Butanding / Whale Interaction in Oslob...

Sharing with you pictures taken from my trip to Oslob last week to experience the much publicized Whale Interaction Attraction in the town. 

This is about how close anyone can get to the sharks, right next to it. 

This is me about to dive to the water as one of the sharks swim beside our banca. 

Feeding them with "uyap" (Shrimp Paste). Not only is this practice being debated about because of its "domestication" impact on the whales, I have seen how the whales mouths are actually wounded from what must have been incidents on bumping on the bancas when attempting to eat what is being fed to them.
See related article on domestication from Cebu Daily News:
http://www.cdn.ph/news_details.php?id=12207

Swimming with the shark. Side by Side.

The shark right next to me. I actually got to swim with it side by side and at some point it was underneath me. That was quite an experience. 

This is how the actual feeding looks like. 

This is how the actual interaction in the waters look like. Bancas swarming around the sharks which are being feed by running bancas. 

A gentle giant up close.


While the whole experience was breathtaking and memorable, I cannot help but feel for  the sharks. Yes, legislation has been created on the fees involved to view the sharks, but I am wondering if the have made any resolution to strictly enforce protection on these gentle giants. On the same day, I can see people actually touching the sharks. Some fisherman, rowing too close to a point bumping the different parts of the sharks. It looks like we are more interested in making money out of these sharks, instead of ensuring their safety. Or at least that's what it seems....


 See related article from Cebu Daily News about the wounded sharks: http://cdn.ph/news_details.php?id=12197

Note: All photos from this post are from Kent Subong. 

The year in review....

Less the drama, which I am sparing you all from;  this was how 2011 looked like for me... 

January – Sinulog with friends.

February – my birthday month. Took some time out of Cebu and met up with my bestfriend who is a designer  in Zamboanga for a much needed reunion and vacation. I love this guy like family.

March – this was the month I started biking... I must say that it was fun while it lasted... I have a love affair with a lot of things and in most cases, they are whirlwind and brief.

April – went home to Dumsville for Lent. Explored Balamban towards the end of the month.

May – brainstorming for ITS UR DAY EVENTS. One of the best things about 2012 for me.

June – my first styling gig for ITS UR DAY EVENTS. The shoot was for our promo and site pictures.

July – was fun... Kate’s wedding. Planned for Oli and Carly’s birthdays.

August – first destination wedding of ITS UR DAY Events in Boljoon. It was challenging but we did it. Kind of made the rest of the weddings in the year easier in comparison. Went firing for the first time during the last part of the month.

September – ITS UR DAY in full swing. Signed up and met with several clients. And yes, my personal time was spent cheering for Ms. Philippines during the Ms Universe. Lol.

October – took a much needed break and went to Bicol for some fun. Planned for Trina’s birthday towards the end of the month.

November – my first solo out of the country backpacking trip. And yes, I am saving up to do it again soon.

December – After being away from home most of the year, this month was with Mama for the most part. She visited me for a week and we went to Manila for a vacation together. I was also home for a week during the holiday break. 

Thank you Lord for 2011. May all of us have a better 2012. 

Cebu City Marathon

It's happening tomorrow. The biggest annual marathon in the South. 

I didn't feel healthy this year and I didn't want to run below 21k either. So I broke my own tradition and will not be running on the 3rd year of the Cebu City Marathon.

Taken from the 1st Cebu City Marathon in 2010. 

To all the runners, have fun and hope to run with you next year! 

Pit Senyor!

Being the better person...

For 2012, I decided that my new year's resolution would be to keep everything simple. Knowing my love for drama, this will most likely remain a resolution or there will some poorly executed attempts happening here and there. Since I am most likely to fail with my resolution, I listed a few things which in the coming year will try to approach in a mature and calm manner as much as possible.  Here are a few things which normally irritate me, but will choose to ignore in the coming year. Yes, I will try to be the better person during encounters with:

1. Immigration Officers who act as if they were trained to be disrespectful to tourists. Either they are underpaid or overworked, I have had several encounters with these people and I will make sure to ignore and smile the next time they do one of their antics.

2. Arrogant Filipino-Chinese who act like they own public places just because they're rich or they happen to own the dependable "botika" where we get our meds. Don't get the wrong idea, I have Chinese friends, and I have seen a lot of decent Chinese people, but there are just some who need lessons on etiquette. Just because your hardware supplies the nails used to put my house together doesn't mean you don't wait for your turn when we are at the spa (no pun intended, this is based on my personal experiences and not on Fil Chi community in general). 

3. Cebu Pacific Air - yes, I am a traveller on budget, and while at it, I will ignore them as much as I can. When I am richer, I will just choose not to get their services, but for now, "tiis muna sa kanila".

4. Salesladies - I know I have a tendency to get upset when they come back with the wrong items, they don't pay attention, wear too much make up, they don't do their jobs properly; but I also understand how difficult it is to be doing what they do, and next time, I will definitely keep that into consideration. 

5. Drunk Koreans, I am not a racist ok? but I am pretty sure we all had a share of encounters with these Koreans, they either spilled their drink on you, stepped on your toes on the way out of the bar, grabbed you to dance with them. Again, this is not something against all Koreans, just those in our country who drink beyond what they should and act inappropriately. 

Happy New Year Everyone! A blessed 2012 to all of us. 

Happy Holidays!!!

From one of the counter's in Gabby's Bistro. The Parol added a very traditional and solemn touch.

This post is created to wish everyone the best of the Holidays. May Peace and Love reign among all of us! Sharing with you the places I have been to, the stuff I have been eating and some other ideas in case you find yourself in Dumaguete where I spent my Christmas break. Be back in two days Dumsville. See you!

Christmas Mass at the Redemptorist. I have been hearing mass here since I was a kid with Mama. 

Gabby's Bistro. 

Never miss the treats from Sans Rivals. Cravings only satisfied in Dumaguete

Finally a 24 hour coffee shop for locals and tourists in Dumaguete. Kofficcino, not sure how it's spelled but it is across Qualfone. 

Source of Joy. Two of the six puppies from my beautiful Labrador Retriever, Quila.... 

And finally, our department decided to share some love this season. Instead of spending our Christmas Party funds, we will be using it to buy underwears for Sendong victims in Dumaguete. 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE! Hoping for your love and support in the coming year. The best in life to all of us in 2012.

My Grown Up Christmas List

Difficult times require hope and resilience.

I know that the Dumaguetenos will see this difficult situation through. A few months from now, we will all look back at Sendong and realize how it made our Christmas more meaningful. Let us continue to help each other and keep praying. 

Dumaguete + Sendong + Holidays = Hope and Optimism

Today, December 17, 2011 is a very challenging day for the City of Gentle People. Typhoon Sendong decided to drop by and left everybody in a very tough situation. 

 

Our once clean, well-maintained boulevard is filled with murky mud water. 

No lives should have been sacrificed for the Dumaguete City officials to learn the value of disaster preparedness. while this is nobody's fault, I am looking forward to the results of their discussion and see what they can do for the Dumaguetenos in this very difficult situation. I have always bragged about the peaceful community I came from, but I am not happy about the complacency of the local government and its  inability to prepare for extreme situations like this. 

Raised like every Dumagueteno, I am about second chances, but this has happened on my birthday on February 7, 2009 and we seem to have not improved but in fact have lost more lives this time around. 

To the people in the current provincial and city administration, show us your worth, and try to make this situation as painless as possible for every Gentle Person in Dumaguete. We deserve better!

To my friends from other places, please offer a prayer for my city. 

Photos grabbed from :

http://www.facebook.com/luigiborromeo