Farewell

I am bidding farewell to my blog of almost three years, which has been a fundamental part of my life since my year-long search for meaning. I will leave this here in the vastness of cyberspace as it will always be a part of me and the tapestries of humanity as a whole through the connections it made with people who took the time to drop by and read what I had to say.

My sincerest gratitude to the readers who made sharing a piece of my life a very worthwhile thing to do.

As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "The only true gift is a portion of yourself."

Many times in our lives comes a sense of clarity that seemed perfect. Yet somehow, what was clear at that time may not be very clear now at all. What belongs to the past is given a curtain call and the lights are dimmed until they are finally put out - perhaps, for good. Unlike this amazing power to look into the past with all the time we want and can afford to lose just to ponder on hindsight, such power to look into the future has not been granted to us. To have foresight, yes, but it has never been a guarantee to make things happen exactly the way we have imagined them to be. Nevertheless, the brilliant part of it all is the certainty of hope that perhaps the best is yet to come.

I will not be truly gone, however, because I still have in my heart this calling to share. You can follow me at my new online home: Imprints.

...It never fails to take my breath away: the shifting of trends, the changing of times, the breaking of ties and the formation of new ones. A new kind of clarity has dawned upon me and the old one has served it's purpose. My search for meaning goes on.

All I can say is... It's about time. :)

No worries at Subic Bay

I am wearing sturdier pair of footwear this time around with a simpler thought in my head: hakuna matata.

"As we dwell on and worry about matters beyond our control, a negative effect begins to set in. Too much analysis always leads to paralysis. Worry is a route that leads from somewhere to nowhere. Never let it direct your life."

- taken from An Enemy Called Average by John Mason -

Today, I share with you photos from Subic Bay Yacht Club taken during our faculty team-building activity for the weekend. It was a welcomed (and much needed) break away from the day-to-day schedule in the office. It has been at least 3 years since I last went to Subic. It was the perfect place to shed worries and to leave those excess baggage I have been lugging around with me for quite some time.

Oh, to live for the weekend!

Before there were yachts, there were ships.

The grand staircase that leads to the dock and the deck.

Reception area

Upon entering the yacht club's main building, I took in the musky smell of elegance that seemed to have seen better days. The classic interior had high ceilings and was very spacious. The place itself gave its visitors elitist feelings and an atmosphere of exclusivity. However, I understand that the maintenance of a such a venue is costly and so the yacht club had to open its doors to the public 'to keep wind blowing on its sails', so to speak.

 

For the guests, upon arrival.

Lounge at the third floor lobby.

Bolder colors at the lounge on the second floor lobby.

Personally, I think that opening Subic Bay Yacht Club to non-members is a wonderful opportunity, not only to preserve the place, but to make a wider audience appreciate its glory even if it was from days of old. In a sense, being at the yacht club gave me a glimpse of luxury that a chosen few experience on a daily basis.

Bedroom suite with queen-sized beds.

Complete with a study table and TV set.

More than the bedroom, the full bathroom with a jacuzzi makes  me smile.

I love a spacious and clean bathroom.

Conference room

Delectable chocolate cake with a scoop of strawberry ice cream. Perfect.

One of the 6 Cs that fit right in the whole Subic experience.

Perspective: a long stretch.

Docking area with a mysteriously majestic backdrop of highlands.

Just the place for coffee table talks.

Poolside

The pool that was made to look like a sea of small islands.

After an overnight stay at the Subic Bay Yacht Club, the group headed for Treetop Adventures. For some of those worries that I wasn't able to let go of the normal way, it's about time to resort to extreme measures.

Getting ready for the big drop.

Subic zipline. Superman duo.

Walking to the cable car ride.

Brace yourselves. This is it.

Watch out! Weight limit.

View from the [tree]top. 

Next stop: a different country. It is easier to make more positive stories when all worries have been left behind.

I am about to go to newer heights!

One step at a time

"Be master of your petty annoyances and conserve your energies for the big, worthwhile things. It isn't the mountain ahead that wears you out - it's the grain of sand in your shoe." 

- Robert Service -

When I came across the quote mentioned above, the floodgates of wisdom opened up.

I often look far and wide for things to conquer and battles to win that I forgot to look down and find the most important consideration is right under my feet.

I'm beginning to see myself going to places without having to look at the ground all the time. :)

Museo Pambata Trip

At the entrance with co-teachers.

For Buwan ng Wika, my co-teachers and I decided to prepare for a culminating activity at Museo Pambata where the children can enjoy a tour with their parents. We went to the museum to do an ocular to have an organized trip by the end of the month. Luckily, teachers get in for free if they just present their IDs.

National mode of public transport.

Try as I might, I cannot bring to my mind any childhood memory of going for a trip the "Children's Museum" while I was in school so I think it is safe to say that it was actually my first time to visit Museo Pambata. Though I missed to go through this wonderful place as a kid, I am very appreciative of it now as an adult and as a teacher. As I explored the various exhibits there, I realized the importance of this haven for the younger generations to come.

I Love My Planet Earth! exhibit.

I love how interactive the exhibits are. It is important that children engage all their senses for learning to be truly imbibed. The entire museum comes to life with the various props and backdrops. I can already envision the children having a great time when they get here.

Part of Body Works exhibit.

There was a very spacious room dedicated to knowing about how one's body works: the different systems of the body, the various organs and senses and how they operate within us, and so on. There were stations that also provide hands-on games to engage the children in using their bodies and discovering the facts for themselves. Another area is the Pamilihang Bayan or Marketplace, which was a really amazing studio of various stores and shops where kids can wear costumes and play with the different materials to simulate an actual marketplace scenario. Even I let my imagination run away a little.

At the Pamilihang Bayan (Marketplace) pretending to sell freshly baked bread.

The Gift Shop houses a lot of good buys: mostly educational items and native crafts.

Goofing around: Seems like I'm part of the portrait, which is actually a mirror.

The next few photos are some of my favorites taken from the Paglaki Ko (When I Grow Up) exhibit where the Writer's Corner and Illustrator's Corner can be found. I am a writer but a frustrated illustrator. Anyhow, I have not given up trying to produce some personal works [for my eyes only at this point]. Though that may be the case, the arts will always have a special place in my heart.

Oh, how I love ink drawings!

One of my local favorites.

Colorful art by Ruben de Jesus.

Another interactive wall.

Museo Pambata also has an Old Manila exhibit. I love anything that has to do with the past! I am a bit old-fashioned (quite the understatement) and I appreciate the richness of cultural evolution. I reckon that the 'golden days' always pertain to something that has come to pass.

Old Manila exhibit: standing by a large scale church model.

A peek inside the church's interior.

Spanish Galleon.

Flags and portraits dedicated to our heroes.

I was impressed with this area of the exhibit because of the interesting way the museum staff had elaborated on the national heroes' lives. To know about the bayani (hero), you need not read lengthy biographies or look at posters. Instead, all you need to do is pick up the phone, dial a number and listen to a voice narrate about your chosen hero. How clever!

I wish I could bring home this antique typewriter... even better if it still works!

Chinese lanterns made the ceiling gallant.

Old carriage on display.

Untouchable. More memorabilia from the past.

Tara na!

I really enjoyed our tour of Museo Pambata. By the end of our ocular, I felt so young and vibrant I wanted to run to a mirror and check if I was a seven-year-old again.

I suppose our journey ends here for now. I want to come back to this place again next time but hopefully not as a visitor but as a volunteer. It is always a worthwhile endeavor to share moments with young minds and hearts.

Heads Up, Feet Down

A picture paints a thousand words.

So they say.

I say:

"A picture evokes a thousand thoughts."

Fierce

End of the month.

I wouldn't have noticed if I didn't take the time to stop and smell the flowers. Which I really should do more often, by the way. :)

Nevertheless, it just can't be helped though when there are days when I feel like I'm being pulled into a vacuum void of any good emotion. Some days seem longer and more stressful than others. Work is more tedious and daunting at times. Life in general catches up on me and I struggle to keep up with it.

Thankfully, there are far more better days when I feel like I'm on top of the world and I am capable of anything at all. Sometimes, I feel like the richest, most wonderful, happiest person who ever lived... and having that disposition is simply blissful. I reckon everybody would want to feel that way all the time.

But then again, imagine walking a plateau all throughout life and never seeing much angle nor depth; no breath-taking plunges and heights. What a boring journey! It would be utterly devastating to experience the same things over and over again. We need the valleys to build our character and mountains to test our strength.

Besides, we might as well be in heaven if all we ever feel is perfect joy. However, we are not quite there yet. There are many more jungles to brave through and deep waters to fathom.

The way the world works - it never ceases to amaze me.