Missing Karmi's Blog

I have long been in contact with Karmi, since i saw her blog thru Ging's. I never missed her blog since then. However, in the past few months i have not been active with mine. Unfortunately, i cannot open her blogsite's link anymore. After 2 weeks i tried again in another window and found her opening blog that she will be leaving the blog for some more important work to do. Maybe she was busy after her marriage, or she got work assignments which need full attention.

I cannot open the site anymore, so cannot continue reading her last entry of saying goodbye. I missed Karmi, her excellent articles on whatever comes her mind. I found one comment in my last entry which was a few months after the penultimate one. It was very brief and i did not see any indication of her whereabouts.

Maybe i will be able to locate her email address, at the moment i still don't know if that is still possible. Next time i will try.

Hi Karmi, i've been missing your posts. I am sorry i was not able to read your goodbye nor tell you mine. See you next time and take care. Regards to Andres, my namesake!

Fragrant Rosal for you!

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Better Experiences than Earlier, maybe!

Our last day in San Jose was free, because they decided to welcome the new University President rather than continue the workshop. They aborted the original plan. That was fine with us, so we went looking for places to see. Three hosts were with us. We tried to look for boats to the nearest island but it was so hot at noon and the fare was so high. We just decided to buy our food and have picnic somewhere. Jolibee bucket and softdrinks, we went looking for Bukal. It is a lagoon near the border of Occidental and Oriental Mindoro, near the foot of the mountain. Half an hour later we were already there. It is the Blue Lagoon! The water is really blue maybe because of stones producing the cobalt-blue color. Adjacent to it is a river with murky brown color. The merging color contrast is very visible. A concrete walk is provided to join a wooden footbridge to the other side, letting residents from the barangay beyond.

Dennis cannot resist the cool tempting water. He slid off his clothes and plunged, at least he is half prepared for it.

The spring provided drinking water to the locals near the area. They used small boats in getting water, while small boys use the tall tree as diving platforms. Other boys swim first before going home. We were still there when the earthquake with epicenter at Mindoro Occ happened. Only three of us noticed the quake though.

Butterflies i havent yet seen in other parts of the Philippines were there. I cannot identify them yet. However, i was not lucky to take photos of maybe 5 of them. The 1st I still don't know, but the brown is Vindula erota.

Along the way to Bukal we also witnessed different birds like cattle egrets, sparrows, swallows, and a big night heron flying low near the rice plants. At the lagoon we watched the white collared kingfisher and the oriole. We are lucky Dennis was with us, as he identified them including the scientific names and some facts about them.

We left the place at 4 pm, contented that we did not endure the hot sun to the nearby islands. This Blue Lagoon settled our soul for now!

A parasitic tree engulfed the about to die host!... Rice fields on both sides along the way.

Medyo nakakatawa sa siryosong paraan!

We were in Occ Mindoro for a training invitation. The resort hotels are incredibly full, so we were housed in an old hotel, many rooms, but... many buts! We had the whole morning, we cannot sleep maybe because its not our habit to sleep in the mornings. So we tried to ask the counter ladies for tourist information, they cannot provide us any. We asked how to go to the islands which are clearly visible: White Beach, Ilin, Ambulong; how long how to get there, where can we find people who know the answers. They know nothing but one! At the front of the Maranatha School, which is just at the other side, is a picture of the "Grease Resort". We can go there and read the information.

Encounter #2. I asked the guard outside the hotel 'the direction to the Maranatha School, if to the right or to the left'. He doesn't know where it is! He returned to me the question "saang banda po yun?".

Ako: "Kaya nga nagtatanong sayo dahil tagarito ka!

Guard: hindi po ba kayo tagarito?

Ako: Palagay mo kung tagarito kami e titira kami sa hotel nyo? Meron bang ganun!

Guard: Sandali lang po itatanong ko at pupunta sya sa counter ladies.

Ako: 'wag na hindi rin nila alam yun!

Working as guards or hotel information counter ladies, these people definitely cannot relate to. I wonder why they are there!

Encounter #3. I asked the driver of the parked tricycle if we can walk to the Maranatha School.

Driver: pwede naman po kung gusto nyo, pero pwede rin mag tricycle.

Ako: sige po salamat

Then he left.

When my companion arrived we called for another tricycle. We asked to be brought to Maranatha School. It's been a few minutes and it's so hot at past 9:00am and we still cant see Maranatha.

Ako: Alam mo Dennis pwede naman talaga maglakad maski 4 na araw, kung gusto natin!

Dennis laughing: pwede mo rin lakarin hanggang Boracay, kung gusto mo!

Ako: Oo basta wag ka lang tatawid ng dagat, lakad lang ng lakad!

Ako: gaano pa po kalayo tayo sa Maranatha?

Driver: malayo-layo pa ho!

Dennis: maski sakay ka ng barko to Boracay, pwede lakad ka pa rin ng lakad sa barko.

Tawa kami ng tawa. Mukhang na-pilosopo kami ng tricycle driver na nagsabing pwede lakarin yung layong yun ng Maranatha. Then finally, we saw our goal!

Fasten your seatbelt:

The tarpaulin advertisement in front of Maranatha School says "GRACE RESORT" located in Ambulong island. 'Grease' is actually Grace, ONLY IN THE PHILIPPINES! It says of the amenities in the resort with some phone numbers, but did not say how far is the boat ride, or where to get the boat. We just surmised that it is too far, because Ambulong Island is already just slightly visible and fadingly bluish as we see it from the beach of San Jose. Grrrrr! What else can we say.

We just content ourselves in a hut in the beach, ordered pansit and softdrinks, Dennis tinkered his laptop while i watched people pulling the fishing nets hoping for a big catch. I took lots of photos until noon, under the scorching sun! Another Grrrrr!

Final encounter. We decided to have our lunch there as well. Our host has come to fetch us. We decided to have shrimp because "Sugpito" (only in San Jose maybe) is not available.

Ako: gaano ho kalaki ang Hipon?

Waiter: malaki-laki rin ho.

Ako: Gaano nga ho kalaki yun, kasing laki ng hinlalaki o kalingkingan? (Tinaas ko ang daliri ko).

Waiter: Kalingkingan po.

Pagkadating ng order: tawa ulit kami dahil ang hipon ay actually "hiponito"!

Ako: Ang ibig sabihin po pala ninyo ng kalingkingan ay sa bata!

Ngumiti lang ang waiter......

Grrrr!

Lots of people pulled the two sides of the nets, a boat guiding it!

Sorry for the small catch, at least a big trevally (talakitok) is there!

A concrete small contraption for the "Undisciplined"! A guy is currently inside, maybe drunk.