Why do you love me?

You gotta give it to girls.. they know, and have perfected the art, how to come up with questions that will either make you think so deep that you hardly can focus on your tasks, or will make you hate yourself because you suddenly learned about your short comings and what not.

Last night, as we were watching a movie at home, Mayfel asked me 3 questions: "love mo ko? (do you love me?)", "gaano mo ko ka-love? (how much do you love me?)" and "bakit mo ko love? (why do you love me?)". The first two questions was quite easy to answer but the last one hit me big time... "yeah, why do i?".

When our relationship was still very young, we asked this question to each other and we both can't find reasons why.. we know that there are reasons but their just too many. 8 years and 2 kids after, the question popped out again and I still don't have the answer. I promised to create a list of reasons long time ago but keep on losing it. I will be able to list 10 or so then, like a conspiracy movie, the list will be gone. This time, I will blog the list. If this list gets lost again, then it definitely is a conspiracy! :) So, without further ado (drum roll please...)... here's the list in no particular order:

Because..

• ...you love me
• .. you laugh at my jokes, stories and antics
• .. you're there when I need you
• .. of the great job you're doing raising our kids
• .. you allow me to be myself
• .. you take care of me when I'm sick
• .. you never get tired of saying "I LOVE YOU"
• .. you allow me to buy my gadgets!
• .. you know how to forgive
• .. you make long trips more interesting
• .. you love ME (*wink* *wink*)
• .. you're eager to learn more and more just to satisfy me.. I'm talking about cooking ;)
• .. we share the same interests
• .. you're loyal
• .. you don't keep secrets
• .. you know the way (sometimes shortcut) to heaven (hahahaha)
• .. you love me even when I'm feeling grumpy
• .. you put spice and the twists and turns in my life
• .. you're proud of who I am and what I do
• .. you're my 3rd and 4th eye when I'm driving at night
• .. you make me sleepy with your stories.. hehe
• .. we both love eating
• .. we both love to travel
• .. you know how to make me feel special
• .. you don't care how I look or dress-up
• .. you like to watch ... and learn.
• .. you changed me
• .. you changed.

This is just a partial list. Of course there's a lot more but this is just all I can remember as of the moment. I will update as soon as I can think of more reasons and as I continuously discover even more everyday.

♫ .. all of you .. ♪

Mayfel and I treasure our gifts to each other very much. If we can preserve it to last forever, we would. One of the gifts that we treasure till this day are mugs that we gave each other. The mug she gave me accidentally broke when we were moving houses a few years back so I am now using her mug (see image). On Sunday, the 26th of Septemter 2010, like our relationship, it will be 8 years old.

A few days ago, while in the office and was staring blankly at my desk, the mug caught my eye and focus on the words written on it. I remember someone saying that it was a part of a song but never told me which one. So I fired up my browser and googled the first two lines. The result showed up and it was indeed part of a song! "All of you" by Diana Ross & Julio Iglesias. I clicked on the first result and it directed me to a site with lyrics and, what a surprise.. a video. Curious, I clicked play. The video started with a scene of people having fun partying then started dancing as the music plays. haha! Classic! Kinda reminds me of Filipino movies. ;)

Thought I'd share the video and lyrics so we can all sing along... enjoy! :)

Oh...oh...oh...huh
Ooh...yeah...ooh...ah...ha...

I never had this feeling before
I never wanted anyone more
And something in your eyes tells me
You feel the way that I do (I feel like you do)
If you would like to stay here all night [Mmm, hmm]
You know that I would say it's all right
Though I'm saying, “Yes”
I confess I've got more on my mind‘
Cause I want more of you than your time

All of you, your body and soul
Every kind of love you can express
All the secret dreams you've never told
I want everything and I'll take nothin' less
All of you as long as you live
Everything you've never shared before
I want all of you that you can give
All your joys and all your sorrows
Your todays and your tomorrows
How I long to feel the warmth of your touch [Mmm]
And then if I'm not askin' too much
I'd like to spend my life wandering through
All the wonders of you (All the wonder of you)

And when we're lying close in the dark
So close I feel each beat of your heart
I want you to reveal what you feel
[All you hold deep inside]
[There is nothing I want you to hide]
All of you, your body and soul
Everything you want this love to be
I want all of you, all that you can give
And in return for all you're givin'
Let me give you all of me

All of you, your body and soul
Every kind of love you can express
All the secret dreams you've never told
I want everything [Everything], everything
All of you as long as you live (As long as you live)
Everything you want this love to be
I want all of you, all that you can give
In return [In return] I wanna give you [Let me give you]
All of me

Age... when did it became just a number?

Today is Mayfel's 25th birthday. I needed to go to Subic for a business trip last friday to install 2 servers to my company's hotel clients (Lighthouse Marina and Subic Grand Seas Resort) so we decided to grab the opportunity and celebrate by going on a trip with the kids. The plan was to go to Subic, spend the night there to finish what I had to do, then to Manaoag Shrine in Pangasinan the next day to attend the mass and a surprise lunch at Isdaan Restaurant in Gerona Tarlac.

While on the car as we were leaving Manila, I recalled Allan asking me the other day about Mayfel's age. I also recalled Allan and Becky laughing as I replied, "Wait.. di ko alam e. Compute ko pa".. "25!". That thought in mind, I told Mayfel, "Oi, 25 ka na pala a..". She replied, "Ah talaga? Parang hinde.. feeling ko 18 pa rin ako e. Kasi Parang tumigil na mundo ko nung nagkakilala tayo e..". I was touched and speechless.. then I said to myself, "she's right!". I myself can't remember my own age without having to compute for it. When asked, the first number that will come to my mind is 25.. my age when Mayfel and I met. Then I thought, "is it really like that? Does age become just a number when you have already found the right one?"

A lot have already happened during the years that Mayfel and I have been together. Like any other couple, we've been through ups and downs and even lefts and rights. Like them, both of us have changed.. a lot. We've grown busier and had our own daily priorities. We've also learned and discovered a lot more of our differences and sometimes have fights because of it. But unlike other couples, we did not let those issues get into us and become a growing wall that will eventually ruin our relationship. Instead, we use them as steps that will help us improve our relationship for the better. Physically, we age.. but our hearts remain very young and our love very strong and ready for future ups, downs, lefts and rights that life will bring.

Mommy Mayfel, another year has been added to your age and in 7 days, in mine too. We still have a long way to go and a lot to go through. Hope you remain strong with our relationship as we have been in the past years. In 6 days, we will be celebrating our 8th year anniversary.. hope we'll have hundreds more. :) And in those years, hope nothing will change.. we will still stay crazily in-love and still crave for.. (*wink wink*). Let's stay forever this way... you 18 and I'm 25. I LOVE YOU, Mayfel... Happy 25th Birthday.

Baguio City for the nth time

Feeling short of our 2 night stay in Bolinao, Pangasinan, we headed straight to Baguio City. GPS directed us to a route passing Lingayen then to La Union then up to Marcos Highway to Baguio. If it hadn't been for my GPS, I would have drove back to Tarlac then take the normal route via Pangasinan. The Lingayen route saved us 2-3 hours of driving time.

Baguio is a very special place for me and Mayfel. This is where we... uhmmm... by the way, did you know that Baguio came from the word bigjiw which is an Igorot term for a moss? Anyways.. let's carry on. We visit Baguio at least once a year even if we are already running out of places to go.

Whenever we are in the city, we stay at the Golden Pine Hotel. They are by far the most inexpensive hotel in Baguio with the best amenities that I know of. Rooms with AC, carpeted floor, bath tub, free WiFi, etc.

The next day, I decided to take Mayfel and the kids to the strawberry farm since it's one of the places in the City where they haven't been to and I also want to test how extensive my GPS's map is. I want them to experience picking strawberries but we were disappointed to learn that it is not the season, December is. So we just settled with a few photo-ops, bought a few strawberries and left. Guess we'll just be back in December then. hehehe

We headed back to the city and went to Camp John Hay for a few more photo-ops. But when we're there.. I can't seem to figure my way to the places I used to visit so we just stopped to withdraw cash, take a leak, take a few photos (including main image above) then went to Mines View Park instead for some pasalubong.

Mines View Park hasn't changed much for me to take photos. The only thing worth a photo for me now is the gigantic dog that welcomes you to the park. For P50, you are allowed to take 3 photos with the dog. I remember the last family picture we had with the dog a few years back, it was only me, Mayfel and Xyza then. Now, we have Ethan so we thought it would be a great opportunity for a new family photo.

We still have a few more hours till the sun sets, we just decided to drop by SM Baguio to buy a few things, relax and watch the sun set which also marks the last of our 5 day vacation.

Bolinao, Pangasinan - Revisited

2010 has been a very busy year for me and Mayfel and we were dying to have a short vacation to unwind and relax. We had a few places in mind but I decided to take Mayfel and the kids somewhere they haven't been to.

It's been almost two years since I've last been to Bolinao (see this post) for a business trip. Here is where I was able to use my first non-SLR digital camera and where I received the news from my wife that I will be a father for the second time so this place is quite memorable for me.

It was raining like hell and we are already delayed for a couple of hours from our ETA because my new GPS navigator directed us on a route with 20Km of rough road just because it is 8Km shorter that the normal route. When we finally arrived at the resort, it was almost 6pm. Because the rain is not showing any sign that it will stop anytime soon, Mayfel and I were already planning of leaving in the morning, though it will totally break Xyza's heart if we do, if the weather does not get better in the morning. Good thing, sun was up the next morning and we were had a chance to take the kids for a dip.

We took the kids for a short stroll at the beach for a few photo-ops. The water is quiet and shallow, you can literally walk about a kilometer off the beach and not get any part of your body wet except your feet. We didn't go too far off the beach though, it was too tiring to walk on wet sand and Mayfel was also too afraid to do so. She thinks a tsunami will hit any moment and we will have no chance to run! hehehe...

Breakfast not being the priority that morning, when lunch time came we were all starving. We drove 10 kilometers to the town proper to buy a few stuffs for Ethan then off to the restaurant that I read in a blog, Tummy Teasers in Brgy Arnedo. Their servings are big but very affordable. Mayfel loved their Kare-kare and says that it is the best kare-kare she'd ever tasted.

We were glad that we finally had a chance to have our vacation.. but.. we thought, "2 nights was too short".. so we decided to go straight to Baguio and stay for 2 nights more. :)

Bolinao, Pangasinan

It was my first time to go to Bolinao and just like what I do on my other first-time-trips, I look for facts, routes and photos of the place to make me a bit familiarized with the place. The photos I saw of Bolinao made me more excited. Even though I'll be going there for an official business trip and not a vacation, I was still excited because I will be able to try out my new camera.

Quoting from bolonaoph.com:
"Bolinao is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Pangasinan, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 61,068 people in 12,182 households. The people generally speak Ilocano and Panggalatok but they also have their own unique language called Bolinao, brought in by Sambal settlers during colonial rule. Most people generally understand and speak English.

On November 18, 2007, Bolinao challenged the historical fact that the first Mass was held on March 31, 1521, Easter Sunday, at Limasawa in Southern Leyte. Memorial markers (donated by Italian priest Luigi Malamocco, 62, from Odorico's hometown of Friuli, Italy) were set in the town's church and on Santiago Island, claiming that in 1324, Franciscan missionaries led by an Italian priest named Odorico celebrated a thanksgiving Mass thereat and also baptized natives."

I had a chance to visit the Church of St. James at the town's center, I am not sure if it's the same church where they claim that the first mass was held but it's the only church there so I guess this is it.

Facts: Do you know why most catholic churches have extra pathways in front before entering the church front door? It's because according to priests, the purpose is to give church goers extra time to reflect and prepare themselves, emotionally, spiritually and physically before facing our Creator. --source: bolinaoph.com

One of the landmarks Bolinao is known for is Cape Bolinao Lighthouse. Of course, I wouldn't pass out with the chance to take a photo of a 101 year old historical beauty. :)

Quoting from heritageconservation.wordpress.com:
"For 101 years now, the Cape Bolinao lighthouse stands proud atop Punta Piedra Point in Barangay Patar in Bolinao, Pangasinan, guiding ships and vessels cruising the international passage along the South China Sea.

Nestled amid trees, the lighthouse was built in 1905 by Filipino, British and American engineers. It is one of the five major lighthouses in the country and the second tallest, next to the Cape Bojeador lighthouse in Burgos, Ilocos Norte."

Bolinao is about 5 1/2 to 6 hour bus ride from Manila. Arriving at Bolinao, you'll still have to take a tricycle to the resort of your choice. Fares are Php20 per person but you can arrange a special trip for about Php100 to Php150 depending on how good you haggle. Arriving at the resort, the first thing you'll notice is the sound of the waves that seems to never end. Unlike other beaches I've been to where waves have a 2 or 1 1/2 second interval, Bolinao's waves are continuous. Excited, after checking in, we went straight to the beach to be surprised as to how far the waves are. The water is only about knee-deep from the beach to the waves several meters away. We can still see people walking from afar close to the waves that from where we are seems to be 3 to 4 feet taller than them. Resort staffs say that beyond the breakwater would be a sudden 100 feet drop. I was got scared so much, didn't set foot on the water on my 7 days stay there.. yep, not even a dip.

Located several meters from the main road, hidden by the coconut trees, is Bolinao's Enchanted Cave. Another popular destinations for tourists. To enter the cave, you need to pay Php30 or Php50 if you want to take a dip. This is my first time to enter a cave so my excitement was overflowing. The time we were there, a group of tourist from Ilocos were also visiting that made the place very crowded. Only 10 people were allowed to enter the cave at a time, all taking pictures and talking at the same time... very irritating. My Enchanted cave experience is very disappointing.. it's warm, dark, moist, and full of yapping people. I wonder how someone can take a dip on the 30 meter wide pool inside the cave with all these tourists walking in every 10 minutes or so.

For me, the whole Bolinao experience is pretty enjoying. I had a chance to take a number of good photos and was able to visit a few historical places as well. I can't wait to experience Bolinao on summer, when waves are hopefully calmer and can't eat me whole. :)

Puerto Del Sol Resort

Puerto Del Sol Resort

Puerto Del Sol Resort

Treasures of Bolinao Resort

Treasures of Bolinao Resort

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