uncertainties

photo by me

I miss the beach. 

I had plans to travel on a long weekend of the second month of this year, February, to an island in Cebu, Bantayan but had to table it when the global pandemic situation in our small island nation went from worse to worst. It was intended to be a trip between me and very, very close high school best girl friend but she cancelled too. Regardless, with or without anyone, I would still have gone because, well, island is life...for me, anyway.

Right now, stuck in a, still in some way, bay side city, I can't help but continue to feel uneasy, uncertain. Unsure when I'll be able to go out and travel again to the islands I so love. I'll stay missing the beaches and islands for a bit, I guess.

I haven't been here awhile due to work. I've been drowning myself in it so as to keep my mind off of the COVID 19 situation, this...quite melancholic quarantine. Not that I'm not used to workingfrom home---I was a freelance writer, editor, proofreading and still am, and have always worked from home since time immemorial---but more it's because I feel there's a need to wallow in work to keep me distracted. I'm pretty sure many others feel this way. But good news? I'll be checking in here from time to time as some things are being worked on by me, myself and I as a one-woman team for @treasure_chest_of_sorts on instagram. August is when this will all be happening. I'm ecstatic about this one! I'll be tackling more of this in the next post. More hints to come? Are you excited? I am! Until then, I'll be here from time to time from now until when posts will be more regular in August. 

July 27-28's island living

(photos by @michisings)

top, bench. shorts, vintage/thrifted.  

Sometime between July 28 and 29. I know...a very, very, veeeerrryyy late post. But this is because my computer is acting up and I cannot borrow anything from anyone so my only course at the moment is to save up for a new one. I'll try my best to keep this space alive as much as my powers allow.

Yes, beach makes me happy. Beach is LIFE. Beach is EVERYTHING and I miss it. This was Agutayan Island off of Jasaan, Misamis Oriental's coastline. A super raaaddd place. There were three of us that went there with two other groups through Sophie Red, a hotel that looks quite tacky by the way thanks to the name and color combination (tooooo red...not that good to loo at...). We ended up paying only the 50 Php (1 USD) fee a piece or per person because the bigger group has paid for the ride which should cost about 1200 Php so...yay~ Lucky~ 10 to 1, it's a 10 and so worth going to and probably is the highlight of our Jasaan overnight stay that weekend after the pool dip the night before that ended only at 9 in the evening because...you know...hotel management sucked and limited swimming at the pool to only 9 in the evening. 

Next beach trip will be...hopefully on the 21st as it's a holiday here. Also, I would, I so would travel to San Isidro, Initao for this. Cagayan de Oro is surrounded by awesome beaches I could never get tired of this place. 

....and as for today, which is a Saturday...I was busy running errands and stuff for...well...real life stuff. Also, I found a mini supermarket-type South Korean store close to home. I ended up buying 2 kinds of seafood ramen and a pack of nuts. My next target? A box of their brown rice green tea and maybe a card case I may need and a passport holder if I can't get the other one from Human Heart Nature's Mori Notes partner seller. Hmn...I have some decisions to make...somehow.

Terranova here in Cagayan de Oro's Limketkai Mall went on sale. Hopefully it still continues after work's payday because I have a few things I'd like to look into there though buying anything for myself is a bit iffy because I feel like I hardly really need anything yet outside of white shirts and tanks at this point. I'm yet surviving with my bunch of clothes to use for work (we have a loose clothing policy, yay~) and a few others. If you're anywhere in my city for this one, DO GO NOW. I went yesterday, Friday and there weren't a lot of people compared to the last few days or when the sale started, I guess so I was able to take a good look around it while shopping for some gifts four two cousins who are celebrating their consecutive birthdays from August 17 to today, August 18. 

Note that I hardly shop for anything because I want to stay minimal when it comes to dressing up and fashion and style in general. Also, really cozy and comfortable so yeah, this was a once in a lifetime thing. After the next payday, I'm only spending sparingly for things and saving as much as I can for other things. I notice that nowadays, I take a super easy going and chill approach to shopping especially sales. It's an improvement from my shopaholic self from years and years ago. 

And this is it for me. Until the next post...whenever that may be... 

almost high tide in manjuyod sandbar

In Manjuyod's pretty large, expansive sand bar.

At 3 in the afternoon, the sandbar in Manjuyod, Bais City (an hour or so's drive from Dumaguete City) is already submerged in 1-2 centimeters above the ankles of sea water. It's not exactly the best time to be there. I surmise that it's best to be at the sandbar between high noon and earlier in the afternoon. Perhaps on the next try, rather visit at the sandbar, I'd be able to catch it dry and higher above sea water than this one time I'd gone there. A full day at the sandbar might be better than a quick trip to look around it scheduled late in the afternoon. This is something people need to take note of when it comes to beach bumming---the one activity I love to do on some weekends or free times. 

The sandbar is a great place to swim in and hang out or beach picnic in however I've only done the latter after having forgotten my swimming gear at the hotel room. I didn't expect so much pool, cold spring (I'm not exactly a cold spring-preferring swimming person...they're usually too cold for me, I wouldn't think twice diving into the hot springs, however...) and beach trips on the last day spent in, around and out of Dumaguete City so I left the swimming clothes in the backpack back in the 309th room of Bravo Hotel.  

....and apparently, this snapback (the only thing of its kind I own) from the cousin's barber shop's merchandise stash back in Long Beach has been a constant thing to carry and wear much of every trip I partake in, lately. It's definitely the most useful in the heat and when one just wants the heck out of caps/hats... 

The most fitting theme for this trip? lol's (Avex JP) Blue Ocean, of course!

I therefore have to say and this is truth for me, for the eternal summer season here in the tropics...: lol's lolol album/first full length record is the record/album to have for this summer season rather, this whole damn year. Everything in the said album/full length record is summer season (whole year in the tropics) anthem.

Surigao Diary

(photos by me and my brother)

A weekend with scarce internet connection and long drives after, I ended up hibernating for about 10-12 hours upon reaching home. Surigao was exhausting and not so much the type wherein you're entitled to be a beach bum for days. Not really a big fan of cold water and natural water falls, I opted not to go swimming in both Enchanted River and the Tinuy-an Falls. I've already had enough of cold water swimming in my childhood days with friends, cousins, family and the grandparents.

In the midst of it all, I received impromptu lecture on wearing impractical footwear---but really, I'm basically queen of the impractical---and random shoot from mother. Then followed attempted moon photography via that which I have been abusing so much: a simplistic Canon PowerShot SD1300 IS Digital Elph. Not bad when we were staying overnight at the Fish Cage on the last night in Surigao. I was actually able to capture it with settings I forgot how I did it to. I know, confusing. I'll attempt it again or some other time.

Note to self: read this before attempting to tie the scarf in turban-like fashion.

09/26-09/30

 

(my photos)

This week was one for walking along the boulevard, trying to capture the waves in photos as they hit the wall prompting passersby to stay away from the ledge. Moon-, star-, sky-gazing was also in the nightly agenda with the penumbral eclipse that occured not so long ago. The night before yesternight, I suppose? And of course, decking myself in blue and black and rediscovering my love for this pair of denim shorts I can apparently shorten and of course, the Primadonna pointy toe heels I fell in love with back home. Note that I rarely ware pumps and am considering getting a few for the wardrobe. Uhmn...but I'd really rather stick to ankle boots. 

Yesternight was supposed to be devotion at the dorm but it didn't come through *insert sigh of relief here*. I always am disturbed by those however wonderful spiritual (and perhaps emotional)respite might be as they offer it. I already feel like a hypocrite enough when I go to church on some Sundays. (This is me being truthful here which is a very rare occurrence.) I know Da-iCE made me happy when three of them: Yudai, Toru and Hayate had that ustream session with AAA's Urata Naoya as guest, though. Yesternight was fun. 

Today, it's listening to Miura Daichi, staying in and reading Modern Feminist Thought by Imelda Whelehan for literary research and trying to finish it so I could read the other book and figure out exactly what my research on Saiormoon and other such manga of the same vein and some classic literature form would be. I know, very pop culture. And it's a long weekend. So kudos.

(random button up shirt from a nearby boutique, thrifted shorts, primadonna pointy heel pumps)