Liham Froi Dencio 15:00

Ms. S,

Hi?

Hindi ko alam kung papaano magsisimula. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang unang sasabihin ko, kung ano ba ang dapat na sabihin sa taong hindi ko pa nakikita sa personal. Hindi ko alam kung paano ko ipapakilala ang sarili ko, dahil sa totoo lang, sa tuwing naiisip ko na gagawin ko, nawawala ang mga salitang akma sa kung ano ang nararamdaman ko.

Hi.

Dalawang letra ng alpabeto sa wikang Ingles. Hindi ko alam kung anong salita ang katumbas sa Filipino. Madali lang sanang sabihin gamit ang internet, pero mas pinili kong sabihin sayo sa pamamagitan ng liham na ito. Hindi ko alam kung anong pangungusap ang isusunod ko, o kung anong wika ang gagamitin ko. Ang alam ko, sa mga salitang nabubuo ng mga titik at mga salitang bumubuo ng mga pangungusap, nagkakaroon ng pagkakataon ang isang taong sabihin ang nasa puso niya. Isulat ang nararamdaman niya. At ipabatid sa iba ang nasa isip niya.

Hi.

Ako nga pala si Froi. Pangalan daw na kinuha pa sa lolo kong namayapa na. Gusto kong makipagkilala sayo. Alam ko na medyo out-of-the-blue, pero gusto ko rin na malaman mo na umiiral ako.  That I exist, sabi nga sa Ingles. Isa lang naman akong simpleng tao. Hindi naman kagwapuhan, pero naliligo naman ako. Mabait, magalang at matulungin, sabi ng nanay ko. Katulad din ng ibang tao, katulad mo, may pangarap. May mga inaasam. May mga hugot sa buhay. May mga pinapasan. May mga likes and dislikes. May mga katanungang nais ding masagot.

Hi.

Marahil nagtatanong ka kung paano ko nalaman ang pangalan mo at kung paano ka umagaw sa atensyon ko. Facebook, sabi nga ni Mark Zuckerberg. Sa ilang litrato nakita kitang kasama ng mga dati kong guro. Sa ilang litrato ring iyon sumidhi ang interes kong makilala ka.

Inipon ko ang lakas… (Mukhang weird pagTagalog). I gathered all the courage I can muster to say hi to you. At nabuo ang liham na ito. Hindi man ito ang tipo ng “Hi” na makikita sa mga chatbox, nais kong malaman mo na ang dalawang letrang iyan ang nagbigay sa akin ng pagkakataong simulang magsulat ng mga salitang bumubuo sa pangungusap,  mga pangungusap na bumubuo ng mga talata at mga talatang bumuo ng liham na ito upang ipabatid sa iyo na gusto kitang makilala. Higit pa sa kung ano lang ang nakikita ng mata sa litrato, o kung ano lang ang ipinapakilala ng mundong kung tawagin ay Internet. 

Pagpasensyahan mo na ako kung medyo may sa pagkamakata yung sulat ko. Buwan daw kasi ng wika, at muli mong binuhay ang dugong makabayang nananalaytay sa aking mga ugat (naks!). Sa kabila ng apat na raan, tatlumpu’t siyam na salitang nasabi ko na, nais ko lang iparating mula sa sulok na ito ng mundo ang “Hi” ko na bagaman binubuo lang ng dalawang letra ng alpabeto, higit pa ang kahulugan sa nilalaman ng sulat ko. Ang lubos na makilala ka. At magkaroon din ng pagkakataong ang isang abang tulad ko ay makilala mo.

-Froi

Hometown Getaway: Liang Beach and Suba River Froi Dencio 05:56

Na-miss ko ang magblog!

Nakakamiss ang cyberspace. Ang essence ng blogosphere. Medyo nakakatamad lang talaga nitong nakaraang buwan dahil walang inspirasyon, walang internet sa barko, at walang pumapasok sa utak ko. Nang nakababa naman ako, naggagala, na-busy sa pag asikaso ng Bachelor's Degree, gala ulit, sumubok manligaw/mabasted, gala ulit, at nabi-busy sa review. At ngayon, nagrereview pa rin.

Kamakailan ko lang naayos ang tambak nang mga pictures at videos sa computer ko. At kanina ko lang naayos ang isa sa mga video ng mga gala ko. Sabi nga nila, "a picture is worth a thousand words," sabi ko naman versus pictures, a video is worth a thousand more. Kaya ngayon, isa ang travel vid na 'to sa mga pinaggagagawa ko nitong nakaraan.

Narealize ko na hindi ko na pala kailangang lumayo para hanapin ang gusto kong getaway. Nasa sariling hometown ko lang pala, sa Bicol. Baka ganun din siguro si Poreber, wala sa malayo, nasa malapit lang. (naks!)

Anyway, eto na talaga. Liang Beach at Suba, sa Sta. Magdalena, Sorsogon. Kasama ang mga tunay na may dugong marino, napasisid din ako. At sakaling magawi ka roon, I'll be glad na maging tour guide mo. (Basta naroon din ako.)😄 😁 😆 

Note: No animal was harmed in the making of this video.

Accomplished: Bicol Getaway and Trumpets Challenge Froi Dencio 06:30

      What will happen if your friends are as crazy as you are?

      We all experienced few boring months on board and we decided to go channel our inner Enrique Gil and Maja Salvador during our eight-day Bicol Getaway. From  Sta. Magdalena, Sorsogon to Pili, Camarines Sur; whether it's on top of a hill or deep inside a cave, walang makakapigil sa aming sumayaw.

     Check our travel video below, and please be reminded that you need to take an extra caution when taking a bath on a hot spring. :)

A Prelude To Another Vacation: Port Moresby Froi Dencio 03:14

We have the tendency to become afraid of things we do not know. The fear of the unknown somehow lingers on our minds despite the current advancement of  technology. Be it because of what we heard or read, that fear is being magnified by stories from other people that turned out to be full of either exaggerations or personal opinion with no basis on actual facts. However, that fear stops when we are able to prove that such stories are nothing less than urban legends and rumors far from the truth.

I was actually afraid of making a transit in Papua New Guinea. I have read about road crimes, security guards being knock-out by thieves at night, malaria, and other things that apparently makes PNG  a dangerous place in South Pacific. I have heard some of my crew mates telling stories about people throwing rocks on taxis, people roaming around the city with their bolos and cannibals in the mountains. I have had so much of those stories that it somehow instilled fear on me, and I almost choose to stay in the hotel until our flight back to Manila despite our two-day stay and my plans of doing few sight-seeing in Port Moresby.

Things turned out to be different when we disembarked last Saturday (June 4). There are some roads under construction on our way to the city and few people sitting by the roadside waving at us. I didn't feel threatened at all, instead, I was surprised to find out that Port Moresby is similar to some areas back in the Philippines. When we arrived at the hotel, we were welcomed by the hospitable ambiance and hotel personnel who immediately attended to our luggage.

Isang Balik-tanaw sa Tag-init Froi Dencio 01:14

Ganitong-ganito rin ang panahon noon. Mainit at nakakapaso. Malinaw pa sa alaala ko ang huni ng mga duli-duling nakadapo sa puno ng dapdap malapit sa amin. Akala ko sumisigaw sila dahil tulad namin, naiirita rin sila sa init. Ilang taon pa ang lumipas bago ko nalaman na humuhuni pala sila upang makahanap ng possible mate. Parang simpleng love story. Kumanta si lalaki ng pag-ibig niya kay babae, na-in love si babae. And they live happily ever after. Napaisip tuloy ako, kung boses lang ba ang batayan ng pag-ibig, mamahalin mo ba ako[crush] at magiging tayo? (Naks!)

Madalas din kaming manatili noon sa bahay ng lolo ko sa kabundukan, mga dalawa hanggang tatlong oras na lakaran mula sa bahay namin sa paanan ng bundok. Minsan, buong tag-init kaming nakatira doon at luluwas lang kapag malapit na ang pasukan. Tuwang-tuwa na kami noon sa pamumulot ng mga nahulog na niyog at pili nuts na ibinebenta  namin upang makaipon ng perang makakadagdag sa pambili ng mga gamit pangeskwela. Maliban sa pamumulot, nakagawian din naming lantakan ang mga  bayabas at kakaw na hitik sa bunga sa daan pauwi sa bahay ni lolo. Umuuwi kaming mahapdi ang dila noon sa kakasipsip ng buto ng kakaw.

Pokus Froi Dencio 08:13

        Binilang ako ang oras na ginugugol ko sa mga social networking sites sa isang araw at lumalabas na halos anim na oras at tatlumpung minuto akong nakatanga at nagpapaka-stress sa mga nakikita ko sa laptop at sa cellphone sa buong maghapon.

*****

            Dahil alam ko naman na walang kahihinatnan ang mga pinagagagawa ko, minabuti ko na lang na mag-OC mode simula Abril uno. Nilinis ko ang kwarto ko, tinapon ang mga basurang dalawang linggo nang hindi nagagalaw at nag-ayos ng mga gamit. Tinago ko rin si lappy, nilalabas lang kung kailangan at sinimulan na ang puspusang workout. Kailangan na talagang magtino. Para sa bayan. Para sa ekonomiya.

*****

          Four percent fluent na daw ako sa Spanish sabi ng Duolingo, isang language learning app. Mga ilang linggo na rin simula nang ginamit ko ito, at nakakatulong nga naman sa pag-improve ng bokabularyo. Kailangan ko na rin talagang magseryoso sa pag aaral ng Espanyol, dahil kung hindi, hindi ko makakausap ng matino ang mga naging kaibigan ko sa Livemocha. Nakakalungkot lang dahil isa-shutdown na daw ito sa 22.

*****

          Gumawa na ako ng schedule ng mga aktibidades at mga kailangang tapusin para makumpleto na ang mga requirements ko para sa plano kong pagkuha ng license examination sa susunod na taon. Andame ko nang nasasayang na oras sa barko, at kailangan na talagang magpokus para matapos ang mga iyon.

*****

           Naglakas-loob ako na i-message si crush. Kaso seen daw sabi ni Facebook. Ok lang. Mukhang ayaw nya naman ng sustento buwan-buwan. De, joke lang.hehehe

*****

           Anim na taon na pala akong wala sa isang seryosong relasyon. Magiging halaman na kaya ako?

*****

         Pakiramdam ko naadik na ako sa kakapanood ng mga malalaswang pelikula. Dahil ba sa walang magawa, o dahil sa hormones? Basta alam ko hindi maganda ang nagiging epekto. Naapektuhan ang mental processes ko. At nakakaramdam ako ng panlulumo. 

Porque Froi Dencio 20:25

I want to stay silent like I did the last time but I just can't.

I still feel bad of what I had said and done, but I keep on looking at the big picture: it's for the better.

I feel bad for having to decide to burn bridges and to let go of a new-found friend, a fellow who I shared same sentiments and interests. Whom I had planned to travel with. Whom I told that I could be with watching the starry night sky.

Maybe we started to look at things differently, or we already had since the beginning?

Maybe we blamed each other yet pointed at the Universe.

Maybe we tried reaching the speed of light and arrived at a point of no return.

You said that you are already happy and at peace in your own world, and then I came, disrupted it. You said that you are not angry, you are already tired. You thought I never cared at all.

True, I came to your world, but did you ever think I shared mine too? I opened up my doors, I also let you in. But what I did seemed to be never enough for you.

I decided to leave not because I didn't care. I thought that I might hurt you more if I will prolong the time for you to hope on something undefined and uncertain. I decided on things because you became part of my world and you mean to me as well.

Like what you thought, I was also looking forward to how things will unfold. I'm not numb, I can feel how others around me feel. But then you decided to trigger a catalyst, I was unable to respond immediately. I felt a lot of things. I was so overwhelmed that I had to get myself together before I can make a response without hurting someone. I felt that things seemed to be in rush, when we only spent countable times together.

I have hoped that little by little we can build a world with our circle of friends in it.

But perhaps, you valued time more than I, and I am not ready to receive a love I cannot immediately reciprocate.




Port Moresby,
February 2016

Throwback: My Week-long Mindanao Escapade Froi Dencio 01:03

         I threatened my best friend that I will go right in front of his house if he refuse to reply to my emails and Facebook messages.  I resorted into telling him that because I was really clueless on what had happened to him and I just received news from one of my batch mates that he will no longer work on board a ship. I sent messages one after another expressing my concern, but all appeared to be just being read or "seen" like how they say it on Facebook. So, two days after telling him that I will actually go to Mindanao, he replied. He told me that he is currently facing some personal problems and he shut himself from the outside world. He told me what had happened, why he will stop pursuing his maritime career, and why he chose to go on hiatus for quite some time. After learning his current situation, I started my long reply of consolation with these words: "Anaknampotek, kelan ka natutong magdrama?!"

        Well, to cut the long story short, I really did went to Mindanao for the very first time. Since I will be spending a week there, I also took the opportunity to meet a friend who was my text mate for almost four years (This would also be the first time that I will be meeting her in person). I thought that since I'll be seeing both of them, it would be great if we can all have a get together, set our problems aside for the moment and experience the beauty of Mindanao. It would be hitting two birds in one shot. So, right after I disembarked my previous vessel, I booked a flight to Davao for the last week of September and spent few weeks first in Bicol then Manila while waiting for that scheduled flight.

That is one hell of a durian back there, amigo.

Why I Believe in God Froi Dencio 17:41

       

        "I don't think we still need God or religion. Science can already explain everything."

         It was the remark of one of the captains I've been with on my second vessel.  Even though most of the crew were celebrating Christmas downstairs, he chose to stay on the bridge to be on the watch. I was also the watchman during that time, so after eating to my heart's content, I went to the bridge to resume with my duties. Little did I know that I will have a conversation with our captain that will cover things such as beliefs and ideologies.

         He is an atheist. He told me that he would choose not to celebrate Christmas on board if not for the sake of respecting the beliefs of other crew members. He said that science paved way for people to be free of the clutches of myths that hindered advancement. I listened to him as he enumerated how science overtook religion from one way to another. I want to argue with him, but given my position on board, I just listened and tried to understand his point of view.

Random sa Bisperas ng Balentayns Froi Dencio 01:35

Excited na ako sa magiging luto sa ampalaya bukas!

         Valentine's na bukas pero nasa barko pa rin ako. Naalala ko nang nakaraang taon, nakapunta ako ng Dangwa para mamili ng bulaklak. Nang pauwi na (sa Fairview) medyo malayo nilakad ko at nakipambuno pa sa pagsakay sa bus. Nakarating naman ng di masyadong lamog ang mga bulaklak sa mga pagbibigyan. Doon ko na-realize na pwede pala akong maging delivery boy.

******

         Valentine's na bukas. Sabi ni second cook magluluto daw siya ng ampalaya. Iniisip ko naman kung anong magandang luto sa ampalaya. Yung usual na me itlog ba o ihahalo lang sa pinakbet? Wish ko lang na 'wag niyang kilawin ang ampalaya bukas.

******

         Valentine's na bukas. Pero ngayon pa lang andame nang PBB teens sa FB. Post ng mga bulaklak. Mga hart hart kuno. Mga pumuporeber. Bakit ba kasi nagiging overrated na ang February 14?!

******

         Nitong nakaraang araw me nakita akong post na picture ng "boypren" di umano ng sis ko. Naka-tag kay sis, me nakalagay na "Happy 5th Monthsary Mahal Koh." Yes, may "h" ampotek. Nag init mukha ko at nag-comment lang ng "Edi waw!" saka me emoji ng kamao at bungo.

******

         Dahil dun nakapagpost pa ako ng ganito sa wall ko: "Sa galit ko ngayon makakagawa ako ng atomic bomb mula sa tiniktik na kalawang. Tapos lalagyan ko ng ribbon. Then send ko senyo sa Valentine's."

******

         Sa kabila ng nag-aalab na damdamin nitong nakaraan, nakakatuwa rin dahil nakatanggap ako ng magandang balita. Approved na ang promotion ko. Yay!

******

         Valentine's na bukas pero nasa kwarto lang siguro ako ng buong maghapon. Magmo-movie marathon siguro o matutulog lang. O magpe-pretend lang  na ako ay isang bubuyog na nasa bingit na ng insanity dahil walang makitang bulaklak sa paligid.



Photo: Google Images

Unnamed Froi Dencio 08:14

          I looked at the porthole for a long time. There, a small white pot planted with a succulent leaf caught my attention. How long has it been when I planted it there? Weeks? Months? I couldn’t really remember. As I went near the plant for closer examination, I saw that molds grew around the leaf, some part were already eaten out to rot. I knew from that moment that hoping for the plant to live is futile, and it’s only a matter of time for its very existence to cease.

         It’s my fourth time to be in a commercial vessel. And in every vessel, I always make sure to raise a plant, give it a name, and talk to it sometimes like it’s a real person. Pretty crazy huh? Believe me. When working on a ship, you will somehow awaken that craziness inside of you from time to time.

         As I said before, it is my fourth time to be in a commercial vessel. Yet, I managed to grow a plant on board for the fifth time. That fifth plant was the one I placed near the porthole. I watered it as necessary, tilled the soil and bathed it in sunlight.  When the first roots became visible, I was overjoyed. I was excited for it to grow. I was excited that somehow, when it turn into a small shrub, it will take away the gloom of my room.

         That excitement turned into sadness when I saw that death became imminent for the poor plant. I already pictured out how lovely it will turn out to be, teeming with life in its small niche overlooking the blue ocean. I already imagined how it will make a small difference: an escape from my exhaustive day’s job and how it will make me smile on days that I might feel sad. So much with the expectations I burdened this small plant that it seemed to have given up on itself.

         I wondered where I had gone wrong in the past months for it not to continue to grow. I remembered how I carefully sifted the soil in its pot. I have made sure that it is neither too wet nor too dry. I did everything that I know in rearing this type of plant but this very moment proved that all my efforts are in vain.

         And then I realized that all this time I didn’t gave the plant a name. It’s quite weird because I named all the plant I had in the previous vessel, except for this one. How come I wasn’t able to name it when I cannot contain my excitement for it to grow? Perhaps I was too occupied with my expectations and my vision of the future that I forgot naming it. Perhaps subconsciously, I decided that I will name it when it is full grown, with leaves, flowers and all. A name doesn’t matter now though. Soon, it will wither and die and rot in the soil.

         I looked at the plant and felt the melancholy once again. This time, things were reflected on myself. I grew up believing that I always have a green thumb.  The belief that I can grow a plant no matter how harsh an environment could be turned out to be just a mere delusion. I was wrong to assume that I can and I will always be able do such feat. I was so full of myself until a slap of reality brought me back to my senses and made me realize that there is no such thing as a perfect ability. 

           That realization and the memories that had happened in the past days enveloped my room in a gloomy atmosphere. It's inevitable. I closed the curtains of the porthole and decided to lay down for a moment. Staring blankly at the ceiling, I knew that everything will no longer be the same. 

Love Yourself Froi Dencio 05:56

           Hindi ako fan ni Justin Bieber. Nagkataon lang na napanood ko ang cover ni Kristel. Simula nun na-LSS na ako sa kanta. At sinubukang sabayan ang instrumental mula sa YouTube:

All the times that you rained on my parade

And all the clubs you get in using my name

You think you broke my heart

Ohhh girl for goodness sake

You think I'm crying

Oh my ohhh, well I ain't!

Well I didn't wanna write a song

'Cause I didn't want anyone thinking I still care, I don't

But, you still hit my phone up

And baby I be moving on

And I think you should be somethin' I don't wanna hold back

Maybe you should know that

My mama don't like you and she like's everyone

And I never like to admit that I was wrong

And I've been so caught up in my job

Didn't see what's going on

But now I know

I'm better sleeping on my own

'Cause if you like the way you look that much

Ohhhh baby you should go and love yourself

And if you think that I'm still holdin' on to somethin'

You should go and love yourself.

8 Things That I Always Look Forward To When Returning Home Froi Dencio 01:41

         Being a seafarer means being away from home for months. And that being said, seafarers always look forward to returning home for vacation. They might get excited to see their families and friends. They might be looking forward to their ongoing projects or things they allot their hard-earned money to. Or, maybe they might just be hoping to spend their vacation at home or someplace that will relieve their mind and body of any stress from those long contracts at sea.

          As for me, there are few things that I always look forward to in our small town prior to my vacation. Though it is situated on the southernmost tip of Sorsogon (with the nearby town of Matnog), our town, Sta. Magdalena has a lot to offer and is worthy of being called a hidden paradise.

1. The Simple Way of Life. If not for the numerous training and processing of documents during vacation, I would rather choose to stay at home, take a nap under the mango tree and listen to the sounds of nature. Still, even though I have to spend some time in the city, I always see to it that I have time to be at our small hut by the rice fields. 

2. The Local Delicacies. Being on vacation enables you to taste your childhood favorite foods again and again. Since foods that are being cooked on board is only limited to the available provisions and the skill of the cook, I always tell my mother to prepare some local snacks like hinagom, muron, binot-ong, and putong kamoteng-kahoy when I am at home. In addition to that, I enjoy honing my cooking skills again by preparing local dishes like laing or pinangat, kinagang and linunti na pili.

3. The Beaches. Yes. Beaches. You may ask why look forward to beaches when you spend a lot of time at sea? Of course, because beaches offer both leisure and relaxation, something that you cannot attained by jumping off a pool of seawater on a ship. 

4. Chilies! I like spicy foods and labuyo (local red pepper) never fails to satiate my longing for spiciness. Even if food on board offers a variety of spicy foods, nothing can still compare to foods at home seasoned with labuyo.

5. Waterfalls. Our small town is blessed with waterfalls concealed within the forest canopy. During my childhood years, I would venture deep into the forest, tracing the rivers and finding hidden waterfalls. When I grew older, my urge to do waterfall hunting still drives me do some trekking, with my barkadas at home this time.

6. Gamefowls. No, don't get me wrong. I do not get myself involve in raising fowls for cockfight purposes when on vacation. Though we have few  roosters at home, I only look forward to them doing the Tiktilaok! wake-up call.

7.  Books. I may not be endowed with riches but I considered them my prized possessions. With today's digital age, paper books seemed to be outdated but for me, the feeling of touching and scanning through pages of a paper book is definitely irreplaceable. I have two medium size boxes full of books and I always check on them every time I get home for vacation.

8. Last but not the least, Quality Time With The Family. Being a seafarer also means being unable to be with your family on important events and occasions. Hence, during the short period of time that I will be spending my vacation with my family, I make sure that we have a quality time together, be it out of the town or just a small salu-salo at home. Most of the time, when I am on board, I would think of the places where our family can enjoy and have meaningful bonding moments together when I return home.

         Now you see, those things I mentioned above are the ones that make me look forward to returning to our small town. There really is, no place like home. How about you? What are the things that you look forward to when returning home?

Stack of books photo: Google Images

Looking Back and Moving Forward Froi Dencio 01:43

I summon all the forces of the Universe! Be great 2016!
(Nung minsang gumala ako sa Kublai Art Garden.)

Travel. Work. Land. Sea.

Four words to sum up my 2015. Last year may not be as exciting as the previous years for me but it was, unique in its own way. I was able to travel as far as Mindanao, worked with the best people I have met so far, strengthened bonds with friends both online and offline, and spent quality time with my family despite the limited number of vacation days on land. However, my life last year was not always at the zenith.

I spent most of my time at sea, where I experienced the lowest point in my life so far.

I reflected on life and attempted to make a sudden change.

I procrastinated time and time again and regretted the outcomes afterward.

I still went to the alternate universe I had created and sinned.

2015, I guess, made me realize that I have to take a closer look to my actions. It made me rethink about what I want to do with my life. That I need to change my way of doing things, start looking at the world in a new perspective and live life to the fullest. That I need to learn as much as I can and make good use of knowledge to make sound decisions.

Last year may already be in the past but it paved way for improvements in 2016. More than long list of resolutions, it made me think of things to look forward to this year:

Continue reading non-fictions.

Collect books on religion, history, maritime and language.

Strengthen my relationship with God.

Meaningful travels with people who matter.

Live, Love and Laugh.

At Twenty-three Froi Dencio 23:29

I remember the time when I was young.
When I looked at the world in awe,
when I read books and traveled far.

I remember the time when my curious mind would ask.
How come stars form figures in the sky?
How come we have day and night?

I was full of questions then and was eager to learn.
I would read and read and read.
I would ask anyone about anything.

And then the time came when everything turned different.
I continued to ask not anyone, but just myself.
I have traveled far but found no relief.

What happened to that young child in me?
What happened to those good old days?
What happened to awe and curiosity?


And then I would wish to go back to the time when I was young,
When books are enough to reach distant lands;
When simple answers are enough to satisfy my mind.





Photo: Google Images

Water Lilies, A New-Found Friend and My Lake Sebu Experience Froi Dencio 01:45

The sun tried to shed its light on the lake despite the clouds.

          "To, ano nga ulit pangalan mo?"

          "Kenken po."

          "Ilang taon ka na? Nag-aaral ka pa?"

          "Thirteen po. Opo. Grade seven."

          "Nag-aalaga kayo ng tilapia diba?"

          "Opo."

          "Sa palengke nyo dinadala?"

          "Hindi po, dyan lang sa Punta Isla."

          Our conversation went this way as the wooden boat traversed the placid waters of Lake Sebu. I asked a lot of questions and he answered all of them shyly, blurting few words each time. I was thankful that he agreed to let me ride his boat to go to the part of the lake where water lilies are full abloom. 

Kenken's an early riser. He was already on the lake before I got there.

          It was actually yesterday when I saw Kenken on his boat with his little sister tending on fish pens that made me ask him if he could let me ride with him too in the morning to watch the rising sun on the lake. Without any hesitation, he agreed. He just told me to be on the lake shore on the other side of Punta Isla by morning.

          I woke up at around five-thirty. I rushed outside to check if the sun already rose. It was cloudy. A thin blanket of mist is visible around the lake. I went back inside our room to get my jacket and proceeded to the place where I'll be meeting Kenken. He was tending their fish pen again. Few minutes later he prepared his boat and rowed toward where I was standing.

The boat's a 'lil bit shaky. Or it's just me?

          "Hindi naman tayo lulubog dito no?" I asked Kenken when I boarded his wooden boat. I tried to maintain my balance. As far as I could remember, the boat I boarded last time, capsized. 

          He answered me with a chuckle and said that he know how to swim anyway. He then started to row and we went past fish pens and few huts near the lake. I found out that T'boli natives, like Kenken are living around the lake. Some of them are raising tilapia for a living.

Fishes love lilies. Men love fishes.

          We waited for the sunrise. Unfortunately, the clouds seemed to grow darker minute by minute. I was not able to catch the sun rise by the lake. The sun appeared only later as a faint ball of yellow sphere overhead.

          I was lucky enough though, to witness the blooming water lilies. It is said that they open their flowers on certain time of the day. Perhaps it was the reason why I only saw buds yesterday; since when I first arrived here, I was hoping to see water lilies in their most beautiful state.

These egrets sure know that food is abundant in the lake.

          After few minutes of picture taking, I told Kenken that we need to return back to the resort. The sky was showing that rain is imminent. He rowed steadily, steering the boat toward the direction of Punta Isla. I found it amazing that at that age, he is already skilled as boatman. His parents seemed to rely on him too to tend their fish pen. His actions showed that he knows by heart the way of life in the lake.

          As we get near the lake shore, I gave him a hundred-peso bill. 

          "Salamat Kenken ha?"

          "Salamat din po dito kuya."

          "Walang anuman. Sana makabalik ulit ako dito sa Lake Sebu. At salamat ulit ng marami. Mag- aral ka ng mabuti ha?"

          "Opo. Mag-aaral po ako ng mabuti."

          I get off the wooden boat and Kenken smiled while rowing away from the resort. I just waved my hand as he went past the water lilies. He is such a nice boy, I thought. I could only wish the best for him and his family. 

          I stood for few minutes to watch the lake, the mountain ranges, the fish pens and the water lilies before I go back to our room. I couldn't help but reflect on the simplicity. The beauty. The peaceful aura. As I turn my back from the lake, I smiled. I will definitely return here sometime in the future.

Water lilies at their most beautiful state. 

Kiss Froi Dencio 02:08

How long has it been since I last kissed somebody?

Has it been weeks? Months? Years?

I'm starting to actually forget what it felt like, not until you asked me to kiss you.

It was weird on my part, but we were both drunk. We just set aside the world for a while, our lips started to meet in passionate lock.

You were more of an aggressive type, so I tried to keep up. Lips to lips. Tongue to tongue. Your hands crawled and caressed my back. Mine went down to your hips. It was as if we both danced to the music made by the waves crashing on the shore and the soft breeze overhead.

From that very moment I felt eternity.

I don't know when we are going to stop, not until I realized that we shouldn't be doing that.

Reasons. Circumstances. Situation. Reality.

I guess I have to thank you for letting me kiss you.

How long has it been? Weeks? Months? Years?

That very night. I was reminded what a kiss felt like. 

Balik-Pinas Random Froi Dencio 08:32

          

Me: Thank you for calling bridge. How may I help you?
Caller: Baba na diyan! Pauwi na tayo!

            Pagkatapos ng anim na buwan na kontrata, dalawang linggong walang internet, at ilang oras na paghihintay ng flight, nakarating kaming buo at ligtas sa Pilipinas. Mabuti na lang at hindi umuulan sa Maynila, dahil umalis kami sa Taiwan na parang binubuhos ang ulan mula sa kalangitan.

*****

              Sa loob ng dalawang linggong walang internet, wala kaming ibang napagkatuwaan kundi ang irecord ang sarili namin at gawan ng parody ang music video ng OST ng Oh My G! Nakakatuwa daw kasi si Janella Salvador.

*****

          Parang napakabilis lang ng anim na buwan. Halos lumipas lang ang araw na di namin namamalayan. Kahit na tila saglit lang ang kontrata namin, nakakatuwa dahil nadagdagan ang kaalaman ko at naging maganda ang samahan namin sa barko, kumpara sa mga nauna kong nasampahan.

Pwede rin naman palang i-imagine na nagwo-wall climbing
 ka habang nakasakay sa Bosun's chair.

*****

          Isang araw pagkarating sa Pilipinas, pinaputulan ko na ang buhok ko. Ipapaputol rin naman iyon ng fleet manager ko kapag nakita niyang ganung kahaba. Maraming nagsabi sa akin na huwag ko munang paputulan, kaso wala eh. Magpapahaba na lang ulit sa susunod na kontrata.

*****

Bago ko pala makalimutan, ang nanalo ng "Lobster Award" ay si....(drum roll please!)

Lobster photo from Google Images

          ............ay silang lahat ng sumagot sa mga katanungan ko. Congratulations kay Sep, Sir Jo, Yccos at Fiel-kun. :) Kitakits tayo sa Sabado sa Megamall!hehe >_<

*****

          Iniisip kong magbakasyon ng apat na buwan. Sana lang talaga ay di ako agad na tawagan ni fleet manager. Gusto kong makapag unwind at ma-enjoy man lamang limitadong panahon ng pananatili ko sa lupa. Sana lang din eh umayon si Panahon at maging maayos ang ilang naka-schedule nang getaway (fingers crossed).

Rhea's Reply Froi Dencio 01:45

 Kuya,

          Alam ko galit ka pa rin sa akin dahil sa nagawa kong kasalanan. Sa tagal ng panahon ako'y nanahimik lamang dahil akoy natatakot at hiyang-hiyang sayo sa aking nagawang kasalanan. At ngayon lang ako nagkalakas ng loob upang humingi sayo ng kapatawaran.

 

           Kuya, sana patawarin mo ako sa lahat ng nagawa kong kasalanan.

 

           Alam ko na para sayo ay mahirap magpatawad lalo pa't sobra ko kayong nasaktan.

           Mapatawad mo man ako alam kong mahirap nang ibalik ang dating pakikitungo mo sa akin. Hindi ako magtatampo kung magbago man iyon . Dahil hindi naman kita masisisi sapagkat ako ang gumawa ng kasalanan. Kuntento na ako kung mapatawad mo man ako. 

          Ikaw na ang naging sandalan ng pamilya buhat ng nawala si Papa.Naging haligi ka na ng tahanan para sa ating mga kapatid. At sa espesyal na araw na ito ako'y bumabati sa iyo ng maligayang kaarawan. Wala man akong materyal na maibibigay sayo lagi naman kitang pinagdadasal na sana lagi kang gabayan ng Diyos sa iyong paglalakbay. Kahit sa isang munting mensahe naipaabot ko sayo ang aking taos pusong-pagbati at paghingi ng KAPATAWARAN.

 

 

 Rhea

 

 

   I was overwhelmed. It was the best birthday present a Kuya could ever receive.                             

Five Things To Do When Boredom Strikes On Board Froi Dencio 00:27

          Boredom happens to anyone. It's a fact. No matter who or wherever you are, there will always be a time that you don't actually have anything to do (aside from breathing). Or you get tired of doing things over and over again. 

          When you are working on board a vessel, boredom is quite worse than when you are working on land. Imagine floating in the middle of the sea seeing nothing but water and clouds for days. Imagine talking to the same person and hearing the same stories for six or nine months. Imagine people watching the same movies again and again that you can already recite the script of the characters. Imagine eating the same food for weeks. 

           Things like that will continue to pester your very existence and then you'll arrive to the point when you can say that sea life is boring. That your job sucks. And eventually, that you are losing your mind and a little more things will turn you insane.

            Of course you will go nuts if you keep on thinking on how boring it is to be a seafarer. Therefore, you have to find a way to make your life for few months at sea a little bit exciting, or if not, less boring. There are books that you can read, games that you can play and areas where you can do some workout. You can also do some music jam (most of the ships have band set) or belt "My Way" to your heart's content without fearing for your life.

           Most of all, there is the Internet (thanks to the technological advancements in seafaring). You can browse, chat, share pictures, post videos, send message, among others. Some ships have strong internet connections that you can even make video calls to your friends or family at home. Sadly, younger generation of seafarers nowadays prefer to stay inside their cabin and face their laptops most of the time than to interact with other crew members.

            Anyway, I already mentioned several things that you can do on board to make your time worthwhile. If those things are not enough, you can do the following when boredom strikes:

             1. Take a selfie, duofie or groufie. Let's face it. It's fun posing for the camera. You might project a serious face, a wacky one or both, but you enjoy the idea of taking pictures of yourself. You may get tired of your crew mate's faces but keeping some photos with them will make you remember your days together and will  provide some crazy throwbacks in the future.

Duofie pa more!

Alamin kung sino ang original bearer ng "The Mole"

             2. Organize a pool party. Make sure to get the approval of higher officers especially the Captain if you are going to organize a pool party. You can also ask the galley department to prepare some drinks/foods. If approved, take off your clothes and dive. Anyways this is applicable to ships with small swimming pools. Don't ever dive if there is none. Ano yun adik lang?

              3. Grow an indoor plant. For those who love plants, you can try your luck growing a small plant inside your cabin as long as it is not an endangered species, something that brings disease or a coconut. 

Dati tatlo lang ang dahon ni Panfilo. Ngayon siyam na!

             4. Encourage your crew mates to show their talents and make impromptu shows from time to time. 

             5. Make a music video. If you come across the latest dance craze or trending songs, why not make an MV or record yourself while lip syncing? Below is our version of Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae) by Silento.  Note: No animal was hurt during the shooting process nor any international law was violated.

          I only mentioned five here but there will always be a thousand ways to do when you feel that boredom is engulfing most of your head. All you need to have is a part of humor, a part of resourcefulness, a part of pakikisama and a perspective of positivism that is innately a Filipino trait that makes us smile despite the odds converging against us. So boredom? Bring it on! I definitely have a lot of tricks  to counter you. :)