thetalkingrainbow

[thetalkingrainbow]

Maldives Travel Guide for First Timers

Even before we got married, my then fiancé now husband (Jamal) promised to travel with me to different countries– Maldives on top of the list. True to his word, after two years of our marriage, he took me to my dream destination.

I had various reasons why I wanted to visit this country. For one thing, it’s considered by many as “Paradise on Earth” and it’s undeniably true to me– after swimming in the clear, turquoise waters, walking around a local island with sparkling beaches and palm fringes, running on a white sandbar, and seeing aesthetic coral reefs that are home to plenty of marine species. Second, it’s a 100% Muslim country, and it was an exciting thought to beach bum without seeing too much nakedness. Haha. Indeed, if heaven on earth exists, it is definitely in Maldives!

I used to imagine visiting the tropical paradise as an exceptionally luxurious trip– accessible only if I have millions of pesos on my bank balance. I thought of it as a place I will never have the capacity to visit in this lifetime. I may be right years back, but things have changed now. Maldives is now reachable for budget travelers like me, despite it being a luxury destination. Thanks to the government allowing Maldivians to operate guesthouses, staying in a resort is just an option today.

ABOUT THE COUNTRY Maldives is an Islamic country located in the Indian Ocean southwest of Sri Lanka and India. It consists of 1,192 gemlike islands grouped in clusters called “atolls” but only 200+ are inhabited. Its capital and most populous city, Malé, is geographically located at the Kaafu Atoll and is a ferry-away from the airport island, Hulhule.

Below are some of the local islands near Malé which are accessible by local ferry:

Maafushi Island

Hulhumale Island

Villingili

Gulhi

Guraidhoo

Fulidhoo

You can choose which island you want to stay in but I recommend Maafushi Island based on experience, and Fulidhoo Island based on positive reviews I have read across the internet.

VISA

Filipinos do not need a pre-arrival Visa to enter Maldives. You will be issued a 30-day free Visa upon arrival provided that your passport is valid and will not expire for the next six months from the entry date.

WHERE TO BOOK FLIGHTS Flights to Maldives normally cost around ₱20,000 to ₱25,000 with a layover either in Singapore, Malaysia or Thailand. There are several low-cost carriers servicing the Manila to Malé route—you can try Scoot Air, AirAsia or Cebu Pacific. In our case, we took the MNL-SG-MLE and vice versa flights via Scoot Air for P14,000 ONLY per pax inclusive of a 15kg check-in baggage. I honestly thought I scored the cheapest with the said amount, but unfortunately, several weeks subsequent to booking, I came across Scoot Air’s promotional flight of just ₱8,000 for MNL-MLE round-trip flights. There are times that AirAsia offers the same promo. Insane, right? You simply have to be always on the lookout for these unusual promo fares. It’s a different story if you have the moolah to splurge though.

For more info on how I usually score cheapest golden flights, read here.

HOW TO GET AROUND You might be wondering just how you should be getting around Maldives. Well, there are few methods of transport you can avail depending on your preference and based on factors such as convenience, budget, and safety.

From the Airport Right after stepping outside the arrival hall, you will see a number of booths and their respective staff scattered around the area. If you are expecting your hotel or resort’s staff to welcome you there, just look for a placard with your name on it.

To Resorts or other Local Islands – If no one shows up for you at the airport (insert sad smiley), you may consider taking a speedboat to your preferred resort or local island. Rate depends but it typically starts at 25 USD ~ 1,315 PHP per pax. You also have the option to take a seaplane that costs a lot more than my two kidneys combined. hahajk

To Malé City – If you’re on a budget plan, walk past the booths and locate the public ferry counter to purchase a ticket to Malé City for only 10 MVR ~ 34 PHP. The ride should only take 15 minutes and you’ll arrive at Hulhumale Ferry Terminal.

Ferry Schedule: FROM MALE CITY TO AIRPORT    Every 10 minutes from morning 06:00 AM to 02:30 AM    Every 30 minutes from morning 02:30 AM to 04:00 AM    Every 15 minutes from morning 04:00 AM to 06:00 AM FROM AIRPORT TO MALE CITY    Every 10 minutes from morning 06:00 AM to 02:30 AM    Every 30 minutes from morning 02:30 AM to 04:00 AM    Every 15 minutes from morning 04:00 AM to 06:00 AM

On Fridays, ferries operate every 10 minutes from the morning at 06:00 AM to 00:00 AM.

Conversely, you can ride a speedboat for your convenience. Within two minutes, you’ll reach the northeast part of Malé City.

Because I booked our hotel in Malé within a day before our arrival and because I did not communicate with them our arrival time, no one showed up for us. Wala kaming placard, jusko napaka-dukha feels. Haha. But they were supposed to greet us at the airport since we paid for that one-way airport transfer. Ang tanga ko lang talagang kausap. hehe

Around the City of Malé Arriving at the ferry terminal, you can take a taxi or a mini pickup truck to bring you either to your hotel (if you intend to stay at Malé) or to Villingili Ferry Terminal (if you want to go directly to a local island of your choice). Also, there are bus lines running a circular route around the small city. The downside is—if your hotel is not within their routes, you still have to walk after getting off on the nearest bus stop.

To our Hotel – We rode a mini pickup truck to reach our hotel. Pahirapan kumuha ng taxi, mga bes kaya nagpaka- Megan Young and Mikael Daez kami ni Jamal. Haha. We were charged 50 MVR by the driver. Minimum fare for taxis is 20 MVR per pax during the day and 25 MVR during the night.

To Maafushi Island From Villingili Ferry Terminal, the ride to Maafushi Island will only take about an hour and a half. Ticket price is only 53 MVR ~ 3.50 USD ~ 190 PHP.

Ferry Schedule:

For an updated schedule, click here.

After spending the night at Malé, we went to Maafushi Island where we planned to stay for 5D4N. From our hotel, a staff hailed a taxi for us (and paid for it because of their utang to us) and instructed the driver of our destination.

Since we arrived at the terminal early, we went to a food court nearby and had milkshake while waiting. Sobrang init, mga bes.

Around Maafushi Island From the terminal, getting to your hotel will be either through your hotel’s private vehicle or rickshaw. Yup, rickshaw. Maafushi is a very small island (1.275km x 0.260km) that you can see the entire island within two hours of walking. Some hotels and guesthouses offer a rental bike service for 5 USD per hour. A bit pricey. You can see the locals using motorcycles as a mode of transportation as well, though I am not sure if they are up for lease.

WHERE TO STAY There are a limited number of budget sleeps in Maldives. Unlike in any other Asian country where you will find a 30 USD per night accommodation for two, in Maldives, budget hotels or guesthouses usually cost no less than 60 USD. If you’re lucky, you may come across huge discounts in Agoda. Make sure to constantly browse the app, you might come across a crazy deal like what happened to us.

Or better yet, sign up on Airbnb using this link to earn ₱1,600 travel credit. Or get a 10% refund on your first transaction at Booking.com when you use this unique link.

For high-end tourists, exclusive resorts are the place to be but allot at least 600 USD per night.

The Melrose Hotel – It’s a 450m-walk from Hulhumale Ferry Terminal. We spent our first night here for just 30 USD. It’s the cheapest we could find on Agoda that serves breakfast. Our booking was inclusive of taxes, environmental fees, a welcome drink, one-way airport transfer, and free breakfast. The staffs were friendly and helpful; the receptionist is Pinay, yaay! Our room was small, enough for a 9-hour stay, but very clean. It has toiletries, coffee and tea sachets, iron, and a flat-screen TV among others.

Seven Corals Guesthouse – This was our home in Maafushi for 5D4N. I loved it! The staffs were friendly and attentive, the room was spacious and snug, food was in a variety, and the ambiance was cozy and relaxing. Not to mention the long list of inclusions on our ₱16,500 deal:

Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner)

Welcome drink

Afternoon tea

Express check-in

Fruit basket

Selected watersports (i.e. Jetski, but the schedule was in conflict with ours)

Free local mobile SIM card

Complimentary snacks

Night Fishing

Sunset Cruise

Dolphin Cruise (No dolphins on our cruise huhu)

Snorkeling Excursion

Sandbank Picnic

Taxes and other fees

We tried looking for another guesthouse/hotel that offers the same but only Seven Corals does. Highly recommended to keep an eye on a deal like this.

Adaaran Prestige Vadoo (optional) – One-night rate starts at ~1,000 USD inclusive of breakfast and taxes/fees. Additional of at least ~200 USD per pax for the roundtrip transfers. It can hurt your pocket but recommended to stay if you have the cash. OR- here’s the catch, you can ask a Maldivian in the local island where you stay to contact any resort you prefer and ask them if you’re allowed to arrange your roundtrip speedboat transfer. The local quoted us 100 USD (2 pax; 2-way transfer) only, 400 USD less than the quoted price on Agoda.

Novina Hotel – another great hotel centrally located in Malé City for ~70 USD only inclusive of a welcome drink, buffet breakfast, and airport transfer. Just like our room in The Melrose, it was small but well maintained. The floor was carpeted and there’s a mini-fridge, too. They served decent food which was great. I love the omelette. Staffs were very welcoming and friendly that they let us stay in the lobby after check-out while waiting for our evening flight.

PLACES TO VISIT IN MALE CITY

Masjid Al-Sultan Muhammad Thakurufaanu Al-Auzam

Fish Market

Republic Square

National Museum

Tsunami Monument

ACTIVITIES TO TRY

MONEY SAVING TIPS 

If you have a layover in Singapore for at least 5.5 hours to 24 hours, join the FREE 2.5-hour guided tours of Changi Airport. More info about the tours here.

Visit during the low season (June to November) to score off-season rates on activities, accommodation, and flights. Prices tend to drop insanely plus, there are fewer tourists traveling.

Last minute deals exist, just be smart enough to plan your trip.

Currency exchange shops in Malé City offers better rates than those in the Airport.

Bring USD with you preferably in 100s or 50s. Usual buying rate for 50-100 USD is 15 MVR per USD while for denominations below is around 12 MVR per USD.

Resorts and guesthouses only accept Dollars while local restaurants and street side shops need Rufiyaa.

Local Ferry >>> Speedboat

STAY. ON. A. LOCAL. ISLAND.

If you’re into luxury resorts, choose those closer to Malé or to the island you’re staying at.

Get not just a full board stay, but an all-inclusive package. It’s very reasonable than bringing with you your wallet all the time.

Haggle like a pro. Be it souvenirs or activities, bargain a better price.

Pack chips and biscuits.

Do not forget your swimming essentials. Sunscreen lotions and rashies in the local islands are expensive.

For our ultimate travel hacks mostly on how to save on your next trip abroad, check these tips on our previous blog.

SAMPLE 6D5N ITINERARY 

OPTIONAL:  Stay on a high-end resort.

EXPENSES

*The amounts do not reflect our actual expenditures.

[thetalkingrainbow]

DO YOU HAVE A WEEKEND TO DE-STRESS? Book a flight to Taiwan!!! Flights are cheap and they have extended our VISA-free privilege until July 31, 2019.

Check these 10 TIPS that you'll surely need for your ultimate Taiwan trip!

Exchange your PHP to USD before going to Taiwan and exchange your dollars to TWD sa airport pa lang if ayaw mo masira itinerary mo sa kakahanap ng money changer sa Taipei. Apparently, regulated ang money changers sa kanila kaya it's either sa authorized malls (hindi tumatanggap ng PHP) ka pupunta or sa banks (close ng weekends!). Unlike sa ibang asian cities na sa tabi-tabi ka pwedeng magpalit ng pera, sa Taiwan maha-hassle ka bes!

Stay around Zhongsheng district, preferably walking distance sa Taipei Main Station or sa Ximen Station (Green line!). Aside sa very nice ang neighborhood, accessible pa. Malapit ka din sa Ximending Night Market & Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall.

Metro pass!! Because we stayed for 2days only (weekend travellers 😬), we availed of the 48-hour Taipei pass worth 280NTD. Super sulit 'cos their MRT was our main mode of transpo. Napaka useful! No room for regrets!

If you want to try biking around the city, Taipei has bicycles all around that you can rent & park on designated slots. All you need is an Easycard (present valid IDs before purchase) & 10NTD per 30mins then you're good to go! Pwede ka magbike from Taipei 101 to Elephant Mountain. Malapit lang.

Sa Shifen Old Street, better if you avail one lantern per pax because, mga besh, kaloka photography skills ni Kuya. Di ako prepared na yun na pala yun! That's why dapat kung may kasama ka, sya na muna ipahawak mo ng Camera haha Kundi naka-portrait yung video mo, sige ka 😂 150NTD per lantern for one color. 200NTD naman for four.

For Muslim travellers, mahirap kumain. As in mahirap! Limited lang halal restaurants & very expensive pa. We had lunch at Yunus paying 1445NTD for two. YUHOO. Kundi lang kami takam na takam sa Halal food eh. Haha! If nagtitipid, mag KFC na lang. Masarap egg tart nila. 😅 Pero sa Taoyuan airport naman, may halal stall doon somewhere sa food court. Kaunti lang din choices sa menu but gorabells na as long as Halal!

Pineapple cakes from Taiwan are the best!!! Siguraduhin mong may dala ka pauwi. If may budget ka, bumili ka sa observatory floor mismo ng Taipei 101. Sa may Bread & Pastries! Super worth it. As in.. I bought a box supposedly pasalubong sa asawa ko but ended up eating them all by myself. Ayoko ipamigay 😂 But you can also buy cheap ones na masarap pa din naman sa basement ng Sung King Mistsukoshi mall, malapit sa Taipei Main Station. Doon na din pala ako nagpa exchange ng pera.

Expensive ang bottled water, 20NTD. Around 38 pesos sa atin(x1.9 kasi yun ang rate sa NAIA) so if may tumbler ka at may water station sa hotel niyo, refill na lang mga besh. 💦

Speaking of Hotel... Stay at Space Inn 太空艙旅舍 衡陽館 !!! Ang ganda 😍 Dormitory type lang sya but the feels mga besh, like you're aboard a spaceship talaga. Along Hengyang Road lang sa Zongsheng District, 5-min walk to Ximen station and 10-min to Taipei Main Station. Super bait pa ng mga staff (they're wearing uniform na parang mga guards/police sa spaceship) haha Arrived early at 4am sa hotel but full na sila. Our check-in time sa booking namin was at 3pm pa nun, plus very tiiiiired kami kaya looking for another hotel is almost impossible sa state namin. Good thing, they told us that we can stay sa lobby nila & use their comfort room even before our actual check-in schedule. Yuhooo! Super comfy ng sala sa lobby, nag-overslept pa kami kaya late kami kinabukasan. 😂 (Booked via Traveloka)

Klook your visit to Taipei 101. Aside from avoiding the long queue to the ticketing counter, makakatipid ka pa. Proven! ✔️

Total Expenses: P12,000+ ALL IN for 2 days

[thetalkingrainbow]

Have you ever heard of this small world in China?

For 1,080 HKD (approx.145 USD) we were able to visit an entertaining museum and then amazingly toured two-thirds of the world in just two hours! We availed a tour package from Gray Line Tours but it would cost a lot cheaper if we did a DIY trip. The only perk of paying that exorbitant amount was the hassle-free visa processing service, which was a great solace for me. At least.

We stayed at The Imperial Hotel but the assembly area was at Holiday Inn’s lobby just a few meters away from us. We were picked up at around 7:30am by a bus which transported us to Hung Hom Station to get us on the East Rail Line going to Lo Wu station. There we crossed the border of Hongkong and mainland China and were greeted by the fearless-looking Chinese immigration officers. FYI: Say goodbye to your social networking sites i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Youtube, Google etc. when you enter China’s territory. Our new tour guide, Miss Xixi, handed our visa to the Immigration officer but I was disappointed to learn that they don’t stamp passports for group visas after they clear us. Shoot.

There—Lo Wu becomes Louho. Ni hao, mainland China!

Our one-day trip officially started at Shenzen Museum which I honestly enjoyed. There were impressive exhibitions of modern Shenzen & folk culture and many more but due to lack of time, we only spent an hour inside. I’m still on regrets why I didn’t bring with me my DSLR; the wax figures from the historical scenes to the rise of modern Shenzen are all picture-worthy. I am not a fan of history, much more of Chinese, but hey— without bias, I would really say the economic growth of the city within three decades is so inspiring.

I wasn’t able to salvage a photo from the museum because I lost all my files when my iPhone got disabled-&-then-after-restored and I already deleted them from my GoPro right after transferring it to my phone. Sad.

Shenzhen Museum: ★★★★☆

Next on our itinerary was the time-wasting side trip to a Jade Jewelry Shop. Oh no, now that I realize, it wasn’t even part of our supposed itinerary! I was told that the tour guide has a commission on every purchase that’s why she let us waste time by checking those meh gems. I honestly think the whole thing was a rip-off. I remember seeing a ring that somehow looks like my engagement ring so I asked the saleslady of its price and whether it’s a real diamond or not and she proudly answered, “Yes, Chinese diamond!”. Lol. My husband and I couldn’t hide our chuckles not just because it’s worth around 1,500 yuan but because they actually have their own version of diamonds. Porbida!

Jade Jewelry Shop: ★☆☆☆☆

Giving a star because they at least served us a tea.

Comes lunch time and we were dropped for a Dim Sum lunch in Shangri-La Hotel. We could opt for an Indian meal (Muslims privilege, yaay!) somewhere but since it was Ramadhan and only Jazmin (my sister-in-law) could eat, we settled for the traditional Dim Sum. They put different dishes to our table that I had a hard time stopping myself from pigging out. Heh.

Finally, the highlight of the tour—Window of the World! No one should miss this place when going to Shenzhen. It’s a very wide theme-park that a couple of hours wouldn’t be enough for you to visit every single replicated landmark. It was so unfortunate that they gave us only two hours to wander. You’ll be amazed; China has taken its being a copycat to a whole new level!

And they even made a replica of their own. lol

Oh Rossiya, oh Russia!

And the famous Harbour bridge and opera house of Sydney, Australia!

In Europe Area, we went from UK to Spain, Italy, Germany, France, and Netherlands. It’s the area we’d spent the most time with. 

You’ll find pyramids, hieroglyphs (and some other sculptures and landmarks I wasn’t able to capture) in the African area.

American area is very wide as well but we had too little time to spare.

TIPS:

There are food stalls scattered around but they’re too limited. Bring with you packed snacks and bottled water, if possible.

Bring an extra shirt (like what we did) especially if you’re coming on a summer month. I tell you— the sun is scorching really hot.

Prepare your Chinese Yuans! Roaming around is free but the rides aren’t.

You can actually climb up the Eiffel tower. We missed that part.

Better to walk than pay for a ride. They give you limited time to spend in a particular area.

We missed the Asia part and it could’ve been okay if not for the fact that we also missed the Japanese & Korean landmarks and cultural heritage. Lo. All throughout our time there, I felt like strolling around a small world. I’m positive that I will be back to Shenzhen just for this but availing a tour package won’t be an option. By that time, I wish to have a DIY trip with my little sisters. InshaaAllah!

Window of the World: ★★★★★

[thetalkingrainbow]

A Dream Come True

The past few months had been tough for me. I knew that my decision to review in Manila would entail consequences. It was hard to be almost a thousand miles away from my family (and super close friends) for too long. Even harder when my favorite uncle was murdered and I was left alone grieving by myself in an unfamiliar city. Parents didn’t want me to fly back home because I was “supposed to focus” only on my exams. 

Time passed and I grew accustomed to my daily routine in metro. Fortunately, I receive calls and texts from my family once in a while. But mostly, ako yung tumatawag kasi, they rarely sent texts or called me. Don’t get us wrong— not that we have a bad relationship ha. Actually, I’m the closest to my papa. It’s just that, we’re not used to updating each other's whereabouts. Once a week pangangamusta is always enough for us.

Then came the news that my wedding would be in April. I honestly was expecting it to be after my exam because I thought it would somehow distract me if it’s set before. It did. Really. I was the one who got almost every detail done. Wedding gown, shoes, invitations, bouquet. I was even the direct contact of the photographer, video team, event stylist, and the venue itself. Most of you know what was the aftermath of my wedding. It was devastating. I lost my 1st cousin who was more like a brother to me. I was ready to give up the exam and stay in Mindanao at that time. I was traumatized. The day after the wedding was my flight back to Luzon and it was also the day of his burial. I really really really wanted to stay. I thought I lost my will to pass the exam. I was sick worried of what was bound to happen again. Until now every time I receive a call from my family members, the thought that it might be an “emergency” doesn’t leave me. I’ve been struggling with paranoia for months.

But that day, papa told me “so problema ami a mga loks na rkami na so problema nga na gyoto e focus ka”. Few words but heavy ones, at least for me. I left to Manila having a heavy heart but Alhamdulillah, I wasn’t alone. My husband was there for me.

I was able to catch up with my notes after that. The biggest part of that was the thought that “I have to bring good news to my Papa; I cannot fail him.”

Before the first day of the exam, I sent my parents a message– I told them I did my part already and they didn’t fail to do theirs as well (emotional and financial support haha) so we had to leave the rest to Allah swt.

The exam was not as difficult as I thought it would be. I was expecting the worst but our preboard exams were harder! Out of roughly 2000 reviewees in ReSA, I landed 52 during our final preboard examination. That made me believe I had the chance to make it. I wasn’t being complacent or overconfident; I was merely positive that my prayers and everyone’s prayers for me would be heard. Besides, I worked hard for it. The time I spent studying crazy shits during the whole six months couldn’t be compared to my five-and-a-half years stay in College.

Days after the exam passed by smoothly until May 23-- the supposed Result Day as announced earlier. Jamal, my husband, must have been sick of repetitively hearing “Papasa kaya ako?” and “What if di ako pumasa?” “Di na ako magrereview ulit and di na ako mag eexam” but Jamal would convincingly say “Papasa ka InshaAllah” and that’s it--

I passed. Not a topnotcher because I didn’t even aim for that but with good ratings Alhamdulillah.

For that, I would like to express gratitude to a few amazing people whose support is the reason I’m here right now. They may not read this but thankyou so much to my Papa & Ommie. You have always been my top inspiration to do better. To my whole family, thank you for the iloveyous and imissyous. To my fiancé turned husband, thankyou for the flowers you gave me during my review days. It helped me; inspired me. Hehe. To my in-laws, you’ve been very nice since day one. Alhamdulillah I’m so blessed to have you Daddy & Mommy as my second parents. & to my sisters-in-law, more good times with you girls InshaAllah!

To my CPA friends, thankyou so much for the tips and guidance. To my bestfriend, dormmates Alay, Ann & Ailove, and all of my friends— thank you for never doubting my capabilities.

And to my Creator, Ya Allah. You never failed me even though, subhanallah, I failed you so many times. Continue guiding me on my future endeavors. I trust you always, Ya Allah. I couldn’t have made it without You.

Everyone, jazakallahukhaairan.

Wa assalamualaykum wa rahmatullahi wabarakatuh!

P.s. I took my oath on June 20, 2016 and was aiming to post this that day but I totally forgot it. Anyway, I’m now really a Certified Public Accountant.  ❤️

[thetalkingrainbow]

Credits to: Love in Motion Wedding Films by Donald Sandoval

[thetalkingrainbow]

Bangkok Rants

Bangkok isn’t as awesome as I thought it was. My expectations were soaring high because of its fame to westerners. I read some of the travel blogs about the place before I flew there but they rarely mention the negative sides of visiting this country. Here are some of my struggles:

1.    I see worms everywhere.

Just kidding! Haha. I mean, all in all, Bangkok is not totally tourist-friendly. Why—because of their wormy letters forming wormy words spoken by wormy peeps. Again, I’m kidding with the “wormy” thing. It became an inside joke of us because we honestly see Thai words as bulates. It helped that there were English translations or transliterations beside each (tourist important) word. Yet most of the times, all you can see are alien letters you cannot decipher no matter what. That’s if you didn’t make an effort to learn their language. Like me. Uhm, wait. I actually did. For like two minutes. But I gave up sooner than I should. Blame their frustratingly wormy letters.

For instance, most of the buses don’t have any sign of their respective routes/destination. In a signboard near the gates of arrival area, we learned about the A1 bus going to Mo Chit BTS station. So, we stepped outside and looked for the said bus. Nada. When we saw a crowd flocking to a bus, we joined them even without knowing its destination; literally “going with the flow”. Luckily, it was the right one! I couldn’t imagine what would happen if it wasn’t.

  Update: Google Translate app can help.

2.    Locals aren’t helpful.

As a tourist, asking the locals is usually the best idea when you feel lost and helpless. But in Bangkok, I rather ask google. Except that man at Thanon Surawong who willingly directed us to our hotel, good gracious he speaks English! But mostly, we had to ask and ask and ask in vain.  

See, this is what I mean—their words, even transliterated, cannot be correctly pronounced. You end up either struggling to explain what you want to say or walking away disappointed that you get no clue of the conversation you just had. You have to accept the fact that English isn’t widely used by Thais. Until now, I don’t know how to pronounce Damnoen Saduak, you know. It’s definitely not /dam-no-en/. So yeah, not only do I feel stupid but so out-of-place.

Again, most of the locals we asked were not helpful. Let me cite some instances: (1) Because we couldn’t seem to find our hotel, we asked a worker in a 7eleven we passed by. Guess what he told us: “Cross the footbridge and ride a taxi”. He was even pointing on the right side. But I felt something was off. Here’s the thing, I had a map of our hotel and others but all of my research were saved on my iPad, which I purposely left back home. I totally forgot its importance to the whole trip. That was why I knew he wasn’t making any sense—I remembered our hotel to be on the left side of the BTS station, not on the right. So we ignored his instructions and walked until that man-in-Thanon-Surawong came to the rescue. As it turned out, the hotel was located just a block away from that 7eleven. So, why were we told to ride a taxi? WHY! It was impossible for him to not know the hotel because it was so near. I swear it was frustrating. (2) Art in Paradise is located at Esplanade mall near Thailand Cultural Center BTS station. That we knew. But when we asked these workers in the mall of its specific location, they acted as if they never heard of the place before. Where in fact, it was just on the 4th floor. Like, “Hey, Art in Paradise is a popular destination, how come they don’t know where it is?” (3) We have to be in Mo Chit BTS station to ride a bus to the airport, but taxi drivers won’t take us. There must be a reason for that. So, we opted to go to Victory Monument BTS station where another bus station, according to Google, exists. Approaching the area, we asked our driver where the buses were. He said he didn’t know. We had to walk and ask and walk and ask and walk until we met an officer and was able to ask the same thing. Since he was stationed there, we believed he knew of the whereabouts within the vicinity. But for minutes he talked over the radiophone and asked his colleagues (I think) and vaguely said: “Mini bus, there!” We looked for mini buses but nada. Instead, we came across normal buses. Again, the bus station was sooooo near it was, and again, impossible for someone who works within the area to not know it.

I’m not sure if all those happenings (and some that I won’t bother detailing) were caused by language barrier but I would like to think they were; at least to ease my annoyance.

 3.    Transportation around Bangkok is expensive.

As a self-financed traveler, every baht counts. To that reason, we planned to minimize riding a taxi as much as possible. We couldn’t even trust the taxi drivers. Still and all, the opposite happened. Taxi drivers sometimes refused to turn their meter on. We were once charged 300thb going to Southern Bus Terminal. We thought it really was far but turned out we got cheated. Meh.

I was told that TukTuks charge like Taxis. And I confirmed it when we rode once. After walking for over a kilometer from Surasak BTS station to Thanon Pramuan to Thanon Pan just to look for a halal restaurant, which went to vain, we decided to ride a Tuktuk to Thanon Surawong and guess what��he charged us 80thb for a less-than-five-minutes ride! How preposterous those drivers can be! If not of our very tired state, we’d actually walk back there. But on the good note: we were able to ride the famous Bangkok trademark. Yaay to that!

Don’t even let me start on how expensive the skytrains and MRTs are. Well, as compared to Kuala Lumpur’s RapidKL and Metro Manila’s MRTs/LRTs, Bangkok’s Transit System is unreasonably costly. When I was in Singapore, I had no right to complain of their pricey tickets because damn, Singapore’s a first world country. But Bangkok? It’s like Manila-worse.

 4.    Overpriced rates to foreigners.

Thailand is a very beautiful country. But I hate the fact that just because you’re a foreigner, they charge you differently. If it’s a law or something, I get it. But it’s beyond all fairness. Too exorbitant! Hey, just because we are able to travel abroad doesn’t mean we have to overspend. We, travelers, save for this trip. Again, every baht counts. Even if I’m bagging hundreds of dollars, I won’t buy one ref magnet for 450thb or one souvenir shirt for 750thb. What the fuckery.

We traveled a two-hour bus trip to Damnoen Saduak all for the sake of trying the traditional floating market of Thailand. As we descended the bus, we saw this large signboard “1000B Foreigners”. I was like, shit. On my thorough research, a boat costs only to a range of 300-600thb. That’s for one whole boat. But we were shocked to learn that we had to pay 2000thb in order to get toured around the market for one hour. ONE HOUR, worse. Since we thought we had no choice, we availed it.

We didn’t shop. I tell you—everything is ultraexpensive. I only bought ref magnets which we were able to haggle down to 80thb each. Imagine! It’s a lot costly than Singapore’s 5-for-10SGD and Malaysia’s 3RM-each magnets. Pfft.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the floating market. First, we had our breakfast from a Halal Restaurant that served us fried rice aka nasi goreng. Yahoo! Not to forget the coconut ice cream, coconut juice, and the sweet-fruit-that-somehow-tastes-like-a-guava-but-a-little-different. Another was the self-fulfillment we felt for such experience. I had fun eating while “cruising”. And yes, Damnoen Saduak is now off the bucket list.

5.    Halal restaurants are limited.

Yes, I’m including this on the list even if I know that my country is in the same situation. The difference is— I know the Filipino style. I can sense when something’s off the menu or what. Like grilled pork and grilled chicken in one griddle. No way. Whereas in Bangkok, I don’t have an idea on how they cook what-and-what. I had a stir-fried chicken from a Pad Thai restaurant in Khao San Road. On their menu, I had to choose from chicken or pork. Meaning, stir-fried pork was part of the menu. My question is— did they cook the two in the same pan? If yes, I am ready to vomit as I had one plate of it.

We tried searching for Halal restaurants via Google but almost all were located 34576930 miles away from our hotel. And if there was one near us, we failed to find it—as what happened in Thanon Pan. Sad, I know.

But the Halal restaurant in the floating market was our savior!

6.    Scams are unbelievably everywhere.

It’s not a secret that scams in Bangkok are rampant. In every travel blog, we are surely warned of them. That’s why we didn’t fall on the trap once when a taxi driver tried to scam us. We were in a hurry that time— it was four hours before our scheduled flight but we just got off the boat from Wat Arun. Since an express boat to Sathorn pier then a skytrain to Sala Daeng would take our time, we decided to take a taxi direct to our hotel.

The driver wanted to charge us an eye-popping 300thb. We argued and tried to settle at a much lower rate or at least use the meter. But he insisted and then settled on 150thb if and only if we shop at Gems Gallery International. He told us he would wait outside the store and would drop us at our hotel after shopping. We were aghast at the offer!

We hailed another cab and told him to drive us to Saphan Taksin. He did drive us to a train station, but it was two stations away and far from what we told him. Language barrier, or crazy driver?

Most important pre-travel thing: Research. These scams are known to all. In fact, there are signs near the temples warning foreigners of suspicious “tourist guides”. Try to outsmart those devious locals and you’ll be good.

Update: We were actually scammed with regard to the 1000B we paid on the boat in Damnoen Saduak. 

Don’t get me wrong—I enjoyed Bangkok so much. A big factor was because of my travel companion but aside from that, there are things I really really really liked. I won’t just end this entry without mentioning the bests of Bangkok, would I?

 1.    Unexpectedly great street food!

Running Man has an episode where Gary and some guests went to Bangkok to explore Thai Food. Through it, I learned about the famous coconut-icecream served in its shell. That’s why it was the first thing on my must-eat list. And voila, I wasn’t disappointed. It was as good and perfect as I expected!

Khao Niaow Ma Muang (Mango Sticky Rice) is another famous Thai food that I always read on blogs. I didn’t have high expectations but when I tried it, heaven got real. Believe me, it’s the one we all have to try at least once. Or else you’ll be missing half of your life. Haha Kidding. But you get my point—it’s super yummy and homey and fulfilling and scrumptious and ahhh, please take me back to Bangkok or buy me one at least!

Just out of cravings, I bought a fresh cut green mangoes in a stall we passed by. I doubted the dip because it just looked like a plain salt-and-chili mixed together. Hell, I proved the “Don’t judge a book by its cover” saying right. It was actually Prik Glua, a dry dip made of sugar, salt, and spices. Not to mention the mangoes tasted better than our Indian ones. Shit. I’m drooling.

What’s with Thailand’s mangoes? Ahh. Luscious, ten-folds I tell you.

One sure thing—there are good foods in Bangkok than I expected. Except for the scary insects, I cannot even imagine touching. Though edible, I rather starve to death than eat bugs and worms.

2.    Of course, the authentic Thai Massage no one should miss.

To get a self-indulgent moment after a tiring day, we ended the day in a spa we happened to pass by on our way to our hotel. It’s called “Happy Center”. Whilst not fancy, our 250thb was worth the one-hour authentic Thai massage. After the session, all the muscle tensions were released. It was nice and just what we needed; perfect after a long day tour. Do not miss this when you get to Bangkok.

3.    Being a Muslim isn’t a big deal.

I am someone who hates it when strangers stare at me like I’m a threat or something. In Bangkok, no one cares. You don’t get an eye for what’s on your head. Although you rarely see hijabis, they act as if being one is a normal scenario. And I love all of them for that. I somehow felt relieved that they don’t judge Muslims like how some Manilenos do. Some of them even greeted us “Assalamualaikum”. How cute. So yeah, wink for that!

4.    Night markets, night markets!

If you’re a shopaholic and a richy rich tourist, you will like these places. We planned to get to Chatuchak Weekend Market but we missed it due to our rescheduled flight that ruined our itinerary. But good thing, another night market’s just a stone throw away. There were piles of eye-candies in this JJ Green Market I swear you’ll drool for them—from clothes, accessories, shoes, to home decors, phone cases, and anything-you-can-think of.

We were also able to visit Patpong Market, but I still can’t get the idea of how unreasonable they are to foreigners. So, I won’t say a good thing about this place although it’s the place where I bought pasalubongs. Meh.

Honestly, I was frustrated before our flight because I wasn’t able to bring my DSLR camera. My brother failed to give it back to me on time. So I had to suffer from using my iPhone’s camera. Shots aren’t that good but meh, no one can turn back time. Sabar! Haha. I didn’t want to have a long write-up about Bangkok’s Bests and Worsts but it’s almost two thousand and five hundred words, let me end this with a twinfie of me and my bff Kdjchang. *wink*

[thetalkingrainbow]

Surigao Adventure

It took a little while for our final decision to be settled. From the group of fifteen, only seven of us came. The rest had acceptable reasons (*rolls eyes*) why they could not go with us. I knew they (or some of them) really wanted to come and it saddened me that circumstances didn't allow them. But a deal was a deal. Even if only seven heads turned up, we still pushed our plans on the go.

After having Dua'a, off we go to gear one. You can never go wrong with a dua'a! We were on the road by 11:50 of the night. We couldn't wait for another hour in order to follow the original time table. Dutifully, we settled ourselves in our respected roles. My insan Sai was the driver; a cunning one I must add. I never thought of sitting on the passenger's seat because I always consider it as the "death seat". Long story why. But that night, I was forced to do so. Voila, I was the map-reader!  On the second seat were Darling the DJ, Khalid the Snack Distributor, and Datu the Sleeper. The back row was occupied by our entertainers, Janjan & Aiman.

The first couple of hours, while we were on the drive, was spent on eating junk food, cracking jokes followed by laughter after laughter. As what Abbie said once, there are no dull moments when Darling and Datu are present. Our group are the bullies and the victims are ourselves. I tell you, you cannot imagine us when we are all together. We are so comfortable with each other like brothers and sisters, there is no room for awkwardness. As a team (in performing duties), we are serious individuals. But as a group of friends, we are the opposite. Anyway, as I was saying, we had joyous moments until all got tired and felt drowsy. The sleepy passengers took their Zzz's. I, the human navigator, had my eyes forced to stay open while my mind was near to dozing off. And the most critical one, the driver was battling with his snoozing cells. As a result, we once had a wrong turn to the wrong way. Yet Alhamdulillah, after five hours, the sun yet to appear on the horizon, we reached Hinatuan. One problem was: we couldn't search the exact location of enchanted river because of my struggles in connecting with the internet. Blame it to the low signal. We opted to go to the nearest poblacion to look for a restaurant. At least. But what we found was a bakery named Pan de Pena where we had coffee while waiting for the sun to blaze the sky. The 3G sign finally appeared and off we went to the first destination.

Hello to my first Maguindanaon friend who’s now busy working at USM. Wishing to visit Kabacan again!

HINATUAN ENCHANTED RIVER

The road to the enchanted river was an 8-km bumpy limestone road. It was fortunate we brought a Monterosport. Gosh, couldn't imagine where would we end up if we brought Sai's Innova. Anyway-- we were the first customers to arrive. As a matter of fact, it wasn't until 9am when the others arrived. Update: It is advisable to be very early like us because it gets jam-packed by 10am onwards and you can't feel the same serenity we had. Also, to avoid the crowd.   We paid an entrance fee of P30 each person. The cottage cost us P200 only. A life jacket was P15 each; only Darl, Dats and Janjan used them. A secret to confess: They don't know how to swim, unfortunately.

The river was undeniably enchanting. It's beautiful. The water was so clear and relatively pristine; the reflections of the trees made the scenery more delightful. The photos above do not give justice to its magical beauty. Its warmth was very nice giving me a sense of happiness and fulfillment. There were small fishes swimming with us. Magnificent. I'd wish to live in a place with such a beautiful river nearby. Ang ganda ganda ganda talaga! Guests with a maximum group of five can go on an hour boat ride going to God-knows-where. Sure thing is, it's to the other part of the river. We didn't avail because they won't allow a group of seven. Actually, the boat just couldn't. After hours of swimming, we changed to our dry clothes and ate our breakfast at the food stall outside the enchanted river. There were also pasalubong shops, aside from the food stalls, where I got a ref magnet. Yes, magnets! My collection.

The most decent shot we had despite the water drops covering the camera lens.

TINUY-AN FALLS

We drove another forty-five minutes to reach Bislig where Tinuy-an Falls is located. We had to endure another 15-km long bumpy road on the way to our second destination. Sadly, because of the rain the night prior that day, the falls was disappointingly brownish. And the torrent was too strong and dangerous we couldn't swim. It was hopeless for a human to withstand I think. But still, it's uniquely beautiful with its impressive height and width. The waterfalls didn't come pretty in picture but takes your breath away. This is one of the reasons to come back. Haha! We trekked 250steps to get to the second level of the falls which I must say was as beautiful as the first. We enjoyed the scenery before going back down until Sai and Khalid slipped and fell two steps down. It would be funny if Khalid didn't get hurt. Ha! Sissies!  Getting near the waterfall truly felt like being in a rainstorm which was why I had to keep my camera away and settled on the GoPro failed-shots. 

One of the diverse collection of the owners. I'm seeing Japanese dolls right there.

OCEAN VIEW PARK and INTERNATIONAL DOLLHOUSE

Ocean View Park Restaurant is not more than a kilometer from the highway entrance of Tinuy-an Falls. Prepare to witness a 180-degree view of the spectacular Pacific Ocean. Again, due to the rain, the ocean had hues of brown. But it didn't take the fact that the view was very nice and relaxing. Not to mention the restaurant had affordable meals for a popular dining area. Their chef was Italian. Or so we were told. We had fish curry with pineapple and banana for our lunch, which I didn't like. It tasted peculiarly sweet. And tbh, it's my first time eating a "fish" curry. Is it an Italian thing? We also had halo-halo which I happily devoured. Too sorry I have no actual food post because we were so hungry to take photos before eating.

Just meters away from the restaurant was the International Doll House. With an entrance fee of P20 each, we got to enjoy a fully air-conditioned house of collections while a tour guide informatively explained facts about the place, dolls, and owners (who turned to be foreigners residing Switzerland!). There were over hundreds of dolls inside the house arranged categorically. There were European dolls, babushkas, barbies, traditional Asian dolls, etc. coming from different parts of the globe. Honestly, they creeped me out. But it was amusing to know that some dolls were very expensive and unique. There were also ones with hairs of celebrities like Michael Jackson and Marilyn Monroe. Wow, right!

Did I mention you have to trek 250 steps as well to reach these two places? Haaaa. It was really tiring but worth the experience and memories.

It takes time to adjust to Sai’s driving skills, I tell you he’s a killer!!

By 5:01pm, we reached Mac Arthur's Place in San Agustin after an almost two-hour drive. Full story of our 21-hour-Britania-trip will be on my next entry. Fast forward to the afternoon the next day, we left for Davao. Since Sai was too tired to drive, I was the one tasked to let the engine roar for hours. Not to mention he let me drove past the curvy parts of Lianga Rd before he took the wheels off from me-- meh. Running 80-160kph on Daang Maharlika Highway to Davao City, we reached the city earlier than expected. As we enter the region, we had to slow down at 60kph and then 30kph at city proper because of the traffic rules in Davao. We made it to Abreeza Mall with our crawling speed limit and none of us had driver's license! Haha.

Desperate to eat good food, the group ended up at this Mediterranean restaurant called Al-Sultan Zabadani at the 3rd floor of the roof garden area of the mall. Some of us had Chicken Biryani and Makboos while Khalid whined for Malookhia which was, at that time, unavailable. I forgot what he ordered after his disappointment. Update: I asked him and he said he had Karkadeh, whatever that was. Sure thing, you never go wrong on a halal food place, do you? Their food was great and price-worthy.

At 9:30pm, the group left the mall and headed north to Digos then west to Kabacan where we planned to rest in Datu's home. I was silently praying of an accident-free drive and going turtley slow with just a maximum speed of 30kph while still in the city's jurisdiction. If not for my dead tired cousin, I won't dare to touch the steering wheel while in Davao. For legal reasons! But I safely made it to Kabacan thirty minutes past midnight. Darling was my map-reader while all of the boys were, well, enjoying dreamland. Note: I love the roads in Kidapawan City. I had traveled Marawi to Davao via Cotabato thrice before but it was my first time to notice the seemingly endless Kidapawan highway. Maybe because I was always asleep on board. Heh.

I woke up around four in the morning alert and in panic. We didn't plan to oversleep because I had a Reunion to catch on but as I surveyed my friends, they seemed to be more tired than ever. I roused them and we immediately left the place. We totally forgot to drink the native coffee we originally planned to have. I tried to sleep through our drive to Cotabato but to no avail. I was half awake until we reached Malabang's one and only Phoenix where we stopped and took a restroom break. There was a post-apocalypse vibe in the area where only a few cars passed by and few heads could be seen. It felt like having a stop in a gasoline station while zombies were chasing us. I badly wanted to sleep but the very swerving road to Marawi didn't help. In the end, I opted to enjoy the last hours of our road trip until we reached home.

Look at these zombies taking selfies in the middle of a highway.

Here ends the first part of our Surigao Adventure. I'm not sure when I will be able to post the second part but rest assured I'll try. Meanwhile, I will share some help-tips if you/your group wants to visit Surigao.

Research! If it's your first time, make sure to know where you will go and what route to take. I prefer our Hinatuan-Bislig-SanAgustin itinerary because it's more convenient (I can't think of the right word for it!). 

Have an internet connection and know how to read a map. I always use Swarm App when searching for a particular place. It's 90% accurate. If you get on the dot but do not see your destination, ask locals.

Bring a 4x4 car! Bumpy roads are unavoidable; I condole with the car we brought when we reached home. The carwash shop must have had difficulties cleaning it. 

Stock your car with foods and bottled water for the very long road trip.

Enjoy yourselves but never forget to ask Allah swt’s protection. You’ll feel invincible if you recite Ayaatul Kursii from time to time. Hihi. 

[thetalkingrainbow]

This Can Be Your Sembreak Plan

April 2, 2015 11:09pm I’m home and awake. I still can’t get over from the first (definitely not the last) summer trip I had this year. Guess the place– yes, it’s the beautiful Surigao del Sur! I drove to town just earlier this night and I felt nostalgic while holding the steering wheel. On our 57hour-travel adventure, if accumulated, I only had good twelve hours of sleep. 22 of that 57 was spent on the road. We travelled to explore some tourist spots of Surigao only to find ourselves hitting the highway to Davao City, then to Cotabato City and finally to Marawi City. Talk about my long-time goal to have an intense roadtrip with my friends. Now it happened. It happened too fast I wanna replay all those moments. In this entry, I would like to present the details I wrote on my planner and projections I made before the trip. Through an intense research and a long Q&A session with Google, projections were made possible. Of course, to compare and to clarify the real happenings, I would also present the actual itinerary we had and the actual expenses we incurred. Let the narrative description of the whole trip be left on the next entry.

VACATION PLANNER

Location: Surigao del Sur Dates: March 31, 2015 - April 2, 2015 Transportation: Montero; Diesel Budget: P2,500 per pax Companions: Team Tawakkal (Darling, Sai, Janjan, Aiman, Khalid and Dats) Accommodation: Mac Arthur's Place, San Agustin Surigao del Sur Souvenir List: Ref Magnets from all tourist destinations & I❤️Surigao T-shirt Places to Visit: Enchanted River, Tinuy-an Falls, Ocean View Park, International Doll House and Britania Islets Activities to Try: Island Hopping, Snorkeling Food Spots: Ocean View Park Restaurant & Paluto in Mac Arthur's Place Luggage Checklist: Umbrella, Flashlight, DSLR Camera, Extra Memory Cards, Go Pro, Water Proof Phone Case, Hat and Sunnies, Sunblock, Extension Wire, Chargers, Laundry Bag, Slipper, Tissue, Towel, Toiletries, Swimwear, Dresses, and The Giving Journal 2015

*We had gone to gasoline stations thrice. First was before we hit the road. Second was before we left Surigao and last was in Cotabato.

** Food includes our groceries, our coffee break at Hinatuan, our breakfast at the food stall outside Enchanted River, our lunch at Ocean View Park Restaurant, dinner and lunch the following day at Mac Arthur's place, snacks bought at a convenience store, dinner at Al-Sultan Abreeza Mall, and others.

*** We had a discount at the place because one of us are friends with the receptionist of the resort.

Update:

October 25, 2015

I happened to check my drafts and was surprised to see this un-posted when I actually finished writing this months ago. Too late but better hit the post button than never. 

Yours,

Mhyra 

[thetalkingrainbow]

It's not just a friendship goal but a summer goal to me. Hail to my MMA Buddy-- Darling! Yuhoo 🙌

[thetalkingrainbow]

Wedding preparation is a very demanding work. As what I wrote in my last wedding entry, there are several factors you should consider to have a successful one. But I forgot to include the most important one-- who to work with in the said preparation. Aside from your family, I suggest you seek help from your friends. Yes, your friends! Or anyone you're close with, one who knows you well. It lessens your troublesome concerns and you get to spend your last single days with them. Sounds exciting, yes?

Around two months before her wedding, she wasn't open to the idea of a fixed marriage. She wanted to walk on the aisle already but not on her wedding day, it's on her graduation day. She wasn't ready. But there was no room in declining her parents. For me, she is such a good daughter for coming into the same terms with them. If I were in her situation, I would move mountains in justifying my rights. No room for any bargain because I'm a bad daughter like that. Hihi.

Then she met her groom. There was no way to change her parents' minds so she opted to entertain her future husband. That was when she realized a lot of good things about him and started to accept him. She was wrong on her first impressions of him, after all. She then agreed to plan for her wedding, for her future.

As her friends, we supported her in almost everything. Surely we were excited as she was. We accompanied her in meeting Gil Macaibay, her gown's designer. Gosh she has a beautiful gown I swear.  We went with her during her fitting schedules. We roamed around the mall to buy this and that. We helped in making her customized invitation. We gave a lot of suggestions and tried negating hers when her "clumsiness" struck. We constantly asked her of any updates and if there was anything we could help on. We hosted a two-in-one event-- her birthday party and her bridal shower. We helped in making her prenup shoot successful. We were social-media supportive by posting the mysterious Calla Lily. And many others. In short, there was a teamwork. That was how friends work. That was how we stand as one in a good stead. There were struggles and hindrances but we remained strong. She remained strong. Every thing was a success at last.

And now she's married. Not just that, she's busy. She just earned a degree and is continuing to earn that three-letters she wants to add on her name. I can only be proud of this very strong and optimistic girl. I always admire her optimism on every thing she does. Congratulations, Angel. I know you're happy right now. But I miss you. I really do. Of course I love you. Always. Be a good wife, okay? And do good in review school, our future RRT! I'm a call away, in case you need me.

For her Prenup shoot, check my previous video entry. Credits to mommy Coco Tamano. 

[thetalkingrainbow]

2nd Day: Torch Parade

7th MSU-ILSAA Grand Reunion and Homecoming 

[thetalkingrainbow]

I am very grateful to Allah swt for the success of the Towards Peace 2015 event but I realized there are more reasons for me to be thankful. I learned a lot from such fruitful experience. Every bead of sweat was worth it. Every sleepless night was vindicated. Every heavy breathing from carrying plastic bags as I buy this and that was forgotten, even dismissed completely. The sense of fulfillment is wonderful I cannot fully grasp the right words to say. It’s like floating on a cloud nine. I must have been a good servant for my Lord to bless me with an amazing experience that I shall forever keep within my heart; it was an achievement, indeed.

But more to that, Allah swt blessed me with an incredibly good company. Through organizing the said event, I was able to gain a set of awesome friends. We are from different birth years, different schools, different tribes, and heck we have different attitudes. But those differences brought us to correspondence. This friendship I have with them is so beautiful my heart wants to burst.

I am very looking forward to volunteer on Dawah events like this. But my anticipation is more on doing it with them again. All for the sake of Allah swt. They are all amazing. Alhamdulillah.

I love you all solely for the sake of Allah swt.

[thetalkingrainbow]

It's out, it's out! Save February 24, 2015 for MamadxAmal's Wedding Day. Ahhhh. 😍  Her Bridal Shower, Prenup Shoot, and Wedding Photos will be coming to this page, inshaAllah!

One down again from my girls. Who's next? 😅

Credits: Coco Tamano 

[thetalkingrainbow]

Beautiful Island of Boracay

If you want to spend your December holidays in a tropical country like Philippines, think twice. For the recent years, September to January has been considered as the typhoon season because most of the destructive and deadliest tropical cyclones such as Yolanda, Sendong, Pablo, Pepeng, and Ondoy, occurred within these months. Not only does it destroy towns but mostly it shutdowns airports and seaports thus causes flight cancellation and an overall financial distraught to the country's economy. Of course, we cannot predict the coming of super typhoons but if you are planning a Boracay trip during this season, consider the most your safety. Besides, it's better to be safe than sorry.

I was supposed to travel with my cousin Eito and her husband but circumstances didn't side with them. Nizar got sick so they were forced to stay in Metro. I honestly thought I'd spend the rest of the holidays in Metro as well but my friends, who were so full of optimism, pushed through the Boracay trip. Due to unreasonably high airfares, we opted to travel via sea with 2Go's cruise ship stationed in Batangas which usually takes ten hours to reach Caticlan. Unfortunately, Tropical Storm Seniang made its landfall in Surigao the day we were to leave Luzon and by the time we were halfway to our destination, ocean waves were dangerously high that our captain had to hide us in Looc Bay, province of Romblon. Aklan, at that time, was one of the 15 areas under storm signal No. 1.

It was partly depressing that we got stranded on the middle of the sea and had to stay for 40hrs or so in the vessel; our itinerary was ruined. Also, the food serving every meal was limited to an inedible beef rice meal that I chose to overdose myself with cup noodles paired with crackers for the whole trip. I don't have good cooking skills but I bet all of my father's fortune, I can cook better than their chef. Haha. Kidding aside. But partly, the assurance of our safety gave solace to the situation.

When our ferry reached the port, we disembarked and went inside the terminal for the pump-boat ride to Boracay Island. I do understand that since it was a peak season, ports were jam-packed with tourists and long lanes were inevitable. That was why I forced myself to be patient. After all, I was visiting the best island in the world (according to International Travel Magazine 2012). If you're a resident of Aklan, you are only to pay for the ride to the island (P25.00) but since we weren't, there were terminal (P100.00) and environmental (P75.00) fees we had to pay. The ride only took us 10minutes. We hired a motortrike to take us to Station2 since our hotel was there. But since motortrikes cannot go to the beachfront, the driver dropped us at the main road entering D'Mall. It was just a five-minute walk to our hotel.

Boracay is beautiful; that's undeniable. The sand was so fine I cannot question the International Travel Magazine. I love the pure white beach and the aqua blue water even if the weather was gloomy. The coconut trees perfectly served as fringes of the beach and the stores/resorts. The busy beachfront street looks so lively with the spas, restaurants, hotels, bars, and souvenir shops all in one lane. For our first hours after few minutes of rest, we walked along the shoreline and enjoyed the sandcastles which were impressively built by the locals (mostly children). We also tried the shisha (halal!) in a beachfront restaurant which I forgot to take note of its name. Then there came the "chasing Marlon Stockinger" mission which we failed. He walked so fast that we lost him by the end of Station1. That was one hell of a running game.

We went back to our hotel to get a rest. 'Twas another long walk to the second station I swear. After our dinner, we prepared for the New Year's Eve. As what others say, a Boracay trip wouldn't be complete without a night party and there were massive ones going on around the island. We chose to spend the night at EPIC Boracay-- one of the island's premier hotspot. It was raining that night hence the raincoat outfits but the party went on. Do not ever think I had alcoholic beverages, because I didn't. Hehe.

Due to exhaustion, we woke up so late the next day-- the first day of 2015. And we spent the rest of the morning swimming in the crystal clear water of the beach, playing with the waves, and taking photos and videos. We had a very limited time to try all the rides on our bucket list that's why we only had helmet diving for the day, which took our whole afternoon time. But we enjoyed the said activity, except when they dropped us at Station3. Another long walk to station2 it exhausted the hell out of me. I spent the rest of the night with my cousins who live there. I had a big bag of souvenirs after that hoarding night. Alhamdulillah.

We left the island even before eating our breakfast the next day. That's one of the downsides of visiting Boracay during peak seasons; the goodbye process takes a long time because of the massive crowd on ports. But this may be avoided if you travel via an aircraft. Just be sure to purchase a ticket ahead of time because booking a flight on the same day will drain your pocket. That's if you're a budget traveller like me. Haha.

The most saddening part of the story is-- I missed the famous Boracay sunset because of the gloomy weather. I really wished to have a glimpse of those gorgeous hues as the sun descends in the horizon. But all I witnessed was a weeping gray sky overcasting the whole scenery. It was okay though. It's a sign that I have to be back on this island. Prolly on summer holidays. But not of this year. Hehe

[thetalkingrainbow]

The Volunteers' Summit

December 17, 2014

12:49am

The month is halfway done and I'm yet to update this page. To be honest, I'm writing just for the sake of keeping this page alive. I was undergoing a writer's block these past days that every time I tried starting an entry, I just spent a good hour of thinking how to begin the first paragraph. I always end up closing my iPad and resuming some other stuff I was busy of.

I wish to write every thing that makes me occupied nowadays but I just can't. I have a long train of thoughts that just peters out because I can't bring it off. Where do I start? Hmm. Let me focus on the December 6, 2014 event.

***

For weeks, I've been very tied-up with something. I still have time for my girlfriends but admittedly, I've been forsaking my studies. I know it's getting worse. But when I try to think of how important the thing I'm busy with is, I feel the consolation.

I had already booked my flight to Malaysia and Singapore when I came to know of his first ever visit in the Philippines. Unfortunately, my flight was coincidentally a day after his lecture. I don't want to sound defensive and explain myself but the bottom line is-- I chose my vacation over him. I am terrible. I'm mentally slapping myself for that.

But halt-- the idea that I missed a one time opportunity was wrong. Now,

Mufti Ismail Menk will be back!

And not only will I get to personally attend his lectures but I will also work to make these events successful. InshaAllah! I applied as one of the 200 dynamic volunteers and with Allah swt's will, I got accepted.

Here's one of the questions in the application form that I answered truthfully:

Please tell us your motivation to volunteer for the upcoming “Towards Peace 2015 – Cagayan de Oro” event?

It is a privilege to work for an event that will be surely a fruitful one, not just for myself but for the Muslim Community. I told myself, "If I've been taking active part on various activities which will not benefit me on the hereafter, why not on something that will please my Creator?". I see this kind of opportunity as a blessing. It is also exciting to work (again) with a group of dedicated muslim students who desire to help and serve our Ummah solely for the sake of Allah swt.

***

In line with the preparation of the main events on February 28 of next year, we conducted a summit for the 200 selected volunteers, and I was one of the facilitators of the whole program. For over a week, we worked round the clock doing a lot of things-- finalizing the official list of volunteers and designating each of them in their respective pre-work teams; layouting and printing certificates, brochures, tarpaulins, lanyards, IDs, tickets, posters and etc.; making the program flow; roaming the malls to buy office supplies and other necessary stuffs; preparing and decorating the venue of the summit; planning and preparing the foods to be served on that day; doing a series of meeting with the team; and many more.

The night before the Volunteers' Summit, the Secretariat Team had a working dinner with the main organizers of the Towards Peace 2015 event i.e. the Connect Institute team and Islam in Focus team both from Manila, and some respectable persons who are instrumental in making this event possible. They made presentations regarding Event Planning and Crowd Management. Then our Amier presented our plans and updates which, by the way, was constantly interrupted by series of nerve-racking questions from the organizers. I actually considered them as a

panel

. I'd been jokingly saying that if that specific group of people calls again a working dinner, I would file a sick leave. Haha!

The Summit was held in Capitol University's Mini Theatre (morning) and Multi Purpose Hall(afternoon). Before the program started, guests and participants were required to register and take their photos and tshirt sizes. They were given kits; each contains a notebook, a pen, a brochure, the printed copy of the program flow and the nasheed, a sticker, and others, During the morning session, the speakers gave inspirational messages and lectures; there were also a group of brothers who sang a nasheed and a brother who beautifully recited the Qur'an. So far, the feedback we received from the guests are all overwhelming. They inspire us to do more, all for the sake of Allah swt.

We had a boodle fight during lunch. Shoutout to my beautiful sister, Darling, for the good food presentation. There were roasted chickens, grilled fish, fruits, and some maranao delicacies. After that, they held a congregational prayer.

The afternoon session was more like a workshop with the volunteers. We practiced singing a Nasheed, conducted break-out sessions which include asking the participants of their expectations to the whole group and meeting their designated pre-work teams. We also distributed their certificates and asked everyone to write in the freedom wall a pledge of commitment before marking our 7x9 canvas with our handprints.

Needless to mention, there was a strict separation of men and women all throughout the event.

Heyyy! Here is the team whose dedication is immeasurable. In behalf of Muslim Youth Council, I thank the volunteers who worked and will work with us, and the organizers whose support and confidence are indeed overwhelming. But All Praised is due to Allah swt fro making everything possible and successful. May He guide us always especially in making the main events triumphant. Alhamdulillah Alhamdulillah.

And here's the official layout of our ID created and edited by Niko Albani and Coco Tamano, respectively. The two of them are the heads of Multimedia and Documentation team.

Some photos were grabbed from the official Facebook page of Towards Peace

.