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Mar 31, 2016

Boxes & Rack

A neighbor asked if it's "temporary or permanent."

It took me a few seconds to understand what she meant. In my mind, I was like "Of course, life here is TEMPORARY." 

With the recent death of my mother, my sentiment about "temporary" has magnified; that every thing in this world is temporary. 

Thankfully, before I'd blurted out some nonsense philosophical life issues, I realized what she really meant. She was referring to our moving to the rented house from our own house. Temporarily means we're renting because we're going to expand our own house then move back to it after; or permanent because we're selling our old house or we're buying the house we'll be moving to.

Being a boardinghouse girl for half of my life (assuming I'm still 30 at this moment), there's always that "girl scout" feeling of me -- to be always ready to move to yet another place. And, though we've been in our own house for 8 years, that feeling never left me. Like as much as possible, I like to keep all my things to fit in a box or 2 which I can easily lug around with me when the need to move will arise.

There's a good and bad side to it:

Bad because I could never bring myself to decorate a house because more boxes would be needed in packing them up in case we need to move again.

Good because my boxes just perfectly fits in Mark's RACKS obsession. Racks is another story. According to Mark, it's like a framework where you can insert different apps or something like that.

So every time I see a pretty rack, I fall inlove. LOVE: that is something permanent. @.@

Mar 29, 2016

Small Talk

I I'd been buying from this flower vendor in the "old market" of Minglanilla, Cebu for sometime for the 9-day visit to my nanay's tomb.

On the last day of the 9-day visits was only I learned that she also does flower arrangement. So I asked her to do one for me. While I sat down waiting for my flowers, we had small talk.

(The eatery beside the flower vendor was soooo attractive.)
But no, we did not talk any thing about political, agricultural, economic issue. 

We talk about their rich neighbors in their farm of Brgy. Malubog. The IPI who owns Mountain Resort where they get a free pass every New Year, the Sirao farm where which has now a P20 entrance fee. Literally, she's part of that friends in high places. (If we walk/trek a little further at the back of Mountain Resort or at any area of the Transcentral Highway, we can actually find a lot of flower farms. But might as well not bother them or else their crop will be destroyed. @.@) 

We also talk about the weather. According to her, Weather's really not good lately, her flowers' prices are getting expensive lately.

P150 for this flower arrangement. They deserved it, maybe more than that -- like world peace. :)
Pass this UK place, and this gown dangling would be perfect for my flower.
Finally, something decent flower for the mother.
I'm going to miss the Monday myBus rides, and that friend in high places.

FOR FLOWER ORDERS IN CEBU, YOU CAN CONTACT DELIA AT (0948) 737 3237.
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Mar 25, 2016

Negros Oriental Day 3: Tabing "Next-Time"

03/20/2016

Karla, our official selfie-stick, left very early for a different road trip to her hometown Ilo-ilo so no one could take the "groupfie." 

I tried getting a "group selfie" but the feels was just different. #chos 

This was our last eats before going back to the Queen City of the South, Cebu! This was at Jo's Chicken Inato in Sibulan. 
Jo's Chicken in Sibulan has a pretty set-up.
They have that boat-shaped tables and it's located by the beach.
You know that Just when you got into the vibes of the place you're traveling to, it's when the time you'd be leaving it. I hate that part but I just got to be thankful. I'm especially thankful for having the chance to travel with the group this time. 

Everyone's conked out from the prevous day's activities, and decided to act our age: close to doing nothing.

Breakfast was at Plaza Valencia again. I dunno with the rest of the group, but I could just lounge in that place whole day people-watching who were also probably people-watching. I guess it's a known fact that Dumaguete and its nearby towns are favorites of senior / retiree foreigners. Either they bring the laid-back pace of the place or it's what attracted them to it in the first place. Or maybe because of Siliman University, which is known to be "American" university.

Anyhow, our 3rd day was a Sunday, and together with us at the "al fresco" eateries / painitan were the male, mostly senior, foreigners. We ate at "Western Style Country Breakfast." It's where the dishes were American Breakfast of pancakes, french toast (wait, is that American), and complete with white males lounging on the outside tables. 

They're probably waiting for their wives from the church or doing market.

So the road in this area is closed on Sundays for the Sunday market of vegetables, fruits, and local delicacies. And, it's clean. Oh, can I have my Sundays like this? The husband and kids can park theirselves at the diners, while I do market.
But snap, we're back in Cebu, where it can sometimes feel rush-rush-rush. 



Mar 24, 2016

Negros Oriental Day 2: Tabing Boulevard

03/19/2016

Photo from Karla Quimsing.
Flor suggested we'd have "themed" selfie. So after Tabing Dagat, we had Tabing Boulevard. From Bacong, we "trekked" early to Dumaguete. Except for Mark and Franee, everyone went on foot to get some sunrise & breakfast in Dumaguete.

Flor and I were ahead of the pack because we did run-walk...
and pose.
We even got to be in a fun run's... finish line. When we arrived at Robinson's area,  it was timely that a fun run was starting. We got a finish line too. :)
Then on to the famous boulevard of Dumaguete.
Then on to the yet another famous eatery of Dumaguete, Painitan which is in their public market. It can be chaotic so be a "cowboy."
They're famous for puto and sikwati, but they also serve various breakfast dishes. 

And that they serve different variety of Sikwati: there are "pure" (no sugar or any thing) and "sari-sari" (tsokolate mixed with milk), then there's more. I think better go for "pure" then you just do the mixing of other stuff like sugar and milk.
Because we are "young and full of energy," we decided to do another "trek" at Casaroro Falls in Valencia. I think everyone were not first-timers to this falls except for Karla and I.

And oh I LOVE the trek to the falls. It was no longer paved because of typhoon Sendong so the bridges and platforms were gone, and were replaced with big rocks. It's like total body workout but just so refreshing because the place is so green!
Perfect for "chansing" moments...
If you pick a man, pick a man who will not only pick you up, but also pick up some trash.
(Franee for save the river, picking up some water bottle of some useless human.)
Fashionblogger "buhis-buhay" pose.
I wish the trek did not end, truly enjoyed going up and down the rocks! @.@ I missed trail running big time!
"Tabing Falls"
But I had to confess that there's one thing I hate about the Casaroro Falls, the going up to the entrance. @.@ It's probably 300M of straight-up ascent! But that's part of the charm.
Lunch was at a Plaza in Valencia. They have this sort of "al fresco" foodstrip, which is probably part of their market, only it's facing some sort of a park and the Church, and there lots of big trees around which tamed the heat.
There are their own "painitan" version serving tsokolate and coffee made of their "local" beans, ice cream shop, breakfast place aka "americanized" carenderia, and the typical carenderia. 

And the best part is the European feels of al fresco dining! :) And there are few doves loitering the place, and we can now call it "Little Rome." 
Then it was a rush of prepping up for the wedding which was to bein 3:30pm. And an award should be given to "yayafab" Flor for glamourizing us all, including her self in such a short time span. Well, we're not that hard to beautify. :)
The wedding venue at Tierra Alta was so romantic. It was in a clubhouse of some fancy subdivision in Valencia which was on top of a hill facing Mt. talinis. Their view is so pretty it's not FREE. @.@

I'm not a flower person but The flowers at the wedding were so pretty that i wished to take them all home with me.
This wedding was probably for me, I saw orange every where!
The beautiful groom and bride, who made this trip possible.
I wish them a marriage as beautiful and edgy as Casaroro trek, as "calming" as Tierra Alta, and surrounded by wonderful people through and through. 

"Tabing Couple"

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Mar 22, 2016

Negros Oriental Day 1: Tabing Dagat

03/18/2016

Photo from Karla Quimsing

I think this was the first time that I ever got to join them all in 1 group in an outing out of Cebu. But it was not really an outing. We attended Chris' wedding in some spanky mountain in Valencia, Negros Oriental.

Mark and I left home at 4am-ish. We're not that excited. @.@ Well, it was really more of being able to get out of the city area before the morning rush. And, the countryside's really pretty early in the morning.
And of course, the obligatory foodie pit stops we had to make an extra time for. @.@

Maria's Batchoy in Dalaguete, Cebu. Batchoy's so-so but it's a welcome break from the long drive. And toilet's clean enough to relieve before proceeding with the drive.
Brumini Resort in Oslob, Cebu.. Karla mentioned that it's a nice coffee place in Oslob, Cebu. It actually has some sort of mini foodstrip inside their resort so there are a lot of options. We grab some coffee from Brumini, and crepe from Sizzlin' and Shake.
We then got into a barge in Liloan, Bato to get us to Sibulan, Negros Oriental.
So we were the first to arrive in Negros in the group. Lunch time came, others then started to trickle arriving. 

Lunch was already with Dion & Flor, Norlan & Mayang at Gabby's Bistro. It's inside the vicinity of Florentino Apartelle. Honestly, I find their food here average. But it's a resto with such a character. It's a must visit for the photo ops.
But I like my aglio pasta w/ shrimp though.
When Franee & Karla arrived, we all then proceeded to the airbnb house we rented in Bacong, Negros Oriental. It's the town next to Dumaguete. The house is some 300 meters away from a beach. 

But the beaches were like subdivided with so many walls so there was not really much to it. But not to Flor, it definitely made a good prop.

Hashtag #instagramhusband

So we kind of leave in Tabing Dagat.

Dinner was lovely at KRI resto, near Siliman University. It's some kind of fusion resto.
Franee's dish was the prettiest at that night, me thinks.

Wow! We're really on a roll. It's like the adults got out of the cage. @.@