firecrackers

One of our dogs died today, Fuji. She had been with us for more than 10 years. Every New Year's eve, she always hid at the back of the house, scared of the sound of the firecrackers. I remember, there was even a time when she surprised us by leaping over a 5 feet wall (with the help of the washing machine) because of the noise.  We laughed.  She was not a big dog, and looking at her, you'd never know she would be able to jump that high.

A few days before she died she can no longer stand up. Her legs were twisted with arthritis and she refused to eat. We all knew it was only a matter of time. My aunt and mom were always telling me that we should just have her "put to sleep". I refused. She had survived a lot of things before and came back stronger than ever, I feel like she deserved all the life she can get. I did my best to take care of her. I imagined her, an old dog, closing her eyes, dying peacefully in her sleep.

But it wasn't like that at all. It got to the point where it was painful to just look at her. She was so thin and, yesterday, she had saliva dripping from her mouth. She was barking (sort of) and we couldn't do anything but wait. She died with her eyes open. We buried her this morning. In the afternoon, we saw a butterfly with purple spots in the place where she died. I believe it was her, saying goodbye.

It's now 5:14 pm here and already I can hear firecrackers outside. The usual stuff: trianggulo, plapla, bawang, etc. Looking at them, you'd never know they were packing so much power and could make that much noise. What a way to end the year, crying while writing a blog entry. I miss her.

difficult people

This app in Facebook is almost always right on target.

On this day, God wants you to know...
... that difficult people are very important, - they teach you tolerance and acceptance. If all was going your way all the time, you would become a spoiled child, wouldn't everyone? Difficult people are just one of the ways God teaches us to expand beyond our egos and accept other perspectives on life.

For me, there's no such thing as an "easy" person. Everyone's difficult because each of us is unique-- different ways of thinking, backgrounds and views on life, personalities. It's always hard for me to adjust. I get uncomfortable when there's unfamiliar company. Plus when I'm with people, I tend to get the feeling that you have to entertain them. You have to talk about interesting things, you have to talk about yourself, you have to talk about the things you have in common-- you just have to Talk. You have to work and work and work to fill in the silence. Dead air is hell.

I do have friends and I've known them for years. These relationships are time tested and we've gone through a lot. I can count them in one hand though. Most of the people I know, I know that they're just passing through. I work with them, try my very best shot at small talk and that's it. Shallow connections. Why not make them deeper? I don't know. There's always something that prevents me from doing that. Maybe it's me, maybe it's them. Maybe the chemistry isn't right. I don't know. It's just difficult.

It sucks but I believe this is one of life's most important lesson-- tolerance and acceptance. It will be painful and it will take time. Everyone has a reason for doing the things they do, and I have to dig deeper to understand.

heavenly peace

In 1816, Father Josef Mohr wrote a poem about the night when Christ was born. It was a simple poem, describing a time of happiness and longing for peace and comfort. At that time, he was an assistant priest in Mariapfarr, Austria. The Napoleonic wars had just ended, and an economic depression left many unsure of the future.

Two years later, he showed it to Franz Gruber, the choirmaster, and asked him if he could compose a melody. It was the day before Christmas. Their church organ was broken, and they needed a song for the Mass that could be accompanied by a guitar. Franz got to work and on that Christmas eve, "Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht" (Silent Night, Holy Night), was born. Father Mohr sang tenor and played the guitar while Franz sang bass.


A hundred years later, their song became part of a miracle.

Soldiers fighting the Great War were promised a victory by December and assured they'd be going home to celebrate.  It was never delivered-- the war lasted for four more years.  But on the cold Christmas Eve of 1914, something happened. The German troops, despite the danger, placed lighted candles on trees. They held some of these over their heads, sending a holiday greeting to their enemy. The British, on the other side, saw it and held their fire. They heard the Germans start singing "Stille nacht, Heilige nacht" and immediately recognized the melody. They responded by singing English carols.

Frank Richards, author of the memoir Old Soldiers Never Die, writes about the truce: "We stuck up a board with 'Merry Christmas' on it. The enemy stuck up a similar one. Two of our men threw off their equipment and jumped on the parapet with their hands above their heads as two of the Germans did the same, our two going to meet them. They shook hands and then we all got out of the trench and so did the Germans." He also says that some German soldiers spoke perfect English, one of them even saying how fed up he was with the war and how he would be glad when it was all over. The British agreed.

They lit a common campfire in "No Man's Land", a small bombed out terrain between them. Sitting around it, they exchanged gifts such as whisky, jam, cigarettes and chocolates. The truce lasted through Christmas night, but in some areas, it continued until New Year's Day.

Today, a cross stands near Ypres, Belgium, the place where the trees twinkled as a song of peace interrupted the war. It was created in 1999 and its inscription reads:

"1914 - The Khaki Chums Christmas Truce - 1999. 85 Years. Lest we forget."

"Stille nacht, Heilige nacht" by Josef Mohr and Franz Gruber

Sources:
http://www.stillenacht.at/en/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_truce
http://home.snu.edu/~hculbert/silent.htm
http://www.holytrinitynewrochelle.org/yourti14724.html

on silence

There's a small chapel on the 9th floor of the building where I work. Lately, I've been going there more often, following the afternoon Mass. I sit by myself, breathing in the incense. I stare outside or at the floor, think about work, my life so far, or what I will do in the future. Sometimes, flute or piano music plays from the speakers, or a catchy song plays in my head. I secretly watch the others, some are reading a novena book while some are praying. I try to guess what they are asking for and I hope that they get it.

I'm not sure if this is Peace. I often feel guilty for leaving my workstation, going all the way down there and then sitting for 5 to 10 minutes doing nothing. I feel like I'm wasting time not being busy, but I feel happy as well because I have a place and a time all for myself. Nobody I know goes there at that hour. A small window of freedom. I've been going for over a week and it's becoming a habit.

I hear no clever talks, no humor, no kind words, no sharing of one's self. It's blank-- but it's not empty. Something fills me, and I'm craving it more and more. I didn't realize my hunger for silence; and something is happening to me that I didn't expect: I'm more focused at work, better at conversations, more patient and more tolerant of others. Those moments bring out something in me. Out of nothing, the better part of me grows.

YouTube's most watched video of 2009

She's the youngest of nine children and lives in Blackburn with her ten-year-old cat, Pebbles.  The plan was to be a musical theatre singer like Elaine Page but you'd never know the power of that voice only by looking at her.  People had always made fun of her appearance and learning disabilities.  Nonetheless, there is always that dream-- to hold on to and pursue.  She took singing lessons from Fred O'Neil and attended the Edinburgh Acting School.  She auditioned for shows and recorded independent CDs. In 1999, she spent all of her savings to pay for a professionally cut demo tape, which she sent to record companies, radio talent competitions, local and national TV.

It all took a backseat though, when she had to look after her sick mother-- the same person who urged her to join a TV talent contest and “take the risk” of singing in front of an audience larger than her parish church.  Her mother died at the age of 91 last 2007.  She decided to join the contest as a tribute-- and her performance got her a standing ovation and a worldwide audience.   Today, she has a #1 debut album and 120 million views in Youtube. Best of all, she's known as the woman who shut up Simon Cowell.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Boyle

Entomophagy

http://www.nuffy.net/articles/world-strangest-food.html

Entomophagy is the practice of eating insects--  grasshoppers, spiders, ants, scorpions, beetles and the like.  They're not what most people would normally have for lunch but they're a delicacy in countries such as Thailand, China and Mexico.  Here in Pinas, we still consider them exotic but there are some places where you can satisfy your cravings for an adobo or a fried beetle-- although I don't know exactly where those are and I haven't eaten anything like that yet.

According to the Entomological Society of America, insects generally contain more protein and are lower in fat than traditional meats.  In Central Africa, caterpillars and grubs are a source of protein and energy.  A study done by the UN states that:

"For every 100 grams of dried caterpillars, there are about 53 grams of protein, about 15 percent of fat and about 17 percent of carbohydrates. Their energy value amounts to around 430 kilocalories per 100 grams. The insects are also believed to have a higher proportion of protein and fat than beef and fish with a high energy value.

Depending on the species, caterpillars are rich in important minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus and iron, as well as various vitamins, the FAO study revealed. Research shows that 100 grams of insects provide more than 100 percent of the daily requirements of the respective minerals and vitamins."

Of course there are still risks involved.  We can't eat all insects-- and even those that are considered safe could have been exposed to pesticides and toxins.  It's best to get your bugs from a reliable and trusted seller, or maybe you can start a farm and raise your own.   I think it's best to start with crickets (kuliglig).  They're one of the most popular to eat and there's a ton of websites listed on Google about how to raise them.  Here's an easy one to follow from Wikihow.

Aside from being an alternative source of nutrition and energy, insects are also a potential source of income.  The website Insects are Food offers advice and assistance to Entomophagy entrepreneurs.  You can send them an email with your questions here: info@insectsarefood.com.

Sources:
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23489201-just-the-cricket-eating-insects-is-good-for-us-and-for-the-environment-scientists-claim.do
http://insectsarefood.com
http://www.afrol.com/articles/14734
http://www.locusviridis.co.uk/sections/archives/category/entomophagy

trunk sale

Apologies, I haven't checked my admin email account for this blog in quite a while.  I wasn't really expecting anything.  When I last checked the inbox, the only thing I had (aside from the "please moderate" notifications) was the test mail I sent to myself.  Anyways, it turns out there's a new mail for me!  My first one ever!  I'm so happy-- and sleepy (it's 5 minutes 'til midnight).  It's about my animal friends post.

Hello -

I just spotted your mention on your site of Tarra & Bella, and the
Elephant Sanctuary - thanks so much for helping to spread the word
about the important work that they do! I'm in Publicity for Tilbury
House, a small independent publisher, and we published two books
written by the Sanctuary co-founder, Carol Buckley: Travels With Tarra
and Just for Elephants. I thought you might be interested to know that
through December 31, we are holding a "Trunk Sale" - for every 100
copies of our two elephant books that we sell, we'll sponsor a
much-needed item from the Sanctuary wish-list. These include 100lbs of
peanut butter (a favorite snack), elephant-sized meals, and land for
"the girls" to roam. The books are available directly from the
Sanctuary (www.elephants.com), as well as other online retailers and
bookstores nationwide. If you'd like more information, just let me
know.

Thanks again!

Kind regards,
Sarah

------------
Sarah McGinnis, Publicity
Tilbury House, Publishers
103 Brunswick Avenue
Gardiner, ME 04345
800-582-1899
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/c2cnav
www.tilburyhouse.com

These books are great for Christmas presents-- plus you'll be helping out the Elephant Sanctuary.  So for those interested, please visit http://www.elephants.com/estore/ and go grab a copy!

built-in kevlar

Jessica and Gabriella (abcnews.go.com)

Two years ago, Jessica Forsyth was shot by her boyfriend four times with a .44-caliber Magnum pistol. One of the bullets almost got her major blood vessels, spine and heart, if it hadn't been for the 6-inch titanium plate in her collarbone.

Dr. Greg Casey, a trauma surgeon from Hurley Medical Center says, "[Forsyth's] very, very lucky that she had that plate there. It probably saved her life. If [the bullet] had struck her spinal column, we might be dealing with a quadriplegic patient or a paraplegic patient. She was blessed to have that plate."

The plate was from the two accidents she had when she was a kid. When she was 8 years old, she broke her collarbone when her brother pushed her off a merry-go-round. Five years later, she fell off her bike and this time, the bone split in half. The doctors had to put in a titanium plate to help heal the fracture. She had always tried to hide the scar.

The plate saved her-- and the life of her unborn child. Forsyth didn't know that she was four months pregnant at that time.

"I was actually in the emergency room, and the doctor came over and told me, and I yelled at him. I did. I remember I was so mad," she said. "I told him to go back and check it again."

She gave birth to a baby girl last September 2007. Gabriella is now two years old and Forsyth feels that she is a sign of good luck for her.

"We're just so blessed that we still have her," Rhonda Poston, Forsyth's mother, said at the time, "and in addition to that we're going to have a baby!"

Sources:
Michigan teen shooting survivor - http://abcnews.go.com

delays

They were on their way to cover a major news event when a companion asked if they can go by the hotel first. He said he needed to get his laptop and use the bathroom. It has to be expected. In every trip, there's always someone like this. Someone who forgets something and they have to go and get it. Or there's someone who doesn't feel too good and they would have to stop.  Knowing the delay could cause them to miss the event, they still decided to let him have his way.  They'll just have to catch up-- fast.  They broke away from the convoy. Hours later, they found out that everyone was massacred-- a total of 57 people. That could've been a solid 60. The three of them could've been part of the most brutal election related crime in the country.


Hotel incident made us skip media convoy at last minute -http://services.inquirer.net
In Maguindanao, spared journalists are thankful for being late -http://www.gmanews.tv

davaotoday.com