“I am a wanderer with two pockets full of hope and despair… Despair of having lost whatever I had accumulated. A hope of a better tomorrow.

I hope to find a new colour of light that would dazzle my eye.. a new chord that would seem music.. a new colour that would paint my heart… I hope to find a path, a path that connects me to you, o Supreme.

A hope of an adventure, an adventure that would gift me new thrill… a new excitement, new fun. Another hope of accumulation. Another hope of loosing all…. another despair..”

A thousand thoughts,
a thousand days;
A thousand words I’ll never say.

A thousand nights,
a thousand tears;
A thousand things I’ve come to fear.

A thousand songs
I’m dreaming of;
A thousand for the one I love.

For you I’d break
a thousand hearts;
They tell me that’s the easy part.

A thousand years
and walls will fall;
Will I still stand, beyond it all?

A thousand lies
I’ll never live;
I’ve nothing but myself to give.

Save me.
Empty words
like the emptiness
filling this heart -
the gaps in the starlit night sky
are where you might find me.
Walking the cosmos,
alone but not quite forgotten.
I’ll give you that much.
Though my time here is fleeting
I want you to stay.
Call me selfish, call me bitter,
call me human…
Is it so wrong?
To need to be needed?
Call me crazy, but you feel it too.
Take my hand,
just lift me above
these distractions.
Leave chaos and torture behind.
I won’t let you down;
that’s a promise,
for what it’s worth.
Which I hope
is as much as I mean it.
So from here
where now do we go?
Restless souls far from home, just
longing to lay down and sleep
for the night
is so long when we’re gone
as we wait for the dawn
Please just give me this chance,
a reason to wake up tomorrow…
Give me something,
anything to live for
right now
And I’ll admit
all along
you were
right.

Ko Jum is a little island off the coast of Krabi.  It takes about an hour to get there.  It isn’t that well known.  It only has electricity during certain hours of the day.   There are bungalows sparsely scattered along the coastline and there are beaches where no one is in sight.  Thus, Ko Jum was heaven to me.

I arrived at the island and instantly fell in love.  I stayed at a little place called Bo Daeng Bungalows where the manager was  an amazing lady named Deela who was always smiling and laughing.  The bungalow had the basic ammenities:  a bathroom (of course, no western toilet), a  handheld shower, a comfortable bed, and a mosquito net.  There were hammocks everywhere.  The few guests that were there were scattered around the grounds, reading, chatting, drawing, just enjoying the laid back atmosphere.  The weekend was full of swimming in clear blue water, sunbathing on a beach where only occasional wanderers could be seen, and reading in my favorite hammock placed perfectly on the beach ready for that sun to set. 

The most important part of the weekend was my alone time.  I’m constantly surrounded by people, some speak english some speak thai, but nonetheless I am never in complete seclusion.  Well I got it this weekend and it was exactly what I have been looking for.  I took a step in the right direction.  I started defining what it is I want in my life.  Most importantly I want happiness.  And I just need to find what it is I want that will bring me that happiness I am searching for.  Many of my ideas for happiness conflict with each other, so I just began the process of figuring out which is the most important one.  I don’t know, but I know I will find out.  The solitude of the island was absolutely amazing.  Being able to just focus on myself and my thoughts and my feelings brought me a little closer to finding myself and what I want to make out of my life, who I want to be.

I thank Ko Jum for bringing me one step closer to knowing the true me.  I will be back.

Simplicity
not now, not ever
never something that I’ve loved
and certainly
love never is.
We move in circles, think in lines;
en’t it easy? Think about
those times, the places
that look…
Feel the circles intertwine,
rest your head upon the lines.
Just live.
If only to give me
something to live for.
You know I’d return the favour
in a heartbeat.
Sometimes you have to realize
that we don’t give a damn
about the precedents.
So why the
 stupid little reasons
that perpetuate these incidents?
Though my composure
screams otherwise, girl
I melt in your arms.
And I would stay there forever;
cos everything whispers
you’re amazing
and it’s so right…
but the time’s never right
as it flies by so fast
and the fear in my heart
screams that nothing will last.
So I keep these lines to myself,
lost in these circles
that take me away
to the things that remind me
of you.
Stop waiting – so said the crescent,
once broken.
Who knows?
Maybe I’ve a little luck left
for you.

I am tired.

Physically, Mentally, Emotionally.

Tired.

Travelled today from Cheltenham to Lyndhurst; Gloucestershire to the Hampshire/Dorset border. Wearying.

What happened to travel? It used to be far more Magical. Before it became efficient and easy and straightforward it was a real… event. An experience. Could the Canterbury Tales have been written about people on a coach? Well… actually they probably could… but I doubt they’d have gotten more than three or four stories in, let alone bothered to make the conversation.

There’s a practise called Psychogeography (that follows on from the French tradition of the Flaneur, or Wanderer) which talks about the importance of Walking, and of walking not for the destination but for the experience; open to whatever may present itself along the way. Roads and pavements are predetermined – they are set paths, methods of control (in Paris, I believe, there are stretches of city designed specifically to both leave revolting peasants exposed to artillery fire, and to make any escape difficult and easy to preempt), the opinions of others forced on oneself. They can create a distorted view of a landscape. Throw cars, trains and buses into the mix and you don’t even truly Experience the predetermined route; you’re distanced – your senses are stripped solely to sight, and that through specific viewing squares.

The Romantics would take empty picture frames when they went walking, so that they could hold them up to picturesque sites and see them boxed in; contained. Since then society has, consciously or otherwise, been boxing in our surroundings (and our experiences of them); containing them. Be it through city planning; the drive to get everywhere faster and sooner and slicker; the urge to cram the Pagan chaos of Nature into an ordered, Christian, black-and-white, Victorian structure… whatever; they have been all too successful.

Now Psychogeography is a very complex and multi-faceted discipline, with various interpretations and roles and much to say and contribute. For me personally it is about trying to reclaim an acceptance of the chaos; to accept that we are not at the top of a hierarchy; that we are not the centre of the universe; that we must exist WITH not ABOVE our surroundings, and are just as (if not more) susceptible to their whims as everything else; that beauty is not to be captured, and ordered, and structured – it is to be enjoyed in all it’s transient, overpowering, overwhelming glory; warts and all. To me it is about understanding this not just on a conscious, academic level but on a preternatural, sub-psyche level; about letting it take root deep within you as a way of thinking and truly allowing it to Effect You.

Now of course this sounds like idealism, and we do have time constraints and practicalities to fit in, of course we do. I’m not suggesting radicalism, just open mindedness. The quick solution should be a choice where appropriate; not an instinct. The sooner we reclaim our surroundings as something to work with and explore (as opposed to obstacles or subordinates) the better we all will be; to experience something in totality, to give yourself to it, to let go and take the risk, to give away the control… as a culture I think we’ve lost the tendency or the desire to do this where it truly matters.

This is, of course, just my individual interpretation; my shallow overview of it all; if interested I’d recommend Will Self’s talk on the subject for Authors@Google:

Anyway, I’ll draw this to a close; I know it’s a short one today, but alas, life must take precedent. More on recent events to come in good time.

Until tomorrow.

-Brice out.

Last night, my oldest daughter and I watched The Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, A Dog Named Christmas. At it’s very beginning the author of the tale defined the animal as a walk-about dog. One who travels on foot, may settle for a time, but then at some point, simply moves on. A seeker, perhaps following his nose, but always moving forward in search of something. A wanderer.

For many of us, it is difficult to understand why any creature would choose to wander and never really establish a home. There are many sayings that in one way, or another, tell us that “Home is where the heart is”. Yet, many of us have known wanderers, people who wander into our lives and then leave it again after a time.

We may remember them clearly, even recall their names long after they have moved on to other places and other people. While others, may become only vaguely remembered persons who might have shared some time, or even one experience, and then chose to continue to be a ‘walk-about.’ We, ourselves might be just such an individual to countless others.

In the movie, the dog wanders into the lives of a family and changes the dynamics of their lives. Touching and altering the manner in which they deal with one another and the way in which they see themselves and others. But then chooses to stay instead of moving on. No one can know his reasons, maybe he just got tired. It doesn’t matter because he brought them something they might never have known without his presence. In a very real way, he changed their definition of home. Expanded it, made it different and better than it was.

I am over sixty years old. In those years, I have met and gotten to know a great number of individuals. Some retain a clearly defined image in my memory, while others are no more than a blur, and some have been forgotten entirely, as have I, perhaps by many of them. But each of them brought me something, shared it with me, and maybe even altered my destiny with the gift of themselves.

Some of them have been my friends and I have missed them when they have chosen to move on. Some have brought me hard gifts, lessons I would have chosen not to learn, but still needed to do so. And my one hope is that I have been able to do the same for at least a few of them. I don’t remember all of their names, and doubt that many remember mine.

Here on these pages, I often speak of life as a continuing journey. One that doesn’t have to leave home to become a walk-about. If one keeps an attitude of openness, it is a journey without end, but not without a home. And each individual that we encounter is simply another walk-about, a seeker, as well as a teacher.

There is another saying, a caution as to how we should deal with strangers because we can never know when we might be entertaining angels. That might become even more important if we realize that some angels might choose to stay in close proximity, becoming living members within our own families.

When one embraces the idea that each of us is created with a purpose to fulfill, and a function to be completed, then all people have something to offer and gifts to be given. And each of us becomes a walk-about, following our senses and seeking our own destiny. Perhaps helping our fellow travelers in known and unknown ways. That is not to say that we should throw all caution to the wind. But if we are to trust the heart which is our home, there comes a time when trust must take us forward on our journey, or fear alone, will stop that journey.

How do you deal with the walk-abouts in your own experience? And how do you deal with the walk-about you yourself might be? Do you recognize the angels that you entertain, and do you offer the gift of yourself in small and even larger ways? Are you like me: sometimes patting yourself on the back for how far you have wandered and explored, but at other times realizing that you may have backed yourself into a corner and become only a watcher of other peoples’ journeys? Do you accept the gifts that come your way, or dismiss them out of hand believing you really don’t need them.

One last question: If you were to become a walk-about, which direction would you head in?

Last night, I
looked up to the sky and said,
“oh my, it’s full of stars.
and between the stars there are lines.
And where the lines meet
- too many in the same place at the same time…
that, THAT is where the world ends.”
We are nothing
but a confluence of lines,
racing a sunset line
towards an ending
inexplicable, inevitable
- intangible.
Realize this,
realize…
that for all our faults,
all our mistakes
we are free…
and realize just how beautiful that is.

Dear A,

I’ve been writing emails to plenty of people now and since I am currently on an email writing frenzy and that I cannot control myself anymore because of my apparent OCD… I’ve never actually asked my doctor if it was OCD but sometimes I go crazy on simple things like this ( and actually I like it because i always feel fulfilled once I’m done… 3 hours later ).

You kinda gave me an idea. I don’t know if I told you about this but I am seriously considering hitchhiking Canada. I would start from here in the province of Quebec, then I would go to Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta and then I would come back. If I have more time on my hands and everything is right I also consider checking out Yukon. I started planning stuff. I began thinking about what I should bring and what I shouldn’t bring and what kind of craziness might happen. In between this I began to realize that I needed something to attract drivers in order to be picked up easier and faster so I don’t stand like a wounded dog under the rain for five hours. I almost immediately thought that I should bring my guitar ( and that means I have to re-learn how to play it ) but then I thought that it would be too big so I thought of the ukulele you kept mentioning and now I am considering buying a cheap ukulele!!! Wouldn’t that be the coolest thing!?!? I mean I would be known as the legendary ukulele wanderer!!! I would make the news like ” Have you seen the Uke Traveller?! ” and ” The Ukulele Wanderer strikes again! “. Ok, ok, I’m dreaming here… But I do think about bringing a ukulele with me.

So yeah I’ve started planning this thing. I subscribed to a hitchhiking forum where experienced people will probably be able to give me some advice. I plan on doing this in two years from now on june 2011. I will try not to spend money during this trip and I expect to spend most of the summer travelling this way. I still have to tell my family about it and I am pretty sure everybody’s going to freak out so I have to choose the right moment or unless they will believe I am in some sort of state of distress or something… Frankly I have no idea how I will present this idea, most especially to my mom, because I’ve been there forever for her and she has been there for me as well.

I see this as a personal journey rather than a travelling experience. I will write my daily experiences in a journal that I will bring with me. I will also bring my Canon camera that is neither too expensive neither too crappy so I will bring some great pictures ( I think ). I’ve started thinking about some “tricks” like putting two 200$ in two plastic bags and hide them in my two shoes for desperate measures. I also plan on bringing my cd player and some amazing cds like Sigur Ros!!! I will try not to go in hotels and rent rooms and I will try to camp as much as possible and for this I expect to deal with cops and thugs so I will bring my best smiles with me for the cops and my little handy knife for the thugs…

I think what’s triggered me to think about this seriously is Jack Kerouac’s book titled ” On the Road ” which is all about hitchhiking. The guy in the story is pretty messed up and I am different ( I think ) when compared to him, but I still need that freedom I can’t seem to find in here. Plus, this Jack Kerouac guy, well, the “hero” in the book, is him and it’s mostly an auto-biographical novel. I don’t know if I told you about this, but I have always had some sort of love for the 50s and when I found the Beat Generation writers like Kerouac I immediately associated myself to them and Jack Kerouac seems to have some sort of link with me. He was french canadian too! I don’t know what the hell is going on between him and I.

I’m pretty sure that what I am searching for won’t be found during this trip but I have been sick enough in the recent years to see people around me are living in a daily routine and I don’t want to live that. I’ve spent some time in hospital beds and when I would talk with other sick people the topics were really different. We would talk about simple things. Things you don’t think of when you aren’t sick. I remember I spoke to an old man while we were eating that horrible hospital food and we were wondering what we would eat and drink when we would get out. I remember I wanted a good bloody steak with mashed potatoes and some green broad beans. It was enough to make me feel happy and I wanted to get out of there just to eat that. Nowadays I’ve begun to fall back into routine and I almost forgot about that desire I had back in the hospital and I don’t want to forget about that and that’s why I want to leave this place with a feeling of uncertainty so I can enjoy everything I see, taste and touch. It’s like in my favorite book, “The Little Prince”, when he goes to the well in the middle of the desert and he drinks water with the aviator. The water would be ordinary to other people who drank water everyday, but to the aviator, it was the product of their desire to get water, the fact that they walked so long and the fact that they had to use the pulley in order to ultimately get it! That’s why it tasted so good to him and to the little prince.

The fact is that I am doing this knowing that I will probably find adversity. It’s not like I am going there with an improvised bag using a red cloth with white spots on it, all of it attached to a wooden stick like in the cartoons. I know I’ll probably be unable to sleep during some nights. I might get robbed or beaten or whatever. I’ll try to avoid this as much as possible, but I still have to hitchhike the way I want to or else it won’t be hitchhiking anymore. Still, I have to train my body for this because I’m pretty sure I’ll be dead tired most of the time so I have to be in the best shape possible.

That’s why I’m going to walk practically everyday from now on. I’ve already been walking pretty often but it was only for entertainment purpose or to go out with friends. I don’t have a car and when I have to buy stuff or whatever I just WALK to the store and bring back the goods home. I still don’t get the car thing and I don’t understand why so many people have cars. I don’t know if I missed something here. So, yeah, from now on I’ll walk a lot. Next summer I’m planning on walking from home right to the camp ( which means about 250 kilometers… and seriously I won’t do the math to explain how long that is in miles because you americans need to use the metric system ). I will bring the usual stuff I bring when I go there ( clothes and books and some cds and other things ). It should give me a preview of a hitchhiking experience without drivers picking me up ( which should be the hardest days ).

So, yeah, I’m going to write a book on this. I don’t expect it to be published by anyone but I’ll try to if I feel like the material is somewhat worth it. I’ve never studied literature ( so my curriculum vitae in that department would be pretty short ) but I think I’m pretty good ( in french, at least ) and I know a couple of authors in the area who might be able to help me.

I’ve recently met very old friends who were in classmates in primary school and high school. When I was really sick I lost sight of them and back then I thought that they were really ahead of me in studies and jobs. I mean, they are. Some of them are going to be doctors and pharmacists, others already have great jobs and live a steady life. But somehow I feel like I have something more inside my head that they don’t have. They don’t question society like I do and they don’t see the things I see. They don’t know how to write either ( I found that out on Facebook ). I think that all these years of illness I’ve spent reading and listening and watching others is finally paying off. I feel like I am stronger inside. I also am sad to see that these young minds who sometimes were breaking laws and questioning so many things in life ended up as ordinary human beings with very little imagination, ideas and hopes. Of course they still have these things but it’s hidden deep inside now and it will only bloom when it will be too late.

I can’t believe I wrote so much stuff! I don’t even know how much time I spent on this email! Ok, I have to stop myself now. I guess I had to tell someone about this and since I’m too chicken shit to tell my hitchhiking plans to the people who live next to me and I wanted to tell them to someone like you who can’t really judge me or anything. I guess this is the good side of internet? I don’t know, really. This place is both full and empty at the same time. It’s confusing.

Thanks for reading my “dreamer’s melodrama”,

X

Foreword to Global Warming is a Myth

THE LUNATIC OF NARANATH

 There is a book titled ‘THE LEGENDS OF KERALA’. In one story a wandering Brahmin called Vararuchi takes a tribal woman with him and she bore twelve children by him. As soon as a child is born, she is told to leave it by the wayside and they proceed on. To the question: how it will survive, the Brahmin would say: if it has a mouth ,it would be fed; do not look back.   

 The first baby was brought up by a Namboodiri family (Mezhathol Agnihotry-the family is still there) and he became a Namboodiri. Another was a famous carpenter – Perunthachan. Among the rest was the lunatic of Naranath who captivated me as a singular personality.

 Like his father, he was a wanderer. At night he would rest in a smashan, where dead bodies are burnt. Not to waste the fire, he cooked rice there. In a cool night, enjoying the warmth of the fire, he slept soundly after a day of continuous wandering.

 That night, Bhadrakali, during her nocturnal trip, was surprised to find a human being and was naturally curious. In spite of her fierce shouts, she failed to rouse the stranger. Somehow he woke up and shouted back, Who is this mad woman? The Goddess was immensely pleased with the sheer daring of the man and wanted to bestow a boon; but the man refused, saying he would accept no favours either from man or God. For both it became a prestige issue. At last, the man relented. He said: I have elephant-foot on my left side; you may transfer it to my right side!

 It was his pastime to roll a stone up the hill and throw it down. Watching it tumble down, he claps his hands and laughs. The hill, supposed to be his favourite haunt, is near Shoranur. On the first day of the Malayalam month of Thulam, thousands of pilgrims go up the hill. `I had been there a couple of times. It rains and the path is dangerously slippery. Yet, I enjoyed it.

 I am mad. How else can I dare to write such fantastic nonsense? A lunatic is free of all inhibitions. He sees Nature as God made it. He does not worry about what is written in the text book. The greatest book is Nature. READ IT CAREFULLY without missing the punctuation. Accurate observation and logical thinking are the two pillars of knowledge. Science is nothing but the search for TRUTH.

 I welcome criticism-merciless and incisive analysis.

Note: Shoranur is in Palghat (Palakkad) dist., Kerala State

I’m one of the wanderers
Eclipse of my soul
Just a wonderful wanderer
Searching far too long
I think I’ve been to this place before
Don’t care how the story goes
I think Im just a wanderer
I guess there’s just a wanderer in me

I see it all just pass me by
Don’t care where the road may go
These streets have no name
To me its just all the same
I think I’ve been to this place before
Don’t care where the story ends
I think I’m just a wanderer
I guess there’s just a wanderer in me

Planning My Trip To Cagayan de Oro – Camiguin

Cagayan de Oro is a part of the province of Misamis Oriental, one of the provinces in Northern Mindanao. Nature tripping is a never-ending possibility in Misamis Oriental. From watersports and fine beaches to cave exploration and ethnic settlements, the list of nature-communing endeavors to be experienced in the province is longer than enough to fill a lifetime’s itinerary.

Seas and beaches offer a limitless aqua adventure. Go scuba diving at Duka Bay and Mantangale, also a primary dolphin and whale shark watching destination. Find glorious hideaways in the white sand beaches of Midway Beach, Maputi White Beach, and Opol Beach Fronts. Go white water rafting and tubing in the rapids of Cagayan de Oro River, one of the longest rivers in Mindanao. Or simply get picture-happy at the San Isidro/Sagpolon, Palalan, and Tiklas waterfalls as well as Sapong Spring and the Cold Spring at Lagonglong.

white-water rafting at Cagayan de Oro

Moreover, it was a good thing that Cebu Pacific Air offered their Piso Rates, which I thought of Cagayan de Oro being my first choice! A multitude of choices await the nature love and adventurer. in us. The Gardens of Malasag Eco-Tourism Village in Cagayan de Oro, a cultural village in a botanical setting, is home to Region 10’s tribal communities and endemic plants and trees. Also in Cagayan de Oro is Macahambus Cave, a historical site dating back to the 1900s. Initao Cave is home to the split-nose bat and the Initao National Park is a forest reserve with a natural limestone formation and marine life. Shift into a more relaxed pace at the Pueblo de Oro Golf and Country Club, situated along Lumbia Road in Cagayan de Oro. Or explore this city’s museums, from the Xavier University Museum showcasing Muslim-Bukidnon culture to the La Castilla Museum featuring household heirlooms.

We have set our travel dates as June 16-19, 2010 for the Cagayan de Oro – Camiguin leg. I have been dreaming of going to this place eversince. The only thing that hampers me is the budget. Good thing, Sheila allowed herself to be immersed with the captivating beauty of this place. And so the hunt is on for the best bargains around CdO and Camiguin.

How Do I Get To Cagayan de Oro?

There are several ways on getting to Cagayan de Oro. The most popular are as follows:

a. By Air – since we’re coming from Manila, there are only 2 airlines that I know of that can fly you daily straight from Manila to Lumbia, Cagayan de Oro. The estimated flight duration is 1 hour and 35 minutes. The regular fares are really expensive by the way, but I’ll be posting their promo rates from time to time so please take time to read.

• Philippine Airlines – PAL does not have any promo offerings at the time that I was planning to book my flight. Their regular round trip rates to CdO is Php4592.00. Wow! Very expensive!
• Cebu Pacific Air – Cebu Pac recently launched (I believe that was in November) their 2-day Piso Fare to all of their destinations and I was lucky enough to be able to book for me and Sheila. Our round trip tickets cost us only Php312.00 each. That’s a great value for money indeed! Their regular round trip fare actually costs Php 4270.56. Konti lang ang difference sa PAL.

b. By Sea – the only shipping line that I know of is the SuperFerry. The travel duration takes almost 2 days aboard SuperFerry12. Their e-ticket for a roundtrip Mega Value aircon accommodation with food costs Php2989.81. It is quite cheaper than the traveling by air but it would take almost 2 days before you reach your destination. SuperFerry has promos from time to time, like their Todo Tawad promo where fares can go as low as Php500 on one way. But at this time, no promos offerings for Cagayan de Oro destination. Moreover, they have schedules for their trips. According to their website, their trips are Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday only.

c. By Land – The city has two bus terminals. The West Bound terminal caters to trips going to Iligan, Ozamiz, Pagadian and Zamboanga while the Agora Terminal caters to trips going to Gingoog, Butuan, Malaybalay, Valencia, Wao, Kidapawan, Davao and Camiguin Island (via Balingoan Port). Agora has a reputation among residents as being a somewhat more dangerous place than the rest of this peaceful safe city–don’t let it stop you from using the bus service, but don’t hang around Agora at night longer than you need to and keep cameras/phones tucked in.

The Itinerary For Cagayan de Oro-Camiguin Trip

This is the proposed itinerary for our Cdo-Camiguin Leg. Please note that this is subject to change depending on participants’ concerns, which is only Sheila and Me.

Day 1 Arrival at Cagayan de Oro

This is our arrival day at Cagayan de Oro City. Sheila and I will be on seperate flights, so just like what happened with me in Busuanga, I would have to wait for Sheila’s arrival. Today’s activity will definitely have to be the white-water rafting. This is actually 3 hours and most of the package that I have seen range anywhere from Php700-1000 and this does not include the lunch yet. I guess we’d have to eat lunch prior to the rafting. For this adventure, I found Rafting Adventure Philippines. This was one of the agencies showcased in the Philippine Travel Mart held last September 2009 in Megamall. Their website features all of their activities including the rates for the adventure. I chose their Group Rafting which is described as follows:

Group Rafting Trips

Get hyped and gear up your day as you go paddling the wild waters of the spectacular Cagayan de Oro River while building up amity with in your friends, officemates and colleagues in your companies. We customized your river trip by doing “Team Building” activities along the way. This trip is good for firms, big groups and company outings.

Regular Rate:

Beginners Php700/pax

Advance Php1000/pax

Packages are negotiable

Inclusion:

Free Transportation vice-versa

Safety Gears (Helmets, Buoyancy aid, Paddle) and

Dry bags for valuable things (e.g. mobile phones, wallets, wrist watches, cameras, etc.)

Schedule: Any day of the week

1st Trip: 8:00 a.m.

2nd Trip: 12:00 noon

What to wear and bring?

Beach Attire preferably quick dry clothes

Rash guards or Long sleeves

Extra Clothes and Toiletries

Personal Zip locks

Aqua Shoes, Sandals or Slippers (preferably with straps)

Sun blocks or Sun screens

SLR or Digital Camera’s (dry bag will be provided) and

Your Sense of Humor

Other options for the day which can be squeezed into our 1st day would be a trip to Macahambus Adventure Park. Adventures lined up for this park includes rappel and zip-line across trees a hundred feet above ground. If we still have time we can probably drop by the Mapawa Nature Park which is ideal for horseback riding, biking, zipline and nature trekking. After all these adventures, we can try to experience CdO’s NIGHTLIFE!

Day 02: Welcome Camiguin Island!

I was told that there are a lot of things and places to visit at Camiguin. Moreover, there are also several beautiful resorts to stay at which is really easy on the budget. Since we’ll be staying for one night in Camiguin, I will also have to look for a resort who allows one night of stay, probably one of the cheaper ones in the area. Here’s a 2-day Camiguin Island tour schedule I saw online that could fit into ours:

7:15AM, ETD Balingoan Pier Cagayan De Oro

Note: Ferry schedule 7:15am, 9:00am, 10:15am, 1:15pm, 2:50pm, 4:15pm

8:15AM, ETA Benoni Pier Camiguin

8:30AM – 8:30PM, have a day tour of these tourist spots, arranged chronologically as follows:

1. Sto Niño Cold Springs (swimming)

2. Soda Water Pool (swimming)

3. Old Guiob Church Ruins (sightseeing)

4. Sunken Cemetery (can dive here)

5. Stations of the Cross/Walkway (sightseeing)

6. Mt Hibok Hibok Volcano (sightseeing)

7. Katibawasan Falls (swimming)

8. Mambajao Market (“palengke”)

9. Vjandep Restaurant & Bakeshop (must try! Pastel)

10. Ardent Hot Springs (swimming)

11. Pabua’s Cottage (cook food that came from Mambajao Market, dinner)

The Following Day 3:

6:00AM, Wake-up call

7:00AM, off to White Island Camiguin

7:15AM, ETA White Island Camiguin

Note: Make sure to bring food and shade

11:00AM, ETD White Island Camiguin

12:00Noon, ETD hotel to Beroni Pier going to CDO

1:00PM, ETA Beroni Pier

1:15PM, ETD Beroni Pier

2:00PM, ETA Balingoan Pier CDO

2:30PM, Lunch

And the rest of the day would have to be used for exploring more of Cagayan de Oro. I heard that ukay-ukay in CdO is one of the best. So I’ll never let this ukay-ukay opp pass by!

Day 4: A Trip To Nearby Iligan City

Tinago Falls is a waterfall in Iligan City, Lanao del Norte in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. It is one of the main tourist attractions in Iligan, a city known as the City of Majestic Waterfalls. Legend has it that there once lived an influential and powerful Sultan Agok and her wife. They were appointed by their people as their king and queen. But they become too proud of themselves and became selfish rulers of their kingdom. When the sultan’s wife was pregnant, an enchantress, disguised as a beggar, begged for their help but instead they exiled and rejected her. Because of this, the enchantress cursed the couple that the child will become ugly but they did not took it seriously and permanently banished the enchantress.

Tinago Falls in Iligan City

When the child was born, the child did become ugly. The couple was sad and disappointed, expecting the baby to be as lovely as her mother. They hid the child in a cave to avoid embarrassment and named the baby Tin-ag, which means “hidden face”. They visited and took care of the baby in the cave. When the child grew up, she came out of the cave and became amazed at what she saw. The enchantress, who cursed her parents, saw her and made an offer to transform her into something of great beauty and splendor. She accepted the offer and became the Tinago Falls.

Going to Iligan City takes about an estimated 1.5 hours by bus from Cagayan de Oro City. It is located in a deep ravine in Barangay Ditucalan, Iligan City. Other falls to see would be the Maria Cristina Falls along the Agus River. Both are sources of hydro-electric power for most of Mindanao.

]]> http://wanderingmind7.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/a-new-bipolar-experience/ Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:22:48 +0000 wanderingmind7 http://wanderingmind7.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/a-new-bipolar-experience/

I have decided to start my own website since I have vast experiences with my Bipolar and helping my family deal with it. The website will include my blogs, information and sources for friends and family of those dealing with Bipolar, methods of coping for people with Bipolar, as well as a discussion board for people with Bipolar and our loved ones. I will also be starting a hotline for people to call when they feel they need someone to talk to. 

www.awanderersmind.com

The site isn’t even close to being completed, but its a start and it has a few ways to reach me in the mean-time if you need someone to talk to. So far it’s just a landing page, so bare with me as I struggle to finish it. LOL

www.awanderersmind.com

Now keep in mind, I’m only one person so if my phone line is busy, leave me a message or call back when its convient for you. More then likely the best way to reach me will be on one of the 2 messengers I use. All your information will be kept private and just between us. Trust me when I say you will help me as much as I want to help you!

I start seeing a Psych Doctor again in 2 days. Am petrified of the idea of going back to a Doctor for my Bipolar and my Borderline Personality Disorder. It just felt like every time I have to go see a Psych Doctor I get nervous of how they might react and I quit going. Mental Health issues suck. I don’t know about most of you but my mind is so clouded and foggy that I can’t think straight half the time. LOL. And here I want to start a Bipolar helpline. LOL. Nah, that I can do. I’m very good at helping people, I’m just not good at taking my own advice, like most of us. 

So wish me luck!, I know I’ll make it through the Psych Doctor intake, go home and work on my wonderful new websitea dn make someone happy that day. LOL.

www.awanderersmind.com

Have a great day everyone, I’m sure I’ll be back to write later. My mom has me making Buckeyes for her friends at work, so it might be a late night writing. LOL

Say goodbye to the sun; she’s gone away for the night.
Leaving me here, with no hope and no light.
I’ll imagine a moment that’s brighter than this;
cos right now the sun en’t the one that I miss.

There’s a voice in the dark and she’s calling my name.
I would ask her to stay but it’s just not the same.
I could just walk away now, but that’s not what I’ll do
every fibre of my being is screaming for you.

If I said I was fine, I was lying;
cos I’ve been here before, so what’s the sense in trying?
I’ll tell you that story I’ll never forget.
I need you to know, I just don’t know how to show it.

The words are elusive; that’s always the thing.
I envy the dawn and the new day it brings.
Walking slow, in a city where the sun never sleeps
She’s an echo I’ve lost in this silence so deep.

So here’s to all the broken hearts, in this city of light
Here’s to every tired soul, wandering these streets at night.
Looking hard for someone, something, to find them, take them home
Put an end to all these lonely days of waking up alone.

So when I said I was fine, I was lying
You’ve been here before, so what’s the use of trying?
I’d tell you to live first, and damn the regrets.
This is your story; it’s not over yet.

In the cold and the night I can’t forget your name.
I could just walk away but I won’t be the same.
With a fire in my heart I will wait for the dawn
suddenly the night doesn’t seem all that long.

Die heutige Empfehlung kommt aus dem Themenbereich Reise/ Urlaub/ Flüge – Reiseberichte/ Informationen: rhodoswandern.de – So beschreiben die Seitenbetreiber Ihr Angebot: “Neuer Wanderführer für die griechische Dodekanesinsel Rhodos”

Und das sagen andere über dieses Webangebot: “Endlich wieder ein Wanderführer für die Insel!” (am 20.03.2009), “tolle infos über Rhodos, hat mir sehr weitergeholfen” (am 30.10.2008),

Weitere Details über diese Website auf dem bunte-suche.de Webportal, ähnliche Webangebote finden Sie in dem bunte-suche.de Themenkatalog Reise/ Urlaub/ Flüge – Reiseberichte/ Informationen.

Stand here,
just a second, to watch
these lines converge
set the night sky afire;
standing at the edge
of this exquisite train wreck…
it feels unreal.
This is me, standing
at the edge of all creation
watching everything I`ve done
float, fly away
Words like wisps of light
so warm, in this vast and endless
cold.
Sing until your voice runs raw
and you can’t hold back the shaking
cos you’ve realized that everything
ends. Now. Tonight,
don’t follow my lead or
you’ll be left to face this too.
Know that all I am will
slip away. These words
are nothing. The memory’s
what counts… and that
ends
here.

This is me, at the end of the world.
I’m scared to death of everything
to live, to love, to lose
and then remember…
that it was never for forever
and if all I’ve done is
touch one heart
then I’ll be fine.
No matter how this ends
I have this truth.
This is me.

Disappointment.
Nothing said,
but yet it
echoes through the spaces
between moments,
the infinite refractions
in your eyes.
Yes, I am a failure
to all of us, but
especially to you.
I’ve done nothing to deserve your faith
and everything to lose it.
If I’m all that ties you to this town
then break those chains asunder.
I’ll survive; and you’ll be free
To love, to dream, to wander.

Leave your burdens by the roadside,
cast your sorrow to the deep.
Don’t leave me your decision;
that’s the one thing you should keep.
But til then, dream of better things.
Until then, dearest -
Sleep.

Let me spin a tale of words and fire
of memoriam and glory
I’ll tell you not if it be spun
or startling allegory.
A tale of voices raised in song
of ideals set alight
where one’s opinion blurs the line
between the wrong and right.
From humble origin,
our modest hero grows.
In tortured contemplation,
he found his voice, and then he rose.
Through hours dark like purgatory
cries of “Fool!” and “Liar!”,
he honed his oratory -
someday soon, he swore, he’d set the world afire.
Speaking soft at first,
to remain incommunicado
he spun his words into
a glorious crescendo.
In shining rays of thought
and ironclad bravado
he stoked artistry’s flame
and unleashed his inferno.
Those who once had slandered him,
brought low by fear and apathy.
And as his flames consumed the world,
the man passed into history.
Legend says that as he knelt
amongst the ashes he had wrought
he shed a single tear
for all he’d done and all he’d lost.
‘Cos as his words swirled all around him,
Reveling in the rain,
his heart beat a little slower,
tangled up in words writ close, tangled up in pain.
For despite his fame and legend
and his glory, bought in blood
through all his cavalier calamity,
He never had been loved.

Listen close, dear heart,
as this melody unfolds.
A wisp of summer’s left
on the eve of winter’s cold.
I’ll write this song for you;
if you’ll listen,
even though I’m sure
that I’m not who you’re missing.
There’s truth in who we are
but at best it’s elusive;
hid under lyric dreams
and wrapped in shades of fuschia.
I know the words are there
but when I need them they elude me.
I lost my heart but found myself
in the light of your insanity.
The days slip by so fast
and when it rains, I
find myself longing for
that midnight train ride.
But I can’t move myself
to break this dedication;
and like so many other times
I’ll turn back at the station.
Undone by memories
of your smile…
and all the lonely years
that I spent in denial.
I’ve found the source,
the cause, the hit.
All we are is music;
only words, like candles, lit.
Hold me close tonight,
the music feeds the fire.
Let it fill your veins;
this lyrical desire.
A thousand sunsets beckon;
a million stories told,
so take me by the hand
and watch this night unfold.
You might not love me back;
that doesn’t change a thing.
I’ll just pin my heart back to my sleeve
throw my head back, and sing.
Sing for all that might have been
had things happened differently,
and sing for living life for love,
true and unashamedly.
You’re just so beautiful,
I don’t deserve that much.
A quiescent angel,
so fragile to the touch.
I’ve seen the multiverse
reflected in your eyes,
a tiny spark of light
for every time I’ve cried…
I’ll try to stall the dawn,
never to begin anew,
only to realize that by
holding out, I’m losing you…
and as the sun crawls back
I’ll let fate run it’s course.
Just don’t forget that
my heart remains forever yours.

Open Canvas 1.1, Wacom Intuos 3
Short time, few minutes.

Complete boredom. I’d like to do something better from this scetch some time.

~ from The Moon and Sixpence

by W. Somerset Maugham, 1919

I HAVE an idea that some men are born out of their due place. Accident has cast them amid strangers in their birthplace, and the leafy lanes they have known from childhood or the populous streets in which they have played, remain but a place of passage. They may spend their whole lives aliens among their kindred and remain aloof among the only scenes they have ever known. Perhaps it is this sense of strangeness that sends men far and wide in the search for something permanent, to which they may attach themselves. Perhaps some deep-rooted atavism urges the wanderer back to lands which his ancestors left in the dim beginnings of history. Sometimes a man hits upon a place to which he mysteriously feels that he belongs. Here is the home he sought, and he will settle amid scenes that he has never seen before, among men he has never known, as though they were familiar to him from his birth. Here at last he finds rest.