2013 Goal: Road trip with the Pack

One of my goals this year is to bring my pack for a road trip and the quickest destination from my house is Tagaytay. At the start I knew it's either going to be a bad idea or an insanely good one. 3 rowdy dogs in a car will definitely keep our hands full and tempers rising. Luckily my sister, my brother and aunt had faith in this whole thing. My boyfriend did too, forced or willing, I'm not so sure. :)

My sister and boyfriend were in charge of navigation and driving. While the three of us at the back seat managed the dogs. Harvey was obviously the unruly one. He kept squeezing himself at the driver's area.  Chivas as expected was so pliant and well behaved, I am proud of him. But we did have problems with Bruce. Well for one, he's KJ when it comes to travel. He didn't want to get inside the car. And when he was already in the car he would would whine, cry and walk around. Harvey and Chivas would just look at him, curious. I tried different ways to comfort him. I gave him cheese, gave him a huge bone and got him his blanket, but nothing seemed to work. We drove around the village just to get him used to it, but we ended up bringing him home. I wanted to be with him and I wanted him to experience road trips, but it's obvious that he was uncomfortable and tortured. In the end, I wanted his safety and sanity. When he stepped out of the car, it was remarkable how relaxed he became. He was running around so excited to see the ground and saw us off. My heart broke, but I'm all for what he wants.

So the original pack was decreased to Harvey and Chivas. 2 small and manageable dogs who can handle long road trips well. We passed by Sta. Rosa Paseo Center first to check out some shoes before we continued to Tagaytay proper.

In Tagaytay, it was breezy, but not to the point that we'd shiver, which was a bit disappointing. And the most upsetting part of it all, most of the restaurants, even the outdoor ones do not allow pets. We were stunned and disappointed. In all the restaurants that we checked, we were requested to leave the dogs behind. No way. Hunger, frustration and anger started to mix. It was 9 pm when we decided to head back home and go to Nuvali, an ever reliable Ayala commercial center, to have dinner. Ayala premium properties have always been pet friendly. We had no problems there.

We got back to Paranaque just before midnight. Tired souls but fulfilled and content. Although we didn't get to do all the things we wanted, it was still fun. It wasn't perfect. Bruce wasn't there, the restaurants were pathetic, the weather wasn't all that cold, but the trip was an experience and it was worth it. There were things that I could do better next time, but for now this is enough and I'm happy!

One of the goals for this year is to have a road trip with the dogs. DONE!

Vacation Vacation Vacation!

Everyday gets harder and harder and harder.

I feel that my sanity is slipping away from me every hour. The clock's tick on my watch is a torture. The pace of the days are frustrating. I don't read poetry but suddenly I feel poetic. I go into a chant, a drone at the corner of the office agonizing over something that nobody else can see. I don't expect them to understand, really.

I just don't care anymore. 8 more days, not counting the weekends. Goodbye 2012 (at work)!

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I don't like the beach and I'm definitely not a fan of summer. 

Well first, I'm indifferent to beach water. I'm more of a pool person and I have never developed a desire to swim in sea water. I like mine with chlorine. The last time I swam at the beach I had a week-long allergy and a 2 day-fever. I think that was in 2009 and it was in Boracay, sadly. I had to pay a lot for insane dermatological medicine and I hated the way my skin itched and looked for 3 weeks. Never again. So I stay away from it. Besides, I don't like sand getting in my suit.

I'm also allergic to direct heat. I have urticaria, a skin sensitivity disease that I get from intense weather. I've been to HK and it was freezing cold, but I had no allergy attacks. So from there, we already know the culprit. 

As much as I don't like the beach, I dont necessarily curse it. Even though it's not my cup of tea, I do try to enjoy it in my own style. As long as there's good access to food and good company, I think spending time in the beach is bearable. In fact, I've been going annually to Boracay for the past 6 years with good friends and sometimes with family. Now I'm slated to go there with my good colleagues from Citibank, colleagues who turned out to be friends whom I havent seen in a very long time. I actually invited myself when I heard about their plans. Without wasting time, I booked my own ticket and room. Now I am all set! I don't have major travel plans for the holidays anyways, so this is a good option. December in Boracay is a first! This is bound to be fun and interesting. 

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For my upcoming trip I will just RELAX. And I shall exhaust every essence of the word. I will stuff myself silly with seafoods. I'll get a Jonah's shake together with my grilled hotdog, enjoy sumptuous daily breakfast buffets, reserve one of the cabanas in the afternoons and be one with the hammock, swim in the pool and enjoy social drinking! I'll get to sleep for hours and drown myself in cable! AH the life of a bum!

I've been there before and I know what I should be expecting, but excuse the over excitement. I definitely deserve a quick vacation this year after a 4 month assignment in HK, a migration to support for another 4 months and an ongoing transition and operation woes until the end of the year. It's about time to let off steam and push those nasty troubles away. 

Simply, this is my time to relax and reward myself. It's also a time to think of my career and where I intend to go. It's also a celebration of thanks for the blessings I received. It's also a perfect time to ponder on my upcoming 29th birthday which would push me to 30 next year. Yikes. 

But first things first. I would need the following...non negotiable. 

1. More than triple stars Hotel 

Estacio Uno is my new favorite. 

Some say: "Do not spend too much for a room." Logic says that you just need a good bathroom and a place to sleep. Hence, find something cheap. So not true when you want to relax. The cheap-logic is fine if you're technically on an amazing race tour. But if the purpose is to relax, you need something more like above average. For better room and better service you have to pay up. That's just how things go.

Excellent, clean and lavishly designed rooms with a view would really enhance the relaxing experience. That is the main purpose of every Boracay vacation. I never go there for a tour anyways. If I spend time outside with my friends, those are during happy hours, but I do spend a lot of time in the room too. I sleep a lot, eat there a lot and catch up on my movies and blog. If I retire after a party, the room is the last thing I'll ever see. I prefer my room to be well appointed with an excellent bed, modern facilities and amazing space. I found all of that in this favorite hotel of mine.

If the purpose of the trip is to shop and do tours, go for the original logic. But if it's for a real vacation, the no frills, relaxing version, then the 11,000 bucks per night per room is justified.

2. Do-not-disturb Book material

This is hard. 

Every time I go to Boracay I bring a good book with me. The goal is to finish it before going back to Manila. I even do dry-runs two days before my flight if the book is really appropriate. The challenge is to enhance the experience. If I'm lucky, I would get to pick a really good book, something that would really leave an imprint my perception of the world.

In my Boracay trips, I've read Power by Robert Greene, Then we Came to the End by Joshua Ferris, The Magician by Lev Grossman and The Passage by Justin Cronin to name a few. They were all perfect with a shake on my left, reading under a shady cabana while swaying in the hammock. 

I have tons of books that are still new and waiting to be read. The last time I checked I have around 60 unread books all covered up. Some books I got from a bazaar in HK, most of it from my random trips to the local bookstore. This is the moment that I would really want to pick something from my own set. I don't intend to go to the bookstores anymore to buy a new one, but who am I kidding? On the weekend before my flight, I know I would still have one last look at the stores. 

Thanks to this 3 week vacation, I'm in the process of lining up books that I want to read. I'm already scanning through nytimes bestsellers for e-books or paperbacks and list down what I don't have. This is an exciting and ongoing process. I already have contenders for my trip and for the Christmas duration, some of the copies are already on hand. 

Bought it two months ago for the intention of reading it on a long Christmas break. I love Haruki Murakami. This book is thick and epic-worthy. I love getting lost with his stories. This is interesting.

I bought Book 1 last year and Book 2 this year and it's a shame that I haven't started at all. This calls for an intense moment and this vacation may be one of the opportunities that I have. I'm a sucker for fantasy genre. I get into a do-not disturb mode forsaking lunch and dinner just like what happened in Lord of the Rings and Game Of Thrones.

I bought this when I was in the process of migrating a HK project. I gave it also as a gift for a dear friend and colleague who has helped me battle insanity a lot. I'm not into non-fiction books in general, but I make a pass for good reads. I've read good reviews about it and the title just got me.

I bought this a year ago and it's in my to be read list ever since. I love Ayn Rand. I read Atlas Shrugged last 2010 on my US Trip and fell in love with it. I plan to read it again soon. I love how Ayn Rand magnifies the intricacies of human relationships with hints of philosophical views and analysis. The stories are epic and insightful. It's not just drama, but it makes you think. This is my version of an epic literary soap.

The first book I read from Lahiri was the Unaccustomed Earth. It's a compilation of short stories about life and mostly about societal and conflicts of cultures and migrants. I loved it. A friend recommended me The Namesake, on of her very best works. Good thing Fully book sold one of those hardbound compilations of select authors. Jhumpa Lahiri is one of them. Now I do have a back-to-back copy of the the Name Sake and Interpreter of Maladies.  I'm so excited to start!

The list could go on and on and on. The selection process of my Christmas reads is still in progress. Will let you know.

3. Beach Stuff

I need a new bathing suit, cover up, beach sandals and a beach bag. It's not too much. These are practically basics. 

And no, this is not entire wants, but a needs. Yes uh-huh. That's right. 

Sadly, I've gained weight this year and some proportions of my body do not apply anymore to my old suits. So I need a new one, something that's more...forgiving.

Naturally, my cover-up will definitely have to go with my suit. So I would need this one too. 

The beach sandals that I had I already gave to my household help simply because she wants it and I totally forgot that I had it. So now I only have 2 pairs left. One for driving and one that I use when I spend time outdoors, which I saw Bruce chewing the other day. So I'd definitely need a new for the trip.

As for the bag, I bought a beach bag in SM (i love SM) mustard color for 300 pesos two years ago. That bag has been with me since. I use it for traveling. I use it while spending time with the pack. I use it for the gym. I use it sometimes when I got to the mall. It's big, it's kind of water proof, multi-functional and I love the color. I think I've already used this in two of my boracay trips. It won't be that bad to get a new one. 

4. Update my IPOD

I swear this has been a running goal for the past few months. I bought a new IPOD Nano last April and it's still empty. I must start downloading songs!!! I promised myself this weekend I'll find the time. 

I pack light! With my sunblock, camera, book, IPOD and IPAD I'm all set to go!

I'm too excited for vacation, seriously. I think I'm going mad. 

All you'll ever need

Sometimes, all you'll ever need in life is a new morning, a good cup of hot coffee, a smashing internet connection, a good book and an opportunity to dip in a cool pool. 

Happy Tuesday everyone!

The Weighing Scale

My mom, aunt and brother are flying back to Manila tonight. Boo-hoo.

Early this morning, my aunts and mom went to Tabo-an to buy the infamous danggit for pasalubong. When they came back, boy do they smell!! Danggit is just one of the few pasalubongs they'd pack for their flight. It's just a small, weightless bunch, compared to the Lechon, Mazarial, rosquillos, chicharon, budbod and other native delicacies from Cebu

That's when the weighing scale appears.

Knowing my parents and aunts, they will never pay for excess baggage. They would use every pound they can exhaust. I think they find happiness in strategizing and repacking stuff. Worse comes to worst, they will have to carry on stuff, but never pay for excess. For consistently traveling relatives, the weighing scale is an essential part of the warm up. They pack early on and weigh the check-ins.

I bet no one had actually stepped on that scale and measured their weights. I'm betting my life this cale measured more boxes than actual people.

In check in bags, we do not estimate. But with our personal weights, who needs weighing scales, a vague outdated idea would have to to do. 

Going to Cebu anxious

I'm finally going on an officially vacation,  I should be happy. I'm leaving for Cebu today with my sister, which easily means that I'll be leaving my pack under the care of our two household helpers. I'm confident in the fact that they are knowledgeable. They know what to do, they are familiar of my pack's temperament and I have faith that they would do the right things at the right time. Because just two days ago, we had a showdown.

Two nights ago I stayed late in the office and evidently woke up late the next morning. Usually my aunt and I would check up on the dogs early morning especially Bruce, our 4 month old puppy, to take him out from his customized cage, feed him and bond with him. Harvey and the rest of the dogs are less destructive now that they are older. They do not need to be supervised. However Bruce is of a different case. He is big for his size and he is at the stage of finding joys in destruction. During the day, we let him out to roam around freely, but at least everyone's up and about to check up on him periodically. But during at night, we fear that we might wake up to chaos and that involves my dad's cars, my helpers' household stuff and my mother's garden. One night when we tried to let him be in the other lot,  we woke up to 5 dilapidated hangers, a fallen old cabinet without the covers, three pots of plants destroyed and chairs toppled. That was only for one night.

Bruce, our little giant, is still restless. He acts like a puppy and even for a low-energy dog, he tends to destroy things a lot. So for the benefit of all those involved, until he gets properly trained, we would have to put him in his customized home for the night.

When I woke up late that day and was about to go to the office at 9:40 am, I did not see Bruce around. Sheepishly my helpers told me that he was still in the cage. I went ballistic. I immediately went to him and saw him slightly inactive. He had wastes in his cage, which was an alarming sight for me because he never does his business where he sleeps. He would always have this spot in the garden to pee and do other stuff in the morning whenever we let him out. I also saw his water dish was almost empty and he hadn't eaten yet. I brought him out and finally gave everyone at the house a piece of my mind.

It's true that my household helpers may know the drill. I'd like to think they love my dogs, but sometimes, they do have other priorities. They didn't buy these dogs in the first place, I did. They can have that decision to ignore my pack especially if they want to slack off now that everyone's out of the house for a vacation. Slacking off is understandable. We want to relax once in a while when no one is looking, but I do expect the basic things to be done. Apart from the very basic household oversight, these dogs will always depend on them to survive the day. I don't expect to them to spend time with them. I just want them to consider their basic needs. I'd be more confident if at least I have one of my siblings around or even my aunt who cares for my pack deeply. But they won't be here when I leave.

That's why I'm anxious. I'm more anxious for Bruce than the rest because he's young and he tends to demand more attention. I'm slightly annoyed at leaving them behind, but my dogs are smart and I still have faith on those that are concerned. I guess I would just have to live through it and endure long distance phone calls every now and then.

I'm going to Cebu. I'm happy, I'm excited but I'm slightly anxious. I'll miss my dogs for sure. I always have.