Bus ride with the Prince of Manobo

I have been regularly riding the bus for many years now. It has always been a usual 4-hour headphones looking through the window ride. But today is different. I met a prince.

I met a man who has a strong dedication for his family, the Manobo tribe. I met a man who made me understand how beautiful the tribes in our country are. How sometimes society can go wrong in judging them and how disappointing that there is still discrimination among Filipinos. I met a man with a humble soul and a heart made of gold. At his young age of 24, he has achieved marvelous success, even google will tell you his remarkable awards! But that's not what is important for him. He always goes back to his family. He makes time to travel back home and help out his tribe. He is really a remarkable person. A great inspiration for the young ones and all the generations, for that matter.

I’m glad I took that bus. For the first time, my bus ride wasn’t that long. It was a privilege to be sitting beside a man with so much passion who has genuine purpose of helping out people. It was a pleasure to meet you Prince of Manobo Agusanon Tribe! You said it was a coincidence that my name is princess and you are a prince of Manobo. Perhaps you're an instrument for the society to an aspiring lawyer who can do something about the justice system someday. You told me when I become a lawyer, I would help people who have been victims of greed and power. Sir, you can count on it. Like my sister always tells me, “Defender ng mga naaapi!”.

Thank you Aljun Cayawan for the good talk. May you continue to become an inspiration to all of us. See you around sir! Until we meet again :)

#ManoboPrince 

#BusStories

Garden of Mom Siony Part 1

Hi! So it was Tuesday. I went home early because my mom was in a good mood and she said we'll play with our dogs, Zimmer and Digong. But it took her a little while so I ended up wandering around her garden. Hahaha. She has the whole lot as her garden. If you know her, she's very much fond of flowers and all other plants. I featured only few (4 actually HAHA) of her plants because though I had a semester or two subjects in our undergrad which are basically about plants - I have to admit, I have very minimal knowledge on this. Let me waste 3 minutes of your day and watch the video. ♥

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Miracle Fruit (Synsepalum dulcificum) is an evergreen shrub native to West Africa, and it is believed to be eaten by Africans for hundreds of years prior to its introduction to the Western world.

The secret to miracle fruit’s “miracle” powers is a unique protein appropriately named “miraculin.” At first, it is believed miraculin works by changing the shape of your sweet receptor proteins. They normally respond to sugars to register a sweet flavor, but since the composition has been altered, acidic foods become sweet as well.

However, according to a recent study from the University of Tokyo, this explanation is not exactly correct. According to the author, miraculin latches to the sweet receptors and suppresses them. And when your tongue comes into contact with acidic food, miraculin supercharges the sweet receptors’ signals. The sweetness occurs due to miraculin gaining extra protons that change shape and influence the receptors. (Miracle Fruit)

 Gumamela is a shrub that is highly cultivated as an ornamental plant in the Philippines. It is the local term used in the Philippines for Hibiscus, China Rose, and Shoe Flower. This plant has a scientific name known as Hibiscus rosasinensis. Usually, this ornamental plant grows from one meter up to four meters high. Its flower may come in various colors similar to orange, white, pink, yellow, red, purple, and other color combinations.

As herbal medicine, gumamela flower, leaves and roots are used. Gumamela has the following medicinal characteristics: expectorant, diuretic, emollient, anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, anodyne and refrigerant. Gumamela leaves, usually blended with Rose Hip has long been used in the Middle East and Okinawa as herbal tea. Today, the use of gumamela tea is gaining worldwide popularity – including Asia. Gumamela (Hibiscus) is associated with longevity. (Gumamela)

Sili or capsicum is a member of the solanaceae family of plants (nightshade) which includes tomatoes, potatoes and eggplants. There are five species of chili peppers: annum (annual), baccatum (berrylike) Chinese (from China) frutescens (shrubby or bushy) and pubescens (hairy). Siling labuyo is from the frustescens species, although we have the annum and the other varieties of chili. Siling labuyo is the most popular in the Philippines for spicing all foods specially barbecues. It is mainly used as a condiment like the hot banana sauce and palm vinegar spiced with chili and garlic. Other chili peppers like the sweet bell peppers are grown only in Bagiuo or Mountain Province because of the cool climate in the region. The sweet banana pepper variety is also popular for spicing up soups especially the sour soup we call “sinigang” (just like tom yum soup of Thailand).

In herbal medicine, the old folks use the hot peppers in relieving arthritis pain and rheumatism. I remember my mom putting hot peppers (siling labuyo) in a glass bottle and filling it with kerosene and sliced gingers. I guess the hotness of the mixture helps in the relief. Capsaicin is the alkaloid compound that is found in the white membranes of the hot peppers and is now used widely in medicines for all kinds of illnesses. They say that if you eat this hot stuff everyday, you will always be in a happy mood! (Sili)

Rose apple which is also known as water apple or “tambis” is a watery fruit that is native to Eastern Australia. This bell-shaped fruit has shinny skin that may vary from light pink to red or yellow and green. Its white flesh contains lots of juice and is foamy.

 The health benefits of rose apple fruits come from its nutritional contents:protein, fiber, vitamin C, iron and calcium. It contains no saturated fats andsugar. Rose apples have insignificant amounts of cholesterol and sodium, aswell. (Tambis)

Grit and Grace

If you're sad, add more lipstick and attack

She's a badass with a good heart.

She's both soft and strong.

She's got what it takes cause she's got that grit and grace.

Spicy noodle challenge

Okay. I know I'm a little late because everybody has been doing this challenge last year but I went home early last night and stopped by a korean grocery shop so I thought I should do the challenge.

To be honest, I'm not really (like not really) a fan of spicy food. But what the heck. Why not, right.

Looks delish! Like a platter of sweet spagghetti! Except it's a noodle. And extra spicy. You can see me crying. 😂

Hahahahaha! Ps. I was crying so much. But finished it anyway. The noodles was really tasty. Except it's very spicy. Well, if you're a fan of spicy food, you'll very much enjoy this one. ❤

Fresh start

It's 2018! Hooray! New goals. New dreams. New focus. New intentions. Fresh start.

Honestly, I was so happy that 2018 came. A chance for a new beginning is what I have been longing for. 2017 was really a roller coaster ride. Except that I could only remember the stumbles and crumbles I had. Now that 2018 is here, I have nothing but a bag of hope that this year would be so much better. I decided to leave the past behind, let go of what was, accept what is and hope for the better of what will be. So I decided to dye my hair. Haha!

It was never planned. I was only accompanying my brother to his favorite salon (unfortunately, Coiff it up was closed) but luckily, his hair-stylist was kind enough to report to work that day so we traveled to the salon where his stylist was. Then I thought, after all the crap I had in 2017, I should change my hair but I don't want to cut it short. So decided on highlights and it was one of the great decisions I had before 2017 ended. When I was asked about what color should I dye my hair with, I told Shadd (brother's stylist, now my instant stylist, he's a regular at Coiff It Up) that "Ikaw na bahala." And true enough, I entrusted my hair to the right person.

 Life is too short to have boring hair, right ☺

CLOTHES #15

New year outfit! 

Dress: Cotton On

Shoes: Christian Siriano (thanks dokibear!)

Bag: Coach

Malagos Garden Resort

You know what they say, "Wag maging dayuhan sa sariling bayan."

I grew up in Davao but I have never been to Malagos Garden Resort. Though I heard about how relaxing this place is, I never got the chance to visit it until yesterday.

It's a very wide place. Reminds me a lot of HK disneyland because of the street signs and all. There were only few people who visited that time so we got to enjoy the scenery.

If you're a fan of chocolates, you probably heard about how good the Malagos Chocolate is! Their museum is a must visit place. You get to enjoy learning how they process their chocolates plus it smells great chocolate inside too! You also have a chance to make your own chocolate. And enjoy their chocolate goodies.

So if you're in Davao, don't forget to visit this place. It's quite far from the City but it's also accessible. They're located at Calinan-Baguio-Cadalian Road, Malagos, Baguio District, Davao City. or you may visit their facebook page: Malagos Garden Resort.

2017

Before this year ends (and it has been little over a year ago since my last post), just thought I should write something about 2017. To begin with, 2017 is not my year.

It started alright. First quarter of the year, though I have been flunking in law school, my recits were awful, my grades were more awful; yet I still managed to just keep going. Gusto ko talaga ma-abogado eh. Nandito na ako. Susuko pa ba? That's what I kept telling myself then. That's what I keep telling myself now. I was accepted to a law organization and that was one of the best decisions I made this year.

But at the end of the academic year, the verdict came. I didn't make it to the next level. My QPI fell short. I couldn't get readmitted again. I was so frustrated, depressed, troubled. The question kept popping my head, "Why?". I did my best. Apparently, it was not enough. But never have I thought that law school was not for me. Who or what can stop me from pursuing my ambition? No one can control us except ourselves, right? So I decided to transfer school. And these are the next quarters.

Second and third quarter of the year. New school, new faces, new friends, new environment. How hard it was to leave everything behind. To not being able to see the same faces everyday. To not being able to be with the same circle always. It was a rough beginning. Half of my heart didn't want it. I've lost interest in my social life. But then that's not what I came here for. So I just put everything, my focus, my all, in law school. And it did bear fruit. My grades weren't that bad anymore. *wink!*

I still hangout with my friends from high school, college and former law school. I could even manage to attend conventions and go on trips! Yup, imagine the breathing I had since I transferred.

That was peaceful quarter of my life. Now we go the last quarter of the year. I finally have adjusted to my new school and new routine. I made new friends! School and work stress are still there but it has been bearable as ever. What seem to be unbearable was the heartbreak I had in this time of the year. Haha.

I've been in love about two or so but at this age, having a broken heart is just horrible. I usually don't get attracted to men easily (*coughs*), I have a lot on my plate, but the last one sure knows lot of shit to get a girl's heart. And sure knows better to leave her hanging and grab another girl. That's just a frickin cycle that never ends.

But if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be as bold and wise as I am now (when it comes to men, of course). He is just a lesson I have to absorb. No matter how hard it is to easen the rough patch, I just have to keep going. Move forward. I never imagined some prick would consume me this much. It has been three years since I went through moving on stage. It's really tough to go through this again. But God has perfect plan for all of us, right? It might be to save me from a more hurtful situation or to slow things down for me. All I have to do is get through the pain everyday and trust in Him.

Plus it's going to be new year anytime soon. It's a perfect time for new beginning. Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end. So here's to 2018! 2017 made me strong and clever. I couldn't wait to make new beginnings in 2018! :)