Good Times

After the stardom status and media exposure of Carly's 'Call Me Maybe' music video, here comes Carly who featured on the track 'Good Time' captured my concentration again (Well, I was updating my report while playing this song).

This track is simply perfect for my monotonous and tedious work that I forgot to have a 'Good Time'. Seriously, I'm so occupied with work and work lately.

Hearing the song makes me want to hop into a cab and go anywhere. Drop by Starbucks and get some coffee. Go hit the mall and shop till I drop. Check on some good books and flashy magazines. Hit the beach and get tan. Checked out of my room, hit the ATM. Hands up if you're down to get down tonight. It's always a good time.

It's always a good time is like one way of saying there's always time for everything. This is one of my mantra, actually. There's time to have a good laugh, time to make someone happy, time to dance and sing out loud, time to talk, time to listen, time to cry, time to wander and get lost, time to travel, time to help and etcetera.   

Everyone can have a 'Good Time'. I myself have my own 'Good Time' too you know. Like you're having a good time when you don't want the day to end, having a good time with all your good time friends. Drink my coffee and savor every meal (Sorry if I keep on mentioning about coffee but I really take pleasures in coffee), being happy and satisfied while doing something at a certain moment in time. Having a nice quiet evening either alone with a book, or having quiet conversation with a loved one and a good time at the beach.

Having a good time is simply enjoying oneself greatly. Doesn't matter when, it's a always a good time then. Doesn't matter where, it's a always a good time there.

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When in Kota

Finally, I've got my first colorful stamp on my passport. I'm a "travel virgin" no more. Ha! Traveling alone was not a bad idea. Though, I feel frightened and terrified through the hell of immigration. So I guess this is one of the perks of traveling alone. But good thing, I survived. Case closed.

It was this year that I had this idea of going out of the country every August or at least September. And by going out it means, I want to explore (albeit alone or with friends) and bump into a stranger. This year I had a chance to travel some places in Southeast Asia. I don't know where I get my courage to wander around but I was so desperate to travel. And so my feet landed to Kota Kinabalu.

Kota Kinabalu is one of the most fantastic cities I've ever been to. Like Cebu, they have this warm hospitality that you hardly find in so many places. Just around the corner you have the sandy beaches, tropical rain forests and the mighty Mount Kinabalu is only 90 minutes away from the city. Don’t ask if I climb that Mighty Mount Kinabalu I wasn’t prepared dude. And it’s not in my itinerary so let’s move on. However I’m open to possibilities of experiencing of getting there at the top and shout: I’m the king of the world!.

And how will I forget the food? Man, the food is varied in a way that only a state with 30 ethnic groups can offer. The flavours you will find are delicious! Take note, chicken or beef satay is a must try in Kota and my forever favorite – Roti Canai.

Day one, I went on a city tour. First stop, Gaya Street. Every Sunday, the Gaya Street Fair is open from 6:30am until 1pm only. So you have to get up really early to take a short stroll to the Street Fair. At first, I don’t understand why they only limit the time like until 1pm, maybe because it’s a Sunday? Maybe.

Shop for anything under the sun like sarongs, footwear, antiques and souvenirs, food (drool) even pets and herbs.

Sabah State Mosque.With its majestic dome and stunning gold inlay motifs, the mosque sits a stone’s throw away from the city centre. When inside the mosque, of course you have to obey the General Rules they imposed. Basic rules like tourists are required to be silent all the time, tourist must be properly dressed and the likes. 

 

Signal Hill Observatory Platform.Signal Hill, the highest point in the city.

One of the best places to get a good view of Kota Kinabalu.

KampungWarisan Heritage Village.

There is a Heritage Village on the Museum grounds where you can enter and experience different types of traditional houses on the various indigenous groups of Sabah.

Atkinson Clock Tower.One of the most enduring landmarks in Kota Kinabalu, it stands prominently on a bluff along Signal Hill Road adjacent to the old Police Station.

 
According to the tourism of Sabah, this clock tower has the distinction of being the oldest standing structure in the whole of Sabah that survived the destruction of Jesselton town during World War 2.

Day two.My much awaited day, where I can go Island Hopping! I admit it this is the reason why I chose Kota because I want to step in to their islands. In as much that I want to forget my job of being a Trip Specialist for a while but I couldn’t help but not to enjoy and experience how is it like to go island hopping in Kota you know the “Kota-Kinabalu-Way”. Not too wait long; I went to Jesselton Point Waterfront. This waterfront serves as the only ferry terminal for Labuan-bound passengers as well as the main (and the cheapest) boat terminal.

Aerial view of Jesselton Point

 

Not to brag, it didn’t give me a hard time to get my ticket and figure out the route even though I have my tour guide with me. And just like my regular customer who wants to visit all the islands, I decided to stop over by Sapi and Mamutik Island. I know I can’t accommodate the whole island to visit so two is enough for me to get away and start beaming.

SapiIsland is located off the coast of downtown Kota Kinabalu. From Hyatt Regency Kinabalu, a 2-minute drive or a 10-minute walk will bring you to the jetty at Jesselton Point. The rental is charged per boat, which can range anywhere between RM100 and RM200. One boat can fit 4-6 people.

 

By observing how it works, these boats have corresponding time schedules with their designated route. Imagine like you’re riding a public transportation. Tip: always, always know your schedules and the boat that you will be riding next in line. Don’t be complacent that you have your itinerary with you and follow their instructions please. 

In our case, we went to Sapi Island by 9am. The boat captain advised us to be at the docking station 5 minutes prior to our departure time for our next trip (Mamutik Island). Amazing right? Compared to my island hopping experience in Cebu, the boat is exclusive for you and the group. In Kota, the whole islands is yours baby!

Sun-kissed beach of Sapi Island. The water is extremely lucid. During the day, the beach is vibrant with a hive of beach activities. In terms of snorkeling, one still can do it here although I found out there was not so much of marine life. If not, you can relax down by the sand and worship the sun. Get your sun-tan lotions baby!

Fifteen minutes prior to our next route, we stayed in the docking station and look around the vicinity in Sapi. 

Andso the boat picked us up with the exact time, perfect. Next stop is Mamutik Island – the smallest island that covers six hectares. This is another peaceful island with rich coral and marine life.

 

This island (which is said to be the smallest island) actually has a bigger area compared to Sapi in my estimation. I mean people can host a party in here. Ha! Roaming around I see there’s a camping area, a cafeteria, a clean public toilet, fine showers even a small place for playing volleyball. I'm mesmerized. 

 
This is me hitting the beach. Geez, you don’t know how HOT it is on that afternoon. I couldn’t help to put my sun glasses and my hat on for my protection. Never mind the people looking at you. The weather is times two. My gawwd!!
 

Going back to Jesselton Point

Day 3 - Last day at Kota. This day was spent in my part two of my day tour and went some shopping. Since, it’s my last day I woke up very early to squeeze in my time. I went to the City Mosque – one of their tourist attractions which situated near the sea. By far the largest mosque in Kota is even possible the most beautiful one in Malaysia.

 

Before leaving the city, I couldn’t help but to stop in the middle of the road when I arrived at Tanjung Aru Beach. This place is heaven to me. I really found peace in a jiffy. And the only thing that I did is to smile without any worries! I was closing my eyes and breathe in so deeply. There was a flash back, happy memories kicked in and I smiled. again. Then, slowly open my eyes and exhale calmly. Since, I have 30 minutes left, I walked in the beach and couldn’t believe that I was here,you know that I was able to travel by my own self and gratify for a short period of time. I know that the moment I leave Kota I have to get back to my demanding job. But to say the least, I had fun in my trip, truly memorable. First times are not bad; first time to be spontaneous (travel), talk to other travelers, arguing with the people in the immigration, be independent, etc. And so I welcomed myself to the world of traveling. Can't wait for my next trip, until next time!T

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Summer is not yet over

I know some of the crowd right now are too busy for their first week at school but not for me! My summer is about to embark this month. Honestly, I didn't enjoy quite of my "summer vacation" last April so I'm making and squeezing my precious time to go out! Though there's a side trip that I (and the IBC Team) went, however I felt like it's for a work purpose and not for leisure. So last April the team decided to have an Ocular Inspection slash Island Hopping. Well, this is my 2nd time in a row already and still delighted with the islands. I know this is too late already to post but hey give me a break!

Call time was 8am and everybody is all geared up. Woot!

The IBC Team

 

Pandanon is a lovely white sandbar where you can relax, swim, sunbathe or maybe just laze around under the shade 

Whilst Nalusuan Island boasts of its pristine crystal clear waters and far-stretching white sand. It has a great underwater sights to marvel at. Perfect for Snorkeling!

 

IBC Team @ Nalusuan 

Gilutungan Marine Sanctuary is a great destination for snorkeling, fish feeding, kayaking, and diving. The sanctuary boasts of a wide variety of reef fish and different kinds of hard and soft corals.

Snorkeling @ Gilutungan

Caohagan Island is a small island with a nice sandbar, small village and market. Some of our guest go to this island to buy some fresh seafood.

  

 Barely larger than one hectare, Sulpa Island serves as a picnic or resting area for tourists visiting other marine attractions in this part of Cebu. There are no facilities on the island except small huts that are also used for picnics. 

Since we can't accommodate to visit all the islands, we decided to reschedule the trip. Last week, was our chance however the weather is not that inviting but still we push through the trip on a half day. This is the photo I took in Tres Marias so as you can see it's a lil gloomy. Good thing, it wasn't raining.  

 

When I stepped in to the island i was a bit scared because the water are starting to cover the entire island. lolz High tide it is!!

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Summer Sunscream 2012 held at Portofino 5/26/12

Photo Credits to Kat Abuan 

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The Tenth Cirle by Jodi Picoult

I’ve been really busy for couple of days however I still try to catch up with this book. First, I want to thank my friend, Jeff for lending me this interesting book with a great twist of story. The author seems to be unfamiliar (well Jeff likes unfamiliar author) yet when I try to search all of her books in the website; there I find out that she also wrote My Sister’s Keeper. I definitely love the movie. It’s like it’s-a-matter-of-life-and-death situation.  I totally want to have and read all of her books too. But I guess, I have to do it one book at a time. Anyway, I almost finished reading “The Tent Circle”. Hope I could finish it before the end of the month. Here’s a short synopsis about The Tenth Circle.

When Daniel Stone was a child, he was the only white boy in a native Eskimo village where his mother taught, and he was teased mercilessly because he was different. He fought back, the baddest of the bad kids: stealing, drinking, robbing and cheating his way out of the Alaskan bush – where he honed his artistic talent, fell in love with a girl and got her pregnant. To become part of a family, he reinvented himself – jettisoning all that anger to become a docile, devoted husband and father. 

Fifteen years later, when we meet Daniel again, he is a comic book artist. His wife teaches Dante’s Inferno at a local college; his daughter, Trixie, is the light of his life – and a girl who only knows her father as the even-tempered, mild-mannered man he has been her whole life. Until, that is, she is date raped…and Daniel finds himself struggling, again, with powerlessness and a rage that may not just swallow him whole, but destroy his family and his future. 

Visit www.jodipicoult.com

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Question&Answer

So I have this guy friend and we frequently do some questions and answers if we're online together. It happens when we ran out of topic to talk about and so the questions and answer came in to the picture. I dunno if he knows (but for sure this time he will) that I put some of our Q&As in my blog. Since both of us are too busy to chat on Facebook, I was thinking of making my questions and answer it by myself. Honestly, I miss the old days when we just talk and update each other. I don't wanna bother him because he's busy with his school. And these questions are intended for him actually. So I guess, I'll just have to answer this and pretend that he's the one asking or either way. Ha! LOLZ

This is just random questions guys. Way back, we only have 10 questions each. So I hope you enjoy!

What would you most like to do? 

Ahmm, read, blog, spend quality time alone or bond with my loved ones, watch movie, dine out...

When you have a problem, is there someone you can talk to? Who? 

It's my best friend. She knows my life story. Ha! Right now since she's in the other side of the world, I just consult my problems to myself.  When it comes to financial problem I approached my mom. She's frugal when it comes to money. :)

Do you smoke? No, I don't.

Are you a morning person? No, I'm like a vamp. But seriously, have to wake up early cos my work requires too.

Who are the most important 3 persons in your life? God, Family and Friends

Do you like to dance? Can you? Definitely! Ha! Of course, I can! You wanna dance with me?

Do you prefer to play or watch sports? I'm not into sports really so I guess I'll just sit and watch them do their thing.

Would you describe yourself as happy or unhappy? Can I not answer this question?

Have you ever had a stalker? I dunno, I guess maybe

Is it important to you to have a boy/girlfriend? Now, or later on? Right now, not yet. But maybe later.

Have you ever been out on a date? If you say like a romantic date, no. However, I always go out on a group date. 

On a scale of 6-to-47 how organized are you (or keep it simple, like 1-to-10)? 

9. I hate messy things. My family knows I rant and whine if i see things that are not properly organize.

When you are sick, would you bundle up and sleep more or wake up and go about your day as usual? 

It depends. If I can tolerate it, I have to move my ass out and keep my nose to the grindstone however if my temperature is too high then I have to sleep the whole day. Before, I just go to my usual day and pretend that I'm normal.

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up, what do you want to be now? 

As a kid I wanted to be an Interior Designer. Right now, I just want to travel, travel and travel. I wanna see the world.

If you had so much money that you wouldn't know what to do with, what would you do with it? 

Hmmm...shop till I drop. Build my own house. Invest on a business. Donate. Build a school. Have my own Magazine and Publishing Company. Buy an island. Own an airline company and did I say travel?

Tell me about a country you would like to visit and why? 

Bali. I'm a beach bum so I like to go on the beach. And Bali is the place to be. I'd also like to go Bora Bora or somewhere in Mexico. There's something in the sea that I like. So yeah, hopefully I could treat myself going to Bali this year hmmm... (wishful thinking)

Are you usually late, early or right on time? 

It's either early or very early. My college friends know how punctual I am! I don't like people who don't value and disregard time. And I'm sorry, I don't follow Filipino time.

Imagine. It is a dark night, you are alone, it is raining outside, you hear someone walking around outside your window. Who do you call? Ghost busters! Hahaha!

Who would you like to see right now? My best friend.

What’s your favorite thing to do on a Saturday night? Saturday Night? Movie Night!

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