friday's 10 happy things

Hello! I decided to start on another blog link-up, the Friday's 10 Happy Things! I usually cannot fight not sharing it when I see/hear/feel something amazing or something that simply made me smile, but since I'm trying to shut myself up in social media, I thought it would be suitable to just keep them to myself for a week, and then dump them all in this list. So basically, it's a list of things that made me happy this week. Let me go ahead and just start:

1. True Confessions with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler - Oh my, how I would love to get my own swivel chair and be the fourth person in that table?! Tina Fey is my hero, and Amy Poehler is just always hilariously smart. And then there's Jimmy who has a darn cute laugh/snicker :) I'm that loser in school who just want to be friends with this group.
2. Let's not go further: the release of the first Sisters' trailer. Those parts where Amy says 'I don't get this dress, one of my apples keeps rolling out of the bag' and Tina says 'yeah, congrats on that wrestling championship' just make me want to step it up and be a better person in life. And my life after this.
3. The list could be done with those two alone, but let me just keep going for compliance's sake: I made a video of my recent travel to Malaysia, and this made me realize that video editing is probably what I really love doing but I only got diverted into taking photos.
4. I made a Google Sheet to track my savings for my next year's travel. Yes, that trip needs serious amount of discipline to save up for that I had to put it in a tracking sheet, with COUNTIF formulas and all.
5. I spoiled myself by getting a Swirl Rewards Card :)
6. Sarah Geronimo in The Breakup Playlist :D With her cute/rocker chick/law student/perfect messy hair in a bun vibe.
7. I am quite taken by the awesomeness that you can now send GIFs in Facebook Messenger. I feel like I communicate better through GIFs haha!
8. When you're in the shower just thinking about life.
9. My nephew, Francis' almost daily goo'mohnin' voice messages.
10. Omigosh, I learned how to change the fonts in my blog without using the ones in the template. It is such a game-changer in my non-programming world.

no one cares if you do

"You don't have to write, no one cares if you do, and you won't be remembered. But if something inside won't let you off the hook, just do it."

- Anne Lamott 

coron: malcapuya island

As if staged, we finished our last hop in Malcapuya Island just before the sun set. I love this part of the path, a strip of soil in the middle of green grass sprawl and trees, like taken straight out of a story book :)

Time was spent to more of sitting, staring at those crazy blues and playing a bit of (beach?) basketball, which briefly reminded me of childhood. I would love to experience at least an overnight stay in this island when I come back. I will, I will.

coron: banana island

Banana Island -- our second one to step into on our second day in Coron. Our boat docked at the side of the island, and upon getting my feet into the ground, I immediately liked it the moment I saw the green grass sprawled ahead of me.

When we turned to meet the rest of it, I secretly crumbled inside, with so much awe. Hammocks tied up into the coconut trees facing the deepest of the blue I can imagine. We were given a lot of time to enjoy this home-y island, and of course I cannot miss the luxury of lying down into one of those precious hammocks.

While waiting for lunch, we walked further along, and saw a couple of nipa houses. One of them was empty, so we sat on the porch, talked whatever that came to mind, mindlessly watched people passing by, totally detached from the concept of time.

Maybe next time, I would book another flight to Coron and just spent the whole stay in this island (even though I don't know if there are houses for rent in here haha).

Another hour passed by doing nothing, the kind of nothing that still has actual meaning: staring at the sea, watching a couple set up their picnic mat on the beach, hunting chickens to take photos of, attempting to take a nap. And then it was time again for another tummy-filling lunch! :)

Lunch was very good and had me wanting to attach another set of intestine in my stomach just so I could eat more of the fresh seafood and liempo. We found an empty tree house and spent the rest of our food coma in it while listening to music. I like moments like these when you don't feel the need to talk and you feel everyone knows it and does the same. Nature has its own way of silencing us in a beautiful way.

coron: banol beach

After a few minutes of lada-di-das in CYC Beach, we were summoned back to our boat to hop on the next island: Banol Beach. The insanely beautiful view approaching the island was more than enough to feed my vision: trees randomly sprouting from the rock formations, undeniably clear water and nipa huts nestled just a foot or two away from the white sand shoreline.

However, our bodies needed to be fed too, and demanded real food haha. After we found shade from the harsh noon light, it was not long until food was served in our hut. Pritong Isda, Inihaw na Liempo and fresh seaweeds, partnered with a bowl of soy sauce, calamansi and tomatoes is how I spelled perfection at that time.

I hoped to cap off the meal with an afternoon nap, but as I was lying there, I ended up staring at the sea instead.

coron: cyc beach

With only three days to spend in Coron, we coordinated our island tour quickly just as we have settled our bags in the hotel. It started by a tricycle picking us up, delivering us to the dock, and then ushering us into our own boat. This was around lunchtime, so the sun is pretty hyped up, and with twenty minutes to spare while we sail to our first island, we spent it putting sunblock on in slathers.

The sight of the rock formations in the horizon did not leave us until our first stop, CYC Beach.

This photo did not come out as I have expected, because the colors are much better as I have seen it! I have posted a similar shot on my Instagram with no filter for proof :)

While our two accommodating boatmen/tour guides stayed to start cooking our lunch (yes, they can cook on the boat!), we went down and walked through the crystal clear water until we reach the shore. And just as we did, I was immediately welcomed by two sweet dogs! Heehee.

I circled the beach which was surrounded by a lot of mangrove trees and more rocks. The texture in them was so photogenic, the Ektar helped me capturing them as I have intended :)