Everything in Manila seems so grand when you've just been to Romblon. No it doesn't mean that it's awful there, in fact I always have fun during vacations, but it's extremely different from what we do here.

Imagine people asleep by 7pm, although young ones seem to scatter somewhere else and drink or just talk by the shore. Most families don't have television, so they go find a house which has one and watch from there (turns out it's my uncle's and lola's house). I don't usually sleep earlier than 12am, so I can't find anything else to do. Thank God for satellite cable or something. And dvds.

On the other hand, life is much simpler there. It's the perfect setting if you want to relax or do things you won't normally find time for in Manila. Like take pictures of the sunset. Or write poems by the beach (God I know I'm as bad as a cheap teleserye AHAHA). Or walk by the beach before the sun rises. Or eat really fresh and yummy grilled fishes. Or find so many things at very very low prices because that's just how it is there.


So okay we were invited to several fiestas. I was even asked to become a judge in a beauty contest, and since another judge wasn't able to come, they got Kuya Bryan too. It was so funny since other judges were teachers or government employees ahaha. And ohmygod those contestants are hilarious. You just have to watch something like that, you'll be amazed that there are still people like them. Only in Romblon yo. Too bad we left the cam, but actually it's a good thing too since we were just riding the motorcycle and it was raining so hard when we headed home. And we were all soaked. Fun though.

We went to Calatrava, where most of our relatives are. Whenever you turn into another street, people will start calling you to eat at their place. Sometimes I don't know them exactly, except that they're relatives. And anyway Tito Elmer is the mayor so it's fun ahaha.


New Year's eve we had a mini party at Papa Dennis' rooftop and had mad fun belting out videoke songs. I had so much fun singing "Bed of Roses". AHAHA. Ya I know it's like painfully awful, but it's just one of those videoke classics and I just HAD to sing it. And Kate got hooked I'm telling you. She started with "Beauty and the Beast" and I don't know what happened to her but she just would NOT turn over the mic. Oh well it's not everyday you get to do that right. I mean everyday we put on Silverchair songs or Bohemian Rhapsody or SRV or Aretha Franklin or Led Zep on our playlist and sing our lungs out in our room, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A MICROPHONE. That's the glaring difference. HELLO WE ARE FRUSTRATED VOCALISTS and it would be so nice if we could just sing all day.


So yeah fiestas in Romblon are still all-out. They really prepare for it, and it's still such a big deal. Papa Dennis organized boxing and taekwondo matches from little kids to adults. We were invited to different homes for lunch, merienda and dinner, although I was getting pretty sick with all the pork dishes. I just ate buco salad everywhere.


Coronation night was okay, although the second night there was some feud which was really pathetic yo, so we just had fun with the cousins and some friends there.


Went home together with our cousins. It's a good thing they're all guys, we had them carry our luggage which could fit two people ahaha.


Anyway view more pictures here and here. I had to make two albums in my multiply since the internet connection acted up after I uploaded the first batch, so so.

And Ate Ron, I've lots of stories for you which I can't post here ahaha. Strictly for us cousins I guess. So contact me and I'll spill go go!

Oh yeah and we got marble keychains for our pasalubong. Had only one engraved with a name though, since we were running out of time.

And we didn't get to go to Boracay. We were planning to go with our cousins (who headed there when we left Manila) but we only had enough money for the cottage, transportation and food. We wanted to go shop for a few things there. And all our clothes were in our giant luggage. So maybe next time, Bora. If I manage to save up ahaha. And anyway there are a lot of beaches in Romblon with powdery white sand too, like Boracay minus the foreigners and the shops. Perfect if you can't head over to the real thing.