Am back --

Cebu was fun! The last time I was there was 10 years ago and the city has changed so much since then! I had apprehensions about travelling with my friends (haven't really spent a lot of time with these people in a really long time --) but it all just flowed. I was laughing and having the time of my life. ^_^

(As much as I would love to tell these stories over and over to each one who would ask me how my trip was, this way seems more efficient -- plus, may visual aid pa ^_^)

Day 1:
Our flight to Cebu was at 9:30am. I was hitching with my cousin and her husband to the airport (and would just meet up with the others there). My cousin informed me the night before that the driver was going to pick me up at 630am and that we should be on our way to the airport by 7. We get to my cousin's place by 645am and I had a feeling that they wouldn't be ready to go yet --

Conversation: (in Ilonggo -- translated for ease of reading)
Me: Where's their luggage?
Yaya: (obvious that she had just woken up) Ha?
Me: Um, ready na ba sina J and S?
Yaya: Hindi ko alam.

Gah! Panic sets in! I go to their room and knock -- my cousin's hubby opens the door --

S: Tin, ano ang ginagawa mo dito?
Me: (Eye twitching already) Crazy ka ba? It's 645 na --
S: Aren't we leaving at 730? Walks back to his bed and tries to sleep again.
Me: Hoy, ayokong maiwan ng airplane. Magagalit sina A sa akin.
J (my cousin comes out from the shower): Hoy, maiiwan na naman tayo.

My cousin and her hubby have this terrible habit of being left behind by their flights. They actually have a collection of photos that chronicle each time this happens. ~sigh~

I gave my cousin a copy of Stargirl to read through the flight (and I had my Bridge of Terabithia -- thanks, J ^_^), but we never get a chance to read them because we were just talking and talking and talking ^_^

Amusing thing: In our group, am the only girl and I had the smallest luggage! (It was actually a cabin bag, but I still checked it in to avoid the hassle) ^_^

When we arrived, we made arrangements with my cousins to meet up for lunch -- we were going to try our friend's lechon place --

Cebu is known for their lechon -- it's prepared differently, I think and this results in a salty, flavorful meat that doesn't need sauce.

We were a group of 9 people and we ate about 6 kilos of lechon! -- arteries clogging But it was so yummy! My other friends decided to place orders for lechon that they would bring back to Manila with them.

After lunch, we decide to go to the new Ayala Mall there to find a wedding present for our friends -- these guys are fun to be with -- they've all known each other since prep so they're so comfortable na with each other (and they've travelled together many, many times na rin -- we went to Bacolod together)

Siesta from 4 until 630pm -- we were meeting up with some of their Cebu friends (people who also went to Manila for college) for dinner. Dinner was at Sunburst -- a Cebu tradition. They serve the best Chicken skin and friend chicken -- R and E (Cebu friends) showed us how they mix the sauce for the chicken: mix ketchup with worcestershire and tabasco.

The chicken skin was amazing! Addicting -- a reason to go back to Cebu. ^_^

After dinner, we go to VuDu (the bar in Cebu) -- it was r&b night and the music selection was great. I really didn't want to drink because there was to attend wedding the next day so I just got Bailey's ^_^

So many things happened in that place ^_^ -- basta, I realized I was too old for that sort of thing. (Was continually shocked and amused by other people's behavior)

Day 1 ends with two glasses of Bailey's and half a bottle of SanMig Light.


Day 2:
Had breakfast with S and A.U. -- they "interviewed" me about the current events in my life. (I love it that my friends are so protective of us girls -- they're so maalaga in their own makulit way)

We had originally planned to go to Mactan to visit the resorts, but it was rainy. So we decided to go pasalubong shopping instead. ^_^

We had our lunch in this dimsum place (Harbor City) --

Scary incident -- one of the dimsum carts starts acting up and you could smell gas na -- we were scared the thing might explode.

We return to the hotel at around 145pm. The wedding was at 230 and we all agreed to meet up at the lobby at 215.

~sigh~ (this is what i don't like about being a girl) The guys take their siesta while I start getting ready na.

Realized that, no matter how independent and capable one thinks one is, there is no putting on a corset top without hurting yourself. =P

There was make-up to be applied pa --

At 210, A.U. calls and tells me that they're on their way down na --

I told them I needed 10 more minutes to finish getting dressed.

I go down at 230 -- and we head off to the wedding.

The hotel we stayed in wasn't very nice -- I only had one power outlet and no hair dryer -- so I had to make do. =P

I think I turned out pretty well --

My cousins decide to bring my niece Caitlyn and she immediately became the main attraction -- even my guy friends (who usually try to cultivate this air of indifference melted when they saw her) -- she is soooo adorable!

This is another new happy thought. There is something so wondrous about an 8-month old seeking you out and lets you hold her. The trust and innocence talaga got to me --

and she kissed me! (she kissed my friend S.G. first, though =P) I love my niece! (I think I offered her all my kayamanan -- erg!)

Ah, and the wedding was so sweet!

My friend A sang Moon River as his bride walked down the aisle -- he couldn't finish the song because he was crying na.

He started out off-key (and we didn't realize it was him singing!) When we did, I started getting teary-eyed na. (Am such a sap!)

This is me with some friends (A.U. and A.B.) -- if I look dishevelled, it's because my niece is really attracted to shiny things and she was pulling on my "shawl" (had beadwork on it) when I was holding her. ^_^

Re: reception -- I danced and drank (a glass of wine). I don't know why I did the dancing bit -- I took J's advice and treated the whole thing as an adventure -- the first time, I really couldn't find my rhythm, which prompted A (my cousin's hubby's best friend) to say that I might need to drink more. The second time, I was able to get the hang of it -- (I thought I did pretty well -- my cousin thought so ^_^)

We left the reception at 9-ish. We bumped into Fr. S (Jesuit) who presided over the wedding and A -- we join them for more wine (this time, Fragolino -- a sweet, sparkling wine -- yum!) and listened to Fr. S dispense advice. I like him -- he is so no-nonsense and frank, but also listens and tries to discern what it is that you really want. He's also so funny! (he's assigned in Iloilo, so I might go visit him when I go home -- strange, am actually looking forward to going home to Iloilo!)

^_^ I just happen to like how I look in this one -- ^_^


Day 3:

Our flight was at 3 in the afternoon -- the airport is 30 to 40 minutes away depending on the traffic. I had arranged for us to be picked up from the hotel at 1pm so we could take our time going to the airport.

Guess where we were at 130pm -- we were still having lunch! (My guy friends had a late night out *koff koff* and couldn't be bothered to wake up early enough)

We leave the hotel at around 150pm --

Conversation with the driver:
Me: Sir, 3 po yung flight po namin.
Driver: Ano?!? (shocked!)
Me: Kayo na po ang bahala sa amin.

I think we made a lot of enemies on the road that afternoon because we were speeding through the streets -- we manage to get to the airport at 215pm and check in --

Stressful!

This is us waiting to board the airplane.

and, the ultimate stress reliever --

A lovely welcome home present was waiting for me -- the first time I've ever received that kind of thing (yes, am being purposely vague -- ^_^) and it made me smile. ^_^