Vianna's Odyssey

Fourth quarter, almost end of the year already, I can’t believe that 2017 is almost at the finish line. I’m amazed by how I managed to survive (ongoing) this year away from parents and it’s my personal new year again! Ha! Hence this lengthy, wordy, cheesy post.

Adulting age, quarter life. When I was twenty, I said a lot to myself that I will be like/have this and that at this age. Some I managed to achieve but some was a fucking stroke of reality, no matter how much I tried, so close but it wasn’t easy. Life ain’t easy, bitch. It slapped me hard, knocked me out cold. There was even a time I feel anxious about everything and depress about the situation I was before. I wouldn't be writing this if I stop in that phase, right?

Yes, something has changed, a lot, I can't say it the drastic kind of change, like heavy transformation, nope, not that type, it is the change where I can subjectively say I’m never better like I am right now, last year has been rough for me and my family and this year has been full of blessings and personal growth.

I wanted to try writing differently about myself this year so I slashed out the topics of writing about my learnings so I don't feel like imposing it to you, who randomly stumbled upon this post or an open letter to my 25-year old self post. This time I wanted to write for myself, some sort of a tracker to see if I have improvements with what I need to work on with myself, to see if something has changed. Note that this is subjective, if you know me personally and would agree or not on to what you will be reading in the next paragraph/bullets, I don't care. Let's start!

· I am more productive and organize thanks to my journal/planner. I feel more obligated to do the things I need to do if I wrote it. If I miss something, I'll just go back and read. It was really helpful, especially there are times of amnesia days. I have monthly goals that I managed to accomplish. You might think that all I do is binge watched or read a random series based on my Facebook timeline but well…

PS: My planner isn’t even a Starbucks planner.

· I spend my hard-earned money more on adulting things and I think I’m the best at budgeting. If I have to buy something, that something must a return of investment thingy. There's always a percentage of what I earned and giving back should never be neglected.

· I can handle negative emotions better as before. I learned a lot on the weekly prayer meeting, The Feast, negative emotions such as fear, depression, whatnot, starts with envy. Stop looking on others and focus on your own goal. I still admire other people’s success but I also stopped comparing myself to what they have achieved. Comparing is not a good idea, same as doubting your own self. Focus lang sa sa goal, geng. I still feel the pressure; especially my close friends are also on the stage where the future seems uncertain but fighting lang.

· Lighter side, my wardrobe has changed, I feel practical wearing dress, skirts and shorts more than ever. Unlike before, I'm always in for the jeans game but when I started living away from home, washing jeans if so fucking hard, I got tired of it and started wearing skirts and dresses which are not hard to wash, yes shorts too.

· I'm comfortable now in being alone. Before, during lunch at my previous job, I couldn't eat without company, well, can’t help it in where I work now. So eating alone is not an issue anymore. Buying things, going to malls, I used to do that stuff in a group so it wasn’t easy at first.

· I stop caring what other people think about what I really want to do and what to do with my life. My dream is to have a pastel hair or a mermaid hair, dress up like Koreans and Japanese, write sci-fi stories and boys love. Work in a fair environment, travel, read a lot, watch every series I love. Been hearing lots of side comments but I did it anyway, what stopping me? Not you, bitch. As long as I’m not hurting anyone. I listen, I will take some with considerations but the last say will always be me.

Okay, that’s it for now, need to do my daily grind and enjoy the day. Self, keep fighting! Happy New Year #LABAN

Don’t mind the errors and typos please, it just feels so good to let things flow and write it out.

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I thought I wouldn’t enjoy yesterday because of the weather. It was raining. It has been raining for almost a week already, causing floods all over Cebu. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate this kind of weather, as a matter of fact, I love it, I wouldn’t use AC or the electric fan too much and I could sleep peacefully and comfortably during the day as I work at night. But if you have a planned trip which feels better if the weather is fine and sunny, you just wish that doing the sun dance is freaking effective. I WAS WRONG, rain did not change what’s going on under the sea, and the sea is even calm and warm.

Today, I experienced few first time moment yesterday. One is riding a motor boat knowing that the weather is not good, I would usually backed out because yes, I am chicken and I don’t know how to swim despite after taking swimming lessons. Two, snorkeling. I haven’t use a snorkel in my life and I am glad I found out how to use on my own; of course I’m wearing a life vest because swimming is not life.

Yesterday, together with former teammates, we joined with our former Team Leader’s with his current team on a team outing. They originally planned to go to Camotes Island but a lot of things came up and ended up in going to Olango Island/Marine Sanctuary.

7:00 am is the call time at SM Cebu City and I came there at around 6:45 am, I almost got late because I was playing Legends of Zelda, I forgot about the time. No Game, No Life, reference. I’m the type who doesn’t get late on appointments. We managed to depart at SM around 8:30 am because of waiting for others. Yep, Filipino Time it is.

We rode a van from SM to Punta Engaño Port in Mactan, Lapu-Lapu City for 60.00 pesos per head. It’s my first time to go to this part in Lapu-Lapu, it reminds me of the mini port in Ormoc for motor boats and the port in Palompon going to Kalanggaman Island. We arrived at around 9:30 am at the port.

Punta Engaño Port

They rented a motor boat for 3,500 pesos, all day use and the docking fee for 67 pesos and 20 centavos. We paid 5.00 for the terminal fee. The port was neat clean but the store keeper inside was not accommodating, maybe because we are just local tourist or whatever. She won’t answer to our inquiries in a polite way, I just brushed it off my mind and thought, and maybe she had some problems. My positive mantra is to make excuses of other people’s wrongdoing so I won’t get stress.

View from the port

Map of Mactan inside the port

We ate our brunch on the motor boat around 10:00 am and it was scrumptious. We waited for another hour for another person but decide not to wait further and go on with our planned journey.

We paid 50.00 pesos for the entrance fee at the Olango Marine Sanctuary; a small Bangka approached our motor boat to collect the fees.

Hi, I can swim Dog Style. Haha.

We rented snorkeling gears at the port for a hundred pesos and renting it was worth it. Learning to use it was a bit challenging but it was one of the best feeling I’ve experience in my life, it was the same feeling the first time I caught a fish when we had a family outing way back when I was in Elementary. My Dad is a fond of catching fish. Under the water, I saw different type of fishes, in size, in shape and in colors; I thought I could only see them on the aquarium. I saw Dory and Nemo. I could swim with them. I felt like I was in anime Nagi no Asukara (A Lull in the Sea). I stayed there long, watching and observing. I felt the need to learn how to dive and wish I owned underwater camera. I can’t find the need of buying one since I’m not really into water adventure or whatever. I’m the indoor type. But after what I have experience yesterday, I’m considering of having one. For now, I’ll just have to keep the experience forever in my head.

We decided to go back to the port at around 4:00 pm all tired from swimming. I was the last one who got up off the water and I was surprised that the rain has stopped already, finally a glimpse of Mister Golden Sun.

Thank goodness, I was not caught up with the traffic and the flood back home. The experience made me wants to go back to the sea again and observe life under it. My geeky self is having a strong urge of rewatching Nagi no Asukara after all the things I saw underwater and hopefully write a formal review of the series. Therefore, even if it rained everything was worth it that day. I could say I did not regret going with them.

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“Do it because it’s fun,” They said. “It’s really easy,” They added. After experiencing the Rope Course Adventure, YES, it was fun BUT it wasn’t as easy as what they have said.

I’m the indoor type of person, I love staying at home, drinking tea while reading a good book/manga or eating noodles while watching Korean dramas, anime or whatever series that caught my interest. But I’m always up for any challenge; I go hiking once in a while, just so you know and I also want to climb more mountains and try extreme adventures as well. So, last month Team Leader Rod and our ever pretty Support Miss Cai brought us to Mountain View Nature s Park for some stress-releasing activities and yes taking up the Rope Course Adventure is one of them.

It wasn’t an easy challenge but here are my reasons why you should still try the Rope Course Adventure if ever you decided to visit Cebu. I hope this will motivate you in some sort, coming from a not so sporty lady.

It’s a good physical activity to try.

Gaining fats from sitting almost 8 hours, the challenge was a good way to burn some calories. But yeah, the struggle is real, really, real.

It will make you realize that there’s no turning back and the only way is to move on

This is not hugot. I mean if you are already at the middle of the challenge, you can’t just give up and turn back because there are challengers behind you and it will be a hassle unless you are the only one taking the challenge. Move on, move on din pag may time.

You’ll develop or use your natural survival instincts

Omg, it’s like playing a survival game online the difference is you are playing in real life. Thinking of tactics/strategies to finish the challenge as soon as possible and prevent your body from falling. It was really awesome to try out some theories, like oh, where is the center of gravity and the science of not falling and holding on. Ahem.

It feels good to use your energy by struggling and holding on to your dear life

Exaggerated? yes. I mean even if there are harness and stuff, in my experience I’m still afraid to fall (because no one below will catch me, paano kung paasa ang harness? Charut) and I really tried my best to hold on to something while moving on to something. It’s a good way to use my energy other than doing a series marathon all night and day. Plus, I discovered that I’m not that's really afraid of heights.

That fulfilling moment when you reached the end of the challenge

We are the Champions song playing on the background. It’s like surpassing a great problem and you just have to stick out your middle finger to the challenges you have passed and say, ha! I survived you! And you felt like you can do anything in this world after reaching the finish line. You felt good because you didn’t give up. You did it, hurray!

Every sweat and sore muscle is worth it. Taking the Rope Challenge is relatable to our life. Whatever challenge life may throw you, you just need to face every challenges or problem, it’s meant to be solve, give it all, after that move on and if there’s another challenge, do the same thing. What matters most is you didn’t give up! At the end, it made you stronger and braver. Always be up for the challenge.

So, have you guys, tried the Rope Challenge at Busay? Or do you have any idea where I could try something like this? Please don’t hesitate to comment down below. Promise, I will not hugot, like seriously.

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The Japanese Summer Festival: Bon Odori 2016 that was held last August 12-13 at Sugbu Grounds, South Road Properties (SRP), Cebu City, Philippines was a huge success with around 22,000 attendees, imagine the ocean of people! For only 20.00 pesos, it is more than worthy of a night of awesome cultural experience.

It’s my first time to attend Bon Odori and for a girl who’s been in love with Japan, attending a festival is a must right?

I came with my kawaii friends Vanessa and Ate Jane. The weather was so fine at that night too. It was really an event to remember for me, surrounded by things I dreamed about, authentic Japanese food, merchandise, cosplay and like-minded people! By the way, I went on a solo adventure on Day 1, it was supposed to be just surveying the area and directions because I’m new in Cebu, I’m afraid I might get lost. I ended up buying lots of stuff on Day 1.

I wasn’t able to take a lot of pictures because I’m very overwhelmed with the festive the environment is. Please bear with my photos.

There are a lot of booths and fun activities that the festival prepared for festival goers.

Bon Odori (盆踊り), meaning simply Bon dance is a style of dancing performed during Obon. Originally a Nenbutsu folk dance to welcome the spirits of the dead, the style of celebration varies in many aspects from region to region. | salamat google

Philippines counterpart is the Araw ng mga Patay or Undas, the difference is we don’t offer a dance, we offer foods on our altars and light up candles outside our houses and visit their graves.

It’s quite similar to our tradition in the Philippines since it is believed that each year during obon or Bon festival the ancestors’ spirits returns to this world in order to visit their relatives. Creepy but we also believe that right every November 2.

So much for the background of the festival…

My favorite part will always be the fireworks display. I just love it, whatever event it is. That magical feeling watching the fireworks lit up the sky, isn’t it a bit romantic? crush, doko? |

It was one hell of a tiring event, there are few vehicles from the event area so we walked all the way to Mambaling. Good thing the view of the city lights and the sea are a bit relaxing.
The only thing I regret was not wearing a Yukata. It’s my dream to wear a Yukata while attending a Japanese festival but well, next time perhaps? Right? Soon. Puhon.

Are you also a fan of Japanese Culture and experience a Japanese festival? comment down your experience below!

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