February is the perfect time to go to the beach. The weather is not so hot and you can avoid the summer crowd. Come March and April, the weather will be a scorcher and the multitude will throng the beach. So before the sand gets lost in a sea of bodies, hit the beach with your Kangol cap and your best beach attire. Beat the crowd and you’ll have a better time enjoying the sand, sun and sea.
It’s almost December once again. Usually my former colleagues and I get together during the Christmas season. A group of us would meet and go to a karaoke place. But I remember one time when we went on an outing during a weekend near the bay. The resort had a great view of the bay with the fishponds on one side and mountains on the other. We had lunch at the resort and after a brief rest we went swimming in the pool. Very few people were about so I guess it was not summer season. We also enjoyed the outdoor jacuzzi where we lounged, talked and reminisced. Of course, there were also the photo sessions and the different wacky poses to commemorate the occasion. Unfortunately, because of our busy schedules we have not been able to go on an outing again. I just hope that we’ll all be able to take time out to relax and enjoy each other’s company in a place outside the city like in that bay resort.
Nowadays, being a vacation spot means having different attractions. Gone were the days when hitting the beach means lying in the sand and soaking the sun or taking a deep in the sea. Now, people want something more. They want clubs for drinking and dancing at night and bazaars around the area to buy not just souvenirs but clothes and accessories too. Planners in Branson, a popular vacation destination in Missouri, realized this early on. A Branson vacation means variety. Not only is it considered the “Live Music Capital of the World” because of world-class and home grown musicians performing live on stage but there are also other kinds of performances like magic, comedy, drama, dance and acrobatics. Furthermore, children can enjoy visiting the different theme parks around the area. There are also museums, caves and caverns, golf courses and shopping centers. This is the place to go for family vacations because it offers attractions for both parents and children. What more could you ask for?
For me, running out of money while travelling constitutes as a travel emergency. It is especially scary when you are in a foreign country with no friends or family who can help you. This happened to us in Beijing because our friend underestimated his expenses and borrowed from us but since we only brought enough we all ended up with no money. He was forced to withdraw from his credit card, which he did not want to do because interest and exchange rate fees were high. Unfortunately, the first time he tried to withdraw, no money came out although his bank sent him a text message regarding the withdrawal. We had to go back to the bank the next day to report it. After plenty of explanations and discussions, an agreement was reached then we went to another bank to make an over the counter withdrawal successfully. All’s well that ends well.
Kalibo International Airport was bustling with foreign and local tourists. Hundreds of Taiwanese nationals waited in line while airport officials were checking their passports. My two friends and I were resting, trying to catch our breath from the boat ride, the very hot van ride, followed by a very windy bus ride and finally the slow tricycle ride from Boracay to Kalibo. We were a little hungry so we took out our junkfood and started eating. Then we remembered that we brought Nescafe 3-in-1 sachets and our own styrocups. All that was missing was hot water. Good thing hot water was available for P5 a cup. After buying the water and mixing our coffee, we sat down to savor our Nescafe 3-in-1. When I finished drinking I said to Lui, “Ang sarap talaga ng Nescafe.” (Nescafe is really delicious.) Then I realized I sounded like a advertisement for Nescafe. So I told Lui that our experience would make a good advertisement for the coffee. Who knows, maybe I’ll see the scene on television one day 
I am looking forward to our trip to Boracay. The trip is quite unexpected because my officemates just learned about the P8 promotion from Rita, another officemate. Still fresh from their trip to Cebu, they decided to try Boracay next. All of us were able to book the P8 fare to Kalibo but I was the only one to be able to avail of the P8 fare back. This would just be my second trip to Boracay so I am very excited about it. Maybe this time I’ll be able to see the other side of the island using atv for rent. I don’t know if these are still there but there was when I went there last time though we did not avail of it. That is if it is not very expensive also. I’ve already tried island hopping and riding a sailboat. Parasailing also sounds nice but I’m quite afraid of heights. I just hope we’ll have plenty of inexpensive fun.
We visited my brother at their booth in the Cultural Center of the Philippines on January 31, 2010 during the 1st Philippine International Guitar Festival. We arrived their at around 1pm. It was the last day of the festival and there were only a few people milling around because it was a dead hour. I got a look at the guitars that he told me cost between USD1,500 to USD6,000. My goodness, guitars can really be very expensive. He told me that Domingo Javier, the designer is a very famous guitar maker in Cebu. Cebu is really well known for good quality guitars. If you are into guitars, visit Cebu and browse around for value for money quality guitars.
My brother was reassigned to another city this year. As a medical representative, it is part of the job description that you get transferred every few years. It was a good thing that the company takes care of the moving details and he does not have to think about looking for a long distance moving company. He just packed his things and the company shipped everything, including his car. I guess being a medical representative has its perks like a car, free gasoline and other freebies but it also has its downside. One of these is always being on the move and the inevitability of being transferred to other areas.
During the class reporting in our Public Investment and Economic Development subject, one of the groups presented about collaboration between countries in offering medical services. A developing country will offer the land, infrastructure and labour while the developed country will offer the expertise and most of the financing. This known as medical tourism which caters mostly to older people from developed countries that are looking for cheaper medical care than in their home countries. So it is not surprising that people go to Thailand for plastic surgery while others go for spine surgery Mexico. The Philippines has also been trying to look into how it can benefit from this medical tourism phenomenon considering that it has been importing thousands of nurses, doctors and care givers over the years. If it can offer better pay for these medical and support personnel then these people would not need to go abroad to work.
Last year was a great year for me. I was able to travel to five countries around East and Southeast Asia. It has always been my dream to go to different places but mostly I have thought of exploring the countries in Europe. However, when I went to the countries I have been, I realized that there are places aside from Europe and the each country, no matter how underdeveloped, has a unique charm all its own. I still dream of going to Europe but I would not discount caribbean vacations also, or going to Africa and Central America.
