Poem 4 - Ikaw Lang

Ikaw ang nag-iisang mahal
At ikaw lang ang tanging mamahalin
Dahil sa buhay kong ito
Ikaw ay isang magandang simulain.

Hindi ko mawari at matanto
Ang patutunguhan ng buhay ko
Kung hindi rin lang ikaw
Ang syang mamahalin ko.

Ikaw ang nag-iisa sa puso ko
At ikaw lang ang itinitibok nito
Dahil ang kanyang bawat pintig
Ikaw ang syang dahilan nito.

Hindi sapat ang mga pintig
Ng puso ko para mabuhay
Kung hindi rin lang ikaw
Ang syang magbibigay saysay.

Ikaw ang nag-iisang dahilan
At ikaw lang ang tanging dahilan
Dahil ang dahilan ko para mabuhay
Ikaw ang nagbibigay katuparan.

Hindi buo ang buhay ko
Ang lahat ay walang halaga
Kung hindi rin lang ikaw
Lalong hindi pwede ang iba pa.

Quote 8 - Friendship

Moment 4 - Cut

The scar on the head of Arjay Daluz was inflicted by a metal tube of a tire interior.

We were swimming that time at Balayan Bay in Batangas and since only Randy knows how to swim, a tire interior is a good means of getting us somewhere deep along the bay.

If I am not mistaken, it was Joey who tried to shoot the interior tube to the head of Arjay where Arjay held his ground. It was for fun actually and there was no intention to hurt somebody.

Luckily, the cut was manageable and Arjay was a good sport.

Quote 7 - Love

Random Thought 4 - Highways of Life

In the highways of life, there are different rides to experience. We are normally at peace if we have a smooth ride all along. But some sudden turn may lead us into a bumpy one. At times, we might get stuck for a while because of the deep holes on the road or a flat tire, perhaps. Even in a broad daylight, we might get lost along the way due to unfamiliarity or inexperience. But eventually, we will reach the end of the road.

In the course of our travels, there could be plenty of things to experience, a lot of lessons to learn, and so many moments to enjoy and cherish. We might have been challenged along the way but it should not warrant an excuse that we will be stucked there all the rest of our lives. Somehow, we should learn to patch and even those holes in the road for us to get going again. For each and every turn, we might experience some poor visibility ahead of us but even with a snail’s pace, we need to continue our journey. And every time we lost our way, we can always manage to retrace our paths and start all over again.

 

Even with a hell of a ride all throughout the way, every inch of experience along the way is a self-realization that with all the ups and downs of life, life must go on. And we will definitely feel triumphant because we try to persevere in reaching our destination. The end of the road is an affirmation that nothing is impossible to those who never gives up. The end of the road is not the end of the highway in our life but a beginning of another milestone ahead of us.

Food Trip 3 - Sugarcane Juice

When I was young, one of those fun moments would mean going to a nearby sugarcane field, asking for some free sugarcanes that are about to be harvested, and extract the juice out of the cane to my heart's content. In the province, stuff like this can be asked freely.

It's been ages since my last taste of the sugarcane and I can no longer recall the taste of it. Luckily, during my malling, I happened to encounter a food cart that sells freshly extracted sugarcane juice and one bottle costs 30 pesos. And the good thing is, I don't have to experience extracting the juice from the cane and I don't have to spit out the cane's pulp.

Well, contrary to the common impression, it does not taste like a commercial sugar. Since it is pure, it still has up to 88% water which means a little amount of sucrose to savor. Though unlike other fruit juices, that small bottle is already enough to quench my longing for a sugarcane juice. And I guess I don't want to ask for another bottle. Maybe some other time.

Exploring Philippines 3 - Guimaras Province (Post 3 - Guisi Lighthouse)

As we made our way towards the lighthouse, I was trying to figure out if it would be identical to the lighthouse of the Capones island in Zambales. Old structures like a lighthouse normally brings certain form of enchantment to a visitor like me.

After several steps, the ruins of the lighthouse was within reach. At first, I was not impressed with what I saw. Well, I cannot blame anybody because I already set a high expectation about this place.

The Guisi lighthouse was an 18th century Spanish colonial lighthouse and becomes one of the attraction of the Guimaras province. The deteriorating state of the place – the rusty metals, the remaining concrete posts and walls that are slowly breaking apart – offers some sort of curiosity and wonder of the place. It could had been awesome if its original state has been restored where visitors like me can experience something what it could had been centuries ago.

From a distance, the rusty remains of the lighthouse looked captivating and enchanting. And my driver/guide let me experience an awesome,  hair raising, and nerve chilling climb to the top of the Guisi lighthouse. At first, I was hesitant because some of the metal step panels are no longer connected to metal body of the lighthouse. The only support for these panels is from the metal post at the center of the structure. Though supported only by the main post, the metal panel proved to be sturdy and unmovable. My driver/guide even boasts that he used to climb these steps from time to time alongside with some of his friends.

The steps could be anywhere from 40 to 50. And for each rusty metal panel I stepped at, I simply gave a long sigh and I could honestly hear my heart beating wildly. The climb up looked promising but the fear of heights as well the uncomfortable rusty panels, I just can’t shrugged off easily. I literally took my sweet time and there were instances that I have to pause for a while before taking another step up.

And when I reached the top floor, actually it was only half of the top floor, no amount of comfort can ever calm my troubled spirit. The view was breathtaking and it took me awhile before getting used to the situation. Here I was, most of the time sitting on the rusty platform, enjoying the 360 view of the place. When my fear descended unto the steps of the lighthouse, I bravely took the liberty to stand up and took pictures. Being on top of this old structure was an achievement on my part and every time I took this brave act, I felt much better. Actually, it is just getting used to this kind of activity that my fear recedes. And I hope that I will eventually be able to get rid of this one so that I can really enjoy without struggling what it felt like to be on top of the world.

view from the top of the lighthouse

The lighthouse itself is off-limits because of the possible danger but the caretaker tolerated us that time. Since we were the only visitors and he knows my guide, we had our sweet time at the top of the lighthouse. If I could had stayed near to this place, I would really love to stay on this very spot and watch the sunset. But I just can’t imagine the eerie feeling once darkness slowly creeps in.

After spending almost 20 minutes on the lighthouse and 45 minutes on the entire place, we had to leave because I still had a couple of places to visit. I really enjoyed my stay here even for just a short period of time. The climb up on this lighthouse was a memorable experience, conquering my fear of heights once again, enjoying the beauty of an unspoiled nature, and taking pride of stepping into a cultural heritage site of my country.