Of Parks and Kims and silver chopsticks

I'm back from a three-day exploration of South Korea! I have many unusual experiences that started, would you believe, at the NAIA like as if I was flying for the first time! What happened was after inspections at the immigration officer, I wore my shoes back putting my passport together with my boarding pass at a nearby chair. Unfortunately, I didn't notice that my boarding pass slipped from my passport upon retrieval. I was very hungry as I haven't had lunch yet so I immediately went to buy some food. It was there when I noticed that my boarding pass was missing. Then I heard my name being paged directing me to a place I could not recall anymore. I went back and two ladies approached me and told me they found my boarding pass which they surrendered to the airport police. When I rejoined my group, they were all laughing saying that my name was being announced. How do you respond to that? I told them I handed my boarding pass to the police for safekeeping first. Gave them a thousand each.

We arrived at Incheon airport around midnight. I couldn't find my luggage. As I used the luggage my daughter borrowed from her cousin which she used in their HK trip, I remembered the ribbon to be on the bluishh side and very slim. It was the wee hours of the morning when my children arrived and my wife immediately replaced my things with theirs in the bag. When the conveyor belt had taken about the fifth turn, I took the bag that resembled mine and tried to look at the name on the tag. You see, my niece's name is Rona and my wife's maiden name. When I read the tag, it says, Rowena Rona but no family name. I put it back and let it go. Several more rounds on the conveyor belt and it was the only one left. I took it again and recognized my padlock. Checked the name again and the address on it and realized it was indeed my luggage. And to think it had been there since the time we arrived.

It was very cold when we arrived. It's spring right now in Korea and temperature can go as low as 11 degrees to 23C. As my jacket was inside my luggage, I had to be contented with putting my hands inside my pockets to keep me warm. We had a bulgogi dinner consisting of beef, clear noodles cooked in soup and other flavors, rice, side dishes and kimchi. Wow! authentic kimchi! The thrill over eating kimchi will soon be gone after having to eat it with every meal everyday. Lol!

It would be wasting your time to narrate what a wonderful time I had during the tour for that is a given. Suffice it to say that we stayed at the Biwon Hotel in Seoul. Instead, I shall give you my impression of South Korea in the three days that I spent there. My biggest impression is that Korea is as efficient as any well-developed country there is. Their systems work well together with how they have adapted technology without forgetting their rich culture. I have seen how proud they are of their ethnic traditions and many more.

If there is one similarity we have with the Koreans, it would be that our countries have been colonized by Japan. They had been oppressed a thousand fold by the Japanese, having been a colony for thirty or so years, and experienced a civil war thereafter that divided their nation into two. And yet, they are more progressive than us in many ways. While I envy the cold climate they have during the short time that I was there, I envy the developments they have made over the years more. I know my observations may be far off from what Korea truly is for I have only been there for only three days. But in the three days that I spent, I nver saw lazy men just hanging around at a corner store making nonsense talk like how they had been bummed out the previous night, or would you see idle land that is not made into a garden of vegetables or flowers. I have been to theme parks that teemed with a lot of people and yet, you do not find garbage like you do in people's park in Tagaytay, for example. Their toilets are well maintained, with soap and tissues around and I am not talking about tourist spots but ordinary public toilets. They practice garbage segregation, street food is clean and the people are very disciplined. They are very industrious working very hard which they inculcate to their young at a very early age.

Giuen more time to stay in that country, I know my impression may change. Who knows? In the meantime, this will be my idea of what Korea is. That if there is something we can learn from them, it will be to love our own country, take pride with who we are, work hard and aspire for a better nation. That the system in Korea is effective and very efficient because the people willed it to be so. They all participate in making their system work and it did.

Note: More pictures coming soon. Unfortunately, my digital camera decided to go bonkers and I have to rely on friends. Besides, my wife and I will be going to Bicol with friends and will be staying there till Sunday. This will be my last hurrah for this year. I start reporting back for work on Monday.

My turn

I picked-up my kids from the airport last night. No, make that this morning as we arrived home at 2 am. I, together with BIL, whose wife and children Kenken and Jan were with them in this trip, left the hosue at around 9 pm as we planned to go to a spa near the airport. It was very relaxing although I think we were the only Filipinos there as the clients we were with were Koreans. It was a tiring day as I had to attend a nude sketching session with friends, Omi, Buds, et.al. The model was a guy, alright? I didn't get to sketch and just watched with Omi's wife Tutit as I forgot to bring my materials. Omi offered to lend me his but I declined knowing he'd be doing more than one sketch. They were beautiful, mind you.

Just as when BIL and I were having a light merienda, his phone rang and we knew it was time to pick them up. It was 12:30 am. Well, the guys haven't had dinner yet and so we had to go to a restaurant to eat. I slept an hour later as I had to pack my suitcase. Today, I leave for South Korea for a four-day tour. The credit coop in school offered this tour, just as it did with my Thailand tour last year. It's a neat package payable in one year so I figured why not grab the opportunity, right? I may be too old and too weak before I can travel and that is no fun. For those of you who may be wondering, I had urged the wifey to come but she wanted to go to Australia and visit a friend instead. Too bad, it did not push through. I could have gone with her there. :-)

Jon since we will be using Cebu-Pacific, let's see if we're going to be bumped -off, too. Hah! I can use a free round trip ticket to Palawan myself, hehehe.

So, if I don't get to respond or comment in your blog, it's not because I had been idle again, okay?

As Heidi Klum would say, auf wiedershenne for now.

Getting bumped off a flight - good or bad?

It's so quiet in the house today. The kids have all gone on vacation to Hong Kong for some bonding time on their own without any of their parents. Let's see how they fare. It started as a gift to Kim for her debut in lieu of a birthday party (smart thinking, if you ask me) but as she was a first time traveler, we asked her sister who have been there twice to accompany her. As it turned out, her brothers wanted to join. So, they all tried to save their dough for their own pocket money. The aunt learned about it, joined in with her two boys and voila! Instant vacation for the guys. How lucky. The farthest I've been to when I was their age was Cabanatuan. hehehe

Anyway, I took them to the airport yesterday at around 5:30 am as their flight was scheduled to depart at 8:00 am. While I was answering emails, I got a call from my brother-in-law that they were not able to ride the plane. They were told that it was overbooked. Overbooked my a**! My wife had even confirmed their flights days before. It's either someone in CebuPacific messed up big time or they were bumped off by some VIP's. The good thing is that the guys were offered another ticket either to HK or any local destination. They opted for Palawan since they have already been to HK. Besides, Palawan is far more cheaper. (Good thinking again)

My youngest, ever the whiner, kept on complaining that he was only given one viand during lunch. hahaha, kawawang bunso. Ginutom ng airlines.

Coming full circle

Pura Vida

Last April 30, the family joined friends for an overnight stay at Pura Vida in Tagaytay. The place is just right for a group of ten people living comfortably in its three bedrooms at the second floor and a huge one at the third floor. With three toilets and baths, one does not need to rush doing his/her morning routines and whatever business one has to do. It also has all the other amenities of a well-furnished house with an efficient kitchen, cable tv sets in all the rooms, a living room with comfortable sofas and a dining room elegantly prepared as one enters. As there had been twelve adults, we had to pay extra but since each of us are sharing, the rent was affordable.

Ollie and Kathy, Lito and Thelma, Me and wifey, and Edgar and Vivian

Together with my family were old time friends Ollie and wife Kathy with their child Kathleen, Edgar and Vivian with their children Demi, Rex and Brian and Wat. We have been touring Luzon since the turn of the century and we have gone to places where we could not have gone to for the expenses can be horrendously high. New to the group were husband and wife Lito and Thelma who just arrived from Qatar for a month-long vacation.

There was a downside of this trip. Our eldest couldn't come with us as she had to work. What I feared most is happening now. Reality has kicked in. Soon, these children will be off finding their own niches, building a family of their own and my wife and I will be back to having just ourselves to look for. With my youngest about to graduate high school this coming school year, the thought of having our children leave the nest is eminent. When that time has come, then we would have come in full circle.

Soon to graduate parents

I don't know if I should rejoice having been successful as a parent (which we have been aiming for throughtout these years) or should I be lonely that the babies we used to cuddle in our arms, nurture with love and worked hard for just so they can have a good education have left us. I should be contented in the thought that our purpose of bringing these children to the world to be good people have turned come into fruition and that our purpose in this world has been fulfilled. Time well spent is time worth remembering by.


There's a Red House over Yonder

Taken by the paparazzi from the backdoor


Thelma and Vivian


Wat

There is no summer without the beach!

This year, as part of our 23rd wedding anniversary and birthday celebration of my wife, we all went up north to a town called Bangui, some thirty minutes away from Pagudpud. It is where the clouds and the sea meet, where the winds break ceaselessly for hours making waves upon waves rush to shore to get some sand perhaps to transform it into salt and the night as silent as can be where one can hear an ant sigh if one really tried very hard. But not during those four days and three nights we have been around. We played and partied all night long that had we been doing these in Manila, the neighbors would have been throwing stones at our roof already.

family picture


We left at 10:00 pm and arrived there at 6 am ever thankful that the Yamaha guitar which I had to buy for Uncle Faer was still scratchless as the day I bought it for him. Surprisingly, it was not an uncomfortable ten-hour trip that I dreaded would happen as I am not fond of very long trips.
>me and Uncle Faer

The stop overs were just right when I needed them and besides, the bus had its own toilet (just to pee, thank you). There was enough leg room and the chairs were comfortable enough. We saw Uncle Peping who hurriedly met us as we alighted from the bus. He is an 87 year old farmer who commands his carabao in english, much to the delight of the kids.

Uncle Peping tending to his hay


We were immediately treated to a festive breakfast at Doc Rolly's house hosted by his lovely wife, Mimi, while at the other house, Uncle Faer's alalays were already preparing for lunch. Uncle Faer is the youngest of the brood in my mother-in-law's family. He is a retired navy who retired at the age of 44 and worked for the US Post Office where he also retired. He is a no nonsense guy who knows what he wants and has to have it at all costs. He just lost his wife this year which prompted his family to come over and bury her remains here as she wished. As the children are now working, they have all returned to the States while their dad chose to remain here being attended to by a number of alalays who cook, clean and run errands for him.

the cousins with the alalays



After lunch, the kids took off for the windmills, the latest addition to the town's otherwise plain topography. I failed to go with them as I was having a chat with our very gracious host, playing for him some kundimans that I can still play with my guitar. Bringing my guitar pieces was a good move after all, in spite of the bulk.

the latest touch of technology


The following day, we rented a mini bus to take us farther north near the border of Cagayan. We crossed the Patapat bridge and went to Agua Grande just for some photo ops as the kids were not interested in swimming there. Then we headed off to Saud Beach Resort where the kids opted to stay overnight.

>the cousins in a Pagudpud hotel


The following day, we just bummed around playing poker. The boys opted to go out with their cousin EJ to experience whatever is happening at the town as they celebrated the town's fiesta. We had a wonderful time!

A Score and Three!

It's my wife's birthday today. I always make it a point to write about our escapades during her birthday. Why? Because it also means it's another year added to our relationship as we were married on the her natal day. We make it a point that we do something extraordinary on this day. While the kids were growing up, we would rent a private pool somewhere in Laguna for the family which would include relatives and friends. This was how the children learned how to swim. It would have been a family tradition but we soon had close friends who would take us on a tour or something and the rest of the relatives would soon vow out of the scene.

Anyway, when I started blogging, I saw a venue to put everything before my memory fails me. Of course, that's still a long time to come but just the same, I would want to keep these memories not only for me, but for my grandchildren and theirs. Hmmm, do you suppose blogspot would still be around then? MAybe we would have all moved on to another experience of journaling our day to day existence, right?

This is the first time that I shall be writing about the anniversary on the day itself. We are still preparing lunch, which, hopefully would be enjoyed by all. Later on, we will be hearing mass (something that I do once a year) then off to a restaurant somewhere at the Fort. Nothing much for we would like to save some money for travels we are all looking forward to. In the meantime, should you have more time to browse, you can read about our birthday cum anniversary here, here, here, and here

Happy birthday, mama. I love you very much!

Batang Kaning Lamig

Nick, me, Apol, Batjay and Ajay


It seems like the place to be for Filipino bloggers at around 3:00 pm last Monday was at Fully Booked at the Serendra. I did not realize this until I have gone bloghopping and came upon sites that mentioned they were there, too. I am talking about the launching of my friend's book, Mga kwento ng mga batang kaning lamig. I was silly to assume it was only me and some blogkada friends who will be there from among the bloggers. Well, true enough, Apol,Nick and his officemate Laine were there. We were joined later by the ever so elegantly beautiful Ajay of the Manila Bulletin who managed to sneak in an interview of the "man" of the hour several hours later. As it turned out, there were other bloggers there, too. Why an I surprised when it is the famous two-time awardee of blogger of the year Batjay who has come to town? Naturally, the event will be attended by bloggers!

Our group was approached by Manuel Viloria who unselfishly shared with us some adsense tips while waiting for the ceremonies to begin. I also saw Charlotte who is a frequent visitor at this site and whom I met last December when cbs came to town. Other than these two, I didn't know who else was there. Oh, Dante, that equally famous brother who is known by my generation as Howlin' Dave, was there, too. So were RJ and from the comments in his blog, ayz. What a pity that I didn't know. We could have chatted for an hour as we waited for the ceremonies to begin. Had I only known. Now, I'm sure there could have been others. RJ admitted in his blog that he was shy to approach me at the time. If you're a blogger and you see me, please say hi. I don't bite, for sure.

Anyway, why do you think Batjay is famous? I guess it could not just be because of his pleasing personality since one has to visit his blog for sometime before ths kicks in. I guess it is because he knows his audience, honest with his writings which is never intimidating, witty with his repartee with his commenters, and most of all, funny. He wouldn't have been awarded blogger of the year for two years for nothing, would he?

We both arrived, entered the doors of Fullybooked, albeit from different ends, at the same time. What do you know? It would have been a giveaway had he been donning a Batman t-shirt. However, as complicated as his humor is, he didn't. Instead, he wore a brown shirt with "spiderman" on it.

In his interview with Ajay (thanks for the coffee, sweetheart) to which Apol and I were fortunate to be kibitzers, he was asked to whom he was writing for. Without batting an eyelash, he answered for the OFW's like me so that they wouldn't miss home that much and for Filipinos living here in the country for them to know what it is like to live in a foreign land. There are so much covered in that interview but I would not want to pre-empt Ajay's article which would come out on Monday.

The book caters to a specific target audience as opposed to having a universal theme. How can its humor be understood by Americans, for example, when practically everything in it is culture bound? Take the title for instance. No other nationality would understand the implications of "kaning lamig". Heck I don't even think Filipinos who have never experienced being a "tambay" would understand that. If I may explain, for rice eaters, the preferred choice has always been the steamy-hot-straight-from-the-pot kind. However, for the tambay sa kanto, usually teen-agers who have nothing better to do but to idly while away time at the cornier, perhaps a sari-sari store, smoking and telling jokes to one another, couldn't care if they are served cold rice. Usually, these guys would be invited to eat in a member's house for merienda (in between meals) to which they would be served left over viands and, you guess it right - kaning lamig!

Having said that, am I saying that the book can never be accepted elsewhere? Who can say? There is a saying that the universal lies in the particular. We've seen authors who wrote in their own milieu in their own space and time and yet, their works are known to us simply because the beauty of what they have written has been translated effectively. So, maybe someday, my friend will be known throughout the world once we have learned to translate our culture to be more pallatable to the international market.

At any rate, the book is a sure winner for Filipinos. Batjay has done it again and I am proud I was there to greet him. Go get your copies now before the supply is gone. I tell you, the books were all sold out even before the launch has ended.

Congrats, sir!

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In a related story, the Manila berks met last night, April 16, for an evening of fun. We first met at what has become our favorite hang-out, Pot nad Noodles, for some steamed fish, pata tim with cuapao, kikiam, canton (for long life, of course, wink wink) and yang chow rice. We also ordered some cold cuts for appetizer while Batjay was being interviewed. After dinner, we proceeded to Starbucks for coffee and some cake. Thanks for the pic, Doc Emer



Doc Emer,Nick,Batjay,me,Apol. Standing are Mari, and Mec

Pride and shame

I'm so proud of my eldest while I feel ashamed of myself. You see, they have never seen me go home drunk before. Well, at least not in a very very long time. Maybe while they were about two or three years old when all they have were fond memories of toys and dolls and those family outings that no memory of their father going home drunk really mattered. It was very seldom anyway.

Last Sunday, my wife had a three-day seminar in Zambales and I had nothing to do. So, when my friends told me to join them for a drink, I went. As I and my friends know that I am not allowed to drink alcohol, they just offered me red wine. Lo and behold, unbeknownst to me, I have gobbled up two bottles and was pretty drunk. The fact that I came there on a cab made me think it would be okay since I was not driving. Besides, I used to finish a Carlos I with no problem at all. Never got drunk with red wine.

When I got home, I sat on the sofa and before I knew it, I puked! I ran to the toilet but even then couldn't contain myself and threw up some more spilling everything my tummy can offer. I immediately took a bath while my daughter cleaned up after me.

Here's the funny part. Last night, when my wife arrived, my daughter, together with the other siblings, asked her mom, "Ma, has papa confessed yet?" My wife asked what happened? The children were silently waiting for my response. I couldn't look my children in the eyes but I jokingly said, "I was with three beautiful women last night." hehehe

This morining, it was just me and my eldest inside the car on the way to work. I asked her, "have you told your mother?" "No, of course not. It's your duty to tell her." I said I will in due time. All she said was, "you should! Ang kapal ng face mo pag hindi."

I tell you, once your kids have grown, they will always end to be the wiser.

He's done it again!

The latest buzz in cyberspace right now is that my good friend, Batjay has published another book! This time, there's no denying that it is him. It's Batjay to invade everybody's bookshelf. Launching will be on April 14 at Fullybooked at Serendra, 3:00 pm. What's even greater news is that he will be coming over and will actually be there, straight from the airport. I will certainly be there. See you!

Revisiting the masters

Since I started this project last year which I also posted here, I saw the benefits of the project for the learners. Not only do they learn about the masters (at least some of their works), they also learn about texture and what it does for an artwork. As this is also a group work, they also learn about team work, leadership/following a leader and sorting out their differences.

While I started out with Pablo Picasso last year simply because you can segregate the colors easily, I added more artists this year. I asked the students to research about the following artists:

Foreign:

1. Pablo Picasso
2. Henri Matisse
3. Vincent van Gogh
4. Juan Gris
5. George Braque

Filipino:

1. Arturo Luz
2. H. R. Ocampo
3. Cesar Legaspi

Here are some samples of the students' work. Can you tell which painter is being reproduced?

Religion, tradition, superstition

Sometimes,there is a very thin line between religion and superstition. This can be seen here in the country especially during the Holy Week.

Holy Week starts on Palm Sunday and ends on Easter Sunday. I remember the lonely Thursdays and Fridays extending till Saturdays of the week during my younger days. There was nothing much that you can do for you were forbidden to play by your parents since you cannot have fun while the Lord suffers. TV stations were out and comes back only at 3:00 pm only to be given reruns from the dinosaur age. This went on till the coming of cable tv. Business establishments were all closed.

But that did not mean we really had nothing to do. You can read the Pasyon, which I could not figure out till now why they have to use a microphone and make the neighbors lose sleep in the evening (probably part of a scheme for unsolicited penitence, huh?), watch the senakulo (a theater production portraying the life of Christ), visit seven churches to do the Stations of the Cross. Not your idea of fun, are they? But these are nothing compared to what other people do. YOu can also see people carry the cross, walk from a to b kneeling and/or flog each other and make a spectacle out of themselves. In Pampanga, people do actually nail human beings to the cross. They would soak their nails in alcohol for one year so as to ensure that these are clean. (Why not holy water, huh? Maybe that makes it all the more potent.)

There is nothing sacred about these things if you ask me. God never instructed us to do just that. And yet we do. If you ask me, Good Friday whould be a time of merriment for on this day, God has fulfilled a covenant with us. But that's just probably me. I cannot even say that these forms of sacrifices are wrong entirely. It just happens to be how people relate with God. And when it comes to matters of faith, each individual is entitled to exercise it in whatever form he/she likes provided it does not cause injury to another.

At any rate, as I have said, we know that there is a thin border between religion and superstition. Much of the practices we see during Holy Week resulted in superstition. Ask most of the people why they exercise the sacrifices they do and most likely, the answer is because these prove that they have won God's favor through some sort of a miracle done to their lives. This is not solely a Catholic endeavor. Many religions have their own practices.

How should one view faith? I think we should look at faith in different perspectives. One is look at it in the eyes of an intellectual, the other as a child. We should view faith as an intellectual so that we can learn to differentiate a miracle from a hoax. That we don't fall prey to exploiters. We should view faith as a child so that we can accept what is that that we cannot explain and believe in it. Too much intellect and you become an agnostic or even an atheist. Too much thinking like a child and you become a fanatic extremist. As we all know, too much of everything is not good.

Happy Easter everyone.

Serendipity?

We are at the final leg of the schoolyear and everybody's busy with grades! For students, getting high marks and teachers computing them. It's really crazy this time of the year. What I could not understand is how students would relax the whole season with nothing to do but talk with their seatmates instead of working on their grades and panic on the last day trying to make up for lost time. Real valuable time, and they never learn. They'd do this again the following year. Well, maybe that is human nature. At least for most of us. I, too, am guilty with this phenomenon, you know. I would dilly dally on tasks thinking this or that is easy and when it's crunch time, would not even sleep just to complete the deed. Procrastinate all you want guys for in the end, you will have to do what you're supposed to do or face the consequences of your irresponsibility.

Anyway, while I was in a stage of stupor, thinking what and how I am to do the volumes of work that are hitherto unattended, a poem came to me and this is the result of that squalid serendipitous splendor. Here's hoping that you'll like it.

What is and what is not

I don't have to hear my baby cry
to know he craves for food
or that he wants a warm hug
on a cold, cold night.
I know what is and what is not.

I don't have to taste a mango
to know if it's sour or sweet,
nor do I have to cut myself
to know that a wound
immersed in brine hurts.
I know what is and what is not.

I don't have to see the tears
to know that not all dreams
come true making men
miserable all their lives.
I know what can or cannot be,
I know what is and what is not.

I don't have to hear wailing
to know hunger exists and lingers.
I only have to see children
with open palms, begging for alms.
I know what is and what is not.

I do not have to witness a man
manacled with strong chains
being dragged into the corner,
beaten with truncheons
or bombarded with water cannons
to know that there's injustice.
I know what is and what is not.

I don't have to smell the land
bathed in blood to know
that your greed can only be sated
by my sweat and tears,
I know what you can and cannot do
I know what you will and will not do.

I don't have to see the sun
to know it hides behind
dark clouds on a stormy day.
I know what is and what is not.

I know I can't go on whining
and do nothing about it.
I know it's what it is
snd not what it's not.

rolly

Boy, but he grows fast!

It's just been a month since I mentioned that we got ourselves the first family pet. You might be thinking that it's a little late for us to acquire a pet but I was not very kin on having one while the kids are growing up since I know that having a pet dog can be serious business. I would like to make sure that my children know how to handle a dog responsibly as I did not want any problems on my hands. As a matter of fact, my youngest had a tragic experience with my SIL's dog. He was bitten on the head! The doctors made sure that he has got to have his shots as the nasty bites were near the brain. Anyway, seeing how excited the children are upon seeing this puppy, I knew we are prepared to have a pet.




His name is Yogi, probably a mongrel given to my wife as a gift from Tagaytay for having stood as sponsor for a friend's child's wedding. He is a very cute little puppy and a darling to all of us.



Well, he is beginning to learn the rules of the house now. He no longer bites hard and has lessened jumping on everyone when excited. I have gotten him accustomed to having his neck on a leash everytime I take him out for a walk. Even managed to make him stay put while on a leash while I cleaned the car. Last Saturday, I bought him some goodies like dog biscuits which he adored. Took him only three days to finish the whole pack. I also bought him a nail cutter and a fake bone, which I might say are both inutile right now as I could not work the nail cutter with him refusing to give his paw, and yes, you figured out correctly, probably a tasteless bone.

He's grown very big now. I could not imagine how he'd growb this big in just a little over a month. He's gotten so big that we had to find a new haven for him. Have a look for yourself:







GOTCHA!!!

Rants!

It seems like we who are traversing the SLEX are going to be facing hard times again. The continuation of the skyway will soon be ongoing and now that they have narrowed down the road, the telltale signs of heavy traffic on both sides are imminent. There has never been a single day when I have not been stuck in traffic going home for two weeks now! What's worse is that a new construction is ongoing at C5 and I have to endure another traffic grid from Market Market all the way to Buting.

What really gets my goat is learning that the operators of the SLEX have revived their stupid solution of decongesting the north bound vehicles every morning by having a counterflow scheme. What this does is decongest the traffic by some 10 per cent for the north bound vehicles and demobilize the south bound ones a hundred percent from the foot of the connecting C5 bridge all the way to Bicutan.

I have told a friend once that Citra (the company running SLEX) should not charge vehicles using the highway everytime there is a humongous traffic. To think that commuters have to pay a whopping Php65 from Nichols till Alabang one way! And for what? Only to be stuck for hours. But then, my friend said, the more that we should be charged. After all, we are staying on the highway a longer time.

______________

In a different story, I was watching the news this evening when a story caught my attention. The story links Joe de Venecia to smuggling. Naturally, De Venecia denies the charge and countered it is the First Gentleman and his son who have connections with smugglers. One of the good things that come out from this ZTE deal is that these trapos are on each other's throats and throwing mud at each other. Hah! Let them kill one another, I say, and rid the Philippines of them. We don't need these greedy bunch whoever they are.

color harmony

One of the projects I give my students is one that teaches them to use three basic color harmonies, viz., monochromatic (use of different shades of one color), analogous (related colors), and complementary colors (colors lying opposite each other in the color wheel). What I do is let the students choose their own theme, their own medium which they are most comfortable with minimizing my control over their form of expression. Anyway, here are some of the works they produced.

The HIghlanders

"The HIghlanders"
Oil on canvas 36" X 36"

This is another commissioned work which is bound to go to Canada. It is one of the hardest pieces I've done so far for the simple reason that I could not decide the colors to use, I had to change colors as I went along. Since it was the owner who suggested the theme and color scheme, my main problem was how to make a scene of mountain people who are accustomed to living in a cold emvironment look good on a warm tone, ie., red. That was my patron's request, red! Very limiting and yet very challenging. I decided to go analogous on this one using tones related to redm and yes, a little blue hre and there. There's the finished product. Hope she likes it. Hope you like it, too.:-)

Much ado about nothing(?)

Finally, Rodolfo Lozada, has surfaced after a search for him since he arrived from Hong Kong last Tuesday. As you may know by now, he is supposed to testify on the NBN deal at the Senate, presumably to shed more light into the controversy. People had been worried for his life as the powers that be may have had him liquidated lest he spill out a testimony that will bring a lot of people down.

This morning, I received a text message from Doc Emer saying that Lozada has been found. As the text message was received at around 4:00 am, I have no way of checking the news on tv. It was later on, at around 5:00, after my morning routine, that the news came out that Lozada was in La Salle Greenhills.

So, what was the fuzz all about? He strengthened the case on former Comelec chair, Benjamin Abalos and stopped there. All he kmows about the FG Mike Arroyo are not first hand information - hence, hearsay. We all know that hearsay testimonies are not acceptable in court. With Lozada's emergence, we are still left in the dark. Too much ado over nothing, I might say.

I gotta do it right!

As I have mentioned in my previous post, I am a new father again. Well,it seems like it only that the new comer is a puppy. The only thing is that this is the first time we are owning a pet dog, hence, we are just being introduced to a new world of raising a puppy just as the world is being introduced to it. ONe of the problems we now encounter is that Yogi has not yet acquired biting inhibition. He bites when he is excited as puppies do, as I learned from my research. This puppy has been separated early from its mom that it has not been socialized with its own litter and other dogs. You see, puppies do not have hands like us humans (duh) so what it does is to use its mouth. Biting inhibition is taught by the mother and siblings. When the puppy's bite gets strong,probably while sucking on the mother's teat, the mother gets angry, growls or leaves. The same thing with other dogs during playing time. This is how the puppy learns to control its bite. After a series of reading various materials on dog training, I think I've got it right. He no longer does that to me. But still does it with my daughters.

I think I have established with him that I am the alpha dog. He can now follow my commands - that is nobody is there with me. I guess he's still too young for training. But I can already make him sit when I tell him to. Patience is what I need and he'll get it in due time. Who wouldn've thought I will be a father again! :-)

The latest addition to the family

We have another addition to the family, the youngest. He, yes, he's a boy, did not come after having stayed 9 months in my wife's belly but only in a day! Last Thursday, my wife sponsored a wedding at Tagaytay. It would have been just another one of those weddings my wife attend but this one was different. When I got back home, I saw my daughter tenderly patting him on the head while he remained steadily lain on the garden table. He was very quiet, not a sound came from him, not even a whimper. IT turned out that my wife has returned with a puppy which she intends to give to either her brother or a friend, as she knew I didn't want any pet in the house. She just couldn't resist taking his one home!

I had always been adverse to having pets in the house for several reasons. First and foremost is that having a pet is a huge responsibility. Uncared for pets turn out with mighty, disgusting fleas, can be ferocious and bite the neighbor's child and put us into trouble. You have to clean up after them and cleaning poop is not one of my favorite chores.

And yet,there is something unique with this puppy. He's just so lovable. I did not want my emotions get over me so I ignored my daughter's plea to keep the dog. HOwever, that night, when my eldest, and later on, my other son came, I saw how bright their smiles were upon seeing the dog. They excitedly went to where it was, petted it and my heart melted. Nothing in this world could ever give that kind of happiness to my children. And so, the following morning, I gave out the simple rule that they should all have their share in caring for the dog, otherwise, he will have to go. And so my friends, I would like to present to you the latest addition to our family, Yogi!

Wheel of fortune

Fifty years living in this planet has taught me that karma does exist. While in its strictest sense, karma is not about retribution or vengeance as most people believeit to be. Simply put, karma speaks of what we become as a result of our decisions. What we are now is due to what and how we live and that includes how we treat other people. This is the reason why we should treat other people fairly. Filipinos have a similar viewpoint. We believe in life being lived like a wheel. Sometimes we're on top, other times, we're at the bottom. Gulong ng palad (wheel of fortune) is what we call it.

To those of you who are at the top right now, let me share with you a quote from Thomas Paine.

He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself.