Proudest Daddy and Mommy –

My daughter got an award (bronze) in reading. Ito ay sa Kumon. Katatapos lang din nya ng nursery sa Lorenzo Ruiz at Kinder 1 siya ngayon sa KILA. Inilipat namin si Coleen ng school dahil sa aming palagay ay di maganda ang turo nila doon. She started school at the age of 3 ½. Sobrang agang pumasok ng mga kids ngayon. Dati, almost 7 years old na ako nung pumasok ako sa school at nakahawak ng pencil tsaka papel, hehehe. Nakapaa-paa pa ako kung pumasok pag sira tsinelas kong spartan. Iba talaga ang mga bata ngayon. Masyado na maaga nahahasa ang utak. Di kaya masobrahan sa hasa? Di naman namin siya pinipigilang maglaro pag gusto niya.

Madalas na sinusubukang ipasok ni Elena sa commercial ang mga anak ko pero di pa pinapalad. May mga tumatawag paminsan-minsan sa kanya para sa video shoots. Sana lang, makuha na. Well, just want to say that my wife and I are very proud of our daughter. Kahit di siya nakakuha ng gold, o kahit wala siyang makuha, she is trying to make us proud of her. Thanks Coleen!!

Jacob will also go to school soon. Katakut-takot na iyakan na naman malamang ito.

Ang buhay ng isang OFW - by Jun Bunso

This post was written by my high school batchmate, Jun Bunso. Please read how he manages to overcome his boredom being an OFW;

Heto na naman ako, hindi masyadong busy sa trabaho sa mga oras na ito. Subsob na naman sa pagsusulat, na siyang tanging libangan ko at outlet sa bansang ito. Walang masyadong happenings na hindi ko na rin iniexpect sa bansang ito. Paulit-ulit na " okey lang ako " ang isasagot ko sa tuwing ako'y tatanungin. Hindi naman ako masaya at hindi rin naman ako malungkot. Mga pakiramdam at damdaming pigil na natural lamang sa bansang ito na walang kalayaan. Balanseng pamumuhay subalit malayo naman ako sa mga mahal ko sa buhay. Ito ang buhay ng isang OFW. Sa aking paglisan sa aking bansang sinilangan, baon ko ang luha at kalungkutan sapagkat saglit kong maiiwan ang aking mga minamahal subalit sa kabila nun ay ang katotohanang nais ko silang bigyan ng mainam na buhay at maiahon sa kasalatan. Mahirap na malungkot subalit masaya sa pakiramdam. Sa minimithi kong pagbabalik, pawang walang pagsidlan ang aking kagalakan. Ang kasiyahan na muling makita at masilayan ang aking mga minamahal. Ang dalang hatid na tagumpay sa aking pamilya at isang balanse at kuntentong buhay kapiling sila…

Getting better... and better –

I came across to this Manila Water website and found out that my high school classmate, Armando Mingua, was awarded with the President’s Pride due to Performance in 2007. He must have been doing well. Their legend shows he was also a repeat winner. I wonder if he is now one of the top calibers of their office? Keep up the good work bro! You also need to register to our batch group to get the latest news on the upcoming reunion (well, there's more to it). Armando is the one in red shirt (front). Pareho kaming choir member during high school days. Magaling pa rin kaya siyang kumanta ngayon??

Tired body does not really keep you from falling asleep –

I used to sleep at around 10pm every night. Madali ako makatulog pag pagod ako. Umaatake ang insomnia ko pag wala ako nagawa maghapon. Just recently, I could not seem to compel my mind to sleep, kahit ako ay pagod na pagod na. Ayoko namang uminom ng sleaping pills. I could only sleep at around 1am or 2am. I might have been missing my wife and kids. It’s been a while. I know some OFWs have not seen their loved ones for so long now. I’m used to this kind of set-up but… Aah, if I have enough money, di ko kailangang lumayo sa pamilya ko. Ok din sana ang set-up ng company. Pag 1 year or more ang stay mo sa location na pupuntahan mo, pwede mo isama ang buong pamilya. Libre pagkain, tirahan at pag-aaral ng mga bata. Ang problema lang sa ganito, pati sila ay palipat-lipat din. Pag natapos ang project, di sila pwede mag-stay na doon at kailangan na din nilang lumipat. Either sa new location ko (kung sakaling more than 1 year uli) o balik sila sa Pinas. Katakut-takot na culture shock ang aabutin nila.

Hoax or no hoax –

There is (it still does, I believe) an e-mail circulating around the web (an old one) allegedly written by one Art Bell. There were (and currently are) also comments written by furious Filipinos to oppose that letter. I was also supposed to replicate the answers (as it initially got me mad at that moment) but I tried to search the web if there had been any answers or explanations regarding this alleged letter. Well, I guess I was right. The original “Hate Letter” which they claimed, was written by Mr. Art Bell is actually a hoax (could be). Mr. Bell is married to a (half) filipina. If that was true (the letter), he was just eating his words. Thanks to those who clarified this. Philippine Inquirer also retracted their published letter and apologized. I hope this letter will end. It keeps on circulating and a lot of Filipinos get mad about it. Remember that this has been circulating for years. It keeps on and on without the full details (just cutting and pasting). Hopefully, Filipinos (or any person or race whose heart surrounds Filipino idealism) should also check for its legality and authenticity.

Lesson learned: We should NOT take information and other matters available on the Internet at face value and use them as if they were the truth or verified data. It could be right to fight back if our guiding principle is being attacked. But we need to stop, if that person (whether he did it or not) already apologized in public. We need to search for the whole aspect. I nearly made a slight mistake. Hoax or no hoax, I opt to stay calm and do my job. Being a Filipino is still intact… within me… Magkakasakit ka lang pag pinatulan mo ito. I’m just being myself…

Now you see me, now you don’t –

Kapag Sunday, tinatamad akong lumabas ng apartment. Nanonood na lang ako ng cable o kaya ay naglilinis na lang ako madalas ng kuwarto ko at ini-isis ang sahig at dingding ng toilet ko kasi sobrang dumi. When I was at the patio, nakita ko na maraming chameleon (not sure if I spelled it right) na palakad-lakad at nagbabaging sa mga sanga at dahon. Parang gusto kong hulihin at alagaan kaya lang, baka kagatin ako, hehehe. Their skin really changes to where they are currently stepped in. Kapag nasa sanga sila, nagiging brown at pag nakakapit naman sa mga dahon, nagiging green. What an amazing creature. Magaling mag-camouflage para di sila makita ng kanilang enemies or prey. Meron ding chameleon sa Pinas pero very rare at karamihan ay mga nasa shops na at ibinebenta. Naalala ko pa noong nakatira pa kami sa bukid sa Talipapa (one of the towns of Novaliches QC), may magilan-ngilang hunyango (this is the literal tagalog word for chameleon) sa aming mga puno. Di sila masyado mapupuna dahil nga kasing-kulay sila ng kanilang kinapitan. Parang tuloy gusto kong bumalik sa pagkabata.

Sad news from Christopherians Batch '79 group

I received a group e-mail yesterday regarding a sad news from the US. Noemi Ramos Gaerlan’s father has just passed away. Egdon Pinzon, who intially relayed this to the group, does not have a more detailed story. We are praying for the soul of Mr. Washington Ramos (Noemi’s father). May he rest in peace. Noemi and Egdon are among the few batchmates who recently joined the group of Christopherians Batch ’79.

Noemi, kasama mo kami sa iyong pagluluksa…

Hindi Lahat ng Iling ay Hindi (O Wala) –

Ngayon ko lang naintindihan dito sa India na kapag umiling ang bumbay, ibig sabihin ay “Oo” or “Okay”. Minsan kasi, nasa tindahan ako at sinabi kong bibili ako ng kandila (parati kasing namamatay ang ilaw sa apartment at madilim pag sa gabi nangyari). Umiling siya kaya lumipat ako ng tindahan. Sinabi ko sa sumunod na tindero na bibili ako ng candle (inulit-ulit ko at isinenyas para maintindihan nya). Umiling uli ang pangalawang tindero. Lumipat naman ako sa pangatlo. Sa pagkakataong ito, nakita ko na may kandila sa loob ng eskaparate nila. Sinabi ko na bibili ako ng kandila. Umiling uli ang pangatlong tindero. Hey! I could see you have a candle in your cabinet. Sabi nya “Yes” habang umiiling. Anak ng pitong kulugo! Eh iling pala ang ibig sabihin sa kanila ng oo. Susme! Pag nagkataon, mauubos ko lahat ng tindahan dito sa lugar namin na di ako makakabili ng kandila. Bwahaha!

I also experienced the same thing when my Indian friend and I went to a nearby fruit shop to buy fruit shakes. Nag-order ang kasama ko ng isang banana shake para sa kanya at isang mango shake naman para akin. Umiling ang tindero pero mayamaya lang, the shakes were served, hehehe. Dami lang langaw sa paligid at sa table (hayup!)..

Imagine a world without electricity

I went out to the field this morning to check for some punchlists (particularly the big water cooling pumps and related instruments) that need to be done. We were struggling to locate some of the items but we were able to see them. We also went to the control room to check the display graphics related to the pumps. One of the senior operators guided us and talked about it. The pumps will be started up tentatively 21st of July so we need to prepare everything. So after that, we headed back to our office. Again, we found out that we did not have power. I was told that there is a shortage of power for this location (not only at this site but to all parts of this place). I guess they (or should I say we?) need to start this power plant soon (464 MegaWatts of combined power). I could imagine having no power for just one day. It will be horrible. Nowadays, how could we live without it? Sa mga bansang maiinit, malamang, wala na magse-sex...

My Alma Mater -

Yun nga palang link sa right side (Christopherian Batch ’79), ito yung link sa aming high school group (St. Christopher Academy, Bangar, La Union). This private High School is located 307 km north of Manila. Si Verena Valencia Delos Reyes ang moderator namin. Iilan pa lang ang sumasapi sa group na ito. They are the following:

Verena Valencia de los Reyes – moderator
Agapito Florendo
Aurora Miniano Crane
Bernardita Collado Ronquillo
Cesar Fe?
Delia Dingle Hollandsworth
Diosdado Opeña
Egdon Pinzon
Emilio Noto Jr.
Noemi Ramos Gaerlan
Rosemarie Mones Julio
Rosa Ramirez Landingin
Minerva Lardizabal Lopez

Marami pang naka-chat si Veren and Badette (at ako) pero parang walang gustong sumali. Meron na rin silang mga nakausap personally at over the phone. Meron pa namang reunion sa year 2009. I hope everybody has joined by then. What about Noli Mon? Herminia Baltazar?