Long Weekend Getaway And A Lesson From The Waves

It's great to find time to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city life and explore a new place and just be at peace...

To sit back and relax...

... knowing that there are no papers to check, no lessons to prepare, no deadlines to meet. :)

To look down and see the ocean... To look up and see the skies...

... because the beach calms my soul and the clouds inspire my spirit.

To find a long peaceful road and take a walk...

... because I love long walks!

To sit on the grass...

... and even lie down on those greens while singing a favorite song.

To dip my feet in the pool...

....and watch the children play with the waters.

To visit a park... 

... and be like a child myself...

... swinging

...being lost in a maze...

... and entering the big shoe.

        

      

To cross a bridge...

...because there's something more to bridges than just literally connecting a gap.

To wake up with the sunshine...

...and be thankful for my life. 

To play with the waves...

... and laugh my heart out. 

As I was watching and observing the waves, I found that...

 - There was a strong wave that ended weak on the shore.

 - There was a weak wave that ended strong.

 - There was a weak wave that remained weak. Thus, it never reached the shore.

 - And there was a strong wave that was strong all the way to the shore.

Now I'm back in the city. How about you, how was your weekend? And which wave are you? :)

3 Things I Can Live Without

There are things that we're so used to having and we feel that we will not survive without them. We feel bare,  incomplete or empty. Well of course, things that have become so part of our every day are so hard to let go. But there are also things that we could just let go easily or... gradually. We may not notice that we're actually living a normal life even with their absence.

I have 3 of these things on my list. It was an unconscious effort of taking them off my system. Other people are surprised that I'm surviving without them. But hey, my life is still so normal and seems to be even better!

1. TV

via Google images

Our television at home is not functioning for the past 3 months. Well actually the sounds are still good but it doesn't show anything. So we don't use it anymore because... my gosh! Who wants to watch TV without anything to be watched?

At first, it was odd getting no news from other parts of the world, no crying over a drama, nor getting updates from my favorite celebrities. :)  Sadness crept during the night because I was so used to watching news and dramas. TV sets are usually the centerpiece of Filipino homes  so not having a TV at home is almost feeling like unpatriotic. :)

But we didn't want a new TV. My father said he would get it fixed but months have past and our TV still remained unfixed. We eventually forgot all about it. And that's great! Because we had more time talking and laughing.

I later realized that I don't need a TV! I don't hear bad news in the morning so I'm able to start my day with positive vibes. No bad news still in the evening so I'm able to sleep without being paranoid. 

I also realized that news on TV can be exaggerated because I don't get the same paranoia when I just read from the web. Maybe some of the newsmen are using the fact that Filipinos love drama so they inflict drama. (This is an opinion. I don't mean any harm.)

I've become a lover of books especially magazines! Well, I've been an avid reader since my grade school. In later years, TV has corrupted some of my reading time. Thanks to the absence of TV. I've rediscovered my love for reading.


2. SODA

via Google Images

Yes! I know what you'll say. How boring my life could be! I love steaks but I don't drink softdrinks. I love barbecues but I don't drink softdrinks. How do I enjoy fiestas without taking in even a drop of soda? How can I not give in to a glass full of coke with overflowing ice? My gosh! Even the thought of it is so tempting!

Well, I'm not totally taking it out of my system. I do enjoy drinking soda as much as I want during New Year's day. I don't want to be mean to myself so I also give in to my gratifications but only once a year. So that's 1 day with soda and 364 days without soda. Still so mean? Uhmmm... When I'm really dying to drink, I eat the ice in the drink instead. There's still that soda taste on it but at least I don't drink the soda. I eat it! :)

This is a conscious effort - a big effort at that. With all the great tasting food around, it's so hard to not look for a bottle of coke. But I want to do myself some good. This is my one way of taking care of my body. :)

3. PILLOWS

via Google Images

The thought that I can sleep without pillows came a surprise to me because I had lots of pillows on my bed before. I couldn't sleep without a pillow at my head, a pillow at my back, a pillow at my feet and a pillow that I could hug. I can't recall how I learned to live without one but I'm still alive! :) Yes, I've survived without pillows! I have to have a blanket though. That's a must.


How about you? What are the things that you thought you couldn't live without but after letting them go, you turned out to be just fine?

New Favorite Movie Series

After ten baking weekends, I've finally had my last weekend all by myself. I stayed at home sleeping, eating, and watching movies. I was hooked on the Fast and Furious series. Yeah, I know time has passed me by. I should have entitled my post as "Old Favorite Movie Series". The series is not anymore in its glorious days after all the vampires and the wolves have come into the limelight but please don't forget how amazing the car races were.

I've only watched Fast Five in the theater. I was overwhelmed with all the beautiful cars, the crazy speed, and the wonderful Brazil. Setting aside the idea that the "good" people in the movie are actually the criminals, the movie is generally visually entertaining. When was that movie shown? Was it last year? But it was only last Saturday that I remembered I wanted to see its prequels. 

I've watched the first three of the series. (Photos via Google Images)

The Fast and the Furious (2001)

2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)

                             

The Fast and the Furious Tokyo Drift (2006)

I've yet to see the fourth film.

                                                     

Realizations:

1. I know how to appreciate cars! Well, I appreciate the style, the paints, the colors. I don't understand anything about the engines and the interiors and the rest of the parts but still I know how to appreciate :)

2. This is so unlikely me. I mean, I don't like some of what the boys like. When my brothers watch boxing, UFC, or play dota, counter strike (did I even get the terms right?), I walk out and go to my cave but we enjoyed watching Fast and Furious together even with my father.

3. One of my favorite movies of all time is Speed which stars Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves (who by the way is so handsome!) which brought me to a realization that maybe, I really like action adventure movies which theme speed. Oh yeah! I have a little not-so-girly side after all. :)

4. A new favorite actor in my list is Paul Walker (who played as Brian O'Conner). He was also the star in the movie Eight Below. Remember this? I cried a river watching him save the dogs!

Eight Below (2006)

Amazing Monday: Baby Photography

It's just so amazing how beautiful all babies are... especially when they are asleep. Everything is so peaceful when I look at them. I'm not yet a mother and I'm not even married but I don't have to be to appreciate these amazing little creatures. 

Photos from Jessica Monteiro Photography 

Daydreaming Saturday: Santorini Greece

Oh so beautiful a place!!! This is one of the wonders I'd like to be in someday! 

Photos from greektravel.com

Yummy Gensan: Dragon Fruit Shake at Cafe Mita

Cafe Mita is a newly opened restaurant in General Santos City. I've seen its photos from a friend's FB account (so much is really happening in FB). So last night, my girl friends and I decided to try it out.

Laiza, Me, and Ate Doli after our meal.
Smiles of satisfaction.

The attendant highly recommended their dragon fruit shake. I never had one before. And since I liked trying out something new, I grabbed a glass while my company settled for the classic mango juice and a bottle of coke. 

When it was served, I was amazed of how super bright pink it was! (Insert kangaroo hops here.) It was nearly purple and I melt for purples. Ahhh.... My dragon fruit shake. How gorgeous you are! And you're oh so yummy, too!

The happy me with my dragon fruit shake

Dinner wouldn't be complete without our rice meals. Look how yum their dishes are. Prices are very reasonable!

Ate Doli with her classic chicken pork adobo

Laiza with her roast pork loin with grilled pineapple

And me with my honey chicken

What else do I like about the place? The colors. The colors of oranges and lemons and limes are so playful and youthful. I'm like in a garden surrounded by beautiful flowers and green bushes. 

Look. They even have fresh flowers on the table!

Pretty teapots are also all over the place! I feel like I'm in a countryside!

If you are up for the moonlight and the starry starry night, they also have tables and chairs outside.

Three words for Cafe Mita -  fresh, playful, sassy!

Location: PG Bldg., National Highway (Beside Queenies Subd.)

Another Blogger Inspiration

Just sharing: I've been following Kryz Uy for months already. I find her so gorgeous! And her style is very cute, sweet, and elegant. 

          
                         

                



           




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