now i remember

now i remember why i left in the first place. now i remember the experience. now i remember the stress. now i remember that familiar headache.
that's why i'm NEVER going back.

i'm back

everyone that i come across has been asking me: are you back?
yes, i'm back in the polluted, congested city, to the daily grind of 9-to-5, to the expensive lunches, to the shopping sprees. no more benguet coffee, midday naps, fresh strawberries everyday.
...but only for a limited time. yes, i'm back at my old magazine job, working on a special project. but i haven't completely said goodbye to my highland home. i'll be back soon... i can't help it.

even time is disturbed!

from the mar. 12, 2007 time magazine:

absolutely no words necessary

*sigh*

PG overnighter

Being in Puerto Galera was comfortable. I was glad to play “tour guide” to Iza and Cos—both of whom had never been to PG. 1 realization though: the quiet of Talipanan is for me. Not the confusion of White Beach. Certainly not the frenetic Sabang, the decaying La Laguna, or the too-uppity Coco Beach. I like the Lost/Survivor vibe of Haligi, but I just can’t get over the ominous feeling that the boat won’t come back for you and you’ll have to make like Tom Hanks without Wilson.

So between sleeping and swimming, I managed to find time and companions to reveal Talipanan to…and of course, once again eat at Luka’s! We met the owners and their cute little son, Emiliano, and basked in the sound of the waves and European music in the background. A hammock, sea breeze, waves, and Italian food—good for the body and soul!

It was a very laidback OB. And a welcome change. We got “Heroes” symbol tattoos to boot!

options

I have a lot of options right now. Whether to stay or go. Whether to go here or there. Whether to settle for what’s comfortable or something that will make use of my talents. I’m confused. My sister says I should feel lucky that I have options. I feel blessed, I do. I just wish God would light that neon sign to show where I’m meant to go. In the meantime, I wait…

i'm going back

i'm going back to puerto galera! i'm so excited!!!:O

yummy sagada

It’s been a while—more than a year!—so I decided that a trip to Sagada, however short, was in order. I have this idea that it will be (at least) an annual visit for me. It will be my own little “tradition”. Granted, it’s just the second year…but traditions are made of these little things, right?

I love Sagada for the cold, the bone-chilling night winds, and the quiet that seems to pervade and permeate everything—even the waters of the river. To be honest, I haven’t been inside any of the caves and I’ve never eaten at Log Cabin, nor have I stayed at St. Jo’s. I like to do the not-so-touristy things there: walk around the market buying tea leaves and oranges, wave at the kids passing by on their way to/from school, eat.:-)

On my latest trip, with Dazzie and new friends Cliff and Reggie, I “discovered” 2 places to have yummy, inexpensive food: Cocina Igorota and the Coop Canteen. They’re both located beside the hospital and before the church.

I had heard stories of how good the cakes, especially the lemon meringue pie, are at the Coop. And at only P150/pie—I had to visit! I have to say, everything we tried: the chocolate cake, pineapple upside down cake, and yoghurt lived up to the hype. Yum yum yum!

The entrance to Cocina Igorota is deceptive and difficult—as if they don’t really want visitors! You pass by the gazebo inside the hospital premises, then come to a clean, carinderia-type setup. The food is home-cooked, the portions generous—you can even ask for extra rice and veggies. Yummy, fresh veggies.

Thus, the title of this post. Hehe!