Canine Delight

Last 29th of January my siblings and I have finally decided to acquire a welcome addition to our family.

We have been planning on buying a dog since early of last year, and have spent hours in discussions on what to buy, where to put it and how to care for the dog.

After several lengthy discussions that spanned months, we have made our decision. We were going to raise a Bullmastiff pup. We decided that this breed offers the best option and advantage for the family. Big dog – which we all like, a short fur – less cumbersome to care and needs less grooming, and of course a loyal and great companion in the house. Perfect!

We have been looking for a Bullmastiff pup for about a month now and finally, my wife, Erisa,  chanced on an add in our local newspaper for a contact who has Bullmastiff puppies for sale. It was a great news indeed.

We then got in touch with miss Chona and set a date to see the pups. We were in luck, she still has 6 pups at that time, unfortunately only female pups were left.

The first meeting was very exciting. When we saw all 6 of them running around, playing, tumbling, scrimmaging and leaping here and there, it was a very enjoyable thing to watch. They would readily come to us, jump on our laps, even jumped at Kathleen (youngest of our siblings) who’s up in the bench avoiding the pups – she’s not as big a fan of dogs as May (my other sibling) and I are. That one act, from one pup, cost her a fortune – P700 worth of Havaianas sandal that snapped at her attempt to avoid the puppy. We all had a good laugh. All pups were red in color and we chose the darkest one with the blackest snout. He was just too adorable to ignore.

When we were about to leave, that was when we met the pup’s mother – a 1yr old Bullmastiff. That was when we got our first shock at how big they grow. Man they are not only big, but they are HUGE! The owner mentioned that they grow until they are about 2yrs old (and then they stop growing after that age) and I can only imagine how big that dog will get, considering she was just over a yr old!

On our way home, we thought that it was a blessing to secure a female Bullmastiff pup as adult males are a lot bigger and heavier compared to their female counterparts. According to the owner, males can grow up to 27inches tall and females about 24inches (that height is measured from ground to the level of its back, and measuring from ground to the top of its head would easily be an extra 12inches to the height mentioned earlier!). The females can weigh as much as 130lbs and the males a whopping 140lbs!

The pup we got, considering she was just 2months old, was bigger than most dogs at the same age. Her paws are big. She was a bit clumsy, jumping around, tumbling and stumbling on her own legs – which the owner said was pretty normal for Bullmastiffs at this age.

Our youngest sibling named her FiFi … cute name. Great for how she looks like when we first got her. But we wonder if the same name will still sound as cute once she gets to about a year or so older – I bet she will outgrow the cuteness in her name.

Everyone was excited on how this would turn out. And everyday is a learning experience in rearing this dog.

This was our first pup ever since … and all family members welcomed her with open arms and with lots of love. Everyone was willing to pull his/her own share of the responsibilities for FiFi’s care. FiFi … I wonder how long before she outgrows her cute name.

A Different Taste of Christmas

Traditional Christmas for my family involves spending it with my mom’s family in La Carlota – a tradition we do every Christmas ever since … well, ever since i can remember.

I can still remember the days when my cousins from Iloilo would drop by at our house in Valladolid on their way to La Carlota every Christmas vacation. Back then, the holiday season was an opportunity for the family and relatives to gather at my grandparents’ house in Hcda. Alejandria at the outskirts of La Carlota City.

Summer and Christmas season were the times of get-together; though Christmas season was more special, special in a sense that it is also a time for our family’s gathering – a reunion of some sort.

I can still remember clearly the way we spend our vacation days – waking up early in the morning – it used to fog at around 6:00 am back then – taking an early breakfast and off to the fields – literally. We would spend the day looking for sweet sugar cane sticks to chew on, playing cops and robbers, trekking along the nearby creek, taking a dip at the river and take a bath at the refreshing natural spring.

Days before Christmas would also involve `drying` fire crackers that we bought, bathing them under the sun – as we believe this process would increase the fire crackers’ power and ‘bang’.

Helping out in the house hold chores like watering my grandma’s garden, feeding and watering my grandpa’s fighting cocks and helping out in the kitchen were usual chores for us. Assisting in food preparations was also a task. I can still remember the amount of fruit/buko salad and spaghetti my aunts used to prepare for noche buena. Huge pales (yes pales) of buko and ingredients and an equal amount of spaghetti noddles – we were a big family after all. Ahh … spaghetti and buko salad … always a mainstay in all our major family gatherings.

Noche Buena is an event to remember as well. Spending Christmas eve lighting firecrackers and indulging ourselves on the salad and spaghetti our aunts prepared. It always amuses me, and make me smile, to remember all 6 of my mom’s siblings, all 20+ of my cousins, my grandparents, and a few family friends and distant relatives share the Christmas eve’s Noche Buena in my grandparents’ dining room at their old house.

Last 2009 Christmas though was a new welcome for me. A chance to celebrate Christmas with my mom’s family for the first time since 5 years ago.

It was a smaller crowd now, as compared to what we had decades ago and since my grand father passed away. A lot of my cousins have grown up to have their own families to share Christmas with and some of my mom’s siblings were unable to come and celebrate with us.

A lot of things have changed since our childhood days. Firecrackers aren’t as exciting as it used to be; instead, spending the time sharing stories and preparing foods were more reasonable ways to spend the time. The crowd has gone smaller; activities that were once thrilling have gone passé … though the spirit of Christmas has never changed. An opportunity to spend the holidays with loved ones and close relatives is always a time well spent.

We, my wife and siblings, also got the chance to roam around La Carlota City and take some pictures for souvenir.

 

 

I’m still looking forward to the day – holiday or not – when most of our family members will have a chance to have our complete reunion. A chance to get to update ourselves with each other’s lives and a chance to reminisce those Christmas days and vacation days we used to spend together. We’ll have that chance … next time…

`Till next time …

Negros Tour – Dumaguete

Road Trip last Sept 6-7, 2009 to Dumaguete …

My family decided to push thru with our planned Negros road trip – our goal would be to visit as much scenic spots as we can and explore Negros and its beauty.

Instead of doing a one-time-big-time road trip that will last for several days, we decided to break it down into short trips to specific places/spots then stopping over other areas of interest along the way. This would make the trip more flexible and more focused.

For our first destination, we planned to travel to Dumaguete – thru Mabinay. Everyone was very excited of the trip – each one was already packed and ready to go 2 days before the day.  :)

We departed early Sunday morning, July 6 – around 530am – from Bacolod taking the south highway thru Bago, Pulupandan to Kabankalan then cross the Negros Oriental border thru Mabinay to Bais going to Dumaguete.

We were prepared for the lengthy travel ahead. Dumaguete city is about 6 hrs of regular bus ride, from Bacolod passing thru Mabinay. We expected our trip to be a little longer as we planned stop-overs along the way – to rest and make the most of our trip. Although we don’t have fixed stop-over points, we plan the trip as we go – as we always did, as what my father is fond of doing.

We passed by several familiar towns, municipalities and cities along the way. Many triggered childhood memories and as we pass those towns, recalling, talking about our experiences, memories flood our thoughts – thoughts of friends, family, events and experiences.

One of the most memorable municipalities for me is the municipality of Valladolid – where i spent a good 8yrs of my life – since I was 3 years old up ’til I was 11.

About Me: Born in La Paz Iloilo City. Both of my parents are from Negros, my father was working in Western Visayas hospital back when my mom gave birth to me. They transferred back to Negros when I was 3 yrs old – and at the same age my mom started her career in Valladolid District Hospital as a nurse.

I lived almost all my childhood years in Valladolid. I remembered the times when my friends and I would ride our bikes to different barrangays during weekends, playing thru the Tilapia ponds at our neighbor’s backyards, riding carabaos during late afternoon and my scheduled lesson tutorial with my mom (at the hospital) every afternoon while she does her duty. My mom continues to work at the same hospital until today. For the past 20yrs or so, my mother travels to and from Bacolod for her daily work at the Valladolid hospital – a good 30 km travel (one way) 5 days a week. I always wonder how my mom had endured the travel thru these yrs, and thinking I can never live doing the same routine 5x a week – not even for 5 yrs, or even less – that’s the impatient genes in my system kicking in.

Then we passed by other significant municipalities:

San Enrique - Where my mom traced her roots and where she once spent years living with her grand parents – the same house where the municipal police headquarters is now – it was used to be my great grand mothers house. 

Hinigaran - Significant to our family’s history – the hometown of my father. Where I spent many years and weekends with my grandparents and how I have consumed their sari-sari store goods – literally and figuratively. Where my grandfather’s famous halo-halo – Valing’s Halo-Halo – used to be the “in thing” during summer season.

As we passed by Hinigaran, everything began to look unfamiliar to me. Then I realized that this will be the first time I have crossed passed Hinigaran, going south of Negros. In my 31 yrs existence, this will be my first time.

We passed by the city of Kabankalan. Barely out of the municipality’s boundary a sound so familiar caught our attention - Ah yes! It was our stomach grumbling – hunger. It’s already 8am in the morning – and it’s breakfast time.

We decided to drop by Magaso falls in Kabankalan. A high land resort, 4kms from the main hiway. Traveling the road, road, mostly unpaved, did not help reduce our hunger. As soon as we arrived, our curiosity got the better of us and we decided to explore the place before getting our breakfast. It’s a good mountain resort by comparison.

The resort has a fresh water pool constantly over flowing, fed by a spring near by. But what makes the resort captivating is the view of the Magaso Falls itself. You need to trek several steps down to get a closer look at the falls. The veranda located near the falls provides an excellent view of the falls – great for picture taking with the falls’ veil as backdrop. Moving down and back up the flight of stairs provides a healthy dose of exercise as well.

 

No entrance fee – P25 for a dip in the pool and P50 for the rent on the table; that’s about it – rates are very cheap.

 We left Magaso resort around 930 am then headed to Mabinay and cross the border between Negros Occidental and Oriental.

Road was excellent from Kabankalan to Mabinay. And that was a relief, as Kabankalan to Mabinay was one of the farthest legs of the trip.  There was not much to see from the roadside, only trees cliffs along the way. Good road just before Bais City due to road construction and renovation.

The road from Bais City to Dumaguete is still a work in progress. There are several rough and muddy sections as well as 1-way sections due to the construction.

Passing Bais on the way to Dumaguete, we passed by Central Azucrera de Bais – one of the oldest sugar centrals in the island of Negros.

We arrived at Dmaguete City around 1230in the afternoon – great timing for lunch. We decided to take our lunch at Jo’s Chicken Inato. The food was a little under our expectations; the service was a little slow, the chicken was a little dry and a little overcooked. The manok sa buko was the best one we ordered. It’s like chicken tinola served in a buko. My dad said it’s like the chicken binakol of the ilonngo dishes – it was the first time I tasted chicken cooked in that fashion.

After lunch, we made a quick pass at the famous Dumaguete Blvd, then off we go to Antulang.

On our way to Antulang, we dropped by and decided to check on a well known resort in Dumaguete - Bahura.

The resort is expensive, as we have thought it would, but the amenities and the view of the resort was great. The 2 pools are designed elegantly. Their package includes free breakfast for 2, snorkeling, kayaking and free use of their amenities and free shuttle service to and from Dumaguete.

Bahura was too much for our budget, so after several pictures we decided to continue our travel to visit Antulang Resort. On our way to Antulang, we passed by several resorts like Dumaguete Springs, Wuthering Heights and others. These are ideal resorts if you don’t want to get far from the (Dumaguete) city proper.

There is also a road in Dauin to a port for Apo island. I’ve never been to Apo island but I have heard a lot of great things about it. The scenery, resorts, snorkeling opportunities – definitely this is worth visiting and we’ll make this as one of our destinations next time.

Antulang is technically part of the municipality of Siaton. The road leading to the resort though, is about 12 km from Siaton proper. The road leading to the resort is just about 20 meters from the 12th km marker before the municipality of Siaton. From the highway, it’s about 8km of mostly unpaved road leading to the resort. Near the resort, you will have a glimpse of the Tambobo Bay where yachts can be seen docking in the bay area – view is over the cliff, you may need to stop and duck along the bushes to get a real good view of the bay.

Antulang is not a really unique and great resort, but the ambiance is great. There are not many guests in the resort – or maybe it was just off peak when we got there.

Antulang Resort Entrance

The accommodation was cheaper than we expected. for only 1500 per room (good for 2 persons) and an additional 250 per additional person. the room is a little small though, with 2 beds (a large and a small one) and if you pay for the extra person on your group, they will provide a folding bed, mattress, extra pillow and blanket for the 250 payment for the extra person - the slightly bigger bed may accommodate 2 medium built persons comfortably. The room is air conditioned, with a flat screen cable TV. For small groups of 4-6 persons, each pair of rooms that are adjacent has an access door that you can open to and from the other room.

The pool is great and has a great view of the ocean. Both pools are salt water pools by the way.

They offer scuba diving sessions, snorkeling sessions, they have available kayaks for rents – amenities are charged separately. For longer periods of stay, say 3-4 days, they can arrange a side trip to Apo island – we were not able to inquire about the cost though.

Complimentary drinks for each visitor can be availed when guests arrived or can be redeemed from their bar/restaurant anytime with in your stay. During our visit, lemon grass tea was served as complimentary drinks. Can’t explain how it tasted … maybe interesting is good enough a description.

 The food and drinks are a little expensive and bringing of foods from outside the resort is not allowed. Water in particular is very expensive – 45 pesos for a 250ml size mineral water! If you can smuggle in juice drinks or water from outside the resort, the better. There are no neighboring convenient stores or supermarkets to purchase goods from – the nearest would be at the highway intersection – 8km from the resort. The meals in their menu are a little expensive as well. Fried chicken with rice (1/3 of a whole chicken) would cost around 300 pesos.

 When we visited the resort it was considered as one of their off-peak months. Peak months, according to one of the employees, starts on the month of October until summer. Peak rates are normally +20% of their off-peak rates.

Early the next day, around 8am (I still consider 8am early by the way) we decided to explore the place some more and take some family photos for souvenir.

 

 

 

  

We took our breakfast around 10am and left for Bacolod by 11am. We took the San Carlos route this time, to get the chance to see the municipalities of Negros Oriental, going to Occidental (San Carlos end).

We passed by Dumaguete City market and looked for the famous budbud kabog – budbud made of bird seed rather than sticky rice. It tasted great as expected. We also passed by Bais market to look for the usual budbud – sticky rice with chocolate twirled around its round body then wrapped in banana leaves. We bought extra budbud for pasalubong – 2 dozens extra!!

Dumaguete Market

Most of the municipalities going to San Carlos are coastal municipalities, with a great percentage of their roads constructed near the sea shore. It was a refreshing ride with the cool sea breeze and great coastal views.

It was also great to see most of these coastal areas very clean and their coasts well preserved. We saw a good number of protected marine sanctuaries in different municipalities; the water looks fresh green and blue with little or no visible wastes on the coastal edge. Mangroves still adorn most of the areas. I have heard that people in these areas have projects reviving their coastal splendor by planting more mangroves on the coast – and i have seen many young mangrove trees and smaller trees sprouting.

When we reached San Carlos at about 4pm, we took a quick break and took our “lunch” at San Carlos Jollibee. We then continued with our trip and arrived at Bacolod at 530pm.

It was a quick trip, no stop-overs like what road trips supposed to be, but it was a great trip for me and a great time to spend with my family.

It’s amazing how travel trips seem to open your mind to many possibilities and opens your brain to a lot of ideas and insights. The trip made me realize and appreciate the beauty of my own province. It gave me the urge to explore more, visit more places and discover more about my homeland – and hopefully the whole country. I have realized that there are still a lot of our country men who tries hard to preserve that beauty, so future generations may learn to appreciate it. And most especially, how a simple road trip, a simple activity, can be made special and unforgettable when shared with your loved ones.

Happy Trip … ’til next time

Bertonians – The Origin

Bertonians(n) –  Weird but definitely interesting people.

Below are some the accounts on how the Bertonians came to be … the most that I can remember … Forgive me if i have jumbled the events, its sequence and details … feel free to correct/add/suggest as needed …

First part is dedicated to the origin of the team’s name … and the rest are the accounts of what made the team a one-of-a-kind solid top performing team … in stats and in everything else.

Read on Berto …

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Kawasan

The origin, where it all started … the first team building activity for the team and one of the best team buildings we had. There we met a very interesting person by the name of Berto. He was the husband of the daughter of the care taker of Scott’s rest house that we used for the team building. It was located about 1.5 km from the chapel in Kawasan - the starting point of the trek to the falls.

Berto was interesting in many ways. He was an all around guy who technically knows everyone – or thinks he knows so. He was our guide for the trek. He was our cook – who flips a whole fish from the burning charcoal to its other side using his bare hands. He was our “rafts-man”. And he claims to have met everyone in the team, some time, somewhere in his past. He claimed to have met Mark in Talamban, claimed to have known a certain Jojo in Bohol “with a basakan” and asked Kei about him. He claimed that Jollibee Banawa has a secret underground lair where all employees wear read shirts as uniform. He was a comrad in our inuman sessions and an interesting personailty overall. With that, we named our team on his honor.

 

Another interesting event that started in Kawasan and became a regular on every teambuilding activity  is the making of a “Master Showman”. The master showman in every team building – a unique way of unleashing the creativity, artistic, violent talent in each Bertonian. Each team building event is a stage for any Bertonian willing to share his uniqueness in character and personality.

For our first official outing, it was inaugurated by Mark who was the first to take the spotlight. Diving in the rocks several times on our trek down Kawasan Falls each time uttering the phrase “ok lang ko” and boasting of his Taiwaneese language prowess for the duration of the trek to our rest house.  And later that evening, the main event – Goldie vs Ereth. The clash of the Titans, thrilla in Kawasan. At this point, I’ll reserve my right to be silent about the details, all the “Bertonian oldies” knows about it – and the only casualty as a result of that main event, was Caesar. bwahahaha  …

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Boljoon

Boljoon is a town about 3hrs away from Cebu City and the venue for one of our team outing activity. It was a memorable event for several reasons. For one, it was the first team building the first ladies were able to join. It was where they traded secrets and where the ‘alliance’ was formed – bad for the men.

It was one of the few team buildings we had where we were almost complete – the only person who wasn’t able to join was Lynbert aka Boy Ki, who had an important personal/family event he had to attend.

Star of the event was Rogelio “Boypaks” Genetiano Jr with a stunning R-18 performance on the beach – photos were banned due to the nature of its content

Best supporting roles were given to Eldeen “Ka Freddie” and Gie with a photogenic, touching moment …

Best love duo for the night goes to Jimmy “Jimboy Hamis” and Yam … Jim, what’s with the Julie’s Bakeshop van?

Best romantic moment awarded to Marc John and partner for their romantic “stroll-along-the-beach-holding-hands-looking-for-sea-shells” scene.

Best suspense moment goes to Caesar and wife Chantal … where the famous phrase ” ali ba, dili lagi tika unsaon” originated.

Best time was lunch time along the beach coast, sharing boodle-boodle with the team. And a shot of whisky to share – more like a cartoon-full of long neck if I remember correctly.

And who could forget the 3-hr trek to the ”False”.  :)

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Portofino x3

First was with JM’s “D’ Wowie DeGuzman look-a-like” team. I would like to apologize though, that I have nothing much to retract on the said event. Everything was a blur. The only 3 things i remembered were:

1. Jimmy “boy hamis” Perez being grilled and served as the main course for the night – Jimmy a la carte with Meryl sauce.
2. Lynbert and Jimmy cursing Bong for their “hell-of-a-ride” experience.
3. And yours truly, parading the corridors of Marina mall and the isles of Ester Drugstore topless.

Second Portofino event was the first for Marc “Pepe Smith” Espano and wife to join the team – who marveled us with his English speaking skills communicating to Sho’s youngest son. With that talent, Marc earned himself the “Linguist of the Night” award.

Best performance was given to Goldie (again) for his drama-action solo scene for “Ang Cellphone Ko – Swisshhh … Blag!!” peace Golds

The best part for me is the opportunity to share the whole teambuilding experience with my wife.

 And who could forget the 3rd Portofino event? I definitely can’t as I was forced and obliged to contact their office, ask for apologies and travel back to pay for the overnight rental that everyone else neglected to pay – intentionally if I may emphasize.

Best wisdom scene goes to Yanix … with his English oration/declamation/impromptu speech entitled “I love my TL” and his best-as-real-life personalization of “ang batang yagit sa balcony” scene.

Stars of that night – Mckie “Boy patik” Aya-ay with his nominated scene “1-2-3 Heeppp!!” and who can forget Amat’s semi-nude performance with the “hoping-ladies-to-be” frolicking at the beach side.

I know I may have jumbled some of the events and I can’t completely recall how many times the team has been to Portofino for a teambuilding activity. Oh well, moving on…

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Argao 

A place for an unforgettable event – a farewell party for a Bertonian member who bade her farewell to the team for a better opportunity outside.

One of the best events in terns of food and accommodation – nothing less expected from the care and accommodation given by an Armie Narca.

Who can forget the midnight drama of Amats along the beach … best drama/action/suspense scene for the whole team building activity.

The great river stone castle cruise with the team and a dip at their refreshing pool.

For me, the experience was made more memorable shared with my wife – one of the few team building activities she was able to join.

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Boardwalk

Less attended team building activity, but definitely not less memorable.

The usual casts were there, sharing a good sessions of stories, booze and … nothing else.

Shared with guest star Rogelio “Boy Paks” and his Talaba props.

The event was Eldeen’s time to shine … together with his angels …

 

 

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Seafront

Together with team WeKnowNa – JM’s team. A spur of the moment team building activity with no concrete plans – but it turned out just right.

What was to be JM’s team building activity was dominated by a Bertonian’s star performer in disguise. Star of the night, goes to, no one else, hands down Jasper “Veterans Move” Arranguez, with his dazzling ballet performance and acrobatic moves for his visual interpretation of the song “Hit me  Baby one more time” by PreciouzLei. Hands-down, the best performance ever – with all the hoolla moves, swan dance, groin-splitting splits showing the old dog still has a few tricks up his sleeve … the best.

 And another teambuilding activity spent with my wife.

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Pinamungahan

And who can forget the Pinamunghan experience.

First, made memorable by the fact that the person who suggested the place, never attended the event – right Yanix? hehehehe

Star performer for the night was Jimmy with his Oscar award winning drama performance for his role as the forsaken boyfriend for the movie “Gone in 3 days”.

Special participation by Cid and wife – thanks for the photos Cid – by Caesar and family, by Jaja and family and the ever present Heart who became an adopted member of the Bertonians family.

And made extra memorable by the participation of Raul “Konsehal” and family who arrived the next morning.

Best supporting role goes to the lechon that served as our only source of food for much of the duration of the activity – Dinner, early morning siesta, breakfast and lunch.

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Bohol

The last for me, and one of the most memorable.

Best performance goes to the Bertonians choir!!!

Best original lyrics goes to the angels – Rae, Steph, Lei, Arms and Heart (for choreography )

 For details, you may view my separate post on this link.

And what made it more special? My wife was with the team for the whole activity.

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And we also have famous hangouts and events that bonded the team closer…

• Basketball sessions at Bright Academy that we used to do every Tuesday night.
• Rae’s birthday celebrated at Coon Grill and Restaurant – frequent place for the team’s bonding sessions because of their buy 4 take 1 promo for their red horse beer.
• Mark’s wedding. Gathering of the team and the first ladies “society” – first for Ryan’s wife Nina

 

• Sinulog 2009 celebrated at Amat’s place – a chance for the first ladies to have a get together celebrated with Sho’s wife and kids.

 

• Pocherohan sa Talamban before it was permanently demolished. With every Friday night a must night for the team – a night of songs and request for the good songs sang by a good artist and guitar man.
• Family Park for the swimming sessions – or 1 session more like it. With plans for a team’s swimming lesson never came to be.
• Sessions at Babes Talamban with babe’s pancit Canton as the mainstay pulotan.
• Stand by’s at Mark’s place in Talamban – more like Mark’s Uncle’s place. Sugba, kilaw and record breaking lapad performance.
• Videoke sessions at Bubbles at downtown Cebu.
• Late evening and early morning videoke sessions at Manila Lahug where we experienced good hospitality with rocks being hurled at us for the noise we were generating.

 

• Sing-a-long at Steph’s place with Yanix stealing the show from everyone. Unfortunately I lost the video to prove my claim – or maybe its just saved somewhere in my cellphone. bato bato sa langit … Great BBQ cooking courtesy of the hosts, Steph and Heart.
• Mark’s baby. The latest addition to the Bertonian’s family.
• And one of the best event for me,  my birthday surprise from the team – unforgettable. Ice cream from konsehal. Delicious chocolate cakes from Steph and Heart, pasta by Jaja’s wife Honey … yummy …

That is it as far as my memory could capture. And I encourage each to contribute or correct facts I missed out.

As individuals, we have our own priorities and dreams to pursue. Somewhere along the way, we will go our own separate ways as we travel life’s path. Call me idealistic, I don’t care, but I cherished the times spent with the team and the memories built; and bonds of friendship created that will transcend time and distance.

I know this will not be the last time the Bertonians team will meet, and I hope we’ll all meet again soon.

And being the idealistic person that I am, I always fuel the fire in my heart that tells me a Bertonian will always be a Bertonian and will always be connected with the family … family of friendship, camaraderie and team.

 

 

 

Long live the Bertonians …

 Bertonians’ Coat of Arms

First Ladies’ Night

Aug 18, 2009

I had my last time to spend with my team on our last team building activity in Bohol … but we need to accomplish one more task before we can finally be ready for travel to Bacolod for the next day – a get together for the first ladies.

In the course of our team outings and team bondings for the past 2 years of Bertonian history, our wives have bonded and created a society of their own. And for every team activity they participate in, their bonds became stronger and  closer ties of friendship were created.

The first time that our first ladies got to know each other was our team building in Boljoon, at Jasper’s place. It was a nice, quiet house beside the highway that we used for our team building. That was when my wife Erisa met Jasper’s wife Honey, Caesar’s wife Chantal, and Mark’s wife Mae (Mark and Mae weren’t married at that time) – that was the first introduction of the first ladies to the Bertonian family. That was when they made their first bonding session, shotting a glass of wine while the guys had their own “tagay” session going on.

Boljoon was about 3hrs travel from Cebu, but it was worth the trip. The beach was great – and we had it all to ourselves – although it was a little rocky; and it was the only team building activity that everyone attended - except for Lynbert who had a very important event to attend to during that weekend. The whole group was there – together with the first ladies.

The Bohol outing would have been the perfect time for them to bond and spend time with each other before my wife and I travel to Bacolod. But since Honey, Mae and Chantal were not available to come with the team’s outing in Bohol, my wife had to see her friends before we part the next day. My wife tried to contact Chantal, Honey and Mae for a suitable place and time – and agreed to meet at Ayala at around 7pm. Jaja and Honey arrived first and gave us a big surprise when they treated us at Big Mao’s. We never expected that and definitely we were humbled by the gesture. We know it was a great effort for both of them to shoulder the expenses for the night – and we are very thankful to both of them. Thanks kuya Jaja … mwehehehe … =)

 

It was a feast!!! – to say the least. Serving patatim, fish, noodles, garlic rice and iced tea. Forgot how the fish was cooked – but it was one of the best on the menu.

My wife Erisa, Honey and Mae took the chance to catch up with their lives’ update while the boyz feast on the food. =)

After dinner we decided to walk a little and drop by at Mooon Cafe to chat some more. We got a little thirsty with all the conversation we had, and decided to order a set of beer – and Mooon Cafe has a unique way of serving their beer …

 

 

For about P260 you’ll have  3 Liters of beer in a tube … that’s right, in a tube – not in a bottle, a pitcher or glass, but in a tube. And it also comes in a smaller cylinder for about P100+ for a liter or two.

Then Caesar and his wife Chantal arrived at around 1030pm – after Chantal’s work shift – and finally the group was complete.

All 4 first ladies will now have their chance to meet and talk for one more time before our trip to Bacolod … and the first gentlemen got to drink their beer… =)

All too soon we had to wrap things up – family duty calls. We had to cut our meeting short for everyone to attend to their family duties … Jaja and Honey had their children to take care of, Caesar and Chantal had to travel home to take care of their son and Mark and Mae to take care of their baby boy.

The night ended quickly but it was a good night to remember. All first ladies were happy to have the chance to meet one more time.

As we bid farewell and best wishes to everyone, we keep our hopes that all our paths will cross again in the near future – and when that time comes, it will be another event worth celebrating.

My wife and I would like to say thank you to Mark and Mae, and Caesar and Chantal for taking the time to meet with us despite their hectic schedules, work and family duties to attend to. And of course to Jasper and Honey for their surprise and tremedous effort for the dinner.

 

Cheers!!!

 

Cebu Escapade

Last Aug 11 to 13 my sisters, May Joy and Kathleen Rose, together with their partners Pano and Franc respectively, came to Cebu for a 3 day vacation. My wife and I were very excited, eager and full of plans on how to flood their 3-day vacation, make the most of it and make it an unforgettable one.

 

Having stayed and worked in Cebu for a good 5 years, i have been to many nice, memorable and exciting places – and I’m trying to fit all of our planned destinations in 3 short days. I don’t claim to be an expert in Cebu’s scenic spots (and I know I’m not), but I know I can come up with an itinerary that will suffice a memorable vacation for my utols and their partners.

 

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Aug  11 – Day 1- Appetizer … hehehe

 

We went to Ayala and SM for a start. I know it’s not much, but we had to. These malls are a must see when you are in Cebu … for the sake of Franc who’s in his first time visit.

 

 

 Later afternoon we went to the Crown Regency Tower in Osmeña and decided to try the Edge Coaster. I have to admit that the plan was to experience the Sky Walk and not the Edge Coaster – it seemed more reasonable at that point – translation: we were cowards and afraid of heights!!!

 

My younger sibling, May Joy talked us into trying the Edge Coaster instead, and it turned out to be a great experience – it’s not as scary as it seems. Although I never tried the Sky Walk thingy, I think the experience was more rewarding and “sulit” by trying the Edge Coaster than the Sky Walk. Riding a coaster that tilts up to 55° is more hair-raising than just walking at the side of the building in a harness – well at least I think it’s more rewarding.

 

For those of you who plan to visit Cebu, definitely this is a must try.

 

Location: Crown Regency Hotel, Osmeña Blvd.

Registration at the 19th floor and you take another elevator to the 38th floor for your Edge Coaster ride or 37th floor for the Sky Walk experience.

For 500 bucks, you get to choose either of the 2 – Edge Coaster or Sky Walk.

 

Edge Coaster: You get to ride a coaster with a partner – 2 persons per coaster – that will travel a rail at the edge of the Crown Regency Tower at 38 stories high. About 10 secs after the start, the coaster will automatically tilt 50° for about 15 secs to give you the “Edge” experience. Either you or your partner has the control to return the coaster to the untilted position thru a switch; or tilt it further to its max 55° – and either of you will have the control to tilt or return it to its untilted position anytime with in the ride – so make sure to partner with someone with your same level of fear factor. hehehe …

 

 

The ride takes about 5mins or so – but it definitely seems longer – and the 360° view of the city is really an experience.

 

Sky Walk:  Although I haven’t tried it, I’ve seen several persons go through the experience, viewing from the observation area. People get to wear safety jackets and will be tied to a harness for safety – obviously.  You will get to traverse a fiberglass ledge, bordering the Crown Regency tower with a guide. If you plan to take this option instead of the Edge Coaster, make sure to go to the tower in sneakers or rubber shoes. Slippers, sandals are not allowed. You may, however, continue with the experience by buying a pair of socks (at the counter) and borrow a pair of shoes (at the counter still) for an additional P20 bucks.

 

They have different rates (peak and non-peak rates). Peak days are during weekends and non peak on the other days. They are open until 10pm – but I think the experience is more wholesome during the daytime, when you get to see how high you are from the ground. =) night lights at the top of the building are great though.

 

Rate during our visit were the following:   

visit  only at the top (Sky Observatory and Sky Bar): 380 bucks   

Entrance with ride: P500 (either the Edge Coaster or the Sky Walk)   

Entrance + ride + buffet: P600

Operation time: 2:00PM – 10:00PM

Peak days: Saturdays and Sundays (rates might be higher than the off-peak days)

 

Tip: Proactively ask the lady at the counter for the “with buffet” rate. During our visit we only had to pay P600 (additional P100) for the ride with free eat-all-you-can buffet dinner. Dinner’s at 6pm-10pm. food is not exceptional, but good enough for a +P100 from the ride rate. I know the buffet was the “Crowning” experience for Franc and Pano who ravaged the halo-halo bar 4 times … the least that I can remember … =)

 After the experience, you’ll get a free “certificate of bravery” for any of the 2 options you’ll take – certificate with your name on it! Then you can boast to your friends that you were brave enough to ride the Edge Coaster or traverse the Sky Walk. =)

 While on the ride, a representative will take your pictures for souvenir. 1 CD with 7 pics = P350 or an option to print per pic, at 200 bucks each. But pictures aren’t that great. The rep only takes your picture at any chance she’ll get using a DSLR cam set on low quality pics. Have someone take your pics instead, and be ready to pose for the perfect shot. =)

 

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Aug 12 – Day 2 – Kawasan – Entrée

 

We decided to go to Kawasan falls for a unique Cebu experience. Personally, I’ve been to the falls about 4 times and I still enjoy the experience every time – especially now that my wife has the Canon dslr to take photos with. hehehe … I like to trek, although I’m not a mountaineer; I like to take pictures and I admire great photography, although I’m not close to being good at it and I still have a long way to go.

 

The trip to Kawasan will be a trip to remember for sure.

 

Along the way, my car broke down, and we thought we won’t be able to make it. Our First stop was at the municipality of Carcar – at the shoe display, with the giant shoe at the entrance. Good timing for a quick stop over, quick snack, pictures and off we go again.  

 

We had several breakdowns along the way, stopping for a good 5 mins each breakdown, and keeping our hopes that we will be able to reach Badian and go to Kawasan Falls.

 

When we arrived at the municipality of Alcantara, about 20 kms from the municipality of Badian, we decided to have the car checked by a mechanic. We left Cebu at around 8am and it was already 12 noon and we haven’t arrived at Badian yet. In Alcantara we met a good hearted Samaritan by the name of  Charlie Sebalo.  He looked at the car, and diagnosed the problem quick. Unfortunately, the part that needs replacement is only available in Cebu City. Charlie’s suggestion was to leave the car to his care, give him the money to buy the part, and he will personally travel to Cebu to buy the part, return to Alcantara and fix the car (TAT of around 6-7hrs to fix). And during this time, we can travel to Badian, continue with our outing and return to Alcantara by 7PM or so to pick up the car. We were hesitant at first, thinking ‘bout the hefty P7000 price of the part he has to purchase (thinking that the 7000 was our only extra money for emergency purposes). We decided to go with his suggestion – as if we had a choice =) – and gave Charlie the amount and proceeded with our travel.

 

What should have been a 3hr travel took more or less 5 hrs. But it did not defeat out hopes of seeing the travel through. When we arrived at the chapel, which was the entry point for the trek to Kawasan Falls it was already 1PM.  We trekked for a good 30 mins, stopping from time to time to take pictures for souvenirs. We arrived at the first falls, rented a cottage for 300 pesos and prepared for lunch. We bought some bangus wrapped in tin foil with lamas in it, chichirias, sachet of ice tea litro packs, water, lechon manok and puso.

 

While waiting for the bangus to cook, my utols and partners took the time to dip in the cool waters of the falls. We took our lunch, then decided to climb to the second falls, which for me, was more ideal place to stay compared to the first one – due to lesser crowd.

 

It’s another 15 min trek from the first falls, but was worth it.   There we took more pictures and decided to rent a raft to carry my utols and friends to the water falls. It was a worthwhile experience feeling the drop of water from about 15-20 feet – it was a cool experience but boy did the water pack a mean punch - yes it hits hard!!!

 

 

Tips:

1. When trekking to Kawasan from the chapel/highway to the first falls, if you know the path, dislodge all attempts of guides asking if you need assistance. Each person who will accompany you will ask for 100 pesos each (at least), and will guide you up to the second falls if you want to. If you don’t have any idea what path to follow, then a single guide will suffice.

 

2. If you plan to get a cottage at the first falls, rent from the cottages nearest the falls. The owner has cottages on the second falls that you can use without extra pay – with a little permission as well – and going there off-peak (week days) would also help.

 

3. Raft costs 300 per hour (tourist rate) but during off peak days, at the second falls, you can rent it for the same price with no time limit.

 

4. If you will not bring a private transportation, Ceres busses pass by the highway ever 30-min interval or so. Last trip to Cebu would depart from the municipality of Bato at around 6PM and would pass by the chapel in Badian at around 700-730 pm.

 

5. Bring foods and enjoy the picnic by preparing bbq foods. BBQ stations are available with the cottage rental – makes the experience more enjoyable with barkadas. Bring water for consumption and portable container while trekking. You can definitely save money if you can bring your team’s softdrinks, chichirias, puso and food for lunch and snacks.

 

6. Total price for the trip: Ceres transportation from Cebu to Badian around P120 per person. Entrance at Kawasan 20 per person. Cottage rental at 300 per cottage and raft rental at 300.

 

We started our trek down around 430pm and arrived at the chapel at around 515pm, waited for the bus; took a Ceres bus and arrived at Alcantara about 630pm. We waited at Charlie’s residence until 830pm, all the while in constant communication with him, what time he would arrive from Cebu and the approximate time the car would be fixed. I was getting worried about our dilemma. Thousand thoughts raced thru my mind about possible things that will happen … what if’s and all. Charlie arrived at around 830 pm, fixed the car by 9 and we were on our way to Cebu.

 

Along the way, being not familiar with the roads, we stopped twice to ask for direction. Each time, people were friendly and caring enough to provide us with directions and bid us good voyage along the way – advising us to slowdown at certain areas and to be careful of slippery roads.

 

We arrived at Cebu at about 1130pm – all starving from the escapade. We dropped by KFC at IT park Lahug and brought home a hefty bucket meal. All did not last 15mins – even the remaining puso from the trip were no match for the starved piranhas. =)

 

All in the day’s trip we experienced good Samaritans that made our trip successful and safe. I told my siblings and my wife that experiences like these kept our hopes that there are still a great number of good people out there willing to give a helping hand with out expecting something in return … truly a moving experience.

 

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 Aug 13 – Day 3 – Lunch at Dove Street – Dessert

Tired and beaten up from the previous day’s activities, we woke up late in the morning at about 10am. We decided to get something to eat. Being too tired to prepare and cook a meal, my wife and I decided to treat everyone at 10 Dove Street. We have always wanted to bring my utol’s and family to the place even on their previous visits to Cebu.

 

10 Dove Street is a residential address located in Sto Nino Village, Talamban – one of the subdivisions fronting the University of San Carlos School. Sto. Nino Village named its streets after different birds. Dove street is located at the farthest end of the village (from the entrance) – or it feels like the farthest. It’s a small restaurant that can cater to about 20-25 persons.

 

What’s unique about 10 Dove Street is that they don’t have rice on their menu. And for a cheap P185 you get to have a complete meal composed of a bowl of  Soup, Garden Salad, Sandwich and a slice of cake – and they have a good variety of soup, salad and sandwiches to choose from. I know you might think that the meal above doesn’t sound much, and we though so as well when we first dined here; but you’ll be surprise how a bowl of soup, salad, sandwich and a slice of cake can fill you up.

 

Drinks, however, are not included in the package. They serve canned drinks, soft drinks, juice, etc for an additional P20 or so.

 

The place is open by 9:00am and closes at around 10:00pm. Sometimes, especially during the evening, they can be fully booked and reservations might be needed. Peak hours are dinner times, around 6:00-8:00pm. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to secure their phone number and I can’t locate it in the yellow pages as well.

 

10 Dove street is a very nice, quiet and somehow private place – a place not frequented by people. It was a nice lunch experience – and made more special shared with my loved ones.

 

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My wife and I planned to bring Franc to the Lapu-lapu Shrine, so he’ll have a chance to visit a “regular” tourist attraction in Cebu – historical wise. Unfortunately we ran out of time and had to scurry back to my place after lunch at Dove street so my “guests” can pack for their 6:30pm flight back to Bacolod.

 

After dropping them off at the airport, my wife and I decided to drop by the Lapu-lapu shrine nonetheless and take some pictures and have a little quality time ourselves. We took several pictures for Franc to see … hehehe =)

 

I know Franc won’t be able to talk about the usual Cebu places - sites usually visited by tourists – but he definitely had a different Cebu “experience”.

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Cebu has a lot of must see sites, must visit spots and must experience events; and it will take weeks, even months, to experience everything Cebu has to offer. But what can you do in 3 days? right? I wished we had more time to tour around the city and Cebu province as a whole … maybe next time.

 

Interesting to know though is that my wife and I have remained strangers to our own hometown than in Cebu … it’s not a good thing, and we don’t intend to keep it that way for long. Next event for us will be to organize a Negros tour – a road trip to visit places and see events that Negros has to offer. And hopefully, we can enjoy the activity with the whole family.

 

‘Till next time …

 

 

A Bertonian’s last Hurrah

Just like the words from a famous cliché … all good things must come to an end.

 My 5 years stay in Cebu has finally come to its close … Aug 19, 2009 was my last day … D Day.

And of course, every last day, every end of tenure, every separation will never be complete without a despedida party.

For my case, it came in a form of a team building for my first and only team – ever since I became a team lead – D Bertonians.

My last team building with my team Bertonians in the island of Bohol (Aug 15-17, 2009)- proved to be one of the best teambuilding we ever had.

One thing that made it special and memorable was the fact that we never had any itinerary or concrete plans on how to go about our trip. We just decided to purchase our tickets and leave everything else to adventure … and adventure we did have.

We arrived in Tagbilaran port at around 6 in the evening, took our dinner at a nearby BBQ stand while waiting for our beloved team mate and councilor, Skipper, who traveled via Tubigon with his family.

When they arrived, together with the van we rented, we traveled to Panglao Island to look for a place to stay. We had to drop by a couple of resorts before deciding to settle at  Bohol Sea Breeze Resort… an affordable, private resort, with good accommodation … we spent the first night recollecting past blunders and experiences while drowning ourselves with shots of “The Bar” … 

boy it tasted more like citrus-flavored-gasoline rather than a drink to be shared with friends … hmmm, I wonder if they were trying to poison me on my last day as their team lead.

 We then decided to rest at around 5 in the morning to get ready for our 9am road trip to visit the different scenic spots and tourist attractions.

We had great fun the next day visiting the different attractions that made the island of Bohol famous.

We had a chance to meet the cute, cuddly Tarsiers. Small, nocturnal monkeys that weigh about 150 grams. They have big eyes and can rotate their heads (although I never had the chance to see this ability) to almost 180 degrees.

 

The biggest python in captivity – Prony. Prony is a little older than 5 years old, about 30 feet in length and weighs about 300 pounds. 

 

 

Blood compact site, located at Barangay Bool, Tagbilaran City. This special place marks the location where a native Chieftain by the name of Datu Sikatuna, forged a blood compact with the King of Spain representative, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi.  This historical event was considered as the first ever ”Treaty of Friendship” between Europe and Asia.

 

Blood Compact Site (photo by Cid) – dili na makita ang mga statues, importante maapil tanan sa picture.

 

(photo by Cid)

 

We had a chance to visit Baclayon Church – the oldest church in the country.

 

 

River cruise at Loboc river – Rio Verde Floating Resto – with a sumptuous lunch buffet (everything is delicious when you’re starving). And at the farthest end of the trip was a stop over at the Ati Tribe …

 

Presenting the Ati Tribe!!!

 

We had a quick stop over at the man-made forest – a long stretch of road densely planted Mahogany trees and lush greens on both sides. 

 

and last, but definitely not the least, a visit to the famous Chocolate Hills. Hundreds of brown cone-shaped hills spread over tens of square kilometers area with varying height and sizes.

 

1 … 2 … 3 … Jump!!!! (photo by Cid)

And the beautiful Alona beach of Panglao Island that is elegantly lit during the night and similarly breath taking during dawn …

 

But for me, the highlight of the trip was the last night. The night will forever be remembered and cherished, and I will never forget the presentation and the open forum the team shared. With every statement each of my team mate made, it reassured me that i have done my part in Cebu … my part in developing the best team, the longest team running in the account. Now i felt satisfied and assured that my years of service were not spent in vain. I just wished the whole team was there to share, hopefully not the last, gathering of the Bertonians.

 

I was more than satisfied with our trip to Bohol … spending a memorable vacation as my last memory of team Bertonians was very rewarding and unforgettable.

Erisa and I would like to thank the team for making the Bohol trip materialize … it’s been a while that the team has planned the trip, the logistics and the budget. Thank you to Consehal Skipper and his family for taking care of the itinerary and most of the logistics. For the regulars (no absence, tardy or NCNS during team outings) Goldie, Mark, Jimmy and Eldeen. Chief Lynbert for his precence. Mark Dawn, Cid and Jennifer for coming with the team (Cid for the great pictures). To Leah, Rae, Steph for organizing the presentation and tribute. To Armie for being the tangera as she is. Also to Heart, for being part of the Bertonian’s extended family … For the rest of the guys who never made it to the trip, Erisa and I are still thankful for making our 5-year stay in Cebu full of memories and precious moments.

my First Blog (Yeheeyyy!!!) dedicated to the team:

Goldie, Elmas, Steph, Leah, Jaja, Betits, Consehal, Yanix, Amats, Jay, Buyo, Rachel, Robbie, Mark, Jim Boy, Boy Ki, Boy Paks, Armie, Rae, Mommy Gie, Gie, Pepe Smith, Bad-Jao, Jimbrey,Scottie, Archie, Denise, Jun, Reniel, Erreth, Cyprus, CK, Frence, Maybelle.

 To the extended Families:

Heart, mga “and Families” and Yam

 Long live Bertonians …

(Photo by Cid)

More photos here.