April Blues

This month is okay. 
Not great, not horrible.. just okay.

Looking back few years ago when i started this monthly blogging thing, my only purpose was to keep my blog updated. Little did i know that i was leaving a trail of detailed moments (or not-much-detailed-like-it's-read-between-the-lines) and that it actually amazed me when I happen to back-read some of it.

As for today and maybe always, it's not surprising at all when some things doesn't seem to fall into place. I mean, it's not that it's more than expected to happen, but i guess the level of disappointment is just quite low. So far so good, I've learned how to be thankful even with those things that hurted me the most. And even when i know i cant have it all back, i'm still gratified for the memories left with me.

Btw, as they promised three weeks after i decided to discontinue my postpaid account, I finally receive their final closure with me. It's probably the last loveletter (billing) i'm gonna have. Also, not to mention that it's the only closure that isn't heartbreaking at all. So, that's quite a happy ending and so looking forward to new beginnings out there. I'm really kinda lazy to tell more about how this month has been so just let me share some of my summer hauls.

Prettifying thingys. I love Etude House very much.

 Just some books I got on sale. And that Maybelline's SuperFresh powder is definitely good. I'm actually thinking of giving a review for it some other time.

 I took this shot from the window outside my room. 

I am really fond of clouds and sky..aren't I?

So even when some feelings aren't fading yet, my life is definitely slowly changing. I can't wish for anything more but for whatever is meant to happen, so be it, May. (please be good to me!)


Oh one last thing, please do follow @writefully.yours.maria in IG, I'll follow back! ^_^

Dear Province Revisited

Hi all! This is, again, another very late post. ugh.

____________________________

It's almost a decade ago since the last time we've visited the province and of course, we were a bit younger then. So it feels really good to be back here again. A lot of time reminiscing our childhood memories! 

Truly, the town had changed a lot, but the natural beauty of it is left unfaded, the relaxing tranquil ambiance of the province life and the warmth of being with the relatives back there feels all the same just like as it is before.

There's a lot of coconuts in our place..as in everywhere. I get to experience getting some using a looooong bamboo stick with a sharp thingy in the end of it (damn hard and too scary when the buko falls down from the tree. oh but that's buko salad and fresh juice right after!) I also helped feed the farm animals (that means waking up very early like 4am or so.) Indeed, it's a fun-filled experience but I'm not sure if i can keep up with it as in every waking day. haha! City life is definitely more easy though can be stressful at times while here in the province, it's so simply relaxing but it gets really complicated when you're not used to it, especially when there is only one signal spot and that is somewhere down the road or maybe up in the tallest coconut tree. Oh exaggerating. Well, there is signal for Smart but isn't good enough to receive a call or connect you online. So when you get a little bored, all you can do is enjoy the view and just have that tunganga moments while listening to some good music or whatever else that can kill boredom. We had a week vacation, well i didn't actually get bored but i did have my tunganga moments in between the days.

Finally!

I remember that time when we used to go fishing here. Lots of tilapias and catfish. I believe this pond is about 10 feet deep.

So here's what's good in any province, You get to experience a very simple life, specifically the animal sounds you get to hear atleast every time.

The cows!
Peppa pig,
Peppa george,
The swans,
The chickens,
The turkeys,
All those farm animals wandering everywhere added sprinkles of amazement and that sudden wave of excitement as if we've never seen these kind of  animals before. haha! (Sometimes I scare the chickens away or run after that arrogant swan. Oh, i'm just hi-hello-ing to the cows. Quite scary to annoy them hihi)

  Photos taken when we went for a walk in the town. There's obviously something wrong in here. Don't you think? ^_^

 That's my mom with me. It feels like we own the beach for the whole time we're here. There isn't any other people around, just our family. The beach got big strong waves and so freezing cold wind. We didn't get to swim a little longer. Thanks to the calming view and scrumptious foods anyway. We enjoyed selfie-ing, though. Lots of it!

So these selfies taken out of the hundreds in my phone gallery..

Forgive that kind of look, haha!

Look up and click! I feel so lucky to capture the clouds that formed into a heart shaped before it turned into a different one. Yey! I took this shot when we had a stop-over somewhere along the way back home.

So that's all for now. Hope you all are having a terrific summer! Till next late post..haha!

Holy Week 2015

Howdy! This is obviously a very late post. Been quite busy, like i always say and admittedly lazy to sort pictures out. Well i'm still lazy so just sharing a few words and pictures of how my Holy Week has been.

I used to go churches near my area before, so this year's Visita Iglesia in Batangas is definitely a whole new experience. The sacred places is very overwhelming and it's quietude is undeniably perfect to reflect on God's love and His purpose for us in this life, other things to mend and a lot of blessings to be thankful for. This happened from the last week of March.  I believe this is commonly done during Maundy Thursday but since we have other plans for the whole Holy Week so we just did it a bit earlier than it should.

Of course, we wouldn't come home without bringing some of these delicacies. My most favorite is the Special Espasol (even when there's nothing really special in it.) But i do remember that time when someone used to bring me espasol every week, that's special effort, i must say. It actually had been less a surprise pasalubong when it become a mandatory food to bring whenever we meet. mehehe. (We didn't talked about it nor asked for it, it just happened that the person brings it for me and then there's goes me expecting it everytime..oh well that was loooooong time ago.)

This happened on Good Friday. Two men were tied and the one in the center was literally nailed on the cross. How painful could that be? Ugh i don't even want to look. -_-

The remaining days of the Holy Week was spent in Mt. Banahaw, Dolores, Quezon. 

Taken along the way. I'm not sure if that is Mt. Banahaw..or maybe Mt. Makiling or just some other mountain. I had been travelling in this place for a hundred times but i still can't figure out which is which with the mountains along the way. Oh just too captivated with the wonderful views that i dont get to see everyday,

Not much crowd. Unlike the past years, this place is fully occupied with different vehicles and tents.

Obviously, that stray dog isn't lost in the woods, looking for food..i guess.

The wonders of nature never fail to fascinate me. I wanted badly to bring home those wild cuties huhu. They're about to run, actually.

 This is my most favorite tree! They say, it's more than a 100 years old. It's so huge and very tall.

This was when we're about to go home. It rained so the ground was damp wet, muddy and a bit slippery. Along the way, my sandals got broken when i accidentally slide down on a mossy rock. (It wasn't because of selfieing haha!) So I had no choice but to walk on barefoot until i reach the nearest store to buy a pair of slippers.  Oh by the way, those plastics were random fruits and vegetables we bought on the small houses at the foot of the mountain.

i always love to take pictures of sky and clouds, This one is my most favorite shot. It makes me happy whenever i see cottoncandyish clouds up above.

So that's all to share. Hope you all had a blessed Holy Week as well!

Lenten Reflection: Embracing the Cross

"This Good Friday we lovingly recall Jesus' journey to Mt. Calvary which fulfilled His promised redemption of our sins. We remember His joyful attitude in carrying the cross. He endured physical and moral suffering because of His unconditional love for us. " 

For each one of us has a cross that we should ardently embrace.

Life consists of triumph and struggles along the way, quite unpredictable as it seems. We all experience a splash of happiness and sprinkles of sorrow. Thus, we must always have hope even when we feel like being defeated. I believe God has His way to teach us lessons we can only learn in such hard ways to test us, to strengthen our faith even more. Truly, the cross we carry may be a symbol of hardship and agony most especially when it become too unbearable for us but we must not forget that the same cross is also a symbol of salvation and resurrection of mankind.

When Jesus collapsed under the wooden cross, He rose again. A lesson that whenever we fall from sin and difficulties, we should stand up, learn from our mistakes, strive to do better and be the best version of ourselves.  To have strong faith, deep courage and a forgiving heart. To accept and follow God's will, not just this Lenten Season but for every moment of our lives.

God wants us to struggle, but not to quit, 

to persevere and not to give up.