Victorious Manila Trip August 2015

It was Sharkteeth's birthday a couple of days ago. We flew to Manila for an advanced celebration  with relatives. Our flight to Manila was a bit delayed. What's new? When we reached T3, the traffic near the airport wasn't moving. At all. So ang Team KoKo naglakad. Then we rode a trike going to EDSA. Buti na lang I shipped most of our stuff ahead and didn't have to carry much. Grabe lang ang traffic. We wanted to go to Makati but cabs didn't want to go there. Unfortunately, hindi updated ang Uber app ko and I couldn't book a trip. :( Parang maiiyak na kami ni Sam because of frustration. Eventually, we got a bus and reached Makati past nine. We had dinner in Glorietta and I briefly went to SM to pay my respects. Hehehehe. Ang ganda na ng SM Makati. Dati it was looking almost dingy na, being near the MRT station. Ngayon shala na. I felt out of place. You know naman, moi is a card-carrying member of hoi polloi.

It was almost 2 am when we got to my parents' house. Pagoda Cold Wave Lotion! 

The next morning, I went with my college friends-roommates to Pampanga to visit our other friend. *Hindi naman sya masyadong prepared.* Parang fiesta lang -- jambalaya rice (super sarap), salmon (favorite ko!), babyback ribs, mashed potatoes, etc. Grabe sa kabusugan. I wanted to buy some spaghetti sauce and pasta, so we went to S&R. It was my first time there. Parang may seraphims and cherubims na kumanta ng Handel's Messiah. *Aaaaaa-lleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleeeeeluuuuia!* Nalula ako. Spaghetti sauce and pasta lang dapat bibilhin ko, pero nadagdagan ng white coffee, stuffed toy, chocolates, marble cakes, chips, etc. Nagpigil lang akong bumili ng mga EOS lip balm packs. They have so many flavors. Napakarami naming nabili, punong-puno ang trunk. Hahahaha! Para kaming mamumundok.

Next day was Sharkteeth's celebration with her lolo and lola, and our other close relatives as well. I'll post about her celebrations (yes, plural, jusko, luhaan ang bulsa ko) next time.

Come Monday, we left for Manila na. It was TheHusband's annual checkup and he went ahead of us. On our way to GoHotel, we went to Derdo's home to drop off something. I have her address but it was my first time to go there. By then, updated na Uber app ko and was able to successfully book a trip. Sharkteeth was quite alert and immediately saw Derdo's house number. Success! Walang kahirap-hirap on our part kasi we just booked again the same Uber car and he brought us to GoHotel.

Eto ang eksena sa GoHotel.

Sharteeth+Vendo=MayForever

S is obsessed with vendo machines. She wants to go to Japan, where there are vendo machines that dispense plushies. 

After TheHusband finished his executive checkup, we went to Glorietta and Landmark. Tamang-tama, sale ang Landmark. Yung mga pillowcases na ~100 each dito sa Dumags, 70 each lang sa kanila. I bought four blue+white ones with illustrations of birds. They turned out to be part of Laura Ashley's 2015 spring-summer line. Sayang walang matching na bedsheets. Pagbalik namin ng Dumags, I just bought a flat sheet with the same blue shade. #ImprovisationQueen :)

From Laura Ashley

Finally, nakakain na ako ng cheesecake sa Kumori! I bought both chocolate and cheese variants. Sharkteeth didn't like it. TheHusband took a bite but I didn't offer him any more bites. #Shellfish  Hehehehe. Ang sarap kasi. Mapapatirik ang mata mo sa sarap. If you haven't tried it yet, try nyo na. As in ngayon din. Then send me a box, 'kay? Hahahahaha!

Later in the evening, I met with Diane sa Vanilla Cupcake Bakery. Absent si Leah. *Ako lang ang perfect attendance, ha?!* Sandamakmak na kwentuhan na naman. *Shhhhh...password protected* Ayokong mademanda, makulong, or ma-salvage. Basta our kwentuhan ranged from bloggers worse b*tches than us (ang pait, teh, hahahaha!) to politicians and public "servants". Hays, kulang ang kwentuhan, kasi our flight next day was so early.

Of course, takot na kaming maiwan ng plane. Alas-kuatro pa lang gising na kami.

We got to the airport with one and a half hours to spare.
Meron kaming baggage allocation.
Hindi kami naiwan ng plane.
Tama ang destination.
I call it a family victory.

Go Team KoKo!

Mga Nakaraang Kabanata

Hectic ang lola nyo these past weeks. Stress Oreña-Drilon levelz.

Actually, January pa lang medyo stressed na ako. May book kasi akong ine-edit na medyo sabog-sabog, plus I was preparing for Fadear's 70th birthday party. Nagkasakit aso ko. Then bumabalik ang headaches ni Sharkteeth (stress-related yata). Buhay ang Ebay sales ko nun (kailangan ng moolah eh). Saka may hinihintay akong shipment ng Cath Kidstons. So there.

Happily, dumating naman yung Cath Kidston loot before we left for Manila. The transit time was very long (~25 days), but that was the only problem I encountered. Claiming at the Customs Office was a breeze. Wala ka-proble-problema. "Claiming at the Customs Office was a breeze. Wala ka-proble-problema" -- sa akin nyo lang yata naririnig ang ganyang linya, ano? Kasi when I check comments [rants?] online, seems everybody's complaining about exorbitant and unfair charges, long lines, rude clerks, etc. It's the opposite here. Everyone is polite and walang hidden charges. Everything is above board.

The pink bookbag is mine, in honor of the Cath Kidston sisterhood. [Sorry, Leah and Diane, di ako mahilig sa dark blue eh.] Yung iba, orders nung dalawa and intended gifts. Ang ku-cute! Pero last na ito for a long stretch. Waley na akong pera. 

Masaya yung party ni Fadear. Andun ang mga friends and family. Ang daming food. As in sobra-sobra. May pa-take-home pa sa guests. :) Pagdating ng hapon, puro thandercatz na ang guests. Tumakas na ako sa party. Niyaya ko si TheHusband mag-Trinoma. Got some stuff in Japan Home.

Aside from the Hello Kitty stuff, I got some window stickers and other anik-aniks. I wasn't planning on buying anything, pagdating ko sa counter, 700+ na ang bill ko!!! Anyare?  Daiso happened. Hehehe...

I met with Diane para iabot yung Cath Kidston bag nya. I would have wanted to stay and chat about our own "Charantia moments," pero medyo excited si TheHusband sa Uniqlo sale, so hit and run lang ang siste namin ni Diane. [Thank you, dear Diane, for the pastries. So sweet of you! Perfect medicine for bitterness.] Pagdating sa Uniqlo, wala namang nabili si TheHusband. :( But he bought me a pair of pink patent loafers sa Forever 21. [Thank you, babe!] So comfy ha?! Di ako umasa ng fabulous na quality (because Forever 21), pero I used them for two days straight, walang breaking-in period, sabak agad sa lakaran. Happily, I didn't get any blisters or foot pain. Yay!

When we returned to Manila, Sharkteeth and I had our annual physical exam in Medicard. The process was okay, but some areas can be improved on. After our checkup and checking in sa GoHotel, TheHusband and Sharkteeth went for some [window] shopping sa Megamall. Naiwan na ako sa hotel to work. ♪♫ All by myself...don't wanna be all by myself anymore ♪♫ Hirap na hirap naman akong mag-work kasi hindi ako sanay sa laptop and only finished a chapter.

On the day of our flight, we went to the wake of the husband of our ninang (sa kasal). :( He was only 71. Too young, if you ask me.

On our way to the airport, nasabak kami sa todong traffic, and surprise, surprise, naiwan kami ng eroplano. SO NOT FUNNY! Well, technically, hindi naman kami naiwan, nandun pa naman ang eroplano, but the passengers were boarding na and they didn't allow us to board anymore. :( Sadness, kasi ang mahal ng bagong tickets, aside from the fact that Sibulan's airport has sunset limitation and the next flight to Dumaguete will be on the next day na. We decided to fly that night to Mactan, Cebu, then take a bus going to Santander, then ferry to Sibulan, and finally, trike to Dumaguete. It was exhausting. Awang-awa ako kay Sharkteeth kasi she really loses her head pag kulang sa tulog or naiistorbo ang tulog. But what can I do naman, diba?

TIPS: If you are in Terminal 3 and your flight is in Terminal 1 or 2, you don't have to go out to get a connecting ride. Dun sa may elevator bank sa right (if you are facing the airport), there's a hallway marked "Transfers," which leads to a PAL counter. After presenting your tickets, they'd fix you up with a van free of charge. It passes inside the airport complex. No need na makipag-unahan at makipagsisikan sa van sa labas, and you can avoid traffic as well. I'm not sure though if it is only available to PAL passengers or there's a different counter for other plane companies. Also, while I rarely fly with PAL because their fares are expensive, for urgent flights, PAL is your best bet, because, as I mentioned in another post, even if you are taking the next available flight, their rates do not change, unlike CebuPac, whose rates increase exponentially as your flight date approaches.

Also, napansin nyo ba, parang mas refined ang crew (both ground and flight) ng PAL -- they are all well-dressed, polite, poised, and proper. Meanwhile, ang dalas kong may nakikitang crew ng CebuPac, huddled together over their phones or what-nots, nakasalampak sa floor ng Terminal 3. Most likely, they have already clocked off, but still, they were wearing their company's colors -- medyo turnoff pa rin. Even the interiors of PAL planes seem better, more spacious, cleaner. Pagpasok namin ng plane, Business Class ang tumambad sa amin. Sharkteeth was so impressed with the wide and plush seats. She thought, or rather hoped, na dun ang seats namin. Crestfallen ang bebe ghel when we were relegated to the economy seats together with the rest of hoi polloi that we truly are. Hahaha! Sus, basta makarating ng maluwalhati sa Cebu, okay na ako. And maluwalhati, it indeed was.

Pier in Santander
You can hardly see it, but the water was so clear that even in the darkness, you can see the bottom.

I like night flights. Manila, while in darkness, is lit beautifully. It's quite a sight. And it brought a certain amount of peace and calm to my cray-cray day. The flight was on time, and it was past 10 pm when we landed at Mactan International Airport. We got a cab to get to South Plaza in Cebu City, where the bus terminals are. We initially thought that the first trip will be around 2 am, but apparently, there are trips leaving every hour, and we were able to leave before 1 am. Ang bilis ng byahe namin going to Santander, the southernmost part of Cebu and closest to Sibulan and Dumaguete. Parang past 3:00 am, nandun na kami. But the first ferry ride leaves at 4:30 pm, and we slept in the port terminal. The ferry ride from Santander to Sibulan was pretty short as well, ~15 minutes. We then rode a trike going to Dumaguete, and after 20 minutes or so, HOME SWEET HOME! Poor bebe ghel and TheHusband, they had to go to school and work, respectively. Meanwhile, moi, ang sarap ng tulog, despite the work awaiting. Mag-a-alas dose na ng tanghali ng magising ako. :)

Ayoko nang maiwan uli ng eroplano. It's so expensive kaya! Plus I'm so thanders na to be doing these plane-cab-bus-ferry-trike transfers all in one night. I'm not even the adventurous sort. Although I gotta admit, I'm proud to say that I didn't lose my patience at all in our "adventure." Admittedly, I was a bit sad kasi nga dagdag expenses, but then, as TheHusband said, we should just be thankful we can afford to buy new tickets. Silver lining, yeah, we should always look for it.

Still Alive! August Week 1

Yes, I'm still alive, like it or not. Hehehe. In fact, I celebrated my birthday just a few days ago. Yay for another year! *Thank you for all the greetings and gifts, so touched! Danke, grazie, thank you, gracias, salamat!*

This August, we've been so busy with travels and activities. I'm just thankful I was able to schedule everything before the trip. More importantly, I DIDN'T PROCRASTINATE *fist pump* *achievement* -- which means less stress for me. I don't like traveling with pending work -- di ako makapag-concentrate sa fun, fun, fun.

♥♥♥

During the first weekend of August, we went to Manila to celebrate Sharkteeth's birthday. We took the first flight out. Nasa Dumaguete airport pa lang kami, text na ng text si Madear. Pati si Auntie Dear. May bagyo daw sa Manila. Kebs. Dumaguete was bright and sunshiny naman. But during the trip, sobrang turbulent -- nahilo talaga ako. Meanwhile, ang aking dalawang kasama, tulog na tulog. Hmmmmppp...

Malayogenic. Huwag nyo nang i-zoom. Utang na loob.

We hitched a ride with TheHusband's officemate. Pagbaba namin sa may Roxas Boulevard,  ang lakas ng hangin! As in feeling ko eh natatangay ako. We had so much fun walking, or rather, being pushed by the wind. Buti na lang may cab kaagad. Otherwise, I dread the amount of conditioner I would have to use on my heavily tangled hair. Mahihiya si Bob Marley sa buhok ko.

Love you, anak.

We went to UST for S's pedia checkup. Then kain muna sa family favorite, Pancake House. UST is soooo different na. Ang dami nang relatively upscale food places. Dati mga coop lang ang kainan (miss ko na ang yummy beef mami na amoy aso daw sabi ng friend ko, saka yung siopao meow meow *kidding* sa taas ng Main Building); pinaka-upscale na nun yung Janet's sa Dapitan and Shakey's sa España.

I brought TheHusband and S to the museum. It's on the mezzanine, and walking up the steps always make me feel sentimental (the reason is here). The museum doesn't have too many artifacts, but there are many preserved animal specimens.

Kalasag

Steampunk?

That is one long boa!

Fauna

In the poon wing

There are also a number of paintings from the not-quite-old masters.
 

Amorsolo

Amorsolo

Manansala

Manansala

Nuestra Señora de la Palona (unknown artist)

Portrait of a Young Balinese Girl (Locatelli)

  

Shady...

For a moment there, I briefly toyed with the idea of staging a heist and stealing that tiny Miss Virginia Grace painting by Amorsolo. Kaso may CCTV cams covering all angles. Hehehehe!

JOOOOKE lang!!!

Actually, yung Locatelli painting talaga gusto kong nakawin. Eh sobrang laki, mahihirapan ako.

JOOOOOKE uli! Baka may maniwala and makita ko na lang bukas ng umaga ay may pulis nang aaresto sa akin.

♥♥♥

The rest of the weekend was spent with my family, celebrating S's birthday. After the luncheon celebration in a Chinese restaurant (can't remember the name -- it's the one in Centris, Yang Cha? Yam Cha? Uggghhh, memory lapse...anyway, love the food, but the crew were all unsmiling -- little TIP for you then), we went to SM North EDSA, and I realized that it has been so long since we last went there. May mall-wide sale. Ang daming tao. I'm getting old and grumpy na -- wala na akong patience sa malls na napakaraming tao.

We spent the last night in Manila. Nakuuuu, bago kami nakaalis ng bahay, nagpabaha pa si Madear and S. Iyakan na naman ang dalawa. Lagi na lang. Sumasakit lang ang loob ko pag nakikikita sila. Hanggang makarating kami ng hotel, may shade of sadness pa rin mukha ni S. Buti na lang binigyan ng concierge ng back copies ng Total Girl. She brightened up. We were supposed to visit our home in Laguna, but TheHusband, a mallrat worse than I am, requested that we just go to the mall. Ang dami na namang sale. Got some Martha Stewart glass containers with pistachio green rubber/plastic cover for only 120 each. Sayang, di ko pa binili lahat yung nakalabas na stocks. :( Madami pa akong small anik-aniks na nabili, pero pinaka-value for money yung containers. Saka yung Black & Decker na plancha (500?). Nakakainis kasi yung old plancha namin, sobrang ikli ng cord. Although the new plancha isn't exactly inspiring me to learn how to iron clothes...

Our flight back was early. And per family tradition, muntik na naman kaming maiwanan ng flight. Well, hindi naman tipong nagsasara na yung pinto ng plane... It took us so long to check out because I stained the towel a bit pink, as I wrung my red dress with it. So I paid for the towel and the housekeeper took his sweet time bringing the towel down. And when we reached the airport, we queued on the last call line. Then a CebuPac ground crew told me to get off the line as it was for the last call passengers. When I told her that we're bound for Dumaguete, which was leaving in a few minutes, she said, "Next pa sa last call ang Dumaguete." So umalis kami sa line. A couple (literally) of seconds later, ni-last call na Dumaguete and we had to go back to the queue we were asked to leave. Uggghhhh... Anyway, eventually, with much running, naka-abot din, and we got home safe and sound.

Home, sweet home. TheDog was ecstatic. 

Of Death, Ostrich, Numb Butts, Macarons, Flights, And Other Things Important And Otherwise

Last Wednesday morning was Independence Day, and I was able stay in bed a little bit longer. Then TheHusband handed me his phone -- my mom was calling. I cringed a bit and held my breath. She rarely calls, and I don't think she has ever called me that early in the morning. True enough, it was bad news. My aunt died. I was totally surprised because she is, was, healthy and very active. True, she was pushing 80, but if you'd seen her, you'd think she was much younger. Sharkteeth cried and she told me that it felt like when her rabbits died. I remarked to TheHusband, "Kaya nga ba ayoko ng calls at phones eh. I rarely receive good news over the phone. Laging bad news. Ayoko nang mag-phone!" To which he replied, "Ano ka, ostrich?" [By the way, bebe, misconception lang yun!]
 

Source: http://www.ostrichheadinsand.com/

So, I started to make plans to go home. As much as TheHusband and Sharkteeth wanted to go with me, we couldn't afford it. Sharkteeth went to check her piggybank to see if she could afford the fare. She's a sweet kid. Remember when we got left behind by the plane back in 2012? We had to pay the full fare back to Dumaguete, which was ~2.5K each, and I wrongly assumed that the fare going to Manila is in the ballpark. Boy, was I flabbergasted when I learned that Cebu Pacific will be charging me 7.2K. Seriously, seven thousand two hundred pesoseseseses! I can't understand why the base fare from Manila to Dumaguete is ~2.5K, yet 7.2K from Dumaguete to Manila. I won't stand for such usurious rates, but I can't do anything about it either, as I really NEEDED to fly that day. I checked the rates for Cebu-Manila flights, and I found a cheaper (2.7K) one flying out in the afternoon.

So I took the longer route: 20 minutes by fastcraft going to the southermost tip of Cebu, Santander, then 4 hours by bus going to Cebu City, and finally, 40 minutes going to Mactan International Airport. I came fully prepared with my inflatable neck roll and [Hello Kitty!] sleeping blinders, thinking I could catch a bit of sleep. Unfortunately, ang katabi ko sa bus, ANG LAKAS MAGHILIK! Umabot na sa point na siniko ko na sya slightly (slightly, right) 'cause it was so loud and annoying na. Finally, a bit past 12 noon, nakarating na rin sa bus terminal. Nagkaroon yata ng kalyo puwet ko sa tagal ng pag-upo ko sa bus. I grabbed a quick bite, and in fairness, nakapag-stroll and window shopping pa sa ako sa mall for a few minutes. Went to a flea market as well where a store was selling a vintage classic-style Coach bag for 1.2K. When I balked at the price, the store owner was a bit haughty when she said, "branded kaya yan." Wahahahahaha! Eh ukay kaya tindahan nya. Anyhoo, I proceeded to the airport na. I rode a cab. Ang dakilang driver, habang nasa gitna na kami ng byahe, biglang hirit ng, "May dagdag pong 50 pesos pag papuntang airport." I know otherwise, but I wasn't exactly in the position to argue because (a) we were in the middle of the highway and (b) I was in a hurry. It saddened me more than it angered me. I've been to Cebu lots of times, and this was the first time that I've encountered a dishonest driver there. Saka hate ko talaga ang mga drivers who arbitrarily increase the fare in the middle of the ride. Oh well. There's this macaron store in the airport that sells yummy macarons for just PHP50 each. I bought mint and coffee, and I really liked the latter. The former lacks the minty freshness that I was expecting.

Oh, may Zubuchon na pala sa loob ng airport. The flight took off way earlier than the ETD, but we had to fly around because of the heavy air traffic, and we arrived later than the initial ETA. It was good that I didn't take the cab, as there was heavy traffic because of the flooding in the Magallanes-Makati area. I took the airport bus instead and rode the train. By the time I reached Trinoma, around 9 pm, I was already exhausted and it was drizzling. So few buses were going to our place, perhaps because they got stuck in the flooded areas. Anyway, I finally got a bus, and after 10 rides and almost 15 hours of travel, I finally reached our place. I went to my aunt's place first to pay my respects. Although I was saddened by her death, I didn't mourn for her -- to me, her wake is a celebration of her life, a life fulfilled, a life full of love. She was a devoted wife. She had seen her children and grandchildren succeed in career and family. She had seen the birth of her great grandchildren. She had never experienced any lingering disease and was very active till the last moment. She died firm in her belief of God. If we can only be so lucky.