Zone of Solitude

Photo: skedsearch.ph

Exactly a week ago today, I went on another solo trip, this time to SMX Convention Center for this year's Manila International Book Fair.

I was eyeing to go even the day before. Call me shallow but I was looking forward to going to the event for two reasons: The first and only attendance that I had for the MIBF was back in 2003 (oo, pangalawang beses ko palang ito); and this is the first time I am going to Mall of Asia, commuting on my own.

Originally, I scheduled to leave the house early to arrive at the area around 8 or 9 am but instead, left a bit late and after braving the traffic and the experience of riding public transportation, I arrived at SMX 30 minutes before lunchtime. I immediately went to the booth of Summit Media after paying the entrance fee and scouted for not magazines but surprise, surprise: cookbooks.

If you are to ask me about the experience, it was kind of worth it. If you're a bookworm just like I am, going to events such as the Manila International Book Fair has its advantages. You get to personally meet authors of your favorite titles (and if you get too lucky, get them to sign your copy), choose the books you want and buy lots and lots of books at cheaper prices (either on sale or sold at a discounted price). Book fairs are really a bibliophile's wasteland! In my case, I only allotted 1,000 pesos but it covered the expenses -- yes including the books that I purchased. Just a friendly warning though, if you plan to attend the MIBF next year, be prepared at magbaon ng napakahabang pasensya because going through a beeline choosing the books and paying them is a bit time-consuming. In my case, while I really wanted to buy those cookbooks, it took time for me to pay because I was in line with teenagers who seemed to take eternity in choosing the book they want to buy.

Before leaving Pasay City, I also made a side trip to this church. I have always been intrigued about the place when I first spotted it from the parking lot of MOA two years ago but never had the chance to go near. Last week, I took the chance and paid this church, The Shrine of Jesus The Way, The Truth and The Life a visit even for a few minutes.

I will surely return for next year's MIBF though I'll try to make it early in the venue so that I can really check out and scout for books from the exhibitors :-)

Prior to welcoming the weekend, I remember quipping (and doing a status post on Facebook) that Fridays and weekends are meant for "babe time" (blame it on that Gerald-Bea movie, I learned a new term). But I really did not have special plans this weekend. However, spontaneity just hit me yesterday so I decided to leave the house and travel to Eastwood despite it was not a workday.

I went to St. Padre Pio Chapel in compliance with my usual Friday visit. After staying in the chapel for an hour, I decided to travel to Cubao. I have been working in Eastwood for almost six years but I never tried travelling to Cubao so this was really my first attempt. Hindi naman pala talaga siya malayo. Given that there was no heavy traffic, I reached Cubao in 25 minutes, I think.

Reaching Gateway Mall, I was planning to grab some snacks at Starbucks as a little belated treat for myself having reached my 53rd month at work last Friday. But something else caught my attention and instead, I found myself going to a photo exhibit at the mall's Activity Area -- Courageous Light.

Photo from Courageous Caitie Facebook page

Courageous Light is an exhibit celebrating the life of Caitlin Soleil Lucas, more known as Courageous Caitie. It was launched yesterday, August 6 which was also Caitie's birthday. The event featured a photo exhibit and activities for the kids. The event also had a schedule of upcoming fundraising talks, activities and workshops for parents and kids for four succeeding Saturdays.

Aside from life size portraits of Caitie and her moments with her family, her parents also included her artworks and an array of her personal things as part of the exhibit.

I also had the chance to meet Caitie's parents, Tin and Jay jay Lucas yesterday as well as Caitie's brother Ethan.

Few months ago, when Caitie's story made a buzz on news and social media, I silently wished that should I be given the chance to meet her mother, I would like to give her a hug. That came to happen yesterday when I met Tin and Jay jay during the launch. During our short conversation, I came to know where Caitie inherited her courageous spirit. Her parents exemplified the same virtue. At one point, I couldn't help but ask Tin how they were able to handle it given that what they have gone through was really a difficult situation. To which she replied with three words:

Faith in Jesus.

They were indeed a father and mother after God's own heart. While what they have gone through isn't easy, they still chose to surrender to God's plan believing that it will work out for the best. Their family is a proof of that Bible verse: You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. For sure, even in heaven, Caitie is proud having them as her parents during her short but meaningful stay on earth.

Courageous Light photo exhibit will run from August 6-12 at the Activity Center of Gateway Mall and at Gateway Gallery (5th Floor) from August 13- September 3

Last week I had to go through a difficult moment. I won't go into details anymore but all I can say is that it was a week where I was put to an ultimate test -- physically, mentally and emotionally. I would come home tired and silent. I just wanted to either cry out all the stress and just sleep my heart and head out for the rest of the week thinking it'll help. I realized that stress is a sure fire way to aggravate asthma because that was literally what I got (but at least just for a day).

In the midst of these things happening came a text message on Tuesday night. However, I was too knocked out from the medicines I was taking so I read the text the following day and I had to defer a reply. But come Wednesday afternoon, just when my stress levels hit its peak, I got another text message. This:

If you don't want to be tagged like this,
please, please reply to text messages. :-)

Nung mabasa ko yan, hindi ko alam kung matutuwa pa ba ako or gugustuhin kong ihagis ang cellphone ko dahil dumating ang text na ito sa hindi tamang timing. But I had to let out the negative emotions first so I opted not to answer. And as soon as I felt that those undesirable emotions have subsided, at alam kong medyo okay na ako, that was the only time I decided to text a reply. Yes, my replies might sound nang-aasar or filled with hugot but I wanted to do it that way-- a bit laidback and a bit funny. Apparently, the person seemed to have been waiting for my reply since the first message was sent on Tuesday night.

Pero ang totoo, bukod sa gusto ko ng katahimikan at panatag na isip that time, the reason I delayed giving a response was I just wanted to spare the person from my "sungit" tendencies. being sick and going through stress, alam ko na may possibility that I might just obliterate and show my worst side. Ayoko siyang masungitan o matarayan because the person doesn't deserve that kind of treatment. They say if you cannot be kind, be quiet. I know during those moments, I could not be kind so I chose to be quiet instead and let the negative emotion pass before I said a word.

Kasi, kung nagkataon na sumagot ako sa kanya nang mga panahong mataas ang negative emotions ko, I might have said a lot of wrong, hurtful and unnecessary words. Words that I could not take back. Kung nagkataon, yung words na yun could cause me irreversible regret. Those words could cause the person to be hurt. And hurting that person is something I did not want to do. Ayoko nga siyang nasasaktan ng iba, mas lalong ayoko na ako ang maging dahilan para masaktan siya.

And as I write this, I can't help but get a bit teary eyed. I never thought such ugly moment would teach me a beautiful lesson. This is one of those rare moments I realized that I unconsciously did something right. Oo, nakagawa ako ng isang tama at magandang desisyon nang dahil sa taong ito -- at dahil ayokong masaktan siya. Parang nakakapanibago pero ang hindi ko agad napansin ay binabago rin ako (sa magandang paraan, ugali at pananaw) ng taong ito.

:-)

Because I was feeling under the weather last Sunday, I opted to do just three things: First is to stay home (which meant I have to miss attending the Mass. I wanted to but I couldn't risk getting sick and unable to go to work the next day), Second was to write about my second solo trip for my personal project and lastly, I did a DIY project.

It's not really a complicated project. I decided to do some weekend clean up of my office desk before I went home last Friday for the weekend. And while a mug is usually seen in the kitchen for your morning dose of caffeine (I have a separate one for coffee), I use this for a different purpose: something to hold pens, markers and other desk supplies. Yeah, I am a paralegal-slash-human bookstore!

Yeah, I might be working as a paralegal, but I was and
still am a writer first prior to that. This is the proof.

The project was just easy-peasy. I just wanted to transform my ceramic mug from being plain, boring white to a lively one. And the trick was accomplished by using the stash of washi tapes that I have in my craft box. I bought those from an online store, Paper Blush. I've used those materials for other do it yourself projects (particularly with scrap booking) but last week was my first attempt at using it for something fragile (READ: breakable).

It was kind of a struggle the first few tries especially that I am a bit OC when it comes to the alignment (shallow, I know!) But after an hour of trial and error (I just realized afterwards that I should have bought a mug with an even cylinder shape), it was worth the struggle because the end result looked good. I just ended up getting the look that I wanted. Not to forget, the project was a good stress and boredom reliever too.

I tried locating more DIY projects using washi tapes on the internet and found a lot. I just have to select a few though and see for myself what I can produce out of those colorful things -- and it will also be posted here :-)

Follow Paper Blush on Instagram: @paperblushph

You can also check out available designs and other products on their website: www.paperblushph.com

At the start of the year, I remember making revisions on my bucket list. Among those I wrote was to visit old churches in the country, mostly to those that I have yet to be in. I have always kept an eye wandering in the old churches in Manila. But upon research, there were actually five old parishes from where I live. So it got me thinking, why not begin at where I am instead.

It took a while for me to plan where to start this year's personal endeavor which I called The OC (as in One Church) Project. I am just available for non-work-related activities during weekends, and most of those weekends, I preferred staying at home because of the unfriendly summer weather lately. But last week, I finally found the free time to do it so armed with my backpack, sunscreen and my phone, I followed my "sneaker's instincts" and went off church hunting.

Given the proximity, Taytay Rizal became my first order of business. St. John the Baptist Church is situated just a few meters away from Taytay's old municipal hall. The church may have been renovated but it still is considered an old church given that it was founded in 1579 and the structure itself was completed in 1630. Interestingly, hundreds of years prior to being named saint, St. Pedro Calungsod became an altar boy in this church in 1666.

Another thing that made me choose to visit this church for my personal project was because this place holds a fond memory to me and our family. My parents got married in this church 32 years ago. The photo above is how the altar looks at present -- very much different to how it was when they exchanged their I Do's in 1984. Call it a funny coincidence but on the day and time that I arrived in the church, a wedding ceremony was about to start so by a stroke of luck, I was able to witness the whole ceremony.

And by paying this place a visit, on a personal note, it made me realize how I was able to conquer a particular fear which I've had for the longest time -- that of seeing weddings. Yeah, I know it sounds absurd but I had my own share of such phobia. Not that I hate seeing weddings, I just tend to cringe and couldn't stand seeing one for a reason I didn't know. While I was only after fulfilling a thing on my wishlist and visiting a place relevant to my parents' love story, I got to face a certain fear and win over it unknowingly.

It felt good that I was able to accomplish such an endeavor. It was so refreshing to have paid this place a visit and given that I was able to accomplish one church last week, I am happy to say I am looking forward to the next one (still in Rizal) which I hope to do in the coming weeks and yes, I will post it on this blog :-)

St. John the Baptist Church
Sumulong St. Bgy Dolores
Taytay, Rizal

MABUHAY!

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