Tuesday, November 1, 2011

my family's request for support

Please refer to this blog if you haven't read it yet.

I am struggling as I start to write this blog.  Why?  Because up to now I still do not want to admit that after all the things my dad has endured during the 2nd phase of his chemotherapy, colon cancer cells has spread to his liver and abdominal walls (stage 4).  Those who have medical backgrounds or with family members who have gone through the same thing knows that if left untreated, he may have at least 6 months or the most 2 years to live.  After a conference with his oncologist and consultations with his siblings, who are mostly in the medical field, he was told that there is a big chance that he may beat this disease if he undergoes a 3rd phase of chemotherapy and surgery right away.  

What is stopping him now from getting the treatment that he needs is the lack of funds since the first two phases of chemotherapy has nearly depleted the family's savings.  We need about 4.5M to cover his initial treatment and surgery (that does not cover maintenance dose after surgery) but we only have less than 800,000 left in the bank right now.  And even if we get to sell whatever properties we still have it will not reach half of what we need.  

My dad has told us that enough is enough and he would rather that we prepare for his palliative care to spare him from pain when the end comes.  But could anyone blame us if we go behind his back and try to look for ways so that he can have his treatment and surgery?  

And so, our dear friends, relatives, former workmates and acquaintances (Yes, with all humility I implore even those I do not know personally) in behalf of my family I would like to request for your support, may it be in any form/kind or amount. 


As for now I am open to pledges as I still have to make sure of the account number / bank account or address where you can send your donations.  Thank you very much in advance! 

Sincerely,

Katy Libarnes





Friday, September 9, 2011

My Balay Indang Experience: A Place of Tranquility and Serenity

We all crave for that perfect place where we can spend some time away from the hustle and bustle of the city, right?  And as we are all different from each other, we have our own preferences as to what we would like to do once we escape from our chaotic city life.  But sometimes we look for familiar amenities that the city offers like cable television and WIFI connection since we all want to be connected to the outside world as much as we want to have our alone time.  

I knew even before I got to Balay Indang that they did not offer both cable television and WIFI connection.  I know that a lot of people from the city would consider this to be a let down and may even think twice, or even ten times, before they make a reservation to such a place.  But as for me, I welcomed the idea as I wanted to spend time away from the daily stress of city living.  When I got there, I immediately felt the tranquility and serenity that exuded from all sides and corners of the place.

Balay Indang can be considered as a bed and breakfast type of accommodation and at the same time it can be considered as a place of retreat, either to a big group or even to one person who would like to spend some time alone to meditate or maybe even mend a broken heart.   Balay Indang offers a lot of nooks and crannies all around the estate where one can spend time reading a good book, paint, sketch, draw, meditate or simply take a nap after a sumptuous meal.   They offer other amenities like the use of their conference room, swimming pool, billiard table, and they lend out board games too.  They also offer some spa services but you have to make arrangements with the staff as early as possible so that they can make a schedule for you since they do not have their own spa crew.  There is no restriction though on bringing in DVD players or using wireless broadband connections, but I doubt if one can get a signal there. 

The Watch Tower

there are 3 levels, all with lazy boys and day beds

inside the watch tower, one of 3 rooms available for day use

wishing i could just stay there and read or paint or draw

wouldn't you want to just stay there all day?


my fave spot of our room: where i sat while sorting through my photos whenever i had  free time
(Anecdote:  We were talking to the staff one meal time and we found out that aside from big groups who stay there for a week-long retreat or seminar, we were the only ones who stayed there for more than 2 days.  My brother and sister-in-law actually broke their record by staying there for four days and four nights.  Like I said earlier, we all have our own preferences on how we would like to spend our time away from the city.  I would have loved to stay longer but I have a shop to go back to and other responsibilities at home to take care of.  Next time, I may just go back there and spend my time enjoying any one or all of the places in the photos posted above.)

Thursday, September 1, 2011

My Balay Indang Experience: Gastronomic Feast

Fiesta ala Balay Indang

Okay, I will now admit that this was the first consideration why I agreed to join my brother, Robel, and sister-in-law, Rose, in Balay Indang.  When Rose told me over the phone what they had for dinner on their first night, I was already salivating and wished that I could teleport myself to Balay Indang right then and there.  In the first two days of their stay in Balay Indang,  Robel and Rose did not do much except eat and sleep, eat some more and sleep some more.  Their break from eating and sleeping was to take some photos of each other as they walked off some of the calories that they took in.  Although Balay Indang offers different packages when it comes to room and board plus meals, the package that they got was the complete room and board with 5 meals a day: breakfast, snacks, lunch, snacks, dinner.  As part of Balay Indang's hospitality and service, every meal time is like being in a fiesta mode.  They serve about five (5) to six (6) dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.   From salad to pasta or noodles, fried or flavored rice, seafood, meat dish then dessert.  And as long as that particular dish is still available, you can ask for refills.  Snacks were either sandwiches, tarts, or favorite Filipino treats like turon or suman, Balay Indang-style.    Rose warned the staff the day before I arrived that she was bringing in someone to help them finish their food, as they would always have leftovers especially with seafood since Robel is allergic to shrimps and crabs. They were confident that, with my help, we would be able to eat what they serve without leaving a single morsel on the table.  But lo and behold, when I got there and had my first meal, I raised the white flag on the first serving alone. Although the 2nd serving of seafood got me to eat some more, the rest of the dishes were left untouched after the 1st round.  We have heard of eat-all-you-can offers, right?  As for the Balay Indang version, we thought that the more appropriate term was: "can-you-eat-all?"  It did not help that even the simplest dish that they would serve tasted like gourmet food.  And as I write this particular blog, I wish that I am back there now, eating like it was my last meal on earth.

I will be sharing some photos that I have available.  And as soon as I find the other food photo files (I thought I saved them in my laptop but as I have checked several times, I can't find them here.  They may be, I hope, in my external hard drive, which is currently hiding from me)  I will post them in my Facebook account and update this blog with the link.
Shrimps with Buko Strips (all mine though Rose got a spoonful or 2 just to try it)
Sotanghon Guisado
Left to right: inihaw na liempo, embotido, fried rice Center: Shrimps with Buko Strips


Gado-Gado (mixed veggies and shrimps with peanut sauce)  I ended up eating most of it since Robel and Rose stayed away from shrimps

Gado-Gado minus the shrimps for Robel

Please check this out for more photos.

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

My Balay Indang Experience: From a Photography Enthusiast's Point of View

When my brother and sister-in-law first invited me to join them, I jokingly replied: "You just want more photos!"  The minute I arrived at Balay Indang, I knew I would be clicking away as my eyes were filled with beautiful scenes and wonderful images.  I did not even have the trouble of deciding what to shoot first,  all I needed to do was to point my camera  at any direction.  If I were alone, with no schedule or plans of visiting other places, one day is not enough to capture what I experienced in Balay Indang.  Literally and figuratively, it was a sensory overload.  I took shot after shot of outdoor scenes (the pathways, the garden, the swimming pool, the gazebo, the watch tower) to indoor images (our room, the main house, the never ending collection of antiques and memorabilia) I would even delay our meals just so that I can take photos of our food, and yet I took more photos the next day and even until we left for Manila.   My brother and sister-in-law told me that a group of photographers had a photo shoot around the leisure farm on the second day of their stay there.  I would love to share the same experience with my photographer friends.  So, guys, when can we fit this into our schedules?  

I will be posting my photos in my Facebook account within the next couple of days and update this blog with the link,  As of now, let me share just some of the photos that I have available. 


 Just one of the gazebos / cabanas where you can rest during the day.

This is where our room was located (the room to the left.) This cabin has 3 rooms that can accommodate small to big groups.

One of the  rooms located on the 2nd floor inside the main house.

Another room on the 2nd floor of the main house.

Still inside the main house.

Main house common area as viewed from the 2nd floor.

Powder area inside the Main House's comfort room.  One way to get a self-portrait :)

Wash area inside the Main House's comfort room.

My Balay Indang Experience: The Introduction

(I decided to divide this blog into five (5) separate blogs so I can concentrate on each topic and make each entry short but informative.) 
Just over a month ago, thanks to the vacation treat that I shared with my brother and sister-in-law, I was able to experience what I would like to call a sensory-overload vacation.  I learned about Balay Indang through the album of a photographer friend.  And when my brother asked me to recommend a place where he and his wife can spend a few days away from the city after their wedding day, Balay Indang was at the top of my list even though I have not been there before.  I just got their details off the internet, along with several more locations, just in case things did not work out since they did not have prior reservations.  I knew I made the right choice on the recommendation as soon as I got a call from them on their first night, after experiencing just a few hours of Balay Indang hospitality,  They were raving about their dinner; the taste, the eat-all-you-can portion, the number of dishes served, etc., etc. and they were so excited that they wanted me to join them right away so I can experience the same thing.  At that time, the only downside that they could see was that Balay Indang did not have cable television and no internet connection as well. But even with that piece of information, I still decided to make the trip and joined the couple after giving them one more night on their own. 


Thursday, July 21, 2011

the newlyweds' vacation treat

This is the reason why I suddenly disappeared in the 3 social networking sites I've been maintaining.

Introduction:  About a month ago, our family started preparing for Robel and Rose's wedding.  When I found out that they were finally pushing through with it, I volunteered to be their photographer.  I was set to cover only their prenuptial shoot and their wedding day.  I did a lot of preparations, even up to the extent of upgrading and adding to my gears.  Now, to those who do not know yet, I have been managing a small digital photo printing shop since November of last year.  The couple wanted to have their invitations printed and since they also wanted to help the shop earn, they asked me to do it for them and I happily accepted the task.  Then, I sprang an idea for wedding souvenir that I can also make for them: a CD compilation of their favorite songs with a cover label with their picture on it.  They liked the idea and also commissioned me to do it.  Just when I thought that was the extent of my role in their wedding,  my parents also requested me to coordinate the wedding reception for the couple since I mostly handle get-together events for the family.  To cut the story short, my responsibility/role in their wedding was bigger than I thought.  All these I did, without asking anything in return from the couple.  Although they did pay for the shop's output, my services were totally free.  My stress level a week before the wedding was even a lot higher than the two lovebirds combined.  They were relaxed as relaxed can be.  I would jokingly say to them, "It feels like I'm the one getting married!"  In the end, the wedding and the reception that followed, turned out pretty much the way the couple wanted it to be, simple but special. 

One more request:  A week before the wedding, my brother approached me and asked me for one more favor.  He asked for advice on where they could go for their "honeymoon."  "Since you and your photography friends have gone to a lot of nice places, maybe you can give me resort or hotel names in or around Tagaytay," he reasoned out.  And so, in addition to the things that I still had to do for the wedding and reception, I went ahead and made some research.  I was supposed to make reservations for them but the stress was too much that I forgot to do it earlier that week.  And so, they decided that they will go to Tagaytay the day after their wedding and wing it with the help of the list that I came up with.  July 16 came but I wasn't able to print the list and so I told them that I will text them the names and address of the places I had in my list.  In the end, after almost getting lost and getting there just as the sun was setting, they went to Balay Indang, Indang, Cavite via Tagaytay route. 

The vacation treat:  As soon as they got settled and experienced the first few hours of Balay Indang hospitality, they called me on my cellphone.  They kept insisting that I drop everything and join them there.  Although they asked me to join them even before they left for Tagaytay, I had to decline  since I thought that they would only stay for the weekend.  I also had to say no since we still had some relatives staying with us and my Dad was expecting visitors from Indonesia.  Plus, there was a get-together the day after which was previously planned and I could not get away from it.  But when I found out that they were planning to stay longer; and after receiving several persistent phone call invitations, I immediately made plans to join them Monday, July 18, 2011.  After making arrangements and giving last minute instructions to my one and only staff at the shop; and after going to the reception venue to pay the balance for the services rendered, I went to Tagaytay via commuter van.

To show their appreciation for all the hard work I did for them on and before their special day, they shouldered almost all of my expenses while I stayed with them as they extended their stay in Balay Indang for two (2) more nights.  Details of my Balay Indang experience will be in another blog all together since I cannot sum up everything in just one paragraph.

The pact:  As we had our first meal together, I recalled our first out-of-town trip (as a trio) several years ago.  I mentioned it to them and suggested that we should do this every year (of course not their treat anymore hehehe!)  And so, we made a pact that every year, we would go look for places where we can spend our vacations together.  Before I get violent reactions from my sister, brother-in-law and younger brother, let me open the same invitation to you.  So, guys, better save up as early as now so we can do this all together next year, okay!?!

one + one = new additions to the family

Just recently, my eldest brother, Robel, got married to his long-time girlfriend, Rose.  They have been together for 14 years and getting hitched was not far from their minds during the 1st half of those 14 years.  But due to a lot of personal reasons, plans got pushed back; and back; and further back until AT LAST one day, everything got synced and the plans became a reality. 

After less than a month of preparation, we formally welcomed Rose to our family last July 15, 2011.  Although we have treated her as part of the family in all those years they were together as sweethearts,  being able to say that she is now my sister-in-law is far better than just calling her my brother's girlfriend/intended.

And now, we are looking forward to more additions to the family.  Stay tuned for more updates! :)



Anecdote:  (why I am never getting married according to my mom bwahahaha)
A week before the wedding, my mom, aunt, the couple and Rose's younger sister, Marivic, went shopping to look for a dress for Rose's mom.  Since my mom already bought her dress a week before that day, she blurted out to the group that she should have waited for that shopping trip to buy her dress because the dresses there were a lot nicer and cheaper than where she got hers.  Marivic told her while they were standing there checking out possible choices: "Tita, go on and buy one more dress.  It won't go to waste anyway since you can wear it one day at Katy's wedding."  My mom replied without batting her eyelashes (as recounted to me by Robel and Rose) "I won't let her get married!  She's going to take care of me and her dad when we grow older!"  And that was not the first time she said that!  (First time was when my older sister, Melicel, got married 20 years ago.)  Oh yes, yes, it was a joke then, and still a joke now, but I don't want to wait for the 3rd time for her to say it and forever take away the chance for that certain guy to find his Princess Charming.  So Jomari....you better behave and not get married before me, okay?  bwahahahahaha just kidding!

Sunday, July 17, 2011

when plans change

When I started out with photography, I have always been fascinated with people's faces; the shapes and sizes, the distinguishing marks, and the expressions and emotions that they share especially during candid shots.  But since I wanted to learn more, I also tried other fields like studio portraiture, street photography, and landscape/seascape photography. 

Before I traded in my Baby Niko (Nikon D40X) just this past month, I was already leaning towards landscape/seascape photography.  I already wrote my list of what gear to buy next so I can go out with friends who were starting to get serious with landscape/seascape subjects.  I have been constantly bugging them for tips while saving up for seminars that can help me with the said field.  Lo and behold, when I upgraded to Kuya Nikolo (Nikon D90) the lens I bought along with the camera was Ate Niki, a prime lens (50mm f/1.8). 

L- R Kuya Nikolo, Ate Niki, Susa and Aiko
 at my brother's wedding
For those who are not familiar with photography gears, a prime lens is best used in portraiture.  The "bokeh" that it gives leaves out the noise of the background and focuses on your subject.  Though you can use the prime lens for other subjects, I realized that I enjoy using it more on taking photos of people.  I tested out my new gears just like a child would play with a new toy.  The decision to upgrade my gears came when I was preparing to shoot for my brother and sister-in-law.  With only a few days practice, I went ahead and shot their prenuptial pictures.  I fumbled around at first but as I took more photos, I knew that this was it for me.  I know I need more practice, but I can safely say that I am back in my niche.  One day, I know that I will still take pictures of landscapes/seascapes.  But as for now,  I will be chasing people around with Kuya Nikolo and Ate Niki.  Subject volunteers, anyone?

Friday, July 15, 2011

Can I do this on my own?

My rock; my fort; my anchor; my mentor; my DAD is now facing a new chapter in his life.  A chapter we all want him to skip as a whole, but no matter what I say or do now, this chapter is currently being written.  I have been meaning to express how I feel about this new chapter for quite some time now, but I was not (and still not) that brave to do so.  I was afraid that I would only break down and cry and never even come out with the right words.  As I type, I am fighting the tears from falling.  Am I winning?  I would like to believe so, since I can still see clearly and I can still type without wiping the tears away.

My dad was diagnosed with colon cancer early this year.  He is currently undergoing the 2nd phase of chemotherapy.  He is complaining a lot more now than he did during the first phase.  Although we've been hearing good feed backs from his doctors, we are still preparing for the worst case scenario.  As much as we would like to stay positive, being prepared for the unknown is not that negative.

When we were younger, my siblings and I would get mad at them (our parents) every time they talked about preparing for their eventual departure (even up to now I can't let myself type the other D word when connected to the words mom and dad).  But as our spiritual formation got stronger through the years, we could talk about it without thinking how morbid they could be for thinking about it when they were both healthy and strong.   There even was a time when we would talk about the details of our wakes and funerals just so that we'd know what to do when that time came.

This is not the first health scare in the family.  We've all been through our own fair share.  Those of you who know me can attest to that.   I can be very brave about my own health condition, but when it comes to my parents, I am just as scared as scared can be.  I shudder with the thought of being without them.  That statement alone made me lose my battle with the tears that I've been trying to hold off.  I know that they have done their best to prepare us (me and my siblings) to be on our own, but if I had my own way, I'd rather that they live forever.

I would like to see my dad stand proud and tall again, without doubling over from weakness, nausea, or pain.  I would rather see him with his big tummy than see him lose weight very fast.  I still have a lot of things I want to do and achieve, and I would like my dad to still be there when I do so.  Can I do those things alone?  I know I can, but I would rather fail any undertaking than be successful but not have him there to share it with.

Dad, I know that all of us will face our own final chapters in life,  but as much as I can, I would love to share several more chapters with you.  I love you Dad! Stay strong and keep the faith. 

Love always, 
Katy