Speckles n Spectrum

Mt. Isarog, Southern Luzon's highest forested peak, is a stratovolcano which is 1, 966 meters above sea level and located in Camarines Sur, Philippines. The mountain spreads out within Naga City and six municipalities namely Tinambac, Calabanga, Tigaon, Pili, Goa and Ocampo. (see Mt. Isarog National Park)

Mt. Isarog National Park actually caters for adventure junkie, environmentalist or just anybody who wants to enjoy the environment with luscious forest, wild life, beautiful scenery of natural falls and springs.

Mt. Isarog is actually a favorite destination of mountain hikers and trekkers or environmental folks for it has both the offering for thrill seekers and science studies for the different floras and faunas that can be found within the mountain.

My friends and I during high school frequented the Malabsay Falls which is very accessible since it's only  a few minutes jeepney ride from downtown Naga City and about an hour walk to reach the falls. I've been there quite so many times even during my college days just for the mere fun of hiking.

The last time I went there has been a long time ago and the last time I went mountain hiking was December of 2008 in Tarlac for my previous company's outreach program that's why when Ateneo Eagles, Inc. an environmental organization decided to have a Nature Trip & Clean-up Drive and chose Consocep I was actually hesitant at first.

Consocep is a barangay in the town of Tigaon, Camarines Sur hence the name Consocep Mountain Resort. I've been there quite a few times too and I must say it's always been a difficult hike for me compare to Malabsay, Nabuntulan and other falls. There's actually a pavement but what makes it difficult for me I guess is its steepness. But then I always come back and give it a go because of the waterfalls.

If you want to visit Consocep Falls from Manila  you can go by bus or by plane. Bus will take you 8 hours so I assumed you'll prefer to fly, right? You can book a flight to Pili Airport (the nearest one) or via Legazpi City Airport and that will only take less than an hour, more specifically 45-minutes for the former. From either of the two you need to have your own vehicle or rent a jeepney, van or taxi to get you to Consocep and fetch you right back.

This is the drop-off and pick-up point.

The Entrance Fee is only PHP 15.00 per person.

The hike is composed of minutes of walking up and down of these narrow almost 2000 steps.

Kawa-Kawa is derived from kawali or wok because of its shape.

This is also the best spot to conduct group activities  and picnics for the whole group or even families with little kids.  It is just sad that with all the good things nature is giving us some people just don't care about caring back and doing more harm than good to the environment. We found all these trash all over the place despite the fact that there are available sacks just around the corner that serve as garbage bags or trash cans.  After the group activity and lunch we head on to the next falls and we passed by this stone marking along with the tree house... Climb at your own risk: The tree house is still fine but you have to decide  whether you can handle going up  unstable stairs with missing steps.

Bulalacao Falls: Bulalacao means shooting star.  The falls was called "bulalacao" because of  the great impact and rapid fall of its water. After swimming for a while off we go to the 3rd falls... Tumaguiti Falls is actually my favorite among the three because of the amazing view composed of trees, leaves and beautiful rock formation.

Tumaguiti or taguiti is the bicol term for drizzle  and truly the water coming from the  falls are like droplets of rain.

We went back quarter to 4:00 in the afternoon just right on time for our service and this is my last view from outside the Consocep Mountain Resort.

There are actually a lot of things Camarines Sur or Bicol in general has to offer not just wakeboarding or CWC (Camarines Sur Watersports Complex.) I know I sounded like a travel ad there but well I'm just saying the truth and if you're a nature lover I'm pretty sure Mt. Isarog won't fail you.

Btw since I lack exercise for quite sometime now the hike had hurt my legs so bad that I wasn't able to walk perfectly again for about 4 days but it was worth it. I'm definitely going back whenever there's a chance and I know I badly needed to stretch out these limbs hehe

When was the last time you went into a nature trip or just stop for a while and smell the roses? (cheesy) I just meant to ask when was the last time you took the time to appreciate nature?

P.S.
For more photos check out Speckles n Spectrum Facebook Page


Consocep Mountain Resort
Mount Isarog, Tigaon, Camarines Sur
Tel (c/o Provincial Tourism Office) (054)4773172
Cellular (0919)4227009

I woke up yesterday at about 4am and decided to go online to send a quick chikka message to anyone from my organization who's going with the nature trip and clean-up drive to inform that I'll be there right at 6am. Then when I checked my email I was surprised that it's full of notifications from bloggers.com. I was used to receiving friend requests or follow notifications but only up to 5 a day or one at a time for most days but not like this one that it came like my mail was hit by storm. (Ok, I'm exaggerating... haha) But well what can I do, I'm just a nobody, blogging about my life's nonsense therefore I was all wondering about how too many people (more than 10 is too many already for me) all of a sudden were noticing my blog. 


It turns out I was one of the three featured bloggers, listed in the Editors' Picks of the Day on Bloggers.com. I was totally floored. I didn't know how it happened. But then one of the email says "Congratulation! You are have been Featured on Bloggers." 

Honestly while I was hiking and enjoying the falls I kept on thinking about it. I already thank the site on twitter before I went hiking because it was just the right words that I can say at the moment. I was totally speechless. I wasn't expecting for this. People may say I'm overreacting on this one for there are already a lot of bloggers that are being featured everyday. But if you came to think of it there are millions of bloggers out there and it's one in a million that you'll get a chance on this one. Especially that I joined the site on April 23, 2011 and never really been active. I mean I only answer friend request and say hi to people that talk to me first which is another great thing about the site. 

Bloggers - Meet Millions of Bloggersbloggers.comBloggers Community: Know the best bloggers around the world, discover them and connect yourself with this friendly bloggers community.

I really don't know how people discover my blog but since I joined there's always one or two almost a day that say hi to me either through comments or pm. People are really that friendly which is another plus if you're a little shy or not just the type who initiate conversations which I am half of the time =)


I've been featured so what now? Dunno. Someone said he expect more and better from me... uh, oh. How am I be able to do such as that? This is pressure but I won't promise anything. I'm just going to continue being myself and discover life as it is while trying to do better each day. I'm still praying so hard about the last one for my stubborn head. 


Anyways, I'm already happy just blogging but more so when someone lurks in my blog or simply take their time to say hi so even though this may comes out like bragging but I'm humbly posting this to say thank you for the time considering wasting a minute or two in this blog. 


And before I totally forget July 15 was my blog's monthsary. I started this blog on March 15, 2011 so being featured has been a great way to celebrate this plus I already have a Google page rank. I have a lot of things to be thankful for yesterday was such a very blessed Friday indeed. 


How about you? What are the things you're thankful and grateful for the last Friday or anything for these past few days? 

I have become my own version of an optimist... Something terrific will come no matter how dark the present. -Joan Rivers

#wheneverimbored i pumped up some music, eat some food, surf the web and blog some more =)

#wheneverimbored i talk to random people and disturb them haha

#WheneverImBored I hop on Twitter with the rest of the bored people

Original Photo/template created by Ray Creations and tweaked by yours-truly to my liking =)

According to wiki:

Pasta tossed with cheese and butter has a long history both in Italy and abroad. 

It was popularised amongst US tourists in Rome by restaurateur Alfredo di Lelio who served it with his own name attached:

Fettuccine al burro is associated in every tourist's mind with Rome, possibly because the original Alfredo succeeded in making its serving a spectacle reminiscent of grand opera. 

The restaurant's story is that the dish was invented by di Lelio at his restaurant Alfredo in 1914 as a variation of fettuccine al burro. 

But if you think the sauce is limited go ahead just toss it all with the noodles  to have evenly  distributed sauce. But I prefer pouring sauce for every individual serving.

7. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top and decorate it with parsley.

Best serve while hot and eaten the same day it was cook.

Dream stealers are almost twins with crab mentality

If only we can sell walking Tupperwares, 

Philippines would have been the richest in the world, 

we've got oversupply here.

101 Truths About Me: #6 I love to cook.

I consider myself as an occasional cook because there's a part of me that's a wannabe chef... hehe

Hmmm... let me just copy+paste here what I wrote in my fb album with the same title:

Occasional Cook (wannabe SHIyfT!) 

I heart making ordinary days extra special in simple ways :) This is where I post my culinary mess. Occasional cook because I only cook when there's an occasion and when I feel like there is an occasion even during ordinary days and the rest don't ask me to do the cooking I'm simply incapable :)

As a child I've always been interested in cooking. I've learned to cook through my father whom I call Papa. Like me he was an occasional cook, meaning we cook only when there's a special occasion. (Sorry I got weird vocabulary and I have my own made-up dictionary... ha ha)

My father was a lavish party thrower and he loved food so much. I grew up exposed in his cooking. You can't make him cook when there's no happening or event but he likes to celebrate every occasion in our life be it a birthday, anniversary, winning a contest, getting awards or perfect a test, recognition day, and of course fiesta and holidays and yeah, I just have to add winning cockfights and mahjong.

He loved entertaining people and when you say feast, it meant feast. The most extravagant party I can remember was his birthday (I'm not really sure about the exact age maybe somewhere around 42) but he had turbo broiled the same number of native chickens with his age that time plus a whole Lechon and other main dishes which were all his favorites. And I never had a problem with those list of his fave food because everything is simply delicious but Mama isn't feeling the same way about it for they're all not on the cheap side and it's all bad for his health.

Main dish cooking background came from Papa and baking and desserts knowledge came from Mama. We sell the most expensive Ice Candy in our town when I was still in grade school. Avocado flavored, 1 piece is 5 pesos, regular Ice candy price that time would be 1 or 2 pesos but we do that only during summer. That's our way to consume our avocado supply coming from our vacant lot.

But still I am not a professional chef nor a cook. I cook when I want to and I'm never an expert. I'm actually hesitating in telling people that I've studied and have a certification in a 1-month 5-days a week Culinary Arts class in an organization rooted from Germany for its founder is Father Adolph Kolping hence the name  Kolping Society Philippines, Inc. because I don't want them to expect too much on my cooking.

It was a commercial cooking class and the menu were Filipino food and the main objective is how to commercialize it. I've learned from it a lot. It made the food cheaper in cost through quantity but not cheap when it comes to taste for it retains almost the same taste as the original recipes.

But I'm not into cooking Filipino food (not that I don't like it) but most of them are actually too tedious to make and so better if I just buy it since it's pretty available anywhere here. That's easier to do - just buy it, cheaper and even tastier than my cooking most probably... less hassle. Though I can cook some if ever I want to but only some of my fave like adobo.

My cooking mantra is affordability, quality and time-saving. So I prefer to cook meals that are easy to prepare and less hassle and now I just added healthier. I'm starting to get serious being vegan but not that hardcore. I'm just willing to give up meat for now. So expect vegan recipes from me from now on. I'm actually formulating my own recipe. Well I have to because I don't have much resources so I only cook things that are present in our fridge. I am combining the same ingredients over and over creating different one each time to satisfy my fickle taste-buds without spending a fortune.

When my mother was away for about 2 weeks I was having a vacation grande  as well at home by feasting nearly everyday with pizza... haha

I like mine with a refreshing cold fresh milk =)

I just had my midnight snack again after a long while not craving for anything to eat in these wee hours. I'm back being a nocturnal being again these past few days so this is like lunch for me now but I don't plan to do it on a regular basis. They say it's bad to eat at night for weight and health reasons but then how about those people who treat day as their night and vice versa? Anyhow I've no idea how to answer that.

While having my midnight snack I got a light bulb above my head and thought of posting a sort of nostalgic stuff. I actually got this idea from a fellow Pinoy blogger named NoBenta who post anything he loves about the 90s. But hey I actually have a category called Reminiscin' before I even got to read his blog and his Balik-Tanaw entries. Yet I've to say I'm still inspired by his blog so now maybe I'll try to have Saturday as my flashback day. But if I can't help it I'm going to go down memory lane any day I like or maybe not... Good idea or let's just stick to whatever is up in my mind at a certain moment... haha

Now can you still remember the good ol' pancit canton days?

I first got addicted to it when I was in high school. It was my sort of comfort food. I had it 3 or more times a day depending on the mood: breakfast, snacks, lunch, snacks again, dinner, midnight snacks and of course for pulutan haha.

I especially prefer the spicy kind and I used to eat it with cheese and then Jufran sweet chili sauce for the crackers. How weird is that?

I was still addicted to it when I was already working in Makati but with chopsticks... hehe

I'm no longer addicted but still it is as delicious as before and having it once in a while is still that fulfilling...

Now I'm ok with this combo.

So have you been addicted to any kind of food that you want to eat it almost everyday? What is it and how'd it go? Do you still crave for it once awhile?

Much has been said about it and like any other hot topics in the Philippines of course this one has its pros and cons. You may wonder if every Filipinos agree? Obviously not really and most people that are against the petition are...

Guess who?

... the locals.

If you were to look at the blog of Dr. Ortega's colleague you'll be enlightened on how some people repulse on the harm that mining brought to our environment particularly in Palawan. They said it had better their lives. Mining had been their families' source of income and no damaged had been done in their place because they are doing responsible mining.

First and foremost What is Mining? 

Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or (coal) seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. 

Mining of stone and metal has been done since pre-historic times. Modern mining processes involve prospecting for ore bodies, analysis of the profit potential of a proposed mine, extraction of the desired materials and finally reclamation of the land to prepare it for other uses once the mine is closed.

The nature of mining processes creates a potential negative impact on the environment both during the mining operations and for years after the mine is closed. This impact has led to most of the world's nations adopting regulations to moderate the negative effects of mining operations. Safety has long been a concern as well, though modern practices have improved safety in mines significantly.

I know mining is also important for us because they give us essential things we use everyday. I'm also for responsible mining but in the case of Palawan...

According to Hagedorn, the ecosystem in Palawan, though, is fragile with the island's narrow shape and thin layer of topsoil that makes it prone to erosion, and this is one good reason why mining should be banned.

Source: abs-cbnnews.com

People should stop being selfish once and for all in this case. Mining has a long term effect in the environment and if we were only to think about the now maybe we will never reach tomorrow if everything will be destroyed by today.

For the people who work in the mining industries specifically in Palawan I know it's hard to find jobs now but it's not impossible to venture into something else that won't include mining for a living.

Please open your eyes and just this once don't just live at the moment, look up and envision the future, the future which will may not include you but surely will include your children and your children's children. You may need to feed your children now but you can always feed them some other ways.

Filipinos are ingenious and smart enough that I know we can always survive and thrive in shaky grounds but not that too literal if you know what I mean.

Hence I support the signature campaign that was launched after Dr. Gerardo "Doc Gerry" Ortega (a civic leader, environmentalist and broadcaster) had been shot in the head and killed in January 24, 2011.

No to Mining in Palawan needs 10 million signatures to make it feasible for the government to hear the cry of the people to stop mining activities in Palawan and help protect its natural resources. As of now there are already 1,343,116 signatories and still counting. So if you haven't signed the petition yet please go check their website for more info:  http://no2mininginpalawan.com

My university organization that I will be forever part of supports it too and even had a booth inside the campus dedicated solely for getting signatures.



Now I will leave you with this video and I hope it makes you ponder and realize why we should all go sign the campaign: 

I got bored yesterday so while watching Sucker Punch I just have to cut my hair... haha I felt like seven again. I remember the first time I did that my mother went berserk and punished me and hid all the scissors in the house.

Now I'm simply free to do whatever I want with my hair but given that it wont go way overboard or strange. Secretly, I'm dying to try out the skinhead look but I know everyone will scream NO. I can just imagine the look on their faces if ever I did that. Bwahaha! But then I'm too fat to opt for that so maybe dreads perhaps? Hmmm... not really my cup of tea for I already experienced having a hair that almost looked and felt like it and it wasn't a good experience.

So whenever I feel bored with my hair it's either I rush to a salon or resort to DIY. This time I just had my haircut rather trimmed last week but then I felt it's still boring  so I had to do it on my own.

Here it is my new bangs...

My mother never noticed it in the morning because I know now how to hide it... haha But I think this is just okay nothing too weird or strange. I'm just waiting for my hair to grow up to my waist so that I can curl them. I wish...

I know this is a silly post but Oh, well I just need to be silly or else boredom will get the best of me and I won't let it rule over me so ciao!

So what are the things you do when you're bored? Do you ever get bored with your hair? Did you cut your own hair when you were little?

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Update: 07/03/2011 9:43pm

Just saw this photo from an article titled 7 Summer Favorite Haircuts @ Instyle with this caption:

Deep Wispy Bangs