HALLOWEEN: What's your favorite Disney movie?

If Halloween be a perfect day for trick or treat, will you be perfectly happy if the treacherous Freddie or ugly Frankenstein or the playful Chuckie tricks you if you can't give them the treats they want?

I think, Halloween doesn't always have to be about monsters and ghosts and  other scary stuffs.  At this time of digital age when everything's changin, might as well put a little twist to the traditional Halloween. From the customary black and orange colors to something more colorful, which most children would probably enjoy, unless you're much addicted to horror-ble movies at young a age.

So, for this season of saints and souls, lemme ask you, what's your favorite scary movie, what's your favorite Disney movie?

Rankings based on Top 100 Disney movies.

1. Lion King, 1994

One of the biggest-grossing animated films of all-time, The Lion King continues (and no doubt will do so eternally) to enchant and entertain audiences. - 100 Top Disney Movie.



hakuna matata..



3.  Aladdin, 1992.

Perhaps one of the Disney movies closest to the Filipino as its soundtrack was performed by a homegrown talent, Lea Salonga. A Whole New World won the Best Song at the 65th Academy Awards.





#4. Toy Story (Part 1, 1995),   #8. Toy Story (Part 3, 2010),   #47. Toy Story ( Part 2, 1999)

My father's personal favorite. A story of friendship and adventure of cowboy Woody and space ranger Buzz Lightyear.

5. Finding Nemo, 2003 

   Nemo and Dory's tandem, who can beat? I first saw him at the Manila Ocean park, but I never got so close to him until helmet diving in Boracay. Such a tiny wigly creature.





6. The Little Mermaid, 1989

   Under the sea.. under the sea..  

7. Tangled, 2010

Another 'once upon a time.. and they live happily ever after' movie. A rehashed story of Rapunzel, the old evil women who kept her in a tower and her supposed knight in shining armor which was played by the rascal and trickster hero. 

9. Up, 2009

A dream never gets old, it's you who does. So while you're young, start working on your dreams... (ouch!)

 11. Mulan, 1998

 Another pride for Filipino community as Lea Salonga again, provided the singing voice of the main character. Despite some unfavorable comments from feminist, Mulan managed to spread the word of love, acceptance, duty and honor.



..when will my reflection show..who am I inside..



 12. Monsters, Inc.,  2001

I haven't seen this movie yet, but what if monsters does really exist, like real real monsters? Haha



congrats, dadi Odi..

 13. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

The classic Disney movie of all time. The first Disney movie I saw.



19. Wall E, 2008

'Caution. Rogue robots. Caution...'

21. Peter Pan, 1953

The Boy Who Never Grew Up and his magnificent power of imagination.

 

 27. 101 Dalmatians (Animated version), 1961

 The movie version of 101 and 102 Dalmatians are my personal favorite. I love dogs. Period. Haha



 28. Ratatouille, 2007

Everyone can cook! (..and I'm working on it..haha)



30. Fanstasia, 1940

'...an experimental film integrating eight magnificent classical musical compositions with enchanting, exhilarating, and imaginative, artistically-choreographed animation.' - The Filmsite

.

53. Cars, 2006

Lightning McQueen: I create feelings in others that they themselves don't understand.



59. Enchanted, 2007

 A Disney movie isn't complete without its fairytale love story every man and woman could ever dreamed of, most enchantingly when it happens in the city that never sleeps.

68. Lilo and Stitch, 2002

'Wise men say, only fools rush in.. but I can't help falling in love with you!'

You, what's your favorite Disney movie?  

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Congratulations to the creative minds behind all the photos.

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happy halloween everyone!

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Happy birthday to my friends, Jackie and Jhen - Life is like another Disney movie, it may often starts with 'once upon a time', may not end with 'happily ever after'.. but sometimes, it has part 2's and part 3's for a new beginning.



Budgeting Boracay

Oct 11-14, 2011

 

	shared	per person
Day 1
Taxi to Manila Domestic Airport		260
MDA Terminal fee		200
1600H: Arrival Boracay Airport
Van transfer to Ferry Termi nal (c/o Sea Air)		Free
Caticlan Jetty Port terminal fee		50
Caticlan Environmental fee		75
Caticlan-Boracay ferry boat (c/o Sea Air)		Free
Check in: Tans Guesthouse (Station 2)	4,500 (4D/3N)	1500*
Dinner: Mang Inasal		140
Day 2
Breakfast: c/o Tans Guesthouse		Free
Groceries, bread etc	300	100
Lunch: Gasthof Restaurant	755	251
Dinner: La Carmela de Boracay Buffet		270
Day 3
Breakfast: c/o Tans Guesthouse		Free
Trike to port	60	20
Island Hopping	1000	350**
Helmet diving/ Reef walking		300
Trike to Jonah’s	60	20
Lunch: Jonah’s	795	265
Trike back to D*Mall	30	10
Trike to D*Talipapa	20	10
Pasalubong		Xxxxxxxx
Trike back to D*Mall	60	30
Dinner: Smoke		165
Day 4
Brakfast: c/o Tans Guesthouse
Trike to the Port	40	20
Boat to Caticlan (c/o Sea Air)		Free
Van transfer to Boracay Airport (c/o Sea Air)		Free
Boracay Terminal Fee		20
Additional Pasalubong		Xxxxxxxxx
Taxi to reality		240
plus:
Airfare: paid on March 2011		600***
	Total:	4,896.00Php
		exclusive of pasalubong
Disclaimer: Prices may vary.

So how do you spend 3K in Boracay?

* we paid half of the total amount last June as our deposit, we just paid the balance of 2250 upon check in (divide by 3) = 750

**this is really optional (350)

***as stated, we paid our air fare last March, so it's not included in our supposed 3k budget (600)

FROM the total amount of 4,896.00 (minus) 750 (minus) 350 (minus) 600 = 3,196.00Php    (excluding pasalubong which would range from 500-800).


**** Yes, you can enjoy Boracay even if you only have at least three thousand pesos. Try some options:

a. spend less for food and accomodation, spend more for night life and pasalubong (pabongga effect)
b. spend more for food, less for accomodation, spend less (or don't spend at all) for night life and pasalubong (chill lang)
c. spend less for food and accomodation, spend less for pasalubong (tipid mode)
d. spend less for food and accomodation and don't buy pasalubong (kuripot mode)

Boracay, after the storm

Our dull and dreary first day in Boracay didn't disappoint me at all. I had a blast swimming the beach without worryng about gettin tan (?).. oKay,dark.. Haha.. Besides, we had the beach all by ourselves which you cannot enjoy when you visit Boracay on a summer.

It didn't rain, but baha pa rin in some other parts of Boracay, especially our pathway goin to Tan's Guesthouse. While having breakfast, we contacted our guide, Kuya Nino (0915.872.2855) if we can push through our helmet diving/reefwalking activity, and he answered in affirmative.

My original plan was to do reefwalking in the  morning and paraw sailing to enjoy the sun set. But Kuya Nino bargained us with a cheaper price for reefwalking and island hopping and I gave in, surprisingly. Tsk tsk..

**

Island Hopping Boracay
1000.00/boat

This was a big mistake. Unless you are willing to spend another 200 pesos for the entrance fee to Crystal Cove, and you have your reliable underwater camera, I think you will enjoy this. Haha

We first had snorkeling. We forgot to bring bread for fish feeding, but we had cheese rings and dingdong corn bits. So we tried to share some of it to the fish, and they loved it. We even gave them big bang chocolate bar for their dessert haha, but make sure to squeeze it into tiny pieces so more fish can benefit from it. I bet they're pretty much hungry. All water related activities were cancelled the previous day, so they weren't able to eat. Too bad, wala kaming tinapay, mas nabusog sana sila. Haha.



kitang kita ang ebidensya: dingdong! dingdong!


Snorkeling in Boracay wasn't as grand as the one I had in Pandan Island, in Puerto Princesa. Water is greyish, though there were different kinds and colors of fish. We didn't have any underwater camera, but Jen managed to secure some photo taken while she's on board the boat, while me and Donna were busy trying to feed the colorful sea creatures.

We snorkelled for an hour or so, then we proceeded to our supposed island hopping. But we had no plans spending another cent for the 200-peso-entrance to Crystal Cove.

Crystal Cove is an island few meters away from Boracay island. It offers a idyllic and lovely view of the South China Sea. There are two caves you can explore in the island, that according to our boatman, one cave can be found in the middle of the island that leads to the open sea. I would really love to try it, but I didn't have enough funds. Maybe next time.

Upon skipping Crystal Cove, I thought we were going somewhere pa, yun na pala yun. See? Such a waste. We just snorkelled and made 'ikot' to  the cove, then thats it. We were taken to the shore where we are supposed to register for our helmet diving acitivity.

Helmet diving/Reef walking
300 per person

Unlike the island hopping experience, this one I think need not to be missed. If you're on a tight budget and want to try at least one activity in Boracay, you can pick this one. Usual price ranges from 300-500 pesos, with free photos and cd. Try haggling.

Get up close with the corals and the fish. Fret not, the helmet isn't that heavy under water, besides you have expert men to assist you, 15 feet below sea level. This will last for 20 minutes. Do this exciting activity at least a day before you leave the island, as you won't get your photos right there and then. Ours were delivered to our guesthouse that night, because we're leaving early morning the next day.

Just don't expect much of the quality of your photos. Ours were a little terrible. Out of more than 50 photos, only few were presentable. Haha. My bf was the first one to view the photos as I asked him to transfer it to a usb.

me: kumusta mga pictures?
 bf: ok lang, parang mama mo ang kumuha haha

If there's one thing my mama is terrible at, aside from mathematics, kung saan ako nagmana,  it's her dreadful skill in taking pictures. Laging wala sa frame ang kuha. Haha.

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After our water activities, we had lunch at Jonah's then head back to our guesthouse, as Donna had to catch her flight in Kalibo. Jen and I decided to shop a little in D*Talipapa, the best place to buy your pasalubong, but it was not the best time for us to be there.

Sa ngalan ng budget, nilusong uli namin ang baha. We saw other tourists doin the same, so mag iinarte pa ba kami.

We ended our night with our last meal in the SMOKE restaurant. We're runnin out of funds, so we settled for some low-end yet value-for-your-money restaurant.

Binaha kami sa Boracay

It is said that Boracay is the Mecca of beach lovers in the country. And beaches are best enjoyed during summer, when no one and nothing can forbid you in doin anything you want, unless you fear getting darker skins.

But what can you do in the beautiful Boracay when the heavens deprived you of a clear beach-bright sunny skies?

I purposely woke up as early as five in the morning to catch my first sunrise in the beach, but the sweet pouring rain greeted me.

We managed to squeeze ourselves under Donna's micro-umbrella and went to Tan's guesthouse main building for our breakfast.

Typhoon Ramon joined us for breakfast and his strength was unstoppable. We were advised that all water-related activities are cancelled as the weater was tremendously mad. We didn't want to do land tours either, as they were expensive, besides, it's raining hard, so we thought we won't enjoy it that much.

After breakfast, we went back to our room. This time the alleys to the annex building started to look like the roads in Espania when it's raining, so were the other areas, most especially D*Mall and D*Palengke. Binabaha din pala ang Boracay.

Amid the heavy rains, Boracay virgins we are - Donna and I decided to take our first dip to the wide white beach. We owned it for a while as we were the only ones who mindlessly braved the vastness of the ocean. We played against the gigantic, wild waves who unceasingly slapped our pretty faces like there's no tomorrow.

Donna and I grew up in a town sorrounded with sea waters (El Nido and Surigao). While having full pleasure in the beach, we were talking how different Boracay compared to other beaches we have in our respective hometowns. Indeed, Boracay has her very own distinct charm.

Tired of battling the enormous body of water, we decided buy some food and drinks in D*Mall, then head to our lunch. Gasthof restaurant is just few steps away from the white beach. 

They didn't mind if we're all wet and wild while dining. It has been raining all day, and we were the ones enjoying it, ikaw na ang lumusong galore sa baha, maligo ng bongga sa ulan.  While other tourists especially the Koreans were all geared up with their colorful raincoats and uniformed umbrellas.

After our late lunch, we spent the whole afternoon catching up in our room, as the weather got a little worse outside. 

bread: ensaymada, spanish bread, banana cake





I fell asleep until almost nine in the evening, and my good friends didn't bother to wake me up. We had our late dinner at La Carmela de Boracay. We wanted to try seafood buffet along the beach, but it's a little way our of our budgets.

The merciless rain stopped, so we were able to spend the whole night for some souvenir hopping because Donna needed to go back to Manila the next day.



650 each

Without the pasalubong, we shelled out around 600 pesos each  for our first day in Boracay, all of which were spent for food. Kami na matatakaw! Haha!



my firsts in Boracay...

Boracay - perhaps everyone's dream destination..!

How can you not dream of  a white beach with  more than three kilometre stretch of talc-and-flour-like sand, youre with your special someone, holding hands while leisurely walking, waiting for the sun to set and capture the haven of a perfect scenery?

This is how I imagined Boracay before I set foot in the place. I got familiar with her during college days, when airfares were a little out of reach by a normal-no-work-no-pay-employee. Even then, I never dreamed of goin to Boracay. A self-confessed-non-beach-lover I am, I think Boracay is one-of-my-least-priority-places-to-go-in-the-Philippines before turning 30.

But words about her exquisite beauty and grandeur continued to intrigue and entice me and my wandering spirit, so when Sea Air announced their once-in-a-blue-moon seat sale last March 2011, I and my friends grabbed our tickets and planned to storm Boracay.

October 2011

First flight with Sea Air.

First out-of-town trip together.

First to Boracay.

Though this trip has been planned months ago, its as if we havent saved a lot penny for this much awaited vacation. While boarding the plane, I was able to convince myself that I only have 3,500 pesos on my pocket, as I wanted to prove to myself that Boracay can be enjoyed not only my dollar signed currencies, but also by some averaged-hardworking-peso-earner individuals like us. haha

So we all agreed to spend at least three thousand in the island.


TOUCHDOWN
Boracay Airport

We arrived Boracay Airport almost 4pm. Hopped to a van going to Caticlan Port. With our limited budget, I got so overwhelmed with the free airport transfer offered by Sea Air. Five-minute trike drive from airport to the ferry port will cost you 50 to a hundred.

From Caticlan port, you need to ride a jetty for another five minutes before reaching Boracay island, and this will cost you 25 pesos. Alas, Sea Air offers free boats transfers as well. Haha. (I am, in any way, not related to Sea Air, I am just a satisfied and overwhelmed first time customer. Haha)

So we only paid for the environmental fee (75) and terminal fee (50) before hopping to the boat.

...took the trike to D*Mall, Palengke side...

this way to the beach

...checked in at Tans Guesthouse...

...mesmerized by our first and only sunset in Boracay...

...strolled Station 2 to Station 1  (at maglway sa mga seafood)...

...and dined our first meal in Mang Inasal. Haha.