And the Local Tourist is Alive... Again (Part 1)

(part one of the three installments of this blog series)

So the traveler in me is alive and kicking again. And this time, this traveler has crossed the waters of Luzon and has gone into the islands of Visayas.

To be exact, this traveler has gone into the island facing the Pacific Ocean - Samar Island. And to a more specific note, this jet setter has gone into the side of the Samar island that is directly facing the largest ocean in the world. I am referring to the province of Eastern Samar.

The Samar Island (retrieved from  http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Samar_(island))
   

The Province of Eastern Samar, and the City of Borongan (retrieved from  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borongan)

You might be wondering why in the world I went there. Actually, I should have gone there long time ago. The province is my father's hometown, and its capital city, the City of Borongan, is where my father was born, and where he grew up. All his relatives were, and are there. And as a gift for my graduation from college, my father took me there to meet his relatives, to trace our family's roots through our family reunion, which was held last May 6, and to see the place where he started to build his identity, his dreams, and the source of his strength and determination to succeed in life.

The City Hall of Borongan

So I'm starting to get mushy there. But seriously, this trip not just filled my eyes with sights, and my ears with new words that I've learned. I felt that I found my other side. I felt a sense of belongingness with the place, and an attachment to its people. I felt I found a new home, different from the places I've been.

How did I get there?


There are two ways of getting to City of Borongan. If you are the type that enjoys sight-seeing while travelling, travelling by land is how. From bus terminals in Manila (the one I'm familiar with is Eagle Star), ride that one that goes to Guian. It will pass by the city downtown. Although, the trip usually takes a day, or more, depending on the traffic. From Manila, it would pass by the Southern Tagalog area (Laguna and Quezon), then the Bicol Region. It would take have to be taken in a RORO (Roll-on, Roll-off, the ferry not the deodorant) from Matnog Port in Sorsogon. The ferry would dock in Allen, Northern Samar, and from there, around 6-8 hours bus ride all the way to Borongan.

But if you're the busy type (like us, having a hectic 12-day visit), travelling by air is the one for you. Book a ticket from Manila (or anywhere that airlines have flights going) to Tacloban City. The flight usually lasts for about 1 hour and 15 minutes (except of course when there are delays).

Touchdown Tacloban City

Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport in Tacloban City (and the "E" was blocked by that post)

From the Daniel Romualdez Airport in the city, take a short jeepney or tricycle ride to the air conditioned shuttle van service going to Borongan. The van ride usually lasts from 4 to 5 hours. Through this way, you would go through the San Juanico Bridge, the longest bridge in the country, which connects the islands of Samar and Leyte.

San Juanico Bridge, from inside the moving shuttle van

During the trip, you would see different sights which makes you say "Hey, this is totally not the metro". Coconut trees are plenty in the area. At one side of the road are houses (and they are sparse in number, and are so distant relative to each other), and behind and surrounding them, are forests, and mountains, among others. While on the other side, well, still coconuts, but behind them are beaches and of course the Pacific Ocean.

This, would you believe, is in Borongan, in one of the barangays of the city?

Captured from Gen Mc Arthur, Eastern Samar, one of the towns on the way to the capital city. The tiny building there is a primary school.

A neighborhood in Gen Mc

This is from a barangay in Gen Mc. The "building" there (the one with concrete wall on the bottom, and open in the upper half) is a school building.

Speaking of the houses, you would actually notice the socio-economic status (SES) of the people just by the location of their house relative to the Poblacion (the downtown). Not being generalist about it, but a majority of the the people belonging to the bottom SES (the Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP), as they say), as located far from the downtown, and has only a few if not no neighbors. They are those which are located in the forested and agricultural areas of the town, and their house are usually made of nipa and bamboo. Meanwhile, those who are well off in life live in the Poblacion, and a lot of house there are already made in concrete. Reminds me of the plaza complex that we discussed in Kasaysayan 1 (Philippine History), which states that the most affluent and wealthy tend to live at the capital, while the poor and marginalized remain in the mountains and outskirts of the city (*cough* *cough* Sir Tupe Esquejo). This, I observed, remains true today, not just there in Borongan, but also in other provinces of the country.

We stayed at our ancestral house in the City of Borongan, located in G. Alido St. (the street bearing one of our relative's name). This house is currently occupied by my cousin (the second son of my father's late elder sister, who by the way is the fourth among the siblings). My cousin and his wife have 8 children, 4 of whom are here in the metro, while the other four are in the house. And yes, they are my nieces and nephews. (My dad is the youngest among the siblings, and the last and latest to get married, that is why even at this age of 20, I already have nieces and nephews older than me. I already have a grandson, actually). Two of our neighbors are also our relatives.

The neighborhood

So what did I do there for the 12 days of my life?
Find out on the second installment of this blog. :)



Additional Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borongan
http://living.cebunetwork.com/article/san-juanico-bridge-longest-in-philippines/

Ang ulan, ang baha, at ang UP Fighting Maroons

Ang lahat ng ito ay nagyari noong July 25 2010.

Umuulan noon. Papunta ako ng ULTRA sa Pasig para manood ng required na game ng UAAP. UP vs FEU yun. 2 pm yung game, pero dahil sa Bulacan pa ako nakatira, at hindi pa ako pamilyar sa lugar na pupuntahan ko, kinailangan kong umalis ng 11:30 para hindi ako ma-late. Hindi kasi kukunin ang attendance card sa PE kapag na-late ka ng dating, kapag natapos na ang first quarter ng game.

So ayun. Nagbus ako, papuntang Timog. From there, sasakay ako ng MRT to Shaw, sakay ng jeep papuntang ULTRA. Though malakas yung ulan, confident ako ng isang ordinaryong araw lang ito at titigil din ang ulan, at makakarating akong fresh at hindi na-haggard (syempre, dahil may MRT)

YUN ANG AKALA KO

Nasa Philcoa na ako, hindi pa din tumitigil ang ulan. Medyo nagtaka na ako, pero keri lang.
Then pumasok ng Elliptical Road. boom

Traffic sa papasok pa lang ng road. Nung nakita ko yung reason, napa-OMG nalang ako. BAHA sa Elliptical Road.

Okay, sabi ko. Well, na-Ondoy na naman ang Metro Manila so hindi na to bago. Optimistic pa din ako na makakarating ako nang walang hassle. Hanggang sa pagpasok ng East Ave.
Sobrang Traffic. Hindi na gumagalaw ang mga sasakyan. 1pm na kasi nun, at kung mag-stay pa ako, malamang sa malamang, hindi na ako makakarating ng ULTRA on time. So mega baba na ako. Lalakarin ko nalang hanggang Timog. Malapit nalang naman.

Then, may nakasalubong akong ale.
Ale: Pupunta kang East Avenue? Wag ka nang tumuloy, malalim na yung tubig, hindi na makadaan yung mga jeep

WOA. MEGA WOA.

Okay, so hindi ako makakadaan sa East Ave. Isip, isip, dapat makarating ka ng ULTRA. Sayang ang ticket, ang pamasahe, ang time at ang haggardness. May isa pang daan, Quezon Ave.

So naglakad ako papuntang Quezon Ave. Nilakad-takbo ko ang kahabaan nun hanggang sa intersection niya sa EDSA. Then tumawid ako sa kabilang side, using the foot bridge to get to the other side para makasakay na ng MRT. Okay na, malapit na ako sa MRT.

Yun ang akala ko

Pababa na ako ng foot bridge nang nakita ko ang.... rumragasang basa. Mga knee deep ata yun, at ang lakas ng current. Dun sa mismong bababaan, ang lalim ng tubig.

Okay, isip isip. Babalik ba ako or lulusungin ko yan?
Then, nakita ko yung flower box na mukhang hindi naman sa tabi. Hindi siya inabot ng baha. Pumunta ako sa dun sa flower box, kahit na that would require me na tawirin ang isang bakod na hanggang bawyang ko taas. Wala nang hiya-hiya 'to. Wala nang kahinhinan. Isa lang ang tumtakbo sa isip ko: Kailangan kong pumunta ng ULTRA.

Nakatawid naman ako nang matiwasay. Pumasok ako sa Centris Mall at nakasakay ako ng MRT nang matiwasay, kahit madulas ang tsinelas ko . Pero mga 1:45 na nun, so mega panic na ako nun. Ma-lelate na ako eh. But thank goodness to the speed of the MRT, 1:55 lang, nasa Shaw na ako.

Okay okay. So ano nang susnod. Mega hanap ako ng jeep. nung nakahanap na ako, sumakay na ako, then bumaba sa may ULTRA. 2:15 na. Makakahabol pa kaya ako? 10 mins lang ang bawat quarter. Habang nasa daan at naglalakad, isa lang ang dinadasal ko: Sana maraming foul.

Nakarating ako, nakapasok at nakaupo sa ULTRA. Pagtingin ko sa score board, nakita ko, first quarter palang. at may 2 mins pa. WOOOOT

Hindi nasayang ang pagpapakahaggard ko, ang pagpapakabasa at pagtawid sa bakod, ang pagkawala ng poise. Sulit. Matatatakan ang Attendance Card ko.

Pero kung tatanungin nyo kung sulit ba ang game, hindi. As usual, talo na naman kami. Mega cheer pa ako nun, kaso, ayun. Well, kinda expected na naman yun bilang FEU naman ang kalaban.HAHAHA.

First game yung samin. Hindi ko na tinapos yung second game. Umuwi na ako after kong makuha ang Attendance Card kong may bago nang tatak. May exam ako sa Tuesday, may paper pa. So dapat nga umuwi na ako. At isa pa, gusto ko na lang magpahinga.

So mega MRT na ako pauwi. Na-trauma ako sa kabahaan sa Quezon Ave at East Ave. Buti na lang may North Ave, na hindi binaha, at dun ako dumaan pauwi. Hindi na ako nag-stay nang matagal sa Trinoma pagkatpos kong bumili ng food. Kahit pa andun si Jason Derulo nung araw na yun. Kahit pa may concert siya nun sa Trinoma. Isa lang ang nasa isip ko: Gusto ko nang umuwi. Gusto ko nang matulog.


Lesson:
1. Wag kukuha ng Cheerleading Class kapag rainy season.
2. Dapat may mga alternative routes ka.
3. Wag bibili ng payong na tig-50 pesos.hehe
4. Wag gagamit ng tsinelas na madulas kapag basa.
5. Wag magsusuot ng maong kapag umuulan.
6. wag uubusin ang boses mo kung alam mo namang masasayang din naman. (HIHIHIHIHIH)

Pero: SOBRANG MEGA THANK YOU MRT!!!! SOBRA.

Ang to-do list ni Janee bago gumraduar

At dahil hindi pa ako inaantok, gumawa ako ng list ng gusto kong gawin bago ako gumraduate :)))


1. Kumain ng Arki Siomai (yung Siomai na may quail eggs sa loob).

2. Start my regular jog around acad oval (for fitness and for star gazing na rin ;D).

3. Mainterview si Chancellor Saloma.

4. Mag-food trip sa Maginhawa St.

5. Mapasok lahat ng buildings ng mga colleges ng UP Diliman.

6. Makapasok sa kwarto ng dormer (ewan ko lang kung payagan ako.hihihi).

7. Makapunta sa Mendiola to see actual demonstrations there. Kulang yung andito sa campus ;)

8. Makabili ng book na ginawa ng mahal kong Departamento ng Agham Pampulitika, ang Philippine Politics and Governance.



Oh well towel, ayan palang so far. Dadami pa yan in a few days to come ;) Pwede rin kayong mag-suggest XD

Confessions of a frustrated astronaut

It's as if I went back to my childhood.

Listening to our lecturer in Special Topics in Astronomy in our Physics 10 class made me go back to my obsession - yes, I call it obsession - when I was still a kid: astronomy. As a kid, I grew up fascinated with stars, planets, heavenly bodies, meteors, comets, galaxies - name all the celestial objects that are being studied and observed in Astronomy. I remember reading Science encyclopedias, with the Astronomy section being my most visited and most read part of the book (and the most dirty too, because I read them while eating). It was that area of science (and now I know, a subfield of Physics) that I was engrossed with the most, aside from Biology (which by the way, I got nerd about during my high school days). The best thing that I love about astronomy is looking at the pictures of these celestial objects, admiring their color, their shape, and their form, and fascinated about the fact that beyond our planet, there are bodies and formations that are stranger to us, yet so exciting to learn and to discover.

That is why my childhood dream to become an astronaut (yes, it is indeed childish). And was so determined to find a way to be one.

Yet while I was growing up, my career plans changed (I actually wonder how did it happen). From being an astronaut, I dreamed of being a lawyer (a more serious dream, I guess). And I prepared my career path that is geared to achieve that dream. Yet somewhere at the back of my mind, there is still the desire that if possible, I will change my plans and become an astronaut instead. Yet I was somewhat misinformed, as astronomers from a government agency told me during a star gazing activity in our high school back then that there is no course in the Philippines that could lead me into that career. I got sad, and decided to follow my other dream then - to be a lawyer. Which made my teachers surprised because I was the "science whiz" then, and a bit disappointed because I deferred and eventually rejected a scholarship from a department in the government which only accepts less than 300 out of thousands of applicants every year.

No, I don't regret being in the Social Sciences now. I am loving my course the more I take my majors. But with my choice comes a price. And yes, that is my childhood love of astronomy. No, I did not lose my interest in the Natural Sciences. I'm just anxious of taking science course due to the fear of having to learn Math, which is the language of Natural Sciences (and Social Sciences to, but only on the quantitative research part), which I realized as my waterloo since I took Math 17 (because it is required in our course, Political Science). But I'm still interested to learn, even just for appreciation of the natural world.

When that lecture was presented before the class, I knew that my childhood fascination is back, and with a greater intensity. As the pictures of galaxies, nebula, pulsars, stars and planets met our eyes, this long dead fascination of mine went alive. Indeed, I'm like a child looking at the pictures, never minding the chit chatting of my seat mates in front and beside me. It's as if I was alone, with the image of the vast universe in front of me. And that plan of being an astronaut or astronomer is again creeping into my head, now that I know that BS Physics, with a specialization in Astrophysics is the key.

While regaining the lost fascination, a new realization dawned on me. As the lecturer showed how small we are compared to the vast universe, I realized how blessed and lucky I am living the kind of life that I have, knowing that I'm just a small dot in the universe. I'm just a small dot, insignificant, yet God blessed me with this kind of life. Yet I still wake up everyday, go on with my life everyday, live my life everyday and experience this tiny world everyday. And I am a small dot.

Yes, I am indeed thankful to the One who made me. And also, I am determined to make the life of this tiny dot significant. That even if I am small dot, I can make great impact to other small dots in this universe. That this small dot will make great contributions to her society and her country, to affect the lives of the other small dots. That this small dot is someone her Creator will be proud of.

Not to this extent though *wink* *wink*

Back to the non-mushy side of this essay. Up to know, I am still sticking with the lawyering plan. But who knows? I might really decide to pursue my childhood fancy. For now, I will just be contented to be an avid fan of Astronomy - getting updated with the latest discoveries of planets and advancements in the filed, watching for ad actually observing astronomical phenomena, and observing the sky through my naked eye, and my Stellarium 0.11.1.