The Weekend Agenda: Budapest

 

Where do I begin?

 

I've previously travelled to some cities on my own but all of those were for work. Budapest was my first solo travel for leisure outside the Philippines (my home country), and I chose to do it on the week of my birthday!

 

 

 

After so much internal debate on the pros and cons of Budapest and travelling solo, I finally clicked the "Buy" button for the dates of the trip and accommodation. I remember feeling an indescribable rush afterwards - a combination of excitement, that sense of being daunted by the new challenge, and sheer happiness over the fact that I will soon be breaking away from another comfort zone. 

 

I posted my 35 #birthdayseries in Instagram (@genefel) during my Budapest trip. As mentioned in my captions, I don't usually post that many pictures in succession in any of my social media accounts. But I was so enthralled by the entire experience that I felt it justified to share these in Instagram (where I have comparably the smallest number of followers among my social media accounts so I thought it was most appropriate for such a meaningful  milestone in my life.) Why 35 posts? Well, that was because I turned 35 recently.

 



Happy 35th



 

In this blog post, I slightly reframed my #birthdayseries story to share with you my three-day Budapest itinerary. Hopefully, this inspires you to travel more (if Budapest is something you haven't visited yet or wants to revisit), to travel solo for leisure (if you were like me who mostly travel for work), and to view age more positively (if you tend to hide the years rather than count your blessings). ;)

 

 

 

I included a post-script on pre-travel basics at the end of this post. You may find these useful if you're traveling from London, or need some references on airport and hotel essentials.

 

Warning: Loads of pictures, i.e., probably more than twice my Instagram #birthdayseries, but hopefully with lesser text so I won't bore you with much details. Should you decide to validate these by taking the Budapest trip yourself, there are more stories left to uncover! :)

 

Now go on, click "Read more", but you've been warned ;)

Hashtags 2017 ed. vol. 9

#theonethatgotaway

I thought I saw you today
Or maybe it was just someone who looked like you.
I wonder if you also remember me on days like this
When you see mundane reminders through someone who looks like me.


When you see someone with the same set of bags like mine
The same red coat, the same little black dress, the same pair of shoes
Does your heart skip a beat only to find out it wasn't me?
But I've changed my ensemble and some things are not the same
Not consciously to erase memories, or for reasons of that sort
I just changed...


When you see a familiar silhouette or a smile
From the crowd in your daily commute or weekend trails
Do you crane your neck to see if it was me?
Do you ever wonder if you would run into me ever again, and what would you say?


I think this city, this world, is big enough though,
Big enough for us to keep our distance from each other.
And I guess that's for the best, the safest for us.
No expectations, no closure,
Just  ellipses...


I guess there are such things as moments
That remain to be moments.
Perhaps memorable, but painfully so
Because they never ended; they were fleeting
Such as bubbles that burst like ghosts of summer
When they could have faded slowly away, more beautifully.


It was painful to watch;
It takes a lot of strength from my end
To just be present
Each time I find a piece of my everyday
Which takes me back to a memory of you
Or us, or me and you.


You had a hundred chances
But you never took any one of them
And no, you cannot take them back.
They are gone, they've passed
And lost their flutter and innocence
They've grown up and left us for good.


We were almost there
But maybe some things are not meant to be 
Maybe you blew it,
Yes, maybe I am the one that got away.

Hashtags 2017 ed. vol. 8

#ThatPerfectMoment



I want that 'Perfect' moment. That one night. 
Under this 'Dreamworks' slice of moonlight. By the riverside.
When he finally realises that this is it. Ours is the real thing.
When his gaze catches mine, and the milliseconds of silence would say it all.
We'd stand up from our seats, still speechless.
Our two pairs of left feet, trying to make sense of this lovely song:

"Dancing in the dark. 
With you between my arms. 
Barefoot in the grass.
Listening to our favorite song. 
When you said you looked a mess.
I whispered underneath my breath. 
But you heard it darling.
You look perfect tonight."

I would be my usual nervous self. 
Expect that, whenever I get close to this precipice.
Even after all that life has showed me, I still have fears.
Heights, traps, love.

I am not perfect.
He won't be perfect.
But we would be perfectly right for each other.
There'd be odds and doubts.
But the timing would be surely right by then.
He'd see through my quirks,
Bear with the mess and randomness
And find the logic to understand these
However complex I get to be;
I will appreciate the chapters, 
All the empty and profound pages
That made up what he became
Beneath that beautiful hard-bound shell.

But a girl can dream, right? About that perfect moment.
I don't know, but I have an almost clear picture of this dance by the garden.
Sometimes, it does not feel like a dream anymore. 


Credits: Lyrics in italics from Ed Sheeran's song, Perfect

Cosmopolitan Notes

Some interesting factual notes from last night's dinner with the ladies from my team:  a 25-year old lady from India and a newly married lady who grew up in Brazil and worked in Ireland. We talked about cultures and things that surprised us in our first few weeks here in London (random and verbatim):

1. If we don't get married by 25, we will be considered an outcast. 
2. We still observe the tradition of paying the dowry for the man to marry a woman. 
3. You can talk to somebody for two hours, and he can act like he doesn't know you the next day / time you meet. (Thanks for the heads-up!)

Some more interesting takes here:

1. In my country, there are more women than men. Not verbatim: Men tend to be "clever" and take in more than one relationship.
2. In my country, there are more men than women. Again, not verbatim: Men still have the upper hand because they get to choose even if they have less options.

We are citizens of the world. We are different but we are similar in many ways. Then again, we are similar but we have to respect our differences; understand them first before we expect others to behave as we thought they should. That's just that. No judgment here.

 

 

 

Hashtags 2017 ed. vol. 4

#somedaysaturdays

Someday...

There will be more time to stop and smell the flowers.

There should be more time to stop and smell the flowers.

Someday...

These will mean much more

Than to cheer me up for a week.

Someday...

These will mean much more

Than a thoughtless 'default'

To celebrate an occasion

Someday...

They will arrive at my doorstep

To make me feel special momentarily

And then forever, maybe.

Hashtags 2017 ed. vol. 3

#bucketlist


I am not really a bucket-list person. But sometimes, you just have to write them down --- your dreams, aspirations and plans --- however vague, silly or pointless they may seem at first. Sometimes the universe listens, and sometimes it indeed conspires with you.


I only have these three written down so far. They came to me in various moments --- those endlessly quiet nights of reflection, those me-time afternoons spent thinking through the logic in the illogical, and those unexpected prose coming out of nowhere. They seemed fairy-tale-ish and have nothing to do with my career or personal goals at the moment but I still wrote them down (also an excuse to practice some calligraphy). Sprinkled with a bit of fairy dust (literally a room spray), they're now safely locked here >>> ❤.

Yes, dreams do come true. And sometimes they don't. However, putting them out there helps pave the way, gives us some sort of direction, and pushes us to take these adventures. It's like betting on fate. What are the odds of winning against something as powerful? Fate, which has the unfair advantage of knowing the crossings of the stars and the secrets of the universe? These bets may break us into pieces but we know that our pains will redeem and strengthen us in the end. The betting, the uncertainties, the detours and the fairness or un-fairness of all of these are the adventures themselves. Whilst we lose time and people in the process, we gain experiences and memories. And maybe, that's what bucket lists are for?

Full text:
genefel One year later. @tonibirdsong, remember this? I'm not really a bucket list type of person and I usually have a short list of mini adventures that I want to take. But I read your book and I believe it subconsciously pushed me to go beyond my comfort zone. Thanks again! #bucketlist #page149

tonibirdsong Hope you have a great 2017 @genefel - I'll be cheering you on! Thanks for posting; warms my heart! 💞☺️

genefel Thanks @tonibirdsong!! I wish you the same

Hashtags 2017 ed. vol. 2

#hello #goodbye


I wanted to say...

• Whilst everything may have not been as top-notch and flawless as you or I wanted, I saw the effort and diligence and I truly appreciate these.
• The moments and circumstances are not perfect or even right this time. But they allowed us to find each other still, and for good reasons.

I wanted to ask...

• How are you feeling that day? (And expect to hear beyond the usual, 'Good, thanks, and yourself?' response.)
• Why you never shared much and seemed to keep to yourself?
• Why now? And what would have changed your mind?
• Why me? I just happened to be there.

I wanted to tell you...

• Thank you.
• It's so sad to see you go.
• It's been a pleasure knowing you and I wish you all the best really.
• May you find your happiness someday soon.

Instead, I just said...

When You've Made Plans But...



I know that He has done this several times and a lot of these have gone unnoticed. Thank you Heavenly Father for still being patient with me and looking after my own good when I had been so absorbed in all my hopelessly romantic dreams. Just in time, something "unplanned" happens. I wake up from the reverie and I'm reminded that I make plans but in all this mystery, I trust that Yours is better.

End of day. I paused and asked, "What just happened there? Was it my fault or was it all a play of circumstance?" I stood here at the Aldgate bus station waiting for the bus to my flat, and tried to think these through. Then I realised, "He had a hand in this. He --- the one who knows it all, the one who knew what could have been before I even contemplate it." While it was kind of hard and painful to understand given all the things that have happened so far, I respected this sudden change of plans.

I have seen this happen about three years ago in almost the same 'play of circumstance'. The situation was more "wrong" then than what I face now, and yet my judgment was clouded. For someone like me who seems to know what's black from white, I was surprised at how I even tried to gamble in stolen moments of 'grey'. Something had to be moved, the Almighty may have thought. And moved He did! Thanks to Him 'cause now I can look back, relieved and wiser. Hopefully after this too have passed and I've fully moved on, I can do the same. For now, I will listen close and trust His wisdom. 

Dear Stardust

Today is March 20. 

Your ninth death anniversary.

Hey, stardust. 

Can you see me from where you are?

How do my moments in this side of the sky

Appear from light years away?

How do my prayers sound

When I often keep them inside?

It's been a long time

But what gives and what holds on?

Could it be that a small part of me 

Was set aside for you alone?

That some part of me still hope for the day 

When my candle's wick is all consumed

And we meet again in another life,

If there is another life...

I would recognize you and you would recognize me,

We'd redeem lost times and find our way?

And if it's meant to be,

Another serendipity...

I cannot relate to Katy Perry's The One That Got Away. Except for these lines:

In another life I would be your girl

We keep all our promises, be us against the world

And in another life I would make you stay

So I don't have to say you were the one that got away

So long, Mr. P. 

Make or Break @ 33

What's so special about 33?

I don't think that anyone ever reaches an age when you will feel ready and complete. At least, that's how I see every milestone or birthday. 

I'm always a work in progress... 

• I try to be better, kinder, productive and more patient every year. I try every time to be the person that my Mama can be proud of. 
• I try to be more friendly, more optimistic and more fun. 
• I try to take care of my health, love myself more, and spend quality time with the people who matter. 
• I try to be thrifty and not use stress as an excuse to go spend-crazy. 
• I try to achieve that ultimate state of simplicity and selflessness made for saints. 
• I try to always look for silver linings beneath the many sad layers of life's daily journeys. 
• I try to be more independent and self-sufficient, but still stay in touch and grounded. 
• I try to smile more, wake up much earlier than I'm used to, and work smarter to make the most of an ideal eight-hour work day. 
• I try to drink less coffee and eat more fruits and vegetables. 
• I try to read more and watch less TV. 
• I try to go on more adventures, with friends or alone. 

I don't even wait for my birthday or the new year to do all these things. I wrote them down --- a long list of random things --- pinned them to my imagined cork-board, and try to live them out every chance I get.. .

And yet not everything goes as planned, right? Other than life being short and bumpy, accidents and detours pair up for the best surprises. To make us stronger or to lead us to the right path.

Yes, I don't always achieve all my resolutions or life goals. Not always on target, or I completely failed. There were momentary successes, and then I realized that that was not the end of it. I kept going. Made mistakes. Started all over again.

There are lessons that I never seemed to perfectly learn. It felt like at some points, I was at a similar bend of the road and still made the same wrong turn. Just too many arts made for life, I think. I keep them in three compartments --- falling (Gene falls), failing (Gene fell) and fulfilling (Gene's fallen). 

I'm okay with rules but I'm also okay with excuses. I just have to know the right venue to give them the reins.

• I may have improved some of my technical skills but I think that I have become ruthless and impatient. My Mama sees the better side of me, nonetheless. Talk about winning the "Mama lottery"? Someday, hopefully I can be patient and kind as Mama.
• I don't think I will ever be a natural in making friends and being fun to be with. I'm alright in my own definition of FUN which may be good as "boredom" for most. This definition showed me treasured friendships so I have no regrets. 
• Loving myself more and being health-conscious are both easy and hard. Easy, because they make me better physically and emotionally. Hard, because the "metrics" are not always easy to measure. On another note, spending quality time with people who matter is NON-NEGOTIABLE for me.
• I am supposed to be thrifty given my roots (half-Ilocana). I may have drops of Chinese blood, too. But I SPLURGE. Most of the time, I do not regret them. Sometimes I do. But then, my mantras are there: "Life is short", "I worked hard and deserve much better", or "Spend that now to feel better or with a shrink much later". (The third one, I just made that up).
• Yes, I am simple. I want less and I'm content with my blessings. But I am unabashedly high-maintenance. It takes me at least 30 minutes to get ready and I'm obsessed with skin care. I have sensitive skin, literally, that I take extra measures to research and look for stuffs free of parabens and sulfates. I hate the smell of cigarettes and other extremely fragrant or unpleasant smells. And I will not be too shy to call you out, cover my nose and mouth, or show the world that your puffs of smoke are causing my allergic rhinitis at that exact moment. Though I think less about ME...More about my family, my dear friends and my eight dogs...
• Bad traffic, lack of discipline, trash and dirt in gutters and sidewalks, impolite strangers and unreasonable demands. I have at least three of these on a daily basis. I think I handle them much better now. I leave the WORK compartment behind, as much as I can, as soon as I step out of the office. I see my long walk to get to the BGC bus as exercise, and I'm usually rewarded with organized queues and better seating. I tidy my room as "OC-ified" as I can so I can forget about the filth of the world outside. Yup, these gets me through the mundane challenges of every day. When the heavy load comes to chop me to pieces, I have enough strength most of the time. If I needed to, I take a few minutes (or hours, when put together) to shed tears and grit my teeth in anger. In frustration. In having maybe too high expectations. And then I MOVE ON. Tomorrow's another day.
• After about nine years of living on my own, I still have MORE room to learn the ropes of being independent. Much more, being self-sufficient. Not achieving the latter in its perfect state is okay. I'm perfectly fine with depending on my dependable circle of family and close friends. The wisdom of older folks keep me sane and grounded. "It's not the end of the world". "I am not invincible".
• I smile at strangers, especially at service personnel who might just need some cheering up in the middle of a tiring day. I say "Thank you" whenever I have reason to. I try to find reasons to wake up early. Like a warm cup of coffee at 7-11, breakfast with my dear early-bird friends at the office, reading a blog post at my first hours of spare time before 8:00 am, or riding a very spacious BGC bus to work. I start work early so I can finish early. If I came in late though, I still try to cut myself some slack. If I needed to stay in the office for much longer, I make time for in-between breaks to unwind and take in some fresh air. A fresh perspective from window-shopping or browsing through books did miracles on most days.
• I love coffee. But I have more strength now to say NO when I already had one cup for the day. The once-a-month challenge may have been hard for me. But at least, it still landed me on the moon. Unless I have a solid excuse (e.g., late nighters, should not be asleep at certain times), I never go for more than one cup of coffee a day. Chamomile and English breakfast tea are my second bests now. I love juices and fruits. I feast on fresh strawberries and bananas as much as I can. Vegetables are plenty when I'm back home in Iloilo. However, in Manila, I limit myself to lettuce, sayote or bean sprouts (my preference).
• Definitely watching less TV now, and reading more books. I prefer no specific genre. Reading any book make up my blissful weekends. I'm also glad to know that I have a two-year 10% discount on imported books c/o my Powercard.
• I love discovering new things. It's not enough that I went to a new place and played tourist like most. I have to EXPERIENCE the place. If someone is coming with me, that's good. If I have to do it alone, why not? I still take calculated risks, though. But I'm game for discovering something new, sometimes getting lost in the process.

What's so special about 33?

It's another magical year, if I may call it that. I'm grateful for all that have come my way, and I don't know what's going to happen. For me, I'm already blessed that I get to live this moment now. With or without resolutions. Make or break. The moon or the stars.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the 32 years and for giving me another chance to start this 33rd.

:)

The Saturday Agenda: Reset and Reflect

Lazy Saturdays are my norm. This Saturday, however, I decided to be just a little busy and came up with this agenda:

3:00 PM - Traditional hilot massage at The Spa Greenbelt
5:40 PM - "Starting Over Again" movie at Greenbelt Cinemas

Both should have been February 14/15 V-day activities but have been pushed back for some reason (which you will read in my previous "Love lots, Gen" post). The massage was booked a week in advance and the movie was supposed to be seen with my good friend Vel but she begged out due to skin asthma attacks (good to know you're well now, friend).

Please click "read more" if you want to know how my first "Saturday Agenda" went.

Love lots, Gen

Still on valentine weekend mode? And to that un-asked question, my answer is...

No, I didn't watch that box office movie "Starting Over Again". I have a feeling that it will try to be the decade-late Philippine version of "My Best Friend's Wedding", and I choose to keep the latter's good memory as one of my most favorite movies of all time.

No, I didn't mope and sulk over sappy songs or cheesy movies. I watched our very own Olympian, Michael Martinez, to cheer him on and even stayed until the wee hours of the morning to be awed by the rest of the figure skaters. I remembered Cutting Edge, the classic "kilig much" figure skating on pairs movie during VHS years, and had a good laugh about it over FB conversations. I even had a manicure on V-day itself. And well, I finished my review of work-related reports this Sunday afternoon. A busy mind had no time to mope and sulk.

No, I didn't light my blue candle for any "special" reason. Romantic remembrances or reflective melancholy? Nope, I simply forgot.

No, I didn't buy myself a treat or had a lavish dinner. I cooked the weekend beef like any other weekend meal. Home cooking comfort, that's all. I ate and rested on a lazy Saturday like I did on other weekends. 

The valentine fever did not pinch me one bit. And I'm not really sure why. There are a lot of reminders everywhere, but I can't help but feel like...? Normal. And okay. I was feeling strange about this whole normal thing. Unusually me, right? I'm expected to go into deep rabbit holes of emotions on occasions like this, right?

I patiently waited for a sign or a message. It will reach me in time, I thought.

Finally, I got it this evening. Two things happened at the same time. As I typed the "lettermelater.com" on Google (got curious about the realism of this part of the Starting Over Again script), Ms. Lea Salonga (THE Ms. Lea Salonga) began singing this song on her Playlist concert (on ABS CBN Sunday's Best - from her power ballads medley)...

And I will always love you

I will always love you, my darling you.

So I hope life treats you kind

And I hope you have all you've dreamed of

And I wish to you joy and happiness

But above all this, I wish you love.

And I will always love you

I will always love you

I will always love you

I will always love you

I will always love you

I, I will always love you
You, darling, I love you

Oh, I'll always, I'll always love you.

Aaaaaaw. I became my normal sappy self again.

Fyi, the LetterMeLater.com allows one to schedule sending of an email at a future date and time one chooses, something that your typical yahoo or google mail does not have. 

http://gremsdoolittlelibrary.blogspot.com

As I listened to Ms. Lea singing "And I Will Always Love You", the message was clear like it was being read right in front of me. His letter. 

"But above all this, I wish you love".

I want to say, thank you for the love. I hope you got that.

And to all my dear friends, I wish you a happy valentine's day everyday.

Love lots,

Gen

Comfort Food: Shrimps with Pesto

Seafood will always be my comfort food.

To make myself feel much better tonight, I shook off my lazy bones and whipped up my version of shrimps with pesto. I normally do not like chili and garlic but they sure are welcome tonight.

Have a hearty dinner, loves. Good night !

Shrimps with Pesto
No grandiose colorful plating here, it's for my own consumption :)

The peg, courtesy of cosmo.ph Cosmo Life: Whip it Up

Where Was I?

Where was I last March 20, 2007 ?

There is no recorded post in my blog site. Not even in my Facebook profile.

I've been asking these questions for several years now. Questions on why and how goodbyes are better said. When these randomly hit me, I tried searching online but I never got a concrete answer. Not until now. In a very strange and precise way, the answer stared back at me. 

And I believe, the answer came from you, Heavenly Father. To finally rest my restless questions...

Where was I last March 20, 2007 ? I must have been too busy wrapping up the 2006 audit after coming home from my US assignment. I may have been having those meetings with the Stock Exchange people in preparation for that much-stressed-about one-day event of the stockholders' election. I may have been on the rush to wrap everything up in time for my manager's deadline for yet another resignation target (that time, I think it was Ms. Fe's turn). All of these I'm only guessing, as I haven't chronicled anything about this particular year of my life.

After all these years, finally I found you. Or at least the answer to my question. In another serendipitous way. While the answer brought surprise and sadness at the same time, I hope you're happy where you are now. 

I'm surprised because the answer came to me only now. I'm sad because we never got to meet before March 20, 2007. Where did Fate place me? Cliche as it may sound --- We cannot understand everything in this Life but we just have to have faith in Love and God. You were both a blessing and a lesson that I will take with me until I find my true north. If I live long enough, I will look back at that year of innocence --- that phase when most things were exciting, tentative, uncertain and fresh --- and I will smile fondly at the memories.

If you could see me now, you'd see that I haven't changed much. Minutes ago, I was just googling why women cut their hair. In fact, I just had my haircut last Saturday. But no (if you would ask), this one's scheduled and there's no melodramatic background story...I think ;) You were one of the few who've seen my journey through long and short crowning glories, and still called it "beautiful". And don't you worry, I'll be okay. I still believe in the art of letting go and the art of falling in love...These may just be the lessons I have to learn all my life. The song "Thank you" (by Dido) is actually for you. Thank you for being there during that phase of my life. Those memories will forever stay with me.

For now, good bye my dear. If and when I see you, please smile. 

Credits: http://www.quotesphotos.com

Music & Lyrics: "Bukas Na Lang Kita Mamahalin"

When my friend and I were watching Lani Misalucha's performance for the Ayala 25th anniversary at the Stock Exchange, she mentioned that her boss's theme song for his wife is the song currently playing then. I nodded and realized after a few seconds that the song was "Bukas Na Lang Kita Mamahalin". So I asked, "Really? Why?". She shook her head and smiled, "I didn't ask 'cause he might give me another dose of love advice." Hahaha. But what a strange choice for a theme song between a couple, right?

I'm impressed with songs which have really simple and straightforward lyrics. Case in point: "Bukas Na Lang Kita Mamahalin". The song is essentially made up of only seven lines. And that's it. The message is clear and concise; it has knife-like precision, too.

Kay hirap palang umibig sa di tamang panahon

Kung bakit ngayon ko lang natagpuan ang isang katulad mo

Sana noon pa kita nakilala

Sana noon pa lang na ang puso ay malaya pang magmahal

Bukas na lang kita mamahalin

Sabay sa paglaya ng ating mga puso

Bukas na lang kita mamahalin

Lyrics: http://www.lyricsmode.com

When I listen close, I picture the end of a conversation between two people struggling out of a trap. Of a love that just can't be. "This feels right. But is not right. My heart breaks but I have to say goodbye."

The lines also seem like they were lifted straight out of an old-school love letter, signed anonymously, and left on the desk. "Dear. We found each other in the wrong season. I wish we'd met some years ago when I didn't have her and you didn't have him. I guess it's not meant to be. But I'll keep on loving you. Till me meet again in a more perfect time. Maybe tomorrow."

In this lovelorn case, "tomorrow" may mean different things to different people. It may mean any one or both of the parties being freed up from a marriage (like an annulment or divorce). It may mean going against the norm and laws, and creating their own "freedom" in their own time. Whichever way it goes, who are we to judge these conflicted emotions and the decisions they made? 

We have to watch our words, 'cause we'll never know how naughty and playful Life can be. You could be faced with your own dilemma of loving him or her "tomorrow", someday. Then, how would that be for you?

For me and for now, "tomorrow" is the next life. If there is a next life. If it's not meant to be now, then I feel like I have no business pushing it any further. I mentally hang a picture of him with his "perfect" family in my head to remind me that this season is not mine. If we were meant to be together in the end and if permitted by the Great Divine, Destiny will find a way to bring us back together in the perfect time and season. 

Music & Lyrics: "Ikaw"

Credits: bubblews.com
The first line of the song "Ikaw" roughly translates to "God gave me you."

George Canseco's "Ikaw" is not a song. It is a vow.

Such beautiful lyrics that can only be relayed from soul to soul.

(I've reprinted them here.)

This has become the default choice for the wedding march (at least for Filipino weddings). But I guess, there's more to this than the one-day affair.

When you were a kid and you wanted something so bad, do you remember how hard you bargained with your mom or dad? Something like: "I will clean my room every day of summer. Just please buy me my favorite book."

Fast forward to your adult years. When the Divine Creator has answered your most fervent prayer, won't you promise the world (which is His, by the way) to return the huge favor? Won't you make the vow to treasure His Gift from day one to forever? And yes, it doesn't end at the last line of the song. It goes on through great and tough times, tested through the fire.

Ikaw ang bigay ng Maykapal

Tugon sa aking dasal

Upang sa lahat ng panahon

Bawat pagkakataon

Ang ibigin ko’y ikaw

Ikaw ang tanglaw sa ‘king mundo

Kabiyak nitong puso ko

Wala ni kahati mang saglit

Na sa iyo’y may papalit

Ngayo’t kailanma’y ikaw

Ang lahat ng aking galaw

Ang sanhi ay ikaw

Kung may bukas mang tinatanaw

Dahil may isang ikaw

Kulang ang magpakailan man

Upang bawat sandali ay…

Upang muli’t muli ay…

Ang mahalin ay ikaw

Lyrics: http://videokeman.com/martin-nievera/ikaw-dahil-may-isang-ikaw-martin-nievera/

When strangers and friends ask me that familiar question about vows and finding the one, I do not feel uncomfortable or unsure. 

I know, Heavenly Father, that You see through me and hear that prayer that I've buried deep inside. A prayer that's between You and me. And I believe that explains why I've left the questions unanswered and can still live out my life like I have the all the answers.