Pearls on the Ocean

This trip the the Philippines was just... breathtaking. Everywhere you went, there was a waterfall or a little jeepney that caused you to just stop and take it in. 

I went with my family years ago, and was able to visit the countryside, go snorkeling to find huge clams, zipline down a mountain, and visit a fish farm... to name just a few. 

by the street where my dad lived... (I think?)

My dad's family is from the city and my moms family is in country , or the provincia as they call it (which is where a lot of these photos were taken). In the morning my inang (grandma) would go out and pick fruits and veggies to get us set up for the day. We would ride a tractor around the rice fields, and drink coconut water straitght from the coconuts! 

Want to learn one of the coolest things about me?? 

For many years of my life, I owned a rice field! 
It was under my name, and it was mine! It's my most prized (ex)-possession. 

We rode a tracker to a field, that looked like any of the other ones, and then my inang said "this is yours". It was like that scene from the Lion King where Simba looks at the land that he owns for the first time. So stunned you dont know how to respond. We took a couple pictures, and then we left. It's no longer under my name-- but it was cool while it lasted. 

 This is said rice field. Below is the tractor ride to the field. 

The Ocean - Isaac H.
It roars like a lion,
Yet so calm and sincere,
Like a refined diamond.
Much beauty lurks here.

The ocean.. This is where the inspiration kicks in. One of the coolest things that happened on that trip was when we were spent the day on a boat- snorkeling and just taking in the sun. We were in the middle of the water, when a small boat with two people came up to our boat. They had fresh water pearls that they were selling! It was cool cause we had just finished diving and looking at these huge clams (I like to imagine that the giant clams had giant pearls in them.)

 Because of this amazing memory-- I added pearls and pearly-ish elements to this part of the collection.

I am dying to head back to the Philippines. I just. cant. wait (to be kiiinggg) 
Ha! Wow two unplanned Lion King references. Impressive. Including the poem its three lion references. 

Have you been to the Philippines? Will you go? Do you love the salty ocean as much as I do? It's like my island ancestors live inside me, and when I'm out there, there's nowhere else I'd rather be. 

Till next time.
xo, Jules