I had butterflies flying to Zamboanga. It shouldn’t be so
strange to be meeting your father-side family, but it held a 26-year old
strangeness to me. This was a deeply personal trip. Stories upon stories of so
many years ago, shaping the lens with which I perceive my history. The intent
was to layer real memories and grown-up impressions on top of childhood fiction,
and to bridge the past to the present. I worried about being disappointed, too
afraid to expect anything.
It started with a phone call. I called Mamang a few days
before my flight. She would be excited to see me, they said, but I heavily
discounted it. Maybe they were just being nice, easing my worries with kind
words. But upon hearing her voice on the phone, I knew the sentiment to be
genuine, and fought back tears with a steady tone and paced breaths. I haven’t
gone for the trip yet, and I was already on an emotional roller-coaster.
Whatever history there was, we acknowledge and make the active decision to move
forward. And then, it was there again -- That feather-light feeling of
everything falling into place – I was where I needed to be. Doing what I needed to do. Writing chapters of
my story that needed to be written.
Snapshots that barely scratch the surface… but hopefully shares some of the beauty I found there.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifReUXtlW2auqbpgcyKmf58_Kf5zzN9T_wwqfq1gpYl6Kf2Y3JEXN5iPIGt09Qfa52gS05G3N6yPCoLzEVHirBZvw03MLNEhyphenhyphen-BiNgHUmGz_144wUg9yaQeax4-4AdbXffhDhIM3W1o-Is/s1600/STP-Zamboanga-0004.jpg) |
Sati, Tausug version of Satay |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9PfWs3VKzmaT0ak5d15zL1gaVGgIgZfuNQztE2NJ3bLDKa0J6lmZCy3toUTvTQgUtLiw0s8l0d0A51o8GhNOR2v_fuaR-H1H2T0r2XeV5S0AAmId59LyKvRu9AdKnD218tmmlqAd30ny/s1600/STP-Zamboanga-0005.jpg) |
Paying respects with my grandma |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2T2kVXLeO2r1wF4ioY41UM7ywhcJ2xpba7GWDSAVx_vH4XjlYOa2kLsukR1jVSX29hgKIS0CWHeEs88IvH3AG7KxQ6_zy5tgY0HO5muf8QTZnmHBhubnjTQSCHPWeF4i29U5ucdrS6J2e/s1600/STP-Zamboanga-0007.jpg) |
Canelar Barter |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilRe50BmgnprupH8M3iHmxSBmsNyTdexdU_3CLtwzMvuvNlcg5thYk6lCnCNUoVJTXChmvxioumdlxvC3a3MSLgp4b-WVmyKMQ8_NlvrIxAD6aOh-DqjiNVzbU7QntN7U3-AhF9eLZbR0S/s1600/STP-Zamboanga-0009.jpg) |
Fort Pilar |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQIfgQE1ElHbFTjG4c8d-2-Ez6yJGsz8n4ro7Abm5-oI9-NwgMx89674RoiDz8UCwIV35vPVvtS2l1yuTjUJIescUAz9KlyFRw_Xe1YknX4nk_ZWoFsRCFfPaAjoTsvJ37nKs433L0pRf5/s1600/STP-Zamboanga-0014.jpg) |
Doves and gunshots |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbzqG2hyphenhyphentJ-Ni7Uuk9dPQZGbpa5bJNIB2ebc0T5ry8VmfocXcXiTpLuDgTE0Pyx42Vqe8VXFuToy_vgD4M6ebYDKMev4tJFBhAClt3XKxkO17MbnzJ3qbZWTSathoNYjW1tGjgUbNvme7/s1600/STP-Zamboanga-0018.jpg) |
Rio Hondo |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEI8UCwtgXQMboWG9v05xQnqntSgCbzIPAnaoxYy9d-_ZWqDULGUgP-TQtxFRsIlEL76iNPQg_58QOv3V8yAozfLEXS6S0PBBQsgetCI1gv2K_oNJ3-CpWZ0_xM9fM8EDv1UKMiZwf0DNH/s1600/STP-Zamboanga-0021.jpg) |
Yakan weavings |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUzD40jpTpNyUae8GJ3ndC9Zko8YGOImRpumpIhMQV0A0K9Co1BeDe-BI89kwG0L8X8h4yisNSrZdJqEyUb6IeCtJY0koc7E6jS6rVMJNqyoIeG0gUc1E5t2Tt2G4MaK04KgrUIhBLhImQ/s1600/STP-Zamboanga-0028.jpg) |
Climbing higher for the free fall... |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidn-ABgYRN0fe-wnZjhcvrWr_gFsTDPrNX9DLjbp6HGrdZCGwLgENgIOp_WQBqmQ9TG1WAPHDrIP5TW1HTldbps7PH9Mjo7Jn9_vYdLRqo6j7SC3Ad4orIdZpGfSboeqwXeKMSFO_tHskh/s1600/STP-Zamboanga-0031.jpg) |
Merloquet Falls |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFnN80b-OIhdu0fMqbzw5eq1JxoqRKz0ffTTQmBfOYTFtgb1Km4h4id4o6XdfZ8LLSPe5Q0rLfTTsI7TOVDGCMmdFyt5MyK-H0CWfb7WPDd8u1q1ON8X_AuLh2cr2_btexK0lUQIOYtEuW/s1600/STP-Zamboanga-0035.jpg) |
Rubber tree |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj81CM73-H15AuncCmcoZs8BrK2rMY8MO9q7eHTasboAkJz1AY0f42TCWmnkJg2k_eR2qbT1Isn_lH9KI2NBpzQgCvU5GVAuM4can1SBbpwHTTGglp8v9QGqa9Q2BRq6ruAtpl8viWQDlep/s1600/STP-Zamboanga-0041.jpg) |
That smile says it all |
Will be back with my little ones...
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