The Year The World Was Supposed To End

For all the blessings that God has bestowed upon me,

For all the love and care 

my family, co-teachers, and friends have showered me,

For all the encouragement and dance & life lessons 

the Philippine dance community has shared to me,

 And, for the freedom and faith that I have found in me,

I am truly grateful and contented.

Thank you all super much.

2012 has taught me well enough and has made me a better person.

I may have shed a thousand tears,

cut myself to the quick a gazillion times,

or wasted my effort on irrelevant things,

I can head-up high say that GOOD and HAPPY things happened
more than the bad ones.
I have grown and learned so much

from all those things.
Since the end of the world did not happen at 2012,
I am going to make 2013 count and
waste not a single chance of bliss and love.
After all, we only live once.

2013, I am more than excited and ready for you! 

Surf and Music Festival 2012: La Union

Surfing has been one of the sports I would love to immerse myself in to. Conquering my hydrophobia and swimming in the deep are the things I never thought I could and would do. But, I did, so to hell with fears.

This year, surfing changed me and my beliefs. It was not anyone's influence nor piece of advice of a friend, for that matter. Growth is not a medicine that you force people to gulp in. It just simply happens naturally. 

The moment I have heard of this festival, I know I will not let this pass by. And so, I went with my co-teacher Bianca and her friend Jill.

Little Surfmaid has been our home for the first 2 nights in La Union. It was a bit far from the event place and the commercial areas. Their rooms are comfortable and cozy enough. Food and beverage are a bit pricey. They serve big though. For our last hurrah in this wonderful surfspot, we stayed at The Circle Hostel. We tried the hammocks for the first time and boy, they have perfectly cuddled us to sleep. This one is bigger and more spacious than the one in Zambales. Sadly though, I was not able to paint on the walls.

I may have missed Up Dharma Down's live performance and yet, I have witnessed pure passion and love for poi. I'm a proud co-teacher to have seen my partner dance with fire!

New experiences and unforgettable moments yet again.
My heart is glad up to now.

To top this 4-day get-away all off, I rode the waves nonchalantly. 

"It's the one thing I crave the most but it's also the main thing I run away from."

Only this time, I did not run away nor did I hinder myself from doing what I want.

This replenished what was once there. It was worthwhile.

Stoked. 

Unsa Naa Unya? (What's Up Later?) Part 3

13th of May:
My last few hours in Davao were PRICELESS.

Waking up in your arms and good morning kisses from you will surely be missed. A LOT.

This vacation has opened a lot of doors for me. It has taken me out of my comfort zone and really allowed myself to dive into the deep. I have literally taken risks and fought for what I believe is right. There were a lot of loopholes, but I chose to stay and face my fear. I will not love someone this much if I did not allow him to see me inside and out. There were a lot of firsts in this vacation and as I write this and look back, I have truly LEARNED and ACCEPTED a lot of things. I will never understand and love someone this much if I did not open my mind and heart.

I need not look back nor predict the future.
What matters is the present. Just roll with it day by day.

Ah, the things love can do. :')

"By letting it go, it all gets done. 

The world is won by those who let it go. 

But when you try and try, 

the world is beyond winning" 

-- Lao Tzu

The day started with a small talk with Julian. Seeing tears fall down his cheeks made me realize how much this relationship means to him. Some misunderstandings and miscommunication have sprung out of nowhere during those nine days in Davao, but we managed to talk it out and work it through. This is the best part of everything- where you realize how much you LOVE and CARE for each other. I love how we are.

Food will always be a part of this trip. We had a hearty lunch with the Lizada family. This time the food did not come from their restaurants. We had Chinese cuisine and a scrumptious ice cream for dessert. No wonder we all fell asleep after. :)) Later in the afternoon, we attended a mass at Santa Ana Parish. (Made a wish because it's my first to visit that church!)

Last dinner before heading back home to Manila was at Harana. Oh my gosh. Spareribs, FTW! :) Happy tummy was full again. Thank you so much, Tita Aileen, for that awesome dinner! Kasagingan for dessert will always complete the meal, in my opinion.

Then, it was time for me to go to the airport and catch my 9:40pm flight. To lighten the mood, we sang the Miami Dolphins song in the car. Such a catchy and funny song! :))

As expected, my flight is delayed. AGAIN. From 9:40pm, it was moved to 10:55pm. This time, I am happy that it was delayed. I get to spend more time with him. :)

I did not want to go back home anymore. It was too painful to leave. I did not want to let go from his hug. I did what my heart have told me and have taken the BIG STEP. I was very glad I have done what I want. I have fulfilled my promise to myself.  And yes, we got to do what we got to do. We know we have other priorities and commitments. All we need is patience.

FAITH and LOVE will always and all ways be there.

I will see you soon, my love. VERY soon. :)

This summer vacation is the BEST by far. :)

Unsa Naa Unya? (What's Up Later?) Part 2

9th of May:

We finally get to see Avengers! I thought I would not be able to watch this. :)) I really have to agree with most of the movie reviewers. Avengers is second to Dark Knight. I love how they showed each character of Marvel. Too bad Spiderman was not there. Two-thumbs up for Joss Whedon! And of course, I still think Iron Man is foxy and witty.


After watching the movie, we headed to take a merienda at Kasagingan. My tummy is happy! The dessert is just too awesome and delicious. Two-ron for the win!

10th of May: 

Dealing with young children and sharing my passion with friends are my heart & soul's interest. We visited the SOS Children's Village. Their vision and mission are perfectly in line with mine- family and love for children. I did storytelling and art activities for children ages 3-7. Julian conducted a dance class for bigger kids. 


The moment I stepped in the room, the kiddies swarmed over me and showered me with hugs. I almost cried right then and there. These children were deprived from love and nurturing. They yearn for caress and warm hugs. Being a preschool teacher of international students, I felt sorry for these kids because each and every one of them deserves the best. My goal for that day changed. I want them to feel loved and cared for even for a little while.


Everyone was just so excited for the activities. To make everyone feel at home, I asked them to sit on the floor with me. There was this one particular kid who was so shy to sit with us. I can still remember her sheepish smile while saying this, "Hiya man ako. (I am shy.)" My heart melted ten times over.


 I told a story about babies inside the mother's womb, just in time for Mothers' Day. For the Art Activity, I asked them to make a special card for their mothers. I was told that this made all the mommies VERY happy. I was SO glad and fulfilled. 

A lavishing merienda awaited us. Bistro Rosario really serves good food. When I say it is good, it REALLY is good. :) Kudos to Julian's grandmom! We ordered pizza, as what Tita Aileen has advised, and I chose fettucini and halo-halo for me. My tummy is happy yet again! :D

 

11th-12th of May:
Another chill-out day for us. We stayed at home till late afternoon to rest because we are going back to Samal Island in the evening. We're going to stay overnight at Candi's farm. Woooooot! Last hurrah before I go back home to Manila. I thought the heavy rain would spoil our trip, but thank God we arrived safe at the farm. 


The car got stuck in the mud, no sufficient light to see how we will be able to get the car out of the mud, and heavy rain was pouring that night. Because of that, our adventure in the farm began. Candi's dad fetched us with their red F150 at the entrance. We all sat at the back of the pick-up car. It was the first in so many years that I allowed myself to be soaked in rain. It felt SO good. 


We slept around 4 in the morning talking about life and love. I have shared and discovered things that have been hunting me for quite some time. Finally, they are gone. :)


Last night in Davao was EPIC to the highest level. All I can say is that I'm still kilig and happy. Thank you, Julian, for that awesome suprises. I love you.