The Windy City Experience

Working at an educational institution have loads of perks. I don't need to list them all down here but one thing that's so obvious is the continuous learning and improvement. Anyhoo, as part of my professional development, I was selected to attend a conference in Chicago. Wooohooo! It's not only about learning new educational tricks or meeting pips, it's also a privilege to explore the Windy City! :)

Well, the conference is mainly about assessment, collaboration, and e-learning. I was like, "Great! Perfectly aligned with my job description and goals!" FYI: This is what's "in" from most educational institutions right now. Any top schools who goes through ministry licenses and/or accreditation particularly brags shows how they plan, document, and execute assessment within their curricula. Anyway, I am not here to lecture how to assess or measure student success, I am here to share a little bit about the great conference and more of the leisure experience :)

So the conference was organized by LiveText - an American-based assessment management web application which basically what my university plans to integrate and embed into our current management system. The conference went on a 3-whole day training, workshops, break-out sessions, and entertainment. The event was jam-packed yet very organized and well executed.

Since it is my first time to visit the US, I need to enjoy and make the most out of this work/vacation trip. I went through visa application which went unsurprisingly fast and smooth. The trip to Chicago from Abu Dhabi was like 16 hours or so (not to mention the plus 4-hour layover in Ireland). Landed at O'Hare airport a day ahead of the scheduled conference, rented a car, and went straight to Michigan.

For those who knows the real me, I'm kind of an OC-freak in my daily life. So what more would you expect if I will make a decision or even going for a trip? Well, some say that this is a gift. You're actually lucky (but will be extremely exhausted) if you will go on a trip with me! I make use of the allocated time properly and conduct research a week (ok, a month) ahead on the best places to go to, bars and restaurants to dine, and yes, even the road maps and transportation system. I don't know about you but I find this productive and interesting.

I consider this trip extra special because it is my first time to celebrate my birthday peacefully and quietly all by myself in a foreign country or should I say on board, over the clouds on top of Pacific Ocean hahaha. Oh well, here's my itinerary for this trip. P.S. shopping and eating time was completely random so you won't see anything about those two here :P But you can ask me for the best restaurants in downtown Chicago, I would be happy to share.

Chicago Itinerary
Schedule	Location	To-do/Occasion
Sat, Jul 19
2:25AM ETD	AUH Airport
12:05PM ETA	ORD Airport
1PM	Chicago	Drive to Detroit
6PMish	Detroit	Dinner with Joseph's Overnight chikahan with Grets!
Sun, Jul 20
10AM	Detroit	Drive to Chicago
3PM	Chicago	Check-in at Hyatt Regency
5PM-7PM	RCDH	Optional: Registration to conference
5PMish	Chicago	Free time Dinner Short trip to Skydeck open until 10PM or 360 Chicago open until 11PM
Mon, Jul 21
7AM-4:45PM	RCDH	Registration Training Session: Experiencing FEM from All Sides Sessions and Workshops Pre-reg Workshop: A Problem-Based Assessment Process Focused on What You Want to Know and What You Need to Know about Your Students’ Learning
5:30PM-7:30PM	Chicago	Monday Evening Event: LiveText Farmer’s Market
Tue, Jul 22
7AM-4:45PM	RCDH	Training Session: Analyze This: The Power of LiveText Analytics Sessions and Workshops Pre-reg Workshop: Developing Effective Rubrics
6:30PM-10PM	Chicago	Tuesday Evening Event: An Evening Out with LiveText at the Field Museum
Wed, Jul 23
7AM-11:30AM	RCDH	Training Session: Evidence of Continuous Improvement: Using e-Portfolios and the ExhibitCenter Breakout Sessions Closing LiveText Brunch Session
12PM-onwards	Chicago	Free time Short trip to Museum of Science and Industry open until 4PM Short trip to Adler Planetarium open until 6PM Short trip to Shedd Aquarium open until 6PM
Thu, Jul 24
Whole day	Chicago	Free time Drive and stroll the city :) Tour stops: Hancock Center, Water Tower, Museum of Contemporary Art, Oak Street Beach, Tribune Tower, Millennium Park (Cloud Gate, The Bean, etc.), Art Institute of Chicago, Auditorium Theatre, Willis Tower (formerly known as Sears Tower), Union Station, Bella Bacino's, Buckingham Fountain and Wrigley Building http://wikitravel.org/en/Along_the_Magnificent_Mile http://wikitravel.org/upload/shared//1/1b/Along_the_Magnificent_Mile_map.png
Fri, Jul 25
Morning-Afternoon	Chicago	Get ready for flying home!
6:35PM ETD	DTW Airport
7:40PM ETA	AUH Airport

You wanna see some pics? Here!

There you go. Looking forward for another US trip soon! Ta-ta!

Unleash Your Artistry

Hello!

Who would have thought that I can paint? No, no, not just random whatever paintings but some nicely, creatively, clean and unusual abstract paintings -- well, people say those words and I'm just trying to blog it down. Heh, yabang!

Anyway, it was all Vlad who initiated this "painting" idea. You see, for the amount of stress we're encountering in our daily lives, we need to have a diversion. Remember the time I bought a tank to watch fish swim when I get home from work? Or our weekend camping and snorkeling? Well, this time, we found a new way to release our stress -- painting!

I didn't know how fun and time-consuming whenever painters create a masterpiece. I am in no way saying I am a painter but I can paint... artistically and beautifully.

Our (Vlad and I) very first painting together. We call it Inquisitivus
Jul 31, 2014, acrylic on 1830mm x 1220mm wood

Mind you, painting isn't a type of hobby that is cheap but the time and effort spent in every stroke I did is worth it. You'll never know, my paintings would become priceless in the near future! Haha

See our gallery here (and don't forget to follow): sandpitart

Toodles!

Now, I'm 31!

I woke up, grinning to myself because today's my birthday. Now, I'm 31! I think I'm aging gracefully.
Saw beautiful raindrops on my window from this fancy hotel.
Grabbed my phone and read sweet greets and warm wishes from beau.
Changed clothes, put on a jacket, and went for a nice walk. It's still drizzling and I love it. Every year, I guess wherever I am, I will be showered with happiness and blessings.
Feet dragged me here at Starbucks and started typing this blog :).

Today's my last day here in Chicago. I'm fulfilled, and it's my day. So before I spend the rest of my birthday either at the airport or above the clouds, I want to thank everyone I love and I loathe - they all keep me sane, remind me how lucky I am, and that life is truly bizarre yet magical.

Salute!

Breathtaking Banaue Rice Terraces

T'was part of the plan during my last trip to Philippines to see and visit the famous Hagdan-hagdang palayan or what everyone knows as one of the 8th wonders of the world, the Banaue Rice Terraces. I arranged the whole trip with the travel agency called shore2shore since time is precious and for us to avoid any sort of hassle.

Banaue is located in the northern part of Luzon within the province of Ifugao. Going there was never easy because your only option is to ride a bus for like 10 hours or so. The best time to travel is by night (last trip I think is at 10PM) so you'll reach there very early in the morning to enjoy the scenery and explore for more sightseeing. Honestly, I am not a fan of long trips especially if you are not in control. Both bus going to and from Banaue doesn't have proper AC controls - it was freezing cold during the whole trip! Passengers literally have their own scotch tape to cover the blowing AC on top of their heads! Also, drivers are quite reckless. For goodness sake, it's a bus loaded with passengers, going through a two-way very dark road and they drive like we're going to hell! So my advice: sleep during the whole 10 hours! It will save you a heart attack plus you'll be refreshed and energetic by the time you reach Banaue.

But you know, you will easily forget about this horrendous bus trip when you get to Banaue. We reached around 7AM in the morning and head off to a small office for tourism registration, then to a nearby coffee shop. This shop is in a great location! While sipping our freshly brewed coffee, we had a stunning view of the town proper. It was lusciously green everywhere and houses were built like they are pasted on those green mountains - it looks awesome!

My baby enjoying the sun, weather, and scenery

Right after this short coffee break, we finally meet with our tour guide to start on the whole day Hapao rice terraces sightseeing tour. The tour includes going to ethnic villages, Pine Forest Resort, and short Hapao trek. The best part is mingling with the native Ifugaos (indigenous people of Banaue). They look so cool though it seems a little staged and some sort of a "business" for them seeing the tourists. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind handing over a little cash but what I don't like is that they're like forced to wear those traditional clothing to entertain and get some money from people. Anyway....

One of the amazing views in Hapao. Perfect for ADU photo-op!

With the lovely Ifugaos

The two famous Banaue rice terraces are called Bangaan and Batad. It is said that these terraces were built around 2,000 years ago by Ifugaos (indigenous people of the region) largely by hand. These rice terraces are set in the mountains, approximately 5,000 feet above sea level.

The second day of our Banaue trip was the exciting yet challenging whole day Batad tour. We were picked up by a jeepney from the hotel to go to the saddle (for like an hour drive) where we started to trek Batad terraces. The view from the top is absolutely serene and amazing. And oh, Tappiya Waterfalls is also on the way :), which is quite rewarding after 2 or 3-hour trek (each way, and depending on your pace)!

Golden green terraces during January

Muddy pool of barren

Breathing in as much clean air as I can

The most difficult and dangerous part of the trek is going down these terraces. Aside from it being steep, it is sooo slippery! I feel envious with Ifugaos going up and down at those very narrow trail, it looks effortless!

So there you go. I'm still alive and writing this blog so yeah, we made it! I would definitely do it again and again and again. Ta-ta!

Where did my money go? A total of Php 16,400 for two which includes return Ohiyami bus trip, environmental fees, tour guide, 2-night hotel accommodation with breakfasts, and snacks during the tour

Oh Coron!

You are such a beauty!

To start an amazing year, we (my friends, Vlad, and I) decided to go to Coron, Palawan. Actually, we planned it, really planned it like we booked our ticket and created the itinerary almost a year ahead. :)

Coron is always on top of the list from numerous websites as one of the best tourist destinations in the Philippines. Since most of us have not visited the place and we have a little bit of cash to spend, we booked for 4 days and 3 nights to explore the place right after the 2013 New Year.

We stayed at Asia Grand View Hotel. The hotel name says it all, having a stunning view of greenery and of course, the sea. The rooms are quite big, super clean, and cozy. They also have their own restaurant with a relaxing entertainment at night.

Scenery from Asia Grand View's restaurant

Coron Island is comprised of small islets which can be found in the eastern part of the largest island in the province of Palawan called Busuanga. Along with our stay, we also booked town, island, and escapade tours within the area.

The town tour is like an hour and a half of driving between famous landmarks such as Coron public market, San Agustin church, Coron baywalk, town plaza, harbour center, cashew harvest factory and some souvenir shops. The best part of this tour is the Mt. Tapyas trek which is about 2000 feet above sea level. Don't get so excited because this trek is simply just climbing a lot of stairs but when you get to the top, a breathtaking view awaits you!

Sunset taken on top of Mt. Tapyas

What's the point of going to a tropical place without soaking up the warmth of the sun and diving into beautiful pristine beach, eh? Well, that's what we did most of the time we spent there! We went island hopping, snorkeling, and feeding our eyes with majestic sceneries. We've seen different types of lagoons, lakes, white sandy beaches, caves, colorful and diverse corals, and islands. Beautiful is the overused word here. This place made us feel astonished, rising into awe whenever and wherever we set our gaze literally anywhere!

Kayangan Lake

Banana Island

In summary, Coron, a real natural wonder, definitely deserves in the top rank of tourist destinations in the Philippines. I surely can attest to that. More of my 2014 adventures in the next post. Toodles!

Where did my money go? Philippine Airlines return ticket Php 4,872, Accommodation for 4 days (inclusive of breakfasts, transfers, and tours) Php 11,250

The "OK" Taal Volcano

Having a whole day to spare, I was thinking of an exciting place to go to that is nearby Manila. Since it is Vlad's first time in the Philippines, I want to make sure his vacation will not be thrown into waste. Actually, I also wanna boast how rich, beautiful, and spectacular my home country is :P 

Since we both love looking at landscapes, walking/trekking, and nature-tripping, I thought why not hike Taal? Taal volcano is quite complicated. Imagine an active volcano within a lake within a volcano that is surrounded by mountains. It was said that Taal volcano is one of the smallest active volcano in the world, a little over 1,300 feet above sea level. And by just driving for 2 hours from Manila, you'll be able to take a glimpse of this "geological wonder".

After researching and looking for a best deal over the net, I booked a Taal hiking day tour from Filipino Travel Center. You might notice in most of my posts that I always always ALWAYS book tours. Some say that it's expensive and it's wayyy cheaper putting up your own itinerary (like DIY kinda trip) - well, I agree if you have loads of time to spare. Being a "Balikbayan" doesn't mean I have lots of cash to burn. Honestly, it is the effort, hassle, and mostly time that I am putting up as priorities whenever I tour (not only in the Philippines but anywhere in the world). For me, paying extra saves me dineros even more because I don't need to think about those little nuisance. Besides, I am going for a tour to relax and not to worry about what or where or how!

So it was a day before the 2014 new year when we were picked up from Manila by a private air-conditioned mini bus to Tagaytay. From Tagaytay there is some sort of a ridge where a small motorized boat is waiting. Yes, before you can even reach this small village called Talisay where the volcano island is, you have to cross the lake for about 30 minutes. At the volcano island, a local tour guide is there waiting who eventually lead us the way up towards the rim and to the summit. Took us about 25 minutes to hike Talisay island.

View from the top of volcano island

The view from the top was neither breathtaking nor beautiful. It was actually uhmmm... errr... OK. Btw, there are some horses you can hire (if you aren't physically fit to hike) that will help you reach the top. Those horses are skinny though and looked like they haven't eaten for days not to mention they're stinky. These horses were the culprit of ruining the entire hiking experience because not only they cause a dusty surroundings, there's a poopy trap literally everywhere! Yikes! Better watch your steps! Also, it was a bit scary as we saw some steam that has a sulfuric odor in some areas.

Anyway, t'was still a nice experience mainly because while panting, we had a fresh coconut juice while on top of a volcano surrounded by a lake overlooking another volcano also surrounded by a lake. Go figure. Toodles!

Where did my money go? A total of Php 10,800 for two which includes private pick up and drop off in Manila by an air-conditioned minibus, snacks, entrance and toll fees, local Filipino guide to crater lake, and a Filipino tourist boat for island crossing

Weddings, weddings, and weddings!

Another reason why I went back to Philippines last December-January is that my dear friends (3 different couples) had a wedding. One was in Batangas and two were in Manila. Unfortunately, I didn't make it to one of these weddings because my schedule is really, really, really tight! That lovely couple loves me so and have forgiven me though ;)

I'm not sure if I love weddings but I love usual things during wedding ceremonies such as flowery smell of the church, groom sobbing while the bride walks down the aisle (I wonder why it's always the groom who cries :P), bride in her most natural beautiful self walking down the aisle, innocent kiddos who hold the rings or flowers, the priest's sermon, the couple's music selection... errr, ok fine, I love wedding ceremonies!

Anyhoo, here are my favorite shots of the newly weds.

Ralph and Bianca, 4 Jan 2014

Andrew and Kristine, 5 Jan 2014

Edward and Christine, 9 Jan 2014

Best wishes to all of you! Spread the LOVE!

Credit goes to Nelwin Uy and Imagine Nation Photography