Camping-indoors

Our tent was first used in 2006 at Malabon.

Every November 1, the family troops to Pampanga to visit the tomb of my husband's parents, Mauro and Corazon. We usually travel on Oct 31, spend the night in the Coronel old family house at Floridablanca, and meet-up with the Coronel relatives in that brief visit.

Family Gatherings During Meals (2008)

Since 2008, we started "camping" in the extension-kitchen-veranda of my cousin-in-law's place in San Pedro, Pampanga. Okay, it's really not an authentic camping since we are still in-doors, but it still has the 'camping' feel since all four of us (the two kids plus me and hubby) sqeeze together in the tent (which, surprisingly, accomodates us four comfortably). There's no wi-fi in the farm and my son's use of his Nintendo DS is limited, so we have more time doing non-techie stuff like reading our books, visiting/ bathing in the river, harvesting veggies, have a liesurely mid-day sleep, play with the chickens :) ....

Vegetables at San Pedro (2008)

A Dip at the River with Carabaos (2008) ... Carabaos not shown!

My 5-year old enjoys our one-day-one-night "adventure" immensely, she looks forward to this trips. Even Geof who is so into computer games and You-Tube also enjoys this day out. I am therefore determined to keep practice and make it a family tradition. In an environment of too much modernity and commercialism, it is important to find simple pleasures like this where the family can have fun and enjoy each other's company, sans all the techie-gadgets. After all, its the company and not the trappings that make a day-out fun and memorable.

Good Morning, Carabao .. mooooo! (Nov. 1, 2010)