Placement!

Say hello to what's on top of my table at the moment. I have been trying to shift smoothly at keys E, F#, and G# for almost an hour now. This has long been my waterloo. It is now my mission to practice those notes daily for muscle memory. I just hope I'm doing it right!

I'll rest for a while first then continue with JAtR a bit later. I will start on with SLY as well. The vocal exam will take place in a little over a week!

Of Coincidences...

Last Sunday night, I boggled my life with another decision that I should have made weeks ago. In the course of finding what I want to do, one of the many things that popped into my mind was designing sets for stage plays or musicals. I want making big things, literally. I have always been a visual person and I love sets because I think they look majestic.

Scenography is not offered in my country but the basics of interior design can help me on my way there. I asked my theater workshop teacher and theater manager about set design the night before enrolling. They both said that ID will be a good start and I should be an intern for one of the scenographers in the country so I could have a good taste and experience of it all.

PSID, Raffles, and SoFA-ID are my choices for interior design. Raffles is okay but I personally find it too expensive. PSID has a very light schedule but it is so far away. SoFA-ID offers workshops but they coincide with the class I am very much unwilling to let go.

It's funny how I just saw SoFA-ID's updated website when I had to enroll the day after in PSID. SoFA-ID seemed like a good bargain since I will get the taste of what I am looking for in 4 months but, as I said, the schedule coincided with the only days my teacher in CEP-M is available. I was disheartened and I thought of it as a sign to not take it.

My heart was bursting with confusion around midnight and I asked for a sign in my dream if going to PSID, the only available choice, is the correct path. I did not get any because my body was so busy with itself. I woke up to the feeling like I did not sleep. It felt like I jagged down coffee! I was so nervous as if I had to sing or deliver a speech in front of thousands of people.

After much deliberation in my head, I just went for it. I enrolled in PSID less than an hour before the first class. I sat beside a physician who studied in UST and I sat behind a UST Med student who took a leave of absence. At that moment, I felt bizarre. We all had UST Med experiences. To top it off, our professor for that day also took up medicine. I just don't know what happened.

The "take things one step at a time" homily a few months ago felt like it is for ID then Scenography. The incidence of sitting near Med people. The incidence of SoFA-ID not being available because of voice. The incidence of voice. The incidence of liking and being in theater to have advice from the people from it. The incidence of wanting to teach instead and take up film.

A lot of coincidences and weird timings. I am not sure if the universe is messing with me or it is trying to say something. I am still in the process of slowly embracing ID. I still want to do other things. I still want to be great in other things. I have to learn to let go. I have to learn not to rush things. I have to learn to be a people person. There are a lot of things to learn and experience. Right now, I am just overwhelmed of it all.

I need guidance and strength.

Check Up

Warning: This maybe way too much for you to take, read, or care about. TMI. Better if you skip this and read my other posts!

Unsatisfied Customers

I went out with different groups of friends this week and we all happened to have a taste of poor service.

My theater friends and I ate at BonChon. I happened to have almost the same order as my other friend except that she added rice and I added nothing. My order came first even though she ordered first. We let that pass but when this friend of mine saw her exact order landing on the table of not one but 2 or 3 other groups long minutes after I got mine, she started to call the attention of one of the employees. The management trainee came up to her. She told him the problem and after a few minutes her order was given to her. He also got her receipt but after asking for it again, she got it back. He originally took the receipt to check what went wrong. They use computers to punch in orders and they said that my friend's order was not successfully sent to the kitchen. In my friend's opinion, a lot of employees were roaming around the restaurant that time but no one asked her what more she needed even though her number was still on our table. Instead of she calling the employees' attention, she would have much rather wanted them to ask her. At first I thought she could have just let it go since it's just a small deal but after talking sense into me, I realized that complaining would make the restaurant better. They can improve for future customers.

The day after that, I went out with my high school friends and we ate at Chowking. I was okay with my order except for the minor concern that my iced tea tasted a bit like tea tree. My other friend' congee was dry. It looked like gawgaw. All their plates were oily! Even the bottom part. Their utensils were oily as well. I am guessing that whoever is in charge with handling the plates and utensils after cleaning them have hands with oil. One server, whose name I did not get, also had bad aim. My face was almost hit by the plate that he was serving to my other friend. He also missed on getting some plates and tissues from the table. We left them a short message for, hopefully, improvement. It's a fast food restaurant with affordable food so I am not sure what will happen. Is asking for good service too much?

Because of these incidents, I am now very particular with service and I give more importance to receipts as well. I really hope that all the restaurants will give out good service. Your food might be delicious but if your service fails, you will not deliver. If you also happen to experience bad service, go tell the restaurant! It will be for their improvement. Just don't project a really bad attitude while complaining, please!

Sing To Me

I like to hear the music.

Notes woven into a beautiful melody

Songs sung with careful craftsmanship

Interpretations that are moving and sincere

I like to hear the music.

It breaks the wall of indifference

Shatters the concept of impossibility

It touches my heart and makes it sing.

I like to hear the music.

Make me fall

Scatter my senses

Pick up the pieces

I like to hear the music.

Make me believe in bliss

Make me believe I can

Make me believe

I like to hear the music.

The first and last

The one and only

The always

Just Around The Riverbend

I have seen Disney's Pocahontas when I was a kid. Though Pocahontas is not my favorite princess, if she is one, I still liked the first movie. I have listened and sung along with some of its songs growing up, too. Colors of the Wind and Just Around the Riverbend are my favorites!

When my teacher asked if I'm okay with JATR, without hesitation, I said yes. We studied the song and tried to apply some techniques. She asked me to memorize one of the five songs she picked for me and I chose this one. I originally wanted Someone Like You (from Jekyll and Hyde) but I thought I might give this a try first. I find it easier to sing as well. I have an exam at the end of the month and as along as I am not completely confident with my techniques, I think it's best that I should stay in the safe side first before becoming "adventurous".

I have tried singing and listening to the song again and again but I only tried to understand its meaning this morning. Funny how I have been singing it without actually looking deeper into it. After scrutinizing the song, I appreciated it better and found it amazing because I can actually relate to it!

Pocahontas' father wanted her to marry Kocoum. He wanted the safe road for her. I don't remember the story so much but I think Kocoum can make Pocahontas' life better. He is strong, respects tradition, and loves Pocahontas. Pocahontas, however, did not want to be bound to a guy whom she does not love. She would much rather be adventurous on her own because she knows she would be happy in that case.

Pocahontas' father likened marriage to a river. It is steady and calm. Pocahontas thought differently. A river for her is constantly changing. It flows and a lot of unexpected things come out of it. Pocahontas and her father are both correct. Some rivers are steady while some rivers are pretty wild. If you are a mature person, the option of having a sturdy, steady life is something good. However, given the forked river, Pocahontas chose the path less traveled. This does not mean she is not mature. She realized what she has to give up to be happy and that made all the difference. She still hoped that something amazing is waiting for her around the riverbend. She would rather take risks than be steady. Not a lot will choose that, but she did. Not a lot saw what kind of life there is around the riverbend, but she did.

In life, there will always be a constant struggle of doing things that get you through the night and doing things that will make your dreams take flight. There is joy and pain in both sides. I say why not do both? Find something that makes you calm yet always make time for things that thrill you. I think it's better to know and try the what could have been than to just think about it. Don't just be safe. Don't just lose the chance of ever knowing what's around the riverbend.

(And yes, I did the simple graphics.)

Trust No One

I lost a pretty large sum of money last year. However, I was civil, or maybe too civil, to act upon it. I did not put up a war or blame anyone. I figured that I can "earn" the money again with my allowance in school. I shrugged it off.

I had a pretty bad night last night and I was hoping that the morning will be different. Boy, was I wrong! I opened my drawer and found something amiss. I sort of have photographic memory and I know where I put things (or at least the important ones) so I can immediately tell if a thing is misplaced.

My small wallet, ID facing up, was on top of my iPod. It should be below my iPod, ID facing down. I panicked and immediately checked the contents. To my surprise (imagine that--I still get surprised) and disappointment, I lost the one thousand bills.

Though the amount is almost 99% less than what I lost last year, I still lost money and whoever stole it before is still doing it! I cannot earn it back because there is no school so I don't have allowance. The money I get these days is from the amount they give when I go out with friends. And heck, don't get me started with job! I digress.

Shame on you if you fool me once, shame on me if you fool me twice. When will I learn to keep the money properly?! Ugh.

Pissed, Sad, and Unreasonable

Let's get this straight. Rather than typing this, I know that I should be doing other productive things but I just want to get this out of my system first.

My degree does not offer any internship. It offers a very limited array of jobs and most of which are not to my complete liking. Why did I not think about this before if I knew this would happen? Heck, I do not know. I was too disinterested with the future and I just focused on what was given to me at those times.

The corporate world is very new to me. I am scared that it will eat me alive.

I am a Type 1. I have the need to know everything first before I venture into something. I want to know what I must do and how I must do things. Training for newbies is not always available in companies. If so, they only teach the way around the company and not the work itself. I feel so lost already.

I just left med school. The pressure of having to find a career path that equals or surpasses the experience and salary of being a doctor is really a heavy burden... most especially when the side comments come from my family. I have almost always been on top and now I am at the bottom I feel like I am nothing. And it sucks. I just made a "wrong move" (i.e. A move that costed a lot of pain for the people who cannot accept) and I am scared to do another. I want to make it right but I do not know what is right and what is proper.

I do not know where to start. I feel like a kid who was left alone to survive and fend for herself without any skill or knowledge of what is out there. I need guidance. Correct, unjudged guidance.

After months of "inactivity", I must admit that I have lost a lot of my spirit to fight life head on. I have become scared. I feel like I am good for nothing. Those feelings are really hard to live by.

I have been eating some of the best fishes of the sea but I know not to catch even the small ones. I do not really know how they expect me to steer my life when I was not really given the freedom to do so before. I do not want to blame but I just do not like the expectations.

Hello, Hormones!

This might be TMI but it's my 3rd day today and only now did my hormones actually act up. Having said that though, I can be moody without it.

I just woke up to an order of fried chicken and fries given to me. I am on a diet. As much as I want to and should be thankful for the meal, I felt bad about it. I also feel bad when other foods out of my diet are given to me. I know that other people would kill for a meal and I should be grateful that I don't have to work for it yet. It's just that I hope that other people would understand that I have my diet too. I want to like the situation to a vegetarian being given meat. Mine is a lot less drastic but I am on one and I want to respect it.

I want to avoid fried foods. It's for a healthier life. I am really sorry that I refused but I want to be healthy and I want maintain whatever it is I believe I want to maintain.

This kind of sucks more because I feel for the hungry and the ones who gave me food. You might say that I should just give it to the needy but I do not want them to be dependent on people who give them food. I believe in teaching people how to fish rather than giving them fish. Regardless if it's a one time case; it starts there. If I eat the meal, they will still be hungry.

Don't get me wrong. I really am thankful that my parents look after us. I am beyond blessed to have them. I just don't want to eat this. To resolve this problem, I am going to give the meal to my always-hungry brother. Less guilt.

Goodness, I wonder how many people will bash on me after reading this. I hope I made you understand somehow. This is quite a long post for something that could be stated in a very short manner.

"Survey"

I was not feeling sleepy yet a few minutes ago so I decided to check back on my Multiply account. They said that they will close the site in December so anyone who wants to keep their files should get them from the site already. I was not in the mood to get my files yet so I just browsed my account. I even directed myself to my old blog in Xanga. It feels like aeons ago! I did not even remember some of the things I wrote. No memory of such ever came back. It feels so weird; it's like I have memory problems!

I could not help but cringe upon seeing the things I wrote and worse how I wrote them! What was I seriously thinking?! I even noticed something I did not notice before. The topics I wrote about were very small and egoistic. It might be because I was young then but, nonetheless, those things must be purged! I mean, I blogged how I liked "Wake Me Up When September Ends" because my teacher would end her teaching career that September. I was so mean. Whoever wrote that?!

On a brighter side, I have changed... for good. I have grown from those embarrassing posts. Thank goodness.

Before leaving it all in the past, I thought to answer a survey again like the old days. Read on?

Potted Potter

(Summary/Highlights)

I am a big fan of Harry Potter! I have only read up to the 4th book but I have seen all the films. I even memorized the script of the second film at one point of my life. No matter how less I have read, the stories, the characters, and basically, J.K. Rowling’s imagination have made me admire the books. Once I have heard about the show Potted Potter coming to Manila, I immediately got excited!

The cheap seats were taken so fast so we bought the more expensive ones. I was with my little brother and my mom when we watched last Saturday (5 pm) at the RCBC Auditorium. I crammed my contest entry regarding gender equality that morning and afternoon so we were not able to eat at GB for lunch and snack anymore. We just bought the spaghetti at Country Style at the floor below the auditorium. I have eaten that meal for how many times already and for the same reason (quick meal before a show) but, I have to say, their spaghetti is really yummy! After a quick bite at Country Style we headed to our seats already.

When we came in the theater, the set was covered with white sheets except for the Hogwart’s train and the table with all the HP books. Jesse and Gary were already seen by the audience before the show even started. Gary sat on the Hogwart’s Express while Jesse mingled with some of the audience at orchestra right. Our family was one of those. My brother gave him a cheeky wave that’s why he caught his attention. We shook hands and he asked us questions about HP. It’s all fun and simple.

In the duration of the play, Jesse was the funnier one maybe because he got to play everyone else besides Harry. He pretended that he did not know a lot about the books which shows at the first part of the show when Gary asked him to write something on his forehead to make the audience know that he was Harry. Instead of writing a scar, he wrote the word Harry on Gary’s forehead! Gary, on the other hand, was more of the expert of the books so he really wanted the storytelling to be correct and exciting. Nonetheless, he was funny as well. They said initially that they would try to summarize each book for 10 minutes. How can one summarize 300+ pages in 10 minutes? Well, they went overtime but they did give out the gist of every book.

The three props that were covered in sheets were revealed to be the Forbidden Forest (Boracay with the “scary” lobster), a wardrobe (from Narnia--- Jesse got the prop wrong; you may think it was for the bogart but it was really a screen for the projector and a back wardrobe for the other props), and a “spooky” coffin. A coat hanger was also part of the set. It had various wigs and hats.

Jesse and Gary were the perfect team. They were like always on the same line of thought and they made spontaneous jokes together. They even researched about Boracay, Ateneo, and walis tingting to make the jokes local. However, there was one joke that nobody laughed at and Jesse said, “This work doesn’t work in Manila” and everyone laughed after. I loved the script as well! The sort-of inside jokes on Bambi as a petronus, the division of DH to camping and death in the films, The Tales of Beedle the Bard being about death (compared to the awesome heirloom pieces Dumbledore gave to Harry and Ron), Twilight, etc. were super hilarious! The whole show was really packed with energy and enthusiasm. It must have been very tiring for the both them!

The whole show was great! The parts that I really loved (because, honestly, I loved the whole show) were the Quidditch, the prophecy, and the narration of the DH.

Two big hoops were placed at the ends of the loge area nearest the stage. The entire orchestra was divided into Gryffindor and Slytherin. One big beach ball served as the Quaffle. I was pissed that those at the center treated the ball as a beach ball. No one stood up and actually tried to shoot the “Quaffle”; they just passed it around. No worries though for we were left with the seekers. Two young volunteers, a quiet girl for Slytherin and a cheeky boy for Gryffindor, were called on stage. The boy told Jesse that he could not speak so much. It was supposed to be a secret at first and I thought he just wanted to pee so badly but the audience ended up knowing in the end. He kept on giggling and giving thumbs up. His wizard hat fell a lot of times too because he couldn’t keep so still! Gary was dressed as the snitch, sparkly tights with ball-like jumper and all, and they had to bring him down to the floor. Slytherin won and she got herself a chocolate frog. Gryffindor was given a choice between 2 punishments. Jesse brought out a big water gun and asked the boy if he would rather have his face shot with water or have a chocolate bar as well but the entire Gryffindor (audience) would be shot with water. At first, I thought he was joking but then I saw the water dripping from the water gun. I already prepared myself to get wet because the boy was a kid and kids usually care more about themselves. To my surprise, the boy “sacrificed” himself but asked if he could just shoot him at his belly. Jesse even tried giving him the chocolate frog but he refused with a big no. The kid was so adorable! Jesse ended up giving the chocolate to the kid’s mom anyway and shooting everyone in the audience (more to the boy) with water. Jesse didn’t shoot water to the kid’s belly nor his face on stage, mind you. The water shooting happened after he got back to his seat.

The prophecy about Harry and Voldemort’s death turned about to be really funny. Gary pretended as Harry and Jesse as Dumbledore. Harry asked what “one shall live and the other must die” meant but Dumbledore just mumbled and repeated the prophecy. Harry again asked who will live since Dumbledore was the greatest wizard alive but Dumbledore just said the prophecy again. Harry lowered his standards and just asked for a clue. Dumbledore repeated the prophecy. It was so funny because of the manner and actions of Jesse! “One shall live” was pronounced in a high tone with raised right arm while “the other must die” was pronounced in a low tone with lowered left arm. Jesse said the line around 10 times, I guess, with the same power. He even asked some audience members to continue the phrase. Jesse said, “one shall…” and an audience member he pointed at responded with “live” at a high voice considering he was a guy! That brought tears to my eyes. It was funny. And yes, it never gets old!

One of the last parts of the show included a narration of the important events in DH. As Gary narrated, Jesse went around the wardrobe a couple of times to dress up as whoever Gary mentioned. My favorite was Voldemort with Nagini! It came to a point when Gary mentioned a lot of names in a sentence that Jesse went haywire! It was so funny!

If you are curious about the fire-breathing dragon that had been proudly advertised and had created excitement for Gary (since Jesse was in charge with props) and the audience, it was a cute puppet that, I suppose, breathed out “cotton fire”. It really looked like tongue to me though. Gary was disappointed because, for the entire show, Jesse said that he cut out some of the budget for the 20 brilliant actors, flying Ford Anglia, etc. He got Gary back though when he made the dragon soar with hands and said, “Phantom of the Opera does not have that!” Most of the props were simple and toned down, really. Dobby was a puppet. Nagini was a red stuffed toy snake. Ron wore a bright orange wig. Hermione wore a hat with plaits. Hagrid wore Afro wig. Sirius had a Scottish hat. The others wore various wizard hats.

Some of the other funny scenes included:

• Jesse putting in his mouth a chocolate that Gary had stepped on! I never got the chocolate part really (after bringing the light back via deluminator, Jesse had chocolate all over his mouth and some on the floor). Jesse did not know what Gary had done but regardless, it was on the floor. I am not being mean but it was good fun!
• Jesse and Gary singing “I Will Survive” at the end of the show. They changed the lyrics to fit the story. It was cool! I would have appreciated it better though if I heard the lyrics clearly. It was either too fast or the background music overpowered them.

I never took my smile off my face and I might even have laughed the entire show through! It was really funny and witty. My brother and my mom laughed hard too and that made me really happy. This show is a real treat to all HP lovers. The budget for the set and props was downplayed because of the comedic script. It made everything seem appropriate. The script was great. The actors made the entire acting community proud. This is definitely one of the greatest shows I have ever seen!

Tagaytay with the 'Roos!

Story here.

Misibis (Part 2)

Day 2

After we ate breakfast, we headed off to the beach for some water activities! They offer a lot of water activities, motorized and not. The good thing is, the non-motorized activities are for free as long as no one else is using it. We hung out by the beach first then tried the Hobie Cat! I have always wanted to sail ever since my voice doctor showed me pictures of her sailing! The staff of Misibis Bay controlled the sail and we just sat there. We didn’t take any pictures because, well, we didn’t have any! It was fun and a bit scary! We traveled on zigzag until the shore was a tiny piece of land from our view. My brother and father were on the same side while my mother and I were on the other side. My brother and I were in front while our parents were behind us. On the first part of the ride, only my brother mainly got soaked. The water splashed on his face and body at almost every wave! It was so funny because he kept on laughing and talking! It was so fun! On the way back, I was the one that got soaked. I was not wearing goggles like the rest of my family. I wore shades. I had to hold them so they don’t go overboard. Saltwater in my eyes and nose. Not so fun but YOLO. My mom was afraid of deep waters so it’s also a YOLO moment for her. Our speed and the depth of the water would have made any fearful person scared like hell. My mom was cool. 

My brother who's about to hit the waters!

After our first sailing!

I tried the standing paddle after. It was a lot harder than I thought! Balancing over wavy waters was pretty hard. I don’t surf either so imagine me. I was able to stand a few times though. I then decided to try wind surfing because I thought that it would be easier since I will be able to hold onto something. The staff told me some basic information and we hit the waters! I was pretty psyched when we moved! I did not really get some of his instructions because I am really specific with directions. His words did not always match with what he taught me at the shore and what we were doing on the waters. I got by though. It was super fun! He kept on giving instructions and I kept on asking so many questions. I fell a few times and it felt really good! There was a time though when we really fought against the wind with so much force and we didn’t fall! Achievement! I was able to windsurf with a guy with me on the board. Not bad, eh? It could have been better if I was alone but I didn’t mind! I was not very capable yet at that time. Besides, we had to ride the Hobie Cat again so I left. I plan on trying it again soon. Anyway, the second ride at the Hobie Cat was rougher! I wore my goggles already as a lesson learned. My brother was still laughing and talking too much. I was dragged by the water on the way back! Had I not held tightly, I would have gone off my seat and to the middle of the Hobie Cat, or worse, overboard! That was scary for me. Scary, but fun! There was a strap at our feet but I don’t think that it would help so much in that situation. I sunbathed for a while since I really wanted to get some tan. It was so legit because I even ordered mango juice while sunbathing. Too summer! 

Whaddup!

We swam at the pool after. We don't usually swim at the beach. I made the most of being under the sun before eating lunch. It was really yummy but it took so long to arrive. We went straight to the zipline area right after. Don't worry, no one puked. They had 2 ziplines and you really have to ride both to go at the main landing area. I loved the first one! It was the fastest (and quite scariest) one I have ridden so far. You even twist at the middle and hit the end really hard! I chanced upon a luge area in the making while on the ride! That would be another fun activity! The second one was shorter but the land below was deeper! It's fun, nonetheless.

Me at the second zipline

We freshened up and rested for a while in the room before we had the sunset cruise. The water was still pretty rough so we went to Path B. Path A was overlooking Mayon. Path B was overlooking Rapu Rapu Islands. The boat was pretty cozy. We were around 10-15 and there were 3 staff members with us. They gave out free water and chips. My brother ate most of our share. The view was great! The water was clear. The rock formations were like the ones in Palawan. The staff warned us that the stone in front of us when we stopped was with wild monkeys! No monkeys were in sight though. Thank goodness. We had a short dinner after and we went to bed.

At the Sun Cruise

My brother munching on the chips!

The view!

See that island in the middle? The guy said that stray cats are put and left there with no food whatsoever. I feel bad for the cats!

Day 3

We swam in the pool nearest us. It felt very private because we were the only ones who used it! I did a few laps and showered after. We had to leave early for our flight at 2 in the afternoon. We waited for some guests 30 minutes after expected time of departure and we did more waiting at the airport itself. We decided to eat at Buffet, a restaurant that is a stone's throw away from the airport. Their buffet was only around 200 pesos and their food was yummy! I personally loved chicken adobo. Their iced tea in a pitcher cost less than 50 pesos. Their place even had a view of the CCTV camera in the airport so guests will know if their palne was on the tarmac already. Good food, cheap food, cheap drinks, CCTV view, flat screen TVs, piano music, cold place, spacious washroom... Not bad! Not bad at all.

Presidential plane at Legazpi!

I missed my opportunity to audition for 9W because of this trip but I don't see that as a bad thing. I loved the  stay and seeing the majestic Mayon everyday, everywhere in the area! The people were nice and the food was yummy. I was not really ready for the audition and the play anyway so I guess missing out is not bad at all. I got my tan. I got sunburnt actually but it's okay. I got to bond with my family. We were safe. We were happy. It's all fun! Oh, I definitely recommend Misibis Bay!

Misibis (Part 1)

Last August 19-21, our family had a short vacation in Bicol to celebrate my mom's birthday the week before. I have never gone to Bicol so I was pretty excited about the trip. The excitement increased the night before leaving when I checked out the website of the place we would be staying in. A lot of activities were in stored for us and I couldn't be happier!

Day 1

I slept late the night before leaving so my hair would be curled in the morning. I am a girl; I sacrifice sleep for things like this. We arrived at the airport at around 7 am and ate at Cinnabon for breakfast. We didn't wait long for the plane because we arrived pretty late at the airport itself. It was already the last call for all Legazpi passengers. Eep! Anyway, I slept through most part of the plane ride. However, I was blessed to be awake when we were about to land already. As I looked outside the window, I saw a rather beautiful piece of elevated land. I have never seen such up close in my air trips before. I immediately thought of the Mayon Volcano! After a few seconds of awe, I asked my brother if he thought that it was the Mayon. He agreed and we both stared. It was really majestic. I don't know why some people don't describe it having perfect triangle shape anymore. It still seemed so. The mixture of greens and grays were a delight. I loved the lava trails. It was really beautiful!

I just couldn't let the moment pass so I got my camera and took a picture of it! Too bad its beauty cannot be encapsulated in this shot!

We arrived early for the check in time at the hotel so my mom opted to have the city tour ahead. It was scheduled beforehand and was still under Misibis Bay, which is where we would be staying at the rest of our stay. We went to the Lignon Hill (or is it Hills?) to have a good view of Mayon but the sky was not clear and none of us wanted to ride the zip line so we left after a few minutes. Going down the hill, we passed by the Japanese Tunnel and we thought that it would be cool to visit it. We did! Well, the three of us did, to be exact. My brother got scared (or just did not want to bend for a long period of time) so he waited outside. The cave was small and lighted with fluorescent bulbs. Japanese soldier figures were stationed at the "big stops". It was pretty hot inside and you really have to bend low to go from one stop to another. Well, being in a cave is cool enough for me! The tour guide was kind and very accommodating too!

My brother and I in the pick-up van! My curls did not even reach Bicol!

Free water

At Lignon Hills

The trash bin had a solar panel! Green!

Outside the Japanese Tunnel

My mom and I inside the tunnel with the Japanese soldier figure.

My dad and I at the part with a higher headroom

With the creepy figure just outside the tunnel

Our next stop was the Cagsawa Ruins. I have only seen this place in pictures so I was pretty psyched that we were going there. A lot of tourists were in the site and a number of credited tour guides were there as well. The name of our guide has skipped my head but he was really informative and entertaining. His English was not bad as well. He mentioned that the government trained them to be tour guides. He, as a lot of locals in the area, also offered to take trick pictures of us by the ruins. We gave it a shot (no pun intended) and handed our cameras to him. I have to say that I was impressed of how he knew his way around our cameras! I am not sure if it's part of the training or he just really knows the place (lighting, good angles, and all) and the devices. His fee was not expensive at all so my dad gave him a big tip! He deserved it!

Kudos to finding good lighting

One of the classic trick shots! My family behind is so... theaterical! :)

We visited a small church after. The guide said that the church is not white, per se. It's just the limestone wash that made it white. It's used to protect it from the acidity and ash from the volcano. We also got a box of pili goodies at Albay Pilinut Candy. They give free tastes of some products so we tried some first before buying a lot. Their products are good! Also, their walls are filled with pictures of celebrities that have dropped by at their store. Based on that, I'm guessing that they are popular in the country. We had a short lunch at 7 degrees after. It was my first time to eat Bicol Express! Before going to Bicol, I was thinking what their famous cuisine is. Nothing came to mind. Seeing the big chili peppers at the Cagsawa Ruins didn't ring any bells as well. I really had a moment when I said, "Oh yeah, Bicol Express is from Bicol!"

We then had an hour ride to Misibis Bay. We were welcomed by dancing people in costumes, hot towels, and lemon juice. So refreshing! I did not prefer the smell of the towel though. It smelled like strong perfume. After a few minutes of waiting at the lobby, we were taken to our room via golf cart. The cement paths were pretty small and we were surprised that the golf carts were able to pass there. We had an adjoining room. The color theme of the room is bright orange and white. The bed was comfy. I didn't like the blinds, though, and the bathroom. The blinds were noisy and the bathroom had separate rooms for the toilet and shower and it did not have locks. Nothing big, though. We visited the church and amphitheater. The church was only operational when there are weddings. It had a really nice exterior and clean interior. The amphitheater reminded me of Camp Rock 2! This was the pit stop of an episode of Amazing Race Asia. It's pretty cool if you ask me! The staff said that some use the area for dinner. I mean, I would have understood if it was for a performance, but for dinner? Way too romantic! We had dinner at the buffet that night. I liked everything besides the Kare Kare. 

Mama while waiting at the lobby. She's holding the list of the activities Misibis Bay offers!

Our room!

This is my favorite part of the room. Comfy chairs. Glass windows.

The Misibis church

At the amphitheater! Ain't it awesome?

My brother behind the big rocks.

Me on "stage"

Imagine this view while eating! Love it.

To be continued...