After several months of planning, I finally made it to Donsol. Actually, I didn’t really make any plans or did any research. I just signed up for a trip already organized by Owen, from my PEX mailing list. (He’s also organizing a couple of trips to Coron, Palawan. Anybody interested?) It was great to just show up at the airport and have somebody else tell me where to go. Given the busy weeks I’ve had, I haven’t had the chance to read about Donsol, except for that small bit in the Lonely Planet Philippines book.

The trip wasn’t *that* cheap. It could have been much cheaper if: 1) I bought my ticket during a Cebu Pacific promo and not one and a half weeks prior to departure; 2) We moved to the Donsol town proper or to Legaspi for cheaper accomodations on the second night, and; 3) I went for cheaper food options in Donsol. Of course, this is when I realized that I *am* a flashpacker, and not a backpacker, as I’ve always said I was. Indeed, I am just a backpacker wannabe.

 
Download: Donsol.xls (14k)

There you have it. If you have any questions about the budget or the trip, just post them in the comment section

I love my Gorillapod. When people see me using it, they all look at it in amazement and it always end up with them asking me where I bought it and for how much. I bought my Gorillapod locally, at the 5th Avenue store for Php1,400. I always say that it’s a great value for a great product. Honestly, I didn’t mind shelling out 1,400 for it.

Not surprisingly, it pains me to see this inside Cebu Pacific’s latest Smile, their inflight magazine on my flight back to Manila yesterday:

What the hell?

 
Labeled as the CEB Camera Flexi Tripod in Pouch, this technically isn’t THE Gorillapod, but looks surprisingly close to one.

I wonder how it would compare to the original though. Is it as sturdy? As flexible? As stable? Does it grip as well as the original Gorillapod? I made the huge mistake of being cheap and not buying it so I can compare the two. Anybody have Cebu Pacific’s version of the Gorillapod? I would love to hear your reviews about it!

February is just ending, but I can’t stop myself from thinking about the coming summer season. The heat lately has been getting worse, making me worry how much hotter it’d get when March and April rolls in. On hot sunny days like these, the best place to be is the beach. And when you say beach in the Philippines, the first that comes to mind is Boracay.

More than usual high rise

 
The first and the last time I went to Boracay was way back in March 2005. It was the best two weeks of vacation that I’ve ever had. The gorgeous beach, the fantastic food and the company of great friends. What more can you ask for?

Round and round it goes. Sean the Canadian firedancer shows off his talent.

 
One of the more memorable part of this trip was the plane ride. SEAir‘s 19-seater plane can only accomodate two crew, so the flight attendant had to demonstrate the safety procedures while we were still on the ground. When she’s done, she disembarks and leaves us with the two pilot.

www.flyseair.com

 
It was weird to be inside such a small plane. Unlike the Boeings and Airbus I rode before, the cabin wasn’t pressurized (the pilot even opens the cockpit window) and it feels as if you can easily drill a hole through its sides. And oh my god, the ear pressure. That has to be the worst I’ve ever experienced.

Isaw?

 
Ear pains aside, the view from the plane was spectacular. Unlike the bigger aircrafts, SEAir flies at a lower altitude, giving you a glimpse of the Philippines from above. This is definitely much better than just seeing clouds at 20,000 feet.

Bye bye Boracay

 
The 35-minute plane ride from Manila to Caticlan is SEAir‘s biggest edge over its competitors. Since SEAir flies direct to Caticlan, you’re just one tricycle ride away from the ferry port to Boracay. Though SEAir can be more expensive than the other airlines on the same route, the shorter time you have to spend in transit makes it worth it.

That’s a tiny plane

 
Get a chance to try SEAir‘s new 32-seater Dornier 328, courtesy of Ivan About Town. Ivan Henares is giving away a FREE Manila-Caticlan-Manila ticket to one lucky blogger. All you have to do is write a blog entry about SEAir, and why you deserve to win the contest. Why do I deserve to win? Because I’ll most probably write an entry about my Boracay trip, thus resulting to more publicity and inbound links

So far, 2008 has been off to a very hectic start. I guess partying to usher in the new year is an indication of how the year would be like. To top it off, two months into 2008 and I’ve already consumed more alcohol than I ever did the whole of 2007. I’m so looking forward to the coming months. Adding fuel (or alcohol) to this streak is Delifrance’s latest line of “naughty” drinks: spiked coffee!

Getting sloshed is a nice way to start an event.

There are three spiked coffee variants: Irish Kiss Baileys, a heady mix of rich espresso with Irish cream, served in a wine glass with lemon sugar lining the rim; Mayan Passion Kahlua, an exotic mix of espresso, Kahlua and whipped cream served either hot or iced, and; Sputnik Vodka Espresso, a drink, according to Delifrance President Mr. William Tan Unitong, that will send you to the skies with its intense combination of espresso and vodka.

Mmmmmmm, shrimp.

 
Spikedafter5.com recommends some of Delifrance’s bestsellers to go with the spiked coffee of your choice. If you’re looking for a hearty meal after a long day at the office, they recommend the Seafood Marinara Pasta with its juicy shrimp, rich marinara sauce over linguine pasta. As a light snack, the Half Premiere Clubhouse is the perfect mix of meat, veggies and freshly baked bread. The Baguette Chips and Dip would do well for sharing with friends; golden brown baguette chips served with egg mayo, tuna onion or pimiento cheese dip. As a treat after a long day (or week), indulge yourself with the Flaming Choco Lava Cake, a very rich absolutely heavenly dessert.

Irish Kiss Bailey’s with Delifrance President William Tan Untiong

 
The food was good and the coffee, even better. I really loved the Oriental Shrimp Salad: fresh greens tossed with mixed seafood and yummy vinaigrette. The Flaming Choco Lava Cake was the crowd favorite, not just because of its rich flavor but also because of the flame. Everytime a waiter comes to deliver a cake, everyone would gather around him to take a photo. As for the spiked coffee… well, I liked them all! Kahlua: Yum. Bailey’s: Yumm. Vodka: Yummmmmmmmm. Oh, and the espresso’s good, too.

Paparazzi.

 
Get a taste of Delifrance’s naughty coffee from March 3 – 7 between 5 – 7 pm at participating Delifrance branches. When asked by a Delifrance barista for the password, say “naughty with my coffee” and get a cup of spiked coffee for free!

Participating braches includes Greenbelt 1, ZETA, RCBC Plaza, Valero, Insular Life, Towe 1, AIM and SM Makati in Makati city; Robinson’s Place Manila and UN Avenue in Manila city; Alabang Town Center and Festival Supermall in Muntinlupa city; Roosevelt and Greenhills Theater Mall in San Juan; Libis, St. Lukes and Philippine Heart Centre in Quezon city; The Podium in Pasig city, and; Mall of Asia in Pasay city.

I never thought that 2008 would start off so busy. I can hardly remember a weekend I spent at home since January 1. Last Saturday was packed: I have different appointments in the morning, afternoon and evening. It didn’t help either that I worked until 7 in the morning. But with a couple of hours of sleep sneaked in between projects, I was good to go.

Slander is oral defamation while libel is defamation in writing (People vs. Castro, 43 Phil. 842)

 
Saturday started off with the Blog and Soul Movement‘s first of a series of round table discussions. Atty. Butch Dado moderated the discussion and taught us the difference between slander and libel, and everything a blogger needs to know about libel (including how to avoid getting sued for libel. Very informative indeed).

Eric (byahilo.com), Fritz (fritzified.com), Jeff (blog.teknostik.com), and Benj (atheista.net)

 
The round table discussion ended at around 12 noon. I had time to kill, and Eric was hungry, so we joined the other bloggers for lunch at Market Market’s open air food court. Most of the blogging events I’ve attended were held at night and due to work, I had leave early so I miss the post-event events, which are often more fun than the actual event. It was great to sit back and talk about blogs and bloggers with people who know which blog and blogger you’re talking about (except me, who’s really out of the loop). The hot topic for that session was…well, let’s just say that life is unfair. And heh, I don’t want to get sued for libel.

Juned (baratillo.net) and Karlo (pinoyblogero.com)

 
I headed off to Robinson’s Galleria afterward to meet up with the Manila RBJ group to watch the 4:30 screening of the indie movie, Selda. I have to admit that I (and the others as well) watched this movie in support for our friend who worked in the movie. However, our friendship wasn’t the reason why I loved the movie. Selda really is a great movie.. It has such raw emotions that you can really feel. The cast was superb: Sid Lucero (wow. This guy is a very fine actor), Emilio Garcia, Ara Mina and Michael de Mesa. It’s a must-watch movie, even just to see Michael de Mesa wearing a wig.

I didn’t order this, but I wish I did.

 
What’s great about watching a movie that your friend help make is that you get some insight about what happened while they were filming it. It was fun discussing the movie with Mela and getting answers to our seemingly endless barrage of questions. After dinner, we made our way to the taxi queue and headed off to Intramuros.

 
Did you know that Club Intramuros is outside the Intramuros gates? Now you do. The Jokefest’s venue was certainly different from the events I’ve been to before (well, except perhaps Fort Santiago. At night). It was on the “roofdeck” which was actually just the second floor and is surrounded by the golfcourse. It was a fun event, made even better by my discovery of the band Unitiima. Unfortunately, the day was taking its toll on me, and I was zoning out during the Jokefest (I forgot to have our picture taken, Clare!). But I’m glad to finally made it to a YouthTRiP event. Sa uulitin!

Ah, that dreaded day is upon us again. If you’re not one of those shelling out thousands of pesos for that one date on that most holy day for dates (roll eyes), why not shell out money for a cause?

The Youth Tourism Response Philippines (YouthTRiP) brings you Jokefest for the Dateless, a fund raising event for their upcoming Yayain si Yaya project.

A project that will take Yayas and their kids and wards to Museo Pambata for an afternoon of history, storytelling, and Pinoy games. It is a tribute to our second mothers and quasi-big sisters.

Source: YouthTRiP Website

This laughfest is happening on the 16th of February at the Club Intramuros in… Intramuros, Manila. Doors open at 8pm. Entrance fee is Php150, which includes one drink and a night of fun and laughter. For any questions, comments and violent reactions, contact YouthTRiP at 0918-5211087 or e-mail them at youthtrip@gmail.com.

If celebrating your singledom is not your thing, how about dropping by at the Dolls for a Cause at the Podium?

Dolls for a cause by Philippine contemporary artists
Manikako doll fair and auction on February 16-23 at the Podium

We invite you to be a part of Manikako, Future Ko! A Fund-Raising Doll Fair at The Podium Activity Center along 18 ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City., February 16 to 23, 2008. The proceeds of the event will fund free doll-making workshops for underprivileged kids conducted by the House of Comfort Art Network (ARTHOC).

The week-long fair will open with a “loud auction” conducted by artist/critic Cid Reyes on February 16, 6pm with TV personality Tintin Bersola Babao as program host.

Doll-making workshops will be held daily at the fair, led by a wide variety of groups such as : ManikaManila, avid collectors of ball-jointed dolls; Mistula, concept doll band; Pilipinas Street talented grafitti artists; Sewing Circle, needlepoint craft enthusiasts; Creatives from Y & R Philippines; Superficial Girls; and, INK or Illustrador ng Kabataan whose works breathe life into Filipino children’s literature. (Do it yourself) doll manikako kits and other manikako products will be available for sale during the event.

Capping the week is Salamat sa’yo, Manikako!, a thanksgiving celebration featuring musicians like Moonstar88, Joey Ayala, Susan Fernandez Magno, Ciudad and the multiawarded performance poet, Vim Nadera, among others.

Know more about Manikako, their projects and their cause over at Manikako.com.

If you *do* celebrate Valentine’s day, how about taking in a movie?

True to form to their themes of love and its different vagaries, filmmakers Paolo Villaluna and Ellen Ramos follow up their highly-acclaimed debut film ILUSYON (Rated A 2005, Cinemanila IFF 2006, Pusan IFF 2006) with the tragic tale of 3 characters in Selda. The film stars Sid Lucero, Emilio Garcia and Ara Mina. Also starring are Michael de Mesa, Allan Paule, Soliman Cruz and Ping Medina.

Source: Selda Trailer at Youtube.com

It may not the be your typical date movie, but at least it’s something different, eh?

The past two weeks has been great, but it also took a lot from me. I have been looking forward to my guest’s visit since I got back from Australia, but I never thought it would stress me so much. What better way to recover from stress than by having a picnic at the University of the Philippines with my closest friends?

Mr. Oblation

 
I didn’t study at UP. Neither did my two friends. But UP has been a pretty big part of our lives. After we graduated from high school and went our separate ways in college, our barkada (group of friends) would have our annual picnic at the UP lagoon to get everyone together again.

All decked out for Piyesta Komedya

 
If before we would each bring food for the potluck picnic, as well as mats, reading materials, even a radio, this year’s picnic is different. I left the house just toting three sarongs to use as mats, and a wallet full of change. The plan was to buy all our picnic food inside the university grounds.

Mang Larry’s Isawan

 
Filipinos are big on food. For us, the food that brings us the most comfort are the food we ate growing up, be it the food our mothers cooked or the food we bought off the streets. This being UP, we were spoilt for choice: taho, banana-que, lumpia, isaw, fishball and kwek-kwek. The ultimate comfort food!

Street food picnic: fishballs, isaw, kwek-kwek, donuts, lumpiang toge, banana-que, Pringles and C2

 
The weather even cooperated with us. It was overcast that afternoon, and though it looked like it would rain any second, it didn’t pour. It was still pretty humid, but it wasn’t as unpleasant that it would’ve been if the sun was out. Besides, how can you get up and take photos when the pull of the earth’s gravity was too strong to resist?

UP Sunken Garden

 
The University of the Philippines is celebrating its 100 years this 2008. This means plenty of activities and events throughout the year. We went there a couple of Fridays ago, and there were 3-5 events happening all at once. This week is the week-long UP Fair. Who know what events they have lined up next week? If you’re looking for a place to hang out after work or school, or a great place to picnic during the weekend, you need not look far: UP Diliman is the place to be.

1. Take note of the current number they’re serving and your own number. Hopefully, there would be about 80 people ahead of you so you’d have time to shop.
2. Go to the mall information kiosk and ask if there’s a travel agency in the building. Locate the agency and ask if they book flights with Cebu Pacific. If they answer negatively, ask if they accept bookings for Philippine Airlines or Air Philippines. If they do, request for a quotation. Brace yourself for the fare they will quote you. Thank the man for accommodating your request and resignedly walk back to the Cebu Pacific ticketing office, hoping that the queue has progressed significantly, but has not gone past your number yet.
3. Head back to the ticketing office laden with bags full of snacks and have an impromptu picnic.
4. Read the tattered remnants of Summit Publication magazines lying around. Indulge yourself with the luxury of having the time (and sufficient amount of boredom) and pore over past issues of Good Housekeeping, Smart Parenting, Preview and Smile. If you’re lucky, you just might chance upon a Cosmopolitan or two.
5. Have a chat with the person you dragged along with you to this ordeal about life, love and outhouses. Once you run out of things to talk about, rehash old stories and jokes you still laugh about. This helps you cling to the remaining threads of your sanity.
6. Once the conversation runs out, bring out the MP3 players. Lose yourself as you listen to Cher, Madonna and Kylie. Dancing optional.
7. Pull out one earphone or both, as you eavesdrop on an irate customer complaining to the manager/supervisor about the slow service. Take a good look at the service counters as he points out that while there are 11 counters, only 2 are manned.
8. Make a solemn vow to yourself to ease up on the credit card usage. If your cards aren’t maxed out all the time, you wouldn’t have to go through this experience ever again. Unless there are changes in your schedule and you’d have to have your flight re-booked. In that case, good luck and have fun going through this thing all over again.
9. Rejoice as the digital display turns to 131. Take the strip of paper marked with 134 out of your organizer and clutch it tightly in your hands. This is your cue to start praying that the people holding on to 131, 132 and 133 won’t take long or have already left.
10. Mentally kick yourself for neglecting to bring your camera so you can take snapshots of this unforgettable experience where you waited for four long hours, only to be served for less than 10 minutes. Thanks to this oversight, your only marker for the amount of time you spent in the ticketing office is your mobile phone’s call register and your ticket’s time stamp.

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