Age... when did it became just a number?

Today is Mayfel's 25th birthday. I needed to go to Subic for a business trip last friday to install 2 servers to my company's hotel clients (Lighthouse Marina and Subic Grand Seas Resort) so we decided to grab the opportunity and celebrate by going on a trip with the kids. The plan was to go to Subic, spend the night there to finish what I had to do, then to Manaoag Shrine in Pangasinan the next day to attend the mass and a surprise lunch at Isdaan Restaurant in Gerona Tarlac.

While on the car as we were leaving Manila, I recalled Allan asking me the other day about Mayfel's age. I also recalled Allan and Becky laughing as I replied, "Wait.. di ko alam e. Compute ko pa".. "25!". That thought in mind, I told Mayfel, "Oi, 25 ka na pala a..". She replied, "Ah talaga? Parang hinde.. feeling ko 18 pa rin ako e. Kasi Parang tumigil na mundo ko nung nagkakilala tayo e..". I was touched and speechless.. then I said to myself, "she's right!". I myself can't remember my own age without having to compute for it. When asked, the first number that will come to my mind is 25.. my age when Mayfel and I met. Then I thought, "is it really like that? Does age become just a number when you have already found the right one?"

A lot have already happened during the years that Mayfel and I have been together. Like any other couple, we've been through ups and downs and even lefts and rights. Like them, both of us have changed.. a lot. We've grown busier and had our own daily priorities. We've also learned and discovered a lot more of our differences and sometimes have fights because of it. But unlike other couples, we did not let those issues get into us and become a growing wall that will eventually ruin our relationship. Instead, we use them as steps that will help us improve our relationship for the better. Physically, we age.. but our hearts remain very young and our love very strong and ready for future ups, downs, lefts and rights that life will bring.

Mommy Mayfel, another year has been added to your age and in 7 days, in mine too. We still have a long way to go and a lot to go through. Hope you remain strong with our relationship as we have been in the past years. In 6 days, we will be celebrating our 8th year anniversary.. hope we'll have hundreds more. :) And in those years, hope nothing will change.. we will still stay crazily in-love and still crave for.. (*wink wink*). Let's stay forever this way... you 18 and I'm 25. I LOVE YOU, Mayfel... Happy 25th Birthday.

Bolinao, Pangasinan - Revisited

2010 has been a very busy year for me and Mayfel and we were dying to have a short vacation to unwind and relax. We had a few places in mind but I decided to take Mayfel and the kids somewhere they haven't been to.

It's been almost two years since I've last been to Bolinao (see this post) for a business trip. Here is where I was able to use my first non-SLR digital camera and where I received the news from my wife that I will be a father for the second time so this place is quite memorable for me.

It was raining like hell and we are already delayed for a couple of hours from our ETA because my new GPS navigator directed us on a route with 20Km of rough road just because it is 8Km shorter that the normal route. When we finally arrived at the resort, it was almost 6pm. Because the rain is not showing any sign that it will stop anytime soon, Mayfel and I were already planning of leaving in the morning, though it will totally break Xyza's heart if we do, if the weather does not get better in the morning. Good thing, sun was up the next morning and we were had a chance to take the kids for a dip.

We took the kids for a short stroll at the beach for a few photo-ops. The water is quiet and shallow, you can literally walk about a kilometer off the beach and not get any part of your body wet except your feet. We didn't go too far off the beach though, it was too tiring to walk on wet sand and Mayfel was also too afraid to do so. She thinks a tsunami will hit any moment and we will have no chance to run! hehehe...

Breakfast not being the priority that morning, when lunch time came we were all starving. We drove 10 kilometers to the town proper to buy a few stuffs for Ethan then off to the restaurant that I read in a blog, Tummy Teasers in Brgy Arnedo. Their servings are big but very affordable. Mayfel loved their Kare-kare and says that it is the best kare-kare she'd ever tasted.

We were glad that we finally had a chance to have our vacation.. but.. we thought, "2 nights was too short".. so we decided to go straight to Baguio and stay for 2 nights more. :)

Bolinao, Pangasinan

It was my first time to go to Bolinao and just like what I do on my other first-time-trips, I look for facts, routes and photos of the place to make me a bit familiarized with the place. The photos I saw of Bolinao made me more excited. Even though I'll be going there for an official business trip and not a vacation, I was still excited because I will be able to try out my new camera.

Quoting from bolonaoph.com:
"Bolinao is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Pangasinan, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 61,068 people in 12,182 households. The people generally speak Ilocano and Panggalatok but they also have their own unique language called Bolinao, brought in by Sambal settlers during colonial rule. Most people generally understand and speak English.

On November 18, 2007, Bolinao challenged the historical fact that the first Mass was held on March 31, 1521, Easter Sunday, at Limasawa in Southern Leyte. Memorial markers (donated by Italian priest Luigi Malamocco, 62, from Odorico's hometown of Friuli, Italy) were set in the town's church and on Santiago Island, claiming that in 1324, Franciscan missionaries led by an Italian priest named Odorico celebrated a thanksgiving Mass thereat and also baptized natives."

I had a chance to visit the Church of St. James at the town's center, I am not sure if it's the same church where they claim that the first mass was held but it's the only church there so I guess this is it.

Facts: Do you know why most catholic churches have extra pathways in front before entering the church front door? It's because according to priests, the purpose is to give church goers extra time to reflect and prepare themselves, emotionally, spiritually and physically before facing our Creator. --source: bolinaoph.com

One of the landmarks Bolinao is known for is Cape Bolinao Lighthouse. Of course, I wouldn't pass out with the chance to take a photo of a 101 year old historical beauty. :)

Quoting from heritageconservation.wordpress.com:
"For 101 years now, the Cape Bolinao lighthouse stands proud atop Punta Piedra Point in Barangay Patar in Bolinao, Pangasinan, guiding ships and vessels cruising the international passage along the South China Sea.

Nestled amid trees, the lighthouse was built in 1905 by Filipino, British and American engineers. It is one of the five major lighthouses in the country and the second tallest, next to the Cape Bojeador lighthouse in Burgos, Ilocos Norte."

Bolinao is about 5 1/2 to 6 hour bus ride from Manila. Arriving at Bolinao, you'll still have to take a tricycle to the resort of your choice. Fares are Php20 per person but you can arrange a special trip for about Php100 to Php150 depending on how good you haggle. Arriving at the resort, the first thing you'll notice is the sound of the waves that seems to never end. Unlike other beaches I've been to where waves have a 2 or 1 1/2 second interval, Bolinao's waves are continuous. Excited, after checking in, we went straight to the beach to be surprised as to how far the waves are. The water is only about knee-deep from the beach to the waves several meters away. We can still see people walking from afar close to the waves that from where we are seems to be 3 to 4 feet taller than them. Resort staffs say that beyond the breakwater would be a sudden 100 feet drop. I was got scared so much, didn't set foot on the water on my 7 days stay there.. yep, not even a dip.

Located several meters from the main road, hidden by the coconut trees, is Bolinao's Enchanted Cave. Another popular destinations for tourists. To enter the cave, you need to pay Php30 or Php50 if you want to take a dip. This is my first time to enter a cave so my excitement was overflowing. The time we were there, a group of tourist from Ilocos were also visiting that made the place very crowded. Only 10 people were allowed to enter the cave at a time, all taking pictures and talking at the same time... very irritating. My Enchanted cave experience is very disappointing.. it's warm, dark, moist, and full of yapping people. I wonder how someone can take a dip on the 30 meter wide pool inside the cave with all these tourists walking in every 10 minutes or so.

For me, the whole Bolinao experience is pretty enjoying. I had a chance to take a number of good photos and was able to visit a few historical places as well. I can't wait to experience Bolinao on summer, when waves are hopefully calmer and can't eat me whole. :)

Puerto Del Sol Resort

Puerto Del Sol Resort

Puerto Del Sol Resort

Treasures of Bolinao Resort

Treasures of Bolinao Resort

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my new hobby..

It was in the summer of '94 when I won 2nd Place on a Photography contest on a Nationwide Leadership Training Camp by the Philippine National Red Cross for volunteers all over the country. I didn't get to see the 2 photos I took but I'd bet it was good, or else I wouldn't have won (unless there are only 2 participants and 1 of them was me). None of the participants on the activity was a professional photographer, this is our first time to ever use an SLR camera. After a very very brief session about how the camera works and a few descriptions about shutter speeds, apertures, proper camera handling, etc. We were each given 20mins to find our subjects and shoot. It took me around 5mins to find a subject that I like, not because I am good at composing photos but because I was not comfortable walking around with someone following me, the owner of the SLR camera we're using.

The whole experience gave me a glimpse about photography, got me excited and wanted discover more. But the cost of SLR cameras, lenses, films, developing and other photography-stuffs held me back. Several years, a wife and a daughter later.. I was reunited with my urge for photography, thanks to the good image quality of my mobile phone camera, the Sony Ericsson P990i. I received good comments on the photos I took on my trip to Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte using my mobile phone and they are suggesting I get a DSLR. But I can't afford to buy a DSLR right now so I looked for a cheaper alternative, a point-and-shoot camera that has manual modes that would allow me to play with different exposures and settings. Then I found the Canon Powershot A590IS. It's no DSLR, but for a beginner like my, it would do. The A590IS has a manual mode that I hope would help me understand more about the technicalities of photography (shutter speeds, ISO, aperture, etc.) before I shell out a huge amount of cash on an entry-level DSLR.

A week after buying my camera, I had the chance to go to Bolinao, Pangasinan for an official business trip. The trip gave me a chance to try out my camera. The images I posted on this article are the first and the last of the shots I took during the trip using my A590IS. More photos of Bolinao will be on my next post (or you can just visit my Flickr page).