As a little girl, I was mesmerized one day at elementary school. I still remember her name. Mrs. Hadarly. She opened my eyes. She opened my mind. She opened my heart. She opened my world. She introduced the haiku to me in class.
I was as giddy as one could get when I came up with my first “tiny poem”. That’s how my classmates coined it. All of a sudden, I felt immediately transformed. Wow, an “artist” is born, I thought to myself.
So my haiku adventure began. I had loads of thoughts to share, although words didn’t come that easily. My classmates and I referred to dictionaries just to write our haikus in class. You see, terms weren’t “Googable” yet, haha! (Ooops that obviously reveals my age, so let’s not get into that! *wink, wink*)
Something magical happened when I completed my haiku project. My teacher said that my work was very good. And that was music to my ears. In fact, it played a lovely song in my head the whole day. Her positive feedback got me all fired up and I wished then that we could just focus on haikus the whole year. I loved the feeling of being great at something!
Fast forward to this day. I enjoy my romance with haikus. In fact, I tease myself that if the haiku were a fine gentleman, I would’ve married him, haha!
As I go through life, I find myself thinking in haikus. I love to be in the moment and view the world from different angles, with different glasses, considering different lifestyles, different stages, different backgrounds. My natural empathy draws me to others and inspires me to reflect on possible haikus for their lives too.
I love the haiku for its simplicity, its purity, its authenticity, its depth, its insightfulness.
Anyway, hmmm, I wonder how Mrs. Hadarly is doing these days. Would love to visit and thank her over a cup of coffee …..
dear mrs. hadarly
little yeka loves you so
you have sown your seed
HAPPY SUNDAY FRIENDS!
Thanks so much for joining me on this lovely day! Do drop me a haiku. That would make my heart smile! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
In the Philippines ….. beautiful land of my birth, we love to say MABUHAY!
It’s a greeting that encompasses all good grace and favor wished upon someone. It’s expressed in the imperative form of the word “life”, thus, “Mabuhay!” translates to “Live!”, from the root word “buhay” (life).
And LIVE. That’s
exactly what we do as a nation. We
are home to multifarious cultures and traditions that have captured
international interest.
When you visit
our lovely country, you should definitely visit our world-acclaimed beaches. And mind you, we have a plethora of them, what
with our 7,107 islands.
I love how Conde’ Nast Traveler described one of our most popular beaches (The 24 Best Island Beaches in the World), El Nido, Palawan. “Palawan continues to rank highly in our Readers’ Choice Awards. El Nido alone is home to around 50 white sand beaches—it’s impossible to choose just one—all of which are set around dramatic limestone formations and have the finest and whitest sand you’ll ever see. The water is so blindingly blue it makes the Caribbean Sea look murky in comparison. And the sunsets? Well, they’ll ruin you for life. Consider yourself warned.” Haha, I can attest to that for I’ve experienced life at its finest in El Nido, Palawan. Breathtakingly beyond compare? Woah, major understatement!
Would love to share more of the Philippines with you in my future posts. For now, it’s a gorgeous, sunshiny day, and so my mind is on the beach …. Bring out the margarita, bellini, mojito, and piña colada! (Wow, someone’s getting real thirsty over here, haha!)…. How I wish! Just imagining and simply pining…. I terribly miss El Nido! Well, reality check? Yup! I’m safe here cozied up in my home sweet home.
Over and beyond our gloriously awesome tourist spots, though, you will fall in love with our people. We are naturally warm, friendly, hospitable, and nurturing. We have the gift of ease. You’ll feel so comfortable, so at home in our presence, that you won’t even want to leave.
I took a pocket of time to share this lovely slice of
my life since some of you asked me where I come from.
I know that ultimately, in our WP community, we live as one. We are family. And so, I send my happy hugs …. And yes, MABUHAY TO ALL OF YOU! ❤️
Hi friends, here’s to more celebrations! My friend, Big Brother Matthew of jesusluvsall nominated me for this award.
Inspiration is his middle name. He loves to lift others and encourage them in their faith walk as he passionately shares his faith in God. He is so genuine. It refreshes one’s soul.
When you want a happy faith booster, visit his amazingly inspiring blog jesusluvsall and be immensely blessed!
As always, sending love and light to our entire WP Community! Cheers, everyone!
Sunshine Blogger Award Rules ☀️🌻
Thank the person who nominated you and provide
a link back to him/her.
Answer the 11 questions provided by the
blogger who nominated you.
Nominate 11 other bloggers and ask them 11 new
questions.
Notify the nominees by commenting on one of
their blog posts.
List the rules and display the Sunshine
Blogger Award logo on your post.
Matthew’s Questions ☀️🌻
1. If I was invited to dinner at your home, what food would you cook? by the way I have to eat gluten free 🙂
Great
news! I’m into gluten-free food too! With you as my special guest, your wish is
my command. So I’ll order from any restaurant of your choice. (I don’t cook,
haha!)
2.
What is your favorite place to unwind?
My mind.
I love my rich inner world. It takes me to so many amazing places all the time.
3.
What is your favorite animal and why?
I love the eagle. It’s got amazing vision, strength, discipline, and perseverance. But above all, it’s fearless.
4.
Where would you like to go on your next vacation?
Would
love to return to Europe with my hubby.
5.
Read a book or watch a movie?
Oh, I so
love movie dates! It allows for greater romance and sharing of the viewing
experience.
6.
If you could, would you like to travel in space?
Hmmm …. I never aspired to be an astronaut. I love admiring God’s awesome creation, and that definitely includes the universe, from a personally comfortable vantage point. Feet planted comfortably here on earth, haha!
7.
Beach or mountains and why?
Beach! I love the sound of the waves crashing to the shore. I love watching the sun kiss the horizon before it dozes off to sleep. And I don’t mind doing that with a wide-brimmed hat and a margarita, haha!
8.
What is your favorite music?
Hands
down …. worship music! Totally my music. I love both the reflective melodies
and lyrics …. and the upbeat rhythms and victorious messages.
9.
What is your favorite snack?
I love
pastries in general. Although, I attempt to reach out for more healthy choices.
Sliced apples, carrots, cucumbers would be my preference when I’m in my
“healthy zone”.
10.
How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
I love to celebrate my special day with my family …. I’m not one for extravagant parties and fanfare. The more an occasion is closer to my heart, the more I love for it to be intimate.
11.
If Jesus knocked on your door to visit, what would you think?
Oh I would be most blessed. Beyond words. Candidly, I’m not sure if I would fall to my knees in reverent worship or embrace Him like a little girl. Not sure if I would verbalize all my praise and hallelujahs or if I would even be awestruck and speechless. One thing’s for sure, though. I would never want Him to leave.
Mmmmmmmm. Rich chocolate biscuits. Ahhhhhhhhhh. I just love!
When my
brother, Chef Carlo Batucan, flew home from Australia for a brief R&R
break, he brought me some yummy goodies. Well, he always does. That’s
automatic. Major thoughtfulness? That’s his department. He consistently spoils our family and
lavishes us with all the love, love, love. He is simply the most amazing
brother who ever walked the face of the earth!
Anyway,
back to my story …..
He asked me to taste two brands of rich chocolate biscuits: Arnott’s and Milka. Actually, I’ve already tasted a lot of their products in the past. In fact, I’ve tasted so many other delectable brands all over the world as well. It’s just that this time, we wanted to play a “Which Tastes Better Game” (The Battle of the Biscuits) with our family. Part of our fun bonding and chilling when we enjoyed our sumptuous dinner and dessert date.
Both
Arnott’s and Milka made me smile that night. And yet, the winner for me was
Arnott’s. That was
the major player that evening. And NOT to my surprise, my mom and sister took a
liking to that brand too. Result? Three happy, gorgeous smiles ….. from my mom,
my sister, and me. The Arnott’s brand promise of “There is no substitute” was
delivered excellently …. and swiftly …. to our happy, satisfied tummies. You got
the picture. The yummy pack was literally wiped out. It made a perfect pairing with our cappuccino,
macchiato, and café au lait. We needed no coffee sommelier to arrive at that
decision.
By the
time I got home, I worked on a project and wanted a quick bite of yumminess
before I went to bed. Mind you, that isn’t my nightly drill, though. (Am I
sounding guilty already? Haha!) I do attempt to avoid extra sugars on a normal
day.
I checked
my huge loot bag of goodies …. and the only brand left was the less popular
player that evening, Milka. Duh. That’s okay. Totally cool, I thought to
myself. Rich chocolate biscuit …. still it is.
To my
amazement, the more I bit into the Milka goodness, the more I rolled and
swirled the chocolate flavor in my mouth, the yummier it actually tasted. Really! The flavors, which had
earlier hidden that evening in the presence of “competition”, now grabbed my
attention. Being the “sole performer” for me at home, Milka definitely took
centerstage. With a thunderous applause from my happy tummy and grateful heart.
Yes, I savor rich chocolate biscuits with a lot of heart too. Especially when
my brother spoils me with them.
It dawned
upon me then that in life, options are powerful gifts indeed. They allow
us flexibility, freedom of choice, and multiple roads for greater possibilities.
However,
a deeper realization that evening was that in life,when you are focused
on what you presently have, it becomes an even more potent gift. Being in
the moment crystallizes your current situation and blessings. It deepens your respect
for and understanding of what lies before your very eyes. It increases your love
and appreciation for what you hold in your hands.
This
reminds me of my personal mantra for happiness:
Stay grateful for WHAT you have and WHO you have in life. All of
them. Celebrate them!
The next
day, I called my brother before he flew back to Australia. I thanked him for our
awesome bonding, all the yummy treats, and most importantly, the delicious
insights I gained from our “Which Tastes Better Game” (The Battle of the
Biscuits).
He asked me if I wanted a truckload of Milka when he visited me again. Trust me, he’s capable of that. I sheepishly said. “Aww thanks, but you don’t have to …..” He smiled and said, “I know, but I really want to…..” So, I candidly blurted out, “Well, let’s give the other rich chocolate biscuits a chance….there are millions out there. Let’s test the other brands too.”
And so, the battle goes on! And I ain’t complaining! Haha! ❤️
3 Cheers for coffee, rich chocolate biscuits, and happy tummies! ☕️☕️☕️
“Eeew spider veins?!? You’ve got spider veins?!? Yuck!!!” Woah! It took my ears a few minutes to recover after hearing that “observation” or insult hurled at me. I have to admit, it took my heart a week. Okay, staying real, two weeks. Haha!
Sounds quite
juvenile on my part to need a long recovery period, huh? Well, it took much longer for my heart to get
over it when I remembered who actually blurted out that “spider vein feedback”.
Or, should I say unsolicited advice?
It all
happened one light, breezy, sunshiny day. The weather was as gorgeous as it could get. So, I wore
a lovely summer dress to celebrate the sunshine. I was definitely “dressed for the
occasion”, so to speak. Light. Breezy.
Sunshiny. That’s how I felt deep within. No cares in the world. Just bliss. Ahhh.
Pure bliss.
Then, out to nowhere, “you know who”….. (Oh sorry, you DON’T know who …. Well, I’d rather keep it a mystery, if that’s okay with you. It’s a delicate matter of sensitivities. I’d prefer to zero in on some life insights born that day.)….. anyway, to continue, “you know who” jumped at me, both literally and figuratively, and took me by storm. At that point, the weather drastically changed. From a sunshiny happy day to an overcast gloomy day. Or at least, that was the intention of “you know who”. Well, sorry to disappoint her, but her plan was thwarted. No one was going to rain on my sunshiny day, haha!
Initially,
I was dumbfounded. However,
when I mulled over it, I burst into indignant laughter in my head. I mean,
seriously?!? It’s unbelievably hilarious how some people make it a life mission
to obliterate the happy hearts around them. The crazily awesome thing about happiness,
though, is that when it comes from deep within, no amount of heavy rains, thunderstorms,
insults, naysayers, doomsayers, or whatever negatively charged forces there
are, can ever cause it to dissipate.
We all pretty much have our own “Cheer Team”. And we celebrate them with love. As for the detractors and green-eyed monsters, sure they may attempt to block our path to the yellow brick sunshiny road, but they ain’t stoppin’ us, no way!
On a personal note, I thought to myself. Hmmmmm. A few spider veins on my thighs (what with all the heels I’ve worn in my earlier teaching/ training days)? Well, I really don’t mind. In fact, I’ve “made friends” with them, haha! They never bothered me anyway. BUUUUT having to deal with spider-veined souls? (Just saying! ….) Now, THAT is totally unacceptable to me. My happiness is non-negotiable!
In my life, amidst
the erratic climate ….. the sudden weather
shifts from droughts to torrential rainfall, I choose to embrace the sunshine
within me.
So, what did I do that day? I simply smiled and walked away. Yup, that’s me, I don’t stoop to the lowest levels unnecessarily. I wore my phone headset and checked my playlist. Then I happily sang along …. “I can see clearly now, the rain is gone, I can see all obstacles in my way, gone are the dark clouds that had me blind, it’s gonna be a bright, bright sunshiny day …. it’s gonna be a bright, bright sunshiny day!” ❤️
It’s gonna be a bright, bright sunshiny day! ☀️☀️☀️
IT'S ALL ABOUT LOVE 