the Iloilo River Esplanade (+ an Amalfi Coast video)

After holding off for a rather long while, I finally decided to see for myself the River Esplanade, the newest go-to place here in the city. And so, we headed out to explore the ¾ of-a-mile stretch of cobblestones, beautifully-kept riverside gardens, and marvelous lamp posts that give that English-countryside kind-of feeling. All along, my friends and I had been talking about taking a brisk walk out there, but we ended up stopping whenever it took our fancy and having our pictures taken. 

There’s nothing quite as beautiful as dusk by the river, I could just sit there for hours on end and gaze wistfully off into the distance :) And yes, I can feel a smattering of hope in the air for rowing (or probably sailing) in the summer..*happy sigh* 

 

 

January 5, 2013, 17:00 

Photo credits (thank you). 

Lastly, I'd love to share with you what I am watching right at this very moment - one of the most engaging videos of Italy I've come across. Enjoy Amalfi Coast, if only here! :) (thanks)

Friday Night Lights :)

I've been totally in love with the aurora borealis and can't stop marveling that God is so good to have created the northern lights. So I got psyched when I heard that the Geminid meteor shower would grace the night skies on December 14, even here in Iloilo! I knew that nothing was going to stand in the way of my seeing this spectacular display. I even made sure I had a good spot to go to, and thought to myself that everything was going to be just peachy..

But a few hours before 9:00 P.M., it started to get cloudy (the clouds seemed to have owned the skies that night. ;) Then there was this drizzle that turned into a pelter which went on for a while. And as you would have already guessed, I did miss the whole thing..sigh..of all the things I could have missed..

In my effort to remain cheerful nevertheless, here are a few of my favorite images I've found on the web recently. (Thank you National Geographic.) Pretty magical stuff to look at, don't you think? I'm sure glad you have been blessed with this heavenly treat, in your corner of the world. There's nothing like a confetti meteor shower in December..Just about the best way to end a day.. ♫♡ 

(Ocean City, NJ) 

(Aspen, CO) 

(Yosemite Valley) 

a late post on the rain

There have been a lot of downpours in Iloilo lately and I was caught in one today (Wednesday). As I have two umbrellas and I would always tote the smaller one, my forgetfulness didn’t save me from the pelter this morning. I was actually in a hurry to leave for home (I was in Lapaz) but the heavy rain poured down too soon I had to wait it out.

It had been awhile since I gazed at the beauty of the rain closely. It looked so vastly different this morning, from where I was. Gusts of wind battled against the raindrops, trying to prevent them from hitting the ground. It was magical that I could almost see the wind moving as it lashed against the direction the torrent was taking. Could I have grasped the air in my hands?

My toes got to nearer the shade of blue. It was cold, the room was cold, and the soaker dropped the temperature, at least I felt it. I waited it out, wanting desperately to go home earlier than 11:50. I stood by the window, praying, asking the Lord to make the rain stop for a while so I could cross the street and get on a jeepney.

Well, it did – as only our magnificent God could. The wind stopped blowing so the rain didn’t come down that hard. I put my handkerchief on my head, crossed the street quickly, and hailed a passing jeepney. Oh the joys of being drenched in the rain! I would have loved it, if only this cold was starting to wear off.

So here’s a beautifully captured photo of the rain (thank you). How fun can rainy days get! ;) 

P.S. It's not raining where I'm at right now. As it turned out, November will be a very warm month :) 

The one where I couldn't come..

I'm sharing these rad photos of the Shepherd's Fold (Sunday School) Teachers' retreat at Mila's Hill Inland Resort (here it is if you decide to head there). And yes, this was the time when I couldn't come: I was an errand girl for my mom that weekend and it was pouring as well - not a good time to go out, was it? But the guys and gals, refusing to let anything dampen their spirits, still set out to traverse the open roads of inland Iloilo. 

So here are a few of their breathtaking images - the zipline alone made my heart stop! And the resulting regret, as you can imagine, was immense! :(  [winks*] 

                                                            aerial view from the zipline 

and then some..

Bless! ♥ 

Bucket list items - to cross off?

I seem to be headed someplace where I can cross a few things off my bucket list :-)

For starters, let's see..

 

But surely, this will have to wait! lol

And I thank You Lord Jesus for the life and adventure of being with You..

one of these days..

..when the weather's fine..

you find yourself..

 ...looking at the stars..

...marveling at God's majesty...

can hardly wait! :)

Rain gear, check!

I didn't seem to see this coming yet i knew this time would eventually come - the season of the pouring rain. And it does pour! Lovely sight, and it's awesome how God can make water fall down from the sky.

I got a tulip umbrella which i love to use. But we haven't really gotten anywhere with our day trips as the weather has become so unpredictable, sigh..But on a lighter note, i love the rain just the same!

Here is a photo taken by one of my co-workers when we last had our company meeting in the nearby island of Guimaras. Sadly, i wasn't able to "document" it, but im glad to share this fence photo of the resort :)

And not to be outdone, of course - the rain :)

I hope everyone has a great summer/rainy season, wherever we are in the world.!