Motherhood

I wish I was a woman.

That was a point of realization. It happened when I was with my colleagues at work in a private maternity room. We were all gazing at the small bundle of innocence and bliss lying on the bed as Alex, the newly-anointed mother, narrated to us the excruciating experience of her childbirth.

She was talking to us how painful everything was. Hers was supposed to be a normal delivery, which turned out to be not so normal after all. First, she lost almost all her water and went into dry labor. Contractions then were like arrows from hell. Second, the baby got 'stressed', went into fetal distress, and she had to do a Caesarean delivery.But through it all, when she heard and saw her baby, everything was simply swept away.

Through it all, I simply wondered: what was it like? Although I could approximate, albeit barely, the entire experience, my sex limits me from living through one of life's most paradoxical, most joyous moments. Sadly, you only get to live once and delivering a baby will never be crossed out of my bucket list.

Kudos to you mothers. 

Praying The Rosary

I've been praying the rosary ever since I was young. The rosary was a staple of my family's spiritual life, especially during the month of October when the devotion was set anew.

Mama had a story about the rosary, one that involved her father, my late Lolo Lino. She was complaining about praying the rosary, claiming that it was boring and repetitive. My lolo simply pointed out an analogy of the bus' wheels. The bus is on a journey and, like any other journey, the bus has to reach a destination. In order to reach a destination, the bus' wheels had to do their thing, which is to keep turning round and round until the bus gets to the place. This is the same thing that happens with the rosary. We pray the same prayers over and over again so we can reach that special destination.

I also came to a point where I questioned the whole thing. Praying the rosary was hard work; it was a chore. What made it look uglier was that praying it was coerced. I had no choice because, as mentioned, it was the staple prayer of the family. I also did not find any meaning in praying a very "unnatural" prayer, silently citing Matthew 6:7 as proof that I was right.

But my attitude changed. All it took was a little education, of course. The rosary was, for all intents and purposes, a guide to meditation. It wasn't a prayer per se but a tool to meditate on the Mystery found in each decade. Technically, the rosary was a litany of prayers, whispered repeatedly, as one's mind transcended its verbal utterances and delved into the depths of the Mysteries of Christ's life and God's love.

However, despite this, I cannot say I'm a fan of praying the rosary. Perhaps, I prefer a different kind of prayer, one that would suit me more. Still, one cannot discount the immense power it holds on many of the faithful and how it has nourished generations of Catholics over the years.

There's Something About Boracay

I'm not an expert on Boracay or anything but I'm pretty glad we went there during the off-season (read: the "-ber" months). Otherwise, we would have to contend with traffic and lots of people. Sure, we could have had a good time ogling at the many celebrities if we went during the summer, but we also could have wrestled with the steeper prices of accommodations and rides (which is never fun).

Having been to the place, what can I say? What is there in Boracay that is so special? Well, let me first describe it by saying what it's not.

If you are every bit the eco-tourist, then Boracay is not for you. We fed the fish and saw some birds and bats but that was it. You're better off going to Palawan where the fish are bigger or to other secluded resorts in the Philippines which sport wilder varieties of fauna.

If you like the beach, Boracay's white sand coastline may suit you well (although there are many white beach resorts in the country which can boast of the same thing). Just don't go during the peak season, where all sorts of weeds reportedly spring up because of pollution.

What does make Boracay special are the many establishments that dot its shoreline. It's amazing. You can choose from so many restaurants, hotels, and bars in the area that you'll simply be bewildered by the staggering variety of choices. 

In addition, Boracay also sport several rides, which can only be found there. 

It's ironic, really. Boracay is Boracay not because of the place itself but because of the many people who have made the place something worth visiting.

Airports

Ahhh. The airport. The second home for most businessmen, right next to hotels. Just some observations I want to put out in the open: 

Why can't one bring an umbrella, especially a telescopic one, inside one's carry-on luggage? This one boggles me. Some would point out that umbrellas pose a security risk since they can be used as improvised weapons, as if only selected objects can be used as killing devices by the most determined murderer. In our trip to Iloilo, Grace requested that I keep her umbrella in my baggage since it's not allowed by airport personnel. In our return trip to Davao, I was advised by the security staff to deposit my umbrella in the baggage counter (which I promptly ignored) when they saw I was carrying it in my carry-on bag. 

My take is that maybe the airport staff are either just a bit paranoid or they don't really understand the logic behind the prohibition. The TSA or the Transport Security Administration of the United States actually allow umbrellas as carry-on baggage once they have been inspected to ensure that prohibited items are not concealed. So, if the TSA, the department tasked with overseeing post-9/11 security measures across all airports in America, can allow umbrellas as carry-on baggage provided they don't harbor any illegal or dangerous stuff, I see no reason why their Philippine counterparts have to be so rigid with regards to umbrellas. 

Second, I have finally seen another airport (Iloilo's) apart from NAIA and Davao City's Bangoy and one word summarizes what I have seen: Boring. The architecture, though sleek and reminiscent of the airplanes the building services, is quite monotonous. It's as if there was only architect commissioned to design each and every one of the country's airports. From the roofing structure down to the flooring, everything is roughly the same. I don't know if there are a set of rules governing airport design and thus dictating that they all come from the same cookie cutter. But our airports can really benefit from a dose of creativity and color should renovation be waiting around the corner. 

Finally, Kit shared his story a long time ago about one of his flights back to Manila. He was sitting beside a gay man and he was clearly troubled that this man just kept using his cellphone right before take-off. Alarmed, he told the man to shut the thing off to which the man promptly retorted that his cellphone was on flight mode. Flight mode? Apparently, Kit did the right thing by giving the man the benefit of the doubt. Flight mode is actually a setting in most advanced cellphones which disables the device's ability to place or receive calls or send or receive text messages. That was the first time I heard of such a setting. Unfortunately, my cellphone doesn't have one.

Days In Bora

Day 1 

On the way to the airport after just an hour of sleep. Grace and Henry are probably silently cursing at me. I assume both are paranoid that we won't make the flight (Flight's at 7:30 AM. It's still 5:15AM). As if I haven't been there before. Okay, we're now in the airport. Saw Ma'am Anne who is also on vacation. First time I've been back in the airport since 2009. Nothing's changed, though. Liftoff. Tried a variety of things to pass time. Read a book (but stopped because I was too sleepy. Read the inflight magazine (same thing). Settled for taking a nap. Touchdown. Iloilo. Went to the dormitory to freshen up. Deposited our luggage. Rested for awhile. Time to stroll. Breakfast at Andok's (Just like Manila eh?). Picture taking at the nearby plaza and church. Went back to the dorm to catch some more sleep. On the way to SM Iloilo. Brought with us our pasalubong for Ma'am Miren. Lunch at Punsyon based in Plazuela. First oyster (talaba) experience. Off to the Business Center. Nice office. Better than Davao's, I believe. Greeted Ma'am Miren. Had a chitchat with Sarah, their marketing assistant for Housing, over a possible collaboration on a TQ project I had in mind. Whiled away the time. Being introduced to the Operations Team. Having coffee at Coffeebreak, waiting for Ma'am Miren after office hours. Dinner with the rest of the BC team at Y2K. More oysters. Then drinking session at Lanai in Smallville. with the BC team. Then off to Aura for some music. At near dawn, we're busy sipping batchoy at Ted's. Off to the dorm once again for some shuteye. 

Day 2 

Couldn't sleep still. Woke up a shade before 3 AM. Tried waking up everyone. At 5 AM, in a van on the way to Kalibo. Almost slept through the whole trip. Breakfast at Jollibee's then it's off to Caticlan. On a boat bound for Boracay. This is it. Upon reaching the island, we went straight to B & B. Tried to recover lost sleep but had to wake up for lunch. Strolled down White Beach, gawking at the many shops and restaurants lined across the shoreline. Lunch at Mang Inasal (Grrgghh. We're here to sample food! Not visit the same restaurants you can see in Davao!). Observing Sir Ramy negotiate our rides. Off to the other side of the town. Now the sky is weeping. Great, sunburn won't be a problem. First speedboat experience. First helmet diving/reef walking experience. Nice. Couldn't wipe off my smile for the whole duration of the dive. Back to the island. A brief swim, sampling Bora's beach. Many people, despite this being the off-peak season. On to B& B for a shower. Dinner at Andok's (Aarrghghgh!). A night spent watching MYX, Bubble Gang, etc. Zzzz... 

Day 3 

Woke up early again, this time for our island hopping trip. Boatman gave us a roundabout of the nearby island before settling in on a dive spot. Then, we're off to Boca Beach, which is more pristine by the way compared to White Beach. Early lunch at a nearby restaurant. Back to civilization, after a morning of island/s touring. Onwards to riding the ATVs. Fun ride, although the guide could have given us a bit of leeway (like allowing us to overtake and do other things with the ATVs). Then another swim, this time our last. Off to shower. Took awhile since there were now seven of us for the only bathroom in our room, having checked out of our first room early that morning. Last stroll along White Beach. Had a henna tattoo, which spelled "Life" in Kanji (or so they tell me). Buffet dinner at a nearby hotel. 

Day 4

Early again for our boat ride back to Caticlan. Breakfast at a karinderya near the wharf (nice food). Then, the long trip to Iloilo. Had to stop somewhere because Sir Ramy had an emergency. Back to dorm. Slept again. Then off to church for my first Ilonggo mass. Proceeded to SM to meet up with the rest of the gang. Really late lunch/Dinner at Ocean City. Last stroll at Smallville. Listening to live music at Pirates. Back to dorm. 

Day 5

Early at the airport. Breakfast at the airport lounge. Boarding for Davao City. Met clients Sir Rommel and Ma'am Cindy, now a freshly minted couple. Visited Davao BC to drop off our pasalubong. On a trip back home with Henry and Anton. Bora trip officially over.