Ginhugma ko ang Iloilo...

If the Friday nightout was good, last night's was even, even better. After work, Karl fetched NN and I at the office. Twiggy was unable to join us because she had to fly back to Manila already.

Anyway, our first stop was Krua Thai for dinner. Food was great. I enjoyed the bagoong rice, tom yam, spicy spare ribs, and spicier fish fillet. Then, it was time to start the drinks. We headed to Bourbon, and afterwards to another nearby bar, Flow. I wasn't sure if there was a local Government or Bed but had I known where it was, I would have definitely gone. I was really up for dancing. And I think I've been spending too much time in straight bars. Hahaha!

Bourbon is great for lounging. If you just want to have some drinks with friends, have a good chat, and listen to club music, Bourbon is the place to go to. Beautiful people, too. Hehe! I don'tt know but Ilonggos are really beautiful people, eh?! Hehe! Flow, on the other hand, was TOO crowded. Crowded with college students ( or probably high schoolers), at least on the night we went. Augh! I went to the bar to get a beer and to get a feel of the club, and I got the head-to-toe judgment from a bunch of snooty, pretentious girls. Hehehe! I felt like Dan Humphrey in a scene with Blair Waldorf. Hehe! But I couldn't blame them. I was to be judged because my nightout attire was a Smart shirt, jeans and leather shoes. Shoot me! I came straight from work, and I completely forgot to bring gimik clothes and an extra pair of shoes. Hehehe!

Anyway, by 1AM, the three of us left and feeling a bit hungry, we had tapsilog at a hole in the wall diner. It was okay, for anyone who's hungry at 2AM. Then, back to the hotel where I was really feeling the buzz. You would too if you had what I had.

Three mugs of Singha, one long Island Iced Tea, two San Mig Lights, a pitcher of margarita (shared with NN and Karl). I'm just thankful to the heavens because no gout when I woke up this morning. And no, I don't really have the makings of an alcoholic. Hehe!

So that was it really. It was a really, really, really good night out. (Except for two awkward situations - one of which I will write about, and the other one to be left untold.) Haha!

It sucks that Im flying back to Manila tomorrow already. Huhuhu!!!

Ginhugma ko ang Iloilo! (I love Iloilo.)

Iloilo, here I am... wooohooo

What is it with my out of town trips and late nights? Hehe! The last time I flew to Iloilo, I went home from work at 2AM only to pack my stuff quickly and then leave at 3AM to make it to my flight.

Last night was sort of a repeat. Tey hosted a dinner at Cyma in Greenbelt. The dinner turned out to be a reunion of sorts since the guests were college friends Ella and Gino, Tey's good friends from former workplace Ryse and Dessa. It was a good post-birthday dinner party for Tey (and for Ryse who also recently celebrated her birthday). Got home at 1AM, packed my stuff, took a nap for an hour, woke up a surprised mom when I told her that I'm flying to Iloilo, and then headed to the airport.

I love early morning flights. I don't know why. Maybe because I feel like I'm making a secret escape, while the entire city sleeps. Haha! Not that anyone would care that I'll be away for the weekend. Hehehe!

Anyway, as soon as the captain announced that we were approaching Iloilo, I got excited. I was really looking happy to be in Iloilo again. Hehe! From the airport, I didn't feel like a big tourist anymore. I was more confident, and I knew where to go and what to tell the cab driver. Hehe!

It was good to be back at Grand Dame Hotel, too. I love the hotel. And I would recommend it as a good choice for accommodation to anyone who's going to Iloilo.

What I also love about the hotel is free Wifi. Hehe! Okay, this is it for now. Will post again tomorrow.

Heading to the Sooc barangay for work.

Loving Iloilo...

Tomorrow, will be flying to Iloilo for work. Will be there until the weekend.

For some reason, I'm finding Iloilo to be quite charming. Last January was the first time I got to go around the province. (In college, I was able to step on the shores of Iloilo and see the pier because we had to transfer ferries to get to Bacolod. But that was it.)

Anyway, I guess the old houses, the magnanimous old churches, the Andok's restaurant, the callos at JD's Cafe, the food at Joyjoy's and Breakthrough, the people of Grand Dame and Sarabia Manor, and yes, GK Sooc, are some of the major reasons why I'm loving the city. Haha!

I guess I also like Iloilo because it has both a city and a countryside feel. You got the gimik places if you're feeling urban-esque, and you've got the rice fields and the seas when you're craving for some rustic scenery. I wouldn't mind living in Iloilo. Hehe!

Above are some photos of the Miagao Church. I got to visit it early this year, and what can I say? I am in awe of this glorious structure. I've always been a fan of old architecture - from ancestral houses to old churches - and Miagao is definitely one of the best I've seen. Photos by camwhore buddy Reena.

Dinagyang Photos Batch 1...

Here are some photos from the Dinagyang Festival. These are "at work" photos. Hehe! Photos include the Fluvial Procession, the Kasadyahan competition, and the actual Dinagyang competition.

Flying out of Manila again...

This afternoon, I'm flying out of Manila once again. And this time, destination is Cebu. Will be attending a company event so it'll be work again. I guess that's okay. At least, I get to travel. Hehe! It's my first time to go to Cebu so I'm quite excited. I'm also not too worried about the work because I'm quite sure it wouldn't be as toxic as the Dinagyang Festival coverage. But hey, who knows? Hahaha!

Wow! It's only the first month of the year and already I've flown out of Manila for two (going three) times. Hmmm... I guess it's a good sign, huh? That the Ho Chi Minh and Cambodia trip will push through? Hehehe! It has to. It has to. It has to.

Here's a Dinagyang teaser...

Finally, I've found time to sit down and check my email. I haven't been connected online for the past four days, and I'm just surprised because I survived. Hahaha! Perhaps it's because for the past four days, I've been going around Iloilo City covering various festivities that are part of the annual Dinagyang Festival.

Checking my blog and it's only now that I saw that I wasn't able to post a "back in Manila on Monday" entry. Oh well. The reason why I've been absent from the online world is because of the Dinagyang Festival. Flew to Iloilo last Thursday for the festival. Today was the Dinagyang proper and it was just one experience worth having. Woo woo woo! Uhm, of course, since I'm attending the festival for work and not for vacation, there were occasions when I couldn't really enjoy the festival.

For example, I only got to watch six of the twenty tribes that performed for the Dinagyang competition. Huhuhu! It was fantastic though. I was just amazed at the amount of effort poured in making the presentation perfect. There were a lot of highs too though. For example, last night I got to hav another photo with Sam Milby. Plus Angelica Panganiban and Derek Ramsey. Hehehe! They were guests at an event we co-sponsored so I got backstage passes. Woo woo woo!

Alright, the photo above was from one of the performing tribes this morning. Gawd, you should see my forearms. They're burnt because from the scorching heat of the sun. Haha! But I guess getting to experience the Dinagyang Festival is worth the terrible sunburn. Hahaha!

Tomorrow, we have one last Dinagyang-related company activity, and then I'm flying back to Manila in the evening. Of course, there'll be some souvenir and pasalubong shopping in the afternoon.

More photos from the Dinagyang Festival maybe tomorrow or Tuesday.

Mansions Here, There and Everywhere...

I didn't get to go around Iloilo that much, but I was quite happy because I did get to see some of the ancestral houses of prominent Ilonggo families which are now some kind of landmarks in the city.

I got to see the Lizares Mansion, the Ledesma Mansion, the Lopez-Vito Mansion, the Sanson-Montinola Mansion, and the Lopez Mansion. I'm not sure if there's something to see inside the houses. Anyway, there were several other ancestral houses around the city, but I didn't get to visit them nor take photos, bevause of work. It's okay, though. Will be back in Iloilo in two weeks time so who knows? Maybe there'll be more time to go around. Haha! I'm just really amazed at the structures - how they've withstood time, how detailed they were, and how grand it must have been to lived in those homes.