"Kuya Sam"

Wow, is it summer here in Dumaguete City? Back in Kabankalan where i was 3 hours ago, it was already September!

The sun was unforgiving. I wish when the place claimed that they are a Land of Gentle People, everything in it is also gentle. Mr. Sun, are you in the right place? Can you not be powerful yet gentle?

Arriving in Dumaguete (or any place) at midday and going around is not highly recommended, unless you want to get that "hey-i've-been-out-on-vacation-that's-why-i-got-this-sunburn" to show around. But I am here to unwind not to get sunburn! Ok, forget about having little time to spare checking the place. Why not feed the grumbling tummy first?

They say Cebuano makes the best lechon. Do Dumaguete residents (who also speaks Bisaya) count? The long queue at the lechon counter speaks volume. Why not try? It may be a bit pricey, but hey, i have yet to spend for my breakfast so i've got a 2-meal budget to spare. This does not require much of a budget hearing and financial analysis, i believe. So here we go!

Just as i was about to check if i got my money's worth of a lechon meal, my phone rings. It was my youngest sister on the phone.

Bebe: Ching, has Noy called you yet?
Me: No
Bebe: It's very urgent! He has a problem. I'll put down the phone as he might be contacting you now.

Puzzled and a bit worried, i deferred lunch to wait for the call. Noy is the seaman brother who i know was on Abu Dhabi at that time. After the longest 5-minute wait comes the most-awaited call.

Noy: Ching, i need to transfer ship and i can't bring with me my things. Do you know somebody here in Abu Dhabi who can help me send the things back home?
Me: Have you tried contacting a courier? LBC or the like? I gather they can pick it up from where you are.
Noy: I tried and they have yet to schedule the pick-up. And i need to be at the airport at 1pm. I was just informed and i have yet to pack.
Me: Ok, i'll do what i can do.

Forgetting lunch entirely, i raked my brain how in hell could i help my brother who are thousand miles away. Internet! Thanks to whoever invented this amazing technology. Checking my friends list in Facebook, one by one i selected people in Abu Dhabi who could be that angel to my bro. Thanks, there are a lot of them! But....they are not online at the moment except Kuya Sam! Kuya Sam is a relative we knew only through FB. He is from Leyte, our ancestors' place of origin. Aside from me, my sis got to chat with him regularly, and so my brother Noy. Through FB, i told Kuya Sam of Noy's predicament. Though he did not promise he could help Noy as he is on his way to work, he asked for Noy's contact number. He even suggested that he'll contact another relative.

Since it was still uncertain that Kuya Sam can help, i called some friends who might have relatives or friends working in Abu Dhabi. I even sent a text message to an ex-boyfriend who replied that though their ship was in the same port with that of my bro, he can't go out as they are anchored a little distance from the port and he needs to be on a boat to get there. I also posted a shoutout in FB and was fortunate enough to receive responses from persons I did not expect to heed the call. But the common problem was the distance from their place and the lack of time considering that Noy is already flying out of Abu Dhabi in 4 hours. Their ship has to leave the port in a while.

Noy has been calling from time to time asking for any update from me. He already sounded hopeless. What will happen to the Christmas presents he bought for the family? I was starting to feel hopeless too. Kuya Sam has not contacted him yet so i gave Noy Kuya Sam's contact number so he could call himself.

I almost gave up when i remember someone who also works in Abu Dhabi. This someone happened to be another ex-boyfriend who for some reasons i blocked from my list. :) After months of not hearing from this ex-boyfie, i retrieved my blocked list and unblocked him so i could send a message about Noy's predicament. Minutes turned to hours and i did not receive any reply. He might be at work and was not able to get online. Or he might have just ignored the message entirely. Why would he care anyway?

While waiting for Noy's call, i ate the already forgotten lunch sans the earlier excitement of how Dumaguete's lechon tastes. And finally, just as i finished lunch comes the call.

Noy: Ching, we saw each other already.
Me: Who?
Noy: Kuya Sam!
Me: Oh! That was good of him. I thought he can't make it as he has work.
Noy: He is here with me now. I already gave him my luggage. He will send it to you. I also gave him your number. You just give him your address. Here, talk to him.

Me: Hello, Kuya Sam! It was so kind of you to come to Noy's rescue. I thought you can't make it as you have work.
Kuya Sam: I came. Where are you now?
Me: Dumaguete
Kuya Sam: Dumaguete? What are you doing there?
Me: Just wandering..
Kuya Sam: I see
Me: Kuya Sam, thank you thank you. You just don't know how grateful i am. I was already hopeless. I also posted a shoutout in my FB but noone is available. And i even contacted my ex-boyfriends!
Kuya Sam: (Laughing) Really? Here's Noy.

Thank God! Problem solved! Thanks Facebook. I can now start my wandering around the place. This is after all, my first solo travel.

Where will i start? Silliman University, here i come! But on my way, i found this Inn which i read about having good reviews from travelers. Why don't i check in first?

While on my way to my hotel room, the phone rings.

Noy: Ching.... The person i met earlier was not Kuya Sam!
Me: Whaaaattttt????!!!! Then who was it?
Noy: It was A---L!
Me: Whaaaattttt????!!!! ARE U SURE?

A---L is the EX-BF!
How come i was not able to recognize the voice???!!!
And to think i told him "I even contacted my ex-boyfriends"

Waaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh.................
Was i embarrassed?
You get it right.
E-M-B-A-R-R-A-S-S-E-D to every letter of the word, in bold, caps lock and underscored! I know, i was red to my toes!

Blame me, i never told Noy that it's not only Kuya Sam who i gave his contact number. And he never had the chance to talk and meet both Kuya Sam and "Kuya Sam" in person before. How Noy discovered the fake Kuya Sam was another embarrassment on his part while they were already in a cab. Lol.

"Kuya Sam", we are really grateful for your kindness. Someday, we will be able to return the favor.

Now i know that God is also a humorous God. You also have your (funny) ways in answering prayers, Lord. :)

To Mama Mary, i know you always intercede! It was your birthday last year when this happened.
Happy birthday to the Mother of all Mothers!

Year ONE, Part One!

ONE YEAR! One year? Yes, this blog celebrates its 1st birthday today. ONE YEAR. ONE BLOG ENTRY! Whew! Such an accomplishment! Hahaha..

To celebrate itChing Soles' birthday, let's HHWW (hold hands while walking) down memory lane. Ready?

Two weeks after this blog was "launched" (still remember the launching party? hehehe..), itChing Soles traced its footsteps back to the Land of Gentle People, Dumaguete City. This time, ALONE!

Ooopppsss... How can I forget you, Divi - my travel pillow (oh, how I've missed you!) and HoChi - my ever reliable day backpack (I know you are now happier with Kaye. She loves you a lot that she tossed her school bag for you.)?

That first solo trip was as memorable as it was equally embarrassing having 'Kuya Sam' moment in between. The 'Kuya Sam' episode will surely have its moment here. So, stay tuned. :)

Unless very much fascinated with the place (like Sagada), it is not me to go back to a place I've once visited. But this year, I've got the chance to see again (my 3rd) the once 'eight wonders of the world'.

The Banaue Rice Terraces Viewpoint, I would say was not that impressive when we visited in Septembet 2012.

A bit far from this one (because I'm in the picture..hehe), taken during my first visit way back 2008.

And too far from this one, taken in May 2011. Banaue Rice Terraces Viewpoint in its, i would say 'seductive' shape. But this still, cannot beat this one.

The Batad Amppitheatre Rice Terraces! If the Viewpoint seduces its admirers, this one gives you the chance to 'make love' with her. Its beauty is literally breath-taking! It is beyond description. And walking on its very steep rice paddies makes the trip, a 2-hour trek from the saddle, UNFORGETTABLE! You know, that trek (especially the return trip after spending the night in the village) that makes your every step a super EFFORT (in bold, with underscore). I was near to crying my heart out, but thanks to my fifty-ish friend who stood up to the challenge. So, crying was not an option despite the constant reminder of a previous year's knee injury plus all the soreness of the previous day trek. It was indeed an experience I would never get tired of sharing 'til i get old and gray.

But what makes this return-trip to Banaue memorable was the visit to Kiangan, Ifugao where the famous World War II Japanese General Tomoyuki Yamashita was captured. In his 'honor' (or better said, in his memory), Kiangan, the oldest and historical place in Ifugao put up this shrine.

"Oh, it's a long long while
From May to December
But the days grow short
When you reach September."

This "September" song lyrics by Willie Nelson is sooo not true. The month of September was such a loonnnggg month with the travel plan set for said month became very elusive. And finally, when travel itinerary was set and bags were packed, this happened...

Trip CANCELLED!!!!

Typhoon Ofel was the culprit! Ofel may have ruined our itinerary but not our travel spirit! The next available trip is ----- YEAR ONE, Part Two! See you on board!

How much of the Philippines have I visited?

My Lakbayan grade is B!

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.

"Feeling" Blogger

Blame it to travel bloggers. It has been a nightly routine to read some travel blogs before I snooze. Travel blogs become my sleeping pills. In a way, travel blogs (and bloggers) sort of "urge" me to try blogging. Why not? The way i understand it, travel blogs document one's travel experiences, etc. I do love  travel but i hate blogging or writing in whatever form. But hey, what am i doing now? Well, I'm just keeping myself busy while waiting for some works for review. Thanks to the payment due date tomorrow and the 2-day holiday this week. It means having to extend my office stay (and when did i have not..?) and gives me a chance to be crazy enough to do this "blogging" (if you call it that way) thing. Well, one can dream. And now, I'm dreaming I'm a BLOGGER! Who is there to object?! Lol

Ooooppppsss... I need to interrupt my dream for now. Here comes work. Til then.