Flashing . . . An exciting and cheap activity!

When people see or hear the word FLASHING, they think dirty (sexual) thoughts - Gotcha! I know that you were thinking the very same thing. These folks think about exhibitionism, or about a person walking down a street or in a park wearing a long overcoat (usually in the summer, otherwise, it's not going to be a good show) and briefly exposing his naked body in a sexual way and usually with a perverted look on his face, much to the surprise (if the flasher has a hot body) . . . or sometimes, to the disgust (if the flasher has a horrible body) of the person chosen for such a "jaw-dropping sight".  However, this post is not about such  . . . controversial things. I mean flashing in a different sense, of course . . .  being the angel that I am - yeah right! Flashing, in my post, refers to 'taking a flash trip' or a very quick journey. You've heard about 'flash mobs' suddenly dancing in the streets, right? Therefore, why not 'flash trips'?

Most people consider travelling as an expensive activity that is usually associated with or reserved for the rich or upper class. (Excuse me!) However, the common man must not be held down by such backward thinking or by a poor financial condition. He has a right to live and experience life in so many ways. Although the average man hasn't been blessed with a fat wallet or doesn't come from a filthy rich family, he can still resort to more creative forms of travel. . .  like 'flash trips'. Hence, in my book, he's got to travel to experience new things and even old things that he may have forgotten about because of age, time or some other truly meaningless excuse.

Now for the main event . . . this post is about a 'flash trip' that I had the privilege of experiencing in 34 hours.  It was a very quick but special trip that made me and my husband feel alive and even young again. It brought us closer together after being together for 17 years, and surprisingly, didn't cost a lot of money (which was a BONUS!).  A 34-hour 'flash trip', mind you, is not a travel activity for the prissy or overly sensitive kind of traveler but is for those who are young at heart and who would like to let that heart beat with the thunder of life . . . of love . . . of living freely . . . even for just a few bucks. I guess you could say it's an example of the saying "you can have your cake and eat it too". So, let's take a trip . . . in a flash . . . (I included the cost so that you could see how inexpensive travelling could be, and so even those with a limited budget might take the plunge and dare to explore the world . . . or at least nearby regions . . . to enjoy life through travelling.)

Getting on the ferry to Bantayan 

Let's begin . . . My husband and I went on a 34-hour  'flash trip' from Cebu City to Bantayan Island (and back) in the Philippines. It actually started with a taxi ride from our hotel in Cebu City to the (northbound) bus station (about P90). Then, we took a 3-hour air-conditioned bus ride (P170 per person one-way) to Hagnaya Port at the northern tip of the island of Cebu. When we got to the port, the ferry looked a little scary; but we were on an adventure, so what the heck! We hopped on the ferry going to the port of Santa Fe, Bantayan Island (P180 fare + P10 terminal fee each), which took a little over an hour.

On the scooter feeling young again

When we got to Santa Fe Port, we got on a tricycle (P20 each) and went to our air-conditioned backpacker's style cottage at Bantayan Cottages, which I found on the internet (P650 a night). Even though we were on a budget, there were still a few things that we couldn't give up . . . like AIR-CONDITIONING in a tropical climate! After taking a rest, we rented a couple of scooters at a great price (P300 each for 24-hours) to freely get around and explore the places nearby. This is something I highly recommend because it was so much fun. The scooter was easy to ride and made me feel like a teenager again!

Hmm . . . I' wish I couldl have everything! 

Local fare for a few bucks! 

In order to save money, my hubby and I ate heavy meals at hole-in-the-wall places or local diners [around P100 - Php150 each for a lot of delicious food - like lechon (succulent roasted pig), escabeche (sweet n' sour fish), fried pork ribs, linagang baka (beef soup) and rice for just P300 total]. Then, we would go to a nice place with a great ambiance for a snack and drinks (usually around P500) to live it up a little.

Planning my haggling strategy

The interior of the simple but gorgeous Bantayan Church

We went to Bantayan Town, which was about 20 minutes away on the scooters. We also dropped by the market to buy famous dried seafood products (P85 for 1/4 kg of danggit) and saw one of the oldest churches in the Philippines, Bantayan Church. We even crashed a wedding going on at the time (long enough for a few priceless shots).

Sugar Beach was still beautiful  - even on a rainy day

Then, we got on our scooters and stopped by beautiful Sugar Beach (with powdery white sand) on the way back to the cottage. On our way to the beach, the weather began to turn bad, but we didn't care! We made it to the beach and the view was absolutely breathtaking despite an overcast sky and drizzling rain. Although my husband and I were rushing to get back to the cottage to finish packing and to catch the next ferry to Cebu Island, we were happy because the trip was truly exciting. What a rush to ride around on a scooter and feel the gentle rain caress your face and the wind embrace you!

Our tired but happy feet

When we got on the ferry and started the trip back, the weather turned nasty. We thought we were going to die as the ferry violently rocked back and forth. Nevertheless, we made it back to Hagnaya Port and took the bus back to Cebu City. We were so happy to be alive and were laughing about the exciting trip on the bus ride back. It was an exciting and unforgettable 34-hour trip which cost us only about P3,000 each (all-inclusive) . . . an unforgettable time for not a lot of dough! Although the trip was a flash of 34 hours, the wonderful memories will truly last us a lifetime.

We still recall our 34-hour adventure to this day and hope to go back to Bantayan Island with our children someday. However, we know that next time, it has to be for a few days because it's different when you bring kids - travelling becomes a bit more tricky. Anyway, I'm sure my two boys will have a blast because we certainly did! The most terrific part of the trip was that it brought us closer together, too (because, let's face it, after 17 years of being together, you have to find more exciting things to do together . . . LOL!)

So, to my fellow financially challenged comrades, or those who are tired of living dreary lives, or those who need to rekindle their relationship . . . live life under the sun . . . and travel, travel, travel . . . inexpensively . . . and in a flash!

Ellipsis . . . Is that a disease?

Attention! Ellipsis is not a disease (for all of you hypochondriacs out there . . . like me). It is actually a kind of punctuation mark. I know you are thinking, "What the heck is this? I didn't click on this link to learn about punctuation!" Nevertheless, please keep reading. I promise all of this is not about grammar, which many people say is BORING!   =)

In line with the theme of my blog, consider this as just a part of our pursuit of knowledge. In addition, I am writing about this topic,  ELLIPSIS (or ELLIPSES in its plural form), upon the request of my friend and language aficionado, Celeste A. de Vera. I guess she got a nosebleed from all of the ellipses (with spaces in between) that I used in my last two blogs.

So, let's take a look at what the heck an ellipsis is.

"First, a definition: An ellipsis (from the Greek word elleipsis — also the source of ellipse, meaning 'an oval' — is an elision of words that can be implied to mentally complete a statement; it can also mean “a sudden change of subject.” But the meaning we seek is another one, the grammatically mechanical one: Ellipsis and its plural form,ellipses, also refer to the punctuation marks signaling elision. (That word, from the Latin term elidere, means 'omission.')

Despite the second meaning of ellipsis mentioned above — 'a sudden change of subject' — ellipses are not recommended for this function. Ellipses signal, in addition to elision, a faltering or trailing off (in which case they are sometimes called suspension points), but to prepare the reader for an abrupt break or interruption in thought, use an em dash."

"Note this example: 'Three dots. . . . What could be simpler?'”
                                                                   - From All About Ellipses by Mark Nichol.

Definition:

One of three equally spaced points ( . . . ) used in writing or printing to indicate the omission of words in a quotation. Also known as ellipsis points. Plural, ellipses. 

                                                                                     - From Ellipsis (Punctuation) by Richard Nordquist

The first definition gave me a headache but was more complete. With that out of the way, I can go on to say that writing, especially writing for pleasure (the non-carnal type, except for romance novelists), should not always be grammatically correct because, more often than not, . . .  grammatically sound means boring. Hence, as a law grad, I plead the 5th amendment on using ellipses incorrectly, in a grammatical sense only.

In my humble opinion, we should write to express our thoughts as we imagine them to be and try, as much as possible, to give our readers a taste of our personality or of who we are in a unique dialogue - a dialogue of minds between the writer and the reader, with an occasional interplay of comments (at the bottom of the page). We need to live our lives away from the 'grammatical shade' in order to give vibrant color to our words and thoughts. However, this doesn't mean that we should write recklessly and confuse our readers - now that can truly give you a nosebleed, a headache, nausea, etc. Hence, slight deviations from the strict rules of grammar and formality are sometimes necessary to make reading bearable or enjoyable (clearly, this blog was written by a person who has always enjoyed movies and TV more than books . . . but don't tell my mom that).

What about ellipses and the life part? O.K. Here we go. The ellipses in life introduce flashes, pauses and breaks in our daily thoughts. They are those unconscious moments that transport us from one idea to another, no matter how unrelated they are. It's like when we are shopping in a grocery store and then suddenly, an image of our lover flashes in our minds causing us to smile uncontrollably (or think dirty thoughts for the easily excitable ones out there) . . . or when we are listening to a person we don't like go on and on about something stupid, and suddenly imagining a bulls-eye on their forehead . . . then . . . BANG! - a mental gunshot.

Ellipses can also be those pauses when we think about something like whether or not to quit our jobs when the boss is being a super jerk or pr*%k . . . but then in a few moments, we realize that we have to work to survive. When this sad reality hits us, we usually end up smiling and thanking our stupid boss for letting us do our jobs but in his inefficient and retarded way. Thus, some even resort to oleaginous flattery. (I know some of you are thinking, "Do I need a dictionary to read this freaking blog?", and I tell you, "No". Just let it flow into your minds. Anyway, OLEAGINOUS is another interesting word which would be hilarious to discuss)

So, let's think about language in a more practical way. Let's think about it as a funny part of our daily lives and always enjoy language and life under the sun . . . no matter how weird some words sound . . . like oleaginous.

Sift . . . O.M.G.! You just did it and you weren't even baking!

Here we go! This is my 2nd entry . . . obviously. (Don't worry. This is the last time I'll be counting my entries.   I had to do it one last time . . . just to irritate the veteran bloggers.) As promised, I dedicate this entry to my dear friend Celeste A. de Vera for encouraging me by bookmarking this page and giving me the inspiration to write another blog. (Yahoo!)

Still being wet behind the ears, I had a hard time trying to decide what to blog about next. Imagine a million topics racing around your mind (which is interesting as it is actually physically limited yet mentally infinite). Then, it hit me! SIFT!!! I'll write about the word sift and how it is actually connected to everything under the sun. Hmmm . . . sounds crazy, right? Let's see.

People normally associate the word sift with baking. When they think of sift, they imagine putting some flour into a sieve (which is a net like straining device for all of you non-bakers out there) in order to separate the fine particles of flour from the clumps. However, the same people who think about sift in that way don't even know they actually do it every day . . .  sans the flour, of course.

Sift also means 'to examine and sort carefully' or 'to make a careful examination'. This can be a very interesting concept . . .

Lawyers sift through the evidence of a case and present only those pieces which would benefit their client's position or would damage the other party's position . . . (Imagine that! You could go to jail or lose you property because of sifting) . . .

Teenagers (who don't like lying to their parents) sift through the facts of why they came home late the night before (after a wild party); only stating those facts which aren't so damaging, such as merely forgetting the time, and omitting those facts which would warrant a stern reprimand, such as forgetting the time because they were vomiting on the street or crashing into walls to get from one place to another . . .

Women sift through all the things they want to buy while shopping, carefully analyzing what and exactly how many things they could possibly get on that one shopping trip . . . (So, they could actually go home with a ton of stuff or just a couple of items after 3 or 4 hours of shopping. Now that's what I call good exercise . . It's win - win! Right, ladies?) . . .

In correlation to such shopping trips, men, on the other hand, wish they had stayed home because such endeavors usually take women hours to complete. So, men also sift through all the ideas of the possible things they could be doing instead . . . like watching TV with the remote control firmly grasped in their hand or playing their favorite sport . . . anything except watching a woman buy a ton of stuff that she doesn't really need . . . (in his opinion, of course) . . .

Speaking of TV, people also flip through the channels to sift through all the programs to decide what to ultimately watch . . . (However, men just seem to keep sifting with that blasted remote control, especially during advertisements, causing the viewers around him to miss the key parts after the end of the commercials . . . Grrrrr . . . attention, all husbands and dads!) . . .

People sift through their clothes in order to decide what to wear to school, work, especially when they have a date or want to impress someone . . . (Some people, like me, even do it to look slimmer or taller) . . .

They also sift through the refrigerator and/or pantry trying to find something they want to eat . . . a number of times in a day . . . and for some, it's a few more times than others . .  (Guilty here!!!) . . .

Even children know how to sift. At home, they sift through their toys (often making a big mess to their mother's discontent) to decide which ones to play with at that time. In addition, they know that they have limited options when they go to a toy store. Hence, they move about the toy store like heat seeking missiles carefully looking at many toys, choosing their targeted items. At purchase time, they ultimately sift again and choose the ones they are allowed to get . . .

These, of course, are just a few ways that we sift in our lives every day. So, as you can see, sifting is as natural to us as breathing air. We don't even know we're doing it while we are actually doing it. Go figure!

Anyway, you can apply the principle of sifting when you go through life and sift through all the wonderful things and the bull%&^*, just like sifting through all the websites and webpages and ending up here to read my blog . . .  As you can see, YOU JUST DID IT!    = )

So, sift away and enjoy life under the sun!

De-virginization . . Is that even a word?

I have lost my virginity . . . . in blogging. I have just set up this blog and am interested in writing about all kinds of things. I probably sound retarded right now as I expect most bloggers do on their first try. However, I DON'T CARE!!! This is FUN!
Maybe, just a few people would end up reading my blog. That's O.K. with me because life is not a popularity contest. So we might as well enjoy living our lives to make ourselves happy and not worry too much about what other people think of us. Nevertheless, I am happy that you took the time to read this. Yipee!! (I am obviously a newbie at this.)
Anyway, back to the theme of my blog, LANGUAGE AND LIFE UNDER THE SUN. Truly living life is about learning, trying new things and going on adventures . . every day, or at least as much as possible . . . no matter if you are "not that young anymore". So, I will try my best to take my readers on some of the adventures that I have been on  . . . in mind, body and spirit.