"From School to Sto. Niño Church to Japan-Free-Hugs Experience."
Sometimes we (or at least I do) need a bit of a reminder why we’re traveling from place to place and what exactly it is that we’re hoping to find. Sometimes I’ll turn to other backpackers blogs, travel movies, deep thinking and at other times travel quotes are just the thing to get me back on track. But then, unexpected travel is subconsciously sometimes the best reason why we lose one sight of the journey and discover unexpected events in no ordinary time of the day, in no ordinary memory, in no ordinary place and in no ordinary kind of people.
This is my unexpected day!
After school hours at University Of San Carlos follows a tiresome time for me; shrugging here, zizzing there, yawning everywhere. Most people, students by likelihood, tend to call it a day after exhausting sweat and breath under the scorching heat of the sun (Well, it is Sunday of NSTP so hear me out). Going home for a rest gives them the best option to regather their lost vigor. I would have done the same if it were not because of these twosome elated-goer gals, Kulot-san and Solyn-san (above). Who wouldn’t be rapted to go just about somewhere with them on their effervescing enthusiasm? Although I wasn’t swayed much by the make-believe show-off but not with what I feel at the very moment – seems like there’s kinda weird feeling welling inside me, it's like the feeling of going somewhere down the road, on this day. Upon reaching the gate, I was still in the middle of nowhere thoughts re-thinking if should I give them my “GO” signal or what not. Of it, I was hot and bothered taking options ahead. But every time I look at these two in their faces, feels like I’m gravitating towards them like a planetary orbit. Needless to say, they’re just the same as me who’s been enervated from the activity. But, they are showing more than a spike of energy than I expected. So I took a moment of silence and then finally come to a decision. I went with them. From here forward, the story starts to unfold.
Sometimes we (or at least I do) need a bit of a reminder why we’re traveling from place to place and what exactly it is that we’re hoping to find. Sometimes I’ll turn to other backpackers blogs, travel movies, deep thinking and at other times travel quotes are just the thing to get me back on track. But then, unexpected travel is subconsciously sometimes the best reason why we lose one sight of the journey and discover unexpected events in no ordinary time of the day, in no ordinary memory, in no ordinary place and in no ordinary kind of people.
This is my unexpected day!
After school hours at University Of San Carlos follows a tiresome time for me; shrugging here, zizzing there, yawning everywhere. Most people, students by likelihood, tend to call it a day after exhausting sweat and breath under the scorching heat of the sun (Well, it is Sunday of NSTP so hear me out). Going home for a rest gives them the best option to regather their lost vigor. I would have done the same if it were not because of these twosome elated-goer gals, Kulot-san and Solyn-san (above). Who wouldn’t be rapted to go just about somewhere with them on their effervescing enthusiasm? Although I wasn’t swayed much by the make-believe show-off but not with what I feel at the very moment – seems like there’s kinda weird feeling welling inside me, it's like the feeling of going somewhere down the road, on this day. Upon reaching the gate, I was still in the middle of nowhere thoughts re-thinking if should I give them my “GO” signal or what not. Of it, I was hot and bothered taking options ahead. But every time I look at these two in their faces, feels like I’m gravitating towards them like a planetary orbit. Needless to say, they’re just the same as me who’s been enervated from the activity. But, they are showing more than a spike of energy than I expected. So I took a moment of silence and then finally come to a decision. I went with them. From here forward, the story starts to unfold.
Them asking me to go to church wasn’t also pronounced on my schedule. Then there goes me confused at the moment of inertia. It was a piping-hot afternoon and chancing the time to go somewhere I don’t even plan on going to are both out of my league. On the contrary, I also imagined how it feels like staying at the boarding house up until twilight. Being roasted to red, which is very discomforting, would be the least to conclude. Sounds like, I’m caught between a rock and a hard place. Few minutes passed and I come back to my senses. Looks like it was a YES after all. Then the great hangout began.
The length for PUJ travel of about 3km even drowsed me to some more extent. Consequently, losing my gusto and taste of time while slowly winking my eyes to kip. Then subconsciously I decided to wallow at the moment until it took me down to full nap. To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted. And best, to awaken quite lost in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world. After the long sitting ride puts me at mercy athirst and esurient. So we took our late lunch chowing down at the Pongko-Pongko distant to the Sto. Niño Church.
Right after refueling our stomach, we went straight to the church where dedicated mass is celebrated by Christian-faiths which falls usually during Sundays. About an hour and a half it took to finish the ritual. The main celebrants encompass different priests from around the globe. There were about 20+ of them who attended the Sunday celebration. Some claimed to be from France, Africa, India, USA, England, Spain and most dwell in the home country. Too many natives took a time to hear the gospel and be showered upon the sprinkling of the holy water. I then figured it wasn’t just an ordinary day after all. Few mysterious things that have transpired caught my mind into an enigma. To me, that day is like I was called to serve the Lord and go out to see the what beauty the world has to offer by using my friends as instruments. And so I unknowingly did.
Never came to my mind that after such event would meet some Japanese people wearing in white with a logo print on it whilst raising their advocacy encrypted on the placards. This, in time, caught my deep attention. I peruse from a glance that this is a kinda familiar campaign. To think, the words written on an illustration board goes:” Japan loves your country, Free Hug “. This is a Free Hugs Campaign I once had seen from the TV News. I never thought that people of the world, out of the blue, would do such this-like campaign. That feeling you get when you give a hug to someone you’re not acquainted with but, in one way or another, have colored their day with a beautiful smile is worth more than a million gold bars can hold. Every hug you receive feels like it’s “From Japan with love“.
To interpret more deeply, the passage sought to imply “global friendship and world peace“ at the same time. They were like saying “Peace be with you“ in the course of hugging. Those tight gestures also speak that they hope for a “Tighter bonds with each other“. And for every hug there is, I can tangibly feel their strong heartbeat telling that they even wish for a “Stronger heart“ that for every downfall there is we should always learn to rise up again and never do we give up. These may just be my personal interpretation but they could also, might as well, be yours.
In history, the Free Hugs Campaign is a social movement involving individuals who offer hugs to strangers in public places. The hugs are meant to be random acts of kindness — selfless acts performed just to make others feel better. Like how these Japanese acted within the crowd, sure they met exactly what it says to get from the Free Hugs. The International Free Hugs Month is celebrated on the first Saturday of July and continues until August first. And it spells rarely that it happened again here in the Queen City of the South, Cebu, by mid-November. The campaign in its present form was started in 2004 by an Australian man known only by the pseudonym “Juan Mann”. The campaign became famous internationally in 2006 as the result of a music video on YouTube by the Australian band Sick Puppies, which has been viewed over 77,201,754 million times as of November 20, 2015. The man behind the latest YouTube sensation has spoken out for the first time about his global cuddling controversy. Serial hugger Juan Mann describes the free hugs he hands out…as fast-food emotion. His cuddling campaign received an international dose of publicity today, after a clip showing his public displays of affection won a coveted front page spot on the video sharing website.
It began as a simple way for every sad man to find a reason to smile once again. It just so happened to put a smile on the faces of everyone who passed by them and those who stopped to share a Free Hug. This was the day I went around the town giving free hugs to strangers. Upon realizing this short happenstance, it was heart-warming to think that there really are some people who would do things to simply put a smile on someone else’s face. Being with how the world is now, everyone is too busy with their jobs, schoolwork, projects, and more of the like. I would really be surprised if when I was in the womb I was receiving hugs. For my entire life, hugging and getting hugged has been my daydream, one that I have always thought twice about.
I believe in hugs. Hugging is a way of greeting, leaving, and appreciating someone all in one tangible action. Filled with so many meanings, hugging should be essential in everyone’s life just like how the word shalom is a large part of the Jewish language - meaning hello, goodbye, and compassion. While hugging should be done every day, it is usually only kept until necessary like a hidden surprise on a rainy day. This precious gem is still crucial even if not used daily and when used it changes everything. These arms that were constantly being pushed against my body I once thought were my safety blanket, my ever present knowing that someone cared enough to get that close to me when I looked so hideous. Hugging should not be taken for granted or pushed aside. It should not be treated as something insignificant or unnecessary. You do not realize until you need one what hugs do for you. And it wasn’t the experience or the people that wore away the cobwebs in my heart and made me naturally smile, it was the hugs – the day I gave them free to strangers.
© 2015 Brette – The Noesis. Brettethenoesis.wordpress.com | Facebook.com/Gibbrett | Gibbrett.tumblr.com |Quora.com/Gibrbett | Flickr.com/Gibbrett | Follow me @ Bloglovin
The length for PUJ travel of about 3km even drowsed me to some more extent. Consequently, losing my gusto and taste of time while slowly winking my eyes to kip. Then subconsciously I decided to wallow at the moment until it took me down to full nap. To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted. And best, to awaken quite lost in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world. After the long sitting ride puts me at mercy athirst and esurient. So we took our late lunch chowing down at the Pongko-Pongko distant to the Sto. Niño Church.
Right after refueling our stomach, we went straight to the church where dedicated mass is celebrated by Christian-faiths which falls usually during Sundays. About an hour and a half it took to finish the ritual. The main celebrants encompass different priests from around the globe. There were about 20+ of them who attended the Sunday celebration. Some claimed to be from France, Africa, India, USA, England, Spain and most dwell in the home country. Too many natives took a time to hear the gospel and be showered upon the sprinkling of the holy water. I then figured it wasn’t just an ordinary day after all. Few mysterious things that have transpired caught my mind into an enigma. To me, that day is like I was called to serve the Lord and go out to see the what beauty the world has to offer by using my friends as instruments. And so I unknowingly did.
Never came to my mind that after such event would meet some Japanese people wearing in white with a logo print on it whilst raising their advocacy encrypted on the placards. This, in time, caught my deep attention. I peruse from a glance that this is a kinda familiar campaign. To think, the words written on an illustration board goes:” Japan loves your country, Free Hug “. This is a Free Hugs Campaign I once had seen from the TV News. I never thought that people of the world, out of the blue, would do such this-like campaign. That feeling you get when you give a hug to someone you’re not acquainted with but, in one way or another, have colored their day with a beautiful smile is worth more than a million gold bars can hold. Every hug you receive feels like it’s “From Japan with love“.
To interpret more deeply, the passage sought to imply “global friendship and world peace“ at the same time. They were like saying “Peace be with you“ in the course of hugging. Those tight gestures also speak that they hope for a “Tighter bonds with each other“. And for every hug there is, I can tangibly feel their strong heartbeat telling that they even wish for a “Stronger heart“ that for every downfall there is we should always learn to rise up again and never do we give up. These may just be my personal interpretation but they could also, might as well, be yours.
In history, the Free Hugs Campaign is a social movement involving individuals who offer hugs to strangers in public places. The hugs are meant to be random acts of kindness — selfless acts performed just to make others feel better. Like how these Japanese acted within the crowd, sure they met exactly what it says to get from the Free Hugs. The International Free Hugs Month is celebrated on the first Saturday of July and continues until August first. And it spells rarely that it happened again here in the Queen City of the South, Cebu, by mid-November. The campaign in its present form was started in 2004 by an Australian man known only by the pseudonym “Juan Mann”. The campaign became famous internationally in 2006 as the result of a music video on YouTube by the Australian band Sick Puppies, which has been viewed over 77,201,754 million times as of November 20, 2015. The man behind the latest YouTube sensation has spoken out for the first time about his global cuddling controversy. Serial hugger Juan Mann describes the free hugs he hands out…as fast-food emotion. His cuddling campaign received an international dose of publicity today, after a clip showing his public displays of affection won a coveted front page spot on the video sharing website.
It began as a simple way for every sad man to find a reason to smile once again. It just so happened to put a smile on the faces of everyone who passed by them and those who stopped to share a Free Hug. This was the day I went around the town giving free hugs to strangers. Upon realizing this short happenstance, it was heart-warming to think that there really are some people who would do things to simply put a smile on someone else’s face. Being with how the world is now, everyone is too busy with their jobs, schoolwork, projects, and more of the like. I would really be surprised if when I was in the womb I was receiving hugs. For my entire life, hugging and getting hugged has been my daydream, one that I have always thought twice about.
I believe in hugs. Hugging is a way of greeting, leaving, and appreciating someone all in one tangible action. Filled with so many meanings, hugging should be essential in everyone’s life just like how the word shalom is a large part of the Jewish language - meaning hello, goodbye, and compassion. While hugging should be done every day, it is usually only kept until necessary like a hidden surprise on a rainy day. This precious gem is still crucial even if not used daily and when used it changes everything. These arms that were constantly being pushed against my body I once thought were my safety blanket, my ever present knowing that someone cared enough to get that close to me when I looked so hideous. Hugging should not be taken for granted or pushed aside. It should not be treated as something insignificant or unnecessary. You do not realize until you need one what hugs do for you. And it wasn’t the experience or the people that wore away the cobwebs in my heart and made me naturally smile, it was the hugs – the day I gave them free to strangers.
© 2015 Brette – The Noesis. Brettethenoesis.wordpress.com | Facebook.com/Gibbrett | Gibbrett.tumblr.com |Quora.com/Gibrbett | Flickr.com/Gibbrett | Follow me @ Bloglovin