TAT’s All, Folks!

Well I figured, maybe if I wrote about the stuff that I still need to write about, I’ll actually be able to write about them soon enough. A girl has got to be given these moments of wishful thinking! And excused for her redundancies. he he…

So what’s pending in my to-write-plate?

First, my March sojourn to Donsol, Sorsogon - that oh-so-sacred bonding with the famous whalesharks (butanding) - gentle creatures of the sea with old and new expat friends from France, Finland, Denmark, ok…I forget now the other countries.

Second, our family trip-cum-reunion in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Truly Asia…tra-la-la). My sister, all the way from Paris, attended a UNESCO seminar in Sri Lanka and met up with us in KL. Quite a post-Holy Week treat! And a most-welcome visit to my college batchmate and freshman year roomie, Mimi, and her cute kids!

Third, recent Mindanao trips to Jolo, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

I’m sure there’s more but can’t think anymore. Lunch beckons…

I’m still in awe over having been in Tawi-Tawi last week — the Philippines’ southernmost frontier — a place of beckoning limestone peaks, emerald isles, and with a charm that turns one into mush (er…that’s me).

Encountering and meeting some Badjaos (indigenous peoples who used to live in the sea but have now set up villages on stilts) also reminded me about how the rest of the country has plenty of work left to do. Governance must work. And we all must start somewhere.

In between I met some Marines, fresh from a 10-months’ stint in Tawi-Tawi’s farflung island municipalities (some took 16 hours traversing the open sea), and settling for some respite (hopefully) in the capital, Bongao.

On my last day, I rode topload in the Marines’ hummer — passing through the sea in the horizon, mangroves just over the bend, and the Bongao peak hiding a sunset that quickly paved way to a starlit sky.

What a trip!

Last week was a week of firsts. First time in Jolo, Sulu. First time to do parasailing in Boracay. And tomorrow I go off to Tawi-Tawi.

Jolo was interesting and memorable — a retreat from it all. Parasailing was smooth and effortless — a literal flight of imagination as the wind and clouds carry you to a different kind of high.

Let’s see what Tawi-Tawi brings…