Christmas in our Hearts

Here in the Philippines, once the month of September sets in - we will hear Christmas carols in the radio, on TV or online. I, maybe the only one who believes that the ninth month of the year is too early to get in the Yuletide mood. 

(1) Our family has yet to celebrate three birthdays. My hubby, my sister and mine, in that order.

(2) Another important 'holiday' which I faithfully observe has not yet occurred. That would be November 1-2, the All Souls and All Saints days.

(3) Four months is too long that by the time, December 25 rolls in, we are all stressed out, tired, and totally miss the real essence of Christmas.

I have always felt this way because perhaps in our party of 5, we are all adults. Surely, Christmas is mostly celebrated for the young ones and by young I mean kids from ages 1 to 12. Believe me, I tried to conceive and only ended up being frustrated, depressed and feeling like I am not a complete woman. That is another post or maybe not as it's very private, personal and very painful to talk about, let alone post about. Well, okay back to Yuletide cheers.

For the past seven or more years, we would all travel to where my sister works to spend the Yuletide holidays there. But as you are aware, the environment there is not too safe for now. Sister dearest will come home and spend the holidays with us, here in a somewhat cooler climate, mind you I didn't say colder!

So,  let me end with  my favorite portion of Jose Mari Chan's Christmas carol:

Let's sing Merry Christmas and a happy holiday

This season may we never forget the love we have for Jesus
Let him be the one to guide us as another new year starts
And may the spirit of Christmas be always in our hearts

picture c/o of sister dearest, taken at the
small but quaint parish where we would
hear Christmas day mass.

San Agustin Museum

When: 02 April 2019 03:20 P.M.

Where: San Agustin Church - the oldest stone church in the Philippines.
What: One of the largest collections of religious art works and artifacts.

Why: The Catholic faith is an essential part of my life & we love museums!

Proof: Tons of pictures, selected some for this post.

Memories: Worth the entrance fee, the sweat from exploring.

Rating: 100 %; two thumbs up!
Tip: wear comfy shoes and clothes, some galleries are air conditioned, the hallways are not.  Need to climb some stairs to get to the upper floors.

The museum is to the right if you are facing the facade. Ample
parking slots inside the church complex for 50 pesos

The Courtyard

The Santo Nino when it was first presented in Cebu

Spanish galleon plying the Acapulco - Manila Galleon route

Liturgical vestments

A replica ng Poong Nazareno which is
displayed in Quiapo Church

The Last Supper

The Silleria or Choirstalls made of kamagong with inlays of
narra and other woods

View of the main altar from the upper section

The main altar, up close and personal

San Agustin Museum

General Luna Street, Intramuros

Entrance Fee: 200 pesos

Opening hours: 8 A.M - 6 P.M (Mondays - Saturdays)

1 P.M - 5 P.M (Sundays)

One fine day in Antipolo City

Ever since I can remember, we have been going to Antipolo for several years now. It is usually a pilgrimage to visit it during the month of May to honor its patron saint, Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage. It is merely a 45 minutes or one hour drive away from our place. A pleasant drive where once you see more tricycles than private cars then you know you are far from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Antipolo is also the place to go, if you want your car blessed. I remember when we first bought my sister's car years ago, we made our way there to have her blessed. Yes, her car is a female. :D

This year, we went in April when my sister was in town. First stop, the Antipolo Cathedral to ask Our Lady to keep us safe during our voyages. Not only the road trips, but also to endure Metro Manila's horrendous traffic jams. Plus life itself, it is a voyage, right?

Secondly, the buying of usual pasalubong items like cashews, suman and other local delicacies which can only be found in Antipolo. There are several stalls right beside the Cathedral so no need to go too far away. 

Lastly, there are many restaurants (as well as malls now) in Antipolo which offer all types of cuisine so no fear of starving. Or even relieving oneself, a fact that now presents itself when you have senior citizens along for the journey. We had light snack before heading back home.

The place is an easy destination as it is not too far away. It has malls for shopping; several restaurants for dining any time of the day; churches for worshiping; some museums for exploring; stalls to bargain for souvenir hunting and pasalubong items. Kaya tayo na ... sa Antipolo.

P.S This is not a sponsored post.

Main altar of Antipolo Cathedral

ME having a cold shake after a long
warm day in Antipolo City

Batanes: the northernmost province of the Philippines

This is a long overdue post about one of the places to visit on my bucket list - Batanes. It remains an elusive dream because until now, at age 51 I have not set foot in this verdant place. 

So why am I posting about it, you ask??  

Well back in the month of November in the year 2018, the hubby along with two co-faculty members visited this lovely place for a few days. Part work, part pleasure - they were mesmerized by the greenery, the lush mountains, the beaches, the deep blue sea, the old stone houses, the simple yet sacred churches, the 45 minute boat ride on rough seas to get to the islands, the hospitality of the people and everything else in between. 

A place located on the very top of our beloved nation's map. A place which was very difficult to reach because the airlines just flew there once a week but now thankfully, they have several flights during the week. A place so rich in greenery, you would think you were in an European country. So allow me to share some pictures from their Batanes trip.

Basco (the capital of Batanes) Church

main altar of Basco Church

Famous Batanes stone house

Ivatan head gear

These stone houses were built to withstand strong typhoons

Wow, look a goat!

Sabtang is one of the 10 islands in Batanes

Interiors of the Sabtang Church

one of the various caves

Simbahan ng Ivana

 

Naidi Lighthouse

This cross marks the location of the
first mass held in Batanes

one of the tiniest roads which was
carved out of  the mountain