Friday, October 4, 2019

Kyrgyzstan, the road less travelled

Last month, me and my beshie went to Kyrgyzstan, the unknown land of the Silk Roads in Central Asia.   Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked country bordering Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and China.  It is one of the countries along the silk roads.  It is also home to UNESCO Heritage Burana tower and Issyk Kul lake, the second largest salt water lake in the world.  Here are my top 10 things to do in Kyrgyzstan.

10.  Visit Bazaars. 

Bazaars are widespread all over Kyrgyzstan especially in the capital city of Bishkek.    Every bazaar has its own different products from food to, electronics to souveniers.  Everything can be bought in bazaars.



Osh Bazaar in BIshkek

9. Eat at Chicken Star Restaurant

Looking for the best Korean restaurant in Bishkek?  Chicken Star is the place to be.  It is located in Erkindik 36 between Toktugula and Kievskaya, Bishkerk.





8.Eat at Arzu Restaurant

Posh and reasonable restaurant that offers traditional and Kyrgyz food at very cheap prize.  Ambiance is very nice with three areas to choose from.  Staff are English speaking.   Menu has English translation.


7. Fairytale canyon

Skazka or Fairytale canyons from the name itself are castle-shaped canyons formed from erosions.  



6. Eagle hunting and horse back riding

One of the most amazing experiences we had in Kyrgyzstan.  UP close and personal with the eagle and riding a horse just completed our nature immersion.  



5. Experience yurt camping

Yurt is a portable tent.  Yurt means home.  It is one way of immersing in the culture of Kyrgyzstan.



4.  Ala Archa National Park

Ala Archa National park is 40 km away from Bishkek.  This is the nearest nature park from the city.  This is sooo beautiful.   We found a squirrel and a humming bird during the hike.



3. Send post card to self

Visit the post office in Biskek and send a postcard to yourself.




 2. Visit the UNESCO world heritage, Burana tower

Burana tower is located 80 km east of Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan in the Tokmok region in the Chuy province.  Burana tower opens at 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Burana tower is a large minaret in the city of Balasagun.  The height of the tower is 82 feet.  Few feet away from the tower are the balbals or ancient tombstones.


Burana tower
1. Play with the waves of Issyk-Kul Lake

This second laregest salt water lake in the world is so huge that it looks like an ocean.  Waves are so big like the sea.  It is the seventh deepest lake in the world.  Issyk Kul means warm lake but it was cold when we touched the water :)





Image may contain: 2 people, people smiling, people standing, sky and outdoorImage may contain: 2 people, people smiling, people standing, sky and outdoor

Thursday, June 27, 2019

More things to do in Taiwan








11. Visit temples

There are a lot of temples in Taiwan.  There are three major religions in Taiwan - Buddhism, Taoism and Confuscianism. 






12.  Admire the beauty of Shifen waterfal

Shifen waterfall is located in the Ping Xi District in the north eastern coast of Taiwan.  We went on a trip to this waterfall on a nort eastern coast tour through KKDAY voucher.



13. Visit the A Mei Teas House in Jiufen
A Mei tea house is one of the location shooting in the movie Hayao Miyazaki’s award-winning Spirited Away.   


14. Ride the see through floor gondola at Mao Kong



15.  Off the beaten path - Visit a cemetery and pray for the souls 



Monday, June 24, 2019

Things to do in Taiwan







Here is the continuation of our Taiwan family travel:

6.  Join the hisorical walking tour

Our first day in Taipei was concluded with a historical tour in the afternoon.  The walking tour Like it Formosa is a free walking tour conducted by Taiwanese volunteers on a tip basis.  We took the voucher from KLOOK  It was very informative and cheap way to budget travel in Taiwan.


7.  Get around the city by Taipei MRT (mass rapid transit)

This very efficient transport system is very easy to navigate though it might look complicated at first especially for tourists.  The Taipei MRT is a government operated mass transit that runs from Taipei to New Taipei.



8.  Eat at Modern Toilet Restaurant

Modern Toilet Restaurant as the name implies are all about toilets (does not smell good for a restaurant, ey?).  Well it is actually a restaurant that uses bathroom and toilet items as plates, serving tray, etc.  The restaurant is also designed with all bathrooms and toilets and, guess what? cute poops :)



9.  Visit the UNESCO heritage "Queen's head" in the north eastern coast

The Queen's head (Wanli) can be found in the Yehliu Geopark in the north eastern coast of Taiwan.  It is a rock formation formed by the waves hitting the rocks.  As  time goes by, the head is getting eroded, so a replica was made.  Visit this now or you might not be able to see the original rock formation anymore.




10.  Make a wish and fly a Ping Xi Lantern in Old Shifen street

This is a great experience of sending your wishes up, up and away.







Saturday, June 15, 2019

Taiwan family travel

With another year of "visa on arrival" extension for Filipinos travelling to Taiwan, take this opportunity to visit one of the most beautiful countries in Asia.

Ilha Formosa which means beautiful island is Taiwan's Portuguese name.  Amongst the Asian countries that I have gone to so far, Taiwanese are the nicest of them all.  They are so courteous and even if some do not understand English, they do not shout out of stress unlike some Asian countries I have been to.  My family and I traveled to Taiwan in April 2019.   It was still cold then where the temperature ranged from 15 degrees to 20 degrees celsius.  We were not actually ready with this cold and rain when we were there.  Good thing we had  long sleeves, shawls and caps to cover us.  It was really cold.

What's good about travelling with teenagers, my son and my niece, is that these millenials are really good at directions. Yes because with the complexity of Taiwan's very efficient railway system, it would be hard for me as a no-life-direction human to navigate in Taiwan.  Thanks to my millenial son and niece.  

There are a lot of fun things to do in Taiwan as a family.  Here's what we have done during our Taiwan visit.

1. Rent a portable wifi

Before travelling to Taiwan, we bought a https://www.klook.com/wifi-sim-card/ portable wifi router for onlt 6 AED for four days.  This was the best thing as even in the east coast we were connected.  It can be picked up in the airport by just presenting the Klook voucher, passport and copy of credit card (security purpose only) to the Unite traveler counter in Taoyuan airport.  Return to the same counter.


Image result for portable wifi router taiwan klook

2.  Check in to a budget local Hotel.

For this trip, we checked in to King Plaza Hotel.  Five of us were booked in a huge room with two large bathrooms.  We booked for three nights and four days for only 9000 PHP.

King Plaza Hotel:
3F No. 163 Nanjing W. Road, Datong District

3.  Visit a Catholic church - Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

Every time our family visits a country, we make sure that we hear mass in the local language or visit a church in that area.  When we arrived in Taipei, after checkin in, we went to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Shenxi Road, Taipei.  This is just walking distance from our hotel so it was easy to find through google map.


Image may contain: 5 people, including Gorby Jamang, Adrielle Agbayani, Lorena Agbayani and Donna Olan, people smiling, indoor
When a closed door literally opened by kind hearted church sisters especially for us awww so touched. Thanks sister Theresa Lee and friends. 

4. Lunch along NingXia night market area


Image may contain: food
Oyster omellete
No photo description available.
Lunch around Ningxia night market


5.  Taste the local tea.

Taiwan is the origin of milk tea which almost all Filipinos are crazy about.  Never forget to try the best tea in the world.  It's all over Taiwan.

Image may contain: sky and outdoor
Oolong Tea

To be continued....


Saturday, March 2, 2019

Queen Elizabeth 2 ship Dubai

QE2 or Queen Elizabeth 2 is a now floating hotel that used to be operated by Cunard from 1969 to 2008.  It started operating in Dubai as a floating hotel in April 2018.  It is situated in Mina Rashid area in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

We had the chance to have breakfast in QE2 Dubai and here is our vlog and picttures below:









Thursday, February 21, 2019

The next person you meet in heaven



"But all endings are also beginnings."

The next person you meet in heaven book by Mitch Albom is a sequel to his book The five people you meet in heaven.  I have always loved the books that Mitch Albom has written.  I started reading Mitch Albom's books when I read Tuesday's with Morrie.  The way he writes always gives us something to think about.   In this book, Annie meets five people and animal that knowingly or unknowingly have become part of her life.  Annie is the child that Eddie (from the five people you meet in heaven) saved from Ruby Pier accident that caused Eddie's life.  

What I like about this book is that Mitch Albom honored single parents and nurses.  It gave the chance for single moms particularly to explain themselves to their children.  Being a single mother myself, i can relate to this.  There arre times  that our children do not understand our ways, but yet there never comes a time that we can make our children understand us, only maybe when we meet them in heaven, just like how it was narrated in this book.

And here are my top five excerpts from the book The Next Person You Meet in Heaven:

1. "Forcing love is like picking a flower then insisiting that it grows."
2. “Love comes when you least expect it. Love comes when you most need it. Love comes when you are ready to receive it or can no longer deny it.”
3. “What's time between a mother and her daughter?Never too much, never enough.” 
4. “Secrets. We think by keeping them, we're controlling things, but all the while, they're controlling us.” 
5.  “First loves often remain in the heart, like plants that cannot grow in sunlight.” 


Monday, February 18, 2019

How to be single on Valentine's day

I am a single mother.  Every Valentine's day I get to be asked, do you have a date?  Every year, I spend this special day with my special girl friends. 







Sharing with you our Valentine's date.

Eat and Run

FB Eat and run

Love! love! love!


Sunday, February 17, 2019

Pope Francis' Homily in Abu Dhabi

“Blessed” – This is the word with which Jesus begins his preaching in Matthew's Gospel and it is the refrain he repeats today, as if to fix in our hearts, more than anything, an essential message: If you are with Jesus, if you love to listen to his word as the disciples of that time did, if you try to live out this word every day, then you are blessed.
Not you will be blessed, but you are blessed; this is the first truth we know about the Christian life. It is not simply a list of external prescriptions to fulfil or a set of teachings to know. The Christian life, first and foremost, is not this; rather, it is the knowledge that in Jesus we are the Father's beloved children.
The Christian life means living out of the joy of this blessedness, wanting to live life as a love story, the story of God's faithful love, He who never abandons us and wishes to be in communion with us always.
This is the reason for our joy, a joy that no one in the world and no circumstance in our lives can take from us. It is a joy that gives peace also in the midst of pain, a joy that already makes us participate in that eternal happiness which awaits us.
Dear brothers and sisters, in the joy of meeting you, this is the word I have come to say to you: blessed!
Even as Jesus calls his own disciples blessed, we are yet struck by the reasons for the individual Beatitudes. We see in them an overturning of the popular thinking, according to which it is the rich and the powerful who are blessed, those who are successful and acclaimed by the crowds. For Jesus, on the other hand, blessed are the poor, the meek, those who remain just even at the cost of appearing in a bad light, and those who are persecuted.
Who is correct here: Jesus or the world? To understand this let us look at how Jesus lived: poor in respect to things, but wealthy in love; He healed so many lives, but did not spare his own. He came to serve and not to be served; he taught us that greatness is not found in having but rather in giving. Just and meek, he did not offer resistance, but allowed himself to be condemned unjustly. In this way Jesus brought God's love into the world. Only in this way did he defeat death, sin, fear and even worldliness: Only by the power of divine love. Let us together ask here today for the grace of rediscovering the attraction of following Jesus, of imitating him, of not seeking anyone else but him and his humble love. For here is the meaning of our life: in communion with him and inner love for others. Do you believe in this?
I have also come to say thank you for the way in which you live the Gospel we heard. People say that the difference between the written Gospel and the lived Gospel is the same difference between written music and performed music.
You who are here know the Gospel's tune and you follow its rhythm with enthusiasm. You are a choir composed of numerous nations, languages and rites; a diversity that the Holy Spirit loves and wants to harmonise ever more, in order to make a symphony. This joyful polyphony of faith is a witness that you give everyone and that builds up the Church.
It struck me what Bishop Hinder once said: that he not only feels himself to be your shepherd but that you, by your example, are often shepherds to him.
To live the life of the blessed and following the way of Jesus does not, however, mean always being cheerful. Someone who is afflicted, who suffers injustice, who does everything he can to be a peacemaker, knows what it means to suffer.
It is most certainly not easy for you to live far from home, missing the affection of your loved ones, and perhaps also feeling uncertainty about the future. But the Lord is faithful and does not abandon his people.
A story from the lives of Saint Anthony, the Abbot, the great founder of monasticism in the desert, may be helpful to us. He left everything for the Lord and found himself in the desert. There, for a time, he was immersed in a bitter spiritual struggle that gave him no peace; he was assaulted by doubt and darkness and even by temptation to give in to nostalgia and regrets about his earlier life.
But then, after all this torment the Lord consoled him and Saint Anthony asked him: "Where were you? Why did you not appear before to free me from my suffering?" But then he clearly heard Jesus' answer: "I was here, Anthony" (Saint Athanasius, Vita Antonii, 10). The Lord is close. It can happen that, when faced with fresh sorrow or a difficult period, we think we are alone, even after all the time we have spent with the Lord. But, in those moments, where he might not intervene immediately, he walks at our side.
And if we continue to go forward, he will open up a new way for us; for the Lord specializes in doing new things; he can even open paths in the desert (cf. Is 43:19)
Dear brothers and sisters, I want to tell you that living out the Beatitudes does not require dramatic gestures. Look at Jesus: he left nothing written, built nothing imposing. And when he told us how to live, he did not ask us to build great works or draw attention to ourselves with extraordinary gestures. He asked us to produce just one work of art, possible for everyone: our own life. The Beatitudes are thus a roadmap for our life: they do not require superhuman actions, but rather the imitation of Jesus in our everyday life. They invite us to keep our hearts pure, to practice meekness and justice despite everything, to be merciful to all, to live affliction in union with God. This is the holiness of daily life, one that has no need of miracles or of extraordinary signs. The Beatitudes are not for supermen, but for those who face up to the challenges and trials of each day. Those who live out the Beatitudes according to Jesus are able to cleanse the world. They are like a tree that even in the wasteland absorbs polluted air each day and gives back oxygen. It is my hope that you will be like this, rooted in Jesus and ready to do good to those around you. May your communities be oases of peace.
Finally, I would like to consider for a moment two of the Beatitudes.
First: "Blessed are the meek" (Mathew 5:5).
Those who attack or overpower others are not blessed, but rather those that uphold Jesus' way of acting, he who saved us, and who was meek even towards his accusers. I like to quote Saint Francis, when he gave his brothers instructions about approaching the Saracens and non-Christians. He wrote: "Let them not get into arguments or disagreements, but be subject to every human creature out of love for God, and let them profess that they are Christians" (Regula Non Bullata, XVI). Neither arguments nor disagreements: at that time, as many people were setting out, heavily armed, Saint Francis pointed that Christians set out armed only with their humble faith and concrete love. Meekness is important: if we live in the world according to the ways of God, we will become channels of his presence; otherwise, we will not bear fruit.
Second: "Blessed are the peacemakers" (Mathew 5:9)
The Christian promotes peace, starting with the community where he or she lives. In the Book of Revelation, among the communities that Jesus himself addresses, there is one, namely Philadelphia, that I think bears a likeness to you. It is a Church which, unlike almost all the others, the Lord does not reproach for anything. Indeed, that Church kept Jesus' word without renouncing his name and persevered, went forward, even in the midst of difficulties. There is also a significant detail: the name Philadelphia means brotherly love. Fraternal love. Thus a Church which perseveres in Jesus' word and fraternal love is pleasing to the Lord and bears fruit. I ask for you the grace to preserve peace, unity, to take care of each other, with that beautiful fraternity in which there are no first or second class Christians.
May Jesus, who calls you blessed, give you the grace to go forward without becoming discouraged, abounding in love "to one another and to all" (I Thessalonians 3:12)

Zimbabwe


Thursday, January 10, 2019

Anybody there?

Been feeling low
but I can't seem to show
Could it be the blue moon
or someone made you swoon?

Anybody there?
Anybody who would understand?
Anybody there?
Anybody who would care?

Is anybody there?

Team Zimbabwe 2018


TEAM ZMBABWE 2018 – HOLD EDITION
25 October to 29 October 2018
HARARE, ZIMBABWE

Team Zimbabwe – HOLD Edition

When the Lord called for us to go to Zimbabwe, there was no doubt about it that the plan was going to push through.  We prayed that the Lord will make every single preparation to the end of the mission be smooth, and so it was. 

The moment we said yes, we have already responded to His call to be in a mission. He has laid the paths and has made the impossible things possible. He already cleared the ways. He even reminded us that we shouldn't feel alone nor be afraid for He is with us. 

We were challenged by thoughts of how are we going to speak through  their hearts in the same language of love and how to  deliver the same experience as we first experienced the Handmaids of The Lord National Conference 2018.  We had perceived limitations from the collaboration of thoughts from our brethren who came before us to Harare - opinions on the punctuality of the attendees, their engagement and active participation, their interest and language difficulty.  Upon learning about this, we prayed so hard for the Women’s conference to happen as how the Lord wanted it to be.  True enough, as the speakers went down on personal level, all barriers were broken and it was only the hearts that spoke.



Harare Women’s Conference 2018

On 27 October 2018 at Rockwood Spiritual Formation, 26 women soared high on fiery wings during the Harare Women’s Conference 2018.  The conference started on time, praise God and we finished exactly at 5:00 p.m. as planned.  The creative dancers for the Holy Spirit dance lead by Sister Susan Magwagwag came as early as 6:30 a.m. 

The conference started with a rosary in Shona language, the official language of Zimbabwe.  Though we do not understand the language, being one universal church, we speak the same prayer, so we were able to respond and pray with them.  The opening worship was lead by Sis Runyaro Chabaya,  wife of Bro. Shesby Chabaya, the country coordinator of Zimbabwe.  Even with just the first worship song, Hakuna Waikaita Sa Jesu (There is no one else like Jesus), our spirits have been moved as if something kicked in and gave us something like a Holy Spirit rush.

Talk 1:  The Gift was presented by Sis Jennifer Dela Cruz  from Abu Dhabi. Session was inspired with Come Holy Spirit dance with our dear sisters from Zimbabwe. Indeed, we felt the Holy Spirit embracing each one of us from that moment onwards.

In talk No. 2 The Mission, Sis. Ma Lorelie Hernandez from Dubai has explained that the mission that he Lord has given since Paul’s time is still the same mission He is giving us today.  The talk ended with the song The Mission while the participants were holding their mobile torch and Sis Lorelie holding a lamp.  It was a song of commitment that our mission in life is to proclaim and live the truth in Jesus name.

During Talk 3 Daunting Task , Undaunted Spirit, we were reminded by Peter as he mentioned to Timothy that we need  to serve whether it is convenient or inconvenient led by CFC Full time Missionary Southern Africa, Sis. Amelia GamoGamo. Concluding session 3, we danced to the Imagine the Impossible song with the participation of our Women’s conference attendees.

In talk 4, again with Sis Jennifer Dela Cruz ,  The Time Has Come, we were asked if Peter was here today,what do you think he will say?   Can we still work it out? 
How do they respond?  Yes, Lord, we can still work it out.

Talk 5 Speaker Ma Lorelie Hernandez , on Fiery Wings reminded us who the Holy Spirit and  is how is the Holy spirit working through in our lives, as an individual, as a member of the community or even in the world we live in.

Together, as one family in Faith, we sang, I want to set the world on fire from our hearts which surely ignited the fire in each one of us.

We remembered CFC HOLD for the past 25 years, and we have been challenged on how it will be in the next 25 years, we are Timotheas and our elders as Paula's.

The CFC wives and their husbands were also recognized and thanked with the song Thank you Lord.

We soared altogether on this year’s theme, On Fiery Wings to conclude Session 5. 

Women’s Conference was graced by our sharers from Zimbabwe and from the service team,HOLD Mission Volunteer Dianne Calaguin and with our Technical / Music Ministry Bro Federico GamoGamo, Full Time Missionary Southern Africa  .  All of them declared and proclaimed how the Holy Spirit has burned, almost dimmed and now burning so well that they committed to soar higher in the next years of their service in the CFC Handmaids of the Lord.


The Women’s Conference ended at 5:00 p.m. with a praise fest and words of thanks from Bro. Shesby Chabaya. It was truly a remarkable moment for each one of us as we knew how we are being challenged by the economic stability in Zimbabwe. Yet the Lord, have proclaimed His greatness and faithfulness for making this event possible. We found hope when all seemed lost. 

Parish visit

Sunday, 28 October 2018, we visited our Lady of Assumption Catholic Church in Rhodesville Avenue Harare where we have attended the Sunday Mass.  It was celebrate by Fr. Ricky who during the homily reminded us to see beyond what we perceive. 

We had an opportunity to meet Fr Ricky and he is fully supportive to the Vision and Mission of the Couples for Christ.  He even thanked the Couples for Christ during the mass.

Harare and beyond

After experiencing this wonderful mission in Harare, we continue the CFC-Handmaids of the Lord’s dream for the next 25 years:

·        HOLD present in all countries of the world.
·        ALL HOLD families in the CFC community.
·        Handmaids easily recognizable and set apart because of their burning love for God, their families, the community, the poor and everyone else, and from living out the rest of the fruit of the Spirit.
·        Handmaids manifesting the presence and empowerment of the Holy Spirit through the active use of His gifts.
·        Handmaids on fire for the mission, giving it everything they’ve got.

From now on, we will not only fly but soar higher on His fiery wings.

Again, we don't take credit for this. To God be all the Glory.






Here's another guest sharer on my blog....



At first, when i heard this question, i began asking myself,yes, how did it change me? 

This years theme is all about rekindling the gift of the Holy Spirit...its pretty odd for me ,considering that Im still young in the community, less experienced than the others,yet I had given the privilege to sat among the  6000 delegates ...So i asked the Lord, what is your message for me ? He asked me to close my eyes.

it seemed like yesterday , i could hear the angels singing with our music ministry,i felt peace as the Holy Spirit began to fill the arena,I could still hear His voice thru the sharers and speakers and with the diversity of culture,I see Jesus everywhere.

All over the world, single matured,widowed,separated,wives,  CFC wives and our beloved young at heart sisters heed to Gods call to rejoice and proclaim Gods faithfulness in the last 25 years in the CFC Community . We have put our yes to the big yes of Mama Mary and we entrust all that we have and what we need to make this journey possible. And yes, God indeed have proven,that nothing is impossible.Limited with resources,physically challenged,sleep deprived and endless limitations is nothing compared to the joy that the Holy Spirit had filled them.

The Holy spirit invited us to feel the gladness with His presence, the difference between being happy and feeling the joy in the Lord.

A change of heart

When you allow God to consume you, as He draws closer to you every single second of the day. When you recognize your weakness and ask the help from the Lord to change your heart.When obedience is of utmost importance.When  being humble instead of being right .

A change in perspective

When you are no longer a worrier but a prayer warrior. When faith is greater than your fear. When you discern and ask the affirmation from the Lord.When you accepted  Thy Will be Done

A change in Me

When you started defending your prayer time.When you started opening the Bible. When you started seeking Love rather than knowledge. Change in priorities towards HOLD teachings, assemblies, formation and meetings. 

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.Commit your way to the Lord,trust in Him and He will do this.

As we ended the three-day conference, i was humbled and challenged to a 180degree turn around. Am i able to do this?

YES i am.

May we continue to keep up the good fight of faith and persevere towards Holiness.  

Let us soar high on Fiery wings.


Dianne C.