Paris, je t'aime!

Have you ever wished for something so much that the stars absolutely aligned and made it come true? It happened to me a couple of times already. Let me quote Rhonda Byrne, author of the famous "The Secret" book.

“You are the one who calls the law of attraction into action, and you do it through your thoughts."

Yes, it is possible! Our mind has a humongous unseen and sometimes, unfelt power that not everyone has mastered yet. Sometimes, all that it takes is a sincere wish and a broad imagination. Just think of the thing that you wish for to happen the most. Try to feel it and believe that you already have it. Then, it'll come to you. It must.

Years ago, I think that I actually made my dream of going to Paris come true to life. When I was younger, I used to dream of walking around the Eiffel Tower and just seeing myself there under it. I never thought about how I'd be able to get there, I just wanted to go. I kept on saying to myself that one day, I'd be able to step into the land of fashion and love. True enough, one day, I got the chance to travel to not only Paris,France, but to six other european countries as well, which included: Romania, Bulgaria, Austria,Czech Republic, Hungary and Turkey. It would be seven if I include the stop over in Amsterdam, Netherlands, but I don't think staying at the airport actually counts. I'm not going to write about all of them now, but Paris. I love, love, love Paris!

Finally, I was actually walking around Paris. I couldn't believe that I was standing right below the Eiffel Tower. I got to see the actual Mona Lisa painting and the other famous sculptures. I got to buy my favorite designer bags at their "original" prices right in Rue Saint-Honoré! I toured The Louvre! Only in my wildest dream did I ever think that I'd be able to do such things. Thank you, universe, for hearing me out and giving me a great experience that only used to dream about.

Here are some pictures (It's ironic though that the pictures that I'm posting below are those of when I was sitting near the Eiffel Tower and standing outside of The Louvre! Hahaha!) :

I also never thought that I'd be walking down the shopping centers of Paris and bumping into one of Philippines, high-profile actresses, Ms. Gretchen Barretto.She was with her husband, Tony that time, but I don't think we acknowledged his presence, which was kind of awkward if you asked me. Seeing a Filipino actress in the streets of a foreign country was surprising. She even managed to have a small talk with me and asked me if I lived there. Then, there was the picture taking and the "Goodbye, see you in the Philippines.". Well,I'm not really a fan but Ms. Gretchen was approachable and humble, contrary to how she looks like or what she seems on television.

Well, Paris was lovely! Hearing the people speak  French was like music to my ears. Walking around the city was like walking in an endless park, full of beautiful sceneries and famous landmarks. The city was so clean and peaceful. The architectural structures were gorgeous. The french people were kind and hospitable. They'd help you whenever they can. The waiters and sales ladies do their job so well. So well, that you'll tend to feel like you're a queen being served! The civilians, well, when you get lost, feel free to walk up to them. Actually, even if you don't walk up to them, but they notice that you might need help, they'd be the one to offer help straight up. Just like when I was having trouble taking a selfie, a passerby just suddenly stopped and offered to take my picture. They are that friendly.

Lastly, there is Disneyland Paris! I think that Disneyland looks the same in every country where it is. The only thing that changes are their languages. Haha! Well, of course, each Disneyland differs from one another in some ways, but I will not get into detail anymore.

Here's a pic of the Disneyland Paris castle.

Paris is a city that I wouldn't mind getting lost in. I will go back there one day. Universe, hear me out! Listen to me, one day, I will go back and my new experience will be absolutely better than the last one! I am claiming it! 

See you one day, Paris. Until we meet again. 

Sea Surprise!

Anilao, Batangas is truly a diver’s paradise. It is a home away from home for the divers who live in Manila. It is a stone’s throw away from Manila, so it is easier to access than any other dive spots in the Philippines, if you live in the metro.  I find its location really convenient. Aside from being accessible, its water is clear, has countless dive spots and has a diverse range of underwater species. After a year of numerous dives in Batangas, never have I ever gotten bored. You could go diving again and again in the same dive spot, yet see a different kind of fish each time. I am not yet an expert in diving, but I must say that I really appreciate it more now. I used to be so afraid of swimming in the sea, whenever I go snorkeling but now,  I can’t believe that I actually dive and swim with the schools of fish 15-30 meters below the surface!

a great day to dive

Diving will never cease to amaze me. There is one particular diving day in Anilao that I will never forget. This was when we saw a pygmy seahorse, pawikan and a huge octopus all in a day.  The pygmy seahorse was as tiny as a fingernail. We had to use a magnifying lens to be able to see it clearly. 

Pygmy Seahorse

It completely camouflages with the fan corals, where it lived, which made it even harder to be seen.  

Try to find the Pygmy Seahorse.

The pawikan, on the other hand, was huge but I believe that there are a lot of bigger ones around the area. I tried to swim after the pawikan, but contrary to how slow it walks on land, it is quite a fast swimmer.

"Hey, dude!"

Needless to say, it slowly disappeared into the deep. It swam so gracefully, like as if to glide without any effort. 

gliding gracefully

I actually wanted to jump unto its back and ride it, but of course, I can’t! “Never touch anything.” is one of the golden rules in scuba diving. I still enjoyed just watching it. It felt so surreal.  

Nearing the end of the dive, we chanced upon this big octopus.

Spot the octopus!

I think its head was as big as ours. I was lucky to have caught it on camera. The way that it continuously camouflaged with whatever it touched was like magic.

Yes! It is the same octopus!

At first I thought that it was just a huge rock until it suddenly moved. Its tentacles glided seamlessly with the rocks while the fishes were swimming all around it, like as if to take a small bite off its head.

Of course, these three aren’t the only species that we saw underwater. The sea is like a vast museum of living creatures that you can’t even imagine without seeing it live. 

Just keep swimming.

If you think that you’ve seen it all, yet you haven’t tried scuba diving, then maybe you should give it a try.