Dropping By

Dear Sayote Kingdom,

Sorry for not visiting you for the longest time. No, I did not abandon you. Adult responsibilities just got more demanding but I still have lots of stories for you. Will start sharing again soon. Can't wait. :) ♥

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Thank you for taking the time to write this lovely letter a long time ago even if what my teacher needed was just an acknowledgment that you received the letter I gave you. It has guided me all these years. While my classmates got 1 liner letters written in Grade school pad paper, I got mine in a scented stationery paper :).

Happy, happy 74th birthday Daddy! I thank the Lord everyday that you're still with us until now and I hope that it's not too much to ask for more years for you. Thank you for being daddy-yo to everyone! I love you.

*****

My Dear Mylene,


A pleasant day to you too.

I am so grateful that you appreciate very much our way of disciplining all of you our dear children. It is because your mom and I would not want our children to be misled in life. Much more that you are still too young to understand the different factors affecting is in this world we live in. you see, there are two directions of our life as we grow. These are the negative and positive directions. Should you be thinking that you know better than what other people do, you are absolutely wrong. You might be following the negative direction of life.

On the other hand, if you would be thinking that you will be careful to follow the right path of life, you cannot be so sure about it. Why? Because you are young and as you grow older, you will be more exposed to society and encounter a lot of temptations that might lead you to the wrong direction. It is in this kind of life situation that we, as parents, come in to give you the proper guidance as much as we can, although there are instances that we do not give you the precise advice because of some problems that we also encounter. We hope that you will understand and forgive us too whenever we are in such kind of attitude. Anyway, our main intention is to help you develop yourselves to become a worthy member of a good society.

And now, asking the favor of our Almighty Lord, to grant us his blessings and that I may bestow also such blessings on all of you my dear, dear children.

With love from your dad,
Pido


** This was my Dad’s letter in response to the letter I gave them. It’s one of our requirements in our English subject. I guess it has something to do with the different sentence constructions. The letter is dated November 15, 1992. **

Perfect Timing

Thank you Lord for the good news. I'm sorry I got a little frustrated when my timeline wasn't being met. Thank you for showing me that Your timing is the perfect one :).

Next on, help us meet the target please? :D Tenchu!

Happy 9th!

Time flies...super. I've now officially started my 9th year with my current company. Thank you Father God for the gift of a job that keeps me going. Thank you for all the lessons learned, people met and self-discoveries in my stint in the corporate world. Hoping for a more fulfilling, more adventurous, and more challenging ride until the 10th. Cheers!

Family ♥

I was feeling a little sentimental and frustrated earlier this evening when my aunt messaged me about her sending some vegetables via Victory Liner if I'm not going home this weekend. Thank you Father God for the love of family.♥

The vegetables will be coming fresh from their own garden :). Hope to be able to receive it this weekend. Can't wait!

More of Paete, Laguna

Aside from Tatlong Krus, there are also lots of wood shops and art galleries in the area which you can visit if you want to stay longer in the area. Some friends were able to buy stuff which they say are much cheaper there as compared to the malls in Manila.

You can also visit Paete Church which is located in the plaza. Paete Church is also known as St. James the Apostle Church, originally built in 1646.

It was the Feast of the Sto. Nino so the atmosphere was festive. We were even able to watch the parade at around 4 PM. Tatay, the owner of Capati Kainan was hospitable enough to let us stay in his resto so that we can watch inside without getting wet.  It’s a tradition to spray people in red with water that day. As per Tatay, when you are wearing red, it means you are participating in the tradition of getting wet.  One friend enjoyed spraying the people in the parade when the shop owner passed her the hose haha.

Still feeling adventurous, we decided to return to Manila via Rizal, again only with the Caliraya map hehe. It’s not as confusing as we thought. You’ll not get lost as long as you know which town/barangay comes one after the other. It’s even faster because there are lesser vehicles on the road. And the view is amazing. Mostly, you’ll be passing by fields and mountains until you reach Rizal/Antipolo area. However, some parts of the road are winding so people not used to it may get a little dizzy. As always, we had a blast!

Visiting Tatlong Krus in Paete, Laguna

After reading a friend’s post about her solo adventure in Paete, Laguna, I’ve invited some friends to go and explore the place too – right away, last January 15! Haha. We used it as an excuse to prepare for our CDO-Bukidnon-Iligan adventure, which we were advised to do some cardio prior the trip since most of the activities we’ll be doing involves trekking.

My friend decided to bring her car so that we won’t have problems with transportation. And since we were not commuting, we should have a map with us. Unfortunately, the only map I can find is that of Caliraya, which has the same route going to Paete. Fortunately for us, we had fun and we were successful in navigating with the help of the map. J

Below was our actual itinerary.

 6:30AM – left OSMA, Pasig

7:00 AM – reached SLEX Shell, had breakfast at Jollibee

7:40 AM – proceed to Paete, Laguna

10:00 AM – arrival in Paete. For those bringing cars, you can park at their plaza. 

10:30 AM – start trek

11:10 AM - reached Ilaya Sur (blue waiting shed). There’s a fork. Take the left to go to the summit and straight ahead to go to Matabungka Falls (which is a short trek from here). There’s a water source by the shed which is potable as per the residents.

11:55 AM – reached summit (with a very slow pace. some may actually take it for around 40 minutes to 1 hour). Picture taking, snack time, enjoyed the cool breeze.

12:45 PM – left the summit

1:00 PM – reached Ilaya Sur. Proceeded to the falls just below the waiting shed.

1:45 PM – left Ilaya Sur

2:15 PM – back in Paete market, had lunch and change of clothes at Capati Kainan

4:40 PM – left Paete via Rizal

6:30 PM – back in your arms, Manila

Things to note:

• No registration and registration fee required.
• The path is cemented steps, uphill. Get ready for a real workout for your lungs and legs!
• When we went there, the steps were a bit wet so it was a little slippery because most was wet so be careful.
• You will pass by a creek. Although there are stones where you can step on so as not to get wet, the water maybe stronger especially after a rain so it’s best to be ready with your footwear.
• You can use mojos, trek shoes or even slippers, whichever you’re comfortable with.
• Bring mosquito repellent. 
• Bring trail food in case you get hungry along the way.
• Water-500 ml to 1L depending on your consumption
• Bring umbrella, shades, head gear or anything to combat the sun as it can get hot especially if you start late. Of course, you can always check the weather forecast for Paete prior your trip.
• The people of Paete are friendly and accommodating. You can ask them kindly should you need a restroom to change clothes.

Expenses:

Since my friend brought her car, she just requested for Php 100/pax for gas. That and money for breakfast and lunch. Allot for some treats for home or for some shopping though coz you might not resist the items you'll see there! :)

Another reference for IT when commuting (from my friend's blog):  

http://www.jovialwanderer.com/2012/01/paete-solo-adventure.html

 Three crosses at the summit

 View of Laguna from the summit

 The name that cracked us up! :)

 Bamboo bridge

Matabungka Falls in Ilaya Sur where you can take a refreshing dip

Hello 2012. You're Finally Here

Dear Lord,

Thank you for the all the adventures You've allowed me to do in 2011. It was fun, fantastic and fabulous. 

As I welcome 2012, may You give me all the strength and courage to face head on whatever challenges that would come my way. 

Well 2012, let's get the ball rolling. Let's rock the world!

Happy new year everyone!

**Credits to image owner.