Dubai and my first ever Visita Iglesia

"Brench, would you rather be stuck or be lost?" Gwynne casually asked me as our small tour bus cruised along Sheik Zayed Road.

We were then headed towards St. Joseph's Cathedral in Abu Dhabi that morning. An hour or so earlier, we dropped by the Mar Thoma Parish in Jebel Ali where I caught up with my highschool classmate. The last time I saw Gwynne was during our graduation which was more than a decade ago already. So aside from the fact that it was a Good Friday, it was also an overdue reunion for both of us.

I initially thought that for the Visita Iglesia in Dubai, we will be visiting a total of 7 churches, just like what the faithful devotees would observe back in the Philippines. Since the few Catholic churches in the UAE are placed quite far apart, it is quiet understandable that the tradition of church visits (or church hopping if you will) may sometimes cover a lesser number than the usual. In our case that day, we will be visiting 4. Nonetheless, it's still very heartwarming to know that this Lenten practice is kept very much alive in this part of the Middle East.

L-R: The Mar Thoma Parish (Jebel Ali) and the St. Joseph's Cathedral (Abu Dhabi).

It was also my first ever Visita Iglesia, although I grew up in a predominantly Roman Catholic country. I am glad then that Gwynne still tagged me along even if she knew beforehand that born-again Christians like myself don't have this kind of tradition during the Holy Week.From time to time, she would patiently remind me which 'Stations of the Cross' are assigned in every church stop. I would then turn to the right page in our guide so that I can catch up with the group prayer and reflection.

Outside the St. Joseph Cathedral, there are sidewalk stalls where ice candy, kakanin and other Filipino snacks are sold. Photo courtesy of G.Gallardo.

All the churches we visited that day were air-conditioned, modern and had an international atmosphere. Aside from Filipinos, there are also other nationalities that flock to each. At St Joseph's Cathedral for instance, masses are scheduled according to languages. There's one in English, Sinhala, Konkani, Tamil, Urdu and Tagalog.Along the way, Gwynne and I talked about how our happy lives went on after college, how we ended up with our present jobs and inevitably, who got married to whom in our batch. Our juicy conversation was stopped momentarily when our group dropped by Al Mubazzarah Park, a public space in Al Ain, for lunch.

The green scenery at Al Ain is indeed a welcome sight to the mostly desert landscape in the UAE.

Everyone brought something for sharing. On the mat, I could see itlog maalat, palabok, daing and Gwynne's rather upscale tuna pasta and muffins that she baked herself. Had I known earlier, I would have brought freshly cooked danggit or some Goldilocks polvoron to the party.

Photos courtesy of G.Gallardo.

For Filipinos based in these parts, small yet intimate gatherings like this are very common as it helps eases the nostalgia from time to time.Before heading back to Dubai, we visited the St. Mary's Catholic Church in Al Ain, our second to the last church.

L-R: Inside the St. Mary's Catholic Church (Al Ain) and the St. Mary's Church (Bur Dubai)

I must have been really tired that day because I dozed off on our way back. By the time I woke up I could already see the silhouette of the Burj Khalifa, flanking all the other skyscrapers on the horizon.My sister then fetched us at St. Mary's Church in Bur Dubai. Gwynne suggested that we have dinner at Betawi Cafe, a homey Indonesian restaurant in Karama. Mac, my sister's husband, joined us even if he's not really a big fan of spicy foods.

Bottom L-R: Nasi Padang with Beef Rendang and Grilled Chicken. Photos courtesy of G.Gallardo.

Later into the night, Gwynne's question still lingered in my mind, just like the spicy sambal I had at Betawi. It's indeed one of those questions that pierces through your soul, baring out your life's purpose amidst the backdrop of the real world and all its pressures. It forces you to take a harder look at your career, your relationships and the many other choices you made in between.But after my first Visita Iglesia in Dubai, I somehow did not feel the compelling urge to reply. And to some extent, I was also at peace.