圣诞快乐, Hong Kong!

Disclaimer: This post has been in my drafts for quite a long time... hence, the Christmas post in April. Haha :) 

(Read: Merry Christmas, Hong Kong!)

Christmas is a time for family - especially in the Philippines. It's a time for reunions and out-of-town trips. We start our Christmas early... very early. Preparations usually start when the Ber months come in (SeptemBER, OctoBER...). People start putting out Christmas trees, lights, and other decors during September, some even do their Christmas shopping already.

We're always around family, friends, gifts, and good food. This Christmas (since this has been a draft for so long, the Christmas here is in 2010), however, we decided to go out on our own and experience Christmas in another country, in another culture.

Read all about our Christmas in Hong Kong after the jump!

Black Saturday Musings

I've always wanted to be a writer. What kind? I'm not exactly sure.

Poetry has never been an option, most definitely. I suck at it. I have no idea how to write a good one. Heck, I don't even have an idea how to interpret and understand one. I've only come to appreciate it after my Introduction to Poetry class in College. That was one class I was dreading to take. I had a feeling I would suck at it. I had a feeling I wouldn't understand anything during group discussions. I would just sit there listening to my classmates, feeling dumb and out of place. In reality, well, I really felt dumb. Everyone sounded so intelligent, everything they said had depth. When it came to the written exercises, I didn't do well... But I didn't suck at them either. I got a 1.75 in that class. The highest in our Uni is 1. 

I also took an Introduction to Non-Fiction or was it Creative Non-Fiction? Well, whatever, I loved it.  I've been practically writing non-fiction my whole life. I had my first diary when I was 5 and my first blog when I was 13 or 15. I remembered being so scared in that class. The feeling wasn't the same as when I took Poetry. I was too scared to be evaluated and judged - especially since I grew up believing that I might be good at writing. I pushed myself during workshops, I took constructive criticism, and even gave out some. I got a 1.5 in that class. The highest is 1. 

That was when I realized that I made the wrong decision. I should have taken Creative Writing in College. Instead, I got scared and took a 'safer' path - a more 'academic' course. I thought it was better to suck at something I just memorized and studied for than to suck at something I created out of my thoughts. I'm not saying that I'm good at this writing thing. I'm saying that I dreaded those Poetry and Non-Fiction classes, but deep down, I was excited about them too. Those classes didn't feel like classes. When I was there, I felt like I was just having fun and learning a lot of things about skills that have always mattered to me since I was 5.

I've always been a bookworm. This may be why I got attracted to writing. I like the feeling that books give me and I want to be able to share that with others. Just so you know, when I read, I really READ. I immerse myself in the book and I usually don't stop until I'm done with it. I get stuck inside the world, the era, or the milieu of the story. This is also why I get stuck with piles of unread novels. It takes me a while before I get out of the worlds and emotions a book brings. It may sound weird, yes, but it helped me cope with the different problems I had growing up - no matter how simple they may be.

Now that I'm older, I should be wiser. I shouldn't be afraid to take risks anymore. Life is really too short to choose a 'safer' path. I should face my problems and not immerse myself in books, in the hopes of escaping whatever problem I have at the time. 

It's time to put myself out there and continue doing what I love. I have no idea how to do it. But I'm guessing this is a good first step.

Life is short. Live your dream, and wear your passion. 

♥ Anna 

Baguio: The summer capital of the Philippines

After my posts about the scorching hot Boracay island and the similarly humid Hanoi City (Vietnam), it's a breather to blog about the cool and crisp Baguio City - the summer capital of the Philippines.

It's actually quite weird that in a country of beaches, the summer capital is a waterless, sandless, and beachless city on top of a plateau. I guess it's known as such because of its cool climate, which is so different from the hot and humid climate in Metro Manila. Because of this, Baguio is PACKED with people - tourists and locals alike - during summer and even Christmas (when the climate is much colder).

To get there, people from Metro Manila have to travel 5-7 hours (or even more, depending on the traffic). I think there's also an airport up there, but I haven't tried going there by plane, after all, the roadtrip is already half the adventure! :))

There are two roads to Baguio, but Kennon Road is the older and more popular one. Ironically, it's also the more dangerous choice. It's quite scary to pass there at night. Drivers should always always always have to be careful with the sharp turns and the blind areas.

Kennon Road: Imagine driving here at night!

Hanoi: The land of motorcycles and weasel coffee

One important thing to remember about Hanoi is that you need a great deal of stamina and agility. You definitely need that for all the walking and touring around.


...But what you don't know is that it's mainly for dodging the countless motorcycles while crossing the street! - and I really mean COUNTLESS. The motorcycles really seem to outnumber the cars, making the streets prone to accidents (they have an accident count board along one of their main roads). They say that Filipinos are the 'best' drivers in Asia, but after going here, I think I'd have to disagree. :p

Don't get me wrong though, this is actually part of the adventure!... I think. :p But I assure you, the sights and sounds of Hanoi are all worth dodging motorcycles for. :))

I'll be back, Boracay ♥

Summer is definitely in the air (read: intense heat). Another proof of this is the late sunsets and early sunrises we have recently - this actually gives me a good mood when I'm on my way home from work. It makes me feel like I'm going home earlier than usual. Hihi :))


Plus, other people are starting to post summer getaway photos and blogs on FB (read: inggit ako).


... And to go along with the trend, my first travel post is going to be about BORACAY ♥ 

Boracay's ever-famous, White Beach!

Being in the beach is my definition of THE perfect life. :) I just love being in beaches, may it be to swim, sunbathe, build sandcastles, snorkle, or just plain lounging around and feeling the warm sun & cool breeze on my face. 

Boracay's White Beach Strip is one of my favorite beaches  here in the Philippines. It's where the famous Boracay powdery white sand can be found (Yes, the sand which is usually bottled up and brought home as a souvenir - this cannot be done now, by the way). What's Boracay without it, right?!

This is definitely a place that MUST be seen and a place to be seen also. The famous white sands and the sparkling blue-green water never fail to attract many famous Filipino personalities, especially during summer.

It feels like powder, I tell ya! 

For those of you who haven't been to Boracay yet, feast your eyes on this powdery and silky piece of heaven! ♥ 


I've been to a lot of beaches in the Philippines and I have yet to feel sand that's as smooth and as white as this. So to my dear fellow Filipino travelers and tourists, although the security in this beach is now stricter when it comes to trash, please do your part. Stop getting bulks of 'take-home' sand. Do a little exercise and walk to the nearest trash can for your little candy wrappers, bottle caps, beer and water bottles. And also, love Boracay. This would make it much easier to take care of this island. ;) 

The Anatomy of an Anna

What could be a greater start to my blog than a piece about myself? :p 


I wrote this piece for my first ever workshop in creative writing. And even if I love writing, I was still very scared and intimidated to let my other classmates read this.


Some of my blockmates were talking about their ideas right after the professor gave her instructions. I was just staring out of the window, daydreaming about when and where my next vacation would be. :)) Some of my blockmates talked about using Wikipedia as their guide, some wanted to use a recipe book. Some were thinking of doing a photo essay-cum-vignettes with photos. I had NO IDEA what to do. 


When I got home, I had to tutor my little brother. And lo and behold! The answer was right under my nose. :)) I decided to use his Science textbook as my guide. 


So here it is, read more after the jump. :p
I know it needs improvement, so I'm open to all your comments! :) 

A day worth celebrating! (?)

Happy 26th Anniversary, EDSA Revolution! - The holiday every student loves (because they get a break from school)

[A former president under hospital arrest, a chief justice under impeachment, a government office clerk who can afford to buy a posh sports car, the same government clerk firing a gun at teens because of a traffic altercation, a college student who got held up in a school building under broad daylight... and the list goes on]

Is it really a day worth celebrating? 

Probably, yes, some say it's been 26 years of freedom. I say, corruption is the same, if not worse. Abuse of power is still rampant. Poverty is still ruling the country. Catastrophes because of 


On the other hand, why would I make this the first post on my newly rejuvenated blog?? :))


Not only am I celebrating EDSA Revolution today, I am also patting my back for putting back this blog. I've had 5 blogs since high school and none of them lasted longer than 2 years. I keep deleting them when I look back at my posts and realize that some of them are too juvenile or girly. Since I'm a lot older now than when I first started out blogging, I think now is the best time to start a more sophisticated-cum-worldly blog. (CHOS) 


I love writing (I'm hoping that I'm good at it too). I always have and I think I always will. That's why I chose to have a BA in English. Right now, I have a job in marketing, although I don't hate it, I don't love it entirely either. I love all the events - the details and planning, ingress and egress, and all that. But somehow, there's something lacking. It seems like I'm always look back at my dream of writing for a living. 


So here I am. Taking a step towards my goal. :)


This is just a start to the career/goal/life plan I've had since I was in high school (but was always too scared and intimidated to pursue). 

• Start my own blog - hopefully one that has more words than photos (My Photo-filled Semi-plagiarized Blog or My Travel Tumblog) #selfpromotion
• Pursue further studies in writing #NewYorkbaby
• Publish a book #nextTaraFTSering
• Be an Editor-in-Chief of a fashion or travel magazine 

The start of my career plan. And I hope this blog lasts longer than all the others I started. :))

♥ Anna