Complicated

Coming soon: Fire Tree Bloom

Fire Tree turning red as summer season advances.

Proactive habits

I remember I posted a picture about Book Day celebration at Instituto Cervantes. Enjoyed that day so much with my best friend Romina and her sister Karen. At first we went to Salcedo Saturday Morning Market, then Instituto Cervantes then Football game.

That was a full day indeed, also that's the day when Manila reached it's highest temperature so far, 35.9 Degree Celsius, whew!

No wonder I reached out for a tall glass of water when I arrived home. We should drink 3 liters of water per day to replenish the water we lose as we do our activities, but since it's been extra hot these days, it will be safe to drink 3L plus another liter to rehydrate, especially when your lifestyle or job
requires you to be under the sun most of the day.

It is also earth friendly if we use water tumblers instead of buying plastic water bottles every day. Aside from being economical we help reduce the average consumption of water bottle around Asia, which is by the way is three liters per head per year though this data is from 2007 (Asian Tribune). Refill your water tumblers with water from coffee shops, food courts or in my case university main library :)

Maybe we can also make better use of our time by waking up early and cooking breakfast and packed lunch for ourselves and our family. This way we can hone our culinary skills and we know that the food we eat is healthier. It is also plus points if we cook meals that are vegetarian or with lesser meat/fish. Use reusable bowls or food containers with cover moreover, spoon and fork that are not
plastics so we can help lessen the consumption of disposable plastics as well.

Let's keep in mind that we are here to cherish our Mother Earthband be good stewards of the resources that we have right now, remember not all of them are renewable. I am making a habit of waking up early to plan my day with lesser consumption and more proactive routine to protect our environment. Don't forget to sort out garbage and join recycling activities in your community this way we can make good use of our time, we interact with our neighbors and we heal the world, one day at a time.

Colors of Mother Nature

Time to stop and smell the flowers.

New moon, new book and a rose

At Instituto Cervantes, Book Day <3

Story to follow tomorrow *_* sooo tired! Sleepy, Zzzz, zzzz, zzzz . . .

Sabi ni Neil Gaiman at ni Priscilla Supnet Macasantos

"I miss you', he admitted. 
'I'm here', she said. 
'That's when I miss you most. When you're here. When you aren't here, when you're just a ghost of the past or a dream from another life, it's easier then." 
— Neil Gaiman (American Gods)


Mmm, wala lang, baka may nami-miss lang ako na tao, pero malayo siya eh. Sad. Nakakamiss nga naman talaga kapag wala yung taong gusto mo kasama after bad work days. Lalo kapag dyahe ka pa sa workmates kasi bago ka pa lang sa work. Malungkot nga. Kaya ngayon puro tsaa lang ako na nag-iisa pa. Ang pait talaga ng tsaa at pag-iisa, paano pa kaya kung lumamig pa yung tsaa. Mapait na malamig pa, haha! May nabasa akong tulang tulad nun eh, yung title Para kay E. S. sinulat ni Priscilla Supnet Macansantos eto yung ilang bahagi ng tula:

Paano titimplahin/ Ang kape ng pag-ibig

Kapag labis ang tapang/ ay walang kasimpait

At kung matabang, ay di nakagigising

Kung sumobra ang tamis/ Madaling pagsawaan ang pag-ibig

At kung lubhang mainit/ Ay nakakapaso sa dila at sikmura

Kung malamig naman/ Ay mahal ko/ Kape ba ito?

Subalit hindi/ kape ang pag-ibig

Na itatapon sa lababo/ Kapag nagkulang sa init, hindi

Tinuturuan ang pag-ibig/ Ng tamang init at lamig,

Pinapayapa kapag lubhang nag-iinit

Pinapasigla kapag nanlalamig

Hay, anyways, ok lang naman ang ganitong pakiramdam, mas marami akong nasusulat na madramang entry sa digital diary ko. At mas lalo kong naaalala na masaya ako dati at may bahagi sa buhay ko last month na may kasama akong laging mag-lunch at dinner. 
Hay, memories.

Conservation and preservation of culture and resources

I want to share this article I wrote for last sem's subject. It is about water conservation and folklore. Needless to say I am really interested in proactive ways of resource conservation and culture preservation.

Our folklores told us the about the ritual of rain dance where groups of farming people come together to dance for rain and ask for good harvest from the heavens before an audience (perhaps the whole community). This is especially true for the indigenous people who live in dry lands. The rain dance is a ritual showing the importance of rain for the whole community, because as a farming community, no rain means no harvest. It is said that intricate patterns of steps should be studied by man and woman performing the rain dance, thus giving emphasis to the sacredness of this ritual both for the farmers and the community.

This ancient tradition still holds a specific importance even in this modern age, the peoples concern about rainfall. Rainfall is beginning to play an important role in our modern society as we face the effects of climate change. It was said that farmers have in their minds the regular climate pattern through long observation of nature and its ‘clock’. They follow this climate pattern for planting and harvest seasons. But as we are all aware of the climate change happening around the earth, this regular climate pattern become so irregular that farming communities are sounding the bell of alarm to ask for help.

This example of folklore can be very applicable today in such a way that it reminds us that we must put value on our resources that are now being imbalanced due to our consumerist culture. In a nut shell scientists explained climate change as a result of abusing and depletion of our natural resources to provide the population what it think it ‘needs’ without any care as to how to replace or regrow the resources that they kill/took (trees, marine lives, minerals, clean water, forest cover etc.)

In this increasingly interconnected world we can do so much as informed individuals in reversal of climate change that is slowly causing havoc around the world. By adapting the simple wisdom of our ancient folks regarding the value of rain fall not just to select group of people (farmers) but also to the whole population (community) then maybe we can really help in saving the planet from this problem. It is not so much as waiting for rain to fall miraculously right after rain dance, it is actually the values that this ritual carries with it that we the modern people must heed.

Find your source of peace

My mind is all about peace and harmony today maybe the effect of chocolate, hehe, i bet. Actually, I have been digging music and poetry for a while now, looking for fuel to motivate and move my big plans. I am officially ending the three month hard toil of inner journey, of looking within myself for answers, of painful revision of principles that I thought fossilized at the walls and floors of my soul, of realigning of my goals with the values of love, equality, hope, healing and compassion guiding me from up above. I say this is not really easy journey. No vacation at all. I get so tired just by sitting still and thinking and reflecting about my past and present and future. At times it happens unconsciously thus giving me little energy left for outside world demands. Luckily, the sem ending is not so difficult, research papers were not so difficult because I was so interested about my topic. Needless to say it was one exhausting journey. Heartbreak after another. Defeat after another. Hard toil after another. There were times of just staying in bed. Times of utter isolation. Times of self-doubt and self-absorption and self-hate. I tried to put frustration level to a minimal by not setting big goals for me, but life sometimes finds me in my well kept hiding place and alas threw big sacks of responsibility after responsibility. Well, c'est la vie.

As much as I want to keep the three months away from my circle of friends and the general community, looking at my past diary entries, I think it was impossible. January and February were times of reuniting with good friends, meeting up after class and having tea. I say it was a good distraction from too much inner-self journey. Thanks to them. March, oh that month! gave me the hardest time. It was a time of vulnerability that I found myself not leaving house at all (or bed for that matter.) I checked and found out that it was a month where my digital diary yielded 23 file entries as opposed to 8 entries on Feb. Well statistics says it all. I must be very alone last month. And the quality of entries, the tone of them agreed to this observation as well.

On the third week of March, the tight feeling started to let loose. I was able to plan and meet up with friends with some sort of sanity and a semblance of normalcy. But I'll say it was also tough. When everything is changing from within, one cannot help but notice the inefficiency of the old structures (be it concept or thing or people's behaviours) and during those times I could not do something about it because action is not possible yet when ideas are not complete. Hence, I had an entry in this blog where I was talking about big methodological shift. The idea is really inspiring and I hope I am doing it right as I am starting to plant the seeds in rich and good soil. All these stuff in my mind and in my heart are deeply guarded because they are still little babies, little fragile seeds that I will nurture day in day out. My hope is that one day they will grow into sturdy big trees of principles and values inclined to serve the earth and people.

One word: intrepid. This might be the word of the year for me. Mmm, sounds good. As I said earlier, my mind is all about harmony, so I checked out paintings and yeah, I found a work of art that paints my mind right now.
I will share this wonderful painting of Venus and Mars from Louis-Jean-Francois Lagrenee.
May you find your source of peace today.

Mars and Venus, Allegory of Peace (Getty Museum) c 1770

Description of painting from The J Paul Getty Museum website

In this gentle allegory of peace by Louis Jean François Lagrenée, Mars, the Roman god of War, throws back the rich green bed curtains that frame the scene. As the drapery parts, the morning light spills in to reveal the form of the sleeping Venus, the Roman goddess of love. Mars gazes at her, utterly captivated by her beauty. Her love has tempered his fierce character, and his shield and sword lie abandoned on the floor. Echoing the lovers' bliss, a pair of white doves, symbolizing Peace, build a nest in Mars's helmet. 

Lagrenée created his finest works, including this small, jewel-like painting, around 1770. The lavish folds of drapery, the delicate play of light over fabric and skin, and the rich, restrained palette combine to create a captivatingly beautiful image. 

Music heals

It's the same in any language,
A brother is a brother if there’s one thing I know,
It's the same in any language,
Wherever you go.

Same in any language | I-nine (soundtrack from elizabethtown)

Happy birthday Doc Ronald (late post)

Well what more can I say, happy birthday doc!

After more than ten years of friendship, since our wild high school days up to our adulthood, hard-to-make-decision days to serious-talk-over-cups-of-coffee to driving to our future schools (you med, me a place to teach) I wish you all the determination and happiness in the world. May you have lotsa caffeine filled days with people you love and cherish.

Undivided attention

Caution: Concentration mode. Full Steam Ahead. Be warned.

In the past weeks I was talking about my goal of revising and re-planning my life goals and perspectives. Now, I think it's high time to practice them in reality and test their endurance. Here is the big picture, if you may the general outline.

A. Major methodological shift (both inner and outer principles)
B. Maintain delicate balance (in all of my relationships)
C. Level up my self-discipline
D. Serve. Serve. And serve some more.
E. Have faith.
F. Give love.
G. Key word: Compassion

Jai Guru Deva Om

Beginning of strange but wonderful journey

Time to put concepts into reality

Hello, dearest. We meet again

From my favorite book, Furry Logic.

Lists

Well today,

1. Woke up early around 6am

2. I was able to update my planner and to do list for this week

3. Went out with Febbie and Ronald: coffee and movie

4. Prepared my stuffs for UP errands tomorrow

Hopefully tomorrow will be another productive day :)

Rekindled light

At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.
Albert Schweitzer

Imperfection and vulnerability; i love those words

Forget your perfect offering
There's a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in
-- Leonard Cohen 

Random thoughts (1)

I listen to this to remind myself of the power of music and how it can move people to tears.

I always have goosebumps after listening to this. Never fails.

Carmina Burana ~ O Fortuna

You sure it's not Sunday today?

State of mind: feels like Sunday morning

Reason: Quiet surrounding and tree lined road

Then had donut after this wonderful mid-morning treat. 

I told my friend Ronald, this is life.

*visited La Salle Dasma | walked around and explored the breezy campus
**had donut in the coffee shop front of Ronald's med school
I will be a professor <3

The dream come true

Speechless