Not really feeling well since yesterday, wake up with a bad dream yesterday.  On my dream I am having a word fight with someone (an ajumma) which is in reality a woman neighbor I am good terms with since it was the mother of my friend in grade school, I was so angry in my dream so I think I gnashing my teeth while sleep that I woke with a swollen gums, it looks like my lower tooth cuts through it. Actually, I didn’t noticed that I have blister in my gums until inspected through it last night, my neck hurts too and it is hard to chew, my tonsil is inflamed from drinking icy pineapple juice in the cold weather. I was feeling dizzy so I drink glasses of pineapple juice, thinking the my blood pressure went up suddenly.

[Photo courtesy of werner22brigitte/pixabay.com]

My gums felt a little better after I gargled warm water with salt but the discomfort is still here and the cold weather doesn’t help to make me comfortable today especially with head hurting.

Anyway,  my dream yesterday was so bad that I felt so angry. I really don’t know how the fight started all I know I am already having a word fight with an ajumma, I went home and it was already a bit dark, found my mother and other people in a cottage in the middle of the field, then I saw the weird color big moon rise up in the sky, gray clouds was partly covering the moon then I don’t know how my dream hop in to another location, we are walking in the street and it suddenly rains and we hurriedly look for a shade under the cogon grass and then my dream went to another location, found myself inside a store/pharmacy buying something, my mother came wanting me to buy something but since I already paid in the counter, we decided to do it next time and my dream ended seeing us standing in the aisle near the door looking at the counters and then when I wake up my gums feel weird already.

Traveling is part of me, visiting ancient places, meeting new people and experiencing their way of living.  As a traveler, I’ve visited many places and countries but around Tablas Island in Romblon is my favorite destination in the Philippines, the marble capital of the country and home to “Galapagos of Asia” (Sibuyan).

[Beautiful Sea View in Sta. Maria, Tablas Island]

The province of Romblon is located in the center of the Philippines and clustered on MIMAROPA Region IV-B, it is composed of three major islands, Romblon Town, Sibuyan Island and Tablas Island which is the biggest island among the three.

[Coastal view along the road in San Agustin, Tablas Island]

Around Tablas island is my favorite destination not only because it is my hometown but because of the many pristine beaches for swimming, scuba diving and snorkeling, clean rivers, waterfalls and lakes, marine sanctuaries, green mountains and well-preserved forest which are good for hiking and trekking. Unlike any other island too in the Philippines, Romblon isn’t that populated and it is peaceful where you can hear the birds and insects singing lullaby.

[ Mount Payaopao, the highest peak in Tablas Island]

Tablas island too has long coastline and what is fascinating you can encircle the island in less than a day, which is popularly called as round Tablas by locals, we spend six hours by motorcycle when we do the road tripping and visiting every municipality.

[Calatrava, Tablas Island]

Each town has their own unique vibe, you’ll able to met friendly and helpful locals, beautiful coastal view, hidden waterfalls, fresh seafoods, local kakanins and many more.

[Mablaran Falls in San Andres, Tablas Island]

Tablas Island is reachable through ferries from the port  of Batangas City and through commercial flight from Manila to Tugdan Airport in the municipality of Alcantara which is a few hours away to the capital town of Tablas, Odiongan.

[Poctoy Port in Odiongan, Tablas Island]

There are many things to do in Tablas Island, all you have to do is take your bag and head out to natures paradise.

[Scenic View at Sta. Fe, Tablas Island]

You can enjoy the sea view and coastal coast in Sta. Maria, dive in and be amazed with the blue hole in San Agustin, admire the lakes and beaches in Calatrava, swim until sundown in San Andres, have fun with the falls, resorts and the sunset in Odiongan, adore the beaches in Ferrol, see the old houses in Looc, enjoy the bashful mountains in Alcantara and love the scenic view of Sta. Fe.

[Old houses in Looc Town, Tablas Island]

Well, there are more many things to see and to experience around Tablas Island, there are still many hidden beauties awaiting for me to discover and what is amazing my next travel adventures around the island can go to the next level with the help of  OPPO F1s since it is sporting a 13 mega-pixels rear camera with an industry -leading imaging chip and 1/3.06-inch sensor that maximize light sensitivity, making a wonderful nighttime performance which is I think a perfect companion for fireflies watching in the island. The large pixels also work to bump up the dynamic range and give pictures a vivid dept and details for capturing exceptionally clear and detailed photos which is a dream of every travelers like me.

The other day I have learned that a school mate got married after long years of dating, I have informed my mother about it and she asked me why I wasn’t invited which I simply replied that we are not closed which made her wonder and asked why she went with another schoolmate into our home when I just arrived from abroad, well maybe she just tagged along.

Anyway, it feels like it was been long years, the other day I am able to reread my blog post entitled My Life, My Friends and My Sadness I have been home for a few years and if you will asked me if I meet any of them for a get together, my answer is no.  Never had a chance to meet them and talked like there is no tomorrow. A few times, I have met my college friend when I visited her on her work place, the second time when I dropped my gift to her son and then nothing else, I hid myself and never been out of home unless going to town market with my family.

[Photo courtesy of thatsphotography/pixabay.com]

Honestly, I believed I have a lot of friends but I have found out I am only their friend when I am around and when I am not I am just someone else. Anyway, I have seen some of my “friends” but it is always a casual meeting, if we didn’t wave each other we just say hi and hello. Actually, there is someone I consider a friend on my high school days, I know her parents and her siblings and whenever I saw her in town I greeted her first but I have noticed she wasn’t that excited to see me, she won’t acknowledge me until I acknowledge her first and whenever I asked her question she sounds so inferior and so mighty so I stopped saying hi after realizing it was only me who cares. One fateful day, I saw her walking with a foreigner and the moment she saw me, she held the guy’s arm and let loose when I am already out of her sight and because of curiosity I have done stalking to her social account and I found out it was her boyfriend and she visited a few Asians countries already, so after that incident I didn’t wonder anymore why she has that attitude towards me.

[Photo courtesy of ThePixelman/pixabay.com]

“I am scared of rejection so I choose to be alone”

When android phones became popular in the market I reconnected with some of my so called “friends” and schoolmates through Facebook but then I realized their hidden agenda on reconnecting with me. They want to meet me but I have to pay for them, they want to bring me but I have to pay for them and blah blah blah…. there are some “friends” who will asked how much allowance I received monthly and whenever I say I am not receiving any, end of discussion they won’t message again but what is more entertaining was when an old friend added me in Facebook just to borrow money (lol).

Since then, I learned how to be reserved and answer briefly as short as their question. I don’t give much details and updates about me especially about my married life that they are devouring to know.

Went to church on New Years eve and then went home and sleep, we have no preparation for the New Year. My sister wake me up when 12 o’clock strikes in the clock so I could see few fireworks in the sky, there’s not much then it is drizzling. The night is very silent, my father fired eight pieces of “kwitis” then when they’re all fired up, I went down and sleep again.

It’s New Year and most people sleep late but the church service started very early because it is first Sunday of the month. Pastor opened his preaching for the day by asking if we are pessimist or optimist.  Looking back, I am always an optimistic person, I always look at the bright side and I always find good reason in every situation, like why a flight has been cancelled or delayed, that life is more important than money and so on… then my light dies… I became pessimistic and expect worst in every thing, I became hopeless…

Anyway, the scriptural scripture this Sunday is from Ephesians 5: 15-17. Pastor reminded everyone to watch our step because sometimes we are guilty of living too fast, to redeem our time and make most of every opportunity and do God’s will.

Pastor E shared a lot of inspiring verses from the bible after the preaching proper like Let not your heart be troubled.” (John 14:1 KJV),  “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6) and other verses that were strong enough to pacify a hopeless and weary heart.

Since I went to church early without eating anything I decided to have a sip of coffee, ate bread  and peanut butter after church and while I am eating an aunt called and invited us to their house to eat, was told that some of our relatives were there eating.  I am already full but we don’t want to disappoint our aunt so my sister and I went to their home which is now owned by her son. Well, they have plenty of preparation for the new year,  there was a lot of food to eat.

It was my cousin’s wedding yesterday, my parents were one of the principal sponsors and my younger sister was one of the bridesmaids and me was one of the visitors. I dress nicely so I won’t be under-dress like the previous weddings of my relatives but I think I over dress because my dress blend with the bridesmaids.

Below are some of the disappointments, problems they face before and after the wedding.

Unforeseen Event

My cousin’s wedding brought a lot of stress to them, days before the wedding the mother of the groom died so the groom family wasn’t able to attend the wedding, then there was a typhoon so there was a lot of passengers that has been stranded, so some of their visitors and part of the entourage were not able to attend my cousin’s wedding.

Gown Rental

The dresses of the bridesmaid were not done on time and the dress of the matron of honor was a disaster that she wasn’t able to wear it on the wedding day. A few months before the wedding day, my cousin’s family informed the couturier about the bridesmaid dresses, the color and etc., The bridesmaid even went to their house/shop for the measurement, everything went well but not as the wedding day is coming. A few weeks before the wedding the dresses weren’t ready yet, it was told that they were still in Manila as they were sewn in the city, days before the wedding the dresses were still out of sight, the bridesmaid had to be measured again just in case the dresses needs to be repaired for their new measurement.  A day before the wedding the dresses arrives to their house and it is coming from out of town contrary to what is told that is coming from Manila, and since the dresses were not yet fully finished, minor details were not added yet my aunt and the bride has to wait for them until early mornight. Instead of relaxing for the wedding tomorrow they are stressed waiting for the bridesmaid dress to be done.

Catering

The reception was a disappointment too. There are still photos taking photos at the church but the groom and bride’s cut-outs name has to be removed because it has to be used at the reception held at the bride’s residence. The program proper didn’t start until the bride and grooms place was not set-up (re: adding the cut-outs). Then the secondary sponsors were not given a presidential table they have to fall inline in a buffet so they could eat. And according to the family, the food that they choose with the caterer were not the food that was served and the vegetable menu was lacking, their utensils went missing after the wedding (dunno who took them it is either the visitors or the caterer) and even some of the food were gone quickly when there are only a few visitors. In the end, the caterer refunded an amount brought by unpleasing service.

Film and Video

Added to the fiasco was the video and camera persons hurrying to finish the wedding reception ceremony because they have another engagement in the afternoon but they took their time eating at the reception.

Over-all, it was a successful event despite the mishaps and blunders of people they trust on the dresses, reception and documentation of their wedding.

Update:

After a month, they are able to claim the photos and video taken on my cousins wedding day.  Disappointment of all disappointment the video was of low quality, a pirated DVD is far more clearer than their wedding video.  It looks like the  videographer  doesn’t know his craft,  the video was either zoomed out or the people were cut,  the sound and movements were not sync too. They returned it to the studio but the quality was still the same darker and blurry but it sync now, the video was not just a remembrance of their wedding but also for the groom’s family to see because they were not able to attend their wedding. Maybe they could just day “that’s how its done in Odiongan!”

There was a Christmas Cantata and exchange gift party last night at church, the cantata started early and wasn’t able to watch it from the start since we went to town to buy some stuff. It wasn’t that exciting anyway since it was just the same as last year, the young people sung the same song. The exchange gift party was done after the raffle draw where I bought few tickets and didn’t win even a minor prize.  I received colorful food container from the exchange gift party, it turns out my cousin’s wife picked my name during the raffle of names for exchange gift party.

Today is Sunday and it is Christmas day, most of the people in church were wearing red and the kids are feeling festive. Pastor E’s topic for today is part of the series of “Experience the Miracle of Christmas” which is The Miracle of the Method – from the scriptural verse of Romans 11:33.

Pastor E talks about how God’s method transcend us, His greatness beyond measure and beyond human understanding. He added that God’s method include each one of us, He uses ordinary people to accomplish extra-ordinary things and God’s method sanctify us, God is at work in our lives in ways that we do not and cannot fully comprehend.

After the church service, Pastor E told everyone not to leave since there will be a gifts to be given. The kids were given bag of goodies that consists wafers, biscuits and chocolates. When all of the kids got theirs, Pastor E called the young people to get their goodies I immediately run upfront while calling the attention of my younger cousin who is set to marry in a few days, she was in hesitation maybe because we are too old for the bag of goodies but with an older cousin pushing her upfront she followed me. When I returned, my cousin told me that some people voice out if I am  still a young people because as what they knew I am not anymore and I am already married, so I replied while laughing that the bags of goodies are for my younger sister who’s a member of the young people, she went home ahead because she needs to reheat something.

We prepared a little food to eat on Christmas day so some of of our relatives went to our home after the church service, they didn’t stay longer but I have enjoyed their company that I wasn’t able to feel Christmas blue making this Christmas a bit better than last year, especially with my little cousins visiting.

Well, since my personal photos were stolen from my dead travel blog and posted to other people’s website I started to blur photos with people in them for privacy reason.

A few more days before Christmas and I can already feel Christmas rush around me, the parents were already busy buying new clothes for their kids and gifts for their kids Christmas party. Nothing much, happening around me I am slowly eating by the dark hole again, I have a lot worries, questions and regrets. I am feeling alone…

Anyway,  I have already wrapped gifts for my Godchildren; it was a good thing I found gifts for less than $2 at LazadaPH and for the others I just wrapped some old but new clothes. I think for the first time I bought Christmas gift for my family, I bought a bottle of Kirkland Vitamin B for my mother as her Christmas gift, she’s been skipping taking Vitamin B because the brand she is taking is quite expensive per tablet in our local pharmacy and with my father’s weekly compensation we can’t afford it daily, I bought Kirkland label because I believed Vitamin B is Vitamin B no matter what brand it is.

[Photo courtesy of freestocks.org /pexels.com]

My sister wanted a head phone so when there was a Christmas sale I bought Techno Tamashi TH-780 Over-the-Ear Headphones (Blue) for her and inexpensive red wine for my father, there are gifts for J too if only…

The good thing of shopping online when you have no card you can pay via Cash on Delivery which is good deal for me. What I am saving right now is money to send this Christmas for my maternal grandmother, she lives on her hometown together with my biological grandfather and doesn’t want to live with us because she isn’t familiar with the people and the place.

With the year ending, I hope 2017 will be a good year for me. I hope do miracles happens and I hope it will open more opportunities and work online so I can live life day by day and buy my necessities. Oh well, how can I find work online with my slow internet connection? ☹

Today is my grandfather’s death anniversary and I think it was Cody too! ☹🕯

Every morning when we wake up our kittens were already waiting behind our main door so when we opened it they will excitedly run inside our house to play and asked for food. Today, there is something different one kitten (Taekwoon) is missing and we can’t found him everywhere, we search here and there but he isn’t around. It is peculiar because it is not his norms to be not around in the morning.

My sister search around and asked neighbors were one of them says that they found a dead cat which looks like a mother cat that was been a victim of hit and run just about an hour ago, were told that they throw it in the irrigation canal.  I have asked the kid who found the dead cat what does it looks like and show here a photo of Taekwoon in my phone and her answer is positive, it was the dead cat she found in their yard. It turns out at night Taekwoon loves to run across the street and after reaching the other end he will run back home.

Taekwoon (May 28, 2016 – December 02, 2016)

Sad, my sister went searching along the irrigation canal and when she returned it was indeed Taekwoon, cold and wet.  It was very painful to see the sweet, chubby and playful Taekwoon in such condition, it was just last night when I cuddle and feed him, it was just last night when he cried into my ears but now he is gone.

Taekwoon was born on May 28, 2016 as the eldest of Monina’s four kitties. His feature is very distinguish because of his long ears, red nose and chinky eyes, when he was younger he looks like a rat than a cat. Surely our cutie Taekwoon will be forever be missed, our chinky eyes kitty will be always in our heart. In heaven, your playground will be more wider with no cars, bikes to fear around.

Today the church is celebrating Thanksgiving Sunday but unlike the norms it wasn’t celebrated inside the church. A voting for the venue was done the previous Sunday which I wasn’t able to witness because I went to the church a bit late; I only knew that Thanksgiving Sunday will be celebrated in one of the popular beach resort in town when Pastor E mentioned it during announcement period.

I felt uncomfortable with the venue and I found it unpleasing, the church was built within a purpose and a beach resort was built within a purpose too, it is for fun, relaxation and to cater gatherings like birthdays, weddings, alumni and etc.  With this, I decided not to attend the Thanksgiving celebration and just went to church to read the bible and pray on my own.

It was quite sad that most churches were open and full during Sunday but the church beside us was closed because the members decided to full a resort instead.  Maybe, if it was not Sunday I may be able to go the resort and celebrate with them but it is Sunday and I found it improper to attend a service outside of the church when the church was quite large to cater a lot of people and guests.

[Photo courtesy of ddouk/pixabay.com]

Well, it would be better if the Thanksgiving service was done inside the church and the reception for the Thanksgiving Day was done in the resort rather than leaving the church empty on Sunday. It was quite disappointing that it seems most of the church goers (over here) already forget the purpose of the church, the effect of worldly influence to them is quite scary.  Who’s on their straight mind abandon a church during Sunday?

Well, some people forget too to respect the holy place and it seems going to the church is just becoming their habit.  Who the heck cut their fingernails inside the church when a Pastor is preaching in the pulpit? Shocking isn’t it? But that’s the weirdest I’ve seen inside the church, weirder than someone combing their hair or playing games on their phone during Sunday service.

Anyway, I am not saying I am a perfect Christian because nobody is perfect but my views and opinion doesn’t correlate with was just voted and decided by many.

It was been a long time since I blogged about Sunday, I have been procrastinated on doing so. I have planned to just write a late post but my mind was too busy and can’t focus.

How are you going to describe your heart today?  That’s the question asked by Pastor E to everyone and I could write a long sentence to describe mine but I’ll just skip that.  The scriptural verse for this Sunday was from Luke 17: 11-19 with the scriptural topic of “The Beat of a Thankful heart”.

Pastor E shared  that the thankful heart beats for those who are without.  We see hurting people all around us and yet we are paralyzed to help because our hearts are telling us:

[Photo courtesy of greatergood.berkeley.edu]

• “Why bother…nobody will change”.
• “It’s too risky…you might fail or get hurt.”
• “Someone else can a better effort at helping than I can.”

Secondly, the thankful heart beats with a faith that things can change no matter what the circumstances. As Paul  said on Philippians 4:6-7 ~

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

It is with a heart of thanksgiving that we are to pray and let God know our needs. When we pray, God can do two things:

1. Change our circumstance
2. Give us His peace in our circumstance

Thirdly, The thankful heart beats for the Giver…not just the gift and lastly the thankful heart beats with thanksgiving and more is given.