so what happened?

last january 18, i left for manila for a vacation.
a vacation? in manila? on the first month of the year? should that even happen?

it was actually a tough internal battle i had to fight. spending on a plane ticket, plus getting a VL without pay and spending on food and gimmick while there is too much dough for me. up until my last day in davao, i remained uncertain of my choice but since jan already sent me my ticket there wasn't much of a choice.

the night before i left and the morning i arrived, i was pretty disappointed. hoping to get to manila with a plan, and just spending my days living it... there was none. thank God for rowie's suggestions, it wasn't a wasted break. anyway, we've dealt with the situation and both learned a thing or two about each other.

so what did i end up doing in manila?
got to meet erik for lunch, had my measurements taken for the dress i was to wear at rowie's wedding (i am not to gain weight for the next five months. gasp!), went to jvp batchmate's wedding with other jvp batchmates (congratulations, eman!) and saw gaultz again (been a long time), experienced my first spa treatment (and something i won't try for the next three years. Don't get me wrong, it was great but it was darn expensive. Anyhoo... thanks, love), watched jan and his fine arts barkada play poker (at one point was tempted to play but they raised the betting to fifty bucks, so i'm still a gambling virgin), watched a chick-flick with my bro (my other boy gives me a hard time with movies like that, buti pa bro ko!), spent QT (quality time) with Jan, and saw Christian Bautista in Figaro CCP.

Pretty good for a five day break. Though an out-of-manila trip would have been nice. (parinig, parinig!)

By Monday, I took a plane to Cagayan de Oro so I could straight to the area to conduct my monitoring visit of Midsalip, Zamboanga del Sur.

The first day was okay since we only had to take a motor to get to the area. But the succeeding days were just physical challenges after anotehr.

Day 2 had me walking 3.5 hours up and down the mountain plus crossing the river so many times i lost count. That was just one way, we had to take the same route back where we were staying where i got caught in the rain, which led to getting a terrible cold and a worse cough.

The next day I woke up with a terrible headache. I didn't want to go on, but pride took the better of me. It was just an hour walk. I can do that... even if my head was hurting, my nose stuffy, my lungs almost bursting and my joints hurt. Yeah, i can do that. It was a beautiful place, Sapa Butong. A little Sagada of sorts, full of rice terraces in various stages of 'bloom.' And the children were wonderful, sadly malnourished though. But it seems the feeding program we give them helped a bit. There was this eight-year-old girl named Rowina who looked five, and spoke with a lisp (thix, theven...) who was very adorable. Made me forget what I was going through. Then we had to walk the same way back again. Because of the previous day's trauma on my feet, I ended up with blisters on by soles. The walk was painful, but I shut my trap and just walked in silence. No one can get me back home except myself.

When we got back, the consultation for mining was going on. I got to listen to the last part after i took a quick nap. It was terrible how the people for the mining company were distorting facts and mud-slinging at the church to cover up their own ulterior motives. Simply apalling! If i could have spoken up, I would but the consultation were for residents only. The mining engineer was saying that with the presence of the mining company, schools and hospitals will be built and the roads will get better. I wanted to snap at him, "sir, it is the responsibility of your brotehr (the congressman), the mayor and all other officials to give those structures and not of the mining companies! whether there is mining or not, there should be schools and hospitals for your constituents!"

And then he said the church is keeping the people from progress, they have big fat salaries and don't give to the people. And I would have answered back, "sir, the Church you are lambasting have taught your constituents to farm, to read and write, to understand their rights and to heal themselves while you squander the people's taxes on your nice pajero vehicle and your ugly pustiso." Grsh.

Day 4 made me realize that the stories of Ibong Adarna where they would instruct the prince to take a hike over seven mountains and there you will see the bird... it's almost true. We went over three hills in less than on hour, so seven mountains would probably take a day with short stops. I could have been prinsipe Amante in the story.

When we got to the school, there were around 30 children. And when you looked out there was just one house. Meaning the children had to hike up and/or down to get to school. That's desire to learn for you. The stories our parents told us when they had to walk hours to get to school? They remain true to this day. And if I have a child, maybe I'll let her go through that too. Evil ba? Anyway... the teacher lived two hours away. Initially, he used to walk to and from his home but decided to live in the school. Which wasn't much of an accomodation because there were big gaps between the wooden slats, making it very cold at night and potable water was 15 minutes away, plus he didn't have neighbors. I'd have gone crazy with that set-up.

So when I got back to where I was staying (the Irish Columban nun), I was much inspired. Despite having a terrible sore throat, a hollow chest, a blistered food and an oncoming period, there is hope for the people with people who think of the importance of their jobs to help their communities. Plus Sr. Kathleen was really nice, making me soup and giving me hard to procure oranges.

Today, I'm in Cagayan. Happy to be out of the area, happy to be back in the city, but missing the rhythm of my life in Davao (and of course, missing Jan as well). I could go home tonight, but we will be doing the canopy walk and zipline tomorrow. Thanks to tatit for giving in to my request. A little evil of me, because I won't get to see my sister since she is leaving 10 am tomorrow. But then we won't have quality time anyway, even if I got home tonight.

So much in less than two weeks. And it's already Chinese New Year. Fire Dog, huh? It's been a fiery start of the year, I'd say. Or should I say a fiery end? Whatever.

Back home to Davao tomorrow evening. Yey.