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Life & Stories

A few chapters from my life.

From coming home to Tuy to a tournament, a birthday meal or the next journey—these are some of the moments I want to keep sharing.

2007

A long-running online diary

My Facebook account has been part of my life since 2007. In a June 2024 post, I mentioned how much it would mean to lose all those years of content. Photographs and small updates become something bigger when you look back: a record of the people, places and interests that have stayed with you.

2016

Coming home to Tuy

My Facebook timeline records a move to Tuy on 29 April 2016. After many years in Dubai, coming home began another chapter. Later that year, I also started working online for a US-based company. Home and work no longer had to be in different countries.

2022

A tournament with another purpose

For our 2022 basketball tournament, the team requirement included 60 clean gin bottles or their ₱120 cash equivalent. For every ₱120 from a team, BNKG planned to add ₱360 for children’s school supplies. Sport was the reason to gather, and school support gave the gathering another purpose. I shared that memory again in June 2024—with a laugh about organising a tournament in the rainy season.

Archived tournament prizes sheet
The 2022 tournament prize sheet from my Facebook collection.
2023

Looking back on a year of travel

On New Year’s Eve 2023, I looked back at a busy year of learning, meeting people and travelling. In that post, I counted visits to at least 62 Philippine provinces during the period after pandemic restrictions eased, alongside trips to Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Taiwan. It was my count at the time, and there were still more places I wanted to see.

2024

A birthday meal for Tatay

For Tatay’s 81st birthday in July 2024, I thanked him for the support and understanding he had given me over the years. The menu included buttered garlic shrimp with broccoli, fish-and-shrimp biryani, and oven-baked stuffed bangus. I joked that the people eating would have to decide how it tasted. A birthday message can be heartfelt and still leave room for a little teasing.

Tatay in the photograph shared for his 81st birthday
A photograph shared for Tatay’s July 2024 birthday.
2024

Something useful for school

My July 2024 Back-to-School Challenge offered a learning kit with a pre-loved desktop computer, monitor, keyboard and mouse, a printer, paper, and school allowance support for a semester. I asked students to explain, honestly and briefly, why they deserved the kit. Reading the reasons made choosing difficult. I wished I could give one to everyone, but I had to work within what I could offer.

2025

A little jump for joy in Bali

A beach photograph from my Bali collection catches a jump halfway through. Open sky, a little silliness, and a moment worth keeping. Not every travel memory needs a long explanation.

A jump beside the beach in Gary’s Bali album
2026

Back to the basics on court

Our September 2026 pickleball programme focused on the things beginners need most: balance, movement, control and the confidence to play. There is a place for competition, but there is also a place for learning without being afraid to miss. Food after the activity helps too. I have recipes sized for exactly that sort of gathering.

These are selected memories, adapted into English from my posts and personal collections. The 2024 posts also preserve older milestones; this is a personal selection rather than a complete Facebook archive.

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