Laiya, San Juan, Batangas

Batangas is really accessible if you want a good beach trip even if it's just for the day. Depending on the designated driver and if there are no candidates doing last-minute motorcade campaigning, going to Laiya in San Juan, Batangas is easy-breezy. Although, it's somewhat difficult to go there without a private vehicle, there are ways to reach the area with public transportation.

There are different kinds of beaches for me. There's the swimming beach, the wading beach, and the wavy beach.

Wavy beaches are for boarders. Those who want the waves crashing into them or drowning them. True story. This kind of beach is not recommended to those who do not know how to swim. Or even drunk swimmers.

Swimming beaches gradually become deeper (no surprise drowning parts) and usually have fine sand. They have clear waters so you could still see if a jellyfish is coming or not. This is like a vast salty swimming pool. That's the lousiest description I have made.

Wading beaches are.... the chillout beaches. You just dip, go splashing into the water. That's it. Your personal bath tub sans the soap and shampoo. You just sit there, admire the water, the view, and wait until the sun sets and your skin look like raisins.

Laiya is definitely the swimming type.

Laiya can boast its fine sand and really swim-friendly beach. They have a lot of resorts and you can check some here. The fine sand stretches from the resorts and you can swim until you fear that you're already going deep into the South China Sea. When you're already there, aside from swimming, running around, doing cartwheels, and rolling in the sand (okay, I like doing this), some resorts (and even boaters) offer different water activities. You could do snorkelling, island hopping (haven't tried this in Batangas yet), jet skiing, or even ride the banana boat. We went the weekend just before the elections and there were a lot of people. Not Bora nor Puerto Galera - much, but just enough to keep the sands busy and the resorts fully occupied. The sand is not as white as in Panglao or in Boracay, but they're as fine as in those mentioned. Also, the water is not as clear as in Nasugbu, but really, do most people mind that? Well, aside from me, of course.

If you want a more secluded resort, La Luz Resort is farther and although the sand there has more rocky fragments meaning you just can't walk barefoot (actually the rocky area is just a strip along the fine sand weird I know), personally, La Luz is more beautiful. Well, we go to the beach for different reasons anyway. Others want people, others want privacy, while others just want to go to the beach.

Here are some photos in La Luz (circa 2008).

Just some tip, just like what we did in Bohol (oh crap, I haven't written an entry about that trip!), choose the cheaper/cheapest resort you can find (unless you're staying for a couple of days) because you can still walk around the area and swim from all ends for the same price that others paid. The water is a property of the government (so you can swim even in front of the most expensive resort there) and the resort owners only control the area where they have their resorts constructed upon.

MORAL: Pure shore is pure bliss. It's about the beach. When it's really warm, we always want to go swimming. Opening your refrigerator doesn't help. Everywhere is a good place for a photoshoot!

Also, if you have mouth ulcers or some Canker sores, swimming in the beach is a good thing. It's like gargling saltwater while having fun. Then.... you'll be dehydrated. Cool, right?

Bathroom Dance - Bubble Gang

MORAL: Jeux tot lang yan pero parang hindi. Hahahaha. Classic. Epic.

It Was A Big Deal. And Here's Why.

I've been an Ana Ivanovic fan since I can remember. I got this entry from Forty Deuce and she got it right about the whole fuzz on Ana winning some matches (and she hasn't won the competition just yet with the Williams sisters around the corner).

You're looking at a Grand Slam Champion.  A former #1 player on the WTA tour.  The poster child for the future of the WTA after Justine and Kim voluntarily left the game and Serena's commitment was unclear.  She was supposed to be the cheery brunette face to contrast with the stone cold icy blond that was the Sharapova marketing machine.  She was a humble kid, with a dramatic backstory, who was best buds with another ATP rising star.

All was on the up and up.  She gained fans for a variety of reasons.  Some for how she looked, some for her game, some for her personality.  She also alienated many.  Because when you win and you beat other people's faves, you become a target.  That's just part of being relevant.  Oh, and she has some annoying quirks.  That's just part of being a professional tennis player.

She busted her ass to reach the pinnacle of the game.  And she got it.  She was the toast of a small, much maligned country.  Journalists loved her.  Sponsors came running to her begging.  And she managed it all, this complete world change, as best she could.  As best as any normal person could.

Which is to say she didn't manage it well at all.

Ana From the Wilderness

Why Ana Ivanovic is always a delight to watch:

- She can wear a dress. And with Ana, she can wear a potato sack and people will call it haute couture, with orders for a potato sack dress flooding in. Point of comparison: Even if I'm also a fan of Caroline Wozniacki, Stella McCartney dresses look wa(aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa)y better in Maria Kirilenko.

- Hearing the 3-level sound everytime she plays the ball. It's a shame to call it grunting because it's more of music when Ana does it. Three levels - first, when she prepares to hit the ball; second, when she hits it; third, when she follows through. Yes, there are 3 different distinct sounds that are expressed in one fluid music. Just like that.

- She's very demonstrative when she wins a point. You could hear a loud "right there!" when she pulls off a winner or when her shot just kisses the line. There's the self-motivating "come on!" and a lot of movements.

- Aside from her "right there!" and "come on!" two liners, she's also animated. Her celebratory movements (when she wins a point) are very dramatic. Haha! Her fist pump has a lot of combinations, she can have her own "command list" ala Tekken. There's an uppercut, there's a small leg swing done alongside a fist pump, there's stooping really low with a small fist pump, and there are really lots of variation on this.

- Her blistering forehand. Really good especially when she sets up for the winner. It burns.

Bonus: Reward yourself with anything when you get the chance to see her mom smile while watching in the player's box. She rarely smiles even if her daughter wins a match. Emo-tion-less. I refuse to say it's botox.


MORAL: Your distinctions, your quirks, people notice them and some even find them awesome/funny/cool. Whoever said tennis is boring should try watching curling and golf. When you're at an all-time low and you have nothing left but yourself, think of the only thing possible: There's nowhere to go but up.


Order of play for tomorrow's Internazionali BNL d'Italia QuarterFinals in Rome:

L. Safarova vs M. Martinez Sanchez (Caro lost wtfudge!)
S. Williams vs M. Kirilenko (Maria has nice trapezius)
V. Williams vs J. Jankovic (2-time Rome champion)
A. Ivanovic vs N. Petrova

Dollhouse

This entry is not about the student group in Ateneo which bears the same name. This is about the television series with the name, Dollhouse, and all the glory it deserves.


A television series must have something in them to make me forget I have ADHD.

Dollhouse touches on the issue of identity, morals, and ethics. This is a good show for those taking Philosophy subjects, Philosophy of Religion and Philosophy of Moral Ethics.

When someone's free they get to make mistakes. Am I free?

There is a mix of the Matrix and Monsters, Inc. in itself as well (in the 2nd season)!

Technology and morals have gray areas. Are you actually helping people with what you have by giving them the opportunity, the environment to decide for themselves if they want to put a pause button in their lives and wake up, 5 years after, richer and feel like nothing happened?

Live in connected minds full of people's fears they continually live in without knowledge that they're in a loop so that the adrenaline could be used as energy because the brain is the most advanced and powerful processor in the world. OKAY. Read that again in one breath. In a nutshell, it's The Matrix and Monsters, Inc. with the alternative world in a vegetative state while the brains are used as processors and power for the mainframe. AND oh, plus Big Bang Theory, with the corny but funny nerdy jokes and all.

Barbie and Kitchie Meets the Jovovich Triplets

While we make planet Earth really warm and then complain about the sun, God sent me to Music One.
- Confusion

Yes, the Milla Jovovich(es) - triplets.

Barbie Almalbis and Kitchie Nadal are my Filipina/Filipino music icons. Say hi, say hey, say "Jesus loves you, yes He does", both artists are amazing. Barbie has the ultimate fingers of a true guitarist. She slides effortlessly and plays riffs and solos one can only do in Guitar Hero. She has a sing-song saintly voice and the way she sings live is just like listening to her tell a story. (My sister agrees that she's suited for praise and worship.) Then someone sings a catchy song with really good straightforward lyrics and that distinct voice still haunts you even after the song has ended 20 minutes ago. You just heard how Kitchie Nadal sings.

I still believe in my 5 Hook Point Star (I'll tell you about it soon) and how it's turning the cosmos to grant me balance. After walking around Makati like a madman tourist, bombing restrooms with submarines, more walking commenced inside the mall and just for kicks paid a visit in Music One. Then... I saw it! Finally. Barbie Rocks the Big Dome is one of the things I have been searching for for quite some time. Actually, I was able to watch this concert with my brother because he's a fan as well but the real thing was that my mom paid for his ticket to be my chaperone (he had to act like he doesn't want to watch it because my mom would make him pay for his own seat -- The Oscars for Best Actor goes to.... my brother). And because I was incessant, we were seated really near the stage. I can almost see Barbie and Kitchie's tonsils while they were performing.

So in a heartbeat, I got the CD and purchased it. Mwahahaha!

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!

Project 721

You handpicked your songs for your mp3 player. I have been loading Moses, my black iPod Nano (1st generation, baby!), with songs from all over the planet. It has the most diverse playlist with Japanese songs, classic compositions, pop songs, electro, soundtracks, and all other genre. Thing is, I have been immersing myself with all kinds of music but I noticed that I always find myself waiting for the next song, choosing which one will suit my mood. HAH! Times change! I should've been just creating ten thousand playlists instead. I've been reading randomness lately and I stumbled upon the thought that if I chose my songs, I would definitely listen to it and not press the next button.

Okay. Plan was I'll choose Shuffle Songs option in my player and live listen through whatever's playing there. Whether She&Him is playing while I'm jogging or when BEP's cracking my earphones while I'm studying.

Britney Spears - Telephone

Yes, it's the song Lady Gaga and Beyonce rocked the world with. The song with a killer music video that is almost ten minutes long but worth every minute of it. Well, Lady Gaga looked better before her The Fame Monster days (remember "Just Dance" and "Poker Face?"). Now, she looks like....

Lady Gagita feat. Haronce



Rumor has it that Lady Gaga wrote the song and asked Britney Spears to record it but she said otherwise. Those events always happen, when the original artist declined to record what would be the next big thing. Mary J. Blige was asked to record "Umbrella" (which eventually went to Rihanna) and was the first person Jay-Z had in mind to sing "Empire State of Mind." I admire Mary J. Blige for declining "Umbrella" because she said it was too mainstream. You go, girl!

So Britney made a demo of the song for whatever purposes she had in mind. Maybe she got bored I don't know. I'm a Britney fan ever since she hit me baby one more time. Haters go away.



Of course, when there's an original version, we cannot help but compare. This is too techno and Auto-Tuned but perfect for dance parties and Britney Spears Day (it's still on its way on becoming a real holiday).


MORAL: There are no accidents. First love never dies.

The Charmed Ones

The triquetra is a very cool tattoo design. Haha.

You probably know this series from your hippocampus, from your spinal column, from your bursa, from your spleen, from your vena cava. That is if your parents allowed you to watch television when you were younger, or when you sneak out to watch tv.

The Charmed ones. The three Halliwell sisters - Prue, Piper, and Phoebe with their basic (because they grow stronger and evolve) powers of psychokinesis, being able to freeze time, and the power of seeing the future or the past.

Witches. Good witches. Well, they cast themselves as witches because their lineage says so. They're still stuck at that label. They don't consider themselves "special," "gifted," "mutants," "evolution," or something just like the other people with powers. Witches who use potions and a spell book sans the magic wand? Hmm. Makes them stronger than Harry Potter. Mwahahaha.