Rizalenio

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Haiku

Colors of summer.

Saccharine, fragrant, drifting.

Renewing dear life!

Friday, May 3, 2013

The moon was blurry-vintage-1940esque when we left Manila that night and when we got to the province before midnight, the sky was even more dramatic. The moon was trying to win over dark clouds. It rained little that night, then the moon said hello again. We were all under the full moon til 3am with SanMig and Tanduay Ice.

I woke up before 6am and attempted to photograph the sunrise but I was greeted by overcast sky. “It will rain…” – whispered disappointedly to myself. I went back to bed instead. Set my mobile fon’s alarm - quarter to 8.

By 8am, we were all saluted by bright sun. No trace of dark clouds. Time to island hop!!! Layered exaggerated amount of sunblock. Jumped on our rented ripcurl bangka, handed with neon life vest and sniffed the salty smell of the sea. We were buzzing like bees wearing our aviator shades. Hahaha.

I was laughing so hard I couldn’t breathe during this short trip, from the time we stepped inside the van that night to the time we stepped inside the van for home. The van turned Araneta Coliseum concert scene, we were belting out all the emo songs our driver’s had on his playlist. I was surrounded by funny people. Happy people = good vibes = THE BEST DAY EVER.

Will post more photos soon from this trip. Enjoy your summer! Happy weekend, friends!

Friday, April 5, 2013

Summertime

My brother biked more than 120 KMs back and forth from Cavite to Batangas last long weekend. His toasted skin is showing til now. An officemate jumped from one resort to another last week, North to South (the whole week with his family - what an adventure?!) and his face is grilled til now.

I stayed in one place and still feel scorched now and I love it. I can spend my whole day (everyday)not moving (maybe to take few photos) with this scenery.

Happy weekend, friends! Enjoy the summer!

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Earth Hour

I didn’t set the AC to the usual 8 hours. I didn’t touch it. I cared less in recharging my gadgets and told myself firmly not to touch those shiny devices for a while…for one night.

I need to recharge…myself!!!

I pushed the big windows instead and had a glimpse of the half moon and the pulsating stars. Cold air with the scent of ylang-ylang flowers infiltrated promptly in my curtain-less room. The air made me lethargic…such is the atmosphere here in Rizal.

I lazed on my decade-old bed looking straight at the ceiling. I noticed some spider webs. Noted mentally to remove it the next day. I inched to the center of my bed. Dog-eared classic books surround me. I dusted them off from my sister’s bookshelves. She scouted these old books, passed from one owner to another. Read the synopsis before I’d ask her in the morning if I can bring some to the city (sometimes I don’t ask permission and just FYI her through SMS. Haha). Left side for books that I have little interest, right for those that I’d weigh again based on story lead. Read and read more until I continue the stories in my blurry but stirring dreams.

On summer days, a ray of sunshine on my face or the loud synchronized chirping of birds fighting over ripening blackberries near my windows wake me up in Rizal consistently. On rainy days, it’s the wind-blows through trees, trunks shriek…or the orchestra of frogs.

The trees of my childhood are still here - the mango trees (we have four mango trees before, now we have two), our fruitless (but provides good canopies anyway) caimito (star apple or milk fruit) tree, the duhat (black plum) tree, the blackberry tree. We have additional trees – the ylang-ylang, the suha (pomelo) and some trees that names were mentioned to me but I can’t recall anymore. These new trees attract fresh set of birds too. I can hear special twitting now (like a smartphone ring tones), more beautiful than the usual nature sound track of my childhood. My Mom confirmed that she sees diverse types of birds in our area. More colorful and striking birds - the wonder of mother nature.

…and on some days, it’s the continuous knocking on my door and small voices whispering and laughing that wakes me up – my nephews and nieces that are excited to see me for a weekend. Today, I woke up feeling so recharged with the sun on my face and the smell of this. Breakfast in bed…Rizal style!

…and speaking of MOTHER NATURE, let’s all support the EARTH HOUR on March 23. Switch off your lights from 8:30PM - 9:30PM.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Faith

I inhaled deeply before I lift up my legs to start climbing the steep stairs. It was past 10 in the morning. The flickers of the sun on my face were throbbing. I ignored it. I must reach the top of this cemented unparalleled stairs right away. I made it to the top of the steps with bullet sweats, opened my bottled water and breathed deeply again before gulping my cold drink.

As I finished my drink like those scenes in thirst-quenching beverage TV commercials minus the exaggerated “ahhhh!”, dried leaves from the old gigantic tree near me sprinkled in my head with the whistle of the winds. A timeworn moldy church greeted too . I raised my arms acting to catch some leaves and lifted my face meeting the sun sparks more blinding. I saw the three black crosses made of wood (or perhaps metal) at the top of the church hiding the dancing sun or playing peek-a-boo.

I covered my watery eyes.

Inside the quietest airy church with the chirping of birds forming a choir and only natural lights were on, I saw a lot of familiar and strange faces. Most people inside the church were saying whispered prayers and I saw one screaming her prayers. I’m not a Catholic, I seldom enter a Catholic church.

I went out of the church after a few minutes and beamed that these people are inside this house of worship even without occasion. PRAYERS are powerful.

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.