Philippine Ad Congress

The few days I spent in Cebu for the Ad Congress was a blast, and a blast from the past! A veteran of only 3 ad congresses, the first I attended as a student volunteer, the 2nd only for the Araw Awards, its funny that only in a non-advertising company did I get to go as a delegate this time.  I ran into so many people from the industry, and the limits of my lousy memory were tested as I struggled to remember the names of a lot of people there ---  proof of my old age. The trip reminded me of things I missed, and things I am proud of...that my barely 3-year old career took the direction I wanted, as evidenced by the long lines at our trade exhibit booth also at the Waterfront where the Congress was held, the extravagant compliments I got from Ben's speech, MTV's tribute to our co-prod show in their speaking slot, and finally, people knowing what it means when I say I work in an online game company

Of course, ad congresses are never complete without the parties, and I got my fill hanging out with friends both old and new...

Going both to official Ad Congress functions like cocktails at Fort San Pedro, and unofficial congregations at Cebu's latest hotspots in Crossroads, with its dance club Vudu and billards-place Cues...

Drinking and dancing the night away (almost every night!) at new hotspot Formo...

Then a free day playing tourist at the Mactan Shrine, Magellan's Cross, a seaside sunset at Maribago Blue Waters.

Lunch at Sutokil and a dinner of Cebu lechon just made my last day better, but it was made more complete by a  stop at Sto. Nino Shrine (where I felt like I was in Rio de Janeiro) and offering a few candles in prayer.

Puerto Galera

How to get there: a 2-hour bus trip JAM Transit from Pasay passing through the very efficient Star Tollway, and not via the BLTB station which burned down in a fire 2 years ago --- that's how long I haven't been back to Galera. Then a 55-minute ferry (plus 30 minutes of waiting for passengers to load), MB Golden Hawk which deposits you straight onto White Beach. Wallet damage: P300 one-way.

Where to stay: Myra and Madelayns airconditioned rooms for up to 4 people for P1,200 a night. Would honestly have preferred the non-airconditioned beachfront cottages, but it was time to try a little more comfort for this trip.

What to bring: Cash, toilet paper and towels. Don't make Phil's mistake of thinking there are Boracay type accomodations on White Beach...he had to brave a 5-hour trip to Calapan to get cash from the ATM...and share a towel with his roomie.

Where to eat: Blue Marlyn's for a good corned beef breakfast, Ferdinand's Seaside Cafe for Banana-Peanut shakes, classic grilled favorites (and huge side order of flies--- urk), various seaside grills for great barbeque and Purefoods tender juicy hotdogs, some forgotten kubo-bar for the fabulous Mindoro Sling which sends you off to a deep and restful sleep and wakes you up way early in the morning for some serious sun-worshipping, and the best ever Italian pizza and pasta at Italian Corner Pizzeria on the main road.

What to do: Bake in the sun, ride a banca to go snorkeling in a nearby island, get a coconut oil massage, get hair braids, watch other people spend money on henna tattoos and banana boating, listen to live percussion and a great on-the-spot Spanish blues singer, take zillions of pictures of myself and camera-crazy friends, play with those crazy light wands, enjoy a beach bonfire, drink the night away and sleep far awaaaay from the city and reality.

What I learned: How to take good pictures of myself (thanks Pao!), the wrong way to put a hair braid, and a disturbing story about someone's past.

This year's Galera cast: Patrick, Karen, Boj, Phil, Pao, moi, Tricia, Trisha and Marj.

Hi Daddy

Ok, I know the picture's a little morbid to post, but I'm very glad that this year, after a longtime absence from daddy's graveside during the All Saints Day, the family trooped to the Sta. Cruz, Laguna cemetery to spend some time remembering someone we love very much.

He was born in India where they cremate the deceased, but he asked to be buried here becaused he loved the Filipino tradition of remembering the dead every year with a candle and flower fest. Sta. Cruz is where my mom's family is buried...when we changed our lifestyle it became hard for us to go back as often as we used to. I don't like the place, and don't really appreciate the people there, albeit for some good souls. This year, we made it a point to go back even it was difficult. I also fulfilled a promise to change the name on his grave to his correct name...Amitabha. The solution was temporary (just a few dabs of gold paint), but I think he was very happy that his three girls finally dropped by to do this. We also spent time together to buy flowers, arrange (along with Tita Vilma at her riverside house), bringing them to his grave, lighting some candles and saying a little prayer to say hi. After our evening meal on the 1st of 2 days we were there, my mom said she smelled flowers that she's only smelled when she was in India. I guess he dropped by to say hello too.

Don't Rain On My Parade

At last, the sun broke through the clouds for me both literally and figuratively. Its been dreary and raining over the last few weeks and I wanted to jump off our building when so many things fell through for what we'd been planning for ages. Rain on an outdoor event would've been the last straw.

But the sun came to party that day! The feat was made even more amazing by the rain all the way til 11pm of the previous night, and it started again soon as we closed shop at 10pm. Despite the mud, and the long weekend, so many people came. The reviews have been glowing, the program really got talked about. No matter what results we get out of it, I will always remember that.

In other news...I've been really happy lately, so much so that I'm stuck with a perpetual smile on my face. I had to go to mass last Sunday (for the 1st time in a while), for a big resounding THANK YOU.

Thanks to everyone who made the sun come out for me(yes, I'm thanking YOU too even if you don't know I mean you hahah).