profound bliss

My Mt. Maculot traverse experience with K reminded me of my very first mountain climbing experience in Mt. Romelo. It was August 2010 and I was supposed to go to Taytay Falls but the friend I was supposed to go with stood me up so I decided to just go somewhere with fewer people - the mountains. I hired a guide who perhaps had a third eye as well, the reason why he saw what he did. We were walking towards Lansones Falls, he was like ten feet ahead, when I noticed that he kept on looking back towards me. I thought he was just checking on me as the thought of "stuff" like that in the mountains hasn't really occurred to me at that time. Had he told me he saw something right then, I wouldn't have allowed myself to take a dip in Lansones Falls' catch basin and enjoy its very cold water. But since I was unsuspecting, I even asked the guide to take pictures of me as I posed with the waterfalls as my backdrop. There was one part of the area, however, that w...

U.P. Diliman University Student Council presents U.P. Fair 2013, a week-long event held at the Sunken Garden featuring concerts, shows, fair booths, bazaars, etc. Here’s the schedule of events: February 12 : Bulkantahan – Unang Pagsabog Para Sa Pagbabago (Iuvenis Orbis Geological Fraternity) Performances by: Parokya ni Edgar, Gloc-9, Spongecola, Silent Sanctuary, Ebe Dancel, Never the Strangers, General Luna, Hijo, Dong Abay and the Tanods, Join the Club, SAMARIA, Flying Ipis, Gaijin, Slapshock, Giniling Festival, Segatron, Hoodlum, Candycandy, Bad Hair Day, SUCKETSEVEN, Wasted Sopas, Dragon, Milky Summer, Naraia, Slickfinger, Jerry Something, CLandestino’s Manuscript , Kaya, From the Author, Half Way Out, Brickcity, The Squibs, Sheenola, Idioms and Disposition, Joop, Strands of Autumn, FIJ, Maxine Jarantilla February 13 : Kontrakultura II – Marked for Love, Marked for Destiny(UP Students of Destiny) February 14 : Roots – Music and Arts Festival(UP Underground Music Comm...

Check out the fireworks display of SM City Cebu for Sinulog Festival 2013. The background music, Gangnam Style, was a hit among the spectators especially that the fireworks were made to go along the beat of the worldwide hit song by the Korean performer Psy. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter .

After the New Year (and my birthday), I now look forward to the pyromusical which happens February to March for quite a few years now. I haven’t been able to complete all the shows in each year because it’s really hard to reserve a number of consecutive Saturdays for that (kunyari busy). I was only able to watch one show every year, and I promise to watch more shows this year. After all, eleven countries are competing this year, with the Philippines (not included in the competition for being the host country) to show off at the finale. The 4th Philippine International Pyromusical Competition 2013 Schedule: February 16, 2013 Japan - Tamaya Kitahara Finland - Oy Pyroman Finland Ltd. February 23, 2013 Taiwan - Yung Feng Fireworks France - Intermede Artifices March 2, 2013 United Kingdom - Jubilee Fireworks Ltd. South Korea - Hwarang Fireworks Inc. March 9, 2013 Italy - Ipon Fireworks S.R.L. The Netherlands - Royal Fireworks March 16, 2013 ...

I climbed Mt. Maculot every week last December to lose some inches on my tummy. And because not everyone likes to climb the same mountain over and over again, and because I'm really a loner, I climbed those four times alone. The Rockies campsite is safe to climb alone. (I can almost hear my few more experienced mountaineering friends disagreeing with me.) The trail is wide and there are no forks aside from one early in the trail, but there’s an arrow pointing to the right direction so I really don't see how anyone could get lost. My first two weeks were bliss. I was literally alone at the campsite aside from a big tuko on the first and a monkey on the second week. I was able to pray (which I do secretly when there are mountaineers around) for the safe climb, lie down on the tables, close my eyes and savor the quiet sounds of wind on the trees and the idea of being alone 300+ meters above sea level. But was I really alone during those times that I thought I was? I'm...