Dumalneg, Ilocos Norte

Dumalneg is Bangui's neigbour town. You get there by entering through Lanao, Bangui.

 Green rice fields with mountains at the background is the usual scenary. 

At the municipio of Dumalneg, Ilocos Norte with one of my dearest friend and tour guide, Denish.

The residents call this place, Arar-o.

 Arar-o is the ilocano name of pine trees, they said. ( I don't really know the correct spelling of it)

And if you turn around, you'll found this. A majestic river. 

A place where I'd escape to find peace if I lived nearby. 

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Your reason

You're role here is to be my online journal where I can keep and share my experiences in my life. Maybe a travel that I'll never forget, an unusal happening that someday will make me smile everytime it passes through my mind, a melanchony or a romantic song I composed, a review or reason why I loved such movie that i've recently watched...

Besides, you also bring positive outcomes for me. You're helping me for my writing skills improvement. Also, not to forget my past, knowing that I'm a forgetful person. You're there to remind me the good and bad things that happened and will happen throughout my life. You might not understand your value because you're not living thing, but just so you know, i'm grateful to have you.

Sirok ti rangtay

There are places that you only visit when it gets dark and tell me, have you ever tried visiting it in the daylight? 

Pamulinawen is a festival celebrated in Laoag City every february. The kids would rather know it as the period of carnival beneath Gilbert's bridge. It's a place where you'll encounter crazy rides, bright lights, loud sounds, and kids and teenagers having a good time. 

I kinda find it a place where you'll probably get to waste a lot of money, that's why I try to avoid entering. However, I have a friend, Czarina, who loves taking photos like me, who mentioned me to try photoshooting in the place. And so we did. I also gathered 2 friends/classmates of mine making as 4 in total. 

So after school, around 4 we arrived at what we Laoageños call "sirok rangtay". The entrace was free because the rides were'nt operating yet. Although, it was embarassing having people staring at us, but we didn't mind. We didn't care for the sake of having this amazing shoots. 

The rides made our background very lively and colorful. Besides, it seems like we're in a foreign country, right? Or let's just imagine it for a while. And now im doubting if I should also visit it at nightlight.

Sharing some of my favorite photos below:

                                

          

Badoc Island getaway

Our trip to Badoc Island was planned in less than 24 hours. As usual, me and my spontaneous outings attacked me the day before, again. 

 I started with a status post in my facebook and convienced some of my friends, despite of not knowing some of each other, to make the trip possible. I think one of the positive outcomes of this gathering was being able to meet new friends and arriving to a paradise.

We left Laoag City at 9:45am. Our expected take off was 9 am but due to 1) Denish had to burn his clothes because of some beliefs 2) Kebong bought a puppy in the para Badoc terminal. 

We arrived in Badoc around 11 am. So time travel from Laoag to Badoc is aprox. 1 hour with bus (Fare: Php 50). 

We stopped by the police station to get some information. And luckily with Denis connections, we had the opportunity to get a free ride from the town proper to Brgy. Pagsanahan, where we had to take the "boat"/banka that took us to the island. 

Again, we we're very lucky to hear from the residents that the sea hadn't been calm for the last few days, but unexpectedly the day we choose, the sea was in our favor. Thank you, Lord. 

This is the banka which we rode on. We were all 8 + 2 = 10. 

Time travel: around 10-15 minutes.

This is not Badoc Island.

                                                                     THIS is Badoc Island. Hadn't got a very good shoot. Sorry. 

Finally, arriving Badoc Island was like: Put your hands up in the air!!! 

White sand and different layers of blue water welcomed us warmly with the rays of the sunlight. And yes, we we're alone in the island. 

So after, we had our lunch, played cards, took pictures and waited for the sun to lessen its heat. No one wants to get burn, my dear. (Mahirap din magpaputi. haha)

After 3-4 hours of waiting to avoid sunburn, we dive in. We took some underwated pictures but sad to say the gadget used got broken when we got home. Hoping for it's early recovery. 

We swam for a really short time due to we had to pack up before sunset. We left around 5 pm, for...

THIS:

Beautiful sunset in Virgen Milagrosa, Badoc.

 We wanted to visit and to take a glance of the sunset in 'Virgen Milagrosa'. We took 2 tricycles to bring us there. Time travel was around 15 minutes. But sadly, the sunset color and feeling lasted for 5 minutes only. Then, we visited the chapel, took the typical groupie with friends, and hit the road back to our homes.

Expenses:
Food prepared: Php 100/person
Laoag-Badoc-Laoag: Php 100/person
Tricycle (Pagsahanan-Virgen Milagrosa- Highway) : Php 30/person

Boat: Php 750

I recommend everyone to visit Badoc Island, just be sure not to litter the beautiful virgin paradise place.

PS: A short video of our journey.
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DON'T BE SHY AND JOIN OUR NEXT ADVENTURE ANYTIME SOON!!!

Amor y otras drogas

At the beginning you might ask why there's too much talk about med and stuff, but the thing is that's what will bring it to her, Maggie. Anne's Hathaway character in this movie is very direct, kinda reckless by getting what she wants then ends it, i thinkg she's afraid of people's attachment. She's in search of a real thing, but she's afraid that no one will stick with her and her sickness. But then, Jamie does. He showed it in many different kind of ways without knowing it. He's not very showy and caring until he met her. 

I think it's my second time to watch this movie, but didn't pay a lot of attention the first time. 

Scenes of things i loved the most:

1. The banging scenes are veeeeeeeery sexy. Specially Anne's body. And let's not talk about Jake Gyllenhaal's eyes, can we? [...]

2. The part when I thought Jamie was having a heart attack. He was thou. It was attacked by Maggie. 

(I hope someone will get that nervous when they'll say it to me for the first time. *I wish, duh!*)

3. The part where they just record each other. The black and white video camera and the polaroid camera.

4. Her flat? That's my dream house/flat, whatever. A kind of place where I wanna live someday. 

5. Their behavior with each other. The comfiness, the way they wanna protect and save each other.

6. Her kind of art. 

Favorite lines: 

Jamie Randall: You need someone to take care of you.
Maggie Murdock: No, I don't!
Jamie Randall: Everybody does. I need you. And you need me. 
Maggie Murdock: I'm gonna need you more than you need me. 
Jamie Randall: That's okay.

Jamie Randall: Sometimes the things you want the most don't happen and what you least expect happens. I don't know - you meet thousands of people and none of them really touch you. And then you meet one person and your life is changed forever.

BEGIN AGAIN

It was already past 1 am when I finished this wonderful movie. Got me teary eyed and smiling at the end. Such a great, lovely, very musical movie. Love everything about it; the cast, soundtracks, story, Keira's smile, etc... Except Adam's beared at the end. Haha

This movie is being listed in my favorite movies list. Why? Because Im gonna be like her someday. haha 

You never forget and I still remember.

Era un viaje que nadie lo supo. Uno que lo planeas, pero realmente no está bien planeado, pero al final todo te sale bien. Un viaje donde normalmente crees memorias que quieres guardar y sin querer, llegas a olvidar. 

Ha pasado más de dos años, creo. Pero me dijo que nunca lo olvidó, que aún guarda las memorias, las fotografías, esperando que vuelva atrás. Mientras yo, ya no sé dónde las guardé, porque en mi corazón ya no lo encontré. Me sabe mal, o creo que está bien. Porque sé que ya superé lo que un día pude ser de todo, menos ser fuerte. 

Tranquilo, tampoco lo olvidé del todo. Lo recuerdo, pero ya muy poco. 

-J.F