We went to UP today because the girls finished late with their review. We didn’t have enough time to go to Intramuros before the sun sets, so we just decided to have long walks for exercise in UP–the nearest open space. Since today is Good Friday, we were just in time for the carroza procession of the statues of saints in black and the Santo Entierro (dead Jesus). Traditionally there would be a mass before 3 pm afterwhich the Catholic church will go dark after the last carroza enters the church gates after the procession.

We watched this kind of procession in Pampanga in 2019 when we went to see the actual crucifixion of a man, which aas his annual panata (pledge).

They stationed themselves at the amphitheater while I had one lap around the oval to have my exercise.

Then we stayed at Quezon Hall so I can do my stretchings until the sun went down.

Tonight they’re staying with their dad and will just come back in the morning to clean their bikes so we can drive to Intramuros or Baywalk and bike there.

My exercise was short so I continued my workout at home.

My yoga mat is still dirty I ought to clean it tomorrow. But my freshly vacuumed bedroom floor will do for now.

This is a love letter to myself (and my girls when they get to read this in the future), reminder that I should take care of my body not because I need to attract men but to make me feel good and to protect myself from non-communicable diseases. Diabetes runs in my family and my father died of diabetes complications. I don’t post such photos on social media but posting this on my nameless blog is like an accountability to myself and for my girls to read when I’m already gone.

So tomorrow, Sabado de Gloria, we clean and oil our bikes and off we go to the Old City to see old churches. All the saints’ statues and even the cross will be draped in black cloth until the Easter salubong (Mary Magdelene meeting the Risen Christ) at dawn.