"Levels"

Every Wednesday and Saturday, we require courier services in the company I work for.

Our messenger who is the one in-charge of readying all packages and documents that need to be sent to our main office wasn't in one Saturday so I had to call him to inquire about the courier's number so we could make a follow-up since it's nearly 12 noon but the package had not been picked up yet.

Minutes after I hung up, I received a text message from our messenger. The message was in English and Filipino. Translated entirely in English, it read, "Miss _____, please make sure there are LEVELS on the package."

Dumbfounded, I re-read the message. LEVELS?! Do we stack these packages up depending on some variable, weight or size, perhaps?

So I turned to my colleague and read the message to him. He then burst our laughing. "LABELS," he stated simply.

Oh. Okay. Then I laughed.

The Underground River - Palawan

The Puerto Princesa Subterranean National Park, more popularly known as the Underground River is purported to be the longest underground river in the world. It is also often times called the St. Paul's Subterranean River National Park, or the St. Paul Underground River because it is located in the Saint Paul Mountain Range on the northern coast of the island of Palawan.

Recognizing the park's representation as a significant habitat for biodiversity conservation, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization or UNESCO named the Underground River a World Heritage Site on December 2, 1999. It is also nominated for the New 7 Wonders of Nature competition.

The park is almost two hours from Puerto Princesa City. When we arrived there, there were many tourists waiting their turn to traverse the Underground River. To kill time, I snapped some photos and ate some chips. My iPod was also a great help. The waiting was terrible. I did not keep track of the time but it was maybe about an hour.

The color of the water is amazing. It's green! And it looks so clean.

Our turn finally came. We eagerly rode the kayak and while it traverses the river, I happily snapped pics. Hmm, what's to expect inside?

There's graffitti as detailed above.

And stalactites and stalagmites. There were cool formations like the Holy Family and some that looked like vegetables. Sadly, I wasn't able to take any clear pics as it was too dark.It was cold too. And boy, the place reeked of bat shit I was doing my best to not sneeze lest I disturb any bats and they would come flying at us.

While the boatman gave jokes and explained what this and that formation is, I just listened to my iPod. It's a cool tour but seeing the same thing over and over again eventually took the novelty off it. Would you believe I was even able to take a nap for a few minutes?

Then we were on our way out. I snapped out of my sleepiness and forced myself to stay awake. To do so, I just looked forward to going out. Is this what people mean when they see "the light at the end of the tunnel?"

And finally we were out. Hurray!

"Landmark"

Okay, a definition of terms first.

landmark: Noun. A prominent or conspicuous object on land that serves as a guide; A prominent identifying feature of a landscape. (definition taken from dictionary.com)

Landmark: Noun (proper). A mall in Makati.

Working in the sales and marketing department of a hotel, we go out for client meetings at times. Sometimes, we also visit travel agencies when they request for contracted rates. This is to ensure that the travel agency is an established one and not a fly-by-night tour operator.

One day, I was scheduled to visit a travel agency. I called first to verify its address and ask for directions.

Me: Hi. This is (my name) from (name of company). I am scheduled to visit your office today. May I have your complete address, please?

Travel Agent: (in Filipino) Ma’am, our address is (states their address).

Me: Okay. May I ask for the nearest landmark to your office?

Travel Agent: (in Filipino) But Ma’am, we are very far from Landmark.

What?! Good heavens. I hope he is not like that to his clients else he will make a mess of their itineraries.

Of course I do not mean Landmark the mall. I mean the nearest known establishment or building to their office so I can easily pinpoint their location. Geez.