Why Foot and Fire?

The Terracotta Army of Xi'an China (at my back) represents our quest for immortality
but it quickly reminded me of our mortality. Hence, I shall give life to Life. 

Dear Friends,

Next to my cooking blog, Before Six Diet, which houses my recipes and some kitchen (mis)adventures, I wished to maintain my Foot and Fire blog which I originally apportioned for my itchy feet and sharp-eyed shots. 

However, aside from my travels and travel photos which stand for the word FOOT, I decided to house here my poems and essays which may or may not revolve around travelling but as to other aspects of my daily life that likewise fire me up. Hence, FIRE.  

I always wanted this blog to celebrate what I am (a sister, a daughter and a friend) and what I do everyday (from buying curtains to cooking to lawyering) because I love what I do and it gives me some sense of purpose and understanding on what Life is all about and How it should be lived. Given these reasons, I could not maintain many blog sites, and so I merged my foot and fire in one blog. So, please expect, poems, essays on life and travels, travel notes, photos and tips like sporadic raindrops.

And the foremost reason why I also merged these two opposite sides of life -- work and vacation, stress and relaxation, busy and rest -- is because that is the Reality of Life. We work hard for a sure good reason and we relax because we are humans. I read a lot of bloggers who introduce themselves as job quitters because they want to travel and blog about it. That's not the only way there is. Actually, we can love our work and travel too; we just need to be passionate about it. What matters for me is not in number of miles I can fly but the number of times each travel inspires or changes me. Each travel is enough for me to get through another quarter of taxing work. So stop envying those job quitters as their full time job now is to get Travels just because it is their job to travel and blog (sounds not exciting to me) and plan your destination, local or international. Just be sure, it is not just a travel just because you have nothing to do BUT it  is a travel within. Breathe in the air, gently and with gusto!

On the last note, I meant this blog to be organized but just like Life itself, even how much you try to plan ahead, you get random gifts and worries all the time! So bear with me as you see some footprints here and remnants of fire there. 

Hugs,

Gerlie

Postscript:
And why today? I just feel inspired to introduce this baby of mine today.
An for that, I am posting my first Fire of poem here.

If

(One Fruitful Experience)

by Gerlie M. Uy

If you have looked

at the symmetry in a ball of durian

and opened the same discounting the thorns all around it,

If you have smelled

a pineapple and anticipated its inside

and grabbed the same ignoring its annoying ugly thick peel,

If you have felt

the seeds of lanzones in your tongue and wished it be seedless

and yet continued to feel in your mouth its sweet flesh,

If you have heard

and lingered on the sound of your bite on a pear

and munched its crunchy pieces with both patience and gusto,

If you have tasted

the sweetness of a perennial banana

and chewed the same with delight despite its over-familiarity,

you know

deep

in

your

senses

despite the ugliness It has

you have loved 

Life

and you have lived 

Love.