Wonderful News

Yesterday, I heard the most wonderful news.

One of my dearest friends in the whole world has met someone who makes her indescribably happy. He is someone that she feels, fits all the pieces of the puzzle. It may have been the last thing on earth on that she expected. But it has come. And she is indescribably happy.

We got to talk on the phone after two years of not speaking and you could almost feel the giddiness crossing the oceans between us. I often caught myself getting teary-eyed at her happiness. Happiness like that is contagious. It’s amazing.

Yet, she couldn’t quite bring herself to mention the titles that come with relationships. Boyfriend, Girlfriend, Fiance, Husband. Funny thing is, I’m exactly the same way! It’s not that I don’t acknowledge it or I can’t acknowledge it. Perhaps it’s just that I’ve never been one to have titles comfortably roll off my tongue.

Gerard is who he is to me. He can’t be encompassed in one word. Which is why it feels weird pegging a title to him. But for the sake of simplifying things, I just often say boyfriend. But he is so much more than that. I believe it was the same for her.

Oh, we talked about so many things!

We only spoke for about an hour but in that hour, but in that hour, I feel we truly re-connected. I don’t know, maybe she and I just understand each other so well. We can be frank with each other, we can be happy for each other, we just get each other.

Wonderful news like that just can’t help but remind me that God sometimes drops unexpected, wonderful surprises in your lap. Yes, I am extremely happy for her but I do miss her.

But I think the fact that we might someday LIVE within an hour and half of each other just added to the joy that we felt.

Who would have thought, when we said goodbye in front of our apartment building, in Thailand, that we could someday be living near each other again? I know we both didn’t.

What a wonderful gift that was!

Boracay Bliss

Last weekend, my whole family and I went for a quick hop to Boracay for some quality family time under the sun. Considering all the typhoons that have been passing by, we were really blessed with good weather!

We stayed at this wonderful hotel that my sister had gift certificates for, Discovery Shores. After that stay, I can honestly say that I am spoiled for life! The first thing that really impressed me was the staff. They were so hard-working and they were prepared for anything! From magazine for guests to arranging your beach stuff to even having wipes for your sunglasses and camera lenses! They were extremely helpful and polite.

Next thing I totally loved were the rooms. The beds were just so comfortable and they were well-stocked. Complimentary bayongs, complimentary snacks, even personalized cupcakes for little ones, which is what Ela had waiting for her. Their brownies were so good, I can still taste them. (I think they might have been made from Callebaut Chocolate, where Gerard works, since I found a box of it on the grounds haha.)

The grounds itself were beautiful. Discovery Shores is something of a two-level hotel. When you enter the complex, you are met with a splendid view of an infinity pool and the beaches of Boracay in the Horizon. Take an elevator down one floor and you're at the beach level only to find out the infinity pool was actually the top of a cascading waterfall! You have the pool before you, the restaurants, and beyond that, the blue waters of Boracay. The rooms are situated on both levels of the complex.

There was even a playroom for the kids that has daily activities. Ela paired up with her dad and Niki paired up with her Papaton to go on a scavenger hut which they thoroughly enjoyed.

All in all, this is a hotel that I really want to go back to. With most things, it's the little things that count. And Discovery Shores had a LOT of little things that added up to one great hotel.

Aside from our wonderful hotel, I was so glad I had the Boracay Staples of Jonah's Shakes as well as Myrna's Chori Burgers. Yes, we went on a banana boat ride (which Ela claims is actually a pencil, not a banana!) and we went shopping at D'Mall. (I'm so jealous that the swimsuit store, Nothing in Water, has a branch in Boracay but not in Cebu.) What trip to Boracay would be complete without doing these things? Kite-Surfing and Parasailing also looked like a lot of fun but maybe next time :).

Though the trip was short but sweet, I'm really glad I got to spend time quality with my family in the beautiful place that is Boracay. A lot has changed since my last trip there and I'm definitely looking forward to going back for a mini honeymoon.

Project Aral

I know I haven't written in ages. Mostly because I've been so busy, a lot of things happening, and life just hasn't been quite going my way but I'm trying to do the best I can.

Today, in the midst of errands, I came across National Bookstore's Project Aral, which is a project that I've always been a fan of, maybe because as a teacher, it's close to my heart.

Basically, when you reach the counter, you can buy a study pack composed of school supplies worth 20 or 25 Pesos. Write your name on the tag, attach it to the study pack, which will go to a child who lost his or her belongings because of Typhoon Ondoy.

When you think about it, 20 or 25 Pesos isn't that much. But your money will go a long way, to help a child. He or she will have new school supplies and maybe just that little bit can help them recover from the hurt and suffering they went through.

Ondoy and Pepeng were devastating to our country and we are still recovering. Just last week, my boss's boss told us that the price for a kilo of potatoes was 200 Pesos! We're still a long way from being back to 100%.

But I'm glad that there are still visible relief efforts. Even one as small as buying a study pack for a child to take to school.