Quick Side Trip (Batanes for the 2nd time)

   

     Batanes, you are indeed breathtaking. It is my second time in Batanes (2019) but unlike my first visit (in 2017), which is purely for pleasure (as in pasyal lang), this time, more on work sya; need to attend an important meeting/planning hosted by Region 2. But of course, di mawawala ang side trip. 

 

My view from an airplane window

With my colleagues. 

Despite the fact na nakapunta na ako sa Batanes in 2017 (just see my Batanes blog hehe), can't deny the fact na I wanted to visit again (and again) the beautiful and breathtaking views/places in Batanes. Fortunately, kakakulit nila since first time nila sa place, we were allowed to have a one day educational tour provided that we will finish all the presentations/reporting, etc. in 2days instead of 3 (kaya working lunch & working dinner; madaliang breakfast na rin)

 

Si ate na naka shades, naki smile rin sa amin hehe (#photobomber)

Second time in Sabtang. Honestly, I don't want to go back to Sabtang because visiting Sabtang (again) means I need to ride (again) the traditional boat (of Batanes) known as "faluwa." In other words, faluwa ride na naman (just see my Batanes blog to know my/our experience about this faluwa ride)

....... at nagsimula nang magtayuan ang ibang kasama namin habang nagtatanong, "malayo pa ba?"😁 

Expectedly or unexpectedly, nagkita kami nina (former) officemates 😊

                

                                                              at the Morong Beach

The Natural Stone Arch

Nasa New Zealand na ba kami?

The Marlboro Country

(ako ay nagbalik at muli kang nasilayan.......)

Sabtang Rolling Hills & Rocky Cliffs

(ang lugar na ito sa Batanes ay nasa pagitan ng Babuyan Island at Taiwan)

Valugan Boulder Beach

The food is so good & delicious (organic lechon, turmeric rice, fresh fish, etc.) 

Breakfast while looking at Mt. Iraya

The Provincial Capitol of Batanes

If you want to know more about Batanes, just visit my Batanes blog; 

 as I mentioned earlier, my trip here (2nd visit to this place) was not for pleasure but work related na may side trip lang 🙂

The QUEST.......

        It was in March 2019 when I first went to this place- Quest Adventure Camp in Teresa-Antipolo, Rizal. It was our team building. In March 2021, I returned to this place with my family for camping adventure naman (sayang lang because we're not complete, my other sibling & her family was not in Manila at that time). 

    Quest Adventure Camp is an excellent place for team building, camping, family bonding, outdoor activities. But aside from the place and the memories, something pop-up into my mind-- the word "QUEST."

Quest is to search for something; a pursuit for something. 

                                                                                                        

Everyone is searching for something— some people pursue security, happiness, meaning, peace, purpose, etc. 

How about you? What are you searching for? 

Have you asked yourself this question, “What am I living for?” Sabi nga sa ads sa TV, “Para kanino ka bumabangon?” In my previous blogs, I have often mentioned that relationships (vertical- your relationship with God; horizontal- your relationship with others) are what life is all about. Then, I remember the book of Ecclesiastes. It is not an easy book to read, but one thing I’m sure, this book will give you insights into the meaning of life. But before sharing what I have learned from this book from the Old Testament, let me share first the gist of our Quest team building in 2019 and our Quest camping adventure in 2021.

Our team building started with a prayer. 

        

             

            

            I'm so grateful to be part of their lives.......

     

           ....... and I hope that I contributed something good to them.

Need to warm up first. Then, meet the team with their team cheers.

  Team One na Bee

 Team PAOwer Paps

Team Eric's Trolls

Team SAC2

Team Cobra

All Aboard- All the team members must be on top of the board and to remain there for a period of time without anyone touching the ground. In other words, sama-sama together, walang hilaan, walang tulakan 😊

    

    

     Equilibrium Challenge- The goal is to keep the board balance. Parang sa buhay natin, dapat balanse lang.  

Tarzan Swing- team members must swing from the platform to the next without touching the ground. Just like life, i-swing ka man ng problema, pagsubok, etc., sa tulong ng mga tao sa paligid mo, makakatawid ka rin sa next season/chapter ng life mo.

                                                                                                                                                                     

      Island Crossing- Team must create a bridge between islands for members to cross. Para makatawid ka sa anumang pinagdadaanan mo sa buhay, you need people in your life, and of course, you need God. Parang bridge over troubled water lang.    

 

Wild Woozy- Pair must support each other's balance and traverse as far as possible along the cables without touching the ground. Again, sa buhay kelangan mo ng support team. No one is an island, ika nga.

Spider Web- you must cross horizontal web without touching any part of the web....... and for you to do that, you need your team members. Sa work or personal life mo, pag sanga-sanga na pinagdadaanan mo, call a family member/friend ka na. Mahirapan kang makalusot sa mga web ng buhay mo nang ikaw lang mag-isa.

                                                                                                                                                               

Teepee Shuffle- parang life lang, there are times that you need to arrange/rearrange your life- your priorities, your direction, etc.  

                                     

                                

     Unity walk-- My concept about this activity is that we can walk together despite of our differences. Unity in diversity, ika nga. Unity calls for accepting differences and not trying to eliminate them because unity is not "sameness." In other words, unity is not about uniformity. Yes, we are in uniform hehe (OneTeamOneSACS t-shirt) but we have different talents, gifts, opinions, different background in life, etc. What unity means is that despite of our differences, we are "one"-- we are of one mind, mission, goal, vision.                                                                                                

                                                                                                    

A pat on the shoulder while counting 1, 2, 3.......?

 

    

Camaraderie

Do you know his/her voice? Will you trust him/her to lead your way? 

Team Building Processing/Debriefing

Thanking God for the opportunity given to me to lead and serve them.

Now, going back to the book of Ecclesiastes, and the insights into the meaning of life, this book is one of the Bible's books classified as wisdom literature. The author of this book is technically unknown but it is often attributed to King Solomon (the son of David). In Ecclesiastes, the Teacher explores the meaning of life (parang quest for the meaning of life). 

                                                                                       

In the first part of the book, the Teacher goes through the world of nature as being repetitive (read Eccl. 1:5-10-- "there is nothing new under the sun"). The Teacher continues his writing by listing various activities in life; he considers wisdom, knowledge, pleasure, work, career, wealth, time, our strivings to be somebody, etc. as nothing; it is just like a smoke or bubble. We have them in our time, but in a long run, they will fade; they do not last. The Teacher comes away from his search with a cynical view: the futility of life   (life is meaningless; everything is meaningless).

                                                                            

  

But wait, if we will read and reflect on this discouraging prose about the meaninglessness of life, we will find  motivation and valuable wisdom for issues we continue to struggle with today-- our priorities in life, how to balance personal life and work, finding joy and satisfaction in life, etc.; the Teacher imparts to the rest of us a sense of what really matters in our lives.  

      

    One of my favorite passages in this book is in Chapter 3, "A Time for Everything."  We can see that part of God's great design to this earth is seasons. We see creation moving through seasons each year; parang tayo, we ourselves live through seasons. And when we talk about season, we need to remind ourselves that the things we go through in life are not in vain; that our situations will not last forever. We will get over our sorrows and pain; we will get out of the valley; and whatever season of life we find ourselves in, it will have an end. We will enter new seasons-- one that bring relief, hope, or a deeper sense of faith.                                                          

As we read many more verses from the book of Ecclesiastes, we begin to understand life's true meaning. Meaninglessness/futility of life is not the final word of the Teacher. There is indeed a futile emptiness of trying to find meaning and satisfaction "under the sun"-- possessions, pleasure, prestige, power, relationships, career, wealth, etc.  

In Chapter 9 of the book, the Teacher concludes that everyone shares a common destiny, whether we be rich or poor, evil or good; that common destiny is death. All people will, at some time or other, die. Nevertheless, as we read the last chapter of Ecclesiastes, the Teacher teaches us the need to adopt the divine perspective: to revere God and see life as a daily gift from Him. Only then does life have meaning and purpose.

Ecclesiastes may be summed up in this: Understanding life is really wrapped up in fearing and keeping God's commandments; our willingness to follow him, his purposes for us, for it is God who brings understanding, who brings joy, truth, hope and love.