28

I woke up this morning imitating the prayer I learned from Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom. “Thank you, Lord, for returning my soul to me.” According to that book, when you start that way, the rest of the day is just a bonus.

I just realized today that I enjoy my birthday more as I get older unlike other people who disregard theirs as they age. Lavish parties and extravagant gifts don’t appeal to me. An intimate dinner with my family, new Chucks from hubby, tons of greetings from friends, sincerest “I Miss You” messages from Navi BFFs, a simple celebration with my TW colleagues, a humble blog which serves as a canvass for my wired brain, a loving family, a husband who thinks that doing household chores with me is cool, are just few of the many things that I’m grateful for.

Days ago, I just found myself crying in the hospital. It’s as if battling asthma and anemia all my life were not enough. Then I realized that I am not dying and a lot more people are probably suffering more than whatever I’m going through. Endless hugs from my husband, encouraging words from my mother and heartfelt messages from my close friends somehow made it more bearable.

Now, I’m happy. I learned that what makes other people happy may not make me happy. The more I compare my happiness with someone else’s, the more I end up being empty and lonely. Happiness is not only a choice. It’s also an acceptance that life’s glitches are God’s gifts in disguise. The best way to achieve happiness is not with the possession of material things, but rather with the way we nourish our personal relationship with God and with other people. So to those who have been a part of my 28 years, thank you!

Photo taken from here

Cheers to happiness!

Coron Day 2 (Island Tour Part 2): Kayangan Lake

After Siete Pecados, our island adventure continued as we head to Kayangan Lake. I read from forums that insect repellent is a must-have if Kayangan Lake is part of your Coron itinerary. Because of this, I asked Jeff to bring Off lotion for us. Boss na boss ako! :p


Our tour guide advised us not to remove our life vests, thus the explanation for the following photos. My husband breaks all the rules so he stands out in all the pictures.




After our tour guide paid the entrance fees, we started traversing the very steep path to the Kayangan Lake. It’s so steep that you need to give way to the other tourists coming from the opposite direction. In short, bawal ang siga!


My legs were still recuperating from the very exhausting hike to Mt. Tapyas. Fortunately, the hike to the lake was just a piece of cake. We were then brought to a scenic view where we had the chance to sit in a giant rock and have our pictures taken with a picturesque background.



I envy my friends who were able to take decent photos of this spot. Our actions were very limited preventing us from getting a nice shot. Next to the fact that we couldn’t move freely because there’s no room to do so, there were other tourists behind us and the family before us brought a small kid who were throwing tantrums and would not let go of his spot at the rock. Argh!


After our short-lived photo op session, we went down to yet another steep path. People may think that it is one’s way to hell. On the contrary, it’s the gateway to paradise. I know that my photos can’t give justice to my previous statement. But you have to believe me. I froze for a couple of minutes after seeing the place. Years ago, I was only watching it through the Living Asia Channel as I die out of envy while tourists dive into the turquoise water.

Kuya Chris and Kuya Arvin

Teeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetttttthhhhhhh!!!

Dipping into the lake was very relaxing. The view was breathtaking. I would love to spend hours in the lake as my body floats and my worries get washed away.

Water shots from Joie's camera

Coron Day 2 (Island Tour Part 1): Siete Pecados

The emotional roller coaster of quitting my six-year job and getting out of my comfort zone added delay to my blogging habits. My travel time also increased since I now work at Taguig. But then again, I would also like to blame my constant laziness in blogging. :p

I was planning to make one long post for our Coron island tour. But I was overwhelmed when I looked at the tons of photos that I needed to work on. We went to Coron last November and I am still in part 1 of our island tour. Only God knows how many parts this will be. For now, please bear with my installment style of blogging.

With our legs aching after our Mt. Tapyas adventure, we reserved all the strength left in our body because we knew that our second day would be doubly tiring. Our island tour was included in our worry-free package courtesy of Centro Coron. It was a jam-packed day.

Aside from Kuya Chris, we were also accompanied by another tour guide (Kuya Arvin) and two very funny boatmen. Kuya Chris kept on teasing one of the boatmen since he looks like Vandolph! Parang sila yung magbabarkada na nag-tour tapos sabit lang kami! Nyaha!

Since our itinerary was already provided by Centro Coron, I intentionally didn’t research about the places that we were scheduled to go to. It would not only lower my expectations but it would also surprise me. I have the tendency to overthink and compare my experiences with the way I imagined them. So with our Coron trip, I simply let go and went with the flow.

Because of my traumatic experience the first time I tried snorkeling, I was a bit scared. I would anxiously check, double-check and triple check my vest. My hubby probably noticed it so he made sure that my vest was properly strapped and would not loosen up. He asked me to try if I’d float and made sure that I was already comfortable with how it fits to my body. And then whoala! I turned carefree in the water.

With Joie

It was the first time that Jeff and Joie used their new underwater camera. But no matter how good your camera or how great the pictures turn out, nothing beats personally seeing the underwater creatures. The anxiety was replaced by enthusiasm and fear turned into bliss. And it was only our first stop, so watch out for my future posts! :)

Nabulabog ang mga fish!

Last Day Blues

Yesterday, I bid goodbye to my second home for the past six years. Everything happened so fast but I believe that the timing is perfect. If I left years ago when I was still rebellious and immature, I would have left the company with a vengeful heart. I would have not met the wonderful people who later on became my best friends. The beautiful friendships I built are far more important than the skills I acquired over the years. I'd like to think that God led me to this direction for a purpose, a purpose that I have yet to unravel.

People kept on asking me if I’m sad. Good thing they didn’t see me while I was composing my farewell email. :p Of course I am sad. I am actually happy that I am sad. For it means that I am letting go of something precious. Imagine if I’m not sad. It only means that my life for the past six years was just put to waste. :)

I am not only taking home great friendships. I’m also bringing with me beautiful gifts! ^_^

My Christmas wish list includes three books. I got Something Borrowed along with a cute book mark during our team’s Christmas party courtesy of my teammate Allan. Jeff and Joie gave me A Child Called ‘It’ last Christmas with some brownies which Joie baked herself.

And as my team’s farewell gift, they gave me The Wedding. Are you wondering why there are two copies? After my lunch treat, I went back to my seat. My seatmate handed me another copy of The Wedding. Thanks James and Youmi! Lalo kong ma-mi-miss si James! :'(

Anyway, let’s just consider this as an intel mix-up. But still, big thanks to all of you, guys! I can’t promise that I’ll read both, though. Hihi!


I asked my lunch buddies if we could have dinner on my last day. Kriska missed it since it was also his brother’s birthday. But Jeff, Joie, Gretz, Chod and Me-Anne came. Before the food was served, they handed me a picture frame. I knew they were going to give it to me but I was so surprised with the twist that I wasn’t anticipating! Haha!


The above picture was taken on one of our company’s year-end parties. The next day was Mike’s last day in Navitaire. So when Kriska and Tang left the company together more than two years ago, I made this photo collage for them. Marwin left, Chod and Me-Anne joined our group, and then Kriska came back. Sobrang dami kong tawa! Sayang wala si Renrick para may paglihian ako in the future! :p

I thought that was the end of it. But I realized that there was still something inside the plastic bag. I opened it and almost jumped out of my seat after seeing it!


A book lamp has been on my wish list for years! I don’t know whether I’m just lazy or too busy to buy it for myself. Now, I can finally read while my husband is sleeping! Woot woot! Thanks, guys!

Though my heart is filled with sadness, it’s also filled with hope. As I begin a new journey tomorrow, I am confident that strong friendships can never be torn down by distance. When I got home, Me-Anne sent me a message through FB saying that her only wish is that we don’t drift apart even if we don’t see each other everyday. So cheers to future dinner dates and out-of-town trips together! And yes, I promise we’ll NEVER drift apart.

To all the strangers who became my buddies, all the seat mates who became my close friends, all the lunch mates who became my best friends, all the managers who became my life mentors, thank you for making my six-year journey in Navitaire as one of the best rides I’ve ever had. :)

A Breeze of Good Deeds # 27: Manong Payong

What do you usually do with broken umbrellas? Do you simply throw them away? For some people, fixing a broken umbrella is their only means of stopping a growling stomach. Let me share a story with you. And at the end of it, you’ll understand why it’s worth sharing.

Photo taken from here

I called in sick last Thursday. The dizziness and palpitations increased because of the medications I’m taking. I was having lunch with my parents when I noticed a man wandering in front of our house. It went on for a couple of minutes so I stood up to check. I peeked outside and saw a very old man sitting in front of our neighbor’s house. The man is probably more than seventy years old. He has a worn out backpack and lots of wrecked umbrellas. I told my mom that it was just a man fixing broken umbrellas. So she got off her seat and took out our old ones. She told my father that she’d just give those to the old man thinking that he could still salvage and reuse some parts.

She went out of the house and said, “Tatang o, sa iyo na lang itong mga ito.” The old man smiled and said, “Baka may sira kayo dyan, igagawa kita kahit kape na lang ibayad nyo.”

Just days after our encounter with Boy Lobo, I saw the same twinkle in my mother’s eyes when he saw Manong Payong. His wrinkled dark skin was proof enough that he’s out in the streets to make a living. Looking at how slow he walks, I told myself that people his age should already be retired and reaping the fruits of their labor. But there he was, asking some stranger for a cup of coffee.

My mom prepared the coffee and asked my father to give the old man a piece of bread with corned beef. He was supposed to dip the bread into his hot coffee when my dad told him, “Tatang, huwag mo ng isawsaw. May palaman na yan e. Ang sosyal mo nga Tang e, corned beef yan!” Manong Payong gave us a big smile in return. :)

I watched him as he meticulously fix the umbrellas. Once in a while, he would smile without any reason and utter some random words. My heart melted. People like Manong Payong keeps me inspired to work harder because I don’t want my parents to experience a hard life when they get older.

So you're probably wondering why I'm telling this...

My dad and I always tease my mom that I didn’t get anything good from her genes – asthma, thyroid problems, irregular menstrual cycle, a big nose and my kasupladahan all came from my mom’s DNA! Haha! But that day, I somehow realized that she did pass on something good to me. And that is charity. Genetics may not have a hand on it. But she has somehow showed it to me over the years. On that special day, I somehow felt how it’s like to have a kid who is graduating with honors. In other words, I was extremely proud of her.

But wait, there’s more!

I fell asleep. And when I woke up, I immediately asked my mom what happened. She was laughing while telling me that Manong Payong was giving her a shirt when she paid him fifty pesos. Apparently, he received 3 BINAY shirts from somebody. So Manong Payong offered her one. The old man told her, “E aanhin ko naman po ito? Ang dami dami e!” My mom declined the offer thinking that he needs it more than we do.

Generosity is not only limited for the rich people. I’ve heard the lamest excuse from people who say that charity is only for the rich and the famous. We’re not rich. But I hope that our simple gesture made a difference to the old man. Sometimes, we need to go the extra mile.

And Manong Payong offering us his shirt was truly a humbling experience. He’s traveling with an old and worn out backpack which is probably the only possession he has, but he didn’t hesitate to give us something as a sign of his gratitude.

A lot of times, we neglect to even say “Thank You” to someone who did us a favor. And those two words are just free. So imagine how more difficult it is to let go of our material possessions and share it to other people.

God is just so good! I was sick that day. But He gave me an eye-opener. He taught me to appreciate my parents more. He showed me the purest meaning of generosity. And to top it all, we now have a lot of usable umbrellas! :)

Coron Day 1: Mt. Tapyas and Maquinit Hot Spring

Aside from being delayed, our Cebu Pacific flight was probably the roughest I ever had. I almost felt my intestines and my lungs exchanging places the moment the plane landed. I was still half asleep, then my head started to ache and my heart could not stop pounding. We were joking around that it was probably the pilot’s first time to fly a plane. Sakit sa skull, promise!

After that horrible landing, I wasn't in the mood to pose for a picture!

I seriously felt like I was about to vomit. I kept on inhaling my ever-reliable White Flower and started eating candies. It wasn’t the best way to start a much-needed vacation.

The sumptuous lunch and the very warm welcome by the people from Centro Coron made me feel a little better. While waiting for our 4 p.m. call time, I took a nap while hubby watched Mulan. (Yes! Mulan!) Ang macho macho ng asawa ko!

A knock on the door woke me up. I felt more refreshed than ever after a relaxing nap. I washed my face, brushed my teeth, combed my hair and put on some cologne. We all went to the lobby to meet Kuya Chris, our tour guide. After giving us an overview, he led us to the tricycle which would bring us at the foot of Mt. Tapyas.

Kuya Chris started asking whether we have allergies, asthma or heart problems. It was actually the first time that a tour guide made me feel secure.

Kuya Chris

I thought he was just going to bring us to the starting point. But he told us that he would come with us. With a first aid kit on his one hand and bottled water on the other, he had everything we need to survive the 720 steps of Mt. Tapyas. He even offered to carry our bags.

1-2-3-4-5…78-79-80. Then I lost count. I found out that counting while catching my breath was not easy.

Pawisang mag-jowa :p

My knees were trembling and my feet started to hurt. I told myself, “That thing up there must better be worth it!”

I breathe a sigh of relief by the time my foot made its last step. The relief was then replaced with awe. I was standing in front of a humongous cross. I felt like a midget (although I am already one even without that huge cross) as I came closer. It was a humbling experience. It somehow reminded me that I do have a BIG God, bigger than my worries, bigger than my problems, and definitely way bigger than anybody else.




I initially thought that it was the end of it. Then Kuya Chris led us to a very steep path. Notice the green hut in the photo below. That was our destination.


It was the best spot to capture the beautiful sunset in Coron. God’s creations are just so magnificent! It was undoubtedly a very relaxing view.




The next problem was how to go back. I asked Kuya Chris if there are other ways other than walking back to our starting point. He laughed and said, “Wala pong zipline dito!” Boyet suggested that it is a brilliant idea to have a zipline with one end on top of Mt. Tapyas and the people will land directly on the Maquinit Hot Spring! Hahaha!

After an exhausting walk down the Mt. Tapyas, the road to the hot spring was even worse. We had to pass through a very creepy, bumpy and dark road. It was a perfect setting for a horror movie. Paranoia started to sink in and I thought of a masked man holding an axe coming out of nowhere and killing all of us. Of course it was just an exaggeration but you’ll know what I mean when you experience it. The only light we had was the headlight of the tricycle. And then I asked myself, “Where do my taxes go?”

After a strenuous hiking and a backbreaking ride, a dip on the hot spring pool was AWESOME! Kuya Chris told us that the water temperature is 40 degrees. It was really hot at first but I felt really relaxed as my body got used to the heat.

Hot spring photos from Joie's cam

I was mistaken when I thought that our day’s adventure was already over by the time we left the hot spring. The tricycle’s headlight started to flicker and the driver kept on banging it to keep it turned on! Hahaha!

I advise you to be very careful if you plan to go to the hot spring because some parts are really slippery. Algae are everywhere. As a matter of fact, the first thing I did when I reached the inn was wash my shorts. It took me almost an hour to take off all those slimy green organisms.

A refreshing bath and delicious dinner courtesy of Centro Coron officially ended our first day. :)