1. Mati was the destination of my first takas from the mother's kahigpitan while under her roof. I just graduated from college and a few friends wanted to overnight in Mati. The group was co-ed and it would seem like we were pairing up. So obviously, dili jud ko sugtan had I asked. I had to lie. I told her I was on my way to Eden.

She saw my postcard from Masao.

2. Parents of a good friend live in Mati. Accommodations and food were libre for me and the girls. So pamasahe lang, getaway na. It was the perfect escape from the city life. My friend lives in the UK now so I haven't been there as much as I would have wanted.

3. Summerfrolic. Nuff said.

#summerfrolic2015 #teamamarula #teamfacepaint #teamtambayansabilyaran hahaha😂

A post shared by Roxe🇵🇭 (@roxyminoza) on Apr 14, 2015 at 1:48am PDT

There's more reasons to love Mati too! Find out what fun things you can do there in my Davao Oriental post.

I was looking forward to getting out of the rut I had been stuck in coming into the new year. Everything I thought about life and love was challenged and I naturally responded the way a normal human being would: lock self in room, eat heart out and sleep off the most part of the day. 

70% Introverted

30% of this

I go through these phases where I feel like an extrovert and really enjoy being sociable. But a few days (or sometimes weeks) after being a “social butterfly”, I immediately get confronted with how introverted I really am and how being around people for too long drains the life out of me. 


To balance it out, nag-e-ermitanyo ako to recover from socializing. That’s what happened for the first few months of 2017: I closed myself off after being too much of everything for everyone else, forgetting to be myself and to go in the direction I've been meaning to.

Too much closing off eventually sucked the life out of me. I was ready to get unstuck and hit the real world again.

Thankfully, what goes down must come back up and I managed to get back up thanks to the arrival of my good friend, summer, and a little help from my influencer friends (without their knowledge)

Summer Sunshine

Summer makes life seem generally fun. It's always been the case for me. Doses of sunlight seem to rid me of the the blues quicker than caffeine does.

And off to the sunny side of life I went. The Davao Digital Influencers decided to gather members 'round to a quick one-day getaway sponsored by WayPH.com: an island hopping excursion around Talicud, Samal Island. I thought it was a great way to kick the blues out of my system, welcome the sunshine in and finally get the motivation I need to get back on track.

Here's one of my favorite children songs, for more emphasis.

Let the Sunshine: Go Island Hopping

This was my second time doing the Island Hopping Tour all over Samal/Talicud. My first one was with a bunch of strangers. Naki-avail lang ko sa joiners' opportunity because an acquaintance organized a group getaway. Saying no to the chance would have been a waste because, for one, most of these boats for island hopping are only really affordable when you book as a group. Pakyawan (hiring the entire boat exclusively) costs more or less Php10,000. And secondly, I was also in the middle of my ermitanyo stage that first time. I had to go even if it meant having to socialize with a bunch of strangers. Although I did make a few friends there.

DDI and WayPH

I thought the tour with DDI and WayPH was waayyy better than my previous island hopping experience for four reasons:

1. The food was amazing. If you're getting your Samal Island Hopping from WayPH, get the one with the food na. Pramis, you won't be disappointed. Apart from being boy-abunda the serving, the taste also makes you want to take a second serving or more.
   
   

   Bikong babalik-balikan mo.

   
   

   Food for the Gods, Brownies and Bananaaahh!

   
   

   Lunchtime snaps of these yummy delights! seafood pansit, sinugbang panga, ginisang shrimps

2. Informative. There were random facts about the islands that were thrown our way. Kaiser of WayPH was an excellent host! (Even let me borrow his iPhone cable because I left mine at home. Noice!) Although admittedly, I was too busy trying to catch some sleep and get good photos that I only remember a few things.
   
   
3. Snorkeling options. You can rent gears while on board. For Php150, it's super worth every penny to enjoy the marine life without the water getting in your line of sight or robbing you out of air.
   

   The lifevests are free.

4. It's the company, not the destination. I was with people I have more in common with than the last time. Oftentimes, it's really not the destination but the company.

   Team Can't-Swim

   
   

   Photo-lovin' bunch

   same IDs

   
   

   Blogger/Vlogger, dzai!

How to get the tour:



On WayPH.com, you can get the Talicud Samal Island Hopping Tour as a group or as a joiner (meaning you'll be thrown in with a bunch of groups or strangers). If you're going to get the pakyawan, you can customize the tour according to your preference: with or without food, which island to spend more time on, etc. I suggest listening to suggestions from Kaiser or WayPH because they know the time constraints, the in-and-outs of the islands better.


















Final Thoughts


Needless to say, the sun revitalized me to take on the world again. It's been a whole month of socializing after the island hopping and I've been enjoying the company of other people for four whole weeks. Not sure when my next downtime will be and I do not look forward to it. Nevertheless, here's to hoping you give the sunny weather the chance to open up your disheartened, (possibly) cold heart and get yourself the summer you deserve!

Maybe I look the part (I’m taking a wild guess that I don’t) but I really am the kind who’d sign up for a fan club over a loveteam. I could fall hard for loveteams and when I do it’s nothing short of an obsession.

I think it’s the kilig factor that can get really addicting. Are they together, aren’t they? The suspense can get really addicting. I’d spend hours hunting for any BTS, caught-on-cam and random stories from fellow fans about how the two were spotted dating and it wasn’t reported on mainstream media.

I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed all the ups-and-downs of following a loveteam until I got the chance to interview BiGuel. The Davao Digital Influencers got invited to interview Kapuso Stars, the casts of Mulawin vs Ravena, at a luncheon organized by the Kapuso Brigade.

I think Bianca Umali and Miguel Tanfelix will really go places. Literally and figuratively. They're so much fun to watch and their banters and humor are just my cup of tea. You've to watch the interview to know exactly what I'm talking about.

Fortunately, I was also given tickets to their mall show! I had the golden opportunity to witness the artists live, doing their other crafts. And as I always go gaga for the triple threat, multi-talented types, Bianca Umali won me over. Here's a video of Bianca engaging the crowd at Abreeza Mall Davao.

While there’s much left to be desired in Miguel Tanfelix’s song numbers and I say that in the cutest voice I could muster kasi, the dance moves more than makeup for the singing. And I say that with the fondness that can only come from an admirer. Check him out dancing to Ignition and Jumpshot and raising the temperature in the atrium. Ang init pa naman that day.

You can see more of BiGuel on GMA Primetime this 2017 as they star in the upcoming telefantasya, “Mulawin Vs Ravena" Last I checked, they were trying on costumes na.

1. Keep it real. Much like how Dion Ignacio talked about his ears in this video. (Don't worry, when you click the vid, it jumps diretso to his "ear/hair talk."

I learned five things from the mall shows I attended and from rubbing-elbows with the artistas pre-show: 

Before we proceed, check out Katkatrocks! YouTube channel for interview videos with Kapuso stars (as of posting, I've yet to upload most of the videos) and outtakes of this katkat experience. 

It seems fangirls are rowdier and have lesser impulse control than guys. 

Or they do this eye thing na mura'g mangaon.

3. You're never too old for baby boys who dance sexy - and throw you a piercing gaze while at it. 

My dream summer vacation is backpacking in Southeast Asia. A former business venture partner, who now lives the dream in Singapore, introduced me to backpacking across Asia and I've been wanting to do it since. Alone. In nothing but tank tops, shorts and some suntan lotion. Former-business-venture-partner did it alone too. I tend to like following my mentors' steps - to a tee.

Backpacking across Asia, riding trains if it can be helped and taking amazing, panoramic pictures of myself in Lara Croft outfit in these famous sites give me a boner. They really do.

On top of that, I've been dreaming of exclusively having just tank tops, v-neck shirts, jean (shorts and pants) in my wardrobe for a long time now. I think this multi-city summer vacay would be the best way to initiate me into the minimalist world.

The tour I have in mind involves lots of temples and impressive architectural structures - modern and ancient; major tourist spots; exotic food and animals; Vietnamese coffee and craft beer. 

Now, I don't pretend to be the planner, I rather just wing it. But with just 7 days and a limited fund, I need someone to take care of the details for me. Thankfully, I've LJ-Sky for that. I simply gave them a list of my musts: 7 days, 4 cities (Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam - Thailand too if it's possible), lots of train rides, and as budget-friendly as possible. They're the only agency I know that customizes tours and travels to my fancy at reasonable rates, and that I trust with every last penny I'll have saved. 

The only other thing I need now is the assurance that I'll be taking the best pictures - for myself, for business, and for plenty of social media approval. I live by the statement "proof or it didn't happen".

This except better outfit and camera. Parang Mui ne na.

This is why I really think OPPO F1s would fit perfectly in my grand summer plan. Not only do I badly need a phone upgrade, but also that I really think my selfie situation could be better. I also expect to do more selfie-ing with this trip, it being a solo trip and all.

OPPO F1s powerful camera features make it the Selfie Expert: 16mp camera, panoramic options and a beauty cam which captures Instagram-ready selfies each time (even in low-light). This is thanks to its 1/3.1-inch sensor and F/2.0 aperture.

Just imagining this sitting beside my iced Vietnamese coffee. For IG.

I'm excited about the panorama option for the front cam - since I'm not too keen with having to ask random strangers to take photos of me. I also like how it's smaller than my current phone, so a one-hand hold isn't impossible.

I guess that wraps up my dream summer destination. The only thing left now is to turn it into a reality.

She dances, she sings, she acts and she does all three superbly (a real triple threat or treat!) So much so that if she chose to just be one of these three (actress, songstress, dancer), she'd do immensely well all the same. She'll be kicking off my summer this March with her The Great Unknown Concert Live here in Davao.

Sarah Geronimo has certainly become the gold standard for how a popstar should be. As I've always been one to admire people with too many talents, I'm all too excited to finally have the opportunity to blissfully birit with no less the popstar royalty herself at her The Great Unknown Concert this 3rd March - even if it's just in my seat and not in a studio (ha!). 

If you're just as ecstatic as I am to see her live, here are the concert details:

The Great Unknown will be held at at the SMX Convention Center, SM Lanang Premier. 

Show starts at 8:00pm and ticket prices are as follows:

VIP - Php3,600 (reserved seating)

VIP - Php2,750 (free seating) 

Gold - Php1,690 (free seating) 

Silver - Php 998 (free seating) 

GA - Php630 (as of time of writing, these seats are sold out)

You can purchase your tickets at the Ground Floor of SM Lanang Premier (below the escalator beside Marks and Spencer or via SM Tickets Online (you can see seating chart on the site too). You may also contact 0916 749 5883 for more inquiries about the concert. 

If you're interested in sponsoring the event, send an email to ekg.productions@yahoo.com. 

EKG Productions are the executive producers of the show. Massive props to them for bringing Sarah G here in Davao! *hearts* You can find out more about the entertainment production here. 

The Great Unknown Unplugged LIVE IN DAVAO is the replace of the postponed Sarah G. From The Top last June 2016. So if you've tickets from that one, you can use it for this one without additional cost.

If you're interested in happily linking arms with me and get all chummies together for a night, singing Sara G hits loudly to each other's faces, you may hop on over to my personal Facebook page to find out how you can score free tickets. See you after the jump!

I didn't think he'd gobble down two bottles in less than 24 hours. He did.

I introduce you to my favorite person, Pedro (That's his hand in the photo below). My constant companion slash therapist slash motivational coach slash arm candy slash boyfriend for the past 48 weeks and I'm surprised we haven't gotten past the hands-all-over-you, clinger-stage-5, uh, phase yet. So much so that we ended up working on my MAY Non-alcoholic 100% Sparkling Grape Juice review together.

I'm an alcohol-lovin' person. I enjoy the buzz, the reckless abandonment towards life without inhibitions that alcohol grants can be pretty intoxicating and addicting. Peter, on the other hand, wantonly abandons to life without inhibitions regardless of the presence of alcohol. I envy him. 

Despite this difference in our drinking habits, which often is a source of dispute as he thinks alcohol would be the end of me, we both agree on how satisfyingly good May Sparkler is. We found our favorite go-to drink.

May Sparkling Grape Juice tastes like red wine (we had the red grape variant) except it doesn't make you fuzzy. The grape flavor is distinct and evident with each sip and the texture, noticeably rich compared to the other brands we tried. (We had a couple of sips of two other brands when we opened our first May bottle.)

May is sweet but not bitingly so - just enough to tease your taste buds. It's refreshing, a real thirst quencher - no dry mouth feels like the ones you get after an alcoholic drink. I was informed that it's made of freshly pressed grapes and is a product of Belgium. Fancy!

If you haven't decided on your drinks for tomorrow's Valentine's Day celebration, I say go for May. The significant levels of carbon dioxide gives it its fizz and sparkle which is how you get this surprising burst of flavor in your mouth. Shake it off to pop the cork too, if you want to take it up a notch. Turly a perfect way to celebrate if you want to have fun but not too much fun. 

Or you can try this Sangria mocktail.