Cliff Diving at Ariel's Point - Boracay

Sept. 30, 2012

They say YOLO - You Only Live Once. And they use it as an excuse for all the irresponsible things they could think of doing. Well, if you've been to Boracay Island (Philippines), Ariel's Point is the famous cliff diving spot. It's way higher than Tali Beach's cliff diving spot and here you can really say YOLO as in "You only lunod (drown) once" as there are 3 planks (5 meters, 8 meters, 15 meters) and one more jump-off point at 3 meters. Meters? Let's convert it to feet: 5 meters is approx. 14 feet, 8 meters is approx. 26 feet, and 15 meters is around 49 feet and that's if it's not yet low tide.

You pay PHP1,500 for the boat transfer, buffet (eat all you can and drink all the alcohol you can consume), snorkeling and kayak gears, and of course, inclusive to the package is for you to scream your lungs out (actually you can't scream as you'll be frozen under the heat of the sun) at the dive areas. It's a good price to pay whether you're going to drown yourself or just pig-out at the area or do both. After all, snacks and beer are aplenty. No one barfed from anxiety, by the way.

You can also torture yourself by building on the anticipation of jumping off 15 meters. Try the lower jump-off planks first to practice your form and (as mentioned) to scare yourself silly. It's really a good place for trying out new things and to have your regular dose of adrenaline. The crowd is amazing, they cheer you on and egg you to jump especially when you're just standing there waiting for the sun to set while thinking "did I really pay this much to fracking torture myself?!"

15 meters is a long way down.

Q: What if I don't know how to swim?
A: They have swimmers at the bottom armed with life vests so when you jump/dive, the moment you swim up by instinct (natural buoyancy will bring you to the surface anyway, even if you do minimal movement), they're going to give you a life vest so you can just float, relax, and flutter kick your way to the ladder.

I Can't Like You

So I still have loads of backlogs clogging my list and my mind. What to do, what to do? Post unrelated entries like it's what you do every day!

Thought Catalog has been really mainstream. It soars way above the mainstream line and well, it's a good thing that people are reading more interesting things nowadays. This specific post has been in my browser tabs for quite some time. Maybe it's time to put it here so I can finally close it.

I Can't Like You by Christopher Hudspeth


I like you. I mean I actually, like you. I realized it a while ago and I’m not thrilled because I already know that I shouldn’t. I can’t. I won’t. There’s no happy ending that could possibly come of this – not even a half decent one. Not for you, not for I. In fact, the chances of things ending in any fashion other than a love life massacre are alarmingly slim. If only there were a way to enjoy your company while controlling and diffusing this pesky crush, that would be ideal. It’s obvious that we both know there are undeclared feelings that exceed those of a regular friendship; we’re just hesitant to say so. Or at least I am.

It’s tempting to just tell you, and if your immediate facial expression displays anything other than joy, I can quickly declare “Just kidding,” making you feel like the foolish one for buying into my obvious ‘joke’. But eventually I decide that it’s better off being left an unspoken thought in my mind, because the potential of rejection or complication is far worse than keeping my mouth shut. Unreciprocated feelings ruin good friendships. They make one person ask for more than can be given, create discomfort, and serve as a cancerous tumor to the platonic bond. When we avoid expressing feelings and hold them in, it’s benign. Yes they still exists, but being left unspoken makes them harmless.

There are those days where boldness from an unknown source makes me go as far as writing out a text message professing my feelings. I read it, reread it, evaluate each word and consider various outcomes. After a while the little voice in my head thinks better of it and holds delete until every last letter has been expunged. It’s safer that way and right now, caution feels wiser.

You’re just too unavailable. Emotionally unavailable. Physically unavailable. Simply unavailable. Or is it unattainable?  Either way, I know that I can’t like you. And there are many reasons as to why you’re not a possibility, but do quantity and details really mean that much? In reality, one legitimate reason is enough, and with that knowledge our feelings should be kept in check. Or I should say, my feelings – to avoid making any assumptions.

So these thoughts will be suppressed. They’ll be stuffed into a bottle with the cap screwed on tight. It’s better this way. Or at the very least, it’s safer. All that’s for certain is that I can’t like you, for so many reasons. And if just one of those reasons would be enough for me to keep distance, the fact that there are multiple only solidifies any anxieties. The crush will have to go somewhere far, far away. Maybe it’ll dissolve, evaporate, or vanish suddenly – whatever the case it can’t expose itself. Because yes, I really like you, but I can’t.

Caffeinated in Vietnamese and Thai Fashion

So basically, one of the prime reasons I was excited to go to Vietnam and Thailand is this: coffee and tea. It's caffeine in a nutshell.  I have been brewing both Vietnamese coffee and Thai tea because friends and family have been sharing coffee beans and tea leaves for me to enjoy. It's about condensed milk plus the taste of Vietnamese coffee beans that's amazing, as well as condensed milk plus Thai tea leaves that somehow makes a really good drink that will keep you running in circles all day long.

The first time I tasted "authentic" Vietnamese coffee was of the iced type. I thought I saw stars but then realized I was just exaggerating. I drank another one again the next day (actually I drank around 4 glasses on our second day in Vietnam) but tried it without ice and then had the plain black one, too, because I was really excited to try everything. Nothing trumps iced coffee with milk! I can have it day in and day out until my waistline balloons and my blood sugar skyrockets, whichever comes first.

First taste of authentic (hot) Vietnamese coffee with milk. T___T

I was so wired up after the first time I tasted coffee in our hostel. It's just the first day and I still have lots of time to drink. More glasses of good coffee, I tell you! This time try it iced! Still gooooood. I also tried it plain black - just didn't take a photo of it anymore, that's too much nonsense crap I've been shoving into your eyes.

Iced Vietnamese Coffee (with milk) like a boss.
Ca phe sua da!

How about their tea? I tried "hot Vietnamese tea" at Mui Ne and... it's not note-worthy. The taste is something near jasmine tea. It was a good break from all the coffee I've been consuming though. Cute pot. End of story.

I still managed to empty the pot. My own solo tea party again.

Oh the legitimate brewing of Vietnamese coffee, Trung Nguyen Cafe is the place to be. Purchase all the good stuff here! This is actually how they prepare all of the coffee in Vietnam. They pour in ground beans into the filter and then hot water comes in and you have to wait for your coffee. It's worth the wait, anyway!

Fracking good!

Thailand. The first time I brewed my own tea from tea leaves (not tea bags) using our percolator yielded a dark colored drink. It was dark brown in color (so instantly it's black tea) and after consuming it plainly after some time, I decided to pour in condensed milk and some sweetener to try to match the recipe (since I used to be hooked on Nestea's instant Thai milk tea which is also yummy). Holy schmoly. Instant addiction to Thai milk tea! Try it iced and omg, this is fresh (not instant)! Blood sugar test, anyone?

Ta-ta-Thai iced milk tea! Oh the calories!!

Where does it come from? No, not from some magical tree that gives off milk tea as its sap. This is the brand I've been using for my Thai milk tea.

I still have no idea what brand this is.
Except that it says "Please Drink Thai Tea Mix Number One Brand" in the label.

This is the stock at the end of the trip. The damage, oooh the damage. Hahaha.

I lodged this inside my bag across three countries. Dedication!

There's Creative 1 (culi robusta) and Creative 2 (robusta arabica) Trung Nguyen Coffee plus Weasel Coffee from Vietnam (we still have the Buon Me Thuot Special "Home Blend" from Trung Nguyen as well); Tea Kaffir and Green Tea from Cambodia; and Nestea instant milk tea and Thai tea leaves from Thailand. Bwahaha.

Try Something New Every Day!

Do you do the same thing every day? Part your hair at the same place each time? Pass by the same route on a daily basis? Well, we all have our own routines from the moment we wake up until we retire at night (or wee hours in the morning for some). This makes our lives easier, no need to worry on what to do next as we have programmed ourselves to automatically do the next thing. This is good, right? Hell yeah!!!! Especially if we want to be boring! *Jeers!*

Warning: To those with control issues, doing something new every day is a surefire way of punishing yourself. The haunting feeling of not knowing what's next - oh great.

Examples:

For the first time after more than a year of being a member, I finally tried out the sauna at Gold's Gym although I made it appear like Bikram yoga - doing stretches and dips inside. Haha. Also, I managed to kill one Saturday by indulging in alcohol for "Friday Night" then did tennis on Saturday morning, then ran in the gym afterwards (trying the valet for the first time as well). Oh, I also watched Bourne Legacy in the movies when I got home and went to a family reunion in the evening then stayed in the hospital because of an emergency. August 11 was one of the worst days - very taxing both physically and emotionally.

How about trying a new salon for the first time? Only two people have cut my hair and this is the first time I'm trying out another person. I told the hair stylist (or should we say image consultant?) that I want "intense layering" for my haircut and I think he grinned and sounded really wary, "that means I'll be chopping 5 inches off your hair now..." I nodded really slowly and he proceeded with the cut.

Or watching a film festival?

There's this 5D ride in Timezone and of course, we have to try something new every day, right? Bring in your younger cousins who are game to anything and you can tick one thing off your "new things to try" list, whether you keep one or not is up to you. (I don't.) Timezone's 5D ride is a hundred bucks per person and you get to choose the "adventure" you want. It looks really hilarious because there's a monitor outside where people can watch the riders - scratching, yawning, laughing, whatever.

There are a lot of new things you can do every day. If you're worried you can't find something new, no - I'm sure you'll be able to do/try a new thing each time! New restaurants, new way of making coffee, another route, etc. Go make new experiences! :p

Cagayan de Oro, Bukidnon, and Camiguin: The Northern Mindanao Adventure

Cagayan de Oro, Bukidnon, and Camiguin - this is the trio of a Northern Mindanao trip. Catch a plane from Manila to CDO, ride a van or motorcycle (if you're that adventurous) to Bukidnon and back. Then from Cagayan de Oro, ride a bus or rent a van to the port wherein you can catch a ferry to Camiguin. That's the usual route/adventure for those interested in white water rafting, ziplining, and basically a fun adventure!

This can be done in (just) 3 full days! (Imagine the vacation leaves you can save...) It only takes one long weekend and some cash to enjoy so much. Three days two nights: one day for rafting and ziplining then overnight in CDO and then travel for Camiguin for tours and swimming then overnight in Camiguin and you still have the third day free before your flight!

First stop is Cagayan de Oro, the City of Golden Friendship and the gateway for nearby provinces. When we touched down CDO Airport we opted to ride the zipline in Bukidnon first because (I think) if we started with the white water rafting we would be so spent that we won't fully enjoy Bukidnon as much, so upon pick-up from the airport we went straight to Bukidnon for some serious ziplining.

Bukidnon
You'll pass by DOLE's pineapple farm on the way which is a good spot for taking scenic photos. Or okay, jump shots.

There are 3 lines in Dahilayan Adventure Park for ziplining, including their "Asia's longest zip line." Their latest "ride" is the DropZone Sky Swing wherein you'll be pulled all the way up and you have to pull the cord to release yourself from all the pent-up girly voice in you. They only have one tip for us, "Remember to scream like a baby!" The guide didn't say "scream like a girl," but mentioned "baby"; I think he's not sexist. Props to kuya.

Mar has too much exposure already.

Since we're there, I was up for the DropZone challenge!! I would be the one pulling the cord for us because Sarah said if she's going to be the one to release the lock, we would be up there until it's time to go back to Manila. If anyone freezes from fear, s/he can stay all day up there. Release on cue or prolong your agony. Pick your poison!

Oh, it looks soooo safe.

Posing for the camera is optional. Shouting your lungs off is a requirement.

Cagayan de Oro
We're ready for the waves! White water rafting is one of the key attractions in Cagayan de Oro. We employed the services of Great White Water Tours (see Contacts portion below) whose package includes airport pick-up and ziplining at Dahilayan Adventure Park at Bukidnon, not to mention lunch (or dinner) and snacks.

Pre-war of the worlds...with the river. Our guides are really hilarious by the way.

Remember to keep your legs up when you're in the water, those rocks are nasty! I was one of those thrown into the river and got to experience seeing a rock come closer to your face (is this how they felt when Titanic hit the iceberg?). Seriously, I thank God the water was not murky or brown when we were there (depends on the weather) as I was sure I involuntarily drank a lot of water. A lot.

There are days when you fall from the raft.... It's freaking life changing!

Victory at the end of the day! Well, wait until the next day for the muscle pain. It's definitely worth it. Embrace it like a badge of honor! (And good luck on moving.)

We stayed at a nice (with regards to room quality and price) hotel named Budgetel. It's a new place so I highly recommend it. After being dead for some time, we woke up really early to catch the first ferry trip to Camiguin. Benoni Port is located at Misamis Oriental so we rode a van (since we're 5 in a group, it's not heavy on the budget plus it's more convenient) going there instead of waiting for the bus.

In a nutshell for How to Get to Camiguin from CDO and Vice Versa: Go to Agora Bus Terminal (everyone in CDO knows where this is so you can just take a trike going there) and ride either a bus going to Butuan or rent a van (PHP 1,400 is a good price). Both buses (tell the ticket dude you're going to Camiguin) and vans will drop you at the Balingoan Port in Misamis Oriental where you will be purchasing tickets for the ferry aka roll-on-roll-off (RORO) which will end at Benoni Port at Camiguin. Camiguin is just an hour away!

Balingoan Port of Misamis Oriental. Jump off to Camiguin!

Port of Benoni at Camiguin.

How to get back? Ask to be dropped off at Benoni Port and then ride the ferry back to Misamis Oriental. There is a bus terminal right across the street (you can walk this) and there are lots of trips back to Cagayan de Oro.

Our ferry ride back to CdO. Check out the first trip in the photo below.

Camiguin
Day tour of the whole island of Camiguin. The island born of fire. Niiiice! Old Volcano pretty much did a lot of damage in this humble province. We freaking braved the rain when the storm was there and I have never felt so cold and wet in my life. Oh adventure, I've never asked for so much in this ferry ride. We initially thought if we were going to be thrown overboard (just like rafting) and I have been eyeing the life jackets ever since we boarded the ferry.

Refugees at 4am.

We stayed at Paras Beach Resort which is a really beautiful place. The cottages/rooms are nice and clean, the amenities are great, the pool is wonderful, White Beach is just a few minutes away, the price is reasonable, and we got the tour from them as well. Let's move on with the tour!

First stop is the Katibawasan Falls. When we were there, it was like we're expecting the Presidential chopper to arrive and everyone else was asked to step back. The sound of the waterfall was so loud (well since it rained earlier, the water has been notorious) and the sight was just marvelous. Well, I was really tempted to swim there but after what happened to me in CDO, naaaah. I'll pass. I love being alive.

Then there's DENR's Ostrich Farm where they breed guess what? Ducks! No, duh. Ostriches. I asked them what's their purpose on breeding these lovely big birds. Dude told me, "after the zoos, maybe we can have ostrich meat." OSTRICH FREAKING MEAT. Are you fracking kidding me?!

Game face on, ostrich style.

It's Breakfast Time! (Please Don't Say Brekkie)

I promise you, my August and September have both been crazy and adventurous. There are a lot of entries still tagged as Draft and I really can't wait to finally publish them and share to the world how eccentric I am clean my list. In the meantime, I'll post something about... breakfast. Break-freaking-fast. Oh yeah.

The usual me used to skip breakfast (my description for breakfast is the first meal you take in right after waking up) because I don't have the appetite of starting the digestive process right after waking up. My body was wired for lunch or merienda and then I go pig out all day until dinner then pig out again until I fall asleep. Breakfast is for sissies. Pigging out is for champs.

However, with the change in work schedule and some non-life-changing moments, I tried to convert myself to being a fan of breakfast. I mean, c'mon, a lot of people swear by the magic of breakfast and how it's actually beneficial for you. So after waking up, I slowly try to force myself to eat something despite my appetite upstaging a rebellion on me. After a few months of this daily ordeal, I can now claim that I have successfully converted myself into being a breakfast person! Hurrah! "What to eat for breakfast" is something I now look forward to each day aside from actually being alive.

Dang it, French toast please.

Seriously, did I just write gibberish at 5:45am?!

How Do I Brew Thee, Tea?

I have searched far and wide about brewing, nah, I just searched in the Internet about brewing tea. There are a lot of styles and ways but for me it only boils (pun not intended) down to two kinds: Boil then steep and/or boil-while-steeping.

A.) Boil then steep is more commonly done. You use teapots or other containers such as a coffee press.

1 - Boil water. No duh. Prepare your stuff while waiting for water to cool down by a few degrees.
2 - Pour water into your teapot or coffee press to heat it then dispose this water.
3 - Add teaspoons-full of leaves. One teaspoon for every person and another for the pot. (Actually this depends on you. I usually put 3 teaspoons all for myself, haha.)
4 - Pour the water and let your tea steep. (Check the steeping time below, depending on your tea.)
5 - Prepare your mugs/cups and then wait for your tea.
6 - Freaking enjoy your drink.

My Weekend in Venice tea steeped using the coffee press.

B.) Although less common, I prefer doing this because of the temperature, using our handy-dandy old school percolator. It works for black tea because as I have read it can be brewed in not just hot water, but truly boiling water.

1 - Put filtered water in your percolator. Oh God, don't use your socks in filtering water from the faucet.
2 - Add tea leaves (same for me, 2-3 teaspoons of leaves).

Teehee, yummy Chocolate Tea from TWG.

3 - Turn the stove on and watch the water boil and pass through the strainer/holder again and again.

Patience is a virtue.

4 - Let it cool for a while or you can pour your tea into your mugs/cups right away, if preferred.
5 - Enjoy your tea! Be careful though, this one's piping hot!

So a rundown of steeping time and temperature:

Black tea (as well as red/rooibos tea) - boiling water; 4-6 minutes
Oolong tea - less than boiling water (190F); 5-8 minutes
White tea - less than boiling water (180F); 4-6 minutes
Green tea - slightly cooler water (150-160F); 2-4 minutes
Herbal tea - can be steeped using boiling water; 5 minutes (but this varies as there are a lot of blends available)

You can check out this link for other ways of brewing, too. :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Since we're here already, let's include the caffeine content of tea as well. A cup of the following has a range of caffeine (based from thefragrantleaf site):

Black Tea: 23 - 110mg
Oolong Tea: 12 - 55mg
Green Tea: 8 - 36mg
White Tea: 6 - 25mg

Although I basically have no idea how much caffeine those are, just think that drip-brewed arabica coffee has around 80-130mg of caffeine.Your herbal teas are pretty much safe from caffeine. So you can drink a lot of those to calm your nerves, or basically try sleeping instead.

If you want to enjoy your tea at night and still need your sleep, steep your tea in hot water for 45 seconds and then discard that. They said that 80% of the caffeine will be extracted within the first 30 seconds of steeping, so after throwing out the initial tea, add water to your leaves and brew again. :)

Alcohol Shelf Life - Expiration

So my friend asked me if alcohol expires. I initially told her no (unopened of course), I treat them just like chocolates. And yet I still had to search for it because I'm wired that way. So here's the best answer I got for one of life's FAQs, "Does alcohol expire?" This is taken from this forum.

And it is just plain sad. I've heard that I can't take alcohol in because I'm under antibiotic medication. Booooooooooo.


Guideline for Shelf Life

Here is a simple guideline for the shelf life of different types of alcohol:

Cream-based Liquors - these types of liquors can curdle from the heat, so normally do not last very long after being opened. You should always check to see if your Bailey's has curdled before drinking it and usually you should toss it out a few months after being opened and unused.

Bourbon - Since it has so much alcohol in it, normally you can keep it for years even if it has been opened. Normally the spirits that are pure alcohol can all stay in your cabinet for many years without going bad.

Rum, Scotch, Whiskey, and Vodka - These all have a long shelf life because of the high alcohol content in them. They will be even better if they are left unopened, but normally you can keep these for a few years once opened.

Wine - Once wine is opened, it is best to keep it for at most a week. Wine ages gracefully, however not once it is opened. It will have a very stale taste once it hits the one week mark, so it is best to toss it then.

Beer - You normally want to drink it before it gets warm, which means once you open it you generally want to drink it within a couple hours. So toss the can of beer that you didn't finish last night.

If you have opened, unfinished alcohol, do not fret. Just call a few friends to come over and your problems over alcohol expiring will be over in just a few minutes.

Let them drink Butterbeer!

No, still not writing about the Olympics (although I've been flooding Twitter about it). So instead, I'll just post random shizzles just like I normally do.

Well, well, well. When asked about the famous Butterbeer from the Harry Potter series, my friend and I were trying to win an argument if it's served cold or warm. Since we just like to throw quips and banters at each other, I know no one would win the argument. So I asked a teammate whom I know is really into Harry Potter if butterbeer should be cold or warm. She gave me the link to an HP-Lexicon and it says

Butterbeer

Very popular drink served cold in bottles or hot by the mug ("foaming tankards of hot butterbeer") at the Three Broomsticks. House-elves can get drunk on butterbeer, but it doesn't have that effect on humans (GF21).

Available at the Hog's Head for two Sickles a bottle (OP16).

How is butterbeer made and what does it taste like? When asked about this by "Bon Appetit" magazine, JKR responded: "I made it up. I imagine it to taste a little bit like less-sickly butterscotch."

So no one has an idea how it tastes like, save from the unabridged trilogy-worthy description that the author gave. Hence, the recipe that Pepper.ph (which is a really good site) gave can still be legit! Yay! Now to ask my friend to recreate it.


Hogsmeade Butter Beer
makes 1 serving


1 can Cold cream soda
3-4 tbsp Caramel Syrup
Whip Cream


1. Pour cream soda and caramel syrup into a huge glass mug.
2. Stir well.
3. Top with Whip Cream.


Notes:
1. You can add extra caramel syrup on top of whip cream for extra sweetness.
2. For real beer drinkers, mix 1/2 can cream soda and 1/2 bottle of light beer.

Another friend, Lance, tried to do a "muggle version" with homemade caramel, cream soda, light beer, and whipped cream. Then served it with Bruschetta (toasted bread with garlic, cheese, and olive oil). He noted that it tastes a bit like rootbeer float but has a sweet kick. @#%$^%&^%*$* I want one.