Valentine's Day craze

Today, many people are conscious of celebrating Valentine’s Day like everybody else. I have nothing against celebrating V-Day. In fact, I like the idea of allocating a certain day to do something extra special with your loved one especially if both of you have tight and conflicting schedules. A planned date is good but that’s not an excuse to only show love on that specific day. We must continually show our partners that we love them and make them feel loved. Anyway, back on the topic of V-Day, what I’m saying is don’t be pressured because you didn’t receive what most people got on the day of hearts. Believe me, I know it feels exhilarating to receive flowers and chocolates and all those cheesy stuff especially on valentine’s season. There came a time when I no longer received any and my mood plummeted to the depths of the abyss. Expectations and the feeling of being “in” turned my mood sour. I even went as far as making comparisons which is very nasty of me. I really feel sorry for being immature then.

However, I came to learn that extra effort and little celebrations don’t have to fall on a single day. You can always have those cheesy moments and little surprises any time of the year. If you really want it, you can discuss it with your partner (although that kinda kills the surprise factor but some people really need a hint).

If you didn’t get any chocolate or flowers on Valentine’s Day then don’t be bitter towards people who do. If you receive any, be thankful, if you didn’t, don’t let it make you unhappy. If you received something from someone unexpected then be very thankful because that person thought of giving you something no matter how small or insignificant it is to you. Don’t let one day dictate your relationship. Take control and if you want something then ask without getting needy or angry.

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!

1 John 4:19 We love, because He first loved us.

Let us show our love for the people we care about everyday of our lives.

Chocolate pop from a lady co-worker. Thank you, ma'am! :)

Evocative scents of the beach

As I picked up the fluffy towel and gently patted it to dry my face after a bath, it smelled of sun block and sunshine. It’s weird because it was quite a long time since our last beach together. The towel was already washed numerous times but it exudes the scent of memories evocative of sand under our feet, sun blazing behind our backs and salty water all over our bodies. It quickly took me back to the time you taught me how to swim and you laughed at how enthusiastic I was in the water and started to “practice” even before you said, “go,” and “again.”

Perhaps this is a foreshadowing of a beach trip sometime soon. :)
*wishful thinking*

Hearts and arrows kinda date

Ever since I’ve seen pictures of people wielding bow and arrows, I wanted to pay Gandiva a visit. As a child and until now, I’ve aspired to try archery. I guess this is from playing too much RPG games but hey, it’s fascinating. I always thought that trying archery is a far-fetched dream. Where can I do that in Davao? It’s not something you can find anywhere near here so I was thrilled to see that an archery place opened in Davao and in one of the malls to boot! I didn’t have to go far or go to out of town resorts that offer this recreational activity. Achievement unlocked for me! I planned a date with my partner in advance so we can properly have this archery date.

 

I thought I can actually choose to wield this. XD

I asked friends who played there about the crowds and how long they waited and the price/s for playing. One friend told me they had to wait 1 hour and 30 minutes for their turn! Waiting is not really my strength so my partner and I decided to go to the mall when it opens in the morning to avoid the crowds that would flock the game area. We set the date and met at the mall around 11:00 AM. So much for the planned 9:30 AM meeting.

Still we were pretty early with a few stragglers along the mall and only one customer besides us at the start of our game. The price starts at Php200.00 for 20 arrows per person. We opted for the Php360 for 40 arrows good for two persons. You can say it was a post monthsary date, early “Valentine’s” date (although we don’t really celebrate Valentine’s Day). The lady-in-charge assisted us and briefed us about the possibility of the string to “recoil” after we release it. Some get bruised while others really get wounded so we have leather guards attached to our arms. I was so thrilled that my palms were gathering cold sweat. Ugh! The bow was heavy and quite difficult to wield at first thanks to my sweaty palms. Eventually we were able to fire a few shots.

Let's continue facing the same direction and goal. :">

I felt a twinge of dismay that my arrows didn’t fly true. I always end up hitting the sides of the target. I shouldn’t expect so much since it was my first time but I can’t help it. Eventually the euphoria of playing chased away my disappointment and I had a really grand time. I kept laughing most of the time that I didn’t realize that I used up all my 20 arrows. I thought 20 would be too much for me to handle for a first-timer but time AND arrows fly when you’re having fun. If another chance comes my way, I would like to play again. It was one of the best dates I ever had! Aside from the fact that we got to try something new together, everything went smoothly as opposed to most of our dates with hiccups along the way. Answered prayer!

I was hoping I get to choose which bow to use. XD

We were famished after playing so we head over to Pepper Lunch to enjoy a sumptuous sizzling lunch! The smell was divine as it was served on our table and it satisfied our tummies and taste buds! Burp! To more first-time-activity dates to come!

Garlic beef hits the spot! *burp!

Photo post # 8

“It’s fun to peek into other people’s worlds and see how they go about doing things.”
- Norah Jones

Photo post # 7

Snack time.