2011 ended well and 2012 started with a bang. From London Bridge, we watched the fireworks hover above the buildings toward far away London Eye. Boom boom BANG! 2012, here we come.
Back to Cali
In November, I took a last minute trip back to Northern Cali and stopped in Chicago on the way back to visit family. Certainly, leaving a place over and over and coming back to it changes my perspective on things. I still love the bay but I think it’s the people I miss more than anything. Sure, it’s a magical place filled with a sort of hippy energy vibe that only a Californian would understand or be able to properly portray. At times though, I still feel like I need that energy… So, yup, I miss the place and the people.
Back to the Philippines
As soon as 2012 started, the wife and I packed our bags and headed back to the Philippines. After the first night, I realized how much I missed my mom. I hadn’t seen her for a year and 2011 was so busy, we only spoke a few times over the phone. She picked me up at the airport and that was just an awesome hug. For the past 6 years, she’s really been struggling with her diabetes. Over the past two years, she’s been under strict watch by her sister, my Tita Adjette. And over those past two years, my mom’s health has dramatically improved. She walks well on her own. She eats the right things (most of the time). And she is more aware of her condition. Denial was a long trip for my mom but she’s finally coming to grips with it. Her memory isn’t as good anymore but I attribute that to plain old age. My Tita Adjette has done excellent work with my mom.
We did the usual rounds back in Manila. We saw all our friends and family and spend what time we could with them. We took my mom to Cebu for her 70th Birthday and wow, I feel like the resort we stayed at earned its own complete entry but I’m not going to do that. Let’s just say the Mactan Shangri-La Resort & Spa is a must experience. If you’ve ever stayed at a Shangri-La resort, then you know. Once you’ve stayed at a place like that, the rest of the world just… Yeah. We returned from Mactan and then we flew back to the UK the next morning. On our last night, I got to eat at my favorite restaurant in Manila, Café Juanita. There is no other Kare-kare. I got to hug and kiss all my favorite people there and even though it was short, I still felt the love.
I guess sometimes, you only get to see your favorite people in short stints. Maybe it’s better that way. We don’t have to deal with all the other garbage that comes with life. And we all know it’s a lot.
We flew from Manila to Singapore and then from Singapore to London. From Singapore to London, we got to ride the A380. That plane is MASSIVE and just so damn comfortable. Check it out for yourself when you get the chance.
So, now it’s back home as Daniel-san says, “Home is where you hang your hat.”
- wear a helmet
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