Me, Myself and I

Saturday, July 26, 2008

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.

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

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...

Monday, June 23, 2008

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...]

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

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.

Friday, April 18, 2008

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.”

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Cigarette Warnings

Will you quit smoking when you look at these pictures?

A closer view...

Monday, February 11, 2008

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.

4. When visiting houses, you have to give a pair of orange to the family. I hear this is only done in Singapore. I know that Chinese consider round objects as lucky, but giving them in pairs is a new thing for me. But small oranges, the not so good kind, are used for decorations.

5. For the single and unmarried, the married ones are expected to give you 'angpow', money in red envelopes. It's a great time to be single, especially if you are Chinese! I did get a few dollars from the houses we visited =) But I heard from a Chinese friend that you can really get a lot during this time.

6. It's a time of family reunions, and therefore, a time of feasting!

7. In Singapore, they have this appetizer/dish called 'lo hei', consisting of shredded vegetables and fish in some. They pour some peanuty sauce on it and then the whole family or friends that gathered have to mix up all the ingredients (with chopsticks of course!). In the process of pouring the sauce and mixing it all up, each one should be saying blessings for the coming year. (Thanks to my Singaporean friend, Pei, for this info.) I was a little confused when we did this so I wasn't able to utter a coherent word. Well, the Lord knows what blessings I need for the year ahead hehehe...

Gong Xi Fa Chai!

Saturday, February 09, 2008

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.

[www.international.ucla.edu/cms/images/allin.jpg]

The twist for this tag is that I am going to tell you about something that I watched alone, not with my family. This Chinese New Year Break, we had a week off from classes. A Filipina schoolmate, Manang Gloria, asked me if I wanted to borrow the Korean series that she bought. The Korean series was All in (photo of the two lead stars above). She warned me that I might get addicted to it. Needless to say, her prophecy was accurate. I was glued to my laptop trying to finish off the 24 episodes (eight cds), and for two days, I slept at 5 am, although it took me longer than two days to finish the series. I'm the type of person who likes to know beforehand what happens at the end, so I couldn't help but watch the last cd first after watching only the first two cds, and then I went back and watched the rest. So unlike some people who dislike those who spoil the movie by relating the ending for you, I love them ehehehehe...

The series was about the love story of Kim Inha and Min Su-Yeon, and how they survived in the world of gambling, casinos, mafias and stuff. You can read the synopsis here. Suffice it to say that they end up together, which is what's important =) Interestingly, the story was based on the life of a Korean pro gambler and chess player, Mr. Cha Min-su, who became a millionaire in Las Vegas.

As to family trivia regarding movies: when I was young, my parents would bring my elder brother, my younger brother and me (my sister and my youngest brother were not born yet) to watch movies at the only cinema in Bontoc, located in the Acofo building. I remember us watching Conan, the Barbarian there; I don't know why it stuck in my memory. Nowadays though, my parents like us to eat out as a family rather than watch movies together.

Unfortunately, the only cinema in Bontoc lost its appeal with the arrival of betamax and cable tv so it closed. It was turned into a bar featuring live bands from the outside. If you stroll along Bontoc's plaza or the main street at night before the curfew at 10 pm, it would be impossible for you not to hear their very loud music. According to reports here, the cinema building has become "the center of Bontoc's gambling universe" and also a prostitution den. What a change!

There, that's it! Now, I am tagging my sis Ganda, my Manong Bet-ew, and Andreas, who has yet to do my tags.

Friday, February 01, 2008

Personalized Spam?

I was reading Sir BB's post entitled A Really Bad Spam, and I could not help but think of the letter I got from someone named David E. Schlup. He wrote to me asking if I was from Bontoc and I answered in the affirmative. (He must have read my profile and watched my videos.) I asked him if he was also from Bontoc, and he wrote me a rather interesting long reply. Here's what he said:

No, I'm Not from Bontoc.
I had a friend from Bontoc.
My friend told me how hard things were for the people of Bontoc, where she was from.
I've lost contact with my friend from Bontoc. I care very much for my friend, even
though I don't know where she is living now or how to contact her. I hope she is
OK!
Because I care about my friend, I would like to help improve the lives of the people of Bontoc, but I live in the United States, I need someone like you, who are living in Bontoc to help me help the people of Bontoc.
I need someone like you to help me understand the needs of the people of Bontoc, So I can think about the best way to help the people there.
I sent one woman money, she said she lives in Naic, Cavite, Philippines, she told me that she would buy food with the money and then travel to Bontoc, and give the food away free to the poorest people living in Bontoc.
I think, maybe the woman from Naic, Cavite, keep the money all for herself.
I need some people, who I can trust who live in Bontoc or live near Bontoc.
Can I trust you to help me?
You would be my Angel there to the Bontoc People, helping them for me.
You would be my eyes and ears, hands and feet in Bontoc, telling me about their needs, and then handing out free food and money for me as I asked you to.
I would want and allow you for your time helping me to keep so much money
for yourself and your family.
What I would want in exchange from you, would be for you to take pictures of the people receiving the food or money, and e-mail me back the pictures.
I found out from Western Union, that they have a location at Lamay MiniMart in Bontoc Public Market Building.
Any Money I sent you to give away free or buy food for the poor, you could pick up at Lamay MiniMart.
If God leads me to believe that I can trust you, and if God provides me the extra money to send you, then I would be trying to help the people of Bontoc, with your help at least once every month, then in the future, if it be God's will, then I would be sending money more often.
I hope you will be able to and want to help me help the people of Bontoc, and I hope I'll be able to completely trust you.
My friend's name, who was from Bontoc is Angie Q. Laca, you might know her family living there in Bontoc.
My Name is David E. Schlup
My e-mail address which is the best way to stay in contact with me is davideschlup@yahoo.com

He was thorough. He knew that there is a Western Union in Bontoc and also where it is located. He even used someone else's name, possibly an Ifontok. His letter touched me very deeply, so deep that it moved me to write him a short scathing reply. I think it was the nastiest email I ever sent to anyone. *sigh*

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Hermit Dilemma

QUESTION:

Is it OK to lock oneself up in the room and be alone,

or is that escaping from reality?

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Bangladesh Tribal Group Dance

This is a video I took of a tribal dance that we were able to witness in Bangladesh. We were invited to a cultural program when we were in Birishiri, in the northern part of Bangladesh, by the Director of the Birishiri Tribal Cultural Academy and some women from the Garo tribe performed.

The Garo people look like us Igorots in their facial features, which is different from the Indian race, and I was mercilessly teased as one by our Bangladeshi friends. But, surprisingly, no loincloths, gongs and sagni for them hehehehe... Their dance is very different, although I must say their woven attire looks familiar =)

Friday, January 25, 2008

Ashura Festival Drum-Playing

This is a video of Bihari Muslims in Bangladesh playing the drums for their Ashura Festival. This was quite a festive occassion with kids and young people running on the streets, shouting something which I, of course, could not understand, plus this festive and loud drum-playing.

According to an expert on Islam who was with us, in the Middle East countries that he lived in, the festival would be a time wherein Shiite Muslims would whip and cut themselves up until they bleed. We may have missed the opportunity of seeing this practice happen among the Bihari Muslims since we went there at night or there may not be too many people willing to do it. Too bad. It would have been a sight to behold!

It is interesting how it sounds much like the practice of Filipinos on Black Saturday, which is of a different setting and belief, but with the practice of hurting oneself physically. I was able to find more info about this festival and also of the Bihari Muslims in this blog.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Centennial Celebration in Bontoc

Bontoc was the host of the 100 Years of Celebration with the CICM in the Apostolic Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe from December 12-15, centering on the theme "Remembering, Rerooting, Revitalizing". CICM is a Latin acronym which, in English, stands for Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. For better or worse, the CICM have greatly contributed to what we are now as a people. Our faith and our education came mostly from their work and contributions to us for a hundred years.

A little bit of history: the CICMs were the first missionaries to come to Bontoc in 1907. They were the first Roman Catholic order to successfully establish mission stations in the whole of the Cordillera region, particularly within the tribal groups collectively known as the Igorots. CICM was established in Belgium and was mainly composed of priests and brothers who hail from Belgium and Ireland, and only opened their order to other nationalities in the mid 20th century. Why am I saying this? It is to point out that these first missionaries who came to Bontoc were Belgians and were later called “Belgian Fathers”. They were young men priests and brothers who stayed among our people, and subsequently were helped by their female counterpart order, the Immaculate Heart of Mary (ICM). Old men and women have fond memories of these priests and sisters, some of whom died and were buried here. The CICM and ICM have since left the region and handed over the responsibility to the native or diocesan priests and sisters.

Here are some photos of the event (videos in another post later):

Street Parade and Dancing

Waiting for the arrival of the Papal Nuncio

History of the church in Bontoc

Offering for the Grand Celebration Mass

I was tagged by Ganda to do this meme. She has been teasing me about my mooncake blog not moving down for the longest time, so this is a good insert until my mind wakes up from vacation mode =)

The rules for this meme are:
- Pick your birth month.
- Bold the 5-10 that best apply to you.
- Copy to your own journal, with all twelve months. (Here's where you can get the list of the qualities for each birth month).
- Tag 3 people from your friends list (people you know personally) and 3 blogger/online friends.

My birth month is FEBRUARY,and my qualities (kuno hehehe...) are:
Abstract thoughts (I like listening to good ideas and thoughts). Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent and clever (naks!). Changing personality (sus, chameleon pala ako). Attractive. Sexy. Temperamental. Quiet, shy and humble (ehem, ehem, wen met a piman no mamingsan). Honest and loyal (nagkatugma kami ni Ganda nito). Determined to reach goals. Loves freedom. Rebellious when restricted. Loves aggressiveness. Too sensitive and easily hurt. Gets angry really easily but does not show it. Dislikes unnecessary things. Loves making friends but rarely shows it. Daring and stubborn (an inherited trait from my grandma and my mother hehehe). Ambitious. Realizes dreams and hopes. Sharp (I'd like to think so hehehe). Loves entertainment and leisure (who doesn't?). Romantic on the inside not outside (daw!). Superstitious and ludicrous. Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions.

I tag my brother Andreas, Ading Sarah who needs to update her posts hehehehe..., and Jesse. Hmmm... My online friends have already been tagged so I guess I don't have to include them =D

I like Ganda's tweak to the meme, so I will put the birthmonth qualities of Ganda and these three friends and bold the qualities that I like best about them. Funny, Ganda, Sarah and Jesse have the same birthmonth. Hmmm... =)

GANDA
MARCH: Attractive personality. Sexy (noon daw pero sige lang, ituloy ang walking hihihihi). Affectionate. Shy and reserved. Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others. Loves to serve others (I just asked her a favor and she couldn't say no hehehe). Easily angered. Trustworthy (which is probably why she's one of my close friends). Appreciative and returns kindness. Observant and assesses others. Revengeful. Loves to dream and fantasize. Loves traveling. Loves attention. Hasty decisions in choosing partners (hmmm.. daw? ehehehe). Loves home decors (I was there when she decorated her Christmas tree and her house). Musically talented (katulad ko, hihihi). Loves special things. Moody.

ANDREAS
JULY: Fun to be with (hey, that's why we clicked). Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself (I would say, arrogant in some respects hehehehe). Has reputation. Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people’s feelings (definitely!). Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. Dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally (he makes me think too much also). Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving (the best part about having a big brother). Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy (he has concern for other people). Wary and sharp. Judges people through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Loves to be alone. Always broods about the past and the old friends. Likes to be quiet. Homely person. Waits for friends (even when I'm shopping, he is indeed patient). Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked. Prone to having stomach and dieting problems (ahahahaha... Right!). Loves to be loved. Easily hurt but takes long to recover.

SARAH
MARCH: Attractive personality. Sexy (walang panama si Ganda dito ehehehe). Affectionate. Shy and reserved. Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others. Loves to serve others (I also asked a favor from her and she couldn't say no hehehe). Easily angered. Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness. Observant and assesses others. Revengeful. Loves to dream and fantasize. Loves traveling. Loves attention. Hasty decisions in choosing partners (nyahahaha, hasty ba?). Loves home decors. Musically talented. Loves special things. Moody.

JESSE
MARCH: Attractive personality. Sexy (isa pa to). Affectionate. Shy and reserved. Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others. Loves to serve others (kaya bagay nito na Information Officer e hehe). Easily angered. Trustworthy (the holder of my secrets hihihi). Appreciative and returns kindness. Observant and assesses others. Revengeful. Loves to dream and fantasize. Loves traveling. Loves attention. Hasty decisions in choosing partners. Loves home decors. Musically talented (birit baby to). Loves special things (yap, maarte to pagdating sa gamit). Moody.