Saturday photo

 by PAM

Nature... naturally!

I have a few places at home where I enjoy working (WFH whenever needed), or spending some quiet time - 'me time'.  One of my biggest favorites is our lanai area - pictured above.  It's like an extension of our dining area with only the glass doors and metal rails separating them.  So, when the birds start to chirp in chorus loudly, invitingly, in the morning, I'd usually bring my coffee outside and enjoy listening to the birds while I think about the day ahead.  I have to admit though that, these days, my 'me time' at the lanai is quite limited due to ongoing construction at our next-door neighbor, making the place quite dusty... and the noise of their construction equipment overpowers the melodious chirps of the birds.  But on Sundays and holidays, when the construction is paused, I'd take advantage of the chance to enjoy the place.  My old phone probably didn't do justice in capturing the coziness of the space but I tell ya, it's plenty cozy. 🪴💚 

These days, as one of the most undeniable causes of floods and what-have-you in Metro-Manila that are detrimental to all aspects of human health becomes obvious - garbage (and, yes, corruption, which is... uhm, yeah, the most repulsive kind of garbage!) - I thank God for the opportunity to have an option even when our 'home #2' is so humble that the space it provides is 'tight' even for our daily living alone.  While 'home #1' can be considered green, given its location - right smack in the heart of Metro-Manila - we make conscious effort to maintain the green nature of 'home #2' if it were to become our better option.  It is not just about caring for our plants but also about waste minimization, waste segregation, recycling and reuse, and everything that simplifies life, lifestyle and living.  

I hope that we, as a people, can turn things around as far as environmental degradation is concerned... and yes, as far as massive corruption in the government is concerned as well since corruption does not only lead to natural environment degradation but also to the degradation of our moral fiber as a society.  The solution is in our hands, it is within our power... and  it begins with the ballot in 2028.  We deserve a better alternative, a better life, better living conditions, better health and well-being.  We deserve so much more than what the incompetent people in our government (and, I mean, all three branches) presently can offer, given their foolishness and, yes, their inclination to corrupt acts and actions!  

So, yes, we must demand better public service from our public servants.  Let's make it work, fellow Filipinos!!  Let's seize the moment... let's choose wisely in 2028!  Let's pray for guidance, wisdom and the courage to choose wisely.

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Image credit:  The featured photo belongs to me.  I took it and processed minimally for the purpose of this blog.  It may not be used elsewhere.

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It's the most wonderful time...

 ...of the year!

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by PAM

'The Tree' is up, and it radiates warmth and coziness. 💖

And so, here we are... well, almost there, anyway.  We are closing in, almost locking it in - locking in the holidays.  First, 'the Angel' took its rightful place at the receiving area of our home, and so did the deers.  

Across them, stood our 'mini' Nativity Scene.  And then, amid the twinkling lights, the recreation of the Christmas Star that led the Three Wise Men to the Manger where the King was born shone by our door, illuminating the little Nativity.  Then the Advent Wreath took its place. At this point, all the major spiritual aspects of the celebration were taken care of.  So, it was time to put up the symbol of 'merrymaking'.  It was time to put up the Christmas Tree!

Just like last year, I was in-charge of Christmas decorations in our 2nd home.  I like this 'assignment'.  Therefore, I accepted it with open arms and with much delight.  And, when it was time to put up the Christmas Tree, I took my sweet time.  I decided to string the lights first and maneuvered them around the Tree.  Then, all the usual ornaments that define the theme of our family's merrymaking took their place around the Tree followed.  They are followed by the 'special' ornaments, which have deeper meaning for the family, slowly dotted the Tree.  And then the gifts started to appear at the foot of the Tree... which heralded the spirit of giving, and receiving, too, in this Season of Joy, Hope and Love.  I hope to post something regarding Christmas gift-giving one of these days.

I really love the warmth and coziness that Christmas as a family-centered occasion brings.  For our family, it's an occasion where seeing and being with family members is guaranteed.  I always look forward to it.  And, in challenging times through the year, I have Christmas to hope for and to inspire to keep going.  Of course, we are aware of the 'commercialization' of the occasion... and, ironically, this is connected with

gift-giving, which is a major basis of the spirit of Christmas:  love... giving love, that is.  I do believe that how we design our Christmas decorations can set the tone of our desire to celebrate the birth of Christ, our Savior - the greatest gift of all to humanity.  And this is why, no matter how challenging in terms of finding time to carry out decorating tasks, I always do my best... and I always enjoy, too!

This year, to add to memories of Christmas, I added Christmas Tree ornaments from one of my favorite stores: Flying Tiger (FT).  I am happy that there is one FT store close to our home.  And, I have to confess that one of my favorite 'me time' is spending long periods just browsing the cute but practical items that they have. It's fascinating!  So, naturally, FT becomes a part of our Christmas this year in terms of our Christmas decor.  I am sure that it will add to how wonderful this season is for all of us!

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Image credit:  All photos featured in this post belong to me.  I took them all using my own camera.

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"The Angel of the Lord...

 ...declared unto Mary."

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by PAM

Our (first) Christmas Angel in our secondary home is... uhm, Danish.  

Perhaps, it is more fitting to categorize this post as a 'Saturday Photo' given how the photo above is featured prominently.  I decided not to categorize this post as such since rather than the photo itself, I wish to focus more on the meaning of the photo and its relevance in the coming very important season - the Season of Advent, more popularly known as the 'Christmas Season'.  

Yes, we are now at the cusp of the 'most wonderful time of the year'.  As soon as the New Year started, we began the countdown to Christmas Day! We started saving to buy presents for our family members, friends and colleagues.  We can't wait for the day when we are given the 'season's permission' to hop from one party to another to meet and celebrate with friends and family.  Of course, there are birthdays and other celebrations in between.  But as soon as Halloween comes to pass, we dash to unearth our Christmas lights and bunch of decor, and we wait giddily for the weekend when we can coax our family members to 'deck the hall with boughs of holly' to the tune of Jose Mari Chan's undying hit song, "Christmas in our hearts" - on repeat.

At our home though, the very first Christmas reminder that we put on display is our golden Christmas Angel because, to us, Christmas begins when the "Angel of God declared unto Mary" that she was to conceive by the Holy Spirit.  And through the Virgin Mary's obedience and Love of God expressed in her words to the archangel Gabriel, "be it done to me according to your word", and through the faith, obedience and love of St. Joseph, 'the word was made flesh and  dwelt among us'.  And 'the Word' is Jesus Christ, and his birth is the great act of Love by the Father for us all.  Therefore, Jesus is the embodiment of the greatest Love of all.  And this is the Christmas Story - a story of Love.  We give homage to this Love everyday through our small deeds of love and by reciting the Angelus - our late father's favorite prayer... which became ours, too.  And this is why, we always begin the celebration of Christmas by lighting up our Christmas angel.

In our secondary home, we do not have a golden angel figure... but I found a lovely Christmas card at the Flying Tiger store located in a Mall close to our 'Home #2'.  The store carries pretty but 

Our little friends from the North Pole.

functional items made in Copenhagen, Denmark where the store originated.  Having lived in Lund, Sweden for a year, where Copenhagen was just a 15-min boat ride away, the vibrant Danish capital has become one of my favorite Scandinavian cities. And so, when I was looking for new Christmas decor, I had to check out Flying Tiger.  And, true enough, I immediately found what I was looking for - a Christmas Angel, beautifully rendered in a greeting card!

In front of the olive green card is an image of an angel clothed in a cream paper mache against white flat paper.  Its wings are made of red paper mache against flat white paper, too.  It is a beautifully artistic angel in Christmas colors of subdued tone - very Danish.  I found a nice white frame and a pretty string of lights in the same store. And so, in an instant, I found our Christmas Angel for our 'Home #2'.  As a bonus, I also found white-tailed deers in Santa hats... and, right there and then, I knew that our Christmas this year will have a touch of Scandinavia... and it's cool!

We are excited about Christmas, and we are excited about celebrating it at our 'Home #2'.  We hope for the best in this Season of God's Great Love to all of us.  Specifically, we hope for the best for our country, the Philippines... may we all conquer the towering challenges in front of us through our faith and the magical Christmas Season! 

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Image Credit:  All photos belong to me asI took all of them.

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Faith and keeping family traditions alive

 ...because some 'traditions' should be renewed.

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by PAM

Visita Iglesia as a beloved family tradition

For many years, our family has kept a beloved 'old tradition': the Visita Iglesia. It is a part of our yearly observance of the Holy Week as a family.  We set out to hear the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord's Last Supper in the early evening of Thursday, go for confession, and then proceed to visit seven Catholic Churches to pray the Way of the Cross or Stations of the Cross in the evening.  Usually, we set out to fast the entire day, and then eat a full meal after the Visita Iglesia.  We usually look forward to this meal, too.  

The Stations of the Cross is a 14-step devotion that commemorates the Passion of Jesus Christ as he redeemed the world from the clutches of sins by suffering and dying on the Cross.  We move from one Station to the next as we contemplate and pray in two stations per church.  I am usually in-charge of determining the churches to visit, depending on our mobility (we sometimes drive and then walk from one church to another; or just drive around), other plans for the day, and family members' locations. In some cases, we take advantage of Visita Iglesia to go on a pilgrimage to visit Catholic churches in distant places.  Still, in other cases, we consider the wishes or challenges that a family member/s is/are struggling to surmount in determining the churches to visit based on the churches' devotional focus.  This way, we can aid the family member/s in praying for his/her/their cause, and more explicitly express our love and care.      

My siblings and I started this tradition more than thirty years ago.  Ours is an 'improved' version of our parents and grandparents' own tradition of praying the Stations of the Cross in our childhood church at the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag.  This was in the Province of Pangasinan where we were born, except our youngest sibling who was born in Quezon City.  They took us with them in their Way of the Cross devotions but they prayed the entire Stations of the Cross in the same church.  When my family moved to Quezon City, my parents would usually do the Stations of the Cross at the Santo Domingo Church, which is also known as the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of La Naval de Manila and declared as National Culture Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines.  

Over the years, when siblings and cousins had their own children, our Stations of the Cross 'crew' grew.  At some point, organizing the Visita Iglesia was a 'nightmare', especially when the kids were still young and were constantly hungry, in need to use the restroom, or constantly complaining that they were close to 'fainting from exhaustion' like Jesus himself as they pushed themselves through a throng of faithfuls and devotees like us!  The kids' drama was frustrating for my siblings - their parents, but it was hilarious most of the time.  These days the then drama is now a subject of fond reminiscing as the 'kids' then are all grownups and are organizing their own Visita Iglesia with their respective growing families.  We are happy to see that they are continuing the family tradition with their own 'twists' as they inspire their own kids to learn and follow the Way of the Cross.  This is why, these days, my Visita Iglesia crew is a small 'trio' of myself, my sister and our brother who divides his time between his own family and us to observe this beloved family tradition.  

Speaking of 'twists', back in 2020 and 2021, when we were unable to conduct Visita Iglesia because of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the 'automatic' organizer, I had to set up Stations of the Cross in our front yard.  My sister and brother, and I had to go through the Stations while our whole family followed via Zoom. I had to upgrade my personal Zoom account to accommodate our entire family in more than an hour of devotion, and later update one another as we were locked down in our respective locations.  

A new place to explore in the name of faith

As I shared in a few posts here, I have a second home these days - in a place close to my new second workplace, the Province of Laguna.  It's one of those places in the Philippines that played an important part in shaping the Philippines as a country.  In fact, our national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal, hailed from this province.  The old cultural heritage of my country still beats in the heart of this Province despite the undeniable touches of modernization and cosmopolitan living in the big cities here.  I live in one of the big cities, which is right next to my workplace - another big city, and perhaps, the most modern of them all.

So, my small Visita Iglesia trio with my sister and brother visited seven churches close to our new second home.  These are:

1.  St. John Bosco Parish & Center for Young Workers in the City of Santa Rosa.  We attended the Maundy Thursday Mass in this church, and we went on to kick-off our Visita Iglesia with the first two Stations in our Way of the Cross devotion.  The service was a mix of serious devotion and humor courtesy of one of the Vicars of the parish.  The Stations of the Cross were situated in a lush garden of the church.  There was a throng of devotees but we did not need to push our way through them.  Everyone was so nice, and all the activities were so well-organized with helpful marshals and other volunteers.  The priests were so easy-going, and they all greeted the parishioners and visitors cheerfully as they made their way to the front of the church to get ready for their procession.

2.  Santuario De La Salle at the De La Salle University - Laguna campus in Biñan City.  The church is beautiful with its unique minimalist design and gracefully curving structure.  It was a peaceful place, where the narrow heavy doors around the circular structure shielded the interior of the church from the noise outside.  Not so many people were visiting the church though when we arrived.  Perhaps, people were unaware that it was open to the public for Visita Iglesia.

3.  St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta Parish Church is the first of the rest of the churches that we visited along the Timbao-Carmona Road in Biñan City.  It is one of the thirteen (13) Jubilee Churches in the Province of Laguna.  It is a humble little church - a jewel in a very busy street dominated by the wet market of Brgy. Timbao.  When we arrived, a big group of parish devotees were praying together, and a number of visitors like ourselves were scattered in the various Stations.     

4.  Parish of the Risen Lord Church at the Town and Country Southville, Brgy. Santo Tomas in Biñan City.  It was a beautiful church with a lovely sanctuary.  It was filled with people when we arrived.  Big groups of devotees, some of them were wearing uniform shirts, flocked the Stations of the Cross at the foreground.  Inside the church, so many people were praying, it was impressive.

5.  St. Joseph The Worker Parish Church at the Olivarez Homes South Subdivision, also in Brgy. Santo Tomas in Biñan City.  This was a relatively small church, and it was quite hard to find but it was buzzing with devotees when we arrived.  That got us in a very good devotion mood.  

6.  San Vicente Ferrer Parish Church in Biñan City.  This is also one of 13 Jubilee Churches in the Province of Laguna.  It was a big church, which was obviously a well-supported by its parishioners.  There were so many volunteers helping and guiding the devotees and visitors, and they did it with such cheerfulness.  They have a big parking space, too, and parking was made easier by the volunteers. There was a big crowd of devotees that rushed in and out of the church that mimicked the busyness of the street outside.    

7.  Our Mother of Perpetual Help Shrine in Biñan City was a lovely church.  The architecture was superb, and all the stained windows where the Passion of Christ in Stations of the Cross were depicted were impressive. The small but beautifully made garden outside, especially at the entrance, felt very welcoming. The overall impression that one gets inside the church is that our Blessed Mother is, indeed, ready to offer solace and assistance in prayer and faith.  I think it was a perfect place to conclude our devotion... it added to having our hearts light and happy as we headed home.

We may have a new second home in a new place that, a few years ago, was unimaginable for us to consider as home at all.  Our Visita Iglesia experience has put all this into perspective... because the experience remains the same - beautiful as soulful.  It's like God reminding us that, wherever life may take us, for as long as God is at the Center of our lives, we shall thrive.  What is important is we remain obedient to God... always discerning and following His will with our best effort at all times. In the same way that our Lord was obedient to the Father even when His obedience led to Him dying on the Cross.  In the end, with His resurrection, joy is there to be had... just like, there is always joy to be had in this new journey of ours in this new place.  We did have a very good bonding moment as siblings as we go from one church to the next amid our new environment.  Thanks be to God!

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Image credit:  All the photos in the collage in this post belong to me.

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Happy CHRISTmas!

Christ with us... Emmanuel.

Our King - the King of Kings - is born!

Gloria in excelsis Deo!!

Christmas is here!  The glitters, the twinkling lights, the colorful decor, the beautiful carols, and all the magical merriments... indeed, "it's the most wonderful time of the year"!  Good cheers fill the air, and there is much merrymaking all around.  It's that season when hearts open up to give and receive joy... sometimes in the form of gifts wrapped in colorful boxes and made so pretty by bows or sparkling little ornaments, or in the form of heartfelt wishes that seem to magically light up our world with much beautiful emotions that only the heart can define. 

But for our family, Christmas is always been about Him - Christ.  Christmas is all about Him... the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ and the greatest love that made it happen.  I feel fortunate that, over the years, God has used me as an instrument of giving love to our family on the day of His only Son's birth.  My nieces and nephews and their parents saw how Christmas became a tradition of a special day to express love, care, and familial affection.  Over the years, they have started building their own families, and it is wonderful to see them keep the tradition in their own families.  Most of them remember....

...and they come to visit on Christmas day to show their love, and it just absolutely warms the heart.  

This year is very special because it is our first time to celebrate Christmas day at our new 'second home' in a City about 45km south of our 'primary home'.  Of course, we spent Christmas Eve and had our Christmas Eve dinner in our primary home after attending Misa de Gallo.  We then traveled to our second home on Christmas morning where my siblings and our nieces and nephews came to celebrate Christmas with us.  It was only for a few hours of merrymaking as they have their own plans, too... but it was more than enough.  It was enough to make us feel how blessed we are... and how God's love is in everyone's heart in our family - happiness, indeed!  And we so love that little babe in that magical manger!

From our family to yours, HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!  May God bless us all.   

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Image credit:  All photos in this entry belong to me. 

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Saturday Photo(s)

 

Yep, "it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas"... well, at least in my second home it is only 'beginning' to look a lot like Christmas, 'cause it's been looking a lot like Christmas in most parts of the Philippines since after 'Undas' (All Saints Day and All Souls Day).  In most part of the country, it's been looking (and sounding) like Christmas since September!  

We love Christmas in this part of the world.  In fact, we did display our new little Nativity Scene

with a bunch of 'Christmassy' little things in our second home... also after Undas.  Well, what can I say, we are Filipinos to the core, especially when it comes to celebrating Christmas!  

We do believe that Christ is, indeed, the 'reason for the season'.  And so, what is more important is preparing ourselves to renew our being one with our Lord.  We prepare to accept the Baby Jesus in our homes, in our hearts and in our lives... and be renewed by the immeasurable love that is the very meaning of His birth.  Therefore, before we get lost in the twinkles of glittering Christmas lights and the razzle-dazzle of Christmas parties, we remind ourselves of the true reason why we celebrate Christmas.  And, usually, the Nativity Scene is the most important 'physical reminder'.  So, in our family's practice, the nativity scene always comes first.  Along with it is the Christmas wreath with advent candles - a reminder of how the whole Christian world come together in prayer to prepare for the birth of Jesus.  All the rest of decorations come later.  And, anyway, it is so complicated to put up Christmas tree and hang Christmas lights and other decorations... and getting them down and storing them away is even more painful!  So, even if I did give in to 'national pressure' and put up Christmas tree and lights today, sometimes, I question myself about putting up Christmas decorations... well, aside from the nativity scene and Christmas wreath thats is.  We only have two kids in our huge family now who still appreciate sparkly Christmas decors (uhm, at least, for a few minutes... and then back to their gadgets).  All the rest are just a bunch of 'big kids'... who just want to sleep all day during Christmas break! 🙋😅

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Image credit:  All photos in this entry belong to me, and may not be used without permission. 

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Saturday Photo

 

I heard that quote in the photo collage above sometime ago.  I'm not sure from which movie but I'm pretty sure it was a Hallmark TV movie. As I said over and over in the past few entries in this blog, my 'film-critique-wannabe' days are over.  I watch movies to relax and be entertained these days... and TV movies are now 'my thing'.  Anyway, I got reminded of that quote because, today, I felt that I saw 'soul and perfection' in what was otherwise 'common and familiar'. 

Today, I spent 12 hours with the elder of my two nephews.  We did what we love doing: long drive, eat good food, talk - a looot, and laugh our hearts out.  We used to do this a lot with his siblings and cousins when he was growing up.  We spent many days and hours going around nearby cities and vacation places - to relax, unwind, learn new things, go on adventure, go on foodie spree and shopping spree, just to be together... just making sweet memories.  The only difference is, we used to be driven around by our family driver.  This time, my nephew did all the driving... especially that when he let me take the steering wheel, our car flew from the street to someone's backyard! 😬😳😅

As I am 'partially' moving to a new little house outside Metro-Manila (for work), he helped me take care of a few chores such as furniture and appliances shopping, supervising and helping out as the builders add finishing touches to the new house.  I think I will need another year or so to get the house in the shape that I need it to be but, for now, given the urgency of the need for me to be working in the new site, the mere essentials are good.  To run errands for the home is merely an 'excuse' for me.  What I really looked forward to doing today was spending time with my nephew... which I hadn't done in such a long time.  So when he sent that one-line message, "I'll see you on Saturday, Tita," without any sort of introduction... I think anyone can hear my smile from ear to ear in my own one-liner: "Alright!"  Well, uhm, I had to play it cool, y'know.

I missed my nephew.  He is more handsome than I remember - very tall and good-looking in a very casual and relaxed way... and very articulate, too. I didn't realize how mature he has become at merely 25 years... he has a good job, a very good relationship with a wonderful young woman that he loves and who loves him, too... and by all the stories he told me, it seems that his heart is still in the right place - despite his success and a sweet young love that turns a new leaf everyday and that so many people of his age can only dream of.  I am a very proud aunt - totally!  

Sometimes, I think of the days that I might have spent for 'my own personal happiness', which were spent in another way in order that every member of my family would realize their dreams. In days like today, I realize that this is my personal happiness... seeing my loved ones, such as my nephew, enjoy the happiness that they so deserved.  I am just too happy and grateful to God that I could feel this incredible feeling of having my heart swell with so much love, joy and pride.  It feels like an ordinary day turns into something special - soulful and just perfect!

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Image credit:  All photos in the collage above are mine.

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The boys who reside in my heart...

 ...and many more!

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by PAM

TGIF! 

The week has been incredible... challenging for the most part at work, but there are a lot of things that deserved to be celebrated, too.  I guess that the more challenging things are, the sweeter 'victory' tastes when it's achieved... regardless whether it's fully or partially achieved, actually achieved or merely imagined.  After all, 'victory is a state of mind', according to a World Cup-related social media post where Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are featured. I think that, for our sanity, we should always look at the bright side... of course, with our eyes wide open, too, to see the gloomy side.  When we focus on the bright side, it is easier to imagine how to extend the brightness to lighten the gloomy side.  When we see the big picture, there is always a way to do this.  When we see none, there is also such thing as 're-thinking priorities'... and 'regrouping' to plan the next best strategy.

Whatever it is... the week is over, and it's time to loosen up a bit... or, a lot!  

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The bright side       

I had three critical meetings and an important webinar this week that went so well.  Questions in my head were answered, things that were vague were clarified; and new possibilities rose in the horizon, and, boy, don't they look amazing!  I have yet to figure out a lot of things still, and the work does not get easier... but it gets interesting - very interesting... and exciting!

But what is truly interesting and exciting was a message that I received from my youngest sister.  She sent me and our sisters photos of the art works of my nephew - the eldest of her two kids, and that boy who resides in a huge space in my heart.  Let's just call him "LA".  He is now in the first grade at the Ateneo de Manila Grade School where his own father studied, too.  He obtained straight A's in the first quarter of the School Year (SY), and we are, indeed, very proud of him!  He has always loved Mathematics since he started schooling at age 3 years... but his Mom and Dad have been doing a great job motivating him to give all subjects equal attention.  So far, so good.  But what is amazing is how he has been doing so well in his Arts subject, too!  Obviously he has such rich imagination and terrific creativity.  

LA celebrated his 7th birthday last month,
went trick-or-treating as Batman for the first time after two years
since the pandemic, and have been showing excellent job
in his art works (photos 1 to 4, clockwise starting
at the upper left hand side) besides Math and Science.  

LA is a gamer - a very good one!  Hehe...  His parents (and us, aunties) let him play because we see him gaining confidence in talking to people, suggesting creative solutions to practical problems, and strategizing to master his school works the way he tries to master his games.  His mind is fast developing to a tactical mind... strategic and naturally a problem solver.  I like that because my fervent hope is that he becomes an engineer like, uhm, ahem, yours truly (and his Dad, too, actually!).  Hahaha... I am okay that I don have kids of my own, but I cannot deny that I often wish that one of my nephews and nieces would become an engineer someday.  All are grown-up now... except LA and his younger sister.  So, my hope is alive and well!  Hehe...  #meddlingauntie mode.

Anyway, sometimes, we see LA playing online with teenage gamers as well as older gamers (including my brother-in-law, actually)... and he manages to win!  Unlike other kids, he does know when it is time to study... and to babysit her little sister, or entertain adoring aunties and uncles, and his doting grandparents!  When I got sick last year, he set aside time to pray for my recovery everyday.  His Mom would message me, and there was always a video greeting from him... always telling me how much he loved me, and that I should eat well to get well soon.  And that gave me the biggest reason to keep fighting for my life.  With God's grace, I did survive... and that deepened my love for this boy.  In a way, I owe him my life now... of course, along with other family members... and the fabulous doctors in my University.

If there is another young man that I adore more than JK (the son that I never had), it will definitely be my dearest LA - I love him to bits, and I will always do.  He speaks in almost the same manner as JK... with sweetness and in such adorable voice. I have another nephew that I love fervently, too - JPM.  He is tall, sporty, and a very good-looking young man... like JK, too, of course.  Hahaha...  but I think that he (and his girlfriend) will totally cringe if I feature him in this little blog of mine.  Hahaha...

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'Offside'

In football, 'offside' is one of those things that we, fans, always debate about (with the referees!  Hehehe...)!  It is probably because, most often, decisions in football matches related to the offside rule tilt the favor (or odds, depending on whether you are in the losing or winning team) of the game... and often critical to winning or losing.  

So, JK has been working on the soundtrack of the FIFA World Cup 2022 (WC2022) hosted by Qatar.  He has been working on the Opening Ceremony performance on 20 November 2022 as well. Of course, there have been many issues on the supposed 'unsuitability' of Qatar to host the "Mecca of Football" that is the World Cup, in which 32 of

JK, on his way to Qatar, in preparation
for his performance at the FIFA WC2022

 the best of the best teams from about a hundred national teams advance to compete for the pride of taking home and keeping the 'holy grail' of football for four years.  People bring up Qatar's alleged human rights violations and its aversion to diversity and inclusion. I do believe that that is fair.  When something is questionable, by all means, queries must be raised and answers have to be pursued until provided, and with accuracy and clarity, too - whole truth, and nothing but the truth.  

However, the WC2022 is about football though.  The players work on the mastery of their skills in painstaking discipline and commitment as professional footballers just to be able to have the rarest chance of representing their respective countries in their lifetime in this awesome event!  Many living legends of football, such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, no matter how mesmerizingly successful they are in the football clubs where they play and played, cannot be fully considered by some passionate football fans to be 'complete' legendary footballers because they have not won the World Cup yet. And, we, football fans always look forward to watching our favorite teams and these legends of the 'beautiful game' to compete in the biggest football stage in the world... and when our teams do not win, we wait for the next four years to get yet another chance.... and the next three years and 11 months will be a long and painful build-up to the next World Cup!  

In any case, win or lose, we enjoy the process of seeing the countries come together... chant and cheer - united as one in the spirit of sportsmanship, if that is the only remaining set of virtues that this world has.  So, to disrupt this beautiful process due to political agenda is just very, very disappointing.  I believe that not everything should be turned to politics and global gatherings a venue to push for personal beliefs and agenda.  That leaves us with no space to breathe... and just enjoy life, and each other's company - as human beings... say, in this case, human beings that are enjoying the 'beautiful game' that we love. We can promote awareness of our cause while enjoying the game and observing mutual respect... but we do not need to turn it to an impassioned 'crusade' at the World Cup.  It's too stressful, and it takes away focus on the 'beautiful game'... and miss the chance of coming together peacefully, learning about each other and from each other.  Then again, that just goes to show how important the World Cup is.  People choose it as a venue to express passionate advocacy.

These days, many ARMYs (or people pretending to be ARMYs to breach this powerful fandom?) are guilty of violating the 'offside rule' in fandom etiquette

'Dreamers', soundtrack of the FIFA WC2022

as they publicly lambast JK for moving forward in his performance at the WC2022 Opening Ceremony.  I imagine it must be very toxic for JK... that can gnaw on his mental health. They compare him with artist/s who supposedly declined the invitation to perform, citing Qatar's Human Rights record in their press releases.  Everybody is entitled to his/her own opinion, of course.  And yet, this/these artist/s and the many critics of the World Cup 2022 come/s from and perform/s in countries where people are abused, disrespected and/or treated unfairly on a regular basis, if not everyday, due to the color of their skin, their gender, and/or their ethnicity, or due to the social class in their society where they 'belong' that is perceived to be inferior compared with others'.  I'm sorry, but I find the actions and the justifications to be contradicting. If we don't try to reach out to one another in peace and without judgment, cross the understanding divide and extend a hand in peace, and influence each other positively - through our reconciliatory actions, professions and/or artistry, how do we achieve harmony, peace and mutual respect?  As a football fan for decades now, for me, the World Cup is one of the global events where I can feel optimistic about us, humans.  The passion shown by the players and their coaches, their impressive skills that are mastered through hard work, the unbreakable determination to bring honor to one's country through strategy and innovation, teamwork, humor - lots of humor and camaraderie among fans and players... there are so many uplifting and inspiring things that can only be found and experienced at the World Cup.

And so, I applaud JK for his courage to 'walk the talk' in his (and his brothers' at BTS) commitment to make this world a better place - where people are united as one - through music.  Consistent to his values and his adherence to mutual respect, he did not retaliate in any way to his detractors and haters, nor did the smile on his face was wiped out by disappointment or rejection.  He 'turned the other cheek'... and just went on, and tried to create a beautiful music that he, obviously hopes others would appreciate - for its worth and message, and not for anything else. 

And so, I wait, in great anticipation of the release of his song, 'Dreamers'.  I have no doubt that it will be awesome because that's just the way he does things, the BTS way: the very best... or nothing at all!

***

Image credit:  (1) The collage of photos belong to my sister, borrowed just for this post. (2) JK, on his way to Qatar - borrowed from Big Hit IG account.  (3) As an update to this post on 19 Nov 2022, the 'Dreamers' poster is borrowed from the Big Hit IG account - thanks for the loan.

***

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Woot, woot!

===================================================

by PAM

Simulating our simple aspiration for abundance for the year 2022.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!

And so, here we are... we survived 2021, and we are moving on to 2022!  As we do, my sister and I tried to usher in the year with our humble version of sumptuous home-cooked meal (well, mostly home-cooked, anyway), filling my sister and brother-in-law's little dining table. In the end, it was not the individual dishes that mattered, it was the offering of a meal and prayer of thanks for God's love and kindness in the previous year, and our humble prayers of continued blessings and God's love for the coming year.  

I feel fortunate to have celebrated the New Year with family - my constant, and therefore, very special, more so in this extraordinary times.  I have to say though that the food was really good!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

***

Photo credit:  The photos used in this post are mine.

Sleepy in Seattle... (Part 2)

 ...for about 60 hours.

========================================================================

by PAM

The second day of our visit to Seattle was a 'lazy' one.  The adrenaline rush on our first night in the city that kept us awake until very late the night before and our sleep deprivation the night before

Day 2 of our visit started with a fine Seattle morning -
viewed from our window at the Westin.

 our flight had caught up with us.  We woke up at about 8:00 in the morning but we had no desire to get up and venture out towards the Pike Place to finally pickup that Starbucks latte, especially that the weather forecast indicated rain all day.  So, we ended up ordering brunch from The Relish at the Westin lobby.  I had an 'All-American' breakfast, which was so huge that, after eating, the bed had never looked more inviting than ever before, a tumbler of coffee notwithstanding! Aaarrgh... and then we opened the window, and an inviting view greeted us!

Naturally, the nice weather pulled us out of bed, and into the streets of downtown Seattle!  Our original plan was to visit the Seattle Museum of Art and the Aquarium, and smaller places in between, and then the Space Needle in the late afternoon to evening to watch the city lights. Given our late start, however, we decided to prioritize the Aquarium during the day thinking that it should be interesting to visit the aquarium of a harbor city like Seattle.  So, from the Westin, we headed to the Union St. along 5th Ave. towards the Alaskan Way.  The towering building that is the former IBM Seattle HQ beckoned us to walk further along 5th Ave. towards University St. before

Very happy to see some of Seattle's not-so-hidden gems
as we walked around downtown.

turning towards Alaskan Way.  We were glad that we did so because, not only is the Seattle Museum of Arts along University St., the  Fairmont Olympic Hotel and the Benaroya Hall - home of the Seattle Symphony, were also in that street.  And, the Garden of Remembrance was also located in the area, and we were so happy to see it because, to be honest, we did not expect to find it there.  The understated monument was meant to honor some 8,000 residents of Washington State who fought in different wars, from World War II to Afghanistan.  There were passages from poems and personal letters exchanged between the soldiers and their families.  We found two names of soldiers who were stationed in the Philippines... and it was quite sobering, given our surging vacation spirits.

After checking out Garden of Remembrance, we crossed the 2nd Ave. towards the Harbor Steps.  The little city 'nook' was in between two condominium buildings with cozy-looking little coffee shops, and many little places to sit, read, work, and just admire the harbor below towards Alaskan Way. A gentleman was walking his dog, a very cute and friendly rough collie named Annie.  She spontaneously ran and jumped with happiness towards me when I said hello to her.  It was a cheerful and warm little moment in a supposed 'cold' city, and I loved it!

The tour of the Seattle Aquarium was a competition for space with a 'multitude' of screaming, giggly or nerd-out kids and kids-at-heart... and those include the marine lives themselves!  Until now, I

Experiencing the homey and fun Seattle Aquarium.

 cannot figure out whether that was a good part of the Seattle trip or not.  Good because the displayed collection was not bad at all and the volunteers who enthusiastically guided us did more than a satisfactory job; 'not' because I have already been to the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland, the Aquarium at Monterey Bay, and that one in Singapore... and those set the bar very high!  They may not have a dolphin show in Seattle, and that's a shame, but I did have a lot of laugh just watching the sea otters and the seals do their thing.  They are hilarious creatures - without even trying.  I also loved the kids' reactions towards the colorful fishes in the pacific habitat.  "Neemo, where are you?  I'm here for you, Neemo," said one - with real feelings.  Another said, "Mom, this is stressful, there are so many Dorys here! Which was is the real Dory?" I swear, the kid was not kidding.  My sister had fun playing with the sea urchins... I did, too!

From the Aquarium, we went walking back to the Pike Place.  We sort of given up on getting a latte at the original Starbucks but we were determined to eat late lunch-early dinner at the Pike Place Chowder.  As it was 3:30 pm already by the time we reached Post Alley at the Pike Place where the

Sampling the very popular clam chowder of the
Pike Place Chowder and chocolates of Gosanko Chocolate.

 world-renowned eating place was, we thought we'll find a little place to sit and enjoy our chowder. Boy, we were so wrong!  The little place was bursting to the seams.  So, we decided to buy our food there instead, and then headed back to the hotel to enjoy our chowder experience. We also swung by the little chocolate shop at the Post Alley, Gosanko Chocolate, to get dessert.  The variety of chocolates in that place was insane... and we went 'crazy' that we ended up spending more than what we planned to spend!  Oh, well... it's chocolates.

People who recommended the Pike Place Chowder were not kidding.  Their clam chowder was DE.LI.CIOUS, I could cry!  And, I do believe that we made the right decision to bring the food to our hotel room.  I am quite sure that the coziness of the room added to the flavor of the New England

Sleepiness made us settle for this view rather than the
360 deg view of Seattle from the Space Needle.

 clam chowder in Pike Place Chowder's very own hall-of-fame recipe.  It was so rich and so filled with chunks of clams; and the balanced flavors enhanced by herbs and spices were quite unforgettable.   

So, yeah, it was great!  The only thing is, after eating the clam chowder and half of our lobster rolls, the invitation of our cozy beds prevailed... we took a nap!  By the time we overcame sleepiness, it was almost dark, and we had to reschedule our visit to the Space Needle.  Rather than watching the Seattle lights from the famed tower, we settled for watching a little part of Seattle from our hotel window... until sleepiness once again took over.  Oh, well... 'tomorrow is another day.'

To be continued....

***

Photo credits:  All the photos used in this entry are mine.  

Sleepy in Seattle... (Part 1)

 ...for about 60 hours.

======================================================================

by PAM

Yes, I am talking about Seattle - that famed city in Washington State, home of the 'sleepless' widower, Sam Baldwin, and his son, Jonah, with whom Annie Reed of Baltimore fell in love in that iconic 90s romcom, "Sleepless in Seattle", starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.  My sister and I decided to visit the said city because the first time she visited it three years ago with her husband they were unable to visit the Space Needle.  Since then, the Space Needle has been that one annoying 'could-have-been' of hers whenever she thinks of Seattle.  I haven't been to Seattle, so we  

   
Part of our drive from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to downtown Seattle.

both took advantage of the opportunity to visit the 'rainy city' during my winter break from Penn State.  Luckily, Alaska Airlines had an affordable deal for people like us who did not plan ahead.  And still very luckily, The Westin in downtown Seattle decided to join the roster of affordable hotels this season of generosity, and it's halfway between the Space Needle and the Pike Place where most of the iconic tourist spots are located.

As our flight from Boise, Idaho left at 6:00 a.m. on a Sunday, we had to get up at around 4:30 in the morning.  We reached the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport at about 7:00 a.m., local time.  And,

Experiencing West Lake and the Public Market at
Pike Place on an early Sunday morning.

because we would be too freakishly lucky if Westin would allow a very early check-in, we just pre-checked-in and left our stuff in their baggage storage.  We then went to walk down about five blocks to the Pike Place at about 8:00 in the morning through the West Lake Center.  Unfortunately, the original Starbucks store opened at 10:00 a.m., and we were both starved and needing caffeine. So, we settled for breads at a local bakeshop and bottled water.  Apparently, all the coffee makers in the area were still 'sleeping'.  So, we went about the place sleepy and freezing but fascinated nevertheless.  By the time we made our way back to Starbucks, there was a looong queue, snaking around Pike Place.  We figured that by the time we reach the front of the queue, it would be lunch time; and without caffeine, we doubted that we can get through that without falling asleep in the street.  

So, we decided to return to the hotel to check-in and to take a nap.  By the time we awoke, it was

Experiencing the amazing sights, sounds and taste of Seattle.

 lunchtime.  We returned to the Pike Place but the queue at Starbucks was even longer than when we left, and the whole Pike Place was very crowded... notwithstanding covid omicron variant scare.  So, we decided to eat in the Farmer's Market.  We found a cozy restaurant overlooking Piers 57 to 59, in which the iconic Seattle Great Wheel stood prominently.

After lunch, we walked around Pike Place and downtown Seattle as we were gifted with a favorable weather... meaning, it was not raining.  We found specialty stores and a number of highly-recommended places for eating and sampling local brews.  After feasting our senses on the local Seattle stuff, we returned to our hotel to rest our legs a bit.  By about 3:30 pm, we were ready to venture to the harbor and see the 'rainy city' from the Great Wheel.  We were debating with ourselves whether to go there in the evening to experience the light show as well, but we decided to take advantage of daylight to see the city since it was our first time to ride the famed Wheel.  So, we took our time walking the 0.6 mile or so distance from our hotel, identifying spots that we wish to see from a better vantage point up the Wheel.  So, along the way, we feasted our eyes on the grandiose of Seattle's hi-tech architecture. It was quite terrific, and we were excited to see all from the Wheel!  

The entrance towards the Wheel was through the Miners Landing along Alaskan Way at Pier 57.

Experiencing the beauty of this 'rainy city' from the
Seattle Great Wheel.

 There was a variety of places to eat sea food delicacies and a fascinating exhibit on Alaskan Gold Rush.  It was a bit of history recreated into a fantasy land for kids and kids-at-heart to enjoy... but the main attraction is the Great Wheel, which did not disappoint!  The experience was quite unforgettable especially that the sun was starting to set by the time we commenced our three-round ride.  The dramatic colors of sunset took over the Seattle horizon, winning over the gray clouds that hung over the skies, masking the sun all day long.  It was quite beautiful.  As the warm colors of sunset hit the glass outer walls of the buildings in the city and the water at the harbor, the dramatic colors were reflected back to the ambient atmosphere.  The effect was surreal,  The city that was made serene by the thin gray clouds looked as if it was shrouded with the colors of sunset.  It was truly a sight to behold!  In the future, when I think of Seattle, I'd probably think of that moment as my defining experience of the city.

As we took videos and tons of photos, it felt like darkness overcame the city real quick, and by the time we were walking away from Pier 57, the temperature was dropping quickly as well.

A bit chilly but a lovely early evening walk at the
harbor along Alaskan Way.

 Nevertheless, we chose to walk along the harbor towards Pier 66 where the Bell Street Cruise Terminal is located, and the original Port of Seattle was.  We took the foot bridge to cross over the Alaskan Way, giving us a beautiful view of the harbor with the dimmed colors of sunset and the new rows of ultra-modern city residences across.  It was a long walk but it was worth it.  There was a mix of tourists and locals who were walking with us, and the mix of interest about the city and the pride for the city that our companions exude added to the charm of the first day of our visit.  Of course, there were instances when we had to deflect the curiosity of bewildered-appearing men who wandered the streets, but the city's security people who rounded the streets efficiently kept the experience towards more favorable for tourists like us than not. 

We returned to our hotel very satisfied of our first 12 hours of visit.  Dinner was leftover from lunch, which was a lot, plus fresh fruits from the Farmers Market with delicious locally made chocolates for dessert, and cookies for late snacks.  As we took about 20,000 steps all day, we were quite exhausted... and very sleepy, too!

To be continued....

***

Photo credit:  All the photos and video used in this entry are mine.

   

QOTD

 QOTD #28:  Life's surprises are the best kind.

===================================================================

by PAM

"Everyday is a new day.  It is better to be lucky.  But I would rather be exact.  Then when luck comes you are ready."

 - Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea

To spend the week-long Thanksgiving break at my sister's and brother-in-law's place in Boise, ID was a given.  They are my only family in this country, and we haven't seen each other since my last visit back in 2019.  Although that was only two years ago, so many things happened in between, most of which are pandemic-related, two of which involved death and a near-death experiences, were traumatic for all of us and they  

At Boise at my sister's, I had no idea what
awesomeness was waiting for us at
Sun Valley & Ketchum.

changed our lives forever. So, naturally, it is a good idea to catch-up.  The Thanksgiving break gave us that opportunity.

Surprisingly, the visit was not as emotional as I anticipated, especially that our father's first death anniversary was only about two weeks away during the time of my visit.  And, I haven't fully recovered from the trauma of being a COVID-19 survivor.  I guess the chance to see each other face-to-face after all the things that we endured over the last two years outweighed the need to assess whether we already have or yet to heal.  It seemed that the happiness to see each other, especially my sister and I, did most of the healing, and in an instant, too.  The rest of the trauma became just negligible.  Indeed, this is a pleasant surprise!

In their attempt to celebrate Thanksgiving together and to take a little vacation, my sister and brother-in-law planned a trip to the lovely, lovely city called Sun Valley, ID.  It is a place famous for its association with the legendary American novelist and Nobel Laureate, Ernest Hemingway.  It is well-known that he first stayed in the famous Sun Valley Lodge in 1939 while writing his novel, For Whom the Bell Tolls.  I do like Hemingway.  He was one of the authors whose works we studied back in the early 1980s in my Junior High School years in the Philippines.  We specifically studied his Pulitzer-winning work, The Old Man and the Sea.  During that time, 

The Hemingway Memorial in Sun
Valley, just a preview of the
awesomeness that Sun Valley
& Ketchum are!

his grand daughters, (the late) Margaux Hemingway and Mariel Hemingway, were quite well-known young actresses, which added to the interest in studying his works.  I have to say, however, that I do not recall his association with Sun Valley, ID.  

Aside from Sun Valley, we also visited Ketchum, ID, which was the last home of Ernest Hemingway, and where his remains are buried.  In fact, we stayed in Hotel Ketchum - a beautiful tourist accommodation place right in the middle of the city but with the lovely snowcapped mountains around it seeming to envelope it.  We traveled back and forth between Ketchum and Sun Valley, mostly just walking.  I do think that the two cities are almost one and the same - in beauty and overall character.  It was so easy to walk between their centers, and just admire the breathtaking sceneries in between.  I loved it that the two cities are so understated, and almost 'hidden' from tourists. Except for the few mansions at the hills, overlooking the Sun Valley golf course below, the environment seemed unadulterated and carefully preserved in both cities.  They are lively cities, too, with enough good places to eat.  Shopping was also interesting with all the unique finds in those boutiques and regular stores that seemed to jump out of a Hallmark TV movie.  People are accommodating and friendly, but not overly so.  Both cities are quiet places without looking deserted.  At some point, my sister and I sat on a bench to admire the hills and the creek below, which sparkled from the rays of the sun... we did not realize that we were sitting there for more than an hour already despite the cold.  It is too beautiful and serene!  It is so refreshing compared with the big, noisy and tiresome cities of the United States!

While I did not expect Sun Valley and Ketchum to be so gloriously beautiful, I get it why the award-

The Hotel Ketchum - a great and practical
alternative to the legendary Sun Valley Lodge. 

winning novelist Hemingway whose personality was the very meaning of 'larger than life' especially in his younger days would choose to settle there after galivanting in the glittery cities of France, Spain and Cuba, and the big cities of the United States.  The drive from Boise to Ketchum and Sun Valley alone was incredible, filled with dramatic sceneries overwhelming the senses one after another without even trying. The long range of snow-capped mountains and the expanse of valleys below, bathed in the rays of the veiled sun in the approaching winter, were totally a thing to behold.  Getting 'up close and personal', and actually climbing a part of those mountains, is a totally unforgettable experience!  What a pleasant surprise, indeed, I thank my lucky stars!

To be continued in more details in the next post....

***

Photo credit:  All the photos used in this post are mine.