MY HOMECOMING ( Part I )

Last year, I had this great longing to visit home. Maybe because life was a little rude then, and I wanted to run to the place of my comfort and where, subconsciusly, makes me feel shielded... and HOME.

And finally, I had my homecoming during the holiday. Initially, it was a real home sweet home for me. Until the weather had to screw it up!! Yeah, it was cold and cozy, but it rained all the time and I had to put off some plans, like, take some photos of our city in different "angles", visit my alma mater in college (Ateneo de Naga) because I treasure a lot of wonderful memories there, visit my dad's graveyard, etc..

So, here goes some pics to help me make my story-telling a lot easier.

Photos taken at Avenue Square while sharing some coffee time with friends

Dined out and had some coffee time late in the evening with my two girl friends, Gay and Tess. We dined at the Red Platter along Magsaysay Avenue. I took photos of their yummy foods but I want you to see few ineteresting details of their interior designs, instead..

The place is very cozy. Looks like a country home ( I wish to achieve this kind of interior design in my own house). It's used to be a house, now turned into a resto. And the food was superb, let me not forget to say that!

Night life is great in Naga City! We stayed out till 1 am.

I miss the rest of our barkada. Wish we can all go home together and have a grand vacation.

Lunch out at Chef Doy's with Cecile few days after. Cecile and I were batch mates in highschool but never had the chance to mingle with one another. We again went to the same school in college, and there we became friends.

The foods at Chef Doy's was a so so. But maybe I should give them the benefit of the doubt. A second try, maybe.

But these pastries at Kopiroti are incredibly luscious which Cecile gave me as a treat after our lunch date! Thanks Cecile!

KOPIROTI

my highschool alma mater

I had the chance to shoot the facade of my alma mater (from elem. to highschool), Universidad de Sta. Isabel ( Trivia: it's the first normal school for women in the Philippines and in Asia. Hence, the oldest school for girls in the country). In this school, I was taught how to behave like a lady. Taught about ethics and social graces. And yes, here, it was a survival of the fittest. Daming maldita! hahah. So you learn how to fight back. Well, that's something quite common with all girls . Oops, no offense. I love my school because here, I met my best friends for life!!

The white specks on the photo aren't snow flakes! They're just some tiny droplets from the drizzle.

Nick with lowa (lola..my mother) in Naga

Nick and her ate, Denise


And finally, back in the arms of my babes (hubby) after the vacation.

PICS TO KEEP YOU COMPANY

I'm caught in the middle of holiday rush!! So, I'm leaving you with some pics to keep you company for awhile. These are pics from our office christmas party where we got to wear cowboy/cowgirl attire. Hope the pics would suffice to tell the stories behind.

MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!

MY MOST FAVORITE TIME OF THE YEAR (my christmas past) II

photo credit

(continuation...)

Christmas is the time when my present intertwines with my past. In this time, I get visited by the memories of my christmas from yesteryears. Everything around. The lights, the ornaments, the carols. And yes, the cold breeze. Each of them have stories to tell about my christmases gone by.

I was with my barkada looking up for some christmas CDs. I was talking giddily with the usual exclamation points in it. And I thought she was sharing my excitement. Then I asked her, aren't you buying one of those? No, she replied. But WHY??. "I don't like christmas. It makes me sad". I gave her a frown and rolled my eyes in disbelief! (Grinch, is that you?).

I know what she meant. There's a certain sadness about christmas... I guess it's the remembering that is sad.

But I love remembering my christmas past. When life was pure and happiness was always at hand, and when christmas seemed more christmasy. Then I remember the people. Some of them have left.. or just gone for some reasons not told. I smile. Most of them I already miss. Where could they be now? Will I ever see them again? And if I can jump right off my christmas past to experience them once more, then I will. But I can't. Then I can feel a sharp pain. A little pinch piercing through..

It's the remembering that is sad. But I don't mind if this is the only way that I can revisit these memories. I don't mind at all. And I guess it's the fragments from my christmas past that makes my present christmas more meaningful and ever so lovely and (bitter) sweet.

MY MOST FAVORITE TIME OF THE YEAR

photo credit

It's a gloomy (late) afternoon. A gloomy weather indeed, but not for me. It cools me down but never brings me down!.. I can see calm rain shower from my glass window. So calm, I can hardly hear the pitter-patter on the roof top..Crisp breeze is flowing in. I sip my cup of coffee to keep me warm from the cold. Oh, how can it feel so lovely?..

Pasko na naman...I can smell it everywhere.. Christmas song is playing. The flickering lights on the christmas tree brighten up the dimming room. Blue, red, yellow, green all dancing by turns. Outshining one another. What could be nicer than this? This "happy gloom". The christmas songs. Flickering lights. They set my mood to plunge into my own pool of christmas thoughts. Oh yes. I'm oh-so sentimental about this season. That's what I am. Well, no one's complaining about it from my family members. Not just yet, maybe (Grin!). I guess when I'm gone, christmas time would keep reminding them about me (Oh that christmas fool!).

Alone with this beauty, it kept me thinking. And thinking.. What is christmas for me? Strange for a self-proclaimed christmas lover to not being able to give out an answer that is completely hers. I guess there's no description that encompasses the bliss of this season. It's ineffable. Maybe, great emotions really are beyond the bounds of words. They only stay in the heart.There's one answer, though, that can come close to what christmas really is for me...

CHRISTMAS IS THE TIME WHEN MY PRESENT INTERTWINES WITH MY PAST.

(to be continued...)

It's beginning to look a lot like CHRISTMAS!

My kids helped me out in decorating this tree. They were having such a great time especially my five-year old boy (Nick). Hubby was a mere spectator. He may be as excited but it didn't show. Well, hubby knew from the start how I'm crazy about christmas. Though he may not understand why my passion about this season can sometimes be a little overstated (listening to christmas songs almost all year round), but he tolerates me and kinda love me that way. When I'm gone (for whatever reason), he'll gonna miss me in christmas. And he agrees.

Here's my niece appreciating my christmas tree. Oh, it isn't as perfect as my dream christmas tree, but I'll gonna start to change things up a bit from year to year. I usually just pile on all the ornaments. Maybe next christmas, I'll start to choose a color palette. Or maybe I'll start this year.