After the Rain

After a long week of downpour, I am keen on finding out how the backyard plants are doing. Weather seems to be normally humid so I guess no need to worry about the soil getting too soggy. I just finished practicing yoga this morning and based from my schedule I'm supposed to start the day by either tending the garden or by doing yoga at regular intervals. Waking up 45 minutes earlier made a difference from my routine because after doing yoga, I finally chanced upon attending, nurturing the plants I bought a week ago.

Violet red crotons

Crotons are best as indoor plants but with the right amount of sunlight. Based from my experience, I had to be very careful in handling the newly bought plants upon transferring them from their original container to the ground. Sometimes, newly planted ones have sensitive roots. I had to check for the right location and made sure exposure to direct sunlight should be minimal. Consider also if it is a morning sunlight or afternoon sunlight. In my case, almost all my backyard plants thrive well in morning sunlight.

                                       

This kind of croton is popularly called "balunan" which means intestines because it resembles that of a chicken's intestines. They come in several colors such as yellow, orange and red. I rarely find yellow or orange ones as I would love to have them in my garden.

Going Home

One thing I like best in going home is looking at the sunset as it only take a few minutes before it totally remains unseen. I took this photo a couple of weeks ago to capture the moment. I used to be fascinated with taking photos just for the sake of posting something in social networks to update my family, friends, old and new ones and to keep in touch with relatives from all over the world wherever they may be. Now, I find photography interesting and relaxing. I don't have any formal or informal training in this field but all I know is that you have to have the eye for a subject and to practice clicking the camera with steady hands while taking the shot. Capturing the moment is essential and basically the reason why photos are taken. Each moment that had passed is history, so you grab the cam and take the shot then Voila! You can keep those moments and look back at them (literally) for the rest of your life!

I had the chance of taking this shot on our way home from Baguio, the coolest place in our country as far as I know. Temperature ranges from as low as like 10 degrees to  30++ degrees centigrade, that's why it's called the Summer Capital of the Philippines. Normal temperature in lowlands is like 32 to 38 degrees centigrade high as the case may be. Look at those abundant trees in the mountains!

Just a few minutes away and the fog started to set in. Sometimes, one has to consider the risks involved in traveling to Baguio particularly because of the fog and landslides one has to encounter. Keeping abreast with travel advisory is a must specially this rainy season if you have plans of visiting Baguio. In case of landslides, travelers are advised to take the safer routes. 

Get High

After completing my degree in nursing and passed all the necessary  qualifying exams, finding a job was the wisest thing to do. Gradual oversupply of nurses became a problem because of the overproduction of nursing students in several nursing institutions. Now, everyone seem to be discouraging students from taking up the course because the demand tremendously declined considering the global depression not only in the US but in several countries as well.

Honestly, I am still hoping for the end of recession if not all priority dates will become current! Every month I keep myself updated with the visa bulletin while looking for other things I am interested with: gardening, yoga and out of town trips!

Taal Lake

One of my favorite place to visit is Tagaytay! Weather is close to the coolness of Baguio. The small volcano in the photo was actually the crater of the 18,000 feet height of the Taal volcano, one of the largest in the world. I had the chance to stay at Taal Vista Hotel with awesome view of the Taal Lake.  At first, I was a bit confused because I know Taal Lake is in Batangas, not in Tagaytay. Now I knew that the lake can be actually viewed from Tagaytay and it's really located in Batangas. Somewhere close to the hotel I saw a sign that says "banca ride" (boating) is allowed in the lake, I forgot how much the fee was and if I had ample time for it, surely it would be an excellent move to try. 

 My experience in Taal Vista Hotel was great and I highly recommend it to give it a try if you have plans of visiting the place. Sometimes, if you are an SM Advantage card holder, you are privileged to discounts as high as 50%  room rates! Service is excellent with clean bedrooms and restrooms and courteous staff. I was enticed by the divine green, fresh salad and delectable meals they served, even the food presentation was outstanding so I gave them a thumbs up for that.

If you are fond of going to casinos, it is surely an advantage for you to spend overnight in the hotel where the casino is just situated across the hotel. There are lots of hotels beside Taal Vista where you could choose from with breathtaking view of the Taal Lake. Transportation is not a problem since the location is almost in the middle of the city.

Going home is not an option if I won't be able to take home sweet senyoritas (little bananas!) Be sure to choose half-ripe senyoritas if you're planning to buy lots of them as they tend to ripen quickly in hot weather.
Next time I'll be bringing along my kids, I'm pretty sure they will enjoy boating and horseback-riding in Tagaytay!

Weekend Delight

After a week's hardwork, I always make sure to visit and tend my garden no matter how small it is in our yard. Best time to get dirty without feeling guilty is to feel the soil, planting and propagating my ornamental plants, enjoying the scent of anything that grow in the soil. Desirable time to plant is this rainy season. There are some things to consider if and when excessive rain becomes a problem.  Some plants tend to rot easily when drainage is not sufficient and the soil gets too soggy. If this is the case, I make sure I don't over supply them with water. Water requirement in plants vary in many ways. If the weather is too hot, I water them twice a day. Some plants do not require water that much as long as they are not directly exposed to the sun. In some cases, there are also plants that need sunlight to enhance their colors. I am not that well-versed when it comes to naming ornamental and garden plants but I do enjoy them growing in my garden.

A variety of Mayanas

Brohmeliad

Fern

To make my little garden not too boring, accessorizing it helped in some ways. Sticking these colorful designs with propellers can be bought in any garden shops.

           

Putting a hammock and a swing in the yard seem to create a friendly ambiance. That little red thing with black spots is another design of the mini-propeller.                      

Starting the Day

I started practicing yoga for some health reasons. Since there are no yoga studio from where I live, I was happy enough to find DVD's about yoga in the malls. I started out with Allan Finger's Yoga Zone-Beginner, Muscle Toning, Meditation and Relaxation to White Lotus Foundation, Fire series. Challenging as it may be, I guess I needed a little more time to complete the part 2 of the Fire Series. Watching the videos before working on it helped me in understanding each poses so I can practice it correctly since there was nobody else to teach me but myself. Of course I had to ask for my doctor's consent, too for that matter!

As a beginner in the practice of yoga, it is best to know how to do yoga safely. Basically, start with simple postures before going to difficult ones. Do not strain your body when doing the postures so as not to tear your muscles. Avoid jerking, or changing positions too quickly. Movements must be steady and slow. Always end your practice in Corpse position.

Positive effects in the practice of yoga is believed to be therapeutic with the guidance and help of an experienced teacher and consultation with physician.  It also helps in slowing down aging process as it maintains the muscle strength and strengthen bone density as well. I can tell it worked effectively on me when an old friend told me that  I grew a bit taller than I used to be.  In that case, perhaps it has something to do with my posture after practicing yoga for several months now. In yoga, it is also better to understand each poses you are working on and focus on your breathing.

Twin Peaks, Tuba, Benguet

"Essence and energy, body and breath are indivisible. When the body does not move, essence cannot flow; when essence cannot flow, energy becomes stagnant." (Sun Ssu Mo-Physician)

Starting the day with yoga helps me stay focused with my everyday living. I will never stop practicing asanas until I can do a headstand.

School Opening

Since classes resume at this point in time, like my kids, I think I'm quite excited to write my very first blog. For them, classes mean new school stuffs, new shoes and uniforms and new friends. For me, blogging means exploring and sharing  thoughts to the world of cyberspace. To be honest, I just found out that the word "blog"  came from 2 words: web+log=weblog thus blog for short. If it means going extra mile to learn navigating through websites and being familiar with computer lingo, I might as well enroll in information technology. But that would  fall last in my priority because of my limited time. So bear with me as I am not that tech savvy as you expect me to be. As a mom of two (I have a girl in grade 1 and a boy in first year high) I have to learn how to manage my hectic time considering working 8-5.

The smell of new notebooks and textbooks for some reasons reminds me of my schooldays way back. I used to hate covering my textbooks as I found it too tasking and boring.  But doing so nowadays makes me feel relaxed in some way.  The sound of the scotch tape being pulled out from the dispenser was like the ruffling waters from the rush of the wind. I finally discovered how to appreciate things and looking the other side of it. I see problems as an opportunity in making things better if not for the best. Things may not end up perfectly but the manner of doing things  to make it perfect is the essence of our journey in life.