Still feels like the first time

I'm not sure how long I haven't traveled, but my hiatus from adventure seeking will soon be over. Two days more and I'll be marveling (again) at the scenic and mesmerizing Hundred Islands.

It's been one full year after my first time at the national park and it was all for work that was why I didn't get to fully enjoy the tourist site. The thought of riding the boat as we go from an island to another island comes to mind as the date comes near. What makes me ecstatic is the added fun that I'll experience this time, that is helmet diving (getting up close and personal with scores of fish under the clear water...Woohoo!)

Last year's trip to the Hundred Islands was all for work. I enjoyed the marvelous views towering around me while I was on the boat, but I really want to explore more of the islands.

Island hopping with a large group divided into several boats is another twist to the thrill.

My calendar is marked and the traveler in me has been reawakened. Hundred Islands, I give you the permission to take my breath away.

The night they rocked my world

A night of jammin’ and slammin’ with the Rock of Ages

It was a night I didn’t see coming.

Fact: I’m not a rock fanatic. I’m unfamiliar with most of the famous rock hits. And I’m not acquainted with rock stars. I’m not into excessively loud music and heart pounding beats. But after watching a musical heavy with rock, I realized I could do a compromise with the genre.

Last Thursday, Oct. 30, Rock of Ages premiered once again in Manila. Held at the Meralco Theater, it is a musical that highlights the dream of a simple boy at Sunset Strip in West Hollywood. Of course, the story concluded with the usual happy ending, but the way the characters dealt with their individual issues is moving.

Shrek the Musical—an energetic mix of contagious humor

“It's a big bright beautiful world...”

What the world presents is quite different from the picture formed by expectations in your head. This reality—and other life's ironies—dawned on Shrek and Princess Fiona, but the effect on their lives is something that makes everyone wonder, “Why did I not ever wish for this to happen?”

Shrek is a big, fat, ugly Ogre who was sent out by his parents at the tender age of seven. He knew from the start that there's a “big, bright, beautiful world” out there—but not for him. He thinks that only the physically beautiful deserve it; not someone who's hideous looking.

Princess Fiona has been locked up in a tower since she was a child. Every day, she expects that her Prince Charming will climb up the tower and rescue her from the solitary loneliness that has been her companion.

Lord Farquaad, the vain, short ruler of Duloc realizes that he needs to rescue Princess Fiona from the dragon-guarded tower and marry her, so he could be king. But he didn't want to do the mission himself.

They are unsuspecting that their lives will change one fateful day. Sent by Lord Farquaad shortly after arriving in Duloc, Shrek, together with his new-found quirky friend, Donkey, embarks on a mission he accepts with the sole purpose of recovering his swamp from the unjust ruler. The three has different expectations. Little do they know that their stories are written with a different plot.

Breeze treats hardworking hero moms through 1 Laba Day

Celebrating the heroes of the home, Breeze treated more than 19,000 hardworking moms across the Philippines to a day of rest, games and exciting surprises at the first-ever 1 Laba Day. The leading detergent brand took care of their laundry chores, washing a total of 481,536 clothes, in a series of events held simultaneously in multiple barangays in Metro Manila, Pangasinan, Batangas, Cebu, and Davao.

Celebrity moms and surprise guests, including Sige Moms Christine Bersola-Babao, Gladys Reyes and Dimples Romana, headlined the nationwide events. At Barangay Commonwealth in Quezon City, radio DJ Laila Chikadora also kept the crowd entertained with her witty jokes and led the fun bingo games where moms won bicycles, skateboards, inflatable swimming pools and other toys for their children. These prizes were meant to encourage moms to be Sige Moms who let their kids play and go on exciting adventures.

Breeze ActivBleach calls on moms to join 1Laba Day

Breeze ActivBleach is treating mommies across the country to a day off from their laundry chores with the simultaneous nationwide event 1Laba Day happening on August 28. Moms in barangays throughout Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao are invited to head to 1Laba Day venues and let Breeze’s revolutionary ActivBleach take care of their stained clothes while they take part in exciting activities Breeze has in store for them to celebrate every mother’s hard work and love for her family.

Tracing back history in Fort Santiago

Every travel starts with an aim. And ours was to wander around and get lost in history.

History classes told me stories of the past. Tales during the Colonial time, the American invasion, the Japanese occupation. Through history, I learned that the Philippines was under Spanish rule for 333 years, that Filipinos cowered in their own country, that men who fought for liberty were punished and executed.
 
Through history, I learned about Dr. Jose Rizal and Fort Santiago--the national hero's final days in the fortress.

Fort Santiago has always been part of my lifetime traveler's itinerary. And recently, I ticked the destination off my list, as I officially set foot on the historical site with an equally adventurous and always curious friend.

We rode on the Pasig River ferry on our way to Intramuros, an experience we quite enjoyed, not only because it was our first time, but also it was indeed exciting. But what awaited us in Intramuros was far more exhilarating.

Threading the Pasig River for the first time

Sometimes, the best trips are unplanned--or aren't well planned. I had one recently and it was indeed beyond great.

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In Jose Rizal's novel "El Filibusterismo," the national hero talked about the Pasig River described as a transportation channel in the narrative. This body of water is not only a prominent setting of a story created by an imaginative mind; this is also a precious gem of the Philippines.