If there is one thing I hate, that is a wedding. Why, they are happy when I am not. Anyway, enough of self-pitying, we are invited to the wedding of a distant cousin, her husband to be was one of the basketball players of the team my mother manages, so as expected we attended.

It was a garden wedding, to the place which is very familiar to everyone since it was the famous wedding venue before other contemporary came out the market, the receptions of my classmates who wed last year was also took place at Lyn’s Fern Garden.

Well, unlike church wedding, the garden wedding wasn’t that long because there wasn’t a lot of ceremonies. So after the customary photo taking, is chow time. The couple were very happy, as well the visitors who ate  a lot (just kidding!).

Lyn’s Fern Garden was a good place to rent for birthday, anniversary and wedding parties especially if you are expecting a lot of visitors. It has a huge hall, big parking space and beautiful garden. If you are wedding on summer time, kindly asked or pay for fans, because it was freaking hard to eat when your sweat is running down from your face. I could not say anything about their food because it was long proven that their catered food is one of the best in town.

LYNS FERN GARDEN
Brgy. Budiong, Odiongan, Romblon
Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/lynsferngardenvenue/
Mobile No. –  0920 438 6957

Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. Above written post was my own personal opinion and experience and might be different from yours.

My mother, sister and I always clash or we always end up in argument because we have different views and opinion. They have millennial  mindset while I am little conservative, I am an old fashioned.  They both advice me to do liberated thinking and not to act like an old woman when I am not. They both said, it is now millennial and I should not be stuck up from the old days where everything is old like my mind.

We live near the church so I grow up attending Sunday schools, I lived with my grandmother for a short period of time, and during those time we both religiously go to church and I’ve been surrounded by elder people like her, and in my entire time in grade school I religiously attend Catechism, which made me dream to be a nun back then, those time there were Catholic elders who teach bible stories and verses to children in public schools, I just don’t know if it is still happening today.

As I recall, I remember telling my mother I wanted to be a nun when I am in grade school. She was surprised, but then she told me I could still serve the Lord even if I am not a nun, in my little mind I know my mother was thinking what will be our life, if me the eldest child goes to convent.

Anyway today, my mother told me to wake up, be smart and not to be stuck up in the past. The world is changing so I should change too and have a millennial  mindset like everyone else, because if not I will always be hurt.

It is Christmas day again soon, the entire theme for the month was God’s Greatest Gift. The Christmas fellowship was celebrated on the 22nd with mini-concert from the young people, they sing, play ukelele and do interpretative dance.  After which was exchange gift, the kids do it first then adults, contrary to the norms you have to go upfront and seek for the person (your monito/monita) you picked from the Christmas draw a week before the fellowship, it was a bit hard because everyone uses aliases. You have until three tries to guess the right person, if you are not able to do it right you have to pay a fine.

It was quite entertaining and funny guessing, everyone had a good laugh.  When the adults finishes their exchange gifts the young people follows where I have joined as well, the process is a bit different you have described your monito/monita.

And as expected, I was told that it was hard for the young people who got my name to choose what gift she should be given to me, there was also a raffle draw.

Just the thought of the colorful sails I have to see in the morning I wasn’t able to sleep well, I woke up early but my family wasn’t that excited as me. They took their time moving around, my mother even washed clothes twice, she said the sailing competition will not start early because it is still low tide, the management will wait until high tide.

When we arrived at the beach shore, there were only few people around and the sail boats were far behind the shore because it was indeed low tide.  Thinking the competition didn’t start yet, my mother decided to have breakfast first because she was starving, I didn’t go with them and I went to the shore alone to take some photos.

While, I was there taking my time roaming around I have overheard the older men who went near their sail boats that someone had already won and they started removing the sails on their boat. I chuckled out of disappointment, my mother and sister owed me big time “low tide my ass” which means those group of men we saw walking to the shore before we reach the events place were already the contenders heading to the finish line.

When they’ve finished eating breakfast they picked me up and we went home directly because my sister has to attend a meeting at 10AM and has to attend the parade in the afternoon as well. Along the way we met some bikers and we already passed by them when I realized that they were in the biking competition, arrrgghhh I didn’t snap some photos of them.

Well, in the afternoon we returned to town to watch the float parade of Ginoo and Binibining MIMAROPA 3 Festival, it wasn’t entertaining like the parade on the first day of the festival.  We did some errands in town which made us go home a little dark already.

Fireworks display in Odiongan isn’t a normal occurrence; firecrackers maybe yes (joke).   We directly went home after the last tribe finishes their performance without waiting for the winner to be announced because we still need to go home so we could return to town to watch the fireworks display at 9 o’clock in the evening.

We had dinner and after I feed my pets we went to town, we are bit late because the fireworks display already started but we are still along the way (Odiongan National High School), the gate 2 of Odiongan South Central Elementary School was closed so we have no choice but to run to gate 1 which is only open for pedestrians.   We are able to see half of the fireworks display, kids and kids alike were amazed with the fireworks display in the sky that they keep saying “Wow” and it was indeed a wow.

After the 10 minutes fireworks display we went to the night market, while waiting for my sister finding a parking area we stand at a corner and I started asking my mother if I am already smelly from the whole day activity, what is epic when I turned around I saw a “balut vendor” and that’s where the foul smell was coming from, the vinegar for the balut.

The night market wasn’t that large but it was already good to have one, there are different items on sale at the night market from souvenir shirts, bargain clothes and dresses, souvenir key chains, paintings, Christmas decors and etc., The other end was food stalls which is good for hungry night goers and visitors looking around at the marble stores at the Children parks.

The ground demonstration was held at Odiongan Sports Complex and it started around 6 o’clock in the evening, it was full of people.  There are many police around and even marshals to ensure the safety of everyone but no matter how they prohibit the people not to get too close, there are still some who doesn’t follow and the worst they sit in front of you.

When we arrived at the sports complex there wasn’t a good spot to see and took pictures anymore, even there was, I can’t left my mother alone but with her permission she let me go upfront which I did.  I sat in front of some people which gladly they let me after ensuring I am not blocking their way but as expected there are some who sat in front of us but we are able to asked them to leave, upon seeing that there was a space upfront where most camera men or people with cameras were seated I have asked permission to a classmate who work in the local government if I could also seat upfront too, I wasn’t permitted initially but then she said yes upon seeing there are some other people who were seated there too.  Thank you L.

Seated upfront I was able to use my camera well, it was only too bad I forgot to bring a tripod and clean my camera at home so my shots where a little bit foggy, good thing I brought extra battery and memory with me or else I will not able to record and took photo of all the contenders.

The Tribu de ESTI was able to show what they’ve got after some troubles on their recorded music/drums background, they didn’t use a lot of props and they doesn’t have many dancers to overthrow the ground but nevertheless they  did their best. The next contender was the Coron Festival of Ferrol,  contrary to what is a norm during ground competition they’ve use lively patriotic music, on their performance they are able to depict how Filipino lives the ancient times, pottery making, traditional Filipino games and they even showcase a couple dancing in top of wooden bench.

The third contender was the Biniray Festival from Romblon, Romblon they were great but obviously they were not the best, their tribe is very small mainly composed of men, the main attraction was the beautiful graceful dancer in his colourful costume and their powerful drums.

The next performer was the Kanidugan Festival, honestly I didn’t know it was our own until the host announces it, I overlooked them at the town parade maybe because their costumes wasn’t that great? (Haha, just kidding), their costume was good but it isn’t too catchy that you would be able to say WOW.  I think the tribes during town fiesta/Kanidugan Festival has a better costume than them.  I love how they started their dance performance, showing how a coconut was utilized and used by ancient people and the modern people today. What is amazing was a young farmer removing the coconut husk using his mouth, darn what a strong teeth he had huh? The Kanidugan festivals has an energetic dance moves that will left you grasping for air because they move like lightning. They were good but they are not the best as well.

The Talabukon Festival follows, they started their performance with a story telling how the giant Talabukon extend his help to the local people when a pirate came to their town.  Their tribe has a great number, what is catchy was their beautiful women dancers who look like fairies to me.  They’ve dance gracefully but their drums and sounds was lame, yes it wasn’t powerful enough to get people’s attention.

The last but not the least performer was the Carabao Festival from San Jose, Romblon.  They started their performance with a powerful introduction. Their clothes and costumes, confident smiles, rhythmic and graceful moves, people cheering was good enough to say they are the best.  I wasn’t able to video their whole performance because I was busy looking at them performing that’s how good they were for me, when they’ve finished it was already dark. Just like the others we didn’t wait for the announcement of winners anymore since it was already getting late and we are planning to go town later to watch the fireworks display.

Update:

The Carabao Festival from San Jose, Romblon won the Romblon Festival Competition.

The MIMAROPA Festival was launched three years ago, in line with the region’s vision of being “The Destination of Choice.” The festival was hosted by Romblon this year and it was held in Odiongan, the festivities duration will be from Nov. 20 to November 25.  The town wasn’t adorned well when this is a big festival, bigger than the town festival, the aura wasn’t too festive maybe if they add the colorful flag lets that was used last town fiesta together with the MIMAROPA festival banner/tarpaulin around the town of Odiongan it will be a bit more festive, but the question was where are those flag lets already? Are they being kept or the locals took them at home already as keepsake?

[Tribu de ESTI]

Anyway, the MIMAROPA festival brought excitement to Odionganons but I think sad to say many are not aware of the schedule of festivities and wasn’t able to go to town.

[Koron Festival – Ferrol, Romblon]

Well, in the morning after the conducting the opening program and lightning the torch of Unity there was a parade for  Romblon Drum and Lyre competition which I wasn’t able to witness because I am bit lazy to go to town as early as 7 o’clock in the morning followed by the Ribbon Cutting of DOT MIMAROPA Photo exhibit at Odiongan Legislative Building and the Ribbon Cutting of the Romblon Marble Festival at Odiongan’s Children Park and so on.

[Biniray Festival – Romblon, Romblon]

We have decided to go to town in the afternoon to watch the Romblon Festival Parade with MIMAROPA Festival Contigents, it took us a long time to find a good spot for the parade that started at two o’clock in the afternoon.  There were about six tribe who joined the festival parade which are as follow ESTI (Erhard System Techological Institute), the Koron Festival of Ferrol, Romblon, the Biniray Festival of Romblon, Romblon, the Kanidugan Festival of Odiongan, Romblon, the Talabukon Festival of Looc, Romblon, the Carabao Festival of San Jose, Romblon. The latter wowed the on lookers and by standers with their uniformed kinky hair (curly) like of an Aeta, one of the aboriginal people in the Philippines.

[Kanidugan Festival – Odiongan, Romblon]

The contigents from Palawan, Mindoro and Marinduque were present too. Sad to say, tribes from Palawan was the only tribe I’ve seen performed a bit in the street. It was such an experience watching the parade of all the Romblon Festival in one, but seeing them in competing in a ground demonstration is the real deal.  You don’t need to go to Romblon, Romblon to see the Biniray Festival and to San Jose, Romblon to witness their Carabao Festival.

[Talabukon Festival – Looc, Romblon]

The ground demonstration followed at the Provincial Sports Complex popularly known as Oval to many Odionganons.

[Carabao Festival – San Jose, Romblon]

When my mother and I arrived it was already full of people. The ground demonstration started around 6 o’clock in the evening, the first contigent almost lost it chance to perform because of broken sound recording, they have to stop dancing because their background music isn’t working properly, it looks like they have used mobile phone as storage device for their background music.  When, things were put to order they are able to show what they’ve got which made the audience laugh with the antics of a dancer who lost his costume while dancing.

Well, I will blog about the Romblon Festivals Ground Demonstration and Fireworks display soon, separately.

If not for my sister blurting out that it will be my birthday soon, I will not be reminded of it.  Yes, it will be my birthday in a few days, my family is excited about the thought of eating a chocolate cake and eating out on my birthday. The thing is my sister and mother planned to buy a chocolate cake, they both agreed that they will split the cost of the cake but I right now I don’t think there will be a cake on my birthday, my father didn’t work for a week because he is sick.

They’re in town right now for his check-up, hopefully they are able to scheduled a time for the doctor after getting a diagnosis in a diagnostic center. The doctor told him to return to her clinic after two months but it didn’t happen, he got many complications to the medicine prescribed by the doctor, so he stop taking the medicine and then we decided to changed it to branded medicine, it works well the side effects were gone but he didn’t finish taking the complete medicine, he either forgot to take every morning or I guess he just didn’t want to, because every time my father take the medicine he will asked how much does it cost,  knowing that the medicine is expensive he didn’t take the remaining medicines since he knew when he is done with it we have to buy another set of it until he finishes 60 tablets.

[Photo courtesy of Pixabay/pexels.com]

Well, I didn’t force him to finish taking the medicines I just watch out his diet, I also didn’t insist of bringing him to the doctor for his scheduled check-up but things things became more complicated after he works under the rain, he needs to see a doctor today which means expenses.

The thought of cake and eating a simple meal on my birthday is gone, I have so many bills to pay. I set-up a small business at home but it didn’t work smoothly, my resellers have many past due accounts that I have to pay in town. I have loans left and right so I could pay them because there is no one I could ask for help, my work online wasn’t that great as before because my internet connection is limited and not much opportunities anymore. I have become sickly too these past few months, had a minor electrical accident and so on.

There are times when I am alone, I just cry silently and not letting my family see my tears, I smiled and laughed in front of them, cracked jokes like crazy but little did they know…

I wasn’t feeling well these past few weeks, I have indigestion and acidity to deal with, painful upper back and hips and then these past few days I felt a discomfort on my left foot and since yesterday my knee hurts like it was dislocated.

My mother told me that I drink too much coffee that’s why my hips is painful, she encourage me to drink a herbal coffee, I have been drinking it for sometime but I got tired of the taste of it so I switched back to 3n1 coffee and since a few days ago I drink the herbal coffee again but the pain didn’t still go away. I guess, it is already sign of aging, the perks of getting old.

[Photo courtesy of Kaboompics // Karolina/pexels.com]

Early this morning I did cold compress into my left foot, it was very painful but to no avail my foot didn’t feel any better, my knee hurts even more especially when I stand up from sitting.

Anyway,  I have feed my cats and dogs at lunch and I accidentally slid with my left foot (like someone push me) while carrying their food, I have already thought of getting a broken bones but surprisingly my foot got better, it fixes my foot and knee, the discomfort was gone and my knee didn’t feel that painful anymore. I have wonder how did I slid but I didn’t think much of it anymore, I am just thankful that it made my foot and knee better.

My back still hurting though, I don’t know if it is because of acidity. I was washing the dishes when I tried to burped and puked many times, when I did I tasted acidity in my mouth. I am feeling anxious about my upper back pain because I inhaled a lot of muriatic acid fumes almost a week ago when I cleaned our bathroom and living room. Morbid thoughts about my lungs is disturbing me, huhuhu.