Readiness

In my almost  45 years, i have lost friends, gained friends and even probably had friendships that had suddenly gone sour or gone cold. Had my share of friendships not being there anymore and friendship I was able to salvage and friendship that somehow took a detour and now we are heading and  running in the same highway again...continuing with the friendship...in the process I lost some friends and earned more friends who are still with me ....hopefully in the many years to come!

As an adult , I either accepted it, done something about it or just waited for the right time to probably mend it or totally burn the bridge.  I have a very cherished friend, a great friendship but  for some reason, it has gone cold....gone cold for 15 years ?  I am not very sure how it happened but I had my suspicions and maybe to me it was not that big a deal at that time and i did not so much thought of it and let the years take its toll with the friendship. We did not even talk after the incident I am suspecting is the cause of this "friendship gone cold". The years rolled by, and I miss my friend but  our ways have been separated for so long and try as I may, I have no news as to what has become of her , our friendship  cold and on hold, but not forgotten..

Not forgotten, in fact, I have thought of my friend so many times and wondered where she is and what has happened to her and how her family has been  and yet that's all I did wondered..until Facebook...

I spent many hours searching FB , hoping her name will pop out, but there were so many with her name and not her face..I can not find her not even in FB and even in the internet....it seemed she has dropped off the face of the earth , there were leads but no , not her.. So I looked for the next best thing, I looked for her other half and I got it...I messaged the husband and told him...well he confirmed that i am a friend and told me how to get in touch with her....I tried it but no reply..I tried it a second time and nothing....so I reckon she is not ready yet... Again I let the months and maybe a yet roll by.....I do not want to try a third time, maybe her kid did not tell her, maybe her kid told her , but it was a decision she does not  yet want to make or maybe she has made a decision ...that is not to respond and continue not being friends for the meantime (?) or until that the time she can decide we will still be friends or we can no longer be friends...

So how long has it been after my second message in her kid's mailbox in FB, I don't know, I can not remember! Maybe for a while I have forgotten about this lost friendship or chose not to remember for the meantime , afraid to hurt because of the rejection....


Until this afternoon .....I saw my friend who has not responded to my reaching out to her, oh yes, I am not mistaken it was her , I was at MOA this afternoon and has just left "Our Home" at the second floor and there she is , fully made up , looking fabulous and looking  just like herself!  I was tempted to run to her and greet her, but suddenly it dawned on me, she is not yet ready , to my mind she is not yet ready  since I got no response , her husband has most likely told her that he confirmed me as a friend in FB so she is not yet ready...so sad as I am and really frustrated, i looked the other way and headed out....  I can not help feel so sad, it was an opportunity to reach out  and continue our friendship but my fear of being rejected prevailed..rejected because she may not be ready  or maybe I am the one not ready this time, not ready to be rejected or not ready to be accepted....once again I can not help but feel I let go of an opportunity to reconnect.... well that's life...we live another day to live, love and laugh and maybe continue our friendships!!

Until then .....my friend!

An Engagement Ring...

Hmmm...yes, an engagement ring....I got a very special ring, a diamond ring , a bit big and how I love it..it is my engagement ring!! Funny and weird , you may say, why am I talking about  my engagement ring, I have been long married and yet it is not yet time for a renewal of vows and thus, can an engagement ring be due?

ha ha ha! not actually...but you see I never had an engagement ring, I don't even know if I have been engaged..no it did not happen to me...Tops and I decided to get married after a one and a half years of going our separate ways!!! We got  married with not  so much of a  fuss..went to a judge and got married with only our  2 witnesses, no fun fare, no nothing, not even a lunch  !!!Thus, I never really got engaged much less got an engagement ring....and I never knew the difference...

Now after so many years of being married...came this beautiful 1k diamond ring..I can't take my eyes off it!! And I can' take it off my finger ..ha ha ha but I did take it off...told the jeweller, if by a certain date , that ring has not been bought , it's probably mine...well she came back to me week after week with the ring still in it's box...

Just like the dress, I long knew  the ring was mine but   I needed a sign...albeit, a reason ..so I told my husband, since you did not give me an engagement ring, would you like to  buy this for me? ha ha ha what a way to ask..well, the gentleman that he is (of course, he can't say no) , he bought the ring  and so after almost 20 years, i have an engagement ring.......hmmm and you know what , I  know  it is worth the wait !!

Come May 25, we would be married for 20 long years! Aaahh , the perks of being married that long!!!! I wonder what I would get after  10 more years..looking forward...hmm?

Unease...

Here I am , it's the weekend, and  I am supposed to be relaxing ,maybe resting...sigh...I am sooo not any of these two...

I AM TRYING TO RELAX but I am failing!! Deep breath ,deep breaths...

I do not know why I am feeling like this..I can't concentrate, I think I am having a panic attack for some reason i can not even identify!  Let us see..

Tomorrow I will be going to my OB-Gyne for the results of my blood chem, ECG and xray ...for what? Well, I think my endometrium is thickening and the doctor said she has to perform a D and C? Well I have an idea what it is but I can't spell it ha ha ha!! See that is nervous laughter...sigh..Then there is the matter of a friend's reservation, i am really really sad ,embarrassed and very sorry..something not so good happened to the booking and now we are scrambling to get one for them....I can not help but feel guilty about this ...but I am helpless....but I am checking ..I am praying ,praying so hard, that all will end well...  Mama Mary help us....

And now my D and C procedure..I just got hold of the results of my blood chem and it seems my Glucose is High and some other things are also High...I will be at the Asian Hospital tomorrow, I hope everything will be ok...and then the issue of my myoma..2 big ones , bigger than my uterus according to my OB and a cyst in my uterus...my I am really feeling soooo old .....

I thnik tis is what happens to our bodies if we really do not take care of it pretty well...but now that I am recing that so called age of having a mature insurance policy....?  my body is telling me to take better care of it.....and I will just as soon as I got these things out of my uterus..

Well, this is my body , THE BODY OF A SOON TO BE 45 YEAR OLD LADY!!!

Shopping Still

Well, last night I was supposed to check out (for the 3rd time) , the Noel Bazaar but it was raining and I intended just to walk to the World Trade Center. So instead, i went to S and R since I am sure there are plenty of  parking space......I was right, parking was no sweat....

I went inside and was mesmerized....shelf by shelf , Christmas decors are on display...basket and baskets of Christmas goodies are there for the paying :)..... What's more, the decors are on sale !!! Tin santas with candy canes are at P199, Christmas gift tags are also on sale so are the wrappers...Not only that, items which will make goof Christmas gifts are on sale ,too...as usual towels, bed linens  , candles ,kitchen utensils are also discounted!!!

 You have to rush there and see the items i am talking about.....and you will not be disappointed!! But the downside is that when i asked if they will deliver the Christmas baskets if you order 60 baskets worth P1500 and P3000, the supervisor said , there are busy or something to that effect!!!! Not the answer and service I expected.....Good luck!!!

Shopping and Eating Part 2

..and so we continue our shopping and eating post....:)


Uniwide warehouse Sale

If you are from Pasay or QC and there is a Uniwide (SALE) near your area, maybe you would like to check it out !! They carry so much items but they have lots of figurines, porcelain and ceramics of all kinds. They have the wet umbrella holder, ceramics stools, Santa's of all types, stuff toys, cheap card, gift tags , housewares and what have you!  But the ceramics are really really reasonable even at give away prices...they have soap holders, cups and saucers, tissue holders, gigantic salad bowls , plates ,mugs, liquid soap holder at a cost that will not  break the bank..if you are planning to give gifts and is working at a budget, maybe you would like to go to Uniwide Sale.  The Santa Claus and other Christmas items are on sale , indoor and outdoor. The waving santa is at 99 pesos and it is not teenee weenee, maybe a foot high! Of course most of them are from China but you 've got to see it to believe !

Gourdo's and Living Well

For quality  , expensive and branded but reasonably priced  kitchen wares, household items, visit Gourdo's and Living Well.  They are the supplier of Duty Free Phils.  Pot and pans, iron cast skillets and pots, baking items, baking equipment , table wares, silver wares , glorious soaps , bathroom items, they have all these and more at prices you will love! The big  lavender and English soaps are at 120 pesos, buy 1 take 1!  the table cloths are of premium quality at 500 pesos and up!  I got to buy bubble baths at various scents and shapes with a gift box, buy 1 take 1!!

They have also european sausages, hams, nuts! The almond are at 35 pesos per pack B1T1 !  There are pretzels, wines , spices , everything a cook, chef, baker will need, they have it at friendly prices! Their Christmas items , sets of cups and saucers at P470 per set of 4 or six, then the meat plates , place mats, are really beautiful at prices even more beautiful!   They have branches in Alabang Town Center,  Greenhills, Podium and another location I cannot remember at this moment! Senior moment!

Veronidia's Choices

For wooden furnitures , you may want to see the items of Ms Veronidia Anacion!  she used to have a shop inside BF homes Las Pinas but she moved all her furniture to her beautiful house at Philam Life, Las Pinas.   She has sala sets, beautiful and handcrafted, cabinets, stools, storage stools, tables , antiques ,  console, vintage  jewelry boxes, and all things your house will need to be a home! these are pre-owned furnitures which have been restored, or repainted but of very good condition and one of a kind pieces!  the prices are really  surprisingly cheap!! If you are interested please contact me, I can hook you up with her!!! She also have miniatures, kid size love seats, chairs, tumba-tumba that your kids would love to have in their rooms. All made of Philippine hardwood or rose wood or Indonesian rose wood/oak wood (I think)... I got a Madura mirror at P3500 and a one of a kind stool (beautiful animal legs) at P1,300! I will be going to her place this weekend to check out some items!!

I will be on the look out for more bazaars and sale event this weekend , check out my blog once in a while.!

Well , now for more food/restaurants I frequent and love ;


Italianni's

No. 1 in my list will be Italianni's! I love italian foods and the place to eat them is at Italianni's...I never grow tired of their food, authentic Italian food made from very fresh ingredients. the sea food ciopino is to die for, and  the breads are really really delicious and freshly baked , complementing their pasta.  Their ribs and steak are also glorious ,the seafood are tasty , aromatic and just delicious! You may want to avail of their Bistro card, gives you 20% off on total food bill 9including at Fish and Co, Flapjacks, TGIF).....the coffee is also good and the desserts are to die for!! the panacota is really amazing!! But of course I used to really love the service but around 2 weeks ago i was really disappointed with the service we got from italianni's Alabang Town center!!

Cafe Breton

For mouthwatering crepes and coffees , try Cafe breton..I love this place and their food! The Gallettes are delicious , filling and just amazingly delicious!  Their hamburger will win over any burger house burgers! Soft, moist, fresh and what have you, plus it's really big! The ambiance is also cool ! We never get tired of the crepes , my kids love La Pinay with its oozing filling! try it , you will love it. They have Cafe Breton at West gate , one at MOA , one at Podium .....

Kanin Club

if you love good Filipino foods, reasonably priced, good ambiance , excellent service and unique and creative take on traditional Pinoy food, then Kanin Club is the place for you..I am a lover of Banana, all kinds and Kanin club has this banana dessert, nay , halo halo type which will make you come back for more!! Their Crispy Tadyang is unforgetable, they have delicious crispy dinuguan , callos, pinaupo or pinalipad na tilapia ha ha ha!! I forgot the exact name but simply delicious, home cooked food at amazingly low low prices!  Branches are at Westgate Alabang, Paseo de Sta Rosa....

Bagoong Club

Giving Kanin Club a run for its money is Bagoong Club, as the name suggest, they have bagoong for their "King" of foods!  The Krispy Binagoongan is simply enough to make your mouth water and your stomach growl for more! The bagoong done in diferent ways , the specialty is the sinful bagoong with taba ng talangka, grabe....But the one we can not forget is the Pastillas de Leche cake, you better try them, at Valle Verde Pasig and one in Tomas Morato I think!!

Tony Roma's

For ribs and steaks , we love going to Tony Roma's!  The taste is really really good, ingredients are top of the line and the serving is just gigantic! The fries , I love them, the side dishes , and the ribs, wow!!This is a favorite palce of my kids. If we are having a family dinner , Tony Roma's will be it, if you ask the kids!!  Try it , restaurants are located at Alabang Town center and the first restaurant is at Makati near Oakwood, the former Oakwood, i can't remember the current name, ha ha ha...All these talk on food has distracted me, i can't remember places , just the food!!! And we love the ambiance at Tony Roma's Makati

We also love their service!!!

House of Minis

For reasonably priced , old world ambiance , mouth-watering steaks that  gives more value to your money, try the house of mini's , for less than P500 , you get their steak set complete with appetizer,  bread and butter , soup , main course, dessert and coffee ! All the food I have tasted are great , the service is very and we just love the ambiance. So serene , old world , so homey  good !! Comforting! Their place at San Jacinto , Pasig  is the place to go for that ambiance but they have another resto at Greenhills!

 

Almon Marina

For fast food and yet Gourmet  ingredients and quality, I go to Almon Marina! This is a favorite lunch place for me and my family!  If I am alone in MOA , and I would like to eat gourmet food without busting my pocket, I eat at  Almon Marina!! Delicious fast ,hot and gourmet!! Love their food! My favorite here is the Pastalicious No. 1, 6" gourmet sandwich, pasta with bolognese or putanesca sauce and ice tea, at  165 pesos!!!  The gourmet sandwiches are also amazing filling and healthy!!

Hmm.....who doesn't  love eating and shopping?  ha ha ha!! Join me as I explore more food shops, shopping destination that will not only save you money but will relax your soul and give you the exercise you need!!

Shopping and Eating!!!

Christmas is just around the corner...we might not realize it  but it will surprise us and we will just find ourselves celebrating Christmas...

So what are the things we or rather I love to do while waiting for Christmas....I am not a very religious person, I have no panata to start and finish the Simbang Gabi  but I do pray and converse with our Creator...and so besides the spiritual things we do , I love shopping and eating out. T'is the season  when I eat a lot and hopefully not get fat since I go to all bazaars I can think off without necessarily buying so much...

I love checking out  "sale" , bazaars and what have you that will offer some bargain and so i get to eat a lot because I get tired, as they say i am in my element when I shop but I do get tired and when I am tired , I eat ha ha ha!!!

But if I may share with you my experience and some knowledge on shopping and eating !  There are so many bazaars and sale this season , if you do not have the time to go to them all, well here are some tips :

I have been to the following bazaars this weekend :

Bazaar organized by Tin-Tin Bersola at half of  the World Trade

-  they have fewer booths than the usual bazaar I have been to, but they also have "segunda mano" items from    the stars themselves! I saw a very nice gown worn by Pokwang, a little bit over the top for my taste but if you like or need those bonggang gowns, maybe you can check out the bazaar. They also have small furnitures and furnishings  at that Bazaar, last day I think is today Sunday :) ( though i am not sure). Entrance Fee is P50!

Noel Bazaar at the half of World Trade , CCP Complex, Pasay City

-  this Bazaar can boost of much more booths  with so much clothes and "abubot" for gift giving ths Christmas. They have the next best "sale" of  Ipanema, rider  and Grendha products , they have export overruns by the bales !  Baby clothes are cheap and yet so "expensive looking".. P75 each for either blouse /shirts or pants and sorts!! Check out that booth on the right side of the bazaar near the food booths! the Rubbermaid water balles and food keepers are also on sale......plus those Zebra stainless cooking pots and pants are dirt cheap...P499 only and of very good quality! Of course there are lots more! Try to haggle Kiko experienced haggling at Noel Bazaar this afternoon and he said it is awesome! Entrance fee is P50 !

Eastwood Mall. Eastwood Libis

I was at this Mall in Libis yesterday and lo and behold!!! Corelle         dinnerwares, ekco products, visions , corning ware are on sale at Raffles Kitchen World!!!Hurry, it's  only up to today!! Correlle dinner wares are at 50% off , corningware products are up to 70% , hundreds of  pyrex products If you are looking for just pieces and just intending to complete your set, go to Kitchen World, they have hundreds of pieces (not set) which you can buy at dirt cheap prices. The lid of the vision at home (lid I lost and was broken to pieces)  is at 200 pesos and you can use it as a frying pan!!!  No entrance , just maybe your parking fee!!!

When eating in this area , you may want to check out Causeway for Chinese Food, we got disappointed with My Thai resto at Eastwood , the service sucks!! Then on weekends , Eastwood has this Gourmet market, check out the mouthwatering cakes and pastries and healthy breads , ha ha ha!!!

On the other side , you might also want to check out SM Department Store's Kitchen wares section, they are also selling Colle dinnerwares at 4, 7000 a set..check it out.... but there are P2,700 corelle sets at  Eastwood!

Bazaar at Tiendesitas

The all year "bazaar" at Tiendesitas is a winner but for the Christmas Season , last night Sat, No. 18, I was lucky to have stumbled to another bazaar or sale of Folded and Hung, the dresses , cocktail dresses are gorgeous at 600 pesos , most of them in black, if you buy another dress of the same price you get that dress at half the price.....!  Check them out, the in shorts are also priced similarly , there are thousands of shirts and denim pants . Jelly bean is also on sale , preppy dresses and stuff, wade shoes are also on sale, 600 ,900 per pair  of casual men's shoes, there are sandals priced at 299, real bargain but of course, broken sizes, if you're lucky they might just have your size!! Then crates and crates of children's clothes , oshkosh, candies , girls dresses are at P150 , real bargain if I may say so! Check this bazaar if you have lots of nephews and nieces, god children or maybe you have your own little bundle of joy!!  Sale is until the end of the month!

Then when your shopping has tired you out , meaning you got your exercise ha ha ha, maybe you can swing by  to Bagoong Club, a few meters away, at Valle Verde, the food are really delicious, reasonable and creative. They have all sorts of bagoong , done differently. Kare-kare is glorious , the crispy special binagoongan  is really wonderful...and the Pastillas de Leche  cake is just sooooo yummy! Did not get to taste the  Tskolate e-bohol!!

 And of course , may I also share bazaars/markets/flea markets that are all year round!

The Organic Markets of Leviste and Salcedo, Makati

My all time favorites. Here you will get fresh organic fruits and vegetables. The Leviste Market every Saturdays seems to have more booths/stalls and more fruits than the Sunday Salcedo Market. But at Salcedo the cooked food are of cuisine quality he  he he .. I am not a gourmand but I love good food but my husband loves them better!! Then all the organic oils, massage oil (Mulberry healing oil) , citronella (mosquito, deodorizer and just about anything!!! Dishwashing detergent, organic detergent powder, pink salt, wheat grass, I drink wheat grass , fresh , newly grind/squeezed(?) wheat grass at P70 a shot!

Try it one of these weekends, either on a Saturday (Leviste) or Sunday (Salcedo), the vibe is different, the passion is high!!!

Then the Mercato at Boni High Street! Well,  my daughter had an observation, it is over rated and I am inclined to agree plus I find the items are a little bit priced higher , maybe because of the location...location, location!!! But you just have to try it, who knows you might like it!!

Btw, they have opened another Mercato type at the South, meaning , Alabang ! It is located at Molito, Albang near or in front of Gold's Gym!! The organizers are the same people behind Mercato at Boni High!! They had a Banchetto last Saturday night!!! Tops was too tired to go, though I was still raring ut he has become irritable at 11:30pm  so I just held my horses...control yourself!!

 Gosh! This is really coming along.....maybe I need a part 2..yes...This is really taking longer than I had wanted but shopping and eating are two  activities I am  more passionate about...and I bet a lot of women share these passion(s) with me......

Sun Trekker: Places that Travel takes You To

Sun Trekker: Places that Travel takes You To: Travelling has always seduced me! i have always looked far and wide, day dreaming of going to far far away lands and just going around old,...

Soar High

We fly, we soar up high!

We fly when we dream, we fly when we imagine..but we soar when  we begin.....

Begin baby steps, start today , little by  little and achieve all that we have dreamt and imagined!!

Let us meet our destiny, let us meet our fate , and  embrace our reality!!

Let our dreams inspire our reality , let  us stare our reality in the face  and celebrate!

Let us celebrate the life we have made....let us believe!!

Nightmares and Shadows

Last night was scary......I usually sleep at around 11pm and last night was no different...but it was very different! I turned off  the lights and started to doze off.....however, i seem to be awake and yet sleeping.. i seem to be drifting off in and out, in a state  between  being  wide awake and being asleep...but the scary thing is I can not seem to awaken!  I am seeing my dreams vividly , dark dark places with bodies laying  around me....I wanted to wake up because I know this is a nightmare.. I tried to shout , trying to wake up Tops but I can not hear myself, i just feel I am shouting , screaming until I stopped, stopped myself from panicking, afraid that i will not wake up!!! Afraid that I won't be able to leave this dark dark place with shadows......I began reciting the Lord's prayer.....

Many years ago , i had a similar experience, saw my own body in my bed while I was floating, tried to shout but no voice came out , tried opening the door but my hand can't grasp the knob...my hand went through the knob!!!!then I was riding , falling so fast  then a blinding light!!! begun praying, the Lord's prayer and then I woke up.......

Last night it was happening again minus the falling and the blinding light, I just can not wake up and I can't move my hands but in my mind I was shaking Tops , waking him up but to no avail.....somehow I was able to pacify the creeping panic and continued reciting the Lord's Prayer, Hail Mary and Glory be..after a while I woke up....but every time I close my eyes, I am back in that dark dark place of shadows.........I stopped trying to sleep, i lay there wide awake , afraid to sleep , afraid not to wake up!  My nights have never  been scarier.....but I thank GOD for the gift of prayer, for the gift of faith....

I thank GOD for the gift of morning , the morning after I almost did not wake up!!







PS

I have no pictures to post , for how do you picture those dark dark place of shadows!!!

Children

" Children are here to stay but 
   our babies and toddlers and 
   pre-schoolers are gone as
   fast as they grow up and we
   only have a short moment
   with them" -  St. Claire Adams Sullivan

This is a quote that has struck a cord in my being..I first heard something like this from a very good friend. She has always reminded me that I may be busy , was really busy but she told me to take my kids, my family with me, no matter where I go, no matter how busy I get while they are kids. And I guess I liked that idea  and maybe I did just that. When my kids were growing up so fast , my husband and I have spent maybe enough time with them, bringing them to work  (ooopss, maybe a risk to your work life but worth it) , take them when we go out of town for work, we just took every opportunity to bring them with us wherever we go... we've been to so many hotel rooms, resort rooms in far away provinces,  went hotel hopping ,gone to  exotic places, even climbed  Taal Volcano on a horse, rode elephants while singing  "loi loi kratong" ........ not so much because we can but because we feel that time might run out ....that friend told me that someday soon, maybe sooner, we will not be able to bring them with us because they will have their own life, separate from the one we may have planned for them, for us...

That quote was printed in both the 7th birthday  invites of my kids...I don't know why...somebody even told me that that quote is sad ...looking back, maybe that was the feeling I had., maybe at the back of my head I know that after 7 , the years will fly so fast and one day soon, i will wake up and find my kids are no longer kids ....maybe it was a mother's intuition....well my kids are no longer kids, they are teenagers now...living their own lives (or so they thought ha ha ha) ..

Yes , they still live with us, but on Saturdays and Sundays , they have all the excuses and reasons not to go with us,..they have their own affairs to run, all the excuses to reject all our suggestions  ,do their things, , go wherever they want... Boy, life has turned around for us, seems we like to cling to our children the way they used to be when they were young....

Well, this is how life turns out, soon our kids are no longer kids , , perhaps they were never ours.... but my  hope is that someday my kids will be able to say that they enjoyed their childhood with us as much as we enjoyed having them as kids  ..and all the lugging luggages  all over, having  baby bottles , milk and those bulky baby bags, taking yayas along...were all worth it...letting go of our kids and letting them live their lives comes sooner than we expect them to ... and then what do we do? we let go and  go back to our own lives and live another chapter of it .... feels  I am going there.... feels that we are on our way .....to that place.... the years have flown so fast and their childhood  is a thing of the past .......and we continue with our lives...

What if...

What if one day you wake up with nothing to write?

....no appetite to write
....no topic to write
....no inspiration
.....nothing to think about, blank spaces, blank  mind, nothing , the nothing ness of nothing?

What if you wake up with nothing to say?
....no words come out
....no pictures in the mind to form words from
....no nothing , no shout outs, no blogs appear

when you lose  the gift of gab , albeit temporarily, when you lose the desire to think , to maybe  put into words your feelings, what do you do?

What if you suddenly lose your appetite?
...to shop
...to eat
...to live

when you lose the appetite of life , the zest to live and love, what becomes of you

What if you discover that
.....your life is not the life you dreamt of, not the life you want
.... you are living a lie
....you are evading the truth

What if you do?

Places that Travel takes You To

Travelling has always seduced me! i have always looked far and wide, day dreaming of going to far far away lands and just going  around old, historic places ...meeting people...

Maybe I have always  been a traveler all my life. Maybe in my past life I am a voyager, travelling  to exotic places, meeting people, touching lives and being touched by life! Travelling seems to have defined my life , in a way.......opening my eyes to embrace all cultures, respect their tradition and share my culture and who I am....My travels have given me memories that will last me a lifetime.  My travels have opened my eyes , allowed me to embrace cultures and appreciate mine.... meet people, form friendships to last a lifetime, maybe 2 lifetimes. Come to think of it, yes, memories to last me 2 lifetimes.!

I have been gifted , blessed with 2 life changing travels in my not so young life.   SSEAYP was my first international encounter , I was 19 , going around South East Asia and Japan, meeting my lifetime friends and living the life every teen should be able to experience one way or another......being indipendent , bold , confident to meet life head on , feeling invinsible because I was young and I have travelled... Travelling has widen my  horizons, opened my eyes   and  made me more tolerant of people , made me feel that each has a place under the sun, we don't need to crowd each other, the universe is vast , it is awesome. My SSEAYP experience made me love my country more, it was because of this journey that I appreciated my country more. ..Funny, I  feel my being a Filipino was made more vivid to me when I was overseas, representing my country.... it was here that I began seeing  myself as a Filipino.....

Since then,  my wanderlust  has been insatiable, whenever and wherever,  I grab the chance to travel. I have been to many countries and everytime, I am a Filipino travelling the world and yet feeling  like a global citizen!

I got my second gift of travel just recently when WWF afforded me tha chance to go to the Land of OZ and join the Team Solar Philippines....Life in the Outback is exciting , camping in the middle of nowhere (in the words of carol Janairo) , driving down Stuart Highway, following the Solar Car,  being with young people just old enough to be my kids, meeeting people who are just willing to help ,  meeting people who will become my firends for a long time and meeting people who feels like thye have been my  friends for a long time!

More than the places that travel takes me to, it is the friendships that I cherish more, my memory will someday fade,  someday I will not remember the names and faces but the feeling of  friendship , of meeting somebody and being embraced with friendship and love will stay!! Just like the memory of a smell, they bring you back to a time , to a place , to a feeling ........ they bring you back to you!!!  T

hey bring you  the future you and your life is forever changed!

Changed! yes people we meet in our travels change us, we are not the same people after new friendships ...after people's lives touch us... Solar Car challenge has brought me back to those feelings, I am changed, renewed and enriched by the people  who are now part of the memories I shall keep for a long long time......

Travel has gifted me not only of memories but friends to share memories with.....Travel has enriched my life not only with memories but with the hope that someday I will meet them again somewhere ..........

I shall look forward to meeting you  and your Wanda somewhere!!!

The Other Heroes of Sikat II

Many stories have been published and read about the Team Solar Philippines' experience in the 23rd World Solar Car Challenge but there is a side story to all of these!

I was there, saw how the teens and students and professors worked their assess off to bring Sikat II to Australia, pass the "Scrutineering", get Sikat II on its way to Stuart Highway and fix it when the battery over-heated. I saw how determined the team was when Sikat II burned its battery. The team ,a t least those who are in-charge and those who are in the electrical, mechanical and ECE team , worked all night to bring Sikat II back on the road and qualify again to race down Stuart Highway!! I was there, helpless in a way, I was no technical person and all we can do was to make the team more comfortable and probably make sure they  have something to eat. At best all we can do , is get out of their way! It was really hard ,to say the least, to stand by and watch these "kids" work all night and all you can do is offer food and ask if they needed anything.  But in my heart of hearts, this is a familiar thing, this "working so hard" thing, maybe I know they are up to it, they can do this. Remember , I have seen how these guys are during the survival training. They can be playful but  they take everything to heart and they have the passion, so it has never occurred to me that they will not bounce back and vote  to give up the race. There was no doubt... So there they are, working all night long, in the morning SIkat II is up and running as if nothing happened.... it run the length and breadth of Stuart Highway from Tennant Creek until the next control stop ......

But the story of Team Solar Philippines is not just about the heroic deeds of  the students and professors, the brilliant strategy of the Team Manager/Team Leader or the endurance and fighting spirit of  these young people. The other story is the story of the Philippine nation , of the Filipino community in every town , in every nook and cranny in Australia who unselfishly  gave their support in every way they can to bring Sikat II to Adelaide, to the finish line.

That story  is the stories  of the Darwin Filipino community , of the members of the Filipino community who cooked food, visited the team, gave them encouraging words, treated them like stars, lent us rice cooker and fans, helped them when they needed help like the mechanics of Toyota Darwin, the Pinoy merchandisers and cashiers in Coles and Woolies who out of their  pride of being Pinoys, helped the crew (us) get the things we needed. The waiters and waitresses in the different restos who made us feel at home , the Exec Asst . of the Chief Minister who gave us a private tour of the office , so proud of the team and so proud of being a Pinay, the Pinay Radio personality,  the FX lady who brought her journalist husband at the start of the race, the Katherine Filipino and Australian Association  of Northern Territory  (KFAANT) who  greeted us with the Philippine flag , prepared food for the team and gave us an air-conditioned place to stay during the first night of the race! The KFAANT members who adopted 2, 3 or 4 members and took us home so we could take a bath and who again adopted 2 members of the crew who arrived the day after. And the guy who just took me to a gas station where I can have the LPG refilled?  And how could I forget Noel , an Australian who took pains in looking for my  shades  when I thought I have lost it ( he said I will not survive outback without it), the cashier cum gas station manager who without hesitation and brought us to the leaders of the community in Tennant Creek when we needed a place to stay,  his Ate who never thought twice when we ask her where  we can stay and her Australian  business partner who gave us the keys to the Showground in an instant. !!!! And when the battery burned down, they were again there. This time the husband who offered his compressor, blower and vacuum  for the team to use when they were repairing Sikat II and putting on the new battery, making sure there are no toxic materials in Sikat II. The Tennant Creek Filipino Community who stayed until the wee hours of the morning to give support to those not sleeping the night , giving them coffee and cookies . And who would forget the the nurse or hospital worker who brought breakfast the following day , straight from her duty at the hospital and her friend who even  made coffee and sandwiches for the boys who worked non-stop all night? The journey of Sikat II is full of  Pinoys lending their hands , gathering around the team . In all the towns in Australia that there is a Pinoy,  WE ARE AT HOME! In Alice Spring , the people who took time out from their work to cook for the team , In Coober Pedy , the Pinay cashier who gave us water to take along and who gave free coffee to the students, we are at home on the road because of the Pinoys and Pinays who made us feel that way!! Our lives in the Outback has been made so much easier by the Pinoy community who all the way from Darwin down to Adelaide gave their best , the best of themselves to Team Solar Philippines....

And when we were in Adelaide..the Pinoy community who gathered at Victoria Square , patiently awaiting the team and who burst into jubilation when they saw the team walking the ceremonial finish line with its solar car, Sikat II.... and then another Lunch reception given by the Honorary Consul General  and again the Pinoy community brought food, glorious Dinuguan ( my fave), kutsinta, pansit and the works, pinoy food  cooked in Adelaide!!!

And when it was time to go, they again  went out of their way to get up early just so I would not take  a taxi going to the airport, how do you thank people who do this out of their love for their countrymen in a foreign land!!!

In the words of Lorie Tan of  WWF, the Sikat II Team Solar Philippines includes  the  WHOLE PINOY COMMUNITY IN AUSTRALIA!   And I say Amen to that!

Lest We Forget

We arrived in Darwin Oct. 8, 2011.  One of the things I noticed in Darwin are the numerous War Memorials usually inscribed with the following words : Lest We forget...

Let me borrow this then for my topic today:.......

Lest we forget------

Our experiences are our own, let the others experience theirs

Lest we forget -------

our experiences are not better than that of the others

Lest we forget------

our experiences provide us with different competencies  where we excel

Lest we forget------

Our reality is not the only reality

Lest we forget------

just because "we think we know" , we really do know or we are more knowledgeable than others

Lest we forget-----

our position or status in life does not guarantee we are more loved or better respected

Lest we forget------

we are here to work and enjoy life and not to be boss

Lest we forget------

being in the limelight does not make us the "bida"

Lest we forget----

perceptions are just that perceptions (not necessarily the truth)

Lest we forget----

we are all equal in the eyes of GOD, and in the eyes of man , but others have "guaranteed
seats, others have to hitch a ride"

Lest we forget-----

Humility begets respect, we all have time to eat our "humble pie" ,perhaps now is our time

Lest we forget ------

our position does not make us better that the others

Lest we forget----

we are here to assist each other and that does not make you the boss

Lest we forget----

we are here to do a job and not to be prima donnas

Lest we forget------

Credit grabbing is stealing

Lest we forget----

our jobs give us perks, not the right to be mean nor to be rude

Lest we forget-----

being better at something does not give you the right to belittle others

Lest we forget-----

once in a while we have to eat our humble pie and live with that fact

Lest we forget-----

courtesy is still one of the best policies

Lest we forget-------

maybe we have been chosen, but we are not the only chosen one or two

Lest we forget----

we maybe in the lead but it does not mean we are the leaders

Lest we forget-----

if we raise ourselves above others, gravity will pull us down

Lest we forget----

we don't have the monopoly on intelligence

Lest we forget----

when we are blessed, we share, we pay it forward

Lest we forget-----

we can not demand if we are asking for assistance

Lest we forget-----

our lives are intertwined, this is a circle and what goes around, comes around