Partnerships

Saying of a Zen (Ch'an) Master on Inter-relationship

You are me, and I am you.
Isn't it obvious that we "inter-are"?
You cultivate the flower in yourself,
so that I will be beautiful.
I transform the garbage in myself,
so that you will not have to suffer.

I support you;
you support me.
I am in this world to offer you peace;
you are in this world to being (bring) me joy.

- Thich Nhat Hanh, Inter-relationship 

Out of Touch

This is my heart.

“You may not be her first, her last, or her only. She loved before she may love again. But if she loves you now, what else matters? She's not perfect - you aren't either, and the two of you may never be perfect together but if she can make you laugh, cause you to think twice, and admit to being human and making mistakes, hold onto her and give her the most you can. She may not be thinking about you every second of the day, but she will give you a part of her that she knows you can break - her heart. So don't hurt her, don't change her, don't analyze and don't expect more than she can give. Smile when she makes you happy, let her know when she makes you mad, and miss her when she's not there.” 
― Bob Marley

Mama and I went downtown

Oh yeah, 24/h! Sleep over anyone?

Friday evening, the chilling cold reminds me that Christmas is just around the corner, I stayed warm inside my cozy room, but mom likes to have some pizza outside. Since I am mostly tambay in our house right now, she urged me to leave my room to breathe some fresh air. Knowing that this moment is really once every blue moon (me not busy, mom wants to go out in an evening, Christmas is just two sleeps away) I gave in. I left the comfort of my room to have pizza and coffee downtown. What I did not know is that I am in for some treat. I was inspired by my mom's stories about how to handle relationships, how to raise a family and how to live effectively. It's the ultimate mother-daughter bonding. I am grateful I pulled myself out of my rabbit hole.

OK mom, pose for me. Great!! That's it <3

Just the way I'm supposed to be

Gravity / Sarah Bareilles


Something always brings me back to you. 
It never takes too long. 
No matter what I say or do, I still feel you here 'till the moment I'm gone. 


You hold me without touch. 
You keep me without chains. 
I never wanted anything so much than to drown in your love and not feel your reign. 

Set me free, leave me be. I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity. 
Here I am and I stand so tall, just the way I'm supposed to be. 
But you're on to me and all over me. 
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/s/sara_bareilles/gravity.html ]
You loved me 'cause I'm fragile. 
When I thought that I was strong. 
But you touch me for a little while and all my fragile strength is gone.

I live here on my knees as I 
Try to make you see that you're 
Everything I think I need here on the ground. 
But you're neither friend nor foe though I 
Can't seem to let you go. 
The one thing that I still know is that you're keeping me down
You're keeping me down, yeah, yeah, yeah
You're onto me, onto me and all over


Something always brings me back to you
It never takes too long

Christmas is in the air

Taal volcano and the lake.

Sunday afternoon, right after arriving at Dasma, my two cool friends took me away from home to have some burritos, burgers and iced tea to this promise land called Tagaytay. Oh, is it Christmas yet?! It sure feels like it. 

It was a visual treat. Fog was so low that you can touch it and yes, it was soooo cold. Good thing Ronald warned me to bring sweater. So here it is my good friends, a glimpse to my very special Sunday. (Warm hugs to Ronald for providing the pictures used in this blog entry.)

Ronald and Febbie posing while waiting for traffic to move.

Tagaytay has been my escape from the grueling life in the Metro, along with this two high school friends who never tire to pull me out from my rabbit hole. It had been a very tiring week, full of sleep overs, tears, heartaches, confusion and yes, new found freedom and ehem, new intimate connection. With a heavy heart, I bid farewell to the old world, to the past, though it was the solidest reality that I had ever had, I know that it is not going to last that long. And with joyous spirit, I welcome the future. As I was told last night by Masa: Welcome to the new world!!!

Author and Ronald.

Author and Febbie.

Ronald and Febbie.

Author and Ronald.

Author and Febbie.

Home

Today I am staying home. I need time and space to love myself. Friends keep asking where I am, I keep telling them, in a place where I should be. Where I long to be for a long while now. I never knew I missed it that much.
Before, I used to think home is just a space where I live or where my stuff are or where I sleep, but as I grow up, it has become more meaningful. Home is not just the physical space, home is where warmth reside, home is where I tucked my childhood secrets safe, home is where the laughter of friends can be heard because I confessed something silly, home is where I can heal my soul with stories of my past and dreams of the future, home is where my failures are etched in every wall with my signature proudly shining on it, home is the safe haven for my carefully fought and won battles, home is the laboratory for my ambitious and detailed plans that I dare not share with anybody but my shadow, home is my faithful witness to all my tears, home is the gentle receptacle to all my wailing and frustrations and fears, home is where my heart can be so vulnerable that it may stop beating anytime, home is where my heartaches can freely roam and haunt my sleep, home is the repository of all my greatest weaknesses and all my perennial strengths, home is where I can be intimate with my lover however big the distance between us, home is where I can be me and not be afraid of anybody's rejection, home is where I sing my loneliness and helplessness, home is where I love myself more than I fear myself, home is where I hopefully and mindfully resuscitate my true identity . . .  home is where I embrace being human.

Wise quotes

Here are very wise advise from wise sages.


“I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”
― Thomas A. Edison

“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.” 
― Albert Einstein

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” 
― Albert Einstein

“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.” 
― Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul


“There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate.”
― Charles Dickens

When life becomes unbearable we must stop and pray sincerely

Prayer / taken from Master Cheng Yen’s discourse 
In my heart, I feel deep gratefulness 
All my heart is filled with sincere prayer 
From all corners of the world 
Let us join our hearts and pray 
For a world of harmony and peace

In my heart, I feel deep gratefulness 
May all the Buddhas hear my prayer 
All united with one heart
Let us end our hate with love
May there be no suffering year after year

From my heart, I pray
May we join our hands, our hearts as one 
Spread the seeds of Great Love 
Nurture wisdom evermore
Let us fill the world with hope

A week's worth of prayer (repeat every morning for one week)

We need to overcome difficulties, not be overcome by them.

-Master Cheng Yen
http://www.daai.tv/2011web/main/

Profound teaching

A paragraph from autobiography of His Holiness the DALAI LAMA of Tibet


We might be humiliated, and our most cherished inheritances might seem to be lost for a period, but if so, humility must be our portion. I was certain of that.


LIFE LESSON I guess this is the biggest lesson in my life right now: when things are falling apart, when it is harder to give and even harder to understand, we must transcend by being selfless and by choosing to be humble. I must take solid steps toward my goal of keeping harmonious relationships. I believe this is attainable. I believe.

Relationships

A big pile of soiled clothes looking at me across the room --- wash me.

The loud tick-tock sound of the wall clock --- it's nearing 8PM, hear me.

My Anthro readings lying on the bed --- read me!

Dry and humid evening --- feel me.

Why can't I make it final? What's stopping me from leaving it?

I want to be free . . . yes. Free from the chains of our past, of the inequality, of what went before.

I have to free myself. I will be strong. I will be disciplined. I will hope.

I am solid. I am rock-hard. I am stable.

(repeat for two weeks) this will make me overcome it all. I believe.

De quelle couleur est votre rêve?

-------> Gone reading, busy with acads!

Warning!

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.

I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.

I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick the flowers in other peoples' gardens
And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickles for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

by Jenny Joseph

Journey Essentials (dos) ---> Correspondence box

My dear friends,

I am posting an open letter to you today so in case you are wondering what gift to give me this Christmas you need not do intensive research anymore (just assuming you will go that far! Hahaha!!) Anyways, I will not prolong your suffering and will go straight to the point. I am deeply, madly in love right now. And of course, as good friends you will help me any way possible to keep me feeling this way. Such sweet friends you really are <3  The source of my affection is this box below. I named it Correspondence Box. I have been in love with it since last week, so please be kind.

My sweet correspondence box

Correspondence box is not just any ordinary box, of course it is not. It contains all my stationeries, my colorful stickers, glue, envelopes of different sizes, post cards (oh my, can't help having goosebumps as I typed its contents) pens, craypas, little colored papers and the little wonderful things that are heavenly. Oh my, did I mention I am sooo in love?! So dear friends, if you want to make me swoon this Christmas, please help me add more content to my sweet Correspondence Box (my pet name for it is Corbie). You can get anything from stationery sets to postcards to specialty papers or stamps, anything that will make my Corbie fuller.

Swoon . . . 

Anyway, last Saturday I got a joyful surprise from the mailbox. Yes, you guessed it right! I had a little mail from Germany (insert an excited giggle). Do you know that feeling of lightness when you open an envelope which contains the excited greeting of a new friend? It is a most wonderful feeling to wake up to such a treat! Here it is ------------------------------------- > 

My friends, thank you for taking time to read this. And please remember to look at the stationeries section when you do your Christmas shopping!

Lots of love,

Joyce

Self-reflection: (chapter 2) a lesson on waiting

This week was full of adventures that I cannot even stop a moment to blog. It started with a holiday in the Philippines, so I decided to bike inside the campus with the goal that it will be the start of active physical regimen to break the sedentary lifestyle that I lead for quite a while now. So I cooked breakfast, went to the university to bike and I sweat a lot. Then the next day, I enrolled to the university. Then on Wednesday my classes began.

I am taking up Spanish language class and Anthropology. These subjects will be the focus of my life in the next 5 months. A letter from Germany arrived this morning, I am sooo excited!! Que bonito!

A lesson on waiting . . . Actually this phase of my life is also a difficult one. Life is not as it was before, it is getting harder and tougher. I have to hold tight to inspiring thoughts to get me through the rough patches. Yesterday, I had this amazing epiphany. I was waiting for ride home for at least thirty minutes (that's really long!) along commonwealth avenue. I stood there before sunset but long minutes passed and I could not get ride. Darkness started to paint the sky, the blue hue got inked by the black. I started to lose my patience. When will the darn ride arrive?


Then a warm pool of light greeted my eyes. It was hiding behind the rows of trees and buildings. Then it carefully climbed up, gracefully moving to her zenith, showing her perfect golden sphere. The moon shone brightly up in the sky, I was in awe. Maybe the whole point of endlessly waiting for ride is to see the beauty of the moon. And to take it in for a while. To appreciate its eternal grace but not to own it. To linger then to move on with my plan of getting home. To look at the bigger picture, perhaps it is good to wait a while because we will never know when we will witness such magic of nature, appreciate for a moment then we must move on, because we are expected to grow, fly and experience more. Who knows, maybe another full moon is waiting for us just around the corner as we fulfill our journey.


Vale la pena.

Weekend, a time for slowing down and listing things down

1. Today I feel so down and out. Maybe I feel so isolated or maybe it is growing pains, I just feel so sensitive.
2. Finished four letters bound for Germany ---> check www.letternet.de   I joined the mailing pals community there, it is interesting.
3. Have four Hong Kong postcards from Masa ---> arigatou-gozaimas Toshi-kun! ^_^
4. Have one Sagada postcard from Romina ---> Danke, Romina! <3
5. Have one sticker for the 2012 planner of a coffee shop.
6. Started listing down gifts for my family and friends for Christmas.
7. Unearthed UN stationeries (envelopes, cards and papers) way toooo cool, awesome, three hearts!!
--->courtesy of Macel, spasiba!!!
8. I watched coffee prince again! Just the first episode though. It made me happy . . .  a bit.

Sera toujours mon coeur  <3

One Rainy Morning

Memories come back whenever the morning feels so misty and cool. I am having a comfortable and easy morning today, the kind where you just want to get a book and curl up in your bed. I am reminded of those childish dreams that we all want to come true forever, a hard bound book of my favorite author under the Christmas tree, waking up with boxes of chocolates at the foot of my bed, a warm cup of creamy chocolate while it's drizzling outside, different color sets of pens and diaries as a birthday gift or maybe the scent of freshly picked flowers at the living room mixing with the aroma of mom's newly baked macaroni pasta in tomatoes and rosemary. Mmmm, heaven! 

Now aside from the above mentioned pleasures, please let me share you one of the finest poems that I ever read. It was also adapted into movie, Turn Left, Turn Right. 

Love at First Sight

by Wislawa Szymborska

Both are convinced
that a sudden surge of emotion bound them together.
Beautiful is such a certainty,
but uncertainty is more beautiful.


Because they didn't know each other earlier, they suppose that
nothing was happening between them.
What of the streets, stairways and corridors
where they could have passed each other long ago?


I'd like to ask them
whether they remember-- perhaps in a revolving door
ever being face to face?
an "excuse me" in a crowd
or a voice "wrong number" in the receiver.
But I know their answer:
no, they don't remember.


They'd be greatly astonished
to learn that for a long time
chance had been playing with them.


Not yet wholly ready
to transform into fate for them
it approached them, then backed off,
stood in their way
and, suppressing a giggle,
jumped to the side.


There were signs, signals:
but what of it if they were illegible.
Perhaps three years ago,
or last Tuesday
did a certain leaflet fly
from shoulder to shoulder?
There was something lost and picked up.
Who knows but what it was a ball
in the bushes of childhood.


There were doorknobs and bells
on which earlier
touch piled on touch.
Bags beside each other in the luggage room.
Perhaps they had the same dream on a certain night,
suddenly erased after waking.


Every beginning
is but a continuation,
and the book of events
is never more than half open.

-translated by Walter Whipple 

Journey Essentials (una): The Diary

Today I am going to talk about my favorite object in life: diary. Some might call it journal or notebook, but I prefer to call it diary.

We all know that a serious journal keeper writes on her/his diary every single day or every other day. This is very true for all of us who want to keep memories, doodle daydreams, plan goals or express our feelings. It  really takes discipline to write journal because sometimes we feel lazy or sleepy to even open our diaries more so begin jotting down notes or emotions, but for the likes of us, we conquer those challenges to preserve and document what is special to us. If we feel strongly about an experience or we want to express an emotion we cannot say out loud to the person, we write it down and keep it in safe treasured pages of our diaries. This way, we can be more creative in tackling a challenging situation or in dissecting an emotion that can be very overwhelming at first.

Now we move to the nitty-gritty part, how to choose a diary. Allow me readers to reveal some important things to consider in choosing a diary.

A) Cover of the diary. Before we put into paper our ideas, plans, feelings we should first choose the diary that is fit for us. Usually people go for the color of the cover or the design of the cover of the diary. Some prefer just plain cover colors some likes the creative drawing in front cover. I usually go for minimalist or plain covers. When I was in college I used to go to book binding stall and give them 200 blank pages of bond paper. I will then ask them to bind it using green cover (hard bound) and silver letters for the title of my diary. Since this is the age of customization, be creative in putting titles to your diary. It should reflect your personality.

B) Diary pages. Usually I go for white blank pages. You can use specialty papers or just the common bond paper as long as it is thicker than usual. The thicker it is the better for ink of your pen especially if you use gel ink pens or chalk pens. Lined pages is also ok but I prefer blank pages since I usually draw or doodle after some paragraphs.

C) Creative juices. Sometimes when I am in the mood, I paste images or other objects in my diary. It can be anything from pictures of reunion, pay toilet ticket, boarding pass tickets, postcards, movie tickets, concerts, play, my crush's doodles, so on . . . Not only that it evokes feelings it also reminds me of the places I've been to or the people I shared my time with.

So dear friends, as we journey on in our lives, make it more meaningful by keeping diaries. Not only that we tap our imagination as we try to be creative with our journals, we also give our heart and soul the chance to express their deepest concerns or wishes through the power of writing.

Mediterranean cuisine

Tonight on our way home to Dasma, Ronald who drives his big car, Febbie who sits on the front seat, Julius, our old Dramatica confidante and I learn the healing power of saying the prayer Amitofo. We said Amitofo to each other during and after passing a dark street, we felt safe and secure as we prayed sincerely from our hearts. According to my Great Teacher, Amitofo is a way of invoking the infinite light and wisdom in our selves and to those who we say the prayer to. It is a beautiful principle and practice. Pray Amitofo when you feel confused, anxious, angry or scared, it will surely calm you down.

Today, Ronald, Febbie and I met up and went to MOA. Ten years ago we formed our friendship. It was high school, Febbie and I were classmates. Then we met Ronald in our theater organization: Dramatica Associacion. From that moment on, we were inseparable. But of course, life has designed different paths for us to pursue, but we still make time to check up on each other. Luckily, after two years (whew!) we finally managed to meet up and touch base.

Ronald and the author

The author and Febbie

Us three after ten years.

I am grateful for this wonderful time of catching up with old friends. These days I want to just 'be'. Let life happen. Let things be. I feel I need this emotional support from family and friends right now. I am thankful for the blessings I have. I am thankful for peace inside my soul and my heart. Thankful for the relationships that still find its way in my life despite the changes happening all around and especially inside me.

Refuel, regrow, replenish ----> my mantra for this week. I hope dear readers you find the beauty of life in your family, friends and the sacred relationship you form with yourself. Let old wounds heal with love and warmth we receive from people we care about.

. . . and the bubble burst

let it go - the
smashed word broken
open vow or
the oath cracked length
wise - let it go it
was sworn to
go

let them go - the
truthful liars and
the false fair friends
and the boths and
neithers - you must let them go they
were born
to go

let all go - the
big small middling
tall bigger really
the biggest and all
things - let all go
dear

so comes love

~ e. e. cummings ~

Panna Cotta, coffee and sympathy

The sweetness of life that is Panna Cotta! Yum, I love mine with mangoes. The combination is so subtle it is like tasting the very best of both worlds. Balanced. Perfect. Delightful <3 Cibo Panna Cotta gets five hearts!

*^_^*

I had a quiet Sunday coffee afternoon after sprinting to Greenbelt Cinema for Pelicula screenings. Turned out that we were late and no seats available anymore. Frustrated, we instead satisfied our unfulfilled cinephilic-longing with mugs of simmering coffee, hot chocolate and bitter tea. Uno, dos, tres tazas en la mesa! La vida es buena.

Macel y Marnie, tazas de cafe y chocolate

Of course, tea is the yummiest. Especially green tea <3 

Our conversation in the cafe centered on how will you celebrate your birthday when you have unlimited budget?

Macel said she will have a tree planting event.

Marnie said he will celebrate in a posh restaurant or even a hotel.

Mmmm, I was thinking of saying, I will hold a blood letting event, but then again I changed my mind maybe my guests will not show up anymore if that is the case. So I said, I will hold different events, there will be discussion corner where global warming will be tackled. There will be vegetarian cooking class in one site. And the last site is recycling corner. So, when cooking class ends they can feed those who did recycling and those who learned in global warming discussion.

Mmm, thinking of making myself a sandwich now. Adios! 

Pre-halloween goosebumps

Waking up early in the morning with a bad dream is not good. And it is not healthy either. Been having weird dreams lately, two nights straight. I woke up in wee hours of the morning, around 3AM, and I cannot sleep anymore for fear of another bad dream.

The first dream was about my professor, about world war two and a river inside a cave. Really scary.
Then this morning I had this weird dream about my grandmother. Both dreams have their motif of stairs and going under. After the dream, I prayed hard and clutched some symbols beside my bed, I believe they protect me from the weird energies around us these days.

Welcome new week

Before anything else, I want everyone to know that I have a c-box now <3
Using the c-box you will be able to leave messages or comments on my posts.
You can access it at the right portion of my blog, please my dear readers leave a hello or hi message to me.
It will be very much appreciated.

Anyways, moving on, I am having a good day. I woke up early, I think this is really a healthy habit. To wake up early and be able to work before anyone in your neighbor makes a noise. I believe when you have peace outside, you also experience peace inside. So, try it my dear readers, try to wake up 4:30AM or maybe 5:00AM for four consecutive days, it may do good wonders to your body and your focusing abilities.

I read in an article that if you try doing something for 21 days, it will be a routine. Mmm, maybe it is true or maybe it is not, but actually it depends on the person. But if the person wants to live a healthy and productive life, I suggest he/she should start it by waking up early! Actually it is also a pep talk to myself <3 I am having a hard time waking up early lately, but I have to really force myself. Achievable goals, the first step to self-improvement, all right JK Rowling!

This is my desktop picture.

Also I read somewhere that we should do little things to stay positive and healthy in mind. I will share to you dear friends what I learned:

1. Try writing a positive quality or two of yourself every night for two weeks. It will help reinforce the idea that you are actually a kind and good hearted person.
2. Do the same by listing some good qualities of the people closest to you for two weeks. It will help you focus on their good qualities instead of not so good ones.
3. Try to volunteer in organizations who are geared towards social welfare.
4. Try to write gratitude letter to people who helped you a lot or to people who are special to you. A sincere letter of gratitude helps to remind each other how you appreciate your life because of the presence of other people. It can also  make you remember that life is colorful because of friendships and relationships.
5. Write a journal. Read it from time to time.

I do hope that you try at least one of these suggestions. I am currently doing number 4! Also, number 5 has been my routine. And I will start doing 1 and 2 tonight. I will open myself to number 3 this week, I will try to find organizations who need a volunteer.

So there, have a blessed and wonderful afternoon my friends.

Learning again and again

My mood was dipping. Feeling very unhappy, I am not actually sure where the mood is coming from. It really puzzles me. Maybe I am again feeling so bad about my failure (s). Feeling lost. Trying to find my self again in this huge universe. I hope one day, I will know where I am going. I hope one day, I will know that I am just doing the right thing. Please, universe make everything fall into place. Praying hard. Keeping the faith.

So I searched for two things that still make me happy: movies and music. I remember Elizabethtown, (it's the same in any language . . .) and its beautiful soundtrack. This helped lift my mood a bit. So, I am sharing this to you my dear friends. May you find spark of warmth and happiness in this piece of jewel.

Well some say life will beat you down,
Break your heart steal your crown
So I've started out for God knows where
I guess I'll know when I get there

Learning to fly/ Tom Petty

Semplang Day!

Yes guys! I made it again! The second time around!

The first one was really bad :( I remember that was during Tour of the Fireflies (2009), I really flew more or less 20 feet from my bike to the other side of the street. People was like, OMG! They stopped biking because of the loud noise from bike hitting another bike. I was hit by two bikes one behind me and one beside me, so imagine, the force was really that strong that there is no other way but up.

Fortunately, I survived it. A kind biker even stopped to give me band aid and some alcohol swab.

And the picture above was me with several knee cuts. I was biking in the rain today. I was really careful until I made a turn that was uncontrolled, the bike swerved right. Too late to balance and my bike being so heavy, I crashed right into the road with my left knee getting all the pressure. Hence, several deep knee cuts! Ouch.

After some bloody cuts, water and alcohol swabs (man, super painful!) I finally dragged myself from the scene of the semplang. Thank God for the Quick Action Team. Gan En!!!

Lauren, cheers to you my dear friend

Happy birthday dear <3

i thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun's birthday; this is the birth
day of life and of love and wings: and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any--lifted from the no
of all nothing--human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

*i thank you God for most this amazing
ee cummings
**her birthday is really last Friday, October 7, 2011

On Rio +20, GMOs and tutorials

Yesterday I attended the last Round Table Discussion of CSOs in the drafting of their position on the upcoming Rio +20 convention next year. It was really a heavy discussion as everyone feels the pressure of coming up with cohesive strategies and paradigms or maybe goals that they will submit to our government agency that will in turn incorporate the output to the country's position. Nonetheless, an idea have proved itself the central repository in the paradigm lay-out and from which, every new inspired idea springs.

Nationalism should be our basis for paradigm in sustainable development.

Now that is the big idea. I hope we find more positive developments in this field. I believe that when we actually hammer it home not only in the environmental issues but also in bigger socio-economic discussions, we might actually get somewhere. Of course the road to this endeavor will be long and challenging, but it is just part of the big picture, I do believe that the end of this road is a positive nation-identity building that is essential to a progressing country like ours.

Moving on to what occupies my mind all night, Bhutan, apparently a country that never ceases to inspire me, have implemented a law on banning GMO imports. Wow that is some inspired decision they have there. Remember their King was the one who started promoting GNH (Gross National Happiness) because he is concerned about the quality of life of his subjects more over, he puts premium to the hollistic growth of Bhutan as a nation not just in terms of economic but also in psychological progress. 

Finally, exhausted as I was after the meeting, I still have classes with some of my students. This particular guy has booked me for 10pm lesson. I actually like talking to him, very deep insights, artsy, mysterious but given my current exhaustion I prayed he will cancel the class. But fate proved to be stubborn so I ended up talking to him. He shared about his yoga classes, the movie Here After, the curious vibration of plants and his shaman-ish boss. I in return gave some title recommendation to him: elegance of the hedgehog, dance dance dance and never let me go.

Ha! When it rains it pours. Very nice. Now am on my way to UP to do some reading stuffs.

Starting anew

Do you ever get that feeling that finally you are validated? That you finally got through? That you have successfully crossed the long and seemingly unending bridge? That somehow an event occurred that led you to  believe that some of the experiments you have been doing are ok and it will eventually yield results? That the process is validated and the results are ripe for harvest? I feel that I am in that moment right now.

A wind has blown the rain away and the sky away and all the 
leaves away and the tree stand. I think I too, have known 
autumn too long. -- e.e. cummings.

Magically, this feeling does not only make me high, it also comes with the push I need. I was like booted out of the pits into a big hall that was out of my reach years before. A golden door beckons, wide and full of possibilities. A  spotlight lit the then dark hall, illuminating the path. THIS IS THE COURSE, UNCHARTED BUT YET IT IS MINE. Here I am, preparing for the long, winding but fulfilling journey.

Lesson learned: I did not know what I was looking for until I found it

Happy birthday little brother

There is a time when it just feels right to celebrate friendship,

connection, gladness;

that in some magical reason, fate made us all friends,

Romina, the author and Masa (Pipino)

that despite the distance, oceans and mountains, language gaps

we find and recognize the same warmth, genuine care

same sense of humour---------->

Three bears, my gift!

and we whisper wishes at the big blue sky 

and tiny blinking stars, 

that years from now

this celebration will always be remembered with 

smiles in our eyes and spark in our hearts ^_^

CBTL <3

Happy birthday Masa!!!
Your life is an occasion, rise to it -- Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium

Pen pals and post cards

Still waiting for Deutsche Post to send me the address code so I can start picking potential pen pal, why is it taking so long? Am so excited to send snail mail and keep in touch with somebody abroad, fortunately I share this interest with Romina. At first I thought it is a silly idea to use the snail mail service in the age of electronic mails and mobile phones, but something about receiving real envelopes and letters written on paper using pen ink appeal to me. Maybe it is the same feeling that I derive from receiving birthday cards and christmas cards given to us by family and friends during that special occasion.

Also there is that wonderful feeling of excitement looking at the picture printed in post cards. It is a recent self-discovery actually. There is something about a printed picture, something about the message or dedication that is written in every back of a post card: the story of the place, an invitation to look and experience it personally or just the thought that someone thinks that you should see this wonderful place or maybe an event or a celebration. Unfortunately, both I and Romina think post cards here in the Philippines are very limited, or maybe we are looking in the wrong places. I hope we discover post cards shop where they have wonderful renditions of top tourists spot in the archipelago, colorful Philippine holidays/celebrations and maybe paintings done by Filipino artists.

Mom and Dad and their new kids

I spent time with my family yesterday. As usual the bratty Odie just snubbed me all day except for occasional deafening barks. My mom used to be afraid of dogs. When we were kids she always warned us to keep out of dogs but her outlook in life regarding the adorable mammals changed because of our first puppy, Brownie. But bless him, Brownie left us early this year. Good thing, some friends gave mommy this cross bred Japanese Spitz, who not only became an instant celebrity in our family, he became the youngest member of the family who received all the attention day in, day out. Then came Allie, a pure Japanese Spitz but he looks more like a wolf to me. Giggles. 

Anyways, Odie and Allie are the best of friends. But because Allie is camera shy, I can only post the image of bratty Odie.

Odie, the bratty dog.

Odie with Mom and Dad.

Pasyal
Last April and May, mom, dad and I went to Boracay and Lucban, Quezon. Mom and dad love to travel, they even invited me to go with them to Hong Kong, but well, I turned it down because of academic stuff. But we dream to travel out of the country next year. I hope we find time to do that.

Lucban Quezon Church (Kamay ni Hesus Grotto)

Dad and mom resting after walking all the way to the top of grotto.
Below, mom and dad at Boracay.

Of friends, washing clothes and vitamin string quartet

Would you have yourself inked by a 90-year-old Kalinga lady?
This question haunts me all night because of my friend Lauren who paid me a visit yesterday. I was all so shocked with the lizard tattoo on her left arm! Lauren, my good friend from old film days, the one who dresses in post modern Gothic-est flair with a flowing feminine long skirt and rainbow colored scarf to complete her unique modern goddess twist that she mastered through the years. Now imagine her with a tattoo. Only Lauren can pull that off, in a graceful way I might say.

The tattoo is more valuable because of this Kalinga lady who inked her. She is a 90 year old lady who used pomelo spine to ink her clients, she is a rare national jewel as she is famous for traditional way of tattooing (Kalinga tribal art) and she alone knows how to do it. There is this worry about not passing the valuable art to younger generation because she has no kids, but good thing she is training some folks around the area. There was also this anecdote about her refusing to ink non-Filipinos before.

Anyways, I am going to hurry up to prepare for lunch. I spent hours washing clothes yesterday and it made me feel very productive. I should start doing this routinely. Getting a high from listening to Here Comes the Sun by Vitamin String Quartet, very lovely.

Digging deep

After series of cleaning and digging my dear old cabinet full of stuff, secrets, dusts, crumpled receipts, books, journals, and all-the-unsorted-things-that-goes-inside-the-little-drawer-of-horrors, (whew such a challenging endeavor) i finally put order to the prevailing situation and put to rest the unending cycle of paper piling upon paper that closely resembles the Leaning Tower of Pisa only that the tip of the tower had reached a critical point of falling on its side already. Well, now I am happy that the cabinet is already seeing its golden days of orderliness. More space. Appropriately labeled boxes.

Artifacts uncovered

This is the cartouche of my name *giggles.
Macel had it made for me in one of the museums in Italy in her Europe tour:

Cartouche of my name*; just in case you want a cartouche of your 
own, lease click here http://www.virtual-egypt.com/newhtml/glyph/glyph.html

Then came the books. Take a peek, a handful of my treasures.

Good reads!

Well, I have to continue digging and sorting my other cabinets.
Hoping to find more treasures.


*written on the print out of my cartouche, for entertainment purposes only. 

Things to do within my lifetime

I have been reading blogs this morning, looking for something to occupy my mind, then I saw this picture of Monastery on top of Himalayas mountain. It looks so heavenly and the fog makes me think that it is well, like a castle floating in the sky. To look at the majesty of this picture, please click on the link, this is from Matthieu Ricard's blog, a monk, http://www.matthieuricard.org/en/index.php/blog/77_magic_moments/

Back to my original intention, I want to write some of the things I need to do in my lifetime. It has been an old belief that once you announce something into the big universe, you might really get what you wish for. So universe, I thank you in advance.

1. Climb the Himalayas and personally look at the floating castle in the sky (Monastery on mountain top)
2. To plant 500 trees and more.
3. To embark on a journey that explores the themes of culture, language and music.
4. To encourage someone to give up eating meat for one month (or maybe more).
5. To write a book about environment, goddesses and journeying.

These will be all for now. Maybe I will add another batch on the list but I think this is enough for the time being.

In addition, please mark your calendars dear readers on September 24, let us join the international movement of finding solution in moving beyond fossil fuels. Enjoy the video. I am planning of biking!