Reunion

I was back in the airport innit! But this time I was there for a different reason. I was there to welcome Erika to Australia. :)

Erika is one of my bestfriends and we met each other in university. We were attached to the hip back then. Most of the memories that I have of uni have her in them... hanging out at each other's houses, coffee at our local Starbucks, basketball games, training sessions at the gym, cramming assignments, cutting classes, Saturday nights out, shopping, movies, strolling along Katipunan Avenue and trying every restaurant in the stretch a million times over, crying over boys, laughing at anything and everything... it is impossible to name them all. We have come a long way since then. Our friendship has lived through moving around three different continents and has been nurtured by phone calls, online chats and occasional visits that never seem to be enough to catch up properly on each other's lives. This visit in particular is very special. We usually either catch up in Manila or in Singapore where she's based. But this time she's actually the one visiting me innit! I am so excited to show her my life here and introduce her to people and places that have become very special to me over the years. I cannot wait for her to see for herself why Australia has earned the name "home".

Erika got held up at customs so I was waiting by the arrival gates for over an hour (lol so you didn't make me late after all :p). I didn't really expect to get much from that hour but I must admit that it was one of the highlights of my week. I saw loads of people who were there for the same reason as I was. We were all waiting in anticipation to get reunited with our loved ones. I noticed a pattern in people's behaviours... keeping whatever bit of personal space that they can claim early in the morning, distracting themselves from getting bored and then lighting up at the sound of footsteps and trolleys to check if it's their loved ones coming through the doors. And if it is indeed the person they're waiting for, the most genuine of expressions are witnessed by all... and then the hugs and kisses in between chatter follow. It was too early in the morning to get emotional but I had no choice as I was moved. And I felt very blessed to have been their waiting for a reunion of my own.

People have different stories of being away from loved ones... different places, different scenarios, different lengths of time spent apart... but at the end of the day, the outpouring of emotions will be equally special for anyone who's seeing a loved one for the first time in a long time. And whether it's getting reunited for good or getting reunited for a short period of time, that moment of coming together will be pure and priceless regardless... it's as real as real can get.

I leave you with my favourite quote from Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist... It's something that I've shared with you in the past but it's been ringing in my head throughout writing you this postcard...

If what one finds is made of pure matter, it will never spoil. If what you had found was only a moment of light, like the explosion of a star, you would find nothing on your return...





2nd photo by Ricky

Drawn Together

We found Scooby in a train station... or it might have been the other way around and he might have been the one who found us, I'm not sure. You'll have to wait for Clara's story as it is hers to tell. :)

His name is Moogy Scooby and Clara got him just over a week ago. He has been under my custody since. :) You do not understand how many people he and I have made friends with lol. The chicas are a given, of course. But I've come across people who were genuinely interested in knowing about him... a Colombian tourist, an old man who was reminiscing about winning Scooby's in Easter shows, a RailCorp worker who gave me free lollies, a punk chick at Krispy Kreme and loads of other randoms. Even Sue Ellen fell for his charms innit. Everybody loves Scooby. He's been so instrumental in bringing people together. And for that he deserves some Scooby snacks. :p

There are endless opportunities to let people touch our lives if we're open and accepting. Some may be random acts of kindness from strangers whilst others may be a deeper level of relating loved ones. Some may be one off encounters but if we're lucky, others can grow into significant parts of our lives.

I am thoroughly amazed (and sometimes freaked out) by the connections that I discover with people. The year has been a stand out in that regard. There are so many people who've become constant fixtures in my life whom I didn't know a year ago... you, my chicas, salsa friends, work friends, Filo friends... and even our little family of Scooby Doo's. I love love love it! :)

There are neither rules nor set parameters. And how life brings us all together materialises in varied shapes and forms. It may be common interests and principles. It may be sharing triumph or even tragedy. It may be a mutual love for someone or something (like how everybody loves Scooby, for example ;)). At the end of the day, the result is a beautiful beautiful thing. We are drawn together.

Te Mando Flores...

... y amor, amor, amor!

Hola from Floriade! I was in Canberra for the weekend and I thought I'd check the flower festival before this year's display of colourful blooms comes to an end. I spent ages admiring pretty flower beds, people watching and being shutter happy with my camera. Whilst the beauty of it all was imminent, I did notice that a lot of the blooms have dried and wilted. I suppose that's what I get for coming to visit on the last weekend of Floriade.

Four weeks ago, these blooms would've been standing tall in all their glory. This weekend, you can see loads of them shying away from the sun and slowly surrendering to their inevitable fate. But there is hope for the flowers as they will get reunited with the sun and the sky come next spring. And with spring comes another chance to emanate their beauty.

Like the blooms of Floriade that soak up the sun as much as they can, we take the good things that life hands us with the risk of wanting more than what we can have for the time being. You know the feeling of missing something or someone? Or when you crave for bits of special moments from the past? Or when you wish you can go back to a significant place even for a short amount of time? But then you realise that there's not much you can do to fill the void and satisfy the longing... not for now anyway. It's both a blessing and a curse. It's beautiful to have something that's special enough to be missed. To figure out how to deal with it is a different story and can end up being painful. I think patience and resilience are good starting points. From there, all you can do is wait and see...

And like the blooms of Floriade, you can always hope to have your own "spring" to look forward to in the future.

At the moment, I am craving for time with my family. I wish I can teleport to where my Mum and my brother are and just spend a day with them. But I'm trying to be patient as I know that my "spring" is just around the corner... and it won't be long before I get reunited with them again. What are you craving for? :)

Fiesta!

Fiesta
fi·esta (fē es′tə)

noun
1. a religious festival; esp., a saint's day
2. any gala celebration; holiday

etymology
Spanish, from Latin festa

In the Philippines, a fiesta has the same significance as Latin American fiestas. It is more commonly practiced in provinces where a town dedicates a day to celebrate its saint's day. There are processions, street parties, free entertainment and fairs. People prepare feasts and open their homes to just about anyone who's up for a feed. You start at lunch time and finish late at night, going from one house to the next and having a little bit from each of the banquets prepared. It's such an amazing atmosphere of sharing and being grateful for life's blessings.

I personally think that a Fiesta (or any celebration for that matter) is founded on gratitude. We celebrate because there are things to be glad about and grateful for.

The chicas and I have this daily routine. We email each other five glad points to draw positive energy from each day... I tend to focus on the little things and the natural highs that set a day apart from the rest. I truly believe that there are always reasons to be grateful and they don't always have to be major things. So allow me to share my Fiesta glad points with you... because I'm bursting with happiness over how wonderful this weekend has been. And I'd love to channel some of that positive energy through to you if I could.

Fiesta Glad Points
1. The weather. The sun hardly said hello but at least fiesta wasn't a washout. ;)
2. Latin music and the performances
3. Dancing outdoors... I love love love it!
4. Being silly and laughing at ourselves.
5. My OP chicas (and Guapo and Andy and everyone else who made cameo appearances over the weekend). I cannot explain how much these girls mean to me. It's unbelievable how strongly we connect and relate to each other.

Lastly, it is no secret that I'm grateful for YOU. Because this special friendship makes everything a little bit more... something. And it's all sorts of wonderful. :)



PS...