The Calaruega Adventure

Experiencing the serene and relaxing views of nature while giving praise and thanksgiving to the goodness of our Lord God. Here at The Calaruega Church located in Brgy Calayway Batulao Nasugbo Batangas, Philippines.

This is actually a perfect place for retreat, a solemn wedding and/ or  place where you can pray, meditate and reflect. A place where you can see a breathtaking and majestic views of mount batulao and surroundint hills and greenery. It was indeed a relaxing treat for your  eyes and nourishing for the soul, indeed a beautiful place for everyones to experience.

Welcome 2015

Two days to go and we will say sayonara for the year that was (2014) and say hello to the year will be (2015). 
It was indeed a whole lot of a year. For me it was all a humbled experienced before God and before men through all experiences that thought you a lot of things, Things about life that happen through the series of events that you and I may have been through this year. Experiences that make you laugh and cried. Experiences that makes you even more stronger and braver through all the lessons that you learned from it, a lesson you can bring with you to face the uncertain future ahead. 


oftentimes when you think about the future it's kinda scary, cause you don't know what lies ahead, you dont know what you expect or what will you face, you dont have anything but your self and thinking about it makes it even more scarier and feel more vulnerable, makes you feel weak and for a person like me who always want to be assured and secured makes it even more harder.

But when look back of what have this year 2014 thought me of? is that future always accompanied by uncertainty, of questions that can only be answered as you live your life through it, of things that may have been out our control until it hit you big time. 
But future is given to us not of a burden but rather more of  blessings, a second chance to prove ourselves, a new beginning, a fresh start, to answer the  questions like  what may have gone wrong? or what is lacking? Or what I have missed? What I should have done or did not do? Future is given to us to re assist ourselves, makes plan and make ourselves ready and God will determine our steps for way better year than the last. 
Personally, 2014 for me is  preparatory lesson for each of us for something big to happen. I can't say that I am ready now and that I am stronger and wiser but rather my mind is open to all possibility for all the best things and especially the worst. I still feel afraid all the time for whatever worst to come and I still feel vulnerable at times but I thought to myself that whatever happen in the year 2015,  whatever darkness of uncertainty ahead  I'll just say a little prayer and believe that prayer no matter short, long or elaborate it may sound, so long that you believe and offer it God with all your heart, mind and soul God will be with us every steps of the way.  

Prayers always work and answered at the right time and in God's perfect plan. Let us all face the year 2015 with great joy, excitement and anticipation that everything will just be fine and full of blessings, wonderful things and new lessons to learn and most of all another year wiser, braver, and happier. 

Happy and prosperous New Year everyone!!! 

To God be All the Glory

As the 2014 bid its fairwell and we will say hello to the new fresh start of the year 2015 we will also start our new year with new circulation coins which the BSP or Banko Sentral ng Pililinas will release. Presenting the new P5 and P10 denomination limited edition commemorative circulation coins, including one that honors overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). The new coins has been made available starting December 22.  The BSP said the Bagong Bayani P5 coin will honor OFWs, while a P10 coin will commemorate the 150th year of hero Apolinario Mabini. Another P5 coin will commemorate the Leyte Landing which was a turning point for the liberation of the Philippines during World War II.

Christmas Madness

The wind is much much colder and the feeling of Christmas is definitely on the air. Guess there no stopping now for the most wonderful day of the year to come where everything is festive and the since of excitement is magnified.
Yes folks! its true cause wherever I go now I feel the rush of Christmas in every corner of the metro. The bumper to bumper traffic everywhere as if every living person in the Philippines is outside commuting or driving their own vehicles.

Last Tuesday I went to SM north EDSA to meet a friend and guess what..? it took me half an hour for me to ride a bus and that's because of the traffic jam that most of the buses is stuck in some part of EDSA and people is stacking up as well waiting for next available bus and when it does? As if those sweet people turn in to MONSTERS just to get a ride and go home. Hahahahaha who can blame them? their just
 simply wanna go home.  and even if you have enough budget to get a cab so you can get relaxed mode of transport?  you wont believe the long line and there was no taxi available. Sigh!!! Indeed traffic jam in these day of the year is 10 times worst than the regular days.....
Also when you get to the mall wow!!!! That's the only thing that you can say people are jam packed in every corner of the mall... all of the restaurant are full, even those small once, the department store is full as if people is panic buying and who can blame them? They have all the means to do so...thanks to extra money coming from the 13th month pay and bonuses. Guess that's one of reasons why people love Christmas time where money is seem so abundant.

But no matter how worst the traffic jam is these days or how tiring to get to the mall and buy what you need to buy in preparations for the Christmas parties and exchange gifts? or how busy we can get let is not forget what really Christmas is and that is to be THANKFUL to our LORD GOD of all the blessings we got and for other chance of celebrating another Christmases with our love once, our family, friends, relative and  somehow in one way or another we can be a blessings to others....

Lets just pay our blessings forward

Merry Christmas everyone and prosperous New Year to all of us.

Global Warming

As I go over the new feeds on my facebook page early this morning (01-12-14 4:00 AM ) I notice this chain like post message in my wall and the message it send is really alarming.The message is all about the CNN mandatory report about the Global warming and how it will affect us all for the next 10 months to come and it give us pointer of what we should do such as planting more trees, don't waste water and not using plastic. We know that there was no proven fact about this but nevertheless we can't deny the fact that this can really happen. I thought to myself  that there is nothing wrong in believing and we are not gonna lost anything in fact it may help us all, As the saying goes "prevention is better than cure".

So I call the attention of all Filipino people and the world, if we don't want to happen again the nightmare that brought to us by the devastating effects of super typhoon Yolanda or experience never before long dry season or the worst the effects of El Nino phenomenon or even the deep freeze that continues to affect the U.S that records coldest temperature in the past 20 to 30 years.

Although that it is unlikely to happen here in the Philippines as we are geographically located in the equator but given the fact that the climate is shifting drastically so fast the climate is becoming unpredictable? the unlikely to happen can be a possibility. Its time to act NOW!!!. There are so many things that  CAN be done for the next 10 months that maybe become instrumental one way or another to fight Global warming! It maybe a small effort but for as long as we all act together that small collective efforts can make a whole lot of difference in the long run.

I am happy to know that some of few key cities in the metro manila already implemented the plastic ban such or Quezon city, Pasig, Muntinlupa, Las Pinas, Pasig and  Makati and and I hope that we may reach 100 % that all the city in Metro Manila and even in the province implemented the ban of plastic with NO exemption! 

The climate is no longer as friendly as it seem. Its rapidly turning its anger towards human. We have abuse it and take away so many things from this earth that was given to us only on a borrowed time and now it is taking it back away from us. The movie such "2012" or the "The day after tomorrow" is only a worst cinematic  example that can happened or can possibly happened if we dont act NOW otherwise what will happened is gonna be much much worse beyond our mind can conceive if we don't act now.

Happy New Year!!!

We have say goodbye for the year 2013 and we say hello again for another New year 2014. So many things happened for all of us that may have change our lives one way or another, events, decision making, choices that we have faced last year that had big impact in our perspective towards life. For me alone 2013 brought so much things that I can ponder by and it thought me so many things that making you realize that everyday that passing by is grain of hope that whatever trials we face, in GOD's perfect time everything will pass!

The year 2014 is a new promise, a new beginning, a fresh start for all of us. And I am looking at it with a more positive sense that everything will be good for this year 2014. There may be new challenges to face, that's for sure!! a few bumps on the road and uncertainty, but as long as we keep our faith to God almighty intact within us and we believe that whatever his plan for us for this year 2014 is so much better than what we thought, then everything in God's guidance and grace will be perfect.

Now let me end my post for this blog entry for the first month of the New Year 2014 with a prayer.

"Dear God almighty, in all humbleness of heart I am praying that this new year 2014 you may guide Me, each members of family,  my friends, and all the people of my country as we walk each day of this year and face new challenges ahead, trials to face and that we may win the battle and proclaim our glory in honor of your son Jesus Christ our savior.

Help us dear God to be more prayerful and faithful to our christian faith and whatever religion that some of our fellow people believe in, cause we know that no matter who we praise we know in our hearts that it was you, as there can only be one good, merciful and forgiving God.

Father, we may never know what lies ahead of us, as life is full of uncertainty but we know that for as long we have you in our side we will make it through.

Help us to be more humble in all our glory and triumph, help us to be strong in all our failures, help us to be more understanding to one another, help us to be an agent of peace and whatever grudges, pain and anger that is hidden in our hearts we may be able to let go, move on and find forgiveness for those who done us wrong and they may also find in there hearts to find forgiveness for whatever I have done wrong to them.

Oh merciful God Jesus Christ,  you alone are the holy one, in your mercy and grace, as we claim your word that whatever we ask in your name and honor you, honors the father who send you, you will give us. I pray that you send the holy spirit to bring peace in our heart,  help us to battle our greatest temptation and win it.

Give us your grace in all our needs, make us good with a patience, slow to anger, merciful hearts just like you, and whatever we do we may always honor you with all our hearths.

This we ask in your mighty name Lord Jesus Christ together with the father and the holy spirit. One God forever and ever. And to Mama Mary."

Amen.

Relaxation at Mandara

Last April 7 I decided that after almost eight days straight of working since March 31st, I deserve a little break and the best break I know of is that of relaxing massage that I always like, But then I again I have no time to go to my favorite spa (Nature's Way located at 3rd Flr. of Robinson Galeria) as I still have work today, I thought to myself that why should I make it hard for me when in fact I can still enjoy the break I deserve without compromising and worrying that I maybe late for work as there was alot of spa around Global city that offer massage, So I've decided that I will make pass for now to my ever so favorite Spa and just go to the nearest one in the area . I have this spa that I been wanting to try ever since and that is  located right across the building where I work which is at The McKinley Residence's  Mandara Spa Relaxation.

Thre Mandara Spa who incidentally has the same name of the global spa management company MANDARA SPA that founded in Bali and now have 17 branches in different countries around the globe. Thre Mandara Spa on the other hand is according to the girl at the counter when I visit the place was a very much Filipino owned spa services. According to the companies website (http://themandaraspa.com/) MANDARA is derive from the two words Mana and Dara, which means mind and single line. According to a passage in a Hindu Mythology that serves the Gods by being the churning rod that mizes the ocean of milk, This mountain is not made of fragmented stones but a single connected structure. The meaning of the phrase was so deep and was hard to comprehend but as I did a little research the phrase "Churning of the ocean of milk" literal metamorphic meaning is a deep contemplation, churning of facts, analysis aimed at solution or conclusion. Somehow we can relate this to the relaxation that when our body is relaxed and well rested so is our mind, we tend to think clearly, contemplate about life and therefore makes a good decision.

The place is very cozy and the receptionist has assisted me is very friendly and accommodating  They offer ultimate pampering and relaxation with their own Mandara spa ritual style, Here are the services they offer.

Mandara Signature Ritual - A signature treats that uses all-organic aromatic oils and olive ingredients  known for its healing benefits.

Mandara Body Ritual - This rituals offers different style of massage such as Swedish, Shiatsu, Combination, their very own Mandara signature massage, Hot stone massage, four hands theraphy (This one will includes two therapists working together in rythmic tandem). The rituals also includes a traditional healing such as Authentic Hilot, Pre/Post Natal massage, and Ventosa cupping with hilot.

Mandara Hand and Foot  Rituals - This services offer Hand Spa with Manicure  Ritual, Selection of Hand Spa (Whitening Lavander Aromatheraphy), Green Tea Manicure and Pedicure, Hand Parafin, Foot Farafin, Hands and Arms Massage and Xiamen Foot Massage (A Chinesse traditional massage that helps people relax and improves their bodies and helps treat diseases. Chinese people believe that what the root to a tree is what the foot is to human body)

Mandara Face Rituals - This is services that centered with the face. The services includes Whitening Facial, Oil Control Facial, Non-Surgical Face Lift, Ageloc Galvanic Spa Facial,

As for me what I choose is their own Mandara Signature Massage that cost P800 for a 60 minutes full body massage that gives hard relaxing strokes all over your body and focus at your back where all the stress and colds are. Aside from that really relaxing massage one other thing I like about the place is you get to enjoy your very own privacy in a small rectangular wooden sliding room as oppose to other spa that only have a thick curtain partition also the shower room is good, though I wasn't able to ask if they have sauna room maybe next time when I come back but for now I get to enjoy the service and their hot tea after the massage that even gives you a much relaxing effects. It was indeed a relaxing experience with Mandara Spa and I like to go back to try their other services in the very near future.