I have never been a person of great faith. I have always thought that I was cynical. Perhaps I was but now, I feel as if my faith is renewed. Not faith in the church or anything religious like that. My faith in curiosity, my faith in learning new things, my faith in suprises, my faith in being naive has all been renewed. Thanks to travelling, I think that my eyes have been cleared once more. And what was once a cloudy and gloomy existence is now suddenly open to infinite possibilities.

I thought that Manila has nothing new and delightful to offer. But now I realize, I just wasn’t looking.

Gong hei fat choi! So it’s the Chinese New Year, also a monday… Also… A national holiday but still, I have to work Nevertheless, happy holidays! (Looks a lot like Christmas)

We have aspirations or destinies that we formulate in our dreams or formulated by the fates. Unfortunately, regardless of who the author may be, we could only be mere shadows.

Homecomings are never easy. Even when I was in college. I would always enter my room as if for the first time. In the past, it was often the case that my room was used by somebody else. There would always be something added or something missing. Today, I feel the same feeling of being a stranger in a familiar place.

Now, I feel like flying once again to cure my restlessness. It was funny when I arrived, my sister asked me, “For how long will you be here?” I wanted to answer, “Never longer than necessary!” Hahaha

Travelling on a tight budget was a lot of fun! We were still able to get some work done, go to Sinulog, and get around the island of Bohol. There were a lot of bumps along the road such as not waking up early enough or taking a lot of time waiting for the bus. Regardless, travelling along the unbeaten path allowed me to enjoy the view at my own pace and at my own discretion. This picture has got to be one of the best pictures of the trip and it was actually taken along the road going up to the viewpoint for the Chocolate Hills. Thanks for the adventure Bohol!

My friend Alex and I decided to embark on a trip to Bohol which would also include a weekend visit to Cebu in order to celebrate the famous Sinulog Festival. We woke up at around 11:30am and we left the house a quarter to 2:00pm. We headed over to Ayala to buy batteries for my camera and then we went to have a snack at Maitre Chocolatier.

After a heavy snack, we decided to head over to the Mango Plaza where the parade was still ongoing. Although Alex told me that the parade is over, we decided to forge on. It was fortunate we did because we wove in and out of the crowds, walking alongside the performers and floats while taking endless numbers of pictures. (Unfortunately, I could only share one.) When the sun set, we realized that our cameras could no longer take good pictures without a flash because it was already getting dark.

Just as we got free from a suffocating crowd of people, we ran into sir Amir and his friend sir RJ, fellow teachers in UP Baguio! What a coincidence, right? So we ended the day by wandering around Colon, looking for a way to get to SM. From SM, we went shopping (I know it’s reprehensible but I couldn’t help it! Neither could Alex, apparently), had dinner then met up with John.

John is Alex’s friend who was kind enough to welcome me and Alex, provide us transportation, accommodations, and even shared entertaining anecdotes about his adventures as a resident in training (for general surgery!) in Cebu.

In my excitement, I have decided to post an entry about the day It was a good day and I’m glad how the trip to Cebu turned out this way.

Tomorrow, I will share a different story about how we explored the famed Chocolate Hills of Bohol and other attractions of the island

Maayong pag-abot sa Cebu

This is a reminder that I need to write about Cebu

Olya’s Russian friends came to visit the island and I guess they had lots of fun! It was also one of the last occasions I got to party with Marko and Inno who would be leaving before the first weekend of 2012. But that’s all right since Pi came to join us two days after

So the island gang right now is Inah, Olya, Joy and Pi. RepRisk girls. When I leave on the 10th, it will be reduced to the RepRisk trio: Olya, Joy and Pi. I hope to join them by February, but I don’t know yet. Life is full of surprises and our best laid plans do not always come to fruition. Then again, sometimes the alternative is so much better than what we had in mind.

This is basically what 2011 taught me. At the start of the year, I was at my worst. The lowest point in my life. Jobless with a lot of responsibilities that I needed to confront. Then by second week of the year, I had a good job offer. Another month after, I got an even better offer! So for the most part of the year, I was working two jobs. Stretching myself pretty thin, all in an effort to fulfill responsibilities and still be able to provide a comfortable lifestyle for myself.

I ended the year with only one job – the job that I loved more. But now, another conflict is on the rise as another opportunity has presented itself and I’m really torn between that which has been comfortable, fun and amazing in the past year, and another one that offers so many unknown opportunities.

As of now, I’m looking forward to my first trip to Bohol, another first to add in the annals of my life, but in the meantime I am enjoying the sun, sand, and sea of paradise.

It’s the holidays and I just can’t help but wish that I was there in the mountains. Although if I were in the mountains, it would be a lonely holiday, I just can’t help but think about how much I missed the place my heart calls home.

While I was there for a week, I never felt more in sync with my routine. I woke up, worked until it’s time for lunch, then I go out for a walk, enjoy the scenery. Pop into an internet cafe, resume my work. In the evening, meet up with friends for dinner. Then we go home late at night, happy and eager for bed. The next morning, the same thing could happen but I could also have dinner alone. Walk through the cold city in my jacket with a scarf wrapped around me, remembering the days long past.

But I am also aware how much the city has changed. The old coffee shop we used to frequent is gone. The old bar we used to spend nights in has changed. Much of the old haunts no longer look the same. Many of the people I’ve loved have also left. The only thing that remains is the city which I continue to love despite all the changes.

More importantly, coming home has made me realized how much I have changed in the past year. I think that if a year ago, somebody would give me a brief summary of what would happen to me in 2011, I would have laughed them away. I realize now that so many things could happen in one year. We could grow to be so wise or degenerate into something less than who we are. The idea of change makes me more eager for the future, for new things, new adventures!

Baguio will always have a special place in my heart. It had been my home from 2005 to 2010, but I guess I need to spread my wings. I need to be stupid somewhere else. I need to make mistakes in a different place. I need to go out with different people. Therefore, I will say hello to Boracay. 

Although Boracay will be my home base, I still expect to travel a lot in 2012. I plan to work my butt off to afford the plane tickets, the hostels (too cheap to afford a real hotel), and everything else. This is my resolution

I think much of the nights I spent in college looked roughly like this. Lounging around with friends, smoking and having a good time! Now, when we hang out, we hardly drink hard. We smoke a little less than what we used to but still, great fun with great company!