Independence Day on June 12

Independence Day for the Americans are generally boisterous affairs, with barbeques - and playing all-American games (or watching, that is), and fireworks,  a family-with friends celebration...

Here in the Phiilippines, how do we celebrate our independence day?
or in fact, do we?

Most Pinoys appreciate the day off, but most do nothing to celebrate it
does this mean we value our freedom less?  do we actually have freedom?
do we know what freedom means?
or have we been forever crushed under the bad economic times that we fail to celebrate

when my father was alive, he would of course be busy during these times as he was an Army Officer, being a PMA graduate.....  but i cannot remember if we did celebrate

Celebrations that i remember usually cluster around religious times (Christmas, New Year, Easter) and family related events (birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, house birthdays) -

but Independence Day in the Philippines?  dont remember much.

i remember celebrations in the US, with my friends .....

Happy V in 2014

Happy Hearts!

May you have cozy times with loved ones .....

Abueva - The Power of Form - Exhibit at the Met

Last Saturday, National Artist Napoleon Abueva celebrated his 84th birthday at the Metropolitan Museum at Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas located along Roxas Boulevard.

I considered myself lucky to be invited.  I was also invited at the opening, but i was indisposed and couldnt make it - so i found myself doubly lucky to make it to his birthday.  The "full" exhibit ended last month, the 31st of January.  The bigger pieces has since been returned to the owners - some to the Abuevas, a few to the Consunjis.  As a matter of fact, someone told me that Mrs. David M. Consunji was the lady in white lace.  Most of the Consunji art works were abstracts - and as i viewed them with a great deal of pleasure, i felt the power of motion expressed in the abstracts.  They were mostly bas-relief 

i loved the carabaos, but my favorite piece - the black glossy family of 3 that was roughly half a mil was simply not there, i looked for it and asked my friend and classmate if it had been sold but she wasnt sure
if you want to see a pic of this, hit the arts-and-friends label on the left and you will see it

i liked the bust of my friend Amihan, the eldest of his kids - and that of Duero, the youngest son.

my friend Alice likes the Judas kiss, the surface of this piece reminds me of the Easter Island heads.

i love the circular slatted room, and if i were lavishly rich, i'd have it near the pool, but protected from the elements.  you would know why if you had seen it.

i also would buy the doors, if i had a castle or mansion to showcase it.  lovely doorway - a gateway to beauty and spiritual peace.

btw, it isnt too late to see some of them, only the larger pieces have been removed.  you can still view the smaller items - 

the Met is open Mondays-Saturdays.  Go see it, and maybe buy a few, especially if you can afford it

Happy Thanksgiving to all

today is a day, tradition in the USA, to say thanksgiving

its origins, i recall from grade school readings, come from when the Brits left England to settle in the New World and were faced with the cold of winter and the scarcity of food. Native Americans, i forgot the tribe (could they be Seqouians?) came over to give them maize, and other great food

and so, thanksgiving.

so have a good one.
now i am hankering for some turkey .......

50-1 Philippine Science High School Reunion

September 7 was the 50-1 anniversary celebration day of the Philippine Science High School, Agham Road Diliman Quezon City.  The hosting batch was batch 88.  Food was ..... some spaghetti noodle stuff, chickenini lollipop, beef ala something.  Food was okay although

The theme, sci-fi, appropriately enough.  and they had the Enterprise, but had lots of input from Star Wars.  I was trying to remember the New Trek props, but TOS is really ingrained in me so i thought the hallways were different - it looked more like the ship from Star Wars, you know, when Darth was intent on capturing Leia

We - Xennon (who was running in the elections) and Beth, Lito with the lovely Min, Alice and Manny, Leo Peter, Sonch, Dode, Ji-Ben Catajoy, Carl Dawang, and me were there to represent our batch. Lito brought a couple of bottles of wine, and i drank some.  i also had the idiocy to drink pepsi max. idiocy? well, only because it causes me insomnia, so i had no sleep Saturday night, and i had to make do with sleeping in Sunday --- all day.  Good thing i had filed for leave Monday to do stuff at Camp Aguinaldo so i did not have to wake up early.

there were several "lectures", for example, the directress of PSHSS (imitating UPS - University of the Philippines System) told us about PNoy's appreciation of PSHS graduates.....

i wondered how true that statement was ......
well, let me ask PNoy ...
how many heads of government agencies know their own?  how many heads know which of their employees are Sayans graduates?  do they even know if there is any graduates?


there was the usual request for money as the 50 for 50 saying went.  this really is the goal - that is, to reach 50 million for the 50th anniversary of the founding of Philippine Science.  i dont know what the Batch plans are -

SSS Anniversary Events - For Members

Happy Anniversary to the Social Security System

For Members of the SSS

Things of Interest to See or Participate In -

See the Gat Bonifacio Exhibit 
 (150 years celebration of Andres Bonifacio!)  opened today, 30 August
at the SSS Gallery, 2nd floor, SSS Main Bldg., East Avenue, Diliman Quezon City

Participate in the SSS Anniversary Mass 
 at 8:15 am, 2 September 2013
San Lorenzo Ruiz Chapel, 2nd floor, SSS Main Bldg

Visit the Livelihood Bazaar and Exhibit 
this will open at 9:30 am, 2 September
MAC area, SSS grounds, East Avenue, Diliman, QC
This will run until Friday, 6 September 2013
Maybe some early Christmas shopping? and do some good at the same time .....

Avail of the Medical Mission
from 8:00am-12:00 noon, Wednesday 4 September
at various locations




Enjoy the Stakeholder's (Members) Day
on Saturday, 10am-7pm 7 September at various malls

1st Debt Anniversary on their 56th

............... was a remark overheard at the ladies ....

 room of  a government office that will soon have their 56th anniversary

for the first time in the longest time, this institution does not have any anniversary bonus at all
only in the time of PNoy.

morale is at an all-time low

Remembering my Dad, a Father's Day thought

Dad.
Everytime i write a post, or look at my old-style hand-written journal entries, i am reminded of my Dad.
He had a meticulously kept medical journal as well as a regular journal. 

I was able to read one of his journal - on the Death March.  Made me cry.
I was thinking perhaps other people might like to read it, so i am asking my Dad to send me a dream so i will know it is alright to have it published......

i havent found his other journals, but then i havent had the time to really go over the papers.

As for his medical records. i saw it, he would have time and date he had his bp taken, when he took what meds, and if there was any reaction.

Happy Independence Day

How was it?  Did you go and have a party the way the Americans celebrate the 4th of July?

Yes? You had friends over?  Drank really cold for-adults-only-beverage and had food to excess?
Americans love to have beer and they usually have a barbeque - grilling steaks, hamburgers, franks, or what have you?  Americans are fierce about their rights, and their freedom.

So, are we Filipinos less?
My father (+) was - is a soldier - and fought for Filipino freedom.
i hope his sacrifices have not been in vain.

No?  Ah so. you didnt even bother to celebrate.  you just appreciated the day off.

Did you at least think of our heroes? and i dont mean the OFWs.
No?  So what is June 12 to you?

are you lackadaisical about being a Filipino?  are you proud to be Filipino?
do you know what it is to be Filipino?

Do you watch Anniversary celebrations? or better, do you participate?

Celebrations are bonding events, and this is why celebrations must be made.
i hope that Presidents of countries, and even institutions, will NOT curtail celebrations

Happy Easter

Happy Easter to all of you

I spent the Holy Week resting my back since it was ache-y.
I went to Sampaloc, Manila last Good Friday for healing
and and i very glad to say that i was able to go to Mass Easter Sunday -
i was  a tad worried i might not be able to go because of the heat but i made it.
nice one.

It is terribly terribly hot here in Manila.

a New Pope

Catholics, like yours truly, have a new leader
it feels good
i hope the prophecies arent ........ right, after all, prayer changes things.


Have a good weekend folks.

an Easter thought

Early Easter thoughts.
Easter. A time for transformation, or, to use a favorite word i found in Calvin and Hobbes, transmogrification.

A slow process, this time of change, and the picture says it all for me.

Click here for an imaginative Easter picture

just sharing the page

colorful birds.  this is part of the reason many people enjoy bird-watching.

i remember my first glimpse of a blue jay strutting his stuff in the parking lot of the Huntington Museum in California. i was out on a date with a gentleman, who perhaps, was not into as much art as i was. i will always remember him when i look at the daybook souvenir he got me.  he must be married now with kids.  still, it was a very interesting day.  the blue jay was wonderful.  it may be a common bird in the USA, but it was hardly common to me, being a Filipina mostly here in MetroManila, Philippines

Click here to view 11-of-the-coolest-birds-you-have-ever-seen

Monday celebration - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.


Martin Luther King Jr.
In celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

A day to see friends

Saturday, 5 January turned out to be a day to see friends


Lunch time - i met up with my Stat classmates .....

Leorey Marquez, who is based in Australia - and here to visit his mom as well as present to the College of Engineering disaster models - particularly those to do with dams, and thus flooding.  too bad i cant attend as it falls on a workday.

Mel Bernardo with his wife Miriam. Mel works at Metrobank with Joan - and i found out that 55 was the mandatory retirement age for Metrobank! 

 

Mel, Leorey (looking off camera), and me.....

 

with Miriam, the wife of Mel

and for dinner, Ofelia Martin Templo invited us - Emily and Chito Ferrer, Hermie, and Ging de la Paz, and me to dinner at .... King Bee - right across St. Peter (Hermie could actually walk to the place!).  

I had told Ofie that i could not drive so she offered to pick me up.  I told her i lived too far but she said ok lang so then i agreed.  i wanted a chance to see and talk with her again.  I told her it was difficult to go to the corner to get a cab and i needed advanced warning (a day or 2 at least) to arrange a driver so she asked me how i went to work.  i told her i had a service - have someone pick me up and bring me home.  weekends, i have someone get me a taxi if i need to go anywhere - as i have someone come in during weekends but last weekend, my assistant had the flu and couldnt make it to the house.  

my car has very low mileage - and it has traveled to Pagodpod way up there in Ilocos, Ligao in Bicol, Baguio - where we almost had the head-on collision due to a stupid driver going up to Baguio who overtook on a blind curve.  oops, i digress.

Ging couldnt make it to dinner as they were having a special event at their house.  

we had a very good time.  Ofie showed the pictures of her grandkids and Junjun's (or Jutes in his business cards - he owns Gino's, a pizza joint named after his son, located near Merriam College) daughter is just the cutest!  *sigh*

Ofie kindly brought me home and i was very glad Bernard (the youngest son of HTT and Ofie) texted his mom if she could fetch him at Centris.  At least, Centris wasnt too far off from the house.

It was very good to see Ofie, and i was really very happy to see pictures of her grandkids.  they are just the cutest.

Chito and Emily (accidentally hidden behind me), Herms, Ofie

here's a better picture of us, particular Mamu (Emily Ferrer)

At least my gladiator braces cant be seen in any of the pictures.  i call that successful dressing!

New Year - A Blessed 2013 to ALL

bread, coke, sparkling grape juice, mead, quezo de bola

the fruit salad, the cheese pimiento (queensland butter, quezo de bola, relish, pimiento), Santi's sweet ham, the Provident sliced ham, the NY quezo de bola, veg ham, embo

more of the same, plus the roast beef with potatoes, carrots, bellpeppers

with my soup - malagkit with tripe, luya, kasubha, young onions

Drinking, eating, and there's my turkey

New Year Noche Buena.  I was in bed reading until the clock struck 15 before midnight and then i opened all the lights (a tradition at home) and then  i set the table, and  ate and drunk.  Then i cleaned up.  Read some more until about 2am. went to sleep and then woke up, went thru my ablutions, then to mass.

A Blessed 2013

My Birthday Celebration

Friday,  28 December 2012
my birthday
the lunch crowd do not have pictures (i left my camera upstairs.  i was ready for the dinner crowd that stayed til almost 12 midnight ........

Food, glorious food

more food - bbq, fish, lengua, ham, embo, turkey ham, rice, veg lumpia, buko pandan, veg salad

coke, ham, embo, turkey ham, lengua, and the rice

me and my roses

jerry, alice, manny - manny showing off his genius skills like Danny did

a toast for the birthday girl

some of the roses in my room

another look at the roses, the other roses at the altar (not shown)

Fairy shoes

i get etsy mail on a daily basis and if you read my posts - which i try to label as accurately as possible - you would know i love off-beat, items of whimsy or fairy things.

there is a lady with an etsy shop.  she makes shoes.  i call them fairy shoes, but they are actually bridal shoes. she also makes baby/toddler/pre-school shoes.  they are gorgeous.

i am in conversation with her because there is a pair of toddler shoes that would i think would look fab on my feet - if she agrees to make them for adults.  you may want to ask why cant i buy made-to-order-shoes here in the Philippines, say Marikina.  well, the Philippine shoemakers make practical shoes - as fitting for a third world country.  But, sometimes the spirit yearns for something magical. and her shoes are magical.

i dont need signature stuff --- like longchamp bags or whatever.  i buy things that are useful, or those that bring joy.  The adult shoes are ballet shoes, and having worn them before, i know how wonderfully comfy they are - well, she has shoes that have heels  if you are the heel-type individual.

Few things bring joy, but my whimsy things bring me joy.  i know these shoes will bring me joy.
just like my etsy elephant.......

anyway, i hope to post some of her shoes once i get permission.  in the meantime - her shop is pink2blue and   here's the link for you to click on

 i just got permission and here are some pics. my favorite one is Andrea = which can be made for adults

these were meant for weddings, special events, christenings. i cant wear heels like these, but somebody there can , i.m sure

Birthday party of Horacio T. Templo, March 2012

Horace T. Templo

Ding, Rod, HTT

Birthday T-shirt