Zipping away in Balungao

Work and leisure combined

What I love the most about my course—mass communications—is the privilege to roll work and leisure into one. It never bores me as it does not follow a routine, although the demanding and shifting and popping-out-of-nowhere schedules burn me out at times.

My latest work-and-leisure combo was the taping of my segment on August 16 and 17 for the talk show we are producing this semester for the subject radio and television production, and directing. My segment’s location? The marvellous inactive volcano, Mt. Balungao, in Balungao, Pangasinan, about 25 kilometers (forgive me for my indefinite calculation) southeast of Dagupan City. Since I used public transport system, and transferred from a bus to a jeepney to another jeepney and finally, to a tricycle from Dagupan, through Calasiao, Sta. Barbara, Urdaneta City, Villasis and Rosales, it took me almost four hours to reach Balungao. If you have your service, travel time will be cut down to roughly two and a half hours.

My destination, Balungao Hot and Cold Springs Resort, sits on Mt. Balungao which stands 382 meters above sea level. Too bad I did not climb to the peak, but I will when I go back there. My interview with Mr. Gerry Acosta, the tourism officer of Balungao, revealed that the mountain was the usual rendezvous of Andres Bonifacio and Apolinario Mabini for strategic planning during the Spanish colonization.

I was with my usual gang—my bestfriend Anissa, Will, Jane and Al. Among the four, only Will is my classmate in the subject. Anissa graduated from the same course this year, and the other two finished the subject two semesters before. But, I had all of them with me because I wanted to share with them the experience on and the wonders of this tourist destination.

Upon our touchdown on the municipality of Balungao, we rode on a tricycle to finally reach the mountain. We, however, did not expect that the ride up the resort would cost us P150. Since we were cutting costs, we decided to just pay P80 and alight at the foot of Mt. Balungao. That meant we had to walk about a kilometer to the resort and endure the strong gravitational pull. Good thing, my weight was not as much a burden as that of my friends, if you know what I mean. Hehe

The entrance to the mountain greeted us with lush green landscape and picturesque scenery. Halfway, the up close view of the well-preserved mountain caught us in undeniable awe and gave us extra strength to move our aching feet.

During the tiresome walk, we were looking forward to a sumptuous meal upon arrival. We, however, were dismayed to discover that there wasn’t enough available food at the resort. No cooked rice, no viands, no nothing; just cup noodles and some loaves of bread. Our mistake was we did not anticipate that and didn’t buy our own food in the town proper. Thank God there were good souls at the resort whom we requested to buy and cook some food for us.

Upon arrival at 4 pm, we put our baggage down in the room reserved for us and rested for a while before we went to the pool side to try out the hot and cold springs.

The Jacuzzi is filled with hot water coming from beneath the ground and is replaced every day. It is high in sulfuric content known to cure illnesses. The five-foot deep pool is also filled with water coming from the mountain, although it is treated with chlorine.

After a long day spent on the road, we laid ourselves to sleep in the air conditioned-room to gather energy for our extreme adventure.

The next day was more fun-filled as we tried out ATV (all terrain vehicle) driving and the famous zipline.

The ATV has no gear shift, so it won’t rattle you while driving. Also, the accelerator is easier to control since you just have to push a lever below the right handle. But, of course, you’ve got to release it before gripping the break lest you send the whole thing tumbling over.

We drove along the path we took to the resort the day before.

With a height of 80 meters, this is where the adventure starts.

The best part of the day was the zipline experience. I have to admit, though, that it made me so nervous my heart was beating in fast rhythm. Zipping away on the 620-meter steel cable was what I was most excited about during my Balungao escapade. While gearing up with the harness, I was imagining myself flying in the air and savoring the dancing wind over the scenic view below. I thought it was that simple. You set yourself in position, say I am ready, and off you go advancing to the landing pad, and that’s it. Heck, no. Not until it was my turn. I chose the superman position, so I had to be attached to the cable face down, 80 meters above the ground.

Signing the waiver.

Gearing up for a wonderful adventure.

We just got marked.

I was expecting that I would be set in position while still on the pad, but no, I was put on the edge. I had to hold onto the cable before they would set me in position. That moment sent my heart racing so fast it took me about 20 seconds before I let go of the cable. My body went rigid when I saw the view below from way up high. I’m not afraid of heights; I just had that feeling that when I loosened my grip on the cable, I would fall. My self soothing instinct kicked in and I reassured myself that I was safely harnessed. I manifested my attitude of not trusting too easily again. What made me more uncomfortable was the camera I was holding. I was afraid it might slip out of my hand. In less than five seconds since I was set in position, without even giving me a signal, I was accelerating.

The ride lasted for a minute. When I arrived on the landing pad, I found myself staring blankly somewhere, my knees trembling, and my heart still racing in immeasurable speed. It did freak me out, but I wouldn’t say no to a take two.

With Balungao's tourism officer, Mr. Gerry Acosta.

I just realized that it was my first time to try out something that extreme. The experience makes me think: Will bungee jumping and sky diving freak me out just the same? I damn hope not.

The talkshow titled "Now Trending," for which this segment has been produced, will be aired on a local cable TV network in October.

The lame game

Here’s a trivia: I don’t play basketball. That’s an embarrassing fact for a boy like me yet I share that information with you because I know that it doesn’t make me less of a man. What’s more embarrassing, though, is that the first time I played basketball with my friends, I was so lame I didn’t play it right.

Good thing, my friends were lame, too when we had our “dumb” game.

My friends Anissa, Will, Jane, Al, and Marie Lyn, out of sheer boredom when we were in Baritao, Manaoag, decided to play basketball in a makeshift court on the yard of Marie Lyn’s kin.

We divided ourselves into two groups: Jane, Marie Lyn and I were one team, and Anissa, Will and Al formed the other. The deal was the winning group would receive a Gatorade drink from the losing group.  And so the game began.

If you were watching us, you wouldn’t recognize what we were doing as a game. It was a total disaster, a complete violation of all the rules in a real basketball game. There were lots of pushing and pulling (yeah, I did that the whole time), blatant snatching of the ball (I would beat the arms of the other team when they would not give me the ball) and incompetent rebounds. And we were laughing for the whole duration of the game.

Only Al knew how to play properly, but though he was on the other side, my team won. So, the next day, my team mates and I had a Big Gulp of Gatorade at 7 Eleven.

We were lame players and we really looked stupid while playing, but we had fun. Well, that exactly was the aim of our game, to have fun. Too bad we didn’t have anyone to capture it on video. Nevertheless, the moment was stored in our minds and hearts.

Of maturity and love (whatever!)

Oh no, I don’t want to write about that girl I introduced to my parents back in April this year. I just want to write about that experience (although merely writing about it is talking about the girl indirectly).

Raised by conservative parents, I didn’t think that it would be easy. My parents, especially my mom, always expect me to do good things and I thought that taking a girl home to introduce her would be a bad thing for them. It might freak my mom out as it might make her think it would be detrimental to my studies (well, somehow it was). Still, I stood by my decision of introducing the girl I was courting to my parents.

It was my first time to do that, but it wasn’t my first time to court a girl. Contrary to what my family knows, I had my first girl friend in high school, the one they only knew as my bestfriend. I did not tell my parents about the real relationship we had because I knew mom would never approve of it. That hurt the girl.

This time, however, I know I have grown up already and understand what I am doing, so I proceeded with the plan, told mom I would take the girl to our house and get them introduced, and did it.

Mom was her usual self, talking nonstop about stories from the past. She was talking the whole time which sort of embarrassed me yet I didn’t stop her. I wanted to see how much of the things about my family the girl could take. That time, she was mom’s opposite. She remained silent the whole time, occasionally talking when mom asked her direct questions. Whether mom liked her or not, I didn’t ask.

We ate dinner with mom still talking (she wouldn’t really stop, you know) which made me want to do only one thing—finish dinner, so the girl and I could leave. When we were finally done, I accompanied her home. That night was my happiest.

Though she wasn’t my girlfriend yet, I introduced her to my parents because I wanted to make her happy. I learned that most girls feel respected and truly loved when they’re introduced to their suitor’s family. What I did wasn’t about impressing her, though. It was about genuinely and sincerely making her happy because I really loved her. And I did it for myself, too. I wanted to send a message to my parents, and that is I’m all grown up now. I can manage my life well and be independently responsible for my actions, however they may turn out. I can make decisions now and no longer think like a typical teenager does because, well, I’m no longer a teenager. Furthermore, I wanted them to know that their bunso isn’t bunso any more. They got the idea, I suppose.

Is she my girlfriend now? No. One week after that, we parted ways. Things didn’t turn out to be the way I wanted and expected them to be. The two months I spent on courting her was so full of happy memories and sweet moments it almost felt like a fairy tale come true. Love arrived at the time it was most unexpected and went away just as fast as it came, leaving me feeling fooled—but it’s just a feeling, not a conclusion. Apparently, it was a love story with a sweet beginning and a bitter ending. Fairy tales are fairy tales. This one was reality, but life goes on for me. Better opportunities are coming my way—much better opportunities.

That beautiful day in Baritao

No matter how many beautiful and high class resorts you may have gone to, you will always go back to nature. What nature offers is a hundred times better than fancy swimming pools filled with chlorine-treated water. I had proven that the first time I swam in the river with my friends.

It was a river in Baritao, Manaoag—where one of my closest friends, Marie Lyn, lives. The barangay is a far flung area of the municipality, so it gives you the feeling of isolation from the industrial world. All you see are fields planted with corn and fruit bearing trees. Farming is the residents’ main source of income.

The first time I went there and slept at my friend’s house was in late March this year, nearly the end of the school year. I was with some of my co-mass communication students to partake in the celebration of Marie Lyn’s 18^th birthday and to finish our final project in a major subject.

The place looks peaceful and unpolluted, so in April, when I needed some time to relax and rest my mind, I went back to Baritao with my friends Anissa, Will, Jane and Al and spent the night there.

The next day was beautiful as we had the chance to swim in the river. It was a one-kilometer walk from Marie Lyn’s house, so we had to endure the searing heat of the sun. It was a long walk, but it didn’t bore us because of our jolly nature. We kept on joking around, laughing our hearts out while walking, and didn’t feel tired at all.

Braving the heat for an afternoon swim.

A few more steps and I found myself captured in awe as I saw the river. It’s not majestic, yet I knew the moment it came into view that I would enjoy my time there.

 

So, without thinking twice, I took my shirt off and jumped into the river. The part we chose was shallow, so we could lie down on the river’s floor. The warm water touching my skin helped me relax and ease the tension I was feeling. The current wasn’t strong, so I was not afraid of getting dragged somewhere dangerous (the mouth of a crocodile perhaps).

The warm water in the river gives a relaxing feel.

The E3D Gang (no, we're not up to something sinister).

As I lied there and looked up at the sky, I realized that I had been missing a lot of good things in life. For so long, I was looking for great things, big things that are almost unrealistic, that would make me happy  without really seeing the good things right under my nose that could give me the same amount of happiness I wanted without having to spend a fortune. At that moment, I had the chance to enjoy a facet of life without worrying about how much I had to spend.

One more realization hit me that day. I missed my friends a lot. I was so busy spending time on something else a few months back that I nearly forgot about them. That was my chance to take advantage and enjoy the time I was with them. The river of happiness flooded my heart that day I spent with my friends in Baritao.

Birthday surprise

A list of first times

Note: Succeeding posts will be about first time experiences since I turned 20. Read on!

If it were not my birthday, January 7, 2012 would have been just a typical Saturday—I get up, eat breakfast, and spend the rest of the day doing my homeworks (or just sleeping). It’s not every day that I receive surprises, so when one came later that night, my birthday became extraordinary. And it was the happiest birthday so far.

I love surprises, so every time I make some for my loved ones and see the smiles on their faces, I feel very glad and fulfilled. The appreciation is evident and it sends a warm feeling to my heart.

I, however, seldom receive surprises, so when it’s my turn to get some, the happiness multiplies to a hundred.

That night, I was with my cousin Allan in Pampanga when he took me to his sister’s disco bar. We were drinking beer and chatting when all of a sudden, one of the personnel brought out from the kitchen a tiny chocolate cake with a lit candle on top.  Then, the DJ played the birthday song and I understood—it was a birthday surprise! (Seriously, it took me a while to get what it really was for?? How slow could I get?)

Yummy cake!

The best part, though, was what followed the cake and the blowing of the candle. A shot of tequila completed the surprise. Since it was also my first time to drink tequila, I got excited, so in one fluid motion, I licked the salt, gulped down the tequila, and squeezed the lime into my mouth. The burning sensation down my throat made me say, “Wow” and the effect was quick. Here came dizziness. That birthday surprise explained why my cousin kept going in and out of the kitchen.

What made my day happier was the family outing at Poracay Resort in Porac, Pampanga earlier. I was with my grandmom, aunts and cousins. That was not arranged for my birthday, since few of them knew it was my birthday, but it, being incidentally set exactly on my birthday, made my day extremely fun and a thousand times worth remembering.

With my family at Poracay Resort, Porac, Pampanga. That was truly a fun-filled day.

Fresh water continuously flows on the swimming pools.

Enjoying the lagoon aboard a raft--my favorite part.

Life is not as good as we want and wish it to be, but receiving sweet surprises proves that it really is beautiful after all the hardwork and stress we feel. Surprises, no matter how small, appear to be great rewards for persevering in different tasks we sometimes see as burden. And, the best part of it is that it makes us love the people who make them for us after they show us just how thoughtful they are, how much they care for us, and how they love us so much that they exert some effort to make us happy even on ordinary days.

And yeah, it was my first time to receive a birthday surprise