i am sharing with you some pictures of my favorite food, eating along with my favorite family and my favorite friends.
bon appétit…
Category Archives: dance
love all…
i enjoy swimming, running and biking. these sports will qualify me in becoming a triathlete. though, i have plans of undergoing extensive training in these three, i set that aside for the meantime because, i just love playing badminton.
playing badminton has a different feel for me. the adrenaline rush i experience is just awesome, especially when you play with an opponent who is equally talented as you are. badminton is just breath catching and i enjoy it a lot. unknowingly, i am able to apply my background in ballet and contemporary dancing thru my leaps, turns, footwork and stamina, combined with my strong arms from working-out, i hit the shuttle cock with grace.
most recently, i just wondered why the scoring term in badminton starts with a “love all.” in this twenty-one point rally system, who reaches ten first will have a “love” score as well. i just realized that whoever made this scoring system is reminding the players to love one another in accordance with the rules and regulations set for whoever wins or loses the game. this is “love” for the true essence of sportsmanship. indeed, when you actually join a sport, its not just competing with your opponents. its conquering yourself more for the better and the best.
i would someday become a good triathlete. this is in my bucket list. but badminton came in as a surprise. i really never meant to be damn serious with this. i believe i started playing this game with people who have so much love to give and were able to encourage me to excel. they were a good support seven years ago and until now. from then, i never stopped playing. i would say that it’s a game full of love because it reminds you all the time even from the start and in the middle of the game to stay humble and be loved.
love not just one. love all.
leyte landing
the leyte landing memorial is in honor of general douglas mac arthur and his men located in barangay candahug, palo, leyte in the visayas region, philippines. the memorial consists of oversized bronze statues of the general and his men, including the former philippine president sergio osmeña jr., standing on a manmade pool. this is a tribute to mac arthur fulfilling his promise to return to the philippines last october 20, 1944 after the japanese occupation in 1942 during world war 2. commemoration and reenactment events are organized annually by the local government and is being attended by national and foreign dignitaries.
thank you papa rey, doc mimi and doc doyet. thank you pangga.
can’t forget
i really can’t forget my first travel abroad. i was very, very excited to travel to singapore – super excited to experience the culture and fun with my partner and our close family. at last, my passport would have a stamped international travel – i am now a certified international traveler. i never stopped smiling from mactan international airport in cebu to changi airport in singapore – you are greeted by this modern and spacious architecture of the airport with their great customer service from their immigration officers. you really can feel that you are being welcomed and taken cared-of. this country has just a lot to offer to tourists like me. not to mention the most famous universal studios, sentosa island parks, singapore flyer, marina bay sands, singapore river, shopping malls and a whole lot more.
singapore is a multi-racial country. it has a diverse culture despite its small size. the largest group are the chinese with about 75% of the population. the malays, comprised of descendants of singapore’s original inhabitants as well as the migrants from present day malaysia, indonesia and brunei, is 14% while the indians on the other hand form about 9% of the population. the remainder is a mix of many other cultures, most notably the eurasians who are of mixed european and asian descent, and also a handful of filipinos, burmese, japanese, thais and many others.
we stayed at carlton hotel in bras basah road, singapore for 3 days & 2 nights. i was not able to explore so much with the hotel because we were out the whole day. but the room is good and our location is just stunning – amazing view of the metropolis especially during the night.
the double decker was also a great highlight of our activity. i thought that its only available in europe but it was just infront of me. we rode the double deckers thru duck tours while touring around the city.
sentosa island was another admirable place. i wish we had one in cebu where mactan island is. but anyways, we went to “underwater world singapore” where you can see a live museum of marine life plus and interactive ocean adventure with the dolphins and seals in another location. i also experienced riding the skyline luge in siloso. then, the highlight was the “songs of the sea” show featuring pyrotechnics, water jets and laser synchronized with lively music and cast.
and who would never forget “universal studios.” this is the place to be when you are in singapore. the adventure never stops. riding the carousel with the “madagascar” movie themed ride transported me back to my childhood. then off to a slight adventurous roller coaster in the “far far away land” where i got to meet the ogre and princess fiona in person. they were just an awesome couple. afterwards was the exciting 4d movie in the castle. that was not enough. we rode the jurassic park themed water adventure ride where we get to see the dinosaurs before civilization. i got wet. good thing, i wore my board shorts. we crossed to the ancient egypt themed adventure with “the mummy returns” indoor roller coaster. this was a very good ride. fresh from the turning and pushing the coaster, we went to a high risk adventure in sci-fi city. they actually have two kinds of roller coaster. the first one, your feet is grounded to the floor while the other one is hanged. i just don’t know what to expect from this ride. i know this is different but i tried the one on the floor first. i rode it twice and moved to a more extreme ride which keeps your foot hanging while your body is securely attached. it was an awesome ride. imagine being inverted for how many times in approximately 3 minutes. it was once in a lifetime. i just love death defying adventures.
now, to cool down, we went to a studio and met my idol, charlie chaplin. I was overwhelmed to see him there. he looked exactly the same with the black and white film artist. we also watched a mini-concert in an 80’s themed bar along the rode. glad to see filipino artist strutting their talents on stage. and of course the infamous “betty boop” who was all the way smiling when we had our picture with her.
three days was not enough to cover the interesting places in singapore. riding the singapore flyer, i observed how industrialized this country is, able to balance advanced technology with modern lifestyle and tradition.
thank you very much doc mimi and doc doyet and of course to my beloved partner, you all made this trip possible. i love you all.
carpe diem…
carpe diem quam minimum credula postero – – – “seize the day, putting as little trust as possible in the future,” these line comes from a popular latin poem by horace.
third chapter
as i was reading through horace’s poem, i realized something in my life. i was busy buying time.
i remembered watching a dvd last year entitled “in time” lead by justin timberlake and amanda seyfried, where time became the most definitive and highest form of currency. people die for it to live more. the rich lives longer, while the poor struggles for it to extend their lives. relating this with my current situation, this maybe true.
as we focus our lives with our priorities, we often forget about the present because we worry so much about our future. we forget to smell the flowers, to see the beauty of sunrise, the colors of sunset, to say hi and smile to people we meet along the way. we forgot the present.
i am always in a hurry – i am afraid to be left behind.
if you recalled in the previous chapter, i did not graduate on time because, of financial difficulties having to afford my tuition fee in college – i did not have a choice. my future was not prepared. though my parents did, but they withdrew my educational plan for an added capital in our business that later on closed down.
through the years, i am catching up with time that was snatched from me – wanting to get all the promotions in work, dine here and there, the fun and the laughter. its better late than never but i still need to catch up – catch up with time. i could have experienced more if i finished college on time. i could have been a successful physical therapist in the united states, earning and helping my family big time. money should never have been a problem for me and my family today.
days before my birthday for the past 8 years, i experience emptiness. i raise questions with myself, “where my life is right now – am i successful?” it just came naturally and i allowed myself to be vulnerable during those days. this is the only time, i became very emotional. my partner was able to notice that from me and i warned him that time that i am not in my right element. i needed more of his patience with his love, support and understanding.
relating to you the gray side of me, gave me a recognition of my own imperfection. i never fully acknowledged this part of myself to embrace each day’s blessings – and that life itself is a gift. i should let go of my worries in the past because that was “water under the bridge.” i can never change the past. what is important is to live in the present.
“if one cannot live in the present, then one cannot embrace the blessings of the day.”
i am thankful for the life i am living. i would say that it was never an easy road for me in the past but what matters most are the learning experiences that made me who i am now – accepting and appreciating everyone around me, realizing how blessed i am.
“life is too short. seize the day, as if it was your last.”
exits, entrances…
all the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages…. william shakespeare
second chapter
i remembered decades ago, when i was still young, i was asked by the host to do an impromptu dance number in our compound’s christmas party while waiting for the judge’s decision for the music minus one singing contest. they started playing a michael jackson dance track (i really can’t remember the song) that made me move in place. with the pushing and shouting from my neighbors for me to dance, i found myself up the stage. that was the start of my career in dancing.
yes, that was years ago. i started dancing when i was five. i really did not care how i was moving or how people would be reacting to the way i danced. i wanted to move my body. i just wanted to fly.
with my utmost interest in dancing, i joined dance clubs in elementary and high school despite the taboo that only girls can join and or be labeled gay if you are challenging the norm. i really did not care. they can call me anything, i am happy here. and i never stopped – in college, i auditioned for the university based groups and professional dance companies as well.
i never stopped dancing, even if it bleeds. that kept me going and moving. i never will stop.
dancing is my way to come close to God. its like flying infront of Him.
through the years, improving my craft was my commitment. that kept me grounded and wanting for more. so, i ventured into acting and singing that honed me to become a professional theater performer. the discipline in theater made me more appreciate these stage actors and actresses who later become versatile characters in movies and television shows. this craft is a challenge for perfection because once you get up on stage, there is no more take two.
working in the corporate world now, i never stopped dancing. i am applying the training and the discipline i have with all the mentors i was with like daisy ba-ad, douglas nierras, prof. ligaya rabago to name a few, and all my co-performers. they all mattered to me and made me who i am today. they say that i am strict and firm, but i have a soft heart. through the years i have mellowed down and appreciated life more.
possibly, when i first danced on stage when i was five years old, it was a rewarding experience for me because until now that gave me confidence to face people.
to put me on the loop in this world, i always see to it that i watch live stage performances once in a while.
this experience was part of the journey surviving each day during college where i needed to earn more to support myself. yes, i am aware that there is not much money in dancing, theater, performing. its a struggle. but, i found so much more. i found true friends.
to be continued….
natal day…
“and in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. it’s the life in your years” — abraham lincoln.
today marks another chapter in my life. another year of adventure and celebration. creating a difference in this world. i thank you Lord for the gift to see, hear, smell, run, walk, swim, dive, fly, dance, feel, sing, breathe and everything i have in life.
i thank you Lord for this borrowed time. i thank You for bringing me into this world.
celebrating life each and every moment…
curious, discover…
i am very curious by nature. i always believe that there is something new to discover and learn every single moment. i crave for more information.
my blog talks about my daily adventures, travels, gastronomic trips, shoes, people, technology, politics and a lot more.
George St. 