We survived the photo expedition! =)

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We survived! Finally, after months of planning and organizing the Batad and Banaue Photo Expedition, we did it! =) The trip itself proved to be quite physically challenging (I am no mountain-person [I love the flat seashore especially during low tide!] so doing a 3-hour trek on rocky little steps that is just about a ruler and a half wide at the edge of a mountain just to get to Batad was no easy feat for me! Going through the rice terraces in the middle of a thunderstorm was another thing! =] ) …but anyways, it was all good …there were hardships along the way, not to mention the unpleasant incident on the afternoon before the trip that started it all but because I had my you-know-who-you-are with me, cheering me up along the way with his happy songs and always sunny disposition, everything was so much more bearable =) …. Organizing a trip like that was, overall, a good learning experience for me …I learned that the next time I organize a trip, I will make sure it is more convenient and more comfortable for the participants…I will also make sure that we stick to the planned menu so we don’t always end up having almost the same thing day after day…sheesh…someone who was supposed to make sure everything went by in the proper order as planned unfortunately did not do his homework nor did he value the agreements we made so i can’t help but bitch about it here! =]

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Also, things I learned:

1.       ALWAYS bring garbage bags (because when it rains, you can wrap up your backpacks and gear bags in them, and you can also make little raincoats for your precious camera)

2.       There is a BIG difference between water-repellant and water-resistant! (duh! i knew that already but I wasn’t really thinking about it and I learned it the hard way…I was wearing a light jacket with me that was water-repellant….and by the end of our trek, I was soaked inside out… =]

3.       Oreos and SkyFlakes are non-negotiable items for me…I always have them in my bag because…I’ll never know what my next meal will be =p

4.       Ok, ok, I won’t just “dump” all my stuff on the ground so I can take pictures right away…Sorry for making my jacket/your jacket/our things dirty =( …thank you, you-know-who-you-are, for not getting mad at me =]

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Happy times: ….reaching out and having you-know-who-you-are’s hand ready to hold during difficult steps especially during the thunderstorm … him carrying all my stuff up and down 50 million steps while he sang happy Carpenter songs (My darn heavy and painful thighs were killing me and I’m sure everyone felt this way about their thighs too…but he was there with his oh-so-positive disposition, spreading cheer not just to me, but to the other slow people who were with us too =) …happy thoughts of halo-halo, chowking, cheeseburger, my future fish-eye lens and the amazing thing he did with the big water bottle …tnx bby =) 

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Thanks to everyone who signed up and joined the trip: jeepney toploader and milk-tea sponsor Minnie,
bug-lover shutterbug Wendell, Father and Son team Boy & Dan, cool photographer August, spunky and sassy Liela, funny attorney Allan, super serious attorney Charity, South Dakota super trooper Deb, quiet and low-key Gerry, super blogger Anton =)

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Foodie thanks: thanks Wendell for those 2 super yummy chocolate bars, and to Dan, for letting me finish his Nova chips…being stuck in the middle of nowhere then, those little things to me seemed heaven-sent! =)

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View the great Anton Diaz’s blog entry about surviving the trip here and his top 10 awesome experiences about the trip here =)

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View my photos taken from the photo expedition here! =)

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How to take better pictures…

Dear point-and-shooter friends,

I would like to invite you all to my upcoming fun basic photography workshops ! I hope to see you guys there! =)

for more info, visit http://www.glitterdoll.net/projects/grayarea/1.htm

Callao Caves and Palaui Island

It’s been a week already since we returned from our weekend trip to Cagayan Valley where, among other things, we visited caves, jumped into a river, traveled to a remote island to hike up a hill,  pitched tents and spent the night in pitch black darkness (by the faint light of a bonfire though) next to a very, very spooky, abandoned lighthouse (in which, we later on learned upon returning home safe to Manila, that 78 people lost their lives in the vicinity of that light house due to unspecified reasons…*shiver!*)

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Because my memory is less than spectacular, I want to remember highlights of the trip:

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(Disclaimer: this blog entry is going to be really, really long and will contain lots of pictures and my senseless ramblings for the most part but I’m too lazy to edit and see if it makes sense to anyone reading this …so… what the hell …here goes…=)

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The Bus Ride going there

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We spent about 10 hours on the bus from Manila to Tuguegarao. The 10 hours seriously seemed like forever. Why, it seemed like 10 nights instead of just 10 hours! It was crazy! =]  I prayed we wouldn’t fall into the ravine/cliff/wherever we were coz I was sure we were zigzagging right on the edge, high up on the sides of the Sierra mountains or something! =] … anyways, everyone else seemed super comfortable on the bus, they were all sound asleep! Can I just say that it was so weird being on a bus with people having small towels and handkerchiefs to cover their faces as they slept? Some were even wearing sunglasses in the dark. It was weird and scary to me because I wasn’t used to such a sight with their faces covered up like that…. but they were sleeping so lucky them!  I remember being so frustrated asking myself why couldn’t I just sleep like everyone else? =( Well, I did manage to doze off every minute or so, but I just kept waking up all the time! I must have woken up a hundred times from those momentary little naps only to realize I was still on the bus and it was still dark outside and the bus was still swaying from side to side as it has been doing for so many hours already. The bus ride was like a video loop that was never going to end =] …It was like a never-ending roller coaster from purgatory (I said purgatory, not hell…hell is how I would describe our bus trip going back) …

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Finally! Sunrise!

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It was SO good to be able to see that the sky was lightening up outside the bus window and to see that we were no longer on the edge of a mountain, but on a flat road with vast ricefields zooming past us (or we were zooming past it, whatever =) …

We finally reached the Tuguegarao bus terminal where Chin’s dad picked us up. We girls got to ride on Chin’s van, while the boys followed behind on little tiny tricycles. We reached Chin’s home a few minutes later where we were greeted by a path of pretty pink flowers by the garage =) Chin’s mom, their pet dog and many of their roosters and chickens welcomed us as well (oh yeah, roosters are chickens too, don’t mind me, I’m just rambling here) .

We watched the sunrise and gobbled up as many yummy longganizas as we could for breakfast =) Then Chin’s dad invited us outside to try out some target shooting. He showed us how to load a rifle with pellets and how to properly aim on the target paper marker that was posted on a tree. I managed to hit bull’s eye on the first try (maybe being a photographer helped me aim well? =), on the second try, I managed to hit the pin that pinned the paper on the tree, therefore, un-pinning the paper from the tree =) 

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Callao Caves

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First on the itinerary was Callao Caves. After climbing like 500 steps (maybe I’m exaggerating a bit but I was sleep-deprived!), we made it to the entrance of the caves. The first chamber of the 7 chambers that make up the Callao Caves contains a chapel/shrine that is illuminated from above by sunlight. It is so beautiful and peaceful in there and I wish I had been able to stop and pray and say my 3 wishes but being a photographer, you know how it is. Before I knew it, most of the people I went inside with had already gone ahead and it was just me and u-know-who-u-are, plus another couple taking pictures in that chamber. …Anyways, soon enough, our group came back and they were done seeing all the chambers. Erp. I think we only got to see the first 3 chambers because I spent too much time getting the timing of the sun beams just right and setting the timer on the camera for the longest time to include ourselves in the frame =) (Hey, u-know-who-you-are, thanks for staying with me even though you probably wanted to explore the other hidden chambers with the rest of the group too…sorry I took so long, and happy 2 years and 8 months to us by the way

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The other caves we missed

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Well, there was another system of caves after the Callao Cave series but seeing that it was going to be a little challenging for me and my un-broken-but-formerly-broken arm, we decided to not go with the group =(  … We just shared a refreshing glass of halo-halo outside instead. Bummer right? =]

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Swimming in the Pinacanauan de Tuguegarao River

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After a nice little lunch on the huts outside the cave, we went down on a flight of stairs by the mountain and got onto a little banca and enjoyed the sights and splendor of passing through the flowing river between the corridors of the Sierra Madre mountains.

High up, we could see holes at the sides of the moutains – bat caves, we were told. We would watch the circadian flight of bats later at dusk but first, we were going swimming by the river =)

It was my first time to swim in a river and what a wonderful time we had! I am used to the strong sting of chlorine in swimming pools or the salty taste of sea water all the time so swimming in tasteless, fresh water was so new to me!

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At first, we stayed at the sides only but soon, I wanted to see if I could actually “swim” across to that little tall boulder over there where the others were….so I did and I made it! Us girls were actually merrily swimming and having the time of our lives….but the boys, well, the boys did not know how to swim and they were content being on the shallow (safe) side, just keeping their feet wet… they said they were our “lifeguards on duty”. Right. Ok guys, we believe you =)

Soon, the girls started climbing up the little tall boulder that we were clinging on to. And then they all started to dive into the river from the top of the little tall boulder. It looked like so much fun and I wish I could do it too. I wanted to but  I wasn’t sure that I could actually climb and not injure my unbroken/fragile arm in the process. Anyways, after seeing all the girls do it, I decided to just do it too! Carefully I started my little awkward climb, fearful that I might slip, lose my grip and scrape my legs or fracture my arm or just fall off or something but I tried to focus really well and had the other girls to thank for lending me a hand when I needed it and I finally made it to the top and jumped! It was so fun! And I climbed and jumped into the water many more times after that! =) 

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After a few hours, I decided to dry up and make some little rock formations by piling up one little stone over another…then it was time to ride the boat again and go….we kinda missed the circadian flight of bats because they were going to come out at a later time =/ bummer =/ 

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After a sumptuous dinner of lechon kawali, pancit and mangoes, we were dead-tired and we all fell asleep right away =) thank god we were going to sleep in comfort that night….  I was able to sleep soundly but gosh, those roosters are such early risers! They  really start crowing and flapping their wings so early! Sheesh!

Day 2…we’re going camping tonight in Cape Engano, Palaui Island.

So it’s 8 am and we just had a lovely breakfast and everyone just finished their turns showering and doing their morning stuff. We get dropped off at a terminal where we hire a van that will bring us to the super north end of the Philippines. After 3-hours on the van and passing through a port where luxury vehicles are sneaked into the country and where a secret casino called the East Hawaii Casino operates, we finally get to the pier where we get a boat that will take us to beautiful Palaui island.

Finally we see Palaui Island.

There it is, the Cape Engano Lighthouse on top of the hill. We’re going to spend the night there.

But we’re going to have lunch under a tree first.

Then we went through the forest to find the mystic waterfalls.

Then we go back where we came from to start our way up the trails leading up to the lighthouse.

The view is beautiful. I am frustrated that my pictures don’t do justice.

Oh finally, the lighthouse. This is it. It is scary. Are we really going to camp out here tonight?

Our sunset shot.

Ok, so the sun went down already and I had earlier imagined that the light house, being what it is, would somehow shine on us. But boy oh boy, only the light of the moon and stars shined on us that night. The lighthouse, though abandoned a century ago, still works (by solar power I think?) …yes it works but only by blinking every minute or so. We don’t even get to see the light blinking at the top unless we crane our necks from an angle and then we see it.

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Oh and of course there is no fresh water so we were sticky and salty from a whole day’s worth of travelling 3 hours by van, an hour by boat, lunch under a tree, swimming in the cove, hiking up the hill… but who cares about being sticky and salty when we all need to pee and there is nothing but pitch black darkness and the howling winds surrounding us right? …Us girls got to bond by picking a spot, doing our thing and sharing fem-sprays and baby wipes at the side of the lighthouse…sweet huh? =)

So what do we do in the dark? we decided to do some light painting to amuse ourselves after. Then we had dinner in the dark, by the light of our flashlights. Then we finally started a bonfire and told stories but we avoided telling ghost stories for our own sanity.

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In the dark, by the light of the bonfire, I saw a dark figure standing in the corner of the lighthouse. I know what I saw. I told this to the group and they all freaked out. U-know-who-u-are gently hushed me and told me to stop looking around. He started shining his flashlight on the junkfood in front of me to distract my wandering eyes. I am getting scared and I miss my grandma, grandpa, aunt, Martin and the comforts of home…. I want to go home na =]

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It is getting late, the lambanog that they were drinking had been finished and we finished all the junkfood as well. The bonfire was dimming and there was nothing else to do but go to sleep. The wind was howling and the remaining rusty parts of the lighthouse were screeching and squeaking. It was like someone was dragging furniture from one place to another but there was no furniture. I am scared shit inside the tent and everyone else has gone off to sleep. I want to cry and wake up u-know-who-u-are so he can stay awake with me…I actually begged him to not sleep yet and I know he tried his best to keep me company but he still fell asleep, I can’t blame him =] I am wide awake and hearing all the sounds and letting my imagination run wild. Maybe I should have just gotten drunk so I wouldn’t have to torture myself being so wide awake and hearing all these things right? =/

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Finally, sunrise!  Thank God! We made it through the night!!! I am sleep deprived, once again, but I am so glad just to be able to see! The sun is my friend!

Day 3: Last day of the trip, we head back to Manila tonight

After breakfast at the lighthouse, we pack up, clean up, leave nothing behind and head down the trail. We say goodbye to the island and talk about last night. U-know-who-u-are tells me that he also saw the dark figure that I saw in the corner last night but decided to ignore and downplay it so that we wouldn’t panic. I stare at him increduously and ask him how he was still able to sleep so soundly right away while I was wide awake and scared shit! =/

Anyways, we are going to Anguib island today. The ocean is so inviting with its crystal clear waters. I just love the ocean, don’t you?

We are finally in Anguib island. It is so beautiful here. And best of all, there is a toilet! Thank God for the little small things we take for granted everyday! Everyone is so happy about the toilet and take turns introducing themselves to the island through that little tiny toilet! =P

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After a yummy pasta lunch (Thank you bby for cooking lunch for everyone …have I told you that you make the best lasagna in the world? But that’s another story =),  Anyways, as I was saying, after a yummy pasta lunch that my bby cooked, we dip into the crystal clear waters of Anguib beach and I find out that my bby actually knows how to swim after all! … I am so happy seeing him happily snorkelling and frolicking underwater like a little baby dugong, err, I mean, dolphin….we took pictures underwater but I haven’t had my disposable underwater cam developed yet =)

Anguib island is so beautiful because of its white powdery sand and its crystal clear waters. We wished we could spend more time but we had to go back in order to be able to catch the 8pm bus trip to Manila (since we still had to go back to the main island and then travel 3 hours by van to Tuguegarao)

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Going back to the main island, we are still sticky and salty from the combination of yesterday’s activities and today’s. I pay P50 to a lady at the main island pier so that she could sell me a pail of fresh water so I can lock and take a bath in the public bathroom =)

We pass by the Calvary Hills on our way back to Tuguegarao. Calvary Hills has bigger-than-life-size statues of the Stations of the Cross. It is a nice place to visit and the nice thing about it is that it is free of charge for anyone to enjoy the place. If it were in Manila, we would have to pay an entrance fee for sure. But there are so many nice free places to visit and Calvary Hills is one of them =)

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By around 5pm, we are back in Tuguegarao to rest for awhile, fix our things, freshen up, have dinner and be at the bus station to take the bus to Manila by 8pm.

The Bus Ride going back

The ride going back to Manila proved more unbearable than the ride going to Tuguegarao two nights ago because tonight’s bus driver seemed from hell. He would speed up and then step on the breaks unexpectedly to pick up passengers from the road or from other terminals! Our bus ride two nights ago was an “express” trip all the way which meant it did not stop to pick up passengers nor to have bathroom breaks (because it had its own built-in bathroom-in-a-bus). But tonight’s ride picked up passengers from other bus stops/terminals all night long! And all night long, David Pomeranz’ videoke songs played forever and ever on the bus’s tv screen and over the speakers! I wanted to scream! I wish I brought some valium with me!

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Back in Manila, it is good to be home. But it was such a great trip and lots of new first-times for me. First time to ride a bus overnight, twice at that. First time to swim in freshwater and to crawl up and jump from a rock. First time to camp out on a scary, very remote island with no lights and no freshwater.

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Thank you to u-know-who-u-are for taking such good care of me during the trip =) … For organizing and packing our stuff so that we just had to bring one big bag for the 2 of us (so I wouldn’t have to carry anything but just my camera and koochy stuff =] … for repacking everything patiently whenever I took something out of our bag and everything else would go with it…for bringing our own plastic plates and silverware so we didn’t have to eat from paper plates…for enjoying the dishwashing that goes with it after each meal (it would have been so much easier to eat from paper plates but you insisted)…for handing me that small clean towel poured with fresh bottled water out of nowhere so I can have a sponge bath while everyone else including you was sticky during camp night…For knowing what I needed, when I needed it…. I didn’t expect those little comforts so thank you for thinking of those little things ahead of time…even if you fell asleep before I did and didn’t keep me company while I was awake and scared shit in Cape Engano, it’s ok  bby, I forgive you…you are wonderful… thanks bby =)

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Thanks to  Amor, Yas,  Neil, Les, Mel, Jonald, and Basti the adorable puppy, for being part of our great weekend! =) Thanks to Chin and Mr. & Mrs. Cabrido for your wonderful, wonderful hospitality!

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More Cave photos here

and More Palaui Island photos here

Next stop: Battad and Banaue Rice Terraces! =)

When the lights are out…

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….Last night, when I got home from the mall, all the lights were out and I was greeted by candles that lit the way from our kitchen all the way up the stairs and into my bedroom…It seemed that there had been a brown-out but I soon remembered that we were doing our share of the most-awaited global environmental event of the month – turning off our lights from 8-9pm to join millions of people around the world for Earth Hour!

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….Earth Hour! The global environmental effort of the month that aims to raise awareness about global warming and climate change! Instead of just sleeping through it, I decided, what better time to finally try out what I’ve always wanted to do for a long time: Light painting/ light graffiti!

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….So, with a tripod and my camera, coupled with a flashlight and some of Martin’s toys that had lights (like a handheld, battery-operated Mickey Mouse fan with colorful lights on the plastic rotating blades, and a pen that had a green and blue light at the end) , this is how we spent our Earth Hour:

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We drew our planet Earth with some (giant) stars around it:

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We tried to draw our home within the biosphere:

We drew our names in the dark:

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We also attempted to draw a Christmas tree =)

.================  I love Earth! =) ======================

Wanna see more light painting/ light graffiti? Watch this video and be amazed! =)

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Learn more about Earth Hour in Manila here

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My son just graduated gradeschool! =)

My son just graduated gradeschool last week! =)

Look! — he is already taller than me! Isn’t that so cool?! =)

(I’m such a proud mom! =)

(I just think he needs to gain more weight though…sigh…that has always been my frustration =/…oh well, he will fill-in in due time =)

2007 Roundup

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Because my memory is less than spectacular, this is my 2007 roundup of the year that was….

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2007 was a great year… Bought my first DSLR… finished my masters… got a shiny, new car, fondly named Ziggy, as a grad present… became a certified openwater diver … got to shoot lots of happy birthday parties, beautiful weddings and exciting corporate events… spent more time with my loved ones and to cap the year off,  I completed the 9 days Simbang Gabi/ 4:30am Christmas dawn masses with the bf who inspires me everyday =) 

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(Other things worth remembering this year: Trinoma opened and it became our favorite mall, Brooklyn Pizza’s White pizza became our favorite pizza, Dairy Queen’s Turtle sundae with caramel, chocolate and walnuts almost became a daily habit, I discovered Coffee Bean’s Chai Latte and it also almost became a daily habit, Omakase was still our favorite place to eat, we also like the shawarma from Food Channel in Market, Market and in Greenhills…)

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Also, after 2 great years, I have said bye-bye to my mall job at Blow-Up Babies Gateway… It was  wonderful being with them and I will surely miss carrying other people’s sweet and adorable babies – (Jaimee, Rhythm, Kaden, Mailee, Janessa, my favorite babies, will surely be missed) –  but it’s time to move on, meet new faces, go somewhere exciting and try new things…

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Who knows what 2008 will bring? I’ve been toying with the idea of applying as flight attendant just to see the world (yes, I am a few inches short of the minimum height requirement and I doubt I’ll be allowed by my loved ones to be so far away anyway, but I should do it now or it’s going to be never!)… or auditioning for TV just for the fun of it  (there’s a magazine show I love on ETC channel and they’re looking for a talkative host…haha), or getting into business and opening up a spa or something like that…or finally putting to good use what I learned in gradschool and start doing something for the environment…or, if I’m really extremely darn lucky, get my dream job of getting to travel around the world to shoot for Conde Nast or Travel + Leisure Magazine! (now that’s like winning the lottery for me so it’s next to impossible but let me dream big, ok? =)

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Anyway, I am already excited for 2008 and I already have a bunch of stuff lined up to do while I am jobhunting – aside from trying to be a better photographer, I will also be reading up on my past lessons on Climate Change and other environmental issues so I can carry on a decent conversation when I’m asked about it (esp in environmental job interviews!). I also hope to find time to go swimming and learn ballroom dancing with the bf, and be able to bring out the domesticated side in me by finally learning how to cook! Also, I’m looking forward to this coming March when my son will be graduating from elementary school with flying colors! So 2008 will surely be a great year! As my friend texted, I’ve got 365 blank new pages to fill with anything my heart desires =)

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So Goodbye 2007 and all the wonderful memories! Hello 2008 and all the exciting, happy things this year will bring!

Dive Notes #2

….Over the weekend, I went diving in Anilao with some buddies to take part in the one-day International Coastal Clean-up which happens worldwide every 3^rd Saturday of September each year. Keeping our oceans clean has always been one of the top environmental issues close to my heart, in fact, marine pollution, specifically marine debris, was the main topic I chose to focus on for my  final master’s project in grad school early this year. However, I was pretty disappointed as the clean-up activity that took place was not done in accordance to the coastal-clean up procedures that the ICC governing body prescribes in order for a clean-up activity to be considered effective. ICC activities aren’t just about collecting trash –  that’s just half of the work. The other half is supposed to be identifying and tallying what was collected to come up with a quick reference to the most persistent debris found every year which can be used to target effective public education and outreach campaigns.  We didn’t do that part. And worse yet, I think the whole clean-up activity just generated more trash than the trash we all collected overall since all divers and shoreline volunteers were fed from styrofoam-packaged lunches and single-use, disposable plastic cups… how ironic considering that food packaging has always held the #1 spot in top marine debris pollutants for the past couple of years.

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Here’s last year’s dirty dozen list from Philippine coastal clean-up results and the quantity in unit pieces:

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1. Food wrappers/containers – 98161

2. Bags (paper or plastic)- 65991

3. Cigarettes/filters – 33358

4. Clothing/shoes/ slippers – 22545

5. Plastic sheeting/tarps – 20834

6. straws/ stirrers – 19678

7. Cups, forks, knives, spoons – 14691

8. Plastic bottles (2 liters or less) 12824

9. Beverage bottles (glass) – 10821

10. Caps, lids – 10691

11. Diapers  - 7866

12. Beverage cans – 7577

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….…Saturday night was party-till-you-drop for all the volunteers at the dive resort we were in…it’s been a while since I saw anything like that and Mara, our roommate from the US, kept the party going and the drinks flowing…. I had a hard time sleeping after especially since a resident lizard from one on the beams above my bed decided to unload some of his nasty, revolting gunk (it landed on my arm…luckily, not on my hair which would have been f*cking harder to wash off!) and I was too paranoid to fall asleep, lest a repulsive surprise strategically land on me again …but I fell asleep anyway only to wake up hours later, super startled (yes, I was more shocked than pleasantly surprised at first) because the best thing that happened during my whole dive weekend was waking up Sunday morning and finding him (not the lizard, silly, but *him*…as in, u-know-who-u-are *him* =) sitting quietly at the edge of my bed waiting for me to wake up …he drove all the way there, braved the looming bad weather and rocky, muddy, slippery road conditions,  just to see me before our early 730am dive =) boy, was I super happy to see him (and not to mention, really guilty for letting him go through all the trouble of driving all the way there just for whiny lil’ ol’ me!)

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….Anyways, going back to main programming…. I wish resort-operators became more aware of the essence of ICC day and do more than just conduct dives in the guise of clean-up activities but which turn out to be just superficial endeavors, really…  =(   I also wish they’d prevent more garbage from entering the wastestream in the first place by opting not to use styro packaging and/or plastic cups, especially during ICC day! …and to divers-who-smoke/smokers-who-dive, can you please be decent enough not to throw your damn cigarette butts into the ocean or by the shore as some of you did last weekend?! And for everyone else who loves the ocean (divers, swimmers, fishermen and everyone else who loves seafood, or likes dolphins and nemo) every opportunity you get by the sea should be a coastal clean-up day! =)

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All about International Coastal Clean-Up Day
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New stuff at my site =)

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Yey! I’ve finally updated my long-neglected website =) Samples of my studio shots taken at Blow-Up Babies are up, together with some kiddy party lay-outs =) Do check them out =)

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Dive Notes

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After 3 years of planning and postponing to get dive certified, I finally enrolled in the basic openwater NAUI dive class last May consisting of 15 hours of classroom lectures and 15 hours of confined pool sessions. We had our dive check-out last weekend and before I forget, the following are last week’s highlights …

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The NAUI jump: to cap off our last swimming pool session before heading out into the real thing (the ocean, that is!), we were all instructed to stand at the edge of the swimming pool, un-geared with our fins, mask and weighbelts dangling from our arms and our hoses and bouyancy compensators (that jacket that inflates or deflates) laid out on the ground before us, with the oxygen tank turned off. One by one, we had to shout “NAUI!” before jumping into the abyss of the pool, carrying with us all our gear, including the BC and tank. Somewhere along the way down, we would have to manage turning on our oxygen tanks so we could breathe properly while we sank 30-feet into the bottom of the pool. Once we hit bottom, we would have to wear all our gear on one by one – and only then could we emerge back to the surface where all our other classmates were waiting to cheer for us… what a thrilling experience to have been able to pull it off because none of us ever imagined that we would be asked to do this at the end!

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Then the weekend in Anilao… we visited 3 divespots: Twin Rocks, the doomed-floating casino/wreck called Dari Laut and the Cathedral… we saw fish of all sizes and colors of  the rainbow, fed lots of them, had our pictures/video taken, said hi to plenty of Nemos, chased a huge metallic blue/green/purple mantis shrimp with googly eyes, made friends with pretty little nudibranches and christmas-tree worms, squeezed the fat and funny-looking green sea cucumber (my bad! That’s no way to treat a sea cucumber but I just didn’t know what on earth it was when my dive buddy passed it on to me!), stayed away from the lone lion fish and moray eels, and tried to pick up as much marine debris/trash as we could along the way…

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We did 6 dives all in all (4 via shore-entries, and 2 via boat-entries), but we were supposed to do 7 before being certified (plus we have to pass a written exam too)… strong currents prevented us from doing the last dive so we would have to go back again to do that sometime soon…I’m planning to go back for a day trip on July 7 to complete that 7^th dive, if you want to tag along and do some dives, or if you’ve never dived before and you want to just try an intro dive in Anilao (which is what I did 3 years ago), let me know =)

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my teenager…

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My son turned 13 this week. Can you believe it?  I can’t believe it either. I now have a teenage son! He starts 7^th grade this week too…soon, he’ll be taller than me….

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This was how he looked like during his very  1^st Christmas…such a sweet, angelic little baby… 

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And this is how he looked like last Christmas, in 2006…he likes to make scary faces now =]

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He had a pre-birthday swimming get-together last summer with some of his friends…

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When he was younger, he said that he wanted to be a clown when he grew up…I’d really much prefer it if he became a doctor though =) …anyhow, this photo was taken just this week at Enchanted Kingdom (I’m sure he would love Disneyland! =) …

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I hope and pray that his teenage years will go by smoothly, that he won’t get into any major trouble, that he won’t give anyone, including me, any heartache, and that he’ll turn out to be a nice young man =) 

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