Of flowers and girls

“She cast her fragrance and her radiance over me. I ought never to have run away from her... I ought to have guessed all the affection that lay behind her poor little stratagems. Flowers are so inconsistent! But I was too young to know how to love her...”
― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

The onslaught and unhindered sound of rain keeps battering our roof. Why oh why do you relive such memories? It’s like the sound of rushing water caused by rain are the sands of time pouring in, carrying with it memories that it eroded with its rough powders.

photo source

Isla Jardin Escapade!

These are just choice pictures from my stash and continue to scroll down for the full article about our escapade

Over the weekend some of my officemates and I went to Isla Jardin, Glan, Saranggani to unwind and leave behind the stress and pressure of office and city life. It was really a good way to relax because the place is really far from civilization (in my opinion). Even our cellphones have no signal save for users of Globe Telecom. Tisha, an officemate and under the SALN unit, is the only Globe user I know who was with us during the trip. Had I known that the place have no Sun Cellular or Smart signal, then I would’ve bought a Touch Mobile ( TM ) sim card which is a sister company of Globe, by the way. However, at the end of the trip, I realized that it was also fun to have no communication to people back at the city because I was able to focus more and appreciate nature and the people around me. I’m getting ahead of myself so let’s go back to the vacation part. We, Nikki, and I, were fetched near our area on the way because the road we’re taking goes South which is where I live. Nikki is also part of the SALN unit, for your info. We waited until past 8:00 (I forgot the exact time) for the van to arrive. My parents dropped me at a convenience store so I can wait for the van with Nikki. I said goodbye to my parents and jumped into the van. Thank God it was quite spacious so I can relax and have a place to put my stuff! I sat beside one of my direct boss on my left and Nikki on my right. The travel was smooth sailing and we arrived at the area way past lunch time where food is waiting! Yey for lechon! Yummerss! We ate with gusto and drank soft drinks; hard drinks for most of the guys. Then we were free to lolly-gaggle after lunch. I don’t know what to do so I took pictures with my camera with Nikki and Tisha tagging along. It was too hot for swimming so we went back and chatted with the guys who were drinking. I passed on drinks since I’m not really a fan of alcohol. We played Kokology for a while since I brought the book with me and had fun interpreting the answers and kinda getting a gist of what type of person each of us are. When it was around 5:00 pm when the sun was setting and a warm glow was around the area, we decided to dip ourselves in the ocean. The water felt good but our friend and officemate, Beau, had another idea. We invited us to go hiking on this trail that follows the path around the massive rock formations. I was reluctant because I’m really clumsy and I’m afraid I might trip and fall on the rocky pools at the sides. Thank goodness nothing of the sort happened. We took lots of pictures as we followed the trail and was rewarded by breathtaking views that surprised us every turn! I did not regret going through such fear and anxiety because of the rewarding view I got. The beach that we found in a little secluded area after a few turns was really tranquil and inviting. The sand was softer compared to the ones near the cottages and the water was divine tinted with a beautiful shade of aquamarine. I wished to stay longer but the troop wanted to go on ahead and follow the trail. Beautiful after beautiful view greeted us every turn and it was worth the scrapes and tired feet I got afterwards. Lastly, we climbed back to level ground and followed a grassy path that was so quiet that it bordered on being creepy. We even saw an abandoned house that piqued my interest but unfortunately it was getting dark and my friends were not interested to explore a derelict looking house. Who knows what spooks live there so we passed by it quickly. We eventually arrived at someone’s backyard or so it looks. We were at the other end of the line of cottages, the expensive looking ones that really look like houses. We went back to our cottage to shower and change for dinner. We had another round of modified lechon and some grilled fish and the usual soft drinks and hard drinks. I walked along the beach with the cool wind to fan my face. I looked up and lo and behold! The Milky Way is visible from Isla Jardin! Wow! I felt really happy and sad at the same time. Happy because I finally observed the Milky Way and sad because I can’t crystallize the moment I saw it for I have no camera that can capture such beauty. It was just as I expected! A line of cloudy stars that spanned the sky dotting it with twinkling lights. I also walked with Beau and Nikki and talked of various topics about life. I also sang my heart out just so I can relax. We joined the other bosses on their drinking session and talked about psychology and choices and how it reflects who we are (not going into details! And no we didn’t drink. Haha). I decided I had enough human company so Nikki and I decided to call it a day and retreated to our cottages. My mind was still buzzing despite my tired body so I stayed outside the cottage even after I changed into jogging pants as my PJs. Suddenly a friend and officemate surprised me by talking to me despite the late hour. I was typing my feelings on my phone then and deleted it lest he will see what it contains. Feelings are sacred to me and I will not let some kid read it. We talked of random things from horror, creatures that “roam” our land, our college (even though we never met there) experiences and our experiences of the unknown to crazy ideas and how weird I am and how much of a kid he is. Despite the nonsense talk, I enjoyed talking and before I knew it, it was 3:30 am and my body can’t take it anymore. Some of our friends and officemates didn’t sleep and instead grilled bananas and offered some to us. We ate it and declared that it was good! After eating I was so sleepy and tired that I just dived into bed without thinking about my position or what and I fell asleep only to be woken by my alarm clock. It was like I just closed my eyes and suddenly my phone woke me up. I turned off the alarm and eventually woke up around 6:45. I immediately showered and changed and ate cup noodles before ordering breakfast at the hall/clubhouse. I wanted to order bacon but they said it was not available (much to my disappointment) and instead had beef tapa. I wanted to have coffee but I dare not trust my tummy for the long journey so I just had powdered juice. We finished it right away and headed for the van home. I was so groggy from lack of sleep that I had no appetite for anything else so I just slept for the most part of the journey. I woke up in between during stops at stores and shops where we bought pasalubong for our family. I bought bibingka and banana chips with sugar and sesame seeds (sorry! I don’t know the name!). I texted my parents that we were going home when the signal came back. I asked the driver to drop me near our neighborhood so I won’t travel far to get home. I said goodbye to my officemates and thanked them for the vacation. I jumped off where they dropped me and I rode a jeep that would enter our subd. so I don’t have to walk far to our house. When I got back home, I discovered a bite or itchy something under my foot. So bothersome! I planned on uploading the pictures right away but I was so tired that I slept most of the afternoon after eating lunch. After uploading the pictures after dinner, I watched RWBY (the latest “anime” I watched) until I couldn’t take it anymore and continued to sleep. I needed much rest for it was Monday the next day.

McDonald's Twister Fries!

Cravings satisfied! Yey! I was really craving for Mcdonald's Twister Fries ever since it was announced. It's been 2 years, I think, since the last Mcdo Twister Fries was on sale. They put a hashtag #MinsanLangTo so we can assume that it won't be forever. That's why I wanted to have a go at it while it's still available. This time, it's just plain twister fries without any tie-up with movies. Usually, twister fries or special fries are tied up with movies that are currently showing... or was it the shake shake fries? Hahaha anyway, my officemates and I decided to visit a mall to look for rash guards for our upcoming beach trip. It was a failure because we found a limited and expensive stock of rash guards. I guess that's because it's not the summer season and people are not usually flocking to the beach. Since I'm near a McDonald's branch, I decided to drag my officemate to eat at McDo with me just so I can eat twister fries. We chatted over our meal about office issues and experiences. I ordered Chicken Fillet with Rice, Twister Fries, and Green Apple Sprite Float. She had cheeseburger, coke zero and twister fries. It was fun chatting with her because I got to learn about other people and how she sees them. The best part was still the Twister Fries, though. I didn't expect it to be really salty but I enjoyed it all the same. Thank goodness the sweetness of the green apple sprite float helped alleviate the salty aftertaste caused by the twister fries. So after the chit-chat, I walked with her along the way until a jeep that would travel to our neighborhood passed  by. I rode it home and arrived safely, wet from the rain that followed.

Let's all learn from Eeyore. Goodnight!

My last thoughts before hitting the sack... :|

This salt cellar taught me more about life than my friends' advices. XD

Soft Glow

I love the brightness brought by a gentle rain during the day. It gives everything a different look. So filled with light yet not harsh. It softens the hard edges & gives them that tranquil air. How ironic compared to the storm I feel inside.

It was but for a brief moment, the sky blazed with flames from the setting sun staining the clouds orange like glowing coals.

Fly Away

There was a butterfly contained in a glass jar. She is given the illusion that she's free to mingle but found herself bumping only glass. She can only gaze at the others & eventually lost the will to fly. One day, someone encouraged her to break the glass. She thought about it until she made the decision to break free. She broke the glass but not without repercussions. She hurt herself badly in the process & needed to recover in order to be able to fly again. The encouraged helped & supported her all the way until she was strong enough. However, when she was able to fly again, she abandoned her helper & ventured yonder...

Rain

The rain... Burning holes  on the soil, drumming our roof with its persistent rhythm. It's companion, the chill wind, kisses my hot skin.
Oh what a relief from the humid touch of a hot day.