Cheap Things To Do in Dubai #1 (Dubai Creek Park)

As many know Dubai is known for it's tourism industry. And with that comes also the knowledge that it is not a cheap city. And take it from me, it can get really expensive but I guarantee you, you will have a once in a lifetime experience when you come to visit the country I consider home for a couple of years now.

And as an expat in this beautiful country, I've come to know places that is very authentically Dubai but comes easy on the budget, and some of it is FREE!!

In this series, I wanna share with you things/activity you can do for free or just easy on the budget.

First in my list is the most famous park in Dubai, the Dubai Creek Park, located in Oud Metha.

How to get there?
Take the green line from Burjuman Metro Station or Union Metro Staion, drop down in Oud Metha Metro Station, go out to exit 1 then take the C7 bus going to the Creek Park. You can tell the bus driver to drop u in the park and they all know already where to drop you. Infairness to the bus drivers here in Dubai, most of them knew all their routes, I think it's kinda part of their requirement to passed as a driver here. Ride costs 3aed.

The park is so wide, you can enter thru in any of it's five gates. Yeah, it's that big it has five gates!!
In it there is a Dolphinarium, a bird show, a 3D chopper ride, childern playground, and it is beside a creek mine you, that's where the name came from I think. And there are also designated places for grilling. Perfect for family/friends get together. You can also pitch a tent there if you want to. It has free water too, cold water. And the entrance in the park is 5aed only.

So if your one of those people who loves to just sit and feel one with nature with the greenery of the area that you will not believe you are still in a desert country, Yallah, this one is for you.

P.S Please take care of your trash please, let us all help out in maintaining this beautiful park for the future.

Xoxo,
Cherrie

Thoughts On Year 2017

A few days after the new year, I have not even summarized what year 2017 had been. It had gone by so fast, I still felt like I just celebrated new year and now another year passed again in a blink of an eye. But nonetheless, it was a great year.Always thankful and grateful for all the opportunities and experiences I had, may it be bad or good, it still help me become who I am today and I am still a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and where we are right now is where we should be and is preparing us to where we are meant to be.

This post is meant to be a reminder to everyone of how blessed we are, and should be grateful in where we are at the moment. We might not have all the things that we hope we have by now but please bear in mind always that we have all the things we need. We might not see them as important as they ought to be but believe me they are. We may forget to be thankful for the little things in life since they are always there, and we always tend to take them for granted. On my part, I must admit, I had a lot of complains last year that made me see the good things less. When we complain we overlook other things coz we are so focused on the negative side of things and we are not seeing the bright side of it, our perspective changed to negative outlook all the way and that makes life more challenging and complicated. It makes life harder not just for ourselves but for the people around us.

What I learned from the past year is that you cant control anything. Controlling things just make life  harder. Yet, we can control on how to react to the things that are happening to us. That's the time we have control on things, and the time that we are the ones who are in charge of our lives.
As much as how we think we had planned our lives or thought that things should be that way or this way, it will never be that way. Life has its own unique way of teaching us the hows and whys of it.
It will hit us hard, knock us out by surprise but when we get the hang of it, learned to dance with it, its more easier for us to play and decide what we want in our lives. It may take some time for us to be at peace with where we are right now, but its just alright, no one gets this life figured out. We are all still writing the pages of our own story. Remember also that it will take hundreds of pages to make a good story, so just continue writing your story, maybe you are just in the beginning or midway, as long as you are still writing, you are doing fine. Continue writing beautiful, kind and heartwarming story that someday the world would like to read.

In the past year I also learned to not give a damn and just live my life as it is. People will always have something to say assumed things, even if they don't know the whole story and we cannot do anything about it.The way people treat you reflects who they are, the way you treat people reflects who you are. It is as simple as that. You cannot please anyone and it is alright, not all people likes you anyway, that's how life is. As long as you are not taking advantage or abusing someone, you are fine. Walk away from people that takes away your peace of mind. Be at peace with yourself and believe in the power that is bigger than you. Have faith in whatever that makes you believe in far greater than what you are seeing or experiencing. Believe in God. Believe in your God. Have faith. Faith in God. And lastly, PRAY.

In conclusion, 2017 was a year of growth, hope, faith, and love. Thank you for the year that it was, for all the smiles, laughter, trials, blessings, craziness, guts, leap of faith and for awesome people that made life more interesting this year.

SHUKRAAN 2017!

What is Thanksgiving..?

What is Thanksgiving?

According to Wikipedia, it is a national holiday celebrated primarily in the United States of America and in Canada as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the proceeding year. Several other places in the world observe similar celebrations. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States and of the second Monday of October in Canada. Thanksgiving has a historic roots in religious and cultural tradition, and has long been celebrated in secular manner as well. There are also countries who don't celebrate Thanksgiving like Philippines and all muslim countries like the UAE. Though we don't have a specific dates to celebrate Thanksgiving here in this side of the world,everyday should be Thanksgiving day. We should be thankful not just for the things that we asked and given to us but most especially for the little things that somethimes we all have taken for granted. Little things that without it life would be nothing, like just waking up each morning, we forget that is the most basic thing that we should be thankful for, for there are people who doesn't even wake up after they sleep. The air we breathe, the water that comes to us abundantly and many more.

Do you know how the official national Thanksgiving Day come about?
It's Sara J. Hale, the editior of the poplular women's magazine Godey's Lady's Book. She wrote a Thanksgiving Day editorial in the September 1863 issue of her magazine. Up until that time, there had been no official National Thanksgiving Day. Her thought on being thankful revolved around Nehemial 8:10 that says "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LOrd is your strength". When the issue came off the press, she sent a copy to President Lincoln. At that time President Lincoln had bigger worries than establishing a day on which to be thankful. The country was in the middle of a Civil War. The union armies had lose battles to the confederates on many fronts. Many of his generals were worried more about the cut of their uniforms than about the young men dying under their commands. Newspaper blasted the president, no matter what he did or didn't do. Some members of the cabinet made fun of him, called him names behind his back. The presidency of the United States of America seemed to be on the verge of crumbling. Along with the country itself-not exactly the time to give thanks! President Lincoln reads Mrs. Hale's editorial. And despite his political and personal troubles, on October 3, 1863, he declared the last Thursday of November to be a National Thanksgiving Day.

Saying Thank You is so easy. Those two words can make all the difference in another person's entire day. Maybe you remember saying thank you to your mom and dad for clean clothes, good food and just for being there when you needed them. Maybe you tell the pastor thank you for a sermon well done or to a total stranger whom have shown you a simple act of kindness, maybe to a man who have opened a door for you, to the guy who gave up his seat for you in the metro or to that lady who gave you direction when you didn't know where to go and the list could go on and on.. But there are people to whom you may not said thank you but whom you really appreciate for their good example, for their faithfullness, for the time and effort they give to make your life a little more comfortable-such as the bus drivers that take you to work everyday, to the girl who give you your coffee everyday, to the lady in the reception area that greats you every morning upon entering the building, to the delivery guy who delivers your food, to the security guard in your building, to the cashier, to the janitor who throws your thrash,to that person that always asked how are you and so on.., these are the people that make our life comfortable yet we always forget to appreciate, people who we feel can do nothing for us yet they are the people that is the most deserving to be appreciated and saying thank you to.

Saying thank you is important. Being thankful is a choice, not a chance. That means, no matter what else is happening in our lives, we can chose to be thankful and discover that we are THANKFUL, we are HAPPY.
Therefore, we can choose to be HAPPY just by being THANKFUL.
Make sense right..?

Just like what President Lincoln did,he didn't wait until the end of the war to be thankful. He declared his gratitute and praise at a time when it seemed he had the least for which to be thankful. The message in Nehemial 8:10 is just that-the joy of giving thanks to the Lord is your strenght.
It's easy to say thank you when everything is terrific, but when things go bad, the true joy of thankfulness gives strength.- "the joy of the Lord is our strength".

Being thankful is a good habit to develop. So, let us all be thankful to the Lord not only for the blessings but also for the trials and tribulations that come our way.

Let us say thank you to the people around us whom we know deserved our sinceremost THANK YOU.

Have a blessed THANKSGIVING people!!

By Taking Your Hand

By taking your hand,
I went to a whole new world.
A world I never thought would exist for me.
A world where fairytales seems so likely.
Dreams turned into reality.
And am feeling giggly.
You made butterflies fly.
Fireworks light up the sky.
You became my sole light.

But like anything that's new,
In a world that's all brand new,
I suddenly don't know what to do.
I doubted what YOU and I can do.
I lost sight of the bright side,
Focused on the downside.
Insecurities cut deep,
Deep enough to made it slip.
And just like that I lost you,
In a way that I never meant to.

You said,
Fly high and you'll reach the sky,
Spread your wings and you'll soar high.
But for me to learn to fly,
Like beautiful birds up in the sky.
You did what you have to do.
We flew high and then U let go...

Fall For Someone Who...

Fall for someone who you can call HOME.

Fall for someone who will text you Good Morning and Good Night. Someone who's day will not be complete without it.

Fall for someone who will make time for you, not someone who will just see you when they're free.

Fall for someone who will not say, I'm busy.

Fall for someone who sees your need even before you do.

Fall for someone who will tell you they are mad at you.

Fall for someone who sees you like you were magic.

Fall for someone who will not make you think that love is hard.

Fall for someone who you can laugh with all your grossness.

Fall for someone who loves your weirdness.

Fall for someone who tolerates your craziness yet scolds you when you've gone too far.

Fall for someone who encourages you to be a better version of who you are.

Fall for someone who not only wants you for sex.

Fall for someone who says SORRY.

Fall for someone who's not afraid to show you their feelings.

Fall for someone who's not afraid to cry in front of you.

Fall for someone who makes you say I LOVE YOU like it's a given.


But most importantly, fall for someone who LOVES YOU. Sometimes, having someone who LOVES YOU is more than just enough.

And when you've finally found that someone, please love him like he does and take good care of him.

Ramadan: Do's and Don'ts

Since I am living in a Muslim country and it is Ramadan season, I decided to write a short guidelines of the Do's and Don'ts for non-muslims during Ramadan.

No eating and drinking in public.
Muslims fast from dawn til dusk, meaning they are not allowed to eat nor drink on this time. And as a respect to them, do not eat or drink in public places for they might see you and it's kinda disrespectful.

Dress Modestly.
As much as possible, women must wear clothes that covers the shoulders and knees.

No PDA.
Yeah, we get it. You two are so in love, but please no PDAs during Ramadan please., you might get into trouble doing it.

Respect Prayer Time.
If you see someone praying, please do not disturb them or make noise near them, worst don't make fun of them.

Say YES to Iftar.
If a Muslim friend invites you to have Iftar (it is the meal that breaks the fast) it is impolite to say NO.

May the spirit of Ramadan be upon us, not just during the season but in our day to day life.

Ramadan Mubarak!! :-)

Mandi: An Arab Traditional Food

It is said that "When ur in Rome, be a Roman.", so as I am in the middle east.. I will say "When in Arabia, be an Arab."..!

After a year and a half living in the middle east, I have finally adjusted and been trying to adapt, live and eating like a local. The picture above is a traditional Arabian dish called Mandi. It is based in rice, meat (lamb or chicken) and spices. Unlike Biryani, it is not that spicy. If your not into spicy food, you will love it. And the chicken in it is so tender and juicy. I think they marinated the chicken overnight for it to be so tender and tasty and juicy. So if you gonna visit the middle east one day, Mandi is a must try food.

Al'ukul Alssaeid!! :-)

Trust me, YOU are more than fine.

You are doing fine. It's okay to not be okay. It's okay to wonder what life will be. It's normal to not know what the future holds. It's acceptable to cry because you're heartbroken. It's alright to not be responsible sometimes, just know your limits. It's not wrong to beg for love coz I know you won't beg if he is not worth it. It's not a lose to put down some pride in the name of love. It's fine to be confused and make yourself crazy in love.

Never regret on how you feel, it's who you are, it makes you unique and that uniqueness makes you more beautiful. Embrace your individuality. Don't be afraid to be different. Don't follow the crowd, make your own road. Smile at your mistakes but make sure to learned a lesson from it.

Don't be scared to fall in love, and fall hard, give your all. Be happy. Make him happy. It's the greatest gift you can give to someone. Don't be ashamed to ask questions and hear all the answers.

Let go. You cannot control things. Sometimes the hardest person to let go is the one you should let go most. Treasure memories. It's forever. Keep it in your heart. Smile with those memories, it feels good. Trust people, always give them the benefit of the doubt.

Trust God`s plan and enjoy the ride, you will arrived in your destination in your own time. Enjoy the journey coz life happens only once, you can't live this day the second time.

Seize the moment, may it be sadness, confusions, heartbreaks, and happiness. Do not let life's lessons harden you. Let your experiences make you a better version of yourself.

Love and live life.

Appreciate people, especially the ones making efforts to make you happy. It might be their last, best and all and they chose to give it to you.

Say sorry to people you've hurt, consciously and unconsciously.

Say Thank you to people that makes life worth living. Everyone you meet is a blessing and a lesson in your life. And it's a good thing.

Be thankful.

And most importantly, be patient and kind always. 

Be a blessing to everyone you meet along the way. It makes life more beautiful and worth while. 

The Prey

The eagle came unexpectedly.
Like a flash in a stormy day.
The prey nod surprisingly.
Holding her breath silently.
The eagle smile genuinely.
Making the prey feels so lovely.
Like a morning as beautiful as today.

The eagle knew better.
For he is wiser than ever.
He needs to act sooner.
For the lust that grows stronger.
And for him to feel greater.
In a night that gets colder.
Colder than snow in a winter.

The eagle cornered the prey.
Making her his one and only.
The eagle wants it so badly.
Looking at her obsessively.
The prey hand it openly.
Deceived by the eagle so blindly.
And the eagle has taken his prey victoriously.

Go. Follow that Dream.

When I was a kid,  my only dream was to be able to fly in a plane and go to many places. We are not rich and the plane ticket before was too pricey, my parents can't afford it (maybe they can but it was not just the priority at that time). When I told my mom about it, and I cannot forget what she told me up to this days, it is still my driving force to still live that dream. She said, "When you grow up and have a job, and you will have a salary of course then you can easily afford to buy that plane ticket and go wherever you want to go." After my mom died, I told myself I will go see places for mom, though she's not with me physically, I know she is with me in my heart wherever I go. This video here 👇(see links below), inspired me to share to you my story. It may not make sense to some but I hope it make sense to few.

So, go follow that dream of yours. Make that someone or something be your motivation to reach that goal. Go follow your heart and be an inspiration to everyone you meet along the way. Just enjoy the ride even if it gets bumpy sometimes, I tell you, it is all worth it. 😘😘

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1738046499843141&id=1557825057865287

Fly my Eagle and Smile.

The Eagle wants to fly.
He wants to soar high
and leave it all behind.
He doesn't belong here.
It's not his home.
He wants to be freed.

But it feels good to be here.
There's a pleasure in being chained.
An addictive kind of pleasure.
But a very deadly one.
The eagle knows what he wants.
It's not in here.
The eagle is struggling.
Painful freedom or chained pleasure?

The eagle has to decide.
And soon.
The eagle knows it's now or never.
Or else he will be doomed.
Will the eagle fly high and smile?
I wish the eagle will fly and smile.
And soar high in clear blue sky.

Will He..? He WILL.

You can't ignore him.
He carry himself like an eagle.
A predator.
He knows his prey.
He talks with authority.
He tells you what he wants.
And gets what he wants.

His looks so deadly.
Blue-green eyes stares possessively.
Smiles meant to tempt.
Laughs meant to lure.
Jokes to make you fall.
Teases sweetly.
And loves passionately.

But deep down, there's a story.
A well hidden story.
A mystery like chemistry.
Or was it a plot?
A plot to hunt me surely.
Will I be his last prey?
Maybe.

Will he haunt me?  He WILL.

To the Girl Who Trust Too Much

To the girl who trust too much. 

Go on, trust people. 

Trust them until they give you reason not to.

Trust them with all your heart. 

Trust them because everybody deserves to be trusted. 

Trust them til they value the trust you put into them. 

Trust them til they won't lie to you anymore.

Trust them til it becomes easier for them to trust.

Trust them so that they will trust you back. 

People of my Year 2015

The year 2015 went by in a blur. With all the things that had happened in the past year, it kinda hard to face a  new year and start somewhere coz I myself dont know where to start. Quarter life crisis had hit me, I believed. So instead of sulking myself in  I started it with a thinking that I am going to start something new and different this year. Wanted to move abroad and change job for career and self growth. I felt that I was not growing anymore as a person. I felt stuck for whatever reason. And so with my Dad's permission (finally) ,with the help of friends and family, and ofcourse with the guidance and will of the One up above..I booked that ticket, quit my job and moved to Dubai. Moving abroad is easy I can say that, but staying abroad, adjusting how to live abroad, outside of your comfort zone, outside of all the too familiar things you were used to.. its a big different / difficult for that matter. But it wouldnt be called a beautiful journey if there were no ups and downs on it. It was a hard past three months, but it was not all bad, many things had happened that made me who I am today. Met many people, in all walks of life, different color and nationalities, made new friends that makes life colorful. Even surprised that there are many people who will always be there for you, no matter what. 

So, as 2015 culminates, let me share to you the people who made my 2015 an awesome one no matter what.

AH-D Family

I've known this people for some time now, been part of my five year journey in our institution, many of them seen me grow not just physically, emotionally and most specially  spiritually. With them I've shared many ups and downs of my life. Colleagues at first but now I am proud to call friends. Friends who will always have a special place in my heart. I miss you, guys! We may be far from each other but please remember, I am still and will always be the same Ypai, no matter what the circumstances that had come our ways. Thank you for making me felt that I had been part of the AHD family for the past five years. I will always be grateful for all the experiences, may it be bad or good. God bless always, AH-D Family! :)

Baesaney, Ehdz and Phil

We've been friends for 7 years now, right? And there is a saying that if your friendship passed the 7th year mark, you will be friends for life. And I am excited for that, for our future adventures and get togethers, for talks about life in general and of all our dreams still. I was so jealous of the Camiguin escapade but I am here and you are there, hehe Anyway, thank you for the summer memories that we had this year, hoping to make more memories like that in the future. God bless always and stay happy and always enjoy being married to two of the most awesome men I know. 

Friends for Better or for Worst

Friends who are always on your side every step of the way. Friends who are always there.

Friends who knows they are needed though you hadn't said a       thing.

Friends who knows that you are sad though you are smiling.

Friends who checks on you from time to time just to make sure you are doing fine.

Friends who defies timezone just to answer your messages.

Friends who sends you money when you're broke. :)

Friends who argues and get angry with you for all the crap that you are doing in your life.

Friends who smiles and be in love with you when your in love.

Friends who support you in every desicion that you make.

Friends who encourages you when your down.

Friends who fix you when your broken.

I could go on and on.. 

And I am very thankful, grateful and blessed to have friends like you guys. Thousand miles apart but it didnt hinder our friendship. I am so lucky to have you as my friends. I might not see you in person that often but thanks to technology, we  still keep in touch. Once again, THANK YOU for making my journey bearable. Wishing you all a healthy, blessed, bountiful, sweet and full of love 2016!! :)

The Cutie Kiddos

They say that you will appreciate kids when you are old already. Ok, fine. I am getting older already, but how can you resist these such cutie kiddos? These kids made my 2015 more fun and enjoyable and I missed them terribly. I am the number one liker and stalker of their fb pics. They literally brighten my day whenever I saw a pic of them. Hope to see and play with these kids soon. To these cutie kiddos may you grow beautifully inside out. 

Room 218

My flatmates and new found friends here. Thank you for accepting me, though you always bully me, but I can take that heheThank you also for making me part of the family already, I don't know what or where I'm gonna be next year but very much  appreciated all the encouraging remarks and efforts helping me find a job. And I and Edong will find a job soon. (Actually, its a note to self to us). P.S. Thank you for all the gifts and chocolates last christmas!! SHUHADA :)

UpYoung and Family

Cousin/Guardian/Sponsor/Family here in Dubai. Thank you for making my dream to be here a reality and also for adopting me here. I promise to be a good girl and will always be in great debt for what you've done. Thank you very much! God bless always and have a bountiful and blessed new year! :)

Family

No matter what happens, family is family. We may be thousand miles apart but please know that you are always in my heart and thoughts. We may not talk that often but I am with you always. Thank you for supporting me in every decesions that I made. Thank you also for always praying on me. Take care always and hope to see you all soon. 

Sonsona-Sharjah Family

Thank you for adopting me, whenever I am in Sharjah.

And also thank you for always reminding me to always pray and just trust in the Plans of God.

Thank you for reminding to go to church always.

And that in Gods time, everything will fall into place.

Happy new year and God bless always! :)

To whoever that makes me smile

Thank you for making me smile always.

Thank you for pushing me to my limits.

Thank you for the encouragement.

Thank you for the peace of mind.

Thank you for all the efforts and sacrifices.

Thank you for the time.

Thank you for just being there and being you.

Thank you, thank you for the LOVE. 

Jesus Christ

I know You have a beautiful picture painted for me. I may not see it clearly now but I know I can see it soon. Thank you for all the things that happened in my life this 2015. It is a beautiful life. Thank you, thank you for your LOVE.

6 Signs It's Time To Think About Quitting Your Job

Quitting a job is not an easy decision to make. A job is a vital part of our life. Though for some a job is just a job and for some the world revolves around their job. Whatever you decide on wherever category a job fits  into your life, it is up to you. But when you are not happy doing what your doing and just keeping it for the sake of having it, (maybe because of the bills that are due at the end of the month, or for the money you owe from a friend last month) I suggest you think about these signs that it is time to think about quitting your job and find something that will make you happy and at the same time satisfied, better yet find a job that will make your heart sing with pure joy and fulfillment.

1.) When happiness is so far away.
When you are not happy, not feeling fulfilled in whatever your doing, not looking forward to be going to work or feeling like your work is a burden to you then I guess it is time to think about quitting. Why keep a job that is only stressing you? You deserve more than that. You owe that to yourself. Happiness is a choice. You can do something about it.

2.) When negativity is everywhere.
It is time to think about quitting your job when you can't seem to find the positive side of what your doing, like going to the office and all you can see is the negative side of everything, where it be in yourself or in the people around you. When all your motivations and aspirations before are not making sense anymore. Your job should motivates, aspire and challenges you.  You have probably outgrown your job. And that is a big no-no!!

3.) When you are not friends with anyone anymore.
When you dont like making friends with your colleagues anymore, it may be new or old ones then it is time to broader your horizon. Good interpersonal relationship in an organization/company is a very vital tool in making a company successful. There should be team work and team effort and it will not be realized if you are not friends with anyone in your office. You are now a liability in your company, instead of an asset. It is not good to them and to you as well. And your company don't deserve that.

4.) When your will is not there anymore.
When your willingness to do whatever it takes to help make your job a success is not there anymore, then it is time to think about quitting that job. Why bother work if you will not give your 100 percent best? Better to call it quits than to be doing the job but only half done. In everything you do, do it with all your heart and soul.

5.) When you're ineffective.
When you feel like you are not effective and you are not giving your all, then it is really time to think about quitting that job. It is like filling up a galloon of water with a hole in the bottom of it.

6.) When quitting comes in mind frequently.
When the thought of quitting comes frequently and you always find yourself wondering about the "what ifs", then it is time to think about quitting that job. Go out there and find for yourself the answers to the what ifs. You never know, it will be the best answer you will ever find in your life.

A Love Letter from Me to You. ( Enchanted to Meet You )

A year ago, in one of my lowest days of my life, your handsome face popped up on my computer screen. You may call it coincidence but I am always a believer of - "There's no such thing as coincidence, everything happens for a reason". Since then, though your thousand miles away, you became the sunshine in my cloudy past nine months, the reason I smiled even in those times I cannot find any reason to smile to. I'm not even in myself for the past months. Put a wall to myself to family and friends, been bitchy to my colleagues at work, ignoring and taking friends for granted but despite of all those chaos in my mind and heart, whenever I see you (and not that often though ) you made me feel happy and excited and hopeful and be patient in God's working progress in my life, that this too shall pass and that the sun will shine on me again and I will be back to my old 'worry-not.-God's-got-this-self'. I was fascinated by you. I was interested in every little thing you do. You made the waiting process worthwhile. You helped lessen the burden. I really don' t know what I saw in you that caught my attention, maybe I am just a sucker of a pretty face or we just really meant to be (Hahahaha!) Anyway, for almost a year, I always pray that I can meet you before I embark on the next chapter of my life, that you will take a vacation and come home so that I can see you in person. And you really did!! Such an Answered Prayer!
And then came the time that I finally met you, and I felt butterflies all over me and my hands were shaking! Crap!! The whole time I was telling myself that I should keep my thoughts together coz it is such a shame on my part! Was really really enchanted meeting you.. felt a lot better even I was having a flu at that time.. adrenaline came rushing in.. it's more than meeting Bianca Gonzalez!.. even wishing to myself that time would stop. I like seeing/watching you (now I sound creepy!) But the moment went by and then your gone and soon will be thousand miles away again.. and I will be back to watching you from a distance..but it is just ok.. I am just fine with that 'coz at the moment I don't think I am ready yet to be in what more could have been with you and me.

I am just praying that You and I will meet somewhere in the future.. mature and better and will have a chance to expore this butterflies that I always felt whenever I see you.

See you somewhere, someday. Go live and enjoy life to the fullest!

P.S. Please don't be in love with someone else and do think of me too..


                                                                                              XoXo,
                                                                                                  Ypai

Now is the Time.

After a year of being a "lazy-cat", a year of no exercise done, junk-food-all-you-can, not a week without drinking soda (coke float in that matter) and all little things that is not good for the body... I came to realized that I was living a not so good lifestyle! Thanks goodness, as we get older we tend to be aware and gives important to the simple/basic thing yet a very vital part of our life.. our HEALTH! We are now willing to listen and hear every reminder our parents told us years ago, to the books we like to read but not really applying it and also thanks to social media that constantly motivating and inspiring us to have an active and healthy lifestyle. Maybe it is really about getting old that you get to see things in different perspective, in a mature way kind of perspective anyway.

Actually, a YouTube documentary in titled "Going the Distance" which is written and directed by one of the people I looked up to in social media and in the modelling industry, Isabelle Daza that made me see this things. Stumbled upon her docabout being a triathlete, a short inspiring documentary that made me realized that an active and healthy lifestyle is one way of reducing stress and will help you become the better you for when you are healthy, you see thinks in a positive way and thinks rationally and clearly.
Here is the docu video of Belle...

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SgDBMW-UGJ0


So.. are you inspired already?
Are you feeling bad of yourself with all the junks you gave your body?
Are you now ready to start living a healthier lifestyle for a better you?
If so, start living it now!
Easier said than done but if with enough courage and will power, WE CAN DO IT!
As what Belle had said in the docu... "Training (it may be in exercise or a balanced diet) is about how long you're willing to endure the pain.
Why I wrote a blog about this?
Because I wanna be one with Ms. Belle's advocacy to help motivate people especially the younger generation to live an active lifestyle.



 

Swimming with (Gentle Giants) Sharks

How to get there:
There are two ways to get to Oslob, Cebu City

Via Cebu City
From Mactan Int'l Airport, ride a taxi to Cebu South bus terminal approximately 30-40 minutes away and costs around 230 pesos. From there, find a bus that has a Bato-Oslob sign board in it and just tell the driver or his assistant to drop you off in Oslob where the famous "Butanding" is, they know the drop off points already. Bus fare is 150 pesos. Travel time 3-4 hours.

Via Dumaguete City
From downtown Dumaguete ride a tricycle to the bus terminal and you can ride any bus in there because all buses at the terminal will pass by Sibuyan Port. From Sibuyan Port, ride a fast craft to Liloan Port (Cebu City) that costs 6o pesos. Travel time is 30-45 minutes. From Liloan Port, hire a trike for 120 pesos or less depending on your haggling skills and tell the driver to take you where you can swim with the "Butanding".

Date a Girl Who...

Date a girl who loves sports. there's something cool about a girl who loves sports, she can be your best buddy watching a basketball game or the world cup, cheering for your favorite team or she can be your worst nightmare when your rooting the opposing team, but it will just add more fun in your relationship... there is something romantic in arguing with the one you love anyway..sometimes... And importanty, you speak the same language.

Date a girl who loves racing... a girl who loves adrenaline rush, who loves challenges, she may put you up to your limit...she may even get into your ego but I tell you, she is all worth it. When you get hold of her and understand that there is a soft heart behind that "adrenaline-rush-junkie-persona" girl that she's protraying and too proud to admit her weak side..when you break that... when you worm that...you will be the proudest man alive and will be humbled to get to see and love the real girl who loves racing.

Date a girl who loves to travel... a girl who would save up just to experience the other side of the world, a girl who is contented with a plain tees, shorts and a flipflops, a girl who would appreciate the simple yet amazing beauty of life that most of us has just taken for granted... a girl who sees the world a vast place for learning and trying to learn in everything, a girl who would understand the reason behind everything.. will it be a right or wrong doings . What is in there for you..? Well, she will just be the girl who will understand and see right through you and will try her very best to understand and be right for you because she has seen, learned and understood a lot of things through her travels. Isn't she just right for you...?

Date a girl who reads... a girl who shut down everything when she is with her priceless possesions, books. A girl who finds peace and serenity in a library or even in a book shop, a girl who ideate a prince charming and believe in "happily-ever-after", a girl who will see her man as her "knight in shinning armour". Why would you love her...? It is simply because a girl who loves to read would do anything to be a kind and a perfect princess to be able to have her prince charming and will put extra effort to fight the witches in your relationship just because she do believe that those witches is just a plot, just like one of her books and there will be a happily ever after.

So, are you dating one of them..? Or are you one of those who are lucky enough to find a girl who loves all the above...? And if you find the girl, don't let her go. And when you finally got the girl, don't blow her up.

This post was inspired by.... "Date a girl who travels" by Aleah Taboclaon.

Ilocos Sur: All Around Vigan

It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Though we just stayed in Vigan for eight hours only but it was a well spend eight hours. We arrived at two in the afternoon then had our lunch in the not so usual Spanish type Jolibee store. Kudos to the local government for keeping the town in it's original way. We headed first to Baluarte ( Gov. Chavit Singson's private zoo that is open to the public - will make another blog post for it). Then after Baluarte, we went to see one of the oldest church in the north, St. Paul's Cathedral where our friends had their mass. And since we don't do mass, we decided to tour around Calle Crisologo, which is famous for their cobblestone houses, by riding a "kalesa" (horse-drawn carriages) that costs a hundred bucks for a thirty minute ride around Calle Crisologo with the "manong" as the tour guide that barely understands Tagalog or English, we just made the most out of the tour by satisfying our eyes with the view and appreciating the 18th Century Spanish establishment that we had seen around and just laughed at our luck for having a guide that can't understands us. I just hope that not all "kalesa" drivers are like that. The tour had a quick stopover in the local pottery shop, on where you can buy souvenirs  And at seven in the evening, usually after the church's mass, in the town's plaza, there was a dancing fountain show, it was beautiful, actually it was the best dancing fountain show I've seen so far...with it's colorful lighting that changes color in an instant, water that looks like there dancing and singing unto you, plus the energy and the excitement of the crowd, both locals and tourists, it was so special and perfect..we told ourselves nga na it was the perfect way to end our Ilocos Region tour. 

St. Paul's Cathedral and the Dancing Fountain in the Park

If your planning to visit Vigan, I recommend that you visit it at night because the town is at its best at night, especially Calle Crisologo, the yellow light that lights the street adds more effect to the famous cobblestone houses that makes you feel like your walking in the alleys of the 18th century  minus the crowd of course.  It gets touristy at night. 

Around Calle Crisologo at Night

Tourists everywhere.

It's like in the movies, so surreal. Walking around Calle Crisologo made me feel like I am in the streets of Spain...Oh wait...I was never been to Spain! hahaha, but really, our picture did not do justice in what Calle Crisologo looks like at night, it's more than that...So, when your around Ilocos Sur, don't forget to take a look at this hispanic heritage town that will surely take you back in time.

                                                                               Xx, Ypai