Andrea and I always do our Christmas shopping at the very last moment. This is usually because we wait for the money before we can buy the things we want to give or use during the yuletide season. The problem with this strategy is, the prices of Christmas or Thanksgiving stuff are also up during these times. Not to mention, we have to force our way to crowded areas to compete against last-minute shoppers like us too. So instead of saving some bucks by buying at the last moment, we usually end up spending more.

That’s why this time we’re glad to have come across BlackFriday, a site that offers thanksgiving deals on Black Fridays. Pretty funny huh?! That was initial reaction too. I mean who would advertise about seasonal stuff on off-seasons, right? But come to think of it, it’s the best time and place to get these things. It doesn’t just save people from the hassle of competing against thousands of other buyers, but it also saves you from the absurdly high-pricing of the items simply because the vendors want to take advantage of the growing demands. And with the site’s free email alerts about the deals, I guess the best season for buying seasonal items has really become the off-seasons.

When I started blogging, I never really thought it could be used for anything else other than as an ordinary journal, well except for the fact that it is online and available to anyone who would like to read it. The truth is, I took it up simply to satisfy curiosity.

It wasn’t after a few months of trying it when I realized that other people do blogging for purposes other than expression - that some bloggers post to earn some money, and that if I wanted to, I too could get some extra bucks while jotting down my thoughts and ideas. It wasn’t until then that I finally committed to blogging.

Afterwards, I worked my ass off fine-tuning my blog with that as an extra motivation. And since the company that I affiliated myself to required a certain popularity measure (i.e. pagerank), I aimed to increase my blog’s visibility in every way I can. But because I lacked the technical knowhow about Google Pagerank,  I figured I’d have to do it the only way I know how - to invest in writing and content. That’s what I did. And for a little while it paid off. After months of blogging, google seemed to realize that I was drawing enough attention to merit a PR of 3. The more popular my blog became, the more opportunities I got to earn money. Continue reading »

Yes, it’s done. It’s over. We’re back in Antipolo again, up in the mountains, thousands of kilometers away from the white sandy beaches of Boracay. Our weekend getaway is gone but we’re not sorry, not the least bit, because we’ve taken lots of memories with us. Here are just some that we managed to capture on film (well technically on memory but who cares).

Mateo and Papu

Andrea and arlene

Continue reading »

Since the reason we got to Boracay was to attend a friend’s wedding, I thought it was only proper to post something about it here.

But first, before that, let me say that this is our first time to attend a beach wedding. You see, since we’re Catholic, and the Catholic Church has already banned the celebration of weddings outside of parishes, there was no way for us to have a beach wedding of our own (even if we both wanted it and if by some miracle we get to afford it).

Anyway, the groom was someone I met in my previous work as a medical sales representative in a very reputable company. We both trained for 3 months and worked in the same area after training. I guess, among the many individuals in the batch, we were the ones who clicked. I helped him out in the tests. He taught me how to sell properly. That’s how we started out. Afterwards, we became buds. Sadly though, after a few months in the field, we decided to pursue our own separate paths. I went on to teach. He made it to an IT company and struck it big, but we still kept each other posted.

Continue reading »

So far so good. We’re on our last day of stay here in Boracay and we’ve managed to accomplish several tasks. We’re able to visit the famous Jonah’s shakes, scour the island’s many seafood buffets, and successfully introduce mateo to the beach.

I know it may not be much but andrea and I have decided to narrow down our objectives to just these. Why? For one, mateo is not big enough to appreciate all the sites and sounds of Boracay. That’s why we didn’t go island hopping or engaged in any of the various water sports here. Second, this is not going to be our last visit here. I promised andrea we would come back someday when mateo’s old enough and ready for the other things that Boracay has to offer. Who knows? Maybe he might even get to snorkel!

For now, andrea, mateo and I are just relishing the feel of the sand and the beach because it just might be a long time before we get to try all these again.

Ramil and I initially planned on getting our own house before getting married. Well, some circumstances prevented us from doing just that. Doing some computations, we figured it would take a long time before we get married if we do that. So we opted to just save for it while married. Some of our relatives have just recently bought their own house. They know someone who knows a lot about real estate and he helped them find a good property. Ramil and I have been talking about it and we are seriously thinking of following suit. We just need to save a bit more. I just hope it’s soon, I can’t wait for a house of our own. We don’t mind if we have to buy a house and then we would have to pay for Mortgage for several more years. My own parents paid mortgage on their house for ten years. In fact, they were able to pay up their mortgage just a few years ago. Now, they’re enjoying their house knowing that it’s theirs a hundred percent. Ramil and I can’t wait to have the same thing. We know we’re going to work hard for it and it’s going to take a lot of empty pockets for us. Still, we consider it an investment that’s a must for every couple.

Instead of describing in words everything that happened chronologically, here’s more or less a slide show of the events that took place all the way from the preparations to the first day at the beach.

Of course, before we could embark on our journey to Boracay, we had to fix our things first. So we had a last minute shopping at Trinoma…

Then after a good night sleep at grandma and grandpa’s place, we woke up early next day to go to the airport where we had to wait a few hours in order to board the plane. Poor mateo! He was bored to death! So what else do you think we did? Continue reading »

Having seen and liked the place where we’re staying now for the rest our 3-day getaway in Boracay, andrea and I couldn’t help but think about more additions to our dream house. Since the place we’re staying is located along the beach front, it is adorned by several native decors, beautifully handcrafted ornaments and several other accessories that give the place a local ambiance.

The furnitures are very simplistic but elegant. All the beds seem to have been taken straight out from the Fashion Bed Group or the Hillsdale Furniture catalog of Home and Bedroom - a famous furniture store. The living room is very cozy and, at the same time, spacious. There’s also a very nice bar adjacent to the kitchen surrounded by classy Bar Stools that flank its edges. Everything seems to have been well chosen and beautifully arranged.

We were so impressed with the design that I had to draw the layout on a scratch paper just to be able to remember it in case we already start drawing the designs for our dream house. I want to be able to incorporate all the elements in our house the same way this place does with all the different areas - living room, kitchen, bar, and dining room.

Since we’re both tired from the long travel, andrea and I can’t bear to think about doing so many things this afternoon. We’re too spent for a long dip in the beach, too tired to try out the various rides and activities, and too lazy now to be doing any strenuous exercises.

So instead of going all out to enjoy our first day in Boracay, we just simply took a quick swim in the beach, rinsed in the pool, and had ourselves an hour-long full massage. I know it may not be much but we don’t want to look too haggard for the wedding tomorrow. I mean, that’s the primary reason we’re here anyway so we have to consider that our number 1 priority. Besides, mateo is already providing us enough exercise to try anything else.

Now, after the wedding, that’s going to be a different story…

I’m not exactly a water lover nor a water sports enthusiast but I am, however, a fan of adventure. This is why I never miss out on opportunities that come my way. In fact, andrea and I always make it a habit to check out all the different activities that are available in each place before we visit.

Right now, for example, since we’re in Boracay, we’re thinking of trying out the popular activities here which are basically snorkeling and para-sailing. And as part of our plan, we’ve talked to the locals about the rates for each session and inquired about the guides for the said activities. But just to be safe, we also surfed the net to get more information. Since we’re staying for a good 3 days, we plan on making the most out of this stay. That’s how we work!That’s is how we planned our Boracay getaway.

Next year, however, who knows? Maybe, another friend of mine will want to get married, this time in Pennsylvania and we’ll get invited again. Andrea and I would probably try out whitewater rafting by then. Which means I have to start talking to Whitewater Challengers - the authority in water adventures in Pennsylvania.

Never mind about regrets for trying. They are much more short-lived than regrets about not trying at all.