If only I could wish that I could speak whatever is on my mind,
Defend myself from people who are trying to hurt me,
Be smart and converse intelligently with confidence to other people,
Brave to do whatever I want without thinking on what others may say
And live life free from what it seems to be a family obligation...
To do the things I love to do without hesitation,
Join adventure and explore the ends of the world,
And help those in need and find power to save them...
If only I could...
Yes, I have been travelling but bounded with poverty.
I see those in need but coward to stand and defend!
Ah, adventures! Yes, I have. Only more in my imagination,
To fulfill the things I cannot do....
I wonder what happened to me? The girl long ago who confidently
told herself, that "yes, someday, I will be there and make a difference
in this world! "
Now in my room, looking at the burnt i accidentally made on my skin,
I say enough of this! We have been born with a freedom of choice!
A choice to remain hidden comfortably in your own cocoon or step up,
and become a beautiful butterfly!
I say, step up! Enough of this boring, monotonous life!
I will step up. Don't care how hard the process will take.
I will be a beautiful butterfly.
March 2010, I do not fear you! I have a promise to fulfill to a dear friend.
I will press forward!
From my overnight at our vacation house in Ginatilan, I had to rush back home. The drive was 3 hours away so I had to wake up 2:30 am on a Sunday morning just to catch my flight to Tagbilaran. I planned to join the medical mission which was scheduled January 18-21 but I was told Friday night that they need me to go there a day earlier to help the worship service which my cousins are leading and I had to be there before 10 am. The weather was not good for the past days but the Lord provided me a smooth flight going to Bohol.
There, I meet new friends like Mrs. Maninang and her daughter Yasmin, Kuya Vincent who help with the snacks and the other volunteers both local and international. The medical mission went well except for some small problems which was easily handled.
Our nights were generously hosted by local officials like buffet dinners at the Tropics Hotel. But for me and my friends, we were hospitably given a night of free tour in tagbilaran by our new friend John-philip. One of our local members as well, open their house for us to cook dinner where Kuya Rex dela Pena masterly cooked his specialty tinolang manok and sauteed string beans. Kuya Lemuel Galope also served us with grilled fish and squid which made our dinner even more festive!
The medical mission ended with a free tour at some local tourist spots in Tagbilaran and neighboring towns which was sponsored by the Department of Tourism. They got to see the famous chocolate hills and some nocturnal primates called tarsiers and a lunch buffet on a river cruise at Loboc River.
To live just across the island of Bohol, I had the privilege of visit often times to these spots. So I bade goodbye earlier to them and flew back to my home island of Cebu, letting them enjoy the beauty Bohol.
It's been days since our last relative visitor left from spending holidays here with us and my body is still adjusting to the "no more visitors" mode. Although sometimes I love having the house all by myself and even though it's still been a week since they left, I miss the noise and the laughter they brought in the house.
So today, I tried my very best to keep my life going.I called up some friends to talk about the trip this weekend, the medical mission that I will be helping in Tagbilaran this Monday and some talk about the "bonding" plans which my classmate's boyfriend asked me to help. But still nothing productive came. It's still all plans.
After an almost whole gloomy day, the sun came out just in time to let me see the the sunset. Another day has ended...
First, you have to pretend that you're out of your mind to write a message in a bottle and then drag your girlfriend in this craziness for her to throw the bottle for you in the middle of the sea.
Second, you write you landline number, incomplete address and your first name (never write your family name!) so just in case the receiver wanted to let you know that finally he/she got the message, he/she would know where to contact you.
Third, when finally the receiver of the message tries to contact you and ask if he could be your textmate, you tell him that...although your message was sincere, that you were true when you said you were a friend, the intention of the message was not to find a textmate. That eventhough you and your friend were no marine biologist or people who study the waves and the climates of the earth, it was only an experiment. That you just wanted to know how long, how far, and who are the possible people to get it.
Yes, I know this is crazy!
And as for my questions? They were answered. My bottle was found in the shore of Jagna, Bohol. By a guy named Jay Bacor, 23 years old, partime fisherman/partime standby, who's educational attainement was only first year college of associate degree of computer science.
To be real honest, I was quite disappointed. Not because of WHO receive it (because that message was of everyone who needs it. So maybe he needs to hear that message). But because I always hope that it would go far in the pacific or find its way to the great barrier or maybe perhaps to the gulf stream. And will only be discovered when I'm old and gray. Although after Charise told me the time she throw the bottle, I already anticipated that it would just land in the nearby island and there's a great possibility that a fisherman will get it. I still hope it would go far down south of the country. But it never happened. It took only ten days to make it to shore.
Will I ever make another message in a bottle again? Maybe, maybe not? Perhaps maybe when Andoi, craves again for a bottle of wine. This time I'll make sure I throw it myself facing the pacific ocean. Ok, Ok I know what you are thinking...yeah perhaps also this time its a tuna fisherman who will get it. So what?!? hehehe...
Now the feeling of unproductiveness is starting to creep me inside. After almost 3 weeks of full house of visitors and sun tan holy week vacation, it is starting to sink in on me the reality of life. Obviously, need to get up my act to start working on the things I need to do for my better future of more travels, health insurance and financial security. Its been two weeks that I have been jobless and right now I still feel a little lazy after all those 3 weeks straight of fun.
I am happy my parents are fully supportive on my craziness and although at times my mom would let me feel her doubtfulness on my plans, she is trying hard on her best to be supportive.
So for now, since I am jobless and no money, I temporarily bid farewell to my travel buddies. I am restraining myself on traveling around the beautiful sites in the world to save for my future. It will be difficult and I will truly envy you but take heart, this will not take long! I will soon continue my adventure with you!
i wonder how many of you tried doing a message in a bottle? i bet there are only few of us who tried for fun as communication technologies now a days are way better than it. i've tried time capsule as school project ( i don't know if they unearth those capsules already).
i heard a lot of stories of found bottles and finders tried to find the owner of it. i also saw movies in which the finder fells in love with the sender. but hey, that's not the reason why i did it..
one crazy afternoon i saw this empty bottle of wine. it was big, beautiful bottle. looking at the bottle my curiousity grew wondering of what would it be like if i make a message in a bottle? how long would it take to reach it to the shore? how far would it take for someone to read it and who that someone would be? I was a bit skeptical about doing it because of "what if's". What if the one who will discover it is a serial killer, pirate or a terrorist of Sulu or Somalia and will contact me and kill me or my family? What if a illiterate fisherman finds it, doesn't care and throw my message and used my bottle for vinigar? How will i ever know it was already found?
As crazy as it may sound, i finally had the courage to write a message, wrote my number and the island where i lived and prayed that whoever will receive that bottle is someone who needs to hear that message. With the help of my friend Charise, she threw it on her way home to Cagayan...I do hope it would not fall in the bad hands. But somewhere far ends of the earth where someone really needed it. I don't mind if how long it will take. Be it months, years, decades or centuries and hoped that it would help him or her and will not forget to find me someday....just someday...
Two days from now, I'll be spending my next 9 days travelling to 3 different places. I'm used to travelling a lot but never in my young life have I been jumping from places to another in a very short span of time. I'm sure I was not raised like Bradgelina's brood but I have my share of travels when I was young.
My first trip this coming Wednesday will be in Bangkok, Thailand. Sure, Bangkok is great. I have been there once and I say that its pretty much the same as Philippines. Ofcourse, they are much cheaper there and more cleaner.
What I've been looking forward to my trip in Bangkok will be the :
- FOOD! I learn to love the thai food. Although its very spicy, its much delicious than the spicy Indian and Korean food I have tasted.
-Shopping for Clothes and Jewelry. The cheap clothes are just everywhere and the jewelries too. It's giving me a business idea about whole saling but unfortunately, there are too many people doing that same business here in the Cebu.
After three days in Bangkok, I'll go straight to Cagayan de Oro - the City of Golden Friendship for another 3 days stay. This is actually a business trip but I intended to go there just in time for the church festival.
I'll be seeing my old friends again and then do the mission I was brought to.
Just in time for the next activity, I'll be going to dumaguete. A leadership training will be held there by our import facilitator Rex dela Pena. It is going to be a tw0 days seminar and for sure if I won't get exhausted with my trips, I'll be joining them. But if not, I will be there to play with baby Josh.
So then for my next entry!