* After Christina's birthday, Alyssa took her floral patterns and went home to miss us and macaroons and a gluttonous amount of chocolate from Max Brenners.
* Christina and Theresa continued the dream of daily treats.
* Marko quit his job bartending at Donnini's. Quite simply, it was a problem with contract negotiations and franchise direction. But that meant the job search continued again. This time I decided to seek out the job i wanted, and in parallel apply for EVERYTHING. I started operation "Runway Resume", a strenuous flurry of walking door to door on the motto that "Face Time will make me Shine". I initiated a rule, as I walk the streets, every business i come to I must apply if they are hiring, and if its a place that looks like i'ld enjoy working at, I would error my "face time" on the side of annoyingly persistent. That pretty much left only waxing and halal butcher shops to stay out of. Each day i took a new street or area of melbourne, and met with more businesses than the Tax Man. It was and is an experience worth trying for everyone...but try not to. My situation left my vulnerable and needy, and I had to disguise my state with confidence, personality, and awareness. I would say its similar to approaching "that cute girl[s] you always wanted to talk to but never got the courage to", and asking her out....You put your heart on the line, and hope with a furry. Unfortunately, it's a recipe for rejection, constant rejection. And you find yourself in a situation where you have so many trials of rejection, that you discover a new realm where you are free to brainstorm and experiment different approaches. You become an actor accentuating your different characteristics that might appeal to the interviewer during your 2 minutes of glory...err humbling. You keep trying, motivated by curiosity and fear. Battling the high price of living in melbourne, and high expectations for myself and my experience in australia, I felt trapped in a corner unable to enjoy myself, with a big scary monster slowly closing in on me that was my diminishing savings. My whole life, I've been fortunately enabled by the people around me to gain enough momentum to be able to do what I wanted. Finally, on an adventure of a lifetime in Australia, life scheduled me for the lesson of perseverance without any network of people or resources. As much as Christina and Theresa were always there to be helpful and uplifting, I felt very alone on my own trial of self discovery.
I wouldn't say I beat it, but I did make it through. The first ray of light shined by finding a job on Saturday's and Sunday's at a local Cafe as a barista. My coffee art improved and gone were the days of Picasso coffee shame. In time, i also got a job as a Chocolatier at Lindt & Sprugle. Finally, after that annoying persistence at every bike shop within a 10km radius, I got a job as a Bicycle mechanic. All at once, i had three jobs and had to choose now, which only justifies my metaphor with the cliche resemblance that "when it rains, it pours". But don't think about that metaphor now, because it contradicts my current ray of light/jobs metaphor. So with three jobs now, the "sun" was beginning to "shine" through,...and coincidentally, as it was now summer, it was quite literal as well.
so yeah two weeks after i got these two new jobs i desperately wanted and needed, we left for the Philippines....
* We went to the Philippines and discovered the filipino heritage. We were fortunate enough to be invited to Lola Zor and Lolo Benny's house with Mr. and Mrs. Suarez. It was here we studied the filipino food and desserts hoping to master our pacific island palate. We shocked our tastes with Lechon (pig), Balut(baby duck egg), Roasted Crickets, and many more things i prefer not to know what they were. As you know, goats will eat just about anything, and that should have made me question myself after I ate goat intestines soup. I've seen a goat savor concrete, lick rocks, and satisfy it's sweet tooth with blackberry thorned bush. What did i just expose my intestines to? 2 hours later, I realized only that whatever it was, it wasn't good for humans. I learned a lot of things about things i ate in the philippines "2 hours later "....i mean Lola Zor was always very informative and proud of filipino food.
The Sazon family and the Suarez family were host to our adventure, and each and everyone of them were so wonderful.
Chloe, Chanel, Stefi, and Andre (the kids) were very inclusive in their games, playtime, and laughter. They taught us a game, "Attention", that might replace the NFL as most beloved game...or at least cricket. The were a joy to be around!
Stefi and Andre's Mom, Tita Dina, took us all for her birthday on a medical volunteer outing to a filipino native community in the hills outside of Manila. The doctors and nurses gave their hearts to the village for the day, and the village needed it. We spent the morning and afternoon fulfilling Tita Dina's vision of how to make the world a better place. Tita Dina was so wonderful the whole trip and we had many many experiences with her, but this particular day was eye opening and such a unique experience.
Chloe and Chanel's Mom, Tita Robri, also celebrated her birthday with us, and our adventure with us was a long hike to a Crater Lake. It was an all day event that started with 9 strong participants, and ended with 6 determined, tired, beat up, yet successful participants and 3 hot spring spa rejuvenated quitters. I can't speak much on the hot spring, but the crater lake was magnificent. A 4 hour hike up to the crater through rivers and rocks and foliage. It was challenging, and made more difficult by a guide that didn't understand the translation of time and always quoted an ETA that was grossly off. (he said we would be there in 2 more minutes at least 20 minutes before, and before that he would say 5 more minutes). The scenery was breathtakingly beautiful, at least from the back of the caravan. Ask Theresa and Christina what it was like from the front as there marathon legs were never challenged and they easily raced ahead.
more to come soon...
Goodnight...
...Goodmorning months later....
Another adventure in the Philippines was to El Nido, in Palawan. Palawan is that paradise that people are continually searching for. We are grateful for Tita Dina for putting this trip together for us, http://www.elnidoresorts.com/
We began by taking a chartered plane from Manila, almost private except for the creepy mass murderer with suspicious movement in the front by the cockpit. This plane flew us into to the Palawan islands, and then we took a private yacht for hobbits, aka a boat for normal humans, into EL Nido's private island. The trip began with sun and quickly went to Christina's favorite label, "torrential downpour". Luckily, the weather had ADD and didn't know what it wanted to be so everyday we were cooled off with the fresh rain and also had the clear blue skies to enjoy the beaches paradise. We ate like Kings and Queens here. And when we weren't eating, we were napping on the beach or living the tough and strenuous life of activity.
We ventured on a hike through the rain forrest with these very interesting worms, that instantaneously turned into large venomous snakes when Mrs. Suarez would find herself near them. By the end, I think she had these beasts on the BBQ and making her way from vine to vine on the tree tops. At the very end of the hike we found ourselves amongst the coolest plant i have seen in a long time. I dont remember it's Tagalog name, but it basically means "shy plant", and when it feels movement, it moves and retracts to safety. On the other side of these plants we were on a secluded beach with a shore break and three canoes to make our way back to the resort side of the island. Along the way we saw all sorts of fish and 200 foot cliffs with caves and dwellings with in. A great day activity that would require at least three naps and four meals within a two hour window to recover.
We took other adventures to near by islands. We saw snake island, Which is just a sand bar, we saw sunrises and sunsets and snorkeled in every area possible. We played games with the staff, volleyball and basketball. And we learned not to play billiards or table tennis with Mr. Suarez. I was basically smash practice for him and I knew it was coming because he would yell at me like Serena, but there was nothing I could do about it. And every day after my horrible defeat in table tennis, he would then suggest we play some billiards, which basically meant that I would just watch him hit all the balls in. I mean it was fun, but not competitive.
The most difficult part of the trip to El Nido was leaving. The staff all stars get together at the dock and sing the goodbye song and you realize just how much fun it was and how heart breaking it is to leave. Before we knew it we were back on the charter plane and in overcrowded Manilla.
We also were fortunate to experience the Filipino version of dia de el muerto, All Souls Day. It was a family reunion for the Suarez's and the Sazons and an amazing sight to witness. I have never seen a culture care for their lost loved ones like this before and it was quite the moment to experience. Everybody congregated in the graveyards and it was a celebration of their lives. Some of the wealthy had air condition structures built on their families graves. The kids played with the wax of the candles, and the adults caught up with their distant family.
Each day was a blessing to be in the Philippines with Theresa's family. When we weren't eating the most delicious food, and being serenaded by LoLo Bennie, Chanel, and Uncle Cons, on the piano, we were outside with our private tour guide, Uncle Cons, and among one of the nicest and happiest cultures I have ever experienced. To describe it as a wonderful time would not do it justice and the strength of its memory and the pull it now has on our hearts I think will last our entire life. To all our new friends and family in the Philippines and Mr. and Mrs Suarez, Thank you for your love and open hearts.
...Goodmorning months later....
Another adventure in the Philippines was to El Nido, in Palawan. Palawan is that paradise that people are continually searching for. We are grateful for Tita Dina for putting this trip together for us, http://www.elnidoresorts.com/
We began by taking a chartered plane from Manila, almost private except for the creepy mass murderer with suspicious movement in the front by the cockpit. This plane flew us into to the Palawan islands, and then we took a private yacht for hobbits, aka a boat for normal humans, into EL Nido's private island. The trip began with sun and quickly went to Christina's favorite label, "torrential downpour". Luckily, the weather had ADD and didn't know what it wanted to be so everyday we were cooled off with the fresh rain and also had the clear blue skies to enjoy the beaches paradise. We ate like Kings and Queens here. And when we weren't eating, we were napping on the beach or living the tough and strenuous life of activity.
We ventured on a hike through the rain forrest with these very interesting worms, that instantaneously turned into large venomous snakes when Mrs. Suarez would find herself near them. By the end, I think she had these beasts on the BBQ and making her way from vine to vine on the tree tops. At the very end of the hike we found ourselves amongst the coolest plant i have seen in a long time. I dont remember it's Tagalog name, but it basically means "shy plant", and when it feels movement, it moves and retracts to safety. On the other side of these plants we were on a secluded beach with a shore break and three canoes to make our way back to the resort side of the island. Along the way we saw all sorts of fish and 200 foot cliffs with caves and dwellings with in. A great day activity that would require at least three naps and four meals within a two hour window to recover.
We took other adventures to near by islands. We saw snake island, Which is just a sand bar, we saw sunrises and sunsets and snorkeled in every area possible. We played games with the staff, volleyball and basketball. And we learned not to play billiards or table tennis with Mr. Suarez. I was basically smash practice for him and I knew it was coming because he would yell at me like Serena, but there was nothing I could do about it. And every day after my horrible defeat in table tennis, he would then suggest we play some billiards, which basically meant that I would just watch him hit all the balls in. I mean it was fun, but not competitive.
The most difficult part of the trip to El Nido was leaving. The staff all stars get together at the dock and sing the goodbye song and you realize just how much fun it was and how heart breaking it is to leave. Before we knew it we were back on the charter plane and in overcrowded Manilla.
We also were fortunate to experience the Filipino version of dia de el muerto, All Souls Day. It was a family reunion for the Suarez's and the Sazons and an amazing sight to witness. I have never seen a culture care for their lost loved ones like this before and it was quite the moment to experience. Everybody congregated in the graveyards and it was a celebration of their lives. Some of the wealthy had air condition structures built on their families graves. The kids played with the wax of the candles, and the adults caught up with their distant family.
Each day was a blessing to be in the Philippines with Theresa's family. When we weren't eating the most delicious food, and being serenaded by LoLo Bennie, Chanel, and Uncle Cons, on the piano, we were outside with our private tour guide, Uncle Cons, and among one of the nicest and happiest cultures I have ever experienced. To describe it as a wonderful time would not do it justice and the strength of its memory and the pull it now has on our hearts I think will last our entire life. To all our new friends and family in the Philippines and Mr. and Mrs Suarez, Thank you for your love and open hearts.
