In Cebu now, waiting for the next boat trip to another island, Bohol. During the last week, finding clear and unlocked internet signal has been a challenge, hence, my lack of LJ updates. Probably better anyway, because that spares my LiveJournal from ugly whines and rants.

One thing I am grateful for here at the pier: BREWED COFFEE! Omg, I have missed you so. Even if it's just Dunkin Donuts, it's so nice to drink coffee from ground beans and dripped through a percolator... instead of this powdered excuse they call "instant coffee" in the P.I. It's just not the same thing.

Next update will have pictures, I promise.

I just watched the dumbest version of Phantom of the Opera on TV. Nobody could act, and there were none of the songs from the musical! So disappointing. I think it might've been this one? Not sure.

The heat and I do not get along. Some days, it's just so hot, nobody wants to go out and do anything. I want to go to the post office and buy "load" for my cell phone, because I'm out. However, everyone's turned into slugs.

I've also stopped wearing make-up after my second day in the country. The sun just melts off my eyeliner, and then I just look like Helena Bonham Carter: creepy with smeared black under my eyes. (No offense, Helena.)

Oh, and I'm having trouble picking out a hotel. Boracay is the hot tourist spot in Philippines; some dare to say its the premiere beach tourist spot in all of Asia. Of course, the place is loaded with hotels. I've called and inquired, then narrowed it down to two: Watercolors Resort or Boracay De Paris Resort. Watercolors has a good review in my Lonely Planet guide, and the pictures of the rooms are cute. But the room in De Paris offers a balcony, and I think the rooms might be bigger? Both are beach-side and the exact same price.

Despite my absolute faith in Lonely Planet, I'm leaning toward De Paris just because the lady on the phone was more helpful and actually took my name and number down. While at Watercolors, the receptionist seemed only mildly interested in receiving my business. (Maybe because of my pseudo-Filipino accent? I should probably speak American to sound like a more lucrative client, but sounding Filipino gets you the discounts.) What do you guys think?

Off to eat mango ice cream, now...

Third week in the Philippines, and currently I look like a lobster. I’m sunburnt to a crisp. Plus, the various different tan lines along my collarbone create this funky pattern, leftover from the different shirts I’ve work the past few days: spaghetti strap, tee-shirt, halter top, etc.

So much has happened the past two weeks, it’s kind of hard to know where to start. I first went up to where my mother grew up. Both my parents come from poor provinces. My mom is from northern Luzon, in the Cordillera mountain range. The people there are known as “Igorot.” The Igorots are the natives of the Philippines--- like the aborigines or Native Americans--- and were here before American exposure, Chinese trade, and Spanish colonization. My mom’s specific tribe is Ifugao (also the name of the region), which used to be a headhunting tribe, but not so much anymore.

Ifugao’s a strange, strange blend of modern and second-world standards. There’s Internet cafes on every corner, but no running water. The hens and stray dogs occupy the same paved roads as the numerous tricycles, motorcycles, and jeepneys. One morning, I woke up and walked out the outhouse (called the “C.R.” for comfort room, except the toilets aren’t really comfortable at all), and my aunt and cousin were washing the clothes by hand while my uncle butchered a chicken for lunch. Seriously.

My favorite really has been taking in all the flora and fauna. The lizards and kalamansi trees and goats and pigs and caribou… the caribou always make me laugh when I see them alongside the road! I wish I could ride one!


I envy this person!

The most amusing to me are the highway chickens. These hens plod merrily long the side, and wait for a jeep or bus to come along, and then dart across the street! All during my stay in Ifugao, I daily encountered a near-miss with a chicken. They’re kamikaze chickens, I tell you!

After Ifugao, traveled down to Baguio City. It is indeed a “city,” with Pizza Huts and Seven Elevens and SM malls. Baguio reminded me how much I like civilization. My Tita Feli and cousin Estrel took me around to the sights, and we stayed at the Bloomfield Hotel. That cracked me up, a little slice of my hometown in a remote mountain city of the Philippines. The hotel was great though. I was willing to pay for pricier the junior suite (the only room available) just for the functioning shower and hot water alone!

From Baguio, I returned to hot, stinky Manila for one day. Then I jetted off to Masbate, where my dad lives. My mom is from the mountains, and my dad is from the islands. (They met in the U.S.) The Cordilleras have a majestic, towering beauty…but Masbate is a whole different kind of seaside gorgeous. I really can’t decide which I like more! We go to the beach a lot, drive around to our uncles’ various fishponds, and generally just have a merry time. My father is the eldest of eight children, and four of them are in Masbate. The four brothers share a compound, with four apartments all next-door. There’s A LOT of family. At first, the amount of people was overwhelming. But, after a day or two, I find having everyone here really fun! If there’s nothing to do, you just go next door and see what they’re up to. My cousin, John Mark, is 22 and two months older than me; he has a wife and child, but he’s still the same playmate I remember from my childhood visits. He’s teaching me to drive manual on this:


An old Mitsubishi L300, lovingly called " The L3." Woo!

At last count, I have 31 first cousins. (Two have passed away already.) There’s still chance that I might get more, considering my youngest uncles are in their late 30s/early 40s and married.

Here in Masbate, I’m also forced to eat like, six times a day! We have meryenda between breakfast, lunch, and dinner, sometimes multiple meryenda. The term means “snack,” but usually the amount of food is equal to a meal! My aunties don't seem to understand that they can only feed me so much before my stomach physically explodes.

Needless to say, I am not losing any weight in the P.I.!

Now, I'm planning our round of island-hopping. It's a touristy whirlwind and we leave Tuesday. Should be awesome.

I have 11 mosquito bites so far...and counting.




I am in Lagawe, Ifugao now. Does anyone want a postcard from the Philippines? Feel free to comment below with addresses, I'll screen it so only I can see.

Okay, now that I've blogged about the five things that previously stressed me out most--- school, boys, graduation, the Philippines, and job hunt--- I can now focus on my trip!

So, I've been in the Philippines for four days so far. One of the things that amuses me most is that Google and Facebook both automatically detect my location, and set the language to Tagalog. (Or "Filipino," as some people call it. But I just don't like that.)

The language barrier hasn't been too much of a hindrance. The problem lies not so much in the communication as in the frustration and mite bit of shame. Most people CAN speak in English (its the second national language), but typically opt for the more natural Tagalog. Of course, that leaves me in the dark because my vocabulary consists of the bare minimum. I know phrases like "Let's eat" and "Good morning" and "It's raining." Otherwise, I'm lost.

Honestly, I know more French than Tagalog. And that's kind of sad.

I've been staying at my grandmother's house in Manila. My youngest first cousin, F.J. (short for Frances Jane) is also here. She is 7, and can speak Tagalog in circles around me. She's also has taken to schooling me in her language: constantly quizzing me and asking me questions.

My grandmother lives in Muntinlupa, a city of Metro Manila. It's been hot and humid and raining, lately. The rain finally stopped today. Being at my grandma's is comfortable. I don't need to worry about food or where to sleep or what to do. I eat mangoes with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. My grandmother is of the nag-nag variety. She has nice, good intentions, but at times, she can be smothering. Example: she'll wail that I'm fat, and that I should exercise...and then she will force-feed me brownies. It's because she cares, though, and I am indeed grateful to her.

Due to the crappy weather, I haven't gotten out to Manila as much as I would like. I've been to two malls, SM Southmart and Ayala Center. I really, really, really want to go to Coconut Palace, but haven't made it yet. I also picked up a a cheap-o phone because my cell is roaming like crazy, and the bill will be astronomical if I text/call from it. I got a Nokia 1208 for 1,500 pesos. That's $30...huzzah for the exchange rate! The phone is really basic, but my cousin showed me the coolest thing last night: it has a flashlight built in. Do you have any idea how useful it is to have a flashlight in your phone?! NUTS, I tell you.

I've also been to Intramuros, the historical walled district of Manila. It was built by the Spaniards as a fortress. There actually is a fort inside called Fort Santiago. I saw the dungeons in which they threw the prisoners, and then flooded with water so the prisoners would drown to death. Gruesome. Intramuros is on the Pasig River:


The Pasig is almost as bad as the Passaic River, haha.

Also, I saw many statues of Jose Rizal, the hero of the Philippines. Apparently, he spoke a trillion different languages (lucky him, not having to deal with the barriers I now face) and fought with the pen, not the sword. His execution was supposedly the catalyst of the Philippine Revolution.



Jose Rizal from a stern angle.


I can read, too!


Chillin' with Jose. From L to R: Tita Vicky, K.C., C.K, and F.J., and me. Yes, we call my cousins by their matching-inverse initials. (F.J.'s brother is J.F. aka Jeff.) Filipino's have interesting ways of naming their children.



And tonight I leave for the province. My mom's family is from Ifugao, which is atop a mountain. Should be fun...plus, I could use a break from the noise and congestion of Manila. :-)

I was over my Grandma Peling's house for dinner last night, when Grandpa Bert jovially joked, "Now when Germaine goes home, she has to find a job..."

Man. I can't escape it, not even in the Philippines.

It's really terrifying, being one of the thousands or millions of recent college graduates still hunting for a job. I envy my peers who graduated and are already locked-in.

I actually do have an offer. I have been dilligently scouting and interviewing all spring. So, a well-respected insurance company has made me an offer---they gave me the contract letter the Friday before I left NJ. They've also given me time to make a decision. Like a whole month. Until I return from my vacation.

On the other hand, I did interview for a fantastic job as an editorial assistant at a publishing company. I could very much see myself working there. Salary is low, but promotions are quick if you are the right person. I was a great candidate, my interviewers told me. The only hitch was that they needed someone to start immediately, and since I am vacationing in the Philippines for the month of June, that is not possible. It was a heart-breaking blow. But hey. I'm not giving up my trip of one job when there are plenty of others to be had (hopefully).

A dear friend said to me, "Germaine, if you can't find a job, then there is no hope for any of us!" A sweet compliment, and something I use to boost myself when I am feeling low for not having a set plan. It is alright. I'll figure it out.

For now, I will enjoy my vacation. Worry about all this stuff when I get home!

Watching others graduation, congratulating them...that's all fine. But, my own graduation? Too weird. I'm still not completely convinced that this is actually happening.

I hope I don't cry tomorrow. I'm not that emotionally attached to Rutgers-Newark, so I'll be tearless and dry, right?

...

Oh, who am I kidding. I cry at every graduation. Even ones that aren't my own. Even my little sister's 8th grade graduation. I'm so going to bawl.

Better go light on the eye makeup.

So, that guy---the romancer that left me a jilted lover?--- recently made a brief cameo appearance in the movie that is My Life. He was in, and then he was out. In about the span of a week.

( The montage of flashbacks... )

The whole trying-to-be-friends deal? Didn't really work. We've had six months of non-contact to cool off. But, still, it doesn't work. That sucks, but whatever. Now, I think we've agreed to not talk anymore? And though the situation is a bit of a shame, it suits me just fine.

I've been hoping that "Mr. Next" will come along, but he hasn't been around yet. I'm starting to get impatient. There have been guys: some interesting and some not. However, none of them seem to be all that interested in me; or, at least not interested enough to make a move. What is up with that? Men my age need to grow some wuebos, seriously.

The most oft heard cliche for me: "It will happen when you least expect it." It drives me nuts, but it's so true. So I'm doing my best to NOT EXPECT ANYTHING. Maybe if I stop hoping and wishing, something will happen.

( And now for my dose of music video. )

You know when there's just so much stuff you mean to write up in LJ, but it's all so much and so overwhelming, that you constantly think of writing, but never actually DO?

That is what has been happening in my life.

( I guess I'll start with SCHOOL? )

Why is that ugly and miserable people can find significant others, but I cannot?

Song currently on repeat in my head:



Also, while I'm here: Happy birthday 20th birthday to my little brother, James!

And belated wishes are in order to Jacklyn (19 and unachicabenita), Lizette (22 and pinotnoir) and Katie (also 22 sponging_it_up)! Shout-outs to you, ladies! Oh, and let's not forget Mother Earth, because her day was on the 22nd as well. :-)

So much to do. Currently writing a paper in my grandiose "personal life plan"---stupid Love & Money class, yargh. I'm thinking that I should included a SWOT analysis of my life. (Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.) But, now, I'm crunched for time. Ugh, why do I have the best ideas at the last minute?

Job interview at 10am, too. Gotta get there... must finish paper.

So, I'm not even going to detail my crazy Thursday. It was just too much of a whirlwind.

I did, however, walk into Ann Taylor Loft in Times Square and FIND MY GRADUATION DRESS! Yes! It's white and lacy, a sort of nod to my high school graduation where virgin bianca gowns were mandatory. I plan to rock it with a belt. I know it's not the most "professional" or "traditional" outfit, but I saw it and knew. Then I tried it on, and now I have to have it! Now all I have to do is rob my mother's credit card and get it, bwahaha. Here's what it looks like:





I also stopped by the Lush shop in Herald Square. Over the summer, I would like to henna my hair. However, it's not light enough. My tresses need to be more brown than black if I want the henna to actually take. So, I've been trying Lush's more natural methods of hair lightening, at first with the brightening citrus shampoo shampoo, The Blonde. Tonight, I also picked up Marilyn Hair Treatment and Moisturizer:



It's described as...Chamomile, lemon and saffron brighten blonde hair. Use it regularly and get fairer hair. Linseed mucilage results in softer tresses and fresh, organic lemon juice adds a ton of shine. If you always wanted to be a "natural" blonde, here's how to go about it.

Now, I know I'll never be a Monroe blonde, but I can shoot for a dark brunette. My plan is to sit outside in the gorgeous sunshine this weekend, because it's supposed to be beautiful weather, and see if Marilyn is all she's cracked up to be.

Nothing on the road annoys me more than TAILGATERS. The ones who hover about two inches away from your back bumper, trailing you like a shadow the entire way.

It makes me so mad! Don't these people know how distracting and dangerous tailing the car in front of you is?? Four car lengths away, people, that's what we learned in driver's ed. At least on the highway.

I have to resist the urge to SLAM ON MY BRAKES, just to show the tailgaters how stupid they are. Ha, take them by surprise! Let's see if they'll continue to tail people...

...Except if they did that, my bumper would pay the price. For now, all I can do is imagine.

One of my favorite phrases of late: "Who's in charge here? You or the [insert random thing here]?

For example, if a newbie cook is lagging to put out his appetizers, someone on the line might yell, "C'mon Carlos, who's in charge? You or the caesar salad?" Or, when the class moans throughout our glutes exercises, my yoga instructor chides us, "Who is in charge, you or your leg?

Earlier today I thought: Who's in charge, Germaine? You or Life?

Most of the time, I like to think I'm in charge. But every so often, Life will throw a curve ball, and make me wonder...

I keep losing my little USB flash drives. This is the second one that has gone missing. It is not funny anymore. Stuff is on my flash drive! Argh.

I am currently fighting a cold. Being sick sucks. Although, I haven't been really ill for long time...the last fever/flu I had was maybe in grammar school? Really, it's the common cold that ails me the most often. You're sick, but not sick enough to call out of work or skip class or for anyone to take pity on your poor soul. So, instead you become the really annoying coughing chick in the library that everyone wants to kill.

Stupid weather. I think it's because I walked around in the rain on Monday, plus the warm-cold-warm-cold game that April likes to play. I've been chugging orange juice, peppermint tea, and cough syrup for the past two days. And popping my favorite, Cold Eeze:


It's a cold lozenge that I discovered on QVC years ago. (I had a strange fascination with that home-shopping channel as I was growing up, even though I never bought anything.) Now, it's available at most grocery/drug stores. I still don't quite understand how it works: something about positive ions in zinc attracting to the icky negative ions. I'm not quite sure I believe it; a part of me is thinks it's a placebo cough drop. What matters though is that IT WORKS for me. Whenever I take it, my cold is usually gone in two or three days, tops.

But then...I wonder if my cold would've gone away naturally in that time span because I simply expected it to? Hmm. Doesn't matter. As long as my cold goes away before work on Saturday, I'll be happy.

Oh, and topic-hopping: Has anyone seen I Love You Man? I think I might see it this weekend because I adore Paul Rudd. Sure, he's developed a little bit of a belly since the days of Josh from Clueless, but I still think he's cute and funny. Plus, he almost always plays a supporting character; this is the first I've seen (besides maybe Role Models) where Paul Rudd has headlined. If you've seen I Love You Man, let me know if it's good!

Alright. Bedtime for me...

The weather is absolutely disgusting today: gray, bleak, wet, relentless. Doesn't do much to accentuate the fact that it's a Monday. Yuck.

I'm also feeling a bit achy...probably because I was at work for 14 hours on Saturday, and then decided to bike 5 miles on Sunday. All I can keep thinking is how much I would love a massage. I haven't had a massage is soooooooooooo long. There's this chain, Massage Envy, that I really want to try if I ever find the expendable income. (Psssssstttt: That introductory offer would make a great graduation present!)


Something that perks me up a little:

I don't even like Coldplay much, but I hear oftentimes this funky remix at work. I finally asked the chef where he burned the song from...it's lively.

Oh, and one nice thing that happened this morning: I bought a bag of potato chips from the vending machine because my stomach sounded like an earthquake during lecture. And in addition to the first bag, a second one dropped. Two bags of chips!

SEVEN MORE DAYS UNTIL I CAN GO BACK ON FACEBOOK.

I'm not much of a photographer, but I've been fooling around with my camera lately. And, Mother Nature is finally starting to come back to life. So, why not?


Male duck in pursuit of a lady. Branch Brook Park, Newark. March 2009.


I pass this merry little flock everyday on my drive to school. Branch Brook Park, Newark. March 2009.


I was walking toward the PATH this afternoon, and these blooms in the middle of Broadway made me stop. Greeley Park, New York City. Taken today.


Daffodils on a rainy April day. Greeley Park, New York City. Taken today.

More @ my Flickr.

It must've started when we watched Twin Peaks this morning. Has anyone ever seen that show? It's really weird. I was in Television & Society class, and we were instructed to notice "genre" and the bending/busting/combining of genre. All I noticed was that I'm really glad that I don't live in a backwoods, po-dunk town like Twin Peaks. It was a trippy episode, which kind of set the tone for the rest of my day.

My next class was Business Policy & Strategy, which is on the fourth floor. The stairs are killer. Luckily, as I entered the building, a classmate came out and tells me we have to go to a different building to take some test. The administration had commandeered our class, and set us up in the computer lab to take a business aptitude test. The exam was written none other than the ETS, the same people in charge of the lovely SATs. I think they sprung it on us because we're all seniors, and they have to measure our learning in some way. Bah. A damper to my Monday morning, it was. Especially because I had actually read the case we were supposed to for class, and we didn't get get to discuss it.

After that, yoga/pilates class, lunch, yadda-yadda. I decided to take my car for an oil change during my afternoon break. The guy said the wait will be an hour and a half. So, I studied. After the time elapses, Mr. Oil Change called me over and told me...

They let the oil out of my car, but can't put new oil back in. The threads in the plug are loose and worn, and the oil tank is leaky.

As he told me this, I'm thought, But if there's no oil in the car, it won't go VROOM! This is a problem. On top of that, there's a myriad of things wrong with my poor ickle minivan, things that cost about $1600 altogether. Furthermore, they don't have an oil tank in stock; they have to order the part, and spring for overnight delivery.

That means I couldn't leave with my minivan, because No va. It's 4:30pm, I'm ten miles away from my house...fifteen miles away from school. My class starts at 5:30. I mentally scroll through the list in my head of people who could possibly give me a ride, and am reminded once more I don't have enough friends in the area. Father is working, Mother is sleeping, Brother is studying at the library.

Self-reliance, it was. I walked about a mile down Bloomfield Ave to the bus stop. Coincidentally, the bus pulled up just as I got there. Sweet. So I hopped on the #29, which I find hilariously ironic, because I took the #29 in high school. When we pulled up to the Mount stop, the one in front of the Dunkin' Donuts, two Mounties got on. They were dressed in jeans (I guess wearing your uniform skirt like I did is no longer cool), but they had the tell-tale haphazard ponytail and giggly faces, so I knew. Of course, I wouldn't know these particular girls. Due to the difference in years, this is the first time I don't know any of the grades at the Mount. But still: THE RIDE NEVER DIES! The bus ride itself was excruciatingly LONG. An hour and twenty minutes to get from West Caldwell to Downtown Newark. Ugh.

I got to school, and it's 6pm. I'm already thirty minutes late to class. Screw that. I deserve a break. My friend texts me that he's hungry, so we go to the Ironbound and have churasqueria. Dinner made me 20 minutes late for my 7pm class, but at least I went to class. I took the Light Rail home...when I got the Silver Lake, my brother called me because he was nearby. It was cold, and by this point, I was sick of walking...so he picked me up from the stop.

I have a coupon, so we dropped by Blockbuster and rented Choke for $1.99. Yay Blockbuster Rewards! The film is based on a book by Chuck Palahuik, author of Fight Club. I hope it's good. Currently, I am home and tired and desperately in need of sleep.

This concludes my strange sort of Monday.