Max’s Birthday Dinner with My Family

After my Momolicious birthday lunch and shopping at Eastwood, Peter and I headed to San Mateo Rizal where we were spending the night with my parents, brother, sister-in-law, and nephew so we can go to Subic early the next day. My dad requested that we go out for dinner and I of course obliged. I guess we had a lot of fun bonding together and just enjoying each other’s company that I wasn’t able to take lots of photos anymore. But anyway, those moments will always be in my memory, priceless and happy…

  With my mom and dad… if only I can be with them more frequently… 

My nephew, Dominic Marc, is growing up so fast!

With my brother Mac, his wife, Smeerf, and my nephew, DM

To see more photos, please click the link below:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=41479&id=1619903650&l=053fff50cf

Momo and My Momolicious Birthday

Every time February comes around, it always feels like the entire month is my birthday and every little thing that happens always seems more special. And so as you can see, until now, I’m still not done blogging about things that happened  last month. On my birthday weekend (Feb.20-21), we planned to have dinner with my family then head to Subic for a day trip of adventure and beach bumming. But before all that, Peter and I managed to have spend some quality time. We dropped by Eastwood to see what’s new. It’s been ages since we were last there and I was so happy to see so many new developments. We scouted for a nice place to eat and out of all the restaurants and cafes there, it was Momo that attracted my attention. I was surprised to see that they also offer real food. All the while  I thought it was just a cafe that serves coffee and cake. I was so glad I was wrong! We looked at the menu and I wanted to order everything! But in the end, we settled to share a huge plate of baby back ribs with corn and vegetables. I ordered a glass of Watermelon Mojito too. The jumbo plate of Baby Back Ribs were divine but the Watermelon Mojito can use a little more alcohol and better presentation. Teehee. It was yummy, nevertheless.

After a very satiating late lunch, I wanted to walk around to somehow burn the calories we’ve just ingested. I saw that Eastwood is now more beautiful — lots of buildings, a nice park (although the fountain area can use some more beautification and improvement), lots of flowers… I was so glad we stopped by before heading to my parents’ home.

We took some more shots before heading to the tiangge area to buy my summer wear. We are definitely going back to Eastwood some time soon so we can try Momo’s other momolicious dishes and to shop some more too! Momolicious birthday to me! ^_^

For more photos, please click the link below:

 http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=41443&id=1619903650&l=df7a3e6205

Visit to Pandin and Yambo Lakes: Valentine Weekend 2010 Part IV

The following is a post I drafted while we were staying in Casa San Pablo last Feb. 14, 2010. Can I just say  that so far, this has been the best Valentine weekend celebration of my entire life?! ^_^

For those who want to read this travelogue from the beginning, please check the links below:

Lake Caliraya Surf Kamp, Japanese Garden and Lagos del Sol - Valentine Weekend 2010 Part I

Windsurfing at Lake Caliraya Surf Kamp - Valentine Weekend 2010 Part II

Casa San Pablo Overnight Stay - Valentine Weekend 2010 Part III

~~~oOo~~~

Several weeks prior to this trip, I was already thinking of places we can visit for this year’s Valentine weekend. Then I happen to browse one of the travel magazines Peter brought home from his Ad Congress trip in Subic  last year— Sidetrip. This mini magazine is just so full of interesting information about places to visit in Luzon.  One of the things that caught my attention was its feature on San Pablo’s 7 lakes in Laguna. Since we were already in Casa San Pablo that weekend, we might as well check out these lakes to see if they’re really as beautiful as Sidetrip prortrayed them to be. I’ve had my fair share of disappointing nature finds when traveling.  But I admit, there have been nature discoveries which I found priceless. Guess which group did these lakes belong to? Guess! Anyway, I decided to not expect much and just enjoy where this trip would take us…

The staff at Casa San Pablo told us that of the 7 lakes, Pandin is the best.  So that’s where we decided to go. While looking for the road sign that  was supposed to lead us to Pandin Lake (we just followed the directions given by the staff, as well as the map we had with us) we chanced  upon this nice-looking cafe called Folcon Bakeshop & Coffeeshop. It’s beside a quirky little boutique called Cheapangga along the main highway.  Anyway, we still haven’t had lunch by then and we were starting to get hungry. We didn’t know how long we were from the lake, so we might as well stop, eat and ask for further direction just to make sure we won’t get lost.

Folcon Bakeshop & Coffeeshop was like a gold mine! The  Chicken Arrabiata and German Sausage pasta dishes we ordered were sublime! Oh my God, they tasted even better than the pasta dishes Peter and I make at home! And I’m telling you, I am really very picky when it comes to pasta.  And so far, these have got to be the best pasta dishes I’ve tasted, I swear! It’s not even expensive. It’s priced below Php200. The brewed coffee and strawberry shakes we got were okay and were priced at around Php70 and Php100 respectively. But the pasta was really delightful! The munchkin pack you see on the photo above was actually from Mister Donut. When Peter stopped somewhere to ask for directions, he saw a nice looking Valentine’s donut pack with a little stuffed toy that went with it. Since I handle all the money in our marriage, Peter only has a few hundred pesos every time inside his wallet. But being the generous guy that he is, he thought of  spending all his leftover pocket money on this cute little gift. When he gave it to me, our conversation went:

Peter: “Babe, pasensha na ha, cheap lang ang gift ko sayo ngayong Valentine’s.”

Jen: “Okay lang noh, di naman ako mahilig sa mahal eh. Basta lahat ng gusto ko nasusunod!”

Two seconds after I said that, we both burst into laughter realizing how I must’ve sounded like. LOL. But it’s true!

Spotting that cafe was really a blessing in disguise, because on that corner is the road we must  follow  that will lead us to our destination… After about 15 minutes of driving, we finally saw a sign at the left side of the road that says Pandin Lake. There was an open grassy space where a car was parked so we figured, it must be a parking lot. We parked our car there and when we got out, an old man asked us if we have a guide. Naturally, we didn’t coz this was all a spontaneous road trip, one where we just went with the flow of our gut feeling. Turns out, we had to walk about half a kilometer up and down the hilly slopes full of coconut trees, some carabaos and horses. We got a bit lost somewhere along the way because of very confusing pathways. Thank God for people who live in the middle of that jungle, we were able to ask for some directions. The whole time, I was trying to ignore my sordid thoughts that went like : “Ooohhh, this lake better look good or I’m gonna hang myself!” It was almost 2 pm and the sun was really shining on us. It was so hot, it hurt my skin. Good thing I had my sarong with me and a jar  full of water. 

I ignored my thoughts and just enjoyed the fresh air and the nice view. Before long, we came to a downward slope and from where we were, we can already see Pandin Lake. OH MY LORD! It was so breathtaking! We hurried all the way down. We can’t believe our luck! This place is gorgeous!

We were immediately greeted by one of the locals wearing a red shirt.It turns out, they have these rafts that can bring tourists to the other other side of Pandin Lake for only P180 per person. Great! I was smiling from ear to ear!

This is what they call the BALSA RIDE. There were 6 women who rowed it for us back and forth. I couldn’t help noticing this air of happiness and simplicity they carry, characterized by their easy-going provincial life. It was so contagious. Peter and I both felt their sincere bliss for having us on board. I felt even more grateful for this trip.

The balsa brought us to the other side of the lake. There was a path to trek and up we went. The guide said that on top, we can see an even more beautiful and larger lake — the Yambo Lake.  The trek was very steep and very high. I don’t think that it would be safe to do this come rainy season because to anyone who might slip, downhill will they tumble towards the rocky and foresty cliff just a few inches from the path. Yikes! Thank God it’s summer and the path is dry and textured. But just to be sure, I grabbed on to the mounds of soil while going up and down. This is so like that time in High School when our whole Girl Scouts team went up the mountains of Cagayan de Oro. It can be pretty scary!

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Broader Tourism Data Analysis To Boost Economy

             The Department of Tourism (DOT) further reinforced its technical assessment of tourism traffic to the country to capture the aggregate and accurate state of tourism and its contribution to the economy.

             “We have expanded our assessment to include a more systematic and in-depth analysis of top destinations to provide a clearer insight on the tourism movements throughout the country.  Understanding these movements allows us to create strategies to further support the development of these destinations.  This system also creates awareness for these places in the national level,” said Tourism Secretary Ace Durano.

             Top destinations are referred to as those that have at least 100,000 foreign tourists annually and have received substantial tourism-related investments.

             Since its adoption in 2008, the new system has propelled several previously unknown local sites to the main tourism circuit, such as Camsur, which enjoyed a 117.25% growth in foreign and domestic arrivals in 2009.

             The tourism chief added that the enhanced system also aims to empower local government units (LGU) to gather information and generate ideas for tourism development in their area.

             “We have actively engaged in a campaign, with the help of Japan, to train local officers in monitoring tourism traffic in their respective destinations.  Empowering them builds up their capacity to create policies and strategies to stimulate tourism and boost livelihood in their areas,” explained Durano.

            Since 2006, the DOT has maintained a partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for a statistical-capacity building program in the local government level.  The ongoing campaign, called the DOT-JICA Technical Cooperation Program Management (TCPM), taps more than 100 LGUs to standardize their data collection methodology which is used to analyze tourism information culled from hotels, resorts and other tourism accommodations in their areas.

             According to Director Alan Cañizal of the Tourism Development Planning, “The campaign capitalizes on the more attuned perception of locals for mining information about their sites.  It also generates consciousness among community members, from the top to the grassroots, to manage their own destination and help promote it.”

             DOT’s new documentation process has also started integrating data collected from the newly-released arrival/departure cards (A/D).  Bearing more detailed information on passengers, the new A/D cards include questions on Type of Accommodation, Education/ Training, Official Mission, Religion/ Pilgrimage, Health, and Transit.

             “More details on travellers will certainly help us create new and relevant products for our regular and niche markets.  We are moving towards a fresh, revitalized approach,” said Undersecretary Eduardo Jarque, Jr.

             “These innovations are logical and necessary if we want to keep up with the ever- changing market trends.  With this detailed breakdown and analysis of data, the tourism industry is able to respond to needs, create demand and serve our foreign and local tourists.

         All these lead to a more robust tourism industry which translates to more jobs for Filipinos,” Durano said.

–
Office of the Undersecretary for Planning & Promotions
Department of Tourism - Manila
Tel. No.  524-1694

Casa San Pablo Overnight Stay - Valentine Weekend 2010 Part III

The following is a post I drafted while we were staying in Casa San Pablo last Feb. 14, 2010. Can I just say  that so far, this has been the best Valentine weekend celebration of my entire life?! ^_^

For those who want to read this travelogue from the beginning, please check the links below:

Lake Caliraya Surf Kamp, Japanese Garden and Lagos del Sol - Valentine Weekend 2010 Part I

Windsurfing at Lake Caliraya Surf Kamp - Valentine Weekend 2010 Part II

~~~oOo~~~

Feb . 14, 2010… I now sit here, at Casa San Pablo, one of the nicest bed and breakfast places my hubby and I have ever been to, feeling so happy and content with my life. We checked in here last night (Feb. 13, 2010), right after our windsurfing activity. Well, not necessarily right after, coz we still had to drive for almost 2 hours just to get to San Pablo City  from Caliraya. The moment we entered the resort, we were just so enamored by it’s tranquility and beauty. We immediately checked-in so we can change into our swimming attire and enjoy the swimming pool under the stars. 

The room we got was room # 7, formerly the guest room of a  renowned Filipino poet, Rofel Brion, who is also a family friend of Casa San Pablo’s owners. Some of his poems are framed and hanging on the walls of this room, showing tribute to his great talent.

We got there before 9 pm and the pool was already closed. I used my charm and asked for consideration since we were checking-in very late and maybe we can have an hour to enjoy the warm water. The caretaker agreed. Yay!

We swam at the pool, hung out in one of their hammocks and gazed at the stars… This photo below took numerous takes before Peter finally got a great shot of the sky, plus stiff neck. Hihihi. ^_^

The next morning, we saw Casa San Pablo in its beautiful, wonderful, breathtaking glory. The place was just so serene and gorgeous. We spent our morning touring their huge property filled with pine trees, flowering plants, birds and butterflies.

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Tree Drop at Subic Treetop Adventure: A Preview

Windsurfing at Lake Caliraya Surf Kamp - Valentine 2010 Part II

The following is a post I drafted while we were staying in Casa San Pablo last Feb. 14, 2010. Can I just say  that so far, this has been the best Valentine weekend celebration of my entire life?! ^_^

For those who want to read this travelogue from the beginning, please check the link below:

 Lake Caliraya Surf Kamp, Japanese Garden and Lagos del Sol - Valentine Weekend 2010 Part I

~~~oOo~~~

While figuring out where next to go, we saw this  cottage-like dining place. We remembered this was the same food stop we’ve been to some 4 years ago, when we first did our Laguna road trip with Ate Rose. The place was already much bigger but it has the same scenic view of the lake at the back. I wondered if the food is still the same — scrumptious, affordable and comes in large servings. It is!

Minutes before seeing this place, I actually consulted my Tarot cards concerning what to do  about my windsurfing dilemma. I picked the SIX  OF SWORDS and the interpretation was just hair-raising literal! Please see my Wiccan blog for the details.

I was thankful for the reading but  my tummy was rumbling and I figured, maybe I can make my final decision after satiating my hunger. So that’s where we had lunch that day and oh my god, the food was sooooo good! We actually ordered 3 large dishes good for four! Pancit Bihon, Grilled Tilapia and a pot of Pork Sinigang. We weren’t content with getting just those, we also had 2 cups of rice and 1.5 liters of coke. All for P640.00. Not bad at all! Had we ordered at Lagos del Sol, that same amount of money would’ve gotten us only 1 dish and 2 rice  with no drinks. Finally, we were once again aligned with the universe and things were starting to fall into place. I suddenly remembered that I have’t slept yet, I haven’t really been meditating as much since I accepted my new job (with three jobs now, I work 20 hours a day, sleep when I can and squeeze all my other personal projects in between). I guess, in retrospect, it was no wonder that I wasn’t quite my old self early that morning.

 Windsurfing at Caliraya Surf Kamp

At 2 pm, feeling bloated and satiated, I finally decided to go windsurfing. I immediately called our contact, secured the reservation for an afternoon of action and the rest, as they say, is history. If you want to try out this sport, you may call/text Virge at 0920-962-2245 or his assistant Nonie at 0918-343-5666.

Balancoing was hard at first. My knees were wobbling and the sail was really heavy for me.

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Lake Caliraya Surf Kamp, Japanese Garden and Lagos del Sol - Valentine 2010 Part I

  The following is a post I drafted while we were staying in Casa San Pablo last Feb. 14, 2010. Can I just say  that so far, this has been the best Valentine weekend celebration of my entire life?! ^_^
~~~oOo~~~

It’s amazing how when you’ve done something you never really thought you could do, you open yourself up to more creative ventures you never even bothered to think about before. This phenomenon may have something to do with being able to accept yourself, your strengths, your weaknesses, and acknowledging the fact that you can be limitless, albeit imperfect, if you really want to be.

Take for instance what happened to me this Valentine weekend. I did plan to take up windsurfing lessons. I first fell in love with this water sport, no matter how superficial it was at first, when I marshalled the Neil Pryde Fun Board Cup in Boracay last January of 2008. Being a marshall at that time, for one whole week, I witnessed a lot of action in the windsurfing and kite boarding divisions. They all looked fun and I thought if these people can do it, maybe I could too! But weeks turned to months, and months turned to two years, and still, I didn’t have the courage nor the time to go windsurfing.  Then finally, on our Valentine weekend this year, I thought it’s about time that I give it a try.

 Caliraya Surf Kamp

 Entrance is Php75 for day trippers and Php150 each for overnight campers. You can rent a tent for about Php300 or bring your own.

We went to Caliraya Lake in Laguna in the early morning of Feb. 13, 2010. It was freaking cold… I wasn’t wearing any bra (like I usually do) and so my nips were really crying for attention. It was even colder than that time when we went to Baguio for my birthday 3 years ago, and with the wind blowing so strong plus the occasional drizzle, I started getting anxious. Could I really do this? Am I really up for it? Do I really, really want this? And so like my doubting psyche would sometimes do to me, I started noticing the other unpleasant things about this  whole trip. The venue was at Caliraya Surf Kamp where the famous lake is located. It was pure nature. There were no cottages, no proper toilets and bathrooms, the soil was made of  silt, full of moss and other seemingly yucky and slippery substances. It would surely be uncomfortable and I didn’t have to undergo this kind of hassle.

So, with a semi-wavering spirit, I  urged my hubby that we go… go somewhere else that is. I told him that the cold weather was too much for me to handle and perhaps we can just do some other exciting things. A part of me felt sad for giving up so easily. What happened to the Jen I know who used to just go and do whatever she wants and whatever it takes? I guess she’s getting old. Too old for her own good. I tried to let go of these unwanted thoughts. It was supposed to be a happy Valentine weekend and I didn’t need to go psycho on myself.

 Japanese Garden

Moving one, we drove back to the highway and decided to just let the road take us wherever.  After about 5 minutes, we spotted a place called Japanese Garden. We turned at the corner and decided to explore it. it was soooo beautiful.

The huge property was so quiet, there were only very few tourists around (five to be exact), with the trees and grass swaying with the wind, and a quiet little lake sitting in the middle. 

The sight of the Caliraya Lake below the cliff was so breathtaking. There were no other people but us and with an entrance fee of Php10.00 per person I wondered how they are able to maintain a place as huge and as beautiful as this. Then Peter said it’s owned by the Japanese Embassy so they’re most probably taking care of it.  

Anyway, upon reaching the top fo the cliff, my husband, Peter, started getting kinky. Being the obedient wife that I sometimes am, I obliged. Hehe. I took off my top and let him take photos of my haf naked glory. Hahaha! I admit, it felt exciting and quite adventurous. It made me forget for a little while the regret I was starting to feel about letting go of the windsurfing thing earlier.
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