#where to eat in manila ocean park

[beingjellybeans]

How to make the most of your visit to Manila Ocean Park

Are you already out and about? With the lifting of many quarantine restrictions, we now have more opportunities to escape the four walls of our home into the great outdoors. MOP’s EVP & COO Francis Low welcomes us during our MOP tour Posing with Yeni, MOP’s youngest and smartest sea lion For many of the metro’s denizens, Manila Ocean Park remains one of the most desired destinations for a fun…

[purplesurveys]

1953

Which flower is your favorite? Peonies! It's been my favorite for a while and I don't think it'd still change as I'm not much into plants and flowers to begin with.

Have you ever picked wild flowers? No. The only thing I've ever plucked out are weeds LOL at home.

Have you ever walked through a forest? Hmm, I dunno - does hiking a forest-y mountain count? I've climbed two mountains, both of which get super deep in the forest.

Do you enjoy walking through nature parks? I wish I can answer this but we don't even have any here. I feel like I would enjoy them, but probably just in moderation - being in nature isn't really my top favorite activity.

What was the last wild animal you saw? Can't even remember...I live in the city, so all I see are birds, dogs, and cats.

Have you ever seen a mountain in person? Yes, many of them and many times.

Do you prefer jam or butter on your biscuits? Butter. I don't like fruits so I've never sought out jam.

Have you ever explored somewhere abandoned? I probably have but nothing comes to mind. It's definitely not a hobby of mine, though.

Where is the last place you went to as a tourist? Vietnam. I was in Da Nang before we flew back to Manila - the literal last spot I visited before we headed to the airport was this quaint little cafe just right outside our Airbnb. It was al fresco, there were lots of trees with their branches swaying ever so gently, I was surrounded by a mix of locals and fellow tourists who were also out on their own, and everything just...felt nice. It was the perfect peaceful vibe to wrap up a really fulfilling trip.

What country do you most want to travel to? I'd love to go back to South Korea but this time to explore Seoul, because I was in Jeju the first time.

Do you have any plants in your home? We do, but it's my mom who owns and maintains them.

Do you have a garden? Just a very small one in front of our house.

Do you prefer to read in bed or in a chair? Chair. I'd fall asleep if I read in bed, lol.

What is the last book you read? It's a book on Philippine artifacts. I haven't touched it since September-ish, but I plan on coming back to it once we have our holiday shutdown which starts this weekend.

Do you prefer tea or coffee? Coffee.

How do you take your tea or coffee? My favorite coffees are caramel macchiato and Spanish latte – so, really, I like my drinks on the sweet side. Whole milk takes my tummy through hell and back so I like to sub it with either oat or almond milk.

Do you have any pets? If yes, what are their names? If no, do you want any pets? I have three and they are my world :) Their names are Cooper, Agi, and Max. We also previously had Kimi, Arlee, and Miki.

In the last 7 days, my sister and I have also been looking out for and feeding a pregnant stray that's been roaming the neighborhood - we call her Mama Cat. She started bringing another cat by like Day 3 lol so he can eat too, and we're suspecting he's the dad so we've called him Dada Cat haha.

Have you ever kept a physical, hand-written journal? I have, but I was always terrible at maintaining them.

Have you ever caught a butterfly in your hands? Nope.

What style house do you want to own? Modern and minimalist. I'd be perfectly happy with a house that looks like this:

Do you enjoy long car rides or long walks? Either is pleasant as long as the scenery and vibe is pleasant. I wish I could walk more but I live in the most walk-unfriendly country ever.

What is in the drawer nearest you? Just my home clothes and some knickknacks I hoard in case I need them one of these days.

Would you rather swim in a lake, a river, or the ocean? I'd like to try swimming in a lake - it seems so peaceful.

Are there any interesting landmarks where you live? Nah it's pretty uneventful here and Metro Manila as a whole. Tourists are much better off in the provinces where we'd have so much more to offer, food- culture- and destination-wise.

What is the last thing you took a picture of that wasn’t yourself? The dogs.

Would you rather play in the snow or the rain? Snow.

What is the last thing you cooked? I can't cook, heh.

What is your favorite fruit and vegetable? For fruits I like avocado...and tbh just avocado; I hate fruits. Veggies - I like broccoli, eggplant, asparagus, and green beans.

Do you like to drink or snack on anything while you study or read? Nooooooo I avoid eating when I work, lol. I tend to enjoy the food so much that it ends up distracting me, and I'll take more bites than do the work that I need to be doing.

What is the last piece of jewelry that you wore? Not sure. Maybe a necklace? I don't usually wear jewelry.

Have you ever pressed flowers or leaves into a book? I don't think so, no.

What do you usually order at a cafe, if anything? Spanish latte is consistently in menus so that's my safest bet.

Do you prefer studying at home, at school, or somewhere else? I usually work at home but for a change of scenery I'll sometimes go to a coffee shop.

Have you ever found a four-leaf clover? I don't think I'd ever find one here.

Are you more of a day or night person? Night.

If you could live in a fictional world, which would it be? San Junipero.

What are three things that you always carry with you when you leave home? Phone, at least 1 ID, a hair tie. Very unique!

What did you do the last time you hung out with your best friend? We went to the UP bonfire because we won the championships at men's basketball!!!!!!!!!! :D It's only the fourth time it's happened since 1940 so DUH we made sure not to miss out. Such a sweet bonus that Eraserheads happened to have a surprise performance, too. They hadn't performed on campus since 1999 so it was extra special...I never thought I'd see them in my lifetime so I was definitely on cloud nine then.

Which type of muffin is your favorite? Chocolate.

What color is the sky right now where you are? Very dark blue.

Have you ever taken an art class? Not voluntarily.

When is the last time you tried a food completely new to you, and what was it? This fancy ass overpriced siomai at this fancy ass restaurant where I met up with Leah. 500 pesos for four pieces of dumplings I could have gotten LITERALLY 20x cheaper at some sidewalk food stall hah. But I wasn't paying so I didn't feel too violated lmao

Do you believe there is an answer for everything? In theory, yes. We're not always guaranteed the answers we're looking for, though.

Are there any smells, tastes, or sounds that you associate with childhood? There's this sweet nutty scent that'd always be at my mom's bank whenever she'd take me there as a kid. It was the only place I smelled that smell so it stands out quite strongly in my memories.

Would you rather live in a coastal town or a town closer to the forest? Coastal town. How lovely would that be?

What sounds, smells, and tastes do you associate with your favorite season? I don't have a favorite season.

When is the last time you spent all day in bed? On my literal bed, maybe 4 years ago when I was still rotting away from my breakup? I do spend time on the couch quite often though.

When is the last time you went for a walk? Wednesday.

What do you like to put on your toast? Scrambled eggs.

Would you rather watch the clouds or look at the stars? Either sounds lovely, but I like the stars just a little bit more.

What smells are your favorite? Seafood is definitely up there.

What is your favorite shade of blue? Indigo.

Do you like to make to-do lists? Definitely, especially at work. My daily to-do lists are my lifeline.

Do you prefer iced tea or hot tea? Iced coffee or hot coffee? Iced for both.

What is your ethnic background? Filipino.

What is your favorite animal on the merry-go-round? Idk I've only seen horses on them? Haha.

What can you hear around you right now? Just the aircon running and I also have an old Jungkook live playing in the background.

What was in your last sandwich and what bread did you use? It was uhhhhh just your good ol Zinger from KFC hahaha.

Have you ever been camping? Nope.

What are you currently listening to? JK :)

[goo-d-tama]

My Flop Era: Is Lowkey Serving | Act 1, Entry #5

20 July 2022

    We slept right after we finished eating. And then ate some more when we woke up in the middle of the night. And now we are watching a movie while snacking, all the while trying to fall back to sleep.     I'm going to get fat here. That's a factual statement. The snacks here are so good and the Fanta.. Gosh! Fanta here is going to be the end of me.     This place is indeed the Land of the Rising Sun. The sun rises at 4AM. At noon, the sun is harsh. Even more harsh than in the PH. But the locals don't care. They walk around and bike and dress as if it's nothing! A lot of men, especially younger ones, wear their hair long. Sometimes it's hard to tell whether one is a man or a woman. And they don't like healthy hair. It seems like everyone but small kids had their hair dyed or permed. Aside from aging population, earthquakes, and high suicide rates, Japan has a problem with breakage and split ends.     When locals dress, they only dress one of three ways: the boring UniQlo, the "Wow, my God!", and the most common, "Ew, my God!"     We went to Marine World. That place is like Fukuoka's answer to Manila Ocean Park but better. I had fun! Lots of it. They have fish and sea life displays, aquariums, taxidermies, fish feeding show, but the highlight was the sea lions and dolphins show where they do tricks.     We snacked on takoyaki and churros. Authentic takoyaki tastes and smells different from what we have in the PH. No surprise. It was sooo good that I finished the whole plate of six pieces in few minutes. Lol. ~ I no longer want to address people in this journal as "my cousin", "my aunt", etc., So from now on I will be addressing them as people. With names! Just nicknames though. x_x *Meifei = cousin who flew with me. *Tia Fei = our aunt that got us in Japan. *Capt Cakke = Tia Fei's Japanese husband. *Botaxie = Tia Fei's Japanese friend; middle-aged man; we have already met him before, when he visited the PH.

Read the whole thing here.

[yummersbites]

Jazmine T. Legaspi

12- Santiago

Hundred Adventures

"Gusto mo bang sumama sa mga pinsan mo sa Pangasinan?” my mom asked me.

Have you heard that the national park was created by Presidential Proclamation No. 667) and signed by President Manuel L. Quezon on January 18, 1940, for the benefit and enjoyment of the people of the Philippines and known as the Hundred Islands National Park (HINP). The Pangasinan city of Alaminos is home to the Hundred Islands National Park. These little Islands, sometimes referred to as "Kapulo-puloan" or "Taytay-Bakes," are among the most beautiful natural geological formations in the Philippines. The islands have a total land size of 1,844 hectares, or 18.44 square kilometers, and are scattered around the Lingayen Gulf. Despite having 124 islands, one is submerged during high tide. They resemble enormous umbrellas or mushrooms. This island is thought to be roughly two million years old. Only three of the islands—Governor Island, Quezon Island, and Children's Island—have been developed as tourist destinations. As of now, none of the other islands have names.

When we arrived at mama Lai's house, we just rested for a while and ate lunch. After we ate lunch, my cousins hurriedly changed into swimming clothes. While I was still enjoying the picturesque view and the breeze while I was on the porch. My appreciation of the view was interrupted when my aunt entered the room and told me to hurry and get dressed.

"Jazmine, bilisan mo magpalit ha aalis na tayo after 5 minutes", my Aunt said.

"Sige tita, magbibihis na ako" I said.

"Tsaka nga pala tita, saang isla tayo pupunta ngayon?" I asked her before I entered the bathroom.

When we all finished changing into our swimming clothes, we left the house and boarded the boat that was assigned to us. The view we see is marvelous, it's just a bit scary because the water is dark blue in the middle of the sea. It's like in the movies where the sharks are going to eat the boat we're on. Kidding aside, the island we passed by before we got to crocodile island was spectacular. The shape is amazing. It really shaped like a crocodile . When we got off the boat, we went to smam in the sea. Swim here swim there. We had a very happy experience at crocodile island. In the afternoon, we went home to Mama Lai's house and we all went to sleep, tired from the activities we did in our swimming. When night fell, we ate dinner together and got ready to travel home to Manila.

The Hundred Islands, a paradise in the Philippines, is a dazzling gem that shines in the midst of the vast ocean. Its emerald waters glisten like a sapphire under the sun, while the lush greenery that surrounds the islets creates a stunning contrast against the blue horizon. The islands are like a necklace of pearls, each one unique and magnificent in its own way. As you sail through the calm waters, you'll be mesmerized by the playful dance of the waves and the gentle sway of the boats. The Hundred Islands is a true masterpiece of nature, a symphony of colors and textures that will leave you in awe. In Alaminos, Pangasinan, the Hundred Islands National Park offers a variety of water sports, including swimming, snorkeling, helmet diving, kayaking, banana boat rides, ziplining, and cliff jumping. Additional adventures include wall climbing, rappelling, camping, caving, bird watching, and spelunking.

The Hundred Islands, a paradise in the Philippines, are a dazzling gem with emerald waters and lush greenery. The islands are like a necklace of pearls, each unique and magnificent. The National Park in Alaminos, Pangasinan offers various water sports, including swimming, snorkeling, helmet diving, kayaking, banana boat rides, ziplining, and cliff jumping. Additional adventures include wall climbing, rappelling, camping, caving, bird watching, and spelunking. The Hundred Islands National Park is a true masterpiece of nature, offering a symphony of colors and textures.

Travelogue

[ownworldresident]

We Are Our Own Heroes. Chapter Four: Tentative

Book: The Royal Romance, seven years post-TRR

Premise: Six years after a tragic loss, Liam and his adopted daughter meet Cassandra, an artist with her own troubled past, and the three find in each other the friend they never knew they needed.

Disclaimer: Setting and some characters belong to Pixelberry. I am just borrowing them and will return them when they feel better.

Themes: found family, (power of) friendship, healing

The Master Masterlist (link)  |  Our Own Heroes Masterlist (link)

Liam

“We’ve completed the background check you asked for, Sir.” Bastien announced from the door of Liam’s study. Liam sighed, and looked up.

“And?”

Bastien held up a manila folder. The guilt and uncertainty he felt mixed with relief at how thin it was.

“There is nothing to suggest Miss Rice has any harmful intentions.” He entered the study and placed the folder carefully on Liam’s desk. “She is Cordonian, originally from Portavira, studied fine arts and theatre abroad, and works as a temp and freelance ghostwriter for—”

“That’s enough, Bastien,” Liam interrupted. “I didn’t ask for this to pry into her private life. I just want to know whether I can trust her.” He winced at the double standard he was presenting; this wasn’t just curiosity, he reminded himself, it was assurance he and Emily would be safe. Blind trust wasn’t something he could afford.

“I believe so,” his bodyguard said, more conversationally. “Her only criminal records are parking tickets.”

Liam smiled. That was common enough. There were a lot of questions he would have liked answers to; where she had studied and why, what kind of art did she pursue, where was her family…

“Does she…” Liam’s brow creased as he considered the question, then mentally apologised to Cassie for the invasion. “Are there are partners or ex partners that could provide some risks?”

“None.” Bastien said, and when Liam looked up at him, his bodyguard shrugged.

Deciding not to pry further, Liam ended the discussion.

“If you believe she can be trusted, then I believe you.” Liam lifted the folder, removed the clips, and opened a cupboard to retrieve his shredder.

Cassie

Cassandra screamed.

The lonely peak she stood upon absorbed it and the sky answered with a sheet of lightning and close crack of thunder. Beyond the waves below the peak there was rain coming, and not a day too soon. The electricity in the heavy air vibrated through her very bones. She stamped her foot down on the craggy outcrop, balled her fists tight, and screamed again.

When the front hit, it was with a rush of cold air that buffeted her face. White peaks of the restless ocean splayed before her. They became dotted with heavy rain; she stared hard to commit the feeling and energy to memory, to burn it into her mind. There was so much anger there, but she didn't know whether it was her or the vengeance of the skies that conspired to keep her darkness.

The rain crested the peak, and for a lightning filled moment Cassandra raised her face to the broken skies with eyes shut and arms flung wide. Then thunder cracked around her, rolling against her ears, and, heart pounding, she fled.

By the time the world was awake, Cassie was heaving long breaths in front of her easel. The echo of the storm outside resonated on the canvas, with a vast expanse of swirling masses that floated at the edge of being distinguishable things.

She grinned, stepping back from her new painting. It was a story she was trying to tell, she was sure, and this part was more darkness in form than of it.

---

Cassie

Above the main city were lines of terraces stacked up onside a low mountain. Parting the upper and lower levels was an open space more familiar to locals than tourists, overlooking the main city and the bay. Cassie stood at the edge of the cobbled space, lost to the world as she stared over her city. It wasn’t the pier or the outcrop, but the dark swirling storm was as beautiful here as it would be there. There were several perfect views here for painting, in fact. Lifting her hands to make a rough square with her thumbs and forefingers and squeezing one eye shut, she imagined the image captured from different angles. Too perfect. This might be a real place, but even the organic, eclectic mix of buildings with colourful rooves… set on a backdrop of a low grey sky… there wasn’t enough grit or imperfection to translate.

Leaning her elbows against the half wall, she tried to imagine the view with a fire or collapsed building, something to put more conflict in the image. That dream kept her occupied while she waited.

“Cassie!” A young voice she knew called out behind her, and she turned to see Emily running to meet her. The girl stopped a few feet away and Cassie stood to attention to salute her.

“Hey, Em,” she said as Emily saluted her in return, “I like your shirt.” She nodded at the image of an open ocean and a few clouds. Emily looked down, then up again.

“Thanks.” Emily turned back as Liam reached them, smiling when she saw that he was.

“I hope we didn’t keep you waiting.” He smiled, but his posture was stiff. Cassie wondered what was going on behind it. Maybe she was reading too far into things.

“Not at all,” she replied, energy closer to that of Emily than of Liam. “I arrived early anyway.”

“Good.” Liam lifted an arm to point down the street. “There’s a really nice café down this way. I thought we could get lunch? If the weather holds, we might be able to sit outside.”

“Sounds perfect.” Cassie kept an eye on Emily as they walked. She looked back every so often at her father. Liam didn’t seem phased by the habit, instead walking with an absent half smile for the first part of their walk.

“How was your week?” Cassie asked after a time, not sure where else to start. Liam exhaled, and turned to her.

“Busy,” he said, still smiling, and didn’t give her much more than that.

At the café, which was more of a restaurant, Emily chose a table beneath an outdoor awning. She bee-lined for the tree-shaded playground adjacent with the decisiveness of a child who played on her own a lot. Liam watched her for a moment, and Cassie noted the dark crescents beneath his eyes.

“Thank you for meeting us,” Liam said after a time, looking over at her. His smile was tired but a little more relaxed. It was an interesting study to watch them, Cassie thought, seeing how they interacted in public, and she wondered if they were much less guarded behind closed doors.

“I seem to remember me asking you first.” She stretched, warm in the sun. “I should be thanking you for reaching out.”

Liam laughed, short and genuine, then nodded. “Why did you reach out?”

“I like your daughter, and you seem nice.” Cassie shrugged, then grinned. “Why did you?” Saved from having to answer by the arrival of their food, Liam thanked the server, and called Emily over. When the ball of energy arrived and they started eating, Cassie found herself plagued by questions from her about what she did and who she was and offered as many answers as she could. When Emily discovered she was an artist, she became more interested in that than her food.

“Would you like to see some of my work?” Cassie asked, already pulling the ever-present sketchbook from her bag and handing it over. Emily reached for it, nodding profusely.

“Yes please!”

“Fingers.” Liam reminded her, and Emily glanced at her hands, wiped the sauce from them with a napkin, then took the sketchbook and started flipping through.

“I wish I could draw…” she commented absentmindedly as she flipped through the pages. Liam looked surprised, and Cassie wondered whether she had expressed that wish before.

“I could teach you, if you like,” she said, and Emily looked up, grinning.

“Thank you!” She glanced at her father, who nodded, smiling, then turned back to the pages. Liam began to speak but was cut off by Emily’s laugh.

“You drew Drake?” Emily looked up again, wide-eyed. Cassie shrugged. She had written the man’s name in the corner of the sketch.

“I met him at a bar the other day.”

“His face looks exactly right.” Emily lifted the page for Liam to see. “Doesn’t he?”

“Do you know him?” Cassie frowned as Liam inspected the page.

“Very well.”

“Are you dating him?” Emily’s innocent question caught her off-guard, and both of them sent her questioning looks, though Liam’s was tinged with amusement.

“Definitely not.” She reached for her coffee, then realised how forceful her answer had been, and added, “He seems like a nice guy, but no.”

Far from relaxing, Liam seemed even more surprised, and looked away from her when she caught his eye, which confused her. Had she given the wrong impression? If he was offended he would say something, she believed him frank enough for that. Maybe not in front of Emily.

As soon as the latter had finished her food and waited the several fidgety minutes that her father requested, she raced off to the playground again, scaling the climbing frame with ease and dancing across the top as if she’d been born there.

“Dating?” Cassie asked Liam for clarification.

“She gets some… interesting information from her school friends. And movies don’t help either.” He shrugged, but there was a little unease in his manner.

“Must bring up some interesting discussions.”

“Sometimes.” He smiled, then frowned, focused on something on Cassie’s shirt. “Your necklace.”

Cassie looked down to see that the small chain had come free from her shirt, and reached up to touch the smooth diamond shaped flag: black, grey, white and purple.

“Do you know it?”

“I do.” He smiled, nodded as if with some new understanding, and sat back.

Her orientation wasn’t something she had come prepared to openly discuss, so she was glad Liam was aware of the community. She tucked the flag back beneath her shirt and let the subject end there.

Left alone with Liam, it wasn’t lost on her that barely any of their conversation centred on him as a person. She had no trouble being open about most parts of herself, and they talked about general topics, but Liam only spoke of things she could discover easily enough in a newspaper, or seemed near inconsequential to disclose.

They parted in the middle of the afternoon, when Emily returned, exhausted, to bury her face in Liam’s side. Taking that as a queue to let the girl go home and rest, they walked back to where they had met up, Emily half leaning on Liam, though Cassie half suspected it was for dramatic effect.

Cassandra

Cassie spent the next few days busy and inspired, her confidence bolstered by her time with Liam and Emily. The large canvas was still blank, but she had moved it behind a couple of finished pieces and was focusing on the smaller ones, less daunted by it being empty. An overcast day had cast some more drama over the beach she frequented, and she had spent some time photographing it to paint at home and letting the salty wind and light rain sink into her to remember the feeling.

She didn’t see Liam at Emily’s training, but did see him at the game, and they had agreed to meet afterwards. Her team didn’t win, which left them a little downhearted after three straight victories but didn’t curb Cassie’s optimism. They left much less dejected, and while she packed up she ran through ways to help them in their next training session. Liam and Emily met her outside.

“Ready?” asked Liam, and the lower guard in his smile heightened Cassie’s spirits as she nodded in response. Emily dragged her feet, and Cassie knelt to face her.

“You tried your best, Em, right up till the end, and that takes a lot of courage.” She ducked her head a little to Emily’s tired, downcast face. “There will always be losses. What matters most is how we come back from them.”

Emily’s frown lifted into a tiny smile. “That’s what Dad said.”

Cassie looked up to Liam, whose eyes crinkled as he watched them. “That’s because your dad is a very wise man.” She stood. “Isn’t that right?”

“Yes.” Emily turned back to Liam, smiling again.

“You too, Panda.” He turned toward the emptying car park. “Ready for that movie?”

Nodding, Emily started again toward the car.

“Wherever your mother is now, I’m sure she would be very proud.”

Cassie knew it was a mistake the moment she said it. Emily stopped, and though Cassie couldn’t see her face, she felt the shock. Liam schooled a patient expression, approached Emily and squeezed her hand. She looked up to him.

“Dad?”

“It’s okay, Emily.” He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead, voice low and soothing. “I’m here.”

“I’m sorry.” Cassie clapped a hand over her mouth, eyes darting between the two as her heart dropped. “I shouldn’t have said… I’m sorry…”

Liam turned to her now. “Give us a few minutes?”

Cassie nodded, staying back from the two and wringing her hands. The mask of Emily’s father broke when they made eye contact and some of the pain seeped through. Familiar pain. Liam picked up his daughter and walked away.

The official story read that Emily was Liam’s god-daughter, and he had taken her in after her parents had died in an accident. It explained the hypersensitivity to loud noises Emily had displayed in the past and perhaps her need to keep Liam within her sight.

Around the time the media excitement had been dying down, Cassie arrived back from studying abroad. She had followed the attempt on Liam’s life, the ensuing turmoil, and a bit about Emily’s sudden appearance, but hadn’t realised how much Cordonia had been obsessed with it until she landed. It had seemed disproportionate to the tragic circumstance, confirmed when Liam gave a public statement reaffirming some facts and refuting a few less accurate reports, and requesting privacy. Cassie’s friend had been disappointed, but it had been a long time since they had spoken.

——

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[seunhasyogurt]

Filipino foodtrip date with Iwaizumi Hajime!

✩↣ Iwaizumi Hajime x filo!reader

✩↣ you took Iwaizumi to your home country and the first thing you guys did? you introduced him to Filipino street foods.

✩↣ a/n: i wanted to do smth different hehe since I'm filipino myself i want to make smth cute of it !! and ofc iwaizumi is a good chatacter for this BAHAHAHA.

he was hesitant at first, for the foods on the philippines street do sure give you trust issues.

but you reassured him that they're fine and delicious.

you're just wishing he won't regret it.

when you guys get to the outside night market, you guys saw a foodcourt and that's where shit begins !!

you were recommending him streetfoods like kwek-kwek(fried eggs are coated in a bright orange batter prior to frying), kikiam, and your favorite! dynamite lumpia!(jalapeño wraps)

with the amount of money you guys have, you can eat a LOT.

which got you more excited!

Iwaizumi is so slow when deciding so you bought dynamite lumpia for starters. cause you were desperate.

HE LIKES IT

” It's not even spicy... ”

” yeah cause they removed the bone thingy-thing. ”

+

” Hey, let's sit here! ” your mouth pouted, pointing at a ledge.

Iwaizumi narrowed his brows, unsure if they should sit there. ” I don't think it's good to sit there— ”

” oh okay now c'mon! ” you proceeded to sit there anyway

he whispered an okay as you two sit down.

It's a pretty ocean view in manila bay. a huge crowds of people making noises as you two quietly sit and enjoy your food.

you were about to take another sip of your lugaw when you saw iwaizumi looking straight, like looking into the void.

you snapped him back out of his trance, looking back to you.

” did you like it? ” you asked in a somewhat gloomy tone, worried that his boyfriend may not have like the experience.

” huh? ”

” the food. did you enjoy it? ”

iwaizumi shrugged. making you more worry.

” — I mean! I enjoyed it, y/n. don't worry. ”

” good. if you didn't I will never take you here ever again. ” both of you let out a good laugh. ” if you didn't like it i would've gone bonkers. ” you added once more.

” what if i didn't? ”

” i'd proally be embarassed and not take you here again. ”

+

He'd just laugh at that and then kissing your forehead as a response.

you rest your head on hajime's broad shoulder looking at the dark water, seeing the reflection of the lights.

hajime looked at tower with a wizard hat in a distance. ” hey babe. what's that? ”

you hummed as you follow your boyfriend's gaze. ” oh. that's star city. ”

” is it an amusement park or something? ”

” yeah ” you answered, taking a sip of your mami noodles.

” I wanna go there. ”

a/n 2: I'm tired HAHAHAHA this is unedited. will maybe edit tomorrow when i wake up before i do my modules. SORRY‼️

[downwiththeficness]

A Need So Great-Chapter 17

Summary: Eva Moore is assigned to work the last year of her contract with the DEA in Colombia. She just wants to get to the end of her tenure, but she keeps getting drawn further into a string of murders in the city. It isn’t long before she’s forced to face the ghosts of her past.

Word Count: ~3,700

Warnings: None

A/N: For the purposes of this story, Carrillo isn’t married--or, if you like, divorced. A/B/O dynamics are prevalent, and they come with their own warning. The overall rating for this story is Explicit, although not every chapter will contain adult themes.

Taglist: @dirtynerdy98 @1zashreena1 @heresathreebee @deliciouslyclassytrash @maybege @kid-from-new-zealand @clydesducktape @revolution-starter @autumnleaves1991-blog @jedi-mando @buckysalefty @anaeve

Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 8.5, 9, 10, 10.5, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21

They punished him when he got back. He’d been gone for almost two weeks—twelve days—and they took it out on him the second he returned. His work hours lengthened until he was leaving before the sun came up and coming home after midnight. Sometimes he’d key into her apartment, falling into bed next to her with his uniform still on, boots kicked off next to the door.

Eva kept food wrapped in plastic in the fridge for him, pulled his belt free from the loops and at least got his button up off when he was too tired to do it for himself. When she did see him, on the occasions he set foot in the embassy, there were dark circles under his eyes.

Still, he didn’t complain. Not one word. Eva’s own workload had grown, having to pick up all the things that had been sitting on her desk. But, Javier and Steve had taken it upon themselves to do a little when they could. Connie would sometimes bring her lunch and they would chat, Eva having to forgo their usual work out nights until she got caught up.

And still, he seemed to just...take it from them. This went on for almost a month before she said anything. The conversation had been short, brusque in a way that he normally wasn’t, the stress peeking out from behind strained eyes. She didn’t say anything after that.

Eva gave him comfort where she could. She set the coffee maker to an earlier time and made sure that he had a travel mug sitting beside it every morning. She washed the uniforms he sometimes left behind, even going so far as to iron his undershirt and fold it neatly atop the pile on the dresser. This was about the extent of her ability to help and it ate at her.

After the first month, he got a day off and spent most of it asleep, or close to it. He’d crawled in next to her after showering, pulling her into his chest before dropping off into unconsciousness. When she’d woken the next day, he was still asleep.  When she checked in with him mid-morning, he was snoring softly, one arm reaching across the bed to the place where she’d been.

Finally, when lunchtime slipped by, Eva roused him and forced him to come out and eat a little. He did so mechanically, his eyes unfocused. She maneuvered him to lay on the couch after that, pulling all the curtains in her living room closed, the TV at a low volume.

They spent most of the day like this, vegetating on the couch. And then, when the evening came, Eva put more food in him and sent him to bed early while she worked on a few files she’d brought home from the office. The next morning, he’d gone in early, as he had to the month previous, and she didn’t see him for three days.

This went on for another month before the higher ups started to let off. By that time, he’d been worked nearly to the ground and she could see the beginning of burn out start to set in. Eva encouraged him to rest on the days he had off, doing what she could to bring back the determined set of his jaw when he went about his work.

And, when he seemed to come back to his normal self, she set up a dinner at a nice restaurant with Connie and Steve. They worked in tandem to keep the conversation from flowing back into office talk, but weren’t entirely successful.

“I got those photos developed,” Steve said a little too casually. “I have ‘em if you want to take a look.”

Connie took a disdainful sip of her wine, “I told him not to bring them, but he insisted.”

Eva looked at Horacio, who was carefully gauging her reaction. With a shrug, she reached over the table and flicked her fingers at him, indicating that he should hand them over. He leaned down and pulled a manila folder from where he’d stashed it under his chair. Eva took it from him, opening it and pulling out the photos.

She felt her jaw lock with the effort it took to control her face. The first photo was of her, standing in the airport, looking lost. She flipped to the next: moving in. Then, her walking from the parking lot into the embassy, her sitting at a park after her first day staring into the middle distance, and her talking with Javier as they walked on a sidewalk—a conversation she’d forgotten about. That’s when things started to get interesting.

The next photo pictured her standing next to her car down the street from that little hotel, Horacio leaning over her. His expression looked frustrated. She was smiling. Next, the two of them in a similar position after the bar fight, mid motion as he’d pushed her against her car. Then, her and Connie laughing outside of the gym, sweaty and glowing in the streetlights.

After that came the moment outside of the bombed restaurant, smoke everywhere, Horacio hovering over her. Out of context, it was a stunningly captured image. They looked utterly alone, his concern for her written all over his face. She was holding him by his forearm, chin tilted up a bit, her hair falling in haphazard curls, haloed around her.

Eva stared at it a moment longer before she flipped to the next one. More of her and Connie, sitting on a low wall, eating. Her arguing with Javier on the steps of the church. Her and Horacio sitting on that bench across the street, his hand trailing down her arm, eyes wandering to the hem of her skirt. Another of him kissing her at her door after dropping her off from one of their early dates.

And then she was standing in the street, staring her ex mother in law down. A little out of focus behind her, Horacio was standing by the table with his arms crossed. Eva stared at the picture for a moment longer than the rest, feeling her lip curl. That woman was still living, and possibly already figured out that Zero had been unsuccessful—possibly was already contacting another contractor to finish the job. That would need to be dealt with eventually.

The final photo was taken a few days before she’d been called to examine Zero’s final warning. She was walking hand in hand with Horacio, they were in a busy farmer’s market, picking out a few things to cook up for dinner. Eva was looking up at him as he talked with a vendor, her eyes so full of emotion that she felt herself blush even looking at it. She looked like a woman in love, a thing that Eva had never thought would be something she would have.

Very carefully, Eva slipped the photos back into the folder and set it aside, “Thank you for doing that.”

Steve nodded, his eyes dropping to the glass in his hand, “At least its over now.”

She sighed, “Yeah, I guess so.”

The ride back to Horacio’s house was quiet. Eva glanced at him periodically, could tell that he was deep in thought. She clutched the folder of photos in her lap, unsettled. It wasn’t until she was taking her make up off in the mirror of the bathroom that he finally broached the subject he’d been contemplating all night.

Standing in the doorway, leaning against the jamb, he watched her wash her face, “We do need to address it.”

Eva looked at him in the mirror as she turned off the water, “Address what?”

“The fact that there is likely another hitman already contracted to kill you,” he said matter of factly.

Eva drew in a breath, glad that he hadn’t taken too awful long to decide to have this conversation. She didn’t know how fast Myra would move, but the woman was not known for her patience, or her mercy. It was extremely likely that they had contacted a new guy to finish the job.

She wiped her face off with a towel, “I know. I’ll think of something sooner or later.”

His mouth thinned, eyes narrow, “How can you be so calm?”

Setting the towel on the counter, Eva stepped up to him, placing her hands on his chest, “I have spent almost my entire life with people doing things to me that are completely out of my control. Maybe I’m used to it.”

Walking him back, she sat him down on the bed and kissed his brow. Turning, she reached behind her and tugged down the zipper of her dress, pulling it off while she searched for a sleep shirt to wear.

“This is serious, Eva. Your life is in danger.”

She laughed as she unclasped her bra and threw on the shirt. He very likely did not know how much of a hypocrite he was being in that moment.

“What?” he asked, his tone sharp.

Eva fixed him with a sardonic look, “I’m not the only person in this room with a bounty on their head, Horacio.”

His eyes looked away, “That’s different.”

“How?” she exclaimed, incredulous.

“I’m a police officer working to dissemble a cartel.”

He stood, hands on his hips, mouth curling. Eva felt her inside harden up, unbowed by his fierce look.

“And I’m a felon and former drug trafficker. I can’t escape this, I cannot walk away from it. You have a choice.”

He was already shaking his head, “I don’t.”

Eva stepped up to him, taking his hands, “You do. You can walk away. Retire. Spend some time at the cabin by the ocean. Fucking relax in public places. All of these things you can do. You just have to make the choice to do them.”

For the first time since she’d met him, Horacio looked unsteady. He was looking her with so many conflicting emotions that Eva couldn’t quite parse them out. Sensing that this might be the time to have the other conversation that she’d been keeping to herself for the last few weeks, she soldiered on.

“This job is going to kill you,” she whispered, voice low and rough, “I can’t stand to watch that happen.”

His mouth parted, “We have guards, protocols-,”

She cut him off, “That’s not what I’m talking about. Have you seen yourself these last few months? Did you see what I saw? They’re going to drive you into the ground.”

Horacio blinked, “Its difficult for everyone.”

“No,” she bit out, her hands tightening on his, “You’ve had maybe three days off since we got back. You’ve hardly slept, you’re not eating regularly, you’re so stressed I can literally smell it coming off you.”

Gently, she thumbed the skin beneath his scent gland. His eyes drooped a little, jaw loosening from where he’d been holding it so tightly. Settling into his body, Eva held him to her, trying to convey her worry, her concern for him.

“You want me to walk away from my career? Everything I’ve worked to build?” His voice was on the edge of anger, and Eva fought the urge to back up, to relent to him.

“I want the same thing that I think you want for me,” she murmured, “I want you to live. Really live. You can’t do that if you don’t make some changes. Take that one foot out of the darkness.”

He sighed deeply, dropping his head into the crook of her neck and embracing her, “Its late. We’re both tired. Let’s table this for now.”

Afraid that she’d push him too far if she pressed on, Eva nodded and stepped away to crawl onto the bed. She watched him undress and climb in next to her. After turning off the lamp on the nightstand, he settled into the pillows, taking her hand and kissing it. She drifted off with that solid connection between them.

The next few days were dusted with sporadic conversations about an intangible future. The end of Eva’s contract loomed, now four weeks away. She went to work every day, knowing that it was one less day she would be required to be there. And then something weird happened.

She’d been pulled into a meeting. She’d been censured for continuing to perform field work, outside of the scope of her contract. And then they’d told her that they were cutting it short and to clean out her desk. She’d have two weeks to get her personal items out of the apartment rented for her by the department. Eva couldn’t help the little sneer on her face as she watched Vanessa happily deliver the news.

She couldn’t keep her desk past the end of the day, had been given a box to put her belongings in. Eva had done so mechanically, putting the box of little personal items into her car and returning for her purse, still sitting on that shitty desk Steve had pointed out to her all those months ago. On the way out, she stood under an awning, looking out to the parking lot, confused and feeling just a tiny bit...sad.

A boot scuffed behind her and Eva looked over her shoulder to see Javier standing not far away, his fingers drumming on his leg.

“I guess you heard,” she said, a small smile on her lips.

Javier nodded, reaching up to pluck the cigarette from behind his ear, his other hand already holding a lighter.

“Its strange,” Eva continued on, “I think I’m actually going to miss it.”

He nodded again, not speaking. Eva frowned, gesturing at him as if to say ‘what’s the deal?’

Javier took a drag off the stick in his hand, “Let’s go to lunch.”

Without further explanation, he grabbed her by the elbow and started walking with her. His stride was quick, firm, determined.  His expression was closed. Eva felt her stomach drop with anxiety as she followed along.

“Okay,” Eva drawled in a false attempt at bravado, hustling to keep up with him in her heels, “What is this about?”

“Not here,” he murmured, steering her to his car.

It wasn’t until they were both ensconced in their seats and the engine had turned over that he said anything.

“We’re gonna meet Carrillo at a little out of the way dive just outside the city. I’ve been digging into your contract for a couple weeks and wanted to tell you both.”

Interesting.

Eva’s brows lifted, “What did you find?”

“Let’s wait until we get to the place, I’ll tell you everything then.”

They did, indeed, drive just outside of the city to a little hole in the wall place with what looked like only one waiter. At Javier’s direction, he led them to the back of the main room, through the kitchen, down a hall, and into a basement. Eva stood at the top of the steps, feeling just a little bit like she was walking into a trap.  She looked at Javier’s back as he descended, looked at the waiter, then sighed and stepped down.

It smelled a little bit musty, and there was only a single light hanging from the ceiling. But, a table had been set up with a few chairs. It even had a tablecloth.

“Well,” she commented, because she needed to talk or she was going to start freaking out, “This is certainly the strangest going away lunch I’ve ever had.”

Javier rolled his eyes and sat heavily in one of the chairs, “Have a seat. They’ll bring us some coffee.”

Eva sat, looping her purse strap over the top of the chair, “Is Horacio on his way?”

He nodded, “Should be here any minute.”

She stared him down, looking for clues as to what this was all about. He hadn’t brought a file, he didn’t even have that little notebook he sometimes carried with him. All he had was his wallet (currently wearing through the fabric of his jeans), his gun (tucked in the back of his waistband), his cigarettes (slipped into the breast pocket of his short-sleeved button up), and his lighter (twirling between the forefinger and thumb of his right hand).

The door at the stairs opened and Carrillo’s heavy steps sounded, a slow, measured thump. Eva folded her hands in her lap and waited until he ducked down to scan the room. He was wearing his uniform, gun at his hip, the first few buttons of his shirt undone so that a little of his undershirt peeked out.

“Sorry I’m late,” he said as he approached and sat down, “Had to make a few calls.”

“Not a problem,” Javier responded, “I almost didn’t catch Eva before she headed out.”

Eva scratched at the skin above her brow, “Does anyone want to tell me what this is about?”

Javier leaned back in his chair, folding his arms, “I did a little research on you.”

“This again?” Eva bit out, feeling a hot anger bubbled up from where is had laid simmering since she’d walked out of that meeting.

Hand up, he indicated for her to wait, “More than just your work history. More than your prison stint. I know a guy who knows a guy, who pulled your file—your actual file. I got a copy of your contract, and I managed to dig up some interoffice mail between Vanessa and some shady people.”

“Okay?”

He leaned forward on his forearms, “There’s a few expense forms that were incomplete, but paid out anyways. Expense forms for plane tickets for, Vladimir Prost—a known alias of Alexei Volkov, according to an FBI friend of mine—w ith a hotel voucher for the same name.”

Eva’s eyes narrowed, her brain circling around the information and coming out on the other side feeling her anxiety spike.

To her left, Carrillo added, “I went to the hotel, pulled a few of their records.  He stayed there for months, Eva.”

She crossed her legs, trying to keep her body more still, “I told you that he had, the pictures proved that he had. The question is why Vanessa, why the DEA, was footing the bill.”

Javier shook his head, “That’s the thing, they weren’t. The forms weren’t standard DEA—very close, but not quite the same.”

She blinked, “You’re saying they were doctored.”

“I’m saying they were doctored,” Javier confirmed with a sharp nod.

Carrillo looked at her solemnly, “I paid off a few administrators where she banks, tracked her bank statements and accounts for the last two years and cross referenced them with the forms Javier found. There are several large deposits close to the dates on the forms from a company our of Louisiana, Ardent Pharmaceuticals. That name familiar to you?”

Eva could feel the blood drain from her face, “That’s the company name for the Moore family’s business front.”

“Well,” Javier commented with a little shrug, “They’ve gone straight with a lot of their stuff. They’re a leader in the field of suppressant therapy.”

“I’m sure they are,” Eva sneered, eyes cutting to the side as she thought about those three syringes gleaming on that table.

“Eva,” Carrillo prompted lowly, “Do you understand what we’re telling you?”

She looked at him, “That my early release, my contract, all the work I’ve done, the shitty boss I’ve had, and my entire professional career is a big set up to keep me contained and under the thumb of my former mother in law so that she can eventually corral me into a corner and murder me? That sound close enough?”

“I know you’re mad,” Javier said, catching her eye, “But we’ve got to think smart about this.”

“Smart?” Eva hissed, her voice high, “You’re telling me to be smart? Everything I’ve done under this contract is a lie and you’re telling me to be smart?”

He made a soft sound of comfort, “You can be mad about that—hell, I’m mad about it—but, you can’t react from that anger.”

“How am I supposed to react?”

“With cunning,” Carrillo answered, and she could tell that he’d already made a plan. “I looked at the contract, the end date is set in stone. Did you get a formal letter of release?”

Eva nodded, reaching into her purse and handing it to him. He read it over quickly before handing it to Javier.

“Good,” he said, “That saves you from the DEA asserting that you broke the contract. Now, I’ve still got a hand in Vanessa’s accounts.  For the near future, that’s going to be our best bet for tracking when the next hit will come.”

Javier handed the release letter back to Eva, “I also made a call to one of my contacts at the IRS. He’s going to call for an audit of the Ardent books, which should tie up some of their funding for the next few months, at least.”

Eva shook her head, “If they’re still using my system, then they won’t find anything.  All their off the books transactions are buried under layer after layer of red tape and false company names.”

Javier leaned forward, “Can you lay out that system for me? So I can send it to them?”

She nodded, “I can do that.”

“Okay, that’ll work. I’ll fax that over to him and that might help speed things along. Eva?”

“Yeah,” she croaked.

“We need you to go about your life as usual. Go pack up your apartment, buy a ticket back to the states, do whatever you think will need to be done so that no one knows you’re onto them.”

Her brows drew together, “You want me to go back to the states?”

Carrillo put a hand on her arm, “We want it to look like you’re going back. We need to buy some time, until we hear back from our contacts.”

Staring into the middle distance, Eva processed the conversation, running over the information a second time and coming out just as angry, if not more so. She was quiet so long that the two men at the table began to fidget.

“Eva?” Javier edged.

She swallowed, then sighed, “Are we actually going to eat at this ‘lunch’? I’ve only had coffee today and I’m starving.”

[nadineeb]

Hey, it’s Nadine and this is my first blog!

Welcome my dear readers to my first blog post! I want to extend my arms to all of you for reading this blog and the future ones. I’m delighted that I found this platform on the internet which makes me give a stand and voice on things that matters to me and the people around me. All the blogs that I will post here at Tumblr are only my thoughts and opinions. If we don’t have the same stand regarding a matter, feel free to exit. I believe that we all have the right to express ourselves with utmost freedom we can have. I hope we all vibe together. -XOXO, Nads <3

Allow me to introduce myself to the blogging world!

I’m Bernadine Bayangos, a teen from a small town in Isabela, Philippines.

A LOT of people I met outside Region 2 and in the upper part of Luzon, they always tell me “Where is that place?” or sometimes, “Isa - what?? I haven’t heard of it before! It really is a place huh?”. Hearing these things I don’t know how to react to be honest.

Most of the time I try to explain where it is but sometimes, I just shrugged them off because some of the people especially those I met who came from well-known cities offend me. They ask me if we got a mall here or just the random, common sense questions.

Let me tell you, yes, we’ve got malls here where we get our stuff from our day to day living. I felt so lucky that we still have to shop at the farmers’ market. It’s available and open anytime of the day. We can find cheap-priced things and foods that are essential to our daily lives. Some grocery store-bought vegetables cost a fortune unlike in the farmers’ markets.

Well as for clothes, I usually go to Manila every month but since it’s locked down, I order online. The Internet + my love for clothes really make a huge difference especially now that we’re locked down in our areas and can’t travel that far.

I grew up with my family and some extended relatives which are way older than me - my grandparents. I learn my instincts from them - self-defense, way of life, how to be smart, and most importantly, my virtues. That’s also explains why I’m a bit talkative.

I want my Tumblr to be my avenue to express things to others which I cannot do since face to face chatting with your dear friends is not really advisable at this moment.

One of my favorite things to do back then and now, is to read books. I can remember when I was like 6 to 12 years old, when we go to Manila, I could never go back here in the province without the 4 big bags of books and school supplies that I bought from a famous bookstore. Thinking of it now, I quite made my dad go broke. Yikes!

Feeding my love for learning, I’m always a girl that is curious about a lot of things. If I’m not satisfied, I will surely ask about it. Though now, that I’ve grown so much, I refrain myself from asking now that I can solve issues that affects me.

I also love travelling! When I’m somewhere near the ocean or the mountains, I feel that I’m at peace. Not much of a city girl, that I’m tired of being it since then. My favorite place to visit here in the Ph is Cagayan de Oro and its nearby towns. The Dahilayan Adventure Park which has the longest zipline in Asia. You can also visit the Del Monte pineapple plantations and see acres of pineapples while eating a medium-rare steak at their restaurant. If you’re also fond of adventures in line with having to see the beauty of nature, I highly suggest to visit this place!

The people, they are heartwarmingly hospitable. In the hotel we stayed, Limketkai Luxe hotel, the accommodation was amazing. Also, I love to stay there every time because when mom and dad leave me for meetings, there’s a backdoor and an overpass which leads to the entrance of the shopping mall. How I miss!

Cagayan de Oro also holds a special place in my heart because as what I’ve said earlier, I’m fond of reading books whether it is online or a hard copy one. I’ve read the Montefalco Series on Wattpad by Jonaxx, the author, I’ve fallen in love with the place immediately. I feel like one of the main characters whenever I go to CDO.

When I travel I always tend to adapt to the cultures of the place I’m going. It’s a sign of respect to the. Being able to mix in with the crowd is a great advantage for me in the future especially that after I finish my studies, I want to go abroad to master my skills. That’s why I’m always day-dreaming at things that may be going on for the next few years of my life.

After 10 years, I will be 26 by then, I suppose I’m with my family in Australia by then. I’m working as a business associate while studying law at one of the prestigious schools in Victoria.  From then, I can continue to work at the Parliament of Australia in Melbourne. I may still be single by that time, busy building my career, and play with my cats at home after a stressful day.

This is me at the Parliament.

Let’s talk about the 2019 Corona Virus disease that had struck our world last months. I can say that it’s getting a lot worse that I had imagined. I know that our scientists have done great work in finding solutions to this. Money isn’t everything once you’ve get a hit by this virus. I myself can prove that.

I have this auntie who is a doctor and she’s very successful in her field. She even had one of the biggest shares at a hospital but then things got out of hand, she had the disease. There’s nothing she can do except to lie down her bed, get better, fight for it so that once she gets better, she can continue curing her patients.

My grandfather’s cousin, a former senator of the Philippines, also died from this virus. I’m proud to think that he had served our country well, but I’m devastated that he had to die this way, I didn’t even saw his last moments nor his dead body. He is immediately cremated and left the hospital bill with millions of pesos.

This shows that even the strongest person, the most kind, the rich, the nobody – can’t get away if we all are not taking care of our own health. We should love our body more! Think about ourselves more!

Before this pandemic, I did not have this realizations yet. I realized that more than taking care of our body, we should express to our loved ones how we care and love them dearly. We never know when death comes our way. Yes, we do know that we can’t escape it but the thing is, we know that it’ll happen and we can’t accept the fact the God will take them soon. I think that’s the problem, we, people, tend to just shrug it off and don’t make the best out of someone that we love because they will stay, what we can’t accept is that they will stay but not forever. That is why we have regrets.

(one of my best times before this outbreak)

Indeed, life is short as they say. If you’re dealing with your what ifs’ I recommend you don’t. Just make it happen. If you don’t, you’ll spend your life thinking about that `what if’s’ it’ll only make your life nonsense. So for me, I’d rather do it. If it fails, stand up again, fix yourself, and go on. Instead of letting yourself not doing it because of what might happen on the way. Your happiness depends on you. Choose it. Don’t wait for the things  to happen right before your eyes. Act on it and make it happen.

My first blog is a bit long now and I’m getting emotional, I’ll have to say goodbye for now. I’ll see you on my next one. Ciao!

[wildcard47]

fandom meme

i was tagged by @terribleoldwhitemen -- passing it along to @dozmuffinxc @steadfast @adreadfulidea and @lafiametta

fandoms: on ao3? only 7. in my heart, my fandom history, and on my old LJ? so so many.

number of fics: 112

fic i spent the most time on: lmao oh god, I guess an island comes pretty close as I was literally working on it for (checks ao3) 4.5 years. time is a flat circle, woman inherits the earth, etc.

sad to say, we are coming up on a v. similar timeline for danke schoen.....can someone grant me a bunch of free money and 20 more hours in a work week?

fic i spent the least time on: if we stick with mad men, it’s probably this series -- fluffy stupid holiday ficlets are easy, easy!

longest fic: an island -- clocking in at 118,737 words

shortest fic: apparently I posted an honest to god drabble on ao3 once! congratulations, conspiracies!

most hits: here with me -- thank you, good omens fandom. :)

most kudos: same hat

most comment threads: an island by a nose!

most bookmarks: here with me OR (terror fandom coming in hot) when you need me. <3 <3

total word count: 967,430

favorite fic: oooof, don’t make me choose between my children!

On the MM side, I do really like most people get married, the execution of a dumb conceit which makes me laugh A LOT. It has maybe the best Joan line I have ever written and will ever write. I’m also really fond of the book of love because the ending turned out very closely to what I had in my head. And if I have to pick a favorite that’s outside of those two fandoms, I guess I’ll go with baby, here’s to love, because it’s fun and I had fun playing around in the Frasier-verse.

fic i most want to expand on/rewrite: expand on? definitely the james/francis/blanky adventure I had going in tell me something good....if I can ever figure out how to climb out of that plot hole.

rewrite entirely? probably the incorruptible exception, I just rushed it so much. the garbage will do, etc.

share a bit of a wip/story idea you’re working on: 

uhhhh okay here’s some ocean’s 11, terror-style:

“Jesus, dude.” Ramon the prison guard eyes James Fitzjames’ tuxedo in shock from his seat behind the bulletproof window, letting out a low whistle as he unlatches the metal drawer, sending the rest of James’s personal articles through to the other side. “Where the hell you going after this, the Ritz?”

James adjusts his silver cufflinks, now fully dressed without a hair out of place. A madcap grin blooms across his face. His blue-blooded English accent, muted and downplayed over the last four years, returns in full force. “Free man now, darling.” He winks. “Don’t wait up.”

Anywhere I want.

Carrying only the manila envelope full of his personals, he’s escorted outside by two guards, and immediately spies a silver-haired man in a short-sleeved collared shirt and trousers out front, leaning against the chain-link fence that separates the prison entrance from the parking lot as he finishes his breakfast. 

Dundy looks about the same. His shirt has mini cheeseburgers on it, dotting the mustard-yellow cotton with vivid daubs of greens and reds and toasted brown buns. Dundy is also stuffing the remains of a donut into his mouth, sucking icing from his thumb and first two fingers. James is sure the man has crumbs all down his front already. 

He’s never been happier to see LeVesconte eating anything.

Dundy waits until the two guards escorting James are out of earshot before he crumples up his breakfast bag, and stands up straight. “Hope you won the swimsuit competition.”

James suppresses a grin, tilts his head in a knowing way. “Jimmy Buffett called. He wants his shirt back.”

[melodysilverknight]

Activity 1: Autobiography

My name is (fullname), I'm currently (age) years old and will soon be turning (to be age) this (day/month of birth) of 2020. I am currently living with my maternal grandparents, Mrs. (Maternal grandmother's full name) and Mr. (Maternal grandfather's full name), in (complete current address) along with my, soon to be (to be age) year old, younger brother, ( younger brother's full name). We moved to Batangas 7 years ago but before that we used to live in Quezon City.

We live in (previous address) which intersected with the highway. Our house, or rather apartment, was within distance of the church, marketplace, and the mall, which made a lot of things, especially shopping, very convenient. I lived there with my father, Mr. (Father's full name), my mother, Mrs. (Mother's full name), my paternal grandmothers, (Paternal grandmother's full name) and her sister (Paternal grandmother's name) and, whenever she was around, my paternal aunt, (paternal aunt's name). For the most part of me and my brother's living there, we didn't get to spend too much time with our parents since they both worked, our mother at (occupation), and our father at the (occupation), meaning they were never home a lot and we mostly only got to see them on the weekends, so it was mostly our grandmothers who took care of us and we spent time with, even as toddlers, however, whenever we did get to spend time with them it was always a lot of fun. One of our main family activities back then was to head out to the mall parking lot behind the church in the morning, during those times the parking lot would be close to or completely empty, so we would take the car and head to the parking lot to either jog or play frisbee. There was even one time, while my father was off on his own jogging while me and my mother and brother were playing with the frisbee, I decided I wanted to go and join my father, so I did the most sensible thing I could think of, and ran after him, little did I know, something was going on behind me. Some people had come to the parking lot to jog as well and brought their dog with them, for some reason it got loose and started going after me, my mother and brother noticed and were yelling at me then I noticed my father had already stopped his jog and was gesturing behind me which is when I finally noticed the dog on my tail. I ran for dear life, as much as I loved dogs and still do, at the time I still didn't know how to handle myself around dogs other than the ones we owned so I was scared silly. By the time the dog's owners finally caught it I was already out of breath. While I was taking a breather my folks had a small chat with the dog owners then headed over to me where we talked and eventually ended up laughing about the whole incident. After the jog we would head to the market to do the regular weekend shopping. During this, while mother would finish up her shopping I would partake in my little tradition of buying and eating my casava cake.

One of the other things I did with my family was visiting wildlife institutions. We used to visit Manila zoo and the nature park of the Quezon city branch of the World Wildlife Fund. As you could probably tell I have a thing for animals, they're my passion and I love them with every fiber of my being, from the biggest animal in the world, the Blue whale, to the smallest and most resilient creature in existence, the Tardigrade, and even the one animal that terrifies me completely, the spider, I have never once tired of the creatures of this planet and even to this day they still intrigue me. My love for animals was inspired by Steve Irwin, the man known around the world as the "Crocodile Hunter", he was a world renowned wildlife conservationist from Queensland, Australia and a biologist and zoologist who specialized in reptiles. I've watched Steve work with and save animals all over the world alongside his wife, Terri, and his daughter, Bindi, and because of this they became my life idols and have taught me so many things about animals and the beauty of nature and its creatures. Whenever we would visit the zoo or nature park one of my favorite things to do was to feed the animals, I'd head to the gazelle or impala enclosure with my family and I'd feed them fallen leaves through the metal barriers and whenever I did I felt as if the Irwins were with me and whenever I did I always wondered, is this what it was like for them everyday at Australia zoo, getting to be with those animals everyday of their lives. Me and my father also used to play spotting games at the zoo, whenever we would get to an enclosure that had a water hole or thick brush we would try our best to find the animals in the enclosure, of course my father would always win but it's always fun regardless.

In the years I had spent living in Quezon city, I attended 2 different elementary schools. For my first grade up to third grade I went to (name of school), a private school then for fourth and fifth grade I attended (name of school) then finally I moved to Batangas where I spent my last year in elementary school at (name of school). Looking back on my more pre-mature school years, I can say for certain now that my school life, in comparison to my private life, was not what I would call the most pleasing experience. Growing I had always been very socially challenged, although I would make the effort to introduce myself and try to make friends with my other classmates, I was never really able to maintain the bonds I had made and just ended up becoming estranged again but worse because I already knew them and they already knew me so I drew and came to the conclusion that even though they knew me, they never approached me, so I won't try to bother them anymore. And so, I kept up with my pattern over and over and over again, I thought it was a good thing, that I just gave them their space, but it wasn't. I ended up more socially awkward and estranged than before, I didn't know how to properly handle myself around people and I just got more and more shy. Things then took a turn for the worst when I started getting bullied, being the already shy character I was was bad enough but getting looked down on and picked on made it several times worse, the feeling of awkwardness I had before was intensified by intimidation and loneliness which made me even more timid. Looking past all the bullying one of the only things about school were the yearly field trips, something not only I, but all of my classmates would look forward to. It was during a field trip I took that I had my first visit to Ocean Adventure a marine facility that rivaled Ocean Park to me at the time,and my first trip to Enchanted Kingdom. My school bullying experience didn't stop until after I had graduated and reached their peak in 5th grade when it was my group's turn to clean the classroom after classes that day and my classmates thought it would be fun to pull a prank on me so they trapped me in the classroom holding the door closed while I tried to get out. Now I know it's been my flaw to take things seriously a bit too much but that was a bad time to pick on me and a poor choice of action, 1: I was shy and timid and didn't know how to respond well to others; 2: the school creeped me out so I wasn't comfortable getting left alone or locked in; and 3: the ones who pulled the prank were my classmates I considered very obnoxious and loud the kind of people who really intimidated me at the time. I went home crying that day, when my folks found out they went to my school with me the next day and complained about it but it never did completely stop.

High school was a turning point in my life, after six whole years of getting bullied and nearly experiencing depression I would finally be able to get away from it all, the city and bullies. At first I was very reluctant to attend junior high school in a school I wasn't all that familiar with but then my folks mentioned there weren't any lower grades in the school so we would all be new to the experience so I agreed to go in the end. My junior high school were all spent attending, what was formerly referred to as, (name of school), it was here that I had made my first real friends. I started my time at my new school in the same way I did at my previous schools, with introductions, but as the days went by I started seeing the pattern again. I honestly thought that things would end up the same, don't get me wrong, I'm happy about the fact that no one bullied me sure but I was still socially awkward, then things changed when I met, them. Halfway through the first quarter I got to know 5 other girls from my class. First was Ms. Berry, she was also a quiet girl in class so I was able to relate with her, she was also cheerful and nice, I even met her at church once, turns out she goes to the same church. Next there was Yshie, she became my bestfriend, she was quiet, stern looking and at first slightly gloomy, but when I got to know her it turns out we had a lot in common. We both had a love for anime and sketching, and turns out our birthdays were really close together mine was on (month and day of birth) and her's was was on the (day of birth). Chuchay was next, now compared to the first two, she was much more outgoing, she was bubbly, hyper, cheerful and overall very musically talented. She was a great singer and could even play guitar, she was awesome, and to tell you the truth, she became one of my music idols along with Taylor Swift, not that she ever knew that. Another musically talented one was Jingjing, let me tell you, those hands of her's did magic on guitar and keyboard. Like Chuchay, she was outgoing and cheerful but much calmer than Chuchay at te time, she used ro play guitar in the classroom whenever we had no classes and my other friends including the next one usually sang along to her accompaniment while I'd stay quiet. Last but not the least there was ate A, she was the most mature out of all of them in my opinion, she was the big sister of the group and had an attitude to match meaning she was sassy, but in a good way. Together the six of us founded our own friends group called (name of friends group), we all did so many things together but the rest of the story will have to be for a different time.

[beingjellybeans]

Gourmet Food Trippin' at Manila Ocean Park

Gourmet Food Trippin’ at Manila Ocean Park

How’s your summer going so far, foodies? If you’ve got a hankering for some #VitaminSea but are not keen on leaving the city, then Manila Ocean Park is definitely the place to be! Having just reopened after nearly two years of being closed to the public, Manila Ocean Park is reinforcing its positioning as the all-season holiday destination with eight exciting attractions now ready for the…

[purplesurveys]

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Are you the type of person who gets straight to the point? For the most part, yeah. I’m a little impatient and quickly get annoyed when people go around in circles. What was the last thing you said in complete caps? It was probably the conversation I had with Angela this morning since we talk in all caps 97% of the time. The subject of the conversation is a bit of an inside joke though so it’ll be complicated just to start explaining it. Do you enjoy playing board games? Not really. I’m bad at following instructions so I’m mostly uninterested when someone tries to explain a new board game to me. I stick with the ones I already know, which aren’t a lot. Are there any movies you are wanting to see? Yeah but not any upcoming ones (if there are even any). My film queue is full of stuff that’s been released in the past, and the ‘My List’ section on my Netflix for instance has movies like Rosemary’s Baby, The Pianist, The Truman Show, V for Vendetta, etc. Do you live closer to the Atlantic Ocean or the Pacific Ocean? Pacific. I’m nowhere near the Atlantic Ocean.

Who was the last contact you stored into your cell phone, if you have one? The makeup artist who did my hair and makeup for my test grad shoot last December. My mom loved how I look so she had me ask for their contact just in case she needs it for future events. Did you wear anything new today? Nope, because I’ve been home for the last three months. That sounds more and more ridiculous to say each day... Would you ever have a calendar in your car? No, that’s what my phone is for. I think having a calendar in my car would be highly distracting too? What was the last song you sang along to? I’m not sure, I don’t think I listened to music today or yesterday. My guess would be Saw You in a Dream - The Japanese House. Are you a fan of the band Taking Back Sunday? No, but I heard of them a lot when I was a younger teenager. Do you ever eavesdrop on people's conversations? I don’t usually get to because my hearing is bad lol, but if it’s juicy and if I caught the context I probably would. Aside from waking up, what was the first thing you did this morning? I hung out with Cooper. I’m officially in charge of playing with him whenever he’s awake haha. I’ve never cared for a puppy before so one thing I learned is it’s a lot like taking care of a newborn baby? Cooper’s routine so far has been sleep for 1-2 hours, play for 1, and repeat. Once we notice him getting up, I’m the fun mom that plays with him until he tires himself out. Are you good at playing Hide and Go Seek? I can be good at it but I generally don’t like playing it. I always feel anxious whenever the It gets warmer to wherever I’m hiding. Do you live in an apartment or a house? House. Is there a music artist that never seizes to amaze you? In recent years Paramore has been drastically changing their sound for every new album they put out, so I’m always excited when they have new material because they always hit it out of the park. At what time do you normally go to bed? It ranges between 12 and 2 AM. It’s no longer as late as before. What is the last magazine you read? I haven’t read a physical magazine in a year or two; but the last online version of a magazine that I checked out was Esquire. How many words do you type per minute? If I’m taking a speed typing test where I really have to type as fast as I possibly can, I can reach 80-90. I never have to type that fast though so my typing speed would definitely be considerably less. What is your favorite term of endearment? I like baby. Do you like Twizzlers? I got into them as a kid just because Kristen Stewart ate it in the Twilight movie LMAOOOOO. Fangirls are ridiculous. I’m honestly just fine with them, they’re not groundbreakingly good or anything. I don’t even think I’ve had them again since my Twilight phase. Who or what made you smile last? I took a peek at what my dad was making for dinner and I already know it’s gonna be so good. Have you ever seen the movie The Wicker Man? Nope. How many states are between the state you live in and Florida? *yawn* Another US-centric question; though I got a little curious and looked up the distance between Florida and Manila instead. Google says 14,717 km. Do you sneak in candy/soda when you go to the movies? You don’t have to sneak in any type of food when you go to the cinemas here since they allow you to bring in whatever you want. I once bought Cinnabon buns to watch Wonder Woman hahah. The only unofficial rule is just don’t bring something that’s gonna smell and distract everyone. What was the last song you had on repeat? Back To You - Louis Tomlinson because of a question I answered on a survey yesterday. Do you often have that song on repeat? In 2017 I sure did. I don’t encounter the song these days anymore unless I look it up myself on Spotify. What brand of lotion do you use? I don’t use lotion. Where are your favorite pair of jeans from? I’m not sure actually. It was my mom who saw it and she bought it when she thought of me, and I never thought to ask her where she got it from. Silly string or confetti? Like, for a party? Confetti looks nicer to me. What month is your best friend's birthday in? June and September. One a scale of 1 to 10, how tired are you right now? 12 from taking care of Cooper, 2 in general because I made coffee. How long is your favorite song? I don’t really pick favorite songs because I have at least one in my preferred genres at a time. Nachos or tacos? Nachos. Also because I miss Nacho. Whose wedding did you last attend? My uncle and his then-fiancée, now my aunt, but that was 2007. It’s my parents who get invited to a lot of weddings, but not me and my siblings. Are you a rebel? Not anymore. I definitely acted like one when I hit puberty though. Does it take you more or less than an hour to get ready for the day? Less. I usually savor my time in bed then hurry up once I’m about to be running late haha. I’m out the door by 15, 20 minutes.   What was the highlight of your day today? Taking a survey this morning on the couch with Cooper napping beside me while Kimi was near my feet :) Do you tap your foot when you listen to music? No, especially not when I’m driving lmao. Would you rather use tape or glue? Tape, it’s more secure. Homemade or store bought cards? Either works fine because my ultimate takeaway is that at least someone thought of me. I would personally make homemade cards/letters though. When did you last eat popcorn? Sometime around Christmas. My mom started making us bowls of popcorn but we got tired of it pretty quickly so our popcorn binge only lasted over the break. Have you ever done community service? I’ve done it with my classmates for a class requirement, not because we did something bad and it was our punishment. Will you get your hair cut anytime soon? Nope, I just gave it a big haircut earlier this year. Are you uncoordinated? Mostly not, but I still have moments where I trip over air. Michael or Janet Jackson? Michael. I know Janet is crazy talented too but I just never started trying to get into her music. Do you listen to any hip hop? Just some. What will you be doing at this time tomorrow? Most likely doing surveys too, as is routine. Have you ever listened to Jane's Addiction? I haven’t. Orange or purple? Purple. & - the typical ending to my surveys - how about some lyrics? “There’s just no future left for us to dream of, living in an era of instability / So caught up in the culture of their rivals, fear breeds in honest men.” From High Pressure Low - Against Me! Been thinking about these lyrics for the last few days.

[sshmaign]

Lemme show you some of our out of town gala... Also my first vacation with my boyfriend. So ayan, my parents allowed me because I’m of legal age and I pay my own tix? Hmm ;)

Cebu, 2017.

Visited the City, Cebu, where I left half o my heart and where I promised myself to bring with me my loved one the next time I will be visiting it. 🖤 Went with two of my closest friends, Sheena and Chelsea, which happened to be their first out of town also. Aint that exciting, huh? Here are some of the photos...

First two, as you can see is the Famous Simala of Cebu. It was overwhelming visiting such place with someone you love. Parang sinagot na poon prayers ko? But then... temporary lang pala yon. Hahaha! But it’s fine, felt thankful narin I was given the chance to feel that kind of love. Then last two, it was in IT Park, where he had his epic experience. Hahahahaha! Fuck wait. Still makes me laugh hard whenever I remember what happened that day. Sa sobrang nakakatuwa yang trampolines na yan, it ripped off his pants. Hahahaha! I actually have it’s video pero couldn’t find it na. Anyway, good thing we were going back to city and brought with us our clothes kaya may extra siyang pants na dala jan. It was one adventurous experience tho. :>

I actually forgot where this is, but it’s one of Cebu’s nicest hotel somewhere in Mactan. Aslo my first to wear two-piece in public, bitch. Hell yea with my confidence. Hahaha. At kasama pa ang jowa, binggo ano?

Manila, 2018

After a year, we decided to have our second vacation in a different place this time, altho not with almost the same people pero hindi tlga mawasala official photographer namin, Si Sheena, also my partner everytime I plan to book ticket out of town. Haha! We have couple of pictures pero hindi ko na mahanap, mabuti na rin yon para hindi ako magdamdam. Hahaha. Oa lang. As you can see from the photos I’ve posted, it isn’t the picture that you want to see from a blog or even worth posting in any social media account but I was left with no choice. Ang story kasi niyan, we were in Manila Ocean park, as you expect hindi tlga na eempty yan place nyan, especially jan sa may aquarium, but fortunately, universe is coinciding, we were given the chance to have pictures. Yung may kukuha tlga samin, at nagkataon pa na may dumaan one of the staff, kaya masaya talaga kame. After taking couple of shots ang saya namin and we gracefully thank that staff, not knowing what the result could be. The momet we saw the pictures, gusto ko nalang mapamura. Hahahaha. Koya naman, blurred lahat! Tangina >_< oh dba? Sayang kasi may mga tao ng dumating after that. Hahaha hayy atleast may pictures kame, idaan nalang natin sa edit. Dami pang nangyari jan, like away naming dalawa na akala mo hindi na matatapos. I just have to say this ( for remembering purposes in the future). Whenever we go on a trip, feels like he’s a different person. It’s kinda like, he isn’t him, parang nakawala sa cage na gustong mag mukhang single, at walang pakealam sa kasama. And the other one is, napaka clingy in public which does not always happen in Zamboanga. So both advantage and disadvantage. You get my point m right?

Manila 2.0, 2018.

This one’s our last one. Literally LAST ONE. 😂😂😂

It wasn’t actually planned at all. Know why? That was when I was about to depart Philippines. This time iba naman kasama namin, si Yam, one of my close friends also. Ang dami mong closee friends ano? Thank You, Lord. ♥️

I went to Manila days before he did, kasi nga I was waiting for my Ticket to Doha nalang, then back then he had this serious violation sa hospital and was sanctioned to suspension. I don’t know if it was God’s plan but I believe it was one way for us to spend our quality time together before I finally let go... Hmm. Premonitions, sense that, huh? So ayon, humabol siya sa Manila and stayed there for 5 days. It didn’t go well at all. Ikaw ba naman, sobrang mixed na emotions ko nyan, jusko. Sa umaga I was euphoric, like I was spending time with him worrying nothing. Tapos sa gabi, iiyak nalang ako kasi another day has ended and paikli ng paikli ang oras but all I ever needed was to stay strong and spend the most out if it instead. Photos taken in a mall, before kame manuod ng movie, Exes baggage,which again took part sa lives naming dalawa. Hindi ko alam pero tlagang everything that had happened in Manila, happened for a reason. Evey fucking single thing... Pero wala pa yan sa mind ko those times kay mas pinili ko nalang magenjoy. Second photo, Sam G with bb and Yammy. My god ang struggle to be able to be there. Unli lakad? Reached different branches na siguro, and finally sa branch na pinagusapan namin ni Yam. Hahaha. Of course we had fun grilling and eating. Hayyy last na pala yon. 😂

[hazygrains]

Manila Photowalk

December 8 - 9, 2019

Asis and I went on a photo walk in December of last year. I know, I know, this post is so long overdue. I've just been so lazy to update this blog since this year started. Anyway, I remember we really wanted to take a break from work and stress at that time, and since it was already December, I knew lots of people opted to go to nearby destinations like Tagaytay, Baguio, Subic, Zambales, La Union, Bataan, and Antipolo. So, we just chose to go to Manila.

We were both really looking forward to this activity. Asis got his new Fujifilm X-T20, while I also started venturing into film photography in November of last year, so it was very timely to do this. We've always wanted to join big photo walk events, but we didn't find any available on those dates, so we just made our budget-friendly photo walk/weekend getaway within the Metro.

By the way, these photos were taken using my Canon AE-1 Program and Pentax Espio P (the images with date-stamp). I used a total of 3 and a half rolls of film: just a couple of photos here in Lomography 800 (I thought my camera got jammed, so I panicked and rewound the film, but it turned out the lens wasn't installed properly. Hahaha! Fail.), Kodak ColorPlus 200, Fujifilm 200 Speedfilm, Fujicolor C200, & Ilford HP5 Plus 400 (ran out of colored film that day).

Our first stop: Quiapo

We rode the LRT1 from Roosevelt to Carriedo, and then we walked for a few minutes to get to the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo.

Second stop: Intramuros

We took the LRT1 again from Carriedo to Central Terminal, and from there, we walked for a couple of minutes to reach Intramuros. We only went to Baluarte de San Andres, landmarks, and historical buildings along the street of General Luna. We didn't get to see other attractions since we didn't have a lot of time to roam every street in Intramuros.

Third stop: National Museum of Natural History

From Manila Cathedral, we rode an e-jeepney to the National Museum. It was our first time visiting the National Museum, and we were amazed by the humongous structure of the place. It was so beautiful. We didn't stay for too long, though, but we made sure to see every floor. I also wanted to go to the National Museum of Fine Arts, but we ran out of time. So next time!

Fourth stop: Rizal/Luneta Park

We walked again to Rizal Park. It was just a street away from the National Museums.

Fifth stop: Aristocrat, Malate

We finally decided to eat our very late lunch at Aristocrat in Malate. We rode a taxi from Rizal Park since it was pretty far. My goodness, I was famished and exhausted. This was what I was really looking forward to that day: the food at Aristocrat (first-timer). I love their desserts!

Sixth stop: Manila Baywalk

After regaining our energy, we went to Manila Baywalk, which was just across from the Aristocrat Restaurant. We just sat there, chilled, and waited for the sun to set. It was so nice.

Final stop: Manila Crown Palace Hotel

We walked and walked again to find a nice cheap hotel to stay for the night, and we found the Manila Crown Palace Hotel. It was a so-so hotel, pretty expensive, but it was the cheapest one we saw.

So that's it. By the way, Malate comes alive at night, so after we freshened up, we also went to a nearby cafe and restaurant to kill time.

Next day stop: Lucky Chinatown, Binondo

We woke up early to get ready for our day. We were contemplating where to go next. We were planning on going to Ocean Park but ended up at Lucky Chinatown in Binondo, which was a wrong decision. The traffic was just bad, and yes, it was too crowded. So we just went to buy some fruits and cheese tarts, roamed around to take some photos, and that's it. We headed back home.

All in all, it was such a nice experience. Our feet hurt, our bodies were sore, but it was so fun. A nice bonding activity for couples. Now, I can't wait for our next photo walk! ♡

P.S. No decent photos of myself. No decent photos of us together. Meh.

[aldrichhhh]

Sight seeing of an cruise ship

The day that we visited my tito in Manila who was ongoing to depart from the port, it was nevertheless the best i’ve seen so far because i get to see a cruise ship docked in our back which was humongous compared if we see it from at long distance but anyways, my mother’s brothers and sisters where having a conversation which where we gonna go for the rest of the day and where to eat because my tito wasn’t gonna go with us and he will come aboard again from the cruise ship. We go instead to the Robinson’s Place Manila where we eat and gathered to take a picture before we go back to the docks and wait for them to set sail again. While were on the way, we stood into a parking lot in the side of the manila ocean park waiting for the call of the crew’s and one them is my tito. The call happened so we go into the docks and waited to set sail over the seas so we can left. :))

[seyounkim]

Reminiscing Manila

The cities of Manila light up brighter than any other city in the Philippines. Of course that makes sense, considering how Luzon is the more urban side to the country. The streets of Bonifacio extend far and wide for a person to explore around itself, and it is absolutely perfect for an evening drive. Then on the other hand, there’s the smell of my favorite burger steak that I go for in UCC cafe which is found in the inside of the tall and wide SM Mall of Asia. There’s also the Ocean Park that I used to go to see lots of fishes and sea creatures. Every Saturdays, there was always somewhere to go to and something to do with my friends and family.

And now, here I am, standing outside of the Mactan Cebu International Airport. I feel the dread and incoming sadness welling up in me as I reminisced those times in Manila- now all gone because the decision to stay in Cebu was decided to be permanent. No more parks to go to, malls to hang around and sadly no more of my favorite food to eat out.

But, while I had the feeling of unhappiness due to having to start over a new life, deep down I had the feeling of excitement as well as the feeling of nervousness. And being in Cebu made me appreciate a lot of things. It might seem nothing close to the skyscrapers of Manila towering over several other buildings, but there are places that I could hang around just like walking around in Rizal Park. There’s IT Park, where its filled with restaurants and places of interest, and then there’s also several other malls which have their own points of charm, especially SM Seaside since it’s bigger than SM Mall of Asia. There were still parks to go to, malls to hang around, and also new food to discover and eat to find my new favorite after all.