Okay so I was really dejected after I unknowingly deleted some of my blog photos. I didn’t finish the Internship post I was writing because I was so angry at myself for being so reckless. Anywho, I decided to write about my experience with Sister Act because this is definitely one for the books!
When I heard that Sister Act will be coming here to Manila, I was ecstatic!! I remember watching Sister Act the movie because my mom loves it so much. At first, I was unsure if I will be able to watch the musical because a.) I have no money saved up because I have no self control and b.) that’s pretty much it.
But a miracle in the form of my sister’s former internship boss, Miss Sari, we were able to watch it. FOR FREE. Nearest to the stage. Of all the musicals I’ve watched, this is the closest I’ve been to the stage. I was beyond grateful. I was willing to go and walk to her office and get the tickets. I was also regretting not working there for my internship hahaha!
Fast forward to that day, on a faithful Friday, their opening night, I was wearing what I deemed was appropriate for the theater. After my day at my internship, my dad will come and get me and my mother from her office and straight to Solaire. I wouldn’t tell this story if it wasn’t interesting.
It started raining cats and dogs. The kind where an umbrella can’t really keep you dry. My sister and I were panicking because there is no way in hell we’re gonna miss this show and waste those tickets. The cars aren’t moving, it was already 6 in the evening and we still haven’t gotten our mom from her office. The show starts at 8pm.
I was holding onto hope while my sister just accepted defeat. There were talks of just taking an Uber so we can go straight to the theater. But thank god we have the best Grab driver in town and that’s my dad. We arrived at the entrance and my sister and I ran to the theater and scattered to our seats. We even had time to go to the restroom. Everything just fell into place. I can definitely now say with conviction that miracles do exist.
On with the show!! I instantly like a musical if their opening song reaches out to me. Like how Wicked opens up with No One Mourns the Wicked, or High School Musical with What Time Is It?. Sister Act did not disappoint. I loved it especially because it was set in the 70s and I freaking love the 70s!!! The lead role, Deloris Van Cartier was hilarious!! She was played by Dene Hill who now follows me on Instagram. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get the names of all the cast.
I would go on and on about the musical and how funny it was but I’m not gonna. Sister Act is officially in my top 5 musicals. I was smiling the entire time. They described the musical to be a “feel good musical” and yes it’s true. It’s a stark contrast of my ultimate favorite, Les Miserables. The songs are so upbeat that sometimes I just want to get up and dance but I remember this is not a praise and worship event. I wouldn’t be surprised if the songs are really great because the music is by Alan Menken, the Disney genius who wrote songs/music for Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and many more. I am also proud to see an Asian play a big role in the musical. In the movie, it was played by an American woman. In this musical, she was played by a Korean woman. She plays Sister Mary Robert. I don’t usually see Asians play in musicals, except for Lea Salonga my love and some of the cast from Miss Saigon. I was so happy and proud. I’ve been following her on Instagram and found out that she wasn’t allowed to play in their China shows. They’re missing out on a great performer.
I am also in love with the sparkly outfits and my most favorite song/dance number would be Lady in the Black Dress. The only thing that came out of my mouth was laughter.
me and my dad!
I definitely would want to watch this again. The only thing I’m sorry about is that they didn’t have really good merch so I don’t have a Sister Act souvenir. Anyway, musicals are about experiences.
I clearly don’t know my priorities because instead of cleaning up my dog’s mess in my room, I’m typing this post while listening to Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett. I am in the middle of writing a blog post but in the meantime, I’m going to share photos and anecdotes from my Punta Fuego trip.
The infamous Taal lake. It’s a lake inside a mountain within a lake. I’m not really sure if that’s correct so it’s best if you google it hahaha!
This was right outside the front office of Punta Fuego. They have swanky amenities and I felt like an Olsen twin from their movies like Holiday in the Sun or When in Rome.
Punta Fuego means ‘point of fire’.
I am so thankful for the sunny weather. I am also thankful I wore a cool outfit.
We stayed in Club Punta Fuego for approximately 24 hours. We left home on a Sunday morning then returned on Monday afternoon. Punta Fuego was the sole reason I had to be absent on my first day of internship. My mom told me to ask my boss if I could come in on Tuesday ahahahha!
My parents enjoying the breeze and the peace. They’re sitting below a tree that produced fruits and they’re just picking from it.
What I love about Punta Fuego is that you get the best of both worlds. I am in love with their infinity pool that overlooks the sea. The waves were really strong and no one was swimming and there are also cargo ships.
Before all this, I had a face allergy from my skin medication so my face was stinging every time it got hit by the saltwater. I was literally running up the stony stairs so I could wash my face. Y I K E S.
so that’s why they’re called infinity pools…
I really like Punta Fuego because it’s very private and I didn’t have to deal with obnoxious people ahhahaahah
Okay, so I just want to point out that all these pictures are taken by a very good friend of mine, Kaycee. As you can see she has extraordinary talent in capturing memories using only a phone. (Yes, all the photos are taken by my iPhone SE!) This is just going to be a visual post so enjoy!
This is an indie band called Jensen and the Flips. Jensen is that guy right there^.
I had to wave and jump up and down to get his attention hahaha!
As much as I love the protagonists and the princesses, I have a predilection for villains. I like their outfits, their hair, their sidekicks, their expressions and their lines. They always get the best lines. So I am ecstatic that someone wrote the perspective of the Wicked Witch of the West. I love a good backstory and Wicked did not disappoint. I have no background of Wicked except for The Wizard of Oz and the Dorothy Must Die series. So I was in for a treat and a surprise. This isn’t the first time Wicked came to Manila, when they came here I was unaware of theater plays and it was too late because they were on their last week already. I just HAD to watch it or else I will never be able to watch it again.
From all the musicals I’ve watched, Wicked has the best seats. It is also my first time to sit at the balcony area. The stage was beautifully decorated, extravagant and they had a giant dragon on top of the curtains. Wicked is great and they lived up to my expectations. The first song of the musical was magnificent, it was enticing. I felt like I am in the stage, singing too. The first song was No One Mourns the Wicked and that’s my sister’s favorite song from Wicked. All of the songs from Wicked are actually catchy and spectacular. I’ve been listening to Wicked songs long before I’ve seen it.
Lovely Carly Anderson as Glinda
One of them is the infamous, ‘Defying Gravity’. But my favorite Wicked song is ‘As Long As You’re Mine’. It’s a duet sung by Elphaba and Fiyero. Elphaba was played the marvelous Jacqueline Hughes. I first learned about her when they did a radio interview with her and I was ecstatic and could not stop moving when she talked about Wicked.
Let’s talk about Glinda or Galinda. They could not have found a better person to play her but Kristin Chenoweth (I did not watch the musical with the original cast, the cast is from the London’s West End production). Carly Anderson, who played Glinda did her justice as well. She looked like a Barbie doll in all her outfits and she can sing really, really, really well. Everyone in the musical did a fantastic job. I also cannot stop thinking about Bradley Jaden’s luscious locks. Okay, okay I cannot stop thinking about HIM. He’s so gorgeous. He plays Fiyero and he was born for that job. I’m only sad that he didn’t have too much stage time. I am in love with ‘Dancing Through Life’, that part gets me moving and their choreography is sublime. Scenes like that make me wish that I’ve taken up Theater in college. They ended the first half of the show with Defying Gravity and then there was a 20-minute intermission.
The rest was just magical, striking, pure bliss. I wish I could watch them again. I handled my Wicked withdrawal by watching Wicked videos on YouTube and found out that Adam Lambert played Fiyero a few years ago. If given the chance, I’d watch Wicked again. It is now officially one of my top 5 favorite musicals.
I love thrift shopping! I can’t remember the first time I went thrift shopping but I do remember coming home with two bags full of clothes. I don’t know why I’m so drawn to used, preloved, second hand clothing. Is it because it screamed retro at me? It’s probably the feeling of coming home to a bag full of clothes that fits my taste and my wallet.
For all my thrift trips I have come home with a maroon corduroy pinafore dress that only costs P65 while buying it from an Instagram shop would cost me P600. I have two original Levi’s pants that is a bit big for me so I use it like mom jeans. I have a denim dress that I decorated with patches. See the endless possibilities with thrift shops? Recently, I told my friends about the thrift shops that littered in a mall where my mom usually parks her car. It’s a big far from our school but if you’re willing to walk for 15-20 minutes then it’s no problem. I’ve been going to those thrift shops back in high school and at first I wouldn’t tell anyone that my clothes were from ukay-ukay. But I realized I should flaunt them because I got it at a low price and it’s gorgeous and I simply must share the good news.
Also those clothes from thrift shops are too good to be true. Like the aforementioned Levi’s. They are original and they fit me so perfectly. It’s like waiting for me to buy it. But not everything from a thrift shop is still wearable. If you ever find yourself inside a thrift store, remember to check for holes, loose threads and hard-to-remove stains. If it has one of the three choices, put them back on the rack. (unless that’s what you’re looking for) or if it can still be repaired. Don’t be afraid to ask for a lower price. Sometimes they sell things at P100 and that’s already expensive when all the other clothes are being sold for P25. Try it on before buying unless you’re asthmatic or a germaphobe. After purchasing these thrift shop treasures, be sure to boil the hell out of them to remove any germs, stains and the smell. Then wash it as you would normally wash your laundry. You can find so many good stuff in Ukay-ukay at such a reasonable price. I don’t usually see velvet article of clothing in department stores but in ukay-ukays there would be heap waiting to be sold. Quality is also one of the things I adore from ukay-ukay clothes. They might be second-hand but that also means it survived one person and it could serve another.
Now why should we REALLY buy from thrift stores? My most favorite reason is because you’re recycling! The clothes being sold are either two years old or much older. You’re basically reusing the previous owner’s clothes. (it doesn’t sound that bad, I promise!) and when you recycle clothes, you are saving the earth from textiles filling dumpsites. You’d also not be contributing to companies who have no regard for the environment. One thing I’ve been telling family and friends is don’t buy into fast fashion. They always have new trends every week and where do those textiles go? Yes, our poor Earth. Also, most of the clothes being sold in those fast fashion stores easily wear out and you’d be discarding them after 6 wears. And they do not support human/labor rights. Enough reason not to buy into fast fashion? If you want to dig deeper into the world of Fast Fashion, check out this article that ignited a fire in me. And also check out this Instagram, she inspired me not to be a slave of fast fashion.
And thrift shops are good for your pocket. Need I say more about my Levi’s?!? thrift shopping is also a good form of bonding. The first time my friends and I went thrift shopping, we looked like a school trip taking a detour. Everyone came home happy with their purchase.
Most of my clothes from thrift stores are big for me so we always have it altered. If you like what you see, get it, have it altered/repaired, wash and clean it and wear it with pride. I have one last tip for thrift shopping: if they say they have new arrivals, it means the prices aren’t going to be lower. It’ll be P180 and above.
I hope this inspires you to go hoard clothes in your nearest thrift store and not to be brainwashed by fast fashion companies. Have fun!
Here’s a secret: I used to dream that I was a ballerina. I am in love with the twirls, pirouettes and the tutus. Unfortunately, I do not have the grace nor patience to be a ballerina and I think I’m 15 years too late!
I was ecstatic when my friend Cali invited me to watch Ballet Manila’s The Swan, The Fairy, & The Princess. The ticket was free and it was courtesy of Ate Krissy, she is Krissyfied in the Internet world. Thank you so much!!!!!
I was given a ‘Media’ lanyard and I felt so cool and in-charge hahahahah. I was seated in the left side, silver area and we were asked to move to the middle because the theater wasn’t full so now I’ve got the best seat in the house, the vantage point. I also made friends with a girl and her mother. Hello!
I may have the best seat but sadly I don’t have the greatest skill at taking photos hahahah
The ballet started and everyone did a fantastic job! I’m not a ballet master so I didn’t know if they made mistakes or not and it doesn’t matter because they were so graceful and amazing and perfect! The ballet consisted of Tchaikovsky’s most famous ballets. I am in love with the costumes and the male leads were also fantastic! I also learned that Sugar Plum Fairy’s name isn’t Claira (Claira was from the Barbie movie), and that Prince Philip isn’t the name of Aurora’s prince, it’s actually Desiree.
The ballet had four acts with Tchaikovsky narrating in between. ‘Tchaikovsky’ is telling the story while giving fun facts about the ballet. I am familiar with the music and the ballet routine because of my love for Barbie. They played Swan Lake and the Nutcracker. I saw them first both from Barbie movies. The Princess part is Sleeping Beauty. I’m sure that the story by Charles Perrault came first before the ballet. I think it was the inspiration for the ballet. It was cool! They also have their ‘Maleficent’ and that fight scene with thorns. They played the music that brought back memories of my ballerina dreamin’ and Barbie obsession. I especially loved the Dance of the Swans and Once Upon A Dream. The live orchestra was simply extraordinary. Although I’m not sure if the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy part was live.
There were also animals like a bunny or a cat maybe? that I was not aware of and Red Riding Hood as well. It has been an amazing show and watching it ‘culturized’ me ahahahhaha. The people in it and behind it did a fantastic job!! Ballet experts and teachers behind me, (Lisa Macuja was sitting behind me!! Eeeep!!) were shouting, ‘Bravo!’ and clapping so hard. So they were really that great!
After the ballet, our tickets came with free Star City ride-all-you-can tickets. So we went inside and everything else was too fun to remember. ahahhahaha
Thank you so much again to Ate Krissy for the tickets and my friend Cali, for the invite and the rest of my friends!
*the poster isn’t mine and I give full credit to Ballet Manila and Theater Fans Manila.
At the end of May, my mom decided it was time for a family trip. We usually have a family trip every year whenever my dad is home (he works abroad) and like I previously mentioned in my first post, we always go to Aklan. So for this year mom insisted we go some place we haven’t visited before.
My mom came home with brochures about travel tours and told us to look it up on the Internet and after listening to her comments we finally settled on Triple 8 Travel and Tours. That agency offers many places/ tourist sites around the Philippines like Calaguas Island in Camarines Norte, Bolinao, Pangasinan, Baguio, Baler, Bohol, Caramoan and so much more! After researching and thinking of ootds (that was just me), we all agreed on Ilocos because we’ve never been up there and during that time, Vigan was all over my news feed that I want to experience it in all its glory.
*The process to get tickets is one of the most important things to do. If you don’t do it right away, it could throw your schedule off track. In our family, there are three working girls, my mom, sister and cousin. They all had to file a leave of absence. If you’re working, I’m sure you already thought of this.
Before you can buy the tickets, you have to pay P500 for reservation fee. I think this can be redeemed after paying the full price of the ticket. Our ticket is estimated to be P3000 per head, minimum of 4 persons. If you’re travelling alone it’s much more expensive and it only gets cheaper if you go with your family or friends.
So yay! Here we go!!
Before I tell you how the short vacation went, let me insert tips here and there because this was my first time. I learned a lot of things. Paragraphs with * means there’s a tip in it, you can skip it if you want to know how the trip went 🙂
I prepared all of my OOTDs but I only brought one pair of shoes because we all just brought backpacks with us, to feel like a real backpacker. So there I was with my newly washed backpack brimming with clothes and other knickknacks. But I forgot to bring slippers! This wasn’t the first time and definitely isn’t the last. Ugh. I remember when we went to Baguio when I was just 6, I think my mom forgot to pack me my slippers so for the entire trip, I was wearing this white shoes. Not a great feeling.
*I always, always recommend bringing your own slippers because first, you don’t want to wear others’ slippers, right? I borrowed my cousin’s slippers because I have no shame. Second, there was a beach trip in the itinerary and there is no way in hell that I would wear my white shoes to the beach and get them wet. Third, we spent most of our time in the car. It means it’s probably sweating like a pig in there.
Also *don’t sweat the unimportant stuff, in my case, my hat and my water bottle. I got a new water bottle with tiny little red hearts and I was excited to use it for the trip and I wanted to bring my red hat as well for all my OOTDs, so there I was worrying about squishing my hat and thinking about drinking from my new water bottle that one of the most important things to bring slipped (slippers, pun, get it?) my mind.
Okay so the plan was to meet up in a mall parking lot at 8pm on a Friday. We all went there via taxi because there was no overnight parking around the area and then dinner and we headed to the parking lot.We waited for half an hour and my knees were about to give up until we finally loaded inside a car, so there we were, watching Point Break, not the one with Patrick Swayze in it, when we were told we were going to have a different car and driver and I was a bit irked because I was already comfortable and about to go to sleep. We were transferred to a much worse van but I shrugged it off because what can I do? And it’s just a van, I’m just being dramatic.
Inside our van, there’s a family of four and a group of (3) friends who are in their 30s. For the rest of the night we were either watching Lord of the Rings or dozing off. I woke up when we stopped for a bathroom break and the line was long so I didn’t go but *I strongly recommend going to the restroom. Some people can hold it in and some cannot. There’s also the case of the next stop. If you can go, just go, even if there’s a long line, the van wouldn’t leave without you, so don’t worry about it.
DAY 1
It was 6am when we got off a restaurant that served breakfast. We thought it was complimentary. It wasn’t. If the package said it’s complimentary or free, *you should still bring extra cash with you and most of the time they don’t even accept credit cards. This rule always fall in the top 5.
my parents!
Our very first stop was Baluarte ni Chavit. It’s like a zoo with dinosaur displays. There was no entrance fee.
The place was amazing because it’s my first time to see an albino wallaby and an alpaca (or was it a llama?) up close! We were in Baluarte at around 9am and the sun was already blazing. Good thing I brought my red bowler hat with me. (It was actually the only good thing that came with that red hat, more on that later.)
I was annoyed because I thought we were going to be dropped off at hotel first and freshen up and all that but I sucked it up and enjoyed the zoo. After that we went to the Bantay Bell Tower, the oldest bell tower in the Philippines and rode a Kalesa ride around Vigan. It was truly a fascinating city.
Our kutsero was so nice and giving us random facts about the city. Then they brought us to the heart of Vigan, where Calle Crisologo is located.
I think Calle Crisologo is the most famous of all the Calles because of its cobblestone streets and tiangges. There was an antique shop in one of the streets that sold old vinyl records, figurines, daggers, blouses, pasalubong and random artifacts. What a treat! I think we only stayed there for an hour and a half and we’re off again to our next destination and I’m hoping it’s our inn this time.
For the entirety of the ride I listened to my iPod and tried to connect to WiFi. *If it’s gonna be a long ride with people sleeping in, it’s better to have your own entertainment system. My iPod lasted for the whole trip except the going home part which kind of sucked
But if you’re with friends, it’s best not to use any gadgets and have fun. Of course, I also spent the road trip bonding with my parents.
Finally!!! We arrived at our hotel which is more like a resort. Actually its name is Subli-Subli Resort and it’s called a resort because next to the houses was the beach!!! The beach baby inside me is screaming! Ahhhhhh!!
We dropped our bags inside our room and everyone started hogging the bathroom. Imagine a van full of people who were dripping wet because of sweat. This was during the summertime so 9am sunshine could mean 2pm weather.
After all the shenanigans, we all went for lunch and it was bagnet, a famous dish in Ilocos. We all had lunch by the sea while some people played beach volleyball. Our room didn’t have TV so we spent our time, either charging or on our phones. Then we’re off to another place! I changed my outfit and now I couldn’t care less about OOTDs because of the sweltering heat.
Ilocos is the home of Marcos family. Former president Marcos is also ‘buried’ here. I didn’t know that it was in our timetable to go to the Marcos Museum. I forgot the ticket prices but there’s a student and senior citizen discount. The place was well preserved and quite large. I also saw Marcos’ body, sadly picture-taking isn’t allowed.
It was afternoon now and we’re all going to the Sand Dunes. Heaven!!!!!!!! I may hate the sand inside my shoes but sand to me is synonymous to beach, summer and everything fun!!! It was my first time to be standing around sand dunes and I was beyond ecstatic that my dad told us we were all going to ride the 4×4!!!! My first time! We rode the 4×4 that toured us around the sand dunes and our driver took pictures of us and I WAS HAVING THE BEST TIME OF MY LIFE!!! while I was having the best time of my life, my mother wasn’t having any of it. She requested to be seated in the front seat where my dad was sitting. For our trip back, they switched seats and my dad was firmer this time so I couldn’t raise my hands to feel the air ala Perks of being a Wallflower.
After the 4×4 experience, we get to try sandboarding. Only my dad and I tried it and it was so much fun! I couldn’t find a better word to describe how I was feeling. I have never felt so young and so free when I was sliding on the sand. *I was wearing shorts but the sand still went inside my shorts and shoes. So if you’re wearing short shorts you might want not to try this unless you’re in for an adventure. I think the only way to not get sand inside your shorts is to wear pants or leggings. But you should still try it, I don’t think this should stop you from sandboarding. Also sandboarding was free.
The next destination was Malacanang of the North. Unfortunately, we were too late because the establishment was closed and it also started raining. So our driver drove us to Paoay Church and it was magnificent, I felt like I was in a French or Italian movie. The church was beautiful up close and even from afar. It was already closed as well so we weren’t able to enter. We also had dinner at a very authentic restaurant that screamed vintage at me. I also got to buy a new hat, it was the hat that I’ve been looking for. So now I’ve got two hats with me. Ugh.
It was getting dark so we all called it a day. It was another long ride so we all spent that time sleeping. ZZzzzzzzzz.
DAY 2
For our second day we were told that we’re going to the beach. ABOUT TIME!! It was another long drive so it was again, surprise, surprise, spent sleeping! Yesterday we were in Ilocos Sur and now Norte! It was 6 am and our first stop was Cape Bojeador Lighthouse or better known as Burgos Lighthouse. It was a gruelling trip to get there because the road was uphill and we just woke up so we didn’t really have the energy. The lighthouse was ancient because it was built during the Spanish colony. The view from the top was breathtaking and I was close to the sky. Inside the lighthouse, there are rooms with very old furniture.
I was sweating profusely and the swimsuit was sticking to my skin so I wanted to get out of there but the place was just brimming with history and stories that we stayed a bit longer. The rest of my family also bought their hats and I finally bought slippers from one vendor, ahh my toes can finally breathe.
The second thing in our itinerary was to go to the Kapurpurawan Rock Formation.
Everything that was being shown was made by God. Truly our God is an amazing God. The place was stupendous! Spectacular! Fantastic! Extraordinary!! The place was filled with people and some of them were horseback riding and unfortunately I didn’t get to do it because we were running on short time. The place was so beautiful I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. We didn’t explore the place because we weren’t trained and some parts were off limits. The pictures I saw on travel magazines, I was seeing it right in the flesh. These are things that money truly can’t buy. If I were a movie star I would definitely want to film an action-adventure film here. There were also windmills located atop the hills/mountains. After a while, it started to pour so we all rushed inside our van and off we went!
Once again, another long drive and this time we’re finally seeing the infamous Bangui Windmills. Whenever I hear or read about Ilocos, I instantly think of the windmills. I think it’s one of the first places to have windmills.
When I got off the van, the sun was scorching hot because it was almost lunchtime. The sun was festering on my skin but that didn’t stop us from taking pictures, enjoying the scenery and looking up at the windmills. The windmills were located right by the bay so it was very, very close to the ocean and I thought that this was the beach they were talking about but it wasn’t because the waves were too big for us to handle and it’s very dangerous.
Now this is the longest drive for the day, we were now actually headed to the real beach, the most renowned Pagudpud, I’ve always wanted to go to Pagudpud because one of my goals in life is to go to all the great beaches of the Philippines. I also have no idea that Pagudpud was in Region I and it was this far!
We had stopovers here and there and we also stopped for the mountain miraculous water. Locals said if you drink from the water cascading down the mountain, it will cure any sickness. I wasn’t in the mood to try it so I stood back and watch almost everyone drinking the water or splashing their faces with it.
Our driver said that we’re so near to Taiwan that Taiwanese radios can now be heard from where we are!! They also said if you swim on the beach right now you would find yourself in Taiwanese territory.
And finally, we’re in Pagudpud! AHHH The sand was so white it’s glistening and I can definitely tell that it’s going to burn your feet if you walk too long on the sand. It was lunchtime now so we grabbed lunch by the beach and my cousin, sister and I went to go swimming. My parents didn’t go swimming because it was too hot for them. *Now if you’re going to a tropical vacation with suns and beaches, SUNSCREEN IS A MUST. And I must say, even if I’ve been going to the beach/ocean since I was a tot, I didn’t put sunscreen on. I know, I am a hypocrite for even writing this. No matter what, always, always, always put sunscreen. Even if you’re not going to the beach, that’s like the basic rule of life. The reason why I didn’t put sunscreen? We were too lazy to get up and trudge to our parents and ask for sunscreen. AND BOY DID I REGRET IT. When we got home I was reprimanding myself for being so careless and lazy and until now I am angry at myself. Didn’t Baz Lurhmann teach us anything?!
During the trip, we made friends from all the people from our van and we spent the day swimming with our new friend, Trisha, 11 year old girl who thought I was also 11. Now all of us have damaged skin, thanks to the sun and our laziness. After swimming we all went to take a shower and what a disappointment it was that the water coming out from the shower nozzle was still seawater.
We then had the long drive back and had dinner with our driver and we all plopped down on our beds. It was such a productive and fulfilling day and the feeling of cold water against our skin was the best feeling ever. We all had a good night’s sleep.
DAY 3
Am I ready to say goodbye? Will I be able to move on after all the memories and adventures that were made for the past two days? Will I come back? Definitely. But the answer for the first two questions is no. I’ve had too many fond memories of this place and already told my parents that we should go back here. Even if I am sad to be leaving I was kind of excited to go back home because there’s nothing better than living in your comfort zone (hello comfy bed!) and because my cousins will be visiting.
For the trip home, we went back to Vigan where we stayed much longer unlike the first visit. My skin and my body was so sore that I spent it sleeping again. Vigan was full of surprises and beautiful things that I couldn’t forget. The only regret that I had in Vigan is that I wasn’t able to ride a bike and tour the place via bicycle, some of the tourists with us got to do it and I was so jealous. Anyway we had a very Ilocos breakfast near Calle Crisologo where I had barbecue (wow that was very Ilocano breakfast ahahah) while the rest of the family had empanada. It was one of their specialty apparently. Near that restaurant, there was a legit antique shop that sold clocks that looked straight out of a 60s household and the lady that was in the store told me it was the collection of the owner and the retro clock is being sold for P600. Too bad I really wanted to bring it home with me. The trip was so amazing to see the many sides of nature, to experience another world with people who is also seeing it the first time and to know and immerse in the rich culture that Ilocos has to offer.
Now time to go home. I didn’t want to go home yet but I was missing the fast WiFi back home. The trip home was excruciating, all those hours of sitting that almost broke my
tailbone and my bladder being demanding. My mom was right when she said that the ride home was the most boring and most painful.
The trip is one for the books. A trip that was thankfully documented via snapchat, twitter, facebook and polaroids.
I am truly grateful to have experienced this with people I love and to be in places I have always dreamed of visiting. I wish I can go back there and make more memories.
The final grade I’d give this trip would be a 9/10.
I haven’t read the book yet because I’m still searching for the perfect book cover. I know we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover but this is important to me(please don’t judge me!). But I know the gist of it and most of the characters’ names. I’m also on the hunt for a very old copy of the book.
The Movie:
The first time I saw Les Mis was back in high school. I got permission from my mother to skip my afternoon classes so I can go with my sister and watch the premiere of Les Miserables. My sister’s college (which is also my college now) hosted a premiere night of Les Mis. Invite everyone, they said. So mom and I sat with other strangers who are most likely friends and families of the students of the college. I sat through the whole movie, tried not to cry during Eponine’s death and Valjean’s death and fantasized Enjolras. After that, I have rewatched Les Mis countless of times and secretly judging my friends who haven’t watched it. I also felt really proud when my friend asked me to narrate the story for him for his class. I had no idea that Hugh Jackman can sing so let me say that he did a terrific job! I love you so much Jean Valjean! The cast was a great ensemble and they all portrayed their characters very well, (hello Thenardiers!) It was such a great movie that it’s one of my top 5 favorite musicals. The movie is quite long but so worth your time.
The Musical:
As a big fan of Les Mis, the moment I heard they were going to perform here in Manila, I was off the roof! Everytime I see their billboard, I would yell and I’d get scolded for surprising my mom while driving. No question, I HAD to go. So I go with my sister and best friend. Courtesy of my papa of course. It was truly a night to remember. All the feels and tears. The ticket price is definitely worth it. We were also very lucky because they were on their last week and they just extended it! I finished my 10pack Instax films in one night. The cast, oh my god, I wish I was up there with them, belting out my rendition of On My Own, my favorite song tied with One Day More. Les Miserables is my number one favorite musical of all time. The actors and actresses were the perfect cast, I especially took a liking to the actress that played my favorite character, Eponine. She was played by Kerrie Anne Greenland and she has her own album. Gosh, she’s one of the best!!
This was the second international stage musical I have watched, the first one is Singin’ in the Rain and I am madly in love with them both. I also had to hold my tears while watching the tearjerker parts because that’s how good they were but I secretly cried during One Day More. There was also one Filipino actress who played a major character in the musical and can I just say that Rachel Ann Go just raised the bar.
I got my love for Les Miserables when I first watched the movie then add my obsession with Lea Salonga and the rest is history!!! If there’s a musical I could watch everyday without getting tired of it, it would be definitely this.
Details:
-My sister and I bought Official Les Miserables shirt with Cosette’s face on it. Fangirl time!
-My seatmate during the play was very obnoxious! She was chatting on viber during the play and the light was blinding I even had to cover the right side of my face and I was just beyond shocked on how rude she was.
-We met one of my childhood bestfriends and her family on the same night! Amazing!
-I had a major exam the next day at 7am and the play ended at 11pm and I went to bed at 2am.
-I stalked all the casts’ instagram accounts and fangirled at all the photos backstage.
to my best friend, the person that loves me even if I’m so hard to love, that person who always seem to know my mood even with just the sentences I use, that person who will always support my dreams no matter how ridiculous they may sound, that person who never fails to make me laugh with her corny jokes or failed attempts in puns. I thank God everyday for a best friend like you, not everyone in this earth has a friend like you. We may only see each other for thrice a year but every second spent in those days were worth it, fun, and something I will always remember and treasure forever. High school may not be completely great but you made it tolerable, fun, memorable and magical. I go through all my phases, you were still there. I might make bad decisions but you’re always there with your arms wide open, not having to say ‘I told you so!’. One of the few people who understand my deep hatred for mayonnaise, my quirks, my weird dreams, and my random outbursts.
We first met when we were in kinder and I couldn’t remember much then but I knew you weren’t my best friend yet, then we’re in 1st grade, you had a different best friend, I had my own. Then thank God, fourth grade! One of my favorite year. You are now officially and finally my best friend!! Along with our two other best friends. God!!! Just thinking about that year is enough to make my heart melt and make me laugh uncontrollably. It was also that moment I knew that I am gonna have a friend for life. You are both my best friend, my sister, my mother, my cousin, my consultant, the only person whose opinions I care about and the only one I can tell my super humiliating secrets to.
the quality is so bad because I just saved it off from Facebook
Life may not always be peachy and you may sometimes find yourself down in the dumps but I want you to know that wherever you are, if you ever need my company, I will always try to be there for you. You are one of the very few people I truly love and trust. My wish for you is to be really happy and to enjoy life. Go have adventures! You’ve gone through so many obstacles (which you find so petty, but they’re not!) and I’m so proud of the woman I’m seeing. You’ve grown to be an amazing person, even sometimes I may not be there to witness it, and I know you’re gonna do great to the world. Life knocks you down and you may sometimes spend your days lying on your bed, crying about it. But do you know what I truly adore from all of it? You choose to stand up. To think of the best things in life. You are so filled with love and nothing and no one can take that away from you. I wish you’d know how much I truly love you. And how you brighten up everyone’s lives.
I’ll tell you this, my life is so much better when you’re in it. I’m sorry for all the people who couldn’t see your worth. And you are also so much better off without them. I hope you know how wonderful you are. I look at you and I see innocence, pure love and hope. Everytime I have a problem I run to you because your mere presence or your simple reply makes my whole day. You understand me like no other. You understand me better than my mother. You have seen my worst days, my flaws, my mood swings and you chose to love me despite it all. I am truly blessed to be loved by someone like you. I wish everyone could experience your love.
I wish that I could make life so amazing for you. I can’t wait for us to go on adventures and see the world together. To reach milestones with each other. I’m sorry if I’m not always present in all of these but I will make it up to you when we’re both working girls na. I wish you would cry after reading this. The only tears that I like seeing are your tears of joy. After that, go ahead and infect everyone with your marvelousness. I love you so much!
I’m sure that most of you have tried eating at a buffet restaurant and we usually do it when it’s someone’s birthday. For the past month I went to two buffet restaurants and figured, why don’t I share the secret to success? By success I mean, eating a lot of good food without wanting to throw up or defecate. And for making your money worth it. (I’ve ask a few people to give me their best kept secret to enjoying a buffet dinner/lunch).
1. Don’t eat before the buffet dinner!!! It was my sister’s birthday and we have a reservation at a buffet restaurant at 5pm, but it was only 3 and we were starving. So we go order mac n cheese from Shrimp Shack (you gotta try that one!!) and well, I regretted it because I couldn’t fully appreciate the buffet table. If you’re gonna eat dinner buffet, don’t starve yourself, but a little snack can help.
2. Stock up on meat not rice!!! if your buffet table is asian, then rice is definitely gonna be present. I always get rice on my plate even if it’s just a small portion but sometimes I take pasta too but it’s okay because they serve it in small portions too.
3. Try to eat a buffet where they serve your favorite cuisine. Buffets nowadays serve everything so there shouldn’t be a problem here but if Japanese cuisine isn’t your thing and you’re going to eat at a Japanese buffet then get ready to be adventurous!
4. Don’t have leftovers because hello!! They’re food!!! Food is a luxury denied to many and here you are stuffing your plate with food you most likely wouldn’t eat. So think before you scoop. Also most buffet restaurants have a leftover charge.
5. Research online and find discount tickets on buffet restaurants! I do this all the time and normally their prices are slashed to a half. Here are my trusted sites: metrodeal and ensogo.
6. Bring your ID or birth certificate if you’re a birthday celebrant so you can avail the birthday celebrant free buffet lunch/dinner. I went to a joint birthday buffet celebration and I forgot to bring any identification card or certificate and they refused to accept a picture of my ID, so then my best friend’s mom have to pay for me. Oops.
7. Try to stay away from carbs like bread and potatoes and cut down on soup and starches – Anton, 17
8. Alternate different contrasting flavours to avoid turning your appetite – Anton again, 17
9. Don’t drink too much water because you’ll easily feel full – Adam, 18
10. Try a bit of everything you like, if you see something you haven’t tried before, try it, you might like it! -Kelly, 19
11. Go for the food that usually costs a lot like sushi or steak -Kelly, 19 <- MY FAVE TIP
12. Don’t be embarrassed! -Adam, 18
13. Sashimi is best with no rice! -Paul, 19
14. Eat quickly. The longer you take to eat, the fuller your stomach starts to feel. – Cali, 25
15. Get food in small portions and section by section so you won’t get overwhelmed quickly. -Kelly, 19
I LOVE BUFFETS!!!! Do you have a tip when going to a buffet dinner? Comment below!
But if you’re with friends, it’s best not to use any gadgets and have fun. Of course, I also spent the road trip bonding with my parents.
T E E N Y B O P P Y 