Christmas 2013

I love how we celebrated our Christmas Eve.  It was a departure from our usual.  We went to the Ayala lights festival and then went home before 8 to enjoy a simple dinner of kinilaw and sinigang na lapu lapu.  Kids opened their gifts from mommy's friends and Lola (daddy's friends are not the type who give gifts). And then we all went to bed before 10pm.

On Christmas day, we headed out for Baguio at 5am. I discovered traveling early Christmas morning can be so solemn and beautiful, especially if you're headed to the country side. There were only a few motorists on the road, and I felt a sort of an affinity with them, like we shared this secret that only the few of us Christmas travelers know.

The drive took just about 5 hours which was kinda awesome (because everything feels awesome on Christmas day). We headed straight to the picnic site in PMA to have our brunch of chicken adobo and rice straight out of our trusty rice cooker.

We rested a bit in the hostel (the Nakar Guesthouse inside the PMA, where I used to stay when I visited Marvin during his cadet days) before driving around the city. Our dinner that night was my and Marvin’s favorite papaitan and other goat delicacies from Billy's Goat House. We get excited with new discoveries like a hole in the wall eatery serving more than decent papaitan, and promised to eat there again and try their other goat dishes.

The following day was Ezra's 2nd birthday. The baby wasn't feeling so well but he was a trooper. We had brunch again at the picnic spot and helped Ezra blow his 2 candles on a slice of cake. Piece of cake. I thought the pines were lovely and it was going to be a waste if we didn’t have our family portrait taken with them as backdrop. So I arranged the kids for the photo session which is not exactly their idea of fun. I told them they're going to thank me later for all the photos I took of them when they were younger.

After what feels to the kids as obligatory outdoor family portrait session, we brought them to Camp John Hay for horseback riding. Because what's a vacation in Baguio without horseback riding, and boat paddling in Burnham Park.  Because childhood memories are made of this kind of stuff.

And we had another happy discovery at Burnham Park: skating rink! Who knew there was a skating rink in that spot all along? It was the first for the kids (and Marvin) to try on skating. Marvin and Zaki were quick learners. Yuan got by without falling flat and Zion loved it so much he wants a pair of skating shoes for his birthday.

Before long, it was time for Ezra's birthday dinner at the Forest House Bistro. That place is so Christmas-y and so perfect for a December birthday dinner in Baguio! It has a log cabin feel and a real fireplace, and it was totally decked out with Christmas decors.  Zion said when he grows up, he's also going to bring his kids to hotels and restaurants with a fireplace because his kids are really going to get excited.  Don't you just love that boy?

If you ask the brothers, they will tell you Ezra had a really fun 2nd birthday. If you ask Ezra, he will tell you, What do I know? I was groggy throughout with my cough meds.

It was free time (meaning no picture taking and scheduled activities) the following day for the boys which they spent camping at the picnic site and reading the books they brought along. Marvin and I went to the market for cheap vegetables and I got myself a very dandy fluffy bonnet. We had goat again for lunch (as promised) and for coffee we went to this lovely neighborhood cafe called PNKY.  It's a good alternative to the noisy, busy and crowded coffeeshops.  No one shouting names and orders. It's not a coffee shop for the weekdays, when you're in a rush and you want to get pumped up for the work ahead. It's a coffeeshop for Sundays, when you want to just take it slow, read a book, talk in hushed tones.  I wish there were more coffee shops like this around my place in Manila.


For our last day in Baguio, we got up early to have our picnic breakfast at Mt. Sto. Tomas in Tuba, Benguet where you can find the twin radars brought by the Americans pre-World War. You can see those radars from Kennon Road and Marvin always, always tells the kids that those are the big electric fans that keep Baguio cool.  I’m starting to think he actually used to believe that when he was first told about it.

It was so cold when we got there, like 12deg. And there were clouds and fog all around us. It felt like we were walking on clouds. And it had the most fantastic view of the city. You can even see Baguio's runway. I loved it!

Then it was time to go home, and face the monstrosity that is the Edsa traffic.

For New Year's, we booked a family suite in Tagaytay.  The kids, including Marvin, braved the chilly air and spent the afternoon swimming in the hotel's infinity pool (which is not infinite, not even that big). Yuan was so thrilled to use a really nice hotel bathrobe. He said he felt rich walking around wearing it! haha. Now all he wants for his birthday is a really nice hotel-grade bathrobe.

The kids pretty much had a grand Christmas vacation.  And as a parent, nothing makes me happier than seeing my kids getting all excited and hearing them say they feel special with all the (simple) treats they got.  Basically, that's what this vacation was all about.

I savored the last sunset of the year from our room’s balcony, which had a view of the Taal lake. I said a few prayers of thanksgiving for the year that was. Like any year, 2013 had its ups and downs, but the things that stick with me are the ups.  And they make me hopeful for the coming year.  This ability to focus on blessings is a gift in itself.  And I thank God for it because I don't want the misery that the alternative brings.

I also said a few prayers of supplication for 2014.  I prayed for my family's vigor and stamina and protection. I prayed for my loved ones' hearts to desire the Lord more and more. I prayed that our hearts will only yearn to please Him and to know His will for us. Lastly, I prayed for myself to be kinder, more gracious, more loving and generous.

And may it be so.

Kennon Road

that's our trusty rice cooker right there

Us helping Ez blow his candles

the papaitan, kilawin and sinampalukang kambing

Guess who had leg cramps after

Forest House Bistro's fireplace, and my jarheads

The forest house cake

So proud of this photo I took. Caught the beautiful sunshine peeking through the pine trees .

the pine trees at PMA

early morning walk at PMA

SM Baguio right behind

PNKY's coziness is right up there

the 2 big electric fans keeping Baguio cool

my dandy fluffy bonnet

catch the clouds

there goes again the traveling trusty rice cooker

Lola and her apos enjoying the view at Josephine's

Last sunset of 2014

2013

2013, you were a joy.  I don’t know exactly why, but you felt good.  

You led me to several places, places I’ve never been to before.   I saw houseboats on beautiful canals, thousand year old temples, valleys and hills from the top of a mountain, the outline of islets from a cable car.  In all these places, I saw magic but only because I allowed myself to see it. 

You showed me that indeed, nothing worth getting and achieving comes easy.  And that if you push yourself outside your comfort zone, and you push your boundaries even just inch by inch, you will be rewarded with things you didn’t even imagine getting.  Then you reminded me that when you work hard, do not look so much on the reward or the outcome.  It will take care of itself. But you should take care of your heart, make sure it still is in the right place.  When it comes down to it, everything is about the heart.  Keep your values and motives in check.

2013, I feel privileged for having seen kindness and compassion up close - all those people wanting, even begging to give and be of help. There is always an opportunity to help and to be kind.  Start where you are with what you have.  I wish to see kindness and compassion become a movement in this country.  That would be the most powerful movement we will see. 2014, will you let that happen?

Thank you 2013 for the tiny victories. They are aplenty: good grades from the kids, graduations, Ezra doing his thing in the toilet, completed projects at home and at work, food trips and travels.  There were also major ones: our good health, my mother’s memory still working, budget on the green, a chance to build a new house again, solid friendships, a new church whose pastors disciple our family with their teaching and preaching.  I am thankful even more for our faith, the one thing that holds everything together for us and our true treasure.

You were awesome 2013, but it’s time you go. 

Hello, 2014! Be nicer to everyone.

Cambodia

I'm glad I went to Siem Reap. I don't think anyone ever regretted touring Siem Reap. The place is packed with history and ancient engineering marvels, and if you don't care for those, there's Tonle Sap for nature lovers (although it doesn't come close to our very own Puerto Princesa).

The place feels like a provincial city in the Philippines except that:

• It has a much much chicer airport (When you step into the airport from the plane, it feels like you're entering your hotel already. You can say it's cozy and resorty because it's not a massive structure. Also, I like that it's small, just single storey. No long treks required typical of any international airport. I hope the airports in our country can be as efficient and clean as Siem Reap's.)

• .. and really really old temples.  (Angkot Wat is of course the crowd drawer.  I didn't know though that Angkor is some sort of a district and within/around it are SO many temples, some of which are built as early as 900 AD.  I wonder what our ancestors have been up to around that time.  Making intricate gold bracelets, perhaps, or boats.  It's hard to imagine how Cambodia ended up being a poor country given its rich and glorious past. Well, there was Pol Pot, but he happened in the 1970s, at a time when Cambodia had been a poor country for years already.  And even then (although the comparison is quite a stretch), Germany also had a Hitler, but it still is a great country.  I will probably write about my fascination with Germany someday.)

• Everywhere in Siem Reap, dollar is accepted for payment and prices are quoted in dollars. (I don't really know if this is symptomatic of the country's political and economic instability or simply a reflection of the fact that the city is filled to the brim with dollar-carrying tourists, which leads me to bullet #4)

• Siem Reap has infinitely more tourists. (They have all types of tourists: French, Americans, Brits, Spaniards, all sorts of Asians, Latin Americans, backpackers, high-end travelers, families, couples, teens, retired.  It's very different from the profile of our share of tourists.  You know what I mean right? No? Google what former US Ambassador Harry Thomas said about 40% of our male tourists.)

• There's no mall in Siem Reap. (There's a place called National Musuem Mall which is annexed to (whatelse) the museum. It looks like it used to be a functioning mall (a posh one by Siem Reap standards) with stores and kiosks but now it's empty with the stalls slapped with "for rent" signs.  I guess the mall was built primarily for tourist but it didn't fly because tourist don't go to Cambodia to buy stuff.   In Manila, a mall or a structure of a mall going totally abandoned seems unthinkable.  Because if this was in Manila, the place would in no time be filled with dibidi and cellphone vendors ala Makati Cinema Square or Harrison Plaza.)

I'll stop here and tell you to go and see Siem Reap for yourself.  It's not quite Thailand but it has its all its own charm.  Enjoy!

Climate change ready houses of Tonle Sap

Taking it all in

Angkor Wat Library

Restaurant row

Happy travelers!

A book review

The Recorded History of a Girl by Celine Lopez

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I wrote this review on Good Reads upon the request of the Author whom I tagged in Instagram where I gave her book some love.

i kinda rooted for this book even before it came out and before having even read it.  been an avid follower of the author's column for years, so i feel like i know her, her struggles and fears and joy and basically the things that make her an interesting human being. She's a generous writer like that, sharing these intimate things about herself knowing probably that it makes her an open target to people who judge and love to hate.

but it is what makes her relatable as a writer. she gives a voice to my own fears, insecurities and vulnerabilities, even when we don't share a common backstory and social status.

she was for a long time a sad girl, but she has bounced back big time.  i know this of course only from what she writes and tells interviewers. By bounced back i mean less about her new film and book but more about her newfound life perspective and self love. she has embraced happiness, and i feel like this tiny victory is mine as well. i like her more this way.

so even before i read the book i have already decided that i love it.

i got the book the moment it was up on amazon. i wouldn't have minded paying for it, but it came free (told you she's generous)

what can i say? i missed R already right after i clicked 5 stars on my kindle. I enjoyed reading R's letters. Even shed a few bittersweet tears over some of them, particularly those to her kids. I love the adult that she has become, the wisdom and insights she shared.

she had an authentic voice. she sounded natural, and not pretentious at all. there were no cringe parts. really. i savored her every sentence. 

R felt so real, and that's the thing that makes this book a clear winner.





View all my reviews

Amsterdam

I don't have to tell you that Amsterdam is just downright pretty. Quaint, chic, green, design forward, enviable bike culture. Too damn cool, in other words.

No smugness, stores with storekeepers out of sight, super friendly storekeepers, taking photos welcomed everywhere (except in the Anne Frank House, a gem of a museum.),  people on bike stopping to pose for photo, no police asking for train tickets, coke with your name on it, street names with multiple and side-by-side vowels, cheap but good convenient store food, tourists everywhere, boathouse of my dreams, no spectacular local cuisine (no local cuisine is more like it), old churches turned into event venues, cobblestones, very tall people, i now know why they call it Dutch treat, 200 yr old windmills, handcrafted wooden shoes akin to present day engagement rings, too many souvenir shops, paying .50ureo for extra pack of ketchup at a Mcdonald's, cannabis everything, picture perfect houses all around, good beers.

I definitely enjoyed Amsterdam, but I would have enjoyed it infinitely more if Marvin saw it with me. I'm such a dependent like that.

The Last Weekend of May

I don’t know what it is with mountains but the weekend our family climbed one, it was magical. I was completely swept over with deep gratitude:
for togetherness, for family, for an able body, for stamina, for being able to afford tiny luxuries such as an unplanned overnight stay in a hotel when the soul has been begging for nothing else but some nice hot bath, soft bed and warm blankets

I woke up unexplainably happy that weekend and saw how God’s grace has put me where I needed to be throughout my 35 years.

I saw, too, how the imperfect and less than ideal can end up beautiful and heartwarming:
rain on the descent from the summit that made everything trickier;  rain still when we got down to the campsite where we had planned to pitch tent for the night; the hotel (or inn, looking rather shabby from the outside) that we had to settle for because our first three choices were all fully booked

That weekend I realized all over again that I can never outthink and out-imagine God, especially on the best way to warm my heart. He just knows it way better than I can ever try.

What can I say.  The soul yearns for epiphanies and when it does catch some, there's magic (and yes, a bit of mush, too).

Genuinely curious, our youngest hiker Zion asked after hurdling the first peak what the whole point of climbing a mountain was.  Why break yourself like that? The answer comes the moment you reach the summit: the breathtaking view; the sense of accomplishment; a fresh perspective of life; a heightened sense of freedom (or is it empowerment) from realizing that there are things that you do not because you need to (like the things you do Monday through Friday) but because you want to and you can. And yes, you really can.

In the summit, you're filled with all these positive emotions, until you see the dark clouds looking heavy and you imagine the descent you'll soon be making and you start worrying about the kids.

After just a few minutes of raining, it already got super muddy. And here is where we all really had fun, the kind that you don't get from theme parks.  Walking with 5 inches of mud under your shoes feels like walking on the moon in an astronaut's suit. I don't think we'd have more fun if there were no mudslides and buttfalls. Zion asked if that was how real adventure looked like.  Well, of course, son!

Bulalo + videoke all to ourselves = best way to cool down from a muddy climb. Marvin got to hone his Pusong Bato rendition. Charming guy.

If we stayed in the better known Tagaytay hotels, we wouldn't have gotten this spacious and cozy room for half the price. And you get to listen to the rhythm of the falling rain on the vine-covered patio. 

Our morning-after view from the hotel. Couldn't be more perfect.

Sans Ez because we didn't think he was ready for the climb ;)