Panagbenga 2007

I think this is the third time that I came to Baguio during this festival, but only my first time to watch the parades. Anyway, the parade was fantastic! I will blog more about it later. I just couldn’t resist the temptation to blog away from Metro Manila. It’s also my first time to do that with Trinity [the name of my laptop]. And so, that’s it for now. I wish I didn’t forget the USB cable so that I could have uploaded the pictures easily here.

Tagaytay

Fanatical Teacher looks absolutely happy here in spite of the fact of two ladies posing in the background. I really don’t mind here since this picture is all about relaxing and having fun and not so much as taking the perfect picture. So where is Fanatical Teacher? Where did he go? Well, he is seated just outside the Spa area at Sonya’s Garden which is located near Tagaytay. Incidentally, this was the first time in the life of Fanatical Teacher that he went to Tagaytay and did something and lingered around.

What? You hardly believe that? How is it possible for Fanatical Teacher to have missed out on Tagaytay and its many allures when in fact he has been to the Visayas and Mindanao, lived with his family for three years in Singapore and has traveled on his own as well to Malaysia and Indonesia for his 27th birthday two years ago? Well, it’s possible and yes it sounds such a surprise indeed even for me as the realization dawned on me because I rarely get fits of excitement over something. I slept at past 1am but woke up at 630am and was in Bacoor Cavite shortly before 8a.m — an hour earlier than the appointed meeting time with my friend, Enigma.

Ah, the joys of just lounging around. The past three weeks have been so hectic, riddle with doubt and also pinning me down with other worries. Nevertheless, I give my best smile here simply because the place is absolutely fantastic. I heard that Sonya’s Garden was conceptualized as something that would keep a retired lady busy.

And so, here’s another picture of Fanatical Teacher enjoying himself around the garden. Mind you, there were three weddings being held at the place during the time of our visit. According to Enigma, the place has undergone several facelifts since he has visited the place and even stayed at the bed and breakfast area with his friends.

Speaking of Sonya, here she is with Enigma and Fanatical Teacher. She’s simply amazing! Although she is it a bit aloof in some ways, I just can’t explain it. The garden and dining area was filled with positive energy that put me to sleep or was trying to put me to sleep. I wasn’t planning to get a massage treatment, but because of the heavy meal and the exhilirating environment, I was severely tempted to give in. But no — Fanatical Teacher has to wait to visit the place again. For it’s quite pointless to get a massage when one has to report for work right after such a getaway experience.

This is a rare flower, a New Guinea what??? You do have to forgive me as I wasn’t really paying that much attention to the name of it while it was being described to me by Sonya. What I remembered was that she mentioned that it just bloomed because it only blooms once a year. Once a year??? Hmm, I really need to dig up on this flower to confirm her statement.

And now for the goodies. We arrived around lunchtime, and the menu only serves vegetarian cuisine! Goodness! This is vegetable and fruit heaven! There was one serving of salmon on the side, but that’s about it. Everything else is just fruits, vegetables and they really tasted as fresh as newly plucked flowers! Ok, maybe I went overboard with that description but I was quite happy because I had my fill of five servings of fruits and vegetables in one sitting for the day!

Here’s Enigma presenting more salad to me. We’re here celebrating his birthday! So here’s a toast to you, Enigma! Enigma’s a writer like me, but he writes far better than me and if you guys get the chance to read his articles he has a way with words that Fanatical Teacher has yet to reach. Oh yes, I am just as enamored by his writings as I am with his persona [well, maybe not all of his writings but at least enough to keep me wanting to read more].

Here’s Fanatical Teacher indulging himself. Nothing beats a big smile to wipe away the stress and heartachesa! And I totally agree that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. In my case, my vegetarian stomach!

After about an hour and a half, here’s Fanatical Teacher giving up already! STOP! I can’t take another bite off this thing! Ok, I might be a vegetable freak, but even my stomach has limits! I am not a cow that has about four stomachs!

Anyway, after Sonya’s Garden Enigma and I went to Bag of Beans. The brewed coffee is superb! For only P95 pesos, you get a bottomless brewed coffee! How’s that, Starbucks! I know, I know. I like Starbucks Coffee as well, but man, their prices are just off the charts for most folks. Speaking of Starbucks, there’s one in Tagaytay with a fabulous view of Taal Lake and volcano. So why did we opt for Bag of Beans? Well, the coffee is refilable for one thing and the pastries are just priced right. Unlike Starbucks, the price is the same for ANY branch regardless of the fact that they have already moved to the province. I think that’s one thing that Starbucks should consider, since the local competition have other things to offer — in the case of Bag of Beans they have a mini zoo and the cafe has two, no, three partitions. One is a closed area with sofas and throw pillows and a few tables. But the larger area is the garden cafe with a mini zoo of birds in cages that mimic voice patterns. Finally, there’s an area that seems to be allotted for meetings and small conferences. Hmm, I guess they have developed a good reputation for companies to drive all the way here just to enjoy a cup of coffee and a change of scenery.

After basking in the shades of green in Bag of Beans, Fanatical Teacher and Enigma left for Manila. I feel a bit nostalgic, since it is my first time to truly enjoy Tagaytay and what it could offer. I’m glad that I celebrated Enigma’s birthday here, and that he considers me a friend worth the journey and trip since this was sponsored by Enigma [I only paid for the gasoline which is still minimal]. Seeing nature once more just makes Fanatical Teacher even more grateful and thankful to God for the life he gave and the small blessings of being able to enjoy life in the in-betweens.

At the Gym

I wasn’t planning to blog right now but I am so pissed. At the gym, I saw this very beautiful lady and I was trying to strike up a conversation and I ended up with getting a statement — “None of your business… etc etc.”

Later I found out she’s a Austrian-Filipina who is working here as a commercial model.

I normally don’t give compliments to women that I find pretty, and I think I made a wrong decision. Anyway, I apologized because I thought maybe the way I approached her offended her and she did say that it did. Whoa! But girl, you are one snooty lady. Frankly, I don’t think that I would want to greet you again.

Funny thing is, it has been such a long time since I felt this ANGRY at anybody. In fact, I felt so bad that my knees were shaking and also my entire body was literally boiling up!!! And when I mean long time, I mean LONG LONG time like years. I just started my day and this is what I get? Girl, you don’t deserve to be here in the Philippines if this is how you treat ordinary people.

So that’s it for now. Writing this entry helps me cool down. But man, I do have other thoughts about this later…..

Ahhhhh Baguio!!!!

About four weeks ago, Fanatical Teacher joined the Dgroup retreat in Bagiuo City. Although going to Baguio is similar to a pilgrimage for me as I go there annually, it was still something new because it was my first time to stay at the Baguio Country Club.

Ah, the cool windy air of Baguio City! In Baguio Country Club, I actually smelled faint traces of pines that I don’t smell in the city proper anymore. As you can see, I’m all smiles as I really enjoyed my time there. In moments like this, I really thank God that I am a freelancer.

It was also my first time to go to Tam-Awan Village. We had our sketches done, but most of us didn’t look like the ones that were drawn at all! Tam-Awan Village is an artist community of painters, sculptors and there are several traditional Ifugao huts that are also being rented out for people who would like to experience living the way Ifugaos did for several centuries. During our visit, there was one couple that rented the “Fertility Hut”, but for me the main highlight was the brewed coffee and Lemongrass. Man, it was one of the best coffee I’ve ever tasted in our country!

Here’s a picture of the paper placemat that also doubles as a menu at Cafe by the Ruins. It’s the only two places that we really went out to eat during the entire weekend trip. Most of the time we just went back to the cottage that we stayed and cooked breakfast, lunch and dinner.  All in all, it was really a fun ride,  a time that I got to know most of the DGroup people better. But most of all, the trip was an affirmation on my part on Gpd’s direction for my life for this year.

Insomnia 2

I’ve shared with some of my friends that I have experienced insomnia lately. In fact, to my surprise and I did not really ask for it, the people in the DGroup that I joined started praying for me about it. Wow! Thanks guys! But really, I think I need to clarify a few things about it as well.

For one thing, I think that insomnia is one of the curses of writers/researchers. It is something that we would have to live with for the rest of our lives. There are just times that one experiences a sleepless nights. It just so happens that this time around, it is taking more than two weeks. And usually, it is during these times of restlessness that I experience an transdimensional idea of sorts that clears up my mind and strengthen my resolve further. It is the burden for writers. Some people here may not agree with me at all. That’s ok. Yet of the writers that I have met in my life, I have often asked them if they experience similar bouts of sleeplessness and a restless soul.

I always believe that there is no such thing as a perfect job. We just live with something that we either like or what we have just learned to live with. But for others, it is more than just a job — but a profession of one’s spirit and an outpouring of one’s soul. That is how I view my work as a writer and researcher. There are times when a writer experiences a mental blank gropping with the words to say. And for two weeks and counting, Fanatical Teacher is still caught in that limbo. Hence the long silence between the days of updating this blog and other blogs.

And so, I end this entry at one in the morning. I hope I get a good night’s rest. If there’s anything you guys could pray for me, then  pray that I would be able to get more writing and research assignments. For now, I will do my best to get my Vitamin Zzzzssssssss…………………..