tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84244928596371774022024-02-20T07:43:24.499-08:00Meandering ExperienceThe chicken crossed the road because it was brave enough.Music-Photography-Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17256864222673380039noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8424492859637177402.post-68000249388731815772014-03-04T21:55:00.000-08:002014-03-05T01:01:34.660-08:00Words I Never Said<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Disclaimer: This is not my original letter.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;">Hey there, stranger.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">It’s been a very
long time, which I’m sure you’re aware of. I’d like to say that it was my
decision alone to keep this distance, but I think we both know it was for the
best. I’d like to say that I’m glad you are well, but as we both know I have
absolutely no idea how you are. The one thing that can definitely be said i<span class="textexposedshow">s that when we cut ties, we leave no strand behind, but slice
right through until we no longer remember how to find each other. It’s amazing
to think that once we were inseparable, the best of friends.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="background: white;"><span class="textexposedshow"><br /></span></span></span>
<span class="textexposedshow"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;">You
knew me inside and out, and I, you. We were there for each other in the best of
times and through the most difficult of times. We definitely managed to put
each other through hell on occasion, but when support was needed the most,
support was given. Until, of course, that final day. I sometimes find myself
wondering why we couldn’t stay in touch. Would it be so bad if we got together
for coffee from time to time? Or if we gave each other a ring to see how the
other was doing?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="textexposedshow"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="textexposedshow"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;"><span class="textexposedshow"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Using
the phone to make calls has become archaic, but surely we could send a text to
wish each other a happy birthday? Or a happy New Year? I mean, we’ve been
through so much. You are a part of my life and there is nothing I can do to
ever change that.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="textexposedshow"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;"><span class="textexposedshow"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span class="textexposedshow"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;"><span class="textexposedshow"><span class="textexposedshow"><span style="line-height: 115%;">You
can’t be forgotten because forgetting you would be like forgetting myself —
impossible. But then again, maybe you are right. Maybe we are better off as far
apart as possible. We know we aren’t right for each other. We know it would
never work, and we know the friendship we have — we had — created a bond that
would make slipping back into romance too easy. It would make repeating the
same mistakes too likely, repeating the same heartbreak certain. That’s what it
really comes down to: It’s not my heart that I’m worried about, but yours.
Breaking my own heart would be my responsibility to bear, but I can’t once
again be responsible for breaking yours.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="textexposedshow"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;"><span class="textexposedshow"><span class="textexposedshow"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>
<span class="textexposedshow"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;"><span class="textexposedshow"><span class="textexposedshow"><span class="textexposedshow"><span style="line-height: 115%;">So
all that I can do is wish you the best. Wish you a great, bright, loving
future. Wish you to find the lover of your dreams and to create a lifetime of
your fantasies. I wish for you to find a friend as great as me, but a much
better partner. One who won’t drag you through the mud. One who you won’t feel
the need to bury with guilt. I wish you all the best and although you will
never read this, although we will never speak to each other again, and although
you are out of my life forever, I wish you nothing short of happiness.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="textexposedshow"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;"><span class="textexposedshow"><span class="textexposedshow"><span class="textexposedshow"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span class="textexposedshow"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;"><span class="textexposedshow"><span class="textexposedshow"><span class="textexposedshow"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Never Again to be Yours,</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="textexposedshow"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;"><span class="textexposedshow"><span class="textexposedshow"><span class="textexposedshow"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span class="textexposedshow"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;"><span class="textexposedshow"><span class="textexposedshow"><span class="textexposedshow"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Your Lost Best Friend</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="textexposedshow"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;"><span class="textexposedshow"><span class="textexposedshow"><span class="textexposedshow"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span class="textexposedshow"><span style="background: white; color: #37404e; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="textexposedshow"><span class="textexposedshow"><span class="textexposedshow"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span>Music-Photography-Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17256864222673380039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8424492859637177402.post-26366969327092157392012-07-20T08:18:00.000-07:002012-07-20T08:19:46.327-07:00Courageous<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Let me share this beautiful speech from the movie "Courageous." </span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', Calibri, 'Myriad Pro', Myriad, 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;">As a law-enforcement officer, I've seen first hand the deep hurt and devastation that fatherlessness brings in a child's life. Our prisons are full of men and women who lived recklessly after being abandoned by their fathers, wounded by the men who should have loved them the most. Many of these children now follow the same pattern of irresponsibility that their fathers did. While so many mothers have sacrificed to help their children survive, they were never intended to carry the weight alone. We thank God for them, but research is proving that a child also desperately needs a daddy. There's no way around this fact.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', Calibri, 'Myriad Pro', Myriad, 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;">As you know, earlier this year my family endured the tragic loss of our 9-year-old daughter, Emily. Her death forced me to realize that only had I not taken advantage of the priceless time I had with her, but that I did not fully understand how crucial my role was as a father to her and our son, Dylan. Since her passing, I’ve asked God to show me through His word how to be the father that I need to be. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', Calibri, 'Myriad Pro', Myriad, 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;">I now believe that God desires for every father to courageously step up and do whatever it takes to be involved in the lives of his children. But more than just being there or providing for them, he's to walk with them through their lives and be a visual representation of the character of God, their Father in Heaven. A father should love his children and seek to win their hearts. He should protect them, discipline them, and teach them about God. He should model how to walk with integrity and treat others with respect and should call out his children to become responsible men and women who live their lives for what matters in eternity. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', Calibri, 'Myriad Pro', Myriad, 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;">Some men will hear this and mock it or ignore it. But I tell you as a father, you are accountable to God for the position of influence he has given you. You cannot fall asleep at the wheel only to wake up one day and realize that your job or your hobbies have no eternal value, but the souls of your children do. Some men will hear this and agree with it, but have no resolve to live it out. Instead, they will live for themselves and waste the opportunity to leave a godly legacy for the next generatio</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', Calibri, 'Myriad Pro', Myriad, 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;">But there are some men who, regardless of the mistakes we've made in the past, regardless of what our fathers did not do for us, will give the strength of our arms and the rest of our days to loving God with all that we are and to teach our children to do the same. And whenever possible to love and mentor others who have no fathers in their lives, but who desperately need help and direction. And we are inviting any man whose heart is willing and courageous, to join us in this resolution.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', Calibri, 'Myriad Pro', Myriad, 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;">In my home the decision has already been made.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', Calibri, 'Myriad Pro', Myriad, 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;">You don’t have to ask who will guide my family, because by God’s grace, I will.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', Calibri, 'Myriad Pro', Myriad, 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;">You don’t have to ask who will teach my son to follow Christ, because I will.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', Calibri, 'Myriad Pro', Myriad, 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;">Who will accept the responsibility of providing (for) and protecting my family? I will.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', Calibri, 'Myriad Pro', Myriad, 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;">Who will ask God to break the chain of destructive patterns in my family’s history? I will.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', Calibri, 'Myriad Pro', Myriad, 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;">Who will pray for and bless my children to boldly pursue what God calls them to do? I am their father. I will. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', Calibri, 'Myriad Pro', Myriad, 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;">I accept this responsibility and it is my privilege to embrace it. I want the favor of God and His blessing on my home. Any good man does. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', Calibri, 'Myriad Pro', Myriad, 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;">So where are you men of courage? Where are you, fathers who fear the Lord? It’s time to rise up and answer the call that God has given to you, and to say:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', Calibri, 'Myriad Pro', Myriad, 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;">I will! I will! I will!</span>
</div>Music-Photography-Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17256864222673380039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8424492859637177402.post-39499067658533926672012-04-03T07:56:00.001-07:002012-04-03T08:01:39.707-07:00Gawad Kalinga 2011: Heroism<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">There is nothing greater than the heart of a volunteer.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">It started with a simple thought. I was in one of my tranquil soliloquies when this question suddenly sprouted in my head: What are you planning to do on your 25th birthday? I thought about it for weeks. See, it has always been my tradition to give myself something good, expensive and tangible during my birthday ever since I started working. It’s equivalent to a tap on the shoulder for a job well done. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">The answer came to me one day and in a weirdest possible way. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I was driving home from work when I stopped at an intersection to allow pedestrians to cross. When I looked to my right, Tito Bebot Sarmiento, our former CFC Provincial Area Director, greeted me with a smile. Being the SFC that I am, I forced myself out of my motorcycle to talk to him for a while. I wasn’t in a hurry anyway. Our conversation was short. He asked me if I had been to Bantayan Island in Cebu. He told me about the white sandy beaches. He further told me that he will be going there to participate in a weeklong Gawad Kalinga activity. He invited me to join him. He must have known that I love the sea.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I am familiar with Gawad Kalinga (or so I thought); I’ve participated in many works in our local GK sites, mostly during Sundays, here in Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur. And in those works, all I got in return were backpain, a bucketload of sweat, sore muscles, some scratches, and a severely-tanned complexion. Back then, my perception to GK was as shallow as a puddle of water on the side of a road. I worked for GK because I was an SFC; I worked for GK because our Chapter Head told me to do so; I worked for GK because I enjoyed being with my household.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">It took me quite a while to convince myself to join the GK build in Bantayan because I knew that I was in for some hard labor. But I joined anyway. I was more excited to see the Island itself; the GK Build was an excuse for me. Maybe this was the birthday gift that I wanted. I imagined myself walking down the beach, taking photographs of the sea, and bragging about it later on when I return. Yes, I think I was being selfish. But now I prefer to look to it as God working in His mysterious ways. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">April 4, 2011, Bantayan Island. The first thing I noticed upon arriving at the dock was the tarpaulin that greeted us. Written in clear letters, it said, “WELCOME, MGA BAYANI!” It gave me a slight chill in my spine because I knew that I wasn’t physically prepared for the tasks in store for us. But I was optimistic, nonetheless. The GK Team of Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur, was composed of only ten members, most of which are SFC members, and some have already gone to other GK builds prior to this one. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">We set our tents at an elementary school nearest to the venue. Yes, we lived in tents for the entire duration. The ironic part of it all is that the empty classroom meant for us to occupy was beside our tents, and we only used it to hang our clothes. We were practically roughing it! It is only in GK where I get to sleep with a shovel beside me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I was amazed because I thought I’d be with people who are used to hard labor (construction workers, plumbers, masons, etc). Instead, I found myself surrounded by thousands of volunteers who, I think, most of them don’t even know what a broom looks like. I’m not kidding. Most of the volunteers were teenagers coming from private schools in the Luzon area, specifically, Manila. There were students from Ateneo and UP, to name a few. There were Filipinos families from abroad who returned to the Philippines just to build. There were even foreign delegates. And they all looked battle-ready. This gave me a smile.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">It was in this moment when I was reminded of what Tito Bebot Sarmiento told me days before we travelled. ALLOW GAWAD KALINGA MAKE AN IMPACT INTO YOUR LIFE. LET IT SINK INTO YOUR HEART. LEARN TO KNOW WHY WE DO THIS AT OUR OWN EXPENSE. I’ll never forget those words. Never.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> I was even more astonished when I learned that a Mayor from Sulu and the Governor of Compostela Valley are also present, along with their band of volunteers. It was my first encounter of politicians who were not afraid to get dirty, who were not surrounded by heavily armed men, who weren’t dressed in <i>Barong Tagalog, </i>politicians who were literally in the level of the people. This gave me a bigger smile. There is still hope in the Philippines, after all.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Our team was assigned at the GK Village in Mojon. Due to our lack in number, we weren’t asked to build a house. Our first assignment was to dig the ground to make a pathway for water to flow freely when it rained. Along with us was the GK Team from UP Los Banos and GK Team Bacolod City. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">As we began to dig the ground, kneeling on the dirt, sweating furiously, time flew so fast. There was activity everywhere. Everybody was doing their own part. No task was too big because it was a sure guarantee that somebody would always be there to help you carry a bucket of water, or a can of paint, or a large rock. I can see that all of them were shedding the same amount of sweat that I was shedding. In that moment I began to look at them in a different way. They were heroes. And the heroism went on for the next five days.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">...TO BE CONTINUED...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuPaWtCND0FFzZQ1EcK_UzhS5ddZgIyV1Qyu_UAN9c-UOr7j9awEPXcDWlXjrOn_8xxr7seiOkfqt2IEif-HmhXY8yKZq0IhLq4hFwsgZ0oL4DjDpWgVL0y5cP25eiL8fmBjKnS5MX7ayk/s1600/BLOG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuPaWtCND0FFzZQ1EcK_UzhS5ddZgIyV1Qyu_UAN9c-UOr7j9awEPXcDWlXjrOn_8xxr7seiOkfqt2IEif-HmhXY8yKZq0IhLq4hFwsgZ0oL4DjDpWgVL0y5cP25eiL8fmBjKnS5MX7ayk/s1600/BLOG.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div>Music-Photography-Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17256864222673380039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8424492859637177402.post-3271258536780349352012-02-02T10:02:00.000-08:002012-02-02T10:02:01.203-08:00<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Amore”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This particular article reveals my history and thoughts on love. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I was in high school, an autograph once told me that “love is a feeling you feel when you feel that you are feeling a feeling that you haven’t felt before”. Whatever that feeling was, I’m sure it wasn’t love. It might as well be migraine. Back then, love, for me, was vague and based on tangible objects such as flowers, stuffed toys and chocolates. It’s as if every girl wants to receive at least one if not all of those items and more especially on Valentine’s Day. It’s as if each boy is required to do so. Recalling those days makes me giggle at the thought of us all dressed in our best damn suits, rushing to the nearest flowershop to select the best bouquet and handing it over to a girl who most probably expected it anyways. (That’s the rationale behind the requirement concept. Not giving her flowers on Valentine’s Day would most probably mean two weeks of silence). But hey, that’s just my idea. Truth is, I never had a girlfriend in high school. I was busy mastering the art of COUNTER-STRIKE.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fast forward to College. It was great! I fell in love... with the books at the library. Yep, I spent most of my school days reading, writing, eating <i>ribusaw</i>, riding the noisiest jeepneys, playing the bass guitar and reading. However, It would be too sarcastic for me deny liking a girl. But fate (and perhaps determination) didn’t go by my side. Maybe it was a good thing after all. I ranked no. 1 in my department when I graduated. Reflecting on those past memories somehow makes me feel envious and relieved at the same time. Why? I envied my classmates who have boyfriends/girlfriends. But I felt relieved because I knew that if I had a girlfriend back then, I’d probably have an early/unplanned marriage which would make me miserable. But hey, that’s just my idea.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Note:</b> Maybe this isn’t a good time to update my blog. Ideas are running in my head; and once again I find my typing skills running after the words that I am trying to formulate. But, let’s continue. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2006, 2009. Law School. From my very first entry of the dreaded law school, I drove myself away from social interactions. I’d spent more than eight daylight hours in my room reading the thickest books. But sadly, fate tested me again. I quit law school because I really thought I was in love. I sacrificed my studies for the sake of this half-Japanese girl who had been playing with me all along. Yes, it did hurt! But hey, nobody’s exempted from having a broken heart. Right? Amen!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Present. Right now, I look at love differently (and perhaps in a mature manner, I think). Personal experience has taught me that love fades, love is blind, love can be replaced, love is deceitful, and love can turn to hate. On the brighter side, my own definition of love comes from the Bible. I am most specifically pointing to that verse which says LOVE IS PATIENT. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It takes a lot of guts to show love. But it takes more guts to show patience. Right now, I’m exercising my patience. I’m assigning God as the President of this particular department of my life. As of the moment, there’s somebody close to my heart. She’s so close yet so far. But it doesn’t bother me much anymore. See, I have learned that love doesn’t need physical contact in order to be ignited. I am contented with the fact that I love her (although she doesn’t feel the same for me). I’m happy because I was able to be with her. Not only was I in love with her, I also fell in love with her family. The days I spent with her family (even when she was away) were amazing. True, not all of those moments were filled with happy memories. But still I am thankful. I am truly thankful. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I guess love isn’t so hard to define at all. In fact, no words can truly describe love – actions do. And although we have up and down moments, despite our disputes and occasional verbal fights, I am happy because I am learning to love her more than I did before. I could have retreated. I could have stopped chasing her. I could have chased another girl. After all, there are many bats in a cave. But I didn’t. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dear readers, you are free to refer to me as a martyr, a fool, an addict. I won’t be offended at all. The truth is, I am in love. </span></div>Music-Photography-Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17256864222673380039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8424492859637177402.post-29189038642012585442011-12-31T21:22:00.000-08:002011-12-31T21:24:11.963-08:00Hanamizuki<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Hanamizuki</b><br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To the sky you reach out your hand<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The songs of the clouds<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Call you to distant lands<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To the wind you call my name<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Carried to the shore<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The shore where I wait<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A dogwood flow'r, I'd give to you<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A blossom then, soon come to bloom<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">May the dreams you hold<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The dreams that shine like rosen gold last forever<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I wish for you to shine above<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To radiate your endless love<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">May it last a hundred years from now<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Summer heat weighing down on us<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This boat is too weak and so in me, <o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Please trust I will follow you<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Please go ahead and I will be there soon<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A dogwood flow'r, I'd give to you<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A blossom then, soon come to bloom<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">May the dreams you hold<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The dreams that shine like rosen gold last forever<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I wish for you to shine above<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To radiate your endless love<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">May it last a hundred years from now<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To the sky you reach out your hand<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The songs of the clouds<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Call you to distant lands<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To the wind you call my name<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Carried to the shore<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The shore where I wait<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A dogwood flow'r, I'd give to you<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A blossom then, soon come to bloom<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">May the dreams you hold<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The dreams that shine like rosen gold last forever<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I wish for you to shine above<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To radiate your endless love<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To the sky you reach out your hand<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The songs of the clouds<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Call you to distant lands<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To the wind you call my name<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Carried to the shore<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The shore where I wait<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A dogwood flow'r, I'd give to you<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A blossom then, soon come to bloom<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">May the dreams you hold<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The dreams that shine like rosen gold last forever<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I wish for you to shine above<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To radiate your endless love<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">May it last a hundred years from now</span></div>Music-Photography-Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17256864222673380039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8424492859637177402.post-1243040023036035822011-12-07T07:26:00.000-08:002011-12-07T07:26:12.458-08:00Legacy of an adopted child<div style="text-align: center;">Once there were two women</div><div style="text-align: center;">Who never knew each other</div><div style="text-align: center;">One you do not remember</div><div style="text-align: center;">The other you call mother.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Two different lives,</div><div style="text-align: center;">Shaped to make yours one</div><div style="text-align: center;">One became your guiding star</div><div style="text-align: center;">The other became your sun.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The first gave you life</div><div style="text-align: center;">And the second taught you to live in it</div><div style="text-align: center;">The first gave you need for love</div><div style="text-align: center;">And the second was there to give it.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">One gave you nationality</div><div style="text-align: center;">The other gave you a name</div><div style="text-align: center;">One gave you the seed of talent</div><div style="text-align: center;">The other gave you an aim</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">One gave you emotions</div><div style="text-align: center;">The other calmed your fears</div><div style="text-align: center;">One saw your first smile</div><div style="text-align: center;">The other dried your tears</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">One gave you up</div><div style="text-align: center;">It was all that she could do</div><div style="text-align: center;">The other prayed for a child</div><div style="text-align: center;">And God led her straight to you.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">And now you ask me through your tears</div><div style="text-align: center;">The age old question through the years</div><div style="text-align: center;">Heredity or environment - </div><div style="text-align: center;">Which are you a product of?</div><div style="text-align: center;">Neither, my darling, - neither.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Just two different kinds of LOVE.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Music-Photography-Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17256864222673380039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8424492859637177402.post-22295529611317335632011-10-10T11:20:00.000-07:002012-01-01T05:33:10.354-08:00my love is here for you.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/BI46OJjQpjU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Music-Photography-Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17256864222673380039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8424492859637177402.post-84549311225984807682011-08-17T19:50:00.000-07:002011-08-17T19:50:27.377-07:00Somewhere I have never travelled<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, 'lucida sans', helvetica, geneva, sans-serif;"><pre style="font-family: verdana, arial, 'lucida sans', helvetica, geneva, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">somewhere i have never travelled,gladly beyond
any experience,your eyes have their silence:
in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,
or which i cannot touch because they are too near
your slightest look easily will unclose me
though i have closed myself as fingers,
you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens
(touching skilfully,mysteriously)her first rose
or if your wish be to close me, i and
my life will shut very beautifully ,suddenly,
as when the heart of this flower imagines
the snow carefully everywhere descending;
nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals
the power of your intense fragility:whose texture
compels me with the color of its countries,
rendering death and forever with each breathing
(i do not know what it is about you that closes
and opens;only something in me understands
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)
nobody,not even the rain,has such small hands</span></pre><pre style="font-family: verdana, arial, 'lucida sans', helvetica, geneva, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">
</span></pre><pre style="font-family: verdana, arial, 'lucida sans', helvetica, geneva, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">
</span></pre><pre style="font-family: verdana, arial, 'lucida sans', helvetica, geneva, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Note: This poem, written by E.E. Cummings, is my most favorite. </span></pre></span>Music-Photography-Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17256864222673380039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8424492859637177402.post-23536620911310725922011-08-09T07:36:00.000-07:002011-08-09T07:37:28.745-07:00An Englishman's Nightmare (Based on a true story)Written by: Leo Lagnason<br />
July 11, 2004<br />
12:50AM<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">I woke up and you were on my mind,</div><div style="text-align: center;">Thinking of the way that it used to be;</div><div style="text-align: center;">All this time, how could I be so blind</div><div style="text-align: center;">From the things that bothered me?</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Breakfast was served but I couldn't eat,</div><div style="text-align: center;">I thought, "maybe you've run along with Pete"</div><div style="text-align: center;">Mom said, "Oh, look! Here comes your friend Nate!</div><div style="text-align: center;">Better hurry, or you'll both be late"</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">At school, I went directly to my locker,</div><div style="text-align: center;">I tried but I just could not find you.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Varied books and notes were still in order,</div><div style="text-align: center;">You're lost! I was beginning to think that it's true.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">My day went as badly as I thought it would be,</div><div style="text-align: center;">But nobody else was to be blamed, except for me.</div><div style="text-align: center;"> I got low scores on all of my majors</div><div style="text-align: center;">This is not fun anymore, this is torture!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Yesterday, you were still within my grasp.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm longing for you now, I need to find you fast.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm lost for words and it makes me weary</div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm desperate! Where are you, my dictionary?!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Note: This was originally entitled as "Elegy for something special". I wrote this when my THESAURUS had gone missing two days after it was bought. However, the poem stated DICTIONARY. hehehehe... But i found it after a week. A girl returned it to me. I seem to have left it in the classroom. </div>Music-Photography-Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17256864222673380039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8424492859637177402.post-3676237383123485922011-08-09T06:59:00.000-07:002011-08-09T07:00:21.999-07:00Suicidal ContemplationConceptualized by: Leo Lagnason, Ruben Balagot and Edie Perez<br />
Lyrics by: Leo Lagnason<br />
Arranged by: Ruben Balagot and Edie Perez<br />
<br />
Chords: A-F-D-G<br />
A-F-D-Em<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Stanza I:</div><div style="text-align: center;">Here I am holding a gun in my hand</div><div style="text-align: center;">All alone, sitting and wasting away</div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm afraid, you left me alone in the dark</div><div style="text-align: center;">Oh, I cried on the night that you walked away.</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Chorus:</div><div style="text-align: center;">(You broke/ you've broken) my heart and cut it to pieces</div><div style="text-align: center;">My world was destroyed when you slammed the door</div><div style="text-align: center;">Don't walk away, I love you, please stay</div><div style="text-align: center;">The memory keeps haunting me everyday</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Stanza II:</div><div style="text-align: center;">Oh, can't you see? My heart is bleeding coz you're gone</div><div style="text-align: center;">Now I'm lost! There's no strength and no faith in my soul</div><div style="text-align: center;">My life's a mess, and I'm burning alive in my head</div><div style="text-align: center;">Your light is gone, dark clouds are coming down as I pray</div><br />
Note: This was conceptualized after watching a "Dream Theater" concert. It wasn't supposed to be an emo song at first; but as we continued to conceptualized, the lyrics and emotions mixed.Music-Photography-Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17256864222673380039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8424492859637177402.post-62027057640312993502011-08-09T06:40:00.000-07:002011-08-09T06:41:44.093-07:00I Can Still RememberComposed by: Ruben Lagnason Balagot<br />
Arranged by: Ruben Lagnason Balagot<br />
<br />
Intro: D<br />
Stanza: Bm-G-Em-A<br />
Chorus: D-A-Bm-G<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Stanza I:</div><div style="text-align: center;">I can still remember</div><div style="text-align: center;">The times we shared together</div><div style="text-align: center;">The good times and the bad times</div><div style="text-align: center;">That we've both been through</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Stanza II:</div><div style="text-align: center;">I can still remember</div><div style="text-align: center;">What we had promised together</div><div style="text-align: center;">That you and I will never say goodbye</div><div style="text-align: center;">Never say farewell</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Chorus:</div><div style="text-align: center;">You know that I won't let you down</div><div style="text-align: center;">We've got to keep our secret</div><div style="text-align: center;">And there's a promise we've got to stand</div><div style="text-align: center;">(Oh, baby) Until the end.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Stanza III:</div><div style="text-align: center;">I can still remember</div><div style="text-align: center;">All we have done together</div><div style="text-align: center;">I will miss the days and the nights</div><div style="text-align: center;">And long them once again</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Stanza IV:</div><div style="text-align: center;">I can be here. there and everywhere</div><div style="text-align: center;">If you call me, I'll come running</div><div style="text-align: center;">I'll make you safe wherever you will go</div><div style="text-align: center;">So please stay with me.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
Note: This song was one of our band's (West Sector Band) official entry to the 2003 RX 93.1 Band Breakout held on October 24, 2003 at Shooter's Mega Billiards club. This song was inspired by the composer's previous relationship with a girl who belong to the Islamic Faith. It tells of the pressure they both endured in keeping their relationship secret. In the end, the girl had to let go and marry the man that was destined to him by her parents. :-(Music-Photography-Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17256864222673380039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8424492859637177402.post-84660378145548766412011-08-09T06:23:00.000-07:002011-08-09T06:23:31.298-07:00My RefugeComposed: August 23, 2003 5:30PM<br />
YFC West Sector, Combuild<br />
Maasin Elementary School<br />
Zamboanga City<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">I know I've been so foolish and acted so dumb</div><div style="text-align: center;">My spirit is weak and I feel so numb</div><div style="text-align: center;">Now in your loving arms I want to come</div><div style="text-align: center;">I want to reach for you, just even for your thumb.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">To feel safe and be loved is what I wanted</div><div style="text-align: center;">From you whose love has never once ended</div><div style="text-align: center;">The horrors of this world makes me feel unwanted</div><div style="text-align: center;">I feel so weak, hopeless and devastated</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">But as long as I know that you are here</div><div style="text-align: center;">No matter how dark this world gets, I have nothing to fear</div><div style="text-align: center;">You were always there for me even when I was still a little seed</div><div style="text-align: center;">In this world, your love is all I need.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Note: This poem was inspired by the sunset and the YFC activity that we had. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Music-Photography-Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17256864222673380039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8424492859637177402.post-68209028283615150362011-08-09T05:46:00.003-07:002011-08-09T06:06:45.132-07:00New Time<div style="text-align: left;">Composed: November 20, 2003</div><div style="text-align: left;"> 9:00-11:00am</div><div style="text-align: left;"> Zamboanga City</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Intro: E-A</div><div style="text-align: left;">Stanza: E-A</div><div style="text-align: left;">Refrain: F#m-C#m 2x B</div><div style="text-align: left;">Chorus: C#m-A-C#m-B 3x A-B</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Stanza 1:</div><div style="text-align: center;">I can feel the cold night</div><div style="text-align: center;">I can taste the air</div><div style="text-align: center;">I can hear the laughter</div><div style="text-align: center;">Jesus Christ is near</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">Refrain 1:</div><div style="text-align: center;">I've been waiting for this</div><div style="text-align: center;">The best time of my life.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Stanza 2:</div><div style="text-align: center;">I can see the children</div><div style="text-align: center;">Playing all around</div><div style="text-align: center;">I can see the bright lights</div><div style="text-align: center;">The angels are coming down</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Refrain 2:</div><div style="text-align: center;">Oh it's me and my savior</div><div style="text-align: center;">He has opened up the door</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Chorus:</div><div style="text-align: center;">I know that Jesus will come</div><div style="text-align: center;">Coz I believe that Jesus is there</div><div style="text-align: center;">There's a new time</div><div style="text-align: center;">Meant for us to be with you oh, Lord.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Stanza 3:</div><div style="text-align: center;">Hey you, my brother</div><div style="text-align: center;">There's a time to change</div><div style="text-align: center;">Our God is waiting</div><div style="text-align: center;">Your sins have been paid</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Music-Photography-Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17256864222673380039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8424492859637177402.post-69888295446769644772011-08-08T08:32:00.000-07:002011-08-09T04:50:52.722-07:00Brady Bunch Dilemma: The Reproductive Health Bill<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Who are we again?</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lately, I’ve been bothered by text messages regarding my stand on the ever-famous Reproductive Health Bill. This bill has caused such hysteria in the country that even foreign nationals are bulging in. I, for one, wouldn’t have wanted to give my statement because to do so would cause headaches. But, as a citizen of this country, it is my right to know what this bill is all about and how its approval or disapproval can affect me. It is after all stated in Article II, <span class="apple-style-span">Section 11 of the Philippine Constitution that “The State values the dignity of every human person and guarantees full respect for human rights.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now that I have established my legal capacity to tackle with this issue, I <b>shall try</b> to come up with an unbiased statement. It certainly wouldn’t be as easy as making an essay about my summer vacation (although I wish it were). There are many factors that I would like to discuss. I’ll try to explain this in simple English. So, here it is.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
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</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What is the RH Bill?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span">According to Wikipedia, this is a Philippine</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">bill</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">aiming to guarantee universal access to methods and information on</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">birth control and maternal care. To put it simply, this bill aims to promote better health to mothers and their children with a bonus in the form of information dissemination with regards to family planning. Family planning can be natural and artificial. This bill focuses more on the artificial methods of family planning. The RH Bill does sound convincing. What could be better than social concern for the promotion of health, right? But, AREN’T PROGRAMS LIKE THIS ALREADY BEING CONDUCTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH? Hmmm… Let’s dig deeper. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the main concerns of the bill, according to the Explanatory Note, is that population of the Philippines makes it “the 12th most populous nation in the world today”, that the Filipino women’s fertility rate is “at the upper bracket of 206 countries.” It states that studies and surveys “show that the Filipinos are responsive to having smaller-sized families through free choice of family planning methods.” It also refers to studies which “show that rapid population growth exacerbates (worsens) poverty while poverty spawns rapid population growth.” And so it aims for improved quality of life through a “consistent and coherent national population policy.” (Source: Wikipedia.com)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This gives a blatant and direct inference that overpopulation increases the poverty rate and poverty is the main cause of overpopulation; and so in order for the Philippines to progress, we must control the growth of our population. This is confusing! But it does make a lot of sense. How will the RH Bill control population growth? Well, by <span class="apple-style-span">Information and access to natural and modern family planning</span>. This includes condoms, contraceptives, pills and other artificial methods of family planning. This is exactly the reason why the Catholic Church is fuming. Why? Let’s try to analyze.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span">The majority of Filipinos are in favor of family planning. The Catholic Church teaches the necessity of responsible parenthood and correct family planning (one child at a time depending on one's circumstances), while at the same time teaching that large families are a sign of God's blessings. It teaches that modern</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">natural family planning, a method of fertility awareness, is in accord with God's design, as couples give themselves to each other as they are. The RH bill intends to help couples to have government funded access to artificial contraception methods as well.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Philippines is mainly (based on statistics) a country dominated by Catholics. The Catholic faith believes in the natural method of family planning and that has always been the church’s stand ever since time immemorial. Condoms, contraceptives and pills (to name some) are artificial methods of family planning. The Catholic Church prohibits its worshippers to use the artificial meth. In short, the Church only wants what’s good for the people. The RH Bill is also construed for the benefit of the people. But why is the church strongly protesting against it? This is because the RH bill gives a direct implication of the <b>legalization </b>of condoms, contraceptives and pills. These are after all what the government is planning to distribute to the people in their respective communities. If all these artificial method become legal, it would give a suggestion that it’s ok to have sex because the government will provide the condoms. From whom? From the taxpayer’s money, of course. So it’s like we are paying for their condoms and pills. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But despite not being legal, condoms, pills and other contraceptives are already available in the market, in drugstores, and in even at the front desk of the motel. <span class="apple-style-span">The opposition argues that "Access to contraceptives is free and unrestricted" and that the proposed law is pushing an already open door.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">They say that these family planning items are available to the citizens and many local government units and NGOs provide these for free. There is definitely no use for us to provide for this vanity items. “Poor people can buy their own condoms since they can pay for such items as cellphone loads” (Congressman Teddyboy Locsin). The ironic part of it all is that even before this bill was created, people (especially Catholics) were already aware and are already using condoms, pills, IUDs and contraceptives. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One study shows that women are having more children than they desire, implying a significant unmet need for reproductive health services. In short, there is a lack of information dissemination to mothers, and that’s one of the reasons why the population is growing. The RH bill has a solution to this. It adduces that the State shall assist couples, parents and individuals to achieve their desired family size within the context of responsible parenthood for sustainable development and encourage them to have two children as the ideal family size. That is indeed a great proposition! It is only imperative that the people should be given the privilege of better access for reproductive health services. This is done so that the couple will be able to have their desired number of children. AREN’T PROGRAMS LIKE THIS ONE ALREADY BEING DONE IN HEALTH CENTERS?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From what I’ve analyzed so far, it seems like the Department of Health and all its employees are sleeping on the job for failure of having the initiative of creating programs for civic awareness in terms of family planning, health care services, maternal and child care and etc. Or maybe the politicians who made this bill are unaware that reproductive health programs are already present and are being implemented in health centers and hospitals. It seems to create an impression that the RH Bill is our only hope if we want to lessen our population. Maybe I’m just being shallow and narrow-minded today. Let’s not wait for the grass to grow. Let’s continue.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span">One of the provisions of the RH Bill is that </span><span class="apple-style-span">“the government shall ensure that all women needing care for <b>post-abortion</b> complications shall be treated and counseled in a humane, non-judgmental and compassionate manner.” The keyword here is abortion. </span><span class="apple-style-span"><b>Abortion</b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">is the termination of a</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">pregnancy</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">by the removal or expulsion of a</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">fetus or</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">embryo from the</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span">uterus, resulting in or caused by its death. In the Philippines, abortion is considered taboo. That is why </span>Article II, Section 12 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution says, in part that the State recognizes the sanctity of family life and shall protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution. It shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the <b>unborn from conception. </b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The act is criminalized by the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Revised Penal Code of the Philippines, which was enacted in 1930 and remains in effect today. Articles 256, 258 and 259 of the Code mandate imprisonment for the woman who undergoes the abortion, as well as for any person who assists in the procedure, even if they be the woman's parents, a physician or midwife. Article 258 further imposes a higher prison term on the woman or her parents if the abortion is undertaken "in order to conceal [the woman's] dishonor". Need I say more? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That specific phrase in the RH Bill which states that <span class="apple-style-span"><i>the government shall ensure that all women needing care for <b>post-abortion</b> complications shall be treated and counseled in a humane, non-judgmental and compassionate manner </i>is also one of the reasons why the church is infuriated. It once again created a direct implication that the government recognizes the intensity of abortion; and since they are deemed incapable of stopping this, a post-abortion response will just then be created. The government will not be legalizing abortion per se but it recognizes its existence. But despite this phrase, I believe that women who are contemplating in subjecting themselves into abortion or have tried abortion are women who are in need of utmost care in a humane, non-judgmental and compassionate manner. I think we don’t have to legalize care in order to do it. Filipinos are known to be compassionate. Furthermore, the underlying argument here focuses on the role of the family, especially that of the parents, or of any elder, to be partly responsible for not educating their son or daughter about the sanctity/value of life. If the woman has strong family ties, she would think twice about having her child aborted. The same goes to the man who caused the abortion. Life, mo matter how we put it, is precious. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lastly, the RH Bill proposes that age-appropriate reproductive health and sexuality education is required from grade five to fourth year high school using “life-skills and other approaches. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">THIS IS THE PART OF MY ARTICLE WHERE I JUST STOP WRITING. I THINK I HAVE ALREADY MADE MY STAND.</span></span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipG-69MlkVL0IxkAx7AmgkXxD-SgannGI6F9O0tuD_k6rtx_puD5bagjMbDkXmjrGyzfHAwbz5d4UN65bdxUJIKHHncDUACqJNJK3nkk5CudaH-Bx0pFvPhiF7aGanHDBWq6srVDtaFD57/s1600/edited+ashley+2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipG-69MlkVL0IxkAx7AmgkXxD-SgannGI6F9O0tuD_k6rtx_puD5bagjMbDkXmjrGyzfHAwbz5d4UN65bdxUJIKHHncDUACqJNJK3nkk5CudaH-Bx0pFvPhiF7aGanHDBWq6srVDtaFD57/s320/edited+ashley+2.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div>Music-Photography-Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17256864222673380039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8424492859637177402.post-76336647680893869522011-08-08T05:28:00.000-07:002011-08-08T23:41:56.421-07:00Coco Lee - A Love Before Time<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/c6KKiJW3cVc?fs=1" width="425"></iframe>Music-Photography-Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17256864222673380039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8424492859637177402.post-72238495898825976222011-08-08T05:11:00.000-07:002011-08-09T04:52:37.584-07:00Suffrage<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"The Election I know"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Promises are expressed clearly<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While wickedness is exposed<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Arid minds are soaking wet<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Clenched fists are crying for freedom<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The voice is divided<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But nobody speaks the whole truth<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A cliché in every nation<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yet, people are still victims<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A collision of principles<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mouths articulate convincing oaths<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Reaching out to the remotest areas<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And the dead wake up to vote<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Faces on every corner of the road<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Showing their two-faced smiles<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s as if angels came down to help.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Finally, I am heard! Will this end?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY9svOMd2WUeAzCcqN7lZv0cR9U-EEKvdQ6t840OqC5QFXiAN8TjDdx99WOVxZ1Rycel3LcB96N1URQe-7NeOmWoPv_Jmy4hkeaZV2oqYJFjf3fJA58IuRUP1Z4QS1S1NeyjX4C-diVbsj/s1600/DSCI0013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY9svOMd2WUeAzCcqN7lZv0cR9U-EEKvdQ6t840OqC5QFXiAN8TjDdx99WOVxZ1Rycel3LcB96N1URQe-7NeOmWoPv_Jmy4hkeaZV2oqYJFjf3fJA58IuRUP1Z4QS1S1NeyjX4C-diVbsj/s200/DSCI0013.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>Music-Photography-Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17256864222673380039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8424492859637177402.post-63172269027740760652011-08-08T05:04:00.000-07:002011-08-09T04:53:04.845-07:00Tambok<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Tambok”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ako tawo lamang nga sama sa inyo,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Naa ko’y kasing-kasing, kalag, og Ginoo<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Apan ngano man nga ang uban sa inyo<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mahilig gyud nga painiton ang akong ulo?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kung maglakaw gani ko sa kadalanan,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ang mangatawa pastilang pagkadaghan,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ang uban kay mag-uyog-uyog samtang galantaw<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Og moingon dayon, “Linog! Naay tambok galakaw!”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kung moadto gani ko sa kumbira,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sa ako galantaw tanang mga mata<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bantayan ang pagkaon nga akong kuhaon<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kung mahurot ba gyud nako sa <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">usa</st1:place></st1:country-region> ka lamon.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingon-ana na ba gyud ko kahakog?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pasanginlan nga sa kusina matulog!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Masuko gani ko, sumbagon ko kamo tanan,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Didto gyud mo puniton sa pantalan!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Baboy daw ko, ingon ang uban.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dako ba diay ang akong dalunggan?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Duha ra ka tiil ang akong gamit kung molakaw<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mga buluyagon! Dili ko mokaon og pasaw!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ayaw na ko ninyo hagita og lumba’g dagan<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kabalo ba mo kung unsay buhaton kung ako makuyapan?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tinuod man, dako lagi ko og lawas<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Palihug, ayaw lang ko tawga nga aliwas…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ang pagpangita og sanina lisod kaayo<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kung naa gani kasaigo, mahal pod kaayo<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ang akong mga pantalon kay sa mananahi man gikan<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pero kataw-an pod lagi ko samtang gisukdan.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pero ang pagkatambok nindot man gihapon<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nagpasabot lang na nga daghan kog pagkaon<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mura daw ko og <i>teddy bear</i>, <i>cute</i> daw ko,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mao nang daghang <i>girls</i> ang ganahan mogakus sa ako.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div>Music-Photography-Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17256864222673380039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8424492859637177402.post-66467492435880906192011-08-08T04:56:00.000-07:002011-08-09T04:54:38.849-07:00Another Silhoutte<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">“Another Silhouette”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">As I sit on this little corner that I own,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I begin to enjoy the tranquility of the moment;<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">And watched as the parchment of our story slowly burns...<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">What a pity!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I, for one, have not been able to sleep,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The gush of wind no longer provokes me,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">It has lost its powers of conviction,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">And so I keep my vigil.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">As my flagellated heart beats rapidly in the night,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I toss and turn in the darkness;<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Slowly, I’m sucked into your oblivion.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Will I be another silhouette?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Too many times have I been in this predicament,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">And my heart may no longer endure.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Yet, I refuse to turn off my lantern,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I'll be waiting and hoping.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFHtwyYqVAgIqrryv7myaXd0Ex7c5Ggpehd_R_sRRRLq7ViFhd4_ZfHMdj-YgwIwCFEiunMUUs5tH680GlVz2QzIxPtqYZlTDD7dTnEKoO8dRBzJ2oNvOtcWhKOAWGc83OITWcSHjrpqZB/s1600/tito+bebot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFHtwyYqVAgIqrryv7myaXd0Ex7c5Ggpehd_R_sRRRLq7ViFhd4_ZfHMdj-YgwIwCFEiunMUUs5tH680GlVz2QzIxPtqYZlTDD7dTnEKoO8dRBzJ2oNvOtcWhKOAWGc83OITWcSHjrpqZB/s320/tito+bebot.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div>Music-Photography-Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17256864222673380039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8424492859637177402.post-79416713666948872282011-08-08T04:45:00.000-07:002011-08-09T04:53:26.204-07:00Boulderism: The tiring process in making boulders<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">“On being a rock”</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">“Nobody’s exempted from having a broken heart.” – Eleonor Lada, 2009</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It is said that a person in love can do all things, even attempt to do the impossible. True, love is such a wonderful feeling. It’s a many splendor things. Many have died for love’s sake. It is the most common subject in literature. Countless songs have been written in honor of love; accompanied by the soft blending of melodious instruments that truly melts even the hardest of frozen hearts.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Inasmuch as the overflowing feeling of being in love is, the opposite can happen once love fails. A deafening emptiness seeps in to suck out all the living daylights of the individual; similar to the despicable reputation of the Harry Potter character called “dementors”. The moment love runs away is the moment you’ll realize what pain is. A total eclipse of the heart.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">This is my story.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Once upon a time when all elements conspired in my favor, I too flew without wings; I did the impossible. I loved. I can still remember it like it was just yesterday. How I wish I could relive those days. It’s like smiling while driving in the rain. You are sure to get wet but you don’t mind the falling water because you know that at the end of your destination, the sun is waiting for you. That is the exact reason why Romeo likened Juliet to the Sun. Without the sun, men will die. Without love, will men die too?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In the course of my existence during my meandering years, I have felt many emotions. But this so-called love seems to be the most persistent of them all. It comes knocking in the middle of the night. Of course, locking the door is a futile effort. Love is like a thief – it enters in your heart in any way that it can. And it usually gets what it wants.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Year 2010 was the Year of the Tiger – my year. Chinese fortune predicted that those who are born in the year of the tiger should be prepared to face challenges and crucial changes. I don’t usually believe in Astrology. But somehow, I am convinced this time. I was hit. I loved. I was unprepared.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">I believe that I am now participating in a self-instigated turn of phase. It’s a complicated process that even I have no idea how to explain it. I guess it really hurts when love fails. When I love, I give up everything for that person – my selfishness, time, feelings, and plans for the future. When I love, there is no more “I, me myself”. Martyrdom – that’s what my friends refer to it. I guess they were right.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Investing on your feeling is dangerous. If I knew that I would someday cry a river, I would have already built a very strong dam. A dam that would withstand even the strongest surge of water from the mountains. Sadly, there was no dam. There was only a clear and smooth passageway for water to flow to the sea. Damn!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">So it has come to eventually pass. I loved, but I lost. I could always blame it on incompatibility. I’ve been using that line many times already everytime a girl would say that I am only like a brother to her or that she could only see me as a friend. Nonetheless, whatever the girl’s line may be, I am reluctantly forced to accept friendship which in __________’s case was extremely different. 2010 was truly full of surprises.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Among all the other girls that I courted, with ___________, it was different. I fell in love not just with her, but also with her family and relatives. We have gotten so close to each other that I even came to the point of thinking that she was the girl whom I’d like to spend the rest of my life with. True, we were in a way not compatible. We would have occasional clashes of principles and small words tend to make us irritable. I guess it goes naturally because I knew she already had my heart. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The months I spent with her were amazing. What used to be an organized person had turned into a spontaneous freak, who acts without planning, who moves at the spur of the moment. We played “shakay” on Valentines Day, we had fighting fish as pets, we had nightly calls, and we’d laughed even when there was no reason to laugh at all.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Being with her brought me to a diverse level of happiness. It’s the kind of happiness that cannot be substituted with money. I began to think differently. I worked not for myself but for her so that I may have something to prove. I lived for her happiness. She became my Juliet. She became my sun.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">She introduced me to her family and relatives who accepted me. They were a happy bunch! Everytime they got together, laughter would be heard from all corners of the house. I would just stay quiet and listen to them talking and laughing (while the husbands please themselves with beer and turns at the videoke machine). Quiet as I may be on the outside, my soul inside is leaping with joy to see their faces and to hear melodious laughter. Even the dog’s bark became music to me. I will be forever grateful to them especially to her cousins. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Sadly, dark clouds blinded the way and I wasn’t man enough to blow them off… :-(</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">To state the obvious, everything went downhill.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">(to be continued)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Music-Photography-Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17256864222673380039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8424492859637177402.post-68249114482038049052011-07-24T21:55:00.001-07:002011-08-09T04:49:58.621-07:00My Pagadian<div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"> "My Pagadian"</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">I was recently on an out-of-town trip where I was mixed with peers from different places in and outside of the Philippines. When I introduced myself to the rest of the crowd, I noticed that some of them (excluding the foreign delegates) had question marks on top of their heads when I smilingly said, “I’m from Pagadian City!” They actually thought I’m from the USA because of my nosebleed American accent. What a compliment! But I am a proud Pagadianon.</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">It was then when I realized that only a handful know Pagadian City. To some, it’s like the lost City of Atlantis – only heard of but never been there. Thus, I’ve come up with a small list of signs to let others differentiate Pagadian from any other city:</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"></span><br />
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</span></div><ol style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 25px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px;"><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><strong>Legs</strong> – a solid Pagadianon has thick and strong legs, as sturdy as a Narra tree. This is because Pagadian City lies on a slope. Back in the days when Suzuki Aura and Yamaha Krypton were not invented yet and tricycles were scarce, Pagadianons relied on their feet. They would walk down the city to buy their groceries and then walk uphill, resting every now and then. A Pagadianon could easily do that.</span></li>
</ol><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div><ol style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 25px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px;"><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><strong>Tricycles</strong> – This is the urban counterpart of the famous carabao. My cousin refers to them as his alarm clocks! True, Pagadian’s tricycles are some of the noisiest and weirdest in the world. Normally, when one rides a tricycle he would have a clear view of the street. But in Pagadian, that’s not gonna happen! Most of what the passenger would see is the clear blue sky! This is because the local tricycle is on a 40 to 45 degree tilted angle. Designed on purpose for the uphill rides of your life! It makes you want to pray the rosary everytime you ride on it especially at the back portion. A healthy conversation uphill won’t be conceived inside the tricycle.</span></li>
</ol><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div><ol style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 25px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px;"><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><strong>Ha?</strong> – If Cagayan de Oro has <strong>tsada </strong>and Dumagute has <strong>sa,</strong> Pagadian has <strong>ha. </strong>This is the most common interrogative expression of a Pagadianon. Due to the noise pollution brought about by the famous rocketship tricycles, Pagadianons have developed something sort of a hearing impairment. <strong>Ha</strong> is used to force the other person to restate what he/she has been saying because apparently the Pagadianon was not able to hear it clearly.</span></li>
</ol><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div><ol style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 25px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px;"><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><strong>Ubos</strong> – this is a clear proof that Pagadian is similar to Hong Kong in as far as topography is concerned. Ubos (the unique pagadianon translation of downtown) refers to the heart of the city where commercial establishments have decided to crowd. It’s the nucleus of all business activities and the usual route of all parades. Pagadianons don’t go to <strong>Sentro </strong>or<strong> Siyudad</strong>, they go to <strong>ubos!</strong></span></li>
</ol><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div><ol style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 25px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px;"><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><strong>Parades </strong>– are similar to the death march! If one wishes to be familiar with the city, then joining the parade would be one of the best advices. The city’s parade route passes thru some of the significant landmarks of the locality. It usually starts and ends in Plaza Luz or at the city gymnasium. It passes by the provincial capitol, regional offices, business establishments and schools. But one has to be prepared if one wishes to participate in the parade. What goes down must eventually go up. It’s the going up part that’s a bit challenging.</span></li>
</ol><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div><ol style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 25px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px;"><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><strong>Plaza Luz</strong> – named after the wife of the late Mayor Pajares, Plaza Luz is one of the biggest in Mindanao. It covers an entire area of a city block. It is strategically situated adjacent to the city hall and the famous oval grounds. Despite being in the heart of the city, it can still serve its purpose. It invites weary travelers (usually truck drivers) for a quick nap. The cool breeze conglomerates people from different walks of life into the Plaza. There is more to it than meets the eye. Plaza Luz, because of its wide area and the impressive <strong>taklobo stage</strong>, has been playing host to the government’s and other organizations’ programs, concerts, rallies and other events. It also bears witness to hundreds of successes and breakups. At night, it becomes a trysting place of lovers who can’t afford a decent place to express their strong feelings!</span></li>
</ol><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">So there you have it. They are just some of the things that separate Pagadian from the rest of the world. They make the city unique. They comprise My Pagadian! </span></div>Music-Photography-Literaturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17256864222673380039noreply@blogger.com0