It’s been more than a month since my recent trip to Cebu, but for the sake of slowly getting rid of backlogs (especially on my Travel Blog) I’m gonna write about the summary of that awesome year-ender trip here. We visited 3 islands, snorkeled and jumped cliffs, ate the best lechon ever, and met a lot of new friends from Cebu!

We almost didn’t make it to our flight!

On the day itself, I went out to do a Maginhawa Food Trip with Team Kaladkarin and left the area around 5:30 pm since our flight will leave at 9:00 pm. Because of the traffic that I should’ve anticipated, I arrived back in the condo around 6:45 where I took my luggage and waited for Mica downstairs but her cab was stuck in traffic as well and I couldn’t find another empty taxi that will take me to the airport.

We really thought na hindi na kami makakapunta ng Cebu since we got a cab at 8:00 pm. Good luck since we will be driving along the notorious EDSA, but asked the cab driver to step on it, which he reluctantly did because he was old and wanted to drive safely. But for some reason, we arrived 30 minutes later and our flight was already boarding! Thanks goodness for web check-in and for the friendly staff of Airphil Express for letting us in despite our super late arrival! What an amazing race!

Moalboal

Participantes: Mica, Doi, Andrew, Dylan, Eric, Edwin

Our first stop was Moalboal, 3-4 hours south from city proper. The sun was scorching and I knew from that point on that I will be leaving Cebu several shades darker as the rest of our trip will be spent on beaches.

Arriving at Moalboal's white sand beach, looking for a place to have lunch.

Carcar lechon! No sarsa needed!

We immediately had lunch by this small cottage where in front of us several candy cuties were also enjoying their meal. My friends brought out the lechon that we bought when we passed by Carcar and I asked them if there were any sarsa provided as I was used to Manila’s way of always eating lechon with everyone’s favorite sauce, Mang Tomas. Dylan and Edwin said that no sarsa was provided because it didn’t need any, the lechon can stand alone by itself. And true enough, after the first bite, the flavors just bursted onto my palate and found myself begging for more.

Umm... okay.... sige.

Pescador Island

We then headed off to Pescador Island after haggling for a motorboat that would take us there. I didn’t really ask what was there but found out that we would be snorkeling. I’m not a fan of snorkeling and putting used snorkels in my mouth but I had no choice since I opted not to buy my own set prior to the trip.

Happy faces to brighten up anybody's day!

Pescador Island on the horizon!

What we saw in that island was amazing. It was my first experience witnessing a sardine run, which is basically a huge school of sardines swimming below with their shining silver scales reflecting the light from the sun from above the water. The moment I dipped my head down the water and saw the huge mass of silver fishes swimming around, I let out a frightful scream that got everybody’s attention. I wasn;t in any trouble, I was just pleasantly surprised at what I saw.

Doi dipping in the deep.

Sarap itulak sa tubig no?

We got back to city proper at around 8:00 in the evening and we went straight to Larsian’s for dinner and to meet with other Cebu Travel Bloggers. Larsian’s is a popular dining place in Cebu well-known for it’s setting. You are inside this huge tent surrounded by a lot of grilling stations on the side. Food is very affordable but you’ll have to endure breathing smoke for the entire duration of dinner.

The group also decided to have dessert at La Marea for their Warm Brownie Cup but I sorta did not enjoy that moment kasi nag-iinarte ako that time. Lol.

A smoky supper at Larsian's

Sizzy mode at Hotel Elizabeth

Malapascua Island

Participantes: Andrew, Renz, Ivan, Brenna, Chino

The following day, Andrew and I met up at the North Bus Terminal to wait for the arrival of the Bagets, travel bloggers who are in their early 20′s. As soon as they arrived, we hopped on a van going to Maya Port where we will be riding another motorboat that would take us to the island of Malapascua.

A fixed rate of P80.00 per person

Nasiraan ang boat namin and we were stuck in the middle of the ocean for 2 hours!

We missed the sunset! =(

Malapascua is even more beautiful at night. Tons of resorts and restaurants were lined up along the beach but there were very few tourists present, most of the ones there were foreigners who probably opted to stay at this beautiful island instead of the usual Boracay or spending their holidays in egypt.

I swear I would return to this place again and spend more time with it. When we were there, it seemed like everything was rushed and we were not able to maximize the experience.

Morning View

Batang Lakwatsero and his starfishes

My happy feet with a starfish

After spending the night, we had another island hoping tour where each spot was another opportunity to snorkel and see the fishes under the sea. But at that point, I was already pretty sick of snorkeling so I just decided to sleep the whole thing off. I did miss some cool things and only woke up when I heard a resounding splash on the water as Andrew dived off from a 50-ft cliff. I didn’t witness the actual jump but thank goodness they got it on video so I was still able to see that epic dive!

After the island hopping tour, we had a quick lunch at Ging Ging’s as the boatmen kept pestering us to leave the island in order to get to our next destination in time. Nakaka-hassle and we were really annoyed because our time in Malapascua was so bitin. This left a bitter memory of my experience in that beautiful island.

Tunay na lalake! Lunch at Ging Ging's

Bantayan Island

Participantes: Ed, Edwin, Mica, Andrew, Renz, Ivan, Brenna, Chino

Our last stop was probably the most memorable as we were joined again by 3 of our friends. From Malapascua, it was a 2 and a half hour of travelling by boat to the island of Bantayan. We only realized it afterwards that what we did was very dangerous as we could’ve gotten stuck in the middle of nowhere had our boat broken down like the previous day.

Cheap accommodations at Sugar Beach

Ang lawak ng sandbar!

Bantayan boasts one of the broadest sandbars I have ever seen and we spent most of the time sitting down the shallow waters that ran for several meters from the actual beach. This is where most of us got sun kissed.

The rest of the time spent there were very relaxing as we opted not to do any more activities and just relax by the beach.

Dyosa and sons doing the yowayowa!

Oha! Taray lang!

The faces that made my year-end trip memorable.

Trike ride going back to the port.

I ended the year with an amazing trip alongside awesome companions. Whenever someone mentions Cebu, my mind will automatically bring me back to this trip. By March, I will be returning to Cebu but for a different set of adventures and with different friends as well. More detailed story will be posted on my Travel Blog!

If I could, I would move to Cebu.

Which I will! :D

Photos by Doi Domasian, Micaela Rodriguez, Chino Chan, Renz Bulseco

2 weeks worth of character designs!

Last one is obviously still not finished. I’ve been too busy the last couple of weeks that it seemed impossible to keep up with the 366 project but so far I’m still on track.

Will stop drawing dorks now and start with a new batch.

Since the Chinese New Year is just around the corner, and because I just wanted to plaster my face all over my blog again, I’m posting another set of photos from when I last went to Binondo to have a food trip with some travel blogger friends. Next week, I’ll be back there again for another gastronomic adventure where we will try to visit 12 restaurants under a 1k budget!

Jeans from Folded&Hung. Shoes form Kickers. Yellow long sleeved shirt and red sunglasses, both thrifted. Bag from Memo.

Photos taken by Brenna Bustamante

To help promote fresh new talent in the film industry, SM Cinema partnered with the Film Development Council of the Philippines to bring you the first year of the Bigshot Film Festival, tackling the theme of Modern Heroes. I was invited to their press conference last Tuesday to see the previews of the 3 independent films and got to meet some of the actors as well.

Bigshot received over 50-script entries which were narrowed down to 15, 3 of which were chosen by prolific film practitioners Raymond Lee, Mark Meily, and Nick Deocampo. For coming up with the best script entries, they were given P600,000 each to help in producing their full-length films.

During the press con, we were able to watch the trailers and some behind the scenes footage of all three films. We also got to ask the directors and actors some questions about their experience shooting their first full-length movies which will be shown on SM theaters nationwide.

Suntok sa Buwan

Directors: Bianca Catbagan and Jose Antonio de Rivera
Actors: Daniel Fernando, Joem Bascon, Nonie Buencamino

Synopsis: Two boxers, one young and talented and the other aged yet passionate, prepare against each other in the bout that will define their lives.  When a boy with everything to lose faces a man with nothing to lose in the ring, who will win the fight?

My take: I’m not a fan of boxer movies. Heck, I don’t even follow any Pacquiao news. I just don’t see any excitement in the sport except for the topless athletes. Hahaha. However, I’m very curious if this film will bring something new to the concept. Besides, it stars Joem Bascon. Hello?

Tahanan

Directors: Krizzie Syfu
Actors: Lauren Young, Mark Gil

Synopsis: Samantha Benitez,a college student, goes on a journey to find inner peace in the company of orphaned children.  As a young heart encounters different stories of hardships, twelve children teach Sam a great deal about love, courage and family.

My take: It looked a bit too cheesy when you first see the poster. But after watching the first 10 minutes of the film, I admit I was drawn to how the story of the kids will play out. I think this is the type of drama that I will like.

Balang Araw

Directors: Archie Dimaculangan, Jono de Rivera and Cheska Ramos
Actors: Jao Mapa, Aleera Montalla, Shielbert Manuel, Tarhata Rico,

Synopsis: A call center agent, an expectant mother, a working student, and a neophyte robber – all dream of better lives.  They are all drawn together by a petty crime at a convenience store which excalates and ultimately examines their notion of heroism and self preservation.

My take: I’m also a little excited for this one because of what could happen during the crime scene and who will emerge as the hero. Plus, I think actor Carlo Cruz is hot. Way hotter in person. Hahaha. Call me!

Aside form these 3 films, thh Bigshot Film Festival will also feature Mark Meily’s Cinemalaya 2011 entry ‘Donor’, Raymond Lee’s ‘Endo’, and Nick Deocampo’s ‘Cine/Sine’. More good reason to go to the film festival, right?

Now, I know you guys are concerned about the entrance fee. Good news is you can buy tickets for an entire day of film showing for just P100! Which means if you buy a ticket, you get to watch all the Bigshot movies that will be shown for the day. And if you’re a student, you just have to present your school I.D. which will give you a 50% discount! P50 for 3-4 movies ain’t so bad, right? Plus you get to support films that were created by student filmmakers. It’s a win-win for everyone!

The Bigshot Fim Festival will run from January 25 to 31 at SM North Edsa, Mall of Asia, Megamall, Manila, and Cebu. You can head on to SM Cinema’s official website to check out the schedule of each film.

I will be checking out all three films this weekend during their premiere and will be writing about each so you’ll know which one to look out for.

Lucky are the people who get to experience a fulfilling breakfast each day as I am one of those who get up too late in the morning to enjoy the supposedly first meal of the day due to staying up late watching porn. Overshare. K. But good news to those who are craving for eggs and pancakes during the afternoon or at night because you can finally have breakfast any time of the day at Milky & Sunny!

Okay. Technically, you can’t have breakfast there at any time of the day because they’re not open 24 hours. Doors are only open from 7:00 am to 10:00 at night. But you get the point.

I saw some bloggers post about this place and I was more attracted to the interior of the place than the menu. So when I found out that a blogger meet-up with Punchdrunk Panda will be held there at 2:30 PM, I wasted no time and went there an hour early just so I could try out their food and take a few photos before the meet-up.

What I loved about the space is how it reminded me so much of my old room with the white and turquoise walls. For future references, turquoise is one of my favorite colors as of the moment. You know… just in case anyone out there want to woo me. Charot.

It took me a long time to choose from the menu cause everything sounded inviting. After 5 minutes, nahiya ako kay waitress so I told her I’ll have a glass of fresh milk first. Feel na feel ang pagka-breakfast! She came back 5 minutes later with the milk and I was still undecided even after asking her of their best sellers. I asked her to come back again later but I was still not sure what to get after her third return so I just decided right then and there to get their Strawberry Cream Cheese Pancake (P140) and the Bacon Tostadas (P100).

A glass of fresh milk for P60. Too pricey for me.

Spending that much money on breakfast food doesn’t seem right, but then again, I was there during lunch and for lunch food, it seemed fair. Am I making any sense? Hahaha. But for the sake of experience, I gave myself a budget of P300 for this so I ordered what I could. Meanwhile, I’m still not over the P60 milk. Call me a cheapskate but, come on, for a glass of milk?!?! I don’t even think it’s refillable and didn’t bother too ask. Still, drinking that milk reminded me of how much I missed breakfast and should start drinking it more often.

OH HELLO, LOVE! Strawberry Cream Cheese Pancake at P140

Before my food came, the PdP guys arrived and invited me to another table. A few minutes later, this little piece of heaven was served on my table. Not only did it look so attractive but it tasted great as well. I’d say it was worth the P140 and I would come back and get it again! I’m not a pancake person but this might have converted me because of the strawberry jam and cream cheese. I was actually pretty full afterwards.

Bacon Tostadas P100

The Bacon Tostadas was also a delight even though it’s pretty messy to eat. Every time I’d take a bite, bits and pieces would fall and sauces would get on my fingers and lips. I swore I observed everyone else eat this and felt relieved that they had the same trouble as well. I’m not a messy eater! Hahaha. But seriously, this is good for sharing and the flavor would really spice up your palate in a good way.

After I finished my lunch, the rest of the bloggers arrived and more food were served for everyone care of Thysz and PdP! I was already full so I just took a bite of each dishes that were served and was pleased. I’m definitely coming back to try out their other dishes.

You’ll notice that they have a lot of cereals on dispensers because they also offer Cereal by the Bowl (P90) and Unlimited Cereal for P180. This may work for cereal lovers but I found it a little overpriced again, but maybe because I’m not a cereal-lover. Heck, I won’t pay P90 for a bowl of cereal! Hindi pa masyadong nakakabusog. But oh well, I may not be their target market.

Bacon & Spam Pasta P180

Broccoli and Mushroom Casserole P180

More food came and I was glad that both Broccoli and Mushroom Casserole and Bacon & Spam Pasta were served ’cause I was also eyeing them on the menu earlier but both were a little over my budget if I wanted to try 2 dishes and a drink (I really can’t get over the P60 fresh milk. Hahaha.) I liked both dishes but I don’t think I can comment on them properly since I only took a couple of bites each, although from what I could remember, I kept coming back for the pasta and I got a little sad when we ran out of casserole. Next time, then!

I am such a fan of this type of framing set up. Reminded me of my blue wall at home.

This photo reveals my true feelings for Rob Cham. Lol.

Milky & Sunny can be found at 9 East Capitol Drive, Kapitolyo in Pasig City and it’s right beside a Moonleaf Tea Shop branch! Even though it’s just a few minutes away form where I currently live, I don’t know how to get there without taking a cab so I might just return when I’m with good company and some extra cash to spare as I don’t think I’ll willingly spend that much on morning food regularly. Hahaha.

You may check out Milky & Sunny on Facebook and follow them on Twitter as well!

Work productively. Think positively. Live passionately.

What’s yours? =)

In my attempt to draw more this year, I bring you Sining Sundays! A weekly entry where I post studies, doodles, works in progress, character designs, and final artworks that I’ve done for that week! Since it’s been an exhausting first week of the year, here’s my first character designs for my Project 366.

AWESOME. This is probably the perfect video to inspire and motivate anyone to start and continue drawing. Let’s create beautiful things this year! Click play and have fun! =) Created by Studio Shelter.

This post almost never made it to see the light of day. To be honest, I felt a little hesitant and tried to avoid looking back to what happened this year cause I thought that it was just one big disappointment. Then again, maybe I was expecting too much.

Call it quarter-life crisis, but at 24 I didn’t feel like I was living the kind of life that I could. It was like I wasted the years after college beating myself up and not living up to my potential. I wanted to escape from a lot of problems and I found temporary shelter in visting other places.

So I’m not going to look back at the bad things that happened but write about what made it better instead.

February – Food trip

Fresh from my surgery back in February, I organized a food trip to Binondo with Team Kaladkarin. The food was exceptional and it made me realize that you don’t have to spend so much to be able to enjoy good food. We dined at 10 restaurants in 1 day with only P1,000 to spend. It’s also one of my most-visited places of the year and I will keep coming back.

March – Highlands

In March, Team Kaladkarin went to Tagaytay to continue our gastronomic adventures. Later in the year, we realized that most of our meet-ups always involved food so a name change to Team Kaladkain might be in order. But regardless of what we call our small group, these people remain to be one of the rare gems I found in the caverns of the world wide web. =)

April – A family affair

After more than 10 years, I decided to go back to Bicol last April where my mother’s clan is. Despite being physically and emotionally detached from my relatives, I went there to try and reconnect with them and also to see my grandparents whom I haven’t seen in ages. Who knew that it would also be the last time I would see me lolo alive. Definitely one of the right decisions I’ve made all year.

May – Beyond the high grounds

May marked one of my most memorable trips of the year. It was my first time flying solo and may be considered as my first solo trip as I was alone there for an entire day before the awesome Davao bloggers welcomed and treated me to the Davao Food Appreciated Tour where our main goal was to be gluttons for 5 consecutive days. But aside from the food and the new friends, I fell in love with Davao itself.

During this month, I also went to Cebu for the Cebu Blog Camp and it’s one of those moments where I could proudly say that I’ve been to Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao in just a month! =)

June – Escape

My trip to Puerto Princesa last June wasn’t planned at all. In fact, I was out of cash and at wits ends with all the bad luck happening that month. But thanks to the nice people at Airphil Express, I was able to escape from all the madness even for a couple of days and get myself sun-kissed while it was raining hard in Manila.

August – No frills attached

Continuing my string of bad luck in every aspect of my life, I was still able to pull out a small allowance to spend a weekend in Pangasinan last August. It was a weekend with no frills attached, just quality time with a few good friends. You don’t need a lot of money to be able to travel, when you want it so badly, you’ll find ways. When travelling in a budget, there will always be good hotel deals available.

September – Comfort

An opportunity to go to La Union came in September and who am I to turn down a sponsored trip? I only had a taste of what La Union has to offer so I will definitely see to it to go back here again to create new and better memories of the place.

November – Summoning strength

One of my most-anticipated trips of the year was to return to Sagada and Baguio in time for my birthday in November. The reason I went to this 7-day long sojourn was because I’ve had enough and wanted to escape from a lot of negativity in hopes of getting some answers for myself. Aside from the bonds made, the food consumed, and the epic adventures that happened in the mountains up north, I was able to find pieces of myself back. With all the trekking and strenuous activities, not only did I conquer the tasks physically but I also gained more strength in character in both mental and spiritual aspects. I had a pretty rough year and upon finding solace in those moments of stillness and split-second eternities, it marked a complete turn-around.

December – Seasons of love

To cap the year off, I went back to Cebu with the Bagets this December to hop around the islands and enjoy the amazing beaches that Cebu had to offer. It was an adventure-filled trip that started right from an amazing race to the airport up to a last minute meet-up before leaving Cebu. Even though it was a mad rush to go everywhere, it sits comfortably as one of the Top 3 trips I’ve had this year as I was also able to meet a lot of Cebu-based bloggers.

Resolution

They say that when you travel, getting lost will help you find yourself. Well, I believe I was able to find some pieces of myself in all those places that I’ve been to. And for a newbie traveller, I believe I did a pretty decent job exploring the Philippines as I was able to set foot in all three main lands of the country.

Thanks to Him for making all of this possible and for keeping all of us (and the family we leave behind) safe during our travels. I have a lot of fears in my heart but trusting in Him brings out the courage within. Thanks to old and new friends who stuck with me through all of it. No right words can express how much I appreciate the people who were with me through this journey. You guys know who you are. =)

2011 was exhausting. We move forward to the next.

Before the year ends, I would just like to open up an issue about resistance to cyber-bullying and trolling on the internet. The past year, a lot of issues have surfaced in which individuals have been singled out and attacked online without having any chance to defend themselves and it has even arrived to a sad point where Facebook pages spreading more hate about these people have been created.

Wikipedia defines Cyber-bullying as the use of the Internet and related technologies to harm other people, in a deliberate, repeated, and hostile manner. As it has become more common in society, particularly among young people, legislation and awareness campaigns have arisen to combat it.

Take the issue of Chris Lao as an example. I admit to feeling a bit pissed off at his attitude during his interview. Personally, at that moment I found him a little foolish and arrogant and I was one of those hundreds of people who shared the video of him on Facebook. However, hours later and he has received thousands of lashings from people hiding behind their computers, leaving hateful comments on Facebook pages deliberately set up to humiliate him further.

Another example is Piolo Pascual after the whole KC Concepcion debacle after her interview where hundreds commented online on Piolo’s sexuality and was trying to push him out of his so-called closet. As an openly gay man, I strongly believe that nobody has the right to purposely out anybody out of their closets whether they are gay or not. It’s none of their business. Let the person come out on his own time whenever he feels he is ready to face the world.

This does not only happen to celebrities, politicians, and people who have had their 15 seconds of fame. Ordinary people can be victims of cyber-bullying and it is in our hands to try and refrain from jumping on every bandwagon immediately and think of the situation and circumstances before spreading hate. Whether or not someone has done something stupid or morally wrong on the internet, attacking that person won’t solve anything.

There have been cases in which kids who are being bullied online have resorted to suicide because of all the pressure and hate that they’ve received from their friends and from strangers who know nothing about them.

Stopping the hate

There is no easy way to stop cyber-bullying except looking at ourselves and having the resistance to participate in any bandwagon. Remember that there is nothing to gain from pulling another person down. It’s so easy to be caught on with the everyone’s wave on emotions and even easier to express it once you know there are plenty of others willing to back you up.

We do have freedom to express ourselves and to give our opinion, but we should also keep in mind that there are better ways/channels to take instead of letting our anger get the best of us. One good piece of advice I’ve received from a good friend to let your anger pass before leaving a rash and stupid comment online. Take a day or two away from any issue and let yourself calm down first. When you are able to relax, you can properly think of a more civilized response.

Or better yet, try not to participate at all. Involving yourself in so much negativity would just take out so much away from you. Do something productive instead.

For 2012, one of my resolutions is to be more responsible with the things I post online where one single click can change the lives of many. Let’s avoid the negativity and always look at the brighter side of things. Discuss, don’t argue. Resist the urge to making fun of other people’s mistakes and think of positive ways to solve the problem.