My Antique Trip 2022

(Date Written: June 24, 2022)

It always feels good to have a place called hometown. This is where you go back over and over again every time there's a chance.

This is a home away from home. 

A quick escape from the busyness of city life. 

The vibe of provincial life is unexplainable in a good way.

A simple, peaceful, slow-living kind of life.

Where the sea and the mountains meet halfway and you live in between. 

People with the same face, then the culture and traditions that are still part of our lives.

And I am fortunate enough to have Antique, Philippines as my hometown. 

Last June 9, we flew to Antique. My brother and I traveled via Kalibo, then two hours of land travel going to our hometown.

My last visit here was way back on May 2019. 

It was nice to see familiar faces and places once again.

The following day, my brother and I went to the beach near our home to see the sunset. 

The waves were big as it's going to be a high tide later in the evening. 

And then the next morning, we went back to the beach to witness the sunrise. The sea was already calm and it's low tide just before the sun went up.

We rode on a kayak that we borrowed from our neighbor. 

Next, we went to a river resort that is owned by our relatives. 

And it felt amazing to be back here. The relaxing vibe was an overwhelming feeling. The cold river flow was easing all the stresses and pressures I had at work. When I was here, my thoughts and worries about work in Manila were nowhere to be found and I'm grateful for this short and quick escape.

And I may say that this was a much needed break.

I invite everyone to visit our province. 

Discover Antique! Kruhay!

There's a lot of places and tourist spots to visit here. 

And I will never get tired of going home here. 

One Proud Antiquena here! (two hands both raised)

This short break from my usual busy life is a blessing I am so grateful to have.

See you again soon my favorite hometown!

Oops! I only have one. :)

Coffee and Best Bud

Let me share with you a quick back story. 

The other day, I thought of looking for writing prompts on the internet because I didn’t know what to write as a blog entry or content. And then it came to my mind to print out the prompts that caught my interest. I even already imagined writing those prompts and turning them into a full content. I already had ideas on what to write out of the topics I read. And so, I printed almost a hundred prompts, cut it per topic and put those in a jar. So, next time I will be suffering from writer’s block or procrastination, I’ll pick at least five to write it down.

And here’s my first entry! But I hope to write more. 

-0-0-0-0-0-

Date Written from A Writing Prompt: July 16, 2022

My social love tank is always full whenever I go out with my best friend.

There’s this moment that we went out together (just the two of us) when he visited me near my place. We hung out around Eastwood Mall. We ate at my favorite ramen place. He usually talks loudly as if he doesn’t care about other people around us. I always ask him to minimize his voice for some privacy.

But when our stories are getting better and juicier, we both just don’t care and talk as loudly as we can! Oops, sorry to those we disturbed!

After our late lunch, we then went to our favorite coffee shop! I was so happy when we bought our favorite Frappuccinos.

Maybe to some, it’s a small thing but it means a lot to me.

Small things always matter to me and those are actually the big things when walking back to our Memory Lane. It always feels good to reminisce about happy moments. And most of the time our happy thoughts came from those sweet, little events in our life.

After having our coffee date, we even roamed the mall and nearby parks after.

We just talked and laughed and sometimes our topics were getting serious.

And as the sun went down, we had dinner at his favorite restaurant.

We parted ways that night with happy hearts and full love tanks.

I’m grateful for having him as my go-to closest buddy. He would always love listening to my stories, rants and even not so worthy thoughts.

And I do the same for him. I’m his favorite human diary and I’m so honored to be like it. 

It’s always a life update session with him as we only get to see each other twice or thrice a year. And those moments are worth it. We laugh loudly over our favorite food and coffee and we talk nonstop. I always feel like I’m my real self when I’m with my closest friends. I only have a few friends but I make sure that I cherish and treasure them. It’s always a nice feeling when you’re at your favorite place with your favorite people.

Time would always pass swiftly when we are enjoying it and yet the memories remain in our hearts.

Life is short. Let’s always choose our time to spend it not just wisely but with full of happiness and most specially, we must spend our time with the people who truly matter to us and as much as we matter to them.

We tend to always focus on our own life because every day, we need to survive but let’s also remember to keep in touch with our loved ones and closest friends.

Who knows what a simple call or text from us could do? Maybe this would make someone’s day a little brighter and better. And it might be the best day ever if you spend it over a cup of your favorite coffee or a plate of your favorite meal.

Indeed, it’s the best thing ever!

P.S. Shout to my best friend, Marcelo.

I love you with all my heart! Half of my life was already spent with you and I don’t mind spending it forever as your bestest friend! Love you always and so much!

One Year of Marriage (An Open Letter For My Hubs)

One year.

It was bliss. 

Who would have thought that a year has swiftly passed? 

And as they say, it was a roller coaster kind of ride. 

Same day last year, I saw your most joyous tears when you saw me walking down the aisle with my mom and brother towards you.

And for me, the happiest part of our simple wedding ceremony witnessed by our close family, relatives and friends was when Reverend Jay announced that we're officially husband and wife and then we kissed and then we hugged each other so tight with full of happiness in our hearts. I consider this as one of the loveliest moments of my life and this forever rewinds in my memory lane. Whenever I am stressed, burned out, feeling hopeless or mad, I just keep on refreshing my mind  that certain special day of ours and it makes my day lighter and brighter. That is my happy vibes pill! 

Our wedding day was not perfect. It was the simplest as it could be (and budget-friendly actually). 

But it was what I prayed for and I couldn't thank you enough for making one of my dreams turned into reality - and that was to marry you. 

Our journey as a married couple for the past year had its ups and downs, challenges, happiness and celebrations. 

To highlight some, one of us got Covid and had to be isolated for 14 days - it was the most challenging that happened this year actually. We were in LDR for 14 days. 

And then another not so good highlight was when one of us packed the clothes to almost run away (true story - this actually happened). 

There were petty and huge fights, and then there were tears but by God's grace, most of our moments together were laughter and craziness  (in a good way) and just love. 

Yes there were bad days, but there were also happy days like salary increases (pa-SB ka naman dyan!), new job acceptances, new gadgets/stuffs for the house, dining outs - the Al Fresco type, grocery days (Yes, those are happy times for us because we have money to spend on), running or walkathons together, modifying and improving our future plans, more cuddle times, and a lot more! 

Marriage is truly a lifetime of hard work and one thing I've learned this year is that it should also be smart work.

Wise enough of who should do the laundry and dishes (Ha-ha-ha!). 

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my husband for accepting the lifetime duty of taking out the garbage.

I may not be good at cooking (because it's your job by the way) but at least I'm the best wife in helping you prepare for work. 

You are brutally honest actually when I tried cooking but it didn't taste good. You'd say that you couldn't swallow the food but you'd still eat it anyway.

I also do the laundry when I know that you're tired from work. 

Since you love cluttering and I'm the one who cleans your mess, thank you for sweeping inside and outside of our home when I told you to do it. Keep up the good work!

Our marriage is also a lifetime learning experience and I'm happy to learn new things and improve more with you. 

I will be forever grateful to the universe and to the Lord because I've got to get married with the love of my life since I was 18. 

Our paths have crossed in one of the most famous fast food chains in the country and since then both our lives have changed forever. 

Our first meeting and dating place also reminded us of our humble beginnings. 

It is still a long journey though but I will be forever grateful to have this lifetime spent with you. 

Cheers to our goals waiting to be reached! (The soonest, praying and claiming it!)

Happy 1st wedding anniversary, Mahal! 

This is me showing and telling what 'I love you' means. 

One down forever to go!

Yours, 

Lablab.

After More Than 2 Years, I Volunteer Again

Date Written: May 15, 2022 Sunday

I missed doing something good. Something that I am proud of. And that is volunteering or helping others. I can’t donate any financial goods right now and all I have is time, effort and love so that’s what I share. 

I woke up at 5 am. And then I’m off to my usual routine during pre-pandemic weekends.

I met the other volunteers at McDonald’s Tayuman at 7 am and then we’re off to Helping Land, Tondo, Manila. 

I saw the same faces and places again. I volunteered again just like I used to before. 

The first part of the program was orientation of volunteers. Many were first timers and some were old volunteers. We introduced ourselves and then the major activities began. 

People were already lined up outside the courtyard for food. 

Elderlies and kids were there to have a decent meal. 

We assisted them. 

After the distribution of food was the next activity. This is the ASP or After School Program wherein the kids were grouped according to their current grade level and then volunteer-teachers were assigned per table to teach these kids. 

I was assigned to teach pre-school and our subject for today was Math. 

At first, I introduced myself to them and then I also got to know each of the kids I was handling for the day. 

My students for that day were Jessa Mae, Princess and Belen. Their age range were 5-7. 

We started the lesson by asking them if they already know how to subtract. They said yes. 

We discussed Subtraction and tried subtracting using our hands.

And then they answered my sample questions. 

 

Apparently, when I handed them the activity papers, it was only Jessa Mae and Belen who already knew how to write and could answer it. 

Princess only traced the numbers and texts written on the paper. 

I did not pressure her though so I just let her color the pictures and trace the numbers. 

I guided Jessa Mae and Belen to solve the Math problems. Belen is also having trouble writing the numbers so I helped her.

By the end of the session, we gave the kids chocolates as a reward. 

I also had some selfies with them when we were done. 

When the kids were already out of the courtyard, we cleaned the place, stacked up the tables and chairs and returned all the learning materials that were used.

A group photo of volunteers was also done. 

And then it’s time to go.

It was a three-hour worth of time, sweat and effort. 

 

It really felt so great to be back in Tondo to do one of the things I love, which is volunteering. 

Tondo, Manila was a happy place for me. I interact with kids, nanays and co-volunteers which eventually became my friends/family. 

I have also practiced my writing and Social Media skills before when I was part-time working for Project Pearls. This is the NGO I was supporting. So, it was really a passion I was happily doing before and until now.

My last volunteer activity was December 2019. And only now that I was able to go back. 

I started my volunteering life as a volunteer-tutor. 

I was scared to go alone at first but I was able to do it. Those were the days that I am checking each box on my bucket list and this was number one.

I’m so grateful that because of a broken heart, I was able to do things that scare me. 

And also, I met different kinds of people and found new friends. My horizon has expanded. I have gone to more new places and tried new adventures. 

It all boils down to being a volunteer.

I wouldn’t trade my mid 20’s experiences to any other. 

I am always grateful for all the lessons and learnings I gained during those times. 

And now that I’m in my early 30’s, I hope to see more of life. 

Even though I am already married, I still have a lot to fulfill as an individual. 

I still want to try new things and to go to more new places I have never been yet. 

And I still want to volunteer and then to write down all my experiences, feelings and thoughts. 

Until the next volunteer!

Samar and Leyte Trip

March 15-18, 2022

I was out again to new adventures (with work). 

 

I am grateful and will always do my work because I am able to travel once in a while via plane. 

I can go to places I have never been yet. 

 

For this blog’s entry, I want to share with you my recent travels to Samar and Leyte.

This was an official business trip but we still had the opportunity to have a side trip to beaches and some tourist spots.

 

 

- [ ] Day 1 Tacloban to Catarman 

Our flight was at 5:30 in the morning.

We then reached Tacloban City by 7 in the morning.

We had breakfast at Andoks and then we’re off to a 6-hour road trip to Catarman.

We rented a car going to Catarman. 

Our Operations Manager joined us on the trip and she’s the one who drove the car.

I got dizzy because it’s been awhile since I had a long trip.

But I was fine.

We reached Catarman at almost 6 in the evening.

We then had our store visit before we had dinner and then we finally checked into a nearby beach resort.

 

Langtaran White Beach Cove Resort

It’s been a long day so I slept early. 

I woke early as well. 

I went to the beach, sat in the sun, stared at the wide horizon and waited to see the sunrise. 

I felt grateful to experience this now.

Beaches make me feel calm and relaxed. It is therapeutic for me. 

We had the chance to dip in the water before going back on a road trip.

I also didn’t miss the chance to take some photos of the beach.

But accidentally, my camera got wet and it didn’t work out anymore.

Sad life.

We had our breakfast before getting back to the road. 

And then we're back to Tacloban!

 

- [ ] Day 2 Catarman to Tacloban

This time, we reached Tacloban earlier.

We also had a stopover at the San Juanico bridge for a quick photo ops. 

After our store visit, we checked into our hotel. 

Then we’re back to the store again.

 

We had dinner at the hotel’s restaurant. We had a boodle fight. Yey! We enjoyed our dinner and then I slept early again. 

 

 

- [ ] Day 3 Tacloban to Palo to Tanauan

We had a store visit again then we had a side trip to McArthur Landing Memorial Park.

It was a historical and tourist site that we took the chance to visit. 

Before lunch time, we were back at our hotel to check out and go to our next hotel, Playa Alegre. It was a beach resort. 

We had our boodle fight lunch there before we checked in at 2 pm.

And it’s already a free day for us so we dipped into the pool and had some photo ops again at the beach. 

 

I once had a time again to stare at the sea while the group was resting in the room and lounge area. 

I am really grateful for this opportunity to travel while working.

 

Then we had our dinner at the lounge area before sleeping. 

 

The moon was full and so bright that night that the sea was lit up.

The sand was also shimmering.

My camera couldn’t give justice to the beauty of the place.

 

- [ ] Day 4 Home

We had our breakfast at the resort before checking out. Then we’re back in the city. We attended a store opening.

Then we had a quick lunch at the mall before we went to buy pasalubong and then we went to the airport to catch our flight.

 

I was already home at past 7 in the evening. 

 

This week has been so tiring but I had so much fun! Because this is what I really love to do - traveling and exploring the world.

Mount Espadang Bato

March 12, 2022 - Saturday

Montalban, Rizal

Reunion Hike with TeamTraverser!

After two years, I've finally done two things I love the most.

First, hiking! I love exploring mountains,

enjoying the trails, the breathtaking view,

the stories shared with co-hikers.

Second, bonding with friends!

It was never a dull moment when you spend time with friends,

especially if you haven't seen each other for a long time. 

Team Traverser has been my friend since 2016,

back when I started joining hikes

and stepping out of my comfort zone to meet new people.

These people eventually became my friends. 

For this day's reunion hike, we went to Montalban, Rizal

via a friend's car.

Our destination: Mount Espadang Bato

at Barangay Mascap, Montalban, Rizal.

We met in Cubao at 5 in the morning. 

We had a stopover at 7/11 to have some coffee

and while waiting for our other friends - Jan and Joy.

Right there at that time,

we decided to hike Mount Espadang Bato.

It was all our first time going there.

We even lost our way going to the jump off area

and started our hike a bit late. 

After more than two hours with lots of  ‘take five’

or short stops to rest, we reached the summit.

The mountain has become well known

because of its rock formations that look like a giant sword

and also the scenic backdrop when you take a photo here. 

It felt good to be back on top of a mountain.

I didn't hike for the last two years

so I easily got tired during the ascents.

But the pain was worth it when you're on top.

And I also missed the forestry trail. 

Since the pandemic and several lockdowns,

hiking has been prohibited.

When we went there,

we were the third group to hike. Unlike before,

hundreds were flocking to the mountains

especially on weekends.  

Looking forward to seeing more people

will go back to hiking soon. 

Current tour guide fee is 500 pesos for 5 pax. 

And we paid 100 pesos each since we were 6 in the group. 

We also paid a registration fee at the Barangay of 20 pesos each. 

By 1 pm, we were back in the jump off area

and had our lunch in a nearby cafeteria.

Then we headed to Wawa Dam where we rented a cottage

and had a dip on the river.

After that, we also had dinner at SM Fairview

before we finally parted ways. 

I was happy reconnecting with nature and friends

and I can't wait to have more moments like this

as we are eventually going back to normal. 

Fingers crossed.

Thank you Lord God for keeping us safe and for always providing for us.

Thank you for the time spent with friends

and we were able to see your creation's beauty once again on a higher view.