Potipot, Company Outing

I took the company on a sort of impromptu outing to Potipot Island in Zambales. 

Tuesday and Wednesday April 27 and 28.

We had a tough first quarter at the office and my mind had been on more pressing matters. We weren't able to think about celebrating out 3rd year anniversary as a company. Frankly, I didn't feel there was much to celebrate during that time-- which was April 1st. I was traumatized with all the financial hooplah I had to endure that i was repulsed at the thought of expenses. But as I started to do damage control-- or better yet a complete change of work ethic not to mention lifestyle, might even go as far as a complete overhaul of priorities and values truly a life changing experience for me-- talking incessantly to my people i saw the need to boost morale. I caught wind of plans made by the sales department to go out of town somewhere of their own expense so I decided to take them somewhere-- but on a tight budget :)

Lanie and I brain stormed one day on where we could go. We made a list of possible places and how much we were willing to spend. I set Lanie out to do her research so we could better decide. During one of my insomniac nights where I would wake up at 245am delirious with ideas i thought..

POTIPOT PERFECT!

I was able to go there with the Jose's in December but I was sleeping most of the way there (and back) while Diego and Fonts drove. All the arrangements were also already set. I didn't have to worry about a thing. All I did was sleep in the car hop on a boat, leave the rest of the world behind and relaxed.

I asked Diegs for help with their contacts on the island because I had no idea of how things went down there; whether the boats would just be there waiting to cross to the island or if you could just go there and camp.. There were people preparing all our food there in December so I didn't know if we had to bring cooking gear.. Luckily Diegs was able to help, Thanks :)

We rented what was supposed to be a coaster for 30 people but it was more of a bus. One of the best buses I've been on in this country mind you. We paid 19,200 for the coaster to Candelaria, Zambales which turned out too good to be true. The company called after we had already settled the payment on the day before we were leaving saying that they had made a mistake on their quotation. They had quoted Candelaria, QUEZON and not ZAMBALES. Unfortunately for them the Conforme clearly stated Candelaria, Zambales so it was only fair for us to demand the original price of 19,200. The only downside about the bus was that it came with a driver that would not stop talking. We left at 2am Tuesday morning to miss any traffic and so we could spend the entire day at the beach. It was hard to get much sleep with the driver talking to himself the entire way there.

I brought Kace by the way because I know she's been wanting to go to Potipot! And just because! :) 

We got to the town of Masinloc at around 6 in the morning. Ate Glen is from there and she had arranged for her sister to get us the food that we were going to eat on the island. I told her to get Tuna, Tilapia and Mangoes which are on my list of things to eat. We stopped by the market; looked around had some coffee and pandesal, got the food and bought some snacks to bring on. 

Before the bus stopped I saw a small Bakery, which I love. I love fresh Pandesal and floor wax which I think is officially called Pan de Regla ( the ones that have the red filling, sometimes purple. They have them at Blue Kitchen ) and Spanish bread. I remember how we'd always get Spanish bread on the way home from school when we still lived in Ayala Heights. That was my favorite mirenda. When I saw the Bakery I say "Yay! May Bakery" and Melvin, one of our best technicians who was sitting upfront with us said "Mahilig pala kayo sa tinapay" or something like that-- but I wasn't really paying attention because I was looking at the bakery and excited about it. Hahaha :)) So Kace and I went around the Market first. She was looking for cigarettes and I was following her but was distracted by another bakery i found with Pan de Regla. 

Their Pan de Regla was SOOOOO GOOOOOD! Kace can attest to that. I don't think she actually looks for Pan de Regla like I do but when I had her try one she goes "GRABE AND SARAP NITO!!" The filling wasn't like the others that has a tendency to be dry, this one had a thick, jelly-like, creamy red filling and the bread Kace says is "Parang Monay." I don't know what "parang monay " is but it was soft. yum... :) too bad I wasn't able to take a picture. You know me, when good food comes, I forget about documentation.

When we got back to the bus, I was so touched that Melvin bought a plastic bag full of bread from the Bakery I was gushing over earlier. He bought -- tantantantan-- SPANISH BREAD. How could I refuse such a sweet gesture just because of a diet? And Spanish Bread is Spanish Bread!! So even if carbs aren't on the list and I had already ate Pan de Regla, Spanish Bread narin may kasama pang Coffee na 3-in-1! You see, I have ever since reading "Skinny Bitch" drank my coffee black. Yes just plain coffee no milk and sugar, not even fake sugar mind you. Just plain coffee-- which I have grown accustomed to. One time when I asked Ging-Ging to make me black coffee at work it tasted strangely sweet which bothered me because I specifically asked for black coffee and Ging had said "Yes, black coffee."I though maybe there was something wrong with the coffee. So I called her back and asked "Nilagyan mo ba ng asukal to?" and she gigles "Ay, napansin mo? Nilagyan ko-- konting konti lang naman. Ang Pait kasi!" Hahaha :)) She has since then learned never again to put anything in my coffee. In Skinny Bitch, they talk about how milk was made for babies to exponentially grow. And exponential growth is not on my list of things to do. They also say that the only thing bad about coffee is really the milk and the sugar so I gave that up long time ago. But sometimes I have the occasional White Chocolate Mocha which is a treat reserved for special occasions. Kace, since starting her diet, has also adapted this black coffee regimen. When she took a sip of my coffee (she refused my first offer) she goes "Grabe ang sarap ng 3-in-1, Sige na Pahingi na!" And so Good-bye diet, at least for this trip.

We finally hop on the boat to take us to the island at 8. The boat ride cost us 350 pesos per boat back and forth. Our group used 6 boats we were able to get a discount of 700 pesos on the total amount. It took us a while even though signs say that Candelaria was only 11 km away because our coaster/bus was too big to the shore near Potipot Gateway Resort which our original meeting place with Mackoy, the contact Diegs sent us. We were getting caught in power lines but still braved the way. We were forced had to turn back in the end because there was construction along the road which was impossible for us to get through. We had to go back to the highway and find another port-- which turned out to be many. 

Staying overnight o the island is 200 pesos per person and a day trip would cost you 100 pesos. We rented 1 cottage for 1,500 pesos to keep all our stuff in. I had instructed them to bring tents, but I figured that it was just one night and we probably wouldn't get any sleep anyway. Kace brought a hammock and a mosquito net, I just brought my beach chair. For them to take care of all the food preparations they were asking for 4,000 pesos, 3 meals for all of us. I said that was too much. Ate Glen being a Zambales-an (hihihi) got the price down to 2,500 pesos. 

So, we forget the worries and wiles of the world and diets too...

Tong-its and Poker

Drinking Wine and Eating Chocolates while watching the sunset.

It was probably a bad idea to bring the hoard of chocolates that Eugene gave me....

Finding a bunch of starfishes on the sand and throwing them back in the water.

Kace will get mad "If you have your church, I believe in environmental stuff."

I tell Ging "Naku, wag kang magtapon diyan! Pagagalitan ka ni KC!" and she overhears. "Bakit ka nagtatapon diyan? Wala na tayong babalikang beach pag ganyan ka!"

Just sitting there.. talking about North Port, Politics, Washing Machines and Peppers. What does pepper mean again? I know it means gay but the origin-- Pa men-ta? Pa men? Tama ba Bong? Hihihi. We were silenced when these 2 cute guys walked by the beach in front of us. In my head I'm thinking "What are these cute guys doing here on a weekday?" When they disappear down the stretch of sand Bong goes "Yan ang mga pepper sa kaibilang tent!" Hahahaha :)) Kace goes "What?! Mukha naman silang okay. Gwapo nga yung una. Sakto pa yung muscles nya. Pero yung isa may man purse." hihihihihi ;))

Taking a naps, feeling like its been forever but really only half an hour

Spending time with my best friend, yes that's her in the picture. Getting drunk on wine ( wala na ngang diet dito-- at wine na nga lang e) while wading in hot water. Seriously hot water, it felt like a heated pool which I loved and KC hated. Talking about loves lost, paths to choose, lessons learned, passions to pursue, truths of ourselves and the world around us, Craziness. Coachella.. Resting on weekdays to live on the weekends. Writing classes, adventures, dancing lessons, spontaneity. I almost forget FREELOADERS at mga malas sa buhay, wrong decisions and people who just don't get it-- or pretend not to to hide their malicious intentions. I honestly think that time frying under the 130pm sun in the heated Potipot waters was the best time I've ever spent with Kace-- but after being constantly together through 8 years of being best friends this may not be entirely accurate. Even after all these years, theres still so much to discover about Kace-- maybe because she tends to keep her problems to herself.. I kinda feel bad that it taken me so long to find out about some things but happy enough to finally find them out and get closer to my best friend. I love you Kace.

And now for the best part..

Were these the best mangoes ever? Or was it just the beach and eating them this way... aaaaaaaahhhh :)

Inihaw na Tuna, or at least what's left of it

Gallunggong, one of my favorite fish! Pa loved these

What do you call this again? Lata?

Inihaw na Tilapia at Talong with THE BEST BAGOONG EVER!

Kace and I were contemplating buying some on our way home but said, "Wag na, hindi naman natin yan pwede kainin. Were going back to our diet when we get back remember??"

I wasn't able to take a picture of the Inihaw na Liempo and Pork Chops, again when I get TOO excited about the food KALIMUTAN NA! I haven't had pork in what? A month! We did eat to our hearts content-- No rice naman e :)

We had dinner before it turned dark at around 6. After dinner around 7 in the evening, still half drunk from the wine; Kace and I said we would rest. "Hindi pa kami matutulog, magpapahinga lang muna kami." So she got into her hammock and I reclined on my beach chair. When I opened my eyes it was 2 in the morning. I counted the hours.. "Oh no I already slept for 7 hours. Good Morning world." Kace was still sleeping so I walked over to voices I heard and found Ate Glenn, Sir Darry and Aque talking by their tent. They had also woken up because the winds died down and it was hot inside their tents. I said "Hindi kaya mainit. Ang Sarap sarap ng tulog ko sa chair ko!" Pretty soon Kace woke up too and everyone else started to wake up, except those that had gotten drunk and passed out snoring on the beach. They were getting hungry "Sabi ko sainyo magugutom kayo kasi ang aga natin magdinner!" Good thing I had Lanie buy hotdogs and Marshmallows for a bonfire which turned out to be forbidden on the island. So Ate Glenn set out to cook the hotdogs in the cooking area. "Sobrang Sarap ng hotdog na to! And I don't like red hotdogs!" Kace says. Ate Glenn and the others had basted them with ketchup and oil and it was really delicious on a warm summer evening under the moon. Kace and I stuck our hotdog sticks on the earth between my chair and her hammock. When we woke up we were surprised to find so many "Ang dami pala nating hotdog na nakain?!" Lets keep the number a secret.

It was such a treat to wake up to this sight. With a summer evening breeze and the sound of the waves. I had the best sleep on my beach chair under a tree a few feet from the water. "We should download wave sounds" I tell Kace. Usually I wake up at 3 in the morning with so many thoughts that I can't go back to sleep but the sound of the waves distract you from all those thoughts.. Wave sounds, i need.

In the morning, Sir Darry says "Sino ang Patron kagabi? Parang may Fiesta kasi!" Roland, one of our Sales Promodizers was so drunk he passed out on the sand and when they pulled him into the water the next morning he seemed to be cast away washed up on the shore. I had to call someone to make sure he was okay. Ging had also had some to drink which I think was her first shot. "Bat ka namumula?" "Lasing na ata ako e, pinainon kasi nila ako e-- ano ba yun? The Bar ba yun?" Haha she comes back 15 minutes later. "Ay nakalimutan ko yung tubig mo... hihihihihi ;))"

We left the island at around 3 in the afternoon and got back into our bus. 

It was a relaxing trip for me, was able to sift through a lot of thoughts in my head. To me a perfect summer outing on a budget :) I hope the others had fun.

Enjoy the Summer <3 Tysons Global Exchange