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Whale-shark Watching at Oslob, Cebu

06 Feb 2012 | By Elise Estrella

Here’s another late post. Jette and I went whale-shark (butanding) watching at Oslob, Cebu last February 1st. And for someone who always loves water animals, it was an incredible experience.

We left Sibulan early and took the fastcraft to Santander, Liloan in Cebu at 7 a.m. We walked the short distance to the cozy (and highly recommended) Eden Resort. They were the ones who arranged the adventure for us.

We rode a couple of motorbikes from Liloan to Oslob (and I wish I could have taken a pic of those as I enjoyed riding them). The scenery was beautiful especially since most of the time you can see the sea from the road.

When we got to the place where we were going to take the boats, we paid the 300Php fee (each) and joined in a quick orientation. It was in Cebuano but I’m really good with context clues so I only needed Jette to translate the jokes ehehe

Then we donned our snorkeling gear, got into a boat and the two manongs rowed us out to the sea where a number of butanding were swimming. It was actually still very close to the shore, around twenty feet of water. The whale-sharks were just there, swimming with the pesky humans and following the boats around, asking for food.

While I appreciate being able to be close enough to them to touch, at the back of my mind I knew I shouldn’t (be close enough and shouldn’t touch them). It’s an awesome experience, yes, but I can’t help but worry about the whale-sharks. What if there are no fishermen to feed them? What if some idiot on a boat feeds them something like chicharon or siopao. Something! It just worries me.

The fishermen treats these whale-sharks like domesticated pets. And there’s this one baby whale-shark that keeps following this boat around, asking for food. They’re also very careful with the animals. They make sure that the boats don’t hit them, and that they don’t crowd the whale-sharks.

Of course, the other humans don’t respect the rules that not more than 5 people should be in the water near the animals or the whale-sharks will get stressed.

Anyway, I kept having trouble with the snorkel. And the current was so strong I couldn’t let go of our guide’s hand for fear of being swept by the current and deposited in Bohol… which is not a bad idea actually, as I’ve never been to Bohol… hmmm…

Anyway, Jette also told me about the difference between whale-watching in Oslob and in Donsol. It’s easier to see the butanding in Oslob, but the Donsol experience is more geniuine as the buntanding there are wild.

In any case, I loved our trip to Oslob.

When we got back to Eden, we had lunch. I couldn’t pass up the chicken cordon bleu which is one of my most favorite food. Jette had the grilled fish. Then we went to the beach and took some pictures before we went back to the resort to swim. I was such a happy baby. We stayed at the shallow side of the pool (3 ft.) but I wanted to go to the 8 ft. side. Except I didn’t know how to thread and was scared I’d embarrass myself hehe next time.

Jette and I spent the time talking (mostly about our boys) and with me trying to reach the floor of the pool with my nose. I also wanted to try to do a flip but I’d have to be in deeper water than that.

Hay. I want to go swimming again soon. Anyhow, here are some pics from the trip.

Category: My Life Tags: buddies, Cebu, journal, thank yous, travels Leave a Comment

“We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake.”

06 Feb 2012 | By Elise Estrella

“It is not light that we need, but fire;
it is not the gentle shower, but thunder.
We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake.”
Frederick Douglass

So I decided to have a day-off today. I may or may not work tonight but right now, I think I’d update the blog.

Today’s news is the 6.9 magnitude earthquake that hit Negros at 11:49 a.m. earlier today.

Jette, Ivy and I had just finished breakfast (we had spaghetti). I was at the sink, rinsing dishes so I can wash them. I felt the earth move and though a truck was passing outside. But then I heard a noise like one of the airplanes landing at the near-by Sibulan Airport and the truck-passing-by rumbling of the earth intensified to a gentle side to side movement THEN to an intense rolling movement like the earth was trying to split itself open. Ivy watched the TV shake and Jette and I had grabbed the bathroom’s doorframe and waited for the earth to still.

It didn’t… for long, long, long seconds. The earth still shook and gave out that terrifying angry rumble which grew louder and louder. The cups were rattling, my dishes were rattling, the trees outside were waving like crazy and I could see PJay moving too. The sink and the doorjamb shook beneath my hands.

I really believed that somewhere nearby, buildings will collapse and a tsunami will ensue. It was that strong.

Anyhow, the earth gradually stopped shaking until, I guess, it was just me. We scattered to text family and friends to check how they were.

A tsunami alert had been raised, and apparently, a wall collapsed and a child died. News here. So far, we haven’t felt any more aftershocks after the first long, strong one.

I feel equal parts terrified, fascinated and humbled. Terrified because I have lived through the 1990 earthquake (I was ten. Do the math.) and remembered being horrified at how Baguio had looked like. Fascinated because I could imagine tectonic plates moving beneath my feet to form and reform. And humbled because mankind may be at the top of the food chain, but at the end of the day, we still owe our excistence to something far greater than we are.

God bless us all.

Category: Just Saying, My Life Tags: Dumaguete, journal, Just Saying, prayers, travels 2 Comments

To-do List for Tomorrow

03 Feb 2012 | By Elise Estrella

1. Finish editing Sentinels 12.
2. Update journal. I’m a week late. Thanks to Twitter, I can keep track of what I’ve been doing.
3. Write a blog entry on my whale-shark watching adventure. Post (Instagram-ed) pictures.
4. Write a blog entry about finishing daddy John.
5. Freelance work (at least 5 hours T_T)
6. Mag-kolap sa pagod.

I have to take my blogging seriously again.

—

On a happy note, my brother and I agreed on a football date. We’re going to wait for an Army vs. Air Force or Kaya FC vs. Meralco match. Excited much? I need it for a manuscript although I’m more excited about hanging out with my brother.

Anyhow, off to sleep. Too tired to write or edit. I just want to curl up with an audiobook until I drift off.

Good night!

Category: My Life Tags: journal, Just Saying, lists, random thoughts Leave a Comment

Some Cebu Pics

22 Jan 2012 | By Elise Estrella

I haven’t posted in a long while but I have been writing in my journal app. I started a 365 days type of project and so far, I’m actually doing it. I have 22+ photos of the day so far. I keep thinking that it would help me when I’m old and decrepit, and I can’t remember my youth haha

Anyway, I’m in Dumaguete right now, enjoying the peace and quiet, and the good food c/o Edith Joaquin and Gabby’s Bistro. Explains why I’m 40 pounds overweight now *sob*

We were also in Cebu for Sinulog. Anyhow, I’m listening to an audiobook right now and I have to work for oDesk so I can’t write a long entry. I’m going to make up for it soon, I promise.

I miss you, blog!

Here are some pics from Cebu.

Street dancing

With the Sto. Niño

Lapu-Lapu Shrine, Mactan Island, Cebu

Yummy Thai food at Krua Thai, SM City Cebu

Lilo-an Port, Santander, Cebu

Category: My Life Tags: Cebu, journal, thank yous, travels 5 Comments

My New Worst Frenemy

22 Dec 2011 | By Elise Estrella

The stationary bike is my new frenemy.

I’ve pretty much maintained my (thirty pounds over) weight for the last two years. I actually lost a few last year then gained them when I started working again (I bless and curse you, free drinks from the office!) and so far, I’ve been losing and gaining two or three pounds over the course of 2011. No, I don’t check my weight. I don’t have a weighing scale. But I know if I’ve lost or gained weight based on how my jeans fit and the way I wear my belt.

Anyhow, sometime ago, I started using this iPod app called MyFitnessPal which is a free calorie counter, diet and exercise journal. I got the idea about calorie counting from a friend before but didn’t take it seriously because I didn’t want to be looking at labels and calculating calories before I eat anything. Especially since I don’t do the cooking and I REALLY don’t want to deconstruct a meal to count calories. It takes the fun out of eating and I absolutely love to eat.

I recently reloaded the app into the iPod and signed up into the site. I tinkered with it and was deligted that they had “kutsinta” in the database which was exactly what I was eating at the time. So I found myself logging my meals for that day and was horrified to see that I’ve been eating way above my suppossed calorie count limit, and that I’ve been eating mostly fat and sugar. Now, I’ve never been a health nut. I hate dieting and exercising. I live the life of a sloth. I work at home so I only mostly leave the bed to go to the toilet, the fridge and the kitchen. I leave the house a maximum of three times in any given week, and mall-hopping is my exercise. But for someone my age and weight and medical problems (nothing serious but I have allergic rhinitis that is a hop, skip and a jump away from true blue asthma), I need to watch my health.

So I decided to use the app again to calorie count as I have an obssession about listing things down and keeping track of them. Also, it comes with a Twitter-like app that allows me to post food thoughts. I’ve thought of linking it to Twitter but let’s just say I like it private.

So, aside from listing down the food I eat everyday, I also have to list the number of glasses of water I drink and the types and duration of exercise I do. I usually forget but I’ve set the app up to remind me to log my meals in. And because I embarrass myself, I try to exercise just so I can add something. Hence that evil piece of equipment up there which I’ve asked, cajoled and bullied my mom to get for us. I have no idea what I was thinking.

But for the past week, everytime I feel lazy, I pull myself off the bed and away from the computer to spend some time with the bike. I get less lazy that way. Could be because of the endorphins. Sorry, I’m really stupid when it comes to exercise.

As I haven’t checked my weight, I can’t say if it’s effective as yet, but I can say that this new habit has helped me watch how I take care of myself. Doesn’t matter if I get thin or not as that is just a byproduct, but so long as I’m healthy, I’m happy ^^ And positive thinking, I will learn to love that bike. I will learn to love that bike. I will learn to love that bike.

Image from here via Google.