Farewell to Ninong Chito

I would like to say goodbye to my dearest Ninong Chito. He recently joined our Lord in heaven. His long suffering from colon cancer has finally end. It was a mixed emotion of sadness and relief that his battle with cancer is finally over. Though it is a painful moment, a sad experience, we have to let go of our dear loved one and let God take over and take him to his kingdom. So many tears for us to shed for we will miss him, but for my Ninong Chito, he has found his refuge.

When I was young, I used to say he is my favorite ninong. Because from all the ninongs I had in my baptismal picture, he is the only one I know. He gives me presents even if it's not Christmas. He often asks me, what do I want for my birthday. Even if I ask for expensive and hard to find gift, he'll still give it to me. He takes me with him, Ninang Precy, Mark and Princess to the movies every weekend. I remember we used to see movies at Noli Theater in Blumentritt, Grand Central, and Isetan Recto. Dine out, play at their house, I love being with them. They're my family outside my home. More memories to tell and how I wish I can tell them all. Treated me like a daughter as well with my siblings. Growing up, he's always there giving me advices even if I don't ask of it. Through this, he lets me know that I am important to him. So he is too with the others.

Two days ago, I was in Balut, refusing to see him. I want to remember his face the way he used to look when he was not yet incurred with illness. Seeing him in his death bed breaks my heart. Then, I thought of Ninang Precy, Mark, Princess, Nanay Loleng, Tita Carlyn, Tito Roland and all the others who sees him everyday. Wrecking their hearts everyday, seeing him deteriorating and in pain. Hurting them everyday, watching him suffer. I don't have the right to take the blues. Because his family is more than in pain. Especially to Ninang Precy, whom I know have been faithfully taking good care of him all their married life. I regret not seeing him for the last time and take the strength to hold him. With this, I pray for his family to be blessed with spiritual strength in this time of mourning.

He may be gone, but he sure is forever be remembered. He has been a son, brother, father, friend, and a husband. All his life he had served our Lord. I think he has lived his life perfectly, though it was short, it was abundant.

I would like to share this piece by Dan Richardson. He is an enthusiastic believer in Christ, lost his battle with cancer, the following piece was distributed at his memorial service.

Cancer is limited....
It cannot cripple love,
It cannot corrode faith,
It cannot eat away peace,
It cannot destroy confidence,
It cannot kill a friendship,
It cannot shut out memories,
It cannot silence courage,
It cannot invade the soul,
It cannot reduce eternal life,
It cannot quench the spirit,
It cannot lessen the power of resurrection.

-Charles Swindol, The Finishing Touch

Like Ninong Chito, he may have lost his battle with cancer but he was never deprived of the good things which it cannot offer.




Ninong Chito, visiting me at home.
I asked him to come because I want to show him how I looked like in my santacruzan gown.

Hatchiko: A Dog's Story

I just finished watching "Hatchiko:A Dog's Story" and it is one of the saddest, tear dropping movie I've ever seen. I have seen a lot of movies with animals but this one is the best. It is a cliche when we say "dog is a man's best friend" but the story showed that Hatchi is more than that.

It was based on a true story about a professor and his Japanese Akita dog. Everyday, the dog follows his master to the train station and waits him off the train in the afternoon. Until one day, his master had a heart attack and never return, leaving his dog waiting faithfully for him at the train station. Hatchi returns to the train station every afternoon to wait for his master's return. This lasts for the next nine years.

A dog is more than a best friend to this movie. I realized that this dog can do more than a human. Then I thought of fathers and mothers who abandoned their child. Or a child forgets his mother. Or a husband and wife for so many years then separates. Hatchi shows us that we can also be faithful, loving, submissive, and dependable to our loved ones and to our true Master, God. When we love, we shouldn't ask in return, but instead we should give more. We can give more than what a dog can give.

I am scared of owning a pet. I'm afraid to be attached, I'm afraid that I might love him more. I remembered when I was a kid, we had a pet dog, he died after some years and I felt so sad and can't move on. He's a part of the family and it's like losing a true friend. From then on, I'm afraid to own a pet. I fear of losing him.

Hatchi's story was told more than 70 yrs. ago and will continue to inspire people to LOVE and be FAITHFUL.

NORTHERN EXPLORATION: Discovering Ilocos Norte (Currimao)

Currimao. 1.5 hour ride from Vigan, we took the Partas bus. I read it has a very good beach and it didn't let us down. It has white powdery sand and a very blue clear water. We were dropped at Currimao junction and took a tricycle to Playa Tropical Resort. I saw pictures of this place through their website and magazines and I'm dying to visit it. It is a bali inspired resort with Spanish names. The expansive infinity pool looks like an extension of the sea. It has an exquisite view of the Currimao beach, truly breath taking.
It's lunch time. Of course, eating is one of my favorite activities when traveling. We ordered Ilocano favorites; Poque-poque, it's a grilled and smashed eggplant sauteed with tomatoes, insarabasab, it's fried liempo with sukang iloco.
We had a hard time sleeping in the bus so drowsiness is starting to consume us, so we try to catch up some sleep and recharge. In the afternoon we took a stroll along the beach and watch the sunset while eating (again!) cheese sticks sprinkled with herbs and calamares. Lazying beside the pool and watching the stars made my day complete.
In the morning, just as the sun begins to rise, we tried to be up and had breakfast. We want to take the kids here in the future. It is an ideal place for summer getaway and family bonding.
Though it's really hard to leave this paradise and though I wish there's more time to spend another good summer day in Playa, we have to continue journeying north to see more wonderful places in Ilocos.


Perfect scenery!


The sun is up, the sky is blue


Bali inspired casas of Playa Resort


"Insarabasab"


"poque-poque"



Sun set at Currimao










The infinity pool