Flying like superman (or woman)

I'm BAAAACCCCK!!!! har har.. tired from all the fun.... but gotta go back to work as usual..

so many thing to blog about... I have to do it in increments...

ZIPLINE- Cagayan de oro City (south of Manila)

 First of all, I went on the 840 meter zipline. It was an hour drive from Cagayan de Oro city... the place was called Dahilayan. 

On the way there, we passed through the Del monte plantation.... pineapples as far as the eye could see....

Getting to the park, we signed up and waited for our turn. There were three lines you can try. a 150M one, a 320M one and the big momma... 840M!!
We decided to get the whole 3 lines for 600 pesos ($15) and since the lines at the shorter ones were quite long, we decided to take on the 840M one first.

You have to ride up to the top of the hill via a jeep they provided.
I don't know which was scarier, the jeep ride up or the zipline down.. the driver of the jeep that bought us up there was weaving around the dirt road like he wanted to throw me off.... hahahaa-- madman!

The platform looked like some kind of launchpad, or suicide drop, depending on your disposition. Even the walkway added to the drama of the zipline. (a hanging bridge? GULP!)
I got strapped on the line... and the place was a loooong way up... (was getting nervous) and watching other people screaming their way down was not helping.

As they let go of my harness, I was thinking about all the things the safety crew told me:
-- no jerky movements
--when reaching the bottom, tuck your head in
-- dont move your feet

I sure wasn't going to move.... bec I felt that if I did, I would fall off the harness that was holding me...

And then I was FLYING. The trees whizzed past me, the ground was a long way down. I was nervous, thrilled, contemplating what would happen if my harness broke all at the same time.

840 meters was quite long... about one minute from the top to the bottom.... that 1 minute, seems like forever.. by the halfway mark, I was feeling easier and could appreciate the beautiful scenery around me. WOW. When the line ended, you get a feeling that you wanted the last part to last longer.


THER 320M AND 150M LINES

After which we did the shorter ones. the 350 meters and the 120 meters.. by this time, it was a breeze... ( no screaming )... 840m was cooler BY FAR.

Stiff Neck

I have been having a stiff neck off and on for awhile...

Gone to a reflexology session last last sunday and it helped for a awhile. Went to another "myotheraphy" session- (kind of a physical theraphy) and it did relieve a little of the stiffness for a few days. Last saturday the stiffness attacked me full on. My neck just felt really really sore.. like I stared at something for hours upon hours.... (blogging maybe??? I did post 3 blogs that day)

I was thinking I was stressing a bit much (maybe) on the house and typing too long on this 21" MAC.... hahahaaa.. getting a crank on the neck...

As I have said on the last blog, I was planning to go back to playing badminton ( my trainer is VERY persistent.. he needs the tips!-- =) har har...).. So I finally went yesterday and played an hour. LO and BEHOLD! my stiff neck was gone after that hour. I guess my body was screaming at me to get back to physical activity... so, tomorrow. I plan on going to a YOGA class. They have one near my house and since it's summer, they added a few more classes.... lucky me!

By Golly- just do it!

3rd post today-- hope my readers don't mind!

feeling chatty again!

yup, the excess energy has to go somewhere...

Been thinking about how to  motivate myself to start exercising. (yeah yeah, I know.. been saying that for ages).. I know that now that the kids are on vacation, I have more time to start going to the gym and hitting the treadmill.

My badminton trainer has actually texted me to ask when I will play again.. hmm.. thinking I might go on monday.. I also need some training before my whitewater rafting trip on the 15th. --need the arm muscles to row for 4 hours down a raging river!

I was thinking how when you want to do something, there is no use always talking about it... in the end, you just have to DO IT. I have already done the pinatubo trip, next is the whitewater rafting...

I HAVE TO start that exercising regimen I always say I need to start. But  then...early morning and I feel the warm soft bed, the fluffy pillows, dark room  and I convince myself there is always tomorrow.....want to go back to sleep.... zzzzzz...

vs 

on a side note... check this video out... it's funny and gross at the same time.. eeeewwwww!!!!!

动物嘴中交换大赛，你敢参加吗？---- CLICK THIS LINK!!!

Cagayan de ORO

Summer is scorching!!!! 38-40C  .. if it gets any hotter.. I'll try to fry an egg on the hood of my car!
(sizzle sizzle)

Speaking of driving, I renewed my driver's license this week. I should have renewed it on my birthday but got too busy. Thankfully, the Land Transportation office has set up satellite offices in malls.. They have one near my office and it is airconditioned, no lines and very quick. I would have died if I had to go to the main office.. (with the heat, lines and all).. Surprisingly, they took a pretty decent picture this time around... hahahahaa.... got to live with that pic for 3 years you know!-- maybe the airconditioning helped.. being stressed doesn't a good picture make!


I am super excited by my upcoming trip to Cagayan de oro...... whitewater rafting and zipline.. wooo hoo..giddy with excitement!!!!

I have discovered a new website. (Although I booked my travel before I found the site) I  may book my succeeding trips thru them...

Here are some of the things in store for me.... photos taken from the website..

Their prices are pretty good and they have amazing packages... (they have trips to other destinations also..)

http://www.philippinesbudgettravel.com/category/domestic/cagayan-de-oro/

They also post updates in their facebook page: PhilippineBeaches.org  
I obviously became a fan.


here is the official "visit the philippines" video... I think it is one of the best they have made!

Cooking Mama

Long holiday and I finally had to chance to try out all the recipes I wanted to try but had no time to....starting with.....

Thurday---

PRAWN BALLS... I have been wanting to try making these as they are a favorite of my kids. I made them using shrimps... so actually, they are shrimp balls...needs more ginger in the mix but I feel it turned out pretty good.

Then, I tried making radish cake.. (grated radishes made into a cake and then steamed, sliced and pan fried). - this one is a favorite of my husband...I tried them before but I had no Rice flour and substituted sticky rice flour... and it turned out... TOO STICKY.. this time though, I made it as per recipe.. but I guess I need to add more rice flour or cook it longer or reduce the water.... still have to figure that one out... it turned out ok, but I think it needs to be more SOLID.. it was too soft for my taste. oh well... back to the the drawing board...

Friday- went to the beach... so  no cooking..... Saturday- watched  CLASH OF THE TITANS... pretty good movie..

Sunday- I made BUKO PIE (coconut pie).. its our take on apple pie.. since you can get coconut almost anywhere here... (again, I tried this one before too.. but I shredded the coconut to thinly and it was too mashed in the final pie.. so this time, I left the coconut meat chunky)... I also reduced the sugar in the recipe since we dont like anything too sweet.  This time.. I think I lacked more  coconut.. the filling need more coconut... hmmm.....I had my family taste it and I got mixed reviews.. some say it was just right, one said it was too sweet... I felt it lacked sweetness....but maybe if I added more coconut, it would be better!

#2 - Leche Flan - it is a egg custard much like creme brulee or panna cotta. It's made with egg yolks, milk, vanilla and sugar... This one is my best one yet! Just have the picture of the process of mixing the eggs though.. but the final product was a best seller!

#3 home made fish balls - tried this new recipe... the first time I made it , the balls fell apart... this time.. I think I need to add some more cornstarch or reduce the water... the fish balls were a bit on the soft side.-- although the taste was ok....... this recipe need more work...

Blog surfing

Have been blog surfing lately... seeing what was out there. I am always interested in what other people have to say...

It got me wondering, what makes a blog interesting? What makes us look, stop and read a blog?

Is it the title? the post? or the pictures?

I sometimes see the heading, read the last post and if I find that interesting, read some more...

I have wondered..... is my blog (at first glance) interesting enough to stop and read? or maybe the first part.. with the picture, the quote and the comic a bit much and uninteresting.....hmmmm...

OK, so I said I write for myself... but I would love to have more people read what I write... thank goodness someone finally commented for once! (well... that was because I commented on his blog first), but still... a comment is a comment and it very much appreciated.

Easter is coming up and it will be awhile in between posts. Long holiday and a busy first monday for me next week. Will be racking up reading some of my TO-READ books and my take home work load... *sign*...

Writing Furor

Ok, two posts in one day... what can I say? I am in  the mood..... hahahaa

I have been writing again. Journaling so to speak... AND...I have joined a writing workshop this April (I hope I can attend though). They also have a writing contest there where you can win a scholarship for that workshop. Although I can pay for my own tuition, I would like to try to submit an entry and find out if i could win. (narcissistic of me yeah?)
I joined www.writersblockphilippines.com

My writing fever is also evident when we went to Hk. I chanced upon a new stationary shop selling pens. It was new and they were setting up the display. My mouth was watering from the array of journals and pens on display.. and the guy selling it was from Italy. He approached me and asked if I was familiar with their brand. I said no... I was just browsing.... (well.... actually, I was salivating at their merchandise)-- they didn't have the glass pens pictured above (these are murano pens from venice-- note to self: get one of those when I go back to venice)

They had feather pen sets (the one's you imagine Shakespeare used to write down his works). they had ink in a bottle and you had to dip the feather in it to write. (The feather had a metal tip)

The sell also different colors of inks in bottles  and fountain pens. I just have this desire to start practicing my calligraphy.... hahaha

The only thing was, I didn't have a place to keep these when I do buy them, so I have to wait for the new house to finish before I can buy anything new.

They also had wax stamp sets... (I still have the one I bought when I was in oxford... the one with my inital...) where you heat up the wax and seal letter with the stamp...

Yeah, I know, in the age of wireless letters, when will I get the chance to send a letter? -- I SAY, WHO CARES???
I think precious are the ones who receive letters nowadays. It means the one who sent it took the time to write AND send it. Just imagine how a letter (snail mail) travelled to it's destination. It took a truck, a ship or plane and got sorted and handled and then got delivered. The mail itself has a story to tell.

Come to think of it.. I think I will send my friend Jasmine a "glad you are my friend" note.. complete with wax stamp and ribbon... hahaha (me , finding reasons to use my stationary)...