Loyalty is not something we beg for nor simply ask. Loyalty is given to us by our spouses, our family, our kids, our friends, our employees, just basically all the people around us that we are connected to either by blood, by relationships, by friendship or by work. Unfortunately not all will practice the true meaning of loyalty. What is important is to know where you stand, to know the people you can only trust and sometimes it will not be the people you expect, not even close family members. The good thing about that is you are living in reality and not within the boundaries of your ideals. It is better to accept and to be aware of how deceitful and conniving people around you could be. It excludes no one. Husbands and wives cheats on their partners, your family , of all people would only be good to you when they need you, but stabs you along with the other people that stabbed you and still stabbing you, your friends betrays your trust for unexplained principles they said they have. So like how the song goes, “Honesty is such a lonely word”, it also applies to loyalty. “Loyalty is such a lonely word”, hence they say, honesty and loyalty. They go hand in hand. In the end, the best thing about loyalty and its consequences is the fact that there are other people in your life. They give you loyalty much to your expectations. They may be a handful, but I tell you, that’s all you need.
Lesson learned: you cannot stop people in becoming the kind of person they want to be, but you can always choose either to be one of them or not. I choose not!
We paid a visit to the vet the other day for Popoy’s 3 year rabies shot, annual physical and medical exams. Like always, Popoy was cleared from all the tests, except for the mild ear infection which the vet said is very common to dogs. When it came to the question, what do we feed our dog? We were very honest to say, we fed him a variety of dog food. Not only sticking to one kind, instead we change it every month. I also mention feeding him people food at times. Much to my surprise, the vet agreed to me that it was not at all a bad idea. It is much better coz it’s healthier and less artificial than what dog foods are really made of especially those with flavors. So I came to this conclusion that dog food was just made coz feeding our pets people food would be too expensive. A substitute needs to developed so all of us can afford to feed their hunger. The trick is to not overfeed them with people food and just like us, we have to give the ones with nutritional value like what we will do for ourselves; less of the fats, more of the fiber and moderation on the meat. Who would not be healthy with a balanced meal? FYI too, Popoy is a big dog, not because he is overweight, but because the pure breed dictates it, not because he is overfed, but because he is well fed. It will be too funny and too scary to see a 16th month old golden retriever the size of 6 month. Now that’s the one that’s alarming!!!!
Our flight back home leaves early, as early as 5am. Going back filled us with mixed emotions. Happy to see our husbands again, sad to end the wonderful times we had there. Excited to see all the pictures, but disappointed that we could only be there for a few days. Amazed at the activities we did, but finding it hard to accept that we can do it again in a year or two. It was an unbelievable vacation for all of us and we are hoping to go back, this time with the better half. 
After a night of partying and bar hopping, we had a buffet breakfast again! The topic of the conversation was how fast the days have gone by and how well we have spent each day doing something that’s worth every minute of our vacation days. Day three is our last day and we would not let this day pass without another exciting adventure. While walking along the beach, we caught sight of the banana boats, water tubes, etc.
After seeing a group of people flip over while on the banana boat, we decided it was not the kind of fun we wanted after all. It was the water tubes, so called water tubes. I forgot how they really call that ride. I wasn’t really into riding it and needless to say, you would only enjoy a thing 50% if you are not really into it.
We spent the morning, and early afternoon at the beach. Later that day, we head off downtown to get some souvenirs, do some shopping and end the day with a nice dinner. We took the bus to downtown, missed our stop and accidentally got off to a flea market. How else do we wanted that trip to end up, but in a flea market where everything was cheap. Unfortunately, it’s all cash and no credit in this kinds of stores and worst of all, I found out that I don’t have any more cash. This is one of those days that I really don’t wanna feel I am broke but I am broke as hell. The cash I have vanished in my wallet faster that I can count what’s left of it. I just had to get some cash so my friend and I started walking north, about 10-15 minutes under the very hot sun. We were walking and running with stones on our hands just in case some muggers are on the way. Finally, it’s like an oasis in the desert when I saw the ATM machine. I can hear the sound of the cash register in my head and I was all smiles and the thought of dying in heat stroke disappeared. We got back to the flea market, bought some stuff and started walking south, I think. I really don’t know where we are going that time. We got lost but we kept walking. We kept walking on grass with the geckos, on the highway, passing an abandoned car, sweating and all that. Luckily, a cab drove by and stopped for us. We went back to downtown hungry and thirsty as camels, I swear I drank 2 glasses of coke in 30 seconds. It was early for dinner but we wanna go back to the hotel before it gets dark. The closest place to eat was Smokey Joes. Thank god we ended up here where food is cheap ( no extra charges), big servings and very nice waiters.
Day Three at night. We just chilled out at the pool and the Jacuzzi with the drinks that we bought. Aruba ariba with some punch. That was the best way to end the last day in Aruba.
Day two in Aruba started with the 4 hour day tour of the island. We were picked up at the hotel around 8 am. Our tour guide/driver Michael Garcia, started our tour with a stopover at the Aruba Aloe factory. Here, we saw the huge plantation of aloe vera. Yes! The same aloe vera plant my Grandma used to have when I was young. It’s being processed to shampoo, sunblock, lotion and the likes. On the course of our trip we passed by the oldest traditional house in Aruba and it’s 150 years old. Second stop was the California lighthouse, named after the ship that wrecked in that island a long time ago. Our third stop was the Alto Vista Chapel, the very first Catholic church built by a Venezuelan priest. It was burned and rebuilt exactly the way it was. One of the highlights of this tour for me was the stop we made at the Natural Bridge. This sight was really amazing. When I saw this huge billboard of the Natural Bridge at the airport, I knew there is no way I am not going to see it for real. What’s more exciting than seeing it, is having a picture on the bridge. See the attach photo and be amazed. Our last stop was the Baby Beach. This beach is awesome! The clearest water I have ever dipped into. It’s too bad though that we only have 30 minutes to spend in it. Got back in the hotel around 1pm and hunger was literally eating us and we had to think fast where to eat and most importantly where it’s cheap to eat. We head for the restaurant in front of the beach and the scorching sun was just too much around that time. Nevertheless, nobody felt it really coz we were so hungry that it didn’t matter.
Day two at night. Kouku Kunuku! It’s time for pachanga! This is a bus that takes us to the house of the ambassador for some local Aruban taste. From there, it takes us to 3 different bars, an hour each, with the first drink free. We took a trip again to the lighthouse for a champagne toast before we go to the first bar of the night. I never really got to know the names of the bar at all but I do know that what I kept drinking was ‘sex on the bus’. It’s more fruity than alcohol that’s why I liked it. The first bar was all for club music. Second bar was for Latin music and the third bar was a mixed between the two plus butterfly wings which most guys wore and a variety of hats.
Day One
No time to waste, so we put on our bikinis, grab our cameras and with all the excitement, went to the powder blue water of Palm beach. It was one of the most beautiful beaches I have been to and we just have to capture it in still photos. Breakfast at Moomba Beach was next after the picture taking. I forgot the name of the restaurant but it’s all you can eat, in front of the beach and everything’s just perfect. (except the Arubian coffee which is super strong for me). Our first activity sounds cool, but little did I know that this would put me in the spotlight of the video from the camcorder. Parasailing! Sounds really cool but at first, I don’t know why I said yes to this. So off we go to the middle of nowhere on the beach. Two of my girlfriends did it first and like dare devils they are, it was awesome for them. To summarize my parasailing experience, here’s what happened to me. Before getting on the straps, I thought of the worst things to happen, either I puke, I get dizzy, I will signal to go down, I will faint, I will die of fright or the straps would go loose sending me to outer space. Not a very happy picture to put in my mind. So, got the straps on and half of my sanity disappeared. I couldn’t process anything in my mind anymore. At last, they set us off to air, and I cursed the longest F#@%!!!!! I have ever said in my entire life. I made the sign of the cross, many times I lost count. I closed my eyes and yelled that I love RJ, my friends, my dog, all living things in the world. Then I was up there, finally, it was getting better until I look down and what the heck, I am 500 ft up in the air. I can see them on the boat, I can see the island, and I can see how amazing this parasailing is. Once they pulled me up higher than where I was, there’s this turbulence like when you are in a plane and something goes wrong, multiply by 10 coz the wind up there makes it worse.
Going down was a relief, as I let go of the thoughts of being eaten by sharks or drowning if I fall on the water. As we get ready to land, the wind blew us off to the side of the boat and just by seconds I decided to raise my legs to my chest and that avoided what could have been a disaster. I almost hit the side of the boat with my legs but by lifting it, I saved my long legs and landed proud. It’s all on video and thanks to Yary, who was behind me, for taking all the crap I said and for making me feel that we are safe.
Day one at night. We had dinner at Le Frogs, where the food was great and the waiter was bad, not to forget the extra charges he gave us. This was the restaurant where that missing girl last ate before heading to the bar and then disappeared. We didn’t have the slightest idea until a cab driver told us that the name of the restaurant was later on changed after her incident.
6 hours after the stopover in Miami, we arrive at Oranjestad (Orange City). Took a cab from the airport to the Marriot Aruba and Stellaris Casino Resort (Yes! Five star hotel) for 25$. You would imagine that we would just drop dead to our beds after the flight, but like all picture addicts, we just had to use our camera in all the poses possible. After all the unpacking, we decided to get up early the following day and head for the beach.
I just returned from Aruba with my girlfriends. 5 days and 4 nights, never enough to enjoy when you don’t have your husbands and your wedding bands with you. Don’t get me wrong on this one. I love having my husband around and my wedding band too, but it’s gratifying to know I am trusted that much by my hubby. This is also the first time I am traveling with just girlfriends for the sole purpose of taking a break from the hustle and bustle at work.
Aruba wasn’t really the first choice. It was Cancun, Mexico. We’ve heard so much bad stuff going on like drug wars and kidnapping that Mexico soon became Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Costa Rica. Never really recall how we ended up in Aruba. Or maybe I do, but it’s just not worth mentioning it. To cut the very long and not so good stories in between this trip, let me start with a few info about Aruba.
ARUBA, ONE HAPPY ISLAND, how the locals would call this paradise. This beautiful island is located in the very heart of the southern Caribbean, just 15 miles off the coast of Venezuela. Weather is all year round 82 F, very moderate rainfall, with rare storms and hurricanes. No fancy hairdos required while in Aruba because the wind will just blow away your curls. Dollars are accepted anywhere here and should be in small bills only. Exchange rate is a dollar to 2 florins. Shopping is very easy and can be done by riding the bus for $2.60 round trip. Local bars and restaurants are close to each other located in downtown.
So how do I begin my very first blog? What should i write to get my reader’s attention? Not much I guess, coz by now you are probably reading the third sentence i wrote and finding it in you that you are interested what the next paragraph would be all about. Ha!
I think a brief introduction would be the best thing to do. I wanna believe that the readers would like to know me. Below you will find a list of stuff about me, what I hate, what I love, who I am, a few things I believe to live by, and my hopes and dreams.
I want to do what most people would hate to do – gain weight!
I am a great mom and my dog can attest to that
I love to write, but I always find it hard to start – don’t we all?
I believe that you can leave me inside a grocery or a craft store for a day and it wouldn’t be enought still – weirdness
I love my husband and I love our dog, no doubt about the dog! – Bwahaha!
I like taking pictures and I’m gonna be good at it!
I used to hate baking, but now I am selling my homemade cheesecake to my coworkers
I enjoy the beach, but I do not know how to swim; I just appreciate the scenery.
I think that being weird is another form of being original
and being stupid is being stupid (no excuse for that)
I believe that the words ” I love you ” can never be overused contrary to what others believed that saying it too often makes it lose its meaning.
I could go on and on and make the list endless, but i will save the rest for the other days.
Thank you to my loving husband, RJ Malacas for setting this up for me. I love u baby!!!
