Let the games begin

The fire of Olympics will burn bright today as the opening ceremonies kick off this much anticipated modern day international sporting event. As of the moment, according to the London2012 Olympics official countdown in this website we are just down to 21H and 33M ^^ Recalling my fondest memories, watching in front of TV, missing a day at the school to watch the artistic production of the host country's Olympic Opening Ceremonies -- mmm, I particularly loved the Greece's spectacular production on Athens2004 Summer Olympics. Also there was Beijing 2008! Splendidly organized by Zhang Yimou (House of Flying Daggers, Hero).

Since attending a class on Classical Greek Civilization, I really marvel at how the Olympics evolved from its beginning in 776 BC in Ancient Greece as fundamentally a religious practice among city-states alongside sporting events and ritual sacrifices to honor the great Olympian God Zeus. Imagining the mighty field-soldiers Spartans fighting against the navy-savvy Athenians! I wonder how different is the opening ceremonies before as compared to the now ^^

Anyways, I flow with the worlds anticipation as the Opening Ceremonies is just hours to go.  

Well, it's soooo true

I never, never want to go home
cause I haven't got one
anymore

*There's a light that never goes out ~ The Smiths

Untitled

Crying is the
only
way your
eyes speak
when
your lips
cannot express
how things
have made your heart broken.

Living the question

...have patience with everything, that remains unsolved in your heart. Try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms and like books written in a foreign language. Do not now look for the answers. They cannot now be given to you because you could not live them. It is a question of experiencing everything. At present you need to live the question. Perhaps you will, gradually, without even noticing it, find yourself experiencing the answer, some distant day.

~ Rainier Maria Rilke
Letters to a Young Poet

Insight

Small is the subtlest expression of all the contentions of big.

Bed weather

New cycle

New moon is coming! Another new cycle for us here on earth. Another fresh start is yet granted to us by our Mother Nature. This morning, I want to list down the changes and development in my life so far:

1. New routine ---> Waking up early in the morning to listen to teachings and write some inner reflections.
2. Strengthening bonds and connection with friends and family.
3. Time for library to catch up in academic readings and studies.
4. Washing clothes on regular basis to keep from running out of clothes to wear.
5. Writing down expenses to check how effectively I manage my budget.
6. Regular updates on my journal and planner.

There, there, looks like I am just doing fine. Now preparing for the new cycle coming this week.
I should do some review of the previous two months to know which areas to improve and which areas are just doing fine.

Pronto!

Words from Dalai Lama

Giving without Clinging*

As His Holiness the Dalai Lama explains: “Compassion and generosity must be coupled with detachment. Expecting something in return is like doing business. If the owner of a restaurant is all smiles with his customers, generally it’s not because he loves them but because he wants to increase his turnover. In the same way, we should not love and help others because we find such and such an individual likeable, but because we understand that all beings, whether we think of them as friends or enemies, look to be happy and have the right to happiness.”

Oral teachings given at Schvenedingen,Germany,1998.

*A repost of blog entry of Matthieu Ricard, visit him here.

Ladies' Talk

Fati and Romina

Shhh . . . mmm, what or better yet, who makes your Friday night sane? Well for me, I don't have to think hard, the answer is that picture above, my beautiful ladies!! Haha, yes, these two ladies are my regular dates after weeklong grind work. Like me, they work hard, study hard and well they we, 'talk hard' especially when the three of us meet. We usually talk about, yes, you're right, boys! And dating! And school. And work. And interests. And current events. And our big big dreams ~ oh well, needless to say, I am excited about my Friday night! :)

OWF ~ Healing.

A disciple

Disciple: One who is pledged to serve humanity, who is beginning to comprehend group work; who realizes the Life force of nature; who is transferring her/his consciousness out of the personal into the impersonal; who realizes her/his responsibility to everyone and everything that comes under her/his influence and to the Whole. ~ Cathy Pagano

Scuola di Atene

*spot Hypatia of Alexandria

In this image, we see the Great Thinkers and Great Teachers of Classical Rome and Greece. They were once disciples too. 

Keeping it Green (Article #1) Living less is living more

Remember I posted last June 22 my idea about Love the earth campaign, now the idea comes into fruition and this is my very first entry regarding that theme. So for my first post, it is about living simple. It is in a form of a mail that I sent early this morning to a special someone living thousand miles away from Quezon City.

Work is fine. Studies doing okai. I have been into this "tipid mode" for a month now and I am planning to be in this mode for a long while. I want to save up and be simpler in my choices day by day. Frugal living and simple living is the 'in-thing' right now, this is our shield for the world crisis hovering over our heads. This is what my friends do diligently -- hehe, it is good to be in their company because I know that life is easier if we know people who are doing the same thing. The reward is that we have bigger savings and we can be confident that 'living less is living more' -- wanting less in life is actually having more options in living an alternative lifestyle. 

So there, life is like this right now for me. The usual routine is keeping up with the big changes happening around me. Waking up early is still the best way in having sharp focus on the day ahead. And of course spending time at the library after work helps me recount the accomplishment I made all day. As a wise mentor said: If you want to have grains growing in your field on spring, then start plowing/cultivating the soil and plant the seeds of grain already. This will ensure that in proper time with right conditions you will attain what you have set to accomplish.

*title above "Keeping it green" is the creative title that I have for Love the Earth Campaign <3

Have a wunnerful day ahead everyone.

It's a cake day

Today I will talk about cakes. Well actually cake was in my mind last night pa. Yesterday on my way home to parents' house, I was looking for cake as pasalubong, but since it was already 9-ish and shops close earlier during weekends, I changed my mind. I went to a convenience store instead to buy ice cream. I got two flavors because I know mom likes rocky road and double dutch, so there I bought two. They were happy naman about the pasalubong so good job naman ^^

Cut to today, Romina and I had our Sunday lunch at Greens. Oh I missed their tofu kebabs and dayap juice, oh yummy ^^ aside from usual touch base kwento which today is about (drumroll please) love life and dating *-* whoah, I know right, my best friend is going to have a date soon, buti pa siya blooming ang love life! Mas sumarap ang kwentuhan dahil sa yes, you've guessed it right --> carrot cake, clap clap, eggless, dairy-less carrot cake! Alavit ^^

Cut to peri house, merong dalawang cakes sa bahay ngayon banana cake and refrigerator cake. Ohdiba, from 'sarado na ang lahat ng cake shops to ayan, bumubuhos na ang cake scenario' diba, parang ulan lang, unpredictable at sabi nga when it rains it pours! At ang sarap ng banana cake, actually I ate a big slice already and another slice is staring at me right now. Siguro later, hihihi ^^

Incendiary

Incendiary

Beach sunset | Caticlan, Boracay, 20110130

E.V.O.L

Unconditional love, anyone?

Happy fullmoon too!
Announcement: ONE WORD FRIDAYs' (OWF) word for the day is ~ incendiary.

Of researchers and their gifts to humanity

This morning my thoughts wander around writing a research paper. Doesn't it work like a treasure map that one draws up for another kindred soul who is interested in the same topic/subject? It is like creating a structured group of interconnected ideas for another soul/souls whose thought pattern vibrate/s within the same frequency.

Isn't writing a research paper exudes the feel of a fated-like writing for kindred soul? It is like a map for 'seeker' who is called to search for the same mysterious island, only that someone had come before them -- many 'someones' discovered it already -- but these good souls will share that information to anyone who cares enough to be aware of this treasured island. Don't you feel the connection? It is like having a wealth of information that one painstakingly structured, creatively laid-out, lovingly created -- then a wonderful person, whose thoughts vibrate in the same 'league' will pore over the wealth of information that one had designed meticulously? A map full of instructions for someone to read -- even after the research was published decades or centuries ago.

Yeah, this is a post of gratitude to researchers who quietly labored inside libraries, who unanimously traveled old heritage sites, who tirelessly walked long forgotten roads (metaphorically and literally), etc those who give of themselves and their skills to add jewels to the huge body of Academic Works ensuring at the same time that people of coming generation will learn about what pique the interests of different generations in various bubbles of time.    

Good morning world

Observation and research mode.

It is the beginning of July week, so many possibilities, so many fresh insights. We should be prepared to take on the big world, but before anything else, we have to wear our thinking caps and be a meticulous researcher. Yup, that is my goal for this week, to be a discriminating researcher. Everything unclear will eventually get illuminated, so we should keep digging and keep observing. Good winds to all.