Brian and I @ Sonya’s Secret Garden

The romance that started in a secret garden. Do read ahead to find out how our love story started. 😀

Coffee table book.

I met him when I was selected to be one of the study patients of a research at the Asian Eye Institute. It was an answered prayer – for my eyesight to be healed. I have God to be extremely grateful for with this blessing. And yet, the “package” did not stop there. Little did I know that I am soon to be partnered with my nurse in this thing which we call “love.” Ah yes, the Lord our God is indeed the great matchmaker and composer of everything.

Okay, now this is the part where it gets cheesy and cheesier. You might as well grate me or just allow yourself to be melted away. 😀

I waited for 2 years before God orchestrated I meet him. But the wait never really mattered because I was passionately driven in pursuing a personal relationship with God and in serving Him in those two years that I was not in a relationship with anyone.

I am in love with what I am doing so to speak. That should be what comes first – serve God, find your mission, and then find your mate. I got saved, I started sharing my faith in my blog, then I met my bf.

But did you know that I turned Brian down the first time he asked me out on a date? 😀 Yes, I didn’t feel it right at that moment. Because hubby dear just got out of a relationship and I don’t want to be a part of it because I made it clear to him that if he intends to pursue me, then he should do so with a clean slate. 🙂

So I told him that no, I can’t entertain him romantically at that point because he should make peace with his past first. I went home to my province and I stayed there for more than a month. At that time we constantly communicated but I was firm that we can only be friends. And I challenged him that if he is not patient enough to wait for me, then it is all fine with me if he pursues someone else.

I was also straightforward in telling him that I do not wish to be in a relationship with him if his intention was to forget his old flame. He assured me that it is because he loves me. In fact, he professed his love for me right after our first date. Unbelievable, right? lol 😀 But my brother told me that you can never really tell when you will fall in love. It doesn’t have a time period, nor an exact moment, and it can just hit you out of the blue.

Well, that is love in its emotional state. But love is a decision. And I am after the latter that is why I never rushed my feelings for him. I have restrained myself to wait even though the attraction was already there the first time we met back in AEI.

Besides, I wanted to ask God first and make sure the relationship I am going to enter is the one that He wants for me. I wanted to do exactly that during the Prayer and Fasting in our church come the first week of January. I was still in my hometown during this time so I got to ask God clearly what are His answers and without distractions.

Would you believe that one of the signs that God sent me was through a friend and sister in Christ who texted me out of the blue during the Prayer and Fasting that she dreamt about me wearing a white gown? 😀

We were both confused about what it meant at that time and then I just had the realization later on. And nope, none of my friends knew Brian yet at this point because we’re not yet dating. But I knew the sign was not enough in making a decision, so I continued praying.

My failed relationships in the past, which was the reason for my salvation and being born again, taught me to never seek for love at the wrong places and with the wrong people by waiting for God’s perfect best. 🙂

Brian though is never perfect. He has his own weaknesses and personal struggles same as me. We are all a work in progress when it comes to being the persons that God wants us to be. But we both rejoice in what is good, in what we have learned, in learning and where we are happy the most – pure and genuine happiness because we know it makes our God happy too.

We both share some interests and I know that if I am to list down all the qualities, it will be endless. But just to name a few that really stood out when we were just getting to know each other, I’ll give a brief rundown:

• We both love the color blue.
• We love viands that are not sweet.
• We prefer communing with nature than spend long hours at the mall.
• We love the simple things.
• And lastly, we enjoy each other’s company.

Now, that last part is the one thing that I love the most. Why? Because it only means I could get to be who I am when I am with him. We don’t care if we look silly at times or if we crack the silliest jokes mindless of other people who would think we are being overly “corny” or hilarious. No pretensions so to speak. He accepts my eccentricities (mildly put, not exactly the medical term) and vice versa. The same as our relationship with God. We have to be as sincere and as open to Him as possible, connecting every single moment of our lives with Him from the moment we wake up until the time we lay our heads down the pillow. A personal, loving, and lasting relationship – that is how we got to know Him more.

And that is how I got to know Brian more – a personal moment at a secret garden (that is not so secret at all because it is well-known among the locals and tourists alike). 🙂

Lovely blooms.

The entrance to Sonya’s restaurant.

One of the lodges.

Morning Glory garden. The other two are The Conservatory and Sunflower.

The place is very memorable to me. I have always been in love with gardens. They are my places of solace and comfort. I feel calm, at ease and more at peace with myself when I am surrounded by the best that nature could offer – simplicity.

Flower in bloom.

Feeling like a princess. *wink*

The photographer was taken by another photographer too.

Though I dressed up too “colorful” for the date making me look like one of the flowers in the garden and making me wish I’d never worn something as vibrant as that, I pretty much enjoyed the ambiance of the place. It is very RELAXING. I didn’t skip the opportunity to take more photos of literally anything I could lay my eyes on.

Sonya’s chair.

Coffee table book.

Birds of paradise.

Superb drapery for their banquet hall.

And yes, though they offer their menu in buffet style, you won’t feel too full afterward nor feel guilty for having eaten too much. They serve vegetarian dishes. Most of their dishes are very light and their pastas are not heavy on herbs and spices. Just a little bit of them to tease your palate. You have an option if you will have white or red sauce. Of course, how could I forget how Brian and I made fun of the chamomile hand wash/sanitizer because I thought it is just for decor of some sort or I will wash my veggie food there and I had to ask the waiter what is it used for (oh if embarrassment could kill, I’d be dead already. 😀 ). But it smells SOOO GOOOD!

The Menu.

Buffet corner.

Lettuce and arugula.

Garnish your salad with a selection of fruits in season like mango and pineapple.

There he is with his jicama/singkamas.

Fresh flowers in a vase centerpiece.

Relaxing ambiance.

I also love how they kept our bread warm. They rolled it in a piece of cloth (linen, I presume) and served it in a basket along with the spread and other spices. I love their salad dressings and spread, too! They offer quite A LOT of greens in their dishes which I absolutely relished. I am a veggie lover so I enjoyed making that munch and that crunch in my every bite of their salads. And to end it all, a nice serving of chocolate cake and tarragon tea.

Whole wheat sesame bread.

Sonya’s Secret Salad Dressing, Balsamic vinegar/extra virgin olive oil, Parmesan cheese.

Basil pesto, white cheese, anchovies, tomato salsa, mushroom pate, black olive tapenade, and fresh green peppercorn in olive oil.

Homemade choco cake.

Tarragon Tea

Overall comment? It was a very happy and relaxing experience indeed. I adored every nook in Sonya’s garden. Aside from the restaurant, they also have the Panaderia and a store where you could buy goodies, memorabilia, and pasalubong for your friends and family. It is also a very suitable place for wedding receptions as they have a separate private venue for that near the restaurant.

The way to the comfort rooms.

Chandelier.

Native finds.

Capiz hanging decor.

Organic scents, trinkets and other good finds.

For Wedding Receptions

The Walkway

The Panaderia

Me trying the hat which I have practically no use for. lol

I wished for my own home someday to be surrounded by lots of greenery too just like what we also have in our home in Bicol. I believe it is what makes every home a home – it looks natural, no too much synthetic ornaments.

Just like our relationship with God – you are more at ease with Him when it is genuine. 🙂

Every love story is created differently. But the one thing that they should all have in common is this – God at the center.

I believe I have to end this “date” on this note, for now, to save some memories for Brian and me to cherish. And this too, a poem which I made especially for him.

And this ends our cheesiness. 😀

A Blanket of Love by Tin Ginete

P.S.

We ended the date by watching Ronin 47. Yes, how could I ever forget the last lines. Just the perfect cheesy but romantic lines to end this cheesy but romantic article. 😀

Kai (Keanu Reeves): I will search for you through 1000 worlds and 10000 lifetimes!

Mika (Ko Shibasaki): I will wait for you in all of them.

(Thank you so much for the wonderful time, for the lunch treat and movie date, Hon! I love you so much!)