2022: A roller coaster ride

I am thankful to be writing a post about 2022 with no worries and heavy heart. I am thankful because I am still here: present and surviving.

There’s one strong skill that I’ve learned this year, and that is to be adaptable. This year has taught me to be more adaptable to change. It has allowed me to experience new things that will make me stronger and capable.

I started the year slowly, yet relaxed. The first month of the year was full of quick food dates with Stowie, Ate Beth, and my college friends.

On February, I went out with Lola and Tyni. We went to Tanay with Stowie. That was a holiday, so we had a time to go out of town. This month was also about coffee shop hunting with Ate Beth. I also drank at new coffee shop with Stowie.

I tried to be healthy by walking 10,000 steps, but I stopped. hehe. I focused on rewriting my thesis. This month, I got a chance to give a talk to some seminarians in Calabayog City. Online.

I also gave a recollection (together with my other youth ministers) to some youths of Cardona, Rizal. This was our face-to-face recollection since the pandemic started.

In between fun moments were writing sessions at a coffee shop. I couldn’t just finish the revision in one sitting so I usually go out and finish my manuscript.

In February, I also had a quick trip to Cagayan de Oro for an ordination of my friend who who is a priest. We were only in CDO for 24 hours. I also had to go back to school for our onsite reporting.

March was about surprises. I had to adjust to our onsite reporting. This was a bit challenging for me. Commute in Manila was so difficult. I got tired real quick.

This also was the month of changes since I already resigned from this work. I had to apply to different schools which should be near my location. Also, in between my personal stress and career-related stress, I still have to revise my thesis and prepare the graphics I needed for my defense. Despite all these, I didn’t forget to spend time with my best friend.

I had a quick trip to Tagaytay as a short vacation from thesis writing. Thank God for the gift of resources? Also, this month was when my mom got home from Bahrain. There were times that we eat outside with here.

It’s summer time! However, this was also preparation time for my final defense. Still, I got chance to go to Batangas with my college friends. I also explored more coffee shops whenever I feel so stressed from my thesis. Despite these challenges, I still needed to report to school and rendered some time before my official resignation.

I had my final defense on April 29, 2022. Sadly, we lost our internet connection this day. I went to Stowie and stayed at his house so I can proceed with my defense.

A week before election, I was part of the pink movement who only wanted but clean and honest government.

May was so tiring. It was our first dry run of hybrid classes. This was so challenging because everything was new to us. Gadgets, devices, classroom management, etc.

Since my final defense was done, this month was also about applying the suggestions mentioned by my panel and critic.

Work adjustment + Thesis Defense = Perfect Combination

In May, we also find time to explore new cafes with our pets. May is also one of my challenging month because I was about to transition from employment to a freelancer. My last day of reporting in my previous employer is May 31. This was so difficult yet I survived. Thank you, Lord.

Hello, June. This was still a challenge for me. I am not used to a long period of rest. I managed to find some gigs (translation, and article writing). I survived the sad nights by eating burger and drinking coke? My shih tzu has been always with me so most of the time, I am feeling well.

On my free time, I was able to read a lot of books. I found time to do the things I truly love. I had time for a seminar in our church even though this was done on a weekday. I could also give webinars while I am at home, thanks to this free time. I could also explore cafes without rushing home.

What I loved most about this month was my free time, really. I got the chance to accompany my lola to doctor and buy medicine for her without thinking about other stuff.

June was also productive because it’s the month when we promoted my first book signing in Bulacan. I was able to sell a good number of books. I got to meet people of all ages. It was surely a fun experience.

However, it’s not always a happy day. There were times that I had to worry about my new projects and new work. Good thing was that God was really there for me. He gave people to remind me that He is always with me so I needed not to worry.

July was about saying goodbye. One of my friends flew to States. I also said goodbye my former colleagues and got my backpay. Gelaii (my college friend), and I said goodbye and our prayers to the father of our classmate who passed away this month.

Still, this month was also filled with new hellos.

This was the month when I got so active in our vicariate. We had a lot of activities that somehow allowed nine parishes to be more united. I met new people and friends in youth ministry.

I said hello to my new colleagues in the academe. I was able to meet them in flesh.

The highlight of my July is my graduation day! Finally, to graduate my masters degree has been in my to do list for five years. Thank God, we did it.

I spent some bucks for my graduation attire and recognition dress. Hehe. I also had a quick photoshoot with my family.

My book signing was also in July.

This month, I also gave talks onsite to the diocese of pasig youth leaders. Thank God for Stowie who always supports me whenever I have talks like this.

Hey, July was also for new beginnings! Our training in my new work started this month. I am so blessed to be with amazing people.

This was another challenge for me, yet we managed it.

August was the month for exploring places, again.

We went to Bohol for three days and two nights. This was scheduled because I believed I needed my well-deserved rest after all the thesis writing and defense. Full blog about this trip was already posted in this blog.

This month, I also came to realize a lot of lessons in life. While raising funds for my classmate’s cancer battle, I learned a lot of things. I posted here too.

I also celebrated the birthdays of the most important people in my life this month.

September was about catching up. I met Celine in Antipolo. I met my religious friend, too. I had fun with my other youth ministry fellows. I had breakfast with my Iloilo friends in Marikina, too.

We also went to Tagaytay for a quick staycation and breakfast there. This was one of another memorable trips because I was able to bring my work there.

I must say that this month was filled with formations, seminars, and workshops to some youth members in our diocese. I think, I am always out of town every weekend.

September is also MIBF month! So Ate Beth and I made sure that we buy books no matter how far MOA is from our hometown.

October is my birth month!

This month, I attended the book signing of my thesis adviser in UP Town Center. There were a number of vicariate activities that we conducted. There were xiao long bao days and quick coffee dates whenever Ate Beth and I feel stressed about life. I was so busy this month, but still, I celebrated my birthday with my loved ones.

November is a happy month because we went to Coron, Palawan. This has been in my dream destinations in the Philippines. Thank, God, for the seat sales, and cheap hostels.

This month (again) was also filled with workshops, and recollection. I had a chance to facilitate a recollection to the minor seminary of Antipolo.

We also have been attending a series of formation program in preparation for a big event this 2023. I am praying that this preparation will be successful.

For this month, we also revived our Saturday Bible Class with my friends in faith. We had a quick meeting, and one month preparation to raise funds for our Christmas Gift Giving.

I appreciate the little things that I can do this month. I teach Creative Writing to kids. I can meet my friends after work. I can read books without the need to review them or use it as my related literature. I get to enjoy coffee without typing anything on my laptop. I am blessed.

In December, my sister already opened her coffee shop in San Mateo.

Also, we did a lot of things for Disciplesheep Ministries Christmas Gift Giving. We bought the Noche Buena packages, we also bought toys for the kids. Lastly, we had a very quick outing in Taytay, Rizal, as a team building activity, in preparation for our big event.

I was able to complete the simbang gabi! Thanks be to God. I also had a chance to serve as a lector in our parish.

This month was filled with ten hours of sleep.

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Under the Queen’s Umbrella Review

Under the Queen’s Umbrella is about Queen Hwaryeong who is supposed to act with dignity and grace as she raises her troublemakers aka sons. She needs to raise them with proper education and correct values. However, there seems to be tons of challenges.

This is the official poster. (Photo is not mine.)

This Korean Drama is one of the best Korean Historical Fiction that I have watched after Scarlet Heart Ryeo. This series presented strong female characters and the way they carry themselves inside the palace.

The past historical dramas that I’ve watched mostly depicts patriarchy, and the competition to the throne. However, this series highlighted the role of the women in the society.

From giving birth, to raising the child, to handling their responsibilities, a queen definitely needs to always strive for excellence. This is what the protagonist has been doing throughout the story.

Queen Hwaryeong showed how she stood up agains the norm concerning their people and her sons. She has shown proper judgment in every situations. She acts accordingly and always does everything with a plan.

Here are the most notable characters in the series. (Photo is not mine.)

She also demonstrated great power in protecting her sons. She pushed them to be the best grand princes that they can be no matter what situation they are in.

There are other female antagonists, such as Queen Dowager, the first Concubine, and the deposed Queen. I like how each character was differentiated from one another. They have one common denominator (which is being related to the King), but this just complemented the uniqueness of each female character.

This series ended on its highest rating. I am looking forward for Season 2 if there’s any.

Coron, Palawan 3D2N Itinerary

Coron, Palawan is such a magnificent location where you can spend your weekend. With its pristine beaches, lakes, and delectable food , Coron should be one of your dream destinations.

In this post, I’ll share a practical and affordable itinerary in Coron, Palawan.

Please note that this itinerary is slow-paced with productive rest in between. My goal in this trip is to rest because our school had a term break. I think I deserve this trip. You deserve this trip, too, so keep reading!

How much is the plane ticket to Coron, Palawan?

I was able to book an affordable ticket going to Coron because of Cebu Pacific‘s promo, CebPass. This ticket only cost us 2,000, round trip.

If there is no seat sale available, Cebu Pacific usually offers flight going to Coron, Palawan for 4,000php-9,000php. You can also book a flight via Philippine Airlines.

What to do in Coron, Palawan?

Our main reason for this trip is to rest, and spend some valuable time outdoors. Secondarily, my goal for this trip is to visit the lakes, trysnorkelling, and eat seafood. You may try a lot of water-related activities in this place. From scuba diving, to kayak riding, there are lots of activities you may choose from.

Here’s my Coron Itinerary for 3 Days and 2 Nights.

Day 1

8:35am-9:30am: Arrival. Our flight was 1 hour and 15 minutes. I included here our waiting time and some delays in the airport.

9:30am-10:20am: Travel to Busuanga City. We were fetched by a representative from our accommodation in Coron. We stayed in Ahra’s Place. This accommodation was only 1,000php per night. They have complete amenities, accommodating staff, and free breakfast. Aircon and wifi are also available. Very affordable and practical choice, indeed. Highly recommended.

10:20am-4:00pm: After we dropped our bags in Ahra’s Place, we headed to our first destination. Our accommodation scheduled a boat trip for us, too. This trip started at 10:20am and ended at 4:00pm.

Package B included the following attractions:

Barracuda Lake – This was one of the best lakes I’ve seen in my life so far. The water is so clean and clear. It’s really deep. We enjoyed this place.

Snorkeling – We enjoyed this part, too. However, winds and waves were quite challenging to endure. We had to go back to the boat after five minutes of looking at the corals, and fish.

Smith Beach – We had our lunch our. Before we leave the main island, we bought fresh fish, and shrimps in the wet market. One of our tour guides prepared our meal while we were relaxing at the Barracuda Lake.

Our lunch was sumptuous. It was cooked with love. I admired how our tour guide added final toppings to the fish he grilled.

After eating our lunch, we headed to Twin Lakes. I must say our kayak rental was worth the penny. We enjoyed paddling the boat, though that was a tough activity. It was difficult to maneuver. There were boats, and people that we needed to deal with. Luckily, we survived this kayak experience.

We loved the view, the scenery, and everything we saw there.

Our Day 1 ended with a quick dinner at Mcdonald’s near Ahra’s. We laso had coffee at Sharky’s newly-opened coffee shop. This coffee shop was new yet the taste of their mocha latte wasn’t disappointing. I love how they served their guests, too.

Here’s our Day 2 itinerary in Coron.

8:30am-5:00pm We were fetched at Ahra’s at 8:00am. This was Package A of the usual Coron Island Hopping Trip. This is 1,000php per head. You’d like this trip if you love lakes, and snorkelling. This was one of the best trips I had so far.

Kayangan Lake. After our usual swimming and snorkelling, the best part of this trip was our Kayangan Lake swimming. We had to do some hiking. That was about 700 steps before we reach this destination.

I was so speechless seeing Kayangan Lake’s beauty. This lake reminded me how God loves us so much that he created nature to embrace us. I’d like to bring Kayangan Lake home. Haha.

Package A ended at 5:00pm. We just rested after this trip. Our dinner was in Calle Real, which can be found in Real Street. We had chicken and rice for dinner. Then, we headed to Epic Cafe. According to Google, this is a must-visit cafe in Coron. We tried their coffee and cake. It was good.

We walked going to St. Augustine Church, before we rode a tricycle going home. Our day ended well. We rested after dinner.

Day 3 Coron, Palawan

For our third day, we didn’t do that much. We had our free breakfast from Ahra’s at 7:00am. We looked how sky was so clear and blue that time. Then, at 10:00am, we went out again for early lunch and quick coffee hunting.

We ate at a local carinderia. This was the cheapest meal we ever had. 180php for sinigang, ginataang kalabasa, rice, and two bottled waters.

After this, we headed to Le Voyage Cafe. We ate crepe and drank coffee in this newly-built coffee shop. The ate in this store talked a little bit about Coron. She said that she’s a native and she’s been working in Coron for twelve years. She even served BTS in La Serenatta. She’s new in this cafe, too. Unfortunately, ate told us that she got laid off when that restaurant closed during the pandemic.

At 1:00pm, we were fetched by the van going to the airport. Our flight was 3:35pm, and we arrived in NAIA 4 at around 6:00pm.

How much should be your budget for your Coron trip?

This is our budget for this trip. I hope this helps.

Plane Ticket – 4,000php (2pax, roundtrip, Cebu Pacific)

Accommodation – 2,000php (2 nights, free breakfast, WIFI, 5/5 stars)

Package A Tour – 1,000php

Package B Tour – 1,700php

Dinner – 300php – 400php It depends on your appetite. Usual range is 350php/meal.

Cafe – 150php – 200php per cup. It depends.

Transportation – We usually ride in tricycle to go from one place to another. If you love walking, you may do that, too.

Pasalubong – We bought dried fish for 150php per pack.

Conclusion:

Since I’ve been to Puerto Princesa before, I must say that Palawan is a must-see destination for all. This island welcomes all tourists and guests. It gives warmth, comfort, and relaxation without the need to spend that much.

Maybe, this will be my last out-of-town trip for the year. I need to save bucks for my big event next year.

I hope this blog helps. Enjoy and keep safe always.