have gas, will travel

"Di ba kayo napapagod sa kakaalis!" an obviously exasperated Margie, a good friend of mine once interrupted me in mid-story about our trip from Morong, Rizal to Los Baños, Laguna.

Actually, nothing makes my husband and I happier than jumping into our trusted Chug-a-Bug on weekends and heading off to somewhere.Yes despite the hot summer heat and the fact that we don't have airconditioning. It's my husband's way of unwinding after a whole week of being stuck behind a desk. And I wasn't born with a nunal on my left foot for nothing.

Travel broadens the mind, I've always believed. It is also a good way to test your relationship. If you're still talking to each other after you've traveled together then you're made for life. That is until you find too late that your partner forgot to put your bag of underwear and toiletries in the car. (Solution? Share a toothbrush and borrow his or your son's briefs).

As someone who has travelled with family, friends, colleagues, husband and child, I think myself sufficiently endowed with enough wisdom to offer advice for those who want to set out on a holiday and survive to tell the tale (and show off the photos). Check them out ....

- Explore your surroundings and eat local food. Don't do like the Americans and look for the nearest Mc Donald's (or in our case, Jollibee). Ask around what the local specialty is and try it. If possible, head to the palengke and the most crowded pwesto to find out what all the fuss is about.

- Get off the beaten path. Why take the highway when you can take the side roads and enjoy the scenery. Sure there'll be the usual traffic, the exasperating tricyles zooming in and out, the jeepneys stopping at the most opportune moments but it's worth it to catch the local flavor.

- Don’t buy everything in sight. Staying in budget is the operative word. (Yeah, right)

- Lacking in budget? Don't let it stop you. Take day trips or look for a friend or family to stay with. Don't let the lack of a car stop you. Public transportation is a good and cheaper way to travel, too. Bring baon so you won't have to spend on every meal.

- Go to market. It's the best way to find the freshest food and discover the heart of a barrio or town.

- Go walking and interact with the locals. Not everybody can afford to go on tours so do the next best thing: check out the churches and old houses and explore them on your own. Talk to the locals to get 1. tips on the places to explore 2. get an overview of their town 3. suggestions about what to take home as pasalubong or where to eat. 4. Be courageous and get the history straight from the locals.

See it's not that hard to get the best out of travel..

Two for the Road

http://www.drivepast.com/poster.php?pid=611

http://shutupilovethat.onsugar.com/category/Audrey+Hepburn

I wrote this piece for a Valentine's Day issue but realized it's as relevant for the Holy Week. Kasi naman, as we all eventually realize, ang pag-ibig nga naman ay puno ng kalbaryo, it's how we deal with it and add God into the formula that makes love a winner...


2 for the Road trailer 


Two for the Road by Henry Mancini

TWO for the Road.


I don't know what it is about that movie that hooks me so. No matter how many times I've watched it, I can't help but watch it over and over again.
      
 Maybe it's because I adore Audrey Hepburn. Maybe it's because I'm a sucker for British accents and Albert Finney has a fine one. Or maybe it's the combination of cars, clothes and  the movie's love theme.....I don't know what it is, I just know that I really, really love it.
     
 So anyway, when I found out that  it was showing Valentine's night, I made sure I was in front of the TV set. The Two for the Road magic worked, I was hooked again.
       
The story is simple. Boy meets girl. They fight, they argue. They fall in love.They fight, they argue. They fall even more in love. Basically, that's it. If you compare it with Audrey's other movies -- Roman Holiday, Breakfast at Tiffany, Charades, Sabrina -- it probably would suffer in comparison. Why? Because it presents love the way it really is, arguments, broken hearts, included.

There's no princess here, no fashion model, no rich girl. Just an ordinary girl and  an architect who start out  hitchhiking together and end up together for life. Of course, Two for the Road being a full-length movie,we are taken on a roller-coaster ride as we see various stages of their life criss-crossing throughout the film.
      
 If I had my way, I would recommend that couples planning to marry watch Two for the Road. In the movie, Audrey and Albert start out as penniless singles, hitchhiking their way through Europe. In the midst of the film, we see them marry, have a kid, grow a bit more comfortable in life (as visualized in their clothes and cars). As they progress in life, their fights become vicious, hurtful and petty.  Is the marriage then doomed? Not if you're determined to make a go out of love as we learn from Audrey and Albert.


Update:






Uy, two for the road, remarks Ned as he hears the song playing. Parang tayong 2. So maybe, that's why I like the movie? Infidelities aside, the love for cars, road trips, pamimikon and arguments does sound a lot like us. If only, I had her waistline and fashion sense. And only if Ned had Albert's accent. Or maybe I should settle for, if only we had their VW bus...




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fyi:


two for the road on wikepedia