manila post office

Did not know until now that the Post Office in Manila could also be beautiful up front! :)

celebrating life and friendship - part 2

Woke up too early in the morning to hear the door of the comfort room moving, as if someone is shaking it. Ghost? I hope not! I turned on the audio of my mobile and tried to go to sleep again. I did, for a while, but the shaking wouldn't stop and I lay unmoving at the top bunk. Later, I would hear my friend whimpering below so I whispered, "hey, you awake?" She was and so I asked her if I could come down and sleep beside her, and hurriedly (and literally) flew down the bunk bed. the door had not stopped shaking until this time. When I arrived down, she was up the bed and started to run to the farthest bed in the room, with me tailing her. That then, woke everybody up.

It's a scary experience and my friend's nanny would later say that she heard me say "i'm scared...." before going down that top bunk. Well, yes. I was really pretty scared. although everything was okay when the sun finally came out, we couldn't wait to get out of there!

But everything turned out okay later in the day -- we have arrived at our next destination: the Las Casas de Acuzar in Bataan!

The buildings being restored here are really beautiful and it's a shame that somewhere out there, there are still wonderful buildings such as these but have fallen into disrepair or had been (or being) demolished to make way for more urban, tasteless, commercial buildings. I'm glad that there are still who would like to preserve a part of our history in this wonderful project. would you believe that these buildings were the norm in the "olden" times? Would love to discover each of its secrets!

 And how i would love to have a home with a view like this!

 A bridge at Las Casas commemorating some of the mythical creatures that were made alive in the stories of Lola Basyang... this bridge also reminds me of Pont Neuf in Paris...

I would like to believe that the children of those times would play every afternoon in the streets in front of buildings such as this. What fun it would have been. makes me think of the time when my siblings and I would go out of the house in the afternoon to play with our neighbors - badminton, step-yes/no (or what others know as hopscotch), langit-lupa and other Filipino games...

 a calesa ride is one of the historical treats that every filipino should try, i would think...

And here, commemorating those who have died for our freedom. this is Km 0 of the Death March of Filipino and American soldiers during WWII. This is one of the two places where the march started (Bagac on April 11 and Mariveles on April 10), going to its final destination in Camp O'Donnell in Capas, Tarlac. It is said that the prisoners of war were made to walk (only walk) for six days without any food and water (if they were seen drinking from somewhere, they would be shot, including those who help them). for some of those who successfully made it to Capas, they would only die of malnutrition and disease.

I think that, this is one sign that we need to preserve, to make us realize how lucky we are to have the freedom we enjoy right now, and to be grateful to all those who died before us so that we may live the way we are right now (never mind the corruption!). On our way back to Manila, my friends and I kept counting the Km posts that we see along the road and could just wonder how far they go and how difficult it would have been for those who experienced it. They were brave men and I think that they should never be forgotten...

*****

I'm thankful for my friends to schedule this trip on the weekend of my birthday. It sure is a memorable trip!

celebrating life and friendship

tried waking up early in the morning. we did, but still, we only caught these from the entrance....

up, up and away in my beautiful balloon....

 

the world's a nicer place in my beautiful balloon....

after enjoying the aerial shows, the balloons, instant picnic and pinwheels, we decided to head on to our next generation....

on the road with bennie, then anni driving on the SCTEX road, and finally arriving to this view (never mind the accommodations!)

beach, oh beach... i miss thee...

thanks on my birthday

Dearest Lord,

Thank you for the year that was - the promises fulfilled. This year I have seen and felt firsthand, your loving embrace, your faithfulness, your grace. Thank you, Lord, for providing me with everything I need and the things that I want, the things that really mattered. Thank you, Lord.

Thank you, Lord, for giving me the strength that enabled me to do what I set out to do this year.

Thank you, Lord, for my parents who have always been there, supporting me in all my endeavours, in all my dreams. Thank you, Lord, for keeping them safe and healthy.

Thank you, Lord, for my brother (and his family) and my sister. They are my best fan :)

Thank you, Lord, for all the my friends who made my day a special one - old and new. Thank you, Lord, for friends who took time to remember and wish me well on my birthday. Give them the same love that they have shown me. Bless them with all your grace. Thank you, Lord.

Thank you, Lord, for this new day, this new year.

Forgive me, Lord, for the things that I have not done that I should have. Please give me strength and courage to fulfill what you have sent me out to do. May my actions this coming year bring you glory.

Amen.