Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Sleepy Journey through the Philippines: Part 1

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey friends, for the best Get Sleepy experience, be sure to check out our supporters feed Get Sleepy Premium for our free listening weekly bonus episodes and access to our entire catalogue. Now, a quick word from our sponsors who make the free version of this show possible. Welcome to Get Sleepy. When we listen, we relax and we get sleepy. Thanks so much for tuning in. My name is Thomas and it's my pleasure to be your host. Tonight's story is the first of a three-part series written by Lily that will be releasing in full this week on Get Sleepy. You'll enjoy a beautiful trip through the Philippines, starting in the capital city

Starting point is 00:00:57 of Manila, and traveling out into the provinces. In this episode you'll receive a warm welcome from your host, before you set off to explore the bustling city streets. You'll be able to hear part 2 on Wednesday and part 3 on Thursday, all here on the public feed. We'll also be releasing a long length stitched version of all three parts on the premium feed Thursday night. If you'd like to try a Get Sleepy Premium, the first seven days are free and you can cancel anytime. The premium feed has over 500 stories and meditations available in full and completely add free. Plus, you'll receive a weekly bonus episode each and every Thursday. To find out more and sign up with the 7-day free trial to begin, go to GetSleepy.com slash support or just follow the link in the show notes.

Starting point is 00:02:13 Before we begin our journey through the Philippines tonight, let's relax and get ready for a good night's sleep. At this time, thoughts and worries may pass through our minds, which is only natural. My night can be difficult to switch off. One thing you can do day to day to help with this is to try taking a short break every now and then throughout the day. During these intervals, allow yourself to stop whatever you're doing and just rest. Simply concentrate on your breathing or go outside for a moment and breathe in the fresh air. You may even choose to meditate for 5 or 10 minutes. The practice of resting our minds during the day is helpful for sleep when it comes to

Starting point is 00:03:29 night time. It allows us to find that place of calm more easily once it's time to settle down for the night. So, why not try it from tomorrow onwards? As for now, I hope your feelings settled and relaxed in bed. Take a nice deep breath in. Hold it, then breathe out slowly. And again, breathe in deeply.

Starting point is 00:04:21 And back out. As you relax taking these slow deep breaths, don't worry about trying to fall asleep. You'll drift off when you're ready. Just enjoy the comforting sensation of your bed supporting you. Enjoy the stillness of the space around you. And if you kindly make this show a regular part of your bedtime, then enjoy the familiarity of my voice by your side, as I invite your imagination to carry you along on this beautiful journey tonight. Our story begins in a peaceful bedroom in Manela, the capital of the Philippines. You wake slowly. The sound of rain falling gently outside your window reaches your ears. It's so soothing.

Starting point is 00:06:12 You lay there for a while with your eyes still shut, enjoying the feeling. The air is warm, but a cool breeze washes over you. It's coming from the electric fan pointed towards your bed, and it keeps you at the perfect temperature. With a yawn, you open your eyes and they adjust to the early morning light. The sun is just beginning to rise outside your window and the curtains which you left slightly open last night flutter in the breeze. As you relax in bed, you think back to your journey. You travelled by plain.

Starting point is 00:07:19 Your destination was the beautiful Philippines, a country made up of more than 7,000 islands. And yesterday you arrived in the capital city of Manila. Your journey from the airport was surprisingly stress-free and easy. You had instructions from the driver who would pick you up. It told you to head to the area number 5, outside the airport. As you stepped outside through the automatic doors, you felt the heat of the city. And you could smell that holiday smell, hot and humid. It was evening when you arrived. You could see palm trees even here in the city, and you felt excitement pulse through

Starting point is 00:08:35 your body. This was a real adventure. venture. How lucky you were to be able to travel and see different parts of the world. After breathing in the new sense for a moment, you walked on searching for the area number 5. You found it easily. On the way, you rolled your suitcase past other passengers. There were families reuniting, tourists checking their phones for signal and taxi and tricycle drivers looking to see who needed transportation. You found your driver waiting for you holding a card with your name on it. He greeted you warmly, welcoming you to the Philippines, and he took your back, which he deposited in the boot of the car.

Starting point is 00:09:56 Then he invited you to get in. You chose the passenger seat. As you set off, pulling out of the parking area and out of the airport, you chatted about all the things you wanted to see in the Philippines. On the busy motorway, you saw lots of tricycles. They are motorcycles with roofs attached and side cars. They could fit a couple of passengers or even a whole family. Then your driver pointed out one of the famous jeepneys. These are repurposed trucks left behind after the Second World War, which have been turned

Starting point is 00:10:58 into public transportation. The drivers have decorated them with different colours and with different themes. There is such a variety. Each jeepney has its own name. You saw one last night, named Guadalupe, and another one named Sonic. The first had images of the Virgin Mary on it, while the other one had pictures of the characters from the classic Sonic the Hedgehog game. The back doors of the jeep knees remained open, allowing passengers to jump on and off as they need it. After pulling off the motorway, you travelled down a quiet lane, coming into a residential area. All of the houses had plants and trees, bursting from every available space.

Starting point is 00:12:17 There were rows of potted plants, alongside blossoming trees. alongside blossoming trees. It was so colourful and it made you smile seeing how much care people took of their neighborhoods. The residents there made sure their communities were nice places to live. Finally, you made it to your destination for the next two nights. It was a house on a quiet street just as colorful and well-capped as the rest. As you stepped out of the car and out of the air conditioned interior, you felt the heat again. It was like being surrounded in a tight embrace, the humidity cleansing your pores. You looked around the street. A few houses down, a family sat outside their front door, drinking and chatting. Children played close by and you could hear their laughter. Your driver knocked on the door of your accommodation and an older woman answered.

Starting point is 00:14:00 This was Tita Ester. Tita means auntie in Tagalog, which is one of the main languages in the Philippines. In Manila, both Tagalog and English are commonly spoken. Tita Esther welcomed you inside, knowing you must be tired from the journey and showed you to your room. Inside was an enormous bed, a private bathroom and windows facing out onto the street below. You couldn't wait to get some sleep. After showing you the facilities, Tita Esther said good night and left you to rest.

Starting point is 00:15:05 This morning, lying on the huge bed in the light of the dawn, you can't even remember falling asleep. You must have been so tired. But now, as you stretch and spread out over the mattress, you feel refreshed and excited about the day ahead. In the bathroom, you wash using the tarbo. It's a traditional cleaning tool consisting of a bucket of water and a ladle or dipper. This is what you use to scoop the water from the bucket and splash over yourself. The water is cool and refreshing, waking you instantly and cooling you down. Once you're dressed, you head downstairs where Titaa has laid out breakfast for you. It consists of pandasal, delicious Filipino bread rolls and eggs.

Starting point is 00:16:36 She shows you how to tear open the bread and put the fried egg inside. You taste it and it is just as delicious as you had hoped. Then Tita Ester pours you a fresh cup of sweet coffee and you thank her profusely. What a perfect morning. Teteresta opens up the front doors so you feel as though you're sitting outside with the benefit of the shade that the building provides. The rain has stopped and the sun is now beaming across the cloudless sky. From here you can watch the hustle and bustle of the city beginning its day. A few tricycles go past, the drivers waving to you. Women, young and old, sweep the street outside their homes. Street vendors pass by announcing their wares in rhythmic tones, eggs, vegetables, ice

Starting point is 00:18:12 cream. One of the vendors is selling Tahol. It's a warm and sweet breakfast drink made from silken tofu and syrup. Teteresta encourages you to try it. You pay the vendor eight pesos and he ladles the mixture into a cup for you. He wants to see if you like it. You take a sip and the silken tofu slips easily down your throat. It is delicious and unlike anything you've tried before. You thank the vendor, who's pleased you like it.

Starting point is 00:19:12 Then you watch him make his way down the street, calling out Tahol for the neighborhood to hear. to here. After breakfast you decide you'll take a walk and explore Manila. Titarestha waves goodbye and you set off in the same direction as the man who sold you the Tahoe. On the way, people stop to say hello and ask where you're from. They give you advice on what you should see while here in Manila. There's the world's first Chinatown, the vintage market nearby, and many beautiful churches. You could take a jeepney to one of the main museums. That would be a perfect plan. People point you in the direction of the correct jeepney stop. When you see the bus approaching, you spot the name of the museum on the card in the wind

Starting point is 00:20:39 screen. green. You hold out your hand, signaling that you want to board, and the driver pulls over. As you climb in through the back doors, the other passengers scoot up so there's space for you to sit. The seats are two benches that stretch along the length of the interior. You count out the correct change and pass it to the person on your left. The money is then passed along to the front where the driver is. You drive through busy streets of markets, shops, stalls and people. There's so much to look at, the journey seems to be over within minutes. The jeepney pulls over right outside the museum and you climb out.

Starting point is 00:21:58 The building is huge and white, with columns in front of the expansive doors. When you step inside, it's like a sanctuary of cool air. There are different sections to explore, and today you choose to investigate the Museum of Fine Arts. It's enormous inside. There are around 30 galleries full of works by 19th century Filipino masters, century Filipino masters, as well as creations by modern painters, sculptors and printmakers. Here, there's some of the colours and the story told in paint. This one is a large scale piece with so much to look at.

Starting point is 00:23:20 It tells the stories of life in the small towns of the Philippines, showing families, workers, animals, activities, sports and more. The style of the art is similar to cubism, you think. The main colors used are blue and green, with splashes of red. It's vibrant and rich, and the longer you look at it, the more you see. You could spend hours just looking at this one painting. Without realizing it, you've spent all day inside the Expansive Museum soaking up so much rich culture and history. It almost feels like you've travelled across the whole country without leaving the city.

Starting point is 00:24:34 Although there's nothing like seeing the real thing up close, experiencing the sounds and smells, and of course meeting the people. You make your way to the exit, you notice that the temperature is cooler now, and the sun is lower in the sky. The city is winding down for the day. You decide to take a short walk to a coffee shop and watch the traffic go by. There's a small place nearby with a table outside. When you take a seat, you're soon presented with a menu of coffees from different provinces. You decide to taste one from Palawan, as this is where you're travelling to next. When the waiter returns with a steaming cup of rich coffee. You ask him about the tricycles.

Starting point is 00:26:11 He says you should definitely experience riding him one before you leave Manila. However, the tricycles can only go a certain distance, so you may need to take it to a spot near where you're staying, and then walk. This sounds good to you. But for now, you're happy to sit there. The evening is warm, and with each moment there's something new to see. The coffee from Palawan is delicious. The waiter has also brought a plate of hoppious to try. brought a plate of hoppious to try. They are small, sweet pastries, with a filling made from beans, and they're the waiter's favourite snack. They go perfectly with the coffee. You You thank him and shake his hand before leaving. He waves you off, wishing you a wonderful rest of your trip.

Starting point is 00:27:38 You head down the street and soon a tricycle driver passes. When you wave him down he pulls over. He asks where you're going and you give him Tita rest as a dress. The driver nods and says he will drop you around the corner. He gives you the choice between sitting in the side car or on the back of the motorcycle. You decide to sit in the side car. It's small with a seat and it's open on one side. Then off you both go, whizzing down the road. A wonderful breeze blows through the sidecar. The tricycle is a faster way to travel than a jeepney, as it's able to navigate through tight spaces and down smaller roads. The roads begin to look more and more familiar, and you recognise you are getting closer.

Starting point is 00:29:10 Last night, you remember seeing a big white house on the corner before you were turning. It had windows with curved metal railings and plants bursting through them. You can see the house now. The tricycle driver pulls over to the side of the street and you climb out. Careful not to bump your head on the low roof. The driver checks that you know your way from here before whizzing off. Birds are beginning to sing their evening song as you turn down the road with the white house on the corner.

Starting point is 00:30:08 As you walk, people sitting outside their houses greet you. You recognize some of them from this morning. They gave you suggestions on what to see and pointed you in the right direction for the jeepney. The people ask you how your day was. You tell them how much you enjoyed the museum and that you tried hoppies for the first time. They laugh and tell you to bring some back with you next time. You laugh too and promise you'll do so. You arrive back at the house, to the smell of something delicious cooking.

Starting point is 00:31:10 The front doors are open, and you walk in. You decide you will freshen up before dinner. Teteresta shouts hello to you from the kitchen, and you tell her you'll be back down soon. She says, Sege, meaning go ahead or sure. Standing in front of the basin, you run the tap and hold your hands under the cool water. Picking up the soap, you rub it between your palms, squeezing the bubbles all over your hands. Once you've rinsed off the soap, you lean over the basin and splash your face. This instantly wakes you and you enjoy the feeling of the cool water on your skin. You reach for a soft towel that's hanging on a hook nearby and press it into your skin, gently drying it. Much better, you leave your room and descend the stairs towards the delicious smell of dinner. The table is laden with a wonderful meal. A big bowl full of vegetables in a tomatoy sauce catches your eye immediately.

Starting point is 00:33:11 This is a popular dish called Pinnock sit down, holding a bowl of rice. She hands it to you and you spoon a healthy serving onto your plate, thanking her as you do. Next, you take some of the penucbat, pouring the sauce over the rice. Your mouth is watering. You wait for Teteresta to fill her plate before tasting, so you can enjoy the food together. After pushing the rice, sauce and some of the vegetables onto your spoon, you finally take a taste. The food is perfectly cooked. The vegetables are soft but still hold their shape and texture, and the rice is fluffy and light. You tell Titaresda about your day and describe the painting that particularly stuck out to

Starting point is 00:34:49 you in the art gallery. As you describe it, she nods, saying that it's by her favourite painter, Vicente Manan Sala. When she asks you what you think of Manila, you tell her it's one of the most uniquely wonderful places you've ever been. She's pleased you like it, dear. It's important to her that you enjoy her country. Tita Resta tells you that she has always lived in Manella, though she has also spent time in a province called Aurora where she has family.

Starting point is 00:35:51 She explains that she has two children who also live here in Manila and three grandchildren. Her husband worked as a captain on a cargo ship for his entire career. She gets up and brings you a photo of him in his uniform. He has a friendly face and stands saluting the camera. Teteresta speaks of him fondly. It's clear she's a very proud wife. Before he retired she says he would be away for nine months at a time. At first, it was hard to be a part for so long, but they got used to it. When he came home, he would tell her about all the places he had travelled to. He went all over the globe and would always bring gifts for her and the children.

Starting point is 00:37:14 At the moment, he is in Aurora visiting friends, but usually he would be here with her. It's a shame you didn't get to meet him this time, says Teteresta. He's a lot of fun. Next time you must visit them both and have dinner together. Smiling, you promise that you will. You feel so safe here with Teteresta. She is natural at making you feel at home and well looked after. You feel as if you've known her for a very long time, rather than just a day. Then she shows you pictures of her children and grandchildren, proudly telling you about each of their achievements. Proudly telling you about each of their achievements. She sounds like a wonderful grandmother.

Starting point is 00:38:32 You tell her that her family are lucky to have her. Soon, your Ryanits are getting heavy and Titaeteresta tells you it's time for bed. You need to get some rest as you have a long journey to make tomorrow. You'll be travelling to Palawan, a large island on the southwestern point of the Philippines. You've heard of its breathtaking beauty and are looking forward to being there. You head upstairs and open the door to your room. When you turn on the fan, the breeze ripples across the bed sheets. You get into bed beneath the sheets, your head resting on the pillow. Then you close your eyes, listening to the rhythmic movement of the fan, blowing from

Starting point is 00:39:56 side to side. The temperature of the room is just right. You think of the pictures of Palawan you saw when booking your trip. There are blue waters, white sands, coves and palm trees. Then you think of the perfect day you've enjoyed in Manela. You spoke to locals, discovered the culture and art, and travelled around the city by way of jeepney and tricycle. And you ate delicious new foods which you would never have experienced anywhere else. As you begin to drift off, thoughts-earned sleep and dreams of ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room.

Starting point is 00:46:46 I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room.

Starting point is 00:47:02 I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. ... you ... you you you

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Sleepy Journey through the Philippines: Part 1

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