little light

Whenever I start to write a poem or a story, I always need to find a song or any piece of music that matches it.  I play it again and again while writing. It's like wine to my muse.

So today, I needed to submit a writing exercise to the Internet writing workshop. The theme of the week was "Little light of mine":

In 400 words or less write a scene that takes place on the night of the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year, and show us someone or something bringing light into the darkness.

I had no idea what I was going to write. So I thought of things that light up: candles, light bulb, sunlight, and then I got it-- fireworks!  Then I remembered a song I heard from a Taiwanese boyband:

I don't speak Chinese and yet this song managed to bring a story out of me. Music is wonderful that way, yes?   I kept playing it over and over the whole day, even though I didn't understand a word.  Here's the little scene that I wrote, I hope you all like it-- I do. Thanks F4!  Happy New Year everyone!

Two small figures ran to the playground. "Hurry up! Someone might see us!"
The girl felt her heart pound. She was tired.
"Faster, fat ass." the boy whispered.
She glared at him. "My parents will kill me if they found out about this."
"I know." he said and smiled.
"I hate you."
He laughed. She always made him feel better about being an orphan. He sat on the ground and watched her lumber.
"Hey, that's the watch that you wanted."
She looked at the pink glow-in-the-dark watch on her arm. "Yeah, my sister gave it to me this Christmas. Jealous?"
"Please, it's a girl's watch. What time is it?", he said.
She pushed up her glasses and looked again. "Uh.. it's late."
"Really, what time?"
"Like, bedtime late."
"Like, what exact time?"
"Like time for you to shut up that's what!"
He laughed so hard, he fell back on the snow. He barely felt the snowball that hit him in the chest. His laughter echoed, probably all the way to The Home. He didn't care.
Suddenly, she was standing over him, hands at her hips.
"Did you bring a lighter?"
"Yeah." she said.
He stood up and opened his backpack. There were four small skyrockets inside. One of the kids at the orphanage knew someone who knew someone who made them.
"This is going to be awesome."
"I know!"
He set them carefully on the ground and then bowed at her. She booed him.
"Alright, I'll let you have the first one. Then I'll go, then you again." he said.
Her smile faded. She took out the lighter, images of blood and burnt hands came to her mind. She looked at him, afraid. He took the lighter from her hand.
"Sorry."
He waved his hand. "Hey, if you're scared you might do something wrong. I don't want you to lose your arm. How else can you wear that pretty watch and tell the time?"
She laughed and punched him in the chest.
"Alright here goes." He lit the wick of the first one. "Stand back!"
They ran and covered their ears. The rocket made a hissing sound and shot upwards. They screamed and hugged each other as it burst in the night sky, forming a brilliant ball of gold. A cold winter wind blew at them, yet they had never felt this warm before.

christmas gifts

There's this great article on sltrib.com that listed their readers' most memorable Christmas gift. Here's my favorite:

Timeless pictures
A few years ago my husband took his 3rd grade school photo and my 2nd grade photo (both from 1959) and had them framed with photos of our two girls from their second and third grade years. It vividly shows how our older daughter strikingly resembles me and our younger daughter takes after her father. It’s priceless. — Sally Loken

The Christmas gift that I remember the most was the one from my mother. It was back in high school, at the height of my craze for anything horror: books, movies, tv shows, anything. Everyone didn't get it, my room was full of it and my mother, especially, loathed it. She thought it was creepy. But what did she give me for Christmas? A mystery novel with a big skull at the cover.

Merry Christmas everyone!

kunimasu

A team of researchers from Japan found a fish thought to be extinct for the last 70 years.

The fish is called the black kokanee or in Japanese, "kunimasu". It thrived before in Lake Tazawa, 310 miles away from Lake Saiko where it was found, but a hydroelectric project made its habitat more acidic. Since then, its numbers steadily declined. The Environment Ministry listed it as extinct in 1940.

"I was really surprised. This is a very interesting fish – it's a treasure. We have to protect it and not let it disappear again," said Tetsuji Nakabo, a professor at Kyoto University who was with the researchers that found the fish.

They found enough number of kunimasu for the species to survive, so long as the current environment is maintained. Nakabo also hoped the fishermen will leave it alone.

The fishermen's organization had a meeting last December 15, to talk about making the kunimasu's area in the lake as a no-fishing zone. They will be discussing this with the town government, residents and others.

Source:
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20101217p2a00m0na015000c.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/15/scientist-says-he-found-j_n_796978.html
http://www.kfc1091.jp/Photo_Gallery/2007/pgal2007.html

people

Ships that pass in the night, and speak each other in passing, only a signal shown, and a distant voice in the darkness; So on the ocean of life, we pass and speak one another, only a look and a voice, then darkness again and a silence.
~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

never thought i'd get here

I've been so busy these past few weeks, I haven't been able to update this blog.  Not a big problem, I don't think anyone reads this, except me!  I really missed writing here.

After two months in the US, I'm finally back in the Philippines!  I'm still jet-lagged; this morning I woke up around 3am.  I can't sleep so I ended up watching episodes of the Big Bang Theory in the bathroom (I didn't want to wake up anyone).

Before coming home, I did a little side trip to one of the cities in my must-see-places-before-I-die list: New York!  This is definitely the highlight of my stay in the US.  I've been thinking of going to this place ever since I hit puberty, when I started watching all those rom-com movies.  I think it started with Cary Grant's "An Affair to Remember" and then came "Sex & the City", which just added more fuel to the fire.  I also heard about the museums and all the art and of course, Broadway.  I just had to go there.  The question was "how?"

So when I got a US onshore assignment on my day job, I jumped at the chance of a sidetrip to NYC.  Everyone thought I was crazy to go there alone, but was there ever a moment in your life that you felt that this was the chance you've always been waiting for?  That nothing will go wrong and that this was meant for you?  I felt it right there.  Never in my life did I thought that I'd be in New York by the end of this year and yet, there I was, standing at the top of the Empire State Building.  It's amazing how things sometimes work out.

There were little miracles.  One time, I was walking around in circles trying to find the correct subway station, somehow I always ended up on the wrong one.  I decided to just go with it and as it turns out, that route was way better than what I had planned.

Then there was a time when someone pointed out a small ad booklet, left near my seat in the bus.  He said that I should get it and it had a really good map of Manhattan at the back.  I depended on that booklet all throughout my trip.

Little miracles.  I believe it helped that my mom was praying for my safety.  Like the surprise Manhattan shuttle service in my Jersey hotel (until 10pm), not being late on all the events I've reserved even though I'm running behind schedule, Ripley's Museum still open at the late hours, being able to cross Central Park without getting lost, attending the Sunday mass, friendly strangers willing to give me directions and take my picture, no waiting time on all the attractions--Lady Liberty, Empire State and the Wall St. Bull, gorgeous weather and trees (it was autumn!), my favorite movies shown every night on my room, cheap delicious food.

For three days, I felt that nothing could go wrong.  The time was mine.

water everywhere

It was a rainy Saturday last weekend when we went to Zion National Park.  We were planning to do some hiking and sightseeing but it looked like the trip was ruined.  There were no other cars on the road and the downpour was heavy.  We had a dark sky even though it was already 8 am.  I thought of suggesting Vegas, but I decided to wait and see what will happen instead.  Who knows maybe the rain will let up.

Around 10 am, we arrived at the visitor's center and asked if it was okay to go on the easy trails.  The rain stopped a bit but we were worried of landslides or flash floods.  The guide said it was okay so we took some maps and waited for the bus.

As it turned out, Zion became even more amazing because of the rain.  The air was clearer and there were waterfalls everywhere.  We enjoyed taking pictures of the lower and middle Emerald pools.  We spent some time up in Weeping Rock, looking at the hanging gardens and the different colors that showed up on the formations.

One the guides on the bus said that the mighty Canyons were formed simply because of the river.  It rushed and broke through the rocks, paved the way and created a deep chasm.  It sculpted beauty as it moved along.

That's the last trail that we did, the Zion Riverside Walk.  We didn't go through the narrows, we just hiked along the Virgin River, taking pictures and enjoying the view.  We didn't walk as a group and I preferred it that way.  I just went on my own and listened to the sound of the river.  I felt at peace just by being near it.  I read that the term Zion means "a place of refuge, a safe spiritual homeland, like in heaven, or a kind of peace of mind in one's present life."  It's true.

Sources:
http://www.urbandictionary.com
http://www.desertusa.com/zion/du_znpdesc.html

Treasure trove: the Original Mile High collection

the Find
Around 18,000 to 22,000 comic books most in mint condition, all printed between 1939 - 1953. One of these is the very first edition of Action Comics, where Superman makes his grand debut. This copy alone costs $1,000,000.

the Lucky
Chuck Rozanski, owner of the comic book store Mile High Comics.

the Place and the Time
Mile High Comic store in Boulder, Colorado; mid-January, 1977

How in the world!?
Chuck's friend received a call from a Realtor explaining that they needed to sell a house, but the house was full of "junk". This junk was a hoard of comics, periodicals and posters collected by Edgar Church, an artist who used the images for his work.

So Chuck drove down to the house and was amazed to find about 60 stacks in the basement, 75-100 comics deep. It wasn't just that, there was even a walk-in closet overflowing with comics. Even luckier, the owners weren't particular with how much they were going to get, they just wanted to get rid of the stuff and go on and sell the house.

Here's a transcript from his website, milehighcomics.com, about how he felt the moment he saw the collection:

"...It wasn't until the negotiations were over, and the surprise closet full of Golden Age was opened, that I was finally overwhelmed with emotion. My mouth became so dry that I asked for a glass of water. When it arrived, I was staring at the closet, while leaning against the basement wall for support. I couldn't take my eyes off that closet, and became so transfixed that when I tried to take a drink from the glass, I ended up missing my mouth entirely, and poured most of the glass of water right down the front of my shirt. Fortunately, no water spilled on any of the comics.

Believe it or not, what was going through my mind as I was looking at the closet was fear. Not just a fear that the deal would get screwed up somehow, but also a realization that my life was about to radically change. It's one thing to have slowly built up a small business over a period of many years, and quite another to suddenly win the lottery. I could see very clearly that discovering this collection was going to completely change my life, and that nothing would ever again be the same. I was excited at that prospect, but also very trepidatious. Radical change can be good, but it can also destroy much of that which you hold most dear..."

Sources:
http://www.milehighcomics.com/tales/cbg12.html
http://listsoplenty.com/blog/archives/6717
http://blog.oregonlive.com/steveduin/2007/03/edgar_church_and_chuck_rozansk.html
http://scrimbrown.wordpress.com/2010/08/page/2/

lonely planet

Last month, astronomers found another planet that could possibly support life, Gliese 581g. It's in a habitable zone near a star, not too hot and not too cold. Such an atmosphere is perfect for having liquid water, and when there's water, there's life. The only problem with this planet is it doesn't rotate, one side is always in the dark and one side always faces the light. This is an exciting discovery though because there could still be places in there that could support life.

"The fact that we were able to detect this planet so quickly and so nearby tells us that planets like this must be really common.", says Steven Vogt, an astronomer from University of California at Santa Cruz, in the report from BBC News.

Discoveries like this remind us just how big the universe is and how maybe, we're not really alone at all. There are so may worlds out there that we do not know of, so many places to discover. There's much to explore, even just on our own planet.   I'm on an onshore job assignment right now in the US and I went to Yellowstone last weekend and it was amazing. The place was beautiful and it was my first time to see a bison in real life and up close. They look funny and cute!

Yellowstone was such a grand place but nothing compares to the happiness of just simply being with the ones you love, wherever that is. I saw the video of the Chilean miners today and I felt so jealous of the hugs they were getting, everybody was waiting for them to come out. I missed home, with all its pollution and craziness. It was kind of sad travelling. Everything was so pretty and clean and really perfect, but it only made me realize just how far away I am. Like an alien in another world.

Source:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11444022
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2010/09/gliese-581g-habitable-planet-/1

fossils found

Last week, a construction crew from Southern California Edison, accidentally unearthed a collection of fossils dating 1.4 million years back. They were drilling in San Timoteo Canyon to build a new substation.

"If you step back, this is just a huge find," says Rick Greenwood, a director in SCE. "Some of the things I personally find fascinating are the prehistoric camels and llamas and horses and deer. I don't think most people even have the concept that those types of animals were roaming around here more than a million years ago."

They also found a rich assortment of plant life like birch, pine and sycamore, indicating that the area used to be a marsh land, which probably preserved the fossils well. Aside from the animals mentioned, they also found bones of a ground sloth, an ancestor of the saber-toothed tiger, frogs, salamanders and rodents. Scientists are still examining the fragments but its possible that some of the bones may even belong to some new species we didn't know existed.

According to Tom Demere, a paleontologist from the San Diego Museum of Natural History, the fossils could provide a more comprehensive view of what it was like in Southern Cali a million years ago.

"We have a fuzzy view of what this time period was like in terms of mammal evolution," Demere said. "A discovery like this - when they're all found together and in a whole range of sizes - could really be an important contribution."

Some of the bones will be displayed in Western Science Center in Hemet. Scientists and researchers can also be granted access to the collection.

Sources:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100921/ap_on_bi_ge/us_fossil_find
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-fossils-20100921,0,3128425.story
http://www.thestate.com/2010/09/20/1475249/calif-utility-stumbles-on-14m.html
http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_D_fossils21.2bc5f26.html

in bloom

My mom bought these flowers made of recycled materials at a bazaar. They look better than plastic flowers. I'm trying to find out who made these. My sister said they came from Baguio but she didn't know the actual name of the shop that sold them. I found a blog entry here; it's about paper roses created by Women’s Livelihood Organization of Imelda Village in Baguio but I wasn't sure it was them, but still, kudos to them as well!

If anyone out there knows please tell me, so I can give them proper credit and an award! Very creative!

phone cords, styrofoam
and magazines

vase made of recycled paper

paper hibiscus

straw roses

flowers made of Coke, Royal
and Sprite wrappers

happy birthday, andrea bocelli!

When Andrea's mother was pregnant with him, she became sick and had to be admitted to the hospital.  Doctors made a mistake with the diagnosis.  They thought she was having appendicitis.  She received treatments, like having ice applied on her stomach.  After it was over, they advised her to abort the child.

"They told her it was the best solution because the baby would be born with some disability," he says.

She refused to listen and chose to keep the baby instead, and so in September 22, 1958, world-class tenor Andrea Bocelli was born.

There are many good arguments on why people choose to abort or even abandon a child, but there's so much more that we do not know and understand.  There's a lot of things we cannot foresee.  Life has its reasons too.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrea_Bocelli
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20100623/renowned-singer-andrea-bocelli-tells-abortion-story/index.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1285058/Andrea-Bocelli-praises-mother-aborting-doctors-told-born-disabled.html

when it rains, it pours

I'm still not over celebrating the news that I won a storywriting contest, when I received an email yesterday saying that one of my poems have been included in a collection to be launched this Saturday! Whew, that was long! :D. The collection is entitled "Tag-ulan" (rainy season, the one we're having right now here in Pinas) and I think most of the poems (I know mine is) will be about the rain.

Each experience, each move, each mistake made and lesson learned, is a step closer to my goal.  Have faith everyone!  Never stop trying!

the seed of good

“Search for the seed of good in every adversity. Master that principle and you will own a precious shield that will guard you well through all the darkest valleys you must traverse. Stars may be seen from the bottom of a deep well, when they cannot be discerned from the mountaintop. So will you learn things in adversity that you would never have discovered without trouble. There is always a seed of good. Find it and prosper.”

- Og Mandino (American Essayist and Psychologist, 1923-1996)

by lova_03

sweet triumph

I started telling stories when I was in Grade Six. One of my best friends and I had a "running" scary story about our batchmates. We made some of them into monsters (like an aswang), some were victims, one of them was a doctor (Dr. Chingchong). Whenever we were together we'd just talk and add parts to it, develop characters and relationships, act out scenes. It's like gossiping about other people except doing it more creatively haha. We never wrote it down, but my friend made a comic strip for one of the characters. Good times.

I think that was where it all started. When I got to college, I started writing short stories. I did it secretly. I pressed Alt+Tab whenever someone was coming. I wrote and printed all of them and had them bound. I have three hardbound books, two collection of short stories and one novel. Aside from that, I have a collection of 50 poems that I never got to print. The books are in one of the cabinets in my bedroom, hidden away.

I tried joining all sorts of things. Contests, workshops, organizations, publications. Nothing happened-- for almost a decade.  It was a long exhausting fight to make myself better and to prove to myself that I can write. I bought and read books and internet articles on the basics of writing. Two years ago, I joined a year long poetry clinic held by LIRA. It was open for everyone. We had lectures and workshops during weekends and I got to know a lot of people with the same interest. At the end of it, I was accepted as a probationary member of the organization, which means I still need to improve a lot. I also subscribed to the internet writing workshop to improve my writing skills in English. Then, of course, I started this blog.

I remember one night, I was thinking about everything I was doing and where my life was going. I felt so tired of my life.  I began crying. I muffled my wails with a pillow. I was so worn out and hopeless, I got rejected every time I tried.  My life was a big failure.  Sooner or later I will have to give this up and I didn't know what to do.

They say that the darkest hour is right before dawn. I was ready to throw in the towel when I received a text message saying that one of my entries to a nationwide storywriting contest won. They were going to publish it into a children's book.  They assigned an artist to illustrate my story and they need me to meet with them within the next few weeks to discuss the production.  Best of all, the stories that won will serve as a way to educate children about health.

I attended the awarding ceremony last week. I got a medal and some more prizes. One of the organizers said that people cried when they read my story. I thanked her and she thanked me for joining. I felt so overwhelmed, I cried in front of her. This is it. I'm in heaven.

I remembered Steve Jobs' speech about the dots connecting. It was amazing. I never thought my volunteer and writing efforts would one day be connected. The story that I wrote was based on a girl that I took care of in a summer camp for special children. Thank you, Kaye.

I'm glad that I kept going and I never gave up. I almost did though. It's very hard to dedicate yourself to something that doesn't guarantee any returns. It drained me emotionally, mentally and physically. But I'm happy that I took the risk and it paid off big. I'm grateful that my prayers were answered and I had one sister that believed in me. Thank you, Sherl. Thank you very much for encouraging me and critiquing my work and just being there for me.

For those other writers out there, please don't give up. Just keep working on your craft and keep improving yourself. Continue studying and being committed to the work.  Be open to criticism and never stop learning.  Get out and experience life, soon you'll see the dots connecting.  Most of all, pray and be sure to share your blessings, believe in others as well :).

@ the awarding ceremony

loofah

Before writing this entry, I had always associated the word "loofah" with the scrubber used for cleaning the body.  I never thought it's the actual english name of a vegetable, and it's a vegetable I'm very familiar with.  We call it "patola" here in the Philippines. I always associate it with the yummy dish, "patola with miswa".

In Paraguay, the loofah is improving lives. In a project headed by social activist, Elsa Zaldívar, local women in Caaguazú started planting and processing the vegetable. They made products like mats, slippers and insoles out of dried loofahs. It was a successful venture and they were even able to export it to Europe. It gave the women a steady source of income.

However, a lot of raw material were still wasted, so Elsa got the help of industrial engineer, Pedro Padrós, to see if they can use it to build houses for the people.

“We want to find sustainable housing alternatives for the poor, while also discovering new markets for their agricultural products, particularly the loofah. This is a perfect combination,” she says.

Pedro was able to create a machine that melts plastic, and he mixed the result with loofah and other vegetable fibres. After lots of experimentation, they produced a sturdy material that's lightweight, safe and recyclable. They also received a grant from Inter-American Development Bank for the development of another machine that can produce the housing panels.

“Because we’re using fibres that are completely renewable, we can stop using lumber for construction. That’s very important in Paraguay because we’ve already reduced our original forest to less than ten per cent of Paraguay’s territory,” Elsa said. “We’re running out of trees.”

As a result of her work, Elsa was awarded the Rolex Award for Enterprise last 2008. They will be using the money to fund the creation of a promotion centre, three model houses that showcases the loofah panels and a video that details the project for other interested groups.

Sources:
http://rolexawards.com/en/the-laureates/elsazaldivar-the-project.jsp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luffa
http://keetsa.com/blog/recycle/paraguay-homes-built-out-of-loofah-and-corn-husks/
http://earthfirst.com/low-cost-housing-made-from-loofahs/
http://www.resnicowschroeder.com

armchair discoveries

A long time ago, explorers made great voyages across the seas to discover the world. They spent a lot of money on massive ships, tons of supplies and crew members. They searched for unknown lands to conquer, traded products with other countries, made maps and sailed by the stars. It was a tough, expensive and dangerous adventure. It took them a long time to travel and some of them never even returned to their homeland.

Today, we can be an explorer and never leave our favorite couch. We can even multitask, navigating the Earth while watching our favorite TV show.  There's still a lot of ground to cover, and everyday, people see something cool and exciting.  Thanks to Google Earth, a lot of people have uncovered armchair discoveries. Here are two of the great ones found:

The Badlands Guardian
Alberta, Canada
50° 0'38.20"N 110° 6'48.32"W

You don't even have to squint to see a person wearing earphones and a native American headdress. It was found by Lynn Hickox, a 53 year old lady who lives in Canada.

"I was just looking around - I hadn't been on for long - and I just saw it. It jumped out at me," she said. "You had all those explorers who had to traipse miles and miles and here I am just sitting here at the computer with a mouse."

Soil erosion formed the face, while the earphone is a road and an oil well.  I'd like to believe that this was not a coincidence at all, but that it came from the spirit of an ancient Indian warrior and he's really here to guard the land.  Maybe this was his land before.  Then, maybe, a native elder somewhere will see this and recognize the face.  Oooh..

Anyway, after Lynn found it, she logged in on Google Earth forum as "Supergranny" to post her discovery. She became a bit of a celebrity in her hometown when a radio program held a contest to name her find. Some of the entries were Space Face, Chief Bleeding Ear, The Listening Rock, Jolly Rocker, Pod God, iChief, Chief M-P-Three and Az-tech.

An Ancient Roman Villa
near Parma, Italy
44.8819,10.4224

I'm having a hard time seeing it too

Luca Mori, a computer programmer from Italy, stumbled upon this one. He was going through the map of Sorbolo, Parma when he noticed strange shapes in their area-- an oval form about 500 meters long and rectangular shadows.

"At first I thought it was a stain on the photograph but when I zoomed in I saw that there was something under the earth," he said.

The National Archaeological Museum of Parma sent archeologists to investigate.

"At first they thought the site might be Bronze Age but a closer inspection turned up ceramic and stone pieces that showed it was a Roman villa built some time just before the birth of Christ", he said.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Another fascinating place armchair explorers can go is deep into the ocean. They can visit shipwrecks, track the migration of whales and even see the underwater mountains and valleys in high resolution. It's amazing to see just how much technology can do today.

I found a great site that gathers all cool things found in Google Maps: http://www.mapofstrange.com/. Here's my favorite, elephants in Africa!

Sources:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/web/grans-canyon-sensation/2006/11/13/1163266420400.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/1498865/How-Google-unearthed-Roman-remains.html
http://www.travel-advocate.com/2009/02/05/armchair-explorers-venture-to-depths-of-oceans/

while walking

It's a 10 minute jeepney ride from the building where I work to the shuttle terminal where I get my ride home. Sometimes, if I want to get some exercise, I skip the jeep and brisk walk. It takes me about 30 minutes, walking with my headset on, listening to the radio or happy songs on my phone. If the song is really good, I sing softly. I try different routes, I go through the malls or I just walk along the road. Instead of using escalators, I use the stairs. If there's a good movie showing I detour, I do my grocery, window shop, try on clothes and shoes, buy impulsively, do errands, run into old friends, people watch, get ideas, clear my head.

One time, I saw somebody's shoe sole stuck in the metal thing on the floor of the mall. I just had to take a picture of it, I wonder what happened.

Actually, I see a lot of soles on the way, where did people get these shoes??

Another time, I saw a poster for the most ridiculous price for a meal. Well, for me it's ridiculous. What kind of meat are they serving anyway? Hmmm..

There would even be times when I just had to walk out even if the day isn't over. I just had to get out of that office, get away from all the stress and work and expectations, everything. Then my feet would lead me to something delightful.

I didn't know there was a book shop near our office. Now, I go there if things are really crazy at work. Just smelling the books relaxes me.

6 or 7 years before I was also walking along Ayala. Fresh out of college, working at a call center and walking with my friends. We get out around 6 am and everyone's sleepy and tired from the night shift. Then, we'll see working stiffs who are just coming to work. Fresh and full of energy, wearing their suits and skirts and high heels. Now, years later, I'm one of THOSE people. Funny how your journey works out. Every morning I rush to work and then I see these young people, wearing jeans and shirt and I just smile and kind of envy them a little. I hate office clothes. It's hard to brisk walk wearing them.

When I get to the shuttle terminal, I'm happy that the walking is finally done. I was able to accomplish my little exercise routine for the day. I'd get rid of my sweaty blouse, change into a shirt and ride the shuttle. Then when I'm far enough, I'll see the city's evening skyline. It's beautiful.

on ignorance

Source:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWF-wWV06jI

hapag ng pag-asa (table of hope)

The models were real life pinoy street children, except for one. The child at the bottom was taken after a famous photograph by Kevin Carter, but it was a vulture waiting instead of a cat. This was just one of the stories behind it.

The painter, Joey Velasco, didn't have any formal education in the arts. He started out as a seminarian, but it didn't work out. Then he studied law but dropped out later. He then took on his family's upholstery business and there, it seemed, he found his calling. He became a successful entrepreneur, made tons of money, bought a lot of things, played golf everyday. Life was good for him, until he was diagnosed with a serious illness in 2005.

Doctors found a tumor in his kidney. He had to undergo an operation where his left kidney was removed. He sank into a deep depression and refused to come out of their guest room. In an interview with Probe Profiles, he said that he felt his life at a standstill and the world is moving on without him. He did not know what to do with himself.

As the saying goes, the darkest hour is just before dawn. Alone (and bored) in the room, he began sketching. He documented his emotions and ideas on paper. It sparked a new kind of interest. He started to paint. He researched and tried to learn more about the arts, and it was at this time that he conceptualized "Hapag ng Pag-asa".

His basic goal was to teach his children the value of food. He set out and gave pansit (noodles) to street children and photographed them eating it. They thought he was a politician because he was giving out food.  Once he had his twelve, he began the work. It took him about a month and a half to finish.

The painting was a hit. People were surprised that it was done by someone who was just starting to learn the discipline. A lot of them were moved and wanted to donate. Joey approached Gawad Kalinga to ask for help on building houses for his models. He provided them with shelter and even gave money for school supplies. He visited them often, and through them he found his meaning.

"There's something beyond this flat canvas.", he said.

When the houses were built, he did another painting of them called "Hapag ng Pag-ibig" (Table of Love).

A rich philanthropist once approached him to buy the painting. Joey agreed and they planned on putting it in a museum. He told this to his family and they gave their consent. But later in the day, Joey received a letter from his eldest son, asking him if he could buy the painting instead, and his payment? The promise that he will grow up to be a good man. It was a done deal.

Joey passed away last July 20.  He was once asked if he ever thought of death and he said, "everyday, every stroke, every time I paint, I always think of death".  His thoughts of dying led him to live, and because of it he saved other lives and inspired many of us.  Hapag ng Pag-asa was his most well-known piece, an incredible painting done by a man, but beyond the flat canvas is a more complex masterpiece that only God can create.

Sources:
http://www.joeyvelasco.net/
http://www.probetv.com/

a bundle of joy

Doctors told her she would never give birth.  She only had one ovary and it was possibly polycystic, but life proved once again that we should never say never.

Last June 6, Lisa Witchalls was admitted at Queen's Hospital in Romford, Essex.   She had severe stomach pains and a watery discharge, which she thought came from an ulcer that ruptured. It did not. Medics performed two pregnancy tests on her and both resulted positive.  Her water just broke and she was having contractions. They immediately transferred her to the maternity ward.

"I didn't have any morning sickness, any cravings, any swollen ankles or heartburn and I didn't feel anything.", Lisa says. "I thought that it could not happen because if a doctor tells you that you cannot have kids you do not question it."

She was on labor for 27 hours until doctors decided to give her a Caesarean section. She gave birth to a healthy baby boy, weighing 7 lbs 4 oz. They named him Reece.

"I was just in shock and I just could not believe that he was mine. To go into hospital thinking it was an ulcer and to come out a week later with a baby is really crazy.", she says.

Sources:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/07/17/infertile-woman-went-to-hosiptal-with-stomach-ulcer-and-left-with-baby-115875-22419029/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1295254/Woman-told-children-rushed-hospital-suspected-ulcer--baby-boy-hours-later.html?ITO=1490
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,596926,00.html

chili pepper chill

http://www.thedailygreen.com/

Deep in the Arctic, carved inside a stone mountain, lies the Doomsday Vault. It's a locked, airtight structure that contains something more precious than money or gold. It carries seeds. Half a million variety of crops from different countries all over the world.  It's our safety deposit box against climate change, wars or any catastrophes.

Last week, several chili pepper seeds like, Wenk's Yellow Hots, Pico de Gallos (this a common ingredient in salsa) and San Juan Tsile were added to the collection.  They were delivered by a delegation of US Senators.

"The journey of the chili pepper from the indigenous cultures of the Americas to its current status as an essential ingredient in many Indian and Asian cuisines is a marvelous example of the global disbursement of agricultural diversity," Senator Tom Udall said. "I'm very pleased that we are saving one of New Mexico's most famous and most delicious crops in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault."

Besides chili, they also brought other seeds like peanuts and melons. There is now approximately 250 million seeds in the vault, with each variety having 500 seeds.  Check out their database here.  We can expect that number to grow in the future, but I hope we don't have use them anytime soon.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svalbard_Global_Seed_Vault
http://www.valleymorningstar.com/news/spices-76967-chili-vault.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science_and_environment/10603656.stm

pure magic

Magic tricks can also bring forth true miracles. The skill and practice required for the perfect sleight of hand are the same set of exercises needed by patients recovering from physical disabilities. This is the heart of Project Magic, a therapy program conceived by illusionist David Copperfield.

http://itricks.com

"Many years ago, I had correspondence with an individual that showed a great amount of self-esteem in his letters. Finally, after many months, I met him at a show and, to my surprise, he was in a wheelchair. And he had never mentioned it to me. Then, I realized he didn’t think of himself as being physically challenged and that his use of magic at home gave him a great amount of self-esteem. From there, I started a program called Project Magic that is in thousands of hospitals in over 30 countries around the world. Magic seems to give patients, from stroke victims to those with physical impairments, a great amount of self-esteem, and it improves manual dexterity. It is a program I am most proud of."

In 1982, he presented the concept to the Daniel Freeman Memorial Hospital.  They liked the idea, so he began developing the program with Julie Dunlap, the assistant director of Occupational Therapy. They created tricks that can help in rehabilitation of patients and got volunteer magicians working with occupational therapists in teaching them.

The magicians also gave a lesson on performance, like how to have the proper stage presence and the art of misdirection.  Soon, they found that the program has an unexpected benefit, performing the tricks gave patients self-confidence and the motivation to work harder.

According to David, "Project Magic is presently employed in hundreds of hospitals throughout the world.  I am pleased to say that the American Occupational Therapist Association has endorsed this program as being an authentic therapeutic tool."

Here's a website that has tricks from Project Magic available for download.  Just click here.  Each trick contains goals and emphasis for Occupational Therapy to aid your session.


Sources:
http://www.tonyko.com/_ProjectMagic/projectmagic.asp
http://www.honestabetradingpost.com/SYM123/ProjectMagic.htm
http://itricks.com/news/2009/04/david-copperfield-talks-about-project-magic-and-reno/

like death warmed over

Crematoriums in Sweden found a sustainable way to cut costs and be environmentally-friendly. After cremating a body, they will be reusing the exhaust produced to keep their building warm, instead of releasing it out into the air. They are also planning to expand and use the energy for homes as well, making them a crematorium power station. It's a controversial idea but certainly not a bad one (for me at least!).

Aside from human corpses, they have also turned on stray rabbits as energy source.  These animals overpopulate some their parks and destroy plants and trees.  Thousands are killed each year.  So what they do is they bring these dead rabbits to a heating plant to be cremated.  The heat is then redirected to the homes in Värmland, Sweden.

Aside from rabbits, other animal carcasses and wastes are used to produce energy.  They call this fuel, Biomal.  Here's a simple chart I got from treehugger that shows the process:

From Biomal.com: "..The raw material is just crushed and grinded and then pumped to a fluidised bed boiler where it is co-combusted together with a base fuel such as wood chips, peat or municipal waste. Energy is recovered from the animal by-products by producing renewable heat and electricity and the net outcome of energy is considerably increased."

Recently, Taiwan also adopted the cremation idea.  Instead of heating though, Taipei Mortuary Services Office will be using it to power the air-conditioning system of their receiving area and possibly the lighting system of their building.

Sources:
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/house-and-home/cremated-bodies-to-power-aircon-in-taiwan-1801115.html
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/05/cow-carcasses-heat-swedish-homes.php
http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,654916,00.html
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2156917/posts

what makes a dad

God took the strength of a mountain, The majesty of a tree, The warmth of a summer sun, The calm of a quiet sea, The generous soul of nature, The comforting arm of night, The wisdom of the ages, The power of the eagle's flight, The joy of a morning in spring, The faith of a mustard seed, The patience of eternity, The depth of a family need, Then God combined these qualities, When there was nothing more to add, He knew his masterpiece was complete, And so, he called it Dad. ~unknown

flags

Last Saturday, June 12, was our country's Independence Day. I wasn't able to watch the festivities but there's one surprise I did enjoy: the free rides given to commuters by the MRT and LRT!

I had to go to several places that day so it was a big help to me. Everywhere I went they had the flag displayed. Interesting fact: Because of its design, only the Philippine flag, when raised upside down (red over blue stripe), can function as a distress signal or an indication that we're in a state of war.

Flags are fascinating. There's so much history and meaning behind them.  Take the flag of Mozambique, the only one in the world that features a modern weapon, an AK-47.It represents defense and vigilance, which is possibly a reflection of the 15-year civil war in the country that started in 1977 and ended in 1992.

The one flag that intrigues me is Nepal's. I read that the reason for its shape is because it symbolizes the Himalaya Mountains and a Pagoda-- put a mirror next to it and you'll see.

When I was in school, we celebrated United Nations Day by creating flags, one country per class, one flag per student. Afterwards, we displayed them outside the classroom. I remember wishing that we'd get Japan or Libya so it would be easy to make, just get a green art paper and that's it!  Now, I know that the reason behind the color green is Libya's devotion to Islam, which has green as its traditional color.

 Japan's red disc is the sun, a common Japanese symbol that started during the time of daimyos and samurais, and it is also believed that the imperial throne originated from Amaterasu, the sun goddess.

Happy Independence Day everyone!

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

everybody was kung-fu fighting

In 1849, a strange boy was born in China. His family thought he was a demon; his whole body was covered with hair. Scared of their offspring, his parents left him in a nearby forest. This unfortunate act turned out to be the key to an extraordinary life. A monk discovered the baby and brought him to the Fukien Shaolin Temple.

The monks named him T'ai Djin. Right from the start, the discipline and ideals of the temple was instilled in his young mind. He grew up, devoted to studying each branch of the Shaolin system with Fukien masters. He became an expert of each-- no one at that time has achieved such knowledge. Soon, he earned the title "Su Kong" or Grandmaster.

He became a teacher himself, and passed his wisdom & skills to many others. One of his students became the next grandmaster of Shaolin Do, Ie Chang Ming. He died in 1928 at the age of 79.



Sources:
http://www.usadojo.com/biographies/su-kong-tai-djin.htm
http://thehumanmarvels.com/?p=94
http://www.shaolin-do.com/history.php
http://ymaa.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=863

Treasure Trove: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness

the Find
An original 1776 print of the American Declaration of Independence

the Lucky
An unidentified financial analyst from Philadelphia

the Place and the Time
A flea market in Adamstown, Pennsylvania. 1989.

How in the world!?
The document was folded inside an old painting, between the canvas and wood backing. The buyer bought the painting for $4, because he liked the frame. When he tried to remove the picture, the frame broke and the rest.. is history.

His discovery is one of the very first 500 copies printed by John Dunlap in 1776. Today, there are only 27 in existence and this one was found to be in good condition. It was auctioned for $2.42 million at Sotheby's.

Sources:
http://www.snopes.com/luck/declare.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunlap_broadside

about pac-man

I think I'm the last netizen to know about Google's Pac-Man interactive logo.

I woke up today and read some updates about it on Facebook.  Then I spent most of the morning playing-- very productive. Good thing it's weekend here. I read some companies temporarily blocked Google last Friday because people can't resist playing.

When the game's over, Google automatically redirects you to the search results for "PAC-MAN 30th Anniversary". I read on and got to know Pac-Man better:

• His son's girlfriend is a ghost monster


• His prehistoric ancestors were the Neander-pac.  They were shaped like cubes.


• The pink ghost monster, Pinky, has a crush on him


• His shape was partly inspired by a pizza


• Check out his family tree!

Smosh.com made a cool tribute list to Pac-Man.  See it here.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pac-Man
http://pacman.wikia.com/wiki/Pac-Man_Wiki

slick solution

On Aug. 11, 2006, M/T Solar I, an oil tanker, sank near one of the provinces here in the Philippines.  500,000 liters of fuel leaked out of it and into Guimaras Strait.  It damaged marine sanctuaries and reserves, and affected the provinces' fishing industry.  It was the worst oil spill of our country.

One of the surprising material they used in cleaning up the oil is human hair. Oil sticks to hair, as observed when a person hadn't shampooed for days.  A strand of hair has tiny scales that can hold small amounts of oil.  It's a process known as "adsorption".  A pound of hair can adsorb a quart of oil, and hair filled booms can be reused up to a hundred times.  And once they're all used up, the oily hair can be burned as fuel or be made into fertilizer, with the help of worms.

This clever idea came from Philipp McCrory, a hairdresser from Alabama.  He was watching a news segment about the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill and saw how difficult it was to remove oil from an otter's fur.  He did a little experiment, filled a nylon stocking with human hair, dumped a gallon of motor oil on his son's plastic pool and dipped the stocking in it.  Two minutes later, the water was clean.  He patented the idea.

The government started a "Stop the Oil Spill" drive and about 15,000 inmates from a maximum security prison donated their hair.  Five hundred salons and schools around the country also participated in the activity.

Today, the same thing is being done to help clean up the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  Matter of Trust, is a nonprofit organization participating in the campaign.  They contacted salons, pet groomers, wool farmers and others to solicit donations for hair, fur, wool or nylon pantyhose.  For those interested, you can click on their link above to sign up.  As stated by BBC News, donations of around 450,000 pounds of hair and fur are now arriving each day.  Some people even provided warehouse spaces near the area of the oil spill to house the hair.

Sources:
http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF14/1401.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14584306/
http://cbs4denver.com/local/hair.oil.spill.2.1680495.html
http://www.greenvilleonline.com/
http://www.matteroftrust.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guimaras_oil_spill

indelible

After standing in line for three long hours, in a narrow corridor with about fifty people squeezing in, I finally cast my vote.  The precinct cluster and number system was inefficient, people were confused and bitched nonstop, it was hot and humid.  We were like sardines in there.  I couldn't tell from whose pores the sweat came from.  I was so tempted to follow those people who got out and just left.

The only thing that kept me from complaining is the realization that there were others who had worse fate than me.  Some people woke up really early and they were still waiting in line.  Some were lining up for the third time because they didn't know which precinct they were supposed to be in.  Some volunteer teachers and students haven't eaten breakfast yet, and it was already 11 am.  The news showed three blind voters being transferred to the correct precinct.  There was a woman who didn't have any fingers, saying it's easier to vote now because all she had to do was to shade the oval.  A lot of senior citizens showed up despite the crowd just to vote.  Some voters, on their way to a precinct, even had a grenade thrown at them.  People crossed rivers and seas, walked for miles.  Some sent in reports to celebrity patrollers about vote buying and other illegal activities happening on their town.  Soldiers and journalists were deployed everywhere, and risked their lives for this election.  Really, why should I complain?  It's very good that precincts were packed and people cared.  We're not apathetic at all, almost everyone did their part.

I was talking to the person behind me and he was saying that we were choosing our leader for the next six years, so what's two or three hours of waiting in line?  We've waited for ten years for a new president.  So why leave now?  Why waste your vote?

It's our first time to have an automated election in our country, so I really didn't expect it to be flawless.  I'm glad I stayed and voted for somebody worthy of the position.  I don't know if he will win or not, but I just hope all goes well for everyone.  I'm proud I got to play a part in our country's history, and I did it right, however small my role was.

a letter

Sometimes I feel like I'm a hamster on a wheel. I keep running and running but I'm not getting anywhere. I do all these things and nothing really comes out of it. It's very hard to keep yourself motivated when you don't see any results from the seeds you planted. No fruits-- or even just teeny tiny sprouts :(. It's even harder when someone tells you that they feel sorry for you, because you're getting bored, because you don't have any romance in your life, that's why you do all these things instead. I feel pathetic. I may not have romance but I do have a passion for something. Writing. I'm trying to bring it into my life. That's why I do all these things.

Two years from now I'll be turning thirty. The thought really scares me. I feel like I haven't accomplished anything significant. Do I really want to do what I'm doing right now for the rest of my life? Or will I shift to something more meaningful? Or is it all about time management? Keep a job and do what you want when you're not working? Right now I'm trying this. It's hard. How long will it be like this? How long do I have to sustain this? I don't know. I do like my job though and I learn and earn from it and I grow from it, I even get material from it. I guess I'm lucky if you think about it. But I still feel restless, I still need to do something.

I want to share some articles I found that made me feel a little better. I hope these will also help someone who's going through the same issue. Here's a funny one from the Onion. I was terrified and amused at the same time when I read it. I thought it was real! It can happen though, who knows. Here's another good one from the Guardian. When I read this, I realized a lot of people are going through the same thing as me. We're all struggling to make it. Plus, there is a real problem with the economy today. We all need security.

The real find of the day came in a form of a touching letter posted online. It's written by Iggy Pop, encouraging one of his fans (who wrote a 20 page letter to him) to hang on and be strong. Read it here. :)


Sources:
http://www.maniacworld.com/Hamster-Video-Game-Maze.htm
http://www.dotzik.fr/iggy-pop-3999.html

stories on canvas

I want to share this beautiful story I found about a boy and his father's jeepney. The illustrations are incredible. Just click on the image below to begin reading.

something to laugh about

Someone brought imported candies and chocolates to the office this week. I got the ones I haven't tasted yet. I was so focused on what they would taste like that I didn't notice there was a joke on the wrapper--and I noticed just now that there are TWO jokes on the wrapper.  Here's one of them, it's pretty funny:

Little things like this do a lot to brighten a hard day. Sometimes, it's the only thing that keeps us going. It's such a blessing when we find something to laugh about despite a tragedy. Yesterday, I watched Jimmy Kimmel's compilation of reporters struggling to pronounce the name of that volcano in Iceland.

It's a big story. We all want to talk about it, we all want everyone to know about it and yet nobody knows how to say it! I don't even want to type it. Air travel stopped; businesses lost money. I bet there's a lot of people out there who wants to curse the volcano-- only problem is they don't know how to say its name!

Sources:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur2N1XG-NcQ

Laffy Taffy, Strawberry Fresa (joke by Patrick B., San Antonio Tx)

holy child of cebu

One of the places I went to during my grand summer vacation is an old church in Cebu City, the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño. There, inside, is the oldest Catholic relic in the Philippines, the Santo Niño de Cebu.

It has an interesting history. The statue was brought to the country in 1521 by Ferdinand Magellan. He gave it as a gift to the Rajah and his wife when they were baptized. Magellan was killed that same year. He did not conquer the land.

44 years later, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi arrived in Cebu. The natives were hostile. There was another battle and most of the villages were burned. When it was all over, they went through the debris. They were surprised to find the Catholic icon under the ashes. It was inside a pine box and it wasn't burned at all, only a bit old and worn because of its age.

They considered it a blessing and a miracle. They built a small church, made of bamboo and mangrove palm, in the place where they found it.  It has since expanded and is now known as the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño. Surrounding the church and spreading through the country are stories and testaments of the miracles performed by the Holy Child to this very day.

Sources:
http://www.santoninodecebu.org/history.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santo_Niño_de_Cebú
http://www.malapascua.de/

butterfly alphabet

I'm back!

My first find is Kjell Sandved's Butterfly Alphabet. It's an amazing collection of photos, composed of letters and numbers found on the wings of butterflies and moths.



Kjell, an author and researcher, was trying to put together a new encyclopedia about animals. He
went to the Smithsonian to buy archive photographs but instead found the silver letter, "F", on the wings of an orange Sphinx moth. The moth was in a cuban cigar box, hidden in a corner of an attic in the National Museum of Natural History. He decided to drop his animal encyclopedia project, and chose to capture all letters and numbers on moth and butterfly wings instead.

There was a problem though: “I had hardly clicked a camera before,” Kjell relates, “and knew nothing about photography.” So he studied, and it took him two years to learn still and movie photography. During this time, he and a friend created customized electronic gear from scraps found in a nearby WWII Navy Yard surplus.

In his quest to find the letters and numbers, he travelled to the forests of the Amazon, the Congo, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines. He survived malaria, snakebite, leeches, numerous jungle ants and rabid dog bites. The easiest letters to find were O, C, D, I, L and M. This is because according to him, "Design elements in nature, tend to go toward symmetry." Asymmetrical letters, like B, H, K, Q, T and X required more time. His biggest challenge is the letter G. He found it on the wing of the Catagramma butterfly. It took him 24 years to complete the collection.

The discovery was featured in the then new Smithsonian magazine. They created posters and slogans for Queen Elizabeth II and Emperor Hirohito during their visits to the institution. It also boosted interest in butterfly gardening and rearing. Today, the poster is also used by some as a tool in teaching the alphabet to children.

Kjell found letters and numbers in other plants and animals as well. Here's a leaf in the shape of the letter F. He found this near a fisherman's hut in Fiji. See the others here.



He says modern man has lost his ability to appreciate the small things in nature. He's worried this is already happening to children. "They have so little access to real things because they're taken away from the land. In the cities, with only concrete and steel, it's worst." Through his butterfly alphabet, a child can learn to read and at the same time, appreciate the incredible beauty of nature.

That is something that never fails to amaze Kjell, even with his decades of experience. There is a line from Roethke printed in his posters: "All finite things reveal infinitude."

"This is one of the deepest statements I can think of that has ever been uttered in science and life," he says. "The more I learn, the more I see that I'm totally ignorant." Our brains, according to him, are like boxes, it can be hard to think outside of what we are comfortable with. So instead of trying to figure it all out, he just watches in amazement. He chases and captures all the world's wonders in his photographs.

Sources:
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20051116/Feature1.asp
http://www.butterflyalphabet.com/story/index.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_Alphabet
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kjell_B._Sandved
http://www.webcitation.org/5XnAYXRQ7