It was Jobelle who introduced me to pole dancing. She was still my roomate then. She came home one day telling me that she just attended a pole dance class. I was never interested in attending any dancing classes back then since I knew how awkward my body can get 😂. However, when she told me that her instructor that day was petite and sized almost like me, I was intrigued. You know, I was always insecure of my height ( even up to this day actually).

So the next class, I tagged along with her. That was when I was introduced to Teacher CD of Polecats Manila. And from that day on, I got hooked to pole dancing.

My life was changed from boring to exciting since then. I usually do classes before my night shift work so it was my kind of exercise. Pole dancing actually is not just about being sexy and shameless dancing in kinky outfits. It was more of Strength, Flexibility and Self Confidence for me. It requires a great deal of bravery and belief in yourself in order to do all those spins and tricks and be able to finish it safely at the end.

I started from Beginner 1 class with simple spins and tricks that required me to stay still on a pole for a few seconds. As I attended more classes, I eventually was able to do inverts and combos which I thought was really unachievable when I started. I was inspired by my teachers who were really great and amazing seeing them compete in contests local and abroad. I even found myself watching youtube videos on how to nail a trick that I can't seem to do correctly during classes. During the journey, I got bruises and pains but hey, I also got some pretty muscles, HAHA.

I was so hooked I even bought my own pole. And attended the recital where I performed in front of my friends. It was really fun and I can't help but feel proud of myself whenever I post pictures of my different tricks on facebook or instagram. The best feeling I think is when I nail a trick and get leveled up with a new, more challenging trick the next class. Also with this journey, I got to meet amazing friends. Different personalities from different fields of life who enjoy the same passion as me.

I was just starting with this new chapter of my life but midway I had to stop. The baby news was unexpected which I chose to be a priority. I am still hopeful though that someday, if chance still permits, I could go back. I missed feeling strong and amazing. Also, my pole still awaits me. 😁 For the meantime, I'll just content myself with pictures I have from this extraordinary adventure of mine.

My new found friends in Los Angeles were generous enough to treat me and Jobelle with tickets to Universal Studios Hollywood. Mind you, not just an ordinary one-day pass but an all-year round ticket - meaning we could use it to enjoy USH how many times we want that year (this was in 2013). We were aware that this amusement park tend to be crowded on weekends so we planned on going there very early on a Saturday. We dropped by Denny's first to have our breakfast before going to Universal City where the park is located.

 

Transformers The Ride 3D was the newest at that time so we made sure to line up there first before the crowd started. This ride was the one I enjoyed most. It felt like being on the movie itself and acting as one of the transformers. I loved how the 3D effect made me cringed when the robot's saliva splashes towards me or the feeling of heat when there's something burning. My favorite part was the fast downward fall almost crashing to the ground then Bumblebee suddenly emerged saving me from the fall. As in wow, talaga! It felt so real, haha! We were also lucky to find Bumblebee and Optimus Prime hanging outside the ride's entrance and had some pictures taken with them.





The succeeding rides we've tried were Revenge of the Mummy, The Simpsons and Jurassic Park River Adventure. Revenge of the Mummy was kinda 'bitin' for me. I was actually expecting to be scared during the ride but all I can say after was "Yun lang?" I didn't liked the Simpsons Ride because I got dizzy. All those giant 3D images popping in front of my face made me lightheaded and prayed for the ride to just end. I'm not sure if its just me, but it seemed the ride was longer than usual. Jurassic Park River Adventure was chill. Hehe! I thought it was so slow, riding that small boat through the river leading to the cave. Probably it was really designed with that pace so you would enjoy watching the dinosaurs lurking at the sides. Expect to get a little wet on this ride since there's a steep drop at the end of the cave.







The Studio Tour has been interesting as well. This is the signature attraction of the park. You could see the actual sets and movie studios used in movies. All you have to do is ride the multi-car tram which is led by an actual tour guide who can be seen on video screens located on each car of the tram. It was thrilling to know that this is the exact location where famous movies are filmed such as Princess Diaries, Pirates of the Caribbean, Tansformers, Back to the Future, War of the Worlds and many more. Sometimes, you will even be lucky when an actual filming is ongoing. In some parts, you will be able experience reinactments or simulations from scenes of a movie. My favorites are the earthquake scene on the subway station and KingKong 3D where Kong fights the enemies.





Staged shows are also available at the theme park. There's the Animal Actors where you could meet the animals who participated in tv shows/movies. They will entertain you by performing in front of the audience guided by a trainer. Special Effects Show is another one where effects, stunts, illusions and behind the scenes secrets are explained to the audience. The most interesting one is Waterworld: A Live Sea War Spectacular. This show is like watching the movie live. It has stunts with pyrothechnic, flame and water effects, there's even a seaplane crashing and exploding. The actors were very good at what they are doing and I was really entertained. Be careful though when choosing the front seats since they will target to make you wet during the show.



Even roaming around the amusement park has been a fun thing to do. The feeling was like walking inside a television and being part of the movie world. Below are more pictures taken inside the park.

I would love to go back here again. I've read that there are new attractions since the time we went there. There's the Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, the Walking Dead Walk, and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter where I would really love to try the Butterbeer at Hogsmeade and try out a magical wand at Ollivander's Shop.

No matter how many times I go back to this place, I think I would never get tired enjoying it. The child in me will always prevail. 😄

Located in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, The Getty is famous for its architectures, gardens and the views overlooking Los Angeles. This is most frequented by tourists throughout the year and I was lucky enough to visit this place. Jobelle's family friend brought us here one Sunday after we went to church.

The museum contains pre-20th-century European paintings, drawings, illuminated manuscripts, sculpture, and decorative arts; and 19th- and 20th-century American and European photographs. All I could remember was that I saw in this museum Van Gogh's painting Irises.
 

I'm not much into museum sightseeings but I enjoyed this place because of its outdoors. It has a garden which was carefully designed to impress its spectators. How I loved taking pictures using my iPad Mini because of the abundance of light. The place is very relaxing and calming, it felt like belonging to a nature located in the middle of a city. The weather was cooperative that time, sunny but chilly - very ideal for strolling through its gardens.


The architecture of the building was worth noticing too. All those lines and intersections carefully aligning and meeting with one another. Every location of an entity in this place has been well thought of with regards to how others was located. Guided tours are available on schedule and anyone could avail it if really interested on how the building was made.


This place also has a very nice spot overlooking Los Angeles. The center sits on top of a hill which explains the nice view. Visitors will have to park their cars at the bottom of the hill and will have to ride a tram going up to the museum.


Below are some of my favorite photos from our visit. Some of these were taken by Jan, Jobelle's childhood friend who is into photography and takes really nice shots of us.