Ocean Park, Hong Kong

The last time we went to Ocean Park in Hong Kong, my parents were still alive. I believe it was sometime in 2009 or 2010, yes that long ago.

On the eve of my flight (February 9, 2025) back home to face major uncertainty in my married life, sister dearest and I decided to return to Ocean Park to enjoy the cool February weather in Hong Kong and clear the cobwebs from my mind and try to boost my spirits from dealing with the lowest point of my life.

There is now a MRT line that goes straight to the Ocean Park, making it very accessible for visitors. For some reason, it seems smaller than I remembered. The first time we went there it seemed like we walked for miles and miles just to get to the different attractions. Maybe this time around, we did not go to all the attractions, merely the 'cute' ones. Or dare I say the ones which our 50 year old selves could manage without toppling over from exhaustion. LOL

The Ocean Park Hong Kong houses several giant pandas, notably the first locally born giant panda twins Jia Jia and De De who were born in August 2024.

The baby pandas have their own enclosure which unfortunately just closed for the day, a few minutes when we got there.

Their parents Ying Ying and Le Le  were gifted to Hong Kong by China.

An An and Ke Ke are the names of the other pandas also living in the park.

I believe this is An An but I may be wrong.

You cannot really tell pandas apart, can you?

After the pandas, we took the cable car to reach the summit where we watched the dolphin and sea lion show, ogled at some aquatic creatures and enjoyed the view from a ferris wheel.

I like taking cable cars, I don't have a fear of heights and the strong winds that sway the cabin don't bother me. This certain feeling of calmness embraces you and makes you feel invincible. Being so high up in the sky amidst the clouds with the cool February breeze cushions you far far away from reality. Even for a few minutes, you feel like you can conquer anything and nothing and nobody can harm your already bruised soul. It was refreshing, in every sense of the word.

It was almost dusk when we were on the ferris wheel, by then the wind was really cold. My hands were freezing so I did not take any more pictures from above. It was a short ride less than 8 minutes but the view of the harbour and the sea was panoramicly fantastic.

It was already dark when we took the cable car back down. It hits different when darkness and the biting cold envelopes you. You adjust your vision to the pitch black with just the faraway bright lights of the attractions of Ocean Park flickering in the distance.

A serene almost eerie sentiment creeps up but mind  you, it wasn't fear, at all. Just some nagging thoughts of heading back to reality.

Even the pandas at Ocean Park Hong Kong told me it was time to go home and face reality. A very jolting reality that I never thought was possible but would rattle my entire core. Yet, it did and it has never been the same ever, again. I’m NOT the same, never will be.

August 2026: 4 pictures recap

Wow a whole month has passed since my last post. August was quite hectic. These four pictures are the photographic evidence.  

Let me explain: We had four volumes of the hubby's books about Rizal to edit and revise incessantly. It was an exhausting experience. Editing the text block then sending them back to the publisher. Back and forth, a never ending cycle of editing, editing and more editing.

We also celebrated what would have been Dad's 90th birthday last August 22. It has been 5 years since we lost him, tragically. There is not a single day that passes by when I don't think of Dad. Truth be told, I still have nightmares from time to time about how we lost him. I continue to hope and pray for the eternal repose of his soul. May perpetual light shine upon him and may he rest in God's heavenly abode. Miss you and love you, Dad.

After 7 long and  excruciating years filled with anxiety, heartbreak, financial issues and everything else in between, D finally got his Master of Arts in Education, major in Cultural Education from La Consolacion University in Malolos Bulacan. Yes you read that right, Bulacan. This was completed in April 2026 after he submitted the two copies of his final thesis in hardbound form.  

August 29, 2026, Saturday his graduation and investiture ceremony was set at 6 A.M.  At 4:30AM, we were on our way to Bulacan. There was a heavy downpour, the car wipers were working like crazy yet you can hardly see anything. Monsoon rains coupled with a strong typhoon was wreaking havoc. We both know for certain that the province of Bulacan gets flooded easily merely from slight precipitation.

Barely 15 minutes into our road trip, we decided to make a u-turn and not go through with attending the graduation rites. Yes, we were both crestfallen but on hindsight it was the best decision. We later learned from the news that an 8 km long traffic jam on NLEX got people stranded for hours and hours on end due to the flood waters. His graduation for his masteral studies was an event I was really looking forward to with much enthusiasm. Yet I'm just grateful we were spared from the onslaught of the rains, the flooded expressway and the horrific traffic jam.

The last day of August was the deadline for the submission of the DBM CHED enhanced JC3 for the reclassification of faculty positions in state universities and colleges. Otherwise known as promotion to a higher sub rank faculty position. The whole month of August was spent compiling the required documents. By documents, I mean tons of certificates, research papers, MOAs, student evaluations, supervisor evaluations, creative works, designation documents. Every single work output from the period covering the year 2023 to 2026 which will advance your career development was needed. The days of suspended government work (due to the monsoon rains and the flooding) though contributed to the delay in procuring several documents. 

Since we skipped the graduation, we were given more time to combine all the requirments, print them out, scan the document for online submission, arrange the hard copies chronologically in an expanding folder. By sheer force of every aching muscle of our bodies and mostly by God's Mercy and Grace we were able to get everything done by 5:30 PM on August 31, Sunday.  He physically handed his folder to the QAC office, just beating the deadline by 30 minutes!

Phew, that basically sums up August 2026. Even though, it was quite daunting, hectic, stressful, many sleepless nights, with bouts of hunger, and massive exhaustion to the highest levels, I would still do it all over again, in a heartbeat.  Strange, huh?

National Museum of Natural History

Well look at that, it is already August of the year 2026!  Imagine that?!! Where did all the time go? All 31 days of July were pretty hectic. With an added blend of toxicity, sheer exhaustion and everything else in between.

But I always tell myself with gratitude. With God's mercy, I survive. We all do, don't we? Moving forward, let's include love to sweeten the blend. So we don't lose ourselves, okay?

Speaking of L.O.V.E. Allow me to backtrack to the 14th of February 2026. In some strange, twisted way we still celebrate V-day, despite everything that happened. We even wore red, go figure! 

This year, it fell on a Saturday so we went to the Museum of Natural History in Manila. Our main purpose was to see Lolong, the world's largest saltwater crocodile in captivity. His stuffed remains are permanently displayed in the Museum of Natural History.  

The museum was reopened to the public in 2018 with 12 galleries and halls. Its collections range from the mountains to the seas. The Tree of Life structure holding prominence in the main hall near the entrance. Aptly described by the current generation as very instagrammable (a new word in my vocabulary). 

Entrance is FREE. Tuesdays to Sundays, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM

The skeleton of a male Marinduque sperm whale measuring 13.25 meters or 43.5 feet in length.

GUESS WHAT?

Lolong was no where to be found!!! It was not displayed as it was under maintenance.

Good reason to revisit the National Museum of Natural History.

Wat Mangkon Kamalawat (Dragon Lotus Temple) Bangkok (May 03, 2025)

From Wat Traimit, we rode a tuk tuk to our next temple. Weaving in and out of traffic, through small alleys and main roads, riding these small motorized, three-wheeled, meter-less, tourist traps 'vehicles' is quite an adventurous experience in itself.

I decided to make a separate post for this specific temple because it is one of the most elaborate temples I've visited. On the outside, you would hardly notice it is a place of worship, because it is situated along a busy street. But inside, it is ornately resplendent, and still maintains its sacrosanctity.

Formerly known as Wat Leng Noei Yi, it was built in 1871 by a Chinese monk named Master Chin Wang. It was renamed during the reign of King Rama V as Wat Mangkon Kamalawat. The largest and most significant Chinese Buddhist temple in Bangkok, located in the Pom Prap Sattru Phai district of Bangkok's Chinatown.

Admission is free.     Dress appropriately.     Always observe silence.
Mondays - Fridays 08:00 AM - 04:30 PM; Saturdays - Sundays 08:00 AM - 05:30 PM

Since we were already in the Chinatown vicinity, we walked for about two blocks to the rows of street food stalls and restaurants for early dinner. We are NOT that adventurous though to eat scorpions and other insects for our meals. No, thanks! LOL 

As the sun set and the neon signs lighted up, the crowd grew thicker but it was still manageable because the side walk and the street is wide enough. After scouring the available street foods, we settled for a bowl fish maw soup, some barbecued pork belly and iced Fanta.