Vector: Animal in solitude

Vector: Animal in solitude

 

NAME: Vector 

 
DATE TAKEN: 23rd january 2011

 
LOCATION: intramuros, manila phl

DETAILS: it was named after vector of despicable me because of its color.

Post-process: placed photo signature.

I AM.

I AM.

I dance in the shower.

I sing and dance while cleaning my house.

I love my cats.

I don't have a green thumb.

I don't cook well. (Oh, i can fry!) 

I have physical insecurities. (I wish I was taller.)

I visit the spa regularly. (When I have the time and money)

I love to shop. (or 'window' shop)

I have more than 8 pairs of shoes and a lot of bags. (Men always wonder why women carry big bags all the time. Guess what? We don’t understand it either)

I have tons of clothes. (I still feel like I don’t have enough, it’s not greed! It’s a gurl thing!)

I look at the mirror around three times before leaving the house. (alright, more than that!)

I have to do something on my hair to shake off a bad mood. (Cut it?)

I can cry over a homeless animal in a snap. It may take me a while to cry over someone. In fact, I rarely do.

I love my family. I am the eldest and I am the only girl. (Beat that!)

I hated my mom when I was a teenager. I love her now.

I didn't tell my mom the time I first got my period but I told my parents the first time I had a boyfriend (age 14). 

I keep a journal. (Ok,... not all the time.)

My period does not affect my mood. (Ok, sometimes it does!)

I am not afraid to say how I feel. (Sometimes I just say it in a different way, duh!)

I have been cheated on, betrayed and fooled by someone but I came out victorious by learning from it. (Tough one to put down!)

I have been adored, admired and looked up to. (Like any woman has been)

I come out strong to most men my own circle but I don't mind submitting to my man.

I can do the laundry and iron clothes but I don't. (Work, you know!)

I have been living independently for almost 10 years now. (Not easy but that’s exactly what makes it fun!)

All these and more make me a woman.

I am a woman.

I thank God He made me one.

And whether or not I bear a child in this world, I am complete because I know I AM.

Attraversiamo 2011: Crossing Over to Escape Manila - Baguio Layover

Attraversiamo 2011: Crossing Over to Escape Manila

1st Layover – Baguio, the Summer Capital of the Philippines

I love Manila. In fact, I can't imagine myself living somewhere else; but sometimes, it becomes too familiar that it ironically becomes a stranger to me. They say 'familiarity breeds contempt' so I'd like to escape it once in a while. I had awesome travel opportunities last year and I am hungry for more. I prayed for more. 

My first layover? - Baguio (The Summer Capital of the Philippines)

This is my 6th travel to Baguio but it (still) never fails to amuse me. They say you should hug a tree or kiss the local soil to get a chance to come back to a place you love. I didn't, but I guess I must have done something good to get a chance to come back to Baguio over and over again. 

My friends and I decided to tour a visitor in Baguio. Her name is Erika from VA. We wanted her to enjoy her last week here before heading home. Too bad we didn’t have the time to bring her to a beach but that could be a good reason to go back.

 
It was a 2-day-and-1-night travel. We were able to visit 17 places. Yeah, it was like an Amazing Race episode which actually made it more fun. We wanted to bring her to as much famous Baguio places as we could and having a private van made it all very easy. 

We left Manila around 7AM and arrived in Baguio at 12 noon. We spent two hours to check in and freshen up and surprisingly despite not having enough sleep and rest we were all just itching to go and explore the place. We’ve organized the itinerary in such a way that we got to places that are close to each other. In a matter of 4 hours, we have visited Botanical Garden, The Wright Park, Lourdes Grotto (we cheated and didn’t take the long way), The Mansion, Mine’s View, Good Shepherd Convent, Burnham Park and Baguio Public Market. Guess where we spent most of our time in? The Public Market! There were so much to buy we couldn’t decide which to pick first or even whether to buy them or not. Ha! We ended the day with a dinner at Savory in SM overlooking the city at night. 

Photo from Bryce Kiguchi

Photo from Bryce Kiguchi

We probably didn’t get enough sleep to compensate our ‘tiredness’ from the trip the first day but who could stop us from enjoying Baguio even more on our second day. We passed by The Public Market again for some last minute ‘pasalubong’ shopping then we headed to 50’s Diner for our breakfast. During my previous trips to Baguio, I have always wanted to try this restaurant but have always kept it as a reason to go back. This place reminds me so much of those scenes in American movies where a couple meets for the first time, an FBI agent meets an eye witness secretly, where a traveler rests after a long ride, where an old man sits for a coffee while reading the newspaper and where a group of men come in and kill everyone inside...oops! Ok, sorry I’ve probably seen so many CSI episodes. Scratch that! … It was a pleasant experience and the owner was very accommodating. I wish I could take home that fancy red and black car. I bet it would fit well in my so-called ‘Red and Black Crib’.

We visited Camp John Hay immediately after breakfast. We didn’t stay long. The Baguio Tree Top Adventures does not open until 10AM and there was a wedding in the Amphitheater. Then, we pass by the Baguio Cathedral and Session Road to buy the famous Tea House Jona’s Delight Cake as ‘pasalubong’ for our families.

Photo from Bryce Kiguchi

We headed to Tam-Awan Village which didn’t turn out as we expected it to be because it became a little bit dangerous to walk thru due to the rain. Most of us slipped and almost fell – which when I look back now, makes me realize it was one of the most fun things we did during the trip. The adrenalin rush! The drizzle made Baguio cooler than it already is. It was indeed a nice escape from the Manila weather.  I took off my jacket most of the time because I knew I wouldn’t get the same ‘feel’ when I go back to Manila. 

We decided not to visit PMA anymore. There was an event and parking will be a little bit difficult. We headed to Bell Church – one place I kept as a reason to go back. I finally saw Bell Church. The colors and structures were amazing. The view from the top was cool too! Nearby, we passed by the Strawberry Farm to buy some to take home, walk and chat. 

Our trip ended ahead of schedule and we wrapped it up with a sumptuous lunch at the Sizzling Plate. 

More than the food, the adventures and the places we went to; it was the conversations, the mishaps and the laughter that made this trip a weekend to remember. Along the way, Erika shared a lot about herself, her family and her country as we show her ours through this trip. As she leaves the Philippines we’ll always have a piece of her in our hearts and hopefully we have given her many reasons to come back.