Bontoc Eulogy

A lecturer of the college surprised me when she told me of a film about Bontoc that was being shown in a film festival of some sort here in Singapore. She remembered that I am from Bontoc and very kindly informed me, thinking that I might be interested. I was of course very much interested not only because I have not watched the film but also because the topic, which was about Igorots in the St. Louis Fair of 1904, was of interest to me, so I made it a point to go and watch it.

However, since the topic is about Bontoc and its culture, I had to post it in my other blog hehehe... You can read about it here.

Let Him Hold Your Hand

[This poem was written by Sis Ganda for me, after we chatted about an important issue in my life :) She wisely wrote, "Let God hold your hand", and I was so struck by her statement. I told her to write a poem with that as a starting point. Thank you, sis, for everything. Indeed, the comfort of knowing that God is holding my hand through this matter...]

Let God hold your hand
When conflicting possibilities stare you down
When His will is unconfirmed
When there’s nothing to do but wait
Let Him hold you by the hand.

Let Him give you His peace
When your heart is anxious
When you want to chicken out
Let God hold your hand.

When all you’ve left is a sigh
A heart that could only cry
Let His love embrace you
And His presence comfort you.

When everything is fuzzy
And your eyes just can’t see
Let His wisdom be your sight
He’ll lead you by the hand.

When you think you know
And you find out you don’t
Be assured that He knows
Just let His wisdom be yours.

So in everything my dear
Be it in matters of the heart
Or in issues of the mind
Let Him hold your hand.

Images of Malacca, Malaysia

The two-week midterm break is always a good time to explore new places. Luckily, compared to Singapore, the nearby countries are much, much cheaper when it comes to travel, food and accommodation.

Malacca is supposedly where Malaysia started as a country, according to a Malaysian schoolmate, and I guess, its being recognized as a World Heritage Site is a testimony of its rich history. Click here for a brief info of how this place got its name and its beginnings.

The Red Square,
obviously because the buildings were painted brick red.

The ruins of St. Paul's church

It was first a church, then it became a fortress, and later became a burial ground. Multi-purpose church, ei?

Tombstones of the Dutch...
Errr, translation please.

Naha, padyak! Ay hindi, trishaws daw pala.

Stamps...
They have a museum for their stamp history.

Souvenir shirts loh!

Garb for Muslim women

Ang cute ng mannequin noh?

Yummy food!!!

Chicharong baka yan,
bawal ang baboy.

In Case You Want to Know

I was tagged by Sis Ganda to do this post. It was quite enjoyable :)

I am: full. I just had breakfast :)
I think: love colors my world ;)
I know: I am God's beloved.
I have: a purpose in life.
I wish: that I can always make the right decisions.
I hate: insensitive people.
I miss: my family and my friends back home :(
I fear: losing my loved ones.
I hear: the birds chirping outside, irregardless of my OPM music.
I smell: my freshly-washed clothes.
I crave: for sinigang and pinikpikan!!!
I search: for my room key oftentimes.
I wonder: if we will ever get to finish our Bontoc Ikholot Old Testament.
I regret: having to keep some feelings to myself when it’s unhealthy.
I love: the simple things in life – curling up with a good book, listening to music, being with friends, being alone with my thoughts, etc.
I ache: when I physically exerted myself too much.
I am not: perfect.
I believe: that life is a celebration.
I dance: in my seat and when the music’s worth dancing to :D
I sing: when I know the lyrics of the song.
I cry: when I can’t take it anymore, be it emotions, stress or situations.
I fight: when there is someone/something worth fighting for.
I win: when I overcome my laziness, indifference, and listlessness.
I lose: when I only think of myself.
I never: say never. Life is full of boomerangs; it gets back at you.
I always: laugh out loud, irregardless of where I am :D
I confuse: my Biblical Hebrew vocabs and tenses. Sigh...
I listen: to what people have to say.
I am scared: of being alone in the dark. Yay!
I need: to motivate myself; a lot of things to read and do :(
I am happy about: our incoming trip to Malacca, Malaysia. Yipeee!!!
I imagine: what the future holds for me.

Hmmm... Let me tag Manong Abella, Andreas, and Jesse.

Food Patrol

Here's a look at the 'makan' here in Singapore. I haven't tried any of their exotic food, only the frog porridge, which is not so exotic for me hehehe... It is a known fact that Singaporeans love to eat, but well, so do Filipinos eh? ;) But I guess they do win when it comes to variety.

Try Indian.

Go Chinese.

How about Korean?

Hmmm, maybe Indonesian?

Seven-course-meal sampling, anyone?

For dessert...

A Lucid Thought

Sometimes I think I am a fool;
like a moth drawn to the flames
and unable to resist,
I flutter dangerously close,
even knowing that in the end,
I may get burned.

Thai Boxing

This was Thai boxing, choreographed into a dance, that we witnessed during the Language Development Conference in Bangkok. I wasn't able to video the whole "fighting" session but I clearly remember that the fighter in red won in the end :)



The g-string and even the vest they wore looks eerily familiar hehehehe...

Funny Corkboard Images

[Here are two cartoons, so funny and cute but apt representatives of human feelings, posted by a counseling professor/lecturer in the cork board outside her office. I liked it so much I took a picture hehehe...]

Of taxi drivers and thieves

I was given permission to go home for a week and I was quite excited! Sarah, a housemate, and I were waiting for a taxi so I could go to the bus station and take the only direct bus that goes to my hometown. After just a few minutes of waiting, I was able to flag one. I went in, said goodbye to Sarah and told the driver the address. He nodded, but as we were on our way, he turned to me and said, ‘Pasensiya na, Ma’am, pero baguhan po ako kaya hindi pa po ako marunong. Saan po yung address na sinabi ninyo?’ (My apologies, Ma’am, but I am new and I still don’t know my way around. The address that you told me, where is it located?) I knew I was in trouble. I told him to just go along EDSA, but he mentioned while we were along GMA that he knew the Mother Ignacia way, so I agreed for him to take that route. It was a disaster! He didn’t know the way but was brave enough to try every street that looks like it would go somewhere. To make matters worse, his taxi was over heating and stopping erratically. Fortunately, he asked for directions after a long time of going nowhere. However, while we were on our way to the right direction, his taxi stopped in the middle of a street and refused to budge. That was it! I told him I was getting out and taking another taxi. I was fuming mad, and was about to just get out and leave him there, but I saw his old and haggard face and got guilty. So, as I was paying him the fare (still the responsible customer), I was telling him that he shouldn’t drive with that kind of taxi and without prior knowledge of places. I flagged another taxi, and while we were on our way, I looked back and the taxi was still there, stuck.

Thankfully, I was still able to catch the bus. I had reserved a seat and when I got my ticket, I saw that I was sitting three seats after the driver, which I thought was quite nice since it wasn’t at the back. The trip usually lasts for about 12 hours. When we were on our way, I slept, being woken up from time to time by voices or by the cramps on my neck from sleeping in an unnatural position. I only know that at one point, we took in some other passengers along the way traveling for short trips, since I was woken up by the conductor’s voice telling the many passengers waiting for buses along the road that the bus can only take a few of them. I was sleeping again for awhile when I woke up with a start because of a woman’s loud shriek that echoed through the bus. Realizing that the bus had stopped and that the door was open, I thought that we must have hit someone on the road. But the woman’s cries penetrated my foggy mind when she told the others that someone had snatched her purse! It seems that the man who came in with her when she got in the bus said he was getting down that area (I don’t even know where it was). Apparently, he had evil motives, and targeted the woman, who was sitting in the very first seat near the door. The driver and the conductor ran after him but it was already too late. The driver took the bus back for a few meters to see if we could still catch the thief but we saw no traces of him. The woman, whom we discovered was about four months pregnant, even went out to check if he went in a house. While we were on our way, she sobbed the whole time until we reached her destination. I think the conductor gave her back her fare. I couldn’t go back to sleep for awhile after that incident. The uncertainty and fear that I experienced continued to haunt me for they shattered my peace of mind. I didn’t realize how fortunate I was until I overheard the man sitting in front of me saying that he thought the snatcher, who sat beside him, was the woman’s husband. Evidently, the man sat in front of me, and with me sleeping and my handbag on my lap, he could have taken my bag without any fuss.

What a night! I could only bow my head in thanksgiving for myself and supplication for the pregnant woman.

A Tribute to my Mom on her 56th Birthday

{I was wanting to write a long letter to my mother on her birthday yesterday but a headache kept me from writing much. Good thing, a friend offered me his phone so I could call her and my family. But I still felt the need to put down some thoughts I have of a mother so uniquely my own; someone who has shaped me into who I am today.}

If there is a word that would desrcibe my mom best, it would be sensible (in most aspects, wise). She is very practical, and realistic. But that does not mean she is limited in her goals and her visions. No, contrary to that. She believes that hard work could get you to the top as most of her generation believed and often proved. Indeed, she, and my Dad, rose from the ranks in their line of work. With the demands of work and raising children, she became capable in juggling both. Recently, just a year ago, she was thinking of retiring and kept on lamenting about her being a computer illiterate, but not surprisingly, she has managed to gain some skills in that area and can now write me an email, unassisted.

If there is such a thing that she is well-known for, it is that she is shrewd with handling money and in business ventures, too. When I was young and we were still living in our old house, we had a store, a poultry and piggery. During my elementary years when we transferred to a new house, she would sell longganisa, tocino, etc. after office hours. She would take me along in most instances, albeit sometimes forcefully, and ask me to go into the houses to ask if they wanted to buy some of the products. Being the shy girl that I was, I came to hate accompanying her in these ventures. She would also insist that we sell ice candies, and would make the ice candies herself, or halo-halo. But for her, they were good training, which I only came to appreciate lately. It was because of these experiences that I knew early on that I, and I guess my siblings as well, had not inherited her business sense (something which my aunties would always point out regretfully). She also tried insurance selling in the sidelines and succeeded at it. I remember us bringing home a big karaoke complete with a microphone, and then afterwards a refrigerator, because she topped her yearly quotas. My Dad would always say if not for her wise handling of money, we would not have our house and of course, my mom would always remind us how fortunate we were in all aspects compared to their lives before. An aside: you should also see her bargain in action. She delights in battling wits with the seller, although she would not show it. When we go with her to market, my sister and I would squirm in embarrassment, but would always end up amazed at her tactics.

If there is one thing that is most important to her, it is family, and I mean the bigger circle of blood ties. She is very into family affairs -- the extended family’s concerns and difficulties. She would not let us miss clan gatherings, and would in fact be an initiator of celebrations in most cases. In addition, visiting grandparents was tops on her list. With only her mother as our living grandparent now, visiting uncles and aunties became an addition. She is quite well-known for solving problems, especially those that have to do with money. My growing up years included a succession of cousins from both sides living with us, with my parents helping them out in their education. As such, she feels duty bound to meddle, and my cousins, most of whom now have their own families, experienced her scolding a lot and her wrath in some cases.

And yet, the funny thing is she somehow learned to back off when it came to meddling in my affairs. Maybe because I inherited her stubbornness, or maybe because I left home early, I do not know. She showed her displeasure when I chose to take up Journalism and not Accounting, but still financed me through university (although she would take that up again when I could not seem to find a proper job a few months after I graduated hehehehe...). She commented rather pointedly as to why I had to find a boyfriend (now ex-bf) farther away, and not somewhere nearer, but did not pry. She is worried that my line of ‘work’ now would not yield enough to give me a secure future, but somehow finds the motivation to strengthen me. I guess she continues to grapple with letting God take care of me.

If there is one paradox that continues to amaze me about her, it is that she continues to be child-like in a variety of circumstances. She would squeal in delight when my Dad cuddles her, tell me in amazement how a certain ukay-ukay acquiesced to her very low bargaining price, ask me most earnestly whether the dress looks good on her, exclaim in wonderment when she sees things on tv, and laugh out loudly until tears would fall from her eyes. One time, when I came home for a semester break from the university, my youngest brother was being disobedient to her. Amazingly, she did not spank him, which seemed unfair for me who experienced a lot of whipping from her in my younger days. I asked her in irritation, Why don’t u spank him?, and she answered rather tiredly, Why don’t you?

You would think by these descriptions that I have my Mom all figured out. Wrong. She continues to puzzle me, and at times, infuriate me. She is tough yet compassionate, kind yet not gullible, intelligent yet sometimes naive, and well-read yet still retains some small-town girl mentality. These days I feel a deep connection to her, especially when I realize that I am turning out to be more and more like her in some aspects (still not the business sense though, too bad...;)).

My mom has a photo that I like so much. It was taken while she was on a car with the windows rolled down and the wind blowing on her face. She was laughing, eyes crinkled at the corners and teeth showing. She looked so pretty, carefree and uninhibited that it got me mesmerized for awhile when I chanced upon it. I know when she’s gone and for the rest of my life, that would be the picture I would carry of her in my head.

Proverbs 31: 10 says, “A capable wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.” To this, I would add, “A capable mother who can brag? Probably, the one I have.”

Cigarette Warnings

Will you quit smoking when you look at these pictures?

A closer view...

Some details about Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year celebrations are over and done with, along with our week-long break from school. Classes have resumed. *sigh* It's time to get those brains working hard again... But before I do, let me share some things, though limited, that I learned about Chinese New Year here in Singapore.

1. Since it is a new lunar year, one is expected to wear something new or sport something new. Some go to the extreme of not only wearing new clothes but also new undies, new haircut/hairdo, new shoes, maybe a new car, etc. NEW is IN! I didn't wear anything new though hehehe...

2. To usher in the new year, spring cleaning is a MUST here. It's good to have everything neat and tidy when the new year comes so most people cleaned their houses before new year. I remembered to sweep my room =)

3. Most decorations are of the lucky color red. Black is considered unlucky, so they don't like it when you go to their houses wearing black during this time. According to them, you invite bad luck to the house and its occupants.

Tag: Recent Movie I Watched

Manang Lovelyn of A Raconteur's Attempt started a tag on movies. Her family watched Ratatouille together and they thoroughly enjoyed not just the movie but also the experience of watching it as a family. Very touching!

She tagged me and I promised to do it, although I am putting a twist to it because I don't have my own family yet =) To take my mind off my paper due this week (wink, wink; the big P is at work again), I am doing this post which is far more enjoyable.
By the way, I also watched Ratatouille last year with my friends. My Indonesian brother, Andreas, blogged about it here. We also enjoyed it.

These are the rules of the tag according to Manang Lovelyn:

1. Link back the person who tagged you and write what was the movie his/her family enjoyed watching recently.

2. Now your turn to tell about the movie your family had just watched.

3. Tell something about the movie and spoilers are accepted.

4. Lastly, write anything that has something to do with movies: Trivia, your top choice or favorites and why, your family's story about your favorite motion pictures, the first film you watched with your husband, any traditional film the family 's been keeping etc...etc...

5. Copy and paste the rules of this meme on your blog and pass the tag to as many friends, bloggers and movie lovers you want. Don't forget to tell them they're tagged and leave a comment here if you're done with the task.

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