A few winks away

Christmas is a few winks away. 🛌

I am feeling agitated and nervous because of the preparations.

I'm looking forward to seeing the faces of the kids and my sister when they open their gifts. 😀

The preparations for Christmas and New Year are different from the previous years. I guess because of certain relationships, that definitely changed the family dynamics.

But at the end of the day, we are doing this for the kids, because like what I said last year, Christmas is for kids and probably those who are still kids at heart. 😉

Before I end my post, I would also like to ask for prayers for my fellow countrymen who were affected by Typhoon Odette and could not prepare for this coming holiday. 📿🙏 We pray for continued help and safety in their own towns and provinces this coming holiday season.

My family and I are aware that we are blessed for being able to prepare for the holidays and we would like to give forward in our own way. Not sure if I will post it here or not, but surely we will give it forward. 🤝

Seasons greeting everyone. 🎄

Christmas 2020

Maligayang Pasko!

Merry Christmas!

Naragsak Nga Paskua!

Feliz Navidad!

This year has been difficult, but we are all still grateful to be able to celebrate Christmas with our family.

We pray for families who are struggling to have a simple celebration of the holiday due to distance or lack of resources. We pray that we all can have a better holiday celebration in the next coming years. This is just now, we claim that there are better plans for us in the future.

Happy Holidays Everyone!!!

Answered prayers: YES, NO and NOT NOW

I always hear friends and acquaintances rejoicing over answered prayers. This meant that something they have been praying for has arrived or happened to them.

Growing up, I used to believed that if I prayed enough, God grants my prayers and intentions, whatever they may be.

"God has three answers to our prayer intentions: YES, NO, and NOT NOW."

I heard this during a mass at my high school.

This was an eye-opener for me.

The most common affirmation we witness of answered prayers is when God says, YES. Our intentions are heard, and things go as planned. We get what we want, and we are thankful and ecstatic.

The two answers that are always forgotten are NO and NOT NOW.

 According to the priest who said the homily, NO is the most misunderstood answer that we receive from God.

We often get disappointed when we do not get what we pray for. I get this because this also happens to me until now. Like what my father always tells me, "God has his own plans." Though I am aware of this, I cannot deny that I get frustrated when things do not go my way.

Later on, will I eventually realize that it was a blessing in disguise, that what I prayed for did not flourish for a reason. It might have caused me harm, or it might have endangered me in the long run.

NOT NOW. I am an impatient person. There are times I can be patient, but I noticed that when I ask something in prayers, it has a tone of "please make it happen as soon as possible."

Understanding God's answer or "NOT NOW" is a work in progress for me. There are times that I understand, and there are times that I just bombard God with prayers out of desperation.

After a month or two, my prayers are finally answered. Some things need a little compromise, as a whole, my prayers were answered.

I still have a lot more to work on when it comes to my prayers. Though I just wanted to share it out here, maybe someone out there needs to read it - to hear it.   

Updates

It has been two months since I returned to writing my personal blog. As I have mentioned in my initial posts since I returned, I am doing this to alleviate myself from stress- emotional, physical and mental. This is a way to gauge my progress and to assess what has been helpful or counter productive for me.

This is also an opportunity for me to look back and reflect what has happened the previous month - things I am thankful for, those I need to follow up on and those I should be changing or avoiding.

Every year, at the first week of June, we start to pray the nine-day novena to St Anthony of Padua. My mom and I decided to continue to pray the rosary every night even after the nine-day novena. This gave me more reason to manage my time and my tasks. It gave me a little more structure in my life, it gave me a little sense of control - my fifteen to twenty minutes of reflection and silence.

I think I am gaining a little interest in photography again, not sure with this as my subject is always the city sky. We’ll see in the future. Currently I am limited to my clampshell phone, but with a little filter, it seems nice. Please don’t get me wrong, I love my phone, but it is more challenging to take photos with it because it does not have the high resolution of the current popular phones. Though I do love the challenge 😏😏😏

It was also this month that I had to unearth a skeleton in my closet. It was revealed because of a current social issue. I will post about it in a few days. Made me cry and crumble inside, but it also made me a little relieved knowing that there are people who understood me in the end.

I have some tasks that I delayed or are still delayed from last month and my dad is already nagging me about it. My bad. I hope I get to finally accomplish them on July.

Last but not least... I got a haircut and my glasses! Finally!

Guess that is all for now.

Till my next update.

Toodles~ 

New normal

The current pandemic has definitely changed the new normal.

The face masks, sudden increase in demand for health care and sanitary products, and physical distancing are now the new norm.

Some business have adapted to the change to continue their service. Since most food establishments don’t allow you to eat at the restaurant itself, they have opted for take out or delivery services.

In the wet market, though the volume of people increased and more stalls have opened, rules are still observed. Volunteers go around with megaphones reminding people of physical distancing. The market has only two entrances and two exits (both with disinfecting stalls). The tricycles are only allowed one passenger per vehicle.

In the malls and grocery stores, they check your temperature and spray you with alcohol as you enter the premises. Also physical distancing is greatly encouraged by the management, that they even put stickers and paint on the floor just to show how far from each other people should be special when in queu. There is also a limit to how many peole can go in and out the premises, they limited the number of entrances/ exits to monitor the flow of people.

Since my social skills are low, the physical distancing is not an issue for me. But I do miss going out with my daughter. I admit that me and my family are lucky for we are comfortable despite the pandemic and we also acknowledge that not everyone is in a comfortable situation like we have right now. We have our small ways of helping others but we choose not to show it in our social media accounts.

Unfortunately, part of the new normal is the increase in unemployment and increase in people who beg for food in the streets. In addition to this, people have become more anxious and desperate, because of different reasons - loss of employment and means to provide for the family, being stranded in a different area/province, being far away from your love ones, strict rules that limits once movements and other reasons.

The most unfortunate of all these are the instances where people die, not only because of the virus, but because on the inability of some hospitals to accept patients who have other emergency concerns. It seems that death has also been a part of the new normal. I understand that statistically there are people who die everyday, but it is only now that I am fully aware of the number of people who are dying everyday because of the news. It doesn’t help that the stories behind their death are most of the times tragic.

At the moment, the new normal is a burden, for most of the Filipinos. These are dark and hard times. Prayers can do so much but there will be times that people may feel this is not enough and they need food to fill their stomach. We hope we can pull through from this, but right now we are in difficult times.

We hope to see a light at the end of the road, it may take long, but I hope there is still light for the future..

26 years of life... and still counting

26th!

been living for 26 years,

thankful and blessed.

cried so many tears and laughed my ass off nth times.

i have felt love in different levels, and have felt pain and sufferings.

it has been a roller coaster ride but i know that there are more to up ahead.

thank you, first of all, for our great God, our creator.

for Mama Mary, Jesus and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

for my family and friends, my colleagues and my enemies.

and most of all for my beloved husband, Bjoy Isolana and our child on the way, Ella Isolana.

i know there are more successes and downfalls in the future.

i look forward to it and i continue to pray for continued guidance.

:)

pictures: a simple dinner with my family.

feeling of haven at Miriam College

We all have that piece of haven where we feel at peace and safe, recently, for me, this haven is Miriam College. It didn't start as such though, but in the past few months, this has been my "comfort place"

For eight years, I studied in Miriam College (high school and college) and like any other student/teenager, I had my own share of drama. Despite the roller coaster of experiences while i was studying here, the high school chapel was always my sanctuary. Even after i graduated from college, i would sometimes take a day off from work just to visit the high school chapel, especially in moments of resignation and hopelessness.

I came back to my Alma mater after four years to work here as a technical assistant. Before I worked here, work-life seemed so tiring and I was always nervous about going to work because of the task I had to do. Add to that, the commute was a big hassle (Ortigas and Makati.) I was already tired by the time i arrive at my workplace. Salary wise, it felt like I was always waiting for the next paycheck. Now that I am working in Miriam College, work-life felt better. I feel more relaxed and at ease even if the work can be troublesome sometimes, at the end of the day, I am able to finish them. I don't worry about anything when I leave work as I know I can still do it the next day. I felt really at home since I started here. Of course the pay is lower than what I was receiving when I was in the corporate world, but I never felt that I was waiting for the next paycheck. Also, I already have savings, unlike when I was with the corporate world.

My God's Gift, Joy, once told me something about feeling at peace at their house (their room they are renting now) because of the altar and the prayers that seems to echo within their room. As I pondered on this, I realized, maybe, just maybe, the reason I felt at home here in Miriam College is because of the chapels (high school and college chapel), the environment (i am a nature/province girl) and the people (well educated, spiritual and very engaging conversation wise). I realized, not that I am here, I have longer prayer time and scripture reading. I am able to be more at keen to my spiritual side since I started work here. The core values being instilled in the students is the same, being an employee, maybe even stronger. I am not sure if it is just me, but being an alumnae, I feel more empowered knowing that I can also mold these students the way the school has molded and guided me with the core values.

I guess other than being a safe place, a haven can also be a place where we feel we have purpose and we know we can move and touch other lives. A haven need not simply be a place of sanctuary, but also a place of learning, growth and inspiration, not only to ones self but also to other people.

where or what is your haven my friend? :)

CLP 2013 Batch 2 Chronicles: solace

find solace in the people whom you trust and love the most.

find solace in the most unexpected places, people and things.

i have been having personal struggles and i did not know how to address them,

so kept my silence.

i would cry it out, feel better, and then later, it would return.

then, a friend from SFC had a request.

there was nothing new about the request.

i was used to these kind of requests.

the most interesting thing about the request is the timing.

before, i used to believe in coincidence.

but since i started to be part of SFC,

this belief changed.

i now believe that things happen for a reason.

yes, it is painful and hard to accept, but it happens for a reason.

it's difficult to see the light at the end of the dark tunnel, still, it happens for a reason.

anyways, so the timing of the request of my friend was impeccable.

he asked for a dance routine for a song.

i was familiar with the song, so i thought it wasn't a biggie.

then it hit me.

as i was listening to the song, i felt that jolt in my heart.

ideas, visions and animated images filled my head.

i felt goosebumps that i haven't felt for a long time.

this was it!

i knew this was a message from God and his messenger was my friend.

He knew the perfect timing.

He knew how to awaken my senses.

"Here I am helplessly crying in your presence but you never questioned why. with open arms You welcomed me. I find solace in Your embrace."

My Lord, thank you for the people whom you have sent to send you message of concern and love for me.

I thank you for the gift of music, gift of movement and most of all the gift of talent.

I am not the best dancer in the world, but when I dance in your honor, I know that I am blessed with your graces.

Thank you for the people who reminded me of your love.

Thank you for the people who caught me when I was falling.

Thank you for the people who gave time and concern for your lost servant.

Thank you Lord for your grace and love.

Amen.

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special mention: thank you Harris Alas. :)

untitled entry

Lord, heal our land.

there have been a number of calamities happening recently, local and international.

we pray for healing, for our land, our country, our world,

prayers for those affected and in pain, for those in doubt, for those struggling,

for those who have hesitations to help, for those burdened to reach out,

for the people

and most of all,

for ourselves.

Amen.

CLP 2013 Batch 2 Chronicles: the start

today is the start of the CLP. even before this day, we have had our struggles to face. at this very moment i have a struggle in the relationship i have. we are currently trying to work on it, but it's pretty obvious it's going to be a dangerous roller coaster ride.

this is only the start, there will be more temptations and pains in the coming months.

i admit i am very nervous about all of this but i know that prayers, praise songs, word of God, fasting and sacrifice, will be my defense and my offense in this coming months.


Mama Mary, please intercede for us.

Amen.

CLP 2013 Batch 2 Chronicles: work capabilities

My Lord and my God,

I pray for your guidance at work. At this very moment, I am unsure of my skills as a researcher. I do not want to think that I am merely starting in my role. I would like to be able to deliver, but it seems that I still do not have the skills. I pray that you give me the knowledge, patience, endurance, perseverance and the strength to be able to gain experience in the role that I have right now. I wouldn't like to run away from this struggle that I have right now for I know that you will not give me anything that I cannot face. I give my all to you my Lord. All this struggles that is making me doubt my own capabilities.

There are so many temptations at work my Lord, I ask for your guidance that I may not be easily swayed by these things. Please clear the fog on the path that I am about to tread. May I not be dissuaded and remember the goals that I have set for myself. Despite the plans that I have set for myself my Lord, may I also remember that there are also plans that you have set for me. Please help me accept these plans and fulfill them for your glory.

Lord I would also like to pray for my colleagues, they are young and full of promise my Lord. May they be successful in their future plans and help them Lord in their decisions. We are still young and we admit that we have decisions that may seem to lack discernment. Lord, please provide us with your strength and discernment to have better understanding of the decision we do.

I would also like to pray for those who have difficulty in their work and for those who are content with their work. May they find the strength in them to move forward and remember that at the end of the day, there are just so much we can do. Acceptance that everything that we do will not only benefit us, but also their family, their colleagues and their future generation. May we remember that we must also balance our time between family and work.

For those who have difficulty finding employment O Lord, may they not lose hope and continue to have faith that everything will be provided in the right time. May they treasure the experience that they have until that very moment when they will finally find the right work for them.

All of this Lord, we pray, in Jesus name.

Amen.

struggles

as humans, it's part of life that we experience struggles. there are those who are blessed and are able to to withstand the struggles. they stand victorious at the end of such difficult predicaments. there are those who fail and lose hope.

one of the difficult struggles is letting go of a past that is too painful to bear. after a year and a half within the sfc community, i have greatly changed as advised by my household head, ate jen-jen. i believe this true for i could cite experiences that i never thought i could ever do. all this time, i thought that i have been "healed" and i have surpassed the baggage of my past. just yesterday i was proved wrong. what makes it more painful is that the person who "reminded" me of the past is a person i have greatly admired. this person does not even have an idea of what happened. this person was simply kind and would be the least person who would do harm to others. of course, i could not disclose it to that person but i was able to get a grip of myself and just continue with whatever we were doing. the day was about to end, and i thought whatever it was that i remembered, it would just pass by. unfortunately, that was not the case. the struggle seemed to "multiply" as i heard specific praise songs that really tore my heart. the feeling was just too much to bear.

the struggle of trying to figure out if all this time, am i still harboring that "pain" or is this merely a test? a reminder of how far i have gone?

what am i afraid of? that i will relapse to who i "was"

what am i thinking/feeling? i feel lost and troubled, but on the other hand, i am thankful that it was that person and not a different person who made me remember it. it was sad but it would rather be that person than anyone else.

what will i do now? pray. that is my strongest weapon. pray for strength, pray for guidance, pray for discernment and clarity.

like what my fellow sfc friends said, struggles seem to be more different and difficult as you serve God more. but despite that, have faith and all will be well in the right time.

the Lord is never early, never late.

thank you ate jen jen and ate jean for listening. (^_^)

devotion, repentance and faith

everything seems to make better sense when you experience it first hand. every year, every holy week, we go to the province for a family obligation/tradition. someone in my mind i have imagined something going wrong during this yearly sacrifice we do and that the devotees would help us. i thought the people from our province have forgotten traditions and devotion. this year, i was very happy that i was proven wrong.

during the procession, we would expect the generator of the santo inchero to die and then it will be revived after a few minutes. this time around, the generator is dead. period. i was really panicking cause it was getting late, the night is arriving and the santo inchero has no light. to my amazement, the devotees put candles on the side of the santo inchero to light it. i was really moved and i was so happy to be proved wrong. the people in the province, despite the great change in the generation, still have devotion, was still repentant and most of all had great faith.

Lord, please bless these people who are willingly giving everything to you. they have entusted their life to you and i lift them all to you. they have taught me, never to lose faith in you. they are the real heroes and "saints" of the time.

sfc icon 2013: witness

hi everyone! (^_^) how are you? the last time i posted an entry, i mentioned something about dance practice.  well, the dance practice was for the opening night for the annual SFC ICON. (^_^) the theme for this year is "witness". this is in relation to the CFC theme this year, "obey and witness." anyways, it was mentioned in one of the talks that one cannot truly witness, if one does not obey.

to make it more concrete, in my case as one of the many performers, i had to obey the choreographer to be able to witness and be part of the performance. i saw the differences in people and those who really have the talent. i met people who were humble and they are willing to reach out to those who have difficulty getting the steps, at the same time, i met people who were too proud and were nagging and "selfish." despite this, we all had to obey to be part of the whole performance.

to be able to be a witness to the greatness of God, i have to learn to obey to his will and plans for me. this is easier said than done. as humans who are given the free will, we have plans for the future that we plan to accomplish. obeying God's plans may be difficult but it may mean going against hat we plan for ourselves. obeying means accepting, accepting what God has planned for us even if this is very challenging and difficult to achieve. obeying needs trust, strength and courage. we don't know what the future has for us, we are left to trust to whatever the God decides to plan for us. we need strength and courage to live out the plans of God, we have to admit, it's a battlefield in this world. we experience challenges and oppression that are just too painful to bear, but in the end we still rise up and face this journey we call life. (^_^) obeying means surrender. we surrender everything to God, whatever our plans are, whatever we face, whatever we do, we all surrender it to God. the smiles, the tears, the ups, the downs, the success, the failures, everything, we surrender it all to God. what do we get in all of this?

we become a witness.

we become a witness to how God can greatly influence our lives. we become living witnesses that despite the cruelties of this world, we can live day by day with hope and positive disposition. we know that at the end of the day, however shitty the day is, we still look forward to the gift of life we receive upon waking up the next day. (^_^) is that all that is to being a witness?

of course not!

being a witness also involves the people you interact with. the people you make memories with, the people who influence you, the little girl you teach in catechism, the kids who wait for you in the classroom for you to teach them, the stranger who smiled at you as you two were passing by each other, the cashier who gave you your change when you bought food, the guard who greeted you as you entered the building, the demanding boss, the strict mentor, everyone! every person that becomes a part of your life has involvement in you being a witness. how you talk to them, how you treat them, how you think of them, these are manifestations on how far you have witnessed as God's servant and how you share being a witness a living witness to God's love.

in my case, despite the clash in ideas and personalities during the dance practice for the SFC ICON, the choreographers were patient, strict and professional. they had every good intention even if they can be very harsh in their criticisms. as performers with different levels, experience  in dancing, from different chapters and clusters, we shared our knowledge and experience. we learn from each other and we form new connections and friendship. we learn how to deal with different people, we learn to spread and share the love of God that is within us.

lastly, prayers. there is nothing impossible in prayers. say prayers of thanksgiving, prayers of sorrow, prayers of happiness, prayers of doubt, prayers for family and friends, prayers for the sick, prayers for the dearly departed. you will never go wrong with prayers. prayer time is the time for reflection, your alone time with God, you one-on-one date with God.

in this SFC ICON 2013, i obeyed, i witnessed and i became an involved witness to God's greatness. (^_^)
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ps. here are the pictures from the conference. majority of the pictures are from my household head, jen ocbena. others are from my friends. (^_^)

Holy Innocents' Day

We remember today, O God, the slaughter of the holy innocents Of Bethlehem by King Herod. Receive, we pray, into the arms of your mercy all innocent victims; and by your great might frustrate the designs of evil tyrants and establish your rule of justice, love, and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Source: http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/24.html

Prayer for the Dead

Please click the image for a better view of the prayer.

another super update

hi everyone! it's been really hard for me to update my blog recently due to work and limited internet access. there have been a lot that has been happening lately, and to tell you all the truth, i can't even remember some of them. i do have pictures so... i'll just tell you all about these pictures are. (^_^) we will start with the albums.

1st SFC Big West Conference

we are all proud to say that we are the pioneer members who attended the conference. (^_^) the venue as at my alma mater, Miriam College. There were 3 talks, praise fest, mass and dances. i also bought shirts, but no pictures yet of the shirts. you will all see them in my future pictures. (^_~)

next, the birthday celebration of Rex, our manager, and also the quarter celebration of our company since we reached our quota for this quarter. yosh! it was all a treat from our boss, James. thank you! (^_^) the pictures will tell it all.

next, pictures i have "edited"

there has been an on going campaign to lessen the garbage and plastic usage around the world. it's now advised to bring your own bag for groceries and stuff, or they use paper bags. one particular establishment took it a notch higher. the design of their paper bag is a copy of a painting by a filipino painter. really awesome! i couldn't throw the paper bag because it was eye-candy for me. i kept it for myself. (^_~)

second picture? it involves cold treats! korean ice cream, because my friend at office wanted to try it for the first time. the second treat? earl grey ice cream! no kidding (^_^) best only when served cold though. if it melts, it's not that enjoyable anymore. then again, that's just me. it was the first time a tested this flavor in an ice cream. i mean, i drink earl grey tea, but ice cream? i just had to try. (^_^)

you have all heard of the sandwich shop Subway right? well... i only at there recently and i realized ho much i as missing! hehehe! the sandwich as just great. i would definitely buy there at least once a week. (^_^) i am so behind with a lot of stuff so don't be surprised hen you see "first time" in my entries. (^_^)

rarely do i go to Starbucks because i have this notion that drinks and food are overpriced there. but i do admit that there is that rare moment that you think you just really deserve it after busy days and stressful tasks. (^_^) choco-glazed donut and strawberry and cream frappe. (^_^)

our team leader treated us to frozen margarita and snacks is celebration of those e have hired for the client company, kampai! (^_^) yes, another first time for me. (^_^)

and lastly, friday was a holiday here. but i went to work for half day. i jut had to take a picture of myself. i don't know why, i just had a feeling i had to. (^_~)

there are so many things i missed telling in this entry, but as i said earlier, i can't remember the other events anymore. please forgive me. m (_ _) m

chao~

household

hi everyone~

update once more!

it seems like a long time since we had a household because there has been so many events last august.

so far, we have had 2 household meetings.

it seems a little uneasy when we don't get to have a household meeting.

then again, it might only be me...

family trip

hello everyone! sorry i was not able to blog immediately about our trip. it took some time before i could upload all the photos and i have been quite busy... sleeping that is (^_~) since we arrived, except for today, i fixed the condo. (^_^) anyways, here are the details of our family trip. (^_^)

to naga and day 1
the adventure of this family trip started when we rode the bicol express train from manila to naga city, camarines sur. it was our first time to ride this specific train and it was our first time to ride in a sleepers coach. the travel time was approximately 12 hours, but supposed to be it was only for 10 hours. we didn't mind the long travel time because we were enjoying the experience of sleeping and eating in the train. (^_~) oh, i almost forgot, by chance, señor jaime fabregas was on the same coach with us, only on a different sleepers chair/bed. anyways, when we arrived at naga, we ate breakfast at jollibee. then we visited the san francisco church. after our church visit we rode a taxi to pasacao, camarines sur. there we stayed for a night. when we arrived at the resort, we got our room and immediately prepared for the agenda for that day. we rode a boat to an island and swam there. when you look at the pictures closely, the foot of the island is not a beach. it's actually black rocks immediately meeting the sea. i was really amazed! after about an hour of swimming we went back to the resort for our lunch, which was prepared with freshly caught seafood. delicious! we had about 15 minutes of rest then we headed to our next destination, the suminabang cave, via boat. we saw stalactite and stalagmite formations. after that we went to another part of an island and we had our second round of swimming. the sand at the second venue was yellowish and we saw these amazing colored stones. we were there for quite a time before we decided to call it a day and return to the resort. it was still a little early for dinner so we had snacks, bread and whatever leftovers we had during the train ride. i had a bottle of tanduay ice while my parents had beer. my brother still wanted to swim so i accompanied him at the beach which was just a few steps from our resort. come dinner time, we had this large shrimp. yes! a large shrimp! it was the best dinner that we had. and that was the end of day 1.

day 2
we had our simple breakfast, leftover from the train ride, and then we got a taxi back to naga city. on our way, we passed by an old church, the st. joseph the worker church. we said our prayers, looked around then we continued our travel. we attended mass at the naga cathedral. after the mass, we started looking around the church. after that we went to our hotel, golden leaf hotel. though my parents did not like the fact that we were on the fourth floor, they still liked the balcony. (^_~) special mention, the doves beside the balcony. anyways, we then walked around to find souvenirs. after that we had our lunch at the mall. again, the food was delicious! despite the commercial place, the food tasted quite authentic and fresh. after our meal, we went to the supermarket to buy some food to eat during our church visits that afternoon. we passed by the hotel to drop off some things then we rode the tricycle to the our lady of peñafrancia basilica. the church was huge and there were beautiful colored glass designs. we went behind the altar and wiped the statue of the our lady of peñafrancia, and prayed for a few minutes. after the basilica, we then went to the our lady of peñafrancia church, it was the original church of the our lady of peñafrancia. the church was smaller but still beautiful. after visiting the church, we visited the cemetery behind the old church. we took pictures of the designs of the tombstones. you rarely see these designs on the present tombstones. we finished early with our church visits so we decided to take a taxi to another church which was at the other town. we visited an old church, the bombon church and the leaning tower of bombon, the bell tower of the said church. it's not clear on the pictures but the tower was really leaning on it's side. you really have a feeling that it was about to fall. after we said our prayers, we looked around, then went back to the hotel. we rested for some time before we went out for dinner. the dinner was our father's birthday dinner so we ate at a japanese restaurant. oh, his birthday was the next day but we decided to have the birthday dinner that night because the next night, we would be traveling back to manila. anyways, for dinner, we had shabu-shabu and okonomiyaki. really delicious! it did not taste commercial like the japanese food here in manila. the japanese food really tasted authentic. it was such a great meal! after eating we headed back to the hotel to rest and get ready for our last day at naga city.

day 3 and departure from naga
for our last day, we only had one agenda, to visit the museo del seminario conciliar de nueva caceres. the museum is beside the cathedral. it featured memorabilia of prominent bishops from the town, ecclesiastical vessels and artifacts, paintings and archaeological finds like burial jars and chinese wares. after the tour, we had some rest at a small shop near the area. we then headed back to the hotel to eat lunch and to prepare out things for the trip back to manila. while we were fixing our things, we noticed that it was raining. we were really lucky to finish all our visits before it started to rain. (^_^) before we left, i took a last picture of the view from the balcony, the isarog mountain. (^_^) we did not go straight to the train station since it was still too early for our train, so we went to the mall to buy food for our trip and to each early dinner. after about two hours, we went to the train station. luckily we were able to get tickets for the sleepers bad/room. we once again took our own beds, ate some and slept the whole trip. we arrived at manila after 12 hours.

my family spent most of the day sleeping when we arrived. but for me, i had a different agenda.

please see next post. (^_^)V

oh! by the way, did you all notice that i was wearing dresses the while trip? (^_~)

earthquakes

yesterday, a 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit the visayas area of the philippines.

people died, lost their beloved ones, lost their homes, lost  their livelihood and are in dire need of help.

relief goods and help have been sent by different groups, organizations and individuals, though it may still not be enough.

a few minutes ago,

i heard the there was an earthquake in the northwest part of japan.

everyone, we know earthquakes happen, but it still comes as a surprise to us when it happens.

we should treasure each day and live our very best because we don't know how fast everything can change in a blink of an eye.

i myself became realized this just when this year started.

prayer is a big part.

we offer prayers to be thankful for our blessings.

prayers for those in need and are suffering.

prayers for the safety of our family, friends, our country and the whole world.

never underestimate prayers.

believe, have faith and surrender it all to God.

amen.