Mergrande's Eco Park and thoughts on green spaces

My cousin had his early birthday celebration on Chinese New Year because it was a holiday. We were informed just the day before that it was going to be held at Mergrande Ocean Resort (formerly Villa Victoria). I got excited because I've always wanted to go back after they reopened in 2022. I filmed a walking tour the last time I visited.

During their pandemic closure, Mergrande added the Eco Park, which has among its features a koi pond, a gazebo with swings, an aviary dome, and my favorite, the maze-like Bougainvillea garden. (I recorded my short walk around the garden.)

Mergrande's bougainvillea garden and aviary dome

I expected a lot of people that day. Most of the visitors, however, gathered by the beach and the pool. So my sister and I had the Eco Park all to ourselves after the ladies ahead of us left. It was windy and peaceful, aside from the squawks of the parrots at the aviary. Otherwise, it was the perfect spot to escape the bustle of a party. I was glad my father and uncle followed us inside the park. They chatted while swinging in the gazebo.

How I wish Davao City had more green spaces within its urban area. I grew up here when the city still had a small-town feel, so whenever a tree-covered area was being replaced by a building/mall/subdivision, I always felt a kind of grief for the loss of trees.

In the 80s and early 90s, it was easy to be with nature. It was in our backyards or just a short walk away. Now, to get to the nearest ones would require public or private transportation (Shrine Hills, Mergrande, People's Park, Malagos, Eden in Toril) and they are few and far between. You'd have to go out of the city to visit, guess what, even more resorts! It's a shame public parks are not a thing here.

The Other Bennet Sister

So I finally read The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow, my first book of the year! I particularly sought this out because of an upcoming BBC miniseries adaptation, and was lucky to find a secondhand copy in Shopee last year.

The Other Bennet Sister tells the story of Mary Bennet, the often overlooked middle sister from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. The book is divided into five parts, with part 1 recounting her early childhood and the events of Pride and Prejudice told through Mary's eyes.

In this version, Hadlow gives us a background of why Mary became who she was in the original novel. As a child, she learned (from her own parents nonetheless!) that she had neither beauty, wit, nor charm. And she believed it, so much so that she eventually felt undeserving of anything good. As a result, she retreated into her books and music. This core belief is what drives the story. We follow Mary as she pursues her own path, slowly lets go of the lies she held on to, and finally learns to love herself. And in the process, she finds love, of course.

It's funny that as I was reading this book, I kept recalling things I'd learned from therapy and my readings about mental health. Terms like childhood trauma, emotional neglect... "Mary's aunt is teaching her to reframe her thinking"; "Mary's rewiring her brain", and so on... It felt like an example was laid out before me of how healing happens. And in Mary's case, it was through the help of good and healthy relationships, along with self-compassion, that she was finally able to come out of her shell. Mary definitely deserved her own happy ending.

The book is quite long (655 pages!), but if you love Jane Austen and do not mind reading derivative works or fan fiction, then this is for you.

Dónal Finn and Ella Bruccoleri in The Other Bennet Sister (BBC)

I also cannot wait for the TV series! The first-look photos and teaser released last December all looked promising. I'm so looking forward to watching Dónal Finn's (Mat Cauthon in A Wheel of Time) portrayal of Tom Hayward.

Snapshot of 2025, Hopes for 2026

How time flies! It's almost the end of January. I started the year a bit weak, but the Lord is merciful, I feel much better now.

The last year has not been good to me: my anxiety came back, and then I was diagnosed with endometriosis --- a bad combination for health anxiety. I was sick almost every month with either the flu or digestive issues.

I also got into talk therapy, which helped me somewhat to not lose my way to healing. But then I sometimes felt invalidated when my health issues were dismissed as just anxiety.

For my endometriosis, I was given medicine called dienogest, a synthetic progesterone, which helped ease menstrual pain. However, last December, I was bleeding almost every day. It was not heavy, but I got worried because I was prone to low hemoglobin.

So came early January, I went back to my gyn, but she only gave me more meds to stop the bleeding. I asked if I could stop dienogest, and she told me to just finish the remaining pack, which was not for another two weeks. I sought the advice of another gyn, same thing. The meds for bleeding worked for only two days, then it came back. After four more days of bleeding, I decided to stop dienogest and not finish the pack.

A day after stopping, I had like a regular period. By this time I was already pale, so aside from iron supplements, I made sweet potato tops juice, ate more iron rich food. Thankfully within five days the bleeding stopped.

I don't know how long it would take for my body "normalize". The doctors warned me the menstrual pain would come back and the cyst might grow. Yet I have been dealing with dysmenorrhea for more than 30 years now. I'm already in my 40s. I would rather choose a few more years of pain than taking medicine with all its side effects (mental health included).

I've read some success stories of lifestyle changes lessening pain and other symptoms. That's what I'm trying out right now. Maybe it will help, if not, then at least I tried.

Last year I was frozen, stalled, fearful. So I hope for a joyful, more active 2026. I always pray for guidance in this life full of uncertainties. It's a daily struggle, but as long as I'm making even the smallest progress everyday, then all is well. God bless us all!