So one day, I was so fed up, I left the clinic without saying a word. Hubby was angry of course, he called and asked me to come back. But all I said was “no I’m not and that we really have to talk when you come home”. Because of that talk, our relationship has flourished to heights that weren’t possible after we start the business. Our heart to heart talk was what made our relationship to what it is now versus what it was before. A hundred times better. Well anyways, concocting the ideal recipe to combine a thriving business and a successful marriage is not easy, especially when you work together, but it can be done with understanding and compromise.

I know that our business is very important but so our marriage and family too. Inspite of all the difficulties…I am still lucky to have a husband like my husband. Who listens to my litany of complaints, opinions and ramblings and takes my feelings into consideration. It was actually my mistake that I didn’t open my mouth and talk about what bothered me earlier ago. We closed this chapter of our life, but we are still working together in our business as TEAM. And we are also working on our marriage to keep the shine. We will keep working on our marriage and working through whatever challenges we would face in the future. There are no experts on marriage and it is not something we learn in a book. But something we must learn by doing over and over again…a practice we must adjust as our journey continues…

THE MAKEOVER

We went to Bali for our second honeymoon last Dec. 20 til Dec. 31. We stayed at Nikko Bali Hotel Resort and Spa in Nusa Dua for 10 days. Bali is lovely. It is one of the few places in the whole world that I would actually want to go back. There are stunning sunsets, sculpted rice terraces and a temple on almost every corner. And for less-spiritual seekers, this steamy Indonesian island also has great surfing and a rollicking night life.

Well anyways, natuloy din ako sa madaling salita. Hubby made it possible for me to travel but not by car but by plane. I flew from Schönefeld, Berlin to Basel, Switzerland and arrived on time in Freiburg for the Gala. There I met several familiar faces from good old days and people whom I did not expect na makakadalo doon like Mr. Andy Pador, the President of Bicol Varsitarian in Cologne. As usual, nadoon yong beso-beso at picture taking. Para baga kaming true celebrities (ngehehehe). But the real celebrity that evening was Archie or known as Matt Ranillo III with his lovely wife Linda Tupaz. He was invited to co-host the beauty contest show with Joyce. Joyce was a former fashion model in the Philippines and now an Ambassador’s wife. The Gala was successful and well attended.

It is a very long story mga kapatid kaya hindi ko nalang isulat ang mga detalye dito. I decided to let pictures speak for themselves this time, so that you can get your own impression.

With my compadre Reverend Luis, the President of Works of Mercy Association in Offenburg.

A stage pose with some of the beauty contestants.

An awardee? Nope hindi akin yan kundi sa kaibigan kong si Tessie (hehehe).

Ayan na sila…

With Linda Tupaz this time.

Past midnight na kaya some are getting ready for the Halloween.

This was taken the next day as we went to Baden-Baden

There is also weekly specials at Morey’s Piers. Mondays are “Magical Mondays.” Some random guests will be awarded prizes such as wristband upgrades, and most of all free food and games. Tuesdays are a “Time Special,” get there at certain times and you can receive All-you-can-ride wristbands. Kathleen was lucky and got one of the wristbands. Wednesdays are xtreme! Ride all the xtreme rides and then enjoy unlimited rides on all six roller coasters, though this one here is not necessarily for me. Thirty dollar Thursdays are were you can buy an All-you-can-ride wristbands for thirty dollars and then get free all-you-can-eat buffets. On Fridays for $30 is a waterpark special. And on Friday nights you can light up the night by riding under the Coca-Cola’s fireworks display!

My family really had a great great time at Morey’s Piers that we are planning to visit there again next year.

Actually, parang ayaw kong magdrive dahil I witnessed how people drives here. To be honest, it’s driving me crazy because they do not follow rules. But I was forced to do so dahil wala pang license ang brother ko.

The highway going there is not bad at all. I was even astound kasi talagang konkreto na ang buong kalsada from Davao to Butuan. Tapos kompleto pa nang mga road signs at meron pang safety barriers sa roadsides. Mangha talaga si Tita niyo! The highway was deserted most of the time and I was really tempted to speed up. Kaya lang, I was so afraid na baka may biglang tumawid na tikbalang o kalabaw na nakapastol sa gilid ng kalsada. So my speed was between 80 kmph lang to 100 kmph, paminsan-minsan 120 kapag ang daan ay safe to accelerate.

You surely want to know why your Tita Poorshya went to that ever kalayo na lugar. First of all, your Tita was born there, second of all, my lola (mother’s side)

and the rest of my relatives lives there and thirdly, 21 years na akong hindi napunta doon. Kaya, it was about time to visit my people na talaga.
Ang kasarapan kapag uuwi ka nang probinsiya, lalong-lalo na’t alam ng mga relatives mo. It always end up like a fiesta. May isang baka silang itinumba at pinatayo naman kinabukasan (hehehe joke). What I mean ay pinaghandaan nila ang aming pagdating ng tudo.

On that evening, Lola and I had a talk and somewhere along the line. Napag-usapan namin ang tungkol sa kanyang lupain. She told me na most part of it ay pinamana niya na sa mga Tio at Tia ko. My parents even got few hectares pero sayang nga daw ito dahil hindi nila Papa at Mama inaasikaso. She added na if gusto ko raw, I can also have a piece of farm lot if I promise to cultivate it. I was of course surprised and touched din siyempre noh dahil hindi ko akalain na ganun. Naku, si Tita niyo mukhang magiging magbubukid na yata mga kapuso.

The next day, we went to visit/survey the area my grandmother told me.

Nafagod sa kakalakad si Tita Poorshya niyo at lumawit ang dila hanggang lupa dahil sa sobrang init.

I am not really familiar how big is my grandmother’s farm. I only remember na noon when my grandfather was still alive. They used to plant sugar cane and tobacco on the upper part of their farm. Para itong cake eh na may tatlong layer or levels. Doon naman sa mid level, puro lang ito kape at cacao, at mais naman sa pinakababa. Now at present, everything has changed…they only grow coconut dahil daw less work and maintainance. Most part of my grandmother’s farm ay high grasses nalang ang tumutubo. Which I find “sayang”. Halos lahat kasi ng male relatives ko ay nasa city na or somewhere outside Butuan nagtatrabaho.

Now what to do with my piece of land? Well, I already have ideas in mind at may worker na rin akong kinampanya doon. I am planning to go back there para masimulan na ang plano ko. Ano yon? Hehehe, secret

Please click on image to view larger size.

Lovey-dovey nga ba o hindi? Ang makakasagot ay may premyong isang gatang na NFA rice.

At ano naman kaya ito? Hehehe, I am sure some lurker I know, will make an issue out of this.

And how about this one?

Pagkapos naming inumin ang cocktail na nagngalang Weng-Weng. Kami ay na weng-weng na ngang tuluyan…

Ang Reyna ay willing nang isuot ang robe na bitbit ko the whole time.

At nang siya ay makabihis na, pose doon at pose dito ang ginawa niya.

At eto naman ako, dahil sa ka weng-wengan…tumira na nang sayaw sa bandang gilid.

Habang ang Reyna ay nag-iba ang feeling. Feeling superman naman siya ngayon, wala nga lang costume.

Bahay kubo kahit munti…

Peek-A-Boo…

Au Revoir!

Zu Risiken und Nebenwirkungen fragen Sie Ihren Mann oder Metzger.

Rafting on the Davao River is an experience that is difficult to describe. Rafting the Davao River is truly an experience that you have to see and to believe. The scenic beauty alone is worth the trip, as you carve your way through towering mountains that are all covered by lush, vibrant green jungle. We even pulled into a small river cave at one point along the rafting trip.

But of course, the most amazing part of the trip was the rafting action. That is, after all, why we were there, and there was plenty of action and enjoyment amidst the white water waves. Pure Adrenalin! Pure Excitement! Pure Adventure!

And the adventure begun with a briefing…

At the end of the rafting video, we all loaded ourselves and our rafting equipment into a shuttle bus, with one raft and two kayaks strapped to the top, and began our journey to the put in point.

After driving for about an hour we reached the isolated community of Tamugan, Calinan, which was the landing point for embarking on the white water trip. Before going to our rafts, we received additional safety instructions. This started with simply making sure everyone had their helmets and vests properly secured, how to do “easy paddle”, “hard paddle”, “forward paddle” and “back paddle”. And told us that we should practice rescuing a person who fell off the raft.

And I feel my adrenaline before rafting has begun…

Click image to enlarge!

Click image to enlarge!

and we were allowed to drift… (click image to enlarge)

Click image to enlarge!

The lunch break…

And the watering in the water break…

Back to the rapids again, we paddled hard…

Click image to enlarge!

Until we reached…

the pull out point in Lacon. We had rafted 13 kilometers down the river’s rapids, nearly 10% of the river’s 163 kilometer length. (Click image to enlarge)

We were tired…but happy and crazier than ever! (Click image to enlarge)

Wanna watch it live? You are just a click away! (Please let it load first)
The NaughtyCats Gone Wild Water Rafting

Thanks to my travel consultant at Dial A Flight, who truly understands my needs. With just one call and I got my travel plans set. By the way, just for your information: Dial A Flight is a leading independent travel company in UK. Offering best priced flights to Australia, flights to other destinations, hotels and travel ideas worldwide. To get the travel information that you need, I recommend you to visit www.dialaflight.com. Dial A Flight’s website is your starting place to find the holiday of your dreams.

Ola amigas y amigos, Feliz Año Nuevo tardía! Cómo es usted or kumustamos ginamos o bagoong con pinitpit na bawang. Pagpasensiyahan niyo si lola niyo’t medyo hilo pa galing sa biyahe. Haay, I wanted to write an update since yesterday. I know there was more I wanted to write, but my mind just went blank (kuno). I think highland air is toxic for my “brain” kaya no wonder lalo akong na windang. So I’ll just write nalang whatever comes out of my mind and fingertips, hokay?

Before we left last Dec. 27, I planned to write something short about our vacation para at least hindi kayo magtaka kong bakit tahimik dito sa bahay ko. Unfortunately, naubos ang time ko sa pag-impake ng aming mga gamit kaya hindi ko na ito nakuhang gawin. Hindi niyo lang alam na kapag si lola niyo ang bumabiyahe…halos buong gamit ang bitbit. Kaya laging inaabot ng siyam-siyam sa kakapili, kakaisip, kakatingin, kakacheck at kakapalit nang di niya type dalhin. In short, sa sobrang kaartehan…siya ay natabunan ng mga abobot na sa bandang huli ay di rin naman pala nagagamit.

Well anyway, let me tell you where we’ve been. The diva of all divas Jing invited us to spend a few days at their vacation home in Ronzone, Italy.

Muntik pa kamong hindi matuloy dahil halos lahat kami dito ay tinamaan ng linshyak na flu. Sa tulong ng antibiotic at kong anek-anek pang gamot na aming nilunok, medyo bumuti ang aming pakiramdan. Medyo bingi nga lang ako at si Papa G. naman ay ngungo at kahol ng kahol the whole time. Can you imagine how it was while we were on our way to South Tyrol? Let me give you a sample scenario, like fafa G. asked me something. Papa G: Tinawagan mo ba sila ni Jing na on the way na tayo (ubo ubo ubo)? Sagot ko: Ano kamo ang sabi mooo? Inulit niya ang tanong niya pero pasigaw na: Sinabi kong blah blah blah! Sabi ko naman: Ay aba, huwag mo akong sigawan dahil hindi ako bingi noh! Sagot naman niya: Di ba’t sabi mo hindi ka ngayon (ubo ubo ubo ubo) masyodong nakakarinig? Me: Oo nga pero sobrang lakas naman sigaw mo…parang bulyaw ang dating. Papa G: Asus, bingi na sensitibo pa.

969.50 kilometers din ang dinanrayb namin at gabi na kami ng dumating dahil napadalas ang breaktime sa ka ji-jingle ni mader. We arrived in Bozen or Bolzano around 5:30 P.M and from there kailangan pa naming umakyat. I said akyat dahil napaka steep ng kalsada at tinalo pa nito ang zigzag road ng Baguio City. The more we get higher (Ronzone altitude: 3923 feet) the more naman akong naging bingi and Gillian started throwing up. Buti nalang at may discomfort bag kaming dala (nakaw ko pa yon sa Lufthansa 2 yrs. ago) orelse amoy asim na ang buong sasakyan. Finally, after the ascent from 262m to 1195m altitude, we get in sight of Jing and Charle’s place. What a relief! Akala ko papunta na kaming langit dahil it feels like ages driving the whole 24 kilometers from Bolzano up to Ronzone.

We went to Verona the next day…

where Gillian met Pinocchio…

The next day, si Kathleen naman ang pinagbigyan namin sa gusto niyang mag ski.

Habang kami ni Jing ay nagpictorial muna…

at siyempre nagpakuha din ako ng solo.

After the pictorial, we went up to highest part of the “ski piste”, but of course we took the ski lift at doon piktyuran din ulit.

The ski lift ride was great but nakakalula and as we reached the top, Charles suggested we walk down the hill. More than one hour din ang lakad namin. Si lola niyo na wala ng ginawa sa bahay kundi ang maupo sa harap pc ay napasabak sa kadilakad, kaya hanggang ngayon ay damang-dama ko pa ang sakit ng aking mga joints sa legs.

Our vacation was short but full of adventures and fun. From here, I would like to thank Jing and Charles for inviting us to join them in Ronzone. It was indeed an unforgettable vacation!

Let’s start with Berlin – the capital city of Germany. The lively city of Berlin blends historic charm with contemporary flair. The place features both historic and modern city highlights such as the Gendarmenmarkt, the Charlottenburg Palace (Berlin’s most beautiful plaza), the Brandenburg Gate, the symbolic site of the German division, the Olympic Stadium and many many more. The cultural attractions include theaters and museums. With the range and quantity of restaurants on offer, eating out is a delight. The Tiergarten is Berlin’s central park and covers an area of more than 630 acres. This is an ideal place to recharge. For your accommodation, Hotels in Berlin offers accommodation from every category. From budget rates to 5 star luxury standard hotel. Even accommodation in the lower-price classes has to meet certain standards, with compliance being monitored by the authorities, and so, at all events, a minimum degree of comfort can be expected. I strongly recommend Hotels in Berlin to book your holiday accommodation.

Our next and last itinerary is Vienna. One of the great capital cities of Europe, Vienna has been home to the rulers of the Austria-Hungarian Empire and masters of classical music. History, art and beauty oozes from every street corner and alley way. Discover St. Stephen’s Cathedral, enjoy the Vienna Woods, or a just stroll through the narrow lanes of this unforgettable city. Walk in the footsteps of the Habsburgs, visit the splendid baroque Schönbrunn and Belvedere Palaces, or stroll along the magnificent Ring Boulevard and take a look at the heart of the former vast Habsburg empire, the Imperial Palace. Get a sense of the luster and glory of the old empire by visiting St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the Spanish Riding School, the Giant Ferris Wheel at the Prater, as well as the sarcophagi in the Imperial Vault. Vienna has more to offer…whether it’s the trendy scene or athletic action, wooded leisure oases or great beaches, whether you want to get married in Vienna or visit the city with your family, discover the city on a bicycle, or enjoy a wellness program – you are certain to find what you are looking for in this multi-faceted city. Have I made you curious? Discover more and visit the place. For your accommodation Hotels in Vienna offers accommodation to suit your taste and pocket. I highly suggest you book your accommodation online in Hotels in Vienna. Lowest price guaranteed, I swear