Antonia's Garden in Amadeo

Kathleen is a good friend of mine since College. She was my classmate all four years of my university life and after graduation, together with our other classmate Jayson, the three of us became professors at our University for another 5 years. All that time plus another 6 years of friendship beyond work and school, I did not know that they sell plants! It was just during this pandemic lockdown that I found out because she decided to do some marketing for their budding but strong family business.

Antonia's Garden

If you guys have been here since I got active again to blogging this year, you would know the story between me and plants. It was a story of healing and joy that I am still currently in and hopefully will be for the longest time. Knowing about my friend Kath's business I knew I had to support her and at the same time, get some plant babies for myself too!

Antonia's Garden is named after my friend's Grandmother. Almost all their plants are propagated and taken cared of by her father. They live in Amadeo, which is a big advantage for plant lovers because of its milder climate, all year round, due to its higher altitude. 

They sell a wide variety of plants, both for outdoors and indoors which are getting such a hype these days. Everyone here in the Philippines is starting to get crazy with such expensive plants that are grown inside their homes, I am not a fan of hypes and trends but I must say that this one in particular is something that I would even promote because of the benefits we can get from having plants inside our homes, plants are part of our families.

Though of course, just like pets, we should also know that having indoor plants is not the same as taking care of outdoor gardens. They require knowledge and for that, a lot of information is readily available on the internet on how to care for them, from watering, to pruning, and even on how you can propagate them. Just see to it that you take information from more than one source so you can be sure of the legitimacy of the information so that you can take the best care for your house plants.

Aside from normal potted plants, Kath's father is also gifted in the art of making Bonsai Trees. This one, I already known of for years because everytime we will visit Kathleen's house for fiestas and celebrations, I saw a lot of beautiful bonsai trees at their home garden.

There is always healing in plants. Especially in these times of the pandemic, a lot of us are having battles with anxiety, even for other who unconsciously have them, plants can be our very best friend. No matter how big your garden is or how small your room apartment is, there will always be a plant baby that you can take care of to take care of you. If we learn to love these plants at our home, we'll also develop a love for the environment at large - and that, is the best bandwagon we can always be riding at!

Sister Judy, Friend Kathleen, and Yours Truly (forgive my hair)

It's really nice to have life-long friends who don't just share memories of school and work with you but also hobbies that turn into life-long passions! Thank you so much Kathleen for having us. We'll surely take care of the plant babies that we got, and we can't wait to adopt some more in the next month.

Thank you also for my sister who did not just bought plants as well but also drove us to Amadeo because aside from my fear of being exposed outside (especially in our overcrowded city) but also because I don't know how to drive (there friends, another fact about your friend Stevenson).

By the way, here is the plant I bought from Antonia's Garden. My first Philodendron selloum. I got myself two, one for my bedroom and another on my bath. Since these species originated from Latin America, I thought of naming them Sergio and Thalia, both named after my favorite telenovela actors from Mexico!

Philodendron Selloum

Shown below are a few shots sent to me by Kathleen. She took these gorgeous photos from their garden one afternoon so she can post them on their Garden's facebook page. You can visit their Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/AntoniaGardenPH/ and also on their Instagram Account @AntoniaGardenPH. Aside from her full-time work on the banking industry, Kat is also a skilled seamstress and makes beautiful clothes specially for Catholic Saints. And yes, she also takes stunning photos.

If you are in the Cavite or Manila area and you are interested to get yourself some houseplants from Antonia's Garden. They have a good variety of plants that you can choose from. Plus, they also ship your new family members via Lalamove (delivery charge at your cost) straight to your door and they offer a variety of payment modes that will best suit your account availability including GCash, PayMaya, and Bank Transfers.

Never Stop Planting!

Stevenson

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This post is part of my friend Jesh's All Seasons, Our World Tuesday, and Betty's My Corner of the World

Once Upon a Time in Beijing

The Forbidden City at the heart of Beijing

Last January 9-12, 2013, a new country has been added to my list - it was country number 7, another dream came to life! Together with my Dad and my cousin Ate Judy, we went to China seven years ago. China will always be extra special for us because our grandfather is Pure Chinese. though he is from the south of China, it was still magical to be able to visit his country, and in some ways, our country.

The first destination we have been to, Forbidden City. Located in the Tienanmen part of Beijing, Forbidden City has been one of the symbols of Beijing and of China. It was the imperial Palace of China during the Ming Dynasty up to the end of the Qing Dynasty. For half a millennium  the palace served as the home for the emperors and the whole of his household.

The Forbidden City has been marked as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 1987. UNESCO listed the site as holding the world's largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world. 

Ate Judy mapping were we are on our way to Tienanmen

The way to the palace is easy from our home in Beijing, the Red Lantern House. With the help of our map, we followed the route all the way to Xidan and then walked our way until we end on a big Major road with a metal barricade. We then headed left until we see the big red walls with many police. The Forbidden City cops are tall, quiet and reserved and they know very few English  But at least, you feel a little bit safer with their presence.

We walked and walk until finally, we saw the Front. It was so cold and chilly even in the middle of the afternoon. But at the sight of the first building in front, it was truly astonishing! As always, it felt like I was in a dream! It was just a picture on my desktop computer but now, with the cold of minus three degrees, I confirmed that yes, I am in Beijing!

The gate facing Tienanmen Square

An Imperial Guard guarding the gate with the portrait of Chairman Mao.

There were a lot of tourists both local and foreign taking pictures of themselves together with their family and friends! Some Chinese people are conversing me in Mandarin and I think they are asking me to take their pictures which I cheerfully agreed and took their photos. They were really nice and friendly people.

The guards are standing firm, guarding over the gates and looking after the tourists. People were flocking on their way to pass the first gate to get inside. Through the first two gate, it is free until you reach the Meridian Gate. Everywhere you look is picture worthy!

The cold Ate Judy posing for a photo when we got through the first gate

One of the main reasons we went to Beijing on a January is for us to hopefully see snow! For all 5 days we were there, unfortunately, there was 0 snow fall. It was quite sad but experiencing Negative degree temperature was very good enough for me! Maybe it was really not yet my time to see it falling but yes, I did see snow on the grounds! It was slippery as it hardened and started to melt at the heat of the sun.

Beijing really is cold in the Winter but as they call it, the city enjoys a Sunny Winter where the suns rays feel mild and comfortable even in negative temperature. But the nights were really cold, which I LOOOVE! I am always a lover of colder weather than the hot ones we have on Philippine Summers! I Love the Philippines but if I would omit something about life here, it's the very hot Summer nights which is so hard for me personally!

We went through and through and took many pictures until we saw this vendor selling hats. I talked to him and we got it for 80 RMB. We bought two of the hats, one for me and another for my Dad. But while we were waiting for change for our 200 RMB, the tourist police went straight in front of us and confiscated all the hats being sold by the vendor. It was full of action and I can't help but feel sorry for the guy so I did not get the change. I don't know if it was a front by the vendor and the police but well, I got the hats.

Me at the Meridian Gate.

Oh! Here's a little something about my outfit. I was wearing a cotton undershirt inside my Navy Terranova woven long sleeve cardigan which I got from SM Mall of Asia. The gray scarf was also from Terranova and the thick trench coat I wore all five Beijing days is from Esprit. I was wearing black leather work-boots and my favorite brown leather bag which carried most of my things including my Nikon camera which was really heavy.

We paid an entrance fee at the Meridian Gate of 30 RMB each and went inside the gates. There I did my Travel dance video using my late iPod Touch where the remaining photos of the Forbidden City trip was in. Oh my I miss my iPod :( So we went on and on and visited two more gate until we decided to get back to the front  and go back home for dinner.

The place is so beautiful and that time of the day where the sun is starting to set. The shadows were full and the faint gleam of the sun makes the beautiful reds, beiges and browns glow like it was the Ancient times. I feel like I am on the actual set of Chinese Movies set on olden times during the days of the Dynasties.

Daddy very cold on a bridge leading to another gate inside the Forbidden City

Coming to Beijing was really a dream! Well, everything about the places I travel is always a dream but there at Beijing, it was extra special. Seeing the country where my Ancestors once were at living and fighting for their lives to survive is just awesome to think. While I was there, the magic was so alive that even I was just a quarter Chinese, I feel so connected to that place even if I don't speak the language nor I look like them much. It was a connection that only me and Beijing can ever explain, something that I will treasure for a lifetime!

Some people say, those who have been there, that Beijing people are not that friendly or even at times, rude. But for me, I did not have my share of those Beijing people because each and every Beijing local I talked to, bought to, were nice and warm. They may not be as friendly as the Filipinos, as refined as the Japanese, or as warm as the Thais, a lot of them were nice. They may not smile at you usually or even look at you, it was the product of their daily battles in life which made them stronger and wiser as they are today!

Never Stop Looking Back,

Stevenson

This post is part of Our World Tuesday, Travel Tuesday, and Betty's My Corner of the World.

Brunei - The Heart of Borneo

Situated at the heart of Borneo, the Kingdom of Brunei is one of the richest nations in Asia and in the world. It was all so quiet and it may be a tiny country but still, it is not one that's over crowded and traffic is not a very big issue unless it's rush hour.

Last September 2018, me and my high school best friends went to explore this quiet but golden country with only half a million citizens. It was scorching hot to be honest but the air was clean, probably because of the neighboring rainforests that supplies so much oxygen and clean air to this tiny nation.

Here are some snaps from our trip to it's capital, Bandar Seri Begawan. (Warning: You'll get to see me and my crazy friends striking some funny poses)

The Royal Regalla Museum

Beautiful canals by the Marketplace

Prayers at the Teng Yun Temple

Took this photo of my friends at Teng Yun Temple

Inside the Empire Hotel at Bandar Seri Begawan

Judy, Myrcel, Dianne, Angelica, Lara, Stevenson, Marvin, and Faith

More poses inside the Marble Hotel

Beautiful gardens outside the Hotel

Under the sunny seaside of Bandar

Good Girls at Brunei

Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque

You are a whole new world, Brunei!

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This post is part of my friend Jesh's All Seasons, Our World Tuesday, and Betty's My Corner of the World

My 2020 So Far

Four days late, but I would like to write something to welcome this new month of May by looking back at the first parts of this crazy year. It's been a different past couple of months for all of us around the world with so many restrictions, but I have to say, looking through a lens of positivity that there are some good things that came with staying at home. Aside from the fact that we get to spend more time with our family members than the times when we are all busy with work, we get to learn more things to do, more time to accomplish other things we always wanted to but never had the time too, and even learn more things about ourselves.

"Barred" view from the back of our Terrace

One can hear a lot of complaints in social media about how bored they are, well I can't blame them and it can get really boring. But if, instead of whining every single day, they start looking for a hobby or keep themselves occupied through having their hands on something. Alright, I know it can be really hard for some people but even reading books can be pretty productive and at the same time entertaining.

Now, let me look back and share you some things that I can coin as accomplishments from the very first day of this year and the four months that came after that. My friends, may I present you:

Steve's "Accomplishment Report" for the first 4 months of 2020

• Spent New Year's Day in Paris (Last day of my three weeks in Europe) and flew back home the next day.

• Edited and Published a few VLOG episodes on my YouTube Channel
• Prepared my own lunches for work every single day 'bento' style.
  
• Re-Designed this blog's theme and template and added a Destination's Tab.
• Repainted my bedroom wall and added new frames to complete the 22 countries I have visited.
  
• Been a part of my younger brother cousin's wedding last January 25th. (Can you find me?)
  
Photo Credits to CamZar Photography
• Re-opened Cavite Daily Photo and posted daily since the lockdown.
• Prayed the Rosary every day since the lockdown which helps and calms me.
• Treated my baby cousin's to a long waited Ramen Night
  
• Coping up and continuously battling my anxiety (with big help from ALL OF YOU my blog friends)
• Fixed My Garden and found a new hobby and place to find peace and relax.
• Work with Scraps and add DIY fixtures to my Garden.
  
  Linking Jesh's ALL SEASONS - SPRING BLOOMS linky
  
  
• Finish my third Semester of Graduate School in University of the Philippines.

Also, my friend The Padre from his blog What Else is Possible (visit his blog for a big doze of positive energy all the way from Colorado) shared a list of Goals on his last post which inspired me to write one of my own for this coming month. Besides, this will be the last Month of my 20's because I'm stepping up to the 30's platform this coming June (exactly 30 days from now). Let me also share some accomplishments in this past 4 months.

Goals for May

1. Spend afternoons in the Garden instead of the hot bedroom
2. Continue repotting more 'pups' into their own planters
3. Present my dashboard at work to North America managers
4. Finish reading "Empress Dowager Ci Xi"
5. Start reading and finish "History of Thailand"
6. Look for old photographs
7. Post on all Thursdays of the month for Timeless Thursdays
8. Daily Rosary
9. 9-Day Novena to Our Lady of Fatima
10. Host weekly video conferences for my High School friends and another for my College friends
11. Read more about the plants I have in my garden and how to take care of them
12. Think of more ideas for photography even inside our house
13. Fix refunds or rebooking my tickets for my cancelled Myanmar trip
14. Spend more time of meditations and grateful thoughts per day
15. Try my best to spread more positive vibes to my blogging friends through my posts

Never Stop Getting Busy

Steve

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This post is part of Our World Tuesday. Click on the photo and be taken to beautiful views around the world!

Stay Strong Milan

As the Coronavirus spreads across the world, outside China, it is Italy experiencing the worst by the number of its deaths and cases. I was there last December and I only hope and pray for the best for Italy and each and every country in the world, especially our country the Philippines which is starting to be consumed at a very fast rate as well.

Sharing everyone these photographs I took from the beautiful city of Milano.

Never Stop Praying

Steve

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This post is part of Our World Tuesday that features different versions of their everydays around the world. Visit Our World Tuesday and go on a virtual tour of different places and the stories behind them. http://ourworldtuesdaymeme.blogspot.com/