[video]
Let’s celebrate the art of Lumban embroidery!
Back our project on The Spark Project and join us on a trip for crafts, a little history and a quite a lot of food. :P
Project runs until May 15, 2013 only!
Please support and spread the word! :)
Come and join us! :D
(Source: munimnl)
Haven’t updated in a while due to busy-ness or something like it but felt compelled to “tumble” this thing about Muni’s #CutTheCrap #NoMoreButts campaign right away. :P
As expected, the latest installment by artist OJ Desuasido for Muni PH’s #CutTheCrap #NoMoreButts campaign was received with mixed reviews, and yes, this poster / campaign received its share of haters.
But I think you know that your efforts in generating awareness and conversation are working when you ruffle feathers and get people agitated. And when they care enough to react, it means you really struck a chord somewhere. Hehe. I even liked one of the hatements. :P *shrugs*
See the amusing main thread here.
![There Are No StrangersThe Circle HostelLa Union, Philippines
* The above photo features me with three of my trip companions and a whole bunch of new friends we made at The Circle Hostel. (Most photos here are c/o Kookai’s GF1 and Rai’s GoPro)
A few weeks ago, when my friend Marcos mentioned that he and his friends Rai and Kookai were heading over to La Union for a few days and that they were going to stay at The Circle Hostel, I (almost) jumped at the chance to join them.
On NOT surfing in La Union
Our 3-day stay, while scored with offers for surf lessons, and further aided by visuals like below:
…involved no surfing at all. :P
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However, it did involve bonding and goofing around with old friends…
Solo R&R (with friends :P) at the beach… (galit galit lang)
with my beach essentials: Banana Peel flip flops, Lagu beach-friendly beach blanket (available in my store :P), and oversized Rume eco bag
and then even more R&R at The Circle Hostel…
some hula hooping…
lots of flow wanding (this is awesome, as everyone with us can attest, though the picture doesn’t do it justice :P)…
and pondering the meaning of life…
I’d been wanting to check out The Circle Hostel in either Zambales or La Union (both owned by my friend Raf Dionisio) since I’d been hearing people mention it here and there. And my somewhat spur-of-the-moment trip to La Union with Marcos, Rai and Kookai let me experience it for myself.
True to the nature of hostels and backpacking, The Circle Hostel was very rustic and no frills, and yet that was also its charm. The easy atmosphere and good-natured guests also further validated The Circle Hostel’s motto of “there are no strangers”, and we were easily able to get to know and hangout with the other guests staying at the hostel at the time, and even headed into town to feast on some cheap street eats. :)
The Realities of Hostel Life
Hostels aren’t necessarily for everyone because some people want to have a certain level of comfort and security. Some people want air conditioning and their own room and bathroom complete with little travel sized toiletries.
But as a budget traveler (or a budget human being LOL), I generally don’t have problems sacrificing luxury to save money, but it’d be best to be prepared with:
Bug spray (I’m usually a magnet for mosquitoes wherever I go)
A flashlight (For those brief walks from the street / beach back to your hostel)
Your own lock (To secure your own belongings - I don’t usually witness / experience incidents of theft, but there seemed to be a problem with certain guests’ locks / lockers)
These are some regular travel companions of mine that I take along wherever I go, so it’s also best to be prepared with these things when staying at less frilly accommodations.
Traveling Mindfully
One of my peeves is litter, and I’ve been trying to do my part to make people more aware of the impact of litter and how they can “cut the crap”.
And one of the sad things about the trip was all the litter I’d see on the beach, exacerbated by an event setup there.
You might not see it so clearly in these photos but there was a whole bunch of litter in the form of cigarette butts, food containers and plastic bags scattered by the beach.
As more informed travelers, it would be best to be conscious of not adding to the mess, and encouraging friends to do the same. Doing a 5 to 10-minute cleanup with friends to minimize your environmental impact on a place you visit would do the community good too.
Who knows, people who see you cleaning up might become more wary of the mess that they’ve been creating and be more conscious not to add to the unsightly litter ruining the beach. ;)
‘Til my next post! :P
Cheers,Jen
The Circle Hostelwww.thecirclehostel.comE-mail: lu@thecirclehostel.comMobile: +639178326253](http://24.media.tumblr.com/14f892982c1627182e76a95f43e765bf/tumblr_mmpzg269Gk1r0u81eo1_500.jpg)
There Are No Strangers
The Circle Hostel
La Union, Philippines
* The above photo features me with three of my trip companions and a whole bunch of new friends we made at The Circle Hostel. (Most photos here are c/o Kookai’s GF1 and Rai’s GoPro)
A few weeks ago, when my friend Marcos mentioned that he and his friends Rai and Kookai were heading over to La Union for a few days and that they were going to stay at The Circle Hostel, I (almost) jumped at the chance to join them.
On NOT surfing in La Union
Our 3-day stay, while scored with offers for surf lessons, and further aided by visuals like below:
…involved no surfing at all. :P
Been a bit busy lately, but hey!
Check out Muni’s 7 Picks From Manila FAME here!
I loved A LOT of the things I saw but opted only to pick my favorites in 5 categories. So yeah, I cheated a little and went beyond that by picking 7! But I’m proud of ALL the Filipinos who showcased their creativity and artisanry at Manila FAME. :)
Especially Rags2Riches, Lumago Designs and Jacinto & Lirio who were also our featured brands at our recent Eco Fashion Workshop. :D
Hooray for innovative Filipino design! :)
Disclaimer: The original title of this post was supposed to be “Labo Labo Sabaw Lang” (inspired by the language I find myself using a lot with Chely lately) because this was supposed to just be like a mind-clearing post because I can feel neurons short-circuiting (well, not really, but you know what I mean) because of all the things I’m supposed to be thinking about right now – pending articles (too many), an upcoming speaking engagement at Manila FAME this Friday (yikes!), post-Muni Eco Fashion Workshop feedback collection + blog post (again) & video (!), and “job description” for volunteers & interns I’ll be shouting out for on Muni.
My head is a mess, I am quite overwhelmed (to say the least) and I can’t concentrate on any of the above pressing tasks.
And this is the time that I choose to step back and write a reflective blog post.
Nice.
But I’m justifying this break by saying that the busiest moments in life really are among the best times to take a break and remind myself about why I’m doing what I’m doing and what it is that I’m getting myself so caught up in.
It feels like so much is happening with and around me and I’m barely (actually not even barely) keeping up with my posts for both www.muni.com.ph and here. But there’s really been so many kind of epic little victories and lessons for Muni.
Putting together this Eco Fashion Workshop for Muni PH on March 11.
Super limited slots available (FIFTEEN ONLY!).
Click on this link for more details on this awesome workshop!
Find out how to reserve your slot here. :)
Not sold on eco fashion? Click here to read why it rocks, and why you should rock it too.
Peace out,
Jen
Having completed my Open Water Diver (OWD) Course at Liquid Dumaguete in Dauin just last October, I was more than eager to come back this month to take my Advanced Open Water Diver Course, revisit my diving “home base”, and most importantly, be part of Liquid Dumaguete’s Sunday Funday, a great initiative that the team began last December and will continue to do every first Sunday of the month.
Getting to Dauin
I’d been traveling through Iloilo and Bacolod the days before, and preferring land vs. air travel, I took a 6-hour bus ride from Bacolod to Dumaguete (I’d been on a 31-hour road trip before, so 6 hours is not a big deal), but given that I had only left Bacolod a little past 4pm, on account of my visit to Rapha Valley, this meant that I’d arrive at roughly 10:30. Upon my arrival at Dumaguete, it turned out that I’d have to wait for the 11:30 bus leaving Dumaguete for Dauin (since I arrived at a less than ideal time — it’s usually a worry-free 20-minute trip from Dumaguete to Dauin).
I cram myself into the bus departing for Dauin at 11:30pm, and get dropped off at the Petron station near Liquid, take a flashlight-guided 10-minute walk to the resort, and at around 12:00 midnight, feel grateful for arriving unscathed.
Again, by no means do I advise solo female travelers to do what I did at the time that I did it. Traveling solo at night isn’t exactly the smartest thing to do. But anyway.
Touchdown: Liquid Dumaguete