Spot the Filipino Harry Potter Look-Alike and Some Thoughts for the Coming Days

photo taken last July 19, 2012 at 11:00 at the Cloud Dwelling assembly area in Fo Guang Shan, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (Quennie on my right and Ronnel on my left)

This post below was written on Aug. 1, 2012 | 11:07 pm | Inside my dormitory room in Pilgrim's Lodge, Fo Guang Shan Temple, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

I've been so behind my travel posts (not that anyone's pressuring me, it's my personal blog after all) but I feel a deep need to blog about my Taiwan Life and Ch'an experience first before I resume writing about my usual beach-related, rather light-hearted and fun travelogues. After I blog about this whole Taiwan once-in-a-lifetime experience, I will definitely find time to share with you my other travel adventures (from exploring Caramoan, to visiting the Batu Caves and other interesting spots in Kuala Lumpur, to dropping by Singapore again, visiting Apo Island and the enchanting Balinsasayao Lake in Dumaguete and Valencia, our Bohol honeymoon, to finally reaching the 7th falls in Mambukal and attending Jayvee's wedding in Bacolod, to our free trip to Misibis Bay, to my whaleshark watching and Tumalog Falls adventures in Oslob, to island hopping in Concepcion, Iloilo, plus my 2nd diving trip to Anilao, to surfing in Baler, a free trip to Bali, exploring Macau, overnight in Camsur, honeymoon in Maribago and bonding with my bes Hanz in Sumilon... whew!). 

I'm not saying that my two-week stay in Taiwan hasn't been fun. It's just different... a different kind of fun, that is. For one, I didn't go here for a vacation. Heck, I had no rest for two weeks straight! First half of the week was dedicated to learning about Buddhism followed by a 3-day tour from Kaohsiung to Yilan then to Taipei then back to Kaohsiung again from July 19-July 26 followed by a very rigorous one week silent meditation retreat program from July 27-Aug.1, which by the way was the most excruciating thing I have ever exprienced in my entire life! Try not talking to anyone for a week. Try not using your phones and PCs for a week. Let's see if you won't get crazy! But I'm getting ahead of myself here. Hehe.

I'll blog about the Life and Ch'an Seminar first the next couple of days and then insert my monastic diaries every now and then. But because my monastic diaries are basically a transcription of my handwritten diary entries from when it was happening, I'll share it over my Kicking Pinay blog where I post my more serious, life-changing (or not!), self-help and no holds barred thoughts and stuff. So if you're my Kicking Pinay follower, just head over there the next few days to get to know the deeper and saner (though sometimes crazier) side of me when I start posting my Monastic Diaries. Hehehe.    

For now, let me share with you a video I took of my co-delegates who were practicing for their performance in the 2012 International Life and Ch'an Seminar I attended recently.  I took this video because one of them looks like Harry Potter. Teehee. Can you spot him? ^_^

This was taken last July 20 as they were showing their dance for the final night of the 2012 International Youth Seminar on Life and Ch'an in Taiwan. They're 6 of the 23 delegates from the Philippines who are also undergoing a HALA program under Fo Guang Shan in Bacolod. The girls are: (L-R) Chelsea, Amafel and Amanda. The boys are  (L-R:) Alex from Russia, Mark Morales (the Filipino Harry Potter look-alike) and Pavel from Lithuania.

When my friend Chito saw the vid he said: "On a related point, si Alex si Ron Weasley. Tapos si Pavel naman si young Tom Riddle. Hahaha!"

LOL! (^_^)

Here's a copy of Mark's photo when he was dressed as Harry Potter:

Uncanny resemblance isn't it? ^_^