#cebuimmersion

Recently had a quick weekend visit to what has become my favorite island in the country and while this trip didn't involve any long rides, famed tourist spots or picturesque beach fronts, it certainly had its own distinct flavor in the form of an unintentional tutorial about life Down South. Thus, #cebuimmersion was born.

An early morning flight (I'm seriously getting used to this first flight thingy) took me to Mactan Island where I was minutes away from being with She Who Makes Me Smile once again. The Ilocos Trip happened just a mere two weeks prior to this one, yet it certainly felt eons have already passed since then. Every single day of waiting was an excruciating one. Ugh. But upon the sight of The Girl Who Makes My Heart Beat, all the weariness of waiting wore off and I was taken back to the first time she picked me up at the airport: full of anticipation and excitement, yet this time, less the anxiety and uncertainty and with awkward besos replaced by sweet morning kisses.

First stop was at Cafe Sarree where soft-boiled eggs and a cheese krainier gave us a fantastic preview of the upcoming tummy-filling adventures for the day. Quick stops at Brioche (for cronuts!) and La Vie Parisienne (for croissants!) ensured that I be introduced properly to unique foodie spots in the city. Later in the day, it was off to The Tinder Box, for a mixture of truffle cream pasta, arugula-topped pizza, and a platter of cheese. Two full meals in and I'm already in food heaven. More importantly though, this early dinner was actually a meet-and-greet session with *inhale* My One And Only And Last's high school colleagues *exhale*. Here goes the #cebuimmersion! With my limited Cebuano vocabulary, I probably understood roughly just 40% of the conversation (20% from The Princess' real-time translation, 20% from Tiff, who spoke mostly English) and thus relied on my deduction skills and the constant lookout for familiar words and phrases. Nevertheless, when one is in the company of good-natured, fun-loving people with a sprinkle of good food on your plate, it really doesn't matter anymore if the only language/dialect you're familiar with is Tagalog. Day ended with Goi Cuon, flan, and Vietnamese coffee at Phat Pho and a 10-minute Tagalog challenge over gummy bears at 168 Resto. Imagine the laughs and the ruckus at some inappropriate Tagalog words with an entirely different Cebuano definition!

Ze boyfriend meets the highschool squad.

If the first day introduced me to a handful of authentic Cebuano food places, the second day proved to be my orientation to the wonderful people of Cebu. A palatable lunch of Fettuccine in pesto cream sauce (pasta to die for) and Pork Schnitzel rice bowl (burp!) at Canvas Bistro Bar Gallery was a fine start followed by... *gasp* a quick detour to a sales booth manned by The Water Deity's former workmates! I got introduced to a seatmate, the officemate from the first Starbucks coffee date, and a sales director (I think) whose name sounds eerily like mine (or my father) among others. I honestly felt the nice vibe and pleasant aura from just about everyone. Ze girlfriend sure has a fantastic set of friends around her.

Yet another happy tummy moment..

...because of THIS!

Remember when I said the second day was all about encountering the locals? It goes into overdrive after the booth pit stop. It starts with a regularly scheduled Sunday basketball game at a local church where I played with C's brother, a couple of his college friends, and some adults. I even got to play with a current varsity player from FEU! Good thing, I had quite a good game (by my standards), and I am quite sure that every shot I made rekindled the cheerleading fire inside The Kalai Fangirl. Yaay! Next was an overload of wings and drumsticks at Sunburst Fried Chicken courtesy of C's neighbor who was celebrating his birthday on that day. Oh, and did I mention that the neighbor's WHOLE family tree was there, too? Hello there Sto. Nino Village-mates! And for a grand finish to this whole face-the-locals experience, we ended the night with a Kamikazee variation at Ilaputi along with random friends of the birthday celebrant dropping by and saying hi. By my official count, this day now holds the record for most Cebuanos I met in a 24-hour span!

With ze fangirl. Eeeehh.

Driiiiinks!

The last day proved to be a somber one yet it housed probably my most favorite moment of this little tour down South. After a quick lunch consisting of waffles, cronuts, croissants, and milk teas, I got the chance to view C's old photo albums housing almost 20-plus years of unforgettable memories. We smiled at cute baby poses, laughed at some awkward-phase pictures, and marveled at snapshots of C's college years. Why didn't I notice C again back then?! Heh. Seeing this collection of photograph was like opening a portal and jumping into those precise events in C's life and even if it lasted just a few hours, it felt like I was spending those same life chapters with C. Nice little moment, right there. Last stop of the day came in the form of an unpredictably satisfying Korean dinner of bibimbap and bulgogi at Do Rae Won. Definitely worth it and undoubtedly erased our questions on why the samgyupsal required a minimum of two orders.

Finally, a goodbye kiss (or two.. or three!) and a reluctant walk towards the departure area concluded my #cebuimmersion. On to the next trip, then. We have some really spectacular ones lined up. Can't wait.