Swimming with the Giants

21.January.2012 4am

Im supposed to have this travel in 2 days rather than today. But because of the big uncertainty that I can't watch the big fish on that day, I decided to go there earlier than planned with my sister and Reggie.

It rained the night before (actually  a few hours ago). I need some sleep because I arrived around 12 midnight from watching a movie and I fell asleep around 1am.

We woke up around 3am and arrived at the terminal in roughly 30mins. Ceres bus started to ran in around 4:10am (the current time now).

So I thought this is the time to have a little dose of zzzzz.

After about 3hrs later.

After a few hours, 3hrs to be exact we arrived at Tan-awan in Oslob. We paid 300 and sit for a little seminar conducted by the municipal people. Then we ride the bangka and into the sea where they are feeding the whale sharks.

It is frightening! I have to admit that it scared me when I first saw them under the sea. Above, they are big and you can see their mouth, but when you are in the water, you got to see their long big bodies and gills pulsating. You feel so small compared to these giants of the sea. I asked the fisherman to take me further away as I am very very close to the whaleshark, but he said that it is ok, they are gentle.

So I just dip my head (Im on a life vest, and one hand is groping a rope and the other the camera, talk about hassle) and take pictures. Thankfully I got some ok photos.

I will never forget this amazing experience, it truly is one of its kind.

Sinulog 2012!

Viva! Pit Senior!

It was a successful and very orderly Sinulog this year.
First off was the fluvial parade on the 14th (Saturday). We (me, my ate and her bf) paid 150 per person to ride a banca, courtesy of an officemate. It rained so hard when we boarded the banca that I was drenched before even reaching the boat.

It was my first time to join the fluvial procession and the feeling is surreal. Seeing the Mactan channel full of colorful boats of varying sizes with people dancing and drumbeats filling the salty sea breeze is just awesome. The road along the pier is packed with devotees waiting for the Nino's boat to pass by. The Mactan bridge is fenced with people edge to edge.

When the boat of the Nino started roam along the coast, the boatmen of every boat is on a race to be near the Nino's boat. But they have to be careful not to get too close to another boat to prevent crashing each other, but some minor accidents did happen, luckily no one was reported hurt. In all, the fluvial parade is exhilarating to witness.

On Sunday the day of the Sinulog, we went to church for the 6am mass. The church is FULL of people, it takes about 15-30 minutes to get in, and about the same time to get out. That's how full it was. We already anticipated the crowd so it was just fun shoving those people around.

After the mass, we walked a good 5 or 6 kilometers back home as there were no more jeepneys allowed on the road. It was sunny and bright compared to last year's where it rained all day. Contingents are already on the streets withe their colorful costumes and props. We ate KFC for breakfast before heading back home. Some of the contingents already dancing and the air is filled with festive vibes.

I was back at home around 10am and decided I must recharge for another round of Sinulog on the afternoon. I slept until 2am and got out of the house at 3. I joined my friends from Kyocera (the same group I went out with last 2011's Sinulog), gone to Ayala and watched the fireworks display!

Until next year! Viva!

Growing Up

My sister left for Australia.

I'm the first one to leave our house to live in some other place to work (which is Manila) but fate has taken me back here, home. It is maybe one of my most daring, risky and memorable experience of my life. In my opinion, living alone and independently has broaden my horizon, and made me a little wiser - not to mention see other places, faces and experience a different culture.

That experience has taught me a lot of things, from little mundane things of checking if the doors are locked after you go to work, cleaning the room, kitchen, CR to major things of controlling finances and expenses. I feel happy when I look back and see myself being responsible and mature enough to take care of myself. No one can take away what I learned from that experience. I am proud of me.

And now my younger sister at 24 is now heading to Brisbane Australia to try a new life. I'm totally excited for her. Hoping that she will have the courage to fight the homesickness and enjoy this opportunity to grow and be mature.

Our family is just here, waiting for your return. Godspeed Ajane.

The Day of July 15

That yellow (or cream colored) long sleeved shirt I wore at Dianne's wedding is my only choice to wear for the interviews. I have two job interviews today, the first one, at 10:00am is in IT Park and the other one at 3:00pm is in Cebu Business Park (Ayala).

It was a nice interview at Company N. First I was interviewed by their HR, and all I can say is that she's nice and I love her voice, it's like I'm listening to a prerecorded message. After some standard HR questions (tell me about yourself, salary, etc..) she quickly forwarded me to my technical interview with the team lead.

They're looking for C++ programmers, and I honestly didn't know how to code C++ for now. But they're lenient for long as I know OOP concepts. And bet I really do! The interview went on like a casual conversation and I felt at home answering questions about Inheritance, Polymorphism, Encapsulation. I know these stuffs, and I felt confident when I answered this particular question "In implementing a list, how do you clear the list (delete all contents)?". It's like a jackpot question for me, since I don't only know the answer I absolutely know how to answer it in a way that they will say "yes that's it!".

I was asked to return after lunch to have an interview with the manager. The way the manager interviewed me, it seems to me like an investigation, scrutinizing details that I put on my resume. For a moment I felt I was being interrogated by a crime (but it was just me). Turns out that somehow he knew an aunt of mine (he even knew that we live beside the road-but I didn't pry more on how he had such knowledge). He told me that I will know the results the following day. After I left the premises the HR called me to return again by 1:00pm the following day.

I was next off to Company L for a 3:00pm interview. When I arrived I was told to go to the 9th floor. After some HR forms I was escorted to the 19th floor where my interviewers were. Again I was relieved that my interviewers were cool enough and not intimidating.

The interview quickly turned into another fun conversation (it felt like I was talking to my long unseen friends) about my past experiences (as a programmer of course!) and about my hobbies, and interests. I had a great time relating to them about my past jobs and my decisions (they asks why I took the licensure examination for teachers). I was getting ready to answer technical questions but they said that it will be in an another interview (if there is another). The position became more interesting to me when they mentioned "our team gets to travel often..." - that's it I was sold. I was a bit disappointed though since I was ready, very ready to answer those technical questions. I was told to wait for further announcement (calls).

I guess that yellow (cream colored) long sleeve shirt I wore at Dianne's wedding is a lucky charm.

The Bad Example

Wow, it's been a while since I last posted something here.

Anyways, it's 2010 (I know its too late for this news)! I must say there are many things that had and may happen this year and it excites me!

Let me first say that I "finished" education. The last of the series, Early Childhood Education went by and I must say I know now what level of education I may venture in the near future (as means of business and not as an employee of some school, talk about being entrepreneurial). The finished is in quotes because technically I'm not a Diploma holder yet, I have to take the speech classes and also do Practicum. I've decided that I don't have the finances anymore to continue and will delay taking those.

Next up is the upcoming trips I will take for 2010. I must say I got excited with the promos and the thrill that I may have booked myself too much. First off is on May, where a friend of mine invited me to Bohol to experience Zip Line. I am scared of heights! And to tell you frankly I don't know if I may chicken out right on the spot when I see the actual place, and owh they also have this "Plunge" its like bungee jumping - and I got myself to try it too (crazy me - safety first children)!

June is when I fly to Manila to fly to Kalibo and drive to Caticlan and swim and enjoy Boracay! And yes, it was because of the PAL promo that I jumped into the bandwagon of my former office-mates in Manila when they invited me if I will go with them. Did I pointed out that I will also be absent from work by then (we booked June 21 which is a Monday- the good employee)?

This last one in August is for me a nice bonding moment with my sister. See my sister had not yet been in Manila, so because PAL (yes, the same promo I booked for Boracay) has this incredible rate of only 1500PHP vis-a-vis fare I couldn't resist but to invite her to see Manila-and also Baguio for herself. So I planned our itinerary and the one thing I could only share is that we will be sleeping on the bus for 2 nights (the 6 or so hours travel from MNL to Baguio)! I hope she will be ok with this-we don't have much time and budget to stay on a hotel or inn.

That's about it! Now when I'm all settled, I realized I need cash! And lots of them!
Time to seriously take that part time job.