Davao! [Part 1]

So I just recently came back from Davao a few days ago and I wanted to share my experience with you guys. Overall, I fell in love with Davao. As I traveled from the airport to our hotel, I was at awe with my surroundings. The place game this sort of rustic, cozy, provincial feeling. Yet at the same time, it still had that city sense which made it more modern.

May 15, 2013

Our flight was scheduled to depart at 6:30 am. We decided to play it safe and be there 2 hours before the departure time so that we could check our luggage in and settle in so that we wouldn't have to rush when we get there. Between 4-4:30, we were already checked in. In order to pass the time, I went over to the laptop station and continued my FRIENDS marathon (I was about halfway when I started). This was my first time to fly a plane without my parents with me, it was just me and my sisters. I was a littler nervous at first because I didn't know what to do or where to go, but it turned out fine in the end.

We got out of the airport in Davao at around 8:30. The man who picked us up (he was friend of my dad's) told us that the Inn we were staying at was about 14 km away. A big difference between Manila and Davao is the way people estimate distances. For example, my house to Manila would be about an hour's drive. However, places in Davao are measure in kilometers. In my opinion, I think people should start estimating in distances rather than in time because sometimes time is ineffective because of different factors (traffic, weather, street conditions, etc).

Once we got to the Inn, we transferred rooms to a bigger one because the one initially given by the company my dad works for was way smaller. Our room was on the first floor, and was closer to the front desk and had wifi access, so it worked out in the end. We went to the cafe/restaurant that the inn was partnered with and had breakfast (I only had a piece of bread with some nutella on it before I left for Davao). I was hungry enough to order some bacon and eggs with garlic rice since I didn't eat anything on the plane since I was asleep for the entire trip (I fell asleep before we took off, and woke up just as we were close to landing).

Once we were ready and our dad was done with his conference, we first went to SM Davao to purchase tickets for the Pearl Farm beach resort for the next day. After having merienda at KFC, we took a cab to our next destination: The Philippine Eagle Research Center.

So, when we got to the research center, the place looked really cool. The buildings looked old, but it didn't bother me. The place was very nature-y too, it was filled with trees and a lot of different types of plants. We strolled through the park and saw many types of eagles nesting around. Some were quiet and peaceful, while the others were just plain noisy. To be honest, the entire place kinda creeped me out. I have this irrational fear of birds, and just being around them made the hairs on my arms stand up. This place was especially creepy because there were birds out of cages, on perches, with their legs chained to the ground or something (whatever, they were chained). The thought of any of them escaping gave me goosebumps. But aside from that, the experience was pretty cool. I was able to appreciate the beauty of the place.

For dinner, my dad took us to this place called Jack's Ridge, which is a huge compilation of restaurants  as well as a sort of resort since the place has an amphitheater, a pool and some cottages. We ate at this restaurant called Taklobo. Our table had a great view of the lights of Davao City. The food was amazing as well, especially their kare-kare, lechon kawali and Marlin, which were my faves of the night. The only thing that seemed off was the prices, particularly the centavos, because they seemed American. Usually, we'd get centavo prices that end with 5 or 0, like 0.50 or 0.75. But here, the centavos were like 0.63, 0.42, 0.89 etc. But other than that, the food was terrific.

That's it for now folks!! I'll update you guys on what happened the rest of the trip on the next few posts! Byeeeeeee!!

Keep Dreaming.

No Place Like Home

(C) Kris Sanceja

It's May, which officially means that school is right around the corner here in the Philippines. Since I was in need for another blog post, perhaps it's time to reflect on my ADMU-UST experience this past year.

So when I was deciding on which University to attend, I was torn between these two. Ateneo because it's become my second home. I mean, after spending 12 years there, it was pretty hard to leave. UST was also up because I knew that if I wanted to be a doctor, this was the place to go. Like how some universities are known for producing specific professions, UST is known for producing doctors. Also, I felt it was time for a new beginning. At least if I went to UST, you could probably count on your hands (and maybe feet) the number of people who knew who you were. This was a chance for me to start fresh, where people didn't know you or what you did in the past.

Fast forward to the first few months of school. During the first few days of school, I felt like an outsider. Sure I was part of our facebook group before the year even began, but things were so different once we met in person. When I walked into the room, I kept this stern, straight face, which probably lead some of my blockmates to think that I was masungit or something (oddly enough, some of the other MC and AHS people got the same reaction, so it must be a Katipunan thing hehe). And it seems like those who were in the group before school didn't seem to recognize me. Back then, my profile picture was the "photo shoot" during graduation, so my hair was styled differently, and I wasn't wearing glasses. But once school started, I was wearing my glasses and i was semi-kal. I could hear people whispering around like, sino yun? or si Howee ata yun? and shit like that =))

Probably the entire semester, I dreaded being there. It was nothing against the school. I mean, the school was amazing, the people were really friendly, and I really felt like what I paid in my enrollment was being put to full use (for most of my classes anyway). I really felt like I was in a good university, and now I know why it's a part of the top 4. But for me, there was just something missing. Like there was this whole in my heart that wouldn't close, no matter what I did. Now, you might say that I might just be homesick for Ateneo, considering I was there for majority of my life (12 years to be exact). I was feeling like an immigrant in a foreign land. It didn't know anyone, I was in an entirely new culture. For the most part, sure, it was homesickness. But later on, it felt like homesickness to the next level. Again, there was something missing.

In between the first and second semester, i found time in my schedule to go back to the high school (I forget the reason). But for some reason, as I was roaming through those hallways, as I passed through the EDSA walk, it felt good to do so. I don't know why, but I was invigorated in a way. It felt like a brand new energy flowed through my entire body. This was the feeling I remembered when I was a student back in high school.

Once the second semester began, I started feeling better. I still missed my alma mater, but for some reason, I was actually fine being away from it. I think my body had already adjusted to my surrounding, to the new environment. As the months passed by, I learned to love and appreciate my school more than I ever did at the start of the year. By the end of the year, I knew I had made the right decision to transfer to UST.

Yesterday, I came back from the Ateneo. I went to the college area before lunch because I had an interview for the Biology Majors Alliance of the Philippines (BMAP) with the outgoing executive board, as well as some of the members of the board of directors. I met up with Galo to have lunch with him since he had to wait for Natya to finish her summer volleyball class. After a little trip around the college (we were near the JSEC, but we headed back to Xavier hall because I needed to withdraw money; we didn't know there was an ATM machine there), I was feeling a little nostalgic again. I haven't been there since the high school fair last January, and the college area was definitely unfamiliar to me because I'd only been there to submit application forms and have Jaz Reyes sign a contract for Avenida. I think I've finally gotten closure because as I roamed the campus, I didn't have that clingy feeling of wanting to transfer back. The only thing that was on my mind was how different my life would've been if I stayed.

No matter how long I leave, whenever I come back, I know I'm welcomed with open arms.

My home away from home.

Keep Dreaming.

Subic Bay Venezia Hotel

Happy 2013 everybody!

So last week, my family and I decided to go to Subic for some R and R, and we decided to check in at the Venezia. So... I decided to make a short review about our stay at the hotel :)

Masks 1

Masks 2

Okay, so when I walked it, the first thing I noticed was the wall of masks. Well, it wasn't just a single wall. It was a whole baffle of masks, extending up to the near bedroom area. I personally loved the whole mask theme that the hotel had, because it reminded me of the old school carnivale that I used to hear about in Italy (Venezia, better known as Venice, is in Italy). 

On the first floor (I think there are only 3 floors), if you look forward, you'll see the front desk. To your right, you'd see a small waiting lounge, as well as a mini-bar. I don't know if they serve drinks, but I do know they serve dessert. Since it was Christmas time, they had a small faux fireplace near the lounge area where a lot of guests had their picture taken. 

Fireplace

Lounge

Beyond the lounge was their partner restaurant, The New Feng Huang Restaurant. As you can tell by the name, it's a chinese restaurant. We only at there for breakfast because we were out for most of the day. During our 3 day-2 night trip, I had their Bangus and Bacon with egg combos respectively. In my opinion, the Bangus was alright (I still prefer the Bangus dish we prepare at home). The Bacon and Eggs dish, however, was actually pretty good. I don't mind it if my bacon is soft or crispy (Bacon is Bacon). The bacon was the right mix of soft and crispy, and together with the eggs and sinangag, it made the perfect breakfast.

The New Feng Huang Restaurant

On the left side of the first floor was a mini store. I'm not sure exactly what they sold, all I know is they were selling a bunch of foreign alcohol. If you go forward, you'd encounter the first set of bedrooms, as well as a stairway leading to the upper floors. Our room was actually kinda nice. I loved the whole, old school, victorian feel that our room had. One concern though, for me, was the bathroom.

First of, there's no divider between them, except that the bathroom is a little more elevated. And it's not even a room. Like when you get to the platform, to your right is the toilet and to the left is the shower, with a vanity mirror/sink in the middle (thank God at least the toilet had a door). Next, the shower door would not lock. As in it wouldn't even close, there'd be a small space where the door would be open. The shower, I don't if this is true for all rooms, has a bipolarity problem. Once you find the perfect temperature, the shower would tip over. Like from your desired temperature, it would become scorching hot, then it would become freezing cold.

Another comment I had was the air conditioning. It's one of those hotels with centralized air conditioning, so there really wasn't anything we could do to control the temperature. We felt that their coldest temperature wasn't really that cold. I mean, sure if you put your hand infront of the aircon, you'd feel a little bit cold. However, in general, the temperature was pretty normal. Though I guess this could also be a positive thing since I usually get cold as well.

Overall, I enjoyed my stay. I think my favorite part of the hotel was the free wifi that it offered, since it allowed me to keep in touch with all my friends back in Manila. I'd say that Subic Bay Venezia Hotel was worth going to. I also enjoyed how friendly and hospitable the staff were to its guests. Each time we'd encounter one of the employees, they'd always to stop to acknowledge us, and even greet us good morning/evening when they saw us.

The revolving Christmas tree outside the main entrance

The casino outside the main entrance

The roof over the driveway infront of the main entrance

Rating: 4/5

Keep Dreaming.