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For life to become ‘life’, you have to live it out. And so does Sagada. - Dumadakep |
Perhaps, you already know that this is the last of my three-part feature about our Sagada Trip. And as you all know, I don’t want it to appear like a travelogue, hence, my boring life, conspicuously but incongruently tied into it. I am trying to come up with another topic, but with pictures randomly shot, videos taken (without any style or art), and just for the heck of finishing this off a la gran finale style, I found myself doing this: Copying and pasting pictures and, yup you guessed it right, putting my thoughts into words that nobody will even give a damn.
I have to be honest; I started writing this last sequel three days ago only to find my self starting all over again today. I just didn’t find the crap I wrote over the last two days satisfactorily enough to even keep a 6-year old hooked to reading (as if the first two was that entertaining). And I know the reason behind that – I just wanted to finish it so I can move on and write about something else – no matter how beautiful Sagada is, the thought of it becomes boring over time, that is if you just keep on reading and reading and reading about it. Much more if you think about writing about it.
So reading about Sagada soon becomes boring if you have done so for many times. It’s the same thing I felt after reading a lot of reviews about Boracay (where I have not laid my eyes on it till I was 24). When Rico Yan (bless his soul) died, I found myself reading about “Dos Palmas Resort, Palawan ” in magazines a lot but after some time, I lost interest in it and I even changed channels when the news about Yan’s death was shown on TV. Luckily, fate allowed me to go to these two extremely beautiful places.
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| Dos Palmas Resort -2008 (They destroyed the Cabana where Rico Yan died) |
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| Boracay - 2008 |
Probably, I just get bored easily (that’s what my profile says). One time, my ex-girlfriend told me I have seven symptoms of ADHD – that is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. I asked her how many symptoms of ADHD are there all in all. She answered, without a pause, without even thinking about it, “seven.” She sounded so sure about it that I did not dare rebut her. I just blurted “But you still love me, right?”
Can’t tell you her answer.
And NO, it was not the reason why we broke up.
ADHD positive or not, I still can’t last reading or hearing about something that will just entice my senses and excite my hormones. I go for it, (as long as my resources will allow). And so must you.
Despite having fever and fear of being infected with Dengue virus, I, along with the Grand EB mates (my friends in Gareth’s chatroll know exactly who this group comprises of) pushed my plans to go to Sagada in the rainy month of August. As you all know, all went amazingly outrageous there, despite hitting a dog in Nueva Ecija on the way. (Again, salut to the white dog…)
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| Who's going to Milan and who's staying behind? |
Anyway, ever wonder when did this curiosity of mine about Sagada started ? I’ll tell you the answer later…
Moving forward let me show you some more pictures because I know reading this is slowly becoming boring. Just like how bored Emerson looked like in the picture below.
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| Chon-chon in Echo Valley |
You see, Emerson and I have had some of the best times together that we don’t miss the chance to create a “scene” out of them. Just like what you see below.
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| That hurts... Fight scene at Marlboro Mountain |
Meanwhile, I know that Desiree had been preparing for this trip (for almost two months, since we started chatting on SaGGas website), that she surely wasn’t ready to have this shot taken… Yeah, right.
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| Desiree ( aka Redgurl) in Echo Valley |
I've seen this type of photo (below) before in movie posters, just like a scene in the movie Twilight. The only difference is that this time, they’ve got more handsome leads. (I’m waiting for Universal Pictures to contact me, my number is 0919-143-HUNK)
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| Team Werewolves or Team Vampires? |
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| Kiltepan Peak at Sunrise |
Remember last time on the previous blog, there was this super sexy star(let) hiding behind the tree? Well, as everyone is so excited to know who that is, I am showing the picture below. From what we found out, she was actually doing a music video. How long do you think will pass before she makes it to tinseltown?
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| Leah (aka Leahgurl31) sings "Steep" on a very steep mountain. |
Below was one of the most extraordinary thing I’ve seen (well actually, I’ve seen it before in websites, magazines). It’s so extraordinary that for once, I didn’t show MY face (or the faces of my friends– which you must know I just did grudgingly because THEY requested for it ha,ha,ha). Don’t ask for a close up. We’re too tamad to even go down there.
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| Hanging Coffins of Sagada |
And maybe you're asking why the hell did we miss the chance to take a closer look at the famous hanging coffins of Sagada, it’s because of this: making music videos.
Well there’s lot of things you can see in Sagada that cannot be captured by a camera. Yes, even 200,000-peso cameras. The best travel blogs won’t give you the experience you want about the places you desire to visit the most. They can, however, give you information. Handy information in the form of words that represent ideas. These words are but a group of symbols that have mutated since the Phoenician civilization. These words (if you hear it in radio or TV) are but a combination of sounds humans have imitated from animals (what atheists believe in). They give you ideas that you process in your minds and help you create your own experience inside your mind.
And maybe, that’s why I get bored easily- because I don’t have too much space in my brain to convert into a workshop of ideas. I get bored because it excites my heart, my mind, my hormones, but then again, the excitement stops there, in my brain.
Just like life in general. You know, I read works by Freud and Jung, renowned psychoanalyts, but their books mean nothing to me unless I can relate the very thoughts each page uncover to my own experience. I watch National Geographic and I see and hear a lion’s roar on TV but can’t feel the same thrill that the network’s crew is feeling upon capturing the scene. My parents would always tell me to finish my studies, and emphasized to me how important it is, and yada yada yada, but only now do I fully realize its importance after graduating and working my ass out for a living.
Just like life in general. You know, I read works by Freud and Jung, renowned psychoanalyts, but their books mean nothing to me unless I can relate the very thoughts each page uncover to my own experience. I watch National Geographic and I see and hear a lion’s roar on TV but can’t feel the same thrill that the network’s crew is feeling upon capturing the scene. My parents would always tell me to finish my studies, and emphasized to me how important it is, and yada yada yada, but only now do I fully realize its importance after graduating and working my ass out for a living.
You see, life, if contained inside a book, a computer screen, or even an I-pod, is DULL.
For life to be ‘life’, you have to live it out. And so does Sagada.
Before I end this 3-part series about what they call as the “Shangri-La of the North”, I leave you this simple prayer:
“Father, Your word became flesh in Christ Jesus. Let Your words become alive and work in us through our faith and our actions. Amen”.
Till next time. Carpe diem! Champ (Dumadakep)101210
P.S.
A. Was it after I read Lonely Planet’s feature about the Sumaguing Caves
- NO.
B. Or after I watched Juday and Piolo’s “Don’t Give Up on Us Baby” (which I have watched, believe it or not, onboard one of my flights to Manila
- STILL NO. (Don't look for the link to the movie. I DISCOURAGE you to watch it.. LOL)
Remember that movie starring Maui Taylor and Katya Santos entitled Sex Drive? I was in early college that time when I saw that movie. Do you know what that movie is all about? Yep, you guessed it right. It’s about their journey to Sagada - BUT - with all the intrigues and complications that would climax to Maui Taylor’s showing of her hard (newly inflated) boobs. Pretty cheap? Nah… That’s the first time I became fascinated with ‘mountains’ and ultimately, Sagada. Did I live the dream? Hell yeah! I even got a name in Kankanaey - Dumadakep, which means 'Peace! Let's Unite'. lol
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| leahgirl31 |
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| redgurl |
My heartful thanks to:
- Gareth, Jake, Apalit, Daryl, Ben, Batang - X (Our guide sa echo valley which i don't remember the name), and the rest of the SaGGas. See you mga manong/ading sa December.
- Desiree, Leah, and Emerson for the wonderful company going there. Thanks tol sa pagdridrive din nung nilalagnat ako.
- Doctor in St Theodore's Hospital sa pagsasabing wala akong Dengue.
- Vitamin C, I never knew, ikaw lang pala ang kailangan ko.
- Si Manang na inglisera sa Ganduyan Museum (Marunong palang mag-Tagalog, ay apo!)
- George Guest House para sa keyless door (bwahahaha)
- Salt and Pepper and Yoghurt house para sa delicious food at Kanin na may thyme?????
- Kay Manang Pottery - sa makabuluhang pag-aaral ng siyensya ng paggawa ng paso (at ng plato)
- Local Tanods/DPWH staff para sa pagcle-clear ng landslide nung pauwi na kami.
