I'm Not Girly, But I Love Pink

Many, many years back I used to stay away from the color pink. I thought they were weakling and saccharine colors which was far from my personality. But in the recent years I have come to love the color. I think they are strong accents and give any color scheme a nice touch.

These two quotes from C. JoyBell C. make me love pink all the more:

• “Pink is a beautiful color, because it is one of the colors that the sun makes at twilight and in the dawns.”

• “People usually associate the colour pink with weakness and naiveté; but I associate this colour with the most beautiful parts of the day— dawn and dusk! And in my searching through mystical writings, I have found that pink is actually related to the utmost levels of the Tree of Life. I've also seen it in pictures of the sky surrounding the most magnificent Aurora Borealis! So pink is strong and wonderful.” 

And yes, real men wear pink, too. 

I Am But a Traveler

Traveler's Palm or Traveler's Tree is what it is called. My discovery:  "Hey, it's got a flower!"  Not a palm. Indeed, a tree, kin to the banana plant and bird-of-paradise varieties. For lack of the obvious colorful flowers one might expect in a resort I was forced to scrutinize whatever was there. And I was taken by surprise. Never knew that this huge fan-like plant had flowers of its own.

The traveler sees what he sees,

the tourist sees what he has come to see.

- Gilbert K. Chesterton

The Details Show It

at Bag of Beans, Tagaytay

I feel honored by the coffee shop that took the time to furnish their restroom with a huge pot of flowers. Even though they were in the middle of renovations, they did not scrimp on them. This tells me that the Owners or its Management team are mindful and caring people, people with a space in their hearts for the divine.

Grace of Serenity

Just my luck to have a getaway at this time of year when the rains have come and summer is over. Never mind that we had to cancel our tour to the lake, the caves, and other such tourist must-sees in the islands. Couldn't have had a better deal than having to spend the whole day doing nothing but stare at the wide open cove and the gentle lapping of water on its shores. 

That moment was just picture perfect. Externally and internally.

Abundance

How easy it is to see what is missing in our lives. Easy to notice how charmless and dire our circumstances are. This is why I literally stop and smell the flowers to ground myself on the opposite. 

Flowers just bloom wherever they are, regardless of environs. They are fancily clothed and are free to show off who they are and what they are made of. They open for anyone whether they get noticed or not. Their duty is not to perform but just to blossom.

And they do not scrape for more color or more parts or look this way and that to compare who bloomed best. More so, they just have so much to give. Ask the bees. Ask anyone whose heart has been touched by the gift of flowers.

Channeling Cherry Blossoms

While paying a visit to an all-glass chapel perched atop a hill overlooking a fantastic view of a cove, I could not help but be enchanted by the Banaba tree which was in full bloom with its delicate lavender blossoms. It stood regally along the chapel's wrap around glass terrace. 

I could almost imagine the flowers dreamily floating down and gently brushing my cheeks. That is how I picture the famous cherry blossoms in Japan. Never been there. Only through photos of friends who have. The photos themselves already are fabulous. What more seeing them for real. But for now, I see, I am captivated by this next best thing -- Lavender Banaba Blossoms.

Billowy Mussaenda

Sprinting to the car from my sister in-law's gate (it was scorching hot, that's why), I could not help but notice the showy clusters of what I mistook for flowers overhead. On closer inspection I realize that its true flowers are the little yellow ones tucked in nicely in the folds of the big peach pink sepals. It was a pleasant confusion. Nature can be quite surprising. 

I had to stop and brandish my ever reliable camera phone and snap away at those fascinating pastel tones and velvety textures.