Yuletide Sonatas

By



It's the Advent Season once again! By far, it is my most favorite season of the year... The anticipation of that one grand celebration followed by the climax of New Year's Eve make it very special to me...

It brings inexplicable joy which has inspired me to write four poems about it in the last few years. As I go along my life, I will definitely write more...

All four existing poems are listed on this blog article. What joy it is to find them all in one go!


Christmas Eve 1999


Tinseltown Magic


The Baby In The Manger


The Elusive Mirth

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

The Jade Islands of El Nido

By
Image
This view beacons you to a heap of glimmering islands waiting to be discovered... Located on the northernmost tip of Palawan, El Nido is distant from all other places in the world. Because of its location, nobody knew its stupendous tourism value. As late as 1979, El Nido was unknown to beach-goers and wanderlusts, when a group of divers met a sea accident at night forcing them to drop anchor in an inlet. The following morning, the divers woke up to an amazing scenery of skyscraping dark cliffs, thick green forest, white-sand beach, sparkling waters and, rising above it, a series of magnificently-sculpted jade islands. [Wikipedia] I was fortunately born late enough to have read the “wows” of tourists who have been there and to have seen the spectacular pictures of El Nido… but it was not until my sister’s insistence three weeks ago that persuaded me to go on a last-minute decision to head on to this remote place. Two flights from Legazpi and a 6-hour ...
Read more

A City Beaming With Beauty

By
Image
Who would want to ignore A city beaming with beauty? Who would never recall The locals that are friendly? Who would never want to see The dainty city near the sea? Who would never want to feel The calming wind’s serenity? Photo by Dexter Baldon Legazpi, a city by the Pacific Landscapes are panoramic Seascapes are idyllic And delicacies fantastic… It is a fine idea to tour The City of Fun and Adventure And if you’re a foodie, savour Its spicy culinary culture For there, you will discover The dishes that sting The volcano that’s stunning The rides so exciting Found on the extreme east of the world Across the wide expanse of an ocean Very far from other places But home to many good surprises Legazpi, a city by the Pacific A place comely in many ways Legazpi, the city which beams with beauty A place of elegance and grace... Thank you Mommy Gina Alfane for helping me with this poem...
Read more

The Drama of Casa Simeon

By
Image
Near the easternmost coast of the province of Albay , facing the wide expanse of Pacific Ocean, is Bacacay ,  a resort town known for its volcanic black sand beaches . Standing in its very center is Casa Simeon , a mansion said to be constructed in 1920 . I was prompted to visit this old house by the closing of its art exhibit the next day as it turns out that my friend, an astral twin, Regine Eina Esternon , has one of her beautiful paintings displayed inside. It was late in the afternoon when I finally mustered enough willpower to do what I had wanted to do since several weeks ago. My brother came along with me and his waze app proved to be very helpful as we found the old house in an unfamiliar area. We used to visit Bacacay for its beaches but not for something found inside its poblacion. At first glance, the mansion looks very dainty and, because we were too curious, we immediately went inside to see its grandeur and all the details. We didn't hav...
Read more

The Farthest Ends of the Philippines

By
Image
         The Philippines, a large archipelago of 7,641 islands, is endowed with many natural wonders and surprises. These multitudes of gifts from Mother Nature, however, seem to be found on the islands’ farthest ends.          Would you like to know what can be seen in these far-and-beyond places? Well, you will satisfy your curiosity as you come with me in this virtual tour  that unravels the very beautiful and exotic places located on the remotest points of the Philippines... Batanes Photo Credit: Eva Marie Gutierrez Cantero. Batanes is the northernmost province in the country, and also the smallest, both in population and land area. Very distant, the island group is located approximately 162 kilometres (101 mi) north of the Luzon mainland. The entire province is listed in the UNESCO tentative list for inscription in the World Heritage List. This headdress is known as the "vakul." Phot...
Read more

Romantic Beige Sand Beaches Near Mayon Volcano

By
Image
  We were entranced... We sailed the eastern seas off the coast of Albay Province for our weekend getaway. Every time we see a beige sand beach common in the area, the enigmatic Mayon Volcano peers over the scenery. There were many of these beaches, appearing every once in a while, with the dazzling volcano in each and every view. I will never forget this past weekend for each turn had a magnificent scene looming in the horizon --- from isle to isle, from coast to coast, from beach to beach! Tambilagao Port Tambilagao Port We drove from our hometown Daraga, Albay setting off to our main destination, Namanday Island Resort . After making our way to Cagraray Island via Sula Bridge, I felt as though we already left the country. I've never been outside Luzon Island since before the pandemic so leaving Luzon already feels like traveling abroad. On Cagraray Island, we saw magnificent views of the many islands dotting the eastern seas of Albay, but it was the Tambilagao Port where the get...
Read more

La Dolce Vita 🇮🇹🇻🇦🇲🇨 🍸

By
Image
September 2023.  My birthmonth, my birthyear. I was born in the year of the Hare so I needed to make 2023, another year of the Hare, special. As I had never been out of the country, I decided to finally make that long-awaited "first trip" on my birthyear. It happens once every twelve years so why not make it special? My first time past Immigration! So many countries were considered. Spain and Portugal came to mind. Thailand seemed plausible. Nearby Indonesia's fantastic architecture were tempting, and because Singapore was close enough, it was also suggested. Malaysia came into the radar too. But, not until visas were approved or airline tickets were bought, nothing was final. And then - out of the blue - I heard my aunt and sister talk about a possible Euro Tour on no other month but September ... Since it happens to be my birthmonth, I immediately asked if I could join them... "Sure," said my aunt! Up until that point, my options were as flexible as they could...
Read more

2024 || Enter the Green Dragon

By
Image
  It's always nice to look back and reminisce one's fondest memories. Seeing old pictures evokes many emotions, mostly good, sometimes bad but somehow still gives you peace (reminding you of how you managed to get out of the rut). Good pictures are always good, no matter what was actually going on. After all, a sad movie can still be a masterpiece. In 2024, I learned so many valuable lessons that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Though I didn't really venture out of Bicol Region this year, I was still able to enjoy and have fun. In 2023, we went to Europe and, even here in the Philippines, I saw many masterpieces with strong foreign elements.  This year, on the other hand, the things I saw were mostly native and local (with little to no foreign element). Nonetheless, they're not any less superior. Coming home and enjoying home gave 2024 its own vibe and zeitgeist. All in all, 2024 has been a decent year so far... January 1: Happy Fam 2024 started on a high note. ...
Read more

Sta. Magdalena: A Hidden Paradise!

By
Image
  You've probably seen white-sand, black-sand, and even pink-sand beaches. But have you seen a beach that transitions to different colors? Source: Ang Bongto ko, Sta. Magdalena FB page The remote coastal town of  Sta. Magdalena, Sorsogon has  so much variety in its hidden beaches and coves. Although neighboring Matnog  is more famous due to its pink-sand beaches and islands, Sta. Magdalena still deserves the moniker  "Hidden Paradise"  for curious reasons. It's not as stunning as the popular pink-sand  Subic Beach  in Matnog but you will be surprised at the many things you'll see there. Source: Wikipedia Source: Wikipedia Sta. Magdalena is located near the southeasternmost end of the long island of Luzon. It is the smallest town of Sorsogon both in land area and population but it is a treasure trove of geologic wonders that abound its coast.  Inside the Residencia Del Hamor , looking over a beach in Sta. Magdalena. Its very name puts a smile ...
Read more

Christmas Star 2020 & Christ's Second Coming

By
Image
  A rare occurrence signaling the second coming of Christ? This was the Christmas Star of 2020, which also made appearance during Christ's birth. Photo Credit: Dr. Gregorio S. Tan Some pastor believes that the second coming of Christ is near, citing the recent conjunction between Saturn and Jupiter, which has been the closest in 800 years. The conjunction was so close, it appeared as though the two planets were a big, bright star. It doesn't seem to be a mere coincidence, he believes, as the rare sight also appeared near Christ's birth around 6 B.C. He takes this as a sign that the messiah is set to set foot on earth once more. Although the bible is clear that Christ will be back after several years, it is also explicit that nobody knows when that time will come, not even the angels nor even Jesus himself. Despite this, there have been several dates predicted for that --- one was even as early as 500 A.D. However, you will also read a bible verse saying that that appointed ...
Read more

Mayon ATV Adventure: A Paradise of Black & Greens!

By
Image
The occasional drizzles were not a deterrent to our ATV Adventure. Nor was the absence of Mayon a rain on our exhilarating parade. ATV Adventure down the slopes of the volcano where all you can see were the black sands washed from the mountain, lush greenery supported by the fertile volcanic soil, traversed by cool streams every here and there, gave us all the excitement we needed for our Sunday Funday. Of course, the weekend escapade was not enough without sudden side trips decided upon in split seconds. Our adventure was capped by a trek to the lava wall , a zipline ride with the view of the city, a taste of funky dishes for lunchtime, and a reconnaissance of a forgotten but intricate volcanic chapel . In this blog entry, you will discover that there is more to the volcano's perfect symmetry. Even without a sight of it, a trip to Legazpi City and neighboring places is certainly worthwhile... The ATV Adventure! The ATV adventure was fun, fun, fun! We weren't lucky enough to ex...
Read more