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Bantayan Island

Published by Justine

I am so bad at posting pictures on my blog because I’m always so lazy to process or transfer photos from the SLR. I should be changing that because photos are such interesting elements to add into a post. This entry is a bit overdue but it’s something I really wanna share and put here. When I went home to Cebu for vacation about a month ago we decided to go to Bantayan Island. Time was limited but we promised ourselves that we would go for a small family trip together with cousins who also came back from New York. We only stayed for a very short time, barely a 24-hour overnight stay but it was so. Damn. Worth it. I fell in love with the place.

It’s a little bit weird because my family comes from the northernmost part of Cebu and Bantayan is literally just an hour away but this is my very first time to set foot on the island. I’m kind of embarrassed when I think about it but what matters most is that I went, I saw and I loved it. So here’s a little photo dump. I didn’t get to use the camera a lot because I was too engrossed in having fun and taking in the weather and making the most out of the short time.

We took the ferry from the port and brought along two cars. We went with family, extended family, families of in-laws and in total there were about 30-40 of us so when we docked in the island about 15 or so tricicads (Cebuano word for bicycle pedicabs) waited for us to take us to our resort because it took time for our cars to be loaded off the ferry. Simple pleasures, because it was so much fun. The pedi ride took about 15 minutes with all the peds lined up in a convoy. I took a video from my ride together with my sister and little cousins. Honestly because there were so many of us, I didn’t even personally know some of the people who went or who was at the back of me in the video.

Random kid we came across.


That was right in front of the resort we stayed in. The weather was great! In fact it was too great that it was so damn hot but it was just perfect for the day. We spent lunch eating in huts (food was GREAT) then when it got less sunny we spent the day walking around the beach, exploring resorts, picture taking (of course), taking short naps under the palm trees. We even went to the public market to look for things to buy and taking in all the culture. The afternoon was concluded with kayaking and swimming in the sea, which was probably the highlight of my day. NEVER ENDING laughs.

This family photo was shot funnily because the sun was BLAZING like mad and we had to get out of the shade for a while. We had to wear shirts according to family color (just us the immediate ones) and we had to pose under the heat. My shirt was oversized (I seriously thought it was for my dad–who couldn’t be with us because of work) and the moment the cameras stopped clicking I took it off straight away. There was a funny moment about the photo below, that’s us trying to drag the kayak back to the shore but we couldn’t because it was too heavy. We spent probably an hour laughing and my cousin B was rolling around the sand because either he was frustrated, or just plain crazy. A kind-hearted soul who shall not be named brought it to the sea for us earlier then and we had no idea how to bring it back anymore. By night we got together, had a few drinks, shared a few stories, while some swam under the moon.

I was never a fan of sea or ocean-related vehicles. I hate boats and being on them and the thought of being in sea in the middle of nowhere pretty much freaks me out. This time I was with really fun people I almost forgot I was on a boat. I love my family because we just never stopped laughing all throughout the trip. This was also my first time to see our car being taken in and out from a boat. I’ve been to many places but believe me when I say I’m that ignorant when it comes to these things.


Leaving the island the next day felt a little bit surreal and journey back to the port was bittersweet. We left right after sunrise and it sort of got me into an emotional state. As much as I didn’t want to leave I had such a great time and that was more than enough. It was spent with most of the people I love. There are some things beneath this entry that need not be mentioned but mattered all the same to me. If not, then even more. I promised myself that every time I go back to the Philippines for vacation I would always make a point to go back to Bantayan. I left a part of my heart there and I can’t wait to go back 🙂

This was just a portion of my best vacation ever.

Sickly No More

Published by Justine

2010 wasn’t the greatest year for me when it came to health. I had my worst tonsillitis cases that visited me often–at one point almost every month, I had my left wisdom teeth removed (which really hurt like a bitch), I would catch the flu really quickly and any amount of fatigue would send me straight over the edge. Needless to say I missed a lot of work days. I guess stress was also one of the triggers because my office was still in the middle of the Jakarta CBD and I would spend a minimum of 1:30 hours in traffic in the morning and another 1:30 at night. That’s just the minimum. One time I left the house at 7 in the morning and didn’t arrive until almost 11am. That was so bad and I told myself then that no matter how glamorous that job was with all the corporate stuff I dreamed about ever since I was a kid, traveling stress wasn’t worth it. I was always so down and worn out by the end of the day and the joy of work turned into something that I dreaded the moment I woke up just because of all the traffic I had to endure. Definitely wasn’t cut out for that.

I’ve switched jobs now and although it’s not as glamorous as the first one I have more time to sleep, and only travel a maximum of 30 minutes every morning and back in the afternoon, sans traffic and everything. My health’s kind of improved too. Back when I was still getting sickly last year a friend advised me to take effervescent vitamins once a day or once every two days and I would never be sick anymore. I didn’t really take tablet vitamins like Enervon or Centrum because whenever I did it would make me feel dizzy and a bit nauseous so I stopped within a couple of days. Since I started taking effervescence, six months into the year and I have only been sick once as opposed to last year when I got sick almost every month. I switch up my brands every once in a while and when I was in the Philippines for my 2 week vacation I pretty much drank alcohol every single night, had a maximum of 4 hour sleep a day, always out in the sun, always eating the unhealthiest foods and basically the perfect combination of resulting in a body full of maladies (although of course it was the BEST vacation EVER). I took my Berocca often and it always made me feel energized. By the time I got back to Jakarta I was so surprised I didn’t get sick at all. I remember my 3 day trip to Singapore late last year with no sleep and lots of alcohol intake too, when I got back home I was out for literally another 3+ days. That was so bad.. I was so unhealthy then.

Not that I’m advertising the brand or anything, just sharing my experiences. My metabolism has greatly improved, I sleep better, I eat better, I’m very slowly losing a bit of weight (evidence that all my old clothes have started to fit again), my cycle is back to regular, it stopped November and didn’t come back til April which sort of freaked me out a little.. but it’s all good now. I thought vitamins wouldn’t really make much of a difference in my life but I’m glad they do. I don’t take it every day though, I read that it’s not really recommended so I have one a few times a week or every other day. Been feeling greater than usual, at least definitely a step above last year.

Journal

Published by Justine

Late last year I bought a new journal that I vowed to write on whenever something in my life came up. It’s a purple small book, sort of like a poor man’s Moleskine. I love it. I bring it with me everywhere now and just jot down or scribble whatever is on my mind. The first few months of this year was when I really wrote a lot. Almost every day. Now it’s just a couple of times every few weeks and lately a few times a week. I’ve been feeling really good about writing on a journal again about my feelings and what it writes for me. I’m gonna laugh/cry/remember when I look back that’s always a good thing. I have this thing about journals though they never last because I always find a nicer looking one where I proceed to write out newer thoughts. Since I love this one so much I want to just keep on writing here. So random.. me blogging about writing on a journal. I have too many thoughts to share and while it’s not entirely a bad thing, sometimes my head’s too full of everything.

On Feelings

Published by Justine

When it comes to love and all that stuff, I’ve never been good at “feelings”. I give out advice like I’m so pro at it, but the truth is I can’t communicate it well enough when it comes to myself. It happens to a lot of people and unfortunately I am one of them. So when these “feelings” come and enter my life, I’m at a loss. For words, for emotions, my mind and heart are in knots and I overanalyze, I overthink, and in the end it complicates things not only for myself but for everyone I communicate these “feelings” to. Sometimes I’m too hard on myself.. that I end up losing everything in the end. That’s probably what’s happening right now but other factors are also to blame. Like pride. Every one doesn’t want to lose their pride but there’s something in me that hurts, even when I’m just about to communicate with it, tell myself that it’s okay to feel things, it’s okay when these things happen. But pride overrides itself.

I’m such a Gemini. Plus a Taurus. I was born in the middle of both signs and since I can point nothing else accountable for the way my feelings operate I blame my horoscope. It’s simpler that way right? I may be a simple girl on the outside, but there is nothing simple about the way my mind operates. I have thirst for explanation and need for detail. I’m probably not making sense right now because I’m letting my mind do all the work in this entry. Ever since I got back from the Philippines my mind’s been in utter shambles, here and there. The thing I’m probably most thankful when it comes to these feelings is the fact that I can smile for no reason at least once a day. You have to find joy in every situation. This is mine.

Back In Jakarta

Published by Justine

There’s something about coming back from vacation in the Philippines that always leaves me to a state of utter slump when I’m back in Jakarta. Ever since I got back I haven’t been able to stop thinking about how great my vacation was. 14 days back home in Cebu certainly wasn’t enough but at the same time it filled me with so much euphoria, fun and excitement that I hardly cared about getting enough sleep or eating. I would get about only 2-3 hours of sleep a day but whenever I ate, I would always savor it because it’s food I hardly get to eat often. Home is where the heart is, and my homes are both in Cebu AND Jakarta, so it’s gonna make for a tough decision in the future. I have two SD cards overflowing with photos from my trip and as much as I want to share it right now, work has been piling up like mad. I arrived on the eve of Saturday and spent the day nursing a vacation hangover (involved falling asleep at random times–so weird) and Sunday catching up with friends the whole day then Monday, straight back to work.

Out of my two weeks, 10 days were spent in my parents’ hometown because of the town fiesta (which we inherited from our Spanish rule), spending time with family, longtime friends and many new friends I got to meet. Being there meant the beach was also very accessible so I got to visit different beaches and resorts (I lost count of how many I went to! Probably almost 10), which incidentally is the very meaning of my existence. I can be in the beach all day every day and for 10 days, well you probably know how that is for someone like me. I also finally got to visit Bantayan Island, and goodness. My heart is still there somewhere.

I don’t know how long this state of euphoric recollection is going to last but it’s giving me such bipolar moods. One minute I’m happy and smiling remembering everything and the next I want to cry because I miss everything that happened and want to re-live them again.