crumb trails

Whenever I try my hand at painting, I’m always partial to watercolor as my medium. It usually occupies my spare time or when I’m in the mood to [try to] create an artwork.

I did one last summer. It’s not as remarkable as a pro’s work, but as I was looking at it the other day, it became clear to me why I chose this particular subject and picked those hues from the box of watercolor tubes, gathered  several paintbrushes, and started working.

Flowing Leaves (9x12 watercolor on paper)

This piece, which I named “Flowing Leaves,” was done almost four months ago, the same time I had to make a major decision. It is now that I realized why I picked those leaves from the garden and painted the watercolor pad in blue: because at that time, I was turning over a new leaf; taking my life in a new direction. I thought that although the water in the stream has a particular destination, I have decided to go against the current and create my own channel.

So far, I’m loving the decision I made. Life is good (and the Almighty’s making it even better). I couldn’t be more grateful.

Compared to the place I remembered visiting as a child, Marikina is almost unrecognizable to me now, in a positive kind of way. The streets are clean, its people are disciplined. More than that, Marikina has a lot more to offer-places to explore, a culture to experience.

My work has given me the chance to visit one of the city’s tourist destinations: World of Butterflies, run by the local government of Marikina. WOB’s main goal is to conserve the habitat of the butterflies. Aside from its butterfly garden, it is also a sanctuary for breeding them. Here, one can see the different stages of a butterfly’s life cycle.

Among the insects, butterflies have one of the most complicated life cycles. And unlike the other creatures under Class Insecta, they do not undergo a nymph period before becoming an adult; instead, a butterfly changes appearance when it becomes an imago. So, there’s no such thing as baby butterfly.

Read the rest of this entry »

The first time I visited Avilon Zoo a couple of years back, I really loved the experience!

Yesterday (April 5), together with some friends from work, I spent a whole day at Avilon Zoo for the second time, and boy, I had a wonderful time! As they say, the second time is always sweeter, well in this case, much, much better than the first since a lot of improvement had been done by the administration of the zoological park (and still doing more until now, kudos to them).

Unlike my first visit, our small group didn’t hire a tour guide. Since I’ve been there before, maybe I’ll just be the tour guide (minus the explanation about the animals, of course! ). Avilon Zoo is a seven hectare park and it’s fun to get lost at such a big place when you’re with carefree, good-tempered people. Nobody complained about all the walking, the heat or to those who arrived a little late. All of us just had fun! And I’d like to share just how much fun we had.

Look who loves being cuddled!

This baby tiger doesn’t have a name yet, but it’s been making friends with the visitors. Really cute and cuddly.

Meet Camille and Louie (and the rest of the family! )

These two are the sweetest! And they have manners. They shake the hands of everyone they meet. Louie loves to be cuddled. Look how he clings to “mommy” (peace, señora ).

This summer, going to the beach is not the only thing you can do. Avilon Zoo is an alternative, so put it in your list. It’s less crowded at this time since school term’s over. Besides, it’s very accessible from the metropolis. Avilon Zoo is located in Rodriguez (Montalban), Rizal—thirty to forty-five minutes drive from Quezon City. Or you can take the PUJs/PUVs from Cubao and Philcoa, tell the driver to let you off at Eastwood (subdivision), then ride a tricycle and ask Manong driver to take you to Avilon Zoo.

Read the rest of this entry »

If you want to spend some quiet moments, refresh your mind, feel close to nature and God, Caleruega is the perfect place to go; located in Brgy. Kaylayaw, Batulao, Nasugbu Batangas. As described in the flyer given to visitors at the gate, Caleruga is a house (place) of prayer and renewal. It is equipped with facilities for activities like retreats, recollections, prayer and renewal workshops, and other religious and environmental-related assemblies. But you can also go for a day’s visit. Like what I did last weekend. For 30 pesos entrance fee, you can enjoy the breathtaking views, clear your mind and find peace.

I’ve been planning that trip for a long, long time and been asking some of my friends to go with me. They’d say yes but we’d end up postponing the trip afterwards. I was awed when I saw the pictures in the Dominicans’ website. I was rendered speechless actually, my breath literally taken away for several seconds. I’m really glad that I was able to visit the place this time and was able to convince one of my college friends to go with me.

Read the rest of this entry »