Lola Loves Me

"Come down now... we're here at the lobby." This sounded more like of an anxious pleading than an exasperated request from Happy. I have kept my wife and May waiting for me at the Renaissance Tower lobby a good twenty minutes after office work. I was actually finding an excuse not to join them in their nocturnal safari for inexpensive branded clothes at Mega Tent, an upscale tiangge just a stone's throw away from where we work. I don't want to go with them because I really hate shopping for windows, I mean window shopping. You stroll around the place, pick up and examine some really cool and nice merchandise and pray that the price tag is colored red. Otherwise, you move to another booth and then to another section and then to another and... now that's what they call shopping for windows, I mean window shopping, whatever. My best alibis didn't work at all because just a few minutes later, I was magically converted from a junior executive into a senior chaperon.

But just like in any other forced adventure that I have had, something good comes out. I found this really cute white t-shirt for toddlers with a print "Lola Loves Me". It is quite unique and I was thinking this item is a product of "Research and Development." Frankly, I am not as interested as just getting a well-designed and labeled t-shirt but the word "Lola" is a touch of a genius. Believe you me but the line in queue is surprisingly not composed of senior citizens but of middle-aged moms and dads who are more than willing to shell out the extra P250.00 just to accommodate a would-be gift to their sons and daughters. I bought it not because it will look good on Barjae, my one-year old but because my Mom would be pleased to see the label on Barjae's t-shirt - "Lola Loves Me."

Well, I'm looking forward again to a new I-don't-know-when and I don't-know-what adventure. Here's hoping to strike a gold mine next time.

Revisiting Boracay

"I'm not going back via that route again!" exclaimed Lito, my co-employee and long-time friend. "The waves there are as big as houses!" he added. He was referring to our trip to Boracay in 1997 where we exited through Looc Bay of Tablas Island, Romblon.

My family planned another vacation at Boracay Island and we took the same route which the Accounting Department took more than a decade ago - via Odiongan, Romblon through the famous bay of Looc. I can't blame Lito for his horrifying memoirs of that trip which happened during the advent of the rainy season where storms were brewing and the seas were rough because of the strong easterly winds. But for most of us, it was an adrenalin-pumping fun adventure that won't be easily forgotten.

This day was different though. I was travelling with my wife and my 7-year old daughter. All I was banking on was that the seas would be calm due to the fact that it was still summer season. I was more worried about the ferociously hot summer heat draining every bit of juice from our bodies than the giant waves of Lito. We boarded M/B Ashera, a motorboat reminiscent of a medium sized fishing boat converted into a passenger vessel. Not much has changed in fourteen years - save for the orange life vests dangling like curtains in the wooden windows. These jackets would make our 3-hour trip to Boracay Island a lot safer.

Ashera, running at 10 knots provided with an almost theatrical view of the horizon, punctuated by small islands whose brilliant folder white beaches gave refreshing thoughts of refuge from the vastness of the open seas. As we have prayed, the seas were calm, almost still and Ashera ripped through the bluish green waters.

The tripulantes assited us in crossing the gangplank that connected the boat and Caticlan Port. It was midday and the sun was at its hottest, almost scorching the delicate baby skin of Karylle. I would say that the management of Caticlan Port was very efficient. In under 10 minutes, we were boarding the next boat that will bring us to Boracay Island. Paying P125 per head was just fine in exchange for a fast service, efficient port personnel, environmental fee and terminal fee.

I don't know when did they implement just having Manoc-manoc pier as the lone landing area for all sea vessels. I think just a year ago, people were so used to saying Station 1 or Station 2 or Station 3. N0w, there's only Manoc-manoc pier. A brilliant move from the Municipal Council for security and revenue control purposes. From the pier, the P50-tricylce ride to the long white beach area took 5 to 10 minutes only.

It was the peak season of Boracay and I saw many locals and foreigners. The island of Boracay through the years has not lost its magic. It is still the best tropical beach destination of tourists from around the globe. I can't help but ask why? The answer lay beneath the "palm of my feet" - the sand - its white talcum powdery sand that remains unbelievably

soft and cold even when nakedly exposed to the scorching heat of the sun. The other thing was its clear blue green water but I think it was just secondary because it only blended with its base. We were captivated by these enchanting sceneries we didn't notice we were already behind the hotel which we called the Sanctuary in the Sands.

Two years ago, I wrote an article about Boracay Sands Hotel which was aptly described by Partner Edrich as the sanctuary in the sands. Today, completely finished, it stands majestic, its beauty and aristocracy enhanced further by two newly constructed hotels on both sides. Through the accommodations of my Boss, Boracay Sands Hotel was our sanctuary overnight. It was a rather short vacation, but one that was full of excitement, fun and adventure.

Next stop - Palawan! I hope this happens this year.

Preserve this Paradise

I can't believe my eyes that I would be seeing one place in my hometown that would match the beauty of Boracay island. The water's so pristine and the whole panorama of the baylike beach is unquestionably one of the best that I have visited personally. In the middle of the hot summer season, it is so amazing that I did not see a single soul in the shore. My policeman younger brother insisted on seeing the place and dragged me in his motorcycle. To get there, we travelled a measly 30 minutes in the long and winding roads of Anahao and Ferrol, Romblon.

If I have my way, I don't want that this beautiful place be visited by developers who would surely invest their money into converting the area into a commercially viable tourist destination. I believe in my heart that there must be some place that should remain as it is. Let man feast on the beauty of nature but never to alter its balance. Sooner or later, we will suffer the consequence of our own greed.

Let us preserve what we still can!

Swimming at the Beach

Three weeks ago, I visited Odiongan, Romblon. This is where I was born and lived the first 16 years of my life. I have not been visiting my hometown since after marriage in 2002. Last week was quite a unique visit because I was with my two kids, Karylle and Barjae. My wife, Happy, wasn't able to come along due to some very urgent and important matters in our company. We both work in the same company and we both hold senior positions in the management. It is difficult to be both on leave at the same time.

Anyway, my Mom, who just retired as District Supervisor in a public elementary school have been insisting to bring Barjae to Odiongan. Only five months old, Barjae has no regular nanny and we have great difficulty in taking care of him because of the demands of our job. Knowing this situation, my Mom volunteered to take care of Barjae if we could just let her bring Barjae to Odiongan. It was quite a hard decision but we finally agreed to her request. So on March 27, 2010, we traveled via RoRo in Batangas to Odiongan. We were accompanied by Nono, my policeman younger brother and Prince John, a registered nurse and the youngest of the siblings. The sea was rough but we arrived Odiongan safe and sound.

It was a wonderful feeling to be back home again. The family are all happy to see me and my two kids. Barjae is the apple of their eyes because he is one of the only three male grandchildren in the burgeoning Famero family. I know I had a very short time and I need to be back at the office in two days. We made the most out of this very short window by visiting relatives and places which I haven't gone to yet like beaches and hills. Our town has changed from a sleepy municipality to a relatively fast developing town. The market area has been relocated, new schools have been erected, new commercial buildings dotted the blocks in the poblacion and more roads have been paved. There are more people now that I do not know - new businessmen, new faces and little children in the neighborhood who have now grown to adulthood I cannot even remember their names.

The best part of my visit was the swimming at the beach. It was fun to be swimming with your nephews and nieces. Bokbok was also present. He was his old self, retrieving whatever I throw into the water and bringing them back to me. His instinct to retrieve is a quality of a purebreed Labrador.

We went biking to Libertad, ten kilometers away from home. But the paved road is no match to the ruggedness of our mountain bikes. Nono led me in our trail and explained the new developments in different barangays as we passed by. The fresh air and scenery are the great bonuses of the trip, not to mention the instant exercise that sent my spinal chord and knees aching for the next five days. But it's all worth it.

Wish I could have all the time in the world doing these same things over and over again. Two days later I was back in reality. Back to work in Renaissance Tower 1000 at Ortigas Center.

My New Daily

As opposed to The Graveyard Shift (my other blogsite), Diurnal is a chronicle of important daily events that shape my life, my country and the world. Literally, the word diurnal borrows its origins from the greek word diurna which means dia or day. This diurnal will record not only moments of great significance but of the mundane things that few people give time to. I honestly believe that the size of things is not so important compared to the impact that they bring to the particular event.

One example is obedience to traffic rules. This is the simplest of the laws of the land. If one cannot follow a simple sign of the "red, yellow and green lights" on the road, then I would not be expecting someone to be filing his correct income tax returns. Obedience to traffic rules is one great free advertisement with which we can show our foreign visitors that the Philippines is one great place to visit or stay. It would only take one malingering pedestrian crossing EDSA outside the pedestrian lane to ruin a P1M advertisement of the Department of Tourism.

Just this morning, I had this chance to read a small book by a not so popular Filipino author. He's not the one whom you can see frequently on TV or hear his voice over the radio but he managed to have no less than President Cory Aquino to write the foreword of his little book. The name of the author is Alexander L. Lacson and his book enumerates 12 little things that every Filipino can do to help our country. And on top of his list is obedience to traffic rules. I agree with him 100%.

Let us be proud and honor the achievements of our fellow Filipinos. I would not speak of Manny Pacquiao because his deeds have been exalted to the 7th heaven by his friends and enemies alike. I know of a Filipino whose contribution to science is so profound she won the 2002 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Louisville, Kentucky. She was the first Asian teacher to win the Intel Excellence in Teaching Award. Her name is Dr. Josette Biyo. For her feat, a newly discovered asteroid (or planet) was named after her - 13241 Biyo.

The great things that we achieve is the sum of the little things that we do daily.