Zyrrel Is Back In The Philippines

"Distance means so little when someone means so much." Tom McNeal

It was five months ago that I posted here the farewell treat of Zyrrel to us before she left the country to start teaching in Las Vegas, Nevada. My wife and Zyrrel keep in touch by having video calls during their free time. Exchanging their thoughts is their moment together as they continue their friendship even though they are far from each other.

Zyrrel told my wife and their other colleagues to gather on December 27 at Ma'am Yeyen's residence. She said that there will be a package intended for everyone. We were not able to attend their gathering since my wife was not feeling well. We were also looking for resources to solve our problems at that time. When my wife opened their group chat, she saw pictures of her colleagues with Zyrrel. She asked one of her colleagues if it's edited or not. But it's really her, and they were all looking for my wife.

Sadly, my wife was not able to come and see her with her friend. We just planned to visit Zyrrel in her residence, but we thought they went on a trip with her family because she only has ten days of vacation here in our country. My wife just waited for her to visit their school as promised. And yesterday, they finally saw each other.

They decided to have dinner at Paseo de Tabogon. We went there with our kids. Jehoia was so excited to meet her godmom. My daughter received a gift from her ninang. A jacket and a perfume. It really made my daughter so excited to see her ninang since she missed her so much.

It's been 5 months since she left the Philippines. Who would have thought she could go back here for a short vacation? Maybe because she thinks that distance is just so little for her loved ones and the people dear to her heart. Even her family was surprised by her arrival. She even had the chance to get a new car for her family. A Toyota Xpander, which I also dream of having in the future.

We had our simple dinner at Paseo. They ordered barbecues and hanging rice. We enjoyed talking while waiting for the food. Zyrrel also met her friends there, who had their dinner at the Paseo too. The foods were served, and we prayed before taking the meal. A moment that Zyrrel would cherish as she goes back abroad tomorrow.

After our dinner, while my wife got so busy talking with her colleagues. I ask our kids to go with me to eat balut (boiled fertilized duck egg). My son also loves to eat balut. I asked for an 18-day-old one, but the vendor only offered a 16-day-old balut. Jehoia doesn't want to try it. So only Yoye and I enjoyed savoring the delicious balut.

After our balut moment, we went back to the group, and they planned to have a picture-taking before heading home. They took a pose at the Paseo signage with its Christmas decor. I took them the photo, and after that they extended their gratefulness to Zyrrel and said that they will miss her so much.

We owe a lot to Zyrrel. She's always there for us in times of need. She even helped us last December for a very important matter. I hope one day we can return all her goodness. Maybe not today, tomorrow, or the next day, but I hope this year will be a great year for our family. Let's hope for the best. 🫶

This ends my blog for today. Thank you for your time. Till next time, Hivians!

_{All images used in this post are all mine, unless stated otherwise.}