If there’s one city I should go back to asap, it’s Lisbon. Man, I lied in my first sentence already, sorry peepz. Of course there are many other cities I should go back to asap. But if I had to choose one at this moment, it would be Lisbon. Damn, lied again. Okay, there are a few other cities that would beat the crap out of Lisbon, touristwise, but Portugal’s capital is lovely.
The west coast of anywhere seems to have a special feel to it. Not having ever lived on a west coast before, I don’t really know where this unique aura comes from or why it exists, but it’s definitely evident here in New Zealand. The west coast of New Zealand’s South Island is an amazing place – rugged, scenic, and unpopulated.
After walking, climbing, walking, and waking up early to walk again, we made it to Machu Picchu: the Royal Retreat of the Incan Empire, destroyed by its own people in an effort to leave nothing behind for Pizarro and his pillaging Spaniards in their search for gold. Miraculously, Pizarro never found it. He never saw the beauty of this place.
What a moon! What a Saturday night day night out here on Mayne Island, British Columbia Canada. A crowd of about a dozen people joined me at Seaview Beach in Bennett Bay for the moon rising. It is the first time in my five years of living on the island that I had company join me on a photo shoot. Quite festive really and great to see others out capturing the experience first hand as well.
I am now capping off what may have been the best week of the summer. It was a celebration for my graduating batch and before we face the dreaded unemployment phase, we went celebrated all that we’ve achieved in the last four years in the best place to party, Boracay.
Much can be said about this trip. It is easy to imagine all the energy Continue reading
It is one of those idle summer days again and instead of my usual shenanigans I decided to look around our backyard. Continue reading
What I enjoy dreaming about:
What I would want appear in my dreams often:
I have always considered myself lucky for living in the Philippines because of its many beaches. With places like Boracay, Bohol, and Palawan there is no doubt that this archipelago is blessed. Of course those are not all that this country offers. In fact it still has a few secrets that are waiting to be discovered.
One of the secrets which I encountered was Nagsasa Cove. It is located in the north western part of Luzon in San Antonio, Zambales. So far it is one of the biggest coves I’ve seen. The water is peaceful and the view is simply overwhelming.
Being in this place where there is no cellphone service helped create an illusion that we live in a world where there is just too much. There are too many options to choose from, countless choices that have to be made, and different roles which need to be fulfilled.
There are moments where reality and perfection intersect. It is real because it is there and it is perfect for being what it is. There may be no such thing as perfect but we do catch glimpses of it – we know that somewhere something is perfect. But discovering it while being a part of this reality is what makes perfection unreachable.
In the end, I just had to accept that if I had lived ages ago I would have been able to have that life. I belong to the 21st century and whether I like it or not, I have to keep up with my generation. Places like these really do have to be left alone. And that makes each visit special.
Today is when I am feeling quite energetic and anxious. Perhaps it is the air. Perhaps it is the heat which is being countered by some wind.
Whatever it is, I like the excitement it brings.
The view of my mother's garden
Have you ever gotten that feeling while you were growing up whenever you’re playing with a friend and someone asks to join in, you sort of feel like the fun might diminish?
So you act nice and let him or her join and as you all play you realize that the game earlier was more exciting. Then I try my best to act nice but cannot help feel that it did not have the same beat or rhythm of the earlier game.
I feel the same way sometimes about being with a few persons I know. I value their company so much that I prefer it to be shared only between us two. Of course there are times when it is fun with the group. And honestly it would be better if we had to be with a group than just one person. If we are to say that each relationship between any two persons has a special character because of the time they have spent with each other then this character could be affected by circumstances. It has its own mood or temperament and even its own pace. And having that one person around counts is crucial in affecting the special character because both need to adjust and accommodate the extra.
It is not to say that I am being fake as I “act nice” because there is a genuine effort to make a connection. In the process of making that connection, however, what is compromised is the special character I share with the person I was with. Naturally, there are some things we simply cannot talk about in his or her presence or else eighty percent of the conversation would seem like an inside joke to the other. “Two is company, three is a crowd.”
It seems like the presence of that extra one inevitably ruins the whole thing but not on purpose, and unconsciously. Talk about making a difference, right?
In the end it just seems a bit selfish to, hence the guilt. But that is just how it is and perhaps one of the things I will have to live with forever as I cannot own any person and command when I refuse to let anyone enter into our relationship. I really wish I could though.
I would say, “excuse me but I do not think it is such a good idea that we let one person join in because we just got to the exciting part and we’d have to start over. Sorry.”
(I’d hope that the other would understand.)
This is the ideal picture for me. In reality I would smile, say that it sounds like a good idea and make that extra connection because even though I’d have to wait to experience that special character which had to be abandoned for a little while will not be lost. It simply cannot be lost because if there was enough for a character to be formed, something took place and that something does not get lost – it may fade but could never be lost.
Plus, if it is really as special as it is, then it must be worth the wait to encounter it once more.
