It's been around a week since we got back from Bohol, my mom, Dan, and I. It's embarrassing and sad to say that the last time I was in Bohol was lola's funeral. I feel bad every time there's a reunion I can't attend. No, really bad. Bohol is my favorite place on Earth, and is the home of one of my favorite people.
When we arrived I barely got to rest and the next thing I knew, I was in Baclayon Church for the baptism ceremonies of my newest nephew and inaanak, Magnus, my cousin Karen's second boy.
I'm a Muslim. But my Christian relatives only show me kindness. There's no religion with family.
Four years ago Karen made me attend her wedding as one of her bridesmaids; this year she made me ninang. Normally, Muslim and Christian traditions wouldn't allow that. But there are things more valuable than tradition. (I stand out like a sore thumb in a Catholic church though. I have no idea what to do at what moment. But hey, as I said, there are things more important than that.)
Baclayon Church
Karen, Mommy and Magnus' grandma, Auntie Zaida
And that was only the first day!
The next day was the celebration for Uncle Pol's 25th year as a priest, which was the main event of our reunion. If I was instant ninang on Magnus's binyag, I was instant emcee, dancer and singer at the program for Uncle Pol. I suck at emceeing even if people don't believe me (kasi nga raw, magaling sa English), and I don't like dancing in public. But anyway, I wasn't the only one who was pressured into doing things.
hehe, go Uncle Noy
with my co-host from Israel, haha (my cousin Adon)
Things got even better on the third day, which was spent touring Bohol on bus. If you want to imagine the size a family of fifteen can amount to once they get together complete with their own families, imagine the number of people that can fill up a large bus. We visited Sagbayan Peak (I call it the other Chocolate Hills), a butterfly farm (they had great ice cream, LOL, and no, not made of butterflies; there was one butterfly that smelled like chocolate though, not edible), and Loboc River, home of the cutest primates (next to humans, haha), the tarsier.
Sagbayan Peak
dami namin!
For those who bother to ask (like moi), they actually wait for the butterflies to finish their life cycles before they're made displays. They don't kill them.
There was a time when tarsier could be petted by tourists, but it was found out that it shortened their life spans. Now they're for your eyes only, and turn off your camera flash! They're nocturnal. (at least I got to pet them once, they're just so cute and gentle)
If you're wondering why we skipped the beaches, well it's because we have one right in our backyard.
Come and visit Bohol. I want to live here someday.
Plenty of our Bohol pics here.
