Another Heartwarming Experience in Batulao

Don Bosco Batulao

May 15-17, 2009

I spent an awe-inspiring, fun-filled, enjoyable and enlightening weekend in Don Bosco Batulao with my Sittizens friends and our Don Bosco Batulao scholars. We shared our experiences and had a career orientation-outreach of sorts, wherein we were able to give them an idea of what careers or future they could have once they step out of their schools... The scholars were not the only ones who learned but I admit I learned a lot those days too...

giving what we can


Sitti + Sittizens with the Don Bosco Batulao Scholars



Batulao


Chapel on the Hill

The place was very conducive for us to find some time to just relax and rediscover ourselves, our spirituality and revel in the love of our Great Father, found in the scenes around us and in the people spendng that weekend with us.

Being an observer, I was priviledged to know more about my friends, their concerns, their likes and peeves and even their corniest jokes!...these opportunities gave me the chance to discover that yup! we have a lot of things in common... that simply - we are all children of our Lord, put on this earth to find our purpose and to live our life to the fullest...

discussions

reflections and sharing


even more contemplating

And at the end of the day after all of the seriousness and reflections... You can always expect one thing from us...



Sittizens will be Sittizens
and we'll always find the time to delve deeper and discover more about each other... even to the point of tormenting each other just to get the answers haha...

enjoy, laugh and have fun over the others' antics and spills and fubs...

and to harrass and take snapshots of just about anything and everybody...

Admit it... when all has been said and done...we are camwhores!!!

But hey! I don't hear anyone complaining?!

You know what I am always grateful for... aside from God's love and my family...I am always thankful for having my friends - with whom I will always have good and lasting relationships... Kudos!

*****

Thanks to Mhyk Acosta, JP Manahan and Ivy Alcala for these photos

To view more of these photos you may click here
or the photo above and below and my related blogpost here

what took you so long to let me know...(a sittizen's appreciation)

I just came back from a 3-day wholly-packed-adventure-fun-filled-awe-inspiring-contemplative-experience...together with my SiTTiZens buddies we headed off to Don Bosco Batulao for a celebration of hope and dreams, of friendship and camaraderie, of love and life...

there were SOOOO MANY PICS! what do you expect...aside from being avid supporters of Sitti...we are mostly camwhores! haha....so instead of me uploading the loads and loads of pics that I have from my (2 cameras haha) let me just pick some and blog about the experience...

*****

May 9, Day 1

time with the Don Bosco Batulao scholars

the kids performed their "cheers" to the delight of the judges and the audience of course

the other part of the outreach program was held in the conference hall

where most of the kids showcased their talents

and of course who can forget the classpics...

the kids had their chance to have their pictures taken with Sitti at the end of the program

and the SiTTiZens happily obliged and took lotsa pictures!!!

and what do you expect of mJ-always ready-to-strike-a-pose-Juco?

*****

May 10, Day 2

the early morning "journey" with the Lord

and the morning trek to Balagbag

(among other activities that day)

what's in store for us today?

The Chapel on the HIll's labyrinth was such a heart-wrenching experience for me

getting ready for our trek to the Don Bosco scholars' community in Balagbag

all smiles here coz we didn't know what to expect on our way haha

two words: nature immersion

another two words: sunblock lotion

I think Fr. Joel deliberately made us climb this way up to the little chapel to see whether we can ENDURE!

too bad for JP's slippers though..coz THEY DIDN'T haha

(there was a much easier way going up which we discovered on the way down haha)

at laging ready si mJ basta sa kodakan (umakyat ka na!)

up on the hill @ Martin de Porres chapel (behind us)

and after our trek to Balagbag...going back to the retreat house, we made a lot of stopovers to catch our breath...it's true that it is (almost) always difficult on the way back...

and after our much needed freshening up...we were ready to have more fun...

since I was one of the game marshalls...I was multitasking and took most of the pics...

using Patch's cam haha...

and they had all the fun!...

well I had fun laughing at them hehe...

but of course we had to squeeze in time for photo opps before getting down and dirty for the games...

serious ang SiTTiZens pagdating sa class pic...tignan mo dibdiban ang pag set ng timers sa mga cameras namin haha

ang hirap kaya magpose...di mo rin alam kung san titingin kasi ang daming nakaset na cams...tapos may nakaharang pang sirena!!! haha

Later that night...

on to more serious stuff as Fr. Joel takes centerstage

we had a funny encounter with a different group who were also staying at the retreat house...

during dinner...they patiently waited outside the mess hall until Sitti was finished eating...Sitti went outside and they finally mustered the courage to approach and ask for a picture with her...

one thing that was evident during our stay there...we didn't lose our appetites haha

back in the conference hall, mJ takes the stage for more SiTTiZens updates

and before Sitti and her family left that night...I grabbed the chance for another pic with her

*****

May 11, Day 3

our last day in Batulao

Made a sidetrip...and had a morning exertion and a 15minute trek (say what?! what lie! haha) to Calaruega!...together with Patch, Mhyk, Noel & Lito

Lito gamely took our picture while Noel started off jogging to Calaruega

kung may Kitty Girls...may Doggie Boys?!?! nyahaha

thanks to Manong Guard for this pic haha

dito daw ako ikakasal sabi ng wedding coordinatorssss ko haha

on our way back from Calaruega...it was an even tougher trek up..and I mean UP! coz we were running late for breakfast...

and then the way back made me realize...that the Don Bosco scholars make the same trek every time they go to school...so who am I to complain?...

and here I thought we were late for breakfast...we were one of the first batch who ate that morning...

whew! workout...then food! haha

had to pack our things early before having our closing activity that morning

then afterwards we headed off to the Chapel on the Hill for our mass

and at the end of the day...when all is said and done...SiTTiZens are camwhores! haha

having that "perfect" classpic was a comedy of errors

this next shot is dedicated to Joy!

and as the day...and our stay...finally draws to a close...

and we start loading on to the bus

we bid our farewell to the people who made a mark in our hearts...even for the short encounter we had with them...

it's not "goodbye" to the Don Bosco Batulao scholars...

but it's..."till we meet again"...

http://donboscobatulao.multiply.com/

*****

the closing song Fr. Joel taught us was very appropriate to sum up the things I've learned from my experience in Don Bosco Batulao...

to see us singing this song click on this link

I should do this more often...finding the time to retreat...

and to just find and rediscover myself...

(thanks to Nhel for some of the pics)