KaLeiDosThoughts

A thousand butterflies!

2011-06-23T22:06:00.002+08:00

It has been raining the whole day.
Actually it has been raining a lot the past days.
It seems like heaven is in tears.
Today I also got some bad news...
Definitely not something to be happy about
but thanks God I wasn't panicking or worrying...
Actually I was at peace thinking that it will just be one of those days.

Then I was going to ride the metro rail and had to pass a mall...
And all of a sudden I was welcomed by a thousand white butterflies!
No they did not fly to me but they were the mall's decor...
They were probably just made from plastic.
They were hanging from the ceiling reaching almost all the way down.

Papa always said that butterflies are good omen.
Just seeing them there hanging cheered my heart.
I somehow knew early on that everything will be okay
and those butterflies were affirmation.

Bag to school!

2011-06-14T23:38:00.001+08:00

The five kids at home went back to school today!
All of them in the elementary...
All of them with huge school bags!
Yeah their bags have rollers but they still have to be carried to put inside the trunk of the car!
Plus they have to carry them in the school stairs going to their room.
Ahhh BIG Bags to school, when will it end???

My old celfone lives!

2011-06-12T23:09:00.003+08:00

I lost my new celfone again.

This is the second time I am losing a celfone and like the first celfone I lost, my new celfone is black and shiny. Well it is not exactly that new, I've had it for sometime but I still have my old nokia 6230 celfone which I feel more comfortable but I was going to give it to a niece and was just going to transfer the phonebook... but I guess it is telling me that I should not part with it... that maybe it is my lucky celfone :)

Why? because last time I lent it to a niece while I had the first black celfone and it got lost...ahh okay.. it was stolen like the new celfone but thinking about it would only make me mad, well not as mad as the first time since this time i only lost the celfone and still had my wallet and my cards and IDs -- so still feel lucky!

But more than losing, i just look at my old celfone and thinks how lucky it is to still be around. Or maybe I am the lucky one since it does serve me well even if it is old and so outdated compared to the units you see people using.

Anyway it made me recall an old quote from Garrison Keillor which I first read in the Reader's Digest a long long time ago. He says "Some luck lies in not getting what you thought you wanted but getting what you have, which once you have got it you may be smart enough to see is what you would have wanted had you known."

And I indeed feel that I am one lucky girl! :)

Mute Caller

2011-05-03T22:19:00.003+08:00

I take a jeepney ride going to the office after I get down from the Light Rail Train station. There would be a lot of jeepneys waiting for passengers and often times there would be callers or barkers (some even call them call boys!) to get you to ride a particular jeepney.

I try to choose the jeepney I get to ride since many of them would not complete the ride and passengers are left to walk the remaining distance... I still have not mastered mind reading (of the drivers mind) because a lot of times the drivers cut their trip and I get to walk far but I'm used to it, no more complaining and I just walk...

Anyway that is not my story, one of the jeepney callers is mute (I think deaf-mute since he doesn't undertand anything the driver says and just communicates through hand movements) and you hear him squeek as he calls on passengers.

Well, I always take the jeepney that he calls for. Why? Because he is disabled? Well a little of it probably... but more because he is always SMILING!

Some drivers sometimes make fun of him but the smile never seem to leave his lips.

And today I saw him once again but the jeepney seemed already full but he motioned there is one more... Ahh okay it was going to tight sitting but I can't refuse.

I got in and you can sense that the caller was really happy when he approached the driver because he would get more since he was able to fill the jeepney. The driver was in good mood also and gave him a good amount and since I was near him commented that the caller was happy. And he answered that he believes that he is the only mute-caller there that is not a thief then added that some people are able but they are thief.

So it brought a bigger smile on my face, I was not wrong. He was a good person that is why I like following his call.

Humming Easter!

2011-04-24T07:32:00.002+08:00

Chirst has risen. Alleluia!

Easter has really started joyful.

Last night I attended the Easter vigil at UP chapel thinking that it will be very crowded in the easter vigil in my parish and true enough, the chapel was full but not crowded that I was able to appreciate the service. The chapel was beautiful and so was the service. The service of the light was not dramatic as the ones where a ball of fire would come from above to light a bonfire which would be the source of light for the easter candle but it was solemn and people slowly walked back on the dark chapel for the service. It was beautiful when the dark chapel slowly became bright as each candle began to be lighted from the light passed on from the easter candle and that's when i saw the ceiling with the drapes and the flowers.

I went home feeling glad and this morning when I woke up I joined mama who would be celebrating the eaucharist on TV. It is a differnt service from the easter vigil so i just stayed in the living room with her watching. That's when I heard the bird's chirp. I am blessed to be greeted by the sound of birds every morning... there are different sounds but I don't really see these birds. There are common sounds from house birds but there are others I don't really know...

So I heard the bird chirping and looked out the window and was greeted by a very small bird with yellowish breast and long beak, flapping its wings, chirping and touching its beak on the window of our car. Could that be a hummingbird? But we don't have flowers on our garage! and there are very few flowers in our very small back garden. I am not really sure! but it was certainly humming good news! Good is good! Life is good! and that made my heart smile!

It's a good day! Pretty soon the house will be busy with the preparation for our Easter lunch and easter egg hunt for the family. Jenny has already prepared the "plastic" eggs with label of prizes inside. I too prepared my own prize for I have invited the "sisters" from my community for an easter fellowship and there will be egg hunting for them also after our worship. 'Tis a good day to celebrate!

Honeymoon with my Beloved

2011-04-17T14:23:00.005+08:00

Today is the beginning of the Holy Week... The Lenten season started on Ash Wednesday but the days went on that I felt that I have not really put my attention to the season. I have been so busy with so many things that i just feel so tired and distracted. Had to go on a provincial assignment that I wasn't able to celebrate my daily mass and I was even been on a short stay in the hospital for pain.

So many distractions! Work... family... service! It is understandable for work to be a distraction, family needs could sometimes be draining too but service? Service for Him??? Loving Him by loving and serving others? The one thing He asks me to love Him more? It shouldn't be but there are days that I really just feel tired and my focus is not really on Him but on the activities and other people.

I don't want that... I want intimacy with Him, my Beloved! And I know that I have to work on that. He's always there waiting for me... consistently loving me... just waiting for me to come to His embrace and feel His intimacy with me.

Oh my Beloved,
I'd like to make You feel my love
And I'd like to feel Your love.
The days ahead are special
I'd like to be intimate
Come let us spend more time together
This time alone...
just You and I in silence
Let us escape the crowd for a while
Let us go on our Honeymoon!
'Luv You, my Beloved!
Always will!

Can I ever love You more?

2011-04-17T10:17:00.001+08:00

Here is a poem... no, it is actually more of a prayer I wrote one time when we were having a planning session in our group and our leader asked us to express in any form what we want to tell our Lord...

Can I ever love you more?

I feel your presence everyday Lord
And I feel joy in my heart.
Even in great difficulties
I can hear your sweet whispers
In great events in my life
I was so happy to share them with You
I love You!
My heart overflows as I say the words.
Yes Lord, I love You!

Then one day I call to You
I could not hear You
I prayed harder
But I could not feel You
Where are You?
I’m lost, I need You!
No answer

One day stretch to a week
A month
Lord come back, I miss You
I want to stop praying
I could not
Deep in my heart I know
You’re there
In silence I surrendered
And slowly I felt You back.

You never really left me
And I know that You didn’t really TRY me
For You were always with me
And will always be with me.

You hid Yourself just for a while
To call me…
To call me to share the love
You have for me to others
You taught me that I could never
Love you more
Until I loved others too!

Make You feel my love

2011-04-17T08:59:00.004+08:00

This is a beautiful song by Adele on love...

Lyrics | Make You Feel My Love lyrics

Batchoy on papa's day!

2011-03-22T21:10:00.000+08:00

Today is the birthday of papa. My niece sent me text message that mama will be cooking Pancit (noodles) for the family’s celebration and I won’t be there to celebrate with them. However, I had my own celebration aside from special prayers. It would not have been possible if I were still staying in Cebu City.

Everytime I travel to and from the plant I would pass by Gaisano Grand Minglanilla branch and see that they have Ted’s La Paz Batchoy there. I went around somebit in downtown Cebu and have not seen a single batchoyan in the area, understandable since Batchoy is for Ilonggo not Cebuano. Anyway, yesterday we transferred to a pension house near the plant and since there was no eating place near the area we went to the mall in Minglanilla and I was able to have my batchoy… I wonder if papa had some hand in it but it sure felt great to be eating batchoy on his birthday.

I remember how we would eat batchoy in Deco’s in front of UST. He went back to school that time to finish his college and I was also studying in the same university. We both enjoyed it so much! My memory went farther and remembered when one time the family ate in Scorpio’s restaurant in Quezon Arcade in front of New Frontier’s theatre (which are long gone) I was probably 6 years old then. Papa ordered a couple of regular batchoy and one special batchoy and of course the waiter served the special (bigger) to him but papa told him that it was for me!

Ahhh memories while savoring the batchoy served to me dashed with a good portion of ground black pepper. I even requested for extra soup as they are not stingy in giving extra soup in all the batchoyan I’ve eaten. And I learned that the people there are all Ilonggo as they are all from Iloilo.

So it was a good day to have batchoy in Cebu… a special day… and I enjoyed it so much and if papa is watching I’m sure he too would enjoy watching me celebrate his birthday with Batchoy.

Rainbow greeting!

2011-03-21T18:54:00.000+08:00

I was feeling low when I woke up this morning...
I have not been sleeping properly since I came to Cebu...
I miss my family back home especially my mom and worrying a bit about the nephew under my care who'll have his examination this week and I'm not around to help in his review. Such was my mood when I got inside the van going to my assignment when it drizzled a bit and suddenly I saw a rainbow... first just a glimpse in an opening in between row of houses and establishments we were passing through, then a longer view as we passed through open spaces. The rainbow was full, low and you can see both ends plus the colors were very bright that it made my heart smile! God knows how to cheer my heart. His rainbow greeting really cheered me and it carried me through the day.

Cebu sounds and sights

2011-03-20T17:54:00.002+08:00

I have been in Cebu for a week for work and I still don't know how long I will be staying here. Hopefully just another week and I will be going back home with my family.

The company I'm auditing is in south of Cebu and I am staying in downtown Cebu City so it is a bit of a long ride going to the work place and we have to leave the hotel early and be getting back late. However, I do enjoy the ride via the South Reclamation Project/Properties (SRP) and we get to see the sea, the breakwater on one side and the mountain on the other side. Then I also look forward to the mountain directly facing the road I'm travelling when we are near the company of our engagement. There is also a Gaisano Mall along the highway in Minglanilla that is new and looks better than the Metro Gaisano and Gaisano South in the downtown area. Another thing that strikes me and actually makes me smile are the group of young men (most likely highschool students or older) that practice their drum, bugle and lyre in the establishments or sidewalks near the road. I've always loved their sound since I first heard them in the Sinulog Festival way back in 2004 or 2005. Their music, particularly the strong beat of the drums, sends vibration to my body that seems to dissolve any negative energy... to me they are healing sounds! And looking at their formation while playing shows not just discipline but dedication to their craft. I think the local government encourage it not just for tourism but to claim the music as distinctly their own that the mere sound of it makes you think not just of the Sinulog festival but of Cebu.

So even if our engagement here is exhausting and I don't get a chance to leisurely tour the city plus missing my family, the sight and sounds gives me energy to stay longer.

25 years after EDSA People Power

2011-02-23T01:39:00.000+08:00

25 years ago today, I got a call from my friend that Jaime Cardinal Sin asked people to go to EDSA to support Enrile and Ramos who broke away from the government of Pres. Marcos. The Cardinal's call was on the night of February 22 but I was dead to the world sleeping and not listening on the radio. When I received the call in the early morning of the 23rd of February 1986, I was prepared for battle! I took part in the Operation Quick Count of Namfrel earlier and was still frustrated on the outcome of the snap election that my sense of nationalism was at its peak and I was actually willing to risk my life. I was going to bring something for a fight but my friend said "No... just be there to support." So my sister, cousin and I went to my friend's place, scared but brave then headed to EDSA.

So many people were coming and I was surprised that the atmosphere was festive. People were glued on their portable radio. Though many converged on the gates of the camps there were a lot of people walking... taking pictures... There were groups that were singing... praying... giving food. It was unbelievable, exciting! I was there cheering with the crowds when Ramos came out jumped! I was tensed with the others when the helicopters came.. then shouted with joy when we realized that they too defected.

The nights were also full of activities and you'll see a lot of people going near the gate giving foods to the soldiers.

But we were not just in EDSA. We also joined others that took to the side streets to guard entry points going to the camp. We were there arms to arms "kapit-bisig" prepared to ward off "enemies" if they ever came. No enemies came so we just joined in the prayers and singing through the night.

For three days we went to EDSA. We would walk since no vehicle could pass due to the volume of people. We were not tired... we were hopeful! We would just go home to rest a bit and change then go back again.

February 25... there were 2 oathtakings. Both Cory Aquino and Ferdinand Marcos took their oath as President in two different venues. We still don't know what would happen, there were different news on the radio (oh the radio... so powerful at that time!) but we were ready for more! And then the news that Marcos was gone came. EDSA rejoiced and the people that went to Malacanang rejoiced too!

I was so proud to be a Filipino. So proud and happy to be part of the historic and bloodless revolution!

Then one year after we celebrated the first anniversary... there was singing and dancing in the streets. It was the first time I have ever seen huge fireworks! The Philippines was proud still. Democracy was restored. The press had freedom to report whatever they wanted.

Then there was a coup... and another coup...
Change of leadership after another...
Good times... bad times...good times... more difficult times...
Another EDSA Power came in 2001 to topple President Estrada... then the Oakwood mutiny. I was not joining anymore. I realized long ago that it was not just one event that would lead to change in our country. Yup, there would be change... but it would just be change in the players...there would be good players.. there would be bad. Some people will benefit... some would not. Most would still continue on their day to day existence. It would still be a matter of survival of the fittest or smartest (rather street smart). Change doesn't really come from the change in government but change in the people.

I see many people that do not change. But I have come to know also a lot of people that are reaching out in their own right to help, through their own capacity.... through NGOs...spiritual communities. When there are more Filipinos who would go beyond the service of their families and friends and help out OTHERS, who would be ready NOT to take the easy way out in transacting with the government, who would always think of the welfare and pride of the country, then that is the real Filipino Power. Maybe in another 25 years? I hope it is sooner!

Konsensya ng mga magulang

2011-02-19T22:37:00.004+08:00

My eyes were caught by the headline in this free tabloid given on the LRT stations...

"Be the conscience of your parents. Do not in any way push them that they will be tempted to dip their hands in the government coffers" says Heidi Mendoza in her talk in St. Scholastica's "Truth Forum."

I was thinking how true. Not just on government coffers but everywhere! And it is not just the children pushing the parents but other family members pushing their breadwinners... sometimes it could be the parents pushing their children supporting them to do things that should not be done and the other is helpless to their demands... refusing to say NO even if they could not really support the needs or WANTS of their family.

I've seen this happen in my office and in my community. I have seen several employees who could no longer concentrate on their work because they have debts all over and their pay could not even pay these off... I have also encountered sales people who committed fraud in our company who have to be terminated even filed cases upon. Most of these people are not really bad but were tempted to dip their hands on their collection thinking that they were just borrowing because their family needed money and they could not refuse them... and they are not caught and they do it again until it has become a habit. And these are usually the sole breadwinners in their homes and when they are caught they lose everything. It is not just them who suffers but the whole family!

My father also used to talk about the plights of many married Filipina OFW when he was still working in the Middle East, how their family demands big money and they borrow from their employers and they are left with nothing to support their own needs they end up hooking up with men who could support them... and their family crumbles.

We really have to watch out for each other... be the conscience. And it is always good to listen to it than lose everything in the end.

Red day!

2011-02-14T20:05:00.000+08:00

Valentines day again!
I slept in my mom and nephew's room last night since my nephew was sick and in the morning I greeted my mom a happy valentines as I kissed her head... then I kissed my nephew on his head too and greeted him. He doesn't like that but guess he was too sick to protest! :)

Being valentine, I decided to go to work in my huge red shirt, red sneakers and denims (not red... that would have been way too much RED for the day but I was still stunning! hahaha, what can I say I am biased! ;)

The girls smiled when they saw me come to the department. No one else was in red except my boss! She and I are both in bloody red and I thought it was nice! Then she called me and gave me congees... the big bosses have a meeting and they have congees for breakfast -- Oh I like this congee and I was thinking that it was a pretty nice gift for today...

One of the lady bosses gave silk red rose to some of us in the afternoon and i thought that was neat too but not really as neat as when I got home and realized that my brother cooked spaghetti!

Oh my heart really felt glad when i saw what was on the dinner table. I was thinking about it on my way home... really hoping that we'll have spaghetti! That really made my day!
So even with no valentine date... the valentine plate made the day!
It is indeed a happy day!

Angelo Reyes' suicide

2011-02-08T23:54:00.002+08:00

I was on the elevator going up to the office when I heard the news that Angelo Reyes was shot in Loyola Memorial Park. Shot in the cemetery? Why? I thought it was suicide and later on my thought was confirmed. He committed suicide!

He has been in the news a lot lately. My boss’s radio is quite loud and I can hear parts of the senate hearings on the corruption in the Armed Forces. It really is a mess, a scandal to be hearing about huge sums being given to higher ups in the Military! He was one of those mentioned of being given millions and he was denying this. He was going to fight by filing charges on the people that wants to put him down.

Then yesterday in the hearing, they also included his wife in the scandal…

And now he committed suicide.

I wonder just what went in his head. What was he thinking? How did he feel?

Then I remembered Teodoro Borlongan, a banker that committed suicide also a couple of years ago who even wrote a prayer-poem prior to his suicide giving a glimpse on what went on in his head. He wasn’t really thinking about himself but his family and others and suicide seemed his best option. I didn’t agree with his option but then again I wasn’t in his shoes, right?

And now I think of the retired General…Don’t think he was really thinking of himself… on an easy way out! Maybe he was willing to take hell or be in hell for the sake of his family? Thinking that it was the best option for his family and others?

I really don’t know. All I know is that I felt sad when I heard the news. Don’t ask me why… I just did!

Sun spotlight

2011-01-30T01:53:00.002+08:00

My boss called me to her table around 5:20 pm when my eyes caught something spectacular from the opening in the window blinds. It was different so I opened the blinds and marveled at the sight and immediately called my boss to watch it too.

Our office is in the 26th floor overlooking the North Harbor and this afternoon the sun was still bright but there was a great cloud formation on the horizon. Its center was thick and dark with some small openings and a big open space in the middle but the outer and bigger layers were lighter.

The sun’s bright rays passed straight down through that hole and left a bright reflection on the sea. It was like a spotlight! It felt like you were going to burn if you are on that space! The reflection was compact and so distinct! There were other rays passing through some smaller opening but the rays were sideways so that no other reflections were seen. Arghh I have no camera (and even if I did I know I could never capture the sight the way I picture it in my brain) and thought it was a waste to let it go without capturing it meanwhile the other girls in the department were there taking pictures from their celfones when they heard me exclaim at the beauty. I ran to the other department and called Jun to get his camera and take shots. He is a photographer and a good one at that. He looked at the sight grabbed his camera and went to the roofdeck to get a better view for his shots. It took some time for him to get to the roofdeck and this time there were already two spotlights and the rays were a bit slanted though it was still amazing.

So do you think that my words were able to capture the sight, I mean the way I have described it? Sometimes words could not really describe beauty, you have to see it with your eyes and only then can you feel it radiating to your inner being you really. It is not just a feast for your eyes but your whole being! You are simply awed!

The sight lingered for a while creating different patterns and they were all beautiful and if I close my eyes I could still feel it!

PS... this is an updated entry as Jun gave me a copy of his photo. However you can see the photo (Cloudscape in Mla Bay) also in his blog and you could see more of his photos and of course the comments to his works.

A Sagittarius still!

2011-01-14T23:23:00.000+08:00

There was a commotion in the office as they said that the zodiac signs have changed and that there is a new sign brought about by the changes in the earth's alignment. Though I don't really look at horoscopes and look at them more as "for entertainment" I'm fascinated that my zodiac sign description seems to fit my personality and I feel at home with it.

And now that there would be a new addition to the zodiac signs and the covering dates will also differ. I wondered if mine would change... and whether I would match the description of my new sign. Fortunately I'm still a Sagittarius! :-)

Here's the new zodiac sign dates:

Capricorn : Jan. 20 - Feb. 16
Aquarius : Feb. 16 - March 11
Pisces : March 11- April 18
Aries : April 18 - May 13
Taurus : May 13 - June 21
Gemini : June 21 - July 20
Cancer : July 20 - Aug. 10
Leo : Aug. 10 - Sept. 16
Virgo : Sept. 16 - Oct. 30
Libra : Oct. 30 - Nov. 23
Scorpio : Nov. 23 - Nov. 29
Ophiuchus : Nov. 29 - Dec. 17 <<-- I wonder what their supposed personality is???
Sagittarius: Dec. 17 - Jan. 20 <<--- still belong here!!! :-)

Take note that the dates are overlapping, so would that mean that a man born on the 29th of November would be both an Ophiucus and a Sagittarius?

Also checked some reference and the covering dates are also not the same, wikipedia says that Sagittarius is from December 18 to January 21. So which is really right???

Oh well, it doesn't really matter. I like being a Sagittarian but I still feel unique and I am sure others feel the same!

How not to pass the grade!

2011-01-13T01:06:00.001+08:00

It is another long night for me as I have to assist my nephew with his school project. Oftentimes he really does give a headache and I know that he does to his teachers. His mind is focused on so many other things except school that he doesn't like to think and just answers whatever thought pops up in his mind during examination...

It is so that i couldn't help but sigh when i got an email with the following attachments:

Still hoping for the day when he finally enjoys studying... passing the grade!

Rizal @ 150

2011-01-10T23:45:00.003+08:00

Ayon kay Jose Rizal...

"Ang gabi ay nilalang upang mangarap at magsaya sa mga ala-alang pumupukaw ng damdamin"
(~~Noli Me Tangere)

Those words with face of our national hero greeted me when I entered the LRT coach this morning.

It was different from the Berso sa Metro and Tulaan sa Tren poster series I've been reading the past months on the LRT with the quote being shorter and the poster tile being shorter in length with different color (the background was green the letters and Rizal's photo were in black) so I moved closer so I could see more of it. It says at the bottom which partly covered "Rizal@150 1861 June 19 2011" and "National Historical Commission of the Philippines."

Later on I checked and it turned out that the project is "Rizal on the light Rail - Inspirational thoughts of Rizal/Quotations from Rizal" posted at the LRT/MRT Stations which started last December 20, 2010 and would run till June 2011 to commemorate his 150th birth anniversary.

I was reflecting while still on the ride that it has been a long time since his days yet the quotes still rings true till today. I certainly am looking forward to see some more quotes on the coming days!

January 01, 2011

2011-01-01T00:00:00.000+08:00

Another year!
May it be full of adventure, joy and love for everyone.
May it be blessed and meaningful!
Here's looking forward to the new year ahead! :)

Blessed Christmas!

2010-12-26T09:15:00.000+08:00

It is the time once again...

The season has been chaotic as always especially in my work place where it is the bargain capital of Manila. People and good everywhere! Different vehicles competing for space on the street -- jeepneys, cars, FX, tribike,tricyle... then pushcarts, all sorts, and the makeshift stands with rollers. Then new malls with all sorts of merchandise too!

Activities in the office and with friends too..

Without all this, will there still be Christmas???

The family celebrated Christmas together, the kids opened the gifts before we had our Noche Buena. No Christmas carols and the TV was on. People were busy preparing for Noche Buena that they could not make it for the Chritmas eve vigil. Good thing our help accompanied me and we were able to go but I still went with my sibling's family and mama to church on Christmas day. Visitors came and family had another get Christmas dinner together... Now most of the folks are still asleep tired from the past days activities...

So is Christmas over?

The material stuff... Yes!

But the essence of Christ's coming, hope not...

Covenant of Love

2010-12-19T08:54:00.003+08:00

Today is my birthday!

I am always happy knowing my birthday – not just on the actual date but even just the thought of such day. If ever I come across December 19 (12/19) I would think ‘ahh my birthday’ and I would smile at the thought.

Not only that… the gospel during my birthday would usually mention the name ‘Elizabeth’ and I feel blessed because even if my mother did not get my name from the catholic calendar, ‘Elizabeth’ gets mentioned on the gospel reading on my birthday and I would think that it was the Lord who gave me my name! However, today is one of those rare years when my name doesn’t get mentioned BUT the Lord has made up for it… He gifted me with something better… or should I say ‘bether!”

He gifted me with several portions of rainbows! Not just one sighting but lots of them!

I immediately saw one when we were coming out of our street going to the main highway. Our street is narrow and it goes uphill and right in front of us was a distinct rainbow, just a portion of it and I immediately acknowledged it and showed it to my brother and my nieces who were in the car with us. I saw the other part when we were on the main road… then we dropped off my nieces and went to my boss’ place to get cakes I ordered from her son… she gave me a yellow earring she made which she knew I liked and went up to get an assortment of colorful earrings she made just the night before to share with my family. When we were getting out of their subdivision, we saw another rainbow, the colors were not as distinct but it was whole and it was not too high and again I pointed it to my brother. We were supposed to turn left to another street but there we could not do so since there was a 'no turning left sign' and we had to travel a long way before making a U-turn that my brother complained about it that I told him to just go straight and pass another street but he decided to do a U-turn.

And Lo and behold there in front of us was the most distinct whole rainbow! Not only that, it was a double rainbow!!! I was simply awed! The ride before the street we had to turn to was long so we feasted our eyes on that magnificent rainbow. And I could not hold my breath telling my brother how much the Lord loves me!

I really feel so blessed and so loved. Not just by God but a lot of people… sometimes I feel I do not deserve all the love they shower on me but God is soooo good! Sometimes I do feel tired of the things I do and get carried away by some problems but here He is telling me that I shouldn’t worry and feel tired because He will always be there to comfort me… to love me. That is His covenant!

Yup, His covenant of love and today He reminded me ‘bigtime’ with His double rainbow! :-)

Hibernation

2010-11-13T08:20:00.002+08:00

Just came from the province. Stayed there 5 days and though the mosquitoes and relatives always get excited and give me a joyful welcome… full of kisses! They stayed away a bit since my aunt made sure I have OFF Deep Woods on hand. And it actually worked!

I was in a place where the beach and the mountain beckons but I just stayed most time in my aunt’s home. She is sick and I figured I’d just stay around and humor her and keep her company especially so since I promised her I’ll come for her birthday. So except for a quick visit to the cemetery to light candles and offer prayers for our beloved dead on the day I came… and a quick visit to some relatives before the night before I left, I was just there in my aunt’s home… listening to her…talking to her…attending to her… listening to their music… eating… sleeping and reading occasionally (ahhh just able to read one book, would take a peep when free only). I thought I was in hibernation!

I did not get kisses from the mosquitoes (well actually one kiss on my shoulder I could still feel now) but I did get a nice visitor there. A brown butterfly came, Wednesday morning and it hovered around the house even circling me even though there were others in the living room. I followed it trying to get a snap from my celfone but it went out of the door. Then Thursday morning, my aunt’s birthday. It came again! It looked like the same butterfly again. And I remember my papa’s words that butterflies are good omens… the people around said that money was coming when they saw that the butterfly was brown… Ohhh of course I want money to come! But I also wondered if maybe if was papa’s sign that he was happy I visited my aunt. That surely is a nice thought!

All Saints' Day

2010-11-01T20:26:00.002+08:00

Today we celebrate All Saints’day and tomorrow All souls’ day. The family (just the older ones since it has been raining) went to the cemetery to light candles, say prayer and share some food. Tomorrow if the weather is better they go back with the kids. Other family members went to visit yesterday.

The children had a Halloween program in school before the break but they cancelled the costume which was good. John-john, my 11 year old nephew still wanted to get a costume though and I asked what for and he said “wala lang, gusto ko lang” (nothing, I just want to) and he said he was going to use his money anyway. I told him not to since it will just be a waste… still could not understand the idea of Halloween in the Philippines but I passed by several plush subdivisions on my way to our mission area the past weekend and I could see several Halloween décor on the entrance gates plus there were children doing trick or treat in their costumes in the mall where I had a quick lunch. Yeah, it was also nice looking at the kids with costumes but still thinking that the candies they were getting would not compensate for the money paid for by their parents for their costumes.

Then last night and today, there were kids banging our gates and it turned out they were saying “trick or treat”… ahhh even in our poor neighborhood the western commercial way of celebrating Halloween is catching up.

Still feel that our tradition is better… ahh not the offering of food (what a waste to see food offered left on the graves) but the family get together and prayer…

Plus of course it is always nice to have one more day away from the office (",)!

The Purfect Visitor

2010-10-31T22:43:00.002+08:00

We have a visitor who is so cute and charming. Saw him one day when I got home from work and he was so comfortable in our place and has won everybody’s heart… well not everybody’s heart actually but at least my heart and the kids’. Never felt really crazy towards someone I don’t know too well to let in my room but just couldn’t resist taking him to my room the next day since he was soooo sweet! And know what? He acted as if he owned my room the moment he got there. Not only was he content sitting on my chair… he even jumped to my bed and lied there… so content and all curled up. Geez I was surprised to see him jumped to my bed and acted as if he owned it but I couldn’t help smiling at him ‘coz he really is so cute!

My mom thought he was cute too and sweet until he poohed on the floor at the back of our component. Ewww, even our help was not happy. But he was so cute and sweet that I was willing to clean his mess and feed him. I felt so relaxed when he comes to me and snuggle and curl each time I stroke him. I would call for him when I come home and he’d come and follow.

But then I started itching and my rhinitis has acted up again. In fact it was so bad this morning that I had difficulty in breathing. My nose has been fine for quite a long time but it felt bad again and my eyes were puffy too the past days… Ahh this is bad.

Mama already told my brother to bring him someplace far away from us where he’ll be safe but lost and he reminded him again this morning before I left home. Geez, I have been thinking about it the whole time I was away from home today. I knew it will be hard for him to stay at home where there are so many people with allergies but the thought of just letting him go was a bit painful… Arghhh!

But when I got home tonight my brother told me that my sister and family came and HE also showed the same sweetness to my sister and my niece and they couldn’t resist him too! My sister, she is so fond of animals and she couldn’t resist this charming CAT.

So they’ll pass by our house tomorrow after their trip to the province and get him. Now I feel happy! I would still be able to see “our visitor” from time to time and hold him plus I know that he’ll really be taken cared of since my sister is really great with pets! They’ll be PURRfect together!

Manila water

2010-10-15T23:35:00.003+08:00

It was 1996 I think, my parents just came back for good from the Middle East. We have been experiencing lack of water for quite some time already but that time it was really bad, we did not have water and we had to get a water pump so we could have some water and it could only be done in the ungodly hours. My parents would wake up so they could get water, sometimes the 3 of us are there near our gate where the faucet is at the lowest just so we could slowly draw water for our containers.

Then one time while on my way to the office, I got to talk with a lady from an area nearby where there were several informal dwellers and we talked about water and she told me that she could see some areas where water was just freely flowing from their faucets, some even on the streets and that area is on a higher ground compared to us. I felt anger seeping through my body! There we were paying and not getting water while others who were wasting water were not paying for it! So unfair!!!

Then one day, they found out why our community did not have water. Someone put something, a stone I think but I’m not really sure, in one of the valves so that water was diverted to their direction not ours. They sure know how to locate those valves! So MWSS finally fixed it and we had water at last and theirs were cut. Our Barangay did not bother to look at our problem before but when the people from the higher grounds complained they acted on it immediately. Begged the homeowners to allow adjustment so that area get water too (even if they don't pay for it)Unfair, right???

But that experience really made me realize the value of water. and our water problems made me displeased with the MWSS… not just the lack of water but getting murky water and the exposed water pipes that you see on the open drainage with some parts submerged in dirty canal water…. Ewww! Of course that was not entirely the fault of MWSS but the illegal connectors!

Then MWSS turned over the management and distribution of water in our area to Manila Waters. And that is one of the best things that happened to our community. The concessionaire slowly fixed the pipes and the water meters, water started to get clear again and it has become available 24 hours a day. It really felt good and I really appreciate the company!

Tap tap tap water

2010-10-15T23:30:00.000+08:00

In the 1980s when I first travelled abroad, I was surprised to learn that we could not drink the water from our hotel’s faucet. I’ve always assumed that all tap water can be drank and when I read their notice and realized that it wasn’t so I felt lucky.

There were some local companies that started selling bottled water and I thought it was foolish and that they’ll lose money but in time more companies joined in plus purified water stations started mushrooming.

I never imagined it before but we eventually started boiling our water… then switching to buying our own purifier and even buying bottled water because murky water was flowing from our faucet and there were times when the filter we placed in our faucet would turn black… the color of the dirty canal with sediments. Yuck! We also had to put filter in all faucets because who’d want to take a bath in icky water!

The water condition was growing worse especially since the steel pipes were rusty and there were lots of pipes submerged in the dirty drainage water especially so when the PVC pipes started to be used and the proliferation of illegal connections expose the water to the dirty elements. Ewwww!

I get frustrated everytime I see the exposed pipes in the dirty open drainage which was common in our area.

When Manila Waters took over the concessionaire in our area, they started to change the pipes. They removed the old pipes from the drainage and put in bigger pipes buried deeper then grouped together smaller pipes that goes to the household. We started to have cleaner water… Oh it took some time but you notice the difference. The water supply in our area is very good! We have water 24 hours a day and the water in our faucet is clean… oh there are days that the filter would turn brown too, but we never get sand and black particles anymore and I don’t see pipes submerged in the drainage. However, the fear of safe water has somehow crept to my system. We still have our purifier at home and we don’t drink water from the tap at home anymore. The same actually goes when I am in the office and everywhere else, it has to be purified water! But you know what? There are times I would visit women in our community and have fellowship in their home and they would offer water taken directly from tap or juice prepared from water from tap and I could not refuse them. I’d take the drink they offer but there is always a prayer that goes with it “Lord don’t let my stomach get sick from this water.” And so far the water is okay and I’m okay! (“,)

Blog Action Day 2010

2010-10-14T22:00:00.002+08:00

Tomorrow is Blog Action Day once again and this year's theme is Water. I have not been doing posts lately but I am joining and will make a post tomorrow (",)

Blog Action Day 2010: Water from Blog Action Day on Vimeo.

It will be great if many people join!

~~~

When God made me...

2010-09-19T15:15:00.003+08:00

I am here in my room.
It is quite hot and I’m perspiring but I am enjoying the peace.
Downstairs in my brother’s airconditioned room are my nieces and nephews playing wii and lego games. They have the place to themselves since my brother and his wife went to visit my niece whose husband is in the hospital.
My sister and her husband are in their place having siesta.
And my mother is finally taking some vacation from us kids (her children and grandchildren) as she stays in the province to have a reunion with my father’s kin.
My other nephew under my care who has been sick for the past few days is finally out of fever and is playing with his cousins.
The past days... weeks have been full of activities, exhausting, chaotic…
But here I am now, alone and listening to Neil Young’s Prairie Wind album…at peace!
I am enjoying the music and at the same time thinking how I used to lock myself up in my room in my younger days and listen to Neil Young’s tapes…
When God made me… He must have left a space for Neil Young’s music since it has been ages and I still enjoy his music (",)

Heaven cried for the hostaged

2010-08-24T01:06:00.001+08:00

Just got home...
Got stuck in flood
after a heavy rain in Manila.
HEAVEN CRIED after seeing
what happened in Luneta Grandstand.
A hostage drama was not enough
there had to be bloodshed...
What senseless killing!
What a waste of innocent lives!
The flood water in Manila is gone now…
And so are the 8 lives!

Face of Crime

2010-07-30T23:20:00.002+08:00

I wrote how I was held up before and I felt so bad yet I could not recall the face of those two hold-uppers even immediately after the hold-up that I felt I wouldn’t be able to point them from the pictures the police showed me if they were really there. I’ve also experienced or witnessed such other incidence but the face of the perpetrators I could not recall mostly because it was done so fast. However, that changed today. Even up to this moment that I am writing this I could still remember the face.

I took my alternate route on my way to the office this morning and I noted that there were a lot of women, some of them with tattoo on the sidewalk of the road we were passing. The traffic was very heavy and the jeepney was almost not moving that I get to observe them up close. The people were some distance from each other mostly in group. Then I saw one man without shirt saying something loudly to the women while walking and I thought that there must have been a commotion earlier. Then I noticed a family – a man, a woman and boy about the age of John-john. The man and woman who were both smoking were talking and the kid at first was just standing there and then he pat the shoulder of his mom. He was unlike the other kids that were on the road some of them even went up to our jeepney and some were just flitting from one jeepney to another like the kids you see in Manila begging or just asking for coins (it is the first time I saw such scene though in a road in Quezon City). Compared to them that had no top shirt and with dyed hair, he was neater and stood quite well.

Anyway I lost sight of him a bit then noted that he was also going from one jeepney to another and came to our jeepney. He did not go up but went to the front of the driver, standing/walking along with the jeepney (told you it was heavy traffic). He told the driver to give him Two pesos and the driver told him to go away. He also told the other kids that came up to our jeepney earlier to come get off. While he was asking for coins, there was another kid that went on the side of the driver, I did not hear him but he was probably asking too and the driver told him too to go away. Anyway the boy did not go away and instead sat on the sit in front since there was only one passenger – the man had to move closer to the driver. The man told him to get off and he said “Nakikisakay lang ah” (I’m just taking a ride). The suddenly he took the rolled bill in the cash box of the driver and took off. The other kid followed him and they laughed and went to an alley. The driver had this frustrated look on his face – he did not say anything anymore. And my look was at the kids. They are just kids yet they have no guilt whatsoever of what they did and seem to get a thrill of doing it. The kid should have been in school yet there he was and earlier he was even with his family. And tonight, I can still see his face!

Earlier tonight on the news they say that some kids are being kidnapped and then turned to be snatchers and thieves. Some kids were lucky to have been able to escape and tell their stories.

It really is a very sad thing. Some of them are forced to do such crime and they follow out of fear but in time it becomes a part of their life – just one of those things that they do. Others are not even forced, they see other kids or people around them doing them and it seems the natural thing to do.

Most faces of criminals would make you really boil with anger but others tears you apart. Yup it makes you angry (you couldn’t help being angry, it is wrong after all) but the pain is there too and you think “What a waste!” Yup, what a waste.

Noynoy’s parable of the Shrewd Steward

2010-07-26T23:36:00.000+08:00

President Noynoy (P-Noy) delivered his first state of the nation (SONA) this afternoon and while listening to him mention to the different anomalies uncovered by his team so far, the midnight appointment of the previous administration and the huge benefits given to a select few leaving the coffers almost empty, I couldn’t help but think of the parable of the “Shrewd Steward” mentioned in Luke 16:1-12.

Oh well, our country’s previous steward was not writing off debts but was giving away the country’s money to people who has given her favors and whom she hopes will give her favor in the future. It is unjust alright but she is really clever.

I was thinking though that the parable in the gospel never really ended. It assumed that the debtors would be kind to the shrewd steward. I wonder if it will be the same for the people who benefited from our previous steward? Probably so…

But would there be more of them than the present lot?

Well, I guess enough to buy her time…

And it seems that for Filipinos, time takes forever!

Road Ahead

2010-07-11T16:46:00.002+08:00

My youngest sister gifted me with a B23 duo myphone. She knew that I wanted a celfone that has both AM/FM radio since most celfones only have FM radio. And what’s more it is a totally Pinoy Phone which has Pinoy quotes, OPM, and even prayers. Well not all of them are Pinoy prayers but they are common prayers and devotions of Pinoys!

And while exploring the prayers I came across – Road ahead. I clicked on it to listen and was surprised to learn that it was a prayer of Thomas Merton which I found on his book “Thoughts on Solitude” a very small book which fitted on my shirt pocket and which I used to carry a lot. The prayer goes…

"My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone."
- Thomas Merton

I loved this prayer so much since it is a prayer of faith and hope. I never realized that it is a common prayer but I’m glad to have found it again!

Incidentally I found a song that was based on the prayer and I am also posting it here:

The song is also nice :)

The Philippines under the New Administration

2010-06-30T23:10:00.004+08:00

I could hear fireworks. I guess it is coming from the Street Party at the Quezon Memorial Circle after the inauguration of our new President Noynoy Aquino this morning.

It has been raining in Manila for the past days but today the weather cooperated. Hoping that it is a sign for good things to come for the Philippines not just for the 6 years that he will be holding office but as start of something new and better for the whole country. And what better way to start than NOT just having the new president take an oath but the Filipinos as well as represented by the different sectors in the event.

Here is just a part of the inaugural speech of the new president, the translated text in English can be found here, however, I'd like to focus on the oath of the Filipinos as a response to the president's oath as shown starting at 7:17 of the video:

It is so very appropriate since the direction of our country doesn't just fall in one man's hands. It is the collective effort of all Filipinos. We really have to do our share. I know that I have to do my share!

Father's day

2010-06-20T22:16:00.003+08:00

It is Father's day once again.
But what do you do when your father is gone and you want to honor him?
I figured that it is best to do the things that would have made him happy if he was around. And the thing that would really have made him happy was to make mama happy and see his family together.

Our family had a celebration, we had lunch in a restaurant after going to mass (mama was happy because the food was good and that we did not have to bother with the preparation and doing the dishes!) then we went to the cemetery for a visit and a short prayer. The 6 grandkids tried to fit themselves in a big umbrella, while the others stayed in the shade of the mahogany tree while we had our prayer... and and yes we saw the caretaker of the plot and paid him. Mama worries if we are not able to pay lest he doesn't care for the plot but the grass is thick and green and neat so she is happy.

Now if the kids (small and big ones) will only behave everyday then she'll always be happy! Then I know that papa is always happy too!

Berso sa Metro

2010-06-14T09:11:00.003+08:00

The past 2 weeks I changed my route and would travel in the morning through the LRT. It is a longer route since I have to take 2 short rides to go to the station but I find something to look forward to in the train ride: The Berso sa Metro and Tulaan sa Tren.

I realized that the project has been undertaken by the LRTA and Insituto Cervantes de Manila (for the Berso sa Metro series) since 2007 but then again it is only now that I learned about it and I really find it wonderful. I wish that I get to read poems in all the train rides I have but unfortunately they only have them in few coaches. So each time I take a ride I choose a different door to enter and cross my finger that I get to read the poems. It is not just the poems that are great but the artistry involved with it – the graphics. They are really works of art and something that puts joy in your commute. Sometimes I would try to translate the Spanish poems before reading their translation in Tagalog but I could only grasp few words and phrases – oh how I wish I paid more attention to my 4 semesters of Spanish in college!

Anyway here is a poem by Ernesto Cardenal with a translation I got in Tagalog (from a new hire in our company who happened to copy the poem in Tagalog because he said he was able to relate to it) and also a translation in English. I don’t know who did the translation in English but it is not as poetic as the translation in Tagalog.

Al perderte yo a ti, tú y yo hemos perdido:
yo, porque tú eras lo que yo más amaba;
y tú, porque yo era el que te amaba más.
Pero de nosotros dos tú pierdes más que yo:
porque yo podré amar a otras como te amaba a ti,
pero a ti no te amarán como te amaba yo.

- Ernesto Cardenal

Nang mawala ka sa akin, ikaw at ako’y nawalan:
Ako dahil ikaw ang minahal ko nang lubusan
At ikaw dahil ako ang sa iyo’y lubusang nagmahal.
Ngunit sa dalawa ay ikaw ang higit na nawalan:
Dahil pwede kong mahalin ang iba tulad nang pagmamahal ko sa iyo
Ngunit ika’y ‘di mamahalin tulad nang kung paano kita minahal.

—Translated by Salvador Malig Jr.

When I lost you, you and I lost:
I, because you were what I loved the most,
and you, because I was the one who loved you the most.

But of the two of us, you lose more:
because perhaps I’ll love others the way I loved you,
but nobody will love you the way I did.

========

Here's another one I found and like. They did not indicate who translated in Tagalog but I also added my translation in English with the help of google translate:

Tu justificas mi existencia;
Si no te conozco, no he vivido;
Si muero sin conocerte, no muero, porque no he vivido.

-Luis Cernuda

Ikaw ang dahilan kung bakit ako nandirito,
kung 'di kita nakilala, 'di sana ako nabuhay.
Kung ako'y mamamatay nang 'di kita nakilala,
hindi ako mamamatay dahil hindi ako nabuhay
~~Translation in Tren

You justify my existence;
If I did not know you, I would not have lived;
If I die without knowing you, I do not die, because I have not lived.
~~ My edited "google translate" translation from Spanish

========

And another one...

Si alguna vez la vida te maltrata,
acuerdate de mi,
que no puede cansarse de esperar,
aquel que no se canse de mirarte

-Luis Garcia Montero

Kung sakaling malupit sa iyo ang kapalaran,
alalahanin mo ako,
dahil hindi mapapagod sa paghihintay,
itong walang sawang tumitingin sa iyo.
~~Translation in Tren

If life ever mistreats you,
remember me,
who can not get tired of waiting,
and who does not get tired of looking at you
~~ My edited "google translate" translation from Spanish :(

I know my translation stinks... made me wish more to have paid attention to Spanish in College!

Kasalan sa Parokya

2010-06-06T09:57:00.000+08:00

UP Chapel sponsored a Kasalan sa Parokya (Parish mass wedding) for their Parish fiesta and my brother and sister-in-law joined them.

It was supposed to be a mass wedding but instead only two couples were married. I asked the in-charge why? Are there not many people wanting to get married in church anymore? No, she said, there were more that wanted to join but that they were not able to meet the required papers – baptismal and confirmation certificate etc.

So, my brother and sis-in-law were lucky since theirs turned out to be just a double wedding and the parish provided for the flowers including the bride’s flowers. They were advised previously that there won’t be a procession for the others in the entourage but since there were just two couples, there was a procession and they had ample of time for picture taking. Well, I said lots of time but there were not many people that came (so not much photos too!) … most just waited at home for the reception. Just the family but then again ours is a big family so no need to invite others since our house was already full. :-)

The wedding was simple but there was one thing that really caught my attention. It was the Reading. The reader, read a verse from Corinthians specifically for married couples (usually the reading for wedding is from Tobit). And it was not like she was reading but she was more talking to them, giving them counsel. I don’t know if my brother and sis-in-law and the other couple were listening carefully but I could feel her words and I wished that they would keep them in their hearts.

To Dan and Cyn. God bless you!

The god stealer

2010-05-30T22:17:00.002+08:00

I was cleaning my room and that included my cabinets. I have boxed some of the books I am not currently reading before to lessen my clutter and I thought it was just safely placed in my closed cabinets. As I was cleaning, I decided to move the box at the end of my cabinet. I don’t usually move it since I would just wipe the outer portion where it gets dusty. I was so shocked to find that box eaten by termites… Ayyy!!! They were moving still feeding on my books I had to get a huge plastic basin where I could place them so I could move them downstairs while I clean the cabinet to make sure that they have not eaten the woods.

My books! My books! They are books by Merton, St. Ignatius, Pope John Paul, St. Therese, Scott M. Peck…they were mostly books on spirituality but there were also books on poetry and one local book which is a collection of short stories of F. Sionil Jose which I bought a long time ago, I think long before he became a national artist. The book was “The god stealer and other stories.”

I was looking at it with the cover still intact but the inside pretty much eaten by the termites. I was rushing in cleaning up the termites’ mess but at the back of my mind I was thinking about the book title “the god stealer” and thinking further that these termites are God stealer! They have devoured some of my best books!

My sister-in-law and later my friend were kidding me that they were spiritual termites. I could only smile a little when I heard them. I still feel bad. It was really a waste that I wasn’t even able to share them with others. I have lent some of my books to friends and officemates but I found out that they are not really keen on the books that I read.

My friend was consoling me that they were just things. Actually they are not really just things – physically they are but their contents are not. But yes I somehow feel consoled… consoled not because they are just things but consoled that I have read them and though they are gone, I believe that their ideas and reflections are somehow a part of me also. So the termites maybe god stealers but they haven’t really stolen GOD.

The Holy Trinity

2010-05-30T11:36:00.003+08:00

Today is the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity.
Three Persons in one God.
God the Father,
God the Son, and
God the Holy Spirit.

I suddenly remembered the mural I saw while I was in Victorias City, Negros Occidental last April. We stayed in the Victorias Milling Company compound and I was able to visit the church of St. Joseph the Worker commonly known as the church of the Angry Christ.

I don’t really know why they call Him the Angry Christ because when I looked at His face, He didn’t really seem angry. But His outstretched arms show strength and power that you could probably associate with anger moreso since the figure was highlighted by the bright color combination.

Anyway, a lot of people focused on Angry Christ. I did too. After all it was on the altar and that's how they tell you when you visit. But after looking at Christ I looked at the cubes in the ceiling and I immediately exclaimed the HOLY TRINITY! I could see God the Father on the first and outer layer of the cube as depicted by the EYE. Then the second layer shows the INRI which was written in Jesus Christ's cross and the last layer was the Dove which is the Holy Spirit.

I found it great the way it was done because You could only see All the Three depicted at a certain distance only. I am not sure if that was the intention of the artist but that's the thing that came to me immediately when I saw it. I visited other blogs to confirm if my reaction was correct but I have not read them in other posts. Enrico Dee and Dong Ho had informative posts on the mural plus nice photos too! You have to visit them to appreciate the mural since the shot from my celfone was really bad. Dong had a better view though of the second panel depicting Jesus Christ.

Three Persons One God. It is awesome!

A Funny Affirmation

2010-05-16T23:30:00.000+08:00

In an earlier post on Passion, I mentioned of the Eucharistic celebration concelebrated by 8 bishops. At the last part of the celebration, the main presider- archbishop asked all the other bishops and priests to give us the final blessing. I was thinking how blessed I am for so many bishops and priests giving me blessing all at once.

Now, one of the bishops present is actually the bishop in my diocese. I’ve seen him since he had a big picture outside of our church. And just last week when I attended a Saturday noon mass in our parish, I didn’t leave immediately and just stayed in my seat for some silent prayer. I was looking at the cross in the altar but got distracted when a small man with white hair and faded short barong and black body bag passed me by as he approached a popular old lady in the front seat. I’m not really sure who the lady is but I notice that many priests and church people come to her after mass. I was about 3-4 seats away. I thought he seemed familiar and he talked cordially with the popular lady as I tried to go back to my prayer. Then after a while the old man turned towards the door and when he passed me, he stopped and asked me “how are you?” I was surprised when I was sure who he was! He was our bishop and I said, “Okay father,” then he said “Always pray ha!” and added “Pray for priests!” and I told him, “Yes, bishop!” then got his hand and kissed (actually it was more a hand bless “mano” than a kiss) on his ring. I thought it was a bit funny that he would approach me and tell me that because earlier at the mass just before consecration when the priest was praying for the living then the dead, he made an introduction to each… he started by saying “let us pray for the priests” and he said the prayer starting with the prayer for the pope then down the line. And when he said this I immediately thought that there were not many people praying for the priests and they sure need our prayers especially with the different scandals going on right now…

And now, the bishop affirmed my thought earlier. I should continue praying for priests!

I said earlier that it was funny, I do not mean it being a laughing matter but that God could be funny in showing me stuff… in affirming things… in answering my questions and concerns… in protecting me… in unexpected ways. And such thought certainly made me smile.

Passion

2010-05-16T22:57:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, I attended a jubilee celebration – diamond, golden and silver of several nuns of a congregation and it started with the Eucharistic celebration which was concelebrated by 8 bishops which was of course great. But what really struck me during the whole celebration was the conductress (that’s the term right?) of the choir of nuns from the congregation. She was old but boy oh boy you should see her conduct… it was with PASSION. The voices of the choir could not match her lead but she did not mind. She was giving it her best!

I was seated from a distance but I had a good view of her (I thought advantage of being tall) and I sang on all the songs that I knew as I followed her beat, even following how to form my lips… following her lead to sing softly or to sing with force or to stop abruptly. I wanted to sing with passion too!

After the celebration I got to talk with some people and they too noticed her and like me they too followed her beat.

I was reflecting on this and realized that if you have passion for your work and people see your passion they can’t help but be affected by it too. I wish I have the same effect on people too!

First Electronic Vote in the Philippines

2010-05-10T13:35:00.002+08:00

Election Day. Finally!

Mama was excited to go to the precinct to vote and prodded me to go with her so we could already vote. Told her we should wait for my brother so he can take us by car. Nope she said she could walk to the school where we are to vote. I finally gave in. that was around 9:00 am. We went out of the gate, there were a lot of people outside since the school just beside our home is also a polling center unfortunately that is not where we are to vote. The people told mama that it would be difficult for her since the line was long and it was very HOT…. Geez too hot if you ask me! I told her I’d go ahead and see how it goes before I come back for her and she gave in.

So I went and there were people everywhere. People were giving sample ballots and even fans to all passersby. It shouldn’t be so but it always happen. Someone gave me a fan of one of the party list. I took it. It was so hot I had to fan myself even if I would not be voting for it. There were a lot of people in the school but they have tarpaulins of the school layout with the precincts indicated in the rooms. There are now several precincts in one room. I took hold of the number of our precinct, we noted it earlier in the online site of Comelec. Four of us are all under one precinct. Went there and of course there was long line, I had to take a number so it would be organized and would just have to come back later. Oh well our place is not too far from the precinct, the number being served was in the one hundred. I got numbers for all of us – it was in the two hundred seventy plus. And I went home.

When the other siblings had taken their late breakfast and prepared we went back at around 10:30… mama did not want to wait any longer! The same thing lots of people, mama had difficulty walking but she made it alright. When we got there we asked the number being served it was 230 ahhh a bit longer still but it was okay, then somebody told us that Senior citizens can go straight in and I asked if the companion could go to and they said it was okay. SO while the two siblings waited mama and I went in.

There were a lot of people to assist and point direction. First they asked our number and precinct and we gave them, they got the list, the voters had their thumbprint and picture in them and it was easy to find ours, then we signed and they gave us a paper with the word ballot and we presented it to the person holding the ballots and she gave us a copy. We sat and we shaded the oval box of the candidates, geez I did not realize the letters and the box were small and with the pen it was hard not to go beyond the oval box but we tried our best. It was fast. We then proceeded to the PCOS machine and inserted our ballots. Mama was first and she was excited when the machine said Congratulations (no voice, just on the screen) then inserted mine and it was done. The girl there placed indelible ink on our fingers and we went back to the person holding the voters list and signed and we were off.

Voting in our place has always been easy. I have been voting for a long time and even observed some proceedings and there was never any untoward incident that I have experienced. This is the first time we have voted electronically, I have been hearing on TV of glitches and problems in some area. Good thing we did not have such problem. It was quite nice to finally have the electronic voting implemented, there might be problems this year but for sure in the next years it will be very smooth.

Now, just hope that the counting process is successful and that we get good officials to serve our country. On that… God help us!

Terry's Mother's day surprise

2010-05-09T01:12:00.005+08:00

My sister Terry beat me to this...

She posted mama's picture in her facebook account!
I don't have a facebook account but I was looking at her photo while I was in her room earlier and wanted to put it here in my blog. My mother is one beautiful woman. Lots prettier than I am! and she is still beautiful up to this day.

The posting in her facebook is not the only thing she did ahead of me too.

The other sibling and I were talking about what we were going to serve tomorrow (oops it is today already) for Mother's day and we were even wondering if Terry was coming around. Instead she and her kids came tonight with a lot of donuts and surprised all of us. The kids (nieces and nephews) were happy because they are always excited when she comes plus she also brings along her children and they are also excited to see their Kuya Jigs!, the siblings and I were happy and of course the most important thing --mama was happy. She actually was already in bed when they came since she called it an early night but when she heard them came, she got up and was wide awake. And while the kids and Jigs were in the bedroom with their computer (well after they took their donuts), Tin (Terry's older daughter) and the rest of us were in the dining room's round table and we were talking... As always... with Terry starting showing off her facebook then eventually talking and we were all listening to her, laughing and sharing our own views. If she is in the mood she is one good story teller. And there were lots of stories tonight plus coffee too since it went well with the donuts. I can see how mama enjoyed it that she lost her sleepiness.

It turned out to be an advance mother's day celebration. Food is not really the important thing in a get together but the stories, the bonding and the feeling of family. We had all those tonight and it was really good.

Terry really got one (well actually two) over me... BUT I sure appreciate it.

A surprise get together is always good...

And it makes you feel really light hearted and you feel so thankful that despite being so imperfect, we are a family and we know it... so that means we are really blessed. :-)

More blessings and happiness to my beautiful mama, and of course to the rest of the mommies in my home and everywhere else!

Happy Mothers' day!

Bloom from non-green thumb

2010-05-02T23:35:00.002+08:00

I saw the flowers bloom in our very small garden yesterday that I got so excited and called everyone at home to take a look and see! It doesn't seem a big thing but it sure made me happy -- ME, a Non-green thumb who had several attempts in planting but oftentimes fail and now had a plant that had flowers! And they are pretty and there more shoots coming in!!!

I was also excited because I remember how my friend was so sick from her cancer when I visited her before and saw the plant in her vase. It had flowers when I came and I told her it was nice and she gave me some to take home and said that it was easy to grow and that I just have to place it in a vase or just stick it on soil and it will surely grow. I had doubts that I could make it grow and bear flowers but I was excited when she gave me some of the greens. I placed some in the vase and some in our garden. That has been in December last year.

It has taken a long time to really grow and bear flowers but it finally did! And they are such lovely joyful flowers. It is not only because of seeing the flowers that made me excited but it was also because of the memory of my friend. She died in January this year after her struggle with the disease. She was such a green thumb! Her home is full of plants both inside and out. The plant and now the flowers are her legacy to me... they are a gift of friendship... the nurturing of life!

And I could not contain the join in myself that i did not only share it with my family but also told my other friends... and they too want a part of it... not just a photo but also part of the plant which they too want to plant in their home and allow to grow and flower and bring joy as our friend... our sister has brought joy and life to us!

I am looking forward to more of my Sis Baby's happy flowers!

Sleeping Beauty!

2010-04-21T23:05:00.000+08:00

I feel so blessed to get easily get sleep unlike many people. When I sleep at night I would already wake up in the morning and oftentimes would not even be aware what went on during the night… overnight blackouts… commotion outside the home...

This has been so for a long time except for a period in my life when I took care of my grandmother who snores loudly and I had to wake up around 5 times a night NOT because of her snore since I found out that I could easily catch my sleep just by touching her a bit so she stops snoring for a few minutes and I get to go back to sleep BUT to change her wet clothing when she pees and I feel the warm liquid on my knee which I position near her buttocks while we sleep (that’s another grace and blessing but another story) and other period when I was not able to sleep for 3 weeks and I felt like I was going to lose my head… just couldn’t get it no matter how I tried but didn’t get it for those times but eventually (Thanks God!) I was able to recover and am back to being a sleeping beauty and appreciate this special blessing.

I think about this blessing once again because I went to a 3-day conference and we went to stay in a residential place (for a fee of course). The one who got the place told us that the owner she thinks was either a foreigner or an executive and the place was air-conditioned and our fee would cover not just the room but also breakfast and the transportation going to the venue. I thought the daily rate was a bit high but it was better than not having any place to stay. Anyway, I went straight to the venue… well not actually straight since from the airport I went to the city for some personal business before heading to the venue and we went to the place already late. When we got there, the place wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. It was indeed an executive’s place – a staff house offered by the company for the officers and the home was in the compound of the company BUT it was old and made of wood. Well as long as it is comfortable inside I thought. We were just going to be in one room all 9 of us but as long as there is bed to sleep on I thought. We came in batches and as the last batch came it turned out that we were short by one bed so two smaller women had to share one. One who was already settled volunteered to move to a smaller bed so the biggest among us who came late would be comfortable… so everything was settled. I got to my bed and slept… and sleep I did! When I woke up the next morning and had breakfast (a very good, delicious and heavy breakfast) I saw that the 3 women who came ahead of us where moving out… then the four who came late told the one who made arrangement that they were moving out also.

I realized that as I slept though to the night that so many things happened. That the big one kept coughing from allergy and that it wasn’t cold so she had to bang the door of the owner to get an electric fan, that some of the girls had to go down at some point while some had to go to the wash room. That the owner felt bad when the big one pounded on her door… that the 3 who came earlier were not able to sleep because of the noise from the late comers… that conflicts arose during the night that extended to the day. And all I can say when they asked me about the place was I had no trouble and that the food was great!

So the next night there were only 3 of us in the big room. It was COLD. It turned out that it was not cold the previous night because someone turned the air-conditioning to “fan” mode. The owner felt bad at what happened especially with the big one… and because she liked the 3 of us that remained she slashed our fee to just half and prepared once again a very good breakfast. Ahhhh indeed I am so blessed!

My new red shoes!

2010-04-08T23:08:00.001+08:00

I was not feeling too well last Monday and my feet are not feeling great either. I wanted to get something that I could use to work and feel really comfy… so I went to the mall and headed to the ladies big sizes section. There were a lot on display but I was looking for something that I’d feel happy wearing. Only 3 looked nice to me and I tried them, one felt nice on the feet but funny it was bigger than what I need and the size I need is gone…. Arghhh… No luck on finding a nice and comfy footwear for work…

I headed for the men’s rubber shoes section and was looking and lifting trying to find something nice and light. I want something that look like a converse but felt light… so I went looking and lifting and trying those that seem to fit from the display. The guy was asking me to try something and it felt nice though I did not really like it that much, I said okay he could ask for my size so I could try… then I went around other display racks and came upon a converse… looking and admiring but knowing they were heavy… then there on the stand was a red chuck taylor all star that seemed light so I lifted it and it was light!!! I tried it on.. it was a size 8 and my foot went in but it there was no space but I looked at the mirror and the red chuck taylor all star slim looked nice. The sales guy came to assist and got me a size 8 ½… geez! It fit me right and it felt nice!

I wore it to work the next day! Everybody noticed it… and I wore it again today and people at the office would still take notice and say it looked good on me and I would say “Yeah it does and I really like it too!”

It has been a long time since I wore red rubber shoes. I had a red Adidas rubber shoes from college till I was working and even if the style of soles changed I was still wearing it and enjoy wearing it until my feet seemed to have outgrown it.

And now I have a new red shoes again and I feel really nice. I look a bit funny and nerdy wearing my red rubber shoes but my heart feels light just looking at it on my feet.

Well I’ve gone to my room and changed to my slippers but as I write this and I think of my shoes… there is still a smile on my face and a song playing in my head from my Grade I (imagine that? I forget a lot of things but not a song from Grade I) which goes:

Ituro ang paa, ituro ang paa, ituro ang paa ninyo (2x)
Point to the foot, point to the foot, point to your foot (2x)
Nakikita nyo ba ang pulang sapatos ko?
Can you see my red shoes?
Nakikita nyo ba ang bagong sapatos ko?
Can you see my new shoes?

Repeat till you get tired singing but keep the happy smile on your face ;-)

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T06:34:00.002+08:00

Christ has risen! Alleluia!
Alas Easter has come!
The past days have been meaningful as I
spent the Holy Week just being with the Lord.
The church services I have attended have been
meaningful and gave me added insights.
I have always enjoyed the internet but as
always it is good to be away from it for
the past week (even my anniversary post was
done earlier and just scheduled :-))
Today, I celebrate Easter with my family.
They are not really into much with the
Holy week tradition... the church services...
but this is special day and we get together
once again for Celebration.
Get together and easter egg hunts could
not really equal the Joy that Christ gave to us
but is our joyful way of celebrating His Victory!
Happy Easter!

Five years!

2010-03-31T00:01:00.001+08:00

Some time ago I checked my first post and realized that today would be 5 years since I started this blog. Time sure flies!

I used to write more but I don’t get to write as much as I would like to these days. Often times thoughts vanish before I am able to write them… well they don’t really vanish… more like the desire to write about them is gone when I am able to sit and visit my blog.

I remember that on the first year anniversary of my blog, I wrote an entry that used all the titles of my posts the past year and made a link to all of them. I just thought it would be pretty neat doing that and there was a satisfied smile on my face after completing the post. I would have loved to do that again but don’t have the energy to visit all my posts again. Arghhhh!!!!

Sometimes when I think about the past five years, I’d think that nothing seem to have changed much… yet sometimes I feel that so much has changed! A lot of times I still feel that I am a big kid with so much to be thankful for and look forward too but my big kid heart seems to have been scarred a lot of times too by events… people… thoughts… the world… my country… my family… my work. Yet I would vaguely remember a story I got on an email a long time ago of a prince (a statue) who boasted that he had the most perfect heart and was laughing at the heart of a poor man whose heart was tattered. The poor man however explained that his heart despite what it looked had a lot of good memories in them of though they seem scarred and imperfect, each segment is actually a piece of somebody else’s heart whom he has touched and has given a piece of themselves too. So like the prince who realized the value of what the old man said and gave a piece of his heart to the man and happily received a piece of his too, my tattered heart is a happy heart still!

So much have changed over the past five years too… new trends! Making money from your blog…Social networks like Facebook… then twitter even the templates of blogs are easier that you don’t have to edit from the html file. I get so many invites on facebook … even my nieces and nephews and grand niece have their own that they also volunteer to make me one. But I realize that somehow I am an old soul too and a non-conformist… hehehe… I still prefer doing things my way and still settle on doing things that I like… well at least for myself… some things I have to do for other people… sometimes I’m not really excited about but someone has got to do things or nothing gets done…. Arghhhh! Well that’s not really an arghhh but just a teenie weenie sigh… after all you do things for people you love and though at the outside there seems to be some grumbling… deep within there is actually joy because you are able to share a piece of yourself with them too.

Geez this is getting to be mushy when anniversaries should be happy post!

Well but it is a happy post after all because even after so many years I still enjoy seeing… thinking… and writing about fragments of my kaleidoscope life… my kaleidosthoughts!

As I say… happy thoughts… sad thoughts… anything goes… those are my kaleidosthoughts!

Seventy five

2010-03-22T22:37:00.003+08:00

Today is my father's birthday. He would have been 75.
Yesterday we had a big celebration...
well big in the sense that the family is present
and we are one big family!
It wasn't really fancy... just food... and food... and
the sense of togetherness to celebrate a special event.
Then of course the oldies went to the cemetery
to light candles, offer some flowers and of course prayers.
That's it... not really fancy.

But I've told the office I wouldn't come today
SO I get to celebrate his day in my own special way
Just a trip to church (but don't i always do that?)
well with a special request that he looks after us
after all he is already in heaven fully at rest...
But the Lord could make him more happier
by taking care of the folks he left out here.

But there was another reason I didn't go to work today.
I wanted to spend time to do the review notes for my nephew
He's not doing well in school and it is his finals and
I figured that i'd help see him through

So I started my day going to church
Stayed a bit longer before going back home
Had breakfast then worked on the notes
Till my bro-in-law called me since it was time to fetch the kids
so we went and on the way I got a call that i had to see the teacher...
I said what???? oh my! what's more???

I went to the principal's office once again
I realized that the teacher did not allow him to take 2 exams
since he was laughing in class with one other classmate
That's it.. they let him out
I have accepted everything they have said against John in the past
but this time I said my piece and told them I felt it was too harsh...
I stayed there a long time and they did give him another chance

I remembered another nephew and papa.
He was worst than John when he was little
and papa would tease that he would surely get an award.
The teachers were requesting my sister to lessen his time in school
because he was too active and hard to keep up with...
but like papa they were more positive...
for true enough he did get an award.
He got "best in motor skill!" :-)

Some teachers know how to encourage students.
I wished JOhn's teacher knew how too.
And papa would be happy that he wouldn't just get a
passing mark in his card... a mere 75...
but something beyond... something that's given with love!

Sharing my double rainbow!

2010-03-21T21:25:00.003+08:00

I think I am blessed that I have seen double rainbows several times already when most people I’d share it with couldn’t even imagine that there is such thing as a double rainbow. I have seen double rainbows on three occasions already – one while on sea going to Mindoro, one in Texas and another here in Manila on a morning on my way to work.

Today, I got to see another rainbow (my fourth!!!) after I came from church and I was with my nephew so I got to show it to him and I told him he was lucky because it is rare for people especially here in our country to be seeing double rainbows. Well somebody from Canada told me before that it is not really that rare… not frequent but not rare either. Well maybe it is so in Canada but over here??? Nobody has ever told me that he has seen one or someone I told it too ever said that he has seen one. But now, I know of someone else who could talk about a double rainbow… well I am not really sure if he’d talk about it… He is 10 years old and is more interested in computers than nature and would rather harvest from Farmville (of facebook… am not sure if I got it right since I have no facebook account) than plant something and harvest from our garden.

However, when I showed it to him he looked and we got to talk about it while we were on our way home. We actually came across it after church when we walked towards the mall where we were going to take a ride. It has been hot but there were some clouds today and there were some drizzle when we got out of church… too few drizzles actually. Anyway I saw this guy taking a photo of something from above so I looked up also and I saw a rainbow. It wasn’t even full yet and it was not that clear and bright but somehow I could see traces of another rainbow from the clouds just beside it.

My nephew wanted to buy something so I let him and when we got back to our ride, I saw the rainbow and it was really bright now… and it extended... the arch was longer and there was another one beside it but its arch was shorter and not as bright as the first one but certainly distinct. I pointed it to him and he actually saw it. He asked some stuff about rainbow like the pot of gold in the end.. and how it came about. Well I did answer but am not really sure if they were right… but I guess what’s more important is that we got to see it. It was truly amazing and as always, I am awed and feel blessed to be seeing such phenomenon!

Jeepney scare

2010-03-17T23:18:00.002+08:00

I was seated on the third seat from the door of the jeepney and there was heavy traffic. The jeepney was small and it was crowded because many passengers had big plastic bags of the things they bought. We were half way through when I suddenly heard a man said “Akin na ang celfone mo… ayaw mo ibigay???” (Give me your celfone… you don’t want to give???) and he put out his knife. He pointed it at the girl at the entrance. He was from outside the jeepney and he had a companion. I saw that he was a big man… couldn’t help look at him. The girl did not want to give her phone and the old lady beside her suddenly stood and moved inside the jeep. That’s when my heart started to beat fast. He was big and he could easily move over to me and I started to withdraw too. The man on the other side was not moving… he had a big plastic bag in front of him that covered his body. It was fast and the girl also moved inside and said no… The jeep was not moving. Then suddenly the men left! They were not able to get anything. One of the passengers looked and could see that they were just walking… they could easily come back so we were all on our guard. Then the jeepney moved slowly and everybody started to talk. The old lady said that she noticed the man in red passed earlier and was looking at the lady who was sending text through her celfone and that she wanted to caution her but the other came before she could. That was the time the whole thing got into the lady and when she started to fear.

Me… I felt my fear earlier. I was held up before and was also brandished with a knife and even if I resisted still lost my whole bag to them. After the lady I would have been the next target and I had a bag and she didn’t. My bag did not really have anything much, not even money since I only retained a few after giving my mother the amount I withdrew from my payroll ATM yesterday, but the recollection of my experience flashed back plus the thought that I was thinking of buying a new celfone since the one I’m using is already acting up…

Oh well, I lost the urge of buying a new celfone. But I am really thankful that no one in the jeepney got hurt.

Ahhh God always protect us on our trips… deliver us from all dangers and evil!

Oratio Imperata Ad Petendam Pluviam

2010-03-09T23:37:00.001+08:00

It was hot once again today! In addition, there were 2 separate fires near my office that started in the afternoon. The siren of the fire trucks continue to roar up to the time I left Manila for home at past 9:00 pm…

The water level in our dams are at their critical…

There is drought is several parts of the country…

Dust is everywhere and it makes my eyes real dry!

Manila Archbishop Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales has once again issued an Oratio Imperata Ad Petendam Pluviam (obligatory prayer for rain) and we have been praying it at Binondo church since March 1 before the final blessing in our 12:15 pm mass.

The clouds went a bit dark over the weekend and I was hoping it would finally rain but it never came.

God we really do need the rain, please make it pour on us but let it come gently and lovingly, enough to remove the heat and sustain life.

Please make it soon! AMEN.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Oratio Imperata Ad Petendam Pluviam

God our loving Father, creator of our earth and of the universe, and all the wondrous elements of nature that sustain your living creatures, we humbly ask you to send us the rain that our country needs so badly at this time, to irrigate our fields, to stave off a power shortage, to provide water for our bodily health, and to refresh our parched lands. At your command the wind and the seas obey, raise your hand Almighty God to send us so that crisis may be averted.

Merciful and generous God, open our eyes to the richness and beauty of your creation and instill in us a deep love for this earth and all that is in and around it. Teach us to be wise stewards of your creation so that we may always use them responsibly and protect them from abuse and exploitation. At this time of crisis, dear Lord, move us to share more and to love more.

Loving God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, you entrusted the Filipino people to the special care of Mary our Mother, listen to the prayers that we bring up to her, our Blessed Mother, to intercede for us, for the protection of our land and our people, whom she loves.

Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, One God forever and ever. Amen.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us.
Saint Rose of Lima, pray for us.
Saint Lorenzo Ruiz, pray for us.

If the shoe fits

2010-03-03T22:03:00.000+08:00

Our company is once again disposing ladies footwear samples bought and they are selling then to employees at a bargain!

They laid the footwears on the floors.. on the table... on the chairs... everywhere! Sandals, shoes, high heels, flat, different colors, different designs... so many of them!

Of course the girls from different departments came and got pairs that fit them...

And I too went to take a look...
Yup just take a look...
nothing ever fits me...
arggghhh...
What an irony...

I am working for a footwear company but could never get a ladies footwear to fit.

Someday I'll take a sit as they lay down different footwears to choose from. And I'll get me good pairs to fit and get to choose only the best...
the neatest...prettiest and most comfortable pairs
Oh well... I guess only in my dream! (^-^)

February flew by

2010-02-28T23:34:00.000+08:00

It’s the end of the month and I have not even made a single post (well except for this one) Time certainly move so fast. February just flew by! Well at least on my machine.
It has been busy at work and everywhere else that I’m usually tired when I get home. But good thing is I was finally able to finish the work I was reviewing. It was giving me headache and when I finally placed it on my boss’ desk a great smile really showed on my face!

Now, I wonder how March will go?

I think it will come marching in!
Yup I think it will!
And I’m looking forward to the first step the first thing when I wake up tomorrow.
Hoping for a fancy rhythm since it will have to go with the beat of the roosters and the birds marching songs!

Back to church

2010-01-30T22:31:00.003+08:00

The past 5 days, I have been hearing mass through the radio veritas' radio and internet broadcast only since most churches cancelled their eucharistic celebration due to the Second National Congress of the Clergy wherein many priests from all over the country gathered in the World Trade Center. Celebrating the eucharist in person is definitely better than hearing it on radio, internet or TV but one thing nice was I got to hear the homilies for the priests since radio veritas presented the eucharistic celebration in the congress. It also featured the recollection given by Fr. Rainero Cantalamessa in the Araneta Coliseum and I got to hear his talk on marriage which I found out is similar to the talk he gave in the World Family Encounter in Mexico City in 2009.

Being back in church to celebrate the eucharist felt really nice especially since Fr. Bernie who presided over the mass looked really revitalized from the said congress. Well, I actually like attending his masses since he always seem joyful when he celebrate the eucharist but he was really glowing today and I hope that like him, all the other priests that attended the congress and even those that weren't able to, feel revitalized in their service for the Lord through their communities.

Schleprock

2010-01-26T23:38:00.002+08:00

I met someone tonight that kept on talking about all the bad things that have been happening to her that I immediately remembered Schleprock from the Flintstone's Pebbles and Bambam cartoon show. Everywhere he goes, bad things happen. Nothing seems to turn right for him. And that's exactly how our new friend sees her life.

She has been swindled of millions of pesos... she lost her husband and her friends have turned away from her upon learning that she no longer have money... she is old...her friend betrayed her and stole her clients... she is sick...her creditors are running after her and she has nothing to pay... the people she is helping doesn't appreciate her efforts... she is depressed... she finds no meaning in life...the list goes on.... Nothing good ever seems to come her way lately.

And she has thought of ending her life because she feels she has no life anymore...

And we we were telling her to just pray but even her prayers are all complaints... and I thought that that was the saddest thing. To focus on the difficulties that you can no longer see the other good things that you have in your life... because if you really look then you'll know that there is so much to be thankful for afterall...

I am praying for her of course but I know that the best thing is still for her to let go of her present mindset. It could be very difficult, I know. But the more she entertains the negative thoughts... of how pitiful her situtation is... the more she gets depressed and the more she goes deeper with her "bad luck" and people around her also feels the effects of her bad luck...

I also remembered a quote from Garrison Keillor on luck. He says "Some luck lies in not getting what you thought you wanted but getting what you have, which once you have got it you may be smart enough to see is what you would have wanted had you known."

I certainly hope she sees this... I know it's hard to see it in her situation but truth is... it could be worst... and sometimes problems are opportunities for you to do good and improve especially if you put your trust in the Lord.

The Invisible woman

2010-01-25T22:37:00.000+08:00

I got that video from my brother-in-law this morning and thought it was nice.
Later I got a text message from one of our auditors who was resigning saying that he suddenly felt sad leaving and thanked me because he learned a lot from me. I was touched of course and got misty eyed and realized that unlike Nicole from the video, I am lucky that I get appreciated for my efforts… of course there was also an added thought that other people appreciate you more than your family since the things you do for your loved ones are kind of expected… a given.

Tonight my friend asked if I get misty eyed every time somebody praises me and I said “No.” There are times that I do long for appreciation but often times I don’t really like being praised. It makes me conscious of the thing I have done well (as others see it) and somehow it lessens the joy of doing something because I would ask myself if I did it so I get noticed or I did it because I wanted to. Nicole is right, invisibility is actually a cure for self righteousness. But I would not really want to be invisible to the point of not being noticed… that I don’t exist! Ahhh I think that would be terrible! I just don’t want it to be focused on the things I do.

Nicole mentioned that even if others don’t see you, God sees you and it also made me think of St. Ignatius of Loyola’s prayer as often times sang in church…

Dearest Lord, teach me to be generous.
Teach me to serve you as I should;
to give and not to count the cost;
to fight and not to heed the wounds;
to toil and not to seek for rest;
to labor and ask not for reward, save that of knowing
that I do Your most holy will.

Amen.

Nap Hill Quotes

2010-01-08T23:53:00.001+08:00

January 8 is papa's death anniversary.
I'd like to remember him with my video of Napoleon Hill quotes
(it is my first attempt to create a video and post in Youtube)

When I was much younger papa wanted me to read books by Napoleon Hill and other positive thinkers. I enjoyed the stories he would tell me from the books he has read especially while we were travelling together but I did not like reading his books at that time (well I was still in high school then) I'd rather read comic books and love stories (particularly Emilie Loring) so I had to hide all those so he won't see me reading them. Eventually, when I was much much older, I read his books and enjoyed many of them including those from Napoleon Hill.

Positive thinking is still very much needed in our times especially with so many negativism around. It is nice to think of some quotes from Nap Hill. I'm sure papa would have loved it too.

PS. I got the artwork from www.wushealingart.com
and the music from my boss's CD of Shi Lan Skalski.

Life is fragile

2010-01-04T06:23:00.001+08:00

I got a call from ANnie at 5:00 am. Sis Baby has finally rested.

Sis Baby is from our spiritual community who was diagnosed with cancer just a year ago and had her operation a few months later. I met her in 2005 and she was so very young looking for her age. I could never imagine that she was in her 50's since she pretty much just looked my age. SHe was so full of life and was so active in the community.

After her operation she really grew so thin and aged. Took time for her to recover a bit but two months ago her health declined again. When I went to our chapel for our midnight mass, I saw an old lady in a wheel chair who was also coming to the priest for the blessing after the mass and I was surprised to realize it was her. Still I could not imagine that the sickness has really overcome her. Despite her looks her voice was still full of life and she even teased how beautiful i looked while we were going back home. Her cancer was stage 1 and I was thinking that she probably only got depressed from the sickness and was just not fighting it off and that she just had to focus to fight.

Last Saturday, after having a prayer meeting in my old unit, I called her so I could talk with her, sometimes she doesn;t want to get down from her room that ANnie says it is better to just call. So Annie answered and I asked her if i could talk to Sis Baby then even before she answered I asked if i could just come and visit and she said Yes. SO i walked to their place, it was not near but it wasn;t really far either. ALl the while I was thinking that we were going to have a long talk because she does love to talk. I met her brother on the road and told him I was going to their place. He just smiled at me. ANd when I reached their place, i found ANnie wheeling her out. SHe said she wasn't eating and drinking and I could hear her telling me "Dextrose." Yes she looked dehydrated and I told ANnie it will be good for her to have it. Still I could not believe that her sickness has really overcome her. She just needed to fight!

And now I got the call. ANnie says her mother and father has already fetched her... she was so tired and just wanted to rest and she finally did.

It was dark when i got the call... even at 6:00 it was still dark but now the light has finally shone and it is amazing that part of the gospel today says it all...

"The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling
in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen." Mt 4:16

Life is fragile but it is also temporary and what we are really looking forward to is everlasting life. She has finally seen the great light.

Rest in Peace in the brightest light there is.

The Avatar Craze

2010-01-03T22:58:00.002+08:00

My brother’s gift for me for Christmas was the whole series (3 books) of the cartoon Avatar: the last airbender. He has seen how I enjoyed watching some episodes in cable with my nieces and nephews on some weekends and suggested giving it to me as a gift. I was excited of course. And so while everybody has been excited about the Avatar movie I was really looking forward to my series. And I got the watch the whole series (61 episodes) during the holidays. It meant I had to stay up late to finish some episodes but I really enjoyed them. This is the first time I have completed a cartoon series and I really truly enjoyed it. Now, my brother suggested another cartoon series but told him not for the time being since I still like to savor the series for the moment… plus it is back to work tomorrow and I know that I would not have time to be watching another series…arghhhh.

But I really do enjoy watching cartoons and now that I look back, I remember that the first time I wrote my Kaleidosthoughts series (it was just to my two online buddies then) my first thoughts were on an anime. It has been quite a while since I started writing and here I am still enjoying cartoons… I know I am getting older but I still can’t shake the big kid in me. I’m crazy and I enjoy it!!!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T20:39:00.001+08:00

Another year once again.

A lot of things to be thankful for
A lot of things to look forward to...
I wonder how it will go?

Hmmm...
it is going to be another exciting year.
After all that is how life is
Different experiences
Different people
Different events
and of course...
Different thoughts :)
Happy thoughts... sad thoughts... anything goes!!!

Theotokos

2010-01-01T19:19:00.000+08:00

The Catholic church celebrates the beginning of the year as the feast day of Mary, Mother of God.

The two biggest network in the Philippines had big New Year's eve celebration and while GMA 7 presented a magnificent fireworks display with performances of their talents, ABS-CBN had a healing Eucharist to begin the year and we had a chance to view both their presentations. Mama of course settled for the healing Eucharist.

During the homily, Fr. Glenn mentioned that Mary being the mother of God is also the bearer of God, Theotokos.

The word brought back memories of my field assignment to Cebu. It was September and on the Sunday the girls decided to tour me around different Marian sites in their region. It became like a pilgrimage for me and I was really touched. In one of our the places in Carcar was the Theotokos. That is where I got a picture of the lady from my celfone. I found her image so soothing and fascinating that i kept her image in my celfone for a long time until something went wrong and i could not remove my providers name on the screen that it was blocking her face that i had to remove it. Couldn;t put it back since I am still stuck with my old celfone -- it is not in its best form but I have grown used to it.

Anyway, what really caught my attention on the homily was that like Mary, we are all bearer of God... for we have Him in each one of us. Sometimes it is hard for us to see Him in others.... hmmm actually even in us but He is there waiting for us to acknowledge and nurture Him.

So another year... and another reminder to me of Theotokos.

Chicken Joy to the world!

2009-12-31T19:08:00.004+08:00

I just came from Jollibee to claim again my BPI-credit card’s promo…
Of Chicken Joy!

There were also a lot of other people that claimed their chicken joys and also by the buckets (actually contains 6 pieces/bucket) that I had to wait for sometime to get my share and this time the buckets are no longer of plastic but paper buckets.

I called on my nieces and nephews after I lay the buckets on the table and they immediately came and took their share.
They were excited.
Well they will have to finish it all immediately since mama says NO chicken to be served for our New Year’s eve celebration and the whole day of New year. In fact NO chicken in our refrigerator at this time already. We cooked them all yesterday and no buying for the time being.

Ahhh superstitions!

She says serving chicken is not good since their feet keep on scratching looking for food. The “Isang kahig isang tuka” (one scratch one bite) saying means “from hand to mouth” existence which is not the way to look forward too for a New Year. Everything should be bountiful… prosperous… so there has to be lots of fruits on the table and foods to share of course.

I am not superstitious but I don’t eat much meat especially chicken so it is okay with me not to have chicken but the kids could probably just tolerate not having it for a day. After New Year, they are back to eating fried chicken and I think the promo is on till next year so it is certainly chicken joy till next year... well not really for the whole world but at least on my part of the world. ;-)

Jesus' birthday!

2009-12-25T09:35:00.002+08:00

The Christmas eve mass was celebrated in our chapel at 10:00 pm. They were doing it early not just so we could be with the family at midnight but also to avoid firecrackers since it is not only New Year were some people light firecrackers and there were a lot on the street and alleys we passed to.

Anyway, we got to the chapel 15 minutes before the start and as usual it was full. There was no place on the sides were we used to stand during our Misa de Gallo mass that we decided to go up to where the choir stays and one of the choir members said that even that place was full too. Well we were ready to stand but luckily one man motioned that the stack up seats at their abck was empty since the occupants found a place and did not come back anymore. So we got seats afterall. There were 4 of us but the seats were only 3 but we shared and made it through!

The service was simple but we had a chance to venerate the baby Jesus at the end of the mass. We waited till it thinned out before we came to the altar. We got home plenty of time before midnight and on our way we passed by a lot of celebrations going on... there were dancing (modern dance presentations) and in one area we found that they enclosed a certain portion of the street with coconut leaves and put chairs around a small table. The place was fullpacked and the table was just small... it was pretty obvious that they were going to have a drinking session... well actually they have already started with it. There were also lots of karaoke singing we heard as we walked even until we reached home.

Lots of celebration to celebrate Jesus' birthday! I was just thinking as I got seated on our table and we have our own celebration. Are the celebrations eveybody is doing the kind of celebration Jesus want? I am not only talking about the celebrations I saw on the road... even our own.
Well we opened with a short prayer and have our birthday cake which we lighted as we sang "happy birthday Jesus" and since there were just a few of us at home on midnight we all were seated around our table. The children who were around opened their gifts. But no Christmas carol... not even on the radio.

And as I head up to my room, i still ask, is this the kind of celebration you want?

No answer and I slept...

And in the morning we had our early visitor... well not really the people I would want to eat with the first thing in the morning BUT maybe Jesus wanted me to celebrate with them.

I think He did.

Happy birthday Jesus!

We celebrated your birthday, maybe not the best celebration that you would have wanted but I know you appreciate it nevertheless.

I love you!

The Ninth day of Misa de gallo

2009-12-24T05:20:00.003+08:00

Today is the ninth day, the last day of the Misa de gallo and I am so happy that I was able to complete it!

This is the first time ever that I have completed the novena mass. I celebrate the mass everyday but usually attend the noon mass since it is the most convenient for me... but for the past nine days I was able to wake up very early to attend the mass, even had a chance to be part of the service at one point (last sunday).

And i actually feel happy that even while walking home I couldn't contain the smile on my lips and even greeted the people I come across with a good morning and an early Merry Christmas.

The priest that said the first-day mass was also the pri the est that said the last of the novena mass and he said that there is really no point in finishing a novena-mass if there is no transformation, if there is still unforgiveness in your heart... if once you leave the church and you still feel anger at the people you don't like when you meet them.

He is right... the mass and all the spiritual rituals we go to are actually pointless if we don't really know why we are doing them.

Well... there is also some things that I do not completely understand... but one thing I am sure of... I am BLESSED! and once again I share my blessing! :)

Eight Day!

2009-12-23T05:34:00.002+08:00

The Misa de Gallo is on its eight day and thanks God I have made it to all. One more and I would have completed it and already the anticipation that I will be able to complete adds joy to my heart!

The gospel today tells how ELizabeth told the people that the name of her son is John which they questioned but when they asked Zecheriah (through sign and gestures since he became deaf and dumb) he wrote that his name will be John. The meaning of JOHN is "God is gracious" and indeed He is. He has blessed Zecheriah and Elizabeth and He is blessing us all also.

Isn't He a great God???

He is!

The Seventh Day

2009-12-22T05:33:00.003+08:00

On the seventh day God rested but no rest for me for the time being.

The seventh day… yup made it to 7 and two more days to go to complete the Misa de Gallo!

I was afraid that I might be too tired and not wake up for the mass since we had a gift giving activity yesterday and I got home a tired and hungry but it was worth it… just worried that I might sleep too soundly and not wake up so I stayed in my mom’s room. Funny thing I was so sleepy yet I keep waking up to check on the time. I think when you are too tired you lose your sense of body clock but my mama (bless her!) ably woke me up at 3:15 am… a bit earlier than my alarm time of 3:30 am. I also brought my celfone in her room and when it alarmed she laughed because it was loud since it is really meant to wake me up as I shout to myself to wake up… with a matching “Yoohoo Beth!”

There have been different priests the past days since the priests take turn visiting the different sub-parishes in our place and it is a big community. Our parish priest was the main celebrant today and as usual the chapel was full but thanks God I was able to have a sit. He knew I was tired and allowed me to sit today and as always I feel blessed…

And once again I share my blessing.

The Sixth Day

2009-12-21T05:33:00.003+08:00

My cousin Anne's husband arrived yesterday from the province with their child and was staying in the house from across our home with Anne's brother so ANne did not sleep in our home. I was worried that I would have nobody to go with me to the chapel. My other cousin could not wake up that early since she stays up really late and would be too tired.

Anyway, I did not want to go alone but since I had nobody I went. My mom woke up and see me walk from our gate till her eyes could see me. There were people on the street and I made it through safely to the chapel and what was cool was that there were still lots of available seats.

So I sat and closed my eyes as I prayed from my seat until i felt that somebody already took the vacant place beside me. When I opened my eyes there was Anne! SHe made it too. She heard our gate opening (it is a big heavy and very noisy gate) and immediately prepared and followed. So i believe that we will be both be able to finish the 9-days Misa de Gallo. Ain't it a blessing?

The priest asked during his homily if we feel blessed? And I immediately silently answered "Yup, I am blessed!" ANd once again I share you my blessing!

Day Five

2009-12-20T16:48:00.003+08:00

It is day five and it is Sunday. I woke up at 2:30 am. It is still too early so I slept once more. Then I heard knocking at my door. My brother woke me up, it was 3:50 am and we would be late! I did not hear my alarm sounded. I might have turned it off when I woke up at 2:30. Hood thing my sister-in-law who is awake for her internet work-at-home did not hear me moving and got worried. Bless her and my brother for waking me. We rushed to the chapel and barely made it since I saw the lay people already in the procession line and once again we were standing... Ahh never mind at least we made it.

I was still perspiring a bit from the fast walking we did and have not completely settled when I was approached by one of the lay minister. The commentator did not make it and the lector would have to take her place and there was no one to take over the readings... so could I do it? The mass is in Tagalog and I am not really good in reading "Tagalog readings" since I find the words deeper than the normal conversation words but I agreed nevertheless and I joined their procession to be near the altar.

When the time came and I began reading, I saw and felt my hands trembling and I smiled (actually i felt it like a muffled nervous laugh). It did not show in my voice but my hands were really shaking and I did not want people to see it so I put down the misalette on the lectern and read from afar so i could steady my hands.

After the readings while the gospel was being said, I really felt soooo blessed. Told you that every year my namesake Elizabeth gets mentioned in the gospel for my birthday and today was a continuation of yesterday's gospel. In today's gospel, Mary visited Elizabeth!

The Lord certainly has a sense of humor. Sometimes he jolts you a bit then showers you with great joy and you can't help yourself from smiling and being awed.

So once again I feel blest and i share you my blessing.

I certainly hope that I make it to the next masses, four days to go after all...

Day Four

2009-12-19T22:53:00.000+08:00

It is day four and it is also a special day for me. I woke up at 3:00 am, even before my alarm sounded. I did not really feel excited even if it today is also my birthday but I was glad that I woke up early so I had a longer time to just pray sitted in my bed to thank God for all my blessings.

We got in the church earlier than the previous days and we got good seats!

Hmmm... I did get a gift since I get to really appreciate the service since I was comfortable. I always am excited for the gospel on my birthday because everytime Mary's cousin, my namesake Elizabeth is part of it and for me that is special and being there once more made me feel blessed.

I had a recollection at 8:30 am and I thought i'd sleep a little after I got home to prepare for it. I was in time for the recollection and there was also a mass after so I got to celebrate two masses today! :)

Our cluster had fellowship and service meeting after so I had to stay longer in the area and when I got home I helped in the preparation for our family get-together. It will not only be me who'll be celebrating my birthday but also my two nieces who celebrated their birthdays earlier this month. It was good to celebrate with the family. The food was plentiful and we had three cakes one for each of us. The celebration with the family is a blessing too.

The celebration included a sing-a-long which would last longer but I could not join them since i had to sleep to make it for the next day's service.

I was tired but still felt blessed.

And once again I share my blessing.

God bless you!

Day Three

2009-12-18T21:10:00.000+08:00

Ahh I made it to day three of the Misa de Gallo!

Three down six to go!

Once again we stood through the whole service but it was okay. I just felt good being there. The choir was good and the service was also good. I am getting used to just standing through the whole service but i thought that it would be really nice if we could come earlier and get a sit. So tonight I am going to sleep earlier.

Just being there celebrating the mass makes me feel blessed.

And once again I share my blessing!

God bless you!

Day Two

2009-12-17T22:07:00.001+08:00

My alarm clock woke me once again and it didn't take us long to prepare and head for the chapel for our Misa de Gallo. As usual there were already many people... even the chairs they placed outside to accomodate people were already full... but we did not want to stand outside the chapel so once again we squeezed ourselves to the place were we stayed before. Luckily many people would rather stand outside than force themselves in.

I was sleepier compared to yesterday but good thing we were standing as i might have dozed off...

Well even if I was sleepy I feel the spirit of the celebration and I participated the whole time... even the priest's homily did not let me doze off though I felt myself yawning from time to time. It was good to be inside the chapel since all the people there seemed intent on the mass and not doing something else like courting or talking which was also one of my concerns why I did not look forward to dawn masses before.

I made it to the second day and once again I felt good and blest...

And I share my blessing...

God bless you!

Misa de Gallo

2009-12-16T22:46:00.001+08:00

This year I have decided to try to complete the Misa de Gallo or dawn mass, a 9-day novena mass anticipating Christmas. I have never completed such mass and have not actually tried attending one in a long time preferring to celebrate my usual noon mass. I have always been a good sleeper and at the time said mass is said, I am usually deep asleep... dead to the world.

We were not going to have our company's annual Auditors' Training which I conduct this time of the year so I thought it would be good to celebrate and complete the Misa de Gallo. I have checked the schedule and the chapel near our place where I could just walk to celebrates their mass at 4:00 am. I could prepare at night and wake up at 3:30 am and be able to make it for the mass. My cousin who just recently arrived from the province agreed to go with me so mama would not worry about me walking alone especially in dark alleys where I have to pass to.

I have recorded my voice reminding me to wake up so I could attend the mass and I have made such recording as the alarm for my celfone.

Today was the first day. My alarm properly woke me up and it didn't take long to prepare. We then walked towards the church. My cousin and I were the only people walking but we passed by some people on the road... some were just talking... some were in the game shops playing... too early for regular activities. The small flashlight I brought aided us in the alleys we had to pass. In the main road, there were lots of people heading for the Chapel and we could hear Christmas carol being played as we came nearer. We made it on time though the chapel was already overflowing with people. We eased our way inside and even if we stood up the whole service, we got to celebrate the first of our dawn masses.

It felt good! :)

Amazing choir

2009-12-09T00:45:00.004+08:00

A friend (actually 2 friends) forwarded me a video of Perpetuum Jazzile’s performance of Toto’s Africa and I find it too amazing not to share…

Saw that?
Play it again and this time with your eyes closed…

Did you feel the rain???
Feel how it progressed into a storm?
and the thunder?
Pretty amazing huh?

Now, notice that each one had his own microphone…
Each one has a distinct part to perform
Alone it wouldn’t amount to much
But put together…
Amazing!

I think that’s pretty much how it is also with life
Each one of us is distinct…
Each has a part to play…
Each part is important…
What a harmonious and great world it would be
if we are all played our part right
and followed the same beat…

Ahhhh…
Wish it were so…

Philippine Folk dances

2009-11-30T20:37:00.003+08:00

We went to my nephew’s school since they had practice for their folk dance. There are supposed to be 8 of them (4 girls and 4 boys) but only 3 girls were around when we came and it was the mother of one of the girls who was teaching them to dance the carinosa. He did not want to dance at first since he was the only boy around but when his mom asked him to join he did. My nephew is in grade II and I could not help myself from smiling as I see him dance. He was awkward but he did his best to follow the steps and he could actually follow and he was better than the other boy who came later. His awkwardness was actually cute. And as I watch them dancing I was telling my sister that folk dancing should be part of all our school’s curriculum. You get to appreciate a lot of our culture from the dance and the more so if you know the history of each dance.

Such thought made me decide to compile some Philippine folk dances. Just getting them and watching from the ‘net (plus a hangover of our group’s winning the folk dance contest yesterday) affirmed my desire to have the dances taught in all our school. Here are some of the dances I found on the ‘net:

Cariñosa

Pandango sa ilaw

Itik-Itik

Tinikling

Kuratsa

Singkil

Maglalatik

And thinking back, I remembered that I went on vacation to the province on the enrollment for my first year second semester in college and my father enrolled for me (it was easy since I was in a block section) and he got Philippine folk dance for my PE. As part of the Final exam, we had to do a complete folk dance routine... I could not remember the dance anymore but it was definitely NOT the maglalatik..hehehe... Anyway after our performance our instructor called me and I got scared wondering what i did wrong... I knew I was playful while doing the routine but I did not think there was something wrong with it.

Anyway, I came to her with my heart pounding and when I heard the words came out of her mouth, I laughed (well not a loud one but more inside laugh). She asked if I wanted to join our school dance troupe! Geez, I said NO of course but I guess she felt my joy while dancing. And I really think several of our folk dances are great and should be taught.

Pandango sa ilaw

2009-11-29T21:13:00.000+08:00

Our sector had its early (really very early) Christmas party today and part of it was a Philippine folk dance competition which required 16 participants per group. All the groups prepared well and their costumes were good, however, from the start it was obvious that our group would win… hmmm I say our group but truth is I was not one of the dancers. However, I think I gave the loudest cheer plus synchronized clapping and dancing on the side to the beat of the music also.

Our group danced the Pandanggo sa Ilaw, a lively folk dance which requires the dancers to hold glasses with lighted candles on their palms. Here is one video I’ve seen of the dance…

As you can see the lights are better appreciated when it is dark since the swaying lights are like fireflies dancing. However, even if our dancers performed on daytime the “lights” got highlighted too especially since their presentation is a bit different from the youtube entry. All our dancers are women and had the same dress but 2 sets of color – yellow and green at the start of their presentation they formed a line and knelt with only the first lady at the end bringing 32 candles in glass on a bilao (yellow native tray) and she handed this to the next lady beside her who takes the glass from her then hands it in turn hand it over to the next lady with their hands alternately moving their hands crisscrossed (even if they still do not get the glass) until all of them had glass in their hands. And when they all got the glass stood up once again and performed different formations similar to the one in the video… they did not have a routine with the glass on their heads though since that would have taken longer to practice.

Their start was pretty impressive already but they never lost the momentum… each of their formation drew applause from the audience and at their exit I actually saw our sector head stood up and clapped (and she was one of the judges also) and I thought how could anyone else top their presentation considering we were the first to perform. And I was right, the others were also good but ours was really great!

LOVE letter from School!

2009-11-16T23:50:00.000+08:00

For the first time I got a LOVE letter from my John-john's school.
Actually it was a letter from the guidance counselor apologizing because John-john had a big lump on his head after his classmate threw a bottle and hit him! Well they were actually playing and became a bit rough that he ended up getting hit. It was an accident and even John-john says so. Anyway, I have been called to the principal's office that an apology was definitely a change.

The last time I was in the principal office, I also brought my mom along since John is basically not just my care but ours and plus they get to interact most of the time since I go to work. We were called because John-john with other classmates was naughty again and teased two of their classmates when they saw them sort of hugging. There were a lot of other classmates involved but I guess John-john is a becoming a favorite of his teacher… Arghhhh! I know my nephew is naughty but he is in Grade IV plus an active boy so there’s bound to be lots of teasing!

Anyway, the principal is always nice when I visit her office (sometimes I wonder if he is called so frequently also because the principal likes talking to me…. Hehehe). She was giving us (me and mama) pointers on how to discipline John-john so he’ll improve in school not just on the academics but also on conduct. I am not sure at what part of our talk but at one point I told the principal that John was good at mechanical things (and indeed he is!)... assembling stuff… trying to figure out how physical things go together or connect to each other and she appreciated me for finding and acknowledging John's genius.

Well he showed his genius again tonight. The pull-up handle of his huge bag would not go up the previous day and I couldn't fix it... my brother couldn't also but lo and behold he showed it to me all fixed up tonight. He fixed it himself! And I was really impressed. It sure would be difficult to carry the very heavy huge bag! And i told everybody at home how good he was!

Now.. if only his genius would trickle down to the math and reading and everything else! Ahhhhh in time I'm sure... in time!

Boxing and Job

2009-11-15T23:19:00.001+08:00

Manny Pacquiao did it again! He made history by winning 7 titles in different division and The Philippines is proud of him. Not just The Philippines but a whole lot others that even before the fight Time magazine already featured him in their covers.

People at home watched the game live through video streaming as they have done in the past and I could imagine their excitement as they watched. I had to meet some people so left home early and I watched the game when I got home later from the video copy they made. They know that I would be more at ease watching the fight after I’ve learned the outcome. I have watched some of his games live before and they were all laughing at me since I seem to be candidate for a heart attack watching the game and I could sure feel the pressure on my heart watching… continuously praying that he wins!

It is not really as exciting watching the game after you know the outcome but the assurance that whom you’ve been routing for won somehow makes up for the thrill… there is still the element of Joy.

I have just finished watching the game when I thought about the story of Job from the bible. How he had everything…lost everything… even being judged by his friends to have done something wrong that he was being punished…yet in the end was justified when God restored to him everything. It is one of the most popular stories in the bible to see you through during your adversity and difficulty. Every time I read it or hear of it, I would think that I could appreciate it because I already know the outcome… that in the end he was victorious. But to be in his shoes (or sandals for that matter) during the time when he lost everything and was sore from all over his body… I would think that I would want to die already… pretty much like the “heart attack” feeling when I watch boxing fight when I am routing for somebody... hoping it to be over so I know the outcome of the game!

It is only through determination and HOPE that you could actually go through your life or game when you feel uncertainty or things going wrong… but you move on and you fight even harder and never losing hope. Then you feel the sweet taste of victory even more after the struggle.

Yup the sweet taste of victory indeed!

Getting heavy

2009-10-29T23:50:00.001+08:00

I met one of the bosses in our hallway and he mentioned that I was getting bigger. Yup I told him, I gained 6 pounds over a couple of months then gave my neatest smile. Most actually says the current weight looks better on me but the weight is harder to carry for my legs plus my pants are screaming out and i feel so constricted! I like my lighter normal weight of 148 pounds.

Now i should limit my food intake... but it feels good to be eating especially eating with the other girls during our lunch and merienda (snacks) in the office.

So next best choice is to have some exercise aside from walking.

Start with shaking to the right ...

then both ways!

Now move front and back ... hmmm that feels more like dancing. Don't think I'll be burning too much fat that way. Have to add some bigger effort like Bending!

Hmmm now i feel some sweat there!

Now to max it out and move everything!

Whew! That looks like a total workout!

Now to move it from my head and this machine to my body...
Ah that's another thing... hahaha!

I think i better just settle on buying bigger pants as mama suggested! ;-)

We are all a miracle

2009-10-28T23:48:00.002+08:00

This is a thank you card ABS CBN Bantay bata gave to our big boss.
It was a very nice card and I asked if i could have it and had it scanned...

The photo was nice of course but what i liked best was the quote
that went along with it. It says:

"The child must know that he is a miracle,
that since the beginning of the world there hasn't been,
and until the end of the world there will not be,
another child like him."
~~~ Pablo Casals

How so true.

The quote caught my attention because I was again called
to the principal's office last monday because my nephew
misbehaved in school as he with others teased another classmate
and add to that he ain't exactly doing well academically in school.
When I told the principal that John-john was good in tinkering
and putting things together she told me that it was good that
i get to see his other talents.

John-john could indeed turn your hair white and raise it even
but I could sense goodness also. Oftentimes he is stubborn but
I would see him watching me during my supposedly unguarded
moments plus sometimes he would just blurt out something
that would reassure me that indeed there is lots of goodness inside :-)

He is indeed unique and a miracle...
And so with my other nieces and nephews...
And so with us all...
Isn't it great?

Now... to only remember to always nurture that thought
to all the children... all the people... especially those under our care...

Climate change

2009-10-15T22:35:00.001+08:00

Climate change…
Don’t really know how to explain it
All I know is that I can feel it
Weather is not the same as before
And I wonder if it will ever be again?

A lot of people blame it
For the mess we recently experienced
Nature has certainly sent her vengeance
That many lives were lost from Ondoy
And then from Pepeng that followed

And we don’t really have to think deep
‘coz we know that we are to blame
For the erratic changes that’s happening
We gave a lot of garbage to nature
And nature gave back what we gave her.

Climate change when people change
Nature gives back what we give her
We’ve neglected her and abused her
She hurt and so she cried us a river
So change our ways so she change for the better.

A Blog action day post on climate change

Waiting for darkness to lift

2009-10-14T19:50:00.001+08:00

It was only 2:30 pm when we looked out from our office window and saw that it was very dark. It was raining once again but it was not really that heavy. However, there was a strong feeling of worry among the staff as many exclaimed "please no more rain!"

Our office is in the 26th floor and currently the tallest building in the area that we have a good view of south of Manila and beyond. However, visibility today was bad as we can only see structures near our building all the rest were hazy aside from it being dark. The umbrella stores along the sidewalk from across the street have opened their lights. It was like it was already past 6 pm and we could not help but check the window from time to time but it never went light again.

It is almost 8:00 pm now and I am about to leave the office. I hear no sound of rain anymore. O dear God, thanks! And please no more rain till the wrath of nature on our country has eased a bit.

No more mooncake games

2009-10-01T10:20:00.002+08:00

Mooncake festival will be on October 3, 2009.

Our head office has been celebrating the mooncake festival yearly for a long time but we will not be having it this year because of the financial crisis. The company will not be giving the mooncake boxes where we have the different sizes of mooncakes with the rules of the game in it. Initially our department decided to have our own despite the company deciding against it, in fact we have already set aside money from our funds for it but that too will not push through, instead we gave the money to the auditors that were affected by typhoon Ondoy. There are 3 of them and their homes were submerged. Two of them lost everything while the other was luckier since their home had a second floor and he did not report to work anymore on that day so that he was able to move his things. We also pooled money aside from our funds with our boss giving the biggest share. I think that is more worthwhile anyway.

So no mooncake game for this year but a full moon will be glowing brightly in our heart for an opportunity to share with our brothers.

It is the same thing going on in our country. We have experienced a great disaster from Ondoy but the hearts of a lot of folks are also glowing from the opportunity to serve.

May the light of kindness shine through always. :)

PS. No mooncake games this year but I still got a mooncake from one of our officers yesterday. She always gives me mooncake during this occasion. She’s pretty neat!

Ondoy's cry me a river

2009-09-27T23:22:00.000+08:00

The sun smiled briefly this day, he couldn’t hold on though since Ondoy still was not through crying a river. Good thing that there were just few tears this time and not as much as yesterday.

Yesterday was the heaviest rain I experienced in a long long time. It was like the heaven was so angry that it let is pain out all at once. I like rain… it’s gentle tapping on the roof but Oh boy, was Ondoy (heaven’s messenger) ever so mad and sorrowful that he cried us a river! So many streets were flooded and some literally turned into a river. It was only typhoon signal #1 in Metro Manila but the rain was very heavy.

Even if the rain was heavy around noon yesterday I tried to brave the rain so I could go to church. Our street was only ankle deep at the most especially along the open drainage. The water was flowing heavily though and there were a lot of people bathing in the rain but there were others like me who had to walk in the rain to do their business. I was already wet when I reached the highway and I was actually having second thoughts already midway but since I was already out I thought that I might as well go on. But the rain grew heavier and there were so very little vehicles on the road most of them had their lights on since visibility was not good and I could see most stopping and taking cover too. I waited and waited but no transport came. People walking told me there was none coming and I finally had to give up and go back. When I got home, I got news that part of the concrete fence of a golf club near our place collapsed and the nearby areas was really deep in water. The families at the end of our road had to transfer to a Protestant Church near our home since they were flooded already. One of our neighbors also got flooded. Good thing our home is a bit elevated. Our drainage is flooded too but the water did not get to our home.

We were safe and dry at home while the others had terrible experience outside.

It is now late and Ondoy has finally stopped crying (well at least for today)… It is quiet in my room but I know that some people still cry over Ondoy’s deluge of tears.

New Perspective

2009-09-05T23:52:00.002+08:00

The kids were once again watching cartoon on cable as I sat on the sofa. It features a rat and I watched. I have to leave before 12:00 noon to go to pick up a friend but the cartoon was good. I asked what it was and my brother who came said "Ratatouille." He asked "Have you not seen it?" and I answered "Nope, I haven’t." I haven’t seen a movie at home or in the theater in a long time. It was good and I wanted to finish it so I sent a message to my friend that I will be late which was okay with her in fact I still had to wait for her to finish dressing up when I got to their place... Arghhh!!!

The movie is about a rat who loves to cook… not just cook but he wants to create dish. He experimented yet would rely on his gut. He was an artist who appreciates the taste of one ingredient but knew how to put them together to create a really spectacular taste. He was torn at some point for he was not human… yet he was not like the other rats but in the end he was true to himself. He was a cook! A great cook!

There were other stories in the movie and they were all good in fact the movie made me cry… Ahhhh!!! It seems that the kids always watch me when I watch something and would know exactly when tears will be coming by. But what can I do? Happy endings make me cry!

There were nice quotes in the movie but what really struck me was the part when Anton Ego the great food critic came for his meal. I’d like to share part of the talk:

Waiter: [taking Ego's order] Do you know what you'd like this evening, sir?
Anton Ego: Yes, I think I do. After reading a lot of overheated puffery about your new cook, you know what I'm craving? A little perspective. That's it. I'd like some fresh, clear, well seasoned perspective. Can you suggest a good wine to go with that?
Waiter: With what, sir?
Anton Ego: Perspective. Fresh out, I take it?
Waiter: I am, uh...
Anton Ego: Very well. Since you're all out of perspective and no one else seems to have it in this BLOODY TOWN, I'll make you a deal. You provide the food, I'll provide the perspective, which would go nicely with a bottle of Cheval Blanc 1947.
Waiter: I'm afraid... your dinner selection?
Anton Ego: [stands up angrily] Tell your chef Linguini that I want whatever he dares to serve me. Tell him to hit me with his best SHOT.

He was cynical. He had little expectations. He wasn’t expecting to get a new perspective. He was so sure of his views but in the end he was baffled out of his senses when he finally got to taste his dish and indeed he got a lot of new perspectives as can be seen in this video:

And what was actually good after all that realization and even if his career was ruined in the succeeding event was that he was transformed and ventured into something else… and the really good stuff was that he was a lot happier in the end!!! It was indeed a happy ending…

I miss watching cartoons and other movies.

And my brother promised to give me more cartoons! :)

Simply stitching

2009-08-25T00:38:00.005+08:00

I found an uncompleted embroidery I was working on when I was cleaning my room and I decided to work on it again. It was supposed to be a sort of mini-comforter project that could be converted to a throw pillow which I saw from my boss, except what she bought just had a printed design. I have been asking her to bring it once more so I know where I could place the zipper for the conversion (from comforter to pillow) but she never brought it again saying she can’t remember where she placed it so I stopped working on it too. However, when I saw it again I felt the urge to sew and realized that I don’t have to use zipper but I could do something else to convert it still…

So I am back to working on the second panel of embroidery since only one panel is complete. I was planning 5 panels for it but I think I’ll just make it three. The embroidery is simple actually just a combination of back stitch and stem stitch and using only one color. See the first panel???

When I started working on it again I actually felt relaxed and joyful. My ten year old niece came to my room and watched me for a while then ask me for some cloth so she could sew too! So I gave her a cloth which she cut into small pieces and drew a design ( a heart) on one and asked me how and started sewing her own as I told her how to handle the cloth and hold the needle and thread. She’s still having difficulty but I’m sure in time if she is interested that she could handle it well.

I was telling her how both my grandmothers were good at sewing especially on darning. The way my paternal grandmother darned you won’t easily notice that the cloth was torn or had a hole. Her hand stitches were so fine that they blend with the cloth. My maternal grandmother was also good not just at darning but also sewing pieces together. When I would darn I would try my best to do it as well as them… some of my works were neat I think but theirs were still tops!

I was also telling my niece how I embroidered in college. I embroidered my pants, blouse (even my friends formal blouse), the bags I made… they were all just small stuff not really big and some of my embroidery looked like patches. Embroidered clothes and stuff was not the trend during my time but I like doing it… I thought I was unique then and by the time the trend came I was focused on other things but would smile as i remembered the works that i did.

Then there was a boom on cross stitching… almost every girl in the office (even a married boy) was crossstitching. Their patterns were neat and looked like paintings and some were huge works which they followed from a pattern. I enjoyed looking at their work but I wasn’t interested on making one. Somehow the work seemed too complex for me to appreciate, I still liked small designs which I would suit to what I need…

And now I’m back to simple stitchin. I am not in a hurry to finish my project but it is nice to feel joy while pushing and pulling the needle and thread. My eyes could not easily thread the needle anymore but just the thought of working on it again felt good!

Beth

2009-08-16T00:37:00.000+08:00

It was another of those nights when my 2 siblings and their other halves decided to have a drinking and singing session. They were talking it over earlier when we went to the grocery as they bought the pulutan (beer food mates) and their drinks -- just vodka their chaser (del monte four seasons) and some beer. I bought my own iced tea just in case.

I was in mama’s room resting a bit when I heard them started their singing. I decided to come out to hang out and watch them sing. They all laughed when they saw me come out of the room… Eto na ang tirador ng pulutan! (Here comes the one who just finishes the food!) A standing joke since I don’t drink and just eat their food. Anyway, I sat with them and indeed took some of the food…. Then I decided to take a bottle also…

My bottle of iced tea from the fridge!

They were taking turns singing. They are all good karaoke singers and know a lot of songs.

Me… I don’t know most of the title of the songs so I can’t choose from the selection list. Even if I leaf through the list I can’t seem to find songs that I know enough to sing…

Anyway I got to sing one song then continued leafing through the alphabetical title list while they continued on their singing…

Then I chanced upon “Beth” by Kiss! Ahh that’s a song for me! I’m Beth in fact I would tell people that I’m the Bethiest Beth I know!

I know about the song from a long time ago but I could not remember it. I just asked Dan to play it so I could listen and see if I could sing with it but I could not sing along with it so I read the lyrics… and I told them that it is a sad song since it was not even telling “Oh Beth you are pretty… you are my beloved and the stuff”. Hehehe… Instead I could visualize Beth just alone and waiting! (But still a part of me was saying so what if she was waiting…plenty to do while one is alone in fact I look forward to my “alone” time which I call my “Beth” time).

Anyway, I was listening and I liked the melody, it is not really something you think from a rock band… it is soft and come to think of it, it really is a beautiful song… an assurance song that even if Beth’s loved one is away that he is thinking of her.

Ahhh here I am rambling and it is already very late… they have finally stopped singing and I’m back here in my room. In fact Jenny already fell asleep earlier on the couch while the others were still singing.

It is real quiet now… another “beth” time and I’d like to hear once more the music…

That is nice... something for me.

This is how we overcome!

2009-08-09T22:56:00.002+08:00

We have finished singing our worship songs including Hillsong’s “This is how we overcome” and I felt good since I like the song…

It is one great song of worship!
And i really like it...
But surprisingly our speaker did not! :(

She said later on to the group that she did not like this song and preferred the other songs. She did not like the word overcome since we don’t really overcome but instead we get transformed. So she would have preferred “transformed” in the lyrics…

Now to sing “this is how we are transformed… this is how we are transformed” instead of “this is how we overcome… this is how we overcome” doesn’t really sound nice…

Later on our smaller group, we get talk about it with many agreeing somehow with our speaker repeating her reason. But I could not agree! I know our speaker has her reason and she actually explained it well… but I still like the song and I don’t mind using the word overcome especially as it is mentioned in its context and I’ll go on singing it!

Now I wonder if it will still be part of our worship songs in our future assemblies????

Ahh! I sure hope so!

Cory Aquino 1933 - 2009

2009-08-01T09:30:00.003+08:00

I woke up expecting to hear cartoons on TV
But there was none…
Instead I was hearing a newscast...
The sky is good, there’s no storm…
what could the children be watching?
I get down and saw John-john
Intently watching the screen
There on the news they say…
Cory is finally gone.

Cory Aquino died at 3:18 am today
Among her family and friends
Praying by her side
While the country was sleeping and still.

I remember how proud I was
To be part of the bloodless revolt
that put her in power and restored our democracy.
I was so proud to be a Filipino then…
And deep inside, I still am.

But so many things have changed since she held office
Even she somehow changed along the way
People will judge her but then again they always do
What is important is she’s at peace with herself
And on that, I am certainly sure.

I heard them say she’s the icon of democracy
And indeed she is
But more than anything I think her biggest legacy
Is responding to a call even if faced with great difficulty.

So for you Tita Cory… Goodbye!
I know you’re at peace.
Say hello to Ninoy from me
Hold hands and pray as ever
For our country’s freedom, peace…
and prosperity.

May God bless us all!

and here is another legacy which i'm proud to say I was part of...
EDSA 1986... the bloodless revolution...

The Filipinos' gift to the world!

Scent of a woman

2009-07-20T23:42:00.001+08:00

There's that strong perfume again!!!
Suddenly made me remember Al Pacino's movie...
However, in that movie he liked the smell of the woman he danced with. He savored her smell!
But there I was again in our office
My table so far away from the other girls
Yet near 6:00 pm the strong odor from one of the girls' perfume reached me once more!
The past days the smell have been reaching my place and when i'd come to my boss' table I could also smell her lotion....
Ahhh... Probably why my headaches never go away!
Isn't it possible that when they spray it, only the people who likes their perfume smell them?
My Badger's ointment is running low and I couldn't find my Vick's and Katinko.
They are my remedies to counter to smell...
And it seems my ammunitions are not enough...
I've asked them to minimize their perfume but I guess they can't help it.
They do want to smell nice
Arghhh I wish their nice is my nice!
Their scent is winning over!
Help!!!

Geocities site

2009-07-17T19:07:00.002+08:00

I have been getting emails informing that Yahoo Geocities will close soon so that I have to save my files or it will be gone forever!

I haven’t visited my old sites but it is there that I stored some of the gif files I use in my blog including my flying butterfly. Oh the title of my blog would not seem complete without it so I have to find another place I could store and access my animated gif files.

Long before I used blogger, I used Geocities as a storehouse for my kaleidosthoughts and other sites I worked on, I did not call them blogs then (I did not even know the word) but they pretty much serve the same. It is there where I also got to experiment on things on the internet like designing my own website… well not really from scratch for some since I went to a site that gave you free templates (although Geocities also have their own templates) and I modified them making it my own using a booklet on Html commands that I have. I did not only add contents but even changed the graphics and I was quite pleased with the outcome…. Ahhh I am easily pleased and I like amusing myself with little accomplishments… I even ventured into cyberbegging in one site (it was the “in” thing at some point then) and actually got donations (money and kind)… did not get enough though for the intended purpose for my cyberbegging but still felt happy that I actually got a donation (Can$35.00) and won ($3.00 or was that $2.00 from guessing game) which were credited to a Paypal account. I also got postcards I requested which I sent a friend.

It was good but updating it was difficult so that free blogsites like blogger are really neat since you are not burdened with updates and don’t need to know anything about designing sites and could just concentrate on your entries. I know there are a lot of free blog sites most of them are now incorporated in social networks like Facebook, MySpace, Multiply, Friendster. In fact I get a lot of invites from family and friends… and even my grandniece who is only 5 has her own Friendster account of course being modified and updated by her mom, but my other nieces and nephews who are 7 to 10 years old also have their own Friendster accounts and actually update them putting in a lot of things in them. They are also volunteering to create an account for me. I don’t know but I never seem to be interested to create one in any of those. Somehow I am just content with my present site.

I was happy with my Geocities account then but now I’m content with my blogspot. Of course I would never really have ventured into blogging or writing without starting on my old site and somehow I’m still thankful for having done that. Geocities says that I should back it up. I am still thinking it over. But I realize that I don’t really have to make a back up since all my entries are stored in a bigger site… my memory… they are after all a part of me… no matter how varied the thoughts and how fleeting they may be… they are part of me.

Now my only problem is will my memory hold…
Ahh I don’t really know…
But even if it goes away in time, the joy of having written them will be there :-)

Heal the world

2009-07-08T18:48:00.002+08:00

The world has been mourning Michael Jackson’s death for the past days but I have not really been affected that much. I would read the news including the different opinions of different people…view some sites that pay tribute…I get to listen to his music being played everywhere…Glance at the videos showing him while I walk along my route. But everything was just in passing…

Then when I got out of the building at noon today I heard his song playing once again “Heal the world…make it a better place…” and it was actually the first time that it touched me. He was singing from the heart!

As I walked to church his song kept echoing in my mind…
He’s gone but he did care for the living in his own way.
Despite all the controversies that came his way
He is going to leave a legacy to us living
As his beautiful music lingers on in our hearts…

And yes... there's also something that Michael will carry in his next life...
The love of people who loves him...
His children's love...

That's for you MJ. Rest in Peace!

Prayer for Priests

2009-07-03T23:21:00.002+08:00

I’d like to share a poem I got from the email today. It is a poem of a young boy who entered the seminary but left disappointed with the church.

THIRTEEN

Childhood fled me too soon,
Chased away by pious men in black cassocks.
A young life
regimented by clanging bell.
Throat with homesick lump
trying to sing Gregorian Chant;
The sweet loneliness of the Kyria,
Tear brimmed eyes of belief in the Credo,
Looking for my father in the Pater Noster.
Devout visits to the quiet chapel,
Soft talks with God.
Mentors edging me along the evangelical road,
then THAT priest said,
'You've played with yourself and come.'
And all I knew then
was that coming was the opposite of going.
So I went.
~~~Aidan Sharkey

The poem reminded me that Pope Benedict XVI declared June 19, 2009 up to June 19, 2010 as the year of the Priest. A call for all to pray for the priests especially for their spiritual perfection.

The church has experienced a lot of scandals lately and it has drawn so many people away from her which is a sad thing. But I guess that is precisely why the Pope declared the year of the Priest. They sure need our prayer. And I like to post here a prayer that is tacked in the pews of the adoration chapel in Binondo. I always pray it when I go there and I find it a very appropriate prayer especially the last part:

Prayer for priest, religious and vocation

Lord Jesus, Our Good Shepherd, strengthen all our priests in their vocation and bless their efforts and labors. Let them always be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Give them wisdom, patience and strength so that they may promote Your glory, spread Your kingdom in the hearts of men and lead the souls entrusted to them to eternal life.

Make all our religious brothers and sisters strong to resist all temptations and victorious over the attacks of their enemies and stretch over them Your hand so that they may still be enriched and become more worthy of Your love

Raise up in Your Church many holy priests and religious brothers and sisters. Grant that all whom You have chosen from eternity for your service may follow Your call and that nobody may enter into our sanctuary without being called. Amen.

And I really say Amen to that.

Sharpen your mind!

2009-06-23T22:36:00.000+08:00

I was reviewing a working paper this afternoon when I got distracted by Kathryn asking something then when I was going to continue with my review I could not find the pen I was using! I did not leave my desk, I only stopped but the pen was gone. Oh I know my desk is a mess with all the working papers and memos I have to work on so I looked over and under them to see if I placed it in between… but none… so I searched for it in my drawers but I could not find it that I finally got another pen from my bag so I could continue my work.

This usually happens to me… sometimes I’d lose a lot of pens at other times I’d have so much pens in my drawer, on my desk or on my keyboard and I don’t know how they got there or how I missed seeing them before! Sometimes I’d kid myself that there’s an elf playing tricks on me but truth is I’m just plain forgetful. There are things I could easily remember but things like pens and even names I easily forget. And now I came upon an article on how to sharpen your brain. It is interesting and I am going to try to work on them. I certainly hope it works for me!

...now where was I????

Hit by a tire!

2009-06-21T00:27:00.000+08:00

Well we had been hit tonight by a tire… a big tire from a bus! We were on a passenger jeepney when we felt and heard a loud bang. A big tire hit our side and it continued rolling. Where did that came from??? We saw a bus stop a few meters from us but it was not tilted in any way. Our driver said that the tire may have come from the rear tires since there are four rear tires so that it was still erect. The driver stopped to look at the damage to his jeepney but luckily there was none. The tire did not stop after hitting us but continued rolling and we were watching it go and it headed to some of the cars parked in the road near the church. The bus conductor came to our jeepney to check the damage but was probably relieved that there was none, then he headed to where the tire stopped and our jeepney moved slowly to it while we all took a look at what happened. It was a weird thing, there was space of about 2 ½ to 3 meters in between two cars and the tire went through it and hit the rear end of one of the car not on its side but it the middle of the bumper. The bumper had a very wide, big and deep dent! The owner would surely be surprised when he gets back to it and I am not sure if the conductor will be waiting for him though he probably wouldn’t since there were some people on the sidewalk that were there watching too.

The tire seemed to have a mind of its own! It is like he really meant to hit that car! I don’t really know why and I wish I knew so I could say Eureka!

Moved to do and think GOoD

2009-06-19T22:26:00.002+08:00

As usual I attended the noon mass and today was special since it is the feast of the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I was feeling generous so I gave twice my normal church offering, the mass proceeded and after communion as I went back to my pew there was a beggar seated in front of me. He was just seated there with a plastic cup on his hand and folded cartons on his side. There are a lot of beggars outside the church and it is very seldom that they go inside and if they do would often just linger at the place near the door but he seated himself near the altar and was in front of me… I felt that I was called to give him something big so I did.

After the mass I got a bill from my pocket and handed it to him. He received it and said thanks and I just nodded as I stood to leave the church. I was already facing backwards when he poked me with something he got from his folded cartons. He was handing me a folded umbrella. It was a nice lacey white folded umbrella but it was not mine so I told him so and would not take it but the girl on the other side of the pew said that the umbrella belonged to the woman in red and she was looking for it. Then I remembered that there was really a woman in red seated in front of me where the man now sat. So I took the umbrella thinking of leaving it with the office. When I was near the door I saw the woman and was already approaching her when I heard another woman she was talking with shout to the beggar telling him that the woman was looking for the umbrella. I handed the umbrella to the woman and told her that the man gave it to me since she left it. And she asked me “binigay nya sa iyo?” (he gave it to you?) and when I said yes, she said “Dapat pala siya pasalamatan” (I should thank him then).

As I walked towards the office I was thinking about the events. I am not really sure what happened to the umbrella since I was not around when the other woman left her place nor when the man got seated… it will be hard to judge but I had a feeling from the woman on the other pew’s comment and from the actuation of the woman who lost the umbrella that she felt that the man had it with him so that she was asking someone who knows him to talk to him and that when I told him that he returned it to me that she was somehow embarrassed of her thought and wanted to make up for it… I may be wrong in the way I analyze things and as I said it is wrong to judge but I just realized that sometimes you are moved to do good to a stranger and the person who accepts the act of kindness is also moved to do good also and pass if forward and somehow that brought a positive feeling for me.

Thoughts on independence

2009-06-13T21:33:00.002+08:00

Yesterday was our country’s independence day. It is supposed to be a celebration but I really did not get any news on celebration of our special day… one reason is I did not have a chance to watch TV, listen to the radio nor read the news. I asked my brother-in-law though what was the special event intended for the day and he said a job fair. Well, that’s a good thing to do on a special day.

Though I did not notice any national celebration we had a celebration at home though courtesy of my sister and her family. They brought 3 kilos of chicken legs and cooked it chicken inasal style. I haven’t eaten chicken in ages but I joined in the eating and it was good! I asked my sister what got into my brother-in-law for buying such volume and she said she did not know. I wondered if he was starting to have his andropause (hehehe... ) or maybe in his way he wants the family to celebrate the country’s special day?

Independence day should be special day for any country but if many of the people could not appreciate the value of such declaration, what good is it? Maybe just another rest day for employees?

In the age of interconnectedness, is one country really independent? We all have to depend on others to sustain our lives, right?

Does it really matter what form of government we have? Isn’t the quality of life lived by people more important?

Does it really matter how the head of state of our country got into power as long as there is no bloodshed along the way? Isn’t it more important that the one who gets there is really there to serve the people? There have been different ways for our heads to get and stay in power and there are always complains on how they get there.

I am Filipino, I am proud to be one even if at times I come across countrymen that embarrass me. I’ve come to realize that I don’t care much about the word “independence” but that doesn’t mean I feel less than a Filipino. Oh I appreciate the lives offered by heroes to fight for our freedom. But I appreciate it more because they loved our country enough that they were willing to sacrifice their lives for a cause. Maybe more than anything we should celebrate not the declaration but the love they had for our country because it is their kind of love that will bring greatness for our country… it is that kind of love that will move one another to help their brothers…that’s the kind of love that we ought to celebrate!

Back to school again

2009-06-06T10:29:00.003+08:00

I am back to my online schooling after stopping for a semester. It feels a bit different going back after laying low for a while not doing any reading related to the course. There’s a also a little nervous feeling of being able to cope up after looking over the vast reading materials to be read and the works to be done especially since I’ve been coming home late and it is even later I am able to come up to my room to do the reading and studies and the strange magnetism of the bed as it seems to tell me “come to me… come to me and sleeeeeeep!!!”

However, the excitement of learning is still there plus the interaction with fellow students and I am back to having my professor from a previous class. Oh boy she gives a lot of work… actually added lots of white hair to my head… but she is good not just academically but all in all. I appreciate her and it will be nice to learn with her again.

As in the past there are only two subjects for this semester. I remember when I first enrolled that I was telling the staff from the learning center… “What just 2 subjects? Can’t I take more?” Oh boy, did I eat my words. I guess two is already max for me… one would actually be ideal but on a shorter term. Starting this school year, they have switched from a semester to a trimester just for our program… we are sort of the guinea pig for the university. I believe it will work, so that even if you just take one subject per trimester you’ll be able to finish in a reasonable time.

I am actually loaded… at work… at home… with the activities in my prayer communities… plus I like to just surf the net and be awed at the varied stuff there is in there (definitely apart from school materials) sometimes I feel the press for time and would hope to be able to freeze it so I could do all the things I love and need to do without feeling any pressure but something got me today from the priest’s sermon… he was talking on giving and generosity. He said that if you give, be it money, talent or time… you’ll never run out of it. I know he was talking in a different context but somehow i felt a message for my schedules. SO I’m giving my time and effort to all the things I have to do and I know that I’ll be able to make up time for it…

Manila Tour

2009-05-21T23:33:00.000+08:00

I just came out of Binondo church after the noon mass when I noted 2 huge yellow jeepneys outside with the Wow Philippines sticker. When I passed near it I noted their website also posted. I walked further going back to the office and I passed by a very fair gentleman in white short sleeve barong and his face was very familiar. I was still trying to figure out who he is when I noted the a number of people coming from Plaza Ruiz with name tags and shell necklace with huge button sticker (Just wasn’t able to read what was on it)… ah they are from the group that rode the tourist jeepneys and it suddenly flashed in my head… Ace Durano, the tourism secretary that was who the man is! They might be having a familiarization tour for a certain tourism project.

I crossed the street going to the plaza and there were still a couple of the people from the tour and I noted another familiar face. I’ve seen him before in front of Binondo church as he was guiding a small bunch of foreign tourists and I was thinking that this time he was guiding a bigger group. Aside from Carlos Celdran, he is one of those people that do a walking tour around Manila and I thought that I’d look him* up on the net when I get back to the office.

It was still a long walk to the office and I was thinking about tourism in Manila. I would love to join one of the walking tours. I’ve been thinking about it but have not really come to joining one (I’m thinking about a lot of things but have not done most also… sigh!!!) Often times also when I’d see foreign tourists inside Binondo church or in front of it with their maps with them I wonder what will be their reaction if I approached them and tell them something about the church or direct them to the place they are trying to figure out in their maps. I would love to talk about Binondo church, I don’t really know its history but I could tell them about the paintings on the church ceiling… that in front, on top of the altar is Saint Michael the archangel, at the 4 corners of the dome are the 4 evangelists with the painting of Jesus during the last supper on the left and on the right is the young Jesus and Joseph as carpenters, then on the middle of the church are the mysteries of the rosary (it only had the 3 mysteries since it was painted before the luminous mysteries were added) and there is also Saint Joseph on the ceiling on choir section which is across the altar.

Then I thought about the maps, I’ve seen a lot of tourists having difficulties when they look over their maps (mostly road maps on booklets) and I kept thinking how nice if they have a colorful (cartoon-like) map that features the tourist destinations around Manila… there’s a lot to see and it will even be neat if the destinations have stickers where the tourist can get and stick on their maps to show that they’ve been there so they could keep it as a souvenir later.

Since the former Mayor Lito Atienza fixed a lot of tourist areas in Manila, for me it has become a very nice city to tour. A jeepney tour would be neat but a walking tour with the guide telling you about history and trivias of the place I think would even be better.

I experienced a guided tour when I went to India and when you hear about the history of the place you visit, it becomes more alive and exciting! You could imagine how it was before with all the people the culture and all its splendor. Manila has a lot of history too and I think a lot will appreciate it when someone guides you through it. Now the guiding is for the experts… and I hope I’d have a chance to join one of them someday… soon!

Ps... i've checked the net for the tourist guide I saw, it believe he was Ivan Man Dy :-)

The result is out!

2009-05-19T23:28:00.001+08:00

The girls were waiting for the CPA board exam to come out, for sure it will come out today… Sonia kept checking the site in her computer and Mitch was nervous… finally she asked permission to leave the office early… and the girls still kept checking the net until one of them shouted and it was official Mitch made it! The girls sent her a text message to break the good news and my boss just had to call her on her celfone to congratulate her. She was already in church saying her thanks!

To think that it was only Monday that she had her final exam and now the result is out in the net… tomorrow it will be in the newspapers.

During my time we had to wait for 6 months for the CPA Board result to come out since our examination was not computerized. There were essays and problem solving where you had to show your solution. We had to use fountain pen and had to write legibly and neatly and if we make mistake we have to cross our answer with a line and write the correct answer on top… well for problem solving and essay at least. I can’t remember now if we had to shade multiple choice questions or encircle them… it was so long time ago!

And for 6 long months we had to continuously pray not just that our answers are correct but that the examiners who would check our papers would be in a good mood when checking our papers so that they have a nice disposition when reading our answers especially for essays questions and our chances for passing is greater.

Now all questions are multiple choices. I am not really sure if that is a better basis for assessment compared to the type of test we had but there has to be some way of filtering out all those examinees. But getting the result early is something really great! And now Mitch can finally relax! She’ll get her license soon… but what is much better is that we’ll surely have a blowout!

Yup! Blowout.. blowout...blowout! Ahhh everybody is already waiting for that and for sure the banner we have for her tomorrow will make her think of giving a big blowout!

So... looking forward to tomorrow! :-)

Ahh not just for the blowout but to really congratulate Mitch "face to face" on her success!

We are all happy for her!