cold summer weekend

A second trip to Sagada? Pourquoi pas?  

A six-hour bus ride from Baguio to Sagada is such a pain in the butt, for sure. Passengers turn cranky and can't wait to reach the destination. Nevertheless, the beautiful scenery along the road makes the non-stop zig-zaggy ride bearable.  

When the bus finally stopped somewhere in the town proper, our group (that's moi, my friend Jed, her boyfriend Bong and her big sis Juvilaine) headed directly to our temporary home in Sagada. Sagada Homestay is indeed a homey place. The vibe of the wooden room never ceases to amaze me. It always feels like I am in a chilly country, enjoying the warmth inside a log cabin. (I wish to build one for myself and my family someday) :)

As this is my second trip to Sagada, I am happy to have enough time to explore the place. My trip back in December 2011 only allowed me to experience spelunking at Lumiang and Sumaguing caves and orange-picking at the Rock Inn and Cafe. This time, I got to see the famous Bomod-ok falls, revisit Gawani's cafe and drink a cup of hot coffee while enjoying the view of the Kapay-aw rice terraces. Also, I was able to visit the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, wake up early for the Kiltepan sunrise and trek the endless (?) trail of Marlboro country. Indeed, having four days here brings you more awesome experiences!

our Sagada itinerary

Day 1

Spent our first day in Sagada in the most relaxing way -- napping! ;) After some dozing off and feeding our hungry tummies, we went sightseeing around the town. Yey!

Church of St. Mary the Virgin



the gatecrasher in me

front and side views of the church facade



I did not gatecrash this time, I used the side door the legal way. haha

I welcome you all to my new farm! It's just next to the church :)



Here are the lovely guests in my farm: Bong, Jed and Ate Juvilaine *wink*



For dinner, we dined at the Yogurt House, a must-try resto according to most people who have travelled in Sagada. Having tried their food for the second time, I can say the reviews are overrated. The food is acceptable yet nothing special.

Day 2 of Sagada trip '13

wonder:

memory

mirasol + sablay

Mission accomplished!

Janie and I have been itching to have a photoshoot wearing our sablay (UP's graduation sash) with the sunflowers along the university avenue as our backdrop.  Over the years, we have been wishing for a perfect schedule for the shoot but with no luck. 

Fortunately this year, the Sunflower Goddess finally gave us the green light. Yey! And this is it, our fun Sunday shoot with the "mirasol" and our sablay. :)

Cheers to realizing our little wish!

sunflower kiss! mwah! :)

three. poses. Janie.

when the bee wanders

the bee's reward

just like a dance pose

sablay sharing

keep the flame burning



the Oblation


wander: University of the Philippines
              Diliman, Quezon City

wonder:

spur of the moment

I had a great time hanging out with high school friends last weekend.

Such spur-of-the-moment chillers rarely happen as oftentimes I just eat, sleep and chat with people at home. Plus, I always feel too lazy to hang out, thinking that I need some rest as I always find myself out and about. But last weekend was different. I had the chance to attend a good friend's wedding, visit another friend's house and take home live chicken (!) and lotsa fruits courtesy of his generous mom, and of course, roam around the city with friends in search for nice bars to hang out. All in all, the experience was so hilarious and thrilling.

The cast of characters:

Jonathan - Heidi's boyfriend who was so nice to drive us around the city. From my perception, he enjoyed the night out as well as we did. :)

Heidi - My travel buddy and great friend since high school. She loves to hang out too (watch concerts, have some drinks with friends, or have sleepovers) that's why we instantly clicked. :)
Me! - explanation not needed. haha

Joy - My gradeschool best friend. Funny how we were back when we were little: writing letters to each other saying how we love each other or hate each other. But as we grow older, things have changed and I am quite surprised to see how such a grownup she has become-- work-wise, life-wise, lovelife-wise. Also, she taught me new tricks for drinking booze and playing billiards that night. And I think I did quite well. She said I am a fast learner. I told  her she's a good teacher. haha In addition, she  showed us around the city, bringing us to a good kaleskes (a quirky foodie in Dagupan) kiosk and nice bars.  That night was a great one for us to catch up. I felt so great. :)

David - Our good friend who loves to travel with us whenever he is free. He was most of the time happy and worry-free that night, I hope he will always be like that. :)

After three billiard matches, the girls' team won! Cheers to us! :)



I'd love to play billiards again with these guys.
Hopefully, the girls' team will have a second victory! haha

Grade school best friends :)

After the night out came the road trip the next day. It was another impromptu plan and everyone was up for it. So we all went home a bit early to prep for the early trip. It took us two hours to get to our destination -- Kultura Resort. The "getting there, while there and going back home" was all about fun and more fun! :)

A must-try but too bad I wore the most appropriate outfit of all.haha

Photo creds to Joy :)

wanders:

View Deck @ Quatro Grill, Dagupan City

Mugshotz Sports Bar & Restaurant, Dagupan City

Kultura Resort: Km. 21 Marcos Highway, Brgy. Cares, Pugo, La Union

wonder:

 

a teacher's perception

Last week, my class with these students came to an end. I had 6 weeks of intensive English training with them and it was most of the time, "interesting" (Johnny -my student from Thailand, 2013). As they are from different countries -- Thailand, Brazil, Vietnam, Korea, Japan-- the cultural diversity is very rich, adding up to the dynamism of the interaction. They shared many things about their cultures during the class and even during breaks, making almost everyone feel awe as they had new discoveries about each other's cultures. For sure, misunderstandings (or non-understandings), confusions and disagreements existed, but at the end of the day, I could observe that these people showed respect, consideration and patience towards each other.  

Moreover, not only was the class dynamic and diverse,  but it is also enriching since it  provided me an opportunity to erich my love for travelling, in a virtual way. I did not have to book a flight to go to their respective countries and experience their cultures. By their mere presence in the classroom, I was able to explore different preferences, ideologies, behaviors and traits, social relations and the like all influenced and shaped by their respective cultures.

I have been teaching international students for many years now and it has always been a great experience. All the exchanges, differences, misunderstandings, and adventures in meeting learners of diverse backgrounds make my teaching experience thrilling, challenging and ofcourse, rewarding.


virtual wanders: Thailand, Brazil, Vietnam, Korea, Japan
wonder:

I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides
and my windows to be stifled.
I want all the cultures of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible.
But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any.
-Mohandas K. Gandhi

birthday trek

It was a fun, exciting, challenging and blissful birthday!

I'd love to do some more adventures as such every year!

More details of my birthday trek soon! :)

must-have: an herb garden

I haven't checked if I inherited mom's green thumb. I am that lazy-busy kind of person.  But if I did and I had some time, I'd like to have a healthy little herb garden. I think it would not take much of my time, it's more like making time for it. Also, I think if I did have my own garden, it would make me more responsible for I would have little baby herbs to care for. :)