Vacation, Philippines

Right at this moment, Janice, her Grandparents, and Aunt May and Uncle Patrick are in the Philippines having a good time vacationing. For Janice, it was a teary send-off at the airport last Saturday, July 23rd. She cried, mostly. I shed a few tears although nobody saw it. After all, not counting her week-long Cuba trip with her sister, this is the first time she'll be away for a long time -- all of three weeks. We were all going to miss her, like we do now, but we also want her to enjoy the trip. And we pray that she and the rest do, safely and problem free.

Janice was looking forward to doing a ton of shopping even with her limited cash. Her Aunt, however, has an itinerary all planned out and most of the three weeks will be spent touring the sites with Janice and Grandpa in tow. Unfortunately for Grandma, she won't be able to join the longer trips around as she is not that strong yet. And Grandpa is anxious to show her expertise about the Philippine sites (historical and otherwise) to his son-in-law, Patrick. He'll be their unofficial tour guide.

But I have another plan for Janice. In between the trips that her Aunt May has worked out for the five of them, I want Janice to be with her relatives on my side. Consequently, she'll be staying with her Auntie Marlene and cousins, Popet, Jewel, Yeye, and Janna part of the time. I am hoping that Marlene will be able to take at least a day trip with her, to Tayug, so Janice will also meet her other relatives there, specially her Grandma Piling's surviving siblings. (There are still five of them: Grandmas Maria, Emma, Carnay and Deling and Grandpas Luis and Pedring.) While there, she will also see and meet as many other relatives as she can and then visit Grandma Piling at her permanent resting place.

I've instructed her to take a lot of pictures. I hope she can do so. I will blog the best of them when they come back after three weeks.

P.S. The pictures above were taken at the airport.
We have talked to them on the phone and we are glad to know that they are having a great time. Janice, however, is yet to see his Auntie Marlene's family. Jewel and her husband, Alex, will pick her up from Paranaque tomorrow.