our austere life

field trip to avilon zoo!

2007-12-08T23:07:00.000+08:00

Field trip...at my age? No...it so happened that my wife was not available that day for my son's school activity. I opt not to allow anyone to take care of my kid inside the zoo and so, I had to take an emergency leave. If my memory serves me right, the last time I went to a zoo was when I was 9 years old. The place was not that impressive then and it is probably the reason why I was not excited to go along with my kid which by the way, woke up early, dressed up without tantrums, all smile from our home to his school...he was awesomely excited.

We took a private bus which was provided by the school and it took at least 2 hours drive from Binan Laguna to Montalban. Entering Montalban is not an easy drive because you will pass along a narrow road with several trucks meeting you. You will know that you're nearing Avilon Zoo when you come across a zigzag downhill path...better be careful out there... then be observant and notice their signage.

You will pass by a short bridge and beyond that you will see Avilon's viewing tower artistically made like a native hut. My son was quite restless knowing that we've arrived. Like I was at their age, we were made to fall-in line and calling our names and need to shout...PRESENT! As we took a step across their inner gate, their calm cool nicely man-made lagoon welcome us.

Avilon's personnel are friendly. They will give you a tour that will take at least 2 hours...don't worry you will have a stop-over somewhere up the hill and take some refreshments. Nice facilities! We had hotdog sticks with my kid and a soda. By the way, you can bring along your food if you like but it will just be a burden. The place provides practically descent food but don't expect tenderloin steak out there.

The tour was very nice. The place is very nice. The animals were generally peaceful that day...they were very nice. The number of species exhibited are good...enough for you to say that this is a zoo alright! The landscape and overall design of the zoo is cool. Excellent!

I tell you, in half-way of our tour...I've just realized that I was more excited than my son Kim! I kept saying..."Wow! Kim! Look at that...oh, real tiger...oh what the...real hyenas!" There is no zoo like it in the Philippines.

up close and personal

Also, we were particularly exhilarated by the chance to feed the eight foot long Arupaima fish. Kim fed some...

The AVILON MONTALBAN ZOOLOGICAL PARK is the largest zoological park in the Philippines to date. Nestled in the picturesque valley of Barrio San Isidro, Rodriguez (formerly Montalban),Rizal, Philippines, the 7.5-hectare land area of the Zoo was once raw rice land.

AVILON had its un seeming beginnings when Mr. Jake Gaw, an avid animal hobbyist who,at the age of four had his first encounter with animals while staying at his grandpa's farm in Sta. Ana,Manila (still quite rural then) mingled among goats, cows, pigs and chickens at the farm. This initial encounter would make such a lasting impression on young Jake that he carried his interest in animals from then on. Thus, from guppies and budgies, Jake over the years extended and expanded his interest and collection to arapaimas and eagles and lions and macaques, pythons,etc.

Overall, it was the zoo's management that most impressed the visitors. Carefully designed enclosures allowed visitors to come up close, and it was obvious that the animals were being given excellent veterinary care. The signs near each enclosure were informative and the tour guides augmented the information with colorful anecdotes about the particular animal in each cage.

I give a high-five for this zoo!

Check out their website, http://www.avilonzoo.com.ph

filipino boxers won, kudos!

2007-12-02T20:38:00.000+08:00

Honestly, I have not seen how Donaire fight not until this morning.

This boxer is good! His style seems not acquired from common filipino boxers...he is classy, confident, and intelligent fighter.

The doctor calls a halt as he checks the disfigured Maldonado. He is now standing on pure courage now. He eats a short right for his efforts. Donarie tries to stop it with a barrage of shots in a neutral corner but the brave Mexican weathers the storm. Donaire stalks him to the other side of the ring with huge powershots from all angles but Maldonado will not go down. What a chin! The state inspectors and ringside physicians are scrambling on the outside. The ref is eyeing a stoppage. The fight is over! The ref wisely calls for a halt at 1:16 of Round 8, saving a stubborn Maldonado from further damage.

Nonito Donaire defended his title in IBF/IBO World Flyweight Champion.

The fight was named, Payback and indeed Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista of the Philippines made it through by a unanimous decision over tough-as-nails Antonio "Barrio" Meza of Mexico in the well-attended event at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. The duo had torrid toe-to-toe exchanges throughout the fight with Bautista getting the better of most of it. Both fighters were hit by hard punches but refused to go down. Good job there Boom-boom and I believe this young boy will take his steps again in the glory of boxing.

Meanwhile AJ "Bazooka" Banal, considered by many as the world's hottest prospect, continued his march towards the world recognition by dispatching another tough Mexican in Jovanny "Bambino" Soto. In the night round however, Banal hit Soto with a devastating cross that sent Soto to the canvas for the mandatory 10-count. Soto was able to beat the count but Banal went for the kill with a barrage of punches that sent Soto reeling in the ropes before the referee stopped the contest for a 9th round TKO victory by Banal. This guy could be the next Pacman! Congratulations!

2007-12-01T06:36:00.000+08:00

I consider myself an outdated person in music industry...I'm part of the 80's rythem lover you know. Anyway, while browsing the internet, I got hold of this artist's video clip...she's very good and no wonder why she's claiming lots of music lovers. She had an amazing performance in Manila last Oct. 9 of this year. Enjoy!

global asian cuisine - PORTICO 1771

2007-11-28T22:09:00.000+08:00

I am very sorry for poor resolution, I just had my cellphone with me.

I was invited to have lunch somewhere in Taguig. A friend of mine treated us something special. Indeed, it was special as I started to savor each chew in some of Portico's specialty of the house. Let me share... First, I had their special starter...Spring Tofu, a touch of Portico 1771's oriental flavor - light yellow tofu omelette with spring onion tempura. Food quality/ Taste - very satisfied!

Then...

Baby Back Ribs, marinated overnite...stewed until tender the deep-fried, coated with a tasty long-cooked sauce with guava jelly.

Chicken Extravaganza (one of fave in the list!), sauteed boneless chicken leg with button and shiitake ushroom and asparagus spears in oyster sauce, flavored cream sauce.

This is my favorite, Pan-fried Lapu-lapu, lapu-lapu fillet topped with lemon-butter, shallots, capers in just a little pickled ginger.

I love it!

Let me rate the place according to my own opinion. Scoring from 1 to 5 (highest).

Cleaniliness (5), Music (4), Food Quality/Taste (5), Menu(5) , Price (3) - Value for money! Based on my first visit, yes! I will dine-in again. The place is great!

Next visit, I will take what I have missed...Gindara with crispy pata bits!

Visit the place, try and you will love it.

Portico 1771 - Serendra, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

Numbers: +632-8560581 or check out their website, www.chateaugroup.com

sa kambas ng lipunan

2007-11-26T19:10:00.000+08:00

Above is an excerpt from Joey Velasco's speech at the start of his Book Launching and First Solo Exhibit in Art Asia. His book is entitled "They Have Jesus: The Stories of the Children of Hapag" and was launched on Oct. 13, 2006.

This video contains just snippets of the book "They Have Jesus" based on his obra "Hapag ng Pag-asa" (Table of Hope).

A sad eye-opener but has inspired me to prepare my heart for the coming of Jesus this Advent. May this video clip inspire us to give and love more! - Vannie

reunion - plantation bay mactan resort cebu

2007-11-24T21:40:00.000+08:00

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After 5 years, my elder brother Jude flew back in Cebu with his family for a month stay vacation. I envy that long rest days. Me...I only had an approved 5 days leave! We thought of it as a first reunion after our Mom's death. It was memorable especially when you see your nephews and nieces grown so big and starting to converse with you. Actually, our last meeting happened after my marriage with Ana. We spent our vacation in Bohol somewhere in Panglao Island (oh, nice place).

Thanks to Jude and wife Tes for being the sponsor of our stay in the Plantation Bay Resort Mactan Cebu. The place is awesome! Nothing in Manila can beat this hotel resort. I guess, they have the biggest pool in Philippines. We stayed in a room in a compound with its own small island pool. Sorry, I have not taken any picture of it. Breakfast was great! I love filipino treats. Fresh fruits, mangoes...oh no place like home!

My favorite part was the kiddy pool. It has a bubble massage as you settle yourself along the side. You won't be missing it, there are carved seats for comfort. I was having fun then seeing my son Kim, so happy playing with his cousins...which I believe he doesn't know any about blood relative at his age. We spent time also in the lagoon...very nice.

I should say, in one simple word...it was fun. However, we missed Ana. She was not able to come with us to Cebu due to work commitment. Thanks to Agnes and husband Bong for the logistics.

If you have budget, try this resort. High five!

Check their website, http://plantationbay.com

back-to-back typhoons - Bracing for the worst!

2007-11-23T05:37:00.000+08:00

Typhoon “Lando” (international codename Hagibis), on the other hand, has maintained its strength as it continued to move away from the country.

As of 10 a.m. yesterday, Lando was spotted at 180 kms west-southwest of Pagasa Island, packing winds of 105 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 135 kph. It was forecast to move west-northwest at 11 kph.

Tropical storm “Mina” (international codename Mitag) has intensified into a typhoon as it moves closer to the country threatening massive floods and landslides, state weather forecasters said yesterday.

Chief weather forecaster Nathaniel Cruz of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Mina is likely to gain more strength threatening the coastal areas of eastern Luzon.

With Mina fast approaching, the government has ordered the evacuation of thousands of people in the Bicol region which is expected to bear the brunt of the storm.

Laguna (our province) has been declared signal #1 as of 5AM today, Nov 23, 2007.

filipino wang claims gold in wushu

2007-11-22T10:01:00.000+08:00

The RP wushu team did the country proud again as Willy Wang bagged a gold medal and bannered a productive campaign by the Filipinos in the recent ninth World Wushu Championship at the National Olympic Center in Beijing, China.

Aside from the lone gold, the Philippines also came home with two silver and two bronze medals to finish seventh overall, a performance that should augurs well to the country's bid in the 24th SEA Games in Thailand two week from now.

Congratulations! and Good luck to your upcoming events!

Check out his performance.

paeng in personal

2007-11-21T16:02:00.000+08:00

Paeng Nepomuceno of the Philippines is a six-time world champion and is acknowledged worldwide as the greatest international bowler in the history of the sport. In recognition of his achievements, Juan Antonio Samaranch personally awarded Paeng with the prestigious IOC Presidents' Trophy which is the first for the sport of bowling. The International Bowling Hall of Fame displayed a glass encased 7-foot photo of Paeng at its bowling museum entrance based in St. Louis Missouri, U.S.A. The Guinness Book of World Records commencing with its 1994 edition, listed Paeng as having won the most number of World Cups which were achieved in each of three different decades. The World FIQ, the governing body of the sport, named Paeng as the “International Bowler of the Millennium” in behalf of 100 million bowlers. - Paeng's homepage

I guess this is the reason why Paeng was invited in our CBN day in P&G Cabuyao Plant as our main guest. I am very impressed the way he gave and still giving pride to Filipinos. If my memory serves me well, he mentioned about in one international event he had, as he was about to take his stance for a throw, he heard from behind critics about Filipinos. They said about using coconut to practice bowling. Ah man...big mistake. Obviously, Paeng heard it and that made him thrive hard to practice and eventually reached such an esteem in the world of bowling. I was surprised knowing that Paeng have designed a bowling ball by accident. It happened in one of his tournament wherein, he was having a hard time getting the grip of his skill. He noticed that the lane has excessively slippery. What he did was, he got himself a sandpaper and started sanding the ball and he said it worked! Now, you can view his patented ball in major bowling alleys here in Philippines. By the way, when he was a kid, he used to play golf as his first sport.

One portion of his talk was about decipline and how dedicated he is to maintain such athletic form at the his age. He was invited to be a model in a highly acclaimed international sport magazine. This guy is amazing!

Nice to get one good shot with him after his talk. :)

a filipino who fought gallantly in 2007 world pool championship!

2007-11-11T19:58:00.000+08:00

On a day when the country’s brightest hopes were wiped out in succession, Roberto Gomez assuaged the pain of those losses by beating Englishman Karl Boyes in the semis to arrange a finals meeting with Daryl Peach in a race-to-17 series.

Gomez, new rising star in Philippine pool of elites, emerged as the 1st runner-up in the recently concluded 2007 World Pool Championship which was held here, in Aranta Coliseum, Philippines, November 11, 2007.

Kudos! You brought glory to Filipinos!

i love this song...pinoy na pinoy

2007-11-10T14:29:00.000+08:00

I started buying Noel Cabangon's CD when one of my distant relative played his album. We were having our Christmas lunch then. It was good and soothing, I tell you. Well, all depends on one's taste, isn't it? Let me share to you one song of his, that everytime I hear this...my mind immediately mesmerized by its rythem and started to recall the depthness of my memory...the province I once lived before, my family and those times when we were kids, my barkada in high school, college...

our kids love this song...

2007-11-10T14:20:00.000+08:00

Is High School Musical sounds familiar to you? Albeit, HS musical part 2 was released couple of months back but this first episode was certainly a hit to most if not all kids who have seen this musical film. My son, Kim, started humming the tune then started singing, well, you can hardly understand his words but it was good enough for me to start laughing..."bulol" kasi. Anyway enjoy singing!

an espresso has less caffeine than a cup of coffee!

2007-11-06T23:00:00.000+08:00

A cup of drip brewed coffee has about 115 milligrams of caffeine, an espresso (and percolated coffee) about 80mg, while instant coffee has about 65mg of caffeine. Decaffeinated coffee is not totally caffeine free, containing about 3mg of caffeine. A can of Coca-Cola has about 23mg of caffeine, Pepsi Cola 25mg, Mountain Dew 37mg, and TAB 31mg. Tea has about 40mg of caffeine, while an ounce of chocolate contains about 20mg.

The first Espresso machine was introduced in 1822 by the French, but it was the Italians who later perfected and distributed it.

Coffee businessCoffee is the world's most popular stimulant: 4 out of 5 Americans drink it, consuming more than 400 million cups a day. Consumption in Scandinavian countries is more than 12kg (26lb) per capita. With more than 25 million people employed in the industry, coffee is second only to oil in world trade.

Although coffee is believed to have been grown near the Red Sea since the 7th century, an Arabian author of the 15th century, Shehabeddin Ben, wrote that Ethiopians enjoyed coffee ever since anyone could remember. By the 16th centuries, coffee plants were found throughout the Yemen region of Arabia. After a Turkish ambassador introduced it to the court of Louis XIV in 1669, Europeans quickly acquired a taste for it. A few years later, the Dutch introduced coffee into Java. In 1714, the Frenchman Desclieux planted a single cutting of a coffee tree on the island of Martinique. Plantations soon grew from French Guiana to Brazil and Central America. Today, coffee is planted in moist regions around the world.

Instant coffee was invented in 1906 by Mr. G. Washington, an Englishman living in Guatemala.

why is a hamburger called a hamburger although it contains no ham?

2007-11-06T22:37:00.000+08:00

During a trip to Asia in the early 1800s, a German merchant - it is said - noticed that the nomadic Tartars softened their meat by keeping it under their saddles. The motion of the horse pounded the meat to bits. The Tartars would then scrape it together and season it for eating. The idea of pounded beef found its way back to the merchant's home town of Hamburg where cooks broiled the meat and referred to it as it as Hamburg meat.

German immigrants introduced the recipe to the US. The term "hamburger" is believed to have appeared in 1834 on the menu from Delmonico's restaurant in New York but there is no surviving recipe for the meal. The first mention in print of "Hamburg steak" was made in 1884 in the Boston Evening Journal.

The honour of producing the first proper hamburger goes to Charlie Nagreen of Seymour, WI. In 1885 Nagreen introduced the American hamburger at the Outgamie County Fair in Seymour. (Seymour is recognised as the hamburger capital of the world.)

However, there is another claim to that throne. There is an account of Frank and Charles Menches who, also in 1885, went to the Hamburg, New York county fair to prepare their famous pork sausage sandwiches. But since the local meat market was out of pork sausage, they used ground beef instead. Alas, another hamburger.

The first account of serving ground meat patties on buns - taking on the look of the hamburger as we know it today - took place in 1904 at the St. Louis World Fair. But it was many years later, in 1921, that an enterprising cook from Wichita, Kansas, Walt Anderson, introduced the concept of the hamburger restaurant. He convinced financier Billy Ingram to invest $700 to create The White Castle hamburger chain. It was an instant success. The rest of the history, we might say, belongs to McDonald's.

And, no, a hamburger does not have any ham in it. Well, it's not supposed to. Hamburger meat usually is made of 70-80% beef, and fat and spices.

ocean adventure adventure...

2007-11-03T21:52:00.000+08:00

Thanks to our company(I love you P&G!), we have been sponsored (well, all employees actually) to enjoy with our family one of our very own marine park, Ocean Adventure.

The drive was so tiring, ...you better have back-up driver if you plan to visit soon :).

Hey, that's not me...it's their mascot.

You know what, when we were in the path going to Subic, everthing seemed to be good. I realized the long hours drive was indeed worthwhile. Greenery was awesome! Just drive cautiously because there are zigzag roads that you will come across with.

We arrived OA early, well, we were one of the early birds. One more important tip, pack along with you some good snacks or just simply make one that will suit your breakfast need. Why? because there were no sari-sari stores inside, no jollibee (fastfood have a meaningul role that time)... Inside, I was ashamed to my family (becasue I've been rushing them to get ready early on that morning) but they did not complain. Sorry...

I believe Ocean Adventure is offering exciting program - Dive with the Whales. There is no other like it in the world. You will have a chance to join their false killer whales in their natural, open water home for a special, intimate and underwater experience you will never forget. They will allow you to touch them, swim with them, and explore their underwater world together. We have also seen how well their sea lion performing to us, in person. They are real, no director's cut.

The park also offers a good cafe restaurant, souvenir shop, playroom for kids, and aqua museum.

This may help you (just got this in from other website)

To get there by car you can enter through either the Subic Freeport Main Gate at Magsaysay Drive and turn left at Rizal Highway then right at Argonaut Highway or through the Subic Freeport Tollway and turn right at Rizal Highway and left at Argonaut Highway. Drive straight along Argonaut Highway, pass the airport, through the former Naval Magazin Area and the picturesque rain forest and down to Camayan Wharf. This drive will take you approximately fourty five (45) minutes.

maya-maya resort outing

2007-10-21T19:45:00.000+08:00

The Maya-Maya resort is one of Manila's closest Clearwater Resort Spa located in Nasugbu, Batangas and offering total relaxation in clean, green and spacious surroundings.)

Thanks to Feria's (Randy and Love), who arranged everything with the mmyc's management for some discounts. We stayed overnight. We love the place. In was indeed a refreshing resort. We have travelled almost 2 hours (so many stop-overs)

In August, 2003, good friends from our former prayer community invited us to spend a weekend in Punta Fuego Beach Resort, Nasugbu, Batangas. But since the resort was fully booked, one of our friends suggested that we try another resort which was Maya-Maya Beach and Yacht Club. We were disappointed at first because Punta Fuego that time was newly opened and it was popular among the rich and famous (huh, feeling r and f), but when we arrived in Maya-Maya, we felt at home right away. It’s also in front of the beach and there were boats and yachts which guests could rent. We checked in and we rented three nice and comfortable nipa huts (airconditioned huts with toilet and bath). Accommodations may not be as luxurious as the Punta Fuego but the place was exclusively for members(fortunately the uncle of one of our friends is a member of the club). It was not crowded (there were only two other small groups of guests) unlike other beaches in Batangas. The ambiance was peaceful and relaxing.

Maya-Maya resort has a restaurant/bar and recreation area with billiards, darts and videoke units. Even though it’s in front of the beach, it has a nice and clean swimming pool. We swam at the pool, our son enjoyed swimming, he was only 2 years old then.

Then, we went boating and jet skiing at El Terrazas Punta Fuego Beach Resort. It was a first time for my wife and I to ride a jet ski. Our friends also enjoyed the afternoon of water sports.

Our good friends (right to left) - Goods, Riza, Mini, Lucky, my wife Ana, Vanessa, Randy and Love.

The next day, we woke up early, my son (kim) was so excited to swim again in the pool. He enjoyed riding on his inflated duck shaped balloon. He was laughing loudly while we alternately played with him.
After that, we went boating again to view the islands around. We saw nicely built private beach houses along the shore. The waves were quite strong but our guide assured us that it’s still safe. We were able to drop by at the Punta Fuego Main Club House, at least we spent some time in our original choice. The infinity pool tempted us to take a dip. The view from the infinity pool was breathtaking.

Well, sometimes we should take time to relax and unwind. Our minds and bodies must take a break from daily stressful activities and pollution. Spending an out of town but affordable weekend with family and friends is a good alternative of breaking our daily routine.

If you have a nice long weekend schedule and want to try a good resort...consider Maya-Maya.

You may contact them at:

Sanctuary Spa at Maya-Maya (MMYC)

Bo.Natipuan, Nasugbu4231 Batangas Philippines

Tel. No.: 0918-9097170/0918-9097167

Fax No.: 0918-9320483

For Inquiries: Email Us at inquiry@mayamaya.com

Enjoy!

This could be useful...

dioko resort and butterfly farm

2007-10-16T21:57:00.000+08:00

Located in San Pablo, Laguna, it features outdoor pool for your swimming pleasure, pool slides to complement your swimming pleasure, meeting rooms for your group functions, KTV area where you can sing your heart out, a souvenir shop for your pasalubong and keepsakes, free parking area, 24-hour security to assist and guard you within the property. They also have their own paintball wargame field. You just have to rent gears, gun, and ammo.

This is Nina. Guess what she was holding...yup, it is an ostrich egg. Fresh from the zoo! We actually saw it being laid. The zookeeper gave us a chance to hold-on to it. Well, the resort is amusing. As you nearing the place, you don't actually expect something spectacular but when you checked in and roam the site...you will be surprised. They have this mini zoo with a family of ostrich, an eagle, falcon, heron, a dear, a kangaroo called "kangaroo tree", at a lot more. I have not visited the butterfly farm but I have heard from my wife that it was nice! If you are looking for a five star accommodation, this is not the resort you are looking for but I tell you, just get a good cottage...man, you don't really need one luxurious room. It just fit right! They have these 3 different pool sizes...and I was in kiddy sized pool because of Zev. Pools are clean!

It took us 1 hour ride from Binan, Laguna. The travel was fine and smooth with minimal traffic but do drive cautiously. Drive slow and enjoy the greenery both sides of the road.

We may have to visit the resort again.

Dioko Resort and Butterfly Farm

Brgy. San Joaquin, San Pablo, Laguna

Tel: (049) 800-4542 / 247-5691 / 534-1274

our son

2007-10-15T08:35:00.000+08:00

So great, so nice...two months after we got married, my wife conceived. Knowing about her pregnancy, I am sure most fathers would agree that the excitement was overwhelming. On March 28, 2001...my wife and I were together the whole day. We brought the car to the mechanic for some repairs and did some errands. We arrived home around 9:30 in the evening. Ana took her routine shower. Later, she approached me complaining about the pains (labor pains). I, well, acting to be cool, advised her to monitor every ten minutes, if the pain subsides then it shouldn't be it, it could be just a false alarm. After five minutes, she could no longer stand the pain...so bad, I assisted her in going down the stairs. The good thing was, we have prepared and packed all we thought that are needed if the time comes. I had to incline the car seat to make her comfortable while on the road. I did not even secure here with a safety belt! It was around 10:00 o'clock in the evening. We travelled from Sta. Rosa to Las Pinas. Know what, I thought that I was ready for that event but while driving and looking at my wife, in pain...I just realized that I was in the mode of panic. I rushed her to the nearest hospital which was not the recommended institution by her OB Gyne. The emergency room was somewhat deserted...I saw only two patients, an old man and...my wife. At a distant, I saw my wife in terrible pain, laboring...and the nurses did not even talk to her at let her feel ease...NO, they just left her in on of the curtained rooms and the doctor on duty, he just continued accommodating the other patient, so cool, so relax... I thank to Lord that nothing happened to my family that night, I might have sent that doctor to their own curtained room! I ordered the elderly to transfer my wife back to our car. I drove her to the hospital as recommended by her OB Gyne. When we arrived at the hospital, I was relieved...no, I was still in panic...I remembered, asking one the nurses to get my blood pressure reading...it was high but I felt ease seeing staff in Perpetual Hospital Las Pinas took care of my wife very well. We arrived at 12:00 midnight and around 1AM, March 29, 2001,... I have met one of my special people...my son, Zev. A beautiful creation!

my wife

2007-10-15T08:16:00.000+08:00

Year 1998, I was with my friend, Bros (who is in the journey of priesthood life now), when we joined a Catholic charismatic community, "Ang Lingkod ng Panginoon". In my first year with the group, I gained a lot of good friends. We are young professionals with a mission of evangelizing our workplaces as well as addressing our own spiritual struggles and issues with the Lord's guidance.

Looking back at those years, I have been asking the Lord to grant me a partner in life before I reach 32. Amazingly...my wish was granted. Let me go through how I met my lifetime partner. I have been considering a number of ladies outside the community to broaden my choices...guys, you know what I mean. In one birthday occasion, I noticed this lady, a young looking "chinita" which I thought to be 5 years younger that I was but surprisingly, I was wrong after knowing that she is a year older. It did not bother me of pursuing my interest on her. To cut it short, we got to know each other, we had a relationship then we got engaged. We were already in our prime age, no more common romantic journey, no more sweety-sweety relationship, we were at the right age, we know what we feel, then we decided to get married after a year. Of course, we really did not rush everything, we have gone through series of seminars before we started planning for the wedding. In the year 2000, the millenium year, we got married at St. James, the Great Parish Church in Ayala Alabang. I was a very solemn marriage celebration for us and for our families. A very nice moment to meet...one of my special people, my wife Ana.