Accomplished: Bicol Getaway and Trumpets Challenge Froi Dencio 06:30

      What will happen if your friends are as crazy as you are?

      We all experienced few boring months on board and we decided to go channel our inner Enrique Gil and Maja Salvador during our eight-day Bicol Getaway. From  Sta. Magdalena, Sorsogon to Pili, Camarines Sur; whether it's on top of a hill or deep inside a cave, walang makakapigil sa aming sumayaw.

     Check our travel video below, and please be reminded that you need to take an extra caution when taking a bath on a hot spring. :)

A Prelude To Another Vacation: Port Moresby Froi Dencio 03:14

We have the tendency to become afraid of things we do not know. The fear of the unknown somehow lingers on our minds despite the current advancement of  technology. Be it because of what we heard or read, that fear is being magnified by stories from other people that turned out to be full of either exaggerations or personal opinion with no basis on actual facts. However, that fear stops when we are able to prove that such stories are nothing less than urban legends and rumors far from the truth.

I was actually afraid of making a transit in Papua New Guinea. I have read about road crimes, security guards being knock-out by thieves at night, malaria, and other things that apparently makes PNG  a dangerous place in South Pacific. I have heard some of my crew mates telling stories about people throwing rocks on taxis, people roaming around the city with their bolos and cannibals in the mountains. I have had so much of those stories that it somehow instilled fear on me, and I almost choose to stay in the hotel until our flight back to Manila despite our two-day stay and my plans of doing few sight-seeing in Port Moresby.

Things turned out to be different when we disembarked last Saturday (June 4). There are some roads under construction on our way to the city and few people sitting by the roadside waving at us. I didn't feel threatened at all, instead, I was surprised to find out that Port Moresby is similar to some areas back in the Philippines. When we arrived at the hotel, we were welcomed by the hospitable ambiance and hotel personnel who immediately attended to our luggage.

Throwback: My Week-long Mindanao Escapade Froi Dencio 01:03

         I threatened my best friend that I will go right in front of his house if he refuse to reply to my emails and Facebook messages.  I resorted into telling him that because I was really clueless on what had happened to him and I just received news from one of my batch mates that he will no longer work on board a ship. I sent messages one after another expressing my concern, but all appeared to be just being read or "seen" like how they say it on Facebook. So, two days after telling him that I will actually go to Mindanao, he replied. He told me that he is currently facing some personal problems and he shut himself from the outside world. He told me what had happened, why he will stop pursuing his maritime career, and why he chose to go on hiatus for quite some time. After learning his current situation, I started my long reply of consolation with these words: "Anaknampotek, kelan ka natutong magdrama?!"

        Well, to cut the long story short, I really did went to Mindanao for the very first time. Since I will be spending a week there, I also took the opportunity to meet a friend who was my text mate for almost four years (This would also be the first time that I will be meeting her in person). I thought that since I'll be seeing both of them, it would be great if we can all have a get together, set our problems aside for the moment and experience the beauty of Mindanao. It would be hitting two birds in one shot. So, right after I disembarked my previous vessel, I booked a flight to Davao for the last week of September and spent few weeks first in Bicol then Manila while waiting for that scheduled flight.

That is one hell of a durian back there, amigo.

8 Things That I Always Look Forward To When Returning Home Froi Dencio 01:41

         Being a seafarer means being away from home for months. And that being said, seafarers always look forward to returning home for vacation. They might get excited to see their families and friends. They might be looking forward to their ongoing projects or things they allot their hard-earned money to. Or, maybe they might just be hoping to spend their vacation at home or someplace that will relieve their mind and body of any stress from those long contracts at sea.

          As for me, there are few things that I always look forward to in our small town prior to my vacation. Though it is situated on the southernmost tip of Sorsogon (with the nearby town of Matnog), our town, Sta. Magdalena has a lot to offer and is worthy of being called a hidden paradise.

1. The Simple Way of Life. If not for the numerous training and processing of documents during vacation, I would rather choose to stay at home, take a nap under the mango tree and listen to the sounds of nature. Still, even though I have to spend some time in the city, I always see to it that I have time to be at our small hut by the rice fields. 

2. The Local Delicacies. Being on vacation enables you to taste your childhood favorite foods again and again. Since foods that are being cooked on board is only limited to the available provisions and the skill of the cook, I always tell my mother to prepare some local snacks like hinagom, muron, binot-ong, and putong kamoteng-kahoy when I am at home. In addition to that, I enjoy honing my cooking skills again by preparing local dishes like laing or pinangat, kinagang and linunti na pili.

3. The Beaches. Yes. Beaches. You may ask why look forward to beaches when you spend a lot of time at sea? Of course, because beaches offer both leisure and relaxation, something that you cannot attained by jumping off a pool of seawater on a ship. 

4. Chilies! I like spicy foods and labuyo (local red pepper) never fails to satiate my longing for spiciness. Even if food on board offers a variety of spicy foods, nothing can still compare to foods at home seasoned with labuyo.

5. Waterfalls. Our small town is blessed with waterfalls concealed within the forest canopy. During my childhood years, I would venture deep into the forest, tracing the rivers and finding hidden waterfalls. When I grew older, my urge to do waterfall hunting still drives me do some trekking, with my barkadas at home this time.

6. Gamefowls. No, don't get me wrong. I do not get myself involve in raising fowls for cockfight purposes when on vacation. Though we have few  roosters at home, I only look forward to them doing the Tiktilaok! wake-up call.

7.  Books. I may not be endowed with riches but I considered them my prized possessions. With today's digital age, paper books seemed to be outdated but for me, the feeling of touching and scanning through pages of a paper book is definitely irreplaceable. I have two medium size boxes full of books and I always check on them every time I get home for vacation.

8. Last but not the least, Quality Time With The Family. Being a seafarer also means being unable to be with your family on important events and occasions. Hence, during the short period of time that I will be spending my vacation with my family, I make sure that we have a quality time together, be it out of the town or just a small salu-salo at home. Most of the time, when I am on board, I would think of the places where our family can enjoy and have meaningful bonding moments together when I return home.

         Now you see, those things I mentioned above are the ones that make me look forward to returning to our small town. There really is, no place like home. How about you? What are the things that you look forward to when returning home?

Stack of books photo: Google Images

Water Lilies, A New-Found Friend and My Lake Sebu Experience Froi Dencio 01:45

The sun tried to shed its light on the lake despite the clouds.

          "To, ano nga ulit pangalan mo?"

          "Kenken po."

          "Ilang taon ka na? Nag-aaral ka pa?"

          "Thirteen po. Opo. Grade seven."

          "Nag-aalaga kayo ng tilapia diba?"

          "Opo."

          "Sa palengke nyo dinadala?"

          "Hindi po, dyan lang sa Punta Isla."

          Our conversation went this way as the wooden boat traversed the placid waters of Lake Sebu. I asked a lot of questions and he answered all of them shyly, blurting few words each time. I was thankful that he agreed to let me ride his boat to go to the part of the lake where water lilies are full abloom. 

Kenken's an early riser. He was already on the lake before I got there.

          It was actually yesterday when I saw Kenken on his boat with his little sister tending on fish pens that made me ask him if he could let me ride with him too in the morning to watch the rising sun on the lake. Without any hesitation, he agreed. He just told me to be on the lake shore on the other side of Punta Isla by morning.

          I woke up at around five-thirty. I rushed outside to check if the sun already rose. It was cloudy. A thin blanket of mist is visible around the lake. I went back inside our room to get my jacket and proceeded to the place where I'll be meeting Kenken. He was tending their fish pen again. Few minutes later he prepared his boat and rowed toward where I was standing.

The boat's a 'lil bit shaky. Or it's just me?

          "Hindi naman tayo lulubog dito no?" I asked Kenken when I boarded his wooden boat. I tried to maintain my balance. As far as I could remember, the boat I boarded last time, capsized. 

          He answered me with a chuckle and said that he know how to swim anyway. He then started to row and we went past fish pens and few huts near the lake. I found out that T'boli natives, like Kenken are living around the lake. Some of them are raising tilapia for a living.

Fishes love lilies. Men love fishes.

          We waited for the sunrise. Unfortunately, the clouds seemed to grow darker minute by minute. I was not able to catch the sun rise by the lake. The sun appeared only later as a faint ball of yellow sphere overhead.

          I was lucky enough though, to witness the blooming water lilies. It is said that they open their flowers on certain time of the day. Perhaps it was the reason why I only saw buds yesterday; since when I first arrived here, I was hoping to see water lilies in their most beautiful state.

These egrets sure know that food is abundant in the lake.

          After few minutes of picture taking, I told Kenken that we need to return back to the resort. The sky was showing that rain is imminent. He rowed steadily, steering the boat toward the direction of Punta Isla. I found it amazing that at that age, he is already skilled as boatman. His parents seemed to rely on him too to tend their fish pen. His actions showed that he knows by heart the way of life in the lake.

          As we get near the lake shore, I gave him a hundred-peso bill. 

          "Salamat Kenken ha?"

          "Salamat din po dito kuya."

          "Walang anuman. Sana makabalik ulit ako dito sa Lake Sebu. At salamat ulit ng marami. Mag- aral ka ng mabuti ha?"

          "Opo. Mag-aaral po ako ng mabuti."

          I get off the wooden boat and Kenken smiled while rowing away from the resort. I just waved my hand as he went past the water lilies. He is such a nice boy, I thought. I could only wish the best for him and his family. 

          I stood for few minutes to watch the lake, the mountain ranges, the fish pens and the water lilies before I go back to our room. I couldn't help but reflect on the simplicity. The beauty. The peaceful aura. As I turn my back from the lake, I smiled. I will definitely return here sometime in the future.

Water lilies at their most beautiful state. 

Balik-Pinas Random Froi Dencio 08:32

          

Me: Thank you for calling bridge. How may I help you?
Caller: Baba na diyan! Pauwi na tayo!

            Pagkatapos ng anim na buwan na kontrata, dalawang linggong walang internet, at ilang oras na paghihintay ng flight, nakarating kaming buo at ligtas sa Pilipinas. Mabuti na lang at hindi umuulan sa Maynila, dahil umalis kami sa Taiwan na parang binubuhos ang ulan mula sa kalangitan.

*****

              Sa loob ng dalawang linggong walang internet, wala kaming ibang napagkatuwaan kundi ang irecord ang sarili namin at gawan ng parody ang music video ng OST ng Oh My G! Nakakatuwa daw kasi si Janella Salvador.

*****

          Parang napakabilis lang ng anim na buwan. Halos lumipas lang ang araw na di namin namamalayan. Kahit na tila saglit lang ang kontrata namin, nakakatuwa dahil nadagdagan ang kaalaman ko at naging maganda ang samahan namin sa barko, kumpara sa mga nauna kong nasampahan.

Pwede rin naman palang i-imagine na nagwo-wall climbing
 ka habang nakasakay sa Bosun's chair.

*****

          Isang araw pagkarating sa Pilipinas, pinaputulan ko na ang buhok ko. Ipapaputol rin naman iyon ng fleet manager ko kapag nakita niyang ganung kahaba. Maraming nagsabi sa akin na huwag ko munang paputulan, kaso wala eh. Magpapahaba na lang ulit sa susunod na kontrata.

*****

Bago ko pala makalimutan, ang nanalo ng "Lobster Award" ay si....(drum roll please!)

Lobster photo from Google Images

          ............ay silang lahat ng sumagot sa mga katanungan ko. Congratulations kay Sep, Sir Jo, Yccos at Fiel-kun. :) Kitakits tayo sa Sabado sa Megamall!hehe >_<

*****

          Iniisip kong magbakasyon ng apat na buwan. Sana lang talaga ay di ako agad na tawagan ni fleet manager. Gusto kong makapag unwind at ma-enjoy man lamang limitadong panahon ng pananatili ko sa lupa. Sana lang din eh umayon si Panahon at maging maayos ang ilang naka-schedule nang getaway (fingers crossed).

Museo. Ampalaya. Forever Froi Dencio 04:33

  

Museo ng Pinto. Antipolo.

Biglaang pamamasyal.

Sa lugar na halos dalawang dekadang di napupuntahan.

Ampalaya daw ako sabi ni Meow.

Apdo siya, asar ko.

Walang forever,

Meron lang kumplikado.

Minsan art. Minsan tayo…

….tayong patuloy na naghihintay

at naghahanap.

 Sa forever.

When Froi Dencio Meets Yccos and Sepsep Froi Dencio 20:08

      Ano ba ang nangyayari kapag nagkita-kita ang mga taong nagkakilala lang online?

      Kahapon ko lang nalaman, nang makatagpo ko sila Yccos at Sepsep sa Cubao. Medyo nahuli na nga ako ng dating dahil sa ilang bagay na kailangan kong gawin. Sa dakong huli, nagkita naman kami ng maayos. Hindi naman nila ako tinakot. (haha!)

    Bago ako pumunta, naghahalo ang nararamdaman ko. Excited at kinakabahan. Excited dahil makikilala ko na sa personal ang mga taong madalas magcomment sa mga sinusulat ko habang nasa barko ako at kinakabahan dahil makikipagkita sa mga taong hindi ko lubos na kilala. Ano man ang naramdaman ko nung una, naging maganda ang kinalabasan ng una naming pagkikita.

       Ano nga ba ang nangyari?

      Mahabang kwentuhan. Career. Trabaho. Lovelife. Mga Rated R na mga bagay. Pakilala ng maayos. Kamayan. Hugs.

     Doon ko mas nakilala ang mga tao sa likod ng mga blog na sinusubaybayan ko. Pareho silang masayahin at mahahawa ka sa positive vibes na ini-emit nila. Pareho silang nakakatuwang kakwentuhan. Parehong makukulit ang lahi.

      Si Yccos, bubbly. Siya ay isang munting bubble personified. Gadget girl, andameng nilalabas na kung anu-ano. Kwento kung kwento. Hindi ka mabobore kung siya ang kakwentuhan mo. Medyo napahaba pa ang kwentuhan naming dalawa nang naunang umuwi si Sep at nag-alay-lakad muna kami sa Cubao sa paghahanap ng masasakyan pauwi.

     Si Sep naman, expect the unexpected. Palakwento. Parang istrikto sa unang tingin. There is something in his eyes. Hindi dumi o kung ano.hehe. Yung tipong sinusuri nya ang taong kausap niya. Nauna na rin siyang nakauwi dahil may event daw sa bahay nila.

      Hindi ko pa sila lubos na kilala, pero nag-click lang talaga ang una naming pagkikita. Naging masaya ang araw na iyon para sa akin, sa kabila ng mga nakakabadtrip na nangyari sa akin noong nakaraang linggo. Inaasahan ko na mas makikilala ko pa sila sa mga susunod na pagkakataon. And truth to be told, one of the best thing na nangyari sa bakasyon ko ang pagkikita naming tatlo.

Si Yccos of saturdaythoughts at ako. Parang nakipagkita lang ako sa isang celebrity. Naks!

With Sep of Alfabeto. Isa pang celebrity. Nakalimutan kong magpa-otograp.

Mt Pulag: An Unexpected Journey Part 1 Froi Dencio 11:16

      We arrived in Baguio City as early as 3 o’clock  in the morning. The sudden bus get-off made us all shiver in cold. I was already catching my breath on the road, not expecting that the prevailing temperature of this high-altitude city will affect my system. Without any hesitation, we rode a taxi nearby and told the driver that we are bound to Dangwa Bus Station (which, all of us have no idea where). I was unable to stay still on my seat trying to keep myself warm and everyone seemed to be doing the same, except for the driver. My companions were mumbling about how cold it was in Baguio but my mind was completely focused on having a bowl of hot soup. Soon we will reach someplace to have our breakfast and we will wait for sunrise before we proceed to our  next destination.

Enter A Post Title Froi Dencio 17:38

 

Matagal ko nang gustong makasakay sa kalabaw ulit,

sakto me nakita ako on my way home

         2014. Another exciting year na naman para sa akin. Hindi ko alam kung bakit pero marami akong inaasahang mangyari at maaring mangyari sa taong ito. Anyways, gusto kong humingi ng pasensya sa aking blogger friend na si Pareng Cyron dahil di ako nakagawa ng tinag niya sa aking All I want For Christmas entry, pero sana natupad ang wish list nya. Gagawa sana ako pero lumipas na ang 25th at wala ni isa man sa mga wishes ko ang natupad. Isa pa, nasa kabundukan ako nung mga panahong iyon. Walang wifi, mahina ang reception ng broadband at medyo busy rin sa kalalakwatsa with the barkadas. Don’t worry, isi-share ko ang ilang moments ng vacation ko sa susunod na mga blog entry.