Calaidescope World

Luckiest Girl in the World

So, here I am at the tail end of my three-week hiatus of sorts (there's nothing like "raising" a parent). After nearly a lifetime of angst, I have actually come to terms with my surprising optimism. Sure, there are many things to bitch about - and normally I would! - but why waste my energy when I'm starting to feel old and "life experiences" seem to become more "immediate"? I have my god-children to think about, you know.

Last Saturday, Celso, Helena, Cai-cai, Gars and I were in one of my favorite places - San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts. I could never explain the serenity I feel there. It's weird. I'm not fond of San Francisco, but I feel so at home at the Palace of Fine Arts.


"Palace of Fine Arts, November 2002"

And it feels even better walking around the park with my best friends (yes, even if we had already walked the entire Fisherman's Wharf from Pier 39, up to Ghiardelli Square, and down to the old Fort past the Marina). Best friends who laugh at the same baduy things I laugh at. Like girls wearing tiaras and pink princess cake dresses a la Belle in "Beauty and the Beast". And grown men in hats, coatails (coat tails?) and pink satin vests. (More pictures of my weekend with the H's and Gars to follow in a future post).

Today, my Dad, sister Julia, and Julia's best friend Andrea drove around Monterey and Pacific Grove. We also walked to a beach where the seals were, well, hanging out (I hope my pictures come out well). Pacific Grove is a wonderful little city in the Monterey Bay. Words escape me. I know exactly why Bianca loves it there.

Then I got to thinking...JM once told me that I should spend a few moments each day being thankful for something. What shall I be thankful for today? Or this month for that matter. In no particular order,....

- my sisters who never fail to entertain and somehow enlighten me at ridiculously odd hours of the day (and night)
- my Mom. She just IS.
- oh, ok, my Dad, too (hahaha!). He's a such riot! Who else would take me all the way to the garlic capital of the world so I could try vanilla-garlic ice cream? (it's...um...different)
- my cousin Maia who is now up and running, swimming and biking
- Rit-rit for taking care of me in Singapore (she's a wonderful host and a great tour guide)
- the Hermogeneses who drove for HOURS and Gars who flew over for a weekend reunion of sorts (and suddenly, it was as if we were back home)
- Andaya who accidentally used up over 20 minutes of air time while her mobile phone was on international roaming just to get the juice
- KC who took me to a fantastic lunch at Don Giovanni's in Napa Valley and for giving me all the tips she possibly could in one afternoon
- Friends like JR, Gabby, Benjor, Lorraine, Ate Kat, JM, Hans, Patrick, Dex, Banana, Leona and Vince who keep me sane and make me go insane whether I'm up or already down :-P
- Finally talking to Cheena after what seemed like the longest time
- California. After having driven the equivalent of "to Baguio and back", I believe Lorraine was right when she said, "And on the eighth day, God created California."
- Canada. Helena knows why ;-)
- my fantastic co-workers who helped make this trip possible (especially The Arlenes)
- practice sessions and lots of vodka
- Nesquik Strawberry Milk
- Starbucks Java Chip ice cream
- Fuddruckers Hamburgers
- Boston Clam Chowder from the Old Fisherman's Grotto
- Blondie's Pizza
- The Mars Volta
- TIVO!!!
- cars with automatic transmission
- Richard and Mindi still being on "Beauty and the Geek" (this is all Julia's fault)

June has been a good month. I hope July holds something better for me. But I don't need much to feel like the luckiest girl in the world. I really miss my dog, though (yes, Maximus, I'm coming home!)

posted by Calai @ 2:33 PM 2 comments

A Sense of Purpose

Of all the things I am involved with, I am most proud of what little work I do (or what little attention I give nowadays) for a High School retreat known as Search-In. Designed specifically for Junior High School students in the De La Salle School system by the Christian Brothers in the Philippines, it is a weekend best described as a retreat for kids, by kids (oh, and us children at heart).

Last month, Search-In Alabang celebrated it's 20th year anniversary by holding it's 100th retreat in DLSZ. 100 retreats. Wow. I attended the 20th retreat and was very active while still in school, but slowly stopped attending to spend more time studying or working. There was even a time when I actually thought the whole thing could be a hoax. Then I came back. I sat in during the "key" activities, helped facilitate and even delivered a couple of talks. Next thing I knew, I was hooked. Again. I had found myself a sense of purpose. This is how I say "Yes!" to Life.

Why am I here? Why are WE here, for that matter? A couple or so years back, Bianca received a message or found a reading in Sister Gertrude's office about the five kinds of love - saying "I love you" outright, giving gifts, through touch like a pat on the back or a quick hug, through service, and by spending quality time with someone. Then I had this discussion with VP while taking a break during one of the retreats and she said, "What is God? Love. What is our purpose in life? To love."

Search-In is all about building and maintaining a community with God at the centre of it all. It's not pretentious or "holy-holy". We don't aim to convert everyone to Catholicism. If anything, we want kids - especially at age 15 or 16 when they're most confused about who they are and how they fit in - to know that there are people out there who understand them, who care about them, and will always be there for them. It is a chance for retreatants to really connect with each other, their schoolmates and their families. Sometimes retreatants realise that their parents and older siblings and cousins were young just like them and that they may have also gone through the same thing. It is also an opportunity to make new friends. Real ones. I love it that we are able to use Search-In to change lives for the better. Even just having one of 16 to 20 participants come out of the retreat a better and happier person is enough to call the weekend a success.

God is love. Our purpose in life is to love. It is now all a matter of knowing how we and others show love to help each other grow; for love is never selfish or unkind. Thank God for Search-In that lends us the little opportunity to give back to the community and help make our corner of the world a better place to live. And to Jippo, Tim, Margot, Anmi, and everyone who made circle 100 a success - congratulations and thank you for keeping the candle burning.

posted by Calai @ 2:56 AM 1 comments