Eskapo Dini sa Sugbu

I was back on my traveler's foot when a former badminton partner asked me to attend his wedding in Cebu. Since he was my all-time-3-year partner, I instantly said yes without even checking if I've got a budget. Anyways, he'ill be marrying my GF's working colleague, Lore.

Unfortunately, my GF was not 'formally' invited (as she said inspite of my pleasesssss). So I was left with the lonely me, my Nike sports bag and my cam to see what's there in this Sinulog town.

Actually, I've got an uncle in Carcar. The Gonzalodos are all living in Negros Occidental but Uncle Nelson preferred Cebu since his wife loves to live near the pristine beaches of this southern state. Well, I can't blame her. Just look at the sunset up there! It's intensely gorgeous!

The wedding was held at the Sacred Heart Church near Ayala Cebu. Afterwhich, we headed to the grandiose Waterfront Hotel, a mere 15-minute drive from the chapel. I was hoping the party would end early so I could catch an early glimpse of some of the beaches that my aunt infatuously longed for. So I asked my uncle to fetch me in my hotel and go straight to Carcar that evening.

Since it was really dark, Uncle Nelson decided we sleep over at my aunt's sis' house in Moalboal. I was frustrated at first for I was really eager to spend the night at the beach house in Carcar. Perhaps, exhaustion also struck me that I amicably went straight to the bedroom upstairs.

I got up at about 6 am and man, that is the best sunrise I have ever seen. I went down immediately, when I realized I was staying in a beach house??!!##....MAN o man!!!!!! It's almost paradise!!! Wait, is that a song? Ok let me change that...Man, this is paradise!!!!!!!!! I was literally alone at the white sand shore, finer than those of Racay (haven't been to Racay though hehe) and I was so astounded with the free panorama. It was still cold. The beach has just started to rev up its fiercenss with waves plummetting onto the shore.

Feeling DON!!!! Hehe

I kinda squat to hide my 6 pack abs...baka mainggit kau!

We travelled from island to island when I reached Carcar . Some of my relatives from Bacolod were even there to my surprise. At an instant, we had a mini-reunion. I can't remember how much chicharon I ate during the night.

Moonlight in Carcar - hanef.

I had to travel for about 2 hrs to get back to the Mactan International Airport. Around 10 pm, the PA announced that our flight will be dealyed. I thought, hey, I could still eat and buy some pasalubongs for my crazy bros, sis and LOLA. After 30-minutes another announcement....then another until the PA finally gave up. Our FLIGHT WAS CANCELLED!!!!! Harrrrrrrr!

I was in deep shit. I have to go to work the next day to finish my presentation to the contracts board. Man I'm screwed. Buti na lang CEBU Pacific shouldered the lodging and food expenses for the night. And buti na lang my boss was so understanding I could kiss him. Hehehe.

Coincidentally, on the same day, my relatives from Bacolod will be fying back home. So I went early to the airport the next day to meet with my cousins, titos and titas again. A cousin of mine will also fly back to Manila for his job so he transferred his schedule the same as mine. We even bumped with the newlyweds who happen to have the same flight as ours. SMALL WORLD!!!

I really had a blast in Cebu. I only hoped for a good time, HE gave me one of the greatests ever.

Next year, I'll be going to the Sinulog Festival and I'll make sure my flight will BE DELAYED! hahaha.

My Dear 'Ol Neophyte Cam

I never have imagined in my wettest este wildest dreams that to be a photographer is listed in my portfolio. It started out during my second stint out of the country, of course courtesy of my dear refinery. I thought I needed a camera, a digital cam that is. So as it sink in into my watery head I pulled my credit card out of wallet, drove to Alabang Town Center in a jiffy, went straight to the upper level in seconds and bought my first ever digital camera. (",)

It was a Canon. A good buy actually. Got it at 0% interest rate, with a free 16 and 256 MB SDs. Plus a warranty of a.....ok ok I will not go on with the details... but it is a good camera.

Anyways, this trip is probably my longest ever abroad. Lucky I had a stopover in Singapore so I've got tons of time to work on my shots. Thrilled as a todd, I shot almost everything ala Nippon tourist . From the miss that I met at the info booth of Changi Airport, who is a Filipina btw, to the oh-so-heaven-sports-bar beneath a humongous TIVO. Yeah, yeah, I know but hey, t'was my first ever digital cam, so what the heck.

When I arrived in Malaysia, no one can dare stop me. I planned my itinerary from the day I set foot in KL from the day I will board again. Of course, there still work, hehe nakalimutan ko, this was not a junket trip it's a business trip.

In Malaysia, I went to Petronas, Genting, & Batu. I was eager to go to the beaches of Sarawak but they said it's quite far from KL so I settled myself with the bars in front of the hotel where I'm stayin. Of course, I have with me my dear 'ol cam.

The experience in Malaysia was great if you can go to places where nature meets urban lifestyle. Unfortunately, I didn't get that much, apart from thugging with the monkeys in Batu Caves who almost stole my canon. Those f*!"... little rascals!

I had 2 CDs loaded with Sing and KL pictures when I arrived in Manila. I was so excited to print those I liked and archive the rest. So I went to a local shop and asked if they can combine the pics in the CDs into 1 single CD. Since this would take time, I scrammed into the nearby pizza parlor and bought a 4-cheeze thin crust pan pizza. Ahhh...this is the life. After a good one-week abroad, the taste of a 4-cheeze pizzaaaaaahhhh...

I came back to the photoshop after an hour. The attendant was a bit sweaty when he approached me. The sweat that tells you that he's either wanting to go to the bathroom and dunk his shit or that he's in deep shit cos something might have happened you can crush his head and throw it in the toilet bowl. Guess what? He was totally in deep shit, I could kill him.

The man has inadvertently deleted the pics in the CDs. I was gone wrecked. All my neophyte 5-day pics! WAHHHHHHHH!!! The only consolation I could get is that I still have the 16 MB SD with 42 shots in it.

As a result of that ill-fated encounter with that almost ill-fated man, I became more adamant in going to photoshops that I have back ups in my PC or SD. The trip happened a year and a half now and the camera? It's still working, it's still not stolen by monkeys or burglars for that matter. In fact it shot this one.