Friday, January 29, 2010

STRESSED OUT!!!

There's just too much pressure from all fronts. Pressure from lost school, from work, from my part time job, from the community. Its just too much to handle. Can someone please make it stop?

But I know I just can't break down and cry.

I'm hoping that this too shall pass and I, too, shall pass.

Friday, January 22, 2010

its the climb!

As I was sorting out my files, I chanced upon this old video of our climb in Mt. Maculot, Cuenca, Batangas and I thought of sharing it with you.

Maculot escapade from Donna Manlangit on Vimeo.


mountain of fears to conquer

3 April 2006
Friendster blog entry

at last.. summer vacation is here! after months of gruelling statistical torture, i’m finally free to go out and enjoy the sun. and that’s exactly what i did last weekend.. i wasn’t ready for the climb in Mt. Maculot, Batangas. mind you, im not a professional mountaineer. i just love the outdoors and i’ve gotten nauseated with the dirty fumes i continually inhale here in the metro. so, i really needed a weekend getaway.. when my roommate and her co-workers from GK Bagong Silang invited me to climb with them, i didn’t hesitate to do so..

we started early, around 5am we were already at the foot of the mountain. it was exhilarating just staring at the clear sky with the twinkling stars up above. but we still had a long day ahead of us. the trail was a 3-hour trek up to the peak and after 3 stations on the way, i was already exhausted.

it gave me a lot of time to think. do i have to go through all these? what motivates people to endure this kind of exhaustion? how far is it to the top? what’s waiting for me out there? can i just give up altogether and wait for my friends instead of continuing the climb? i was all ready to quit. i can’t endure it anymore. but as i look at my companions, huffing and puffing their way up to the top. i felt a surge of energy which came with a challenge - if they can do it, then why can’t I. after hours of trekking and picture takings, we finally reached the top - and woah!!! nothing prepared me for the beauty of the sight - with the serene waters of Taal Lake at the backdrop. it was all worth it.. the calloused hands, the blistered feet, the bruises and the cuts - it was all worth it! i’d go through it again if I have to..

this experience taught me a lot of lessons:
1. Life is a journey. Its not an easy trail - it has its ups and downs. We may not even know where we are going, but one thing’s for sure - something wonderful awaits us at the end of the journey. something way beyond our dreams and we won’t be able to enjoy its whole grandeur it if we don’t finish the journey. there are no shortcuts. each trail, each mistake, each fall, each step would bring us closer to our final destination. we just have to stay focused and keep the faith as we continually hope for the fulfillment of our journey.

2. We are not alone. Although this is an individual journey, we have other people journeying with us. they are there to help us up when we fall, to encourage us to go on, to make us smile or even to make the journey difficult for us. whatever their purpose, they are there for a reason. different people. different reasons. but one purpose.. to reach the top!

3. There is no one trail. there were lots of trails. some climbers even got lost coz they took the wrong turn. that’s the importance of focus. its so easy to get lost and one may not even know that s/he is already lost. it takes a strong sense of direction and vigilance to stay in the right track. do not be complacent and assume otherwise. but one good thing about this is once we’ve realized our mistake, we can always go back, retrace our steps and find the right trail. we might consume a lot of time and extra effort, but everything is worth it once we get to the top. its better to go through all these than continue with the wrong trail and arrive at a miserable dead end.

4. As we started the journey, we had lots of fears.. what if we fall, what if we get lost, what if we collapse due to sheer exhaustion.. so many what ifs, so many fears.. but if we gave in to those fears, we might have missed the precious reward that awaits us at the top. it takes a firm belief in your strengths, trust in your companions, passion in your pursuits and faith in the One who made you for you to finish the race..

at the end of it all, we can proudly say.. its not the mountain that we conquered.. its ourselves!!!

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

growing old with you

Everyday, I always pass by the Parks and Wildlife along Quezon Ave. on my way to work. But this morning, I saw a scene which truly moved me even though it was very fleeting. It was a scene of two old people, hunched inside their makeshift home, and talking, as if they were the only two people in the world. It was a true picture of contentment. They may not have much in life but at least, they have each other... and that's the only thing that matters.

a picture of contentment

Nope, that's not the old couple. That's my lolo and lola! (*_*)

part timer

I received a surprise blessing yesterday. Somebody offered me a part time job! Yeah. :) Although it does not pay very well but its the opportunity to work for this somebody that sealed the deal. She's working on a paper for the United Nations. Oha, big time! ;)

I realized now that I love research. Before you raise your brow, let me set this straight. No, I'm not a certified geek because I still love the outdoors more than I love the library. I savor the search and the feeling of finding that elusive material which you've doggedly looked for. Its a sweet, sweet victory for me. So this project would last for 3-4 months and I am looking forward to learning more about international law within that short span of time.

Wish me lots of luck. ;)

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Defying gravity for 2010




Last night, I was reminded that one of my goals for this year is to update my blog weekly. Alas, I failed to do that for two weeks now. Its not for lack of possible topics because I got loads of things to talk about. The usual culprit is procrastination. Haaay. Okay, I'll make that one of my resolutions for this year
If I can do it now, I'll do it now. (*_*)

To start the year, I'm posting videos of our adventure in Enchanted River. Remember that river which was No. 6 in my Taften dream destinations? Well, I did it. The whole family went there on the second day of the year. Although it took us more than an hour of travel, it didn't disappoint us. The river was truly enchanting! It was nestled in a small grove of trees with limestone formations which contributed to the clear icy bluish waters. Its dark tinge comes from the Pacific sea pouring in from a deep underwater crevice. And when we took our first dip, we never wanted to go back up.



Before I proceed to the climax of this story, I have to confess a secret - I think I was a bird in my past life. Really, I am not afraid of heights and I even have this penchant for heights. At the top of my "things to do before I die list" is to go on a bunjee jumping spree. :) And related to the title of this post, I just couldn't resist the urge of defying gravity by jumping from the roots of the trees surrounding the lagoon into the cool water. Apparently, I was not the only one in the family who had "suicidal tendencies". We all had our chance to take the plunge.





But the second jump was more difficult because it was more or less a 30 feet drop from the water. We had to scale one side of the mountain and offer our bare flesh to the hungry bites of the insects so that we can position ourselves better for the jump. Before I decided to go for it, I resolved that in my lifetime, I don't want to answer a very difficult question - What If? When I look back, I don't want to have any regrets whatsoever. What do I have to lose anyway? So, with that, I strengthened my resolve to jump. The jeers and cheers of the onlookers and my mother's warnings added to the pressure. Well, at that point, there was nothing else to do but JUMP!




And I survived! Did it hurt? Yes. Was it fun? Loads of fun. Will I do it again? Definitely YES!