Portfolio: Anne and Fil (Boracay)

This is just one of the few reasons of my getting extremely busy just before the plane took off.

Anne and Fil were my foster parents in Boracay. They started as best of friends and I witnessed how both fell for each other (sweet!). Getting Dad (Fil) to say yes on this shoot was never a hassle - I have always been his favourite kid in town and he just can't resist my annoyingly cute tantrums. I'm surely gonna miss these two. Enjoy the set!

I Sort Of Went Somewhere

So. The last post I had was way back September. A lot have happened and I went somewhere again because of something only God knows what it is for. I sometimes feel like I don't want to be a part of the plan any more. It would really sound way way better if you will be THE PLAN, don't you think?

This blog will be somewhat alive again (hopefully), it's just that I am still trying to put things back together and I am looking for something worth writing for. You will need some inspiration once in a while.

Join me again on my trip - from the island and beyond. A new chapter will be made this 2014 - the gulf life.

Coffee and Boracay

Ola, haha! Just a quick post, let's talk coffee. Caramel machiatto would be the first coffee drink I'd ask from a coffee shop and Boracay has one of the best I've tasted. And no, it's not Starbucks (the only thing that I love at Starbucks Boracay is the view from the second floor 'cause you get to see the beachfront directly, best in the afternoon before sunset). I'm talking about another hole-in-the-wall coffee shops - Coffee House.

I'd probably compare the taste to Tully's Coffee minus the after taste of the strong espresso. Creamy would probably be the best word to describe it. My room mate ordered a Mocha Frappe but I think my drink tastes better.

Portfolio : Love And Boracay

Long over due post that took me ages to upload, if not for the portfolio I'm currently working on. I love natural light, period.

Vince and Alyssa are the very few reasons why I still believe in happily ever after. I met Alyssa at Puerto Galera through a common friend which started one of the greatest friendship I ever had up to date. On the other hand, I met Vince on Facebook flooding Alyssa's profile with sweetness and finally got to meet him during my first visit in Boracay. They are like my foster family here, I call them nanay and tatay (mom and dad).

This is the kind of love everybody must be of envy - waking up everyday never getting tired of cuddling each other.  I don't know how to call this set but if it's not love, it's more like it.

Hello BER-acay!

We bid goodbye to the August rush last Saturday, I thought it was really my month. Surprisingly, the last day of the rush was so amazing I almost forgot that the first quarter of the month was a struggle - we see things we are not supposed to see and we hear things we don't want to hear. Plans change but moving forward, we all get better and we all get fine, don't we?

I spent the rest of my afternoon with these girls who I find really amazing. One of them said, "For you to survive the island, you have to be outrageously insane". It hit me and geez, I felt proud being sanely insane at the same time time.

Brace yourself with one of the cutest tattoo I have seen on a woman's body. This is her own handwriting converted to a tattoo by the way.

One refreshing water melon shake, coming up! This made my day so much better!

Another activity that you should try when in Boracay is Frisbee.  The locals are so into it, the playground is the famous white beach. And since most accommodations here in Boracay (especially the ones situated at the beachfront) are already complying with the City Ordinance to move their facilities a few meters from the shore, this would mean more space to run and play. Yey!

On another note, Boracay is also famous for wedding proposals. Three Paraw boats maneuvered altogether with MARRY ME BABE sign. We saw one last week.

Can you prolly guess who among the 2 couples are just about to ring the bell soon? Haha!

My two faves as of this date: the bikini top from the room mate and THE precious thing which made my heart super giddy I palpitated and died in one corner. Funny how people surprise you just the way you like it. Aha, aha~

I bid August goodbye, thanks for the memories just like a Fall Out Boy song. I'm bound to spend my September afternoons watching sunset with these girls:

To more isla adventures, hello BER is here!

xOxO,

Joy with a C.
From the island of B

Crossing The Island - A Kite Surfer's Home

Attraversiamo. Let's cross over.

I first heard of this word from one of my favorite books (Eat.Pray.Love.). For more than half a year of staying here in Boracay, I haven't cross the island yet. I guess I'm a little too drawn to staying in one place for so long - appreciating every single flaws and dent of something and discovering the hidden happiness in it is how I define adventure. While people here in the island come and go, I stayed. Not just because I love Boracay so much but I think, the people who are meant to stay here are those who had all fine prints of sand, sun, sea, and sky written in their hearts like a special tattoo. Or life. Maybe love. Whatever.

I will have to thank my job again for letting me discover hidden places - some hole in the wall. Traditional accommodation (with big names) has always been a status symbol but believe me, you can find better if you dig in. A few months ago I crossed the island and I found another home. Lies across Boracay is a small bay called Union in the town of Nabas. Ten to fifteen minutes from the Caticlan Jetty Port, I found myself taking photos of MangoRiders Beach Club.

Anywhere But Here

Hello from the white beach! Rain started to pour heavily these past few weeks and it's really depressing I got nothing to write about. The movies I have watched lately are not even worth writing - chick flicks are all about love and friendship and places are something that I'd like to include on my personal space. Plus, the-crappy-internet-what-else-can-ruin-your-day. No inspiration at all. I'd better work on getting the creative juices back but sometimes, it's really hard to find a good reason to get something done. Or maybe the stars I followed led me to a wrong direction.  But I hope not. I still wish on falling stars and say silent prayers to the supernaturals. I am hopeful I'll find my way back again.

Anyway, I got messages recently that got me back to blogging just to say I'm doing fine - same same. Work, home, cook food, laundry, a quick dip to practice swimming, some nights dancing, and what nots.  I am pretty visible on instagram if you want real time updates (my account is public, I got nothing to hide anyway) and what else? Nah, that's pretty much how my day works. Yes - I am a robot, I know. I'm a robot with a heart which basically means I can still feel.

More of Boracay and beyond in the next few days, I have crossed the island once and I got some cool places to share. I think I'll do it more often so I'm sort of getting the backpack ready.

I'm not going anywhere, just here - Thethrifttrip.com.

xoxo,
Joy C.

The La Boracay Lifestyle

Welcome to the low seasons here in boracay!

The white sand of Boracay has been my favorite playground for more than 6 months now. On my wee hours, I get to capture the beauty of the island and the “beauties” visiting and living on the island.

I have marked a special spot at White Beach Station 3 (near Asya Premiere Suites) I consider my studio - this is where I normally hold photo shoots for my friends. Here are some them:

The beach is for the ladies and ladies' most powerful weapon when in Boracay are their beautiful pair of bikinis. Now if you’re Boracay bound and haven’t found your perfect fit just yet, go to your favorite online shop and get a pair or two, maybe three even – swimwear can be a bit pricey here so I suggest better come in prepared instead. Zalora swimwear has a wide range of selection of colorful swim wears for different body types, perfect for beach goers just like I am.

Boracay Hymn - Island Called Boracay

If you have been to Boracay, you might have gotten an LSS of this song. This is an original composition and was performed by Ferns Tosco, a local artist of Boracay Island. You are most likely to hear the song at OJs or Bombom Bar at Station 2 near D'Mall whenever her band plays their island set. Lyrics below, enjoy the island vibe!

ISLAND CALLED BORACAY  (Ferns Tosco)

Chorus

I wanna go back to the island called Boracay

And it feels like its where I belong

There I find peace, there’s a place I can call home, on the island called Boracay.

Verse I

Oh the water so blue and pure, sand is cold as a stone

Lying under the heat of the sun seems so cool

People are easy to get along, meeting different nations

Lying under the heat of the sun seems so cool.

(Chorus)

Verse II

People smiles everywhere, playing waves it’s fun to tell.

People smiles everywhere, playing waves it’s fun to tell.

(Chorus)

Bridge

I thank the Heavens; it ,might be far yet so hard to climb

But when I step on that Island, I feel like I’ve reached the heavens above, Boracay Island!

(Chorus)

On the island called Boracay (2x)

Oooh I wanna go back to the island called Boracay, heaven I feel you there!

Boracay Has A Secret - Part 2 (Hidden Gems of Boracay)

Ola ola from the isla! And internet is back to normal and I'm hopeful this laptop I've been using for the past few months won't give up on me. This sometimes make me miss the city where I used to live - my favorite IT friends are always of a huge help and are always ready to rescue whenever my computer screen turns black. But yeah, I'm independently living on the island (with a few help from my circle of trust) and life is still better here, so I guess I'm good. Sadly, we all need to learn how to live by our own means and not depend on people too much.

Anyway, this is the 2nd part of the places here in Boracay that I wanted to share because these places fascinated me so much I would love to come back here all over.

Boracay Has A Secret - Part 1 (Hidden Gems Of Boracay)

Boracay has a secret and I'm gonna share it today. If you have been following my instagram, you must have seen the photos I'm just about to showcase (Saying it like pro but no, I am not. I am, just to put emphasis on it, a hobbyist.)

Take it from me - Boracay is not just Boracay. For half a year that I have been living here, it feels like I am somewhere on the other side of the globe. For me it is heaven. While many think Boracay is luxury and a vacation place perfect to spend a holiday, for the residents and locals, this island is a home.

And what's an island life without a home or a place where you can really feel the island vibe, right? I've been to several areas of Boracay and probably you haven't heard of these unique accommodations unless you have read it from Trip Advisor. I bet.

But yeah, I'm gonna share it today hoping one day you'll say you've been here and you got the details from me. Enjoy!

No Regrets, No Goodbyes

Boracay is a small island. There's a part of the island called Mount Luho where you can get a 360 degree view of my island home.

First time I went there was just last Sunday, weekend has been sort of interesting and well, sort of fun. It felt like I crossed over, I almost lost myself in the moment and suddenly snapped back to reality. Living in the island means living with the reality that here, people do come and go.

Sun. Sea. Sky. Boracay.

I suddenly remembered the very short convo I had with the owner of this big online advertising  company more than a month ago (over a few sips of wine a day just before the senatorial election). He asked me, "Why Boracay?".

I'm endlessly searching for the perfect answer. But today, I can say that the island changed me. A lot.

Happy Super Full Moon!

xOxO,

Joy with a C.

Boracay Must Try - Helmet Diving

Ola ola!

How's everyone doing so far? The island life is awesome as always. While many of you might be saying goodbye to the summer season as the rain is starting to scatter all over the Philippines, Boracay is still as sunny as ever. Sometimes I find my waking morning with dew drops on the window but then again after a few hours, the sun is up to say hello. Isn't that amazing?

Boracay Island Life - April and May Events

Ola again from the isla!

You might have been wondering what's going on in Boracay as you haven't seen any updates here. Summer is indeed a busy season in Boracay: a lot of events have happened which made me realize that my life is not just all about the online world (well, sometimes I need to check Facebook once in awhile to know who's in the island from my circle of trusts). We all need to go out, meet people and enjoy the outdoor activities. Any way, here's to share the highlights of my April and May events:

Hanging out with these girls somewhat made me love the outdoors more. Another advantage of being with them is I get to learn a li'l bit of their language. The first word that I learned - SAMOK.

 I'm actually thinking of studying a new sport which led me to this kite surfing shop:

Pinas Kite Surfing Center is offering kite boarding lessons at a very reasonable rate so if interested, you may contact them here. I'm torn between kite surfing and diving, really.

Stay Sun Protected

Ola from the isla!

This extremely weird face is brought to you by the excitement of summer 2013! I've been here in Boracay for the past 3 months but still, this giddy summer feeling haven't really disappeared at all. So how's everyone spending their summer so far?

Afternoon Delight

I will now be working on a different schedule which means I'll have more time sharing things on my blog. I just hope my laptop won't give up on me. See, I told you previously things are getting pretty exciting around here.

A story about the photos on this post: I recently moved in with a roommate who happened to be fond of taking photos as well. Just like I am, she loves dressing up and some afternoons we play with what we have in our closet. And in lieu of the summer season, we came up with this.

I think my roommate will make a good photographer someday, don't you think?

xOxO,

Joy with a C.
From the island of B