Going Home

A few hours from now I'll be flying back to the Queen City of the South! There's no feeling like going back to a place that you've totally fallen in love with -- a place that you can actually call HOME. Currently, I'm printing some handouts from the internet that I could read and kill time with while waiting for my flight... it's 84 days to go till the big day!

Cliche

“Coming back is the thing that enables you to see how all the dots in your life are connected, how one decision leads you another, how one twist of fate, good or bad, brings you to a door that later takes you to another door, which aided by several detours--long hallways and unforeseen stairwells--eventually puts you in the place you are now.” - Anne Patchett

48-hour trip to MNL

Okay, so I'm about to tell you about my QUICK trip to Manila last month. It was pretty quick considering that I spent only 48 hours there! I really want to tell you a secret. Promise that you'll keep it between the both of us but, it's my first time to step on the island of Luzon. Hahaha! Parang achievement unlocked lang ang peg! Anyway I went there to attend the 27th Annual Convention of the Psychological Association of the Philippines Junior Affiliates. Pretty long, but let's just refer to it as PAPJA. We could've stayed longer in Manila if only our trip wasn't on the same weekend as Sinulog -- and you know how Cebuanos are with their well-loved festival! 48 hours it is. It was a very tiring trip, I tell you. Our flight was at four in the morning so we had to be at the airport at around 2. You could have imagined how groggy I was. Good thing I got to sleep on the plane.

Upon arriving in Manila, NAIA was not as bad as I thought it would be. It looked really nice contrary to what they call NAIA as one of the "worst airport terminals in the world". I beg to differ. The place looks quiet neat compared to all the other local airports I have been to.

Okay I would not want to bore you with my words, so here is just a photodump of some of the pictures I think describes my manila trip, with some captions on the side. Enjoy!

Taxis outside NAIA

5000 students attended the convention (not seen in photo cause we were a bit early)

Christmas is just around the corner...

“When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things - not the great occasions - give off the greatest glow of happiness.” 

                                                                 ― Bob Hope

Hi! I'm writing this blog from my very peaceful hometown, Davao City. Going home during the Christmas season feels so different compared to going home on ordinary months... there's just that feeling in the air. A feeling of pure love and joy and excitement to be able to spend time with people who matter the most. I am going to try my best to archive what I've been doing here in Davao the next few days. I can't wait!

Christmas has always been a special time for our family. Not because Jesus was born specifically on December 25, but it's a special time for the family to bond and be thankful of God's greatest gift to mankind -- salvation through Jesus Christ His Son. We spend Christmas with the Curato side, and it has been that way ever since I can remember. What we usually do on that day is that we eat a festive dinner which is called noche buena in Spain, Latin America, and the Philippines. Then, we have a devotional about the Christmas story, then we share God's blessings in our lives throughout the year. It's an emotional moment, I tell you. Last year, I was trying hard to hold back tears in my eyes because my heart was really happy! Tapos, we open the presents! Hehe we don't usually wait for exact midnight to do all this because the kids (p.s. including myself) start to be restless. I think this is one of everybody's favorite part, don't you think?

Christmas 2012

Ahhh, Christmas back home. It has been 5 years since. Our flight was in the morning of December 24, and the ride going to Davao was a little bit bumpy cause there were a lot of turbulence (i think). On landing, my mom, Nic2 and my cousin were feeling so bad because they felt nauseous! So much negative energy around me, shoo away! Anyway, we stopped by our house in emily, and from the looks of it, matagal tagal na rin since I've last seen it! 3 years, baby! It looks as if no one really took care of it, and it's really worn down. Haaay, so much memories there.

We headed to my lolo's house for lunch with the whole family! Everyone was there which made it cozier for the heart (teehee). Sitting at the table, I realized that I'm a bit too old to hang out with the kiddos... or maybe I'm not, it's just that they've grown up as well. :( The three musketeers a.k.a Mico, Patrick, and Kyla have entered the world of adolescence and there's that all too familiar behavior of a teen in confusion. Dale, on the other hand, is showing his happy and social self again, which is nice. He showed us a picture of his girlfriend too! :)) Of course, what would be a great family gathering if the babies weren't there? Ethan was just his jolly, cute and little self--- I can't get enough of him! If only I can be with him forever and he wouldn't grow up. (Separation anxiety and fixation right here) Justin has his own 2-year old world, complete with tantrums here and there, and the occasional laugh he gives that makes us laugh too. Joshua and Justin finally finally are in "good terms" with each other, since before they usually fight over things. I love my cousins so much! Anyway, here's a sneak peek of our little lunch get-together:

Lolo cooked crabs and pochero (his apos' favorite) Happy tummy!

Nothing beats food cooked by lolo :)

Wait... here's a pseudo-family pic during Kyla's birthday :>

Christmas tree at my lolo's house! Look at all the gifts! They're mostly Justin and Ethan's, and Josh's so MEHHH HAHAHAHAHAHA

This is our little noche buena: spaghetti, shrimp, and bulalo! :))

After dinner, we had a family devotional led by our tito Iman. There, we talked about the blessings and trials the family has encountered during the year 2012, and how much we are thankful for God's grace. Although some parts were awkward cause I don't usually hear my other titos open up like that, but it was heart-warming and now I get a bigger perspective on how God touches our lives, especially in our family. There were tears shed too, but all is well in the family. :)

Here's my tito reading the Christmas story again in Luke 2

On December 27, my barkada met up. After three years, we're complete! (FYI: We haven't been complete since highschool graduation)! Sabot was 1 pm at our favorite studio but people arrived at around 3pm! Crazyyyy! As always, Jemma is the early bird cause she had her solo pictures taken, which she says she does every after 2 years. Janine was still fresh from Kidapawan when she arrived and Joy was just in Chimes looking around (that's why she was late zzzz). Photo sessions with the gang contain the same fun and laughter we had in highschool. Still crazy!

Some of our pictures:

 

 A candid photo of us laughing (I love this so much, looks so chika!):

With everything wrapped up in the studio, we went to Victoria Plaza (it continues to exist) and decided to shop for groceries and ingredients for the crazy sleepover we plan to have. Ingredients on our list: spaghetti sauce, ground pork, sago, condensed milk, evap, among others. We waited for Janine cause she went home to pack her stuff up :)))) After the mall, we decided to go straight to Joy's house to cook dindin. As usual, our head honchos in the kitchen is Joy and Jemma, the two powerful best buddies! They made me taste-tester which I suck at cause I eat anything they feed me! I can't differentiate much on taste.... *self pity* Food was greaaaaaaaaaat! Conversations over the table were all mixed up, you had to turn your head from one side to the other to listen to everything that's been going on! Talk about crazy!! Even if we study at different places, it all goes back to highschool, its people, and its drama (not much on the drama, but news of people!)

Adobo by Joy and Jemma

We then headed to Ken's crib to have our "party" and "exchanging gift". 

Here's a picture of us with our gifts from our manitas :D

  Notice the headbands? Christmas gift ko yan to errbody! 

In the midst of our conversation circle is Cheezy, bars of chocolate, our phones, Jemma's wifi thing, and Picnik

 We played a game of "truth or truth" and it came out with lots of shocking revelations which I'm not gonna tell you about hehehehe. Anyway that pink phone on the book is the dial, and that's Jemma's reaction (EPIC!)

Conversations went on till 2am, but Jemma and I were passed out at about 12am. I woke up at around 2 am though cause their voices were really loud and Ken said something funny :))) it was not long till I dozed off to sleep. 

Here's a picture of us asleep till the bright hours of morning. Photo courtesy of
Clarisse Honorario. We all look so tired!

I spent the rest of my days at my Tita Mimi's house, of course hanging out with the babies... thus not much photos. 

On 2 days of my vacation, I went to the beach with two different bunches of people: First, with my titos and my cousins (I was photographer that day hence no photos of myself). I basically did "bantay" duty cause I didn't really bathe in the sea. I don't like being in the water. :(

Pat2, Josh, and Kyla making a mermaid

The other time, I was in Paradise with my mom's close friends, my tita, my cousins, and Minnie!

(Paradise)

Em, JL (goodness he's tall), and me!

We also visited my great-grandma's house. She has lots of pictures of my dad and my titos when they were little! It was my first time seeing them that small, and they were shocked to know that they had pictures that survived!

A picture with my great grandma + the babies

My mom and Lola awing

December 31, 2012: At my Lola Libby's house, with my girl cousins and niece :D

Ola, here's a pic of me and ken having dinner at Jbee bajada before she leaves Davao the next day! Always so fulfilling and special talking about things with your best friend, cause no matter what she'll accept you for who you are. :D

This post is very long and obviously I got lazy at the end part, but yeah. Christmas 2012 is the best Christmas ever! :))))