Sunrise , sunlight .. breath the morning dew .
Still mind , silence thoughts .. Breath life
Letting lose , letting go .. acceptance , humbling down
Bow my head ,close my eyes .. when will come will come .. what will blow will blow I surrender to the law of the universe .
Breath in …breath out
Everything will be fine
Old songs , old stories we held hands and shared laughters in those nostalgic moments. I thought I found a friend .
Turbulence , tears of challenges , losing our way along the journey . I still believe in our friendship .
We patched up , stay connected .. I turned deaf to stories that I heard . I believe I know your soul as you see my core .
I was wrong … I see a shade that is far from what I used to know . Some says this has always been you .. while others said I saw it all along and just let it pass for the sake of our friendship.
Now , I have enough .. enough of this pretentious color .. I can’t and I won’t … I must burn this bridge of frienship .
Goodbye
There is this point in ourlives that we face with situations that we are not comfortable with . No matter how you would choose to look at it tackle it you will still end up being hurt.
There moments in ourlives that we are painted by the colors that does not describe the totally of us. It was a color that once came due to a situation. This becomes your color. No matter how many times you became a brighter shade. There will always be people that will remember you as a dark tone .
Months I have struggled , I wanted to prove them wrong , I wanted to unhurt myself by understanding the situation. But I can’t . So the cycle of being judge , feeling unsure circles around me.
Until that moment that I realized I know me better that anyone else . I am me , I am not perfect , I am a person that is embodied with different shades . I am colorful . I accept me and I love me …that is all that matters. I will wipe my tears look up to the sun …
I will shine because I am colorful … I am free .. I have learn and I am a beautiful imperfect soul .
I look at the road of
hope .. horizon of
chances
I step forward as my
heart beats for the
sunrise of chances
Moving forward
onward
New hope ,new
road … my passage of
life will take the turn
to a wonderful start.
I reach for the sun.. I
raise my head for the
air …l am almost
here .. my passage
my hope
We walk through that path … no regrets only gratitude for the lessons learned ….
My path ,my passage
How did we spent our rainy day in Paris ?
Luncheon at Le Jules Verne was an experience to keep .
This restuarant is located at the third floor of the very known Eiffel tower . A classy way of visiting this impressive tower with a private elevator , a receptionist and your own private access to the observatory deck of the tower .
With Chef Frédérick Anton ( has been a 3 stars since 2007) leading the service you would expect nothing but perfection on every cuisine that is served . Both the meal and wine were perfectly thought out .
We had the five course meal with two amuses and glasses of savory rose champagne.
Our food varies from Sea urchin to very tasty smoked lamb .
The dessert was the highlight. It was called ” The chocolate dessert” , the chocolates were presented and made into temperature ( warm and cold ) you must start at the warm chocolate mouse then topped it with the cold chocolate.
This will give you one mouthful of food orgasm…
It is bitter , salty ,hot, sweet and cold or I should say magic ….
We closes our luncheon with a coffee paired with these cute chocolates and sponge orange cakes to nibble.
As the skies cried her heart out .. Two friends enjoys the savory rose champagne at the top of the Eiffel tower .
P.s
My dear friend ended her 50th birthday celebration here with a small complimentary mango sorbet with a handwritten in a thin chocolate sheet “happy 50th birthday Ralla ” by the chef 🙂
A friend of mine once told me a story about a hermit crab and how it changes it’s shell once it becomes too small for them .
This story is one of my reminder everytime things get tough , uneasy and change is inevitable . Like a Hermit crab i should be ready to adopt the changes that are coming , let go of attachments and just move on with the lessons that I have learned from my previous experiences .
Life’s constant variable is change . We grow in a space and at times leave people that no longer embraces our new views . We are constantly face with situations that needs for us to be flexible, patience and brave .
I am in a dawn of change …My heart longed no more to the ones that I used to be passionate . She seeks no more the company of those who used to give her a smile.
I am moving forward , I am letting go of something to be able to embrace a much better future ..
Look up , take a breath , whisper a mantra ” I am water , I am air , I am the universe within me” . I am ready …
Giralda Tower and Cathedral
Giralda Tower is one of the iconic tower in Seville. At 104.2 meters or 32 floors it has dominated the skies of Andalusia for 800 years. An impressive Gothic design , it’s beauty does not only radiates outside but as well as inside . After all this is one of the four Unesco Heritage of Seville
JO AND Beth
They have been friends for quite a while now . They have experienced the hardest storms of their lives but still manages to rise up. They are now both enjoying their pension years
My admiration for these two women become more deeper when we have visited Seville ,Spain a couple days ago .
Part of the trip was to explore the Iconic Cathedral and its renown tower . Being a history geek I was very excited to get inside since I have read that Christopher Columbus was buried here . ( that is for later to write about )
The Climb
Jo and Beth roamed around the Cathedral, admiring the gothic / moorish design of walls. Me, being me looked for them and told them to join me to the top of the tower.
None of us have expected that the climb would be so steep.
I went ahead and Edgar the husband of Clair would follow them indiscreet. Beth would just sing a praise song while holding the hands of Jo ..
Jo is a burned survivor. Forty- five percent air capacity of her lungs was damaged during the fire . She has some joints problem too . To be able to climb the Giralda tower would be a great challenge for her. A step at a time …a breath for every rounds she made it holding Beth’s hand .
As they approached the 32nd floor at their own pace tears of joy and contenment flows down into their eyes . While Edgar and myself cheered their conquest!
Reflection
Beth and Jo are the two epitome of women who doesn’t know how to give up . No matter how hard life will treat them they would move ahead at their own paces, carrying the faith within them . It is this faith that gave them hope, the same hope that push them to persevere.
Yes , they have been through the darkest moment of their lives .. but like the climbed that they did in Giraldo Towers they did it at their own pace with faith in their hearts and if things really gets rough they would stop and cry they never questioned God instead they bow down humbly … take a breath and continue with their respective journeys
They have conquered the top , survived the battles now it is time to rejoice, enjoy and be grateful of what life will bring them .
“Courage isn’t having the strength to go on – it is going on when you don’t have strength.”
― Napoleon Bonapart
Special thanks to Edgar who took good care of them
Seventeen years ago I lost my youngest brother due to pancreatitis . He was thirty years old and full of dreams.
His death came unexpected ,his death left a huge hole in my heart . A hole that I have learned to co-exist seventeen years after his gone . Each year stronger than myself I would relived the journey that I have been through , our the last conversations and the emotions.. Seventeen years , I still felt that I have come short as a sister and a friend .Seventeen years.. I still have the “maybe if …I could have .. ”
I have admired the friendship that he have built with his friends seven years after his death Christopher one of the homeboys continue the passion that they all have . He would organize a basketball tournament among group of friends .
This is their way of giving tribute to a friend , brother , playmate .. Every year around this time .. when I would normally shed tears Randall’s cup is born.
Randall’s cup is an ode for my brother .. this is a manisfestion on how he was loved by the people that surrounds him .
At this time of the year . I would look at the pictures of these basketball tournament with a smile in my heart … I would look up thr skies and imagine that He my angel , my benjamin , my brother , my friend is smiling down at us ..
He is gone but never be forgetten .. I will love him till I will see him again
Our mind will play tricks on us if we just let it flow. Stop ,think take a deep breath.
Look and listen to that tiny voice of positively .. shift that negative thoughts to a happy one .
Our words are like a double edged sword it cuts both ends .. Words that hurt are sometimes difficult to undoen .
Stay still… process your thoughts be concious of words . After all it is not what you have said that matters it is how you have delivered the message .
Be kind , understanding and gentle for we do not know truly the journey of one’s soul …
Let me journal our travels ..
This journey started back in Dec 2018 when a couple of my highschool batchmates came to Belgium and have a small meet up. Some of them I have already met a couple of years prior to this gathering while the others …. its was ages that we have seen each other and one in particular reaaaaally don’t know me . 🙂🙂🙂 ooh the good side of it is that she is now one of my good friends .. ( love you Viv 😘)
A gathering that I thought would only be a one time affair. As a private awkward person as I am. I have gathered all my social skills for heaven knows I am quite uncomfortable in these kinds of gatherings. One of the many reasons that I seldom attended a reunion.
To my surprise it turned out to be a very fun tapok . There was no moment dullness nor have I felt uncomfortable . So , at the end of this reunion we have agreed to try to do it yearly ..
Copenhagen here we come
2019 same month but with a much larger group. Three old aquintances joined the 2019 tapok .
Seeing Noel, Ralla , Jadine for the first time after all these years made me a bit of emotional . Getting to know the lovely personas of Roselyn , Bong and Reymund adds another shade of color to this gathering . Unfortunately some of us were not able to join Copenhagen but we have tried to connect through video chat .
I believe that Bong and Reymund were not as comfortble at the start of the tapok but at the end of the week both have become the Prince of this tapok .
We have explored the food markets, trivoli , christmas markets and of course visited the little mermaid of Copenhagen . While we ate chinese food at Malmo , Sweden 🙂
Like the in 2018 , there was no dull moment only memories were made and the friendship that has been build back then have become stronger . We can’t get enough , we have then planned the next travel gathering for 2020 ..
It should have been Bilbao
High from the Copenhagen get together we then planned for our next trip . 2020, we would explore the home of the golden beaches , Guggenheim museaum and delicious pintxos ( local tapas) . Yes! We were planning to explore Bilbao with a side trip to the culinary world capital of Donastia or San Sebastien .
Planning was on going until the unforseen circumstances came … COVID 19 rule the world and taught us to plan day by day .
We hang on and hope it would be over before our actual trip . By late September gave in to reality 2020 will be not our year to have a get together ..
We would wait up for this pandemic to passed and the world to reopen …
Taking our chances, Making memories in Santorini Greece
Santorini trip was so far one of the most personal get together that I have experienced . It was very intimate . We have lived in one house and did everything as one group for we must create one social bubble as one of the safety measures that we have observed during the 6 days gathering . We even share one shampoo 🤣🤣🤣
Only those who were ready to travel joined this gathering .. it was a very small group .It was here that I have developed a much more deeper fondness of both Jen and Ralla .
I love the Sim’s morning news ( covid 19 related ) updates , Viv’s coffee and who would ever forget the night that Liv prepares for Sim’s surprise party ( pre 50 party). The respect that we have for each others personal space and stories was admirable . I just know that I love cooking for these people for cooking is my way of expressing my love for someone.
Mini get togethers
Because we simply love the friendship that we have build . Each opportunity given to us we will always try to make the best of it ..
From Rotterdam shoppings spree , Ju’s grand fab 50 bash and Irelands st.Patty we bond we document and keep it in our hearts.
Where to next …
Keeping our fingers cross, end of this year we will be exploring the land of fire and Ice …One of the homes of Aurora Borealis and the legendary Blue lagoon . Yes Iceland ! And we are ready for it … We would be embracing the new one’s that would join us . This will be on on the 25th of November till the 1st of December ..
End note
Here is what I know, in every place that we will be exploring , it will always be magical because of the connection that we build . To more intimate breakfast and dinner talks .. to the laughs that we will share … let us make memories together .
❤
jee426 