longer equals your body will be ravaged by aging so you really can't enjoy your so-called "twilight years". But as one blogger (Scott) put it,

Aging is a disease, like any other. Our cells are programmed by nature to decay and to divide only a finite number of times. This doesn’t have to be a certainty – we are advanced biological machines, and this is an engineering and science problem that can and will eventually be overcome.

Yes, it IS possible to live longer and still be at the "prime" of your life! And that's why I'm supporting the call for serious research on longevity now! We aren't talking about immortality here (but that would be great huh?? LOL) or artificial life. If you wanna be enlightened on this issue before taking a stand, read the resources below. And if you wanna earn a quick $20, blog about supporting longevity and email Scott HERE. His full post about longevity is HERE.

Resources:

• Life Expectancy Of Yeast Extended To 800 In Yeast Years
• The End of Aging? Inside the New Hunt for a Cure to Growing Old
• Aubrey de Grey thinks he knows how to defeat aging, live to 1,000.
  
• Stem Cells Enable Paralyzed Rats to Walk, Ready for Human Trials
  
• Rare Gene Mutation Plays Role in Longevity
• The Next Big Thing? (Stanley Bing, Fortune.com)

a blissful massage!

Late last year, after our Lake Sebu family trip, Labsie and I finally had our first commercial massage in Body Bliss. We badly need it to iron out the muscle kinks we incurred while traveling. And the massage we had in Body Bliss did just that at an affordable price! :-) Labsie and I both 'ordered' the Tension Reduction massage. My masseuse was gentle yet firm, and did a great job! I felt brand new after 45min of blissful massage :-) Body Bliss is located in the NetFront building, beside Marco Polo and fronting Aldevinco. Go try them out!Ü

blogging is good for your health!

And that's according to a scientific study! =) Below is a snippet about it over at Discovery News --

Blogging can help you feel less isolated, more connected to a community and more satisfied with your friendships, both online and face-to-face, new research has found.

The research, from Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, found after two months of regular blogging, people felt they had better social support and friendship networks than those who didn't blog.

Interested to read blogging's full benefits? The full article is HERE! Go click! =)

US presidentiables down to 4!

Last night I watched the evening news and found out that Hilary Clinton won the last 3 state primaries against Barack Obama. This meant that the two are tied and neck in neck in the race in being the Democrat's presidential candidate. Guess Hilary's smear campaign against Obama worked great. Hehe! As for the Republicans, they are down to 2 candidates also. John McCain seems to be the one leading.. Anyhoo, below is a survey from dNeero with regards to the upcoming US presidential elections.