Tag Archives: movies

Getting Lost In Legazpi City (Not Really)

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What started initially as a quick visit to the Globe Store at SM City Sorsogon ended up with me commuting via public transportation to Legazpi City and getting lost there. lol Nope, I wasn’t really lost. I know exactly where I’m going, all thanks to Google Maps. Let’s just say it’s my first time commuting to Legazpi City and exploring places there alone. 

And if I sound like I’m speaking with such naivety, that’s because I led a very sheltered life while growing up here in Bicol. I only got to explore different cities when I studied in Manila during college and lived there during the latter half of my adult years until just recently when I came back to Bicol to live here for good. 

It looks like God wanted me to explore Bicol this time, and He’s starting with the major cities in the region. Naga City is just too far from where I live now. But an aunt of mine (Mom’s sister) lives in Naga, so we still get to explore the city every time we visit her and her family. 

By now, you are most probably wondering what really happened while I was in Legazpi City. Let’s start first with what exactly happened that prompted me to go there and stay there for the night all unplanned. For someone like me who is a planner, this was a very unconventional move and required all the courage (and guts?) in me. lol 

The decision came easy though. As a risk taker, my mindset is that I have to accomplish what needs to be done. And if I need to act fast, then I will have no second thoughts about it. Equipped with my life verse (Philippians 4:13), this was how I ventured out into the streets of Legazpi City with just a small bag with me. 

I only informed my husband because if I told my family, I know they wouldn’t allow it (I love you, guys 😁✌️). I was also doing the errand on my husband’s behalf. It was for his postpaid plan renewal with Globe. 

We renewed it online, but it wasn’t successful. Our attempts to talk to customer service online were also unsuccessful, so I just decided to pay a visit to the Globe Store in SM City Sorsogon. But to my dismay, they already closed their branch in this mall. 

So I searched the net for other Globe Stores near the area. I do found a couple of them, but they’re all in Legazpi City. I then went to SITEX, looked for a UV Express going to Legazpi City, and asked if they pass along Pacific Mall. It’s just an hour’s ride from Sorsogon City to Legazpi City, just the same as if I’m traveling to my hometown (Bulan) from Sorsogon City.

Why did I choose Pacific Mall? Because I was planning to hit two birds with one stone and make the best out of my unplanned trip to Legazpi City. First is to look for the regional office of DFA in Pacific Mall because I am already way overdue for my passport renewal. Second, I’m planning on attending one of the church services of Victory Legazpi when I’m in the city, and the church happened to be in Pacific Mall, too.

Unfortunately, when I got to Pacific Mall, I was told by the lady guard that the Globe Store already closed during the pandemic. So, I just searched for the DFA office and I was overjoyed to see that Victory Legazpi is just beside it. It was mission accomplished for me for these two objectives.

DFA and Victory Legazpi in one frame.

But as for my main objective, I still have to find a Globe Store in the city. SM Legazpi is next on my list which is just a couple of blocks away from Pacific Mall. I rode the tricycle from Pacific Mall to SM Legazpi and paid 35php for the fare (dear Albayanos, kindly advise me if I’ve been scammed lol). 

When I got to SM City Legazpi, I finally found a Globe Store, and they were able to assist me with my request on behalf of my husband. Though I didn’t expect the plan renewal process to take about 4 hours. I arrived around 2 in the afternoon. By 5 pm, I already decided to search for nearby hotels where I could spend the night since I didn’t want to come back to get the phone that came with the postpaid plan.

I asked the UV Express when I boarded it en route to Legazpi what time usually is their last trip and the driver told me it’s around 7 pm. I will be a buzzer-beater if I’m going to make it to the last trip, and I don’t want to unleash my Kraken at the Globe Store so they can speed up the renewal process. lol The customer service representative who assisted me also suggested I can do other errands while waiting.

Mt. Mayon doesn’t want to be seen from SM City Legazpi’s food hall. Enough with the hiding and show yourself already. 😀

It’s a good thing I found a nearby hotel right away that fits my budget and inquired over the phone if they had an available room for that night. The receptionist informed me they still had 1 room left. The hotel is also less than 5 minutes away from SM City Legazpi. 

By around 6 pm, I was done with the errand at Globe Store. I decided to just take out food for my dinner and eat it at the hotel, and buy my toiletries and clothes that I’ll be using and wearing the next day. It’s my #1 rule to never stay out late at night when in a foreign place and you’re alone. 

When I got to the hotel, the only room available had 2 twin beds. It didn’t really matter as long as I had a safe and cozy place to stay for the night. The room was also clean and smelled nice.

It’s my first time to stay in a hotel alone, too. 😀
Tired but happy and grateful for God’s leading, protection, and provision as a first-time commuter in Legazpi City. 🙏
I slept like a log the entire night on both beds without rearranging them. I’ll let you try to figure out how I did that. Hint: my head’s on one bed and my feet on the other bed. lol
Peace and I’m outzzzzzz.

Though I think the bathroom’s floor needed a little bit of extra cleaning, and the shower fixture is also broken. You can’t use the shower at night, too, because the water pressure is not strong enough so I requested a pail and tabo. And they gave me a pail that looks like they use it to clean their floors. 😁✌️

The bottles for the shampoo and body wash were also empty, so I requested a refill, which they did right away. They also didn’t give me toothpaste and a toothbrush upon checking in, but I didn’t bother asking because I won’t use them anyway since I already brought my own. 

I do love their lounge area though. They offer free water from their hot and cold water dispenser. But if you want to drink coffee, you need to pay 20php. You can also use their WiFi for free. I also appreciate the staff for being accommodating enough to assist me with my requests. It’s a budget hotel, so I wasn’t really expecting much except for a clean and safe place to stay near the malls. Overall, I’d still give my stay at the hotel 4 stars out of 5. 👍

Lounge Area
I’m not a coffee lover because it keeps me wide awake at night. But if I have nothing much to do the next day, a cup won’t hurt.
Jamaican Pattie and greens for bfast because why not. 😀
You can see SM City Legazpi from the hotel. Nope, not that blue, small roof. SM can’t be that small. lol

By the way, the public transport terminal is located just beside SM City Legazpi. So if you’ll be commuting via public transportation going to and coming from Legazpi City, it’s best to find hotels within the area. When I checked out from the hotel at 11 am, I went straight to SM City Legazpi. And I found out that that day, November 13, was also the first day of screening for the movie “Hello, Love, Again” starring Kathryn Bernardo as “Joy” and Alden Richards as “Ethan.” 

Since it was still early and I didn’t want to wait at the UV Express terminal for other passengers bound for Sor Ci, I decided to watch the movie and got the 12nn slot. The queue at the ticketing booth was already a bit long when I lined up at around 11:30 am. I was expecting this to be a blockbuster movie, so I thought it’s best to watch it during a weekday and during the mall’s opening hours to avoid long queues.

The movie ran for 2 hours and ended at 2 pm. Ah yes, all I can ever say is that I am giving the movie a 10/10 rating because the storyline was excellently delivered, and the details were carefully drafted. I highly recommend it if you haven’t seen it yet.

The early birds for the highest grossing film in the history of the Philippine cinema.
Here’s my tip if you feel like crying over a scene, focus on the other details of the movie except for the actors’ faces. Believe me, it works. lol

By the way, it’s also my first time to watch a movie alone, so yes, this spontaneous trip to Legazpi City was full of “firsts” for me. But the experience was truly memorable, remarkable, and definitely one for the books. It looks like God has been ticking off items on my bucket list that I never even listed down, but God knows I needed them. lol I guess, they were and are part of His plans. 

Please excuse my puffy, morning face. I just need to take a photo of this bright, yellow bathroom sink because it goes well with my blue outfit. 😀

Legazpi City is on its way to building more healthcare facilities, which means being able to cater and offer extended healthcare services to more Bicolanos. Sorsogon City also has its very first Cancer Treatment Center. The development of these projects is currently ongoing. And I have a strong feeling this advocacy that God has called me to take part in has something to do with them. But while waiting for these projects to be completed, God is allowing me to get to know the community first. And get to know them really well. 

I believe it isn’t a coincidence that I was called to live here in Sorsogon City, which is in-between Bulan and Legazpi City. All these three places will play key roles in God’s plans for the local communities in the coming years. Ah yes, sometimes God’s plans can be too overwhelming to decode. And yet it is not our purpose to know His plans, but it is His will for us to act on the tasks that He asked us to do. Even if it means going on an unplanned and spontaneous trip to a foreign city all by yourself. 😀

And because the spontaneity in Legazpi City was a positive experience for me, though I also feel it was God’s calling, I plan on doing a staycation in the city on my birthday this year. But this time, it’s planned. And this will also be the first time that I’ll be celebrating my birthday alone (I am spending the holidays with my family). 

Next year, I am hoping to celebrate my birthday with patients who can’t be with their families during the holidays just to help spread the holiday cheer. So, I am currently on the lookout for opportunities that will allow me to do this. I guess this is the calling of being born three days ahead of Jesus Christ. 😉

I still have a lot of places to explore in Legazpi City, and I might plan a solo backpacking trip to tourist sites in the area some other time. I still have to pray about the idea of solo backpacking though because my first concern is my safety. I also don’t want my husband and my family to worry. 

And speaking of prayer, oftentimes, it is the Spirit who urges us to go someplace else and somewhere far, so we can be alone and pray in peace. Jesus did this several times in the Bible, and sometimes He’s gone for several days. It looks like this is the perfect way to end this year and before I get busy with the holiday celebrations – a deeper contemplation on what was and what will be and yet still be grounded with the present on what God wants me to do now. 

How do you plan on spending this year’s holiday season? I hope and pray that you still have time to do some quiet reflection amidst the busy holiday preparations, parties, and gatherings and get to contemplate God’s calling and purpose for you and your family next year and the years to come. He is the reason for the season, anyway. 🙏

“Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” – Jeremiah 29:7

P.S. I guess it isn’t a coincidence that the land that God has brought me in this season is called “The Land of Kasanggayahan” or “The Land of Prosperity.” 🙂

Love By Chance

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Found this movie by chance, too, over YouTube the day before yesterday. 🙂 And I am not going to make any spoilers (if you haven’t seen it yet), but just wait for the scene that if you can caption it, it’ll go like this:

“Time stopped when our eyes locked, the world suddenly became smaller and only the two of us are in the room…”

Enjoy watching! 🥰

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” – Matthew 19:26

Movie Review: Same Kind Of Different As Me

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I’m having a severe rhinitis attack today. As much as I’d like to use a nasal saline spray, my nurse hubby advised me to go natural on remedies. He explained that using too much of it can result in a thinner mucus lining.

The mucus lining protects our respiratory system from viruses that could enter our body through nasal passages. So, here I am trying to make myself feel as comfortable as I can by writing a blog post. 😀

Same Kind Of Different As Me: A Movie Based On A True Story

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Photo credit: imdb.com

For this article, I’ll be doing a review of the movie “Same Kind of Different As Me.” It is an adaptation of the New York Times’ Best-Selling novel based on a true story about faith, hope, love, and friendship.

I don’t want to divulge too many details about the movie just in case you haven’t seen it yet. So, I’ll keep this review short to limit the spoilers. It is already available on Netflix, by the way, since it was released in cinemas back in 2017.

The Characters

The main characters were played by actors Renee Zellwegger (Deborah Hall) and Greg Kinnear (Ron Hall). Greg and Deborah portrayed the typical couple who started out with relational rifts, which became the starting point of the turnaround of events.

Deborah is a wife, mother, and philanthropist, while her husband Greg is a writer and a wealthy international art dealer in Texas. Djimoun Hounsou played the role of Denver who is an ex-con living in a community for the homeless where Deborah volunteers. He is the person whom Deborah would always see in her dreams.

A Special Friendship, A Beautiful Marriage

What I loved about the movie is how the different experiences of each character have intertwined and changed their lives forever. They all have different personalities and yet were all used by God to fulfill a great plan that will benefit not just these 3 characters, but an entire community.

It’s Denver who mostly shared about his faith to the couple and my favorite quotation of his in the movie is this, “Debbie is getting precious in the eyes of God, she also becomes important to Satan.”

Debbie died of cancer at the end of the movie. She left a legacy, however, that changed lives and resulted in a beautiful friendship particularly between her husband and Denver.

She found out she has cancer in its terminal stage already. This sometimes baffles me how a crippling, incurable illness can be diagnosed without the patient even noticing he/she has it.

I believe this has something to do with Denver’s statement I quoted above, and it can also be that God’s purpose for Debbie was already fulfilled. Indeed, it kind of makes you think that our lives are really shorter than we expected.

Do What You Can Do, The Things That God Asked You To Do

Just like Debbie, I don’t intend to wait until the doctor tells me that I have a terminal illness before I start doing things that mattered to me and to God. I won’t wait for that moment before I do the things that I can do now, and the things that God asked me to do now.

So that when it’s time for us to cross the finish line, we have no regrets, and we die fulfilled. I’ve seen testimonies of dying persons over the internet whose last words were filled with the usual regretful “I should have done this and I should have done that.”

Why Wait if the Time is Now

By learning from these final words, we can also avoid these feelings of regret from taking place in our lives. Let’s use them instead to change how we run our lives now. How?

We can start by asking God what exactly are His plans for us. Even if it means going outside of our comfort zones, we have to obey Him. Debbie, for sure, wasn’t comfortable going to a community that is entirely the opposite of where she lives.

As her husband would remind her at first, the place was dangerous, full of criminals, and dirty. This didn’t stop Debbie though and she still followed what she saw in her dream. I believe her dream was a vision shown to her by God – a prophecy. It is what God was asking her to do.

God Makes Everything Beautiful in His Time

The day before she passed away, Debbie told her husband how things have turned out beautifully. She even got to appreciate the infidelity that her husband committed a few years back.

She said that if it wasn’t for it, then they wouldn’t have been given the chance to reclaim the love they used to have for one another and save their marriage from completely falling apart. I’d personally love to die saying these as my last words.

These are words spoken out of gratitude, peace, and contentment. And I believe it is because of my obedience to God when He asked me to do something that I can proclaim these words and say I was able to live a fulfilled life – a life with purpose and a life with meaning.

A Movie Worth Watching

I believe it is not a coincidence that I was able to watch it yesterday out of the countless movies on Netflix. It could probably be God’s leading that I get to see it so I can share it here on my blog. Because this blog is also the legacy that I will be leaving behind if the time comes for me to go.

Are you also living out the purpose that God has called you out? If yes, are you confident that when the right time has come for you to join Him, you can say with a free spirit that you’re ready?

If not yet, don’t waste any more time. I encourage you to have the courage to pursue what God has called you to do. Just like what Denver said in this movie, “We are all homeless just trying to find our way back home.”

Here are the Bible verses the Spirit has prompted me to share with you and help you discern God’s calling for your life:

“Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.

You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.

For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.

For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you.

Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.

May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.”

– 1 Thessalonians 5:1‭-‬24 NIV

Living life according to God’s plan,

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P.S. I’ll just be watching the service in church via live stream. I just can’t disrupt it with my constant sneezing every hour when I’m there, can I? 😀

FIREPROOF: How To Make Any Relationship Last

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This is an all-time favorite of mine. I have seen this movie for countless of times already and I’ve been crying over it for countless of times as well. 😀

It is not your typical romantic, fairy tale kind of movie. In fact, the movie is just too realistic to dismiss that you’ll find yourself relating to every single part of it.

But in general, this is a movie on relationships and how God makes all the difference when He is at the center of it.

More tissue rolls, please. 😉

 

The G Force

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Tin Ginete

Maleficent

#myVictoryStory

“How does your worship of God show up in your daily routine?”

I could think of numerous ways and yet two incidents which happened just recently would, I think, answer this question in one big bulk and can be applied in our activities of daily living.

You might wonder why I chose “The G Force” as my title. Pretty catchy and yes, it might remind you of the animated film G Force. But nope, you kinda guessed it wrong if you thought this is a movie review. 😉

It happened a couple weeks back for the first one and for the second one, just a few days ago. They’re two different incidents which took place in two different locations in different days and times. But yes, it has something to do with movies. In particular, the movie house.

First Incident

My bf and I decided to watch Maleficent at SM North Edsa Cinema. We then bought our tickets and reserved our seats ahead of time so we can tour around. Our seat numbers are G8 and G9. I was the one who chose them as I prefer to sit at the middle rows. Everything went fine until we got inside the movie house. When we searched for our seats, a couple was already seated there. So I asked them (while still holding our tickets), “Excuse me po. Ano po bang seat numbers ninyo?” The lady who is in her late 30s to mid 40s answered while rummaging her bag, “Actually hindi ko alam kasi hindi ko mahanap ‘yung tickets at ‘di ko na matandaaan.” I answered, “Kasi po seat numbers po namin ‘yang inuupuan ninyo.” I answered calmly for the second time. But this time, she answered back with a very indignant tone and told us, “Marami namang available na upuan, bakit hindi kayo umupo dun.” Again, I answered her calmly, “Kasi po, ito po yung pina-reserve po naming seat numbers.” She was adamant and other people are sensing the commotion already but I stood there and did not move an inch. Until she told her companion in a very angry voice that they should transfer seats and she said a lot of other things that are not directly addressed to me but she was just ranting her anger away.

We stood silently and waited. When we sat down in our seats, I told my bf, “If she would not budge in this seat, I will not say anything anymore but I will go to the management to fix this for us because I will not allow that I would give in to her request which is not right, in the first place, and end up in a similar situation once other people would ask us to transfer as the seats we are occupying are theirs.”

 Second Incident

This happened at Gateway Cineplex 10. My bf and I decided to watch Transformers: Age of Extinction and again chose G13 and G14 as our seats because G row is just my favorite. When we got inside the movie house, a girl and a boy were occupying the G15 and G16 seats. It was okay, no problem so far. BUT, the thing is, their shopping bags were placed in one of our seats (G14). So I approached the girl, who is the one occupying G15. I asked her, “Excuse me po, sainyo po ba ito? Kasi G13 and G14 kasi kami.” She looked at her bf and said, “E di ba marami namang bakante.” But the boy who is in his teens, apologetically said to me, “Ay sorry po, okay lang po. Sorry po talaga.” And ordered the girl to get the stuff. She hesitantly did it and mumbled something that was not pleasing to my ears at all. The boy was looking at me and said his apologies again. I just said, “It is okay. Thank you.” 

A few minutes later, two mid 20s girls arrived and asked the couple what their seat numbers were. We then found out that similar to the first incident, they didn’t know their seat numbers and lost their tickets. The girl now was getting hysterical at her bf and started accusing him of carelessly misplacing their tickets. The two girls, on the other hand, went outside to clarify the issue with the management. When they got back, the couple already transferred seats as they could not find their movie tickets.

So, the moral of the story is……it is all about G. 😀

G for GMRC (Good Manners and Right Conduct), G for my favorite row and of course, most importantly, G for God. Nah, I was just kidding for the first two Gs. But for the last one, I guess if it wasn’t for God and if it wasn’t for the Holy Spirit, I would’ve snapped back in those two incidences having temper issues way back when I wasn’t saved yet. I would’ve said a WHOLE LOT of negative words. But if there is one thing that faith has taught me, it is to think of God always in every single thing you do and in every single word you say. What if the person you are having that conflict with is God himself disguised in that form? And you flared up and forgot to keep your cool. Ugh, that is going to be a major epic fail. Now you wouldn’t want that, right? But in case you did flare up, no need to fret too much. Cry if you must. It is okay. We are humans, we get affected, we have emotions, and we feel. BUT you need to apologize, repent and think of better ways you would’ve handled it next time. 🙂

Because every single day in your life, your faith will be tested. Right from the moment you stepped out of the door of your house, from the moment you hailed a cab, a tricycle, a jeepney, a bus, or took the train to the office or even if you are just at home until the day ends, you will be given situations wherein without God in your life, if He is excluded in all you do, you will be making more and more sins which will make you miserable by the end of the day. Imagine that happening for 365 days. Whoa! That is equivalent to this: STRESS.

Patience, discipline and self-control through God’s guidance. That’s The G Force that will help you live up to how a Christian should behave. And having said that, I leave you with a bible verse below. 🙂

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things. – Philippians 4:8

P.S.

Oh and yes, my bf and I decided not to choose the G row from now on. I hope our fate in F and H rows are way better. Or worse? Looks like I’d have to pray to God before entering the movie house. I think that will be the best solution. 😀

Love & Frozen: Freezing Love

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LOVE

LOVE

One of the gifts I received last Christmas was wrapped with a beautifully written message. The gift came from none other than my sister of course. Well, sisters know better, don’t they? 😉

When I got the gift and read the message, the first two things that popped in my head are God’s love (that’s why He gave us His only son, Jesus Christ) and yes, love in Frozen, the movie. The movie is about sisterhood, anyway. Now, ain’t it perfect? 😀

I must admit I’d never ever get tired watching that movie over and over again. It just completely raised my expectations in Disney movies and princesses to a higher level. It certainly surpassed the true-love-kissed-by-a-prince ending for one and the villain is not the usual step mom or a step sister.

The movie is a perfect notion of fairy tale movies portraying attitudes and conflicts of today’s generation that is why it wouldn’t be a wonder at all if it will be one of the blockbuster movies of this year.

The story line isn’t dragging at all with its well-written plot and very different setting. Definitely no scenes were lifted from classic Disney stories and fairy tales making it very unique and yes, modern. No unnecessary dull scenes are present in the movie as well as it is a comedy. And yes, the songs used in some of the scenes in the movie are also well-arranged. It doesn’t sound too classical and yet appropriate to all ages though it is a cartoon movie.

If you are to ask me about the movie in general, all I can ever say is that I am all praises. Yes, it indeed deserves the loud round of applause and a standing ovation.

Oh and being the feminist me, I just love how they developed the character of a brave, confident girl in the characters of Elsa and Anna – overcoming fears, celebrating breakthroughs and dealing with conflicts.

Just the perfect movie to watch during the holidays – makes me feel all the love and the warmth and say or rather sing “the cold never bothered me anyway.”  😉