Joe Jonas Visits Alabang Town Center 2012 - Fastlife Ayala Mall Tour

I grew up only having a few celebrity idols in my life. I mean, I do like a ton of 'em but there were only a few that really made my heart skip a beat. The first of which was Jolina during the heydays of Ang TV back in the 90's. That afternoon TV show was the only thing that made me wanna go home before 4:30 pm back in high school just so I can watch her. I lived in Cagayan de Oro then so when Ang TV visited my grandfather's hometown, I dragged my best friend, Mer, to come watch their concert with me. There I met Jane, Jao Mapa and most of the gang. I even went on stage and talked to Jane. 

Kamikazee Romantico Album Launch @ B-Side

***This post has tons of pictures and they're best enjoyed if you read the story behind them.***

I don't normally listen to rock or alternative music. If and when I do, I only listen to Parokya ni Edgar (and Eraserheads a loooong time ago), well, coz the famous guitarist (Gabriel Cheekee) of the touted Philippine National Band (Parokya ni Edgar), is my cousin-in-law and from time to time, we do watch him play (and he gives me free cd copies.. okay fine, there was just that one time, teehee) plus, Parokya ni Edgar has always been my brother's favorite Filipino band since I was in high school and their music kind of grew on me. In fact, whenever I hear them play Buloy or Picha Pie, it makes my heart skip a beat, making me reminisce my teen years full of puppy love and shallow romance like it was just yesterday. 

So one afternoon, I texted my dear cousin-in-law, Gab, and told him that I'm back in Manila and I'm looking for gigs to go to. He texted me back the dates they'd be playing here in Manila and I figured why not go? It could be fun. It's always fun to listen to Parokya. Then I checked my facebook for other events. Kamikazee's update caught my attention. They're having an album launch of their new cd "Romantico" at B-side in Makati and Parokya ni Edgar will be there too. I thought, perfect! Just perfect! There'll be other renowned bands too like Hilera, Franco and Typecast. I've met Franco before in one of Parokya's gigs here in Festival Mall but I've never heard of Typecast. I'm not really a rock n' roll or alternative music fan but I'm open to new possibilities. After all, I've always vowed to do things that scare me... things that I don't normally do (like living alone for 33 days in Boracay, braving the surf in Siargao after 5 long years since my near-death experience,  falling in crush with Kean Cipriano (LOL!), etc.) and learning to like other type of music aside from reggae and the typical love songs I listen to is one of them. If I get to kiss or have my pictures taken with the band members, I guess that'll be the icing on top of my sweet chocolate cake. ^_^

Parokya ni Edgar Encounter

Parokya ni Edgar, named as the Pambansang Banda ng Pilipinas, graced my town last month and performed at Greens and Grills outside Festival Mall. It’s been years since I last saw them play live and I’m just amazed at how they can still wow the crowd like they did before.

I started listening to Parokya ni Edgar back in college (basically half my life ago..haha!)  because I had no choice. Buloy was repeatedly played in the airwaves and in the casettes of wild jeepneys that ply the Montalban - Cubao route which I rode every time I went to Ateneo. It had a catchy tune and listening to the lyrics made me both sad and hopeful. Listening to their songs also made me forget how fast those Montalban jeepneys were flying! Haha! Little did I know that I would someday be related to one of its band members and songwriters, Gab Chee Kee (my then boyfriend’s first cousin). Small world!

Zoobic Night Safari Adventure

We left Zoocobia Fun Zoo at around 3 pm. By the time we got to Zoobic Night Safari, it was already dusk and the eerie facade of Zoobic Safari greeted all of us. Aahhwwooooooo….

The very first time we’ve gone on a Night Safari tour was in Singapore back in 2005. I had a lot of fun at the Singapore Night Safari that time which added to my excitement about the fact that I’m one of the lucky few to experience Zoobic’s version of a night safari.

The Island Life at Cagbalete

This is a continuation of my previous Cagbalete Island blog posts. Please refer to the links below for prior details about this trip:

Cagbalete

  ~~~oOo~~~

Like I’ve mentioned before, we arrived at Cagbalete island in the afternoon. After enjoying our lunch, all that was left for us to do was to start enjoying the beach. That’s what we came here for after all.  

Aahhhh… c’est la vie avec mon amour!

Us girls immediately got busy taking tons of photos… camwhoring galore!  

Indonesia: Ayung River Whitewater Rafting, Temple Visits, Beach

For those who would like to read my Indonesia travelogue from the start, click these:

Indonesia

  ~~~oOo~~~

Are You Afraid of the Rapids?

It’s time to go whitewater rafting!!! My heart was racing the whole time we were on our way to Begawan, a two hour ride from Kuta. I remember the last time I did this kind of activity, I was only 28 years old, I had very strong knees and Peter was with me. The serpentine and wild current of Padas River in Beaufort, Malaysia was frightening and I didn’t even have a “live action” picture to remember that accomplishment of mine!  If it wasn’t for my goal of having my photo taken while whitewater rafting, I would’ve probably let this opportunity pass. My knees were still a little sore from my little Valentine accident at Subic’s Balloon Fest, and I was still traumatized by my near drowning incident in La Union. Furthermore, there was no Peter to save me!  Oh well, Jen’s gotta do what Jen is born to do — to be wild & carefree! Teehee.

 

Walking with a nervous smile all the way to Sobek station…

Cebu on a Weekend

How nice would it be if Peter and I become weekend jetsetters, right? I mean, not like before where we have a whole weekend planned to really travel and do stuff we’ve never done in the past (like scuba dive, surf, snorkel, climb mountains, wakeboard, white water raft, etc.). Now, we’ll just, let’s say, go somewhere outside Luzon and have coffee or go malling! Wouldn’t that be fantastic?! That’s exactly what happened to us last weekend and I almost went crazy. Crazy, coz for one … I spent Php25k (thru my visa platinum, of course) bringing our butts over there via Cebu Pacific (Me, Peter, Popsy, Tita Ching, Tita Eve, Tito Hugo)! Two… we stayed at this small business hotel, Regal, just across Ayala Mall (thank God for their wonderful little breakfast buffet and soft beds). Three… it was raining on and off and we couldn’t even go to a nearby beach or park without getting wet, ack!  But the main reason for our visit was to go see Tito Ped, who is doing a lot better after his traumatic stroke a few months ago. And hopefully do a little bit of sight seeing as well. 

 

Our flight was 12:10pm last Saturday. There were just too many planes  waiting to fly out of the runway because of the heavy rains that we landed at around 2:30pm. Peter and I haven’t had lunch yet so you can just imagine how famished we were.  I was also waiting for some messages from  my in-laws who arrived the previous day  but it looked like they were having so much fun just getting together (Popsy, Tita Eve, Tita Ching, Tito Hugo and Tito Ped are siblings) that they forgot all about us. We didn’t want to intrude in their quality time with each other so Peter and I adjusted and just sort of went with the flow…

Cystal Beach Zambales Part II

Gosh, it’s Saturday morning after shift at work and I’m not yet sleepy… I’m  missing the beach a lot even though we’ve just been there last weekend.  Too bad, we’re attending the blogging event later at UP and the after party at Katips. Actually, I’m not even sure if I’ll be able to go to the Summit coz I bet I’ll be super sleepy by then and I’m surmising that it might be boring. And if ever I will have the energy to travel this afternoon, I might just go shopping and attend Irene’s baby shower. But all of these things will depend on my state of health and if Peter can drive me all the way to Marikina since I think he is obliged to attend the Blog Summit. Oh well. Whatever! I miss the beach… Huhuhu… So to appease myself, I’ll just post the remaining things that happened last weekend when we went to Zambales…

 

This is from Peter’s point of view… 

 

This is from the crab’s point of view… 

This was what I missed… 

    

VA - T.G.I.F.?

While most of you were probably out last night, drinking, smoking and dancing the night away with friends and loved ones, I was at MY OFFICE, right inside the comforts of our own bedroom, in front of my ever reliable laptop, beside my strong caramel flavored caffeine booster from Coffee Bean and Tea leaf and my other foodies to keep my brain cells alive, alert, awake and enthusiastic.Yes, I was busy working, making big bucks! And I don’t even regret it! For once, I have a job that stimulates my intellect and caters to my O.C. (obsessive-compulsive) tendencies. Everything that I’ve always longed for in my previous job is here! Everything is so high-tech,  I have a very smart, understanding and kind boss, my colleagues don’t bother me with mindless chitchat, there’s no politics and I am free to organize my tasks my own way, in my own time, as long as I get the results my boss needs and wants. It’s sooooo perfect! And when I get tired, I’m already on my bed, ready to stretch, lie down, and rest. When I get lonesome, Peter is just a centimeter away from me, ready to be kissed and hugged, or on those times when Peter goes home so late, the TV is just in front of me ready to keep me company. When I need to free my mind for a few seconds, I’m just a few meters away from our balcony for a fantastic view of the star-filled sky. I just looooove this!

Cebu - Nail Art and Nightlife

For the first time in my life, I went to an exciting place, one of the places in the Philippines I love even, and just practically stayed at home with my sister (except when I lived in Cagayan de Oro during my high school years. And even then, we’d always be at the beach or at the farm every weekend). I am referring to my Cebu trip last Jan. 21-25.

   

 After all the gorgeous summer wear and party outfits I packed just in case we get to see the beach and visit my cousin-in-law’s THE LOFT, a famous bar in the Lahug area, all I did was stay in my sister’s room, tinkering with th nail art machine and hung out at my sister’s food place, SPACE, just across her house. The design is courtesy of my brother Mac who is now a graphic artist.

Pundaquit Falls and Weekend Tales of a Wandering Soul

It started out as a story-telling of a funny cartoon I saw over the internet, which I told Peter one morning when he drove me off to work. This story is something which I can very much relate with coz it has a sensible message to it. So I shared it with Peter that fateful morning. It goes like this:

"There's this balut that was accidentally thrown with the rest of the penoys. As time passed by, he kept on wondering why he always feels different from his friends and peers to think that he looks exactly like everyone else.. He tried his best to fit in, to do what they do, play what they play, but there's always this uneasiness and restlessness inside of him that he can't place. He feels like he's destined to do other things. Things which are very much different from how his friends live their lives. Then one day, he began to crack... and he realized that all this time, he wasn't a chick after all. Duck pala siya. I feel the same way. Baby,balut yata ako..."

After a dramatic pause, waiting for Peter to say something profound, he burst into fits of laughter! He found my story soooo funny to think that I wasn't even making patawiwi (patawa). And he said: "Awwww baby, you're my patoling (duckling)." And I joined him in his laughter. Anyway, I'm sure you get the point of the balut-penoy story. And since then, Peter calls me his patoling, if only to make me laugh. And what do you know... while I was fixing my pictures for my next supposed blog post, I found a video of myself looking and acting like a duckling. This was taken during the Zambapalooza with Brownman Revival (BMR) last August 2006, when I jumped off the Pundaquit falls, followed by most of the other band members. It's been an hour since Jao (BMR's bass guitarist) swore he'd jump off the damned thing. I got impatient that I went up to the cliff myself to show him how easy it was. But I got scared when I reached the top coz the cliff had very rocky edges. But it was then or never. And when I finally jumped, the whole band, locals included, couldn't contain their excited glee! See and hear for yourself... 

Baguio Panagbenga Festival: MY 29th Birthday Celeb Part II

My birthday last year was a blast! I invited all my girlfriends and even my ex (who’s also a very good friend of ours) to come celebrate my 28th birthday with Brownman Revival at Hard Rock Cafe. Afterwards, Peter even organized a surprise birthday hoopla  for me back at our presidential suite at the Mandarin, complete with confetti, cake, drinks and even balloons and birthday hats!!! There were even rose petals scattered in the bedroom leading to the bathtub for some kinky, steamy sexcapades afterwards, hehehe.

(left-right): Ces, Jem, Pat, Irene, Koryn, Me, Ninette, Vina, Peachie

Our Men: Wally, Peter, Vicente and Gil 

Me and my baby while watching Brownman play at Hard Rock Cafe 

Peter’s surprise hoopla back at Mandarin Hotel 

Anyway, it’s not that I wanted to beat that this year (that was Peter’s best birthday present for me ever! Nothing can beat that!) but I just want something different, fun and out of town. I already celebrated my birthday with my family the previous weekend at Isla Verde and I really had a blast. Unfortunately, I ended up catching a fever afterwards (due to fatigue from all the trips and late nights, hehehe)  and now, I just want to celebrate  it with my friends and favorite band (again!). So I checked up Brownman Revival’s schedule and the moment I saw that they’ll be in Baguio for the Panagbenga Festival, I didn’t have second thoughts. I immediately texted all my friends hoping that they’d come with me and Peter as I fully celebrate my 29th year here on earth.  

Vina, Francis, Ninette, Anmarie, Vangie, Jem, Koryn and Mer confirmed. We will just be meeting up with Michelle and Joan in Baguio since they will be leaving a day earlier.  As soon as possible, I bought bus tickets for all of us. Departure was at 10:15 pm, Feb 23, Friday.  Unluckily, Vina and Francis didn’t make it on time and Jem just barely made it. Nevertheless, we were on the road by 10:20 pm and slept through the entire trip.

We reached Baguio at around 4:30 am. Ninette booked us  an apartment room to stay over until we check in at our hotel by 2pm. However, being the nomads that we are, Mer, Koryn, Jem, Peter and I started our tour that dawn while Ninette, Anmarie and Vangie decided to rest instead…

Feeling super cold so early in the morning…

 

At around 5:30 am, Session Road wasn’t that crowded yet. We headed to Pizza Volante to grab some breakfast, and had our tummies filled with coffee, eggs and pancakes.

La Union Surfing Part IV

 Surf’s definitely up folks! Again, as my last tribute to October being the surfing month, and before we go all Holloweeny, I wanna share with you the 4th and last segment  of my surfing adventures this year, which started only last summer. Watch how better I got at this sport. I mean now, I can already ride waves, both big and small! It’s pretty hard, I tell you — paddling and catching waves on my own. Most importantly, I’m no longer afraid of huge waves! They’re actually a lot more fun than the calm waters of various seas I’ve snorkelled in my lifetime. Anyway, here’s what we did last weekend at our favorite surfing spot in San Juan, La Union. Oh, did I mention  that I brushed elbows with the gorgeous Luke Ladrigal and the very talented Poks (the one-legged surfer), both top wave riders in our country?! Woohoo!!!! Enjoy!

~~~oOo~~~

Isn’t Luke the most gorgeous surfer ever?!!!

This last leg of our surfing adventure (for this year at least) was the scariest of all! No, not because of the huge waves or ghosts and spirits that made themselves felt that fateful night, but because of the traffic buildup way past Sta. Rita along the North Expressway so early that Saturday morning, 21st of October, 2006.

Jericho (our loyal surf instructor), Odhe, Jem and Peachie upon arrival at San Juan Surf Resort

 

Peter and I met up with our two surfing buddies (Jem and Peachie) at around 2:30 a.m. at the parking lot behind 7-11 near Q. Ave. MRT station. By 3am, we were already on our way to pick up Odhe at Meycauayan. Traffic was a breeze and we felt we’d arrive in San Juan at around 8am, in time for breakfast. Suddenly, as we were about to approach the long bridge after Sta. Rita, we were greeted by a long line of unmoving traffic. At first, we didn’t mind it. We used this time to chat and catch up with each other. Since Jem, Peachie and Odhe weren’t friends, this traffic time-out was spent getting to know each other and having loads of laughter and fun in the process.

Getting ready to surf…

La Union Surfing and Skimboarding (Part III)

 Surf’s up folks! Again, as a tribute to October being the surfing month, I will be sharing with you more of my surfing adventures which started only last summer. Watch how better I got at this sport. I mean now, I could already stand up the freakin’ surfboard even if there are no strong waves! It’s pretty hard, I tell you. I can already paddle and I’m slowly learning to catch a wave on my own. And most importantly, I’m no longer afraid of huge waves! They’re actually a lot more fun than the calm waters of various seas I’ve snorkelled in my lifetime. Anyway, here’s the third segment of my surfing adventures… Enjoy!

~~~oOo~~~

Iza’s brother, Van, Iza, Peter, Me,  Cecille, Mark  (Ninette and  Dodgie  were somewhere else at this point)

It’s been a month since we last surfed and being pretty addicted to it, I couldn’t wait to go back to the waves again. So I asked all my friends if they are interested in going with us. Fortunately, seven of them said yes. That’s more than enough. Yipee! La Union, here we come!

Welcome to San Juan Surf Resort (238 Bgy. Urbiztondo San Juan 2514)

However, when we finally arrived at San Juan Surf Resort, we noticed that the waves weren’t that huge. We were bombed. Travelling about 6 hours from Manila to La Union is no joke especially when it means having little sleep and scrimping etxra money just so we can have more than enough for gas, food and surfing lessons. Good thing we brought our new skimboard and this was the perfect opportunity to try it out.

 
Peter and Jericho tries skimboarding for the first time.

I have my own style in skimboarding which the others couldn’t quite get (the way I couldn’t do it standing up).

 

At around 4 in the afternoon, our luck started to change.  Waves were starting  to form and we immediately took advantage of it.   Even if we had only 1 surfboard, we didn’t lose any time. One by one,  for 10 minutes each, we  tried our best to catch a wave. And that’s just what we did! Yahoo!!! The waves may not be the kind we hoped for but they will do.

Peter and I caught a small wave