Saturday, May 31, 2014

Jive Highland Resort

It was our first team building for this year, and second of the most memorable team building we had so far (for me).

After months of passive-aggressive planning -  many resorts and places suggested (Pindasan, Seagull Higland, Samal, and many more...), food suggestions and bring your own, fund raising (EOP, and 5 minutes before shift policy) - we finally made it happen to a beautiful, serene, cold, and perfect for a tired soul of the city Jive Highland Resort.

Let me take you to our team building from Six Eleven (our office) to Jive Highland Resort ending up on our parting at Ulas Crossing. So brace yourself 'coz here it goes.

Our team was divided into two - First batch: Sir Gab, Arbie, Marlon (Arbie's lovey), Shiela, Shannon, Jhay-R aka Jean Rose, Mark, and our event organizer, chef, acting manager Leo..lol.. Second Batch: Jhai, Noch, Ralph, me and my tatay Shaun.

I will focus on the second batch's travel to Jive 'coz needless to say I was with this risky group..ahaha..(just continue reading and you will understand why...)

SaturDAY

Jhai, Ralph, and I had our Saturday duty, and Noch and Jean though they also had Saturday duties, their shift ended early at 9 am. So the 3 of us battled in creating articles 'til 4 pm. The first batch left at 1 pm(base on the info I heard the day before..). At exactly 4 pm the 3 of us went to different directions and will just meet up in Crossing Ulas at 5 pm. I went home to fetch my things and Shaun. At not so exactly 5 pm we meet up with Jhai, Noch, and Ralph. We are so eager to find a ride that will take us to Jive that time, 'coz as we've heard it was very far. We waited for bus for a while, but our patience was thin and look for ways that can fly us to Jive ASAP! (that soon regretted us if we just waited a bit more, 'coz we've been overtaken by 3-4 buses along the way.) There was that we asked a taxi driver to take us in a whooping 1,500 fixed, an Ulas Route that upon hearing Marilog never hesitated to say "ay dili ko!",and another PUJ for 1,500 (are you kidding us?) but late we've realized it is worth for the driver to asked for that fare.. So we decided to take it manually. We ride a non-exclusive taxi from Ulas to Calinan for P40 all five of us! how was that? but nah, leave your jealousy behind 'coz that was according to Jhai, we paid P40 each, saving us P10 for the actual fare of P50 if we ride a Calinan bound jeep.

We arrived in Calinan past 6, and Noch or Ralph received a text that the first batch just arrived in Jive (left me thinking if they left at 1 and they just arrived, well, good luck to us!) The taxi driver dropped us on a bus stop, and suggested to just wait for a bus bound to Bukidnon, again our malnourished patience interrupted and suggested any vehicle that will offer us a ride would be it! So a "habal-habal" driver who's bound to Lomundao, was the not so lucky one we've ridden off to Marilog, and another "habal-habal driver" who dare to travel from Calinan to Marilog. They first offered P150 fare, and then P180. We go for the Gold!

Noch, Jhai, and Ralph were together on a motorcycle, while Shaun and I on the other. We left Calinan at almost 7 pm. We had a stop over at Lomundao because our driver have to inform his family that he's travelling to Marilog.

But first let us take some selfies...
Jhai with Christoper one of the drivers



Ralph at Lomundao

Me and Christopers bike

at Lomundao Highway - Noch, Ralph, Christopher

Jhai, Noch and I

Shaun with Nanay on the background

Jhai

So, going back..

We head back on track after a few minutes at Lomundao. I think it was the longest travel I had at the moment, thinking we will reach our destination by morning..urgh! cramps was all over my body.

The road was so dark and only our motorcycle's headlight lighted the way. Truly in darkness you will appreciate the beauty of the stars and fireflies. If I could just have a more powerful cam, I could have included the beautiful scenery here.

Anyway, we made multiple stops before we reached Jive, just to make sure we didn't miss the resort. I felt a bit worry for our drivers 'coz we put them in a situation that we also are helpless. Their motorcycles are running out of gas, and Christopher's motorcycle lost its"segunda".

But at last we made it, but not quite.. following pictures were taken at the entrance of Sitio Tagumpay, 3 km away from Jive. Here is parting time of our drivers, quite bittersweet because finally we partly reached our destination and at the same time parting time of the strangers who took the risk and courage just for us to reached our destination. As a compensation, we paid them P200 per person, yey!

Just arrived - Ralph, Christopher, Noch and Jhai at the Highway of Marilog
Our Driver Ken-ken with Shaun
And before we go to the much awaited Jive, let me just give you a brief story of our travel from Marilog Highway to Jive itself.

After we jump off from our habal-habal ride, we thought that Jive was just meters away and decided to just walk, but thank God to the concern people in the area that informed us that Jive was 3 kilometers away. We have to ride a skylab that take turn in the entrance.

But don't be carried away with the word skylab, you're probably thinking a cable car sort of thing now, huh!

For those of you who have no idea what a skylab is, it is a motorcycle (usually a sports type motorcycle you see in motocross competition) with added wings, balancing both sides to enclose passengers' feet that are always left hanging while on the road, and mark it! it can accommodate 10-13 people. Cool ayt? Well, cool as it sounds but ridiculous when you see it. We are about to have a picture riding it, but unfortunately our driver deliver us at Jive's club house, leaving Jhai who is about to picture us at the entrance. But to save your time (I know you will google what it looks like) here is a picture:


And yey! at last! we arrived!

It was past 8 when we arrived and that feeling when you're new in a place with the thought what will gonna happen next, you're expecting something of the place has to offer, I'm like a child taken to a mall for the first time.. lol..

So, going back, the first batch was already preparing for our dinner,