BBakawan's Silver Voyage: The 25th Post

"Lord renew my mind, as your will unfolds in my life. In living everyday, by the power of Your love."

Today's the day.

It's time to retire the blog, Biyaheng Bakawan. The inspiration and decision came today, Sunday, a day after my one year, seventh monthsary in Thailand. It was a lovely church service, the Gospel was about love. Jesus is telling his disciples, "Remain in me, and I shall remain in you. Let your love be in me, so your joy may be complete." On top of that, the young Thai priest's homily included an impromptu rendition of The Beatles's "I Will". Of course, it was a Filipino choir that mass, so we had a mini-concert in between the Gospel and the Creed.

The serenity and serendipity of today's service, and the consolation I received about my state of mind, allowed me to say, "Ok, BB Chronicles, it's time to sail home." I know, and I feel, that my mangrove journey has reached its peak; it has arrived at its destination.

I won't stop chasing mangroves, nor will I stop writing or learning about them. It's just that 'Biyaheng Bakawan' carried so much baggage from my old journey that the vessel needs to retire. I won't scuttle this ship just yet, but I am anchoring it at the dock--for the meantime. It'll be there to be visited, to be looked back on, and to be reminisced about.

Mangroves have certainly been the centerpiece of my life journey until now. The mangrove quest brought me places I've never seen, allowed me to meet people I never thought I'd see, and enabled me to go beyond recognized limits. The greatest gift that the dream of chasing mangroves brought, is the joy that Christ promised: incarnate in my love and life-partner, husband Philippe. If not for this bakawan dream, I wouldn't have gone to New Zealand to study (I wouldn't have met him); I wouldn't have gone to Asia to work (he wouldn't have followed and proposed); and I wouldn't have dared to dream again (us charting a new life together). Ah yes, my life is like a propagule--the tides bring me to fertile ground and let me germinate in good soil.

So my BB followers, many thanks for following this journey. 25 posts is silver for me, and that is a good number. I'll let you know when the next journey begins. I stand at the edge of the mangrove forest, looking out into the sea. What's next you say? Find out with me. The adventure continues!  

(This last blog entry is dedicated to my EnviScience batchmates, Ateneo BSES 2001: rachel, len, nin, joyce, rica, drey, and noe. My fellow travellers back at the Manila Observatory, back when we were young, and restless, and full of dreams. We still are, by the way, blazing our own trails, wherever we are...)

Captain's Log: The Maiden Voyage

I begin this blog in a land away from my native home, and in a language not originally my first.

This is a recognition of a call I have been ignoring for so long, isang pagkilala sa katotohanan na ang siyang dapat isulat ay dapat nang isulat.

Since the language of my heart is Filipino Tagalog, I shall occassionally write in Tagalog (there are some things best expressed in Tagalog). Yet since the language of my mind is Filipino English, majority of what I write shall be in English. My basic education was greatly carried out in American English; so while I am in great awe of British English, most of my writing will reflect my schooling.

I am thankful to those who encouraged me in beginning a "blog". I am thankful to those who shall take the time reading entries. I am normally averse to anything beyond the comforts of pen gliding across paper, but in the 21st century, one must be a continuously evolving knowledge worker. Hence my openness to starting this "blog".

Mabuhay ka, Kaibigan, kung sino ka man. Umaasa akong sasamahan mo ako sa paglalakbay na ito.

Tara, biyahe tayo.