reposting on the eve of Valentines

LoveQuotesRus

land before time

My parents sent me an LCD Samsung TV, a VHS player and a DVD player.

At the moment, we're watching Land Before Time - a movie popular when I was still in grade school. All I could remember was that the Baby Dinosaur's mom died and the Baby D got separated from his grandparents because of the big earthquake.


For synopsis, click this link IMDB Plot Summary. 


The movie was produced by Spielberg and Lucas -- now I am trying to connect this... Lucas is pretty popular with his Star Wars series and Spielberg with his blockbuster movies. Anyways, I have this theory - the partnership of Lucas and Spielberg somehow competed with Disney in terms of animated movies... this might be a pre-Steve Jobs entry to Lucas' animation company???? I need to do a little research on this.

Also, I think Spielberg has this fixation with Dinosaurs to think this movie was before Jurassic Park. :)

Ok - the movie is about family, friendship and trusting oneself. It also showed how the earth has evolved - and also tackled about ecological processes like competition and survival of the fittest.

I am still watching it (and I hope to finish it). :)


Here are some quotes I wish to share from this link http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095489/quotes:
Littlefoot: Have you ever seen the Great Valley? 
Littlefoot's Mother: No. 
Littlefoot: Well, how do you know it's really there? 
Littlefoot's Mother: Some things you see with your eyes, others you see with your heart. 
Littlefoot: I don't understand, Mother. 
Littlefoot's Mother: You will, my son. You will. 

budget travel to siquijor #itsmorefuninthephilippines

I went to Siquijor on my own. it was my first time traveling alone. the downside on traveling alone is that you will shoulder all the expenses - no one to share with.
I have been aspiring to travel alone. it was in my bucket list - to discover and enjoy the place, and to commune with nature.
Luckily, God led me to good strangers  - my guide Joel Aso (of www.siquijorhikers.com) and Annie (of the North Haven Lodge).
I spent 3-days all in all, including travel time.
Well, I spent almost Php 10,000...
I bought my ticket bound to Dumaguete last August 2011 at Php 1,998.00 from Cebu Pacific.
Here's a breakdown of the expenses I had last January 27 to 29, 2012.

Day 1 (January 27)

• 300 taxi from Quezon City to Terminal 3
• 70 my breakfast @ 7-11 in the airport
• 200 terminal fee
• 150 tricycle from Dumaguete airport to Port of Dumaguete (darn - i was fooled, so please haggle)
• 136 boat transportation fee (Montenegro Shipping Line)
• 15 terminal fee
• 106 lunch
• 100 fuel (for the guide)
• 20 my water 
• 190 dinner for 3 people (guide, his GF and me)
• 40 entrance fee for two (Salogdoong)
• 10 entrance fee for me (Guiwanon Spring Park)

Day 2 (January 28)

• 183 fuel (for the guide)
• 50 breakfast
• 500 room accommodations for 2 nights at North Haven Lodge in Larena
• 27 water
• 411 dinner (we splurge on our dinner since we went hiking the whole day)
• 40 lunch
• 165 banana chips pasalubong

Day 3 (January 29)

• 1500 fee for the guide (although he charges 350 per day, I added 150 as tip - and besides i was happy and safe with the experience)
• 160 boat fee (Delta)
• 14 terminal fee
• 70 snacks
• 20 water
• 330 pasalubong from Sans Rival Dumaguete
• 140 lunch in Sans Rival
• 50 tricycle from Silliman to Airport
• 30 terminal fee
• 20 shuttle fee from Terminal 3 to MRT
• 8 jeep from Q. Ave to home

I spent a total of Php 5,155 for my 2-day stay in Siquijor. Ahmmm :)

Really #itsmorefuninthephilippines

--- 

Ok guys, if you feel like going to Siquijor, please consider staying in the North Lodge Haven (for backpackers).

NORTH HAVEN LODGE rates:

• Executive Airconditioned Room with Ref. - Php 500 
• Airconditioned Bigger Room – Double - 600 
• Airconditioned Room with Double Bed, TV 600 
• Electric Fan with 3 Single Bed – 700
• Airconditioned 700 
• Non-Airconditioned Room Single Bed 250 

 (well if you plan to go there and plan to take on North Haven Lodge please text or call Annie: 09067728262 or 09103096079. The lodge does not offer breakfast (it's ok)... you can find food stalls nearby (around 10 minutes walk to the market).

If you feel like having a different kind of Siquijor experience look for Joel Aso - you may reach him through: biosiquijor@yahoo.com, 0063-9269627166 or visit his website: www.siquijorhikers.com. 

Trekking @ Siquijor #itsmorefuninthephilippines

I got to visit Siquijor last weekend. I spent two and a half days exploring some of its municipalities.
Two and a half-days are not enough to learn and discover Siquijor. :)

Just a snapshot on how I started my Siquijor adventure - from planning to the actual exploration itself. I was surfing online about what to do in Siquijor, I have learned from friends of places to visit. But I did not want my experience to be a so-so experience. I wanted to enjoy Siquijor - learn a little about the place and just plainly experience it.

As I was surfing online, I came across this website from travellers: http://siquijorhikers.com/. The details written in the website made me curious. The site offers something I love. It's something I want to experience.
So, after getting the contact details: biosiquijor@yahoo.com, 0063-9269627166. I immediately e-mailed and texted them.

A guy named Joel answered both my e-mail and text queries. I got to talk to him. He sounded sincere. And from that moment, I trusted my instinct, and planned my adventure. It took me a week before I replied decently to Joel on the kind of adventure I wanted.

I told him the things I wanted to see and the stuff I wanted to do. Well, atleast to give him an idea of what I wanted. Then a week before my trip I finally made up my mind. I told him I would take the bike ride instead of a pure hiking since I was (and still am) having an ankle problem.

So, basically, the things I wanted to do have been set. My only problem then was where to stay. I did not know of how Siquijor looks like so I surfed online again and found the rates of North Haven Lodge in Larena, Siquijor - the rate fits my budgetary limitation. :) Hehe!

So, last friday (January 27), I began my Siquijor journey. I met Joel. He is a pure-blood Siquijor local. His love for his island made my adventure quite unforgettable. He brought me to places where most of the tourists don't get to see. Since he is a true-blooded mountain-hiker-caver, he also brought me to places where he usually brings his guests for camping. You will get to find him in this album.

Joel and Patricia maintain the Siquijorhikers.com website. Patricia is Joel's girlfriend who is also fond of hiking and camping out.

The photos in this album were taken on my 2nd day. We climbed the hills of Balolong and Balolang both can be found in Larena. Then after climbing Bandilaan, we went to the hills of Po-o.

There are a lot of things that can be done in Siquijor. Two and a half days are not enough. I will be coming back for more. :)

rivermaya

i heart rivermaya. i just found this spreading in facebook. i was just so happy that at some point in my life this particular band was part of my highschool life.
their song - awit ng kabataan somehow grew in me and made me appreciate the uniqueness of my adolescent journey.
high school was fun, it was different from the way other high schools were. we were filled with angst, but we kept it among ourselves. our creative outlet was through singing, writing and being weird. we never went against our school administration. we just went with the flow and complied with the requirements. our batch bonded on a different level.
within our batch - the boys and girls had their own share of quarrels - something that can be considered petty. but when an outsider would attack us - we would band as one. we tried to keep everyone intact. to save each one from being ousted. we would try our best to save one another... i could go on and on... :) ahhh memories - sweetest to remember.

going back to rivermaya. after learning that bamboo would be leaving rivermaya - it somehow made me sad. partly because bamboo became the band's face. looking back - i remember how he would perform. it was as if you were in a trance. bamboo would always be in his element with his long hair and hoodie. :) so emo guys, hoods have been there since the 90s. :)

anyways, to learn more of the party where the rest of the orig rivermaya jammed you may visit this link: http://www.rosarioko.com/2012/01/22/rivermayajam/. kilig. :)

a quest for a camera bag

my camera set has just celebrated its first anniversary. my parents bought my first dslr camera and i have so far made use of it wisely.
its first foreign trip was mexico and considered the philippines its 2nd home. it was bought in the US by the way together with its tamrac bag.
my cam is a nikon d3100 dslr. it was the latest during that time because of its live view feature (compared to other d3000 series i guess) but you can further learn more about the comparison with d3000 from this link: http://snapsort.com/compare/Nikon_D3000-vs-Nikon_D3100.
aside from the typical cam kit, my parents also included another lens a nikor 18-200mm lens . and then they included  a rally 4 tamrac bag. which i find practical since it gets to safe keep both my cam and my extra lens.
however, i find it impractical bringing everything using the rally 4 bag, and i am looking forward to having a velocity 8 tamrac bag because it is more compact and quite minimal (meaning not bulky at all)...
i hope somebody will give it as a gift to me... but i am scanning for places (or people) where i can buy it. i am thinking of visiting hidalgo today. i hope i have enough time. i was able to surf this particular blog --> http://www.pinoylakwatsero.com/hidalgo-quiapo-a-camera-haven/, where he gave instructions as to how to reach hidalgo. i will try to visit the place. and i am also thinking of  buying online. ohwell.
i have been wanting to have that kind of bag and my own tripod. i have one though - but something is missing from the tripod. :) ohwell.

kung hei fat choi from this part of the globe.

ps here are some of helpful links for photo-lovers:

• http://www.digital-photography-school.com/
• http://www.camerastabilizergeeks.com/

why it bothers me?

I am reading Edward de Bono's Serious Creativity. I have not finished reading the whole book. I am just 1/5 of the whole book by the way, but I am serious of finishing it.

So far, I am ok with his ideas and how one should think using the different hats, as described below courtesy of http://www.debonogroup.com/six_thinking_hats.php:

	The White Hat calls for information known or needed. "The facts, just the facts."
	The Yellow Hat symbolizes brightness and optimism. Under this hat you explore the positives and probe for value and benefit.
	The Black Hat is judgment - the devil's advocate or why something may not work. Spot the difficulties and dangers; where things might go wrong. Probably the most powerful and useful of the Hats but a problem if overused.
	The Red Hat signifies feelings, hunches and intuition. When using this hat you can express emotions and feelings and share fears, likes, dislikes, loves, and hates.
	The Green Hat focuses on creativity; the possibilities, alternatives, and new ideas. It's an opportunity to express new concepts and new perceptions.
	The Blue Hat is used to manage the thinking process. It's the control mechanism that ensures the Six Thinking Hats® guidelines are observed.

I am trying to understand my earlier encounter with an officemate who is insisting to do the format that he wants versus the format given by the funder. I am trying to rationalize things... and hoping to use the 6 thinking hats. :)

It's a long weekend. Yebah!