Musings and a Museum Visit

When I posted our visit to Syquia Mansion, I was raring to blog at least three times a week because we've been to a lot of places while we were on vacation in the Philippines and I only clocked five hours each workday last Ramadan here in Riyadh. What's the excuse for my absence?

I have many but this one topped the list. A dear friend passed away. He died of a massive heart attack and our family and other friends were stunned by his sudden death. The kids grieved because they lost a happy, thoughtful Tito (the term my children use for our male friends). He drives them from school to our house and they fondly remember how kind their Tito was to them. Every payday, he would treat the kids to McDonald's Happy Meals. When we learned about that a month after, Fred and I told him to stop buying the kids treats because we know he's receiving a salary just enough for his family in the Philippines. But he said that it was his joy to see the kids happy. Fred and I grieved because we lost a very dependable friend. He was always there when we needed him, especially when we were just starting out here in Riyadh. He helped Fred buy appliances and furniture and brought us to supermarkets for our groceries because Fred didn’t have a car then. He patiently encouraged Fred to practice driving and accompanied him on his free time. He is so dear to us that it took us a while to stop thinking of the loss.

Moving on, our first stop on our Ilocos Norte itinerary is the Ferdinand Marcos Museum and Mausoleum. Visiting museums should be an engaging experience and I regret that we didn't have enough time to read the posters and know some of our country's history.

Ferdinand Marcos was the only Philippine president to declare Martial Law. During those times when military reigned supreme, a curfew was imposed and those caught violating spent a night at the police station detention cell or rendered a community service. But because I noticed that I always have this "Did you know...?" portion on my posts lately, let me continue that here. Did you know that my unassuming mother, pregnant and heavy with me at that time, was caught and detained at the nearest police station because she was still outside, past the curfew time, waiting for my father to come home? Yes, that's how horrible the situation was at that time. No one was spared. Not even a pregnant woman. She didn't spend the night at the cell though and was released after a few hours. When I heard that story, I immediately thought that at a very young age - prenatal, developing, and all - I was already detained! Such an interesting story to tell, right?

Below are images of what's to check out in the museum. When you visit it, be sure to read the posters because you will surely find lots of fascinating facts!

Note: I didn't take pictures of the mausoleum because photography was prohibited.