On top of Mt Pulag

My cloudless blue sky

It was a perfect February weekend to climb Mt. Pulag. I was standing at the jump-off point at Ranger station in a city-like crowd ready to spend the weekend at the mountains. A good number of climbers were party-ready to the top. This mountain seems one of the most loved, easiest to trek and so remains famous as a destination to conquer.

God painted my Saturday with a timely cheery day—I looked up to find a cloudless sky, with a blue hue that seemed brighter than the usual, and an oh-so-cool breeze, I had to breathe deep to take advantage of its crispness and freshness. It was a lovely day.

The romantic trail

I have no idea what surprises await me along the trail but I had to acknowledge the excitement. As to why I was here at this point in time, I wanted to spend the weekend communing with God and marveling at the beauty of His creation. 

This is my third climb in my existence and probably my last, except for a few more planned short treks. I am a self-confessed trying-hard mountaineer due to exposure to my brothers who are expert mountaineers. See, climbing a mountain is a tough piece of work. Carrying a tall backpack stuffed with all camping necessities was strenuous, considering that all mountains are obviously sloped up, the more difficult it is to traverse to the top. But of course, one primary reason I was able to endure this climb, was because of my hero- Manang Rosita, the tough porter.



But what it is that get mountaineers to climb, or I, for that matter? As I walked down the narrow, weedy trail, I notice the flora and fauna. It is something more of the ordinary. Their intricate details reveal the greatness of God, even the tiniest pollen in the flower was carefully designed by the creator above. I don't know about you, but I just love gazing at natural wonders , it takes you out of your 'me, myself and I' mode and shift to the Creator of all things bright and beautiful. I imagine Him having the magical brush painting the Earth ( and the rest of the billion galaxies) with charming hues and colors and carefully laying blueprint at the time of creation.

the seemingly inviting grassland- frolicking all the way down

The second half of the trail was the grassland trail. It was unfortunate that the camera cannot capture the span of the ranges ( or I just didn't know how to do it yet) but it was a lush array of uphill-downhill curves. Seriously, in my imagination, it must have been really cool to slide all the way down ( frolicking frolicking as the exact term used by the Miss who briefed us). Hahaha.
What is unique about this part was the division between the gigantic mountain range. As I saw it God have decided to put all the trees distinctively on one side and put  all the grasses on the other half. Now, God is sovereign, maybe there is a wild reason for this, the answer I will know when I get to heaven one day. Hehehe.

My sea of clouds at dawn

Early at dawn, we ventured toward the summit. It was really cold, the temperature below zero, I sincerely asked God to get me to the top. The air was thin and I can hear my heart thud at every leap of my feet. But I was determined to finish the quest, to conquer this mountain, to be close to heaven at this point in time. Hehehe.
Up, up, up and there I was, standing at the summit. Success. The world stopped for a minute or two.
I was captivated at the cotton clouds that welcomed me at the mountaintop, the fleeting moment of the exquisite sunrise unfolding before my eyes, the chilly wind that pinched my cheeks and the realization that life is so much more meaningful than the commotion at work, relationships, finances,  the humdrum of daily life and the fast and furious pace of city living.

A spectacle of nature, the beaming sun

What was more, a thought crossed my mind. The very exact picture that I saw that moment will never be replicated. Every single day is unique. When you look at the clouds, they form different shapes and move toward a direction forming and swaying randomly.
It was indeed a special day ought for me and the friends I was there with and therest of the two hundred others who partied at the top of the world. This kind of endeavor is an escape- a terrific one. It can get so mesmerizing to the point of forgetting your name. Hehe. All these beauty in front of me leaves me in awe and very grateful for the Artist in Heaven.

Party party on top of the world.

The gang

For me climbing or trekking or hiking has a high price for a high prize. It is a cure to a life at risk of becoming monotonous. The price to pay for the view at the top is the physical difficulty of climbing.  When you finally hit summit, phew, every sweat, every leg pain, every shortness of breath fades into thin air.  When in pain and heartbreak, the trek itself connotes that there is no way but to leap one step forward, forward and forward then you will realize that life does go on. Life does not stop. You have to journey forward to see the spectacle of life. When you see this, you go on tell yourself that life is so much more than the failure in love.

My fella ( Gina) in adventures, cheers to more!

When in search of fresh perspectives, the parallel mechanics of the climb to life is a great metaphor. The obstacles, difficulties, the ups and downs of life, you, the world around you, God and your relationship to God.  When in need of God’s miracle, I tell you, the beauty of nature, the insights along the way and the triumph to the top is a healing miracle to one's soul- need I say more?

God will always meet you where you are and will give you what you need at the perfect moment in time. To God be all the glory! 

 Whispering my heartfelt thanks to God


Ambangeg- Ambangeg trail, Benguet, Mt. Pulag 25-26 February 2012

Special thanks to: Mark Carranza for organizing and inviting us to the trip
My friend Gina , for the fastest 'yes' to the invitation of conquering Pulag
Manang Rosita, who patiently bore my bag, up to today, I am praying for you.
Empoy for the tent
Christian and Jen for the sleeping bag
Mak, my bro for the tall bag
Avril for the windbreaker
Shell for the flash of memories of  the Mt. Kinabalu climb (haha)
God for everything else- the sun, the sky, the wind, the trees, the grass, the grace, the strength, the insights and most especially for the everlasting love.

Bliss Full

2012 is going to be a year of blessings.

Experiences that will take my breath away.

Passions that will be fulfilled.

Obstacles that will be crossed.

Heartaches that will be healed.

Dreams to be reached.

Thank you, God. 

Tsina: Jesus, your love is better than life. ❤

Blessing in These Guys

It started with an undecided mind and a war between a restful and a strenuous weekend. It was such a hard task to get up on a lazy weekend. Nonetheless, I did and I joined the Sitio Pasipungan outreach trek. It was an impulsive decision but I needed a fresh perspective at this point in time. As far as my traveling is concerned, I learned that it does a good deal of healing oneself of several things. Anger, hatred, bitterness, brokenness, pride, even pessimism, or a mysterious crisis. A trek, is a metaphor for the journey of life. I once said, I will never do this again after my first trek to Mt. Romelo. Then I said never again after Mt. Kinabalu. But there I was in the midst of nowhere- a trek to another destination.

My two feet is clad with an over-sized sandals, an umbrella to shield against the UV rays and my mind- bursting with a war of thoughts. It was a hot and humid day on December and as if God knew our body’s plea, he clothed the sky with clouds to lessen the scorching heat of the sun. We crossed the hectares of lahar-covered open land. It looked like a dessert, but instead of tangerine sand, it was grayish black. The horizon looks forever but the verdant hill ahead looks welcoming. From time to time, traces of cool flowing water run across the stretch- a refreshing feet spa in the middle of nowhere.

 Sky meets muddy path,  scattered with wild greens and bright yellow blooms and occasional shallow creeks. The rain on the previous day left the soil really squashy, you can build mud cakes out of it. The road was the kind of road that even 4 x4 trucks cringe. Very rough terrain worsened by the unreliable soil. As I walked on the soft soil, chunks of it stuck on my sandals. Just like life can get so heavy with stress, being burnt out, difficult people and hopelessness, the trek can get so heavy and burdensome as soil builds up on your sandals. One. Two.. Three. Four hours and we were still not there. I was just ready to give up. My shirt was soaked with sweat, my tummy joked with a moody ache and my feet sting with some bruise. Finally, we got to the place. And as much as I wanted to meet God in this rural place, the first thing that welcomed me was a newly-built Christian church indeed, God is sovereign. He can be in the most impossible corner of corners in the world.
When we got there, we rested in the seventh creek, the last of the seven river creeks we crossed. It was a piece of heaven in the middle of nowhere. Praise God.
When we finally settled in the village, almost a hundred smiling faces embraced us. There was no electricity. Just darkness of evening dawn, the stillness of the night, the eager Aetas, the trekkers, the nasty mosquitoes and the cold breeze. Thank goodness it was night, I could silently shed a tear or two where nobody can see. I was very much blessed by the mere experience- how I could go grumble in life about shallow things and be so engrossed in my own crisis and how these tribe could be so contented in the simplest of life in their happy place.
As dusk set it and after hours of battle with mosquitoes, I walked up, together with other trekkers for the program activities with the Aetas. These time, the sun shone to highlight a brighter version of their smiles. You can spell happiness, joy and gratitude as they played and participated in the activities. It was truly a fantastic way to end a year. While the Aetas say that they were very blessed in those moments, I say, I was blessed way more than them.. I woke up on this saturday, undecided, unprepared , but God made a way for me to be in the right place and time-- in Sitio Pasipungan. God truly works in mysterious ways. God blesses not only in tangible terms but as well as the intangible- healing when you most need it. To Him be all the glory, honor and praise.

Aeta Community Christmas Outreach

Sitio Pasipungan, Tarlac City, Philippines

11-12 December 2011

Parol-making contest

Tuyong ulam at its best

The happy people at Sitio Pasipungan 

Let's hear some good news- Pinoy-style.

Day in, day out we are flooded with crime news report, that has made us all the more pessimistic about the future of this country. For a change, we can choose to see the positive about the Philippines and about being Filipino. It's time to change our mindset, kick out the western brainwashing of colonial mentality. Let's appreciate our very own. Love our very own. And take care of our own. For if we don't, who else will? What is one simple characteristic that the Filipinos lack in contrast with our rich Asian neighbors? A sense of nationalism, of patriotism, of unity, of loyalty. These are the very same values that made Japan, Korea and Singapore where they are now.
 One major conclusion from my South East Asia backpacking is that our beloved land is really gifted with natural beauty. Other countries make up for this lack through man-made theme parks and other concrete tourist attractions. But our very own is effortless natural resources- because it has already been provided by God. We are blessed, right?
To have our daily dose of positive thoughts about the Philippines, click here.

Here are some of my best bets of bare paradise that we can be proud of.
Coron, Palawan
Calaguas, Camarines Norte
Panglao, Bohol
Samal Island, Davao
Bantayan Island
Palaui Island, Cagayan
and the rest of the 7, 100 Islands.
It is up to us to discover our favorite spot.

Autumn in South Korea

There is something about autumn.The bright colors of yellow, red, orange, purple in contrast with the cloudless blue skies. That spells romance to me. Autumn is l-o-v-e. Being a lass who grew up in a tropical country, the only known seasons to me are-- Summer and Rainy seasons. One of my wishful thoughts would be to see trees and trees of myriad colors. And my wildest thoughts would be to lay down on layers of fallen leaves.  These kind of pleasures are what makes my heart leap with genuine joy.

And then before I knew it, I was bound to Incheon, South Korea. For a dose of the colored trees and some authentic Korean BBQ. On a side note, the two Koreas has always intrigued me. The 'hermit Kingdom' and the 'Land of the morning calm'. So being in one of it made me the more, excited.

The first thing I looked for as I stepped in Korean soil were the colored trees. When I got there, it was still too early for ripe leaves. All I got were traces of hues. Anyhow, the change in weather from tropical to cool was a welcome to me. I was giddy and thrilled to be in another country again. Tasting one's culture through the food, people-watching, walking and more tireless walking on foot and exploring. I was there for seven days. Wow. Long enough to immerse myself into kim-chi, jin ramen, warm and helpful locals, skin food and missha beauty stuff, subways and a little 'anyeong haseo' and 'kamsahamnida' here and there. 

Come, travel back with me in this photos. 

From L-R. Seoul Grand Park bridge, Seoul Grand Park Sunset, Suwon Hwaseong Fortress Palace, Palace Roof Statues.

The Seoul Grand Park they say is similar to NYC's Central Park. It is a huge nature park ( and here, my eyes feasted on my so-called colorful-tree craze. It made me praise God for the beauty of nature- come to think of it, God could have just let the leaves fall in green if He wanted to, but instead He painted it in different hues. )

The Suwon Hwaseong Fortress is a historical landmark and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a walled city, located outside of Seoul, it took us like 30-40 Subway stops and three transfers. I remember my Great wall trek but a mini miniature version. My friend, Jen and I walked through almost the whole walled City. 

From L-R. The Red tree by the Lake in Nami Island, Suwon Wall against the blue skies, the fallen yellow leaves at Nami Isl.

Naminara Republic or famously known Nami Island. It was made more famous by a "Winter Sonata" Koreanovela. This is an island that you can walk by foot in an entire day. Also outside Seoul. Autumn season jampacked this island. Mostly Koreans having their autumn picnic. I can hardly find a chance to stand in the neat rows of yellow trees by myself. There were lots of people. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the place.

L-R. Little children on tour at the War Museum, Love locks at Namsan, Seoul Tower, Seoul City at night.

Atop Mount Namsan, stood Korea's landmark tower, Seoul Tower, also known as L tower ( L stands for love). As we rode the bus, we were joined by young couples hand-in-hand to come enjoy the cool breeze and the spectacular view of the city. This is the place where thousands of love locks with matching love notes are tightly locked into the metal bars on the view deck. Perfect place to be (in a cheesy mood) with a special someone.

L-R Authentic Bulgogi, Kimchi

For all my Asian backpacking, I see to it to taste local food and appreciate different flavors. Korea in this aspect is l-o-v-e. Next best thing to my colored trees, I guess. Order any food and you get 3-4  little platters of Kimchied vegetables or buttered greens. Eat it all up and they happily, re-fill it. I enjoyed Korean BBQ-- grilled meat with kimchi sauce wrapped in lettuce leaves. Bulgogi beef soup. Tall yogurt ice cream and their 7-elevn icecreams are yum too. I would happily come back to South Korea for food trip. Maybe with my husband, God-willing one day. =)

L-R Highschool girls( plus Jen &I) at Gyeongbokgung palace, donning the original Korean peace sign, Myself enjoying autumn in Nami

My Korean getaway also included the War History Museum, Everland Park ( where we rode the wooden rollercaoster--hehe, one heck of a ride I must say), Gyeongbokgung Palace, Cheondeokgung Palace, Insadong Antique and souvenir shop, Dongdaemun Market, Cheonggyeon Stream, DMZ Tour ( the border to North Korea), and of course the several visits to Skinfood, Faceshop and the beauty stalls.

The verdict for this trip? Two thumbs up. Locals were willing to help when you need directions ( if they cannot explain it, they will show you the way themselves), the food was oh-so-yum, the place is clean and orderly, their subway system is carefully engineered ( at 4 floor levels, you can transfer and connect lines),and  the weather was perfect ( in autumn).

Thank you indeed Lord for taking me to this side of the world. A blessing. Til my next adventure!

  

A little something different on my special day

 Exactly 365 days ago, I was crazily trailing Kinabalu with my best friend. Like life summarized in 8 hours, I felt all emotions in a train of 

bliss, 

melancholy, 

thrill, 

exhaustion, 

hope, 

hopelessness, 

faith, 

worry, 

love, 

hate, 

beauty, 

suffering, 

magic 

&the reality of life. 

As I continue to walk with God, I stand smiling for all there was in my colorful past, for the miracles at present & for the promises of tomorrow. 

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Lord.♥ 

As a way of giving back to the unceasing love the Heavenly Father has given me, I decided to spend my day , sharing laughter with these kiddos of Salinlahi. I praise God for the awesome day and the priceless smiles I received from them. ♥♥

Soulmate

"A soulmate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, 

and keys to fit our locks. 

When we feel safe enough to open the locks, 

our truest selves step out and we can be completely and honestly who we are; 

we can be loved for who we are and not for who we're pretending to be. 

Each unveils the best part of the other. 

No matter what else goes wrong around us, 

with that one person we're safe in our own paradise....

When we're two balloons, and together our direction is up,

chances are we've found the right person.

Our soulmate is the one who makes life come to life."

Richard Bach 

Lady in Waiting

Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone-
To have a deep soul relationship with another-
Be loved thoroughly, and exclusively.
But God, to a Christian, says:
I want you to be satisfied, fulfilled, and content
With being loved by Me alone-
With giving yourself totally and unreservedly to Me-
With having an intensely personal and unique relationship
With Me alone.
Discovering that only in Me is your satisfaction to be found,
Will you be capable of the best human relationship
That I have planned for you.

I want you to be united with another after you are united with Me-
Exclusive of anyone or anything else,
Exclusive of any other desires or longings.
I want you to stop planning, stop wishing,
And allow Me to give you the most thrilling plan existing-
One that you cannot imagine.
I want you to have the best-
Please allow Me to bring it to you.
You just keep watching Me, trusting Me-
Keep experiencing the satisfaction that I am.
Keep listening and learning the things I tell you.
You just wait.
That's all.

Don't be anxious.
Don't worry.
Don't look around at the things
Others have gotten or that I've given them.
Don't look at the things you think you want.
You just keep looking off and up to Me,
Or you'll miss what I want to show you.

And then, when you're ready, I'll surprise you with a love
Far more wonderful than any you would dream of.
You see, until you are ready and until the one I have for you is ready,
(I am working even at this moment to have both of you ready at the same time),
Until you are both satisfied exclusively with Me and the life I prepared for you,
You won't be able to experience the love that exemplifies your relationship with me.
And this is the perfect love.

And dear one, I want you to have the most wonderful love.
I want you to see in the flesh a picture of your relationship with Me,
And to enjoy materially and concretely the everlasting union of beauty, perfection, and love
That I offer you with Myself.
Know that I love you utterly.
I am God.
Believe and be satisfied.

-author and original title unknown

Why live on the edge when you can jump off?

The longest eight seconds in a lifetime.

Will Tsina jump?

Let's wait and see.

2010 November.