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.