Goodbye Auntie Norvelle

This year's new year's eve has been unusual so far. We spent the entire morning until lunchtime at the church and cemetery, where my aunt's body was eternally laid down to rest. A few days ago, right after Christmas, our dear aunt, Auntie Norvelle, lost her battle against cancer. She had been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer a few months ago and her health deteriorated from then on. It was difficult seeing her struggling against her disease, getting weaker every time we saw her. She's the closest aunt I have, and she's the sibling my mom is closest to. They only live right across our house and we would normally spend special occasions (including new year's celebration) together. She's very kind-hearted, humble and selfless and it pains us to know that we won't be spending another new year's celebration with her while here on earth. 

Sunpiology Run

What: Sunpiology 

When: Nov. 24, 2012
Where: McKinley
Category: 12k
Time: Never mind. Ehe. Ok fine - 1:39:48

I was driving along EDSA once when I saw this poster lording over the highway. While Piolo's inviting eyes could lure any woman (and man) to join the Sunpiology run, I was motivated to join because it was organized by Sun Life, which I'm a client of (chos). Plus the fact that I've never experienced running with celebrities yet in the few races I've joined in the past, and I thought it would be fun to run alongside and/or literally chase after TV personalities. The run was also scheduled to be in the afternoon, so I didn't have to wake up so early to be at the starting line on time. I thought afternoon runs would be easier. I thought.

Next Race: Rescue Run on December 23, 2012

I read about the Rescue Run yesterday. Since I haven't ran since the Milo Race, I was looking for a race I could join soon, although I didn't think there would be one a day before Christmas eve. Apparently, a run had been organized at the last-minute for the typhoon Pablo victims in Mindanao, scheduled on December 23, 2012 (this Sunday):

12.12.12 and Other Random Thoughts

And I'm posting this just because. Taken at a recent wedding shoot in Boracay

Days of doing due diligence is seriously making me rethink my existence. Srsly.

One of the highlights of my "career" (career!) as a photographer is getting encouraging messages from complete strangers every once in a while, telling me that they admire my work. That doesn't happen to me very often (because by "a while", I mean 9-12 months), but when it does, I am reminded of why I do photography and why I should continue doing it no matter how busy it gets in other areas of my life. A few months ago, a random girl outside my network commended my work and told me that she wants to be like me someday. I still get warm and fuzzy every time I remember that message, but a part of me wants to warn her, that if she finds herself at age 30, unsettled, single, having an insatiable appetite for cupcakes, and having frequent bouts of financial impulsiveness, she might regret what she said years ago about me :)) 

Honestly, I'm ok where I am right now - with a steady job, photography, great friends, a loving family. I doubt I can consider this as being at my best though. But I'm ok. Everything's steady. like calm before a storm But sometimes I can't help but wonder if I'm still on the right track to where God wants me to be in five or even two years.

Tetra Pak - RFR Run

What: Tetra Pak RFR
Where: Bonifacio Global City
Category: 10k
Time: 1:05:10

Last sunday was the Milo Run Finals. But before I blog about that, I'll be posting about my previous runs (because I'm OC like that) I had two 10k races prior to the Milo Run - the Tetra Pak Recycle.Feed.Run and Sunpiology (hihi) which is the subject of my next entry. 

When I signed up for RFR, I was prepared to run alone. I was hoping one of the TSW ladies or at least someone from the Milo Apex group was going to run (and I was almost sure someone will, I just didn't know who), but I decided to sign up anyway since I needed the training. 

Running in SG - Botanic Gardens

Last Sunday, some of our coaches and friends from the Milo Apex Running Clinic ran half and full marathons at the Standard Chartered Marathon in Singapore. This post has little to do with that. :)) In as much as I wanted to participate in that run, I severely lacked preparation and funds. I'm including an SG marathon (or half-marathon at least) in my bucket list. 

Last Friday's Run - Clarke Quay, Singapore

I wish I could write about an actual race I ran in Singapore (or in some other country), but for now, I can only share about my experiences in my leisurely runs in different places. Since our US trip last Spring Break, I've made a conscious effort to include running in my travel itinerary. It can be difficult, especially when I would rather dedicate all my time to touring around/pigging out/spending quality time with friends and family. But later on I realized that running is a good way to explore a foreign country and bond with friends/family. One of my most memorable experiences during our US vacation last spring break was when my whole family (sans my mom, who had all sorts of excused cooked up so as not to engage in any physical activity that doesn't involve shopping) went jogging at a park near my brother's house in Maryland. Of course, half of the time we were taking group photos, but at least we had the intention to run together as a family in the name of good health. Hehe. It gave me the chance to see places in a different light and to explore areas I've never been to before. It's so refreshing to visit the local park after days of going to the outlet/eating at the best restos. 

On this Singapore trip, I decided to bring along my running shoes and workout clothes. It can be a hassle to pack my running shoes, so I decided to just wear them during the flight (kebs na lang sa porma). We didn't have a set schedule yet, so I thought I could probably squeeze in running/jogging in the morning or late at night. We stayed at the Studio M Hotel at Robertson Quay, near the Clarke Quay area. There's a nice walkable/joggable trail right beside the hotel that extended until Clarke Quay. Yesterday, despite lack of sleep, I woke up at 7:40 and started running at the riverside. It was still a bit dark out. 

Long Weekend in Singapore

This sums up my Thursday.

First 6 photos: Our hotel, Studio M, in Robertson Quay, Singapore. I have mixed feelings about this hotel. It's cute, very modern. The facilities are nice and minimalist. We stayed at a loft with a view of the Clarke Quay. This is the first time we tried a new hotel though and the mother is not very happy because of the cramped shower area and toilet. I must agree, it's not very claustro-friendly. I think it's ideal for two young people but not for 2 tanders + 1 me. 

7: Aglio Olio for breakfast at this cafe across our hotel, Book Cafe. There was a nice Filipina girl serving us. I made the mistake of ordering the spicy kind. I only finished half of it. 

8: Lunch at Marche (my dad's fave resto here). I had crepe. My dad had three entrees. We were there for around 2 hours. Haha. They did some shopping at OG Centre in Orchard. For some reason, it attracts a lot of elder shoppers. 

9: I found this nice 2013 planner at a cute store, Typo, in Somerset 313. I know I might be the only 30 year old who has a planner (and I bet there are 50 other high school girls with the same planner hehe). The size is just right and it's not too heavy for my everyday handbag. Let's see about the Starbucks planner though. 

10: I bought this small blackboard also at Typo. Great prop for family/kids portrait shoots. I just need colored chalk.

11-12: Lomo books/films and lomowall at the Lomostore in Chinatown. First time to go there. I bought a La Sardina cam which I will post in my next entry :)

My First 10k

What: Avon "Let's Walk the Talk!", run for breast cancer awareness
Where: SM Mall of Asia
Category: 10k
Time: 1:08:03

Last year, I joined some friends from my old church as we tackled the series on "The Significant Woman." The series was aimed at helping us realize and act on our God-given purpose and serve as a venue for us to encourage each other as we try to reach our goals. In our attempt to stay fit and healthy (which is an important item in our goals list), we all decided to sign up for the Milo Apex Running Clinic last September. Since some of us have joined the 5k group before, we signed up for the 10k category this time. Last Sunday, we joined our first 10k run together at the Avon Walk the Talk breast cancer awareness run. It was my first 10k ever. We picked this one because the singlet's nice. And we want to support the cause against breast cancer. And yes the singlet's nice. :P

Run (WALK) for Pasig

I'm not counting this in my official list of races for this year, because I literally walked the entire time. Hehe. I'm not even sure if I reached the 5k mark; I took a u-turn somewhere in the middle of the Tandang Sora flyover. BUT it was an interesting experience nonetheless.

The Milo Run

So my runner contacts have been posting that registration is already open for Milo Apex Running School, Season 5, which starts on September 10 in QC and September 11 in BGC. I suddenly realized two things: 1) I haven't blogged about the Milo Run last July 29; 2) I haven't ran outdoors since the Milo Run. Last Tuesday, I had no work and had nothing better to do, so I joined some of the Milo Apex QC runners for a run at the QC Circle. It was also the first day of Coach Jim's Metafil boot camp (we joined in some exercises and the program was more intense than the running school). I realized how much I missed running outdoors. It simply doesn't compare to running on the treadmill. I'm more motivated to run longer distances (and faster at that) when I'm outside, especially with a group of other enthusiasts, rather than running on the treadmill alone.

The Middle East in Bible Prophecy

 I've been stuck in the book of Ezekiel for so long (still stuck now hehe) but this sermon gave me a fresh perspective on the book. It was given by a Jewish speaker, Amir Tsarfati, in CCF. He relates the prophecies in the book of Ezekiel to current events. It just left me awestruck, knowing how real and relevant God's words are through the prophet Ezekiel. (The message went on for more than an hour and I didn't even notice the time!) It gave me more impetus to read God's word, as it will prevent us from speculating on the last days and would urge us to be more aware of current world events, especially those in Israel/the Middle East. I think the important thing to think about is where we fit in God's grand story. I hope everyone would take the time to watch it.

Rest in Peace

"Later on in life, you will realize that it is neither your successes nor your conquests that will give you satisfaction. It is your contribution that really matters – paying back what you owe the community that nurtured you." - Sec. Jesse Robredo 

So many photos of the late Sec. Jesse Robredo have been posted online, but no other photo struck me as much as this one did. I think this one, among all the other photos I've seen, best captured his extraordinary character, his joyful, positive disposition despite the circumstances. Although I haven't followed his short stint as DILG Secretary, I've heard a lot of exemplary things about him, especially from my Bicolano friends. He is truly a man of integrity and I hope that we will all be inspired by his legacy. I feel like tearing up every time I see updates about him on Facebook. I'm sure my friends from Bicol are twice as affected. 

In 2003, he gave this speech to the college graduates of Ateneo De Manila University. I'm part of that batch and I hate that I don't remember the speech at all :( It's quite long, but I urge you to read it and be inspired by the way he lived his life. Read it, when you start getting discouraged about our country, when you feel that nothing can't be done to remedy our seemingly insurmountable issues. The least we can do now is to emulate the same optimism he had when he was still alive. 

Sec. Jesse may have passed on but he continues to touch the lives of many Filipinos. Rest in peace, Sir. 

Snow Patrol!

I didn't think I'd still get to watch Snow Patrol live. Months ago, I was looking for another fan to watch with me but I was surprised to find out that my usual concert buddies are not Snow Patrol fans. Sure, the band has acquired enough airtime to put it in the mainstream - and its songs have been used in onsite wedding and photo AVPs too many times - but not many people know the albums much less, pay to see the band perform live. I still wanted to watch though, until I started with work and the floods happened and the concert was pushed at the bottom of my priority list.

Deja Vu

 After what happened on September 26, 2009, I didn't think I'd find myself packing relief goods again for disaster victims of a calamity with the same magnitude as typhoon Ondoy. Yet today, I was doing exactly the same thing, at the same venue, for the same reason. As you all may know by now, Manila was placed under a state of calamity due to the continuous rains that have caused extreme flooding around the metro (again). I've heard for some, this disaster is even worse than typhoon Ondoy. Unlike Ondoy that lasted only for a few hours, this one has been going on for days, and the rain continuous to pour as I write. No one probably anticipated that another calamity of this level would hit the country (at least I didn't). I thought, after that fairly recent disaster, it won't happen again any time soon, and that the rain had to stop sometime. It's been almost three days and the weather isn't getting better. I haven't seen the sun in two days. The mood has been dreary all over, and it's just devastating to hear and read about flood-affected areas in the city.

Last Weekend

The Milo Apex Running Clinic QC 5k Group :D

I told myself I won't let the weekend pass without posting a blog entry. (Oh, it's the weekend again! I didn't notice :P) The past weekend (and the past week as well) just held too many blessings and I would like to write about all the things I've been so grateful for:

Last Days

So far, this year has been all about major endings, starting over, stepping up, and making major commitments. And let's not forget, turning thirty. :))

For the past months, I was so intent on taking the next step - finding a new job and getting on with my life - that I almost forgot I was closing a huge chapter as I end my three-year employment with the government. When I applied for my last position back in 2009, I was told upfront that my employment had a three-year deadline and would end as soon as our boss retires when he turns 70. At that time, I wasn't sure of what I wanted and I felt that working at the office would buy me enough time (and give me a definite, reasonable deadline) to think about what I want to do with the rest of my life. While I can't say everything's clear now and that I'm all set for the next 20 years, I'm thankful to have gotten to know myself better during my last employment - I now know what to pursue and what to let go without regret.

Working Girl v. 3.0

At present, I'm counting the days until I start with my third job. But let's start from the very beginning: 

Back in 2008, I had a real office! Hehe

My First 5k Run

My first 5k run ever was anti-climactic. I've been looking forward to joining a fun run since last year, but due to lack of motivation to wake up before 4 in the morning, I never got to join a race. Finally, after almost two months of training at the Milo Apex Running Clinic, I had the opportunity to join a fun run with a group. I felt my first fun run would be the culmination of all the hard work I've poured into training/running exercises thrice a week at the clinic. I envisioned myself at the starting line before sunrise, properly warmed-up, waiting excitedly alongside hundreds of other runners before the race starts, strategizing my speed and form from start to finish. None of it happened. Underestimating the distance between the mountains of Farview and Bonifacio Global City, I arrived at the venue late and I got to the starting line 11 minutes after the gunshot. The sun had already risen but it was a bit cloudy and humid. Without any warm-up at all, I dashed from the parking lot to the registration area (which I didn't find immediately). One of the organizers saw me frantically running to the registration area that he told me to "take it easy" and laughed. By the time I started running, most of the runners have gone far ahead that I had to exert extra effort to catch up with them. Thankfully, a lot of the participants joined for a leisurely walk and not exactly to race, so I caught up with them soon enough. I took comfort in running beside them; at least I wasn't running by myself anymore. 

This week at the running clinic

It's our second week at the Apex Milo Running Clinic, Level 2. (I signed up for all three levels) It has been raining sporadically the past weeks, but it hasn't stopped us from running. Strangely, and fortunately though, the skies clear up every 6 pm just in time for running class. It drizzles for a few minutes, but that's it; nothing that would inconvenience the running groups.

Rayray!

Two Sundays ago, I had fun shooting this cute baby :D

An Afternoon with Agos Kulay Maynila

The group with Ms. Sunshine Cruz-Montano and her three lovely daughters :)

Art is still my first love. I was drawing even before I began to write. Of course, so many things got in the way and I never got to pursue it as a career or a hobby. Thankfully, I still get to express myself through photography but I think I want to get my hands dirty again with a pencil and paper. 

Inspired by my artist friend and D12/discipleship group co-member Jemina Reyes (who launched an exhibit last month at Ricco Renzo Galleries), I sought art workshops that teach watercolor. She told me about Agos Kulay Maynila, an artists' circle that focuses on watercolor (or any water-based media). They meet every two weeks at the Ayala Museum. It is open to everyone, and there's no need to pay any joining/entrance fee. You can simply drop by during their sessions, grab an available chair and easel, and just paint away. They're very accommodating so you can ask the artists about their techniques. 

Rehoboth

"The word 'Rehoboth' means 'broad and spacious.' The Lord has broadened my space. If you let God fight for you [and] you let God choose for you, oftentimes, He leads you to the best. The best of the very best: Rehoboth."

Ptr. Peter Tan-chi

CCF Service on "Practicing God's Presence"

Post-morning run post

I just had heavy breakfast after my weekly morning LSD (long slow distance running) with my 5k group at the Milo Apex Running Clinic under Coach Janet. We usually run around the U.P. oval at least three times but today, we passed slopes and inclined roads around U.P. for 45 minutes straight. I found myself lagging behind my groupmates (I thought this was a 5k beginners' group??), most of which were older than me, so I tried my best to keep up though I was catching my breath during the last 10 minutes of the run. My running pace and endurance have improved so far (thank you Endomondo for tracking my runs). Having a coach and a group to run have, of course, been really encouraging. I had my misgivings at first about signing up for the beginners' 5k because I thought I might be setting the bar too low for my standards (since I've been running - though inconsistently - at the gym for years already). But most of my 5k groupmates in Q.C. are competitive and being with them has motivated me to push harder every time. Now I can confidently say I'll be able to breeze through a 5k race. I'll aspire for a marathon next time. Baby steps. Hehe. 

Trentahin

Caramel cake from Estrel's. Thanks Chi!

Two Tuesdays ago, on a Tagaytay day trip/joint birthday celebration with my law school friends and my mom (and Jenn's mom), I wrapped up my week-long 30th birthday celebration, Months ago, I considered having one big party for my 30th, but I realized it's better to have several intimate celebrations than a big one so I can spend more time with each of my friends/family. (Besides, I don't have the budget for a big celebration. Hehe) To be frank about it, I wasn't feeling my birthday the entire week. Exactly a month before my birthday, my cousin from the US also turned 30 and he was posting mildly depressed status updates about it on Facebook. I didn't realize how depressing it actually felt until I turned 30 myself. That week, I felt more irritable than usual, and I had one ugly dream that sort of rubbed in certain issues in my life and left me feeling deeply upset when I woke up. As the week progressed and I started to meet up with my friends/family, I felt blessed to be surrounded by wonderful people who have stood by me through the years. Yiz, so cheezy. Hehe. God reminded me of all the blessings he has given and the experiences he had allowed me to go through, including the recent US trip I had with my family, that I have no reason to feel bad about getting a year older.

Yesterday's Morning Run

I decided not to join the law school blockmates' out-of-town trip this weekend at the last minute. I really wanted to join and was looking forward to the food trips/probably our only trip as 1/4 of a block, but I almost had a fever from last weekend's trip and I thought it would be better to just use this time to rest. Besides, it's mother's day and it's been years since I last spent it with my mom. I always had wedding shoots the past few years so I wasn't able to join the celebration. I tried to make up for the years of being in absentia by spending the entire day with her yesterday. Today, we're going to church and probably having lunch or dinner with the family. 

Since I had nothing to do yesterday morning, I joined the Milo Apex Running Clinic group for a run at the U.P. oval. Part of the program is the weekly Saturday early morning runs at U.P. or Bonifacio High Street. The call time was at 5:30 in the morning and it was supposed to prepare us for the fun runs we're going to sign up for. On several occasions, I've attempted to join one of those fun runs, but the 5:30 a.m. (or earlier) call time had always deterred me from signing up. I felt that running in the morning would keep me from doing anything else that day, since I'd be too tired to function. On Friday night, I was contemplating on not going, since I slept a bit late. I always feel uncomfortable around that time - my entire body isn't awake yet and my tummy feels weird. But I decided to run anyway. Surprisingly, I enjoyed it, and I didn't feel as exhausted as I expected. I actually felt more refreshed the entire day. Of course at around 9 pm drowsiness kicked in and I had to sleep earlier than usual. But in all, it felt great. I can probably run in the morning and have enough energy to still shoot in the afternoon. I also enjoyed running with a group, it keeps me more motivated. I realized there are more runners in UP on Saturday mornings than there are on weeknights. 

Running Again

After almost an entire month of pigging out during my US vacation, I was determined to lose all the fat I've gained by going to the gym. It was difficult going back, but once I started attending classes, exercising became a habit again. I haven't ran outside the gym since I got home though. I mostly attended the group classes at Fitness First. I was already contented with my usual routine at the gym until a few weeks ago, when my good friend, Riza, texted me about Coach Jim Saret's running school. Taking up running seriously was actually not on my priority list (in the meantime anyway), but I thought the price of PhP1,800 for a three-month running training, plus a singlet + expert tips + opportunity to actually improve my running form, was very reasonable. Presumably, it would also get me to finally sign up for a real fun run, which I'm always too lazy to do and make all sorts of excuses for. 

Last Weekend's Adventure

Guess who's the new Instagram fan? Hehe. And to think I used to diss Instagram because I would rather shoot in analog. 

Last weekend, I found myself riding a ferry from Caticlan at 12 midnight; spending an entire day at Shangri-la Hotel; and spending some time with other suppliers from the wedding industry. 

At Terminal 3, where ALL flights are delayed:

A few hours later:

Good thing I had my laptop with me. I was able to finish two slideshows and edit some photos for clients.

Meet my nephews and nieces - more from Spring Break, 2012

After our short Ohio stay, we finally flew to Maryland to visit my brother. It was actually the highlight of the entire trip since we were all together with the entire family, finally. On the day we arrived, my brother's son, Benjo, immediately brought the other kids to the nearest park. It was super cold there (I have low tolerance for cold weather), though it doesn't show much in the photos: 

My nephews and nieces. Soon, they will all be taller than me. That's Benjo with the basketball. He's the leader of the pack. Hehe. He's very responsible and really looks after his little brother, Toby. 

The Birthday Post

Taking a break from posting my Spring Break travel shots to give way to write about, supposedly, my best day of the year - the day I get another year older. This year is different because I just ended my 10-year term as a twentysomething. I was asked about my age earlier and I didn't realize until then how difficult it is to say, "thirty". Definitely, this isn't where I envisioned being in 10 years ago. Things have been great, and I have tons to thank for the past 30 years, but I feel that I haven't done enough - actually, I haven't done anything substantial yet - commensurate to the length of time I've been here on earth. More than anything, this birthday is a wake-up call for me to start shaping up and doing something about my life. From now on, I will be a mature, responsible adult. I promise. Hihi. 

I was going to post my birthday celebrations for the past 30 years (because I'm an artista like that. Ehe). I almost turned my entire room upside down searching for all the photos, but I was unsuccessful. For some strange reason I couldn't find my 6th birthday at Jollibee, my 7th birthday at Max's, and all the other birthday celebrations here at home. I've yet to save all the digital files - I'll dig them up from my multiply site/old blogs later. Here is what I've gathered so far: 

1st birthday, La Union (?)

2nd birthday, house:

Spring Break 2012 Highlights - Pistacia Vera and Jeni's Ice Cream

After our sausage buffet AND giant cream puff dessert at Schmidt's, my sister brought the family to Pistacia Vera, also located at the German Village, where they sell good French macarons. The macarons cost $1.25 or around 53 Pesos per piece. I don't understand why they're so expensive in any region but I love it too much so I don't really mind.  

 

This is the part where we were left on the other side of the street because Patti had a foot injury. 

wheeeeeeeeeee

Spring Break 2012 Highlights - German Village, Ohio

I've been to Ohio twice before, and to be honest, I didn't expect to see much there this year. The most exciting thing that happened there was the DMB concert back in 2006. Other than that, the next best thing to see would be shopping at the nearest Marshall's and Target stores. Hehe.

This time around, my sister's family took us to German Village in Columbus, which they discovered on the Travel Channel (or the Food Network). Here's a little info about this historic town on their website:

"German Village is a historic neighborhood just south of downtown Columbus, Ohio. It was settled by a large number of German immigrants in the mid 1800s, who at one time comprised as much as a third of the population of the entire city. On December 30, 1974, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. On November 28, 1980, its 

boundaries were expanded."

We ate at Schmidt's Sausage Haus and Restaurant for lunch where they had a German sausage buffet spread. They served four different kinds of German sausage and side dishes and salads. They also had a wide array of dessert choices. We only got two orders of the giant cream puff though. We were saving our tummies for macarons from another dessert place. We waited in line for around twenty minutes due to the number of customers. It was a Sunday and everyone was out having lunch.

 

Spring Break 2012 Playlist

When there's a burning in your heart
An endless yearning in your heart
Build it bigger than the sun
Let it grow, let it grow
When there's a burning in your heart
Don't be alarmed

- You are a Tourist (DCFC)

1. Midnight City (M83)
2. Reunion (M83)
3. Goodbye (Toe)
4. Tightrope (Walk the Moon)
5. Underneath the Sycamore (DCFC)
6. Home is a Fire (DCFC)
7. Codes and Keys (DCFC)
8. Some Boys (DCFC)
9. Doors Unlocked and Open (DCFC)
10. You are a Tourist (DCFC)
11. Unobstructed Views (DCFC)
12. Unoly Thoughts (Kele Oreke)
13. Somebody That I Used to Know (Gotye)
14. Bronte (Gotye)
15. Easy Way Out (Gotye)

Notes from 40,000 feet above sea level

Taking home all these to Manila

LA time: 2:49 pm, April 10, Tuesday
Manila time: 5:49 am, April 11, Wednesday

We finally wrapped up our US trip, which is probably the best US trip I've had. Ever. :P In three weeks, we covered five different states, and I got to spend quality time in Maryland with my entire family, which doesn't happen very often. From the foggy streets of San Francisco, we moved to Ohio, explored the forests of Maryland, and saw the deserts of California. We jumped right in everyone else's spring break plans. I was also able to shop a little (despite my initial plans to hold off on shopping hehe) and score great bargains, run a little, eat a lot. I'm not sure though if we'll have enough budget to go through this again, so we'll probably push through with my sister plan to turn the next vacation to a reality tv show and hopefully make a profit out of it. Hehe.

All will be Well

Flowers in the church front yard

"All will be well." This was the prevailing message from the Easter mass I attended yesterday, when I joined my sister's family and her sister-in-law's family in a Catholic mass in Aliso Viejo, a few minutes away from where we're currently staying in Orange County. It has been a while since I last attended a Catholic mass and I could say it was very different from the ones I've attended before. It was unconventional. My sister said it had hints of a Christian/born-again service. The choir was accompanied by a band (complete with a drum, which I only see in Christian services); the message/homily was relatively longer than the usual homilies; even the church set up was very modern. The "altar" was made of a large, unpolished stone where the priest went around while he was giving his homily. At the start of the mass, he sprinkled holy water at the entire congregation and made sure that every one received the blessing. Instead of using the usual container to hold the water, he used a bunch of leaves which was more absorbent and in effect, produced a lot of water when it was waved towards the crowd. Towards the end of the homily, he gave out a giant easter egg, a chocolate rabbit, and a stuffed rabbit to three lucky recipients. The priest was very lively, the message was great, and they had good, upbeat music. The crowd was very receptive and truly enjoyed the entire mass. I wasn't expecting much from the mass, but I enjoyed it as well, and found it relevant that the priest was talking about resurrection, new beginnings, and the inevitable joyful ending, knowing that you are one with Christ. 

First day in Ohio

Our balikbayan boxes/luggage. So pinoy :P We had a lot of bags with us that the porter asked if we were moving to Ohio.