White, Not Pink

Last Thursday night, I was in a mall waiting for my brother, when I saw this booth for a skin whitening product. I began reading its poster, which boasts of the wonders it will do to your normal problem areas:

* Underarms
* Inner Thighs
* Knees
* Elbows
* Areola
* Other dark spo...

Whoa! Did I just read Areola?! There is actually a demand for this?! When has this become a problem area?! I mean, why the hell would someone want to whiten their areola? Nobody would be able to know the difference! (Of course, I’m assuming that the user is not in the habit of showing off her bosom in public. But I may be wrong.)

I know Filipinos are very much into these products to get that fairer skin they’ve been dreaming of. But this? Madness!

And to think a very popular local actress is endorsing this product, and her face is all over the promo materials. Has she really used it on her so-called problem areas? I’m guessing she probably doesn’t know what areola means.

More First Things

This past week, I'm happy to report that I have done 3 more First Things. Er, note that I'm not really proud of most of these, but at least my First Things list is getting longer hehe.

First Thing #15 - See a male stripper in a bridal shower.
Scratch that. I think he was more of a male dancer than a stripper. He was merely gyrating to dance music in his tighty-whities. And he was even texting while dancing. Talk about multi-tasking! He had a well-toned body (of course), was tall, dark but not at all handsome. No amount of booze made him any more good-looking in my drunken eyes. I also don't get why he had to wear sunglasses at night ('80s babies, does the song sound familiar? Hehe.) My theory is, either he's cross-eyed or he's just ashamed of what he's doing. I'm so mean. In short, it's not what I expected of a stripper. (Do I hear a tone of disappointment there?)

How I got to this age without even seeing a male stripper is beyond me. I mean I've had lots of friends who already got married but I guess the shower parties I've been to were always wholesome. And I think I've also somehow avoided going to the parties where they hired strippers. I've always been somehow prudish in that sense. But after this, I realized it really was no big deal. If you know what I mean.. *wink wink*

First Thing #16 - Get puking drunk.
Ugh. It's disgusting, I know. I will never drink tequila again. EVER.
I mean I was doing fine during the party. I drank my usual tolerable amount of alcohol- 7 shots (at least) of tequila, and 8 or more shots of that gin/vodka combo. The actual count is still vague. I didn't have dinner, just some finger food, and I was also tired from the house-hunting during the day. I guess that did it for me.
When I got home, I was still able to change clothes, watch a bit of TV and then I decided to go to bed. After a few minutes of lying down, it felt like the room started to spin and that's when it happened. I was able to reach the kitchen sink though, so I didn't really make a mess. When I woke up the next morning, my stomach still felt queasy and it happened again a couple more times.
That really was a first for me and I promise that that would be the last. But it's just so embarrassing that I can't even maintain my drinking average now. Another downside to getting old.

First Thing #17- Work in Manila
Finally, something very mature! As mentioned in my previous posts, I have already moved here in Manila for work. I've lived here before but after staying in Cebu for quite some time, I'm finding it a bit hard getting back to the ultra fast-paced life here. Aside from being away from my parents and friends, I also had to let go of the comfortable lifestyle that I was used to. No more househelp, no more home-cooked meal, no more car, no more Wifi. I'm proud to say though that in one week, I've learned to commute to and from work by riding a jeepney, cooked breakfast for myself (just bacon and eggs, hehe), did my laundry, and did some house-hunting. That's a big feat for someone like me.

I hope to be making more First Things in the next few months, given that I'm in a new environment and surrounded by new people. Hopefully these will be more grown-up things and more age-appropriate. I'm certain too, that I'll have other (mis)adventures here in Manila, and for sure I'll share them all with you.

The Harrowing Experience That Was The FSO Exams

It's been more than three weeks since I took the panel interview and written exam portions of the FSO exam in Manila. Just goes to show how nerve-wracking and stressful the whole experience was, that I needed lots of time to rest and recuperate. I also needed time to look for my brain and regain the IQ points I lost in a span of one week, so I can come up with coherent sentences to tell you all about it. (That, and I was also busy preparing for my move to Manila.)

Since I passed the preliminary exam I took on my birthday, I was qualified to move on to the next stage, which was the panel interview. I was really anxious about this given that my last interview was for the UP LAE, which was very traumatic (not an exaggeration, but that's another story). Although, I was kinda hoping it's just for formalities' sake where they would only ask questions about what I do and why I wanted to become a foreign service officer. But what I was about to face was nothing short of paralyzing (yes, still not an exaggeration).

I was called in to a room (looked like a classroom) and was asked to sit in front of the panel- composed of an ambassador and two foreign service officers. I was like the new teacher facing my bad-ass students. For my work, I was asked these questions:

- What are the good ROP bonds right now?
- How about corporate bonds? (I was made to enumerate specific bonds for the first 2 questions)
- What's the difference between a UITF and a Common Trust Fund?
- If you were to invest the funds of the Foreign Service, will you invest them here in the Phils. or abroad?

Intense questions, but manageable. I mean, I'm supposed to know these things because they're part of my job. But the next phase of the interview was the piece de resistance of that wonderful day. I can't even remember how we got to this type of questioning:

- Do you think the presence of American troops in Iraq is justified? Do you think the war is justified?
- Do you think the war in Afghanistan is justified?
- How about the Ampatuans? Can the Americans just come in our country and fight them?
- In Saudi Arabia, you can go to mosques. In Abu Dhabi (Pardon me, but I can't recall if I'm naming the correct country) you can't go to church. Is that fair?

Sheeesh. I mean I expected the interview to be hard. But not this hard! Here's some of our memorable exchanges:

Amb: "If you file a complaint to the UN against Saudi Arabia, what do you think will happen?"
Me: "Sir, me personally?" (Hahaha! Dumb blonde moment happens to me when I'm stressed out)
Amb: "I mean the Philippines. What will happen if the Phils. files a complaint?"
Me: "Sir, there would be a strained relationship between the 2 countries"
Amb: "What do you think will be the immediate effect?"
Me: "Armed conflict?" (Hahaha, you gotta laugh at yourself sometimes!)
Amb: "Not yet. What do you think will be the effect?"
Me: "Safety of our OFWs in Saudi..."
Amb: "Correct. A Foreign Service officer must always think about his fellow Filipinos first and foremost. That's what you call prudence. What is prudence?"
Me: (jaw drops) "Um, right judgment?"
Amb: "Foresight, blah blah blah" (He was rattling off the synonyms of Prudence.)

Amb: "Compare the reign of Charlemagne with the current European Union."
Me: (I'm thinking Can I just die now?) "I'm sorry Sir, I'm not that familiar with Charlemagne."
Amb: "You mean you don't know who Charlemagne is?? Where'd you go to high school?"
Me: "At the Colegio de la Inmaculada Concepcion, Sir."
Amb: "CIC. You mean the Daughters of Charity didn't teach you about Charlemagne?"
Me: "I'm sure they did, Sir. But I just can't recall right now."

FSO: "How much do you earn?"
Me: "Gross?" (Hahaha! I'm such a comedian.)
FSO: "Sure."
Me: "Blah blah a month, Sir." (To this they all looked at one another and sort of gestured that it's a good figure. I totally disagree, BTW.
FSO: "Are you aware that you'll be earning less than that if you become an FSO? Are you ok with that?"
Me: "I believe, Sir, that if you really like what you do then the monetary benefits are not that important."
To this, they all gave me a standing ovation and presented me with the Hero of the Year award. Joke.
Amb: "I'm touched by what you said..." (Char!)

Anyway, that's basically the 'highlights' of the interview. I'm really not sure how I survived, or even passed. It was such an out-of-body experience, and I remember I just kept smiling the whole time but in my mind I was praying for the ability to Apparate. Even my co-examinees told me that my questions were really harder than theirs.

For the written exams, let's just say it was the most stressful 3 days I've had in a long time. My mind turned to mush after all that essay-writing. Every time I read my test paper, I mentally kick myself and bang my head for subjecting myself to this kind of torture. I won't be writing the questions here because this entry's getting really long. But if any one out there plans to take the FSO exams soon, let me know and I'll share them with you.

Alright, so that's about it. The results for the written exams are supposed to be out by October or November, but I'm really not banking on passing. However, miracles do happen and they might happen to me again :) By the way, this is my First Thing #14- Taking the FSO exams.

This Is It!

The time has come. By tomorrow, I will be living (again) and working in Manila. I'm excited as hell, but I am also (if not more) scared as hell.

It has been 8 years since I've lived in Manila last and I'm getting really anxious just thinking about how I'll manage living in all that chaos again. The traffic, pollution, stress, high cost of living -- are all giving me lots of sleepless nights.

I know that in the first few years I've stayed here in Cebu after school, I have always wished of going back to the hustle and bustle of the capital. I've felt that the Cebu lifestyle's too laid-back (read: slow and boring) and that I needed to get out.

But now, looking back, I've realized that being here in Cebu did me lots of good. Aside from being able to spend more time with my family, I was able to do things here that I never thought I would, and I have also met some of the most wonderful people I now call friends. I have become a true-blue Bisdak and Cebu has definitely become home.

And now that I'm leaving home, I'm saddened by the fact that I'm leaving lots of people and memories behind. I'm fearful of the unknown challenges ahead of me, but I am also hopeful of the new chapter in my life. As they say, no success or reward is achieved without any risk. But I know that He'll always be with me and will guide me to where I ought to be.

The PEN Story

The PEN Story from PENStory on Vimeo.

Very nice stop motion technique! I especially like the hot air balloon and parachuting part.

I wish I can come up with something as creative as this...

Soundtrack Sunday: (I've) Had The Time of My Life

I know that I've been gone for almost two weeks, but I had to be away and do some heavy-duty stuff related to this and this. I'll write a separate and more detailed entry on my very tiring vacation last week, but for now let's talk about Soundtrack Sunday on a Monday shall we? :)

I first watched Dirty Dancing when I was 13 or 14, and boy did I love that movie! School was out, I was home on a summer day and the movie was being shown on cable. It had the perfect formula for a summer movie- dancing, singing, and of course romance. Oh how I wished I was Jennifer Grey at that moment, dancing and romancing with Patrick Swayze... sigh. Nothing gets to me more than a guy who knows his way on the dance floor. Goosebumps!



Dirty Dancing defined a generation and I think people will remember this movie for a long, long time. Anyhoo, that's my memory of the song/movie. What's yours?

P.S. I wanted to post the last scene in the movie where they danced (I've) Had The Time of My Life. But I couldn't find a version which allowed video embedding. Also, I apologize if my ramblings don't make any sense (exactly why they're called ramblings, right?), that's because I left my brain in the auditorium of the DFA building last week. Can somebody pick it up and return to the owner please?

Soundtrack Sunday: Invisible Man

Warning: The next scene might make you puke.

I'm seventeen years old, sitting inside a VW Beetle, late on a school night. We just came from a play rehearsal and a friend (who also happens to be my crush) is driving me home.

We're talking about our current favorite songs and I bring up Invisible Man by 98 Degrees. He said he's never heard it and so I sing it to him. And I mean I sing it to him because I felt that I was the invisible woman... Yuck. Blech. Really cheesy, I know. You can't say I didn't warn you.



So that was my embarrassing memory of that song. What's yours?

Soundtrack Sunday: As Long As It Matters

Okay, after getting over the high from Germany winning the game against Argentina 4-0, (disclaimer: I don't watch football, I just want to know who wins hehe) the featured song for this Sunday is Gin Blossoms' As Long As It Matters.

Summer of 1995, when guitar playing was coolest thing, I decided to teach myself to play one. So I grabbed my guitar and a songbook and strummed my fingers off all summer long. As Long As It Matters was one of the first songs I learned to play, not only because it was popular, but also because it just had 4 chords: G D Em C. Imagine this: playing the guitar while singing like a rock star... how cool is that??



Don't ask me to play it now because I don't remember a single chord anymore. Like many of my artistic endeavors (playing the piano, ballet, drawing, etc.), this is another thing I have not followed through and finished til the end. Just goes to show how fickle-minded I am and how easily get bored with something. Maybe I have ADHD?

Anyhoo, that was my memory of this song. What's yours?

P.S. Happy Fourth of July!

Soundtrack Sunday: You Get What You Give

Sunday is here once again, and you know what that means- another episode of Soundtrack Sundays.

Our featured song for today is You Get What You Give by the New Radicals.

Rewind to 10 years ago. I'm still in college. It was a Saturday night (or Sunday morning already to be exact), I am in bed watching TV. I couldn't sleep yet and nothing's on except... (Baduy alert!) Walang Tulugan by Kuya Germs himself. Haha! Too bad if you're not Filipino because you wouldn't know this multicolored-tuxedo-wearing-starmaker-slash-TV host. He's been in show business for like a thousand years, and the time slot of his TV show (usually starts at midnight, I think) is an indication of where he is in the popularity meter.

Anyway, one segment of the show featured a music video (complete with lyrics ala karaoke) and that night it was You Get What You Give. I like this song because I think it gives out a very practical message. Nothing will happen to you unless you get up and do something. I remember feeling that the first 2 lines, 'Wake up kids, We got the dreamers' disease', were being sung to me. As usual, I was wishing and dreaming of great things happening in my life but have not necessarily taken concrete steps in achieving them. What's new?



So that was my memory of this song. What's yours?

P.S. I don't make a habit of watching Kuya Germs' show, ok. Just to make it clear.

Introducing: Soundtrack Sundays

For lack of anything new to do and write about, I've decided to start Soundtrack Sunday. Every Sunday, I'll post songs we've not heard for the longest time, and I'm hoping you guys share your memory of it.

I came up with this because I noticed that every moment of my life has a particular song associated with it. Whenever I hear a song, I remember where I was (literally and figuratively) when I first heard it and all the fond memories associated with it. So I thought, why not reminisce and write about old times through song?

Ok, so to start off, I'm posting here Solveig Sandnes' Marie. I remember I was 13 or 14 when I saw her video on MTV. It was the 90s and at that time MTV was the biggest thing. I remember I watched MTV for almost the entire day and I knew all the Top 10 songs by heart. Anyhoo, Marie was one of them and I remember hearing it always made me smile. It was, and still is, my song for my sister.



I tried to look for the original video, but apparently not a lot of people remember this song, so I couldn't find one.

So if you're one of the cool people who have heard Marie, 'Where were you when this
song was famous?'

The Great Procrastinator

Here I am at quarter to midnight, with the laptop on my bed, trying to compose an essay on why I want to become a Foreign Service Officer and why I should be one. And as usual, when presented with an all-important task, I get stuck and I procrastinate.

This always happens to me. In college, when we were required to turn in term papers, I usually spend hours and hours in front of the computer just to finish a one-page essay. Why? Because after every few sentences, I stop to play Solitaire. My excuse was that I need to take a break in order for my creative juices to start flowing. Whatever. I knew I was only kidding myself.

So now, I find myself in the same predicament, but with an all-new diversion: the Internet (well, more specifically Facebook). My excuse now is that I need inspiration. Total Lame-o, I know. But not totally un-true as I'm trying to dig deep and find the real reason why I'm doing this.

Anyhoo, so in my mindless FB browsing, I came across an old message a friend sent me. I think re-reading this brought me more distraction than inspiration. Just read on.

If A Man Wants You
If a man wants you, nothing can keep him away.
If he doesn't want you, nothing can make him stay.

Stop making excuses for a man & his behavior.
Allow your intuition to save you from heartache.
Stop trying to change yourself for a relationship that's not meant to be.

Slow is better.
Never live your life for a man before you find what makes you truly happy.

If a relationship ends because the man was not treating you as you deserve, then heck no, you can't be "friends."
A friend wouldn't mistreat a friend.

Don't settle.
If you feel like he is stringing you along, then he probably is.
Don't stay because you think it will get better.
You'll be mad at yourself a year later for staying when things are not better.
The only person you can control in a relationship is you.

Avoid men who've got a bunch of children by a bunch of different women.
He didn't marry them when he got them pregnant, why would he treat you any differently?

Always have your own friends separate from his.

Maintain boundaries in how a guy treats you.
If something bothers you, speak up.

Never let a man know everything.
He will use it against you later.

You can not change a man's behavior.
Change comes from within.

Don't ever make him feel he is more important than you are... even if he has more education or in a better job.
Don't make him into a quasi-god.
He is man, nothing more nothing less.

Never let a man define who you are.

Never borrow someone else's man.
If he cheated with you, he'll cheat on you.

A man will only treat you the way you ALLOW him to treat you.
All men are not dogs.
You should not be the one doing all the bending.
Compromise is a two way street.

You need time to heal between relationships.
There is nothing cute about baggage.
Deal with your issues before pursuing a new relationship.

You should never look for someone to COMPLETE you.
A relationship consists of two WHOLE individuals.
Look for someone complimentary... not supplementary.

Dating is fun... even if he doesn't turn out to be Mr. Right.

Make him miss you sometimes.
When a man always knows where you are, and you're always readily available to him-- he takes it for granted.

Never move into his mother's house.
Never co-sign for a man.

Don't fully commit to a man who doesn't give you everything that you need.
Keep him in your radar but get to know others...

---------
Just an update. I have not finished what I was supposed to write until now, and it's already past 12:30am on my watch. See? Even this post took me almost an hour to write. Sheesh.

Fave Song of the Moment

This song makes me smile in the mornings and want to skip along on my way to work. Imagine that!

Sinking Feeling

Lately, I've realized that I've been looking at the world through rose-colored glasses. I've always thought that everything's fine with the world and nothing could go wrong. Call it naivete or plain stupidity, but I thought that if you don't think of or face a problem, it doesn't exist.

So when reality bit me, it bit me hard in the ass. This rude awakening felt like I was helplessly falling into this sinkhole...



I really don't know how I'm going to get out of this mess, but I'm praying I get out of it soon. Hopefully unscathed and much stronger.

Why May 27 Was a Good Day

This is one of the reasons why my 30th is officially the best birthday ever!

Now, off to an intense 2-month review session...

Simple Joys

- Laughing so hard it makes me cry
- Making people laugh
- The smell of coffee
- Long comfortable silences
- Waking up Sunday morning to sikwati, champorado or taho
- Sleeping in
- My pet dog welcoming me home after a long and tiring day at work
- Finding extra money in my pocket
- Bookstore air
- Popping bubble wrap
- Singing out loud while driving
- Watching Friends reruns
- Hearing my favorite song being played on the radio
- Listening to the waves of the sea
- Receiving handwritten letters
- The sound and smell of rain

Zip. Zilch. Nada.

I'm having a literary dry spell. I can't seem to think of any thing to write about. Just goes to show how boring my life has been lately. No happy/exciting things, no life-changing news (there is actually, but I choose not to busy myself with it yet as it has not fully sunk in. I still have 2 months to go anyway.), and no First Thing too.

I hope things pick up in the next week before another month ends. Sigh.

Daily Affirmations

Lately I've received news about some major changes that's about to happen in my life. And with the news came feelings of anxiety, insecurity and self-doubt. (Although I think I am much more excited than worried, about the prospects of doing new things in a new environment. Yehey!)

I guess I have a few things to learn from this kid. I should start doing this tomorrow morning, haha! :)

I Got Inked (and Irked)

The whole family was up by 5am as we were all raring to vote. We got to the school by 6:30am and noticed there weren't many people there yet. I got priority number 17, so that's not so bad, I was still included in Batch 1.

By 7:30am, our batch was called inside the room and I felt relieved because I thought we didn't have to wait that long. Apparently, we still had to wait until the teachers brought out the ballots from its sealed box, while the pollwatchers, well, watched. Voting was supposed to start by 7am but the teachers had to wait for the pollwatchers (each political party sends its own pollwatcher/s to every precinct) before they open the ballots. This already irritated some of us, because isn't it their duty to come in earlier than the voters and all the preparation should have been done before any of us got there? My dad says sometimes it's their tactic- to come in late, which subsequently delays the start of voting. Nice.

But this was still tolerable. After a few minutes, Voter #1 was already called. It took the teacher-in-charge (who I'll refer to as T1 from now on) several minutes to give her the ballot. Same thing happened with the next 3 voters. Thirty minutes have passed, and only 5 people have been given ballots! And, once a voter is done, it's still T1 who assists him in feeding his ballot to the machine. A few people (mainly members of my family, hehe) voiced out their protest to this very inefficient process. I mean, why would it take several minutes to hand out a blank ballot? And why are the other teachers not doing anything?! Their answer? It's the COMELEC's process, T1 is the only one who can go near the PCOS machine. T1 even retorted, we have different lists to check as you belong to different precincts so "di na madali-dali" (this can't be rushed). Pardon my French, but WTF?!

Then, to make matters worse, the lovely teachers decided to prioritize the senior citizen voters. (I'm sorry, I love teachers, but this is one instance where I think their common sense was thrown out the window) Once a voter from our batch is done, they let one senior citizen in. This delayed handing out of the ballots even more. This is in no way to disrespect our elders, but I just think this is not fair. We have made an effort to come in really early so that we can finish early, shouldn't the 'first come first served' rule apply here? It's not as if the people they called in were ailing. My mom blew her top when an elderly couple (of good health, mind you. They just had the good fortune of being 60 years old) was let in, even after we complained of the long wait. She said that if they were really prioritizing senior citizens, why didn't they let the old man included in our batch go before all of us. He was older than they are and was even having a hard time walking.

Amidst all the chaos, the school principal (I think) finally stepped in and told T1 to just hand out the blank ballots and she also asked one of the other teachers to help in checking the voters' names on the list to speed things up. This caused everyone in the room to applaud. In hindsight though, I think that handing out the ballot prior to checking a person's name on the voters' list is a bad idea. What if, after feeding the ballot to the machine and getting a confirmation that your vote has been counted, your name is not on the list? Would it invalidate the rest of the votes?

Anyway, I finally got to vote and was finished by 8:30am. It took me a mere 5 minutes of the whole 2-hour ordeal to shade the 'bilog na hugis itlog' beside my candidates' names. Now I understand why some people get frustrated and just opt not to vote. The heat, the waiting, confusion and chaos are probably too much to take. But for me, after all I've been through, I would still gladly do it all over again. I think this is just a small sacrifice that every Filipino should make to show one's love for our country.

And oh, before I forget, this is my First Thing # 13. It's my first time participating in an automated election, and my first time voting in Cebu.

Oh my vote!

Election Day is just a few hours away, and I can't help but feel anxious for my country.

This is the first time we'll have an automated one and problems have been surfacing even as of this writing: machines not working, power failure, and security threats. Despite these, the COMELEC has assured the public that it's all systems go for tomorrow. I sincerely hope that they are right.

But amidst all the brouhaha, what gives me hope is that I think Filipinos are now more concerned with our government's future. More and more Pinoys are making themselves aware of our country's issues and are being less apathetic to our current situation. I know of people my age who will be voting again after a long time,(myself included, as I have not voted for the last 3 elections. Yes, I am very ashamed of this.) or for the very first time, and I take this as a very good sign.
I say, awareness is the first step to making positive change.

Others have even taken on a more proactive stance by taking to the streets and campaigning for their bet, by sharing vital information about each candidate and help us make informed choices, or by simply wearing their candidate's color. I have never seen the country, since the 1980s, be filled with people who wear
their political hearts on their sleeves. And I think this is the beauty of democracy. Every one is entitled to make their choice, and not be condemned for making that choice.

So I'm urging every one reading this to please pray for our country. May our democracy be protected, and may this election bring out only the best in everyone. May peace reign throughout the country and from this, may the rightful leaders we need and deserve emerge victorious.

Up in the Air

The next set of my First things have one thing in common- heights. After doing these, I had a sudden realization that I might have been more of a bird than a fish in my past life. Other than the fact that I do not know how to swim, maybe the reason why I'm more comfortable in the air than underwater is that I love the adrenaline rush! I just love that funny sensation I get in the pit of my stomach when I lean over the edge of a building or how my knees get a tad bit weaker when I imagine myself falling off a cliff. I don't know, I'm just crazy that way.

Anyway, here are the blood-pumping things I've done lately, in chronological order and degree of difficulty, hehe.

First Thing #10 - Do the Skywalk and Ride the Edge Coaster.
These two attractions have been here in Cebu for like two years or so already, but I have not really gotten around to doing them until last month.

My friend and I went there in the evening, which I think is a good idea if you're a bit of an acrophobe because you don't see much down below and you're distracted by the beautiful night lights of the city.

Between the two though, I prefer the Edge Coaster because it gave me more thrill (and more laughs too, because my friend kept shrieking the whole time!). In Skywalk, you basically walk along a glass path on the side of the building and pose for some pictures. That's it. But with the Edge Coaster, you're seated in a coaster at the edge of the building (I wonder where the Edge Coaster got its name) and you can tilt this to like 55 degrees or something so you can see the busy streets below you. Exciting!

Good thing I did these before the next two things. Else, I would have been sorely disappointed. You'll see why.



First Thing #11 - Ride the Suislide.
A few friends and I decided to go to Bohol last weekend to go on an extreme adventure. We've planned this trip for months and the 3 main activities on our agenda would be the Suislide, the Plunge and caving.

I have tried the zipline before so I wasn't too keen on taking the Suislide. I mean I didn't get scared or anything, I just wanted to try something new that's why I had my eyes set on doing the Plunge. But when we got to E.A.T. Danao, I found out that it's not like the usual zipline where you're in a seated position and hold on to something that looks like a bike's handlebars. Instead, you'll be hanging facedown and travel from one hill to another (think Superman). Now, who would resist the chance to be able to 'fly' for even just a few minutes? Not me!

The ride was more relaxing than scary. Since you're just lying facedown, you get a bird's view of the hills, trees, and the river below. I think anyone, even the faint-hearted, could do this. If you're really scared, you can do this with someone since it can allow 2 riders at the same time. But I suggest you do this alone. Superman trumps the Wonder Twins, right? ;)



First Thing #12 - Take the Plunge.
All I can say is, this is the best ride yet! Nothing beats the heart-pumping and head-throbbing adrenaline rush you get from being dropped from the edge of a cliff with just a harness stopping you from falling to your death.

Okay, okay, that was a bit of an exaggeration. The Plunge is safe as safe can be and the operator guys look like they really know what they're doing (thank heavens for that, right?). So, if you can get past the fact that you'll be hanging and swinging from a few thousand feet above ground, then this ride's for you.

The Plunge is some sort of version of a bungee jump. They put the harness on you, and then you're asked to walk to the edge of the plank and sit down (pretty much like how the pirates make their captives jump off the ship). Then you're slowly lowered to a couple of feet (you can do this in a seated position or head-first and upside down), then dropped to a free fall, and finally swung like a pendulum.

I must say, this gave my lungs the much-needed exercise and I was able to finally release some pent-up emotions. The free fall was the best part for me because for a split-second you wonder what would happen if the harness broke and you actually fell down to the ground. But before you can push the image of your mangled body out of your head, you find yourself already swinging and shouting like Tarzan. Aaaah-aaah-aahhhh!!!



Hopefully these four things are just warm-up for my ultimate goal: skydiving! I'm really praying that the universe (and my wallet!) conspires with me on this one, and let me do this before I get too old or too scared.