...where we had thought to be alone, we shall be with all the world. - Joseph Campbell
Soul Searching by Sabang Shore.
I hope to share my Baler stories soon. It was my first time to travel solo, I am glad I did. =D
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
IT'S THURSDAY
How much can one absorb in a day?
I refuse to acknowldege the not so good ones because in keeping with the attitude of gratitude (i still love the expression!) theme, let's just count our blessings today shall we?
a) JOB OFFER
I stopped working a week after my 24th birthday and I am not particularly proud of it. I was being selfish and irresponsible but that time, it seemed like the only way to redeem whatever amount of esteem I have left for myself. I'm scared to even admit that and I recklessly plunged into unplanned joblessness. I skipped the math and just decided that my savings could tide me over the rest of the year without any source of income. But there is rent to pay. And credit card bills to settle. And shoes - lots of them. And that desire to help my parents even if they are not asking for it. And many more things that require monetary transactions.
So today, I received a job offer. It was not exactly planned and I did not really apply for it. It just sort of landed on my lap in the midst of the pressure of finding a new job. How I dealt with it is yet another story but you see, the world has answers. Someone out there knows better.
b) CINE EUROPA
Because I'm cool. Haha! Nah, far from it. My friends are though, as they are the ones who told me about it. We watched a Danish film and my eyes were closed half of the entire duration of the film, because you know me, I can't stand anything that makes me jolt out of my seat. But more than the film, I enjoyed the "thought" of being in the festival. We saw our Development Econ professor lining up for the movie too and we said "hi" to him. He said "hi" back and probably wondered who we were. Also, I got so inspired by my friend Ria. We exchanged career/life stories while lining up for the tickets. She's working in one of the biggest banks in the country and she enjoys the coolest perks and pay imaginable. But she's giving these all up in pursuit of what she knows will make her happy. No matter what the cost is. She's currently taking up German and Spanish classes (she's leaving her company by November) and looks forward to studying in Europe. I wish I had her guts. Grabe.
c) DESPICABLE ME
"How many seats ma'am?", the girl behind the ticket counter asked. "Just one", I answered. Then she gave me that are-you-serious-look and gave me my ticket. It was 5 minutes before showtime and I rushed to Cinema 7 in Trinoma, I could not possibly miss the trailers. I am adding another answer to “When was the last time you did something for the first time?”. Today! I watched a movie by myself and totally enjoyed it. I giggled, laughed, swooned to the minions’ and the orphans’ cuteness and cried towards the end when Mr. Gru read to them the One Big Unicorn bedtime story he made up himself and finally gave them a goodnight kiss. Gusto kong maging 5 years old uli!
d) SHOES
I got this pair from Trunkshow for a fraction of a price I would have paid in some other store. I have only 2 kinds of shoes at home: Chucks and high-heeled shoes. Boring! This pair of boy flats is refreshing-- I love!
e) BIG BANG THEORY
My cousin, a Chemistry major, taught me that I can learn while bumming. Weird is good. I found this series boring at first - - I was more into in-your-face-humor of Barney in How I met your Mother or feeling kolehiyala with Gossip Girl or feeling artist with Glee but this kind of grew on me.
I want an Indian accent! I'm so entertained.
f) BACK TO SCHOOL
Just hours ago, I received an e-mail with a really positive introduction: "Dear Applicant: We are pleased to inform you that you have been admitted to the Program..." This time, it's not a Master's degree or an MBA but something really close to my heart. Thank you! Thank You!
Oh yeah, all in a day's work/tambay time of an unemployed.=p
I refuse to acknowldege the not so good ones because in keeping with the attitude of gratitude (i still love the expression!) theme, let's just count our blessings today shall we?
a) JOB OFFER
I stopped working a week after my 24th birthday and I am not particularly proud of it. I was being selfish and irresponsible but that time, it seemed like the only way to redeem whatever amount of esteem I have left for myself. I'm scared to even admit that and I recklessly plunged into unplanned joblessness. I skipped the math and just decided that my savings could tide me over the rest of the year without any source of income. But there is rent to pay. And credit card bills to settle. And shoes - lots of them. And that desire to help my parents even if they are not asking for it. And many more things that require monetary transactions.
So today, I received a job offer. It was not exactly planned and I did not really apply for it. It just sort of landed on my lap in the midst of the pressure of finding a new job. How I dealt with it is yet another story but you see, the world has answers. Someone out there knows better.
b) CINE EUROPA
Because I'm cool. Haha! Nah, far from it. My friends are though, as they are the ones who told me about it. We watched a Danish film and my eyes were closed half of the entire duration of the film, because you know me, I can't stand anything that makes me jolt out of my seat. But more than the film, I enjoyed the "thought" of being in the festival. We saw our Development Econ professor lining up for the movie too and we said "hi" to him. He said "hi" back and probably wondered who we were. Also, I got so inspired by my friend Ria. We exchanged career/life stories while lining up for the tickets. She's working in one of the biggest banks in the country and she enjoys the coolest perks and pay imaginable. But she's giving these all up in pursuit of what she knows will make her happy. No matter what the cost is. She's currently taking up German and Spanish classes (she's leaving her company by November) and looks forward to studying in Europe. I wish I had her guts. Grabe.
"How many seats ma'am?", the girl behind the ticket counter asked. "Just one", I answered. Then she gave me that are-you-serious-look and gave me my ticket. It was 5 minutes before showtime and I rushed to Cinema 7 in Trinoma, I could not possibly miss the trailers. I am adding another answer to “When was the last time you did something for the first time?”. Today! I watched a movie by myself and totally enjoyed it. I giggled, laughed, swooned to the minions’ and the orphans’ cuteness and cried towards the end when Mr. Gru read to them the One Big Unicorn bedtime story he made up himself and finally gave them a goodnight kiss. Gusto kong maging 5 years old uli!
d) SHOES
I got this pair from Trunkshow for a fraction of a price I would have paid in some other store. I have only 2 kinds of shoes at home: Chucks and high-heeled shoes. Boring! This pair of boy flats is refreshing-- I love!
My cousin, a Chemistry major, taught me that I can learn while bumming. Weird is good. I found this series boring at first - - I was more into in-your-face-humor of Barney in How I met your Mother or feeling kolehiyala with Gossip Girl or feeling artist with Glee but this kind of grew on me.
I want an Indian accent! I'm so entertained.
f) BACK TO SCHOOL
Just hours ago, I received an e-mail with a really positive introduction: "Dear Applicant: We are pleased to inform you that you have been admitted to the Program..." This time, it's not a Master's degree or an MBA but something really close to my heart. Thank you! Thank You!
Oh yeah, all in a day's work/tambay time of an unemployed.=p
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
HEY, THANKS!
It's difficult to be all Little Miss Sunshine when there's so much that you think and feel you are going through. People ask where I store all my energy and where I keep my basket of happinness, but really there is none. I have tons of woe-is-me moments (ang loser ko! haha!) but I have mastered the art of keeping that to myself or fighting them off. And I find no greater feeling of satisfaction if I fought them off. My samurai and shield against these "I suck moments"?
a) Be a kid at heart. Always and Forever.
b) Keep an attitude of gratitude. The universe was created for me (and for you too!!), that makes me (and you too!!) VIP. =D
I wrote this post just so I could share the expression I came across in a tumblr site, "attitude of gratitude". I love it. Credits to Mr. Mark Gosingtian.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
MAROONED
matatapang, matatalino, walang takot kahit kanino...
Question: When was the last time you did something for the first time?
Answer: Yesterday! I watched the UAAP cheerdance competition live at the Araneta Coliseum. UP won! Yey! I was rooting for another school though but I was OA-ness glorified, i did not care about the results (sorry hardcore fans), win or lose, this first timer chick is happy because she gets to be on TV, kahit parang tuldok lang. Haha!
Question: When was the last time you did something for the first time?
Answer: Yesterday! I watched the UAAP cheerdance competition live at the Araneta Coliseum. UP won! Yey! I was rooting for another school though but I was OA-ness glorified, i did not care about the results (sorry hardcore fans), win or lose, this first timer chick is happy because she gets to be on TV, kahit parang tuldok lang. Haha!
I can still feel the drums vibrating through my heart and the chants ringing in my ears - ang sarap maging part ng crowd na feel na feel nila yung ginagawa nila or feel na feel nila yung moment. I like that expression: feel na feel.
From hereon, whatever I'll do or wherever I'll be, I will make sure that I am in a "feel na feel" disposition. Hello passion!=p Yeah boy, may moral lesson! (sabay tumbling, tayo, clap the hands once, nod, then smile ala Kirsten Dunst in Bring it On!) The tragic 0-13 (o 14?) basketball men's standing still sucks though.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
PLAY WITH ME
It's the sacred fire of passion that serves as the most potent vehicle for our dream. -Pablo Neruda
I watched Xanadu with two of my friends last night and throroughly enjoyed it. Actually, kahit saang play o stage performances niyo ko dalhin, matutuwa talaga ako. I look up to those who are into theatre because to get into it, you have to put your heart and your soul in the craft. Artists are on top of my "idols" list. Back in college, I took up 3-units of theatre elective to the amusement of those in the SpeechCom Department. They could not understand why an Economics major like me would want to get theatre credits. Thank you Cory for restoring democracy.
I am proud to say that I have been on Palma Hall's Wilfredo Guerrero theatre's stage (sa stage mismo, di sa audience seats) and delivered a line which I still memorize up to now: Red Riding Hood is in danger, here we come with anger! Ang kaisa-isang linyang ipinagkatiwala ng direktor sa'kin, naman! But I told myself, there are no small parts, only small actors. Haha! Really now, it was not a serious play and we did an adaptation of The Little Red Riding Hood just because my professor wanted her daughter to be little red riding hood. But who cares? I got to wear leather boots that ride up my thighs and got to be one of the five superheroes who rescued the little girl from the mean, scary, angry wolf. Kanya-kanyang script, walang pakialamanan.=p
After my UP days, I content myself watching commercially produced plays. The tickets are a little expensive but the experience of watching live performances is priceless. Whenever I watch a play, I take note of words and lines used, addict lang, and here are two of the most amusing ones (wait lang, tama bang expression yung 2 of the amusing 1's? whatever!=p):
from AVENUE Q:
Schadenfreude
-german term for the happiness from the misfortune of others
-sabi ng wikipedia, "making me feel glad that I am not you"
It's not really an inspiring word, in fact it's a loser/bitter word but you have to watch the play to feel really amused by it. Also, aside from their beer, I like the language of Deutschland. I took up German 10 in the summer of 2006 and I think I got a pretty decent grade.
from XANADU:
Xanadu
In the beginning of the play, it was described as a gift so great, no man nor even the gods can put words into its meaning.
Towards the end though, xanadu, meant true love and the gift of arts.
Oh yes, we all deserve our xanadu's!
Now that I have quite a lot of free time, I'm thinking of visiting UP's theatre department to see whether there's something out there worth watching. And since I'm planning on switching careers, eh kung mag-artista nalang kaya ako? haha! In my dreams!
Pictures are from Atlantis Production
I watched Xanadu with two of my friends last night and throroughly enjoyed it. Actually, kahit saang play o stage performances niyo ko dalhin, matutuwa talaga ako. I look up to those who are into theatre because to get into it, you have to put your heart and your soul in the craft. Artists are on top of my "idols" list. Back in college, I took up 3-units of theatre elective to the amusement of those in the SpeechCom Department. They could not understand why an Economics major like me would want to get theatre credits. Thank you Cory for restoring democracy.
I am proud to say that I have been on Palma Hall's Wilfredo Guerrero theatre's stage (sa stage mismo, di sa audience seats) and delivered a line which I still memorize up to now: Red Riding Hood is in danger, here we come with anger! Ang kaisa-isang linyang ipinagkatiwala ng direktor sa'kin, naman! But I told myself, there are no small parts, only small actors. Haha! Really now, it was not a serious play and we did an adaptation of The Little Red Riding Hood just because my professor wanted her daughter to be little red riding hood. But who cares? I got to wear leather boots that ride up my thighs and got to be one of the five superheroes who rescued the little girl from the mean, scary, angry wolf. Kanya-kanyang script, walang pakialamanan.=p
After my UP days, I content myself watching commercially produced plays. The tickets are a little expensive but the experience of watching live performances is priceless. Whenever I watch a play, I take note of words and lines used, addict lang, and here are two of the most amusing ones (wait lang, tama bang expression yung 2 of the amusing 1's? whatever!=p):
Schadenfreude
-german term for the happiness from the misfortune of others
-sabi ng wikipedia, "making me feel glad that I am not you"
It's not really an inspiring word, in fact it's a loser/bitter word but you have to watch the play to feel really amused by it. Also, aside from their beer, I like the language of Deutschland. I took up German 10 in the summer of 2006 and I think I got a pretty decent grade.
Xanadu
In the beginning of the play, it was described as a gift so great, no man nor even the gods can put words into its meaning.
Towards the end though, xanadu, meant true love and the gift of arts.
Oh yes, we all deserve our xanadu's!
Now that I have quite a lot of free time, I'm thinking of visiting UP's theatre department to see whether there's something out there worth watching. And since I'm planning on switching careers, eh kung mag-artista nalang kaya ako? haha! In my dreams!
Pictures are from Atlantis Production
HELLO SAGADA
...in pictures, share your shots!
Most of my TF classmates are into photography and we made up this so-called "share-your-shots" session to admire each one's photos. I never asked permission personally if I could post their pictures here but I know they love me (hehe) and promise, they'd be given due credit. They have a lot more wonderful pictures in their portfolio, I chose one each from them.
Most of my TF classmates are into photography and we made up this so-called "share-your-shots" session to admire each one's photos. I never asked permission personally if I could post their pictures here but I know they love me (hehe) and promise, they'd be given due credit. They have a lot more wonderful pictures in their portfolio, I chose one each from them.
BANAWE RICE TERRACES by Guile Roi Agapito
TREK TO BOMOD-OK by Alan David
KILTEPAN by Ray Andallon
WHEEL AT ST. MARY'S by James Yu
BY THE POTTER HOUSE by Di Licop
Di tweaked some happy group shots by Guile Roi and came up with these really nice versions:
Another long weekend coming up, what to do?=p
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
SAGADA
The road to nowhere. A wonderful nowhere.
I say “wonderful”, “beautiful”, “nice” and “wow” almost always. That is so because of two things: One, I am generally easy to please and I get touched over the simplest gestures. Two, I think I need to brush up on my English vocabulary. Business memos, the kind of writing people in the corporate usually do, are allergic to adjectives. I love adjectives, so I am allergic to business memos.
Thus, my current state of unemployment.
Thus, the urgent need to get out of the city which has set too high a standard for university graduates.
Thus, my gratitude to that youthful stubbornness two months ago when two of my friends and former colleagues said “Amen” to my invitation, “Tara! Sagada tayo?”
Thus, amidst news reports about a typhoon in the Northern Luzon in the last (and long) weekend of August, we hopped on the bus together with six other willing and adventurous souls and braced ourselves for an experience of a lifetime which I hope to share not through the sites I have feasted my eyes with, not through the food I ate, not through the places I have set my foot in, but through the people and lives I have been given the privilege to become a part of. Kahit ilang araw lang.
MEET AICA.
(Tour coordinator, Travel Factor represent!)
I asked her how I can identify if she’s the one I’m texting. Her reply, “I’m wearing black freedom shirt with eyeglasses near Ilocos waiting area”. Texted with a smiley at the end of the SMS of course. I turned around and I saw the luckiest girl in the world who has the most exciting job and who, without any hint of force and pretense can actually say, “I love my job and the people I work with”. She’s 23 and does not have to waste her time and resources in soul searching. She’s our young and bubbly tour coordinator from TRAVEL FACTOR. Our trip from Manila to Banawe was scheduled at 10:45 PM but I came in around three hours earlier. She was there already. The three-hour wait did not matter as we shared stories about work, vision boards, “The Secret” and about travelling. Didn’t I tell you that she is just 23? Oh boy.
MEET KUYA ERWIN or AGO.
(Tour guide extraordinaire, Sagada represent!)
If this were a movie script, he’d be the main actor. He’s our all around go-to-person in Sagada. Tour guide, driver, chef, potter, product demonstrator, coordinator, historian, interpreter, alarm clock and stop watch. He answers our Sagada questions, poker- faced (I think I rarely saw him smile, weird) and with a sexy mix of Ilocano-Kankana-ey and Texan accent. Pa’no yun?
Me : Kuya Erwin, taga- Sagada po ba kayo through and through?
Kuya Erwin : Yezz Meym, bowrn and rreysd(duh) hewr in Segadah.
Translation : Yes Ma’am, born and raised here in Sagada.
Gets? Mahirap kasing i-describe. Hehe.
He speaks really good English, I think everyone in Sagada does.
Maybe it’s his way of marketing himself or maybe he seeks to impress city kids of his ways but nonetheless, every time he does things for us, sometimes, I feel that it is beyond his call of duty. He has that typical Pinoy trait of making visitors feel that they are important and that guests should right away feel at home. Kuya Erwin’s only flaw however is that he does not know how tell ghost stories. On our second night, he brought us to Lake Danum for our bonfire session and he made us sit comfortably and warm while he and his assistant prepare our pinikpikan boodle fight. After dinner and two rounds of vodka, everyone but me was into ghost stories. The others coaxed him to share Sagada’s version of scare-fest and being the eager-beaver that he is, he told us of stories about head hunters, tribal wars and spirits, history 101-professor style complete with facts and explanations. Wahahaha!! Kumbaga sa joke, walang punch line. Though you could sense his enthusiasm through his wordiness, maybe he sensed our goose bumps have retracted, and ended the story, poker –faced.
MEET THE OTHER JAMES.
(By the bonfire and the marshmallows)
He made us sticks to roast our marshmallows with through the branches of plants around us. Instead of the usual banana leaves used for boodle fight, he got ferns and wove them together to improvise a table. He told corny jokes and was as excited as us that instead of our beds, we had the grass to carry our bodies, instead of lamp shades we had the bonfire and instead of warm milk, oh yes, we are drinking vodka. We call him the other James because the original James is part of our traveling group. The other James does not mind.
MEET HANSEL, KEVIN, LESTER AND THE OTHER CAVE GUIDE WHOSE NAME I FORGOT.
(Sila ang mga tunay na ROCK stars!)
They jump, slide, climb up a rope in one-hand, lamp in the other hand. They take nice pictures also and were patient enough with my makulit reminder, “Kuya, di po waterproof camera ko ha.” They made us step on their legs, carry our weight on their shoulders and made sure we were all safe and were enjoying our 5-hour cave connection adventure in Lumiang and Sumaguing Caves. They’re effortless in the jumping and in the sliding part and in keeping their balance, because they told us, they have been doing these things since they were kids. The caves are their natural Gold’s Gym and Fitness First.
MEET ATE DOROTHY OR TUTTI.
She has the warmest the gentlest smile. Her only role is to cook our food and she does it in style. The picture above is Alibama Inn which she supervised and looked after in the duration of our stay in Sagada. I regret not having taken her picture because on our last day she has gone home and we never got the chance to say thank you.
MEET THE SAGADA KIDS.
Sagada has branded its children with adorable rosy cheeks and eyes that always seem to ask. Sabi ni Di, there’s something which make them stand out and different from the city kids. They remind me of Lilo in Disney’s Lilo and Stitch.
Muscled man with rosy cheeks, how’s that for a combination? You’ll know at first glance that he is cute but he got even cuter when Di pointed out that he looks like Piolo Pascual. And he sure does. We met him at the pottery house busy monitoring the oven’s temperature, they were cooking the raw materials needed for their artworks or whatever. Kuya Erwin told us that he is a good potter and we believe him. His brown eyes are enough proof. (Ng alin? Haha!). Move over Harry, meron na kaming bagong Potter.
Then, there’s Ronan Keating.
My blond and blue-eyed love. In my dreams. (maarte lang!)
We were with him on the same bus in our trip from Manila to Banawe. He is the usual foreigner backpacker who in full trust of the Lonely Planet’s guide book to the Philippines hopped on some plane from halfway round the world and found himself in the exact same place where a beautiful Filipina (that’s me okay), in the exact same time, decided to spend her long weekend in. The Filipina (which I insist is me - again) did not fail how his upswept do revealed a beautiful and friendly face, and his adventurous spirit made him even more beautiful. The Filipina (me again!) told her classmates that it will complete her vacation if she sees her blond and blue eyed love again on their bus ride home – and she did! Though no words were exchanged, the thought that the Filipina and her blond and blue eyed love were on the same place at the same time is enough to make this Filipina feel like she’s the 9th wonder of the world. Ngeh. Haha!=D
MEET MY TRAVEL FACTOR CONQUER SAGADA CLASSMATES.
I will always remember their names: RJ (Mr. Nice Guy), Ray (Mr. Professor), James (The Other Sagada Pogi Boy), Gilroy (Elaine’s Loverboy), Elaine (Gilroy’s Girl), Di (roomie!) and Allan (Mr. Sony!). Except for Allan and Di which I have known since my FLI days, the rest are complete strangers to me until our Sagada adventure. We were all there for different reasons: some to indulge in a much needed R&R, to see a different place and experience a different culture, to check off an item in their bucket list, to have a good use of a newly-bought DSLR, to bond with friends, to bond with more-than-friends friend, to meet new friends, to do soul searching, maghanap ng sakit ng katawan, to eat non-city food, to have a good excuse to wear our water-proof jackets, to buy souvenirs, to have a new crowd which one can share his knock-knock jokes with, to have something to write about in our blog, para lang masabing may ginawa kang makabuluhan nung long weekend, to satisfy our curiosity about this group called Travel Factor, to heal a broken heart, to find someone to break our heart, para makakita ng kuweba, umakyat ng bundok, bumaba ng bundok, mag-topload sa jeep, matulog ng nakakumot kahit walang electric fan o aircon, and just be somewhere far from the usual place we find ourselves in everyday. Whatever our reasons are, I am just ever thankful that our reasons brought us together in this wonderful place called Sagada where in three days, being strangers meant sharing stories as if each of us has known one another for the longest time, being strangers meant waiting for one another before we start on a meal, where being strangers has completely taken over the concept of friendship.
It was just three days.
It was not a completely different culture.
It was not a trip to India or Tibet where I can claim I did an intense soul searching.
Maybe my being a first-timer to an experience such as this made even the tiniest detail profound.
But it was beautiful. Wonderful. Nice. Wow talaga.
In our last day in Sagada before leaving Echo Valley, our last stop for the day, I told Kuya Erwin, “Ang ganda ng Sagada noh?”. With his poker face dramatically tracing the site where the hanging caves are and in his sexy Ilocano-Kankana-ey-Texan drawl he replied “We awr juzt blezzd meym”.
Translation: We are just blessed Ma’am.
They sure are.
POST NOTES
*I will share the link of the photos taken by my photographer classmates soon.
*Check out http://www.travelfactor.org/ for more trips. *You may get in touch with Kuya Erwin at 0928 690 0062 or putaad26@yahoo.com.ph. He is part of SAGGAS or Sagada Genuine Guides Association.
I say “wonderful”, “beautiful”, “nice” and “wow” almost always. That is so because of two things: One, I am generally easy to please and I get touched over the simplest gestures. Two, I think I need to brush up on my English vocabulary. Business memos, the kind of writing people in the corporate usually do, are allergic to adjectives. I love adjectives, so I am allergic to business memos.
Thus, my current state of unemployment.
Thus, the urgent need to get out of the city which has set too high a standard for university graduates.
Thus, my gratitude to that youthful stubbornness two months ago when two of my friends and former colleagues said “Amen” to my invitation, “Tara! Sagada tayo?”
Thus, amidst news reports about a typhoon in the Northern Luzon in the last (and long) weekend of August, we hopped on the bus together with six other willing and adventurous souls and braced ourselves for an experience of a lifetime which I hope to share not through the sites I have feasted my eyes with, not through the food I ate, not through the places I have set my foot in, but through the people and lives I have been given the privilege to become a part of. Kahit ilang araw lang.
MEET AICA.
(Tour coordinator, Travel Factor represent!)
I asked her how I can identify if she’s the one I’m texting. Her reply, “I’m wearing black freedom shirt with eyeglasses near Ilocos waiting area”. Texted with a smiley at the end of the SMS of course. I turned around and I saw the luckiest girl in the world who has the most exciting job and who, without any hint of force and pretense can actually say, “I love my job and the people I work with”. She’s 23 and does not have to waste her time and resources in soul searching. She’s our young and bubbly tour coordinator from TRAVEL FACTOR. Our trip from Manila to Banawe was scheduled at 10:45 PM but I came in around three hours earlier. She was there already. The three-hour wait did not matter as we shared stories about work, vision boards, “The Secret” and about travelling. Didn’t I tell you that she is just 23? Oh boy.
MEET KUYA ERWIN or AGO.
(Tour guide extraordinaire, Sagada represent!)
If this were a movie script, he’d be the main actor. He’s our all around go-to-person in Sagada. Tour guide, driver, chef, potter, product demonstrator, coordinator, historian, interpreter, alarm clock and stop watch. He answers our Sagada questions, poker- faced (I think I rarely saw him smile, weird) and with a sexy mix of Ilocano-Kankana-ey and Texan accent. Pa’no yun?
Me : Kuya Erwin, taga- Sagada po ba kayo through and through?
Kuya Erwin : Yezz Meym, bowrn and rreysd(duh) hewr in Segadah.
Translation : Yes Ma’am, born and raised here in Sagada.
Gets? Mahirap kasing i-describe. Hehe.
He speaks really good English, I think everyone in Sagada does.
Maybe it’s his way of marketing himself or maybe he seeks to impress city kids of his ways but nonetheless, every time he does things for us, sometimes, I feel that it is beyond his call of duty. He has that typical Pinoy trait of making visitors feel that they are important and that guests should right away feel at home. Kuya Erwin’s only flaw however is that he does not know how tell ghost stories. On our second night, he brought us to Lake Danum for our bonfire session and he made us sit comfortably and warm while he and his assistant prepare our pinikpikan boodle fight. After dinner and two rounds of vodka, everyone but me was into ghost stories. The others coaxed him to share Sagada’s version of scare-fest and being the eager-beaver that he is, he told us of stories about head hunters, tribal wars and spirits, history 101-professor style complete with facts and explanations. Wahahaha!! Kumbaga sa joke, walang punch line. Though you could sense his enthusiasm through his wordiness, maybe he sensed our goose bumps have retracted, and ended the story, poker –faced.
MEET THE OTHER JAMES.
(By the bonfire and the marshmallows)
He made us sticks to roast our marshmallows with through the branches of plants around us. Instead of the usual banana leaves used for boodle fight, he got ferns and wove them together to improvise a table. He told corny jokes and was as excited as us that instead of our beds, we had the grass to carry our bodies, instead of lamp shades we had the bonfire and instead of warm milk, oh yes, we are drinking vodka. We call him the other James because the original James is part of our traveling group. The other James does not mind.
MEET HANSEL, KEVIN, LESTER AND THE OTHER CAVE GUIDE WHOSE NAME I FORGOT.
(Sila ang mga tunay na ROCK stars!)
They jump, slide, climb up a rope in one-hand, lamp in the other hand. They take nice pictures also and were patient enough with my makulit reminder, “Kuya, di po waterproof camera ko ha.” They made us step on their legs, carry our weight on their shoulders and made sure we were all safe and were enjoying our 5-hour cave connection adventure in Lumiang and Sumaguing Caves. They’re effortless in the jumping and in the sliding part and in keeping their balance, because they told us, they have been doing these things since they were kids. The caves are their natural Gold’s Gym and Fitness First.
MEET ATE DOROTHY OR TUTTI.
She has the warmest the gentlest smile. Her only role is to cook our food and she does it in style. The picture above is Alibama Inn which she supervised and looked after in the duration of our stay in Sagada. I regret not having taken her picture because on our last day she has gone home and we never got the chance to say thank you.
MEET THE SAGADA KIDS.
Sagada has branded its children with adorable rosy cheeks and eyes that always seem to ask. Sabi ni Di, there’s something which make them stand out and different from the city kids. They remind me of Lilo in Disney’s Lilo and Stitch.
MEET FOODIE.
(the Saga-dog)
Kuya Erwin has the weirdest adjective for the Alaba Inn’s tambay dog (guard dog dapat pero feeling ko mas tambay siya dun =p): delicious. Sorry PETA friends, but we were told that in Kuya Erwin’s tribe, dogs are bred not as pets but as food. They prefer ‘”Aspins” over the imported breed though. Tuloy, everytime our photographer friends take pictures of dogs, one of us will quip: “O, bakit niyo pini-picture-an yung mga ulam?”. RJ, one of our TF classmates (from here on, I will call the TF participants, classmates), after hearing Kuya Erwin’s story named that dog which sleeps innocently in Alibama’s second floor landing as “foodie”. Btw, that is not foodie in the picture, I just downloaded it from the net as I failed to take his. Sad.
MEET THE SAGADA POGI BOYS.
(not their real photos though, will wait for my TF classmates to upload then I will update =p)
Piolo the Potter.
Muscled man with rosy cheeks, how’s that for a combination? You’ll know at first glance that he is cute but he got even cuter when Di pointed out that he looks like Piolo Pascual. And he sure does. We met him at the pottery house busy monitoring the oven’s temperature, they were cooking the raw materials needed for their artworks or whatever. Kuya Erwin told us that he is a good potter and we believe him. His brown eyes are enough proof. (Ng alin? Haha!). Move over Harry, meron na kaming bagong Potter.
Then, there’s Ronan Keating.
My blond and blue-eyed love. In my dreams. (maarte lang!)
We were with him on the same bus in our trip from Manila to Banawe. He is the usual foreigner backpacker who in full trust of the Lonely Planet’s guide book to the Philippines hopped on some plane from halfway round the world and found himself in the exact same place where a beautiful Filipina (that’s me okay), in the exact same time, decided to spend her long weekend in. The Filipina (which I insist is me - again) did not fail how his upswept do revealed a beautiful and friendly face, and his adventurous spirit made him even more beautiful. The Filipina (me again!) told her classmates that it will complete her vacation if she sees her blond and blue eyed love again on their bus ride home – and she did! Though no words were exchanged, the thought that the Filipina and her blond and blue eyed love were on the same place at the same time is enough to make this Filipina feel like she’s the 9th wonder of the world. Ngeh. Haha!=D
MEET MY TRAVEL FACTOR CONQUER SAGADA CLASSMATES.
I will always remember their names: RJ (Mr. Nice Guy), Ray (Mr. Professor), James (The Other Sagada Pogi Boy), Gilroy (Elaine’s Loverboy), Elaine (Gilroy’s Girl), Di (roomie!) and Allan (Mr. Sony!). Except for Allan and Di which I have known since my FLI days, the rest are complete strangers to me until our Sagada adventure. We were all there for different reasons: some to indulge in a much needed R&R, to see a different place and experience a different culture, to check off an item in their bucket list, to have a good use of a newly-bought DSLR, to bond with friends, to bond with more-than-friends friend, to meet new friends, to do soul searching, maghanap ng sakit ng katawan, to eat non-city food, to have a good excuse to wear our water-proof jackets, to buy souvenirs, to have a new crowd which one can share his knock-knock jokes with, to have something to write about in our blog, para lang masabing may ginawa kang makabuluhan nung long weekend, to satisfy our curiosity about this group called Travel Factor, to heal a broken heart, to find someone to break our heart, para makakita ng kuweba, umakyat ng bundok, bumaba ng bundok, mag-topload sa jeep, matulog ng nakakumot kahit walang electric fan o aircon, and just be somewhere far from the usual place we find ourselves in everyday. Whatever our reasons are, I am just ever thankful that our reasons brought us together in this wonderful place called Sagada where in three days, being strangers meant sharing stories as if each of us has known one another for the longest time, being strangers meant waiting for one another before we start on a meal, where being strangers has completely taken over the concept of friendship.
It was just three days.
It was not a completely different culture.
It was not a trip to India or Tibet where I can claim I did an intense soul searching.
Maybe my being a first-timer to an experience such as this made even the tiniest detail profound.
But it was beautiful. Wonderful. Nice. Wow talaga.
In our last day in Sagada before leaving Echo Valley, our last stop for the day, I told Kuya Erwin, “Ang ganda ng Sagada noh?”. With his poker face dramatically tracing the site where the hanging caves are and in his sexy Ilocano-Kankana-ey-Texan drawl he replied “We awr juzt blezzd meym”.
Translation: We are just blessed Ma’am.
They sure are.
POST NOTES
*I will share the link of the photos taken by my photographer classmates soon.
*Check out http://www.travelfactor.org/ for more trips. *You may get in touch with Kuya Erwin at 0928 690 0062 or putaad26@yahoo.com.ph. He is part of SAGGAS or Sagada Genuine Guides Association.
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