Our journey through life presents many challenges. If we find someone to share that journey with, it opens up a totally new perspective and a whole realm of possibilities. Lucky are those who found someone that they love and share life’s journey with.
Though people say that I don’t look one, I am already five decades old. And though people say that I am addicted to love, by this time and at this late period of my life, I have started to accept the fact that sharing my journey with someone seem already farfetched and very unlikely.
happy valentines everyone!
If a psychic palm reader would try to peruse the lines on my hand, I guess, he would say that such palm-lines seem crooked and uncommon. I guess my fate is simply different as compared to the majority.
It’s Valentine’s day tomorrow and I realized that I am too old to turn crabby or cantankerous. I have started to accept the thought that sharing life’s journey is not for me. If such is not for me, then it is not for me. What is important with my life’s situation now is that I simply follow my heart, I’m living my own truth, I try to enjoy life and I got a beautiful family who cares and loves me.
love rule #1: if it’s not for you, then it’s not for you
Just this weekend, I attended another first birthday party. That of my grandnephew, Ali. Ali’s first birthday celebration was a little grand and over-the-top: servers were in costumes; food served was buffet style part of which was a roasted calf; there was a funny magician who performed; the dinosaur-theme set-up was ostentatious; alcoholic drinks as post-party celebration for the adults were overflowing; and, there was even a fantastic fireworks presentation.
happy birthday ali !!!
a colorful fun day!
super fun with friends & relatives
I no longer can recall how many times I have attended a first birthday party in the past. And consistently, since a one year old baby has no concept of birthdays and parties, the baby-celebrator is clueless and has zero idea why everyone is congregating for such a day.
It will make you wonder if such celebration was really about the baby or is it really about and for the people that surround him. I guess, the latter seem to be the correct answer to this question. It is indeed for and about the people who helped and will help the baby to grow happy and healthy. And it is most especially for the parents (in Ali’s case my niece Thatcher and nephew-in-law Alexis) who seem to celebrate for not screwing up and being successful in their first year with the cute and adorable child.
a job well done…
The child may have received all the gifts, but it is the parents and the people who surround the celebrant who receives all the hugs, the love, the praises and the encouragements as expressed and delivered by all the guests who attended.
I am pretty sure, Ali’s parents (and like any other parents) had numerous uncertainties and frustrations in the past year. I am also pretty sure, both Thatcher and Alexis had several worries and anxieties from crying outbursts to bottle rejections. Some hurdles were conquered by mere luck while others were resolved by experience. And oftentimes, snags and obstacles were resolved thru the assistance of family or friends. Thus, the first birthday party of any baby is indeed a salute and celebration for the parents and the people who surrounds the child.
pose of the day
I was given the opportunity to give a short talk during the party. I was able to give my warmest birthday wishes for the adorable Ali. I was able to greet a beautiful afternoon to all the attendees. I however, failed to congratulate Ali’s parents. So let me take this opportunity to express my warmest felicitations and compliments to Thatcher & Alexis for a job well done.
There is a calm, tranquil and secluded-like place north of Manila. It is 300 kilometers away and would take around 6 hours to drive from Manila. A quiet fishing village in Pangasinan, Abagatanen white sand beach is one beautiful attraction.
fresh waves! abagatanen, a back-to-basics kind of a beach
The white sand beach may not be as powdery and white as the popular, commercialized and tourist-infested beaches in my country, Abagatanen beach has its own distinct beauty. With the absence of mercantile shops and restaurants the place is beautifully nostalgic. With the non-existence of pricey resort facilities, the beach is charmingly traditional. And with its having no mobile internet reception it is gorgeously retrograded.
golden hour!!!
Its main attractions are the crystal clear water of the ocean, the exquisite wind-driven waves of the sea, the unassuming and courteous locals and above all the undeniable energy of peace and tranquility. Me and my family were lucky enough to have discovered this piece of paradise. Stressed and worry-free, I energized my spirit by basically bumming around the Abagatanen white sand beach.
The BBC Reel documentary about Japan’s impressive lost & found scheme and system is true. I have personal accounts and experiences about how remarkably honest, decent and trustworthy the Japanese people are.
During our family’s second visit to Japan, one of the inexpensive yet enjoyable lunches we had was at a self-service keiseki-like (keiseki are like tapas of Spain or the small dishes of Japan) eatery in Osaka. I can clearly recall that after we have stepped out and we’re like 200 yards away already from that eatery, we noticed that the old and short lady who worked in that establishment was actually running after our group. Gasping for air when she reached us, she then handed a small bag to us.
Without me understanding what she was saying, my now-niece-in-law (Alexis) then noticed that the bag the old lady was handing over was his. He then realized that he actually left behind his pouch-bag inside the eatery which contains his cash, his credit cards and his valuable passport.
Another remarkable experience my family had in Japan when it comes to trustworthiness was when we had a winter adventure in Sapporo. After a short flight from Osaka to Hokkaido, my family chose to reach our hotel via subway from the Sapporo airport. The subway train station near our hotel was actually just beside a park, the Nakajima Park. When we got out of the train station towing and dragging along our huge suitcases, out in the street, we noticed that the magnificent park beside the train station was filled with soft and fresh snow.
My family lives in a tropical country where no snow falls. Here in the Philippines, the weather is either hot or hotter. Thus, it is but thrilling for us (a snow-deprived-family) to see, smell and touch those fields of frozen and icy hexagonal-shaped crystals. And as if my family suddenly transformed into little naughty children we run towards the park and were unmindful of leaving behind our huge bags and suitcases right there in front of the train station. We spent about half an hour inside the snowy park – making snow angles, snowball fighting, creating our very first snowman and gasping at how magnificent the snow formations are on trees.
the nakajima train station right beside the park. that’s the very spot where we left our suitcases! haha!
After mellowing down and when we regained our adulthood back, only then that we realized that we actually left behind our suitcases right there at the train station’s entrance/exit platform. We were gone for more than half an hour and when we went back to retrieve and get all our bags and suitcases, all of it were surprisingly still there! Do that here in my country, all of our luggage will be gone in less than a minute and you got no one else to blame but yourself.
Japan is beautiful, its people are incredible and exploring Japan has been a worry-free type of adventure. Because of these, this country has been my family’s most visited country. I won’t be surprised if after the pandemic my family will again venture for another trusty Nippon adventure.
Nengkoy 