Much wisdom is learnt through tears, but none by forgetting our lessons.”
--MarÃa Amparo Ruiz de Burton
The Squatter and the Don
There are things that we eat at us until we get them right. I am not a Type A personality, not at all--but there are some stuff that I can't just let go until I get them right. And that includes getting the right colors when it comes to taking pictures. I had felt so frustrated the first time that I tried to edit because everything was coming out so wrong, so I left it alone for a couple of days and allowed my head to percolate. I was riding the train with JP, staring absentmindedly into space, when the right way to color this set, after spending hours of trial and error, occurred to me just like that!
We have all experienced coming up with answers to pesky problems while in the shower or while riding the bus. I guess ideas come more easily when we let the problem go, or at least tether it using a really long leash. It reminded me how taking a breather and not insisting on solving problems or puzzles on our own timeline can be a better path to a solution rather than using all our willpower to get things done right here, right now. I fail at that from time to time, but it's something I am trying to work on, to let things percolate, to make the active decision to lift them up to the Ultimate Problem Solver, and just trust that a solution will come in its own time.
A few snapshots of Longtausi Park, one of our park discoveries during the Spring Festival break.
Living in a foreign country, the husband and I are always grateful for the company of fellow Pinoys who make life a little bit less lonely and a bit more interesting and fun. So it was a delight to have lunch with T who was house-sitting for friends who were making their way through Southeast Asia for a bit of Spring Festival R&R. We got to enjoy a yummy spread of porkchops, vegetables, sinigang and chocolate-dipped strawberries, so yummy that I munched my way through the entire plate of pork chops and brought home the rest of the dessert, haha (Thanks, T!)
It was extra exciting for me, because I got to meet Fei Fan, a cute and adorable mutt who is now living the good life because she was found and rescued just in time! Not only does she get to have sweet treats handed to her, she also gets to enjoy walking around the complex in the afternoons, where she can sniff, pee and romp playfully to her heart's content. Seeing this bundle of fur do her tricks and play with her toys reminded me so much of our family pets back home. Although my family keeps sending photos and updates, nothing beats being able to hug a warm, drooling, and cuddly canine. I'm getting teary-eyed just remembering how Nemo, Pip, Kuya Bammy or Kuya Choi would stare at me while I was typing away at my computer, or mindlessly changing channels on the TV, but I'm sure all dog lovers can relate!
All in all, it was a nice change of pace, especially since I've been dog-deprived for so long, I think Fei Fan was starting to get seriously weirded out by all the poking and stroking that I was doing to her. Looking forward to seeing this adorable little furball again, hopefully this time with Mommy and Daddy when they're back from vacation!
“Maybe it’s not about having a beautiful day, but about finding beautiful moments.
Anna White
--Mended
I've been feeling all kinds of bloated and cold ever since I arrived in CQ. I'm a tropics girl, so cold weather has never been my thing. My husband is always surprised at how cold my hands are even if I spend all my time indoors. It's a good thing I found this really nifty twist to my usual teabag routine that involves adding ginger and lemon after reading Christina Greve's awesome Lemon and Ginger Shots post. A lot of people drink honey and lemon with their tea but I wasn't a fan, probably because lemons are so expensive back home! They are cheaper here though, so I buy lemons almost every week now. This lemon and ginger concoction is so easy to whip up and I store it in this resealable jar to keep it fresh for longer. I didn't follow any set recipe for this batch, I just piled on ingredient after ingredient into the jar, poured boiling water in, and it smelled heavenly. For a more detailed recipe, look here.
“Holding hands, for example, is a way to remember how it feels to say nothing together.”
Being in an LDR for most of our relationship, getting together and living in the same house took some getting used to. One of the upsides is that we still have not yet gotten used to the wonderfulness of it all. I guess this is one of the advantages of distance, it makes the moments of togetherness that much more special. We especially enjoy the times spent discovering new things, such as this small Japanese dessert cafe in one of the malls here in the city, right after a big dinner of piping hot ramen and dumplings from the restaurant just across the floor. It was an unplanned night of everything Japanese, from the low, low tables and the tatami mats, down to the sweet jasmine tea that I tried for the first time. I guess I am learning to cherish these moments with intention, and the fact that these photos capture moments to help us remember when the time comes that we can no longer do so.