Families are forever

 

Families are a big part of God’s plan for our happiness. We are born into a family. We aspire to build strong family relationships. Home can be a place where we feel support, safety, and love. God does not want family ties to end when we die. Because of temples, we can be reunited with our families in the next life.

Family is everything. Family is more than friendship. Family is the only group of people who you have in your life since the day you were born. No matter how far away you might live from your family members - whether it’s 15 minutes, or 15 hours - never lose contact with your family members. Having friends is great; but friendships can end at any time. Although family members may fight at times, they’re still your family. Cherish them all the time. Keep in touch with them.

Even though we might not always see eye to eye. But that’s ok. It’s ok for family members to disagree with each other from time to time. Make sure to always make time for your family. Put family ahead of your friends. Put family ahead of your volunteer work. Put family ahead of your job. Put family ahead of your career. Family will ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS be there for you when the times are tough - even if they can’t be physically there for you - they will be there in other ways, whether it's a phone call, a text, an email, a surprise card/gift in the mail. Family is forever.

In reality, family is all we really have in this journey called life. Yes, we have friends. Yes, very few of those friends will become like family to the point that you invite them to “family only” gatherings. But the family that you grew up in - that’s your actual family. Keep them in your life. Cherish the moments you spend with them. Don’t take them for granted. Call/text/email them just to say “hi.” Let them know that you miss them and love them. Family is forever.

𝑀𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑎𝑑𝑒,

𝑂𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑓𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑦 𝑠𝑜 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑟.

𝑆𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑚𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑦- 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑑.

𝐸𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎 𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑟.

𝐵𝑢𝑡, 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑤𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑠

𝑊𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑦 𝑤𝑒 𝑚𝑒𝑒𝑡.

𝐹𝑜𝑟, 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑓𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑦 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡.

𝑁𝑜 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑡𝑒.

𝐹𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟.

Fɪʀsᴛ, ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴏɴʟʏ ꜰᴏᴜʀ,

Nᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴀʀᴇ sᴏ ᴍᴀɴʏ  ----

LAURAN sɪʙʟɪɴɢs

Lᴀᴜʀᴀɴ - PALARCA ғᴀᴍɪʟʏ

Lᴀᴜʀᴀɴ - MILLO ғᴀᴍɪʟʏ

Lᴀᴜʀᴀɴ - MENDOZA ғᴀᴍɪʟʏ

Pᴀʟᴀʀᴄᴀ - RAMOS ғᴀᴍɪʟʏ

INSERT: Gᴇɴᴇ-Mᴀʀʀɪᴏɴ PALARCA ғᴀᴍɪʟʏ

30ᴛʜ ᴅᴀʏ ᴏғ Aᴘʀɪʟ 2023

Dɪɴᴀᴅɪᴀᴡᴀɴ Bᴇᴀᴄʜ Rᴇsᴏʀᴛ

Dɪᴘᴀᴄᴜʟᴀᴏ, Aᴜʀᴏʀᴀ Pʀᴏᴠɪɴᴄᴇ

𝑩𝒆𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔, 𝒔𝒆𝒂 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒔!

 Take life a little easy and enjoy an unforgettable Dinadiawan escape for relaxing and recharging from work. Stretching 3 kilometers long, the Dinadiawan sand beach in Dipaculao, Aurora Province is a real getaway that boasts its white sands, clean sea and waves at its finest! Plunge into the refreshing clear blue waters of the Pacific Ocean and embrace the breath-taking grandeur of the Sierra Madre mountain range.

You can book a wide range of resorts for a good place to stay a week prior to your arrival. Some can also pitch a tent for those who are on a tight budget. A bonus facility in each resort is a beach volleyball court.

Activities that can be enjoyed are banana boat ride, and banca ride, among others.

Don't take nothing

 Sorry, I couldn’t leave Dinadiawan without getting nothing. These ref magnets and bracelets will remind me that I was there.

I thought of taking a kilo of white sand, but I’m aware it is a theft, hence it is a crime. Collecting a small bottle of sand or peebles as a souvenir might sound harmless, but this could possibly cause erosion in the long run.

Revenge tourism

 

Tourism-dependent economies are among those harmed the most by the pandemic. All parts of its vast value-chain have been affected. With tourism is now gaining ground after more than two years at standstill, people speak of revenge travel.

In revenge travel, the word revenge is used somewhat jokingly in reference to the idea of people “taking revenge” on Covid-19 by taking the vacations that the pandemic had prevented them from taking—or the luxurious and indulgent trips they had dreamed up during periods of isolation and relative confinement.

Revenge travel, or revenge tourism, is a phenomenon that has people who are tired of mundane everyday routines due to lockdowns, rush to travel to nearby. As such restrictions lessened, leisure travel increased significantly.

Meanwhile, tourism is a major source of income for locals. However, like other forms of development, tourism can also cause its share of problems. Sustainable tourism, therefore, relies on the premise of taking care of the environment, society and the economy. Implementing sustainable tourism is not a choice at all, it is essential. However, this if often easier said than done.

If we want to preserve the very things that it is we are going to see (the beach, the mountain, the wildlife), then we need to behave responsibly and sustainably. For example, if litter is dropped on the beach and not cleared up, then future tourists will not want to visit that beach.

It is generally acknowledged that tourists consume more water than residents and in very different quantities depending on the destinations. Saving water is the first step towards a sustainable tourism industry. Encouraging guests to reduce the duration of their showers can save millions of liters of water.

Buy local - this type of tourism can be a profitable and economically viable industry, contributing to economic growth and development. It supports local businesses and economies by promoting local products and services.

 

Don't waste water

We all need to think about the impacts that our actions have on the world around us. Yes, it is extremely difficult (if possible at all) to be 100% ethical for 100% of the time. BUT, there are many things that we CAN do to help to protect and preserve the environment, society and the economy.

Ethical tourism is a form of responsible tourism. An ethical tourist considers the impact of their actions. The problem is however, that many people do not know how to be an ethical tourist!  If you want to be an ethical tourist, you must demonstrate a commitment to reducing any negative impacts on the environment

Don’t drop litter - Dropping litter is terrible for the environment. It can be dangerous to animals, it looks ugly and it is generally an environmental pollutant. Keep it in your bag or pocket if there is no bin nearby!

Turn off the lights - Just as you would at home, turn off the lights in your accommodation when you don’t need them on. This is a simple way to ensure that you are being as much of an ethical tourist as possible!

Don’t waste water - Turn the tap off while you’re doing your teeth, take shorter showers and so on.

Banana Boat Ride: beyond the thrill

 𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑑𝑜𝑛’𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑝𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑜 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑛 𝑣𝑎𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛, 𝑑𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢? 𝐼𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ, 𝑤ℎ𝑦 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑙𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑢𝑝 𝑎 𝑛𝑜𝑡𝑐ℎ?

Banana boat ride has surely made it on your list. If you’re traveling with a group, it’s one of the activities you can’t afford to miss. The activity requires a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 10 people who are seated on an inflatable banana for a duration of 20 to 30 minutes and the volunteers are required to wear life jackets and hold on tight to the raft to avoid toppling over. All you have to do is to sit and wait for the boat operator to start the engine, right?

You’re just not just having fun, but also working some muscle groups at the same time. A banana boat ride is an exciting activity that allows you to burn calories. With a banana boat ride, you will also give your cardiovascular system a good water workout.

Riding a banana boat lets you see what the blue sea has to offer in a more entertaining and exciting way. If you want an activity where you can spend some quality time with your family, this activity should be on your list. Feeling the wind in your hair, gaping at the waves gushing at the raft and feeling your adrenaline rush up, is an absolutely surreal experience that you should not miss.

But be careful, to whom you book with your banana boat ride in the resort, especially if there are many of them who offered a ride. If you sense that they only take advantage of you, only care for money, and not for your safety, it is best to book with someone else…

Teorya ng mga Tanong

 

SPOILERS ahead: Ingat...

Of all the twists and turns of the first Summer MMFF best picture, psychological drama ABOUT US, BUT NOT ABOUT US, a conversational film, involving a prof and a student, setting in a restaurant somewhere in Bonifacio Global City, with a table and a chair at yung waiter.... Yun lang. Akala ko yung kay Tom Hanks film na Cast Away lang ang may limited human characters, ito din pala. Akala ko makatulog ako sa 1.5 hours na dalawa lang ang nag-uusap all throughout, hehe pero fully awake naman ako till the movie credits roll.

Ito lang ang take-away ko. Very intellectual ang conversations ng dalawang characters. Pero merong hindi malinaw sa akin.... Although this is part fiction at part hugot sa totoong buhay, ayon sa pag-amin ng writer, pero may gumugulo sa akin...Feeling ko walang na-resolve sa pag-uusap nila, or did I miss something?

Nakapagpagabagang... nakapagpagabagyag what's that?, Basta it bothered me itong the coming forth of the Filipino novel na "TEORYA NG MGA TANONG" na originally written by Marcus, pero napasakamay ngayon kay Lance because itong si Marcus, UP Literature prof and acclaimed Filipino writer ng mga English novels, ay isa ding psycho - meaning kapag nalasing ay iba ang ginagawa, physically brutal at nasaktan nya physically si Lance isang gabi na naabutan niya sa condo si Lance. Ang condo kung saan dito pinatira ni sir Eric si Lance dahil physically-abused sa kanyang tatay, kaya tinulungan siya ni sir Eric. Ito ding condo na ito ay dito nakaimbak ang lahat ng mga novels ni Marcus. Nakapasok si Marcus dahil boyfriend niya si sir Eric at may susi siya dito. Dito rin nag-suicide si Marcus.

Para hindi magsumbong si Lance sa mga authorities, yung unpublished Filipino novel ni Marcus ang pinili ni Lance bilang kapalit. In e-form na pwedeng ma-edit ang pinadala through e-mail, kasi sinunog na lahat ni sir Eric ang written manuscript nito.

Take note, hindi pa nakapag-publish ng Filipino novel itong si Marcus, the Nick Joaquin of his generation (in the film). At itong novel na ito, ayon kay sir Eric ay umiikot o sumasalamin sa totoong buhay nilang tatlo - kay Eric, kay Marcus at kay Lance. Pinalitan lang ang name ng fictional characters. At ayaw ni sir Eric na mapublish ito.

Dito umiikot ang climax ng film, the father figure, ang Lit. prof na si Eric dito na nag-shift ng character. Hindi na sya composed. Panoorin nyo na lang po para mas maintindihan... hanggang next week na lang ang screening.

To justify, from an English literature department, plano ni Lancelot na mag-shift sa Filipino department under Malikhaing Pagsusulat. At nagkataon pa towards the ending that the dean of Literature Dept ng UP ay pumunta sa restaurant at pinakita ni Lance ang Filipino novel manuscript which he said he is the author, at nag-shift na siya sa Malikhaing Pagsusulat, and his mentor as si Sir Eric.

Art that is stolen, kahit magbibigay acclaims ito sa nagnakaw ng art, maging masaya kaya siya? Hindi naman niya genre ang art na yun? Pinalitan lang niya sa kanyang pangalan.

Isa pa, baka hindi ako makatulog - sa ending, makikita si sir Eric na nagtetext kay Lance,,,, ano kaya yung tini-text nya, hindi na ipinakita,.,.. then umiikot na yung credits,,, end na ...

Hanging.... ano yun? yung mga manonood ang mag-formulate ng ending? hahaha...

Wait lang, sakaling ma-publish ang novel, sino ang totoong author - si Marcus ba na hindi pa hindi pa nakapag publish ng Filpino novel pero patay naman na - or si Lance? Naalala ko tuloy kung sino tunay na nagmamay-ari ng elder wand, sa Harry Potter... But that's another story!

Pero para sa akin, go ahead Lancelot, publish it! According to sa na-marites ko sa pag-uusap nila ni sir Eric at Lance, sa 17 years in relationship nila sir Eric at Prof Marcus ay todo-suporta si Eric kay Marcus pero parang wala ito kay Marcus dahil super busy ito sa kanyang mga novels - "na kahit isang flower ay hindi sya niregaluhan" nito, parang unrequited love ba, hindi nasusuklian Sabi nga ni Lance, parang makaka-avenge na si sir Eric kay Marcus dahil dito - by publishing it- kasi at the end, lalabas naman na siya ang mentor ni Lance. Feeling ko in-,love na rin si Lance kay sir Eric, despite sa lahat na pinagdaanan niya ... from sexually abused by a priest when he was 10 years old, to online seller of masturbation videos. Ayaw na niyang maging predator or worse, a monster. In fact, sir Eric lang nakakapag delete sa kanya ng kanyang alter account on twitter.

But just the same, it's a 10 stars for me, of course....May part doon na umiyak at humikbi talaga si Romnick bilang si sir Eric, best actor talaga At si Elijah kinakarer at sumasabay sa aktingan. Yung camera angles naman , lalo na mga shifting from Romnick to Elijah, champion talaga sa pagcapture ng emotions. Hindi naman ako naiyak sa movie. Nganga lang dahil stressful pala panoorin ang confrontational-conversational na film. Malalim - you can either sink or swim .. In my case, I float hahaha....

PS: Gusto ko aralin paano lutuin ang eggs benedict at gusto ko na rin yung apple pie ng McDo.