LSS of the Week: Train - If It's Love

If It's Love is the third single of Train from their album Save Me San Francisco following Hey, Soul Sister and Save Me, San Francisco.

When Love Takes Over - Apo Reef

This is a Travel Factor trip that  happened last February so please bear with me if I can’t remember some of the details.They say Hearts Day should be a day full of love, affection and all the cheesy stuff but I say otherwise. Because some people focus on that side they forget to have fun. Rather than going to some romantic spots in the metro, Valentines Day should be spent on the beach and that's exactly what we did -we booked a flight to San Jose, Mindoro en route to ultimate beach bumming experience in Apo Reef + Pandan Island somewhere in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro.

                                                                       San Jose Airport

Our journey started from Manila, after a 45 min flight from Manila to San Jose,you'll be  expecting 3-4 hours of grueling travel as you will pass by rough and dusty roads from San Jose to Sablayan. Make sure you bring your iPod or better yet sleep so that you won't mind the road inconvenience. So much for the tedious and long travel, we had dinner and spent the night of Day 1 at a resort in Sablayan. We woke up around 4:00 AM of Day 2 since another 3 hours will be spent on a boat ride to Apo Reef. A satisfying breakfast consisting of fried chicken, tocino and scrambled eggs  were  served while we're  in the boat. As time goes by, the weary traveler that we were become ecstatic as we caught sight of an island surrounded by pristine blue water and a distinct white lighthouse. Finally - we're in Apo Reef!

After transferring our bags to the hall we went off to explore the island. Its main attraction is its white sand beach that even that of the more popular and crowded Boracay won't stand a chance when compared to Apo Reef's pristine beach. The waters around the island are shallow  making it ideal for leisurely swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving. Just a few steps from the shore you'll see a wide array of colorful fishes swimming in different direction. To truly appreciate the beauty of Apo Reef  it is advisable to go further to view the underwater spectacle - marvelous coral reefs, pawikan,clown fish etc. Most of our time were spent wandering on the shallower water of the beach before we had lunch.

After our siesta time, we started our Apo Reef tour. First stop is the lagoon which was only a brief walk from our camp.The lagoon is surrounded by mangrove forest which serve as a spawning ground for several marine species and sanctuary of birds. I was able to see a baby manta ray while we were waiting for the raft to come. Unfortunately the lagoon raft ride was cut short because there were no available raft that time. Our group just decided to go to the lighthouse instead. At first I was a bit hesitant to go on top of the lighthouse as the ladder are steep and I have fear of heights. Once you're on top, you will be rewarded with a refreshing 360 degree view of the island. So much for the kulitan and random shots we went back to our camp for the most awaited island sunset.

                                                                    The Lagoon

                                                                     

                                                                           The Lighthouse

It was getting dark when we pitched our tent. After dinner the group gathered at the bonfire for the inuman - The Bar lang ang alak that time pero enjoy naman at matindi pa nito Max na  candy lang ang chaser. We all had fun under the moonlight as waves served as our background music besides the Jack Johnson music from Alex. Halos di kami maubusan ng kwento. In the middle of our socials, we were called by a couple of island rangers to witness a pawikan hatching its egg on the beach near our tent. Sobrang sulit ang trip dahil bihira lang  mangyari na mangangak ang isang pawikan sa lifetime nya according to Dive Master. That pretty much capped off our first day in the island.

                                                                          Pawikan

After breaking camp we started our second day in the lagoon and by this time a raft awaits us  in the port. A rope tied at both ends of the lagoon serve as a guide towards the other side of the lagoon. After some random shots we went back to the beach  and we packed our things for our next destination - Pandan Island.

Interesting People to Follow in Twitter in Game 7 of 2010 NBA Finals - Lakers Vs. Celtics

Something tells us Game 7 tomorrow  might be one of the best game we'll ever see. It's not just a Game 7 - this is an NBA Finals and its Lakers against Boston.  The Lakers are clearly the more talented team, and when they all come to play the better team, but Boston has played a tough, physical series and has earned the right to play game seven for the championship. If you won't be able to catch the game live, most likely you'll end up getting updates on your social networking site. So now, without further adieu…here are the list of people you might want to follow for some interesting tidbits and updates of the upcoming winner-take all Game 7.

Caught in the Web: Understand Rap

If you're like me who listens to a lot of rap songs but ends up confused with the hip hop terms used. Try www.understandrap.com which general purpose is to help people understand rap music. People can submit confusing terms (parts of the lyrics) used in rap song for  other people to explain.. Here is a line from Jay-Z's Empire State of Mind,

As you can see user-submitted explanations/interpretations  for confusing terms in rap songs can be rated as well.

First of Summer: Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar

Around early this year, we went to Ciudad Real de Acuzar to celebrate my birthday together with the rest of January celebrants. For those who aren't aware about this place, Ciudad Real de Acuzar is a 400 hectares of land in Bagac, Bataan wherein  famous heritage houses in Luzon were restored in this Spanish colonial village. The place is not yet open to public when we went here last January, so props to our friend who invited us here in this historical site.

Travel time to Bataan is around 3-4 hours from Manila depending on how many stop over you'll be having. We arrived in Balanga around 10 AM  to buy some stuff we need for the birthday celebration. I was amazed in the Balanga's public market because their wet market is actually dry compare to other public market and the implementation of the city ordinance as one cannot smoke in public places and put your garbage anywhere.

   Balanga, Bataan

Before going to Bagac we passed by Mount Samat, wherein the site for Dambana ng Kagitingan is located. The Bataan cross served as a dedication to the men who died in the vicious Battle of Bataan. There's an elevator that will take you to the top of the cross where you have a 360 degrees view of the Bataan.Sad thing though, we were not able to view the war museum wherein an array of paintings and armaments are diplayed because there were no electricity that time.

 

The road to Mount Samat

                                                                  View from Mount Samat

                                                                       Bataan Cross


By 3pm we set foot in the Spanish villa, we just keep taking pictures of the old houses and historical architectures we passed by. It's like time traveling to the Spanish era, as cobblestone plaza, old stone houses and mansions can be seen once you're inside the compound. After our excitement subside we decided to put our bags in the house that we're going to spend the night away.                                  

                                                              Real de Acuzar Spanish Villa

                                                                                    The venue for our birthday party

                                                        Some of the old houses in Real de Acuzar

                                          
                                          

                                         
One of the most notable buildings in the village is the original Escuela De Bellas Artes – UP Fine Arts which was taken in Hidalgo St. Quiapo, Manila. There were a lot of paintings displayed inside the UP Fine Arts building. Truly there are some things in the past that are worth preserving as it speaks so much of the value we put to our culture and heritage.

 
What's also about great this place is its location as Real de Acuzar is built facing the dark orange sunset of Bataan Bay. And that caps off the day,probably one of the loveliest scenes captured best from this site is of course the sunset of Bataan.

                                                                       Bagac Sunset

Big thanks to our friend and  Mr. Acuzar of course for allowing us to have a party in their old house. Sobrang saya dahil lahat nalasing. We even get the chance to ride a yatch kinabukasan. Woot! Woot!

This Is War: The NBA Finals 2010: Lakers Vs Celtics

The NBA's most successful franchises meet in the NBA finals again for the second time in three years, and the 12th time overall, starting tomorrow night at Staples Center. Apparently the 2010 NBA Finals won't look anything like the 2008 NBA Finals, just look at Kobe, or Gasol or Boston's Big Four. This  rematch could become  more classic and competitive series that will define the  Lakers-Celtics rivalry. With that in mind allow me to examine the key matchups in the upcoming series.