will be back Monday

Just so y'all know, I'm in Malaybalay, a city in the mountains here in Southern Philippines. My parents moved here about 9 years ago from Manila because they'd already gotten tired of all the stress of the Metropolis. Can't blame them, really. Anyway, I arrived here yesterday afternoon first via my flight to Cagayan de Oro then land trip--about 2 hours.

It's so relaxing here and you really don't notice the time. I haven't even checked my phone yet! I was also just able to check my email and facebook tonight because we had guests for lunch today. After lunch here at our house, we brought them to the Monastery of the Benedictine monks then to our farm. And I also cooked almost the entire afternoon because my parents had some friends over. My mom was raving to them last night about my lasagna and my baked orange herbed chicken so of course I was slaving away in our kitchen today.

Okay, I'll post about my Holy Week vacation maybe next Monday or Tuesday when I get back. I don't think I'll be able to post another entry until next week. I hope y'alll enjoy the weekend! :)

one week vaca

Since it's a holiday on the 6th (Mon) and Holy Week starts on the 9th (Thur), my boss told us to take a leave on the 7th and 8th. Woohoo! A week without work. This is the first time in quite a while that we're spending Holy Week out of town. On a whim, my family and I decided to go to Casa San Pablo in Laguna next week from April 8-10. I've always wanted to go there, and I was actually hoping I'd visit that place with my friends. I guess Casa San Pablo will still be fun with my grandmother and brother, since we'll be the only ones left here in Manila next week. My mom will be back in the boondocks (haha!) of Bukidnon by this weekend, my uncle and aunt are going to Camarines Sur to go wakeboarding, and my other uncle and aunt plus my cousins are going to visit my family in the province. So that just leaves me, my grandmother, and my brother.

I don't think a lot of countries take Holy Week as seriously as the Philippines does.


Yes, we shouldn't forget what Jesus went through...so Holy Week is not just the time for us to pray and reflect, but it also gives us the time to rest and relax--two things I think we need to be able to contemplate...don't you agree?