A Letter To and From Our Mr. Josh Bender

Photo source here

My Dearest Kids,

It's time. Thank you so much for sticking it out with me in the past few months. Many things transpired, come and gone, went up then down; but one thing remained constant - the friendship. I have relegated myself to forget the past 8 years, save the last 9 months I've been with you guys. Nothing else matters. 

As I move on to unknown waters, uncertainty awaits. But I guess as with the risks I take whenever I put my foot on my bike's pedals, such is the way of my life right now. There's a lot at stake but it's the way life runs and I'll have to bite it. 

You'll find me in some hole or what, but I'll be alive doing whatever life will dish out for me.

For all my shortcomings, I hope you'd forgive me. 

For all the craziness I hope you'd remember me.

For all the love you've given me, I shall never forget.

Thank you so much.

Love,

________________

Our Josh Bender,

It wasn't an easy ride when you came into our lives. I am sure it wasn't for you either. We probably made it really hard for you in ways that people will not understand. It may be hard to make yourself into the team but you surely made it really fast to our hearts.  

As you leave, our hearts will break but we gotta do what we have to do, right? Especially if it's the right thing to do. We don't know if we made the right decisions but we have control over our future, right? Like I always tell you, we have to make this right. We have to prove that your decision to leave and my decision to stay are indeed right. If we both fail in the future, it will be more heartbreaking. So do your best in whatever future you have, I will do my best too for my future. 

I will wait for that day where we will all see each other again with great stories to share and happy faces to see. We want you back on your bike and take as many roads as you possibly can. We want you to spend more time with people that matter to you the most. We want to see you get your mojo back.

For all your shortcomings, you are forgiven. Forgive ours too.

For all your craziness, you will be remembered. We hope you got a dose of ours too.

For all the love we have given each other in the team with you in it, no one will ever forget. 

Let's all face the future with strength of character and never sell it. 

Until we meet again. You will always be in our prayers.

YOUR FRIENDS

Metro Manila Adventures: Pasko sa Manda

December 16, 2012

My country celebrates the longest Christmas ever. When September 1st hits, Christmas goes around the air.

Each city comes up with their own way of celebrating it and the City will never be last. Aside from the famous, Policarpio, which became a very famous Christmas must-go-to in Metro Manila, the City government has decided to turn the Mandaluyig City Hall into a bright and fun attraction.

Aside from the daily entertainment showcasing the City's own talents, you will see a play of fun rides, bright lights, a wide array of very affordable clothes, toys, bags and food.

We did not let the night pass without trying the rides and the games.

Strength and Calm

About more than a month ago, a friend and I passed by a bookstore that sells hand-me-downs. I found this book very interesting. 

It satisfied my curiosity about what really took place during the 9/11 tragedy. With my fascination over investigative shows and stories, this was a treat. 

As I was reading the full account of this unimaginable tragedy, I came across this scene that I found worth sharing. Here's a condensed excerpt... 

When American 11 struck the World Trade Center at 8:46, no one in the White House or traveling with President Bush knew that it had been hijacked. Most Federal agencies learned about the crash in New York from CNN.

In Sarasota, Florida, the presidential motorcade was arriving at Emma E. Booker Elementary School, where President Bush was to read to a class and talk about education (my comment: this reminded me of a scene in 24).

White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card told us he was standing with the President outside the classroom when Senior Advisor to the President Karl Rove first informed them that a small , twin-engine plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. The President's reaction was that incident must have been caused by a pilot error.

At 8:55, before entering the classroom, the President spoke to National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, who was at the White House. She recalled first telling the President it was a twin-engine aircraft - that had struck the World Trade Center, adding "that's all we know right now, Mr. President."

 The President was seated in a classroom when, at 9:05, Andrew Card whispered to him: “A second plane hit the second tower, America is under attack.” The President told us his instinct was to project calm, not to have the country see an excited reaction at the moment of crisis. The press was standing behind the children; he saw their phones and pagers start to ring. The President felt he should project strength and calm until he could better understand what was happening.

While reading this part of the story, I imagined myself in the shoes of the President. This is an utterly difficult situation. You are caught in a dilemma. The country that you lead is under attack but you don't know the details yet. One decision could ruin your leadership and, more importantly, your people. In reality, you are dead worried but you cannot project that because you know your worry will worry the people that you lead, not to mention you are in the presence of children who are away from their parents. Everyone is waiting for your decisions, your actions and your reasons. Some people would like to see you worried too and others pull their strength from you. You cannot be drawn to other people's emotions but you have to think on your own. You cannot be taken away by your own fears and defenses. You have to be objective even at the time of crisis. You have to be strong and it is your only choice.

These observations led me to thinking that while everyone can lead, maybe, just maybe, not everyone can be leaders. Not everyone has the tenacity to balance two opposite emotions in equal measure and project like there's no war inside the heart.

Strength and Calm.

A Thin Blue Line

Photo source from this link.

Eavesdropping on the Film
End of Watch

(2012)

I'm the police and I'm here to arrest you. You've broken the law. I did not write the law. I may even disagree with the law but I will enforce it and no matter how you plead, cajole, beg, or attempt to stir my sympathies, nothing you do will stop me from placing you in steel cage with grey bars. If you run away, I will chase you. If you fight me, I will fight back. If you shoot at me, I will shoot back. By law, I am unable to walk away. I am a consequence. I am the unpaid bill. I am fate with a badge and a gun. Behind my badge is a heart like yours. I bleed, I think, I love, and yes, I can be killed. And although I am but one man, I have thousands of brothers and sisters who are the same as me. They will lay down their lives for me, and I, them. We stand watch together, a thin blue line, protecting the prey from the predators, the good from the bad. We are the police.

- Officer Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal)


My grandma... when me and Gabby got engaged she asked me one thing... "can you live without her? And if the answer is YES, man up and forget her. Don't string her along".

- Officer Mike Zavala (Michael Peña)

Who really wins in a war?

Photo source here. 

ABU NAZIR: You can't  even imagine it. Can you? Believing in something bigger than you. More important than you. We're at war. Am a soldier.

CARRIE: You're a terrorist!

ABU NAZIR: Imagine you are sitting down to dinner, with your wife and children. Out of sky, as if thrown by an angry god, a drone strike hits and destroys all of them. Who is the terrorist?

CARRIE: It’s the last day of Ramadan. A young man enters a Shia village, pushing a cart full of candy and toys. He waits in the school playground for all the children to gather. Then he reaches back and flips a switch.

ABU NAZIR: We fight with what we have.

CARRIE: You pervert the teachings of the Prophet and call it "cause". You turn teenagers into suicide bombers.

ABU NAZIR: Generation after generation must suffer and die. We are prepared for that, are you?

CARRIE: Whatever it takes.

ABU NAZIR: Really? With your pension plans and organic foods? Your beach houses and sports clubs? Do you have the perseverance, the tenacity, the faith? Because we do. You can bomb us, starve us, occupy our holy places, but we will never lose our faith. We carry God in our hearts, our souls. To die is to join him. It may take a century, two centuries, three centuries, but we will exterminate you.

CARRIE: Like I said, you're a terrorist. 

- HOMELAND, Season 2

Attraversiamo 2012: 13th Leg Destination Ilocos Sur and Norte

We've planned and saved for this for a long time. We made it happen! Here's an account of the places, food and experiences we gained from this trip.

Places

1. Pagudpud Beach- be captured by the serenity and beauty of its white sands and clear water.  Pagudpud is tagged by some as the 'Boracay of the North".

This side of the beach gives you a view of the Bangui Windmills.

Pagudpud Beach also serves as a source of income to around 935 fishermen (as of 2011, in Pagudpud alone) according to the Provincial Agricultural Office of Ilocos Norte.

2. Kapurpurawan Rock Formation- Kapurpurawan is an Ilokano term which means "pagkaputi-puti". It refers to whiteness, which is the nature of this rock formation. It is found in Burgos.

Aside from the aesthetic beauty of this rock formation, you will be more amazed by the view around it. The cold breeze, fresh air and strong waves from the West Philippine Sea make the experience worth telling.

3. Bangui Windmill - This isn't my first time to see this place but it made no difference. It is astounding as it was the first I saw it. You see it from afar and as you go nearer, the excitement builds up.

These windmills generate electricity while reducing the greenhouse gas effects that cause global warming. Ain't that A-mazing?!

4. San Agustin Church - This church is considered as one of the Baroque Churches of the Philippines and is a World UNESCO Heritage Site (just like the Church of Miag-o in Iloilo).

5. Shrine of Our Lady of Charity - A Parish in Bantay, Ilocos Sur built in 1590.

6. Bantay Bell Tower - just a few steps away from the Bantay Parish, you will find this bell tower below.

7. Vigan - Like Paoay Church, Vigan is also cited as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Recently, Vigan was, yet again, recognized by UNESCO as a model of best practices in World Heritage site management, at the occasion of the 40th anniversary in of the World Heritage Convention. (Reference: UNESCO)

This photo was taken two years ago.

8. Marcos Museum and Mausoleum - Marcos Museum showcases memorabilia of the rich life of former President Ferdinand Marcos, and his first Lady, Imelda Romualdez Marcos.

Cameras are not allowed in the Mausoleum where you can find the preserved remains of Marcos inside a glass.

Experiences

1. Food - We work around a certain budget every time we travel. This means we plan not just our experiences and fares, we also plan our food expenses. Traveling to Ilocos Norte from Manila and then moving to Ilocos Sur can be a bit expensive. We opted to going for home-cooked meals - affordable, safe and oh so delicious!

This SPECIAL ICE CANDY sold by Ate MJ in Kapurpurawan Stone Formation is indeed special. It costs P15 a piece. She even apologized for it. She explained that it was expensive because it is special. With the time and effort she had to put into making it, selling it and walking to that area? P15- is not enough.

We also tried this Macy's Diner when we got to Ilocos Sur.

We are not leaving Ilocos without trying the famous Batac Empanada.

Empanada Special costs P35 each. You can already enjoy your empanada with egg and longanisa.

2. New Things - a travel is never a travel without new experiences and these are a few of them.

The owner of our accommodation brought us to this for place for an errand. I didn't know it will give me a chance to feed this cute little creature. He did well. This small branch of leaves just took him two minutes to consume. Those two minutes gave me a certain sense of fulfillment that I may not ever get again.

We enjoyed using this pump as our water source.

I finally got a chance to get on a calesa. I'll probably not to do it again. It was too bad that the horse carrying this calesa was thin and looks sickly that watching it made the trip a long agony for me.

I got to talk to the kutsero, what we call the one who 'drives' the horse. I asked him how often the horse gets a bath, water, food and a horseshoe replacement, or at least how often the hooves are trimmed. He gave me safe and indirect answers and I could tell from our conversation that he doesn't own it. It is probably owned by someone who also owns the other calesas. Mang Kutsero seem to be a decent man who earns around P300 a day. I really hope the calesa owners become more responsible in handling these horses who give them money and bring food to their table.

Although the kutsero showed me how he fed and gave water to the horse on our first stop, I had to cut the trip short. I couldn't take it. I paid him more than agreed. I may be wrong doing it but I did tell him to take care of Kate very well. Kate is the name of the horse which I asked even before asking his name.

(You will find this in my RIDE SERIES soon.)

Jem, Sugar and I have already been to Vigan two years ago. It was Thel's first.

3. Old Things - Some good things never last. All throughout the trip, we never get tired of talking and talking and learning. In fact, even in our silent moments, I'd say we were learning.

4. Travel - A lot of our time during this vacation was spent traveling. Look at these figures:

Manila to Pagudpud (Night Trip)             - 12 hours
Pagudpud to Paoay                                -   4 hours
Paoay to Vigan                                       -   2 hours
Paoay to Manila                                     -  12 hours

These hours do not include our short trips to the other tourist spots we've been through like Bangui and Kapurpurawan.

5. Family

Family's family is family. This is exactly how Jem's family has treated us during our stay in Ilocos Sur. The accommodation was warm and friendly. Here's a photo with three of his cousins.

This is a short trip to Bangui Windmills Pasalubong Center where we bought ref magnets for friends and family.

6. God's Faithfulness

How often do you see a rainbow from end to end during a travel? 

7. Friendship

 I have traveled with the same friends in the past but we never seem to get tired of it. Every new and old things we discover in any of our travels was made more special because of each other.

 You see, this travel wasn't a walk in the park. There were mishaps, wrong moves, unexpected turn of events, heated discussions and a lot of disagreements. Surprisingly, I found it as the 'balance' I was looking for.

Before I left for this trip, I placed this travel quote on my Facebook wall.

"You lose sight of things...and when you travel, everything balances out." - Daranna Gidel

I can't wait to obtain balance once again.

And I did. This travel showed me all sides of things, experiences and beliefs and where I am in all of it. It taught me that there's more to what I believe is right. I learned that as we try to look at things around us in a very positive way, there are also those things and dilemmas that are worth losing sleep over.

Our choices were tested and what we are made of. We came out victors in all of it. And although we will not be able to talk about it freely on this entry, the lessons we learned from it will forever be tattooed in our minds and serve as a reminder of the balance we need to maintain to both live and survive.

Photos credits:

Fox Llante

Jem Aznar

Sugar Canto

Thel Suliva

Attraversiamo 2012: 11th Leg Destination Tarlac

Life in the city can get to you at some point - noise, business, fast-pace life and loads of work. We decided to go to Tarlac, visit Thel's family and enjoy a very simple weekend.With the very warm hospitality from Thel's family and the warm fatherly accommodation we got from her Dad, the stay was awesome.

We went to the nearest farm, got ourselves a big pitcher of fresh buko juice, watched the farm animals and enjoyed our time like we're never going back to Manila. Ha!

Prior to this travel, we've gone to Boracay. I never get tired of traveling. We never get tired. It keeps us alive. It makes us want for more. It calls us back because it is who we are.