Here are some early morning shots of Fort Ilocandia taken from my mobile phone:

Here are some pictures taken while on the way to Pagudpud, which was roughly a one and a half hour’s drive from Fort Ilocandia in Laoag.

We came across the scenic coastline of Cape Bojeador in the municipality of Burgos, Ilocos Norte:

Here are some pictures of us featuring the awesome windmills of Bangui, Ilocos Norte (the first power generating windmill farm in the country) in the background:

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Related Blog Entries:
Holy Week 2008 – Fort Ilocandia and Pagudpud – Day 1

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We left Manila yesterday at around 11:30AM but had to make an initial stopover at Clark, in Pampanga, for lunch and some provisions. We also had to meet up with Li-Ann, who had to come from Subic.

We left Clark at around 7:30PM yesterday evening and arrived in Fort Ilocandia at around 5:30AM this morning, which makes it roughly about a 10-hour drive (9 hours on the road, 1 hour for stopovers) . Cocoy and I took turns at the wheel, where I drove the first half of the journey, and Cocoy the final half. Our first stopover was at 8:30PM at the Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac. We stayed there for about 30 minutes to have dinner. Our next stopover was at 12 midnight at a gasoline station somewhere near the border of Pangasinan and La Union.

Here are some pictures taken today.

CJ in the shade:

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Related Blog Entries:
Holy Week 2008 – Fort Ilocandia and Pagudpud – Day 2

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I’m glad that Conne and I were able to go home in time to attend the 7:30PM mass and have ash imposed on our foreheads. And I noticed that the queue heading up to the imposition of ashes wasn’t that long, this is probably because most parishioners already attended the early morning and afternoon services.

So what’s next? Well, the forty day period gives us ample time to reflect on our lives, make amends, and prepare for the coming Holy Week. So let’s do it!

God is good! Cheers!

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My day started off pretty well in spite of the heavy rain. Conne and CJ were in their usual jolly and “malambing” selves. Then on my way to work, I received a bit of good news on a career opportunity with an offer I simply found hard to refuse. The timing was impeccable since my renewable monthly consulting contract with my current employer just ended Monday this week. This makes the transition a bit easier since all I have to worry about now is to ensure that my turnover activities go without a hitch. And so, instead of auto-renewing my contract, I guess I’m off to a new workplace come Monday! Yikes, that was fast!

I also found out this morning that my blogs finally got over a three-day slump and earned me a few $’s via Google’s AdSense, well okay, maybe a few cents. Ha! (As an aside, my SEO skills are definitely improving since, for the past weeks, most of my targeted key words have ranked high or are #1 on most SERPs. I guess that’s one advantage of having worked for DirectWithHotels). And with today’s mounting expenses, plus the fact that CJ’s birthday is fast approaching, earning a few bucks ain’t that bad, and is in fact a welcome opportunity.

And after a relatively uneventful workday, the drive home was unusually quick and almost traffic free, plus, dinner was great and really filling! Burp!

But, in an inevitable cliche-like fashion, all good things just had to end. I received word this evening bearing bad news on a case I was closely following. Oh well, suffice it to say, I believe I have now found the prime candidate for the worst lawyer there is, there was and there ever will be – the ultimate “abogado de kampanilya.”

After mulling things over, I now firmly believe God has a plan for all of us. And I believe that the string of blessings I received earlier today more than compensated for today’s misfortune.

Oh well, you win some, you lose some. :)

Cheers!

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Today is “Ash Wednesday” by the way, an important day for Catholics. It marks the first day of Lent. And is the only day that Catholics actually get to boldly walk around bearing a symbol of their faith, the cross-shaped, darkish ash that are marked on their foreheads.

What the priest said during his homily was very interesting (yes, I actually DO listen to homilies at times! Ha!). He had an acronym for each of the letters A, S and H, of Ash Wednesday. And here’s how it goes:

A = Admit or Acknowledge

We have to admit or acknowledge our sins and our imperfection. This is the first step towards change.

S = Step forward

When you have your foreheads marked with an ashen cross, you actually step forward, among peers. And you do so because you acknowledge your sins and are willing to change. Stepping forward means being committed.

H = Hope

We have to do our part in mending our ways. But we also do this in hope that our faith will bring us God’s loving and saving grace.

I just also found out that Ash Wednesday isn’t actually a day of obligation for Catholics. And it’s also not a sin if you don’t participate in the administering of the ashes. This further strengthens the belief that change needs to come from the person and it should not be forced into him.

So, are you willing to acknowledge, step forward and hope? Remember, it’s your choice.

Cheers!

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