NAPSAN

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

We left Puerto Princesa at 7:30 yesterday morning – and headed for Emmie's other paradise - her private beach in Napsan on the other side of the island of Palawan. We crossed two mountains and trekked on dirt-road aboard her 4-wheel drive that looks too big for a woman 4'8” tall with small frame. She uses a pillow to prop her up so she could see the road while she drives – but man, she handled the road like she owned it!

Seated next to her was Simon, her beautiful white-furry dog who traveled with her from Basel, Switzerland, and settled with her here in the Philippines. Simon is her other baby – the quasi-sibling of her only son, Joel, an artist, based in Zurich.

Emmie owns 17 or 18 hectares of land in Napsan, which include the beachfront property. She is getting the resort ready for a possible opening in October. Eight cottages are ready and the staff house is still being constructed. In the meantime, she only entertains family and close friends.

Since we got to the beach early, Aying and I settled in one of the cottages and then Emmie, together with her current beau, Bong, took us to the farm where the rice grains are ripening and you could smell the sweet scent of it - which is very similar to the "pinipig" - freshly-pounded sticky rice.

We met the carabaos, the goats, her farm helpers; we walked in the rice paddies and saw the irrigation system built by hands - where the water flowed down from the mountains.

We stopped at a clearing in the far end of the rice fields where she had a canopy with a table and chairs. Almost as soon as we sat down, Bong climbed up one of the coconut trees and downed four young fruits (buko). We were soon drinking buko juice and when we have dried up the juice, Bong expertly cut the young coconut. Using improvised spoons cut from the side of the coconut husk, we ate the buko meat which was very sweet and delicious.

We went back to the beach and after resting a little, we decided we want to go to the water. Emmie gave us this very sweet-smelling coconut oil and told us to apply it to all the exposed parts of our body. This is to prevent insect bites. The oil was so sweet and delicious, I almost wanted to lick it instead of applying it on my my extremities. Both Aying and I requested for some to take home. So with Bong and Emmie, we walked on the beach where Emmie showed us the extent of her beachfront property, and we kidded with each other along the way - like we did in the old days.

Pretty soon, we headed to the bar/kitchen where Raymond (Emmie's man-Friday)and Puto (that's a nickname derived from his skill in cooking puto - rice cake, not the literal meaning of the word) served our scrumptuous lunch. We said our prayers of thanksgiving and ate with gusto - I ate with my hands - the filipino way - and I was in heaven.

With lunch done and after all the starch, we were all soon sleepy so we headed to our cottages and took naps. I awoke after about an hour, grabbed the book I saw in the bar's library, sat outside the cottage where there were a couple of chairs, and started reading. This book is a compilation of short stories and poems written by Anacleta Villacorta-Agoncillo. She was a renown writer in Tagalog, a medical doctor and wife to Teodoro Agoncillo - the most respected Filipino historian. I also had the priviledge of meeting this couple as they were parents of my ex-boss, Aleli Agoncillo-Quirante, during my CFA days. Aleli even got me a signed history book of her father's. I read the short stories - mostly set in the 30's through the 50's and I was transported back in time - for I have seen the scenes before - through the eyes of my parents and grandparents and other older folks who told me of that magical time they called "Peace Time" - the era after the Philippine-American War and before the war with Japan. Reading these stories in Tagalog made them more familiar, more intimate.

I was very engrossed in my reading when I saw Puto coming with a cold buko juice on a tray. Emmie made sure that we were treated royally! So there I was, reading my book, sipping cold buko juice through a straw while looking at the beautiful beach in front of me. Oh, I could get used to this!

Soon Aying stirred from bed and headed for the beach while I remained reading. You see, it was a very quiet and idyllic place. For starters, there were only six of us (Emmie, Bong, Aying, Raymond, Puto and I) there - plus the two kids and the couple who live in the premises. It was very serene and relaxing. No internet, no phone,no text - just friends, plenty of space and the beauty of mother nature.

My eyes got tired and I was getting sleepy again after about a couple of hours so I decided it was time to walk on the beach. I went to the bar where the bottle of coconut oil was and I promptly applied it on my arms and legs before taking my walk. The next 45 minutes was very relaxing. I let my mind wander, I watched Emmie and Bong swim and take the small boat, I listened to the waves as they kissed the shore - to cicadas and crickets as they competed for attention. I took pictures and just absorbed the beauty before me which was just overwhelming.

I went to the circular shed where Aying was and sat by her. She, too, had been sipping her buko juice. We sat there, each reading a book. We saw Emmie and Bong come out of the water and within half an hour, they joined us, carrying with them a bottle of champagne and six glasses. Puto and Raymond were right behind them with cashew nuts and chips. Bong started pouring the bubbly and we had a toast - to life - to friends - to mother nature - to love! I took a sip and promptly poured the rest of the drink on Aying's glass. I concentrated on the nuts and chips.

Dinner was served shortly and as as soon as we were done, I saw the sun setting and told them I needed to take pictures. The picture in this blog was the first of many I took - but I think this is the best one. The sunset was breath-taking and so serene that we were all speechless for a few minutes.

There was a generator in the property so there was electricity in the facilities that were being used - but being in the middle of nowhere, it was still very dark. Raymond gave us a flashlight so we could go back to our cottage. As Aying and I walked, we looked up and both us had our mouths agape - as we saw how brilliant the stars were - how defined the galaxies were - and how little and seemingly inconsequencial we were.

We spent the rest of the evening listening to the waves and to its rhythm that relieved us of our worries and mollified our cares. That night, we just laid in our beds, closed our eyes, and let things be.

I Can Hear the Dew Drop

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

That's what Aying said this morning as we listened to the sounds in the midst of this wonderful tropical forest where our friend Emmie's property is. It rained last night and I woke up around 2 am. I listened to the pitter-patter of the gentle rain that lulled me back to sleep until I awoke to Aying's rustling as she went to the verandah on the other side of the room. It was still dark and I got up, washed my face and then joined her so that we could wait for the sun to rise. Even in the dark, we were mesmerized by the beauty before us. With the light from the waning moon, we could trace the mountains, the trees and the white clouds that enveloped them. We took pictures, hoping to capture the moment.

We are lodged in a beautiful cottage she (Emmie) had built for family and friends who come to Puerto Princesa and visit with her. We marvel at the majesty of the mountains as they slowly show their glory at the first light of dawn. Ah, what a beautiful place this is, if only Aying would stop talking and let me listen to the cicadas and the crickets and the chorus of roosters heralding the start of a new day.

We arrived in Puerto Princesa last night – around 5:40 pm. Our flight was delayed and both Aying and I were quite tired. It was a short 56 minute trip from Manila and we were seated at the 3rd row of the plane. We had an extra space in our row and as soon as the plane's door closed, I moved to the last space so Aying and I had that extra space between us. It was a very pleasant and uneventful flight. All we wanted was to land and see our dear friend, Emmie.

Aying, Emmie and I met as youngsters – all members of the youth group APKA (Four Ks) of our respective towns, each chosen to represent the province of Rizal in the Canada World Youth Exchange Program. We were three of seven from our province and of the 35 from all over the Philippines who were teamed with a group of another 35 young Canadians in this enriching cultural exchange program. We all did a lot of growing up together as we experienced western ways and culture shock that went with it. Those times were both exhilarating and overwhelming, but educational and magical – and we savored every moment of it.

After the program, we all went our different ways and pursued different endeavors, but we kept in touch. I sang at both Emmie's and Aying's weddings. Emmie and I had worked in several Ystaphil (Youth and Student Travel Association of the Philippines)-sponsored YCAP (Youth Civic Action Program) programs that took a boatload and a trainful of university students to different provinces in the Philippines for cultural exposure and lessons on community development. I was also godmother to Aying's oldest child.

Despite the physical distance between us, our hearts, our memories, our thoughts and our affection for each other remained constant. When we got together, even after decades of separation, we would just take off from where we left, as if there were only a few days in between our rendezvous.

And so here we are today, in Emmie's house in Puerto Princesa – awed by the beauty of nature, of the thickness of the still virgin tropical forest teeming with life – of insects and reptiles and birds – those that we knew and grew up with long ago, and some others we read about and learned from school.

"This is paradise," I told Emmie – "and you live in it." And the three of us smiled and nodded our heads. Emmie is home.

Talaba, Tahong at Talong (Oysters, mussels and eggplants)

Day two of my homecoming and I had special cravings: talaba, tahong at talong - oysters, mussels and eggplants. So, on our way to my siblings' farm in the town of Amadeo, Cavite, we passed by the place where they harvest and sell fresh oysters and mussels. For the equivalent of a little over $3, my brother-in-law, Cesar, purchased a bucket-full of each shellfish.

We arrived at the farm and the first things that welcomed us were the coffee beans in two different stages of drying in the middle of the paved drive-way. I looked around and marveled at the improvements they have done since I last visited 3 years ago. They have added a beautiful grotto, the lawns and the landscaping were resort-like, and the different species of orchids were in bloom.

They had tables and chairs set up under the new white trellis and Cesar had ordered for young coconuts to be picked so we could drink the coconut water and eat the young coconut flesh - which were sweet and delicious.

Before I knew it, a familiar scene was before me - my two older sisters preparing meals in the kitchen - while I sat and watched them. It's just like the old times in our old house. The kitchen was for my parents who both loved to cooked, and for my sisters - Ate Ellie, Ate Lodi and Gigi. I never really spent a lot of time there - except to taste their dishes and to eat. That's the part that I loved.

Soon enough, the help from their other farm arrived with a variety of other fresh vegetables and fruits and the preparation for our small feast continued with broiled talong (eggplant) pork belly, rice wrapped in banana leaves and condiments to go with the rest of the dishes.

It was not long before all of us savored the food everyone but me had meticulously prepared - and I can't help but be thankful for the gift of family. I am here to get in touch with myself again - and with those that I love. I am here to be a little sister again - to be pampared by the two women who have, for the most part of my life, taken care of me.

Talaba, tahong and talong - and the love of my family. What more could I ask for?

Homecoming....

Dorothy said it best - there is no place like home. I am home. This is the place of my birth; the place where I grew up; the place where my foundation was formed - where my parents and lines of generations before them are buried; where three of my seven siblings still live. This is the home of my heart, the home of my youth. I am home.

The welcome embrace of my sisters makes it all worthwhile. I feel the love, I feel the bond - this is the place where, no matter what happens, I will always belong.

So, the traffic is horrible, the drivers are all over the place, the streets are small, u-turns are made in the middle of traffic and the vehicles are inches away from each other, there are so many people everywhere - and still I smile. These do not faze me. I am home.

Welcoming the New Year

I spent New Year's eve doing chores - had the cars washed and their gas tanks filled, cleaned the front and back yards, removed weeds from the plants, pruned the roses, did the laundry, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera..

As I was weeding and pruning, I thought of the how that seem to parallel what is happening in my life - the process of getting ready to start over. Sure, I had scratches from the roses' thorns, but many times, that's what it takes to make things better and beautiful - as you remove the dead weight to nurture that which needs to live.

There are a lot of weeds and dead branches in our lives - the things we need to get rid of as we move forward. These could be our clinging on to the past that prevents us from embracing the future. But, past is past, and the best thing we could do with them is learn from them - and move on.

Things happen in our lives when we least expect them. How we react to them could make us or break us. The only thing we could control is our reaction. We have been given the freedom of choice on how to make our everyday. We could choose to mope around, we could choose to get up and go. We could choose to hide or we could choose to face changes with a fresh perspective - and embrace them.

We make choices everyday. Some choices are easy - (but many of us can't make up our minds what to have for lunch!) Some choices require us to think inwardly and assess the pros and the cons. Some choices hurt us or hurt others, but in the end, our choices are OUR choices. We have to own up to them, and if we make the wrong ones, it will be our choice to correct them.

It is about that freedom given to us to make a call in most aspects of our lives. Like how Adam had a choice to bite or not to bite the forbidden fruit; or how Eve had the choice to listen or to ignore the serpent and not pick the fruit in the first place. But after the wrong choices are done and when we blame each other for the choices we made, we enter into a different dimension which is more confusing and damaging.

In my life, I have my share of wrong choices. But admitting them to be wrong has led me to many right choices. In the end, it had always been about MY choices and my owning up to them.

I chose to embrace the changes happening in my life. I chose to ignore the negative feelings and thoughts. I chose to turn the other cheek. I chose to move on, to learn and to grow.

This is a New Year. I chose to make it a good one.

Happy New Year!