Exactly last year (3.21.11), my cousin Ria exchanged vows with Web at a gorgeous all-white beach wedding in Laiya, Batangas. They’re now blessed with a beautiful and healthy baby named Alon (such a cool and fitting name!). Here’s a look back at some of the wedding snapshots I took during the event.
“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” – Dr. Seuss, Happy Birthday to You!
Last March 2 was Dr. Seuss (Theodore Seuss Geisel’s) birthday so I’m taking this opportunity to divert from travel and share another how-to-party guide from my nephew’s 2nd birthday party, which was Seuss-themed. My sister Lorie and I love themed parties and we always try to find an occasion to hold one. Since Seuss party merchandise is not available here in the Philippines, we had to make do with a lot of DIY stuff and a few lucky finds.
I’m on the cover of Cruising Magazine’s March 2012 issue!
The cover story by Julius Vicente features Lingayen, Pangasinan. Cover photo was taken in El Puerto Marina Resort by Rudy Liwanag. Lingayen was also previously featured in Manila Bulletin last year.
A few bare branches stick out from the dry earth, swaying with the ferocity of the breeze. The wind whips half-hearted waves and sends a spray onto the shores of the embankment of Pantabangan Dam where I stand. Loose earth crumbles beneath my feet and I walk back towards the gravel lined path near the center of the hill to admire the view. Continue reading
Since it’s Valentine’s Day today, I thought I had to make an attempt to post something romantic. So, instead of listing the most romantic places in the country or date places, I’m featuring a couple of friends who went the extra mile to take the next step in their relationship. Here are a few adventure-filled marriage proposals.
Proposal while Scuba Diving
Rina and Don got engaged while scuba diving in Arthur’s Rock, a marine sanctuary in Mabini, Batangas last May 2010. To pull this underwater engagement off required careful planning, conspirators (everyone in their group including the driver) and precautionary measures to ensure that the ring would not be carried away by the current, which was really strong that day. Don brought a slate where he had written the proposal down and attached the ring to a carabiner to keep it safe.
(Screenshots grabbed since I can’t post the video here due to Facebook’s privacy settings.)
“What happened was Don showed me one side of the slate first, which says “Mahal na mahal kita, Rina” then flipped it to the other side, which says “Pakasal na tayo.” Later I realized that technically, it wasn’t a question…but he said he put it that way because he wanted to make it a point to propose in Filipino. My “yes” was when he made the “OK” sign after putting the ring on my finger, and I made the “OK” sign back, and we were engaged!” — Rina
Proposal while Mountain Climbing
How romantic is it to get engaged on top of the world while watching the sunrise on a sea of clouds? Leo’s sweet proposal to Mithi last December 2011 was done during a mountain climbing trip to scenic Mt. Pulag, the highest mountain in Luzon with a peak of 2,922 meters above sea level. The borders between the provinces of Benguet, Ifugao, and Nueva Vizcaya meet at this mountain’s peak. Though it rained during their climb to the base camp on the first day, the sun came out during their hike to the summit for a picture-perfect proposal.
(Photos by Mithi’s friend Josh Villaruel grabbed from her FB page)
“It was our first time to climb Mt. Pulag together. Actually, I wanted to surprise him because it was his birthday so I even brought cake for him which the guide carried up, but he had the bigger surprise planned. After camping at the base camp the night before with a group of friends, we climbed to the summit early in the morning to watch the sunrise. While we were taking photos, he pointed to a spot where there weren’t any people and said we should go there, and I thought it was just to get a better angle for the photos. Then, he faced me and took out the ring hidden in his camera bag. I couldn’t hear everything he said because of the cold and my excitement. I just heard the beginning of what he said: “We’ve been together now for more than 5 years….” and then “Will you marry me?” — Mithi
Sweet! Congrats again!
Proposal while Motorcycling
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to include my own engagement details here, but not a lot of people know that Art actually proposed to me during a motorcycle ride aboard Falkor, his Kawasaki Eliminator that we’ve shared a lot of great rides on. At the time, I wasn’t driving my own scooter yet and he invited me to go for a ride with him during one cold and windy night in October 2009, when he popped the question out of the blue. Since I had no means of getting back from where we were if he left me on the side of the road, I had no choice but to say yes. 
He didn’t give me the ring until we got back to safe grounds since he was afraid one of us would drop it. We don’t have any photos of the actual moment, but here’s one of our pre-nup photos taken in Marilaque a few weeks before our wedding.
(Photo by Kix Tavora / Resonance Photography)
Know any other adventure-related marriage proposals here in the country? Share away!
UPDATE: April 2012!!! – Proposal during a Zombie Outbreak
I have to give this couple props for giving a whole new meaning to the phrase “Till Death (or the Walking Dead) do us Part”. John Funtanilla proposed marriage to his girlfriend Jaja Biscocho in the middle of a Zombie Apocalypse. Hordes of zombies circle the couple running for their lives during Outbreak Manila, the zombie-themed fun run held in Nuvali, Sta. Rosa last April 14, 2012. The video produced by Pelicola.tv and organized by Re-create Events went viral on YouTube hours after posting. As one of the comments (by TheJuliaFilms) on YouTube points out: “CUTEST PROPOSAL EVER! This trumps all the romantic sh*t that’s super overrated! Y’cannot beat a friggin proposal whilst being surrounded by zombies. <3″ I agree 100%. Even the zombies can’t help but applaud the couple. See the proposal unfold here:
While they’ve been around for awhile, board sports like surfing, sandboarding and stand-up paddleboarding are quickly gaining popularity here in the country. If you’re based in Manila, you don’t even have to book an expensive flight to another country to try these out. You can actually try all three board sports up North in Ilocos Norte, which I’ve found is a haven for some of the greatest outdoor adventures.
Anyone who’s been to Naga City in Bicol has probably eaten somewhere along the strip of restaurants along Magsaysay Road or chowed down on Kinalas at a streetside eatery. If you’re interested in motorcycles, you might want to check out a relatively new restaurant called Florespina’s at the boundary of Canaman. My mom recommended I visit this biker-themed bar during one of my visits to Naga since it’s walking distance from our place there.
Lakbay Norte 3, the 8-day media tour of the Northern Philippines was a blast! Gorgeous weather, great food, generous hosts, and a group that was willing to try all the crazy extreme activities thrown our way. It’s going to take a while to write about all the places, activities, food stops and hotels. Am currently sorting through close to 2,000 photos. In the meantime, here’s a quick look at the jam-packed itinerary we had. Continue reading
One of my favorite travel accessories has got to be multi-purpose headwear, the seamless tube that can be worn in all sorts of ways. This really comes in handy for all sorts of outdoor adventures and travel in general. Aside from wiping sweat and keeping hair out of the face when I use it as a bandana, it’s also useful as a facemask for motorcycling. When folded up, it can be a blindfold for sleeping in buses and planes. I’ve also used it to cover my camera when it suddenly rains.
HeadWare is a local brand that is pretty affordable and makes the products out of good material. The fabric is more breathable than the cheaper knock-offs you can buy at bazaars and it actually keeps you cool during hot weather and warm during cold weather. Unlike the cheaper headwear, the print designs don’t fade when washing and the fabric itself doesn’t get stretched out of shape. Continue reading
