Sail Away, Sail Away, Sail Away

Shelling


On lunch duty
He doesn't look too happy about it


Crabbing

Look at Mouse's tummy. She obviously had a big lunch

This sea urchin that the kids found was delicious.


Fire in the sky: a spectacular sunset





















It's amazing what happens when a family is thrown into small, confined spaces. After many months we are back on the boat for the weekend in Subic so the children can traipse on the beach, swim, and go shelling and crabbing. It was very relaxing, no agenda, no cell phone signal, no wrist watches, no curfews, no nothing. There was just the wide, open beach, which was empty except for us, the sunset cruise, and the tiny space that we had to park ourselves every in night, in very close proximity to each other. We were so physically close for 48 straight hours that I noticed new nicks and cuts on their skin, noticed new habits and quirks, read over their shoulder as they buried their noses in their books, watched their favorite cartoon, "Bakugan," and literally felt their breath each time they exhaled. I smelled their smells and picked their brains. What could possibly be better than this?

Married Away

I love his shirt: reverse snobbery
Tito Ernie with his tres marias: Steph (the braniac who placed 9th on the board exam), Val (the uber achiever), and Kitten (the gorgeous bride)







Kitten's family welcomes Don with open hearts

Weddings are celebrations and that is what we are doing here--celebrating each other. The night before the wedding we trooped to Fairways and Blue Water for a "shorts and chinelas" cocktails and and simply hung out, enjoyed the music, drank margaritas and screw drivers and exchanged stories of our common heritage and our collective unconscious--the legacy of our grandparents.

This is the gift of family: the strong ties that are impervious to outside forces, the type that withstands distance, time, and intrigue. We all share the same blood, the same name, whether we like it or not. We consider ourselves lucky because in this case, we do like it. Many of these cousins I haven't interacted with in ages. But tonight it is as though not a moment had passed.

A Boracay Album

fire dancers on the beach










I am currently in Boracay, a place that I never really looked upon with fondness. The noise, the shoulder to shoulder crowds, the competing blare of different genre of music as you pass different establishments, the sky high prices which defy provincial rates of the same goods and services offered in other parts of the country--all this have turned me off. I much prefer the quiet and the isolation of remote beaches where the only sound I hear comes from nature: my breathing, the ocean waves, birds, and okay, maybe some mood-establishing music.

And so here I am with a big change of heart, first, because of the company and the occasion: I am here for a dear cousin's wedding and so I am surrounded by family. Next, the hotel: Two Seasons resort is like an Ian Schrager boutique hotel. It is spectacular, probably the best on the island--tied with Discovery Shores. And the service is fantastic. They have a gem of a front office manager here. Her name is Rica and she makes the impossible happen--I'm talking 6th sense service, like those they espouse in the Four Seasons and Aman resorts. She is a gem--so efficient, charming, and has such a warm, easy way about her.

Yesterday, I forgot my laptop at one of the cabanas and remembered it only after an hour. I checked the cabana but it wasn't there anymore. I rushed to the front office and guess what, Rica was there smiling at me. She said, the moment she saw me, "Laptop?" She saved my sanity. I want someone like her to "arrange" my life.

Will post a Boracay album of photos next time. Internet speed here is on triple slow-mo mode