Camiguin Island: Sunken Cemetery and Sto. Niño Cold Spring

What made the end of my 2013 really memorable? After 15 long years, I was finally able to set foot again in the beautiful island that is home to both my paternal and maternal roots  --- CAMIGUIN!

The whole family,including the Hubby who was a first timer, journeyed by land (bus), air (plane) and sea (ferry) to be at a dear cousin's wedding. To say that our reunion with relatives was uber fun is simply an understatement. We were literally laughing the whole time we were in the "Isla" and also in Cagayan de Oro where we made stopovers. Our stay was only for a weekend and yeah, I now miss all our folks back there big time.T_T

What also made our vacation in Camiguin amazing was the opportunity to visit some of the tourist spots the Island takes pride on. Due to time constraints, we were able to go to only two spots situated in Catarman, the actual hometown of my parents. Still, these are definitely worth sharing with everyone.^^

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SUNKEN CEMETERY

The old cemetery submerged into the sea as a result of the eruption of Mt. Vulcan in 1871. The huge cross which serve as the cemetery's marker was erected only in 1982. To date, many tourists flock this spot, some of whom go diving to really see the grave site.

To get to the cross, we had to rent a boat for a minimum fee of P20.00 per person. We gave additional tip though because we were satisfied by the boatmen's service. One of these boatmen, we found out, once upon a time became a scholar of my late Tito Fred who was my mom's eldest brother. Small world indeed!:D

The travel from the shore to the cross took us merely a few minutes. We were all giddy except for my dad who seemed a bit nervous, no thanks to the small waves haha.:D 

Stepping on the hardened lava on which the huge cross stood was truly an overwhelming experience for me. I could only imagine the horrific tragedy that sunk this part of the ancient Camiguin, together with the unfortunate locals and the remains of their departed loved ones.

Anyway, what's a visit without "picture-picture"?^^ Manong boatman, the scholar of my uncle, proved to be an amazing photographer. He wowed us with a lot of tricks!:D

Finally, it was time to go back and leave the buried Camigueños in peace. The boat was then paddled along the area with what I would call a "safety rope", tied from the shore to the cross. 

STO. NIÑO COLD SPRING

After our Sunken Cemetery adventure, we headed straight to one of Camiguin's famous cold springs. I have read somewhere that this natural pool measures 25 meters by 40 meters, with a maximum depth of around 2 meters.

The moment I dipped my foot on the water, I immediately felt cooooooold (remember, 'twas December then!) but it was such a refreshing feeling that I did not hesitate to fully immerse myself in the spring. The water was so clear that the sandy bottom, the stones and even fish were very much visible!:D

Because he deemed it too chilly for his liking, we appointed our dad as the official photographer while we had fun hahaha.:D

By the way, we saw this dog at the entrance of Sto. Niño. It must be the coldness that prompted him to "wear socks". LOL!^^

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There you go!^^ Oh boy, if only one would just see for himself all the wonders the Island has to offer, he would not be able to resist when the wind whispers, "Come-again to Camiguin!".^^

As for me, well, I will surely be back pretty soon!:D

For more information on Camiguin Island, click here.

Leftover Makeover: Hotdog "Paella"

The other night, it was just Jiggly and I at home so I felt too lazy to cook dinner. There was still some rice left from the previous meal so I scanned through the few ingredients in the fridge waiting to be noticed haha. 

The result is another delicous, albeit lazy, leftover experiment inspired by the famous Valencian rice dish, PAELLA, with an Italian twist.:D

HOTDOG PAELLA

Ingredients:

Leftover Rice

Hotdog, cut in bite-size pieces

Butter

Spaghetti Sauce

Water

Cheese, grated or cut in small pieces

Seasoning

Directions:

1. Pan fry hotdog with a scoop of butter.

2. Pour in spaghetti sauce and some water.

3. Add cheese to the mixture.

4. Stir and let it simmer.

5. Season to taste.

6. Mix leftover rice until well-coated.

6. Serve and enjoy!

Other ingredients may be added such as carrots, peas and bell pepper. The possibilities are actually endless.:D

Taraaaaaaaaaaan!:D INSTANT MEAL! 

I'm sure kids and kids-at-heart will love this as much as I did.:D

Leftover Makeover: Scrambled Egg Con Lechon

Until now, Hubby and I are still thriving on Christmas and New Year leftovers.:) It's not a bad thing though because we spend less on food these days hohoho.:)

Anyway, my post would be about what we had for brunch today. Made out of leftovers (yeah!), it's a very ordinary dish but the taste turned out to be so good that I thought of sharing the idea with everyone.

SCRAMBLED EGG CON LECHON

Ingredients:

Leftover Lechon (cut in strips)

Leftover Quickmelt Cheese (cut in desired size)

Egg

Seasoning

Directions:

1. Beat egg.

2. Add cheese and seasoning.

3. Set aside egg mixture.

4. Fry lechon strips until crispy. (Fat from lechon may be used as cooking oil substitute)

5. Add egg mixture.

6. Cook as you would a scrambled egg.

7. Serve and enjoy!

Sorry for this seemingly "unflattering" photo LOL!

Very simple and easy to do, right? But the taste? Ooooohhhhh, simply awesome!:) 

This dish is perfect for breakfast, lunch too and yes, even dinner. 

Happy cooking and eating!:)

My Final Artwork for 2013 ^^

Time flies so fast and today marks the end of 2013! Instead of looking back to the year that was, for now I'd rather look forward to the year that will be.:) 

Here are my aspirations for 2014, as symbolized by my final artwork for 2013 ---- 

My Customized and Handmade Planner Cover!:)

Unlike its "predecessor" which is more on the cool pastel side, the cover of my new planner screams of sparkle, shimmer and all that! 

It might be too lustrous for some but, hey, that's how I want my 2014 to be.:) I want to "radiate" endless energy and enthusiasm to be able to take giant leaps in reaching my goals and accomplishing even those I haven't had courage to do before. 

The color scheme is also reminiscent of our wedding motif. I hope 2014 will be another fruitful year for our marriage, in whatever means possible.

As for the gold ribbon, it also signifies me, Golda being my name haha. It simply means that one of my aspirations for the coming year is to have more opportunities to express my individuality, my skills and whatever that would speak of who/what I really am, sans fear of rejection or indifference.

The color violet (my fave!) is also for royalty. Maybe, just maybe, I will be a real princess in my own palace come 2014.:)

Finally, the heart on the cover denotes my yearning to give more love and care to family, friends and just about anybody in my own little way. Of course, such would not be possible without first acknowledging God's great love for humanity.

So that's my final artwork for 2013. More than a visual masterpiece (or at least that's how I perceive it lol), it is an unabashed display of my heart's desires for 2014. May all of these (and yours too!) come true, God-willing.

I wish everyone Wondrous & Joyful New Year!^^

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UPDATE: January 27, 2014

After barely a month, the metallic coating on the letters I used for my name already began to chip off. Hence, I decided to just use plain foam cut-outs, material of which is similar to the ones I used for "2014".:) 

Here's the current look of my planner cover teehee...:)

ADVENT 2013: Of Observance and Crafts

Today, the 1st of December, marks the beginning of ADVENT, a season that Christians observe before Christmas. It is a time of reflection, anticipation and preparation for the nativity of Jesus.:)

A Catholic myself, I grew up  having an Advent wreath in our home as part of the season's observance. Every year, the presence of the wreath would nurture my spirituality, reminding me of what the season is all about.

Source: http://christmastraditions.net/advent.shtml

An Advent wreath has many symbolism in itself. Traditionally made of evergreen, its color signifies eternal life. Its circular shape speaks of the belief that God has no beginning nor end.  

There are four candles on the wreath, representing the four weeks of Advent.  Three of which are purple and one is pink. 

The purple candles in particular symbolize the prayer, penance, and preparatory sacrifices and goods works undertaken at this time. The rose candle is lit on the third Sunday, Gaudete Sunday, when the priest also wears rose vestments at Mass; Gaudete Sunday is the Sunday of rejoicing, because the faithful have arrived at the midpoint of Advent, when their preparation is now half over and they are close to Christmas. The progressive lighting of the candles symbolizes the expectation and hope surrounding our Lord’s first coming into the world and the anticipation of His second coming to judge the living and the dead.  The light again signifies Christ, the Light of the world. Some modern day adaptions include a white candle placed in the middle of the wreath, which represents Christ and is lit on Christmas Eve. (www.catholiceducation.org)

In the past, it is my mother who always took the initiative to set up an Advent wreath. Now that I am living in separate residence with my Hubby (and JIGGLY :)), I happily assumed the "responsibility".:)

To be honest though, until yesterday morning, I did not have a clear idea on how to go about setting up our own Advent wreath. Afternoon came and I was cramming already. Since time wasn't enough for me to go to wherever to buy a ready-made wreath, I decided to improvise one.:) I suddenly had inspiration when I rummaged through the available materials in the house. Thank God, I was able to come up with this... tadaaaaah!:)

Materials used:

4 wine glasses
4 candles (3 purple and 1 pink) ---> Courtesy of my mom ^^ 
Green Garlands 

See, I did not have to spend much for our simple wreath! I truly hope that with this in our home, as in the past years, I would always be prompted of the true essence of Advent which leads up to the most joyous yet meaningful time of the year, Christmas.:)