How to Get to Casaroro Falls from Dumaguete City

The welcome sign at the entrance of Casaroro Falls.
WE BURN FATS....LET'S DO THE TREK!

1. Take a tricycle and tell the driver to drop you off at the jeepney terminal to Valencia City Proper. (PhP8 per person)

Alternative route: You can walk to the terminal if you're on a tight budget. It's a few blocks away from the Dumaguete Public Market. Notable landmark: Cristita Partosa Merchandise Store. (The owner shares the same name as my late paternal grandmother. How I wish we were that rich.)

2. Once you get to the terminal, take a 30-minute jeepney ride to the city proper of Valencia.(PhP15-20 per person). The jeep leaves every 15 minutes. 

Alternative route: There are many tricycle drivers waiting in the terminal. You can negotiate with them and they can take you as far as Banica Resort/Tejeros. (In our case, we paid 25php per person and the driver dropped us off at Tejeros) This option is better if there are too many of you travelling. It's a little more expensive than the jeepney ride but the upside of it is that you can ride a habal-habal in Tejeros for a much lower price compared to the ones in the city proper. 

3. Upon arriving at the city proper (for those who took the jeepney), you can check out the old Spanish fountain in their plaza. It is beautiful. :)  Once you've had enough of it, you can find some habal-habal drivers near the jeepney terminal and they will charge you about a 100 pesos per person for a one-way ride to Casaroro Falls. (Yes, it's a bit expensive but the ride is very very far...and rocky. Some of the drivers also said that that's the fix price and you can't really haggle to avoid competition between the drivers) 

Valencia City Proper

The old Spanish Fountain at the Valencia City Proper

Another fountain at the city proper. 

The Banica Resort

Alternative route: If you chose the Banica Resort route, you can wait for a habal-habal there and you can negotiate with the driver. They can charge you up to 70-80 pesos for a one-way ride. It is, however, difficult to find an empty habal-habal here so you might need to wait for a long time. You can also walk from Banica Resort to Apolong drive like we did, but mind you, it's very far and tiring. In our case, we were able to haggle with the driver and we only paid 30 pesos per person for a one-way fare to Casaroro. But that's after walking for two hours from Banica Resort to Apolong Drive. 

Our habal-habal driver. Bonsai and the other guy.
I don't know if I still have their contact number. 

Note: It's good to negotiate with your habal-habal driver and arrange for them to pick you up as drivers rarely go there without passengers. I tell you IT IS IMPORTANT that you have a sure way to go back to the city proper or you'll be stuck in the site. :) Again, the fare depends on your arrangement. 

4.The habal-habal driver will drop you off at the entrance of the Casaroro Falls and you will need to pay 10 pesos for the entrance fee (and 50php for the cottages) . Then you'll need to carefully climb down the 335 steps, cross a short bridge and do a little trekking to see the actual falls. It's a tiring ride but I tell you, it's definitely worth it because it's one of the most majestic things you'll ever see in your life. 

Entrance to Casaroro Falls

Click picture to zoom in.

Schedule of Rates

Something's missing there.
It should say "335 steep steps". No joke. :| 

The start of the "trek"

The steel stairs to the falls. 

The bridge to Casaroro Falls
Click the picture to zoom in.

Cottages at the Casaroro Falls
50php/day rental fee

Getting to the falls. 

Casaroro Falls from afar. 

The pictures are all mine unless stated otherwise. Please practice decency and don't steal it. Thank you. :)

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First Love (A Crazy Little Thing Called Love) -- Detailed Synopsis

*first of all , I am not good in giving summaries so please forgive me. It's a work in progress. :)

please click the photos for the credits of the pictures. I do not own them. 

Rating: 7.5/10
Directed and Written by: Puttipong Pormsaka Na-Sakonnakorn and Wasin Pokpong
Release Date: Aug 12, 2010 (Thailand)
Runtime: 118 minutes
Language: Thai
Lead Actors: Pimchanok Lerwisetpibol  (Nam) and Mario Maurer (Chon)

I am not a fan of romantic movies, that I would like to say. I find them cheesy and simplistic and they rarely reflect what happens in the real world. You might have guessed that I am because of my blog's name. I am a cynic in every possible sense of the word. When I watch romantic films, I cringe at the scenes where the guy confesses his love for the lead actress (or the other way around), when they kiss and any other scene that shouts "Warning: Too much cheesiness on-screen".   I would like to make it  clear though that I have had my fair share of swooning and kilig moments from some really good love stories like Keith, Spirited Away (yes, that's a love story for me so shut up) and Titanic (perhaps). I don't hate them all coz there are really some good ones out there that can take your breath away and make you believe that true love is indeed true. 

Now, First Love ( A Crazy Little Thing Called Love) has been one of the more popular movies among social networking sites for the past month. Most of my Facebook contacts and Tumblr acquaintances rave about how good the movie is. I, the ever-so-curious-kid, finally decided to download this movie and see what these people are going ga-ga about.

Three hours and 1.9 GB later, the downloading was finished and I started to watch the movie.

(Warning: SPOILERS ahead. Continue reading at your own risk)

The story starts with a photo exhibit at the Siam Museum. A photographer is being interviewed by a group of girls about his works as he explained the subject and theme of his photography. Then a baby started crying and he excuses himself from the interviewers to attend to his "son". A voice-over starts speaking (a girl) narrating how there's always this one person who we keep in our heart regardless of the pain he/she brings to us because he/she will always make us feel that crazy little thing called love.

Then the screen starts to show us Nam (Fern Lerwisetpibol), an awkward little girl, with her friends. It is revealed that Nam is mooning over a high school senior, Chone (played by Mario Maurer) and she is trying all her best to get him to notice her. She and her friends start using a book with instructions on how to get the attention of the person they like. Nam's friends help her do the steps on the book like wishing on a star, hynotizing (sort of) Shone, giving Shone gifts secretly and applying skin whitener to make her beautiful. Oddly enough, certain occasions led to Nam having close encounters with Shone. One significant time was when Shone, noticing a basketball player was bullying Nam and her friends, rushes to their aid and buys them four Pepsi. Shone gets into a fight with the school bully and Nam, hearing about what happened, runs to the place where the fight was taking place. They were too late though. All they found were some drops of blood on the floor and a button. Nam picks up the button and assumed that it was torn from Shone's shirt.

After that, Nam and her friends join the drama club and Nam was chosen to play Snow White. Shone was also in the drama club and he was in charge of the decorations and photography. Although the interaction between the two was limited, Nam was still thrilled because she still gets the chance to see Shone everyday. During the rehearsal, Nam had a  makeover (with the help of Pin, a senior and Shone's friend). Pin asks Shone about what he thinks of Nam and the latter answers Nam looked the same, Snow White with braces. Nam is saddened by the remark. Later on the rehearsal,  Nam almost falls from the stage but Shone grabs her hand to save her.

On the day of the festival, Shone did not go to see the play. However, Nam sees a good-looking guy in the audience. Nam took Shone's absence negatively but what she didn't know was that Shone was with the principal for the awarding ceremony of a photography contest where he won third place. After the play, Nam found a bitten apple with a note, "For Snow White, I tasted the apple and it was not poisoned at all.) Nam hoped the apple came from Shone but her friends dismissed the idea and told her it must have been from the guy who played Prince because they saw him eating an apple. 

The good-looking guy turned out to be Shone's childhood best friend, Top. He develops an interest on Nam but Shone continuously discourage him because Nam is "too young" for him. Nam was then recruited to be the majorette for the city parade. We can see Nam's slow transformation from being an awkward girl to a very attractive lady. She became popular after the parade and boys started asking her out. Nam, however, ignores the attention because all she desires is to get Shone to notice her.

During Valentines Day, Shone gave Nam an uprooted rose (white) plant (yes, not a rose stem but the entire plant). Nam thought it was the moment she was waiting for but Shone quickly adds that it was from his friend. Nam was saddened by that fact. She finds a note that was secretly placed on her bag. It was from someone who was asking her to meet up on the third floor because that person has something to tell her. Nam's hope immediately rose and she thought it was from Shone. Apparently she was wrong. The note was from Top. Top asked Nam to be his girlfriend. Nam did not answer but they started going out since then. She thought it was a way to get close to Shone. Meanwhile, Nam's friends start to feel neglected as Nam misses one of her friends birthday.

While they were having a campfire celebration for Shone's friend, Top and Shone revealed that they had a pact that both will never fall in love with the same girl. Nam was shocked with the news. That night also, Top kisses Nam on the cheek and Shone seemed to be surprised at what happened. Nam stopped seeing Top after that incident.

On graduation day, Nam decided to confess to Shone once and for all. With the help of her friends (who she made up with), Nam goes to the pool and gives Shone a white rose in which she tied the button and a card. She told him that she tried her best to be good enough for Shone but what she should have done from the very beginning is tell him how much she loved him. Shone, taken aback from the confession, accepts the rose. Nam notices the note on Shone's shirt which reads "Pin loves Shone". She realizes that Shone has a girlfriend already (Pin, the makeup artist who turned out to be Nam's friend also) and Nam begins to cry, obviously from the helplessness of her situation. Shone tries to comfort her but Nam walks away after telling Shone that he and Pin make a good couple.

Photo credits: krzl09bggsh.tumblr.com

Nam is seen crying on her room after the incident. Shone, on the other hand, arrives at his house. His father tells him that he has to go to Bangkok that night because he was accepted to train in the Bangkok Glass team ( I think that's the soccer team of Thailand). Shone was gleeful at the news. He runs to the kitchen and opens the fridge and we see the box of chocolate that Nam has given Shone almost two years ago. Apparently, he kept it.

He walks into his room and gets a notebook from his table. It turns out that this notebook is a scrapbook containing pictures of Nam that Shone took over the years. It was a testament of how he really felt for her. (This is actually my favorite part of the movie). It
is then shown that Shone had loved Nam even before she started using that funny book. When he said that Nam looked the same when Pin asked him, what he really wanted to say was she looked the same, cute as always. It is also revealed that he treasured the time when he grabbed her hands but he had to let her go immediately in fear that people might get curious. The apple also came from him and the rose that he gave Nam on Valentines Day was actually from him as well. He just could not get the courage to tell her the truth because he was tight-lipped. What's sweet is that he grew the rose plant himself. :))

He goes to Nam's house and leaves the notebook on her doorstep. He did not say goodbye to Nam.

Nine years later, Shone is seen to stop by a showroom with a baby on his back. He sees Pin and gives the baby to her. It is then revealed that the baby was not Shone's son. Pin only asked him to babysit for her.

Meanwhile, a grown-up Nam (now a fashion designer from the US) was being interviewed in a local TV show. She was then surprised when the host shows her Shone's scrapbook and was even more surprised when the host calls on Shone and he appeared on the set holding a bouquet for Nam. The host asked them if there was something they wanted to tell each other and Shone said that he wanted to tell Nam that the button she picked up was not his. Nam then asked Shone if he ever was married and Shone answered "I have been waiting for someone to return from the US". 

The story is really very simple. It may even be predictable at times. What I didn't like about the movie was the rather simplistic (and almost unreal) ending. It was as though the director wanted to just get the movie over with and they did not really think of a better way to end it (or better lines, for that matter).


Another annoying fact about the movie is the recurring themes of how being white-skinned is equated to being beautiful and how important being beautiful is to make boys to notice you. Although these themes reflect real life, it is still disappointing because what the mass media should be showing are things that are empowering women and not things that will just make them feel ugly and discontented about themselves. Call me idealistic but that's my two cents.

The positive side of this movie is the lasting effects it has on the viewers. It can make you think about the story even days after you've watched it. I think the magic of the movie is how it was able to bring back a lot of the high school memories that we seemed to have forgotten due to the other problems we have to face as adults. It triggers your memories of that one puppy love you have so enjoyed during your teenage years and how blissful life was when all you had to worry about were boys and your studies.

It's a feel-good movie, that's a fact. I think another thing that adds to the entertainment value of the movie is the chemistry between the two lead actors (not to mention how good looking Mario Maurer is). The transformation of Nam from that awkward girl to a beautiful lady is also amazing because one would seem to think that the character was played by two different actresses.

Nam (before)

Nam (After) 

See what I mean?

If you are looking for a romantic comedy that will not require you to think deeply, then I guess this movie is the right one for you. It's not boring but it's not spectacular either. It's so-so. Was it worth the download? Somehow. It's definitely something that can keep you company on a rainy night when you just want to feel good and feel loved. ;p

Here's the trailer if you're curious. XD

Search Amazon.com for a crazy little thing called love

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Bangkok Traffic Love Story: Slapping Us with Cold Reality

  

     --Directed by Adisorn Tresirikasem

    -- Screenplay  by Benjamaporn Srabua, Navapol Thamrongruttanarit and  Adisorn Tresirikasem 

    -- Starring: Sirin Horwang and Theeradej Wongpuapan

   -- Duration: 126 min. 

    -- Tomatometer: N/A

    -- IMDB Rating: 7.4/10 

     -- Chocometer: 8.5 chocolates

My quest to watching 111 movies for this year continues. This time, I am featuring a Thai romantic comedy called Bangkok Traffic Love Story. What is this movie about? In one sentence, I would say that this movie was created to slap us with the bitter reality  that being alone blows ass. 

I am serious. 

After watching this movie, I have never felt more alone in my life. I know it is a romantic comedy, COMEDY being the operational word, but behind the laughter (and corny jokes) is the truth that we need someone in our life. 

So let me start with the summary. Napakadetailed ko magkwento, pasensya na. 

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Cagbalete Chronicles 3: Beautiful Sunrise and Island Adventure

This is the fourth installment of my Cagbalete experience.

I woke up at half past four feeling well rested and at peace. I decided to get out of the tent and wait for the beautiful sunrise that I am sure is worth taking pictures of. I was not disappointed. It was the most majestic thing ever, seeing the pinkish hue in the sky and slowly watching that magnificent sun rise, showering the island with its radiant sunshine. I couldn't help taking pictures of it. 

Right before sunrise

I finally have a sort-of-silhouette picture. :p

Click the pictures for their original size

It was extremely cold that morning but the coldness is refreshing. Perhaps it's because of the fact that the wind  is blowing from the Pacific Ocean or because we're just too far away from civilization (READ: pollution). Once again, I had brain paralysis (the good kind) because of the beauty of the island. Robai woke up and we decided to explore the island and look for that delta while it's not hot. 

We decided to wade in the ankle-length water and just breathe in that fresh morning air. 

After that, we went eastward (or westward, I don't know... I'm bad at directions) and walked in search of that river. The beach was littered with seaweeds and other rubbish that must have been washed ashore the night before. Despite the mess, the beach was still beautiful with the pine trees lining the coast and rare birds resting and picking on the mess. I tried to take a picture of the birds but unfortunately, they're quite fast. 

We met two boys and asked them if we were going the right direction and they said yes. I asked them if the delta was near and they said it's quite far. We were walking for almost half an hour already but it felt like we haven't reached our destination. A boy approached us and offered to lead us to where we were going. We refused but he was really persistent so Robai and I decided to just let him be. We will just pay him thirty bucks when we get back to the tent.

We passed by the island's cemetery which was close to the coast. It was kind of creepy.  It made me hesitate to swim in the water. Imagine the corpse's body liquids mixing with the water. Isn't that gross? Robai told me I was being ridiculous. 

After another ten minutes worth of walking, we finally reached our destination. I was really disappointed to see that it was nothing but stagnant water filled with rubbish and mosquitoes. I told Jay-R (the boy who offered to be our tour guide) that it was not the one I saw in the pictures and he told me that I was probably referring to the delta on the other side of the island. He said it was closer to Villa Cleofas. Gah, it was so frustrating to hear that we walked for about an hour for nothing. I decided to take a dip anyway so that the walk was not wasted. Robai decided to stay behind and talk to Jay-R. 

The wrong delta

Yes, that's Jay-R

When I got back to the shore, Robai told me Jay-R's story. According to him, his parents left him in the island  while they (his parents and his two other siblings) went to Batangas. He is now living in their house, left alone to fend for himself. We asked him where he was getting the money to buy food and he said he earns from offering as tour guides for visitors of the island. I guess me and Robai felt the same thing for him. We felt sorry that he was burdened with such a problem at an early age (he was 11 years old) and we felt angry at his parents who, we know for sure, will never come back to the island. We could not understand how parents can do that to their own flesh and blood. We also wondered how Jay-R will end up with this kind of fate. Will be be able to live and grow up or will he be unable to survive in this cruel world? (I have a picture of him but I don't think it's proper to show it here. :( Besides, it's illegal.)

With awkward silence and heavy hearts, we asked Jay-R to walk with us back to our tent. We still had canned goods and left-overs from our dinner last night and we decided that he needs it more than us. We took pictures along the way and Jay-R takes good pictures too. Haha. We asked him to take a photo of us. 

See, he was able to hide how fat we really are (sort-of)

When we reached the tent, we gave Jay-R our ration and paid him fifty bucks. We hoped that it was enough to last him for several days until new visitors of the resort arrive. We then ate our breakfast at the mess hall with what's left of our rations. (Note: You have to pay PhP5 for a mug of hot water; 15 for coffee)

After our breakfast, we decided to finally go to that real delta and spend some time swimming there. Jay-R was right, the delta was close to our camp site. I could not understand why we did not see it the day before. Of course, we took pictures. :)

A local resident looking for shells 

Finally, the delta! 

The beach in that area is extremely stony so it's not very comfortable to swim in. Aside from that, the water is just knee-length so you really need to walk far before getting to the deep area. At a quarter past ten, we decided to go back and look for a better place for swimming.  We saw a good spot a few meters away from the delta and we spent about an hour there, swimming and talking about our personal lives and what we think about the world. 

When we were extremely nognog na, we went back to the resort and spent our time under the talisay tree, just enjoying this wonderful experience. Robai mentioned that she wanted to get married here (specifically at the Bonsai Island). I told her it's a good idea and we, the bridesmaids, will wear sun dresses for the wedding. It would be costly though and I wonder what Neil would think about the idea. :p

Our dreaded time came. We had no choice but to start packing because the ferry leaves at 1pm and we had a long way to walk. It is with heavy heart that we left Cagbalete but we promised that we will go back there again. The island has definitely captured our hearts and it will always be our secret get-away in this part of the Philippines. :) 

Crisp and burned like bacon. 

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Cagbalete Chronicles 2: The Receding Water and Bonsai Island

This blog entry has been long overdue. I finally decided to make this entry to reduce the backlogs here; before I go into another adventure with Robai this coming month.


The previous post about Cagbalete is about our journey from Manila to the beautiful island. This one, on the other hand, is about our first day in the island: what we did there and what are the things that we saw so expect a lot of pictures in this entry.


***
After arriving in Villa Cleofas, we asked the owners (I think Mr. Ed) if there are any tents available for rental. He led us to one of the tents on the campsite and me and Robai deposited our things there. A couple was also at the camp site. They brought their own tents and it was so amazing kasi I think professional travellers sila. They had everything! (a burner, a small frying pan, gas) We didn't waste anymore time (because we were dead hungry) and went back to the mess hall. I ordered a dish of pork chop while Robai watched me eat (she was done eating her lunch: thank you Century Tuna Paella.)


We took a shower in the common bathroom (of course, not sabay) before we explored the island. The water was receding already, the afternoon sun was shining brightly and it  was terribly hot.  When we were finished freshening up, we decided to explore the east side of the island.


You would expect that since it was very hot, the sand would also burn our feet. Interestingly enough, it wasn't. One can walk barefoot on the shore and appreciate the beauty of the receding water without scorching your feet. And of course, we took pictures.

Sea grass (?)

We were actually in search of the delta/estuary but since ang tamad namin, we ended up laying in the sand and enjoying the cool breeze.

Believe me, you won't feel the heat kahit mukhang mainit sa lugar na yan.

This tree is underwater during high tide but since the water receded, it looks like a normal tree growing in a desert. 

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Cagbalete Chronicles 1:The Journey to the Mystical Island

This is the second installment of my adventure in Cagbalete. On the first one, I included the directions (and tips) on how to get there. This entry will be about our own personal experience of making this adventure possible. 

Before leaving for Cagbalete, I packed all the essentials for a 2-day trip. My bag was really heavy because I yet have to master the art of packing lightly. My best friend dropped by our house at around 7pm  (Saturday) to talk to my father and make paalam. (Here's the thing, I have a very very STRICT tatay (father) and even if I am already way over the legal age, he is still very protective of me. See, I still need his permission when travelling. :( I'm his little girl like that.. grr. ) 

Since it was too early and Neil won't be joining us for the trip, me and Robai decided to hang out at Market! Market for a while to kill time. We met up with the sulking Neil there and had dinner (and dessert) at Tokyo Tokyo. Good thing the blue whale started cheering up after an hour or so. Since the mall closes at 9:30pm, we decided to get out and sit by the benches near the ferris wheel. I mentioned to Robai and Neil that I have never been to Serendra (the shame!) so they invited me for a walk at the famed place, again, to kill time. 

Robai and the Blue Whale

I did not take pictures though. I'm not that kind. I don't like taking pictures of places specially created for the filthy rich to further magnify the social division in this country (echos!). I must say though, that the place is too overrated. It was nothing but a long stretch of über expensive shops and boutiques which products cost a fortune. The only thing I liked was the humongous Fully Booked branch there. It was like a dream to behold! I was drooling like hell (but that is totally irrelevant to this post).

At half past ten, Neil decided to call it a day. He said goodbye while Robai and I went straight to the Ministop nearby to buy our provisions. I remember putting two cups of instant noodles, 2 cans of Century Tuna Paella (it's God's gift to the human race, no kiddin'), 3-in-1 coffee mix, biscuits, chips, a loaf of bread and some sandwich spread, candles and dishwashing soap. The total bill cost us P596 (or something like that).

Me and Robai aboard the bus

We took a jeep to Guadalupe and a bus from Guada to Cubao (JAC Liner). I think we were lucky enough to reach the station in time for the last trip (12:10am). After a quick inquiry with the bus conductor, we figured out that we were on the right bus. The bus left the station at 12:25 am. 

Now, for anyone who's been wondering about which bus line is good for the trip to Lucena, I would advice you guys to take the JAC Liner. Not only is the driver careful and the seats comfy, you also get free wi-fi on board! (Isn't that cool?). We couldn't sleep though because we are nocturnal beings; Robai works on a night shift while I love staying up late. 

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How To: Cagbalete Island, Quezon

We were supposed to go to Puerto Galera for the summer. You see, after the Ilocos escapade which I wasn't able to join in, I have constantly bugged my best friend to visit another place possibly close to Manila. She invited me to join the out-of-town trip in Galera with her workmates on April 9. But due to recent (and heartbreaking) events in Japan, everybody backed out in fear that a tsunami might happen in our very own backyard. 

Having filed her vacation leave for that weekend, she informed me that she was still willing to go on a trip and so I started searching for possible destinations close to the metro. I asked her if she wanted to push through with our previous plan to have an overnight visit at Potipot, Zambales but since Neil can't come with us, it was pretty much risky to go on with the trip. I searched for other nearby destinations like Batangas, Mt. Pinatubo and   Subic but all of these places required a budget of more than 3k. Thanks to Manong Google and some very helpful travel bloggers [Ms. Chyng Reyes (No Spam, No Virus, No Kiddin'!), Dong Ho (Dong Ho's Eskapo 3.0) and  Atty. Oman (Lawstude's Journeys)], I found out about the mystifying Cagbalete Island.

So after a few discussion (mostly by me), we agreed to visit this island and I made the itinerary based on some blogs I found on the net. 

For this entry, I'll just  include the basic information about the island (transpo and accomodations). I'll post the rest of the adventure later. :) 

How to Get There: 

A. OPTION 1: Public Transport

1. Take a bus to the Lucena Grand Terminal. 

Lucena Grand Terminal

You can choose to take the Lucena Lines, JAM Transit or JAC Liner. All buses have stations at Kamias, Cubao and Buendia (LRT), Taft.  I highly recommend  JAC Liner because they have Wi-Fi on-board and hindi kaskasero ang driver. As far as I know, the first trip to Lucena (applies to all bus lines) is at 2:00AM and leaves at an hourly interval. The last trip is at 12:00AM the next day. 

In our case, we took the last trip of JAC Liner and left the station at around 12:25AM.  We arrived at the Lucena G. Terminal at exactly 3:00am, ang aga lang..hihi. :)

Or you can also take a bus straight to Mauban from Cubao. I don't know if it's also the case for the other two bus companies but JAC Liner has two daily trips to Mauban from Cubao. The first bus leaves at 5AM and the second (and last) trip leaves at 1:00pm.  It can be a bit risky though because you need to rush to the Mauban Port since the first boat to Sabang leaves at 10AM.

Travel Time: 2.5-3 hours (Cubao to Lucena G. Terminal); 4-5 hours  (Cubao to Mauban)

Travel Cost: 218 PhP (Cubao to Lucena G. Terminal) ; 277 (Cubao to Mauban)

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Sometimes, It's just so tiring.

I could not remember a time when I was free.

All my life, the only thing I have known is responsibility. At a very young age, the adults around have me forced me to grow up early and they forced me to carry a burden that normal teenagers don't experience.

I could not buy what I want. I could not do the things I dreamed of. I always have to think of the people around me and how my every action will affect their lives.

I am tired.

I am so tired of these chains that constantly ground me. I am so tired that I always have to carry your burden. I am exhausted. I want to be free from this responsibility that you have forced upon me. This is not what I wanted.

You ask me why I never get a move on with my life. You blame me for not wanting to go out there and establish myself. You have no idea that you are the reason why I don't.

You have constantly pegged me to this rut. Your expectations are choking me. You want me to carry all the weight for you and yet you refuse to listen when I try to speak up. You are worst than any monster under my bed. You are like a poison that is slowly killing me and I don't know how much longer I can tolerate this. 

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In Light of Recent Events

So cyberbullying is in now. Some people stupidly believe that having access to the internet immediately gives them the right to share and comment about anything they see on the world wide web. Before we do that though, I think we should read this very helpful guide before we make a fool of ourselves.

Click the picture to zoom. 

Click here for the original source.

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Jessica Zafra: Etiquette for Expats, Tourists and Other Visitors to the Philippines

I am not claiming any ownership of this article. I am merely re-posting this for entertainment purposes. I love Jessica Zafra and I think she is a really great writer. I am not plagiarizing this, just so we're clear. :) 

Pls find the original article here.

Welcome to the Philippines! You’ve probably noticed that Filipinos are friendly, accommodating, and nice all around. For starters we are always smiling. It is not true that we are always smiling, but it is likely we do it more than your people. This is because it is so much more pleasant than frowning or scowling.

And people generally look better when they’re smiling, no? Here in Manila there is so much aggravation to put up with. It’s sweltering even when it’s rainy, the traffic is horrendous, it’s noisy and poverty is widespread. Smiling is the last thing one feels like doing under these circumstances. If you think about it, smiling in these conditions is a form of protest. It is a way of rising above the situation. It is not, as you might think, a vapid reflex.

Your people probably have a lot more to smile about than we do. They should smile more, it would make them look younger.

Right now we’re smiling at you because we are curious as to what you, a foreigner, are doing in our country. Are you a corporate executive, a chef, a diplomat? A retired soldier fetching your fiancée whom you met online, or a Brazilian model? A Peace Corps volunteer or an NGO worker? A tourist drawn by our famous beaches, or just looking to get laid? Filipino curiosity is insatiable. We have to be in the know. We don’t even have to do anything with the knowledge, we just have to know. 

No doubt you have been told that we pride ourselves on our hospitality. Our hospitality is not a PR thing; it is genuine. We are glad that you’ve come all the way here—we like having guests. You are someone new to talk about.  Entertaining others entertains us. And since you’ve taken the trouble to come all this way, we figured the least we could do is prepare this basic guide to help you get acclimatized.

1. Our beaches are renowned the world over for their powdery white sands, brilliant sunshine, and the spectacular biodiversity in the water. Beaches, as far as we know, are on the seashore. When you are more than ten kilometers from the sea, say, in the shopping and office complexes of Makati and Mandaluyong, don’t feel compelled to dress for the beach.

We assure you that we natives won’t feel ill at ease if you don’t wear your loosest tank top, ratty board shorts and crumbling flip-flips while walking around the mall. Don’t dress down on our behalf; we do like to dress up. We think it is a way of showing respect not just for the occasion and the setting, but for yourself.

2. It is hot and humid in Manila so we sweat a lot. In order to stay cool and refreshed we take baths or showers every day, if not two or three times a day. If those of us who were born and raised here find it hot, it must be positively infernal for those of you from America, Europe, Australia-NZ and the temperate zone!

You must shower every day, if not several times a day. For maximum refreshment we recommend generous applications of soap, shampoo, and antiperspirants. Just dousing yourself in cologne is not enough to cool you down. Take a shower every day, you’ll feel so much better.

We insist.

3. The Philippines is a former colony of the United States, and English is taught in our schools. We watch Hollywood movies and American television programs, sing popular songs in English, and visit websites in English. Plus millions of us have relatives in English-speaking countries, and we are the world number one in voice-based call centers.

So there is no need to express profound surprise when we speak to you in English. Please don’t tell us, “But your English is so good!” Yes, we have English. And indoor plumbing, electricity and wi-fi, and we don’t actually live in that treehouse, it’s decorative.

4. From childhood we have been trained to do things for each other. We do this without thinking—our programming is so thorough. For instance if the friend of a friend is looking for a particular type of bread that is not available in stores, and we know someone who lives near a baker who produces that bread and sells it at an organic market, we will obtain that bread for the one who’s looking. It’s no big deal, it’s the way we were brought up. We are not currying favor, we are not sucking up, we are just being helpful. It’s our culture.

So if we go out of our way for you, it’s not because we think you are the Big Kahuna or because we want something from you or we think you are wonderful. We do it because we were brought up to be caring and considerate, and it is considered selfish and unfriendly for us not to do it. Plus if our mothers find out that we did not help when we could have, we’ll never hear the end of it. If you are suspicious about accepting our generosity, know that we’re really doing it for ourselves. It is not a sign of weakness; it is one of our strengths.

5. If you consider the Philippines a shithole cesspit backwater, please do not feel compelled to grace us with your presence. Certainly we will miss the pleasure of your company, but we will manage somehow. We were born here and have lived here all our lives; this is our home. We presume your homeland is not a shithole cesspit backwater, so we are mystified as to why you would choose to be here when you could be there.  Surely someone of your magnificent qualities and impressive qualifications would be appreciated and rewarded in your own country?

6. It is true that lots of Filipina women prefer foreigners over their own countrymen. For some it is a matter of true love triumphing over ethnic and cultural differences. For others it is a matter of economic necessity. It may be useful to remember this when you are swarmed in red-light districts by exotic women cooing at your manliness. We are bound by very strong family ties—children are duty-bound to give financial support not just to their parents but to entire villages of relatives.

7. Your dollar/pound/euro/other foreign currency goes a long way in the Philippines, allowing you to enjoy a higher standard of living than what you would have back home. You can afford a lifestyle that is luxurious compared to the average Filipino’s. We hope you will not confuse the foreign exchange rate with personal merit. Unfortunately the Philippines is not a meritocracy. 

Reference: Zafra, Jessica. "Etiquette for Expats, Tourists and Other Visitors to the Philippines" Interaksyon.http://adf.ly/2HUh6. Posted 2 August 2011. Retrieved 4 August 2011. 

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