Travelogue: CDO Rafting

The last time I was here was more than 10 years ago and even then I fell in love with this city. It wasn't too large nor too small for my taste. And even now even with more traffic it still offers the perfect mix of city and outdoor living. You get many shopping malls, an active night scene but still enjoy fresh air and cool breezes. Just a few minutes commute and you have beaches, rivers, mountains and streams.

During the years Cagayan de Oro City "the City of Golden Friendship" has become a tourist destination. Among it's more popular draws are the longest dual zipline in Asia and the white river rafting. Technically both aren't located in Cagayan de Oro but rather in the adjacent province of Bukidnon but CDO serves as the staging point having the nearest airport.

The white water rafting is a must for those visiting CDO. There are already about 6 rafting organizers that you can contact. During our visit, we made arrangements with Kagay. There are 4 levels of rafting difficulty you can choose from: beginner, advanced, and 2 high level options. They differ in the roughness of the rapids. Even if it is your first time I strongly suggest that you skip the beginner and take the Advanced course.

Kagay offers the Advanced course at P1300/head which includes transportation to and from the river. If you are travelling in a party of less than 6, I suggest you make your reservation in advance and schedule it during the weekends since there has to be a minimum of 6 persons on a raft. The Advanced course consists of 24 rapids along a 16km stretch of the Cagayan River which will take you about 4 hours to complete. For an additional P300 you get an additional guide to serve as a photographer - this is highly recommended because you'll want to have many remembrances of this experience.

Make no mistake, this isn't a sightseeing boat ride. This is an authentic rafting experience and even though every safety precaution is taken, expect the possibility of minor injuries or bruises especially if you fall off the raft, or if your raft capsizes... and expect to get very wet and cold. (Of course it wouldn't be as memorable if no one falls off).

The tour starts with a short briefing on what to do if you fall off the raft, when to paddle and other instructions. 2 guides go with your group on the raft while the photographer (which you really should get) takes a kayak and goes ahead.

This alone makes it work the trip to Cagayan de Oro and it would be a sin not to experience this if you haven't been rafting before. I should know - I fell off the raft and I now know how important "Don't Panic" really is when you're in the water.

PS: for maximum enjoyment go during the rainy season when the river swells and the rapids are larger and the current stronger :)

Making the Most of Time

I read somewhere that 50% of marriages end in divorce. I wonder how many relationships the husband and wife had to go through before they eventually ended up getting married... and then divorced. I guess a successful relationship has an even lower chance of succeeding than a marriage. But that brings up the question: what is a successful relationship?

When marriage is not an option, how do we know a relationship is successful? Is it simply as long as they're together it's successful?

Given the odds, it's almost a sure thing that a relationship will fail. Still we go into them hoping against all odds. But for those who don't believe it'll last, why go into in the first place?

But maybe most of us have to accept the fact that things may not last. But then shouldn't that push us to make the most of it while it lasts?

Make every day together count, make every fight a lesson learned, and every occasion a celebration.

Water Rationing

water supply has been going from poor to bad for the past few days. The local water company blames the lack of rain AND the fact that 56% of their supply is wasted because of leaks and illegal connections.

They knew about the problem years ago.

Brownout

It actually is a welcome break - this loss of electricity. I'm forced just to lay down and relax. If my cellphone batt gives... Then I'll be pissed :D

World of Warcraft

In case you've been wondering why I've been so silent, it's because I've been swallowed by the World of Warcraft. It's an ongoing experiment in sleep deprivation also.

The only stories I have to tell right now is how my priestess is struggling to move up in a world where tanks don't appreciate her.

:D

Sleepless

It was by accident that she saw the sign to the clinic and by compulsion that she decided to come in for consultation instead of going to her usual doctor. She looked as if she had the whole world on her shoulders, and maybe she had. She appeared in her 60s even though she was just in her early 40s.

I haven't been able to sleep for the past couple of days.
I conducted the usual history taking and she admitted that she was going through a tough time for the past couple of weeks. We never went into the details but it seemed to involve her grandchildren. She was fighting back tears when she admitted that it was her worries that prevented her from getting much needed rest.

It was one of those rare instances where sleeping pills were needed. But I told her that the best remedy was to get away from the problem for a couple of days and gain a new perspective on how to deal with what was troubling her.

She took the prescription for the pills and left.

After 2 weeks she was back. Her face was brighter and she didn't appear as tired as when I first saw her.

I stayed with my sister these past few days and I'm sleeping much better even without the pills.

She felt she had gathered enough energy to go back to her home and deal with the same problems as before. There were still the same problems and she still didn't know how to solve them. But she had a more positive outlook now.

Those few days away gave her some breathing room to think and reassess how she could deal with things.

But just in case, she asked for another prescription for the sleeping pills, just in case...

Loyal or Faithful?

A faithful person doesn't have time to get attracted with others. Her/his attention is exclusively for the one he/she loves. A loyal person still gets attracted to others, appreciates beauty, flirt in some ways. But at the end of the day, a loyal persons knows where his/her heart belongs.

Forgiving AND Forgetting I

The 1st ever automated elections in the country has just been concluded and most of the winners have been proclaimed. Noynoy Aquino will be the next President of the Philippines.

He is the son of former President Corazon "Cory" Aquino,  who was a plain housewife until she was swept up into politics when her husband (and Noynoy's father) Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr. was assassinated in 1983 by the alleged order of then dicatator President Ferdinand Marcos.

Cory ran for president in the elections of 1986 and won despite rampant cheating. But Marcos overruled the election results and declared himself as the winner. The following turn of events led to millions of people flooding into the streets of EDSA in what would be known as People Power and overthrew President Marcos and his 20-year dictatorship and billions of $$$ of the country's money in their bank accounts.

Cory was proclaimed president. She had no political experience and the country suffered from the poor advice that was given by her Cabinet but still, it was she who was the reason the country was free from the dictator.

Fast forward to 2009 and 3 presidents later. People sick and tired of the corrupt government, Cory, living a private life but succumbing to colon cancer died in 2009. Suddenly the spark of unity that brought People Power and was long thought gone was rekindled. Thousands if not millions of people lined the several kilometers of roads from the church where her wake was held to the cemetery where she would be buried. The whole nation paid tribute to the lady who brought democracy back to the Philippines...

... and then these show of massive gratitude gave some people the idea to persuade Cory's son, Noynoy to run for president in the just concluded elections. He didn't want to nor did he plan to. But maybe the pressure was too much that he agreed to run for president.

Like his mother, it really appears that he has the Nation's best interests in heart. But like his mother he isn't really experienced (even if he already is a senator). Maybe if it was a dictator he was running against, his relative inexperience would not matter. But restoring the image of a democratic but corrupt government needs more than a good heart.

For the first time, there were presidential candidates who needed to change the country but the people used their hearts and not their minds.

Maybe we made the right deciscion, Maybe.

The Stereotypes

I just got back from a 4-day medical mission in a province north of Metro Manila. It was my first time to meet most of the members of the team and I couldn’t help but observe and classify the guys who were there.

the ALPHA MALE BORN LEADER- this guy takes the lead naturally and has everyone in the palm of his hands without even knowing it. His charisma and charm (it doesn’t hurt that he’s physically attractive) is so strong that male and female alike follow his lead. Even kids and those a lot older than him are taken by his charm. I have no idea how he does it but somehow he manages to make time for everyone, moving from circle to circle like a politician on the campaign trail, and no one feels left out. He even manages to help out on the smallest requests. Our host described him as an open book but I disagree, despite somehow being able to have time for everyone, he strikes me as being aloof someone or hiding something. But maybe it really is just lonely at the top.

the JOKER - unlike the nemesis of batman, this guy isn’t always laughing or smiling. Yet, even with a straight face, he manages to get everyone laughing with his comments. He even gets away with what would normally be considered rude and sarcastic remarks without anyone feeling hurt.

the CLOWN - maybe 2nd to the alpha make in charm and charisma, this guy’s jokes may not be as funny as the joker’s but the combination of his jokes and antics draw people to him. And his baby face lets him get away with almost anything.

the THINKER - maybe the eldest in the group. He has seen a lot more in life than most of us. He manages not to be aloof yet is quiet and reserved. He has this aura of mystery that people are drawn to him because of curiosity.

the GEEK - is the guy who already has very thick glasses and yet has to hold things very very close to be able to read and see them properly. He has the typical gait while walking - the upper body seemingly pulling the legs and feet. He talks about intellectual stuff like world history. And he is oblivious to people around him making him appear self-centered.

the LOVESTRUCK guy - the only one patient enough to put up with the geek. Is always after advice on how to impress the girl he’s infatuated with. Seems like puppy love to me.

the NO-NONSENSE guy - is a bit less quiet and reserved than the thinker but is easily irritated by time-wasting activity. He’s always straight to the point.

the WORKER - muscular build, few words and always gets the job done without complaints. Yet he’s the one whom I think notices my irritation with the last guy:

the CLUELESS guy - is absolutely out of touch with what’s going on. He tries to be funny but has no idea that his comments are jokes are neither funny or harmless. His timing is always off. So is his pitch. Yet he has no idea how annoying he is.

A Working Democracy

This past May 10, 2010 about 40 million (out of an estimated 90 million) Filipinos went to polling precincts and cast their votes for the person who would lead the country for the next 6 years.

It was the first election where I, and most people really felt the need for change. We are all tired of the present government. Even the media has taken steps to encourage people to vote.

It was also the first time I can remember that there actually were candidates who were worth voting for and not just the usual ones who appealed so popular sentiment but had no brains for the job. This time there were candidates who actually had concrete plans for the country.

Another thing that made this day important was that it would be the first ever automated elections. The automation process which started months ago has been criticized several times and I still think that those in charge were either very stupid or very cunning. This election would test that.

 

We got up early and walked through streets filled with propaganda material to get to the precinct early and be able to vote. It turned out that the automated elections were somehow causing the rather technologically challenged public school teachers to be over vigilant and were rather rigid in the voting process. Lines of people stretched out. It took us 4 hours to vote!

 

Here is the controversial PCOS machine which would read the ballots and transmit the results to a central server for tallying.

We made a choice and I think the results show whom the people really voted for (a 7 million lead). Unfortunately, it turns out that we are sore losers. Facebook and Twitter are starting to fill up with with negative and even uncalled for comments for the next President even if he hasn’t even taken his post yet.

How easy it is to forget that we are the ones who chose and yet we are already washing our hands of the mistakes he hasn’t even made yet. We still have a lot of growing to do. But I believe that the future is a bit brighter already.

The Filipino Isn’t Stupid

… but it seems we still don’t know how to properly address our concerns.

On May 10, this country will be having it’s National Elections. It will also be the first ever automated elections the country will (maybe) have. During the past months, the media has reported on the PCOS machines provided by the group Smartmatic, the printing of ballots and everything else about the planned automated elections.

And yet, there have been several problems along the way, problems that an IT group like Smartmatic should have seen… problems that seem impossible to have been overlooked by the company [unless it was intentional].

The Commission on Elections [COMELEC] is the government agency in charge of the elections and yet they don’t seem to have an idea of what is going on, except what Smartmatic tells them.

Same goes for the media – for all their claims of unbiased, fair coverage, none of the major networks have provided their own independent IT expert to point out or at least explain to the people why we should or should not believe Smartmatic and/or the COMELEC.

And today, just 6 days before the elections another problem has been found – the Compact Flash cards of all the PCOS machines are not properly programmed so they all have to be replaced.

1. This should have been seen weeks ago during testing.
2. It can be seen as a way of manipulating the results
3. why does a machine with so many supposed security features have to use REMOVABLE memory cards to store its programming AND results???

And now they say that it’s to late to ask the COMELEC and Smartmatic to be responsible; and that all we can do is to be vigilant during the elections…

Good luck with that! At least during the manual counting, people cheated with brute force by bring guns and goons… and Filipinos died (in vain) trying to protect those ballots. But how are we going to try to stop electronic cheating?

The media is the only organization I know who can actually try and do something about this. And yet they’re spending their time bragging about which network provided the most ‘unbiased’ news coverage (which no one really cares about). I wish they’d actually use their brains and resources to make a difference.

I’m tired of this government. We need a change. Now.

Stagnation

my blog sense is withering. There are things happening but why oh why can't I feel like blogging about them!

Maleldo

I woke up around 9AM on Good Friday and I was expecting it to be a boring day. There was nothing to do: no patients, all the malls were closed, no movies were showing, city life had come to a standstill as it always has during the Lenten Season. I was planning to start the many step-process of a general cleaning of my room since I couldn't think of any excuse not to. I checked my cellphone read a message from a friend I hadn’t seem in about 10years inviting me to join them on a road trip to Cutud, Pampanga to watch the province’s tradition of Maleldo  during which ‘sinners’ voluntarily had themselves crucified as penitence for their sins. It would be my first time to see this tradition so despite it being a spur-of-the-moment thing, I agreed to go.

In an hour, I was heading to our meeting place. Usually during Good Friday, Metro Manila is almost deserted, the streets are empty and most of the businesses closed. Somehow it wasn’t as empty this time. The economic recession may have caused more people to remain in the city rather than heading to the provinces and vacations spots.

After about an hour’s drive we arrived in Cutud and left the car in a parking area. Then we walked, and walked, and walked. It felt like more than a kilometer of walking through a street filled with people and vehicles going to and from the crucifixion site. It was hot, very, very hot.

When we finally got to ‘Calvary’ it turned out to be what seemed like a large open field with a small hill where the crosses were standing. The immediate area around the hill was enclosed by a fence where only the media and VIPs could enter, making it difficult to get a good picture. Did I mention it was very, very hot?

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Maundy Thursday

Here I go again having another go at making a diary of my so-called life. This is the umpteenth time I've tried. I think the furthest I've gone was 1 month of regular entries and then I couldn’t bring myself to write regularly. This time I've found another diary program - CallitADay. Hopefully, this time will be a success or it could be just April Fool's all over again.

Today is Maundy Thursday, the start of the long Lenten Season weekend. As it has been every year, Metro Manila is once again a ghost town and will be until tomorrow. Many are making their way to the provinces, vacations spots, anywhere outside the city. All the malls are closed and only a few restaurants are open. There is literally nothing to do.

Last year, I was at the beach but this year it seems that I'm stuck at home with nothing to do. which might explain why I'm making this post even though I have nothing to post about.

Growth Spurt

There are 2 normal growth spurts in humans while growing up - the 1st is during the toddler years and the 2nd is during puberty. Both are associated with clumpsiness, ackwardness, insecurities, and finally adjustment and acceptance - which can be accepted or forced.

I feel as if my growing as an individual has been in growth spurts instead of being gradual and step by step. And like physical growth spurts I have had to deal with the same difficulties each and everytime.

This 2010, whether I like it or not, will have to be another such growth spurt. I already am wishing that it be done and over with. Hoping that I end up going forward and not back.

Fail

"my life has no direction, no purpose, no aim, no meaning, and yet I'm happy. I can't figure out what I'm doing right." - Charles Shulz

up to the word "meaning", I feel exactly the same way. I feel I'm a failure to myself, my parents, my friends... mostly everyone. The persons I don't think I've failed don't make me feel appreciated, so I guess that's another failure in judgment

I have no idea what to do next. Wish I could just get away. But then that would make me a bigger failure.

How I wish I know what direction to go. Even just a point in the right direction would help.

Love Is In The Air

Every Christmas season is a bit frustrating for me. No matter how hard I try, I can’t get that “Christmas feeling”… the wonder and excitement of how Christmas felt like seems to be avoiding me. Even if there are decors all around, Christmas music on the radio, on the television, carolers in the streets, gifts – still I seem to have lost the spirit of Christmas.

Then why is it that during THIS season, even if I immerse myself in upbeat music, busy myself with work, get addicted to American Idol and Glee, I can’t avoid the poignancy and sentimentality of Valentines?

Levels of Love

Does love come in levels? I don't mean 'kinds' of love like love of parents, love of friends, love of a sweetheart...

I'm talking about levels. Can you love this much, or just this much? Enough to leave everything behind or just as long as you agree on most things.

It is supposed to be all or nothing at all? Or is it still love when conditions apply?

Why Are Violets Blue?

Say What You Mean

from a post on one of the blogs I follow:

"...I like reading newbies - they are less presumptuous. For new bloggers, continue writing. Write what you think. Say what you need. Mean what you say. In the meantime, I will follow what I preach."

It hit home. I've known for quite a while that I don't really blog exactly what I'm thinking nor do I write exactly what I want to. There have been several times when I catch myself trying to make things vague or a bit blurred so to speak.

Blogging has become exactly like the real world.

Wish I could just let it all out without filtering my words or censoring myself.

Maybe my blog has been loosing its identity. I don't think it can live up to its name anymore. I guess in 2008 I was able to pretty much tell things about myself as is but in 2009, it wasn't the same. I haven't even been able to talk about my relationships.

But I have to consider also that blogging, just like talking is my way of letting out steam. Yeh, when I have problems, I need to talk. No advice needed, I just need to rant and rant and then I'm good :D

When things are going acceptably, that's when I have to try harder to blog and even then it's usually about light stuff and things that aren't really personal. I have to change that but first I really have to come up with things I want to blog about :D

Project 52: #3 - Great Ball of Fire

the other monday, as if it being a Monday wasn't enough, it was drizzling and the sky was overcast. Apparently, the combination of thick clouds and the sun makes for great sunsets.

Am I Anti-Social?

I don't think I'm anti-social and I don’t think that I’m a loner either but somehow spending time with many friends at a party, dinner, or just a get together always leaves me exhausted. I’m not saying that I don’t enjoy going out with friends. I do, and that makes it even harder to explain why the feeling of exhaustion afterwards to the point that I minimize the times I go out just because of that.

Do you sometimes feel the same way?

Cruises to Haiti Ethical?

Issues have been raised about certain cruise lines continuing trip stops at areas in Haiti unaffected by the earthquake but near the affected area where thousands of people already have died.

This article in CNN presents the sides of those against the cruise stops as well as the defense of the Company that operates the cruise.

To what extent are we, as moral beings, supposed to share in the sufferings of others? Are we even obligated to? Is it wrong to enjoy what we have worked for while others are suffering? What if we've donated something in cash or kind already - can we then enjoy what we have without guilt?

Isn't this a case of "misery loves demands company"?

Project 52: #2 Transformers

I almost had no pictures for the 2nd week of 2010 and I really didn't want to take pictures just for the sake of being able to post 1. Anyway this picture was supposed to be a night shot of the sign of a shopping area but when I was reviewing the picture, there seems to be something like a robot on top of that red truck :D

Apparition in Baclayon Church

Our family spent the Christmas of 2008 in the island of Bohol, a province south of Metro Manila, in the Visayas region. The place is well-known because of the Chocolate Hills, considered one of the wonders of the world and also for it’s beaches.

Bohol also has some of the oldest churches in the Philippines. One of them, The Church of Immaculada Concepcion in Baclayon, is said to be the 2nd oldest stone church in the Philippines. It is said that millions of egg whites were used as cement in building this church.

There is a museum within the compound of the church which houses very old relics. Unfortunately cameras were not allowed in the museum and I didn’t really find myself interested in the dusty old things :D

The inside of the church was interesting. I’m not Catholic so I haven’t really been to many of their churches. I was impressed with the interior of the church and part of the ceiling.

This next picture is of the facade of the church.

Did you see the apparition? I didn’t see it at first but while looking through the LCD screen of my camera, I noticed that the pattern of the weather-worn pillars of the church seemed to form a face.

I felt a bit uneasy but also doubtful but I mentioned it to my companions. It was then that our tour guide/driver overheard and mentioned that the ‘image’ gradually appeared over the past couple of years and was said to be very similar to that of Father Pio, an Italian missionary who became a saint.

Well, I’m not superstitious but the stains on the pillar really looks like a face and it really has some similarity to the portrait of St. Pio.

Puppy Eyes

. . .

Here I go again. I seem to be slipping back into a blank state. Can't think of anything to blog about. I guess that's not unexpected since everything is so routine (complaining again) but seriously, it's not bad but the way things are going, there's nothing I can think of that I would like to share with the world. I don't even know what to post on Facebook or Twitter.

2010 is starting off bland.

Project 52: #1

This 2010, Jae and Dale started their PROJECT 365 which means they'll be posting the best picture they took that day, everyday for the whole year. Taking several pictures on one day and posting them for other days is not allowed. Premise is if you take pictures often you get to learn how to take great pictures through practice (which really works).

I want to start my own Project 365 but maybe it'll be Project 52 instead - 1 picture/week since I don’t get to go out much. I really want to learn taking better portrait shots but somehow I'm shy approaching people and I prefer stolen shots. I hope I get through 1 month :p

Anyway here’s 1/52: Liquidity

Meditational Music

I've always had a bit of obssessive-compulsiveness in my personality. Not as bad as before but once in a while it shows up. Mostly it's thoughts that keep on replaying in my head - the "what ifs" of something I have to make a decision about. Then it's usually followed by a headache because of too many thoughts running about in my head and the chaos that results.

I had one such episode today. I was thinking about my character in the role playing game Dragon Age. Yup, a computer game. Somehow the choices of what attributes to focus on, spells to use, weapons and armor to wear, companions to choose gave me a headache :D I wasn't even playing since I was at work, I was just thinking about my ongoing game. Pretty soon I had a headache.

My previous post about OmmWriter, a software that tried to provide a relaxing environment to allow writers and bloggers to focus on what they were writing about came to mind. Maybe the music included in the program would allow me to relax since it was supposed to be meditational music. I didn't think so, but I started the program and put earphones on.

Immediately the thoughts in my mind were just gone and the headache vanished. There was order. Somehow the music was the only thing I could focus on and it brought quiet to my mind. *wondering* So that is how meditational music works.

Now my compulsiveness is clicking in and I have several megabytes of Zen music waiting in queue to be downloaded - for those times when I can't hear because of the chaos of my thoughts.

Sand, Sea, Sky, Sail

Taken at Boracay on December 2009

Distraction-Free Blogging

Do you love to blog but often have difficulty thinking of what to write about? Then you're like me. Often when an idea comes along, I'm not in front of a computer. Or maybe you're the spur-of-the-moment type (also like me) that even if you manage to jot down or type a draft of your post, once you get in from of a computer, you get 2nd thoughts about posting it.

It's nice to see that programmers know about these roadblocks and have made software that motivates focusing on getting ideas onto blogs. I've come across 2 such programs. Both are for Mac OSX but I'm sure there are some for Windows and Linux as well.

The first one I've tried is WriteRoom. It's premise is simple. It give you a complete blank black screen and a blinking rectangular cursor like those of the extinct DOS operating system. Text is colored green (customizable) and there's nothing else on the screen to distract you.

VERDICT: WriteRoom was a bit effective. Somehow starting a blank black screen and a blinking cursor made the obsessive-compulsive part of me want to fill it up with something.

The second one I got to try was Ommwriter. I think the developers got the idea from a spa - mixing relaxing visuals with soothing music. This time the default screen is a snowscape one with added ambient music in the background. There are also sounds for each typed character - something like waterdrops producing a meditational effect for writing.

VERDICT: I found OmmWriter a lot better than WriteRoom. Using earphones, noise from the outside and even from my head seem to lessened and I can focus only on my post. I'd like more choices of background since I prefer the dark background of WriteRoom. But overall, OmmWriter makes it easier for me to focus on what I'm writing.

Fireworks and the New Year

Over here, it is a tradition of many families to buy their own fireworks/firecrackers and light them up on New Year’s Eve. Unlike other countries where there are certain places that are designated for  firework’s displays, here everyone makes their own show. You have to see it to understand :D

The intensity of fireworks here in Metro Manila on New Year’s Eve is a pretty good gauge of how the year went. The worse the year was, the more intense the fireworks. While the duration - how many minutes or hours before midnight the fireworks start - reflect the state of the economy.

Based on last night’s fireworks, it’s obvious that 2009 was a bad year for most. You could almost feel the determination and impatience of the people to put 2009 behind by blowing it up with fireworks :D

Usually, about 2 hours before midnight, there were already lots of fireworks and firecrackers, but this time, it was relatively quiet up until 30 minutes to midnight, and then everything erupted. Just goes to show that there really wasn’t that much extra money to buy them so people were reserving using their fireworks and firecrackers until close to midnight... and then they let it all go.

If you think about it, December 31 - January 1 is just another day. Nothing will change overnight. But it gives us hope that it will be better this time around. Just as the sunset signals the end of the day and a promise of another sunrise - another beginning - the start of the New Year somehow gives us the motivation to try to start anew, the drive to improve,  and courage to change.

Happy New Year! Happy New Decade!