Wishing and Hoping

Now, I've made it to the end of dead week.. finals are just around the corner.

This visual is the only thing that's encouraging me to continue:

I need to get through the week, I can't even think about the next two quarters I need to pull myself through in order to reach the destination above!

Paradise needs to come.. now.

Alert!

At this point in time, I am at the dead week, and my four finals are coming up fast.

I'm exhausted, hungry, and can barely focus.


Maybe I should just buy my ticket now and go for spring break...

Who's with me?!

BANNED: Too Smelly

Durian.

Now, while this looks like just another tropical fruit, it is far different from the rest.
In fact, it is banned is many hotels and modes of public transportation-- all due to the fact that it is one smelly, smelly fruit.
It has often been described to smell like gym socks, onions, and almonds.

Who's hungry now??

I can't stop thinking about it..

Is the decision to enjoy a wonderful vacation after I've put in a long, hard four years, rational?



... I just keep thinking about that potential career, literally calling me the while I'm laying on the beach- halfway around the world.

Oh, that thing called money...

One fabulous fact I realized about traveling during August is that peak season is over! Yes, I will be missing the best weather, but I will be saving a ton of money! Apparently, travel prices decrease quite a bit during the rainy season (I guess people don't want to brave the monsoons and typhones??).

This logic obviously has it's pros and cons....

P.S. Round-trip ticket to the Philippines right now: $1591...

What you've seen on Fear Factor

I've given my spiel about the foods I can't wait to devour, but I have yet to tell you about the foods I simply can not eat.

(Warning: The following material contains graphic content. Those with weak stomachs should not read further.)

I'm a rather picky eater so I've narrowed it down to two things that would stop my 'exploratory' side dead in it's tracks.

1. Balut. You've probably seen this Filipino delicacy on Fear Factor before, but if you haven't, let me give you the scoop. Balut is a fertilized duck egg with a nearly developed baby duckling inside. It is then boiled and eaten right out of the shell, usually with salt or vinegar.

2.  Dinuguan. This dish is a stew made of blood and meat. That's right, it is a blood pudding stew. It is made of a dark pig blook gravy, chili, vinegar, and pork meat (and sometimes intestines, eats, and snout).

My family enjoys both dishes. In fact, my grandpa loves, loves, loves balut. I, however, just don't have the guts to even try them.

A Wild Ride

This, my friends, is a jeepney. It's the most common form of public transportation in the Philippines. It was originally made from US military jeeps that were left from WWII and are known for it's wild decorations and packed seating.

The seating on the jeepney is awfully crowded. In fact, if an individual can not fit into one seat, and must take up part of another, they are charged for both seats. This can make for a rather embarrassing moment, as some of my relatives have told me.

Some people even jump onto the moving vehicle, and hang on to the back.

As you can see, this is not your typical transportation service!

EVERYTHING UBE

This post is dedicated to my all time favorite food: UBE.
Ube is made of purple yam (see below). It's known for it's bright purple color and a scrumptious ingrediente in desserts.

There is an unlimited amount of ube desserts that I love more than anything.
My favorite to make at home is a simple ube jam called Ube Jaleya:

Here is a simple recipe my mom gave me:

Ube Ingredients:

2 packs purple yam
2 cans condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup grated cheese

Directions:

Cook ube in boiling water until soft. Peel and mash ube until smooth in texture. A blender can be used for a better result.

In a big wok, melt butter or margarine. Place in the mashed ube; pour the condensed milk and sugar over it. Keep  stirring on low heat for at least 30 minutes or the until mixture is well blended.

Add evaporated milk and continue mixing until well blended and thick. Stir constantly to prevent sticking to the pan. Let cool and transfer into a large greased tray or pans Sprinkle with grated cheese for extra flavor. Chill and serve.


You can also enjoy:
Ube Cake

Ube Ice Cream

Ube Puto Bumbong, which is made from sticky rice and ube, dipped in coconut shavings, and served with brown sugar

These desserts will often turn your mouth purple, but it is so worth it!

Why daydreaming gets the best of me...

Let's go back to my major dilemma.

So, I'm sitting here, daydreaming about all of the wonderful places I'll be visiting.. the beaches, the markets, the list goes on and on.

But, here's the deal:
I'll be sending out my resume to a million and one companies in the beginning of June, searching desperately for my dream career. Then, I graduate at the end of July and I'm off to the Philippines!

but, what if....
The employer at my dream job is literally calling me while I'm off enjoying the sun on my face?
What if he is offering me the opportunity to be interviewed for this dream position?
What if, had I been here, I would have landed the perfect job?
What if I just blew my chance?

My mind is about to explode.

Queen City of the South

Cebu, known as the Queen City of the South, is one of the most popular tourist destinations. It is home to some of the biggest shopping centers and skyscrapers, and boasts a beautiful white sand beach. Two perfect worlds combined in one great city.

First things first: the shopping centers!
The Ayala mall holds many stores and restaurants, and even has two supermarkets.

It also has SM City Cebu, which is the fourth largest shopping mall in the Philippines. It is four stories tall and has over 200 stores and restaurants, a movie theater, and a supermarket. Talk about doing some serious shopping!

Olango Island:
When you're done shopping and desperately need to relax, all that's needed is a quick ride over via pumpboat to the Olango Island. This place is ideal for snorkeling and loving life!

You're day can't get much better than this. Ultimate shopping and some time in the sun?? Sign me up!

What's cookin'?

In addition to enjoying the sunshine and the time I get to spend with my family, there is one very important aspect I can not wait for:.... THE FOOD.

Nothing beats freshly prepared food; rich in culture and absolutely delicious.
Here are the top three foods I'd love to devour:

Chicken Adobo:
Chicken slices cooked with vinegar and soy sauce. My mom makes this dish all the time, and it's my absolute favorite!

2. Adidas (Grilled Chicken Feet)
The chicken feet are prepared by removing the tough skin and sharp claws, and grilling them. I've never had it before, but I've heard that the meat on the chickens palm is delicious. (Yes, I understand that this may seem very strange..)

3. Lechon (roasted bbq pork)
While it looks a little terrifying, you must try the roasted pork. It's crunching skin, layers of fat and tender meat make a great combo.

Timing is everything

I've run into quite a few problems as to when exactly I'm going on this fabulous trip:
1. How long?
2. What dates?
3. What if I get a job? IN FACT, WHAT IF I GET MY DREAM CAREER? (whatever that may be)
4. Should I walk at graduation?

Let's address these one at a time.

Problem 1: How long will this vacation last?
My mother would like to go for a month. I concur.

Problem 2: What dates will I be going?
Now, here are some dates I need to keep in mind:
Last day of school for my undergraduate education: July 29
Graduation commencement cermony: August 20
    Now, these dates pose quite the dilemma. We would like to go for 30 days. We can only go for 20 day. This is not okay.

Problem 3: What if I land my dream career the second that I graduate?
How could I possibly TURN DOWN a job???? This is not an option. But I need to buy the tickets a few months in advance. This is a serious issue- for I can't predict the future.

Problem 4: Should I walk at graduation?
This is not a question.
I will be walking.
I spent a long, hard four years and one quarter at this school- and I want EVERYONE to know that I am finally done.

These are issues I'll need to discuss with my mother. We will come back to these later.

August brings... thunderstorms??

Interestingly enough, it looks like the PNW rain will be following me to the Philippines. This is the image I hold in my head of my visit:

Instead, my visit may look a little more like this:

It turns out the the month of August is right in the middle of the 'rainy season'. Now, the rainy season includes two things: (definitions according to Wikipedia, of course)
Typhoons- are a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain
Monsoons- the rainy phase of a seasonally-changing pattern

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, I've grown to accustomed to the rain. In fact, I'll even go so far as to say that on some days, I enjoy breathing in the clean, crisp air and the rain pouring down.

However, after a 14 hour flight, I'd like to step off of the plane with the sun on my face and not a cloud in the sky.

Apparently, beggars can't be choosers.

The sure fire place to whisk away your worries

Boracay.

The five mile long, powder-white sand beach is raved about by several travel magazines. I mean, check it out.. You see? I really don't need to say any more.

Now, in order to arrive at the beautiful destination, you'll need to do a few things: first, take an hour long flight to the town of Caticlan (located on Panay Island). Then, take a quick 10 minute pumpboat ride followed by a ten-minute pumpboat ride to the island itself.

And, BAM! You've arrived!

Time to relax, and simply enjoy life.

Untouched Beauty

While searching for places I'd love to visit, I came across an island that I simply have to visit.. the Coron Island. The area was listed as one of Forbes Traveler Magazine's top 10 best scuba diving sites in the world for the under water views of the WWII Japanese sunken shipwrecks.

Check these out..

The top three places I want to visit on the Coron Island are; the Coron Youth Club beach,  the Skeleton Wreck, and Twin Lagoon.

The Coron Youth Club beach is known for its pure white sands and clear, shallow water. This is the perfect spot to relax and enjoy your surroundings.

The Skeleton Wreck is perfect for a snorkeling experience like none other. This is the area where you can see several of the Japanese shipwrecks.      Finally, the Twin Lagoon is separated by a limestone cliff (hence, the name 'Twin' Lagoon). To access the other lagoon, it must be low tide in order to pass under the cliff.                      

Now, in order to fully enjoy what all of these beautiful places have to offer, I will need to learn one very important thing.. how to swim. I took lessons when I was only 7 years old, and somewhere along the way  I've lost that (now necessary) ability.

So, ladies and gentlemen, let's add another thing on my list to-do before my departure..

Mother Knows Best

I forgot to mention from the beginning that I won’t be making this trip alone. My dreams of traveling the world obviously did not take one very important factor into consideration: I’m absolutely terrified of going anywhere by myself. So, to solve this predicament I’ve decided to bring a buddy, and who better to take than my mother! Not only will I be able explore the country that my parents have grown up in, but my mom will be able to reconnect with of friends, family, and memories.

Her last visit to the Philippines was back in 1995, over 15 years ago. She immigrated to the US when she was only 20 years old, and since then has only been back once.

On my dad’s side of the family, his parents and all eight of his siblings have immigrated to the US over the past 40 years. However, on my mom’s side of the family, only her father has immigrated to the US. Her two other siblings reside in the Philippines.

The majority of our trip will be spent with my mom’s side of the family. Although I’ve never met them in person, we’ve stayed connected via Skype. It’s amazing how a simple-to-use software application can keep families connected from over 7,000 miles away. It will be so nice to meet them in person, and dig even deeper into uncovering my roots.

Itty, Bitty Monsters

The first issue I need to address to prepare for my trip is most importantly, the insects- specifically, the mosquitoes. Now, these monsters love me to the point where I’ve had up to 16 bites on just ONE limb! The part that makes this even more unfortunate is that I am fairly allergic; each bite will swell up to 5 times its original size. Each and every move I make will cause these bites to itch like crazy and drive me to insanity.

Thus starts my additional search to find the best repellent to detract the tiny creatures that have the potential to make my life a living hell.

The Philippines

I’ve always dreamt of taking a few months off after graduating and traveling the world. Seeing new and exciting places, broadening my horizons, and simply experiencing what the vast array of cultures have to offer. Unfortunately, as graduation quickly approaches,  it is time to face reality. Since my school loans will not pay themselves, traveling the world for months will just have to wait.

So, instead of planning months-worth of travel, I’ve decided to plan a much shorter, but nevertheless, exciting trip to… THE PHILIPPINES! My dad was the first person in my entire family to come to the United States from the Philippines, so I figured that this would be the best way to sightsee, relax, and uncover my roots.

Throughout this blog I will explore the many different places I’d love to visit, foods I’d love to try, and family I’d love to (finally!) meet.

(Oh, by the way, round-trip ticket to the Philippines in August is $1161 as of now....)