Let the pictures do the talking

Once again, miss anonymous, this time with her hubby, took me to a wonderful vacation spot up in the mountains called Whistler, a ski resort during winter that extends until spring. A two-hour drive from West Vancouver, there are a lot of good views to see along the way. We first stopped at the famous Shannon Falls.

Shannon Falls entrance 


Shannon Falls 


Had a hard time finding a parking space. Anyway, here's a view of the parking lot.

View from Whistler Parking lot 


The place is filled with people. I chanced upon a not so busy spots and clicked away. Whistler will be the venue for the next Winter Olympics. This early, plans are underway to make the event a success. We were greeted by a young woman into the Olympic Center.

Do all paths lead to the mountains? 


Whistler Center 

Information Center for the 2010 Winter Olympics 


The two-hour drive is not bad considering the beautiful snow-capped mountains viewed from afar and the lushness of those nearby.

Anonymous' hubby discovering that a river runs through it.  


We passed by several ports along the way. There were people in their scuba diving gears getting ready for the big swim. Didn't find it appropriate to catch them on film, though.

Port 

Coalition of the willing

Last night, Don, Trudy's husband, took me downtown to a club called Richard's on Richards to see a band called "Coalition of the Willing" led by drummer Bobby Previte. Knowing Don to be a music afficionado, (he had introduced me to bands I never even thought existed and ended up liking) I knew it would be an awesome experience. And it was!

As planned, he picked me up early so that we can chat while waiting for the show. Well, we were a bit too early although Jenny, his daughter, and friend Max, were already there. We chatted for a long while as the show started late.

Then, the band's guitarist, Charlie Hunter a well-known guitarist, started tuning his guitar, ran a few chords and scales. After several minutes the band finally got up the stage and started playing non-stop for almost two solid hours! Bobby was phenomenal. You can feel every beat he made with those drums. So were the others. Hunter was effortless. I never saw him look at the frets of his guitar. He knew the guitar so well he doesn't need to look. Keyboardist Marco Benevento, and saxophonist Skerik, were more than a pleasure to watch and listen to. I really had a wonderful time.

A tour around North Vancouver!

I was picked-up by a very good Filipino friend today who toured me around North Vancouver. There was a drizzle when we left Richmond and to her dismay, it became a shower after we took a sumptuous Filipino lunch in NOrth Vancouver. We headed for the Sea Bus which took us to Canada Place Convention Center. I assured her that I am having a good time and that no rain can dampen my spirits. At any rate, the shower stopped just as we were about to disembark the boat.

A Portion of Canada Place Convention Center


After staying awhile at the Convention Center, we went back to North Van and headed for Capilano Suspension Bridge a rain forest that was connected to the main road by a long suspension bridge. It was a fun walk on the bridge as it kept on swinging that you would still have a feel of your trembling knees after several seconds.

Inside the rain forest, a network of smaller suspension bridges connected cedar trees just right below the canopy. A very thrilling and informative tour, the visitors to the park were given a 20% discount because it had been raining earlier. Neat deal, eh?


Entrance to Capilano Suspension Bridge


Stop swinging the bridge please, you guys!


Then, we went to the salmon hatchery hoping that we can see salmon going back to the lake they were born before heading to the ocean to spawn. However, she knew this was not the right season but we went anyway hoping she can be wrong and just so I would have a picture of what it could be like when the salmon came.


Look, this ain't salmon season yet!


No salmon? No bears... Wait! What is this?




What? No people, too?


At around 5:00, we picked-up her beautiful daughter to join us for dinner at Earls, just about a few miles before the Lion's Bridge going back to Richmond. The restaurant was impressive and classy. The first thing I noticed was that the waitresses were all breathtakingly beautiful and sexy. I commented to my friend that the restaurant should have a policy of hirng only young, pretty and sexy men and women. My dinner of Cajun chicken and pork ribs with salad and baked potatoes was just divine. No shyness with the flavors there, for sure. We took some pictures then headed back for home.

Did I mention I enjoyed the day? Well, I most certainly did! My heartfelt gratitude to my friends who will remain anonymous forever.

This is going to be a long one, I guess

Arrived safely in Canada on the 2nd of May. Hah! I cheated time for I left Manila on the same day. I had two May 2's. Unfortunately, I will lose a day when I get back. Oh well...

Day 1

It was a bumpy plane ride in some parts. We got into some minor turbulances but nothing to worry about. But the stewardesses were nice (and beautiful, too) so I cannot complain. The plane left Manila on time. The only thing was that they were having problems with the entertainment. It's a good thing it was only about a two-hour ride. And besides, I had Neil Gaiman's Stardust with me. The transit in Hong Kong was a little confusing. I had to find gate 63. Whereas before, I only had to walk to the gate, I had to take two train rides! Well, the good part is that I did not have that long lay-over. An hour and a half and I was on my way to Canada.

When I got out of the plane, I immediately knew I was in Canada. There is that particular aroma of coffee, the chilly air and that quiet surroundings. Just a whiff of both and I know the plane had not been hi-jacked to another place. There was a long queue at the immigration but all went well. I was expecting there might be trouble checking out my luggage as neither of my tickets had a baggage claim receipt. To my amusement, I just ran past the guard and voila! I am out with my baggage in tact without any hassles. I could not find Arlene who was supposed to pick me up with Bob. I have not met Bob before. Just in pictures. So, I was kind of surprised when a man approached me and asked me if I was Rolly. It was Bob. He looked a lot younger than he does in pictures. He told me that Arlene was in the washroom. (I would have said comfort room). When Arlene arrived, she gave me a hug and we were on our way.

We had a lengthy discussion on politics, music, art, etc. After all, not only is Bob an engineer, he is a member of Mensa. At around dinner, Stephe, Arlene's son who came all the way from Edmonton, (he also flew in when I last came here in 2002, such a sweet guy!) arrived to join us for dinner. We went to a Greek restaurant that night. Then, Stephe and I shared some chords and jammed the night away.

Day 2

The following day, right after breakfast, Stephe took me to Vancouver. We walked along the beach for a while then drove around looking for a mug of a certain artist he liked while Bob and Arlene prepared his pernil ham as we agreed. We did not seem to have understood one another. When he said we were going to share the meat, I did not know he was to put it a couple of hours inside the oven to cook before he carved it to give me my portion. I panicked as Arlene's daughter, Trudy and her son, Daniel were joining us for dinner. I have never cooked anything like this before. I had to make do with what there was. When Bob took out the pork, we feasted on the skin as it was sooo crunchy! I asked for the tender part of the meat with some fat in it. Put garlic, vinegar and soy sauce and cooked it with a lot of prayer it would turn into adobo. When it was cooked, Bob realized there was not enough sauce. What I did was add some garlic, vinegar, soy sauce and butter to the pan to make more sauce (now I am really trying to make some magic tricks!), while the rice I prepared cooked in the rice cooker. I added the sauce to the pork. Arlene blanched some asparagus. Trudy arrived with blueberry-apple and strawberry pies (which are to die for). Stephe came with vanilla ice cream. We ate dinner and to my surprise, they liked the adobo. The rice cooked well, too. I pulled it off!

Day 3

The next day, we all went to Stanley Park, took a ferry going to Granville Island for lunch and watched some street performers. When we got back home, we sang songs. Bob is funny. He wouldn't sing a song without any lyrics. He would dash to the computer to find the lyrics asking us to hold the song until he got back. Inj the meantime, I tried to figure out the chords. We had a good range of repertoire. From the 50's all the way to the 80's. Beatles, Rolling Stones, artists from Woodstock, The Who, Simon and Garfunkel, Eagles, Led Zeppelin, Credence Clearwater Revival, etc. (Maybe the younger readers don't know these but I tell you, they were huge before). Any new genre introduced would be like opening a can of worms that we just had to remember songs from the same artist. Bob was really into it as he would even close his eyes just to reach the high notes. It was a blast, really.

Jamming with Stephe! 

How does that go again? 



Day 4

Both Bob and Stephe have gone home today. I drove Arlene to the doctor and then we had brunch, did some grocery shopping. So, there. That was what the first days of this sojourn were like. Oh, interestingly, it has not been that cold as I expected. Maybe it is because I arrived in May when summer is about to set in. I usually come in April.

In a few hours, I will be up in the skies!

I will be departing for Canada in a few hours to meet with my best friend, Arlene Lawson. Just finished packing and I have a few more hours to spare so I thought I'd share with you the works I am taking with me. These are commissioned works. Enjoy!


Composition 1 (9" X 12") Oil  





Composition 2 (9" X 12") Oil 





composition 3 (9" X 12") Oil 





Too Many Cooks 15" X 51" Oil 





Menage a trois 20" X 30" Oil 

She finally laid to rest

Life is not always fair. Sometimes, I question the reason of being born only to die later. This question often comes up when I encounter death in the family. I feel the pain of having to lose someone who is really close to me and I begin to ponder why we are given life here on earth.

To the poor, it may seem that life may be very fulfilling to the rich as they can enjoy everything it has to offer. They can buy every luxury imaginable. Live comfortably in a big house, jump on a fancy car and go anywhere they want to, be assured that there will always be food on the table, wear expensive clothes and jewelries which can really be intimidating to the poor.

But that is not what life is. Life is about what your take is on living. To the average person, my aunt's life was not exactly what one dreams about. She has lived a full and simple life. Not that she was living in abject poverty as she lived in her own simple house, ate three square meals a day and yet, if you only base one's station in life by her lifestyle, you'd probably say she did not live in comfort either. At the most extreme, you'd probably say she was not happy. How wrong this perception can be. She had always been happy. She always greeted you with a full smile on her face, the kind that says "it's good to see you. Welcome to my house." If only department store ladies would learn how to give out that smile, they'd be selling their products to even the most skeptic buyer. I never saw her angry, too. She kept her cool and always gave an advice or two. She just did her business without any care in the world. Most impressive of all is that she would go out of her way to help a friend in need. That was the last one she did in her life - help a friend.

There was this blind neighbor who apprached her for a loan at around 2:00 pm last Thursday. Not keeping cash in her person, she offered to accompany the friend to another neighbor. After having introduced the two, she turned around complaining about the heat and collapsed. She was comatose since Saturday last week and yesterday, during her son's, Manolo's, third death anniversary, she passed away. Interestingly, her husband died, March 17, the death anniversary of another son, Pancho, who died in Vietnam during the 60's.

Goodbye, "mommy". Make God happy with your smile and may you rest in peace.

the rain stops, too

There is this saying "when it rains, it pours" signifying an abundance of something fortunate (or unfortunate)happening in one's life. I think, basing on my previous posts, my life has had an abundance of very nice things happening. Well, the past posts had been about celebrations here and there, right? There was Mickey's graduation, my happy married life, which is actually a prelude to my wife's birthday, our 21st wedding anniversary, and my coming trip to Canada next week. When it rains it pours, right? Well, the rain, no matter how strong, stops, too.

Yesterday morning, while I was getting ready to go to my mom's house, my brother called to inform me that our aunt, (the only aunt I've known), who we all fondly call "Mommy" is at the ICU fighting for her life. The details are still unclear to me but last Thursday, while accompanying a blind neighbor to a friend's house to guarantee for a loan, she complained of the terrible heat snf without any warning, collapsed. She was taken to the hospital and was later on put at the ICU.

She is my mother's older sister. She's 89 years old. The thing is, while my mother is now suffering from alzheimer's disease, my aunt is still strong and very lucid. When I was growing up, my mother snf my aunt would always tell me that they sang duets when they were much younger. If I remember correctly, they sang regularly in a radio show. My mother would sing the melody while "mommy" sang "second voice". As if to prove their story, they would sing for me while I accompany them with my guitar. They do sing in harmony albeit missing lyrics here and there. You know, the kundiman types. It was from them that I got to know that my grandfather was a judge, a violinist and a composer. Unfortunately, none of his compositions ever surfaced to my knowledge. It was from "mommy" that I learned that my grandfather looked exactly like me. There was a time when she even took out a picture of my grqndfather to prove her point, but honestly, I couldn't make head or tails from that old picture as it was so small, (ID size) and was blurry probably due to the length of time she kept it in her wallet (or whereever she took it from when she showed it to me). My grandfather died when they were young girls, not even teen-agers yet. My grandmother re-married to someone, a name I have forgotten, who, in fairness, had been good to them. And he died, too, so my grandmother had to be widowed twice.

At any rate, I remember my aunt with fondness. When I was growing up, she was the epitome of fun. They had a car and her visits always meant there was a cake. Usually, that would be my birthday. Once I get to see the car park near our house, I would jump with joy for it meant there'll be a lot of goodies and probably a ride in their car. Going to their house had always been a treat, too. It has always been fun for me as there had always been lots of people in their house. She had 9 children and I would assume much later on that each one in the household would have guests. It also helped that all of her children play an instrument well. Ironically, none of my siblings play an instrument, or even sing in tune! So there would be lots of singing and drinking in their house. To a child who was practically growing up alone, this meant fun.

When I got to the hospital, I couldn't look at her. I could not even say hello as I see what they have done to her just to keep her alive. Please help me pray for her. She may not survive this but hopefully, she wouldn't feel any pain.

Life's little pleasures

There are several instances when my family, in spite of the hardships in life, allow ourselves some luxury. I'm talking about birthday celebrations, graduations and the little milestones we manage to hurdle in our, oherwise, simple lives. I've been sharing these lately in my posts so you can see that basically, I am happy.

Once again, I beg for your indulgence and allow me to share with you my wife's birthday and our anniversary which we decided to celebrate at the Westin Philippine Plaza. (Last year, we spent this double celebration at the Shangri-la Hotel. I wrote about it, too. This year, Nitz' sister, who is a member of the hotel, decided she'd take her family with us, too. So, yesterday, we took two rooms at the hotel and decided to stay there overnight. It sure was a welcome respite from the usual heat we are experiencing these days. The children had stayed at the pool for almost like eternity while I stayed in the room watching tv and enjoy sleeping during the duration of the stay. At around 10 pm, my brother-in-law, Nitz's actually, as he is the husband of my sister-in-law, arrived from China and we all decided to try our luck at the casino. Well, as to be expected, I lost. So goodbye, precious bucks. I knew it was a bad idea! Oh well...

It's now official. I am bound to go to Canada to visit my friend, Arlene Lawson, co-owner and editor of the Country Mouse Peotry e-zine. She's one of the most important people in my life with whom I exchange emails with, practically everyday. We had been brought together by our love for poetry. This is going to be my third trip to the Maple leaf country, which I consider to be my second home. There, I shall meet with another friend, Bob Wands, another poet extraordinaire, whose poetry I have liked from the very start. Hopefully, I will also get to meet another writer friend, Gwen Austin, who has already written two novels under her name. This is going to be another worthwhile trip I shall always remember the rest of my life.

I am now finishing several paintings which I intend to bring with me to Canada. These are commissioned works which I hope will be worthy for their intended buyers. No harm in earning some dough along the way, is there?

----------------

Also, I am going back to teaching. My two-year stint as administrator has taught me a great deal about classroom management and teaching as well. I hope I am not that old for the classroom and manage to keep up with my students. Right now, I am working on my motivational skills and keeping abreast with new trends just so I can keep them intereseted. There is nothing more depressing than having to face a non-responsive audience. So, to my prospective students reading this blog, see you next year.

My married life

Let's talk about marriage. My wife and I have been married twenty-one years now. Well, almost. We will be celebrating the 21st come April 20, which happens to be her nth birthday, too. In twenty years time, we've managed to raise four kids (of course, you know this by now), purchased a small house and lot (still paying for the amortization), an old but dependable Lite-ace, an antiquated computer which takes several hours to get connected to the internet and so on and so forth. Let's just say that we fancy antiques, okay?

What makes for a lasting relationship with your spouse? Try open communication, honesty and compromise. The success of married life depends on these three basic things.

The lines of communication should always be open. Each spouse must be able to say freely what he/she wants to say regardless of what the other might think. There should be no reservations. This is the test that you are comfortable with each other.

Honesty is self-explanatory. How can your spouse trust you if you have too many secrets? I don't. I tell my wife everything. Even those that are incriminating. "We went to this bar where there were dancers in the buff" (This was in Toronto with her cousins, hehe) well, something like that. Get the picture? Not once has my wife become jealous. (Sabi nga ng mga kaibigan ko sa misis ko, "yan ba namang mukhang yan ng asawa mo, pagseselosan mo pa?)

I say compromise because there have been a number of times that you cannot see eye to eye. You discuss everything before coming to a final decision. From what kind of nail to use to the latest re-modeling of the house you plan to undertake. This is especially true when it comes to child-rearing. Each one of you would have your own ideas, based on your experiences, on how to deal with your kids. Naturally, you would only want the best for your children, right? So, given the same motivations, it is in the implementation and the details that becomes a problem most of the time. In the end, what makes keeping a relationship hard are the minutiae. When noone wants to back-down on a decision.

As a teacher, my idea is always to teach my children a lesson, no matter how hard it may be for them. I will not waiver on my decision once I have given it. However, there are times when the wifey would succumb and plead for the children. Now comes a long, arduous battle of wits, argumentation and debate. Sometimes, it becomes a matter of who talks faster and louder... but we don't usually come to this. I usually go out of the house, cool myself down, gather more arguments but also looking at her perspective. YOu see, a good debater must know how to argue not only for his side, but also for the opponent's side. This way, you would know the strenghts and weaknesses of the other's arguments. I tell you, arguing before a judge is a piece of cake compared to arguing with your spouse. First of all, you don't have an objective arbiter. Who do you suppose can mediate between the two of you? Nobody. You have to come up with a compromise. And you know what? Nobody wins in a compromise. You both lose. In fairness to me and my wife, when I return home, we would have both cooled down, forget about it for a while, and come to grips later on and make a final decision. This ploy has made me stay in this relationship, I think this is how it's going to be till the end.

Lastly, it doesn't hurt to say "I love you" once in a while. Just when you feel like saying it, say it. But most of all, MEAN IT!

Two done, two to go!

four in a row 

Working in the same school where my kids are enrolled, i always believed that they are not growing up like any other normal kid. I've always wondered what it would have been like had my father been in school with me, always breathing on my back.

There are advantages and disadvantages, of course. One of the advantages is that they would never fear of losing their transportation fare. I always did when I was growing up. i would lose track of my expenditures and before I knew it, had to walk my way home. That was when I was in elementary school. During my high school days, I couldn't do that anymore as the school I was going to was very far from home. So, I learned to either borrow from classmates or take a cab and have my mother pay for it.

The disadvantage I can think of is that they do not learn how to be on their own. With me around, I'm sure they are cautious of the things they do in school as I will surely know what goes on everytime. Well, in fairness to myself, I knew this was the case and always tried to be out of their way. They always eat alone with their classmates, for example. I let them experience school on their own, in their own time. Should they need me, they know where to find me.


the proud parents with graduate boy 


white toga! a picture of innocence? 


It's now official! My son, Mickey has finally graduated from high school. This means he is practically out of my wings. Being with him everyday for thirteen years can never be a long time. As the old cliche goes: It's just like yesterday! when he first came with me to school. I remember his first day when I almost panicked because he was nowhere to be found, only to be relieved that he was up a tree. Or the time when I was furious during his Grade 7 days because his teacher complained that he was misbehaving in class.

He has matured a lot since then. Never received any violation reports. I always want to believe that he has always been a gentleman to his female friends just like we tell him to.

I have no doubts that he will be fine like his older sister. He is very independent. He knows how to commute and find his way using very minimal instructions. he even goes to the doctor alone armed only with his HMO card, joins art contests, without our knowledge, just for the experience of joining one. Decided to try to take a scholarship test of his chosen career (help us pray for this one, please) on his own. He'll do fine.

dinner time with lola 


Aside from the dinner treat we gave the family in a restaurant, my wife and I plan to give him a gift later, I do not have one that comes from me alone. However, here's a poem I wrote several months ago which I am dedicating to him on his graduation day. (That is the least a man of insufficient monetary endowments can do, hehe)

---------------------

Ode to Endings (or should it be "beginnings"?)

Never have I dreamt that it would stop
but even the deepest well runs dry
reams of bond paper are eventually used up
the longest journey ends with the last step.

Infinite numbers could not be counted
try hard if you must… end I know not where
but end it will, no matter what.
Who can count after a trillion

Or even a hundred million?

Strongest despots end their rule
either by them or for them;
whether a pound of flesh
or a trickle of blood have been spared--
if the dictatorship ends
out of a gnawing conscience
it, too, shall stop.

Even God’s emissary, the Pope dies.
Everything shall cease--
just like your breaking away
from what my house can offer,
leaving behind a limitless
protection that I so willingly give.

Yes, the time has come
for you to open your wings:
feel the gale and glide to where it will take you
open your eyes wide like I told you

crossing the street is not as easy as it looks.
There are roads without stoplights
even stoplights are being ignored..
Soon, my work is finally done
there’s nothing left to do
but watch you from afar.

rolly


PS.

My apologies to the two commenters on this poem, Transience and Jet for failing to respond to your gracious, and kind words. I never got to see the messages as I thought nobody reads my poetry blog much more leave a comment anyway. Thank you very much. It has always been an honor receiving feedback from writers I admire very much.

Let's talk about relationships

Now that I am in my middle years (I believe I will reach the ripe old age of 80), I think I can talk about friendship and relationship like a pro. Of course, I've "been there, done that" during my years here on earth. Believe me when I say that you cannot live a happy life without friends. These are the people who you can count on when you need companionship. The people you can turn to when you are lonely, the people who will help you when you are in trouble and in need. They are more like brothers and sisters to you.

How does one make friends? I think this was addressed by the fox in the Little Prince. He told the prince how to befriend someone. He told him to meet him every three o'clock without fail and soon enough, the fox would miss him once he fails to show up.

During my growing up years, I have had more female friends who were really close to me than I had male friends. Of course, neither am I gay, nor were they love interests of mine. They were all platonic. I knew back then if the woman would be a friend or a girlfriend. I don't think there was a time when I have interchanged the two.

The reason for this is because I enjoy the company of women more than I enjoy the company of men. When I am with men, there is this competitive thing I have to overcome. And almost always, I end up in trouble. Play rough games, win! Basketball? My team had to win! Swimming, I have to swim faster! Drink alcohol? I have to make sure to see them all on the ground bathe in their own retch. (Well, that can be an exaggeration but I never went home more drunk than the next guy. I know how to carry my booze) Lastly, there had been a number of occasions when I got into a brawl with my male friends. I can't forget that time when I celebrated my 16th birthday in San Miguel, Bulacan when me and my friends got into a fight with unknown older guys who were as drunk as we were on the street. My guitar which was given to me by my brother, who bought it in Spain, landed on somebody's head. Or was it at another time? I was drunk, remember? All I remember was that I woke up with a very heavy headache than was normal when nursing a hangover and when I looked at my face in the mirror, my head was swollen. I learned later that they took me to the hospital as I was unconscious for a long time. This is the reason why I drink very seldomly and only with people I am comfortable with.

Anyway, the reasons why I'd rather go out on gimmicks with women are: they smell nicer, more pleasant to look at and the conversation has always been interesting. In short, it is easier for me to feel at ease with women than with men. Maybe that is because I have more sisters and only one brother. Besides, I practically grew up alone. Being the youngest of five siblings, I was born when my youngest sister was already 13 years old. I have always longed for a younger sister.

I feel lonely right now that most of my friends in school, the friends with whom I have shared my joy and my angst with work have either gone abroad or has resigned. My bestfriend in college had died of cancer, and one of my closest friends is fighting for her life with the same disease. Worse, not only are the new batch of teachers coming in are much younger than I am, they see me as an administrator rather than as a friend. Now I know that the saying "it is lonely at the top" is true. And I am not even at the top! At best, my position is what we call "primus inter pares" or first among equals. Mot really top of the line, is it? Nothing to brag about. At any rate, I have this feeling that I am intruding everytime I try to join them during their light moments. I try reaching out but sometimes I feel estranged.

This is the reason why I value my blogging friends. They are always there no matter what time of day and that is not an exaggeration. Wake up in the wee hours of the morning and there will be someone online. We all come from different parts of the globe, you see. All i have to do is turn on the computer, go to my gmail account and somebody is sure to be there. I am talking about my friends in Blogkadahan. We are celebrating our first year anniversary this month and to celebrate it, we decided we would talk about poverty. Check it out! The posts are very interesting. If you care to look at mine, here check this out.

too much politics?

Never had the country been divided as today. Ultra rightists, right, left-leaning, ultra-leftists... name it we have it. The recent events in the country divided the people into, at least, three main categories. Pro-administration but not necessarily being pro-GMA, the anti-administration, which is very synonymous to being anti-GMA, and the supposedly "silent" majority. Who the silent majority is rooting for is actually unknown. Are these the apathetic? Or are they the "wait-and-see" population who will jump and join the bandwagon once a sure winner is evolving?

I have received several messages forwarded to me by friends. One is that which is allegedly written by a middle-class citizen expressing disgust over practically everybody there is to blame. Other anti-PP 1017 and anti-administration messages usually coming from the younger set of friends. They all have lucid points which led me to think, where do I stand?

Honestly, I am undecided on the issues. I do not and will never condone cheating during elections. As a matter of, I abhor the idea that the leader of the country is there because she cheated. However, I still have to wait for the resolution of the case in its proper forum. Not on the streets swayed by people crying foul not based on actual solid evidence but only on the allegations of politicians who have a separate agenda (like putting themselves in power). If that is the case, then what is the assurance that what we will have is something better? So, if the courts decided that the President cheated in the last elections, I will go out in the streets to help throw her out. If I have an inkling that the courts is biased and not being objective, I will go out of the streets like I did when the senators tried to suppress the opening of the envelope that was crucial during the Erap hearing.

Again, to my simple mind, what we have is a dilemma with the presidency. I am not interested in becoming President. As long as the President serving in Malacanang uses his/her power to advance our economy, keep the streets safe, does not suppress my civil liberties (which she almost did with the now lifted PP 1017), but try to win me over by the power of persuasion, I have no quarrel with that president.

If I was the President, I would not have minded criticisms on my policies. I will let my actions speak for themselves and let history be my judge. But of course, I am not the President.

What I have observed is that we, as a people, have been too political. I can see people of different persuasions out in the streets ready to fight a war simply because their "bet" is losing. I saw this during the ouster of Erap. Somehow, it became personal. There are countless people in the lower brackets braving a storm for their leader. Instead of trying to make their lot better, or even earn a living, they are out on the streets thinking that should their leader be placed in power, their lives would improve. Or is this a regular job to some of them? I am sorry, but they are just being used by these so-called leaders to shield themselves from harm under the guise of patriotism. I have seen the effects of EDSA and believe me, these same people will go out in the streets again no matter who is in power simply because they are discontented.

Politicians act the way they do because we treat them as stars. I say, let's leave politics to the politicians and work to make our own lives better. You may disagree with me, but these are my thoughts. Period!

Follow me, where I go!

Just got back from my mother's house and learned that something's a-brewing again with the military. Reports said that Gen. Miranda of the Philippine Marines has been relieved. Malacañang denies this saying that it was he who asked to be relieved himself. Well, I don't know what to believe anymore. What bothers me is that Col. Querubin has gone to his "rescue" and calling for supporters to hold a vigil at Fort Bonifacio. Naturally, the president would see this as an act of defiance and has ordered for his arrest. As of this moment, everything is still at a standstill. What is bothersome in this scenario is that the backbone of the military's existence is its obedience to the chain of command. When junior officers begin thinking on their own, defying orders of their superiors, chances are, the foot soldier can do so, too. Simple logic, right? Now what will the AFP be in the future but a composition of cliques, disunited and practically leaderless. Not a very encouraging scenario, is it? My question is, if Gen. Miranda did ask to be relieved, why does he not come out in the open, clear things with his men and tell them to respect and obey his replacement? What is he waiting for? Why would he want this vigil on his behalf go through? My bet is that either Malacañang is not saying the truth or he is enjoying the limelight. As Andy Warhol said, everybody is entitled to at least 15 minutes of fame.

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It's now 10:00 pm and the latest is that they seem to have resolved the crisis. Good! I must be wrong. Thank God. There is hope after all.

No classes! Should we rejoice?

Classes have been suspended today because of a suspected impending coup. Two high ranking officers were relieved of their posts as they expressed their non-support for this government.

As a teen-ager, I remember the times when I would be very happy over the suspension of classes. There were a number of reasons why classes would be suspended during those days. First was the occurence of strong typhoons. We would have no classes for days because of inclement weather and inundation. i even managed to work overnight (my first time to work ever, I was 14 or 15 yrs old then) for a nutribun factory that was contracted by the government to offer relief to those stranded in central luzon. I remember the whole of Pampanga, Bulacan and nearby provinces in a sea of water and classes were suspended for a week at least. This was probably during the first years of martial law. I remember soldiers waiting for sacks and sacks of bread to be delivered. They were slumped on the floor sleeping or inside their 6 X 6 truck.

Earlier on, classes would be suspended for rallies happening in Morayta, Quiapo, the university belt and the University of the Philippines. Again, being a young teen-ager, I dld not know that this would be known as the first quarter storm. Student activists had died during rallies but still more and more people would march on the streets. There was this Carlos Santana song that goes "Jinggoooo, go back. Go back back go back." which rallyists had adapted and changed the lyrics to "Marcooooos, talagang tuta" alluding to Marcos' beng a lapdog to Amnerican imperialism.

Well, this is well-known history so there is no use writing about it. However, to my young mind, I did not care then. I was just happy there would be no Trigonometry class. However, Doc Emer just texted about the signing of the president of Proclamation 1017 which allows a warrantless arrest of suspected individuals, among others. (I have yet to read the news) This is just like the prelude to martial law when Marcos suspended the writ of habeas corpus. While I was nonchalant about political upheavals during my youth, I am more aware now as an adult. I look at things and try to analyze whatever information I receive. Will we experience another episode of military take over? I have the strong suspicion that we won't. Marcos has planned his moves well. He has wooed every general to his side. He had the full support of the military who at the time was confined inside their barracks awaiting to be called should there be a war. Looking back, I could just imagine how Being involved directly with civilian concerns like the political arena would have been tempting for their officers. That would mean sharing the limelight with the political leaders.

However, Gloria Arroyo does not have this luxury. Not after Edsa when the people has seen the power of civil disobedience. Not after Edsa where the people saw that the military can be swayed to their favor and defy their officers. Not after several failed coup attempts. As it is, the military is no longer the unified institution that it once was. Its leaders began to think on their own after it has seen the events that has happened since Edsa. Some of these young officers have their own agenda which to my mind is can include taking over the reins of government.

If ever martial law takes in effect, it will mean tremendous bloodshed like what happened in Tiananmen Square or worse, the military split to two and civil war ensues. Hope that never happens. At any event, should Gloria or any of her detractors and other players in this recent event fail, that would mean they will only have to heal their battered egos. We, the poor citizens of the Philippines will have to suffer more. Ganda no?

Talk about getting busted!

Yesterday's papers caused me to shudder. Well, it's not just bad news that we get plenty of these days. No! We don't get surprised by them anymore. What was shuddering about it was that it happened a tricycle ride (about 5 minutes or less) away from where i live.

I am talking about the drug bust in a 600 m compound of about 40 shanties that happened here in Pasig last Friday. It turned out that inside the compound were "shabu restaurants" with menus and all. Among those nabbed were 250 adults and 59 minors which, are you ready for this, included a baby and a pregnant girl of 12. What is more shocking was that it was just under the nose of the authorities as it was a few yards away from the city hall. Heads are sure going to roll after this. The report says that the precinct commander Senior Insp. Salvador de la Cruz and seven of his men had immediately been relieved. Personnel of the Drug Enforcement Unit of the Pasig City police (we have them?!?) have also been sacked. "IT'S ABOUT TIME!" I say.

Most of the minors were used as couriers and as sex workers for the customers who go there, the report said. What makes me tremble in fear is that we all know what shabu does to the brain. It fries the brain and make the addicted go loco afer some time of abuse. Now, if shabu can be had this easily, then, I could say we don't live in a very safe surrounding. Not because I fear that my children can be swayed to go there for I know that they know better. Never mind that the subdivision has a security guard who carries a gun. These addicts had obliterated the "siga-siga" of the 60s into smithereen for a few bucks. These guys are a new breed of gangsters that could kill aimlessly because reason has abandoned them. I am just glad that the place had been found out. I hope the authorities should not turn complacent over this victory for it has been our experience that these things do come back after some time.

Again, the issue here is poverty. What parent, in his/her right mind, would allow his offspring to go wondering the streets, engage in ilicit trade if only to help them eke out a living? Aren't these kids supposed to be in school? Aren't there enough public schools in Pasig? i guess not. Ah, the things that we do on an empty stomach can be harsh but that's life. We all live to survive. Again, we ohly have to blame our political leaders for this. If most of them are not corrupt and greedy for wealth and be serious with what they ought to do, none of this would happen.

The quality of life

Life is too short. The average life expectancy should be about 77.6 according to this source. While tecnology should have made life longer than it was centuries ago, technology also continues to bring about new ways to shorten it. Weapons are far more powerful and accurate today than fifty years ago during the last world war. Imagine another world war happening today and we would see weapons eliminating nations till kingdom comes. We need not go far, though. In our own backyard, we suffer from outrageous pollution, enough to ruin our lungs or contaminate our food to cause us to be seriously ill.

At any rate, assuming that we live to a ripe old age of 80, I'd say life only begins to spin during our teens when we begin to sense some freedom to make our own decisions. The toddler years, while very important, were just for learning the basics like walking, speaking, eating properly, etc. Considering that we don't have too much recollections of that age, we can assume that those were seven to eight years away from quality life. Assuming further that you begin to suffer sickness like alzheimer's disease, the quality of life is already gone. What is life without knowing what's around you, who your relatives and friends are? It's like living in oblivion. This is just like my mother who just turned 87 years old. Sometimes I'd like to equate it to someone living in limbo serving time until the spirit is ripe for acceptance to heaven.

But this is not alzheimer's disease. There is something more sinister. I am talking about cancer, the big-C. I am distraught by news that a very good friend's fight with it is almost over. She had undergone a series of chemotherapy and while she seemed to have survived the first episode of her disease, the cancer cells mestastasized to her lungs. Chemotherapy did not work this time and so she had to try gene therapy. She texted me yesterday to tell me that that didn't work either. That was enough to cause grief that I have to vent it somewhere. She had been a very very close friend. I've known her for twenty years as we have started working together in the same school for practically the same time. We've shared stories, jokes, points-of- view and work together. She was like a twin sister to me for I am only a day older. She had this habit of bringing in lots of food but eat less and I, together with some other friends, end up eating it so that they don't go to waste. We have always encouraged her to eat more as she would just have a taste and stop. It's like she just wanted the company. I still can't believe why she would have to suffer this disease. She's very beautiful, rich and very kind. She sees everyone as basically good. She's not a snob and very generous with her friends. These are the things that make me sorry I am helpless in her fight. All I can do is pray for her and, as my friend Zharro said, submit that God knows what He is doing.

Having lost two friends to cancer already makes me feel very vulnerable. I became aware of my own mortality.

Life is too short. Death begins when we were born. C'est la vie. This is the reason why we have to be wary about what we do today. We don't know what tomorrow brings. We may be healthy today but that cannot be forever. The key to a happy life is moderation and clean living. Think about what you do today as it will have consequences on your life tomorrow.

Pacquiao's win and the lessons it brings.

Pacquiao winning over Morales is no longer news. I should have written this right after Pacquiao's victory but what am I supposed to do? I had been very busy, as usual. Since it's three-days old, I know some of you might be saying, "Oh no! Not another Pacquiao entry to read!" However, this is not entirely so.

While congratulations is in order, and Pacquiao does need the attention he's been getting, I'm sure a lot of bloggers have already done an excellent job doing that. So, what else is there for me to write? What about, "what lesson can be learned from this victory?" Yes, that would put another slant to the latest caper of this great athlete.

As an educator, I have to view Pacquiao's victory in different perspectives. First, the prize money. Pacquiao's victory won him at least 2 million dollars - dollars, mind you. Translated to our currency, that is more than a whopping hundred million. That's a lot of moolah, enough to make his family live in luxury for the rest of their lives - or do they have to remember how to spend it wisely? At the cost of living these days, a million bucks is so easy to spend. At any rate, once again, Pacquiao proved that if you view success by the worth of one's purse, you don't actually need education as I have written, or at least implied, in one of my earlier entries here. All one needs is dedication to his/her craft, passion, a lot of practice, sacrifices and a little bit of luck. Pacquiao is one of those privileged to be given a shot at greatness and he is enjoying it now. We do not know who among us was given the same gift. Navarette had his chance and he blew it. How many Navarette's are out there? Would you know what to do had you been blessed as he is?

Second, I view Pacquiao's story and relate it to the plight of athletes in education. I do not deny the fact that most of these athletes have been having a tough time dealing with their teachers/professors, especially when they do not perform well with their academic requirements. This is actually the point of that entry Oftentimes, they would be popular while the league is ongoing and get the ridicule of their teachers and peers right after. Many of them cannot cope with their lessons. They are having a hard time with their studies for aside from the lessons they have to learn in class, they have to practice really hard to hone their craft. They are warriors who fight to their teeth to win. And in order to do that, they have to stay on campus and practice till they drop. We should understand that. However, we must also remember that this is their choice. In any endeavor, one must have passion and committment in order to succeed.

I have stayed in the academe for too long. I have heard a lot of arguments from both parents and students alike saying that an athlete must be given some leeway since they bring honor to the school. That has always been the bone of contention. That they bring honor to the school! I'd like to think differently. While they do take with them the name of the school in their victory, it is the school who let them shine. It is the school who provided them with an avenue to prove to themselves that they can be big. I may seem to contradict myself from my earlier stand but I can't help it. I have heard this argument for too long it makes me sick. Pacquiao won the title alone and he is the one reaping the fruits of his labor. Simple equation, right?

Democracy and nothing else.

My boss forwarded to me an essay written by Gary J. Bass entitled Are Democracies Really Peaceful? This article was in response to Dubya's proclamation that the survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands. The best hope for peace in our world is the expansion of freedom in all the world.

This is taken from Kant's idea in his "To Perpetual Peace" where he posits that a world made up of republics, whose citizens must bear the miseries of fighting and financing wars, should be more peaceful than a world made up of monarchies, whose kings can go to war with little personal risk.. Maybe Kant was thinking of monarchies where people are but subjects who will go to war as a pledge of allegiance to their king. In a democracy, people are supposedly equal and shall bear the consequences of war for after all, they not only have to sustain it with manpower but their resources as well. Why not? Democracy is, after all a government by the people, for the people and of the people, exercised either directly or through elected representatives; the majority rule; the principles of social equality and respect for the individual within a community. Hence, the people in a democratic state would have second thoughts of going to war. This has always been the idea espoused by the US of A. This sure justifies Bush's war on Iraq which was allegedly run by the dictator Saddam.

Is there truth to this claim? Will the world be a more peaceful place if more countries are run like a democracy?

Yet for all its influence, the theory of the democratic peace carries a crucial caveat. In a series of studies culminating in their new book, "Electing to Fight," the political scientists Edward D. Mansfield and Jack Snyder argue that new democracies are often unstable and thus particularly warlike... democratizing countries show signs of the lack of the rule of law, organized political parties,and professional news media. Without those restraining institutions firmly in place, empowering the public can mean empowering bellicose nationalists.

Never mind democratization, though. I do not think we will ever play the game. On the contrary, it is our country that has been democratized. So, the question I ask is, "Is democracy the only way?" In an ideal set-up, there is no freer man than that who lives in a democratic society, I think. Equal opportunity... each according to his ability, right? However, the loophole in the system is that man has not been given equal abilities. Just like in boxing, or any other sport for that matter, a winner emerges because he is probably more equipped than the other. Or that he landed the lucky punch first. And that is only talking about a fair fight. This is so in the real world. Some know how to play the game well. Acquire ability and a little luck or vice versa and you're on your way to success. This is the reason why we have the likes of Bill Gates, Cornelius Vanderbuilt, or our very own Lucio Tan and Henry Sy. They know how to play their marbles well while we lesser mortals, about 85% or even more, live on a mere pittance. But why do we not see people complaining against the system? That is because we believe that someday, we shall have a piece of that pie. That we will someday have a crack at it. Equal opportunity, remember?

Yet, success seems to be elusive to most than it should be. As a result, people try to take a faster route. Drug trafficking, sex trade, and other illegal activities. These are easier and faster routes. Dangerous but hey, we only live once, right? But that is not what we are all made up of. Fortunately, that is not how people with morals work and so far, we outnumber those who take a risk with these faster ways of getting rich. Me? Ah, I just work hard that there shall be a roof over our heads, eat three square meals a day, dress decently and try to be happy. And yes, I'm off to buy a lotto ticket. There may be millions of possible combinations but hey, I just might get lucky!

What was 2005 like?

I have stopped making new year resolutions a long time ago. I don't want to fool myself in believing I am that strong-willed or that I need to wait for a new year just to change my ways. So, instead, I reminisce on the past year and be happy with what I have accomplished and set out new goals for myself the following year.

Let's see, what have I accomplished?

In terms of work, this is my second year in my new post in school and I am still learning the ropes. i have made a few blunders but these are all over. Yes, I have committed mistakes although I don't think they were major ones. Well, maybe one or two but that's more personal than work related, really. I believe I could have done better. At any rate, be they minor ones or not, these errors will be major ones, a disgrace, if I commit them again. That will be unacceptable.

Blogging - this blog is more than a year old and I have made friends, good ones as a matter of fact, along the way. Never have I imagined that I would gain good friends via this medium.

Likewise, I have earned new friends in school. Parents, co-teachers and students as well. Hopefully, I have not earned any enemies. Of course, a guy like me who does not know when to stop talking or cease from expressing an opinion openly -- what do you expect?

Artistically, I have sold a few paintings and that's always a good thing. I have learned to play a few kundiman songs in the guitar, another challenging feat as I don't know how to sight read notes, so I had to memorize them. I have gotten a few poems on print, too. One is in a chapbook which is a poem about my mother who is suffering from alzheimer's entitled A stranger in her own house for pinoy poets which I joined this year. Another one which is in tagalog, Malapot na tubig has seen print in Our Own Voice an online literary mag by notable Filipino writers like Aileen Ibardaloza and fellow pinoy poet member
Edgar Bacong. Of course, three of my poems were exhibited in this year's exhibition for poetry month in our online university sometime in April and can be viewed here. This is my second time to be included there.

Family - has never been stronger. Me and the wife still treat each other as friends - friends in love with each other for the past twenty years and the romance continues. The kids are all grown up now and my eldest son, Mickey, is graduating high school this year. Kraiganne's efforts have paid off as she has gotten good grades. keshia and Coby, while managing to pass will have to be more serious with their studies, though.

No major tasks but what the heck? What more can I ask for? 2005 has really been a good year.