I have been to many islands but I would have to concede and say that Malapascua is so charming I would want to live on it if I didn’t already live in another island where I happen to love the people so much. I have more than a few friends who love this island as much as I do now and it was only on my second trip that I finally realized why.

On my first trip to Malapascua Island in 2010, I got on a boat and went snorkeling around the island. I took a few ugly photos here and there too. You may look at them here. You may notice that I have kept the border style but not the processing. I have long discarded that processing action, and have now moved on to, hopefully, a better and more realistic approach to post processing. If I could go back to all the photos I processed in my early days and redo them, I would. As it is, I think them too ugly to even go back to. I am rarely impressed with photos and this also applies to my own. For every 100 photos I shoot, I think all 99 of them are ugly. When I shoot, I think more about the text and an entire article to go along with whatever I am shooting. I suppose this makes me more of a writer than a photographer, but then again, who cares?

If I am to consider myself a photographer, I would say I am really a very lazy photographer. I shoot as I walk and only stop for a few seconds, enough to hear the focus lock, then click, and move on. I keep telling myself I should improve on this, crouch more, hide behind this trunk or this plant or that chair, but I’m too lazy. I suppose it also didn’t help the cause that I almost never travel without my daughter, who turned 4 years old last month, and it was such an effort to carry a baby/toddler and a bag of her necessities plus a camera, and a camera bag with an extra lens, and shoot too, all at the same time. (Did you see my Hong Kong blogs in 2010? I had a 1.5 year old baby, a backpack, a trolley that I pulled, and a stroller that I pushed, and I did these all by myself.)

I remember saying in 2010 that I liked Logon more than Bounty Beach, because when I was walking down Bounty Beach, there were just too many vendors and women offering massages and manicures and pedicures. I said it was too noisy. Three years later, I find the beach empty, with only the quiet lapping of the waters on the sandy beach. Had an ordinance been imposed regarding the vendors? Or was it just low season?

I had loved the fact that the powdery white sand was still white. I could only wish that it is the same for my beloved El Nido, whose white sand at the beach in town has turned brown. The beach is so clean, you would not be afraid to walk barefoot on it. Even more so, I loved the fact that the paths put the priority on the trees rather than the path itself. You could have a coconut trunk right in the middle of your supposed path, and you go around it. No one is going to cut that tree down just so you can have a clear path. I was quite touched.

And the buildings are beautifully designed. I could ponder on their designs half the day away while I sip pinacoladas in my lounger in the shade of the coconut palm fronds. Coming from Gato Island aboard a boat, I saw how beautiful the island looked, with its buildings blending in, and all commendable in their architectural design.

They all looked, well, pretty. It’s like your neighbors would all swoop down on you if you constructed an ugly building made from cheap materials on that beach.

The tourists were not rowdy. They basically kept to themselves, if not under the sun. It was as if everyone was there to just be on his or her own. I felt like an intruder snapping these photos away.

Most of all, I loved those trees. Those leaves! I would want to keep coming back to Malapascua in March, just for these.

And of course, the boats. I can never resist taking photos of the boats. I am a boat kind of girl.

This island seems perfect. It has that laid back, quiet feeling one looks for in expensive private island resorts, without being expensive or private. In fact, if you take one of the winding paths at the back of the beach front resorts, you will find the usual Filipino community life, complete with its roosters, basketball courts, sari-sari stores, halo-halo booths, and one or two groups of girls, if not mother-daughter, looking after the health of one’s hair and scalp, if you know what I mean.

You can choose what to eat, where to eat, and how much to spend. For an island this small, there are, surprisingly, enough choices. Just be careful not too go out too late for dinner, say nine in the evening, or gasp, ten in the evening, and you will find most restaurants closed. Thank heavens for Maldito though, which, for some reason, is open 24 hours.

Now I can definitely say that I love Malapascua. I still would not live there though. And I would choose Bantayan over Malapascua any time because there is nothing more I like than having to not worry if I would love what I ordered at the restaurant or not. Though from a diver’s perspective, what would one do in Bantayan, other than sleep half the day away every day?

Leaving Malapascua Island for Gato Island via Evolution Divers

Gato is a marine reserve and sea snake sanctuary. It has abundant marine life and considered an underwater paradise for the tons of exotic aqua marine life species it plays home to. Gato Island is also a popular breeding ground for sea snakes. It is one of the only remaining three sea snake breeding spots in the Philippines. Breeding season is from March to September and during these months, species of snakes like the black and white banded sea snake, gigantic moray eel, silver eel and other poisonous snakes abound. Other marine life species you can see are frogfish, scorpionfish, shrimps, shells, cuttlefish (often while mating), pufferfish, tuna, mackerel, squids, stingrays, snappers, nudibranchs and pygmy sea horses. The site is also known for sightings of sharks such as the white tip reef sharks, cat sharks, and bamboo sharks that are usually seen sleeping in the cave and sometimes lurking around the exit.

It has at least five dive sites with a huge diversity of marine life.

Gato Island (24m / 80ft)
The coral is in good condition and the rocky island has many interesting underwater rock formations, overhangs, and swim-through’s. The south wall is a beautiful wall covered with corals of all sort, hosting frogfish and nudibranchs. Large fields of purple soft coral are just one highlight of this dive.

Gato: The Cathedral (5m-9m)
A huge overhang where you will spend most of the dive in shallow depth and is a spot for macro lovers as you can find nudibranchs and sea horses.

Other highlights in Gato are the pygmy sea horses and spider crabs.

Gato: Whitetip Alley (20m / 70ft)
You are 95% guaranteed to find whitetip sharks sleeping under rocks, and if you are lucky you will see them circling. They grow to huge sizes – sometimes over 2 meters. Other life here includes banded boxer shrimp, nudis, seahorses and scorpion fish, spider crabs, frogfish, lionfish and whip coral shrimp, perfectly colour matched to the huge whip corals found inside the ‘Seahorse Cave’.

Gato: The Guardhouse (24m / 80ft)
Drop down to 24m to find the extremely rare pygmy seahorse, both pink and yellow as well as spider crabs and cowries. Then work your way back along a wall where you can find lionfish and many nudibranchs, including the beautiful spanish dancers, up to 30cm long. Painted frogfish are often in residence.

Gato: Nudibranch City (22m / 75ft)
As the name implies, we find nudibranchs galore at this site. Also around are lots of hermit crabs and scorpion fish.

Gato: The Cave (10m / 35ft)
Or more accurately, “The Tunnel”, is close to the guard house, and is the main attraction in Gato Island. Around 30 meters long, it traverses the island in a depth of 6 to 10 meters and houses all the usual cave dwellers: many types of crab big and small, lobsters and cardinal fish. You journey underneath Gato Island and come out the other side! You will need a torch to do this dive. Sea snakes and crabs are the usual inhabitants of this cave and at the exit you can see white tip sharks swimming around or sleeping in the holes and crevices. You should also encounter some large puffer fish and perhaps bamboo and cat sharks.

At the exit of the cave are some overhangs and swim through’s were even inexperienced divers who cannot swim through the cave can get up close to the baby whitetips sleeping under the rocks. Not for the faint of heart and for experienced divers only.

(Sources: Diving through the Blue Waters of Malapascua Island, Divelink Cebu, Thresher Shark Divers: Malapascua Dive Sites)

*Credits to the unnamed diver who took these photos.

Gato Island:

Depth: 5 – 25 meters
Current: variable, can be strong but there will always be one protected side of the island
Visibility: 10 – 25 meters
Recommended level of training: Advanced open water or Open water diver with deep dive experience
Distance: 45 minutes from Malapascua

As usual, I was the only Filipino on this dive boat. And I was resident documentator and coffee-and-music bum.

Note that this horrible experience has nothing to do with the people of the island or the island itself, but still, I was hesitant to go back.

And I found Maya and the island itself relatively unchanged, still peaceful, still beautiful, and ready to give me some beautiful memories to replace the bad ones I had before.

Getting to Maya pier/wharf in Daanbantayan, Cebu:

1. At the Cebu International Airport, walk past the Arrival area, cross the street, and walk up the ramp to the Departure area where there are taxis that will take you in and charge you by the meter, instead of a fixed rate of Php450 (if I remember correctly). Ask to be taken to the Cebu Northern Bus Terminal. My own taxi meter was about Php150.

2. At the Northern Bus Terminal, you can get off outside of the gate and walk inside. If not, you will pay a Php10 vehicle entrance fee for the taxi.

3. There are three options. One: Take the yellow Ceres bus. Two: Take the red Rough Riders bus. Three: Take a van. Fare is the same for all. Php180. I took the van because the Ceres bus had just left when I arrived and the Rough Riders bus was still empty. Buses to Maya supposedly operate 24 hours, leaving every 20 minutes.

4. Travel time from the bus terminal to Maya pier takes 3-4 hours. The van I took left the terminal at 7:30am, dropped off some passengers with cargo at the Hagnaya port bound for Bantayan Island, before proceeding to Maya, arriving there at 11am.

Except for the boat transfer being more organized and more expensive at Php80, than its previous Php40/pax in 2010, the Maya wharf has not changed much.

This tree, of course, has grown bigger. The photo above was taken in 2013 while photo below was taken in 2010.

For my Going to Malapascua Island, Cebu (2010) version, click here.

I took a few photos of the sights while waiting to board the boat transfer from Maya to Malapascua Island.

Going to Malapascua Island from Maya pier:

1. Get a ticket at the booth to get on a public boat bound for Malapascua for Php80 each. If it is low tide, the small boats that will ferry you charge Php10 for each person, and Php10 for each bag that weighs as heavy as a person. (Haha!) The boats are scheduled to leave every 30 minutes or less, if the boat is full.

2. If you want a private boat, price supposedly depends on time of day and range from Php1,000-1,500.

3. The boat trip from Maya to Malapascua takes about 30 minutes.

***
External Links:

• Getting to Malapascua Island by Thresher Shark Divers
• Lonely Planet Thorn Tree Forum: From Cebu City to Maya Port-malapascua island
• Municipality of Daanbantanyan Travel Information
• Lonely Planet: Transport in Cebu City: Getting There and Away

By the way, this will be my third time in Bacolod (the second time was spent in Punta Bulata in Cauayan), second time in Dumaguete, first time in Oslob and Moalboal, 5th time in Cebu City. In 2008, I already spent nearly two weeks in Dumaguete, Siquijor, and combed the coast of Negros Occidental from Dumaguete all the way to Sipalay, and back.

So here goes!

Day 1

Arrival in Bacolod (ETA 13:05)
Sightseeing in Silay – The Ancestral Houses (via The Poor Traveler)
Eating! – Chicken Inasal, Palapala, and Calea (via Franny Wanny and Solitary Wanderer)
Overnight at Ong Bun Pension House (via Juanderful Pinoy)

Day 2
Optional Tours (via Bacolod City Govt)
Depart for Dumaguete via Mabinay (via Bacolod City Govt. and Happy Steps)

Mabinay route, the shortest route from Bacolod to Dumaguete crossing through the mountains from the north-western part to the south-eastern part of the Negros Island:

Bacolod City (capital of Negros Occidental)
Bago City
Valladolid
San Enrique
Pontevedra
Hinigaran
Binalbagan
Himamaylan City
Kabankalan City
—–
Mabinay
Bais City
Tanjay City
Amlan
San Jose
Sibulan
Dumaguete City (capital of Negros Oriental)

Arrival in Dumaguete
Accommodations via friends

Day 3
Open Schedule/Meetings
Accommodations via friends

Day 4
Travel from Dumaguete to Oslob (via Unsatisfied Mind)
Sightseeing on Oslob
Overnight in Oslob (via Pinay Solo Backpacker)

Day 5
ETA 7AM Sumilon Island Day Tour via Sumilon Bluewater Resort
ETD 530PM Travel from Oslob to Moalboal (via Boy Wander)
Estimated travel time: 2.5-3 hrs
Overnight in Moalboal (via Lakwatsero)

Day 6
Sightseeing in Moalboal
Depart Moalboal (What is the last bus trip out going to Cebu?)
Arrive in Cebu

Day 7
Depart Cebu ETD 6:00
Arrival Manila ETA 07:20

This is happening next week. I am going solo so I would probably be taking a lot of photos. No checked in baggage but bringing camera gear, laptop and gadgets, and own snorkel and fins. Just like good old days. Hah! Good luck!

7 days of hardcore backpacking, which I have not done in ages, through Bacolod, Dumaguete, Oslob, and Moalboal. I will be flying in to Bacolod and flying out of Cebu City.

I hope to be able to finish all blogs, do a lot of work while I am still in the metro and gear up for one week of buses and boats and travelers hostels and backpacker lodges, and hopefully, come out of this trip with my job intact, all my business meetings done, and only a few thousand pesos poorer.

iBlog9: The 9th Philippine Blogging Summit (#iblog9) will be on May 31 and June 1, 2013 at the Malcolm Theater, UP College of Law, UP Diliman, Quezon City from 8 am to 5 pm.

The first 300 registered participants to come early (on or before 9 am) will be given food stub and participant kit. Afterwards, remaining food stubs and participant kits shall be given to early walk-ins. So REGISTER now.

Day 1 AGENDA (May 31)

9:00 to 9:20 Flag ceremony, prayer, participant intro (limited)
9:20 – 9:40 Understanding the Blogger Psyche
(Jonel Uy, BloggerCircles.com)

9:50 to 10:10 Blogging as an effective Content Marketing Tool for Businesses
(Ben Francia, http://www.benfrancia.com)

10:20 to 10:35 break
10:35 – 10:55 Empowerment in Digital Marketing
(Grace Bondad Nicolas, www.empoweredgrace.blogspot.com)

11:05 – 11:25 Working with brands either for your business or advocacy, and even both
(Jeoffrey Solas, www.liberatingjepoy.com)

11:35 to 11:55 Sponsor Talk: Sun iMessenger: blog marketing case study
(Louie Oviedo, President & CEO of Greetings Unlimited Inc.)

12:05 to 1:05 Lunch break

1:05 – 1:25 How to Get the Influencers Write About Your Startup
(Jonha Revesencio, http://ijustdid.org)

1:35 – 1:55 Bloggers and political organizations – the road to 2016
(Mark Pere Madrona, rightonthemark.wordpress.com)

2:05 – 2:25 Fighting corruption online and offline
(Angel Bombarda, www.bantay.ph)

2:35 to 2:55 Income & Opportunities through Blogging
(Khoa Bui, www.secretsentrepreneur.com)

3:05 to 3:20 BREAK

3:20 to 3:40 Bloggers as Digital Influencers
(Janette Toral, DigitalFilipino.com)

4:00 sponsor raffle, shirts raffle, and group photo

DAY 2 AGENDA (June 1)

9:00 to 9:20 Flag ceremony, prayer, participant intro (limited)

9:20 to 9:40 Blogging and Social Thought Leadership
(Jason Cruz, http://jsncruz.com/)

9:50 to 10:10 Why do we blog?
(Wendell Glenn Cagape, www.journeysandtravels.com)

10:20 to 10:35 break

10:35 to 10:55 The Art of Interviewing & Quoting
(Arvin Ello, http://www.vintersections.com)

11:05 to 11:25 Blogging and Social Media Goodness
(Carlo Angelo Gonzales, http://carloangelogonzales.com)

11:35 to 11:55 Sponsor Talk

12:05 to 1:05 Lunch

1:05 to 1:25 Building your Identity as a Video Blogger
(Randolph Novino, http://pinoyscreencast.net)

1:35 to 1:55 The Rise of the Mommy bloggers in the Philippines
(Rhodora Espiritu-Valdez, http://deliberatelymom.blogspot.com/)

2:05 to 2:25 Avoiding Information Redundancy
(Jay Agonoy, http://deremoe.com)

2:35 to 2:55 Working as a homebased blogger
(Christian Melanie Lee, www.eccentricyethappy.info)

3:05 to 3:20 Break

3:20 to 3:40 Q &A Legal Issues in Blogging
(Atty. JJ Disini, Disini.ph)

4:00 to 4:20 The Future of Blogging: Greater or Less Influence?
(Manuel L. Quezon III, http://quezon.ph)

4:30 sponsor raffle, shirts raffle, and group photo

EMCEE: Flow Galindez

**Reposted from http://iblogph.org/

Also, RMAF has a few things up its sleeve, including online contests for its friends, fans and followers.

Here is the mechanics for the Lucky 55th Anniversary contest:

And up and coming is The Great Medallion Hunt, details to be released soon.

Stay tuned for updates.

Check out the (new) RMAF website at www.rmaf.org.ph

And check them out on these social networks:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/rmafoundation
Twitter: www.twitter.com/rmafoundation
Instagram: instagram.com/rmafoundation
Tumblr: http://rmafoundation.tumblr.com

Sithiporn Kridakara (Thailand), Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for Public Service, 1967.

Angel Alcala (Philippines), Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for Public Service, 1992, for his pioneering scientific leadership in rehabilitating the coral reefs of the Philippines and in sustaining for Filipinos the natural abundance of their country’s marine life.

Chandi Prasad Bhatt (India), Ramon Magysaysay Awardee for Community Leadership, 1982.

Seiei Toyama (Japan), Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for Peace and International Understanding, 2003, for his 20-year crusade to green the deserts of China in a spirit of solidarity and peace.

Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation Website: www.rmaf.org.ph
Facebook: www.facebook.com/rmafoundation
Twitter: www.twitter.com/rmafoundation
Instagram: http://instagram.com/rmafoundation
Tumblr: http://rmafoundation.tumblr.com

For more information, visit the following websites:
Facebook: DPP Magazine
Website: http://www.digitalphotographer.com.ph/

1. Near University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, you may wanna catch the following, which are on for the rest of the month of April,

2. A fan of animation and would like to support Filipino animators,

head over to the UP Film Center for these:

ROAD TRIP + YACHT PARTY + BONFIRE = FOREVER SUMMER

You’ll begin your adventure with a scenic roadtrip to The Circle Hostel, San Felipe, Zambales, our home for the weekend. Looking around, you’ll see the many adventures that await you. Take a walk on the quiet beach. Be one with the ocean and try surfing. Go skimboarding. Or just simply soak in the sun. You’ll then feast on a sumptuous barbecue lunch, maybe down it with a cold bottle of beer.

You’ll want to take a nap, soak up more sun, create some art at the hostel, or surf. Or you could join the Forever Summer Yacht Party. Sail into Subic Bay aboard a beautiful yacht, feel the wind your face, catch some salt in your skin. Listen to the best island beats by DCFER, swim in the ocean. Watch the sunset.

A bonfire waits for you back at The Circle Hostel. You clink bottles and glasses with your new found friends. Coffeebreak Island takes the stage and deliver their dose of sweet island music. You wish this could go on forever. The sun rises, and the ocean invites you in.

FOREVER SUMMER.
Jun 1-2, 2013

Mechanics:
1. Watch Sa Wakas on April 13 and 14. Tickets are available at Ticketnet or through www.sawakas.com
2. One winner will be picked per show (April 13 – matinee and gala, April 14 – matinee and gala) with a total of four winners for the opening weekend.
3. Winners will be determined through a raffle based on seat numbers and will be announced during the intermission.
4. To claim the prize, winner will need to present ticket to the registration for validation.
5. VIP Pass will include the following: One (1) Sa Wakas Shirt, Signed Programme, a Sugarfree CD signed by Ebe Dancel, and Backstage Pass for two (2) to meet and greet the cast after the show.
6. Prizes should be claimed on the same day.

THE SHOW

Sa Wakas is a new Pinoy rock musical that weaves together the songs of one of the country’s most beloved alternative bands, Sugarfree. Co-written by Andrei Nikolai Pamintuan and Mariane Abuan with the music beautifully arranged by Ejay Yatco, Sa Wakas promises to bring together the world of pop rock and musical theatre in one groundbreaking show.

It is a bittersweet love story that revolves around three characters – Topper, Lexi and Gabbi – and chronicles the end of one relationship and the beginning of another. The show raises the timeless question of why relationships fall apart and is a contemporary exposition on love, life and how the choices you make, however big or small, define who you are as a person.

THE MUSIC

Sugarfree was a pop rock group that gave us treasured hits such as Mariposa,Burnout, ‘Wag Ka Nang Umiyak, Hari ng Sablay and Tulog Na. Though the group sadly disbanded in 2011, their music still resonates today and will forever be cherished by its legions of fans.

Sa Wakas, which incidentally is also the title of the band’s first album, aims to re-introduce these heart-wrenching songs to a new generation and present it with a fresh and distinct “Broadway-fied” sound. And as if that wasn’t enough, former Sugarfree frontman and composer Ebe Dancel has also penned a new song exclusively for the show entitled “Bawat Daan”. It will soon be released as a single and will feature Ebe along with the talented cast of Sa Wakas.

To learn more about THE CAST, ENSEMBLE and THE ARTISTIC TEAM, head on over to the official website at sawakas.com.

Schedule of shows:

Apr 13, 2013, Sat, 3PM and 8PM
Apr 14, 2013, Sun, 3PM and 8PM
Apr 19, 2013, Fri, 8PM
Apr 20, 2013, Sat, 3PM and 8PM
Apr 21, 2013, Sun, 3PM and 8PM
Apr 26, 2013, Fri, 8PM
Apr 27, 2013, Sat, 3PM and 8PM
Apr 28, 2013, Sun, 3PM and 8PM

Ticket Prices are at P500, P700 and P1000

April 13 @ 3pm – Fred Lo, Laura Cabochan, Justine Pena
April 13 @ 8pm – Vic Robinson, Caisa Borromeo, Kyla Rivera
April 14 @ 3pm – Vic Robinson, Justine Pena, Laura Cabochan
April 14 @ 8pm – Fred Lo, Caisa Borromeo, Kyla Rivera
April 19 @ 8pm – Vic Robinson, Justine Pena, Laura Cabochan
April 20 @ 3pm – Vic Robinson, Caisa Borromeo, Kyla Rivera
April 20 @ 8pm – Fred Lo, Laura Cabochan, Justine Peña
April 21 @ 3pm – Fred Lo, Caisa Borromeo, Kyla Rivera
April 21 @ 8pm – Vic Robinson, Laura Cabochan, Justine Peña
April 26 @ 8pm – Fredn Lo, Caisa Borromeo, Kyla Rivera
April 27 @ 3pm – Vic Robinson, Caisa Borromeo, Kyla Rivera
April 27 @ 8pm – Fred Lo, Laura Cabochan, Justine Pena
April 28 @ 3pm – Fred Lo, Laura Cabochan, Justine Pena
April 28 @ 8pm – Vic Robinson, Caisa Borromeo, Kyla Rivera (09179918156)

All other tickets are available at Ticketnet outlets located at the SM Department Store Customer Service Area and at the Araneta Coliseum Ticket Booths. For inquiries and reservations, please call 02-911-5555.

THE VENUE

The PETA Theater Center
No.5 Eymard Drive, New Manila
Quezon City, Metro Manila
1112 Philippines

View Larger Map

For updates and more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/vansphmanila

We went around the booths as the characters were being introduced one by one onstage and the booths were still empty. We found a booth that Lia loved at first sight: the Barbie Ballerina booth, where there was a table for coloring pages and activity books, as well as a table where she could get her nails painted. My 4-year old daughter did not like the idea of having her nails painted, but took a seat without a moment’s hesitation on the activity table and started coloring Barbie pages.

She had to stop coloring when Spongebob went onstage and shrieked with delight upon the explosion of the confetti. Confetti that kids would love throwing onstage, up in the air, and at each other, afterwards.

At five o’clock, the characters went to their respective booths one by one so kids could come meet them, or have their photos taken with them. Lia, upon going through all the booths, also one by one, and overwhelmed with the mascots’ sizes, said they were all scary so we went around the shop instead. And here is where she found the most joy, amidst the Barbies.

She just would not let go of that doll – a blue Ballerina Barbie.

She was quite begging me to buy it, and like a typical little girl, would not leave without that box. For the record, I have never bought my daughter a Barbie doll. Ever. But I let her play with all kinds of dolls, especially the paper ones where you change the clothes, shoes, hair and accessories, because I played with them as a child too. I and my sisters used to draw our own dolls and their dresses. I used to even make little paper furniture, hangers, cabinets, to complete the experience. At this point I would have to admit that I buy nearly all of Lia’s toys (and books), and really, buy them, not for her but for me! Hah! I love those little playhouse things! I love those paper dolls. We’d play with them together for hours.

Lia also has a fascination with ballerinas, from her introduction to it by way of Angelina Ballerina. She keeps doing ballerina dances at random times, as her friends at Potter’s Place School can attest to.

Personally, I liked the purple Ballerina doll, but Lia, because she says blue is her favorite color all the time, wanted the blue one. And after much prodding, I gave in and bought the blue doll. On the way home, she said to me, “Mama, you want the purple one? Maybe we can come back and buy it for you.” Oh, my sweet little girl.

Maybe this explains why she was not too happy when she was having her photo taken with the in-the-flesh ballerina dressed in pink? Maybe Lia would have smiled if she was all blue?

But well, she loves Dora too. And  she actually asked me to take her photo with Dora but she didn’t even smile!

That meant something though, because with all the others, she just refused to go near any one of them. She was just so nervous with Dora! I like to think that that was her “fan girl moment,” when you finally see something/someone you only see on TV or in books “in the flesh”, you don’t know what to do with yourself.

We went around the shop one more time, looking for other interesting or nice things I or she would want to buy…

…like that Dora doll over there, perhaps?

…or Barbie bags maybe?

But my daughter had made up her mind about her blue Ballerina Barbie and didn’t want anything else.

I did buy more paper dolls for me, err, for her. I just love paper dolls!

And then went around the booths again, now nearly empty, where we saw lots of other kids, and not-so-kids, having their photos taken. See, this event is not just for kids really!

And got more activity pages from the Sesame Street booth while we watched other kids have their arms painted.

It was indeed a fun afternoon for both Lia and me. Maybe we will go again when the Cartoon Fest comes to SM Megamall. Or is it? I will watch out for that schedule and maybe, next time, Lia will smile with Dora. Or maybe, she would insist that we buy the purple Ballerina Barbie, for, you know, me.

The SM Cartoon Fest not only showcase meet and greets with beloved characters such as Spongebob and Patrick, Dora and Boots, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Barbie Ballerina, Polly Pocket, Monster High, DC Comics Heroes, Bugs Bunny, Tom & Jerry, Angry Birds, Hello Kitty, Despicable Me Minions, Elmo, Cookie Monster, Bert & Ernie, Lorax, Hop, Garfield, Robby Rabbit, and Ironman; there are also fun activities like face painting, coloring, scrapbook making, cartoon film showings, arts and crafts shows, raffle prizes, and special discounts for toys and other character items on sale.

The summer long festival starts April 12 and ends May 31, going through 44 SM Supermalls nationwide.

SM’s Cartoonfest is supported by Bates/Nickelodeon, Richprime, Pacific Licensing, Honeybarn, Solar Entertainment, FCI, Click Licensing, and Astroplus/Magnavision, among others.

For more details on SM Cartoonfest events and promos, connect with SM Supermalls on Facebook.

***
Disclosure: I and other bloggers were invited to this event.

Expecting a deluge of kids and kids-at-heart with their families at the SM Supermalls this summer, the country’s largest chain of malls is launching the biggest and only gathering of 38 cartoon characters in 44 malls nationwide on April 12. Dubbed “ SM Toonfest”, the summer-long festival that ends May 31 will feature a never-seen-before number of activities and cartoon-related toys and interesting finds for the whole family and the cartoon-lover to enjoy.

]]> http://www.angkulet.com/2013/04/11/sm-cartoon-fest-launch-sm-fairview-april-12-2013/feed/ 0 http://www.angkulet.com/2013/04/10/where-will-you-be-on-420/ http://www.angkulet.com/2013/04/10/where-will-you-be-on-420/#comments Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:36:18 +0000 angkulet http://www.angkulet.com/?p=13835 Why, what’s with 420?

Whatever it is, here’s to a music-filled day, from twelve noon til the next day!

For more information, visit the following:
Encenada Beach Resort Official Website
Encenada Beach Resort Facebook page

Also:
Flippin SOUL Stompers
Coffeebreak Island

Along with the new logo (awesome logo by the way), is the new venue and new poster for Cross Fade Productions‘ No Ordinary Summer gig with full-set performances from Franco, Urbandub, Queso with Salamin and Dhruva Tara.

The venue has been moved to the B-Side courtyard, with the same ticket price. All previous ticket holders can use the same ticket.

Here is the Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/499113826817696/

For more information, contact/connect through the following:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrossFadeProds
Twitter: https://twitter.com/crossfadeprods
Email: crossfadeprod@gmail.com
Contact number:  +63.916.312.2483

To get to the venue:

B-Side
The Collective (7274 Malugay St.), Makati

Here is a map to B-Side, The Collective, Malugay St., Makati:

View Larger Map

Open to the public meryenda + Talk/dialogue/ kuwentuhan on revisiting Battalia Royale, independent theater, Sipat Lawin Line-up for 2013, Grand Shift to Contemporary Community Theater and Contemporary Theater Community, Crowdfunding Theater and The Blank Ticket Concept. 

Bring meryenda to share! Send a private message to confirm attendance. Bring friends!

 For more information, visit the Facebook event page here: https://www.facebook.com/events/458544557548882/

Or connect with Sipat Lawin Ensemble on Facebook.

Fare was supposedly Php800 for both Open Air and Tourist/Airconditioned classes, as indicated on the website, but paid P500 (plus Php20 for the terminal fee) because there was an ongoing promo. How lucky!

*Click here for Ocean Jet fares and ticket info for their other destinations like Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro, Camiguin, Iloilo, Jagna, Siquijor.

The issued tickets have seat assignments but they really let passengers sit anywhere they like as long as the seat is empty. I dislike being in the airconditioned areas of ferries because to be honest, much as I love boats, and I travel a lot, I have motion sickness. I have always had motion sickness. So much so that I never took fun rides. I have never been to Enchanted Kingdom! Only because I would not be able to do anything there. I always booked the top deck of the Super Ferry or Negros Navigation too. So on this ferry from Cebu to Tagbilaran, I took a seat, the best one actually, on the Open Air part of the ferry, with a direct view of the entire back part of the boat. And these are what I got because of that.

I don’t know what I was passing by but I took photos anyway.

What is it about taking boats that I love so much? It is watching the water while the wind blows strands of hair across my face as music plays loudly in my ears. The music seems to play most beautifully on times like these, when it is just me, water, sun, and wind and the vast expanse of space, between me, between other people, and everything else.

It is on these moments that I feel most at peace and sleep comes best.

There are other ferries plying the Cebu-Tagbilaran route. Aside from Ocean Jet, there are also Super Cat and Weesam Express. Travel time takes more or less 2 hours. You may check out the full schedule HERE.