pangandoy

My Second Honors.....

2009-03-30T20:09:00.000-07:00

For the nth time of the day, Shelu called me and reminded me that I should be present during the recognition day. She was also happy to inform me that his Lolo, my father, would be coming from Bansalan to pin her ribbons and put that medal on her neck. As you see, Shelu got the second honors. As she told me, she could have been the first honors had she submitted her homework early.

As I looked at her as she joyfully joins her classmates, I remember the days when my little princess was a very shy, reserved girl. When we used to live in England, her teachers really thought that this cute little girl is mute and deaf. She speaks English but when in the company of strangers, it is next to impossible to let her talk. It really took a long time before she would talk to her classmates. She even had her enrolled in the rainbow class. Rainbow class is a group of pupils that could not read and are considered slow learners. However, in few weeks, they learned that Shelu is a fast learner and the best reader in the class. Her teachers found out that she is just observing the things around her and once she felt secured, she turned out what ordinary girls like her would do.

As they fall in line in preparation for their entrance to their assigned seats, she couldn’t stop that smile in his face and constantly waving at me. I can feel her joy, her happiness that in her own little way, she brings happiness to her family by being an honor pupil. As they walked towards their seat, she waved at me once more as they passed by the bench where I am sitting.

As they took their seats, they giggled, chuckled, laughed... maybe that’s how their cute little girls act when they are with their friends. They seem to be very busy with nothing. They stand, they run, they sit, they simply do anything and they really find it difficult to settle down.

As her name was called, I heard the loud applause from her classmates, parents, and teachers. But deep within me, the applause is louder. To see my little princess received her medal from their principal in the stage and hand it to her Lolo for pinning is everything for me. I couldn’t ask for more. I just close my eyes and said a little prayer of God’s blessing when He gave this little angel.

As other people are getting busy with their own too, I look forward to the days that she will grow up and will have her own family too. God bless her. She is one of my inspirations to work harder in order to give them the best education I could have for them.

We end the day with where else, but Jollibee. I hate this place, their food, their service. I hate everything in this restaurant but the kids loved them. In this time, kids rule. It is my way of giving them recognition of the things they have done.

She, my cute little angel, keep up the good work...

our kids......

2009-03-26T23:34:00.000-07:00

It is with heavy heart that I visit the kids at school today. They are having their practice for tomorrow’s recognition day. Kids as they are, have no idea on what their parents have gone through. Having been living apart from them for almost 3 weeks now, life seems to be full of misery and emptiness. For people who have children, children are everything. They are non-negotiable, priceless and most of all, precious to our sights.

What I felt this morning is not different. Being away from the kids is an agony. Shelu, my only daughter, was quick to see me. She ran towards me and joyfully passed on the very great news, she got the second honors. She was full of life and happiness. I’m sure of it because she is very close to me. We are almost inseparable. Every morning when she woke, she would always look for me. God! I missed my kids!!!!

My beloved bunso, chantee, had different response when he saw me. He really wanted to run towards me but he was sitting beside her teacher. He was hesitant, maybe because her teacher might not allow him to stand up and go anywhere else. But just the same, the smile on his face when he saw me touched my inner soul. Here’s my beloved son, waving at me, with his patented smile. The two kuyas, koko and Keith, just like ordinary teen age boys, never like the idea of kissing their parents in front of their classmates. While koko try to ignore, Keith approached me with is usual big smile and hugged me. I really missed them so much.

I just have to contend myself watching them during their practice. They giggle, chuckle with their classmates. How I wish their mother could see how happy they are as they mingle and play with the other children.

As I walked away from the stage where they had their practice, my mind flashes back to the night where Keith told me about his plans for the future. He really wanted to be a pilot, to fulfill his dad’s ambition. That one day when he will have family of his own, he would by a very big house where his mommy and daddy wall both live with them. It is his idea that the family he loves so much will stay closer than ever. I just can’t help but felt the tears from my eyes. I could not make his dream come true, for his mommy and daddy had separated ways. There are irreconcilable differences.

As I reflected these things on my mind, it brings me to the time when I am still a cadet. We cannot always have everything because life is never complete. It is the way of realizing that the somebody up there do remind us always to remember him always. For it is during these trying times that we bend our knees and simply ask for a little bit more time to hold on and move on.

Kids are our life. Without them, we lose the reason for living....

of retirements and lasting marriages

2009-01-12T20:09:00.000-08:00

As Louis K. Anspacher had said, Marriage is that relation between man and woman in which the independence is equal, the dependence mutual, and the obligation reciprocal.

Last January 9, I attended the most memorable retirement ceremony in my life. Though I was hesitant at first to attend it since I have known ceremonies like that as boring as never-ending praises for the retirees. it became a situation where one would take a look on marriage on a different view.

Director Rudy Razul vowed out from government service after 41 years to give time for himself and his wife a chance to enjoy the few remaining years of their lives together. He and his wife, manang carmen has been married for 38 years. quite a feat these days wherein marriages barely last 10 years. Most of us who knew him were caught by surprise why he decided to retire when he has still 3 years before reaching compulsory retirement age of 65. For all we know, he still healthy and known for his intelligence and wisdom in leading people. he is a great example of how government civil servants would be, honest and dedicated to duty.

on the other hand, the incoming regional director coming in replace him is an old, familiar face. Director Rene Libunao served as assistant regional director in the late 90s in this region and kumpare of the Director. they are close friends and grew up together in the department. While Director Libunao was sad that his good friend is going to retire, he was very thankful and take it as heaven's blessing considering he will be having his post here in Davao city, the place where his family lived. he has been assigned in different parts of the country in the last 8 years, leaving his wife in charged of the children. he further told the attendees that there were times when Helen, his wife, would ask when will there suffering ends. same as with Director RAzul, they have been married for 38 years too.

Initially, my thoughts of the ceremony is about saying goodbyes to the outgoing and goodluck to the outgoing. but rather it came to me as reflections on how marriages would last. it entails sacrifices and believing that glorification comes after sacrifices. deep in my heart, i envy these 2 gentlemen. they have a solid marriage and they have someone to lend on when the tough gets going. how emotional and touching to hear those kind words they utter for their loving wife. in a nutshell, it became a reflection for me on where am i leading to. where is this road i am traveling now lead into. after being married for 15 years, me and my wife decided to end it. yup, it hurts to the max level knowing that you will be going to the distance alone. Danny DeVito said in the The War of the Roses, There are two dilemmas that rattle the human skull: How do you hang on to someone who won't stay? And how do you get rid of someone who won't go?

I found it hard to sleep that night. it goes me back to the times when i was still in the academy when my tactical officer , capt. randolph delfin, always remind us cadets. he said, there is no amount of success can compensate one's failure in marriage. i took what he said by heart, enduring difficult situations just to make my marriage work. but not all we want in this life are granted. some say trials are bound to make us stronger. but are these still trials? because i felt these are finals. marriages are not designed for break-ups but sticking together.

in the final analysis, the man up there never ceases to reminds us of what stuff we should be made of, even in different occasions and different times. we may fail in the first time but there is still hope that we can be happy the second time around. most people would say, in everything, we should move on, even when moving on is the most difficult thing to do. for those whose marriages who still intact, never waste it for the curse and stigma remains forever.

Some marriages break up, and some do not, and in our world you can usually explain the former better than the latter. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966

chantee's birthday

2009-01-07T02:12:00.000-08:00

31st of december is a special day for the family. not only because it happens to be the day wherein we will cross over to the new year the following day but simply because it's chantee's birthday, our beloved bunso. we thought chantee will become a new year baby but came short of 45 minutes before the clock strikes 12 midnight in 2003.

this year's birthday is different from the previous years. we decided it to have it in bansalan due to chantee's wish that it should in his lolo's house. another thing is that, for the time in the family, we have roasted sheep. having a lechon karnero is bit of a sacrifice. we went as far as malita, which is 150 kms from bansalan to get our sheep. it entails having the animal inside the car because the seller warned us that the animal would die if tied on the roof of the car. just imagine the stink we endure while we travel back home. we just didn't realize that the worst is yet to come. the stink of the animal remained in the car for several days. it took me hours of dry cleaning the car but to no avail. finally, we resorted on having the floor mat of the car washed using car shampoo.

birthdays in our family is a very complicated occasion. everybody is busy doing something, ranging from food preparation, cakes, decorations, invitations and everything.... it also means informing all relatives that there is a birthday party coming or else, somebody's heart is broken by being left uninvited.

yup, chantee's birthday made a difference for him. he was indeed very happy and keep on telling people in the neighborhood that it is his birthday. in the afternoon, he was busy sweeping the surroundings for trash, helping his lolo cleaning the house. someday, when he is finally grown up and having life of is own, he may realize that one day in his life, we are busy doing everything just to grant his wish for a memorable birthday in his lolo's house. he is just lucky. we didnt have birthday like he do.....

our own kopi luwak

2008-12-02T20:34:00.000-08:00

Kopi Luwak (pronounced [ˈkopi ˈluwak]) or Civet coffee is coffee made from coffee berries which have been eaten by and passed through the digestive tract of the Asian Palm Civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus). The civets eat the berries, but the beans inside pass through their system undigested. This process takes place on the islands of Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi in the Indonesian Archipelago, in the Philippines (where the product is called Kape Alamid) and in East Timor (locally called kafé-laku). Vietnam has a similar type of coffee, called weasel coffee, which is made from coffee berries which have been regurgitated by local weasels. In actuality the "weasel" is just the local version of the Asian Palm Civet.

Kopi is the Indonesian word for coffee, and luwak is a local name of the Asian Palm Civet. The raw, red coffee berries are part of its normal diet, along with insects, small mammals, small reptiles, eggs and nestlings of birds, and other fruit. The inner bean of the berry is not digested, but it has been proposed that enzymes in the stomach of the civet add to the coffee's flavor by breaking down the proteins that give coffee its bitter taste. The beans are defecated still covered in some inner layers of the berry. The beans are washed, and given only a light roast so as to not destroy the complex flavors that develop through the process. Some sources claim that the beans may be regurgitated instead of defecated.

In early days, the beans would be collected in the wild from a 'latrine', or a specific place where the civet would defecate as a means to mark its territory, and these latrines would be a predictable place for local gatherers to find the beans. More commonly today, captured civets are fed raw berries, the feces produced are then processed and the coffee beans offered for sale.

The resulting coffee is said to be like no other. It has a rich, heavy flavour with hints of caramel or chocolate. Other terms used to describe it are earthy, musty and exotic. The body is almost syrupy and it's very smooth.

One must wonder about the circumstances that brought about the first cup of Kopi Luwak coffee. Who would think to (or even want to) collect and roast beans out of animal feces? Perhaps a native figured it was easier to collect the beans from the ground this way, rather than having to work harder and pick them from the trees? We'll likely never know. But because of the strange method of collecting, there isn't much Kopi Luwak produced in the world. The average total annual production is only around 500 pounds of beans.

Because of the rarity of this coffee, the price is quite outrageous. If you can find a vendor, the current cost for a pound of Kopi Luwak is around $300 or more. Some more adventurous coffee houses are selling it by the cup, but you won't likely find it at your local coffee shop just yet. The coffee isn't so spectacular that it's truly worth that amount of money. You are paying for the experience of enjoying such an unusual and rare delicacy.

Kopi Luwak is the most expensive coffee in the world, selling for between $120 and $600 USD per pound, and is sold mainly in Japan and the United States. It is increasingly becoming available elsewhere, though supplies are limited: only 1,000 pounds (450 kg) at most make it into the world market each year (Pg 23, The Gospel According to Starbucks; Sweet). One small cafe, the Heritage Tea Rooms, in the hills outside Townsville in Queensland, Australia has Kopi Luwak coffee on the menu at A$50.00 (=US$48.00) per cup, selling approximately four cups a week, which has gained nationwide Australian press.[1]. In April 2008, the brasserie of Peter Jones department store in London's Sloane Square starting selling a blend of Kopi Luwak and Blue Mountain called Caffe Raro for £50 (=US$99.00) a cup.

A hypothesis to justify this coffee's reputation proposes that the beans are of superior quality before they are even ingested. At any given point during a harvest, some coffee berries are not quite- or over-ripe, while others are just right. The palm civet evolved as an omnivore that naturally eats fruit and passes undigested material as a natural link to disperse seeds in a forest ecosystem. Where coffee plants have been introduced into their habitat, civets only forage on the most ripe berries, digest the fleshy outer layer, and later excrete the seeds eventually used for human consumption. Thus, when the fruit is at its peak, the seeds (or beans) within are equally so, with the expectation that this will come through in the taste of a freshly-brewed cup. As this may be true for the beans derived from wild-collected civet feces, farm raised civets are likely fed beans of varying quality and ripeness, so one would expect the taste of farm-raised beans to be less.

Our farm is located in Bansalan, Davao del Sur near Mt. Apo National Park,. because we have our own coffee farm and civets, we can guarantee that our product is 100% pure kopi luwak. for those who are interested to do business with us, i suggest you should visit our farm and see for yourselves we produced our own kopi luwak. what makes our civet coffee different is the variety of our coffee itself. while others have the arabica or robusta.variety, our farm is planted with the catimur coffee variety which is of higher quality than arabica and robusta. catimur is better. the color of its fruits or berries itself is yummy to the eyes. it close to fuschia pink than red.

For the locals here in bansalan, this coffee is known as kape sa Milo'. Milo' is the native word for civets. for interested persons, you may contact me through my mobile, 0920-7667551 or through my email, snowbound102388@yahoo.com

at the baywalk in davao

2008-10-25T02:38:00.000-07:00

this place seems to be an oasis here in davao. people frequently visit this place for varied reasons. to some, it is here they find true peace in busy davao. for some, to feel the fresh breeze which most people believe to be therapeutic. and to others like me, this place is simply like heaven on earth where one can renew our spirits. from this place, you can see the majestic mt. apo on the right side. while right infront is the beautiful island garden city of samal.

One of the reasons that throng of people troop into this place is the love for fishing. yup, most people do enjoy and bring the family together. honestly, its the kids who pulled me into this place because they too, love fishing very much. they developed the love on this while we were still in england. almost all over england, people of all ages spend their saturdays in the lakes and rivers. along the dike of the baywalk, you can see the tandem of fathers and sons, in some cases, fathers and daughters, throwing their hook into the sea. and the joy comes when a fish bites the bait and take the fish out of the water. the laughter, the joy really renews the spirits and strengthened the bond that ties the family together.

at 5 pm, the place is overflowing with people from all walks of life. people vending foodstuffs such as kwek-kwek, juice, etc are busy selling their goods. there are first-timers awed by such project which is initiated by a private person for public use. yet, this person has been restricted to further develop the place. gush, government sucks, really. the famous attraction in the baywalk is the 30- foot statue of david. yes, the world famous statue of david sculptured by michaelangelo. with all its nudity and art, its elicits different comments. others view it as a work of art. to some, it is obscenity. there is also a mini-zoo, of which the ostrich are famous. but what attracts most is the pond full of black-tip sharks. for me, this is the first time i have seen sharks that numerous swimming in the single pond, so close that you can even touch it.

yup, brother, bring our family together there and enjoy the place.

my father's hometown, trinidad, bohol

2008-09-27T04:11:00.000-07:00

ever since i was a kid, my father told me stories of their life in bohol. my father came from a little town in bohol known as trinidad. his stories is all about how nice is it to live in that place. he always mentioned of the river where they always went for fishing and the crocodiles living there. i know my father had a very happy childhood because whenever there is time for us to talk, he always reminisces of the good times he had with his siblings and his cousins. it is a little bit funny though, that we cannot trace our genealogy on my father's side. even older people have no idea who their forefathers are. during the last grand reunion of the Puracan clan held in our great hometown, trinidad, we can only trace up their grandfather's name. nothing more.

during my first visit to our holy ground in 1977, i was full of excitement given the chance to finally see for myself my father's birthplace. add to that the feeling of having my first ride on a boat. the trip to bohol was indeed nice but really difficult. we need to travel to butuan city from davao to catch a boat going to jagna, bohol and another 5 hours of busride on a dirt road going there. i really had a nice time there. people simply walk from one destination to another, sometimes we rode on a karomata. i met a lot of relatives, lot of them. one thing i cannot forget about trinidad is how religious our relatives are. sundays are holy. we got nothing to do but spend the day in the church and we didnt ran out of church activities. i also had experienced the way they conduct the DVCS (daily vacation church school). i really had a lot of fun there.

i took my kids there in 2003 and same with what i felt then, they loved the place. probably it is one of those places wherein people really care for each other, relationships with fellowmen is more important than anything else. as the old adage do remind us, there is no place like your father's hometown.

by the way, here's a little trivia about trinidad.

In 1820 Trinidad was yet a barrio in the northern part of Bohol inhabited by a small group of settlers under the leadership of Macag. It was once named Cabigon but the abundance of ipil trees in the area caused it to be referred to as 'Ipil' thus becoming an offcial name when it became a town.

But Ipil became a barrio when it was annexed to Talibon on October 31, 1903 by virtue of Act 968. Several attempts to reestablish Ipil as municipality failed but in 1947, through the combined efforts of the people led by Juan Gonzales and aided by Sen. Oligarion Clarin, Ipil regained its former status as a town and was renamed Trinidad in honor of the wife of Pres. Manuel A. Roxas who issued the EO No. 80 s. of 1947, restoring the community to its former status as an independent municipality.

Trinidad at a glance
Population:	25683
Number of households:	4707
Land area:	9472 ha
Number of barangays:	20
Distance from Tagbilaran:	98 km

if you are planning to visit bohol, include in your iterinary my father's hometown and you find the real meaning of the word, peace. it is really peaceful in there. everything is within your your reach. it could be you retirement haven. enjoy the place.

of moving on and looking forward

2008-09-19T18:46:00.000-07:00

there are times in our lives when we are confronted with the dillema on whether we need to stick with it or simply move on. actions are varied and largely depends on how each person react to the situation. more often, the emotional fiber of such person plays the bigger role. we are afraid to lose the person whom we loved so much. but what if the person we loved doesnt love us anymore? is it worth dying for? situations are different. same situation may happen to different people and reactions are, in most cases, different. maybe because we are unique individuals and we act to situations differently.

But the bottomline settles down to one thing, will it be benefecial to all concerned? some say that life itself is of pains and being hurt. that it never meant to be a bed of roses. do we always let ourselves be hurt? in the end, the final question is maybe along this line, are we fair to ourselves? in the movie kungfu panda, master uguay, the turtle teacher said to panda, "yesterday is a past, tomorrow is a mystery but today is a gift". it doesnt meant we have to forget and deny ourselves on the joy that life brings. we simply need to enjoy God's gift. the gift of being alive everyday. we need to happy and contented with what we have. we dont need life's excessess to be happy.

while waiting for my teacher, i just found myself surfing the net for quotations all about moving and was not disappointed for i found what i'm looking for. i really take these lines by heart and feel it to fully understand its meaning.

guys, simply feel them. here they are.

Sometimes the cards we are dealt are not always fair. However you must keep smiling & moving on ~
Tom Jackson
~ Moving on, is a simple thing, what it leaves behind is hard. ~
Dave Mustaine
~ To be able to move on, one has to learn to forgive not only the person (or people) who have done one wrong but also oneself ~
Eugenia Tripputi
~ By forgiving and choosing to move on, one takes the power back to morph it into positive energy. ~
Eugenia Tripputi
~ Life is about making the right decisions and moving on. ~
Josh
~ Forgiveness and letting go are steps on our road back to happiness. ~
Tina Dayton
~ You are responsible for your life. You can't keep blaming somebody else for your dysfunction. Life is really about moving on. ~
Oprah Winfrey
~ Take a second out to think about this: in your life you search and search for the right person for you. Every time you break up with someone you get one step closer to that person. You should look at moving on as getting closer to meeting the one. ~
Ian Philpot
~ Quietly forgiving and moving on is a gift to God ~ and yourself. ~
Unknown
~ When you start to abandoning your old beliefs or values... you may be stuck at the threshold for two or three years. Before moving on, you have to clear away your cherished beliefs. ~
Dick Raymond
~ Courage is not the absence of fear, but simply moving on with dignity despite that fear. ~
Pat Riley
~ one shot at a time and then move on. Remember that golf is just ~
Nancy Lopez

~ The art of war is simple enough. Find out where your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can. Strike him as hard as you can and as often as you can, and keep moving on. ~
Ulysses S. Grant
~ Moving On has allowed me to know who I am and to be present in all that I do. I take this forward in my work and in my personal relationships. It is a powerful program and I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to move on with their life. ~
Lou
~ If someone you love hurts you cry a river, build a bridge, and get over it. ~
Unknown
~ Letting go doesn't mean giving up... it means moving on. It is one of the hardest things a person can do. Starting at birth, we grasp on to anything we can get our hands on, and hold on as if we will cease to exist when we let go. We feel that letting go is giving up, quitting, and that as we all know is cowardly. But as we grow older we are forced to change our way of thinking. We are forced to realize that letting go means accepting things that cannot be. It means maturing and moving on, no matter how hard you have to fight yourself to do so." ~
Unknown
~ Any change, any loss, does not make us victims. Others can shake you, surprise you, disappoint you, but they can't prevent you from acting, from taking the situation you're presented with and moving on. No matter where you are in life, no matter what your situation, you can always do something. You always have a choice and the choice can be power. ~

the second gwapo

2008-09-19T04:05:00.001-07:00

king-king, my second son, is one of the kids who really believed that they are born handsome. at 3 years old, he can read the alphabet and few common english words. we thought he was gifted child because he can understand things with ease.
for this reason, we had him enrolled in the special education school during his kindergarten and grade 1. however, we decided to transfer him to a regular school the following year out of pity that he was pushed to his limits. it seems we deprived him of his childhood because his life was all devoted to studies.

out from sped, he still shows what stuff is he made of. he is a consistent honor student. during our stay in england where he attended level 5, they were surprised to know that this kid has something in himself.

this kid loves football but is into basketball. his fave online games are crazy cart, rakion and warrock. this family believe that he has a very bright future.

by the way, he takes his only uncle on the father side, neil ( a surgeon) as his idol. like his idol, he wants to be a surgeon in the future.......

my dream fire truck

2008-09-01T20:09:00.000-07:00

as they always say, once a firefighter, forever a firefighter.

i have been a firefighter for the last 18 years and i really love the job so much. i have been to developed countries and have seen the best the world has to offer. the best airport crash tender i've seen is in schipol airport in amsterdam and in osaka. they have been using carmelray machines.

but being firefighter responding mostly to structural fires, i cant help but simply adore with the beauty of a dennis firetruck which is standard in the united kingdom. i lived in the town of alfreton in derbyshire and watched these machines responding to fire calls. they're really great. i got the chance to sit on it during my visit to the nottingham fire station and the feeling is great. for a firefighter, just taking a sit in the state-of-the-art equipment is everything.

i do believe that in this lifetime, our government cannot purchase one of those. our leaders are super-negligent of our need to protect our own people. we are contented with those under-powered, impractical fire trucks assembled in the philippines. assemblers are simply after the profits, not its effectiveness.

all we can do now is simply pray. for we all know our capabilities are very limited. whether you like it or not, but this is a hard pill to swallow. best thing to do, take care of your own properties.

i got the rat

2008-09-01T06:54:00.000-07:00

According to the Chinese Zodiac, the Year of 2008 is a Year of the Rat (Earth), begins on February 7, 2008 and ends on January 25, 2009. A Rat Year is a time of hard work, activity, and renewal. This is a good year to begin a new job, get married, launch a product or make a fresh start. Ventures begun now may not yield fast returns, but opportunities will come for people who are well prepared and resourceful. The best way for you to succeed is to be patient, let things develop slowly, and make the most of every opening you can find.

i was surprised and curious to note however, that the year of the rat is not good for people born in the year of the monkey on which i'm one of them. as it is written in the chinese zodiac, this is not a good year for business, health and relationships. it may sound true but i take more of a warning for me. we should watch for the issues that may not be on our favor. while we might not believe it, it may be worth giving it a chance.

by the way, i got the rat himself. taken in singapore during the valentines day, 2008. how i wish by hugging this lucky rat, bad luck will keep distance from me.

Your Purpose of Life

2008-08-30T03:37:00.001-07:00

Beginning this year, you may take a huge stride,
to change your direction to another side.
Alas your intention may be slightly off track,
but you can adjust and then take a step back.

Through this confusion lessons learned well,
isn't lost time, so there's no need to dwell.
Sometimes in life as you make certain choices,
you must listen clearly to hear the right voices.

Although you admit, you are slightly confused,
with feeling off track and don't feel amused.
Your soul, no doubt, shows you new ways,
to recapture freedom joyfully each day.

For when you think back to awhile ago,
you already felt that you'd be starting this flow.
For in your chart you are to work with others,
but it may take time to believe or uncover.

And during this chaos your soul talks so free,
and tells you things you are unable to see.
For your inner purpose, awakened long ago,
says to live in the "now" and to go with the flow.

It may sound so simple and so easy to do,
but one thing you learn is to remain true to you.
Your soul reminds you the reasons why you're here,
to focus awareness, then release ego and fear.

It tells you your purpose in this cycle of life,
is to teach others to release grief and strife.
Or to light the pathway that they cannot see,
to show them how powerful they can truly be.

And how you will do this still keeps you at odds,
even though you know that your soul is your God.
But when it's time for this mystery to unfold,
you will either be shown or you will be told.

To reveal the puzzle of your spiritual path,
you must trust and believe in what has been cast.
Your outer purpose is connected to your soul,
so as long as you listen, you will complete your goal.

.... Margaret Jang

and for me? it's all about the kids. yup, the kids and all the kids. watching your kids grow up, transform themselves into responsible individuals, is the only meaning of life. because of them, we forgot that we have life of our own. but it will not be in vain for we all know life is designed that way. happiness is, for me, having wonderful, loving children.

going to paradise

2008-08-30T03:01:00.000-07:00

whoever said heaven up there must got it wrong. while people seem to lose hope in their life, places like this truly rejuvenates our inner selves.

white sand, clear waters.. these are all but basic ingredients of fun. places such as this wakes the child in us. plays are not limited to children but for us too. there are times in our life where we need peace and tranquility to reflect what is the direction of our lives. the question of where we are leading to can be realized when we are at peace with ourself.

this place is known as the waniban island, located near mati in davao oriental. the island itself is beyond compare. as beauty is subjective, having comparisons is rather difficult. with me during the trip is the reason why we are still hoping for the best, our kids.

man, you've got to check it out too.

twist of life

2007-04-02T00:58:00.000-07:00

life is but a thirst for something you don't know until the very moment you wish for it. some plan their life as early as in their teens and they stick to their game plan. they follow a path on which they should thread and never dare to deviate from it. for some, following a pre-plan life is a sure way towards success but a long, well-paved dull and boring road for others.

mine is what others find to be a gamble. i started as a teacher in the government, trained to be a police officer at the philippine national police academy but joined the fire service. worked as career fire officer and was on the top circle in the hierarchy of the organization. i was fine with it. i seek for self-improvement. got my masters degree in manila and was working for my doctoral dissertation in a state university when things suddenly change.

i found empty and look for something else. i found myself enrolled in a nursing school instead and in my late 30's. yup, i was reinvigorated. life changed in a click. i found myself busy compared working in an office where everything seems to be automated. while i used to be drinking coffee in office while surfing and changing tv channels, coffee tasted excellent with my younger classmates now. it seems they never run out of fun. after our duties, we went to restaurants to eat altogether. i never did this before during my college days. it simply becomes a routine for them to wait and load into my van. and i enjoyed it.

yup, twist of life. i'll be going home on may to take the nursing board on june. passing it is an another story. life is really mysterious. you'll never know until you've got it.

in the garden of eden

2007-04-02T00:41:00.000-07:00

eden, a place so close to heaven. maybe because of its location and elevation. it's located in eden, toril, davao city. yup, it's still part of davao city. sounds weird? it is one of the best nature resort in davao city. one place where someone who wants to keep in touch of mother nature.

there are birds, wild animals (in captivity), trees, more trees and yes, flower gardens. for vegetarians, you'll fall in love with eden. for this is one place where vegees are really fresh in their restaurants.

one spot i like most is the wishing well near the bahay kubo. yup, like you and me, we drop a coin, close our eyes and say our wishes. pangandoy sa kinabuhi nga unta makab ot. hehehehehe.

if you have the chance, see it for yourself. i was there and enjoyed it.

just

2007-04-01T11:57:00.000-07:00

Just a single word that would one day be,
The start of a hero’s biography,
Selected for its unique definition,

The word would bring, thought to fruition,
Neatly engraved by writer’s hand,
A word scrawled by toe, on wet sucking sand.

Just a single note that would one day be,
A gentle lift in a melody,
Precision plucked from a Spanish guitar,
The note played in composer’s repertoire,
Lovingly drawn from harp’s gentle string,
A note that an operatic diva would sing.

Just a single thought that would one day be,
The pause in a madman’s reverie,
Dredged from mind’s fathomless depths,
The thought birthing genius in the inept,
Woven from memories not realised,
A thought that would flow, awakening the wise.

Just a single word that would one day free,
The oppressed from tyrant, almighty.
Just a single note that would one day mark,
The tick to the tock of the clock in the dark.
Just a single thought that would one day know,
The solution to all, of the world’s sorrow.

In everything there is a destiny,
A thing to be,
A one day could,
A one day would,
A potential to fulfil,
A desire and a will.

... tina louise

in bansalan

2007-04-01T11:33:00.000-07:00

pics taken in bansalan. some of which are in kamonsilan, a resort in barayong. it's a place where common people like us opt to go on occasions like birthdays and the like. shelu's birthday is rather special. her mum went home just to be her in this special day. we ordered the biggest cake available in bansalan. having been in a quite big family, about 100 relatives are present!

we simply enjoy spending time with close families. while some are in the pool, older men prefer to stay in the huts and have beer. taga-miral jud....

off to a new beginning

2007-04-01T11:23:00.000-07:00

november 27, 2006. i brought my 4 kids across the pacific to england with the hope of giving them a better future. my wife, josephine, is waiting for us there. i had been there earlier this year. kids are nervous, excited that the will finally be together with their mum.

hope we made the right choice....

my dream car

2007-04-01T11:10:00.000-07:00

kids are really having fun. they have the chance to sit on my dream car, maserati spyder. it has more than 400 hp under its bonnet and may cost little over 8 million pesos. we're lucky bcoz my boss has one. we can sit, touch, ride for free. gush! the feeling is just great when you're on board. 80mph in less than 6 seconds. wow!!!

there is only one way to own one, win the lotto. fingers crossed. hehehe

papa's big day

2007-04-01T10:54:00.000-07:00

'To know how to grow old is the master work of wisdom, and one of the most difficult chapters in the great art of living.' Henri Frederic Amiel

for the first time in my life, papa celebrated his birthday without me. i've been always around during occasions like this. since we're only two (me and neil), i know its bit difficult and there is an empty feeling. deep in our hearts, we know he missed us, especially the kids, on this very special day.

pa, happy birthday. you're a guiding light. not just for us, but for everybody who is close to you as well.

just landed

2007-04-01T10:49:00.000-07:00

kid's first week in alfreton. taken within the school campus where they will be spending most of their time. it's just the start of winter and its really cold. kids as they are, they enjoyed going out in the open.