At 47...

I realize these:

Life is a matter of choice.

In every aspect

we've got to know,

to examine (sometimes none of this),

to weigh things (sometimes by impulse)

and pick.

Then later on

after sometime,

after exerting all the efforts,

after giving what we're capable of giving,

after draining our energy

we'd see

he/she/it/they is/are not all worth it.

At 47...

I learned

after all and each thing I've done,

after each sacrifice,

after each compromise,

after each and every life's slice

It's me, none other than me

who is responsible

of my doing,

of my crying,

of my laughing,

of my being.

Life is a matter of purpose.

In every choice I make

there's a reason,

there are factors to consider,

there are results to deal with.

This point motivates me

to wake up every day,

to take on each task,

to confront each difficulty,

to squeeze my brain,

for the resolution of each hitch.

Thus, I thank God that

I underwent

choosing,

hardships,

frustrations,

defeat.

I thank God that

I still have this chance

to gather each piece,

to reflect, and

to put things together.

I thank God for

His provision of choices,

of consequences, and

of cognizance.

Above all,

I thank God my Father for

giving me choices,

making me see each consequence,

letting me know that my life has a purpose

and I'm blessed

at 47.

No more.

When I've decided to let go...
I start rummaging my inbox
for probable short messages;
I scroll up and down IM pages
for at least an emoticon;
I read back messages
received days, months and years ago;
I reread every email;
I savor every detail;
I recall every circumstance,
every difficulty, every awkwardness we both felt.
I said
no more...
sweet good mornings,
worth-skipping lunch breaks,
late night messages,
sudden talks,
hard-to-label connection.
no more YOU and ME.
Now, it's just You.
It's just Me.
Now, it's just the memories
of YOU and ME.

When in flight

Chasing the Sea of Clouds: My Journey to Mt. Pulag's Summit

I saw a post about the sea of clouds and suddenly felt an urge to see it with my own eyes.

So I made a reservation for another mountain climbing adventure. I tagged my best friend Aileen along and my son Jasper, who would be climbing for the first time, a historic climb for him.

Our destination was 2,926.047 meters above sea level — the second-highest mountain in the Philippines according to DENR-Benguet, Mt. Pulag.

The Long Road to Benguet

The meetup was at Shaw Boulevard. We boarded a van at 11:00 P.M. and traveled from Quezon City all the way through Baguio to a homestay in Benguet where we would be staying for two nights and three days.

There was no electricity in the house, no air conditioner. Nevertheless, it was chilling cold — the temperature was 17 degrees Celsius. Good thing there was a fireplace. We had a candlelit dinner. It sounds romantic, and it was.

The food was great — all fresh vegetables, salad pako, and pork afritada, though it had broth rather than sauce. Despite that, we enjoyed the food from the first dinner to the last.

The Midnight Trek via Ambangeg Trail

2:00 A.M. the following day, we all got up and prepared for the climb. 3:00 A.M., we started trekking. The path was pitch dark. We only had flashlights and headlamps to light the way.

I was wearing three layers on top — an inner shirt, a sweater, and a hoodie — plus leggings and jeans. It was so freezing that I felt the urge to keep trekking just to make myself sweat and stay warm.

We took the Ambangeg Trail, said to be the easiest trail to the summit and perfect for beginners. It is a well-established, wide trail, but it is still a looong, steady uphill assault.

Despite the four-hour walk, I didn't feel as challenged as I did in Mt. Daraitan. In fact, I think it was the easiest climb for me so far. We went through four peaks before reaching the true summit — false summits that test your patience, but each one rewards you with a wider view of the Cordillera mountain ranges.

Before reaching the highest point, we waited for sunrise at the peak just before the summit.

And then it came — the BEST sunrise I've ever seen in my life. God's majestic morning as viewed in Mt. Pulag.

We reached the highest point at 7:55 A.M.

Above the Clouds

The sea of clouds rolled endlessly below us, thick and white like cotton, glowing gold and pink as the sun rose. The peaks of Northern Luzon pierced through it like islands in the sky. We were literally above the clouds. I was speechless.

Jasper was in awe — his first climb and he was already standing in heaven.

Going down was like a walk in the sky because of the fog and the sea of clouds still lingering around us. It was mesmerizing.

Then came the mossy rainforest. The ambience was so fresh and calming. I loved the air — it smelled of damp grass, moss, pine trees, and earth. It was so pure. Aileen and I laid down on the grass more than three times, just to rest and appreciate nature. No signal, no noise, just us and the mountain.

This climb is THE BEST.

MY BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS FROM MT. PULAG — READ THIS IF YOU'RE A FIRST-TIMER:

1. MASTER THE ART OF LAYERING. It's freezing, then it's not.

Bring shirts, sweaters, and hoodies. You need layered clothes for the midnight assault because it is bitterly cold at 3 A.M. But you will be taking them off as you near the peak because you'll feel warm from the hike and the lack of oxygen as you approach 2,900 MASL. Wear a thermal base layer!

2. BRING YOUR OWN LIGHT. There are no lamp posts on the mountain.

Bring a flashlight or, better, a headlamp. The trail is completely dark from Ambangeg to the saddle camp. A headlamp keeps your hands free for balance.

3. BRING EXTRA CASH. Only dinner is free.

Only dinner is provided by the homestay. The rest of the meals are up to you. Plus, there are a lot of fresh, cheap highland vegetables being sold — cabbage, carrots, potatoes — you will want to buy them as pasalubong for your loved ones back home.

4. BE PREPARED FOR THE CALL OF NATURE.

Bring wet wipes, tissue, and a small plastic bag. There are no toilets on the trail from 3 A.M. to summit. If you need to go, you need to practice Leave No Trace — dig a cathole or pack it out.

5. BRING TRAIL FOOD AND HYDRATE SMART.

Bring chocolate, biscuits, and bottled water. Sip, don't chug, to avoid frequent peeing stops in the cold. Eat chocolate while walking for instant energy, and save your biscuits for the summit while waiting for the sunrise. Remember, going down takes another 4-5 hours depending on your leftover energy, so ration your food.

Haiku on Mt. Pulag

Eccentricity

Friendship is real, when...

Friendship

Caring

Awakening

yesterday, today and tomorrow

At the moment

Lei Qin, acrostic poem

sixeighttwothousandsixteen

Six eight two thousand sixteen

Seven hundred and thirty days

of cybernetic connection accorded us

innumerable exchanges,

hilarity and sobs,

arguments and excitement,

and a good grasp of

what assumed-to-be objectionable.

Yes, I thank HIM

for LEADING me to THEE,

for granting me bliss,

for letting me know distress,

for setting me limits

for making me see reality, and

for keeping me sane still.

Had I been insistent,

annoying and taxing;

Had I brought thee desolation;

Had I furthered thy woes,

Had I misled thee,

I sincerely apologize.

I'm SORRY.

Truly, a couple of years with thee

taught me significant lessons.

The CYBERSPACE

has been a classroom of life for me.

In here, I mastered fortitude,

responsiveness and a great amount

of understanding.

Thus, I’m grateful to thee for

providing me virtual company,

helping me see what's beyond

and above all for

making me comprehend life's meaning.

Apparently, our connection

brought me gains more than pain.

Goodbye.

To thee I bade.

But as I realized that

thou still need me (maybe)

swallow my pride I did.

And an immediate comeback

I initiated.

This is me pal,

the person who acknowledged

thy whimsical charm

and befriended thee

despite everything since day 1.

Thou had never done wrong and

I hated you not.

Despite busyness

A Woman's Anguish

Note: background image is from www.google.com.ph

Peace begins in us

When I lost you

The truth about lying

Similarities

When I presented to you “Opposites”

You asked me why not I write on our similarities.

Reflected and these I found.

Both of us are:

Profound, Determined and Highly-principled

We value intellectual pursuit.

We always seek something interesting.

We acknowledge challenge and work to overcome it.

We despise mediocrity; thus,

we hate settling for anything less.

Passionate, Intense and Open-minded

We advocate action.

We want to always give our best.

We manifest tolerance despite difficulties.

We challenged conservatism as

we both believe we're doing nothing sinful.

Intuitive, Caring and Sincere

We can talk without words.

We detect one’s happiness and sorrow.

We bravely express concern for each other.

We earnestly talk, argue but often end up laughing

‘cause of that thing called perspective.

Hardworking, Serious but Vivacious

We are focused on our tasks.

We always feel the urge to prepare.

We discuss life as if we're on the same phase.

We perceive things deeper than expected and as we find humor,

we laugh to our hearts' content.

Come to think of it,

These had never been scripted.

Both of us neither planned nor expected.

However, things happened.

Now, pure friendship we enjoy so long as

there's IM and.... I don't know.