It’s been more than a year I think since the kids went scuba diving. A couple more since the Alabang kids a.k.a. the Super Friends got together. After they went off to college, the friendship they made several summers ago took a back seat to school, new friends, other interests.
The eldest, Jaime, who was a freshie in university back then while all were still in high school, is now working.
The previous high school batch are now college graduates with 2 girls (fUN-employed, joke) in Med proper, and one off to the US for a 3-year stint to start her culinary career.
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A nurse (L) & a Bio major (R), now in Med Proper. And one a Chef, off to new adventures abroad. How time just FLEW! 6 years of friendship. <3
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Jena, Matt & Sofie, the “babies” who always followed them around are now high school finishers & 2 are off to college.
Following her siblings’ footsteps, this soon-to-be growling tiger Psych major makes me so proud. <3
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Following her siblings’ footsteps, this soon-to-be growling tiger Psych major makes me so proud. <3
And the last batch, Jason & Jill are almost as tall as their parents. Ah, the circle of life, can’t be helped.
I’ll always be thankful for that summer though when my kids needed them the most & they became a solid support system & our second family.
Their love for the water bonded them together. The start of their friendship commenced with the tennis dads, grew through water activities that included the kids, and progressed to eating sprees & food trips with the moms. But then after a while, it died a natural death, and the “we” went back to being just “us”.
The dads, from whom the family friendship all began. 😉
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So Kap thought of a revival of sorts, lol. 😛 He was adamant we push through with a weekend dive in Anilao in spite of my misgivings because of the earthquake that struck the province just a couple of days before our trip. But hell or high waters couldn’t have stopped Kap once he put his mind to it.
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Kap switched loyalty from Vista Aplaya to the more modern Dive Resort across, Casa Bahia located at Sitio Balagbag, Brgy. Bagalangit, Mabini, Batangas. To book, call, text or email the very amiable owner: Eric Javier (+63) 9209115059 | dive@casabahia.net
Casa Bahia is a 4-storey Dive Resort managed by the very helpful Jenn Sevilla. I wish I could say the same of the staff, but I have to call the kettle black & say it like it is. The staff are the RUDEST I have ever encountered in my life. And I wasn’t alone in this observation so I’m sure it’s not a product of my imagination. I know the busy Holy Week packed in guests & they were literally on their toes the whole day cleaning rooms & bussing tables, but it’s not an excuse to be discourteous to paying guests. The service staff were scowling most of the time & wouldn’t reply when asked questions. This happened not just once but many times in the course of our weekend stay.
A basic room starts at 2.5k/night so caveat, don’t expect 5-star hotel accommodation. Super Kap-approved though hehe. Since we were “honeymooning”, Kap got us the “penthouse with a view” for 5k which includes a private balcony overlooking. Of course Pinoys being Pinoys, some guests went up & attempted to use our private balcony came nightfall. I guess they weren’t briefed that there were private balconies in the area. Our kalat & wet stuff na nakasampay all over must have deterred them because they went down after a couple of minutes. Mabuti naman. Btw, there are no restos nearby so you will have to avail of their 5 set meals at 1,200 php/day (300 lunch upon arrival | 50 for snack | 400 dinner | 200 for breakfast the next day | 50 for snack | 200 for lunch the next day before you leave) unless you wanna drive an hour to the city for food. Tip: Bring your own drinks as the resort doesn’t sell beverages or chips.
We opted not to take the speed boat along this time & just rented a motorized banca.
They are comfy on sea as they are on land. My water babies. <3
Try as I might to shield them from harm & danger, their love for sports & the big outdoors outweigh my concerns. All I can do is just pray that God will always envelop them in His mercy & protection.
No, he is not lying on the corals. No ned to worry, my Bio major knows his way around the sea. 😉
Everything’s A-OK. 😉
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One thing I’ve learned, true friendship isn’t about being inseparable. It’s about being separated and yet, nothing changes. After all, a strong friendship that has been nurtured through the years doesn’t need daily conversations or being together. As long as the relationship lives in the heart, true friends never part. And that’s what we have with this group of diversified, but amazing, people. <3
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Circa 2012. Our first out of town getaway in La Union.
Friends… they cherish one another’s hopes. They are kind to one another’s dreams. The Super Friends est. since 2011. 😉
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PS: Where to buy your dive gear without breaking the bank? Kap discovered super affordable dive wear & equipment at NAUTILUS DIVE & SPORTS CENTER in Makati..
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Nautilus Dive & Sports Center is located at 235 Salcedo St. Unit 101 Cattleya Condominium Legaspi Village. Email at @nautilusdiveandsportscenter or text/call 09209541477, 09177093735 for inquiries. Just so you have an idea, the cheapest dive pants (which OF COURSE Kap got !!! costs 2.2k each.)
The dive shop’s got everything from top to bottom, side to side, front, back & around. 😉 Even tanks & other thingamajigs you may need under the sea. if you aren’t sure yet about this extreme sport & wanna test the waters first, Casa Bahia has rentals available, as well as Dive Masters & Instructors to teach you the basics.
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PPS: Guess who also went on a day trip during Holy Week to cool off. The lolas of course, taking with them all of Kap’s loyal staff for some fun under the sun. 😉 Syempre pa, hindi sila magpapahuli sa summer gimmick, lol.
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Kap made sure that his ENTIRE family had some time off during holy week. And by family, I mean including his staff. He really has a big, generous heart & I’m just so proud of that fact.
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It’s probably gonna take another year before another reunion, but I’m not really worried. Coz best friends are like stars. You don’t always see them, but you know they are always there. 😉
8 Comments
what a wonderful friendship
April 24, 2017 at 6:23 pmIndeed. Thank you for thinking so, Myra. 🙂
April 24, 2017 at 6:48 pmI enjoyed reading your blog… It was about 2 to 3 weeks ago when I came accross your blog from one of the travel blogs I’ve read.. from then on I was hooked 🙂
April 24, 2017 at 7:02 pmYehey this makes me happy. <3 Thank you so much Myra for validating me. :-*
April 24, 2017 at 8:21 pmIndeed. Friends are like stars, you don’t see them always, but you know they are there. Just like you and me? LOL
April 25, 2017 at 8:55 amYes, exactly like you & me. ILY Med. Mwah! :-*
April 25, 2017 at 9:05 amLove the photos and videos! Especially the “Good morning” vid… panalo yung smile ni Kap sa dulo! ?
April 30, 2017 at 7:37 pmMorning lambingan kahit wala pang toothbrush hahaha. 😛
May 1, 2017 at 7:21 am