All Smiles

I'm fascinated by how most Filipinos still managed to smile amid adversities and challenges that we experience everyday.

Life is getting harder as time passes by. Jobs are getting scarce, money is hard to find, casulaties are everywhere yet we still have the courage to show big smiles with our friends or even to strangers that we feel to share our positive outlook in life.

I've been dealing with numerous foreign citizens, most of them are colleagues and some are long time friends. They feel weird everytime they see Filipinos laughing while chatting with friends on the streets and still have time to sit back and relax on coffee shops and restaurants. As for most them, we should be thinking of other ways to keep our lives better, either by looking for a better paying job, keeping up with debts and dealing with national issues.

If you will ask me, my logical side will say they're correct. We should have been a little more proactive in looking for possible ways to live better and more comfortable other than being contented on what we currently have. We should have the initiative to do our own small ways for a progressive nation building. We should be working harder than what we do to keep up with other countries who leave us behind economic progression.


But if you will ask my practical side, I think, there's nothing much that we could do. I'm not saying that we can't do anything at all to correct what we've done wrong in the past. I just would like to justify that if we need reforms, this should start with revising the current system. If we will live with the system that we're used to, regardless of how we work hard, it will just be worthless, as if like we're saving money in a pocket with a hole.

We Filipinos love to smile, to laugh and to show the world that we are still contented though life is harsh. This is our own way to at least forget our miseries, our failures and misfortunes. This shows our appreciation to life and it's blessings however small. This is who we are. This is the Filipino trademark.

My Sagada misadventure

I was about to go to Sagada in Mountain Province to spend my weekend there. Everything were set. My holiday, my itenerary, my long journey and the adventure ahead, I was so excited.



Aboard Victory Liner at around 7 in the morning Saturday (October 4), I patiently waited for the bus to arrive in Baguio and looking forward for another 6 hours travel from there to Sagada. Prior to these, I've constantly visited alot of travel blogs about Sagada and the route to go there from Baguio City. As per what I;ve read, I would need to reach Baguio City at before 1pm the latest and get a Lizardo Bus which will leave to Sagada at 1pm.



At around 12:40pm which I was very happy because, usually Victory Liner arrives in Baguio few minutes late but this time, the travel was smooth and fast. I took a cab to Dangwa and asked the driver to take me there as fast as he could so I could catch the bus before it leaves. He did what I said so I gave him a little tip for doing a great job! To my disappointment, no more bus will leave to Sagada that day until the following morning which is Sunday. The last bust already left at 10am. The travel blog I've read may have not updated the information. I was so furious!

I cannot leave Baguio to Sagada on a Sunday because if that's the case, I won't be able to attend a company gathering on Monday afternoon as planned. Due to tight schedule, though there is still hope to get to Sagada the following morning, I didn't push it anymore. I just stayed in Baguio with, embarassed and frustrated.

I immediately changed plan and got a hotel room to stay. Good thing, I know my way to Baguio for an affordable yet comfortable accomodation. I checked in at around 2:30pm. I just laid myself on the bed to rest my tired body for a moment and lingered my changed itenerary over my head. At around 3:00pm, guess what? It rained!



It actually didn't just rained, it poured! "What a weekend!", I just murmured! Instead of taking a cab again to go somewhere else, I just stayed in the hotel and got myself for a late lunch! I just spent it rest of Saturday sleeping. I travelled this long just to sleep? I need a life, c'mon! The rain didn't stop until around 2:00 in the morning on Sunday.

The next morning, I woke up at around 7:00. I took a quick breakfast over the cafe down at the hotel lobby and got myself to go. I decided not to go too far for I needed to check out at 12:00 nn for Manila so I could have time to still sleep before going to work. I strolled the very famous Burnham Park, the Baguio City Market, Session Rd for the ukay-ukay and that's it, nothing Special!



I came back to the hotel at 11:00 in the morning to get a nice bath and fixed myself to leave. With a bagful of Baguio-identified products, I took a cab and headed to the bus station again! Nice weekend? Yeah right!

My First European Escapade

I called this My first European Escapade because I've never been to Europe at all. When I got the chance to be sent to Sweden for a business trip, I got a bit excited and as well as skeptical in the sense that I may have to adjust slightly to the culture and get myself out of my comfort zone.

Rosenberg Palace


My scheduled flight was around 10:45 am from terminal 1 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila. I got there at 6:30 am. Isn't it obvious that I was excited... I thought so too! I boarded 13 hour KLM flight to Amsterdam 15 minutes prior to departure. I just didn't mind the long hours of helpless stay in an airline and just entertained myself. It was not fun to be in a long flight. My back ached so much. I wasn't able to sleep. All I did was to track the flight route and the remaining hours to our next stopover.

Jorke's Passage


It was a relief that we were able to land safely at Schiphol International Airport in Amsterdam. The next connecting flight was 3 hours after and was bound to Kastrup International Airport in Copenhagen, Denmark. I again entertained myself by looking around for some stuff to eat and buy yet I never found some or maybe because I thought that the stuffs for sale are all way overpriced... (c'mon man, that was not Manila) hehehe! I just looked around again for any sign of a smoking area. I realized that I have not smoked for almost 15 hours. So i walked and walked and walked yet there was not even a sign directing me to a smoking zone. To my frustration, I had the couraged of asking an airport personnel. I became more frustrated knowing that the whole airport is a none smoking zone... what the...!!! I just hoped that the airport in Copenhagen will allow me to smoke.

Another hour on board to Copenhagen was no matched to a 13 hour journey to Amsterdam. My excitement lived again. I looked forward to planning my itenerary the next day. After a moment, an annoucement from the cockpit said that we were about to land to Copenhagen. Wow, that was fast!!! I realized that I got a bit busy on thinking about my leisure plans for the following day and did not noticed that an hour had passed. We landed to Copenhagen at around 11:15 pm Denmark time.

Nyboder


The airport is huge and they allow smoking on designated areas. It was a relief. After puffing two sticks of a Philippine made cigarette which I brought with me knowing that vices in Europe is really expensive, my taxi which will take me to Malmo, Sweden came. It was another 30 minute of land travel over Oresund bridge which connects Denmark and Sweden.

St. Alban's Church


We came to Malmo at passed 12 midnight. I checked in at SAS Radisson Hotel in Malmo which my company booked for me. After getting in to my room, I laid myself down to the bed, set my alarm at 10am and I realised that it was already morning and I needed to getup for a walk around.

God’s Love

I wonder how God sees through the skies
What he thinks whenever we make lies?
I wonder how he speaks through our hearts
How he comforts us when our dreams fall apart?

When I was a kid I tend to look above
To see the clouds and directly speak to God
When I feel alone and my tears shed on
I feel His presence to continue and move on.

On the latter part of day my life seems ending
Like shattered glass… each piece is breaking
I kneel down to ask for his guidance
The rays from above shines through my countenance

I whisper a prayer of solemn gratitude
For a love so endless and forgiving attitude
I tried to keep my feet on righteousness
The dreadful is stronger than my own holiness.

I know I’m unworthy of God’s true mercy
Unacceptable to the promise of life eternity
My existence is a living testimony
That without Him… I’m useless… unworthy!

Sunsets in my mind

I'm fascinated with how the sun sets itself in the horizon. This phenomenon gives a poignant thought in me thinking that a day full of happines, struggles and hope bids goodbye to make way for another sunrise the following morning.


When I started photography, the sun has been one of my favorite subjects. I've always dreamt of capturing a full bodied sun yet until this writing I'm still unlucky. The photo on the right was my first attempt but it seemed that it wasn't my time yet. Manila sky became so cloudy that afternoon and only an orangey sky concluded my day! My second photo may seem a sucess yet I'm still not satisfied. I became helpless. How would I be able to capture the sun's full glamour while setting down slowly? One of my good friends gave me a sensible suggestion. Back then, I was using Olympus FE-170, a compact digital camera which I used for a year. She mentioned that since there will be no way for me to adjust the settings of my camera, images are captured automatically, thus I have no way to focus on my subject accurately. "It would have been better for you to get a DSLR... and see the difference.", she added. That's when I thought of getting my first digital SLR cam.

Below is an example of my most recent shot:



The result may not be how I want it to but this is better than my previous one. The original image is a bit pale so I decided to run it through my own digital dark room, the Photoshop. I adjusted the toning, a bit of cropping to release the photos potential. The photo looks better now, I think!

Vote for the New 7 Wonders of the World

I encourage everyone to cast your votes to the New 7 Wonders of Nature.

Voting for nominees will continue until December 31, 2008. The top 21 nominees will be selected and will be announced on January 2009.

Let's support the Philippines' nominees and make our country proud!


Tubbataha Reef


Chocolate Hills


Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park


Mayon Volcano

The New 7 Wonders of Nature will be chosen by popular vote and will continue through 2010. In the summer of 2010, the New 7 Wonders of Nature will be declared.

Live Ranking is available here!

Photos from: www.new7wonders.com

Am I happy? You guess.

Have you ever asked yourself if you're happy?

I've tried asking this question myself for a lot of times now. A part of me says, I am, but my head keeps on whispering otherwise.

When I was still a kid, I dreamt of growing older. I even asked if God could pull the days so I'll be older sooner than it should be. I wanted to quickly finish my school, receive my diploma, go to work and earn money, lots and lots of money so I could make myself and my family happy.

When I got to high school, I tried to apply for a part time job but no company needed my service then. I even tried to do someoone's homeworks in exchange for food or for pieces of coins which I kept for emergencies. Life was so cruel, time was rough. I've shed so may tears questioning the existence of poverty, of my misfortune. Why was I born poor? Why were there children who could go to school without thinking of where to find the money to spend? Why are there people who could afford to buy luxury without asking for its price? Why can't I do the same?

Then I went to college and strived really hard to be able to finish a "degree" which the society needs to get you to the job. I was able to make it. At last, I received the very fruit of my perseverance and my every drop of sweat and blood.

I can say that I am sucessful, atleast to the path that I took. I'm now at the middle of my growing career, surrounded by bureucratic and nepotistic colleagues, pathetic peers, temptations, envy and deceit. If you have the appetite to swallow these, you'll earn that money.


I bet you're asking how much do I earn. I think the safest way to answer that is that I'm earning more than I need.

But the bottomline is, am I happy? You guess.

This life is so miserable that it thought me how to be greedy. It thought me how to turn things around in my favor. It thought me how to wear that smiling face. It thought me how to lie. It thought me everything against the norms and beyond the truth. It thought me how to not be me.

As I keep on pulling the days and times of my life... I lost myself.

I think... I already answered the question.

A prayer and a flower for the cyclone hit Burma

It was Friday, May 30, 2008, I just got in the office sweating and rushing to avoid being late, I received a spam email from one of my staff. After so many times of informing him that corporate emails shoul donly be used for business purposes, I received another one.

I was pretty frustrated receiving this email without a subject again from the same person. When I opened it, I was warned by this opening message "I'm forwarding this, but please do not open if you can't handle the graphics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After the message were series of pictures that shocked me.


I've heard about this in the news yet I didn't pay attention to it. I felt like I have a lot of problems already to take care of and I don't need anymore additions. I never thought that the tragedy was this devastating.

BBC News Asia-Pacific in its world news report online which came out on May 22 mentioned that "About 78,000 people have died and another 56,000 are missing." I felt really bad about what happened. My anger for the person who sent me this email faded and sent him a reply saying my thank you.


I kept still and silent for a moment, offered my prayer to the victims and their loved ones and thank God for all the blessings that He has given me. I just thought that there are so many things which I forgot to thank Him for. There are so many people who lost their lives in that tragedy and I'm so fortunate that all of us in my family are safe.

I encourage everyone who have read and is currently reading this article to please offer your prayers to Burma for them to survive this tragedy and rebuild their lives as a nation. We can all do our own small ways to make it a reality.

PHOTOS FROM: malaysianindian1.blogspot.com

Flowers for the cyclone hit Burma

CURRENT RESPONDENTS on FLICKR:

Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife

I can't understand why harmless animals need cage. I can't understand why people want them caged if they could freely navigate the skies and continue the biodiversity and maintain the ecological balance that they are tasked to do!

Are they really endangared or we're just thinking that they are so we could justify our greedy thoughts of earning money from them by showcasing their clueless figures in our zoos. Pathetic!!!

A Lonely Memory

I'm sitting right here

Waiting for someone to come

I'm here...keep on wondering...

That a miracle would shed me on

As I am waiting, I feel sadness

I feel emptiness

Why?

Why am I along this shattered feeling?

Is there someone or even something...

One who or which might help?

One who could mend my broken heart?

I hope and wish...

I can't think.

My mind is frozen by coldness...

My heart is torn down by sadness...

Unaware that I'm drowning

Lonely.

I'm not so sure now.

Word's can't explain why.

Senses couldn't even guess...

Numb.

I'm in a nightmare.

Countless of times...

A fairytale has ended.

Scents and Blossoms

Taho

Inhabitants of underdeveloped nations and victims of natural disasters are the only people who have ever been happy to see soy beans”
Faster than fast food. Better than junks!

that brought such a laugh! there are kids from so-called developed countries whose eyes light up when they see tofu. there are nutritionists from europe and america who have established soy products in the system and who have made this bean product quite well known and very palatable to their co-continent-mates.

putting all of my initial reaction aside, i would also like to say... i love taho. hahahaha. going back home every so often, i still ask the manang or my brothers to call me as soon as they hear a taho vendor on the streets. yes, i think it is healthier than most junk food around. and yes, i also suspect it's not prepared as hygenic as we would have wanted. and yes, i find it quite an inexpensive pleasure.

to stand on the street, watch the man ladle in the taho, the arnibal, the sago... makes me appreciate the way we view time: something to use towards our advantage. and watching something put together, knowing how good it's going to taste after the wait, that makes me all philosophical, too.

the soft light in your pic reminds me of slow afternoons, chatting with friends or family or neighbors, watching the world settle into the night. i like your choice of colors, too. very soothing to the eyes.

you made a beautiful still of something a lot of filipinos can relate to. well done. =) - purplbutrfly