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Sep 29 - Oct. 3, 2012

Hooking-Up with Friends in Manila

Manila Stop-over
I was still blissed-out from my Ilocos experience as I touched down in Manila to meet with friends. Except for that, I was pretty much in domestic mode being happy catching-up with my Dad and squeezing-in a little bit of work. Somehow, the party scene didn't appeal too much...not this time anyway.

Jeanne
I hooked up with my Cebu friend Jeanne who was taking her 200-hour yoga teacher training in Urban Ashram. I was happy for both of us feeling the excitement of what lay ahead. I remarked that we were both hitting our heads on the ceiling as we pursue our growth and development. We'll need a higher ceiling at some point. Her yoga teacher certification will certainly open up new opportunities. I, on the other hand, am already embracing new and promising avenues - motivatinal public speaking (as I have just done in Ilocos), web design workshops (which is what I'll be returning to Cebu for), and getting more serious about teaching yoga. Jeanne and I agreed to meet exactly after one year to take stock at the transformation in the last 365 days.

Tony
Tony and I go back since high school. Although we didn't hang-out regularly, we manage to be within each other's orbit specially during my short Manila visits. We've become very different since our high school goofiness. As much as we celebrate and talk about the nostalgia of high school, we are also grounded in the here-and-now, mindful of the roles we currently play. For lack of an exciting word, I guess the friendship is maturing and developing dimension as we appreciate each other's uniqueness.

Jan
Jan and I have become good buddies since we met at our first 10-day silent Vipassana meditation in Cavite in Aprl 2009. We don't hang-out much, but we get together on Vipassana events and make effort finding time to talk and chill. We talk about many things mostly centered on pragmatic and esoteric spirituality, outdoor adventures, wealth building and life issues (of course!). We were talking and eating for 9 marathon hours by the time we parted ways. Yes, I think we've become better friends this time :)

Ending Thoughts
The last 3 months have been a whirlwind of work, deadlines, events, travels, socials and there are more lined-up to fill my calendar to year's end. I haven't been this busy since my corporate days. But true to what I always maintain about traveling, at the end of the day, after the waterfall, after the hike and after the good-eats, what lingers is the people-connection. Snobbish to say, but I choose the energies I allow within my space. The ones who resonate, I take with me on my journey.

--- TheLoneRider