Travel Blog: El Nido and Puerto Princesa, Palawan

HERE'S THE 6-DAY ITINERARY OF OUR HONEYMOON trip to Palawan, Philippines. I'm writing about the El Nido and Puerto Princesa highlights such as the Underground River, limestone island-hopping tours, and more. 

I'm Married! Our Wedding, Part 1

I'M NOW OFFICIALLY CRYSTAL NERI, married to Jovi after many years of being together. This is inside story of how we planned our wedding and the people and choices that guided our decisions. Here's Part 1 of this two-part series, starting with the planning stages.

"Your wedding should reflect who you are as everyday people."

TRAVEL: Bohol, Philippines

SOMETHING OTHER THAT RELAXING in Alona Beach and seeing the Chocolate Hills and tarsiers made me remember why I need to travel. Here are stories from my Labor Day weekend in Bohol, Philippines.

If there’s anything I learned from public school where we had 100 kids in one classroom, or going to a US college with towering foreigners, or attending free walking tours in San Francisco with either middle-aged Europeans or American elderly, it’s this – always stick next to the teacher/speaker/tour guide. They know best and they’ll make one’s learning richer.

That’s my thought early morning of May 2nd. 

I’m in Bohol and about to take a Day Tour. Determined to explore and get to know the island as much as I can, I have forgone my sleeping girlfriends (Nelia, G., and Melanie), my own fatigue, and spending more than I budgeted. “I’m going by myself,” I said. I planned to sit next to the driver for the next 8-hours of the tour.

What To Do In Bohol

The famous Chocolate Hills, dome-shaped hills made of grass-covered limestone

TRAVEL: Siquijor Island, Philippines

As I walked up the hill–onto the centre of the Healing Festival–I was surprised to see nothing. People were gathered in small groups, vendors stationed their dried-leaf potions on the sides, and signs were put up advertising for hilot (massage). Nothing in this would differ from a typical probinsya fiesta. There were even horses you can ride for 10 pesos and live music by a local guitarista. 

I was at the Bandilaan Mountain Park in Siquijor, Negros Oriental. That day was Good Friday and my friends (Nelia, Rachel, Mya) and I trekked up the mountains for the Healing Festival. The signage said:

The Healing Festival is a showcase of healers and herbalists gathered together to perform their rituals, traditional healing practices, the renewal of their healing powers and the preparation of the medicanal potions believed to cure a variety of ailments.

I positioned myself in front of the small huts and patiently observed the healers. One man who had been working with an elder lady, did something I've never seen before: he blew bubbles in a round glass filled with water and one blue ball. He'd then chant prayers on a side, in front of a single white candle. I didn't think much of this until a 15-something girl approached him. He blew the bubbles, as usual, but sent her away immediately. "You're OK, nothing's wrong. You can leave," he said quietly.

I was able to observe this because I tried the traditional healing myself. I walked up to an elder lady dressed in white. Since I don't speak Bisaya, I just gestured and said, "Ako din po. Gusto ko din." (I'd like to try that too). To start, she massaged my head with oil from a small, roll-on container. It hurt. Then she would press parts of my chest and arm that made me wince. "Ate, bakit masakit? (Why is it hurting?), I asked. "Kasi masakit ulo, mo diba?" (Because your head hurts, right?). I did have an oncoming headache at the moment. 


After a few minutes of doing that to parts of my leg, she rubbed me with lana. As I understood, it's their version of homemade massage oil. I saw that hers had bits of leaves in it. To give respect, I didn't shower until the next day to let whatever she did (including the chanting and blowing) absorb fully.

Turns out, this wasn't your typical fiesta.

Love potions | Siquijor, Philippines

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Being in Siquijor to me, felt like a refreshing probinsya. No malls, no big stores, a few cars–heck, zero phone reception. The town is incredibly slow and quiet. I was delighted to see houses made in either nipa (a material made from a palm tree common in Pacific islands) or bare hollow blocks. It was so simple, so different from what I've seen in Cavite, California or even rural parts of Cebu. 

But then you'd get pockets of luxury like U Story. Owned by a Frenchwoman and her Filipino chef husband, together they built this Bali-inspired resto, lounge area and guest house. The woman owner designed the furniture herself and had it custom-built. I appreciate that attention to details–it made the place texture-rich yet cohesive. My friends and I had dinner there on Maundy Thursday and came back the next day to enjoy the views in daylight. 

Starting from back left: Tony, Mel, Crystal (author), Nelia, Mya and Rachel

Meet my new friend, 10-year old Mya! I hope to someday introduce her to my sister, Ace.

Good Friday lounging at U Story

Bali-inspired decor

Holy week spent well with these girls

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I'm back to Cebu now, after three-days and two nights in Siquijor. I'm happy to get WiFi and sleep in an air-conditioned room again, but I was so glad to have done the trip. 

Rachel and her daughter, Mya 

First of all, I'm thankful to have met new friends–Rachel and Mya Roberts–both so kind and game. I have a kindred with explorer personality types, ones that don't care about mosquitoes, bumpy tricycle rides, and backpacking-style travel. As expected, vendors and drivers raised their prices on us (sometimes double) as we're a foreign group. But we knew better and negotiated to the bones. The total cost for my trip was barely Php 3,000. 

Nelia (left) and Mel (right) at the Danish Lagoon

I'm also thankful for Nelia Monet, my colleague at JFDI and new-found travel buddy. We've only known each other for a month but she's tagged me along Malaspascua and Siquijor already. On this trip, I also met her sister, Melanie. 






At the end of the Healing Festival, I had my palms read. I also tried card reading, just to see what psychic would say about my upcoming wedding. In general, they were all positive readings–with a few reflective points. I immediately typed them on my phone, so I won't forget. However, no details will be revealed in this blog. ;-) 

That's it, Siquijor–I can't wait to explore more Philippine islands.

-C.

Author's sunset shot at the Santander Express Port

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Things I Like About JFDI

What's been keeping me busy these days is my new job as Social Media and Content Marketing Manager at JFDI Asia. In short, I handle our socials and make sure we have awesome content. How I am today – giddy and challenged and fulfilled – is a far cry from what I've been the past few months.

My biggest worry about moving to Cebu was finding the right  kind of work (also, earning a liveable salary). Did you know that unemployment is in the Top 10 traumas for a human being? Going through that was like living a nightmare. Add to that I was also very picky with how I spent my time. I didn't play golf, even if my fiancé often does, as it is something I consider irrelevant.



I didn't take any "survival" job either. I worked in San Diego for year and saved 50% of my salary, so I can be deliberate in finding work in Cebu. I want a position that would force a learning curve in writing and digital media. 

One of the most important points in Dr. Meg Jay's book, 'The Defining Decade' is about spending "your 20's learning." She adds, "Salary is roughly equivalent to your skills. In your 20's don't expect to earn money. You simply don't have the experience. Instead, you should spend this decade learning and absorbing as much as you can. Hopefully by the time you're in your 30's, money shouldn't be a problem." There's a lot of easy-money dead-end jobs, that even my fellow 20-something friends are forced to take. 

One day while browsing Mynimo (an online forum like Craigslist), I saw a job opening in socials for a company called JFDI Asia. Three interviews and a writing trial later, I was hired. I was that overdressed lady you probably saw fist-pumping at the intersection of Cardinal Rosales and Mindanao Avenue on a hot afternoon. At that moment, everything felt so right. 

JFDI Asia is a Singapore-based accelerator. In short, they help venture-fundable startups. Right now my job has me reading and writing about technology, entrepreneurship, risk mitigation, etc. – things I have never written before in my life. This week I had to make an MIT paper web-friendly. I'm racking my brain everyday, but this is exactly the learning curve I'm looking for.



Day One of my employment, I sent out a tweet that JFDI is so cool. Our company mascot is a frog we call Smoochy (#spotsmoochy).


I'll share with you the Four JFDI Principles listed in our employee handbook. I'm very fond of them and believe they can be applied in all areas of life:

4 Principles Of JFDI 

1. Resourcefulness Principle - You should assume that at any given time, other people are busy with their own work, so if you can accomplish something or find an answer to a question without bothering someone else, you should try to do that first. 

This filters all the ignoramus and annoying people out of our offices. It means I can work in peace, except when somebody really needs something from me. I heard this story once about JFDI Chairman Meng Wong. One of my coworkers needed some information, so Meng told the guy to: first, google like crazy; second, hit his head in the wall; third, (if that's still not working) only then ask someone. No spoon-feeding works for us, so we can focus on big wins.

2. Relevance Principle - avoid unnecessarily taxing the attention of people who don’t care. 

3. Searchability Principle - make the communication available on demand to anyone looking for it.

We use the Slack app to make office communication seamless. We don't like email because info gets buried there. So in the Slack's editorial channel, I get almost real-time feedback from my editor, Joyce Huang. All of us gets to read and learn from company 'critical incidents,' something we all talk about weekly. I also get to easily reach out to our CEO Hugh Mason and Chairman Meng Wong, would I ever need quotes. Searchability supports our resourcefulness principle, which in turn supports...

4. Openness Principle - default to the medium which is the most open for the communication at hand.

Openness has long been cited as a hallmark trait in successful marriages. How would I have known these works in company culture too? Everything is online for us to read, check and use. Openness very well ties into searchability and resourcefulness which all, in turn, optimise our work flows. We don't have to rely on other people to 'send us this..' (OK, sometimes we still do). We use Asana for tasks, Nimble for contacts, SlimWiki for company SOP's, and Slack for office chitchat. All open, searchable, paperless, efficient and awesome.

Hi from the office! We use Hangouts to touch base with the Singapore team.

Cal Newport in his book, 'So Good They Can't Ignore You,' talked about three things that define great work:

1. Creativity

2. Impact

3. Control

My work today is giving me autonomy and flexibility. I can clearly see the impact of my work in Hubspot metrics, feedback from my colleagues and retweets and follows from tech people on Twitter. When I get better, I'll eventually handle Inbound Marketing, a skill I consider highly valuable in today's connected world. So, I cleared all of Newport's requirements.

Every morning I sit in the garden or take a few minutes in the car to pinch myself. This is the reality of where I am at the moment. I've left my life in San Francisco/San Diego to move to Cebu, Philippines. I'm getting married soon. Despite of being picky and specific, I found the job that I'm looking for.

I read this from Paulo Coelho as a kid and it still holds true today:

Crystal Superal is the Social Media and Content Marketer at JFDI, the #1 business accelerator in Asia. She finished her Multimedia Communications degree while playing golf for a San Francisco-based art school. She currently lives in Cebu City, Philippines. For her thoughts about tech and lifehacks, follow her Twitter @crystalsuperal.

Reflecting On The Past Year 2014

"THE YEAR I SAW BEAUTIFUL THINGS." That's how I'd describe 2014. It's the year I got engaged to Jovi, worked my first job out of college, learned to cook and bake, and hiked and explored countless trails in San Diego -- my home for the year. 

How blessed is a hiker's life. Me at San Jacinto State Park.

On April 16th, I celebrated my 23rd birthday. My life in San Diego was very alone and quiet. Instead of sulking, I hiked my favorite trail -- the Torrey Pines National State Reserve. It's not as well-known as La Jolla Village, all the more making it "my own" special place. From the parking lot to the Ranger station, it took an hour of uphill walking. Two more hours from there, I found myself past the Beach Trail, writing on a yellow pad paper and sketching the cliffs and the beach. Everything looked golden, stark, and high contrast as the famous orange California sunset came out. It wasn't too cold, or hot, just the right temperature San Diego is known for. Remarkable.

I've had plenty more like that -- twice in the Grand Canyon, during winter and fall; in Big Sur, one of the most beautiful coastal views on Earth; on top of Cowles Mountain, Volcan Mountain, and San Jacinto viewing decks; and even just in my neighbourhood, in Lake Chollas, as I sip on my coffee and eat my chicken burrito at 7AM. 

I'm thankful for 2014, for witnessing some of the majestic sites California is known for. I'm thankful for my job that enabled me to save for marriage. I'm thankful for making working out a habit, as well as my brand-new skills of cooking and baking, which will only make me healthier. Jovi will soon-to-become my husband, and I'm grateful for that. Thanks for everything, 2014.

Here is a slideshow I made to capture last year's highlights.

A Very Sad Wedding Planning

YESTERDAY WHEN I WAS JET SKIING WITH MY FIANCE'S BROTHER, I could not stop thinking of Andrea. She’s my Colombian friend and golf teammate from college. I could just imagine Andrea’s face shrieking with joy as the waves crash against a standup jet ski in full throttle. In front of us was a light blue water lagoon; behind were beach resorts peppered with white umbrellas and tourist snorkelers. She would have loved spending all day there, talking about how she could live an island life away from the rat race. 

Right now I’m living in Cebu, Philippines. The ocean is so close to us and we are living in abundance of cheap, fresh fruits and seafood. Meanwhile, Andrea (a girl I call my “favorite” of all my other girlfriends) is in Portland, Oregon interviewing with Nike. In just a year our paths have separated in opposite directions. Me, planning a wedding and she pursuing design. 

Weddings are a celebration of love and binding families. With all the fluff of bridal books, Pinterest-worthy ideas and input of planners, weddings are supposed to be maniacal money-sucking lavish parties. You can do what you want! You can be bridezilla and it’s okay! Nonetheless it has the different effect on me — sadness.

I’m missing too many people. Every time I look at minute wedding details such as boutonniere or non-flower bouquets, I think of Jonathan. He’s an especially close and trusted pal of mine for almost ten years. When my family needed help setting up our new house in Cavite, he painted walls and refurnished our cabinets. I’ve never met anyone as practical and ingenious, so how I wish my best friend would be my decorator and planner. But he lives in Manila — too far away.

My maid-of-honor is Lyra, another close pal for almost a decade. She will be flying from Hongkong on my wedding week. Her familiar face and presence are more than enough as a gift, so I don’t even want to bother with bridal extras. I’m a proponent of accepting things as is, so if I have no friends around, I won’t expect a bridal shower. My friends in San Francisco — Sasha, Inez, Julie, Mariana, Sierra, Melissa — are the ones who saw me failing and winning in the last few years. They saw me sneaking in a corner to take long-distances call from my soon-to-be husband. Or they shooed away potential suitors. The stories and the laughter, that’s what I miss and that’s what I would like in my entourage. 

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Planning a wedding is very different from planning a wedding without parents. I wish I could ask my mom about Roman Catholic rituals or other weddings in my family. Heck — I wish she was just beside me so I could hear her voice. Jovi and I spoke about being prepared, just in case none of my parents could make it at my wedding. My throat chokes up at the thought, but I’m prepared to walk by myself down the aisle. So for those who have parents who might be helping or causing some stress: just be thankful. That’s better than none. 

My wedding, so far, has me craving for the familiar — for family. I know very well that I’m part of a new family now. But there’s still something to say about a mother’s practical comment or picking shoes and dresses with a sister. What is too much to ask when somebody offers help? There have been many kind queries, from job offers to actual roles in the ceremony. I just wish I would know them better to gauge if they are asking out of politeness or sincerity. Or maybe this is the event that will spark new friendships and relationships I crave for.

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Photo by JJ Alvarez 

As Edwin Muir wrote in his 1943 poem, The Confirmation: "Yes, yours my love, is the right human face." Jovi is the most comforting and friendliest face I see everyday. He makes sure I’m never too hungry, tired, or bored (it’s awesome). Yesterday, he ran from the mall to cancel my foot spa, so he could feed me Andok’s chicken. When I told him I miss my mom, he said:

“It’s okay, I can be your Mom. If you want, I could also be your Dad in the golf course when we play.”

He and I discussed destierro first before booking our suppliers. He had pulled lots of strings so we could get first in line for everything. Poor guy was sore for four days after I forced him to swing kettle bells. He is kind, patient and supportive. When I need to cry, he lets me, then feeds me and quietly drives me home. I never knew he’d have this much caress in him.

I don’t know how my situation could be different. It’s a simple reality from moving to a new city without friends and family. I miss my loves — so much so that all I could think about is what we’ll do together once they’re here. More than a wedding, I’m looking for a home-coming. On my wedding day, my friends and family will witness my new life. And if they like it, I hope they’ll come back to visit me.