My first morning in Cagayan de Oro, I needed an espresso kick.  It was an exciting business + leisure trip. I was there to check out sites of ongoing and upcoming design projects as well as attend client meetings with my project partner and best friend.

Dreaming of unleashing your inner Katniss?  Imagine shooting various targets even faux animals in nature. It is quiet as you aim. You take a deep breath and then as you release the arrow, you watch it hit your target, or not :)

Exhaustion evaporated as soon as the calm breeze swept over me.  A positive energy immediately transcended every fiber of my being into a state of peace.  Time stood still and the only sound one could hear were those of leaves and branches that danced in the gentle wind.  The green mountainscape that surrounded the monastery was soothing to behold. 

While the bus was crammed with grumpy stressed out passengers, a friend witnessed this scene  on his way home while looking out of the bus' window.  The rain has brought puddles and the ramps have transformed into mini waterfalls.  Kids  laid on the pavement  and played snow angels under the rain.

It was 2AM.  The trip that often takes 3 hours to get here to this side of the city only took us an hour and a half from where we live. The roads were empty.  Our sleepiness vanished as soon as we laid eyes on the International Airport of Mactan.  

Hands down, best seafood meal ever!  Ooh that spicy sauce!  My friend, Romina took me to Redtail Shrimps & More  in Cagayan de Oro for lunch.

There are only two reasons when there is silence on this blog. One is I'm traveling.  The other one is, I'm pursuing a goal that needs the attention of my entire being.    

The former is my perfect excuse. The word "gallivanting" suddenly popped up in my head as well as snapshots of recent events; our roller coaster ride at Euro Disney plunging down into the darkness, admiring the Notre Dame Cathedral  a week before watching it in flames on TV,  our long drive on small countryside roads through fields of yellow (Canola or in french - Colza) and the massive consumption of baguette, cheese and wine. 

How ironic that I am posting this here. After almost 2 months of being away from IG and FB, my phone gallery has been empty for quite a while. 

Les Maisons d'Itac is a high-end Bed and Breakfast situated deep within the remote fishing village of Barangay Sta. Cruz in Ronda.

It was originally a private vacation home. Beach villas were originally built for the owner's visiting guests, which was then later converted into a resort. The hotel is in fact named after their dog, Itac, whom you will have a chance to meet walking around like a boss. :)

Writing has given me solace growing up. Stacks of notebooks that were my journals filled the bedroom that I shared with my sisters.  They guided me, giving sense to the intense feelings I was experiencing at a young age, whilst facing a challenging childhood.   I kept them all in there within the pages of my diaries (most of which I have already discarded) while revealing these struggles only to a few, for fear of being judged, misunderstood before I could truly understand them all myself. 

Remember when I wrote about Which Food to Send in a Care Package some time ago?

I was at the airport waiting for my flight while I typed this. Bath & Body Works loomed to my left which brought me back to good old days when I hoarded products from this brand as presents for family and friends. I perused and felt nostalgic. I was tempted to purchase their liquid hand wash which was found scattered throughout our previous overseas home for many years, but its equivalent Philippine price is hefty for our current household budget, so I walked away. Which Items to Send in a box to the Philippines?

Did I just go to France on a whim? Nope, this interestingly designed coffee shop is none other than La Vie Parisienne in Lahug, Cebu.  What I like about the Philippines is the abundance of places to spend time in.

Happy Chinese New Year to those celebrating it!  Yay, Year of the Pig eh?  It has been more than a week since I have taken a vacation from Facebook and Instagram.  I am presently enjoying the silence. 

A friend asked me how I'm able to accomplish my tasks every day working from home.  Of course, I can't speak for everyone. Each one has their own way of getting things done. Besides, my workload now cannot be compared with how it was back in the Middle East.  My old ex-pat self would have scoffed at the present me, "Pfff..what work are you talking about ?"   

I feel life is a tad slower in the Philippines. Stressful as it may seem but a "bahala na" attitude still lingers in the air everywhere I go. It's both good and bad. It depends on how we take it.  I suppose, we spend more time stuck in traffic jams or waiting in a queue for a ride home and I couldn't help thinking, this is actually causing more stress than the actual work in the office. Much as we can complain about it, it is in fact beyond our control until we decide to pack our bags and go somewhere else. 

Do you remember when I posted 30 Days of Positive Thinking Challenge last year?  

Here's what happened.

There was a major shift in my life since I completed this challenge, not only for 30 Days but I kept at it for 3 months before 2018 ended. 

While I'm typing this, I am watching the coconut trees sway and dance in the wind from my window. 2018 pretty much taught me the same thing, how to acclimate.  I learned to stop fighting the current and went with the flow. I learned to accept things as they are. Thus, I finally found my home here in Cebu. Nope not a house (not yet, at least), but a state where I feel connected.  

T'is the season to consume lots of coffee so we could stamp our way to claim the 2019 Journal at the coffee shop you fancy.  If you have an extra journal, please feel free to throw some my way and I'd be ecstatic. (Ha! You must be thinking, the nerve of this girl!)  

Oh well, that's one of my intentions for next year. I intend to speak my mind more - in real life that is. You see, I tend to reveal more of myself here on the blog and only to a select few, in person.

Lindis Pass is a hilly scenic reserve and a winding inland route which should definitely be a part of your road trip itinerary when traveling through the South Island of New Zealand. This alpine area connects Mackenzie Basin of the Canterbury to Central Otago. Lindis Pass Scenic Reserve lies between the valley of the Lindis and the Ahuriri Rivers.

Hello everyone!

This is a journey that I have started sometime ago.  

The Challenge of Positivity's goal is to practice letting go of Ego, to nurture kindness, to harness gratitude, all of which combined leads to happiness, joy, and peace.  

The whole practice is fueled by love. Love for the self, love for others and love for the Divine and all of His Creation. 

Look up.  Since that moment a coconut fell an inch away from my head, I tend to look up and make sure I'm away from these trees when the sh...err.. smoothie hits the fan.   Oh well, I love coconuts and the first thing I'm grateful for is saying goodbye to cans of coconut milk/cream from the supermarket. I now have access to freshly grated coconut and coconut water. 

I have just turned 40.  Yes, the much dreaded big 4-0. I was consumed by the blues, days leading up to my birthday. Hence, my absence on the blog.  I felt a sense of panic and a feeling of utmost emptiness for the lack of accomplishment. The life I had envisioned for myself is nowhere near what reality shows me now. 

During my birthday month, I'll be writing about personal stories and reflections.  I  thought about the questions that followed me everywhere since I gained consciousness, to better understand our existence in this world. 

In search for answers, I found solace and nuggets of wisdom in books. So I have made a list of books that shaped me throughout the years:

"A Grateful Heart is a Magnet for Miracles."

The other day I found male neighbors in their 20s and 30s playing "tumbang preso" in the side street where not a lot of vehicles pass. Tumbang Preso is a Filipino children's game literally translated as "knock down the prisoner".  The goal is to knock down a can with their slippers or flip-flops. I was amused to watch them set up their game, dividing themselves into two groups equally standing at opposite sides. The game should be played by a maximum of nine players. One guards the can while the rest stands behind the line to hit it.  I couldn't help reminiscing about my childhood playing this game as well as hide and seek with my friends in abandoned buildings or a thrill seeking game "of patintero"

Patintero, on the other hand, is another group outdoor game played by two teams. It requires speed, agility, strategy and team work. The rule of the game is to pass through the grid lines guarded by the opposing team without getting tagged. A chalk is used to draw the grid lines on the ground and a bigger space is required roughly around 6 linear meters in depth length x 4 linear meters horizontal width. It is usually played by four players per team. 

Have you played this game when you were young (er)?

2. Green Therapy

When I moved to the south, I have always wanted to wake up early, drive up to this spot and drink my freshly brewed coffee in my thermos while enjoying this view. Finally did it this weekend!

Was sucking the sweet nectar from this flower a part of your childhood? The santan plant, Ixora coccinea grows into a shrub and thrives well in the heat.  I finally learned how to propagate them by using their plant cuttings.  

Love & light,

Arni

If there was one thing we did a lot while we were in New Zealand, it was drinking beer.  

The contents of one's bag reveal so much about a person. I can't necessarily claim I can't live without these items. Yet, you will see how my lifestyle has been altered when I compared them with previous posts;  such as, what's inside my beach bag when I was still living in Dubai and my hand carry luggage during a 4-day trip to Prague.

It was definitely sheer bliss. We were on a one month road trip to explore New Zealand last December. Hence, my silence on the blog. 

Hope you're all having a great week. December entails wrapping presents, last minute shopping, traffic frenzy en route to your office Christmas Party, year end work load, travel plans looming ahead, vehicle tax increase, income tax reduction, ho ho ho 13th month pay, what a way to end 2017!  

As always, the year end brings a wave of nostalgia.  Before 2017 sneaks up on me, I'm going to post my favorite finds and insights about living in the Philippines this week.

Photo by Lito Flestado

I have always been intrigued by my friend, Shela's experience when she decided to move back to Philippines for good after living in Dubai for many years.  While most of our friends in the sandpit saw their future immigrating to western countries (I'm not saying there's something wrong with that), but Shela imagined herself coming home.

Shela enjoyed a comfortable life with her husband and daughter in Dubai. 

Like most expats in the Middle East, we all knew we had to leave at some point.  She quit her fabulous job in a luxury fashion brand in order to set up the business on her own, while her husband stayed behind in the UAE, as a back up plan.

We were still in Dubai then, when she took the leap.  This chapter of her life was not really a part of our social media conversations. Online chatting wasn't really an ideal medium to share what she went through during her first year in the Philippines.

An idea sparked recently to feature her which was initially driven by my curiosity.To be honest, I wondered if she ever did go through repatriation blues as I did.  Having read her side of the story while putting this blog post altogether, I wished I have read it before embarking on this journey.  So allow me to share with you my brief interview with Shela about her experience moving back home:

My youngest sister ecstatically gushes, "To date, this is the best waterfall I have ever seen in my life!" 

I paused and wondered for several seconds and yes, I found myself nodding as well, "Me too!"

I'm seizing this opportunity to appreciate the goodness that I discover in my home country. Here's a round up of 3 things that made me happy this week.

Where to Eat in Coron, Palawan? 

Coron is a destination where change is constant. I have witnessed the rapid pace of developments here throughout the years. More so, that I was intrigued when I saw this urban looking restaurant  undergoing construction during my visit in August 2017. A month later, Buzz Express opened its doors.

The inviting glass facade catches your attention right at the corner of Burgos Street and the National Highway. It sits right across the Legislative Building. One of the first (if not the first) air-conditioned cafes in town.