Few more pics of Kidapawan & Davao...

heading to San Roque at Menchie's uncle's place (dad's brother)

here's our national animal, carabao (or "kalabaw" in Filipino) is a water buffalo

typical view of a rural area in the Philippines

taking shelter at this nice nipa hut

newly weds singing-a-long

group photo, my aunt & uncle are sitting at the back beside mommy Ping

Enna-Marie with cousins (Balundo side of the family)

just posing with the carabao











We visited our friends, the Eugenio family in Davao City and stayed there for one night before our trip back to Manila (my mom kindly accepted to accompany us in this two hour trip from Kidapawan; she went back that same evening to Kidapawan after bringing us to Davao airport). This family also served at the World Centre and left eight years ago.

ate Beth prepared a delicious dinner: rice, adobo & some seafood

Menchie & Lua

Eugenio family: Lua, Beth, Horace & Sammy

group pic before we leave for Manila

last shot with lola Ping

Swimming at Agco & LeRive

While in Kidapawan our family went to two swimming places, one we call Agco and the other one LeRive. Here are the ones taken in Agco:

view of the mountain from the car

getting ready to swim

but we all realized the water is cold, so we decided to stay at the side

the pool with cold water











...a-aah...I am not going to the water...

at the end of the bridge there is a man-made jacuzzi with falls

see...i told yah!

with my tito Maxwell & tita Valerie (at this point I was wondering where mama is)

ate Lofty & tito Mhon join the fun

we're really having fun here...

now this is warmer water...

mama & lola

our nipa hut cottage

my cousins went back to the pool

and here's everyone

mama & my titos











LeRive photos...

tito Maxwell diving

me enjoying the slide

good catch tito Maxx...

ate Lofty's turn

up in the diving area...

Back to Manila...

We are now back to Manila at my sister's place with a cold and hope to recover soon. Our visit to Kidapawan City for almost three weeks was great. Enna-Marie had a good time with her cousins ate Tabriz and ate Lofty (doing crafts together, playing in the garden and watching the turtle crawl, going to the market, assisting lola while cooking, watching children's programme, snacking and having meals together, fetching cousins from school, etc.), and of course with lolo Max, lola Ping, tita Tatutz and tito Mhon. You can see from the photos below how happy she was spending time with her loved ones in this part of the world.

Hello Lena, bye Vanysha

We recently welcomed Lena from Chile to the staff in the Department of Statistics and said goodbye to Vanysha who returned to Mauritius. To welcome the one and say goodbye to the other we went to Bahji followed by a nice dinner in the Penguin restaurant in Nahariyya. Martijn and May, as well as Sorush, also joined us. Here are a few pictures (thanks Peyman)...

Howard, Maarten, Vanysha, Peyman and Riyad... the 'old' Department...
Martijn, May and ???
In the Bahji Visitors Centre, with Lena
The burgers at the penguin restaurant were not bad at all...
Menchie made a beautiful card for Vanysha with pictures of her stay in the Holy Land...