About

CURRENTLY TRAIPSING IN: Valparaíso, Chile

Let's make this About Me page a little exciting shall we? Since it's my site, you don't have a choice anyway. What I'm sure though is this: what may be exciting for me may not be for you, and vice versa but it's alright, I want you to stay a little longer anyway ;)

I digress.

Sooo, here's 11 random things you may or may not want to know about me:

1) I have a quasi-phobia with manhole/utility hole/maintenance hole (whatever you call 'em) especially if they are not covered, and if covered, wobbles frantically whenever a human being steps on it.

Why?

Because when I was 17, en route to my college dorm house, I fell on a maintenance hole in Katipunan area, on a dark night, whilst waiting for a jeepney ride. The concrete canal was, thankfully, only ankle-deep with water (for it just rained at that time) but I couldn't get out since the wall was taller than me by 2 inches. Luckily, the mighty UP-Katipunan jeep drivers pulled me out of that rut. I went home crying that night - wet, sullen and embarrassed all at the same time.

2) Once upon a time I wished I had Alex Mack's morphing ability hahaha. Up to you to figure out who Alex Mack is.

3) I love turtles, watermelons, Stormtroopers, and ice creams.

Chillin' with Master Oogway in Apo Island, Dumaguete

4) I don't drink milk. I'm a boring drinker (read: does not drink alcohol with the exception of strawberry vodka mix (1/4) with (3/4) Sprite). The first time I tasted beer I was 15, I threw it up. The first time I (think) I got drunk, I just slept. Update: I now also drink a local alcohol mix called Tanduay Ice and Apple- or Lemon-flavored San Miguel Beer. I now drink everything but vodka has a special place in my liver.

5) I love sending and receiving postcards.

First postcard sent to me

6) Budget traveler, that's me! I'm a willing slave to these corporate gods just so I can pay for everything - food, rent, meds and travel. If I want to do more traveling, experience the joys and wonders of being a globetrotter, I've to be fashionably frugal about it. No other options.

7) If heaven is a place where you are utmost happy, then I guess my heaven would be a library filled - from floor to ceiling - with all sorts of books.


8) Due to excessive exposure to Discovkids shows during my early teen days (how do you say earlier than teens days?!?), I developed a strong fascination bordering on obsession to meet (yes, meet is the word I use) the pyramids of Egypt. Also, after watching the film Max is Missing, I was pretty much disposed to the idea of running around Machu Picchu ruins with the fervent hope of being handed out a priceless artifact by a dying man. Ha! Too much imagination, kid.

Fast forward to today. I'm (still) saving like crazy for a 2014 trip to Peru, if God forbids the world does not end in 2012 (update: obviously the world did not end in 2012), to fulfill this childhood dream. I intend to follow the Inca Trail to get to my destination, you know while I'm still young and fit for this kind of activities. Fingers crossed! Update: I made it to Machu Picchu!!!

As for Egypt, I can always do an Egyptian tour even if I'm well past 40 already. Wait, a lottery ticket purchase may prove to be necessary here. Let's see.

9) Other activities that I immensely enjoy: hiking, climbing mountains, backpacking, researching, IT planning, eating, watching reruns of old TV shows, running, wading in water bodies, humming/singing along music that I like, interacting and learning about other people's culture, food tasting, scoring awesome freebies, loitering in bookstores, gabbing, sleeping, making faces and embarrassing myself.


10) My tolerance for artificial coldness (read: ACd room) is unbelievably low as opposed to natural coldness (Christmas evening chill and temperatures in naturally elevated areas).

11) I don't like confrontations. I let people coming from the opposite direction hit me with their swinging arms or step on my foot and they wouldn't hear a thing from me. Before, whenever someone would ask me what my greatest strength is, I couldn't for the life of me give a decent answer (they didn't accept my multitasking ability, you know, watching TV while doing the laundry, IM chatting, yelling and raiding the kitchen in between). I rarely lose my cool but if I do there's a big chance that I'll walk out on you haha. Over the course of years, I finally realized what my personal strength is. No, it's not letting-people-get-away-with-what-they-did-to-me. ;)

Oh good. I'm done with the 11.

An additional note:

Although I love writing, I'm not really good at it. Most of the time, I find myself having a tough time getting a particular message across but that doesn't stop me from blabbering anyway. So yeah, whoever you are currently reading this About Me page, thank you! I hope I didn't scare you away.Yet.

Now let's get lost.