Why I’m ‘hooked’ with Cavite

I never liked living in Cavite before. I told myself that it’s just a temporary destination until I find a decent job and move back somewhere in Manila. Whatever happened, the things I did these past few years are linked to my grown fondness to this place.

There are two theories as to how Cavite got its name. The first is that the name “Cavite” came from the Spanish form of kawit or a ‘hook’ – referring to the small hook-shaped peninsula extending into Manila Bay (Wikipedia.com).

Another theory says that the name is a Hispanicized form of kabit, Tagalog for ‘joined,’ ‘connected,’ or ‘attached,’ referring to the peninsula’s topographical relation to the mainland.

Whoever coined its name, they got it right from the start. Cavite is made to get people hooked. Let me share to you my reasons:

1. Cavite is the nearest province from the airport   

We settled in Cavite just around 6 years ago. My grandparents were the first ones to move in and then we just followed a few years after. They found the place suitable for my uncle who flies out of the country several times a year. He doesn’t have problems like too much traffic and stuff getting there.

For a wanderlust like me, it is the best place to stay. It’s just an hour away from Manila and an hour or two from the second summer capital of the Philippines – Tagaytay! (I’ll elaborate on this later)

2. Cavite is rich in all things that spell HISTORY

My hometown is the Historical Capital of the Philippines. History books will tell you about the Cavite Mutiny which sparked the revolt against the Spaniards, the 3 martyr priests (GOMBURZA) and Cavite being the birthplace of Philippine Independence. You’ll know more of these especially when you get to places such as Kawit and Maragondon.

Aguinaldo Shrine, from wn.com

AND going to Corregidor Island is something you shouldn’t miss when you visit Cavite.

Corregidor, photo by Mangotours

3. Cavite is about food

Situated along the coastline, Cavite has a lot of seafood gifts to offer, but we specialize mostly in mussels, oysters and shellfish. We’re so abundant to those creatures that most are even sold along the highway. If you’re into cheap fruits, then Silang is for you. Get great coffee from Amadeo. And the original halo-halo? It has to be Digman’s in Bacoor.

My guerilla shot outside of Digman

Halo-halo (from Tagalog word halò, "mix") - a popular Filipino dessert that is a mixture of shaved ice and evaporated milk to which are added various boiled sweet beans and fruits, and served in a tall glass or bowl (source: wikipedia).

When in Cavite, you might want to try Rojonet in Imus, Republic of Cavite in Trece Martirez, and Kainan sa Balsa in Bacoor. If you drive up in Tagaytay, you will find more food choices while enjoying the lovely view of Taal volcano.

And since I’ve been mentioning Tagaytay the whole time…

4. Tagaytay is an awesome place to drive

View of Taal Lake. Well, somewhere there. LOL

“Let’s go to Tagaytay!”

This is my usual line whenever I get to stay at home during the weekend. I just love how accessible Tagaytay is from our place – 45mins to an hour ride. Woohoo.

I love how cold it is there almost all the time. I love how you could just stop by Mahogany market and order Bulalo (stewed beef bone marrow) and Tawilis (Freshwater Sardinella) for lunch.

I could just park somewhere, walk along the streets of Tagaytay and enjoy the lovely air. Just be careful not to catch a cold! It happens to me all the time. LOL

I’m so tempted to write more about Tagaytay, but let’s save it for another blog post.

5. Cavite is has good beaches, resorts and leisure parks, too!

Despite the notion that Cavite has a not-so-clean sea water now, I’d like you guys to reconsider. We still have good white sand beaches in Ternate area. There are also several resorts in Cavite to choose from, depending on your budget and schedule.

If you’re into hiking, then try Mt. Pico de Loro, somewhere between Cavite and Batangas. A parrot’s beak lies in its summit, and if you’re brave enough, you can try to climb to that part.

*****************

Probably the the ultimate reason why I love Cavite is because the place is still considered laid-back for me. It’s not yet crowded with tourists unlike other places here in the Philippines (IMO).

So despite the number of destinations I’ve been in my lifetime, and the traffic that I encounter along Aguinaldo Highway, I chose to go home every freakin’ day.

The mini bus

And yes, there is something for everyone in Cavite.

My 5 personal tips for travel photography

I was browsing through my old photos from 2010 and 2011 and I remembered one of my favorite subjects asking me how to take better shots especially for travel. He initially thought it was the camera, but I assured him that it is the archer – the person who takes the photo, that makes a photograph stunning. 

To answer his question, I would like to share to you 5 (five) of my personal tips for easy travel photography.

1. Strategically prepare your equipment. Whether you are a professional travel photographer or a traveler who wishes to take memorable photos of your trip, it is VERY important that you prepare your equipment well.

Make sure that your camera is full-charged and your storage cards (SD cards, CF cards, memory sticks) are offloaded/has enough free storage before the trip.

If possible, bring one versatile lens (your 18-55mm kit lens or a wide angle lens will do) so your bag wouldn’t be bulky.

It also pays to bring a camera bag that doesn’t obviously look like one especially if you’re going through places where there will be a lot of people (markets, concerts, tourist spots). A sturdy, waterproof lunch bag will do the trick.  Also bring resealable plastic bags if you’ll be trekking to waterfalls or you’ll be doing some island hopping.

2. Think out of the box.

It’s difficult to take unique photos especially if you’re headed to tourist spots. Why not try to experiment with different angles? Instead of shooting temples/buildings on semi-eye level or long shots, why not do a low angle shot to emphasize height and prestige? Or you can zoom into the details of the building or if there are graffiti or scripts written in walls — those would also be interesting.

For shots of beaches/seas/oceans, work with the horizon – 1/3 water and ¾ sky. Whereas for waterfalls, look for people as subject relative to the falls to show how tall it is.

 

3. Take shots of people.

What makes every travel experience cooler? It’s the people. Interact with the locals, know more about them and they’ll be happy to share to you stories that even travel books wouldn’t tell you. Take photos of them in action.

If you’re traveling with someone, you can also take candid shots of them doing extreme sports or just enjoying a hearty meal.

For food, instead of just taking shots of the food itself, why don’t you get photos of how they prepare it? It kills some waiting time, too!

4. Lighting is power.

Good, proper lighting will make your photos extra special even if they’re in monochrome.

For me, it is best to shoot at around 7-8 AM and 4-5 PM, or the first and last hours of sunlight during the day (Golden hour, or magic hour for some). It creates a magical effect on your shots, and colors do come out perfectly.

For low-light photos or photos taken during nighttime, try to use lenses with big apertures to prevent grain and at the same time gather as much light as you can.

And lastly,

5. Have fun!

Most of the travelers I know regret not taking time to enjoy the place because they were busy looking at their viewfinders. So yeah, have fun! Enjoy the sceneries, the company of locals, and good food. Make memories that even photographs can’t replace.

Tenho saudades tuas.

Or I terribly miss you, in Portuguese.

It just happens. You meet someone who’ll turn your world upside-down whether you like it or not. I don’t know what this is, but the thought of you and your absence drives me insane.

It starts and ends with your hands that are cold as the breeze last November. If there’s such a term as awkward yet lovely, then that should tell my favorite memory of you.

On EDSA traffic

I was once told that if I could get through Manila traffic, I would basically get through other obstacles in life. I took that advice as a joke.

One of the major highways in Metro Manila is Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue or more popularly known as EDSA. Most of the activities during the People Power Revolution happened there in 1986, and now the monument — a paragon of hope, freedom and unity, stands particularly near a popular mall in Ortigas.

Everyday, I brave through EDSA on my way to work as if I have my own revolution. And I never thought that after 4 years of flying to and from the metro, I’m also doing the same commuting discipline being a wanderlust in life.

This post will not teach you a foolproof guide about life, or realizations after the EDSA revolution, but will give you tips on commuting in Manila (particularly in EDSA) so you won’t end up looking like Linda Blair in The Exorcist when you arrive at your destination. You’ll thank me for this. LOLJK.

Here are five:

1. Travel light. Avoid bringing valuables when commuting. Don’t be such a walking billboard for pickpockets by not shoving your gadgets in public. As much as possible, avoid wearing expensive jewelry. People do not expect to see Lady Gaga taking the train during the rush hour, anyway.

2. If you’re traveling from outside of Manila and you have an appointment at 10 AM, make sure to leave the house before 6:30 AM. This tip applies to people who live two hours away from the metro. Commuters who aim for Makati CBD usually flock the terminals and waiting sheds at 7AM, and you wouldn’t want to worry if you’ll make it or not, right?

3. If you need to take a cab, go for the company-owned taxis. They are usually painted yellow, green, red or blue, safer from the typical taxis that you see along EDSA. Also make sure that someone knows the cab you’re in by texting the name, plate and body number. Better be safe.

Traffic can be a bitch.

4. The city train line is your Northern Star. This tip applies to most cities in SEA, too! If you feel like you’re lost, always look for the nearest line and you could practically go anywhere. Plus it’s safer and faster to travel from the LRT and MRT. Shopping malls are good landmarks too! You just need an ounce of patience especially during peak hours. SEE RELATED POST (A MATCH MADE IN THE SKYTRAIN)

5. If you’re an EDSA traffic neophyte, put on an extra swagger. Pretend that you know where you’re going. Walk fast. And if you think you’re really lost, you’re doomed. Nah, just kidding. Don’t just ask directions from anyone. You might want to approach the traffic police (if there’s one, I doubt! Haha!)

So there. Some tips I’d like to share to you. This post was made during my MRT ride this morning. I just feel like writing. I hope this helps!

The One That Got Away

I’ve read countless tales about finding and losing that one great love. I’ve seen movies and soap operas that have protagonists who eventually die because of a disease that popped out from nowhere. The fangirl in me could tell you that most of these stories come from Korean dramas that I’ve watched since high school.

I’ve heard stories from friends, of their friends who once said hello and goodbye, of good morning and good night, of ”alam mo, cute ka” to “walanghiya ka, huwag ka nang magpapakita sa ‘kin hayup kang wagas”. Everyone has his and her share of ‘The One That Got Away’ even before Katy Perry attempted to immortalize the song.

We have our own Katy Perrys and Diego Lunas — probably someone whom we fell in love with back in high school, whom we first held hands with, whom we didn’t mind skipping classes with, someone whom we thought was our forever.

Awww.

We sacrificed time, money and effort. We didn’t mind flying from here to the edge. We fought for them even though everyone never believed. We loved without expecting anything in return. But after some time, the romance has slowly worn out. Forever lasted for a few months.  You tried to work things out but it never worked at all, until finally it’s time to say goodbye.

Who’s The One That Got Away? Probably he or she is that someone who made us feel happy and hurt at many levels. That someone will teach us life lessons that even experts cannot teach us. The time spent loving and getting to know them will teach us patience, understanding and compromise. It’ll also teach us to weigh our priorities in life and how much are we willing to give up some other things. Or they might teach us to save something for ourselves so that we wouldn’t have any trace of bitterness later on.

I am no expert at love. I’m still young and I know that there’s no guarantee that whoever will make me feel special in the (near) future can finally be dubbed as  The One. Whatever happens, I’m pretty sure I will learn something from it. Anyway, it’s what all this romance thing is about, more than all the flowers and butterflies.

Let me end this random post with this: Love until it hurts no more.

A match made in the Skytrain

The sister and I saw this movie called Bangkok Traffic Love Story last night. After a series of convincing her to watch it with me again, she finally said yes, and I didn’t disappoint her (as always).

Ahihihihi. So gwapo.

The movie basically tells about the crazy, stupid and clumsy love affair between Mei Li (Cris Horwang), a 30-y/o woman who kinda felt hopeless after all her friends tied up the knot and Loong (Theeradej Wongpuapan), an engineer working for the BTS Skytrain (HE IS SUPER GWAPO TO ME).

I also read somewhere that it was shown in line with the Skytrain’s 10th anniversary, allowing its name to be used for the film’s Thai and English titles. Pretty cool, huh.

Seeing the film reminded me of my short-lived Bangkok love affair (the first one was like 5 days and the other was just a portion of my weekend). The BTS Skytrain is a huge part of my BKK life, it brought me around the city, told me stories of everyday Bangkok life, and spoke to me in English (whenever it stopped by a station. LOL). And recently, I also got the chance to take the train to Suvarnabhumi Airport. Yay.

Who's gonna Bang Sue?

Whenever people ask me tips about traveling, I always tell them to look for the nearest train line and they won’t get easily lost. It practically serves its purpose just about anywhere, plus it’s safer, cheaper and more efficient compared to taking other public transportation.

Here in the Philippines, our version of the BTS are the LRT Lines 1 and 2 and MRT line 3. I’m one of the regular MRT passengers, taking it on my way to the office just about everyday. I’ve experienced the best and the worst of taking a ride at our very own skytrain.  At non-peak hours, you can do somersaults in the aisle, whereas during the rush hour, you might want to take taekwondo lessons or learn your signature tornado move so that you can shoo everyone who’ll get in your way.

But despite the countless taekwondo matches that have happened inside the MRT and all other things, I cannot imagine life without it. I don’t think I can survive going to office from Cavite every waking day. Or I could show up very late for my meet-ups within Manila, or go totally nuts with Manila traffic.

What I wish for is that they’ll somewhat improve the system. LRT 2 is still the OK line for me. I don’t know how they’ll do it, perhaps they could start with passenger control or whatever. I’m not sure with widening the train because of certain restrictions within EDSA line. It would be awesome though if they could extend it soon to Pampanga or Cavite!

The story of Bangkok Traffic Love Story simply illustrates how many lives are changed in the BTS. I’m not saying changes are grand or worthy of doing another movie for it. Just think about the number of people who have been saved from getting fired because they always arrive early for work, or messengers who had to catch the bank on time, or Romeo wants to see Juliet during lunch hour or people who have to chase other people, or hundreds of people who gave up their lives so that the government would wake up and realize that our national security is taken too lightly (The Rizal Day bombing, never forget).

One of these days, you might get a chance to ride the MRT at around lunchtime. You will find me sitting in one of the corners of the car with my earphones plugged in. I never liked interacting with people but you might want to say hi. Promise, I won’t bite.

On me-times

At one point in our lives, we’ll be wishing that we have all the time in the world to do everything.

Photo courtesy of Pau.

After days of celebrating with my family, partying and meeting up with good old friends, I finally took myself out on a date. It wasn’t really planning to do it awhile ago but I was kind of looking forward to it since the new year kicked off. I had salad for dinner. The waitstaff was hesitant to give me soda when I asked him to do so, probably he knew that I ordered food from the more health-conscious part of the menu.

Looking back, the last time I did go out by myself was at Kad Suan Keaw, a pretty little mall somewhere in Thailand. I ate at this newly-opened Thai fast food which name I couldn’t remember (thinking about it makes me feel so good!) and went people watching after. Gaaaah I miss the place.

I always learn something new. It’s important to spend some me-time on a regular basis. Not only that we get reacquainted with our inner self, we also get to pause and look at the scheme of things. For someone like me who loves to jump in on certain life-changing decisions, those few hours spent alone help me think things through and decide on what I wanted to do with my life.

During this last date, I entertained the thought of taking risks, and that’s what I’m planning to write about on my new extry.

Nothing’s really changed.

Sometimes I want to believe that I’m a real boy trapped in a woman’s body. Or probably I’m a just late bloomer. Or just someone who is lazy to take time to dress up. I don’t know, but I seriously want a drastic change in my appearance. I’m not sure how I want to look like, but yeah, a makeover will be great.

Excuse my vanity, ladies and gentlemen.

JANUARY – MARCH 2011: Short and sweet

APRIL – JUNE 2011: The wildflower

JULY – SEPTEMBER 2011: Kind of sophistique

OCTOBER -DECEMBER 2011: Full Bangs

The Generic 2011 Survey – Gelai Edition

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?

Travel outside of the country by myself (until my friend Rieya said hi to me at the boarding gate. ).

2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I’m not so sure about that. I don’t remember making resolutions last year.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Nah.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Steve Jobs? LOL

5. What countries did you visit?

Been to Thailand twice last year.

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?

Self-control in many aspects of my life and probably a boyfriend.

7. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

I’m keeping two dates in mind: August 20, 2011 and November 21, 2011. Both have something to do with my heart.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Getting accepted in a media workshop in Thailand. It is something I never expected to happen in my life, actually.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Saying goodbye to 2011 not being debt-free. Working on it now.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

None, aside from the common flu.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Wasabi the 2nd, my iPod.

12. Where did most of your money go?

On traveling! Haha! and for my brother’s schooling and some meds for my mom.

13. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Going to a lot of places the past year got me soooooo excited most of the time.

14. What song will always remind you of 2011?

Only if for the night by Florence + the machine

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:

Older or wiser?

Wiser

Thinner or fatter?

Fatter. LOL

Richer or poorer?

Richer, I think.

16. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Saving up cash

17. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Eating

18. How did you spend Christmas?

I’ve been cooking and Facebook-ing the whole day.

19. What was your favorite TV program?

Game of Thrones. It’s a TV series, actually.

22. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Haha! Some girl named Joana.

23. What was the best book you read?

The Hunger Games trilogy

24. What was your greatest musical discovery?

The Alphabeat! Their songs are too cute and so appropriate for my age. )

25. What did you want and get?

An acceptance letter

26. What did you want and not get?

Him

27. What was your favorite film of this year?

Hmm… The Deathly Hallows part 2

28. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

We visited our cousins’ place in Marikina and gave my presents to Keishabear.

29. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

My mom’s full recovery

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?

Convenient and predictable

31. What kept you sane?

The Internet, vacation leaves and Milk tea

32. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Colin Firth <3

33. What issue stirred you the most?

Those lawmakers that made nonsense laws

34. Who did you miss?

I don’t really know.

35. Who was the best new person you met?

Sweet Pea

36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011:

Invest in people. Invest in love. It’s better to invest in things that are not tangible but lasts.

Love does not need time

ฉันคิดว่ารักมันคือความผูกพัน
Chun kit wah ruk mun keu kwahm pook pun
I thought love was a relationship

คิดว่ารักแท้ต้องเดินผ่านวันและเวลา
Kit wah ruk tae dtong dern pahn wun lae welah
I thought true love must pass time

ยิ่งเนิ่นนาน นานไปเท่าไร ความรักยิ่งมีค่า
Ying nern nahn nahn pbai tao rai kwahm ruk ying mee kah
The longer the time period, however long, love gets more valuable

ที่ฉันรู้ที่เคยฝัน รักที่ฉันเคยเข้าใจ
Tee chun roo tee koey fun ruk tee chun koey kao jai
That I once knew as a dream, love that I once understood

ไม่คิดไม่ฝันเมื่อเธอผ่านเข้ามา
Mai kit mai fun meua tur pahn kao mah
I didn’t think, didn’t dream when you showed up

เหมือนว่าสายตาฉันเองมองไม่เห็นใครๆ
Meuan wah sai dtah chun eng mong mai hen krai krai
Like my eyes couldn’t see anyone else

หยุดที่เธอแค่เพียงสบตา และวินาทีนั้น
Yoot tee tur kae piang sop dtah lae winahtee nun
I stopped when you caught my eye, and that second

โลกทั้งโลกหยุดเคลื่อนไหว ท้องฟ้ากลับสดใส
Lohk tung lohk yoot kleuan wai nong fah glup sot sai
The whole world stopped moving, the sky brightened again

*ลมหายใจ เหมือนหยุดไปในห้วงนาทีนี้
Lom hai jai meuan yoot pbai nai huang nahtee nee
It’s like my breath stopped in that minute

เช่นหัวใจ ลอยหลุดไปทันทีที่สบตา
Chen hua jai loy loot pbai tun tee tee sop dtah
Like my heart floated away as soon as you looked at me

เธอหยุดยั้งวันเวลา แค่เราได้พบกันในวันนี้
Tur yoot yung wun welah kae rao dai pob gun nai wun nee
You stopped the time, just us meeting today

แค่พบเจอกับเธอ..
Kae pop jur gup tur
Just running into you…

ฉันเพิ่งเข้าใจว่ารักเป็นอย่างนี้
Chun perng kao jai wah ruk pben yahng nee
I just understood that love is like this

ฉันเพิ่งเข้าใจเมื่อได้มาเจอด้วยตัวเอง
Chun perng kao jai meua dai mah jur duay dtua eng
I just understood when I got to meet you

เสี้ยวนาทีก็มีความหมาย เปลี่ยนโลกได้ทั้งใบ
Siao natee gor mee kwahm mai pblian lohk dai tung bai
A fraction of a minute that meant so much, that changed the whole world

ฉันเพิ่งรู้ในวันนี้ รักไม่ต้องการเวลา
Chun perng roo nai wun nee ruk mai dtong gahn welah
I just realized today that love doesn’t need time

ลมหายใจ เหมือนหยุดไปในห้วงนาทีนี้
Lom hai jai meuan yoot pbai nai huang natee nee
It’s like my breath stopped in that minute

เช่นหัวใจ ลอยหลุดไปทันทีที่สบตา
Chen huajai loy loot pbai tun tee tee sop dtah
Like my heart floated away as soon as you looked at me

เธอหยุดยั้งวันเวลา แค่เราได้พบกันในวันนี้
Tur yoot yung wun welah kae rao dai pop gun nai wun nee
You stopped the time, just us meeting today

แค่พบเจอกับเธอ ก็รักเธอ.. ฉันรักเธอ..
Kae pob jur gup tur gor ruk tur…chun ruk tur…
Just running into you, I love you… I love you…
เหมือนหัวใจ เหมือนหยุดไปในห้วงเวลานี้
Meuan hua jai meuan yoot pbai nai huang welah nee
It’s like my heart stopped in this moment

เมื่อพบเธอ ความรักที่เคยเข้าใจก็เปลี่ยนไป
Meua pob tur kwahm ruk tee koey kao jai gor pblian pbai
When I met you, love as I understood it changed

ไม่ต้องใช้วันเวลา แค่เราได้พบกันในวันนี้
Mai dtong chai wun welah kae rao dai pob gun nai wun nee
There’s no need to use time, just us meeting together today

แค่พบเจอกับเธอ ก็รักเธอ… ฉันรักเธอ..
Kae pop jur gup tur gor ruk tur… chun ruk tur…
Just running into you, I love you… I love you…