Mother’s Birthday Getaway 2015

For my mother’s birthday celebration back in November 17, 2015, we went to Our Lady of Candelaria Parish Church and Gourmet Farms in Silang, Cavite. Although we have relatives who live there, it was an unexplored territory for us, especially me. I live in Cavite, but I’m more familiar with Laguna and Manila.

I’m quite reluctant and lazy when it comes to posting pictures on Facebook, although some of these photos made it on Instagram 2 years ago, I still hold on to the idea that I’ll put them on my own site eventually. I just re-established my blog, with a new handle, and I’ll be publishing old (and of course, new) photographs every now and then.

Taking a trip to Gourmet Farms was a ticked off from my “go-to list”. I’ve been curious about this place, as we always drove past it whenever we travel to Tagaytay.  If you’re already in the area make it a point to drop by there. Its Santorini-like structure is rather picturesque and IG worthy. The food is yummy, which I’ll account to the freshness of its ingredients since they were harvested from their own organic farm. Their menu is quite pricey, but if you’re going to indulge yourself once, it’s a wonderful choice. There’s not a lot of restaurants in the Philippines that offers a wide selection of greens. For a change from the every day greasy food try something adventurous, I can assure you that you can really taste the true essence of each vegetables here as they were freshly picked by the farmers of Gourmet Farms. I also enjoyed their subsidiary Cafe, outside the restaurant, where they sold coffee, herbal teas, and culinary condiments; their pesto and lettuce chips are great replacements for unhealthy junk foods in the groceries.

Movie Playlist: Lent 2017

I would like to take a moment here to inform you that my list will not include any biblical based/inspirational films that you might expect to see such as, The 10 Commandments, Jesus of Nazareth, The Prince of Egypt, Miracles from Heaven, The Passion of the Christ, etc. The reason is, you can go ahead and watch them on national TV. I remember reading Bono’s interview regarding his views on Christian music (not in verbatim) that, it should be honest and raw just like the emotions in Psalms; because people can relate to the truthfulness of the song and they will find more inspiration in realism. And I completely agree. With movies, I don’t think you have to bend or make the bible modern because it should remain as it is. But I want movies that are grounding, not as a constant reminder of our “Catholic Guilt” but something of a suggestion in the “spiritual life” around us, our failings as humans and the things that we can learn from those mistakes. As Pope Francis said, “Christ’s story of His passion continues to unfold today; through the lives of those who suffers.”  The more you observe real life, the more you will appreciate the scriptures because experiences enables you to relate to them.

HOLY WEDNESDAY 

The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)
Director: Walter Salles
Language: Spanish, Quechua

This is Ernesto Guevara before he became the famous Che. Written as a memoir during his travels to South America, this took place before he became disillusioned with the social system that oppresses the impoverished. Though on the contrary, this is not a