January 2010 Travel Kickoff

New Year means quarter-end for most companies; and quarter-end isn't fun for most of us. It's a matter of consolidating crucial reports, meeting deadlines and attending to things you happily and carelessly left last December. More work and more action should boost your January, at the same time you have this undeniably painful phase of transitioning from vacation to work.

Just as I have predicted, schedules have gone crazy since Monday. Conference calls are non-stop since people from all over the globe want to reconnect and get the job done. This results to late night office hours and sometimes pulling more than 12 hours shift. There's the intense pressure on reports generation just because the period is crucial. There's little room for delay and for mistakes. Saturday is even considered a workday for us, at least for this month. Now, I'm just enjoying my one day rest, my weekend or whatever's left of it.

But there are things that keep me up and constantly put me in a better mood. Splashing to a pool of ice is better once you know there's a happy end to it. And to kick off nicely for the year 2010, I have 2 grand vacations planned and sealed.


JANUARY 15 - 19: Cebu, 2010 SINULOG FESTIVAL



Ah, Sinulog, undeniably the most popular fiesta of the archipelago. It happens nowhere else but in my birthplace and second home, Cebu City. It's been a long time since my last Sinulog Festival. I always go home to Cebu every Christmas or Summer and literally miss Sinulog. It was just this once in Gradeschool when I had a weekend vacation with my mom that I had to experience old-school Sinulog full of face painting, dancing and eating like crazy. I remember my uncles letting me ride on their backs as we dance on the street with the beat of the drums. It was colorful, it was fun. It's a shame that I've constantly missed it.

Now is the start of my rediscovery of the new age Sinulog. They say it wasn't like before when people were just wild with happiness, minus the robberies and chaos. The officials had to regulate it somehow. I'm sure most people go there for the parties not because of the hot, crowded parade, the same thing that draws tourists. Although I'm really not particular with parties, I just want to experience the parade once more and go home to where I know I would be able to relax after all these post New Year work stress. If memory serves me right, nothing beats this fiesta. Nothing beats Sinulog Festival. I can't wait

PIT SENYOR!


JANUARY 28-31: Hongkong - Macau

And to officially close the first month of the new year, I'm scheduled to fly and have a fun vacation with my sister and a friend to Hongkong and Macau. I've been to this place before with my parents. Hongkong was my first overseas trip way before States, Bali and Singapore became possibilities. I remember Hongkong to be cold, full of walking, grouchy people and of course dimsum! It's a place that has a great language barrier, but a place I think I could live in. I love the fast paced environment and modernity and language could be easily learned.

remember my mom shopping non-stop in Jade Market, though I don't remember us taking trains. I remember Ocean Park and watching my mom as she punches a calculator in front of the salesperson. Now, I'm going to revisit it as an adult after so many years. Technically, I'm back to zero. I have to do my research.



Also, aside from Hongkong we are set to visit Macau, a neighboring country of HK. Macau is known to be the Vegas of Asia and that would mean lights and five star hotels. Intensive research is still to be done.

I don't know how we would fit everything in three short days. I even have no idea where to get winter clothes.

One of my goals this year is to save up and plan my travels accordingly. No more redundancy and no more getting easily swayed. This is my year and this year is full of meaningful vacations. May this be a promising start!