two "THANK YOU GOD!" moments from yours truly.

While my roommates are still in slumberland, I decided to write this blog entry. So yeah. 


AAAAnyway. Funny story. This morning, after having breakfast with my officemates at the bus station in Naga City, my (sub)teammates and I went to CBD Hotel to check room rates. We talked to the woman at the front desk and found that most of the hotel was occupied and the rooms that weren't were way out of our budget (we also found out that our "bestfriends" were all booked in the hotel so that was the end of it). Since we couldn't stay at that hotel, we went to another (they were full too) and then another. When we finally settled into a livable inn, I started searching for my phone as I remembered that it was dead and I had to charge it. It was then that it dawned on me - i lost the pouch bag that contained my phone AND my ipod. 


Of course, being the hysterical person that I am, I started to panic and I threw all my things on the bed. Yep, nowhere to be found. It was then that my roommate suggested that we call my phone so that I'll hear it ring. Yeah, like that's gonna help (but thank you anyway for the suggestion, Jin). And so I just gathered what was left of my wits and left the hotel to retrace my steps. By retrace I mean: go back to all the hotels that we inquired in. Yes. I went back to ALL THE HOTELS WE VISITED. ON FOOT. Why? Because that's how I roll. 


No, really, because I didn't have change. The first time I took a tricycle back to one hotel, the driver nearly conked me on the head for even trying to pay an 8-peso fare with 100-pesos AT 7 IN THE MORNING. AND NO ONE HAD CHANGE FOR 100 PESOS. Okay, that was stupid of me. But I did have change, it just wasn't enough. I only had 3 pesos in loose change. Thank God (and this is moment #1) the passenger beside me offered to pay the deficit of 5 pesos. THANK YOU GOD! No kidding. I really am thankful.


And so, back to retracing my steps. I went to all the hotels and the last one was CBD Hotel near the bus station. When I entered the reception area, the same woman at the front desk was on the phone. When she saw me, she signaled for me to wait. So I did. And when she got off the phone, LO AND BEHOLD! She handed me back my brown floral pouch bag that contained my cellphone and ipod! THANK YOU GOD! Yes, dearies, this is moment #2. I was sooooooooooooooooooooooooo (and i bet you feel it now too) relieved! she said that I had left it on the countertop and that another guest saw it and gave it to her for safekeeping. She promised she didn't open the pouch but guessed that whatever contents it held was important. Looking back now, I really don't care if she opened it or not. Come to think of it, if she did open the pouch and saw its contents and still returned the pouch to me, well then, she really is an honest person! In my overwhelming state of relief, I asked her for her name (its Virgie, BTW) and profusely thanked her. I then left and walked back to our hotel. 


What did I realize from all these? First, I'm such a klutz. Second, there still really is goodness in the world. We might not see it often, we probably don't even try to look for it, but it's there. And it will surprise you. So I guess what I'm trying to say is, be kind because you'll never know when kindness will return to you. Also, be thankful for everything, even the little things. Gratitude doesn't cost a thing (unless you're like me and you'll also send a thank you gift to Virgie for returning my phone :) ).