!! cAN i sCreaM ?!!

only because it is so beautifully made…

i gOt to hAve it…hAve it…hAve it….hAve it…

not only about having a mini..
but the mini attitude…

what can i say…

*aNgeL’s w!ngs in mY hands?

alex monroe
~ net-a-porter

<< bAcKtRack..october09 :: bOracAY :: mY f!rst mOrNing…

my first morning..
i woke up..
ate breakfast…
& ran to the beach less than 100m away..

no matter how many pictures i take of this place..
no matter how many angles i try to capture of this place..

i don’t think i will ever do justice to this amazing place created by God..
i don’t think i will ever capture the correct shade of blue that God has bless this place with..

i couldn’t resist running into the water…
or sinking my feet into the ever so fine sand…
not here…

<< bAcKtRack..october09 :: bOracAY :: goiNg to a new pLace…

it’s manila in almost google map view..

this is a new airport of a new country that i am visiting…
i sure wasn’t expecting anything fancy since it’s still another asian country..
to be honest..i would rather it be the simpler the better…
all i need is to see a conveyor belt where my luggage can come out from..
and a counter where i can stamp my passport…

here we are..
manila ninoy aquino international airport mabuhay…
i am not even sure if i am supposed to read all of it together…

for some strange reason..
the word “bauhaus” comes into my mind when i see this…
don’t ask me why…

i came by their duty free and thought it’s interesting..
you have see the things from far..
and get the service people to take it down for you to see…
kind of like no-touching-unless-you-really-really-want-to-buy…

doesn’t this look like a cardboard tank?..
i didn’t know how to take it seriously to be for security purpose..

waiting for the airport shuttle…

which turned out to be such a strange ride…
they load the people..
then the load the luggage…
all in the same space..
and that’s my sammy…

through this trip..
i learn that sometimes..
you really cannot be cheapskate & always be booking the cheapest flight around…
i always thought that budget airline probably just serve bad food…minimum service…little leg room..

but zest air…
(“asia’s most refreshing airline” it claims)
sure “enlighten” me about the importance of paying for the right airline…

my slightly overweight sammy…
i can never understand how to pack it minimally…
my diving equipment + minimum sets of clothes (not even a set a day since i can do laundry there)
maybe it’s all the toiletries & the glass bottle of 川贝枇杷膏…& all liquid stuff…
i was hopeful that my luggage will be lighter after i finish showering off all the shampoo and drink all the rest that i can…

fortunately it doesn’t cost a lot for the access…
maybe only about $3/kg..
great!!..
(for everything else i may not like about this place..)

a serious message but…
i don’t know about using the word “joke” in a serious message..

i don’t know why i find this interesting…
but i just wanted to try it…
(yupz..feeling very hopeful that the inside will be a nice surprise..)

ok….erm…
it’s interesting because it’s uninteresting…
the burst of taste from inside was kind of cool when you take the first bite..
sorry if someone is expecting something really tasty..
this is just a lite version…hehe..

i decided it was worth a 2nd one…
salami & cheese roll..

boarding pass + airport tax + transfer coupon…

airport?..
i thought i was in a polyclinic…

tired people (like me)…
crying babies…
everyone was just hanging on to their dear lives…
all in hope to go to their desired destination..
some were lucky that their flights were just delayed..
because for the longest time that i have sat there..
i have heard many flight cancellations…
the worst thing that an airline can ever do to anybody…
cancel a flight…

i don’t want to imagine that many of these passengers were going home…
to their families…
i don’t want to imagine that many of them travelled a long time to here…
to take a plane…
i don’t want to imagine that many of them bought goodies…cakes & sweeties..
to share with everyone else…
*sigh…..

this was supposed to be a temporary stop..
a quick check-in-and-board-the-plane-very-soon kind of terminal…
with all the uncomfortable chairs and minimum facilities etc…
but many of us ended up

after many announcements of flight delays…
from morning till evening..
they made an announcement for food redemption with your boarding pass…
i wasn’t very interested to eat…
but i was interested in the food…
like…what are they going to feed me?…

erm…
it sure doesn’t look very exciting..
but the block of rice looks kind of fun..hahaha..

it’s so solid it actually still holds in place when i pick it up..
a serious brick of rice..

it actually means the washroom..
it’s funny to see it..
even more funny when you hear it…
“i am going to the comfort room” sure needs some getting used to…

debbie from new wave divers told me i should get a blind man massage while i was there to loosen up from the long day i already had…
even while i was at it…
i was still pretty stressed about the announcements..
i was paranoid about falling asleep and missing the announcement & then missing my flight..

at 5.15pm..
i made it out of the boarding gate and see the plane…

i was supposed to leave manila at 1230pm…
but after at least 5 announcements & a free meal later..
this is really happening…
for real…
it had come to a point that i gave up believing the announcements..
it had come to a point that i just want to see the plane that i am getting on…
to believe…

and so i finally got to kalibo airport…
a mini airport with a mini conveyor belt…

here comes sammy!!…
the first few in the line..

and now…
to the final leg of my journey…
well…almost…

the last 10-15mins of boat ride to the island….
of boracay…
i am finally that close..

so i am not the only one amused by the whole safety jacket thing..

approaching land…
land of boracay…
finally finally finally….

now….for the really last leg of my journey…
10mins ride to hey! jude…
where i will stay while i dive the next few days..

sammy gets her rooftop ride..

the first thing i did was to jump into the shower…
get into an easy change of clothes and head out hunting for food..
they have early sunset here..
so it felt later than just 9pm on my watch..
doesn’t help that i had a really long day too..
i left home at 430am in singapore..
and i only made it into my room at hey! jude at about 9pm…

absolutely crazy..
worse than a long haul flight to norway…

so to reward myself from all that “drama” in the day..
i jumped right into the pancake house just outside hey! jude the moment i see it..
for some comfort food on my first night here…

waffle!!!! with lots of maple syrup!!!…..

and fried food!!!…

<< bAcKtRack..october09 :: oN my waY out…

i set out at 430am on the 15th october..
in search of the legendary acclaimed “world’s best beach”..

i like morning flights…
(well..except for the waking up part..)
the sky is always so filled with colours at sunrise..

meet aUnt Pepita …

i met aunt pepita at calticlan airport just before i left…

i cannot stop thinking about her the whole way since i met her…
so i really want to share this!!..

she’s the airport tax lady who clips a little ticket on your boarding pass when you pay 20 pesos…
i ended up being the first passenger at the airport way too early for my flight…
(yes like all flights to & fro calticlan – delayed/cancelled again)
so naturally…people started noticing me in the airport…
like aunt pepita…

i decided to check out what’s outside the airport since i still have 1.5hrs to kill..
and when i did…
i bumped into aunti pepita again…
who lives just right outside the airport!!…
(when i say outside..it literally mean like within 50 steps from the airport..yupz..that’s how small the airport is)..

we started talking and sharing..
and i cannot remember how many times i have gave a summary of my vacation…
she was such a kind lady…
before anything she offered me to stay at her house the next time i come to calticlan..
initial thought like everyone else will be “hmmmmm”…
and came the thought of her offering me cheap rental & all..

but she didn’t…
and she even tell me i can bring my whole family to stay with her because she has a pretty big house!!..
and she will cook though she’s worried that we all might not be used to it..
and she can show us how is it really like…living there…their way of life…
and she was going to bring me to this beautiful beach to swim!!…

then she showed me her house…

meet aunt pepita…
and her children..
3 of them…

we walked back to the airport..
she let me sit next to her while she works at her little booth…
just so i won’t be so bored she says…
and she started sharing her tibits with me…
at 1 point she even offered a bag of goodies of philippines so i can bring home for my parents..
skeptical thoughts again – is there going to be strange things inside?…like drugs?…

anyway…
to get to the main point…
at 1 point we starting using ‘God’ in our conversation..
and she told me how she received Jesus Christ…
at this part…my eyes were welling up already..

she heard 1 song 1 day…
and she sang it for me..
“Jesus you are my music..
Jesus you are my song..
i want to sing you everyday”..

that was it…
i am sure she saw my eyes turning red….
i was really moved and touched by her testimony…

for her..it was that easy…
and there are still many out there who are ever so resistant…

she said…
before..her life was empty…
but it has been all good since she receive Jesus Christ…

it was just minutes before i have to board..
but i had the sudden impulse to share with her my favourite song…
yupz…
“above all else”…
and i did..
i took out my iphone..
quickly plug in the earphones and said to her..
“i want to share my favourite song with you!!”..

and you know what?..
i received an airport paging…
calling me to the counter..
so it was all good!!..
i still have time for her to listen to the song!!..

as i was talking back to her little booth after the little airport drama…
i saw her kind of singing along as she was still listening to the song…
it was that moment i just could not forget…

i ran to her and said “i will send you the cd when i get back to singapore!!”..

i was happy…
to be leaving and have something to look forward to when i get home..
i was happy..
that…i met aunt pepita…
and to talk & share about God…

she said to me “i can play the cd in the church for everyone to listen..”
i was moved…
i want to send her my copy of “writings on the walls” too…
(thank you rachelle!! for giving me my 2nd one!!)

i hope the songs not only move her..
but inspire more of the younger people if possible with the more “happening” songs..

iN the wOnderFuL laNd of m!ni-s…but…no more fiNe sAnd… . . . .. .

yupz..
you can tell how happy i am to be back..
(bonus = landed in the very glamourous terminal 3)

nobody likes the end of holidays…
but i do..just for this time..

it sure was an adventure..
it sure was an experience..
and i know a little bit more…

:: hAppeNed becOs of H!M ::

in Genesis in the Bible…noah sends out a dove after the flood..
in the New Testament a dove is the symbol of the Holy Spirit…

thank God for marc jacobs…

hOw caN i nOt be moved….

~ net-a-porter

awwwwwwwwww….
my feet all cozy in these…
leaving my foot prints in all that snow…