Holy Week at Bantayan Island

I never expected my parents to allow me to go out of town during the holy week especially if the destination would be Bantayan Island. A lot of people flock to this island because it is known for fun and wild parties during this season. Thankfully, they thought I was mature enough to be trusted. I really needed to unwind with all the problems/responsibilities at work and home.



This was actually my second visit to Bantayan. We stayed stayed at the same generous, warm and hospitable household, but we had different adventures. I was with the same group and a few additions, which consisted of boyf's nursing classmates plus tag-alongs. Just like the first one, we had great food, company and laughter.

Bantayan Island boasts of pristine waters and powdery sand. Even though the sun was scorching hot, I embraced it. Ahhh it was bliss! Never mind the burning feeling the day after or the gorgeous red skin turning into itchy dark spots. Nothing could ever replace that refreshing feeling.


Of course, the trip wouldn't be complete without prayer and reflection. I loved everything that the Bantayons did for their procession. It was very solemn, complete with all the procession floats/carts that reminded us of Jesus' suffering and death.



I have to be honest, there were mishaps but I think all these made our trip more memorable. It was definitely a great experience. I love Bantayan Island!

Welcoming Summer!

Cebu is just perfect! Every time you feel like hitting the beach or pool, regardless of the weather, you don't have to go far.

My good friend Yowh celebrated her birthday yesterday at Costa Bella Resort in Mactan. The weather was to cooperative. It wasn't super hot during the day and it was cool in the evening. Everything was perfect. Til next time guys! :D

Ladies' Night Out

Warning: This entry exudes vanity. haha

This was our post valentine celebration. Nah! We just wanted an excuse to meet up despite our busy scheds, as well as dress up.


I don't classify myself as a fashionista. Everyone who knows me can attest that I am not the type who fancies wearing dresses or other girly clothes. I'm more of a laid-back racerback/tanktop person. We made an agreement that we would dress up tonight. I honestly have a stash of never-been-worn dresses at the bottom of my closet. I guess it's time I put one of them to use. I didn't really contemplate on my wardrobe choice. Before going to work this morning, I just grabbed the first dress I saw; it was a colorful stripe dress I bought last year. I chose a pair of white stilettos to go with it.

I went to RC's house after work. It was funny how she changed from one dress to another, while I just looked at the only dress I brought with me. I actually didn't have a problem with it. haha With some powder, blush and eyeliner, I was good to go.

We went to Tara's Cafe (again!) and since it was past eight, we almost had the place to ourselves. We were free to roam around for picture-taking and go back to the buffet table. The waiters were so attentive to make our dining experience more enjoyable.

RC, Cai, Hanay and Mitoy... I lab u guys!









Neekul has left the building! :D

Last Call For Blog Giveaway

This is your last chance to join my blog giveaway! It is very easy, all you have to do is follow this blog, like the facebook fanpage of my beanie business and send me an e-mail.

Check out the complete mechanics here.

I would like to thank everyone who joined my giveaway. The draw for the lucky winner will be tomorrow at about 8 p.m. I will be having a secret guest who will draw the winner. Stay tuned!

Rain Rain Go Away

"When it rains, it pours" is such a cliche.

I can't believe this cliche applied to today's weather.

The loud rain pour woke me up this morning. It has been constantly raining these past few weeks in Cebu, but I noticed that the rain today was harder, the sky darker and the day gloomier. It was also windier and colder.


I immediately realized that going to work would be challenging. Commuting to go to the office would not be a walk in the park. I think it would be worse than my unfortunate experience last Tuesday when I was soaked in the rain and I had to bravely walk through the flood. It was so gross! Good thing I was able to wear heavy-duty shoes and I had slippers under my desk. I want rain boots and a rain coat!

I was so relieved when I was informed that we could work from home today. It was good thing my job can be done anywhere in the world as long as I have a working computer and a good internet connection. Thank God for technological advancements As I have mentioned in my FB status, working from home is both a blessing and a curse. There are a lot of temptations to fool around, sleep and eat rather than write or edit. hahaha :D I'm just glad that I was able to resist the first two. Even though the cold weather made me extra sleepy, I finished my tasks. I have to admit, though that I am extra exhausted today. I have not been getting enough sleep lately and I blame coffee and chocolate addiction. I am quite surprised I still managed to write this blog entry, as well as promote my blog giveaway.

Mother nature is telling us to change our ways. I just hope tomorrow will be a better day. Be safe!

Neekul has left the building.

P.S. Don't forget to join and invite your friends to my blog giveaway. It is very simple. Repost this blog giveaway on your own blog, like my fb beanie fanpage, follow my blog (blogspot) and send me an email!

Stress-Relieving Saturday

Saturday is our day. :D

Nothing beats our quality time over coffee on a Saturday. My boyf fetches me from work everyday but we always go home right away because we already are exhausted.

I have to admit my daily work assignments are draining me. I have a desk job and I sit the whole day but when I go home, it feels like I run in a marathon. My head feels like it's going to burst. Writing more than three articles a day about very odd topics is not easy. My mom told me this morning that I snored loudly last night, and that it was apparent that I was dog-tired. I really hope I don't crack under the strain.

So far, I think I'm doing alright. I just need my stress-relieving Saturdays, which includes a large dose of coffee and dessert!

Rainy Sinulog

After reading the title, I bet you are expecting to hear about my festive Sinulog but unlike other Cebuanos, I only went out during the night. Soooo this means I have no photos of the the Sto. Niño, street dancing, henna tattoos and the whole Sinulog package.





Honestly, I don't regret anything. To be honest, though, I enjoyed looking at the photos of my friends who had a fun celebration. I was not in the mood to go outside last January 16, 2011 because of the gloomy weather. Call be lazy but I felt dragged out that day. The boyf and I felt obliged to go out, anyway, so we did. His band did not play that night because of some conflicts unlike last year. I am not the type to party but I enjoy watching band gigs. While waiting for our friends, Yo and I bought very cute pairs of shorts.




We actually opted to ditch the wild crowded places. Our last stop was La Marea in IT Park for coffee and dessert. We were really relieved to have been spared from the chaos. It was nice meeting Venice's boyf Brian.

I had a happy laid-back Sinulog 2011 with my "three isn't a crowd" and my panggs. I wish next year will be better and I wouldn't be lazy. haha





Neekul has left the building!

Tanduay Rhum First Five: My Story

I can't believe how time flies so fast. It's been seven days since my wonderful Tanduay First Five experience. Since obtaining tickets to the event was so easy, there were too many people, including the not so civilized ones. To add fuel to fire, the weather was so uncooperative. My companions did not bother going in anymore. I'm sure glad they decided to ditch the event. There were a lot of people who caused trouble and got arrested.I was lucky to have been spared from the chaos, though. I thank my friends Renee Rolette Tan and Maria Carla Estella for squeezing me into the VIP area as a pseudo-photographer. I hope you still found my photos acceptable. haha



The set-up of the event was weird because there was a VIP area at the backstage but the front stage was blocked. It didn't make sense because what would you do in VIP area when you can't watch the concert? Honey and I made our way to the front stage even if it was clear that the bouncer wanted to kick us out. I guess our nonchalance simply overpowered his arrogance. hahahah

I wasn't able to take photos of Sandwich because of the heavy rain. Good thing Raymond Marasigan joined the other bands. Did I mention that he was drunk? While he was on his way to the backstage, we bumped.. I mean he literally run us over and didn't even apologize. Chicosci had so many gimmicks, I mean too many. They sang Taylor Swift's and Justin Bieber's songs. They also brought along a Michael Jackson impersonator. For me, Chicosci was okay. Miggy tried to interact with the crowd. There were some who dissed him but he didn't seem to mind.



I don't really like 6 Cycle Mind, but I commend the vocalist because he was able to control the people who were already behaving badly. He sang an Eraserheads song, I think it was Alapaap and everyone enjoyed it. I bumped into him at the backstage but I didn't ask for a photo with him. Okay, I'm so mean. haha


Kamikazee rocked the night. Jay was his usual entertaining self. He was so funny and he connected with the crowd. He asked a cross dresser to come up on stage, who gulped and finished his Tanduay. Jay then told him/her to kiss him anywhere he desired. He/she kissed him on the neck. It was so funny. We later found the cross dresser, who passed out, after the show. He/she was lying on the floor with puke all over the place. Tanduay's first aid squad was useless. One woman just pointed a flash light at him/her and poked her. What a jerk! Jay came and their guitarist Jomal was the one who help him/her sit, saying "Bumangon ka, maraming tao. Nakakahiya." Awww what a great guy. I think he was concerned especially because he/she was wearing a short skirt.









The finale. The main reason why I insisted on going to the event despite the madness was Bamboo (the band). I have been a Bamboo groupie since college and I always try to attend their concerts here in Cebu. To my dismay, Bamboo (the vocalist) acted like a diva. He went out, surrounded with bouncers, when everything was ready. Posing for a photo with him wasn't allowed. During their turn, he didn't interact with the crowd. I wasn't really surprised because Bamboo does not usually ad lib, but during that night, he looked pissed. I guess it had something to do with the lousy sound system. Oh well. What can I say, he's a great singer.




I didn't get my dream photo with Bamboo (I was able to pose with Bamboo in the past, but the picture quality sucks!) but at least other artists were kind enough to pose with me. Most of all, I was able to watch a fun concert with my friends and take tons of photos. Overall, it was a great night.

Complete photos here.

---Neekul has left the building.