Seriously?

As part of my journey to revisit the richness of my childhood, this place, which you may refer to as "baduy" is actually on top of my list as one of the most memorable places I've been to when I was a child. I always believe that when you want to go back to the places you've once visited when you were a kid, or just think of good and bad things that you've done in the past, that means your childhood is somewhat not traumatic. Because for me if you don't even want to think of your past, then there must be a problem. what you have been when you were a child actually translates to who you are right now. your childhood the way you lived with it defined  you as who you are today.

 Denying your past means denying your own identity.

 I've never visited such place like this with any of my family members, my mom, when I was a kid was working as Domestic Helper in Hongkong until I reached college, my dad works as a foreman during weekdays and sometimes accept part time job as plumber during weekends, my sisters are doing the household chores and my elder brother was with his playmates as well. So i only get to visit this kind of places during field trips in grade school and high school.

I understand that I can't be with them as my parents are working so hard to earn a living so they can send us to reputable universities and to make this life an easy one for all of us, and i also understand that my sisters and brother can't accompany me because of other priorities that they have to attend to....I never missed any field trips because of my parent's hardship and unconditional love, they never let me miss a single journey of my childhood....

Chinese Garden Lagoon

We're somewhat fucked up that we ca no longer remember the last time we wrote on a piece of paper like we used to do in school to see if our penmanship has changed as we got used to type, tap, snap, click and hit the buttons of technology....

Confucius

It's not bad at all to go back and reminisce the old days, whether good or bad, as good things made you think right, and bad things made you decide right. the right way.

I remember sitting on this very stone when I was in Grade 4 while watching the reenactment of how Dr. Rizal was executed by firing squad.

If I will be given a chance to go back to my childhood, i would not dare change any single step that i took that defined me as who I am of today.

weekender no more?

It's just now that i realized the need for us to have Sat-Sun off....not merely to have gimmick on a Saturday night but rather the togetherness of the family, being able to attend to Sunday mass, being able to rest along with other employees who work on regular office hours during weekdays and always find time to be with their family even if it takes hours to get to their destination just to be home....(those who work in manila but lives in nearby province). shopping malls jam packed yet you still enjoy rubbing elbows with them, national parks (luneta park, manila zoo, et.al) you planned of visiting to reminisce your childhood but you can't, not because you work at night but you find it awkward to have it done on weekdays, who would have thought of visiting those historical places on weekdays while the rest of the Filipinos are working? neighbors grilling barbecue for their lunch (like our neighbors do on weekends) while there you are having a hard time sleeping, not because of a warm weather but because of the idea of not being able to do it with your own family....others may find it strange that I'm writing this just now, I was never a front runner when it comes to demanding a sat-sun off as i fully understand the industry we are working with, this idea just crossed my mind because I missed being a normal person. I now want a Sat-Sun off then. :)