A Traveller’s Sweet Escape (The Mango Capital Of The Philippines)

 
          Guimaras is popularly known as the place where you can taste the sweetest mangoes in the World, where even other countries order in advance just to have a bite of the pride mangoes of the Philippines and that there is even a law to protect the mangoes of Guimaras by prohibiting the importation of mangoes from other places inside Guimaras. However, Guimaras has a lot of diverse activities to offer besides its popular mouth-watering mangoes. It has its popular tourist sites waiting to be discovered like the Guisi Old Lighthouse and Beach, Trappist Monastery (The only Monk Monastery in the Philippines), Macopo Falls, Sadsad Falls, Mango Plantation Farms, Mountain Adventure Park (Horseback Riding, Camping, Firing Range, Paintballs and Slide & Rapelling), Alubihod Beach, Lawi “Pawikan” Sanctuary, Ave Maria Island and my favorite of them all, the Tatlong Pulo Island where I had the tastiest fresh catch 1 and ½ Kilos of Crabs for only 170 Philippine Pesos… Besides also being known as having a lot of varieties of Seafoods, I also love their native mango delicacies like the Piaya for only 30 Philippine Pesos and Dried Mangoes for only 70 Philippine Pesos. There are also popular and money-saving Seafood restaurants here like the Sa Payaw Grill and Lisa’s Talabahan.

          In order to arrive at Guimaras, its gateway is Iloilo City which is similar to Metro Manila for being an urbanized and commercialized area. From Iloilo City’s Ortiz Port, you will take a 15 minute boat ride for only 13 Philippine pesos per person to Jordan Wharf of Guimaras. From there you can take the tricycle, multi-cab or jeepney going around the small promising Province of Guimaras.

          In all of my vacations within and outside the country, I have met the most hospitable group of people here in Guimaras, all of my needs and wants were all accommodated perfectly. Even if you’re tired, their kindness, smile and laughter will truly brighten up the rest of your day. And they will really literally make you feel that you’re at home and you’re the owner of the place. It’s like you’ve known them forever because they really make you feel that you are very close to them. This group of people I’m referring to are the people managing the Hotel place where I stayed at Guimaras and it is called ZEMKAMPS CHALET, its structure is similar to that of the appealing cabins in the mountains and It’s located in the central business district of Guimaras which is San Miguel…

          I was given a chance to talk to the owner of ZEMKAMPS CHALET, Engr. Eugene Palmes, He is based in Qatar and only visits the Philippines once a year for only a month. It is a big privilege for me to have a little chat with Sir Eugene, He shared to me his insights in creating a great hotel and resort, as well as his future plans for ZEMKAMPS CHALET, as I’m listening to his thoughts and advices, I was so amazed and inspired in how he brilliantly handled his beautiful life and wonderful family. I’ve learned a lot from him in our short conversation and I prayed to our Almighty right away that hopefully with God’s grace he would give me the same blessing as he has given to Sir Eugene… I also would like to say Thank you to Joanne, Raul and Teresa for a marvelous job for surpassing my expectations…

          The alluring Island of Guimaras is very prone to the destructions caused by the Human Race like Oil Spill and Garbage. Please, I am calling help to the Natives as well as the Local Government of Guimaras to let us create programs wherein we can be knowledgeable in protecting and conserving the radiance and beauty of Guimaras’s Nature for these Scenic spots can bring us fortunes because these are our own treasures given by our God and we may use it for our daily living. If we protect our captivating land then we will invite tourists from all over the world to get a glimpse of our astonishing culture and ravishing natural beauties… Help promote Philippine Tourism to increase more Jobs for our fellow Filipinos…

- Happy Loner Traveller

*** This Article has been adapted by PEARSON INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING COMPANY and I will be fully acknowledged.

A Traveller’s Untimely Misadventure (A Birth To A Second Life)

          While I’m writing this, the first thing that came up from my mind was I’m very thankful that GOD is so great to me. He gave me the chance to see and realize how worthy and valuable my everyday life is… He allowed me to come back with a refined purpose of which I could go in pursuit of… and he enabled me to see the bigger picture of life, that we should not take everyone and everything for granted because all the things in this world has a contribution of what and who are we in the present.

          It was August 31, 2010 at 1:50 PM when the unexpected had happened. It was my last day at CEBU, so my itinerary for that day is work. I’m a Travel Organizer so my job is to give the best quality of vacation to my clients. On that hour, I was going to Pier One via taxi to buy Ferry tickets for my new clients. While the taxi is crossing an intersection (20-30 KPH Speed), I recognized that the Ten Wheeler Truck on the left road of the intersection is not stopping (60-80 KPH Speed). So I called the attention of the taxi driver right away. I shouted for him to hit the brakes. But he heard it late and the only best thing to do at that 2-3 second moment was to wait for what will happen next. So the Ten Wheeler Truck hit the Front and Left Lateral side of the taxi and the car twirled twice and was thrown for about 15 Feet away from where the site of the collision had happened. The taxi was totally wrecked and then right away I got out of the car and all the Gossipers who ran into me were all shocked as if it was a miracle that nothing happened to me, not even a single bruise or scratch. Right away, I realized how lucky and blessed I am that GOD really protected me in that traumatic accident. First, he gave me strong instincts to easily realize that the Ten Wheeler Truck was not stopping, so with that I called the attention of the taxi driver immediately, preventing the truck from hitting the side of the car where I’m located, instead it hit the front and the side of the driver, if I called the attention of the driver late, definitely, it will hit my side. Second, he allowed me to be in the medical field to know what part of my body should I protect, so I secured my upper spine especially from Cervical 3 and above. Third, I was on the right side of the car opposite from where the truck hit the car. Fourth, after the truck smashed into the car, good thing the driver of the truck stepped on the brakes right away or else we will be dragged down and get crushed. Fifth, I saw the whole scenario and it’s like I was riding a rollercoaster, I got out of the car right away with no bruises and scratch. However, the driver, who was directly hit from his side suffered a minor concussion and was brought to the hospital. He was so distressed and traumatized that it took him several minutes to get out of the car.

          There are 3 things that will emerge from your mind when that situation will occur. 1st, was your thoughts will just be empty. 2nd, was to wait for the impact. 3rd, was after the bump have taken place, the question will you still be alive will come out. It was really a drastic and haunting experience for me. I suddenly realized that even if how careful you are, accidents or problems will still follow you. So the best way to do is to be always prepared that GOD is always in your Heart and like what I’m always saying “Seize every opportunity as if it’s your last, coz’ you’ll only know in the end that it’s already too late, so enjoy the gifts that life has to offer.” Always grab every opportunity that will come your way and make the most out of it so that there will be no regrets that you didn’t live your life the way you want it to be.

          A Second Chance to Life made me realize that the greatest gift of GOD to us is our existence in his world. So let us celebrate, cherish and appreciate every second of our borrowed time. Let us work hard to grow and learn all the beautiful things that our short life has to offer…

          And I want to call all the local and national governments of the Philippines to please give license only to those qualified drivers so that these kinds of instances will not happen again, especially in CEBU which is one of the Top Tourist Destinations in the Philippines. We must ensure every safety of both the locals and foreigners who are having fun in their planned escapade.

- Happy Loner Traveller

The Multi-Talented and Romantic Traveller (Philippine’s 100 Most Eligible Bachelors of 2010)

          Thank you so much to our God for giving me a wonderful opportunity to be included in the list of the Philippine’s 100 most Eligible Bachelors for the year 2010. Being already included in the Top 100 is already a huge honor and privilege for me. So I want to thank the staff and management behind Vivre Fort Entertainment for opening another door for me to continue in this wonderful Career… I am ARMIE YUSON, The Multi-Talented and Romantic Traveller of the 100 Bachelors. I will show you some of my interviews in order for you to get to know more of me and my perceptions and principles in Life…

• Sell yourself in a sentence.

I’m a “Happy Loner Traveller”, meaning most of the time, I just pack my bags and leave without anyone knowing that I left. I just go where my feet takes me. And whenever I go to other places, I usually go out alone and I never felt sad but rather I'm happy because I could discover things and understand more of myself, it's like I'm with Me, trying to get to know myself better and still discovering my own secrets and potentials in life... I'm learning to appreciate the gifts that God gave for our eyes to see and that is the beauty of his world... and feel how much God loves us... and through my photos, videos and blogs, I could share to the world my personal experiences and through that I hope I could inspire them to live life to the fullest, that they should seize every opportunity that comes their way and show them how God loves us through his gifts like our Natural Treasures...

• Describe your typical day.

I wake up early to go to school and from there I would grab every time and opportunity to learn and add another piece of knowledge to my brain which I could use in the future to save a life… and after school, I go directly to work especially when I have foreign clients who are getting me as their travel organizer.

• Songs you’d put on a CD for a girl you liked?

My Original Love songs as well as my own versions of my favorite songs that would best describe her…

• Where do you hope to be or how do you see yourself 5 years from now?

5 years from now, I see myself as a doctor with a specialty, still doing commercials and print ad modeling and even acting in indie films and commercialized movies and having my beach resort and Filipino restaurant chain business.

• Why should a girl take you home to meet her parents?

I’m a very respectful and God fearing person, I still believe and do Filipino traditions like “pag Mano” and “opo”, as well as addressing them with sir/ma’am or tito/tita. That’s the best way to win over a girl’s parents because if you show respect to them then they will know that you also respect their daughter. And the first impression of her parents will be the last meaning once they don’t like you, it’s very difficult to change that. So you should show your best and true personality when meeting the parents for the first time. Be at your best and be true to yourself.

• Who are the people you most admire?

The people that I most admire are my grandparents and parents… for inspiring me to be like them in handling true loving relationships as well as great careers. I admire them so much for teaching and guiding me to the best that I can be, for giving me opportunities to learn so much from life and for nurturing and bringing me up to the best of their abilities.

• If you could be any woman for a day, who would you be and why?

I would be Hilary Clinton, Currently the most powerful woman in the world, why? For a powerful person, there are a lot of privileges especially when you are the defense secretary of the U.S and you have a strong influence to countries all over the world. It’s an opportunity to make a great and wonderful change for the whole world, to make a better communication between countries to avoid wars and to help change the world into a better one for our kid’s future.

• What concerns you about the future?

My concern about the future is the population of the whole world is growing so fast, supplies for food is decreasing, so there could be wars of countries all over the world due to lack of natural supplies. And another one is climate change due to global warming, weather changes are getting worst and strong, it’s warmer than ever and storms are stronger than ever. And in the medical field, with most people’s lack of education, sexually transmitted diseases are rampant and increasing especially HIV/AIDS which is untreatable as of present.

• Who do you dream of working with?

I dream of working with the best, If I would be given a chance to work in Hollywood, I would choose to work with Liam Neeson, Johnny Depp, Nicolas Cage and Leonardo Dicaprio for their level of acting is intense, they really get into their characters, I’m just blown away with how they act their characters. Whenever I watch them, I see their characters and not the actors. I want to learn that from them.

• Best advice your parents ever gave you?

The best advices that my parents gave me were “We are the one’s building our own future” and “Be futuristic, always think of the future and not right now because this becomes your past, so strive hard to achieve a better future”.

• Best dish to win a girl over?

As a Filipino, I would cook for her the best Filipino dishes that I know like “Bola Bola and Sotanghon” (A Filipino Dish cooked especially on Christmas), “Sinigang Pork”, “Bulalo”, if she’s not allergic to sea foods, I would cook to her Gambas and all those freshly Grilled Seafoods.

• What's the noblest thing you did for a stranger?

I have done a lot of noble things for a stranger like returning their lost Cell phones, giving clothes, foods and money to those who really need it but the noblest thing I did was to return a 30,000 Philippine pesos Check that I can en-cash anytime at the Bank. I saw a Check at the floor worth 30,000 Philippines pesos with no name on it but written CASH. My classmates said it was fake, but I know how a check looks like so how can it be fake? So I announced it on every year level of Medicine because I realized that he/she would use this for her tuition fee for Medicine. And the girl who owns the check showed up and I asked her some questions regarding the check so that I won’t be giving it to the wrong person and she was very thankful that I returned it and it was really very heartwarming to be praised for doing a good thing even for just a while.

• Where would you take your girl out on a date? Rock Concert, Romantic Movie or Out-of-town/Backpacking day trip?

I’m a traveller so my answer is very obvious, definitely on an out-of-town vacation, near the beach where you can have a romantic dinner at a luxurious resort, as well as a place with many fun activities that you can do together for her not to forget the great things you have done with her.

• Any wise words?

“Seize every opportunity as if it’s your last, coz’ you’ll only know in the end that it’s already too late” – Armie Yuson

• Do you believe in "love at first sight" or "love takes time to grow"?

Definitely, I believe in “Love at first sight”. I still believe in the magic and sparkle of true great unique special love where one glance at your girl would take you into a lifetime of forever getting to know and admiring her.

Complete the sentence:

• My relationships deal breaker is….

When the person I trusted the most lied to me regarding a third party

• Most people don’t know I am…

A very private person, my privacy is very important to me, I’m not a kiss and tell type of guy.

• As a kid, I dreamed of being ...

A Doctor and an Actor

• My biggest regret is….

Nothing

• My guilty pleasure is….

Travelling

• When I become a father, the advice I’d give my teenage son is….

To follow what his heart really beats for yet always considering the good virtues that I taught to him

• Success is….

Being contented and not asking for more in your life because you already have achieved all that you wanted in your life.

• I get fired up over….

Unfulfilled promises

• I like it when a girl wears….

A Beautiful fitted dress…

100 Bachelors Website:
Armie Lawrence Yuson - Top 7 in The Philippine's 100 Most Eligible Bachelors of 2010

- The Mortal Craft

The Last Time My Mom Hugged Me

 
          I’m not sure when is the last exact date that my mother gave me a hug and told me that she loves me. I realized that while I was travelling on a bus when I saw a mother hugged and kissed her daughter and told her that she loves her. I felt the sadness in the eyes of the mother while looking at her child, that she will truly miss her.

          Right away, I shed a tear because it’s not the same with me and my mom anymore, unlike before. I’ve already accepted that in time, things and people will change. The only thing that I could do to adapt is accept the facts and realities of life. It rarely happens that only very few people stay and remain as they are throughout their life and I belong to that group. I wouldn’t change anything about me even if society would require it. I’m contented with who I am as a person. I wouldn’t change “ME” just to fit into society. If people will accept me, then I would gladly say thank you to them. But if they won’t, I would still say thank you to them.

         Back to my mom, of course I miss my old mom, the super loving and caressing inspirational super woman in my life… So while there is always time, grab and give importance to that given chance to love and be love with the people around you because everything passes away and they wouldn’t come back no matter how hard you pray for it. In the end, you’ll just have glimpses of happy memories of you and your mom…

- The Thoughtful Son

A Kid Again For A Day

           All of us, no matter how old we are have an inner child within us that wants to go out and play. A kid in us that even for just a day wants to have fun and amuse ourselves. We do certain things to entertain ourselves. I’ve seen old people fool around, watch cartoons and even make fun of themselves. Others play sports, do pranks and crack jokes just to feel the laughter of a child again. For a child’s simple laugh is what we all envy for it is purely free from problems and dilemmas.

           Well, this time, it’s me and my friends turn to reconcile our childhood days all over again. We went to the most popular theme park which is Enchanted Kingdom found in Laguna, Philippines. It’s been a while since I last went there so I was really excited. Thanks to our friend Jacquelyn Jimenez for making this trip possible. After having a high spirited merriment day at this exhilarating recreation with my true friends, we went straight to Tagaytay to cool down ourselves. We ate at Leslie’s Bulalohan where the famous Batangas Bulalo can be tasted.

           That day will be forever cherished in my chest of treasured memories for these are my fortunes that no one can ever take away from me…

- Your Reliable Comrade