I am writing this entry from a small, lifestyle park in Naga, Camarines Sur. When I learned a few weeks ago that I will be working here for two weeks, I worried that it might jeopardize my Bora trip and that I might sooner die. But then, I thought the thrill of being able to travel to different locations in the country is exciting. My pal Mon called me a jet setter. Not quite. The trip from Manila to Naga was an excruciating, 9-hour bus ride. And though the bus had lazy boy seats, I barely slept the entire trip, thinking of my mom's stories about the NPA stopping buses and killing people for no reason.

Luckily, I arrived in Naga in one piece. I was happy that the company van was already there about an hour before my arrival. What a trip! I can't imagine how people slept the whole time when we went through roads that resemble a chicken's intestine. What's worse is that they're not paved and the potholes are best described as craters from an unknown universe.

When we had to stop somewhere in Quezon, I asked myself: Did I just endure a 5 hour bus ride? It's pretty hard to believe. The bus has an unusual smell that made me a bit woozy. And though my mind was telling me I should get some sleep, my eyes were wide open yet all I could see is a big blurred picture of lights, sleeping passengers, and big trees.

The place where I am currently staying is somehow okay. Each room is air conditioned. I almost went berserk when the admin folks told me I had to share a queen size bed with someone from a different department. Then they told me the other guy was leaving so the room's all mine. Thank goodness.

As a mallrat, my instinct told me to rush to the malls of the city. You should have seen the look on my eyes when the driver gave me a few information about the city. He pointed me to a pile of rubble which almost looked like ground zero, which is supposed to be (get this) the first SM mall in the province of Camarines Sur a year from now.

When I asked him what other malls are in the city, he recommended the E-Mall and LLC. Mon and I went there this morning only to find out that the E-Mall holds the record of being the smallest mall in the world. If you think Waltermart in Makati and Robinsons Pioneer are too small for your taste, then you have to see this one. I'm not complaining though. At least it has the usual stalls like Bench/Human/Penshoppe/Robinsons Supermarket, etc. At least I feel a bit at home.

And now, I am writing this entry from a place called Avenue Square which is kind of the mini Greenbelt of Naga. It's kind of posh and has some fancy restausrants, some are the same as the ones in the city. I wanted to write more but my battery is kind of low. Ugh!

Oh, the best part? They have free Wi-Fi in two locations which are about 5 minutes away from our staffhouse. GREAT!