Christmas in Cebu

I never knew why people went to resorts. Wouldn't it be so boring to do nothing for a few days? Then, I was converted. The 3 mindless, taskless, stressless day I spent in Cebu was exactly what I needed after a few grueling months of high-octane work. Literally everyday, we spent it laying in the sun by the beach or the pool, sipping cocktails. I managed to make quite a dent on my book list by reading The Time Traveler's Wife and finishing Fathers and Sons. Great achievements given I have been wanting to read The Time Traveler's Wife since July and been waiting patiently to not rent the movie. The books definitely help me remembered that I once had outside interests other than banking.

Also, I have discovered my love for scuba diving. At the resort, I did Discovery Scuba with my friend who had a diving license. It was the single best water sports activity I have ever done. The water was crystal clear. It was so much fun looking at the different fishes, corals, and crustaceans that I did not even know the name of. Below the surface is a whole new beautiful world that I always knew existed, but never had the privilege to explore until last weekend. So enchanted by this newly found world and absolutely unable to contain myself, I have decided that I definitely want to diving license in the next few months. My friend tell me it is actually quite easy, where I just have to pass a written exam and then do 3 more ocean dives, given I have already done one in Cebu. I cannot wait. I need to now plan a vacation to Thailand or Malaysia to do that. Even though I can do the dives in New Terrorities in Hong Kong, the water is so gross that nothing can be seen underneath. That ruins the whole point of scuba diving. With the diving licenses, hopefully, I'll be able to explore the Australian coral reefs in Queensland, which is suppose to be the best scuba diving adventure in the world.

With absolutely nothing to do in Cebu, my mind slowed down as well. In Japan and Hong Kong, the hustle and bustle made me stressed. I was stressing out about all sorts of things I had absolutely no control over. However, in Cebu, my mind completely relaxed, not worrying about things that I cannot do anything about in the Philippines. Now I know why people take these total relaxation vacations without sightseeing or cultural references. It is healthy for the body to slow down now and then to rest and catch up. Good for my mental health as well.

Despite being an island paradise inside the Shangri-la resort, Philippines is a developing nation. Even in the best resort on the island, there is no wireless in the room (not even any you can purchase). The airport is basically a shack, with the most primitative immigration queue and waiting areas. The ride from the resort to the airport, there is absolutely nothing. Not even farmland. There's just small shacks and stores selling a few basic items. Going into the resort, there are bomb sniffing dogs and guards around the entire area. Tourists are cautioned from leaving the resort given the fact that they are often kidnapped for ransom. When we turned on CNN on Christmas, it reported that a church bombing on Christmas day, which is deeply saddening given the strong Catholic convictions of its people. While we are privileged enough to enjoy these vacations, it's a constant reminder of how lucky we are and how we share a responsibility to improve. Those with abilities have the responsibility.