43 Years

We didn't have anything prepared for my birthday last week. We had no time to plan because things had been busy the previous few days. So it was a normal lunch at home after attending noontime Mass.

My sister, however, really wanted to go out because she filed for leave. She insisted on having a snack at Azuela Cove in Lanang, but it was too far, so I suggested places in Juna instead. She was not interested.

While looking at Google Maps again, I rediscovered the French farm-to-table restaurant in Tacunan called Tomate Cerise. This was formerly called La Fermette, and I have always wanted to go there. I showed it to her, and voilà! Instead of going far north through the city traffic, we'd go far south to the more rural part of Davao.

Inside Tomate Cerise, Tacunan, Davao City

My father was a little sick, so he stayed home; it was only us sisters with Mama.

The distance was totally worth it. The place was cozy, the air fresh, the staff helpful, and the food nice and a bit different from the usual offerings of restaurants popping up around the city. If it didn't rain, we could have enjoyed the surrounding area a bit more.

A generous serving of salad. I didn't know I could just pick and eat bougainvillea flowers.

The highlight of the trip, however, was chatting with the drivers during our rides. The taxi driver going to Tacunan questioned our choice to travel that far just to have a snack. When the taxi entered the compound of the restaurant, he exclaimed, "Mura ma'g manukan!" (It looks like a chicken coop/farm!)

Our Grab driver going home detoured inside a subdivision in Catalunan Grande. It was where he grew up, and he pointed to the house of his father.

When we got home, my father told us Kuya Jay from Bohol visited. We invited him again to visit the following day.

* * *

From the Mass that day:

"Fasting is the prayer of the body," the priest said in his homily. He also added that this Lent, we should strive to fast from the 3Ps: pleasure, possession, and power.

I am grateful for another year. <3

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.