world youth day - a year after...

january of 2011. its the time of the year when i asked my manager to for a leave on the whole month of august. no one can stop me. and indeed! august 2011 - a year ago - when i attended the world youth day in madrid, spain. 

its when i saw the pope and hear his voice while saying - "stay with me...". pope is saying those words when the winds were so strong and rain is pouring all over us. it was really an experience to remember. something that i should cherish while i am still alive. this will serve as the oil to keep my faith burning!

 life is something we should cherish. it has been a year since i visited a place i would really love to go and an event i would really want to attend. world youth day in madrid of august 2011. 

here are some of my pics >>

a view on our way to avila from zaragoza.

my friends in street of toledo.

in javier - this is where st. francis of xavier was baptized.

@ huesca, during our popular mission.

@ islazul.

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national youth pilgrimage leyte/samar v.03

third day is not that exciting. its our last day in guiuan, i will truly miss the place. we had our little chat with the people who resides in the place, then we sung some songs. people from other parishes seem enjoying their stay at tubabao, so we decided to go ahead of them. also, i am quite excited with kuya pops shot of the day - he plans to take a photo of us four while riding the local banca. yahoo!!!

four of us in a banca. yahoo!

our journey will start from guiuan cathedral then to tacloban where we're going to take our lunch then to ormoc city. more or less, we spent the whole day traveling. its so fun because i have flor beside me. ahehehe.

the catechists rented two vans to accommodate people who were seated uncomfortably. kuya pops, p.a., albert and dan were in one of the vans with father paulo. while the rest of us were comfortably seated in the bus. we stopped for a while @ san juanico bridge. i am not amazed with it, lol! its like a regular bridge for me.

oopps, tinakpan ko...lol!

ocho restau is our destination in tacloban. the food is...fine. nothing very fiesty. the dessert is awesome. lol! jessica and jessa volunteered to buy ice cream from jobee and mcdo. lol! going to ormoc, is another three to four hour trip. rollie and susan took this opportunity for a little "bible cutting". we stopped by several times for wiwi break and to visit mc arthur in palo, leyte. ahehehe. yes, i wasn't really expecting that i'll meet him.

@ palo, leyte.

after calling several people, susan finally called me. the reading is simple yet some meaty. its about jesus asking a lady to give him water. jesus mentioned something about the living water. a simple yet so daring. for God has really came to me and told me things that i never expected. tears almost fell from to my cheek but i was able to manage it. lol!

we reached the place almost 7 pm. we had our room assignments, ate our dinner then off to peter paul church for the eucharist. the celebration is good enough but the songs are very lively! awesome! i love dayenu!

room for sleeping is perfect! after two nights of hot attic, we can finally sleep in a cozy bed with aircon. lol!

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national youth pilgrimage leyte/samar v.02

ayun! day 2 is awesome. we had our popular mission in salcedo - a nearby town of guiuan.  before got there, we had a small procession. i volunteered myself to bring the cross. i am in full battle gear. lol!

procession to the public market. (by kuya pops)

we started the mission by the sharing of some brothers. rollie asked for volunteers and i did not know where the name of "edu" came from. so, i did! i expressed how faithful God is. even from start of the way. we did two by two in the market place. i was with richmon.

while sharing during the popular mission. (by kuya pops)

break time with dan and albert. (by kuya pops)

after the popular mission, we ate in a restau then off to the beach to feel the water. the place is so beautiful and awesome. flor wanted to have buko juice and she ordered some. it tastes so sweet - different from what we have here in cavite.

a small island in guiuan beach.

next stop is jail. we were assigned in guiuan municipal jail. i had the cross - of course. while doing the popular mission, i got pissed off to some peeps taking photo of the inmates inside the barricade. for me, it was very in-approriate to do that. anyhow, the mission is so great. an inmate named - weng - uttered:

God called me to enjoy suffering!

what a wonderful statement from a person who has suffered and is suffering.

we ended the day with a eucharist then off to tubabao cove. still, no electric fan. got no choice...

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national youth pilgrimage leyte/samar v.01

we're excited. yes. around midnight, we arrived NAIA Terminal 3 for our 4 AM flight. it's too early but this is what Kuya Bobby and Ate Evelyn preferred. taking a nap is no longer an option. we went up to grab some coffee and had little chat. afterwards, it's time to stand still until the check in counter opens. we had a little problem as we check in. everyone is pissed off...reason? i better move on. lol!

after 30 long minutes in the check in counter, we're able to get inside and waited a couple of more hours. we saw susan and rollie cheng. i am happy, i found myself sitting beside my girlfriend. of course, i asked someone else to swap with my sit. lol!

while inside the plane going to tacloban.

getting to tacloban is just an hour flight. we found out that our group will be joining the youth of mary the queen. wala pa man sa bus, i feel that my nose is already bleeding. the bus is small. i should say that. it's very small. some are just half butt seated. i am beside flor so i have no problem. lol! dan and albert is in an air-conditioned van.

after almost 5 hours of gruesome road travel, we reached the parish of immaculate conception in guiuan, eastern samar. the people are very warm! they are waving our hands to welcome us. a little introduction was done and we're off to division process. lol! we were assigned in the rest house of the mayor. we're totally elated when we heard about this. it's an honor to be lodging inside the mayor's rest house. we need to ride a pump boat to get there, though.

anyways, we had our lunch in cafe verde. the food is good, i love it! st. anthony cathedral is our next stop. the church is under construction and no one gave an introduction to it so i guess, there's nothing much to see. calico-an beach is next. it's their surfing capital. the place is an ace! the water is so clean and air is so fresh. flor is not in the mood for picture taking, i should say that. lol! i don't know why. it's probably the weather. it's so hot out there so i would not blame her. i just shut up.

@ calico-an beach.

flor and i.

we reached the parish around 5 pm. we had popular mission and 2 by 2. this encounter is very awesome. flor and i decided to go together. we talked to a couple and had a great chat with them. it's as if we were talking to ourselves. things that we should have done and ought to do. i saw flor crying and when we cut the bible, it was awesome. it's about sex and marriage.

dinner is at mayor's rest house. i love the sweet and sour lapu lapu. our designated place to sleep was at the attic. the place is small and very hot to sleep with. dan had a hard time. but, it's still part of the pilgrimage. we're just getting started.

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best of the best for 2011 v.01

5 best places i visited for 2011:

a. Pagudpod, Ilocos Norte - i do not like going to the beach - probably because of my insecurities - but i super love pagudpod. it's one of the best places where you can be what you are. quiet and solemn with just the waves and the winds to talk to. 

b. Madrid, Spain - madrid is one unique place. a person never been to this place would say that possible reason is that their culture is different. but for me, it's the ambiance. it's beautiful. dazzling. with - of course - a twist of any developed countries have - (can't reveal).  

c. Toledo, Spain - toledo reminds me so much of two places - san francisco because of it's hills and san jose because of it's unique air. it's like i am back to medieval times. the buildings are old but the people will give you an idea that you are in @ 2011. it's hills are so hard to resist. awesome. 

d. Avila, Spain - this is another place with a medieval setting. what makes this so unique for me? the walls, the gates and the architecture. simply breathtaking. its like intramuros on the 99th power. lol!

e. Vigan, Ilocos Sur - vigan simply captured me. that's it. it's beautiful and cool. 

5 best new acquaintance for 2011:

a. chip allen - he's not just a source of laughter but powerhouse of words that you'll admire. he's one of the managers that you can feel his sincerity. he's not just concerned with the project but to the people most especially. 

b. alfonso and esther - their dedication to accomodate people during JMJ is awesome. we stayed in their  house for a couple of days and stayin' in madrid would have been boring if i did not met them. i simply love this couple.

c. claro and alena ruiz - couple who's opened my world for a vast universe outside my world. lol! i am self-proclaimed anti-social. i do not mingle with other people that easily but this couple made me so much comfortable during JMJ.

d. dante endrano - if i will have someone who i can call as buddy during JMJ, it would have been dante. he's so nice and we almost think of the same way. lol! he's cool yet so simple.
e. father gilbert - he's a new priest on my sight. he's pretty busy with his schedules but he makes sure that we have a saturday eucharist. and with these eucharists, i better understand where is he coming. he's really one of the few good ones.

5 best buddies i have for 2011:

a. albert and dan - my buddies in terms of movie watching. we eat. we laugh. we watch. we share. we listen. it is really nice to have some peeps who can understand you as a guy. lol!

b. rj - my office buddy. i really never thought that we're going to be as close as we are right now. we share each other's secret and our career's goal and aspirations. he's a good friend to me and i am hoping that i am to him. tugs! tugs!

c. father gilbert - i thought he's going to be the last guy that will be on this list for 2011 - but he made it! i love his witty antics, his thoughts and his humility. people might think differently but i am see a future in this priest.

d. kuya bobby and rap rap - they are both close to my heart. they are cool! staying in a community that is full of antagonists is boring without these two guys. lol! antagonists is the term! yeah!
e. florizel - can i include my girlfriend in the list? lol!

5 best movies i've watched for 2011:

a. real steel. this movie is a tear jerker for me. this made me look back few years ago when i hate my dad so much. unfortunately, i cannot go back on those days.

b. sa'yo lamang. a filipino movie which made me realize that life isn't really perfect. i simply love the actors and actresses. this is really a fantastic movie.

c. kung fu panda. awesomeness. lol! this movie is full of fantastic words. the theme and moral of the story is not new but way it was narrated is flawless.

d. the road. the only horror film on my list. i don't like horror films but this movie is quite fantastic. the artists are not good but they story really drags me into it.

e.the book of eli. this is a 2009 movie and it took me 2 years to see it. the movie is really great. the story is fantastic. and the ending is awesome.

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best of the best for 2011 v.02

5 most inspiring people for 2011:

a. anne curtis. well, do i have to say a word. she's not a singer but she's going to have a concert. dreams do come true.

b. father paulino fiocco. his life is really inspiring. his words are like double edge knife. he is the priest in charge on our bus during JMJ. he made me realize how st. therese of avila and st. francis of xavier.

c. pnoy. all leaders are not good enough. i know that. you cannot please everyone. especially in a country like ours. filipinos are just too comfortable with presidents who love the limelight. pnoy is good in delegating tasks which is one thing that i should master.

d. mel sta. maria and luchi cruz valdez. they both give a lot of ethical inputs to their radio program. i super love them both and made me realize that i should have been a family lawyer or a guidance counselor. anyways, what's wrong with me? lol!

e. kuya bobby and ma'am evelyn. both of them are so inspiring in terms of their relationship and their faith with God. their effort to proclaim the words of God is fantastic. i wish i could be like them in the near future.

5 most unforgettable moments i had for 2011:

a. moment with the pope. i don't like to elaborate in it. the zeal is still inside my heart.

b. anniversary. staying a year with my girlfriend is really cool. we weren't really together at that time because of the regional convivence but i assured that made my part. lol.  i sent her gift which surprised her so much. she's very thankful to that. and i am so happy she liked it.

c. scrutiny. this helped our community very much. it made us feel so close with each other. and made me feel so proud of my community. scrutiny also helped me so much in discovering myself.

d. inuman session with the kuya's. this is totally unforgettable. flor is down with fever so i have no choice but to drink with her kuyas. we talked about so many things and surprisingly, i got to know so much about them.

e. outside paoay church. goosebumps is the word! we went there during our ilocos tour and this is something made me feel so happy because it was a dream come true.

5 most heart-breaking experiences i had for 2011:

a. sendong tragedy. my heart really is in total grief. many folks - especially those in media - were asking and pin pointing people to blame. too bad. good thing that many people put their hearts into this. 

b. death of kuya ed. when i heard of what happen, i cried. it was all of sudden. i also cried when i saw ate lot for the first time during the wake. kuya ed is really a kuya to me. hhaayy. most of the times, i still see ate lot crying. this can definitely help her - to release what's inside her.

c. when i heard about my friend's so-called revelation. i just thought that he betrayed me. there's nothing wrong if he admits that he's a gay. but he should have opened that to me, he's a fried and close to my heart. well, maybe not. anyways, i am happy for him and his true love.

d. when i heard about drift in my community. i cannot reveal the details for now. knowing what happened is really not good and i should just move on.

e. edward's tampororot. a petty thing. lol! i got offended but its not big. my girlfriend explained to me everything and i accepted it. i still love her. 

5 most awesome achievements for 2011:

a. anniversary. having a year full of memory together and expression of love is really an achievement. i love my girlfriend. i love my florizel.

b. echo 2011. the zeal! as in oh my! the zeal of jmj is there and i need to put this into action. i did my best to extend my effort and echo 2011 is one way. it made me realize that i can be someone i don't expect to be.

c. went to madrid. do i need to say more? i went to madrid.

d. my first finisher's medal. i am used in having medals because of my intelligence. lol! well, i am really smart but not that smart. anyways, my first finisher's medal is so awesome because its my first medal out of a physical activity. i am super proud of myself. thank you Lord for the strength.

e. promotion. well, i should have been promoted last year. i know i deserve it. lol!

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my new year's letter v.2012

dear God -

2011 is a year to celebrate. You...

....gave me a lot of different things.
...let me travel so many awesome places.
...made me feel so special in so many ways.

thank for everything.

~ it was a dream come true to be in madrid, spain. i never realized how hard it is to be there. hard because i need to sacrifice a lot of so many things. lol! anyways, discernment is always the key. and indeed! i made the right decision. meeting the pope and hearing his voice felt so holy. i think that pope benedict is your reflection here on earth.

~ nintendo 3dsi. it feels good to have a new gadget. playing pokemon is like spending my lifetime. i have learned a lot of so many things on it - sacrifice, patience, courage and back up (you got to save your game first before battling an extremely good trainer). the latter is of course not applicable to real life. but the essence is the idea of trying - try and try until you die. lol! thank You for this.

~ one year with my girlfriend. i have learned so many things about her and she never fails to surprise me. i won't be able to enumerate everything God but you know how much i love her. thank You.

~ mom's health is my priority for now. thank You for making her safe despite the accident that she met last May. thank You for timing of my sister's work and my schedule we have surpassed all the tribulations. thank You.

~ gift of tongue is important. i know that i am talkative but this year God you made me extra talkative. thank You for giving me the courage to speak in front of so many other people.

~ scrutiny is another gift that i would like to thank You. the whole series made me realize a lot of so many different things with the people in my community. thank You for giving me such people to celebrate my life with.

~ work is not on top of my priority list but it keeps on bothering me. mingling with people is not my best asset but i know its one thing that i should keep in mind. as long as i am doing right, i will continue to be vocal and raises my concern in so many different ways.

~ i am really expecting to be promoted this year. thank You.

~ trip to ilocos will never be so happy without the presence of my super friends. thank You. despite our busy schedules, we were able to made this trip into reality.

~ i do not know if it comes with age but i tend to increase my political awareness. i do not know if i will be thanking You for that but Your will be done on me.

~ health is wealth. if that is the case, i am really rich. thank You for my health. hope that what i have in my internal organ be gone by 2012. thank You...

again thank You.

love,
edu

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echo 2011

echo 2011 is so special to me. i think i know where am i going and what i should do...

       ...continue to be a good servant of God.

i am not a perfect creature. i am not good looking. i am fat. i am a sinner. i am selfish. i say bad words. i still love money. despite all of this, he chose me to talk so i am.

as one of those people who attended the regional convivence, i was assigned to several tasks during the echo. of course, one of them is the video presentation. its the video of us when we went to madrid last august for WYD. i also have several assignments.

in one of my introductions, i suddenly realized that i am already talk like a catechist. lol! oh men! it's not part of my plan to be one but God chose me.

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things i learned in WYD!

masaya ako dahil nakadalo ako sa WYD - JMJ. di ako nag-eexpect ng kahit ano man nung una pero ang lakas ng tama sa akin ng convivence na ito...

a. move on. yes, move on. bakit? marami sa mga nangyari sa buhay ko - mapa-trabaho yan, love life o personal - ay nahihirapan akong mag-move on. di ko alam. siguro dahil sa alam kong i did my best pero di ko pa rin nakuha yung gusto ko. or, wala naman akong ginawang masama sa ibang tao pero masama pa rin yung tingin nila sa akin. siguro ganun nga. pero dahil sa WYD, na-realize ko na ang bawat isang ito ay nagbibigay ng kulay sa buhay ko. ahehehe. paano ko na-realize yun? dati, galit ako sa mga espanyol dahil sa sinakop nila yung pilipinas. maraming mga impluwensya ng mga pilipino. yung iba masama, yung iba mabuti. pero nandun pa rin yung pagiging makabayan ko lagi. sila yung umapi sa aming mga pilipino. tapos, minsan sinabi ni luigi na - so many bad things have been said against spaniards, from our history classes in elementary to college. but maybe, God allowed those things to happen for our conversion. God let these spaniards introduce salvation - and that is knowing the God. tama naman di ba?

b. i am not alone. i was grouped with the folks from Bicol region. wala akong hangarin na makasakit ng kapwa lalo na sa mga taga-bicol dahil sa ang girlfriend ko ay bicolana din, ngunit madalas siyempre nag-uusap sila ng bicolano at wala akong naiintindihan. in a few days, i felt so alone na lagi akong walang kausap hanggang sa makilala ko sila Claro, Dante at Alena. i felt so good nung makilala ko sila. kasi kinakausap nila ako lagi. sobrang bait nila. actually, i confessed it to a priest during the pilgrimage yung nararamdaman ko. kasi siyempre di ako komportable. ang naging tugon sa akin nung pari ay...si Jesus, kinailangan nya ang Diyos Ama at Diyos Espiritu para matupad ang kanyang kabanalan. ikaw (ako), kailangan mo yung ibang tao para maging isang kristiyano. sobrang gumaan ang loob ko nun. i

sinabi din ni Pope na "we cannot be a Christian alone, we need a community"...

c. maswerte pala ang mga pilipino. kahit na nakapag-aral ako ng wikang espanyol ng ilang buwan, hirap pa rin akong makipagtalastasan sa kanila. hirap kasi di ako sanay at ang bibilis nilang mag-salita. sa aming mga popular mission, sobrang hirap sa pag-sasabi ng aking nararamdaman. plus, nandun pa yung inferiority complex ko about my words. hirap ako. ngunit syempre, ayaw kong gawing balakid ito para di mag-popular mission. habang naglilibot-libot, nakita ko yung mga tao dun kung gaano sila masasabi kong kahabag-habag. marami sa tao dun ay matatanda na lang ang mga nasa kalye. di alam ng kabataan ang mga dapat nilang malaman tungkol sa Diyos. pinapabayaan na lamang nila ang kanilang mga nakakatanda. maswerte ang mga pilipino dahil sa kanilang kultura na maging maalalahanin sa kanilang mga magulang. kahit na minsan ay balakid ito sa kanilang hangarin na makasunod sa salita ng Diyos, ay nandun pa rin yung concern nila para mapag-lingkuran ang kanilang mga nakatatanda.

d. stay with me. higit sa lahat, nasabi ko na rin sa isang blog entry ko about my experience during the vigil with the holy father. ito yung yung isang patunay na ako ay tinawag ng Diyos para makarating dun sa Madrid. sobrang saya ko, He chose me to be there not that I chose to be there.

sarap ng feeling kasi masaya ako. hanggang ngayon nga puspos pa ako. at ngayon, i need to be a prophet for the youth. kailangan ipangalat ko ang mabuting balita ng Diyos!

God loves you! Dios te amas!

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on my way home...

i had one of the longest days of my life - literally.

we woke up at around 5.30 when Mons (a priest from Bicol region) was calling "angelee and company, where are you?" aloud inside the gym. it was a classic. kakatawa dahil lahat ng tao sa gym ay nagising. lol!

me sitting in a bench while waiting for the bus.

i took a quick shower then nag-ayos na ako ng gamit. the path going to the airport is a pain the in the ass and a hell. parang ayaw kong iwan ang mga taong nag-mahal sa iyo at naging parte ng buhay mo. sila yung mga tipo ng taong, nag-paka-Filipino. di tulad ng ibang Filipino na nagpupumilit maging Espanyol. lol! i remembered Father Paulino saying...

"the food is a hard thing to overcome"...

like me, i am really used in eating tinapay lang but not super tigas na tinapay at cold cuts. hhaayy...anyways, you really can't have everything. pero, these people are willing to do everything just to please us. they are willing to cook some rice just to satisfy our needs.

it's time to go...yes. ako yung unang unang nag-check in! lol! ako kasi yung nag-tanong dun sa counter. so pina-check in na nila ako. inintay ko naman sila claro, alena, claren, dante at julie. sabay sabay kaming pumasok sa port.

so loob, we bought some more chocolates and i spent my last few coins for an iced tea. sakto kamo! galing di ba? stop over ulit namin sa doha, there we spent a couple of hours waiting - mga 5 hours yata. so, shopping ulit sa duty free! lol!

wow sarap!

gusto ko to!

one of the most painful thing here is that i need to say goodbye to some of my friends that made my trip to madrid awesome - to Claro, Alena, Claren, Julie and Dante. i am going to miss them...

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pilgrimage to madrid v.10

its our last day in alfonso's and esther's house. we all ate together had a little chat and off to somewhere else. we said our goodbye's and thank you's to both owner of the house. i felt so happy when the phil flag shirt that i gave to alfonso suits perfectly. i gave him my shirt last night and he wore it na agad this morning. then konting picture taking...

perfect picture!

since, this is almost our rest day. we went to the islandzul for some shopping. i bought some chocolates and melocoton mermalada (sarap nito). tinakasan namin ni dante si julie na papicture ng papicture. lol! bumili din ako ng libro in spanish.

afterwards, nagpunta kami sa Palomeras Altas (sana tama ako...lol!). this is where kiko initiated the neo catechumenal way. dito kami kumain ng lunch tapos konting explantion si luigi tungkol sa place. iba yung feeling nung nandun ako. i felt my root. diniscuss sa amin how things went through at may mga pinakitang pictures with kiko and carmen. luigi reminded us of what kiko and the pope told us...

you cannot be a christian alone, you need a community...

also, what struck me is luigi's words saying...

we are not here (in Palomeras Altas) not because of who I am but because of a calling...

me alone...

with my friend dante...

after nun, we went to the madrid cathedral and palacio real de madrid. since i am already familiar with the place, ako na ang nag-tour sa kanila lol! after nun, we went shopping syempre. i am with claro, alena, claren, dante, dindo and julie. sabay sabay kami. late man pero oks lang kasi may naiwan pa sa lugar na mga 10 to 12 peeps at ito ay dahil din sa pag-shoshopping.

shopping!

nag-misa pasasalamat sa isang matagumpay na world youth day at nag-salita yung mga nag-stood up during the vocational call. nag-agape kami then sa gym ako natulog.

also, i approached cristina saying kung pedeng sa gym na lang ako matulog. i congratulated her for putting this together. sobrang organized! 

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pilgrimage to madrid v.09

maaga akong gumising. ginising ko sila joanna at sarah para naman chillax ang lahat. while waiting for them, i watched the disney channel. ahehe...they were laughing at me but how can i help my self? lol!

nauna na lang ako sa kanila dahil 9.30 na ay di pa sila prepared. we went on a popular mission near where we were stayin'. nakakilala kami ng isang filipina who've been there for 20 years. she was so nice. she prepared adobo and rice for everyone. yahoo! we helped her to buy up some things @ dia.

popular mission!

@ dia while buying some stuff

afterwards, we're off to plaza cibeles to meet kiko. @ first ay wala akong nakita chicagoan - too bad. so i decided to stay with the group na lang dahil nahihilo na rin ako. the meeting with kiko went well. daming tao, pero seems that it's all worth it. it's my second time to meet him but this time naiintindihan ko na sinasabi nya. may translator ako. i'm sharing it with my friend dindo.

on our way to plaza cibeles to meet kiko...

me with my zune for translations...

vocational call started and i was sover (super over) surprised that dindo stood up. so happy for him!

while we're on our way home. i saw a group of americans dancing and singing. then i saw marc! sinabi ko sa sarili ko, i know that guy. then i asked the girl near the group -

"are you guys from chicago?"

and she answered

"yes, we are."

and i uttered

"is bianca there?"

lol! it was stupid and fun. we were calling her but seems that i am going to miss the group if i stay longer so sinabi ko na lang sa girl na kinakamusta ko si bianca. she took me a picture. and that's it. we were not meant to see each other in madrid.

afterwards, nakita ko ang isang group with a familiar flag - flag of south korea. i was so happy peeps from south korea are here!...i practiced my ahn-nyung-ha-se-yo. lol! so fun!

it was our last night with alfonso's and esther's house. they will be going to valencia to meet their daughter tomorrow so we really need to move out. they offered to have another place but i think it's ok if i'll stay at the gym for one night.

we gave them some tokens - me a shirt of phil flag to alfonso, sarah a shirt to esther, aaron gave a folded paper in a form of something (limot ko na kasi) and joanna gave a mug from starbucks with the word manila in it. it was really fun staying with alfonso and esther. sover fun!

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pilgrimage to madrid v.08

today is the eucharist with the holy father. i remember him saying that..."we cannot be christian alone, we need the community"...it is in spanish so my translation is a little vague. =) . this is the time when i feel that the earth is calling me. lol! wwahhh! i'm gonna go to the portalets to take away everything.

meanwhile, early in the morning. we (claro and dante) went to the water station to get some water. also, claro and i went to the food station to buy some drinks to warm our stomach. nesquick lang ang choice so, go with the nesquick. =) . i bought two donuts dahil sawa na talaga ako dun sa tinapay nila at palaman na di ko gusto. lol!

picture of the phil flag with the pope sa big screen...

after the mass, its time to go. actually, yung iba kahit nag-sisimula pa lang yung homily ay nag-uuwian na. since, we are more than a million peeps, we need to wait for other folks to get out of cuatro vientos. so it took us a while. katawa kasi 12 pm na halos nung palabas kami. it was a long walk and of course. mainit pa rin. lol! as usual, i have the cross and feels so exhausted. pero i still have a strong finish. as in STRONG. lol!

pizza...

we had our communion sa church, then off to go to esther's and alfonso's house. pagdating sa bahay, ligo at relax. yun yung ginawa ko. usap ng konti. they (esther and alfonso) bought some pizzas. then napag-usapan na kasama pala sa group namin si Bong Lazo - one fashion icon. nabigla lang ako. tapos parang nauwi yung usapan sa expectations sa mga bakla, someone from the Filipino group blew an off comment saying - "is it because you can relate to them?". got offended so shut up na lang ako. bad day for me so maaga akong natulog. sayang oras ko sa mga taong yun. 

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pilgrimage to madrid v.07

we are all excited to see the pope! maaga kami nagising, to pack our things and get ready to rumble. i am not expecting anything or any event so come what may. i was about to wear a pants but unfortunately alfonso and esther told me that its going to be a very hot day - some 40's in C.

9 am is our assembly time @ the parish. we were able to get inside the cuatro vientos by 12 pm. imagine?! 3 hours? lol! the place is quite crowded and i hate it because i think (i just think of it) that have a slight fear of enclosed places especially if its a huge number of peeps/huge crowd - ochlophobia. anyways, going to E2 is another trouble. the scorching heat from the sun is not helping. we were able to get a good place. after a while, we decided to get some water from the faucet. water? what water? no water? lol! luckily, i still have a couple of bottles.

after a while, there were some not so friendly italian friends that ruined our day. they built a tent for themselves and is blocking the perfect view of the widescreen that we have. as in, oh my!? smells some trouble. but of course, things like this always happen. some unfriendly neighborhood peeps. lol!

the temp is really high! i saw some peeps with their nose bleeding. luckily, not mine. @ around 6 pm, sun started to set. i roam around to see my friendly chicagoans - but no luck. it's like looking for a needle in ten haystack.

then, the pope arrived. yahoo! people are chanting - BE-NE-DIC-TO! (with claps out of no where)...some peeps started to talk for the vigil and one of it is a Filipina (representing Asia) asking the pope a question -

It is my desire to reach high goals, but success and big dreams are always linked to amassing wealth and high positions. How can I be faithful to my faith without distancing myself from society?

and the pope answered...

In the Gospel, Jesus gives us an answer...Deep in our hearts, we yearn for what is grand and beautiful in life, but ground them in Jesus. 

*more of this found in Filipina represents Asia in Q&A with Pope.

not as what i was expecting but fair enough. it is true. however, what drives me crazy is the series of event that happened while reading the gospel - John 15:1-17. the rain poured over us. after reading the bible, the event needed to stopped for the winds are quite strong and the rain is getting heavy. people started to shout (out of joy) and some peeps from E2 started singing songs from the neo-catechumenal way. it was awesome. then, the pope gave his speech, it is short but very surprising (di pa tumitila ang ulan nito) - "stay with me" yun yung naalala kong isa sa mga sinabi nya. and i just uttered, yes lord i am going to stay with you. i was so strucked. it's as if God is talking to me through the pope. tumayo talaga yung balahibo ko habang nakikinig ako sa player ko.

the pope, sa wide screen...

di ako pedeng lumapit, so ganito na lang...

the closest view...

the stage...

anyways, the ceremony ended. the question is how are we going to sleep. ahahaha! 3 am na di pa ako makatulog. nakahanap din kami ng paraan. kahit ano man yan. sabi nga, basta inaantok, kahit anong pwesto yan. lol!

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pilgrimage to madrid v.06

we're about to go to toledo. medyo na-late na naman magising mga kasama ko kaya nag-mamadali sina alfonso at si esther. haha! medyo off din kasi di ko man lang sila ginising. anyways, we were supposed to have euharist early morning pero dahil sa may gagamit daw ng simbahan, di kami natuloy. may nakita din kaming vandalism sa harapan ng simbahan. dalawang vandalism na tahasang nagtatakwil sa simbahan.

la iglesia; aliada historica del fascimo (the church is historically allied with fascism)

and

JMJ fuera! (World Youth Day out!)

grabe di ba? Mons gave a short background of the first - which drags the name of Franco. galing. dami kong natutunan.

while on our way to toledo, one sister gave a short background about the people and culture of the city. she said that christians, hebrews and moslems are peacefully living in this city. the setting of the city is medieval and it's hilly streets makes the tour a little more exciting. ang galing!

natutuwa ako ng sobra. nagustuhan ko ang zaragoza at avila pero mas nagustuhan ko ito! i love toledo! nakakapagod lang lumibot. masaya ding makapag-bonding sa mga kasama ko. ang reklamo ko lang ay ang mabigat kong pasanin. lol! pasan ko ang krus literally, pero oks lang. instead of going or coming in to the places that was assigned to us, we just went to on shopping and nagpunta lang sa labas ng mga stations. i enjoyed it a lot!

i saw a lot of interesting people and met a couple of old ladies whom we've shared for a couple of mins. di man kami magkaintindihan in most of our words, they are well informed of our mission which is to spread the words of God and they are very thankful.

at sa lahat ng mga places, mawawala ba naman ang pictures!? lol!

one of the many streets in toledo...

two priests eating gelato in a street of Toledo...

pagod na ako...

breathtaking...

simply captivating...

we ended the day with a eucharist. we were also given the id's that we need for tomorrow's big event. yahoo! and that is meeting with the pope! i'm so excited...

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pilgrimage to madrid v.05

last day namin sa zaragoza. at ganun pa rin yung pagkain. lolz! pero ok lang. pinag-hihirapan nila yung binibigay nila sa amin so i should still be thankful. nakaligo ako ng maaga at nag-balot ng gamit ko ng maaga.

it was am awesome day sana kaso lang umulan. i had some bonding time with dante as well. kwentu-kwentuhan hanggang sa we have to ride the bus na. we're on our way to avila.

we arrived avila as expected. i am with josephina, dante, dindo and father paulino sa table. i realized na i was really having a good time with them talaga. si jean from bicol ay nahihilo daw. i told her na baka may bonamine ako sa bag. nung nalaman kong wala at dolfenal lang, i still offered it to her. she turned it down.

kung nagandahan ako sa zaragoza, avila is different - it's jaw droppingly great. the theme is historic. paulino shared a little history of the walled city. if we have intramuros, spain has avila. this walled city came into place in defense of the Moors. the walls are towering but a lot thinner than what we have in intramuros.

entrance pa lang ng avila...

cathedral ng avila...

pictures, pictures and pictures. i had a lot of pictures. we went to San Jose Monastery. this was by st. therese of avila. napaka-inspiring nung kanyang story. its reformation to what she believes in. she never hesitated to condole the practice. dati daw kasi kapag mayaman yung mag-mamadre ay she'll have a lot of different things for her. but with st. therese, di ito dapat. she reformed the system and she reformed the idea. galing di ba?

on our way out, we saw some people doing popular mission and they were from spain. galing! we did a popular mission with them. its goosebumps, once philippines and spain are enemies but now they are allies in spreading the words of god.

one word - goosebumps - former enemies but now allies in spreading the words of God.

picture ulit...

dito din sa avila ko na-practice ang unang una kong spanish statement - "donde es..." lol! so fun!

in the end (on our way to madrid), paulino gave a very heavigat na words. that we do not have to build a new one in reformation. we just have to reform what we have right now. as pilgrims and part of the neo catchumenal way, we are part of the newly evangelized people. it is our turn to be the reformers so we can reform the idea of what the church is....galing di ba?

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pilgrimage to madrid v.04

7 am daw yung pagkain. kaya naman ako, maaga pa lang ay gising na. alam ko rin naman kasi na marami ang maliligo so dapat talaga ay maaga ako. as usual, kumain ako mag-isa at di ko pa rin gusto yung pagkain. lol! after kong kumain, bumalik ako dun sa higaan ko at naidlip. then afterwards, pumunta na ako sa bus. nakakita ako ng flower shop ang name ay "ideas en flor" kaya naman picture ko agad. lol! namiss ko yung mahal ko tuloy.

flower shop sa tapat ng tinutuluyan namin sa zaragoza...

we first went to huesca. birthplace ng santong si st. lawrence. grabe talaga yung feeling kapag maraming kayong mga nagpapahayag at kumakanta para kay Christ. ako naman ang taga-hawak ng cross ng bus namin.


nung nag-popular mission kami ay sama sama kami nila claro, yung asawa nya, si julie, si dante, si claren at si ino. medyo iba yung pakiramdam ko nung una. may nakausap kaming espanyola, na marunong mag-english. yun yung kinausap namin. buti na lang ay mabait sila. afterwards, bumalik kami at pumunta na sa shrine ni st. lawrence. maraming paintings! ang galing! kumain kami ng lunch dun sa isang activity center nila. nagpamalas nang kakaibang talento yung isang pari, ang galing nyang kumanta!

after lunch, pumunta kami sa javier (xavier). maganda yung castle ng family nya at napaka-inspiring nung story ng buhay nya. isa siyang mayaman ngunit pinili pa nyang mag-evangelize sa asia kaysa magpakasasa sa kanyang kayamanan.

sa likod ko ay castle nila st. francis xavier.

while on the road, maraming mga nag-share at isa dun ay mag-kasintahan na kasama sa pilgrimage. natatakot daw silang magpakasal. ang ganda nung sinabi ni paulino,...

mag-set daw dapat ng date at bayaan ang lahat sa Diyos. di daw foundation ng pagpapakasal ang pera kung di pag-ibig. sabi pa nya na it's not testing God. it's testing yourself to trust God. 

galing di ba? sana nandun si flor...=)...

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pilgrimage to madrid v.03

medyo late nang magising ang lahat. ako lang ang maaga. 5.30 pa lang gising na ako. sila alfonso at esther ay 6.45 na rin gumising. si aaron natutulog pa. alfonso and esther prepared something kaya super saya. masarap yung food, as always. pinabaunan pa kami kahit di naman required.

nauna akong umalis kasi 7 am na ay nagbibihis pa sila. pagdating ko sa rendezvous ay maaga pa rin. hehehe. umalis din kami ng medyo late dahil sa late din ang karamihan. malayo yung byahe. nung una ay napaglalabanan ko pa ang antok pero bumigay din ako! lol!

on our way to zaragoza, ang ganda ng paligid. ang daming sun flowers at magaganda ang landscape. pupunta kami dun sa Our Lady of the Pillar Shrine. dumating kami sa san gregorio na gutom na gutom. lol! mga 1 pm na. habang nag-aantay kami dumating na ang mga bus dos. i saw sheila at si gladys. malayo pa lang ay nakita ko na si sheila. nag-smile agad siya sa akin while gladys parang di ako kilala. ahehehe. mamaya konti, dumating din yung malalaking lagayan ng paella. galing! ang laki ng lagayan. maraming nakakain at marami ring natira.

dalawang malaking paella...

after sometime, nag-punta na kami sa chapel ng san gregorio. someone gave an explanation about Our Lady of the Pillar. ganda ng story. sabi nila ...

nag-preach daw si st. james sa zaragoza nang mawalan ito nang pag-asa para ma-convert ang mga spaniards. nagpakita daw ang mahal na birhen (na nun ay kasalukuyang nabubuhay pa sa israel). sinabi daw ng mahal na birhen na magiging kasing tatag ng column (pillar) na hawak nya ang pananampalataya ng mga taga-espanya. 

nung nandun na kami, namangha ako sa sobrang ganda ng zaragoza. as in! gusto ko itong lugar na ito! nakita ko yung simbahan, konting picture at syempre yung pillar. maliit lang ito. di kalakihan. nabanggit pa ng pari na may dalawang bomba daw na ibinagsak dito sa lugar na ito ngunit di ito sumabog dahil na rin sa puspos ng pagpapala ang lugar nang zaragoza. pagkatapos ng konting sight seeing, lumabas na ako ng simbahan at nagexplore ng konti. ayun, dami kong pictures. may nakita akong shops ng mga crucifix at rosary.

behind me is the Our Lady of the Pillar Shrine @ Zaragoza...

ito yung dalawang bomba na di daw sumabog...

ganda di ba?

anyways, nag-start na ang popular mission namin. nakakakilabot kapag ganun kadami! sumayaw na lang ako dahil sa madami ang puspos at madami ang nag-share. na-tetempt akong mag-shop na lang pero alam kong mali kasi di naman yun yung ipinunta ko dun. ahehehe...

nag-eucharist kami afterwards sa san gregorio. sobrang init nang simbahan nila, pero sabi nga ni father paulino ay "it is good for our conversion.". natapos nang madali yung eucharist. pagod na kaming lahat. low batt pa ako at di masarap yung food namin. lol! dun kami sa isang school natulog. pero oks na rin naman ang lahat kasi maganda yung CR. may privacy. ahehehe...

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pilgrimage to madrid v.02

maaga akong nagising pero naunahan ako ni joanna na maligo. 8.30 am ako kailangan sa sasakyan kaya dali dali akong kumain at tumakbo. pag-dating ko sa bus, wala pala akong baon at kailangan pala. siguro nalimutan nila esther ibigay or nalimutan ko sa sobrang pagmamadali...

sabi naman ni claro (our sheepdog), na humati na lang daw ako sa kanilang food. thank God! kaya di naman ako natakot. nag-popular mission kami sa aluche train station tapos pumunta kami sa park. isang babae lang ang nakausap ko dahil daming tao ang di nag-sasalita ng english dito sa espanya. afterwards, pumunta na kami sa Redemptoris Mater. maganda at malinis ang lugar pero medyo maliit. pinakita sa amin ang chapel. ginawa daw ito ni Kiko (yung painting) at natapos mga 10 hanggang 15 araw lang ang nakakalipas. sobrang ganda! para sa akin yung Redemptoris Mater sa Newark, New Jersey.

altar ng chapel

tumuloy kami sa parque san isidro labrador. binigyan ako ng tinapay ni claro. ang saya! nag-usap ng konti tapos alis na ulit. nagkita kami ni alfonso at ni esther. sinabi nila na nakalimutan ko nga daw yung pagkain ko. binigay daw nila kay sarah. unfortunately, di ko nakita si sarah. mamayang konti nakita ko na siya at binigay na sa akin ang food ko. nakain ko yung iba pero di lahat dahil sa busog na ako.

isang pagkain na di mawawala - magdalena...

pumunta kami next sa Parroquia Sta. Catalina. moderno itong simbahan na ito at para talaga sa mga taong nasa Daan ng Neo-Katekuminado. maraming mga kwarto na kung saan readily pede nang mag-celebrate ng word at mag-eucharist. eleven daw yung communities at dun daw lahat nag-celebrate ng eucharist in three batches. inexplain yung structure at pati yung mga paintings. 

church of parroquia sta. catalina.

bumalik kami sa san isidro. niyaya kami nila esther sa bahay to freshen up para sa eucharist. spanish yung misa pero may konting translation. galing! puro Pinoy ang mga nag-share (unlike nung unang eucharist). 

na-touch lang ako dahil nabanggit na naman yung pag-laganap ng katolisismo sa pilipinas dahil sa espanya. nararamdaman ko ang pagiging makabayan ko. ayaw ko sa mga espanyol nung una, ngunit wala silang pinapakitang pangit sa akin ngyon. kaya naman, wala akong dahilan para kamuhian sila.

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