It's the HEAT. It must be THE HEAT...

I swear, it's the heat....

How else would you explain why I booked a flight to Taiwan on July 14 - 19? Okay, given that there's a 50% promo fare on all international flights, it still doesn't explain why I booked it since I usually ignore those damn promos!

Yes, I'll go to Taiwan on my birthday. I'll go there equipped with confidence and little money. I guess I'll say hello to poverty.

Gosh, why is it sooo hot today? What's with the weather?!

(Planning to book my flight to Korea this October. Someone seriously needs to slap me back to my senses)

Trip to Tagaytay - February 20, 2011

We agreed to meet at Starbucks People Support around 10am. Being the punctual lady that I am, I arrived at the rendezvous 10:30am SHARP!

Kristine, Linel and Kuya were already there. Jen and Joey arrived five minutes later. Off we went to...dun dun dun dun...TAGAYTAY!!!

Mel isn't feeling well that's why she can't come with us (Mel, you really better NOT feel well because I will bug you for the rest of your life if you just backed out for no apparent reason! This has been my DREAMMMMM!!! <*insert exaggerated hand gestures here> And you didn't join us!!! <*sob sob sob>)

Jen called Chochoy and he said yes in an instant. He will be joining us later.

We decided to go to Tagaytay when we had dinner last Friday (Mel, Kristine, Linel, Jen and Joey). In my entire life, I haven't gone there for reasons I cannot fathom. Whenever they decide to go to Starbucks Tagaytay, I unfortunately cannot go. Hmmmm....this screams conspiracy!

Leslie's - home of heart attack Bulalo

Heniwayzzz, we arrived at Leslie's around 12 noon. There's already a huge crowd loitering in front. My gut feeling tells me we'll have to wait long before we can be seated, and I was right (it always spells misfortune whenever I'm right).

I took some photos first just in case we wouldn't be able to eat in a restaurant overlooking Taal Lake.

That right there is not Taal Volcano. Sadness =(

And yes, Linel shattered my happiness when she told me that the volcano (or whatever that is) that I'm taking picture of is not Taal Volcano...Not Taal Volcano? NOT TAAL VOLCANO???!!! <*runs away while crying>

It turned out we're number 13 on the waiting list. So Linel and Kuya used the GPS to search for the location of Antonio's Grill, then they walked there while Kristine, Jen, Joey and I stayed at Leslie's to take some more photos of the NOT Taal Volcano. We were about to follow Linel and Kuya when they sent us a message that they're going back because Antonio's Grill is really far. That's when Jen saw the sign of the establishment at the right side of Leslie's. The sign said - Antonio's Grill. Sucks, right?

But fortunately, when Linel asked Leslie's again, it turns out we're going to be seated next. Hooray for the GPS!!

After having lunch at Leslie's, we left the car there and took Kuya's car to go to Flower Farm Corporation. Surprisingly, the gate is closed so we thought publics are not allowed to go there or it may be closed during weekends. When we asked the guy by the gate, he said it's open but you can only enter if you have an appointment. My eyebrows immediately shoots up to the sky. APPOINTMENT???!! My Gesh!

We went to Sonia's instead. We bought bread at Panaderia - cheese hopia and pandesal.

Afterwards, we ate at Bag of Beans. Just a caution about this place though, they have some huge badass mosquitoes (probably from the Jurassic era). I'm really mortified. I mean, they're really huge that you can't miss them! I bet they'll suck the blood out of you like a vampire (not those sparkling vampires that you're probably thinking of).

We stopped by Leslie's to get the cars. There were some people from the wedding that were standing at Chochoy's car. We laughed imagining they were probably taking pictures in front of his car since it's white and would pass as a bridal car.

Chochoy: What if I go there and say "Well, well, well.. Look do we have here!"

LOLLLLZZZZZZZ!!!!

On our way home, we bought some sweets at Rowena's. I bought strawberry cheese tart. There's a bunch of mini coopers at the parking lot. And we encountered this same of group of mini coopers when we stopped over at SLEX. We were wondering how is that we didn't notice them on our way there. Sneaky little cute toy cars!

Oh, and one more thing. Looks like Tagaytay has also been infected by the Bieber Fever. At both Leslie's and Bag of Beans, the musicians that sings for the restaurant customers and asks for donations sings the infamous Baby, baby, baby, OOOOooohhh......please kill me now. They should be the one giving me money for listening to that song. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate it. But one can only endure so much.

13th Zodiac Sign - Ophiuchus / Serpentarius

There was a disturbance in the force....

And I found myself having a different ZODIAC SIGN!!!

Apparently, there's a 13th Zodiac Sign called Ophiuchus or Serpentarius - The Serpent Bearer and it falls between Scorpio and Sagittarius. Those who are born in November 30 - December 17 are Opiuchans (?). Sounds cool.

So from being a Cancer which is a water element, I became a Gemini - an air element. I dunno whatever the heck this means to my life or to my personality. I'm still crazy in the coconut though.

Tambay Conversations with the Guys

Here are some excerpts of the conversations that happened in front of the office building during slow days when we just want to fast-forward the time so we can go home.


(Disclaimer: Please bear in mind that these are for pure fun and always ended with us laughing our ass off)


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One of my friends asked O about something that Caloy told him, and it turned out it was wrong.

O: E tanga pala si Caloy e! Teka tawagan ko lang ha...Hello caloy, antanga mo pala e!


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I noticed that O had a new haircut.


Me: Uy bagong gupit ah!

O: Sobrang iksi nga e.

Me: Ok naman ang length e.

O: Well buti na lang gwapo ako bagay kahit na anong gupit

D other friend: Oo nga nasa nagdadala lang yan

O: Mabait talaga ang Diyos. Sa totoo lang bobo ako e, pero buti na lang gwapo ako. Pano na kung mataas IQ ko? E di unfair naman sa inyo.

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May limousine na dumaan:

O: Ang hirap sigurong i-parallel parking nyan pare. Kung ako yan, mga isandaang ulit sigurong pakabig-kabig.

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PANA conversation (hint: country)

O: Sabi ko nga kay Tin, "Naku Tin, ginto ka dun. Baka pagbaba mo ng plane, luhuran ka agad dun."

==

M batchmate: Nung mga first week, di ba aircon sa office, mahilo-hilo nga ako e.

Me: Naku e di malamang gusto mo buksan ang bintana nun. Nasa 17th floor ka e noh, 'can we open the window?'

==

O: Gantihan lang yan e. Kung di sila naligo ng Monday, sa Friday ka na lang din maligo.

M batchmate: Sa elevator nga may dala akong....

Me: Listahan? Nililista mo kung sino mga di naligo nung araw na yun?

M batchmate: Hindeee!!! Lotion, para inaamoy ko nalang kamay ko

Me: Ah, akala ko listahan e..did you take a bath today? no..mmm lista ka.

Christmas Eve 2010 - Julie's Concoction

I haven't seen a helmet as useless as this. The inner lining is styrofoam (yes, you read it right) and the snap is a paper clamp. We managed to go to the city with me wearing this. Thankfully, nobody wanted to smash my skull because this piece of sh!t will not be able to withstand the tiniest impact.






And of course, we went to Jollibee.






Here's my cousin Karen and her daughter Pia. A lot of people say Karen looks a lot like me and have mistaken her as my sister.





Behold, my brother's recipe! Squidball with Suicidal Sauce!! Why suicidal sauce, you asked? I was wondering the same thing. He said because when you taste the sauce, you will want to commit suicide because of its awesomeness. My brother, ladies and gentleman.

Karen's sister, Shirley is cooking fish and failing miserably. It already looks like coal.

Ta-daaaa!!! Julie's Spaghetti Concoction. Top Chefs will shed tears upon tasting my cooking. This is not a spaghetti sauce, this is a MASTERPIECE!

If you're wondering what that thing is where the pot is sitting, it's a tin can with cement where you put coal and light a fire to cook. Only in the Philippines?

And here's a Barbeque Grill - Pinoy Style.

By the way, I'm officially abandoning my diet until the end of the Holidays! Let's have a cholesterol-filled Christmas!!

SKYDIVING!!! WOOOHOOOO!!

My Instructor Lance and my Videographer Frank

It was already 7:30AM when we left the hotel and went to Cedartown, Georgia. As soon as we arrived, I proceed to the window and gave the lady the Rain Check. We were asked for our IDs and were scheduled at Load 3 afterwards.

I thought there was this ongoing lesson because there was this old guy recounting the things that needs to be remembered about skydiving. "Remember, when you guys shout NO NO NO, it sounds like GO GO GO to us". LOLZ, that was kinda funny. He also reminded this guy who is obviously excited to jump to NOT scream like a girl when he's up there. 'Only girls are allowed to scream', he said.

At first, the board said that my Instructor was Julie and my Videographer was Leslie. I don't know what happened but things changed a few minutes afterwards. I guess they were reshuffling coz the instructor should match the height/weight of the student.

There was this guy in orange shirt shouting "JULLIIEEEE". I turned around, looked at him and left. I thought he was calling for the instructor Julie. I didn't know at that time he will be my new instructor.

Jimboy went to look for me and he was already in a harness. When I went inside again, I looked at the board and the names changed. My instructor is now Lance. Now I had a feeling that Lance was the guy in the orange shirt shouting my name whom I deliberately ignored. He he he.

After a few minutes, Load 2 is already leaving. And I'm still not in my harness. Good thing Lance came looking for me again. He set me up and he was very nice as he went through the instructions. He even demonstrated it to me. Lance makes me feel comfortable even if I'm freaking out.

Then my videographer came. It was Frank. He's obviously a no-nonsense guy. He was supposed to be Jimboy's instructor last Friday who said the same thing as my instructor, Junior. They both said their hands are off-limits when we are skydiving because they need their hands.

While waiting, Frank did my video interview. I didn't even realize half the shit of what I was saying. Fck! I'm soooo freaking out!! 14000 feet above the ground???!!! My ass is gonna be hurled outside the plane at 14000 feet above the ground??!!! Holy shit!

So anyway, I think I said 'Happy 5th...(*pause...stutter) Anniversary' to my batchmates. ARRGGHHH!!! I can't even say anything straight!!

When we were about to load in the plane, Lance was teasing me coz I was walking like I was about to go to my death sentence. Well....I really am!

Off we went to the plane. I was beeing squeezed by the guy in front of me so I can barely breathe. I don't even have time to get scared because everything happened so fast. The next thing I know, Lance was asking me to bend my knees and put my legs up his ass. Good thing I remembered that I should look up during freefall.

Lance and I, Freefalling!!!!!!!! Me, freaking out!

As soon as I saw the sky, I FCKING SCREAMED MY LUNGS OUT!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We were above the clouds! Then I saw Frank taking our videos. I was smiling from ear to ear the whole time doing all these hand gestures like the peace sign and all that sheezz. I knew that I looked like a fcking retard but I don't care!! WOOHOOO!! This is skydiving!!

Peace!

Frank waved goodbye and Lance pulled our parachute. We were tugged pretty hard but that's fine; it's better than detaching from Lance and screaming my way down the solid ground. Lance taught me how to maneuver the parachute. It was so fun!! We really took our time as we flew around.

Landing Time! Wooppss..

Then it's time to land. "Pull your legs up, gravity is a downer", that's what I heard Lance said. Again, I was screaming like there's no tomorrow. Frank was waiting at the ground taking a video of our landing. We slide down and landed on our asses. Smoothhhhhh!!

Frank and I highfived and I hugged Lance. "Welcome to Skydiving, Julie", Frank said. BOOYAHHH!!!

Note: the excited guy was wearing a tuxedo when I went inside. cool

Skydiving got CANCELED!!! Bummer....

Our appointment at the Skydiving Center is 12 noon so we left the hotel around 11AM. I was all set; my camera is ready and an extra shirt just in case I need to change my shirt.

We got lost for a couple of minutes since we were looking for Airport Road as indicated in MapQuest. MapQuest failed us. So Jimboy had to call ASC so we can get directions.

We arrived a little after 12PM and a bunch of people are already there. We met Sarah and we were asked to fill-up and sign a Registration Form where we pretty much waived all our legal rights. Basically, the form is saying 'if we fucked up, don't sue our asses since you knew the risks beforehand!'. That summarizes all there is to it. And, we signed it.

We passed the form at the window and we were asked if we want to go an extra 4000 feet. My reaction was 'CRAP!!!'. As expected, Jimboy said yes. So we paid extra $10 for the additional altitude. It was a total of $309.75 for the weekday Tandem Skydiving + Video and Photos + extra 4000 feet.

Watching others screaming their lungs out and sliding on their butts

While waiting, I watched the others who went before us. At first, I can only hear the plane but I can't see it. It must've been above the clouds. Then, a couple of parachutes popped here and there on the sky. It looks really fun and at the same time scary. There was this chic who glided just above the Viewing Deck. I can't help but say 'Holy Shit!!' as I watched them go over and pray that they won't crash. I also watched a video of the lady who just did Tandem Skydiving. It was awesome! Now I really wanna do it!

My supposed-to-be instructor, Junior

Our names are written on the television and we were at Load 8. My Instructor was Junior (JR) and my videographer was Ashton - the lady whom I asked about the emergency parachute. Junior put me in a harness and went over the instructions. I was really scared at that point. My instructor needs to go to Load 7 first and he has to run to get me for Load 8. That was the plan.. And it fcking didn't happen because of this freaking weather!!!

There was a storm passing by and we were still waiting...and waiting...and waiting...and waiting... Then there was thunder. That doesn't sound very promising. I asked Sarah if I could get out of my harness. She loosened it first then asked my instructor if she could take it off me. Then she went back and took the whole thing off.

I went outside and looked at the clouds. Yep, those clouds are not a very good sign. It was really dark and it was only around 5pm. We were waiting here for 5 hours! Damn! I was looking at the clouds asking them to GO AWAY! Mother Nature failed me.

MapQuest and Mother Nature are conspiring. So Jimboy and I went home with a Rain Check - rescheduled this Sunday.

BUMMER!!!!!!!!!!!!!